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A special thanks to (JustAnotherGirlInTheWorld) who has helped me with my grammar and improve my story.

You have been a great help! :)

The Hardy Boys

(Heartless)

Sequel: A Friend in Need

Chapter 18

"I can't believe it's only been a year..."

Joe's voice choked up whenever he thought about Iola. Seeing the Assassin's face brought back so many painful memories. The man who was responsible for killing his late girlfriend Iola Morton in a car explosion... an explosion that was meant for him and Frank. It was a subject that was forbidden to talk about.

"Please, not again," Joe sighed, very deeply and heavily, "I need help."

Joe's heart started pounding heavily in his chest, and his mind went blank when he picked the phone off Fenton's desk. He then stopped himself. "Who can I call?"

"I can't call Chief Collig," Joe said, thinking of the threat, "Get yourself to the Scoreboard Arcade. If I see one cop step anywhere near the place, your brother and father will die!"

Joe groaned aloud at this, knowing that noting the authorities was off the table.

"I know!" Joe thought, "I'll call Sam."

"Wait... I can't call Sam! He's at safe house." As much help as Sam would be, Joe didn't want to cause his mom and Tony to panic.

"So..." he said aloud, "There is only one person left."

The silence that followed his words was defining.

"The Gray Man." Joe said, shaking his head. "No, I can't trust him."

Joe thought back to his conversation with Frank.

"As far as I'm concerned, Heartless and the Network are all alike!" Joe had ranted on, "By using any method to get what they want! They don't care who they hurt! You can't trust either one of them! We should cut ties with the Gray Man for good!"

"We can't do that, Joe," Frank had continued to explain before he was hit with a bunch of questions, "I think we are going to have to trust the Gray Man. Chief Collig and his officers have their hands full with the crime wave going on in Bayport. We need the Gray Man's help in getting D.K. Mathers, but I made it very clear to Gray that he will have to earn our trust back."

Joe felt his eyes start to mist, thinking of his brother.

"Frank," he said to himself, "My big brother and best friend. The one person who means more to me then anything and who always has my back. Always bailing me out when I get into trouble, or when I'm doing something stupid. Oh, Frank..."

Then he thought of his father. Fenton Hardy: a tall, good-looking, athletic, middle-aged, smart, decisive man. The man who was strong as he was fearless. Who didn't lose his temper easily, except when someone or something threatened his family. A man of outstanding character. A man whom everyone respected.

Fenton Hardy: the man Joe wanted so much to be like. Everything he and Frank had learned about detective work, they learned from Fenton.

Fenton would never raise a hand when disciplining his sons. He always sat down with them to talk things out. He had a way of explaining things to help them understand what they did was wrong. Yes, they would argue and disagree about things... however, his father gave them respect, always hearing their side of things, too. They would always work things out. It was hard to live up to the two greatest men in his life, but Joe loved them both.

"I can't lose them," he said, "I have no choice. Dad and Frank's lives are at stake here. I have to call him. They are counting on me."

Joe swallowed his pride and took Frank's cell phone out of his back pocket. He knew his brother had the Gray Man's number. Once he found it, he started dialing.

To Joe's surprise, Gray's voice came on the line within seconds. "Gray?"

Joe cleared his throat to say something, but no words came out.

"it's Joe.." he stumbled, clearing his throat again.

"I don't know if I trust you... but I don't have anyone else to turn to!" he said in one breath, "I need your help! Heartless has Dad and Frank! They are in the hands of an assassin! Al-Rousasa was D.K. Mathers... brother! I have to meet Heartless at the Scoreboard Arcade!"

He was silent for a moment before adding, " And I can't call the police, because if I do Dad and Frank will die! You're honestly my last hope. I don't deserve your help... but please help me... I can't lose them."

Then, with desperation in his voice, Joe asked, "You will help them, won't you?"

Joe anxiously waited for a response, then his heart sank as the line went dead.

"Gray?"

Nothing.

"Gray!"

"No no no!" He quickly redialed Gray's number. All he got was a recording,

"I'm sorry, the number you have reached is no longer in service. Please hang up.."

"What!" Joe shouted, no longer containing his rage, "Looks like I'm on my own!"

He had to struggle not to bang his fists against the table.

"Damn you, Gray! I knew you couldn't be trusted!" Joe exclaimed as he threw Frank's cell phone against the wall, shattering it in pieces.

"Oops... looks like I owe Frank a new cell phone." Joe said as he ran out the door. "I'll let him kill me later. I have to go save him first."

Around eight o'clock at night, Joe drove the van down Gang Alley with one dirty, yellow streetlight working.

Joe parked the van two blocks from the arcade. His hands were sweaty and his stomach was in knots.

He took a deep breath. "I can do this. Dad and Frank need me."

As Joe approached the arcade, he noticed two teenage boys about his age leaning against the entrance. One teen was skinny with a red, mo-hawk-style haircut. The other teen had a long ponytail with a Heartless tattoo on his neck.

One of the guys eyed Joe warily.

"Looks like we have company, Randy."

"Well lets greet him, Bryan," Randy with the red mo-hawk replied sarcastically.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bryan demanded. He shot his arm across the door, blocking it when Joe tried to go inside.

Joe glared at him. "I'm here to see Mathers."

"And you are?"

"Joe Hardy."

"Wait here." Bryan said, giving a slight nod to his buddy. He ducked inside and went in.

A few minutes later, he came back. "Follow me," he ordered.

Bryan and Randy led Joe to the back of the arcade, where another gang member stood by a door with a green Exit-sign above it.

He was a tall, skinny man in his late twenties. He had a short, black haircut and was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a leather jacket over it. Joe immediately recognized him. It was Cypher!

"Tell me where my brother and father are!" Joe shouted, glaring at Cypher, "Or so help me, I will tear you apart. Where are they?!"

Cypher walked up to him and grabbed Joe's chin. Giving him an icy stare, he replied, "Keep your mouth shut. If you say or do anything, your brother and father are dead!"

Bryan grabbed Joe's shirt collar and shoved him up against the wall.

"Assume the position," he snarled.

Joe would have liked nothing more than to tear them apart, but he had to stay in control for Fenton and Frank's sake. Joe leaned up against the wall, putting his whole weight on his hands, his palms flat against the wall.

Bryan patted Joe down. "Okay," he said, "He's clean."

"Let's go."

"But first put this on," Cypher ordered, throwing Joe a blind fold.

"What's this for?"

"Don't ask questions. Just put it on!" Cypher demanded, pressing a knife against Joe's neck.

For sake of his brother and father, Joe did as he was told.

Joe felt two firm hand grips on his shoulders, guiding him out the door and into a van.

A few minutes later, they were gone in a flash.

Almost to the end..Will the Gray Man come to the Hardy's ad?...next up Mathers!

Thank you for your wonderful reviews! Just for that I'm sending you Chapter 19. Will update soon!