Chapter Nine

Fenton didn't know where to start with the search for his son. He knew Frank's car was still back at Hardy Investigations so he felt that it would be the most logical place for Frank to go. As he turned down the main strip of Bayport, Fenton could see Frank's SUV still sitting in the parking space in front of the building. Once he parked his sedan, Fenton hurried into the office. The reception desk was empty as was the lobby even though the front door was unlocked. Someone had to be there.

"Hello?" he called out. No one answered. "Frank?"

A door opened at the end of the hall and Xander quickly poked his head out, gesturing for Fenton to remain quiet. He gave the young man a curious look before something on the floor caught his attention. He knelt down to pick up what looked like a tiny dart and examined it. Xander was desperately trying to get him boss' attention without saying a word but he quickly moved back into the tech room. Fenton stood up and turned around, almost knocking over Miranda who had come up behind him.

"Sorry, Miranda," he said, helping to right her before she fell over. "I didn't hear you come in."

"It's okay," she said though she sounded slightly annoyed. Straightening her skirt, she looked up at Fenton. "What are you doing back so soon? I didn't expect you to be back right away."

Miranda nervously looked behind her with Fenton following her movements through narrowed eyes. Her behavior made him uneasy.

"I work here, remember?" he stated, looking down the hall where he saw Xander moments before. He wondered what the young man had wanted and why he looked so scared. Miranda looked down the hall with him though no one was there. He turned back to her as she smiled up at him. "I'm looking for Frank. Have you seen him?"

"Nope," Miranda said with a shake of her head. "Haven't seen him since you guys left."

Fenton could tell she was lying just by her mannerisms. She bit her lip and averted her eyes as if waiting for someone. With Xander acting strange as well as the dart he found, he knew something was up. "Miranda, where's Frank?"

She shrugged but backed away slightly. Fenton stepped toward her, his senses kicking into high gear.

"Where is Frank?"

She smiled, her façade finally coming off. "Do you know how hard it's been to work for you three all these weeks?" Miranda asked, her voice changing. She put her hand on her hip and looked at her manicured nails nonchalantly. "I could write a small column on how boring it is here and how goodie-goodie you all are. It's so sickening."

"The meeting at the gas station," Fenton replied. "It was all a set-up."

"Yup," Miranda nodded. "We had to get someone out of the way first though in order for an opening to come up and your receptionist was the best candidate. It was simple. I could watch you all come and go, change information, take a few things. You know, do little things that wouldn't necessarily bring attention to me. Plus I could keep an eye on the prize in the end."

"You killed Jessica?"

"Oh, no," Miranda shook her head and shivered. "I don't get my hands dirty like that. I only write about them."

Then it dawned on Fenton as to who Miranda really was. Although Frank, Joe, and especially Nancy knew her well, Fenton had only encountered her months before in River Heights but he knew it was her. "Brenda. I should have known."

"At your service, Mr. Hardy," she curtsied as if she received a standing ovation. "I'm surprised my performance was that good unless you really are that dense. Frank was a little surprised too when he found out. Too bad we had to cancel our date for tomorrow night. I was actually looking forward to it for some unknown reason. But the job had to get done. I guess my disguise was nothing compared to Nancy's though, am I right?"

"What did you do with Frank?" Fenton asked through clenched teeth.

"I think I can help with that," replied another voice from behind Brenda. Ned stepped around the corner, a gun in his hand which Fenton recognized as Frank's. "Your cooperation is greatly appreciated."

"And if I refuse?"

"Well, then your son dies," Ned shrugged. "You should know enough by now that I would take great pleasure in doing it. After all the anguish I've gotten from him, he deserves it."

"What is that you need me to do?" Fenton asked, thinking of Frank. He hoped Joe was safe with Laura, Vanessa, and CJ.

"I need you to fly a plane."

Joe pulled up to his parents' house and turned off the car. He looked over at Vanessa who sniffled, still visibly shaken from the intruder.

"Do you have everything you need for CJ?" he asked softly. Vanessa looked at Joe, gazing into his eyes.

"You're not coming in, are you?" she asked. Joe looked away. Vanessa sighed and got out of the car. He soon got out to help her with the baby. "Your father told you to stay put. Why are you leaving us after what just happened?"

"I won't be gone long, Van," Joe said pulling CJ's car seat out of its base. "I'll be back before you know it. There's just something I need to do."

"Like what?" Vanessa cried, her arms folded in front of her. She growled in frustration and grabbed the bag and car seat. "You know what, Joe? Go and do what it is you need to do since it's obviously more important than protecting your family."

"I am protecting you! Van, wait!" Joe protested but she was already up to the porch of the house. He cursed himself. He knew he should stay with her but he wanted to find the person who broke into his house. No one did that to his family and got away with it.

Joe got back into the car and sighed. He looked toward the house where Vanessa disappeared into and shook his head before pulling away. Although he had no clue as to where to start, Joe was determined to find out who broke into his house…and make them pay.

Fenton stared out the window of the car, his mind going through everything. Although he wasn't tied up, a large, burly man sat next to him to make sure he didn't get out even though Fenton felt sure that the child safety locks were in place even if he tried. Ned and Brenda sat up front with the former driving the vehicle. Fenton didn't see Frank but he had a feeling his son was in the trunk.

Brenda was talking on the phone, sounding very annoyed with the caller. She looked over at Ned and put her hand over the phone. "He wasn't there. Do you want them to wait?"

"No, we have a schedule to adhere to," Ned replied. He looked up at the rearview mirror at Fenton for a brief moment then back to the road. "Jack is expecting us on time and I intend to be there. We have everyone we need at the moment anyway. Tell them to go with Plan B. They'll know what to do."

Brenda relayed the message ad ended the call. The remainder of the trip was quiet and uneventful. As Ned pulled into the private airport, Fenton grew more anxious. He had a feeling that if they got on that plane, they wouldn't be returning home. Ned came to a stop, the Hardy's plane sitting ready just outside, surprising Fenton. Another car was parked nearby with a man standing guard at the rear.

"I took the liberty of calling the airport ahead of time to get your plane ready, Mr. Hardy," smiled Brenda when she turned around to look at him. "I just didn't call your normal pilot since you'll be making the flight. One less person to worry about. You know how it is."

The four remained in the car, the silence almost unbearable. A few minutes later, another car pulled up beside them and Ned and Brenda got out to greet them. "Get out," Ned ordered minutes later when he opened Fenton's door. He slowly got out and was guided toward the plane. When he rounded the SUV, he saw the occupants of the sedan as they got out.

"Laura! Vanessa!" he cried. He tried to move toward them but the burly man held him back. Fenton watched as the two women stumbled along as they were each held by the arm by a large man, their hands tied in front of them. "What the hell is this, Nickerson! You didn't say anything about them being here too!"

"I didn't?" Ned said, thinking. He ordered the burly man to go back to the SUV. "It must have slipped my mind. Oh, well. Get on the plane."

He pushed him toward the plane. Fenton tried to turn around to see his wife and daughter-in-law but Ned kept moving him forward. He wondered where Joe was, knowing that it was he who Ned and Brenda were talking about in the car.

Once on the plane, Ned held Fenton at the cockpit door while Laura and Vanessa were brought in and plopped into seats. Seconds later, the burly man carried someone in a fireman's carry and dropped him into the front seat.

"Frank!" cried Laura she saw her son. He was still unconscious, his head leaning against the window. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to!" yelled Ned. "Now shut up!"

He looked around the cabin as if searching for something then promptly left the plane. Ned returned moments later, dragging someone behind him who was struggling with him. He threw her onto the floor of the plane and she scrambled away as best she could though her hands were tied in front of her. Fenton started forward but was stopped by a man standing near him. He was furious when Nancy looked up and he could see the bruises on her neck standing out. Her blue eyes showed hatred toward the man who was once the only person she loved. Nancy looked up at Fenton for the first time and then around the cabin, seeing Laura and Vanessa huddled together until her eyes settled on Frank in the seat nearby. She glared at Ned as he knelt down to her level.

"I told you we weren't through yet, Nancy," he said softly. Suddenly, Nancy lashed out a leg that Ned caught and twisted just enough to cause pain but not break anything. Fenton started again but was stopped and Laura cried out in protest. Nancy screamed out painfully as Ned pulled her up by the hair. Brenda snickered from the corner of the cabin. "I warned you before about doing that. You keep forgetting that I know you. Do I need to continue to remind you?"

He dragged her by the hair through the cabin and threw her into a seat. "Sit!" Ned barked. He turned to the rest of the people on the plane. "Anybody else have a problem? Good. Now get this plane in the air!"

Once the door was sealed and they had clearance from the tower, the plane was in the air. Ned sat in the co-pilot's seat to make sure Fenton didn't try to warn anyone. Four men and Brenda watched the prisoners in the cabin, none of whom willing to risk anything to stop the plane from taking off after seeing what Ned did to Nancy. She eyed Frank as best she could from her seat, watching his chest rise and fall, knowing that he was still breathing. Looking out the window, watching Bayport disappear below them, Nancy noticed a column of black smoke climbing into the air. From the reactions around her, Nancy had a bad feeling as to where it was coming from.

Joe drove through town mindlessly. He watched the streets for anyone who even looked suspicious but he knew he was just wasting time. Joe had stopped by the office to maybe see if his dad or Frank were still there but no one was even in the building yet their cars were outside. Feeling a sense of foreboding, Joe nixed the idea of searching for the so-called burglar and decided to head back to his parents' house. Maybe, for some strange reason, the two walked home instead of driving.

Pulling into the driveway, Joe saw his mother's car still sitting in the garage. The bright sunshine lit up the house; the birds chirping making it seem like a normal day even though Joe felt something was off. As he approached the back door, his heart was hammering when he saw the door slightly open. Knowing that his mother was a stickler locking and closing doors, Joe knew something happened. He rushed back to the car and pulled out the gun he kept in the glove compartment that he insisted Vanessa always have. He went back and slowly entered the house. A peculiar smell reached his nostrils but he didn't worry about it at that moment. There was something more pressing for him to be concerned about. He would worry about the odor later.

Joe walked through the kitchen into the dining room and still no one was around. He held his gun at the ready just in case though. It was when he entered the dining room that he heard a sweet singing voice coming from the next room. A lullaby was being sung, a cooing noise accompanying the words. As he rounded the corner, Joe saw a woman standing near the foyer, holding something in her arms. It took all Joe could muster to not shoot the person for he saw the tiny head of his infant son as the woman swayed.

"Turn around, now," Joe ordered through gritted teeth, "and put…my son…down."

The woman turned around and she was not who he expected. Stacy stood before him, cradling CJ in her arms. She continued to sway and hum even as she cautiously watched Joe with the gun. "You can put that down, Joe," she replied softly with a small smile. "I'm not going to hurt your son."

"You bet your ass, you're not!" Joe cried, cocking his weapon. "I said put him down!"

"Okay, Joe," she nodded. Stacy leaned down and carefully placed the child in his car seat and buckled him up. She slowly rose from the floor, her hands out in front of her defensively. "There. He's safe and sound."

"What are you doing in my parents' house?" Joe asked, never lowering the gun.

"I received a phone call from Xander," she answered slowly. "He said someone came to the office and took your brother and your father away. He was hiding in the tech room when it happened. Frank ordered him to stay out of sight but he had no way of calling anyone until he left the building. The phone lines had been cut and he left his cell phone at home. He was worried that something bad would happen to the rest of your family so we wanted to make sure. Sam went to your place while I came here. I found the house locked up but I heard the baby crying. That's why the back door was busted. I'm sorry. I didn't know where you guys kept your spare key. I've only just gotten here a few minutes before you did. There's no one else here. I've already checked. Whoever was here left the baby behind for some reason."

"How do I know you didn't stay behind to wait for me and take me like they did the rest of my family?" Joe asked though he felt her story sounded legitimate. "Plus I was just at the office. Xander wasn't there."

"Sam was going to go pick him up after checking your house," Stacy explained. The baby started fussing so she used her foot to rock the car seat to calm him.

"Someone broke into my house earlier today so I sent Vanessa and CJ here to be safe with my mom," Joe lamented. "Dad told me to stay with them but I left them alone because I wanted to find out who broke into the house. Now they're gone and…"

Joe lowered his gun and shook his head. He was angry with himself but if he hadn't left, he probably would be with them wherever they were and no one would be able to save them. His whole family was taken but why was he left behind. He stopped when the odor he smelled earlier reached the living room. Something else was off too as he also heard a noise in the quiet of the house: a soft ticking sound coming from the couch near him. Joe went over to where the ticking sound was coming from but stopped in his tracks when he saw a bomb sitting on the coffee table with only a few seconds remaining. He now realized what the smell was: gas.

"Stacy," Joe whirled around to her. "RUN!"

He grabbed the car seat and bag and ran for the front door feet away. Stacy was hot on his heels after quickly grabbing her own bag. No sooner than they were out the door that the bomb went off, sending them flying through the air.

Author's Note:

Well, this chapter was one of those where I had no idea what to write. I knew what I wanted but I had trouble getting it out. Pictures going through your head doesn't help when you're trying to put it to words on paper. So, if you think this chapter was a little hinky, that's why. Maybe it's just me though. I leave that up to you. I hope everyone's week is going well. Rose12, you guessed it that Miranda was Brenda. I intended her to be the mole. She changed her appearance very subtly but wore the short skirts and low-cut blouses to keep their eyes south rather than on her face. As for Jessica Thorne, she's the character from Nancy Drew Files #24, Till Death Do Us Part. The one where Ned proposes to Nancy, she turns him down, then he proposes to another girl. Unfortunately, I don't own that particular book so I had to Google her name. Oops! I gave away one of my secrets. Google is my buddy when I writing. There's so much you can find out just by asking! Lol! Drumboy100, I actually took that idea about Joe's hotheadedness from you, so thanks a bunch for that! I was trying to figure out what I could do with him to give him more to the story so it really helped in that respect. I'm also glad to hear that some of you liked the whole bridal magazine bit. And to think I just put it in there on a whim. Well, thank you to all who left a review for the last chapter. Again, it's greatly appreciated! Just reading this gives me hope that I'm doing better than I think I am. Again, self-confidence sucks for me. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter so don't forget to leave your mark to let me know you were here! Until next time, have a good week!