Four months later, everything was running smoothly on Tracy Island. Lona had crewed and flown several missions, and had proved to be a real asset to the organization. Slowly but surely, the Tracy boys and their father were training their new family member on all the THUNDERBIRD machines. Gordon had just been flown up to relive John, and Lona had experienced her first space flight. John had joked that Gordon might not have to serve his duty; that Lona could take it.
Whipping her head around, she had said in a serious voice, "Not this time." Alan and Fermat had also returned to the island for spring break.
Jeff leaned further back in his chair and smiled. The whole household, minus Gordon, were enjoying a sunny day by the pool after three days of bad weather. A typhoon had missed the island by miles, but they had experienced enough of the weather around it. Luckily, International Rescue's services had not been needed.
A song suddenly split the air. Everyone started, looking around for the source of the sound. Jeff, realizing it was his cell phone, hurriedly pulled it out of his back pocket.
"Jeff here." It was Gordon.
"Dad, we've received a call from the Bank of England. There's been a bomb threat. Someone called and claimed that they had planted a bomb in the vault with enough explosives to level roughly five blocks around the bank. The police are trying to clear the area of people, but the bank remembered how the Mole came in the last time and wants us to try to get to vault and defuse the bomb before it blows. If that bomb goes off, it could bring Britain to her knees. The vault has been sealed and the officials can't get in before it goes off."
"How long do we have?" Jeff was in full commander mode now. He brow was creased and his voice carried that hint of steel in it when he was getting ready to issue orders.
"The bomb is set to go off at 6:00 their time. That gives us roughly three hours before detonation."
"Right. Gordon, call the bank and let them know the THUNDERBIRDS are on their way!" Standing up, he raised his voice and addressed his earthbound children.
"THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO! No briefing, head straight for your ships; you'll get the details on the way." There was a mass exodus from the pool and soon the Tracy family was traveling to the danger zone in THUNDERBIRD 1 and 2.
"THUNDERBIRD 2 to THUNDERBIRD 1. Scott, what's your ETA?"
"Dad, Lona, John, and I will be at the danger zone in 30.5 minutes."
"Right. Scott, set up Mobile Control in the Park where the Hood landed THUNDERBIRD 2 last year. Lona, coordinate with the Scotland Yard and get a few officers to guard 1 and 2. And John, use the computer on Mobile Control to plan a route for the Mole."
"FAB." The patriarch of the Tracy family turned to his middle son, who currently served as his copilot.
"Virgil, I want you to pilot the Mole. Alan, when we get to the scene, I want you to take over Mobile Control and keep us informed of events. You haven't had much time on it lately."
"FAB, Dad." Both sons repeated immediately, but when Alan sat back in his seat, he was not too sure about his orders. He knew, as did Virgil, that he was not placed on Mobile Control often because of his age. Youth simply did not inspire confidence. The only reason he was being placed in the command center was because his father felt it would be safer then manning the Mole and descending into a vault that currently housed a time bomb.
Forty-five minutes later, Jeff, Scott, and Virgil were manning the Mole and had set a course straight to the hole which it had dug the previous Spring Break. Lona was leading John and, oddly enough, Parker to the vault door. Lady Penelope had been confident that her employee could gain access to the large vault faster then the Mole ever could. Alan, therefore, was left to tend Mobile Control alone. After several minutes, the young teenager received reports from both groups and then sat back with a sigh. Lacing his hands behind his head, the boy heaved one more sigh as he readied himself for the long silence before the next report that would come only when one of the groups breached the vault.
He never knew what hit him as unconsciousness fell upon him like a wall of bricks, or one, to be precise.
Jeff had refused to tell his sons, but the Bank of England vault was the last place in the world he ever wanted to be. I think I'd rather be in the Hood's stronghold then here. Then again…well, it's a toss up, I guess. Ever since those consecutive nights of nightmares, he had almost sworn to never set foot in the Bank again. But, like his sons, Jeff Tracy would do anything-sacrifice anything-if lives could be saved.
Finally, the occupants felt the final jolt that signified the Mole breeching the floor of the vault. As soon as Jeff stepped out of the Mole, he knew there was no bomb in the building.
Because the Hood was standing right in front of him.