"Hi, where's Joe?" asked Vanessa when she, Callie, Tony, Biff, Chet and Phil arrived at the Hardy home a little later that afternoon.
"They haven't gotten home yet," Frank answered a little concerned because he had expected them back by now.
The phone rang as the group of teens migrated to the living room. "Maybe that's your mom," suggested Chet as Frank lifted the receiver.
Frank was quite as the caller spoke but his face paled and his hand gripped the receiver until his knuckles protruded white. "Are you sure she's all right?" he asked the caller. "Yes, I will be there as soon as I can," he promised and hung up.
"What's wrong?" demanded everyone at once.
"Mom was found lying on the ground by her car," Frank informed them. "She was drugged but is okay. She was alone," he added after a slight pause.
"But..." Vanessa started but Frank shook his head.
"I don't know about Joe," he said. "The nurse said mom was still unconscious but could come home. The police have been notified and I'll probably meet them there."
"Go," Callie ordered him. "We'll wait here for your dad or Joe."
"Thanks," Frank replied and left. He arrived at Dr. Bates office in just under fifteen minutes and saw the police had already arrived.
"Frank, your mom's doing okay," Sergeant Con Riley said, coming over to meet Frank as he got out of the van. "Her purse was lying on the floor of the passenger side so it doesn't look like she was attacked because of that. But then a robber wouldn't have injected her with a sedative either," continued Con. "Any idea what is going on?"
"What about Joe?" asked Frank in reply. He knew the answer but he had to ask.
"Joe?" repeated Con in surprise. "Isn't he in the Wesley Foundation?"
"Mom picked him up," Frank said. "I think she may have been bringing him to Dr. Bates for a check-up but she was drugged and he was taken before they made it inside."
"I'll have dispatch verify she did pick him up before we write this up as a kidnapping," said Con. "The doctor said she would probably sleep for a few hours."
Frank nodded. "I'll go inside and check on her," he said. "Con," Frank continued before he could leave. "It was probably someone from the foundation who took Joe. Dad will come to the station when he gets in."
Con nodded his understanding and returned to Mrs. Hardy's vehicle where the Forensics officer was still gathering evidence.
"How's mom?" Frank asked Dr. Bates when he entered the building and was told to go on back.
"She's fine," Dr. Bates informed Frank. "She was given a light sedative. Fortunately, the syringe was left near her body. I'm afraid I may have destroyed evidence by picking it up and running a couple of tests on it to see what was in it but I was more concerned with your mother than the culprit."
"We wouldn't want it any other way," Frank assured him.
"I don't know why Laura was here, though," Dr. Bates said looking at Frank curiously. "She didn't have an appointment."
Frank's cell phone rang before he could answer. "Just a minute," apologized Frank, pulling it out.
"Frank, your mother picked Joe up a little while ago," Fenton's voice came through. "They gave him depressants this morning and something else before he left," he continued. "I don't know what it was but it made him spaced out. He couldn't do much more than blink. Laura was taking him to see Dr. Bates on her way home so they should be a little late getting there."
"Dad, I have some bad news," Frank said at this point and told him about the kidnapping.
"Take your mother home," Fenton instructed him. "See if you can get Vanessa or Callie to stay with her then go on to work. I'm going to run by the police station and then head back to Edgewood. I don't know where they've taken your brother but my guess is it will either be the foundation or Holden's, Lyman's or Turner's home."
"Okay," acknowledged Frank. "I'll see you there." He explained the situation to Dr. Bates who offered to get a wheelchair to roll Laura out. "That's okay," Frank declined the offer. "I can carry her."
Outside, Con helped Frank get Laura into the van. "We're almost through with the car," he told Frank.
"I'll get someone to bring me back for it," Frank said then told Con about the call he had just received from his father. A few minutes later he was on his way home, glad his friends were there waiting to help him.
***
Joe shivered and pulled the blankets closer around him. He had no idea where he was or what had happened after Dr. Holden had stopped in to give him a final physical before being released. He decided he must have passed out and been transferred to the Edgewood hospital because the room he was in smelled of antiseptic and it was clean and white but it was also bare except for the bed he was on and a cabinet in the corner.
He did know, however, that he was freezing. This room was much cooler than the one he had been in and his clothes had been replaced with a flimsily gown that tied at the back leaving most of him exposed. He got up to try and leave but the door was locked so he got back under the two blankets he had been given. Even so, it had took a long time for his teeth to quit chattering.
Joe had no idea how long he waited but eventually the door opened and Dr. Holden entered the room. "Wh..what happened?" stuttered Joe. "Did...did I pass out?"
"Yes, you did," acknowledged Dr. Holden. "Your mother decided it would be better for you to remain in our care."
Joe knew then that he was lying. "I..I'm, not...not in my room," Joe said.
"No, we had to move you," Holden told him. "It seems you are sicker than when you first arrived," he explained. "Here, you will get specialized treatment."
"How..how about a litt...little heat?" Joe begged through chattering teeth.
"You're quite right," Holden stated, his face breaking into a concerned frown. "It is a bit cold in here." He checked the thermostat on the meter outside the door. "It says seventy-four degrees but it doesn't feel that warm. It must be broken. I will have you moved," he promised kindly. "You just stay there while I have someone prepare another room."
As soon as Holden left, Joe got to his feet and moved to the door. He waited maybe sixty seconds before twisting the knob. To his surprise, the door opened but only because Dr. Holden was pulling it. "Going somewhere?" he asked, his voice deathly still.
"I...I" Joe got no further. Holden grabbed Joe's arm and pulled him from the room and toward the elevator.
"L...let go," Joe demanded, trying to pull free.
"You aren't going anywhere," Holden told him firmly. "As long a you're a patient here..."
"I....I'm not a...a patient here," Joe interrupted him with an air of defiance. "My...my mom would have ta..taken to a...a hospital."
"Actually, she took you to a general practitioner in Bayport," Holden informed Joe. "Fortunately, we were able to get you back."
"What?" Joe demanded in shock. His mom had gotten him out of here? Why didn't he remember? "Wh..where is she?"
"She was left," Holden informed Joe. "I only gave orders to bring you back. However," he continued. "If you do not cooperate fully, I can guarantee you will never see her again."
"You can't keep me here," Joe objected.
"You're right about that," Holden replied. "As I was reminded when I requested another room for you. Your father is an investigator and undoubtably will have the foundation searched because that fool Lyman put up such a fuss about your leaving."
"Then you might as...as well let me go," Joe pointed out.
"No, dear boy," Holden denied with a shake of his head. "You are a very special boy and are important to my research."
"My...my dad will find me," Joe said bravely.
"If you were to remain here, maybe," agreed Holden. "But my colleague and I have a place where we can do our research without interference. That is where you are going."
"When?" Joe asked fearfully as the elevator came to a stop.
"Now."
"They haven't gotten home yet," Frank answered a little concerned because he had expected them back by now.
The phone rang as the group of teens migrated to the living room. "Maybe that's your mom," suggested Chet as Frank lifted the receiver.
Frank was quite as the caller spoke but his face paled and his hand gripped the receiver until his knuckles protruded white. "Are you sure she's all right?" he asked the caller. "Yes, I will be there as soon as I can," he promised and hung up.
"What's wrong?" demanded everyone at once.
"Mom was found lying on the ground by her car," Frank informed them. "She was drugged but is okay. She was alone," he added after a slight pause.
"But..." Vanessa started but Frank shook his head.
"I don't know about Joe," he said. "The nurse said mom was still unconscious but could come home. The police have been notified and I'll probably meet them there."
"Go," Callie ordered him. "We'll wait here for your dad or Joe."
"Thanks," Frank replied and left. He arrived at Dr. Bates office in just under fifteen minutes and saw the police had already arrived.
"Frank, your mom's doing okay," Sergeant Con Riley said, coming over to meet Frank as he got out of the van. "Her purse was lying on the floor of the passenger side so it doesn't look like she was attacked because of that. But then a robber wouldn't have injected her with a sedative either," continued Con. "Any idea what is going on?"
"What about Joe?" asked Frank in reply. He knew the answer but he had to ask.
"Joe?" repeated Con in surprise. "Isn't he in the Wesley Foundation?"
"Mom picked him up," Frank said. "I think she may have been bringing him to Dr. Bates for a check-up but she was drugged and he was taken before they made it inside."
"I'll have dispatch verify she did pick him up before we write this up as a kidnapping," said Con. "The doctor said she would probably sleep for a few hours."
Frank nodded. "I'll go inside and check on her," he said. "Con," Frank continued before he could leave. "It was probably someone from the foundation who took Joe. Dad will come to the station when he gets in."
Con nodded his understanding and returned to Mrs. Hardy's vehicle where the Forensics officer was still gathering evidence.
"How's mom?" Frank asked Dr. Bates when he entered the building and was told to go on back.
"She's fine," Dr. Bates informed Frank. "She was given a light sedative. Fortunately, the syringe was left near her body. I'm afraid I may have destroyed evidence by picking it up and running a couple of tests on it to see what was in it but I was more concerned with your mother than the culprit."
"We wouldn't want it any other way," Frank assured him.
"I don't know why Laura was here, though," Dr. Bates said looking at Frank curiously. "She didn't have an appointment."
Frank's cell phone rang before he could answer. "Just a minute," apologized Frank, pulling it out.
"Frank, your mother picked Joe up a little while ago," Fenton's voice came through. "They gave him depressants this morning and something else before he left," he continued. "I don't know what it was but it made him spaced out. He couldn't do much more than blink. Laura was taking him to see Dr. Bates on her way home so they should be a little late getting there."
"Dad, I have some bad news," Frank said at this point and told him about the kidnapping.
"Take your mother home," Fenton instructed him. "See if you can get Vanessa or Callie to stay with her then go on to work. I'm going to run by the police station and then head back to Edgewood. I don't know where they've taken your brother but my guess is it will either be the foundation or Holden's, Lyman's or Turner's home."
"Okay," acknowledged Frank. "I'll see you there." He explained the situation to Dr. Bates who offered to get a wheelchair to roll Laura out. "That's okay," Frank declined the offer. "I can carry her."
Outside, Con helped Frank get Laura into the van. "We're almost through with the car," he told Frank.
"I'll get someone to bring me back for it," Frank said then told Con about the call he had just received from his father. A few minutes later he was on his way home, glad his friends were there waiting to help him.
***
Joe shivered and pulled the blankets closer around him. He had no idea where he was or what had happened after Dr. Holden had stopped in to give him a final physical before being released. He decided he must have passed out and been transferred to the Edgewood hospital because the room he was in smelled of antiseptic and it was clean and white but it was also bare except for the bed he was on and a cabinet in the corner.
He did know, however, that he was freezing. This room was much cooler than the one he had been in and his clothes had been replaced with a flimsily gown that tied at the back leaving most of him exposed. He got up to try and leave but the door was locked so he got back under the two blankets he had been given. Even so, it had took a long time for his teeth to quit chattering.
Joe had no idea how long he waited but eventually the door opened and Dr. Holden entered the room. "Wh..what happened?" stuttered Joe. "Did...did I pass out?"
"Yes, you did," acknowledged Dr. Holden. "Your mother decided it would be better for you to remain in our care."
Joe knew then that he was lying. "I..I'm, not...not in my room," Joe said.
"No, we had to move you," Holden told him. "It seems you are sicker than when you first arrived," he explained. "Here, you will get specialized treatment."
"How..how about a litt...little heat?" Joe begged through chattering teeth.
"You're quite right," Holden stated, his face breaking into a concerned frown. "It is a bit cold in here." He checked the thermostat on the meter outside the door. "It says seventy-four degrees but it doesn't feel that warm. It must be broken. I will have you moved," he promised kindly. "You just stay there while I have someone prepare another room."
As soon as Holden left, Joe got to his feet and moved to the door. He waited maybe sixty seconds before twisting the knob. To his surprise, the door opened but only because Dr. Holden was pulling it. "Going somewhere?" he asked, his voice deathly still.
"I...I" Joe got no further. Holden grabbed Joe's arm and pulled him from the room and toward the elevator.
"L...let go," Joe demanded, trying to pull free.
"You aren't going anywhere," Holden told him firmly. "As long a you're a patient here..."
"I....I'm not a...a patient here," Joe interrupted him with an air of defiance. "My...my mom would have ta..taken to a...a hospital."
"Actually, she took you to a general practitioner in Bayport," Holden informed Joe. "Fortunately, we were able to get you back."
"What?" Joe demanded in shock. His mom had gotten him out of here? Why didn't he remember? "Wh..where is she?"
"She was left," Holden informed Joe. "I only gave orders to bring you back. However," he continued. "If you do not cooperate fully, I can guarantee you will never see her again."
"You can't keep me here," Joe objected.
"You're right about that," Holden replied. "As I was reminded when I requested another room for you. Your father is an investigator and undoubtably will have the foundation searched because that fool Lyman put up such a fuss about your leaving."
"Then you might as...as well let me go," Joe pointed out.
"No, dear boy," Holden denied with a shake of his head. "You are a very special boy and are important to my research."
"My...my dad will find me," Joe said bravely.
"If you were to remain here, maybe," agreed Holden. "But my colleague and I have a place where we can do our research without interference. That is where you are going."
"When?" Joe asked fearfully as the elevator came to a stop.
"Now."