Frank and I grabbed our packs and ran out of the tent and nearly collided with a motorcycle. A brawny looking guy was riding it and he shouted, “Go back where you belong, hippie!”

He splashed gas on the tent next to ours as he zoomed past. A skinny guy was right behind him. Without slowing his bike down, he touched a torch to the gas-splattered canvas.

Whomp! A fireball exploded. Frank and I both felt the concussive explosion and the heat. I staggered backwards as a bearded man dived out of the tent. He ran after the two guys on motorcycles and I glanced at Frank. “Friends of yours?”

He shot me a glare. “Not funny.” He glanced at the tents and looked around the compound.

I could’ve sworn I heard him say something else and it wasn’t very flattering. “Bucket brigade,” he shouted.

The bearded man swung around. “There are buckets behind the dining hall,” he shouted.

The three of us took off for the dining hall. I couldn’t see much. Just flashes lit by headlights or flashlights or torches. A Jeep zoomed past us and zigzagged into the garden, tearing up the veggies.

Another person, his face red either from anger or exertion ran by on foot, slashing at other tents. “This is payback,” he said, his tone of voice more a growl. “You thought you got away but we followed you. You’re going down, freaks!”

Frank dodged him and we watched a girl driving a beat-up convertible back up over two of the compound bicycles. She blew me a kiss as she drove off.

And then it was over. There must have been some sort of prearranged signal or something. The shouts stopped, the motorcycles and vehicles roared off.

The sound of my own heartbeat filled my ears as we retrieved the buckets and filled them with water but it was too late. There was nothing left of our tent or our neighbor’s.

As the sun began to come up, Frank and I surveyed the damage. Tire tracks ran across smashed vegetables. Several tents were burned to ash. I looked over at Frank and he looked worried. “What?”

“This is getting out of control.”

“No kidding. What say we hijack the helicopter and get out of here?”

“Everyone to the garden!” Stench’s voice filled the compound. He spoke through a megaphone this time. “Everyone to the garden immediately.”

Once everyone was there, Stench lowered the megaphone. “Now, first things first. Was anyone hurt?”

There were a bunch of ‘no’s’ and headshakes. Stench nodded and looked around as the sky turned pink above us. “So they stuck to property damage.” He began to pace. “Can anyone tell me why you think we were attacked tonight?”

I thought it was pretty obvious. It was payback for attacking the people in town. Frank gave me a small headshake and I rolled my eyes. It wasn’t like I was gonna blurt it out. No one else blurted anything out either.

“Oil,” Stench said.

I frowned. Now what was he talking about?

“The oil companies have been out to get me ever since I started Heaven,” Stench continued. “They know if we succeed in our mission to create alternate energy sources, they will be out of business.”

Stench pulled his sword free of its scabbard. “Now, it may have looked like it was just a few hot-heads from town who did this to us. But the oil companies were behind it. Oil company dollars.”

He swiped the sword through the air. “Yes, they’re out to get us...” he pointed the tip of the sword at Solar Man. “Out to get you, my brother. Because they know your way works.”

Solar Man looked hot, sweaty and tired but he pumped a fist in the air. “Yes!”

“Out to get you—” Stench pointed his sword at Einstein Wannabe—” because they’re afraid of the very idea of geothermal.”

Einstein Wannabe nodded so hard his hair seemed to get wilder.

“They tremble at the very word hydroelectricity,” Stench said to the man dressed in the long white robe – the one who’d been praising hydroelectricity at lunch.

I spared a look at Frank who looked rather worried. I understood why. Stench was stroking egos like crazy, making everyone feel important.

“Those oil companies think all they have to do is pay off a few townies to take care of us. They think they’re so smart with all their MBAs and scientists working for them...” Stench shook his head and sighed. “But I say there is no one working for those fat cat oil companies who is smarter than any one of you.”

Applause burst out in the group.

“I say the oil companies’ reign of terror is about to come to an end! We aren’t going to take this from them, are we?” Stench’s eyes blazed.

“No!” shouted everyone.

I nudged Frank and moved back to the outside of the group. As the group moved closer to Stench, we moved further back. Neither of us wanted a part of the mob mentality.

“Are we going to make them pay?” shouted Stench.

“Yes!” the crowd answered, sounding as half-crazed as Stench.

Stench swept his sword arm up, pointing the tip of the sword to the lightening sky. “Tonight at midnight is payback time. Be ready. Because we are going into town!”

The crowd cheered and my stomach twisted into knots. I sidled back further away from the crowd, Frank right beside me. “You think this is a good thing? Stench will be away from the compound.”

“We have to go into town with him, Joe. Stop him some kind of way. You heard how furious he is. If he gets too out of control...”

Frank didn’t finish his sentence but I knew he was right. If Stench went into town with murder in his eye and we didn’t do our best to stop him...

I took a deep breath. “So what’s the plan?” I asked quietly.

“I thought you hated my plans.”

“Only when they involve me doing something stupid.” I thought about it and shot him a glare. “Oh no you don’t.”

I started to say something only to feel a heavy hand on my shoulder. I glanced at Frank and saw a hand on his shoulder too. I glanced back and felt a chill. Did I mention how quiet Mondo can be for a big guy.

He looked from me to Frank. “Mr. Stench requests the honor of your presence.”

Mondo led us over to the dining hall. Stench was alone, seated at a table. He was fiddling with something but I couldn’t make it out. He looked up as Mondo brought us over. “Thank you, Mondo.”

Mondo let go of us and drifted toward the entry flap of the tent, as if guarding it. Stench fingered a dagger that a had familiar look to it, and I wondered if it was the companion piece to the sword.

Stench looked over at us. “You are new here and I am sorry you had to witness that.” He took a deep breath. “But I am glad you will help us.” He studied me for a second and switched his gaze to Frank. “You seem very close. Perhaps to ensure no problems tonight, one of you will stay here.”

I felt a moment of panic, the same thing I felt when I had woken up this morning and Frank hadn’t been there. “What kind of problems could there be? We’re in this thing all the way.”

Stench got to his feet, giving us a slight smile. “Are you? Truly?”

That panic in my gut started to spread. You know I can handle figuring out how to escape a burning building, or dealing with some crazy who messes with my ‘chute but this guy...He was twisted. “Yeah. For real.”

It took me a moment to realize Frank hadn’t said a word. I wondered if I should risk giving him a look or play this thing out. I shifted position slightly and looked over at him. He had a hard look on his face like he was trying not to show how angry he was. Suddenly I flashed back to earlier with Petal. Uh-oh.

“Maybe we’re not.” Frank’s voice was quiet. “Maybe I’m not. You separated us intentionally.”

“Only to see how well you would fit in here.” Stench spread his arms wide, and smiled. “And you do fit in very nicely here – to a point.”

Stench looked over at me and then glanced back to Frank. His smile widened. “You both seem very well suited for the physical labor, quite strong and resilient. It is your morality that I wonder about. Can you cross the line? Would you?”

“No.” Frank’s tone brooked no argument.

I was getting a very bad feeling about this. Stench was playing some game with us – one neither of us knew how to play. He looked at me. “Are you as quick with an answer, Joseph?”

I didn’t agree with Stench’s methods but I was afraid if I didn’t agree, Frank and I would be separated. I spared another look at him but he was glaring at Stench. I took a deep breath and took a step closer to my brother. “I’m with him. No.”

Stench just smiled. “Ah...so which one will come with me?”

I started to take a step. “We both told you no—”

“Joe, no.” Frank moved to grab me but Stench was faster.

I felt something prick my side and I suddenly noticed the dagger wasn’t on the table. Stench pulled me to his side. “I do believe I’ve found the last volunteer for tonight’s little presentation. Mondo.”

The bodyguard walked forward. “Take them to the sanctuary.” He shoved me forward but not before I felt the blade of the dagger scrape my side.

I stumbled forward and my hand went to my side. I yanked up my T-shirt to see a thin red line across my side. Frank grabbed my hand and pulled me over to him. We faced Mondo, wondering if there was any way we could get out of this.

Mondo took a step toward us. “You will come with me. No problems. Or you will not see sunset.”

Frank gave me a hard nudge and I frowned. “Please, there are no windows. Don’t take us there.”

I could almost hear Frank groan. Mondo pulled out a small gun. “Come.”

Mondo brought us to the windowless building and unlocked the door. He pushed us inside and pulled the door closed, leaving us in pitch blackness.

“Well, this just keeps getting better and better,” muttered Frank. “What the heck where you thinking?”

“Appease the dragon so we wouldn’t get separated?” I stuck both hands out searching for a wall or for my brother. Whichever I found first.

“He knows who we are. Why waste your breath?”

“No...Are you sure?” I didn’t care that my tone was sarcastic. Sometimes Frank can be an annoying older brother.

Sudden light flashed on, making me blink. “What a minute...this place—”

“Is not eco-friendly,” said Frank, sounding even madder.

It wasn’t just that Stench’s house was wired for electricity. The lines must have been run underground. He had a refrigerator...a television...and a computer. My eyes darted back to the refrigerator and I hurried over to it. Inside were dozens of bottles of water – cold, delicious water. I grabbed one and tossed one to Frank.

We both savored the water for a minute. I looked over at Frank. “Why do you think he stuck us here?”

“To keep us from everyone else.”

“But now we know.”

Frank shrugged. “I don’t think he cares about that because I’m sure he thinks he has a fool-proof escape.”

“Boy, and I thought I was sarcastic.”

“It runs in the family.” Frank veered for the computer.

I finished off the bottle of water and tossed it in the garbage. No recycling buckets here. “Okay, so he’s not out to change the world...and this doesn’t really seem like a cult. What’s his game?”

Frank gestured to the desk. “Maybe you could help?”

“There’s that sarcasm again.”

Frank shot me a look and I realized what his problem was. “Frank...”

“You actually had me going for a second there, little bro.”

I frowned. “Like I’d really side with him. Frank—”

Frank rested his fingers on the keyboard but didn’t type. He took a deep breath and then turned around. “Joe, cults play with your mind. You saw Stench, how he egged all those people on, making them feel good, feel important, superior. You don’t mess around with that.”

“I didn’t want us separated again. And I had a hunch he’d try to do just that.”

Frank turned back to the computer. “You and your hunches. Why don’t you use some hunches to find something in those drawers. Maybe what Stench is really up to.”

I recognized the change in his tone. I grinned. “And if I find it before you do?”

Frank heaved a sigh. “I’ll treat you to an ice-cream cone.”

“Make it a half-gallon and you’re on.” I grabbed a drawer from the desk and started going through the papers.

Frank typed rapidly on the computer for a few minutes and then cleared his throat. “And if I find it before you do?”

I hadn’t thought that far. “I’ll actually get up and go get you another bottle of water.”

Frank looked over at me. “That’s not fair.”

“What did you find?”

Frank cleared his throat. “Stench has gotten several payments from a company called Petrol International. Big ones.”

I set the drawer to one side and went to get another bottle of water from the refrigerator. Frank eyed the bottle of water, shook his head and sighed. “Joe.”

“A deal’s a deal. So what do we do about it?”

“An oil company’s paying Stench. This was a setup from the get-go.” Frank looked unsettled. “You think they’re all in on it?”

“No. Definitely not Solar Man. I think he’d have a fit if he knew.” I settled back onto the floor with the drawer and let out a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be...a monkey’s uncle.”

“What?”

“Do you know Stench owns quite a few businesses in Landers? Including a car dealership.” I suddenly got to my feet. “Frank...I think we’re in trouble.”

“You just now noticed that?”

“I’m serious. Now that we know all this.” I took a deep breath. “I don’t think Stench is going to let us go. Dead men tell no tales.”

Frank grunted and started the printer. Page after page of Stench’s financial report started coming out of the printer. “Then we have to stop him.”

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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.