"Everything in the universe goes by indirection. There are no straight lines." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Joe

"Both Hope Peters and Akacia Heart are missing," Con Riley told Frank and I as we entered the police station.

"Missing? What do you mean? Like kidnapped?" I asked.

"Well, we're not sure about Akacia. She just hasn't been seen recently. Tony said she never made it to work this morning. But Hope's gym bag and car were found out front of The Gym, and Phil saw her leave the building. She simply just disappeared," Riley explained with a worried edge to his voice.

"Oh. My. God," came a scared yet loud voice from behind us. I turned to face a very pale Callie Hardy, a wiggling Seth in her arms, and Vanessa, an equally animated Jared hanging on to her.

"Hope was kidnapped?" Vanessa gasped.

"Let's not jump to conclusions here," Frank started to calm his wife down.

"Well what other conclusion could one reach?" Callie demanded, balancing Seth on her hip, "Officer Riley said--"

"Con said that Hope's car and bag were found in The Gym parking lot. That's it, that doesn't mean anything...yet," Frank said watching his wife attempt to brush through Seth's short auburn hair with her fingers. She set her mouth in a defiant line but said nothing else.

After a few more moments of discussion I pulled Frank off to the side while Callie and Vanessa berated Con with more questions.

"Frank, I think we need to do some checking up on Akacia Heart. Something about her...I don't know, but something just doesn't seem right."

"Intuition?" Frank asked with a smile.

"Detective's intuition. Come on Frank, I know you can feel it too," I said. He looked at me, thinking for a moment before nodding in agreement.

...

Four hours, three nervous calls from Biff, six cups of coffee, and one computer freeze up later, Frank and I found what we were looking for. Well maybe not exactly what we were looking for, but pretty close.

"I can't believe it," I gasped staring at Frank.

"Believe it bro."

"Say it isn't so," I said, still in shock.

"Oh, it be so."

"I-I'm speechless...I am without speech."

"Akacia Heart...or Bernheart rather...was Roger's younger step sister."

"Jeezus Christ," I whispered, still in shock. Frank didn't look very happy either.

"Their father's name is Alexander Bernheart, but there's absolutely nothing on him, we'd have to pull an inside job to get that stuff," Frank added in a grim tone.

"I can't believe you actually said 'pull an inside job.' You're not actually considering--"

"Yes I am, well you are."

"I am?"

"You want to find Hope right?"

"I know if we don't there will be hell to pay...most likely in the form of Biff's fist."

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a little?" Frank said with a smile.

"Maybe. But when it comes to Hope, he's serious," I replied with a nod.

"Well then we better get started..."

...

Frank and I knew for a fact that Chief Collig was out with our father. This was our only chance. We needed to get into his secure files.

"It's 7:44," Frank said looking down at his watch in the dim light of his car.

"7:47, get a watch that works."

"Whatever," he said giving me a pointed look, "You need to get in and get out...fast. Got it?"

"Have I ever failed you?" I asked with a grin. Frank stared at me in humorous shock. He started to say something but I cut him off.

"Never mind. Don't answer that."

Frank grinned and I hopped out of the car as I rolled my eyes.

The Chief's office was on the second floor and easy--almost too easy--to get to. I casually entered the station making my way to the emergency stairs and headed up one flight. The building was generally quiet and the second floor contained few bystanders.

The fluorescent overhead lights in the hallway were dimmed slightly due to a burnt out bulb. Reaching the Chief's office I pulled on the door handle, just in case for some odd reason it wasn't locked. Wrong. Quickly I removed my trusty lock pick from my pocket and had the heavy mahogany door open in less than a minute.

The room, as expected, was ensconced in complete darkness. I clicked on my penlight and scanned the room. Collig's office is fairly basic. A desk, some chairs, some filing cabinets. But the thing I had my eye on was his state of the art, impossible--almost--to break into, fingerprint activated cabinet.

Jackpot.

I carefully examined the touch screen and slipped a canister of putty and another of fingerprint powder out of my jacket pocket.

Breaking and entering 101: when it comes to fingerprint scanners, people don't wipe them down...ever. So nine out of ten times, there will be a finger print left, and hopefully the correct one.

I dusted some powder over the scanner, then placed the putty over that. Taking my new "fingerprint" I wiped down the scanner and placed the print over it.

I held my breath.

Click.

Sigh.

Bingo.

I flipped through Chief Collig's secure files until the name Bernheart flashed in front of my eyes. I felt my cell phone vibrate and picked up on the second ring.

"What?" I whispered.

"Collig's back."

"Shit."

That's when I heard an almost silent scuffling outside.

Quickly I slammed the drawer shut, turned off the penlight, and then opened the side window. Poking my head out I noticed it wasn't that big of a fall. Why not? I've got nothing to lose right? Well...

"Joseph Paul Hardy don't even think--" Frank shouted on the other line, but it was cut off by the thud my landing made. The cell phone skidded across the sidewalk and I could barely make out Frank's yelling.

I opened my eyes to see Frank's concerned yet annoyed face in front of mine. He pulled me to my feet.

"Good. You're alive...now I'm gonna personally kill you," Frank hissed at me, which I returned with a lopsided grin.

"Joe! You scared me half to death!" Frank yelled in a hushed tone as we made our way back to the car.

"I'm still in one piece aren't I?" I brushed off his concern and he rolled his eyes at me.

"So? Is Akacia as bad as her step bro?" I asked anxiously once we were a safe distance away from the police station. Though I was still recovering from my minor run in with the pavement, a course of adrenaline was running through me just thinking about anyone by the name of Bernheart.

"Her father, Alexander Bernheart, is an international murderer, drug runner, and Mobb boss. He's been convicted of petty theft and possession of stolen drugs twice, but nothing major has ever been able to be traced back to him. Her Uncle, Richard Bernheart, is a sadistic physician, who runs a questionable insane asylum in Odesa, Ukraine where he and his brother live. Her family is just plain messed up," Frank explained in a grave monotone.

"I can tell you one thing Frank, Tony is not going to be very happy about this," I grumbled.

"That's an understatement."

...

Frank

An hour later, standing behind the counter in Prito's, way past closing time, Tony stared at me in shock. He also had a mop in his hands, a fist forming around the handle. I wonder if a mop is classified as a dangerous weapon?

Now Antonio Prito was a fairly mild tempered sort of guy. But no matter how in control one seems to be, there is always a breaking point. Hell, I'd proven that a few months ago.

There was complete silence for a moment. I could hear the faint chatter of Nic and Joe in the kitchen. I wasn't sure if silence was a good or a bad thing.

I suppose I was grateful for still being alive, and not having a mop handle whack me upside the head. I could see the confusion mixed with anger in Tony's eyes.

"Tony what's wrong?" Nic's voice broke the tense silence. I turned to see my brother and Nicko Prito staring at me and Tony. Joe had a worried look on his face and Nic was studying Tony's expression carefully.

"Frank here was telling me some bull about Akacia's dad being a psychotic murdering Mob boss!!" Tony exclaimed in Joe and Nic's faces.

"Okay...the psychotic part, now that's bull...the murdering Mob boss part...that sure as hell isn't!" Joe told him, standing confidently in front of the older Prito, who's olive skin visibly paled.

"You can't be serious!" he growled looking back and forth between Joe and I. Nic listened quietly, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Do I look like I'm not serious Tony?" Joe said boldly. Tony looked at him, seeing the determination in my brother's face. He backed down slightly.

"But...you're not saying that Akacia had a hand in Roger and her father's work? And Hope's disappearance? She wouldn't do that..." Tony muttered.

"Well, we're not sure yet," I put in calmly. Both Pritos looked very confused and worried, even Joe had some concern in his, now slightly lighter blue eyes.

"I-I have to go," Tony whispered before he pushed his way past Joe and out the front door. Nic went to follow but Joe held him back.

"Let him go. He just needs time to come to his senses."

Nic nodded grimly but the anxiousness in his face only elevated.

...

Tony

I walked away from the restaurant in an angry rage. How dare they accuse Akacia of assisting her criminal father!

Of course...No! It can't be true...Akacia would never...

I wasn't quite sure what I was doing or what to think at this very moment but one thing I knew for sure...I needed to see Akacia...

...

The Next Morning...

Frank

I had just sat down with the morning paper when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Frank? Have you seen Tony? He was supposed to work the 11 o'clock shift and he hasn't showed up yet! I called his cell but he's not picking up!"

"Nic, calm down...slow down. Tony never showed up?"

"That's what I said isn't it!? Frank, I know Tony was angry yesterday, but this is not like him at all. I'm worried."

"Ok, take it easy Nic, we'll find him. I'm going to call Joe."

"Thank you Frank."

I hung up and immediately dialed Joe's cell phone.

"Joe?" I said not waiting for his greeting as he picked up, "Tony's missing."

A/N: See, for every few short chapters there is always a long one! Hope you liked it! Thoughts?