calls came from different phones," Joe said with disappointment. "Probably pay phones."
"Let's find out." Frank punched in the first and second phone numbers. A second later the screen flashed with the answers.
"One's an extension at Bayport Hospital, the other is a room at the Bayport Motel," Joe said.
Frank turned to Joe. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"If I am, then Sue and Callie are in danger," Joe replied.
"Let's be sure." Frank picked up the phone next to his computer and dialed the hospital number. The nurse on duty refused to give out any information about the extension number. Frank next dialed the Bayport Motel. The phone seemed to ring endlessly.
Finally a groggy voice answered, "Hello?"
It was Brandon Dalton.
"Sorry, wrong number," Frank said quickly and hung up the phone.
"Dalton," Joe said as fact.
"The B on the road map stood for Brandon, not Biker," Frank added.
"We'd better wake up Dad and Sims," Frank said.
The Hardys turned to leave, then froze. Biker stood in the doorway. Joe had never seen such rage on a human face. His friend appeared to be out of his mind with anger.
"Biker—" Joe began.
Before Joe could finish his sentence, Biker Conway slammed the door shut with such force that it cracked. Frank and Joe could hear him running up the stairs.
Joe was the first to reach the door. He pushed, but the door wouldn't budge.
"It's jammed," he yelled to Frank.
"Stand back," Frank shouted. Joe stood to one side as Frank ran and jumped at the door. His karate kick split the door in half, and he and Joe rushed up the stairs.
They were stunned to see the kitchen table and chairs scattered, as if someone had thrown them around the room. Under one upended chair lay Sims.
Frank picked up the chair. A quickly swelling bruise was taking shape below Sims's right eye.
"Biker," the bounty hunter yelled. "He's gone insane!"
A car engine roared to life outside. Joe ran to the doorway in time to see Biker peel away from the curb in Fenton's car.
"The motel," Frank shouted as he ran to the van.
Frank and Joe jumped aboard, Frank shoving the key into the ignition. But nothing happened.
"He's killed the engine," Frank yelled, slamming his fist against the dash.
Joe hopped out, ran to the front, and threw open the hood. "He ripped out some spark plug wires."
"Great," Frank said. "Are they on the ground?"
"No, he must have taken them with him." Joe slammed the hood closed. Then he yelled, "What about Sims's car?"
They dashed back to the kitchen, to find Fenton Hardy kneeling over Sims, who was still trying to pull himself together. When he heard the whole story, Fenton dug into Sims's pockets himself to find the car keys.
His face was gray as he passed the keys to his sons. "You'd better find Biker quickly," he said, pointing to the stunned bounty hunter's empty holster.
"Biker left the keys, but he took Sims's gun."
Chapter 17
THE BATTERED CHEVY screeched to a stop just outside Brandon's motel room. The door stood wide open. Fenton Hardy's car was parked in the space right in front.
The door to Sue's room flew open and Sue ran out, followed by Callie.
"Your father just phoned," Sue said, sobbing, as Frank and Joe hopped from the car.
Joe grabbed her by the shoulders. "Where's Biker?" he shouted.
"H - h - he showed up a few minutes ago. He told Brandon he wanted to show him where the pits were." Sue burst into tears.
Joe shook her. "Did you see a gun?"
Sue's eyes widened. "No."
"How did they leave?" Frank asked.
"They took Brandon's bike," Callie replied.
Joe threw his sling off. "Give me your keys," he said, flexing his arm. Sue pulled her bike keys from her pocket. Joe grabbed them and ran to Sue's cycle.
"Where do you think you're going?" Frank yelled after his brother. "Your arm — you can't drive a bike."
Joe kicked the cycle to life. "Watch me. Follow me in Sims's car. We're going to the pits." He shifted to first and zoomed out of the parking lot.
Frank, Callie, and Sue
"Let's find out." Frank punched in the first and second phone numbers. A second later the screen flashed with the answers.
"One's an extension at Bayport Hospital, the other is a room at the Bayport Motel," Joe said.
Frank turned to Joe. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"If I am, then Sue and Callie are in danger," Joe replied.
"Let's be sure." Frank picked up the phone next to his computer and dialed the hospital number. The nurse on duty refused to give out any information about the extension number. Frank next dialed the Bayport Motel. The phone seemed to ring endlessly.
Finally a groggy voice answered, "Hello?"
It was Brandon Dalton.
"Sorry, wrong number," Frank said quickly and hung up the phone.
"Dalton," Joe said as fact.
"The B on the road map stood for Brandon, not Biker," Frank added.
"We'd better wake up Dad and Sims," Frank said.
The Hardys turned to leave, then froze. Biker stood in the doorway. Joe had never seen such rage on a human face. His friend appeared to be out of his mind with anger.
"Biker—" Joe began.
Before Joe could finish his sentence, Biker Conway slammed the door shut with such force that it cracked. Frank and Joe could hear him running up the stairs.
Joe was the first to reach the door. He pushed, but the door wouldn't budge.
"It's jammed," he yelled to Frank.
"Stand back," Frank shouted. Joe stood to one side as Frank ran and jumped at the door. His karate kick split the door in half, and he and Joe rushed up the stairs.
They were stunned to see the kitchen table and chairs scattered, as if someone had thrown them around the room. Under one upended chair lay Sims.
Frank picked up the chair. A quickly swelling bruise was taking shape below Sims's right eye.
"Biker," the bounty hunter yelled. "He's gone insane!"
A car engine roared to life outside. Joe ran to the doorway in time to see Biker peel away from the curb in Fenton's car.
"The motel," Frank shouted as he ran to the van.
Frank and Joe jumped aboard, Frank shoving the key into the ignition. But nothing happened.
"He's killed the engine," Frank yelled, slamming his fist against the dash.
Joe hopped out, ran to the front, and threw open the hood. "He ripped out some spark plug wires."
"Great," Frank said. "Are they on the ground?"
"No, he must have taken them with him." Joe slammed the hood closed. Then he yelled, "What about Sims's car?"
They dashed back to the kitchen, to find Fenton Hardy kneeling over Sims, who was still trying to pull himself together. When he heard the whole story, Fenton dug into Sims's pockets himself to find the car keys.
His face was gray as he passed the keys to his sons. "You'd better find Biker quickly," he said, pointing to the stunned bounty hunter's empty holster.
"Biker left the keys, but he took Sims's gun."
Chapter 17
THE BATTERED CHEVY screeched to a stop just outside Brandon's motel room. The door stood wide open. Fenton Hardy's car was parked in the space right in front.
The door to Sue's room flew open and Sue ran out, followed by Callie.
"Your father just phoned," Sue said, sobbing, as Frank and Joe hopped from the car.
Joe grabbed her by the shoulders. "Where's Biker?" he shouted.
"H - h - he showed up a few minutes ago. He told Brandon he wanted to show him where the pits were." Sue burst into tears.
Joe shook her. "Did you see a gun?"
Sue's eyes widened. "No."
"How did they leave?" Frank asked.
"They took Brandon's bike," Callie replied.
Joe threw his sling off. "Give me your keys," he said, flexing his arm. Sue pulled her bike keys from her pocket. Joe grabbed them and ran to Sue's cycle.
"Where do you think you're going?" Frank yelled after his brother. "Your arm — you can't drive a bike."
Joe kicked the cycle to life. "Watch me. Follow me in Sims's car. We're going to the pits." He shifted to first and zoomed out of the parking lot.
Frank, Callie, and Sue
Similar Books
