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A/N: I want to thank everyone who took the time to review the last chapter. :) It always gives me much needed support. I'm sorry that I haven't updated as usual, this week I've been having tests left and right, not that I study of course. . . . but they make me tired all over. So. . . . enjoy!
Ragna- If you want details on the Gray Man, e-mail me at dreadnault@netscape.net :)
katie janeway- Glad to see that I surprised you :)
GENA- Thank you!
Anonymous327- Yes, I struggled with Elayne's age. . . it was a toss up between 16 and 12
(Don't feel left out if I didn't post a reply to your review- if you want a reply, ask a question or make a suggestion. :) )
Nancy gasped loudly. If that corpse was William Hertz, then who was that who had taken Elayne to town? "Elayne has been kidnapped right in front of us." Nancy groaned to Frank.
Frank, whose attention was still on the body jerked out of his semi-trance and looked at Nancy. "What about Joe? He would've known the guy was a fake. He would have been with Elayne when she asked Fairchild if it was all right to go with Hertz, assuming that she did ask, which I doubt."
"We have to go notify the cops and Mr. Fairchild," Nancy said, gathering together her resolve.
A figure stepped out from behind the dark shadow of a tree holding a pistol. "I'm afraid that you two won't be going anywhere."
*******
"I can't believe you went over my head and hired those amateurs!" Mr. Gray said with emotion to Mr. Fairchild.
Mr. Fairchild turned from the window of his office. "The last time I checked, Arthur, the Network is mine to run as is my family and I make all the decisions concerning both."
The Gray Man sat in one of the chairs facing Fairchild's desk. He was very unhappy. "They're not even members of the Network!"
"Then maybe I can remedy that." Fairchild responded calmly.
"They're amateurs!"
"Really?" Fairchild asked as he sat down at his desk. "After all they've done for us you still think that they're amateurs? Despite the fact that they beat impossible odds, shown the most character and intelligence, outwitted terrorists? You think that they're STILL amateurs. If they had been put into the Network when the Morton girl was killed, by this time they'd be a mere step under you in authority. Why do you think they're still amateurs?"
Mr. Gray sighed. "I don't know Andrew. . . they seem young. . . they don't like to kill. . . they're just not the type."
"They're the perfect type! Would you want a cold-hearted killer sitting in our positions, or in a position of authority in the Network? From where I stand, I could easily overthrow the government, or any government, by doing nothing more than lifting my finger. Would you want a cold-hearted killer in that position? We're not going to be around forever!"
The Gray Man nodded beginning to see what Andrew S. Fairchild had seen all along. Just then the phone rang.
Mr. Fairchild reached over to pick it up. "Hello?" He listened for several moments. "Stay inside the house Amanda, in fact, go somewhere and hide, I'll be right over."
Mr. Gray frowned. "What was that?"
Fairchild picked up the phone again hitting one of the speed dial buttons. "Get my helicopter ready."
"Well?"
"It was my housekeeper's niece, Amanda. My housekeeper just found Joe knocked out in one of the bedrooms. She can't find Frank, Nancy, or Elayne." Fairchild stood up and pulled open one of the desk drawers and pulled out a revolver.
"Is that all?"
"For now, let's go."
*******
Frank squinted at the figure holding the gun on him and Nancy. It was John Barcross, Fairchild's assistant personal secretary. "You! He exclaimed."
Barcross smiled grimly. "Yes, me. You overlooked me, you didn't even consider me, did you?"
Frank and Nancy nodded reluctantly. "Where's my brother!" Frank demanded.
"Unconscious, I had to knock him out when I saw that you were about to stumble on Hertz's corpse. I don't need you to sound the alarm." Barcross explained.
"Why have you kidnapped Elayne?" Nancy asked, pumping Barcross for info.
"Just a job I was hired to do. By now she's in the hands of my employers."
"What do they want from her?" Frank demanded, he was cooling down now, trying to think on how to get out.
Barcross shrugged. "Revenge on old man Fairchild I suppose, other things too I bet. I don't ask those kind of questions when I'm hired."
"What about the attempt at the mall?" Nancy inquired, "What was with that?"
"My employers got desperate when they found out that you had been hired. They drastically overestimate your skills. They tried to get her themselves before you could get your guard up against them."
Nancy nodded slowly. Just then she noticed that she and Frank were standing near a certain sprinkler control box. One with weapons inside it. She motioned to Frank with her eyes. He caught on and nodded. He would keep Barcross busy while she went for the guns.
"What about the note in our hotel room?" Frank asked, trying to keep Barcross oblivious to Nancy.
"That was me, I tried to scare you off. You and your brother certainly have more guts than I thought, either that or less brains."
Nancy edged herself towards the box in the flowerbed. Only a few more inches. . . Just then a helicopter flew overhead and Barcross looked up. Nancy leapt towards the box and threw it open. It was empty. There was nothing in it. Vaguely she heard Barcross began to laugh.
*******
Elayne sat frozen in the back of the car that the imposter was driving. Barcross had told her that if she so much as put up an ounce of resistance to her "chauffeur" he would kill her bodyguards, father, and friends. Especially Joe. She wasn't planning to resist in any way.
I can still leave clues, she thought grimly. Just as that thought came the car slowed down and pulled off the road. The chauffeur opened his door and stepped out. He walked around the car and opened her door. "Out."
Slowly Elayne climbed out of the car taking in everything that was around her. They were on a deserted road excepting a van that was parked ahead. Three figures stood near the van holding rifles.
The imposter motioned towards the van. Elayne nodded and began to walk. Her mind was racing desperately. She needed to leave something, some sign, something that would help Joe, Frank, and Nancy to find her. They could, she knew they could.
*******
Nancy slowly stood up as Barcross laughed at her, he was still holding his gun to them though.
"Nice try Drew," Barcross chuckled, "but some of my men were watching when the girl showed that little stash to you. I couldn't afford to have anybody but me have weapons."
Frank groaned inwardly. Now they needed to stall more to come up with another plan. "Where are they taking her?" Frank demanded.
"Does it matter?" Barcross asked grimly.
"What can it hurt to tell us?" Nancy pointed out.
"Out of the country," Barcross replied, "they're not dumb enough to hold her within the United States. If they're found in another country, especially one not friendly to the U.S., then they don't have to worry. Do they?"
"What are they going to do with her?" Nancy asked trying to maintain a calm.
"I think I already answered that." Barcross said, "Time is wasting, it's time for you to die, Miss Drew, Mr. Hardy." he lifted up his gun and took aim.
*******
Amanda slowly paced the kitchen. Where was Elayne and her bodyguards? She dreaded the worst. Somehow they had kidnapped Elayne. Her aunt had found one of them, Joe, while cleaning. Amanda feared the worst, the other two were probably dead.
"What did Mr. Fairchild say?" Martha asked.
"He said to stay in the house and hide." Amanda replied. He had acted calm, but she could tell that Andrew had been terrified.
"Anything else?"
Amanda shook her head no, if anything had happened to Elayne, Andrew would be crushed. She didn't want to see that.
Both of their heads jerked up when they heard a pair of gunshots. "What was that?" Martha asked in a terrified whisper.
"I don't know." Amanda mouthed as she walked over to the wall and flipped the light switches to darken the kitchen. I just hope that Andrew gets home fast, Amanda finished to herself.
*******
Nancy took Frank's hand and clutched it. They were going to die. No one was there to help them this time. She closed her eyes, she couldn't bear to watch. Oh Frank!
She heard Barcross's gun fire and waited for the impact. She didn't feel anything. Slowly she opened her eyes, praying that she wouldn't find Frank's corpse. It didn't occur to her that she was still holding his hand.
Watch she saw shocked her. Barcross was struggling. Someone had stepped up behind him and was now strangling him with a garotte. His shots must have gone up in the air. Nancy squinted trying to make out the figure. It was Mr. Fairchild.
Nancy let out her breath. Frank was okay! So was she, come to think of it. They were going to live another day. She watched as Barcross stopped struggling. Jon Barcross was dead.
"How did it happen?" Fairchild asked them calmly as the Gray Man came up behind him, panting from running.
Frank pointed to Hertz's corpse. "An imposter who was posing as Hertz got her away. We think that Barcross knocked out Joe. Then Elayne and the imposter came down and said that they were going to town and that you had cleared it."
Fairchild nodded thoughtfully. "I see."
"How did you get here?" Nancy asked Fairchild.
"No time for that," Mr. Fairchild answered. "We need to notify the local law enforcement and do our best to stop them before they can leave the country." Fairchild wiped off the garotte on Barcross's shirt. "Dispose of him." he directed the Gray Man. He then took the garotte and slipped it under his shirt collar and dashed off towards the mansion.
A/N: That's it for now, kind of short I know, but oh well. :) Please review- It pushes me along. :)