Frank opened his eyes. At first, all he could see was darkness but as he grew accustomed to the dark he could make out shapes. The first shape turned into a man sitting directly across from him, gagged and bound to a chair.
Frank started to stand only to realize he, himself, was in the same predicament. He pulled at his ropes but to no avail. Looking over at his companion it struck him: something had gone horribly wrong. Why else would the Gray Man be trussed up tight?
As Frank moved his wrists up and down to try and loosen his bonds, the door to the room opened and a hand reached in and flipped a switch, flooding the place with light.
Frank squeezed his eyes shut against the unexpected brightness then blinked a few times as he fought to re-open them. When he did, the man from the festival that had been trying to start a fight with Joe stood before him.
"Well, now," Wolfe said, smiling thinly first at the Gray Man then at Frank. He stepped closer to Frank and leaned down to stare him in the eyes. "You're brother isn't too happy with you," he told Frank, watching as the boy's eyes widened in fear. He leaned over and ripped the tape from Frank's mouth. "He's not happy at all."
"What do you know?" Frank sneered. "He may not be happy about your having me but he will take you down."
Wolfe began laughing, A slow chuckle at first which erupted into a full blown guffaw. Another man who stood in the doorway was also cracking up. Frank's face turned red with anger but when Wolfe reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a silver neck chain sporting a medallion, it turned ashen.
"Joe," Frank emitted the word as a breath. How had they gotten their hands on Joe? "Where is he?" Frank demanded, his voice sure and strong, completely opposite of the way he was feeling.
"Elsewhere," Wolfe answered. "But silent. He's very stubborn, you know. He wouldn't tell us anything even though Reggie there," he indicated the large man by the door whose muscles rivaled those of the current Mr. Universe, "tried to persuade him otherwise."
"If you hurt him..." Frank began only to stop when Wolfe gave another hearty laugh.
"If we hurt him?" Wolfe asked, his brown eyes twinkling merrily. "Didn't I just say we had? But," he stressed the word. "But, he is still alive. It occurred to me that although he won't talk to save himself, you might."
"Why hurt him?" Frank demanded. "Why didn't you come after me?"
"Two reasons," Wolfe replied. "First, he was conscious, you weren't. And second," he glanced over at the Gray Man scornfully. "Did you really think we wouldn't know which Hardy had been physically preventing our agents from following suicide protocol?"
Wolfe stood straight and put the gag back in Frank's mouth, "Think it over," he told Frank. "We're going to kill him regardless, but how much pain do you want him to go through before he dies?"
Frank started to stand only to realize he, himself, was in the same predicament. He pulled at his ropes but to no avail. Looking over at his companion it struck him: something had gone horribly wrong. Why else would the Gray Man be trussed up tight?
As Frank moved his wrists up and down to try and loosen his bonds, the door to the room opened and a hand reached in and flipped a switch, flooding the place with light.
Frank squeezed his eyes shut against the unexpected brightness then blinked a few times as he fought to re-open them. When he did, the man from the festival that had been trying to start a fight with Joe stood before him.
"Well, now," Wolfe said, smiling thinly first at the Gray Man then at Frank. He stepped closer to Frank and leaned down to stare him in the eyes. "You're brother isn't too happy with you," he told Frank, watching as the boy's eyes widened in fear. He leaned over and ripped the tape from Frank's mouth. "He's not happy at all."
"What do you know?" Frank sneered. "He may not be happy about your having me but he will take you down."
Wolfe began laughing, A slow chuckle at first which erupted into a full blown guffaw. Another man who stood in the doorway was also cracking up. Frank's face turned red with anger but when Wolfe reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a silver neck chain sporting a medallion, it turned ashen.
"Joe," Frank emitted the word as a breath. How had they gotten their hands on Joe? "Where is he?" Frank demanded, his voice sure and strong, completely opposite of the way he was feeling.
"Elsewhere," Wolfe answered. "But silent. He's very stubborn, you know. He wouldn't tell us anything even though Reggie there," he indicated the large man by the door whose muscles rivaled those of the current Mr. Universe, "tried to persuade him otherwise."
"If you hurt him..." Frank began only to stop when Wolfe gave another hearty laugh.
"If we hurt him?" Wolfe asked, his brown eyes twinkling merrily. "Didn't I just say we had? But," he stressed the word. "But, he is still alive. It occurred to me that although he won't talk to save himself, you might."
"Why hurt him?" Frank demanded. "Why didn't you come after me?"
"Two reasons," Wolfe replied. "First, he was conscious, you weren't. And second," he glanced over at the Gray Man scornfully. "Did you really think we wouldn't know which Hardy had been physically preventing our agents from following suicide protocol?"
Wolfe stood straight and put the gag back in Frank's mouth, "Think it over," he told Frank. "We're going to kill him regardless, but how much pain do you want him to go through before he dies?"