Chapter 8 - Fishing for...

"That was too close for comfort Jeff." Lady Penelope fussed around Jeff Tracy who was sitting on the sofa looking rather pale, but better.

"I was a fool. It was just the thing I had lectured Virgil about when I saw him last. Not enough sleep, not eating right, pushing myself too hard." Jeff Tracy looked down at his hands. "I hate to think that the last words to my son were angry."

"It is only because you care Mr. Tracy." Kyrano placed a tray of food before the saddened pair. "Mr.Virgil knows you love him."

Scott and John came into the room. Penelope noticed that they looked no better than their father. Scott sat down with an audible sigh, but reached automatically for one of the delicious looking sandwiches on the plate.

"You did well, both of you." Jeff looked with undisguised affection at his two sons.

"I just wish..." Scott shook his head. "Sorry Father."

Gordon came trailing in with a bunch of computer readouts. John looked up. "How many Gordon?"

"Ah, looks to be only four possibilities."

"What are you boys up to?" Penelope asked curiously.

"Well, the Hood mentioned that he'd buried....them...."John's voice broke and then he continued, "under tons of rubble. So, we started looking for seismic records of sufficient magnitude for an explosion of that kind."

"We want to know where..."Gordon explained.

"Where were these explosions?" Jeff's voice was calm and his demeanor settled his sons immediately.

"Well, one is in the middle of the Tasangoli Plains, just to the east of Mongolia. There are rumors that they are testing nuclear devices there, but you know that is hard to pinpoint. Politics." Gordon shrugged. In International Rescue, politics was more a hindrance than a help. "One is in the middle of the Vuorinen Mountain Range in Canada. Another remote place. It could be an avalanche. The third is a suspected volcanic island near the coast of Mexico. The volcanologists are a bit surprised, so I added it to the short list. Then there was a big earthquake or explosion or something happened in Antarctica. Alan has tapped into as many satellite pictures he could get of the regions, but they are all so remote."

"We want to go and take a look ourselves." Scott leaned forwards expectantly. "Alan can get in touch with us right away if we are needed. I know it is spreading ourselves thin."

"It is a risk." Jeff admitted, "But you have my go ahead."

"How are you going to work this?" Lady Penelope said thoughtfully. "If they are testing in the Tasangoli plains you will be shot down and questions later."

"I'm going to fly in the HH." John said firmly. The HH, or more unimaginatively named Hedge Hopper, was a little two seater supersonic jet that had hover capacities and a very clever radar trap that made it perfect for covert movements. The Tracy boys tended to use it more for fun and quick trips to the mainland than anything else.

"The Antarctic is the toughest spot. I'm going in Thunderbird Two." Scott's look dared his brothers to make something of it. "I'll drop Gordon and Thunderbird 4 off to look at the volcano on the way."

"Then I'll investigate the Canadian spot." Lady Penelope said firmly. "And Jeff will co-ordinate our efforts and..."

"Rest. Yes, I think this will be best. Get going boys." Jeff Tracy managed a small smile, the first in many days.

"And boys, be careful."

"Of course Father." Was the assured chorus.