Fenton Hardy stood by his wife’s bedside, staring down at her unconscious body. He couldn’t believe all that had happened. He reached for Laura’s hand and gave it a squeeze, hoping there was some response, but there wasn’t one. She was in a coma and the doctors didn’t know when or if she would wake up.

That had him worried. But what had him even more terrified was that his two sons, Frank and Joe, were missing.

About twelve hours earlier, Laura and the boys had stopped by the NYC police station where he worked. They had made the stop before they headed to Bayport, the town where they had purchased a house and where he was going to pursue his dream of being a private investigator. He had three more days to work with the department before he joined his family in their new home.

After hugs and a kiss to his wife, he had watched them drive off toward the interstate. And the six hours later, he had gotten the word that his wife was in the hospital, unconscious.

Arriving at the hospital he had been anxious to see his wife and sons. Meeting a County Sheriff, he was told how his wife had been found beaten and left for dead on the side of the road beside a stolen vehicle. The vehicle had allegedly been involved in an armed robbery. But there was no sign of Frank and Joe.

He had several more hours of waiting before he had seen his wife. A large bandage was wrapped around her head. There were cuts and bruises marking the beautiful face that he loved, as well as marks on her arms and hands.

Leaning down, Fenton kissed Laura’s forehead on a spot where there wasn’t a bruise. He whispered softly, “I will find the boys and bring them home. I promise.”

Fenton stepped back, waiting for some response from his wife, but there wasn’t one. He knew he needed to find his boys.

Fenton left the room and moved down the hall when he saw three of his fellow officers standing together, talking. When he reached them, he asked, “What do we know?”

“Fenton, you need to let us do this,” Chief Willis said, stepping up to the group. “This is personal and it will cloud your judgment.”

“Of course it’s personal,” Fenton snapped. “My wife was left for dead on the side of the road and my two young sons are missing. I need to find them.”

“Fenton, you need to be here for your wife,” Chief Willis said.

“My wife would want me to find our sons,” Fenton said. “Now, what do we know?”

“We received a call from Brooklyn that two armed individuals held up a small grocery store,” Chief Willis said. “There were two witnesses that saw the individuals climb into a car that matches the description that was found near your wife.”

“And since Laura’s car is missing, we need to assume that they took her car,” Fenton said.

“We’ve already put our an APB on your wife’s car as well as a description of both your boys. If anyone sees anything, we will know,” Chief Willis said.

“Have the state police been notified?” Fenton asked.

Chief Willis nodded. “As well as the FBI since this involved children. Several roadblocks have been set up. There are several monitoring the crossing into New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”

“What about heading north?” Fenton asked. “It’s possible they kept going north. That’s the direction Laura and the boys were headed.”

“The state police are on it,” Chief Willis said. “We just need to be ready for when the call comes.”

Fenton couldn’t believe they wanted him to wait until they heard something. He was terrified something was going to happen to his boys. He couldn’t sit and wait. He had to find them.

Before he could say anything, the soft ding of the elevator filled the hallway and they all turned to see who came onto the floor. Fenton immediately recognized his in-laws, Richard and Evelyn Davis. After he had arrived, and realized Frank and Joe were not there, he had called them to be with Laura while he looked for them.

“Fenton!” Richard said.

He moved away from his fellow officers. He gave Evelyn and Richard a hug. He whispered, “Thank you for coming.”

Evelyn leaned back from him. “How’s Laura?”

“She’s got a lot of cuts and bruises, but she’s lucky to not have any broken bones,” Fenton explained.

“That’s good,” Richard said.

Fenton saw Evelyn staring at him and knew she realized he hadn’t told them the whole story. Evelyn asked, “What is it?”

He took a breath. “While Laura isn’t seriously injured, she is in a coma.”

“Oh no,” Evelyn gasped.

“What do the doctors say?” Richard asked.

“They are hopeful that she will come out of it, but only time will tell.”

“Where is she?” Evelyn asked.

“This way,” Fenton said, leading them down the hall to Laura’s room.

Once they stepped into the room, tears began cascading down Evelyn’s cheeks. She said, “My baby.”

Fenton watched as Evelyn moved to the bed and gently kissed her daughter. He knew what he needed to do. He looked at his father-in-law. “I need you to stay here with Laura. I don’t want her to be alone when she wakes up.”

“Are you going after the people who did this to her?” Richard asked.

“I have to,” Fenton admitted.

“But what about Frank and Joe?” Richard asked.

“They are the reason I have to.”

“I don’t understand,” Richard said, looking at him perplexed.

“Frank and Joe were in the car when all this happened,” Fenton explained. “I need to find them.”

“Then go,” Richard said. “We’ll handle things here.”

“Thank you.” Fenton moved to the bed and leaned down to kiss Laura on the lips. He whispered, “I will bring our boys back. I promise.”

Fenton kissed her once more and left the hospital.

* * * * *

The bouncing of the car forced eight-year-old Frank to open his eyes. It was dark all around him and he could just make out his mother sitting in the front seat behind the wheel. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he glanced out the window and saw they were surrounded by complete darkness. He figured they were supposed to be at the new house by then.

“Mom?”

The car jerked forward as it came to an abrupt stop. Frank, and Joe, who was asleep beside him in the back seat, were thrown to the floor.

Frank felt a hand grab hold of the back of his shirt and haul him off the floor. He looked forward and came face to face with two unfamiliar men.

“Where did you come from?” the man holding him asked.

Frank had a feeling he and Joe were in serious trouble. He asked, “Where’s our Mom?”

“There’s more than one of you back there?” the man countered.

“Frank?” seven-year-old Joe asked as he got off the floor.

“What are you doing here?” the man demanded.

Frank and Joe remained quiet, knowing they were in a bad situation.

“We need to get rid of them,” the second man said. “I don’t want to be charged with kidnapping.”

“What do you suggest we do?” the first man asked.

“Hang onto that one and follow me.”

Frank felt himself get yanked out of the car and saw Joe get pulled out as well from the overhead light in the car. The two of them were dragged into the dark woods. They had no idea how long they had walked when the finally stopped.

The two of them were pushed to opposite sides of a tree and tied to it. The man who had been holding Frank took something out of his pocket and shoved it into Frank’s mouth.

Frank heard Joe mumbling and figured he had gotten the same treatment. A moment later, their footsteps were heard walking away. And then silence surrounded them.

The hoot of an owl forced Frank to look up, startled at the sound. There was the rustling of dried leaves as if something was approaching them. It didn’t match the sound of the men leaving. He had a feeling there were some wild animals around them.

Frank heard whimpering and realized it was coming from Joe. He struggled to break free knowing he needed to take care of his brother. He worked his arms slowly forward so they were by his side. He had a feeling rope was holding him to the tree. He got his arms to his side and slowly got them free. He reached up and pulled the cloth out of his mouth.

“It’s okay, Joe,” Frank said. “We’ll be all right.”

The whimpers seemed to get softer.

Frank continued struggling and finally he felt the rope slacken enough so he could get out. Once he was free, he put his left hand against his right wrist and felt something sticky and winced at the touch.

Forcing the pain from his thoughts, he moved to his brother and pulled the cloth from his brother’s mouth as he said, “It’s okay, Joe.”

“What happened?” Joe asked. “Where’s Mom?”

“I don’t know,” Frank said as he worked on the ropes and the knots.

“What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Frank repeated.

After a couple more minutes of struggling, the ropes fell and Joe was free. Frank rolled up the rope and held onto it.

“Frank?” Joe put his hand on this brother’s arm.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t like this.”

Frank put his arm around Joe’s shoulder, holding back a wince as his abraded wrist came in contact with Joe’s shirt. “I don’t like it either, but we will get out of here.”

“How?”

“When morning comes, we’ll hike on out to the road.”

“Why not now?” Joe asked and Frank could feel his brother trembling.

“Because it’s dark,” Frank explained. “And if we wander off, we could end up going in the wrong direction and get lots. It’s better to stay put until morning.”

“I don’t want to stay here,” Joe said.

“Neither do I,” Frank said. “But we don’t have a choice.” He nudged Joe to take a seat. “Come on. Let’s sit down. It’ll be a while before the sun comes up.”

They settled against the tree, side by side, staring out in the darkness surrounding them.

Joe broke the silence. “Do you have any idea what happened to Mom?”

“Nope,” Frank said.

“Do you think she’s okay?”

Frank remained quiet for a moment. He wasn’t sure how to answer this, but knew he needed to be honest with his little brother. “I don’t know.”

“I hope she is, I miss her. I miss Dad too.”

“I miss them too.”

* * * * *

Just as the sun was climbing over the horizon, Fenton was heading to the scene where Laura had been found. He was anxious to get on the case and find his boys. He wanted to look over the scene himself in case there was a clue to the perpetrators destination.

Arriving at the scene, he wasn’t surprised to see there were detectives already hard at work. He parked on the shoulder and slowly approached them. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his investigator’s license to make his way into the cordoned off area.

Fenton saw an old friend who was going over the ground very carefully. It was Sam Radley, an associate of his who had been a great person to call on when he needed to bounce ideas off of and would be an associate as he branched off to the new career path.

“What do you have, Sam?” Fenton asked, stepping up beside him.

Sam looked at him as he got to his feet. “There’s not much here. The car apparently broke down. There’s a trail of oil to her and from an initial inspection, it looks like that’s why it broke down.”

“What else?” Fenton asked, scanning the ground.

“There are some footprints about as if they were pacing, waiting for someone to help them and to get another vehicle for their escape,” Sam noted. “I also have word out to all my contacts across the region. They are keeping a look out for Laura’s car, as well as for the boys.”

“Is there anything here that shows where these perpetrators were going?”

“Nothing,” Sam answered.

At that moment, Sam’s cell phone rang. He quickly put it to his ear. “Hello?” He paused. “Okay. Where?” Another pause. “Are you sure?” Another pause. “All right. Thanks.” Sam ended the call and looked at Fenton. “Laura’s car has been found, abandoned.”

“The boys?” Fenton asked, hopeful.

“I’m sorry,” Sam said. “There’s no sign of them.”

Fenton closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He so wanted them to be found. “Where was the car found?”

“In Niagara Falls, New York,” Sam said. “It was found abandoned in a lot near the falls.”

“Then that’s where I’m going,” Fenton said. “A description of the perpetrators has been released and people are bound to notice them. I have to find them for the boy’s sake.”

“What about Laura?” Sam asked.

“Her parents are with her and have promised to call me if anything changes.” He looked at his associate. “I need you to take care of things here and keep me posted.”

“I will,” Sam said.

Fenton looked at the scene one more time before he turned and got into his car. He needed to get to the other side of the state before the trail went cold. His sons were counting on him.

* * * * *

Frank’s head fell forward and he jerked it up, his eyes going wide. He saw woods all around him and for a moment, wondered where he was. But it all came back to him when he saw the rope rolled up on the ground beside him and his cut up wrists.

Feeling some movement to his side, he turned his head to see Joe curled up on his side, his blond head leaning against the tree trunk. Joe looked like he was sleeping peacefully.

Frank slowly got to his feet and stretched. Looking around, he knew they were in a dire situation. They had nothing. No food. No water. No shelter. The area didn’t look familiar at all. He didn’t know which way to go to get them to safety.

“Frank?”

Turning around, he saw Joe was beginning to wake. He said, “I’m right here. How did you sleep?”

“Okay,” Joe said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looked around and then at Frank. “I was hoping this was a dream.”

“It’s real.”

Joe looked with wide eyes at his brother. “What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to find the road and make our way out of here,” Frank said. “I know Dad said that when we are lost, we should just stay put and let help find us, but no one knows where we are. When we reach the road, we can then try to flag down some help to get us to the police.”

“But they will be strangers,” Joe said.

“Then we’ll look for a police man,” Frank said. “But we can’t stay here. No one will find us in here.”

Joe was quiet for a moment. “All right. But I don’t like this.”

“Come on. Let’s get going.”

Frank reached down and grabbed the rope as Joe got to his feet. They slowly began their trek through the woods in the direction that would hopefully lead them to the road.

They walked in relative silence. Frank led the way making sure everywhere they stepped was safe. After a little while, Frank stopped and looked around. He wanted to make sure they were heading in the right direction. Feeling they were on the right track, they continued on.

“I’m hungry,” Joe said after a little while of walking.

“So am I,” Frank said. “But we don’t have anything to eat.”

“Couldn’t we eat some berries or something?”

“We shouldn’t,” Frank said. “There are some that are poisonous and some that aren’t. I don’t know which are which, so we shouldn’t eat them.”

“Then what are we going to do?”

“We’ll just have to wait,” Frank said.

“Okay.”

Frank led the way going around trees in the direction he hoped would get them to the road. Every little while they would pause to see if they could hear any engines in the distance, but there was only the ruffle of the tree leaves above them.

Frank began to wonder if he was leading his brother in the right direction. He didn’t think they had walked this far. But it had been dark and he had been scared. Just as he was about to admit to Joe that he thought they were going in the right direction, he heard an engine in the distance.

“This way!” Frank yelled as he took off at a run. “Hurry Joe!”

He ran as fast as he could and listened for the engine. He knew they had to get there fast if they were going to get some help.

Suddenly the ground fell out from underneath him and he tumbled down, rolling through the brush and dried leaves. He finally came to a stop and tried to breathe.

“FRANK!”

He didn’t move. He wasn’t sure if he was hurt or not. Frank listened as Joe came crashing down the hill beside him. He felt Joe place a hand on his shoulder.

“Frank?” he asked hesitantly.

“I think I’m okay,” Frank whispered. After a moment, he rolled onto his back and looked into his brother’s pale face. He could tell Joe was really scared.

“Are you sure?”

Frank waited a moment and took stock of his body. His arms, legs and back were sore, but he didn’t think anything was broken. Frank nodded his head, even as it throbbed. “I’m sure.”

He slowly sat up and looked around, listening for a moment. He could no longer hear the car engine. They had missed the opportunity to get out of there.

“You’re bleeding! Joe exclaimed.

Frank looked and saw blood oozing from cuts on his wrist. Realizing he needed to stop the bleeding, Frank looked around for something, but came up empty.

“Here,” Joe said.

Frank watched Joe untie the sweatshirt that was around his waist. He tore the sweatshirt sleeves off and gently tied them around Frank’s wrists.

“Thanks,” Frank said when Joe finished.

“So, what do we do? Keep going?”

“We need to,” Frank said, slowly getting to his feet. Joe steadied him. “We heard one car. Another one is bound to come by.”

“Then let’s go.”

They made their way through the brush and up the other side of the hill Frank had tumbled down. When they reached the top, they took a minute to catch their breath.

Once they were ready to continue on, Joe asked, “Which way?”

Frank looked in both directions. He looked to his right and pointed that way. The road seemed to be going down hill. “Let’s go that way.”

“All right.”

Together they continued out of the woods, side by side, hoping to find their family.

* * * * *

Fenton arrived in Buffalo and quickly got into the rental car he requested for his arrival. He had to head north to Niagara Falls. He had spoken with police officials on the way and knew they had left the car where it was until he arrived.

He was anxious to find out where his sons were. Almost 24 hours had passed and there had been sign or word of them. He wanted to get to the car and see if there was anything that would tell him the location of his boys.

When he arrived in Niagara Falls, he quickly made his way to the lot where the car had been found. There was a man in a suit standing by another car that was parked a short distance away. Fenton pulled into the spot beside him.

“I’m Detective Patrick Moyle,” the man said as Fenton approached.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Fenton said. “Has anything been found?”

“Not that we can tell,” Patrick said. “There are a bunch of toys and items in the back seat.”

Fenton moved to the car and peered through the backseat window. A few toys littered the floor, but what really caught his eye was the action figure and open book on the back seat. When he had last seen his sons, they had been holding those items. He couldn’t believe this nightmare.

After going over the car and finding nothing out of place, Fenton turned to the detective. “Has there been any sign of the two men?”

“Nothing yet,” Patrick answered. “But we have gotten word that a description of the men will be released shortly.”

Fenton stared at the car and wished there was something more.

“Fenton, why don’t you come to the station and we’ll come up with a game plan?”

He looked at Patrick after a moment realized there was nothing for him to do there. Before he could respond, his phone rang.

“Hello?”

“It’s Sam,” the voice on the other end said.

“What have you got?” Fenton asked.

“We have a video that shows the alleged perpetrators conducting the robbery and then taking off in the stolen car,” Sam said. “And what’s even better is that we’ve got a good shot of both of their faces.”

“Really?” Fenton asked, a small bit of hope filling his entire being.

“And with the news coming on in about an hour, this video will be broadcast nationally.”

“Excellent, Sam,” Fenton said. “Just keep me posted.”

“I will,” Sam said. “And Fenton?”

“Yeah?”

“Keep being positive. We will find the boys.”

“I know,” Fenton said and ended the call.

“Good news?” Patrick asked.

“There’s a possibility that a video of the armed robbery caught the culprits in the act and the coverage will hit the national news later,” Fenton said.

“Let’s head to the station,” Patrick said. “We have a television there and can see what they’ve come up with.”

“I’ll follow you.”

* * * * *

Back in the woods, Frank and Joe were continuing to trudge along the road. They had taken several breaks, they young bodies unaccustomed to the constant walking. Both were exhausted, but continued going forward, knowing that was the only way to find help. They were also getting disappointed that they had not seen another vehicle.

“I need a break,” Joe said after a while. “I just can’t walk anymore.”

“I could use one too,” Frank admitted.

Together they moved over to the side of the road where a tree had fallen. They lowered themselves to the ground.

After a few minutes of silence, Joe said, “I want to go home.”

“So do I,” Frank said, leaning his head back against the tree.

“Frank, do you think Mom is okay?” Joe asked. “I mean, it didn’t seem like she was in the car with us when those men took us out.”

“I don’t know, Joe.”

“Do you think something happened to her?”

“I don’t know, Joe.”

“Do you think she may be hurt?”

“I don’t know, Joe.”

“Do you think Dad is looking for us?”

“Probably,” Frank answered.

“How will he find us all the way out here? There’s nothing here.”

Frank looked at his little brother. “Joe, Dad will find us. He has to know something has happened and is already searching. He’s probably tracking down those guys to get them to tell him where they left us.”

“Do you really think so?” Joe asked quietly.

“I really do.” Frank wrapped his arm around Joe’s shoulder. “Come on. Why don’t you close your eyes and rest a bit? We’ll continue walking in a little while.”

Joe was quiet for a moment and then reluctantly said, “All right.”

Frank watched Joe close his eyes before leaning against Frank’s shoulder. Frank let out a breath and closed his eyes as well. He hoped he hadn’t lied to Joe that their father was searching for them. He just hoped that they were found soon.

Feeling tired and knowing some sleep would do him good as well, he let the rustling of leaves lull him into an exhausted sleep.

* * * * *

Fenton stared at the television as the news story came to an end. The faces of the two men were etched in his mind. He knew who they were and was determined to find them.

“Hopefully people were watching and will help keep an eye out,” Patrick said.

“They will,” Fenton said as they turned away from the television. “People who hear about children being taken get offended and will do anything in their power to reunite the family members.”

“That’s true,” Patrick said. “And the report had everything people needed to know if they saw the men.”

“And hopefully someone has seen them.” Fenton moved to the window and stared at the darkening sky. “It’s been more than twenty-four hours since the boys were last seen. I know they are smart kids, but they are young. Who knows what kind of trouble they could get into?”

“If they are smart boys, they will know what they should and shouldn’t do. Don’t fret, Fenton. You and your sons will be reunited soon.”

Fenton looked at the detective. “Thanks, Patrick. I appreciate the support.”

“I’m glad to help.”

At that moment the phone on the desk rang. “Detective Moyle. How can I help you?” There was a pause. “You think so?”

Fenton stared at the detective.

Patrick began writing on a piece of paper. “Where exactly did you see them?” Another pause. “Are you sure?” Pause. “All right. Thank you very much.” Patrick set the phone down and looked at Fenton.

“Well?”

“We got an ID and a location.”

“Where?” Fenton asked.

“At a motel near the lot where the car was found,” Patrick answered.

“Then let’s go.”

Within a short time, Fenton and Patrick were at the motel with several officers. Patrick had gone in to speak with the desk clerk while the rest of them waited.

Fenton was trying to be patient, but he was anxious for word on his boys.

A few minutes later Patrick exited the office and made his way toward one of the rooms. He motioned for the men to follow him. They all approached the closed door.

Once everyone was in place, Patrick knocked on the door. “Open up. It’s the police. The building is surrounded. You have nowhere to go. Come out with your hands up.”

Fenton stared at the closed door as the seconds ticked by. There was no movement from the room. He wondered if anyone was really in there. Just as he was about to give up hope, the door slowly opened and the two men came out with their hands in the air. It was the two men from the surveillance video.

The men were quickly handcuffed and placed in the police cars before being taken to the station.

Patrick said, “Now that we’ve got them, we just need to find they boys since are not here.”

“Hopefully we can find them soon,” Fenton said, worry creeping into his voice knowing how much time had passed.

“We will,” Patrick said. “Come on. Let’s go find out what they know.”

“All right,” Fenton said.

* * * * *

Hours later, Fenton was standing between a mirrored window, watching the questioning of one of the men. The man, Billy Williamson, was being tight-lipped. He wasn’t saying anything about the robbery or even about Frank and Joe.

With the man not talking, Fenton wondered if they did know where his sons were.

Fenton watched the officer leave the room and then step into the room where he was.

“It doesn’t look like he’s going to say anything.”

“I wonder if we could bluff it out of him,” Fenton said.

“I don’t know if he’d break. He’s got a tough exterior and when I was questioning him, there was no response in his body or eyes. He’s not going to say a thing.”

“What about the other one? How’s that going?”

“I’m not sure. Detective Moyle was working on that one. But I can go see how it’s going.”

The officer left the room and Fenton stared at the man who was now leaning back in the chair, a small grin filling his face. Fenton knew Billy had something to do with his son’s disappearance.

“Mr. Hardy?” a voice asked, getting his attention.

He turned away from the window and saw Patrick Moyle standing there.

“Do you have something?” Fenton asked.

“I think we may have a talker,” Patrick said.

“Really?”

Patrick nodded.

“Edward Milton has been very nervous,” Patrick explained. “Every time we get to the robbery or the boys, his thumb starts twitching and his eyes are darting about.”

“Do you think we could bluff him out?” Fenton asked.

“It’s worth a try.”

Fenton followed Patrick to the other room where the questioning was taking place. He went into the next room to observe as Patrick entered the room where Edward Milton was.

“Edward, you might want to level with us about all you have done,” Patrick said. “It will go easier on you.”

“I haven’t done anything,” Edward said shakily.

“Oh, really,” Patrick said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “That’s not what Billy is saying. What would you think if I told you that he is saying this whole plan was your idea?”

“That’s a lie!” Edward yelled. “Billy wanted to rob the store. That was his idea. Not mine. He wanted the money and he’s the one with the gun. I thought we were just going to hang out and then he pulled this stunt.”

“So, you didn’t help plan the robbery?” Patrick asked.

“NO way!” Edward said. “I admit that I do get into trouble, but armed robbery? No way! I don’t want to go to jail.”

“All right,” Patrick said. “But what about the two boys? Why did you take them with you?”

“We didn’t intend to,” Edward said. “When we took the car, we didn’t know they were there. One woke up and asked for his mom. When Billy heard that, he slammed on the brakes and we stopped. He was very angry the kids were in the car.”

“What happened to the boys?” Patrick asked slowly as he placed his hands against the table and stared at Edward.

“We dragged them out of the car and into the woods. Billy tied them to a tree and gagged them. Then we left.”

“Where were you exactly?”

“We were on an old mountain road that broke off the highway. We drove for about 45 minutes when we got off the highway.”

Fenton left the room and headed for the car, pulling out his cell phone as he went. He needed to get back to the east side of the state to find his boys.

* * * * *

Frank rolled to his side and immediately wondered why his pillow was so rough and hard. Opening his eyes, he blinked against the brightness. For a moment he stared in disbelief that he was out in the woods, but the memory of all that had occurred came back. He and Joe were stuck in the woods, alone.

Joe, he thought turning around to see his little brother curled up on a ball, sound asleep. Looking at Joe, he saw there was dirt and scratches covering his face, as well as his arms. He looked as if he’s been wrestling in a mud pit.

He slowly got to his feet without waking Joe. H needed to take care of business. He looked around and found a place to go.

He was just finishing when he heard Joe’s bloodcurdling scream. He spun around and hurried back to his brother.

As he rounded the fallen tree, he saw Joe was sitting up slightly, his arms wrapped around his legs. Joe’s eyes were wide open in fear and he was shaking uncontrollably. Tears coursed down his dirty cheeks.

“Joe! What is it? Why did you scream?”

Joe’s head spun around to look at Frank. Joe sprang to his feet and grabbed hold of Frank, pulling him close. His sobs got louder.

“It’s okay, Joe,” Frank said soothingly as he patted Joe’s back. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

“You vanished,” Joe cried. “When I woke up, I was all alone.”

“Oh, Joe,” Frank said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I had to go to the bathroom. I was coming right back.”

Joe’s tears continued and Frank felt terrible. He had inadvertently scared his brother. He knew nothing he said or did would make up for that. They were in a bad situation and he had made it a whole lot worse.

“Please calm down, Joe,” Frank said squeezing his brother close and patting his brother’s back in a circular motion. “It’s all right. You’re all right. I didn’t mean to scare you. I honestly didn’t.”

“I was so frightened,” Joe admitted.

“I didn’t mean that to happen.” Frank leaned back from Joe and lifted his brother’s chin so they were eye to eye. “I really am sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Joe said as he ran a shaky hand across his eyes to wipe the tears away. “Just don’t do it again.”

“I won’t,” Frank said. “Are you ready to get out of here?”

“Uh huh,” Joe said nodding his head. “But…”

Frank waited a moment and then quickly figured out what Joe had to say.

“I went by that open patch back there,” Frank said as he pointed over his shoulder. “I’ll wait right here for you.”

“You promise?”

Frank sat down on the fallen tree. “I’ll stay right here.”

“Okay.” Joe stared to walk away, but stopped and looked at Frank making sure his brother wasn’t going to move.

“Go ahead, Joe. I’m not moving.”

Joe hurried into the woods as Frank stared at the road.

He was glad it was morning and was anxious to get moving. He wanted to get home and see his parents. He also wanted something to eat. He was hungry and knew Joe probably was as well.

“Okay. Let’s go,” Joe said as he came around the fallen tree, straightening his shirt.

“Then let’s go,” Frank said standing up.

* * * * *

Fenton sat in the passenger seat of the car as Sam headed into the mountains. He had a general description of the area where they boys had been left and that was it. There were several roads that broke off from the highway that led into the hills. He knew they would be searching for days to find the boys and he didn’t like that thought.

“Fenton, I know you’re worried, but we have a lot of people searching the roads,” Sam said. “It’s just a matter of time until someone finds them.”

“I know that, Sam. But I can’t stop worrying. They were tied to a tree and left without any food or water” Fenton looked out the passenger window, staring unseeing at the passing scenery. “The boys are smart, but they’ve never been left in a situation like this before. And the woods span for miles. We could be searching for them and miss them by a few feet.”

“We will find them, Fenton,” Sam said. “There are over a hundred people out combing the woods as we speak. Someone will come across them.”

Fenton remained quiet. He hoped Sam was right. He hoped they would find the boys. He felt guilty for all that had happened. He had been the one who had suggested to Laura that she and the boy’s head to their new home while he finished the last few days at work. All their belongings had already been taken to the new house and he thought it was wrong for his sons to stay at the empty house without any of their toys. And because of his suggestion, his wife was in a coma and his sons were tied up in the woods. He knew there was no on to blame but himself. And when the boys were found and Laura was all right, he knew that should they move again, they would be going together.

At that moment, Sam’s phone rang. He pulled it out and put it to his ear. “Hello?” He paused. “All right. We’ll head to the next road and search from there. Thanks.”

Sam ended the call. “Searchers are out on every road looking for the boys.”

“Good,” Fenton said.

Sam drove a while longer along one of the winding roads. They both were keeping their eyes open for anything that would tell them where Frank and Joe were.

Just as they went around the bend, Sam slammed his foot on the brake. Fenton spun his heard around and saw two small figures making their way toward the car. It was Frank and Joe.

Fenton hit the seatbelt release and threw the car door open. Once outside, he yelled, “Frank! Joe!”

They stopped walking and stared at him for a moment.

Joe yelled, “DAD!”

He took off at a run with Frank following close behind.

Fenton met them halfway and pulled them both into his arms. “Oh, boys,” Fenton said, holding them tight. “I’m so glad we found you.”

“Daddy!” Joe cried and Fenton could feel his shirt getting wet.

“You’re all right,” Fenton said. “You’re all right.”

After a few minutes, Fenton reluctantly released his tight grasp on his sons and leaned back, knowing he needed to check them over for injuries.

He saw Joe had some scratches on his face and arms, and he was a little dirty. The tears had left a trail through the dirt on his face. He saw there were some marks on his wrists and figured that was from where he had been tied up.

Fenton place a hand on Joe’s cheek and gently brushed the tears away with his thumb. “Are you hurt anywhere I can’t see?”

“I’m okay,” Joe said and wrapped his arms around Fenton again. “I missed you.”

Fenton gave him a squeeze. “I missed you too. Now, let me take a look at Frank.”

Joe stepped back from Fenton so he could look at Frank, but didn’t take his hand from his father’s shoulder.

Fenton looked at Frank and saw he was covered in dirt as well, maybe more so that Joe. H also seemed to have more cuts on his face and arms, and there were also bruises. Fenton saw the sleeves of a sweatshirt tied around Fran’s wrists and wondered what had happened.

“Frank, are you hurt anywhere I can’t see?” Fenton asked, watching his son carefully. Frank looked exhausted.

“I’m okay,” Frank said quietly. “I have some cuts on my wrists from when I fell and Joe tied his sweatshirt around them.”

“Anywhere else?” Fenton asked, putting his hand on Frank’s shoulder and pulling him close.

Frank shook his head as he tried to keep his voice steady. “I’m okay.”

Fenton pulled Frank close and held him tight. As soon as Frank was in his embrace, he began to cry. Fenton gave him a squeeze. “You’re all right, Frank. “You’re all right.”

Frank continued to cry.

Fenton reached over and pulled Joe into the hug. He did not want to let his boys go. They were together and that was all that mattered.

After a few more minutes, they three of them leaned back from one another. Frank and Joe wiped the tears from their eyes.

“I think we should get out of here,” Fenton said, standing up.

“I want to go home,” Joe said.

“We will,” Fenton said. “But first we’re going to make a stop at the hospital so the doctors can make sure you’re both all right.”

Neither boy argued as they made their way to the car. They climbed into the back seat with Fenton between them.

“All buckled up?” Sam asked. He had watched the tearful reunion from the car.

“Uncle Sam!” Frank and Joe exclaimed.

“That’s right kiddos,” Sam said. “And if you’re all buckled up, we’ll be on our way.”

“All set,” Fenton said after helping Frank and Joe with their seatbelts.

“Then we’re off.” Sam started the engine and headed back to the city.

“Sam, we should let the others…” Fenton began.

“It’s already done,” Sam said. “They know they boys have been found.”

“Good,” Fenton said placing his arm around both boys as they leaned in against him.

“Daddy?” Joe asked

“What is it?” Fenton asked, looking down at his blond-headed boy.

“Where’s Mommy?” Joe asked. “She wasn’t in the car with us when the me took us into the woods.”

Fenton sighed. He hated to tell the boys, but he knew he couldn’t lie to them either.

He looked at Frank and then back at Joe, aware of their wide eyes staring at him. “Your mom is in the hospital,” Fenton said. “She has a lot of cuts and bruises and the doctors are taking care of her.”

“Will she be all right?” Frank asked tiredly.

Before Fenton could answer, his phone rang. He was grateful for the interruption because he had no idea how he was going to answer his eldest son’s question.

“Hello?”

“Fenton? It’s Richard.”

Fenton felt as if a lead weight had been dropped into his stomach. “What is it?”

“I have some good news,” Richard said. “Laura is awake.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Richard said and Fenton figured there was a smile on his father-in-laws face. “And the doctor said she was going to be fine.”

“That’s great.”

“But she is asking about the boys,” Richard said. “What should I tell her?”

Fenton looked at his sons. “Tell her we will all see her in a little while.”

“You found them?” Richard asked.

“We found them. We will be there in a little while.”

“All right,” Richard said and ended the call.

Fenton closed the phone and looked down at his boys.

Joe asked, “Who was that?”

“Grandpa Richard. He’s been staying with your mom while I’ve been searching for you.”

“Is Mom all right?” Frank asked again.

“Your mom is going to be fine,” Fenton said, grateful things were turning out all right. “She’s very anxious to see you both.”

“I want to see her too,” Joe said.

“Me too,” Frank said.

“Me three,” Fenton said.

The rest of the ride to the hospital was made in silence

* * * * *

Hours later, Fenton led Frank and Joe up to the floor where Laura was staying.

Upon their arrival at the hospital, both boys were examined by a doctor. Frank and Joe were dehydrated and exhausted, but the doctor admitted they would both be fine as long as they drank a lot of fluids and rested. The doctor had also cleaned their cuts and abrasions making sure no dirt was left to cause an infection. Frank’s wrists were also thoroughly cleaned and bandaged to keep any more dirt out.

Frank and Joe were exhausted, but they fought the call of dreamland. The urge to see their mother was more important.

Upon reaching the floor where Laura’s room was located, Fenton led the boys down the hall. There were confused looks from the nursing staff because children weren’t allowed on the floor. But Laura’s doctor had given them permission to see her after hearing all they had been through.

They finally reached the door to Laura’s room and Fenton pushed it open and ushered his sons inside. He stepped in and saw Richard and Evelyn were beside Laura’s bed. His wife’s eyes were closed. She appeared to be sleeping.

Richard and Evelyn moved away from the bed and smothered the boys in hugs and kisses. Fenton received a hug and kiss from Evelyn, as well as a hug from Richard.

As Richard and Evelyn stepped outside, the three Hardy men moved over to the bed. Fenton pulled the chair close to the bed with one boy on each side. He took Laura’s hand in his own and gave it a gently squeeze.

“Laura? Wake up, sweetheart.”

They all watched as her eyelashes fluttered and then finally opened. She asked softly, “Fenton?”

“I’m right here, sweetheart,” Fenton said. “And so are our boys.”

Laura’s gaze shifted and she looked at Frank and Joe, a smile filling her pale face.

“My boys,” Laura said.

Frank and Joe each placed a hand on top of their mother’s.

“We missed you,” Frank said quietly.

“I missed you both terribly,” Laura said, tears filling her eyes.

“Are you going to be all right, Mom?” Joe asked, staring at the white bandage wrapped around her head.

She reached her other hand over and placed it on top of Joe’s. “I’m going to be fine, baby. I’m going to be all right.”

“We were worried Mom,” Frank said.

“There’s no need to be,” Laura said. “We are all together and that’s all that matters.”

“Exactly,” Fenton said. “And soon we will be going home. Together.”

Laura smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

-The End -