"How is Vanessa?" Andrea asked as a nurse exited the inner sanctum and came over to the group.
"She's fine," the nurse assured the distraught mother. "She has regained consciousness and is chomping at the bit to get out of here."
"Sounds like your brother," Fenton murmured to Frank.
"Can she go home?" Andrea asked hopefully.
"She can," the nurse answered. "She will be wheeled out in a few minutes. We just need to get some information from you first."
"Dad, can you take them home?" asked Frank then turned to Andrea without waiting for an answer. "I'm glad Vanessa is doing okay," he added. "I'll call tomorrow and check on her."
"Where do you think you are going?" demanded Fenton curiously.
"To see Biff," lied Frank. "I have a feeling he will be able to help us find Joe."
Joe turned his gaze away from Liz and took one last look at Vanessa before returning to the van. He climbed in the back and shot a venomous look at the man who held a sub-machine gun aimed through the window at his girlfriend.
"Put on the shackles," the man ordered.
"Fine," Joe stated through teeth that were closed so tight that they hurt. "You have me. What are you going to do to me this time?"
"Continue my experiments of course," answered Mayhem, putting the gun down once Joe was safely secured to the back of the van.
Frank pulled to a stop about a quarter of a mile from the traveling freak show and killed the lights and motor. His dad was working on a case that might have gotten Joe kidnapped but since Vanessa had been involved he sincerely doubted his father's case had anything to do with Joe's abduction. How could his father's enemies have known about Vanessa? How could they even have known where she lived? His dad hadn't been working on this case long enough for anyone to learn that much about him and Joe.
Frank was positive Joe's abduction had to do with his lunar irregularity and that meant it had to be someone who knew his secret. Someone who had observed something that he shouldn't have. Obviously, Joe's instincts were right on the mark. Someone had been in the State Park with them the previous day and Frank would bet it was a member of the human circus.
Frank climbed out of the van and stealthy made his way to the edge of the first tent. He remained quiet, listening for anyone who might be about but the area was cloaked in silence. Positive no one was around, he entered the tent and pulled out his penlight. After less than thirty minutes, he exited the large tent filled with empty exhibits and headed for the second tent.
Perhaps he should have given the same amount of caution prior to entering the second tent as he had before he entered the first. Perhaps his desire to find his brother was so strong that he became careless. Perhaps he felt drawn to the second tent because he was sure Joe had to be there since it was the one that had held the imitation Bigfoot behind iron bars. Regardless of the reason, Frank threw caution to the wind and entered the second tent without batting an eye. He knew it was a mistake as soon as he entered.
He pushed the tent flap aside and walked inside, freezing in fear at once. Reflected from the moon's light a pair of yellow eyes stared at him. Frank swallowed as low growl emanated from the area where the eyes were. Seconds later, two more sets of eyes focused on him.
Frank took a step back even as the first pair of eyes moved closer. Another step back and then another. The eyes moved closer until Frank could see they belonged to the wolf that had prostrated itself before Joe such a short amount of time ago. Except this time, the wolf had company: two more wolves were in the tent. Two? he wondered. Weren't packs larger? He took another step back, shivering in fear as another growl sounded. This one from behind.
"She's fine," the nurse assured the distraught mother. "She has regained consciousness and is chomping at the bit to get out of here."
"Sounds like your brother," Fenton murmured to Frank.
"Can she go home?" Andrea asked hopefully.
"She can," the nurse answered. "She will be wheeled out in a few minutes. We just need to get some information from you first."
"Dad, can you take them home?" asked Frank then turned to Andrea without waiting for an answer. "I'm glad Vanessa is doing okay," he added. "I'll call tomorrow and check on her."
"Where do you think you are going?" demanded Fenton curiously.
"To see Biff," lied Frank. "I have a feeling he will be able to help us find Joe."
Joe turned his gaze away from Liz and took one last look at Vanessa before returning to the van. He climbed in the back and shot a venomous look at the man who held a sub-machine gun aimed through the window at his girlfriend.
"Put on the shackles," the man ordered.
"Fine," Joe stated through teeth that were closed so tight that they hurt. "You have me. What are you going to do to me this time?"
"Continue my experiments of course," answered Mayhem, putting the gun down once Joe was safely secured to the back of the van.
Frank pulled to a stop about a quarter of a mile from the traveling freak show and killed the lights and motor. His dad was working on a case that might have gotten Joe kidnapped but since Vanessa had been involved he sincerely doubted his father's case had anything to do with Joe's abduction. How could his father's enemies have known about Vanessa? How could they even have known where she lived? His dad hadn't been working on this case long enough for anyone to learn that much about him and Joe.
Frank was positive Joe's abduction had to do with his lunar irregularity and that meant it had to be someone who knew his secret. Someone who had observed something that he shouldn't have. Obviously, Joe's instincts were right on the mark. Someone had been in the State Park with them the previous day and Frank would bet it was a member of the human circus.
Frank climbed out of the van and stealthy made his way to the edge of the first tent. He remained quiet, listening for anyone who might be about but the area was cloaked in silence. Positive no one was around, he entered the tent and pulled out his penlight. After less than thirty minutes, he exited the large tent filled with empty exhibits and headed for the second tent.
Perhaps he should have given the same amount of caution prior to entering the second tent as he had before he entered the first. Perhaps his desire to find his brother was so strong that he became careless. Perhaps he felt drawn to the second tent because he was sure Joe had to be there since it was the one that had held the imitation Bigfoot behind iron bars. Regardless of the reason, Frank threw caution to the wind and entered the second tent without batting an eye. He knew it was a mistake as soon as he entered.
He pushed the tent flap aside and walked inside, freezing in fear at once. Reflected from the moon's light a pair of yellow eyes stared at him. Frank swallowed as low growl emanated from the area where the eyes were. Seconds later, two more sets of eyes focused on him.
Frank took a step back even as the first pair of eyes moved closer. Another step back and then another. The eyes moved closer until Frank could see they belonged to the wolf that had prostrated itself before Joe such a short amount of time ago. Except this time, the wolf had company: two more wolves were in the tent. Two? he wondered. Weren't packs larger? He took another step back, shivering in fear as another growl sounded. This one from behind.