Chapter 22

Thanks for telling me to keep going. Means a lot. Thanks God for the people who read and those who write back.

POV Frank

Gunfire wakes me.

A man smiles outside our cell. He holds a gun through the cell bars.

I feel Joe tense next to me. His breaths are fast and shallow. I put my arm around Joe's shoulders and feel him relax. Have to remember Joe's memory is gone. This is new to him.

I look up into cold, brown eyes. The man holding the gun has killed before and enjoyed it. A large shark tattoo on his neck puzzles me. Why would a killer have a way his victims and the police could identify him? Then I realize his victims don't live long enough to call the police.

Shark aims the gun at my chest. I don't move.

He can't shoot me. His boss wants us alive…for now.

Shark moves his aim to Joe. Instinct takes over. I push Joe behind me, blocking Shark's shot.

Shark smiles.

He knows my weakness. I just put a target on Joe's back.

"Hope he doesn't have a bad accident," Shark says. He walks away smiling.

POV Joe

Shark points his gun at Frank.

I stare in disbelief as Frank stares the guy down.

My maybe brother is one tough guy.

Shark smiles and points his gun at me. I swallow hard. I'm dead.

Frank shoves me behind him. I hit my injured left leg and bite my lip to keep from screaming.

"Hope he doesn't have a bad accident," Shark says.

When he leaves, I relax.

"Stupid," Frank mutters, as he looks at my bleeding left leg.

"Sorry," I whisper.

"Not you," Frank says, as he tears a blanket into strips. "Me. I was stupid."

"You were stupid to save me from getting shot?" I ask.

"No. I was stupid to show I cared," Frank says. He ties the blanket strips around my bleeding leg. "I just put a big target on your back."

"You were gonna take a bullet for me," I say.

"Shark can't shoot us. His boss wants us alive. He tested us and I failed," Frank says.

"Don't beat yourself up. My last brother sold me to the Enforcer."

"He's not your brother!" Frank shouts. "You have one brother! Me!"

First time I've seen him lose his cool. He runs a hand through his hair and takes a deep breath.

"Look, I messed up. After your funeral, I got a phone call. If I wanted to see you again, I had to stay on the phone and get into a waiting car," Frank says.

"So you messed up because you came here?" I ask.

"No! I figured you were dead. I'd get in the car and they'd kill me too," Frank whispers.

"So you messed up cuz you're alive?" I ask.

"No. No one knows where we are. Dad taught me better."

"Look, you were gonna take a bullet for me. That's worth a lot in my book."

"You don't understand. He's going after you to get at me."

"You don't understand. I think you're my brother."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

POV Frank

"Still messed up. Guess your funeral took more out of me than I thought."

I close my eyes and swallow hard. I replay the worst moment of my life. I see the building explode. Joe is trapped inside. I can't get to him. My own private hell.

"But I'm here," Joe says. He puts a hand on my shoulder.

"We're about to be auctioned off to Dad's enemies," I say and run my hand through my hair.

"Bet I go for more than you," Joe says smiling.

"We're about to be auctioned off to Dad's enemies, tortured and killed. You're focusing on who will go for more money?" I ask.

"You're a glass half empty kind of guy. So did a lot of people come to my funeral?" Joe asks.

Incredible. Like having Joe with his memory back.

"No. We hired people to fill the seats. You realize we have no plan."

"K," Joe says.

I'm freaking out. Joe looks relaxed.

The Enforcer and four armed thugs enter the cell. Standing up, I put myself between Joe and them.

"Call your father and your brother lives," the Enforcer says.

"Throw in a pizza and you've got a deal," Joe says.

"Shut up," I say through grit teeth.

"Extra cheese," Joe says.

"The GPS has been disabled. No one can trace your location," the Enforcer says, as one of his thugs hands me a cell phone.

"Dad's working on a case. I don't know where he is."

"Do your best. Pretend your brother's life depends on it."

I punch in dad's cell phone number.

"Put it on speaker," the Enforcer says.

I hit speaker. The phone rings once, twice, three times. No answer.

The phone rings two more times.

I hear a click.

"Hardy. Leave a message."

I got Dad's voice mail. This isn't happening.

"Too bad," The Enforcer says.

Three of his thugs tackle me. I fall to my knees. I hear a gun shot. Joe!

"No!" I scream.

Someone throws me into the cell wall. My world fades to black.

POV Frank – 30 minutes later

My head pounds. I touch my forehead. My hand comes back bloody.

A bloody cell phone sits a few inches away.

Joe is dead. The Enforcer said he'll kill Joe if I didn't reach Dad. I killed Joe.

Why didn't I tell Sam where I was going? Instead of committing suicide by criminal, I killed Joe instead. Just like Tony on my DEA case.

A page from Joe's devotional lies in the corner. Bloodstained, I see a verse Joe had highlighted. "But as for me, I will always have hope…" Psalm 71:14

I crumple the page and throw it. My hope is gone. God can't fix this.

POV JOE Three Hours Later

I wake up alone in a cell. My body feels like a train wreck. My heart races. Where am I? Who am I?

Ragged blanket strips wrapped around my leg catch my eye.

Frank? Was he real?

One way to find out.

"Hey, you forgot the pizza!" I shout.

"Joe!"

I have a brother. Frank. He tried to take a bullet for me. For a minute, I can't speak.

"Joe! You ok?" Frank shouts.

"Yeah. You got pizza?" I yell.

"No, I've got an annoying brother."

I smile.

POV Frank

Joe is alive.

I just have to get him us out of here before we're sold to the highest bidder.

"Time for an accident," Shark says as he walks by my cell.

I've got to keep him away from Joe.

"What's the matter? Afraid you can't handle me?" I ask.

Shark smiles and walks away.

· Jesus Calling – Enjoying Peace in His Presence

By Sarah Young, Devo for May 29, pg. 156