"What's wrong with the van?" Joe asked, squinting at the scratches he'd noticed covering the black paint.
"What?" Frank came around from the driver's side.
"Look at this stuff on the sides. These scratches. What'd you do, drive through a gravel pit?"
The blood drained from Frank's face. He stepped forward and brushed his fingers over the tiny cuts working all around the van in a perfect ring.
"Frank?" Joe as suddenly unnerved by his brother's pale face and trembling fingers.
"Joe, go inside," Frank whispered.
"What? Why?"
"Just do it."
"Frank, what's going on?"
The older Hardy scanned the street, then turned back to his brother.
"Don't drive the van anymore."
"Tell me what's going on!" Joe snapped, frustrated by Frank's evasion.
"Just trust me," Frank turned and stared straight into his brother's eyes. "Trust me."
"Trust what?"
The older Hardy turned away and stared back at the street, his eyes distant.
"Frank?"
"I think…" the older Hardy swallowed hard, "…I think I messed up, Joe."
"You messed up? How?"
"Never mind that…"
"Damnit Frank, what's wrong?"
"I messed up! Bad! Go inside!"
"Frank…"
"Now!"
Joe slammed his fist into the van and stormed away, furious at his brother's evasion, worried by how stubborn he was being.
Frank watched Joe storm off, then turned back to the chipped paint. He reached out, hand trembling, and traced the letters his brother hadn't seen.
"Soon," he whispered, reading the message aloud, knowing with deepening fear that somewhere out in the night the man awaited.
A/N: Sorry it's short…things have been a bit rough lately…when school let's out it'll be easier to update.
