Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the canon book characters, and am making no monies from this story. Any Original Characters belong to the author(s).

Note: This story was written around the year 2002, so technology is not as advanced as it is today. People still used landlines! Also it was originally co-written with another person, to whom I give much credit and thanks.

Thank you again to Cheryl and Max and Caranath, who have been so kind with their reviews. Only one more chapter to suffer through, guys!

January Thaw

By EvergreenDreamweaver and Sparks JSH

Chapter 17

For a moment, dead silence filled the room as neither figure moved. Then, with agonizing slowness, Frank pushed himself to his knees, the front of his shirt crimson with fresh blood. Megan lurched to her feet and screamed, the sound coming from the deepest reaches of her soul, where she had never known sound could exist.

"Noooooo!"

Then realization hit: it was Dan Sullivan who was still lying motionless on the floor. As the occupants of the room watched, Frank staggered to his feet, took two steps, and without a word crushed Megan to his chest, desperate in his desire to never let her go, ever again.

"Frank...oh, Frank...are you hurt—?" She was sobbing against his shoulder, her hands reaching for the bloodied spot on his shirt.

"Shhhh, it's okay, I'm okay; I'm here, I'm not hurt...oh God, Megan..." Frank buried his face in her red-gold curls and rocked her, gathered her closer still. She clung to him, taking comfort in the sanctuary of his embrace.

A commotion at the door made the others look in that direction; Frank and Megan took no notice. Con Riley burst into the room, gun drawn, with Callie and Tony at his heels.

"About time you got here," Joe drawled sardonically.

"Joe!" Fenton reprimanded him. "Stop it!" He attempted to rise, but Joe firmly held him in place.

"No way, Dad! Con, I think we need an ambulance."

Riley stepped over to the body lying on the floor and checked for breathing and a pulse. After a moment, he dragged a blanket from the bed and spread it over Sullivan's body. Then he pulled out a tiny phone and punched a single button. "Con Riley here - I need an ambulance - and the medical examiner...Right, that's the address. Thanks."

He flipped his phone closed and looked around at the others: Fenton lying on the floor, with Joe holding a bloody cloth against his shoulder; Callie and Tony hovering in the doorway, both appearing to have gotten the worst of it in recent fights; Frank and Megan clasped tightly in each others' arms, eyes closed; shutting out the rest of the world.

"Anyone want to explain this?" Riley demanded rhetorically. He squatted on his heels next to Fenton. "Go on, scram," he muttered to Joe. "I'll take over here." He pressed his hand down on Fenton's shoulder, applying pressure to the wound. Joe cast a dubious glance at his father, but Mr. Hardy managed a gritted-teeth smile at him and nodded.

"It's okay, Joe," he said softly. "I'll start filling Con in on some of the details."

Joe got to his feet and walked over to the door. "Everything okay?" he asked Tony.

"Plenty of cops downstairs taking care of our three friends." Tony grinned a little, then winced as the movement made his jaw hurt. "Think I'll go watch 'em being taken in; it'll be the most fun I've had today since I tied 'em up and told 'em about my Uncle Guido! And I'll call Biff and the others and tell them what happened." He winked and departed, leaving Joe standing there with Callie.

"Joe...?" Callie said softly, "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

Joe looked down at her. Now that the danger was over, his anger towards Callie was resurfacing as he remembered her treatment of Frank. "Okay," he said. His voice was cold, but as he took in the girl's pallor, bruised cheek and cut forehead, and shaky appearance, his tone softened. "Come on, sit down." He took her arm and guided her to a seat on the bed.

"I wanted to thank you—" Callie began, "to thank you for what you did a few minutes ago, getting me out of the line of fire. And to thank you for searching for me, too - but especially for helping me get away from Sullivan just now. I - I didn't expect you to do it. I thought you would have just left me there to die."

Joe's mouth fell open in shock. "Left you to die? Oh come on, Callie!"

"I know you hate me," she whispered, staring down at the floor.

Joe sat down beside her on the bed. "Hey, listen to me a minute," he said quietly. "I was plenty mad at you for what happened last fall, I'll admit that. And I doubt that I'll ever be extremely fond of you...but you were an important part of Frank's life too long for me to let something happen to you out of spite."

Callie raised her head, and a long look passed between them. "Thank you," she said again.

"But I warn you, Callie—" and although Joe's tone was light, his blue eyes were very sober. "If you ever hurt him like that again, I'll kill you myself."

She blinked, sensing the veracity of his words, and then smiled a little. "I won't, Joe, I promise." She glanced across the room, where Frank still stood holding Megan against him. "I think he's forgotten me anyway..."

Joe followed her glance. "He loves her," he admitted, very low. "I've never seen him love anyone the way he loves her."

"She's a very lucky girl," Callie answered softly. "And I ought to know!"

At that moment, movement and voices filled the room as the paramedics arrived. Fenton was taken away first, assuring the EMTs that he was fine, it was nothing but a scratch; and calling back to Joe to notify Laura that he'd been taken to the hospital.

Next they focused in on Joe. After a brief examination of the bump on his head, one of the medics recommended that he come to the hospital also, just to have it checked out by a physician. Joe, who was attempting to call his mother while having his head looked at, agreed to come by a bit later; he wanted to be there to make sure his father was all right, anyway.

When it came to Callie and Megan, the EMTs ran into a problem or two. Callie didn't argue about going to the hospital, but protested that she didn't want to arrive in an ambulance. "I'm not hurt, I'm just tired and a little bruised; that's all! Save the ambulance for someone who's really injured!" At that point Tony intervened, and offered to drive her there; she gratefully accepted his offer and the two departed.

The woman medic had to practically pry Megan from Frank's arms, and when she did, she gasped in horror at the sight of Frank's shirt. "Where's all this blood coming from? Were you shot too? Why didn't somebody tell me?"

"It's okay; it's not my blood," Frank assured her. "It's…his." He jerked his head toward the blanket-covered figure on the floor. "I'm not hurt at all."

"And what about you, hon?" the EMT asked Megan. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Megan denied, but her lips quivered, and suddenly she began to tremble. Frank wrapped his arm about her again.

"I think she's in shock," he said to the medic. "You'd better take her to the hospital, I guess." Despite his words, he held Megan tightly, reluctant to let her out of his sight.

"Frank, I don't want to go," she protested.

"I know," he soothed her. "It'll be okay; I'll be right there. I'll bring Joe, and then I'll be there for you." Finally, Megan allowed herself to be led away, and Frank, Joe and Con Riley were left alone in the room which had served as a prison cell for the past several days.

"You two go on to the hospital," Con told them gruffly. "I've got to stay here until the medical examiner arrives...and I need to contact Callie Shaw's parents." He gave the two boys a long look. "The story had better be a good one."

Joe smiled a little. "You asked us to find Callie, Con. We did. Leave it at that, for now."