CHAPTER 6

Silverman pulled Joe into the shower and grabbed Joe's throat again. "Did you really believe your friends could protect you?" Silverman asked Joe in a quiet voice.

Joe started shaking in fear as he felt Silverman's hot breath on his skin. He put up his hands to ward off his attacker, but Silverman squeezed Joe's throat tighter. "Stop fighting," he ordered Joe. "I'm not in the mood today," he added, reaching down and taking Joe's cock in his hand.

"It was real nice of you to undress for me," Silverman whispered in Joe's ear before sucking on his earlobe, his hand still rubbing Joe's dick. "You like this, don't you boy?" he asked Joe as his hand moved to encirle the round flesh beneath his dick. "You want more, don't you?"

"No," Joe mouthed, tears falling from his eyes. "Please don't do this," he begged inaudibly.

Silverman laughed softly and nuzzeled Joe's neck with his nose, bringing his hand around and rubbing Joe's posterior. He pushed his forefinger into Joe's ass. Joe's ass clinched and he gasped, his heart beat faster as his fear grew even stronger.

Joe raised his hands, formed fists, and started striking Silverman. Silverman rammed his finger even farther up Joe's ass. Joe gasped and grabbed on to Silverman's shoulders as the finger reached into untested territory.

"No biting," Silverman warned Joe as he twisted his finger inside of Joe. "You bite now or later, and I will kill your brother," he added, then covered Joe's mouth with his own. Joe tried to push back from Silverman's mouth but it only brought the finger further up his now sore ass. After what seemed like forever to Joe, Silverman lifted his mouth and leaned close to Joe's ear again.

"You want me to let your ass breath too?" Silverman asked him.

Joe gave a slight nod, for the hand gripping his throat was too tight for a big one.

"In order for me to leave your ass alone, you have to do something for me," Silverman whispered, rubbing the front of his jeans against Joe's bare cock and balls.

Joe looked questioningly at Silverman. He was filled with dread, but realized he really had no choice. He knew what would happen if he refused. Silverman would hurt, maybe even kill, Frank and then come back for him anyway.

"I want you down on your knees," Silverman told Joe. "I want you to suck my dick, make me hard. Lick it like it was ice cream, suck it like a baby drinking from it's momma's breasts. Hold me, pet me, cuddle my cock to your face and give it little kisses. And when I am hard and ready, you are going to swallow every drop that comes out of my rod," he ordered, looking into Joe's eyes.

Joe started crying anew as Silverman released Joe's throat and pulled his finger out of Joe's ass. Joe took a small step backward and felt the handles for the shower press into his back.

Without thinking and without warning, Joe lifted an arm behind him and turned on the water. It struck an unsupecting Silverman in the face. Joe jumped from the shower and ran for Frank's room. Silverman grabbed at Joe, but he eluded the hand reaching for him.

Frank looked up from his book as Joe opened the bathroom door and ran into his room, his face a mask of terror. Frank leapt to his feet and screamed for help as Silverman burst into the room on Joe's heels.

Silverman decided it was better to run and come back later than take on all the boys at once, so he ran from Frank's room and raced for the stairs, knocking Chet and Tony down as he ran between them.

Phil, who had just started up the stairs, was grabbed by Silverman on his way down and dragged outside to the brown truck which he drove.

Silverman opened the driver's door and shoved Phil inside, getting in after him. He shoved the truck into gear and took off down the street. Phil tried to get Silverman to slow down by hitting him, but he pushed Phil back into the door.

"Look kid, I got cheated out of Joey just now and someone has to pay the price," Silverman told a paling Phil. "You will just have to be his substitute."

"NO!" Phil shouted, and tried to open the door. He was going to jump out of the truck no matter how fast it was moving.

"YES!" Silverman shouted back, his voice jovial as he reached over and backhanded Phil. Phil fell back onto the window, cracking it as he slipped into darkness.

CHAPTER 7

When Phil awoke, the truck had come to a stop somewhere on the outskirts of Bayport. Silverman had parked the truck off the road behind some trees and bushes. Phil opened his eyes as he felt the door behind him give way and he fell backward.

Silverman caught Phil before he fell to the ground and dragged him a few feet further into the woods before shoving him to the ground and sitting on his stomach.

Phil started to scream, but Silverman grabbed Phil's throat with one hand and ripped his shirt open with the other. Phil started pounding on Silverman's chest but to no avail.

Silverman traced an invisible line from Phil's navel up to his neck. He put his lips against Phil's ear, causing Phil to start trembling as he felt Silverman's hot breath. "You know something kid?" Silverman asked. "You aren't my type."

Silverman sat back up and pulled at Phil's throat forcing him to assume a sitting position. "Pass a message to Joey for me, would you?" he asked, leaning closer and whispering into Phil's ear. Then he brought back his fist and hit Phil with a left hook, releasing him as he did so. Phil fell backwards, unconscious.

As Silverman took off out of the bedroom, Joe collapsed sobbing into Frank's arms. Biff took off after Silverman, stopping before he tripped over Tony and Chet.

"He took Phil," Tony told Frank as they entered his bedroom a minute later. He and the other boys came to a halt as they saw Frank sitting on the floor holding his naked brother as he shook and cried.

Frank looked up at his friends, his face covered in tears. "Call the police and tell them about Phil," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Chet, use dad's office phone and call Dr. Bates," he ordered, giving the name of their family doctor. Doctor Bates usually didn't make housecalls, but he had conceded an exception years ago in the Hardys' case when Fenton Hardy had saved the life of his child after she had been kidnapped.

Before the doctor or the police had arrived, blond-haired, blue-eyed, petite Laura Hardy and blond-haired, brown-eyed, Vanessa Bender, Joe's seventeen-year-old girlfriend, arrived at the Hardy home. They came inside and went up the stairs after seeing no one downstairs.

"Frank, Joe, Fenton?" Laura called out as she and Vanessa climbed the stairs. Tony and Chet came out of Frank's room and met the ladies at the top of the stairs.

"What is it?" Laura demanded, seeing the sad expressions on their faces.

"Silverman came back," Tony said quitely. "Joe..." he began but Laura rushed past him and into the bedroom. Vanessa started to follow, but Chet grabbed her arm. "He isn't dressed," he said stopping her.

Vanessa's eyes began to water and she bowed her head. "How is he?" she asked softly.

"Not good," Tony admitted.

Inside the bedroom, Biff had helped lift Joe onto Frank's bed and cover him up before Laura had entered the room. "Baby," she said softly, crying as she came nearer. She sat down on the bed opposite of the side Frank now occupied. She reached out to touch him but he whimpered and snuggled in closer to Frank.

"What happened?" she demanded, looking at Frank through bleary eyes.

"He was hiding in the shower," Frank said. "We were all here and that bastard got to him anyway," he added, feeling helpless and riddled with guilt because he hadn't gone into the bathroom with Joe.

"Did he...." Laura couldn't bring herself to finish the question.

Frank shook his head slightly. "I don't know. Joe won't quit crying and his throat was hurt, he can't talk."

Tony poked his head in the doorway. "The police and Dr. Bates are here," he said.

Phil came to with a start. He jerked to a sitting position and looked around. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky thanking God for letting him be okay.

He slowly rose to his feet, thinking about how Joe must have felt when that creep had attacked him and actually did things to him. Phil shuddered at the thought. Poor Joe! Phil thought. How was he ever going to recover? Phil stumbled through the woods to the highway, seeing no sign of the truck or Silverman. He took stock of his surroundings, then turned to his right and headed back into town.

"Well?" asked Laura, jumping to her feet as Dr. Bates came down the stairs from having seen Joe.

"I gave him a sedative," said the balding, middle-aged man as he came closer to her. He looked down at his feet for a moment, trying to think of the right words to say as Frank and Sergeant Con Riley, a dark haired man in his mid-twenties, and one of Frank's and Joe's friends came over. Biff and Tony were upstairs with Joe and would not leave the room until someone came to relieve them.

"What?" Frank demanded when Dr. Bates never said anything more. "What's wrong?"

"From what Joe could convey to me, his attacker didn't have time to penetrate Joe's anus with his penis, but he used his finger and...and..." Dr. Bates voice broke. He didn't know how to continue, but his tone and demeanour conveyed to them what had happened.

"Oh no!" Laura gasped and sank back onto the chair, her hand covering her mouth as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. Vanessa and Chet, standing nearby heard what was said and began crying too. Chet sank onto the sofa, and buried his face in his hands. "We were here," he moaned. "This shouldn't have happened."

Con's radio flared and static filled the air. Con acknowledged the call and looked at the Hardys. "Phil was just picked up by a patrol car on Shore Road," he informed them.

"Was...was he?" Frank tried to ask, but Con shook his head.

"He was battered and bruised, but he said Silverman didn't do anything to him," Con replied.

"Thank God," Vanessa said softly.

"He was taken to the hospital and his parents are going to pick him up," Con added. "We have an APB out on the truck he was driving now."

Frank nodded, 'Thanks, Con," Frank said, trying to control his emotions.

"Now what?" Chet asked.

"I don't know," Frank said, sitting down on the sofa beside him. "I just don't know."

"Vanessa, why don't you go home?" Laura suggested. "Joe will probably sleep until tonight."

"I would rather stay, if you don't mind?" Vanessa asked. "I can't leave Joe now. He needs to know that everyone still loves him and nothing can change how we feel about him."

Frank smiled at Vanessa. "Thanks," he said gratefully, sniffing a little.

"Of course you can stay," Laura said. "You are always welcome here."

"I'm going to go upstairs," Vanessa said. "I want to be there when Joe wakes up."

They watched her climb the stairs. "Where is your father?" Laura asked Frank, her tone taking on the tough sound she used when she got angry.

"He went to check out Silverman's address," Frank replied.

"He is still on the case?" Laura exploded, her eyes flashing in anger.

"He was going to quit, but Joe begged him to stay on it," Frank defended his father.

"He shouldn't have taken it in the first place," Laura declared, her lips curled into a snarl, reminiscent of a mother bobcat protecting her young. She swallowed her anger and stood up. "I'll make some sandwiches," she said and headed into the kitchen, afraid she might say something she shouldn't. Her anger was at her husband, not her son.

Half an hour later, Laura came back into the living room with a tray of sandwiches. "There is another tray in the kitchen," she told Frank and Chet. "I am taking these upstairs to the others," she added, starting up the stairs.

Chet got up and went into the kitchen as a knock sounded at the door. Frank went to see who was there. He opened the door and Phil stepped inside. He had a busted lip and a swollen eye, but it was his expression that worried Frank the most about his friend.

"Are you okay?" he demanded in concern. "Con said he never..."

"He didn't," Phil told him. "But he told me to pass on a message to Joe," he added, looking miserable.

Frank swallowed. "What was it?" he asked, afraid to know, afraid not to.

"He said to tell Joe that whenever he was alone, no matter how safe he thought he might be, he wouldn't be," Phil said, his voice breaking as he spoke. "He said he would always be around waiting for his next opportunity."

CHAPTER 8

By the time Joe awoke that evening, Fenton had returned home. Chet, Biff, and Tony had left for the evening but Vanessa had decided to stay the night. Fenton had sent the others home when Frank insisted on having Joe sleep with him.

Tony had helped Frank set up the alarm system which had not been in use for some time. It had been disconnected by burglars on a previous case of Fenton's and had not been repaired. Now, after their friends had left and every section of the house had been searched, the alarm had been turned on.

When Joe awoke, he was surprised to find Vanessa sitting in a chair beside his bed and everyone else gone. He sat up, breathing heavily and looked around.

"It's okay," Vanessa said, moving over to sit beside Joe on the bed. "Your alarm system is on and your mom, dad, and Frank are downstairs." She gently pushed him back onto the bed and moved a lock of his blond hair from his forehead.

Joe looked away from her and lowered his eyes, too ashamed to look at her. "It's okay," she said again, her heart going out to him. "I love you," she said when he never looked back at her. He still ignored her.

"You can ignore me if you want to, but I'm not going away," she told him. "I love you and nothing is going to change that."

Joe slowly turned to look at her, tears falling from his hurt filled eyes. "Oh, baby," Vanessa said, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his forehead. "I love you so much."

"How could you?" Joe rasped, his voice worse than before.

"How could I not?" she demanded softly, lifting his chin so he could not turn away from her. She stared into his eyes as she spoke. "You're sweet, kind, gentle, strong, loving, caring, giving and brave."

"No," Joe said, his voice so low, Vanessa had to strain to hear him although he was speaking as loud as he could. "I'm scared and weak," he argued. "I couldn't get away," he added, crying harder. "I..." he tried to say more, but couldn't get the words out.

"Oh, baby," she cried. "There will always be someone stronger somewhere. And you have every right to be scared," she told him, smoothing his hair back as she held his face close to her breast as a mother would a newborn child.

"But..but I'm...I'm dirty," he admitted. "I shouldn't have let him. You shouldn't be near me..."

"You didn't let him," Vanessa told him sternly. "He hurt you but it was in no way your fault." She lifted his chin again. "How would you feel if it were me who had been violated?" she asked him. "Would you think any less of me?"

Joe's eyes widened, shocked she would think he might think such a thing. "No, never," he whispered hoarsely. He gave a watery smile as he realized what she was trying to tell him. "You think I'm being stupid," he said.

"No, just human," she replied, leaning down and kissing his forehead. "Want me to yell for Frank?" she asked.

"Please," he rasped.

Vanessa kissed him again and went to the bedroom door, which had been left open and shouted for Frank. "Frank, Joe wants you!" she screamed.

Frank was there in a minute. "Hey, little brother," Frank said softly, coming over and sitting beside Joe.

"Hi," Joe rasped.

"No more talking," Frank ordered sternly, getting back up and going to his desk and opening a drawer. He removed several pens and notepads. He handed one of each to Joe and gave the rest to Vanessa. "Would you please put a set in every room in the house?" he asked her. "If he doesn't quit trying to talk he is going to damage his vocal cords."

"Of course," she agreed, accepting the materials. She threw a smile at Joe and left the room.

"How are you feeling?" Frank asked Joe.

Joe started to open his mouth but saw the look in Frank's eyes and wrote something down then handed the paper to Frank.

"I feel dirty," Joe had written. "I want a shower."

"Okay," Frank said, knowing this was a common trait of rape victims. "I'll get you some clean clothes out and check the shower, then I'll wait in the bathroom while you take it, okay?"

Joe smiled gratefully at Frank, glad he understood Joe's fear without him having had to put it into words. Joe's stomach twisted into knots as he entered the bathroom. He wondered if he was ever going to feel safe again. Twice he had been attacked in his own home. This was supposed to be the safest place there was, but now, he knew such a place didn't exist.

Frank waited for Joe to finish his shower. He could hear Joe scrubbing his body, wincing because he knew the shower wasn't going to make Joe feel any cleaner. It was psychological. He knew it. Joe knew it. But until they could come up with a way for Joe to get over his fear of this man and what he had done to Joe and threatened to do still, then Joe would never feel safe or clean.

Frank wept silent tears for his brother's lost innocence. He knew Joe would never be the same carefree, fun-loving, risk taker he had been. He was scared to find out what Joe might yet become if he didn't find an outlet for this nightmare. He heard the water stop and quickly wiped his tears away as Joe wrapped a towel around him and stepped out of the shower.

Joe gave a Frank a wan smile as he saw him keeping vigilance on top of the closed toilet. He looked down and then back at Frank. Understanding Joe's need for privacy as well as protection, Frank stood, turned around and shut his eyes. A few minutes later, Joe tapped Frank on the shoulder. Frank turned to find Joe fully dressed except for socks and shoes.

"Let's go downstairs," Frank suggested. "Dad is home and mom was fixing dinner when I came up." Joe nodded and the two brothers went downstairs.

Vanessa was sitting on the sofa trying to ignore the argument taking place in the kitchen. She had turned on the television to try and drown out the noise, but Laura's distraught voice kept piercing the air.

Joe looked at Frank then turned and started for the kitchen. Frank started to follow, but Joe turned and shook his head. Frank didn't know what Joe was going to do but he wanted to do it alone, so Frank went and took a seat near Vanessa.

When Joe entered the kitchen, his parents stopped arguing and Laura ran over to Joe's side and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Hi, Baby," she said, leading him over to the table and sitting him down near a tablet and pen. "Did you get some rest?"

Joe nodded and picked up the pen and paper. He scribbled something down and handed it to his mother. She read it with clinched lips and looked at her son. "I know it is his job," she told Joe. "But we are his family and he has to learn that we are more important."

"Which is why he has to find this guy," Joe wrote and handed the sheet of paper to his mom.

"If he would drop the case, you would be fine," Laura tried to tell Joe. "He won't bother you anymore."

Joe shook his head and wrote for a couple of minutes then tore off the sheet and handed it to his mother with a pleading look in his eyes which broke her heart. She began to read what Joe had written, out loud, so Fenton could hear it too.

"Dad had to take the case," Joe had written. "If he hadn't, then this guy might have killed every teen who even remotely resembles me where he was and then move on to the next town, this one, and I would have gotten attacked anyway."

Fenton put a hand on Joe's shoulder as Laura read the note. Joe stiffened briefly but forced himself to relax as his mother continued reading. "Now, Dad has to find this guy. He said he would come back and even if he doesn't, I will always be afraid he might. If Dad doesn't get him, I will never feel safe," Laura ended, crying.

"Oh, Baby," she said, coming close and pulling Joe to her as she cried. "I'm sorry. You're right," she admitted to Joe but looking at Fenton through tear filled eyes. "Your father has no option to find him."

Fenton wrapped his arms around his wife and son, but Joe stiffened and started hyperventialting. His parents backed up. "Easy, Son," Fenton said. "We aren't going to hurt you. You're alright."

Joe nodded, his breathing starting to slow back down. "I'm...." he started to apologize in a whisper but Laura put her fingers over Joe's lips.

"No talking until your throat is better," she ordered him. "And don't you dare apologize for being afraid," she added, sternly. "You never have to apologize for something that isn't your fault."

"And nothing this bastard did to you is your fault," Fenton stated, looking into his son's eyes. "You have to remember that. You have done nothing wrong. You aren't being punished by us or God for anything."

"Then why?" Joe wrote.

"I don't know," Fenton said. "But I know someone who might be able to help you understand," he added.

Joe looked at his father questioningly. "The rape center?" Laura asked.

Fenton shook his head. "Oh, maybe," he admitted. "But, I was thinking of Father O'Malley."

Joe tilted his head in question. "He is the priest at St. Fransis across town," Fenton said. "He has talked with rape victims before and is a very kind and understanding man." Fenton looked at Joe, his brown eyes soft. "Would you like to talk with him?" he asked.

Joe held up the pen. "That's okay," Fenton said, smiling. "He can read." Joe nodded. "Good," Fenton said. "I'll see if he can come over tonight."

Laura kissed Joe's forehead. "Why don't you go and get your brother and Vanessa?" she asked him. "I'm ready to put dinner on the table now."

CHAPTER 9

After dinner, Fenton called Father O'Malley who promised to come right over and talk to Joe. It wasn't long before a short man, barely five foot six, arrived at the threshold of the Hardy home. His red hair, or what was left of it, hung limply around his forehead and his brown eyes had a sparkle of kindness and sympathy as he was introduced to Joe.

Fenton, Laura, Vanessa, and Frank left the two alone in the living room, although Frank stayed in the kitchen with Vanessa in case Joe needed him. Fenton and Laura went upstairs to get the beds ready for the evening.

"How are you feeling?" Father O'Malley asked Joe.

Joe shrugged his shoulders. Father O'Malley picked up the notebook and pen from the table and handed it to Joe. "I understand this is a hard time for you," he said, sitting down near Joe but being careful to keep a safe distance so as not to cause Joe to have a panic attack.

"Your dad said you were having a problem dealing with what has been done to you," Father O'Malley said after Joe had sat quietly, not writing or trying to speak.

Joe bowed his head and wrote something down on the notebook, then ripped off the sheet and handed it to him.

"Ah, Joseph," Father O'Malley said. "I know it is hard. But I am sure your father has already told you what was done to you was not done because of anything you did or as a punishment. Evil exists," he continued. "And evil's sole purpose is to harm good. You and your family have proven yourselves to be some of the goodest people in existence. Of course Satan is going to try and hurt you in any way he can."

"Why?" Joe wrote.

"I can't answer that," Father O'Malley said. "God works in mysterious ways," he added. "It would be presumptious of me to assume I knew why these things happen. What I can tell you is that your are a strong, brave, caring, and loving young man. Whatever has happened to you, whatever will happen to you in the future, God does love you as do your family. No one and nothing can take that love away from you. And as long as you have that, then nothing that happens to you can really harm you. You will overcome."

Joe listened to Father O'Malley talk to him for a little longer but didn't participate in the conversation except to nod or shake his head in answer to a question. He knew, deep down, that he was right, but he still felt scared and alone. If God loved him so much, then why had He let this happen to him? It made no sense.

Soon, Fenton and Laura returned from upstairs and thanked Father O'Malley for coming over. Frank and Vanessa came in and Laura went to make Joe some honey tea before bed.

The next morning, Joe accompanied his family and Vanessa to church. He had thought about what Father O'Malley had talked about all night, not having been able to sleep. He still didn't understand why this was happening to him, but he was beginning to realize that O'Malley was right. He could handle this, eventually. He was a survivor and he was not alone.

After church, they all returned home and had lunch. Vanessa stayed and played a game of Monopoly with them before returning home. Joe slept in Frank's room again and passed the night peacefully. Not even one nightmare.

The next day, Joe came downstairs ready for school, much to his family's surprise. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay home for a few days?" Laura asked him.

"That sounds like a good idea," Fenton agreed. "Stay home, get some rest."

"I've had rest," Joe wrote. "Only my throat is still hurting."

"Joe, it would be safer if you stayed home," Frank told him, saying what his parents wanted to.

"I have to go to school," Joe wrote. "If I stay home because I'm afraid, then he will have won."

"No one will have won," Laura told him after Frank had read the note.

"If I live in fear, then he still has control over me," Joe wrote. "I won't allow anyone that kind of control over me."

Frank read the note aloud and smiled at his brother with pride. "Way to go, Little Brother," Frank told him, giving him a hug. "But until this guy is caught, I insist on some precautions."

"Like?" Fenton asked, in total agreement.

"I'll call the guys and make sure Joe doesn't get left alone," Frank said, getting up from the breakfast table and going to the phone. He called Biff and told him Joe was going to school but he needed to be watched.

"Definitely," Biff agreed. "I'll call Phil and Tony and tell them to meet us outside the main door ten minutes early," he said. "We can plan a schedule then."

"Thanks," Frank said. "I'll call Chet."

"What about Vanessa and Callie?" Biff asked. "Joe has one class where Callie is the only one of us who has it with him."

"I'll call them too, but we will still need to get someone to go with Joe there and back," Frank said. "Callie couldn't handle this guy. Neither could we, actually, but we could long enough to get Joe away." 'I hope,' Frank added silently.

"Okay, see you at school," Biff said and hung up.

While Frank called Chet, Laura made Joe some more honey tea. "Thanks," Joe rasped, his throat a little better, but still sore and his voice still a mere whisper.

"No talking," Fenton ordered Joe. He looked at Laura who nodded her head and took the notepad and pen and wrote a note for Joe's teachers. "Here," he said, giving the notpad back to Joe. "Show this to each of your teachers as you enter class," he instructed him. "No talking until your throat is better."

Joe smiled and nodded his accpetance of the order. Then Frank returned to the table with his backpack and Joe's. "Let's get going," he said to Joe. "We are meeting everyone out front."

Joe stood up, took his backpack, and gave his each of his parents a small hug. He tried not to stiffen when they hugged him back, but when his father put his arms around Joe, he couldn't control the momentary laspe of fear which registered. Frank told his parents bye and the two boys left for school.

When they arrived, their friends were waiting on them. "Hey, Joe," Phil said in a soft voice. "How you doing?"

Joe gave him a little smile and a nod to indicate he was okay. "He still can't talk," Frank said for his brother, then looked at Chet. "You have Algebra with Joe first period, right?" Chet nodded. "Okay, you can walk Joe to class and then after take him to History."

"And I can take him to Chem class after that," Callie offered.

Frank looked at her. "You need to keep an eye on him in history," he told Callie, "but, well, it's nothing personal, but I would feel better if Biff came and walked him to his next class."

"This guy is really strong," Phil told her. "Joe needs all the protection he can get." Joe swallowed at his words but never made any indication to the others that they had affected him. Joe was starting to wish he had stayed home.

"Okay," Biff said. "Joe and I have chem together any way. After that we'll go to lunch together and plan the rest of the day there," he suggested as students started walking past, slowing down to see what the pow-wow was about.

Joe was bombarded by curious looks in Algebra when he never spoke, but Chet told everyone he had laringytis. By the end of class, Joe had been forgotten and everyone was complaining about having homework. Chet walked Joe down the hall to history where Callie stood waiting by the door.

They went inside and a few minutes later, the bell had rang and the teacher was deep in discussion about the second world war. So, it came as a total surprise when an explosion ripped throughthe wall, blasting the teacher forward and onto the desks of the students in the front row. The place was on fire.

The fire alarm sounded and two students helped the teacher up, who had been dazed, but otherwise unhurt, and out of the room. They all started out of the room, with Joe and Callie bringing up the rear. As they passed the room on the other side of the blast, they heard someone crying. Joe and Callie rushed inside and saw a student, a freshman, lying trapped under a shelf which had fallen over from the blast. They went inside and Joe lifted the corner of the shelf as Callie pulled the girl from beneath. Another explosion as flames hit the chem lab, and most of the building was now on fire. Joe motioned for the two girls to precede him out of the room and down the hall.

As they passed another room, this one farther away from the fire, an arm snaked out and encirled Joe's waist as he passed the door. Callie and the other girl were too far away to hear Joe's whispered shout of "Help!"

CHAPTER 10

Joe tried to scream again as he was dragged into a class room by Silverman, but his voice was so low, he couldn't even hear himself over the sound of running feet. Silverman laughed at Joe, grasping his throat again and pushing him into the wall. "I told you I would be back," he said. Joe hit Silverman on the side of the head with both hands, as he had done in his parents' bedroom and lifted his knee, ramming it into Silverman's groin.

"You're going to pay for that one, pretty boy," Silverman growled. Raising his hand and making a fist, he brought back his arm and swung at Joe. His fist connected with Joe's jaw and Joe slumped in Silverman's grip, unconscious.

Frank saw Callie and another student come running out of the school and went over to her. "Where's Joe?" he demanded, as his other friends came over to join them.

Callie looked behind her. "He was right behind us," she said, her eyes wide.

Frank took off running inside the building with Chet, Biff, Phil and Tony on his heels. Principal Dylan saw them heading back into the school and ran over to stop them, but Callie got in his way. "They went after Joe," she told him as Vanessa ran over to join her.

Principal Dylan frowned, but accepted that they would not leave the building without him. The fire department arrived and the principal came over and informed them that there were at least six students still inside the building.

Everyone waitied and watched as the firemen entered the burning building. Soon, five of the missing six were escorted out by firemen and oxygen masks were placed over their faces. The fire was brought under control and a search was made for Joe, but he was no where to be found.

Frank sat on the ground with his friends, the oxygen mask in his hand beside him on the ground. Tears rolled down his face as he realized Joe had been kidnapped. Silverman's name floated in his head as he cried. He had failed to protect his brother and now, he might never see him again.

When Joe awoke, he saw a ceiling covered in the brown spots which accompany leaks. He tried to move, but his hands were bound to a metal rail headboard and one of his ankles had been tied to the bottom. One ankle had been left free and Joe could squirm a bit, but he could not get loose.

He looked around at the room he was imprisoned in. The paint was peeling and there was an old table in one corner and a chair near the bed he was lying on. He could see mouse holes along the base of the wall and knew he was in a house which had been deserted for some time.

Silverman walked into the room as Joe lay back on the bed, trying to twist his wrists out of the ropes. "Hello, darling," Silverman said to Joe.

Joe looked at Silverman, not in the fear which had been consuming him recently, but in anger. He had burned down the school, endangering the lives of all the students, just to capture him. The man was truly insane.

Silverman came over and sat down beside Joe. He reached over and brushed the hair from Joe's eyes, smiling down at him as he did so. "Have a nice rest?" he asked Joe.

"Let me go," Joe whispered. "I'm not Miller."

"No," Silverman agreed. "But you are like him. So popular, so good looking. You think the world owes you everything," he said, stroking Joe's cheek. Silverman's face was hard. "No, you aren't Miller and neither were any of the other boys I raped and killed. But you have so much in common with him, you could have been."

"So you are doing this to me because of what I look like?" Joe rasped. "Doesn't who I am count?"

"Of course it counts," Silverman said. "That's why I haven't moved on to any one else. Your old man thinks I should be punished for punishing you sick twisted boys. You, who would take a small child and do those things, and he thinks you should be allowed to be left alone to do it again."

"I would never do anything like that," Joe asserted. "I don't hurt people."

"And you never will," Silverman said. "You need to feel what it's like have that kind of thing done to you. You deserve it. Then, you have to die so you can't hurt anyone else."

"I never hurt anyone in the first place," Joe declared in a hoarse voice as loudly as he could. "Only Miller did and he is dead."

"He got away," Silverman declared angrily, his eyes shining. "He was never punished for what he did. I won't let anyone else get away with doing that to another child," he vowed. "That is why I am taking care of you personally. You will suffer for your crimes and then you will die."

"I haven't committed any crimes," Joe said, trying to get through to the man.

"But if you got the chance, you would," Silverman stated. "I can't allow that."

"But..." Joe started to argue some more, but Silverman had grown tired of the discussion. He grasped Joe's throat and squeezed, leaving him no air.

Joe opened his mouth, trying to take in air, but none could seep through. His vision grew blurry as he gasped but no relief was given. When everything started to go dark, the pressure was released from his throat and Joe took in several deep breaths. His throat was so sore, he couldn't even utter a whisper.

Silverman reached down to the first button on Joe's shirt and pulled it off. Joe tried to squirm away, but Silverman just kept taking the buttons off Joe's shirt, tossing them to the floor as he did so. Soon, Joe's shirt lay wide open.

"You know," Silverman said, as he put both his hands on Joe's chest. "I don't enjoy doing this, but I do enjoy the pain and suffering you go through. You deserve it and so much more," he added, running his hands all over Joe's exposed skin.

Joe's eyes began to tear as Silverman reached for Joe's belt. He unbuckled it and unsnapped Joe's jeans. A quick zip and then he started to pull them down. "Oops," Silverman said. "Can't get them over the ropes, can I?" he asked.

Silverman reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his switchblade. He flipped it open and brought it up to Joe's shirt, slicing through the sleeves until Joe was freed. Then he pulled the shirt from beneath him and tossed it onto the floor.

Next, he came down and slit the side of Joe's jeans. Then the other side. He pulled them out from under Joe and tossed them to the floor on top of the shredded shirt. Then he cut the briefs off of Joe, leaving his flesh open to view.

"Now, your punishment begins," Silverman declared, a maniacal light in his eyes.