TAKING TO TASK

CHAPTER FOUR

"Chances Taken"

"Are you all right, Frank?" Nancy gazed over at her boyfriend as he stared almost aimlessly out of the windshield of the car, his attention seemingly focused on the scenery around them and on his driving. Nancy slid as far as her seatbelt let her slide and touched his arm, causing him to look quickly at her before he looked away again. Warmth filled her as she watched him and felt closer to him than ever.

Finally, she thought. It finally all feels right. The way it's supposed to feel. I'm actually with Frank Hardy.

"I'm good," Frank smiled and took her hand, squeezing it. He held onto her hand for a moment, rubbing his thumb along her knuckles and he kissed the back of Nancy's hand, causing her to blush slightly. Nancy knew then that he felt the same way. "Better, actually. I'm with the best gal in the whole world."

Nancy's blue eyes sparkled as she watched Frank. He looked relaxed, happy and slightly anxious. What they were going to do was dangerous and Frank knew it. Ras-Alman was not a man to be toyed with; he proved himself capable of taking out anyone who got in the way of his plans. Nancy wanted the danger ended so they could focus on their relationship – and not staying alive.

"Do you think he's still in St. Louis?" Nancy asked.

"It's been his home base for a while," Frank shrugged. He grinned when he heard Joe snore in the backseat and he looked in the rearview mirror to find Joe leaning against one door, his mouth half-open. Joe snored again and Frank laughed.

"He can sleep anywhere, I swear!" Nancy declared. "Look at him."

Frank grinned. "I remember when he was about five he disappeared while we were in a sports arena. Mom was freaking out when suddenly a security guard called us over. Joe was sound asleep on some stairs. We've found him in cupboards, on countertops, tables, curled up behind the recliner… yep, he can sleep anywhere."

"Anyway," Nancy said. "About Ras-Alman?"

"He's been known to pick up and move operations when the law is getting too close," Frank continued. "He did it after… after the explosion. Just picked up and set-up new operations in St. Louis with none-the-wiser – or so we all thought. He probably moved already but I don't know. Losing Miriam was… not in his equation, I think. He may stay in St. Louis to draw me out – to bring me to him."

"You don't think he knows we're coming do you?" Nancy wondered out loud. "I mean, he's been capable of finding out things we thought impossible before…"

"It's possible," Frank said. "And if so, we know he'll try something. We'll just have to be careful, won't we?"

"Yeah," Nancy agreed, relaxing again. No sense in getting all bent out of shape now, when she didn't know what the future held. Another thought occurred to her.

"Are we playing into his hands by coming back here?" Nancy asked worriedly. "Maybe this was part of his plan."

"It might be," Frank admitted. "I thought of that a couple of hours ago. I don't see that we have a lot of options, short of going into hiding for ten years while the Feds continue to play games with him."

"And that's not an option any of us like," Nancy sighed as she peered out the window again. "I know I don't want to go running off like a scared rabbit."

"Me either," Frank smiled. He jumped when his cell phone rang and Nancy took the phone from his belt and looked at the caller ID.

"Caller is unknown," Nancy said to Frank.

"Then let it ring," Frank said. "I didn't give the number out to anyone that should read as unknown."

Nancy nodded and sat the phone down on the seat beside her. She peered thoughtfully out the window.

"What's going on in your head, Drew?" Frank asked her a short while later as he pulled off the highway to fill up the tank with gas.

"Just running through possibilities," Nancy waved him away. "I'll let you know if I find one I like."

"Right," Frank leaned over and kissed her. "That's one I liked."

"Whuz goin' on?" a sleepy voice from the backseat asked. "Why we stopped?"

"We have to feed the car," Frank told him. "Why don't you go inside and get us some coffee and donuts and I'll fill the tank."

Joe unlimbered himself from the back seat and wandered into the restaurant. Nancy went in after him, stating she had to use the facilities if they had any and Frank grinned as he leaned back against his car, while waiting for the gas tank to fill.

He heard his cell phone ring again and he sighed as he opened the passenger door and pulled the phone out. It was an unlisted number again but this time he answered it.

"Frank Hardy," he said.

"James," the cultured, foreign-accented voice on the other end of the line said to him.

"Marcius," Frank said coldly. "What do you want?"

"I think you know what I want, James," Marcius Ras-Alman sounded calm – and cold as well. "I want you and I want my granddaughter. It's that simple. Bring her to me and your family can live in peace again."

"Do you really think I'm going to turn my daughter over to the man who killed her mother?" Frank demanded. "There's no way in hell, Ras-Alman. No way at all. You killed Diana – I'm not about to let you near our baby. Do you understand that?"

"You know so little, James," Ras-Alman chuckled. "You think you can keep her from me? That you can be safe from me?"

"I not only know it, I believe it," Frank said calmly.

I have faith in my father, Frank thought. And he will do his best to make sure mom and Diana are safe from you, you bastard.

There was a pause and Frank wondered, for a moment, if Ras-Alman had hung up.

"You don't have long to live, James," Ras-Alman was much more cold and hostile when next he spoke. "You, your brother and Miss Drew have all signed your death warrants. I hold all of you responsible for Miriam's death. It is you who will pay."

Frank snorted. "You were the one who held the gun, Marcius. You were the one who fired it and you were the one who killed her. Kill me, or Joe, or Nancy and you still haven't absolved yourself of Diana's death. Get it, Marc ole pal? We're not biting. Go play with your fish and your guns and just remember – one day when you least expect, we'll be there."

He hung up his phone as Ras-Alman yelled, "You're dead! You're…"

Frank slid his phone back into his holder on his belt and was whistling as he finished topping of the tank and wandered inside the gas station to use the restroom. He found Joe standing near a stand of potato chips, looking half asleep.

"You planning on buying one or would you like to commune some more?" Frank asked his brother.

"Thinking here," Joe said.

Frank laughed and continued on to the bathroom. He came back out to find Joe had made his purchases and took the cup of hot coffee Joe offered. Nancy took a minute to find a snack she liked – namely granola bars – and was about to pay for them when they heard something from outside.

A huge whoosh preceded a fiery trail that suddenly spread around the car and the island and, as the gas attendant yelled, "Get Down" there was a sudden explosion that caused the whole building to shake.

Frank barely noticed the rack of oil bottles that fell down from above and was about to fall on his head…