stupid web site
Six: Day Three
The following morning found Ned and Joe, once again, holed up in Joe's room hatching plans.
"This is a strange household," Joe was declaring. "A room in which people vanish into thin air, a mad scientist, five eligible young men still living at home with their father and grandmother…" He thought for a moment. "One of them missing…"
"Three of them missing," Ned amended.
"Three?"
"There's Gordon, and John…"
"John? But they've spoken to him…"
"They've said they've 'been in contact with him', but I've seen no direct evidence of it. I haven't heard him on the phone. Have you?" Ned looked at his partner.
"No," Joe admitted. "And there hasn't been a word from… What's the other one's name?"
"Scott."
"Maybe he's been dispatched into the Antarctic."
"At this point," Ned sighed. "I'm almost ready to believe anything. I think I'd almost believe them if they said Gordon had been abducted by UFOs."
"You don't believe that Gordon's run away?"
"There's something about that story that doesn't ring true to me. When I let Tracy know that we knew about his and Gordon's altercation the others reacted as if they didn't know what I was talking about."
"So you think the old lady was trying to put us off the scent?"
"Yes," Ned frowned. "The question is, what is the scent we're tracking?" He slammed his fist against his palm. "If only we could talk to someone and get some sense out of them."
"Well you won't get anything out of the Tracys. They'll clam up, as sure as eggs."
"And 'Grandma' would probably try to spin us another tale."
"We'll never get any sense out of the nutty professor."
"Kyrano?" Ned suggested.
"Every time I've spoken to him, he's smiled, bowed politely, and said something in what I think is Malaysian," Joe admitted. "I don't think we'll get any joy out of him."
Ned looked at his cameraman and friend. "Which leaves only one person…"
Tin-Tin had decided to venture out of her room. She was halfway down the hallway when she heard someone call her name.
Her heart sank as she turned. "Mr Cook?"
"Now," he chided her in a teasing manner. "I thought I told you to call me Ned."
Tin-Tin nodded.
"We haven't seen much of you," Joe said. "Only at mealtimes."
"I've been… I've been busy," she replied, her eyes glued to the carpet.
"I'd almost think you've been avoiding us," Ned chuckled. "Are you busy now? We'd like to chat. Nothing serious."
Tin-Tin murmured something.
"Sorry, Tin-Tin," Ned said. "I didn't catch that."
"I can not," Tin-Tin whispered.
"Can't? Why not?" Joe asked.
Tin-Tin twisted her hands together anxiously.
"Come on, Tin-Tin," Ned chuckled. "We're not that frightening, are we?"
Tin-Tin shook her head.
"Why don't you talk to us then? We promise that's all we want to do… talk." Ned held his hands up as if he were surrendering and gave Tin-Tin a disarming smile.
"I can not," Tin-Tin repeated.
"But you're talking to us now. See… It's not that hard," Joe said.
"I mustn't… Father has forbidden me."
"He's what!" Joe exclaimed.
"That's ridiculous!" Ned added. "He can't do that."
"He is my father."
"And this is the 21st century, not the 11th," Ned informed her, struggling to keep his ire from rising. "There's a whole new world out there, Tin-Tin and it's a world where intelligent young women, such as yourself, are free to do as they choose and are not constrained by what their fathers tell them they can, or can't, do."
"You do not understand."
"I'll say I don't understand," Joe said. "We only want to have a chat with you. He can't possibly object to that."
Tin-Tin's hands grasped the cloth of her skirt and scrunched it up, an external expression of her internal anguish. "Mr Tracy would not be happy."
"Mr Tracy…? What's it to do with him?" Ned exclaimed. "How come he has such a hold over everyone? He's only one man!"
"You do not understand," Tin-Tin repeated.
"What kind of tyrant is this Jeff Tracy?" Joe asked. "What kind of man drives his son away and disowns him? Tell us, Tin-Tin."
"No. He is a good man..." Tin-Tin said, wondering why no one was overhearing their conversation and coming to her aid. "He is a caring man…"
"Jeff Tracy only cares about himself…"
"No…"
"He has you all under his thumb…"
"No…" Tin-Tin took a step backwards. "You are wrong."
Ned decided that he felt sorry for this poor, downtrodden, young woman. "Let us help you, Tin-Tin," he pleaded. "As soon as this storm's over the three of us can leave this prison of an island."
"Yes," Joe agreed. "We can help you get a new life."
"No. I do not wish to leave…"
"Why not? Imagine what you could do. Go shopping, make new friends, go to clubs, get a boyfriend... Doesn't that sound great?" Ned asked.
Tin-Tin shook her head frantically.
"Has Jeff Tracy brainwashed you all?" Joe asked. "Is the great philanthropist act just that? An act? I think he's a selfish, domineering, egotistical, cruel…"
"No," Tin-Tin repeated again. "He is a good man. He is my friend. Do not speak ill of him… please." She took another step backwards.
"Stand up to him, Tin-Tin!" Ned commanded. "Gordon did! Gordon stood up to his father and left here!"
"No, he… No. I can not… I do not wish to leave. You do not understand, Mr Cook…"
"Then help us to understand. Explain to us what's really going on in this place."
"There is nothing going on. I am happy here." Tin-Tin sounded miserable.
Joe looked at Ned. "Poor girl. Tracy's really got a hold over her."
"You don't know what he is truly like," Tin-Tin told him. "Mr Tracy is a wonderful man. He loves all his sons…"
"Except Gordon."
Tin-Tin looked even more miserable. "…He loves me as if I were his daughter."
"If he did that he would let go. He'd let you be free to live your life, not insist that you stay here as a slave…"
The statement ignited something inside Tin-Tin. "I am not a slave!"
"Then why do you stay here?"
"Because Mr Tracy… Because Brains needs me."
"How? How does Brains need you? He probably doesn't even know you exist when you're not in that lab with him," Joe asked.
"You do not know Brains. He is a genius. It is an honour to work with him."
"An honour? The guy's nuts. I'd be careful, Tin-Tin. If you stay here you're likely to end up as nutty as he is."
"You do not know him." Tin-Tin had decided that her best course of action was to repeat the basic truths and to try to get away when the opportunity arose. "You do not know any of us."
"And you're not giving us the opportunity to know you."
"We are a private family."
"Do you count yourself as a member of the Tracy family?" Ned asked.
Tin-Tin drew herself up to her full height, and for the first time looked the reporter in the eye. "I am proud to do so."
"Then you know all that goes on here." Ned pressed. "What's so special about the laboratory? Where do people go when they enter there? How do they disappear?"
"That is none of your business."
"Maybe not, but I'm curious," Ned informed her. "If you tell me I promise I won't say it to another soul."
"And I make the same promise," Joe added.
Tin-Tin took two steps backwards. "I do not believe you will keep your promise."
Ned pretended to look hurt. "Now, Tin-Tin, you wound me."
"I am sorry. But I do not trust you. Either of you." Tin-Tin tried to walk away.
Ned caught her arm. "Okay. We won't talk about the lab. Let's talk about something else. Where's Scott and John? Has Mr Tracy disowned them as well? Tell me about Jeff Tracy."
Tin-Tin pulled her arm free. "Leave me alone," she cried, trying to leave.
"All we want to do is talk, Tin-Tin," Ned asserted, following her. "We want to understand what is happening here."
Tin-Tin walked quickly towards the kitchen, hopeful that she might find her father or Grandma Tracy. "I do not want to talk to you. Please leave me alone," she reiterated before breaking into a run.
"Tin-Tin, wait!" Ned followed the young Eurasian; Joe hard on his heels.
Tin-Tin entered the kitchen and was horrified to discover that it was empty. Footsteps in the hall told her that the two men were still after her. She had only one avenue of escape. Off the kitchen was a late addition to the house. A long, thin sunroom, constructed of entirely of plexiglass and just wide enough for one person and the various herbs, which her father had planted to be used in the seasoning of the daily meals. On a clear day, from the kitchen and through the herbarium, it was possible to see the Pacific Ocean and the cliffs leading away towards the Round House. Today, in the middle of Cyclone Sylvia, all that could be seen were the torrents of rain crashing onto the roof, running down the walls, dripping onto the ground beneath, and the occasional shrub that Sylvia hurled against the building.
The entrance to the herbarium was from a door cut into the kitchen wall and Tin-Tin ducked through, hoping to be able to hide from her pursuers.
Panting, Ned and Joe ran into the kitchen, saw their quarry run into the external room and flung open the door.
At that moment there was a loud bang…
"Gordon?" Scott called as he wandered through the labyrinth that was the hangars of International Rescue. "Gordon, where are…? Ah..." He'd found his younger brother. "What are you doing?"
It was obvious that what Gordon was doing was moping. He was seated on the top of Thunderbird Four, his legs dangling over the edge so his shoeless heels were tapping lightly against the plexiglass viewport. "I'm keeping out of trouble."
Scott kicked his shoes off and clambered up the outside of the yellow submarine until he was able to sit beside his brother. "What's up?"
"Nothing. Just thinking about yesterday."
"Yesterday's gone," Scott made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Don't worry about it. This cyclone can't last for much longer and then things will get back to normal. We'll both be able to get outside, get some sunshine and we'll both feel better."
"It's all right for you. You haven't jeopardised International Rescue." Clearly a night's sleep hadn't improved Gordon's mood.
"I have kinda. If Cook hears my voice and puts two and two together…"
"What's the odds of that?" Gordon asked. "All you'd have to do is not say a word and they won't know who you are…"
"It'd look a bit odd if I were to suddenly pop up in the middle of a cyclone. 'Hello, Scott. Where have you been?' 'Oh, I decided I couldn't let my family face Sylvia alone so I waved my magic wand and here I am!'"
The corners of Gordon's mouth twitched upwards slightly.
"Or, I suppose I could say that I was flying home, crashed into the ocean, and I was fortunate to wash up on shore. Cold, tired, but alive," Scott made a dramatic gesture, laying his hand on his forehead. "But, of course, I can't say anything because I don't want them to hear my voice."
"Just as well. You're a terrible liar."
"I leave that to the experts. Those who think nothing of telling a tall tale just to play a joke on someone."
Gordon chuckled and then became serious. "Any ideas how long we're going to be trapped down here, Scott?"
"How much longer do you think this cyclone will last, John?" Jeff Tracy asked. He, along with Virgil, Alan and Brains were holding a conference with Thunderbird Five's space monitor.
"Hard to say, Dad. Sylvia's a monster! And seems to be quite happy where she is. She's getting quite a bit of power from those seas around you."
Brains nodded knowingly. "A mature tropical cyclone, s-such as S-Sylvia is, is like an engine…"
"Huh?" Alan asked, finding the idea intriguing.
"The warm t-tropical air rising from the P-Pacific Ocean's waters is the fuel. If we could h-harness this heat in the centre of a c-cyclone, and turn it into u-usable electricity, one day's energy would power a c-country the size of New Zealand for 25 years."
Virgil gave a low whistle. "That would solve a few power crises."
"But it doesn't help us now," Jeff growled. "So, roughly, how many days, John?"
"I think you'll be stuck for at least another two, probably three. The eye hasn't reached you yet. Here, I'll show you…" John's image disappeared and was replaced by a satellite photo of Cyclone Sylvia.
"Where's Tracy Island?" Alan asked.
"There." A pointer appeared on screen and circled a small dot superimposed on the swirling circle. "This is the direction Sylvia's tracking." The pointer moved in a south-westerly direction.
"It's huge!" Alan was staring at the picture in awe.
"I told you it was. And you haven't experienced the worst winds yet." John appeared back on screen.
"So we're looking at, at least, another three days of trying to keep International Rescue secret?" Jeff asked John.
Those in the study heard a loud bang and felt a tremor beneath their feet.
"Yes," John was saying, oblivious to the mysterious sensations. "And after the main body of the cyclone's gone you're still going to be getting the effects of the winds at the fringes…"
No one was listening to him. "What was that?" Virgil looked at the others in the room.
"What was what?" John asked, having realised that his family's attention had been diverted from their discussion.
"Thunder?" Alan hypothesised, getting to his feet.
Jeff was already at the door. "It sounded bigger than that... And closer."
"What did?" John asked their departing backs. "What's happened?"
In the hallway the Tracys and Brains were met by an agitated Ned. "Tin-Tin's fallen!"
"My Tin-Tin?" Kyrano had exited his room when he'd heard the mystery noise. "Where is she?"
Alan frowned, trying to judge the seriousness of the situation. "She's what? How?"
"She's in the kitchen. She needs help."
As one man they ran into the kitchen and pulled up upon finding it empty, apart from Joe who was looking through the windows.
"Where is my Tin-Tin?" Kyrano repeated.
"I thought you said she was in here," Virgil added.
"She was. Now she's outside," Ned explained.
"Outside? How'd…" Jeff began and for the first time the family noticed that a part of the building had disappeared.
"She was in that sun room thing. It gave way," Joe told them.
They rushed to the windows and looked down. There, huddled in the upturned herbarium, like a mouse in a jar, was Tin-Tin.
She had been fortunate in that the house was situated on the leeward side of the island, and that the herbarium was on the protected side of the house, meaning things here were relatively sheltered. But even so the rains were still falling in a torrent and the winds were blowing away everything in their path. The hillside above the Tracy Villa had become sodden with the never-ending river of water flowing over it and had collapsed. A mudslide, after powering down the hill, had slammed into the foundations of the house. The herbarium's three support pillars had been unable to withstand the onslaught and had collapsed. Only where the floor joined onto the main building remained connected. The whole room had fallen outwards, inverting itself until it was once again supported on an unstable tripod of collapsed pillars.
The longest wall of the herbarium had effectively become the floor. The plexiglass roof and original floor had become slick walls. Even if the rains and winds hadn't been forcing her to do what she could to protect herself, there was nothing that Tin-Tin could have used to gain purchase to climb out.
Alan tried to force open the door that had previously connected the kitchen with the herbarium, but the strength of the winds was too strong. "Give me a hand, Virgil!" he ordered and together they put their backs into it and managed to get the door open a crack. Ignoring the river of water that was pouring into the house, Alan called down to his friend. "Tin-Tin! Are you all right?"
Inside the house there was no need for warm protective clothing, but out here, exposed to the stinging rains, Tin-Tin was quickly soaked to the skin. She'd been blown along the 'floor' of the herbarium, away from her only hope of escape, until the far wall had impeded her progress. Now she was curled up into a tight ball, trying to ignore the wind, the rain… and the water pooling around her legs… She looked up, blinded by the stream of water. "Help me!"
"Tin-Tin! Are you okay! Don't worry, we'll save you!"
But Tin-Tin had hidden her face away again to protect it from the stinging rain.
"She'll never hear you over this wind," Virgil said as they allowed the door to close.
"Brains?" Jeff turned to the engineer.
"M-My first concern is that the herbarium doesn't appear to be v-very secure," Brains said. "Before we do anything else, I'd like to ensure th-that Tin-Tin doesn't fall any further."
"How are we going to get her out?" Alan asked. "Pull her up?"
"Th-That would be the best solution."
"Alan. Go get some rope so we can at least get Tin-Tin secured," Jeff commanded. "Virgil…" he looked at his middle son and then glanced at the two interlopers who had found a good vantage point and were peering down at the trapped girl. "Virgil, get whatever you'll need to get her to safety."
"F-A… ah, right!" Virgil said and followed Alan out of the kitchen, turning right as his brother went left.
"Tin-Tin!" Kyrano was at the outside door, trying to push it open. "My Tin-Tin!"
"Come here, Old Friend," Jeff led him away from the door. "The boys will get her."
"Is she all right?"
"She doesn't look hurt," Ned said. "Come here, Kyrano. You can see that she's trying to protect herself from the rain."
"M-Mr Tracy. I-I have something…"
"Do what you have to, Brains."
Gordon and Scott were still sitting on Thunderbird Four when they heard the sound of running feet and then the hum of the motor as one of their storage units was opened. They quickly slid off the submarine and jogged out into the hangar to find out what was going on.
"What's up, Virg?" Gordon asked.
Virgil glanced at them before turning his attention back to the items stored in the cupboard. "Tin-Tin's in trouble," he said briefly.
"Trouble?" Scott made a quick assessment of the gear that was being assembled at their feet. "What kind of trouble."
Virgil gave them a brief run-down of the situation. "Can you get me four 'Suckers' please, Gordon."
"Sure."
"How bad's the weather?" Scott asked.
"Bad. Remember Scotland last year?"
"Yup."
"It's worse than that."
That was all the information that Scott and Gordon needed to give them a picture of what their friend was up against. "She's going to need some protection," Scott pulled Tin-Tin's rescue headgear out of its locker and checked the attached microphone and headset. "Seems to be working."
Virgil had assembled two sets of International Rescue heavy weather climbing overalls and various bits of rope and abseiling equipment. He picked them up and looked at the large round items in Gordon's hands. "D'you think you could bring them up to the door for me, Gordon?"
"Do you want us to do anything else?" Scott asked, taking some of the ropes off Virgil.
"Not yet. We'll let you know if we need extra man power," Virgil started hurrying for the exit. "You could let John know what's happening though. He's probably up there stewing."
They reached the exit and Scott and Gordon placed their bundles on the floor. "Don't forget, give us a call if you need us," Gordon reminded his brother.
"Don't worry. That'll be topmost in our minds."
"Keep your communicator on transmit," Scott ordered. "We want to know what's going on."
"Okay. Thanks, Guys." Virgil opened the secret door, checked the way was clear, tipped the equipment into the adjacent room and stepped through.
Before the door slid shut behind him Scott and Gordon had a clear view through the window to the outside world. The sight of the wild weather did nothing to ease their concerns for Tin-Tin.
Gordon turned to Scott. "Now what do we do? I don't feel right skulking away down here while she's in trouble."
"No, me neither…" Scott agreed. "The first thing we'll do is let John know the situation. And then…"
"Yes?" Gordon asked eagerly. "Then what?"
"Then we'll go find the plans to the house."
Alan had got a set of conventional climbing equipment, the kind the Tracy boys and Tin-Tin used for everyday recreational use, and had tethered one end of a rope securely. He looked out the window. "She'll never be able to get into a climbing harness unaided," he commented. "I hope she can tie a bowline. Help me with this door, Dad."
Together he and his father managed to get the door open a reasonable distance and hold it that way while Brains wedged a jack into place. They stepped back hurriedly and the door remained ajar, flapping and groaning.
Alan got the free end of the rope. "Tin-Tin!" he yelled. "Tin-Tin! Can you hear me?" He waved his arms trying to get her attention.
Tin-Tin couldn't hear him and her head remained buried in her arms with her back to the wind and the onslaught of rain and debris.
"Tin-Tin!" Alan yelled again.
Brains stepped out of the immediate kitchen area, away from Ned and Joe, and activated his wristwatch communicator. "Tin-Tin, can you h-hear me?" He turned up the volume. "Tin-Tin?"
Tin-Tin became aware of a sound, other than that of the pounding rain against the plexiglass and her body. Her watch, pressed against her ear, appeared to be talking to her. She raised her head enough so that she could see the face. "Brains? Help me, Brains!"
"Alan is going to th-throw a rope down to you," Brains explained.
Tin-Tin frowned. "What? I can't hear you!" She placed the watch back against her ear.
It wasn't much better. "Alin's gonn mmnmnm ro domnm ou," she heard over the weather's never-ending noise.
She took a moment to run the phrase through her mind, and then, coming up with something reasonably coherent, turned to look back up towards the door, shielding her eyes with her arms. "Alan! Help me!"
"Catch this!" Alan threw out the rope, but it was caught by the wind and flew over her head and down the outside of the herbarium. He pulled it back gently, hoping that it would fall back within Tin-Tin's reach. But at the crucial moment a gust caught the end and threw it back at him. Tin-Tin tried reaching for it, but the wind's power was too strong and she was unable to move from her vulnerable position.
"Feed it out slowly," Jeff suggested. "Let the wind carry it down to her."
Alan did as he was told. It seemed to be working until the last moment, when the wind caught the rope again, cracking it like a whip. Tin-Tin cringed back, frightened by this new threat.
Alan reeled the rope in again. "We need some weight on it."
"Not too much," his father warned.
"Here!" Grandma produced some large plastic water containers from the utensils cupboard. "Fill these with water, Kyrano." Eager to finally be able to do something to help his daughter, Kyrano complied, partially filling them, so they had some weight but also enough air so they would float.
Alan tied the containers together and connected them to a karabiner before testing that they were firmly attached. The karabiner he clipped to the loop at the end of the rope. "This time," he said determinedly as he slowly fed the rope out.
This time it worked. The rope snaked its way downwards, slithering across the slippery surface of the plexiglass sideways until it reached the water in the bottom of the herbarium. Here the bottles were caught by the wind and floated towards Tin-Tin. Her eyes partly closed because of the pelting raindrops, she managed to grab them and pulled them towards her, before preparing to release the karabiner.
"Tie yourself to the rope!" Alan yelled.
"Do you want me tied to the rope?" Tin-Tin asked her watch.
Brains nodded emphatically so she would understand.
With one hand keeping a firm grip on the rope, so it wouldn't get loose, Tin-Tin used the other to wrap the lifeline around her and then tie a secure bowline knot. "Now what?" she asked Brains.
"I wish we could pull her up," Alan said to his father. "But that rope'll never be strong enough against this wind and water."
"It's not the rope I'm worried about being strong enough," Jeff said. "It's us. That cyclone's stronger than seven men… or nine," he added quietly.
"Alan!" Virgil yelled from the hallway. "Can you give me a hand?"
Alan raced into the hallway, followed by his grandmother. "Great! You've got the gear."
"There's yours," Virgil held out a climbing suit.
Alan accepted it with a word of thanks and quickly put it on. Then he bent down to pick up his climbing harness. As he straightened something thumped him on the chest. "Grandma! What are you doing?" He looked down seeing a strip of grey across the front of the suit.
She was unravelling some more duct tape. "Now you worry about getting young Tin-Tin to safety," she instructed. "And I'll worry about protecting our identity." She stuck the tape down his sleeve covering up the words 'International Rescue'.
Despite his worries, Alan managed a grin. "Nice one, Grandma."
After covering up a few more damaging logos on his climbing equipment, Grandma turned her attention to her other grandson. "Now, listen to me, Virgil Tracy. You're not going out in that cyclone!"
"Don't worry," Virgil glanced up from where he was checking his equipment. "I don't think I'll be given the opportunity." He nodded over towards Alan who had a determined expression on his face, before pulling a climbing hood over his head and adjusting the microphone. "Can you hear me, Alan?"
He heard the response through the headphones built into the hood. "Loud and clear. How are you receiving me?"
"Strength five," Virgil replied.
"Good," Alan grunted. "Time to get this show on the road."
Scott and Gordon's frustration at only being able to hear part of what was happening had been amplified when Virgil had put on his climbing overalls, the sleeves of which had covered his watch. Their concerns were allayed somewhat when they used a radio to tune in to the radio conversation between their brothers. "What are you going to do, Alan?" Scott asked.
"Climb down to Tin-Tin. Then Virgil can pull us up using the 'Suckers'."
"Will they be strong enough, Virgil? That wind looked pretty powerful."
"I don't know, Scott. We can only try."
"We're going back into the kitchen," Alan told his eldest brother. "Excuse us if we stop talking to you."
"That's fine, Alan. But just remember that we're listening."
"We'll mind our manners," Alan picked up two 'Suckers' and carried them into the kitchen.
Ned and Joe appeared to be somewhat surprised to see the two younger Tracy men decked out in their climbing gear complete with protective hoods and microphones. Kyrano was relieved to see that the people that he trusted most in the world were going to save his precious daughter.
Alan dropped his 'Suckers' on the floor. Each disk, approximately the same diameter as a car wheel but the same shape as a suction cup, sat there unimportantly. Virgil placed a replica of the original pair, complete with patch of duct tape, beside it. Then he went back into the hall, returning with a fourth.
"What are they?" Ned asked.
"Suction cups," Alan said briefly. He pressed the button on one and there was a sucking sound as the 'Sucker' adhered itself to the floor. Then he threaded the free end of the rope that was attached to his harness through the mechanics on the top of the unit, repeating the procedure on another 'Sucker' with his safety rope. "Can you check that for me, Virgil?"
Virgil having attached a line for Tin-Tin to the third 'Sucker', and his own safety rope to the fourth, made a swift and thorough check as Alan checked the last two. "You're okay." He pushed another button on each of the units and they took up the slack in the ropes. Then he looked back at his brother. "Any time you're ready."
"Thanks." Alan stepped over to the still flapping, open door. "Wish me luck."
"Good luck, Alan," his father said.
"Good luck, Alan," there was an echo in four part harmony.
"Bring my Tin-Tin back safely, please, Mister Alan," Kyrano pleaded.
Alan gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "She'll be fine, Kyrano. I'll have her back inside in no time."
Kyrano appeared to be reassured by the young man's words.
Ned and Joe were less sure…
"Let's see…" Scott and Gordon were pouring over the most recent plans of the villa. "Here's the herbarium …" Scott's finger traced its outline.
"Yep," Gordon agreed.
"Which has fallen outwards."
"Yep."
"So that means that the floor of the herbarium is up against the wall… of… this… room," Scott superimposed the plans of the level the kitchen was on and the floor below.
"Yep."
"And that room is…"
"Food store number three."
Scott looked at Gordon. "Then that's where we're headed…"
Alan had made it safely down to what had formerly been the wall of the herbarium. Then he made his way to Tin-Tin, aided, in no small part, by the prevailing winds and the current in the knee deep waters. "It's okay, Honey," he gave her a reassuring kiss on the cheek. "You'll be fine now."
The gesture did not go unnoticed by the two reporters.
"How are we going to get out, Alan?" Tin-Tin shouted.
"I can't hear you. Put this on." Alan assisted his girlfriend into her hood, doing it up under her chin as she tucked her hair away and lowered her goggles over her eyes. "Better?"
Tin-Tin nodded, now able to hear him through the noise cancelling headphones. "Thank you."
"Are you hurt?"
"No," Tin-Tin reassured him. "I'm fine."
Up in the house, Jeff, wearing his own set of headphones and a microphone, let out a sigh of relief. "She says she's all right, Kyrano," he said covering his mike.
Kyrano allowed himself a smile of relief. "Thank you, Mr Tracy."
Alan was assisting Tin-Tin into a harness as Virgil watched them through the open door. "They're finding it a struggle," he said as a gust of wind caught Alan off balance, causing him to stumble.
"Will the 'Suckers' be able to pull them against this wind?" Jeff asked.
"Brains?" Virgil turned to the scientist who was maintaining his distance from the two reporters.
"I don't know, Mr Tracy. To be honest… A-Against this wind… A-And at the angle that they are h-having to pull… And through the water…" Brains dragged his eyes away from water filling the herbarium and glanced at Kyrano, "I-I have my doubts."
Kyrano's expression was inscrutable.
Alan had succeeded in getting Tin-Tin trussed up in a harness. "Reel her in, Virgil."
"Are you ready, Tin-Tin?" Virgil asked.
"Yes," she replied. "Tell me what to do."
"Keep down low," he suggested. "Try to minimise the wind resistance. If you can crawl, ah, swim, do so, but let the winch do all the work."
"F-A-B," she replied.
"I'll pull you up second, Alan. So we don't snare the lines."
"I'm okay, Virgil. Just concentrate on getting Tin-Tin inside."
Virgil activated the motor on the 'Sucker' attached to Tin-Tin's harness. Slowly the rope grew taut…
"I never thought of using a 'Vic-dec' to see if anyone was coming," Gordon commented as they slipped into food store number three.
"And I never realised that there were so many hiding places in this house. I'm onto you now, Gordon."
"Nah. I've only shown you the places big enough for two. You'll still never be able to track me," Gordon placed the victim-detector on a box labelled 'flour'. "Now what?"
Scott unhitched the laser that was strapped to his back. "Now, while we're waiting to see how they get on, I'll work out where we're going to have to cut and you, as the master of illusion, can work out where we're going to hide if we get unexpected visitors." He pulled a laser measure from his pocket and beamed it along the outside wall…
Tin-Tin gave a little scream that ended as choking cry, as the wind, yet again, caught her and flung her through the hip deep water, back to the end of the herbarium. She landed hard against Alan, winding him. "Are you okay, Honey?" he managed to gasp.
Through the water and her goggles he saw tears begin to well up. "I'm scared, Alan."
"Shush. It's okay. Virgil and Brains will get us out." Alan shifted their position slightly so that his body was taking most of the punishment being given out by Cyclone Sylvia. "I'll protect you."
Virgil looked out of the door at the stranded couple and then down at the burnt out 'Sucker'. "Now what?"
"We're going to have to stop that water from rising any further," Jeff said looking down to where the water was lapping at the chests of his son and the girl he almost regarded as a daughter.
"We're g-going to have to drain the herbarium," Brains handed what looked like a large gun to Virgil. "But we don't want to destabilise it. Cut out an overflow hole j-just below the water line to stop it rising any more. Then we'll re-evaluate where is the b-best place for the d-drainage hole."
"Okay." Virgil checked the laser before taking aim through the shaking door. "I wish we could open this some more," he said in frustration. "I don't want to get too close to…"
Unable to withstand being buffeted by the winds any more, the door slammed open, flew off its hinges and cut through the air narrowly above the heads of the couple stranded in the herbarium. The jack, suddenly freed of its constraints ricocheted into the kitchen, missed Virgil by millimetres, and embedded itself into the wall.
"Whew!" Virgil stared at the jack and ran a shaking hand over his forehead. "That was close! Talk having about your wish come true!" He took a steadying breath as the wind whistled into the room.
"Are you all right, Virgil?" his father asked.
Virgil was already taking aim again. "Fine… I've got a clear view now…"
"What if they manage to pull them out?" Gordon asked as he stood beside Scott, his laser carving through the outside wall of food store number three. "We could be wrecking the house for no good reason."
"They haven't succeeded so far," Scott rejoined. "And you heard Virgil's voice. That's his, 'we need another plan and we need it fast' tone."
"Do I have one of those?" Gordon asked in interest as he adjusted his cutting angle.
"Yup…"
"Are you okay, Honey?" Alan asked.
"I'm cold, Alan."
"I know. But it won't be much longer now. They'll be up there hatching a plan. You know that."
"I wish they'd hurry."
'So do I,' Alan thought as he held her close…
"Where do you want the hole, Brains?" Virgil asked.
Brains was peering analytically through the windows. "In the c-corner."
"Here? About this big?" A light traced a circle on the seething surface of the water.
"Yes, Virgil. That will do. It's small enough that Tin-Tin and Alan shouldn't fall through, b-but big enough to release the water without dest-stabiling the structure."
"Okay…" once again the laser fired into life, passing through the water and cutting through what had formerly been the outer wall of the herbarium.
It was Tin-Tin who first felt, through the thin cotton of her top, the water level receding. "The water's draining away, Alan."
"See, I told you they had a plan."
"Have you got a plan, Virgil?" Scott asked, speaking into his microphone.
"Negative," Virgil replied.
"We have. We're in food store number three. Get down here."
"You've what!" Virgil released his safety rope attached to a 'Sucker' and sped from the kitchen.
"Where's he gone?" Ned asked Jeff.
"He must have come up with an idea," Jeff prevaricated.
"Shouldn't we follow him? He might need help," Joe suggested.
"I-I'll go," Brains offered.
"Thanks, Brains. I'm sure Virgil will appreciate your help. But I think the rest of us should stay here until one of you calls us."
"Very good, Mr Tracy." Brains inclined his head and hurried from the room.
"What are you doing?" Virgil asked as he barrelled into the food store and saw what appeared to be the cut outline of a potential hole in the wall, criss-crossed with other cuts.
"Your job for you," Scott told him. "On the other side of that wall is the herbarium. We'll pull this bit of wall out and then you can cut through the plexiglass and rescue Alan and Tin-Tin." He held out one of the tools that he'd brought with him.
Virgil briefly checked the area that had already been cut. "Are you sure you're in the right place?"
"Scott measured it," Gordon told him.
"Then you're in the right place…" Virgil nodded, reassured. "Let's start pulling this out." He knocked out one of the smaller pieces of wall, leaving a hole big enough for the tool to fit through. Threading it through the hole, he ensured that it was sitting flush against the outside of the wall. Then he handed the attached rope to his brothers. "Here we go… Pull!"
All three of them lent backwards, straining against the force of the concrete.
"We only need to remove a little bit and the rest will come down," Scott said, when they stopped for a moment to regain their energies. "Come on, Guys. One good pull should do it. Put your back into it!"
"C-Can I help?"
"Brains!" Gordon exclaimed. "I didn't see you there."
"No. I was watching you. Good thinking, Boys."
"Here y'are," Scott handed him the end of the rope. "On the count of three, pull! One… Two…."
On three they pulled again, dragging a section of concrete inside, which was closely followed by the rest of the wall. After the dust had settled the three Tracy brothers and Brains found themselves staring through the plexiglass wall/floor at Alan and Tin-Tin.
Virgil picked up a laser. "We're on the homeward stretch now," he said as it fired into the life.
"Don't cut near the c-corner," Brains advised. "T-Try to cut within one plane."
"Okay, Brains." Virgil's laser made quick work of the plexiglass and he used the pulling tool again to pull the cut out segment into the storeroom. Water that hadn't been able to drain out of the herbarium cascaded into the room, saturating both Virgil and some of the nearby boxes of provisions. "Just as well I was already wet."
At once Scott and Gordon were braving the torrential rains and reaching out to help Tin-Tin. Relieved to be inches away from safety, she released the rope attached to her harness and jumped down onto the rubble and into Scott's steadying arms. "Are you all right, Honey?" he asked.
"I am now," she nodded. "Thank you."
Gordon grinned at her. "I never realised you were such a home wrecker, Tin-Tin."
"Come on, Alan," Virgil held out a hand to assist his brother.
Those in the kitchen looked down in relief as the two captives escaped the herbarium.
Kyrano pushed himself away from the window, a huge smile of relief on his face. "Where are they, Mr Tracy? I must go to my daughter."
"Food store three." The words were barely out of Jeff's mouth when Kyrano had scurried from the room.
"Where is this room?" Ned asked. "I'd like to congratulate your boys, Mr Tracy. That was quite an act a heroism we just witnessed."
"I doubt they'll think they did anything heroic," Jeff replied as he led the way slowly to the store. "Tin-Tin's an important part of this family. They did what they felt was necessary to save her."
"Tin-Tin!" Kyrano cried as he burst into the storeroom.
"Father!" Ignoring the fact that her sodden clothes were soaking his silken robes, Tin-Tin embraced her father.
He held her protectively. "My daughter, are you all right?"
"Perfectly, Father, Thanks to Alan and the boys. But I am cold and wet."
"Mister Virgil, Mister Scott, Mister Gordon… Mister Alan," Kyrano's gaze lingered a trifle longer on the youngest Tracy. "I thank you all most sincerely." There were modest murmurings from the Tracy brothers.
"Alan did the hard work," Virgil offered.
"Got to keep our hand in," Scott said.
"Any excuse to get out and stretch our legs," Gordon grinned.
"We couldn't just leave her," Alan added.
Someone was approaching. And making an inordinate amount of noise in the process.
"Quick, Gordon!" Scott hissed. "Where's this hiding place of yours?"
"Here!" Gordon led the way behind some boxes that he'd pulled out from the wall.
Jeff was the first to enter. "Are you both all right?" His concern for them both was obvious. "Tin-Tin? Alan?"
Alan made a dismissive gesture. "No sweat. It was like a swim in the ocean… although maybe a little more rough."
Joe indicated the hole in the wall. "Great thinking, Virgil!"
"I can't claim all the credit," Virgil admitted.
"How are you, Tin-Tin?" Ned asked.
She shrank away from him. "I am well, thank you," she said formally.
Kyrano felt her tension increase and held her away from him so he could look her in the face. "Tin-Tin? Why did you go into the herbarium? Mr Tracy said it was not safe."
Tin-Tin bit her lip and said nothing, but her eyes darted towards the two reporters, before she lowered them to the ground.
"Tin-Tin?" Jeff asked.
"Mr Cook?" Kyrano looked over his daughter's should to the reporter. "Do you know why?"
Ned gave a nervous laugh. "We, ah, we wanted to talk to Tin-Tin. I think she got the wrong idea… We only wanted a chat."
"Chat?" Jeff frowned.
"We wanted to find out more about her," Ned prevaricated. "We were wondering what a young lady does to entertain herself on a tropical island, far from anywhere."
"I told you to leave me alone!" Tin-Tin exclaimed. "You would not!"
"Where was this?" Jeff asked.
"Outside the library," Tin-Tin told him. "They wouldn't stop asking questions…"
"For some reason she thought we were chasing her," Joe added.
"You were what!" Alan took a threatening step forward but stopped when Virgil stepped in front of him, impeding his progress.
Jeff, more subtly, did the same to Kyrano. "There's quite a distance between the library and the kitchen," he said as he saw Alan's hands clench into fists.
"She ran away from us," Joe said. "We followed her so we could tell her not to be frightened."
"I told you to leave me alone," Tin-Tin reminded him. "You would not listen. You were saying horrible things."
"Such as?" Alan snarled.
"You said that father doesn't let me have any freedom!" Tin-Tin accused, pointing at the two men. "You called me a slave!"
"What!" The Tracys and Kyrano fixed the two reporters with a glare that could only be described as hostile.
"You called Mr Tracy a tyrant! You said he was selfish! You called him cruel, and domineering, and egotistical…!"
By now even Virgil looked ready to hit the two men. "How dare…!" He made an abrupt movement and was held back by his grandmother.
"You accused him of disowning Scott and John!"
Gordon and Scott, still hidden behind the cases, bit their tongues and tried not to let their tempers get the better of them.
"You said Brains was crazy!"
Brains pushed up his sleeves. "W-Would you gentlemen care to s-s-step outside?"
"You said we are all under Mr Tracy's thumb! All except Gordon…"
Gordon gave an involuntary jerk at the sound of his name and a can fell out of the box he was hiding behind. It rolled into the middle of the storeroom.
An awkward silence filled the room. Silence except for the sounds of wind and rain beating in through the hole in the wall.
"Come, my dear," Mrs Tracy put her arms around Tin-Tin's shoulders and gently pried her out of Kyrano's grasp. "Let's get you out of those wet things," she led the young Eurasian out of the room, fixing Ned and Joe with a baleful glare on the way. "You do not know my son," she spat as she strode past.
Kyrano followed his daughter and their friend. "I pray that you will remember that it is an honour to work for Mr Tracy," he said with dignity.
Jeff glared at the reporters. "I think, gentlemen, you would be wise to return to your rooms. We will tell you when the next meal is ready." He was trying to sound neutral, but his sons could hear the anger in his voice.
"You can't order us about, Jeff Tracy. We're not part of your entourage," Ned snapped in reply.
"I think I told you, when you first invited yourselves here, that this is a benign dictatorship…"
"I'm not so sure about benign. That poor girl…"
Another can hit the floor. Scott and Gordon's clothes were soaking wet and the liquid was seeping into the cardboard of the boxes they were pressed up against. Slowly the boxes were disintegrating as the two brothers tried to hold the remaining cans in place.
"Something's behind there," Ned said at the sounds of scuffling, eager to divert attention away from himself and Joe.
Brains stepped forward and picked up one of the fallen cans. "Ah! Th-The Sebastiana pavoniana has Laspeyresia saltitans in them."
"What?" A bemused Joe asked.
Brains held up the can for clarification. "J-Jumping beans. Though, strictly speaking, they are not of the legume family."
"Those are ordinary beans, Brains," Jeff told him.
"Ordinary b-beans?" Brains squinted at the can, raising his spectacles in an ill-founded attempt to read the label. "Are you sh-sh-sure?"
"Quite sure,"
Brains shook the can. "I-I don't know…" he said doubtfully. "What do you think?" he thrust the can into Ned's face.
Ned took a step backwards. "I think Mr Tracy's right."
"Do you?" Brains examined the can again. "Let's open it and f-find out, shall we? I've some nitro-g-glycerine up in the lab. Y-You two can hold the c-can while I open it."
Clearly less than enamoured with the idea, Ned and Joe backed away. "Thanks for the offer, Brains," Ned said. "But I think we'll pass..." He glowered at Jeff. "Just remember that you've only listened to her side of the story," he sneered. "And I thought that Jeff Tracy was supposed to be a fair man. Obviously the rumours are wrong." He and his partner stalked from the room.
Jeff exhaled a breath, and some of the tensions that had built up inside him. "Good work, Brains. You can come out, Boys."
"Is it safe?" Scott whispered, peeping out from behind the boxes.
Jeff nodded. "Thank you for what you did."
"We'd risk our necks for Tin-Tin," Gordon reminded him. "But I wouldn't mind putting those two back under the Empire State Building."
Scott gave what could be described as a predatory grin. "I like the way you're thinking, Gordon. Next time they try to film us, I think I'll be wiping out more than their film." He slammed his fist into his hand.
"Now, Boys," Jeff admonished. "That's not what we're about. They were just curious…"
"Curious? How can you stick up for them, Dad?" Alan asked incredulously. "None of those things he said about you were true. That's libel! You could sue them for every penny they've got."
"You mean slander," Virgil informed him. "But I agree with you. Sue them, Father. You've got witnesses."
"Yeah," Gordon added. "Everyone knows that Jeff Tracy…"
Jeff held up his hand. "Remember with regards to your 'disappearance' to a certain extent that's the image we're trying to create. I'll admit that it's not very palatable to be regarded as some kind of inhuman monster, but it'll only be until the storm is over and then things will get back to normal. And until then we are going to behave like civilised human beings. Is that understood? Alan? Virgil?"
"Yes, Sir," Virgil said reluctantly.
But Alan wasn't prepared to let things go so easily. "But they chased Tin-Tin," he complained. "She told them to leave her alone and they chased her. She could have been killed!"
"Yeah. And so could Alan," Scott added. "You can't forget that!"
"No, I can't and I won't, but it doesn't mean that I'm prepared to resort to physical violence to get my revenge." Jeff shot Brains a meaningful glance. "I do not want anyone asking anyone to step outside."
Gordon chuckled. "If I hadn't heard you with my own ears, Brains, I would never have believed that you said that. What would you have done if they'd taken you up on your offer?"
"I-I'd have held the d-door open for them… and then locked it behind them," Brains said, a trifle smugly. He tapped his head. "Brains will beat b-brawn every time."
"And if they had happened to mention that there's a cyclone raging outside?"
"Believe me, Gordon. If you grow up w-with a st-st-stutter, having to wear spectacles, and an intellect f-far above that of your peers, you learn a few defensive manoeuvres. I was not worried."
A viscous gust of wind blew in the hole and knocked over a tower of boxes.
"We'd better start thinking about repairs," Jeff noted. "I want you two out of sight," he pointed at Scott and Gordon. "Alan and Virgil. Will you patch this hole and then remove any salvageable food to one of the other storerooms?" They nodded. "And while you're doing that, do you think you and I can handle sealing the doors from the kitchen, Brains?"
"Y-Yes, Mr Tracy."
"When you boys have finished down here," Jeff continued on. "We'll need your help in the kitchen. We'll move the stove, and anything else your grandmother requires, into the games room. At least that has a bar sink and a glass washer. From now on the kitchen is off limits. It's too dangerous in there."
Alan rubbed the back of his neck gingerly. "That rain sure packed a punch. My neck's stinging. Have you got something for it, Brains?"
"I'm sure th-there's some cream in the infirmary th-that will help."
Virgil moved behind Alan and pulled at the neck of his overalls. "Your neck's bright red! It really took a pounding."
"Glurgh," Alan choked, pulling at the material that was cutting into his throat.
"We need higher collars on our overalls," Virgil added.
"Stop trying to choke me…!" Alan pulled down the zip on the front of his overalls to release the pressure on his windpipe. "Oh, heck!"
"What?" Virgil asked shifting so he could see Alan's face. Then he froze. "Alan! Where's the duct tape?"
"What's wrong?" Scott asked. "What duct tape?"
"On his overalls!""On my overalls!" Alan held out the cloth covering his chest to his family. "It must have rubbed off on the rope!"
"Huh," Scott moved closer. "What's the…" He stopped and stared.
There, proudly emblazoned on Alan's overalls for all and sundry to see, was the International Rescue logo.
"How long has that been like that?" Gordon exclaimed.
"Never mind that," Scott added. "More importantly; did they see it?"
"I doubt it," Jeff said slowly. "I think we would have had a different reaction from our guests if they had."
"Just as well y-you stepped in front of him, Virgil," Brains noted. "You probably hid it with your b-body."
"I was only trying to stop Alan from hitting one of them…"
"I wasn't going to hit one of them," Alan contradicted. "I was going to hit both of them."
"Alan," Jeff growled.
"Well! What do you expect? Did you want me to thank them for letting us keep our skills up?"
"Alan!" Jeff said again, more forcefully. "They are guests in our house and I expect you to treat them as such. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir."
"The tyrant lives," Gordon said in a stage whisper to Brains.
Jeff turned to him. "Haven't you got somewhere to go, Gordon?"
"Yes, Sir."
But as they returned to their hideout deep under the mountain, both Scott and Gordon wondered if maybe Ned Cook had finally discovered their secret…
To be continued…