CHAPTER ELEVEN

"What is happening?" Belah roared, turning on his prisoner. "They have broken their connection!"

"Serves you right," Brains mumbled. He could only hope that the demons' severing their connection with this madman was a good thing.

"Silence!" Belah cried, striding across the room to Brains. He grabbed the hair at the back of his head and yanked it up so they were eye-to-eye. "You will give me all of International Rescue's secrets. Now!"

"No!" Brains struggled to look away, but he just couldn't keep his gaze from settling onto those dark, glittering eyes. "No..." he said more softly. Then he squeezed his eyes shut and said, "I would rather die."

Belah let his head go and backed away. "By the time I am finished with you, you will wish you were dead."


"But the volcano that created this island has been dormant for thousands of years," Virgil said, staring at the scene with the rest of his family.

"It is the Master Demon," Kyrano said quietly.

"What?" Jeff asked. "What're you talkin' about?"

"The demons which inhabited the marionettes serve one Master Demon. You heard them speak his name. Manay. He is the Master of Possession. In my country, he is the most feared of all Master Demons."

"Are you saying," Scott asked, still unable to wrap his mind around everything, "that a demon made the volcano on this island erupt?"

Kyrano nodded. "Yes. I can feel its presence. It has come to help its children."

"At least the lava is flowing away from the house," Gordon commented, ever the optimist. "What do we do, Dad?"

"Well, Kyrano, you seem to have more experience with this sort of thing. Any suggestions?"

"Yes, Mr. Tracy. We must destroy the marionettes. Once the demons have finished with the Hood, they will return. If the puppets' bodies are still available, they will be able to inhabit them once more."

"How do we do that?" Ruth asked. "Blowing holes in them doesn't even stop them."

"We must take them to the volcano. They must be incinerated."

"Are you sure that's the only way, Father?" Tin-Tin asked.

"Yes. The people in my village burned the demon dolls in white-hot fire. I can think of no fire hotter than that within a volcano."

"All right," Jeff said, turning to face the others. "Scott, you're out of action with that leg wound. Virgil, you, Gordon, Alan and I will take the puppets to the volcano and destroy them."

"I believe I should be present. Manay is very powerful."

Jeff nodded. "Right, Kyrano, you're with us. Tin-Tin, I want you to fix Scott's leg up. John, you keep an eye on your grandmother. If something happens, contact us immediately!"

"Okay, Father," John replied as the foursome headed back toward the Sick Room.

"Let's get into our heat suits," Jeff said, heading for the passenger elevator. "And bring those puppets. We've got some bodies to burn."


Belah went to the nearby altar and picked up a small recording device. "Are you ready to tell me what I wish to know?"

"N-Not in this l-lifetime," Brains stammered.

Belah was in front of him like a shot. He wrapped his hands around Brains' neck and squeezed, making it difficult for him to breathe. Grabbing his chin with one large hand, Belah looked him dead in the eyes.

"You will tell me," Belah said menacingly as his eyes began to glow. "You will tell me now."

"No." Brains struggled to loosen his captor's grip, but couldn't avert his eyes. Slowly a fog descended over his brain and he began to lose his hold on reality. Within seconds, he was unconscious.

Belah threw the recorder back onto the altar. He'd thought Brains would be easier to control, but it didn't matter. He'd get what he wanted out of him sooner or later.

He was startled by shrieks coming from above his head. Belah looked up in time to see the six demons he'd summoned for the marionettes swooping down from the ceiling.

"What are you doing here?" he bellowed.

"You mean to betray us!" one of the demons howled.

"What are you talking about?"

"You sent Manay to take us back!"

"No! I sent Manay to help you!"

"Liar!" one demon screamed.

"You shall not get away with this!"

"No! Wait! Listen to me! I am your master! I am your master!" As the demons attacked, Belah could do nothing but scream. "Aaaaaaaaaaa!"


Jeff, Gordon, Alan and Kyrano stood in the rear of Thunderbird 2's cockpit while Virgil was in the pilot's chair.

"I can't get too close," Virgil said. "She can't stand this much heat."

"Neither could we without these suits," Alan chimed in.

"Well, Brains put that heat-resistant sealant on 2 a couple of weeks ago," Jeff said. "I sure hope it holds."

"He is here," Kyrano spoke softly. "He is furious."

"Who?" Gordon asked.

"Manay. He cannot find his children. He does not know where they are."

"With any luck, they're killing that sonofabitch who started this," Virgil said as he neared the spewing volcano. "Kyrano, how did you know it was the Hood?"

"I could sense it, Virgil. I could sense it."

Thunderbird 2 hung several thousands of feet in the air, smoke and ash making it impossible to see through the cockpit windows.

"Hull temperature rising," Virgil warned.

"We'd better get ready to release the puppets," Jeff said, heading for the vehicle's nose. Kyrano nodded and fell in line, followed by Alan and Gordon. "Hold her steady, son."

"Will do, Dad," Virgil replied.

The foursome gathered in the cavity beneath the cockpit, where they each put on breathing apparatus. They all stopped to look for a moment at the beautiful marionettes, which had started out as a loving Christmas gift from a child...but ended up almost costing them their lives.

"Let's do it," Alan said.

Kyrano closed his eyes as Gordon opened the hatch. Smoke and ash billowed into the hold. Jeff held Small Jeff in one hand and Small Scott in the other. "Sorry Nicky," he said. Then he let them fall.

Gordon picked up Small Gordon and Small John. "Good riddance," he said as he released them.

Alan stepped forward with Small Virgil and Small Alan. The heat from the volcano was like a blast furnace as he stood over the hatch. "May you burn in hell," he whispered as he let them go.

"The hatch, Gordon," Jeff said quietly.

But just as Gordon pressed the button, Thunderbird 2 lurched violently. He stumbled back, one leg falling through the hatch.

"Gordon!" Jeff bellowed.

Alan grabbed Gordon's wrists just as the hatch door closed on his leg.

"Aaaaaaaa!" Gordon cried.

Sensitive to the presence of a foreign object in its track, the hatch door slid back and Alan pulled Gordon to safety. Jeff turned around and slammed his hand into the control panel, effectively closing the hatch all the way. Blood began seeping through Gordon's pant leg as he fell to the floor.

"Virgil!" Jeff said into his wrist com. "What happened?"

"A huge fireball almost hit us!"

"Manay was trying to stop us," Kyrano explained.

"Virgil, get us outta here!" Jeff bellowed.

"F.A.B.!"

"Do something, Kyrano!"

"I am attempting to make contact," Kyrano breathed, the strain evident on his face. He'd never tried to contact a Master Demon before. It was difficult, to say the least.

The ship lurched again as Virgil narrowly avoided another fireball. He knocked Thunderbird 2 into full throttle and headed for the sea.

Kyrano sagged against the bulkhead. "I believe I have convinced him to leave."

"How?" Gordon asked through clenched teeth as Alan ripped his pant leg away.

"I told him The Hood was trying to kill his children."


The first thing Brains heard were the shrieks. Then he heard the wails. Then he heard laughter...evil, deadly laughter. Then he heard moaning. And then he heard silence.

When he was finally able to open his eyes, he was surprised to see the Hood lying motionless on the floor not six feet in front of him. Coming back to consciousness, the pain of his wounds hit him full-force and he cried out.

He sensed movement in his peripheral vision and turned his head to the right. Standing there was the young woman from Dr. Levin's office, the one who'd stood by watching as Belah had kidnapped him.

"Help me," he rasped. "Please."

Mei Ling looked confused. Her eyes darted back and forth between her fallen master and the helpless innocent hanging from the ceiling.

"He doesn't own you anymore," Brains wheezed. "Please. Help me."

Just then, Belah stirred. Mei and Brains both jumped, surprised he was alive. Then there was a loud roar and the temple shook, as though hit by an earthquake. Brains and Mei looked around wildly as chunks of rock and statues began to fall and topple over.

"Quickly!" Brains cried. "The key! Get the key!"

Mei ran to a nearby table and grasped a skeleton key in her hand. She rushed to Brains, but couldn't reach high enough to unlock the manacles. Pocketing the key, she ran away.

"No! Come back!" Brains yelled as the building continued to shake.

His eyes widened in horror as a fiery form emerged from the far wall. It was huge, about eight feet tall. It roared with fury as it made its way to Belah. Six shadows appeared around it, circling and darting to and fro. Their hissing and shrieking increased in decibel until Brains could no longer hear himself think. As the beings approached, he knew he was lost for good.

I'll never get out of here alive.