Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.
Thank you! To Wendylouwho10 as usual for reading for flow and content. Typos are mine and I find them all the time!
Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Started as kinda blue spine with a touch of Casefiles but is now completely AU. Frank is 20 and Joe is 19.
Author's Notes: Thank you for the reviews! They are much appreciated and help spur me on to write more! So keep them coming! And great news! The story is now complete at 26 chapters! I have a small section to fix and just general touch-ups and edits but otherwise the story is done. :-) And for those of you wondering what would happen when the brothers met back up... here is your answer. ;-D
Chapter Nineteen
Maya cursed loudly as she quickly dropped the binoculars to her waist. The Assassin at the helm was smart to stay quiet as she brought the lens back to her eyes and swore again. After releasing the binoculars with one hand, she pulled her phone from her pocket and swiftly selected Hassan's code name. She looked through the lens again as he answered. "What the hell happened, Hassan? Did he shoot him? I didn't hear a second shot and he's not in view!"
"He shot Older and you are correct; there has been no second shot." There was a pause as he spoke to the Assassin who was with him. "I just sent Tiler to finish him off before law enforcement reach him."
"Don't you think it would be prudent for you to finish him off yourself?" Maya asked as she searched for a sign of Joe.
"You could take the shot yourself," Hassan said calmly. "I'm going to check on Older. "If I can, I need to take him out if he has not followed protocol."
Maya was quiet for a moment. She could take the shot but there was a Harbor Patrol vessel less than half a mile from her position. She couldn't draw attention to the boat and she would have to wait for Joe to exit the cave. And Hassan did have a point. He needed to take care of Older if it was possible. "I'm going to alert the facility and have them wipe it down in case you are unsuccessful in dispatching Older. I don't trust him to remain quiet."
"Agreed. But if possible, I will help him fulfill his commitment."
Maya ended the call with Hassan and placed a call to the location where they had been holding Joe. She was very disturbed that things were not going as planned.
.**********.
Fenton and Frank arrived at the top of the cliffs in record time. Frank had made a quick decision as to which cave he thought that Joe was in based on the fact that the shot didn't come from the direction that Gary Older had been pointing to. It had come from further east and up higher on the cliff which limited the number of possibilities.
As they exited the vehicle a shot grazed Fenton's arm and he dropped to the ground. Frank scrambled around the car and helped his father to a more secure position.
"How bad is it?" Frank asked worriedly as he divided his attention between his father and the location back down toward the park entrance. There was an elevated forested area across from the park that had a view of the parking area for the beach and this overlook for the bay.
Fenton released the pressure he had on the wound and gave it a cursory glance. "Winged me, just a flesh wound really. Would have been worse if I hadn't been turning my body to close the door." He looked at his son and said, "You get your brother. I'm going back to get whoever is in that woods. Don't come back up to the overlook until you get the all clear from me. I don't want an Assassin to pick the two of you off."
"Dad. Thanks." Frank knew how hard it had to be for his father to let him go but it was the right choice. They needed to notify ORT about the shooter in the woods and if possible stop them from escaping. But the bigger need was getting to Joe before he possibly did something fatal to himself. Just because he hadn't killed Frank didn't mean he wouldn't kill himself.
Fenton stood and pulled his gun from his holster. He crawled through the car to the driver's seat and got the vehicle started. Carefully he pulled the car up blocking the view of the Frank moving to the trail heading down the cliff. Fenton rolled the window down and called out, "Come back safe, son. Both of you."
Frank gave him a nod and moved in a crouch to the trailhead.
Fenton watched him until he was out of sight and then backed up the vehicle.
.**********.
Frank cautiously made his way down the trail. It wasn't an authorized trail and he had to climb over a low rail at the top that was more of a caution than an actual deterrent. He had his gun drawn and it was pointed down as he walked carefully. He had it out because he wasn't sure what he'd find in the cave or outside of it. If Joe wasn't alone, he needed to be ready. What seemed like a lifetime was really about ten minutes. He slowed as he reached the section of trail that gave him a view of the cave entrance. He couldn't see anyone. Stepping quietly, he listened intently. No sounds. Not wanting to startle his potentially armed and drugged brother, Frank calmly called his name. "Joe?" He didn't get a response but he heard a sound. He thought it was the rustling of rocks. "Joe?" he cautiously asked again and then made a decision. "Joe. I'm going to come in."
Keeping his gun at his side, just in case, Frank moved slowly and carefully into the cave entrance.
.**********.
Joe had thought his ears were playing tricks on him but then he heard his brother's voice. But was it really him or another trick by the Assassins? He stood carefully and grimaced as his boots made noise in the loose rock. Bringing his gun up into a two hand grip he pressed back against the cave wall and waited. Sweat beaded on his forehead and ran down the side of his face. He didn't dare let go of his gun to brush it away.
"Joe. I'm going to come in."
"Go ahead, come in," Joe whispered to himself angrily expecting another trick by the Assassins. When his brother stepped into view Joe was confused. "Frank?" he said carefully but didn't lower his gun. Maybe this was an Assassin made to look like Frank. He blinked quickly trying to make sense of what was going on.
"It's me, Joe. It's Frank." Frank didn't move. He could see his brother's agitated state and knew that the wrong move on his part would get him shot and with a cliff behind him, it could be very deadly. "Put the gun down, Joe. It's me."
Joe didn't put the gun down but moved toward the cave entrance. He needed to make sure that there wasn't another Assassin around. His brother didn't move but he could see him watching carefully.
"Joe, please. Put the gun down. It's me. Dad's here's too down at the park. Vanessa is-"
Joe flinched. It was like someone had flipped a switch on his emotions. Keeping the gun trained directly on his brother, he yelled, "Don't say her name, Frank! Don't!" He could feel a panic attack coming on. His breathing quickened and he tried to slow it down. He stared at the center of his brother's chest. It wasn't Frank. It wasn't Vanessa. Assassin lies. All- He heard something and he lifted his eyes quickly and brought his gun up further. "Duck!" he yelled and fired a shot aimed just over his brother's shoulder as Frank dropped to the ground and rolled to his back. A cry rang out and Joe watched one of the thugs who tormented him fall off the cliff. Emotionally and physically drained, he dropped to the ground on his knees and let the gun fall on the cave floor. Moments later the tears came silently as he stared at the ground.
.**********.
When Joe had yelled for him to duck, Frank had instinctively followed his order and when the shot was fired, he looked behind him as someone cried out. After glancing at his brother who was now kneeling on the cave floor, he stood and walked to the edge of the trail. There was a man laying at the bottom of the cliff with a gun in his hand. An Assassin Frank realized. His gaze went quickly back to his brother who was motionless and quiet on the cave floor. Frank was afraid to put his gun away with the threat of more Assassins nearby but he needed to comfort his brother and get him somewhere safe. Carefully, he holstered his weapon and moved toward Joe. Crouching down so he had a view of the trail to the top, he reached to take the gun from the ground beside Joe. He checked it. Empty. One bullet just like Jacob Yates. It was meant to be Joe's suicide shot. He tucked the gun into his back waistband and embraced his brother.
Joe remained unresponsive as Frank pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket. Holding Joe with one arm, he used his free hand to answer. "Dad?"
"Frank! We heard a shot!"
"It's okay, dad. Joe's…" Frank looked at his brother. He was far from fine. "Joe's not shot. It was an Assassin. He's at the bottom of the cliff."
There was a pause. "They're searching for whomever was in the woods. The man that went over the cliff couldn't have been him. There wasn't time to get there from where he was."
"Is it safe to come to the top?"
"Yes. ORT agents are waiting up there and I'll be there in a couple of minutes."
"Good. And dad, have medics ready to look at Joe."
"Can he hear me?"
Frank switched the phone to speaker. "He can now. You're on speaker."
"Joe?"
No response.
"Joe. I've missed you. I love you son."
Joe's breathing steadied and after a pause he said, "Love you too, dad."
Frank closed his eyes for a moment in relief. For a moment he thought that Joe might have had a breakdown. Well, he still might but at least he was responsive. "Dad. We'll be up in a few minutes. Let the agents know."
"Will do." The call ended.
Frank put the phone back in his pocket and gently tugged on Joe to get him to stand. He did so with some resistance. When he tried to get his brother to walk forward, Joe didn't budge. Frank could tell that his brother had lost a lot of weight. His gaunt appearance had stunned him as much as the gun pointed at him. "Joe, we need to get to the top of the cliff. Can you walk?" Frank realized that if Joe mentally couldn't make the walk, then they would have a problem and would have to find an alternate means to get Joe either up the cliff or down it.
But he knew it wasn't a physical problem Joe was having now. It was mental and that scared him more than if he had been shot.
.**********.
Joe stared at the dark pebbles of the cave floor. He heard his brother's voice and felt his arm holding him. Hugging him. But he couldn't respond. He needed answers. And this wasn't the time or place but one thing he knew for certain. At this moment, the last thing he wanted was his brother touching him. "Get your hands off me, Frank," Joe said through gritted teeth.
Frank hesitated and then dropped his arm quickly. "Anything you want, Joe."
Joe snorted in fake amusement and walked determinedly forward, eyes glued to the trail in front of him. But his body failed him on more than one occasion as the lack of food and now the emotional strain was starting to hit him. He stumbled and Frank reached to steady him. He knew that's all Frank wanted to do but Joe jerked away and would have fallen over the cliff if his brother hadn't grabbed him. Once he was firmly back against the cliff face, Joe pushed his brother away saying, "Didn't you hear me?! I said, DON'T TOUCH ME!" He spun quickly back to face the trail and closed his eyes as vertigo washed over him and he put a steadying hand to the rock wall. But the vertigo wasn't leaving and soon he was vomiting water and bile. He could feel his brother hovering behind him but was thankful that he didn't try to touch him. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he did that again.
It was slow going back to the trailhead and Frank called his father back to let him know they were moving slowly. "And dad, are the medics there?"
"There's ORT medics and an ambulance they are borrowing."
"Good," was all Frank said before ending the conversation.
ORT planned to take Joe to a special facility that handled agents from various departments that had been injured in the line of duty. Joe hadn't been taken to the facility when he was tortured by the Sacco family because he had needed immediate attention. But for this, they knew they'd need not only physical treatment but psychological and for that the government facility would be best.
Once they were at the top of the cliff Fenton rushed to embrace Joe and Frank watched with a touch of envy his brother embrace his father.
Just what did the Assassins do to Joe? Just what did they tell him? What would make him push me away? Frank's mind was questioning all of this and he had no answers.