Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.
Rating/Setting: Rating is T. The series started as kinda blue spine with a touch of Casefiles but is now completely AU. F/21 and J/20. In the first story (Taken), the boys are J/16 and F/17 and they have aged as the series continued. Takes place about 2 months after Sometimes 'Never' Happens.
Summary: Taken Series: What was supposed to be a simple meeting at the bank for Joe becomes anything but ordinary. Circumstances are clouded as Elise Sacco and her daughter are also at the bank. Is it a bank hold-up or is something more going on? F 21/J 20
**Don't even try to make sense of this story without having read the rest of the series. See my author's page for the reading order. And if you do go back and read them all, be sure to leave a review at least at the end of the story so I'll know how you like it. :-)
Authors' Notes: Thank you to those of you who have reviewed! I respond via PM to anyone who has it enabled. Longer chapter and Jilsen asked in her review about what previous stories featured the Saccos. So I thought some others might also want to know. :) Nick Sacco and RJ Couch/Travis Rosetti were first introduced in "For Who You Are." Nick returned again in "Debts" and we were introduced to Elise (who did not have a large part in the story). Nick had a cameo in "Where My Demons Hide." References to what Joe went through at the hands of RJ Couch are referenced in numerous stories after "For Who You Are." I hope this helps.
Also, a thank you to Jilsen who asked me about possible flashbacks. You can thank her for that addition to this chapter. I like it even better now. :-D
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Chapter Five
2:00pm ~ three hours since the Hardys had arrived & almost five hours since the hostage situation began
Fenton, Frank, and several FBI agents were waiting in a makeshift conference room the FBI had set up in the vacant retail store that was one block over from Hope Trust Bank. A couple of nude mannequins were propped up in the corner and with their positioning, Frank knew that Joe would have had an inappropriate comment to make about it. A brief smile formed on his mouth before returning to its serious position. Vanessa wasn't with them as she was working with FBI hackers to find a workaround for the cameras in the bank. They seriously needed to have eyes inside. Frank's gaze shifted to the entry. Agent Chris Gilroy just entered and closed the door.
Gilroy grabbed a chair and pulled it screeching to the table. After placing his tablet on the table, he sat and addressed those gathered. "Here's what we have now. The lip reader has provided us with a transcript of what he could see. I have sent that to each of you in your email. But what we consider most important is that Elise Sacco seems to know the man talking to her. She calls him, 'Robert' and then says, 'you can't do this.'"
Frank straightened up immediately in his seat and Gilroy noticed.
"What is it, Frank?"
"Elise and Joe only have two events that tie them together."
Gilroy nodded and said, "The Martinez hit and Joe's abduction by the Sacco family."
"That's right," Frank responded. "And Joe was abducted by RJ Couch. Robert Couch, Jr." Fenton swore but Frank's gaze was fixed on Gilroy as he continued, "I don't think that Joe, Elise, or Elena will make it out of there alive unless we do something."
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Joe looked around. It seemed that constant checking on the robbers was the norm for the moment. None of the kidnappers were around and he needed to get things in place for when he was ready to do something. He turned his gaze to Elena who was in the process of redressing her doll. "Elena. I need you to do something for me."
Elena's fingers stilled on the shoe that she was putting on the doll's foot, and she looked up and tilted her head at an angle that was a similar mannerism to what her mother did. "What?" she whispered back conspiratorially and glanced in the direction that Robert Couch had gone.
"Once you get that shoe back on the doll-"
"Ginger."
Joe only paused a second as he realized that she was telling him the doll's name. "Once you get the shoe on Ginger, I need you to check the floor around the desk for a paperclip. One of those heavy-duty ones like you see at school sometimes would be great."
Elena looked from Joe's face to his handcuffs and back. Her eyes narrowed in obvious suspicion and disbelief as she deduced what he wanted with a paperclip. "That only works in movies, you know."
Elise started to correct her daughter, but Joe interrupted. "Actually, it does work and before we get out of here, you'll see that it does." Joe had been serious as he had been talking, but now he gave her the smile that Vanessa was never able to resist. For a moment, he thought it had lost its power but then-
Elena smiled and went back to work on the shoe. It was on in the blink of an eye and then Elena started looking around under the desk that she and her mother were leaning against.
Joe and Elise watched the areas that the kidnappers were in but there wasn't any movement, and it was less than a minute before Elena was back beside her mom with the silver paperclip in hand. Elise took it from her and after checking to be sure that no one was looking, slid it acrost the floor to Joe, who trapped it under his hand. He frowned slightly as he picked it up and began unfolding the bends. He glanced to Elena and asked, "How did you find one so fast?"
"I opened the drawer and got it out. It's where my teacher keeps hers."
Both Joe and Elise looked at the girl for a moment and then they both smiled. It seemed that Elena Sacco was able to function in a stressful situation, which might come in very handy before the day was over. Joe was thinking that things might come to a head around sunset. "Good job," he said as he worked on the paperclip. He wasn't sure yet when he would need to have it unlocked, but he needed to be sure he could do that. He looked over to Elise as Elena went back to her doll. "It doesn't take a long time to set up C4 and detonators."
Elise was quiet for a moment. "You know this from your work with the ATF."
The way she said it, he knew that Nick had talked with her about what, or who, he thought the Hardys were involved with. "Does it matter where I learned it? The question is, do you believe that I know what I'm talking about?"
To Joe's relief, she immediately said, "I believe you. How long do you think we have?"
"We've been here over five hours. They could be ready to go now if they had prior knowledge as to where to place the charges. But I don't think they'll do anything until it's dark or close to dark. The darkness will aid them in their escape." Joe said in a hushed voice as he looked back toward the vault and then to the exit doorway where Hulk had gone. "If they start shooting now, the FBI will do something. They don't want that. If they blow up things now, they'll be leaving in the daylight with rush hour traffic ahead of them. They'll want darkness to help make it difficult to process the crime scene after the confusion caused by the explosion."
Elise's mouth tightened at the words 'crime scene,' but she nodded her agreement. "It makes sense. What do we do?"
Joe was quiet as he watched Robert exit the vault and head in their direction. Carefully, he put the paperclip into his pocket. All the while, he kept his eyes on Robert. He didn't have his backpack, and his gun was tucked into the waist of his pants. Joe glanced at its location and then looked back to the face of the masked man.
Robert puts his hands on his hips after coming to a stop about five feet from the group on the floor. Elena held her doll tightly and was pressing so close to her mother, that Elise actually moved slightly to the side from the pressure. Robert's eyes were fixed on Elena and Joe didn't like it at all. Even though the mask hid most of his facial features, the malevolence in his eyes was plain to see.
"What's the plan?" he asked to draw attention from the young girl.
Robert stared at Elena for a moment more then directed his attention at the young man who was tied directly to his son's death. "Interesting that you should ask that, Mr. Hardy." He reached behind him and brought out a retractable baton. With the press of a button, it extended to its full length.
Joe couldn't help his instinctive response; he pressed his back hard against the couch behind him and pulled his knees in. Memories he worked hard to forget were asking to be acknowledged once again. His eyes were focused on the baton, but he clearly heard the words that Robert Couch spoke.
"This is for starters. Tony and I will finish things off with a Wal-Mart bag." Robert paused, "Don't want you trying to interfere when it's the girl's time." Then Robert swung the baton, and it caught Joe on the side of the head making a loud noise that caused Elise to scream.
Joe immediately shifted so that he was leaning over, protecting his face and head the best he could with his handcuffed hands behind his head protecting his neck. Robert didn't seem to care where he hit his target; he just wanted to beat him. Joe could hear Robert muttering about his son and his death. With each blow of the baton, another scene from that unforgettable night with RJ Couch and Travis Rosetti flashed through Joe's head... the staplegun that started it all... thwack!... the baseball bat that broke his leg... thwack!... the burning eyes from the pepper spray... thwack!... and the worst of them all, the innocuous grocery store bag that nearly suffocated him...thwack! The screams and cries of the others could be heard in the background but none of the bank hostages knew that this was personal for Robert and Tony. None of them knew the inhumane depths that RJ Couch sunk to. The other hostages wouldn't be beaten or tortured, just killed in the explosion and collapse of the bank for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The beating didn't last long, and Robert finished it off with a good kick to Joe's side, causing him to grunt. Joe could hear Robert's heavy breathing as he walked away toward the vault with the baton swinging at his side.
Joe brought his hands over his head, so they were in front of him and then he moved until he was laying on his back. His head was pounding from the direct blow he took plus several glances that he hadn't been able to totally deflect. But it wasn't just his head; he hissed as his injured back pressed to the floor. It hurt like hell, but the cold marble tile began to numb the heat that streaked his body under his shirt. He lay there unmoving with his eyes closed trying to take normal breaths and willing the drum beating in his head to stop and for the memories that were there in their high-definition glory to stop playing in his mind's eye. And suddenly they stopped when he felt a butterfly-light touch near his eye beneath the welt that was forming on his forehead from the first hit. He stared into Elena's dark chocolate-brown eyes. He could tell from her expression that she was very concerned.
"I'm glad he missed your eyes," she said quietly as she brought her hand back to join the other in her lap. "Why would he want to hurt you like this, Joe?"
Joe stared at her for a moment and then altered the direction of his gaze to meet the slightly lighter-hued brown eyes of her mother. The memories of RJ and Travis were not his focus now. Living in the present was what he needed to do. "It's a long story, Elena, and not one that's any fun for me." He had the satisfaction of seeing Elise turn her head away. He felt the feather touch again, this time on his cheek.
"Are you going to be all right?"
This time, Joe looked into her eyes, "Yeah. I am. And I'm going to need your help now." He remembered what Robert had said, he planned to kill Joe before killing Elena. He had to make his move before Robert Couch did something that would take away Joe's ability to save this little girl. He moved to sit up and smiled at the fact that Elena thought he meant that he needed her help to sit up. She still had the innocence of childhood and her parents' way of life hadn't taken away this bit of kindness to someone who was hurt. Once he leaned up against the couch, she scooted up close to him, her legs off to the side and her gaze directed at his face. Joe looked around for a moment to make sure they were unobserved and then he put his hand into his pants pocket and carefully removed the letter opener. Its silver veneer winked in the lighting. "Hide this and give it to your mom."
Elena nodded solemnly and slid it up her jacket sleeve and then she crawled back to her mother. Elise took the opener from her daughter and secreted it in her own pants pocket and then she looked at Joe. "You have a plan?"
Joe nodded. He would be taking a chance on losing one of the remaining nine lives he had; but if he did nothing, he was sure that he and Elena would die.