Chapter Twenty-One

Frank opened his eyes to see a dimmed room. It was quiet though an occasional sound occurred as if someone turned a page in a book. He looked around him, seeing a light not far from where he sat.

"Oh, good," Dr. Morris said softly. He closed the book he was reading. "You're awake."

Frank blinked slowly trying to comprehend what happened. His eyes finally adjusted to the dim light and he looked around again. A sectional couch was nearby with his father on end and Nancy on the chaise. Frank sighed seeing that Fenton was still unconscious. Nancy stirred though she didn't get up. She lay on her side, her arm draped protectively over her belly. Her strawberry blonde hair draped over the pillow she rested on while her face projected serene beauty.

"She waited beside you for hours before I made her lay down," Morris replied noticing Frank's gaze. "I didn't think she would ever fall asleep either."

"Where are we?" Frank finally said. He rose from the chair and stretched, several joints popping in reaction. "Where's that bastard?"

"He locked us in here for our safety, Frank," the doctor answered kindly. "I'm sorry I sedated you. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"You what?" His face got red and he stepped toward the doctor who shrank back a little. Frank felt a hand on his arm and he stopped, turning around to see Nancy standing behind him, her eyes pleading.

"Don't blame him, Frank," she said softly. "David too. He only did what he felt he needed to do. Both of them. Unfortunately, it more than likely killed David."

"But, Nan, I…" he whispered. Frank stopped the moment she put her hand to his cheek.

"What's done is done," she continued. "The only thing we can do now it wait."

"Are…are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Frank," Nancy smiled. "I was a little upset at first but I got over it. I'm just glad that you're awake again."

"Nancy, I'd like you to stay on the couch," Dr. Morris ordered politely, interrupting their tender moment. "This whole ordeal has put a lot of stress on less you stand and worry, the better I'll feel."

"If you're sure," she nodded. She went back to where she was before and cuddled up with the pillow while Frank covered her with a blanket. He leaned over and kissed her tenderly.

"Get some rest," he replied. "We're not going anywhere."

"I know."

Nancy closed her eyes again as Frank went over to where Morris stood waiting. "Is she going to be okay?" he quietly asked, still eyeing his wife with concern.

"She'll be fine if she rests while we're in here," Morris huffed. "She needs to remain calm too or we'll have more things to worry about other than the Board. The quicker this is all over, the better."

"How long do you think it'll be?"

"It could be a matter of hours or a matter of days," he shrugged. "David didn't tell me what he had planned but whatever it was, it was big. I just hope he lives long enough to get us out of here."

"What about my dad?" Frank asked shifting his gaze to Fenton. "How's he doing?"

"Better," the man smiled. "Much better. I think he may have shifted a bit almost as if he were uncomfortable. I give it another day or so before we know for sure."

"What time is it anyway?"

"It's about seven in the morning." Dr. Morris laughed. "You slept for over 13 hours, Frank. Making up for lost time?"

"Maybe I'm just preparing myself for what's to come." Frank scratched his hand, still bandaged from the incident with the nightshade plant.

"How's your hand?"

"It comes and goes," he said nonchalantly. "It's mostly just itchy but I'm sure it's going away."

"Here, let me take a look at it." The doctor led him over to the table and pulled out his kit that was sitting on the floor. He unwrapped the bandage and examined Frank's reddened hand and fingers before putting calamine lotion on it. "I think you're right, Frank. Looks like it's healing nicely. I'd say it'll be gone in a few days. Good thing no one digested the nightshade. I'm still wondering who sent it to her."

"I'm wondering that myself," Frank stated. He watched him intently as the doctor rewrapped the hand with fresh gauze, noticing the dark lines under the doctor's eyes. "When was the last time you slept?"

"I'll sleep when it's over," Dr. Morris waved his hand dismissively. "David wanted me to watch over the three of you and that's what I intend to do."

"You can't do that if you don't have any sleep," the young man pointed out. "Go. I can watch for now. I'm not tired after all that sleep. Plus I'll make you something to eat when you get up."

"Do you want to punish him, Frank?" Nancy mumbled from across the room.

The two men exchanged looks then laughed. "Okay, maybe I won't make you anything but I want you to sleep, Dr. Morris. Please. It would make me feel a lot better."

The doctor bowed his head in defeat. "You're right. I do need some sleep. And as long as we're in here, call me Henry. Everyone usually does."

"Well, Henry," Frank smirked, "get your ass to bed."

Ten minutes later, the room was quiet once more though Frank could hear both Nancy and Henry softly snoring. He went over to the bookshelf along the wall and perused the titles. It struck him as odd that some of the titles were completely off the wall such as gardening or meditation. Eventually Frank chose a thriller by Michael Crichton and took the book back to the small kitchenette where he scanned the cupboards for something to eat. Once he found a snack and a bottle of water, he settled down at the table and began reading, waiting patiently for anything to happen.

Later that morning, Joe and Laura drove to the theater with four agents following them in a separate vehicle. The theater was bustling with activity as if they were still preparing for the show that had been put on hold. Hannah, Bess, and George greeted the Hardys as they walked in the door.

"Did Agent Dearing tell you anything more, Mrs. Hardy?" Bess asked eagerly. "They have to know something by now, right?"

"We haven't heard anything new since the last phone call, Bess," Laura answered sadly. "I just hope something good happens after all of this. I want to know where David is now so I can kill him after he tells us where Fenton, Frank, and Nancy are."

"Oh, don't say that, Laura!" Hannah hissed. "David meant well when he took our loved ones but I just don't think he went about it the right way. Now that the FBI is actively looking for him, maybe they'll actually get a few leads so we can find them."

"Hey, guys!" Aaron cried cheerfully, waving as he crossed over to them. "Did I miss anything?"

"Hi, Aaron," Bess said dreamily. "You didn't miss much only that the FBI is looking for David now."

The others looked at her as she grew another head.

"Excuse us," George replied grabbing a hold of her cousin and escorting her away.

"Did I say something wrong?" Aaron asked watching the cousins argue a short distance away.

"No, dear," Hannah replied politely. "George is just concerned about her cousin as she should be. How are you today?"

"Oh," he shrugged ignoring the question for a moment. "Me? I'm fine. I heard about the FBI's investigation on the news this morning. Lots going on, huh? I know I'm early to meet you but I saw the newscast and wanted to make sure you guys were taking it okay."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Laura asked rudely.

"I get it, you don't like me," Aaron shook his head. He turned to leave. "I'm just going to go see if Mrs. Stein needs me for anything."

"Laura!" Hannah scolded. "He's just trying to be nice. I'm sure he's concerned about your family as much as you are. You don't have to leave, Aaron."

"Are you sure?" He waited patiently as Laura sighed then nodded. "Oh, good because I have got some really big news."

"Unless it has something to do with finding my husband, son, and daughter-in-law, Aaron," Laura replied, "I don't want to hear it."

He looked at her blankly and she turned away from him. Laura was about to leave when he stopped her. "But it does have something to do with them," Aaron stated slyly. She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Just…just hear me out and if you don't like it, you don't have to look into it."

"Okay, Aaron," Joe butted in, gently pushing his mother away. "I'll bite. What's your theory?"

"Well, what if, and this is a big 'what if'," the man said. "What if they never left the area. I mean, think about it. Maybe this David guy sent a plane to nowhere to take your eyes off of what was going on back here."

"That's a good theory, Aaron," he said politely. Aaron puffed his chest out with pride. "Too bad we figured that out already."

"You…you did?" The man seemed to deflate in front of them.

"Yeah," Joe nodded. "We figured it out last night."

"Oh." Aaron looked a little disappointed. "So then you know about the warehouse?"

"What warehouse?" Laura demanded.

"Well, I…I overheard someone saying that they knew David as a boy," he shrugged. "His real name is Willoughby so I decided to do a little investigating myself last night. Apparently, a Willoughby owns a warehouse not far from here."

"Where?"

"On the edge of the airport property," Aaron smiled. "Not only do I don't think they left the area but I don't think they ever left the airport."

Laura and Joe exchanged shocked expressions while Hannah looked dumbfounded.

"What do you think?" he asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Do you know exactly which warehouse he owns?" Joe inquired skeptically.

"Well, I looked that up too," Aaron nodded enthusiastically. He seemed to be not only sure of his discovery but also sure of himself. "There's a row of warehouses on the edge of the airport property. It can't be seen from the main gate and there's actually a small, rarely used gate near it. If I'm right, the warehouse owned by Willoughby is the furthest out."

"And you came by all of this by eavesdropping on someone?" Laura arched her eyebrow.

"Well…yeah," he said sheepishly. "Isn't that what a detective does? I also did a little digging at the library last night before they closed. It all just fell into place if you ask me."

"Have you told anyone of this?" Joe asked.

"Umm, no." Aaron rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "You are the only ones I wanted to tell first then I was going to let you deal with the information. Are you going to investigate?"

"We might as well," Laura shrugged looking at her son.

"What do you mean we, Mom?" he growled. "You're not going anywhere…"

"Don't talk to me like that, Joseph Hardy!" she cried, swatting him in the arm. "I'm going with you whether you like it or not! At this point in time, nobody better mess with me or they'll be hell to pay!"

"Okay, okay!"

"Can I come?" Aaron asked hopefully. "I mean, I did figure it out, right? I just want to make sure your family is okay and to find Wainwright. He has to pay for what he's done."

Joe looked at him in thought. Something about the man he didn't trust but if the agents were to come with them, then Aaron might not be able to try anything if that was his intention. Joe looked at his mother who vehemently shook her head.

"Sure," he shrugged taking his mother by surprise. If looks could kill, Joe Hardy would be on the floor.

"Great!" the man smirked ignoring Laura's reaction. "I can drive if you want."

Laura eyed Aaron, wondering what the man had up his sleeve. Joe noticed her stare and leaned over to kiss her. She nodded as Aaron looked away for a moment. Bess and George returned, the former looking embarrassed.

"Hannah, why don't you stay with the girls here at the theater?" Laura replied the moment Aaron returned his gaze to them. "I'm sure there's something Joanna needs done to prepare for the sale or whatever is going to happen."

"Sure," the woman smiled, noting the change in demeanor. "Call me if you find anything. I want to make sure Nancy's okay."

"We will," Laura nodded.

"Well, then," Aaron clapped his hands excitedly. "Let's go!"

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to the main gate of the airport. The guard named Tom came out of the office and stopped them.

"Hey there, Joe!" he said happily. "What can I do for you?"

"Have you seen anything strange lately, Tom?" he asked. "Like cars going in and out a lot or people you haven't seen in a while."

"Nope," the guard shook his head. "Just a few who took some flight lessons earlier today. Been rather quiet actually. Hey, I heard about that David Wainwright guy on the news this morning. He was the one who took your family, right?"

"Yeah, Tom," Joe muttered annoyed. "We just want to check out a warehouse, is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Tom shrugged. "Let me know if you need anything else."

"By the way, did you and BD finally make plans to go fishing?" the young Hardy asked nonchalantly. He looked at Tom intently who seemed confused at first then his eyes lightened up.

"Oh, yeah!" he cried. "I think he said we'd go there in a few days. He's just going to give me a call once he's done with the case he's working on. See you guys later and good luck with whatever you're doing!"

The guard waved them through and Aaron drove off, the FBI agents following close behind. The row of warehouses was along the far end of the airport's property and it took a matter of five minutes to drive there.

"Are you sure this is the right place, Aaron?" Joe asked as they stopped in front of the last warehouse. He sat in the backseat while Laura was shotgun. The building stood ominously before them, its interior lighting dimly shining through the dirty windows. "It looks deserted."

"This is what the records stated," Aaron replied. "I highly doubt that it's wrong."

"I'm sure it's right," Laura muttered, gazing at the building. She prayed that Aaron meant well when he told them about the warehouse but she knew better than to think it. The man seemed to have an agenda. What it was was the real mystery.

"At least we have somewhat of a plan and some backup," Joe announced pointing to the car behind them. "Let's just hope we find what we're looking for."

The three got out of the car and stood before the building. A door was directly in front of them, willing the group to step through it.

"Did you contact Agent Dearing?" Joe asked an agent named Bennett.

"Yes," he nodded. "He wants to be informed the moment we're done searching the building. He's worried about what we find but at least he knows we're here."

"Yeah," the young Hardy replied exchanging a glance with his mother who shifted slightly, her head shaking.

"Well, then," Aaron smiled gesturing them forward, "shall we?"

Minutes later, they were slowly walking through the seemingly empty warehouse. The four agents protectively surrounded the Hardys and Aaron, their guns at the ready for anything. Joe wondered if they were wrong about the warehouse but soon heard a man yelling at someone, their conversation occurring in another part of the building.

"I'm not telling you anything, Jackson!" cried the man. "You're just going to have to deal with it because you're not getting a hold of that child!"

The group stopped in their tracks as they heard a smack as if someone had been punched in the face. Another man spoke but his words were too low to be heard. Joe had a feeling that they were hearing an interrogation and the recipient was David Wainwright. He glanced over at his mother who looked slightly scared. Their only fear was that the child in question hadn't been born yet.

A loud noise nearby jolted Joe back and he turned around to see Aaron staring at him in surprise, an empty crate lay broken at his feet. He mouthed "Sorry" though Joe thought he could see amusement in the man's eyes. It put him immediately on edge and his fear only solidified when he felt the cold, hard steel of a gun barrel at the back of his neck.

The four agents stood frozen in shock unsure of what to do before several gunshots erupted. Laura screamed loudly as three of the agents dropped, each one of them dead before they hit the ground. Joe remained rooted to the floor, staring at the man who pulled the trigger. Agent Bennett wore an evil grin, his gun still smoking in his hand.

"Good job, Bennett," said the man behind Joe. He snapped a finger and another man came around the corner, dragging someone with him. The prisoner was thrown onto the ground before the group and looked up pleadingly at the man with Joe.

"Don't do this, Jackson," he replied.

"David, you had your chance," Jackson snickered. Joe's eyes went wide as he realized who was on the ground before him. David Wainwright looked at him, his eye already swollen from being hit. "It's too late. Now we have a little more leverage for you to tell us where they're at."

"You got what you wanted!" David cried. "You have me now leave them alone!"

"You're not getting it, David," the man said slowly. He shifted only slightly, never taking his gun off Joe. "We may have you but you destroyed our entire family when you attacked us last night. Consider this an eye for an eye. The only person who's going to be walking out the door alive with us is your goddaughter. Her child will be the start of our family again and you will die knowing that it was all because of you."

Laura cried out and was about to lunge at the man with the gun but someone reached out, grabbing her by the waist. "Not so fast, Mrs. Hardy," whispered a voice in her ear.

"No!" yelled David, looking at the man who took hold of Laura. "You slimy, piece of shit!"

"I knew you couldn't be trusted!" cried Joe though he didn't move. Aaron sneered at him as he held on to Laura, a gun pressed to her head.

"If you knew I couldn't be trusted, Joe," he laughed, "then why did you come with me? Did you honestly think that having a few FBI agents would protect you or stop any of this from happening? You must be joking. After getting to know both you and your brother, now I know who has the brains. Unfortunately, it ain't you."

"Who the hell are you?"

"His name is Adam Stevens," David huffed, glaring at the man. "He was sent here to find and kill Nancy because of me."

Author's Note:

I hope that everyone is having a great weekend. Things seemed to fall into place much easier so I was able to get out this chapter fairly quickly. Thanks to all who read the last chapter and left a review. As always, I hope that you enjoyed this latest addition to the story and if you will, please leave your mark so that I know you were here! Until next time, have a great rest of your weekend and God bless!