ILLUSIONS
by
AUTHOR D
Chapter 6
The Chapters
Energized by the discovery, it didn’t take long for the brothers to find a trap door hidden in the corner. Joe pulled it open and shone his light downward, illuminating a crude wooden ladder built into the wall that led into an underground tunnel. Looking at Frank, he shrugged and climbed down, Frank following close behind.
Standing next to Frank, Joe swept the beam of his flashlight across the long tunnel ahead of them, causing the mice, rats and a few other things Joe didn’t get a good look at to scurry for cover against the intruders.
“Charming,” Frank muttered and started walking. “Joe, check it out.” He shone the beam of his flashlight along the ground in front of them as he walked. In the damp dirt that made up the tunnel floor, they picked out three sets of footprints, two large and one considerably smaller.
“Two adults – probably men – and a kid,” Joe guessed.
“And they look pretty fresh,” Frank murmured, automatically quickening his pace.
They continued walking for almost ten minutes, following the twists and turns of the dank, musty tunnel before they came to the end – another ladder built into the dirt wall that led to what looked like another trap door.
Joe started to brush past Frank, reaching for the ladder when he was yanked to a stop.
“Uh-uh,” Frank shook his head. “I’m supposed to be watching out for you tonight, remember? I go first.”
“I’ll be sure and tell Dad what a good job you did, right before he kills you,” Joe grinned.
Frank threw him a dirty look and then climbed up the ladder.
Joe watched as Frank slowly pushed the door open a few inches, wincing when it creaked loudly. Frank froze immediately and didn’t move for almost a full minute. When Joe couldn’t stand it anymore, he smacked Frank lightly on the leg. After another withering look, Frank pushed the door up and poked his head out, waited another few seconds and then pushed himself up and disappeared through the opening. Seconds later his hand appeared, waving Joe up.
Joe quickly scrambled up the ladder, careful not to make any noise. He swung the beam of his flashlight around as Frank quietly closed the door. “Looks like a basement,” Joe whispered.
A thread-bare old couch was pushed up against one exposed, cinderblock wall. Next to it stood a rickety looking table with several faded cardboard boxes piled on top of it. Two small windows were set high in one wall. A thick layer of dust covered every surface including the floor. Feeling a nudge on his arm, Joe looked at his brother who was shining his light straight down on the floor, where the beam showed the same three sets of footprints in the dust. Joe used his light to follow the trail of footprints which led straight to a set of wooden steps leading up to a door.
“I guess they’re the only ones who’ve been here in a long time,” Frank whispered as he started for the stairs.
Joe nodded in silent agreement and followed his brother up the steps. At the top, Frank once again took no chances, opening the door only a crack and waiting to see if anyone was on the other side. Apparently satisfied that no one was waiting to ambush them, he pushed it open and Joe followed him out into a darkened kitchen. Immediately, Joe heard the sound of soft snoring and tapped Frank on the shoulder. Frank nodded to indicate he’d heard it too and pointed in the direction he thought it was coming from.
Following the sound they found themselves on the threshold of a small living room where two men were fast asleep – one stretched out on a sofa that didn’t look to be in much better shape than the one in the basement and the other on a ratty looking recliner. A fireplace on the opposite side of the room was burning with the last remnants of a fire and throwing a soft glow over the room.
The crackle and pop of the dying fire mingled with the snores of the two men and almost drowned out a third sound - a soft whimper coming from a partially open door several feet to the right of the fireplace. Frank turned to Joe and gestured towards the room, letting Joe know he’d heard it, too.
Slowly the two brothers made their way across the room, hoping their presence wouldn’t waken the two men. Joe reached the door first and, not wanting to risk squeaky hinges, turned sideways and slipped through the smallish opening. Shining his light around the room, the beam fell on a girl curled up on a dirty mattress, her hands tied to the bed frame – the very same girl Joe had seen bound and gagged in the old shack. The girl looked up, her eyes wide first in fear, then recognition and relief.
Swiftly moving towards the bed, Joe sat down on the mattress and motioned for her to be quiet. Leaning forward slightly, he whispered “Told you I’d be back,” and saw her smile beneath the gag. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Frank standing just inside the doorway but with his back to Joe and the girl, watching to make sure the two sleeping men didn’t awaken and catch them by surprise.
Putting a finger to his lips again, Joe waited until she nodded and then gently untied the gag and pulled it from her mouth. Reaching into his jeans pocket, he pulled out a small pocket knife and flipped it open, quickly cutting the ropes binding her hands and feet and the ones holding her to the bed. As soon as she was free the girl threw herself on Joe, almost knocking him off the mattress.
Joe felt a tightness in his throat as she buried her head in his shoulder, muffling her sobs. Clutching his jacket, her voice hitched as she whispered, “Please don’t leave me,” and Joe was sure he felt his heart breaking for the terrified child. Looking over his shoulder at Frank, Joe replied softly, “I won’t.”
Moving the beam of his light up and down to get Frank’s attention, Joe motioned his brother over to the bed. Frank crossed the room and squatted down next to the bed, positioning himself so he had a clear view of the doorway.
“Okay, now what?” Joe asked quietly, rubbing the girl’s back comfortingly.
“We go back the way we came,” Frank replied without hesitation, keeping his voice low. “Once we get back to the car and have her safely locked inside, we’ll call the police.”
Joe nodded his agreement and then tugged on the girl’s arm. She loosened her grip on him, leaning back so she could see both him and Frank, but never let go of him. “What’s your name?” Joe asked.
“Ava,” she said, barely a whisper.
“Ava, I’m Joe and this is my brother Frank,” he said gesturing to Frank who nodded at her. “The three of us are going to go back through the tunnel, okay?”
Her eyes grew huge at the prospect and she tightened her grip on Joe again, but gamely nodded her assent.
“Good,” Joe smiled. “Now, no matter what happens you stick close to me and him, okay? I promise we’ll get you back home, safe and sound.”
Ava nodded again and slipped her hand into Joe’s, once again clinging tightly to him. For the third time, Joe put a finger to his lips, indicating there would be no more talking and then tapped Frank on the shoulder signaling they were ready.
Quietly, the threesome walked back to the door and slipped into the living room. Halfway across the room, they stopped in their tracks as the man on the couch coughed in his sleep and rolled over so he was now facing them. Joe felt Ava’s grip tighten and squeezed her hand in a silent reply, holding his breath and praying that the man wouldn’t wake up.
When it was obvious he’d fallen back into a deeper sleep, they continued across the room and into the kitchen. In the lead, Frank opened the door to the basement and slowly started down the steps. Joe nudged Ava through the door and started to follow when he suddenly heard cursing from the living room – the men were awake! Instinctively turning towards the sound, Joe was temporarily blinded when a beam of light hit him right in the eyes.
Quickly turning away, Joe yelled “MOVE IT!” and shoved Ava through the door. Rushing through the door and yanking it closed behind him, Joe felt her standing next to him, unsure of what to do. “Down the stairs, Ava! GO!” he yelled, as he tried to hold the door closed and lock it, while the two men on the other side were trying to pull it open.
Joe heard Frank’s footsteps pounding on the wooden stairs, quickly followed by Ava’s. Finally getting the door locked, Joe took the stairs two at a time. By the time he reached the trap door, Frank already had it open and was disappearing through the hole. At the same time he heard the crash of splintering wood and looked up. The basement door was hanging by a hinge, the two men thundering down the steps.
With a muttered “Sorry,” Joe picked up the girl and practically threw her through the opening into Frank’s waiting arms. “RUN!” he yelled, scrambling down onto the first rung of the ladder.
Sparing a second to glance up and see the progress of their pursuers, Joe grabbed the trap door and moved down to the next rung, pulling the door closed. As he frantically tried to slide the lock into place his fingers fumbled on the latch, the door was pulled upwards and Joe had a fleeting moment of panic. There were two of them and one of him – he knew he’d lose the battle if they got the door open a few more inches. His fingers slipped over the rough wood, scraping the skin off his knuckles as he tried repeatedly to push the latch into place but every time he thought he had it, the door would raise up half an inch or so. With his arms quickly tiring, Joe was sure he’d be caught when he had a flash of an idea.
‘Might work…’ he thought, knowing he really had no choice. Grasping the handle on the door with one hand, he put the other lightly on the dirt wall to steady himself. Taking a deep breath, he bent his knees and putting all his weight behind it, pushed up, his shoulder slamming into the door. He heard shouts of surprise quickly followed by cursing and two heavy thuds as the men, not expecting the door to fly open towards them, had been caught off guard and thrown to the floor – just as Joe had hoped.
Swiftly, Joe pulled the door shut again and latched it, effectively locking the men out. Giving a sigh of relief, Joe grinned and started down the ladder. Without warning his foot slipped and with a gasp of surprise, Joe felt himself tumbling through the air. He twisted his body, trying to grab one of the rungs but they rushed by in a blur. Seconds later he hit the ground hard, letting out a muffled cry as a lightning bolt of pain shot through his right forearm.
Holding tightly to Ava’s hand, Frank had run several yards when he heard a gasp. Skidding to a stop, he turned just in time to see Joe tumble off the ladder and hit the ground – hard – certain he heard a muffled cry of pain.
“Joe!”
Frank waited a few seconds and when Joe didn’t move, Frank started back towards him.
Slowly, and very awkwardly, Joe finally pushed himself up, wincing. “GO!” Joe yelled, holding his right arm tight to his side. Holding the flashlight in his left hand, he started trotting unsteadily towards Frank.
Frank hesitated, noting the way Joe was careful to use only his left arm to lever himself to a standing position and to hold the flashlight… was he hurt??
“Hurry up!” Joe said, annoyed, waving him forward, once again with his left arm.
After one more brief hesitation, Frank took Ava’s hand and resumed their trek, this time at a fast walk and frequently looking over his shoulder to check on Joe. Arriving back at the other end of the tunnel, Frank climbed the ladder and pushed the trap door open, then turned and helped Ava up and into the shack. As they waited for Joe, Ava pressed herself against Frank’s side, trembling. Slipping an arm around the young girl, he held her to him, shining his light down on the ladder and watching Joe awkwardly climb up, using his right hand as little as possible.
While Frank was fairly certain the men who’d taken Ava were probably long gone by now and they wouldn’t be followed, he still thought it best they get back to the car as quickly as possible. Hurrying through the now darkened Frightland property, it didn’t go unnoticed by Frank that Joe was consistently lagging behind. When they reached the car, Frank opened the doors and helped Ava into the backseat, taking off his jacket and laying it over the frightened girl. It was only when he started to get behind the wheel that he realized Joe was nowhere in sight.
Standing up, he leaned on the roof of the car and looked around, puzzled. “Joe?!”
He heard a pained voice respond, “Over here.”
Hurrying around to other side of car he saw Joe sitting on the ground, leaning against the passenger side door with his eyes closed. With a sinking heart, Frank noticed that Joe was cradling his right arm protectively.
Crouching down next to him, Frank touched his shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Joe opened his eyes and looked at him apologetically. “No, not really…”
“What?” Frank said nervously. “What does that mean – ‘not really’?”
Joe attempted a smile but it came out as more of a grimace. “It means I think I broke my arm.”
Frank felt his eyebrows shoot up. “What?!”
“Sorry,” Joe shrugged.
Frank stared for a moment in disbelief then flopped on the ground beside Joe and leaned his head back against the car with a dull thud.
Joe shifted beside him and offered up another apology, although this time his voice was tinged with amusement. “Ya know, Frank, I don’t think Dad’s gonna be too impressed with how well you’re taking care of me tonight…”
Frank snapped his head to the left and glared at his younger brother, causing Joe to snicker which quickly turned into a muffled string of “Ow, ow, ow.”
“Serves you right,” Frank muttered as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. After giving the dispatcher a brief synopsis of the events of the past hour and asking for the police and an ambulance, knowing the girl needed to be checked out, and now apparently so did Joe, Frank snapped the cell phone shut.
With a world-weary sigh, he looked up at the stars and shook his head. “When Dad finds out about this… I am so dead…”
“Probably,” Joe said helpfully. “Especially since we were supposed to be home over two hours ago. But don’t worry…”
Frank looked at Joe hopefully. He always did have a gift for talking his way out of trouble. Maybe he’d come up with something that would appease Fenton on Frank’s behalf. “Oh?”
“I’ll give an awesome eulogy at your funeral,” Joe assured him and Frank swore he could see Joe’s eyes sparkling with laughter in the moonlight.
Frank thumped his head against the car one more time and groaned. “God, please just kill me now…”
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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.