Chapter 26: The rescue
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Sorry, I haven't been updating but here is the rest of the story...
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Frank ran over to Nancy and Randy where they lay still in the grass.
Oh, God! Nancy, don't be dead, please don't be dead! Frank prayed silently.
He kneeled beside her and checked her pulse. He felt a fast beat.
'Yes!' He hugged her.
'Frank' he heard her whisper in his ear. Very clearly.
-'Nanc...'
-'Shush, I'm awake but act like I'm not, ok?' she kept whispering.
Frank hesitated but bowed over her and put his ear against her heart like to hear some heartbeat.
Mitchell was whispering with Randy beside them.
Biff and Chet, however, were trying to get some attention from their pals, still hidden between the boxstacks.
They whispered as loud as they could. 'Pzz! Frank! Frank! Look up! Frank!'
'Frank' Nancy said, 'You must get yourself out of here, he's on the balconies...he's going to...-'
'Frank, we gotta get in cover!' Mitchell said, probably getting the same information from Randy.
At the moment a spate of bullets were shot in the ground a meter from Frank.
'What the...-' Frank was quick to think and pulled Nancy behind one of those treeboxes.
Joshua Mitchell had pulled Randy behind another one and talked to the CB. 'We're in the backyard, we're being shot at, repeat, in the backyard!'
A few spates were shot on the boxes and the bullets went right through them, over their heads.
'We were trying to warn you guys!' Chet said upset and pointed up.
'Did you see their faces?' Mitchell asked.
A spate over their heads caused they had to lie flat on their stomachs.
'No, what does that matter' They must know who these people are' Biff said and meant Nancy and Randy.
'Shouldn't we be thinking about getting out of here?' Chet asked.
'My people must be here any minute' Mitchell answered.
Chet eyed him, almost annoyed. 'Yeah...' he said slowly and nodded. 'But shouldn't we be thinking about getting ourselves out of here' he repeated angrily.
'Of course, we have to try to get under the balconies, then we're safe' Frank said.
'And how exactly are we going to do that?' Chet asked.
'By running' Frank answered.
'Are you completely CRAZY?!' Chet wanted to know.
Twenty or thirty bullets went through the box beside Mitchell and Randy.
'You have a better idea?' Frank asked.
'Yeap. It's pretty much like yours, except let's just get killed here' Chet said. 'There are at least 30 meters to the house, if we get there, it'll be with billion bullets all over our bodies' he hissed.
'He's got a point' Biff said.
'On what floor are they?' Frank asked.
-'The third or the fourth, I don't know.'
-'Can we shoot them from here?'
'Are you sure you want to do that, Frank?' Nancy asked.
'We must try' he said. 'Right?'
'I don't think we're close enough' Mitchell said.
Another spate. Drrrt-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-...
'But I guess it's worth of trying' he added when the next spate went through the box he was hiding behind.
He draw his gun.
'Let's see. We're six, got four guns...I think we can do this, if our bullets can get to them, that is...' he thought outloud.
'I'm feeling much better' Chet snorted.
-'That's good, son.'
Chet rolled his eyes and looked at Frank who was checking on Nancy.
'Are you all right?' he asked concerned.
'My rib is broken, I don't think I can run really fast' she answered.
Chet nodded. 'Always getting better and better' he sighed.
Biff tabbed his shoulder. 'Cheer up pal, this is not the worst thing we've gotten into' he said encouraging.
-'Shut up, Hooper.'
Biff and Frank grinned at each other. Then Frank's face turned serious.
'OK, the plan is: We all get up and shoot, then we run as fast as we can and keep shooting, you first Mitchell-'
He nodded.
'-then me and Nancy, then Randy, Chet and you come last, Biff. Right. Any questions?'
'What if the bullets can't get there?' Chet asked nervously.
-'Then we're screwed. Anything else?'
'Has anyone noticed that we haven't had a spate for quite a while' Randy suddenly noted.
He was right.
'Should we dare...' Frank asked himself.
'Do you think it's safe to look?' Nancy said.
They were all startled when a few loud shots echoed in the backyard - a handgun shot, not a riffle.
Frank stood carefully up and peeked over the box. He smiled.
'Let's go now!' he said. And they all ran in a row to the door they had entered.
On the balconies there was a group of people in the middle of a fight. The police officers and Joe's Hardy team.
Suddenly somebody shouted: 'Get them!'
A few riffle shots went past the running people who immediately sped up their running.
They heard a few more shots as they ran inside.
Frank, Biff and Joshua Mitchell rested their hands on their knees and breathed heavily but Chet and Nancy sunk down where they stood. Randy on the other hand just stood there like a ghost and this fast scuttle didn't seem to have any effect on him.
Five people came running down the hallway.
'Sorry, we couldn't get here before, we went to the top floor, so...are you all ok?' the officer asked.
'No' Mitchell answered, 'This young lady has a broken rib, you might want to take her outside and Mr. Cline as well, and call Dr. Whitby and mr. ....er...Morton? He seems to need disaster therapy.'
Chet looked at him, clearly displeased.
'Say what?' he said.
-'Ok, maybe not, but take Ms. Drew out of here.'
'No, wait, I want to stay!' Nancy said.
'No way, Nancy, you're hurt and you must see a doctor' Frank said.
-'But I'm not that hurt, I can...'
-'You're in no physical condition to solve a mystery now, Ms. Drew, all you would do is be in our way' Mitchell said calmly.
Nancy peered angrily at him.
'You sure know how to offend people' Chet mumbled.
'Just do as he says' Frank whispered at her, 'If it turns out the way I think it will I want to do this alone.'
'But Frank-' Nancy began.
Frank looked her in the eyes. 'Nancy, please' he begged.
A police woman came running down the stairs.
'Sir!' she saw Mitchell and ran towards him. 'Sir, we lost them, they ran up, Curtis, Adams and Jason went after them.'
'Claire, are you telling me that ten people couldn't catch a group of five?' Mitchell said frustrated.
'Yeah, well. See, that's the thing, there were three who came behind us and knocked out the Hill-brothers so it was eight against seven' the woman explained.
-'And?'
'Well, what were we supposed to do? We gave up and they left and then Curtis and Jason and...-'
-'Ok, I get the picture' Mitchell cut in.
'Ivana Davis got the brothers away and I went looking for you' Claire said.
Joshua Mitchell yawned. 'Good' he said, 'Now take ms. Drew here and mr. Cline outside to dr. Whitby, then team everyone up and meet us...where ever we will be...'
She nodded quickly. 'Yes, sir.'
Nancy followed her without protesting but looked poutingly at Frank. Randy walked beside her as quiet as always.
'All right, we're wasting time, let's move!' Frank said and started running up the stairs.
Commissioner Mitchell, Biff and Chet and the five policemen came on his heels.
'Darn, those stairs are killing me' Chet sighed on the fourth floor.
'Just three more floors to go' Biff commented, jogging beside him like a high-minded racehorse.
'Easy for you, Never-stop-moving-all-day, to say' Chet moaned.
'If I were you I'd save my breath' Biff answered.
Bang! Bang-bang!
'Or not' he added.
They took three steps in one and fastened up when they heard the shots. At last they stood on the landing of the seventh floor but they didn't stop, not even to admire the view. They heard somebody speak and were drawn to the sound.
They came around a corner and gulped- There was a man lying on the floor in his blood, he eyes were staring but dead...
'Jason!' Mitchell and two of the officers kneeled beside the man.
Mitchell closed his eyes after checking his pulse and heart.
'Those people are insane' one of the officers who stood behind Frank, said.
'You didn't expect some group of obedient, sweet lambs, did you?' Mitchell said harshly. 'We'll pick him up later, there's no use in stayin' here. We must help Curtis and Adams, if they're alive...C'mon. Let's be careful.'
Everyone drew their guns and crept down the corridor.
'Where did the voice come from?' Chet whispered to Frank.
'I don't know' he answered.
All the doors were opened carefully and looked into, none of the rooms had been touched for some time.
Mitchell's CB buzzed. 'Sir, where are you?' Claire's fuzzy voice asked.
He answered. 'On the seventh floor, make haste...they shot Daniel Jason...they're somewhere around here...'
-'We're on our way.'
Mitchell didn't answered. He heard a sound. Frank had heard it too. He grabbed the gun tighter.
'Be quiet' he said in the lowest voice he could.
'Was it inside here?' Joshua asked and gestured next door on his left.
-'I think so.'
Frank took position on the right side of the door but Mitchell on the left.
'On three' Mitchell said.
One, two...Frank counted in his mind and then together Biff and Chet kicked the door open.
The first thing everyone noticed was a ladder disappearing into the ceiling. Biff ran to it and tried to grasp the end but he received a gun bullet, which fortunately missed, and he too let go. He looked back up to see the hatch close. 'Damn' he muttered.
'Are you ok? Did you see anyone?' Frank asked worried.
'Nope, just a black hooded face' Biff answered.
'Sir!' two of the officers shouted at the same time.
Their colleagues went over to where they stood by the wall. It was open and there was a safe in it. Frank looked into it, it was empty of course.
'How are we going to get up there?' Mitchell said to himself and looked back to the ceiling.
'Shall we try to make a pyramid? Chet on the bottom, then Frank then me on the top ' Biff said with a shaky laugh.
Frank grinned. 'Yeah, right. Piece of cake.'
'Were you talking about cakes' Chet asked, pretending not to hear Biff's joke.
'Yeah, don't you have some food with you, Chet?' Frank asked.
'Sure, but the bottom man needs the energy both to hold you two up and to think' Chet answered.
'Now that you mention it' Biff said, 'I am feeling kinda thirsty...'
Chet handed him a bottle of raspberry juice and Frank a can of Cola and opened a can of Sprite for himself.
'Do you call this food?' Frank asked grinning when Chet gave him his wrinkly Snickers.
-'It's a fast energy.'
'Is there nothing we can do?' Frank asked Joshua.
'We might as well go for the pyramid idea' he said annoyed. 'It would take too much time to send someone after a ladder.'
'That's crazy...' Chet began.
'-You won't be on the bottom...alone' Mitchell said.
'Wow, wait! I was kidding!' Biff said.
-'And I thought it was good idea.'
Biff looked at Frank hoping to get some backup.
'I guess we can give it a shot' Frank said shrugging.
'Whatever' Chet sighed.
After a few minutes, most of the police officers had gathered and made a small pyramid out of themselves. Chet and Biff were holding up a young, smallish officer who was trying to open the trapdoor.
'I feel like a freaking cheerleader' Biff groused.
'This is not working' Frank thought to himself.
'If you'll be a little more steady, I think I can do this' said the top of the pyramid. After a minute the young man jumped down.
'Let's have a break before we go up' he said.
'You could open it?' Chet asked.
-'Of course I could.'
A few seconds later Frank was climbing the ladder up through the trapdoor. When he got up he looked around in the attic. Hundreds of pipes were hanging in the ceiling and more were lying loose on the floor. The place was near filled with dust, spider's web and mouse dirt.
Frank helped Biff up and then they pulled Chet up together. Just as they were all up a low voice said:
'Freeze!'
Sorry, I haven't been updating but here is the rest of the story...
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Frank ran over to Nancy and Randy where they lay still in the grass.
Oh, God! Nancy, don't be dead, please don't be dead! Frank prayed silently.
He kneeled beside her and checked her pulse. He felt a fast beat.
'Yes!' He hugged her.
'Frank' he heard her whisper in his ear. Very clearly.
-'Nanc...'
-'Shush, I'm awake but act like I'm not, ok?' she kept whispering.
Frank hesitated but bowed over her and put his ear against her heart like to hear some heartbeat.
Mitchell was whispering with Randy beside them.
Biff and Chet, however, were trying to get some attention from their pals, still hidden between the boxstacks.
They whispered as loud as they could. 'Pzz! Frank! Frank! Look up! Frank!'
'Frank' Nancy said, 'You must get yourself out of here, he's on the balconies...he's going to...-'
'Frank, we gotta get in cover!' Mitchell said, probably getting the same information from Randy.
At the moment a spate of bullets were shot in the ground a meter from Frank.
'What the...-' Frank was quick to think and pulled Nancy behind one of those treeboxes.
Joshua Mitchell had pulled Randy behind another one and talked to the CB. 'We're in the backyard, we're being shot at, repeat, in the backyard!'
A few spates were shot on the boxes and the bullets went right through them, over their heads.
'We were trying to warn you guys!' Chet said upset and pointed up.
'Did you see their faces?' Mitchell asked.
A spate over their heads caused they had to lie flat on their stomachs.
'No, what does that matter' They must know who these people are' Biff said and meant Nancy and Randy.
'Shouldn't we be thinking about getting out of here?' Chet asked.
'My people must be here any minute' Mitchell answered.
Chet eyed him, almost annoyed. 'Yeah...' he said slowly and nodded. 'But shouldn't we be thinking about getting ourselves out of here' he repeated angrily.
'Of course, we have to try to get under the balconies, then we're safe' Frank said.
'And how exactly are we going to do that?' Chet asked.
'By running' Frank answered.
'Are you completely CRAZY?!' Chet wanted to know.
Twenty or thirty bullets went through the box beside Mitchell and Randy.
'You have a better idea?' Frank asked.
'Yeap. It's pretty much like yours, except let's just get killed here' Chet said. 'There are at least 30 meters to the house, if we get there, it'll be with billion bullets all over our bodies' he hissed.
'He's got a point' Biff said.
'On what floor are they?' Frank asked.
-'The third or the fourth, I don't know.'
-'Can we shoot them from here?'
'Are you sure you want to do that, Frank?' Nancy asked.
'We must try' he said. 'Right?'
'I don't think we're close enough' Mitchell said.
Another spate. Drrrt-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-...
'But I guess it's worth of trying' he added when the next spate went through the box he was hiding behind.
He draw his gun.
'Let's see. We're six, got four guns...I think we can do this, if our bullets can get to them, that is...' he thought outloud.
'I'm feeling much better' Chet snorted.
-'That's good, son.'
Chet rolled his eyes and looked at Frank who was checking on Nancy.
'Are you all right?' he asked concerned.
'My rib is broken, I don't think I can run really fast' she answered.
Chet nodded. 'Always getting better and better' he sighed.
Biff tabbed his shoulder. 'Cheer up pal, this is not the worst thing we've gotten into' he said encouraging.
-'Shut up, Hooper.'
Biff and Frank grinned at each other. Then Frank's face turned serious.
'OK, the plan is: We all get up and shoot, then we run as fast as we can and keep shooting, you first Mitchell-'
He nodded.
'-then me and Nancy, then Randy, Chet and you come last, Biff. Right. Any questions?'
'What if the bullets can't get there?' Chet asked nervously.
-'Then we're screwed. Anything else?'
'Has anyone noticed that we haven't had a spate for quite a while' Randy suddenly noted.
He was right.
'Should we dare...' Frank asked himself.
'Do you think it's safe to look?' Nancy said.
They were all startled when a few loud shots echoed in the backyard - a handgun shot, not a riffle.
Frank stood carefully up and peeked over the box. He smiled.
'Let's go now!' he said. And they all ran in a row to the door they had entered.
On the balconies there was a group of people in the middle of a fight. The police officers and Joe's Hardy team.
Suddenly somebody shouted: 'Get them!'
A few riffle shots went past the running people who immediately sped up their running.
They heard a few more shots as they ran inside.
Frank, Biff and Joshua Mitchell rested their hands on their knees and breathed heavily but Chet and Nancy sunk down where they stood. Randy on the other hand just stood there like a ghost and this fast scuttle didn't seem to have any effect on him.
Five people came running down the hallway.
'Sorry, we couldn't get here before, we went to the top floor, so...are you all ok?' the officer asked.
'No' Mitchell answered, 'This young lady has a broken rib, you might want to take her outside and Mr. Cline as well, and call Dr. Whitby and mr. ....er...Morton? He seems to need disaster therapy.'
Chet looked at him, clearly displeased.
'Say what?' he said.
-'Ok, maybe not, but take Ms. Drew out of here.'
'No, wait, I want to stay!' Nancy said.
'No way, Nancy, you're hurt and you must see a doctor' Frank said.
-'But I'm not that hurt, I can...'
-'You're in no physical condition to solve a mystery now, Ms. Drew, all you would do is be in our way' Mitchell said calmly.
Nancy peered angrily at him.
'You sure know how to offend people' Chet mumbled.
'Just do as he says' Frank whispered at her, 'If it turns out the way I think it will I want to do this alone.'
'But Frank-' Nancy began.
Frank looked her in the eyes. 'Nancy, please' he begged.
A police woman came running down the stairs.
'Sir!' she saw Mitchell and ran towards him. 'Sir, we lost them, they ran up, Curtis, Adams and Jason went after them.'
'Claire, are you telling me that ten people couldn't catch a group of five?' Mitchell said frustrated.
'Yeah, well. See, that's the thing, there were three who came behind us and knocked out the Hill-brothers so it was eight against seven' the woman explained.
-'And?'
'Well, what were we supposed to do? We gave up and they left and then Curtis and Jason and...-'
-'Ok, I get the picture' Mitchell cut in.
'Ivana Davis got the brothers away and I went looking for you' Claire said.
Joshua Mitchell yawned. 'Good' he said, 'Now take ms. Drew here and mr. Cline outside to dr. Whitby, then team everyone up and meet us...where ever we will be...'
She nodded quickly. 'Yes, sir.'
Nancy followed her without protesting but looked poutingly at Frank. Randy walked beside her as quiet as always.
'All right, we're wasting time, let's move!' Frank said and started running up the stairs.
Commissioner Mitchell, Biff and Chet and the five policemen came on his heels.
'Darn, those stairs are killing me' Chet sighed on the fourth floor.
'Just three more floors to go' Biff commented, jogging beside him like a high-minded racehorse.
'Easy for you, Never-stop-moving-all-day, to say' Chet moaned.
'If I were you I'd save my breath' Biff answered.
Bang! Bang-bang!
'Or not' he added.
They took three steps in one and fastened up when they heard the shots. At last they stood on the landing of the seventh floor but they didn't stop, not even to admire the view. They heard somebody speak and were drawn to the sound.
They came around a corner and gulped- There was a man lying on the floor in his blood, he eyes were staring but dead...
'Jason!' Mitchell and two of the officers kneeled beside the man.
Mitchell closed his eyes after checking his pulse and heart.
'Those people are insane' one of the officers who stood behind Frank, said.
'You didn't expect some group of obedient, sweet lambs, did you?' Mitchell said harshly. 'We'll pick him up later, there's no use in stayin' here. We must help Curtis and Adams, if they're alive...C'mon. Let's be careful.'
Everyone drew their guns and crept down the corridor.
'Where did the voice come from?' Chet whispered to Frank.
'I don't know' he answered.
All the doors were opened carefully and looked into, none of the rooms had been touched for some time.
Mitchell's CB buzzed. 'Sir, where are you?' Claire's fuzzy voice asked.
He answered. 'On the seventh floor, make haste...they shot Daniel Jason...they're somewhere around here...'
-'We're on our way.'
Mitchell didn't answered. He heard a sound. Frank had heard it too. He grabbed the gun tighter.
'Be quiet' he said in the lowest voice he could.
'Was it inside here?' Joshua asked and gestured next door on his left.
-'I think so.'
Frank took position on the right side of the door but Mitchell on the left.
'On three' Mitchell said.
One, two...Frank counted in his mind and then together Biff and Chet kicked the door open.
The first thing everyone noticed was a ladder disappearing into the ceiling. Biff ran to it and tried to grasp the end but he received a gun bullet, which fortunately missed, and he too let go. He looked back up to see the hatch close. 'Damn' he muttered.
'Are you ok? Did you see anyone?' Frank asked worried.
'Nope, just a black hooded face' Biff answered.
'Sir!' two of the officers shouted at the same time.
Their colleagues went over to where they stood by the wall. It was open and there was a safe in it. Frank looked into it, it was empty of course.
'How are we going to get up there?' Mitchell said to himself and looked back to the ceiling.
'Shall we try to make a pyramid? Chet on the bottom, then Frank then me on the top ' Biff said with a shaky laugh.
Frank grinned. 'Yeah, right. Piece of cake.'
'Were you talking about cakes' Chet asked, pretending not to hear Biff's joke.
'Yeah, don't you have some food with you, Chet?' Frank asked.
'Sure, but the bottom man needs the energy both to hold you two up and to think' Chet answered.
'Now that you mention it' Biff said, 'I am feeling kinda thirsty...'
Chet handed him a bottle of raspberry juice and Frank a can of Cola and opened a can of Sprite for himself.
'Do you call this food?' Frank asked grinning when Chet gave him his wrinkly Snickers.
-'It's a fast energy.'
'Is there nothing we can do?' Frank asked Joshua.
'We might as well go for the pyramid idea' he said annoyed. 'It would take too much time to send someone after a ladder.'
'That's crazy...' Chet began.
'-You won't be on the bottom...alone' Mitchell said.
'Wow, wait! I was kidding!' Biff said.
-'And I thought it was good idea.'
Biff looked at Frank hoping to get some backup.
'I guess we can give it a shot' Frank said shrugging.
'Whatever' Chet sighed.
After a few minutes, most of the police officers had gathered and made a small pyramid out of themselves. Chet and Biff were holding up a young, smallish officer who was trying to open the trapdoor.
'I feel like a freaking cheerleader' Biff groused.
'This is not working' Frank thought to himself.
'If you'll be a little more steady, I think I can do this' said the top of the pyramid. After a minute the young man jumped down.
'Let's have a break before we go up' he said.
'You could open it?' Chet asked.
-'Of course I could.'
A few seconds later Frank was climbing the ladder up through the trapdoor. When he got up he looked around in the attic. Hundreds of pipes were hanging in the ceiling and more were lying loose on the floor. The place was near filled with dust, spider's web and mouse dirt.
Frank helped Biff up and then they pulled Chet up together. Just as they were all up a low voice said:
'Freeze!'