Don't own the Hardy Boys

Hardy Boys

Heartless

Chapter 28

"I am Cynthia Fletcher of NBN Bayport news, reporting to you live this morning outside of Bayport Hospital," said the young, female news-reporter, "Where eight people are being treated after a miraculous rescue last night from the rubble of the burned-out warehouse that was bombed by Heartless just a few days ago. The rescue was led by numerous Bayport officials, including Detective Fenton Hardy, along with Chief Collig and Officer Con Riley of the Bayport police department.

"Authorities are saying it happened sometime around midnight. Seven teenage boys... two of which are said to be Frank and Joe Hardy, sons of Detective Fenton Hardy. A teenage girl and a man were also pulled from the rubble. A spokesperson for the rescued reported that all are doing well and need time to rest and recuperate from their horrific ordeal. At this time, their families have asked to be given respect and privacy with them. This is truly a day one will never forget. And the acts of bravery from this ordeal..."

"...I don't believe it," Joe grumbled, turning off the television as he sat up in his hospital bed, "She didn't even mention the guys."

"I know. As soon as she mentioned the name Hardy no one else mattered," Frank agreed, a little annoyed with the news-reporter. "We're not the heroes this time. Chet, Phil, Biff, and Tony are the real heroes. You and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them."

"We owe them so much," Joe said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I say that as soon as we get out of here, we make sure they get a hero's welcome."

"That's good idea, Joe." Frank nodded as he, too, sat up in his bed. Trying not to pull out the I.V. in his arm, he added, "And we will."

Joe was just about to respond when all of the sudden...

"Good morning," Dr. Bryce greeted cheerfully, coming into the room with Laura and Fenton to check on his patients. "How are we feeling?

"Much better. A little hungry, though," Joe said, before asking anxiously, "When can we go home?"

The doctor let out a slight chuckle at his young patient's enthusiasm. "I'll take that as a good sign."

Laura and Fenton, too, had to laugh. Joe was recovering well from his ordeal. He was even acting like himself. They were just as happy to have Frank back, as well. As soon as Laura saw her oldest son coming out of the warehouse, she'd wrapped her arms around him. To her satisfaction, her Frank was very much alive. She had her family back together, and Laura knew everything would be okay.

Frank was relived to see his little brother back to his old self. Even with the sling over Joe's left shoulder, and a white bandage over the knife wound, there were no longer dark circles around his blue eyes, and his skin had color. All in all, Joe was looking better. Thank God.

Then Dr. Bryce turned his attention to Frank. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Frank said, "Like Joe, I just want to go home."

"Any pain?"

"No, not anymore."

"Do you know what caused Frank's chest pains?" Fenton asked, concerned for his son.

"Frank had what is called a angina pectoris, or commonly known as angina," The doctor answered, going on to further explain. "A blockage in the blood-vessels that reduces blood flow and oxygen to the heart muscle itself, causing pain but not permanent damage to the heart. The chest pain can spread to your arm, shoulder, jaw, or back, and it may feel like a pressure or squeezing sensation, but it usually isn't much. A chest pain from angina can be triggered by exercise, excitement, or emotional distress... and it is relieved by rest."

"Like the nightmare we just went through in the warehouse," Frank said, letting the doctor's words sink in.

"So, wil he be okay?" Laura asked again, also absorbing the doctor's words.

"Yes. Both boys are going to be fine, with plenty of rest." The doctor nodded. "In a few days, you both can go home."

"Yes!"

That put big smiles across both the brother's faces.

"Frank, I have to ask you..." Fenton began curiously, "In the hospital, Joe kept feeling a connection to you. He convinced us that you were still alive. When you were trapped in the warehouse, did you feel a connection to Joe, too?

"Yes, but I can't explain it, Dad," Frank said as he let out a deep sigh, looking at Joe as he clutched his chest. "I had a bad feeling that Joe was in trouble the whole time I was trapped in that room. It drove me crazy, because I couldn't get to him..."

Frank's voice trailed off, but he soon piped up again.

"How is everyone else?" Frank asked, quickly changing the subject. "Chet, Biff, Phil and Tony... how are they?"

"Your friends are doing quite well. Luckily, they walked away with minor scrapes and bruises. Their parents are with them now."

"Even Tony?"

"Surprisingly, Tony is doing quite well," The doctor said, reassuring the teen. "In fact, he was holding and playing with his son when I left him. His father and I are keeping a close eye on him."

"As long as Angela doesn't set him off again," Joe complained. "He went into a panic attack because of her."

Frank and Joe took turns telling about their ordeal. How Chet, Phil, Biff and Tony had risked their own lives for them, and how Joe had fallen to his knees with a pain in his chest. Then how Tony had gotten into a panic attack, and what Angela's behavior towards him had been. Fenton and Laura were really surprised to hear how it was Tony who cradled Joe in his lap, trying to comfort and protect him, while Chet, Biff, and Phil pushed over the huge beam blocking the door. They were even more shocked to hear that it was Chet and Phil who took over, giving Frank CPR for Gray and Angela.

"They saved our lives," Frank suddenly broke out, his voice filled with emotion. "Joe and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them."

"We owe them so much," Joe cut in, and his voice was too filled with emotion. "We want to do something for them as soon as were get out of here."

Fenton swallowed a lump in his throat, grateful for his sons' friends. "I assure you, boys, there will be a celebration."

"Thank God you're all safe," Laura whispered softly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'll be around to check on you two," Dr. Bryce said, giving Frank a final check-up. "Please get some rest."

"I'm going to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee," Laura cut in, and she gave both her boys a warm, motherly hug. "I'll bring you something back to eat. In the meantime, you boys try and get some rest."

"Thanks mom, and we'll try," both boys said, reassuring their mother. She nodded at them, satisfied, and then headed for the door.

"Okay, Frank, I can't take it anymore," Joe said as he turned impatiently to Frank after Laura had left the room. "Tell me what happened to you!"

For a moment, Frank looked surprised that Joe hadn't forgotten his explanation.

"I'd like to know that myself," Fenton stated, pulling a chair next to Frank's bed.

"Alright, I'll tell you." Frank took a deep breathe. "Gray and I, along with several of his men, went into the warehouse. We headed toward the back corner of the place. There were these huge creates blocking this big medal door. My thinking was that the explosives were in there. I spotted the door earlier when we were being held captive by Mathers."

"So after we removed the creates," Frank continued, "I opened the door to find it empty... actually, that was where Gray and I found Angela tied up and her mouth duct-taped. She had this panicked look in her eyes, and she started mumbling something through the duct tape on her mouth. When I removed it, she told us that the explosive were actually inside the crates. Before we could do anything, one of Gray's men opened one up. The next think we knew, it had set off the explosion, trapping the three of us inside."

Frank paused then and took a deep breath, thinking about his temporary prison. "It was Gray's suggestion not to talk, to conserve as much oxygen as we could, fearing we would run out of air... but then I heard Joe's voice... it was like music to my ears. I got so excited I couldn't catch my breath. The next thing I knew, everything went black, and I woke up with the guys standing over me and Joe laying beside me. And well... you know the rest."

There was a bit of silence as Joe and Fenton let Frank's words sink in.

"What about Angela?" Joe asked after a long while, breaking the silence. "How did she end up in the room?"

"Joe, I'll tell you," Frank said, and he took a deep breath before answering. "For a while, we all thought no one was coming for us. Angela wanted to have a clear conscious... in case we didn't make in out..."

Fenton and Joe both nodded, knowing what Frank meant by that, and pushed the thought aside as Frank continued.

"I may not fully trust her, just yet. However, she is really serious about wanting to change her life. When Gray told her he could clear her criminal recorded, Angela took it as her opportunity. Angela became an informant for Gray. She did find out a lot of information for him; Angela told us everything."

"What do you mean?" Joe asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Angela went to the Scoreboard Arcade to find Cypher," Frank went on. "There she ran into Jackson Fontain and Kurtis Shepperd. Angela decided to flirt with the two to find out information from them. It worked... mostly because Kurtis Shepherd can't resist a pretty lady. He thought of himself as a 'lady's man,' or at least that's how she described him. So she decided to use that to her advantage. Kurtis Shepperd ended up doing a little too much talking, and he told her about Mathers and Cypher highjacking a military truck carrying explosives. After that, there was a heated argument between Shepperd and Fontain."

"What was the argument about?" Fenton asked curiously.

"Well, apparently Fontain wasn't too happy with Shepperd for telling Angela about the explosives. Fontain stormed out of the place and Angela decided to keep flirting with Shepperd. That's when Shepperd started taking things further."

"I have to admit," Frank shot out, shaking his head. "It wasn't the best idea for Angela to put herself at risk like that."

"... When Angela almost got herself raped, you mean," Joe picked up, knowing what his brother meant. "That's when Frank came to her recuse, and Jackson came in with the gun. He almost killed Frank, if I hadn't stopped him."

"So what happened after that?" Fenton pushed, changing the subject.

Frank paused to take a breath, but then continued. "Angela ran outside of the arcade. She ran right into Cypher, in fact, who kidnapped her and brought her to the warehouse."

"I'll bet Fontain must have tipped him off about her," Joe concluded.

"Yeah, and get this..." Frank shook his head. "It was Cypher who put the arsenic in Kurtis Shepherd's ivy. Under Mathers' orders to shut him up. He also helped in the kidnapping of Dad and me."

Before Fenton could respond, there was a knock at the door.

Joe looked up to see the Gray Man standing in the doorway, a white bandage pasted on his forehead.

"Can I come in?" Gray asked, entering cautiously. He could feel Joe's eyes glaring at him as he did so. "Glad to see you boys are doing well."

"Thank you, we are doing much better," Frank spoke up before asking Gray, "How about yourself?"

"I'm fine, nothing too serious." Gray answered back.

Frank caught the look in his brother's eyes. Knowing his little brother's temper, and his negative feelings toward the Gray Man, he felt a little on edge. Even though Frank had his differences with the Network agent, he did have quite a bit of respect for the man. If the truth be known, the Gray Man put his own life at risk everyday by tracking down terrorists like the Assassins or Heartless, Frank couldn't help but be impressed by that. Putting people like that out of business was one thing he agreed with.

"Gray, we may have our different views on things," Frank said suddenly as he extended his hand towards the Gray Man, deciding to be the bigger person and hoping Joe would follow suite. "I just want to thank you for saving my life and being there for Joe and our friends. I hope we can work together again."

"Thank you, Frank," the Gray Man said, staring at Frank's hand in disbelief before slowly accepting it.

Fenton smile proudly at his oldest son for taking the initiative. He also stood up and extended his hand to Gray. "Gray, I too want to thank you. Like Frank, I haven't always agreed when it comes to the Networks methods, but you helped save my sons and their friends, and I am grateful to you for that. I, too, hope we can work together."

"Thank you, Fenton," Gray said humbly, accepting Fenton's handshake. "I have to say, I have seen the most impressive things from your boys and their friends. It was really heroic what they did for each other. They should be commended for it. I too look forward working with you, and I think the Network and the Hardy's can become great allies."

Gray turned to Joe, feeling his cold stare on him. Clearing his throat, he murmured, "Joe, I want to apologize to you. I did get your message about your father and brother. Let's just say we had a bad connection. You have every right to be angry with me."

Joe said noting in response, so Gray continued.

"I also think you are an extraordinary kid... I mean young man. You and your brother both have such passion for crime solving. The way you care about people, and your drive and determination to fight for whats right, is just exceptional. I can tell you two will do great things in the world. I just wish we had more people like you. Maybe the Network can learn a few things from the Hardy Brothers."

Joe still said nothing.

"I don't want to fight with you, I would rather work with you," the Gray Man said as a last thought as he extended his hand to Joe. "Why don't we call it a truce."

Fenton and Frank both held their breaths, waiting for the youngest Hardy's response and hoping his stubborn streak wouldn't kick in.

To Frank's surprise, Joe took a deep breath before saying, "Gray, I'm trying hard to trust you. You know I've been angry with you over the issue with Tony. Being trapped in that room and not knowing if..."

Joe's voice trailed off before he found his way again. "It made me realize that life is short... and... I have to learn to let thing go. I don't want to fight with you anymore."

At this, Gray smiled wildly.

"We're probably going to agree and disagree about a lot of things," Joe went on, looking at his brother, "However, you did help save my brother's life. And for that, I am truly grateful."

Finally, Joe accepted Gray's handshake. "I want a truce."

"Thank you, Joe," Gray nodded. "And I'll take that as an apology."

Fenton and Frank smiled proudly at Joe.

"So Gary, what's going on with Heartless?" Frank asked, getting back to the matter of Heartless.

"Well, to be honest with you, I don't know," Gray informed them. "Just because D.K. Mathers is dead doesn't mean Heartless is. As far as I know, they are still active. I do know, however, the it is maybe possible that Cypher might still be alive."

"What?!"

"Some of the bodies still haven't been Identified. Many of them were my agents or Heartless recruits," Gray continued before getting hit with a bunch of questions. "It hasn't been confirmed yet. I'm heading back to the Network headquarters to see what I can find out. I'll keep you informed on what's going on with Heartless."

"Thank you," Fenton said, nodding.

"What about Angela?" Joe asked. "What's going to happen to her?"

"Well, Joe, I'm going to clear her criminal record, just like I said."

Gray reached the door before saying, "After that, Angela can start herself a new life."

As soon as he said that, Gray left the room.

"What do you think Tony's going to do? Joe asked, looking at his Frank and Fenton.

"Well, Joe, whether Tony likes it or not Angela is the mother of his son," Fenton said as he sat on the edge of Joe's bed. "He's going to have to find a way to work things out with her. It may take some counseling to help them deal with their issues.

"What can we do to help him?" Joe asked, yawning and rubbing his tired eyes. He laid his head back down on his pillow.

"Just supporting him like you have been," Fenton replied, gently touching the side of Joe's face.

"We can do that," Frank said, yawning and laying his head back down on his pillow.

"Well, I think I'll go find your mother," Fenton cut in, taking it as his cue to leave. He gave Frank's shoulder a light squeeze before heading for the door. He was about to say something to his boys, but found that they were sound asleep. Fenton couldn't help but smile. He had his family back together, and he knew everything would be okay.

"Thank you, God."

"Frank?" A voice whispered in the darkness.

Frank slowly opened his eyes. He didn't even have to guess.

"Can't sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Joe, really?"

"Please Frank."

"Joe, you're not supposed to get out of bed."

"I know. Just... please Frank," Joe pleaded, giving his big brother his sad, puppy-dog eyes.

Frank rolled his eyes and let out a deep sigh, going into big-brother-mode almost immediately. "Alright, but this time I'm coming to you."

A big smile spread across Joe's face as he moved over so Frank could lay down beside him. Even being in a hospital room together was no exception... Frank would never turn him away.

Yawning as he laid down beside Joe, Frank murmured quietly, "A big brother's job is never done."

"Thanks Frank," Joe whispered with a smile as he laid his head down on Frank's shoulder.

A few minutes later, both brothers were sound asleep right beside each other.

Fenton and Laura stood in the doorway, watching their sons sleep.

"Thank God," Laura whispered.

Sorry it took me so long to update. Been kind of busy. Thank you to those for sending wonderful reviews. I was going to make this my last chapter but..I've decided to give you one more. I will update soon. Hope you like this one. Please review and tell me how I did :)