Frank Hardy opened his eyes to an almost dreary darkness. The musty smell of his surroundings told him he had to be in a damp place underground. The only light he saw came from around the cracks in an opening in the ceiling above him. He trained his dark brown eyes on his latest dungeon, but they had not adjusted to the darkness. It was then that a pain in his head drew his hands up to his face.

"Urh…" Frank moaned for a minute. He was still feeling a little heavy. He felt his head for any signs of an injury, but he didn’t feel anything. It was then that he saw something moving slowly towards him. The oldest Hardy boy wanted to get in an attack mode, in case the figure meant him harm. However, his limbs felt like huge concrete blocks.

The figure crept closer until the familiar face of Adam Kramer was visible.

"Are you okay Frank?" he asked. His voice was hoarse, but he seemed to be in good shape.

"I will be. I feel like I haven’t been to sleep for days!" Frank exclaimed, still feeling heavy.

"They that wonderful rag with the weird smell on you too. They used it on me after I gave them a fight," Adam said with a smirk. Adam then explained briefly that he was kidnapped and brought immediately to the house.

"Are you doing okay?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, I am fine. They feed you water and Ritz crackers so I would say I have lost some weight, but otherwise I am fine," Adam replied, sitting across from Frank on the dirt floor.

"I take it you have checked out any chances of escape?" Frank mumbled.

"Nothing but bare mildewed walls and a hard dirt floor. The only way out is up through that trap door. They lower a rope ladder, you know, like those types people have to get out of a fire. They always come down in twos though."

"How many of them are there?"

"Three. Some guy named James Cooper is the head of it all. He seems to be the brains of it all while the other two are named Samuel and Cross. Samuel and Cross just basically do what he tells them to do. They are the ones who grabbed us. Samuel wants to be brutal about things, but Cooper says he wants to have the honors when the time comes. So we have him to thank for our most luxurious room and board," Adam said, being sarcastic. Adam had been kidnapped before and usually it took everything in him to mentally survive the beatings. The youngest Kramer figured Frank was thinking the same thing. This time though, things were different, but for how long……

"At least you seem good and strong. That is a plus in our direction because we have to get out of here. I am sure that the truce is not going to last for long," Frank said, leaning his head up against the wall.

"My thoughts exactly!" Adam commented. Then he got quiet.

"What are you thinking?" Frank asked, picking up on the silence. Adam was so much like Joe that it was scary.

"It is like Jason is right here in front of me," Adam said with a slight chuckle. Then his face turned serious. "How is everyone?"

"They are fine…mostly worried about you," Frank answered. He felt as if Adam was feeling him out to see just how much he did know. It was then that Frank remembered Adam’s health problems. The older Hardy knew he was going to have to get it together to get both boys of this predicament. It is just he wished he knew WHAT health problems he had. "Look Adam, we are going to have to be a team to get out this one. I am not sure if they will know where we are if WE don’t even know where we are."

"You might not know where we are, but I KNOW where we are and I told your father," Adam said in a matter of fact tone.

Frank just looked at Adam.

"I have been listening really close to their conversations. Samuel is not too smart about things and thank goodness he is not. I know we are in a farmhouse on Old State Road. When they had me talk to your dad the last time, I pitched a fit and started hitting the phone with my fingernail using Morse Code. I am just hoping that he picked up on it," Adam replied. He was bound and determined to show Frank that he was perfectly capable of "handling business".

"Knowing my father, he did. He just didn’t mention anything for fear of them hearing it," Frank answered.

"Adam, there…" Frank started, but Adam interrupted him.

"Remember, I am Joe, I hate to be called Adam," the younger Kramer replied. He was afraid that someone might be listening. "I am Joseph Adam Hardy. You must still be groggy."

Frank liked the added middle name and smiled at the younger Kramer. It was true, he was still a little groggy, but it was going to be hard calling someone else Joe.

Frank then began to whisper. "Since we are brothers, there has been nothing I have held from you. I have noticed some things in the past few days and I think I should know what is going on."

Adam felt the dead stare, even in the dim light. But it was not an angry stare, but a concerned one. It was more evident to Adam that the Kramer brothers had developed a bond with the Hardy brothers. A bond that would lead to a long friendship in the future. So Adam told Frank the whole story. Frank was speechless at first.

There was a pause of silence after Adam had finished his story.

"How many days worth of medicine do you have left?" Frank asked.

"Two," Adam replied. "But I might be safe for three days because it takes a while to get out of my bloodstream."

"I am not willing to take any chances on that one. Besides, I don’t like dreary places like this," Frank commented. "We are getting out here--- soon."

"And if we don’t?"

"I am sure the Kramer boys are on the job," Frank said with a grin. Then he turned serious. "If you need something, you let me know."

"I promise. I will keep you as updated as I do Jason," Adam replied.

"That is what I am afraid of," Frank said with a sigh. It was then he leaned back in silence, plotting a plan to gain their freedom. It was one thing to just to be free again, but Adam needed his medicine.