"You slime!" snarled Frank, bunching his right hand into a fist and running over to where Joe was now standing. Before Joe could defend himself Frank brought his fist up and rammed it into Joe's left jaw.
Joe fell backwards, crashing onto the table and causing it to collapse. "Where's my brother?" demanded Frank, advancing on the youth again.
"I am your brother!" Joe yelled at him.
"Easy, Son," Fenton said, grabbing Frank before he could attack Joe again. "What did the caller say?"
"Joe," Frank stressed the name. "Joe was asking me to help him."
"Did he say where he was?" asked Fenton.
"Hello! I'm right here," Joe interrupted angrily as he slowly got to his feet without any offers of help.
"No," answered Frank with a grim set to his features. "He was cut off." Frank looked back at the boy they had brought home. "You people sold him into slavery after you had finished with him, didn't you?" he snarled.
"I don't know who that was that called but it wasn't me!" Joe shouted angrily. "I told you they were working on making another me. Why would I tell you that if I wasn't really me?" he demanded logically.
"So we wouldn't suspect you," Frank stated.
"And why would you suspect me if some cretin hadn't called pretending to be me?" Joe asked.
"We wouldn't have if you hadn't told us," Fenton stated.
"Finally!" exclaimed Joe, raising his hands in the air for emphasis. "Whoever that was obviously wants us back in Madagascar."
"And I'm going," Frank stated firmly, still glowering at Joe.
"It's a trap," Joe told him with a scowl. "I'm right in front of you."
"You're not Joe," Frank said. "You didn't even recognize Vanessa last night until she asked if you two were still dating," he accused the blond youth.
"I was shocked," Joe defended his actions. "First the party and then Van acting like I hadn't even tried to break up with her. It took a minute to get used to."
"Liar!" snarled Frank. "Dad," he added, looking at his father after turning from Joe in disgust. "I'm going."
"All right," agreed Fenton.
"You can't!" Joe shouted in protest.
"Obviously, this case is not closed," Fenton said.
"Fine," Joe gave in wearily. "We'll go back."
"You aren't going anywhere except to jail," Frank told him, unintentionally bunching his hand into a fist once more.
"Enough!" ordered Fenton.
"We could check his prints," suggested Collig.
"No good," Fenton declined the suggestion. "Joe's thumb had been cut. They took his print so even if this isn't Joe, he still will have Joe's prints."
"Crimmeny!" groaned Joe. He had thought his Dad believed him.
"Frank, you can leave on the next flight," Fenton continued as if Joe hadn't spoken. "I will follow in a day or two. I need to go to Washington first."
"Right," agreed Frank.
"What about me?" asked Joe.
"For the time being, you are confined to your room," Fenton told him.
"That's not fair!" objected Joe vehemently.
"It's either that or a jail cell," Fenton stated firmly.
Joe scowled. "Great," he grumbled. "But I have to call Vanessa and cancel our date before I go to my room."
"You will not," Frank told him with flashing eyes. "I'll call her."
"She's my..." Joe began but Frank cut him off.
"She's my brother's girlfriend. Not yours!"
"Your plane leaves at eleven tonight," Fenton said, entering Frank's room a little later.
"Dad, you can't leave that spy here with mom," Frank said, unaware Joe was listening to the conversation though the bathroom door.
"I don't intend to," Fenton assured Frank. "But we don't know for sure that he isn't your brother," he reminded Frank.
"He's not," Frank said with confidence. "I should have suspected something. It was way too easy to get in and get him out of that place."
Fenton sighed. "I hate to say it, but you are probably right."
"Then what are going to do with him?" demanded Frank.
"Ever heard the adage 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer?'" Fenton asked.
"I'm not taking him with me," objected Frank.
"I have already talked to Chief Collig about it," Fenton said. "Before he and Con left they agreed it would be best if Joe were placed in protective custody when I leave. He won't be able to go anywhere or warn anyone that way."
"Good," Frank said. "I just wish you would have him locked up now."
Joe moved away from the bathroom door and retreated to his bedroom. He couldn't do anything locked up and he couldn't let Frank go to Madagascar by himself. There was no telling what he would find. After a few moments of thought, he opened his bedroom window and climbed onto the sill. He gave a big jump and grabbed the branch on the elm tree nearest the house. In seconds, he was on the ground and on his way to the airport.
Joe fell backwards, crashing onto the table and causing it to collapse. "Where's my brother?" demanded Frank, advancing on the youth again.
"I am your brother!" Joe yelled at him.
"Easy, Son," Fenton said, grabbing Frank before he could attack Joe again. "What did the caller say?"
"Joe," Frank stressed the name. "Joe was asking me to help him."
"Did he say where he was?" asked Fenton.
"Hello! I'm right here," Joe interrupted angrily as he slowly got to his feet without any offers of help.
"No," answered Frank with a grim set to his features. "He was cut off." Frank looked back at the boy they had brought home. "You people sold him into slavery after you had finished with him, didn't you?" he snarled.
"I don't know who that was that called but it wasn't me!" Joe shouted angrily. "I told you they were working on making another me. Why would I tell you that if I wasn't really me?" he demanded logically.
"So we wouldn't suspect you," Frank stated.
"And why would you suspect me if some cretin hadn't called pretending to be me?" Joe asked.
"We wouldn't have if you hadn't told us," Fenton stated.
"Finally!" exclaimed Joe, raising his hands in the air for emphasis. "Whoever that was obviously wants us back in Madagascar."
"And I'm going," Frank stated firmly, still glowering at Joe.
"It's a trap," Joe told him with a scowl. "I'm right in front of you."
"You're not Joe," Frank said. "You didn't even recognize Vanessa last night until she asked if you two were still dating," he accused the blond youth.
"I was shocked," Joe defended his actions. "First the party and then Van acting like I hadn't even tried to break up with her. It took a minute to get used to."
"Liar!" snarled Frank. "Dad," he added, looking at his father after turning from Joe in disgust. "I'm going."
"All right," agreed Fenton.
"You can't!" Joe shouted in protest.
"Obviously, this case is not closed," Fenton said.
"Fine," Joe gave in wearily. "We'll go back."
"You aren't going anywhere except to jail," Frank told him, unintentionally bunching his hand into a fist once more.
"Enough!" ordered Fenton.
"We could check his prints," suggested Collig.
"No good," Fenton declined the suggestion. "Joe's thumb had been cut. They took his print so even if this isn't Joe, he still will have Joe's prints."
"Crimmeny!" groaned Joe. He had thought his Dad believed him.
"Frank, you can leave on the next flight," Fenton continued as if Joe hadn't spoken. "I will follow in a day or two. I need to go to Washington first."
"Right," agreed Frank.
"What about me?" asked Joe.
"For the time being, you are confined to your room," Fenton told him.
"That's not fair!" objected Joe vehemently.
"It's either that or a jail cell," Fenton stated firmly.
Joe scowled. "Great," he grumbled. "But I have to call Vanessa and cancel our date before I go to my room."
"You will not," Frank told him with flashing eyes. "I'll call her."
"She's my..." Joe began but Frank cut him off.
"She's my brother's girlfriend. Not yours!"
"Your plane leaves at eleven tonight," Fenton said, entering Frank's room a little later.
"Dad, you can't leave that spy here with mom," Frank said, unaware Joe was listening to the conversation though the bathroom door.
"I don't intend to," Fenton assured Frank. "But we don't know for sure that he isn't your brother," he reminded Frank.
"He's not," Frank said with confidence. "I should have suspected something. It was way too easy to get in and get him out of that place."
Fenton sighed. "I hate to say it, but you are probably right."
"Then what are going to do with him?" demanded Frank.
"Ever heard the adage 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer?'" Fenton asked.
"I'm not taking him with me," objected Frank.
"I have already talked to Chief Collig about it," Fenton said. "Before he and Con left they agreed it would be best if Joe were placed in protective custody when I leave. He won't be able to go anywhere or warn anyone that way."
"Good," Frank said. "I just wish you would have him locked up now."
Joe moved away from the bathroom door and retreated to his bedroom. He couldn't do anything locked up and he couldn't let Frank go to Madagascar by himself. There was no telling what he would find. After a few moments of thought, he opened his bedroom window and climbed onto the sill. He gave a big jump and grabbed the branch on the elm tree nearest the house. In seconds, he was on the ground and on his way to the airport.