"There is a destiny that makes us brothers, no one goes his way alone; all that we send into the lives of others, comes back into our own."
- Edwin Markham

Frank

I saw Joe's eyes widen as he looked at his ringing phone before answering it with a very hesitant "hello?"

I didn't think Joe's expression could have gotten more shocked, but when he heard the voice on the other line...it did. Now I was really anxious to hear who it was.

"Hope?" he finally gasped turning to both Nic and I. Without hesitation I grabbed the phone and hit the speaker button.

"Joe?" a croaking voice crackled through, "Joe, you and Frank better get here--where ever here is--damn quick! Akacia's gone of the deep end!" Hope whimpered, her hot temper slightly masked by her shaky voice.

"I have not!" Akacia's voice could be heard, but it was distant. She sounded like an angry child rather than a--well--angry adult.

"Don't listen to this bit--" but the phone was ripped away before Hope could finish.

"No. You should listen to me. I understand Joseph, that you have been keeping tabs on your friends," Akacia said, her voice going from whiny to menacing.

Joe turned to me, raising his eyebrows. Unfortunately I knew exactly what Akacia was talking about. I had no idea how she knew about...well...Joe, but she did.

I thought back to all the time we had spent with Akacia before. How awkwardly she moved and acted around Joe...as if she could read his every thought, predict his every movement.

Suddenly Joe's idea of "clairvoyance" was starting to sound very accurate.

"What do you want Akacia?" Joe asked through clenched teeth, trying very hard to reign in his anger.

"I don't want to ruin the surprise Joseph...and I hope it doesn't sound too cliche, but revenge Joe, revenge." Akacia was relishing in her evil rant.

"Figures," I muttered in disgust.

"You're right, she's crazy," Nic whispered next to me.

"I wouldn't infuriate me Nicko. After all it's your brother I have in my protection."

"Protection!? What the hell are you talking about? You kidnapped him!" Nic yelled, his calm level head slowly dissipating as the conversation got more heated.

"Don't raise your voice with me Prito! If it wasn't for me, I'm sure he would be dead by now, you should be thanking me Nic," she growled in response. Nic shook his head in disbelief but didn't reply.

"Akacia, let's be reasonable--"I started, attempting to calm everyone down.

"No Frank, 'reasonable' is not my style. Now if you will excuse me gentlemen, I have some things to take care of," Akacia hissed before there was a click and the dial tone signaled the end of that conversation.

...

Biff

The large farmhouse had been exceedingly quiet since Hope's "disappearance." There was a definite pessimistic energy in the air that had never been felt around here before. It was hard to even think about her, but I knew I had to keep my head on straight, for her benefit.

I hadn't spoken with the Hardys for a half a day or so, which had me slightly on edge, but I knew they were doing everything they could, along with the police (even if they were not truly listening to the Hardys side of the story), to find both Hope and Tony.

Nicko Prito had been on the edge of hysterics when the police officially declared Antonio Prito missing two days earlier. Benito had stayed surprisingly calm throughout the whole ordeal, but you could still see the immense worry in his dark eyes. If it wasn't for Laura and Fenton's support, I don't think the man could have stayed so collected.

The sound of the phone ringing caught me off guard as I stopped my inadvertent pacing of the kitchen. I recognized the number on the caller ID and smiled slightly as I picked up.

"Hi Jamie, what's up?" I asked my year younger brother.

"Just over at the pool," he replied, the echoing sounds of the pool that he lifeguards at could be heard in the background, "I was calling to see if you'd gotten any word on Hope?"

"Nothing new yet," I sighed, thinking of Hope. Then images of Akacia and the files on Alexander Bernheart played in my head too.

"With Frank and Joe working on it she'll be okay, I'm sure of it," Jay said trying to reassure me, although he didn't sound too confident.

"Thanks," but my reply was drowned out by more splashing sounds on the other line.

"Hey, Biff, sorry I gotta go--hey no pushing!--I'll talk to you later, 'kay?" Jamie said through the yelling.

"Yeah, bye!" I heard the phone disconnect and decided that I should call Joe again, just to see what was up with the investigation. Jamie had me thinking now.

Even though I'd called Joe and Frank frequently, they didn't seem to mind. At the moment the police weren't being much help to us, and they clearly didn't believe anything the Hardys had to tell them.

"Biff, I'm glad you called," Joe answered his phone right away.

"Really? I hope I'm not bothering you again--"

"No, you'll never guess who we just talked to."

"We?"

"Yeah, me, Frank, and Nic just got a call from Akacia and Hope--"

"Hope?!"

"Yeah, she's fine Biff, she sounded a little annoyed but unharmed. Akacia on the other hand, she just sounded...crazy. But I've got a new development that I think I need to see you about in person," Joe explained.

"Okay, where are you guys?"

"Meet us at Prito's in twenty minutes, sound good?" Joe said.

"Sounds good, see you Joe."

A new development? I thought as I hung up the phone, grabbed the keys to my truck and headed out to the carport on the side of the house. This should be interesting.

...

Thirty minutes later I stared at Joe in shock, confusion, and excitement.

Even if it was unrealistic, Joe had found Hope and Tony.

"So what are we waiting for?" I asked.

"Whoa. That's it? No 'Joe isn't that a little out there?' or 'Joe, I think you've finally cracked'?" Joe asked, the faint lines on his forehead creasing as he spoke.

I looked at Nic and Frank. Both of them wore slightly guilty expressions. It was obvious that their first reaction to Joe's dream wasn't a good one.

I could believe it from them though. They're a little too rational to believe in all this "psychic" stuff. Still, I hoped that they trusted Joe enough to go along with him.

Frank, being the good brother he is, must have to at least pretend to believe Joe.

And Nic, I'm sure he'll take any chance to get his brother back. Even if it means listening to Joe talk about his "visions."

I for one didn't care if it made "sense" to anyone. As long as Joe thought he was right, that was all I needed. I just wanted to get Hope back...preferably in one piece.

"I don't think you're crazy Joe. How is this anything different than usual? You're always going by your gut instincts. This is just an extreme case," I said with a small smile. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Frank and Nic smile too.

"Are you sure? I know, I know I must sound like a lunatic--"

"No Joe, you don't. I believe you. We all do. I'm sorry about the way I acted at first. I'm with you all the way," Frank said placing a firm hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Yeah, we're behind you on this Joe," the younger Prito added, with a reassuring nod.

"One hundred percent," I smiled.

"Thanks," Joe grinned back at all of us, a twinkle of mischief in his blue eyes, "All I care about now, is finding Hope and Tony, and hopefully figuring out all this Bernheart business."

"Me too," Frank said. Both Nic and I nodded in agreement.

Finding Hope and Tony was definitely high up on my list at the moment. I would most likely be leaving the Bernhearts to Frank, Joe, and the police.

As we began to discuss our plan of action and Joe brought out a map to study, attempting to figure out the exact location of the building from his dream, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered, not really paying much attention to whomever was on the other end. I was still too engrossed with our brainstorming.

There was silence for a moment and then I heard the sound of heavy breathing.

I lifted my eyes off the map and focused them on the street outside of Prito's.

Frank must have noticed because he then too lifted his eyes from the map to give me a worried glance.

"Biff?" he asked, his voice concerned. I held up a hand to stop him from saying anything else.

On the other line I heard something that made my heart race. The muffled silence had been interrupted by the voice of my younger brother, Jamie. The one who I had spoken to not more than an hour before.

"Biff?" There was a long pause.

"Biff? Allen?--No! Get away from me!--Allen!--" his hoarse, terrified yells were cut off abruptly. There was silence. Dead silence.

My eyes were still positioned straight ahead of me. But I wasn't looking at anything.

Nothing around me registered in my mind, not even Frank's anxious questions.

The only thing that penetrated my dazed and horrified state was the sound of an unrecognizable voice on the other line.

"Do you know where your brother is Mr. Hooper?"