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Iola's Treasure 11
Joe crouched down beside the shed in the tall grass like a cheetah stalking his prey. He kept his eyes on the figure in black clothing. It was now going on eight o'clock in the morning, which gave him the advantage of checking out the creep's profile. He couldn't see the face due to a black ski mask, but quickly noticed the long sleeve black shirt that covered the broad shoulders and muscular frame.
"This is definitely a guy!" Joe concluded as a smile slid across his face.
He really didn't have a plan he just knew one thing, and one thing only to keep Hattie safe. "Frank's the thinker; I'm the action type. I go on instinct". Joe waited until the masked man was about halfway up the trellis. Throwing caution to the wind Joe sprung to his feet and took off running.
The masked man whirled around to see Joe beneath his feet. "Yuh!" He thrust out a swift kick to Joe's face.
Joe ducked away in time and reached up and grabbed the man by the ankle giving it a hard yank. The trellis broke from the man's grip senting to two of them falling to the ground.
Joe hit the ground, hard, with a loud "oomph" as the masked man landed on top of him, knocking the wind out of his lungs.
The masked man was already in the process of getting up before Joe had time to catch his breath.
Determined not to let this creep get away, Joe immediately brought his legs up and wrapped them around the man's waist.
"You're... Not getting... Into this house!" He grunted breathlessly.
"That's what you think!" The masked man growled, sending a sharp jab of his elbow into the pit of Joe's stomach.
"Ooof!" Joe gasped for air. A chill ran down his spine when the masked man stood over him with dark cold eyes glaring at him, and then sat down on his chest. It felt as if a two hundred pound elephant was sitting on his chest, making it impossible to breathe. Sheer terror shot through Joe as a pair of gloves shot out to his neck.
The masked man let out a sardonic chuckle as his gloved hands began to coil around the boy's neck.
"Get off...me!" Joe started kicking out wildly as he tried to claw his fingers at the gloved hands, keeping them away from his neck. With his thumbs, Joe reached up and gouged the man's eyes.
The masked man's hands flew over his face as he screamed. "I'll kill you, you stupid kid!" Then he came back and belted Joe hard across the face.
As a result of the blow, Joe saw stars. He could taste blood on his bottom lip; then once again the gloved hands were back around his neck.
No matter what Joe did, the guy wouldn't let up; his grip only grew tighter. "Frank... Help! I... Need you, big brother!" His body was practically screaming for air as less and less of it made its way through his windpipe. "Frank!"
All at once, Frank's voice popped into his head, "Calm down Joe, stay calm and think..." Joe began to calm down thinking of his brother's voice. Then a combat technique Frank taught him came to his head. 'It has to work, it has to!"
Staying calm as Frank had instructed, Joe began by trying to pry the masked man's hands away from his neck again, since it was about all he could do to keep himself focused and stop himself from passing out.
Joe kept his chin tight against his neck as much as possible the way Frank taught him and then he placed his thumb into the bend of the masked man's elbow, squeezing with all his might, Joe finally got a reaction as the man shouted in pain. "Aw!"
"Aw!" Joe shouted too, and pushed in bringing his head up out of the choke-hold. He threw his other hand around the man's shoulder, shifting his posture and hooking one of his legs behind the man, flipped him onto his back.
Soon Joe found himself sitting on top of the masked man, breathing hard but miraculously alive. "Thank you God for my big brother." Joe whispered between breaths. The masked man was also breathing heavily while glaring up at Joe.
Joe took a moment to calm down and wipe the blood from his face, taking in painful deep but steady breaths. Looking down at his opponent, he grunted, "Now... let's find out ...who you... are?" He reached for the man's mask pulling it off his head.
The masked man hissed. "That's what you think!"
All of the sudden, Joe was hit in the back of his head, knocking him to the ground.
The figure of a man towered above Joe as his vision began to blur. The face came slowly into view before fading into darkness.
"Joe?" A voice whispered in the darkness. Joe knew that voice.
Joe slowly opened his eyes but quickly clenched them closed due to the bright lights, they made his head hurt; in fact his whole body hurt every time he took a breath. There was something covering his nose and mouth.
"Frank..." The name came out muffled. Joe began to get frustrated, trying to speak.
"It's okay Joe. It's just an oxygen mask to help you breathe." He heard Frank's soothing voice. "There's also an IV in your arm and a monitor; all of it to help you get better".
Joe could feel the fresh air as it entered his lungs, the IV in his arm; he could hear the monitor beeping. He opened his eyes again, letting them adjust to the bright lights and his vision cleared up as Frank came into view. He could see the worry lines all over his face.
"I'm right here Joe". Frank gave his brother's hand a firm squeeze. His keen brown eyes swept over the white bandage wrapped around Joe's head, the split lip. Finally his eyes landed on the vivid handprints encircling Joe's neck. "You're safe. No one's going to hurt you."
Rage began to boil up inside Frank as his big brother instincts went into overdrive. "When I find the person responsible for this" he vowed, "they'll be sorry! No one puts their hands on my little brother!"
"Joe!" Laura cried, coming into the room, rushing over to her youngest son's bedside. "Baby, you're awake." she said, trying to hold back tears.
Laura squeezed her son's hand, then leaned over to kiss his forehead. "I love you so much."
"Joe will be fine, Mom." Frank came up beside his mother, putting a comforting arm around her.
There was a small stretch of silence in which Laura was just relieved that her Joe was awake; however, she was furious at the sight of the bruises on his neck. She would like nothing more than to rip the person apart for hurting her baby.
"I called your father" Laura whispered, giving Frank a hug.
"Good". Frank answered, releasing his mother before turning back to Joe, who was sound asleep. He just looked so small lying in his bed.
"Dad's coming Joe. We'll find out who hurt you. Please get well soon, little brother." He leaned over to kiss Joe's forehead, willing his emotions away; trying not to fall apart. "I need my partner back."
Just then Dr. Bryce, a middle-aged man with wispy white hair and about average height, walked into the room wearing his white coat.
In the Hardys' line of work, injuries went along with the job. From life-threatening to mild injuries, Dr. Bryce treated them all. So Fenton and Laura decided to keep the doctor as their family physician, because he was familiar with their boys' medical history.
"Is Joe going to be okay, doctor?" Laura asked worriedly.
The doctor replied, "He's got a bruised lung and two cracked ribs as well as a concussion from the bump on the back of his head". Dr. Bryce paused before continuing " On the whole, I'd say Joe needs a few more days or so to heal. But yes, absolutely, Joe should recover fully given time".
"Can we stay with him?" Frank asked anxiously. There was no way he was going to leave his brother alone. He still had no idea who'd attacked him.
"Yes." The doctor replied; he knew from previous experience that it would be a losing battle to say "No" to the Hardy family.
"I'll stay with Joe." Laura looked right at Frank. "Frank, you and your father go find the monster who hurt my baby." She said fuming.
"Oh, Mom, we will, we will." Frank promised. "Did you say Dad was on his way?"
"Yes, I did. I told him Joe was viciously attacked at Mrs. Granger's." Laura nodded. "Fenton is coming straight here from New York. He's already arranging to have the hospital beefed up with security and to have a guard posted outside of Joe's room."
"Dad never misses a beat, does he?" Frank smiled proudly thinking of his father.
"When it comes to protecting you boys," Laura added, "Never."
Suddenly a hand latched onto Frank's hand. Frank looks down to see panic in Joe's blue eyes. Again, Joe began to get frustrated with the oxygen mask, trying to speak.
"Joe take it easy". Frank said to him. "Don't get yourself all excited."
Joe gripped Frank's hand tighter and adamantly shook his head, he pulled the mask off, "H... Hattie." came out of his mouth in a soft whisper. "Where is... She? Did he... Hurt her? Is she... Okay?!"
When nobody answered him Joe tried to get up, causing the monitor to go off as he almost pulled out the IV. Frank stopped him by placing both hands on his shoulders, forcing him to lie down once again. "Take it easy. It's okay. You're safe. Just lay back down and rest."
"Hattie!" Joe shouted. He grabbed his chest, gasping for air like a fish out of water. "Frank... Where is... She!"
"Joe!" Laura cried out.
"Joe I need you to take a slow and steady breath." Dr. Bryce grabbed the oxygen mask placing it over Joe's nose and mouth. "Listen to Frank, don't get yourself all excited."
"Hattie is fine." Frank could see his brother was about to protest. "In fact, she's here in the hospital."
Joe's eyes widened at hearing this, and he started to get up. But Frank stopped him in time and went on to explain, "Hattie heard the commotion outside her bedroom window. She heard you screaming for help, it shook her up; it caused her blood pressure to go up as well. Hattie has to stay here overnight so they can keep a close eye on her. She'll be okay though, Aunt Gertrude is sitting with her right now".
Laura added. "Hattie will be coming home with us when she's released." Joe finally began to calm down and as a result his breathing went back to normal. Then Dr. Bryce gave his patient something to help him sleep. A few minutes later, Joe was asleep.
Dr. Bryce left to start the rest of his rounds and said he'd be back to check on Joe. He assured them that the youngest Hardy would be fine. Laura insisted on staying with Joe.
Frank stepped outside of Joe's room and went straight to the waiting room, to get some air and to think. He slowly sank into a chair, placing his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands.
"Frank?"
Frank looked up to find Chet standing in front of him holding two cups of coffee.
"How's Joe?" Chet asked, handing Frank a cup of coffee. He sat the other coffee cup on a table and sat down next to his friend.
"Thanks Chet." Frank nodded, taking a slow sip of the hot coffee. "Dr. Bryce said Joe will be fine in a few days. He just needs plenty of rest".
"How are you doing, Frank?" Chet asked, concerned for both of his friends. He'd known the Hardy brothers since they were kids. Frank and Joe had a very close bond, he knew. He also knew that when one brother got hurt the other took it personally. And if anyone were the cause of that hurt to one brother, that person would face the wrath of the other brother.
"I'm mad as hell." Frank said hotly. "Someone hurt my brother. No, I take that back someone tried to kill Joe."
"Do you have a suspect in mind?" Chet asked.
"Yep"
"Mr. Albert Douglas"
"Yep"
"Do you really think he would?"
"Yes, I do." Frank nodded. "He has a perfect motive for doing so."
"What would be the motive?" Chet wondered.
"Revenge" Frank concluded, "Joe attacked Mr. Douglas and made threats to stop the resort from coming to Barmet Island."
"That was pretty bold of him to attack Joe in broad daylight." Chet added his point. "Even though it is a secluded area. You wouldn't know a house is there unless you'd been there before."
"Besides," Chet added his next point. "You'd know it if it was in fact Mr. Douglas who attacked Joe".
"I know." Frank agreed. "Joe is the only one who can tell us what happened. And… maybe one other person."
Chet asked, "Who's that?"
"Hattie Granger." Frank said. "That's another reason why she's staying with us."
Just then Officer Riley, along with several officers, entered the hospital waiting room.
"Frank, how's Joe?" Officer Riley asked up front.
"That's what I'd like to know." Fenton Hardy demanded rushing into the waiting room.
"Dad!" Frank stood up to give his father a hug and quickly filled him on Joe's condition. Frank took a breath and began to explain,"It was eight o'clock by the time Chet and I arrived at Mrs. Granger's. When we entered the house, Mrs. Granger was just coming down, all frantic".
"We thought she was going come tumbling down the steps. So we helped her to the couch in the living room. It took us a good couple of minutes to get her to calm down." Chet piped up. "And then she told us..."
"She told us there'd been a commotion outside her bedroom window..." Frank picked up the story. "She'd heard Joe screaming for help..." He ran a hand through his hair as he continued, "And then everything went quiet. Chet stayed with Mrs. Granger and called 911". Tears began seeping in the corners of Frank's eyes he looked at his father. "I ran around back to find Joe."
"He was... on the ground… unconscious…. Red hand prints around his neck." Frank began to choke up as anger entered his voice. "I dropped to my knees… felt for a pulse… Joe wasn't breathing… gave him… CPR…. I don't know how long it was for… because I didn't stop…. by the time help arrived I had him breathing."
"I don't know who… but all I know is... someone tried to kill my brother!" Frank exploded, kicking over a chair.
By the time Frank had finished, Fenton felt rage burning inside of him. But as angry as he was feeling right now, he had to stay calm and keep a cool head.
"Remember Frank, stay calm and keep a cool head". Fenton said calmly, wrapping his arms around Frank, pulling him into a deep hug. "We'll find out who hurt, Joe. I promise you, Son."
"You're right; this is no time to fall apart. Joe comes first." Frank took another deep breath to calm down. "We have to find the person who tried to kill Joe."
"Fenton, Frank," Officer Riley cleared his throat. "It might be sooner than you think."
Fenton, Frank and Chet exchanged looks with each other. "What do you mean?" Fenton turns to the Officer Riley.
"The Chief ordered us to search Mrs. Granger's property for clues." Officer Riley said."This was found laying beside a broken trellis. Right where Joe was found."
Frank and Fenton watched as Officer Riley held up a plastic bag, inside was a black ski mask.