and Hardy Boys Rendezvous Presents:
hardy boys fan fiction
CONTRACT FOR A DEAD MAN
3rd Place - McFarlane Location Contest
- 2004
hardy boys nancy drew fan fiction
by
CQB
Chapter
13
hardy boys fan fiction
THE CHAPTERS
"Cut the tape and get this thing off me," Frank demanded. Though the process had taken less than an hour, they knew Joe and Poole had to be close to the end of the tunnel.
The teenagers exited the mill as soon as Frank was untied. They placed the deactivated bomb in the woods across from the mill for the police to pick up later. Biff Hooper put in a quick radio message to a very relieved Mr. Hardy.
"Let’s get to the pit," Frank suggested, pulling on a sweatshirt Biff offered him. He gave Biff a grateful smile, glad his friend had worn the sweatshirt over his long sleeved t-shirt.
"We’ll never get to the cave in time, Frank," Phil said.
"True," the dark-haired Hardy agreed, "but if something goes wrong, Poole may try to get back to the mill. We’ll be waiting for him."
* * *
"Frank’s okay!" Fenton Hardy whispered to Sam Radley. "We’ll have to make a minor adjustment, but we can proceed with our capture as planned."
Sam listened as Fenton told him about the one change, then Sam passed the plan on to Jack Wayne and Mike Walsh.
Checking the time, and knowing from the boys that it took approximately an hour and 15 minutes to crawl through the tunnel, Mr. Hardy stood ready. Joe and Poole should arrive any minute.
* * *
Joe Hardy’s stomach was in knots as they neared the mouth of the tunnel. He’d been praying the entire time that Tony had gotten a message to his dad.
Silently, the younger Hardy vowed that if anything happened to Frank, Poole wasn’t leaving the cave alive.
"We’re here," Joe announced over his shoulder in a whisper.
"Okay," Poole said softly. "Remember this little box in my hand, Joey. Step out away from the opening, but stay where I can see you, with your hands up on your head."
Joe crawled out of the opening into the darkness that shrouded the mouth of the cave. There was no sign of his father, and Joe’s heart sank.
Torrance Poole climbed out and looked around. He was impressed with the layout. ‘An excellent hideout, Walsh,’ the hit man thought. ‘I’d have never found it without young Joseph’s help!’
"He’s probably inside," Poole said, motioning with his gun for Joe to move into the cave. Joe glanced briefly at Poole’s other hand, seeing the tiny black box was still there.
Joe stopped as Mike Walsh appeared deeper in the cave. Mike walked to the center of the cave and bent to pick up the bucket sitting there.
The next few seconds blurred together so quickly that it literally took Joe’s breath away. From the shadows along the wall of the cave, arms reached out, grabbing Joe and Poole.
Joe fought, knowing that Poole had the detonator in his hand. Frank would be blown up! It would be like the bomb explosion that killed his childhood friend, Iola Morton.
Poole didn’t hesitate. At the first sign that something was amiss, he pushed the small red button on the detonator, and then aimed his gun at Walsh.
Fenton Hardy tackled Torrance Poole, knocking the gun to the floor. Sam Radley grabbed the weapon and cuffed the struggling hit man, while Fenton restrained him.
Joe tried to scream a warning to his dad as the hand over his mouth and the arm around him tightened. Joe’s mind screamed, ‘No! Not Frank! Frank can’t die!’
"Joe! Its okay!" a familiar voice spoke soothingly into Joe’s ear. "Frank is safe!" As the hold on him slackened, Joe whirled around and stared into Jack Wayne’s smiling face.
"Phil and Frank were able to disarm the bomb," the tan-faced pilot said to the trembling youth. Joe, overcome with emotional relief, collapsed against Jack.
Mr. Hardy moved to his son. "There was no way to let you know," Mr. Hardy said softly, stroking the back of Joe’s blond head. "I’m sorry you had to endure this."
Joe looked up at his father, "Y-you’re sure? Frank’s okay?"
"Positive," Fenton replied, reaching for his two-way radio.
"‘Phil? Can you put Frank on?" Mr. Hardy said into the radio.
"Sure thing, Mr. Hardy," came the answer.
"Frank!" Joe cried into the radio.
"I’m alright Joe," Frank said gently, understanding very well how his brother was probably feeling. "The bomb has been disposed of and the police are here. Chief Collig is coming to the cave, but he’s coming by way of the river. They’ll be there in about 15 minutes."
Half an hour later, Joe, Frank, their father and friends were at the mill. Mr. and Mrs. Meadows came to congratulate the Hardys and identify the missing items that Mike Walsh had ‘borrowed’.
Mike had been taken into protective custody. Ezra Collig, Bayport’s police chief, would turn him over to the F.B.I. Mike would probably have to assume a new identity in order to have the contract on his life voided.
Joe Hardy sat close to Frank at the oak table in the old mill. He wasn’t about to let his older brother wander far from his sight for quite a while.
Frank didn’t mind Joe’s attention at all. He felt very fortunate to have his brother, his father and his friends around him.
Fenton walked up and put an arm around each of his sons. "Let’s go home, boys."
The Hardys thanked their faithful friends and watched them leave, then walked down the road to where their own van was hidden. Joe stopped and looked back toward the mill.
"What?" Frank asked, wondering why Joe had stopped.
"I hope we never have another mystery involving the old Turner mill," Joe stated. "I’ve got enough memories of this place to last me a lifetime!"
~THE END~
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The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boys 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.