Fenton was following his plan; he was trying really hard too anyway. He hadn't gone near the door, which was hanging, open for the world to see. But when he hared the gun shot, when he hared the startled gasp come from the man only fourteen feet away, well he couldn't really be responsible for his actions could he?
I mean, as an officer in New York entrance into a building was justified when an officer thought someone was in need of assistance. Technically he was still an officer of the law, a privet detective on government contract. Technically he was still required to add any injured civilians when deemed necessary. Clearly a gunshot and a gasp from a suspected victim would be deemed necessary, and certainly a gunshot provided justification for him to enter a building.
"Sam," Fenton said into the mouthpiece of the walkie-talkies he had brought along, "shots fired, repeat, shots fired, someone's hurt. I'm going in."
Joe and Chet had been moving as silently and as fast as they could. They had thankfully gotten past the guards in the front and were making their way around the back of the house. Every few minuets, Joe would pause to take a head count and to a sweep of the area. Better not to get caught and be in need of rescuing if you're the rescuers.
Amazingly, despite the fact that there were six other guards on the other side of the farmhouse, the two boys ran into no trouble. "This is almost to easy," Joe said up loud as they neared a clearing in the patch of trees.
"Don't say that Joe, I hate it when you say that. Every time ether you or Frank says that when things are finally going our way, something happens," Chet whined behind him.
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry. Just stay down," Joe said as he scanned the area again.
The four guards he had seen before were now gathered in one spot by the porch and waiting for something. After a few seconds, four other guys came out and joined them, they talked for a while, then the old four went inside and the new four started to walk out in a patrol pattern. "Changing of the guards…" Joe mumbled to himself, but his voice froze when he got a good look at one of the guards. "Chet, whatever you do, don't move from here, understand?"
"What? What are you going to do?" Chet demeaned, to late though. Joe was off, trying to stay somewhat hidden but still following one of the guards.
"Fenton, are you insane? The Chief said stay put, besides those men are armed!" Sam snapped back. There was no answer. He tried again, "Fenton, do you copy?"
Again, there was no answer. "Damn it." Sam pulled out his cell and quickly dialed the chief.
"Chief Ezra Colling speaking."
"Chief, it's Sam, Fenton and I are stacking out the bank. Fenton just announced he hared gunshots and was going in. I have to say I hared something too, not close enough to be sure it was shots, but pretty sure. Anyway, I can't let him go in there alone, so…."
"No, I got it, hard headed, stubborn old fool, going to get himself killed, I'd rather have some one in there watching his back. I don't think he's thinking to clearly right now. Get in there and keep his head down. Be careful. God, you two are worse then those boys!"
Sam hung up on the chief's ranting and quickly made his way to the back of the bank. He paused at the door where Fenton had moments ago entered through, and waited. His waiting paid off, twenty seconds latter two heavily armed bank robbers passed by him. He waited for another twenty seconds, took a deep breath and entered the bank.
He came into a hallway. One end led into a waiting room while the other lead to a stair well. There were a few doors scattered about along the hall that marked privet offices and bathrooms, that was it. Sam took another step into the room and tripped over a body.
He looked down to see a dead man staring up at him, a guard. "Their inside man, guess he wasn't part of the cult," Sam mumbled to himself. "Wonder how the other guards made out."
"They're alive I think. I didn't hear any more shots, and I don't think they're using silencers," a voice came from off to the right.
Sam spun around, changing into a defensive stance, and found himself face to face with Fenton Hardy. "Don't do that," Sam snapped.
"Do what?" Fenton asked innocently.
"Give me a hart attack, I'm older then you, you know."
"Only in body," Fenton said.
"Where were you?"
"The bathroom, they'd already checked it and well, I needed a place to hide," Fenton said.
Sam looked at the hallway; there was only one bathroom on this side of the bank.
"So, is it true what they say?" Sam asked him, snickering.
"Is what true?"
"Do ladies keep their bathrooms neater?"
Fenton glared at Sam as he moved past him out to the waiting room. "First things first, let's check on the guys out front. The bad guys will be here a while, they can wait."
"Ezra's mad at you," Sam said as he followed Fenton down the hall.
"So what else is new?"
It was no easy task to follow this guy. Not only was Joe pretty much always in plan sight of anyone who'd care to look, but the guy was also fast. It took him five minuets just to catch up to the guy. But it was worth it.
After another ten minuets of following the guy, he finally turned onto a path that couldn't easily be seen from the house. Joe wasted no more time, as soon as the cost was clear he tackled the guy.
Briefly the man fought back, but Joe was better trained, more experienced, and pissed off to boat. After several blows to the stomach and jaw, the guy quickly became subdued.
"Anything at all to help, huh Roger? Anything you could do right? Like make us waste something odd hours digging through those God damn files before you gave us that fucking tape!" Joe hissed into the bearded, scared, face of Roger Martins, the owner of Pine Wood Lumber Company.
"I…I…" Roger started.
"Save it, I'm not interested in your bull shit. Your daughter in on it too? You get her to help keep us busy?"
"Helen's got no idea, I swear. She's got nothing to do with this!" Joe studied the guy, he wasn't lying. Helen wasn't a part of the Kolplay Cult, no there was to much shame in his eyes at the mention of her name for her to be a member.
"Right, let me tell you what you're going to do," Joe hissed at the man after a few minuets. "We're going to get my friends, who should be here by now, then you are going to lead me to where they're keeping my brother. Any questions?"
Roger shook his head.
"Good. Get up."
The two made their way quickly back to where Chet was hiding. Joe was surprised to find Biff and Phil there with him.
"What the hell?" Biff asked when he saw Roger.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Joe said.
"We called the police," Phil chimed in, "Told them that there was a fight going on and one of the guys was armed. Didn't think they'd believe us if we told them that we found where the Kolplays were keeping their latest kidnapped victim."
"No, did they tell you when they'd be here?" Joe asked.
"No, I gave the address and hung up. Figured they'd get here faster that way," Phil said.
"Right, sounds good. But that still leaves us with about 90 minuets to get to Frank. So start leading Roger," Joe said, shoving the man.
Two men sat on the Hardy porch, unnoticed by the occupants. There was no sign that they were out of place, no clue as to who they were, and what they were up to. To anyone passing by it was two men having a conversation. Two officers discussing the Hardy's latest case.
"So any sign of them?"
"Nope, the boys left almost two hours ago, so did the old man. Not a word to anyone where they were going. To tell you the truth I think they're on to something."
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, the old guy called for a privet meeting with the Brats, the Chief, and the cop, but nobody else. Then they all leave and he call up his dick friend. Talks to him for thirty minuets, then they go off half-baked. Anit hared from any of them since."
"Think they're on to us?"
"Don't think know, starting to."
"What do you want to do?"
"Well. The only one that anit's rushed off yet is sitting right here, all alone, except for us…"
Roger was a great hostage. He didn't fight, didn't make any smart-ass remarks, and did exactly what they told him to. He lead them, safely to the 'burial sight' and even when his companies were close enough to help him, he made no move to get their attention.
Guilty conscience maybe? Joe wasn't to sure. 'This is way to easy, this is all way to easy. I don't like it.'
"What's the plan Joe?" Biff asked looking at the camp in front of him, breaking into Joe's thoughts.
"There's four of us and two of them," Joe said, implying the old 'lets rush them and see where that gets us,' idea.
"They're armed, we're not. They could easily take us down or kill us," Phil said before the others had time to agree.
"Oh, yeah, that's right…Hmmmmmm…." Joe started. "What if we sent old Roger out first. Have him tell them that they're needed up at the house, that he'd stay with the equipment."
"That'll work, that is if Roger will do it," Phil said, looking at the man who was standing in between an egger Biff and a pissed off Joe.
"How bout it Roger? How guilty are you feeling? I mean, that boy that's buried out there's only eighteen, and he's dieing slowing. He's got what, seventy five minuets left to live?" Chet spoke up in a surprisingly awesome 'bad cop' voice.
"No, I'll do it, I'll get them out of the way," Roger said.
Fenton and Sam entered the waiting room to find four guards and three tellers all bond and gagged in the center of the room. No one appeared hurt, just shook up, to the great relief of the two detectives.
"Hey folks, you all just take it easy for a moment my partner and I should have you all free," Sam said in a calm voice.
Fenton and him went to work on the bonds and quickly freed the hostages.
"Want to tell me what happened here?" Fenton asked on of the guards.
"Only if you can tell me who you are and show some id," was the reply.
Both Fenton and Sam pulled out their 'badges,' as an award for their service to the community, the police department and city of Bayport awarded them with honorary detective shields. To the untrained eye they looked real, but to the trained eye the were fakes.
"I'm Fenton Hardy, this is Sam Radly, we're working with Chief Ezra on a case which just so happen to involve this bank."
The guard eyed the two suspiciously, but suspension gave into reason, if they were the bad guys, why'd they untie them?
"Four guys came in the side door, one shot Mickey, then took another guy down to the vault room. The other two took us all hostage. That's all we know," the guard said.
"Alright, is anybody hurt besides the dead guard?" Fenton asked, looking at everyone.
"No, just scared," answered one of the tellers, a young woman who looked like she was three months pregnant.
"Alright, do you know where they put your guns?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, took them with them," the guard answered.
"Figures. Here's what we need you to do, we need you to get as far away from here as you can, and on your way out to set off the alarm," Fenton said. The former hostages nodded, there'd be no argument from them. Once Fenton and Sam were sure that they were on their way to safety, they made their way to the other side of the hall.
"We need a plan before we go barging in there Fenton. They're armed and we're not, they got a pretty big advantage compared to ours," Sam said.
"Yup, but we got two things going for us. We're not suppose to be here, and they're new at this."