Fenton Hardy and the Gray Man had not spoken much on the flight over or the drive from the airport.  They were both lost in their own thoughts until Fenton sighed and finally asked the other man, “You said that Andreya took your son from you; wanna tell me what happened?”  

The Gray Man tightened his grip on the steering wheel and continued to focus on the road ahead.  “I wasn’t as fortunate as you.  I only had one son, Jacob. 

Jacob’s mom and I divorced while he was still an infant, and I rarely ever saw him.  I was too wrapped up in work and other things that seemed so important to me.  By the time I realized how important it was to me to know my son, he was already a teenager.  We had started spending time together and then, just when I was finally beginning to know him… Andreya came into our lives.”

He paused and reached for his cold cup of coffee in the drink holder and took a couple of sips before continuing.  “Jacob was in his junior year of high school when he learned about a special education opportunity for selected students.  He applied and was accepted…. It was called Adventure Collegiate – or A.C., as Jake referred to it.  He packed up and was gone.  I put him on that flight myself, and I’ve relived that day ever since.”

Fenton waited for him to continue, and when he didn’t he asked, “What happened?” 

The Gray Man slowed down the car and pulled it over to the side of the road.  He finished his coffee and then stared ahead, anguish on his face.

“Jake didn’t call when he got there.  So, after another day of not hearing from him passed, I called the school.  They informed me that Jake never arrived at the school.” 

“They had a bus at the airport to pick up the kids but Jake never made it to the bus….I was on the next flight.”

“I didn’t disbelieve the story because kids do go missing from airports too often; however, I just couldn’t believe that something like that would happen to Jacob.  He was too smart.  My first thought was that one of my enemies had gotten to him, but then the more I thought about it the less likely it seemed…. Finally I forced myself to check into the school… but I didn’t want to believe that something my son felt so excited about was a fraud.”

“That’s when I found out it was owned by a numbered company.  This raised my concern, and it took considerable more digging to trace it back to a small nondescript company called Plyth Industries owned and operated by Andreya Plyth.”

“I started doing some more digging and found out that a good number of students heading for the academy either never made it to the airport, never made it from the airport to the bus, or never made it home from the interview….”

* * *

By the time Frank left Mr. Pizza he was very worried.  He was sure that Biff’s disappearance was connected to his interview, but he had no idea where to start looking.  Some guy named Terry, was way too vague to go on.

Frustrated, he stopped by the police station to see if Con Riley, a good friend of theirs, had any luck on the official police investigation. 

An hour later he left there without any more information, and growing more and more anxious as time passed.

He was surprised to see Chet’s jalopy when he pulled into the garage a short time later.  It had been a long time since Queen graced their driveway….

“Mom, is Chet here?” he yelled out as he came in the kitchen door.  She didn’t have to answer as both she and Chet were sitting at the table, munching on some banana bread and milk.

“Hey Frank,” Chet said as he finished off the last of his milk. 

Laura Hardy excused herself and went downstairs to finish the laundry, leaving the boys alone.  Neither one of them said anything for a while, and then just as Chet started, Frank stopped him.

“Chet I’m so sorry – I had no right to shut you out.  To shut any of our friends out.” 

Chet rose out of the chair and gave Frank a quick hug. “It’s okay, buddy – we were going to wait until you realized how much you needed us – no strings attached.  But that’s not why I’m here…”

Chet continued as Frank, relieved to have finally gotten a chance to apologize to his best friend, poured himself a glass of milk and sat down in the seat his mother had just vacated. “I want to help you find Biff.”

Frank smiled and nodded, “Just like old times…”

“Yes,” laughed Chet, “Except this time it’s Biff we’re looking for.”   He regretted it as soon as he said it, knowing that Frank would know what he was talking about and it might upset him.  Joe had always had a knack for getting himself in jams that required, more often than not, a search party. 

A search party that almost always included Chet….”I’m sorry… I didn’t…”

Frank stopped him, as he knew that Chet was trying too hard.  “I’m okay, Chet – you’re right, this time it isn’t Joe we’re looking for…yet…” he added the last part as he took a drink of his milk, so that Chet wouldn’t hear it, and wished for the millionth time that he could tell Chet that Joe was alive….

* * *

Fenton called Frank from his hotel room and told him what he had learned about the Gray Man’s interest in this particular white slavery ring.  “Apparently Jacob’s body showed up a month after his disappearance.  He was branded and had been beaten to death.  Mr. Gray suspects that Jacob’s body was allowed to be located in the hopes that he would stop asking questions once he had gotten his son’s body to bury.  The local police wrote it off as a cult abduction, but Mr. Gray was not convinced.”

When Fenton had finished filling him in, it was Frank’s turn. 

Fenton listened quietly, and when Frank finally finished telling him about Biff’s secret interview, Fenton’s brow wrinkled thoughtfully for a few minutes before he said, ‘Frank, I think we’re working on the same case.”

“What do you mean?” Frank asked, wondering what Biff and a white slavery operation had in common – then suddenly it all came together in his own mind just as his father was saying,

“Jacob was going to start a new school program, just like Biff.  It was called Adventure Collegiate.  I suspect that when we get Joe out we might even find Biff, if we’re lucky.”

“And if he’s lucky,” commented Frank.  Chet was listening to Frank’s side of the conversation with a confused look on his face.

Fenton continued, “I want you on the next plane out here.  We’re going to try and get Joe out tomorrow afternoon.  Apparently, Andreya is going out of town for the day and it should only be him, and the housekeepers at home.  Pharaoh is supposed to be going with her.  Call me with your flight info and I’ll pick you up myself.  And be careful – too many kids have been disappearing around this place!”

Frank said goodbye and hung up.  He was just picking up the phone to call the airport when he remembered that Chet was still there.  “Chet, my dad has a lead on where Biff is.  I hate to do this but I need to leave right now to meet him.”  His brown eyes pleaded for understanding – he didn’t want Chet to think he was trying to leave him out again. 

“Frank, it’s okay – I would love to go with you, but I can’t anyway, Dad needs me too much on the farm right now.  Just bring Biff home, okay?  I don’t think our gang could handle any more losses.” He said the last part softly, and Frank almost told him about Joe, but before he could, Chet continued, “but I’ll drive you to the airport.”