Fenton closed the door after Frank left and shut his eyes. Leaning his head against the door frame he said a prayer then returned to the dining room to clean the mess made during his capture and Joe's abduction. There was no point in calling the police because there was nothing they could do to help.
It was going on one am when Fenton locked up and turned on the alarm system. He went upstairs and got ready for bed then made sure the phone by the bed was working before lying down.
He lay staring at the ceiling in silence. The ticking of the clock was the only sound in the still room and it finally lulled him to sleep.
***
Boone slammed on the brakes and sent the car into a spin. They came to a stop seconds later and Boone and Frank got out of the car and stood staring at the burning farmhouse. "They couldn't have survived," Frank commented as smoke billowed up and engulfed the sky.
Boone never responded. His face grim, he pulled out his cell phone. Frank leaned against the jeep and watched as the fire turned the house into ashes. By the time the fire department and more federal agents arrived there was nothing left but the cement foundation.
"Stay here," Frank was ordered. "I'll be back as soon as I know something," promised Boone.
Frank nodded. Patience wasn't a virtue he normally possessed when his brother's life was at stake but he knew under the circumstances any involvement by him could only negate the expediency of the investigation so he stayed where he was and waited.
He thought about calling his dad but until he actually knew something about Tom then there was no reason. He pulled out a new pack of gum from his shirt pocket and removed a piece. By the time he saw Boone returning there were but two sticks left and even the piece he had in his mouth had become tasteless. Frank quickly swallowed it and leapt to his feet. "Well?" he demanded as Boone came to a stop in front of him.
"It was definitely arson," Boone informed Frank. "Forensics was able to uncover the remains of two individuals," he continued. "Probably our men."
"So whoever set the fire took Leland," Frank stated, feeling sick. Boone nodded. "I had better call Dad."
"You do that," Boone affirmed. "I have a few more things to see to before we can leave." With that Boone left Frank alone.
When the phone rang at the Hardy house at daybreak Fenton's eyes flew open and he jerked to a sitting position, grabbing the handset before the second ring had completed. "Hello?" he said in a hoarse voice; his heart beating rapidly.
"Dad?" asked Frank aware something wasn't right. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," answered Fenton as his heart rate slowed. "I was having a nightmare." Joe died! he remembered vividly giving a shudder that racked his entire body. They had been too late to save him.
"Well, we have a live one," Frank said. "Tom's gone!" He brought his father up to date on the fire.
Fenton let out a deep sigh. "Come back home," he said, wearily running a hand through his already rumpled brown hair. "There's nothing more you can do there."
"I will," said Frank. "As soon as Agent Boone finishes up," he added before saying goodbye.
Fenton replaced the receiver on the set and tossed aside his sheet. Standing up, he stretched and then plucked his clothes from the chair by the bathroom door and entered the bathroom. When he exited he looked at the phone by the bedside and debated calling Laura. Although she would be angry once she found out Joe had been kidnapped and he had not called to let her know, he decided not to worry her. He made the bed then exited the room and went down the hall to his office.
He logged onto the Net then went straight to the FBI website and punched in his passwords. Soon he was printing every drop of information the FBI had on Morrison; Moran; Grayhaven and Picard.
Fenton gathered the papers together and went downstairs. He set the papers on the kitchen table and put on a pot of coffee. Flipping off the alarm he opened the kitchen door and picked up the morning paper then went back inside and set it down on the table and pulled a pen and notepad from a drawer near the door. Two cups of coffee later, he was halfway through the sheaf of papers when the phone rang.
"Hardy residence," Fenton answered after getting up and crossing the kitchen to get it.
"Oh, hi, Mr. Hardy," Vanessa's voice came through. "Callie told me about Joe. Have you heard anything?"
"Not yet," he answered, running a hand through his brown hair, a habit Frank had taken from him. "I'll have Frank call you when we do," he promised then bid her goodbye.
Fenton looked at the table then at the coffee pot where what was left had turned a deeper shade of black from setting for over two hours. Wrinkling his nose in distaste he emptied the coffee and rinsed out the carafe. Then he emptied the dirty filter and replaced it with a fresh one and measured out more coffee. Once he had a fresh pot started he went to the bathroom. When he came out he could hear a loud incessant beating coming from the kitchen door. He hurried back to the kitchen only to come to a sudden standstill when he saw who was knocking so loudly on the door. Through the door's window Fenton saw the face of Tom Leland!
It was going on one am when Fenton locked up and turned on the alarm system. He went upstairs and got ready for bed then made sure the phone by the bed was working before lying down.
He lay staring at the ceiling in silence. The ticking of the clock was the only sound in the still room and it finally lulled him to sleep.
***
Boone slammed on the brakes and sent the car into a spin. They came to a stop seconds later and Boone and Frank got out of the car and stood staring at the burning farmhouse. "They couldn't have survived," Frank commented as smoke billowed up and engulfed the sky.
Boone never responded. His face grim, he pulled out his cell phone. Frank leaned against the jeep and watched as the fire turned the house into ashes. By the time the fire department and more federal agents arrived there was nothing left but the cement foundation.
"Stay here," Frank was ordered. "I'll be back as soon as I know something," promised Boone.
Frank nodded. Patience wasn't a virtue he normally possessed when his brother's life was at stake but he knew under the circumstances any involvement by him could only negate the expediency of the investigation so he stayed where he was and waited.
He thought about calling his dad but until he actually knew something about Tom then there was no reason. He pulled out a new pack of gum from his shirt pocket and removed a piece. By the time he saw Boone returning there were but two sticks left and even the piece he had in his mouth had become tasteless. Frank quickly swallowed it and leapt to his feet. "Well?" he demanded as Boone came to a stop in front of him.
"It was definitely arson," Boone informed Frank. "Forensics was able to uncover the remains of two individuals," he continued. "Probably our men."
"So whoever set the fire took Leland," Frank stated, feeling sick. Boone nodded. "I had better call Dad."
"You do that," Boone affirmed. "I have a few more things to see to before we can leave." With that Boone left Frank alone.
When the phone rang at the Hardy house at daybreak Fenton's eyes flew open and he jerked to a sitting position, grabbing the handset before the second ring had completed. "Hello?" he said in a hoarse voice; his heart beating rapidly.
"Dad?" asked Frank aware something wasn't right. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," answered Fenton as his heart rate slowed. "I was having a nightmare." Joe died! he remembered vividly giving a shudder that racked his entire body. They had been too late to save him.
"Well, we have a live one," Frank said. "Tom's gone!" He brought his father up to date on the fire.
Fenton let out a deep sigh. "Come back home," he said, wearily running a hand through his already rumpled brown hair. "There's nothing more you can do there."
"I will," said Frank. "As soon as Agent Boone finishes up," he added before saying goodbye.
Fenton replaced the receiver on the set and tossed aside his sheet. Standing up, he stretched and then plucked his clothes from the chair by the bathroom door and entered the bathroom. When he exited he looked at the phone by the bedside and debated calling Laura. Although she would be angry once she found out Joe had been kidnapped and he had not called to let her know, he decided not to worry her. He made the bed then exited the room and went down the hall to his office.
He logged onto the Net then went straight to the FBI website and punched in his passwords. Soon he was printing every drop of information the FBI had on Morrison; Moran; Grayhaven and Picard.
Fenton gathered the papers together and went downstairs. He set the papers on the kitchen table and put on a pot of coffee. Flipping off the alarm he opened the kitchen door and picked up the morning paper then went back inside and set it down on the table and pulled a pen and notepad from a drawer near the door. Two cups of coffee later, he was halfway through the sheaf of papers when the phone rang.
"Hardy residence," Fenton answered after getting up and crossing the kitchen to get it.
"Oh, hi, Mr. Hardy," Vanessa's voice came through. "Callie told me about Joe. Have you heard anything?"
"Not yet," he answered, running a hand through his brown hair, a habit Frank had taken from him. "I'll have Frank call you when we do," he promised then bid her goodbye.
Fenton looked at the table then at the coffee pot where what was left had turned a deeper shade of black from setting for over two hours. Wrinkling his nose in distaste he emptied the coffee and rinsed out the carafe. Then he emptied the dirty filter and replaced it with a fresh one and measured out more coffee. Once he had a fresh pot started he went to the bathroom. When he came out he could hear a loud incessant beating coming from the kitchen door. He hurried back to the kitchen only to come to a sudden standstill when he saw who was knocking so loudly on the door. Through the door's window Fenton saw the face of Tom Leland!