Yey! One review! Everyone who's getting this chapter – please review on the last one, too. That would make me update sooner, and because I only got 1 review, I'm going to leave this chapter at a cliffhanger! Woot!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frank gasped as the bullet hit him. "Help me," he pleaded into the gag. The gag, however, worked effectively, and he didn't make any noise. Soon, one of Jeffery's men came and dragged Frank back to the operating room.

"Here," he said, looking proud of himself.

Jeffery just frowned. "Have we found Joseph Hardy yet?"

"No sir, we have not."

"Double the search teams," Jeffery ordered.

Frank felt his heart surge. Come on, little brother, he thought, you can do it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joe panted. He was running and running, and after about fifteen minutes, he collapsed on the ground, unable to continue. He looked around to see if anyone looked slightly American, but there were mostly Chinese people there.

Great, he thought, I'm trapped in a Chinese foreign country. Why couldn't this be Spain? At least I know Spanish!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nancy frowned. "Dad, this is CHINA for God's sake. I don't know Chinese. I'm bored," she complained in her hotel room. "I could help look for Frank or something back in the States, and I'm old enough to stay home by myself."

Her father shook his head. "I know, Nancy, but I really need your help on this case."

"So this case is more important then finding Frank and Joe?" she demanded.

"Nancy, someone attempting to bomb the Chinese industry is very important," he snapped.

She sighed and walked out of her room. "I'm taking a walk. NOW." She didn't see her father's look on his face as she left.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joe sat on the sidewalk for a moment, wondering what to do when a Chinese man came up and started screaming in his face.

Joe shook his head. He said in English, "I don't speak Chinese."

The Chinese man just yelled some more and pointed to a sign behind him. Joe turned around and his world went black.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nancy walked down to the corner groceries. She was planning on picking up some food so that they didn't have to order take-out that night. She was furious at her father for taking the case when… "Hey!" she hollered. A kid, about 16 years old, was lying on the sidewalk, and someone was speaking rapid Chinese.

"HEY!" she hollered again, "What are you doing?"

The man shook his head and gestured at the kid. Nancy gasped when she saw who it was. Joe!

She got out her cell phone and dialed her father. "Dad? We need an interpreter, pronto, I found Joe."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frank yelled in pain as the man dug around in his skin for the bullet. Jeffery and two others were holding down his legs and arms. "Jeffery, they need anesthetic."

Jeffery shook his head. "He doesn't deserve it," he said. "Finish taking out the bullet. Now."

The doctor sighed and fished around for the bullet. The cut in Frank's leg was wide, and he had trouble staying awake.

"OW!" Frank yelled. "Help me!" Every time he yelled, one of Jeffery's men would hit him – hard.

"STOP!" Frank hollered as the man slapped him in the head while the doctor took the bullet out. Frank gasped as he fell unconscious.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come on, man, come on," Nancy said to Joe, trying to wake him up. About 15 minutes later, her father appeared with a translator, who cleared things up with the police. Within twenty minutes Joe was on his way to the hospital. "Dad, can you call Fenton? I want to ride with Joe," Nancy said.

He nodded. "Nancy," he said. She glanced at him. "Be careful."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Five hours later…

Frank awoke a few hours later. "Ohhhhh," he moaned in pain. He glanced at the man staring at him.

The man smiled. "Frank Hardy, I presume."

Frank nodded. "Yes, sir."

"The boss has allowed you one recovery day before we move you to grunt detail," he said. "He doesn't trust you anymore. We're moving you, too."

"Great," Frank said. "Hey, sir? Where's Joe?"

"Joe?" the man scratched his head. "Currently missing in action I believe."

Frank nodded and then lay on his bed, his knee aching like hell. Someone find me please, he thought to himself.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Nancy watched Joe sleep. He seemed so peaceful. The nurse came in. "Is this your brother?" she asked.

Nancy shook her head. "Close friend. He was kidnapped and his father lives in the US," she explained. "What can you tell me?"

"Well, your friend here is very lucky – and very sick. He's got an infection, he was subjected to torture, he's got a cut that looks like a brand, he's got some cigarette marks – lady, your friend was put through hell if I may say so myself. The medicine they gave him would've given him hallucination side affects if we hadn't gotten it out of his system. Who did this to him, may I ask?"

Nancy sighed. "This is Joe Hardy, from the states. His father's a detective and the group he was after kidnapped him and his brother, selling them both into slavery. He was rescued, but his brother was still missing. The man who kidnapped his brother came after him… and he's probably who did most of this to him. His father can give you other details."

"Thank you miss."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Have you found Joseph?" demanded Jeffery, walking down to Frank's room.

"No we have not. We have doubled the load as you expected."

"Good," he said. He stormed into Frank's room, getting out his gun and pointing it at Frank. "Tell me now Hardy, where the hell is your brother?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Joe," Nancy muttered. She squeezed his hand. He looked lifeless, lying there. "Come on, Joe," she pleaded.

"How is he?" her father asked.

Nancy sighed. "Really sick."

"I gathered," he replied, sitting down and hugging her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Dad, I didn't mean to go off on you," Nancy said. "I was just upset."

"I understand, Nancy… I'm frustrated as well. I wasn't alerted of it," he said.

"I told you six times, Dad –" she said. Suddenly, her eyes cast on Joe and the shadow on the wall. A gun fired and….

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep.

"He's flat lining!" the nurse yelled in rapid Chinese. "EVERYONE IN ROOM 367 NOW"!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm not picking on Chinese people. I like the Chinese culture.