"Ralph, it's me," said the man. "Kent has a tail," he continued. "Trent led the rat right to us but we're going to catch it. Get Benny and meet me at the old Friar Insurance building on Devon Street. Kent's going to lead him around for half an hour. That should be enough time for us to get in place."
Biff remained where he was as his prey departed then dug in his pocket for change. He called Chet Morton. "Chet, Frank is in trouble," he said. "Call Phil and Tony and get to Devon Street near the docks as quick as you can," Biff said as soon as Chet answered. "I'll meet you there."
Biff was waiting at the corner of Devon and Squirrel Streets when Tony pulled to a stop in his dad's old car. He, Chet and Phil exited the car as Biff walked up to them. "I'm glad you got here so fast," Biff said as he approached.
"Biff?" asked Chet in surprise. He recognized the voice but not the youth. Biff nodded. "What's going on? " demanded Chet. "Why is Frank in trouble and where is Joe?"
"I'll explain later," Biff said. "We need to get out of sight. Frank and Kent will be here any minute."
Biff led the boys to the side of the Friar Insurance building and peered inside the window before ducking around the corner. "There are three goons inside waiting to jump Frank," he told his friends. "Kent, the guy Frank is following, is going to lead him right into the trap."
"But we'll jump them before they get to jump Frank," Phil said grimly.
"That's the plan," agreed Biff. "Heads down," he said almost immediately. "Here they come."
The boys watched Kent enter the alley to the side of the building and Frank follow. "As soon as Frank entered the building Phil took charge. "Biff, you and Tony go through the front. Chet and I will go in behind Frank."
Chet and Phil entered the back of the building, visible but unnoticed as all eyes were focused on Frank except for Frank who was looking at Kent. "Who are you?" Frank demanded of Kent. Even though completely out-numbered he refused to show fear.
"The question is, who are you?" Kent countered. "Why are you following me?"
"I thought you were breaking in," fibbed Frank.
"Liar," Kent hissed. "Tim and I saw you following Trent. Then when we approached him we figured you would follow one of us."
Frank sighed in relief. It didn't sound like they knew about Biff. "Okay, I was following you," Frank admitted. "I know Trent is a fence. I figured if I followed one of his customers I might be able to get in on the action."
"You're in on it, all right," agreed Ralph, a stocky redhead with a black tooth showing when he smiled at Frank. "And soon, you'll be out of it forever." He and the others advanced on Frank.
"Now!" shouted Biff from behind Kent.
In less than three minutes the room was cleared out except for Frank, his friends and one lone prisoner: Kent. "Where is my brother?" demanded Frank.
"Another Hardy, huh?" Kent asked, smiling thinly at the youth.
"Where is he?" Frank repeated, grabbing the man by the scruff of the neck and pushing him hard into the wall.
"Don't know," Kent answered, his grin a fully formed smile now. "But I might be able to find out after you let me go."
Frank growled and brought back his fist but before it could connect with Kent's face, Biff grabbed it in mid-swing. "Let the cops handle him," he said.
"Biff's right," concurred Phil as Biff released Frank's fist. "If he is unconscious no one will get anything out of him."
Frank pulled the man forward and then shoved him hard into the wall once more before moving away. He pulled out his cell phone and called the police.
"Here ya go, Kid," said a tall, thin man as he leaned down and removed the gag from Joe's mouth. He lifted a liquid meal drink to Joe's lips and let him drink.
"Who are you?" asked Joe. "And how did you know Mayhem had me a prisoner in the van?"
"We were watching your place," the man admitted. "We saw you get into the van. We followed and just picked the first opportunity we had to get you. We had no idea you were a prisoner...that is, until we saw you drop the girl off at the park."
"And why were you watching my house?" asked Joe.
"Your old man decided to get involved in our affairs," the man informed Joe. "You are our insurance policy that he doesn't interfere with us tonight. It's our last job and we don't want any hassles."
"Your last job?" asked Joe, picking up on the man's words.
"That's right," the man said, smiling at Joe as he put the gag back in Joe's mouth and stood up. "After tonight, we're closing up shop here. We'll be rich men and there will be no more need for a hostage." He saw Joe's eyes widen fearfully. "Relax junior," the man said. "If you and your old man behave, we'll let him know where to find you." With these words, the man left the room.
Joe began trying to free himself as soon as the door closed. This man may be under the misconception that he would be freed later but Joe did not have similar illusions. He looked around for something to help free him but he saw nothing of any use so he began rubbing the ropes against the rough concrete wall, hoping the friction would fray them. It was a time consuming task but eventually it did pay off.
Joe pulled his sore wrists from the ropes and yanked the gag from his mouth before attacking the ropes that harnessed his ankles. Free after hours of confinement, he got shakily to his feet and leaned against the wall for support until the pain of poor circulation passed.
He tried the knob and was unsurprised to find it locked. There were no windows in his prison but fresh air was coming in from somewhere. He looked around and found a vent near the ceiling. He looked around the sparse room and spotted a few small crates in a corner. Neither was large enough to help but perhaps if he built a kind of pyramid he could reach the vent?
Heaving a determined sigh, he started to work. Ten minutes later, a haphazard display sat before him. He stepped up onto the first layer, praying the empty crates would support his weight. So far, so good. Another foot up and another layer down. And another. Finally, he stepped onto the top crate. He felt it wobble and froze, holding his breath as the pyramid settled. When they were still once again he leaned up and began working the grate from the vent. He eased it off and laid it gently on the layer below him, afraid to let it drop in case someone should hear and come to check on him.
Hauling himself up, he slipped into the vent and squirmed through the space on his stomach. It was a long, arduous process but when he came to the other end he was overjoyed. The room ahead was empty. He pushed at the grate but could not get it to budge. Groaning, he slipped his fingers through at the corners and felt for the screws. After what seemed like forever, his fingers pulled the last screw out and the vent fell to the floor of the room. Joe held his breath, waiting for one of his captors to come see what had made the noise but the door to the room remained shut.
He slithered out of the vent and did a handstand, his feet in the air briefly before falling to the ground. Standing up, he moved to the door and gently tried the knob. The door opened. Greeted by silence, Joe felt almost delirious with success. He tiptoed through the door and down the hallway. There, the large back door stood open. He could hear someone talking outside and chose to turn around and seek another exit.
Minutes later, Joe exited the front door without trouble and ran for the dirt road ahead of him. He ran as fast as he could, wondering where he could be but he recognized nothing of the area. A car, he thought frantically, when a small roar approached him. Unsure if the road were private or not, he knew he could take no chances and veered off of the road and made a dash into the woods.
Still moving forward, he looked back to see if the driver had stopped and was following him. He saw the car pass by and continue up the road to the house before turning back around to see where he was going. His eyes widened in horror when he saw the deep ravine ahead. He began skidding as he tried to stop himself from going over the cliff. Too late! His left foot tripped over a branch as his right foot stopped and over he went, falling toward the chasm below.