Note: I am incredibly appreciative for all of the reviews and the impassioned discussion/ suggestion/ imploration/ and (not so) veiled threats over the last chapter. :) This story, as many do, took on a life of its own. I write my stories in full before I publish them because I know I could be swayed to change the outcome of things. I cannot promise that things will turn out well for everyone; I can only promise that I tried to write an engaging, crafted story and to preserve the integrity of characters as they deal with a serial killer (or killers) hell bent on revenge. And killers are not nice.

I really love every one of your comments. Your feedback is so appreciated. Since the last chapter, I extend my gratitude to EvergreenDreamweaver, TinDog, SnowPrincess88, EastBlue, hlahabibty, Paulina Ann, ulstergirl, Red Hardy, hbndbcbbliw4Ever, hbndgirl, max2013, Hero76, and caranath.

The Secret Spaces

Chapter 15

Joe made his way to where he heard his brother shouting at someone, but he was stopped by one of the senior Bayport PD officers. "Joe, have a minute?" Officer Shah asked him.

Joe looked over his shoulder. "Not really," he answered, annoyed. "What's going on with Frank? Because I just left my wife and-"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Officer Shah interrupted. "Listen. Get him in the ambulance. He has mild hypothermia and he's having trouble catching his breath. He needs oxygen and warmth or he's going to be in bad shape real soon."

Joe met the officer's eyes. "What's he yelling about?"

Officer Shah looked at him compassionately. "He's refusing to leave us to look for his wife. Get him in the ambulance now and I promise I'll fill you in on the rest. You're the only one who can talk some sense into him, and we really need all available resources now looking for his wife and Jonathan Gellers. Please."

Joe nodded and pushed his way past several officers, grabbing Frank forcefully by the arm. To his utter shock, Frank took a swing at him.

"What the hell, Frank?" Joe shouted, dodging the blow at the last second. An officer came up behind Frank and grabbed him, but Frank was fighting fiercely. "Let me go!" he shouted, along with a handful of expletives altogether unlike his normal vocabulary.

"Calm down!" the officer repeated.

Joe was stunned but realized almost immediately that Frank was half shaking and taking rapid, shallow breaths, and he looked completely disheveled. He also looked completely panic-stricken, and Joe stopped being furious almost at once. Frank had just saved Vanessa's life and risked his own to do it. He, himself, had been worried sick about his brother up until just 20 minutes ago. And whatever Frank knew, it wasn't good.

"Come on, Frank," Joe said softly, changing his tactic. "Come with me. Tell me what you know. Let me help you."

"Not going anywhere," Frank answered gruffly.

"Okay," Joe said, and gently placed a hand on Frank's arm. "Then come with me-just sit in the ambulance."

"No," Frank answered again.

Joe inwardly sighed. Wasn't HE the stubborn one? "Frank, yes. Just sit there. I'll come with you, okay, bro? I won't let them take you anywhere." He squeezed Frank's arm. "I promise."

Joe saw him hesitate, and pounced at the opportunity. He indicated for the officer to let Frank go, and the minute he was free, Joe wrapped an arm around his shoulders and steered him in the direction of the ambulance, concerned when he physically felt how badly his brother was trembling. "Go," he nudged Frank. "I'll be there in literally five minutes."

Frank numbly stared at him and slowly turned to climb aboard the ambulance to the waiting EMTs.

"This is crazy," he muttered to himself as he immediately walked back to Officer Shah. Once there, he said, "Tell me what's going on."

"Thanks," Officer Shah replied. "Your brother was a hero tonight, but he needs medical attention. He's unreasonable right now, and I understand why. But we need him to be a help, not a hindrance."

"Okay," Joe acknowledged, waiting for the officer to go on.

"Frank left a trail to mark his path. It's very dark, as you can see, and it's freezing- and it's only going to get worse. Your brother told us he was able to locate Vanessa because she had also left trails: carvings on trees, scattered leaves and debris, things like that. With your brother's trained eye, he could follow the path. Fortunately for him, Vanessa went far more slowly than she had anticipated and, though she had a substantial head start, Frank was able to locate her. It took him quite a while to help her get back, since she was weak, dehydrated, and disoriented."

Joe nodded, trying to push back the image.

"Your brother gave your wife his jacket, hat and gloves, so he's freezing- but he may have saved Vanessa's life," he went on. "Apparently, Vanessa told him that she, Callie, and Jonathan had been taken from the set of his show and then they regained consciousness in some sort of old, abandoned home. At the time, both other victims were okay, but she told Frank that John Gellers was given a choice to let one of them go for some reason. He kept referring to Mr. Gellers, as well as her and Callie, by names from the show. Vanessa told Frank that Mr. Gellers chose her to go- told her she was capable and strong- but she believes it was to protect Callie that he stayed behind with her. What is extremely significant is that your wife had the wherewithal to pay attention to her surroundings, and she believes that she was dropped off some ten minutes from her original location. Obviously, finding a trail back at this time is going to be difficult."

Joe tried to process everything quickly. "Bayport's big-but it's not that big, so they have to be here," he said, getting anxious.

"Yes- that's what we're hoping." Officer Shah looked at his watch. "Right now, Joe- look around. We have several ambulances; the Bayport PD and several volunteer officers from surrounding towns; the FBI; the state police. We've set up roadblocks and we're trying to hold off the pain-in-the-ass-press. We're having two helicopters starting the search within 20 minutes. Our priority is finding your sister in law and friend- and, we hope, the missing agent and your father. But everyone must know- we have at least two killers on the loose right now. This is a very dangerous situation." He placed a hand on Joe's shoulder. "This may not have a happy ending. I need you to be prepared for that."

"No," Joe replied, fire in his eyes. "No- they'll be okay."

"Joe," the officer responded gently, "Go with your wife back to the hospital- be with her there. Take your brother. I cannot imagine the heartache he's going through now, but, no matter what the outcome, it's… probably not going to be pretty. Frank cannot and should not be on that first line of responders. That's all I'll say."

Joe took a shaky breath. He understood, all right, but he refused to accept it. Still, it was logical- Frank was already on the edge.

"I'll see what I can do," he said at last.

"Go in the ambulance with Frank. I'll send an officer to drive Frank's car back to the hospital. Get in touch with your mom; with your mother in law. Officers will take them to the hospital as well. We have no idea what we are walking into. But we WILL find them if they're going to be found. There's nothing more you can do here."

"I understand. Thank you," Joe finally managed, and turned to the ambulance.

Back inside, he found his brother wearing an oxygen mask, wrapped in several blankets. He looked awful. "Can you give us a few minutes?" he asked the EMTs, who quickly agreed, satisfied that they had currently done all they could for Frank.

"His temperature is 96.4- it's rising. He's getting there," one EMT told Joe. "Do NOT let him take off the blankets or mask."

Joe nodded and raised his hand in thanks.

Alone at last with Frank, Joe almost didn't know what to say. Frank may have done everything ass backwards and he may have gone in with a wing and a prayer instead of logic and patience, but, as always, Frank had come through. His older brother had never let him down, and tonight was no exception. Here he was now, shivering, exhausted, and scared to death about Callie- and he didn't even know the half of it. He loved his brother so much, and to see him so empty and suffering was awful.

How could he tell Frank everything- but not what Vanessa had told him? How could he thank him for saving Vanessa's life, and, hence, his own? How could he tell him that his heart was also aching for Johnny-but especially, more than words could express- for Callie, and that he, too, was scared to death that she was badly hurt- or worse? How could he-

Then he knew. He could do this, because Frank needed the truth. He owed him that. The whole truth, no matter how painful it was.

Sitting next to his brother, Joe hugged him around the shoulders tightly and met his eyes. He saw it- Frank knew where this was going, and nodded weakly.

"I think we need to talk," Joe said gently. And talk he did. The next ten minutes were hell, but he did it. He told Frank everything, never releasing his arm from Frank's shoulders. "And that's why we need to go to the hospital now. Okay?"

Frank didn't yell. He didn't cry. He didn't try to tear off the mask or the blankets and run away. In shock, he just buried his face in his hands and gave the smallest of nods.

Joe rubbed Frank's shoulder reassuringly, wiped away his own tears with his free hand, and signaled for the EMTs to come back.

And he prayed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

3:30 a.m. Joe looked at his watch as he sat in Vanessa's hospital room, holding her hand and watching her sleep. He'd just returned from the waiting room, after having checked on everyone there. She'd been examined and was being treated for mild hypothermia, like Frank, as well as dehydration and a mild concussion. She needed good nourishment as well, and she was obviously terrified. As soon as he found the animals who had dared to touch her, he swore he would kill them.

He glanced across the room and saw Andrea, his mother in law, sleeping lightly as well. She'd almost collapsed in relief at Vanessa having been found and had, of course, rushed to the hospital with the police.

His mother was in the waiting room now with the Shaws, who had been told to report there as soon as possible in the event that their daughter was found. He knew that they were all terrified, and that his mom was trying really hard to hold it together, given the fact that Fenton was missing as well. Frank, weak and disconsolate, had finally given into a restless sleep as well in the waiting room, having refused additional medical attention. Joe had been thrown by that- Frank really did have a stubborn streak that was every bit as fierce as his own- and that was more than a little disconcerting.

He had started to look at his phone for news, but saw only his own story; the story of Criminal Hunters and missing Jonathan Gellers, plastered all over the screen. It was surreal, and he had to shut it off. Life was imitating art which was imitating life. What a damned circus this was. And the sickest part of all was that Vanessa, Callie, and Johnny were suffering terribly - and they weren't even the targets. And if that was true, what the hell would happen to his father?

The floor had a constant police presence; they weren't fooling around.

Pat Merkel knocked on the door and Joe looked up. "How ya doin', Joe?" Pat asked.

Joe met his friend's eyes. "Awful," he answered, not even trying to keep up a front.

Pat nodded sympathetically. As he was about to say something, his radio started going off loudly and he lowered the volume, but raised it to his ear. Two more officers rushed into the room as well.

The radio screamed, "10-45C-2; 10-54-1; 10-72-2; Code 10. Repeat Code 10. 15-5; 16-2; Prep-stat- 9992." Two officers spoke in hushed whispers to Pat and let themselves back out of the room.

Joe released Vanessa's hand and stood at once. He watched Pat trying to retain a neutral expression and trying to avoid eye contact.

"What's happening?" he asked immediately. "Pat?"

Pat met his eyes. "I have to go, Joe. I'll be back as soon as I can." He lifted his radio. "10-4."

"Damnit, Pat!" Joe cried out, drained. "Tell me what you know. Please. PLEASE!" he begged. "You promised, man. No bullshit. Tell me!"

Pat's eyes darted to the side, and then he grabbed Joe by the elbow and dragged him to the corner of the room.

"Tell me, too," Frank said, having appeared out of nowhere. He strode right to them.

Joe looked at his brother, knowing at once that the commotion with the radios and police darting around must have awoken him.

Pat took a deep breath. "This is off the record, because you're both my friends."

Joe nodded and instinctively held onto Frank's arm.

Pat went on directly. "Three victims; no officers. Codes were for severe bleeding; unconscious and unresponsive. Gun involved; two extremely critical trauma cases being brought in by helicopter. One deceased. Based on the call and proximity, arrival time should be under 15 minutes. That's all I know. I'm sorry." He rushed from the room.

"Three?" Joe whispered. Would a baby count as a third?! His dad? And all he kept hearing was extremely critical. Deceased. Extremely critical. Deceased.

Frank dropped to his knees.

"No," Joe whispered. "Please." He knew their lives were about to change forever.