Killing Joe

Chapter 13

Stealthily, Frank peered out the motel room window and gasped in shock. It was Joe! His relief was short-lived though, when he saw the gun in the sheriff's hand!

Moving quickly, the teen crossed the room and pounded on the bathroom door before grabbing his pants and almost jumping into them – he had no time to waste!

"Frank?" Fenton's voice called out as he opened the door a crack, "What's wrong?" He watched as his son dressed in a frenzy.

"Joe's outside—" Frank managed, already moving towards the door, "with the sheriff…and Oakes has a gun on him!"

Instantly the detective was moving. Wrapping a white towel snugly around his waist, he grabbed his own gun and hurried after his son!

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Oakes moved towards Joe, backing the teen against the closed motel door. Joe fumbled to open the door knob but it had locked when he exited the room, and he didn't have the key.

"I would prefer not to shoot you," the sheriff was saying, "however right now I'm thinking you're not giving me much choice." He raised the gun…

"How are you going to explain shooting an unarmed person?" The unexpected voice startled both Joe and Oakes, who whirled towards the newcomer. Joe breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he saw his brother, but the relief was short-lived as the gun was now pointing at Frank!

"Whoa! Easy there!" Frank said, putting up his hands in a placating gesture even as he continued to move slowly towards his brother until he was shoulder to shoulder with the younger boy. His dark eyes held the sheriff's gaze, almost challenging him to try and hurt his brother now.

Oakes looked unsure what to do – an uncertainty that grew when a towel-clad Fenton Hardy stepped out of the motel room behind Frank, his own gun held loosely in his hand, though his body was tensed.

"Put down the gun, Oakes," Fenton commanded, as he glanced at Joe before locking onto the sheriff, "the boys are unarmed."

The sheriff looked from Frank and Joe to Fenton and then back at the boys again. He held his gun steadily pointed at Frank.

"I'll go with you," Joe suddenly said, desperate to break the standoff and terrified the man was going to shoot his brother. He started to move forward but Frank grabbed his arm.

"Like hell you will," he growled at the younger boy, holding onto him firmly.

"TOM OAKES!" A new voice shouted out from behind them, and Joe saw another lawman step out from behind a large silver SUV. "Put the gun down!" The new man held his own weapon trained on the sheriff. "NOW!"

"Blake," Oakes said, recognizing the deputy's voice without looking, "This doesn't involve you. Leave and forget you were ever here."

"Ain't going to happen," Deputy Hilroy told him, "My name isn't Miles Parsons. I'm not under your thumb or on your payroll. Now put down the gun and step back from the boys – I won't ask a third time!"

After another long moment, the sheriff slowly started to comply. He started to lower the gun but just as Joe sagged against his brother in relief, the man brought the weapon back up – firing as he did so!

Acting completely on instinct, Frank shoved Joe to the ground even as the gun went off! The bullet whizzed past the older teen's face as two other shots instantly rang out and the sheriff dropped heavily to the ground in front of them.

Fenton Hardy and Deputy Hilroy quickly lowered their guns and hurried towards the boys. And while Hilroy checked the sheriff, the detective pulled his sons to their feet.

Once he'd assured himself they were both fine, he grabbed them in a tight hug. "Oh thank God," he murmured and then glanced down at the kneeling deputy.

Blake looked up at Fenton. "He'll live," the lawman commented as he pressed his hand against the gunshot wound in the sheriff's arm; the other bullet had grazed the same arm.

Reluctantly the senior Hardy released his sons. "You okay?" he asked, addressing Joe as he eyed his bruised face.

Joe smiled and gave a small nod. "I am now."

Fenton gave his shoulder a squeeze and then turned to help the deputy with the wounded Oakes, blushing and pausing when he realized how undressed he was! "Uh I think I'd better get something a little more traditional to wear, first!"

The brothers snickered even as Deputy Hilroy just shrugged and deadpanned, "It does make it kind of hard to keep the weapon concealed, doesn't it?"

As their father's face went two shades redder and he disappeared back into room 11B, Frank turned to his younger brother and sighed. "What happened to sticking to the plan, bro?"

Joe shrugged; his smile wry. "Something came up. Or rather, two somethings…"

"Yeah, so I've seen. Quite the pair. They're in the Sheila Falls jail now," Frank said, reaching out to gently touch the bruise on his brother's jaw. Joe closed his eyes briefly at the touch. "You scared the shit out of me, little brother….I was beginning to think we really had lost you."

Joe heard the emotion in his brother's voice, and when he answered his tone was just as husky. "For a little while there, I was thinking the same thing." He shifted slightly and Frank's eyes clouded with concern:

"You okay?"

"Yeah—" the younger boy started, and then let out an exasperated sigh. "You know, the shirt is kinda big—" he plucked at the plaid shirt hanging loosely over his torso, "the jeans fit okay—" he glanced down at the pants and then his eyes went wide in mock horror, "but these boxers gotta go—" Frank started to chuckle. "No room to move!"

As Frank threw back his head and laughed, he draped his arm around his brother's shoulder and started to lead him towards their room. "Well, come on kiddo. You're in luck—" he paused and teased, his eyes gleaming with affection, "unless, of course, you forgot to pack clean underwear, that is!"

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Deputy Hilroy couldn't contain the chuckle as he watched the brothers disappear into the motel room. He glanced down at the wounded sheriff and snorted, "And you thought that one of those boys could possibly have done anything to the other? For a man who claims to do his homework on any newcomer in his town – you get an F on this assignment….Oh, and I guess I should add, Thomas Oakes, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of Joseph Hardy…"

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Cletus scowled as he glared down at his wrist. Sitting next to him – handcuffed to him –Norton was looking around the inside of the deputy's car as they pulled away from the Sheila Falls jailhouse. They were being transported to the larger town of Knox Landing, an hour's drive from Sheila Falls, where they would prosecuted.

"This is a much nicer car than the other one," Norton commented as he looked around approvingly at the patrol car. "It's newer—"

The deputy driving them glanced over his shoulder but never commented.

"Spiffier," Norton amended and then looked at his friend. "What do you think, Cletus?"

"I think—" the man started slowly, "that this is going to be a very long drive."

"Oh come off it," Norton continued, "you gotta learn to appreciate little things like this, Cletus. I mean, we could be riding around in a beat-up second-rate car with tears in the seats and smudges on the windows, but look—" he ran his finger along the clean window, leaving a mark, "the only marks here are the ones we leave. Kinda nice, actually. Makes me feel rather immortal-like."

Cletus stared at his friend in disbelief. "You are really something Norton, you know that?"

"Why thank you," Norton quipped, oblivious to insult, "and to think I thought you never truly appreciated me, you know? Goes to show you can grow up with someone, spend almost every waking moment together and still not truly know them!"

The dark-haired prisoner leaned forward and addressed the deputy: "Can this car go any faster? I'm kind of anxious to get there, if you get my drift."

The deputy grinned but still didn't say anything.

"Can you at least put the radio on or something?" Cletus glanced at Norton. "Anything that might shut him up?"

Still no response, but a few moments later, the low sounds of a country music station filled the car.

"Oooh, I really like that song," Norton chimed in as soon as he heard the tune – and then to Cletus's horror – broke into song.

"Good God, " Cletus muttered, "I'm going to have to kill him—" But before he could make good on his threat, another car came skidding around the corner directly towards them!

The deputy swerved, narrowly avoiding getting hit, but went into a skid himself, and the car spun off the side of the road, rolled over and came to rest on its roof!

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

"APRIL-MAY!" Duane yelled, "SLOW DOWN!" But it was too late, and as they rounded the corner they saw the deputy car swerve out of their way and go over the side of the road.

Immediately the brunette slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a sliding stop.

"I knew it was a mistake to let you drive!" Duane muttered as he and Clint jumped out of the car to make sure the deputy was okay.

As they watched, the driver's side door opened and the deputy pulled himself out of the car. Satisfied that he was okay, the cowboys jumped back into their own vehicle, Duane pushing April-May into the passenger seat so he could drive.

"Let's go!" Clint hollered and they took off, tires spinning in the gravel.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Cletus could not believe their luck; not only weren't they dead but the door next to him popped open! Pulling Norton along with him, Cletus crawled out of the car. He saw the deputy, apparently stunned, but alive, already outside, and he stood up quickly. They needed to get out of here before the other man regained his senses and pulled his gun on them!

"Come on!" he yelled at his friend as the two scrambled back up onto the road and started to run.

They had only gone about a hundred feet when Norton started to complain. "Slow down Cletus…" he gasped, "I gotta cramp!"

Cletus groaned but didn't slacken his pace. If it wasn't for the fact that they were handcuffed together, he would leave Norton in a heartbeat right now.

"So help me God, Norton," he growled instead, "you'd better keep up, or else I'll be dragging your sorry ass along this road…family or no family!"

And for once in his life, Norton never said anything. He just continued to run.

The End.