Fenton arrived home at close to three o'clock in the morning. His face sported a growth of beard which was not altogether unpleasant but annoying to Laura as she kissed his rough cheek. "Do you know where they are?" she asked him.
"On an island," Fenton answered her. "As soon as the sun comes up, Frank and I will get him."
"Alone?" she asked, worried.
"No," Fenton answered, a slight scowl marring his already irregular features. "But once the Network found out the leader was there, I couldn't stop them. They have to wait until daybreak as well or risk blowing the mission. Frank and I will be there first. Is he in bed?"
"Kind of," Laura answered. "When he realized there was nothing he could do he tried to go to sleep but couldn't. He finally passed out on the living room sofa about four hours ago."
"Make some coffee and I'll wake him up," Fenton said. "We need to leave as soon as possible."
Laura left Fenton and went into the kitchen to make a strong pot of coffee and a light breakfast. Fenton entered the living room and shook Frank awake. "Dad?" Frank mumbled as he sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes.
"Time to get up, Son," said Fenton. "Go shower and change. We're leaving in a little bit."
"You found Joe?" asked Frank leaping to his feet with his brown eyes sparkling.
"He's on the island you told me about," confided Fenton.
"For sure?" Frank demanded.
"Have I seen him? No," Fenton said. "But given the facts, I would stake my life on it."
"Should I call the guys?" asked Frank. "They want to help."
"No," Fenton answered. "I'm afraid their presence might do more harm than good. I'll ask your mother to call them later and let them know what's going on."
Frank nodded his understanding and went upstairs to get ready. Fenton, likewise, went upstairs to shower, shave, and change. When the two entered the kitchen twenty minutes later, Laura ordered them to sit down and then set a plate before each of them.
"You two need something on your stomachs before you go," she said. "Eat everything on your plate," she added setting a glass of orange juice by each plate before moving to the coffee maker and pouring out two cups. She brought them to the table and set them down then grabbed the creamer from the refrigerator and sugar off of the counter and set them between her two men.
"The Network is going to move on the island at daybreak," Fenton informed Frank as they ate. "We need to be there a little before."
"Why not earlier?" Laura asked, not wanting any of her family caught in the crossfire.
"The island only has two venues of approach," explained Fenton. "One is by helicopter and that is out of the question because it would be shot down, and the other is by small boat. Even a motorboat would crash on the rocks. The perimeter is bound to be heavily guarded especially since the leader lives there."
They quickly finished their breakfast and Laura drove them to the airport where Jack was waiting with the Skyhappy Sal. He flew them to the closest airstrip and dropped them off. From there, they took a cab to the docks and hurried to a boat that Fenton had already made arrangements with the captain for.
By the time Fenton and Frank reached the drop off point it was raining heavily. "Are you sure you want to do this?" the captain asked Fenton as they watched the small rowboat being lowered into the water.
"We have too," Fenton stated. The weather in Bayport had been nice but the further along the coast they had moved, the nastier the weather had gotten. The waves were rough and even Fenton wondered if he and Frank could make it to the island in one piece.
"Here are the life jackets you requested," the captain said, holding out two special vests to the Hardys. Instead of the usual bright orange vests, these were the same color as the ocean. "You do realize if something happens to your boat a rescue team will not be able to spot you," the captain warned them with a worried frown.
"We know," Fenton said, smiling gratefully at the captain. "I want to thank you for all of your help."
"Anytime," the captain answered, returning the smile with one of his own.
Frank and Fenton shook hands with the captain before slipping on their lifejackets and climbing over the bow. Soon, the two were rowing quietly toward the island. The waves splashed angrily against the boat with an occasional one drenching Frank and Fenton. "Dad, I don't think we're going to reach the island in this," Frank said after the third wave in ten minutes left them sitting in water that was ankle deep.
"I didn't think we would," Fenton confided. "But I had hoped we would get within swimming distance."
"How are we supposed to get Joe off the island without the boat?" Frank demanded.
"Leaving won't be a problem once the Network arrives," Fenton explained. "We just have to find Joe and get him out of the line of fire until the Assassins have been captured or killed."
"Let's row faster," Frank begged as another wave drenched them. "This weather is getting worse."
Joe woke up and jumped out of bed. He was hyped to explore the island and find a way off. He went into the bathroom and showered and brushed his teeth. Going back into his room, his thighs barely covered by a towel, he opened the closet doors and was pleased to find jeans and a tee shirt available.
He dressed quickly and hurried out of his room and down the stairs. He had seen the rain outside his window but wasn't going to let that deter him. A little warm rain wouldn't kill him. He hurried to the front door and opened it.
A shiver sent speckles along his arms and down his back as a blast of wind rattled the shutters. The rain was coming down in torrents, not the gentle late summer rain he had expected. He watched as the trees waved about wildly.
"Do you really want to go out there?" Lance asked from behind him. "If so, here is a raincoat."
Joe turned and gave him a sour look as he closed the front door. "What's the forecast say?" he asked wondering how long the bad weather would last.
"Your mother was just tuning it in," Lance said. "Unfortunately, the satellite is down but the radio is working."
"May I listen?" Joe asked.
"Of course," Lance agreed at once. "If you'll follow me?" he asked lying the raincoat on the back of a chair. Joe followed Lance through the living room and past the dining room into the spacious kitchen. Laurel and four men were listening to the radio with frowns.
"It's a hurricane," Laurel informed Joe and Lance as they entered. "The tropical storm they thought had died got some kick to it and is headed our way."
"What's the name?" Joe asked curiously. He had been in four hurricanes to date and he liked to remember each one.
"Erika," Laurel said with a wan smile at her son before turning to Lance. "Any survivors?" she inquired.
"We found a shoe but that was it," Lance informed her.
"Survivors?" Joe asked, his blue eyes narrowing on Lance questioningly.
"A boat crashed into the rocks," Lance answered. "Captain Taylor reported it. Your mother had us search the island but only a few planks and a solitary shoe were found. The tide is fierce," he continued. "If anyone had been on the boat, their bodies would have been dragged out to sea."
"On an island," Fenton answered her. "As soon as the sun comes up, Frank and I will get him."
"Alone?" she asked, worried.
"No," Fenton answered, a slight scowl marring his already irregular features. "But once the Network found out the leader was there, I couldn't stop them. They have to wait until daybreak as well or risk blowing the mission. Frank and I will be there first. Is he in bed?"
"Kind of," Laura answered. "When he realized there was nothing he could do he tried to go to sleep but couldn't. He finally passed out on the living room sofa about four hours ago."
"Make some coffee and I'll wake him up," Fenton said. "We need to leave as soon as possible."
Laura left Fenton and went into the kitchen to make a strong pot of coffee and a light breakfast. Fenton entered the living room and shook Frank awake. "Dad?" Frank mumbled as he sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes.
"Time to get up, Son," said Fenton. "Go shower and change. We're leaving in a little bit."
"You found Joe?" asked Frank leaping to his feet with his brown eyes sparkling.
"He's on the island you told me about," confided Fenton.
"For sure?" Frank demanded.
"Have I seen him? No," Fenton said. "But given the facts, I would stake my life on it."
"Should I call the guys?" asked Frank. "They want to help."
"No," Fenton answered. "I'm afraid their presence might do more harm than good. I'll ask your mother to call them later and let them know what's going on."
Frank nodded his understanding and went upstairs to get ready. Fenton, likewise, went upstairs to shower, shave, and change. When the two entered the kitchen twenty minutes later, Laura ordered them to sit down and then set a plate before each of them.
"You two need something on your stomachs before you go," she said. "Eat everything on your plate," she added setting a glass of orange juice by each plate before moving to the coffee maker and pouring out two cups. She brought them to the table and set them down then grabbed the creamer from the refrigerator and sugar off of the counter and set them between her two men.
"The Network is going to move on the island at daybreak," Fenton informed Frank as they ate. "We need to be there a little before."
"Why not earlier?" Laura asked, not wanting any of her family caught in the crossfire.
"The island only has two venues of approach," explained Fenton. "One is by helicopter and that is out of the question because it would be shot down, and the other is by small boat. Even a motorboat would crash on the rocks. The perimeter is bound to be heavily guarded especially since the leader lives there."
They quickly finished their breakfast and Laura drove them to the airport where Jack was waiting with the Skyhappy Sal. He flew them to the closest airstrip and dropped them off. From there, they took a cab to the docks and hurried to a boat that Fenton had already made arrangements with the captain for.
By the time Fenton and Frank reached the drop off point it was raining heavily. "Are you sure you want to do this?" the captain asked Fenton as they watched the small rowboat being lowered into the water.
"We have too," Fenton stated. The weather in Bayport had been nice but the further along the coast they had moved, the nastier the weather had gotten. The waves were rough and even Fenton wondered if he and Frank could make it to the island in one piece.
"Here are the life jackets you requested," the captain said, holding out two special vests to the Hardys. Instead of the usual bright orange vests, these were the same color as the ocean. "You do realize if something happens to your boat a rescue team will not be able to spot you," the captain warned them with a worried frown.
"We know," Fenton said, smiling gratefully at the captain. "I want to thank you for all of your help."
"Anytime," the captain answered, returning the smile with one of his own.
Frank and Fenton shook hands with the captain before slipping on their lifejackets and climbing over the bow. Soon, the two were rowing quietly toward the island. The waves splashed angrily against the boat with an occasional one drenching Frank and Fenton. "Dad, I don't think we're going to reach the island in this," Frank said after the third wave in ten minutes left them sitting in water that was ankle deep.
"I didn't think we would," Fenton confided. "But I had hoped we would get within swimming distance."
"How are we supposed to get Joe off the island without the boat?" Frank demanded.
"Leaving won't be a problem once the Network arrives," Fenton explained. "We just have to find Joe and get him out of the line of fire until the Assassins have been captured or killed."
"Let's row faster," Frank begged as another wave drenched them. "This weather is getting worse."
Joe woke up and jumped out of bed. He was hyped to explore the island and find a way off. He went into the bathroom and showered and brushed his teeth. Going back into his room, his thighs barely covered by a towel, he opened the closet doors and was pleased to find jeans and a tee shirt available.
He dressed quickly and hurried out of his room and down the stairs. He had seen the rain outside his window but wasn't going to let that deter him. A little warm rain wouldn't kill him. He hurried to the front door and opened it.
A shiver sent speckles along his arms and down his back as a blast of wind rattled the shutters. The rain was coming down in torrents, not the gentle late summer rain he had expected. He watched as the trees waved about wildly.
"Do you really want to go out there?" Lance asked from behind him. "If so, here is a raincoat."
Joe turned and gave him a sour look as he closed the front door. "What's the forecast say?" he asked wondering how long the bad weather would last.
"Your mother was just tuning it in," Lance said. "Unfortunately, the satellite is down but the radio is working."
"May I listen?" Joe asked.
"Of course," Lance agreed at once. "If you'll follow me?" he asked lying the raincoat on the back of a chair. Joe followed Lance through the living room and past the dining room into the spacious kitchen. Laurel and four men were listening to the radio with frowns.
"It's a hurricane," Laurel informed Joe and Lance as they entered. "The tropical storm they thought had died got some kick to it and is headed our way."
"What's the name?" Joe asked curiously. He had been in four hurricanes to date and he liked to remember each one.
"Erika," Laurel said with a wan smile at her son before turning to Lance. "Any survivors?" she inquired.
"We found a shoe but that was it," Lance informed her.
"Survivors?" Joe asked, his blue eyes narrowing on Lance questioningly.
"A boat crashed into the rocks," Lance answered. "Captain Taylor reported it. Your mother had us search the island but only a few planks and a solitary shoe were found. The tide is fierce," he continued. "If anyone had been on the boat, their bodies would have been dragged out to sea."