His mind was numbed in a shock that he couldn’t overcome….Joe was in the closet.

His baby brother was in the closet

…gagged…

…bound…

With his hand still on the door frame, Frank slowly sank to his knees.

Joe was dead.

He was sure of it…he was too pale…too still…he was dead.

Frank’s mind couldn’t seem to comprehend anything past that and it was another full minute before the numbness in his brain started to wear off and was replaced by a rapidly igniting anger.

And then with brutal clarity Frank understood.

"Oh Joey", he whispered as he reached out and gently tilted his brother’s chin up so he could see his face. His stomach lurched when he saw the tie that William had used to gag him with.

If it wasn’t horrifying enough to find his brother like this… but to see that something he had given to Joe as a gift used so…so heinously…Frank felt violated….violated and sick.

Frank had been made part of this…more then part… instrumental.

Instrumental in his brother’s torment as a gift he had given Joe had been used to silence him.

And then he saw the ring of bruises around his brother’s throat and he felt like someone slammed into him…fingerprint bruises from the hand that had closed around his throat...

With a sharp intake of breath Frank tenderly brushed the damp curls away from the pale face whispering, "Oh my god… what did he do to you?"

* * *

Joe could not look at his tormentor.

"J-Joe"

"Oh Joey"

He felt someone gently tilting his chin up and fought not to flinch. Maybe if his tormentor thought he was unconscious… or worst, he would leave him alone.

"Oh my god… what did he do to you?"

He felt someone tenderly brushing the hair from his face…

No…no…its William… His deliria shrieked as he tried to move away from the warm touch, his struggling mind not able to handle these gentle ministrations.

* * *

Frank froze.

Joe wasn’t dead!

Quickly he placed his fingers next to Joe’s neck and felt a pulse, weak but steady!

He was alive!

With shaking hands, the older boy tried to undo the gag but it was tied too tightly.

Fumbling into his pocket, Frank pulled out his small utility knife and fought to get the blade out growing frustrated with his own inabilities as his hands had become sweaty giving him no purchase on the blade.

Finally it snapped open and he carefully slide it in against Joe’s cheek to cut away from him, he did not want to take the chance of nicking him.

Joe felt a blade against his cheek and an involuntary whimper escaped as he couldn’t bear to know what William was planning now. He knew it was a knife and that terrified him.

* * *

Frank paused, his resolve wavering as he heard the sound of utter desolation coming from his brother. It was the first sound he had heard since opening the door, and it broke his heart.

"It’s o-okay…little brother", his voice faltered as he took a deep calming breath and then cut through the tie.

Joe groaned as even having the gag removed caused fresh pain and Frank grimaced as he saw the marks on his brother’s face from where the tie had been tied too tightly and dug in into his fair skin.

Frank closed his eyes briefly to try and gain some control over feelings that were threatening to suffocate him. Then opening his eyes again, he spoke soothingly as he went to work on cutting his hands and feet free.

So far Joe hadn’t opened his eyes yet and except for a whimper or groan, which made Frank wince at being the one to inadvertently be causing him any pain, he was still and quiet.

That was scaring Frank even more then what might be physically wrong.

"It’s okay baby", he said softly his voice rough with emotion, "it’s okay now…I’m here now… no one’s going to hurt you anymore.." he kept chanting this over and over again as he finished cutting the ties and then threw the offending material away.

With a grimace, Frank began to gently rub Joe’s hands and feet to help with the circulation, muttering angrily when he saw how chafed they were from the bindings.

Glancing over his shoulder at Joe’s bed he wanted to get him out of the closet so he could see just how badly Joe was injured and to call an ambulance…and the police.

"Okay Joe", he said to let his brother know he was going to be moving him, "I need to get you out of there…I’m going to help you stand up… okay?"

Joe still didn’t say a word but when Frank put his arms around him to pull him up, he let out such a blood curdling scream that Frank reflexively let go and then had to grab him again as he fell.

Frank felt his brother stiffen briefly and then go limp in his arms.

"I’m sorry Joe…I’m so sorry…" Frank kept repeating as he carefully moved Joe out of the closet. Then picking him up in his arms, he held him tightly for a moment before slowly laying him on the bed.

Although he was sure Joe had just passed out from pain, Frank still checked for a pulse and then breathed a sigh of relief when he found it.

Frank had no idea yet how badly Joe was injured but based on that little episode, he was sure he had at least a broken bone, probably busted ribs or something.

"You wait William…you just wait", Frank growled as he got his first good look at Joe in the full light.

The younger boy started tossing on the bed and Frank was alarmed to realize how hot he was again. His fever was back up.

"Joe…wait a sec…I’m going to get you something", Frank rushed to the bathroom to get another aspirin and some water. He knew that without enough fluids dehydration was a serious danger to a fevered person. And Joe had already been obviously sick.

Hurrying back to the bed, Frank tried to help his brother sit up to take the pill and water.

Joe’s blue eyes flew open in alarm and he tried to push away, "N..no!" he said in obvious distress, "pl-ease…W-Will…n..no…"

Frank felt like he had been slapped. Joe thought he was William?

He’s just delusional, Frank told himself and that increased his worry. Joe needed to be in a hospital.

"No...shh baby", Frank said gently taking his brother’s hands to calm his agitated movements, "its me…Frank. Not William." He couldn’t believe it. It was the second time he had called Joe "baby" an affectionate his mother used when they were children, but it just felt right…and Joe responded to it.

* * *

"Wil...liam?" Joe gasped as he tried to focus on the person who was talking to him.

"No" came the reassuring voice, "Frank."

"Fr…Frank?" Joe couldn’t focus and he blinked to try and clear his vision.

"Yes. Frank", the voice said again, "Please Joe, you need to take this. It’ll make you feel better." The voice was pleading and Joe felt strongly compelled to listen.

"’kay", he managed and he felt something placed in his mouth and then cool liquid.

Fire…Fire…everything’s on fire…

Joe grasped for the glass to gulp down the liquid but the voice gently restrained him, "Slow slips Joe or else you’ll get sick." He did as he was told and the cold water soothed his dry mouth for a moment.

And then the realization hit him. It was Frank…he was here.

"No…Fr-Frank", Joe tried desperately to push himself away from his brother, panic overwhelming the pain for just a moment, "G-go…leave…g-go…" He was terrified of what would happen to Frank if William caught him. And while he was resigned to what William could do to him…he could not let anything happen to Frank.

"Easy Joe…Easy", he heard his big brother’s voice and felt Frank trying to restrain him gently but firmly, "I’m not going anywhere…easy."

"N-no" sobbed Joe. Frank didn’t understand…he didn’t understand.

Then he felt himself being lowered back down onto the bed and tried to prepare for the agony he knew was coming but he couldn’t…

* * *

Pleased that he had managed to get the pill and some water into his brother, Frank was caught off guard when Joe suddenly thrashed out in his arms trying to push away from him.

His younger brother seemed to think that Frank was going to leave him and he quickly reassured him even as he tried to still his movements before he hurt himself any further.

When he felt Joe relax in his grip he laid him back down and was just going to call for an ambulance when Joe started moaning, "hurts…hurts…Frank…help me…pl…please…"

He was writhing in agony on the bed.

"Where Joe? Where does it hurt?" Frank rushed back to the bed, alarmed that Joe was going to die right there and then…and he didn’t know what to do!

Colds, chicken pox, various sprains, even a broken arm… twice, but Frank had never seen anything like this before and he was petrified that he was going to lose his brother.

Joe was pulling at his sweater as he tossed fitfully and Frank figured he wanted it off.

"Okay little brother…okay…hold on a sec," the front of the sweater was covered in vomit but it was only now that Frank noticed it, too overwhelmed by finding Joe like this to have noticed earlier.

The sweater definitely had to come off.

Carefully he pulled Joe up into a sitting position letting him lean forward so that his head was cradled on Frank’s shoulder.

It was scary to see how weak Joe was.

And then as he started to pull the sweater off, Joe began whimpering, a broken hearted distressed sound and Frank’s stomach clenched just hearing it.

"Joe…it’s okay…I’m just taking it off", Frank tried to soothe him even as he pulled the sweater up and over his shoulders.

The younger boy gasped and sobbed in utter misery as the article of clothing finally came off and Frank just stared at it for one moment in confusion…what the hell was on it?

And then he looked down.

* * *

William hurried towards the front of the house, Laura’s car was parked in the driveway, badly parked…but parked nonetheless and William was sure that Frank had found Joe by now.

Quietly he let himself into the house his mind trying to calculate how much time he might have if he had any at all. He had no idea if Frank called anyone but on the off chance that he hadn’t, Will grabbed the phone in the living, pressed the "on" button and tossed it under the couch pillow.

Now Frank wouldn’t be able to use the upstairs phones.

William was counting on Frank not finding Joe right away to buy him time as he soundlessly headed towards Fenton’s office.

Once he got inside, he closed the door and then looked around.

The private investigator must have one around here somewhere, the boy thought as he started to check out the desk drawers, the question is where?

Where would I keep my spare gun if I were Fenton Hardy? William thought and then a few moments later when he found the small locked box, he couldn’t help but shake his head…definitely not there.

* * *

There are no words to explain how Frank felt when he saw the damage done to his brother’s back. Reeling in shock he carefully leaned Joe forward and onto his stomach so that he could take a better look.

What he saw sickened him.

Joe’s back was a myriad of lacerations, some looked to be quite deep… scabs…burns of various shapes and sizes…blisters… bruises… open sores that were raised and inflamed…infected to even Frank’s untrained eyes.

In the worst places his back looked like raw hamburger meat.

Bolting he dropped to his knees in front of the toilet as his stomach lurched and rebelled…the smell of the burned skin being the final straw.

Finally he regained his composure and after quickly rinsing out his mouth he searched frantically for anything in the bathroom to use. His mind was desperately trying to remember anything from his first aid class.

Finding a small tube of antibiotic ointment that he himself had used after a nasty spill from his bike had scraped up his shin, Frank hurried back to his brother.

It wasn’t much but at least Frank knew it wouldn’t sting.

Dad…I wish you were here, Frank thought wishing for his father’s comforting presence and ease in which he handled these types of situations.

Fenton Hardy wouldn’t have panicked like Frank was doing…

Fenton Hardy wouldn’t have thrown up while his son so desperately needed him…

But then as Frank struggled to get the cap off the ointment he realized one important thing…

Fenton Hardy wasn’t 16 years old!

* * *

…He left me…

Although Joe wanted Frank to escape…wanted him to get away, he still couldn’t believe it.

Deep inside his own pain and delirium, Joe did not hear when his brother came back…but he had heard him leave…hurried away in fact…and he was alone.

…he left me…

All the things that William had been telling him slammed down on him like a brick wall and he closed his eyes and let the darkness take him.

William was right…

* * *

"Joe?" Frank cried out in alarm as he gently patted his brother’s face but the pale boy remained motionless. He had gotten the lid off, finally, when his brother’s body had just gone limp on the bed.

Realizing he needed to act quickly, Frank gently coated Joe’s back in a thin layer of the ointment, sickened by what had been done to him. He actually paused when he saw a couple of large painful bruises along the back of his ribs and knew his brother had also been kicked…hard.

Seething at the extent of the abuse, Frank leaned over Joe and grabbed the phone. His brother needed to be in the hospital and the police needed to be here…now.

He had waited too long as it was.

And then a new kind of horror passed over Frank’s face.

They were not alone.

* * *

Aha, thought Will a bit in disbelief that Fenton has been so predicable. The combination to the lockbox had been Frank’s birth year.

At first William had been concerned that he wouldn’t be able to figure out the lock, but after a few obvious attempts he thought…nah…he wouldn’t have…

But seconds later as he lifted the lid and saw not only the gun but a pair of handcuffs, William knew he had.

Now to find the amno.

* * *

The phone line was dead.

Whether is had been cut or whether another phone had been taken off the hook did not matter. The implication was still the same.

Someone was in the house and Frank had a heart pounding revelation that it was William.

There was no one else it could be.

Swiftly he leaned over and pulled Joe up and over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry as he whispered, "Sorry little brother…but we gotta go," and then he moved towards the door.

As he put his hand towards the door to open it, he jumped back as it swung open.

"Well now…what do we have here?"

Frank wanted to put Joe down and fly into him for the state that his brother was in but then the twin raised his hand and Frank froze.

He recognized his father’s own gun.

William smirked, "You can’t leave yet…why the fun is only just beginning."

With a motion of his wrist he indicated for Frank to step back.

The William stepped inside the room…and then closed the door.

"Put him down", the twin’s voice was cold and it sent a shiver down Frank’s back but he didn’t move.

"He needs to go to a doctor", Frank asserted.

"Down now…or a doctor won’t do him any good", he pointed the gun directly at Joe and Frank relented being careful to lower his brother onto his stomach on the bed so to not distress his back further.

Will chuckled, a dark sinister sound, "What’s this I hear Frank? Brotherly concern? Too little… too late, I’m afraid."

Frank paled as William continued, "In fact I think it was you who gave him to me when you locked him out of your room that first night…and I must say, thank you for that…"

He approached Frank and put the gun against his temple, soaking in the look of growing revulsion that spread across the dark haired boy’s face as William finished, "he’s been a pleasure...a real pleasure."

And then with one fluid movement William rammed the butt of the gun against the side of his head and Frank sank into darkness.