After Mr. Hardy left, Phil pulled out a map and located the place where the light first appeared and the area where it had vanished.
"Since the lights begin up here," Frank said, pointing at the map. "I think we should search the area where they ended. Someone may be at the first site."
"Joe might be at the first site, too," Biff pointed out.
"Doubtful," Phil commented. "Maybe whoever is using the light is going down to take care of Joe."
"But the lights were going around before Joe even vanished," Chet argued. "Remember, that's what he was investigating when he got in trouble at the camp."
"Right," Frank said, trying to head off an argument which would prove fruitless. "And we'll explore both areas but I think we should check out this location first."
"We could seperate and cover more of the area in the same amount of time," Phil suggested.
"We could," agreed Frank. "But if these men are terrorists, we'll stand a better chance if there are four of us if we were to get caught."
Their destination decided, the four boys headed toward the lake.
"Wake up, Joey," Hash's voice filtered through Joe's semi-consciousness.
Joe opened his eyes, blinking to adjust them to the light which he had become unaccostumed to. Unlike before, he was now standing in an upright position. No, he thought, not standing. He was leaning agaisnt a tree, his cheek touching the bark. His stomach began itching as he felt a couple of ants crawl on to his skin and climb up toward his chest.
He was unable to move, his arms being wrapped around the trunk of the tree which couldn't be more than ten years old. His hands met on the other side and were tied tight. Another rope kept his waist connected to the bark. A piece of duct tape kept him from saying anything.
From what Joe could see, he had been taken deep into the woods. The sun was high but the trees were thick and the area in shadow. Joe guessed they were now somewhere on camp ground. He doubted his captors would chance having their fun in a public place. With the Blevins' involvement, there would be no campers allowed in this area until they had gotten what they wanted.
Joe felt something thick slide down his back and he shivered even though the air was hot. "Well, Cook," Joe heard Dobson's voice behind him as he felt the man touch his bare shoulder. "Are you going to tell us about Maisden or do you sit back and watch while the son of your friend, Fenton Hardy, pays the price for your silence?"
"I don't know anything about Maisden," Cook insisted, his tone as honest and pleading as he could make it. "I can't tell you what I don't know."
Dobson removed his hand from Joe's shoulder and stepped back. There was a faint wooshing sound almost immediately followed by the sting created from leather striking flesh. Joe winced, knowing now what had slid down his back earlier. It was a leather belt. Joe clenched his eyes and willed away the flash of pain. 'At least he's not using the buckle,' Joe thought as he felt the belt strike his back once more.
"Over here!" Chet called out as he found a footprint one step away from a squased pile of feces. The ground was dry and hard and footprints had been impossible to find. Until now. A stride away and there was another, fainter print.
"Who knew defacation could be beneficial in a mystery?" Phil cracked as he, Biff and Frank joined Chet.
"They're fading away too soon," Biff groaned, seeing the almost invisible last print.
"But at least we know which direction to go from here," Frank said optimistically.
The boys fanned out but continued in the direction the footprints had been going. Soon, a familiar bird call was heard. A few seconds later, the sound was repeated. Frank smiled, recognizing the secret signal he, Joe, and their friends had worked out on their first hiking trip. The signal had come in handy on more than a few mysteries. Frank gave the bird call and waited five beats, then repeated it. Seconds later, another call was heard from farther down on Frank's left.
Frank, Chet and Biff met up with Phil a few minutes later. "Smart move, remembering the bird signal," Frank complimented Phil.
Phil just shrugged. "Didn't want to put anyone on the alert to our pressence." He pointed to a patch of berry covered bushes. "There's a cave opening there."
"One of us should remain out here to go get help in case there's trouble," Frank suggested.
"I will," Chet volunteered. He stayed back, stationing himself behind one of the larger trees as the other three boys cautiously neared the entrance to the cave.
"I'll go first," Frank whispered. "Phil, you follow after one minute and Biff, one minute after Phil. We'll space it so, just in case there is trouble, the next one can either come to help or take off to send Chet for reinforcements, depending on the situation."
All agreed, Frank entered the cave. Turning on his penlight to penetrate the darkness, he went deeper, knowing Phil had entered the cave by now. The deeper Frank went, the more convinced he became there was no one present. Eventually, the cave opened up into a medium-sized cavern. Frank came to a stunned standstill as he flashed his light among the contents which littered the floor.
Phil came up behind Frank and gave a low whistle which broght Biff into the cavern seconds later.
"Gun-runners!" Biff exclaimed, seeing the weaponary displayed.
"More than that," Frank commented, his voice laced with fear.
"What?" Phil asked, his gaze turning to Frank's pale face, barely visible in the dim light created by their flashlights.
"The interest in Darren Cook and the bomb in the senator's office," Frank reminded his pals. "Whoever put this weaponary here are terrorists."
"We better find Joe," Biff whispered urgently.
"Let's check out the other area," Frank said in agreement, leading the way back out of the cave.
It didn't take long for them to reach the entrance and Chet to leave his hiding place. "What's wrong?" Chet demanded, seeing the concerned looks of Phil and Biff and the expression boardering on anguish which consummed Frank's face.
Phil told him about the contents of the cave. "I'll go to the ranger station and alert the authorities," Phil said in conclusion. "You three see if you can find Joe." Phil took off and the other three made the trek up the hill to where the light had originated the previous night.
After arriving, it took a short time to locate the cave's entrance. "Why don't they have guards around these places?" Chet wondered. "Anyone could find them."
"Most people probably avoid this part of the park because it's so close to the camp," Frank theorized. "And the lights at night have probably scared off any camper's who have come here."
"Okay, here we are," Frank said, stooping to go inside the cave. "Keep quite," he added, as the other two boys followed quietly. The boys kept silent as they made their way deeper into the cave. Frank's light landed on the bound figure of a blond-headed youth.
"Joe!" Frank shouted, rushing over and dropping to his knees. He pulled the boy onto his back and shone his light into his face. Frank's heart crashed. It wasn't Joe.
"Since the lights begin up here," Frank said, pointing at the map. "I think we should search the area where they ended. Someone may be at the first site."
"Joe might be at the first site, too," Biff pointed out.
"Doubtful," Phil commented. "Maybe whoever is using the light is going down to take care of Joe."
"But the lights were going around before Joe even vanished," Chet argued. "Remember, that's what he was investigating when he got in trouble at the camp."
"Right," Frank said, trying to head off an argument which would prove fruitless. "And we'll explore both areas but I think we should check out this location first."
"We could seperate and cover more of the area in the same amount of time," Phil suggested.
"We could," agreed Frank. "But if these men are terrorists, we'll stand a better chance if there are four of us if we were to get caught."
Their destination decided, the four boys headed toward the lake.
"Wake up, Joey," Hash's voice filtered through Joe's semi-consciousness.
Joe opened his eyes, blinking to adjust them to the light which he had become unaccostumed to. Unlike before, he was now standing in an upright position. No, he thought, not standing. He was leaning agaisnt a tree, his cheek touching the bark. His stomach began itching as he felt a couple of ants crawl on to his skin and climb up toward his chest.
He was unable to move, his arms being wrapped around the trunk of the tree which couldn't be more than ten years old. His hands met on the other side and were tied tight. Another rope kept his waist connected to the bark. A piece of duct tape kept him from saying anything.
From what Joe could see, he had been taken deep into the woods. The sun was high but the trees were thick and the area in shadow. Joe guessed they were now somewhere on camp ground. He doubted his captors would chance having their fun in a public place. With the Blevins' involvement, there would be no campers allowed in this area until they had gotten what they wanted.
Joe felt something thick slide down his back and he shivered even though the air was hot. "Well, Cook," Joe heard Dobson's voice behind him as he felt the man touch his bare shoulder. "Are you going to tell us about Maisden or do you sit back and watch while the son of your friend, Fenton Hardy, pays the price for your silence?"
"I don't know anything about Maisden," Cook insisted, his tone as honest and pleading as he could make it. "I can't tell you what I don't know."
Dobson removed his hand from Joe's shoulder and stepped back. There was a faint wooshing sound almost immediately followed by the sting created from leather striking flesh. Joe winced, knowing now what had slid down his back earlier. It was a leather belt. Joe clenched his eyes and willed away the flash of pain. 'At least he's not using the buckle,' Joe thought as he felt the belt strike his back once more.
"Over here!" Chet called out as he found a footprint one step away from a squased pile of feces. The ground was dry and hard and footprints had been impossible to find. Until now. A stride away and there was another, fainter print.
"Who knew defacation could be beneficial in a mystery?" Phil cracked as he, Biff and Frank joined Chet.
"They're fading away too soon," Biff groaned, seeing the almost invisible last print.
"But at least we know which direction to go from here," Frank said optimistically.
The boys fanned out but continued in the direction the footprints had been going. Soon, a familiar bird call was heard. A few seconds later, the sound was repeated. Frank smiled, recognizing the secret signal he, Joe, and their friends had worked out on their first hiking trip. The signal had come in handy on more than a few mysteries. Frank gave the bird call and waited five beats, then repeated it. Seconds later, another call was heard from farther down on Frank's left.
Frank, Chet and Biff met up with Phil a few minutes later. "Smart move, remembering the bird signal," Frank complimented Phil.
Phil just shrugged. "Didn't want to put anyone on the alert to our pressence." He pointed to a patch of berry covered bushes. "There's a cave opening there."
"One of us should remain out here to go get help in case there's trouble," Frank suggested.
"I will," Chet volunteered. He stayed back, stationing himself behind one of the larger trees as the other three boys cautiously neared the entrance to the cave.
"I'll go first," Frank whispered. "Phil, you follow after one minute and Biff, one minute after Phil. We'll space it so, just in case there is trouble, the next one can either come to help or take off to send Chet for reinforcements, depending on the situation."
All agreed, Frank entered the cave. Turning on his penlight to penetrate the darkness, he went deeper, knowing Phil had entered the cave by now. The deeper Frank went, the more convinced he became there was no one present. Eventually, the cave opened up into a medium-sized cavern. Frank came to a stunned standstill as he flashed his light among the contents which littered the floor.
Phil came up behind Frank and gave a low whistle which broght Biff into the cavern seconds later.
"Gun-runners!" Biff exclaimed, seeing the weaponary displayed.
"More than that," Frank commented, his voice laced with fear.
"What?" Phil asked, his gaze turning to Frank's pale face, barely visible in the dim light created by their flashlights.
"The interest in Darren Cook and the bomb in the senator's office," Frank reminded his pals. "Whoever put this weaponary here are terrorists."
"We better find Joe," Biff whispered urgently.
"Let's check out the other area," Frank said in agreement, leading the way back out of the cave.
It didn't take long for them to reach the entrance and Chet to leave his hiding place. "What's wrong?" Chet demanded, seeing the concerned looks of Phil and Biff and the expression boardering on anguish which consummed Frank's face.
Phil told him about the contents of the cave. "I'll go to the ranger station and alert the authorities," Phil said in conclusion. "You three see if you can find Joe." Phil took off and the other three made the trek up the hill to where the light had originated the previous night.
After arriving, it took a short time to locate the cave's entrance. "Why don't they have guards around these places?" Chet wondered. "Anyone could find them."
"Most people probably avoid this part of the park because it's so close to the camp," Frank theorized. "And the lights at night have probably scared off any camper's who have come here."
"Okay, here we are," Frank said, stooping to go inside the cave. "Keep quite," he added, as the other two boys followed quietly. The boys kept silent as they made their way deeper into the cave. Frank's light landed on the bound figure of a blond-headed youth.
"Joe!" Frank shouted, rushing over and dropping to his knees. He pulled the boy onto his back and shone his light into his face. Frank's heart crashed. It wasn't Joe.