A/N: Thank you for the feedback, Virtute and Leya! I truly appreciate it. And yes, the next time Joe and Emily meet will definitely be interesting...but in a totally different way. LOL Short chapter today, but a longer one next time. Thanks to all who are continuing to read!

Chapter 19

An odd scraping noise awakened Emily from a sound sleep. She sat up in bed and blinked, struggling to rouse herself fully. There it was again. She turned her head toward the window. Was the sash moving? Emily's eyes widened...it was. Someone was trying to break into her room.

Quickly she slid out of bed, opened her door and stepped into the hall. She paused to catch her breath, her hand at her throat. What do I do? I need to call the police. Wait...the regular police or the campus police? She heard another noise from her bedroom. Oh no, what if he's inside? She dashed into the kitchen, grabbing for the phone and instinctively dialing the number on the message pad in front of it.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

"Hello?" Joe mumbled in a sleepy voice.

"J-Joe? Is that you?"

Joe sat up in bed at the sound of a female voice on the other end. "Yeah." He rubbed his eyes. "Who's this?"

"Emily." She spoke barely above a whisper, and Joe could tell by her tone she was frightened.

"What's wrong?" he asked, now fully alert.

"I think someone's breaking into my house. I heard someone trying to open my window."

Joe was already standing up, reaching for his jeans and tugging them on while cradling the phone under his ear. "Okay, listen, I'm on my way. I want you to hide. Somewhere with a locking door, understand?"

"Yes. Shouldn't I go outside?"

He zipped his jeans and grabbed a shirt. "No, you don't know who might be out there."

She gripped the phone receiver more tightly as she heard glass breaking from her bedroom. "I think he's in the house."

He was hurriedly jamming his sneakers on. "I'm coming. I promise. I'm calling the police, too. Just hide, Emily."

"Thank you," she whispered as she quietly hung up the phone.

Looking around frantically, she slipped into the bathroom and turned the lock on the door. She quickly pushed a clothes hamper in front of it and searched around for something she could use as a weapon. The best she could come up with was a drinking glass on the counter. Wrapping it in a towel to muffle the sound, she smashed it against the sink. She quickly opened the towel and pulled out a long jagged shard. Grabbing a washcloth, she wound it around one end of the glass, and holding it tightly, crouched down on the other side of the hamper, hoping that with her weight pressed against it, the door would be a little more difficult to open.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

Joe grabbed the keys for the van off his dresser and dashed down the hall, bumping into Frank.

"Who was on the phone?"

"Emily," Joe replied, thundering down the stairs. "Someone's breaking into her house."

"What?" Frank snatched a pair of sweatpants from a chair in his room and shoved one leg in while he picked up a t-shirt lying on the floor. "Joe, wait!"

Bending down for a pair of sneakers, he followed his brother down the stairs and out the front door. He jumped into the van as Joe was backing out of the driveway.

"Get the police on the CB," Joe ordered.

Frank pulled his t-shirt over his head and reached for the radio. While he made the call, Joe squealed around the corner.

"Yeah, this is Frank Hardy. We had a call from a friend on campus saying someone is trying to break in. She lives in the French house."

Joe sped through a stop sign.

"About five minutes ago," Frank replied to the dispatcher, while he braced himself against the dashboard.

"She said he was coming in through her bedroom," Joe told him.

Frank repeated the information, then thanked the dispatcher and hung up the CB. "They're sending officers." He studied the expression on his brother's face. "Don't worry. We're not far away."

The tires squealed as Joe pulled the van into the parking lot closest to Emily's house, and exited almost before he pulled the key out of the ignition. Frank jumped down from the passenger's side and caught up with his brother.

"Joe, calm down. We can't rush the house."

He took a deep breath. "I've got to get to her."

"We will." Frank stepped in front of him. "Follow me, okay?"

"Only if you hurry."

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

Emily tried to remain perfectly still in the bathroom, but she could hear someone moving around in the house. They weren't being quiet either. She could tell things were being thrown, furniture was being knocked over and glass was breaking. What on earth do they want? Whoever it is must think we've all gone away for the weekend.

She bit her lip and tried to control her shaking. The noises were getting closer, and she could hear a male voice repeatedly uttering expletives. What will he do when he finds me here? She had no doubt her hiding place would eventually be discovered. He seemed to be searching the house thoroughly and it was only a matter of moments before he would be facing the locked bathroom door. She briefly closed her eyes and prayed help would arrive before he did.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

Frank held his hand out to stop Joe as they reached the front of Emily's house. No lights were on, but they could hear noise coming from within.

"Someone's got her." Joe started for the door, but his brother held him back.

"We can't put her in any more danger," Frank warned.

Joe shook him off. "I'm going in there."

Frank noticed the lights from the police cruiser in the distance. "Wait one more second. At least until I can approach from the back of the house."

"No." Joe tried the front door and found it locked.

Frank sighed and jogged quickly to the backyard, while Joe ran his hands around the doorknob, testing the wood for its strength. He backed up and was about to strike with a well-placed kick against the door plate, when a flashlight shone directly on him.

"Don't do it, Hardy. Unless you want me to arrest you for breaking and entering."

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

Emily cringed as the noises got closer to her. The man seemed to be getting angrier by the minute, judging by the amount of swearing he was doing. She heard something strike the bathroom door and she held her breath. There was silence for a moment, and then the door knob jiggled. Oh, no.

Emily braced her back against the hamper, exerting as much pressure as she could. She heard the intruder trying the door again. She squeezed her eyes shut as he began banging the wooden frame. This door can't take it...it's too old. She gripped her makeshift weapon tightly and waited for the inevitable.