Frank took the two papers with him and raced down the stairs and out the back door, not caring that he officer across the street saw him. As the officer started to get out of his car, Frank jumped in the front seat. "Let’s go to the station," Frank ordered the officer.

"Calm down," Officer Meckinridge said. He contacted dispatch. "Put me through to the chief," he requested.

"What is it?" Collig demanded.

"Frank just came out of Axemeyer’s house. He’s in the car with me now and wants to go to headquarters."

Collig scowled at Fenton. "Bring him on," he agreed.

"You knew he was going to do that, didn’t you?" Collig demanded after Meckinridge had signed off.

Fenton shrugged. "It’s my wife and son," he said. "I’ll do whatever it takes to get them back."

Twenty minutes later, Fenton and Collig stood as Frank entered the office. "What did you find?" Fenton demanded, his voice going hoarse as he noticed his son’s pallor.

Wordlessly, Frank handed the two papers to his father. Fenton looked at the top one and fell back into his chair, staring at the paper in his hands. "My God," he whispered.

"What is it?" Collig asked, leaning over Fenton’s shoulder to view the top paper. His brow furrowed as he read the top. "A marriage certificate?" He pulled the top sheet from Fenton’s grasp, gasping as he saw the names of the married couple. Stanley Arnold Axemeyer and Laura Leigh Belden.

"How did he find out mom’s maiden name?" Frank asked.

Fenton just shook his head, his eyes glued to the second piece of paper Frank had given him. Collig took this from Fenton as well. It was a birth certificate for one Joseph Paul Axemeyer and listing Stanley and Laura as his parents.

Collig hit the intercom on his desk. "Issue an APB for Stanley Arnold Axemeyer," he barked. "And set up standard roadblocks. Get Sergeant Riley in here!"

Con entered the office in less than a minute. "What’s up?" he asked. Collig handed him the certificates. "Get these to forensics and check all outgoing planes, trains and buses."

"Yes, Sir," he said, leaving at once.

"Where would he have taken them?" Frank wondered.

"And why did they go with him willingly?" Collig asked.

"They wouldn’t have!" shouted Frank defensively.

"They took extra clothes," Collig reminded Frank. "They must have."

"He had to of tricked them somehow," Fenton said.

"Obviously," huffed Frank. "But that doesn’t tell us where they went," he added, as Collig got on the phone and arranged for a search warrant of Axemeyer’s house.

Collig looked at Frank after he hung up. "We can’t use those papers as evidence because you took them without a warrant," he said. "But they do give us probable cause as long as it isn’t officially known how they came into your possession."

"There’s a picture he fixed of him, Joe and mom on his nightstand," Frank added.

"Albemarle," Fenton said suddenly.

"What?" Collig asked, turning his gaze onto his friend.

"When I checked him out, he had some unpaid parking tickets in the town of Albemarle," Fenton explained. "It’s a place to start."

Collig nodded. "I’ll alert the police down there to the situation."

"And I’ll call Jack Wayne and have him fly down. Ezra, can you make arrangements to have us a rental waiting when we reach the airport there?"

"No problem," Collig promised as Frank and Fenton headed for the door.

***

"Who was on the phone?" Joe asked, running down the stairs.

"Fenton," Stan answered. "They have found Frank."

"Wahoo!" shouted Joe, relieved. "What’s wrong? Is he okay?" Joe asked, noticing the serious look on Stan’s face.

"He’s fine," Stan assured him. "But your dad had him taken to a safe house and asked me to take you and your mother to a safe house he has set up for us."

"Without Frank?" Joe questioned, tilting his head sideways.

"He said it would be safer if you and your brother were apart for now but as soon as he wrapped everything up, he would come and get us," Stan explained. "Now go and pack a bag. And tell your mother to do so as well. We need to leave as soon as possible."

It took less than fifteen minutes to get ready to leave. When Laura and Joe came back downstairs, Stan had his jeep in the drive waiting for them. "Your van would draw attention," Stan told Joe. "And we’ll need a four by four to get where we’re going."

Laura climbed into the back of the jeep and Joe took the front passenger side. "What’s this?" Laura asked, seeing a picnic basket in the back seat.

"I didn’t think we should stop for dinner later, so I brought some sandwiches and drinks," Stan explained.

"How thoughtful," Laura said, smiling.

"Yeah, thanks a lot for helping us," Joe seconded the gratitude.

"It’s my pleasure," Stan assured them.

The threesome reached the outskirts of Albemarle almost three hours after sundown. The only establishments open were a twenty four hour grocery store and a gas station. "I’ll fill up while you two hit the grocery store," Stan said. "Better get enough for a couple of weeks, just in case."

Stan dropped the two at the store then went to the gas station. He filled the tank then returned to the grocery store and went inside. "Excuse me," he said to one of the employees who was putting out some cereal. "Did you see a blond headed woman and a blond boy come in here?"

"Sure, they’re about three aisles over," the woman said. "Your wife and son?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"I knew it. I thought he looked a lot like his mother, but I can see where he takes after you, too," the woman said.

"Thank you," Stan said, pleased.

"Are you sure that’s enough?" Stan asked when he caught up to Laura and Joe. The cart wasn’t even half full.

"I doubt we’ll be there for long," Joe said. "Dad has never kept us in protective custody for more than a week."

"He’s done this to you before?" Stan asked.

"A few times when the boys were younger," Laura answered.

"Still, I think we should get more," Stan pushed. "Just in case."

"Okay," Joe said with a shrug. "Um, can I get some cereal?"

"Let me guess, the chocolate kind with marshmallows?" Laura said, grinning.

"No," Joe said, giving her a superior smile. "The strawberry kind with marshmallows."

"Of course," Stan told him, laughing.

Soon, they had what they needed and Stan paid for the supplies. "I’ve got money," Laura argued with him in the car when he refused to take the money back.

"But Fenton said I should take care of everything and he would reimburse me," Stan lied.

"Here, have some hot cocoa and rest," Stan said, handing a thermos to Laura.

"Where did you get cocoa?" she asked, opening the thermos.

"At the gas station," Stan said. "I got you a cup too," he told Joe, handing him the cup. "I think it’s still warm enough to drink."

Joe took a sip. "Just right," he said. "Thanks." A few minutes later, both Joe and Laura were sleeping soundly as Stan drove into the mountains.

"We’re here," Stan woke the sleeping twosome as he parked the jeep outside of a rustic mountain cabin.

Joe opened his eyes and stretched. "Sorry," he said, quickly recovering his mouth as he yawned. "I don’t know why I fell asleep like that."

"Me either," Laura said from the back seat, stretching her arms. She looked at the cabin. "Oh, it’s darling!"

Joe laughed. "You’re right," he agreed. "This would be a great place to spend a summer," he added, hopping out of the jeep.

"I’ll go light some lanterns while you two wait out here," Stan told them.

"Okay," Joe agreed, oddly agreeable under the circumstances.

A few minutes later, Stan returned and carried his and Laura’s suitcases inside while Joe brought in his duffel. "Joe, you can have the room off the kitchen. Laura you will take the room down the hall on the left and I’ll have the one on the right."

"Anyone hungry?" Laura asked.

"And how!" Joe agreed.

"Me too," Stan admitted. "Those sandwiches didn’t last long."

"I’ll bring in the groceries while you unpack," Joe offered, setting his duffel down by the couch. He left the cabin and went to retrieve the groceries.

In less than an hour, the three had settled in to their new lodgings. "I’ll fix the drinks," Stan offered.

"Milk all around," Laura said.

"Milk it is," Stan agreed, smiling.

After dinner, Laura and Joe headed to bed but Stan stayed up for a while. He went outside to the jeep and lifted the hood. Removing the distributor cap, he closed the hood and went back inside. Before long, he too retired for the evening.