Joe looked at the man who held him close, surprised to find it was not the man who had been heckling him earlier. This man was six foot two with straight brown hair and green eyes. He was dressed in designer shorts and wore a short sleeved shirt made of denim which hung open to reveal a rippled abdomen except for the area covered by his strong arm which held the gun hidden from view beneath the shirt against Joe's side.
"Who are you?" Joe hissed as he was being led away.
"Doesn't matter," the man replied. He led Joe through the throng of people and toward the parking lot.
As they got further away form the crowd of people, Joe decided to make a break for it. They rounded a corner and headed toward a car that was parked illegally in the middle of the back street. Joe could see someone at the wheel, a balding man who sat looking around anxiously.
It's now or never, Joe decided. The next time his right foot came down his left arm jerked up, splashing his hot soup into his abductor's face. The man screamed and dropped the gun as he reached for his face. Thank God for reflexes! Joe thought as he took off running as fast as he could until he reached the crowded area and had to slow down.
He was almost back to the booth where he had last seen Frank and the girls when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. "Where did you disappear to?" Frank asked angrily, spinning Joe around.
"Someone tried to give me a ride," Joe stated, then told him and the girls about the attempted kidnapping.
"You have no idea who they were?" Frank asked, his face transforming into a scowl. He had to leave in two days. He didn't want to have to worry about Joe while he was at camp. He knew it would take all his concentration to survive once the Assassins began their assault.
"I've never seen them before," Joe asserted.
"Come on," Frank said, heading back to the festival's headquarters. "We'd better report this."
They reached the booth and spoke with the person in charge who got on a walkie-talkie. In five minutes the town's sheriff arrived. Joe related the incident and gave a clear description of the man who had accosted him and a sketchier description of the car and driver.
"Okay, let's make sure I have this right," Sheriff Rutley said. "A bright blue PT Cruiser with the driver wearing a green shirt with black hair around his head but bald on the top?" Joe nodded then the sheriff repeated the description of the other man. "At Joe's affirmation, the sheriff got on his radio to dispatch and had the operator relay the descriptions to all other officers with the warning that at least one was armed.
The sheriff took down Joe's name, phone number and address. "I'm sorry this had to happen," Rutley told the teens, his brown eyes mirroring his words. "But I hope you can enjoy the rest of the festival."
"We will," Joe assured him. "We aren't going to let some creep ruin our fun."
"Excellent!" the sheriff beamed. "We'll be on the lookout and in the meantime, if you need any help, just latch onto one of my men or report to the festival headquarters."
"We will, thanks," Frank said and led Joe and the girls away.
"Are you sure you don't want to leave now?" Vanessa asked, pulling his arm through hers as they walked. "I wouldn't mind a bit."
"No way!" Joe asserted. "Let's go try out that flight simulator," he suggested eagerly.
Frank grinned. Joe's adrenaline was pumping and he wasn't going to let anything stop him from having fun, not even his distaste of flying.
When ten o'clock rolled around, none of the teens wanted to leave but, making one final stop so Joe could pick up a funnel cake, the group left the festival and headed to the van. With Joe at the wheel, they made good time back to Bayport where they stopped at the Benders to drop Vanessa off first.
Joe got out to walk her to the door and bid her farewell since she and her mom had several things to do the next day and Joe wouldn't get to see her again until August.
After Joe and Vanessa exited the van, Frank snuggled close to Callie. "Mmm," she murmured. "You're being awfully affectionate today," she observed.
"Just realizing how much I'm going to miss you," Frank told her. OOPS! he thought, his eyes flying open as she tensed.
"Miss me?" she asked, her voice deceptively calm. "I'm not going anywhere," she added sweetly.
"I, uh...I am," Frank confessed, swallowing the lump which had formed in his throat.
"When are you leaving?" she asked, turning to look at him with a steely gaze.
"The day after tomorrow," he admitted.
"And exactly when were you going to tell me?" Callie demanded. "I can understand why Joe didn't tell Vanessa he was leaving. She's leaving! But you..." she broke off as Frank started speaking.
"Joe's not leaving. Just me," Frank informed her.
"Wait a minute," she said, shaking her head in confusion. "Aren't your parents leaving tomorrow afternoon on a cruise? And your aunt in the morning to go and see a friend of hers in Kansas?"
"Yes," Frank said with a curt nod.
"You're leaving Joe home? ALONE?" she practically screamed. Callie was having a hard time accepting this. "Even after someone tried to kidnap him tonight? Do your parents know? Where are you going? Why isn't Joe going with you?"
"It's a survival training camp," Frank told her, maintaining the same line he had given Joe. "Joe can't go because he's too 't you wait until next year?" Callie pushed. "What if whoever tried to kidnap him at the festival tries again? And succeeds?"
Frank winced. That very nightmare had been haunting him since Joe had told him what had happened. He couldn't not go. The Gray Man would tell Joe the truth and there would be no stopping Joe. At least he stood a chance if he stayed home.
"No, mom and dad don't know," Frank admitted, his face serious. "Joe will be okay. He can keep the alarm on when he is at home and you can call him everyday. Just to make sure he's okay?" he begged, looking at her hopefully. "If something happens to him, you can call Con or Chief Collig?"
"I don't believe you!" Callie declared, torn between shock and indignation. "Is this thing really more important than Joe?"
"Nothing's more important than Joe!" Frank snapped, then immediately bit his bottom lip as Callie's eyes narrowed.
"The truth?" she demanded.
Frank shook his head. "I can't," he answered. "It's top secret." He looked at her pleadingly. "Please don't tell Joe?"
"When are you going to tell him?" she demanded.
"Never," Frank declared. "He can't ever find out."
"Why not?" she asked, then her eyes flew open. "This has something to do with Iola, doesn't it?"
"Kind of," Frank admitted.
"Okay," Callie agreed. "I'll keep an eye on Joe and if he gets into trouble, I'll rally the gang."
"Thanks," he said before she leaned over and started kissing him.
"I can't leave you two alone for a second, can I?" Joe demanded in mock seriousness, shaking his head as he stood staring at the two through the open window.
Frank and Callie broke apart. "A few seconds more would have been okay with me," Frank told him.
"Nope," Joe said, cheerily opening the van's door and climbing in. "You two have had enough time out."
Joe drove to Callie's house then waited patiently in the van while Frank walked Callie to the door. "Be careful?" she begged, looking up into his brown eyes.
"I will," he promised before leaning down and administering a long, lingering kiss.
Callie hugged him tight. "Don't worry about Joe. Biff, Chet and the rest of us will take care of him."
"Thanks, babe," Frank murmured against her hair. "You're the greatest."
"Just don't forget that!" she warned him playfully and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I love you."
"I love you too," he returned. "And don't worry. I'll only be gone for two weeks at the most," he added, praying he was speaking the truth.
When Frank climbed into the passenger seat of the van, he was smiling but it didn't last long.
"I guess we should head back to Conover tomorrow and see if the sheriff or any of his men found anything," Joe said, starting the van. "Maybe we'll get another glimpse of them too."
"No," Frank said, frowning. "Leave those guys to the police."
"But we don't even know why they tried to kidnap me," Joe pointed out. "Maybe it wasn't me they wanted. Maybe I just looked vulnerable being there alone. In which case, they may try and grab someone else tomorrow," Joe reasoned, although the vulnerability bit didn't wash with him, it might with Frank.
"No," Frank repeated with a bit more force. "Leave this to the police."
"Why?" Joe demanded. "We can..."
"No, we can't," Frank cut him off. "I'm leaving, remember?" he asked as Joe pulled to a stop in the driveway.
"You're still going?" Joe asked in a soft voice filled with hurt and disbelief. "After what happened?"
"That was in Conover," Frank stated. "Keep the alarm system on and have Biff or Chet go with you when you go out. You...you'll be fine," he added, hoping Joe didn't see how much effort his last sentence had cost him.
He didn't. "I see," Joe said bitterly. "Well, enjoy your course," he added, getting out of the van and slamming the door.
"Who are you?" Joe hissed as he was being led away.
"Doesn't matter," the man replied. He led Joe through the throng of people and toward the parking lot.
As they got further away form the crowd of people, Joe decided to make a break for it. They rounded a corner and headed toward a car that was parked illegally in the middle of the back street. Joe could see someone at the wheel, a balding man who sat looking around anxiously.
It's now or never, Joe decided. The next time his right foot came down his left arm jerked up, splashing his hot soup into his abductor's face. The man screamed and dropped the gun as he reached for his face. Thank God for reflexes! Joe thought as he took off running as fast as he could until he reached the crowded area and had to slow down.
He was almost back to the booth where he had last seen Frank and the girls when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. "Where did you disappear to?" Frank asked angrily, spinning Joe around.
"Someone tried to give me a ride," Joe stated, then told him and the girls about the attempted kidnapping.
"You have no idea who they were?" Frank asked, his face transforming into a scowl. He had to leave in two days. He didn't want to have to worry about Joe while he was at camp. He knew it would take all his concentration to survive once the Assassins began their assault.
"I've never seen them before," Joe asserted.
"Come on," Frank said, heading back to the festival's headquarters. "We'd better report this."
They reached the booth and spoke with the person in charge who got on a walkie-talkie. In five minutes the town's sheriff arrived. Joe related the incident and gave a clear description of the man who had accosted him and a sketchier description of the car and driver.
"Okay, let's make sure I have this right," Sheriff Rutley said. "A bright blue PT Cruiser with the driver wearing a green shirt with black hair around his head but bald on the top?" Joe nodded then the sheriff repeated the description of the other man. "At Joe's affirmation, the sheriff got on his radio to dispatch and had the operator relay the descriptions to all other officers with the warning that at least one was armed.
The sheriff took down Joe's name, phone number and address. "I'm sorry this had to happen," Rutley told the teens, his brown eyes mirroring his words. "But I hope you can enjoy the rest of the festival."
"We will," Joe assured him. "We aren't going to let some creep ruin our fun."
"Excellent!" the sheriff beamed. "We'll be on the lookout and in the meantime, if you need any help, just latch onto one of my men or report to the festival headquarters."
"We will, thanks," Frank said and led Joe and the girls away.
"Are you sure you don't want to leave now?" Vanessa asked, pulling his arm through hers as they walked. "I wouldn't mind a bit."
"No way!" Joe asserted. "Let's go try out that flight simulator," he suggested eagerly.
Frank grinned. Joe's adrenaline was pumping and he wasn't going to let anything stop him from having fun, not even his distaste of flying.
When ten o'clock rolled around, none of the teens wanted to leave but, making one final stop so Joe could pick up a funnel cake, the group left the festival and headed to the van. With Joe at the wheel, they made good time back to Bayport where they stopped at the Benders to drop Vanessa off first.
Joe got out to walk her to the door and bid her farewell since she and her mom had several things to do the next day and Joe wouldn't get to see her again until August.
After Joe and Vanessa exited the van, Frank snuggled close to Callie. "Mmm," she murmured. "You're being awfully affectionate today," she observed.
"Just realizing how much I'm going to miss you," Frank told her. OOPS! he thought, his eyes flying open as she tensed.
"Miss me?" she asked, her voice deceptively calm. "I'm not going anywhere," she added sweetly.
"I, uh...I am," Frank confessed, swallowing the lump which had formed in his throat.
"When are you leaving?" she asked, turning to look at him with a steely gaze.
"The day after tomorrow," he admitted.
"And exactly when were you going to tell me?" Callie demanded. "I can understand why Joe didn't tell Vanessa he was leaving. She's leaving! But you..." she broke off as Frank started speaking.
"Joe's not leaving. Just me," Frank informed her.
"Wait a minute," she said, shaking her head in confusion. "Aren't your parents leaving tomorrow afternoon on a cruise? And your aunt in the morning to go and see a friend of hers in Kansas?"
"Yes," Frank said with a curt nod.
"You're leaving Joe home? ALONE?" she practically screamed. Callie was having a hard time accepting this. "Even after someone tried to kidnap him tonight? Do your parents know? Where are you going? Why isn't Joe going with you?"
"It's a survival training camp," Frank told her, maintaining the same line he had given Joe. "Joe can't go because he's too 't you wait until next year?" Callie pushed. "What if whoever tried to kidnap him at the festival tries again? And succeeds?"
Frank winced. That very nightmare had been haunting him since Joe had told him what had happened. He couldn't not go. The Gray Man would tell Joe the truth and there would be no stopping Joe. At least he stood a chance if he stayed home.
"No, mom and dad don't know," Frank admitted, his face serious. "Joe will be okay. He can keep the alarm on when he is at home and you can call him everyday. Just to make sure he's okay?" he begged, looking at her hopefully. "If something happens to him, you can call Con or Chief Collig?"
"I don't believe you!" Callie declared, torn between shock and indignation. "Is this thing really more important than Joe?"
"Nothing's more important than Joe!" Frank snapped, then immediately bit his bottom lip as Callie's eyes narrowed.
"The truth?" she demanded.
Frank shook his head. "I can't," he answered. "It's top secret." He looked at her pleadingly. "Please don't tell Joe?"
"When are you going to tell him?" she demanded.
"Never," Frank declared. "He can't ever find out."
"Why not?" she asked, then her eyes flew open. "This has something to do with Iola, doesn't it?"
"Kind of," Frank admitted.
"Okay," Callie agreed. "I'll keep an eye on Joe and if he gets into trouble, I'll rally the gang."
"Thanks," he said before she leaned over and started kissing him.
"I can't leave you two alone for a second, can I?" Joe demanded in mock seriousness, shaking his head as he stood staring at the two through the open window.
Frank and Callie broke apart. "A few seconds more would have been okay with me," Frank told him.
"Nope," Joe said, cheerily opening the van's door and climbing in. "You two have had enough time out."
Joe drove to Callie's house then waited patiently in the van while Frank walked Callie to the door. "Be careful?" she begged, looking up into his brown eyes.
"I will," he promised before leaning down and administering a long, lingering kiss.
Callie hugged him tight. "Don't worry about Joe. Biff, Chet and the rest of us will take care of him."
"Thanks, babe," Frank murmured against her hair. "You're the greatest."
"Just don't forget that!" she warned him playfully and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I love you."
"I love you too," he returned. "And don't worry. I'll only be gone for two weeks at the most," he added, praying he was speaking the truth.
When Frank climbed into the passenger seat of the van, he was smiling but it didn't last long.
"I guess we should head back to Conover tomorrow and see if the sheriff or any of his men found anything," Joe said, starting the van. "Maybe we'll get another glimpse of them too."
"No," Frank said, frowning. "Leave those guys to the police."
"But we don't even know why they tried to kidnap me," Joe pointed out. "Maybe it wasn't me they wanted. Maybe I just looked vulnerable being there alone. In which case, they may try and grab someone else tomorrow," Joe reasoned, although the vulnerability bit didn't wash with him, it might with Frank.
"No," Frank repeated with a bit more force. "Leave this to the police."
"Why?" Joe demanded. "We can..."
"No, we can't," Frank cut him off. "I'm leaving, remember?" he asked as Joe pulled to a stop in the driveway.
"You're still going?" Joe asked in a soft voice filled with hurt and disbelief. "After what happened?"
"That was in Conover," Frank stated. "Keep the alarm system on and have Biff or Chet go with you when you go out. You...you'll be fine," he added, hoping Joe didn't see how much effort his last sentence had cost him.
He didn't. "I see," Joe said bitterly. "Well, enjoy your course," he added, getting out of the van and slamming the door.