Disclaimer

Thunderbirds and all the characters etc. belong to Gerry Anderson and Working Title films, I'm just borrowing them.

Accidents

Chapter 10 – Plans in Motion

"Mark, Mark, can you hear me? Oh, come on, I can't get out of this on my own." He still didn't respond. "Listen, you can't die on me. It shouldn't be you under all that rubble anyway, it should be me. But you pushed me out the way…" Lindsey carried on mumbling to herself, trying to get him to wake up.

After a few minutes she heard sirens outside and made her way to the window, carefully avoiding the unstable sections of the floor. What she saw made her heart lift, and she almost ran back to her cameraman to find the radio.

"This is Lindsey Acclebourne in the Records building. Can anyone hear me?" she called desperately.

Mere seconds later Virgil's voice replied "This is International Rescue. We can hear you Lindsey. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but my cameraman was knocked out by some of the rubble and I can't move him."

"Alright. We need you to tell us where you are. What floor are you on?"

"Um, fourth I think. I can see the control tower out the window."

"OK, we'll be up there as soon as we can. Try not to move around too much."

"That won't be a problem."

"Do you have a crane on any of the fire engines that can get us up to the fourth floor?" Virgil asked one of the firemen quickly.

"Yes, but it would be suicide, the blaze is so hot. Besides, none of our vehicles can get close enough to the building because of the rubble that has already fallen…" the fireman explained, not wanting the International Rescue people to risk their lives.

"Don't worry, we'll deal with that" Virgil interrupted, before turning to Scott and Alan, taking charge. "Scott, go and get the firefly from Thunderbird 2 and clear the area around the building. Alan and I will get the fire-suits."

"F.A.B" Scott and Alan said together

"Virgil, I'm on my way back with the firefly. The firemen have been talking to the people inside again, trying to keep them calm. Luckily, the fire hasn't reached their floor yet."

"Just keep the fire under control. We have to stop it reaching them."

"Yeah, but I'd like to know how it started in the first place. With all the security, I'm amazed that anyone could have got through with a bomb."

"We'll figure that out later. Right now, we have to get those people out" Alan said finally.

A few minutes later

"Keep those flames down Scott! They're getting close!" Virgil yelled into his watch as he and Alan went up on the crane on the back of one of the fire engines.

"Look out!"

"Boy, that was close!" Alan muttered to Virgil as a piece of burning rubble fell very close to the crane they were on. "The fire isn't easing off at all. We have to do something."

"Scott, is there any way to get more out of the firefly?" Virgil asked into his watch desperately, cutting Alan off. They were really beginning to get very hot now, and the crane seemed to be taking an age to get up to the fourth floor.

"Sorry Virgil, but its pushed to the limits already."

"Well, do what you can, and keep dad updated on what's going on. We may need some help on this one."

"F.A.B"

"Scott to…base. Come in dad…can you hear…me?" Scott's voice came through the crackling radio.

"I can hear you Scott. How is it going?" Jeff replied quickly

"We're having problems…keeping the…flames under control, but…Virgil…and Alan are nearly to…the top. What's going…on with the radio, it…sounds like you're…breaking up." Scott said, obviously having the same problems as Jeff.

"We're not entirely sure. Brains thinks that with Thunderbird 5 out of action, all long-range transmissions are being distorted by the atmosphere and…"

"Alright dad" Scott interrupted politely "I guess that means we…still need to get Thunderbird 3…fixed. We'll help…as soon as we get…back."

"You may not need to. The new parts arrived half an hour ago."

"That's great. I've…got to go, but…I'll keep you posted" Scott's portrait went blank

I know Brains is a lot smarter than me, Jeff thought to himself. But this still doesn't make any sense. The communications with Penny have been fine, and she is much further away than NASA headquarters…

"You got the emergency kits ready Alan?" Virgil asked quickly

"They're right here."

"Good. I want to be in there as short a time as possible. This building looks as if it will collapse any minute now. We jut got in, free the people and get out again."

"I'm right behind you Virgil"

"OK…" Virgil waited as the crane reached the fourth floor window and shuddered to a halt "…Let's go." They carefully pulled away the already cracked glass and clambered into the hallway, looking around.

"Lindsey…Lindsey, if you can hear us please respond." Alan called, listening carefully for a response. After a short pause came…

"Over here"

"How's it going Gordon?" Brains called up from the engine compartment, where he was fixing in the new parts. "Have we got power yet?"

"Err, hang on…yep, there's power, but the backups are still off."

"OK, I'll work on them next. Can you pass down the micro-laser?"

"Sure" Gordon got up from his seat at the diagnostic screen and climbed down the ladder to where they had put the toolbox so that they could both use it. "Brains, how much longer do you think this will take?" he asked as he passed the laser through the partially blocked opening.

"Including safety checks and diagnostics…about 2 hours."

30 minutes later

"Mr Tracy, we have finished the repairs and are starting to run checks" Brains called into his watch radio. No answer. "Mr Tracy, are you there? Mr Tracy?" There was a small thud from outside the ship in the hanger. "Gordon, is that you?"

After a moment of hesitation, he climbed out of Thunderbird 3, grabbing the toolbox on the way. "Gordon, where are…?" He stopped talking hen a sudden headache hit him, making him grab for the hanger railing to stay upright. "What the…?"

Brains collapsed to the ground, unconscious, just as the hatch closed and sealed behind him.

"Are you sure that's all you've got on this Daniel Braddick?" The policeman asked quickly, approaching Sergeant Dannir.

"Yes, I'm sorry. He seems to be very good at covering his tracks."

"He's definitely that, we've come up with nothing. It seems that before about 6 months ago, the man simply didn't exist. We're trying to get a visual match on him, but it isn't very likely to help."

"Well, we'll just have to keep trying. Thank you for your help Officer."

"Please do tell us if you come up with anything else. We want to find him for what he's done as much as you do." The policeman said as he walked away. Sergeant Dannir walked out of the police station, annoyed.

"Yeah, but whoever this Braddick actually is, it doesn't seem that we're going to find out any time soon."

John slammed his hand on the panel in frustration. "I don't understand this!" he exclaimed. "I've fixed it as best I can on my own and the signal is just about getting through, but there's no one answering. I just don't understand."

John looked out through the window at the Earth, lying peacefully in space countless miles below him, trying to figure out what to do next. "I know. I'll try to tap into the base computer system and see what I can find. Maybe they've hit a problem down there too."

He started doing this, grabbing his tool kit and modifying the equipment he already had. Every so often, he painfully remembered why he couldn't use his left arm.

TBC...

A/N – I tried to change the summary to give a warning about what will happen at the beginning of chapter 11, but there wasn't enough space so I'll just have to tell you here instead. You have been warned. If you don't like it, I'm sorry.

PS - I thought I would correct people by saying this - Neither of the bad guys are the Hood!

A/N 2 – I know how this story is going to end now (though there is still a few chapters to go!), and I also have an idea for a sequel if this one is ever finished. You'll have to tell me once it is if you want the sequel or not.