Chapter 3
Frank caught up with the other boys quickly.
Paul turned and grinned at him. "Hey, Frank! Looks like you're really one of the gang after all!"
Frank tried to act casual, despite his excitement at Paul's words. "So, where are we going?"
"My house," said Ryan shortly. "My parents are away for the day."
As the boys set off for Ryan's house, Frank tried not to think about Joe. He was already starting to feel guilty about what he had said to his brother, but it had just slipped out. Frank didn't know where his anger was coming from lately.
To take his mind off Joe, Frank took a good look at his surroundings. He had never been to Ryan's house before and noted it was in one of the rougher areas of town, just like Paul's. The houses here were rundown and uncared for; some were even boarded up and abandoned.
They were just about to turn a corner when a voice suddenly called behind them.
"Ryan? Is that you?"
The boys spun around and saw an elderly woman with grey hair hobbling towards them, leaning heavily on a stick as she did so.
"Mrs. Deagan!" said Ryan, his face paling. "Um, how are you?"
"Never you mind how I am!" Mrs. Deagan snapped. "Why aren't you in school, young man?"
"Er…well…ahem," Ryan stuttered.
"The heating was broken so we were sent home early," Paul interjected smoothly, using Joe's truth as his lie.
"That's funny," said the old woman sharply. "Because I just met Anne-Marie Bryant, one of your teachers, heading back to school for her final class!"
The four boys froze.
"Disgraceful behaviour, skipping school like this," said Mrs. Deagan, as she peered intently at each boy in turn.
Frank felt himself shiver. The elderly woman might look frail, but her gaze was one of pure steel.
"Just you wait until your parents hear," said Mrs. Deagan as her gaze landed on Ryan. "Your father won't be pleased."
Ryan paled even further. "Mrs. Deagan, please! You can't tell my dad! I'll be in so much trouble!"
"You should have thought of that before you skipped school!" she snapped. "Young people today, you act without thinking of the consequences!"
Sure do, thought Frank, wincing as he remembered his words to Joe.
"Look, we'll go back to school," said Ryan, his voice agitated. "Just please don't tell my dad!"
Frank was surprised. Ryan was acting as though it would be the end of the world if he were grounded.
"Oh, you'll go back to school alright, but I'm still telling your father," said Mrs. Deagan as she wagged her finger at Ryan. "Start letting the youth of today off with everything and you'll turn them into tomorrow's criminals."
Suddenly, Ryan grabbed the old woman and shook her. "Don't you dare tell my dad or you'll be sorry!"
"Ryan!" said Paul in alarm, while Frank and Keith watched in rigid shock. "Take it easy!"
"Unhand me, you young thug!" shouted the woman fiercely, as she raised her stick and hit him.
Ryan snapped. With a roar of temper, he raised his fist and hit the old woman hard in the face.
Frank felt nausea rise in his throat as he heard something crack and Mrs. Deagan's nose began to bleed. "Ryan! Stop it!" he yelled.
"Don't ever hit me again!" Ryan screamed as he flung the old woman back against the wall.
The bang as her head hit the wall echoed down the silent street, and the four teenagers watched in agonized horror as she slumped to the ground.
"Ryan, what have you done?" whispered Paul.
Ryan started to shake as he stared at the woman on the ground. "Oh God, Oh God! I hit her, I've killed her! Paul, I've killed her! What am I going to do?"
Frank knelt beside the old woman and tried not to vomit at the display of violence he had just witnessed. His shaking hand sought out the elderly lady's wrist, and he groped frantically for a pulse. A very faint throb told him the old woman was still alive.
"She's alive," said Frank, his voice sounding strange in his ears. "We need to call an ambulance."
"No! We need to get out of here," said Paul urgently. "We can call an ambulance when we do."
"What?" said Frank in disbelief, as he twisted up to look at Paul. "You've got to be kidding! Look at her, we can't leave her alone!"
"We have to!" Paul hissed. "We'll all be in serious trouble if we're caught here, not to talk of the trouble Ryan will be in!"
Frank glanced at Ryan who was whimpering.
"But…he did hit her," Frank pointed out quietly.
"It was an accident!" Ryan's head shot up as he snapped at Frank. "I didn't mean it!"
Frank wisely stayed quiet.
"Get up, Frank!" said Paul, roughly pulling Frank to his feet.
"You go," Frank said fiercely, "but I'm staying with her!"
"Now you decide to grow a back bone?" snapped Paul in an uncharacteristic display of venomous temper. "Really not the time, Frank."
Suddenly, a dog started to bark loudly from just around the corner and the boys heard a voice in the distance shouting, "Max! Heel! Come back here!"
"Someone's coming! Run!" said Keith, his voice weak with shock.
Without saying a word, Ryan and Paul seized Frank's arms and forced him to run. Frank struggled, but the other boys were bigger and stronger than he was, and he was forced to flee the scene.
He managed one last look over his shoulder as they dragged him down the street.
XXX
It was nearly seven and darkness had fallen when Frank finally made his way home. He felt sick and exhausted.
After they had run from the scene, the boys had made for Paul's house because it was the closest to them. Frank had been violently ill once they got there.
"Frank," Paul had said urgently. "You can't tell anyone about this! Ryan's father will kill him!"
Frank had tried to argue but Paul wouldn't hear any of it. "I mean it, Frank. He'll kill him! Ryan's dad beats him! He broke his arm before and he'll kill him over something like this!"
"Why don't social services do something?" Frank demanded, and Paul shrugged.
"They don't care. Frank, do you see why you have to stay quiet?"
"Frank, please," Ryan had added. "I didn't mean to hurt her, I just lost my temper. If Dad finds out, I'm dead! Please!"
Ryan had looked so terrified that Frank had agreed.
After that, they had all sat in silence watching TV but not really seeing it. Paul insisted they all wait for a few hours before heading home. "If anyone asks, we came straight here after school," he had warned them.
Frank shuddered. His shocked body could feel the chill of the evening more strongly than usual.
Turning into the driveway, Frank froze in horror.
A patrol car was parked there.
He briefly thought of running away but brushed the thought off quickly. You did enough running today, he told himself viciously.
Steeling himself, Frank pushed open the front door and walked into the living room. Chief Collig and Con Riley stood there with his parents and his aunt.
Frank took a deep breath. "Mom, Dad? I…"
His words were lost in his mother's ensuing shriek. "FRANK! Oh, Frank, thank God! Are you okay?" His mother crossed the room in a flash and threw herself on him, nearly knocking the teenager.
"Easy, Laura," Fenton cautioned as he moved behind his wife. "Frank, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
Frank was utterly bewildered. "What's going on?"
As Laura released him, Fenton scrutinised his son. "The police received a report of a kidnapping today. When they got to the scene, they found your schoolbag there."
"But my schoolbag's right here," said Frank as he swung his bag off his back and onto the nearest table.
Chief Collig and Con Riley were beside him in a flash. "Are you sure that's yours?" asked Chief Collig.
"Of course I'm sure!" said Frank indignantly.
"Frank, some of the books in that bag had your name on them," Con told him.
"I lent some books to Tony Prito today," said Frank. "Oh no…"
"Prito? Isn't that the new family in town?" questioned Chief Collig and Frank nodded.
"I'd better call them," said Con. "See if Tony is there."
"Wait!" Fenton ordered and everyone looked at him. His face was pale. "Frank, check your bag."
"Dad…"
"Frank, check it!" his father ordered.
Muttering, Frank opened his bag and pulled out a book. Glancing at the book, Frank felt his stomach lurch.
"Oh no," he whispered.
"What? What is it?" Laura demanded.
Mute, Frank opened the front cover and held it up. Right on the first page, plain for everyone to see, was the name, JOE HARDY.
XXX
"Stupid Frank!" Joe muttered to himself as he stalked away in the opposite direction of where his brother had gone. He was both hurt and furious at Frank's words.
What's his problem anyway?
Joe was incensed. He knew that Frank was scared of something, he just couldn't understand why he was the only one who could see it. Certainly, Frank and his parents couldn't.
There and then, Joe decided to give Biff his books and go straight home and confront Frank. He wouldn't tell his parents about today, he'd have it out with Frank. Whirling to head back in the direction of Biff's house, Joe stopped dead at the sight behind him.
A broad shouldered man had been sneaking up behind him, arms out, ready to pounce on Joe. He seemed shocked at Joe's sudden about-face.
Joe took advantage of that surprise.
Quickly, he whirled his schoolbag at the man and it hit him squarely in the stomach. "Ooof" the man grunted as Joe turned and ran.
"Help!" he yelled.
The man took off after him. He flung himself at Joe's legs in a flying tackle, bringing the boy crashing to the ground. As Joe lay there winded, the man climbed on top of him and used his weight to pin the boy down.
"Get off me!" Joe gasped as he struggled furiously. The man pushed him harder into the ground and Joe choked.
He couldn't breathe!
Joe tried to buck the man off, but he was twice the size of the small boy and only pressed down harder. His lungs screaming for air, the boy kicked his leg back and caught the man in the shin.
The man's grip lessened somewhat as he cried out in pain, and Joe struggled desperately to get out from beneath him.
"Oh no you don't," the man growled in his ear and before Joe knew what was happening, the man had seized his hair and slammed his head into the ground.
Joe's world turned red. As he lay there stunned, he felt the man release his arms.
Run! Move! Joe's mind yelled at him but his body refused to obey.
Something was shoved in his face and a sweet smell overwhelmed him. The hazy red darkened to black, and Joe Hardy felt the world close in around him.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I know Frank seems a tad OOC thus far, but trust me, he soon returns to the Frank we all know and love. I made him a troubled teenager in this because I don't think even Frank is immune to the curse of the moody teenager, and I always felt that Frank must have got a severe shock or scare at some stage in his teenage years to make him so mature and responsible at 18! Hence the plot of the story...
Mocha Addict: You're going to get even more spoiled as the story goes on! ;-)
astalder27: I think you'll find that Frank learns a lesson the hard way about taking his brother for granted.
Pen and Paper71: Thank you, I will!
The Silent Rumble: No, Frank isn't getting brainwashed; he's just experiencing the painful moodswings that come with turning 13 (and a whole lot else besides that). Give him a chance, he'll come out the stronger and better for it.
Augustus: I know things seem flipped around at the moment, but try and remember, Frank is 13 and bound to be feeling somewhat rebellious. Joe hasn't yet entered the teenage phase and so doesn't get the moodswings; therefore he becomes the 'serious' one for a time in order to combat Frank's behaviour. Also, Joe is only 11 and hasn't finished growing yet; I just have him as smaller than Frank for the purpose of this story and a later one. Don't worry, he'll catch up! ;-)