Hardy Detective Agency featuring Hardy Boys Fan Fiction

Cassandra opened her eyes and groaned. Her head was pounding and her ears were ringing. And something heavy was on top of her. Casi shifted to see what it was and went cold. It was Jade, lying across her, eyes closed, a bloody gash on his left temple. "Jade?"

She twisted around until she was on her back. She pushed at him with both hands until she was able to sit up. "Jade?"

He stirred and opened his eyes. "What'd you call me?" he asked, groggily.

Casi shrugged. "Jade. I have to call you something."

He sat up and groaned. "God, my head hurts."

Casi pulled a scrap of cloth from off the floor and gently touched the wound on his head. "You've a nasty gash." She shifted position to tend to the cut. "What did she mean about her father?"

He swallowed hard and didn't meet her gaze. "Seven years ago, Lilith met her real father. The son of a bitch who ran out on her and her mother. Somehow, he convinced her to follow his path. My dad didn't know what to do when she started alienating herslef from the rest of the family, learning her father's religion."

"She said he was a sorcerer."

"He claimed he was." Jade shrugged. "He tried to get her to join his circle but---"

Casi jerked back and dropped the cloth, feeling that deja vu again and suddenly now she knew why those memories had come back. "Circle? Oh God, no."

He frowned. "What?"

"Oh God, I've met him." Dazed, Casi slowly got to her feet. "It's not called a circle. It's called a coven. He was the high priest---Jonah Ravenscraft." She swallowed hard, as flashes of memory came back with a vengeance. The rooftop, the wind, the knives---had that really happened?

Jade nodded slowly. "That was his name."

"He had power. Real power."

Jade grabbed a chiar and pulled himself up. "What do you mean, power?"

Casi took a deep breath, still halfway lost in memories she wished she could forget. "Magic."

"Now wait a damn---"

"No. My sister and I first met him in October 1994--" God, she remembered that year so vividly. The trip to Kenya...then later around Halloween...."Weird things were going on, animals turning up dead, people disappearing. All the classic signs of a cult."

Jade groaned. "So this is a habit with you."

Casi ignored the comment because it reminded her too much of something Joe would say. She shivered. "But Ravenscraft wasn't just a cult leader. I don't think either of us really believed he was a warlock. That was fiction." She shook her head. "He knocked us back without a blow."

"Then what?"

"I don't know. It's still a blur. Cat doesn't remember much either. Except that Ravenscraft was captured and imprisoned. But even from prison, he retailiated." She gestured to the monitor, now nothing more than slag metal. "That monitor was never on, yet you saw what happened."

Jade shook his head. "But she's never had that kind of power before. I mean, some of her spells worked, I think, but nothing ever like this."

Casi felt the stirrings of real fear. "She's her father's daughter--she's a witch."

Jade grunted. "She doesn't have wart one."

"I'm not joking."

Jade's eyes flicked to the molten metal, then around the room, as if searching for something. "I know."

"Looking for me?"

Casi turned to see Lilith, standing beside Aaron, a gun leveled at his right temple. Just then, all windows and doors clanged shut. Aaron glanced at Casi, lifted one shoulder in a small shrug. Casi swallowed hard. "Let him go."

"Why? He's a computer genius and he's mine."

"Let him go."

"No."

Casi took a step forward. "He's no use to you dead."

"Oh, I won't kill him. Not yet."

At that, Aaron slid bonelessly out of his chair, apparently in a faint. At that moment, Jade charged forward. As if in slow motion, Casi saw Lilith's arm jerk up, aiming at him and her finger on the trigger. "No!" shouted Casi as she moved forward. "Jade, look out."

Then the gunshot deafened her.

***

"Shit," said Joe, aching to pound the huge metal doors to dust.

"Yeah, well, you're the one who messed up. Anyone else got any bright ideas?" asked Jon.

"There's got to be a failsafe--some way to get in and out if the system's down," said Joe. "Probably hidden by sand."

"Oh, that's what we need. A gigantic leave blower. Or would that be sand blower?"

Joe glared at his brother. "You are absolutely no help."

Kendra sighed. "Enjoy yourselves, you overgrown boy scouts."

Jon and Joe shared a look as she walked around the structure's base and disappeared. "Where's she going?" asked Jon.

"She must know a way in. Come on."

They hurried after her but she had vanished. Joe frowned. "Nobody's that fast. Even---"

Jonathon stared as his brother was swiftly swallowed up by sand. "Oh shit." He took a step forward and his foot hit nothing but air. Next thing, he knew he was on his butt in a tunnel. "Shit, that hurt."

Joe snorted. "No damage done. Yet." He whirled on Kendra. "Why the hell didn't you tell us about this way in?"

"The door's easier," she replied with a shrug.

Jon groaned and got to his feet, glaring at Joe. "A curse on you. For introducing me to her."

Joe rolled his eyes. "Oh shut up."

A gunshot echoed off the metal walls. Kendra shot a look at Joe, then led the way to a set of circular metal stairs. "Come on."

Joe needed no further urging. They passed two levels before reaching the top only to find a metal filing cabinet blocking the landing. Joe didn't waste time cursing. He jammed his hands under the cabinet and pushed. His brother joined a second later and together, they shoved the cabinet out of the way. Kendra ran past them to the top level. Joe hurried after her, to see a mousy looking man come out from under a desk. "Ken, thank God."

"Where's Lilith?" demanded Joe.

The man pointed to a set of steel doors at the other end of the control room. Joe started forward, but Kendra grabbed his arms. "Those doors can only be opened from the inside."

Joe shook his head, feeling the desperation surge through him. "There has to be a way in."

"It's like a bank vault. Sealed shut."

Joe turned to see a tall sandly-haired man, blood clotting in a nasty gash on his head, his face pale. "Who the hell---?"

"You've been shot," said Kendra.

He locked eyes with Joe. "She saved my life. I wish I could help."

Joe bolted to the doors, tried to see inside. "I have to get her out of there."

The man shook his head wearily and sank into a desk chair. "There's no other way in."

Joe slammed his hand on the steel door, winced as it jarred his still healing palm. "No."

Jonathon looked around, finally at the man. "It's Khalil's private office, isn't it."

It was Kendra who nodded. "It has it's own vent system, own bathroom, kitchen. He could hole up in there for months and never leave."

"Shit." Joe fought the wave of panic that threatened to engulf him. She was in there, alone with Lilith. The last time she had nearly died.. He took a deep breath, spun around, half leaning, half falling against the doors. "All computer controlled?"

Aaron gave a shakey little nod. "Uh, yeah."

"Then shut it down," growled Joe.

"Different system; separate from what controls all the rest."

Joe spun back around, slammed both hands against the door. "Shit."

"You know what we need?" said Jonathon. "A phaser. No, a light saber." He glanced at Kendra. "You wouldn't happen to have one of those in that arsenal of yours, would you?"

"Sorry, all out. Will an acetylene torch do?"

Jon stared at her. "You're kidding."

Kendra shook her head. "No."

"Then get it." Joe hit the door again with his fists. "Hurry."

***

It had happened in a blur. Casi found her hands were still shaking. "You....you shot your brother."

"He'll live. I didn't hit anything vital." The woman lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "He deserves a little pain for betraying me."

Casi thought back to her reaction, the monitor exploding. "You didn't expect anyone to betray you, did you. " She shook her head. "You're not half as powerful as your father. And he went down big time." Casi wondered errantly why she'd never noticed the similarities before--same colorless eyes, same sense of evil.

Lilith stared at her for a long moment. "No. Impossible. You can't be...." The woman shook her head. There was gray dust on her jumpsuit and in her blond hair. Her face was scraped and dirty now. "No, he said there had been two..."

"I am. My sister and I defeated him." Casi felt the anger course through her and for a brief second saw the connection. This time instead of pushing the anger away, she let it flow through her. "And I'll defeat you," she added through clenched teeth.

"No....you have no...." Lilith's colorless eyes narrowed. "Then you are a witch."

Casi shook her head, feeling impossibly that her heart rate was calming down, and yet the anger seemed to fill every piece of her. "No. But I'll fight you. I'll fight you for his life, his soul."

"And what of your own?"

Casi shook her head again, remembered that day in the front lawn of her parents house. The gun never would fire when it was aimed at her. Now she wondered if whatever this was she was feeling was the reason. Would you die for him? "No. I'll live for him. You'll not have my soul either."

"Oh?" Lilith raised her right hand and pointed the gun at Casi. "Think again."

"No." Casi felt the anger surge through her, over her, around her and strangely, she felt calm, alert. and suddenly, it came back with frightening clarity. The warehouse rooftop, Halloween night nine years ago. Oh God... As if in slow motion, she saw Lilith's forearm muscles bunch, then her finger tighten on the trigger. In that instant, Casi dived straight for Lilith's legs. At the last moment, she shifted her legs over so that when she hit Lilith at the knees, she sprawled across the woman's legs, out of the way of the bullet when Lilith pulled the trigger. In the same smooth motion, Casi rolled onto her back and kicked Lilith's arm. The gun flew into a shadowy corner. Then as she rolled onto her side, she brought her knee up, hitting Lilith's jaw.

Stunned, Lilith shook her head and threw a punch at Casi's nose. Casi moved instinctively and rolled completely off Lilith and pulled her feet under her, so that she was crouching now, ready to move in a second.

Lilith took a deep breath. "You are a witch. Why deny it? Join me."

Casi was surprised she was barely winded. "No."

Lilith charged and again she saw it coming, she moved out of the way. A strange half-memory came to her then--a bubbling cauldron, a raging fire. Without thinking, her hand reached for the pearl but it wasn't there. Lilith got to her feet. As she did, something swung free of the jumpsuit. Casi stared. "My pearl. How---?" Casi swallowed hard. "Give it back."

"Come and get it."

Casi didn't move. "Bring it to me."

Lilith found herself taking a step before she stopped herself. She scowled. "You..." She reached up to grab the pearl and staggered back. Her eyes went wide. "You! The fire should have destroyed you."

Casi took a step forward, knocking the uneasiness away. Words came unbidden to her mind. "It didn't. You'll have to try harder."

"You witch! Bewitched my husband, bore him children when you knew I could not. Blast you, Rowena, to the deepest hell there is."

"I'll see you there first, Moira." Casi took a deep breath. What memory could they possibly share?

Lilith seemed to snap out of it and let go of the pearl. She stared first at Casi, then at the pearl. Then she smiled. "Finders keepers."

"Like hell." Casi charged into her, knocking Lilith to the floor. She grabbed the pearl and yanked it up and over Lilith's head. "It's mine."

A hollow boom echoed through the room. Casi sat back on her heels, then stood up. She slipped the chain over her head. It had come from the door, she realized. Lilith got to her feet. "You deny being a witch, yet you have power and an amulet. Who are you?"

"Someone who will defeat you."

"Never."

The hollow boom sounded again and again. Casi ran to the door and unlocked it. Lilith shook her head and pulled a thin razor-sharp knife from a boot sheath. "No!"

Casi swung around, both hands coming up automatically, catching the blade between her palms. She stared at the knife, it's point inches from her nose, stunned as Lilith, then yanked open the door and ran out smack into a hard, muscled chest. She stared. "You!"

He stared at her. Just stared, it finally registering that she was flesh and blood, that her face was flushed and the jumpsuit hugged every curve. The tears that filled her eyes just then burned a hole in him. This wasn't supposed to happen. He'd never wanted..."Cassandra."

"I--" She swallowed hard. "I thought you were dead." In a heartbeat, he saw those goldbrown eyes fill with anger. She hit him in the shoulder. "I thought you were dead!"

Her tears unsettled him and he pulled her close, into his arms. "When I heard the gunshot---"

Casi shoved him aside, moving with him. "Everyone duck!"

A knife like the first hurtled out of the room and imbedded itself in a chair. The very chair Aaron had been sitting in earlier. He turned white and nearly fainted right there. Jon pulled out his gun. "I'll take care of her."

"No." Casi glanced over her shoulder. "She's not worth it." She glanced at Jade, saw the blood covering his right shoulder. "You okay?"

"Thanks to you, cherie. And I'll tend to Lilith." He stalked through the open door and slammed it shut.

Aaron frowned, still pale. "She'll kill him."

Casi shook her head. "He's the only family she's got that really cares for her."

Kendra shook her head. "I have but one question. Where are her henchmen?"

Aaron grinned. "Locked in their quarters." He gestured to the computer. "When I opened the outer doors, I locked theirs."

Casi looked over at him. "So how'd Lilith get out?"

"You ask that after you saw what she did to that monitor?"

"Right." Casi turned to look at the man who held her, realized she still held the knife and dropped it. She studied him, saw his skin was red, either from being so close to the explosion or sunburn. She felt the tears come harder. "I thought I'd lost you," she whispered.

He touched her face with his hand, brushed the tears away. He traced her lips, the slant of her nose, her eyebrows as if trying to memorize every inch of her. His blue eyes studied her features for a long moment. "I have to go."

A chill snaked down her spine and she broke free of his embrace. No, she thought, you can't. Not after all this. No. "Go where?" she asked, noting distractedly that her voice sounded brittle.

"Away." His blue eyes were pain-filled and haunted. Casi took a deep breath and feared she'd shatter into a thousand pieces as he added in nearly a whisper, "Because of me, you nearly got killed." He shook his head slowly, no longer looking at her. "I can't let that happen again."

Casi was shaking now. Whether it was the aftermath of an adrenaline rush or emotion, she didn't know. She opened her mouth, tried to speak but found she had to swallow the lump in her throat first. "Don't you dare walk away from me."

Joe cupped her cheek gently, his eyes focused on her lips instead of looking in her eyes. "I wish for you a happy life," he whispered. Then he stepped back and let go of her.

That single move seemed like a wide gulf between them suddenly. Casi shivered from the chill of not having him close to her anymore. "Did you hear me?" Inwardly, she cringed at the shrillness in her voice. "Don't do this," she added, feeling the tears spill onto her cheeks. "Please."

"I have to," he said hoarsely. He touched the pearl. "You have the necklace back, now I have to go." He stepped around her and started to walk away.

Casi spun around and shook her head, snatched at his hand but it slipped through her fingers. "No....Joe...Don't walk out on me. Don't you dare...." But he just kept walking and left the room. This time she felt her heart shatter. "Joseph!" The last of the adrenaline faded away and she felt herself sink to her knees as the tears came harder. "No."

"I'm sorry."

Numb, Casi barely looked at Jonathon kneeling beside her. "I love him," she said in a tear-filled voice. "He said he loved me. Why is he walking away?"

"He thinks it's for the best."

Casi searched his face for a moment, then looked away. "Fine." She shoved herself to her feet.

Jon rose with her. "He means well. He just---"

"No excuses for him, damn it," exploded Casi, angry now. "You're not his damn keeper."

"Damn right."

Casi turned to look at the woman who had spoken. "And you are?"

"Kendra Hunter. Mack's seven kinds of a fool. I just hope he realizes that before it's too late."

It was on the tip of her tongue to say he could disappear off the face of the earth for all she cared but she knew that it was a lie. She swallowed hard, wiped her cheeks but felt the tears come again. She sighed shakily. "So do I," she whispered finally.

Suddenly, arms came around her shoulders and pulled her close. The scent of aftershave told her it was Jonathon. For a moment, she didn't feel that he was a stranger but a stand-in brother. She would never have dreamed that she would want Donovan right about now or Marc or any of her family. She leaned against him, wrapped her arms around his waist and let the tears come, the sobs shaking her to her very core. It had hurt the last time but she'd understood in the long run. This time she didn't understand it all. Was he out of her life forever?

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boys Fan Fiction authors of the Hardy Detective Agency 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.