Joe looked back and saw Pete Gordon standing on the observation platform, shaking his fist at the sky.
"Remind me never to complain about airplane seats again," Joe said as he tried to squirm into the harness. It wasn't an easy task. Every time he shifted his weight, the hang glider would pitch to one side. He could see that Frank was constantly fighting the control bar to keep their flight steady.
As they sailed along, Joe thought they probably could have made it all the way to Waikiki if they hadn't gotten off to such a shaky start. But they lost too much altitude while he struggled into position. Now they were too low to catch any more updrafts, and they were gliding steadily downward.
The carpet of trees below them gradually started to break up with the intrusion of occasional houses. "We're going to have to put her down soon," Frank said. "Look for a good clearing."
Joe pointed down. "How about that big lawn over there?"
They were getting dangerously close to the treetops. "It'll have to do," Frank said grimly.
They just managed to clear the trees at the edge of the yard. Ahead there was a sprawling ranch house. And between them and the house was a large swimming pool. They touched down on the grass. But their momentum dragged them forward - right into the shallow end of the pool.
As they splashed around and untangled themselves from the hang glider, Joe looked over at Frank and said, "At least we wore the right clothes."
Frank laughed. They were still wearing the swim trunks they had borrowed from Al Kealoha. "Let's just hope whoever lives here will let a couple of pool-hoppers use the phone. We've got to make a phone call."
Joe nodded. "And unless these folks want a slightly used and very wet hang glider, maybe they can help us get it back to its owners."
***
Two hours later they were back in the hotel suite, dressed in their own clothes. Their father was there, and so were Jade and Kevin Roberts.
"As soon as you called and told me you were all safe and gave me the location of Catlin's headquarters," Fenton said, "I called the police and the FBI. A combined task force hit the place. They nabbed Catlin and four of his men just as they were trying to make their escape."
"Does that mean we're safe now?" Jade asked.
"It looks that way. Catlin will be behind bars for years," Fenton replied.
Jade looked at her father. "Then can I surf in the Banzai Pipeline competition tomorrow?"
"After what you've been through," Kevin Roberts answered, "how could I say no?"
"What about Pete Gordon?" Frank asked. "Did they catch him yet?"
Fenton shook his head. "No, but it's only a matter of time."
***
The next day Frank and Joe drove up to the north shore with Jade to watch her in the competition. The beach was jammed with spectators, reporters, and surfers. Some of them spotted Jade and rushed over to her.
Joe took her surfboard out of the back of the jeep. "Looks like you'll be busy signing autographs and giving interviews," he said. "I'll carry this for you."
They walked down to the beach and people crowded in around them. Frank found himself swept up in a small human wave. He got separated from Joe and Jade and tried to work his way back.
He caught a glimpse of Joe farther up the beach, holding Jade's surfboard over his head. Even though Frank couldn't see Jade through the crowd, he figured she was probably right next to Joe.
Then Frank saw someone else he recognized - a man with a scar over his left eye. He also saw the blue-gray glint of metal in the man's hand.
"Joe!" he screamed. "Jade! Get down!"
It was too late. Pete Gordon had already pushed his way through the crowd - and his gun was leveled right at Jade Roberts.
Chapter 17
At the sound of his brother's voice, Joe whirled around and spotted Gordon.
"He's got a gun!" someone screamed. The crowd backed away from the renegade FBI agent, leaving him a clear shot at both Joe and Jade.
"I should have killed you back at Diamond Head," Gordon said.
Joe glared at him. "You should have tried," he growled.
He hurled the surfboard at Gordon. It slammed into his chest, knocking him over. Joe's foot stomped down on the agent's hand, grinding the gun into the sand. Then he was on top of Gordon, pinning him down.
"Had enough yet?" Joe screamed. "Your boss is already in jail! It's over! You're just too stupid to figure it out!"
Frank shoved through the crowd. He scooped up Gordon's gun and pulled Joe off the hired killer.
Gordon struggled to a sitting position. "You're the one who hasn't figured it out yet. Prison never stopped Thomas Catlin from getting what he wants. He still calls the shots even from behind bars. Lots of guys took one-way rides while Catlin was locked up before. This isn't the end of it. It won't be over until - "
"Until I'm dead," Jade cut in.
Joe turned to her. "I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you, and I always keep my word."
She smiled weakly. "What can you do, Joe? Hover over me twenty-four hours a day for the rest of my life? They'd just kill you, too. I can't let that happen."
Frank looked down at Pete Gordon. The man was a sleaze and a traitor. He had sold his FBI badge to a gangster. He would go to jail, but for how long? Not long enough, Frank thought. He might even finish off this job when he got out - if Jade survived that long.
He knew Gordon was right. Catlin's goons would keep coming until Jade was dead. That gave him an idea and he stared at his brother. "I guess we'll just have to let Gordon finish the job "Say what?" Joe replied in disbelief.
Frank turned to the FBI agent. "What do you suppose would happen if Catlin found out you botched the job and then rolled over on him to save your own skin?"
The look on Gordon's face brought a smile to Frank's lips. "That's what I thought."
***
"It seems like we just got here yesterday," Frank said as they walked through the Honolulu airport. "I don't know if I'm ready to go home yet - I never even got a chance to work on my tan."
Fenton Hardy stopped at the departure gate and put down his suitcase. "At least the last few days have been uneventful," he replied. "And Thomas Catlin won't be getting much sun for a long time."
"Neither will Pete Gordon," Frank added.
"Pete Gordon won't be getting much sleep for a long time, either," Fenton said.
Joe was pacing the floor. "Do you really think it'll work?" he asked his brother. "Do you think Catlin will buy the story that Gordon killed Jade?"
"He only has to believe it long enough for Jade and her father to disappear," Frank reminded him. "When Catlin finds out the truth, Gordon's life in prison is going to be pretty miserable."
Frank put his hand on his brother's shoulder.
"Jade will be safe from now on," he assured him. "Relax."
Joe stopped pacing. "I guess you're right, but I'll never get to see her again."
Frank smiled. "Oh, you never know who you'll run into."
Joe looked over his shoulder to see what his brother was smiling about. He saw a familiar face across the concourse. He walked over slowly and whispered her name. "Jade?"
She smiled softly and shook her head. "Not anymore. Jade's gone - I've got a new name now."
"Where will you and your father go now?" Joe asked.
"It's best if you don't know," she said. "I shouldn't even be here. I don't know if we'll ever really be safe."
Joe reached out and took her hand. "It's over. They won't find you again."
"How can you be sure?" she asked. "They found us once - and that was after fifteen years."
"That was just dumb luck," Joe said. "If Catlin hadn't expanded his operation to Hawaii and gotten involved in illegal gambling on surfing events, they never would have noticed you."
"I guess Nick Hawk didn't help the situation much either," she added.
Joe nodded. "That's right. He didn't know it - but all his betting on Connie focused a lot of atte
ntion on you. Catlin got greedy. He thought he could make even more money off surfing if he fixed the competition by taking you out of it. It was only later that he realized who you were."
"He saw the picture of me and my father in the surfing magazine," Jade said.
"Right," Joe said. "His goons were carrying around copies of it to identify you."
"Flight four-forty-four for New York now boarding at gate seventeen," a voice announced over the PA system.
Joe glanced over at the boarding area. Frank tapped his watch and pointed at the gate.
"That's my flight," he said. "I have to go."
"I guess this is goodbye, then," she said.
"I guess so," Joe said, but he didn't move.
She looked up into his eyes. "Jade asked me to give you something before you go."
"You don't have to give me anyth - " Joe started to say.
She leaned over and kissed him tenderly. "I'll never forget you, Joe Hardy," she whispered. There was the glimmer of a tear in her eye.
Then she turned and walked away, fading into the crowded airport.
Joe just stood in the middle of the corridor after she was gone.
Frank came up to his brother and waved his hand in front of his face. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Joe flashed his best smile. "Sure. She's a nice girl, but it never would have worked out between us."
Frank arched his eyebrows. "Oh? You seemed to get along pretty well."
"Get real," Joe replied. "She's a surfer."
"So?"
"So the surfing is lousy in Bayport."
The End.
Frank and Joe's next case:
The highway can be a very dangerous place - especially when you're carrying a heavy cargo. The Hardys have gone undercover, determined to crack a truck hijacking scheme, but a ruthless gang of thugs are just as determined to run them off the road.
The hijackers are spreading terror on the interstates, and whoever gets in their way could end up on a one-way dead-end street. Someone's going to eat asphalt, but Frank and Joe are prepared. They're gunning the engines and riding the roads on eighteen wheels of diesel-powered chrome and steel ... in Highway Robbery, Case #41 in The Hardy Boys Casefiles®.
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