"I’ve got to go, little sis. I have to meet with the FAA investigators." Jack bent over his sister and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "You get lots of rest, you hear me? I’ll be back later today." He straightened, turned and held out a hand to Joe. "Thanks again for yesterday. I’m sure glad you guys were there when April needed help." He shook Frank’s hand, but didn’t meet the boy’s eyes. "Good seeing you. Bye."

As the door was closing on Jack’s tall form, it swung open again, admitting a nurse who was carrying a little paper cup. She approached April with a smile.

"Time for another pill, honey. If you’re uncomfortable, this one should let you have a nice, long nap."

April obediently swallowed the medication, and meekly submitted to having her vital signs checked. When the nurse was gone, she beckoned Frank and Joe nearer to the bed.

"Would you mind staying for just a little bit – until I fall asleep?" she whispered to them. "I – get scared – lying here and remembering the crash."

"We’ll stay as long as you want us, April." Frank told her. He pulled a chair close to the bedside. "Do you want to talk until you get sleepy, or should we just stay quiet and let you rest?"

"Talk to me," she requested. "Tell me about college. Joe, talk to me about school. Just fill up my head with something, so that I don’t dream about hitting those trees again…."

They obeyed. Frank told her about college classes and about Megan Wright, the tiny girl with the coppery curls and long-lashed turquoise eyes, whom he loved so deeply. Joe talked about the shopping trip Vanessa, Megan and their mothers had taken to New York City for spring vacation, and how he and Frank had gone camping. He told April about spring baseball practice, and that his 18^th birthday was rapidly approaching. And slowly, her eyelids grew heavier, the fingers grasping Frank’s became lax in his hand. At last, April fell asleep, her breathing slow and even, and the lines of discomfort smoothed from her face.

"Let’s go," Frank carefully disengaged his hand and stood up. They tiptoed from the hospital room, pulling the door nearly closed as they left. One of the nurses looked up from her work and smiled at them as they walked past the nurses’ station.

"I tried to find out what’s up with Jack," Frank said as he slid behind the wheel of the van. "but he blew up at me. I don’t like the feeling I’m getting from him, Joe."

"Let’s try again," Joe suggested. "Maybe we can catch him at the airfield and pin him down for some real answers about those packages."

When the boys arrived at the airport, they followed signs to where the cargo service planes were kept, and soon found the building and hangars where Wayne’s World was housed. They noted the presence of a little plane identical to the one April had been flying the day before, shining and sleek, and Frank stopped to run an affectionate hand over it.

"Man, I’d like to take this baby up sometime!" he murmured.

Joe chuckled. "Maybe you should ask Jack if you can fly April’s runs while she’s recovering." He paused. "Hey, maybe that’s not such a bad idea, bro…."

Before he could continue with his thought, Frank grabbed his arm and pulled him against the plane. "Shhh! Look!" he whispered.

Joe looked where his brother indicated, and froze. Coming out of an office were two regrettably familiar figures: a short, plumpish man with receding dark hair, who held a cigar clamped in his teeth; and a taller man with thick sandy hair.

"Remember what we told you, Wayne!" the boys heard the tall man shout. They flattened themselves against the little blue and white plane, thankful for its shelter, and observed the two men walk across the tarmac and get into an older model Toyota Land Cruiser. Only when they were sure the vehicle was well on its way did Frank and Joe relax.

"I think we’d better check on Jack." Frank was already striding toward the office door as he spoke. When he reached his goal, however, he stopped in shock.

Jack Wayne was on the floor, curled tightly over his knees, one hand bracing himself, the other clutching at his stomach. He was gasping for breath, and groaning in pain.

"Jack!" Both boys cried out in alarm, and they rushed to his aid.

"Jack, are you okay? What happened?" Frank crouched beside the stricken pilot. Joe hovered over him worriedly.

Jack tried to laugh, but only managed another groan. "Un – unsatisfied…customer!" he gasped.

"Do you want us to call an ambulance?" Joe asked, moving toward the desk where the telephone sat.

"No – no ambulance!" Jack gasped. "I’m – okay. Just give me…a minute."

Carefully, the boys assisted Jack to his feet and eased him into his desk chair. "Just take it easy a minute, Jack." Frank told him. "Relax, and catch your breath…." The elder Hardy was somewhat concerned; Jack’s face was ashen, and covered with drops of sweat. He slumped forward in the chair and laid his head on the desk, on his crossed arms. For a minute or two he sat quietly, his breath coming in uneven gasps; finally he raised his head, and the Hardys were relieved to see some color had returned to his cheeks.

"I’m okay guys; thanks all the same." Jack endeavored to smile.

"Want to tell us what happened?" Frank asked him, his voice deceptively mild. "We saw the guys leaving, Jack. If you’re going to tell me those were FAA investigators, I’m not going to believe you, you know. As a rule, FAA people don’t beat up business owners."

"Like I told you, they’re – customers. They had cargo on the plane April crashed yesterday. They’re not exactly happy about what happened." Jack straightened up and winced, gingerly feeling his midsection. "Not happy at all."

Frank and Joe exchanged glances, and then Joe spoke: "Jack, that cargo you mentioned. Was it by any chance a package that was stuffed in a compartment under some blankets? A couple of packages, that is? A couple kilos of cocaine?"

Jack stared at him, his eyes like flint chips. "How do you know about that?"

He did know about it! Joe’s heart sank, and he saw by Frank’s expression that his older brother was feeling the same way. I can’t believe this! How could Jack have come to this?

"I found it when I got extra blankets for April." Joe said, very low. "She was going into shock, Jack, and I needed to keep her warm. I saw the stash then."

Jack’s stare became even colder, if that was possible, and his tone was full of quiet menace when he spoke. "And what the hell did you do with it, Joe? It wasn’t on the plane…I’ve been assured of that."

"We moved it," Frank intervened. "We didn’t want you to get in trouble with the police, Jack – you or April. We figured there had to be an explanation for why you were carrying cocaine as part of your cargo…. At least, we didn’t want to go to the authorities until we knew the full story. So – what is the full story, Jack?"

Jack jerked himself to his feet, glaring blackly at the brothers. "You idiots! Why did you have to interfere? Now they think I’ve double-crossed them – and they’ll stop at nothing to get those drugs. Nothing – do you understand? Even if it means killing me – or April! You don’t mess with people like them; they’re too dangerous to cross."

"Then why are you messing with them?" Frank shot back. "Why are you involved with it at all?"

Jack stared at him for a long moment, then sank into his chair with a groan. "Frank, some things even the famous Hardy brothers can’t understand…and this is one of them. Now, I want you to take me to the crash site, show me where you hid the coke, and then forget about this – forget everything, understand?"

Joe shook his head. "No can do, Jack."

The anger on Jack’s face diminished, to be replaced by a look of pleading. "Please, boys, I’m begging you. If you ever thought of me as a friend…."

"Jack, what kind of trouble are you in?" Frank leaned across the desk to look him squarely in the eyes. "Can’t you go to the police, or the DEA for help?"

"No," Jack whispered. "Please, Frank, you’ve got to show me where you hid it."

Five minutes later, the Hardys’ van was on its way towards the North Woods, with Joe at the wheel. Although both he and Frank were dubious about the wisdom of this trip, they hadn’t been able to withstand Jack’s pleas, and had reluctantly agreed to show him where they had put the packages of drugs. "And anyway, I want to see the plane for myself," Jack had added. "If I hadn’t wanted to be here with April, I would have gone out there this morning."

They had driven only about ten miles, however, when Joe suddenly slowed and pulled the van off to the side of the highway. He set the parking brake and turned to his astonished brother.

"Frank – Jack – I just had a horrible thought. What if those two men that beat up Jack realize that he wasn’t piloting the plane – and they go after April!"

*****

The object of Joe’s concern was currently sound asleep in her hospital room; the sedative had worked very well, and Frank’s and Joe’s casual conversations had banished – at least temporarily – the nightmares that had plagued April previously. She slept, dreamlessly; she didn’t hear the door open – nor see the two dark-clad figures that entered the room and approached her bed.

"This’s gotta be her," the shorter figure grunted. "April Wayne – name’s right, and she’s banged up enough to have been in a plane crash." He reached into an inside pocket of his coat and pulled out something – a cigar, which he proceeded to clip with a small knife. He was preparing to light it when his companion grabbed his arm.

"Are you nuts?" he hissed. "You can’t smoke in a hospital, Ernie! Smoke detectors all over the place! You’ll set off an alarm, and then where would we be?"

"Aagh." Disgusted, Ernie stuck the lighter and cigar back into his pocket. "All right, let’s wake her up and find out what she did with the stuff."

He leaned over the hospital bed and placed one hand across April’s mouth, then shook her shoulder with the other. "Hey! Wake up!" he snapped.

April moved her head slightly, but did not open her eyes or respond. Ernie shook her again, harder, but it took several shakes and one or two light slaps across her cheek before the girl’s eyelids lifted sluggishly and she stared up at the two men. Ernie held his hand over her mouth again, but there was no need; April was totally incapable of screaming.

"All right, we know you have it….Tell us where you put it. And we’re not leaving until you do!" he growled.

Sparks and Evergreen don't own the Hardy Boys characters, they belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation, We've just borrowed them for an adventure or two. We will put them back when we're done with them. We do claim copyright to the original characters and themes in this story. Please do not borrow them without the expressed permission of the authors.