Hooded Menace
It was an unflattering photo that greeted me on the front page of the Anderson City Herald.
I was frowning. Ms Goldstein had a saccharine smile. Trixie was glaring daggers at the reporter from the World News and the reporter from the radio station had practically shoved his microphone up my nose.
Trixie and I had laughed about the encounter when we'd shared a meal last night. We'd ordered room service as I wanted to avoid the publicity and she (although she was reluctant to admit it) was tired after a stressful day.
She'd told me about her time in the passenger hold and hadn't asked me any questions about International Rescue or Thunderbird Two, for which I was grateful. We relived our memories of the cruise and then said our goodbyes.
I thought of the wonderful times I'd had had on the Golden Empress, (how many days ago? It seemed like years). It was only then that I realised that International Rescue still had my camera.
The newspaper article had concentrated on the fact that it was rumoured that someone, (the insinuation was that that someone was me, of course) had actually flown on the flight deck of Thunderbird Two and had been able to talk with the International Rescue men.
The only non-controversial reporting was the fact that no one had been seriously injured in the disaster. This excellent news had been relegated to the last paragraph of the article.
I was scowling at the paper and wishing I were home when there was a knock at the door.
'It it's another reporter I'm going to slam the door in his face,' I vowed.
The person on the other side of the threshold was a heavyset man with bushy eyebrows and thick, almost unnatural hair. There was something about his looks that wasn't quite right, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"Yes?" I said cautiously.
"3 2?" He asked. "3 1 2?" His voice was thick and guttural.
"Yes?"
"Ah" he said and his eyes glowed.
I mean they really glowed! I tried to look away, but was held captive by those staring, glowing eyes!
"You will come with me." He intoned. "You will act perfectly natural. If asked you will say that I am an old friend and that we are going to spend the day together. Do you understand?"
'No!' my mind was screaming. 'What's happening?'
I heard a voice say - "I understand, I will obey." And realised with horror that it was mine.
"Then come." He stood back and I walked into the hallway.
We reached the lift and he pressed the button marked down. It opened and a young lady and an older man (with a prominent nose) stepped out.
"Oh," she sounded surprised. "Aren't you 1 2?"
"Yes that's right." I said.
'Help me please' my mind screamed.
"I was hoping to have a talk with you." Her aristocratic English voice was filled with concern as she gracefully shook my hand.
"I'm sorry" I said, "I've caught up with an old friend and we are going to spend the day together."
"Oh, how disappointing," she said. "And we've travelled such a long way to see you. Perhaps you will allow me to take you to your destination?"
'Yes! Yes!' my mind was saying.
"That will not be necessary." My kidnapper said. "I have my own transport."
In my mind I swore.
"We should be leaving." My captor continued.
"Dear me, so soon? Well at least we can share the lift." The lady took a step forward.
"I think not, My Lady." Once again his eyes glowed and the lady and her man-friend froze.
The lift door closed between us.
It was an unflattering photo that greeted me on the front page of the Anderson City Herald.
I was frowning. Ms Goldstein had a saccharine smile. Trixie was glaring daggers at the reporter from the World News and the reporter from the radio station had practically shoved his microphone up my nose.
Trixie and I had laughed about the encounter when we'd shared a meal last night. We'd ordered room service as I wanted to avoid the publicity and she (although she was reluctant to admit it) was tired after a stressful day.
She'd told me about her time in the passenger hold and hadn't asked me any questions about International Rescue or Thunderbird Two, for which I was grateful. We relived our memories of the cruise and then said our goodbyes.
I thought of the wonderful times I'd had had on the Golden Empress, (how many days ago? It seemed like years). It was only then that I realised that International Rescue still had my camera.
The newspaper article had concentrated on the fact that it was rumoured that someone, (the insinuation was that that someone was me, of course) had actually flown on the flight deck of Thunderbird Two and had been able to talk with the International Rescue men.
The only non-controversial reporting was the fact that no one had been seriously injured in the disaster. This excellent news had been relegated to the last paragraph of the article.
I was scowling at the paper and wishing I were home when there was a knock at the door.
'It it's another reporter I'm going to slam the door in his face,' I vowed.
The person on the other side of the threshold was a heavyset man with bushy eyebrows and thick, almost unnatural hair. There was something about his looks that wasn't quite right, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"Yes?" I said cautiously.
"3 2?" He asked. "3 1 2?" His voice was thick and guttural.
"Yes?"
"Ah" he said and his eyes glowed.
I mean they really glowed! I tried to look away, but was held captive by those staring, glowing eyes!
"You will come with me." He intoned. "You will act perfectly natural. If asked you will say that I am an old friend and that we are going to spend the day together. Do you understand?"
'No!' my mind was screaming. 'What's happening?'
I heard a voice say - "I understand, I will obey." And realised with horror that it was mine.
"Then come." He stood back and I walked into the hallway.
We reached the lift and he pressed the button marked down. It opened and a young lady and an older man (with a prominent nose) stepped out.
"Oh," she sounded surprised. "Aren't you 1 2?"
"Yes that's right." I said.
'Help me please' my mind screamed.
"I was hoping to have a talk with you." Her aristocratic English voice was filled with concern as she gracefully shook my hand.
"I'm sorry" I said, "I've caught up with an old friend and we are going to spend the day together."
"Oh, how disappointing," she said. "And we've travelled such a long way to see you. Perhaps you will allow me to take you to your destination?"
'Yes! Yes!' my mind was saying.
"That will not be necessary." My kidnapper said. "I have my own transport."
In my mind I swore.
"We should be leaving." My captor continued.
"Dear me, so soon? Well at least we can share the lift." The lady took a step forward.
"I think not, My Lady." Once again his eyes glowed and the lady and her man-friend froze.
The lift door closed between us.