Chapter Eleven

"I'd like to you to the hospital, Mr. Hardy," replied the EMT. He and Joe were sitting in the back of the ambulance and the EMT was just taping a bandage to Joe's forehead. "Just as a precaution."

Joe waved him off and jumped down from the ambulance. "I'm fine," he stated. The EMT shook his head. He knew the family well and didn't want to argue with him. Joe watched as another EMT checked over CJ who seemed to be enjoying the attention from the woman. "Is he okay?"

"Oh, yes," she said cheerfully. She changed his diaper and put the clothes back on. "I am not surprised that he came out of this unscathed."

"How's that?"

"Well, infant car seats are designed to protect the child in case of an accident," she explained. "I've heard cases where the car seat was literally flung from the vehicle, landing ten feet away face down and the child still lived. This little guy was snug as a bug and completely safe when that bomb went off. I guess you could say that he experienced his first adventure and didn't even know it. We should be thankful though that he was in the seat and not in someone's arms. We wouldn't be having this conversation. Someone was truly watching over you three. You're all lucky be alive. I don't think he needs to be taken to the hospital but if he becomes lethargic or his demeanor changes, get him to the emergency room as soon as you can."

She carefully handed Joe the baby and smiled as she watched the young father cradle his son. "Thank you," Joe sighed. He noticed Andrea standing nearby, waiting anxiously. Joe walked over to the worried woman. The moment he was within her grasp, she pulled Joe into a hug with him groaning from the bruises.

"Where's Vanessa?" Andrea asked as she pulled away. She looked all around the lawn and crowd in search of her daughter then looked back at Joe who was staring at the ground. "Joe?"

"I'm sorry, Andrea," he said quietly. He was angry with himself for dumping his wife to go look for the intruder who probably was already at his parents' house when he dropped them off. "I wasn't here and they took… they took her. Our son almost died because of my stupidity and pigheadedness. They have everyone and I have no idea where they could be"

Andrea was quiet, staring blankly at Joe. She gazed up at the smoldering house then back at him. "Then what are you standing around here for?" she cried. "You've learned your lesson. Now go get them back!"

Joe looked up at her surprised, not knowing what to say. He wasn't expecting the reaction he received but he now knew where his wife got her tenaciousness from. Wasting no more time, Joe handed CJ over to her and kissed his mother-in-law on the cheek before rushing off to find Sam, Stacy, and Xander. He found them moments later at another ambulance where Stacy was arguing with the EMT.

"I am not going anywhere, you dolt!" she cried, stepping down from the ambulance with the help of Xander. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

The EMT shook his head, mumbling if she was related to the Hardys in some way. He closed the door once she walked away. Stacy called to Joe when she saw him and waved him over. "Is CJ okay?" she asked.

"He's fine," Joe replied, as he stopped in front of her and Xander. Sam came up beside him when he saw the three congregating. Joe turned serious, looking directly at Stacy and Sam. "I want to know everything, starting with what the hell is going on between you two?"

Sam and Stacy looked at each other before he spoke. "A few days after CJ was born, I received a text on my cell phone. It was from an old Army buddy of mine and he wanted to meet. When I got there, he wasn't alone. He was with a young woman who needed some help. Well, actually wanted to help. She told me she was friends with your family and what had happened in Chicago though I already knew about it from your father. She wanted to get into Hardy Investigations to help you without any of you knowing she was there. I told her about the break-ins in the evidence room which was the only opening we had at the time since Miranda was already hired. I fixed her application to get her in but made it look like Fenton hired her. She made up the cover and changed her appearance. The rest you already know."

"Wait a minute, Sam," Joe replied holding up his hands. "Nancy contacted you?"

"No, my Army buddy did," Sam reiterated. "He was helping her out as a request from his former partner in the FBI. He retired a few months ago but his last case involved Nancy. He felt bad for accusing her of killing her father or something like that so he wanted to help."

"You mean Agent Wallace?" Joe asked incredulously. "He's your Army buddy?"

"Yes," Sam nodded. "He's a good man too though a little rough around the edges."

"I'll say," Joe said rolling his eyes. "Okay, so Agent Hayworth called in a favor to him but she said she didn't know where Nancy was when we talked to her a few days ago. How did Wallace know and she didn't?"

"Because she passed Nancy to Wallace for safe keeping," Sam explained. "Hayworth thought Nancy would stay with Wallace but the girl had other plans. She wanted to help even though Wallace wanted her to stay with him. You and Frank weren't kidding when you said Nancy was strong-willed. That girl knows what she wants and won't take any crap from anyone. But she did have a hard time with Frank. She couldn't be in the same room as him because she was afraid she would give herself away and get caught."

"But why leave the clues anyway?" Joe asked.

"Ah, yes," Sam sighed. "Nancy used the clues so that you would know it's her without letting everyone know at work. She was worried someone would overhear the conversation if one of you confronted her. Nancy thought that if you figured out the clues and knew about the bugs and the mole in the office, that you'd have the brains not to say something while you were there. The only mistake she made was not telling anyone where she was staying. We didn't even know that. I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you guys about Nancy. She was adamant about it. She figured there was still a mole but she didn't know who it was."

"It's okay," Joe said, shaking his head. "I understand why she did it. But honestly, I thought the mole was Stacy."

"Me?" she asked. "Why would you think that?"

"You did come off a little rough yourself there, Stace," admitted Sam. "You weren't very nice."

"And you know why, Sam," Stacy replied, putting her hands on her hips.

"But I don't," Joe stated, raising an eyebrow. "What gives?"

Stacy sighed and rolled her eyes. "I…I came from another agency in the city. They were bigger but not as well known as Hardy Investigations. I was virtually the only woman there besides the secretaries. I took cases just like all the rest of them but every time I had one with a partner, they took the credit even though I did all the work. Then I had a case with the son of the boss. We were supposed to go out on stakeout together and he thought it was more of a date between the two of us than anything. Let's just say in the end, he didn't get what he wanted from me. He lied to his dad about what happened, that I was the one who came on to him while he was trying to do work. His dad of course believed him over me and I was fired. I told myself that it would never happen again. When I was hired by your dad, I thought it was a dream come true. I heard about your adventures along with Nancy's as well. She was part of the reason why I got into the business. But what I feared was that everything i heard or read about wasn't true. I treated Frank so poorly at first but he really is a nice guy. I felt bad for him because he just couldn't get over Nancy and it showed. As for you, I heard stories about your abrasiveness at times, your rush to judgment and to get into the fight. I thought you were going to be exactly like my former boss' son. It's why I treated you so badly. I was afraid that I was going to be overshadowed again. I'm sorry, Joe. I was wrong in every way."

Joe took in everything Stacy said. He felt bad for her the way she was treated before coming to Hardy Investigations. He just wished she didn't try to be the hard ass that she's not. "It's okay, Stacy," Joe said quietly. "Now that I know what's going on with you, I don't blame you for acting the way you did. It is tough for a woman to be an investigator. Just ask Nancy. Speaking of which, how did you know about her?"

"Oh, that," Stacy giggled. "Um, I figured her out a few days after she started. Did you know that she has it really bad for your brother?"

"I didn't really notice," Joe said sarcastically. "How did you figure it out and we didn't?"

"I just looked at the name she was going by," she shrugged. "I thought it sounded weird and since I love puzzles so much, I played around a little bit. Then I put it together when she was in the coffee shop one morning and Frank came in. I was standing next to her, waiting for my latte. She stared at him the entire time, almost dumping the entire sugar jar into her tea. I took a chance and called her by her real name. She looked right at me without flinching and knew she was caught. Nancy asked me to promise I wouldn't say anything so I didn't."

"What was with the meeting in the alley though?" Xander asked. Joe looked at him confused. When Xander noticed his reaction, he explained the video and his conversation with Frank.

"Nancy called that meeting," Sam answered. "She was worried that someone was getting close to finding her. Frank had a shadow the night before, which I think your dad mentioned to you and your brother. She figured that she was going to have to lay low soon especially since she thought Fenton recognized her that morning."

"But I thought she wanted us to find her," Joe said. "She left all those clues for us."

"Yeah, but she was worried about getting caught as well," Sam stated. "Even though I never met the guy, nor would I want to, but I could have sworn I saw this Ned guy a few days ago. He was across the street from us, just watching the building."

"Me too," Stacy nodded.

"How did you know it was him?" Joe asked.

Sam didn't say anything as he pulled out his phone and showed a picture of a man standing between two buildings, one of which looked like Prito's. "Is that him?" he asked.

"Without a doubt," Joe said, his anger rising. He shook his head and looked back up at the smoldering house. He still couldn't believe that his entire family was taken hostage by someone like Ned. "I just wish I was here to be with Vanessa."

"You can't blame yourself, Joe," Stacy said softly, touching his arm. He looked back at her, seeing the concern in her face. "If you stayed with your family, we would all be in serious trouble."

"Why's that?"

"Because we wouldn't know where to look," she continued. "You do."

"No, I don't," Joe replied, shaking his head. "I wouldn't know where to begin. Dad, Frank, and Nancy were always better at finding and deciphering the clues. I was always the 'brawn' as Ned called it."

"Joe, you're smarter than you give yourself credit for," Stacy replied with a smile. "I thought you were going to be the one who did nothing but you are not just brawn without the brains. Now think. Where would they have gone?"

Joe contemplated, thinking of where Ned would have taken his family. No, not Ned. Jack Treyford. He was the one behind everything. He looked at Stacy and smiled but before he could say anything, a voice called out to them. The four turned toward the voice to see Jack, the Hardy's pilot, rushing toward them. He looked up in shock at the burning hulk of what was once the Hardy residence.

"What the hell happened?" he cried. "I've been trying to get a hold of Fenton for over two hours and then I come here and the house is gone!"

"Jack, just the person I'm glad to see!" Joe cried, clapping his hands on the man's biceps.

"Huh?" Jack looked at him funny. He turned to Sam. "Did he bump his head or something?"

"No," Joe shook his head. "I mean, yeah, I did but that's not why I'm excited to see you. Can you get the plane ready?"

"No," the pilot said. "That's why I'm here. I got a phone call from the airport a few hours ago stating that the plane was fueled and ready to go. I had no idea what the woman was talking about and by the time I got to the airport, the plane was already gone. Do you know if you father went somewhere without me this time? I mean, I know that he has his license but I didn't think he really wanted to fly."

"The plane is gone?" Joe asked, surprised. He looked at Sam then back at Jack. "Do you still have your plane?"

"Well, yeah," Jack shrugged. "Why? You got a destination in mind?"

"Yes, I do," Joe smirked. He looked at Sam and Stacy. "You guys up for a trip?"

"Hell, yeah," Sam whooped. "Where we going?"

"Colorado."

Nancy sat in silence as the SUV rumbled through the back roads on their way to Mount Mirage. It was only her, Treyford, and the two men in the front seat who were in the car. She thought about Frank in one of the other vehicles. She felt as if they were so close yet so far away, unable to touch one another. Even though she was in quite a predicament, Nancy was just thankful that Ned was nowhere near her at that moment.

"You're awfully quiet," Treyford replied, looking over at her. Nancy turned toward him, glared, then turned away again.

"I have nothing to say to you," she stated.

"Really?" he laughed. "I highly doubt that, Nancy. I thought a thank you would at least come out of your mouth."

"A thank you?" she shrieked, looking back at him. "For getting me away from Ned? Seriously? You're still going to hand me right back to him, aren't you? I guess I should be also thanking you for having my father killed? Or maybe putting me in the hospital? Oh, no, I know. Forcing me to go into hiding so that I can't be with the one I love, that must be it!"

"I didn't force you to do that," he said calmly.

"But you corrupted Ned!" she cried. "He was a good man and now…he's going to kill Frank because of it! He killed an innocent child and more than likely Joe! That was all your doing!"

"No, I had nothing to do with that!" Treyford said, getting angry. "Ned did that against my wishes. The child was never to be harmed! I may be out for revenge but I'm no monster."

"Tell that to Vanessa and see what she says," Nancy said through gritted teeth. She quickly looked away to hide the tears about to fall. "You may not be a monster but you sure as hell created one."

Treyford leaned over and took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look him in the eye. He wiped a tear with his thumb. "I'm sorry about Ned, Nancy," he said tenderly. "He wasn't what I expected when I hired him. He is enjoying it too much now."

Nancy squirmed away from him, slapping him across the face. He grabbed a hold of her wrist, squeezing it tightly until she cried out. "I seemed to have forgotten the spunk that you have but that was stupid. Don't do it again."

"I'll make sure I do and the next time, you won't see it coming," she said glaring at him. "If Ned isn't what you expected, then let us go. You already took something from me that I can't get back. Why do it to Frank?"

"Because, I put a lot of thought into what I have planned for him," Treyford said, shaking his head. "It would defeat the purpose of bringing you all here. Believe me, he is going to experience everything you did when you found out about your father. I also have something in mind for you as well before the night is through. I believe someone wants to marry you."

"Please," Nancy whispered, defeated. "Don't do this."

Treyford laughed while looking into her pleading eyes. "But, Nancy," he said, leaning forward. "I want to do this. I can't deny myself the satisfaction of watching you or Frank suffer as I did. I lost my family, my fortune, and my freedom and now, I'm going to take it all away from you. I started with your family and now Frank's family is next. Enjoy the evening's festivities, Nancy, because you'll be begging me to end it before it's all over."

Author's Note:

So, the mystery that is Stacy is finally revealed. No, she's not George or Bess as some of you thought. I never intended for Stacy to be anything more than a woman who was taken for granted and didn't want it to happen to her again. It was a good thought though about her being a friend of Nancy's. Nope, just someone who admires her. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. I borrowed a few words from Smithy's review. I guess you're right that CJ had his first adventure with Daddy! I'm sure many more will come...just when he's older. And thanks to Drumboy100 for calling out the fact about how everyone knew Joe was at the house. My bad. That part was a little vague, wasn't it? I know I didn't clear it up just yet but it may come later. Also, that is a good idea about Stacy and Xander. Maybe I'll put it in later. Not sure. Well, I hope that everyone had a great weekend. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter (yes, another tease!) and don't forget to leave your mark so that I know you were here! Until next time, God bless!