“Not enough time,” Fenton said, turning the machine off. “Let’s go.”

“What if it’s a trap?” Laura asked, worried about her husband and son.

“What if it’s not?” Fenton reasoned.

Laura watched the two depart with trepidation. She wanted her son back but not hurt as the caller had said. She wanted this to be a false lead but she didn’t want Frank and Fenton to get hurt. She walked back into the living room with a heavy heart.

“Not a sound sister and you won’t get hurt,” a voice ordered her from her right.

Laura gasped and spun around. “Who are you?”

“Doesn’t matter,” the man in the ski mask declared. “Have a seat,” he ordered.

“You took Joe, didn’t you?” Laura demanded, her blue eyes shooting sparks as she advanced on the man heedless of her own safety. “Where is he?”

“Forget it lady,” the man told her calmly. “You ain’t going to see him again.”

“YOU!!” she screamed and raised her arms, her hands curled into claws as she advanced on him in a rage. “IF YOU HURT....” she broke off as someone grabbed her from behind and placed a wet cloth over her face.

Laura struggled as long as she could but soon she was unconscious. “Took you long enough,” commented one of the men.

“She was a tigress,” the other declared as he lifted her into his arms and laid her on the sofa. “Let’s get to it.”

***

Joe opened his eyes then shut them quickly with a moan. This was getting to be monotonous. He opened his eyes and looked at the sight before him, his eyes growing wider as they focused on the vision before him. “Mr. Shaw?” he croaked through lips that were swollen and parched.

Thinner than the last time Joe had seen him with cheeks sunken in and bruised, Mr. Shaw looked at Joe with brown eyes that lit up in hope. “You...you know me?” Mr. Shaw asked in a small voice.

Joe gave a slow nod, his expression curious. It was more than obvious Robert Shaw had been a captive for some time. He never left Callie and her mom! the thought hit Joe like a ton of bricks. He was kidnapped and they set it up to look like he left on his own!

Joe felt sick. He had known Mr. Shaw’s departure wasn’t right. Hadn’t Callie told them when it happened that he had been a loving husband and a good father? There had been no hint; no late nights and no phone calls that Callie could remember. He and Frank should have checked it out. If they had then he and Mr. Shaw would be safe at home now.

“Who am I?” Mr. Shaw asked still looking at Joe with hope.

“You don’t remember?” Joe inquired.

Mr. Shaw shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t remember anything,” he replied.

“What is the first thing you do remember?” Joe asked.

“Waking up here,” Mr. Shaw answered, looking at his wrists imprisoned in chains. “There were these men and they kept asking me questions but when I couldn’t answer, they beat me,” he confessed, his voice shaking a bit at the memory. “Eventually, I think they believed me when I told them I didn’t know and couldn’t remember because as time passed, I only saw one of them once a day. When he brings me food,” he ended.

“It’s probably a good thing you can’t remember,” Joe told him kindly. Mr. Shaw took on a wounded expression so Joe hurried to explain. “Your name is Robert Shaw,” Joe began. “And it’s a good thing because if you can’t remember then they couldn’t hold the threat of hurting your family over you.”

“I..I have a family?” he asked. Joe nodded. “Are you...?” he began but broke off when Joe shook his head.

“My brother dates your daughter,” Joe explained. “Her name is Callie.”

“I have a daughter?” Mr. Shaw repeated in joyous disbelief.

Joe nodded and began telling Mr. Shaw about his life, the bits he knew anyway, hoping it would help the man remember. As he talked he couldn’t help but wonder what the kidnappers had done about him. He had, after all, been taking away in a public place and his brother had been left. Joe paused in his monologue with Mr. Shaw to give a brief thanks to God that he had seen the rise and fall of Frank’s chest after he had been hit. Frank was alive and as long as he was, Joe knew he had no real worries.

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.