Warnings: mild violence, revenge, (horrible grammer!), reference to domestic abuse/alcoholism
Plot Blurb:
It's a calm day in Bayport, but Frank and Joe Hardy discover a secret that turns their world upside down. Hidden in the dark resesses of their attic is a forgotten piece of paper that leads them to believe they aren't the only children of Laura and Fenton Hardy.
Searching for clues to their past, they stumble upon an even bigger secret. President Philip Walker is making a special appearence in Bayport. There is only one problem - so are the Assassins! The boys must now face their worst enemies...only to find the shocking connection between their secret past and the infamous terrorists!
Chapter 1
Frank Hardy's lean, 6ft. frame slid behind the wheel of his van. As he turned the key, his longtime girlfriend, Callie Shaw, leaned out the window and hit the horn.
Beep! Beep!
"Come on Joe! I have to be at the airport NOW!" Callie yelled, trying to get Frank's younger brother to move.
"Alright, alright!" He grumbled as he got in the back of the van and slammed the door.
While Frank drove from the Bayport Mall to the airport, his thoughts kept drifting to his brother. He couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness when he looked in the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of his brother's blond hair. Four years ago, Joe's girlfriend, Iola Morton, was killed when terrorists bombed their car. Although Joe seemed like the happy, fun-loving guy they all knew well, Frank knew that deep down, Joe was in terrible pain - especially with the recent events happening in their hometown of Bayport. Iola had been helping with the Philip Walker presidential campaign when she had been murdered. Walker was now president and making a special appearance at the Bayport mall. Many local residences were helping to set up for this special presentation that was to be held in two weeks. Joe had said he wanted to go to the mall earlier that day just so he could go shopping, but Frank knew, upon arriving and seeing the memorial erected to honor Iola in the parking lot which she died in, that Joe wasn't here for shopping.
"Frank? Are you alright?" Callie asked, quite concerned when she saw the strained look in his handsome brown eyes.
"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," he replied with a smile as he pulled to a stop at the airport.
"O.k.," said Callie, not fully convinced. "I'll see you when I get back from my aunt's house in two and a half weeks." She gave him a quick kiss and headed to catch her plane, all the while wondering what was really on her boyfriend's mind.
Twenty minutes later, the boys arrived at their quiet, empty home. Their parents, Fenton (a world famous private detective) and Laura, had gone out to dinner. Their Aunt Gertrude, whom also lived with the Hardy family since the boys were three, was on a cruise ship headed for the Bahamas.
Frank walked up the stairs to his bedroom, flopped on his bed, and began to read his new novel in an effort to clear his mind. Joe, on the other hand, made his way to the third floor attic. He was feeling better now that he was home and away from all those horrible reminders of his past. Callie was making a scrapbook for Frank as a birthday present and needed a first grade picture. She had asked Joe to get one so it wouldn't ruin the surprise for Frank, so Joe was forced to dig through the dusty attic where his mother kept all the relics of their family past.
Nearly an hour passed as Joe looked through box after box. Gesh! Mom must keep everything! He thought. He was almost ready to give up, and headed for the stairs, when he tripped over a box and fell against the wall. To his surprise, the wall gave way to a secret compartment hidden behind the panel. Joe carefully moved the broken panel and reached in the hole where he saw a box. He, as well as his brother, were amateur detectives, and couldn't resist anything secret. After pulling out the box, he brought it over towards the light so he could see the contents better. When he opened the box, one small piece of paper really caught his attention. He sat there stunned for a moment, then quickly grabbed the paper and sprinted down the flight of stairs to find his brother.
Frank was now deeply involved in his book. All of a sudden he heard his brother come thundering down the stairs. Seconds later, his door burst opened and he was staring at the ashen face of his brother.
"Joe! What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Frank exclaimed.
"Frank...I was in the attic...the wall...a box...look!" Joe panted and handed his brother what he had found.
Frank's mouth dropped opened. He looked the paper over and over again and couldn't believe his eyes. He was staring at a birth certificate of a girl with the same parents as his and the same birth date as Joe!