Fenton rushed to the door and unlocked it then yanked it open and let Tom inside. "How did you get here?" Fenton demanded as Tom sat down heavily on one of the chairs.
"I was starting to go to the bathroom but Agent Foster was already in there talking on his cell phone," explained Tom. "He was saying something about not needing Joe because they would have me. I didn't know if the other agent was involved or not so I took off and thumbed my way back here." He stopped speaking as he finally noticed the dark circles beneath Fenton's eyes. "Is Joe at school?" he asked with bated breath.
Fenton shook his head. "Morrison's men grabbed him last night," he informed the man who seemed to have grown attached to Joe in the brief amount of time he had known him. "Frank went to the safe house to get you."
"Call him," Tom ordered. "He could be walking into a world of trouble."
Fenton shook his head and told his unexpected guest about the fire. "Frank said there were two dead in the fire," he ended, a thoughtful expression on his face. "How many guards did you have?"
"Just two," replied Tom. "Foster and Agent Garrison."
"Foster probably killed someone to take his place," Fenton hypothesized. "Want some coffee?" he asked.
"Please," Tom accepted gratefully.
"Cereal?" Fenton offered seeing Tom's hungry expression.
Tom nodded. "Thank you."
Fenton poured two cups of coffee then busied himself gathering a bowl, spoon, cereal and the milk. "We're going to need your help getting Joe back," he said once Tom had started eating.
"Anything," Tom offered. "He's a good kid and shouldn't be in this mess."
"Yes, he is," acknowledged Fenton. "And that's why he's in this predicament. He helps anyone who needs it."
"That can get him killed," responded Tom with a frown.
"Believe me, I know," Fenton said with a heavy sigh as he thought of all the times Joe had been seriously injured because he was helping others. "First I need to know how you and the others handled the captive family members."
"We didn't hurt them," Tom said, looking Fenton in the eyes as he sat down across from them. "I'm sure Joe is all right and if I don't testify at the trial a week from Monday, they'll let him go."
"You have to testify," said Fenton. "Joe wouldn't be able to live with himself if Morrison and his men remained free to hurt innocent people because of him," he explained. "Don't get me wrong. I would prefer you not testify if that were the only way to ensure Joe's safe return but that's not who my son is. He would rather suffer a thousand torments than see an innocent person hurt."
Tom gave Fenton a lopsided smile. "Yeah, I kind of got that impression. Sooo, since my not testifying isn't an option; let's get Joe back before the trial."
Fenton returned the smile as tom began to talk. "If the person was a flight risk, like I'm assuming Joe would be, he would be kept tied up and within shouting distance at all times. He would be checked every fifteen minutes to ensure he didn't escape. But he would also be given three meals a day and allowed free four times a day under armed supervision to shower and go to the bathroom."
Fenton released a relieved sigh and gave the first relaxed smile he had since Tom's arrival Friday afternoon. "What about surveillance?" he inquired. "Was there anyway to make sure the target was doing what he was told?'
"Someone would follow the target," Tom began but was interrupted by Fenton.
"Not an option in this case," Fenton stated. "No one is going to find you. I'll make sure of it personally this time."
"And we would keep the house bugged," Tom continued with only a slight smile to show his acknowledgement of Fenton's statement.
"The house?" demanded Fenton paling. Why hadn't he thought of that? Did Morrison already know of Tom's return?
"Not all of it," Tom quickly added. "Just a few rooms and the phones."
Fenton stood up. "We better search the place," he said. "Let's start in here," he suggested. "If this room is clean then they won't know you're here and can use that to our advantage."
After searching the kitchen and finding nothing the two men explored the rest of the house together with neither man speaking. Fenton checked the phones and found every one of them had a listening device placed in the receiver. The only other bugs uncovered were in the living room, the den, and Fenton's office.
The two returned to the kitchen as Frank was closing the door. "Tom!" exclaimed Frank in shocked relief. "What are you doing here?"
Fenton filled Frank in on his and Tom's conversation and told him about the bugs. "This is good," said Frank, smiling. "I can call you from my cell phone and tell you I'm almost home," he said. "We can talk about ways of finding Tom and his son."
"Son?" queried Tom, lifting a brow.
"They have Joe," Fenton explained. "It's imperative they believe he is your son or they will kill him. As long as they believe he is their leverage he's safe."
Moran shut the tape recorder off. He had just played the last conversation between Fenton and Frank Hardy for Morrison.
"So, they think we have Leland," Morrison said lifting his hands and touching his fingertips together thoughtfully as he sat in his chair with the elbows resting on the mahogany handles.
"You were right," Grayhaven put in. "He really is in Tom's son."
"Was there ever any doubt?" retorted Morrison with the quirk of an eyebrow.
"What now?" asked Picard.
"Maybe the kid knows where his dad went," Moran suggested.
"An excellent suggestion," agreed Morrison. "I think I will have a chat with our guest."
"Hello, Joesph," Morrison greeted Joe as he entered the bedroom with the tape recorder in one hand. "I have something I would like you to hear." He played the recording.
Joe kept a straight face throughout the conversation aware it was being preformed to keep him alive. He knew if they believed he really was Fenton's son, he would be dead by now. "So you know the truth," Joe stated when Morrison stopped the tape. "And you have proof that Tom's my father and not Fenton. Why bother telling me?"
"As you heard, the Hardys and the FBI believe we have your father," Morrison began.
"So?" Joe asked belligerently.
"I want to know where your father went," Morrison stated.
"So you can kill him?" demanded Joe, glaring.
"So we don't have to kill you," Morrison answered "If your dad doesn't know we have you then how can he do what is required of him for your safe return?" he asked reasonably.
"I can't help you," Joe told him. "I don't know where the FBI took him." Morrison told him where the safe house was located. "I don't know anyone there," Joe said with a shrug. "Maybe he will come back to Bayport."
"For your sake, I hope so," Morrison replied before leaving the room.
"I was starting to go to the bathroom but Agent Foster was already in there talking on his cell phone," explained Tom. "He was saying something about not needing Joe because they would have me. I didn't know if the other agent was involved or not so I took off and thumbed my way back here." He stopped speaking as he finally noticed the dark circles beneath Fenton's eyes. "Is Joe at school?" he asked with bated breath.
Fenton shook his head. "Morrison's men grabbed him last night," he informed the man who seemed to have grown attached to Joe in the brief amount of time he had known him. "Frank went to the safe house to get you."
"Call him," Tom ordered. "He could be walking into a world of trouble."
Fenton shook his head and told his unexpected guest about the fire. "Frank said there were two dead in the fire," he ended, a thoughtful expression on his face. "How many guards did you have?"
"Just two," replied Tom. "Foster and Agent Garrison."
"Foster probably killed someone to take his place," Fenton hypothesized. "Want some coffee?" he asked.
"Please," Tom accepted gratefully.
"Cereal?" Fenton offered seeing Tom's hungry expression.
Tom nodded. "Thank you."
Fenton poured two cups of coffee then busied himself gathering a bowl, spoon, cereal and the milk. "We're going to need your help getting Joe back," he said once Tom had started eating.
"Anything," Tom offered. "He's a good kid and shouldn't be in this mess."
"Yes, he is," acknowledged Fenton. "And that's why he's in this predicament. He helps anyone who needs it."
"That can get him killed," responded Tom with a frown.
"Believe me, I know," Fenton said with a heavy sigh as he thought of all the times Joe had been seriously injured because he was helping others. "First I need to know how you and the others handled the captive family members."
"We didn't hurt them," Tom said, looking Fenton in the eyes as he sat down across from them. "I'm sure Joe is all right and if I don't testify at the trial a week from Monday, they'll let him go."
"You have to testify," said Fenton. "Joe wouldn't be able to live with himself if Morrison and his men remained free to hurt innocent people because of him," he explained. "Don't get me wrong. I would prefer you not testify if that were the only way to ensure Joe's safe return but that's not who my son is. He would rather suffer a thousand torments than see an innocent person hurt."
Tom gave Fenton a lopsided smile. "Yeah, I kind of got that impression. Sooo, since my not testifying isn't an option; let's get Joe back before the trial."
Fenton returned the smile as tom began to talk. "If the person was a flight risk, like I'm assuming Joe would be, he would be kept tied up and within shouting distance at all times. He would be checked every fifteen minutes to ensure he didn't escape. But he would also be given three meals a day and allowed free four times a day under armed supervision to shower and go to the bathroom."
Fenton released a relieved sigh and gave the first relaxed smile he had since Tom's arrival Friday afternoon. "What about surveillance?" he inquired. "Was there anyway to make sure the target was doing what he was told?'
"Someone would follow the target," Tom began but was interrupted by Fenton.
"Not an option in this case," Fenton stated. "No one is going to find you. I'll make sure of it personally this time."
"And we would keep the house bugged," Tom continued with only a slight smile to show his acknowledgement of Fenton's statement.
"The house?" demanded Fenton paling. Why hadn't he thought of that? Did Morrison already know of Tom's return?
"Not all of it," Tom quickly added. "Just a few rooms and the phones."
Fenton stood up. "We better search the place," he said. "Let's start in here," he suggested. "If this room is clean then they won't know you're here and can use that to our advantage."
After searching the kitchen and finding nothing the two men explored the rest of the house together with neither man speaking. Fenton checked the phones and found every one of them had a listening device placed in the receiver. The only other bugs uncovered were in the living room, the den, and Fenton's office.
The two returned to the kitchen as Frank was closing the door. "Tom!" exclaimed Frank in shocked relief. "What are you doing here?"
Fenton filled Frank in on his and Tom's conversation and told him about the bugs. "This is good," said Frank, smiling. "I can call you from my cell phone and tell you I'm almost home," he said. "We can talk about ways of finding Tom and his son."
"Son?" queried Tom, lifting a brow.
"They have Joe," Fenton explained. "It's imperative they believe he is your son or they will kill him. As long as they believe he is their leverage he's safe."
Moran shut the tape recorder off. He had just played the last conversation between Fenton and Frank Hardy for Morrison.
"So, they think we have Leland," Morrison said lifting his hands and touching his fingertips together thoughtfully as he sat in his chair with the elbows resting on the mahogany handles.
"You were right," Grayhaven put in. "He really is in Tom's son."
"Was there ever any doubt?" retorted Morrison with the quirk of an eyebrow.
"What now?" asked Picard.
"Maybe the kid knows where his dad went," Moran suggested.
"An excellent suggestion," agreed Morrison. "I think I will have a chat with our guest."
"Hello, Joesph," Morrison greeted Joe as he entered the bedroom with the tape recorder in one hand. "I have something I would like you to hear." He played the recording.
Joe kept a straight face throughout the conversation aware it was being preformed to keep him alive. He knew if they believed he really was Fenton's son, he would be dead by now. "So you know the truth," Joe stated when Morrison stopped the tape. "And you have proof that Tom's my father and not Fenton. Why bother telling me?"
"As you heard, the Hardys and the FBI believe we have your father," Morrison began.
"So?" Joe asked belligerently.
"I want to know where your father went," Morrison stated.
"So you can kill him?" demanded Joe, glaring.
"So we don't have to kill you," Morrison answered "If your dad doesn't know we have you then how can he do what is required of him for your safe return?" he asked reasonably.
"I can't help you," Joe told him. "I don't know where the FBI took him." Morrison told him where the safe house was located. "I don't know anyone there," Joe said with a shrug. "Maybe he will come back to Bayport."
"For your sake, I hope so," Morrison replied before leaving the room.