Fenton stared into the man’s beady green eyes and remained quiet. He tried to hold his breath so he wouldn’t have to smell the malignant odors emanating from his captor's mouth. The cross of sardines and garlic made a formidable enemy to his senses and he tried very hard not to retch.

“We’ve been lenient so far,” the man continued. “But our patience is at an end.” He stepped away from Fenton and went to the door of the room and opened it.

A tall man with unruly red hair and too many freckles entered the room pulling Frank behind him and the man who had taken Frank captive to begin with brought up the rear.

“This is how it is going to be,” Stency said to Fenton. “I realize no man would trade one son for another so I’m not asking you too.” He paused and turned to grin at Frank. “But are you willing to lose your parents in order to keep your brother’s whereabouts a secret?”

Frank’s heart stopped. Parents?

“He’s not going to tell you anything,” declared Fenton. “My life won’t be traded for my son’s either.”

“But what about your wife?” Stency asked with an evil smile. “Will your son watch you and his mother die a slow, painful death?”

“You don’t have her,” Frank stated.

“Not here, no,” Stency admitted. “But she will be joining us within the next few minutes.”

“You seem pretty sure of yourself,” observed Fenton trying to maintain a calm demeanor.

“Oh, I am,” replied Stency. “See, we have our orders. Our boss went to fetch her and if he’s not back by six, that’s less than ten minutes from now, then you are both to die.”

“But that would take away any chance you have of finding out where Joe is,” Fenton countered with a smirk.

“I think not,” Stency stated with a smugness that sent shivers down Fenton’s spine.

“How do you figure that?” demanded Frank.

“Joe won’t miss his dad’s funeral,” Stency said. “Or his brother’s. Or...” he paused and smiled thinly as the door opened and his immediate boss entered. “His mother’s.”

“Where is she?” Stency demanded when Hartley entered without Laura in tow.

“I couldn’t get her,” Hartley answered. “Have they talked yet?”

“No,” Stency replied. “I don’t think they will unless we get the woman.”

“Change of plans,” Hartley declared smiling like a Cheshire cat. “She had a guard.”

“And you couldn’t handle him?” Stency demanded in disbelief.

“Why bother?” Hartley countered, unwilling to admit it had been Mrs. Hardy he couldn’t handle. “I left a little package under the back porch. If we don't find out where Joe is by midnight the house will be nothing but rubble.”

Fenton set his lips in a thin line but otherwise showed no evidence that the news had affected him. Frank, however, had gone deathly pale and he looked fearfully at his father.

“Ah, I see you don’t want your dear, sweet mother to die,” Stency said, walking over to face Frank. “Tell us where Joe is and you will be released to diffuse the bomb.”

“You’re lying,” snarled Fenton. “You haven’t even bothered to disguise yourselves. We’re dead either way.”

“Are you willing to risk your mother's life on that assumption?” Stency asked Frank with a raised eyebrow.

Frank drew himself up straight and stared Stency in the eyes. “What risk?” he asked calmly. “It’s a sure thing.”

“Well, then,” Stency said with a smirk. “We’ll just wait and see how long you plan on holding out.”

“It’s pointless, you know,” Hartley put in. “Why kill such a pretty woman? We’re going to have Joe one way or the other. Either we go get him or he comes home for his family’s funerals.”

Neither Fenton nor Frank responded. Growling in frustration Hartley stomped from the room.

***

“Hartley, you’ve got a call,” Mike Dollar said, rapping on Jeff’s and Joe’s open door later that evening. “Your dad.”

“You’ve got to go all the way to the Dean’s office to get it?” asked Joe as Jeff laid his book down and stood up.

“Just to the ground floor,” Jeff answered. “There’s a phone in the office of each building for security measures.”

“Hi, Son,” Hartley greeted Jeff when he picked up the phone. “How’s it going?”

“It’s going,” Jeff replied. “What’s wrong?”

“What makes you think something’s wrong?” his old man asked.

“Because the only time you ever call me during the week is when you’re frustrated and need a sounding board,” Jeff answered.

“It’s the Hardys,” Hartley said.

“Dad, I really don’t...” Jeff started to object but his dad continued on as if Jeff hadn't spoken.

“McFadden said to find Joe Hardy and bring him back or I would be taking his place,” Hartley informed Jeff. “I know he’s been sent to a boarding school; I just don’t know which one. Geez!” he continued and Jeff could hear the fear mixed with exasperation in his father’s voice. “I don’t suppose he’s at your school?”