Hardy Boys - More Than Just The Fun Uncle

Never Meant to Be

Joe took the pocket knife and clasped it between his cuffed hands.

"He won't know I gave it to you. For all any of us know, you were keeping it in your shoe." Flick said. His nervousness was evident by how fast he spoke. "That's all I can do for you. I'm sorry."

"It certainly improves our odds." Joe said a word of thanks as the Auburn man made his way back to the door.

"I have to go." Flick opened the door and peeked out before turning back to the prisoners. "They can't know I was in here." With that, the man departed, leaving Joe and the girls alone once more.

"What are we going to do, Uncle Joe?" A little voice squeaked from beside him.

Joe looked down at his brown haired niece. "We're going to get you out of here."

Andrea's lip quivered. Her fright was displayed clearly on her face. "What about you?"

"After I get you out, it will be up to you to save me. Understand?"

The blond haired girl shook her head.

Joe heaved a sigh. "You will in a bit, but for now-" The young Hardy opened the pocket knife and moved to the wall where he began to chip away at the cement seams of the bricks. It was a slow and painful process, but he knew that it would be their best chance of escape.

"Oh, we'll never get out of here!" Kitty grumbled when she saw what her uncle's course of action was.

"Hang in there, Kit. I won't stop until you're safe at home."

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Frank woke in a cold sweat and sat bolt upright on the little couch. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked about the small room. Morning rays shown down on the maroon swivel chair he'd spent so many hours in the night before which sat vacant at the computer desk, a few feet away.

"Dad?" He asked, rising from his spot. As if in answer to Frank's inquiry, Fenton waltzed into the room, coffee mug in hand.

The detective smiled at his son. It may have even looked genuine if his eyes didn't betray him. "Sleep well?"

Frank shook his head slowly, but his mind wasn't on his night's rest. "Did you find anything else on the file?"

Fenton's smile faded. "Sorry, Son. There's nothing there to lead us anywhere that we haven't already gone. I'm afraid the case has turned cold."

The younger Hardy sank back into the couch and drew his hands over his face. Never had he felt so much defeat. Every time he'd been in this position before, there was always something to go on or keep him busy. But now here he was, completely drained of leads and completely hopeless. His family was lost and he had no way to find them.

"What am I supposed to do now, Dad?"

Frank felt the couch sink beside him and a comforting arm wrapped around his shoulders. "There's nothing more you can do. Not on your own at least. You don't have to carry this by yourself, Frank."

The brunette nodded slowly and found himself staring blankly across the room. For the first time since the kidnapping, Frank found tears stinging his eyes. He didn't bother to hide them; he'd tried to too many times already. "I don't think I'm strong enough for this."

Fenton's tongue clicked as he opened his mouth to speak. The words were some of the softest Frank had ever heard coming from his father's lips. "You were never meant to be."

Frank bowed his head, solemnly and found himself saying a silent word of prayer. 'They're in Your hands now. Bring them home, God."

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After what seemed like hours, Joe finally managed to chip away the cement enough to get one brick out. He grinned triumphantly as he clutched the cold red rock in his hands.

"Only fifty more to go." Kitty grumbled from the ground a few feet away. "This is never going to work."

Joe's grin grew even wider as he met the eyes of both discouraged girls. "Have a little faith in your uncle Joe. You haven't even heard what my plan is yet!"

"You're trying to break through the wall!" Andrea said from her spot beside Kitty. "And it's going to take forever."

Joe shook his head and shifted closer to the two small forms of the girls, his face turning grim. "Gather close and listen well. This is very important. It could mean the difference between life and death, got it?"

The girls glanced nervously at each other, then back at their uncle and father. Blond and brunette heads nodded in unison to convey their understanding.

"Alright, here goes. Once you two are out of the building you run as fast as you can. Don't look back even for a second, okay?"

"Where do we run?" Andrea asked, her voice having a soft quiver to it.

"To the left and into the forest. Once you're a good distance away, make your way to the road and follow it until you see the Morton's farm. Do you girls remember the farm?" Joe asked. It had been a while since they'd taken the girls to the farm, but they had always loved it.

The girls both nodded.

"If a vehicle starts coming down the road, you make sure to hide before they see you. We can't take any risks. Only trust the Morton's." Joe looked between Kitty and Andrea, feeling horrible about putting them in a situation as this. It made him sick to think that he'd be sending them away, far from his reach. He wished to be able to protect them, but this was the only way any of them would get out of this.

"Ready?" Joe asked his little companions.

"As we'll ever be!" Kitty responded with a soft smile that almost struck the young Hardy into thinking that he was a teenager again, trying to get him and his brother out of another perilous predicament.

Shaking himself out of the thought, Joe drew up his brick and looked up at the tiny window at the top of the room. As very best as one could with his hands cuffed together, Joe threw the brick. The window shattered, making more noise than would have been desired. But there would be no going back now. The escape was in motion.