Part 9

"Scott how long until we reach Scotland?" Jeff asked.

"ETA 10 minutes dad", Scott replied. They were all dressed in IR uniform. Their cover story would be someone calling in for a rescue and they'd find an ongoing kidnapping. Jeff just hoped they were not going to be too late. He looked around at his sons. They all were stone faced and focused on the task at hand. This man had taken their brother from them, he needed to pay. John had not sounded fine over the radio. He had sounded as if he was in pain and possibly getting ill. Jeff was worried about what they would find when they got to the mansion. Hopefully they were faster and would get there in time. When they got there he would take Lennox out himself if the man resisted arrest. Penny and Parker were heading for Edinburgh to get in contact with the police. They would then head out to wherever this mansion was, Jeff had not listened that well, with said police and arrest Mr. Lennox. If the man resisted and Jeff kind of prayed that he would… some violence might be required to get him to give up.

"Scott ready the demolition missiles", Jeff said. "We might not need to use them but they might scare these bastards enough to give up without a fight."

"Yes sir", Scott replied.

"Scott will remain aboard TB1, providing air cover for us and anyone else that might need it", Jeff turned to his other sons. "The rest of us will get out and try and find John. That is our main mission. We need to get John away from them and if possible out of there."

"Gladly", Gordon growled. "What if the idiots having him try to resist?"

"I hope it won't come to that… if it does… shoot to apprehend and not kill. Aim for arms or legs or shoulders if you have too. We don't need any unnecessary killing."

"Unnecessary!?" Alan thundered. "These bastards kidnapped John and blew up Five! They need to pay for that!"

"And they will, but we will not take the law into our own hands."

"We've done that in the past!"

"Yes we have, but this man has connections and he might drag our family into it. Remember what John said. This man claims he is working for me."

"So we could get in trouble if he starts claiming it in front of the police and we then get dragged into court?"

"Which is why we are all going to wear masks", Jeff said. "I know you hate them boys, but this is none-negotiable this time. Your brother's life is in the balance here. If this man recognizes me… or any of us as the Tracy family he might…" Jeff did not finish but they all understood. If he found out who they really were he could use that to get what he wanted instead of John's life. He would probably do away with John just to prove to them that he would do anything to get his will.

"What if…" Gordon began. "What if he sees us and decides that… that John is no longer needed?"

"Then we will make sure he regrets it", Jeff said. "We will destroy him and everything he owns and every single person working for him. They will not get away."

"I can see the mansion", Scott called from the front. "And they are getting ready to leave. Should I fire the laser at them as a warning? I could hit that tacky fountain."

"Do it", Jeff said and got up. "Boys… let's go get your brother."

Arthur Lennox fixed his cufflinks as he walked out, prepared to leave this mansion and head to one of his other ones. He heard shouting from the front doors and rolled his eyes. His people could be like headless chickens at times. He stepped through the doors and gaped. His people were running around, looking for cover while a laser beam kept hitting random objects around. His marvelous fountain had already been destroyed and was spraying water all over the place. Lennox gaped at the scene and then raised his gaze. His eyes grew large as he saw the plane hovering over the west wing of the mansion.

"Thunderbird One…" he whispered and then grabbed a man running past him. "Where is the prisoner!?"

"I-in his cell still", the man stuttered. "We had not gotten the time to m-move him yet." Lennox cursed, grabbed the man's gun and headed into the house. He would take Mai Bhalsich out himself. The man had cost him International Rescue and would soon cost him his freedom and his fortune. He knew a lost cause when he saw it. He would leave his men to fend for themselves. He would still get rid of the IR operative and then disappear through a side door. He'd be long gone before someone realized he was missing. He would have his revenge later though. He had a way to spin it so that the blame would fall on Jefferson Tracy. The man was rich enough to maybe get out of trouble but people would stop buying his products if they found out he had murdered a member of International Rescue in cold blood. He rounded the corner and stopped. In front of him were two men dress in IR uniform but unlike Mai Bhalsich they wore masks to hide their appearances. He could see that one of them was blonde and the other a ginger.

"Freeze!" the ginger called.

"Get your hands up!" the blonde shouted.

"Oh thank God", Lennox said and dropped the gun and fell to his knees. "You have got to save me!"

"Pardon?" the ginger asked.

"M-Mr. Lennox has gone crazy!" Lennox sobbed and moved towards them on his knees. "He is… he is killing everyone in site!"

"Don't try to fool us we know who you are."

"I'm not Lennox I swear! He… he abducted me and forced me to undergo surgery to change my appearance to look more like him while he gets away! Please! You must save me please!" He looked at them with all the panic and despair he could muster. The pair looked at each other and Lennox could read from their body language that they were hesitating. He heard footsteps behind him and saw three of his men coming down the hall.

"Don't let them catch me!" he screamed, grabbed the gun and ran. His men started firing and the IR operatives took cover behind some pillars and started firing back. Lennox smirked as he ran away. His men would think he had meant IR and IR would think he'd meant his men. He ran as fast as he could and tore the cellar door open. He stormed down the steps and looked around. The mansion was massive so he had to figure out exactly where he was before he knew which way to go to reach the hidden cells. He opened the first door and saw that it was one of his wine cellars. He nodded and ran down the opposite direction. IR might get his men and might escape scot-free, but Mai Bhalsich would not escape. Arthur Lennox would see to that.

Virgil Grissom Tracy had found a cellar door when they entered. Scott had hovered by the side of the building to hide the fact the four of them used grapples to lower themselves to the ground. Virgil and Jeff had entered through a side door while Alan and Gordon ran around the side to enter through another door or window. When inside Jeff and Virgil had realized they had entered through the kitchen door. The poor staff had been hiding in the pantry. Jeff had escorted them out safely while Virgil made sure no gunmen were coming for them. When Jeff returned he instructed Virgil to get down into the basement. Jeff would find another way down and meet up with him. So here Virgil was now. He crept around corners and listened for footsteps and the like. So far all the sounds he heard seemed to come from above him. That's when he heard it… footsteps. He hid behind some crates and waited. A man clad in a sharp suit and with a gun in his hand stormed by. Virgil managed to get a look at the cufflinks and noticed the initials AL. He gripped his gun tightly and started following the man. This… vermin was the reason for them hurting. This man had taken their Johnny and had blown up Five. This asshole who was so tiny had caused such big pain to the family. Virgil had never wanted to punch someone as badly as he wanted to punch this man.

No wait… a few other people had come close to getting a pummeling from him these past few years. That asshole pouring out the growth serum during the whole Giant Alligator fiasco, the two miffed racers who tried to kill Alan and Grandma, those fucking imposters who nearly got them arrested and nearly cost a man his life… and a few more. But right now his fury was fully directed at the man he was tailing. This man had no idea who he was messing with. If there was something that made Virgil Grissom Tracy fly into a rage it was someone hurting his little brothers. You did not touch Virgil's little brothers. Sure he got angry if someone dared harm Scott as well but touching the three youngest? Hell no! You signed your own death sentence if you did that.

Scott may be the biggest mother hen in the world but Virgil was big brother bear. Touch his cubs and you died. He had once threatened a bully to tear him limb from limb if he ever touched Gordon again. Virgil had found out a kid two years older than Gordon bullied him. Virgil had heard about the kid from other guys, he was a menace and a real evil little bully. Virgil and his friends had waited for the little shit one day and when he came by they'd stepped out into the road so he had been forced to stop his little bike. They hadn't laid a finger on him but Virgil had made it clear that if he hurt someone and they heard about it… he would dismember him himself. The kid had stopped bullying people after that… for a while. Jeff had marched to the school a few weeks later and demanded the kid be handled. He'd transferred out to a military school. The fear in the kid's eyes when Virgil had leaned down to his level and said:

"If you touch my brothers again I will kill you." Had been nothing but pure terror. Something Virgil was ashamed to admit… had been very satisfactory. No one messed with his little brothers… his bear cubs. Nobody!

He heard the man in front of him curse and peaked around the corner as the man fiddled with a padlock.

"I forgot the fucking key", the man growled and looked around. He found an old pipe and used that to bust the lock open. He put his gun in his pocket when he did that and Virgil stepped in behind him, raising his gun. The man pushed the door open and reached for the gun.

"Sorry Mr. Bhalsich", he said. "But this is the end of-"

"Not another word", Virgil growled and the man froze. "Put your hands where I can see them."

"You're making a mistake!" the man shouted and held his hands up. Virgil grabbed the man's gun and flung it down the hallway. Then he rammed the butt of his gun into the man's head and down he went. Virgil pocketed his gun and hurried inside the room, lighting the roof lamp when he did. He gasped at what he saw. His little brother was lying on a bed, not fully passed out but not fully awake either.

"John", Virgil gasped and ran over and put a hand to his brother's cheek. "Johnny can you hear me?" Blue and hazy eyes opened and tried to focus on him. John's face was bruised and cut up. His eyes focused on Virgil. "It's me Johnny." John reached up with his right hand as if to see if what he was seeing was real. Virgil grabbed that hand and held it to his cheek.

"Virg?" John croaked with a small smile.

"Yeah little brother", Virgil whispered. "I'm here."

"I knew you'd… you'd come", John groaned. Virgil looked him over and gasped. John's left hand looked horrible. All the fingers were broken and his legs appeared to have fared no better.

"He hurt you", Virgil growled.

"I said… nothing."

"I know, I know you didn't Johnny. Come on I'm getting you out."

"Can't walk."

"I'll carry you."

"Broke… broken ribs…"

"I'll be as gentle as I can." Virgil put one arm underneath John's knees and the other around his back. "This might hurt."

"Had worse…" John groaned and Virgil felt the rage bubble in his stomach. His brother looked like it. As gently as he could Virgil got up, John gasped in pain a few times and it tore at Virgil's heart. He spun around, ready to head out when he froze. Lennox stood in the doorway, holding a hand to the back of his head and in the other… a gun. Virgil swore. He had not thrown it far enough.

"Put. Him. Down." Lennox growled.

"No", Virgil growled, holding John closer.

"He is mine!"

"No he is not!"

"Hand over Mai Bhalsich or I will shoot you both?" despite it Virgil scoffed. "What's so funny!?"

"Say his name again."

"Mai Bhalsich."

"Uh huh… now say it… slooower."

"Mai-Bals-ich…" the light dawned on Lennox. He had been saying: My balls itch. God nows how long he had been walking around saying that! The man from IR smirked at him while holding Bals... the prisoner tighter to him. They were making fun of him! "You son of a-" he aimed for them with the gun and then a shot rang out and he covered his head. Vigil turned his back on the doorway, ready to protect John with his life if he had to. Lennox looked up and saw a man coming towards him down the corridor.

"Drop the gun", the man growled darkly.

"You drop it or I'll shoot your friends!" Lennox roared.

"No." the man moved closer. "You will not shoot them or me. You are going to give up now and let the authorities take you away."

"Why would I do that!?"

"Because we outnumber you."

Lennox heard more footsteps and looked in the other direction. The two IR operatives he had met before was coming towards him from the other direction.

"The police are rounding up the rest of the men sir", the ginger-haired one told them.

"You have nowhere to go Lennox", the blonde shouted. Lennox looked round frantically and his eyes met John's over Virgil's shoulder. John smirked at the man. Lennox roared and raised the gun. A shot rang out and he jolted. He looked down and saw the blood on his chest. He looked up at the salt and pepper haired man in front of him. He was the one firing the shot. Lennox gasped and dropped his own gun and fell to his knees. The other man walked up and picked the gun up and put it in his belt.

"I'll… get… you", Lennox groaned. "I… will have… my revenge…"

"No you won't", the man replied.

"Mr. Tracy will… know what has happened…"

"I am sure he will."

"If… you don't… save me… he will… make you pay…"

"I highly doubt that", the man replied. "There is no saving you." He crouched down. "And you know that as well. Threatening me with Mr. Tracy will not work. I'm not afraid of him."

"He will know… and he will come after you."

"You are right, he will know… but he won't come after us."

"You… don't… know that…" blood was now making its way down Lennox's chin.

"I do because…" the man removed his mask and Lennox gasped. "I'm Jeff Tracy." Lennox stared at him and then at the other operatives around him. He scoffed.

"Damn… that… failed… too…" he fell back and his eyes slowly closed as he took his last breath. Jeff put his gun away and got up and strode into the room. Virgil got up and turned to them. Jeff heard his youngest two boys gasp, but ignored them for now. He reached out and caressed John's hair gently. Sky blue eyes opened and looked at him.

"Hey dad… what are you doing here?" John asked weakly.

"I'm here to rescue you", Jeff soothed.

"Really?"

"Yes really."

"Huh... well okay then..." John looked a little loopy, Jeff could feel the heat coming from his boy, he must be running quite the fever. Jeff caressed his cheek gently. John's eyes met his again.

"I… didn't tell him… anything", John proclaimed tiredly.

"I know you didn't kiddo", Jeff soothed. "I know."

"Can I go to sleep? It hurts."

"Yes… yes baby go to sleep. Don't worry. When you wake up we'll be there."

"I know", John replied. "because… my family… always comes… for each other…" John lost consciousness. Jeff kissed his forehead before putting his mask back on.

"Let's go boys… your brother needs a hospital." His other three sons nodded and they hurriedly left the cellar. This was one rescue they would be glad to put behind them.

TBC