Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Captain Scarlet; that honour goes to the wonderful Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. I only own the plot of this story and Lieutenant Onyx. Special thanks go to Chris Bishop for beta-reading this and ironing out any mistakes and to my friend who drew the amazing cover image for me
"We came as soon as the message ended, Colonel," Captain Scarlet announced after throwing open the door to the Control Room and entering, closely followed by Captain Ochre and Lieutenant Onyx.
The trio started towards Colonel White's desk, where Captain Blue and Captain Grey were already waiting along with the colonel, as a grumbling Captain Magenta staggered through the doorway, his arms laden down with the stacks of reports that the other three officers had left behind on the tables in the officer's lounge in their haste to get to the Control Room. Once he had offloaded his burden to a smirking Lieutenant Green, Magenta joined his colleagues at White's desk, glaring at Ochre as the latter barely concealed a snigger.
"The Mysterons have announced that they will attempt to assassinate Suzanne Vögel." White turned to face them. "As the Chancellor of Europe, she is responsible for the European economy, and if the Mysterons were to succeed in killing her, the consequences would be catastrophic."
"Frau Vögel is, at present, the only Chancellor that Europe has, due to the old Vice-Chancellor's sudden retirement," Green explained. "A new Vice-Chancellor is currently being trained but until he is ready, Frau Vögel is on her own. Without her, the entire European economy would crumble."
"What are our orders, Colonel?" Blue asked.
"You are to fly to Frau Vögel's main office in Berlin, Germany," White replied. "We have already contacted her about the threat to her life and Spectrum has set up a secure sector around her office. Road blocks are also being set up in the surrounding streets with guards armed with Mysteron detectors and electron rifles. We want you to guard Frau Vögel from any attempts that the Mysterons might make to assassinate her."
"SIG, sir." Grey saluted their commanding officer, and he led the other officers out of the Control Room.
White turned to Green. "Lieutenant Green, launch all Angels."
"SIG, Colonel." Green turned to his microphone. "Angel One, immediate launch."
"Spectrum is Green," Rhapsody Angel's voice answered. On the runway outside, Angel One's engines roared into life as the jet shot off into the sky.
"Angels Two and Three, immediate launch."
"SIG, Lieutenant Green," Destiny Angel's voice replied. A few moments later, Angel Two and Angel Three powered up and followed Angel One into the sky.
Green turned back to White. "All Angels sky borne sir," he reported.
White nodded in acknowledgment; just then, Scarlet's voice sounded through the speakers:
"Request launch clearance."
"Spectrum is Green," Green responded. On the runway, the SPJ's engines fired up and it took off after the Angel aircraft.
"Officers en route to Berlin, Colonel," Green told his commanding officer.
"Very good, Lieutenant," White replied. "I'm sure that Suzanne Vögel will be safe. But you can be certain that somewhere, the Mysterons are planning to carry out their threat."
"We've been waiting here for bloody ages," Captain Ochre grumbled, shifting in his seat to get into a more comfortable position.
The six Spectrum officers had arrived at Berlin International Airport and had driven to Suzanne Vögel's office, only to be told on arrival that the Chancellor of Europe was busy at the moment and if they wouldn't mind, they should be waiting in the reception area until she was free to receive them. In response, Scarlet had started an angry conversation with the receptionist, trying to ensure that they could see her quickly, due to the danger which the Mysterons' threat posed to the Chancellor's life.
"Oh, come on, Ochre," Captain Magenta admonished. "We haven't been waiting for that long."
"They told us that she could be up to two bleeding hours, Magenta!" Ochre snapped. "I call that too long! All this waiting just provides the Mysterons with more time that they can use to attack!"
"Well, it looks like we won't be waiting for much longer." Captain Grey pointed towards a door at the end of one of the corridors that was slowly opening.
"If it's the tea boy…" Ochre muttered darkly.
The Spectrum officers watched as a woman in a suit walked out from behind the door and shut it behind her. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a bun at the nape of her neck and she was carrying a laptop under one arm and a stack of papers under the other.
"Guten tag gentlemen," she called in fluent English when she saw the assembled officers. "I am sorry if I kept you waiting; I have just been having a long and rather tedious conversation with the Bank of Poland about adjusting their interest rates to combat their concerns over the country's inflation."
"Hello, Frau Vögel." Captain Scarlet smiled through slightly gritted teeth as he and the others stood up. "I'm Captain Scarlet, and this is Captain Blue, Captain Grey, Captain Magenta, Captain Ochre and Lieutenant Onyx. We've been forced to remain here twiddling our thumbs while the Mysterons, who have threatened your life I might add, have been using that time to begin to put their plans into motion. Is it unclear how dangerous making us wait was?"
Suzanne Vögel gave a wry smile. "Hallo, Captain. I am sorry that you have had to be kept waiting but I have a job to do as well as you. However, now that I have finished what I have been doing, I hope that it will allow you to do your jobs."
"Well, ma'am." Blue stood beside Scarlet. "We have orders to ensure your safety at all times and as long as you remain within the protective radius we've set up around your office, the Mysterons should find it very difficult to approach and harm you."
"Spectrum has obviously gone to a lot of effort, Captain, and I am really very grateful." The Chancellor bit her lip. "Aber… I am due to take a trip to Hamburg tomorrow. You see, I am visiting the Universität Hamburg and am due to give a speech to the students who are studying economics and politics."
"Couldn't you cancel?" Grey inquired, frowning slightly. "I'm sure they would understand and you could re-schedule after the Mysteron threat has passed."
Frau Vögel shook her head. "I am afraid not, Captain. Both the universität and I have very busy schedules and this was the only time we could both manage. Also, this trip is rather personal for me. I graduated from Universität Hamburg when I was twenty-two, and it has always held a special place in my heart. I am very sorry, Captains, but everything has been booked in advance and I am due to leave for Flughafen Hamburg at ten o'clock tomorrow morning."
"But that's too dangerous," Magenta protested. "The university will be a wide, open space; perfect for the Mysterons to attack you. It will be safer if you remain here."
The Chancellor frowned. "Captain, I am afraid that my mind is made up. I am going to the universität tomorrow, Mysterons or no Mysterons."
"Well, that makes our jobs a lot easier," Ochre muttered sarcastically. Frau Vogel showed no indication of having heard him, but a sharp jab to Ochre's ribs showed him that Blue had.
"Alright, Frau Vögel," Scarlet sighed. "We won't stop you. I will have to contact Colonel White to update him on the situation."
"Ja, of course," Frau Vögel smiled. Scarlet nodded his thanks and his cap microphone swung down.
"Is everything alright, Captain Scarlet?" Colonel White asked.
"We've arrived at Frau Vögel's office, Colonel," Scarlet reported. "However, she has informed us that she is due to make an important speech at the University of Hamburg tomorrow and her flight has already been booked for ten in the morning."
"And there is no chance of cancelling?"
"No sir, Frau Vögel told us that everything has been booked in advance and they couldn't cancel or reschedule."
"Booked in advance you say? Hmm, the Mysterons might be planning to attack her on the flight. Captain Scarlet, new orders. Frau Vögel will take off for Hamburg at ten o'clock tonight."
"Colonel? Are you sure that will be safe?"
"Quite sure, Captain, for you will fly her there in the SPJ and the Angels will escort you. Frau Vögel can then give her speech to the university and then return to Berlin."
"SIG, sir."
"I want all of you on constant alert throughout this trip. The Mysterons could still try to attack. To ensure Frau Vogel's safety, I want three of you to fly ahead to await her arrival and have the necessary security measures in place. Also, I will contact Spectrum: Berlin and have them send a security team to the university."
"We understand, Colonel. We'll prepare to leave for the airport at half past nine tonight."
"SIG." White ended the conversation and Scarlet turned back to his colleagues and Suzanne. "Change of plans," he informed them. "We will escort Frau Vögel to Hamburg tonight."
"Dankeshön, Captain," Frau Vögel beamed. "If you will excuse me, I still have some details to finish regarding a very important deal with Portugal and then return to my apartment to pack my suitcase."
"Of course." Scarlet turned to the other officers. "Captain Ochre, Captain Magenta, go with Frau Vögel to her office, check it for any possible threats, and one of you stand guard outside it, and the other one inside to ensure that the Mysterons don't try to attack her. Afterwards, I want you two and Captain Grey to fly ahead to Hamburg in order to help with security preparations."
"Not a problem, Captain Scarlet," Magenta grinned as he grabbed Ochre's shoulder and pulled him down the corridor after the Chancellor.
"Captain Grey, Captain Blue," Scarlet turned to them. "Go back to the airport and inform them of the change in plans. Better take a Mysteron detector too in case anyone has been taken over," he added. "We don't want to give them an opportunity to attack."
"SIG," Grey replied and he and Blue exited the building.
"That just leaves me and you, Lieutenant." Scarlet turned to where Lieutenant Onyx was standing, waiting silently in the corner of the room. She had been so quiet, he had almost forgotten she was there.
"What are we going to do, Captain Scarlet?" she inquired in her soft voice.
"We will go with Frau Vögel to her apartment," Scarlet replied. "It's possible that the Mysterons might try to kill her there. It may also be worth asking the other residents if they've seen anyone suspicious."
"Such as Captain Black?" Onyx suggested.
Scarlet nodded grimly. "Yes, Lieutenant, exactly that. He has been known to scope out a target before the Mysterons announce their intentions regarding it. In fact, right at this moment, they are probably setting their plans in motion."
"Packing up for the night, sir?" the voice of Doktor Heinrich Tanenbaum's assistant sounded from the doorway of the university professor's lab.
"Ja, Karla," he replied, raising his head to look at the young woman standing before him. "As we have finished covering the compressed gases required in explosives, I'm going to take these canisters back to my house." He indicated the box that was on the desk in front of him. "And bring the chemicals that we are going to go on to study ready for tomorrow's lecture."
"Sehr gut, Doktor," Karla smiled at her mentor. "It will be valuable for the students to learn this, so they can identify them in their later lives."
"Indeed Karla," Dr Tanenbaum smiled back. "Our students are aiming to join bomb disposal squads in the European Army, and so learning about what makes a bomb tick will help them understand how to deal with them."
"Ja, Doktor." Karla watched as Dr Tanenbaum closed the last of the boxes. "Don't forget Suzanne Vögel is flying over tomorrow to give her speech."
"How could I forget?" Dr Tanenbaum stretched. "The universität has been gearing up to it for months."
"Very well then, Doktor." Karla smiled and raised her hand in farewell. "I will see you tomorrow. Auf wiedersehen."
"Auf wiedersehen, Karla," Dr Tanenbaum called after her as she exited the lab and walked off down the corridor.
He turned to where he had stacked the three boxes containing his gas canisters and went to pick one up. As he did, he glanced out of the window and saw something out of the corner of his eye.
"What was that?" he muttered, blinking hard and looking with attention.
Whatever it was, it had vanished.
"Must have been a trick of the light," he theorised, turning back to his boxes.
Had Dr Tanenbaum looked again and a little harder, he would have seen a dark-haired figure with a pallid complexion and dressed all in black slink out from behind the trees which surrounded the university, and silently make his way across the campus to where his silver Mercedes was parked. Glancing around to make sure that nobody was watching him, the figure crouched down by the front wheels. Reaching underneath the car, he attached a small device to the rack and pinion gear set, which prevented the wheels from turning enough when faced with a sharp bend and increase the speed. Once he had done this, the figure stood back up again and slowly faded into thin air.
A few moments later, Dr Tanenbaum emerged from the university building, carrying the three boxes. He fumbled in his pocket for his car keys before withdrawing them and unlocking his car. Walking over to it, he unlocked the boot and carefully placed the boxes inside before closing it again. He checked his watch and saw that it read 17:30.
"Ideal," he murmured to himself. "I should be home for six and then back here for half past."
He opened the driver's door and climbed in. He started the engine and pulled out of the university car park.
For the first twenty minutes of his journey, everything went smoothly and Dr Tanenbaum contented himself by thinking of what Suzanne Vögel was going to talk about in her speech the next day. He was no economist, preferring to specialise in science, but he decided that he would still go along for no other reason than to see the Chancellor of Europe, who just so happened to be a graduate of his beloved university.
As he was thinking about this, he didn't notice that the steering of his car was becoming more unresponsive as the corners in the road became sharper and that his speed was slowly increasing. As the car came to a hairpin turn, he turned the steering wheel to the left.
Nothing happened.
"What the-?!" Dr Tanenbaum exclaimed in alarm.
The car sped up and drew closer to the corner. Frantically, he tried the steering again but to no avail. The car hurtled off the road and slammed straight into a tree. The impact caused the compressed gases in the boot of the car to explode and the entire car was engulfed in a ball of fire.
Out of nowhere, two rings of green light appeared and slowly travelled over the scene before disappearing again.
Soon afterwards, a silver Mercedes drove past the scene of the accident and rounded the corner. Inside, Doktor Heinrich Tanenbaum checked his watch. The time was 17:54. He was right on schedule.
"This is Captain Black, relaying instructions from the Mysterons. Tomorrow, Suzanne Vögel will arrive at the university to give her speech. You know what you must do."
"Yes," the Mysteron agent hissed. "The Mysterons' instructions will be carried out."