Day Five: Betrayal
Our good and bad deeds follow us almost like a shadow - Gautama Buddha
Scott hated black tie events. All the dressing up in penguin suits to be drooled over by the rich and famous. It made him shudder.
Tonight's white tie event was the singularly the worst thing that had happened to him in a long time.
Why had he allowed his father to talk him into going with John, Virgil and Gordon he had no idea. He grimaced at his reflection as he tied his bow tie (again), trying to balance the thing. He hadn't been talked into it.
The first Jefferson Tracy fundraiser they had held since their father had returned home was always destined to be the absolute height of societal events, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward had seen to that, and only the very cream of world society was here. It used to be an annual event to raise money for charitable causes, but Scott and his brothers hadn't felt right holding it while their Dad was missing.
Scott had intended a nice quiet night at home, secure in the knowledge that he was on call for iR while John and Virgil were attending with their father, only that wasn't what had happened.
Jeff had come down with a nasty cold, and Grandma had forbidden him to leave the island, and so Scott had gone in his place, Gordon flying them out after their brothers. Scott had been quite vocal about leaving only Alan on duty, but Grandma had stepped in, saying that the GDF had been informed of a 12-hour shut-down. Only if there was a major catastrophe would they be called upon.
A small part of Scott's brain felt very betrayed that this was happening to him. The pouty voice in his head was saying "haven't I done enough over the last eight years, do I have to do this too?" But he squared his shoulders and quashed the feeling. His Dad was back from the dead and he would do anything for him.
Even take his place at the world's fanciest fundraising event.
Besides, it wasn't like his dad had planned on becoming ill, he'd been looking forward to this evening. All the guests were the elite of their spheres – military, academia, business and more – and the goal here was to raise money for the International Disaster Fund, a very worthy cause that helped out in ways International Rescue could not.
Looking himself over in the mirror, Scott decided he was ready. He couldn't remember the last time he'd worn evening tails, white waistcoat, shirt and tie. The black suit, with its double-braid down the side of the high-waisted trousers, fitted perfectly, accenting his long legs and lean body.
The only break from tradition he allowed himself were the studs on his shirt. They should have been white or pearl to match, but his was the palest blue. He was the host, he could get away with it, and he knew his brothers would also have sets in their favourite colours too.
He swept out of his room and collected brothers on the short trip to the ballroom. Scott in front, John on his right, Virgil on his left and Gordon beside him, all identically dressed and all sporting their Thunderbird colours, muted suitably for the occasion.
They made quite an entrance, the room pausing as the four appeared, and then they were swept up and away and the night began in earnest.
Men in tails and women in ballgowns danced and chatted, and more than once Scott found himself enjoying just kicking back and semi-relaxing.
He made sure to dance with Penny, resplendent in a pale pink full-skirted ballgown with a darker, dusky pink shoulder scarf. He admired her tiara out loud, causing her to smile and her eyes to sparkle. As they danced he noticed Virgil dancing with Kayo. It was the first time he'd seen their head of security all night. She was wearing an emerald green straight ballgown that brought out her eyes beautifully, and Scott smiled to himself. Virgil didn't stand a chance.
Both women had their hair piled high, tiaras sparkling in the light, and long white gloves, and as the two brothers danced past each other they shared a smile. And as Scott swept Penny around the room he spotted Gordon, shooting daggers at him, causing his grin to widen.
All too soon the dancing was finished – although all the Tracy's were quite thankful at that – and the meal begun. Eight courses later the silent auction was scheduled and then there was more dancing. Scott wasn't really sure what the food was, he sat and he ate and he chatted to those seated at his table, mentally cursing that not one of his brothers was with him.
After the meal had finished the small orchestra that had been playing quietly gave way to a piano, and Virgil took a seat, playing softly while the staff finished clearing away and setting up for the auction. John took his side, in theory there to assist his brother by turning the pages, but in reality there to escape any more interaction with people. Scott though John had done well to last that long.
Some staff brought up a rostrum onto the stage, and a familiar man stepped up to the microphone. Austin Jones had been at Tracy Industries from its' inception right up until a year after Jeff had disappeared. He left as a director, heading to a private company. Scott had been sad to see him go at such a turbulent time, but the man had always made himself available in those early days for Scott, helping him hone his boardroom skills, and Scott felt more than indebted to him.
'Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please. The auction is about to begin.'
The milling people as one moved in front of the platform. Virgil and John stayed where they were, soft strains of one of Virgil's own compositions washing over Scott. Penny and Gordon were at the front, Kayo was…he frowned. Not seeing Kayo was nothing unusual, she was security tonight after all, but Scott caught a whisk of emerald out the corner of his eye, heading backstage to where the kitchens and the staff were.
Something was slightly off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Watching as the rest of the guests gathered, Scott became aware that some of the wait staff had changed. There were faces he hadn't seen earlier in the evening, and while he was aware that he didn't know the staff attending here personally, he knew when someone was out of place.
The staff were out of place. They looked calm on the surface, but there was a fidgety quality about some of them. Scott counted sixteen staff who seemed to be herding guests into the area in front of the platform, and he began to push his way through to the front.
He didn't get very far.
Four people dressed as wait staff lined up in front of the platform, produced small semi-automatics and fired into the wall above the heads of the guests. Immediately there was pandemonium, guests trying to flee anywhere, cutting Scott off from his objective of reaching the front.
'Please, ladies and gentlemen. Calm down. No one is going to get hurt if you all just calm down.'
Jones was shouting into the mic, and another spray of bullets eventually brought people to a standstill. Scott did a quick check as to where his family were. Virgil and John were still on their platform, Gordon was still with Penny but Kayo wasn't anywhere in sight. He himself was still in the middle of the crowd.
The not-staff formed a wide semi-circle around the guests, and two of the four from the front came forward and grabbed Penny and Gordon, dragging them to the front. Scott started forward, eyes locked onto his brother's, but the slightest shake of his head had Scott stopping.
Jones waited until the room was silent. Scott swallowed. The man that had been such a help to him now seemed to be part of this, whatever this is, and he couldn't help but feel betrayed. Dad had trusted the man from the very beginning.
'Thank you. This will be short and sweet. We are not here to hurt you, and if everyone does as their told no one will get hurt.' He gestured to Penny and Gordon, and handguns were pressed to their heads.
'So, is this just an old-fashioned robbery?' drawled Gordon. Jones tutted and nodded to the man holding him, and Gordon received a crack over his head that floored him. He hissed as the man hauled him back up. Penny took her scarf-shawl-thingy and leant over, pressing it to the cut on his head before she was yanked back.
Scott had started forward again, as had Virgil, but while John held his brother back, it was Gordon's eyes again that stopped Scott. There were too many people here, too much potential for individuals to get hurt. Scott nodded; invisible message understood.
'This is not your average robbery, Mr Tracy. We require only three of you, and once we have those three the rest of you will be free to be rescued. In the meantime…' He gestured to his men and they pulled out zip ties. 'You, you and you. You will bind everyone else's hands in front please. Don't slack, we will be watching and checking.'
Scott was one of those picked, no doubt on purpose, and he moved forward to be given a handful of ties. As he went around he checked that everyone was alright, whispering encouragement.
As he worked he became aware of the staff, the real staff, being brought in and pushed to one side. Virgil and John were pushed into that group, and Scott hoped that Jones hadn't realised who they were. After all, it was mainly Scott that he had had dealings with, and everyone knew that Penny and Gordon were a thing.
'Can Major General Davis and Lieutenant General Miller please step forward.'
There was a beat of silence and then two men stepped forward. Scott glanced curiously at them, recognising one and knowing the other, and he carried on tying people up.
'Thank you. Now, I just require Colonel Tracy. I understand this is his big coming out soiree is it not?'
Scott froze. His Dad? They wanted his Dad? Thank goodness he'd been too ill to attend. He went to stand up, but Gordon beat him to it.
'I'm sorry, you've been misinformed. My father is not here tonight.' Spoken with the true spirit of a Tracy and all the haughtiness Gordon could muster. He must have been learning from Penny's friends. The man who had hit Gordon before went to strike him again, but Jones gestured and the man stopped.
'Well, that is too bad. We really needed him. Maybe we can persuade him to come out of the woodwork.'
Scott shuddered. How could the man? He had been there from the start, had been their dad's right-hand man for a long time. If Scott had felt a little upset before it was nothing compared to this absolute betrayal. It hurt so, so much.
He looked over to where Virgil and John were, only for one of the not-staff to gesture him over. It looked like he was going to be the one to tie his brothers up.
As he was placing the zip tie around John's wrist there was a slight commotion. The doors opened and more people entered. He glanced over and again he froze. Someone was dragging Kayo over. His sister had a bruise forming over one cheek and her hair was all dishevelled. Scott tried hard to make sure he didn't react, and he bent down to John again. He saw Kayo thrust into the crowd as he pulled the tie tight.
There was a click behind him and for the third time Scott froze. He looked into John's wide-eyed face, registered the panic on his and Virgil's face. The cold muzzle of a gun touched the back of his head and he raised his hands.
Footsteps and the removal of the gun told Scott the man had stepped back, and he breathed a little easier. Until the voice spoke.
'Well, as I live and breathe, if it isn't Captain Tracy.'
The voice was dripping with sarcasm, and it raised the hairs on the back of his head. He knew the owner of the voice, and he knew exactly what the man was going to say next. Sure enough…
'Remember the last time we saw each other, what I said to you then?' the man paused as if waiting for Scott to answer. He stayed silent.
'I told you the last time that I saw you that if our paths crossed again I would shoot you.'
If anything, John's eyes widened while Scott's shoulders slumped slightly. Apart from that, Scott stayed still.
'I always keep my promises.'
The shot echoed in the ballroom.