Chapter Title: Nightmares  

After they were in room 302, Dr. Ruby quickly regained his composure.  After all, although Dr. Ruby was surprised by his appearance, John had worked for him on many cases.  Dr. Ruby put away his gun.  He then picked up the cell phone in one hand.  With the other hand, he pointed to a stethoscope.  John nodded in understanding.  He put it on, then put the bell of it up against the wall that adjoined with room 304.

While John did that, Dr. Ruby said into the phone, "I'm back, Christine.  I cannot confirm or deny your speculations, but keep them to yourself.  Quit threatening me, young lady!  If you are correct and let word leak out, people’s lives will be in great jeopardy.  Yes, I have forbidden Fritz from discussing this subject.  No, that doesn’t confirm Ivana is alive!  No, I won’t explain the danger!  Please put Fritz on like I asked you before!"

Through the stethoscope, John could hear Jason and Ivana talking, but he was having a hard time understanding them because Dr. Ruby’s voice had become so loud.

Dr. Ruby said in a much quieter tone, "Hello, Fritz.  Who is with you besides Christine?  I know the others, but who’s Vicky?"

John was embarrassed Dr. Ruby didn’t know Vicky.  He had mentioned her to him more than once.  John kept quiet, letting his brother answer.

Dr. Ruby continued, "Of course, her!  She doesn’t make my life miserable the way your girlfriend does.  I just got into town and I’d like to meet you, but not tonight.  It's already very late.  Go home and get some rest.  Meet me for breakfast tomorrow at the Sunrise Grill at eight.  You know it?  Good.  No, don’t bring anybody!  You want to bring John?  He’s already with me and won’t be home all night."

John spoke up, "Tell Fritz not to bother about the voicemail I left him.  I asked him to bring a stethoscope like this one to my motel room.  No need for that now."

The Hardly boys’ stethoscope was in the brown box in the closet in Fritz’s bedroom.  Dr. Ruby smiled at the revelation that John hadn’t come completely prepared, then relayed that information.

Dr. Ruby then said into the phone, "All right, bring Christine tomorrow, as she probably would attempt to follow you anyway.  You could lose her, but it’d cause a delay.  I know what you mean about her not accepting no as an answer.  Don’t bring Conrad, Leone, or Vicky.  Make sure Conrad doesn’t follow you, but that should be easy.  From what you told me, you could spot the hot rod he drives from miles away.  He’s hurting, but he might not be thinking logically.  I’m glad you understand.  Good night."

Dr. Ruby shut down the cell phone and set it on the nightstand.

Still wearing the stethoscope, John excitedly stated, "They’re discussing a nerve gas attack on the President!"

Dr. Ruby took off his suit coat and loosely knotted tie, then stretched on the bed while still in the rest of his clothes and said, "I know.  What a day!  The Obliterators manufactured a deadly nerve gas.  It’s so potent a small amount can kill all the people in a large building.  They’ve planned an attack during the President’s speech at the convention center tomorrow.  Security is careful about looking for shooters, but if not forewarned they might have missed the set up for a gas attack.  This time, though, I learned of the threat.  I’ve already gotten assurances that a two-mile-radius circle will be secured around the convention center.  The fools won’t just cancel the speech, claiming it is important for political reasons.  It’d be better if we had a sample of the nerve gas to check if the antidotes being prepared are effective.  Still, even without that, the large secure area will do the job.  I don’t think the President is in much danger now."

John asked, "Did you learn about that from listening at the wall?"

"No.  Jason, Joyce, and Karen were not in the room until a short time before you got here.  I had another source."

"Karen is Ivana Morrow," John interrupted.

"So you know.  I guess I can’t be too surprised by that since you found me in this room."

John admitted, "I tracked down Ivana, not you.  Only by chance did I hear you through the door.  You were screaming at Christine to put Fritz Hardly on the phone.  You should keep your voice down.  If I could hear you in the hallway, so might the suspects.  Ironic you have a temper like that given the hard time you gave me about my temper."

"You never lost your temper with Christine?"

"Touche.  Plenty of times."

Dr. Ruby said, "I told Fritz not to tell you about Ivana.  I warned him it would be a criminal act, and he could be arrested.  I could do that, but I won’t.  If he’s going to make a career in Entangle, he has to learn how to keep secrets, especially from loved ones."

"Fritz didn’t tell me," John declared.

"You don’t have to lie to protect your brother.  I won't carry through on my threats.  He held out far longer than I had expected."

"I'm not lying.  I discovered Gordon Snuff survived the explosion of the van.  That got me thinking that Ivana may not have survived the explosion of the car, but at least a body should have been left.  Since there was no body, I concluded she must be alive."

Dr. Ruby responded, "Your personality profile indicated you were so quick to get angry about the subject that you wouldn’t be able to think that through.  Are you going to have a delayed reaction and display your famous temper now?"

"Maybe I’ll throw a fit later, but for now, please go on about the nerve gas," John said.

"The suspects were not in their room until just a couple minutes ago."

"Joyce isn’t there now.  It's just Ivana and Jason.  They were down in the lobby."

"I was tempted install my pinhole video camera in their room when they were gone, then I could see who is in the room and what they’re doing."

"They might have found it if they did an electronic sweep of the room.  The Obliterators like to do that.  Equipment to do a sweep has become so common it can be purchased at a store in the Port City Mall."

"That's why I didn’t put it in.  A sweep won't detect the use of a simple doctor's stethoscope.  No electronics in it."

John listened at the wall some more, "They’ve mentioned several times that Joyce is away on some task and is overdue, but haven’t said where or what she’s doing.  If you didn’t hear about the nerve gas through the wall, how’d you learn about it?"

Dr. Ruby yawned and shut his eyes, "I was supposed to be in Port City several hours earlier and meet Agent Morrow in this room.  She would have told me if I’d been here, but my flight was delayed by bad weather in Washington .D.C.  I would have phoned Fritz to have him make the meeting instead of me, as he knew about Agent Morrow, but I couldn’t use my cell phone on the plane. Entangle is in a budget crunch and won’t let me fly in a private plane, but only in a regular commercial jetliner.  Even I had to obey the rule about not using my cell phone on board.  She was supposed to phone Fritz if she couldn’t find me, but I guess she didn’t or couldn’t."

"Does she have his cell phone number or just our home phone?"

Dr. Ruby opened his eyes and sat up, "Oh, no.  The cell phone is only a month old.  I forgot she doesn’t have that number.  She's been so deeply undercover that's it’s hard to get her information like that.  I’m really slipping, though, because I should have at least tried to get her the number, but it never occurred to me."

John pulled off the stethoscope and adjusted himself so he sat more comfortably, "I think you really are slipping.  So is my brother."

"What do you mean?" Dr. Ruby asked, anger at the insult showing in his tone.

John could tell Dr. Ruby wanted him to retract the statement, but instead he said, "Both of you are more inclined to get angry and make foolish mistakes then in the past."

"That’s not true," Dr. Ruby said, not at all liking John speaking as though he was the knowledgeable mentor.

"Sure it is.  You, Fritz, and I stopped several cities from being destroyed by nuclear bombs.  Although the mission succeeded, any human would have nightmares about what the consequences could have been.  It’s not something to be ashamed of."

"Are you going to give up being a detective and become a psychiatrist?"

"My mother would like that very much, but no.  I do know about nightmares, though.  Since the event I thought was Ivana’s death, I've had them nearly every night."

"I suppose you are immune now," Dr. Ruby said scornfully.

"Not immune.  Accustomed to them.  For months, I've had as many nightmares about nuclear bombs destroying cities as about Ivana dying.  Unimaginably more people would die with the nukes, but I honestly don’t feel much different about those nightmares then I do to the ones about her."

Dr. Ruby suggested, "That’s callous of you."

John replied, "Perhaps.  However, I recall all too well what it was initially like after I’d thought Ivana died.  My attention span became almost nonexistent.  I’d lose my temper over trivial events.  I made countless silly mistakes.  My academic performance plummeted.  If there hadn’t been only one month left of school, which limited how much damage it was possible for me to do, I would have flunked classes left and right.  As it was, I got through with C’s and D’s.  Those were the only D’s I've gotten in my life.  You might try a daily physical workout.  I find that makes the nightmares less intense.  A healthy body helps lead to a healthy mind."

Dr. Ruby declared, "That’s simplistic, stupid advice.  I guess that’s what I should expect from the less intelligent of the two Hardly Boys."

John responded to the insult, "Your temper is showing.  Fritz outdid me in high school, but I got straight A’s in Entangle training program.  He had two B's.  You might want to think about that means, boss, before insulting me again about being less intelligent then him.  My advice is simple, but it works.  You’ll get better with time.  I did.  I expect to get much better now that I know Ivana isn’t dead after all."

"You’ve got me curious about your skills.  Tell me how you got to this motel."

John explained how Ivana had phoned the Hardly home, but not left a message.  Dr. Ruby's expression changed and his opinion of John’s skills went up as he heard the whole story.

John finished, "If I hadn’t seen absolute proof Ivana was alive with her fingerprints beforehand, I think I would have lost it when I saw her in the lobby.  I didn’t lose control, though.  That’s how I came to be here.  You still didn’t say how you learned about the planned nerve gas attack after missing your appointment with Ivana."

Dr. Ruby indicated a letter on the night stand, "She knew I was going to be in this room.  She left this letter explaining the situation.  She wrote that she’ll try to get me a sample of the nerve gas.  She would have had one for me if I’d been here.  It wouldn’t fit under the door and she didn’t trust leaving it anywhere else."

Instead of going to get the letter, John put the stethoscope back on and listened.  He jerked closer to the wall.  His mouth fell open.  Dr. Ruby noticed this and got up from the bed, but didn’t speak.  He didn’t want to prevent John from hearing something important.  Several long minutes passed.  John finally took off the stethoscope.

"What’s going on?" Dr. Ruby asked.

John swallowed, then said, "Tomlin phoned and spoke to Ivana.  The Obliterators have an inside source at the Port City Police and learned about the new two-mile-radius security zone!"

"Are you sure it’s with the police and not some other government agency?"

"The Port City Police were specifically mentioned."

Dr. Ruby responded, "I believe we can trust Chief Clymer and Officer McCormick because I've worked with them for many years and they’ve always been reliable.  Until we find the leak, other than those two, we’ll have to keep the Port City Police out of the loop.  Did the Obliterators call off the plan?"

John answered, "No!  From what I heard, it seems Tomlin has enough nerve gas for it to be effective from more than two miles away, if the prevailing wind is used properly."

"They can’t have that much gas.  They could take out most of the city with it...and would if they tried that."

John slipped the stethoscope back on and listened, then said, "Ivana told Jason about what Tomlin said.  Jason’s bragging about how he’ll not just kill the President, but turn Port City into a giant ghost town, making himself the greatest Obliterator of all time.  He’s delighted with the idea."

Dr. Ruby came over to the wall.  John took off the stethoscope and handed it to him.  He put it on and listened for himself.

Across town, Leone’s restaurant was now dark.  Leone pulled down steel mesh shutters for the night.  Vicky, Christine, Fritz, and Conrad stood in the parking lot.  Vicky was still crying.  Christine tried to console her.  Conrad shouted at Fritz to tell him the truth about his sister.  Fritz had given up the ineffective false denials he’d been giving earlier, but wasn’t saying any more either.  This refusal to speak was driving Conrad nuts.

Conrad said, "Fritz, I ought to pound you until you tell me what you know!"

Fritz still acted as though deaf.

His keys jangling in his hands, Leone came over, "Conrad, if you’re going to try to beat up Fritz, could you wait until tomorrow?  I’m too tired to watch."

Vicky glanced at her watch and sniffled, "It’s well after midnight, so it's already tomorrow.  I don’t care how late it is!  I want to talk with John!  Right now!  Christine, I don’t have a car.  Can you drive me to the Hardly’s?  Please!  I don’t want to ride with Fritz."

"If that’s what you want," Christine replied.

"Don’t bother," Fritz said, breaking his silence.  "John’s not there."

Vicky announced, "I’ll wait until he shows up!"

Fritz retorted, "He won’t be there all night, Vicky."

Vicky howled, "He’s already back with Ivana!"

Conrad hopefully asked,  "Does this mean my sister is not only alive, but in Port City?"

Christine was calm asked, "Did Dr. Ruby tell you about John?"

"Dr. Ruby told me John would be out all night," Fritz said, answering Christine but not Conrad.

Christine asked, "I have trouble believing what Vicky thinks has happened.  What’s John really doing?  Surveillance?"

"I don’t know what John is doing tonight," Fritz responded.

Fritz had told a half-truth.  After Dr. Ruby had hung up, Fritz had retrieved John’s voicemail.  While Fritz did not have all the particulars, he had an accurate guess of what John was doing.  The main thing that puzzled Fritz was how John got to the motel since Fritz had the only car.  John’s voicemail request indicated he had not met up with Dr. Ruby when he left it, so Dr. Ruby hadn’t driven John there.  It’d been so long since Fritz and John had the motorcycles out that this option didn't even occur to Fritz.

Christine told Fritz, "You’ve developed so many secrets that I don’t know whether you just told another lie."

Almost all the others glared angrily at Fritz, agreeing with Christine’s statement.

The sole exception was Leone, who said, "I’m not sure if Fritz’s telling the truth.  However, it doesn’t matter!  We all know the dangerous work the Hardly Boys do.  If Fritz is withholding information, he must be protecting his brother."

Fritz replied, "Thanks for the support, Leone.  I hope to explain everything to all of you later, but I can’t yet.  Christine, can you take a short walk with me?  I need to talk with you privately."

As they walked, Fritz tried to take Christine's hand, but she jerked it out of his grasp.

Christine finally said, "We’re far enough not to be heard by the others.  Are you going to tell me what’s going on?"

Fritz answered, "No.  This to invite you to breakfast tomorrow."

Christine responded, "If you aren't going to tell me some more of what’s going on, I’m not so sure I want to have breakfast with you.  You’ve changed since you became an Agent working with Entangle.  I don’t like those changes."

Fritz informed her, "Dr. Ruby will be there.  He has the authority to tell you things I’m forbidden from saying."

"I'll bet he didn’t want me along," Christine guessed.

"Even so, he agreed to let me bring you."

Christine grabbed Fritz’s hands in her own, "Thank you for getting me invited."

Fritz requested, "Promise me you won’t tell the others.  Leone is right about why secrets need to be kept.  It hurts me to have to keep them, but I must.  Both Conrad and Vicky are so upset that I’m not sure they could keep a secret if they tried."

"I promise.  I hope I can persuade Dr. Ruby to give me a job with Entangle.  If he did, then I’d learn what you are talking about and how your job feels."

"I wouldn't recommend it.  I may not stay with Entangle much longer myself."

"I’m sorry I was so harsh, Fritz.  I know that the work you do with Entangle is very important and does require keeping some secrets.  I hope as soon as you can tell me things, you will."

Fritz didn’t address that, but simply said, "I'll pick you up tomorrow at quarter to eight."

Fritz had his arm around Christine as they walked back to rejoin the others.  She didn’t mind.

 

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.