Hardy Detective Agency featuring Hardy Boys Fan Fiction

The boys were taken aback by the appearance of a girl. She had a very small build, petite and slender with auburn hair and olive eyes.

They all listened while the professor explained to Jay what had happened. She nodded and then looked at the boys.

"Can you help us?" asked Phil. Joe didn't say anything, just looked at Jay in the eyes, he couldn't exactly explain it but he could see pain in her eyes, pain that he himself had gone through in the aftermath of his run-in with Rashman.

He looked at her, his own blue eyes clouded over with worry.

"Yes," said Jay, turning to the professor. " Professor, I will need to borrow your truck."

The professor nodded and handed Jay the keys. He told them he had to get back to work, but he had left them in good hands.

The group made their way back to the car park. Joe fell in step beside Jay.

"What happened" she asked Joe as the group walked along.

He quickly filled her in on the morning's events. Jay could tell from his conversation that he was extremely worried about his brother, sister in law and fiancée.

She also noted how Joe's voice softened and his eyes lit up as he spoke of Vanessa. He obviously loved her a lot.

"Which cave are they in?" Jay asked Joe.

Joe got out his map and showed her.

"I know these caves well, there is another way in"

Jay signed and ran her hands through her hair. "It's not going to be easy, but I can do it."

The others were surprised with the definite way that Jay spoke, it was as if she knew that the others were still alive and that she could rescue them. However, they were relieved that their seemed to be some hope emerging.

Joe took his phone out and called his dad, but he couldn't get through.

Putting the phone back in his pocket Joe noticed that Jay had almost reached the professors truck. He sprinted across the car-park to catch up with her and grabbed her arm to turn her to him.

Jay jerked her arm quickly and rather roughly out of his hands. Joe said nothing, he had seen a reaction like that before, he had reacted that way to touch for a while after his ordeal at Rashmans hands.

"I'll ride with you," said Joe. He wanted to be in on any rescue attempt to save his brother, Callie and Vanessa. He wasn't going to let Jay out of his sight, whatever her past she seemed to be the key to rescuing the others.

Jay didn't say much of anything. She just nodded her head.

On the way back to the caves Joe he talked about Vanessa, Frank and Callie. He told Jay all about them.

She could tell that he was trying to find a way to quell the rising panic inside him, and that Joe was really worried. Not wanting to interrupt she merely nodded her head a lot.

The guys followed Jay and Joe in their jeep to a high point beyond the caves. Jay got out and told the guys were to park.

She then guided the big truck expertly up the side of the hill. Alighting from the driver side Jay first of all took the wench hook from the front of the truck and pulled it over to where Joe could see a small opening in the ground.

The others stood around watching this girl curiously and feeling rather redundant. Jay refused all offers of help with the equipment.

Joe decided that if he was going to be part of this rescue effort he would have to make his intentions known, he turned to Chet who was standing a little away.

"Chet, I need you to go tell my Dad where we are," said Joe.

As Tony and Chet left to go and tell Mr. Hardy where they were, the others turned to see what they could do to help Jay.

"What can I use?" asked Joe, standing beside Jay and looking into the back of the truck.

"What do you mean?" asked Jay. She always worked alone and felt a little apprehensive about letting someone go with her.

Joe looked at her, his sapphire blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I am going with you. You can't do it alone. You might be able to find them, but what if someone is hurt. You cannot carry all of them out of the cave."

Jay looked at Joe very carefully. She saw the determination in his eyes and realized she was not going to change his mind and that he was right. Sighing she handed him over some of the equipment.

"What kind of experience have you had with the climbing gear and caves?" asked Jay, as they made their way back up to the opening.

"My brother, Frank, and I have spent time climbing," said Joe. "I know what I am doing. You don't have to worry about me."

Jay nodded her head and then told Joe, "You might know about climbing, but caves are a different story. You are to stay close and do exactly what I do and say. Okay?"

"Okay," said Joe, deciding that now was not the time to argue, and besides, he had a feeling that Jay was not the sort of girl to easily lose an argument.

As they were getting ready to descend into the caves, Joe noticed how cold the air seemed inside the cave. He noticed that Jay seemed only to have a light t-shirt on. "Do you want a sweater or something?" he asked her, rather nervously, as he never seemed to know what the girl's reaction would be.

"No thanks," she replied, not looking at him. " I have a knitted shirt in the back. With that she proceeded to take off the t-shirt she was wearing to reveal a lycra sports top underneath.

Joe gasped, but not at the t-shirt, or the top, he looked in horror at the mass of criss-crossed scars and marks all over Jay's back.