So, um. See… there was this huge tornado, and it made my house fly away, and my dog was so scared, that it ate my story. And then my hands fell off… so I couldn't write, and.. um... and...

Yeah.. I'm finally back to writing this thing. I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry for the long absence. Thanks to EVERYONE for all their encouragement and (gentle.. sometimes!) nudging to get this thing updated. My most sincere apologies.

Disclaimer: Yeah, still don't own them.

Hotel Hostages

Chapter 4

After Joe left the party floor, he went in search of Frank and Nancy. This party was definitely something he wanted to share with them. As he stepped into the elevator, he once again realized the buttons were just out of his reach. He stood still for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to do. He stood on his tip-toes and reached as far as he could to the buttons, but they were still too far away. He pressed himself as flat up against the wall as possible to get the extra length, but still nothing. He rocked back on his heels, and a new thought occurred to him.

"I don't know what button to push!" Joe's palms grew sweaty as he began to realize his problem, until the elevator began whirring and the doors closed automatically.

As the elevator descended down the levels, Joe breathed a sigh of relief. At least now he could get out of the elevator and not be stuck on the top floor.

When the doors finally opened, he stepped out. In front of him was a large area, with tables and chairs. He wandered out of the compartment, realizing he was back on the first floor, where he had first met Lita. There were plenty of adults around, and Joe realized if he wasn't careful, he could get into a lot of trouble for having left.

Glancing around, he thought he saw his father and another lady headed his way! "Dad?" He just knew it! He'd been caught! The only thing left to do was hide!

He quickly spun around and turned the corner, ran down the long hallway, and slid behind a large, cushy chair. It was the only thing he could find. Ad he hid, angry voices echoed down the hallway. Peering underneath the chair, he could see two sets of feet moving towards him. He cowered lower.

"What do you mean, lost? How could you possibly have lost something so valuable?" the man's deep voice boomed.

"Honey, I didn't lose it," the softer voice returned. "You know I wouldn't do something so careless."

The man snorted. "Then where is it, Madeline? That necklace was worth-"

"Worth what? A heart attack?" Madeline's feet quit moving right in front of Joe's hiding spot. "You need to calm down. It's a material item. Jacob, your health is far more important to me!"

Joe held his breath when Jacob didn't respond. He just knew the man had probably found his hiding place!

But after a long moment, the man heaved a great sigh. "I'm sorry, Madeline. As a jeweler.." his voice trailed off.

"I know, dear. As a jeweler, every piece is something special, and that necklace was no exception."

RING RING

Joe nearly yelped as a cell phone rang, startling all three.

"Hello? … Yes, this is Madeline Croft. … The necklace? Well, it was 18 karat white gold, 115 diamonds, one strand, each set in three prongs. Yes, yes. ... Worth? Over sixteen thousand dollars."

The phone conversation continued, but Joe wasn't paying attention.

Sixteen thousand dollars? Joe's eyes widened at the thought of all that money. He didn't know how much that was, but it was so much more than what his piggy bank held! He sat quietly, his mind working. If he could find that necklace…

Joe wiggled in anticipation. Detective Joe was on the case!

NDHB NDHB NDHB NDHB

Meanwhile, Frank, having tossed the hat off before following Nancy out the door, was starting to feel desperate. He had left his little brother by himself, and if he couldn't find Joe, he was going to be in big trouble!

He and Nancy had started with the 2nd floor, and walked down all the hallways. Every time they turned a corner, he hoped to find Joe. But each time, no luck.

"This is my fault. If I had been a better brother," he took a deep breath. "If I had followed him and not let him be by himself, they he wouldn't be lost. And then we wouldn't get into trouble!"

Nancy shook her head as she walked quickly beside him, struggling to keep up with his pace. "It's my fault," she whispered softly. She fought the tears that burned her eyes. I won't be a baby about this! I'm a detective, after all! she thought. She grabbed Frank's hand and took off running. "C'mon, slowpoke! We have to find Joe!"

NDHB NDHB NDHB NDHB

"I'm sorry, Lita, I can't find Frank or Joe Hardy, or Nancy Drew. I've checked over the entire check-in/check-out list, and everyone is here except those three," Adrian whispered quietly to Lita.

Lita sighed and rubbed her temples. In a phone conversation the previous day, Fenton Hardy had warned her of his sons' curiosity and disregard for rules. But she really hadn't thought they'd sneak out. She definitely didn't see it coming from Nancy, though. But, the three appeared to be good friends when the boys arrived that morning. She sighed. "Thanks, Adrian. I'm going to call Mr. Drew and Mr. Hardy. While I do that, would you please call Security and let them know to be watching for them?"

Adrian nodded and walked away to make the phone call. She was grateful Lita had volunteered to call the fathers, something she would have dreaded. As the other workers gathered the children around for lunch time, Adrian slipped quietly into the office to make her call.

Lita, however, perched herself on the edge of the desk near the front and reached for the phone, dialing the reception area for the conference room. "Hey, Judy. It's Lita upstairs. Would you be able to pull Carson Drew and Fenton Hardy out of the meeting for a few minutes?"

There was a short pause. "Fenton is in the middle of his presentation right now, but I'll have Corey get Carson. Would you mind holding for a moment?"

"No problem. Thanks, Judy." Lita leaned back in her chair as she waited patiently. She hated to disturb anyone during a meeting, but in her opinion, children should always come first, especially during emergencies. And normally, she would have been nervous about calling, but both men seemed patient and understanding when they had met earlier in the morning. She felt that the children's disobedience was a common occurrence in each household.

"This is Carson Drew," Carson's voice came over the line.

"Hi, Mr. Drew. I apologize for calling and interrupting, but-"

Carson chuckled lightly. "No need to apologize. I'm sure Nancy and the boys have gotten into some type of trouble, right?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking. Actually, we can't find the three. There was a bit of ruckus earlier, and I think all three snuck out of here. I'm sure they aren't in any danger, but we've alerted security to be on the lookout," she explained.

There was an audible sigh on Carson's end. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised," he paused for a moment, thinking. "I'm sure they won't leave the hotel. Most likely, they went looking for something more exciting. Not that the area you have set up is boring, of course," he added in a hurry. "They just like to think they are adults and are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. When Mr. Hardy finishes, we'll call you back to see how it's going. I'm not worried, well, you never know."

After hanging up, Lita sighed heavily. No matter how gracious he had been, she still felt solely responsible. But the sudden wail of another child wouldn't allow her to dwell. Not when duty called.

I'll try to be better about my future updates. Hope I still have some people reading. If not, oh well. I'll finish anyway!