19. Chapter: Enemies.
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You're going to hate me now... -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nancy looked to the ceiling, it was grey, not fun to stare at.
She turned her head and saw she was lying on a mattress on the floor in a big hall. She took a deep breath, it ached very much.
She tried to remember everything in right order.
She had fall to a river, where she knocked out, then some people had carried her to the waterside and there she was. That was all she remembered.
She wondered where Joe was. Then she wondered if Frank was worried.
She was disturbed in her thoughts when a door opened and a young woman walked in. Luise or Julia.
When she came closer Nancy saw it was Julia.
Julia kneeled at the mattress and looked at Nancy.
'Is your chest ok?' she asked, not mean at all.
Nancy didn't answer the question. 'Where's Joe?'
'Oh...don't worry about him' Julia answered. 'He's just fine.'
A door behind her opened and a man and a woman walked in.
Nancy didn't know why but she felt her hand shaking.
Luise, the woman who had just came in, kneeled beside her sister.
'What are you thinking about, Nancy Drew?' she wondered out loud and stared into Nancy's eyes.
'I bet she's thinking about her sweet boyfriend' the man said.
He put a tray on the floor with some food on it.
'We don't want you get hungry' the man said and grinned.
Nancy knew him now and remembered the voice she had heard.
'Tony! Are you...?'
-'Hard to imagine, right? I know' Tony Prito said smiling.
'You're way too soft' Luise said and stood up.
Tony stood up as well and took her hand.
'Tough? That's your job, honey' he said and kissed the back of her hand. A true gentleman.
'How romantic' Luise said. 'Well, should we let the boss have an alone word with her?'
Julia stood up. She looked sad. 'I'll stay.'
The door opened again. Another man walked in.
Nancy felt like her eyes were going out of her eyeholes.
'No way!' she thought,' It can't be!'
Julia turned to him.
'Am I forgiven?' she asked.
He nodded. 'Your sisters orders. I want her to be guarded 24/7. Understood? And take care of her retainers too' he said to Tony, 'We'd like to be alone now, please.'
Everybody left the hall. Except Julia.
'Undercover! Good idea!' Nancy said hoping she was right, forgot about Julia.
Joe Hardy smiled. 'Undercover?' he repeated. 'I'm not undercover, why do you think that?'
Nancy felt her heart beat faster. She didn't know what to say.
'I'm sorry, it was not in plans that you'd fall to the river' Joe continued.
'Good to know that' Nancy said ironically. 'Joe, what the hell are you thinking? What's the reason?'
Joe's grin disappeared for a moment but came right back.
'I'm afraid this is not one of the movies where the bad guy tells the good cop everything when he seems to have all the cards in his hand and then he gets it back to his head when the good cop escapes. So I won't tell you much, 'cause I know you're a smart girl, Nancy...' Joe said.
He tried to lift the cover off Nancy's body but she pulled it angrily back down.
'Is your chest all right? I was told you had a broken rib' Joe said.
'Like you care' Nancy muttered.
-'Not really, but you're more valued if you're whole...'
-'You don't know what you're doing!'
-'Nancy, how can I not know I've been planning it for so long.'
-'The Walker sisters are using you!'
Julia stepped slowly to them with an angry look in her face.
'I doubt that' Joe said calmly. 'They can't.'
'Can I talk to her for a moment or two?' Julia asked.
Joe stood up. 'Be careful, she's slippery.'
Julia nodded. They kissed and Joe left the room.
Nancy stared at Julia.
'I don't know what you've told him but when I get out of here, I'll...'she said but was interrupt by Julia.
-'We? Joe is in charge of the whole thing, this was only a good chance for us to work with him. But then my dear sister was going to take over and failed. Ask any questions, I might answer some of them...'
Nancy thought about the offer. Why not?
'Why are you doing this?' she asked.
'You know that' Julia answered. 'You read the Walker/Jennings story, didn't you. You don't know, how it is to have a wonderful, loving father and then he's killed because of moneys! My father was the only person I really, really trusted. My mother wasn't healthy but she swore she would let Jennings pay the price for our father. She's dead but I and Luise are still here and...well, all Jennings are in great danger.'
'What did they do to you? It was only one of them' Nancy pointed out.
'The blood of the family shouldn't be allowed to flow, I've read their story. Every time they think someone is cheating on them they hire a hatchet man to finish the business, do you think it's normal?' Julia explained.
'I guess not but what did I do to you?' Nancy asked.
Julia seemed guilty. 'That's one of the questions I can't answer' she said. 'Probably you're just in our way.'
-'How did you meet Joe?'
Julia grinned. 'I'm sure Joe will tell you about that.'
-'Does he sponsor you?'
-'We all pay our parts but Joe's part is the biggest. He needs all kind of cop stuff to keep an eye on you, we don't need it.'
-'What's Tony doing here?'
Julia sighed. 'I ask the same question.'
'One thing I don't get. Luise was always hanging out with Joe but you and he seem very close and Tony and Luise on the other hand...'
-'Yes, you see, Luise and Joe never seemed very close, did they? But they were great at acting. But I love him and he loves me and there's nothing between him and my sister. Or at least I hope not...'
'I have one more question for now, do you know Joe's reason for all this?' Nancy asked but didn't expect an answer.
Julia smiled and changed subject. 'Let's take a look at your rib, ok?'
Nancy sighed but let Julia unbutton her jacket and shirt so she could take a look at her chest. She moaned when her finger touched the broken rib and it hurt like hell.
'Easy, Drew. You shouldn't move for a while and be careful when you yaw and drink, it might hurt. We'll feed you on fluid food ' Julia said.
Nancy wondered why she was so good to her.
'So I'll be worth of my price, I know' she thought.
'You must be thirsty, I'll help you' Julia said and took a glass from the tray.
Then she put her hand under the back of Nancy's head and held it up so she could sip from the glass.
It hurt to swallow.
'Have a rest now, if you need anything there's button on the wall beyond you, you can push and someone will come, ok?'
Nancy looked up, there was a green button there, connected to some conduit.
Julia smiled. 'Goodnight.'
She turned off the light and walked out.
Nancy frowned. Julia was way too sweet for her taste. -----------------------------------------------------------
Julia walked to the control room. Joe sat in front of the computer.
'How is she?' he asked when he heard the door close behind her.
'She'll be fine, I hope' Julia answered.
Joe looked at her. 'You do? Why?'
'I'm getting so sick of this' she moaned and rubbed her temples.
Joe put his arm around her. 'It's all about to end as soon as the twins, the old lady and Frank ...'
The door opened. (To get in to it, a secret code had to be typed into a computer, fingerprints checked and the sound of the voice of the one who wanted to get in, had to say something in the same way it was programmed).
The one who had to do this all now, was Tony.
'Hi, how's going?' he asked.
'Ok, but I don't like your girlfriend's attitude towards me' Joe answered.
'Ignore her, and she's not my girlfriend. What's next move?'
'The next move is theirs so we'll wait and see' Joe said.
'All right, I'm free then today?' Tony asked and yawned.
Joe nodded. 'Yeah, go home and sleep and see Frank tomorrow, give him all your support'
'Haha! See ya!'
-'Bye.'
You're going to hate me now... -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nancy looked to the ceiling, it was grey, not fun to stare at.
She turned her head and saw she was lying on a mattress on the floor in a big hall. She took a deep breath, it ached very much.
She tried to remember everything in right order.
She had fall to a river, where she knocked out, then some people had carried her to the waterside and there she was. That was all she remembered.
She wondered where Joe was. Then she wondered if Frank was worried.
She was disturbed in her thoughts when a door opened and a young woman walked in. Luise or Julia.
When she came closer Nancy saw it was Julia.
Julia kneeled at the mattress and looked at Nancy.
'Is your chest ok?' she asked, not mean at all.
Nancy didn't answer the question. 'Where's Joe?'
'Oh...don't worry about him' Julia answered. 'He's just fine.'
A door behind her opened and a man and a woman walked in.
Nancy didn't know why but she felt her hand shaking.
Luise, the woman who had just came in, kneeled beside her sister.
'What are you thinking about, Nancy Drew?' she wondered out loud and stared into Nancy's eyes.
'I bet she's thinking about her sweet boyfriend' the man said.
He put a tray on the floor with some food on it.
'We don't want you get hungry' the man said and grinned.
Nancy knew him now and remembered the voice she had heard.
'Tony! Are you...?'
-'Hard to imagine, right? I know' Tony Prito said smiling.
'You're way too soft' Luise said and stood up.
Tony stood up as well and took her hand.
'Tough? That's your job, honey' he said and kissed the back of her hand. A true gentleman.
'How romantic' Luise said. 'Well, should we let the boss have an alone word with her?'
Julia stood up. She looked sad. 'I'll stay.'
The door opened again. Another man walked in.
Nancy felt like her eyes were going out of her eyeholes.
'No way!' she thought,' It can't be!'
Julia turned to him.
'Am I forgiven?' she asked.
He nodded. 'Your sisters orders. I want her to be guarded 24/7. Understood? And take care of her retainers too' he said to Tony, 'We'd like to be alone now, please.'
Everybody left the hall. Except Julia.
'Undercover! Good idea!' Nancy said hoping she was right, forgot about Julia.
Joe Hardy smiled. 'Undercover?' he repeated. 'I'm not undercover, why do you think that?'
Nancy felt her heart beat faster. She didn't know what to say.
'I'm sorry, it was not in plans that you'd fall to the river' Joe continued.
'Good to know that' Nancy said ironically. 'Joe, what the hell are you thinking? What's the reason?'
Joe's grin disappeared for a moment but came right back.
'I'm afraid this is not one of the movies where the bad guy tells the good cop everything when he seems to have all the cards in his hand and then he gets it back to his head when the good cop escapes. So I won't tell you much, 'cause I know you're a smart girl, Nancy...' Joe said.
He tried to lift the cover off Nancy's body but she pulled it angrily back down.
'Is your chest all right? I was told you had a broken rib' Joe said.
'Like you care' Nancy muttered.
-'Not really, but you're more valued if you're whole...'
-'You don't know what you're doing!'
-'Nancy, how can I not know I've been planning it for so long.'
-'The Walker sisters are using you!'
Julia stepped slowly to them with an angry look in her face.
'I doubt that' Joe said calmly. 'They can't.'
'Can I talk to her for a moment or two?' Julia asked.
Joe stood up. 'Be careful, she's slippery.'
Julia nodded. They kissed and Joe left the room.
Nancy stared at Julia.
'I don't know what you've told him but when I get out of here, I'll...'she said but was interrupt by Julia.
-'We? Joe is in charge of the whole thing, this was only a good chance for us to work with him. But then my dear sister was going to take over and failed. Ask any questions, I might answer some of them...'
Nancy thought about the offer. Why not?
'Why are you doing this?' she asked.
'You know that' Julia answered. 'You read the Walker/Jennings story, didn't you. You don't know, how it is to have a wonderful, loving father and then he's killed because of moneys! My father was the only person I really, really trusted. My mother wasn't healthy but she swore she would let Jennings pay the price for our father. She's dead but I and Luise are still here and...well, all Jennings are in great danger.'
'What did they do to you? It was only one of them' Nancy pointed out.
'The blood of the family shouldn't be allowed to flow, I've read their story. Every time they think someone is cheating on them they hire a hatchet man to finish the business, do you think it's normal?' Julia explained.
'I guess not but what did I do to you?' Nancy asked.
Julia seemed guilty. 'That's one of the questions I can't answer' she said. 'Probably you're just in our way.'
-'How did you meet Joe?'
Julia grinned. 'I'm sure Joe will tell you about that.'
-'Does he sponsor you?'
-'We all pay our parts but Joe's part is the biggest. He needs all kind of cop stuff to keep an eye on you, we don't need it.'
-'What's Tony doing here?'
Julia sighed. 'I ask the same question.'
'One thing I don't get. Luise was always hanging out with Joe but you and he seem very close and Tony and Luise on the other hand...'
-'Yes, you see, Luise and Joe never seemed very close, did they? But they were great at acting. But I love him and he loves me and there's nothing between him and my sister. Or at least I hope not...'
'I have one more question for now, do you know Joe's reason for all this?' Nancy asked but didn't expect an answer.
Julia smiled and changed subject. 'Let's take a look at your rib, ok?'
Nancy sighed but let Julia unbutton her jacket and shirt so she could take a look at her chest. She moaned when her finger touched the broken rib and it hurt like hell.
'Easy, Drew. You shouldn't move for a while and be careful when you yaw and drink, it might hurt. We'll feed you on fluid food ' Julia said.
Nancy wondered why she was so good to her.
'So I'll be worth of my price, I know' she thought.
'You must be thirsty, I'll help you' Julia said and took a glass from the tray.
Then she put her hand under the back of Nancy's head and held it up so she could sip from the glass.
It hurt to swallow.
'Have a rest now, if you need anything there's button on the wall beyond you, you can push and someone will come, ok?'
Nancy looked up, there was a green button there, connected to some conduit.
Julia smiled. 'Goodnight.'
She turned off the light and walked out.
Nancy frowned. Julia was way too sweet for her taste. -----------------------------------------------------------
Julia walked to the control room. Joe sat in front of the computer.
'How is she?' he asked when he heard the door close behind her.
'She'll be fine, I hope' Julia answered.
Joe looked at her. 'You do? Why?'
'I'm getting so sick of this' she moaned and rubbed her temples.
Joe put his arm around her. 'It's all about to end as soon as the twins, the old lady and Frank ...'
The door opened. (To get in to it, a secret code had to be typed into a computer, fingerprints checked and the sound of the voice of the one who wanted to get in, had to say something in the same way it was programmed).
The one who had to do this all now, was Tony.
'Hi, how's going?' he asked.
'Ok, but I don't like your girlfriend's attitude towards me' Joe answered.
'Ignore her, and she's not my girlfriend. What's next move?'
'The next move is theirs so we'll wait and see' Joe said.
'All right, I'm free then today?' Tony asked and yawned.
Joe nodded. 'Yeah, go home and sleep and see Frank tomorrow, give him all your support'
'Haha! See ya!'
-'Bye.'