Disclaimer: Not mine, wish they were. Especially John. I'm so glad you all love this. See below for responses to your lovely reviews for the first time ever. Please keep reading and enjoy. I hope to have this updated every few days, depends how fast I can write it. Angel Mouse, February 2005.

A Hard Place part two: Unexpected Twists

By Angel Mouse


Consciousness came back to John slowly, almost painfully. His head throbbed like it was the fourth day of a three day pass, or so Scott said after his last trip to the mainland for a reunion with his old air force buddies when he returned home with a massive hangover. John groaned as he opened his eyes, blinking a few times to try and focus. The last thing he recalled was being hit by a dart from a gun Mason had pointed at him at the rescue site.

Obviously it must have been some sort of sleeping dart because he knew nothing after the dart hit him. John slowly focussed on his surroundings and saw that he was lying on a soft bed in a medium sized room. Off to one side was cupboard which had a jug of water and a glass on it. The rest of the room was bare.

Grey walls and ceiling stared back at him and the only other splash of colour in room beside himself was a rug of a deep garnet red. John pushed himself up into a sitting position, clutching at the soft covers on the bed while he waited for his head to stop spinning. After a long moment it did and he looked around again, taking better stock of his situation. He glanced down to see that he was still in his uniform but his watch and gun were missing.

He sighed, knowing that it was a futile hope that they had been left with him. Just then there was a noise over by the door and he looked at it, curiosity on his face. What ever was going on, John was determined not to show who ever came through that door fear. He was a Tracy, part of International Rescue and he wasn't going to let anyone get to him.

Meriza watched through the monitors as the International Rescue Operative began to wake. Mason had assured him that the sleeping drug he had been given would wear off in six hours and he had been right. He watched, a small, smug smile on his face, as the operative woke up and looked around. He then sat up, his eyes darting around the room and Meriza decided the time was right to go and meet his most important guest.

He straightened up his dark jacket and nodding to the guard he walked towards the room where the International Rescue operative was being held. The guard at the door unlocked it and opened it, stepping in first. Meriza followed, with another guard behind him. He stopped just inside the door, studying the man sitting on the bed. He was staring at Meriza, curiosity on his face, but no fear that he could see.

He looked to be of a lanky but strong build, had clear blue eyes and soft looking blonde hair. He just watched Meriza, waiting for him to make the first move. He had been cleaned up from the rescue site, the dust and dirt had been washed off and his cuts and scrapes cleaned up. But Meriza never lost sight of the fact that even though this man before him looked harmless and unable to act, he was still very dangerous. Because of that reason, International Rescue made the perfect targets for his plans.

Setting up the fake earthquake and insinuating his man into the work crew had cost him a small fortune, but he had the money to burn. Making the earthquake look natural and organising the construction of the under ground passageway to let his operative and their captive escape once they became trapped had taken time he was prepared to spend.

This project had been over a year in the making and was now bearing fruit. And the money he was making on this little venture more than made up for the small capital investment he had made to get this project up and running. Meriza had made sure he had surrounded himself with like minded men – men without morals or conscience to get in the way of his plans. So all of the guards, technicians and weapons people he had surrounding him were all top notch in their fields and couldn't care less about the human life they had in their hands, all they cared about was the money they were getting paid.

So a year down the track from the initial planning stages to the execution of this most audacious of plans had all finally came together without a hitch. And now, here he was and things had fallen into place most excellently. Meriza stared at the young man before him, studying him the way a hunter studies its prey and then he smiled again.

John watched the man before him, his eyes narrowing in thought. This man was obviously wealthy, the rich suit and guards attested to that. But there was something about him and the way he looked at John that sent shivers up his spine. There was no warmth in the man's eyes, no warmth at all. Just hard, cold brown eyes that seemed to be staring straight though him. But John was determined that what ever it was that this guy wanted, he wouldn't get it from him. Finally, he broke the silence and spoke to John.

"Welcome to my humble abode. My man assures me that the headache your no doubt experiencing will pass in a few hours." The man's voice was softly accented and John tried to place it before he answered him. John just raised an eyebrow and managed to keep his voice level and polite. He was trying to figure out where this man was from but it was hard. John spoke many languages and dealt daily with people from all around the world, but this was going to be difficult. He just wished his head would stop pounding.

"I suppose I should say thank you for the welcome, but I think I'll skip that and get right down to the nitty gritty. You do know what ever it is that you've got planned that you won't get away with it. We don't give into blackmail and we don't give into terrorists either." The man laughed and shook his head, smiling in that predatory way again.

"True, I may not get away with what I have planned, but then again, I may do yet. And it's not blackmail or a terrorist plot I've got planned my young friend. You my young friend are a very dangerous individual, which makes you such a worthy prize." John began to get concerned then. Prize, what prize? He frowned, beginning to feel even more worry but was determined not to let it get a control of him.

"Just what are you talking about?" The man laughed and it sent shivers up John's spine.

"You see my young friend, life is so easy these days, so simple and with everything practically handed to one's self on a plate, mankind's instincts and experiences are going soft. So I plan to change all that."

Meriza stared to pace back and forth, thinking on his words and John watched him but made no move himself. He knew by just the way those guards were standing that they were professional and any move made by him would be his last. Meriza stopped pacing and looked at John.

"Mankind has become soft; they have lost their killer instincts. Very few people have the drive to kill or hunt or succeed with their lives. They are content to have everything given to them, to depend on a few that act for the many, like your organisation. We have lost that killer instinct that made us great, made us the most dangerous predators on the planet. But I plan to change all that my young friend. By having an old fashioned hunt for a selected few individuals that want to experience how alive you can feel when you are hunting. And that's where you come in my young friend." John frowned harder, not really understanding what this man was talking about. He sounded strange, but dangerously strange. John wasn't sure just how far he could push this guy.

"A hunt? Just what does that have to do with me?" The man smiled and John's blood practically froze in his veins and any hope he had this guy was remotely sane disappeared with his next words.

"You, my young friend, are the prey."

Five hours previously, an hour after John's disappearance

Scott just stared at the bodies the police were bringing up from the pit. Gordon and Virgil were standing behind him, providing silent support to their eldest brother. All of them were consumed with worry about John. The police Captain sent to the site to oversee the investigation came over and sighed.

"Hello gentleman. I'm Captain Nigel Striker. I'm terribly sorry about what's happened. We'll do anything and everything in our power to see the safe return of your friend." Scott nodded, trying not to let the worry for his brother creep into his voice.

"Thank you." Scott got down to business. "Have you discovered anything?" The Captain looked down at his notepad and got down to business.

"Yes but it's not much I'm afraid. We've found that of those seven bodies, all of them were long term workers at the site. But what we did find was that one of the men had been dead quite a few hours before the earthquake happened and his body hidden at the bottom of this pit as near as we can figure out. What we think has happened is that he was killed first, his body hidden, and the man that abducted your operative took his place posing as a temporary day worker." Scott frowned and thought for a few minutes, trying to put things together. It still didn't explain a few things.

"But how did they get John out of there?" Scott gestured to the nearby pile of debris and rubbish that they had collected. That had been bugging them all since they had discovered John missing.

"They were trapped by all that debris over them and had solid rock and dirt around them. How the hell did they get him out of there?" Scott's voice began to rise and Virgil put his hand on Scott's shoulder, squeezing it gently and Scott sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry Captain; I know your doing your best."

The Captain nodded, understanding the man's concern. Truth be told he was horrified that something like this had happened to the men of International Rescue; especially considering what they do for the entire planet. He'd be anxious and concerned to if it was one of his men gone missing. But he now had seven bodies and a kidnapping to solve.

"Its okay sir, I understand, I truly do. What we found is a hidden trap door under where we discovered the body of the real Mason. It led to a tunnel that came out five kilometres from here. We discovered some tire tracks but they led to the highway and then nothing. I'm really sorry. After that we have no idea what happened to him."

Scott nodded and behind him he heard Gordon gasp. Virgil squeezed Scott's shoulder again and Scott took a deep breath. Time for them to update their father and get the resources of International Rescue moving, they had to find their brother. The captain nodded and moved away, leaving them to themselves. Scott turned to his brothers and they all shared concerned glances. Gordon kept his voice low as he spoke.

"What could they want with John Scott? I mean, what could they possibly want with him?" Scott sighed as he looked at his younger brother. Gordon was still pale from finding the bodies an hour earlier. Scott reached out and put his hand on Gordon's shoulder.

"I don't know Gordon. But I intend to find out." Scott took a deep breath and looked at his brothers. "Okay, let's get back to the Thunderbirds and make plans with Father, he'll be just as worried as us. We have to find out brother and we have to find him now!"

Jeff Tracy was consumed with worry, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. Alan was on the screen looking at him from his post on Thunderbird Five, as was Scott, with Gordon and Virgil in the background from Thunderbird Two.

"And that's the story Father. They just have no idea what's happened to John after they took him. I just have no idea what to do next." Jeff nodded, understanding perfectly what Scott meant, he felt the same way himself.

"That's okay Scott. I've notified all our operatives and Penny's on the way to the area. We'll try and see what we can do from here."

"What about me Father? With John not having his watch on, there's not a lot I can do to try and track him from here, is there?" For an instant, Jeff regretted not having his elder son at Thunderbird Five as John would be on top of things straight away, not asking what he had to do. John was the expert in Thunderbird Five; Alan wasn't as he only filled in for his older brother and usually wangled his way of doing most of his stints up in the lonely outpost.

But John never complained about being there or doing extra stints for his youngest brother. But Jeff knew that it wasn't Alan's fault. John just spent so much time in Thunderbird Five that it was more unusual for him to be on the ground participating in a rescue. Jeff thought fast, he had to give Alan something useful to do.

"Okay Alan, I want you to begin tracking all transmissions with any mention of International Rescue, hostages or ransom. You know what to look for." Alan nodded, grateful for something useful to do.

"Right Father, can do. I'll get back to you as soon as I've gotten anything. Thunderbird Five out." Alan closed the channel and got busy. Jeff turned to his other three sons, proud at how calm and collected they were being with one of their own in danger.

"I want you boys back here, nearby and ready to go at a moments notice." The three of them looked ready to protest but then Scott nodded.

"FAB Father. We'll leave right away. Thunderbird Two out." The channel closed and Jeff leaned back in his chair, rubbing at his eyes as worry began to eat at him. All they could do now is wait and hope who ever took John contacted them with some sort of ransom demand. But it was a slim hope at best. They had no clues to go on what so ever. For all intense purposes, John had just disappeared from the face of the planet.

Virgil sat in his chair not moving. Gordon was seated behind him not saying anything either. The two brothers sat in silence for a long time. Virgil just stared out the window at the unmoving sight of Thunderbird One.

It seemed that Scott was feeling the same way as they both Gordon and Virgil were. None of them wanted to leave the sight were they had last seen their brother. Finally the radio beeped and without looking Virgil opened the channel, knowing that it would be his brother.

"Go ahead Scott."

"Are you planning on moving that big green giant of yours sometime soon?" Virgil managed a tiny smile at Scott's teasing tone, knowing his big brother was trying to ease the worry they were all feeling.

"At about the same time you are planning on moving that big silver and blue thing of yours." Silence reigned for a long minute between the three brothers. None of them wanted to leave even though they had been called back home. Finally Scott sighed and spoke softly.

"I know Virgil. None of us want to leave, it's like we're abandoning him to what ever has happened to him."

"Yeah, it is." Virgil's reply was soft. He looked out the window and blinked at what he saw. He took another look and then quickly. "Scott, look out your window, is that the police Captain coming this way?"

"It is. Come on!" Scott closed the channel and Virgil quickly unstrapped himself and got out of his chair. He was literally on the heels of Gordon as they left the ship. The three brothers sprinted towards the Captain and came to skidding halt in front of him.

"Captain Striker, have you got something for us?" The Captain gave them a tiny, tight smile.

"We think so. We managed to follow those tire tracks to a deserted airfield just south of here. We've checked with Air Traffic Control and there have been twelve flights out of this area in the last two hours." He held out a small disc of information to Scott. "This is everything we've got on those flights. We found an abandoned van at the airfield that had this in it."

Striker held out his other hand. In it was John's gun and belt. Scott handed the disc to Virgil and took the gun belt reverently. He looked down at it, trying hard to not to tear up with worry about his younger brother. "I'm sorry it's not more." Scott took a deep breath and looked up, keeping his voice even only by force of will.

"Thank you Captain, it's enough. Gordon, give the Captain one of our secure frequencies. Captain, if you find anything more out, call us please." Gordon fished a pen out of his pocket and wrote a number on a piece of paper and gave it to the Captain.

"Thank you. I'll be in touch if we find anything. Be assured sir we will do our best."

"That's all we ask. Thank you for your efforts." The three brothers nodded at him and moved back towards the Thunderbirds, Scott leading the way. The assembled in Thunderbird Two, all of them staring at the gun belt in Scott's hands. Gordon reached out slowly, almost reverently, and touched it.

"It's real isn't it Scott. Johnny's really been taken, hasn't he?" Scott looked up at his younger brother's eyes.

"Yes Gordon, its real. Johnny's gone."

Tbc…In our next chapter John finds out just how much trouble he is in and our boys begin to despair of finding their brother..

HR

Response to Reviews:

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AgentFive: Thanks for the tip about formatting, play's up sometimes. Hopefully this chapter is okay

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IloveSam: Don't worry poor Johnny's going to have lots happen to him. Glad you like the rescue description.

Claudette: Glad you're enjoying and in answer to your questions please read the following chapter, I have explained most of it and hope that clears up your puzzlement.

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Thanks for all the reviews!