“How’d his hat get so far away from the rest of this stuff?” Frank grumbled as he bent over to pick the red toque up; suddenly he stiffened as a shadow fell over him! He looked up to see the stranger his father had warned him about!  “RUN!” He yelled to Joe as he turned around as quickly as he could and tried to make his escape but he wasn’t fast enough! Rigado grabbed his arm!!

“Hey!” Joe yelled as he ran towards his brother and kicked the man holding him in the leg with his snow boot, “You let go of my brother!”

Immediately the man did so – and grabbed Joe in his place!

“Sure, brat!” he growled; his dark eyes predatory. “It’s you I’m after anyway!”

“Let me go!” Panicked, Joe tried to twist away but the stranger held his arm in a painful grip, shoving Frank into the snow when he tried to free the younger boy.

“MOMMY!” Frank screeched as the man started to haul a frantic Joe towards the road where a silver car was parked. “HELP!!!!  NANNY!!!! AUNTIE!!! HELP!!!!”

* * *

Laura Hardy closed the front door and turned to go into the kitchen. Like the two other woman, she knew where Fenton and Francis were going and why. She hoped they would find something they could use because, as selfish as it might seem, she didn’t want to lose her new son to anyone, even his real father.

“I’m sure it will be all right,” Agnes offered when the younger woman sat down at the kitchen table for one final cup of tea before officially starting the day. “Francis and Fenton will find what they are looking for, you’ll see. There’ll be nothing to worry about.”

“I know,” Laura said with a sigh, “but it’s still worrisome—” Her pale blue eyes held her mother-in-law’s gaze.  “We just got him, you know…I don’t want to lose him…”

Agnes reached across and squeezed the younger woman’s hand encouragingly. “Drink up your tea. It’ll make you feel better.”

“I thought you preferred coffee,” Laura commented absently even as she did take a mouthful of the brew.

“I do,” the older woman admitted, “but for some reason I have always found more comfort in a good cup of tea.” She started to say something else when a bitter screech pierced the air!

Laura flew to her feet, recognizing her child’s voice! “That’s Frankie!” she cried, already moving towards the front door.  Agnes and Gertrude were right behind her!

* * *

“NO!” Frank yelled as he hurled himself at Rigado; his mitten-clad fists flying against the man’s back. “You let my brother go!!”

As the man turned to deal with his little assailant, his hold slackened on Joe’s arm briefly...but that was all the child needed! Pulling away, Joe ran towards his brother and the two boys stumbled through the snow as quickly as they could go!

“GET BACK HERE!” Rigado bellowed, struggling after them; his way impeded by the deep snow as he sunk down more deeply than the lighter children.

“HELP!” Frank yelled again as he followed Joe towards the house. Suddenly there was a loud splintering noise and the blond boy just disappeared from sight; swallowed up by the frigid ground!!

“JOEY!” Forgetting his pursuer, Frank dropped to his knees next to where his brother disappeared and felt his heart just about rip out of his throat as he heard Joe’s scream and then – then nothing!

* * *

“Ohmygod!” Laura yelled as she saw the burly stranger chasing her sons, and then watched in horror as Joe just disappeared! “Call the police!” she instructed as she hurried out of the house and into the snow; her slipper-clad feet slipping in her haste. Behind her Agnes raced for the phone as Gertrude continued out of the house after Laura.

“LEAVE MY SONS ALONE!” the petite blond woman yelled but she was still too far away to do anything to help!

* * *

“JOEY!” Frank yelled again, “ARE YOU OKAY?” Nothing. There was no sound from his brother whatsoever, but before the child could do anything else, he was grabbed again by Rigado and hauled to his feet! Struggling wildly, the little boy was no match for the man who carried him towards the car…

“NO!” he growled as he fought, and then something foul-smelling was shoved in front of his face! He tried to twist away but couldn’t…the world swam sickeningly and then there was nothing.

* * *

“NO!” Laura screeched as she watched the burly man toss her unconscious son into the back of his car, “NOT MY SON! OH GOD, SOMEONE STOP HIM! HE’S GOT MY SON!” Slipping and sliding –  oblivious to the cold – the frantic mother hurried towards the road, but it was no use…she couldn’t get there fast enough and had to watch in horror as the silver car sped away from the house.

“No,” she sobbed sinking down in the snow, “oh please…no!” And then she remembered Joe!

“Gertrude,” she gasped, staggering back to her feet; she looked at her sister-in-law as Gertrude caught up to her. “Joey – we gotta find Joey!”

Nodding her understanding, the older woman – just as winded as Laura – turned around and hurried towards the place they had seen him disappear.

“An old well—” she managed, dropping to her knees as Laura fell next to her, “he’s down an old well!” She cupped her hand over her mouth and leaned as close to the opening as she dared.  “JOEY?! Are you okay?”

The women listened anxiously but heard nothing. Laura tried.

“JOEY? BABY? It’s Mommy – can you hear me?”

Again they listened and this time they were rewarded by a sound; a heartbreaking little whimper that barely carried to their ears…

“He’s hurt!” Laura gasped; her pale blue eyes frantically searching her sister-in-law’s face as the normally self-composed young mother was on the verge of panicking – a madman had stolen one of her sons and the other was lying hurt somewhere beneath them. “What do I do, Gertrude? What do I do?!”

“First things first—”  Shoving her own anxiety to the back of her mind, Gertrude took over.  “I need to tell Mom that man took Frank—”

“Oh God yes!” Laura’s heart leapt into her throat – how could she do this? How could she have ever thought that she’d be able to divide her attention between two children? Especially when they both needed her help?? Swallowing back her panic, she forced herself to focus on what the older woman was saying. She could do this – she had to!

“You stay with Joey. Talk to him and let him know he’s not alone, I’ll be right back,” without waiting for a response, Gertrude was on her feet and made her way back to the house as quickly as she could, her feet slipping with every other step.

* * *

Joe Rigado smiled as he drove. This hadn’t worked out exactly as he had planned but in the long run he figured it had worked out even better. While there was no 100% guarantee that Fenton would pay a ransom on his adopted son, he sure as hell would for his real son…

In the backseat, six-year-old Frank Hardy was oblivious to it all.

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.