They must know my favorite food is pizza, and they decided to torment me with it, Joe thought. I can’t let them, I just can’t!

Joe heard the door creak open and his captors santer down the steps, Thomas had a piece of pizza he was munching on, Joe glared at him, but said nothing, when he couldn’t stand it anymore, he closed his eyes, the next thing he felt was the pressure of someone holding his jaw, it was excruciating, he opened his eyes, to see Thomas staring down at him, "I bet you wish you could have a bite, don’t you!" Joe just glared at him, not daring to say a word, but this seemed to only make Thomas more angry, and hit Joe so hard that Joe for a moment saw stars and passed out.

* * * * *

Frank was busy pushing pins into the map, that Sam had brought over, when all of a sudden he doubles over in pain, grabbing at his stomach.

"Frank, what’s wrong?" his father asked worriedly.

"I’m not sure, I felt like I was so hungry, I was sick," Frank replied, getting off the floor.

"How could you feel that way?" Sam asked, confused.

"Sometimes, the boys feel each others more intense pain, I didn’t believe it until awhile ago, I always knew they could sense when the other was in danger, but I never knew it was like this," Fenton explained.

"I heard about this, it’s more common in twins, what does Elizabeth feel?" Sam asked.

"She’s very frightened," Frank replied, getting back to work, more determined than ever to find his brother.

There was silence for a few minutes, "Well, we better get working," Fenton said, as he began pouring over the files.

* * * * *

There was a flash of a camera, "Well your Father is going to like that, isn’t he?" Alex said, as he put the picture on the table that Joe was bound to. He was held by Thomas, after being unstrapped from the table, he could barely hold his head up, as he looked at Alex place the instantmatic on the table.

Then they carried him upstairs, but before they reached the top of the stairs they put the bandanna back on. They carried him through the house, and walked outside in the pre-dawn light, they looked around to make sure their timing was right, then they exited the house, they went to the late model Ford Taurus, they put Joe in the back, they leaned him against the back door, his hands were tied behind his back. They drove off to their next location.

Alexa looked behind her as the car sped off, "Did they see us?" she asked from the driver’s seat.

"Yes, they did, and it looks like they carry cell-phones now," Alex replied. "Everything is going according to as we planned, they’ll call the police, and report to Fenton Hardy where his son was."

Why are they playing these games with Dad? Joe asked himself. The car he was in, apparently had bad struts and he winced in pain every time the car drove over a bad part of the road, or drove in a pothole. Frank, I know you can find me, please hurry!

* * * * *

"I think I found something, look at the cluster of stolen cars here?" Sam said, as he pointed to the nearby town of Southport.

"Yes, I think we have out first lead," Fenton said. "We need to talk with the local police, I know the Chief of Police there, I’ll call him up and we can leave within the hour."

"I’m coming with you," Frank said.

"No, you stay here, they may call and I need you to tape the conversations for me, the more evidence we have against them, the better," Fenton ordered, leaving no room for argument.

"Okay," Frank reluctantly agreed, knowing his father was right, and he wanted these people to go away for a long time.

An hour later, after Fenton had arranged a meeting between him and the officer handling the case. They left to meet up with him. Frank continued to pout over the evidence, when he thought he could not concentrate anymore, he decided to go upstairs and rest awhile, although he doubted he wouldn’t get much sleep.

He walked through the bathroom the boys shared from his room to Joe’s. It was neater than usual, Frank knew that his mother had made the bed, as Joe didn’t have time to make it before he left for school. Frank sunk into Joe’s bed, put his head in his hands, Joe we’re going to find you, I swear, he thought to himself.

Finding no desire to rest, he went back downstairs and back into his father’s office.

Frank jumped when he heard the doorbell ring, he went to the door and answered it.

"Hi, Biff, Chet, what are you doing here?" Frank asked.

"Your Dad called, and said he wanted us to keep an eye on you," Chet replied.

"Where is he, anyway, did he find a clue?" Biff asked.

"Yes, he went to Southport with Sam," Frank replied.

"Why did he leave you here alone? I thought he wanted to make sure that they didn’t get their hands on you as well," Chet exclaimed.

"They just left a few minutes ago," Frank replied, "Besides he need’s me to record all the phone messages from the Draven’s."

"They’re calling! How’s Joe?" Chet asked, scared of what the answer might be.

Frank just turned and walked into the living room, Biff and Chet followed him in there.

"Frank, are you okay?" Biff asked, concern written all over his face.

"They’re beating Joe," Frank finally answered.

Neither Biff nor Chet could think of anything to say, for they were upset as well, finally after several tense minutes, Chet finally spoke, "How about we help with the case so we can find Joe, least until your Dad gets back?"

"Thanks guys, I’d appreciate that," Frank replied.

Then Biff and Chet followed Frank into his dad’s office, they stood open-mouthed when they saw all the flags sticking out of the map of the area, "What so all those flags mean?" Chet asked.

"Stolen vehicles over the last month," Frank replied. "And that doesn’t include the recovered ones."

"That’s a lot of stolen vehicles," admitted Biff. "Why are you keeping track of stolen vehicles?"

"They keep switching vehicles, every time they have moved him, they’ve used a different vehicle, it’s a long shot, but if we can figure out their pattern, we have a better chance of getting Joe back safe," Frank replied.

"Why are some of the flags different colors?" Chet asked.

"Those are the vehicles that we know have been used so far, the kidnap vehicle, was stolen one month ago, about the same time another kid was reported missing, two weeks after that a Mercury Sable, that he was transferred to, was stolen two blocks from here, it was found abandoned, and one week after that the most recent vehicle was stolen that they took Joe away in, when he was held in the barn on Shore Road, a mile from where the kidnap vehicle was found," Frank explained. "I think I have figured something out, but once we have more information, maybe we can break this case," Frank said, with a renewed sense of hope for finding his brother.

Suddenly, there was a phone ringing. "Hello?" Frank answered.

"Frank, we found where Joe was," Sam said from the other end.

"What?" Frank asked, stunned. "He’s not there now?"

"He was moved earlier this morning, but two joggers witnessed them leaving a house in Southport," Sam replied.

"How was he?" Frank asked, Chet and Biff looked on stunned, trying to figure out what was happening.

"They couldn’t tell much, but they left a picture behind, and he looked pretty bad," Sam replied.

"Where’s Dad?" Frank asked.

"He’s talking with the witnesses," Sam replied.

"How is he holding up?" Frank asked, worried about his dad as well as Joe.

"Fine, although he looked pretty shaken when he saw the picture, but I only think that made him much more determined," Sam replied.

"When are you coming back?" Frank asked.

"When we wrap things up here, but we do know they’re heading back towards Bayport," Sam announced.

"What?" Frank asked, shocked.

"That’s the direction their headed, so we should be home in a couple of hours," Sam replied.

"Okay, bye," Frank said, as he hung up the phone.

"What is it?" Biff asked, after a few seconds of silence.

"They moved Joe again, Sam says they’re heading towards Bayport," Frank replied.

"What?!" Chet exclaimed.

"They’re playing tricks with us," Frank replied, "They want to torment Dad, I know they do, question is how do we stop them?" Frank said out loud.

"Find where they’re hiding Joe, and put those animals where they belong," Biff said, anger burning in his eyes, Frank and Joe were his friends, he didn’t like the idea of Joe being used this way, and neither did Chet, by the look his eyes as well.