HDA - Living in Darkness Trilogy - Pt 2 - The Search

Police officers passed between the streetlamps as they searched – patrolled – the area, paying particular attention to the route the child should have taken. And finding nothing. Not even his small backpack.

Behind her, Frank lay curled up under a plaid blanket on the couch, a small black car clutched tightly in his fist as he slept, his tear streaked face sad even in sleep. The sound of his gentle breathing was her only comfort; his need for her strength the only thing keeping Laura together.

Georgia Hooper and Biff had left hours ago, only after Laura insisted that they go. And that she and Frank would be okay until Fenton came home. Until he brought Joe home.

Fenton…

Laura closed her eyes and sighed heavily. How could you love and hate someone at the same time? Her heart blamed him and needed him to make this right but her head knew it wasn’t his fault – not really – and that this was something he might not be able to fix.

He had made a mistake; a simple error in judgment. But worry and anger were married and the price of his imperfection had cost them all.

It’s okay, Mommy, Daddy’s got me.

Only Fenton didn’t. Did he?

And the truly terrifying part was that Laura knew if her husband didn’t find Joe, or if they did but it was too late for the child, their family would have lost much more than just a little boy…

“Oh, Joey,” she whispered to the window, “Where are you, Baby?”

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Fenton Hardy stared at the clock on the dash of the parked police cruiser. 1:33 AM. It was dark, the rain had finally stopped…and his younger son had been missing for 17 hours now.

It had been 17 hours since the little boy had waved goodbye and walked out of their lives, his whereabouts or what had happened in the block and a half between the Hardys’ and Hoopers’ houses remained a mystery.

No one saw anything.

No one heard anything.

Even the police dogs hadn’t been any use. The heavy rain stymied their attempt to track the child’s scent. It was as if Joe had never even existed –

It isn’t very far. Only a little bit and then Biff’ll see me. Please, Daddy, please…

Fenton closed his eyes and forced each breath.

In. Out. In. Out.

Oh God he could still feel those small arms wrap around his legs, give him a quick hug and then –

And then Joe was gone.

“Mr. Hardy?”

The detective sighed and forced his attention towards the older man.

Chief Collig was watching him and the compassionate look on his face was almost Fenton’s undoing. He didn’t deserve this man’s empathy. It had been his choice. Fenton’s choice. Rather than risk losing a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity, he had let the six year old little boy go and the horrific irony was not lost on him at all. In fact it ate away at his very soul –

His ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity had lost him the one thing that truly was only once in a lifetime. A child.

“It’s late,” Collig stated needlessly, “We really should get you back to your house.”

Fenton turned an anguished gaze on the police officer. “How can I?” he asked; his normally strong voice trembled. “How can I go back there without Joey?”

The cop looked at him and Fenton knew he was being unfair. There was no way the other man could answer that question for him. “Sorry,” he apologized, scrubbing a hand over his tired face. “I just—” his dark brown eyes burned. “I just want my son back.”

Officer Collig sighed heavily and sat back in the seat and stared out the front window. The night was pitch-black and it was very difficult to make anything out beyond the gentle glow of the streetlights. “Your family still needs you.” He spoke quietly. “It mightn’t be much but that is something worth going home for….We will continue the search but right now it’s time for you to go home. At least for the night…” He turned his head and looked right into the young detective’s eyes. “Don’t lose them too, Fenton.”

Something bitter rose in the back of his throat and Fenton swallowed hard to keep it down. He thought about the look of betrayal in Laura’s eyes and the confidence on Frank’s face, and his words were merely a whisper. “It might already be too late…” His eyes stung as he tried to force a smile and failed miserably. “I need to find Joey for all of us.”

Ezra gave him a long hard look and then sighed and straightened in his seat. He turned the key in the ignition and flicked on the headlights. “Okay, then,” was all he said.

Fenton had no idea what the other man saw when he looked at him but whatever it was, it made the cop realize just how deep Joe’s loss could cut them all.

Joe Hardy had to be found.

There was no other choice.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

The child tossed restlessly on the small cot in a dark room; his pale face tear-streaked, his blond hair slick with sweat.

A woman sat on the edge and watched him, her plain face crinkled in confused worry. She looked at the man standing in the doorway. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Dunno,” the man grunted. “But he was out in the rain so maybe he’s come down with something.”

“Poor dear,” the woman cooed, reaching out to gently brush the hair away from his face. The child turned into her touch, opened feverish blue eyes and frowned at her.

“Mommy?” he slurred as he blinked a couple of times.

A wide smile prettied the woman’s face and she nodded, “That’s right, honey, Mommy.”

Her voice seemed to startle him and the little boy pulled away from her soothing touch. “No,” he protested, “I want my Mommy!”

The woman turned back to the man again. He entered the room and approached the upset child.

“This is your Mommy,” he insisted.

“No!” the boy practically yelled and slipped off the other side of the bed. Neither the man nor woman made a move to stop him.

“Easy, boy,” the man instructed, “you’re just sick and a bit confused.”

The child shook his head and immediately regretted it as he was violently ill.

“Jason!” the woman cried out and was on her knees with the child immediately. The boy tried to push her away but he was too weak and collapsed against her body, crying and heaving until there was nothing left in his small stomach. “Shhh, baby,” she whispered as she started to gently rock him, shaking her head when the man offered to help with the child. He left the room instead, coming back moments later with a bucket and paper towels and knelt down on the floor next to them. The woman continued to console the little boy. “It’s okay, Mommy’s got you…you’re okay now…you’re going to be just fine. Mommy’s here and everything is going to be all right…”

The man watched the woman and child for a moment and then slowly smiled…. A heartbeat later he bent over and started scrubbing the carpet.

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors 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.