TAKING TO TASK
CHAPTER TWO

"Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold"

"What? Why?" Frank stared at the two agents, a dumbfounded expression on his handsome face. He stared over at Nancy and Joe, who now stood nearby. Nancy held baby Diana in her arms as they waited for answers from the agents.

"May we come in?" Agent Forbes asked. "We don't have much time but we will take a few minutes to explain before we go."

Frank narrowed his eyes but stood to one side to allow the two agents to enter the house. They were led into the living room and offered seats. Frank took Diana from Nancy and held her in his arms while he stared down the two agents.

"We've uncovered a major initiative by one of the terrorist groups that has managed to set up a cell here in the U.S.," Agent Forbes began to explain. "We generally have been successful in getting plants into the U.S. led groups and have used that to our advantage. Rather than shutting down the groups early on, we allow them some rope to hang themselves by. This group is based out of St. Louis, Missouri."

Frank's eyes widened with shock. "Marcius Ras-Alman is still in St. Louis?" he asked, stunned.

"You know of Ras-Alman?" Agent Donahue spoke for the first time in a rumbly growl of a voice.

"I'd say," Joe commented. He briefly explained to Donahue about Frank's going missing for two years and living as James Fleming. He also explained that Frank's wife had been Ras-Alman's daughter, Miriam, who was killed by her father when Frank found out who he really was.

"So he does have a reason to want revenge against you," Forbes asked Frank.

"I suppose," Frank said slowly, thinking it all over. "If you consider that he's half-crazy and probably blames me for Diana… Miriam's death. He was the one who shot her… he was trying to kill me and she got in the way."

Frank felt the usual guilt and grief over his wife's killing and he sighed, holding Diana even closer.

"There's a major plan in the works by Ras-Alman's group to come after you, specifically, Mr. Hardy," Forbes said. "As a result we need you to come with us. We'll be putting you into a safe house until we can shut this group down."

"No," Frank shook his head firmly. "I'm not going anywhere. Do you realize I was gone for two years, thinking I was someone else? I just got my family back, Agent Forbes. I'm not about to leave them again."

"Mr. Hardy," Forbes turned to Frank imploringly. "I need you to understand. If you stay here, you would not only be endangering yourself but you could endanger you family and your baby. Is that what you want? If you come with us we can guarantee your safety, and your daughters."

"And what's to stop Ras-Alman from going after my family to get to me?" Frank demanded. "Nothing, that's what. I learned early on that we're much better off together than apart. If I go my whole family goes with me and since I know they don't want to go, we're sticking it out."

Forbes looked astonished. Donahue, however, reached into his pocket and threw a picture onto the coffee table.

"Do you recognize this man?" Donahue asked.

Frank looked down at the picture, then back up at Donahue. "He worked for Ras-Alman, I only saw him one time."

Joe looked at the picture. "I never learned his name but I always thought of him as 'Goon 1'. He works for Ras-Alman, though, I know that much."

"We found him shot in the head execution style in your home in St. Louis," Donahue rumbled. "He was obviously killed as a statement."

Frank shook his head helplessly. "I still don't know why. I mean, I never really knew the man at all. And the last time I saw him he had a gun on me."

"His name was Anthony Deems," Forbes reported. "He was our agent. There was a note in his pocket."

Forbes removed the note – which was inside of a large plastic bag – and placed it on the table.

Frank handed Diana back to Nancy and sat down on the couch. They all read the note together.

Dear F.B.I.

Your pitiful attempts to infiltrate my company has been noted.

Let this be a lesson.

And let this be a warning to he who was my son. This is what he has waiting for him.

Some day, some time, some when.

I shall show him the way I deal with traitors.

MAR

Frank shook his head, astonished.

"This guy was your agent?" he asked. "He tried as hard as any of them to kill us…"

"It was his job," Forbes said. "Now, will you come with us?"

Frank shook his head. "I can't. I know Ras-Alman, he'll stop at nothing to get to me. He would kill everyone in my family to draw me out. I'm much better off here, with them, than I would be somewhere else."

"We're going to have to insist, sir," Donahue rumbled in his low voice again. "This is a matter of national security?"

"Oh come on!" Joe protested. "How could keeping my brother safe involve national security? I know Ras-Alman's a terrorist but…"

"But he could do anything to get to your brother, including compromising the safety of thousands," Donahue growled.

"That could happen in or out of your custody and you know it," Nancy said. "We're all good at taking care of ourselves. We're on the alert now so we know what to look for but if you take Frank, you take all of us."

The two agents exchanged glances with each other and sighed.

"We have to report in to our superiors. We will be back," Forbes promised.

The two agents left, leaving them on their own again. Frank sagged back into his sofa and rubbed at his head.

"Maybe I'd be better off going with them. What if something happened to you – or Diana? I could never live with that."

"Do you really think they can keep you safe? Or us?" Joe asked.

"I don't know," Frank admitted. "I don't know what to do right now. If dad was here I could ask him but he's not so I can't."

Frank rocked back and forth a little, obviously confused and upset. Seeing that picture startled him and he could only too easy see himself in the same situation – a bullet through his forehead.

"What first?" Nancy asked. "We could just go away for a while on our own."

"I'm not running, Nancy," Frank said.

"It's not running," Nancy protested. "It's planning ahead. And that's what we need to do. We send your mom somewhere safe, let your dad know what's going on and then disappear for a while. We work under the radar and stop Ras-Alman. Ourselves."

Frank looked over at Joe who nodded.

"All right, then," he said, sighing. "Let's do it."