In Enemy control

Chapter 2 – A weakness detected

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"God, it sure is quiet up here." Scott announced, while stirring a large, strong, black coffee. Nearly all the Tracy boys had been drinking coffee for days on end, trying to make up for the very few hours sleep they were getting due to the increased numbers of rescues that were needed all over the world.

"You should try it for a month on end." A gloomy reply came from the younger blond, in a similar position on the opposite end of TB5, staring over the planet they work so hard to protect. John and Scott shared a quick glance, they knew that, unlike John, Alan didn't like to be in Thunderbird 5 at all and much preferred the action side of the rescues.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I wouldn't mind a bit of peace and quiet. There has been rescue after rescue lately. Barely any of us are getting any sleep." Scott smiled, and Alan confirmed John's point by rubbing restlessly at his temples.

Scott sighed "Yep. Well, let's hope it's all quiet for a bit, we all could do with a break. I have even started to miss Gordon playing his usual tricks on everyone, but, erm, don't tell him."

"Right. I'd better get back to work, and you two need to get home or you'll miss dinner, and Grandma will have your heads." John placed his now empty coffee cup on the table and went to check on the communication display.

"Yep, you're right ,Johnny. Alan, you ready?" Scott snapped his eyes away from the stars.

"We had better head home before anything else happens." Scott left his cup on the side and turned to face the brother to whom he had addressed his question.

"Al, you with us, kid?"

Scott stepped slowly over to his baby brother and put a protective arm around him. Just like he had done so many times after a bad dream or a lighting storm in years before.

"What…erm, yep, sure." Alan snapped back to reality suddenly when he noticed his most protective brother's arm around him.

"Alan, you didn't even hear what Scott said." John pointed out as he stopped checking the system and turned his full attention to the brother he sees the least.

"I did!" Alan returned in a slightly edgy tone to his middle brother.

"And don't call me 'kid'." Alan pulled away from his oldest brother and co-pilot of TB3. My so-called 'baby-sitter', thought Alan, as he began to walk to the airlock.

"Right then, John. I'll see you in about 2 weeks, isn't it?" Scott quizzed as he entered TB3, walking past his youngest brother.

"Yep, it is. Bye, Scott! Thank Grandma for the food." John smiled at his oldest brother as he disappeared into IR's spaceship. Alan planned to follow in Scott's path until his similar-looking brother pulled him back.

"Al."

"Yep?" Alan was forced to turn and face his brother due to the grip on his arm.

"I'll see you soon, ok." Both brothers knew that this meeting had been the longest they had spent together for a while, as swapping shifts every month had drastically limited their time together.

Alan looked deep the blue eyes that stared at him. He pulled John into a hug and replied simply, "I miss you too."

Scott had gone to chase up Alan when he had heard his brothers talking. Neither really complained about not seeing each other, as there was little they could do to change it. Scott had other ideas from seeing them together, as it was a very important aspect of International Rescue that all brothers stayed close. Nearly every week they relied on each other for support, whether it was emotional or tactical.

"Right. Let's go, Scott." Alan was surprised at first to find his brother standing just around the corner, as he had swiftly let go of his blond brother and approached TB3, until he thought about it. Scott always knew everything, and Alan had thought it had to do with his listening in to every conversation, which he now confirmed.

John sealed the airlock and waved as TB3's pilots headed for the control room.

"Brains, Brains, you in here?"

"Yes-s, but b-b-be careful, V-V-Virgil. I have got lots of e-e-equipment out." IR's genius, and inventor of the Thunderbird machines didn't even turn around from a large bank of electrical equipment on the far wall of his lab.

"Are you ok? You sound a little worried." The brown eyes of TB2's pilot looked with concern for his friend, as Brains was working intensely even as he spoke to him.

"Of c-c-course V-Virgil. I'm j-j-just busy." Brains again replied.

Virgil, being deeply caring and slightly stubborn (probably from all the previous years of looking after his two youngest brothers nearly every day while their father way at work), walked over and looked into the scientist's eyes.

"Now I know something's wrong. Brains, you're on edge and you only do that when your worried, very worried. What's wrong?" Virgil was determined to get it out of Brains, as he feared it might have something to do with International Rescue.

"V-V-Virgil, i-its-s t-t-that m-message. O-or to b-be m-more s-specific, t-that s-signal." Brains looked at Virgil with concern.

"W-why d-don't you get G-Gordon. I-Il tell y-you b-both" Brains turned back to his computer to collect the data he would need to explain his disturbing theory.

"Virgil, I was about to go for a swim and I'm not up for a boring science lesson." The younger aquanaut groaned as Virgil dragged him down the lab stairs.

"Just come on. Brains needs to tell us something." Virgil pushed gently his red haired brother in the lab.

"Okay, Brains, go ahead." Virgil was anxious to find out what Brains had been so concerned about.

"W-well, I-I b-believe t-that s-s-someone k-knows t-the l-location o-of T-Thunderbird 5." Brains looked straight at the brothers.

"WHAT? Brains, that impossible, isn't it?" Virgil was shocked and Gordon was completely stunned.

"Why, how do you know that?" Gordon jumped in, suddenly paying complete attention.

"Wait, I think we better tell Dad and then you can explain it all. I've got a bad feeling about this." Virgil looked worriedly around at the younger men and then turned to go find his father.

"My plan is working perfectly, I will destroy International Rescue and Jeff Tracy's precious sons without them even knowing it's me." The man dressed in lavish clothes walked towards his control panel in his golden temple in Malaysia, and was about to put into action a machine that had taken a long time to build ,but would be worth it, as it could destroy any IR ship in a single minute.

"Unlike the times before, when I have tried to hit the rescue crafts on the ground and set traps up to create destruction, this time I will hit them at the beginning of a long chain of actions, which start in space."

The spiteful voice and wicked eyes of the Hood expelled the satisfaction in his mind. One button would cause an accident that even International Rescue couldn't save. There's no escape in space.

"Your end is here, International Rescue" the Hood spat.

"Right. We're ready, departing now." Alan repeated. As he had so many times before, he skillfully removed his 'red rocket' from the docking bay of TB5.

"Setting course for home. Destination: Tracy Island. Landing at 17:00 hours." The darker-haired Tracy called from his seat next to his baby brother.

"Departure complete. I'm swinging her around. See ya soon, John." Alan called into the radio.

"FAB. Bye Al, Scott." John called as he sat at his communication display watching them leave.

Seconds later, and very unexpectedly, both radio's in TB3 and 5 cracked into life, and a sharp, strict voice was heard. Neither ship heard any more than the first few words of a frightening message as International Rescue's members where knocked violently unconscious by the force of an explosion.

In one craft in particular, things were only going to get worse.

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