“What is it now, Riley?”  Ezra asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.  It had been a long day made even longer by the fact that the rookie seemed to find something to interrupt him with every five minutes.

“Sir,” Con didn’t really know how to word this one, so he just came out with it, wondering why he always seemed to get the weird calls.  “I’ve gotten three calls in a row about something unusual up on old Cliff Road.”

Breathing out loudly, he decided to humor the young officer instead of sending him away and telling him to just take care of it. “And?”

“And well…sir,” the rookie actually loosened his collar before he just blurted out, “motorists are reporting seeing a huge black dog sitting on the side of the road with something dangling out of its mouth!”

To say Ezra was speechless would be an understatement.  It took him a few seconds to recover from this bizarre tale.  “Dare I ask what it’s got in its mouth?”

“Well sir,” Riley fidgeted again, “well we don’t know…no one’s actually pulled over. The dog is huge, they say.”

Shaking his head in disbelief, the chief of police asked, “And why are we getting calls about this?  Animal control falls under the SPCA umbrella.”

“I know sir.  I did call them but they’re really busy tonight and won’t be able to get over there for at least an hour. Who knows where the dog will be by then…or what it has!” 

Riley’s eyes had gone wide, and Collig wondered just how active this young rookie’s imagination was.

“Fine,” he said, getting up from his desk, “Let’s go and see what Poochzilla is packing.”

The look of horror that passed over the younger man’s face was hilarious and Collig just shook his head as he grabbed his hat.  “Don’t look so shocked Riley, I don’t bite!”

And then he led the way outside and to a patrol car.  Riley had gotten him curious and he had to see this spectacle for himself.

* * *

Try as he might, Frank couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.  He was too tired, and his head was pounding in competition to his stomach, as he was hungry, tired and cold.

Snuggled in beside him, he heard Joe give a wheezing cough, and reflexively tightened his hold on his baby brother.  He really just wanted to be home in bed.

As he faded into the bliss of sleep, he wondered if superheroes ever got this tired.

* * *

It was working.  Fenton’s little comments had been enough to get the backs up on their captors, and he gave Laura an inspiring little smile.  Right now the crooks were arguing about ‘whose stupid plan this was’ and who was going to take the rap for what.  The detective figured that sooner or later one or more of them would get mad and leave the cabin to cool off, affording him a chance to overpower who ever stayed behind to guard them…and maybe even get his gun.

With the gun, he knew they would have a chance.

Closing his eyes to the rising voices, he swallowed painfully as he could still see the horrified look on Joey’s face as he was hurled over the railing, and then the desperate one on Frank’s face as he dove in.  Pulling back the emotion, Fenton knew he couldn’t think about that now.  If he did, it would be signing his and Laura’s death certificates.

He needed to focus on this right now.  Unfortunately there would be plenty of time later to mourn for his children and to feel the guilt that he was battling.

Plenty of time later, that is, if he could get them out of this alive.

* * *

Ezra Collig was in complete and utter shock.  He could honestly say he had never seen anything like it before.

The large black dog was indeed just sitting beside the road…like Riley said.  And it did indeed have something hanging out of its mouth.

But the biggest shocker for the police chief was that he knew this dog!

Barely waiting for the car to stop, Ezra had the door open and was running towards the dog.

“CHIEF WAIT!”  Officer Riley called after him.  He had only met Fenton Hardy a few times before, and had no way of knowing this was his dog.  All he saw was his boss running towards a mammoth dog whose intentions were unknown.  Immediately he withdrew his gun and followed at a much more sedentary pace.

* * *

Ezra knew Hero as soon as he saw him but what he couldn’t figure out was why the dog was here. 

“Hey big fella, what’cha doing here?” Even as he said it, he was already looking around for any signs of the Hardys.  He knew that wherever the dog was, the boys were never very far behind…especially the younger boy.

Hero stood up and wagged his tail, recognizing the stout older man who was coming towards him.  When Collig was in petting distance, the dog dropped the compass and then headed towards the edge of the cliff, a couple of loud barks imploring them to hurry.

Ezra looked around and then cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, “JO…EY!  FRANK…IE!  JO…EY!”

“What is it?”  Riley called as he kept a cautious distance behind the dog, still unsure and a bit intimidated by its size.  He did love animals but had never owned a dog before, so he wasn’t sure what to expect.

“I don’t know,” Collig admitted as he leaned down and picked it up. 

Strange, he thought, it’s a compass.

Turning it over, Collig saw in a child’s scrawl, written in black marker, the initials J.H.

Frowning he headed towards the cliff, following the dog as he shouted, “Toss me the flashlight from the glove box!” 

After he did so, Con asked, “Chief…where are you going?”

Glancing over the edge, he paused and turned to the younger officer, a horrible feeling building in the pit of his stomach. “I know this dog.  It belongs to Fenton Hardy’s boys.”

“Oh,” Riley said understanding a bit more, and then Ezra held up the compass.

“This is Joe Hardy’s compass.  The kid and that dog are inseparable.  If the dog has his compass then I’m willing to bet he’s down there somewhere.”  He pointed vaguely over the side. ”Get some backup here, I’m going down.”  And with that he stepped down over the side and out of Riley’s view, calling to Joe and Frank as he went.

* * *

Frank awoke with a start.  Did he just hear someone calling his name?

Looking around, he noticed how dark it had become and quickly dismissed any thoughts he had about waking his brother up.  Joe hated the dark and the last thing Frank wanted was to freak his little brother out right now.

Below him and in the distance he could see the lights of the public dock and even a few flickering from boats either on their way into or out of their berths, and he wished he was somewhere among the lights.

Shivering, he also wished he had his jacket, but those creeps had jumped them before they had a chance to even get them.  Thinking his ears were playing tricks on him, the young boy settled back down against his brother.  He wasn’t sure but he thought that Joe felt warmer now than he had earlier, and he had an ironic thought about that…at least his fever is helping keep me warm.

Wrapping his arms protectively around Joe, Frank closed his eyes again, and then gave a big start when something hairy and wet seemed to loom out of nowhere and attack him.

“AHHHH!” the boy cried trying to ward his ‘attacker’ off before he registered who it was.

It was Hero!

And then he heard someone calling his name and knew this time it wasn’t his mind playing tricks on him.  In fact, he was sure he recognized the voice.

“Chief Collig!” the thankful boy shouted back, “We’re down here!”

Moments later a relieved chief of police dropped down next to the boys, concern and relief warring for precedence on his face.  “Frankie!  Joey!  Are you boys okay?” He had a million other questions, but needed to get the vital ones out of the way first.

Frank shook his head feeling delirious with relief from being found.  “I’m okay, just a bit tired is all, but Joey…I don’t know what’s wrong with him.  But he does have a fever!”

Collig did a quick once-over Frank with the flashlight to make sure the child was telling him the truth, before he turned his attention to the smaller boy who had yet to acknowledge his presence.

“Joey?”  he said gently, concerned by his unresponsiveness, “Son, can you open your eyes for me?”

A slight moan was all they got, as Collig became more alarmed once he realized just how warm the boy was.  Slipping out of his jacket, he wrapped it around Frank when he saw the boy shiver in the cool night air, before using his radio to tell Riley he had found the boys and where they were.

He frowned as Joe started coughing again, and he could hear the wheeze in his chest. 

Worried that the kid might have pneumonia, he was relived when he heard the young rookie officer picking his way down the slope towards him.

A scattering of small rocks preceded him, and Ezra called out a warning to take it easy.

“Okay, Chief!”  Con yelled back, “I’ve got the emergency kit from the car.”  That made the older man feel a bit better.  The kit had a space blanket in it which he could wrap the younger boy in before carrying him out of this place.  And some crackers which, hearing Frank’s stomach growling, he figured the boy would like.

Turning back to the children, he could see how worried the dark haired child was as his brown eyes were wide in his pale face.

“It’s okay now, Frankie,” Ezra tried to reassure him, “We’ll get your brother the help he needs.  Just a little longer and we’ll all be off this accursed cliffside.”

Frank smiled wanly and then Ezra, propping Joe up a little more to see if that helped ease the congestion in his lungs, asked the question that had been burning in his mind since recognizing Hero on the roadside, “Frankie…what are you kids doing up here?  Where’re your Mom and Dad?”

Tears brimmed in the youngster’s eyes and then before he could stop himself, Frank was bawling, and blabbing all the horrible stuff that had happened to put them there.  In growing alarm, Ezra just listened, and then he gathered up the distraught little boy in his arms and held him while he cried. 

His own eyes darkened with anger as he heard the tale.

* * *

It was late, and both Laura and Fenton were emotionally and physically exhausted, waiting for their chance. Finally Stokes went back to the boat, leaving Peterson and Hanes to watch over the prisoners.  

Fenton snorted, hardly believing how naive these crooks were. “Did you guys just get your rookie badges in criminology or something?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Hanes asked, eyeing the investigator suspiciously.

“Oh come off it guys,” Fenton said, rolling his eyes at them, “You’ve gone through all this trouble for mere pocket change and now you’re here watching us while Stokes ‘checks out the boat’?”  he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm but as he saw both men watching him keenly, he continued, “He’s got the money in the boat. What’s to stop him from leaving right now?  You’d be none the wiser, sitting here with us.  How long do you think you’d wait before going to see what the problem was?  The holdup?  $153,000.00 for one person is a lot more than split…three ways.”

Fenton had hit a nerve.

“Um, maybe I’d better go and just take a look,” Hanes said. “I’ll be right back.”

Peterson walked to the small grimy window next to the door and peered out into the darkness, watching the shadow of his partner disappear into the night.  He was edgy and nervous as he waited for Hanes to come back.

Fenton knew he didn’t have much time, and he acted. Peterson never knew what hit him, and as he slumped to the ground, Fenton grabbed the gun and put it in his pants waistband before turning back to his wife and giving her a big hug. “Are you all right?”

He winced, knowing it was a stupid question.  Of course neither of them was all right…not without their sons.

Laura didn’t answer, instead she pulled away. “What do we do now?  They’ll be back soon!” Her voice was low and anxious.

“We get out of here.”  Grabbing her wrist in one hand and pulling the gun out with the other, he opened the front door of the cabin and stepped out. Listening for a moment, he was reassured when he didn’t hear anyone nearby.

“Let’s head down to the boat.  We’ll wait until they go back to the cabin and sneak aboard.”

Nodding, Laura indicated that she understood, and stealthily they crept down to where the cabin cruiser was moored to an old, dilapidated dock.  Once they cast off, it would be very hard for Stokes and his boys to catch up to them.  There were no other boats around for them to chase them in.  They would have to be careful of gunshots, though, as they doubted Stokes would take his defeat lightly.

Then all they’d have to do was radio the coast guard.…

Fenton refused to think past that.  If he did, he knew he’d lose his edge, and at this point they couldn’t afford for either of them to slip up.  Not now, when they’d managed to finally get free!

* * *

Laura followed her husband even as her heart threatened to beat out of her with every breath.  They just had to get to the boat…that was all she was thinking about.

Glancing down at her watch she was shocked to realize that it was now almost midnight.  Had it really only been 16 hours since this whole nightmare began?

16 hours ago her babies were alive.…

Hastily wiping a tear from her face, she was shocked by a sudden fleeting image that came to her mind.  It was the image of a large black dog tied to the door of their car. 

How could she ever look at Hero again and not expect to see a small blond haired boy?  Or see the other brown haired boy that was never far away?

How could she?  How could she go on?

Stifling a sniffle, she tried to assure her husband she was okay when he turned back to look at her, obviously having heard her misery.  His eyes softened and she could see the grief that lay just beneath them, not having had a chance to be felt yet.

And she felt herself strengthen.  She could go on.

Joe and Frank might be dead but their memories of them weren’t….Together she and Fenton would continue to cherish them…together. 

And if they ever did have any more children, they would make sure that they knew about the two brave little boys that had been lost to them all.