Author's Note:
Hello again! I hope that everyone is doing well. Halloween is next week and then onto the holiday season. Hard to believe that we are closing in on the end of the year already. We are also closing in on the end of this story. At least, I think we are. Anyway, thank you so much for continuing to support the story by reading (and leaving a review if you did!). I know I am not consistent on my updates but I am trying to get them out when I can. I hope that you enjoy the next chapter and, if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Happy Halloween and God bless!
Chapter Seventeen
As Frank walked with the man, his partner came up to them, flanking Frank and giving him very little room to get away if he wanted to. It concerned him though he didn't express it.
"Do you mind Marco joining us, Frank?" the man asked. "Not that you have a choice." He looked at Marco. "Did you see anyone else?"
"No, Nick," Marco smirked. "Just the ones I mentioned. None of them are close enough to the pavilion either so we shouldn't have any shadows."
Nick sighed, shaking his head. They approached an idling car in the parking lot. "I really wish you didn't bring your friends, Frank," he said glumly as Marco opened the back passenger door. "I really didn't want to have to put a bullet in her head."
"I have your jewels," Frank answered. "What more do you want?"
"Trust, first and foremost, Frank. If we can't have trust then communication tends to break down. Our boss taught us that. Now, get in the car."
"How can I trust you though?" he replied, not moving. Frank wanted to buy as much time as he could for the others to catch up. "First you take my father and brother and then you take Nancy. How can I trust anyone who does that? And what was the point of taking Nancy if you already had hostages?"
"You ask too many questions, Frank," Nick said pointedly. "I guess we need to talk about manners along the way. Now, as I said before, get in the car."
This time, he produced a gun, aiming it low so no one could see it. He motioned with the gun for Frank to get into the car. He reluctantly got in, seeing a driver sitting at the wheel though he kept looking straight ahead. Marco walked around the other side to get in while Nick slid in beside Frank. The two men gave very little room for him to move as the car pulled out of the parking lot. Frank looked out the back window just in time to see Sam rush up from the park.
Sam watched the whole scene unfold between Frank and Mrs. Farnsworth, cursing the woman for showing up. He never really liked her considering she was one of those who was in everyone's business including his own. When he and his wife, Ethel, were having trouble, Mrs. Farnsworth blabbed about the trouble to nearly every woman in Bayport with exception to Ethel. Once they reconciled and their lives calmed down, Mrs. Farnsworth continued to spread things about them around town, causing several issues with close friends of Ethel's. In the end, it was Gertrude Hardy who cleared everything up forcing Mrs. Farnsworth to give a semi-decent apology to the Radley's. Sam still did not care to be around her nor did he trust her, and with her now seeing Frank for the first time in eight years, the news will spread like wildfire before the whole operation was over. As Mrs. Farnsworth moved on, Frank walked toward another part of the park. Sam figured something was up when he realized the direction Frank was going which was towards the pavilion along the edge of the park.
The open-air pavilion, usually used for the Founder's Day Picnic in July, seemingly stood empty, set back away from the playground area. A field stretched from the playground to the pavilion, leaving little to no coverage for Sam to cross without being seen. Still, he needed to follow Frank to give back up, if needed. Before he started toward the pavilion, Sam noticed a man watching him. Although he didn't recognize him, Sam had a feeling the man was with the kidnappers. Hesitating, he looked toward the pavilion then back to where the man was standing only to find an empty spot. Frank seemed to disappear as well causing Sam to make a run for the building. He saw Chief Collig rushing over from the other side of the park.
"Did you see where they went?" Collig huffed, clearly out of breath.
"They? You mean, someone was with Frank?"
"When he stepped under the overhang, someone approached him from behind. They spoke for a few minutes then moved away."
"How did you see that and I didn't?" Sam asked incredulously. Shaking it off, he continued to run for the pavilion only to find it empty. "Where are they?"
Sam checked around the building, stopping when he saw the man again a good distance away, only this time, he was getting into a car. "Chief!"
Before Collig could make a sound, Sam took off towards the car though he came up short just as the vehicle turned onto the road. He saw Frank sitting in the backseat, looking back at him apologetically before turning back around.
"Damn it!" cried Collig, rushing up behind Sam. "Was Frank in the car?"
"Yes."
"Where's Con?"
The two men looked around the parking lot, searching for Con Riley's truck. The three men arrived in different ways with Sam actually walking into the park while Collig and Con drove in separate vehicles. Con was to stay in his truck to keep an eye out and follow anyone if they were to leave. Chief Collig just hoped that his officer was able to follow the sedan without being seen.
Con Riley was indeed following the sedan that carried Frank and the kidnappers. He kept his distance from the other vehicle, keeping at least two or three cars between them. Con had watched from a distance as Frank approached the pavilion and the proceeding events afterward. Although he couldn't see the man who came up behind the young Hardy, Con was still able to discern a few things from what he witnessed.
There were three men who came into the park earlier in the day. One was there before Con even arrived but he watched the man from his truck as he casually walked around the playground and fields. The man stood out like a sore thumb but tried his best not to. About a half hour later, another man met up with him who turned out to be the one who met with Frank at the pavilion. He seemed to be the one in charge of the situation, much smaller than the scout. The third man waited impatiently in the sedan Con was currently following.
Once Frank and the other two men got into the car, they quickly drove off. Con saw Chief Collig and Sam rush up to the parking lot just before he pulled away himself. He knew if he stopped for them, he might lose the sedan in traffic. The moment they got to their destination, Con planned on radioing in to make sure he had backup. He just hoped that nothing happened before the backup could make it.
Frank watched the countryside go by. He was unsure as to where exactly they were going but he knew they were headed out of Bayport. About a mile outside of town, the driver turned down a gravel road that eventually led to a small house at the corner of a field.
It was a single-story house with a large picture window in the front. The roof looked like it was in need of repair with several shingles askew or broken off. The front door was solid with only a small window at the top to see in. The front porch sagged slightly, the wooden slats bowed and broken. The house looked abandoned save for the door opening to reveal a large man who took up a good part of the doorway. He came out of the house just as the car came to a stop. Nick got out of the car then ordered Frank out. Marco and the driver both exited the vehicle with the driver making his way to the large man on the porch.
"Did they give you any problems?" he asked.
"Nah," the large man answered, waving his hand. "All I heard was the creak of the bed and some talking. No trouble at all, L.T."
"Where are they?" Frank demanded coming up to them. He ignored Nick who tried to stop him with the gun. That was when the driver turned around and Frank's eyes went wide in recognition. "You!"
No one was fast enough to stop him as Frank lunged at the driver, wrapping his hands around his neck. The large man went into action, wrapping his beefy arm around Frank's neck to get him to let go. Nick went a more subtle route by pressing the gun into Frank's temple.
"Let him go, Frank!" he ordered. Frank eyed him for a moment before letting go of the driver. The large man, on the other hand, didn't let go though he did loosen his grip. Nick looked at the driver. "What the hell, Tannen? How does he know you?"
"He killed my mother!" Frank cried, struggling with the man. "He was in the car that hit her!"
"And as I told your father," Tannen wheezed, rubbing his neck, "I had no intention of killing her! She was supposed to be taken as leverage! No one was supposed to be hurt!"
"But that doesn't excuse the fact that she is dead!"
"Hold on a minute," Nick stepped in between the two. He looked at Tannen. "We have some business to attend to here but then again, maybe I should let him at you. You didn't specify what happened eight years ago with how Mrs. Hardy died though we figured it had something to do with you. But I don't think Mr. Biancci would like to hear about this."
"He doesn't need to know, Nick," the man spat, emphasizing his name. "That was my business and I took care of the idiot that did it in the first place! Up until a few weeks ago, he was still sitting in the car…at the bottom of a lake! I only made an anonymous tip to police to get my jewels back! Now, lay off!"
"Fine, then go get the girl and bring her out here," he ordered. "That's the easiest thing you can do right now."
"I don't take orders from you!" Tannen yelled. "I give the orders around here! I told you that!"
"Then what are you going to do?"
The man folded his arms while his colleague stared at the two in shock, still holding on to Frank. Marco snickered as Nick glared at Tannen.
"I'll go get her," Tannen finally grumbled. He walked away, mumbling a few words that Frank couldn't understand from where he was.
"You do that," laughed Nick. He looked at the man holding on to Frank. "Let him go, Samson. I don't think he can hurt Tannen even if we let him."
Frank shrugged the man off and watched Nick stroll into the house, following Tannen. He was anxious to see if not only Nancy was alright but his father and Joe as well. Just seeing her alive would make him feel better in that moment. Frank's worst fears came to fruition when he heard arguing coming from inside the house followed by a woman crying out and the crack of a gunshot.
Con noticed the change in scenery around him. Gone were the quaint houses with perfect lawns and white picket fences. Now, houses were few and far in-between and the cars that were once in front of him were now gone, giving the driver of the other car a perfect view of his truck. It didn't seem as if the driver knew he was back there either but Con didn't want to take any chances. The first moment a driveway came up, he planned on pulling into it. That was when the other car turned down a dirt road leading away from the main road.
Driving by, Con realized it wasn't a road at all. It was a driveway that led to a small house nestled in the corner of a large field. It looked as if it was in desperate need of care though still livable. A large picture window spanned the front of the house giving which anyone who was looking out a clear view of the driveway and road beyond. Anyone turning down the drive or advancing on the house would be seen right away. It was all Con could reconnoiter before driving off.
Once he was a good way down the road, outside the prying eyes of the house, Con turned down another road that ran parallel to a wooded area. He remembered seeing the trees near the house though the coverage ended well before the property line.
Pulling to a stop along the trail, Con got out of the car and made his way toward the direction of the house to scout. As Con drew closer to the field, he could hear the distant sounds of an argument and could have sworn he heard Frank's voice. Quickening his pace, he reached the tree line in a matter of minutes. Con kept to the shadows, maneuvering himself so that he could just see around to the front of the house where Frank was standing with two men, only one of whom looked familiar from the park. There had to be more considering the knowledge they had of Nancy's abduction and the disappearance of Fenton and Joe.
Con moved away from the view of the front of the house, surveying the back. There was only one door that led inside and a boarded-up window. Hoping that no one could see him, he rushed to the back end of the house near the window. He was about to go for the door when he heard Fenton's voice coming from inside. Con stopped and tried to look in through the window but the boards overlapped each other, cutting off any way of seeing into the room.
He knew the only way he could get in was through the back door. Con made his way towards the door only to stop dead in his tracks at the sound of a gunshot from within.
"Nancy, do you have it yet?" Joe quietly hissed, eyeing the door.
"Almost there. Just a little bit more," she whispered.
"We don't have much time!"
"Patience is a virtue, Joe," Nancy muttered, still working at Joe's handcuffs. The way the two Hardys were situated in their chairs made it harder for her to be able to maneuver her fingers and the bobby pin into the right position. And the fledgling light in the room didn't help either.
"I know that but they could…"
"Let her work, Joe," Fenton ordered though he too was anxious to be able to move before anyone came back.
"Got it!" she cried triumphantly.
Joe felt the handcuffs drop off his wrists. He slowly raised his arms, feeling the ache of being tied to a chair for hours. Rubbing his wrists, Joe watched as Nancy moved on to his father.
"Good work, Nancy," Fenton said softly. "Once we're done we can lure Tannen or one of the others in then get out of here."
"Easier said than done, Dad," Joe retorted. He was leaning over, untying his legs from the chair. "I'm already feeling stiff and I know I won't be much in a good fight against any of those guys, especially Samson."
"It's all right, Joe," his father replied. "We'll make do. You are more useful than you realize."
Suddenly, the door flung open and Tannen walked in. He stared at the empty bed, his mouth hanging open in shock. Once the initial shock was over, Tannen's head sharply turned toward Joe and Fenton before his eyes fixed on Nancy who was still kneeling on the floor beside the older Hardy. She immediately knew her time was up and quickly placed the bobby pin in Fenton's hands before standing up and backing away.
Tannen quickly made his way across the room, not realizing that Joe was free. As Tannen passed Joe, the young Hardy tackled him around his waist, knocking him into the bed and onto the floor.
"Arghh!" Tannen cried, trying to push Joe off of him.
Nancy stood still, unsure of what she could do to help. She frantically looked around the room for something to use as a weapon though nothing came in sight. Fenton frantically worked the bobby pin to his handcuffs. He watched helplessly as his son tried to get the upper hand on Tannen
"What's going on in…" Nick called out, walking into the room. He stopped the moment he saw Tannen and Joe struggling on the floor then scanned the room, his eyes pausing on Nancy who was watching the fight from the opposite wall. Her eyes went wide in alarm when she saw Nick. "You little witch!"
He crossed the room, his eyes deadset on Nancy who backed away though there was nowhere else for her to go.
"Leave her alone!" Fenton cried. He dropped the released cuffs and was about to rise when Nick pulled out a revolver, aiming it at him. Fenton slowly lowered himself back to the chair, his eyes glaring at Nick.
"Just try it, old man," Nick sneered. He turned his head toward Nancy.
Joe stopped struggling with Tannen, his mouth dropping open in shock. Tannen took Joe's momentary lapse in attention to push him off and scrambled toward the door.
"Stop right there, Tannen!" ordered Nick, glancing back at his cohort. He looked from Joe to Nancy, his face red in anger. "I don't want to kill Mr. Hardy but I will if I have to. Now, Nancy, go with him." She didn't move, her eyes glancing at Fenton who shook his head. Nick made an annoyed cluck then cocked the gun aimed at Fenton. "I said move!"
Reluctantly, Nancy made her way over to where Tannen stood, walking by Joe who was now perched on the bed. The young Hardy glared at Nick but he didn't move, knowing the consequence if he did. The moment Nancy was beside Tannen, Nick slowly walked toward the door, keeping the gun aimed at Fenton. He grabbed Nancy's arm and pulled her out of the room, rudely brushing past Tannen.
"At least you're good for something, Tannen," Nick growled. "Now we can get down to business."
The man sneered at him as he closed the door. Joe quickly limped over but the door was already locked by the time he got there. At least now, he and his father were no longer tied to the chairs, thanks to Nancy. After untying his legs, Fenton came over and the two started ramming the door to get out. Sounds of an argument on the other side of the door caused the two to stop and listen to what was going on. Nancy cried out and seconds later, the sound of a gunshot echoed around them followed by the telltale thud of body hitting the floor.