The Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew in Damage Control – A Fanfic Novella

🔑 The Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew 🔦

📱in 🌉

Damage Control

📓A Fanfic Novella📘

by Ann 🎶

   “It would be nice if the criminals would comply with that reasonable request.” Joe Hardy grinned after he’d read out loud about law enforcement throughout the United States asking, very nicely, for criminals to refrain from their criminal activity and that they’d let them know when they could resume their usual nefarious activity. It was tongue in cheek, but, yet, there was a possibility of some of the criminals helping out in the crises touching everyone’s life. Most probably wouldn’t, especially the crooked politicians.

   “It would be the decent thing to do.” Nancy Drew blocked the sunshine from her blue eyes as she looked upward into the sky, watching for the plane coming to pick them up.

   “I know of some of the criminals who would not only not stop, but amp it up, if they could.” Frank’s blue-black hair ruffled in the breeze. “And that’s the Assassins and their political cronies.” He gave a glance at his phone and tried not to feel overly concerned. The plane was late.

   “Just because it’s not here yet doesn’t mean something is wrong.” Joe had been trying to distract his brother and Nancy from their concerns for the past twenty minutes, but he suspected it wasn’t working too well with them any more than it was with him. Prayer was a constant in each of their hearts.

   “I know.” Frank patted his younger brother on the shoulder, trying for nonchalance as he gave another glance at the sky. Their mission of mercy had gone fine, having delivered food and safe medical supplies to a town in the US. They’d followed the wise practice of wiping off all of the items and, of course, washing their hands was nothing new. They’d been taught when they were little to do that. They hoped people got into the habit of washing their hands. That could literally save lives.

   The plane they were waiting for was being piloted by Frank’s girlfriend, Callie Shaw, who had called him before taking off from the airport in Bayport. They had strategized their schedule of what they could do as quickly and safely as possible after finding out where people needed to get to and what items they were in need of, whether it was Passover supplies for the upcoming holiday or medicine. The Hardy brothers, their girlfriends, parents, Aunt Gertrude and friends from Bayport had coordinated with Nancy Drew, her boyfriend Ned, her dad, Carson and friends Hannah Gruen, Bess Marvin and George Fayne, from River Heights to do what they could to help with the crises.

   Their friend Jack Wayne had flown Frank, Joe, and Joe’s girlfriend, Iola, in his own plane to where they currently were then continued on to help with rescuing stranded individuals. Callie had needed to assist family members and she would theoretically be done in time to fly the Hardys’ plane to pick up the Bayporters. If things worked out as planned, Nancy and Ned, who’d gotten there from River Heights courtesy of a friend driving through there on their way home, would have completed their tasks of giving necessary items and assistance to those in need.

   That had been successful and now they just needed to fly back to their respective homes. As soon as Callie got there. Frank had already checked real time weather conditions between there and Bayport. Several times. All good. Callie had sounded fine on the phone. Yet now he couldn’t get through.

   “Don’t worry.” A feminine voice spoke up.

   Frank looked over at Nancy. “I’m trying not to. But something isn’t right.”

   Nancy nodded calmly, hoping that would help Frank. She’d been careful not to say there wasn’t anything to worry about, just for him not to. She sensed something amiss, too, and she could tell they all felt that even though they tried to hide it.

   Joe stood up, watching the far side of the tarmac. The small airport didn’t have much activity. They had decided to wait out in the sunshine for Callie, expecting her any minute since they’d arrived. A couple of employees occasionally could be seen strolling around. One other plane had taken off a few minutes ago. That was it. Until now.

   The rest of the small Bayport and River Heights group looked over as well. A vehicle had appeared, coming from a side road running partway alongside the airport property. As the car hit the pavement, it accelerated, on course with them.

   “Let’s go!” exclaimed Joe, jumping up and immediately putting himself between the oncoming vehicle and Iola and his brother.

   Everyone headed for the small terminal near them. As they ran in they warned the few people in there. Ned eyed where the approaching vehicle was. What he saw made him yell to the others, “Keep going! Out the exit there! Everyone out!”

   The employees, not knowing that Ned wouldn’t joke about such a thing and that they should believe him, just kinda stood there staring.

   “Seriously! Move!” Iola yelled at them.

   The passenger of the Jeep-wannabe vehicle stood up, the weapon he’d been holding now in position to fire the small missile at the building. The handheld rocket launcher was what Ned had spotted that had propelled him into action.

   Nancy glanced over at Ned, worry on his handsome face as he locked eyes with her. They ran together, in step with one another toward hopeful safety.

   The employees of the airport were starting to slowly get the idea that it was maybe a good idea to get out of there pronto. Some went in panicked different directions, toward what they thought were closer exits. One of the few non-employees not from Bayport or River Heights, assuming to talk the creeps about to engage the handheld rpg out of blowing the building up, started to go toward them. Clearly it was too late for speeches and rhetoric when the threatening faction wasn’t interested in being talked out of anything.

   “What are you doing?” yelled Joe at the moron. “Get away from them!” Joe was nearly to the doors he and the rest of his group were heading for. He pointed toward a door closer to the moron. “There!”

   The clueless individual looked unsure. Then the person tripped because they weren’t ready or watching where they were headed. Joe shook his head as he veered with lightning speed, faster than he’d run in any sports, any game. Even as he did, he prayed he’d succeed. And wouldn’t be in big trouble with Frank. And Iola. And Callie. And Nancy. And Ned. And his mom. And his dad. And every family member or friend. 

   Frank felt fear hit like a cold shock when he caught sight of his brother taking a slight detour. Energized with adrenaline to get Joe to safety, he reached over and caught hold of him just as his brother reached out to grasp the outstretched hand of the fallen individual. Any second the place would erupt. A chain of help materialized as the speed and effort went into high gear when each person from Bayport and River Heights reached out to get a hold of the nearest one and project them in the right direction. To safety and out of the building.

   Running to put distance between them and the killers, the Bayporters, Nancy and Ned felt the explosion when the rpg hit, hearing it from way too close. Yet enough away from the impact and projectiles caused by the detonation that they were alright, shielded from the force of it.

   When they paused to catch their breath, Joe wasn’t anxious to catch the looks he knew were being directed at him. Finally his brother spoke quietly to him, but everyone could hear it.

   “It’s a good thing that turned out the way it did. I’m not going to kick your butt, because if I did, it would launch you into orbit and we need to get home.”

   Iola stood in front of Joe and waited for him to look at her. When he did, she told him, “What he said.”

   Joe, as what might have happened hit him, had started feeling anger at the individual who’d made the ignorant decision to go toward the killers and also anger at himself for ultimately adding danger and fear to his brother, girlfriend, and friends. He nodded. “I deserve it.”

   “Joe, don’t be so hard on yourself. Just don’t do it again.” Nancy smiled at him.

   “Thanks.” Joe glanced behind them at the flames shooting up from the small airport terminal. “We need to catch those guys.”

   “Let’s go see where they are.” Iola started off along the perimeter, to stealthily move around the right side of the building, but enough distance away to not be seen or get hurt from the fire.

   Frank looked up at the sky again for a dual purpose, to check again for their plane with Callie in it safe and sound, and to pray. He tried again to contact her, wanting to warn her about the trouble as well as assure her they were alright. She would be terrified seeing the building in flames.

   “She’s okay.” Joe’s voice held confidence in telling his big brother that as they hurried around toward the front.

   “I hope so.” Frank glanced toward the angry flames. “We need to warn the fire department about the jerks out front.”

   “Yep. Just sent them that info. We’ll give them an update of the exact location of the killers, too.”

   It didn’t take them long to get into a position to see and not be seen by the jerks, who were filming the burning building.

   “Let’s shut down their YouTube channel,” muttered Joe, glaring at them.

   “I’m all for that, but let’s have a plan.” Frank gave his brother a look, who nodded.

   “I hear you.”

   “Let’s get them to surrender,” suggested Nancy.

   “Sounds good. What’s your plan?” Joe was anxious to hear it and capture the killers.

   “Well, what would scare them?” Nancy’s twinkling eyes suggested she knew the answer.

   “People who would put a stop to their stupidity.” Joe watched as Nancy nodded her head as he said out loud while starting to grin and nod his, too, “The Marines.”

   “That’s right.”

   Formulating a plan that would have the most effect, they were about to put it into play when Callie’s phone call came through. Frank answered, thankful as he found out she was alright. He told her briefly what had happened.

   “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for a while,” Callie told her boyfriend. “There was a delay then Phil, who came along with me, found out from some online activity he’d been tracking that led him to find out there might be some Assassins hitting something in this area.” Phil Cohen, one of their friends from Bayport, had had a big part in getting the relief efforts together for the current crises.

   “Tell Phil he’s right. I thought that’s who they were.” Frank and everyone there had come against the terror group, the Assassins, with their number of side cells. “I’ll call when it’s safe to land here. You have enough fuel to go to a different airport?”

   “Yes. Be careful, Frank.”

   Joe heard that and said for his brother’s benefit, “Oh, he always is.”

   Frank gave his brother a ‘really?’ look that said Joe was pushing it.

   “You, too. We don’t know that this wasn’t a planned attack for several places. Use extreme caution.” Frank realized that being on high alert from being worried about Callie had heightened their awareness of everything happening around them. He told her he’d talk with her later.

   Then they spread out along the perimeter of the tarmac but still behind foliage not to be seen. Iola was working on her phone, seeing if she could get a little volume from the Assassins phones remotely. First a sound started to be heard above the flames. Then it started to get louder. The Assassins looked around in surprise. Especially when it looked like a squad of Marines was stepping out onto the tarmac toward them. The Assassins tried to start their vehicle but they failed to succeed with that. Now they looked scared. Appropriately terrified, actually.

   The evening lighting was perfect for Nancy, Ned and the Bayporters’ plan. The 3D projections they were using to create the optical illusion were courtesy of a project from Iola, her brother, Chet and Phil.

   The good guys and girls had also strategized where the holograms of the Marines were located so that if the Assassins started firing any weapons, no one from Bayport or River Heights would get hit.

   The Assassins did indeed start firing toward the virtual squad of Marines. Then something amazing happened. Live ammunition flew through the air with return fire toward the Assassins, who were waiting for their comrades to join them.

   Nancy, Ned and the Bayporters watched in surprise as a few real Marines suddenly showed up just as more Assassins came. With precision and teamwork, the newly arrived group of killers were captured by the Marines.

   🎵 Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby. 🎵

************

   After the Assassins there were taken care of, neutralized, the whole story was found out that this had been a planned attack at several places in the US. The targets had been a group of individuals consisting of military leaders, a senator, and others fighting the Assassins who had been expected to be at the places that were attacked. The first target was that small airport where some people who cared were there helping with the crises. By keeping that contained, from the efforts humanly speaking, by the Bayporters, Nancy, Ned and the U.S. Marines, the rest of the targets of the Assassins were spared. If they hadn’t acted immediately, wisely and quickly, it would have been a much different story.

   Callie and Phil got to the airport and caught up with what had happened. They got to see it since Iola got it on her phone. They also heard about the catastrophe the moron inside the terminal, when the Assassins were about to fire at it, had nearly caused, but that turned into a successful rescue.

   The news had a small mention of the small airport being hit as they reported a gas explosion had caused minimal damage. No mention of the Assassins. And of course, nothing about the Bayporters, Nancy and Ned, or the Marines stopping a large terror attack.

************

   “Now to drop you two off in River Heights.” Callie told Nancy and Ned as they neared there.

   “Let me know when to open the door. And give them their parachutes.” Joe’s expression was one of innocence and helpfulness. Along with a teasing twinkle in his blue eyes.

   “Don’t do us any favors,” Nancy teased back. Her words held only affection and relief. 

   Before long, Nancy and Ned were safe at the Drew’s home. Then, a tired, but happy, group got to Bayport. Frank and Joe returned safely to their home, Callie to hers, Phil to his and Iola to the Morton farm. All safe and sound.

   They had survived. It had gotten close, but it had worked out. It had taken some damage control, but through faith in the Creator, His unending help, and wisdom, perseverance, humor, compassion, ethics and lots of smiles of plenty of good people, the Assassins and the problems from the virus don’t stand a chance of ultimately winning.

NEVER THE END

 

….His mercy endureth forever. Psalms/Tehillim (Hebrew for Psalms) 118

1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Psalms/Tehillim 91:1-8

 

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