Ch37

John knew of course that Eos's current behaviour was down to a joke he had shared with his brother's at her expense. Her lights flashed red at an overzealous tempo indicating her anger, which was compounded by an unusual frosty silence. He knew it could not be because she had just found out he was leaving her in the hands of Brains. He continued his brief regardless of the visual indicators of her mood, certain that normality was the best course of action. He would wait for the inevitable snippy questions that she would be helpless to suppress, once the silence had been broken he would acknowledge he had crossed a line in their friendship. As he stated more than obvious instructions he almost felt her directing her energy into intensifying her scarlet glow. Banter, that was all it had been, he had delivered at little tension relieving banter for his brothers but the consequence had been a friend feeling betrayed. The searches, monitoring of trackers, mobile phones and scanning of satellite images for anomalies would hardly worry her processors but whilst completing each task set by him she had managed to get a handle on yet another human emotion. What Eos needed now was an apology, to be made to feel invaluable and then he would teach her about a human condition of deflecting unwanted attention from yourself by selling someone else out. Understanding the motivation, the facts behind his statement may just gain him a little sympathy, wrong word on reflection, understanding. He finished his long list of instructions.

"Eos you are FIVE and you know what we need. Brains will be here to aid prioritising data and to remote fly any ships, the human requirement is a precaution. A simple risk assessment suggests the need for a two man crew, but you Eos, you're my veteran in the field. Oh and your new crew member may need babysitting, check his vitals regularly and remind him when necessary to take his space sickness pills, his only brief for the interim is to keep Scott busy until we join him."

"Anything else John. I may get highly suspicious of your motive for flattery."

John noted the red had slightly lost a little of its intensity "I owe you an apology."

"Yes you do John Tracy. I can see the facts in your statement but I also processed the tone in your voice as you delivered it. And you John Tracy are rude."

John stifled his desire to laugh "Rude is Gordon's vision of Norway."

"Then John what would you call it?"

John relaxed, a question, her lights dulling to rose, his girl was back and she deserved better than a farewell tainted by his thoughtlessness. "I'd call it a mistake that won't happen again."

"Then consider it forgotten."

"There are a few ground rules to go over before I go. Brains may not appreciate the bagel toss and please respect his privacy in down time."

"The bagel toss is our thing John. Don't you humans modify your behaviour dependant on company. And I always respect privacy."

"Always Eos? So you have never once opened my door without knocking?"

"Only in emergencies John you know that. Getting you to relieve Alan as soon as possible was an emergency."

John conceded "Maybe a personal emergency." He watched as the lights flickered to her usual neutral white "Eos you're the hub, mission control along with Brains, once we are in the air Virg is your contact. He will be making the decisions, do you understand, One is Field Command no matter how loud Scott shouts."

"Understood. And John I will miss you."

John stopped at the doorway to the gravity ring "You'll be too busy to miss me. Penelope has encrypted data that may present a challenge and that web of IP addresses won't untangle itself. Before we leave I want reports on the hour every hour, even if there is nothing new. I don't want the opportunity to miss the sound of your voice."

"Flattery again John?"

John smiled "Sincerity. I really will miss you."

Before taking the elevator to the Island he returned to his room to take last chance for a little privacy to contact Ridley before she made the journey for her flight. With family around it would not be easy to relax and be himself. Why he should feel the need to hide contact with a person he had inadvertently added to their covert operations he was unsure but privacy seemed essential.

"John… I was hoping you'd call before I was in the air…..just hold on a sec."

Although he couldn't see her, he could feel the smile in her voice. John heard footfall, the creak of the door then the click of a lock. When her voice returned it was accompanied by a slight echo.

"That's better."

"Ridley you talking to me from the .. er ..a restroom." He heard a flight announcement "O'Bannon are you at the airport already?"

He smiled as she laughed "Nothing better to do. Saved me from a box set holding few surprises and if I'm honest John just got itchy feet to get going. Need to take a mortgage out to afford the coffee here but people watching has turned into a new hobby. Airports are very interesting places."

"OK so that explains the overzealous check in. So the reason for the restroom?"

"Too noisy out there, could barely hear you. Don't worry I'm not planning on multitasking."

John joined her in her laugh "Not too late to pull out you know." He thought about it for a moment before adding "If this is you trying to get me to notice you… you know you managed that on Five right?"

Ridley snorted "Well just look who's coming out of his shell. At this rate we may secure a date before Christmas."

John turned the call to video desperate to see her eyes rather than guess whether she was joking "You never know we may just meet up in the Fjords."

Ridley grinned "My journey terminates in Oslo. Unless John you are now giving me permission to head to the coast. Maybe offer up some muscle and a service weapon?"

John realised his mistake "No. O'Bannon, once the tracker is in place you take a city break or return to the States." He coughed nervously "Just pointing out that if you happened to still be in Norway when all this is over…. I could maybe pick you up for an Island vacation and you could meet my dad."

Ridley chortled "Then I may have over-packed on jumpers. John if you are serious then I may just wait out a few more days of my vacation in Oslo. I would love to meet your dad, hero of mine since I was ten, poster on my wall but please don't ever tell him that. And the promise of a little time in zero G may swing it."

John drifted "Been a hero of mine my whole life." Sensing her silence as an invitation to open up, he backtracked "You using me for my connections and my bird O'Bannon?"

"Now John what makes you say that. You know it's your confident repartee that I just can't do without….."

An announcement from the airport tannoy drowned out her last few words.

Ridley rolled her eyes "Darn thing you'd think they'd ping mobiles. Only a few more hours of that to endure! I really didn't think this through."

"I'm flattered you're so eager to help. See you soon I hope, and Ridley, be careful."

"As always, and John if you let me down expect a request to dock in five months, three weeks, two days and approximately six hours. And you had better have a darn good excuse why you bailed."

"Ridley text me from the plane, I can't be accused of bailing if we keep in touch."

John ended the communication grinning from ear to ear. For just a few moments he had existed in a bubble of calm, comfortable distraction. She, without effort to strain any reassurance had helped him paint a picture of a future that consisted of both her and his father. O'Bannon without any effort delivered an endless supply of optimism, an optimism that, at times, did not come naturally to him. Dependant, that was the word that best described it; he was becoming dependant on her.

Ridley stared at the blank screen for a moment before leaving the stall beaming. Her unexpectedly friendly neighbour in the stars had not only made the chance of vacation being a little less boring but off duty periods on Global One looked set to get a lot more interesting.

…..

Scott submitted to the arms of his Grandma, an embrace he would have retreated from quickly to start his journey had he not felt the heave of her back as she tried to stifle a sob. As he tried to push her out of the embrace so he could look into her eyes she clung on tighter. He felt her arm move to his shoulder and knew she was wiping the evidence of an unusual show of emotion off her face before other eyes in the room could witness the weakness.

He held her tighter whispering in her ear "We'll be back for breakfast. Why don't you bake something for dad he'll never forget."

He smiled at the dig in the ribs he received in receipt at the jibe "Breakfast is the stuff of fantasy son, but whatever I make your dad when he does return I'll make you eat double." She chuckled relieved that her moment had been disguised by the eldest. "You better get going then. Be careful and when you find him wait for the others to join you. You are no good to us taken or worse, time to show a little restraint and not go in all gung-ho. I've said it before and I'll say it again the Tracy's work better as a…."

"A team." Came the chorus from Alan, Virgil and Kayo who were know chuckling at Scott's hammed up 'what me!' expression.

"Can anyone join the fun?"

"John" Alan and Kayo cried in unison.

John grinned "Wow, I'll come down more often with a greeting like that. You didn't think the send off party would happen without me did you?"

John submitted to the slap on the back from his eldest brother, without him uttering a word he could tell he was happy for the distraction. Scott backed out of the room slowly while he made his way into the room to claim a spot at the bottom of Alan's bed. Without lifting his head he knew Scott had reached the door by the other set of eyes following his retreat. Kayo got to her feet unsteadily, making her way to the door gingerly at first before realizing the ground she had to make up did not favour the timid. John placed his hand on Virgil's arm, who had immediately made a move to stop his sister from making it to the door unaided. John gave him a squeeze, silently instructing his submission, best to concentrate his energies on those who wanted to be in the room with them. He watched Kayo hobble out after Scott, at that pace she would be lucky to catch up with him. He caught Virgil's eye as they heard the familiar whistle of their sister from the corridor outside. The silence that followed indicated that Scott did not have a death wish.

Scott turned on cue at the whistle deployed, calling a halt to his planned departure without emotion tainting the mission in his head. He knew he hadn't been fair to any of them slipping away without a word, but sometimes there were no words to offer any comfort. The only thing he could do for the family now was to return with the man they had all grieved the loss of over a close to two year period. The determined stumble of the woman trying to reach him had halted his immediate instinct to carry on with his retreat. This goodbye was without doubt the hardest and in all honesty was the main reason for his under the radar exit. He now had no choice but to retrace his steps and take her in his arms to stop her from hurting herself in her pursuit. Her free arm immediately punched him in the side with a playful, yet strong dig, bringing the hint of a smile to his face.

"Guess I deserved that."

Her green eyes sparkled with relief "At full capacity you would have been sparked"

He chuckled "I don't doubt it. I have never been good at goodbyes Kayo and I'll be back before you've had chance to miss me."

"And I don't doubt that. Still Scott, I deserved a little better than that."

He kissed her briefly "You know me kid not great at this with an audience."

"No audience here. If you don't mind the slower pace, I was thinking of sending you off from the hanger. I mean it's my bird and I would quite like to make sure you make it out without scraping her sides."

Scott played up to the mood lightener offered "So it's Shadow you're worried about. Hell of a walk."

Kayo submitted to the guiding arm around her waist "I think I'll manage. Scars are healing nicely and too be honest the longer I lay off them the harder it will be. It's time for me to suck it up and start moving."

Leaning against each other they walked into the ring in silence, they took the descent in the chairs, hands entwined and both with a whirlwind of cascading thoughts. Scott knew neither of them had wanted to put into words what the current mission may mean for them. An elephant in the room descended with them, an ominous if hereto ignored presence ever since Kayo's return to consciousness. A small detail in the grand scheme of things, but a looming threat to something both would struggle to put the brakes if requested to do so by someone long missed. Scott felt Kayo tighten her grip around his hand as the seats came to rest. He kissed her cheek left the chairs and went to hit the button to return her to the ring.

"Time to suit up. We'll be back before you know it."

Kayo took the dismissal with the disdain she felt it deserved "You don't get rid of me that easily Scott Tracy. I'm here till launch. And don't be coy about suiting up; you haven't got anything I haven't seen before."

Scott snorted and submitting to her following him into the kit room.

"Don't tell me, you want me to turn around."

"Well, if you really want to drink in the view then you have every opportunity."

Kayo walked towards him and started to unbutton his shirt. "Mechs or me Tracy? If you had to call it." She trailed a finger down his chest paying attention to each abdominal adornment.

Scott laughed "The mechs are much less distracting."

Kayo kissed him lightly on the lips "Maybe I need you to remember how distracting I can be."

Scott watched a tear escape from the corner of eye. "Hey honey, this will be a piece of cake in your bird they'll never see me coming."

Kayo stroked his cheek "No but they'll know he's gone, don't think this is going to be easy Scott. You can't transport him back in Shadow. You have to wait for the others. I know you Scott Tracy and you are going to take risks and one will be one too far, then we'll be looking for the pair of you."

Scott pulled his boots on and adjusted his sash "Nice try. What's really on your mind?"

Kayo turned away "I can't ….. Scott, just don't. It wouldn't be fair."

Scott caught her arm and pulled her back to face him "Probably nothing I haven't been thinking about while we've been waiting for intelligence. How about I give it my best guess and you just nod?"

Kayo lifted her eyes "I doubt it. I hate myself for thinking it. Scott it's just …"

To her relief the sentence was completed without her verbal admission "It's just, how do we admit to him that we're together?"

Kayo hid her face in his chest "and just how am supposed to feel comfortable even thinking that for a nanosecond. Scott it's not just been a nanosecond and I'm being selfish. I want Jeff home more than anything, but I don't want to lose this, us. If we had to give it up, we both would right?"

Scott pushed her shoulders and looked her in the eye "No-more Jeff. K he's been your dad since you were ten. Jeff has not passed your lips since the day he picked you up off the ground when you fell out of that tree. You're allowed K, don't lose the fact he's your dad in all this. It'll be OK honey." He smoothed his hand over her hair and down her back "we're family and he will be no different from the rest of them. There will be initial shock, but he loves us both. Never take your eye off that, he loves us all and we'll all make it work."

Kayo swallowed hard and took a step back. "I don't want the first thing he has to remember about his homecoming to be a lie delivered by us, or for us to be caught in out before we tell him. He deserves more than that."

Scott pulled her back into his arms and kissed her tenderly "Probably not the most romantic setting or even reason but if you want to officially call him dad, we could arrange for your last name to be Tracy."

The response was muffled laughter "Or most romantic delivery. You know we're not going to do that right? I never really saw us going down the official route anyway and it would be for all the wrong reasons."

"We do have the right reason."

"Not just because it makes things easier? Possibly the worst idea you've ever had Tracy. We've not made it to a month yet!" She straightened her back, blinking back the threatened tears which were prickling heat into her eyes, then cleared the uncertainty from her voice with a cough "Time to hit the sky flyboy and bring our dad home."

She watched his retreat to Shadow from the doorway using the frame to prop her up; she had never felt so close to slumping to her knees in her whole life. She swallowed hard as he saluted her before the cockpit glass descended and the turntable sprung in action. The latent strands of their recent conversation were still whirling like a cyclone while she couldn't take her eyes from Shadow as Scott moved via track out onto the mountainside. Then he was gone. Taking the nearest seat she laid her head in her hands and cried. She cried because he had gone, then she sobbed because her recent admission left a chasm of guilt in its wake churning her insides. Then she cried because she felt like shit but didn't have the strength to get up and seek comfort anywhere else. The arms that eventually surrounded her were familiar and safe, she knew immediately which of the family members had scooped her into them. Who it was that just held her tighter, in silence not raising objection to the bodily fluids seeping into his shirt. She sank easily into him, appreciative of the lack of questions allowing her time to compose herself.

When it came his voice was rich, positive and filled with love. "He's got his orders to release the seeker drones into the ocean and along the coastline then lie low until we get there. He'll be ok."

"Then let's hope we get nothing until you are well on your way. Lying low and waiting it out is not his style"

"Impulsive behaviour on a half chance… Now who does that remind me of?" His accompanying laugh was unguarded and his response filled with an irony that only two of her brothers got away with.

Kayo shrugged "Not me. Not now anyway. Certainly be nice to have the chance to help."

"Then you got it. You're on med wing duty for a few hours, as the more walking of the wounded I officially discharge you but hope you'll keep Al company. And make sure you stick to your own schedule of meds and scans, send Brains the data. I've sent John for some shut eye and I'm gonna do the same thing once I've escorted you back upstairs and filled you with chocolate. When Gordon's back you get him to rest."

Kayo stifled the protest as she was lifted into his arms, the smile radiating from his chestnut eyes as warm and comforting as his arms around her "You said chocolate right?"

…..

Jeff had resigned himself to the guards at the door and little in his immediate surrounding that could aid his escape. What he did have now, something that had eluded him throughout the majority of his incarceration, was his wits and a true sense of who he was. The small fact of a couple of goons at the door would not hold a Tracy back. He took regular slow shuffles to the bathroom, the first had confirmed the window could be discounted as a means to escape; the bars on the other side would need a lazercutter to penetrate them. The room itself was small, furnished with only the bare essentials, a bed and monitor, all medical equipment required was brought in at best guess hourly intervals by a nurse taking routine observations. A second trip confirmed there was no internal comms, but he had noted the CCTV in operation. Every subsequent trip the bathroom was a painful wait as he tried not to earn himself further sedation by taking the trip too often. Once he assessed that time had passed enough to justify a further trip he returned via the door, taking quick a look out of the portal window at his company. Surprisingly it did not threaten the sentries enough to enter the room to give him a kicking for his trouble. Frustrating though the inactivity was he conceded there was absolutely no epiphany for immediate action and returned to his bed. The surge of air pushing under the door brought him round from his defeat. The two guards were still hovering just outside, his observations weren't due. The face that appeared at the door was the creature he had seen a handful of times in his previous cell. The door banged open with little reverence for the setting and he was pulled firmly to his feet.

"Time we took a little trip; I have a friend who wishes to make your acquaintance." Spat his visitor.

"Doubt you have any friends." Jeff sparred back instinctively.

The barbed response was immediate "And I doubt you'll have any family soon."

Jeff faltered "Just exactly what has my family got to do with this."

"Everything from the first moment I realised who you were and brought you to his attention. You being in my possession is my only ace in the pack now that his niece is dead. The Hood has big plans for you"

Jeff was momentarily paralysed, words of retort stuck in his throat as anger raged through his system. This was not the truth, he was being tested but a wounded wild animal was building inside he wanted to beat the admission of the lie out of him. She was not The Hoods niece, not for a long time, she was his daughter and he refused to believe she was dead.

The brute pushed him through the door "You'll be please to know you're along for the ride when The Hood makes his break for freedom. Apt considering your help was invaluable in the cloaking technology required to make all this possible. Just think, the great Jeff Tracy complicit in freeing his own enemy and one of the world's most wanted."

Jeff instinct for verbal retaliation kicked in "And I will be complicit in taking you down and The Hood with you."

The blow when it came he had expected, the ferocity knocked him to the corridor floor before he was forcibly manhandled to his feet and dragged into a waiting vehicle. He stared out at the window surprised to see evidence of civilisation close by, he had been sniffing distance from help. He slumped in his seat nursing his busted jaw and even more busted pride at the opportunity he had missed. His recently re-claimed world crumbled around him, much as he had tried to deny it he mourned for Kayo. Then a dark fear took hold and twisted its sharp edge into his gut, he was about to be handed over to someone who would use him to hurt the rest of his family.