Tagged for Terror (12 page)

"I was thinking about Danny and Ted," she answered. "What's going to happen to them when this is all over?"

"With a little luck," Frank said, "nothing will happen to Danny. I don't think he had anything to do with the theft ring. The silver luggage tags and the stolen jewelry in his apartment had 'frame' written all over them."

"And Ted?" Gina asked.

"That's different," Joe told her. "But if he turns himself in, he'll probably get a light sentence."

"He can't run forever," Frank said. "Sooner or later, the law will catch up with him."

Gina leaned forward and pointed out the window. "It looks like you were right about Forrester. That's his car coming out now."

They followed the car for a while, but it didn't take long to confirm what they already suspected. "He's headed toward Solomon's house," Gina said.

Forrester parked in Mapes's driveway and hurried to the front door. Frank pulled over to the curb a few houses away and watched Forrester ring the doorbell, wait a few seconds, and then try turning the doorknob without success. He glanced around quickly, pulled something out of his pocket, stuck it in the lock, and wiggled it around.

"If I didn't know Forrester was such an upstanding citizen," Joe remarked, "I'd say he was using a lock pick to break into Mapes's house."

"Security is his business," Frank said. "He knows all the tricks."

Forrester pushed the door open and slipped inside.

"What now?" Gina asked.

"Now we call the police," Frank answered. He wheeled the car around and drove to a gas station they had passed a few blocks back. At the pay phone, he punched in 911 and reported a break-in at Mapes's address. Then he jumped back in the car and drove back to the redbrick ranch house to wait for the police to arrive.

A few minutes later a squad car pulled up. Frank and Joe got out and went over to talk to the two officers, a gray-haired man and a young woman. Frank told them they had seen a suspicious character break into the house. The veteran police officer told them to stay clear of the area and then cautiously entered the house with his young partner.

Frank and Joe were just getting back in the car when they heard a muffled popping noise that sounded as if it was coming from inside the ranch house. The two brothers looked at each other. "That sounded like gunshots," Joe said.

Frank nodded. "Those officers may need some help. I don't think they called for any backup. You two stay here. I'll see if I can use a phone in one of these houses."

"Nobody lives in half of these places," Gina told him. "They're all brand-new homes. Solomon bragged about what a great investment it was, but I think the developers are having trouble getting people to buy the houses."

Frank looked around the neighborhood. The first time the Hardys had been to Solomon's house had been in the middle of the night. This time Frank had been too preoccupied with Forrester's movements to notice that most of the houses didn't have curtains on the windows, cars in the driveways, bikes on the front walk, or any of the typical signs that made a house look like a home.

"I'll just have to pound on doors until somebody answers," he said, and dashed off to the nearest house with any sign of life.

Joe slid into the driver's seat, and Gina moved into the front seat next to him. Joe had no idea what he would do if Forrester bolted out of the house, but he had no intention of sitting back and watching the man get away. He clenched the steering wheel and waited.

"Look!" Gina exclaimed, pointing at the house.

Joe's grip relaxed a little as he watched the gray-haired police officer back slowly out of the house, his gun drawn. Whatever had happened inside, the police now had the situation under control.

Joe's relief was short-lived. As the older police officer backed down the porch steps with his gun aimed at the front door, his young female partner emerged from the house with Forrester. But if the situation was under control, Forrester was the one controlling it—because he was holding a gun to the woman's head.

JOE HELD HIS BREATH. It was a standoff between Forrester and the gray-haired police officer. The policeman had his gun leveled a Forrester—but Forrester was holding the woman officer in front of him and had a gun presse against the side of her head. If Forrester fired there was no chance that he would miss.

"You!" Forrester shouted to the older police officer. "Throw down your gun or youi partner is dead."

Joe watched helplessly. Forrester's face was red and contorted. If he got any more rattledj he just might pull the trigger.

"Take it easy," the officer with the gun said in a steady voice.

Joe had to strain to hear the words from where he sat in the car a short distance down the block.

"Nobody's gotten hurt yet," the police officer continued. "Give up now, and it won't go that badly for you. Just put down the weapon and let Hemmings go."

"Not a chance," Forrester responded. "Throw your gun down in the grass right now or Officer Hemmings gets an early retirement."

"Frank should have found a phone by now," Joe whispered to Gina. "More police should be here any minute."

"I'm tired of dancing around," Forrester shouted, shoving the gun barrel harder against the woman's head.

"Now, just consider what you're doing," the gray-haired police officer said in a slow, even tone, his own pistol not wavering.

"Consider what you're doing," Forrester shot back. "You're signing your partner's death warrant. Believe me, I'll kill her before I'll let you take me in."

The police officer obviously believed him. He tossed his gun onto the lawn and raised both hands in the air.

Joe's sense of frustration and anger doubled as he watched Forrester force the two officers to sit on the sidewalk and bound them back-to-back with their own handcuffs. Joe glanced up and down the street. "Where's Frank?" he muttered. "Where's the backup?"

His gun still pointed at the two on the ground, Forrester backed over to his car, whirled around to yank open the door, and jumped inside.

Joe couldn't believe it. Forrester was getting away! He reached across Gina and shoved her door open. "Get out!" he yelled, half pushing her out of the car.

As soon as she was clear, he started the engine and punched the gas pedal. The underpowered car didn't exactly rocket down the street, but it picked up speed as it homed in on the dark brown sedan backing out of the driveway of the redbrick house. Joe kept the pedal to the floor and rammed into the back side of Forrester's car with all the force he could coax out of the rented car.

The force of the collision knocked Forrester's car sideways. Joe jumped out of his car and dragged the stunned Forrester from the brown sedan before he had a chance to grab the gun on the seat beside him.

Joe heard the wail of sirens and looked up to see Frank and Gina running down the street, followed by a half-dozen squad cars with flashing blue lights.

After the two police officers were freed and the handcuffs were on Forrester, Frank stepped up to him. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" Forrester responded in a surly voice.

"Why did you sabotage Eddings's plane?"

Forrester glowered at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Then what were you doing in Mapes's house?" Joe asked.

Forrester snorted. "I get it now. This was all a setup. Mapes didn't tell you anything. There isn't any proof of sabotage. You don't have a shred of evidence against me."

Frank shrugged, glancing at the two police officers who had tangled with Forrester. "Even if we can't prove you sabotaged the plane, there's plenty of evidence to convict you for assaulting a police officer."

"Make that assault with a deadly weapon and kidnapping," the gray-haired police officer spoke up. "That adds up to a long stretch behind bars."