Hey everyone! I can't believe this, here is yet another chapter up. I love short term! My beta reader and I hope to post as many chapters as we can during January/short term so that if the demands of the spring semester are high (they always are) then we will have least moved all of you through a good bit of the story. Anywho, here is the next chapter and this one is a bit of an interlude from the chapters around them. Hope you enjoy and the next chapter is coming right up. Please continue to review and let us know both our faults and our strong points.
Miss Elizabeth Blakeney and Katya
Chapter 9: Operation "Old" Retrieval
Thunderbird 2 landed on the tarmac of Kota Kinabalu's airport in the middle of the night. The airport police escorted the huge airplane into an oversized hanger. They then left so that International Rescue could lock down on their own. No one was to know that a Thunderbird had landed on Borneo, especially in the region of Sabah because the Tracys were sure the Hood had spies working for him. IR had once saved the head of the airport's life, and when Jeff had called him on the videophone, sound only selected, he had been very willing to help them. Only handpicked men had been there to assist with the landing. Virgil had a hurried conference with the airport's head, and then ran over to where Jeff was giving last minute instructions to the search and rescue teams.
He was in full commander mode now. He had to be because he knew that if he allowed himself to be the worried father, it would completely undo him. He thought back to the incident roughly a year ago with the Hood. He remembered looking into each of his son's faces when they realized THUNDERBIRD 5 would be their tomb, seeing their strength and willingness to lay down their lives for what they believed. He remembered he worried for Alan through the whole time, yet it had been unfounded. His youngest had proven himself beyond all expectations, and Jeff had been proud of him and was still proud of him. Now, Scott was in deadly danger, if he was not already…NO! He would not think like that. They were a rescue organization; they would do what they did best: rescue.
"Penny, you and Parker stay in Kota Kinabalu. See what you can find out from your contacts here, also just find out all you can about the criminal organizations around here." The young blond nodded and gestured Parker to get the shockingly pink car ready. Before she left, she looked at each of the Tracy brothers, Kyrano, and finally, Jeff. These brave men, who almost risked their lives daily so that others might live, did not deserve to be put through this hell. Her eyes lingered for a moment longer on Jeff. He still had not noticed that her attitude towards him was not strictly friendship, but then as she had told him, girls were generally the first to figure things of that nature out. So, until he did, she would stand by his side and support him in any capacity she could.
"He will be safe, Jeff. We will find him. Parker and I will be praying." Jeff nodded, then grabbed the offered aristocratic hand. Shaking hands, she hurried over to her car and drove off. John and Gordon moved to stand by their father.
"Boys, the airport head has given us full use of one of their planes. Take the equipment up to the top of Mt. Kinabalu. Set up and begin scanning all frequencies. Keep the plane, we may need it." John and Gordon nodded. Shaking everyone's hands, the two men walked steadily to the waiting aircraft. With a last glance at his departing sons, Jeff turned to the remaining family members. Everyone stood around severe and silent. Shouldering his survival pack, Jeff started to walk out of the hanger. Turning to his remaining son and faithful friend, he looked them hard in the eyes.
"Let's go get Scott back."
Lady Penelope sat in what was the equivalent of a seedy pub in Kota Kinabalu. Dressed in the "stupid" tourist rendition of the local dress, she sipped watered down whiskey. While most people thought of secret agents roles as one rollicking adventure, the truth was that most of her time was spent in waiting-in breathless anticipation of news. Staring at her cup, she wondered if it really was watered down. Shaking the melodramatic thought from her head, she concentrated on the door for a brief second. She was waiting for her informant, Injin Talmel, who was to have met her at 2:00. It was now 2:25, and Penny was beginning to get worried. He had never been late for a meeting before. Something was wrong. When you had been in the field as long as she had, you acquired a sense for danger, or you died very quickly. Lady Penelope had an inimitable danger sense. She could tell a mile away if something was wrong. And right now, as some would say, her spider sense was tingling.
Looking around surreptitiously, she gave a quick, unobtrusive shake of the head to the obviously British man sitting at the table near the window. He quickly got up, paid his bill, and left. Penny gave one last look around, and then paid her own bill. Walking jauntily out, she was quickly helped into a shockingly pink car, and was whisked off to her hotel. Parker had barely closed their door when Lady Penelope suddenly grabbed a charm on her bracelet and turned around quickly. The small man, who had been standing in the dark corner, quickly raised his hands above his head. Penny sighed and lowered her arm, letting go of the small revolver charm. This, thanks to IR's Brains, was a working replica of a revolver which was very handy in tight places. However, they were safe, for the moment. She inclined her head gracefully to the stranger.
"Injin Talmel, it is absolutely delightful to see you again. How have you been, dear boy?" Mr. Talmel bowed sincerely to this wonderful young woman. She gave so willingly to others that he could not live with himself in his selfish cowardice.
"My lady, I must beg your forgiveness." As he said this, he fell to his knees and wept bitterly. Penny was just slightly disconcerted. She was at a loss as to how to deal with a grown man sobbing at her feet. Her training held, as her quick mind searched for a way to acknowledge the man's words without dealing a blow to his pride.
"What are you talking about dear boy? What have you done?" She winced inwardly, but allowed not a microscopic bit of it to show. Not her best line, but, curse it, she was slightly off kilter as it was.
"I did as you asked. I listened in to conversations, talked to friends, and gathered information for you. But I was overheard. A large man came to my house today and threatened my wife and children. I had to swear to him I would not come to you, but you have always been kind to them and me. I have a debt, one I will never be able to repay, but I must try." Lady Penelope wasted no time. So the Hood was threatening her people now; well, he was messing with the wrong woman. She may not have shown her best the last time she faced him, but she had had quite enough of losing. He would not be able to carry out his threat; she would not let him.
"Parker, the car please. Mr. Talmel, I believe you. We are dealing with a ruthless man, who will stop at nothing to stop my…employer. We are going to take you to your family. I am sending all of you to England. You will be under my protection." Talmel bowed once again. This lady was an angel of mercy; his family would be safe. As he watched her eyes turn steely at a private thought, he almost felt sorry for the Hood. This woman was sweet and a perfect lady, but she was dangerous.
John and Gordon hurried to set up the command center. The top of the highest mountain in Malaysia was not extremely cold, just annoyingly so. Hurrying as quickly as they could in order to keep their bodies warm, they unpacked the plane and began to set up. As soon as the heated tents were set up, John sat at a bigger version of Mobile Control in the biggest one. Flicking the switch that powered up the consul, he glanced out of the tent to his younger brother. Gordon was just finishing the placement of the last antenna on the snow covered ground. John sighed. This…situation was hard on all of them. Scott was the oldest. He had been there for all of them. He knew just what to say and do. He knew how each of them dealt with things and what each one couldn't deal with. He would listen to everyone's problems but never open up about his own, so much like his father. He was closest to Virgil and John, but John was usually in the space station. He amended that thought; he was always in the space station. Virgil was often the one who held Scott together when the breaking point was reached. And Scott did the same to Virgil. They were as close as brothers could possibly be, as thick as thieves. It had been true since Virgil was born, and on through their teen and now adult years. Scott loved, admired, and protected Virgil while Virgil worshiped, loved, and protected Scott. John closed his eyes in silent prayer as his thoughts turned to his second oldest brother. As rough a time as he was going through, John knew that Virgil was right now going through his personal hell.
Virgil rolled over in his sleeping bag for the hundred thousandth time. He had been trying to sleep for the past five hours, but so far it had been extremely elusive. He, his father, and Kyrano were heading for the plantation Kyrano's father had owned. From what Kyrano had told them, it was a large, beautiful place; or it had been when he had left. It was approximately three miles from the infamous mine where the man now know as the Hood had run a slave operation. Jeff had rescued Kyrano there, and ever since then Kyrano had been a member of the family. It was also where the Hood had almost died and where his undying hatred of International Rescue had been born. The mine and the house still belonged to Kyrano's half brother, which the Tracy's knew as the Hood.
It was going to be a long, hard journey, taking many days. Jeff had thought about using a vehicle, but had rejected the idea. He hoped that by hiking across country they would avoid detection by the Hood's minions. Virgil's greatest fear was that they would be too late. If anything happened to Scott… Mentally shaking himself, he rolled over once again and tried to sleep.