Ch 38
Penelope's found herself waiting for Gordon; his last communication confirmed he would be with her within the half-hour. A minor inconvenience which left her physically inactive but her brain refused to shutdown, this was quite possibly her last view of home soil while Drummond-Mason held any power. She could only imagine the lies being bandied about in the higher echelons in her former place of employment. The wait had seen the twilight of summer turn into the start of a clear star adorned night to the east of Scottish Isle. The headlamps of FAB1 now provided a little light for her to take in the wilderness surrounding her. Her first view had taken her breath away, wild and untouched, the hill a dominating dome, decorated with faded browns and greens, dotted with outcrops of granite grey. As the last light faded all colour merged and gradually darkened to jet black. Penelope felt more comfortable out of the weather, taking her view from behind glass rather than out in the wind whipped drizzle, driven in hard from the ocean to the west. Whereas Parker had immediately taken to the fresh air, embracing its openness, while pacing around the car oblivious to the weather closing in. His eyes occasionally glanced towards the skies, searching for a view of their ride, which she knew they would hear before they set eyes on it. She wondered about his thoughts on their brief return to home. Rather than enquire, she left him to collect himself, their return had not lasted a day and there was so much for them both to process, this was his home soil too.
Distracting herself from the finality she perceived, her mind swiped though the details of the case, keeping or dismissing the little data she had to hand as priority or incidental. She was sure by now that John would have more on Devlin's demise but with a reunion in a couple of hours the urgency wasn't there to claim it. She, for the moment did not want to speak with any of them, she revised her thought, there was one, and he was on his way but it was not his words she needed. Now she had stopped, now there was nothing that immediately warranted her attention she could not get past returning home as a marked woman. She had expected a tail she could turn to her advantage, a gun pointed at her head meant there was something she was missing. Taking stock of the events that had unfolded in less than twenty four hours the technology was a precursor but to what?
With nothing else to occupy her, she had made a call to the Prime Minister. Whatever she would be risking, she had not been prepared to leave a wolf in sheep's clothing behind as his close advisor. Initial pleasantries were familiar and delivered with ease, a friendly exchange, the risk negated by the easy flow; she broached her concerns about the new head of department. In the brief contact she found she had had to embarrassingly agree that all she did possess were suspicions, with no hard evidence to back them up. She kept her agents demise out of it, raising only the missing technology, the lack of intelligence passing back and forth through the usual channels and her unexpected welcoming committee at City Airport.
The fact that the PM was unaware she was a person of interest proved in her eyes Mason had a private off-radar recourse for his own ends. The relief was palpable, she was not sought by the British Government as a rogue agent. She was surprised at how much that piece of news warmed her heart in the barren terrain. She had respectfully advised him to request the GDF report from the action at North Island, using a certain amount of personal sway to suggest his enquiries were kept close to his chest. Advising, with all due respect that all contact should be made personally by him and directed to Colonel Casey or their close personal friend in the European arm of the defence force. He had listened to her insistence that Cobra could not be called without alerting Mason and to her relief he concurred with her reasoning. The conversation closed with the Prime Minister confirming he would contact their mutual friend. Maitland was an ex British Army officer, now working in an advisory capacity for the Western European arm of the GDF, she hoped she had supplied him with an ally while she baulked. Potentially another risk without contacting him herself but she had to trust old friends and the old goat had refused to pick up. For the moment all she could do was to ensure Archie was on their radar while she reluctantly flitted to semi-retirement on a tropical isle.
On the termination of the conversation she returned to watching Parker on his endless circumnavigation of their vehicle. Both of them were city slickers at heart, the manor surrounded by rolling hills a backdrop for entertaining and their only nod to the great outdoors. Parker now seemed to embrace the wild weather beaten terrain, taking lungful after lungful of fresh air on his occasional halts to in his walk. Barely a blink of a light confirmed the existence of human habitation in the vicinity and she wondered if in all the years she had known him, whether Parker was indeed more comfortable in a solitary existence. She had adopted him permanently as her protector by default at the passing of her father, if her father were alive now would she still count him amongst her small network of close friends?
The dulled sound of Thunderbird Two's engines broke the eerie silence, bringing her out of her musings; her gaze lifted to the heavens and was mirrored by Parker. The noise built, bringing her out of her predisposition to see her herself as bailing on the country she worked for to the family she freelanced for. It wasn't a Thunderbird taxi service she held her breath for in this moment, it was Gordon. There was safety in that low grumble which grew with intensity at every passing second. As it turned into an almighty roar she could focus on the selfish, putting to bed her concerns, to imagine the man at the controls. Somehow Gordon without presenting himself consumed her, any internalising of her failures ceased in an instant. Penelope exited FAB1, her hair flying behind her as the wind gave it life, the green beast tilted her wings in greeting before redirecting the VTOL engines and touching down next to them.
The legs extended dropping the pod and Gordon to the earth, the runway dropped and the smiled greeting the only thing that existed in that moment.
"Well hullo there beautiful, fancy meeting you here."
Penny ran into his arms "That Scandinavian air has gone to your head." She punched him lightly on the shoulder, "and you took your time!"
Gordon stoked her hair replying in a whisper, aware of their babysitter a few feet away "Just took a last look at the coastline on the return route, just you know … the off chance. He straightened to look at her "besides absence makes the heart grow fonder. And fresh air is better for the lungs than that perfume. Penny I know you like to make an effort but have you washed your clothes in that stuff?"
Penelope was fully aware of his defection, his last look at its coastline, an admission that leaving Scandinavia was snapping his heart in two, by default breaking hers in the process. She searched his eyes in the light provided by the headlamps, Gordon was struggling with his retreat. She wanted to kiss it away, draw him up, surround him and tell him she shared his pain. But breeding even now prevailed, her peripheral vision took in the awkward stance of Parker as he stood next to FAB1 trying to look anywhere but directly at them. She pulled away, another time, when they were alone she would return to this moment, for now…
"Chanel Gordon! Your nostrils need an education in taste. Besides needs must and I'll explain the necessity on our way home."
"Home Penny? Well that's progress if ever I heard it." Gordon accompanied the statement with a laugh; a sound that warmed her from within.
Penelope mirrored the laugh and slightly pinked at her frivolous use of a word which had returned her Gordon to her, but grateful for the darkness disguising her flush at her slip-up.
"You Gordon Tracy have a one track mind."
"Two-track Penny. Maybe when we get do get home, I'll show you what's on the other rail." His hand snaked around her waist and he guided her into the pod.
"I think I can guess. When you get home I suggest all you think about is sleep. When did you last sleep Gordon? You look like death warmed up."
Gordon released her to get the equipment he needed for the rig "Charming! I've had a couple of hours in the last twenty-four. And I think you know exactly what would help me to drift-off when we do get home. Let's get this rig in place. Can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be than my own room right now. Although Scott's just launched, be just my luck to get home and have to ship straight out."
"Then I'll be sure to keep it warm for you. That is if you don't mind me moving in while you're away."
Gordon smiled "Mi casa es tu casa." Gordon pulled the equipment from the pod "Let's get this over with, see if we can't grab a few minutes when we get back. I'm sure it won't be long before we need to pull Scott out of a hell-hole of his own creation. You don't really expect him to wait for backup if this rig actually works do you? He winked at her "So sleep and anything else that may provide welcome distraction is likely to be an extremely pleasant dream."
"What's his ETA?"
"He'll be off the coast on the first drone drop in under two hours, it'll be two and a half from take-off for us to get home." He sighed, "so best get cracking."
"Want some help?"
"Just load FAB1 in the pod. Your friendly neighbourhood chauffer service is waiting. Just gotta tinker with this piece of kit and we're on our way."
She watched as he climbed the small hill, she noted once free from her side, his shoulders bore more than the weight of the equipment. Then she lost him to the darkness, she had been spending her time longing for his arms around her to take her pain away when in fact he was more in need of hers. Parker brought her from her reverie indicating he had completed his task and they should take their seats in Thunderbird Two. Before turning towards the giant taxi she cast her eyes to the hillside, she would wait for him. When he came into view he travelled with a bounce to his step, maybe the pull of home, maybe the thought of her joining him on the journey. With Parker no longer there to remind her of propriety she ran towards him, crashing into him. She pulled him into her arms and hungrily kissed his lips, a kiss he instantly returned with equal ardour. It was a relief when he broke off first; this kiss had promised a little more than she was able to deliver, a default to the physical, their way of releasing pent up pain, anxiety and frustration.
His arm wrapped around her waist. "Let's go home beautiful."
….
The knock at the door was gentle and delivered with the cursory function; the dark spiked hair of his brother rounded the door before John could utter a word. Automatically John tossed his phone to one side, pulling his knees up to his chest to allow Virgil room to commandeer the end of the bed. Silently Virgil made his way over and took the offered space, holding John in a gaze that momentarily paralysed his subject. John eventually leaned forward watching the muscles in Virgil's jaw twitch, a sure-fire sign he was putting pressure on his back teeth, setting them hard against each other in lieu of talking.
"Spill big man," he patted Virgil's leg to confirm the contact, a trick he had watched the eldest deploy. "What's stopping you from taking your own advice and getting some rest?"
Virgil shrugged, "dunno…. Johnny?"
John smiled "I know I'm in trouble when you throw that name in the ring."
"Disturbing you?" Virgil cast a glance to the discarded phone on the duvet.
John followed the gaze, "Ridley's bored waiting for the red-eye. Just sending riddles to each other." He felt his face pink slightly as Virgil raised an eyebrow. "Sleeping sounded good advice bro, but in practice not that easy, is it?"
"Nothing picked up then?"
"Nope, nothing from Eos and if I contact her again before our agreed briefing she's going to keep Brains apparently. Irritated I don't trust her to pass anything on immediately. And she seems to be getting on like a house-on-fire with her new house mate. Part of my punishment for bad behaviour."
Virgil allowed a half-smile to curl on his lips. "Did you educate her on the human requirement for loyalty?"
John studied his brother, he knew him and he was here for more than company "I think she is educating me on an A.I. requirement for loyalty. Maybe I need to educate you on the human condition of avoidance and deflection. What's on your mind?"
"You name it John. Dad. Whether Scott will wait if ….. When we get a signal. And you, not talking about any of it, to anyone. When I said get some shut eye I expected you would want to talk to me first."
The vibration and dulled trill of the phone momentarily caught the attention of John, before he returned his gaze to his brother.
"You're here now let's talk."
Virgil nodded in the direction of the phone, "you not want to get that?"
John turned the sound on his phone off "No. You ready to talk?"
Virgil reclined across the bottom of the bed leaning up on one elbow "You don't talk about him unless it's directly involved in the search."
Virgil waited for John to break the silence, it stretched out, a threatening void never to be filled and he was forced to plug it himself.
"Alan & Scott are so sure now that we'll get him back that they haven't considered any other outcome and talk about it like it's only a matter of time. Gordon's along for the ride, you heard him on the way back from the hospital. And since then he's been on automatic pilot, saying all the right things and up until a couple of hours ago with no real conviction. He swings from positive to negative depending on the latest conversation. You John, I can't call it, silence. Not a word about how you feel."
John sighed, "Virgil I am used to my own thoughts." He watched his brother recoil slightly, the barely noticeable action churned his stomach, Virgil needed something and whatever it was, that statement had not helped. "I watch you all risk your lives on a daily basis, I have learnt over the years not to feel until it is all over. Feelings can dangerous Virgil. I'm a trained astronaut but I'm not a robot. Believe me, I feel, it's there, but as an onlooker with no control I have had to learn self-preservation, and I am sorry if I have not left that on Five."
Virgil's face softened "You ever think this is one helluv a dream we just can't wake up from? I can't help thinking it's not the sort with a happy ending."
"Constantly." John shifted down the bed placing himself next to his brother certain that the admission needed unburdening. "That's one reason why I haven't talked about him."
John lay down next him and they both adjusted position so they were side by side staring up at the ceiling.
"Virgil I'm scared of wishing it too much, frightened to death of losing him all over again. Don't think you're the only one terrified to hope that this is nearly over. We learned to live without him; I don't think any of us can go through that day again. But the flip side Virg, just imagine the flip side, dad bellowing from the other side of the hanger at one of Scott's cock-sure stunts. Or him cuffing Gordon around the ear for an ill-timed joke, his voice filling this house again. Virgil I'm prepared to imagine it if you are. And don't worry about Gordon, he's fine, we'll blind him with our new found positivity."
"Suppose not having anything to do is killing me, I was on such a high when I gave you a location. Now... now I just feel numb inside."
"This waiting game is a killer. Virgil, when we're shipping out and we are on our way to a dot on the map it'll be easier. Remember Kayo, this is no different, you'll feel the shift when we have somewhere to go"
"You ever give up on Kayo?"
"Why? Have you given up on Dad?"
Silence hung in the air between them, John watched tears fill his brothers eyes, it was his void to fill. "Well as you asked first. Yes. Didn't think we stood a hope in hell of getting anything from that relay, but didn't want to stop trying for Scott, for all of you. You know what Virg, I would have gone crazy in my own negativity up there without Al, Brains and Ridley. They never once thought it wouldn't work. I'm telling you now Virgil, do not take this as permission for any doubts. We are going to bring him home I have learnt my lesson, so box it up and put it away."
"You sure you are not just telling me what I need to hear?"
"Virgil, we're starting with more than guesswork this time. We have narrowed down a search area. We have capabilities to render the drones that attacked Scott inactive. In a few hours will be talking the fight to them. We have the element of surprise, and the backing of the GDF when we need them."
"Careful, you're starting to sound like Scott. It's always a walk in the park, never a chance for catastrophic failure. We show our hand and fail in this,… ever thought we're signing dad's death warrant as soon as we turn up."
"No. because we won't fail. Virg, I promise not to retreat as much, we are all feeling it, even those of us usually prone to immediately side with optimism! He ruffled his brother's spiked hair an action that would usually warrant a cuff back but nothing came in response."There are timeS Virgil when it descends on us all, don't beat yourself up."
He watched his brother raise an eyebrow. "Big brother duties, did they come with the gravity?"
John smiled "Well it's not often number two in the pecking order gets a chance for the brother save. Hey, it looks like we'll be lucky to get any sleep while we wait for Gordon. Let's default to next best, put some hot chocolate on and I'll meet you in the ring."
"Phone her."
"Who?"
"John, don't think I was born yesterday, Ridley! You've looked at your phone at least twice during our conversation."
John smiled "Well I don't want her thinking I couldn't guess the answer. Just a quick text and I'll be with you."
"Phone her John. Stop playing games. Riddles! How old are you? You'll lose what you really want in childish games. Just talk to her."
"Only a couple of hours since I did."
"Like her dontcha?" He watched his brother's expression change, face softening, a rare effortless smile adorning his features lighting his green eyes.
"You should have seen her on Five Virg. Calm isn't the word, took mission control like a pro when I bailed. She never once had anything negative to say. And if she thought it, she was an expert in hiding it. A sense of humour dryer than the Mojave too."
Virgil laughed "Hey, wonder who that sounds like." He caught the look in his brothers eye and knew immediately the fact in his last statement he was dwelling on. "You didn't bail John; it was a living nightmare out there. Just glad you had someone with you when Kayo saw dad."
John shrugged it off, he knew the truth, the only time he had failed to compartmentalise his feelings and Scott had suffered for his breakdown. He shifted to comfortable ground. "Ridley volunteered to help, stayed on Five when she didn't have to and she's doing it again now. In fact she's been nothing but pretty god damn amazing since I met her."
"Then tell her that for starters." Virgil encouraged.
"Doesn't seem right. You know… I'm here to find dad not kick start my love life. Virgil I haven't asked and maybe I should have. You ok about Catherine being here?"
"She won't be here long and John if you are asking if I love her, if my judgement is clouded and I want to keep her here as a pet project in redemption, then it's a resounding no. Once we know the value of the information she's turned-in and forgotten. You heard any more from the Colonel yet? Can't help thinking she is well-aware we have a house guest."
"Nothing since she confirmed the situation with Devlin," John responded.
Virgil got up to and stretched out the kinks in his shoulders "Phone Ridley, take great pleasure in telling her the answer and then take it from there. The hot chocolate can wait. Thanks John."
John reached for his phone, "For what?" nursing it he briefly he placed it to one-side. "Put the chocolate on hold for ten minutes and I'll be down. Go check on Al, I'll make three and join you for the wait."
John watched Virgil leave, admitting to him about Kayo had been more of a weight-off than Virgil would ever know. The man leaving his room held the weight of the whole ordeal pressed heavily on his shoulders, just as he had felt in the search for Kayo. And he would make god damn sure the burden of responsibility in this was shared. He switched his phone on and smiled at the number of text messages that had amassed in the last few minutes. The last started with a laughing emoji and 'give up yet Tracy!' He dialled the number.
"Reflection."
"Took you long enough Tracy, and here I was thinking I was starting with the easy ones."
"Virgil had something he needed to talk about. How's the airport shaping up as a tourist attraction?"
"Boring, but on the bright side desk opens in an hour. Don't suppose your little A.I. friend could…er …well pull a few strings for a guaranteed window seat, forgot to pre-book. The red eye has its compensations and it's going to be a clear night."
"Now I have the evidence that you are only using me for my bird and her resources. And were you really expecting to be entertained at the airport?"
"A nod to my boring life when not working. And I may have miscalculated how entertaining people-watching would be after a few hours. I have had so much coffee now I swear I'm having palpitations."
"Just the coffee giving you palpitations? Or is it the thought of our date?" John blushed furiously at his unguarded statement, Virgil had barely left his room but there was something about her voice that washed the knots in his shoulders away.
"I think you know the answer to that Tracy. You know it was a tempting invitation John, but I don't want to gatecrash the family reunion? Rain check?"
"Then you gonna invite me to Boston before your training starts in Florida?"
"We could play at this all night. Put your vid-link on."
John did as instructed and smiled as Ridley beckoned him closer before whispering "I am here now asking you on a date John. And just so there is no mistake I think you recently asked me on one too. So let's just agree that, once this is all over, at some point in the future on a hereto unspecified date and time, you will escort me somewhere more interesting than dinner and then snog my face off."
John nearly spat his laugh all over the screen "And just so there's no mistake O'Bannon there is nothing I would like more. Don't approach the professor for chat, attach the tracker and get the hell out of there. Be careful O'Bannon I have a date riding on it"
"Then I'll leave you with this." Ridley blew him a kiss and terminated the call.
….
Jeff sat, with arms fast into taser bolt-restraints, strapped into a seat in the back of a flight deck of a foreign craft, which on brief sensory introduction housed technology rivalling their own. The creature linked himself to his comms through large snake like cables, communications surged through him and the beast of a man swelled as he swiped holo-data providing system checks and information. The ship he was on was akin to Thunderbird Five and the actions of the man were hypnotising. A large map of northern Europe appeared; he sent a coded instruction, the hangar doors in front opened and a large wave of dragonfly-like drones headed out into the indigo sky like bats on the hunt streaming from a cavern.
The Mechanic turned "A Hackenbacker / Martin production for your enjoyment. And big screen for the full experience." He swiped his hand across the screen projecting the bird's eye view of the drone's path through the skies. He grinned "Your friends in the GDF are about to be a little preoccupied."
Jeff watched mesmerised, swallowing down the urge to question the relevance of his friend's name, instead allowing more comfortable memories of his family to invade his head space. Respite was brief; the visions brought him back to an eight year old girl arriving into the arms of his family. She had been physically frail, emotionally stunted, frightened of her own shadow but with love showered upon her happy in a few years to call him father. Little baby steps taken particularly by John and Gordon allowing her to become part of their family and quell the instinctively defensive nature she learned in her early years.
Jeff turned away from his captor to remember his daughter in a private moment, tears stung his eyes at the thought of her loss, leaving his sons with another emotional scar to add to their already pain laden hearts. His thoughts turned to his boys one by one, faces the day he left imprinted on his memory, his heart sank. The holo-console in front caught his attention as it sprang to life. He swallowed down the pain, there were five sons now counting on him to get his ass home, no plan but determination set in his clenched jaw.
He watched intently as the man hidden behind goggles and mask made silent communications ending with his satisfied growl he received his response.
"High security wing in the German GDF facility compromised, thanks to your show of strength. GDF pulling all Atlantic air fleet into central Europe, domino effect immanent. When Paris follows suit, it's time to ship out and collect our friend, we are about to suggest the move to the PM. Abbott and I will make the journey by water only when we have confirmation that he's in your hands. I have it in good authority the blond with the data card has been picked up by a Thunderbird. The eye in the sky will soon be ours to hold the GDF to ransom."
The responding laugh was deep, threatening and sent chills down Jeff's spine "Your help has been invaluable but do not get ahead of yourself Mason. You will get your hands on your prize only after I have what we agreed. The leverage you want will be yours but the prize is ours. We had a deal, our target is yet to move and he is imperative for the endgame, no prisoner, no access to global intelligence only he has the co-ordinates."
"Early days Silas. When Paris encounters difficulties the PM will have no choice and he will move your target. When you retrieve him you do not hit phase two until I am onboard, without my help your friend would be left to rot."
The ensuing conversation was heated, full of testosterone and accompanied by locked horns as each bayed for the upper hand, and it held Jeff's attention. Thunderbird the word his brain anchored on, one had picked up Penelope, who was holding a card they did not seem disappointed was in her possession. The best guess for 'the eye in the sky' his pride and glory, Thunderbird Five. Launched into the skies to save lives, the linchpin of the whole IR organisation set to become a deadly weapon in the hands of these animals, who he was now certain wanted to use it to access to global communications and hack weapons systems. That was their target! It became clearer in his mind's eye he was the leverage to ensure it was handed over. The only factor that allowed panic not to rise in his system, they had not moved. He had been taken to the ship over an hour ago and so far their final phase had not been activated, whatever happened in the next few hours Jeff had to find a way of downing this ship with The Hood on it. Dead was preferable to the use of their resources being responsible for any deaths,burdening the shoulders of his family, they didn't know he was alive. He just hoped his son's would forgive him if they ever found out.