by:
A/N: Thank you to GENA and Katie Janeway for their reviews.
GENA- I'll try to follow that suggestion, as for a lack of action- well maybe this chapter will satisfy you. . . . . *cackles evilly*
The explosion knocked both Frank and Nancy down to the ground. Frank could feel the heat of the flames that were now burning off the gasoline from the car. Nancy! Was she okay?
Just then Nancy groaned and Frank let out a sigh of relief. He looked up at the car and then the police building. Cops were now running out of it to see what had happened. Many had their guns drawn.
Frank coughed and helped Nancy up, she was coughing too. It appeared that she had caught the worst of it. Detective Kimball ran up to them. "What happened!" he yelled.
Frank coughed. "I don't know, someone bombed our car. We heard the clicking noise and got out."
Kimball nodded distractedly. "The nerve of them to do this on police property!" he muttered savagely. "This has something to do with your case doesn't it? I'm going to call in the FBI, this is no longer just a simple mugging case. Something is up."
Frank nodded and then turned to Nancy who had stopped coughing. "Are you okay?" he asked with concern.
Nancy nodded. "I'll be fine Frank, just give me a couple of minutes."
"Let's get you two in the building so that when the paramedics arrive they can look you over." Kimball told them.
"Lead the way," Frank said as sirens approached the scene.
Kimball led them into the police building and took them to a break room. He got them two glasses of water each to help with the coughing. "I'll be right back," he told them before he left them alone in the room.
"I thought you were a goner." Frank croaked.
Nancy smiled weakly, "I thought we were both gone."
Frank hesitated for a moment, "You have no idea how horrible it would have been to lose you," he began.
"I think I do," Nancy whispered softly, "it would be the same as losing you."
Frank and Nancy's eyes caught and they leaned forward slowly. Abruptly the door opened and Kimball walked back in with a pair of paramedics tailing behind. Frank and Nancy jerked away from each other blushing furiously.
Kimball winked at them as the paramedics made their way over to Frank and Nancy.
"So any ideas on who could of bombed your car?" Kimball quizzed them as the paramedics did a routine checkup of Frank and Nancy.
"If we knew that we wouldn't have a case, would we?" Nancy replied.
Kimball held up his hands, "Just asking, calm down."
"You said you were going to bring the FBI in on this didn't you?" Frank asked Kimball.
"I will, no telling what they'll do being that there hasn't been a crime. They've been spread a bit thin lately due to past events." Kimball explained.
The paramedics had finished their examination of Frank and Nancy. "See that you get plenty of rest and maybe a hot bath tonight," one of them told the two detectives before they left.
"Is it all right if we go now?" Nancy asked in a tired voice.
"I suppose so," Kimball sighed, "just stay in town in case we need you though."
Frank and Nancy sat on a bench in the park next to the police station. They were due to meet the Gray Man in a matter of minutes. After leaving the police station they had gone to get a bite to eat.
"Should we call Joe and tell him?" Nancy asked Frank.
Frank shook his head, "No, he'd only freak out, what with Iola and all, best we tell him in person."
Nancy nodded and the two sat for several minutes waiting for the Gray Man to appear.
Suddenly they heard a dry voice behind them, "You amateurs seem to have a remarkable ability to attract trouble."
Frank and Nancy turned to see the Gray Man standing behind them. "I take it you've heard about the police station then," Frank replied.
The Gray Man nodded, walked around the bench and sat down next to them. "You have no idea how much danger you two are in. Get off the case while you can."
"I think that the amount of danger we're in has just been demonstrated to us," Nancy replied firmly, "we will remain on the case, thank you."
Mr. Gray sighed, "I realize you've had experience dealing with terrorists, Frank, Nancy, but these kidnappers are higher players on every level. Compared to them, most terrorists are bumbling idiots."
"Who are they?" Frank asked, pumping the Gray Man for information.
"Spies," The Gray Man answered tersely, "spies left over from the cold war. The most elite but unheard of forces that any country could ever muster. Now that the hostilities are over they do other things. Some put their talents to good use, others use their talents to terrorize or commit crimes."
"Why would these 'spies' be after a teenage girl?" Nancy queried, "Ransom?"
"No, revenge," Mr. Gray said coldly.
"Against Mr. Fairchild?" Frank guessed.
The Gray Man nodded. "Indeed, they've been trying to get at him for years now. Mostly, he's been able to fend them off himself."
"Why against Mr. Fairchild?" Nancy asked.
The Gray Man sighed. "Let me explain." he began. "When Andrew S. Fairchild was a teenager, he was just like you two. He solved cases left and right. His community hailed him as a genius. The CIA saw uses for such a person. They recruited him."
"So he was a CIA agent and that's why they're after him still?" Frank guessed.
"No, Frank, he was not just a CIA agent. In fact after a short period of time he was no longer with the CIA."
"You mean he was recruited into the Network, with you guys?" Nancy ventured.
"Yes, and no," The Gray Man answered, "you see, Andrew S. Fairchild created the Network."
Frank's jaw dropped wide open. "He created it!"
The Gray Man nodded, "Yes, he created the very thing that became a scourge to terrorists, spies, and other agents. That's why they hate him. They would hate him more if they knew that he still runs and directs the Network."
"You mean that Fairchild is your boss?" Nancy said in amazement.
"Yes, he is," Mr. Gray replied, "that's how he knew of your talents and experience. He has always had a very high opinion of you. Whenever something big comes up that we can't get a grip on guess who says, 'What about those Hardy kids?'"
"So why did you fly out to Denver, you could have just had Fairchild talk to us about it."
"Because this time Fairchild hired you without so much as consulting us!" The Gray Man retorted. "When he doesn't bother to consult us it scares us, it means that something is up. We need to get in on it. He doesn't like involving the Network in his family affairs. He needs us."
"So you just want to shove us out, don't you?" Frank said.
"Well, we won't have it!" Nancy said in a raised voice, "You can talk to Fairchild about it but we're sticking on the job."
The Gray Man sighed deeply. "Have it your way."
Nancy groaned as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She was beginning to feel all the bruises, aches, and pains from the car bombing in the morning. That had been very scary, the only thing that scared her more was that Frank could have been killed.
She strolled into her bedroom and began to dress slowly to accommodate for the aches in her muscles. Someone knocked lightly on her door. "Nancy, it's me. Can I come in?" came Frank's voice.
Nancy quickly finished dressing and then called, "Come on in."
The door opened and Frank walked in. "So what do you think about what the Gray Man said?"
Nancy shrugged. "We've dealt with what he thought was dangerous before."
"Well, I just wanted you to know that you don't have to stay on the case if you don't want to."
"Well, I just want you to know that I shall stay on until it's solved or Elayne is out of danger!"
Frank smiled. "I thought you'd feel that way. Shall we go down and see if we can find Elayne and Joe?"
Nancy nodded and the pair left her room together. They strode down the hall silently both reflecting on the events of the day. They soon arrived in the entrance hall. They were just in time to spot Elayne and Will Hertz preparing to leave for somewhere.
"Where are you going Elayne?" Nancy called.
"Where's Joe?" Frank asked.
Elayne looked at the two detectives nervously. "I was just going to town to pick up a dress. My father said it was all right if Hertz escorted me. He reckons it's all right if Hertz stays with me the whole time because you've had enough for the day."
"What about Joe?" Frank repeated.
"I think he went to his room to rest," Elayne said nervously.
Frank and Nancy nodded. "Well, we'll see you two later," Frank said.
Elayne and Hertz left. "Let's go on a quick walk around the grounds," Nancy suggested to Frank.
The pair walked out in time to watch Elayne and Hertz drive down to the gate and pull onto the main drag. "That way," Nancy pointed to the side of the house where the garden they had seen previously was.
They headed for the garden silently. Finally Frank broke the silence. "So how's Ned?" he asked Nancy.
Nancy blushed. "He's fine, I suppose. I'm not good at keeping up with him what with all the cases I have. It makes him unhappy." she said the last sentence guiltily.
"At least he doesn't try to get involved in your cases like Callie does."
"She cares for you, a lot, if she didn't she wouldn't bother to get involved," Nancy said very softly.
Frank spotted a figure lying in one of the flower beds ahead of them. "What that?" he asked Nancy.
"I don't know, let's see." Nancy replied curiously.
"It's a dead body!" Frank exclaimed as they approached.
Frank and Nancy walked up and rolled the corpse over.
It was the body of William Hertz.
A/N: Cliffhanger!!!! Please review and let me know how many people actually care about this story! All you have to do is press the button below.