Ninety Three - BF
Tin-Tin gave a little scream and Mrs Tracy hid her eyes when they saw both men slip.
Jeff held his mother close and watched the unfolding drama, his jaw clenched firmly as he offered up a silent prayer for help.
Kyrano comforted Tin-Tin. "Hush my daughter. All will be well."
***
"They've slipped!" Alan said in alarm. "We've got to get in there!"
"I can't bring her in any lower." Gordon told him via the intercom. "I'll cook them if I use the jets. I'm going to have to back up and come in horizontally."
***
Virgil felt himself slipping closer to the cliff edge. He managed to snare one arm around a handy rock to halt his slide. Fortunately it held firm. Scott's sudden downward lunge had wrenched painfully at his other arm, and it was with surprise that he realised that the limb hadn't been pulled out of its socket.
The sudden downward force had caused Scott to swing around again, so that he was now facing the cliff. The arm that wasn't held tight in Virgil's grasp flapped free and it took all of his effort to gain some control of it and bring it up so that it was able to grab Virgil's wrist. "Phew!" He said. "That was close!"
"That was close." Virgil replied.
Scott looked up. Thunderbird Two was now directly overhead, but too high up to use the winch. He looked at Virgil. His brother was red in the face from the exertion, and he could tell that he wouldn't be able to hang on for much longer. Scott was feeling the same.
"Virgil." He said. "If you're going to slip over the edge. Let go of me and save yourself."
"I won't let go of you!"
***
Gordon backed Thunderbird Two up, reduced height and then flew in again. Now the cable that held the elevator car was within reach. "Down you go, Alan."
"F-A-B."
Brains operated the winch at the fastest speed he could maintain safely.
***
Those on the beach watched the elevator car emerge from Thunderbird Two's undercarriage.
"They're going to make it." Jeff said hopefully. "They've just got to."
***
Even as he spoke the rock that Virgil was tenaciously clinging to started to move. He felt himself once again slip closer to the edge.
"Virgil!" Scott pleaded. "Let go of me! Save yourself!"
"No!"
***
Looking over the safety partition on the elevator car, Alan saw the movement. "Quick Brains! They're slipping!"
Brains threw caution to the wind and put the winch release onto maximum.
The elevator car dropped like a stone.
***
"What are they doing?" Jeff asked in anguish as he saw the car fall and then snap to a halt, swinging with it's arrested momentum. Now he could no longer see his two sons clinging to the crumbling cliff face.
"They will not fail." Kyrano reassured him. "Your sons and Mister Brains have triumphed in worse situations than this."
"I sure hope you're right." Jeff muttered through clenched teeth. "I don't like being a spectator like this."
***
Alan had been thrown against the back of the car. "Boy Brains! That's some brakes you've installed there." He said as he struggled to his feet and braced himself against the swinging motion. He looked out over the partition. "Hang on, Scott!"
"What? You too?" Scott gritted out.
"Give me another metre, Brains." Alan called into the intercom. This descent was gentler. "Right! Stop there! Now bring her forward!" The elevator car moved forward so that its bottom lip was flush against the cliff. Alan grabbed Scott's waist. "Okay guys, you can let go." He pulled Scott into the car and sat him down against the back wall. "Are you okay?"
"I am now." Scott managed a weak grin. "Get Virgil in will you."
"Hey. I'm in charge here, so I'll give the orders. You're the victim, so relax." Alan grinned as he activated the intercom. "I've got Scott. Bring her up a bit and I'll pick up Virgil too." The car scraped upwards against the cliff face. When it was high enough he assisted Virgil inside. Are you okay.
Virgil was rubbing at his abused arm. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Alan." He looked at Scott. "How are you?"
Scott flashed him a smile. "Alan, I feel as if I've got lead weights attached to my arms. Tell him I'm okay."
He's okay, V. Some guys will do anything to get out of a meeting...
***
Down on the beach they watched as the elevator car gained height. They were more than a little relieved when the cliff was once again revealed.
Jeff squeezed his mother tightly in celebration and then relaxed the embrace. "They made it! I've got to hand it to them, they really do know what they are doing."
"Of course they do Jeff! They're your sons. They'll never give up." His mother reminded him.
"Yes..." he mused as he watched Thunderbird Two fly back towards the runway. "...They'll never give up."
***
Gordon landed Thunderbird Two, taxied her back into the hanger and then set the diagnostics programme into action.
He was surprised when he finally turned around to see Virgil sitting there alone.
Hi! He signed uncertainly. How'd I do?
"With what?"
Flying Thunderbird Two.
"I've got no complaints with your piloting abilities."
Thanks. Gordon looked at his brother. He looked... sad. Are you okay?
"I don't know, Gordon. I honestly don't know."
Gordon waited to see if he would expand on this statement. Scott's lucky you were passing.
"I wouldn't have seen him if I hadn't been watching a seagull."
Like I said he's lucky. Gordon signed cheerfully. So... How's it feel to be rescued by your own plane?
"But it's not mine now is it." Virgil replied. "We've just proved that I'm no good on rescues anymore. If it hadn't been for that gull I would never have seen him. I didn't even know Thunderbird Two was there until its shadow fell on us."
But you did see him! You probably saved his life.
"Maybe." Virgil stood and rotated his shoulder gingerly.
You'd better get that arm looked at. Gordon insisted.
"No. It's okay. Just a little sore." Virgil looked about the cabin. "I guess she's yours now. Look after her. Treat her like you would a beautiful woman."
I will. Gordon couldn't believe the way the conversation was heading.
"On second thoughts. Treat her better. I know you." Virgil managed a small smile.
It's a deal. Gordon managed a smile of his own. Do you want to take the pilot's chute back up?
Virgil shook his head. "No. I think I'll go back in via the maintenance hangers, I want to see Brains and he'll either be in the infirmary or the lab."
***
Tin-Tin gave a little scream and Mrs Tracy hid her eyes when they saw both men slip.
Jeff held his mother close and watched the unfolding drama, his jaw clenched firmly as he offered up a silent prayer for help.
Kyrano comforted Tin-Tin. "Hush my daughter. All will be well."
***
"They've slipped!" Alan said in alarm. "We've got to get in there!"
"I can't bring her in any lower." Gordon told him via the intercom. "I'll cook them if I use the jets. I'm going to have to back up and come in horizontally."
***
Virgil felt himself slipping closer to the cliff edge. He managed to snare one arm around a handy rock to halt his slide. Fortunately it held firm. Scott's sudden downward lunge had wrenched painfully at his other arm, and it was with surprise that he realised that the limb hadn't been pulled out of its socket.
The sudden downward force had caused Scott to swing around again, so that he was now facing the cliff. The arm that wasn't held tight in Virgil's grasp flapped free and it took all of his effort to gain some control of it and bring it up so that it was able to grab Virgil's wrist. "Phew!" He said. "That was close!"
"That was close." Virgil replied.
Scott looked up. Thunderbird Two was now directly overhead, but too high up to use the winch. He looked at Virgil. His brother was red in the face from the exertion, and he could tell that he wouldn't be able to hang on for much longer. Scott was feeling the same.
"Virgil." He said. "If you're going to slip over the edge. Let go of me and save yourself."
"I won't let go of you!"
***
Gordon backed Thunderbird Two up, reduced height and then flew in again. Now the cable that held the elevator car was within reach. "Down you go, Alan."
"F-A-B."
Brains operated the winch at the fastest speed he could maintain safely.
***
Those on the beach watched the elevator car emerge from Thunderbird Two's undercarriage.
"They're going to make it." Jeff said hopefully. "They've just got to."
***
Even as he spoke the rock that Virgil was tenaciously clinging to started to move. He felt himself once again slip closer to the edge.
"Virgil!" Scott pleaded. "Let go of me! Save yourself!"
"No!"
***
Looking over the safety partition on the elevator car, Alan saw the movement. "Quick Brains! They're slipping!"
Brains threw caution to the wind and put the winch release onto maximum.
The elevator car dropped like a stone.
***
"What are they doing?" Jeff asked in anguish as he saw the car fall and then snap to a halt, swinging with it's arrested momentum. Now he could no longer see his two sons clinging to the crumbling cliff face.
"They will not fail." Kyrano reassured him. "Your sons and Mister Brains have triumphed in worse situations than this."
"I sure hope you're right." Jeff muttered through clenched teeth. "I don't like being a spectator like this."
***
Alan had been thrown against the back of the car. "Boy Brains! That's some brakes you've installed there." He said as he struggled to his feet and braced himself against the swinging motion. He looked out over the partition. "Hang on, Scott!"
"What? You too?" Scott gritted out.
"Give me another metre, Brains." Alan called into the intercom. This descent was gentler. "Right! Stop there! Now bring her forward!" The elevator car moved forward so that its bottom lip was flush against the cliff. Alan grabbed Scott's waist. "Okay guys, you can let go." He pulled Scott into the car and sat him down against the back wall. "Are you okay?"
"I am now." Scott managed a weak grin. "Get Virgil in will you."
"Hey. I'm in charge here, so I'll give the orders. You're the victim, so relax." Alan grinned as he activated the intercom. "I've got Scott. Bring her up a bit and I'll pick up Virgil too." The car scraped upwards against the cliff face. When it was high enough he assisted Virgil inside. Are you okay.
Virgil was rubbing at his abused arm. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Alan." He looked at Scott. "How are you?"
Scott flashed him a smile. "Alan, I feel as if I've got lead weights attached to my arms. Tell him I'm okay."
He's okay, V. Some guys will do anything to get out of a meeting...
***
Down on the beach they watched as the elevator car gained height. They were more than a little relieved when the cliff was once again revealed.
Jeff squeezed his mother tightly in celebration and then relaxed the embrace. "They made it! I've got to hand it to them, they really do know what they are doing."
"Of course they do Jeff! They're your sons. They'll never give up." His mother reminded him.
"Yes..." he mused as he watched Thunderbird Two fly back towards the runway. "...They'll never give up."
***
Gordon landed Thunderbird Two, taxied her back into the hanger and then set the diagnostics programme into action.
He was surprised when he finally turned around to see Virgil sitting there alone.
Hi! He signed uncertainly. How'd I do?
"With what?"
Flying Thunderbird Two.
"I've got no complaints with your piloting abilities."
Thanks. Gordon looked at his brother. He looked... sad. Are you okay?
"I don't know, Gordon. I honestly don't know."
Gordon waited to see if he would expand on this statement. Scott's lucky you were passing.
"I wouldn't have seen him if I hadn't been watching a seagull."
Like I said he's lucky. Gordon signed cheerfully. So... How's it feel to be rescued by your own plane?
"But it's not mine now is it." Virgil replied. "We've just proved that I'm no good on rescues anymore. If it hadn't been for that gull I would never have seen him. I didn't even know Thunderbird Two was there until its shadow fell on us."
But you did see him! You probably saved his life.
"Maybe." Virgil stood and rotated his shoulder gingerly.
You'd better get that arm looked at. Gordon insisted.
"No. It's okay. Just a little sore." Virgil looked about the cabin. "I guess she's yours now. Look after her. Treat her like you would a beautiful woman."
I will. Gordon couldn't believe the way the conversation was heading.
"On second thoughts. Treat her better. I know you." Virgil managed a small smile.
It's a deal. Gordon managed a smile of his own. Do you want to take the pilot's chute back up?
Virgil shook his head. "No. I think I'll go back in via the maintenance hangers, I want to see Brains and he'll either be in the infirmary or the lab."
***