Told ya'll I'd get this done within a reasonable time period! ;) - Duette
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The next couple of day went by fast as everyone practiced and got ready for the biggest concert they've ever played for. Grandma Tracy even got into the spirit and, with Tin-Tin's help, made everyone costumes to wear when they performed. The last night Oriana was there, they all decided to perform for the rest of the family. Even though it was still a little rough, they managed to play without too much difficulty and were met by cheers and clapping, most of the cheers coming from Grandma, making the boys blush.
"Sounds good, boys. Now I think we should all get some rest. You've all been working hard the past couple of days," Jeff said.
"Yes, father," they all replied as they put their instruments up.
Everyone said their good nights and headed for bed. Alan waited until he was sure everyone was asleep before sneaking into Tin-Tin's room. Under normal circumstances no one would think this odd, but Alan still didn't want anyone to know. He quietly walked over to her bed and smiled as he watched her sleeping, then took a deep breath and woke her up.
"Tin-Tin, can we talk?"
Scott got up and sleepily stumbled into the kitchen for his midnight snack, as always, only to find Virgil and Gordon sitting at the kitchen table, half a pot of coffee sitting between them and a bowl of Frosted Flakes getting very soggy in front of Gordon.
"Hey guys. What's wrong?" Scott asked as he sat down beside them, his snack forgotten.
"Couldn't sleep," Virgil said, with Gordon nodding.
"Nervous?"
The two shook their heads.
"Well what is it then? I know it's more than just not being able to get to sleep."
Just then John walked in with Alan and Tin-Tin not far behind. John looked at the three already sitting at the table and asked, "Couldn't sleep?"
Virgil and Gordon nodded and waited for their brothers to get something to munch on and sit down before going on.
"What's going on?" Scott asked, apparently left out of whatever loop his brothers were apart of.
"Well, you see Scott..."
"It's about this Oriana," Alan finished for Virgil.
"What about her?"
"We've noticed you've been getting kind of close to her," John said, pouring himself some coffee.
"And this bothers all of you?"
They all nodded.
"Mind if I ask why?"
"She's a damn secret agent, Scott! We can't have her finding out about us!" Alan exclaimed angrily, slamming his fist on the table.
"I know that, Alan. And she's leaving later today. There's no way she'll find out between now and then about us," Scott said calmly, making Alan get even more angry.
"That's not the point!" Alan hissed at him, making Tin-Tin put a hand on his arm and telling him to calm down.
"You're blowing this out of proportion. She and I are just good friends, nothing more."
"What about the late night visits?" Virgil asked.
Scott raised an eyebrow as if to ask how he knew, then shook his head. "We just talk. Honest! She's been worried about completing this assignment and about us helping her. She would rather have taken this whole concert thing on by herself, but realized she could use the help and took it when it was offered. We could have very well just dropped her off somewhere, and not look back. But that's not the way we are. You all know this."
Everyone seemed to be lost in thought at this. They all sat in silence, the only sound was that of the cuckoo clock as it announced the quarter hour. After a few more minutes Scott got up.
"Where are you going?" Gordon asked, looking up from his bowl of cereal.
"To go talk to Oriana then go back to bed. I suggest you guys do the same. After she leaves we only have a couple of days more to rest up and be prepared for this concert." Scott got to the door of the kitchen before turning to face his brothers again. "And might I suggest that next time you feel the need to offer such help to someone, you think about these things ahead of time."
They watched Scott leave and then looked at each other.
"So what do we do now?" John asked.
"Try and go back to bed, I guess," Gordon said, taking his bowl of milk and soggy flakes to the sink and washing it out.
"Aren't you guys the least bit worried about all of this?" Alan asked.
"Of course we are, Al, but there's nothing we can do now. She's leaving, we have a job to do in a few days, and then it's all over with. Just like Scott said," Gordon said as he walked back over to the table.
"Yeah, but..." Alan started to protest.
"Alan, why don't you go back to bed. You'll feel better with some rest," Virgil said, nodding slightly towards Tin-Tin.
Feeling defeated, Alan just sighed and got up to leave with the others. They walked down the hall together then said good night again and went to their bedrooms. They all lay in thought for several hours before sleep could finally take them.
The next morning was cloudy and the sky was grey, as if a storm could break out at any minute. After a quiet breakfast everyone gathered in the lounge and waited for the plane to arrive to take Oriana off the island. They talked about the final plans for the concert to try and break the uneasiness that seemed to fill the room. A little after ten o'clock they heard the sound of jet engines and a voice came over the radio for permission to land. Gordon and Alan went out to the landing strip to help land and greet their visitors before leading them to the lounge.
"Welcome to Tracy Island," Jeff said. "I hope you didn't have too much trouble finding it."
"None at all, sir," one of the men, apparently the one in charge, said. He then turned to Oriana. "Are you ready Miss Gant?"
"Uh, sure..." Oriana said, picking up her bag and coat, a feeling of uneasiness sweeping over her even more than earlier. She took a few steps as if to follow the men and Alan as they headed out the door, before pulling out a gun and aiming it at the man's head. "Hold it right there! Who are you?"
The man turned around and the four other men that were with them put their hands on their weapons. Everyone else just stood in shock, unsure of what to do.
"I'm Captain Michael Moore. I was sent here to pick you up and take you back to base," he said calmly.
"Under whose orders?"
"General Kasey's, of course."
"Of course. Tell me, Captain, how is New Zealand this time of year?"
"Quite nice, actually..." He stopped as he realized what he had just said, then laughed. "Was I that obvious?"
"There are very few who know my name, Captain. Three of them just happen to be part of a terrorist organization."
Tin-Tin and Grandma gasped and the boys, along with Jeff, suddenly realized what was going on. Jeff slowly reached under his desk to grab the gun he always kept there when he heard the click of a cocked gun and saw one of the four men aiming for him.
"That's not wise, Mr. Tracy. I'm sure you don't want to leave these fine young men fatherless. After all, I'm sure it was hard enough on them to lose their mother at such a young age."
Jeff stood up. "I see you've done your research."
"Of course I have. And I'd like to thank you now for providing an excellent base of operations for us."
"What?!" the boys asked in unison.
"Why, we're taking over the island. As we speak a large ship is heading this way with all our troops. They'll be here sometime early tomorrow. In the meantime, I've been ordered to take prisoners. If you do not cooperate, I'll have to kill you."
Oriana glared at Michael, her weapon unwavering as he grinned at her. She knew that if she shot him, the others would start shooting everyone in the room, starting with Jeff. Growling, she fought with herself as to what to do. She couldn't let anyone get hurt, and she wasn't about to let herself be taken prisoner. She could tell that Michael knew the conflict, which raged within her, but didn't care.
"Come now, Gant. Don't make this hard on yourself. If you give up now, I may be willing to talk to The Boss about letting you live."
Oriana looked at everyone in the room. She could tell the men were covering up their fear, but Tin-Tin held Grandma Tracy who was clearly scared. Sighing in defeat, she tossed her gun down.
"Good girl. Boys, if you would do the honors."
One of the other men pulled out handcuffs and grabbed Oriana roughly, turning her around so that he could cuff her hand behind her back. Taking the chance, Oriana mouthed to Virgil and Scott, "I have a plan." Scott winked and she knew he had understood.
"Now for the rest of you," Michael said. One by one the Tracy's gave themselves up, Alan glaring at Oriana the entire time.
"What do you intend to do with us?" Jeff asked.
"You know, I'm not quiet sure. Perhaps I'll give that young lady there to my men after I let her watch you all die."
"You bastard!" Alan screamed and leaped and the man closest to him, knocking him over with his shoulder. He then turned to the next man and charged after him.
"Alan, look out!" Tin-Tin cried as she saw the first man aim his gun at Alan.
Alan turned, then howled in pain and dropped to the ground as he was shot. Tin-Tin ran over to him, crying. Alan groaned and rolled over onto his back, a bright red spot on his sweater, near his shoulder, slowly growing bigger. Tin-Tin looked up at Michael, pleading, "You've got to help him! You can't let him die!"
"It's not my problem," was all Michael said before he left the lounge, leaving the four men to guard his prisoners. He headed back out to the airstrip and to the plane he had come in. He talked to the men that were waiting for him and gave them their orders. He then pulled out a cell phone and called The Boss to give him the report.
Everyone sat in silence, lost in his or her own thoughts. Tin-Tin and Alan leaned against each other, propped up by Jeff's desk. The four guards were off in a corner, quietly talking amongst themselves. Once in a while they would break out in fits of laughter, but they would quiet back down quickly. Oriana looked around the room for anything that might be useful as a weapon, when something caught her eye. Turning, she saw the eyes of John's portrait flashing. She nudged Virgil who was seated beside her and motioned with her head towards the painting. Virgil saw it and his face dropped. He looked to where his father was seated. Jeff nodded and looked to Tin-Tin who was the only one close enough to reach the switch. Tin-Tin swallowed nervously and nodded. She knew what she had to do, but it was not going to be easy.
Tin-Tin moved Alan enough so that he was leaning against the desk, freezing when he moaned slightly. Making sure none of the guards saw her; she quickly made her way around the desk. It took her a moment to find the switch, and when she did she groaned. There was no way she could turn it off without using her hands because of the awkward angle it was at. Taking a deep breath, she stood up, her back to the desk, feeling as best as she could with her hands. She had just about found it when one of the guards saw her and demanded to know what she was doing. Jumping from the sudden demand, she accidentally flipped the wrong switch, opening up the communication lines from Thunderbird 5 to the house.
"International Rescue, this is the U.S.S. North Carolina. We've been hijacked and the terrorists have killed most of the crew. We're carrying several nukes and last course was heading southwest somewhere off the coast of Africa. All attempts to take over the ship have been unsuccessful and, if she's not stopped, could destroy a small country."
The guards looked at each other and smiled. They had just made the discovery of a lifetime. They not only had a leading agent against their organization, a weapon of mass destruction, and a secret island base, but now they also had International Rescue. The guards whispered to each other for a second before one of them took off like a bat out of hell towards the plane and another went to get Tin-Tin. Today was going to be an excellent day.
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What is Oriana's plan? Will the boys be able to take back the island? Where the heck is Brains at? Find out in the next exciting chapter!
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The next couple of day went by fast as everyone practiced and got ready for the biggest concert they've ever played for. Grandma Tracy even got into the spirit and, with Tin-Tin's help, made everyone costumes to wear when they performed. The last night Oriana was there, they all decided to perform for the rest of the family. Even though it was still a little rough, they managed to play without too much difficulty and were met by cheers and clapping, most of the cheers coming from Grandma, making the boys blush.
"Sounds good, boys. Now I think we should all get some rest. You've all been working hard the past couple of days," Jeff said.
"Yes, father," they all replied as they put their instruments up.
Everyone said their good nights and headed for bed. Alan waited until he was sure everyone was asleep before sneaking into Tin-Tin's room. Under normal circumstances no one would think this odd, but Alan still didn't want anyone to know. He quietly walked over to her bed and smiled as he watched her sleeping, then took a deep breath and woke her up.
"Tin-Tin, can we talk?"
Scott got up and sleepily stumbled into the kitchen for his midnight snack, as always, only to find Virgil and Gordon sitting at the kitchen table, half a pot of coffee sitting between them and a bowl of Frosted Flakes getting very soggy in front of Gordon.
"Hey guys. What's wrong?" Scott asked as he sat down beside them, his snack forgotten.
"Couldn't sleep," Virgil said, with Gordon nodding.
"Nervous?"
The two shook their heads.
"Well what is it then? I know it's more than just not being able to get to sleep."
Just then John walked in with Alan and Tin-Tin not far behind. John looked at the three already sitting at the table and asked, "Couldn't sleep?"
Virgil and Gordon nodded and waited for their brothers to get something to munch on and sit down before going on.
"What's going on?" Scott asked, apparently left out of whatever loop his brothers were apart of.
"Well, you see Scott..."
"It's about this Oriana," Alan finished for Virgil.
"What about her?"
"We've noticed you've been getting kind of close to her," John said, pouring himself some coffee.
"And this bothers all of you?"
They all nodded.
"Mind if I ask why?"
"She's a damn secret agent, Scott! We can't have her finding out about us!" Alan exclaimed angrily, slamming his fist on the table.
"I know that, Alan. And she's leaving later today. There's no way she'll find out between now and then about us," Scott said calmly, making Alan get even more angry.
"That's not the point!" Alan hissed at him, making Tin-Tin put a hand on his arm and telling him to calm down.
"You're blowing this out of proportion. She and I are just good friends, nothing more."
"What about the late night visits?" Virgil asked.
Scott raised an eyebrow as if to ask how he knew, then shook his head. "We just talk. Honest! She's been worried about completing this assignment and about us helping her. She would rather have taken this whole concert thing on by herself, but realized she could use the help and took it when it was offered. We could have very well just dropped her off somewhere, and not look back. But that's not the way we are. You all know this."
Everyone seemed to be lost in thought at this. They all sat in silence, the only sound was that of the cuckoo clock as it announced the quarter hour. After a few more minutes Scott got up.
"Where are you going?" Gordon asked, looking up from his bowl of cereal.
"To go talk to Oriana then go back to bed. I suggest you guys do the same. After she leaves we only have a couple of days more to rest up and be prepared for this concert." Scott got to the door of the kitchen before turning to face his brothers again. "And might I suggest that next time you feel the need to offer such help to someone, you think about these things ahead of time."
They watched Scott leave and then looked at each other.
"So what do we do now?" John asked.
"Try and go back to bed, I guess," Gordon said, taking his bowl of milk and soggy flakes to the sink and washing it out.
"Aren't you guys the least bit worried about all of this?" Alan asked.
"Of course we are, Al, but there's nothing we can do now. She's leaving, we have a job to do in a few days, and then it's all over with. Just like Scott said," Gordon said as he walked back over to the table.
"Yeah, but..." Alan started to protest.
"Alan, why don't you go back to bed. You'll feel better with some rest," Virgil said, nodding slightly towards Tin-Tin.
Feeling defeated, Alan just sighed and got up to leave with the others. They walked down the hall together then said good night again and went to their bedrooms. They all lay in thought for several hours before sleep could finally take them.
The next morning was cloudy and the sky was grey, as if a storm could break out at any minute. After a quiet breakfast everyone gathered in the lounge and waited for the plane to arrive to take Oriana off the island. They talked about the final plans for the concert to try and break the uneasiness that seemed to fill the room. A little after ten o'clock they heard the sound of jet engines and a voice came over the radio for permission to land. Gordon and Alan went out to the landing strip to help land and greet their visitors before leading them to the lounge.
"Welcome to Tracy Island," Jeff said. "I hope you didn't have too much trouble finding it."
"None at all, sir," one of the men, apparently the one in charge, said. He then turned to Oriana. "Are you ready Miss Gant?"
"Uh, sure..." Oriana said, picking up her bag and coat, a feeling of uneasiness sweeping over her even more than earlier. She took a few steps as if to follow the men and Alan as they headed out the door, before pulling out a gun and aiming it at the man's head. "Hold it right there! Who are you?"
The man turned around and the four other men that were with them put their hands on their weapons. Everyone else just stood in shock, unsure of what to do.
"I'm Captain Michael Moore. I was sent here to pick you up and take you back to base," he said calmly.
"Under whose orders?"
"General Kasey's, of course."
"Of course. Tell me, Captain, how is New Zealand this time of year?"
"Quite nice, actually..." He stopped as he realized what he had just said, then laughed. "Was I that obvious?"
"There are very few who know my name, Captain. Three of them just happen to be part of a terrorist organization."
Tin-Tin and Grandma gasped and the boys, along with Jeff, suddenly realized what was going on. Jeff slowly reached under his desk to grab the gun he always kept there when he heard the click of a cocked gun and saw one of the four men aiming for him.
"That's not wise, Mr. Tracy. I'm sure you don't want to leave these fine young men fatherless. After all, I'm sure it was hard enough on them to lose their mother at such a young age."
Jeff stood up. "I see you've done your research."
"Of course I have. And I'd like to thank you now for providing an excellent base of operations for us."
"What?!" the boys asked in unison.
"Why, we're taking over the island. As we speak a large ship is heading this way with all our troops. They'll be here sometime early tomorrow. In the meantime, I've been ordered to take prisoners. If you do not cooperate, I'll have to kill you."
Oriana glared at Michael, her weapon unwavering as he grinned at her. She knew that if she shot him, the others would start shooting everyone in the room, starting with Jeff. Growling, she fought with herself as to what to do. She couldn't let anyone get hurt, and she wasn't about to let herself be taken prisoner. She could tell that Michael knew the conflict, which raged within her, but didn't care.
"Come now, Gant. Don't make this hard on yourself. If you give up now, I may be willing to talk to The Boss about letting you live."
Oriana looked at everyone in the room. She could tell the men were covering up their fear, but Tin-Tin held Grandma Tracy who was clearly scared. Sighing in defeat, she tossed her gun down.
"Good girl. Boys, if you would do the honors."
One of the other men pulled out handcuffs and grabbed Oriana roughly, turning her around so that he could cuff her hand behind her back. Taking the chance, Oriana mouthed to Virgil and Scott, "I have a plan." Scott winked and she knew he had understood.
"Now for the rest of you," Michael said. One by one the Tracy's gave themselves up, Alan glaring at Oriana the entire time.
"What do you intend to do with us?" Jeff asked.
"You know, I'm not quiet sure. Perhaps I'll give that young lady there to my men after I let her watch you all die."
"You bastard!" Alan screamed and leaped and the man closest to him, knocking him over with his shoulder. He then turned to the next man and charged after him.
"Alan, look out!" Tin-Tin cried as she saw the first man aim his gun at Alan.
Alan turned, then howled in pain and dropped to the ground as he was shot. Tin-Tin ran over to him, crying. Alan groaned and rolled over onto his back, a bright red spot on his sweater, near his shoulder, slowly growing bigger. Tin-Tin looked up at Michael, pleading, "You've got to help him! You can't let him die!"
"It's not my problem," was all Michael said before he left the lounge, leaving the four men to guard his prisoners. He headed back out to the airstrip and to the plane he had come in. He talked to the men that were waiting for him and gave them their orders. He then pulled out a cell phone and called The Boss to give him the report.
Everyone sat in silence, lost in his or her own thoughts. Tin-Tin and Alan leaned against each other, propped up by Jeff's desk. The four guards were off in a corner, quietly talking amongst themselves. Once in a while they would break out in fits of laughter, but they would quiet back down quickly. Oriana looked around the room for anything that might be useful as a weapon, when something caught her eye. Turning, she saw the eyes of John's portrait flashing. She nudged Virgil who was seated beside her and motioned with her head towards the painting. Virgil saw it and his face dropped. He looked to where his father was seated. Jeff nodded and looked to Tin-Tin who was the only one close enough to reach the switch. Tin-Tin swallowed nervously and nodded. She knew what she had to do, but it was not going to be easy.
Tin-Tin moved Alan enough so that he was leaning against the desk, freezing when he moaned slightly. Making sure none of the guards saw her; she quickly made her way around the desk. It took her a moment to find the switch, and when she did she groaned. There was no way she could turn it off without using her hands because of the awkward angle it was at. Taking a deep breath, she stood up, her back to the desk, feeling as best as she could with her hands. She had just about found it when one of the guards saw her and demanded to know what she was doing. Jumping from the sudden demand, she accidentally flipped the wrong switch, opening up the communication lines from Thunderbird 5 to the house.
"International Rescue, this is the U.S.S. North Carolina. We've been hijacked and the terrorists have killed most of the crew. We're carrying several nukes and last course was heading southwest somewhere off the coast of Africa. All attempts to take over the ship have been unsuccessful and, if she's not stopped, could destroy a small country."
The guards looked at each other and smiled. They had just made the discovery of a lifetime. They not only had a leading agent against their organization, a weapon of mass destruction, and a secret island base, but now they also had International Rescue. The guards whispered to each other for a second before one of them took off like a bat out of hell towards the plane and another went to get Tin-Tin. Today was going to be an excellent day.
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What is Oriana's plan? Will the boys be able to take back the island? Where the heck is Brains at? Find out in the next exciting chapter!
