"Van, calm down!" Frank said sternly. "Are you hurt?"

"N-no…just…c-cold," Vanessa replied through chattering teeth. "But J-Joe…bear…h-hurt."

‘Did she just say bear?’ Frank thought, as he frantically looked around for his brother.

"Van, where is Joe?!" Frank said, afraid of what the answer might be.

"By the f-fire," Vanessa managed to say.

Slowly, Frank rose, trying to prepare himself for what he might see. Turning around, he headed towards the fire and caught sight of what appeared to be a figure bundled in a sleeping bag.

"Joe?" Frank said as he knelt down beside his brother. Shinning his flashlight on his brother, Frank gasped. Joe was as white as a sheet and so cold to the touch, that Frank was afraid that he was too late.

Vanessa had regained control over her emotions, and was able to make her way back to Joe’s side.

"What happened to him?" Frank asked, as he unzipped the sleeping bag. He froze when he saw the blood soaked bandages covering his brother’s chest.

"Oh my God, he’s been shot!" Frank yelled.

"NO," Vanessa said with as clear a voice as she could manage. "We got away f-from them, but…" Vanessa was starting to lose control again as she heard Joe’s pain filled screams in her mind and saw the bear attacking Joe all over again.

"But what Van?!" Frank knew Vanessa was distraught, but he was starting to lose his patience. He had to know what had happened to Joe.

"Joe saved me from a bear," Vanessa stated clearly. "It’s b-bad, Frank. He’s lost so much b-blood, and he’s s-so cold."

"Joe was mauled by a bear?" Frank said incredulous.

Vanessa sadly shook her head yes, and bent down to kiss Joe on the cheek. "How did y-you find us?" Vanessa questioned.

But Frank didn’t answer; he was too busy radioing the news to his father and Chet. They had to get Joe and Vanessa to the hospital, and soon. One look at his little brother told him they did not have much time.

*****

Fenton immediately radioed Ranger Clark to let him know Frank had found Joe and Vanessa, and told him of the bear attack. The news of the bear attack had left Fenton shocked to say the least, and he was now quickly trying to make his way to his injured son.

Fenton quickly located his sons and Vanessa from the coordinates that Frank had given him; their search had been guided by compass. Frank had been brief in his description of Joe’s injuries and Fenton was not prepared to find Joe in his present condition. Joe was now totally unconscious and Vanessa appeared to be in shock.

As Chet approached the group from the South, he heard Fenton Hardy’s rising voice. Once he discovered the seriousness of Joe and Vanessa’s condition, he radioed Ranger Chad Clark once again. And, to his utter disbelief, Ranger Clark didn’t have an immediate solution to the problem of getting Joe and Vanessa out of the woods and to the hospital. The rescue squad was still searching for the last victim from the accident at the ravine. But the young ranger assured Fenton that he could now summon a second rescue squad from another unit, since they knew the teens had been injured. Relieved that Joe and Vanessa were now a priority, Fenton set about helping Frank and Chet take care of Joe and Vanessa.

True to his word, Ranger Clark had the second unit in the air and on its way within minutes of his and Fenton’s conversation. He then contacted Fenton again to let him know the rescue chopper was airborne and he would need to fire off a flare to let the team know where they were. The rescue itself would be perilous. Joe and Vanessa had traveled so deep into the Adirondack Forest, that landing the chopper would be out of the question. The team would have to survey the area and decide the safest rescue plan.

Hearing the helicopter in the distance, Frank fired off a flare. The helicopter pilot confirmed sighting of the flare and began to scout the location for possible routes of rescue. It was determined that with the seriousness of Joe’s condition, it would be too risky to carry him out of the woods. But yet, there was no way the chopper could land

However, the injured teens were located in the area of a small clearing, even though they were deep in the woods. The pilot had made his decision-the helicopter would hover above Joe and the others, and lower a basket-type stretcher for the injured. The flight paramedic was lowered first, and quickly began to asses the condition of his patients.

Joe was loaded into the basket first. As he watched his brother lifted to safety, Frank let out a relieved sigh. He was now holding Vanessa’s cold and trembling hand in his own. After she managed to tell Frank what happened, Vanessa had not said another word. Frank knew she had been forced to watch horrified as Joe was viciously attacked by the bear, and feared she was in shock.

Within minutes, it was all over. Joe and Vanessa had been rescued, and were now on their way to a nearby hospital, which had a level four trauma center. Fenton and the boys gathered up the rest of Joe’s things, returning them to his backpack. They made sure the fire was out before beginning their journey back to the picnic area, where Fenton was sure Laura and Vanessa’s family were anxiously awaiting their return. Fenton had requested that Laura not be told of the seriousness of Joe’s condition. He wanted to tell her in person.

*****

Ranger Chad Clark had spoken briefly with Laura and Andrea, to let them know their children had been found. But at Fenton Hardy’s request, he kept the severity of Joe’s injuries to himself. He simply informed the women that there were confirmed injuries and that a rescue team had been called out. There was no need for him to say anything else. He could tell by the looks on the faces of both women, that they somehow already knew it was bad.