"Yes, this is my associate, Sam Radley," Fenton replied. "I called Chief Welles earlier about a series of stolen cars, we’re investigating the kidnapping on my youngest son."

"I’ll help you any way we can, but how does a series of stolen cars rings have to do with your son?" Officer Davenport inquired curiously.

"The van that was used to kidnap him a couple of days ago, was stolen, and some others that were tied to the kidnappers have been stolen as well," Fenton replied.

"Oh," Officer Davenport exhaled. "Wait a minute, is your son a blond?"

Fenton did a double-take, but answered, "Yes, he is."

"Well, we got a call from a couple of joggers early this morning, that two guys and a woman carried a young man from a rental on Halifax Street, he was tied up, and a bandanna was tied around his eyes, they took off toward Bayport, we chased them, but we couldn’t endanger their hostage, so we had to break it off, we’re sorry, but we did confirm the car was stolen, why did they kidnap him?" Officer Davenport asked.

Fenton couldn’t answer, so Sam answered for him. "Fenton and I investigated their Father for killing several young men, five years ago, they kidnapped Joe to get even," Sam explained.

Officer Davenport was speechless, he didn’t know how to reply to that, his wife, just had given birth to twin boys, to know one was missing would be unthinkable. "I have two boys of my own, I’ll help in any way possible," Officer Davenport finally managed to say.

"Thanks, is there any way I can go to the house?" Fenton inquired.

"Are you sure?" Officer Davenport asked, Fenton nodded. "Okay, follow me in my patrol car."

Twenty minutes later, they were at the house, it was a comfortable little house, it looked in good shape, Fenton and Sam got out of Sam’s car, and followed Officer Davenport into the house, "It looks like they kept him in the basement, they left a picture on a metal table that it looks like he was strapped to," Officer Davenport explained.

Fenton mentally prepared himself to see the scene, but he just about lost it, when he started down the stairs, there in the middle of the room, was what looked like a surgical table with leg straps and wrist straps, but worse of all the traces of blood on the wrist straps, and some near where Joe’s head would have been, also, there appeared to be blood on the floor, now the full gravity of the situation was sinking in. Now after all this time of investigating these murders he understood what the other victim’s parents were going through, only he hoped to find Joe alive.

Sam looked over at Fenton, as he was too taking in the scene before him, Fenton was facing the toughest situation he has ever been in, the investigation of the kidnapping of his own son, by people he’d been trying to track down for the last eight years, true, five years ago, he thought he had it solved, and therefore his son would be safe, but the murders started again 4 years ago, he had secretly told Sam that he wished that Joe hadn’t started playing football, but knew that it would be fruitless to stop him, as both he and Fenton knew how determined Joe was when he got started on something. Sam, a good friend to the Hardy’s also wished that the case was solved before it led to Joe being kidnapped and tortured. They could only hope that once they found Joe alive, that he wouldn’t suffer any lingering effects from this. Sam knew that Joe was strong in spirit, but how much can one person handle at the hands of three maniacs?

Fenton, for the first time, since laying his eyes on the basement, went over to Officer Davenport and asked, "Where is this photograph, you said they left here?" he asked.

"Are you sure you want to see it?" Officer Davenport asked.

"Yes, I’m sure," Fenton replied.

There was another officer that was in the basement, "Officer Danielson, this is the hostage’s Father, Fenton Hardy, do you still have the photograph on you?" Officer Davenport asked the other officer on the scene.

"Yes, I do, are you sure you want to see it?" the blond-headed female officer asked.

"Yes," Fenton replied, again.

Officer Danielson, reached into her evidence bag, and pulled out the Polaroid picture and handed it to Fenton.

Fenton gasped, looking into the picture, "Yes, that’s Joe," he commented, "Can I speak with the joggers who saw him?" Fenton asked Officer Davenport.

"Of course, you can come with me, I haven’t officially interviewed them yet, been busy gathering evidence," Officer Danielson replied.

"Fenton, do you want me to come?" Sam asked.

"Yes, but I need you to call Frank and bring him up-to-date, also have him have Tony go to every specialty camera shop in the mall and try to find out where the camera or film was purchased, Frank will know what to do," Fenton replied.

"Okay, I’ll do that now," Sam said.

* * * * *

There was silence for awhile, "Chet, can you and Tony go search all the specialty camera shops at the mall, and find out where they purchased the film for the camera?" Frank asked, he then explained that Sam had asked him to ask Tony, but he knew Chet would want to help in any way he could. "Here is a description of any of the Draven’s, also ask to see the surveillance cameras. If it is them, ask the manager to turn it over to the police as evidence."

"Of course, I’ll leave now, Biff you want to come?" Chet asked.

"No, I better stay here, is it okay with you Frank?" Biff asked.

"Of course, I don’t feel like being alone anyway," Frank replied. "Not to mention, I don’t think Dad wants me to be alone."

Chet left, and Frank and Biff continued to pout over the information, pondering why they would head back to Bayport, only to come to one conclusion, that the Draven’s were trying to torment them, it couldn’t be to torment Joe, he hadn’t been able to give them a clue where he was held and he was blindfolded whenever they moved him, that much Frank was certain.

* * * * *

"Want to speak to your family?" Alexa Draven asked Joe, when he awoke after they had moved him to yet another basement, in a house in Bayport.

"Do I have a choice?" Joe asked. "All you want to do is prove a point."

"Yes, we certainly do, that no one messes with our family," Thomas replied.

"I can say the same thing about ours," Joe retorted, with that Thomas backhanded Joe.

Joe was strapped to a chair, that much he could tell, it felt like a highback dining room chair, with no cushion to sit, he couldn’t tell, as they hadn’t removed his blindfold. He heard someone punching in numbers in a cell-phone. They’re probably using a cell-phone, so it wouldn’t be able to be traced, he thought to himself.

"Fenton Hardy?" Alexa asked, when the phone was answered on the second ring.

On the other end, Frank immediately pressed record, as he knew this was the kidnappers calling, and answered. "He isn’t here, this is his son, Frank," Frank answered.

"Well, you will do, you want to speak to your brother?" Alexa asked.

"Yes, I do," Frank replied, not exactly sure he wanted to.

"Speak to your brother," Joe was ordered.

"Frank?" Joe asked.

"Joe! Is that you? How are you?" Frank asked, relieved at least to know that Joe was still alive.

"Yeah, it’s me, but I’m..." Joe started to say, but all of a sudden he was whacked at the side of the head, he groaned, Frank heard this, he suddenly grew angry, They’re beating him! He continued to hear Joe scream and moan as he was helpless to prevent this, all he could he do was get more angry.

"Stop! He never did anything to you!" Frank shouted into the phone.

"Frank..." Joe gasped as the blows ceased.

"Joe, hold on, Dad is looking for you as we speak, and so am I," Frank said, then the connection went dead. He couldn’t take it anymore, he knew Joe was being tortured, and to hear him go through it, made it absolutely clear to him, that he was helpless to protect him. The tears welled up in his eyes, he couldn’t prevent them from flowing freely, he didn’t want to break down, when Joe needed him to keep his head to find that crucial clue to bring him home, and that is the only thing he could do to help his brother, to bring these animals to justice for not just his brother’s sake, but all the other kids they tortured, and eventually killed. He would not rest until his brother was safe at home with him.

Biff sat in stunned silence as he heard much of what went on, he was getting angrier by the minute, he knew it took a lot to get Frank to cry, especially in front of anyone but family. The best thing he thought he could do was sit there and let Frank let it go, and help in any way he could, even if it just meant being there for the Hardys or helping to bring these people down.