"Axemeyer?" Fenton said in surprise. "I need to talk to Joe or Laura."

"They’re sleeping," Axemeyer informed Fenton. "Have you heard from the kidnappers?"

"Not yet," Fenton answered. He still didn’t like the guy but he had checked him out thoroughly and the only trouble he had ever been in concerned two unpaid parking tickets in Albemarle, a little town about two hundred miles south of Bayport. "When he wakes up, tell him to stay there. I’m sure they will try and contact us soon."

"Do you want to talk to him now?" Stan asked.

"No, let him rest," Fenton said. "Thank you," he added.

"No problem," Stan said. "I’ll give him your message."

***

"Doesn’t matter if you have me," Frank told Marilyn. "You won’t be able to get near Redman. Even if you can get my dad to stop, the Secret Service won’t back off."

"Who wants them to?" Steve asked, smirking. "We figured if you overheard me talking about Redman you would think he was the target."

"If Redman isn’t your target, then why bother trying to kidnap Joe?"

"If Joe had been kidnapped, you would be with your father and we would be able to know if he discovered our true target," Marilyn explained.

"Who is your real target?" Frank asked.

"Like we’re going to tell you," Steve responded with a laugh.

"Enjoy your stay," Marilyn told him before leading Steve up the steps and out of the basement, turning the light off on their way out.

After they left, Frank went back to trying to free himself. He managed to bring his feet through his arms and in seconds had his hands in front of him. Forty minutes later, he staggered to his feet, wincing as the familiar sensation of pins and needles assaulted him.

When his circulation returned to normal, he made his way up the basement stairs and eased the door open a crack. Seeing no one around, he exited the basement and hurried out the kitchen door.

***

"Sir, we have all of the men in position," said an officer coming over to where Fenton and Chief Collig were standing.

"Frank!" exclaimed Fenton, his eyes widening in relieved surprise as he spied his eldest son a few feet behind the officer. "Are you okay? How did you get away? How did you get here?"

"They weren’t very good at tying knots," Frank answered, holding a finger to his lips before beginning a search of his shoes. He had looked over his clothing on the trip. "I hitched a ride to the University." He pulled a bug from the rubber on the back of his left shoe and held it up. "They admitted Redman was a blind, but they wouldn’t tell me who the real victim was."

Frank handed the bug to his dad who gave it to Chief Collig. "I’ve been thinking," Frank said as the officer went to get something to seal the miniature microphone in. "Maybe the real target is whoever has reserved the Royal Suite at The Excelsior."

"Why The Excelsior?" Fenton inquired.

"The concierge from there is running this show," Frank informed him. "Marylin Anderson. Plus, why would she put her cohorts in the most expensive room in the hotel unless they were preparing a surprise for someone?"

"Makes sense," Fenton agreed as the officer returned. "I’ll cancel the added security here and we’ll head over tot he hotel. You go and get some rest."

"Will do," Frank agreed as the bug was dropped into a bag then placed in a small box. Frank looked at his father. "They made it too easy for me to escape."

"You’re abduction was just a ruse to get you to believe Redman wasn’t the target?" Collig asked, not quiet believing it.

"No," Frank denied with a shake of his head. "That was Plan B. They had planned to grab Joe then I would be with Dad and they could hear everything that was going on."

"But why kidnap either of you?" Collig demanded.

"Because Dad ordered us off the case last night," replied Frank. "The only way to get us back on was for them to involve us directly."

"And what better way than to kidnap one of you?" Fenton finished, frowning. He looked at Collig. "Make sure everyone is in position."

"Dad," Frank stopped his dad as he turned to go and make some final preparations. "Joe..."

"I’ll call him," Fenton said, knowing what Frank was going to say. "You go with Ezra. He’ll show you were to stay," he added, pulling out his cell phone.

"I got it!" Stan shouted up the stairs as he reached for the phone.

"Hardy residence," Stan answered.

"Stan, is Joe close by?" Fenton inquired.

"He and Laura are upstairs," Stan answered. "Joe dropped a jam cracker on his shirt and Laura is taking care of it so it won’t stain."

"Would you tell them that Frank is safe? He’s here at the University with me. The lecture starts at one and Joe needs to be here a little before if he can," Fenton requested.

"You’ve caught the terrorists then?" Stan asked, pleased.

"Not yet," Fenton admitted. "But we’re sure they will show. I need Joe here early so he can get into position."

"I’ll tell him," Stan promised in a dour voice before hanging up.

***

"It’s one o’clock," Frank said, watching the stage. Joe, he was sure, had just been held up in traffic.

Fenton’s talkie flared. "Suspects have entered the building," Came the report.

"Stay on them," Collig's voice came through.

"Sir, they just separated," the talkie flared again.

"Move in," Collig ordered.

The operation went like clock work. In minutes the entire lot were rounded up and were herded into the back of the arena.

"It took this many people to kill Redman?" Fenton inquired, quirking his eyebrow, as he looked at the prisoners.

"More than Redman," Collig said, scowling. "Each one of them had incendiary devices on them."

"Why not plant them before the lecture started?" Frank asked, puzzled.

"Standard procedure," Collig said. "Since the bombing at the mall, we’ve made it standard procedure to do a bomb sweep before every politician's appearance." He looked at Sergeant Con Riley. "Get them out of here."

"What you’re going to do is let us go," Marilyn said.

"Fat chance!" Frank declared.

"You think?" she asked smugly. "Where’s your brother?" Seeing she had a captive audience, she continued. "Either we walk out of here or you will never see him again."