Chapter 15
Warning for very mild language and of course I don't own the Hardy boys!
Dinner was a tense affair for Joe and Mike as they struggled to keep their nerves under control. Everything depended on timing and hopefully good luck. It was around ten that all activity started winding down and Mike and Joe pretended to turn in for the night as well. They laid down in their tent fully dressed and armed and waited for the last light to dim out. When it did Joe made a signal to Mike. It was time.
Joe moved out silently with Mike, hand clenched around the gun he had managed to smuggle in. They moved in tandem and entered the cabin through the main door. They made their way to where the agents were and true to expectation there was a guard stationed with the mandatory rifle. The agents themselves were lying on the ground and cuffed. Joe was not entirely sure if they were awake or asleep from where he stood and he hoped they were sharp enough not to freak out.
"Hey! Hi man.. We were sent to take over the shift. You can take a break if you want" Joe said to the man standing guard. The man looked at Joe with suspicion "No one said anything like that to me and naw, I can handle it here" he retorted. By now, the woman was stirring and she sat up looking at Joe with a wary expression. To her credit, in spite of being extremely banged up she held herself with dignity and showed no fear at all.
"Sorry pal we were not exactly asking" Mike commented and both Joe and Mike moved. "What the hell..." the words broke through the man as Mike quickly shut him down with a punch and Joe followed through with a kick that laid the man out. He then turned to the lady and the man who was also wide awake now. "We don't have time. We have to move fast. Can you walk?" he asked while simultaneously working on the handcuffs. He jimmied his way through the handcuffs on the lady's wrist and Mike did the same with the man and helped them to their feet.
"Who are you?' the woman asked rubbing her sore wrists but Joe shook his head. "Later. Just know that we are the good guys" he muttered as he pushed her in front of him. The agents looked unsure but right now they would take anything even if it meant trusting total strangers to get out of this hell hole. They knew very well that this place would have become their final resting place soon.
The four of them moved to the front door unhindered and stepped outside when all hell broke loose.
Earlier in the day some miles from Joe, Frank looked up from the phone to his team. "Okay this is it guys. I am going to charter that private flight now. In the meantime I want you guys to get in touch with Russell and ask him to get in touch with the local law enforcement. We can get Joe and the agents out but we will need solid back up to shut down the camp. Five of us is not going to cut it. And remember the team needs to move in after I fly out our fellas. Let them do the cleaning up, we don't need any of them screwing up our operation beforehand" he said looking intently at his team. One of the agents replied for the group "I will speak to Jack and set it up. You go ahead and do your thing. Get back our fellas Frank" he volunteered.
"Thanks Chad I appreciate it" Frank said striding out of the tent cum office to the vehicles they had driven in. In the next hour and a half he had driven to Jakarta and was looking at the aircraft that was at his disposal. If everything went well they would be out of here and on the way home in the next few hours. He just prayed that lady luck would make it smooth but deep down he knew the truth. When did lady luck ever side with them? She always reserved herself for others who needed her more.
In the meanwhile "Stop, who's there?" a voice called in the darkness and Joe froze in his tracks. "shit..shit..shit"! It had been too easy, he should have expected this. Now out in the open there was nowhere to hide. They had no choice but to run.
"Run.. Now" he shouted as more voices joined the first. "Whoever you are, stop. Stop right now or we shoot" one of them called out and soon there was the sound of thundering footsteps as more of the camp joined in chasing Joe and the others.
If it had been just Mike and Joe they probably would have made it. But the months of incarceration had weakened the agents considerably. Noticing how the agents were struggling to keep up Joe turned quickly to the lady. "Perhaps it would be better if I carried you" he said and even though the lady felt embarrassment flooding through her, she realized that he was right. She was indeed slowing them down. This was not the time for pride, it was the time for survival. "Ok" she agreed and Joe wasted no time in slinging her over her shoulder while looking at the other agent.
"I can manage" the man assured him as they dove into the cover of the trees. Joe and Mike knew that it was the man's pride talking and Mike made a mental note to keep an eye on the man. Joe set a fast pace with Mike flanking him with the other agent in front of him. Mike had his gun in his hand and looked ready for action. The trees and the darkness provided some amount of cover but the mercenaries were far more used to the area than them and soon the footsteps were too close for comfort.
Joe however did not stop and continued running until he had to stop short. There were men coming from all sides and they were getting hedged in. apparently there were short cuts which the men knew and they did not.
Joe exchanged a look with Mike and saw that they were on the same page. To stop now would be suicide. They had to take their chances. At least if they reach the denser forest they would have a fighting chance. He closed his eyes and made his decision. He paused for a breath and drew his own gun from the small of his back and saw the understanding dawn in Mike's eyes. Mike nodded to show that he was right behind Joe and was on board with whatever his game plan was.
With a quick acknowledgement, Joe darted to the left straight at the two men blocking his way. Without breaking stride he shot the man in front of him and darted forward skirting around the fallen man. The adrenaline pumped in his veins as he saw the second man fall too thanks to Mike but there was no time to stop and assess the situation.
They had to keep moving. They kept running but the mercenaries were right on their heels and Joe gripped his gun tighter. He turned around and shot in a wide arc splitting the ground near the men's feet. It gave them a few seconds respite and Joe would take anything he got at this point.
It looked like they might just make it but things were never this smooth. The terrain was hard and the agent was weak and it made complete sense that he would go sprawling over a tree root. Mike had anticipated this and he rushed to the man's side. "Joe keep going. I got him" he yelled when Joe stopped to look back at the fallen man. He was torn between going ahead and rushing to Mike's side.
Two minutes later Mike stood up with the agent slung over his shoulder but the minutes had cost him dearly. He stood up to see that he was completely surrounded by the mercenaries and there was no way out. Thankfully Joe had already moved away and he let out a small breath of relief as he faced the men defiantly.
On the other side, Frank looked at his watch for the hundredth time willing it to go faster. His ears were peeled for the slightest sound to indicate that Joe was there and yet there was only silence. He knew it was not yet time but he could not help feel that all was not well. He picked up the cell phone and called his team mate. "Hey, Phil is everything on schedule?" he asked for possibly the twentieth time in the last one hour. To his credit the man at the other end did not react.
"They are on the move Frank. We don't have a clear visual with the moving images but yes they got the agents out and on the way over." He reported and then suddenly his tone changed. "Damn damn damn…no no no" he cursed sending a spike of fear up Frank's spine. "What is going on?" he demanded and his fear ratcheted up when the other man fell silent. "Damn it, tell me what's going on" he snapped.
"Frank, you and Jerry be prepared, our people are being pursued" the voice came tense and worried. "Shit!" Frank cursed and his hand went unconsciously to the pistol he carried. "Phil thanks for the heads up. Keep me posted" he said terminating the connection. He then turned to his copilot "I am getting on the ground, Joe and Mike are in trouble. You keep her idling ready to move out" he said to his copilot and swiftly made his way out of the aircraft before his partner could object.
Joe paused mid-flight caught in a dilemma. He had lost Mike and he knew that he had probably been taken captive by now. This sucked big time but he had to make a decision and make it fast. He darted behind a tree and slowly lowered the lady who had been slung over his shoulder. She looked at him anxiously as he leaned against the tree catching his breath and tried to think of a plan.
Mike had no hope of escaping, not on his own and it was only a matter of time that they would come after Joe. Besides, Joe's morality code would never let him abandon his friend in need or a partner in mission for that matter. "What..." the lady started whispering frantically but Joe cut her short. He put a finger to his lips indicating silence and gestured for her to follow him. He had a plan and Frank was not going to like it one bit.
He took out his phone and checked the map to reorient himself to the direction. "Can you walk? We need to move fast" he spoke to the lady and she nodded frantically. "Yes" she whispered and Joe looked around and set a fast pace making sure that the agent was keeping up with him.
He slunk into the shadows and darted into the darkness making his way steadily to the pickup point. Checking the map, he saw that he had only a short distance to go but the agent's strength had started to flag again. He didn't stop to ask but simply hoisted her again with a grunt and made his way to Frank.
Nothing mattered except reaching Frank and he was solely focused on that. Nothing mattered..not the fact that his shoulder was now throbbing with the added weight and definitely not the stitch in his side from all the strain he was under. He did not stop to think about Mike or the other agent or the fact that he could hear voices in the distance. He refused to let the fact that streams of light from various flashlights were hitting almost close to home deter him. There was only one thought spurring him on and that was to reach his brother.
He made his way steadily but he was definitely feeling the strain of the extra weight by now. His breath was more labored and he knew that he was sweating profusely. Unfortunately there was no time for a reprieve and he pushed himself calling on his reserves towards his destination. Just a few feet to go and then it was home run.
Finally he broke through the foliage and saw empty ground. It was the airfield. The miles had never felt this long in his life. He however hardly had time to savor the small victory before the ground erupted in front of him. The good news was he had reached the airfield but the bad news was that he was not the only one.
Bullets pelleted the ground in front of him forcing him to swerve in and out in order to reach the aircraft and his brother whom he could now see. He brought his gun to bear and let loose a round of shots to keep them somewhat at bay. Other shots joined his and he knew that Frank was doing his bit as well.
He heard Frank's voice call out for him and saw his brother start to make his way towards him. No this was not a good idea, he did not want his brother anywhere near gunshots.
He held out a hand to stop Frank in his tracks and lowered the agent to the ground. "That's my brother there. He will get you out and you can trust him. Tell him that I am going back to get Mike and the other guy. Same time same place. He will know. Now go. I will cover you" he instructed not giving any chance for the lady to object.
The lady gave one last worried glance in his direction before turning tail and running to Frank. Joe placed himself in between the thugs and Frank and brought his gun to bear. "Get her out of here Frank" he screamed as he shot the thug closing in on him. Calmly he picked off the thugs one by one aiming to injure rather than kill. He was aware of Frank hesitating and his brother's voice screaming in the background. Damn it Frank there was no time for this. So he turned around and faced his brother square.
"Joe..come. I will cover you" Frank shouted with a gun in his own hand but Joe shook his head. In that moment he felt utterly calm, he knew what he had to do. "No…NO! Get out of here, come back for me. I mean it" he said his face reflecting his determination. But he also knew that Frank would never leave the place as long as he was there. So with a small smile that he hoped was reassuring he turned away from Frank and stepped deliberately into the forest.
Frank felt sheer desperation flood him before common sense kicked in. His brother did not risk his life again for him to screw up now. So with newfound determination as well as cold rage pulsing through him he ushered the agent in front of him. As she climbed into the aircraft with Frank on her heels he turned around and shot the four men who had broken through to the base of the steps. He did not stop to see whom he hit and whom he did not, he had to get the hell out of there. The aircraft was already in motion and it picked up speed as he decisively shut the hatch and took his position as pilot.
Taking a deep breath he refused to let his feelings overwhelm him. He could not fall apart…not yet,not now. He could not acknowledge the fear that ate at him, the feeling of failure and despair that licked at his conscience..not yet. All that would come later and so he bundled up all his feelings and shoved it deep down. He then hefted the radio in his hand and spoke mechanically into it requesting medical assistance when he landed.
"Who are you? That boy told me that you would explain" the lady spoke up breaking into Frank's thoughts. Frank sat back in his chair and looked at her "we are a team from Reach. Our mission was to get you and your partner out. The only way was to infiltrate the gang" he explained as the agent digested the facts. "So those two boys? They were undercover? Pardon me but you all seem too young to be agents" she said suspiciously.
Frank glanced at his partner who now had an amused expression "yes but we did get you out didn't we?" he said effectively ending the discussion. He was not in the mood to prove his credentials.
"I am sorry if I came across rude. That was not my intention. I am just exhausted and not thinking straight. I am Mary Clarke by the way and I really appreciate the rescue" the lady said extending her hand and sounding totally spent. Frank took her hand "Frank Hardy and you really should be saving the appreciation for my brother. He did all the work" he replied worry clouding his eyes again.
"Frank Hardy? That Frank Hardy? It makes sense that you would be in Reach. I am sorry about your brother. He is really a very nice person guy but you should not worry. He is a tough one and seems to be very capable" Mary offered. Frank sighed "yes I am that Frank Hardy and my brother is very good. You are right but then he is my brother" he said simply falling silent as he flew towards his destination.
They touched down in another half an hour and Frank was glad to see that an ambulance was waiting for them. He gratefully handed over the agent to the medical personnel and walked to meet some of his team members who were waiting for him. He needed to get back to his monitoring post so that he would know what was happening with his brother. To that end he gestured to the team and said "sorry guys I need to get back to the monitor. I need to know what is going on".
One of the team members leaned forward and placed a hand on Frank's shoulder. "We are sorry boss but your brother is tough. We will get him out but perhaps you should consider leaving the monitoring to us" he suggested delicately. Frank looked up with a flash of anger but deflated as the words registered. His team mates were sparing him the agony of having to watch his brother in the hands of a very angry mob and he felt the despair crash over him with double the impact.
Author notes: Thank you for the reviews, follows and words of encouragement. As you can see we are at the beginning of the end and I reckon we should be done in a few more chapters. But please do keep the reviews coming as those alone spur me to write on. In the meantime take care and stay safe.
