HDA - Classified Secrets by Cherylann Rivers Introduction

After a few minutes, the laser light distraction had served its purpose. Although the lights had momentarily gone out, they were now back again in full force. To the crowds waiting in the front of the Castle, it simply looked like a temporary malfunction, which was immediately fixed. They now watched as the Parade of Lights worked its way throughout Main Street, USA, and they waited in anxious anticipation for the final fireworks display at midnight.

To the special agents, however, and to Joe Hardy and Callie Shaw, the brief blackout and supposed "problem" laser display held an altogether different reality. As agents feverishly worked to locate and to disarm bombs, several agents had cautiously but quickly grabbed Vanessa Bender, and pulled her back into the Castle entrance, where she was out of view from the crowd.

As the agents worked on figuring out how to stop the ticking seconds, they fought back fear at the intricacy of this setup. The bomb wired to Vanessa’s chair looked complicated, indeed. Vanessa tried to stop herself from shaking, but found that she couldn’t. She was taking in slow, languorous breaths, trying to keep her composure. Still, she squeezed her eyes tightly shut and cried silently to herself. She felt all of these strangers around her, and knew that something terrible was happening. She knew, also, that she could die any minute, and she had never been so close to her own mortality. Silently she prayed and asked for God’s guidance in accepting her fate, whatever it was meant to be. She had learned a long time ago that asking God for favors didn’t generally help matters. Rather, since things happened as they were undoubtedly meant to anyway, she had resigned that all she would ever do would be to ask for His help in accepting whatever was meant to be.

Vanessa felt tears stream down her face. She thought of her mother, who didn’t even know she was gone. What would she say? Since Vanessa’s own father had died when she was just a child, her mother would be all alone. Vanessa felt her lips quiver thinking about that. And what about her friends? Would they miss her? Would they make fun of her stupidity, and say the insensitive things people sometimes did when grieving, like "Well, she should have known better," or, even worse, "She’s better off now." That one always disturbed her. How was anyone ever better off dead than alive? After all, where there was life, there was hope. Well, Vanessa thought shakily, hope was running out now. She started crying harder. Although people around her were telling her to be calm, Vanessa couldn’t hold back any longer. Sobbing, she finally thought of Joe. She wished she could tell him that she loved him. She prayed that he’d be okay without her, and that he wouldn’t feel guilty or responsible for her own stupid decision to come here. All she wanted was for him to be happy, and if he could do that alone, then that is what she wished for him. "Joe," she whispered, trembling, to herself.

"I’m here. I’m here, baby."

Vanessa dared to open her eyes. There, right in front of her, with tears in his eyes, was Joe Hardy. As men worked desperately around her, all she saw was Joe, who was so close, but not close enough yet to touch her.

"Oh, Joe," she sobbed. "I.. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I.. I’m scared. Oh, God."

"I know, I know." Joe felt his heart beating wildly. He wanted desperately to get to her, but he couldn’t. He needed to let the mean work. Still, he’d be damned if he was going to wait out of sight. He needed to do something, if only to comfort her. "It’s okay, Van. It’s going to be okay." He felt his own tears slip down his cheeks, and he quickly wiped them aside. Great, he thought, angry at himself. I’m supposed to be the strong one, and I’m letting her down.

"J.. Joe.." Vanessa stammered, her arms still tied to her sides. "If anything should happen to me…"

"No! Don’t Vanessa. Shh! You’ll be okay." Joe hoped that his words sounded more convincing than what he actually felt.

"Listen, Joe. Promise me that you’ll know it’s not your fault. I.. I want you to be happy. No matter what, I …"

"Quick!" Joe and Vanessa stared at the man who had just shouted out loud. He was holding a rather large bomb in his arms, and his eyes showed the panic he was feeling. "We can’t disarm this! We have to get it out to the back of the castle, NOW, and hope it’s abandoned!" He was sweating profusely. "Because this thing is gonna blow!" It was 11:55.

The next five minutes were unbearable, and time seemed to stand still. Life flashed by in a series of flashbulb moments.

One flash- agents running, clearing any areas they could, moving back crowds of people.

Another flash- the bomb being carried to a truck, agents clearing the roadways, trying to get the bomb as far away from the Castle and the crowds as possible.

Flash three- Joe running to Vanessa, grabbing her from the chair to which she had been tied, and forcing her to the floor, covering her body with his own to protect her.

Flash four- Fenton Hardy, and law enforcement officials no longer caring about causing a panic, stopping the parade, and, in military fashion, pushing back the crowds on the other side of the Castle.

Flash five- Callie Shaw, having nowhere to hide, no protection from the scores of screaming people, being pushed back into the crowd, who began to trample and crush each other in panic.

Flash five- 12:00. Midnight- screams, panic, utter chaos.

A HUGE explosion.

Silence.

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation, The authors 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 them without express permission of the authors.