Hardy Boys Fan Fiction - A Summer Storm by Anya (Hardy Detective Agency)

"Aren’t you done yet?" a voice hissed from near the door, "You’re taking too long! We need to get back to the house." Jim Walker was standing at the door wearing a very wet raincoat, and holding a dimmed torch in his hand.

"I’m done."

Irene gave Joe a kinder look and said, "Don’t panic. Dad’s decided you’re just what he needs to help him get away. As long as you’re alive and well, you’re a leverage point." She picked up her raincoat and struggled to get back into it.

"I thought he wanted to take me away?" Joe asked curiously. All that water made it much easier to speak.

"Yes," Jim acknowledged, "then, he wanted to kill you. But now he’s decided you’re a hostage in his getaway plan."

"Oh, so in the morning he may decide he wants to kill me again?" Joe asked sarcastically, trying to cover his confusion.

Why do I always get landed with the whackos of this world? And an indecisive whacko at that!

Irene shrugged philosophically, "Well, we’ll just have to hope he doesn’t change his mind, then. Good night."

Joe shook his head after the two had left. He needed to get out and get out fast, before Walker took it into his head to take a stroll in the rain like his children had or changed his mind again about what he wanted to do with Joe.

He waited for a few minutes so he could make sure they weren’t returning and then got back to work on the ropes. It took him little time to get his hands free and he winced when he saw the scrapes left by the ropes on his wrists. He quickly set to work on his feet now, grimacing with pain again as the blood returned to his numbed feet. He was glad he’d been wearing socks, it reduced the rope burns on his ankles.

He stood up and walked a few steps, getting his balance back, and then picked up the shawl and went over to the door and pushed it open, thankful that there was no lock. It led to a larger room, with small windows on either side, enough light filtering through to show him a second door, which he guessed led outside. He strode over to it as quickly as he could, and tugged at it. It was locked.

I might have guessed! He felt the door cautiously, trying to figure out what to do. The wood felt damp, and Joe thought, old. It doesn’t feel very strong…here goes nothing, anyway…

Joe gathered whatever little energy he had and gave the door a spinning kick, smothering a cry of pain as his foot came in contact with the wood. It worked, though, there was a splintering sound, as the lock gave way.

There you go!

Sorry, but Joe Hardy won’t be available for guests any more…

Joe pushed open the door and stepped outside into the rain and freedom.

*****

Frank paced the jetty impatiently in the rain as they waited to board the harbour police boat, hands stuck glumly in the pockets of his raincoat, watching his father talk to Chief Collig and some of the other officers.

They would have preferred it if Frank and his friends had left the job to them, but Frank had been adamant on coming, and Chet had assured them that getting lost on the island would be a piece of cake, unless he or Phil were there to help. Con had rolled his eye sat that, but both Fenton and he knew that if the boys didn’t come with them, they’d probably set out on their own. So, to avoid confusion he’d allowed them to come along on the same boat. He’d even lent them some dully coloured raingear so they would be able to blend in with the background once they were on the island.

They had decided to split up into two parties once on the island, one to head for the shed and free Joe, and another to keep a watch on Walker’s boat. A second boat would stay behind them unobtrusively in case back ups were required.

*****

Joe took a step forward cautiously, realizing that he still had no idea where he was. The smell of sea air was stronger now, as his feet squelched through soaking mud. He frowned, the ground beneath his feet didn’t feel just wet, it felt sticky too, and the mud was now getting into his shoes. He ignored it though, but wished he had some kind of light with him. It wasn’t exactly pitch black, he could make out shapes around him, rocks, trees, lots of trees, but it was still dark and the shapes were just shapes, nothing definite.

He took another step cautiously as a flash of lightning illuminated everything around him. Joe managed to take in the trees around him, water in the distance, and gaping nothingness in front of him.

*****

Frank gripped the rail of the boat tensely and looked out from under the shelter at the rain still falling steadily. They were in one of the boats belonging to the harbour police as it sped southwards, out of Bayport harbour.

Frank looked at the dark shape of the island looming out in the distance across the choppy, churning waters, hoping and praying intensely that they’d got it right.

*****

Joe gasped as he realized he was standing on the edge of a steep cliff that fell straight into the sea. One more step and he’d have fallen over hitting the vicious looking rocks at the bottom, straight into the sea.

He heaved a deep sigh of relief and stepped onto the small path he’d noticed in the split second when the lightning had shown him his surroundings. It seemed to be going downhill. He’d noticed he seemed to be in a densely wooded area, and the trees around him seemed to block out the skylight. He started walking carefully down the path, till he came to a clearing.

He was glad to notice that without the tree cover, it was easier to make out things around him, and the sky seemed to be lightening, although it was difficult to make out in the rain. He could see the path leading towards a largish house, with a blue mustang parked near it. Joe was quite sure he knew who was inside. He’d guessed his visitors had come from outside, and this seemed to be the nearest place, a fact confirmed by the sight of dripping raincoats hanging on a line in the covered porch.

He promptly struck off in the opposite direction. It meant going deeper into the woods, but Joe decided he’d rather be out in the woods, than risk encountering Gavin Walker.

If he could find some kind of a road, he might be able to get a lift back home. He guessed he couldn’t be too far away, he didn’t think he’d been knocked out very long. The day just seemed to be beginning.

*****

As the boat neared the island, Phil showed the officer at the helm the tiny little cove that they’d found. It offered cover to the boat from the rest of the island, and had a small beach adjoining it.

They jumped out onto the small beach and looked around themselves. A small cliff rose up beyond the beach, and the island towered behind it. All that was visible was the dark green almost blackish shape of tress behind it.

"Alright, let’s get moving," Con said quietly, he had decided to go with Frank, Phil and Chet towards the shed, while Fenton and two other officers kept an eye on their boat and the Walkers’ boat.

"This way," Chet whispered, as he led the small group up a narrow path going up the cliff. They negotiated their way up, and then through a dense clump of trees that seemed to shut out all the light around. Their feet sank through the wet clayey ground, making progress more and more difficult, even though they were all wearing raingear. Frank was glad when they seemed to get onto a crude stone path that wound it’s way through the now thinning tree cover.

By now, it was Phil who was leading the party. Chet had dropped to the rear, mournfully realizing the amount of weight he’d put on since the last time he’d been here.

It’s time for a diet, he thought to himself, I know, if we find Joe in that shed right now, I’ll go on that nuts and fruit diet.

In a short while, they were near a small clearing containing a house. There was complete silence all around, except the sound of the rain, and occasional rumbles of thunder. The house too stood dark and silent and would have looked totally abandoned if it hadn’t been for one thing.

"Look, a blue mustang," Frank nudged Con.

Con nodded, "They must have driven over while the access road was still intact."

They made a greater effort to be quiet as hill silently led them down a small walkway winding some way uphill through a dense clump of trees, along a steep cliff.

"We’re on the edge of a cliff," Chet whispered to them, "So, watch your step, one wrong step and you could fall right through those trees into the sea."

"There it is," Phil whispered excitedly, pointing at a small shed that stood in a very tiny space between the trees. The path went straight up to it, in such a manner that both building and path standing on the edge of the cliff seemed to be suspended in air.

Frank doubled his pace. He was in the lead now, the others scrambling to keep pace with him.

"Frank, be careful," Chet said urgently. He remembered from past experience how slippery the whole area was even on a normal day. But he understood Frank’s feelings. Joe was one of his oldest friends and Chet would never give up on him, after all the times they’d been in trouble together. He wouldn’t even mind that new diet he’d promised himself.

Frank almost ran the last few paces towards the shed, and then came to a stop in front of it.

The others came hurrying behind him, and stopped abruptly when they noticed the open door.

It took them barely a few seconds to find that the shed was completely empty.

"Joe must have been there," Phil said as he looked at the pieces of rope they held in their hands.

Frank nodded unhappily, they’d all noticed the broken door.

"Where do you suppose he is? Wandering around the woods, or do those guys have him?" Phil knew he was being brutal, but they had to consider all options.

"I hope not," Con muttered wearily.

"Guys," Chet called out urgently. He’d gone behind the shed, from where he could get a clear view of the Sandler house down the hillside, "There’s someone coming out of the house."

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boy Fan Fiction authors of the Hardy Detective Agency have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.