As they sat on the bench beside Chet, Joe leaned towards his brother and whispered. "Think we have enough evidence to take to the authorities?" Frank shook his head, amused. "I think they already have enough evidence of their own to take out this business. They were already a jump ahead of us it seems."

"Well, its not like we were really invited to begin an investigation here. We just stuck our noses out looking for trouble, and it found us." Biff drawled from his position on the floor. Chet pretended to glower down at him. "It wouldn't have, if Joe hadn't insisted on being hare-brained as usual. We should have gone back and you know it."

TJ leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. "I'm afraid you wouldn't have been able to find us if you'd come looking."

"Hey!" Joe protested, leaning forward on the bench, "Just because we didn't find you guys the first time that you decided to disappear, don't pin it on me for life!" His voice rose a tad, and Agent Bradley looked back and shushed them. Frank shook his head. "I have to agree with him on this one Joe. I'm sure that you would have searched valiantly for us, but in the end you would have had to concede defeat."

Joe's jaw dropped as he looked back at his older brother. "Frank? Are my ears playing tricks on me? I thought I heard you just agree with him that I couldn't find you."

"Yep." The elder brother was enjoying this. "No offense to your skills, of course."

Seeing Joe starting to steam, TJ broke in. "Um, Joe, what we mean is that we weren't where we were supposed to be." He shook his head. "That came out wrong."

Taking a deep breath, he plunged into the tale - from the start of the day until the present. The younger Hardy sat back and looked sheepishly at his brother. "I guess you were right." Frank winked at him. "Yet again." His brother wrinkled his nose and glared. "Just don't try the 'I'm older, so I'm always right' line with me."

"Wouldn't dream of it, even though I am."

Joe rolled his eyes. "You're hopeless."

"Yep. Hopelessly in love." Biff snickered at that. Frank grinned at his brother. "No, just glad to be alive and back with my only younger brother."

"Yeah, yeah. It's great to be loved."

Chet shook his head. "You're all hopeless."

TJ looked from one to another. "Is this what it's like around you guys?"

Biff nodded. "Yep, that's exactly it. Better watch out or you'll catch it too." He grinned and stretched. "Wonder how long they're going to keep us here?"

* * * * *

It wasn't long.

Within the space of two hours, other agents had arrived and carted the boys off to an undisclosed location - aboveground, that is. Apparently they didn't like civilians in the middle of their investigations...

Joe was pacing back and forth in front of the sliding glass door. All that could be seen was an endless sea of trees - at least from their current perspective. The other boys had thrown themselves down on the couch or floor, enjoying as much of the sunset as they could see between the trees. The front door squeaked as it opened, and Agent Sanders entered, along with the dour agent who'd been keeping watch over the house.

Joe stopped his pacing and leaned on the back of the couch as the agents entered the room. The female agent was moving slowly and carefully, while the man merely scowled at them from his post in the doorway. After seating herself comfortably, Agent Sanders turned to the boys. "I suppose you'd like to know what all has been happening in this neck of the woods while you've been here?" She took a moment to survey the looks on their faces - ranging from curious to amused to downright frustrated.

With a sigh, she continued speaking. "Unfortunately for you, I can't divulge all the information you probably wish I could. I'm mostly here to determine if you'll be necessary witnesses in any upcoming trial. As I'm sure you already figured out, please note that we didn't want any civilians involved in this operation."

Biff choked back a laugh as the boys shifted their gaze to the second agent, who glared back at their constrained mirth. "That would be an understatement."

Agent Sanders allowed herself a slight smile at that. Frank nodded amiably and glanced at his brother. Both shared a look - how many times had they heard that one before?

"Needless to say, you boys managed to drop into the middle of a dangerous situation; even noting the effort that we made to keep you away." Sanders took her time gazing across the group. "So I'll ask you: who, what, where, how?"

"Effort?" Joe blinked and looked at the agent. She rolled her eyes. "Yes, effort. Who do you suppose was haunting the area, trying to keep hikers and campers away?" Frank nodded thoughtfully. "And you didn't exactly have the help of your 'partner' when you spirited us away. You had to use your brother to get us out of the way, didn't you?"

Agent Sanders blinked and stared. "How did you know?"

The elder Hardy just smiled. "Your brother? You two look alike. And I didn't think that Jarmin was too inclined to let anyone go so easily after studying his reactions today. Your 'other agent' had to be the only logical choice for someone that you would be seen working with. Of course, when we saw him, he was dressed up like Jarmin." Frank frowned at the recollection. "Why?"

"To keep him from being recognized as our inside agent. But you're right about Jarmin - all his ideas to keep people away involved lethal measures."

Frank realized that the agent wasn't ready to release any more information at present, and decided that they might as well make get their statement made. He began the narration of their interrupted vacation, the other boys picking up the tale when Frank finished what he knew firsthand. Afterwards, both the agents questioned them further on several points. Chet noted the recording device that the dour looking agent held. He held his peace, used to such spectacles.

Darkness had descended upon the face of the earth before Agent Sanders rose to leave. Seeming to suddenly remember something, she turned to the other agent and spoke in a low voice. He scowled, but left the room, returning in a moment with a briefcase, from which he pulled a folder. Handing it to the female agent, he resumed his post leaning against the wall.

Pulling out a photograph, Agent Sanders turned and showed it to the boys. Joe whistled under his breath. "Hey, it's old Ugly"

"This is Buddy Wise. He's a part of the first company that we busted today. Unfortunately, he vanished, and quite a few documents disappeared with him." Retrieving a card from her vest, she handed it to Frank. "If you do happen to see him before you leave town, give us a call at this number." He took the card and slipped it into his wallet.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Agent Sanders grinned. "To put the finishing touches on the trap that springs after the pickup tonight." She turned and headed for the door, escorted by 'Agent Grim'. "Which you won't be watching, by the way."

* * * * *

As they settled down for the night in their rented motel room, the Hardy brothers discussed the events leading up to the present. The dour looking agent had accompanied them while they retrieved the contents of their campsite, and had driven them to the small village at the outskirts of the forest. With a simple last instruction to be careful and not sneak out to the forest, he left them at the motel.

Frank stared at the ceiling from the cot where he was laying. Chet had already dozed off on one of the room's two single beds, and Joe was laying sprawled out on the other. Biff and TJ were in the adjoining room.

"You know Frank, it really doesn't seem like it's over. I mean, I know that the FBI has its hands all over the case, but they didn't catch ug...I mean Buddy Wise." Joe rolled onto his side and propped his head one hand. "It's almost like we messed it up ourselves."

His brother chuckled at that. "No, I understand what you mean. You don't see any closure. Might it help if I reminded you that it wasn't really a case to begin with?"

Joe wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, yeah, it was our vacation. I know that."

"And we were only trying to get more evidence before going to the cops ourselves. I'm just as glad that we didn't have to do any more investigation - I was getting really tired of falling, and darkness and not knowing where we were."

"Alright already! I..."

A knock on the door broke into the conversation. The brothers looked at one another before Frank got up to look out of the peephole. "Don't hold your breath little brother. It looks like our buddy has come calling."

Joe was out of bed like a flash, stooping to peer at their visitor as well. "What is he doing around here?"

Frank shrugged as he threw on his shirt. "I guess we'll find out. Wake up Chet and alert Biff and TJ. I'll see what he wants." A knock interrupted him again.

* * * * *

Five minutes later, the boys were all gathered around the wanted man. Chet was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, while TJ tucked his shirt into his jeans, and Biff finished tying his shoes. Frank turned to the man, even as he dialed the number that Agent Sanders had given him. "You do understand that we've been instructed to turn you in if we saw you."