NO PLACE TO HIDE

by

Sandpiper

Chapter 1

The Chapters

INTRO

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

Tuesday, April 18^th

11:48 pm 

Heat washed over him as the concussive force knocked him back on the sand. The roar of the explosion filled his ears as the realization hit him...

“No!” Frank Hardy sat up, breathless, feeling the pain again as it sank in what had happened. The Jetski...it had exploded. His head throbbed, his muscles shaky as if he had pushed himself too hard. Gradually, his surroundings became familiar and he saw that he was in his room at home.

Home. He was home. Frank took a deep breath. The nightmare was fading into the shadows of the dark room, becoming no more substantial than a wisp of smoke. That’s all it is, just a nightmare.

A knock sounded on the door that led to the bathroom he shared with his brother. A sudden rush of relief swept over him and he sagged against the pillows. Just a nightmare...

“You okay?” asked his brother, from the dark doorway.

“I’m fine. Now.”

Joe Hardy reached out with a sureness born from memory and switched on the reading lamp on Frank’s desk. The light was dim but Frank welcomed it. He saw his brother look over at him and shifted on the bed. “Just a nightmare.”

Joe stood there a moment, arms folded across his chest,  his blond hair sleep-tousled and looked at Frank for a long minute. “Are you sure?”

Frank frowned. “What do you mean?”

Joe walked farther into the room and sat on the edge of Frank’s bed. “I don’t know. I’m not sure. It just feels weird being home. Like I – we’ve been gone much longer than a few days.”

Frank shuddered, still feeling the heat of the explosion on his skin, the horror of losing his baby brother.  “I know what you mean.”

Joe looked at Frank as if he could read his brother’s mind. Finally, he looked away and took a deep breath. “It’s so hazy now, what happened. The Jetski exploded, right?”

Frank nodded. “Yeah. You went under water—“ He broke off at the confused look on his brother’s face. “Joe?”

“Why do I remember differently? I was somewhere...” Joe cleared his throat and suddenly seemed to find the old carpet in Frank’s room fascinating in the dim light. “I’m alone. God, I’m so alone – no one to trust, no one to depend on, I’m stranded somewhere...”

Joe’s head jerked up and around and he looked right at Frank. “Why am I remembering differently, Frank? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Frank felt a cold shiver wash down his  spine. “Where is....your pin – the four-leaf clover pin?”

Joe frowned at the sudden subject change. “How does that have anything to do with why I’m remembering different things?”

Frank remembered the night of the St. Patrick’s Day party – the pin dropping, Piper whispering something to Joe. “What did Piper tell you that night at the party at her club?”

Joe took a deep breath, giving Frank an odd look, but then he shrugged and answered, “She said the four-leaf clover pin was powerful, a strong talisman of good luck. It was best I wore it until the time was right to take it off.”

Frank studied his brother, feeling uneasy. Something wasn’t right here. “Where is it now?”

Joe shook his head. “I don’t know. After I went into the water...” Fire...rough wood...wet clothes... “I guess I lost it.”

Frank stared down at his hands, suddenly, sharply remembering the feel of the dry driftwood he had picked up to add to the castle...He cleared his throat. “Strong talisman, like magic?” A voice echoed in his head, not quite familiar, “It’s a spell.”

Joe gave him a hard look. “After all that happened in San Francisco, you still don’t believe?”

Frank started fiddling with the hem of his blanket. “I don’t know what to believe,” he said softly. They had flown home only this morning, leaving Barbados and sunshine behind. All four of them had been exhausted, opting for a simple supper and an early night.

Joe yawned and pushed himself to his feet. “Makes two of us. I’m going back to bed,” he added, sounding exhausted.

Frank watched Joe go through the door and into the bathroom, wanting nothing more than for Joe to stay. A long time ago, whenever his little brother had bad dreams, Joe would wander into his room and crawl into bed with him. For just a second, he wished for that back.

He noticed Joe hadn’t closed his door all the way. He listened for a moment and noted that Joe hadn’t closed the other door, the one leading from the bathroom to his bedroom, either.

Frank saw the reading lamp was still on as well but couldn’t summon the energy to get out of bed to turn it off. Something had happened in Barbados, something beyond the sniper, the exploding Jetski and he couldn’t for the life of him remember. That made Frank all the more determined to figure out why...

*****

Wednesday, April 19^th

7:15am

Laura Hardy looked up from the morning paper and gave both of her sons a critical once-over. They both looked half-asleep, although she knew they had gone to bed last night at a reasonable hour.

“Boys, sleep well last night?” she asked as casually as she could, not wanting to let either boy know she had heard one of them cry out last night. It had taken all her will power not to go check on them like she used to when they were younger.

Frank spun around so fast he nearly knocked over the pitcher of orange juice. “Um...sure, Mom. Probably just jetlag or something. We did cross a time zone, you know....”

Laura arched one blond eyebrow and sipped her coffee. “You think that’s all it is, then?”

Joe yawned. “You know how it is, Mom, Frank knows everything.” He nudged Frank toward the back door. “C’mon, bro, get the lead out, we’re gonna be late.”

Laura watched her sons leave to go to school and frowned. Something was going on, she was sure of it.

“Hmmm, maybe I should go back to bed.”

Laura turned to see her husband standing in the doorway of the kitchen. He was leaning against the doorframe, still clad in his pajamas. Her frown faded and she gestured to the coffee maker. “You wouldn’t want to do that. Coffee’s hot and fresh.”

Fenton stepped into the kitchen and gave her a kiss. “That’s what woke me. That delicious aroma.” He walked over to the counter and fixed himself a cup of coffee. “You know the boys could have stayed home today.” He turned around and leaned against the counter to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

Laura focused on the front page of the newspaper. “What do you mean, what’s wrong?” She cleared her throat. “This is Frank’s senior year, and they miss enough school as it is.”

Fenton pushed himself away from the counter and walked over to the table. He sat down across from her  and slid the newspaper away. “I saw that look. I recognize that worried look. What’s wrong?”

“I heard one of them cry out last night, Fenton. I don’t think they slept well last night.” She didn’t add that she hadn’t slept all that well either.

Fenton  took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Probably just jetlag or something.”

“I don’t think so.” Laura reached across and touched his hand, until he looked up at her. “Haven’t you noticed that it started Monday night?”

Fenton turned his hand palm up to clasp her hand. Monday night, the day after Easter, their last day in Barbados. “Yes, I had noticed.” Fenton studied their clasped hands for a moment. “I figured it was just the reaction factor. Joe scaring the life out of us.” Again, he added silently.

“So you think it’s emotional exhaustion?” asked Laura. An odd hazy memory flashed across her mind and she shuddered.

“I didn’t know there was a name for it, but...yeah.”

“But Joe’s okay. There was no harm done, nothing to get emotional about. After all, we didn’t find out until after the fact.” There was a hint of censure in her tone.

Fenton tightened his hold on her hand and he looked over at her. “Laura, it was so unexpected. Someone shooting at the Jetski?” He shook his head and swallowed hard. “We were on vacation. I was on vacation.”

Laura took a deep breath. “That may be so but the last time Joe was shot at...” Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. “I keep having this nightmare of losing my baby, of losing Joe. Why, Fenton?” Tears filled her eyes as she looked at her husband. “Why on earth would I dream that?”

For a heart-stopping moment, he thought he saw a weary Frank silhouetted in a doorway. Fenton took a deep breath. “I...I don’t know, Laura. I just don’t know.” Fenton stared down into his rapidly cooling coffee. With his free hand, he picked up the mug and sipped his beverage. “Maybe I better do some checking.”

Laura took a deep breath. “How many times, Fenton? How many times is someone going to come back for revenge?”

“Laura—”

“Maybe you should think about retiring,” she snapped, yanking her hand free of his, not sure where the anger was coming from.

“And what good would that do? They’d still come after me and—”

“And use your family to get to you.” Laura closed her eyes, feeling so exhausted, she wanted to just go back to bed and cry herself to sleep. She considered doing just that but then squared her shoulders and got to her feet.

She turned to look at Fenton. “Then find out who did it, Fenton. Do whatever you have to. I’m not about to lose my family.”

Fenton got to his feet. “Laura...I don’t know what to say. I never dreamed—”

Laura busied herself with putting the orange juice up and clearing away the breakfast dishes. “Just do what you have to, Fenton.”

Fenton stood up and ducked out of the kitchen. If what happened in Barbados was in any way connected to what happened last November, there would be hell to pay. He darted into his study, eager to find out what was going on.

*****

Lunch time always turned the school cafeteria into nothing but chaos. Frank stood there, a tray of food in his hands, looking for a place to sit. He noticed the tables where different clubs and their members sat, usually combining lunch with club plans.

There was always a table full of chess players or the gamers. He finally located a table against the far wall and headed in that direction. He saw Tony Prito with his girlfriend Sarah and motioned them to follow him to the table. Like Frank, Tony was graduating this year as well.

Tony set his tray down and grinned at Frank. “Getting excited? Graduation’s only a month away now.”

Frank made himself smile. “Yeah.”

Tony sat down and frowned. “Yeah and I’m giving up the pizza business. What’s wrong?”

Frank shrugged. “Bad dreams.”

Tony glanced at Sarah and then across the table.  “Like walking across the stage to get your diploma in your skivvies?” he asked in a whisper.

Frank nearly choked on his soda. “Um, no.” He gave Tony a look. “You?”

“No, what makes you think that?” Tony said a bit louder than necessary.

“Hey, Seniors, mind if we join you?” Before either Frank or Tony could answer, Joe sat down. “Wow, didn’t know the seniors would let little old juniors sit with ‘em.”

Tony snorted. “What makes you think we’d let you?”

Biff Hooper set down his tray. “Hey, guys, secret meeting or something?” He waved at his girlfriend, Karen, and motioned for her to come and join the group

Karen Richardson hurried over and claimed the seat next to him.

Joe gave Biff a grin. “Oh, just that it’s a conspiracy. Seniors trying to exclude us little people.”

“Oh, Frank, knows better than that.” Callie Shaw walked up to the table and sat down next to Frank. “Hey, handsome.”

“Joe, move down. I want to sit next to you,” said Vanessa as she came up to them.

Joe did so and spotted Phil Cohen balancing his tray in one hand while fiddling with a small PDA with his other hand. His glasses were slightly skewed and he had a pencil tucked behind each ear. Joe got up and grabbed the tray of food as it tilted.

Phil sketched a wave as he kept his eyes glued on the PDA’s small screen. “Thanks, Joe.”

“What’s so interesting in that little thing?” asked Biff.

“The principal asked me to check the computers for viruses and such. He says he’d hate to leave a senior high and dry by some worm or back-door prank.”

Frank frowned. “Has that happened before?”

Phil looked up and blinked. He adjusted his glasses and shook his head. “No, but this is the first year all files are in the system. Usually, it’s standard procedure to have computer files plus hard-copies.”

Joe grunted and steered Phil toward a chair. “No more tech-talk. It’s lunch time.”

“Hey, everyone,” said Chet as he and Liz Webling came up to the table. “Did someone save me a seat?”

“No, Chet, you have to go sit in the corner by yourself,” said Biff, with a grin. He had one arm draped across the back of an empty chair. “I’m saving this for my best friend.”

Chet rolled his eyes, walked over to that chair and knocked Biff’s arm away. “Ha, this is my chair.”

Biff frowned. “Huh, thought you needed a special chair, Chet, one sturdier than most.”

Chet sat down after pulling out a chair for Liz and dug into his sandwich. “Keep it up, Alan, I’ll tell that little fishing trip story of yours.”

Biff jumped. “No! Hey, I was only joking.”

Joe laughed. “Chet, that was how many years ago? You’re blackmailing him over what he caught?”

Biff sighed and shot Chet a mock glare. “Had to go and bring it up, didn’t you.” He pointed a finger at Joe. “Not a word out of you.”

Joe snickered. “C’mon, Biff, not everyone knows your fish tale.”

Vanessa arched an eyebrow. “What did you catch, Biff?”

Chet snorted. “Tell her, Biff. It’s good for the soul.”

Tony grinned and nudged Biff hard. “Let’s see, what did you say it was?”

Biff sighed somewhat fatalistically. “I said it looked like a mermaid.”

Callie gasped. “A mermaid? Biff! You can’t be serious.”

“It had hair and a tail,” said Biff, defensively. He shot Karen a mock glare as she giggled.

Joe shook his head. “You’d dragged your hook through seaweed. It was a normal fish with a pile of seaweed all over its head.”

Sarah laughed softly. “And you thought it was a mermaid?”

Biff grunted good-naturedly. “Hey, I was young and impressionable.”

Joe rolled his eyes. “Whatever. He just wanted to let the world know he caught a mermaid.” Suddenly, he blinked and looked over at Frank who still hadn’t said anything about the old joke.

Callie shook her head. “Of all the crazy things...” She looked  at Frank and frowned at the odd look on his face. She lowered her voice and leaned close. “Frank? You okay?”

It took a long minute for Frank to blink and look at her. “Um, yeah,” he said in a confused sounding voice.

“You sure?”

Joe’s laughter faded rather abruptly and he blinked. He looked around and focused on Frank. “Frank, hey, bro, I think we’re gonna be late for our next class.” He nodded to their friends. “See you later.”

Most of the group looked mildly puzzled but told Joe and Frank good-bye. Joe practically dragged Frank out of the cafeteria and into an empty corridor. “Frank, something’s wrong. For a minute there...”

Frank studied his brother’s face and felt a shiver sweep over him. “For a minute there, you didn’t remember it at all, did you?”

“No, I...” Joe’s blue eyes went wide and he took a step back. “Frank, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know, Joe, but I think we should find out.”

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