OK, this might be the last until after the holidays, so enjoy! Happy Holidays to you all, where ever you are, what ever you celebrate. Peace.

Virgil picked his way through the wreckage of the school. "Hello! Anyone here?" He paused to listen before moving on.

"Help! Someone please help!"

Virgil's head swung in the direction of the voice. "Hang on! Keep talking so I can find you!" The voice continued to call out and soon Virgil found himself in front of a large beam amidst the rubble. "One more time!"

"I can see your light!"

Virgil shone his flashlight over the wreckage. "How many of you are there?"

"Three of us. My mom isn't moving!"

"OK, hold on, I'm coming. Op 3 to Command."

"Here Virgil, what's the situation?" His father replied.

"I've got three victims trapped under some beams. I'm sending you the co-ordinates."

"Got them. Gordon's on his way."

"FAB." Virgil turned back to the rubble. "Stay as far back as you can, I'm going to try and shift some of this." He leaned into the beam, pushing with all his might. Just when he thought his muscles would burst, Gordon threw himself at the beam, and together they managed to shift it a few feet. "Thanks…Gord." Virgil panted.

"No sweat. Stay here, I'll go in." Gordon scuttled forward on his hands and knees, pushing bits of wood and plaster out of his way. Soon he found himself in a small pocket. Two dusty faces looked up at him, another woman lay unconscious on the ground. He went first to the woman and quickly checked her vitals.

"Thank-God! I didn't think anyone would find us."

Gordon looked up and smiled into the face of a teen-age girl. "Of course we would. What's your name?"

"Anna. And this is my brother, Scott." She put her arm around the young boy sitting next to her.

Gordon started at the name, and a fresh wave of grief washed over him. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he quickly bent back over the woman lying in front of him. "Is this your mom?" He asked hoarsely.

The girl nodded. "Is she OK?" Young Scott asked.

Gordon smiled. "She's OK. Just took a bang on the head. She'll be waking up soon." As if on cue, the woman began to stir.

"Anna? Scotty?"

Gordon placed his hand on her shoulder. "Easy ma'am. They're alright." He helped her to sit up.

"Who are you? Are you a paramedic?" The woman asked.

Gordon smiled. "International Rescue at your service ma'am."

The boy's eyes grew wide. "You're a Thunderbird? Wow!"

Gordon laughed. "Sure am. Once we get you out of here, you can see the ship." He turned his attention back to the woman. "Where are you hurt?"

"Just my head I think. And my leg." She replied, wincing as she flexed her foot.

Gordon quickly checked her over. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here."

"Gordon? What's your status?" Virgil called out.

"I have three people here, one wounded. Concussion and a broken ankle. Two children, one adult. I'll start sending them out, kids first." Gordon replied.

"Make it quick, this place is pretty unstable. I don't think it's going to take much more." Virgil eyed the wreckage dubiously.

"FAB Virgil." Gordon turned back to the others. "OK, I want you to start crawling out this way. Take it slow and careful. My partner is waiting for you. He'll bring you to safety."

The girl hesitated. "But what about Mom?"

"Don't worry about her, I'll take care of her. Now get going." Gordon urged the children towards the exit. Scott went first, followed by his sister.

"Got them Gord. Paramedics are standing by once you get out here."

"We're on our way. All right ma'am, easy does it." Gordon helped the woman forward, cautiously picking their way through the debris. A few minutes later, Gordon saw his brother reaching down to help.

Virgil carefully eased the woman out of the rubble and into the arms of the waiting paramedics. "Gordon, where are you?" He called out.

"Right here bro. My pack's stuck on something, hold on." Gordon replied.

Virgil could hear his brother grunting as he struggled to free himself. The beams started to quiver, and dust rained down around him. "Gordon move it! This place is about to go!"

Gordon shrugged his arms out of the pack and hurried forward. Before he could get himself out, the whole beam came crashing down.

Virgil was knocked to the ground, and came up coughing and wheezing through the dust. "Gordon! Gordon!" He rushed towards the debris. "Gordon answer me!"

"Virgil, what's going on?" Jeff's voice came across Virgil's headset.

"The center of the structure came down and Gordon's trapped in there!" There was no mistaking the panic in Virgil's voice.

"I'm on my way."

Virgil didn't reply, but continued to call out for his brother, pawing frantically at the debris.

"V-Virgil…"

"Gordon!" Virgil head snapped up at the sound of his brother's voice. "Are you alright?"

"I-I think so."

"Can you move?"

Virgil heard his brother groan. "Not much. I'm pinned under something."

Jeff hurried into the room. "Virgil, where's Gordon?"

"He's over here Dad. He says he can't move, he thinks he's pinned." Virgil replied.

"I don't think I'm pinned, I am pinned." Gordon shot back.

Jeff smiled despite his concern. "All right, let's get him out." Together he and Virgil shifted the beams until Gordon was able to crawl through.

Gordon was covered in dirt and dust, and there was a large cut on his forehead. Virgil knelt down to check him, but Gordon pushed him away. "Not now, we need to get out of here!"

Jeff helped his son to his feet and the three of them hurried away. And not a moment too soon as the remainder of the structure came crashing down. The Tracy's watched as the building settled, then headed back to Thunderbird 2. Gordon waved at little Scott and the boy beamed with pleasure.

"Hold on, I want to check on that woman." Gordon started towards the medics.

Virgil grabbed his arm. "Not until I check you." He steered his brother to TB2's loading ramp and pulled out a med-kit. He shone a light in Gordon's eyes and nodded. "No concussion."

"I could have told you that." Gordon muttered.

Virgil turned his attention the cut on Gordon's head. "It doesn't look that deep. It's just a scratch." He taped a piece of gauze to the wound.

"I could have told you that too."

"Boys." Jeff said warningly. "Looks like we're about done here. I'll go wrap things up, you get us ready to take off." He walked away.

Virgil marched up the ramp, and settled himself into the pilot's chair. He threw a few switches and ran all his pre-flight checks. Gordon joined him a few minutes later, and sat down in the co-pilot's seat.

He glanced over at his older brother. Virgil avoided his gaze. "I've got the Mole all secured. We can take off as soon as Dad gets back." Virgil nodded and continued with his checks. Gordon sighed. "Virg, I'm OK." Virgil didn't reply, but Gordon could see his hands shaking on the yoke. "Virgil."

He finally looked up and Gordon was stunned to see tears in his eyes. "Dammit Gord, what if…what if…" Virgil turned away, clenching his eyes shut.

Gordon got up and walked over to his brother. He knelt down in front of him. "Virgil, nothing happened."

Virgil looked up into his brother's chocolate eyes. "But it could have! The building collapsed on you Gordon! What if you'd been hurt or worse!" He dropped his gaze. "I can't do this anymore Gord. I already lost Alan, John and Scott. I can't stand to loose another brother." He said hoarsely, the tears breaking free and trickling down his cheek.

Gordon pulled him close, holding him tightly. Jeff walked in and stopped, seeing them together. He quietly eased back into the shadows.

"Virgil look, we can't change what happened. God knows I miss them as much as you do! But we can't let it stop us. We're the Thunderbirds! Do you think Scott or John would have quit?" Virgil shook his head. "Then don't worry about what might be, and work on what is. You're not going to lose me and we will get Alan back. And we're going to take down the bastard that did this to us. That's a promise."

Virgil stared into his brother's brown eyes. "When did you get so damned smart?" He asked quietly.

Gordon wiped a stray tear off Virgil's cheek. "I've always been, you people just don't recognize my genius." He grinned.

Gordon's grin was infectious, and Virgil found himself smiling back. "OK then genius, strap in."

"FAB Gus." Gordon said, using an old family nickname. He grinned cheekily at his older brother's expression and settled himself in the seat.

Jeff smiled from his place in the back and stepped forward. "All set for take off?"

"All set Dad." Virgil answered.

Jeff sat down and strapped himself in. "Let's fly."

"What's our hull integrity?" Scott yelled.

"Holding steady at ninety-eight point two percent!" John hollered back.

The pod was shaking so badly, Scott could hardly believe it was holding together. "Nearly there…"

"Did I ever mention how much I hate re-entry?" John called out.

Scott laughed. "Hang in there Johnny, we're almost through!"

John didn't answer, but clenched his eyes shut as they broke through the atmosphere. His ribs were killing him and his head felt like it was going to explode. Finally the agony stopped and there was a feeling of free-fall.

"Brace yourself John, the thrusters are failing!" Scott frantically pulled on the controls, trying to guide their descent. He managed to gain some control, and eased the small craft downward. They continued in silence for a few minutes. "How are we doing?"

John stole a glance at the onboard computer. "Not bad considering. By some miracle, the hull seems to be holding. I'm working on getting the thrusters back online." John's hands flew across the keyboards. "Try that!"

Scott pulled up on the controls. The ship responded and with a whoop, Scott pulled it into a series of barrel rolls.

"Scott Carpenter Tracy."

Belatedly, Scott remembered his brother. John was looking positively green and he had a death grip on the arm-rests. "Do that again, and I'll kill you with my bare hands." John hissed through clenched teeth.

Scott grinned. "Sorry Johnny." He turned back to the controls. "What's our ETA?"

John rolled his eyes. "For the hundredth time, less than—"

His voice was cut off as the alarm blared. "Now what?" Scott demanded. He pulled on the yoke. Nothing happened. "I've lost control again."

"Dammit…See what happens when you fool around." John muttered, once again punching at the computer. He shook his head. "It's no use, the main thruster is gone. We've still got the smaller ones, but…" His voice trailed off.

Scott knew what John wasn't saying. Without that engine, we won't be able to slow our descent. Scott's hands tightened on the yoke. "We've come too far to give up now. We're over water, with any luck it'll cushion our fall."

"Crash you mean."

Scott snorted. "I never crash."

"What about that time—"

"Shut up John." Sweat poured down Scott's face as he tugged at the controls. "Here we go!"

The tiny ship plunged downward. At the last second, Scott managed to pull it up, sending it skipping across the waves. Finally, rolling over on its side, the pod came to a stop. It settled among the waves and all was still.

Alan surveyed the room with a critical eye. He knelt down in front of the door and eyed the doorknob. "I might be able to open it, if I had a piece of wire." He grinned at Fermat who blushed.

Alan turned back to the lock. "Seriously, it doesn't look like it'll be tough to open. I think it was more to keep people out than in."

"W-W-Wait a second." Fermat rushed into the bathroom and returned a moment later. "Will this work?" He held in his hand, a thin piece of spiraled wire.

"Where did you get that?" Alan exclaimed happily.

Fermat shrugged. "Toilet paper roll."

Alan laughed and bent to the task of unlocking the door. He inserted the wire into the lock and wiggled it around, all the while muttering to himself. Suddenly, there was a tiny click. Alan turned the doorknob and the door opened.

"W-Where did you learn to d-d-do that?" Fermat asked.

"Blame my brothers. They're the ones who had Parker baby-sit me. C'mon." Together, they slipped cautiously out in to the hallway. It seemed to be deserted. "Any idea where we are?" Alan asked.

Fermat sniffed. "Where ever it is, we're un-un-un-below ground."

"You said that before. How do you know?"

"Eucalyptus. You can s-s-smell it."

Alan sniffed the air. "I smell something. But how does that prove were under ground?"

"They use eucalyptus to keep the air fresh in m-m-mines and quarries."

Alan stared at his friend. "Fermat, you amaze me. Let's go." They crept down the hallway. "Strange. You'd think the Hood would have guards everywhere."

"Maybe he's here alone." Fermat mused.

"He's got Transom and Mullion with him at least." Alan shrugged. "I didn't see anyone else when he made me talk to Dad. They could be the only ones here."

"And Lady P.?"

Alan stood still. "I find it hard to believe Hood would actually kill her or Parker. They must be here some where."

Fermat nodded at his friend. "Then l-l-let's go find them."