"I've got to get in there," Joe said in desperation, pulling free and backing up into someone.
"No can do," came a familiar voice from behind him. Joe spun around and went weak with relief when he saw his brother standing there. "Better split," Frank advised Joe, looking around to see if they had been spotted together. Joe nodded and took off.
"I guess we're out of work," Joe said as Shandra came to join him.
"A week, maybe," she said, agreeing with him. "They will have the place fixed by then," she added as they watched the firemen put out the fire.
"Daniels!" Joe heard someone call him.
Joe turned around to see who was yelling at him. "Hello, Sir," Joe said seeing his supervisor.
"Report to my office after the fire department leaves," Jeff Corrigan told him.
"I'm fired?" Joe guessed.
"Far from it," Jeff told Joe smiling at his disappointed face. "With this mess, you will have to put in overtime. Come by my office and I'll arrange a top security badge for you. We've got our work cut out for us," he continued, running a hand over his bald head. "Mr. Thompson wants this building rebuilt and in working order by the end of next week."
"I'll be there," Joe promised as the man turned and walked over to talk with the owner.
"I guess I won't get to keep our date tonight," Joe told Shandra ruefully.
"It's okay," she assured him. "I have a great idea!" she added brightly as a thought came to her. "Why don't you come over to my place when you do get off? You can relax in the Jacuzzi, and I'll make you some dinner, and then you can see Jim like you had arranged?"
"It could be very late," Joe tried to worm out of the invitation.
"I'm not working tomorrow," Shandra told him with a grin. "You can crash in the spare bedroom," she added.
"You've talked me into it," Joe gave in graciously.
"I'll let Jim know you will be late," she promised. "See you later," she added, reaching up and kissing Joe before leaving.
"Just the person I was looking for," Joe heard a voice behind him. He turned around and saw one of the gate guards. "Bring your tools and come on," the man ordered Joe. "We've got trouble with the gate."
As Joe went back to work, Frank was busy talking with the fire inspector. "How did the fire start?" the inspector asked Frank.
"Anthony and I were reviewing programs," Frank answered. "There was one program that kept going to a blank screen. I tried to download the program so I could get into the file, but when I hit enter, a whirring noise came from mine and Anthony's computers."
"Yeah," Anthony interrupted. "I was going to check out the noise, but Frank grabbed my arm and pulled me away from my computer. Less than a minute after that, they both exploded."
"Exploded?" asked the inspector in disbelief, his dark eyebrows rising to disappear under his black bangs.
"He's telling the truth," Frank affirmed, puzzled. "Reading a file can't make a computer explode though," he continued, lost in thought, his forehead wrinkled as he tried to work through the problem. "There must have been something connected to the computer which caused the explosion."
Anthony looked at Frank. "You're right," he agreed. "And something you, or I, or both of us did, triggered it."
"You're saying the fire was arson?" the inspector asked, interested in their verbal exchange.
"Most definitely," Anthony told him.
"Can we go in now?" Frank asked, wanting to go and take a look at the remains of the computers if, indeed, there were any.
"No," was the answer. "It isn't safe. I will check for explosives in your office," the inspector continued. "What I would like to know is why someone would want to wreck your computers."
"Maybe it wasn't just our computers," Frank said. "Maybe all the computers at Thompson Security are rigged to explode if they attempt to obtain the file."
"Interesting," the inspector said. "I'll need one of you to help test this theory."
"Gladly!" Anthony declared. "There's a computer in the main office. It's on the first floor," he added, pointing toward a section of building which had been left unaffected by the fire. "Frank, why don't you head on home?" Anthony suggested before leaving with the inspector.
Not seeing any point in remaining, Frank drove home. There, he found his dad in the study.
"You're home early," Mr. Hardy said, watching Frank come in and take a seat. Frank brought his dad up to date. "That's bad about the fire, but it did happen at a good time," Mr. Hardy said when Frank had finished. "I need you over at Hanover Industries. Of course, you will have to lose your disguise."
"What's up?" Frank asked, sitting up straight and paying close attention.
"The Department of Defense has just acquired a contract with Hanover Industries for a satellite built almost to the same specifications as the one Thompson Security is using," Mr. Hardy informed Frank. "I'm going to Washington and talk with the Defense's contractual manager. I would like for you to go over Hanover's books and see if you can find anything out of the ordinary."
"They gave them another contract?" Frank asked.
"Of course," Mr. Hardy said. "There have been many previous contracts but only recently has there been a problem with information concerning the contracts. And this is the first contract for a satellite. All previous contracts have dealt with aircraft."
"What am I going to be looking for?" Frank asked.
"I have a feeling someone at Hanover is re-wording the contracts," Mr. Hardy replied.
"Huh?" Frank asked in confusion.
"Hanover is in the red because they have been making products to exact specifications. Since there work is all classified, if even one specification is not met, the entire project is a wash if it can't be rectified quickly," Mr. Hardy explained. "If they can not provide the required item at the specified time, the contract falls through and there is no legal recourse to obtain the monies they have lost."
"And someone is making sure the specifications aren't met," Frank said. "You want me to find out how."
"Right," Mr. Hardy agreed. "Be careful," he warned. "You'll only be allowed in as my son, so no disguise."
"I will," Frank promised. "It's Joe I'm worried about," he added. "I still don't like him joining up with the thieves and not having back-up."
"You have a point," Mr. Hardy agreed thoughtfully. "How about Biff Hooper?" he suggested a few minutes later, mentioning a good friend of the boys.
"Good idea," Frank agreed. "He could help out at Thompson with the reconstruction and keep an eye on Joe." Frank stood up and walked over to the phone. "I'll give him a call and see if he can help out. As Frank was reaching for the receiver, the phone rang.
"Hardy residence," Frank answered.
"That was quick," Joe said, surprised at how fast Frank had answered. Frank told him about getting Biff's help.
"Great!" Joe said. "See if he can get over here now. I'm kind of in a sticky situation," he added and explained about Shandra's offer to stay the night. There's no way my disguise will stay intact for that length of time," Joe ended.
Grinning, Frank promised Joe he would try to get Biff over there today. After hanging up, Frank called the Hooper residence and filled him in on the case. After Biff promised to go straight to Thompson Security, Frank hung up and went to get out of his disguise.
Less than two hours later, Frank was on his way to Hanover Industries with the security pass his father had given him in his pocket. Arriving at the gate, he was issued a parking space. Once inside the building, he identified himself and was escorted to an office.
"Mr. Givens instructed me to give you this office while you are here," the slender, green-eyed, blond secretary told Frank, mentioning the company's vice-president's name. "If there is anything I can help you with, just let me know," she added before leaving and closing the door behind her.
Aboutan hour later, there was a rap at the door and a tall man wearing a three piece navy suit with a pale red tie strode into the office. The man had black hair, which was turning gray at the temples and brown eyes. Frank thought the man looked like he could use a vacation.
"I'm Dan Givens," he introduced himself. "Have you found anything yet?" he asked Frank, getting right to the point.
"I'm not sure," Frank responded, looking him in the eyes. "I've found several contracts and they all seem to match the specifications for the products built except for one or two discrepancies. What I need at this point is to see the written contracts."
"They are in Kevin's office," Mr. Givens informed Frank as he pulled out a pen and walked over to the desk. He took a sheet of paper and wrote something on it. "Give this to Kevin and he will get you anything you need," he assured Frank. "His office is the fourth door on the left past the lounge."
"Thank you, Sir," Frank replied, taking the piece of paper. After Givens had left, Frank sent the contracts to his computer at home, then powered down and went to find Kevin.
"Come in," Kevin replied to the knock at his door.
"Mr. Ardenholdt," Frank addressed the man, having read his name on the door. "Mr. Givens sent me to see you," he added, handing over the slip of paper to the red-haired man.
Kevin Ardenholdt read the paper, then looked up at Frank with a smile which never reached his brown eyes. "How may I help you?" he asked Frank, looking him over.
"I would like to see the contracts for the past eight contracts with the Department of Defense," Frank stated.
"They are in the computer," Kevin said, leaning back and studying him with a superior attitude.
"I realize that," Frank said, wondering why Kevin seemed so interested in him. "However, I would like to see the physical contracts and compare them to the onscreen ones."
"Very well," Kevin said, standing up and ushering Frank to the door. "I'll go through my files and send them to you," he promised. "Which office are you in?" he asked.
"I'll come back," Frank said, instead of answering. "Thirty minutes?" he asked.
"Fine," Kevin replied and closed the door as Frank turned away. Crossing over to his desk, he picked up the phone and dialed a number. On the fourth ring, it was answered. "Hardy's up to his old tricks," Kevin said into the receiver. "Kill the kid."
