Au: Gordon and Alan have been kidnapped, Jeff is acting strangely, and the clock is ticking.

Virgil frowned as Scott tapped his earpiece again. "What do you mean you've been jammed?"

"I can't get through to Dad, it's like I've been locked out."

Kayo looked around. "Let's get back to the ships, there's no point hanging around here anymore."

"What about Alan and Gordon?" Natasha asked.

"They're not here. I suggest we start a search further afield. Let's go. Now. We're drawing too much attention to ourselves."

The group gathered in Thunderbird 2 back out on the empty park. A couple of aftershocks had hit, but nothing too serious, and Virgil tried to open a channel with the island.

"Come in HQ? Dad?"

Scott shook his head. "I don't understand. It's not like the communications channel is down, we were able to get through to Thunderbird 5."

"Funny you should say that," Kayo pointed as John's image appeared above the dash.

"Guys, it may interest you to know that I have received a weird message from Dad. Have you spoken to him?"

"No, but we can't get through to him. What's the message?"

"Well, it's not so much a message but rather an order." He began to read. "Sanford, no questions. Send Shadow to the Trapezoid."

"What?"

"Not only that but it was sent to me in code. I've been decoding it for the last twenty minutes."

Scott frowned. "What's in Sanford?"

"I don't know. That's all he sent."

"Could it be a trap?" Natasha asked, leaning on the back of Virgil's chair lacing her fingers through his hair, and Alexis grimaced slightly.

"I doubt that, Natasha."

Kayo nodded. "That's all I need to know. I'm going to the Trapezoid."

"Need backup?" Scott got up from the co-pilot's seat as Kayo turned to leave Thunderbird 2.

"No, best you guys get going to Sanford. If Jeff is headed to the Trapezoid, I want to see what's going on." She signalled to Virgil to lower the platform. "Good luck."

"Hang on, I'll go with you on my way back to Thunderbird 1." Scott jumped onto the platform as it began to move, "get ready to launch, Virgil."

"FAB. Take your seat, ladies," he smiled as Natasha ran her fingers through his hair again before moving to the co-pilot's chair. "Let's go."

Alan sniffed unhappily and Gordon looked over painfully with one eye as the other was shut and bruised.

"Is anyone coming for us, Gordon?"

"Shh, don't cry Allie, we'll be okay." Gordon replied softly as he looked down at the wet floor, the level now over his feet, "I'm sure our family will come."

Alan wriggled on the chair he was strapped to, "the water is getting deeper."

"I'll get us out of here before it gets anywhere near dangerous levels. We'll be okay Alan, I promise."

One of the kidnappers approached the man on guard outside the room. "Any word from Bentley?"

"Not yet, Smithy. As for these two, do you think they need more water?"

"Have a heart, Lewis, they're not parched yet."

"What about the father, do you think he'll do what he's told?"

Smithy smirked. "If he wants to see his boys alive again, he'll be a fool not to."

Thunderbird Shadow crossed over the Atlantic and Kayo spotted another aircraft on her holo-pad, the markings were those of Jeff Tracy's jet and she quickly activated the optical camouflage on Shadow in case anyone was watching him, or her for that matter. Slowing to cruising speed, she watched Tracy One descend to 1000ft and a bike similar to hers was dropped from the undercarriage. Kayo smiled at the Stallion Raider, which had been fitted to Jeff's plane as a present from Spectrum after he had worked with them for a special project back in 2059. It glided down to the ground, and she followed, keeping her distance.

"Thunderbird 5? It's Kayo. I have eyes on your Dad. What's Thunderbird 1's status?"

"Making her way up from Orlando, they're almost at Sanford."

"Any news?"

"Not a thing. Don't let my Dad see you, we don't know what he's up to."

"FAB. I've got eyes on him, he's on the road. I'm going to land Shadow and go on by bike."

"Be careful."

"Always."

Jeff spotted a van up ahead on the road and pulled to a stop, a man was leaning up against it smoking and Jeff grimaced. "You must be Bentley?"

Bentley pushed himself off the van and chucked the cigarette aside into a puddle. "Smart man, Mister Tracy. Can I take your word that no one followed you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now get in."

"Release my sons first."

Bentley tutted. "Now now, that's not what we arranged. The terms stand as we discussed earlier. Get in."

Jeff reluctantly got into the van. "Let me do the talking once we get to the Trapezoid."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Colonel."

Kayo kept her distance as the van pulled away and then continued her pursuit. "Whatever is going on, it's more complicated than I first anticipated."

Thunderbird 1 and 2 landed in Sanford, the town was eerily quiet and Alexis couldn't help but grip Virgil's arm fearfully. Scott walked over to Virgil and the girls.

"Where is everyone?" He asked.

"It's like the whole town has left." Virgil frowned. "Where should we start looking?"

"I really don't know, Virgil. We were told to go to Sanford and that's it. I guess we should just look for anything suspicious."

"Should we ask around?" Natasha asked. "And we should probably change into our covert uniforms."

Alexis huffed. "We've just arrived in Thunderbirds, that's enough to give us away without even being seen."

"Yes, but she does have a point." Virgil shrugged, glancing at Alexis who pouted. "We'll send the 'birds away and go on by foot."

Scott nodded. "Good idea. We'll get you a spare uniform, Alexis."

"Thanks, Scott."

The family regrouped in the main square after Virgil and Scott had remote piloted their ships away from Sanford, and changed into their covert uniforms. These were similar to their flight suits but black, and in addition to having grapple guns, had stun pistols attached to their belts. Natasha had changed into her black GDF uniform and given Alexis her current one so she wouldn't stand out.

"Should we split into pairs?" Natasha suggested. "This area is huge. Alan and Gordon could be anywhere."

"Alexis, would you like to come with me?" Scott asked before she could suggest an alternative.

"Yeah. That sounds good."

"What sort of 'suspicious', should we be looking out for then?" Virgil asked, then straightened Natasha's GDF pin on her chest, which made her smile.

"An empty building would be a good start. I doubt these guys who took our brothers would go somewhere populated." Scott unclipped his stun gun, "right, let's split. Good luck."

"Call us if you find anything," Virgil unclipped his gun.

On a small island in the Atlantic, Jeff and Bentley were approaching the GDF prison, the Trapezoid. A guard stopped them at the gate, and Kayo watched horrified as Jeff shot them with his stun gun, then crashed the truck through the gates causing the automatic barriers to begin rising. Kayo gasped and slammed her foot down on the accelerator jumping her bike over the jagged ridges, she sighed in relief as the truck continued ahead and she skidded Shadow behind a building.

"I'm in, John."

"FAB. Now be careful, you got lucky there. The GDF is distracted by Dad's actions."

"Understood. Have the others reached Sanford?"

"Yes. I've got eyes on them now."

"Good. I'm going in."

"Be careful, Kayo."

"Always. Just keep tabs open on the others."

Lewis was walking back to the house Alan and Gordon were trapped in when he spotted Virgil and Natasha walking down the street. He recognised the outfit one of them was wearing, to be the same one that Alan and Gordon were wearing and backed up into the shadow of an alley.

"Smithy? They're here."

"Who's here?"

"Tracy must have sent backup for his sons. There's a guy out here in what appears to be the same uniform."

"Don't be daft! I said he wouldn't be foolish enough to tell anyone."

"Yeah? Well, it looks like he has. Get onto Bentley, I've got to get to the house without being seen."

"See that you don't. In the meantime, I better give our friends some water."

Alan yelled as water suddenly came gushing into the basement and Gordon crawled towards his brother on the floor as far as the chains around his ankles would take him.

"Gordon, we're going to die in here!"

Gordon raised his head sorrowfully and tried to console him. "We'll be okay Allie, I promise. Look at me. We'll be okay."

"Say all you want blondie, but your own father may have just decided your fate," Smithy sneered through a microphone from a room above the basement.

Bentley growled into the phone. "Don't waste my time, Lewis, we're inside the compound. I need to focus. Look, just keep an eye on those guys." He turned to Jeff apologetically. "Sorry about the interruption. Now, let's get in there, shall we?"

Alexis was walking beside Scott as he was scanning for life signals when she spotted a ring on a chain around his neck. He spied her looking and smiled.

"Two years now."

"Hmm?"

"You were looking at the ring, right?"

"Oh, yeah. You and Kayo?"

"Not hard to guess really. I usually wear it on my finger, but not on missions, I don't want to lose it."

Alexis nodded. "Congratulations. Did Natasha go to the wedding?"

"She was one of Kayo's bridesmaids." He paused at Alexis' sigh. "Virgil loved you, Alexis, he really did. It's just, well, he's been hurt in the past, and I think that when you decided to break it off, he got hurt again. I know he wanted it to work."

"So why does it work so well for him and Natasha?"

Scott shrugged. "It just does. He rescued her, and then she got a job with the GDF which means they see each other a lot."

"I was with the GDF too. Is she a musician?" Alexis turned her head away as they walked.

"Yes actually. She was a hand model for pianists in films before joining the GDF."

"Typical."

Scott frowned. "That's enough Alexis. You have nothing to be jealous about. Now please stop resenting her or my brother's choice. We have a more important job to do."

Back in the Trapezoid, Jeff and Bentley had reached the main control room of the prison. The guard on duty was already aware of what was going on thanks to an anonymous whistleblower but pretended that he didn't.

"I can't let you go in, Mister Tracy."

"I'm not asking for permission. You don't have a choice."

"Sir, you don't have the authority."

Jeff eased his finger down on the trigger gently. "Last chance," he winked subtly, and the guard nodded.

"Okay, just please, don't hurt me?"

"Then let us through."

Bentley smiled as the guard stood aside. "After you, Tracy."

Jeff tucked his gun away and led himself and Bentley down a long corridor.

"Look at this house Scott, isn't it amazing?" Alexis grinned at an old villa. "A mansion in a place like this."

Something clicked in Scott's brain. "A mansion?" He opened his comms-channel, "Virgil, meet up with us now. We've found something."

"On our way."

"Good spot Alexis, doesn't this seem a bit out of place?"

"A building is a building, Scott. It's been here for ages."

"But look at it, really look at it," Scott smiled. "Doesn't it seem a bit empty, almost like it's been abandoned?"

Lewis scampered down the steps to the basement, "Smithy, they've found us. What do we do?"

"I haven't got word that Mister Tracy's job has been completed yet." He chewed his lip. "Okay. You stay down here with the older boy. I'll take the little one. I don't mind a bit of water."

Smithy pulled the door open and jumped through before slamming it closed, the water was now up over his knees and he waded across to where Alan was tied up, he unlocked the chains around his ankles and pulled him up by the collar as Gordon cried out to him from the floor gasping for air.

"Shut your mouth blondie, he's coming with me!"

"Gordon! Help me!" Alan struggled against Smithy who was holding him tight.

"Alan, it's okay!" Gordon coughed, after losing his balance and falling into the water. "Look at me. You'll be okay, I promise." He coughed, choking on the water.

"No, Gordon! Help me!" Alan screamed as he was dragged out of the room, leaving Gordon to sob as his cries echoed through the walls.

Lewis watched Smithy drag Alan up the flight of stairs and winced hearing him cry. "This is on you, Jeff Tracy."

Kayo could stand it no longer and aimed her stun gun at Jeff's back after running into the corridor. "Not another step."

"It's either the Hood or my boys," Jeff replied, pretending not to know her.

"But you can't let him out," Kayo pleaded.

Bentley narrowed his eyes at her. "You're one of those International Rescue folks, aren't you? I recognise the uniform."

"Don't do it." Kayo narrowed her eyes. "You're Jeff Tracy. What would your boys think?"

"Stay out of our way missy, or you could get hurt." Bentley typed in a code on a cell door then turned his head with a smile. "You, or someone else..." He pondered. "Smithy, come in?"

"Here boss."

"You got the kid?"

Jeff gasped. "Alan?"

Bentley smiled. "We told you that if you cooperated, no one would get hurt. But my boys tell me some folks have shown up at the house where we're keeping your sons captive. So, shall we continue without a problem, or shall I tell Smithy to act?"

Jeff winked at Kayo and she nodded before screwing her eyes up. "I'm sorry miss," he said, and he stunned her with the gun. He watched her fall to the ground and turned back to Bentley. "We keep going."

Bentley opened a channel with Smithy again, "stand down, S."

"Yes, boss. What if these guys move?"

"Follow your instinct." Bentley cut the communication as Jeff whipped his head around. "Never you mind. Let's get him out."

Smithy narrowed his eyes as he looked down from the roof of the house. "Stop right there, or I drop him!" He called down to Scott and Virgil, who had approached the steps of the house.

Scott looked up and gasped in horror seeing Alan being dangled over the edge of the roof. "Alan!"

"I said not another step!"

"Where's Gordon?" Virgil shouted angrily.

"Taking a dip. This one, however, will be taking a dive if you don't back off!"

"That's not going to happen. Take him back inside right now, and come down!"

"I didn't hear the magic word." Smithy swung Alan side to side playfully.

Scott glanced at Virgil and an unspoken decision was passed between them.

"Let him go, you'll be arrested for this," Scott called again.

"If you say so."

Virgil whipped his stun gun out and fired at Smithy hitting him square in the chest. Smithy stumbled backwards and let go of Alan who plunged to the ground below. Natasha screamed and Scott fired his grapple lodging it into the wall and smiled as it caught his brother's harness stopping him midfall.

"Alan, hold on okay? I'll get you down. Virgil, go inside with the girls and find Gordon. Good shot by the way."

"Thanks. Let's go."

Alexis nodded. "I'll take care of the guy who hurt Alan."

Virgil kicked the door down and ran into the house, Alexis ran past him and up the stairs before he could stop her, "Alexis!"

"Find Gordon, I've got this!"

Natasha frowned. "What's up with her?"

"Leave her to it. We need to find Gordon, keep close."

Natasha nodded. "Always. Will that guy be okay?"

"I couldn't care less. He hurt my brother." Virgil winced picturing Alan, "I can't get his face out of my mind, he was so upset."

"Get out!" Lewis cried, pointing a gun at Natasha and Virgil.

Natasha growled, swung her leg around and kicked the gun from his hand then forced him up against the wall with her hand. "How about you, stay where you are."

Virgil smiled graciously. "Thanks, sweetheart. I'll get Gordon."

Natasha grimaced back at Lewis. "Where is he?"

Lewis whimpered as Natasha's fingers squeezed his neck harder. "Downstairs. But you're too late, he's probably drowned by now."

Natasha punched him and he slumped to the ground. "Bullshit. Enjoy your nap."

Scott cradled Alan against him on the steps. "Shh, it's okay Alan. I've got you and we're going to go home." He touched his earpiece, "Dad? Come in? We've found Alan and Gordon. Dad? Urgh, still blocked. International Rescue, come in?"

Grandma's voice came through. "Scotty. What's the news?"

"We've found them."

"Good. Leave this to me," she ended the call with Scott, much to his confusion, and sent a message to Jeff.

Jeff felt his communication channel beep and read it. "Wonderful. Just the news I wanted to hear."

Bentley frowned as he typed in a code on the Hood's prison door. "What news was that?"

"Never you mind. In fact, enough is enough," he whacked the bottom of the gun into Bentley's head and knocked him out. "That's what happens when you threaten my children. And you're not going anywhere, Belagant."

The Hood laughed from inside as Jeff stood in the doorway typing in an override code. "I bet you'd like to know who those men were?"

Jeff hit the pause button for the door as Colonel Casey entered the main room with two guards. "Was this your doing?"

"Curious, isn't it? I can't operate from here, not even remotely thanks to your engineer ripping my eye control out from within. And yet, those men even knew who your sons were."

Casey pointed to Bentley lying on the floor for security to take him away, then approached Jeff. "Good work, Jeff."

"We're not done here. Who were they, Hood?"

"Dear friends, it seems. They were willing to get me out of here."

Jeff sneered. "Keep him here Casey, I need to go to my sons. When Kayo regains consciousness, tell her she can interrogate him."

Casey nodded. "Understood."

Virgil and Natasha ran down the stairs to the basement, all the doors they came across were locked. Suddenly they heard the sound of gushing water coming from inside the room furthest down the corridor.

"Can you hear rushing water?" Natasha frowned.

"Yeah, that's weird," he walked cautiously towards the door and pressed his ear up against the metal. "It's coming from inside here."

"Open it."

"Okay. Stand back," Virgil switched his gun from stun to live and fired it at the lock.

The door creaked falling away from the hinges, and Virgil grabbed Natasha back as water flooded out into the corridor soaking them both. Once it was only ankle deep, they moved into the room, and to their horror spotted Gordon lying on the floor unconscious inside.

"Shit." Natasha gasped, as Virgil ran into the room collapsing to his knees beside his brother. "Is he okay?"

"Gordon? Minnow, can you hear me?" Virgil sobbed as he held his brother in his arms. "Gordon?"

"Scott, we've found Gordon, get down here. Now." Natasha spoke softly into her communicator.

"Is he okay?"

"Just, get down here."

Virgil wiped a tear away. "He's ingested too much water. I've got to get his heart pumping again."

To be continued...