The darkness flooded Dean's eyes as he became aware of his surroundings. My head. He thought as he tried to lift his hand to his skull, soon finding he couldn't move.
"Hello?" A voice came from beside him, making his heart skip a beat. "Is someone there?"
Though he had only heard that voice once before, Dean recognized it instantly. "Frank?"
"Dean!"
"Man, it is you!" Dean breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. "Where are we?"
"No idea. I was kind of hoping you had some clue?"
"Not one." He said as he struggled against the ropes. "Boy, I hope Sammy's okay."
Frank sighed, "Yeah. Joe too." He paused for a moment. Dean could hear him shuffling around. "By the way, how did you get here?"
"Not really sure. One thing I know I am in the motel with Sam. I walk into the bathroom to shower and I get hit in the head. The next I woke right here." Dean explained as he continued to fight his bounds.
"Sounds similar to my experience."
"You getting anywhere on you're ropes?" Dean asked with a huff.
"A little give, but whoever tied us up really knows how to do knots!"
"I wonder what we're dealing with." Dean looked around him but the room was too dark. He couldn't see anything. He felt venerable and he didn't enjoy it.
Frank sighed. "Oh, could be a number of people. I mean, I've probably made a couple of enemies over the years. Not sure which criminals are out of jail yet, but you never know..."
"What? What are you talking abou— You think this was a person?"
From the length of the following pause, Dean figured Frank had nodded. "Of course. It couldn't be anything else. Although..." The oldest Hardy brother's voice trailed off as he got lost in his own thoughts
"I need to get outta here. Sam might be hurt." Dean said aloud. "Frank? Do you think you could untie my hands?"
"I could try." Frank agreed.
"Alright. Here we go." Dean moved himself toward where Frank's voice was coming from. "Is that you?" He asked when his hand hit something.
"It's me. Or more specifically, it's my shoulder."
"Great!" Dean smiled to himself. He then shifted his body downward so that his hands hit his comrade's.
"So... who's untying who?" Frank wanted to know.
"Can you untie me?" Dean asked. If he could get untied first then he could take a look around. I'd be better with just him rather then trying to keep Frank safe as well.
"Sure."
Dean soon felt the bonds on his wrists loosening until they finally gave way. "I'm out! Good job, Frank. Now stay here. I am going to go look around." He stood up.
"Sure." Frank said somewhat tensely and then he began to work on his own bonds.
"Here." Dean sighed, realizing his mistake. He leaned down to Frank and freed his hands. "Come on. Let's get outta here."
Frank nodded.
"Now. Where's the door?" Dean thought aloud again. "And where's the guy that brought us here?"
"No!" A yell came from behind them. It was distant and faltered, and Dean's trained ear knew it was a sprit.
"I've got a pen-light." Frank had apparently not heard the cry. Either that or he chose to ignore it.
"Shh… Did you hear that?" Dean asked hastily.
"Hear what?" Asked Frank calmly, pulling the pen-light from out of his pocket.
"No!" The voice came again, only this time closer and much clearer.
"Uh that! We need to get out of here and fast!" Dean said before running in the opposite direction of the voice.
Frank didn't answer, but followed him anyways. "Where are you going? The door's in the other direction!"
"Yeah and blocked. Trust me. This is not something you want to tangle with." Dean said still running full speed.
"What?" Frank was obviously confused.
"Just trust me, please. I will explain after we're safe." Dean swore as he stopped at a dead end. "This is just perfect." He stated sarcastically.
Frank nodded.
"Now what way?" Dean looked to Frank, and then suddenly dodged out of the way as a large object was launched directly at his head. "Keep moving!" He said as he started off at a run again.
Frank shook his head in disbelief and followed. "Head for the door. It's our only way out." But the door was once again blocked, leaving the two boys stuck inside.
o0o
"Dean?" Sam looked around the small bathroom. Where was his brother? The window was open and it looked as though someone had pushed their way through.
"Dean?" Sam went to the window and balanced on his toes, looking out. If I hadn't fought with him, he wouldn't have gone in there so soon. He scolded himself.
Sam knew Dean wouldn't have left on his own. Someone, or something, had clearly entered through the window and pulled him out. But who could sneak up on a seasoned hunter and just take him like that?
Sam shook his head. He needed to act, but what should he do? He didn't know anybody in this town and his father was on the other side of the country.
"Wait. Frank and Joe!" He smacked a hand to his forehead as the thought suddenly hit him. "Of course!" He quickly rushed from the room and over to the motel-provided telephone. Hastily he snatched it up and flipped open to the 'H' section in the phonebook. "Okay, Hadley... Hanson... Hardy!" He placed his finger by the number and dialed. He waited impatiently as the phone began to ring. "C'mon, c'mon..."
"Hello?" Someone picked up on the other end.
"Hi, is Frank or Joe there?" Sam asked hastily.
"Speaking." Said the voice. Joe. Sam guessed.
"Joe? It's Sam. I… Uh kinda need your help."
"Sam?"
"Sam Winchester. You helped my older brother and me the other night. We ran out of gas and you took us to the gas station."
"Oh yeah." There was a pause. "The guys with the Impala, right?"
"Yeah that's us." Sam paused himself. "Look, I really need someone's help and you guys are the only ones in town I know."
"Uh… huh? What's up?"
Sam couldn't help but notice that Joe seemed a little rushed. "My brother's missing."
There was a pause. "What?" Joe was shocked, surprised. At least, Sam thought he sounded that way. "No wait. That's got to be all wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"Frank's missing too."
Sam's eyebrows shot up in surprise as Joe continued.
"The guys just arrived and we were just about to go out looking for him." Sam could hear people talking in the background. "Yeah, we would go to the police, but they always require twenty-four hours."
"Do you think I could go with you guys? I mean that is really odd that both our older brothers are missing. And I would look myself but I don't know my way around the city." Sam asked hopefully.
"Uh… sure. Um, hold on a second."
Sam heard more voices in the background.
"Huh? What? Okay, just a moment." Joe came back on the phone. "Hey, Callie's here. She says she wants to talk to you. Cool?"
"Uh sure." Sam shrugged but he knew Joe couldn't see the movement.
"I didn't know you knew each other." Joe continued.
"We met her today at lunch. We helped her with her car and she took us out." Sam informed him.
"Oh." Joe's response was long and drawn out.
"So… Callie?"
"Oh, yeah. Here she is."
Moments later, a new voice came over the receiver. "Sam?"
"Callie?" Sam said once he heard his name.
"Hey, what's up? Joe said Dean was missing?" She sounded upset, Sam hated to disappoint her.
"Um… yeah."
"That's just so… so weird!"
"I know. I'm worried. I mean he was taken. From our bathroom." Sam felt as though he had just said too much.
"He was taken? From your bathroom?" She seemed skeptical.
"Yeah, strange. I know." He knew he shouldn't ask, but he did anyways. "How about Frank? What happened to him?"
"He and Joe were supposed to be going over to Chet's place after they got home earlier this evening. But I guess they got in a fight and Joe opted out, but Frank…" She choked, "Never showed up."
"This is so strange." Sam shook his head in disbelief. "So. Should I meet you guys somewhere or what?"
"We were just about to leave Frank and Joe's house. Think you can meet us here? Or do we need to pick you up? We're taking several cars so there's sure to be room. Joe's gonna drive my Honda."
"Um give me the address and I will try to find you guys." Sam said as he searched the room for a paper and pen.
Callie relayed the needed information and then told Sam that she'd make sure that someone was there when he arrived. "We'd all wait," She explained, "But the faster we get people out there the better."
"It's okay." Sam said, "I don't blame you. And whoever stays behind can always ride with me in the Impala." Sam didn't think Dean would mind him driving his car since he was looking for him.
"Okay. See you then." Callie hung up before he could say anymore.
Sam sighed and put down the receiver. He then grabbed his wallet and keys from Dean's bag. He walked out the door locking it behind him. Sam got in the car and readied himself for this. He had never driven the Impala without his dad or brother sitting beside him. I can do this. He thought to himself.
He slowly turned the key and breathed a sigh of relief when the engine started up with a roar. Well, here goes nothing. He put the car in reverse and pulled out of the parking slot. He followed the directions Callie had given him and, in no time, was pulling into the Hardy's driveway. Sam saw three people sitting on the porch steps. Where they the ones that were waiting for him?
The biggest guy rose when he approached. "Hey. Sam, right?"
"Right." Sam's eyes wandered to the other two teens. He recognized the platinum blonde as the one he had met in the diner earlier that day. "You Frank and Joe's friends?"
"Yeah. I'm Biff and that there's Vanessa and Phil." Biff motioned to the two other youths.
Vanessa smiled, "Hi again."
"Hi." Sam waved a hand at her. "So. Are we ready to go?" He motioned to the car.
"You wanna drive too?" Phil asked. "There's room enough in 'Ness's car for five."
"Uh. My brother would kill me if he found out I left his car at a stranger's house." Sam chuckled. "Besides if we split up, we can cover more ground."
"True…"
"How do we want to break this?" Phil asked.
Biff spoke, "How about you and 'Ness go in her car and I'll accompany Sam?"
"Or, you guys can take my car and I can go with Sam?" Vanessa suggested.
"I don't care either way." Sam shrugged.
Biff and Phil exchanged glances.
"You two go on ahead." Vanessa pressed. "Don't worry about me. I've met Sam before. He'll probably feel better this way."
Biff shrugged. "Okay." He took the keys Vanessa handed him and headed for the blue Volkswagen parked nearby. "We'll just wait until you guys take off and then follow you."
"Fair enough." Vanessa looked to Sam.
"Okay." Sam said before heading back to the Impala. Vanessa was close at his heels.
She slid into the passenger seat and quickly buckled her seatbelt. "Callie told me about your brother." She said instantly. "I'm sorry."
"Yeah thanks. I just want to find him." Sam glanced over at her.
Vanessa nodded. "It's the same story with us and Frank. The Hardy brothers' disappearing isn't new, but when it's just one of them…" She sighed as she let her sentence hang unfinished.
"What do you mean? They take off on your guys a lot?"
"Kidnapping, disappearing… you name it. Frank and Joe do a lot of detective work. Their father is a private investigator. Following mysteries is constantly in their agenda and neither of them is very good at checking in all the time." She jadedly braided a strand of her flawless blonde hair.
"Wow. Kinda sounds like Dean and I—" Sam shut his mouth. Dean is going to kill me!
Vanessa eyed him wearily "You two amateur detectives too?"
"Uh… Not exactly."
"Then…" She looked to him expectantly, "Then what?"
"It's kinda a long story." Sam told her, "And you wouldn't believe me even if I could tell you."
"Try me." She challenged playfully.
"Um… How about some music?" Sam hit the button to turn the radio on. Music filled the car. Sam hoped it would be enough to distract her from the conversation he was not willing to have.
Vanessa reached forward and turned the music down. "Oh, come on. Aren't you going to tell me? Or is this top-secret stuff. FBI or something?"
"No! Not in the FBI." Sam laughed, "But is kind of a family thing. We aren't suppose to tell anyone."
"Well, okay…" Vanessa shrugged and continued braiding the same long strand of hair. He could tell she was disappointed, but he didn't really care. It was, after all, a secret.
"Hey isn't that Callie's car?" Sam said suddenly looking out the window at a car parked on the shoulder.
Vanessa followed his gaze. "Hey, you're right. And Tony's and Chet's Jalopy… Hey!" Her eyes widened as they approached. Sam could see several people standing outside of a black van parked on the side of the road. "Oh my gosh!"
"What?" Sam looked over at her. His eyes full of wonder.
She looked over to him, "Pull over! That's Frank's van!"
A/N: Well? What is going on? Hmmm? We hope you liked it! Let us know what you thought! As we have said before: We want at least two reviews before we are going to post our next chapter! So thanks for reading.
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