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Chapter 6
As the small group plodded along, Frank checked his watch. They'd gotten an early start and made good time. He glanced at Ford beside him and then back at Joe and Jamie who were several paces behind. They were still talking to each other, but it was no longer the non-stop chatter that had been in the background all morning. Noting the fast clip at which Jamie had to walk to keep up with Joe, Frank imperceptibly slowed his pace reminding himself the boy could only cover a small amount of ground in one step. He noted that Ford also seemed to be growing weary, although he gamely tried to keep up and decided they'd stop to rest shortly.
"So what do you like to do?" Frank asked Ford, trying to get the boy to open up.
"I take martial arts classes," Ford replied a little shyly.
"Really? Me, too! How long have you been studying?"
"Three years. I started when I was seven."
"What style?"
"Shotokan."
"Me, too," Frank said again, happy they had something in common. "What level belt are you?"
"Purple," Ford replied proudly.
"That's great." Frank patted him on the back. "Quite an accomplishment for someone your age."
Ford blushed, but grinned happily. "Thanks. What belt are you?"
"Second degree black belt."
Ford stared up at him in awe. "I'd like to be a black belt someday, but it'll take a really long time."
"You can do it, Ford. Just keep up with your classes, practice your katas and you'll be there before you know it."
Ford grew silent for a few minutes although it appeared to Frank he had something on his mind. It wasn't long before Ford looked up at him again.
"When we get to that safe house, will you and Joe be leaving right away?" he asked, tentatively.
"No, we'll be hanging around until your dad is done testifying."
Ford smiled then, his eyes lighting up. "If you'll be staying for a few days do you think…would it be okay…I mean, only if you want to but…do you think maybe we could practice together? I'm having a lot of trouble with one of the katas…" Ford's voice trailed off, and he quickly looked away as if he were imposing.
Frank put an arm loosely around the boy's shoulders. "I'd love to practice with you."
Ford moved a little closer, as if he craved the closeness of the elder Hardy. "I play baseball, too. On my Little League team. We went to the World Series two years ago!"
"Wow, that's pretty impressive. What position do you play?"
"I'm the pitcher. One of the starters."
Frank gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Guess what?" he said teasingly.
Ford stopped short and stared up at Frank, his brown eyes huge behind the wire-rimmed glasses. "No!" he gasped. "You played pitcher, too?"
Frank grinned. "I sure did. And Joe played first base."
"I hope Jamie and I can play on the same team some day. He just started though, so we're even in different leagues right now," Ford said wistfully.
"Maybe you will one day. Joe and I loved playing sports together; we still do." Frank slowed down, tugging on Ford's shoulder but keeping his arm in place. He'd noticed the way Ford had subconsciously reacted to his touch, even if the younger boy didn't. "What would you say to taking a break? I could use a little rest."
"Good idea," Ford agreed. "Jamie likes to think he's bigger than he really is. Even if he has a hard time keeping up, he'll never say anything." He glanced at his younger brother protectively.
"This looks like a good spot." Frank pointed several yards ahead, and then turned towards Joe. "You guys ready to take a break?"
"I don't know about him, but I'm dying here," Joe replied dramatically.
"Well, okay," Jamie said, grabbing Joe's hand. "If you need to stop, we'll wait for you."
"Gee, thanks." Joe grinned, winking at Frank.
"No problem," Jamie said sincerely. "How about right here." He plopped to the ground and pulled on Joe's hand, indicating he wanted Joe to sit next to him.
Joe settled himself up against a large tree trunk. Frank shrugged off his backpack and pulled out several bags of trail mix and handed them out. Jamie accepted his without comment but looked at it contemptuously. Slowly turning his head, he gazed up at Joe with wide blue eyes, lifting his eyebrows hopefully.
"Trail mix first, chocolate bar second," Joe replied to the unspoken question.
"Okay." Jamie agreed, much more readily than he had that morning.
The small group fell silent for the next several minutes as they hungrily ate their snack. Jamie scooted a little closer to Joe, pressing his leg up against Joe's. Glancing down at the tow-headed little boy, Joe nudged his leg playfully. Jamie giggled, nudging Joe's leg in return. Joe pushed Jamie's leg again, a little harder. Again Jamie pushed his leg up against Joe's, his giggles a little louder now. They continued pushing against each other, harder and harder with Jamie's exuberant laughter echoing around them, until Jamie realized he couldn't push nearly as hard as Joe could.
Jamie stopped pushing and looked up at Joe, mischief written all over his face. Suddenly he jumped on Joe's leg wrapping his arms around Joe's thigh, laughing gleefully. Joe pretended to struggle mightily for a few seconds, grunting and groaning loudly for effect, and then easily raised his leg off the ground, lifting Jamie into the air. Clutching Joe's leg, Jamie squealed with delight.
Frank watched, recalling his own childhood and remembering what it felt like to be so enthralled and amused by a simple game. "Hey, Jamie, how about you and Joe fill up the water bottles from that stream over there before we head out?"
Jamie tumbled off Joe and sat up, a thousand-watt smile on his face. "A stream?! Where?"
"Over there," Frank pointed. He tossed two water bottles to Joe. "Make sure he doesn't end up in the stream," he grinned.
"Will do," Joe smiled. He and Jamie walked the few yards to the small stream.
Coming up beside Frank, Ford stood and watched, a contemplative look on his face. "They have a lot in common," he remarked innocently.
"Mm-hmm," Frank replied automatically. Grabbing his backpack, Frank stopped suddenly, realizing the implication. 'My twenty-four-year-old brother is bonding with a seven-year old.'
When Joe and Jamie returned a few moments later, the foursome resumed their trek. As he had when they first started out, Jamie was talking animatedly to Joe, seeming to have no problem keeping up. However, Frank soon noticed the conversation dwindled and then disappeared altogether as the terrain become much rougher. They'd barely been hiking for an hour when Joe glanced back at Frank, his expression asking 'Can we take another break?'
Frank checked his watch and frowned. They weren't moving as quickly as they had been earlier, and he knew they couldn't afford to get behind schedule. The man who had kidnapped the Bingham boys controlled much of the area. He had many of the local townspeople on his payroll and possibly a few of the local police, too. The agents who were to pick them up at the rendezvous point had been adamant that Frank and Joe had to get the boys there on time or risk blowing the whole operation. Frank shook his head apologetically in response to Joe's unspoken question.
They had walked only a few more minutes when Joe stopped. He shaded his eyes with his hand and squinted, as if he were looking for something off in the distance. Jamie moved closer to him.
"What's the matter?" he asked in a hushed whisper, staring up at Joe worriedly.
"I can't see far enough ahead." Joe appeared to be lost in thought for a moment. "Hey, think you could do me a big favor?"
Jamie's eyes grew huge. "Sure!"
"Would you mind riding on my shoulders for a while? You'll be able to see what I can't. You can be our lookout!"
Jamie gasped, doing the now familiar foot hop he couldn't contain when he was excited. "Me? The lookout?!" He practically squeaked, he was so excited at the prospect of assisting his hero.
"Yup. It's a really important job," Joe said solemnly. "Think you can handle it?"
Jamie let out another short gasp. "You bet!" He tugged and pulled on Joe's arm.
Joe dropped to his knees. Jamie scrambled up his back and swung his legs over Joe's shoulders. Joe stood up making sure Jamie was securely in place.
"Ready?"
"Ready!" Jamie called out happily.
Joe resumed walking as Ford and Frank fell in step behind. Frank was silently congratulating Joe on his handling of the situation when Ford's quiet voice interrupted his thoughts.
"I like your brother," he murmured.
Frank smiled, feeling a sudden rush of pride. "So do I."
Joe gathered up the last of the wrappers and stuffed them into a side pocket of his backpack. The foursome had hiked for almost another two hours before stopping for lunch. Jamie seemed to have regained much of his enthusiasm and was now exploring the area where they had stopped, naturally pushing the boundaries. Joe couldn't help but smile, reminded of himself as a small boy. No matter how many times his father told him "That's far enough," Joe always had to take just one more step.
"Hey, come on back here, big guy," Joe called out, as Jamie tested the limits of authority. 'How did Dad put up with me all those years without killing me?' Joe wondered, a newfound respect for the task of parenting beginning to take shape.
Jamie glanced over his shoulder looking at Joe impishly, contemplating taking another step. Suddenly the bushes a few yards in front of Jamie began to rustle. Immediately Frank and Joe looked at each other – neither of them had heard anyone approaching. Momentarily distracted, they didn't see Jamie take off for the bushes, rushing to investigate the source of the sound. An angry snarl broke the silence and grabbed their attention. Turning towards the sound, the brothers saw Jamie frozen in place, whimpering, as he stared into the face of a very angry cougar.
Joe sucked in a breath and time seemed to stop. For a few seconds no one moved. Ford seemed to recover first and instinctively took a step towards his younger brother. Joe kept his gaze locked on Jamie but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Frank grab Ford's jacket and pull him to a halt. Ford turned and glared at Frank, who motioned for him to be still and remain silent.
The cougar snapped its tail angrily and let out another irritated growl, yellow eyes still focused completely on Jamie. Frank's mind whirred, trying to figure out how to get Jamie out of harm's way without causing the cat to attack, when he saw Joe slowly moving away from them.
"What are you doing?!" Frank hissed.
"Got it covered," Joe replied in a low voice, subtly motioning for Frank to take his pack, which was lying on the ground near Frank. "When he strikes, grab the kids and run."
"When he strikes?" Frank's voice rose slightly. "Strikes what?" Frank took his eyes off the big cat for a second and glanced at his brother. A chill swept through him. 'Or who!' Joe was taking baby steps sideways, away from Frank and the two boys. "What the hell are you doing?"
Joe didn't respond, now totally focused on his mission. 'Almost there.' His eyes flicked to the dead squirrel carcass a few feet away. The cougar also eyed the carcass before refocusing on the one thing standing between it and lunch – Jamie.
The cougar's tail swished as it snarled again, unhappy that Joe was moving in on its quarry.
'One more step.' Joe was relieved to see the cougar was now watching him intently, no longer interested in Jamie. "NOW!" Joe yelled. He heard a child's cry, followed by running feet and Frank's voice urging the two boys to hurry.
His hand flashed out and grabbed the dead squirrel. In one fluid movement, Joe flung it as far as he could in the direction they had just come from, and dropped to the ground. He felt a 'whoosh' of displaced air just above him. The powerful animal's tail brushed against Joe's back as it launched itself over him, determined to retrieve its reward. Joe flattened himself against the ground, suddenly noting how quiet it was.
With his heart pounding wildly in his chest, Joe cautiously lifted his head. Glancing to his left, he saw the cougar tearing into its hard-won meal. It stopped and raised its head, locking eyes with Joe. The animal let out a low, warning growl and then returned its full attention to what was left of the squirrel.
"Okay, okay, I'm leaving." Joe pushed himself to his feet and brushed the dirt off his jeans. A slow smile spread across his face. 'That was kinda fun!'
With a backward glance at the cougar, he headed off in the direction he'd last seen Frank, quite pleased with his spur-of-the-moment plan. He soon caught sight of Frank and the boys, with Jamie being the first to notice his approach. The little boy didn't say a word; he took a running start and literally threw himself into Joe's arms.
"Whoa!" Joe cried out as he caught the flying bundle. "Easy, buddy! What's wrong?"
"I-I th-thought the c-c-cougar got you!" Jamie hiccupped, hugging Joe tightly.
'Uh-oh.' Joe hadn't thought much past getting the cougar's attention off Jamie and onto himself. Joe was starting to realize that being a hero to a small boy was more than just basking in the glow of a child's unwavering praise, and that having the child fear he'd been mauled to death by a cougar was definitely not one of his shining moments. 'Guess I should've been paying a little more attention to Frank all these years.' He wondered how Frank seemed to pull off being his role model so effortlessly.
"Hey, I'm okay." Joe held the little boy tightly. A moment later, Jamie loosened his grip and lifted his head. He looked at Joe with a tear-stained face. "I'm not crying," he announced as Joe gently wiped his cheeks. "Only babies cry and I'm not a baby."
"Of course you're not."
Jamie stared at him for a moment then impulsively kissed his cheek and threw his arms around Joe's neck once more. "I'm glad you're not dead!"
"Me, too," Joe laughed. He coaxed the little boy to the ground. Looking up, Joe saw Frank stalking towards him and gave serious thought to scooping Jamie back up in his arms and using him as a human shield. 'Frank wouldn't kill the poor kid just to get to me…would he?' Taking note of the murderous look in his brother's eyes, Joe suddenly wasn't so sure. He decided to go for a preemptive strike.
"Hey, bro!" Joe grinned. "Told you I had it covered!"
Frank came to a stop, less than six inches from Joe. "You had it covered? You had it covered?! Did it occur to you that cat could have killed you?!"
Joe shrugged sheepishly. "Uh… not really."
Frank inched a little closer, the look on his face telling Joe he was furious. Frank opened his mouth to speak, but never got the chance.
"Hey! Hey! Back up!"
Joe looked down and choked on the laughter in his throat. In an apparent effort to protect Joe from his enraged brother, Jamie had both hands on Frank's legs and was pushing for all he was worth, trying ineffectually to push the elder Hardy back a few steps.
Frank stared at the small boy for a few seconds in disbelief and then backed off, catching Jamie as he tumbled forward. "Look, Jamie, can you go sit with Ford for a minute? I need to talk to Joe."
Jamie crossed his arms over his chest, scowled up at Frank and shook his head. "Uh-uh."
Frank was stunned. "What?"
"Uh-uh. No way." He took a step backwards so he was now pressed up against Joe's legs. "You're gonna hit him."
Frank's eyes grew wide at the accusation. "I am not!" he exclaimed defensively.
"Are too," Jamie glared.
"Am not!" Frank threw up his hands, exasperated. "I can't believe I'm doing this!" He took a deep breath and looked down at the child who was determined to protect Joe at all costs. "Jamie, he's my brother. I am not going to hit him."
"Do you love him?"
"Yes, I love him. He's my brother," Frank repeated for emphasis.
"Are you glad he's not dead?" Jamie stared Frank down.
"Oh, for…of course I'm glad he's not dead!
"Well you sure don't act like it," Jamie pointed out. "Mom says if you love somebody and you're glad they're here you should give them a big hug and tell them how happy you are that they're with you. Especially if they're family, 'cause we always take our family for granted. That's what Mom says." He stopped and looked at Frank expectantly. "Well?"
Joe had been proud of his self-control as he watched Frank being chewed out by a seven-year-old, but when Frank looked up and stared at him, Joe snickered.
"Joe," Frank began, sounding as if he had to forcibly pull the words from his mouth. "I'm very happy you're still here with us." With something that sounded like a growl, Frank turned on his heel and stalked away.
"Hey!" Joe cried out, unable to resist. "Where's my hug?"
Frank stopped mid-stride and Joe thought he could actually see smoke coming out of Frank's ears. "Oops." He wondered if Frank might really come back and hit him. But after another moment of very strained silence, Frank continued on, nudged Ford on the shoulder and kept right on walking.
"Ya know, he's not too good at this big brother stuff," Jamie observed, disappointed in the elder Hardy. He reached up as far as he could and patted Joe on the back. "Don't worry, though. Ford is a great big brother. I'll ask him to give Frank a few pointers, okay?"