SILENCE filled the kitchen. Grandma and Virgil exchanged looks of shock. Gordon's mouth flapped like a goldfish but no words came out.

"I checked Mr Anderson's name against the Australian criminal databases," John said, breaking the silence. "His record is clean…until now. It would appear he and his wife are in the middle of a divorce case in which she is trying to get sole custody of the kids. Seems Mr Anderson doesn't want that to happen."

Virgil grimaced. "Ugh - that's never a good thing," he said. "Do you have a fix on their boat, John?"

"Yes, I do and am tracking it," said John. "They're still on the course you gave them, Gordon. Take Thunderbird 2 and the other Thunderbird 4. You might need to follow them from a distance, Gordon."

Gordon still couldn't find any words to say.

"We're on our way, John," said Virgil. "Come on, Gordon. Let's get after them." He then hurried up the stairs towards the lounge.

John signed off leaving Grandma to look over at the still speechless Gordon who seemed to have been frozen to the spot.

"Are you just gonna stand there, kiddo?" Grandma asked.

Gordon finally seemed to break from his trance. "Huh? Wha-?"

"Don't keep Virgil waiting," said Grandma sternly. "Go on. Shoo!"

Gordon groaned as he headed off. "Please someone wake me from this nightmare…"

Virgil headed down his launch chute, having his uniform applied to his body as he went. Soon he dropped down into Thunderbird 2 and pulled the hatch shut after him before taking his seat at the controls. He selected Module 4 which contained the main Thunderbird 4 and once the conveyor had moved it into position, he lowered the main body down and locked the clamps into place. Gordon arrived soon after and the great green behemoth began to taxi out of the hangar, along the runway through the avenue of folded-back palm trees and came to rest on the launch ramp which rose into position with the wings folding out and the blast shield lifting up behind.

5! 4! 3! 2! 1!

Thunderbird 2's engines roared as it soared off the ramp and climbed away into the sky.

"Thunderbirds are GO!" said Virgil.

As Thunderbird 2 made its way along above the surface of the Coral Sea, Virgil noticed how silent Gordon was. This was very unusual for the joker of the family. "Are you okay, Gordon?"

"No," came a blunt reply.

"You're worried about the kids?"

"No, I'm angry with John, damn it!" Gordon snapped. "He's trying to find an excuse to get this guy into trouble! He's done nothing wrong!"

"Can you prove that?" asked Virgil.

"Can he?!" Gordon growled.

Virgil flicked a switch. "Only one way to be sure. Thunderbird 5, do you read?"

John's hologram appeared. "Go ahead, Thunderbird 2?"

"John, what was it you found to tell you about Mr Anderson taking his kids?" asked Virgil whilst Gordon sat with his arms tightly folded and a heavy scowl on his face.

"It was this," said John. He produced a hologram image showing a photo of the Anderson family. There was Ross standing next to his wife Tracey whilst in front of her was Bob and in front of Ross was Toni. They looked very happy in the photo. But it was the words that sent chills through both Virgil and Gordon's bodies.

"MISSING!

Toni & Bob Anderson have been missing since last Thursday. They were last seen with their father Ross near Brisbane Harbour. If anyone has seen them or knows anything of where they might have gone, please contact the Police at once."

John looked at Gordon whose face had changed colour. "Still don't believe me, Gordon?" he asked.

Gordon didn't answer for a second. "I…I can't…believe it…" he said in a shaky voice. "The guy seems far too nice to have done this."

"Well, he has, I'm afraid, Gordon," said John grimly. "Do you understand now why I said I hoped that your suggestions about the barrels, rifle and passports were true?"

"Yeah…" said Gordon sadly.

"Wait, the guy's armed?!" asked Virgil.

"Yes," said John. "I've already alerted the GDF. But we figure that if Mr Anderson sees them or any other kind of law enforcement, he could panic and potentially cause harm to himself…or worse, the kids."

"We can't let that happen!" Gordon said defiantly.

"Which is exactly why the task of bringing them back has fallen to us," said John. "You've already met them. Hopefully you can make Mr Anderson see sense. But er, it might be best if you keep Thunderbird 2 at a safe distance and use Thunderbird 4 to shadow them."

"Shadow," grunted Gordon. "That's Kayo's job surely?"

"Oh, she'll be with you soon," said John. "I asked her to join in case stealth and skills were needed to disarm Mr Anderson."

That made Gordon feel a little better. "Okay," he said. "We'll do what we can."

"Thanks, guys," said John. "And be careful. Mr Anderson could be a very dangerous man. Over and out."

As John's hologram disappeared, Gordon and Virgil looked at each other again. Gordon's face no longer showed anger, but sadness. "Why, Virgil?" he asked. "Why would he do this?"

"He's afraid he'll never see his kids again," Virgil replied. "He's gonna do some pretty desperate things to ensure that doesn't happen."

Gordon sighed. "There has to be a better way," he said. "No parent should be prohibited from seeing their kids. It's not right!"

"Unfortunately, that's not our job, Gordon," said Virgil. "Trust me, I don't like the idea either. But we're not the law. We can only take them back home."

Gordon looked out across the sea. "If Ross even lets us…" He paused for a moment. "Virgil…was I a jerk?"

"Come again?"

"To John…I mean?"

"Oh, yeah. Totally," Virgil said, which made Gordon suddenly feel very guilty. "Whilst I don't blame you for thinking he was doing something he shouldn't. The way you shunned him was out of order, I feel. Once this is over. I'd say you owe him an apology."

"Yeah…" Gordon agreed. "I do."

As Thunderbird 2 closed in on the location of where the Brisbane Swan was, Thunderbird Shadow arrived for a rendezvous with them.
"Hello, boys," Kayo said over the radio. "Our friends are still on their course."

"You've been trailing them, Thunderbird Shadow?" asked Virgil.

"Affirmative. And thanks to Shadow's stealth, they didn't suspect a thing."

"Then why do we need Thunderbird 4?" Gordon asked.

"Because they already know you, Gordon," said Kayo. "If Mr Anderson came to the realisation that he was being followed, he might do something stupid. To himself…or worse."

"You're not suggesting he'd harm the kids, are you?" Gordon asked, worried.

"If he's that desperate to ensure his ex-wife can't have the kids back…it's a possibility," Virgil said.

"Which is why we need to make sure that doesn't happen," said Kayo. "If you've gained his trust, Gordon, you might be the best chance to make him see sense."

Gordon felt his stomach churn. He looked at Thunderbird 2's radar screen. A tiny dot right at the top was the Brisbane Swan. he exhaled. "Fine. Let's get it over with," he said.

Kayo soon transferred over to Thunderbird 2 and Virgil slaved the black stealth craft to his controls. Kayo and Gordon then boarded the Module-based Thunderbird 4 as Thunderbird 2 descended towards the surface of the Coral Sea.

"In position," said Virgil. "Ready to drop?"

"F-A-B," said Gordon. "Release the module."

The clamps were released and Module 4 dropped down onto the surface. The door opened and the ramp that Thunderbird 4 was mounted on lifted up. Gordon fired up the thrusters and it glided down the ramp into the ocean. "Thunderbird 4 is GO!"

With Thunderbird 4's superior speed, they soon closed in on the Brisbane Swan. Gordon chose to keep his craft submerged so as not to spook Ross or the kids. Instead he stayed behind underneath the wake whilst they looked at the underbelly of the small vessel.

"Okay, Gordon," said Kayo. "Keep it cool. Talk to him easily."

"Easily…right…" Gordon replied. Words couldn't even begin to explain how uncomfortable he was feeling. He pushed a button to make contact with the boat. "Brisbane Swan, it's Thunderbird 4. Do you read?"

Ross's hologram appeared from the projector. "Er, Hey, Gordon!" he said, sounding somewhat surprised. "Didn't expect to hear from you again. What's up?"

"Oh, er, just checking to see how you're getting on?" Gordon replied, trying not to sound awkward.

"Oh, right," said Ross. "Yeah, all's fine here, mate. Nothing to report. Engine's purring like a cat."

"Glad to hear it," said Gordon. "Listen, er, Ross, I ne-"

Ross suddenly seemed to tense up and turned to his right, no longer looking at Gordon. "Wait!" he said. "Who are you?!"

It took Gordon a moment to realise what he meant. He was looking at Kayo. Oh…crap… he thought. "Oh, her? She's Kayo."

"Kayo?" repeated Ross. "What the hell kind of name is that?"

"Don't be alarmed, Mr Anderson," said Kayo. "I'm International Rescue's vehicle trainer. I'm just observing Gordon."

Ross didn't seem to be convinced by that. "You weren't with Gordon when he visited us earlier!"

"I was," Kayo lied. "I just stayed behind in Thunderbird 4."

Ross looked at her hard. "If you're an observer, why are you wearing a suit like that?" he asked. "You look like…like…a COP!"

Kayo and Gordon exchanged worried glances. This wasn't how they'd thought things would go.

"Ross, buddy," Gordon said. "What are you doing out here? Your boat's not designed to be out at sea. And if you wanted to take your kids to Bali, why didn't you take them by commercial air?"

"That's none of your business!" Ross snapped, suddenly getting defensive.

Gordon narrowed his eyes. "Ross…don't hide the truth from us."

"We know what you're doing," added Kayo. "You're putting yourself and your kids in danger, Mr Anderson. Cut your engine and let us take you all home."

"NO!" Ross bellowed suddenly. "YOU'RE NOT TAKING MY KIDS FROM ME!" He ran out of the wheelhouse on top of the boat and began looking all around trying to see if he could spot Thunderbird 4. But of course he couldn't with it being hidden beneath the surface.

"What the hell are you doing, Ross?" Gordon said angrily. "There are better ways of sorting this out than what you're doing!"

"GO AWAY!" Ross shouted. "LEAVE US ALONE!" And with that, he cut the transmission.

"Damn it!" cursed Gordon.

Kayo swore under her breath. "I'm sorry, Gordon."

Toni and Bob hurried onto the deck and up to the wheelhouse. They had heard their Dad shouting and were worried. "Dad? What's wrong?" Toni asked. "Who were you shouting at?"

Ross was in a panic. He was sweating profusely and looking around at the ocean, trying to find a solution to the predicament he was in. Then he saw something on the horizon. "Don't worry, everything's gonna be okay," he said. "I've been told there's a storm on the way. We need to get to dry land, quickly." He knew he couldn't reveal the truth to them. He turned the wheel of the boat and it turned to the left to head towards the distant shape of a large island.

Virgil thought that he would have had an update by now. He decided to call in. "Thunderbird 4, how's it going?"

"Not good, Thunderbird 2," Gordon replied grimly. "I'm afraid he saw through us."

"Us?" Virgil repeated.

"It was my fault, Virgil," said Kayo. "I didn't realise he could see me."

"Ah…that's a complication," said Virgil. "What are they doing?"

Gordon and Kayo looked up at the underside of the Brisbane Swan only to notice there was nothing there. "Huh? Where'd they go?" asked Gordon.

Kayo glanced at the radar screen. "They've changed course," she said. "Turn left, ninety degrees."

Gordon adjusted the controls and Thunderbird 4 turned. Sure enough they caught sight of the wake from the Brisbane Swan and set off in pursuit. "Where's he going now?" asked Gordon.

"What's happening?" Virgil asked over the radio.

"The boat has changed course," Gordon said. "It seems to have sped up as well. I have no idea where he's trying to get to."

Keeping his distance, out of visual range of the Brisbane Swan, Virgil flew Thunderbird 2 around and ahead of the new course it was on. He soon caught sight of the island that the boat was now heading for. "It would seem he's heading for this island," he said. "Although I can't say I know which island it is. Thunderbird 5, any ideas?"

"Just checking your location, Thunderbird 2," said John, who'd been monitoring the whole situation. "Got it. It's Isla Sorna. It's unpopulated. There's nothing there but jungle and swamps."

"Is that all?" asked Gordon. "Swamps and jungles aren't usually uninhabited, John."

"Hang on, Gordon, there's more here," said John, reading through what few notes he could find. Then he saw something that made his stomach churn. "Oh…"

"What is it?" Virgil, Gordon and Kayo seemed to all ask in unison. They could tell from John's sudden change of tone that he'd found something disturbing.

"You're right, Gordon," said John. "The island's a restricted area. It's believed to be the home of the world's largest saltwater crocodile - of which there are believed to be eight living on the island."

"How big are we talking?" asked Kayo.

"At least thirty feet…" said John, letting his voice trail off.

Everyone fell silent, unable to comprehend just what Ross was doing.

"Damn it, Ross," growled Gordon. "You're taking yourself and your kids to their deaths if you set foot on the island."

"I doubt he even knows what island it is or what's there," said Kayo.

"Shall I go in and use the grabs to haul him out of the water?" asked Virgil.

"Negative, Virgil," said Kayo. "He's armed, remember? We need to take him by surprise and make sure he can't hurt himself or the kids."

"What about the kids themselves?" asked Gordon. "How do we tell them that their Dad's trying to take them away from their own mother?"

"That's the easy part," said Kayo. "We don't. They need to know the truth. He needs to be the one to tell them."

"That'll destroy them, Kayo," said Virgil disapprovingly.

"Well you think we should?" asked Kayo.

Virgil fell silent. Whilst they didn't say it, John, Gordon and Virgil all hated to admit that Kayo was right. But first, they needed to stop the Brisbane Swan from reaching the island.

"How are we gonna do this?" Gordon asked Kayo as he closed in on the Brisbane Swan.

"Stay submerged. He won't see us that way," Kayo replied. "I'll go EVA and then climb aboard in stealth mode. I'll take him down before he even realises what's happen- GORDON, LOOK OUT!"

Gordon looked. "WOAH!" he exclaimed and jerked the controls to the right. Thunderbird 4 turned sharply and narrowly avoided colliding with the large rock in front of them. He then looped around and tried to follow, only to discover there were loads of rocks between them and the Brisbane Swan.

"Thunderbird 4 - report?" John said over the radio.

"Minor complication, Thunderbird 5," said Gordon. "There are a load of rocks in our path. Is there a way through?"

"Send out a sonar beam and I'll map the area for you," said John.

"Activating sonar."

John watched on his holographic map as Thunderbird 4 sent out a sonar blast which hit and mapped out all of the rocks that were between it and the island. "Wow, that's a lot of rocks," John remarked. "Thunderbird 4, I'm sending you an alternative route. If you're quick enough, you might make it to the island before they do."

"F-A-B," said Gordon. "Thanks, John. And sorry for being a jerk to you earlier."

"Don't worry about that, Gordon," said John. "Just get those kids."

Gordon nodded as John signed off. He adjusted Thunderbird 4's controls and began to follow the route that John had created for him to follow. It zipped left and right and around the many underwater rocks that were not visible from the surface.

Kayo looked concerned, which Gordon was quick to notice. "Relax, Kayo. With the route John's given us, we'll be fine."

"It's not us I'm worried about, Gordon," Kayo replied. "Some of the peaks of those rocks are literally just below the surface. If they hit one-"

Kayo couldn't have been more correct. At the exact moment she'd been talking, the Andersons felt a sharp jolt. The Brisbane Swan shuddered and Ross was thrown off his feet. "What the hell?" he cursed as he got to his feet. Suddenly he heard screaming from inside the cabin and he ran to see what was happening. Before he reached the door, Toni and Bob came running out in a panic.

"DAD, THE BOAT'S LEAKING!" cried Toni.

"THERE'S WATER DOWN BELOW!" added Bob.

Ross ran inside and looked down into the sleeping quarters in the lower deck in the forward part of the boat. Sure enough, water was gushing in from the hole that had been made by the unseen rock that the Brisbane Swan had just collided with. "Can this day get any worse?" Ross asked himself out loud as he hurried back to the deck. He grabbed two life-jackets and threw them to the kids. "Put these on and get the dinghy ready!" he told them before rushing back to the bridge to shut down the engines.

"Are we sinking?" asked Toni anxiously.

"Just do it, Toni!" Ross ordered.

Scared, the kids did as they were told. They put on the life-jackets and hurried to the back of the boat where a smaller dinghy was located. Ross hurried back to the cabin and returned with his rifle. The scared kids did not even seem to realise he had it as they lowered the dinghy into the water. The Brisbane Swan was starting to list over to Port as it continued to fill with water.

As soon as they were aboard the dinghy, Ross cut the ropes securing it to the main vessel and used the outboard motor at the back to set them off away from the sinking cabin cruiser. As they headed for the island, Ross took a final glance back to see the boat disappear beneath the surface, settling in the shallow water amongst the rocks that had caused its demise. He swore under his breath as they continued towards the island.

John had been monitoring everything from Thunderbird 5 and quickly realised what had happened. "Thunderbird 4, the situation has taken a turn for the worse."

"How can it get worse?" Gordon asked.

"The Andersons are in a smaller boat hurrying towards the island. I've also lost the signal for the Brisbane Swan. given the hurry they made to get off, I fear it may have sunk."

"What was I saying?" Kayo said to Gordon who just grimaced in response.

"Damn rocks," Gordon grunted. He checked the radar scope. "I see them. They seem to be heading up a river?"

"Not a river as such, more of an inland lake that meets the ocean," said John. "My scans tell me it's very shallow. You won't be able to continue underwater for much longer."

Gordon had noticed the surface was getting nearer as was the ocean floor. "F-A-B," he said. "It looks like we're gonna break the surface after all."

The calm waters off the shore of the island broke as Thunderbird 4 emerged from beneath the waves. Kayo and Gordon looked around for any sign of the Andersons and their small boat.

"There they are!" said Kayo, pointing.

Gordon caught sight of the boat as it disappeared from view seconds later. "That idiot's gonna get them killed," he said. "We're going in after them."

"You know this is gonna be a tough confrontation," Kayo replied.

"With your stealth suit? I'd beg to differ," replied Gordon.

"I don't want to scare the kids though," Kayo said. "We're gonna have to talk him down."

"Yeah…I don't think he will," said Gordon. "He's desperate, and is gonna try anything to get away."

"He's also in an extremely hostile environment," said Kayo. "He's gonna realise how badly he's messed up sooner or later."

Thunderbird 4 made its way down the narrow river and headed deeper into the island. Although it soon became apparent that they weren't going to get very far given how many low-hanging branches were stretching out across the river. The dinghy that the Andersons were in was much smaller and could easily pass underneath, but Thunderbird 4 was much bigger.

"Grrr. We're not gonna fit down here," Gordon said. "John, how far ahead of us are they?"

"About a mile further on," said John. "Although there's a big tree down across the river just ahead of them. They're gonna have to stop and turn back."

"Or abandon ship," said Kayo.

John watched the icon of the boat and its three occupants closely. "Yeah…you're right, Kayo," he said. "They've just pulled ashore. On the right side."

"Then that's where we're going," Kayo said as she made for Thunderbird 4's cockpit exit. "Looks like we're going on foot, Gordon."

"Great…" Gordon said. "Just great."

Thunderbird 2 was keeping its distance. Now that the Andersons were within the island, Virgil was able to bring his craft in closer and commence a steady orbit around the perimeter of the island. "That jungle looks pretty thick," he observed from above. "Do you need me to come and join you?"

"Negative, Thunderbird 2," said Kayo. "Not until we've got them in our sights at least. We might need a stun grenade from you as a distraction if need be."

"F-A-B," said Virgil. "Be careful. Let me know when you need me."

Leaving Thunderbird 4 beached at the side of the river, Kayo and Gordon began to make their way through the dense jungle in search of Ross and the children. Kayo led the way with Gordon trailing behind. As they went, Gordon felt himself feeling very uneasy as he looked at the trees, bushes and sticky mud around them.

"You okay back there, Gordon?" Kayo asked.

"Not really," came the reply.

"Worried about the kids?"

"Not just that," said Gordon. "This jungle's bringing back bad memories."

"Mulokamba?" asked Kayo.

"How could you tell?"

"A similar environment to this perhaps?" said Kayo.

Gordon nodded in agreement. "Yeah…it is rather," he said. "I'm keeping an eye out for oversized reptiles."

"John did say the crocodiles here were big," said Kayo. "I've calibrated my scanners to monitor for anything alive around us. If one comes near. We'll pick it up."

"So long as we find one before one finds them," said Gordon grimley. The thought of the kids being the victims of a crocodile attack wasn't even worth thinking about. Although he didn't say it, Gordon couldn't be sure that he wouldn't be responsible for his actions if anything did happen. He too adjusted the scanner in his helmet so he could look out for any life signs as they continued through the jungle.

They'd barely been walking five minutes when Kayo's tracker picked something up. "Hold it, Gordon. I have something."

"Crocodile?"

"No…" said Kayo. "There's something in those trees over there. It's not moving. But it's definitely not a crocodile."

"Ross or the kids?"

"Again, no. we're not deep enough yet," said Kayo. "But there's definitely something there."

Cautiously, they made their way over to have a look. Kayo turned on her stealth suit and went invisible in order to take on the life-sign if it turned out to be hostile. Even though she was still there, Gordon felt very alone and vulnerable at not being able to see her. He was looking around in all directions, getting jumpy at even the slightest noise.

"OH, MY GOD!"

Gordon whirled around as Kayo dropped down from one of the trees and deactivated her suit. "What is it?" he asked, hurrying over.

"Go take a look," said Kayo, panting for breath. "And try not to throw up."

With a body full of apprehension, Gordon moved nervously through the bushes to see what Kayo had found. "HOLY SH-" he exclaimed when it came into view.

The initial shock quickly turned to relief at the realisation that what he'd found wasn't Ross or either of the kids, but it was disturbing nonetheless. It was a man. An elder man in his late fifties, possibly early sixties. It was hard to tell. But there was absolutely no doubt in what had happened to him. The massive teeth marks and the missing right leg was all that was needed to tell them.

Keeping himself together as best he could, Gordon cautiously went over to the body and Kayo followed, having gotten over the shock herself. They checked the man to see if he was alive. They were very surprised to find that he was. The man woke up with a start before crying out in pain.

"Woah, easy there, buddy," said Gordon. "Don't move. You're in bad shape."

The man coughed up some blood before lying back down. "Has…it…gone?" he asked weakly.

Kayo pulled out bandages from her medical kit on her tool-belt and began to address one of the many wounds on the man's body. "I'm guessing a crocodile did this?" she asked.

"Yeah…damn…critter…" said the man through gasps of breath. "I…can't feel…my leg…"

"Just lie still, sir. We'll get you out of here," said Gordon. He too had a medical kit and started addressing some more of the wounds. He then spoke to Kayo. "He's in really bad shape."

"No kidding," replied Kayo. "He needs a hospital right now. Get Virgil down here."

Gordon dressed the wound at the top of the man's left leg and then stood up to contact Virgil. "Thunderbird 2, we need you down here."

"Have you found them?" Virgil asked over the radio.

"Negative, but we've found someone else," said Gordon.

"Who?"

"No idea. It's an elder male who's been attacked by a crocodile. Surprised it only had one of his legs and left the rest.."

Virgil shivered. "Damn, that's nasty," he said. "Send me his location. I'll come and pick him up. You two go find that family."

"F-A-B," said Gordon.

Neither Gordon or Kayo wanted to leave the man, but they knew they couldn't do much more for him so they made sure as many of his wounds were dressed as best they could before leaving him to continue their search.

The man lifted up a weak arm towards Gordon. "Don't…leave…me…" he said weakly.

"Sorry, buddy, but you're not the only person out here," said Gordon. "My brother's coming to get you. He'll have you in a hospital in no time." He then hurried off into the bushes after Kayo before the man could say anything else.

Kayo and Gordon continued to make their way through the jungle. The terrain got tougher with the trees becoming thicker and the ground more uneven.

"This is not the place to bring kids," Gordon remarked.

"You said it, he's desperate," said Kayo. "He's not thinking straight. That makes him more dangerous."

They soon found a clearing close to the river. It felt better to have some light above them as the thick canopies of the trees had made everything feel dark.

"That's better," said Gordon. "Hopefully they're around here somewhere."

"My scanners showed some life-signs in this vicinity," Kayo answered. "So I reckon if we find where they are, we'll be able to get the drop on them."

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!"

Kayo and Gordon whirled around. There was Ross standing at the edge of the clearing near the river, his rifle aimed directly at them.