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. LOL No, I'm serious! Go all the way back to Taken and read them all through. LOL Well, I guess, you can read it without having read the others, but it will mean a whole lot more if you read them all as I often tie my stories together.
Author's Notes: LOL, I know all of you were dying with that cliffhanger! I know, pure evil, but at least you only had to wait a week. :-) This chapter may sound like the end, but it's not. Three chapters still to go! :) This is also one of my favorite chapters in this story.
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Chapter Nine
Hulk, whose real name was Vinnie, let the door to the main floor close behind him, the sounds echoing in the concrete and metal stairwell. He took heavy steps down to the basement level occasionally readjusting the backpacks full of loot that he carried. He was to drop the bags off below and hurry back up in case the Hardy kid gave any problems. Having reached the bottom, he pushed open the door to the escape room and set the backpacks down. He was turning to leave when the door to the maintenance tunnel caught his eye. "What the...?" he asked himself out loud and took a step toward the door and pulled his rifle from his back.
The sudden noise of gunfire from above arrested his attention. "Damn!" he yelled and ran from the room, his steps echoing loudly.
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"Enough games, Joe. It's time to end this now." Robert nodded at Tony who moved to grab Joe and pull him forward.
Joe didn't resist but allowed Tony to pull him. He kept his head down as if he had given up, but he could see their legs. Hearing Robert talk to Gilroy and knowing that at least part of his family was probably watching snapped him out of his PTSD funk. Just a step more…. Robert stepped in front of Joe.
Using the speed and power he had in football coming off the line, he exploded up, allowing his right hand to come out of the cuff and grab the pistol from Robert's waistband. The sudden move caught Robert totally off-guard, thinking that Joe was too traumatized to do anything. Robert flung his arms backwards trying to break his fall with the grocery bag fluttering away in the air currents created by the scuffle. He landed hard on his back.
At the same time that Joe launched himself at Robert, Joe had seen from the corner of his eye that Elena was sticking to the plan and high tailing it toward the bathrooms while Elise was squatting and awaiting her moment.
Joe spun from his hit on Robert with the gun in a two-hand grip. He got off two rounds quickly, hitting Tony in the right shoulder and leg causing him to fall to the floor from the impacts. Joe kept the gun up in front of him and directed his aim toward Stripes who was with the other hostages. He had no idea how the man had been talked into this, but he had a gun and was with twenty-one innocent people. When Stripes raised his gun to take aim, Joe didn't hesitate. He fired two shots to the chest. The robbers didn't have on Kevlar vests; he could tell by the way their shirts fit. He wanted to avoid a head shot if he could, but he had to make sure none of the hostages suffered needlessly.
Joe turned his attention immediately back to Tony, who was trying to get his gun out with his left hand. Joe kicked out and the gun went spinning away toward the vault hallway. He had heard a struggle behind him and was turning to check on Elise when the exit door to the basement stairs burst open and Hulk came rushing out. Once again, Joe felt he didn't have any options as the hostages screamed again as Hulk started firing in their direction. Joe fired off one shot. That's all it took, and he knew it would be a gruesome memory but hopefully everyone would be alive when the smoke and dust cleared.
He dropped the gun to his side as he turned to find Elisa Sacco standing with a bloody marble and brass name plate in her hand. Her breathing was heavy, and her eyes were dilated but she was okay. As she dropped the heavy marble to the floor, Joe looked at Robert and saw that he wouldn't be coming after the Sacco family ever again.
Elise's job had been to tackle and stab Robert with the letter opener if needed. The bloody opener was laying nearby so she had stabbed him somewhere but with the dark clothing, Joe didn't know where. But he must have pulled it out and that's when Elise had grabbed the closest thing to attack him with. The indention in the side of Robert's head was leaking blood and his eyes were open and glassy as he lay on the floor with arms and legs flung out. Joe walked over to the desk and grabbed one of the sets of cuffs and put the pistol in the back of his pants waistband. He walked back over to Tony, who was yelling obscenities at Elise, and told him to rollover. Tony gave him an angry glare through his mask and then complied; Joe handcuffed his hands behind his back.
With the shock over, the hostages were starting to get up and some were moving toward the door. Joe yelled out for everyone to stop and be still. They had all seen him take out three armed men, so they quickly stopped to listen. "Find a seat. The FBI will soon be here to help with the explosives on the exits." He paused as everything began to slow down for him. "Just stay calm and it will soon be over." The words were barely out of Joe's mouth before HRT came through the stairwell exit bringing a few more screams before everyone realized that it was the FBI.
Joe could see Frank moving to the front to make his way to Joe as HRT spread out to begin checking doors for explosives. Soon his brother was standing in front of him.
Frank holstered his pistol and looked at the bruise on his brother's face and noted there weren't any visible serious injuries. His eyes returned to his brother's and he said, "For a moment, I thought I wouldn't get to have that free all you can eat buffet at Seafood Sam's."
Joe knew that Frank's calmly delivered joke masked his fear of almost losing his brother yet again. "No way I'd miss seeing you in that crab-eyed headband."
"I'll wear it the whole meal if you like," Frank said as he pulled his brother into a hug.
"I'll hold you to it." Joe replied as he hugged his brother back. But he quickly broke free as he saw an agent trying to get Elise to talk and move from where she was standing. He turned to Frank who was now looking at Elise as well. "She knows you, Frank. Talk to her and see if you can get her to sit somewhere. I'll go get Elena."
Elise must have heard his comment as she seemed to focus a little more with her gaze moving to Joe. "Elena?"
Joe picked up Ginger from the floor and handed the doll to Elise. "I'll be right back." As he left, he heard Frank talking to her and Elise responding. He knew she'd be all right once the initial shock wore off. While her family might have been involved in the deaths of numerous people, it was obvious that she hadn't personally participated in a killing before today.
"Elena? It's Joe." Joe carefully pushed open the men's bathroom door. He could hear her moving supplies out of the way to get to the door. "It's okay to come out." Elena burst from the closet throwing open the door so hard that it clanged as it hit the wall beside it. It took only moments for her to fling herself into Joe's open arms. He lifted her up and held the little girl close, forgetting the pain of the beating he had taken.
Her sobs tore at him as she asked with a quivering voice, "Mom?"
"She's fine. She's just a little shook up." He tried to adjust his hold so he could look at her, but she kept her face buried in his neck and her small arms and legs were like a vice around him. "Hey, look at me a minute," he said softly.
She eased up her grip enough to lean back and look him in the face.
"There are things out there that no one should ever have to see. Will you promise me to keep your eyes closed as I take you to your mom?"
She nodded.
"Say it for me."
She smiled a little as she repeated, "I promise to keep my eyes closed."
"Good girl. Now let's go find your mom. She has Ginger for you." With his words the little girl buried her face in his neck and sighed. Her hold was a little lighter and he realized that she felt completely safe with him.
As Joe exited the bathroom hallway, he spotted Frank waiting for him. Frank pointed to one of the conference rooms near the exit to the basement. Joe grimaced as he passed Robert's body and then saw the other two bodies as he rounded the corner. Tony was gone. He didn't say anything. Elena seemed to be holding to her promise and he didn't want to say anything that would make her look up. Frank entered the room behind Joe and closed the door. An FBI agent was talking with Elise who seemed to be back to her normal self. She jumped from her chair and moved quickly around the table toward them. Elena finally looked up upon hearing her mother's voice and then turned her body as only a small child can, to move from Joe to Elise without ever putting a foot on the ground. She immediately started crying as Elise began soothing her.
Elise looked at Joe. "I don't know how we could ever repay you," she whispered.
"I didn't do it for your gratitude," he said back just as softly. There was no venom in his words. No hostility toward the family that had been the cause of one of his most traumatic experiences. One that still haunted him.
"I know," she whispered.
The door opened and Agent Gilroy stepped inside. "Joe, can you come with me. I'd like to talk with you." As they exited the room so that the agent with Elise could continue, Gilroy added, "And I don't think my telling your father and wife that this is an active crime scene is going to be effective much longer."
Joe smiled. He couldn't wait to see his father and Vanessa.
But Gilroy reached out a hand and stopped him before they exited the bank. He had a Ziploc bag in his hand. "But maybe you should give me the gun first." Joe's eyes widened as he reached behind him to his waistband to get the pistol and drop it in the bag. At the same time, Gilroy added, "And let's take that cuff off too." It only took a moment to get it off and he rubbed his wrist appreciatively.
He exited the building behind some of the other hostages who seemed in a daze and then he saw his wife behind the crime scene tape next to his father. He walked in their direction and in a flash, Vanessa was under the tape and in his arms.
As he held her close, he closed his eyes and shut out all the lights and sounds and the pain that still reminded him of his beating earlier in the day. He'd endure another beating to hold her in his arms.
"We got the video feed on right before they walked up to you with that bag. I was so scared!" she whispered hoarsely. "I thought they were going to kill you right before my eyes, but I couldn't look away."
Joe thought briefly of a quip about not wanting to miss the seafood buffet, but he knew that while he needed that joke from Frank, his wife needed something else. He pulled back and she moved back slightly so she could look at him. "I'll always come back to you," he whispered and then he leaned in for a passionate kiss.