Chapter 80.
Left, right, left again.
Havoc swore as she darted down one seemingly endless hallway after another, Gordon hot on her heels.
She'd ceased following her holographic communicator and was now tanking mindlessly from one room to another, desperately trying to shake her pursuer. Every time she thought she'd lost him, he'd put on a sudden burst of speed and make up the distance in mere seconds. His swimmer's physique gave him explosive thigh power, while his toned arms would no doubt make quick work of wringing her neck when he eventually got close enough.
No, he'd never harm her. Of that, Havoc was certain. The world may have harmed the Tracys, but they would never harm it back. That was one of the reasons why The Hood was so intent on hounding them. He knew they'd never retaliate.
Then again, the way Gordon was snarling gave a hint of a very different story with a very different ending.
In the background, Alan gasped loudly and collapsed against the doorframe Havoc and Gordon had just bolted through. Clutching his side as a stitch took hold, he failed to notice the human torpedo that was eating up the ground behind him.
"Gyaah!" Alan shrieked, flinging himself to the side in an attempt to avoid being pancaked by Kayo as she zoomed past, a metaphorical trail of fire blazing in her wake.
"Fuse!" Havoc panted, skidding around a corner and diving into what looked like a master bedroom, "You gotta get me out of here! I've got the fish, the midget, and the cow all tailing me!"
"I can't get a lock on your position," came Fuse's whiney reply, "Stop moving so much!"
"My cover's blown, you dimwit!" Havoc all but yelled, gasping in horror when she saw Kayo overtake Gordon, "I stop moving, I die!"
"Okay, okay," Fuse replied, "I'm bringing the Cruiser up now. Try blowing some stuff up to throw them off."
Through the fog of fatigue, Havoc managed a smirk, "Now that, I can do."
A holoball was tossed to the ground.
-x-
"I've notified Colonel Casey and Captain Rigby of the situation," John announced, activating his comm device, "Gordon? Alan? Kayo? If you can hear me, don't engage Havoc direct. I've alerted the GDF and help is on the way."
Scott fought the urge to roll his eyes. The next Ice Age would have come and gone by the time Casey, Rigby, and the rest of the GDF caught up with Havoc and his brothers. Global Defence Force…more like Global Delayed Force.
"Let Gordon handle this," Scott cut in, bracing his elbows against his knees, "This got personal for him the moment Havoc left him for dead. He's got Alan and Kayo to back him up if things get dicey."
Penelope blinked in shock, "You're seriously willing to offer Alan as backup in a situation that has the potential to turn dangerous?"
Scott sighed and dragged a hand across his chin, "Gordon won't let anything happen to him. Sorry, but I'm afraid the events of this evening have forced the last of the fight out of me. Once Gordon and Kayo apprehend Havoc and hand her over to the GDF, I'm heading straight to Gran Roca for a week."
John frowned and consulted the calendar on his phone, "But that'll mess up the test flights Brains has scheduled for Thunderbird Two's new ramjet."
Scott shook his head, "No John, you misunderstand me. I'm going on my own. I honestly need a break from being, well, from being Scott Tracy for a while. This rescue drought hasn't been kind to me, and I can't remember the last time I took a proper holiday."
John opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by Penelope clapping her hands together, "Boys! I understand there is much to discuss, but I must remind you that we have a highly dangerous member of the Chaos Crew currently being pursued by three unarmed members of our own team. I think it would be prudent if we put our personal problems on hold and go and aid them. I've notified Parker of the situation and he's in the process of setting up a roadblock. Havoc won't be able to use Spoiler as a means of escape once he's finished."
John nodded in agreement, "A capital idea. We'll split up and corner Havoc long enough for the GDF to secure her. Scott, you and I will head up to the roof. Heat signature readings show that Gordon and Kayo are currently two floors above us. Virgil, Penelope, you secure the lower levels. There are two elevator shafts that lead directly to the basement, and I daresay Havoc isn't above using one of them as an escape chute."
"F.A.B," came the collective response. Scott discarded his soggy Armani blazer and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up before trotting after John. Virgil patched himself through to EOS and managed to pull up a holographic blueprint of the basement, guilt chewing at him when he remembered that it was someone's home they were steamrolling their way through.
'Havoc's fault. Not mine.'
"Wait, Virgil!" Penelope stammered, hopping on one foot as she tried to loosen the ankle strap on one of her heels, "I haven't got the right shoes on!"
Virgil felt a headache taunt the back of his eyes, "Do you need help?"
Penelope waved a hand vaguely and kicked the sole of her left heel against the floor, "No thank you, just give me one minute."
Four minutes later…
"Why don't you go and help Parker with the roadblock?" Virgil suggested, eager to get moving, "I can secure the basement on my own."
"Not happening," Penelope snapped, cursing when she tried to insert a finger down the back of one heel and nearly toppled over, "That would be far too dangerous. I'm coming with you whether you like it or not. Just bear with me for two more seconds."
Virgil exhaled through his nose. Scott's threat about the next Ice Age coming and going suddenly felt like a genuine possibility.
Eight minutes later…
"Over there!" Penelope exclaimed, pointing at an electronic panel on the wall, "Disable the control mechanisms for the garage doors. That should make escape on this level impossible without the use of heavy machinery."
Virgil winced as Penelope readjusted her grip on his shoulders, ignoring the way she squeezed with her calves as if he were some kind of horse.
"Wait," she clipped, leaning over Virgil's shoulder to show him the fresh set of coordinates EOS had just sent to her compact, "Tracking shows that Havoc has ceased moving. From the looks of it, she's up in the master bedroom."
"How far is that?" Virgil asked.
Penelope double checked the numbers in front of her, "Up the main staircase, second floor, first door on the right, currently unlocked."
"Can you seriously not walk?" Virgil queried, choking when Penelope looped an arm around his neck to stabilise herself.
"Excuse me," Penelope began, her tone deeply disapproving, "But you were the one who extended the initial offer of help. Furthermore, both myself and Kayo went for pedicures prior to our arrival this evening, and I am not about to risk spoiling my top coat by lolloping around barefoot like a cavewoman."
Virgil felt his left eye twitch in the same way Scott's so often did, "A little less whining please, Penny."
"I am not whining, I am complaining," Penelope corrected, "Do you want to hear whining?"
"No, I only-"
"Because this is whining!" Penelope continued, her tone becoming high and nasally, "Your shirt isn't pressed! Your pants don't match your socks! Why couldn't you have worn a suit like Scott? It smells weird down here, why aren't you opening a window for me? The stale air will ruin my complexion! Oh goodness, is that a smudge on your collar? And why aren't you taller?"
Virgil closed his eyes, a sudden affinity for suicidal lemmings momentarily engulfing him.
-x-
Havoc knew the game was up. Her lungs were burning, her thighs were cramping, and she was fairly certain she'd run at least five miles. Maybe seven.
Remarkably, Kayo and Gordon refused to let up. It was amazing what the power of hatred could do to a person's fitness levels.
Gordon hated her for leaving him for dead. There was no coming back from that.
Kayo hated her for kissing Scott. There was also no coming back from that.
She hastily checked her purse, cursing when she realised she had only one holoball left. She hadn't been particularly sparing with them, but had assumed that she'd have enough to cover her tracks until Fuse arrived. It wasn't like the blasted things had been doing their job anyway. She'd had five separate holographic representations of herself running around at one point, but Gordon and Kayo hadn't been fooled. They'd kept their eyes firmly locked on the real her and had ignored her digital twins like they were nothing more than potted plants.
Plan A; extract the DNA and leave the premises unannounced, had failed. Plan B; extract the DNA and leave the premises announced, had failed. Plan C; abandon the DNA and leave the premises unannounced, had failed. Plan D; abandon the DNA and leave the premises announced, had also failed. The whole 'leaving the premises' part appeared to be causing some issues.
Time for Plan E.
Tossing her final holoball over her shoulder with a silent salute, Havoc darted into the next room she came across and slammed the door shut behind her. Furious banging commenced the second she turned the lock.
"Havoc!" came Gordon's muffled voice, "You are under arrest! Open this door or I'll introduce it to the business end of my very expensive shoe!"
Havoc snorted.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
'Oh, wait. He's serious.'
Gordon possessed the most lower body strength of all his brothers. Even without Kayo's help, it was unlikely the door would withstand his kicking for long. Desperation fuelling her once again, Havoc glanced around the room, silently cursing the bulletproof windows rich people insisted on having. They made breaking, entering, and escaping oh so much harder.
Crunch.
Panicking at the sound of splintering wood, she threw caution to the wind and dove for the nearest and most convenient hiding place she could see. The chimney.
Another thing rich people insisted on having.
She'd barely wedged herself out of sight before the door flew clean off its hinges, giving way to a wrathful Gordon and furious Kayo. Putting their forced entry to good use, they began combing every part of the room they could access, yelling out instructions when Scott and John arrived a short while later.
Much to Havoc's dismay, it was Sherbert who realised something was amiss with the chimney. Like a semi-professional detective, he began snuffling around the hearth, his nose mere inches from her shadow…