Joe was awakened by the sound of his prison door opening. He sat up slowly, still fully conscious of the fact he was wearing the blood of the goat which had been sacrificed the day before. He had become used to the old ritual of a bath followed by the wine and grape. But yesterday's aberation had shaken him and reminded him there was a more sinister future for him than just being kept captive for an indefinite period of time.
Again he was led to the barrel for his morning bath. He still hated being the center of attention, especially when he was naked, but having no choice, he did his best to block the scene from his mind when he went. Rather, he concentrated on his past, remembering the cases he and Frank had solved and the hazards they had encountered. They had always gotten out of any danger they had found themselves in. He just had to keep reminding himself that this was no exception. As long as he was still alive, there was a chance Frank would find him.
Today, however, the thought of rescue slid from his mind. The new ritual had made him realize that Frank wasn't going to save him this time. Frank, nor anyone else for that matter, even knew he had been kidnapped. Francessca and that imposter had made sure of that. Tears fell from his eyes for not the first time since he had been brought to this hellish place.
Again, Joe was led back to his cell and given wine and a grape. No one spoke to him and although he tried every day, his own voice was but a memory. The silence in the cell grew palpable at times and Joe could hear his own heart beating rhymatically. Occasionally, the silence would be broken by the muttering of people as they chatted on their way through the tunnels. Most of the time, they were too far away for him to understand.
Today, however, the mutterings were louder and Joe could hear one voice in particular. It belonged to the red-haired man. Joe strained to listen, lying still and holding his breath to make the words more distinguishable.
"Tomorrow night is the final ritual," Red was saying. "He must be sacrificed at the end of it."
"But they know he never made it to camp," the other voice argued. "We need to move up the sacrifice."
"We can't move it up," Red countered angrily. "The ritual must be performed at dusk. If his father or brother get too close, we will kill them. One or two more deaths will only please our master. We could use their blood instead of the animals' in the final ritual."
Joe's heart leapt with joy. They did know he was missing and they were looking for him. I'm going to be okay, he thought, hope returning to him. Unless Dad and Frank get captured. The added images clashed with his happiness and he began to cry silent tears once more. He closed his eyes and began doing something he had been doing even more than usual of late....praying.
"Well, that was a waste of time," Vanessa complained, gettting back into the car.
"We had to try," Frank said, agreeing with her. Vanessa headed for the Hardy home. "Make a left at the next intersection," Frank ordered her a few minutes later.
"Why?" she asked, making the turn but experiencing deja vu.
"We're being followed by a brown sedan," he told her. Vanessa stepped on the gas, getting ready to elude their tail. "No," Frank quickly cautioned her. "Don't lose them. Yet," he amended, pulling out his cell phone and calling Callie.
"Callie, I need a big favor," he said when she answered.
"Name it," Callie responded.
"I'm with Vanessa and we're being followed. I want you to get behind the brown sedan that is behind us. I want you to keep track of them while we lose them. I'm hoping we can turn the tables on them," he ended.
"Sure," Callie agreed. "But I didn't know you were working on a case. Don't you have a mid-term in the morning?" she asked.
"This is more important," Frank replied. "I'll explain later," he promised. "Put your CB on channel twenty-seven," he continued. "I'll lead you through the turns we are going to make and you can let me know when we have lost them. Pick us up at the corner of Johnson and Trillway in twenty minutes," he told her before hanging up.
Vanessa drove across town and through the drive-thru at Pembleton's Pharmacy and then headed toward the place where they were to have Callie start following. Frank waved at her as they drove by and just a fraction of a minute later, the brown sedan followed.
It took almost an hour and several twists and turns, but finally the sedan gave up on its prey and headed out of town. "Frank," Callie radioed him. "It's headed out of town on Interstate 88."
"Roger that," Frank returned. "We're on our way. Over and out."
Callie followed the car for a little over fifteen miles before it made a right turn onto an unmarked road. She knew she should wait for Frank to catch up but she was afraid the car would make another turn and all their effort would have been for naught.
Her decision made, she made the turn and continued following the car. When the road narrowed to where only one car could be driven, she slowed down to a crawl and rolled her window down. She heard a strange noise coming from up ahead and pulled off the road and let some bushes provide cover for her vehicle as she exited the car and went to see what was making the noise which sounded vaguely like hissing.
She cautiously made her way through the woods, avoiding all areas that had been trampled. She came to a stop at the edge of a clearing. Ahead she could see where the grass gave way to rocks and wondered if there was a cave there somewhere.
Having no idea what she should be looking for, she decided to go back to her car and return to the main road to wait for Frank and Vanessa. She returned the way she came, trying to keep quiet. She had almost reached her car when a large man in a long black robe stepped in front of her.
Again he was led to the barrel for his morning bath. He still hated being the center of attention, especially when he was naked, but having no choice, he did his best to block the scene from his mind when he went. Rather, he concentrated on his past, remembering the cases he and Frank had solved and the hazards they had encountered. They had always gotten out of any danger they had found themselves in. He just had to keep reminding himself that this was no exception. As long as he was still alive, there was a chance Frank would find him.
Today, however, the thought of rescue slid from his mind. The new ritual had made him realize that Frank wasn't going to save him this time. Frank, nor anyone else for that matter, even knew he had been kidnapped. Francessca and that imposter had made sure of that. Tears fell from his eyes for not the first time since he had been brought to this hellish place.
Again, Joe was led back to his cell and given wine and a grape. No one spoke to him and although he tried every day, his own voice was but a memory. The silence in the cell grew palpable at times and Joe could hear his own heart beating rhymatically. Occasionally, the silence would be broken by the muttering of people as they chatted on their way through the tunnels. Most of the time, they were too far away for him to understand.
Today, however, the mutterings were louder and Joe could hear one voice in particular. It belonged to the red-haired man. Joe strained to listen, lying still and holding his breath to make the words more distinguishable.
"Tomorrow night is the final ritual," Red was saying. "He must be sacrificed at the end of it."
"But they know he never made it to camp," the other voice argued. "We need to move up the sacrifice."
"We can't move it up," Red countered angrily. "The ritual must be performed at dusk. If his father or brother get too close, we will kill them. One or two more deaths will only please our master. We could use their blood instead of the animals' in the final ritual."
Joe's heart leapt with joy. They did know he was missing and they were looking for him. I'm going to be okay, he thought, hope returning to him. Unless Dad and Frank get captured. The added images clashed with his happiness and he began to cry silent tears once more. He closed his eyes and began doing something he had been doing even more than usual of late....praying.
"Well, that was a waste of time," Vanessa complained, gettting back into the car.
"We had to try," Frank said, agreeing with her. Vanessa headed for the Hardy home. "Make a left at the next intersection," Frank ordered her a few minutes later.
"Why?" she asked, making the turn but experiencing deja vu.
"We're being followed by a brown sedan," he told her. Vanessa stepped on the gas, getting ready to elude their tail. "No," Frank quickly cautioned her. "Don't lose them. Yet," he amended, pulling out his cell phone and calling Callie.
"Callie, I need a big favor," he said when she answered.
"Name it," Callie responded.
"I'm with Vanessa and we're being followed. I want you to get behind the brown sedan that is behind us. I want you to keep track of them while we lose them. I'm hoping we can turn the tables on them," he ended.
"Sure," Callie agreed. "But I didn't know you were working on a case. Don't you have a mid-term in the morning?" she asked.
"This is more important," Frank replied. "I'll explain later," he promised. "Put your CB on channel twenty-seven," he continued. "I'll lead you through the turns we are going to make and you can let me know when we have lost them. Pick us up at the corner of Johnson and Trillway in twenty minutes," he told her before hanging up.
Vanessa drove across town and through the drive-thru at Pembleton's Pharmacy and then headed toward the place where they were to have Callie start following. Frank waved at her as they drove by and just a fraction of a minute later, the brown sedan followed.
It took almost an hour and several twists and turns, but finally the sedan gave up on its prey and headed out of town. "Frank," Callie radioed him. "It's headed out of town on Interstate 88."
"Roger that," Frank returned. "We're on our way. Over and out."
Callie followed the car for a little over fifteen miles before it made a right turn onto an unmarked road. She knew she should wait for Frank to catch up but she was afraid the car would make another turn and all their effort would have been for naught.
Her decision made, she made the turn and continued following the car. When the road narrowed to where only one car could be driven, she slowed down to a crawl and rolled her window down. She heard a strange noise coming from up ahead and pulled off the road and let some bushes provide cover for her vehicle as she exited the car and went to see what was making the noise which sounded vaguely like hissing.
She cautiously made her way through the woods, avoiding all areas that had been trampled. She came to a stop at the edge of a clearing. Ahead she could see where the grass gave way to rocks and wondered if there was a cave there somewhere.
Having no idea what she should be looking for, she decided to go back to her car and return to the main road to wait for Frank and Vanessa. She returned the way she came, trying to keep quiet. She had almost reached her car when a large man in a long black robe stepped in front of her.