Hi! Well actually I'm not that late as it's still Thursday! Thursday already - getting close to Christmas *starts singing Christmas songs*. So here you all go, and I'll be kind this time. Sort of...*gives Scott apologetic glance* But I do end on a nice note!
So...are you ready? I am! *pulls out a cushion*.
Enjoy!
Whoever said silence was deafening was damn right, Scott thought to himself. Edging his way closer to the box, he tried to figure out a plan of action. If he could get control back to '1 and '3, then the others would have a chance. At the moment, all they had was '4 and '2. And '2 was 'apparently' going to be controlled in the morning when he would 'kindly hand over the access codes.'
God knows what he was thinking. By blowing up the hospital, Rarl had also blown up all chances he'd ever had of Scott giving him '2. There was nothing left he could do to make him hand over the access codes. If the others were on Tracy Island.
Damn, he needed his watch. Then he'd be able to contact Penelope and warn her that Rarl's men were after her. They'd left about 30 minutes before, and he had no idea where they were.
Scott reached out to where the box was and stopped, grinning as a small idea formed in his mind. This box now had control of '1, and he was near the box.
Let's hope this works, because I really don't want my Thunderbird crashing into the ground.
Carefully, he reset '1's current flight plan to Tracy Island. Then he sat back, and got ready to wait until the Thunderbird reached his brothers.
There was a moment when he was literally falling into the flames. And then suddenly, he was clutching at crumbling bricks, fumbling to find a foothold, and then dragging himself onto the wall.
"Holy shit!" Virgil gasped, trying to catch his breath. "I made it."
In some obscure part of his mind, he felt like laughing and yelling at Gordon; Ha - beat that!
Virgil took a moment to glance back at the tree. It was now fully alight, flames rising from its branches, giving the impression of a phoenix. Well he had no intention of ever doing that again. He was all but shivering with fear still.
Okay, it's official. I hate fire.
He grinned which was mad considering he was currently crouched on a wall with fire rising up around him.
Hey, that would make an awesome painting. The tree, and those flames...concentrate!
He started crawling along the wall, keeping his head low to try and avoid breathing too much of the smoke, although it didn't make too much of a difference. Just a bit further...oh for crying out loud. What is it with the jumps today?
Just ahead of him, the wall had crumbled away, creating a small jump, but nothing like what he had just done. Virgil practically walked across it, continuing to where the wall ended at the side of a building. Using part of his watch strap, he scraped part of it away, creating footholds for himself.
Scrambling up onto the roof of the building, he flung himself onto the flat part of the roof, which was also the highest part, furthest away from the flames. Something was causing a shadow over him...a familiar looking shadow.
Virgil glanced up, only just realising what the flat part of the 'roof' was. It was, in fact, not a roof at all, but a raised piece of land used as a landing strip. And on the landing strip was an aeroplane. A small aeroplane, yes, but an aeroplane.
All but bouncing over to it in delight, he opened it, revelling in the fact it wasn't locked. He'd used to have one of these when he'd first got his flying license, before International Rescue.
A Cessna 180. Fantastic! He knew how to fly these. He hadn't flown one for a while, true, but if he could fly an aircraft like Thunderbird 2, then he was not about to be defeated by a Cessna.
Virgil climbed into the pilot's seat, closing the doors behind him. Leaning forwards, he started the engine, taking a moment to remind himself that this wasn't '2 and some things wouldn't be where he was used to them being.
Checking he knew where everything was, he took off. Setting course for Lady Penelope's.
"Let's see if this radio's working," he whispered, leaning forwards and connecting the radio to the correct channel.
"Tracy Island?"
Ah. Well that might mean that he was going to have to put those hiding places to goof use, Alan thought miserably. There was a scraping sound, and he winced as '4's side connected with the rocks.
Oh my god. Gordon is going to kill me.
"Alan? We have a small problem..."
"What's wrong?" Alan looked up at Tin-Tin and wondered why she was looking out to sea. Straightening up, he got to his feet and tried to spot what she was looking at. A familiar blue, silver shape was coming towards them.
"What the hell?" He stared at '1 as the rocket plane slowed down and came to a stop, hovering above the swimming pool. He leapt for the desk, slamming his hand down on the button that retracted the swimming-pool. The minute the pool was back, revealing the hanger, Thunderbird 1 glided down into her silo.
Alan put the swimming-pool back into position, left Tin-Tin in charge of '4 and ran straight down into the hanger.
'1 looked normal. She didn't seem to have any damage at all and when Alan went into the cockpit, he found he was right in his suspicion that '1 was being controlled by an outside source as there was no-one there.
"Hello?" Alan found himself whispering, even though he knew there was no-one there. He jumped as a voice replied him.
"Allie?"
Alan stared at the radio. "Scott?" He frowned.
"Hi. Look, I'm going to give you control back of '1, but you need to get to the hospital. Immediately, because-"
"Because it's been blown up? I know. I'm trying to get '4 back here, so that no-one can get her. Am I right in thinking that her pod has to opened from '2 or the study?"
"Yeah. Lock the hanger once she's in there. How long till she gets to you?"
"About 10 minutes now?"
"Great. Oh, and Alan?"
"Yeah?"
"Tell Penelope to get out of her mansion and to head for Tracy Island. The guys are after them."
"FAB. Scott, where are you?"
"I wish I knew. No clue, I was unconscious on the way here, so I can't even guess how far I am from the hospital."
Alan sighed. Great. So Scott was somewhere in land of random-evil-people-who-like-to-take-over-Thunderbirds, and Penelope and everyone with her was in danger.
"Alan - don't do anything stupid. I can control the Thunderbirds until Rarl finds out what I'm up to."
"Rarl?"
"An old client of Dad's before IR. He figured out that Dad and Brains where up to something and wanted to be involved. He followed me round trying to get me to tell him what they were up to. Oh and did I mention he tried to drown you?"
"Geez. Why don't I remember that?"
"Dunno. But Alan - get a move on. I don't know when he'd going to get back, and I'd like to give you control when you're in the air. You've got control of '4 still by the way, same with '2."
"FAB."
"Okay. Scott, out."
Scott glanced at the door where the padlock was swinging in the breeze. Wait - breeze? He was near some sort of window then...
"Alan?"
"In Thunderbird 1. Can we have control now?"
"FAB." He typed in the access code and there was a soft whirring sound as the connection between Thunderbird 1 and the box was severed.
TB1: NOT CONNECTED
"Yes!" He punched the air in delight, before remembering his wrists were tied together. After a moment of wildly trying to catch his balance, he managed to sit up-right again. Time to give back '3 to them as well.
Something glinted in the red glow from the box. Something that looked familiar, and yet Scott couldn't help but think that it wasn't meant to be there.
His watch.
A trap? Maybe. Scott hooked it with his shoe and dragged it closer to him so that he could pick it up. Grinning to himself as he noted the threads attached to it, he came to the conclusion that the watch wasn't meant to be there. It had been dropped.
Please, please, let me be right.
"Calling Virgil Tracy."
There was no-one there. No-one there. The cockpit was empty. Gordon turned round, trying to spot someone in the shadows but there was no-one there.
"But...that's mad. There has to be someone here." He wasn't aware he'd even spoken out-loud until John replied.
"Well...you're not going to be using that gun."
Gordon grinned. "Nah, I guess not. So was '3 being controlled by remote or something?"
John nodded, sitting down in the seat of the rocket. "There must be a way I can hack into the system and get control back."
Gordon jumped as the radio came to life with a crackle of static. "Thunderbird 3?"
There was an awkward moment when they both stared stupidly at the radio and Gordon replied:
"Um...Scott?"
"Hey, Gordon! Have you taken off yet?"
Gordon shot John a questioning look. John held up five fingers and he nodded.
"Taking off in five minutes."
"Okay, I can get control back to you."
"How?" Gordon asked him.
"I'm...somewhere. But I can get you control back."
"What do you mean by somewhere?"
"I don't actually know where I am right now, but if you could take off as soon as possible?"
"FAB." Gordon told him and turned to John. "So...you going to take '3 while I take '2?"
John nodded and then scrambled to his feet from his position under the control panel of the Thunderbird. He dusted himself down and frowned at the radio.
"Where is he? Because it doesn't sound like Virgil's with him."
"Want me to contact the kids?"
John nodded. "Sure thing. We might finally find out what's going on."
Gordon grinned. "Bit annoying isn't it?"
John gave him a distracted glance. "Huh?"
"Oh never mind." He raised his watch, keeping the main radio clear for when Scott called them again to tell them they had control. "Tracy Island?"
"Gordon?"
"Hi Tin-Tin. Can you give us a brief summing up of the situation so we know what's going on?"
"Of course. I'm sorry, your younger brother was meant to have done that half an hour ago. One moment."
Gordon smirked as Alan's voice sounded in the background.
"Aww, come on Tin, I did mean to do that."
"Shall I tell him about what you've done to-"
There was a scuffling sound and then:
"Alan!"
"Please don't tell him!"
"I don't you killed you idiot, of course I won't." There was a pause and then:
"Gordon? Are you still there?"
"Yeah, of course I am Tin-Tin."
"Okay. Basically, we don't know where Virgil is. Penelope and the others are on their way here and Scott is getting control back to the Thunderbirds. But...um...we don't know where he is. He got...taken."
"What?" There was a curse from John as Gordon accidentally stepped on his foot. "Tell me how on earth he got taken?"
"No clue. Hang on, I've got an in-coming call from Lady P."
"Take it, you've me the information we need anyway."
"FAB."
The line went dead and Gordon turned to John. "You hear all that?"
"Before or after you decided that I didn't need my hand?"
"That was an accident, geez Johnny. Sorry, okay?"
"Fine." John pretended to sulk for a moment before looking up as Scott's voice echoed from the radio once more.
"You have control Thunderbird 3."
"FAB. Do you have your watch?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Activate the tracker."
"I've done that with the edible tracker."
"That only lasts so long," John told him. "It's probably run out by now."
"Okay, activating watch. Got to go...hurry up."
The line went dead leaving John staring worriedly at the radio. "Damn."
"Damn what?"
"He told us to hurry up. That's code for get here pretty quick 'cos I'm in trouble right now, probably for giving us control back."
"I can track him in '2."
"I can track him here. '2 has fire-fighting equipment, so you go get Virgil while I get him."
"But they'll still be on the loose."
"We'll find a way to catch them afterwards."
Gordon shifted from one foot to the other. "Okay," he sighed.
He turned to the entrance, before breaking into a sprint, racing towards the green Thunderbird.
Virgil landed the Cessna smoothly and sat back in the seat, feeling rather pleased with himself.
"Calling International Rescue, London."
He sighed, the radio still wasn't working.
"Virgil?"
He jolted, startled, remembering his watch.
"Scott?"
"You're alive!"
"I think," he grinned. "Where are you?"
"Shut up about me. Where are you?"
"Lady Penelope's."
"Get the hell out of there!"
"Why?"
"Head for Tracy Island."
"Okay." Virgil turned the Cessna round, and took off, gaining altitude. As he started breaking through the cloud-cover, he caught sight of a group of people in black smashing the window of the mansion. "Damn. That's just...damn."
He leaned forwards and switched off the GPS, just in case.
Down below, a man leaning over a flight tracker swore as the Cessna 180 he'd been tracking disappeared from the radar.
"They're not here!"
"Someone's snitched on us. Those freakin'...back to the control room. Back, back, back! He's given them back control!"
The range-rover swerved round, ploughing through a pink rose bush, and went off back in the direction it had come at top speed.
"Look!" Penelope pointed out at the runway as the palm trees waved from side to side in the breeze. Jeff frowned as a small aeroplane descended from the skies to land gracefully on the runway.
"Who is it?"
"It's Virgil!" Alan yelled. "Look!"
Jeff stared for a moment before running down the runway as a familiar figure stepped out the plane. "Are you okay?" Jeff all but yelled in his son's face.
Virgil took a moment to consider that. "I nearly got roasted, but I'm alive," he replied, grinning. He glanced round, frowning. "Where is everyone?"
"Oh, in '2 and '3."
Virgil looked at Alan. "It is John flying '2 isn't it?"
"Um...actually I think it's Gordon."
"Damn."
Alan started laughing. "I doubt he'll crash it."
"Unlike you and '4," Tin-Tin put in.
Several pairs of eyes turned to look at Alan, who blushed and shifted away from them. "That was an accident."
Virgil grinned. "You'd better run, kiddo. You'd better run."
See - I wasn't that unkind! And I let Virgil get away without hurting himself for once! Aren't I nice? Lol. Even if I did 'accidentally' get '4 damaged! :)
Have you all noticed the pattern? A chapter each day! *grins* And it's all thanks to your wonderful reviews which encourage me to keep writing! *waves at reviewers*
See you all tomorrow!
Kat x.