I still don't own the Hardys or Nancy! Thank you for all the reviews!
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Joe walked around to the wall that had a map similar in set up as the one Nancy had been looking at the other day. They had settled in and began comparing notes. The five of them only took up one end of the conference table. Nancy, Cody and Eddie were seated on one side while Frank was on the other.
"Yesterday Frank had said something about a break in the case," Nancy said, pulling out her notepad. "Care to elaborate?"
Nice of her to mention that to me, Cody thought sourly. He just leaned back in his chair to listen.
"We have gathered information that Saffron's small warehouse in Cairo, Egypt has had some movement. We had shut it down some time ago so it escaped our notice in the first sweep. No one has seen anyone matching Saffron's description at the warehouse itself, but they did mention a big scary guy. Anyone care to guess who that could be?" Joe said, looking at Nancy. He walked back to the table and grabbed photographs taken of the warehouse. There was plenty of action depicted by pictures of weapons, vehicles, crates and boxes with Saffron's company logo and a lot of one man.
Nancy shivered, remembering Mastif. Just his eyes alone were terrifying – not to mention he was probably pure muscle and meanness. Then Joe's words hit her.
Cairo? She thought, her eyes flicking to Frank's face. She saw him looking at her and quickly glanced away, blushing. Idiot. She chastised herself. Professional…keep it professional.
"Why would he go to Cairo?" Cody asked, sitting up a little straighter. He saw Frank's gaze shift to him and felt a whole new surge of anger. He batted it down. Now was not the time or place for confrontation. However, he couldn't wait for that time to come.
"It's the closest warehouse around his Italy operation. He knows we'd expect him to look at Italy. Also, he knows we would look into Athens. A raid group went in and found it completely clean. This is the only illogical choice, making it perfect." Frank said, his eyes going to the map.
Nancy let the news digest. Then a thought hit her.
"Does Saffron know I survived?"
The four men all looked at her and she felt her face flush under their scrutiny.
"Whoever gave you up in the first place knows how we work," Cody said, thinking about the information Eddie had passed to him and looked straight at Frank. "Someone who knew you."
Frank's eyes narrowed. He was getting pretty tired of this Cody character.
"What are you implying?" Frank said, crossing his arms. Cody just shrugged. Eddie had glanced up from the file he was looking at to look at Cody.
"Whoever gave Nancy away has to be close to her," Cody repeated. "They knew she was DIA and they knew all about the infiltration operation. If there is a mole, they have probably already reported to him and have told him Nancy is alive."
"That's ridiculous," Nancy said, "Moles are for books and movies. Besides, I never told anyone I was part of Saffron's team or that I even knew who he was."
"No one is blaming you, sweetheart," Cody said in an enduring tone. Nancy glared at him. "I'm just looking at all angles."
Joe saw his brother's control start to slip at the work sweetheart. He figured it was time to step in.
"Okay. Okay," Joe said, tapping the map. "Let's focus. Let's say Saffron does know Nancy is alive – that seems a little obvious because she was almost run down at the café. Not to mention almost causing harm to my beautiful self."
"They found the car," Frank said, his eyes still on Cody, ignoring Joe's attempt to ease the increasing tense atmosphere. "It was a government issued vehicle. Stolen a half an hour before the shooting…near the DIA building."
"What are you implying?" Cody asked standing up. Frank matched him but before he could answer, Nancy stood up as well.
"Stop it. Right now," She said, putting her hands up, one on each guy's chest. "We're a team and we're supposed to be finding Saffron, not who ratted me out. We can deal with that problem later."
Eddie started to speak but bit his tongue at a look from Cody.
Cody looked at her and then back at Frank. A smirk appeared on his face and Frank clenched his fists.
"This has to be kept between the five of us. If the mole finds out our plans, we're not going to get anywhere close to Saffron. So we should deal with it now. However, we have more information on Saffron so you're right, Nan. Let's get back to work." Cody said, sitting back in his chair. Frank took a calming breath then took Nancy's hand and squeezed it.
"Sorry, Nancy. You're right. Back to Cairo," Frank said. He grinned behind her back when he saw Cody's frown.
"Actually Frank, dare I say it, I think you're right," Joe said. Frank looked at his brother in confusion.
"Right about what?"
"I think we have to go back to Cairo. Set up a base and start monitoring this warehouse. Especially since the Mr. Big-Bad Goon was spotted," Joe clarified, tapping the photo of said goon.
"Joe's right," Cody piped up. Nancy and Frank looked at him in surprise. They hadn't expected him to agree. Joe smiled.
"Of course I'm right." Joe said. Cody ignored him.
"I think the closer we are to Saffron, the better advantage we'll have at catching him. Also, it'll be easier to keep an eye on you Drew and keep you out of trouble."
Nancy bristled but Frank cut in.
"I hate to admit it, but Agent Brooks is right." Frank said. Cody looked at him slowly. "We need to catch Saffron and you need to be kept out of trouble." Frank continued, looking at Nancy. Her eyes widened slightly then darkened. Frank grimaced.
Uh-oh. He thought, glancing at Joe for help. Joe just leaned against the wall with his arms folded, a big grin on his face. Joe knew when to not mess with Nancy Drew. His brother was in for it.
"You two listen to me." Nancy said very slowly. Cody stood up and crossed his arms and Frank stepped back from her. "I am not some fragile female who needs to be hidden away while the big strong men go out and fight. I am sick and tired of being coddled. I am a grown woman, I've been trained the same way you two were and I'm a damn good agent!" Nancy finished, turning on her heel and storming out of the room.
Frank looked at Cody, slightly bewildered.
"Well," Cody said, "at least it wasn't directed at only me this time."
"Should I go after her sir?" Eddie asked, coming up behind Cody, looking in the direction Nancy had walked.
Joe laughed, startling the three men.
"You three need to learn how to handle Nancy Drew. She's a spitfire woman with a loaded gun," Joe said, sitting in one of the chairs and kicking his feet up on the table. "She can take care of herself. As for going after her, I'm pretty sure she'd clock any of you if you tried. Let her cool down. Now that the pissing match has toned down, maybe we can get to some work?"
"Remember what happened the last time?" Cody asked, slightly miffed. Joe grinned again.
"She didn't have back-up last time. This time she will – the four of us and a whole team of CIA/DIA agents. Nancy's smart and a good agent. It would be stupid to exclude her." Joe argued.
Frank hadn't said anything. The first time he'd seen Nancy in years and he'd gotten her mad.
Smooth Hardy. Risking the chance of getting decked by her, he left the room to find her.
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When will they get it through their thick skulls? Nancy thought angrily as she headed towards the elevator. I'm just a good an agent as they are! Probably better! One mistake and they think you can't handle another case.
That one mistake almost cost you everything Drew. Another voice reminded her. Nancy sighed, still more than a little angry.
When she reached the receptionist's desk she heard her name being called. It was Frank.
"Nancy, stop. C'mon. I'm sorry."
Despite her anger, she slowed down and turned around. His dark eyes were troubled and he watched her carefully.
"Leave me alone right now Frank." She said, "I need to cool off."
"I shouldn't have said you needed to be watched. I know from experience you can take care of yourself and you've saved me yourself enough times to drill it home." Frank said, taking a step towards her.
"Then why is everyone trying to protect me? No, not protect, more like smother." Nancy asked.
"We're just afraid of you getting hurt again or that we might lose you Nancy. You mean a lot to us," Frank replied. Nancy's eyes widened slightly.
"I am a good agent Frank. I'm not the silly teenage detective getting into trouble. I'm a confident, strong government agent," She said, willing her voice not to waver, "with a gun."
Frank laughed.
"You don't have to remind me. Nancy, Joe and I aren't those teenage detectives either. We're hardened agents who have seen a lot. Both good and bad. We're good at our job and one of those jobs is protecting people."
"I don't need protection Frank, I need help. I'm not scared of him. Mastif, well he's scary, but he can be managed as well. I won't be going in alone this time."
"It's against my nature to have you facing danger," Frank started, holding up a hand when Nancy began to protest, "but I understand. Let's go back in there and figure out how to bring this guy down."
Nancy sighed and rubbed her hand to her forehead. There was a headache threatening but she pushed it aside.
"Don't you guys ever wonder how I'd feel if one of you was hurt or captured or killed?" She asked. Frank blinked in surprise.
Frank stepped up to her and took her hands in his, surprising her. Nancy could feel her cheeks blushing at the closeness but forced herself to be calm. He waited until she looked up at him to speak.
"Nancy, we've always got each other's backs. We always have. Joe is there for me and I'm there for him. I'm sure it's the same with you and Cody. This last incident just scared us that's all. I feel like a broken record but as Joe pointed out that this time it'd be different. This time there'd be a lot of back-up."
"You didn't answer my question."
"No. I haven't. I'm sure Cody and Joe haven't either. Well, maybe Joe, he's pretty in tune with the feminie view," Frank said, cracking a smile. Nancy stifled a laugh. "But we're manly men so there's nothing to worry about."
Nancy's smile immediately faded.
"You're not Superman Frank. Neither is Joe, Cody or Eddie. Bullets won't bounce off you."
Frank thought about the scars that marred his body but figured it wasn't a subject he needed to bring up at the moment.
"We know. We take precautions. We will this time." Frank said, turning back towards the conference room. He looked back and motioned, "Shall we?"
Nancy took a deep breath. She wasn't angry anymore, just a little irritated. The Hardys and Cody could smother her with "protection" but she couldn't worry about them?
"Alright." She said reluctantly, stepping towards him.
"So, what's the deal with this Eddie character?" Frank asked as they headed back down the hallway.
Nancy shrugged.
"Eddie is Eddie. He's not a stellar agent but he's not bad. I don't think he's had any real field experience. His father is a legend at the DIA but his talent must have skipped a generation." She said.
"So why is he here then?"
"That's a good question. He's been talking to Cody a lot. I think Cody's feeling sorry for him so he's letting him to the background research and other odd jobs. He always seems to want to be helpful, even when there's nothing to do." Nancy said and explained her usual routine with Eddie.
Frank thought that over as they entered the conference room. Joe, Cody and Eddie were all bent over photos, reports and maps. They simultaneously looked up with the pair entered. Nancy held her head high and joined them.
"Not even a black eye?" Joe said, pretending to be shocked. Nancy punched him in the shoulder.
"So, Mr. Brilliant Mastermind, when do we leave for Cairo?" Nancy asked Joe. She noticed Cody and Eddie had moved away and were talking quietly. She'd ask Cody about it later.
"Two days. Out of Washington Dulles."
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