First I must say "Sorry!" to everyone who has been waiting for me to finish this story, RL took over and my muse ran off, but now I'm back, and this story WILL be finished very, very soon!
Thank you for all your wonderful support. Special thanks again to Quiller!
Chapter 26
The procession of cars sped towards the headquarters of the World Police. Red and blue lights flashed angrily, warning everyone to keep out of their way. No-one dared to disobey them as the vehicles passed on by.
The importance of the disc in Lady Penelope's hand concerned all. It held the freedom of one young man, his only life-line to be forgiven the crimes he had performed. The disc also held the real criminals' identities and their plans past, present and possible future. Someone from within their ranks had made sure that everything they had done and said was recorded.
Penny stared at the disc before popping it into the player in the front of the pink car while she was escorted from all sides. She glanced in the wing mirror and thanked Jeff for making the car soundproof. Nothing annoyed her more than the continued wailing sound of sirens.
The thought of Jeff's sincere care and attention made her smile.
She remembered when Gordon had fixed a police siren to Thunderbird Two. It had shocked Jeff so much that he ordered the instant return of the Thunderbird before it was even one mile away from the Island.
Gordon had paid heavily for that trick. People had almost lost their lives because of the delay.
Sighing, the brief moment of happiness gone as the reality came back to her. Penny carried on and listened to the voices on the disc as she drove, she also patched it through to the anxious people in Thunderbirds Two and Five.
The listeners were not surprised to find that this group of people had in fact known who Scott was, and that he worked for International Rescue. Why the crooks had never threatened to release what they knew was a puzzle to her. Unless the 'terrorists' were only in the 'game' for the money...
When the disc had finished, Penny carefully erased the part that identified Scott Tracy as a member of International Rescue. Now the disc only mentioned that the criminals would try to use one of the skilled pilots from International Rescue or someone with similar talent.
She finished just before the cars pulled to a stop within the secure yard of the headquarters. Putting the disc away, she waited for a man to open the car door for her before she stepped gracefully out and followed her escort into the large building.
A small smile played briefly across her face as she walked knowing the Tracy family's secret was safe once again.
TBTBTBTB
Reporters congregated outside the hospital doors. Extra security had been placed in and around the hospital. It was to stop the unwanted attention from the media interfering with the hard work of the doctors and nurses. It was not easy though, a high price reward had been put out by the television and newspaper companies, awarded to the person who found out the name of the 'play-boy' accused of the attacks.
Everyone wanted to find out.
But no one on the hospital staff was talking. Impatiently, some reporters began to get inventive to try to get past the doors and into the restricted part where the man in question was being 'held'.
Some of them had even resorted to injuring themselves to get into the Accident and Emergency department. They were of course, thrown out. Or shipped to the next closest hospital.
TBTBTB
Scott lay in the hospital bed in a drug induced sleep, comma completely unaware of the excitement his identity was causing.
The handcuffs had been reluctantly removed by the officers after George had threatened them with legal action. Scott was still under arrest, as their only suspect, but given the right to heal in peace, for now.
Jeff was at present in the other room with John, Wolf, George and Sandra. They were going through the proceedings of what had happened to Scott since International Rescue had first come across the terrorist group attacking the security van up in the mountains.
Sandra and Wolf also told them why they had anything to do with the group in the first place. It was a heart rending story, and even John could understand what Wolf was feeling as the tale was told.
Wolf started the story off, with Sandra adding bits and pieces of information she knew - for example the drugs used and how she got hold of them. She told them about how she had been blackmailed by Vixen and Weasel, and her relationship with Wolf's brother.
At that time no-one in the room knew of the disc that Lady Penelope had in her possession. Wolf had forgotten it existed. They had no idea that it contained the same information that they were gathering together.
Jeff, George and John were angry and shocked as the story developed. All three men bordered on the line of being distressed when they found out what Scott had been through since his capture. When they found out how Scott reacted to the drug forced upon him, they fell silent.
The words echoed around each persons head. George cleared his throat and asked "Will you both sign written confessions?"
Wolf and Sandra looked at each other for a second before turning to George at the same time. "We will."
TBTBTB
Inside Scott's head, his mind was whirling once again. He was being forced to watch the events that had happened to him over the last few weeks, his real identity coming back to him amidst the memory play-back. In horror, he watched himself almost shoot his brothers down from inside the jet he was piloting. He saw the devastation of firing the missiles on the World naval ship. He remembered how great he felt doing it, and it made him feel sick.
But his mind seemed to be detached from his body - and the monitors continued their steady pulsing to his heart beat, not letting the people who could help him escape this nightmare by waking him up.
A few floors below from where Scott was, his father was also in distress. It had got to the point where Jeff could no longer sit and listen to what his eldest son had been through. He needed to be by Scott's side, so he made an excuse and left the room.
George was busy getting statements from Wolf and Sandra, under the watchful eye of John. Both men kept their tempers in check as the story continued to unfold. John knew if Scott ever found out what he had been forced to do, he would be devastated.
As Sandra got to the end of the tale, John couldn't help but ask her, "What was that last injection you gave to my brother?"
Everyone looked at her in silence.
She swallowed, and whispered "It was the antidote. It will take Pheonix...I mean Scott, back to when he was given the first dose, and iron out the memories. He will know who he is." She looked guiltily at John, as she continued to tell him about the side effects of the antidote. "He will also remember everything he has done. It will come to him in flashbacks, taking him right to the moment as if he was living it all again. I'm sorry, but it was the only way to save him."
Her answer was bitter sweet. John would get his older brother back - memories all correct. But what about Scott? How would he react to the knowledge of what he had done?
John glared at her as he stood up abruptly, and she looked away.
"John, calm down. We can get Scott all the help he needs. He is a strong-willed young man, and we will help him get through this." George turned to Sandra. "Are there any other side effects that you failed to mention?"
She shook her head no. "Only that someone should stay with him all the time whilst the memories come back. He will most likely be in a flashback state for a few weeks. As long as he is awake and not sedated or anything and he has the support of someone to counteract his feelings, he'll be fine."
John caught his breath in his throat, as did George. "Damn!" John dashed out of the room, startling the men guarding the door and practically ran back through the hospital to the room where his brother was being forced to live through his very own real life nightmare.
On his own.
TBTBTB
Jeff looked down at his eldest son as the dark haired man lay on the hospital bed seemingly peaceful under the induced sleep.
Scott shifted slightly on the bed. The bleached white sheet covering him slipped off, revealing his pale frame. Jeff watched as Scott stilled and then with a shaking hand he pulled the sheet back over his son, covering the dark bruises displayed on Scott's body.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Jeff could bear the silence no longer. He just couldn't seem to settle and knew he needed to take a break,. It was unnatural for his eldest to be so still. Not in control. Jeff needed to get out for a breath of air, and a quick coffee before he resumed his watch over his boy.
As Jeff opened the door, a nurse followed by an aged doctor came into the room. The nurse smiled at him from under her face mask and nodded her head at him. Jeff could not even move his lips to smile in return, but nodded his head once and left the room. Her green eyes pierced his, and he felt he had seen them before. He tried to get them out of his mind as he walked away.
The doctor walked over to the patient laying on the bed, and put his hand on Scott's throat, feeling the pulse under his fingers. He turned to glance at the nurse who was standing by the door, which was slightly ajar. He nodded his head sharply at her, and she opened the door to retrieve a wheelchair which they had left outside in the corridor.
As the nurse pushed the chair over to the bed, the doctor pulled a small device out of his pocket and attached it to the machinery that kept a track of Scott's condition. Then he started to disconnect the wires that were joining it to Scott.
The nurse was fidgeting.
" 'Urry, up! 'zomone will come in a minute. We 'ave to get 'im out of 'ere now."
"If we mess this up, the entire nursing staff will be here in seconds. Calm down. Keep an eye out for the family." Weasel told Vixen to get her out of his hair and give him some space.
She moved over to the door and peeked out. "Et was a great idea to get 'im this way. With all 'ze fuss 'ze press are making, keeping 'ze security busy, et will give us a chance to get out 'ze back door!"
Weasel grunted as he pulled Scott up off the bed and into a sitting position. Scott's head fell forward and his forehead rested on Weasel's shoulder. The young man never even stirred.
TBTBTB
John raced along the corridor, the other three following him as best they could. A few people objected as he rudely pushed past the throng of people scattered about the hospital.
Jeff had only got to the corner when he realised that it bothered him too much to continue walking away. He never saw her face. But her eyes, and the way she looked at him almost smugly, made his heart prick in warning. Not able to leave his son, Jeff abruptly turned and retraced his steps to Scott's room.
Jeff pushed the door open and to his horror he saw his son being man-handled into a wheelchair. Weasel and Vixen stopped suddenly at the intrusion. Both were now recognised by Jeff.
"You!" He exclaimed, recognising her from the pictures Penny had sent them.
Vixen swore in French and pulled out a gun, aiming it at Jeff.
Jeff froze.
"You don't want to do this." Jeff spoke quietly. He jumped back into commander mode naturally. Everything he had felt over the last few weeks was coming to the surface. It shone on his face. Though his words were softly spoken, they held a very real threat.
Weasel saw it instantly and swallowed his nervousness away. His daughter was the one holding the gun, they had this man's son. They held all the cards. This man could do nothing to stop them without getting himself killed.
Vixen pulled the mask off her face and grinned wickedly at Jeff, her thoughts echoing her father's.
"We know 'who' you are Mr Tracy. We know 'what' you are." She held the gun steady as she let her words wave over the aged looking man in front of her. He did not look surprised though.
Vixen was taken back by the new look he gave her. He was determined. He was confident.
He was deadly.
With a hesitant look back at her own father, Vixen wanted to see what he was thinking. Weasel held this man's son in his arms, she had a gun pointing at his face and Jeff Tracy was not worried?
What was wrong with that?
Had she overlooked something?
Jeff's voice took her away from her thoughts.
"Put the gun down. We both know you are not a murderer, not from this distance at least."
"What do you mean?" She retorted back. "I am 'ze one with 'ze gun! I tell you what to do!"
"You're trapped. You are inside the hospital, surrounded by guards who will shoot first and ask questions later - if you survive. To get out of here, you have to get past me first and you will have to kill me to do that. Do you think a gunshot going off inside this room will not alert the men standing outside it?"
Weasel knew the man was right, and he was about to answer when shouts were heard from outside the room, and John suddenly burst in, with two armed guards behind him.
"Shit!" John exclaimed in shock as he skidded to a halt. This was not what he had been expecting. A stand off between his father and two of the kidnappers. The guards had tried to stop John from running around the hospital in such a panic, and instinctively followed.
The guards pushed their way past the two Tracys and raised their own weapons at Vixen and Weasel.
"John!" Jeff called out "Stand still."
"Yes, Sir." John replied, then narrowed his gaze upon truth of the situation for the first time.
Vixen, with the gun still in her hand, now seemed unsure who to point it at. She hovered between Jeff, the guards and John.
"Move back! All of you, move back out of 'ze room, or I'll shoot." She tried to keep her voice calm, but she felt like a caged animal.
Jeff knew she was scared from the way the gun trembled slightly in her hand. She might even accidentally fire it if someone made her jump. Her eyes began to take on a wild look as she kept flickering them across the four men stood in front of her.
"You cannot get out of here without being shot. Think about it. You fire that gun, either one or both of these guards will shoot you down before you even finish pulling the trigger. Put the gun down. Slowly." Jeff coaxed her calmly.
Vixen's mind was whirling. How the hell did it all go wrong? Things were going perfectly to plan. Then it dawned on her. The Hood. It was him, he was the one who brought all the trouble their way. Damn him!
They had miscalculated how clever International Rescue were. That was the Hood's downfall. And their own for trusting General Bron in the first place.
They had never meant for it to go this far, all they wanted was the money. The gun waived in her hand as her confidence sunk.
"That's right. Put the gun down. Nice and easy." Jeff gently encouraged her. It seemed to be working.
Everyone in the room except for Scott held their breath as she suddenly raised the gun up and spun around to aim it at Scott, who was half in the chair and half in Weasel's arms.
"If we can't 'ave him, 'zen no-one will!"
Vixen's finger began to pull the trigger, even as a few voices called out "No!" including that of her own father.
BANG
BANG
BANG
Three shots fired almost as one.
In the silence that followed the faint echo as the gunshots faded, John realised that he was crying. The tears slipped down his face as he collapsed to his knees beside his father. Deja vu of what had happened hours earlier plagued his mind.
All around him was movement, voices and screams in the distance. Then he felt and saw nothing as the light faded and the floor came rushing up to greet him.
TBTBTB
Up in Thunderbird Five, Alan's mind reeled from the fact that the terrorists knew so much about them.
His father, his brothers and their operatives had always been so careful to keep the secret safe.
But even though the terrorists' information was mostly speculation, the criminals were right about everything. So what had stopped them from trying to get the technology of International Rescue for themselves? Or from blackmailing his father for money to keep the criminals silent about what they knew?
Perhaps there was another reason for the fact they never contacted International Rescue. They already had an amazing hypersonic jet, and they had Scott Tracy. A member of International Rescue, and the eldest son of Jeff Tracy.
Perhaps the terrorists wanted to use their knowledge of International Rescue for another time, or to bribe Scott to work for them...
Alan absently listened to the radio waves, for any news being released of the events that Gorden, Virgil and Parker had just accomplished. They were at present en route to get the Hood off Tracy Island.
"...just in! Guns shots have been heard from within the hospital here in Pheonix. No one seems to know what is going on. It may be the terrorists trying to escape with their playboy friend..."
Alan's curiosity was piqued and he turned that channel up.
"...There's someone coming out! Sir, sir! Can you tell us what just happened? Who fired the shots inside? Was it the terrorists? Who is the man being held?..."
The television camera swung towards the man making a stand by the doors. It was George. He held up his hands until the mob of reporters were quiet.
"About 10 minutes ago inside the room of the ... suspect, three guns were fired. At this time I can only inform you that two people are now dead." The reporters all started shouting at once. George held up his hands for silence and once they were, he continued. "At this time I am unable to release any further details..."
The crowd went wild, they surged forward, and the security moved in between George and the reporters as he made his retreat back into the hospital.
TBTBTB
Jeff had watched in slow motion as Vixen turned the gun on his dark haired son. As if in a dream, he saw her pull the trigger as Weasel released Scott from his arms and people around him shouted out "No!".
Bang.
Vixen's shot hit flesh. Weasel's eyes widened in shock, before he tried to speak as he fell on top of Scott's unmoving body.
Bang.
Bang.
Vixen's body jerked twice and then froze as the two bullets from the guard's guns entered her body. One on the side of her head, the other through her heart from her back.
Blood splattered the walls in front and beside her. The crimson drops sprayed across the once-gleaming white seemed to shine in the bright lights of the room.
Jeff swallowed hard. He felt rather than saw John collapse next to him. But for the first time in his life, Jeff Tracy could not move. He was glued to the spot.
He kept replaying the last few seconds in his head. His son was alive. If he didn't know better, he would say the man had saved Scott's life and let his partner take his own life instead. It was as if he knew the second she turned that he could not stop her, and that they were both dead anyway.
The next thing Jeff knew, he was being led out, as more people entered the room. Vaguely he heard George, Jeff helped him pull up John from the ground and the three of them were taken to another room.
Wolf and Sandra stood at the door of Scott's room. They were stunned, then Sandra pushed past the people in her way to get to her blackmailers. Falling to her knees she threw her arms around herself and cried.
Medical staff entered the room, and carefully wheeled Scott to another location.
The officers who had tried to arrest Scott earlier arrived on the scene. One covered his mouth to stop himself from throwing up. Wolf turned to them, and in a strangled voice he said "It's my fault. All of this. I have already given a statement. I'm ready to turn myself in."
Shocked by his words, but glad that they finally had someone to arrest, they had him escorted out.
TBTBTB
As George arrived back in the building, he saw Wolf handcuffed and being led towards the exit between four armed guards. Wolf looked up at him briefly, winked and half smiled. George gave him a slight nod, and knew that the man had given himself up.
Wolf could finally be at peace with himself.
As the doors opened, George could hear the reporters shouting and the cameras flashing. Shaking his head, he felt like the man had just walked out into shark invested waters.
TBTBTB
A few hours later
John and Jeff sat next to Scott's bedside. Penny stood looking out of the window.
Scott had been woken out of his sleep. His eyelids were set at half mast, his haunted blue eyes were distant as he continued to relive his nightmares.
Every now and then, his body would twitch, and then he would grip the sheets until his nails cut his skin through them. His whole body would tense up, then his father and brother spoke to him, repeating "It was not your fault" and "There was nothing you could have done to prevent it" and "You're safe now". But Scott knew. He knew they just spoke words. Words of emptiness.
Scott felt betrayed.
Scott felt lost.
Like he had lost something, or someone important to him. He just didn't know what or who.
Scott was not in control.
He hated it, and it scared him. He had lost all control. Of his feelings, his thoughts, and his life.
His body began to tremble as the emotions took over him, and he lost another battle as tears began to flow from his eyes.
John and Jeff glanced at each other and saw that they both were crying silent tears of their own. Penny watched from the window, and decided to leave the men their privacy.
She stepped outside the door to make sure no-one would disturb the men within.
Sighing, she knew the disc had been found just in time. When she saw Wolf arrive at the headquarters, she had to find out what had happened. Within ten minutes of Wolf being questioned, she was on her way to the hospital to see the Tracys.
Looking behind her through the little window in the door, she took matters into her own hands. There was only one way for the family to heal. They would need each other.
She had to get them back to Tracy Island as soon as possible.
She caught up with George and told him her plan to get the Tracys home. He readily agreed. Closing the door of the small office George had been using, she picked up the phone.
Penny called Alan first. "Alan. We need a diversion. I need Virgil to fly the Tracy jet here to pick up your family. Get Gordon to drop him off at the hanger where Jeff left Tracy One. Then Gordon needs to give us time, a small diversion perhaps, to get out of this hospital without any reporters knowing."
Alan smiled for the first time that day.
"Sure thing Penny. I think Gordon has the perfect ... plan!"
"FAB. Call me when Virgil is nearly here, so I can get everyone ready to leave."
FAB. Thanks Penny. For everything." He said sincerely.
She smiled back at him. "Any time my dear Alan. Any time."
TBTBTB
Next chapter should be up by the end of the week!
All comments welcome!
Hob x