“I pulled a Joe, huh?” Frank asked with the lift of a brow that gave him a sardonic appearance.

“Yuh-huh,” Phil agreed with a grin.

“Are you two all right?” Fenton asked.

“Fine, Sir,” Phil acknowledged as Frank nodded in agreement.

“How are we going to get out of here?” Frank asked, hoping his dad had a plan.

“I think...” he broke off as the door burst open and Frankl and Sampson appeared.

“Don’t move,” Sampson growled, clearly distressed about something. “You, get over here,” he ordered Phil.

“You told me not to move,” Phil objected.

Sampson raised his revolver as he stepped closer to Phil. He aimed it at Phil’s face but grunted in surprise when his neck was grabbed from behind and a strong arm reached out to grasp the hand holding the gun. “You’re under arrest,” came the authoritative voice of Chief Collig as Con and two other officers filed into the room.

“What are you doing here?” Fenton asked in amazement. The police were the last people he had expected to see come to their rescue.

“Joe was worried when Frank never called or came by,” the chief replied with a smile as one of his men took charge of Sampson. “I went to see him and Russell was there. He knew about this boat.”

Frank, Fenton and Phil went up on deck with Chief Collig to view the prisoners. “Where’s Barlow?” Frank asked after seeing three men and Pete in handcuffs.

“One of the two below?” Officer Limpkin asked.

“No,” Fenton said. “He’s that kid’s father,” he said, nodding in Pete’s direction.

“He must have got away,” Limpkin apologized, looking at the chief.

Fenton gave a description of the man at the chief’s request and an APB was issued. “Send someone to the hospital,” Fenton ordered. “He’s going to go after Joe.”

***

“Mom, what are you doing back here?” Joe asked as his mother entered his hospital room roughly twenty minutes after Chief Collig left.

“I was worried,” she confessed with a shrug. “Neither Frank nor Fenton are at home and knowing your brother, he will come by here before he goes home.”

Joe smiled at her. “You’re right,” he agreed, not letting her know how worried he was.

“Can I get you something?” she asked. “A drink of water? A magazine?”

“Some ice cream would be nice,” Joe requested.

“I’ll go and have the nurse get you some,” she promised, walking out of the room.

Seconds later, the door opened again. “That was qui...” Joe broke off as Walter Barlow entered his room. “Wow,” he said, his surprise turning to fear as he pretended this was a social visit. “I wasn’t expecting visitors this late.”

“Neither was I,” Walter admitted. “So imagine my surprise when I returned to the boat after running to the store and finding it crawling with cops. Thanks to you, my son is off to prison,” he snarled, moving in on Joe.

“Like you really care about him anyway,” scoffed Joe, giving up the pretense. “What kind of father gets his son to not only push drugs but to use them too?”

“I love my son,” Walter insisted. “And when he gets out, I’ll be there for him.”

“No you won’t,” Joe replied. “You’ll be behind bars for longer!”

“Not with you as a hostage,” Walter declared, moving closer to Joe.

Joe reached for the nurse call button but Walter grabbed his hand and pulled. Joe groaned as he felt his stomach stretch beyond the limits of the stitches. “Get away from him!” screeched Laura entering the room at that moment.

She ran over and thwacked him on the head with her handbag at the same time kicking him in the shin with her high-heeled shoe. “Leave him alone you creep!” she shouted and clawed at his face. “Haven’t you done enough?”

Walter released Joe and backhanded Laura across the face. She fell backward to the floor. “No!” screamed Joe, trying to get up.

Walter turned around and smashed a fist into Joe’s face. Joe saw rockets explode and then...nothing.

***

Chief Collig ordered Phil to be taken home then offered to drive Frank and Fenton to the hospital. They were almost there when the chief’s radio crackled. “Sir, Barlow was at the hospital,” the officer said. “Mrs. Hardy was attacked.”

“Is she all right?” Collig snapped before Fenton could snatch the radio from his hand.

“She has a bruise and a slight concussion,” the officer informed him. “But Joe is missing.”