We followed Deirdre until she stopped at an old barn, miles from where we lived. I was surprised she didn't notice us, but the Hardy Boys have obviously followed people before and were very good at keeping themselves hidden.
We stopped the car when Deirdre stopped in a nearby wood, concealed by trees. We watched and Deirdre grabbed the bags of food out of the car, looked around, then ran into the barn.
"Come on," I whispered. We all jumped out of the van and made our way to the barn just as Bess and George pulled up next to us.
Bess jumped out, "Man, George can really drive fast!"
"Shhhhhhh!" We all whispered simultaneously.
Bess blushed, "Sorry..."
We made our way to the barn, getting closer and closer. Once we got there, we all put our ears on the door.
"Deirdre, please! You don't have to go through with this!"
"Nancy!" I couldn't help myself. I threw open the door to find Deirdre holding a knife and pointing it at Nancy, who sat on the floor, tied up.
All five of us acted quick. The Hardy Boys tackled Deirdre before she could get away. Bess, George, and I ran to Nancy. I hugged her so hard, she fell over. I pushed my lips against hers, not holding back. She smelled of hay and dirt, but I could have cared less. Bess and George opened up some water bottles that layer on the ground and gathered Deirdre's food for Nancy to eat and drink.
Eventually, I let Nancy take a breath. "You found me," she whispered.
"Nan, did you ever doubt I would?" I asked and went in for another kiss.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the the Hardy Boys had Deirdre held firm between them.
I leaned away from Nancy and helped her to her feet. George cut her hands loose while Bess held out the water to her. She gulped it down.
I wiped smears of dirt off her face. It has only been a day, yet it felt like it had been a month. I guess that's what stress does to you. And love.
"I'll call the cops," George offered.
Deirdre tried to fight Frank and Joe off, "No, please! Don't call the cops! I can't be arrested!"
"I'm sorry," Frank said sternly, "You committed a federal crime."
Deirdre collapsed under them and started bawling. I have seen Deirdre upset about a broken phone, but I have never seen her this sodden. She cried and screamed.
"I'm so stupid! I don't deserve this!" She held her head between her legs and shook it violently, "No! I do deserve it! I can't take it anymore!" She reached for the knife which Frank held in his hand and tried to grab it, but Frank pulled away.
"No! I deserve it! Let me die!" She sobbed, "Please!"
Nancy looked heartbroken. The rest of us just looked confused. Soon we heard sirens. I noticed tears form in Nancy's eyes as she sunk into my arms.
"What is she talking about?" I whispered in Nancy's ear. She just shook her head. I stroked her reddish-blonde hair that I loved.
Deirdre started to go so crazy that she tackled Frank for the knife. She bit Frank's wrist and he yelped in pain. Joe helped him up just as Deirdre was about to stab herself.
"No!" Nancy cried and lounged to the knife. She grabbed it just in time. This time, Deirdre didn't resist, she let Nancy take it.
"Why do you want me alive?" She asked us as she curled up into a ball.
Nancy handed me the knife, then sat next to Deirdre. "Because, you don't deserve to die. You deserve to live."
"You have to pay for your crimes," George said, "But, this is not punishable by death." George crossed her arms while Bess backed into a corner, looking frightened. Joe walked over to her and hugged her. She hugged him back. I caught Frank roll his eyes.
Soon, the cops were bursting through the door and arresting Deirdre. Nancy's father came and hugged her. He started to cry. "Nancy! Thank God!"
Frank and Joe's dad came in as well. "You've done good, boys." He patted them on the back.
"We couldn't have done it without Bess, George, and of course Ned."
We all got in for a group hug. Nancy, Carson, and Bess were all in tears. I suddenly noticed I had them too.
"Hold on!" I heard a women's voice cry. Hannah came stumbling into our hug. "Nancy! Oh, my little angle! Thank heavens!" She had Togo on a leash who was yapping at Nancy's feet.
Chief MacGinnis came over with his notebook. "I hate to break it up, but I just have to say that you kids did well. I didn't think you would actually find Nancy."
"Thank you!" Frank, Joe, Bess, George, and I all cried.
I looked up in time to see a police car pooling away with Deirdre in the back. She locked eyes with me. The were dead eyes, with no emotion behind them.
"Guys, I can't thank you enough." Nancy was crying. "I'm so grateful to have you all."
"We are grateful we have you," I said. Everyone nodded and held onto the group hug a little tighter.
