Thanks for all the reviews. I'm updating – would've had it up sooner but family problems got in the way. That, and Don was being mean to Frank yesterday, so I had to start over. Thanks for the reviews.
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Inside the hotel…
"Augh!" Don cried, going down, grabbing at his leg. He'd been shot. Suddenly, the boy in the sweater loomed over him, and the manager growled, placing a knife to the boy's throat. Don stared at the manager in shock, and suddenly, things started making since.
The manager was a known felon. Things had just – they had just clicked. How had he not noticed that before? He was a known felon, for Christ's sake! How the hell did he get a manager's license?
The man clutched the knife to Frank's throat and the kid looked terrified. "Nobody move!" the man shouted, backing away from Don, but not before kicking Don's gun out of the way.
Frank was terrified. He didn't know the manager was involved (although he guessed he was.) What was the manager doing involved? He wondered if he could get free and get to the FBI agent, if he could trust the FBI agent.
Suddenly, he was taken to the ally behind the motel. Twelve dozen police cars were set up and then he noticed something creeping in the shadows, quiet possibly the most blessed sight he had ever seen.
His brother. His brother was here. He could trust his brother. And his brother was coming to get him.
He just didn't like the looks of the man next to him.
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Charlie stopped when he saw the Joe staring at a man. "What are you looking at, Joe?" he asked curiously. He looked, but couldn't really see anything unusual. Just two men, one whispering something, it looked like.
Joe glanced over at a man who was talking to someone that looked like his brother. "Him. He looks like my brother," he said. He sank down on a seat. "I never should've got out of the car – Frank's always yelling at me for stuff like that."
"Joe!" came Frank's voice.
"Frank!" Joe called.
"Shit!" came someone's voice. Joe guessed it was the man who was holding Frank hostage.
"You're the other Hardy boy!" the man guessed, turning around. Joe flinched but didn't say anything. Charlie grabbed the cell phone out of his pocket and crept behind the car, dialing Don's number.
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Don's cell phone rang and he reached for it. The man who had been near "Justin" was long gone. "Hello?" he asked.
"Don, we need help out here. It's Frank. We've found him – well, Joe has. He's being held hostage by someone, and I think that someone's going to kidnap Joe!"
"Ok, Charlie. Calm down. Isn't Joe in the car?" Don asked.
"No, we heard a gunshot, and Joe and I went inside."
Don let out a string of curse words, including a few Charlie hadn't heard before. "Don –" he said, but was stopped.
"I told you to stay in the car! Was one command so fucking hard!" he yelled.
"I just followed Joe's lead," Charlie protested.
"The kid is fifteen years old, and you're following his lead? For Christ's sake, Charlie!"
"What was I supposed to do, let him have all the fun? Well we're fighting, the guy's going to get away with the Hardy boys!"
Don swore. "My leg – I got shot in my leg, Charlie. I have to bandage it up and I'll be right out."
"You got shot in your leg? But –" Charlie stopped, realizing there was a gun pointed at his face.
"Drop the phone," the voice said angrily. "Who knows what damage you've already caused? Drop the phone and come with me."
Upon hearing this, Charlie "dropped" the phone, and then held up his hands in surrender. "Where is Frank Hardy?"
"In my car. Let's go," the man snapped, pulling Charlie's arm down and dragging him to the nearby police car, shoving him into the back.
It took the man a few seconds to hotwire the car before speeding away with Joe, Charlie, and Frank inside.
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Fenton and Laura….
"I can't believe it!" Fenton yelled at Don. "You had him, your team has pictures of him, and he was really close, was he not?"
"Relax," Alan snapped at Fenton. "We're all doing the best we can. MY son is missing too now, so it's not just you!"
""I'm sorry," Fenton said. "I'm just upset."
Don calmed down. "That's understandable. I'm upset too." My brother is missing as well, he added silently, looking at the boy's father for the first time. At forty-five, he was fifteen years older then Charlie, twelve years older then Don.
Alan cleared his throat. "Perhaps, it's best if we all get some rest. Fenton, have you had any sleep since your sons have been missing?"
"About three hours," he replied straightforwardly. "But –" he said.
"Don't 'But Alan' me!" he said. "Time to come and get some rest, Fenton. You're no good wearing yourself out like that. You too, Don."
Don closed his eyes briefly and crossed his fingers over the necklace Charlie had gotten him for Christmas. He'd taken it off before the chase, and now looked at the words.
The words read, I'll never be without you.
Don shuddered as he looked at the words. He'd broken Charlie's promise.
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please read and reivew
