Hardy Boys Fan Fiction at the Hardy Detective Agency - Presenting "South American Search & Rescue" by CQB

Sunday afternoon, Frank and Joe Hardy returned home from church with their mother around 1 p.m. As instructed by Laura Hardy, Joe put the casserole his mother had made the previous evening into the oven and set the temperature for 350 degrees. Frank began setting the table and Mrs. Hardy headed up-stairs to change her clothes.

"I don’t know how long I can wear this plastic grin," Joe said through clenched teeth, "My jaw is aching and if I have to eat this tuna casserole, I think my stomach is going to rebel!"

"We’ll hear from Dad in just a few more hours," assured Frank, knowing how hard the wait had been for Joe, "You’ll feel better after you talk to him."

"I hope you’re right, I..." Joe started to reply but was cut off by the sound of the front door bell. Joe went to answer the door, heading down the front hallway.

"Sam!" Joe smiled at the tall, muscular blond man who stood on the Hardy’s doorstep. Sam Radley was two inches taller than Joe’s own 6’ height, and though only a few years younger than Fenton Hardy, Sam could easily pass for someone as young as 25.

"Hey Joe," Sam said, placing an arm around Joe’s neck and ruffling the boy’s hair, "Where’s your ugly brother?" Frank Hardy, hearing Sam’s voice, came in and stuck out his tongue at Sam for the "ugly" remark, but then laughed as he watched Joe and Sam playfully wrestle each other.

"Sam!" came a female voice from the top of the staircase. Laura Hardy had changed from her Sunday dress into a more casual outfit. "You are just in time for lunch! We’re having tuna casserole." Sam looked at Joe, then Frank, both boys nodding their heads up and down in confirmation. Sam smiled conspiratorially to the two teenagers.

"Laura, I was just inviting these two juvenile delinquents out for pizza," Sam smiled, turning on the charm and batting his eyelashes "and we’d love for you to join us!" Laura Hardy laughed at Sam’s expression.

"Okay, I get it! You boys go ahead with Sam. Gertrude is coming home this afternoon and I want to be here when she arrives." Mrs. Hardy said.

"Yes!" Joe shouted, pumping his arm in the air a little too enthusiastically.

"A-hem!" sounded Laura Hardy from the top of the stairs. Joe sheepishly glanced at his mother. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was scowling in his direction. Joe winced inwardly at her glaring stare.

"Ah...I’m sorry, Mom," Joe stammered, "Your casserole’s really not that bad...I mean it’s really pretty good..." Frank and Sam laughed, as Joe turned scarlet. He heard his mother laughing, too and smiled up at her.

Twenty minutes later, Sam, Frank and Joe were enjoying a deep-dish, meat-lovers pizza at Mr. Pizza.

"So why did you turn up on our doorstep, Sam?" Frank asked, reaching for another slice of pizza.

"I’m sure your dad filled you guys in on his current case," Sam began, wiping off his fingers on a napkin, "I’ve got to hang around Bayport ‘til my flight leaves on Tuesday. I finished up my last case faster than I expected, but couldn’t change my flight. Figured I’d hang out with you two hoodlums over the weekend."

"First we’re delinquents, now we’re hoodlums?" Joe queried, raising his eyebrows, "Frank, are we going to take this kind of verbal abuse?"

Frank chuckled, and then said, "Speaking of Dad, we’ve got to get home so we don’t miss his call." Joe’s cheerful mood abruptly changed at the mention of Fenton Hardy’s promised phone call.

Sam, Frank and Joe returned to the Hardy home to find freshly baked apple pie waiting for them, courtesy of Gertrude Hardy. Miss Hardy, a tall angular woman and the older, unmarried sister of Fenton, lived with her brother and his family but often visited other relatives for extended periods of time.

"Who is ready for another piece?" Aunt Gertrude asked, cutting fresh wedges of golden crust and juicy apples. Frank and Sam both extended their plates for a second helping. Frank glanced over at Joe and noticed that his brother’s first piece was hardly touched. Joe looked up and met Frank’s gaze. Joe’s eyes were moist and Frank immediately knew why. His eyes moved from Joe’s face to the face of the clock on the kitchen wall. It was almost 6:30 and their father hadn’t called yet.

"Why Joseph!" exclaimed Aunt Gertrude, "You’ve hardly touched your pie!"

"I-I guess I had too much pizza," Joe stammered, flashing his aunt his best smile, "Guess I’ll have to save this for later." Sam looked Joe’s way at this announcement. Everyone, including Sam, was well aware of the youngest Hardy’s healthy appetite. Something was definitely up. Sam looked over at Frank with a questioning expression. Frank nodded slightly toward the stairs, indicating that they would talk later, upstairs.

Joe wrapped his pie in foil, put it in the refrigerator and then headed up the back stairs to his room. Frank and Sam finished their pie, not wanting to arouse Aunt Gertrude’s suspicions any further as she ranted about Joe’s strange behavior, they soon followed Joe up stairs.

Frank, Joe and Sam discussed the possibilities for Fenton not calling and decided to wait another half hour before doing anything. Meanwhile, Frank went on the Internet to check the weather and news headlines for southern Peru where his Dad and Jack Wayne were headed.

"It can’t be!" Frank cried out a few minutes later, causing Sam and Joe to peer over his shoulder at the monitor, "It just can’t be Dad’s plane!"

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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 original characters without express permission of the authors.