Hi everyone!
I'm back albeit a little late (*looks shamefully down at her feet*) with a chapter to save you from my cliffhanger...and possibly give you another?? You'll have to read more to find out! (*Evil grin*)
This chapter has a lot of scene changes, and I have been having a few troubles with page breaks/*~*~*~*~*/TBTBTBTB's to separate each one, so I apologise if a couple misbehave!
Keep reviewing and I'll keep writing!
Boann xx
Chapter 11
Tintin had been enjoying a much needed bubble bath when Parker had urgently called her to the drawing room. Pulling on her bathrobe, she'd quickly followed him to the room, where Penelope was sitting at the radio. Her beautiful face was wearing an expression of horror.
"John?" Tintin frowned when she saw the astronaut's face on the screen. He was accompanied by another. "Dad?"
"Hello sweetheart," her father greeted. He appeared very worried.
"Tintin, I need you to listen very carefully," John told her sternly.
It was unusual for John to frown, so Tintin paid attention. "What's going on?"
"We need your help," John said.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"What do you mean the door's jammed?" Jeff practically bellowed into the radio. If the man on the other end had been able to see Jeff's face, he would have been terrified. Unfortunately, Jeff had turned off the visual connection to protect his identity, so he had to rely on his voice to convey his frustration.
"We can't explain it, sir," the guard replied. "My men just can't get the door of the prisoner's cell open. It's like something's jamming it!"
"How?" Jeff asked.
"Our doors are normally controlled by an automated security system. We tried overriding it to unlock the cell, but it won't work."
Jeff fumed. If I had a dollar for every time something went wrong as a result of an automated system….
"If it's an automated system, then whatever is overriding it has to be mechanical also," he said. "I need you to check the cell door and the main terminal for a device that could be causing the problem."
"Who could have planted something like that in here?" the guard asked, scoffing. "Nobody gets in or out of here without being thoroughly checked, not to mention the amount of paperwork and identification protocol."
Jeff suddenly had a thought. "Maybe somebody didn't need to get in or out of the prison to plant the device," he said. "It's possible somebody capable of making it was already inside. The Hood had a woman called Transom working with him in the attack against our base. She has a knack for engineering."
"I'll check her status and have my men take a look around," the guard said.
"Hurry!" Jeff urged.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Scott and Virgil barely had time to blink before Alan suddenly took off.
They immediately ran after him, their initial pause from shock granting Alan a head start.
"Alan!" Scott called.
They stopped when they reached the kitchen and living area.
"Did he go upstairs?" Scott wondered aloud.
"What if he ran outside?" Virgil countered.
Scott sighed. "You check outside. I'll take the upstairs."
Scott ran up the ramp but saw nobody in the hall when he got there. He began checking the bedrooms. "Alan?" he called. He didn't know why he expected to hear a reply. He reached Alan's room, checked the bathroom, but couldn't find his brother. He was about to leave when something caught his eye. The balcony door was open and through the partly closed curtains he could see a figure standing outside.
"Alan?" he called, going outside.
He stopped abruptly when he saw Alan properly. His little brother had somehow climbed over the railing and was standing on the edge of the balcony, holding the railing with one hand.
Scott held out a hand and slowly stepped forward. "Alan, can you hear me?"
Alan didn't turn. He remained still, looking at the ground far below.
"Alan, what are you doing?" asked Scott.
Alan's hand shifted on the railing and suddenly Scott realised.
Oh God. He's going to jump.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Alan could barely see the ground below him, but he knew it was there. And, more importantly, he knew he was about to join it. His balcony hung over a cliff that dropped down into the jungle below. There was no way he would survive the fall.
Stop, he begged.
The Hood laughed. "I warned you Alan," he said. "You're all alone and about to die. But don't worry. I'm sure it will be quick."
Alan tried to focus all his energy on keeping the hand that was clasped around the balcony railing from releasing its grip. The darkness peeking around the edges of his vision was making it difficult to focus. It was like he was in his own version of Wonderland. His body was still in his dream. The Hood was still in his dream, controlling his body. But his mind was teetering on the edge, aware of both dreaming and reality. It was so much to process and the sensation was terrifying. He could feel himself shaking. But am I shaking in my dream or reality? he wondered despairingly. It didn't matter. He was all alone and he was about to die.
"Alan."
Shut up, he thought.
"Alan."
The voice was recognisable, but it wasn't The Hood's.
"Alan, listen to me. You have to wake up."
Scott?
"Snap out of it, buddy. You're stronger than he is!"
He's making me listen, he realised. He wants to remind me just how close Scott is. He wants to make me feel helpless.
And it was working. Alan would have screwed up his eyes if The Hood had let him. Scott, help me!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Tintin?"
Tintin looked up at John, realising she'd spaced out. "I can't," she said. "I don't know how. My powers are nowhere near as strong as his."
"It is inside you, sweetheart," Kyrano encouraged. He always knew how to inspire her, but Tintin wasn't certain he would be successful this time.
"Tintin, I wish I didn't have to ask you to face your uncle," John told her. His pale eyes were honest and caring as always. ""But Alan is going to die if we don't do something soon. Dad's trying to have him subdued in prison, but according to Gordon they're having problems opening the door. You're the only one who can do this, honey."
Tintin felt her eyes filling with tears at the thought of her best friend's suffering. Alan. I don't know what to do.
She looked down. What would Alan do? She heard a voice ask her. If you were in trouble, what would he do?
He'd try to help, no matter the danger, she answered herself.
She looked up. "Okay. I'll try."
Lady Penelope put a gentle hand on her arm. "We're here for you," she said, entwining her fingers in Tintin's.
"Focus, sweetheart," Kyrano encouraged.
Tintin grasped at her necklace to hold the quartz stone that hung from it. She closed her eyes and focused.
Alan.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Alan".
By now Alan was growing frustrated with all the voices he could hear.
"Alan, it's okay. I'm here."
Tintin?
The Hood laughed. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Another hero trying to save the day. Such a waste."
Alan began to lose focus again. The Hood's words seemed to cut a hole into his stomach and fill him with fear and doubt.
"Stop it, Alan!"
Alan could see her now. He could see her face, even though he knew she wasn't actually there. She's so beautiful, he thought. Why didn't I ever tell her that?
"Alan! Snap out of it! You have to focus."
He shook himself out of his stupor, focusing once more on gripping the railing with his hand.
"Just hang on. We've almost got him," Tintin told him.
The Hood laughed. "It's too late to stop me, my dear."
It was like an emotional game of ping-pong inside Alan's head, each argument was equally convincing.
No, Alan gritted his teeth. I'm not going to die.
The Hood smiled. "What do you say we loosen that grip of yours, Alan?"
Alan felt his fingers loosen. No!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"We've found it, sir!"
Jeff momentarily recovered from the heart attack he was having.
"The woman managed to attach it to the main terminal. Once we get the sucker off, we'll bust that door wide open."
Jeff frowned as he opened a new line and punched in a communications code.
"Dad, what is it?" Virgil immediately responded.
"I need a status report. How's Alan?" Jeff asked. "Gordon said he was sleepwalking."
"He was," Virgil panted.
Jeff frowned at how exhausted his son sounded. "What's going on?"
"We don't know, Dad. Alan suddenly stopped in the middle of the hall. At first we thought he had woken up, but then he just took off. Scott went upstairs and I'm looking outside."
"You lost him?" Jeff could keep the anger out of his voice.
Virgil gave a harsh sigh. "Hopefully Scott's had more luck."
Jeff immediately opened another link, creating a three-way line. "Scott, this is your father. Where are you?"
There was no reply.
"Scott!"
"Don't shout, Dad." Scott's voice was soft through the mike. "You might startle him."
"What do you mean?" Jeff asked.
"Alan," Scott explained. "He's on his balcony."
"Hold on. I'm on my way up," Virgil told his brother.
"Dad, what's happening with The Hood?" Scott asked, sounding worried.
"Transom managed to jam the door of his cell, so the guards haven't been able to reach him. They've just found the device and are going to remove it. John, Gordon and Kyrano are on the other line with Tintin. She's using what power she has to try and give Alan some time," Jeff recounted. "Where is he, Scott? What's wrong? You said he was on his balcony."
"He's not on the balcony, Dad. He's hanging from the railing," Scott said. "He's going to jump. I can't grab him because it's too dangerous. We can't wake him abruptly if he's sleepwalking, and if he struggles he could slip."
Jeff's first thought was to charge upstairs to his son's side, but he knew he couldn't leave his post.
He reopened the link to the prison. "Captain, give me a status report!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Scott could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Every inch of him was screaming to move, to rush forward and pull his little brother to safety. But he couldn't. He could only stand and watch helplessly as Alan prepared to jump.
How can I get through to him? He thought desperately. How can I make him wake up without hurting him?
"Alan," he tried calling yet again. And yet again he received no response.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Captain Gregory Thomas had seen some strange things. It came with his job description as Head of Security at Wakefield Prison. The hardened murderers, serial rapists, convicted terrorists; they were all housed under one roof. Gregory had learned to remove himself completely from the happenings at work.
But this one was starting to freak him out.
Belagant had been a special case from the moment he arrived at Wakefield. The man was a freak; to be confined at all times. Rumours were constantly circulating about the man with mind powers. Gregory had, as usual, ignored such nonsense. He just obeyed orders, did what he was told, and kept his mouth shut.
"The man tried to murder the Thunderbirds and rob the Bank of London. He has a criminal record as long as your arm and has been declared an international terrorist. Nobody visits him, nobody speaks to him, and under no circumstances is he to be released."
Those were the orders. They were simple and not to be questioned.
So why was he trying so hard to open the door of the cell containing this so called "international terrorist"?
At first he'd thought it to be a hoax. But confirmation from his sources, including the British Government itself, had verified that the claims were justified. International Rescue. He couldn't believe it. Belagant, or The Hood, as the Thunderbird chief has called him, was posing a direct threat to one of the organisation's operatives. How that was possible, Gregory didn't know. All that mattered was that he had a new order: subdue Belagant by any means necessary.
"Autolock disabled, sir," one of his technicians reported through the radio he was holding.
"Copy that," Gregory replied stiffly. He nodded to one of the five guards who were with him outside The Hood's cell. "Get it open."
It took two men to get the heavy metal door open. The rest trained their weapons on the room. They certainly didn't expect to see what they saw. The Hood was lying on his bed, apparently asleep. For a moment Gregory doubted what he had been told. A sleeping codger was attacking a Thunderbird?
He took three careful steps into the room, keeping his gun firmly aimed at the sleeping felon. "Belagant," he called roughly, kicking the bed. "On your feet!"
The Hood didn't move. Gregory leaned closer to inspect him. It was then he realised The Hood was smiling.
"What the hell?" Gregory murmured. He jumped back when Belagant suddenly opened his eyes. They were red.
The Hood looked directly at him. "How nice of you to join us," he said simply.
Gregory raised his gun. "Playtime's over, you crazy son of a bitch."
He fired.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"You've always wanted to fly like a Thunderbird, Alan," The Hood smiled. "I'm granting you that wish and-"
The Hood looked up. His brow creased, as if he was confused. Then suddenly his eyes widened. "No!" he yelled.
It was like a vacuum sucking everything away. Alan gasped when The Hood suddenly vanished. He screamed as a blinding pain shot through his head.
"Hold on, Alan!" Tintin called from somewhere far away.
Darkness was approaching him like a giant wave. There was nothing he could do. He was once again sucked into unconsciousness. His hand slipped from the railing and he was falling.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tintin gasped as she returned to Lady Penelope's drawing room.
"It's alright," Penny soothed, wrapping a slender arm around her shoulders.
Tintin released her necklace, holding her hand to her throbbing head.
"What happened, Tintin?" John asked. "Are you alright?"
Tintin felt her eyes filling with tears. She had been pulled out of Alan's head before she could do anything more to help. She'd felt Alan's mind sinking into oblivion. She'd seen his hand drop from the railing…
"Oh my God," she whispered.
"Tintin, what did you see?" asked Penelope.
Tintin looked down as the tears escaped, her heart aching. "Alan."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The moment Scott had heard Alan scream in pain, his instincts had taken over. Rationality be damned, he ran forward
