"Thunderbird One to Thunderbird Two, what's your ETA?"
"We're 30 minutes behind you Scott" came Virgil's reply.
"We're clear to land to the south of the blaze. The wind is easterly and picking up. If you can increase your speed then do. The fire has already jumped the road and caught the next factory. I'm leaving mobile control to search for the missing fire crew."
"FAB Scott" Virgil and Gordon shared a look.
"I'll get the firefly ready" Gordon swung himself out of his seat and down into the main bulk of the ship. He quickly called up the design for the firefly and set it assembling. The second pod he configured into a bulldozer, thinking that they would most likely need to construct a firmer firebreak to stop the blaze from spreading further. With that done he returned to the cockpit, pleased that after his morning exercises his back was no longer bothering him.
"One firefly, one bulldozer, ready and waiting."
"There are some pretty decent sized reservoirs nearby" Virgil commented. His gaze fixed on the column of smoke they could both clearly see on the horizon. "I'll confirm with Scott but looking at the size of that a water drop might be a better option."
"In a city?" Gordon asked, surprised.
"In an abandoned factory district" Virgil countered. "Either way, you'll be in the firefly so you need to suit up."
"Right." As Gordon pulled the fire-retardant suit from the storage locker, he could hear Scott and Virgil conversing.
"They're more worried about some dead factory than they are about the missing crew!" Scott steamed. "Prinsloo has asked that that be our priority, and when I say asked-"
"You mean demanded" Virgil finished. "Good thing we don't take orders from him then."
"I'm at the last known location of the missing crew but there's no sign of them. Thunderbird 5?" Scott looped in the space monitor.
"Yes Scott?"
"Draw up a search grid and begin coordinating between myself, Virgil and the local crews that could be spared. I don't know what hold Prinsloo has on Van der Merwe but it's a wonder the fire hasn't spread further. We need to get the firefly down to the eastern access road to try and stop the spread. Virgil, get geared up and join me."
"FAB" came chorused back three times over.
"So much for abandoned" Virgil said to himself and he flew the mighty green bird round the perimeter to the landing site. People were everywhere trying to control the blaze. No, a water drop would not work here.
He landed with barely a bump and raised Two up to allow the firefly and dozer to leave. He pulled on his fire suit on the way down to the pod bay and was pleased to see that Gordon had already loaded his exo-suit onto the side of the dozer. Inside the firefly he could see Gordon talking to someone on the comm, he then flashed Virgil a thumbs up and headed out.
Virgil swung himself into the dozer, called up Scott's location and also left his 'bird. Making sure to retract and lock her, just in case.
The industrial estate looked like a war zone with everything around him either drenched and sizzling or sputtering as flames tried to cling on to life. Settling the dozer's powerful scoop into the active position he was quickly able to clear a path through the immediate debris. To his surprise, an engine followed him but, thinking about it logically, it would make sense that this was something John had arranged. He knew where Virgil had been sent to, he knew where the engines needed to go. It made sense to put two and two together.
He left the site of what had now been designated Blaze One and turned a corner. It was easy to see how the blaze and jumped the wide industrial road. The fire had taken out the wall of one of the factories, littering the area with burning debris. The engine behind him pulled up and quickly began dousing the larger flames whilst Virgil turned the dozer on the larger piles of lit rubble pushing them back towards the husk of the perished building and away from the ones across the road.
He was taken completely by surprise when the wall of the buildings ahead of him suddenly exploded outwards. Instinctively he threw an arm across his face, despite knowing the dozer would protect him. Then another thought occurred to him.
"Scott!" He hit his comm. "Scott what is your location?"
"Scott was in the building next to the one that just exploded. He was reporting that he'd found the missing fire crew when it went up" came John's ever calm voice. "But Virgil, these buildings should be empty."
"Well, clearly they aren't" he muttered throwing the dozer forwards. Behind him the fire crew was pulling itself back together. Virgil spared them a glance then drove determinedly forwards forcing yet another path through the chaos around him.
"I have Scott" came John again, "but it seems like his comms have been damaged. The signal is intermittent and quite weak. He is conscious and swearing though."
That made Virgil smile. A swearing Scott was a pissed off Scott and a pissed off Scott wasn't hurt so badly he couldn't be angry at the world.
A moment later Virgil had pulled the dozer up, donned his exo-suit and headed into the building after Scott and the missing crew.
"Scott!" he called. "Can you hear me?"
"Over here" came back a female voice. Virgil swung in that direction and found one of the members of the fire crew. She was trapped against a wall, a falling support beam blocking her way.
"Are you injured" he asked assessing the blockade.
"No" she replied. "But I'm completely stuck. I've got about 10 centimetres of movement. I think I've been damn lucky."
Privately Virgil agreed but, she wasn't out yet. The beam had clearly swung in an arc during the explosion and had taken various things with it to pile up in front of the woman.
"What's your name?" Virgil asked, activating his shoulder torch so he could track the beam and see if it was load bearing still.
"Elle-Zahn" she replied. "Have you found anyone else? There are six of us all together."
"No, not yet" he replied. "Okay, this beam isn't load bearing so I'm going to shift it and you're going to move very quickly." He pulled aside the lighter debris to make an escape route for her.
"How on Earth do you plan to do that?"
"Just let me worry about that" he replied planting his feet and using the suit to get a good grip. "Alright, here we go" and with that he pulled the beam towards him. It moved but only millimetres. Taking a deep breath, he reset and tried again. This time he felt it shift. "Okay" he said, the effort sounding in his voice "It's moving, go as soon as you can." Muscle's straining, he leant backward and heaved again. The servomotors whined but the beam moved and Elle-Zahn squeezed herself out. Once she was free, he let go, disengaged his arms from the suit and bent over bracing himself on his knees to get his breath back.
"I want one" she said looking at the suit appreciatively.
"Come on. Let's find the others."
"You need to get that machine of yours over to the Urston building, right now. Do you not hear what I am saying to you?"
Gordon gaped at the man, briefly forgetting his mask of professionalism. The man hadn't introduced himself, he'd simply stepped in front of the firefly and refused to move. It was only Gordon's quick reflexes that saved the man being run over and now he was close to the machine that Gordon couldn't move it. He popped the canopy;
"That building is empty and, currently not in danger of going up" he called. "There are firefighters here who need me and this machine more."
"You do not understand" the man continued. "That building is a gateway to the residential district. If it goes, we will start losing people's homes."
"Thunderbird 5, come in" Gordon signalled his brother and replayed the situation.
"He's wrong" came the succinct reply. "There aren't any homes within in the next twenty miles."
"You sure about that?" All Gordon got for his trouble was a glare and a raised eyebrow. Of course John was sure.
"Okay so any ideas how I can get this man off my back without getting him under my tracks?"
"Base is working on it Four."
Gordon caught the switch to official call signs. It meant that either John or their dad thought someone was monitoring them who shouldn't be. For now though, Gordon was stuck. Even if he put the firefly in reverse the man just went with him.
"You need to move!" he called down. "I'm not doing any good at all sitting he staring at you."
"You need to do what I tell you!"
"Mr Prinsloo!" came a call to Gordon's right. Looking over Gordon saw a man who could only be the fire chief hurrying over. He took Prinsloo by the arm and forcibly dragged him out of the firefly's path. "International Rescue care about people, not buildings. The young man in there is deploying that machine to keep my men and women safe whilst they do their jobs. Not to babysit some project of yours on the off chance the fire gets to it."
Seizing the opportunity as soon as Prinsloo was clear Gordon dropped the canopy back down and once again relayed to John. The reply he got was from his father.
"Attention all. The South African government has designated the area within 100 metres of the Usrton building as highly classified and put full restrictions on the area. Any attempts to move into the area will be met with hostile force."
"Thunderbird 5 where are One and Two" Gordon asked.
"They are not in the restricted area" came the reply. "But they are close to it."
"Four, remain on mission. Thunderbird Five, continue to try and raise One and Two. Base out."
Gordon set his jaw and moved the firefly back into position to take out the next column of flame. He didn't like leaving his brothers when he didn't even know if they realised the new danger. But he didn't have much choice.