"We'd better head for the woods," Joe said, pointing. "There's a road just beyond there where we could - "
"Trouble," Frank cut in, his eyes on the castle behind them.
Through one of the gaps in the tumbledown gray stone wall they could see Hawkins and two more of his goons. Rowland had climbed one of the solid sections of the battlement and was pointing down, directing his pals toward the escapees.
"Well, Limehouse raised the alarm - and now we're spotted," Frank said.
"I picked up a couple of guns on the way in."
Joe looked around uneasily. There was no cover nearby, nowhere they could make a stand. "I don't think they'll help us stand off a whole gang in the open."
Hawkins and his six men now had their weapons out and were climbing the rubble mounds on the other side of the castle walls.
"So," Frank said, "we've got a choice of being shot or surrendering."
Nigel Hawkins was the first to burst through the opening in the wall. "Where is she?" he demanded when he saw Joe. "What have you done with Emily Cornwall?"
A wild cry from Jillian rang out over whatever else Hawkins was going to say. "Jed, look!" she cried, grabbing his arm and pointing toward the woods beyond them.
"Hey, it's just like the movies," the actor said, laughing. "The cops arrive in the nick of time."
Coming down into the field were three uniformed police officers, and three more in plain clothes.
Face pale, Hawkins stared at the oncoming police. His carefully constructed suave mask was shattered by sheer rage. "You young fool, you've wrecked it all." He raised his gun, taking careful aim at Joe.
Frank flung the old iron handle still in his hand straight at Hawkins's gun. At the same time Joe crouched low and charged at Hawkins.
The gun went off, with one shot that went high. Joe launched himself at Hawkins, catching him in a flying tackle.
Hawkins tumbled backward into the wall of the castle. His second shot went straight up into the air.
Joe chopped at Hawkins's wrist, knocking the gun out of his hand. Frank caught the gun as Jed came up from behind Joe and delivered a punch to Hawkins's jaw.
The head crook bounced back to the wall and sank down in an unconscious sprawl.
His gang, realizing that the police were coming in for the kill, was scattering across the courtyard, heading for the cars.
Jed, with a satisfied grin, rubbed his knuckles. "See, Hardy? I really do all my own stunts."
Jillian, laughing, came up and hugged him.
Joe slumped against the wall and looked over at his brother. "Here come the police," he said. "Do you want to explain things, or should I?"
***
Hours later Frank and Joe were back in their London hotel. The Kent police had taken over the case in a quick and businesslike way. They'd gotten confessions from Nigel and his men regarding the letters and the phone bugs, as well as the shooting and the bomb. They admitted to kidnapping Jillian after she'd learned the role she was to play in the heist, and they had made sure there were no photos of her anywhere so no one could make a connection between her and Emily. The police had questioned Frank, Joe, Jillian, and Jed and taken their statements, and had even given their witnesses a lift to London before evening.
Joe came out of the shower humming a cheerful tune as he wandered around the room in his bathrobe. His older brother was on the telephone.
"That's great," Frank was saying. "Glad to hear it."
Moving to the window, Joe looked down into the twilit street. "Not a trace of fog," he observed happily. "It's going to be a perfect night - just exactly right for my dinner date with Karen."
After hanging up, Frank walked over to stand beside Joe. "That was Jed Shannon," he said.
"I guess Larry Berman has been busy. Jed's sure getting a lot of publicity out of this." Joe started to get dressed. "The newsstands in the streets were full of it by the time we reached town. " 'Film Star Rescues Kidnapped Actress!' " He grinned. "Not exactly true, but it makes for interesting reading."
"The stories seem to have done Jillian a lot of good, too," Frank said. "Her new agent - she'll never see that Fisher-Stone guy again - - just phoned. She's gotten some great offers. Jed says his studio has just signed her up to star with him in his next picture."
"Here in England?"
"Nope, in California someplace. Jed said they'll be leaving for there after the case is all settled."
"They find each other, she gets famous, they work happily ever after. Sounds like a great ending for them." Joe pulled on his socks. "Nigel Hawkins and his gang are all in the lockup, so they can't bother Jed or Jillian anymore."
"True." Frank sat on the edge of the bed. "I hear that Emily Cornwall collected the Talbot emeralds right on schedule. She's planning to come out into the world a bit more."
"I had a hunch she would, after talking to her the other day. It looks like everything's - "
The phone rang.
Frank answered. "Hello? Oh, hi. Just a second. For you, Joe."
"Yes?" Joe said into the receiver.
"I'm really very unhappy about this." Karen Kirk's voice crackled over the phone line. "But I've got this incredible opportunity, and I just can't pass it up. My friends on one of the magazines want me to do an article on the whole Jillian Seabright case."
She sounded a little embarrassed. "You know, an 'I was there' kind of thing. Corny, maybe, but it will be a big credit for me. The problem is that I have to meet with them tonight. I just can't keep our dinner date, Joe."
"How about a late dinner instead?"
Karen sounded doubtful. "This may drag on for hours."
"Lunch tomorrow? You can interview me for your story." That sounded desperate, even to Joe.
"Tomorrow I'll already be working away on the article. There's a very tight deadline," she explained. "But I'm sure we'll be able to get together at least once before you guys leave England."
"I'm sure we will. Good luck, Karen." Joe hung up.
"No date?" asked his brother.
"I'll give you the details," Joe told him sourly. "But you've got to promise not to laugh."
The End.
Frank and Joe's next case:
The Hardys pay a visit to Bayport's newest martial arts school and find that someone's trying to run the place out of the neighborhood. The Scorpions, a tough street gang, say the building is on their turf, and the school's students have already felt the Scorpions' sting.
The home boys may want to rumble with the Hardy boys, but when high explosives come into the picture, Frank and Joe figure there's more than a street fight at stake. The unknown enemy is willing to use deadly force to destroy the school, and the Hardys will have to get down to business - and give a lesson of their own ... in In Self-defense, Case #45 in The Hardy Boys Casefiles®.
Castle Fear Page 10