"You knew this would happen?!" Shorty accused Joe, his voice rising in anger.
Joe moved his eyes and titled his head a fraction of an inch in acknowledgement. "Can I use your radio?" he inquired, reaching to take it from him without waiting for permission. Joe switched the channel. "It's go," Joe said into the speaker. "It's go minus one. Urgent package pick-up." Joe flipped the radio off without waiting for a reply, knowing his friends had turned on their walkie to the appropriate channel and had been listening in since he and the agents had left camp.
"Stay put," Joe ordered Shorty. "Someone will be along for you soon. It's time for me to meet the enemy."
Frank felt his wrists held tight in the men's grips. He mustered his strength and brought his legs up, flipping as the surprised men relinquished their holds.
Frank fell into a somersault and was on his feet in seconds. Using his martial arts training, he had both men lying on the floor, unconscious, in seconds. Wasting no time, he hefted one man up until he could put one of the metal cuffs around his wrist. He repeated the procedure with the second man then walked to the corner of the room where a spigot was running. He bent down and drank some of the water then moved behind the door to await Mike's return.
Mike came down the corridor whistling. This mission was turning out better than any of them had hoped. True, getting the Hardy boys was great but as far as he was concerned, they weren't nearly as important as the Network agents.
No, the leader's desire to have Frank and Joe Hardy was personal; he was sure of it. Sure, Joe's right hook was legendary but he hadn't made a dent in the organization. Mike quit whistling as he neared the door to his work area. Okay, he could torture Frank until he died, but why was having Joe alive so important?
He walked through the semi-open door, a rod used to create an electrical shock in his hand. Frank's fist slammed into the side of Mike's jaw sending him to the floor. The rod went tumbling across the floor, landing in the puddle of water that had the tips of the dangling Assassins' feet in it. The rod must have gotten turned on high as it went sliding because there was a crackling sound and the two men briefly regained consciousness as a wave of electricity ripped through them before they remained still.
Unaware, Frank grabbed Mike and yanked him to a half standing position and brought back his fist for another punch; but Mike was ready. Before Frank's second punch could land, Mike raised his left hand and rammed it hard between Frank's leg.
With a scream, Frank released Mike and fell to his knees but he did not let the pain detour him. His desire to avenge his younger brother served more to block any discomfort he felt than any painkiller could have. He brought his hands up just in time to stop a killer blow to his throat by grabbing the hand thrown at him. He twisted it as he stood, bringing Mike around so his back was to Frank. Frank pulled up on Mike's hand and pushed the man's elbow into his own back. Mike gave a muffled scream and began twisting. Frank, expecting this, hardened his hand and delivered a sharp blow to the back of his opponent's neck. Mike fell to the floor.
"Gotcha!" shouted Ward, sneaking up behind Joe and shoving him to the ground. Joe rolled over and looked up. "Fool," Ward sneered. "Did you honestly believe your feeble plan would have any chance of success?"
Joe shrugged, his face giving nothing away as Ward continued. "The other agents have already been taken captive except for the one who was bitten by a snake and remains waiting in the forest." Ward smirked. "One less agent we have to deal with." He reached down and grabbed Joe's arm, pulling him to his feet as four more Assassins stepped into view. "On your feet, Blondie. Your destiny waits."
"Here he is," Biff hissed at Chet as he saw Shorty leaning against a tree, his eyes closed. He hurried over to Shorty's side. "What happened to you?" he asked. Joe's message had given no information other than Shorty needed help.
"Copperhead," Shorty replied. "Your pal slowed the poison down then went ahead. He's dead, you know," Shorty continued. "Without backup, he'll never get out."
"He has back up," Callie corrected him. "Us."
"No offense, but you aren't enough," he declared.
"Maybe not," Phil agreed. "But with all the Assassins believing they have nothing left to worry about, they won't be expecting anything."
"True," agreed Shorty, smiling at the youths' ingenuity. "That was Joe's real plan, wasn't it? To get them feeling confident and then launch a surprise attack? It won't work," he continued. "You aren't enough."
"But it isn't just us," Chet corrected him. "All the Network agents are there too. All we have to do is create a diversion. Joe and the agents can deal with the opportunity."
Shorty broke out into a grin. "Go to it, then," he said. "Forget about me."
"Not a chance," Callie said. "Tony and I are going to get you back to civilization and Phil, Chet and Biff will handle the diversion."
"He'll need all the help he can get," Shorty insisted. "I'm not important."
"Every life is important," Phil snapped.
"That's why Frank and Joe will never be real Network agents," Shorty commented. "They believe that too."
"We're wasting time," Phil said, deciding to ignore Shorty. He didn't like him anyway. "Get him to a hospital," he ordered Tony who nodded and bent down to help Shorty up.
The friends headed toward the fortress, stopping when it came into view. "Everyone know what to do?" Phil inquired, unzipping his backpack and removing some dynamite that Tony and Biff had taken from the Network's mobile supply unit earlier without their knowledge.
Biff and Chet nodded and set to work.
"Well, I'm here," Joe told Wolfe as he was led in and shoved roughly into a chair.
"I never doubted it," Wolfe commented. "And your timing is excellent, I might add. Our commander is arriving this morning. She has been most anxious to see you."
"Your boss is a woman?" Joe demanded in disbelief.
Wolfe broke out laughing. "Kid, you're right out of the middle ages," he said. "But, in all honesty," he added, "she has only been in charge for the past two years. Ever since the boss died."
"Looks like she might not be doing such a great job," Joe commented. "Your organization seems to have been going downhill for quite some time."
"I don't know why you are so important to our leader, but I don't question my orders," Wolfe informed him. "You are to be delivered, alive, and you shall be."
"You didn't seem too concerned when I fell out of the helicopter," Joe commented.
"Accidents happen," Wolfe declared bravely. Joe snorted in contempt and Wolfe's face hardened. "All right, Blondie. I'll tell you what I did after you fell. In order to try and gain some information to appease my commander, I began torturing your brother."
"You son of a ..." Joe shouted, not finishing the sentence; rather launching himself out of the chair and throwing himself at Wolfe. Joe was quickly grabbed and forced back into the chair.
"Lock him up," Wolfe ordered as a loud explosion ripped the air. He hurried out of the room to investigate as Joe was hauled to his feet.
Joe was stunned. It was too early. Surely his friends hadn't set the dynamite off already? Now nothing would work. He groaned in frustration as he was hustled out of the office and down a corridor.
Joe moved his eyes and titled his head a fraction of an inch in acknowledgement. "Can I use your radio?" he inquired, reaching to take it from him without waiting for permission. Joe switched the channel. "It's go," Joe said into the speaker. "It's go minus one. Urgent package pick-up." Joe flipped the radio off without waiting for a reply, knowing his friends had turned on their walkie to the appropriate channel and had been listening in since he and the agents had left camp.
"Stay put," Joe ordered Shorty. "Someone will be along for you soon. It's time for me to meet the enemy."
Frank felt his wrists held tight in the men's grips. He mustered his strength and brought his legs up, flipping as the surprised men relinquished their holds.
Frank fell into a somersault and was on his feet in seconds. Using his martial arts training, he had both men lying on the floor, unconscious, in seconds. Wasting no time, he hefted one man up until he could put one of the metal cuffs around his wrist. He repeated the procedure with the second man then walked to the corner of the room where a spigot was running. He bent down and drank some of the water then moved behind the door to await Mike's return.
Mike came down the corridor whistling. This mission was turning out better than any of them had hoped. True, getting the Hardy boys was great but as far as he was concerned, they weren't nearly as important as the Network agents.
No, the leader's desire to have Frank and Joe Hardy was personal; he was sure of it. Sure, Joe's right hook was legendary but he hadn't made a dent in the organization. Mike quit whistling as he neared the door to his work area. Okay, he could torture Frank until he died, but why was having Joe alive so important?
He walked through the semi-open door, a rod used to create an electrical shock in his hand. Frank's fist slammed into the side of Mike's jaw sending him to the floor. The rod went tumbling across the floor, landing in the puddle of water that had the tips of the dangling Assassins' feet in it. The rod must have gotten turned on high as it went sliding because there was a crackling sound and the two men briefly regained consciousness as a wave of electricity ripped through them before they remained still.
Unaware, Frank grabbed Mike and yanked him to a half standing position and brought back his fist for another punch; but Mike was ready. Before Frank's second punch could land, Mike raised his left hand and rammed it hard between Frank's leg.
With a scream, Frank released Mike and fell to his knees but he did not let the pain detour him. His desire to avenge his younger brother served more to block any discomfort he felt than any painkiller could have. He brought his hands up just in time to stop a killer blow to his throat by grabbing the hand thrown at him. He twisted it as he stood, bringing Mike around so his back was to Frank. Frank pulled up on Mike's hand and pushed the man's elbow into his own back. Mike gave a muffled scream and began twisting. Frank, expecting this, hardened his hand and delivered a sharp blow to the back of his opponent's neck. Mike fell to the floor.
"Gotcha!" shouted Ward, sneaking up behind Joe and shoving him to the ground. Joe rolled over and looked up. "Fool," Ward sneered. "Did you honestly believe your feeble plan would have any chance of success?"
Joe shrugged, his face giving nothing away as Ward continued. "The other agents have already been taken captive except for the one who was bitten by a snake and remains waiting in the forest." Ward smirked. "One less agent we have to deal with." He reached down and grabbed Joe's arm, pulling him to his feet as four more Assassins stepped into view. "On your feet, Blondie. Your destiny waits."
"Here he is," Biff hissed at Chet as he saw Shorty leaning against a tree, his eyes closed. He hurried over to Shorty's side. "What happened to you?" he asked. Joe's message had given no information other than Shorty needed help.
"Copperhead," Shorty replied. "Your pal slowed the poison down then went ahead. He's dead, you know," Shorty continued. "Without backup, he'll never get out."
"He has back up," Callie corrected him. "Us."
"No offense, but you aren't enough," he declared.
"Maybe not," Phil agreed. "But with all the Assassins believing they have nothing left to worry about, they won't be expecting anything."
"True," agreed Shorty, smiling at the youths' ingenuity. "That was Joe's real plan, wasn't it? To get them feeling confident and then launch a surprise attack? It won't work," he continued. "You aren't enough."
"But it isn't just us," Chet corrected him. "All the Network agents are there too. All we have to do is create a diversion. Joe and the agents can deal with the opportunity."
Shorty broke out into a grin. "Go to it, then," he said. "Forget about me."
"Not a chance," Callie said. "Tony and I are going to get you back to civilization and Phil, Chet and Biff will handle the diversion."
"He'll need all the help he can get," Shorty insisted. "I'm not important."
"Every life is important," Phil snapped.
"That's why Frank and Joe will never be real Network agents," Shorty commented. "They believe that too."
"We're wasting time," Phil said, deciding to ignore Shorty. He didn't like him anyway. "Get him to a hospital," he ordered Tony who nodded and bent down to help Shorty up.
The friends headed toward the fortress, stopping when it came into view. "Everyone know what to do?" Phil inquired, unzipping his backpack and removing some dynamite that Tony and Biff had taken from the Network's mobile supply unit earlier without their knowledge.
Biff and Chet nodded and set to work.
"Well, I'm here," Joe told Wolfe as he was led in and shoved roughly into a chair.
"I never doubted it," Wolfe commented. "And your timing is excellent, I might add. Our commander is arriving this morning. She has been most anxious to see you."
"Your boss is a woman?" Joe demanded in disbelief.
Wolfe broke out laughing. "Kid, you're right out of the middle ages," he said. "But, in all honesty," he added, "she has only been in charge for the past two years. Ever since the boss died."
"Looks like she might not be doing such a great job," Joe commented. "Your organization seems to have been going downhill for quite some time."
"I don't know why you are so important to our leader, but I don't question my orders," Wolfe informed him. "You are to be delivered, alive, and you shall be."
"You didn't seem too concerned when I fell out of the helicopter," Joe commented.
"Accidents happen," Wolfe declared bravely. Joe snorted in contempt and Wolfe's face hardened. "All right, Blondie. I'll tell you what I did after you fell. In order to try and gain some information to appease my commander, I began torturing your brother."
"You son of a ..." Joe shouted, not finishing the sentence; rather launching himself out of the chair and throwing himself at Wolfe. Joe was quickly grabbed and forced back into the chair.
"Lock him up," Wolfe ordered as a loud explosion ripped the air. He hurried out of the room to investigate as Joe was hauled to his feet.
Joe was stunned. It was too early. Surely his friends hadn't set the dynamite off already? Now nothing would work. He groaned in frustration as he was hustled out of the office and down a corridor.