Chapter Two

San Francisco

A Short Time Later

Darkness had fallen on California and the city of San Francisco turning the city into a carpet of lights glowing brightly in an organised grid work. Through the night sky over the city shot Thunderbirds One and Two awing the people who saw them from the streets below. A number of tourists tried to take pictures of the Thunderbirds but naturally there camera's refused to get clear photo's the stealth systems on both Thunderbirds reducing them to blurred images to a camera lens.

The two awesome machines dumped speed and then came to a dead stop over San Francisco General Hospital. Having received an earlier radio message from Thunderbird Two doctors and nurses stood ready with stretchers waiting for the rescued oil workers. They were all currently staring upwards in awe at the two craft hovering in the air.

A door opened on the underside of Thunderbird Two and the rescue platform was again lowered to the ground. This time it wasn't to pluck anyone from the jaws of death but to drop off the rescued oil workers. Virgil Tracy – still wearing a helmet to obscure his face and hide his identity from those who he had just helped save – again operated the platform.

"Okay guy's end of the road time to get off," he said to the workers opening a small door in the rim and side of the vaguely bucket like platform.

One by one the workers climbed off the platform into the waiting arms of the medical team waiting for them. All of them quietly offering words of thanks for saving there lives.

Unnoticed one of the workers manipulated a hidden control on his belt. A hidden panel flicked open and a tiny missile streaked away and struck the nose of Thunderbird One striking the machine on its nose cone. Had it been equipped with an explosive head it would have severely damaged the machine and probably killed Scott Tracy outright. Instead the missile released a compound onto the nose, a compound that contained hundreds of small nanobots in a gelatinous suspension fluid. Immediately on impact the nanobots began multiplying and spreading through the paint into the metal fuselage underneath. In moments the nanobots had completed there spread and having reached a critical number began broadcasting a simple signal on a very low encrypted frequency.

His mission accomplished the fake oil rig worker smiled and allowed the medics to take him away. He would give them the slip in a moment and head for the rendezvous point with his superior.

Completely oblivious to what had happened Virgil closed the exit to the rescue platform and pressed the control that activated Thunderbird Two's winch and without fuss the platform and himself were taken back on board.

Moments later the two Thunderbirds departed heading out over the Pacific and the retreating sun making a straight beeline for home. They were completely unaware that one of them had been tagged and was now being tracked.

Bottom of San Francisco Bay

A Few Moments Earlier

Sitting silent and deadly on the bottom of San Francisco Bay a large submarine waited patiently. No body knew that it was there as the submarine was invisible to even the most sensitive underwater detection equipment currently in used by any military force in the world. Indeed its stealth capabilities were very impressive second only to those of the Thunderbirds themselves.

Aboard the sub in surprisingly spacious quarters a bald man in a red robe sat in quiet meditation. He had waited and planned for what was soon to follow for years, soon he would get his revenge on those who had left him to die.

"Tracking systems activated," the voice of the subs computer said interrupting the mans meditation. The man now known only as the Hood opened his eyes and looked over at the single computer screen in his quarters. A screen that normally showed a representation of his submarine but which now showed a tracking display following the course of the two Thunderbirds.

Both machines had just left US airspace and were flying over the open ocean exiting back out into daylight leaving the dusk that was falling over North America behind them. The Hood knew that his submarine despite its advanced nature couldn't hope to keep up with the Thunderbirds – nothing existed in the world that could – but it didn't need to. Now that the tracking system cleverly designed for him by his pet scientist Transom was activated he could track the Thunderbirds wherever they went and follow along at his own pace.

"So the gods have tired of dallying with the mortals and are now returning to Olympus," the Hood said to himself. "But now I can follow them."

Focusing on an internal communications unit the Hood flicked it on with nothing but the power of his mind.

"Transom send the minisub to pick up Mullion and then set a pursuit course," he ordered.

"Yes sir," a female voice responded then signed off.

The Hood permitted himself an evil smile. Soon revenge – and the secrets of International Rescue – would be his. And he intended to enjoy every moment of it.

FAB 01

Alan Tracy was getting board just being sat in the back of Lady Penelope's car turned plane. It wasn't that he didn't like the surroundings. Fab 01 was luxurious and extremely comfortable but he was just impatient to get back home. He hadn't seen dad or his brothers in nearly three months since the start of summer term and he had missed them terribly, his brothers especially as hard as it was for him to admit it. He was comforted slightly to know that Fermat was equally impatient to get back to Tracy Island and see his father.

"Approaching Tracy Island my lady," Parker called to Lady Penelope from the front. Alan leaned forward to look.

Sure enough there was home a beautiful tropical island with three peaks surrounded by sandy beaches sitting in a calm blue sea. It had been so long since he had last seen it. The island seemed to be silently beckoning him to come home to relax and put the pressures of school behind him, to just sit on its sandy beaches and watch the world go by.

"It appears that we have some company," Parker added. With a roar that was felt even in here through the soundproofing of the glass and doors Thunderbirds One and Two appeared on the right and left side of Fab 01. Look across to theright Alan waved to Scott who he could see through Thunderbird Ones cockpit windows. Scott smiled and waved back. Then Alan looked to the left and saw his dad giving him thumbs up from Thunderbird Two, which Alan returned.

And then the two machines shot passed overhead with Thunderbird One performing a barrel roll around Thunderbird Two showing off its superior manoeuvrability.

"Now that is showing off," Penelope said. Alan smiled knowing Scott was probably going to get yelled at again for doing that. Dad always hated it when Scott did that though as far as Alan knew he had long since given up trying to get him to stop.

"Indeed my lady," Parker agreed.

Alan leaned back in his seat again as Fab 01 dropped height and began making its final approach to the island.

Less than ten minutes later Alan walked into the bedroom he hadn't seen in months in the main house. He hadn't seen dad or his brothers yet they would all be in mission debriefing in dad's office which was currently in control room mode. And while he could get access since he had comprehensive security access like everyone on the island he didn't want to walk in on a debrief.

The only soul he'd seen on the island so far had been dad's loyal housekeeper and manservant Kyrano Belagant who'd greeted them on arrival. Kyrano's wife Onaha and there own daughter Tin Tin were currently in the kitchen preparing the evening meal.

Putting his case down on the bed Alan took a look around his room. It was so nice to be back here. Like all the bedrooms his was bright and spacious and had all the comforts a person could want including an on suite bathroom and walk in wardrobes.

Alan walked over to his balcony access and opened the door before stepping out and looking out. The sun was slowly beginning to set evening was coming and from his position he could see Kyrano laying the table on the sun deck besides the upper swimming pool. Dinner would be soon and he would get changed out of his school uniform into more comfortable clothes before going down there.

Abruptly the same blinding pain that he'd experienced at Wharton Academy lanced through him again but this time it wasn't just in his head it was everywhere as though every nerve in his body was crying out in sudden agony. Alan leaned on the balcony rail for support his eyes closed against the sudden surge of agony. He barely avoided screaming. What's wrong with me, he thought struggling against the pain.

Then the pain was gone again and he gasped in relief and almost dropping to his knees in relief. Opening his eyes again he turned around and walked back inside not noticing that around where he had been touching it the balcony rail was now soaking wet.