Thank you so much for the reviews! I couldn't keep you in suspense too long, so I hope you enjoy this chapter. I still haven't gotten ownership of the Hardy franachise.

Chapter 17

Frank, Joe, and Kailey had jumped up at Mrs. Hardy's voice to see Brandon receive a bullet in the shoulder and collapse on top of Mr. Hardy.

Laura wasted no time running over to check on her husband who eased the injured criminal off him. "Oh my god Fenton, I thought Sam was going to hit you!"

The boys turned to face the kitchen as they approached their father. Sam Radley was approaching them with the gun still out as a precaution. He couldn't see where the perp's weapon had landed.

Brandon moaned and rolled away from Mr. Hardy, in the direction of the teens. Sam reprimanded the man, "Oh no you don't!" and took two quick steps to remove the gun out of his reach.

The police took the combo of a gun firing and a scream as their cue to enter the Hardy residence. An officer Cooper was the first to come in and see Sam pointing a gun at a man on the ground with oozing blood from his left shoulder. Sheldon Cooper noticed another weapon just out of his reach. "Sam I've got him," he said approaching the injured man.

"Dad are you okay?" Frank asked. The criminal was now being read his rights and the Hardy clan was gathered on the floor in the hallway waiting on the ambulance.

Someone decided that Fenton needed the stretcher more than the criminal, so he was going to be driven in the police car. Kailey was being questioned by Officer Cooper and Con Riley was taking over the crime scene.

"Sam where did you come from?" Con asked. He figured that interviewing them all at once would be simpler and he'd get any information about this man having accomplices. Also, he didn't think the boys or his wife were going to leave his side so soon.

Laura spoke up, "You see Con that after I contacted the police, I rang him over. I wasn't sure what he was doing and I figured he could be a big help."

Sam smiled. He was grateful that woman called him because he didn't even want to think about what would have happened if he hadn't been there. "After I got Laura's frantic call, I sped over here. I was actually just on my way home. The lights were on in the front, so I went around back. I thought she may have mentioned something about being in the kitchen. I came through the back and assessed the situation."

Con broke in, "What was going on?"

"Well Fenton had just gotten control of the situation. I didn't want to throw him off by jumping in. If I had just stepped in Fenton you'd probably be distracted and one second was all that guy needed to make a move. I assumed he had a weapon on him from the bulge in his jacket."

"Yeah, I think we got that. Continue."

"Fenton noticed it too," Sam paused as he nodded in agreement. "I waited for the opportune moment to take the guy out if necessary, only if Fenton didn't have the advantage. Once Fenton fell as the man brutally hurt his knee, the man was dangerous. At least the kids were safe, so I took out my weapon and discharged it when I thought he was going to shoot it. That's about it."

"Thanks Sam. Now, do any of you know what he wanted or if he was working with anyone?"

"Kailey," Joe replied. Nothing had really been explained since the police can to do their work, following protocol to the tee. He and his brother gathered with their parents in the hall. Kailey was escorted into questioning in the study. Sam remained by his partner for support.

Con looked at the exhausted family. "What do you mean by that?"

Frank spoke up, "Well, you see he was here for her. I think she may have an idea who he's working for. Kailey had said that he was an old associate of her father."

"Really? Any reason he'd suddenly go a-wall?"

"Well, he actually wanted to kidnap me and probably meet up with my father's ex-girlfriend. She's got this crazy revenge thing going on," Kailey answered. Her voice made them nervous. That statement was said extremely matter-of-fact and it wasn't expected.

"Why do you say that?" Con asked, intrigued.

"I just got off the phone with my father and he had some rather disturbing news. You know that woman, Elena Richardson, well she's no longer in captivity."

Frank was confused, "Wait.. what? How can that be? It's not like they'd let her off?"

"My dad said they were transferring her to a state facility, and she never made it there. Also, that's why my phone went off earlier, he wanted to warn me."

"How do you know he was planning on meeting up with this woman?" Sam asked. Con's presence as a police officer was completely forgotten. The detectives were taking control of the conversation.

"Actually I've kind of had my eye on him for a while. You know that uncomfortable feeling you get around some people? Well he was giving off this weird vibe and has acted oddly toward my father lately."

"In what way?" Fenton asked. He was intrigued. How did this girl know? There was definitely something different about her. What it was exactly Fenton had no idea.

"It's not necessarily what he has done, but what he hasn't. Within the last two years, he has not been attending the company functions regularly. The absence wasn't noticeable as these festivities are packed with people, but he also wasn't coming around our house any more. My dad would mention off-hand that Brandon scarcely talked to him, he was always busy."

Con asked, "So why would that mean anything?"

Kailey looked at Mr. Hardy. He knew the story, and she didn't feel comfortable letting the entire police squad privy to the intimate details of the kidnapping. She was trying to forget it.

Fenton noticed her distress at answering this question and glanced at his wife. She always knew how to handle these situations.

"Well Con," Frank began.

"Frank let me dear," Mrs. Hardy interrupted her eldest. "She has just come to that conclusion based on previous experiences which aren't relevant to your case. You captured him, she is safe here. She was questioned and you got the general gist of the story from us. I think that's all you need. Anymore specific questions can wait until tomorrow. This has been one heck of a night, so please just do some homework."

Con looked at Fenton who wasn't arguing and agreed wholeheartedly with his wife's choice of words.

The entrance of the emergency crew buried Con's burning concerns. Fenton was taken on a stretcher as his knee was complete knocked out of its socket. Laura, Frank, Joe, and Kailey jumped in the Hardy mobile and headed to the hospital.

Laura still volunteered there and was greeted warmly by the nurses and doctors she passed in the halls. The group remained in the plastic waiting chairs while Fenton was examined and chatted with the doctor.

Conversation between them mostly concerned banal topics such as time. Eventually, Kailey couldn't take it anymore and burst out the thought she had been thinking for the last hour or so since the incident. "I'm so sorry. This wouldn't have happened if I would have just left."

Mrs. Hardy broke out of her exhausted stupor and grabbed Kailey's hands. Looking deep into her eyes she told her, "It's not your fault. It could have been a lot worse. Thank goodness that you did delay leaving with that terrifying man. Something much worse could have happened to you."

"It's not your fault K," Joe said, patting her on the shoulder, trying to comfort her. "Crazies always seem to turn up at our doorstep, or more likely we go out searching for them. It's nothing we can't handle. Dad'll be up and back at it in no time."

"Yeah, this knucklehead is actually right for a change. Don't blame yourself, that's just stupid."

"MOM, did you hear what he just called me?" Joe whined.

"Yes."

Kailey and Frank burst out in laughter. Joe crossed his arms and continued to pout like a petulant child. Laura smiled and tried to get comfortable in her seat. The contagious atmosphere broke as a doctor approached them.

"Hardy?"

"Yes," said the three of them in sync.

"You can go see him now, he's right through that door," the doctor relayed and pointed to two doors down the hall.

"Thank you," Mrs. Hardy said before the doctor left and quickly got to her feet. "Let's go slowpokes."

Joe grinned at his mother, she always knew how to keep their spirits up. In about thirty seconds the Hardys were reunited. Mr. Hardy was relaxing on the bed with a brace on his knee.

"Hi honey, how are you doing?" Laura asked, coming over to his beside to comfort him.

"I'm fine. The doc put my knee back in place, gave me a brace and some pain killers. I can go home tonight."

"That's great dad!" Frank said.

"Yeah, she just ran to grab some crutches."

"Dad, you really think you can function crutches? How about a wheelchair? That seems like a more suitable accommodation for a man of your stature," Joe commented.

"What are you implying son? That I'm old?"

Joe's cheeks turned a light pink shade. Frank and Kailey covered their mouths, holding back their laughter.

Mrs. Hardy jumped in the conversation, "Ohh honey, of course not! I love you just way you are!" She planted a big one on him.

"Ewww! Get a room!" Joe teased. Frank rolled his eyes, his brother never knew when to stop. Fenton reached for a pillow to throw in his direction, but halted at the sight of the doctor at the door.

"Well, it's seems you're doing ten times better than I last saw you. You guys just need to keep him entertained for the next few weeks while he remains close to immobile," the doctor smiled and produced the crutches. "These are for you. I brought the paper work to check yourself out."

"Thank you so much doc."

"The pleasure is all mine. Now just let me know if you're feeling at all uncomfortable and if the pain doesn't extensively decrease within the next week," replied the doc and turned to whisper jokingly to Fenton, "Now's the perfect time to bring out all those i-owe-yous and promises."

"You bet I will."

"Good," the doctor smiled and continued, "Now keep that on. Only take it off when showering because it's not waterproof. Otherwise have a pleasant night and a better weekend."

"Thank you" chorused throughout the room as the doctor retreated.

After some slip-ups and ridiculous comments about lacking in coordination, Mr. Hardy was pooped and proceeded to fall right to sleep when he returned home. Soon enough the rest of the household went to sleep as well. Not a creature was stirring.

A/N: please review! Also, thanks to all those who favorited the story and put it on alert:)