ANNOUNCEMENTS: READ THEM.
THE STUPID FANFICTION SITE KEEPS MESSING UP MY UPDATES AND IF I HAVE TO DELETE AND REPOST ONE MORE CHAPTER BECAUSE OF SOME STUPID CODE THAT MAKES MY TEXT UNREADABLE I WILL SCREAM.
1. Yes, I DID get it in by "next week"... though it wasn't an exact week from when I last updated...
2. I APOLOGIZE that these last chapters and ESPECIALLY this chapter are extreeeeeemely confusing. But it is for a purpose! All SHALL be explained! Soon! Like, hopefully next chapter.
3. Which brings me to #3, the next chapter is probably the last one.
4. I know there's a lot of things left unresolved and unanswered, and a distinct lack of the regular level of storyline going on with the other main characters besides Frank.
5. With that said, PLEASE REMEMBER that this is a pretty Frank-centric story. The others will get their time to talk and be their wonderful selves next chapter when I finish this up.
P.S. Where did the button for the divider line thingies go?
Disclaimer: I do not own Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys. My friend and I own Dusk Herr and Tori Maxwell.
Hope it works this time.
"The police are on their way," Bess's voice came over the phone. Nancy nodded, holding the phone with one hand while George worked on picking the lock to free her other wrist from the bed rail.
"Good. What are you seeing on the security cameras?"
"Not much so far. I mean it IS dark."
"Keep an eye on rooms that have windows. That's the only light source they have now. I suspect they'll use it eventually."
"I'm checking some of the hospital rooms. There doesn't seem to be anything going on. Everyone that's in a room is either too sick or injured to get out of bed, or they're asleep. I think you were the only one they were concerned about because you'll be well enough to be released in another day or so."
George finished picking the lock, and the handcuffs clicked open. Relieved, Nancy removed her hand. They waited in silence for a few seconds.
"Hold up. Something's happening," Bess muttered.
"What do you see?" George leaned close to Nancy, even though she had the phone on speaker mode.
"Two people just entered one of the rooms. Ugh, it's so dim... Okay, now one of them is opening the window. Hmm. I think it's a girl about our age, kind of tall, and I wish I was that slim. Long curly hair... Can't tell what color, the resolution is awful."
"What's the other person look like?" Nancy asked, curious.
"Hang on, his back is to the camera. Wait! I think it's – guys, it's Frank!" Bess exclaimed.
"What?!"
"You're good," Frank breathed about twenty minutes later, staring in amazement as Tori hacked the hospital's mainframe from Dr. Matthews' computer.
"Thanks," the girl whispered back, not taking her eyes off the screen. They narrowed in concentration as she typed furiously.
The bluish glow from the screen illuminated the teens' faces, being the only light in Dr. Matthews' office. Frank watched Tori open and close applications, typing codes at a rate so furious it nearly boggled him.
"So uh, what are you doing? Exactly?" Frank murmured, as Tori pressed one more key and sat back in satisfaction as a message that read exporting appeared.
"Just incriminating a criminal," she smiled.
Criminal? Dr. Matthews? Frank's head spun. "Come again?"
"Oh, Dr. Matthews has only been here for about a month, and he's already using his job as a cover for smuggling illegal drugs," Tori casually informed him. "Turns out he's got a large gang buying from him."
How? What? When? Frank's brain screamed in confusion. "Wait, so is he not a real doctor?!"
Shaking her head emphatically, Tori clicked something with the mouse. "He had a few years of nursing school, but everything else was forged right before he was hired here."
So the person responsible for our care is a criminal. Sounds about right. "As if we weren't in enough trouble already without a drug-dealing doctor sending thugs after my brother," Frank muttered under his breath. "I bet as soon as he found out who we were, we jumped right to the top of his hit list."
Tori shook her head as if snapping herself out of a daze. "Sorry, did you say something?"
Frank sighed. "Nothing. Just... thinking aloud, I guess."
Thud! A loud noise behind them instantly had both teens on the ground behind the desk. Frank's heart beat rapidly as he rolled over onto his back, looking up.
Four different gloved hands held four different guns at him. He gritted his teeth.
A tense silence reined in the small, dark office. The masked figures, silhouetted by the light from the computer, didn't move a muscle.
Joe: Um, excuse me. Yeah. I'm so interrupting right now.
Me: (sputtering) Wha-but-I-you-
Joe: Shhh.
Me: But I was-!
Joe: SHHH.
Me:...
Joe: Now is it just me, or is there a pattern here?
Me: Pattern?
Joe: Yup. We keep switching between Frank, Nancy, and Bess. But do you know what's wrong?
Me: I think so, but I assume you're about to tell me...
Joe: What's wrong is the distinct lack of Joe-ness. What's happening to me this whole time? Huh?
Me:...I have my reasons...
Joe: (meaningful glare)
Me: I promise, you get a scene soon.
Joe: Promise?
Me: Promise.
Joe: Yay! Is it this chapter?
Me:...
Me: See you next chapter, Joe!
Joe: Aw, dangit.
Slowly, Frank opened his hands and moved them beside his head. Risking a glance over towards Tori, he dimly saw three more men holding guns at her. How many times can this happen in one day?! Frank thought, half worried, half frustrated. I'm beginning to realize I have absolutely no clue what is going on here.
"What do we do with them?" One of the thugs muttered grimly. Another one entered the room and gestured urgently to the one who had spoken. Thug 1 listened, his eyes concerned above the material covering the rest of his face. Frank then watched the man's eyes harden.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the doorway behind the men. It was rather small and slender, but Frank couldn't tell whether it was a boy or a girl. The person was in all black, looking just like all the others, but something was off. Frank squinted, studying them. Then he realized that they had no gun.
A split second after Frank had taken in all of this, the figure grabbed the arm of the man holding a gun at Tori and yanked it, flipping the man heavily to the ground. Whirling, the person took out two more of the thugs, ducking quickly under a punch, jumping over a kick, and slamming them into the wall. The remaining thugs quickly brought their guns up.
Before they could make any other move, Frank sprang to his feet and slammed his fist into one of the thugs' heads, knocking him out cold. His fist exploded in pain. Grabbing the man's gun as he fell, Frank spun, ramming the butt of it into the next man's head. Crack. The gun flew from his grasp. As it spun across the floor, two more thugs ran in, and Frank and the smaller figure in black exchanged a glance. Breathing hard, Frank dashed forwards with his mysterious ally to confront the new enemy.
"Freeze!"
Hearing a gasp from his partner, Frank slammed on the brakes. Slowly, he glanced behind him.
His blood ran cold as he saw that the first man that had been taken down now held Tori by the throat, a knife pressed up against her neck.
The silence was so thick that Frank could've sworn it was touchable.
Sweat trickled down his forehead. There was no way. He looked around at the men surrounding them. Hardened gazes met his eyes every time.
Tori's eyes were wide, but she didn't look completely panicked. Strangely, her eyes were locked with Frank's fighting partner. He frowned. Did they know each other?
Cautiously, the thug began to move his knife away from Tori's throat, but still where he could use it. "Get on the ground," he said gruffly. Frank stared right back at him. Grudgingly, he began to obey.
BANG!
The gunshot caught the whole room by surprise. Everyone's heads snapped towards the doorway.
Illuminated by the glow of the computer, Bess stood, posed like a professional spy. The pistol in her hands was still pointed at the ceiling. Lowering it, she pointed it at the guy holding Tori. The blonde smirked. "Didn't your mama ever tell you not to bring a knife to a gunfight?"
1 review = 1 cheezit and I love cheezits. Thank you to all my reviewers, among them Baltimore Raven, sparkles321, max2013, purpledramagirl17, NancyAustin, GJFH (where'd GJFH go anyway?), Kl, ACertainIdioticScientist, j, and Guest.
Hope it works this time! Just about died when I saw what this screwy site had done to my beautiful update.
See you next chapter... (thunder)(lightning)