Author's Note:

Well, this is a long chapter so I will try to keep this short. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I love reading them over and over again and I usually find myself getting either new ideas or just realizing a mistake. So thank you for your kind words. It also prompted me to reread the end of the original book The Last Resort and I found that I had to change the ending (again). As a disclaimer for this chapter, there are several references to the end of TLR along with plot lines so just be forewarned if you haven't read it but then again I've already given away the villain of the story. So, without any further ado, enjoy chapter 12 and until next time, have a great week!

Chapter Twelve

"Turn off the lights," Treyford ordered as the SUV backed into the garage. The other two vehicles backed in as well, the garage doors closing behind them. The garage itself was large with several empty bays where Treyford's cars were once parked. Nancy remembered the villa very well and wondered if the security system was still in place.

Treyford pulled her from the car and walked around to where the others were gathering. She shivered in the cold as she was still in only a t-shirt and shorts. Treyford led the way and once everyone entered the main villa, he pulled out the same remote control he had before and pushed the button. The tell tale sounds of the doors locking and the security shades sliding into place could be heard by everyone.

"Good, now we won't have to worry about being interrupted," Treyford replied. The group was ushered into the living room where it was set up as if a party was planned. Several tables of food lined the walls while balloons and streamers decorated the area. Treyford noticed the confusion on the faces of his prisoners. "We are going to have a party tonight but I'm sorry. None of you are appropriately attired. Each of you will be taken to a room where you will find everything you need to make yourselves more presentable. Once you've changed, the festivities will begin."

"What is it that you want, Treyford?" asked Frank, glaring at the man.

"You'll see, Frank," he smiled as he took Nancy's arm again. He led the way up the stairs to a hallway lined with doors. Frank and Fenton were shoved into one room while Laura and Vanessa were put into the room across from them. Nancy disappeared down the hall with Treyford.

Once Frank entered the large bedroom with his father, they noticed a large bed in the middle of the room with three suits laying across it. Although the villa had been empty for years, the furniture seemed to have remained in place. Walking over to the bed, Fenton checked the suits along with the shoes on the floor.

"How did he know our sizes?" he asked Frank who was checking out the bathroom connected to their room. "I don't even know him and he knows me better than I do. This is one of my favorite suits."

"He had Brenda telling him everything, remember?" Frank muttered, coming over to the bed. He ran his fingers along the third suit. "I guess he was expecting Joe. Why isn't he here anyway?"

Fenton looked at his oldest son. He didn't have the chance to tell Frank about the suspicion about Joe and CJ being killed while they were in route to the villa. "I…I don't know where Joe is," he finally said.

"What do you mean?"

"Joe was supposed to stay with Vanessa and CJ," Fenton explained. "It was right after you left the car. I ordered him to stay with his family while I went to look for you. Knowing how Joe is, he probably went to go look for the intruder even though I told him not to. The men who took your mother and Vanessa left CJ at the house along with a bomb. We all saw it go off and Ned said that one of the men remained behind and watched Joe enter the house just before it blew up."

"You're not saying what I think you are, Dad," Frank said, his heart dropping with the news. When Fenton didn't say anything, Frank shook his head. "I don't believe it. Not for one second, Dad! It's Joe we're talking about! He has more lives than a cat!"

"I know," Fenton replied sadly. "I don't believe it either but at the rate we're going here, even if he were alive, he's not going to make it here before Treyford does whatever he has intended for us. I'm not on giving up though without a fight. Are you?"

"Hell, no," his son shook his head. Frank stared at the ground, anger pulsating through his body. He wanted nothing more than to go after Ned before he hurt anyone else in the family. Ned or Treyford weren't going to destroy any more lives. Frank's thoughts went to Nancy. He had a feeling that this so-called party that Treyford is throwing is in honor of Ned's intention to marry Nancy but he was going to make sure that never happened. They may have possibly taken his brother and nephew but they weren't about to take her away from him again.

"As much as I hate to admit it, but I think we need to do what Treyford asked us to do," Fenton replied, interrupting Frank's thoughts. He picked up the suit intended for him. "Maybe then we'll know what he has in store for us and we can figure out a way to stop it before it's too late."

Laura and Vanessa stepped into their room. It was similar to the other room though it was slightly brighter in tone. A four-poster bed sat in the middle of the room with two dresses laying on the edge. Ignoring the clothes, Vanessa laid down on the bed, curling up on the pillow and sobbed. She thought about her little boy who had barely lived long enough to enjoy life. Vanessa sobbed even louder when she thought of Joe entering the house just before the bomb went off. Laura came over and sat down next to her.

"I know my Joe is okay, Vanessa," she said softly, stroking the young woman's blonde hair. "Believe in your heart that he's alive along with CJ. We will see them soon enough."

"Are you sure?" Vanessa sniffled, sitting up on her elbow.

"I am positive that they're okay," Laura smiled genuinely. "Now we just have to wait for him to rescue us. We'll get out of this sure enough and we'll have that christening for CJ now that Nancy is back. You'll see."

Vanessa looked at her mother-in-law and knew she was right. Joe was alive and will come for them. All they had to do was wait it out until he came. She got off the bed and walked around the edge to look at the dresses. "Not to sound shallow or anything, but whoever bought these dresses has really good taste."

Treyford escorted Nancys into a large room that looked to be the master bedroom. It had dark paneled walls making it seem very masculine in nature. A large bathroom with a shower stall was attached to it with everything needed for Nancy to clean up. Brenda came in after them and waited by the door. On the bed lay a white gown though Nancy had no intention of putting it on.

"Take all the time you need," Treyford replied as he cautiously untied her wrists. "Though I would suggest that you don't waste it. I don't like it when people are late for their own wedding…or funeral. If you decide not to change clothes though, Nancy, I'll bring one of the lovely Mrs. Hardy's in here and put a bullet in their head. Understand? I don't think you would want anything to happen to them."

Nancy nodded solemnly but waited patiently for him to finish. The moment Treyford was done untying her, Nancy kneed him in the stomach and was about to punch him when someone grabbed her from behind. He lifted her off Treyford and held her tightly as she struggled.

"Again, that spunk, Nancy," Treyford laughed. He grimaced as he slowly rose from the floor. "I'm going to enjoy watching you squirm."

Nancy spit in his face and he slapped her across the cheek. The man holding her dropped her to the floor as Nancy held her face with her hand, the sting of the slap still present. Treyford turned to Brenda who stared at Nancy, stunned. "You know what to do. Max is to stay in the room just in case. Make sure she's showered as well. We don't want the bride to be looking dirty on her wedding night."

Treyford left the room as Nancy slowly got up off the floor. Brenda leaned down to help but Nancy shrugged her off.

"How do you stand that, Brenda?" she asked once she was upright.

"He helped me see what I was missing, Nancy," Brenda stated though she sounded somewhat insincere. "I can start the shower, if you like."

"Whatever, Brenda," Nancy said shaking her head. "I'm not marrying Ned."

"I don't think you have a choice, Nancy," she stated going into the bathroom. Seconds later, Nancy heard the water running and Brenda came back out. "Max, you stay here. I trust that Nancy has learned her lesson. Right, Nancy?"

Nancy sighed and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door. She noticed instantly that there was no lock on the door for her to lock herself in. Sighing again, Nancy undressed and stepped into the shower stall, letting the water wash away the dirt and grime since she hadn't showered since the day before. She stayed in the shower as long as she could until a knock came at the door bringing her back to the nightmarish reality she was in.

As she stepped out of the shower, Nancy saw a small pile of fresh underclothes sitting next to the bathroom sink along with a small silky robe. She hadn't noticed anyone come in while she was showering but then again, she wasn't paying attention. Nancy took her time in getting dressed and drying her hair that another knock came at the door, startling her. This time it was more urgent and impatient.

When Nancy stepped out of the bathroom, she noticed Brenda had changed as well. The former reporter wore a short, figure-hugging, black dress that left little to the imagination. Nancy never really remembered Brenda ever wearing clothing that were sexy in nature but she figured it had something to do with her new found independence with Jack Treyford.

"Are you ready?" Brenda asked, holding up the gown. "I picked it out myself. I think you're going to look gorgeous."

"Like I really have a choice in the matter," Nancy said sadly, though she did think the gown was quite lovely. She turned toward Max who rolled his eyes and turned away from the two women.

Brenda held the gown so Nancy could step into it. As she zipped up the back, Brenda whispered something into Nancy's ear while watching Max out of the corner of her eye. She then placed something in the pocket of the gown before guiding Nancy over to the mirror. Even Nancy was taken aback by how the gown looked on her. It was simple yet elegant with the intent to show off Nancy's curves but not too much. The off-the-shoulder sleeves and sweetheart neckline accentuated her shoulders. She didn't want to admit it Brenda had good taste.

"Let's do something with your hair and then we're going to have to leave," Brenda replied with a wink. Nancy nodded in acknowledgment as she followed Brenda back into the bathroom. As she worked with Nancy's hair, Brenda continued to talk nonchalantly while Max looked on and listened. When the man started to get bored with what they were talking about, he moved away from the door and Brenda spoke softly once more. "I'm really sorry about all of this Nancy. I didn't realize what kind of person Ned was until he had that bomb planted. I really don't know why he continues to pursue you."

"It's all about possession, Brenda," Nancy replied looking at her reflection. "He thinks he won't get anywhere in life without owning something or someone. Ned will never let go of what we once had even though I already have. He doesn't even realize that he was the one who destroyed it, not me or Frank."

"You really do love him, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," Nancy answered looking directly at Brenda.

"Well, then," Brenda whispered with a smile, "let's get going."

The moment the plane touched down at the small airfield outside Mount Mirage, Joe was searching the tarmac for his father's plane. He needed to know that he made the right decision in heading toward Colorado.

Just as they taxied by a row of hangars, Joe caught glimpse, through a large window, of a plane that looked familiar. Once their plane stopped and the door was open, he shot out of the plane and ran toward the hangar. Stacy was the only one able to keep up as Sam and Xander stayed with Jack at their plane.

Joe pulled open the hangar door and breathed a sigh of relief. His father's plane sat waiting for the next flight. There didn't seem to be anyone around guarding it and the stairs were still down. Even though he knew they were already gone, Joe still rushed up into the plane to see if any clues were left. On the floor near one of the seats, he found an earring and immediately recognized it as part of a set he gave Vanessa as a birthday gift the year before.

"How long do you think they've been gone?" asked Stacy as Joe came out of the plane.

"I would say that they had at least a two hour head start," Joe answered, pocketing the earring. "We don't have much time left. Whatever Treyford has planned, it think it's going to go down soon."

"Why do you say that?" she asked, curious.

"It's a hunch," Joe replied, walking back toward the other plane. "Mount Mirage isn't far from here so it won't take that long to get to the lodge."

Although they had to wait for a rental car, it gave the five of them time to prepare and make a plan as to what they were going to do once they got there. Although he normally didn't like being in the field, Xander came along to make sure everyone was okay. He always liked Frank and Wendy, or Nancy now, was always kind to him. He didn't want anything to happen to them along with Fenton, Laura, and Vanessa but he knew he wasn't going to be much help unless they needed a tech.

The other four checked their guns along with a few other things they thought they might need. By the time the rental car was delivered, the five were ready to go. Joe drove, heading toward the Mount Mirage Lodge where Ken Harrison was murdered just days before. Just as he pulled into the lane leading to the lodge, he was stopped by an FBI agent. After a long explanation, he was allowed to go in with the permission of one of the agents inside. When the five entered the lodge, they soon found out who allowed them in.

"Joe Hardy!" cried Agent Christine Hayworth. She rushed up to the group, a grim look on her face. Just like everyone else in the room, she wore a dark suit underneath a windbreaker with FBI printed on the back. "I have been trying to get a hold of your father for hours! Nancy never called me today! Hannah's been blowing up my phone too for the last hour. What is going on?"

"We already know about Nancy," Joe replied calmly. He looked around the lobby at the agents walking around. There weren't many but enough to go through the entire lodge within a matter of hours.

"You do?"

"Yes, Frank figured it out earlier today," he explained. Joe went into detail about everything that occurred that morning and afternoon. "Ned took Frank, my parents, and Vanessa too. They should be here."

"Well, I've been here since around noon today," Hayworth replied. "Nobody's been up here other than employees of the lodge and the agents. I would know if a group of people came in. We've been scrambling around trying to find Ken Harrison's killer too. Especially since the lodge was sold by the investors this morning."

"Someone bought this place?" Joe asked surprised. "I thought Ken was going to leave the lodge and the rights to the mine to the town?"

"There was no will stating that, Joe," the agent shook her head. "Wait, what mine?"

Joe went on to explain the entire case from years before starting with the sabotage of the lodge that brought them there. Things heated up with the murder of Archer Lampley, the music mogul and the arrest of one of the singers from the music video they were filming at the time. "We figured out about the possibility of gold still in the mountain," Joe continued. "We knew someone other than Pete, the caretaker of the lodge, knew about it. We were at Jack Treyford's villa when we figured it…" Joe suddenly slapped his forehead while the others looked at him as if he lost his mind.

"What?" Sam asked.

"I'm so stupid!" cried Joe, holding his head. "That was stupid too! Ow!"

"Joe, focus!" cried Stacy.

"Treyford's villa!" Joe cried. "They're not going to be here! He took them to his villa!"

"But I heard that it's been checked numerous times," Agent Hayworth replied. "The place is boarded up. No one's been up there."

"When was the last time you checked?" Joe asked.

"Yesterday, I do believe," replied a voice nearby. A male agent walked slowly up to the group, assessing the five of them. His appearance seemed to give off an air of ranking. "Special Agent in Charge Carl Dearing. I don't know who you are but you can't be here. We're conducting an investigation. The lodge is closed."

"Sir, this is Joe Hardy," Hayworth replied. The SAC did a double take on Joe before sighing.

"Oh, right," Dearing nodded. "You, your brother, and one other person…a Miss Drew, I think, were a part of the original team to take down Treyford. I've heard a lot about you and I know of your father as well. Right now though, your presence isn't warranted."

"But they took my family!" Joe cried. Several agents stopped what they were doing at the sound of the outburst. "My whole family and Nancy too. They're up at Treyford's villa. I know it!"

"I have two agents up there, monitoring the villa, Mr. Hardy," SAC Dearing replied gruffly. "I would know it if anyone went up there."

"Then check for crying out loud!" Sam yelled. "We know they're here somewhere. Their plane was found at the airport. We're wasting time by arguing here."

SAC Dearing looked at the group, contemplating what he should do. He went over to a nearby table and grabbed a walkie talkie. "Stark! Harris! Anyone still there?"

Nothing but static came back. "Stark! Harris!" he barked again in the walkie. He looked back at Joe, shock registering on his face. No answer meant that the agents were no longer there for some reason. It only confirmed what Joe was thinking and he turned and ran out the door. He stopped just outside the lodge, looking up the mountain to where he remembered Treyford's villa was even though he couldn't see it.

"What do we do now, Joe?" Sam asked, coming up behind him.

"I don't know, Sam." Joe turned when he heard Dearing yelling out orders to the agents. He rushed up to the SAC to stop him. "Wait! You can't just go up there and raid the villa!"

"Oh? And why's that, Hardy?" Dearing asked annoyed.

"Because the place is like a fortress," Joe explained. "You won't be able to get in without knowing what or who you're dealing with. If you go in any other way, guns blazing, he'll kill everyone before you can crack a window. He's got a security system that rivals Ft. Knox and is just as bad as the Drew's security system in Chicago. It always looked like it was boarded up because the system was set. If it is still set, then there's only one way in or out."

"What's that?" Hayworth asked.

"The mine shaft below the house," he said pointing toward the mountain. "That's how he escaped the last time. He set the security system and escaped through the mine shaft in the floor of the living room. Treyford locked us in with a deadbolt on the outside of the door. We only got out because of one of the guests at the party had some new invention that even I couldn't tell you what it was. The shaft comes out at the snowmobile lot. As long as he didn't fill it in, we might be able to access the villa from there. We also can't take any cars or four-wheelers. He'll hear them coming a mile away."

"Fine," Dearing said. "Then how do you suggest we get up there without anyone seeing us?"

"We go hiking." Joe thought for a moment before saying something else. "I also remember a garage next to the house. If we can get there, we might be able to access the villa through there somehow as well. It might be a second access point."

The SAC stood for a few minutes, taking in what Joe said. "You heard him, ladies and gents!" he finally cried, looking around at the agents. "Get your gear ready and your hiking boots on! We have a fugitive to catch and a family to save!"