"Hello," she asked, "C. J, is that you?"

"Y-yes," C. J. stammered, "I found something that might interest you."

"What is it," Mrs. Silver asked calmly, hoping that nothing had happened.

"This is hard to say," C. J. said, "but you need to know. I found Vicki’s car in a ditch on a dirt path. She’s not here, there’s…no sign of her."

Mrs. Silver gasped and for a few moments everything was silent, "Are you sure?"

"Yes Mrs. Silver," C. J. said, "She’s not here and the car is completely empty. I’m sorry."

"It’s okay," Vicki’s mom answered, "I’ll go call Rob and tell him. Thanks for looking though. Bye."

C. J. hung up once again and dialed another number. This time she called Frank and Joe Hardy. She would need their help on this case. She and Vicki always worked together, but without Vicki, she couldn’t do much. Luckily, Frank was the one who answered.

"Hello," he asked, "This is the Hardy residence. Can I help you?"

"Frank," C. J. asked, "It’s C. J. Summers. Hi."

"Is something wrong," Frank asked, "Is everything okay?" He could tell that something wasn’t right, "You can tell me."

"Frank," C. J. repeated, "It’s Vicki and I’m afraid it’s not good. She’s missing and I found her car lying in a ditch. I know she was going to deliver some important papers for her dad."

"Joe." C. J. heard Frank calling in the background before she finished, "Grab the extension in the other room. I think you need to hear this." Seconds later, Joe’s voice clicked on.

"What’s up," Joe asked, "What is it Frank?"

"It’s C. J," Frank replied, "Tell us everything. It might help." C. J. told them everything that had happened.

"The papers are gone too," C. J. concluded, "All I found was this list of times on a paper nearby. I don’t understand it at all."

"Is there anything we can do to help," Joe asked.

"Yes," C. J. answered, "Can you come up here again and help me? Whoever did this obviously wanted to get those plans, whatever they were."

"Of course," Frank and Joe said at the same time, "We’ll take the next ride out there."

"Thank you," C. J. said, "Just come to my house and I’ll meet you there, okay? When will you arrive?"

"In about seven hours," Frank said, "We’re on our way." They hung up and C. J. dropped her cell phone into her bag. Then she looked around again, waiting to see something other than the empty red car.

It could have been hours or days later when Vicki opened her eyes as a light from above shone on her face. She moved to block the bright light, but found that she couldn’t do so. Her wrists and ankles were securely tied, holding her back. Instead she gradually allowed herself to get used to the light. When she could see clearly, Vicki looked around. She was sitting in a straight-back chair.

"You’re finally up," a new voice said, "Good thing too. We need you to give us some information."

"About what," Vicki asked and immediately felt a headache coming along, "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"The papers," the voice continued, "Where are the rest of them? Do you really think that you could fool us?"

"What," Vicki asked, "What papers? Can you at least tell me what you’re talking about?"

"The ones you were delivering for your father," the voice said, "Where are the rest of the papers?"

"Aren’t those it," Vicki asked, "I was told to deliver them. I didn’t look at them. What other papers?"

"I already told you," he said, "but since you don’t seem to know, we’ll have to call your parents. Maybe your father will make an agreement with us."

"Never," Vicki said, "I don’t care what it is. He won’t give you a thing."

"We’ll see about that," the voice went on, "Let’s give him a call, shall we? What’s his number?" Vicki reluctantly told them, since it was evident that she wasn’t going anywhere for a while. She listened as her father’s phone started to ring.

"Hello…" her dad’s voice came over, "Who’s there?" The man standing beside Vicki nudged her.

"Mr. Silver," he said into the phone, "We want something that you have and we have something that you want."

"What is it," Mr. Silver asked.

"Vicki," the man turned to her, "Say hi to your dad."

"Dad…" Vicki said, as the phone was pointed in her direction.