Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I still don't own them. *hanging head* Wish I did own them, tho. LOL

CHAPTER 2

Virgil made his way carefully past the fuel tanker with the trembling toddler in his arms. He was still a slight distance from Thunderbird Two when he saw his dad running towards him. Confusion wracked his brain for a few moments until he heard the sound of screeching tires and brakes. Instantly recognizing the sound of an out-of-control vehicle, Virgil took off running towards the safety of Thunderbird Two.

"SCOTT, GET OUT OF THERE." Jeff screamed over the comms making Virgil turn to see what was happening. Virgil knew that Scott was still on the bridge. He watched, frozen in place, as the horror unfolded in front of him. Knowing that there was nothing he could do.

Jeff was still running towards the bridge when the semi slammed into the overturned tanker. He was screaming Scott's name as the force of the explosion blew a fireball of flames and debris into the air and sent him flying backwards to land hard on his back.

Even with the breath temporarily knocked out of him from his landing, Jeff rolled, coming up to his knees, trying to push himself up to his feet. Jeff saw that Virgil had hit the ground and had shielded the child with his body from the blast, but seemed to be okay. He turned back towards the bridge. There the sight caused his heart to stop.

It was like a domino effect, as car after car blew into the air in fiery balls of flame. Bodies flew through the air along with the debris, but it was the sight of his oldest son being flung over the bridge railing that had Jeff on his feet and running towards the now flame engulfed bridge.

"SCOTTY," Jeff screamed as he ran. Watching as Scott's limp body hit the water. The flames of the debris ignited the fuel that had run off into the water. Lighting the whole area and sky with flickering red and gold, as his oldest son disappeared below the depths.

Virgil, having shielded the toddler with his body from the blast heard his dad screaming and turned to see his big brother's body flung into the air and into the now flaming water below. Torn and wanting to run to his brother's aid, but knowing that Scott was depending on him to take care of the little one in his arms, Virgil made his way quickly to Thunderbird Two.

"Oh God," Virgil prayed as he ran towards his bird, " Please, oh God, please help us. I can't lose my brother."

Making his way up the ramp and into the infirmary, Virgil quickly set to work on stabilizing the toddler and treating him for shock. Virgil knew that the sooner he got the toddler situated the better. He kept up the praying the whole time he worked, pleading for Scott to be okay and worried that his other two brothers might have been caught in the explosion.

On the other end of the bridge, Gordon and Alan were just helping a few injured over to a wooded area when they heard their dad's scream for Scott. Knowing from the sound of their dad's voice that something was very wrong, they both turned to see Jeff running from Thunderbird Two and Scott stand up on the crumbled hood of a totaled SUV.

Both Gordon and Alan watched in horror as the other end of the bridge was suddenly engulfed in a flaming inferno. The explosion quickly spreading to the other vehicles and sending bodies and debris flying into the evening sky. They could hear their father screaming Scott's name as they both saw their big brother's body flung over the railing into the water below.

Gordon didn't hesitate. Running as if demons from hell were chasing him, he made it to the river's edge and dove into the now flaming water. His years of swimming giving him the ability to fight the current, and the love for his big brother giving him the determination to brave anything to get to him.

Alan watched as Gordon flung himself into the water. Watched as the flames licked along the surface of the waves from the jet fuel that had settled on the top of the water to give it an eerie glow of death. There was nothing anyone could do for the people that had still been trapped in the vehicles on the bridge. Their screams could be heard over the roar of the flames as the explosion enveloped them. Alan and the remaining survivors watched with horror written on their faces as Gordon surfaced a few yards away, surrounded by floating debris, bodies and flames.

Diving down into the murky depths, Gordon searched frantically for any sign of Scott. His panic rising as he realized that he didn't know how far the current would have taken his brother and praying that he found him in enough time. Swimming along with the current, Gordon felt after a few minutes his lungs begin burn from the lack of oxygen and knew he would have to surface soon, when he saw a flash of silver. Not knowing if it was debris or not, Gordon wasn't going to chance it, and swam hard towards what had caught his attention.

As he got closer, he could make out the outline of a body. Praying that it was Scott, he dove down to check. Gordon saw the flash of silver again and recognized it was his brother's watch. Grasping Scott's waist and pulling his brother towards him, Gordon began quickly ascending back towards the surface. Gordon's lungs felt as if they were going to burst as his head broke into the burning night air. He took a deep gasping breath, pulling his big brother close and cradling him in his arms.

Jeff made it to the edge of the river in time to see Gordon fling himself in. He watched as his red haired son dove under the water. Anxious, he searched for Gordon just as the younger man broke the surface a few yards downstream and then dove back down into the water. Seeing the flames on the water, Jeff realized that now he not only had one son in danger but two.

Trusting that Gordon would find Scott in time, Jeff made the hardest decision in his life and turned from the river towards Thunderbird One and starting running. He knew that the flames would burn on the surface of the water for a while because of the jet fuel and he needed to get them out so that his sons would have a fighting chance. "Oh God," Jeff pleaded. "I cannot do this without you. Give me the strength to do what needs to be done and keep my boys alive."

Reaching Thunderbird One, Jeff climbed into the cockpit and fired up the engines. Knowing that every second was counting now, he jerked the roaring 'bird into the air and turned towards the river. Reaching towards the console, Jeff flipped a switch and took aim at the flames that were lapping along the surface of the water.

Panels immediately dropped from the center of the wings and the radar panel illuminated the cockpit as Jeff fired towards the flames. Jets of foam spewed forth from the wings of Thunderbird One, smothering the flames as Jeff hovered the craft above them. With the majority of the flames put out, Jeff then turned towards the bridge and smothered the flames there as well. All the while keeping an eye on the surface of the water for any signs his two sons.

After breaking the surface, Gordon fought against the current and the drag created by his brother's limp body. His one-armed modified stroke began to slow just as he felt Scott being pulled from him. "NO!"

A touch to his arm startled him, causing him to sink below the water. It was just enough to suck in some the contaminated river water. A strong grip jerked him up again. "Damnit, Gordy, don't do that shit to me." Alan glared at his brother but Gordon could see the fear and worry in his baby brother's eyes.

Together they pulled Scott towards the river bank. Gordon could feel what Alan couldn't. He could feel that their oldest brother was not breathing.

Alan had jumped into the water as soon as he saw Gordon break the surface and swam towards his brothers. Alan suspected that Scott was hurt bad, because he wasn't moving and fear coursed through him at the thought of losing his big brother.

"We've got to get him to shore, NOW." Gordon gasped breathlessly when he saw Alan begin to panic. "I need you focused, baby brother. I can't do this without you. Scotty needs us, and we can't let him down."

Nodding jerkily, Alan supported Scott's head along with Gordon and they quickly swam the rest of the way to the muddy bank. Gently lifting their injured brother into their arms, they walked quickly towards a flat grassy area and carefully laid him down. Then without missing a beat, Alan began CPR, and Gordon reached for the medical bag that Alan had dropped on the bank before jumping in to help. Gordon pulled out the defibrillator and began the prep incase it was needed to restart their fallen brother's heart.