Unforgotten

AN – Wow, the feedback I keep receiving is incredible. Thank you so much for your lovely comments. I can't believe we're nearly there - after so long!

Disclaimer – I don't own Thunderbirds

Chapter Forty Two – Caught in the web

Jeff forced himself to watch the screen that displayed Scott's image, despite how much he wanted to avert his eyes. It would be doing his eldest son a disservice to look away now, although a sideways glance had told him that Virgil had his eyes screwed shut.

After the first blow, which Scott had rolled with as much as possible, it had been followed by a brief flurry. But Grey had now paused and was hunched over Scott. He looked like he was instead saying something to him, whispering into his ear something that wasn't being picked up on the microphone in the camera. Scott was ignoring him completely, bruise already forming on his cheek and some blood running from his nose. Jeff was impressed by his composure, he could see Ethan's ugly expression as he crouched and tried to rile Scott up as much as possible.

The worst thing was not that Ethan was spewing poisonous words into Scott's ear – and even without being able to hear him Jeff didn't doubt that – but it was the unpredictability of what would happen next. Jeff kept watching Scott's expression, the only sign that whatever Ethan was saying was affecting Scott was the look in his eyes. Jeff wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't known his eldest son quite so well.

Ethan had turned away from Scott on the screen and the Hood had turned to say something to one of his guards. That is why neither of them saw what Jeff did – Scott's eyes flickered briefly to the large opening through which light was streaming.

"You know, she was never yours." Jeff almost jumped when Scott started talking. What surprised him more was the almost cocky expression on his son's face as he watched Ethan Grey closely. The Hood tilted his head and pressed a button, turning the sound up on the video feed.

"What would you know about it," Ethan spat at Scott, large vein bulging in his neck.

"More than you'd think," Scott still wore the smirk that bordered on arrogance, despite the blood and the swelling. "I know that she was working with us right from the beginning – right from the fire at the factory of your former colleague."

For a moment Ethan paused, a slight frown on his face before he shook his head. "Impossible. No, you corrupted her, tainted her and stole her from me."

"You didn't even know her name!"

"Of course I did! She was Cat – Catarina. An exotic beauty, and she was mine."

The last word was shouted, even across the video feed he could see the spittle. He didn't know quite what Scott was saying to this man, it sounded as though he was goading the older man. It was evidently working, given that Ethan now looked almost apoplectic with rage.

"You're delusional," Scott spat in return, twisting away from his captor. Jeff noticed that he snuck a sideways glance at the opening as he did so. It all became clear to Jeff – Scott was buying time. He was distracting Ethan whilst something was happening outside. Hope began to swell – was a rescue on its way? Who had managed to find them, wherever they were?

The Hood seemed to realise that Scott was stalling as well, although hopefully not that Scott was expecting help to arrive.

"Your son will soon realise that he is delaying the inevitable," the Hood calmly informed Jeff. "Grey is very creative and has been desiring some time with your son for a while. I could stop him though, if you provided me with the designs for the Thunderbird machines."

"Never," Jeff vowed firmly, still keeping one eye on the screen showing behind.

"Shame," the Hood commented with a shrug. "Well, I will leave you to it. Maybe when your son's screams echo through the corridors you will change your mind." He turned the volume up to maximum and left the room through an ornate golden doorway. Around half of the guards followed, leaving a small amount remaining to watch over Jeff and Virgil.

Virgil looked at his father, concern evident in his gaze. "Dad, is there something we can give them? To stop them hurting Scott?"

"No son," Jeff was firm. "The designs we have could cause insurmountable damage in the wrong hands. No matter what they threaten, we cannot divulge our secrets."

A particularly loud crack had them staring back at the screen. Ethan had evidently struck Scott again, his head was twisted to one side and as they watched he spat some blood out.

"Lies!" Ethan was screaming at Scott. "All lies!"

Scott didn't say anything, he just laughed. "Then why didn't you recognise her when she was right in front of you?"

Virgil looked confused. "I wonder what that is about?"

Jeff could only shake his head as they watched Ethan pace the room. "You tell convincing lies, Tracy. But why would I believe you? If you think-"

Whatever Ethan thought would never be known, as at that moment he toppled forwards. He had been standing in the opening and as he fell, a shadow moved over his prone form. Slowly a figure came into the view, a figure wearing a black outfit and a black mask that covered most of her face. The figure was obviously female, judging by the outfit that left very little to the imagination. To Jeff's incredulity, she brought a finger to her lips as she looked at Scott, signalling for him to remain quiet.

Jeff was dimly aware of movement as some of the guards rushed out of the room they were being held in. Only dimly aware, because his whole attention was on his eldest son. His eldest son, who was gazing at the new arrival as though she was the sun, the moon and the stars all combined in one. He had never seen an expression like that on Scott's face before, but before he could contemplate it too long the figure moved out of sight and then the feed flickered out.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Once John told her the camera feed was down Angel turned back to Scott. "One day, you'll get kidnapped and I won't be around to save you." She told him, making short work of the ropes that tied him to the stone chair

He stood immediately and crushed her to him. "Too soon." He murmured, just before he captured her lips with his.

They stood like that for a moment before he hissed in pain and pulled back. With concern, Angel gently traced her knuckles over the bruises on his cheeks.

"It probably looks worse than it is," Scott told her. He brought his thumb up to her jaw, the only part of her where he could touch her skin. "I knew you would come for me."

"Always," she murmured in reply, kissing him gently. As soon as they had landed she had run straight to the edge of the pyramid, banking on there being minimal security. She had hoped, correctly, that the Hood relied on the fact it was extremely difficult to find as its main defence. Skirting the minimal guards as she climbed higher hadn't been a difficult task. Luckily, Ethan's ego meant that he'd chosen one of the key rooms at the top of the pyramid to use – a room that also happened to have a commanding view of the surrounding jungle via a stone platform that jutted out some distance from the top. It provided an easy access point for Angel and she had simply waited until Ethan was in the right position to strike.

An enraged snarl had both of them spinning around to the large opening that Angel had climbed up to. Ethan was rising, almost spitting fury as he watched the two of them together.

"Guards!" He screeched, pulling out a weapon and waving it around. He didn't realise that the camera feed had been cut and that no one would be answering.

Instead Ethan pointed the gun at Scott. "If I can't have her, no one can!" He snarled. Scott realised what he was going to do the instant before he fired, rushing forwards Scott tackled the mad man and the gun fired harmlessly towards the ceiling instead of at Angel. They grappled for a moment, rolling around on the platform above a significant drop down the pyramid. Angel leapt forwards and helped to pull Ethan off Scott, letting the younger man regained his feet. Panting, Ethan next lunged towards Angel. She stopped him with a swift kick to the stomach which sent him careening back to the edge of the platform.

For a moment suspended in time, he teetered on the edge, wind-milling his arms as he tried to regain his balance. He looked pleadingly towards Scott who couldn't help himself beginning to step forwards, intending to grab him. Angel's hand on his arm stalled him momentarily, but in that moment Ethan Grey lost the battle for balance and toppled backwards off the ledge.

Scott rushed to the edge and looked over, seeing the crumpled form of Ethan lying a few steps down on the stepped pyramid. The same ledge Angel had used to climb up to the opening had been Ethan's downfall, as it projected from the top of the pyramid he had fallen down a long way before stone had greeted him. Scott could tell from here that Ethan would not be getting up again. He squeezed Angel's arm as he rose.

She nodded and stood from her position next to him, turning her back on the last of the men who had killed her mother and put her through so much more as well. "The other group should be nearing the room where your father and brother are being held, assuming they haven't been taken back to the cells."

"Not when I left, although I don't know how long I've been up here now."

"Here," Angel rummaged around in the small backpack she was wearing, pulling out some clothes for Scott, a ray gun and a small tub. "Bruise cream, from Brains I believe."

"Thank you," Scott said sincerely as he quickly changed his clothing and applied the cream. He could almost immediately feel the bruising receding. "Thank you for everything." He kissed her gently again, cupping her face for a moment while she pressed her clawed hands against his torso. Then Angel turned, gesturing to the door out of the room.

"Let's go find what's going on out there." Scott adjusted his grip on the gun.

"Stun only?" He asked, slightly surprised when Angel nodded. They moved to the door, where Angel opened it and checked the corridor. Seeing it empty, she beckoned and Scott followed her outside. The door slid shut behind them leaving nothing but a discarded grey shirt and a pile of ropes to suggest they were ever there.

They made their way quietly through the corridors, Angel having memorised the routes on the journey over. They met a couple of groups of guards, quickly dispatching them via the use of the ray gun. After one such encounter, Scott turned to Angel and held her still for one second.

"Why are we stunning alone? I don't think you've worried about killing before."

"No, a bit odd for a trained assassin to care." She shook her head ruefully.

"You were an assassin too?"

"Once... I too operated as one of the shadows, dark assassins that carry out all covert operations for the monastery I was raised in. Two accompanied us here, they want Agent Seventy-Nine, the man you know as the Hood. But killing is not my desire. Many of the people here were tricked into being here, they were told the only way to improve their harvests is to serve the temple. Then they are forced into carry out tasks and if they refuse, they die. They deserve their freedom too."

"If we get out of this, I'm going to marry you." He told her, completely seriously.

She cocked her head to the side as she regarded him. "You seem very sure I'll agree."

"Would you?" He asked, more nervously this time.

"That depends," Angel teased, a smile flitting across her face.

"On what?"

"On whether you were planning to propose with the ring I found in your jacket after the gala? It was very beautiful."

Scott let go of the breath he hadn't realised he's been holding with a relieved sigh. "If you like it, then yes."

"In that case we'd better make sure we get out of here alive then, hadn't we?" She winked before leading him down the next corridor and further into the depths of the temple.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Jeff was still gaping at the screen that was now blank, oblivious to the pandemonium happening around him. Guards were hurriedly conferring and moving in and out of the room. Virgil turned to his father. "What's going on?"

"Did you see the screen?" Jeff asked him, turning to face his son.

"No, one moment Ethan was shouting something and then when I looked back it had cut out."

"There was someone there," Jeff lowered his voice, looking around furtively. "A woman wearing black, she knocked down Ethan and then cut the camera."

Virgil's eyes opened wide. "So…they've found us then."

"Who?" The thump of someone hitting the ground distracted Jeff from the rest of his question. Looking over, he could see that one of the guards who was about to leave the room was now lying prone on the floor. The cause became immediately apparent as a very familiar figure entered through the doorway.

Gordon looked more focussed than Jeff had ever really seen his second-youngest. He was carrying a ray gun and as he entered he fired it several more times, dropping the guards that remained. Once he was sure that there were no threats left in the room he holstered his gun and grinned at Jeff.

"Hey dad, long time no see."

"Gordon! How did you get here?"

Jeff strained against the metal handcuffs, Gordon came over to inspect them with a frown. "Oh you know, chased some leads, talked to some people, did a spot of flying."

"You chased leads?" Virgil sounded sceptical.

"We had some help," Gordon replied airily. "I don't have a key for these, dad. I'm going to have to cut them off." From a small rucksack he was wearing Gordon produced a small pair of bolt cutters, making short work of the chains above the cuffs. He moved on to Virgil while Jeff rubbed his wrists, trying to get some feeling back in his hands.

"Is that help anything to do with the woman who cut the feed from Scott?"

Whatever Gordon would answer was cut off by the re-entrance of the Hood. "Well well, what do we have here?" Although his tone was light, his face gave away how unsettled he was that International Rescue had managed to find his base.

"You are outnumbered and outgunned," Jeff told him, levelling the ray gun Gordon had given him earlier at the Hood. "I suggest you allow us to leave peacefully."

"Now why would I do that? After all, I still call the shots here." With a click of his fingers, two guards came in dragging a third figure. Alan. "Your youngest, I believe? Well Mr Tracy, now we find ourselves with a bit of a dilemma. I want the secrets of International Rescue, you want your youngest son alive. Perhaps you will be more amenable to a deal."

Jeff had lowered his gun at the sight of Alan, but he narrowed his eyes at the Hood. "It's not negotiable."

The Hood sighed dramatically. "Such a shame. But now I have four sons… I wonder, will I be able to collect the full set? If you two came here, I suspect the other blond is close by isn't he? My guards are searching now, they will find him. Tell me Jeff Tracy, are you prepared to lose one son? Lose all of them? Over something as simple as the design for a few aircraft?"

The Hood drew a gun and levelled it at Alan. "I suggest you make up your mind soon."