The nerves Joe had been fighting all morning seemed to be winning the battle. Knowing he would have to look Keith Rashman in the eye in just a few hours had been more than enough to kill his appetite and set him on edge. During the ride to the courthouse, Joe had repeatedly reminded himself he did not have to face his worst nightmare alone taking comfort in being surrounded by his family.

As if to confirm that fact, he turned and gazed at Vanessa. Feeling Joe looking at her, Vanessa squeezed his hand and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. As always the gesture worked like magic and Joe felt himself relax just a little bit. Turning to his left, Joe looked at his older brother who for the past several months had been the anchor that kept Joe from drifting too far away and possibly drowning in his own fears. As Frank stared at the closed door in the right corner of the courtroom, he moved his hand slightly and patted Joe on the knee.

At that moment, the door Frank had been watching so intently suddenly opened. An armed guard walked out and before Joe realized what was happening Keith Rashman was there in the courtroom, even bigger and more muscular than he had been six months ago. A bitterness rose in Joe’s throat as he thought of Keith Rashman having the luxury of working out in the prison gymnasium every day, increasing his already impressive size and strength, while Joe had spent several painful months struggling just to regain what he had lost due to the injuries Rashman had inflicted on him.

Slowly walking to his chair at the defense table, Rashman appeared to be scanning the faces in the packed courtroom, his eyes finally landing on Fenton Hardy. After shooting a venomous look at the man who had sent his older brother to prison for the rest of his life, Rashman then turned his gaze on Frank, glaring daggers at him. Unflinching, Frank returned the look tenfold. Moving his eyes once again, Rashman momentarily stopped and stared at Joe. After a helpful nudge from one of the guards, Rashman continued moving, never taking his eyes off Joe.

When Rashman finally found him in the crowd of people, Joe outwardly appeared unfazed by the hatred in his eyes. However, inside Joe was suddenly transported back to that barren, desolate camp in the wilderness. The image of Keith Rashman’s face seemed to be only inches from his own and blazing with anger.

Joe felt a chill course through him just as it had the first time he’d heard those words. The fear he’d felt that day came back full force and Joe was sure he was back in that awful place, chained to the fence about to feel the unbearable pain of salt hitting open wounds when Vanessa squeezed his hand tightly. That was all it took to bring him back to the present and the security of being surrounded by people who loved him.

Joe stared back at Rashman never blinking and refusing to look away, knowing that was exactly what Rashman wanted. The battle of wills continued, even as Rashman took a seat next to his attorney, Matthew Barning. Only when Barning put a hand on Rashman’s shoulder and spoke to him did he finally look away, turning to face the front of the room.

Joe sank back into the chair feeling a small sense of triumph. He’d made it over the first hurdle, facing Keith Rashman without letting his fears get the better of him. Even though the worst was still ahead, Joe allowed himself a tiny smile at his victory and then began to prepare for the battles that still lie ahead.

*****

With the jury seated, the judge behind his desk and the official opening of the trial completed, District Attorney Peter Handling stood and walked purposefully to the front of the courtroom. Turning to face the jury, he confidently began his opening argument.

"Six months ago, while waiting to board a flight at O’Hare Airport, a visitor to our city inadvertently stumbled across some information that threatened the life of not only the most powerful man in the United States Senate, but the President himself – a planned assassination of both men orchestrated by one of the most feared and powerful organized crime syndicates in the country.

"This visitor could have ignored the information, pretended he had never seen it, refused to get involved, but he didn’t. In fact, those thoughts never once entered his mind. Unlike the vast majority of people these days who would simply walk away and forget what they had seen, this man chose to get involved. He chose to do the right thing. It was the only thing he knew how to do. And it almost cost him his life."

Sitting as close to his brother as possible, Frank knew Joe had flinched, trying hard to hide it. Joe wanted to appear strong and confident, yet Frank knew how anxious and unsure he was. Imperceptibly, Frank pressed his leg up against his brothers, offering what he hoped was the emotional support Joe so obviously needed. Out of the corner of his eye, Frank saw Joe nod his head slightly letting Frank know the message was received – and appreciated.

"This visitor never thought about the consequences of getting involved or the price he would pay for doing what he knew was morally and ethically right," Handling continued. "Over the next several days, you will learn how this young man initially hoped to get the information to the proper authorities, thus preventing two murders. You will learn how that plan rapidly fell apart yet the young man didn’t give up. Thinking quickly, he hid the information and placed a phone call to the one person he knew he could trust – his older brother, one thousand miles away. Leaving a message with the location of the information, the young man attempted to return to the gate and board his flight home, only to be stopped by this man." Handling turned and pointed at Keith Rashman, stopping for effect. He waited, letting the jury get a good look at Rashman before continuing.

"You are going to hear how the defendant, Keith Rashman, abducted the Good Samaritan, Joseph Hardy, and drove him to an isolated, desolate, uninhabited area where he proceeded to torture Joe Hardy for almost twenty-four hours straight. This young man was subjected to unthinkable acts of brutality at the hands of Mr. Rashman in an effort to get him to reveal what he’d done with the information that had come into his possession.

"You will be asked to listen to the graphic details of each atrocity, and there were many. You will be asked to view photographs that will very possibly leave you with nightmares for some time to come. You will be asked to listen as the young man tells you, in his own words, the hell he was forced to endure simply because he chose to do the right thing. And you will learn how close he came to losing his life by refusing to waver on that choice."

Peter Handling openly stared at Keith Rashman, who had been listening to his every word with keen interest.

"As evidenced by his response to the charges lodged against him, Keith Rashman has entered a plea of not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. Mr. Rashman wants us to believe he was not able to discern between right and wrong and therefore should not be held responsible for what he did to Joe Hardy during that twenty-four hour period.

"However, as you will come to learn through physical evidence, eyewitness testimony and Joe Hardy’s own recollection of what happened that night, Keith Rashman was in complete control of his faculties. He willingly engaged in heinous acts of torture with planning and forethought, taking pride in his methodical progression of abuse, using whatever means necessary to reach his goal. This was Mr. Rashman’s job and he was good at it. Very good. In fact, he was considered the best in his field - not an honor that is bestowed on the insane, temporary or otherwise.

"By the time we have reached closing arguments, you will believe beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Keith Rashman is and was a sane, rational human being, who willingly and methodically tortured Joe Hardy almost to death. You will hold him accountable for his actions knowing in your hearts he is guilty of the senseless, inhuman suffering he purposefully and systematically inflicted on an innocent young man who simply tried to do the right thing. He must pay for what he did. Only you, ladies and gentlemen, can deliver that message."

Sitting between Joe and Laura clutching their hands in hers, Vanessa found it increasingly difficult to listen to the impassioned plea Peter Handling was making to the jury. To those twelve people, Joe was a stranger who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They took in the words with a detached air, simply collecting information to be filed away and used at a later date.

They had no idea what it was like for her, Laura, or Frank, during those twenty-four hours wondering if Joe were dead or alive, having no idea where he was or what was happening to him. They didn’t sit by his bedside in the hospital, watching the machines that kept him alive, praying each day that he would wake up. They didn’t have to sit by helplessly, watching him suffer day after day, fighting to recover. They didn’t see the fear in his eyes or hear him wake up screaming in the night for months afterwards, as Keith Rashman haunted his dreams.

Vanessa was suddenly gripped by a fear that the facts, no matter how graphic, wouldn’t be enough to convince the jury how much Joe had truly suffered and how the memories of it still tormented him to this day. She finally understood Joe’s fear that when all was said and done, Keith Rashman would be a free man. She tried to banish that terrifying thought, only to have it come back even stronger, as Matthew Barning began to speak to the jury.

"Six months ago, the defendant, Keith Rashman, did abduct Joseph Hardy from O’Hare Airport against his will. Over the next twenty-four hours, Keith Rashman did torture Joseph Hardy mercilessly. As Mr. Handling said, you will hear the details. You will see the pictures. You will be shocked. Appalled. You will find it incomprehensible that one human being could inflict such pain and suffering on another.

"Any sane, rational person would agree with you. Any sane, rational person couldn’t possibly have committed such heinous acts. So how could this have happened? It happened because at that time Keith Rashman was not a sane, rational person.

"Over the next several days, you will learn what drove Mr. Rashman past the point of reason, to the darkness that clouded his judgment and led him to believe he was justified in torturing Joseph Hardy almost to death. You will come to see that Mr. Rashman was not of sound mind when he committed these unthinkable, unspeakable acts of horror against Mr. Hardy. You will come to understand that – temporarily – he truly was insane. And you will come to believe, given that state of mind, he cannot possibly be held accountable for his actions. It is the only logical explanation."