Tracy Lounge was silent as the four Tracys glanced up at their brother's
face in the wall. Scott had just told John everything, as gently as he
could.
Virgil sat on the sofa, a concerned look on his face, gazing at John. Alan sat next to him, staring into space. Gordon sat next to Alan legs curled under him as he leaned his head on his hand, morosely.
Scott sat at the desk, his father's desk, he didn't even know he was doing it, he'd just found himself subconsciously drawn to it.
'John..' He prompted his brother after he failed to say anything.
'No.' John said his eyes flashing with emotion , the way they always did when he got upset.
'Listen John, none of us wanted to believe it...' Virgil put in.
'No.' John replied again, shaking his head slowly.
'John listen to me....' Scott attempted to explain.
'No Scott, you listen to me!' John shouted, 'there's no way dad would do that, there's just no way.'
'How do you explain, the fact that I remember it then?' Gordon asked pointedly.
'I don't know.' John replied struggling to sort his head out, 'maybe you got it wrong, I mean you were pretty young..'
Scott sighed, he wished himself that it wasn't true, but he'd seen his father's reaction.
'John, look, you didn't see Dad's reaction, ok...' he said sadly, 'he was guilty, he confessed.'
'Look..just.' John tried to explain, '. there's got to be some kind of mistake.'
'John, there isn't' Alan said his voice emotionless, 'he did it.'
John spun to look from his youngest brother to his eldest, his eyes filling with tears, as he struggled to comprehend it all. John had been the closest to his mother, he just couldn't believe this, he just couldn't.
'I want to speak with him.' He said his voice low and monotone.
'He's not here.' Scott replied.
'What do you mean, he's not there?'
Scott exchanged a nervous glance with Virgil, 'He walked out John..' He said softly, meeting his middle brother's piercing gaze, 'he took the jet and left.'
John stared in amazement, 'and you let him?'
'What else was I supposed to do, I just wanted him to get the hell away from me, from all of us.'
'but..' John said,but couldn't think of what to say. He turned his eyes away from his brothers and frowned as he stared at his hand and the ring his father had given him for his 18th. No there was no way he would do that to their mother, no way.
'John, I think you should come home.' Scott said, 'we need to get things sorted and we need all of us here to do that.'
John stared at Scott hopelessly, 'I've got to go.' He said quietly.
Scott frowned, 'what? Why?'
'I've just.I've got to go Scott.'
Scott knew this was what John got like when things got tough, 'You can't just pretend this isn't happening John.'
'I'm not pretending anything Scott.' John said angrily, 'I've got to go, I'll talk to you later.'
'John..' Scott began, but his brother cut himself off.
'Well, that went well.' Gordon muttered.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --
John stared at the dark, blackness of space from TB5's window. He swallowed, trying to remove the lump in his throat. He couldn't believe what his brothers had said, not because it hurt, but because if it was true, John knew that without doubt he would kill his own father. He had adored his mother, absolutely adored her. He just couldn't let himself think that of his father.
He wanted to hear his father say it was true, from his own mouth. Then he would believe it. He decided to use the thermal tracking device he used to track down people. He punched his father's codes into the tracking system and waited. It would find his father and when it did, John wanted some serious answers.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Hood grinned as he mooched around in Jeff's jet. He had enjoyed flying it to the old warehouse, to drop off Jeff. It had a certain irony to it Jeff being kidnapped in his very own machine.
He had quietly brought it back to the island so the boys wouldn't hear it and parked it behind the cave, a safe distance away from the villa.He didn't want them ruining his little reunion. He couldn't wait to waltz back in and cause more trouble.
As he looked through all of the compartments inside the jet, his hand brushed against a hard object. He removed it and smiled when he saw the photograph of the Tracy family. They all looked sickeningly happy, Jeff sat in the centre, patriarch, leader, the centre of his family. The Hood raised the photograph above his head, 'and what happens when you remove the centre of something' he thought to himself, 'everything else caves in around it.' With a laugh he smashed the photograph down against the control panel of the jet and watched in satisfaction as the Tracy family shattered into a million , tiny pieces.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jeff struggled viciously against his bonds as he tried to free himself. It was no use, he was stuck.
God he wished he knew what was going on at his home, what was The Hood doing, he just prayed that whatever it was, his sons were strong enough to stop it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Hood stepped from the jet and started walking. This was it, he felt ready, the Tracys were going down. He smiled as he walked closer and closer to the Villa. He was about to enter the door where he knew Jeff's sons would be when Jeff's watch started beeping and the face of his middle son appeared in the face.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Minutes earlier John had picked up his fathers signal, he hadn't used the tracker for the wrist communicator as he knew his father might not want to be contacted, but when he found his thermal image. He was surprised.
'What the hell..' He muttered , confused, his eyes zeroing in on the map of his father's location. 'What the hell's dad doing in a warehouse? In England?'
This was the time to use the communicator he thought to himself. He didn't have a clue what he was going to say. Here goes, he thought to himself and opened communications with his father.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
'What the hell is going on?' the voice demanded, 'you've got some serious explaining to do dad.'
The Hood was alarmed, he had completely forgotton about John. He had assumed he only had to worry about the boys in the house. Play along he told himself and there wont be a problem.
'I'm sorry John,' he said 'I take it you've heard what I've done'.
The boy's face seemed to flinch and then 'Yeah I guess I have now.'
The Hood grinned, he was falling for it.
'Where are you?' John asked, his tone full of contempt. 'What in earth are you doing there?'
'It's my home John' The Hood replied 'where else would I go?'
- - - - - - - -
The air left John's lungs and for an instance he couldn't breathe. He looked at the picture of his father on the screen and could very clearly see the villa in the background, but then he looked at the map on the opposite screen and he could see his father's life-signs very clearly emitting from a warehouse in London.
This wasn't possible, John's mind began to work furiously, each persons life signs were completely unique, that meant that it had to be his father at the warehouse but then, if the guy he was talking to, who looked and sounded just like his father wasn't him, then who the hell was he.
John looked into the face of the man, that wasn't his father, but had his father's face, and suddenly he knew, he knew without a doubt who it was.
'The Hood.' He said in disbelief.
- - - - - - - - -
The Hood's mouth dropped open in surprise, how the hell had the kid worked it out. This was definitely not good.
'You get away from my house now, you bastard!' John was shouting .
'Sorry son' the Hood said the pretence gone, 'this is my house now.' Then after a pause, 'game's over kid, you lose.'
He disconnected the communicator and then opened the door to Tracy Villa, the home of his enemy and stepped inside.
- - - - - - - - -
'I just don't know what we're going to do.' Virgil said, his voice breaking. 'I mean without Dad.'
The four Tracys sat in the lounge discussing what to do.
'Oh I don't think you'll have to worry about that Virgil.' A voice spoke up from the door.
All four heads snapped towards the voice, in the doorway of the lounge stood their father, smiling at them.
'What the hell...' Scott shouted angrily.
'Now Scott, I have as much right to be here as you, actually more considering it's my house.' Came the reply.
His 'sons' watched in astonishment as he walked towards the desk. 'I think you're in my seat there Scott' he said cockily.
Scott stood, furious, 'why you arrogant son of...' he began but 'Jeff' interrupted him.
'I've just had an eventful conversation with your brother.' He said , as a loud beeping filled the air and John's portrait's eyes flashed as if on cue.
Scott pressed the intercom button and John's face, pale and drawn filled the screen.
'Scott listen to me....' he said in a rush, his tone full of disbelief and worry, but he didn't finish his sentence as Jeff stepped into his line of vision.
- - - - - - - - - -
'YOU!' John spat out.
'Sorry John,' the Hood replied, 'Can't talk right now, gotta go, we've got a lot of...' then after a pause, '..time to kill.'
- - - - - -
Then before he could do a thing The Hood cut him off.
'NO!' John shouted, he hadn't had time to warn the others.
Slamming his fist against TB5's control panel, he shut his eyes and desperately tried to get rid of the last picture he had in his head.
The Hood in his house, with his brothers, and his father's face...........
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
WOOOOOO! Spooky. First I have to say thanks for the reviews, cgruber you're always awesome too, but I can't believe I'm not a god, gutted (not really, she says as she gives him/her a noogie back).
Well now John knows the truth, it won't be long before the truth emerges, or will it? You know me, always one for draaaaaaaaaging things out.
SO
CAN JOHN FIND A WAY TO WARN THE OTHERS?
WILL JEFF FIND A WAY TO ESCAPE?
WILL THE HOOD CONTINUE TO FOOL THE TRACY BOYS?
WILL GORDON REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED?
FIND OUT IN THE NEXT PART OF 'IT'S ALL IN THE MIND!'
Virgil sat on the sofa, a concerned look on his face, gazing at John. Alan sat next to him, staring into space. Gordon sat next to Alan legs curled under him as he leaned his head on his hand, morosely.
Scott sat at the desk, his father's desk, he didn't even know he was doing it, he'd just found himself subconsciously drawn to it.
'John..' He prompted his brother after he failed to say anything.
'No.' John said his eyes flashing with emotion , the way they always did when he got upset.
'Listen John, none of us wanted to believe it...' Virgil put in.
'No.' John replied again, shaking his head slowly.
'John listen to me....' Scott attempted to explain.
'No Scott, you listen to me!' John shouted, 'there's no way dad would do that, there's just no way.'
'How do you explain, the fact that I remember it then?' Gordon asked pointedly.
'I don't know.' John replied struggling to sort his head out, 'maybe you got it wrong, I mean you were pretty young..'
Scott sighed, he wished himself that it wasn't true, but he'd seen his father's reaction.
'John, look, you didn't see Dad's reaction, ok...' he said sadly, 'he was guilty, he confessed.'
'Look..just.' John tried to explain, '. there's got to be some kind of mistake.'
'John, there isn't' Alan said his voice emotionless, 'he did it.'
John spun to look from his youngest brother to his eldest, his eyes filling with tears, as he struggled to comprehend it all. John had been the closest to his mother, he just couldn't believe this, he just couldn't.
'I want to speak with him.' He said his voice low and monotone.
'He's not here.' Scott replied.
'What do you mean, he's not there?'
Scott exchanged a nervous glance with Virgil, 'He walked out John..' He said softly, meeting his middle brother's piercing gaze, 'he took the jet and left.'
John stared in amazement, 'and you let him?'
'What else was I supposed to do, I just wanted him to get the hell away from me, from all of us.'
'but..' John said,but couldn't think of what to say. He turned his eyes away from his brothers and frowned as he stared at his hand and the ring his father had given him for his 18th. No there was no way he would do that to their mother, no way.
'John, I think you should come home.' Scott said, 'we need to get things sorted and we need all of us here to do that.'
John stared at Scott hopelessly, 'I've got to go.' He said quietly.
Scott frowned, 'what? Why?'
'I've just.I've got to go Scott.'
Scott knew this was what John got like when things got tough, 'You can't just pretend this isn't happening John.'
'I'm not pretending anything Scott.' John said angrily, 'I've got to go, I'll talk to you later.'
'John..' Scott began, but his brother cut himself off.
'Well, that went well.' Gordon muttered.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --
John stared at the dark, blackness of space from TB5's window. He swallowed, trying to remove the lump in his throat. He couldn't believe what his brothers had said, not because it hurt, but because if it was true, John knew that without doubt he would kill his own father. He had adored his mother, absolutely adored her. He just couldn't let himself think that of his father.
He wanted to hear his father say it was true, from his own mouth. Then he would believe it. He decided to use the thermal tracking device he used to track down people. He punched his father's codes into the tracking system and waited. It would find his father and when it did, John wanted some serious answers.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Hood grinned as he mooched around in Jeff's jet. He had enjoyed flying it to the old warehouse, to drop off Jeff. It had a certain irony to it Jeff being kidnapped in his very own machine.
He had quietly brought it back to the island so the boys wouldn't hear it and parked it behind the cave, a safe distance away from the villa.He didn't want them ruining his little reunion. He couldn't wait to waltz back in and cause more trouble.
As he looked through all of the compartments inside the jet, his hand brushed against a hard object. He removed it and smiled when he saw the photograph of the Tracy family. They all looked sickeningly happy, Jeff sat in the centre, patriarch, leader, the centre of his family. The Hood raised the photograph above his head, 'and what happens when you remove the centre of something' he thought to himself, 'everything else caves in around it.' With a laugh he smashed the photograph down against the control panel of the jet and watched in satisfaction as the Tracy family shattered into a million , tiny pieces.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jeff struggled viciously against his bonds as he tried to free himself. It was no use, he was stuck.
God he wished he knew what was going on at his home, what was The Hood doing, he just prayed that whatever it was, his sons were strong enough to stop it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Hood stepped from the jet and started walking. This was it, he felt ready, the Tracys were going down. He smiled as he walked closer and closer to the Villa. He was about to enter the door where he knew Jeff's sons would be when Jeff's watch started beeping and the face of his middle son appeared in the face.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Minutes earlier John had picked up his fathers signal, he hadn't used the tracker for the wrist communicator as he knew his father might not want to be contacted, but when he found his thermal image. He was surprised.
'What the hell..' He muttered , confused, his eyes zeroing in on the map of his father's location. 'What the hell's dad doing in a warehouse? In England?'
This was the time to use the communicator he thought to himself. He didn't have a clue what he was going to say. Here goes, he thought to himself and opened communications with his father.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
'What the hell is going on?' the voice demanded, 'you've got some serious explaining to do dad.'
The Hood was alarmed, he had completely forgotton about John. He had assumed he only had to worry about the boys in the house. Play along he told himself and there wont be a problem.
'I'm sorry John,' he said 'I take it you've heard what I've done'.
The boy's face seemed to flinch and then 'Yeah I guess I have now.'
The Hood grinned, he was falling for it.
'Where are you?' John asked, his tone full of contempt. 'What in earth are you doing there?'
'It's my home John' The Hood replied 'where else would I go?'
- - - - - - - -
The air left John's lungs and for an instance he couldn't breathe. He looked at the picture of his father on the screen and could very clearly see the villa in the background, but then he looked at the map on the opposite screen and he could see his father's life-signs very clearly emitting from a warehouse in London.
This wasn't possible, John's mind began to work furiously, each persons life signs were completely unique, that meant that it had to be his father at the warehouse but then, if the guy he was talking to, who looked and sounded just like his father wasn't him, then who the hell was he.
John looked into the face of the man, that wasn't his father, but had his father's face, and suddenly he knew, he knew without a doubt who it was.
'The Hood.' He said in disbelief.
- - - - - - - - -
The Hood's mouth dropped open in surprise, how the hell had the kid worked it out. This was definitely not good.
'You get away from my house now, you bastard!' John was shouting .
'Sorry son' the Hood said the pretence gone, 'this is my house now.' Then after a pause, 'game's over kid, you lose.'
He disconnected the communicator and then opened the door to Tracy Villa, the home of his enemy and stepped inside.
- - - - - - - - -
'I just don't know what we're going to do.' Virgil said, his voice breaking. 'I mean without Dad.'
The four Tracys sat in the lounge discussing what to do.
'Oh I don't think you'll have to worry about that Virgil.' A voice spoke up from the door.
All four heads snapped towards the voice, in the doorway of the lounge stood their father, smiling at them.
'What the hell...' Scott shouted angrily.
'Now Scott, I have as much right to be here as you, actually more considering it's my house.' Came the reply.
His 'sons' watched in astonishment as he walked towards the desk. 'I think you're in my seat there Scott' he said cockily.
Scott stood, furious, 'why you arrogant son of...' he began but 'Jeff' interrupted him.
'I've just had an eventful conversation with your brother.' He said , as a loud beeping filled the air and John's portrait's eyes flashed as if on cue.
Scott pressed the intercom button and John's face, pale and drawn filled the screen.
'Scott listen to me....' he said in a rush, his tone full of disbelief and worry, but he didn't finish his sentence as Jeff stepped into his line of vision.
- - - - - - - - - -
'YOU!' John spat out.
'Sorry John,' the Hood replied, 'Can't talk right now, gotta go, we've got a lot of...' then after a pause, '..time to kill.'
- - - - - -
Then before he could do a thing The Hood cut him off.
'NO!' John shouted, he hadn't had time to warn the others.
Slamming his fist against TB5's control panel, he shut his eyes and desperately tried to get rid of the last picture he had in his head.
The Hood in his house, with his brothers, and his father's face...........
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
WOOOOOO! Spooky. First I have to say thanks for the reviews, cgruber you're always awesome too, but I can't believe I'm not a god, gutted (not really, she says as she gives him/her a noogie back).
Well now John knows the truth, it won't be long before the truth emerges, or will it? You know me, always one for draaaaaaaaaging things out.
SO
CAN JOHN FIND A WAY TO WARN THE OTHERS?
WILL JEFF FIND A WAY TO ESCAPE?
WILL THE HOOD CONTINUE TO FOOL THE TRACY BOYS?
WILL GORDON REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED?
FIND OUT IN THE NEXT PART OF 'IT'S ALL IN THE MIND!'