"What?" gasped Frank in surprise.
"Perhaps they thought they could use him as a spy," suggested Fenton. "After all, they did know I was working on this case and who better to be a spy than my own son?"
"But why me?" asked Joe.
"Because you were at the school were they had a spy," explained Fenton. "If Frank had of been available like that, then they would have taken him."
"So you delivered me to them on a silver platter," Joe accused his father with hurt blue eyes.
"I'm sorry, Joe," Fenton apologized in a contrite voice. "I love you very much and if I had suspected, even for a minute, that you wouldn't have been completely safe there then I never would have let you go."
"He's telling the truth," Frank urged Joe to believe their father. "McFadden's men grabbed us and he was going to let them kill mom and us rather than tell where you were."
"Really?" Joe asked, his blue eyes widening in shock. "How could you?" he demanded angrily. "You were going to let them kill Mom and Frank?"
"Son," Fenton tried to calm him down. "Like I told McFadden's goons: I won't trade the life of someone I love for that of someone else that I love."
"But if you had no choice?" pushed Joe.
"Then I would rather commit suicide," Fenton answered honestly. "I will not be responsible for any member of my family dying to save another. The only trade off I would ever give is myself."
"I'm sorry," Joe said in a small voice.
"Don't be," Fenton told him. "I'm sorry you've had to go through this."
The three exited the car and went inside. A wheelchair was brought for Joe but before he could be taken away Frank stepped forward. "I'm going with him," he insisted.
"It's against policy," the nurse informed him.
"I don't care about your policy," Frank told her in a polite but firm voice. "He's not leaving my sight."
"Do I have to call security?" the nurse demanded, her nostrils flaring as she looked up at him.
"Would you?" asked Fenton. "That is, call the authorities?" he requested. "Ask for Commandant Tenyo," he instructed.
"Wh..." the nurse began but broke off, shocked that a foreigner would desire the attention of the head of the police.
"Or, if you prefer, I can call him," Fenton continued. "There is a courtesy phone somewhere around here, is there not?"
"Yes, Sir," the nurse answered, pointing to a door on the left. "Through there on you're left."
"Thank you," Fenton said. He turned to his boys. "I'll take care of things," he said. "You two stay here until you hear from me or Commandant Tenyo."
"Yes, Sir," Frank agreed.
"Come along," the nurse said, taking the handles of Joe's wheelchair and pushing him ahead. "You," she added to Frank who kept pace. "Please try to stay out of the way."
"Hey, you two," Fenton said as their plane touched down in Bayport the next day. "Wake up. We're home."
Fenton smiled as his boys awoke. After contacting Tenyo things happened quickly. The old hospital and warehouse had been raided as had the boarding house and Tu-Mey's. The ship was found and confiscated and all but two of the bad guys had been captured. By the time Joe was released from the hospital the case had been completely taken care of and Fenton, Frank and Joe were allowed to head back to the states on a plane leaving late that evening.
"It's good to be back," Joe said once they had exited the airport and were on their way home.
"It's good to have you back," Fenton said, smiling. "Your brother was driving everyone crazy."
Joe laughed and turned to look at the scenery as they neared Elm Street. When the taxi stopped, the three Hardy's got out. Fenton paid the driver then they went up the walk. Fenton unlocked the door then stepped aside to let Joe and Frank enter the house.
Joe went first, stopping in surprise at the entrance to the living room as a multitude of voices shouted, "Welcome home!"
Vanessa came up and threw her arms around Joe who stiffened briefly before relaxing. "I told you that your folks wouldn't make you stay there forever," she chastised him before giving him a big kiss on the lips. "We are still going together, aren't we?" she asked a bit worriedly, pulling back when Joe never returned her exuberant welcome.
Joe smiled at her. "Of course," he said, finally putting his arms around her. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I just didn't expect all of this," he explained, looking at his friends.
"Well, you should have," Biff stated, coming up and putting a hand on Joe's shoulder and squeezing it. "We missed you buddy."
The evening went fast and by the time the last guest had left, Joe was almost asleep on his feet.
"Come on bro," Frank said, taking Joe's arm and leading him to the stairs. "Bedtime."
"Sounds good," agreed Joe, yawning.
The next day dawned bright and warm. Joe, feeling almost as good as new, leaped out of bed and hit the shower after removing the bandage from his thumb and finding it healing well. When he went downstairs for breakfast he found they had company.
"Good morning," Joe greeted the two men seated with his dad and brother.
"Hi, Joe," Chief Collig greeted the youth. "It's good to have you back."
"Yeah," agreed Con Riley, slapping Joe on the back. "Just try and stay out of trouble for a few days?" he begged in a teasing manner.
"I intend to," Joe told him.
"Frank was telling us that you two are headed to the beach this morning," Fenton said, looking at Joe with a critical eye to make sure he was up to the day's festivities.
"Vanessa and Callie planned a clambake for later this evening," Joe said, grinning. "This morning we're just going to soak up some rays and hit the waves."
"Not too many waves for you," Frank told Joe, his forehead furrowing in concern. "You still need to take it easy for a bit."
"Yes, mother," Joe teased as the phone pealed.
"I'll get it," Frank said, standing up and going for it as it rang again. "Hello?" he answered.
"Frank?" a voice Frank would know anywhere came through the line. "Help me," the voice begged. "I think I'm somewhere in..." With a trembling hand Frank hung up the receiver after the line went dead.
"Who was it?" asked Fenton in concern looking at Frank's face as it turned a dark red.
"Joe," Frank answered, glaring at the blond-headed boy who paled under the scrutiny of the assembled group.
"Perhaps they thought they could use him as a spy," suggested Fenton. "After all, they did know I was working on this case and who better to be a spy than my own son?"
"But why me?" asked Joe.
"Because you were at the school were they had a spy," explained Fenton. "If Frank had of been available like that, then they would have taken him."
"So you delivered me to them on a silver platter," Joe accused his father with hurt blue eyes.
"I'm sorry, Joe," Fenton apologized in a contrite voice. "I love you very much and if I had suspected, even for a minute, that you wouldn't have been completely safe there then I never would have let you go."
"He's telling the truth," Frank urged Joe to believe their father. "McFadden's men grabbed us and he was going to let them kill mom and us rather than tell where you were."
"Really?" Joe asked, his blue eyes widening in shock. "How could you?" he demanded angrily. "You were going to let them kill Mom and Frank?"
"Son," Fenton tried to calm him down. "Like I told McFadden's goons: I won't trade the life of someone I love for that of someone else that I love."
"But if you had no choice?" pushed Joe.
"Then I would rather commit suicide," Fenton answered honestly. "I will not be responsible for any member of my family dying to save another. The only trade off I would ever give is myself."
"I'm sorry," Joe said in a small voice.
"Don't be," Fenton told him. "I'm sorry you've had to go through this."
The three exited the car and went inside. A wheelchair was brought for Joe but before he could be taken away Frank stepped forward. "I'm going with him," he insisted.
"It's against policy," the nurse informed him.
"I don't care about your policy," Frank told her in a polite but firm voice. "He's not leaving my sight."
"Do I have to call security?" the nurse demanded, her nostrils flaring as she looked up at him.
"Would you?" asked Fenton. "That is, call the authorities?" he requested. "Ask for Commandant Tenyo," he instructed.
"Wh..." the nurse began but broke off, shocked that a foreigner would desire the attention of the head of the police.
"Or, if you prefer, I can call him," Fenton continued. "There is a courtesy phone somewhere around here, is there not?"
"Yes, Sir," the nurse answered, pointing to a door on the left. "Through there on you're left."
"Thank you," Fenton said. He turned to his boys. "I'll take care of things," he said. "You two stay here until you hear from me or Commandant Tenyo."
"Yes, Sir," Frank agreed.
"Come along," the nurse said, taking the handles of Joe's wheelchair and pushing him ahead. "You," she added to Frank who kept pace. "Please try to stay out of the way."
"Hey, you two," Fenton said as their plane touched down in Bayport the next day. "Wake up. We're home."
Fenton smiled as his boys awoke. After contacting Tenyo things happened quickly. The old hospital and warehouse had been raided as had the boarding house and Tu-Mey's. The ship was found and confiscated and all but two of the bad guys had been captured. By the time Joe was released from the hospital the case had been completely taken care of and Fenton, Frank and Joe were allowed to head back to the states on a plane leaving late that evening.
"It's good to be back," Joe said once they had exited the airport and were on their way home.
"It's good to have you back," Fenton said, smiling. "Your brother was driving everyone crazy."
Joe laughed and turned to look at the scenery as they neared Elm Street. When the taxi stopped, the three Hardy's got out. Fenton paid the driver then they went up the walk. Fenton unlocked the door then stepped aside to let Joe and Frank enter the house.
Joe went first, stopping in surprise at the entrance to the living room as a multitude of voices shouted, "Welcome home!"
Vanessa came up and threw her arms around Joe who stiffened briefly before relaxing. "I told you that your folks wouldn't make you stay there forever," she chastised him before giving him a big kiss on the lips. "We are still going together, aren't we?" she asked a bit worriedly, pulling back when Joe never returned her exuberant welcome.
Joe smiled at her. "Of course," he said, finally putting his arms around her. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I just didn't expect all of this," he explained, looking at his friends.
"Well, you should have," Biff stated, coming up and putting a hand on Joe's shoulder and squeezing it. "We missed you buddy."
The evening went fast and by the time the last guest had left, Joe was almost asleep on his feet.
"Come on bro," Frank said, taking Joe's arm and leading him to the stairs. "Bedtime."
"Sounds good," agreed Joe, yawning.
The next day dawned bright and warm. Joe, feeling almost as good as new, leaped out of bed and hit the shower after removing the bandage from his thumb and finding it healing well. When he went downstairs for breakfast he found they had company.
"Good morning," Joe greeted the two men seated with his dad and brother.
"Hi, Joe," Chief Collig greeted the youth. "It's good to have you back."
"Yeah," agreed Con Riley, slapping Joe on the back. "Just try and stay out of trouble for a few days?" he begged in a teasing manner.
"I intend to," Joe told him.
"Frank was telling us that you two are headed to the beach this morning," Fenton said, looking at Joe with a critical eye to make sure he was up to the day's festivities.
"Vanessa and Callie planned a clambake for later this evening," Joe said, grinning. "This morning we're just going to soak up some rays and hit the waves."
"Not too many waves for you," Frank told Joe, his forehead furrowing in concern. "You still need to take it easy for a bit."
"Yes, mother," Joe teased as the phone pealed.
"I'll get it," Frank said, standing up and going for it as it rang again. "Hello?" he answered.
"Frank?" a voice Frank would know anywhere came through the line. "Help me," the voice begged. "I think I'm somewhere in..." With a trembling hand Frank hung up the receiver after the line went dead.
"Who was it?" asked Fenton in concern looking at Frank's face as it turned a dark red.
"Joe," Frank answered, glaring at the blond-headed boy who paled under the scrutiny of the assembled group.