hardy boys fan fiction
FEBRUARY FLIRTATIONS
hardy boys nancy drew fan fiction
by
Aspen & Evergreen
Chapter 9
hardy boys fan fiction
THE CHAPTERS
“I am freezing! If I don’t get something warm to eat or drink very, very soon, I am going to turn into a Popsicle. And I won’t get unfrozen until Spring arrives and the great thaw occurs. For Pete’s sake, Frank, it’s ten degrees out! My blood is half ice, and barely creeping through my veins.”
Frank turned his head to look at his younger brother as he maneuvered his car through the evening traffic. Joe’s teeth were actually chattering; the kid wasn’t exaggerating. Well, he wasn’t exaggerating much.
“We’re in the neighborhood of Taka Java,” Joe pleaded. “Can’t we please stop and grab some coffee before we go home? Sitting for hours on stake-out for Dad is all good and well most of the time, but not in the middle of February!”
“Works for me.” Frank glanced in the rearview mirror and activated the turn signal to change lanes. “Coffee sounds good.” Truthfully, he was feeling pretty icicle-ish himself, and Joe’s idea was a welcome one.
They went into Taka Java, which was more empty than usual, and were surprised to see Jeremy Isaacs and Amber Dougherty sitting next to each other at a secluded corner table. Rather than the bursts of laughter which had accompanied their first coffee date here, the two were whispering to each other, Jeremy’s mouth close to the girl’s ear.
“Well, well, wouldja look at that!” Frank raised an eyebrow. Joe looked, grinned, shrugged, and went off to the counter to order the largest, hottest coffee the place sold, with cream and two sugars. Frank followed, ordered a large cappuccino, and when their drinks were served they went to say hello to the two lovebirds in the booth.
“Hey, Jeremy, Amber,” Joe greeted blandly.
Jeremy looked up in surprise, drawing slightly away from Amber. She looked from Frank to Joe, evidently puzzled by their appearance.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Frank apologized. “We were on a stake-out for Dad – have been all afternoon, until a little bit ago. We were freezing to death, since we couldn’t run the car to get any heat. Dad and Sam showed up a little bit ago to take over, but Joe and I decided we couldn’t make it home without something hot to drink.”
“Next time,” Joe said darkly, “we are going to take along several thermoses of hot coffee and cocoa.”
“Sometimes that’s not a very good idea,” Jeremy offered, grinning now. “Nowhere for the used coffee to go, if you take my meaning. I’ve been on my share of cold stakeouts; I understand your pain, guys!”
Amber reached out and touched Frank’s hand – the one not holding his cappuccino – and grimaced. “You’re like ice!” she exclaimed. “No wonder you wanted some hot coffee!”
Frank agreed. “Inside and out.” He cupped both hands around the comforting warmth of the Styrofoam cup.
“How’s work?” Joe inquired, mostly of Jeremy, in an oblique attempt to find out whether Cpl. Ryan Hurley was still making his presence felt.
“Oh, it’s fine. It’s good,” Jeremy said vaguely. “Same old,” he added, and Amber nodded agreement.
“It’s about the same as usual,” she said.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Frank said, “I’m going to go over and sit down at that nice table right by the fireplace and commune with the new love of my life – this steaming cup of cappuccino. C’mon, Joe. You were the one who said you were turning into a Popsicle. Let’s go thaw out.”
Joe followed him willingly, and they sat down at a table on the other side of the café – where they wouldn’t be tempted to eavesdrop.
Amber and Jeremy went back to their quiet conversation. Being adept at watching people unobtrusively, the Hardys noted that both were touching each other, although Jeremy looked tentative and uncertain. Amber was doing most of it, brushing his arm with her hand, a fingertip on his hand, leaning against him.
“Flirt,” Joe said, hiding a grin behind his coffee cup. “Mmm, I see what you mean about your relationship. I’m considering a serious love affair with this, as well.” He tapped his drink lightly.
“She knows who’s in charge,” Frank was still observing Amber and Jeremy, smiling as well. “But she isn’t going overboard with it. Sheesh, Jeremy looks scared, doesn’t he?”
Joe opened his mouth to reply, but was distracted by the entrance of a man wearing a ski mask and black down jacket – nothing unusual about that, in Bayport in February. They watched as he approached the counter and said something to the barista, too low to be overheard. They noticed, however, that the boy behind the counter looked startled...and worried. He replied to whatever the newcomer had said, very softly, shaking his head as if to deny something.
Across the café, Jeremy noticed too, and sat up straight, his police instincts kicking into high gear and putting him on high alert.
The man in the ski mask suddenly leaned over the counter and grabbed the barista by his shirt front, yanking him forward so that his feet left the floor. Both Frank and Jeremy surged to their feet; Joe, startled, turned around to see what it was that had caught his brother’s attention.
“Hey!” Jeremy was reaching into his pocket, pulling something out. “Police! What’s going on there?”
The man in the ski mask abruptly dropped the barista back to the floor and turned. Before anyone could move, he had flung something directly at Jeremy – something that flickered brightly as it flew through the air and embedded itself in Jeremy’s shoulder.
Jeremy gasped, grabbed at his shoulder and dropped to his knees, moaning in pain, a four-inch Chinese throwing star protruding from his flesh. Frank, heedless of the danger, started towards the young police officer, intent on helping him. The man in the mask reached into his pocket once more, and Joe lunged forward...but it was Amber, who had gotten to her feet when Jeremy did; Amber, who reached into Jeremy’s pocket and withdrew his service revolver, pointing it steadily at the assailant.
“FREEZE!” she snapped out. The heavy 9mm was unwavering in her cupped hands; her stance was picture-perfect. “Make a move and I drop you! Face down on the ground, hands behind your head, feet crossed. NOW!”
Joe turned his head and looked at Frank in utter shock. Frank returned the look, equally surprised. Evidently there was more to ‘shy little Amber’ than met the eye. If they hadn’t known she was a records clerk at the police station, they would have been quite convinced that she was a police officer. Then again, even civilian personnel had some training, even if it was just the basics – and Jeremy had told them she enjoyed shooting at the police target range! She was careful not to identify herself as a police officer, but she looked entirely confident and sure of herself. And there was no doubt that she meant business!
“Call 911 and tell them an officer is down,” Amber directed now, never taking her eyes from the man on the floor.
Joe pulled out his cell phone even as one of the workers behind the counter ran for the telephone to make the call.
Jeremy struggled to his feet with Frank’s belated help, grimacing with pain. He walked over to where the would-be robber was lying and knelt down, flinching as the movement jarred his shoulder. “P-police,” he panted. “You’re under arrest. Don’t move.” Moving carefully he reached into the pocket of his jacket and extricated a pair of handcuffs. “Joe,” he requested, “could you cuff this guy for me, please?” He cleared his throat as Joe hastened to comply. “You have the right to remain silent, and refuse to answer questions,” he recited, “Anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law....”
When he had finished reciting the Miranda warning, he struggled to his feet again, leaning heavily on Frank. “I think...maybe...I’d like to...sit down,” he said softly, and collapsed limply into the nearest chair.
Amber, finally able to ‘stand down,’ knelt beside the chair and buried her face in Jeremy’s good shoulder. “Are you all right?” she demanded.
He turned his head stiffly to scrutinize the nasty little weapon protruding from his shoulder and the blood staining his shirtsleeve. “Looks awful, doesn’t it? Yeah, I’ll be okay. Few stitches....”
Amber wrapped her arms about his neck and hugged him. Jeremy winced, but managed to pull her into a one-armed embrace.
“Don’t move, creep!” Frank ordered, as the would-be robber suddenly began squirming about on the floor. The man let loose with a string of obscenities that elevated Joe’s eyebrows and caused Amber to raise her head from Jeremy’s shoulder. Calmly, she turned around and lifted Jeremy’s revolver once more.
“Hey! You! Shut up...or else,” she said sweetly.
He looked at her – or rather, he looked at the barrel of the gun pointed so steadily at him, and subsided, but he glared fiercely through the mask as if promising revenge on this unlikely heroine.
Joe stooped down and jerked the ski mask off the perp’s face. He began to laugh. “Eddie Morris!” he chuckled. “When did you start robbing coffee shops, Eddie? Not stealing cars any more? What happened, lose your license?”
Morris sneered, but didn’t answer.
Moments later, several police cars snarled to a stop outside Taka Java, and officers came in, guns in hand. An ambulance was right behind, and paramedics were soon examining Jeremy’s shoulder.
Eddie Morris was quickly taken into custody. Amber returned Jeremy’s gun to his pocket, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Jeremy made a valiant effort to explain to his fellow officers what had occurred, as he was placed on a gurney for transport to the hospital.
“Jeremy, don’t worry about it. We were witnesses and we’ll give them the story,” Frank assured him. “Just go and get that – thing – taken out of you, okay?”
“Okay,” Jeremy said faintly, and laid his head back on the gurney.
“Jeremy? I’ll be right there,” Amber called as she followed the paramedics out the door. “I’ll follow the ambulance in your car.”
Frank and Joe watched them depart, and exchanged baffled glances. Whoever would have thought? Didn’t it just figure?
*****
Dear Bella,
I suppose you’d like to know how everything finally turned out, huh? I know Joe sent you a synopsis of the Valentine’s Day date and the situation at the coffee shop, so I’ll cut right to the chase.
Jeremy is recovering nicely from his wound, and is getting all sorts of attention because while it’s not unusual for police officers to get shot and knifed, a Chinese throwing star injury is a little rarer. He’s already back at work on light duty, meaning he’s riding a desk. He says he can’t wait to get back out on patrol!
Two days after he was hurt, he called Joe and me. Apparently while Amber was visiting him in the hospital [he stayed overnight, and she was there bright and early in the morning before he was released. I think she drove him home!] SHE asked HIM to take her to the Policemen’s Ball! She said she never had exciting dates with anyone else like she does with him. He’s ecstatic, as you probably can imagine. Maybe ‘incoherent’ is a better word for it, actually. The man babbles, I swear it.
There’s just one small problem, though...you see, Jeremy doesn’t know how to dance!
Tell Tony I’m glad his hand is better now.
Love,
Frank
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.