Hardy Boys - More Than Just The Fun Uncle

Pray

"Devin Counihan?" Joe was shocked. Him and Frank had put this guy away years ago. The man had been an active member in a gang terrorizing the streets of Chicago. Devin himself had multiple counts of murder on his rap list, his latest being the one that eventually led Frank and Joe to him. "You're supposed to be in prison."

"Ah, Joseph, see you can't be serving a life sentence when you're already dead." Devin gently ran the knife over Joe's throat, creating a small nick that quickly began dripping a warm trickle of blood down the younger man's neck.

"I don't understand." Joe said simply. Devin sounded more crazy than anything, but the young Hardy knew that the man was far from it. Maybe he was a little sick in the mind, but he wasn't crazy.

"Hurry it up, Counihan." One of the men holding Joe said. "We don't need anyone walking in on us like this." His voice sounded unsure and nervous, as though he'd never been involved in something like this before. Which, Joe figured, was very likely, considering where the Hardys put Devin's old accomplices. These men were probably back ups or paid hands, certainly not the loyal dogs Counihan had before.

Devin gave his associate only a glance before turning his eyes back to his prisoner. "As I'm sure you've been wondering, I suppose I shall go ahead and break the news: this is no move to collect a ransom pay from your family or anything of that sort. Just a simple and swift act of revenge. Your brother and father will never be able to trace your murderer. Your case will torment them till the day they die." Counihan chuckled and shook his head. "You Hardys are hard ones to get a thumb on, I'll give you that. Though I have a feeling that your brother will eventually fall away from his investigations and meddling entirely without you there. With every case reminding him of your untimely demise." The knife dug deeper into Joe's neck. He tried to lean away, but his head could move no further back. "Any last words, Joseph?"

"Please..." Joe gasped, eyes widening at the realization that Devin meant to kill him where he stood. "The girls-" Who would take care of them? His heart beat even harder when he realized that, if he didn't get out of this, it would likely be Andrea and Kitty who found his body.

Devin sneered. "I never expected to hear Joseph Hardy begging for mercy." The man lowered the knife a little, leaning in so that he was mere inches from Joe's face. "Everybody's got kids, Joseph. Yours will just have to grow up like I did." Devin's next word was spit with venom. "Fatherless."

Joe thrashed against the hands restraining him. "No! You don't understand!"

The knife appeared at his throat again, cutting off any struggle Joe had left in him. He closed his eyes, willing the last things he saw to be his wife and two little girls. Vanessa. Andrea. Elyse. He said a little prayer, asking God to watch over them and give them strength.

"Say goodnight, Hardy." Devin's icy voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. After everything, how could it end like this? This couldn't be it. And yet he was totally helpless to stop it. And he didn't even get to say goodbye to-

"Daddy?" A small trembling voice squeaked. Joe's eyes shot open.

The knife lowered once again and Devin too was looking at the two little girls behind him, Andrea having dropped her ice cream cone on the cracked cement beneath her feet.

"D-daddy, what's going on? Wh-why are these men trying to h-hurt you?" Tears streamed down the blond girl's cheeks.

Joe felt tears threatening to break through his demeanor as well, but he had to stay strong for the girls. "It's okay, sweetie. Everything's going to be okay."

"I didn't sign up for this, Counihan." This came from the second associate - the one on Joe's left. "I'm not killing a man in front of his children!"

"They've seen my face." Devin looked between the two girls and Joe before he stopped on Joe, narrowing his eyes. "Looks like it's your lucky day, Hardy. Or else, not so lucky. You're gonna wish we'd killed you now." Devin nodded to his two associates. "Bring him."

Joe was thrown against the brick alley wall. He felt the bite of cold metal as a pair of handcuffs were clamped to his wrists. He nearly choked on the taste of the cloth that was secured around his head as a gag. The action was so fast and unexpected that Joe didn't even have time to register that Devin and one of his associates had made a move to grab the girls. It wasn't until he heard Devin mutter a curse of pain that the blond's attention was drawn to him.

Devin, Kitty thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, was wiping his bloody hand on his jeans. "Darn girl's bite is worse than her bark."

Joe felt a sting of pride. Kitty certainly had her father's fighting spirit, or rather biting spirit.

"Let's just get them into the van and get out of here. Don't need any more witnesses." Said the man who was still pinning Joe to the wall. The next moment Joe Hardy was being none-too-carefully escorted down the alleyway, getting a shove to the small of his back every time he began to slow down.

There were a lot of different ways Joe had seen this day ending, but this was by far the least expected. And least desired.

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Callie had first begun to get worried when 6:00 came and went without any word from Joe. He should have stopped by to drop Kitty off long ago, but she'd heard nothing. A call from Joe's phone came in shortly after 4:30, but when she answered all she could hear was some talking in the distance. It was too quiet to hear clearly, but she assumed it must have been Joe talking with the girls and that the call was a mistake. Callie then hung up and decided that she'd try to call him back later.

But he never answered. She'd called so many times that she knew she must be nearing double digits if she hadn't got there already. Joe was just gone.

6:30 came with no clue as to where the trio had disappeared to, so Callie opted to call Vanessa.

"Hey Callie, what's up?" Rang Vanessa's voice over the phone.

"Hey Van, I just called to see if you had heard from Joe lately." Callie tried to mask the concern she felt. She didn't need Vanessa getting all worked up over something that may just be nothing. "He was supposed to have Katherine home for supper, but they haven't stopped by and I can't get a hold of him."

"Well," Vanessa began. It was difficult to tell just how concerned she was by the way she spoke. "They were here earlier, but left after I put Elyse down for her nap. That was around four. I haven't heard from Joe since then. Do you think something's wrong?"

"I don't know." That wasn't completely true. She did think something was wrong, but she didn't want Vanessa to worry until they had some sort of confirmation.

"Joe was supposed to go to a movie tonight." Vanessa now sounded much more worried, speaking faster and a little shakily. "Biff called to ask about him, but I told him that Joe was probably just having too much fun with the girls and forgot. Cal, what if something did happen?"

"Settle down, Van." Callie soothed, though she was just barely holding herself together. Joe was late all the time, but he always called to make sure they knew he would be late. And the last time he was this late was when he blew a tire and couldn't be on time. "If he still hasn't called by seven then I'll call Con."

Vanessa's voice came out as barely even a whisper. "And what if it comes to that? What if they're really missing?"

Callie had to place her cover mouth with her hand to keep her shuddering breath from being heard over the phone. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if something truly bad had happened to her little girl, much less to Joe and Andrea too.

Callie managed to pull herself together enough to answer the question as best she could. "We pray, Van. We pray for our family."