SCOTT observed the unusual aircraft on his scanners as Thunderbird 1 closed the distance. He couldn't help but feel uneasy by how deadly it looked. "This is Thunderbird 1 pursuing The Cabal's ship," he reported. "I have a visual on them."
"Be careful, Scott," warned John. "We know nothing about this new craft of theirs. It could be armed to the teeth and they could very easily shoot you down."
"Let's hope I don't have to find out," Scott replied. "John, can you find me a way in?"
"Running a scan of The Cabal's ship," said John. "I have to say I'm surprised that I can do this. You'd think they'd have gone into stealth-mode so that we wouldn't be able to track them."
"They might do it if they realise I'm right behind them," Scott said. "I'll keep my distance until you can find an entrance."
"Bingo!" John said. "There's an access hatch right on the top of the ship towards the stern. However I can't seem to penetrate the inside of the ship with my scanners."
"Well that part of their stealth-system is working," remarked Scott. "Thanks, John. i'm going in."
"Scott, are you sure about this?" asked Virgil from Thunderbird 2. "You're all alone against them. We don't even know who is in there!"
"I don't intend to stay aboard, Virgil," Scott replied. "I'm going in, getting Captain Rigby and getting straight out again. And hopefully before The Cabal realises what's happening."
Unbeknownst to Scott however, The Cabal were fully aware of his presence. Like International Rescue, the Condor also had advanced radar and had been able to penetrate Thunderbird 1's own cloaking technology.
"We have company!" said The White Ghost who was operating a radar station in the cockpit whilst The Hood sat in his hoverchair in the Captain's position and Havoc was at the controls. "One of the Thunderbird ships is coming after us."
"Which one?" asked The Hood.
"The sleek, silver one," replied The White Ghost.
Havoc growled. "Ugh - Thunderbird 1!" she said angrily. "That's all we need!"
"I thought we were in stealth-mode?" The Hood said crossly to Havoc.
"I didn't expect us to get followed, Boss!" Havoc replied.
The Hood now growled. "Then activate the optical camouflage and take evasive action!" he barked. "Lose him!"
Havoc pressed a button on her control console.
As Thunderbird 1 got closer to the Condor, he began to notice it was starting to disappear from view. "Damn it!" he cursed. "They know I'm here! They're going into stealth."
Brains then piped in. "Scott, f-fire a sonic amplifier!" he said. "It'll help you t-track their movements!"
Scott grinned. "Good idea, Brains. Firing amplifier." He took careful aim and fired the amplifier. It was lucky that the magnet was still able to detect the metallic hull of the Condor and lock onto it. It attached just as the craft's stealth-shift was completed and it disappeared from view. Now all Scott had to do was use his radar to track its movements. "A sharp left turn," he said. "Halla!" He turned Thunderbird 1 hard to the left to remain on the trail of the invisible Condor.
The White Ghost stared at her radar scope in disbelief. "What the hell?" she said. "He's still following us! I-I don't understand!"
The Hood moved his chair over to have a closer look at the screen. "Impossible," he said. "Techno's stealth-technology is the greatest ever created! There's no way he can still see us!"
"Hang on!" Havoc said. "I'll do a crazy-ivan. That'll shake him off!" She cut the starboard engines of the Condor and flipped the revolving thrusters round to face forwards before firing them again. The aircraft made a hard one-hundred and eighty spin round to the right so that it was facing towards Thunderbird 1 and then she flipped them back so that they rocketed back in the opposite direction, passing directly underneath Thunderbird 1 with inches to spare.
"Woah!" exclaimed Scott. "Smart move. But don't think I'm gonna lose you that easily!" He then spun Thunderbird 1 around and set off in pursuit once more. He wasn't worried about them getting distance for even this massively advanced stealth-ship didn't have the same level of speed that Thunderbird 1 had got and he was able to close in again with ease.
The White Ghost cursed. "Grrrr! It's not working, Havoc!" she said. "He's turned and somehow caught up with us again!"
"Of course he can catch up with us!" said The Hood. "That's Thunderbird 1 - the fastest aircraft on the planet! There's no way we can outrun him."
Havoc's patience suddenly snapped. "I am sick of him being on my tail!" she said. "Can't we just shoot him down?"
The Hood hesitated. Then smiled, which was concealed underneath his oxygen mask. "Go for it," he said with a wicked chuckle.
Havoc and The White Ghost now grinned with delight as the latter used the targeting computer to lock onto the pursuing Thunderbird.
"Oi, Tracy!" said The White Ghost. "Get off our tail!" She then pushed a button.
The first that Scott realised anything was when two sets of bright flashes appeared ahead of him before four little columns of smoke began to materialise out of nowhere. Then his alarms began to go crazy as he quickly realised what was happening. The Cabal had just launched a barrage of missiles at Thunderbird 1. His heart was in his mouth. "Oh…shi-"
5!
4!
3!
2!
1!
"Thunderbirds Are Go!"
"DESPERATE MEASURES"
THE rocky mountains of Northern Canada remained a snowy and quite unforgiving environment if not treated with respect. It could also be beautiful and somewhat soothing to someone who just wanted to get away from it all. Just like Alan for example, who was driving a blue and yellow two-person Snowmobile at high speed across a long valley of snow between numerous mountains.
Alan was really enjoying himself as he raced along, darting in and out of numerous trees along the route. His passenger on the other hand, wasn't enjoying it so much.
"Alan, not so fast!" Grandma said as she clung onto the handlebars on the back of Alan's seat for dear life. Whilst she was a thrill-seeker herself, she preferred being in a secure environment like a cockpit rather than being exposed to the elements, despite being fully warm-clothed up. "Take it easy!"
"Everything's under control, Grandma!" Alan called back over the noise of the Snowmobile's engine. "Don't worry!"
But Grandma did worry. The snow was getting more uneven making the ride rather uncomfortable. She began to wonder if Alan was even paying attention to their surroundings. "Watch out for that tree, Alan!" she called.
Alan saw the tree just in time and adjusted the Snowmobile's course, missing it by mere inches.
"ALAN, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, LOOK OUT!" Grandma shouted and put her hands over her face as they crashed through a large snowdrift. There was a bump and a crash and the Snowmobile was spun, throwing both its occupants off its back before ending up upside down.
When the flurry of snow settled, Grandma found herself waist-deep in it but upright. Her glasses had fallen off but had luckily landed beside her so she was able to retrieve them. Alan on the other hand had been almost completely buried. Only his legs could be seen, kicking about as he pulled himself up out of the snow.
"Alan?" Grandma called over. "Oh, phew. Alan, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, Grandma," Alan replied. "I must have pulled a bit heavy on the brake. I'm sorry."
Grandma chuckled. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. We're still in one piece, aren't we?"
Before Alan could reply, a loud BOOM made them jump. "Huh?!" exclaimed Alan. "What was that?!"
Grandma looked around and quickly caught sight of the cause. "Up there!" she said, pointing to a nearby ridge.
Sitting on the ridge was an old cannon. It was a very old model - one with large wagon wheels. It was the kind that the armies would have used pulled around by horses and before the tank had been invented. It was pointing out across the valley and was shooting periodically, each shot making a powerful echo around them.
"Woah!" said Alan in surprise. "What's that all about? Are we under attack?!"
Grandma picked herself up. "I don't know, Alan. But given how ancient that gun is I very much doubt that we are. Let's get back to the Fort and ask Commissioner Casey. He'll know what it's about."
A short distance away, a large red six-wheeled transporter truck was making its way along one of the carefully marked out roadways through the area. On the side was a sign marked Fort Cheriok Prison Transport 6. It drove out of a clump of trees and reached an opening that looked out across the valley. Eddie - the driver stopped the truck and he and his colleague Pierre began to look across at the cannon which was still shooting.
"That old gun still looks pretty mean up there," remarked Pierre.
Just then the truck's radio buzzed and the hologram of a man with a uniform of authority appeared on the dashboard. "Warden to Work Detail Six. Come in, please."
"Number Six here, sir," said Pierre.
"Snow squalls are coming in fast, Pierre," said the Warden. "How far out are you?"
"Just near Monument Hill, sir," said Pierre. "We'll come right in."
"Roger," said the Warden and signed off.
Pierre turned to Eddie. "Okay, Eddie. Let's get back to the Penitentiary," he said. "We don't want to get stranded out here with those dogs in the back!"
Eddie put the truck into gear and they set off again.
Sitting in the back of the truck were two of the Penitentiary's inmates - Leo Snart and Michael Rory. One was a career criminal, the other a first-timer who was in regret of his actions.
Through a small steel grate in the side of the truck, the two men had been observing the old gun whilst they had been stationary. Snart had been developing an idea of the past few weeks which he was reminding Rory about. "It will be a synch, I tell you, Mick," he was saying. "It's just sitting there - waiting for us! And tomorrow's the day!"
"No, Leo," replied Rory. "Not a chance. I've told you, my parole comes up in six months! I don't wish to jeopardise it."
Snart scoffed. "Maybe you'll get parole. Maybe you won't. But my way is for sure," he said in a sly, oily voice. "Have a think about it."
The gun was still shooting. Its projectiles were hitting another hill on the opposite side of the valley and detonating, bringing down chunks of rock and snow into the valley below. There was no reason for worry though as it was unpopulated. In fact the only life for miles was Fort Cheriok and the nearby Penitentiary.
Two men had been operating the gun. A Corporal overseeing a young Private who had been loading and firing the gun. "Okay, that's it for today," the Corporal said. "You fire as well tomorrow and you'll do the old man proud." He looked towards a large monument of a man in a general's uniform located behind the gun which was where the name Monument Hill came from.
Alan and Grandma were making their way back to Fort Cheriok on the Snowmobile, but at a much slower pace so as not to have a repeat of their earlier crash.
"Alan, you can go a little bit faster if you wish," Grandma said to her youngest grandson.
"Er, nah, this is fine for me, Grandma," said Alan with a nervous chuckle. "Better safe and sorry. That's what I always say."
Grandma rolled her eyes and smiled.
Just then Alan stopped the Snowmobile. "Hey, do you hear that?"
Grandma listened. "I can't hear anything," she replied.
"Exactly!" said Alan. "That gun has stopped shooting. Huh. I wonder what it was all about?"
"Well the sooner you get us back to the Fort, the sooner we'll find out," said Grandma, giving him a poke to make him get the Snowmobile working again.
Alan started the Snowmobile and they continued on. He shivered slightly in the cold despite the warm clothing he had on. "Brrr!" he remarked. "I hope Scott and the others are having a warmer time than we are."
Warm was one way of describing Scott's situation right now. He was having to take evasive manoeuvres to try and avoid the incoming missiles from the Condor. He was lucky that Thunderbird 1 was highly manoeuvrable as well as incredibly fast. Even the missiles couldn't outrun the sleek silver rocket but Scott knew he couldn't go up to full speed for risk of losing the Condor. He had to stay within the sonic amplifier's range.
"Scott, on your left!" John said sharply who was watching from Thunderbird 5.
"I KNOW!" Scott shouted as he made another sharp turn to throw the missile off his tail. "Eugh, I can't keep this up, Thunderbird 5! This is more Kayo's speciality, not mine!"
Brains then had an idea. "Scott, why don't you t-try the whirlwind?"
"The what?!"
"Whirlwind," said Brains. "If you increase speed and speed in circles around The C-Cabal's ship, you might be able to send them out of control momentarily and give yourself the chance to get aboard."
"Brains, that's too dangerous!" John protested. "If he gets it wrong he could-"
"It's the only option I have, John," Scott realised. "Okay, Brains, let's give it a try." He increased the speed of Thunderbird 1 and rocketed towards where the signal showing the Condor was located. Then he began to fly around the craft in a wide enough circle in the hopes of making sure he had a safe distance between him and the craft as he wasn't entirely sure of its exact location.
Although Scott couldn't see it, the wind force created by Thunderbird 1's speed was actually working. It was creating a rush of air that formed a funnel of wind that the Condor became trapped in. It began to spin around uncontrollably and there was nothing The Cabal could do about it.
"WOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" cried The Hood, The White Ghost, Havoc and Techno all together as they tried to hold on for dear life.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" wailed The White Ghost.
"HE'S CREATING A WHIRLWIND!" yelled Havoc as several warning alarms sounded in the cockpit. "SYSTEMS ARE FAILING! I CAN'T HOLD HER!"
As Scott pulled Thunderbird 1 out of the speed spin, he began to notice something. There was some kind of flickering going on inside the whirlwind he'd created. Then to his surprise the Condor reappeared, its cloaking technology having short-circuited due to the immense pressure it had just been under. "Well what do you know?" Scott remarked. "Seems I've fried some of their circuits."
"Quickly, Scott," said John. "Try and get aboard before they can recover."
Scott nodded and made his move. He put on his helmet and opened the hatch underneath his seat before lowering it out. The Condor was still spinning as the effects of the whirlwind were still there but gradually easing. He took out his grapple gun and pointed it at the top of the aircraft. As the spinning began to get slower he fired and the grapple locked onto the Condor although the spinning pulled him out of his seat as it did so. He quickly reeled in the grapple cable pulling himself even faster towards it. The G-Force he felt was very strong and he hit the top with a thud. "Argh!" he groaned.
"SCOTT?!" John said frantically. "Scott, come in?!"
"I'm here, John!" Scott said as he used his gecko-gloves to keep himself attached to the hull. "I may have a bruised leg and elbow after this but I'm fine. Where's this hatch?"
"About ten metres in front of you," John replied. "Also may I suggest moving Thunderbird 1 away from you then The Cabal might think you've given up."
"Provided they didn't hear me land on their ship," Scott said. He adjusted the remote-control on his wrist and sent Thunderbird 1 with the hatch closed up again off in a different direction setting it to follow from at least forty miles away.
The spinning of the Condor then came to a stop as the whirlwind faded away and Havoc had finally regained control of the aircraft. "Phew!" she gasped. "I think I've got her back now."
The Hood and The White Ghost were groaning in discomfort.
"Ugh - I don't feel so good," moaned The White Ghost.
"Where…is…Thunderbird 1?" asked The Hood whilst sounding like he was going to possibly throw up.
The White Ghost rubbed her aching head as she checked the radar screen. To her surprise, it was clear. "No contact," she said. "Unless the spinning fried the circuits I've got no contact with Thunderbird 1."
The Hood wasn't convinced. "He can't have just given up," he said. "Check the outside cameras."
The White Ghost began to check the outside security cameras on the outside of the ship. There was no sign of Thunderbird 1 on either side or behind them. "Nothing," she said. "It's completely gone."
The Hood frowned. "Something's not right," he said. "International Rescue never gives up. What are you up to, Scott Tracy?"
Just then another warning buzzer sounded.
"What's that?" asked Havoc.
The White Ghost frowned as she checked it out. "That was the aft exterior hatch sensor!" she said. "But how could that-"
"Check the inside CCTV, NOW!" barked The Hood.
The White Ghost complied and activated the camera inside the rear cargo bay section of the Condor. Sure enough, there was a figure in blue uniform climbing down the ladder from the hatch. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" screeched The White Ghost. "HE'S INSIDE THE SHIP!"
"But that's impossible!" Havoc said. "There's no way he could have gotten from Thunderbird 1 onto our ship in those kinds of G-Forces we were under!"
"I don't care how he's done it!" snapped The Hood. "He's managed to get aboard! Havoc, give control of the ship to me. Go and deal with him! Both of you!"
With The Hood now remotely controlling the Condor from his hoverchair, Havoc and The White Ghost left their seats and furiously made their way out of the cockpit to go and take Scott out.
Down in the ship's Medical Bay, Techno had been setting up the equipment for performing the planned experimental operation on Captain Rigby who was still unconscious and strapped to the portable medical table.
"Techno, what's your status?" The Hood asked over the radio.
"Condor lab is set up and ready to go again following whatever happened back there," Techno replied. "Do you want me to restart the experiment?"
"No, I want you to take care of our intruder!" The Hood said. "White Ghost and Havoc are on their way to back you up."
"I don't need back-up," rumbled Techno. "My meccas are all the help I need."
The Medical Bay was the next room along from the Cargo Bay so all Scott had to do was press a button that opened the set of double-doors separating the two compartments. As the doors opened, Scott was totally unprepared for what awaited him on the other side for he now found himself standing face-to-face with a totally new stranger who looked like The Mechanic but shorter. "What the?!"
Techno grabbed Scott by the arms and used his power-assisted strength to lift him up off his feet. "GOT YOU!" Techno growled.
"Who the hell are you?!" Scott demanded.
"The name's Techno. And this face is the last you'll ever see!" He then threw Scott back through the doors into the Cargo Bay before activating a pair of Scorpion-Meccas that emerged from their storage spaces and began to advance on Scott.
Scott, although taken by surprise, wasn't defenceless. He grabbed the electric stun-gun that Brains had recently issued everybody and took a shot at the Mecca that was coming on his right. The electric blast ripped through and destroyed its circuits. It collapsed and Scott wasted no time in taking out the one coming on his left.
Techno growled in frustration and made a move towards Scott who then leapt up to his feet and aimed his weapon at him. "A new Mechanic?" Scott remarked. "So it was you who planted the miniaturised one in my Dad's head?!"
"Not quite," said Techno. "I created it, yes. I didn't plant it though."
"Then who did?" Scott asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
"HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-YAAAAAH!"
Before Scott had a chance to realise what was happening, The White Ghost and Havoc came charging through Techno's body, the former having phased them both through it and she used the momentum to help throw Havoc at Scott. Havoc slammed into Scott and together they both flew back across the cargo bay and crashed onto the floor. Scott cried out in alarm and dropped his stun-gun. Now he found himself pinned down on the floor with Havoc's unpleasant face peering through the visor of his helmet at him.
"I don't know how you got in here, Thunder-boy!" Havoc hissed. "But you ain't getting out of here. Not alive at least!"
Scott grimaced. He knew he had to act fast if he was to survive this encounter. "My apologies," he said.
Havoc frowned, confused. "For what?" she asked.
"For this!" said Scott, lifting his head up suddenly and headbutting Havoc in the face, which was quite painful due to him wearing his helmet.
"ARGH!" Havoc cried as she felt her nose crack and then rolled off Scott, leaving him free to roll the other way.
This retaliate sneak attack enraged The White Ghost who had become really good friends with Havoc ever since Havoc had found her wandering the Scottish Highlands alone. "How DARE YOU?!" she screamed at Scott before charging at him.
Scott threw himself across the floor to grab his gun and inadvertently lifted his left leg up causing The White Ghost to run into it, trip and cartwheel head-over-heels before crashing into a metal crate nearby. She shrieked and groaned in agony.
Scott grabbed his weapon and jumped back to his feet only to get blasted by an electric charge fired by one of Techno's gauntlets. He cried out in pain and fell down to one knee but grabbed another supply crate to steady himself.
"You shouldn't have come here, International Rescue," growled Techno. "You aren't welcome here. Also, didn't anyone ever tell you it's impolite to-" Scott made another sneak attack by firing his own stun-gun at Techno. The blast caught the villain off guard and he stumbled back. However his suit gave him a lot more protection than others had so he was only a little stunned. "Surprising," he remarked. "But it'll do you no good!" Scott then grabbed his grapple gun and fired it in the direction of Techno. But the grapple went right over Techno's head and instead attached itself to the highest of three wooden supply crates that were stacked behind him. Techno looked up at the grapple, then back at Scott, and then he began to laugh. "Wow, Tracy. I don't wish to state the obvious, but your aim is terrible! HAHAHAHAHA!"
Scott glared at Techno for a second, then began to smirk. "It would be if I'd been aiming at you," he said.
Techno stopped laughing as he suddenly realised what Scott meant. Before he could even do anything, Scott pressed the button on the launch to reel the grapple back in. as it did it pulled the crate forwards and upset the balance of the one underneath. Techno spun back round and looked up just in time to see the crates falling towards him. "No!" he cried as the crates crashed down on top of him and pinned him to the floor.
Scott got back to his feet. "Well that's you taken care of," he remarked. "Now to get Rigby. I've been in here long enough."
As he moved towards the Medical Bay again, a large hologram of The Hood's face appeared from a projector above the doorway and forced him to stop dead in his tracks. "Ah, Scott Tracy," The Hood said slyly. "How nice to see you again."
"Feeling's not mutual, Hood," growled Scott.
"You do know it's not polite to enter someone else's ship without being invited, don't you?" The Hood said.
"I'm only here for Captain Rigby," Scott said. "Once I have him I'll be out of here."
The Hood laughed. "A brave man you are, Scott," he said. "But I'm afraid nobody who enters the Cabal Condor leaves willingly. SEIZE HIM!"
Scott was suddenly grabbed from behind and thrown over to the side of the cargo bay. He was then pinned up against the wall by both Havoc, whose nose was streaming with blood after Scott had bashed it, and The White Ghost, both of whom used their combined strength to hold him in place.
"You may have defeated Techno," Havoc said.
"But you can't take us both on!" added The White Ghost.
Scott felt himself being squeezed as the two villainesses increased their pressure against his body. It hurt despite him having a protective suit, and he'd finally had enough. He also remembered that he had something that they didn't have - a jetpack! His hands were free unlike his arms and he was able to get a hold of the jetpack controller in his right hand. He then put his right foot up against the wall and pushed himself forward just enough for the jetpack's thrusters to have an effect. The jetpack roared into life and the force pushed Scott and the two women away from the wall. Taken by surprise, they both fell over and lost their grip on Scott who landed on his feet a short distance away.
"You're resourceful, Scott," said The Hood. "I'd be lying if I didn't say I was impressed."
"Thanks for the compliment," said Scott sarcastically. "But I'm afraid this visit is over!" He then ran through The Hood's hologram into the Medical Bay and checked on Rigby, looking to find where to release the straps. "Hang in there, Captain," Scott said. "I'll get you out of here."
"No, you're not." Scott looked back towards the Cargo Bay and saw Havoc back on her feet again. Her face was bloodied and bruised which made her look uglier than before. "You are not going…anywhere!" Havoc snarled as she placed her right hand on the side of the doorway to steady herself. As she did so, she felt something move under the palm of her glove. There was a click, followed by the flash of red lights and a loud wailing siren filled the aircraft.
"Errrrr, what's that?" asked The White Ghost who had removed her mask to get herself some air to try and ease the pain she was in.
The Condor's onboard female computer voice answered that. "Warning! Cargo Door opening!"
Scott saw the colour drain from Havoc's face as she removed her hand and the realisation of what she'd just done dawned on her. The button she'd just leant on was the one to open the rear Cargo Bay door. There was a clunk as the door ramp began to open downwards and a sudden rush of decompression filled the back of the Condor. Havoc found herself get pulled back and had to use the grapple in her right gauntlet to grab part of the steel support beams on the wall.
"CATHERINE!" screamed The White Ghost as she was pulled towards the opening door.
"LAURA!" Havoc cried back firing her left grapple cable which the terrified White Ghost grabbed onto.
Techno was struggling to try and free himself from the crate he was pinned under, despite the fact it was actually preventing him from being sucked out as well.
"HAVOC!" roared The Hood over the projector. "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE?!"
Scott had been holding onto the Medical Table that Rigby was strapped to. He saw that The Cabal were distracted and the opening of the door might be his only chance of escape. He checked the straps trying to find where the release button was. "Come on. Come on!" he said in frustration. But then he realised something. "Wait a second. How is this table not moving?" He looked down and released the wheels were locked in place. He then saw a red lever with a label marked 'Brake-Release' on the side. "That's it!" he said and pressed the button on his remote-control gauntlet to recall Thunderbird 1. "This is our cue to skidoo. Hold tight, Captain!" Locking a safety-line from himself onto the side of the Medical Table, Scott braced himself and then released the brakes on the wheels. The table shot forwards as it was caught by the decompression pull and Scott was pulled with it. They passed right through the doors separating the compartments and past the three struggling villains before racing down the ramp towards the open sky.
"STOP THEM!" shrieked The Hood. But there was nothing that his accomplices could do to stop Scott and the Med Table carrying Rigby from shooting out of the cargo hold along with some other pieces of cargo.
Now they were outside, the plunge towards the ocean began with Scott holding on for dear life. The sudden rush of air against his face caused Rigby to begin to regain consciousness. When he did, his first reaction was a very loud "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHH! WHAT THE F-"
"HANG ON!" bellowed Scott, cutting off the startled Captain's last word. He looked up to see Thunderbird 1 dive out of a cloud towards them. Using his remote-control he opened the underside doors and lowered the cargo net that he'd used to catch Gordon and the Pendeghasts before. Thunderbird 1 swooped down and caught both Scott and the Medical Table before levelling out and flying away from the Condor whilst winching them up into the hull.
Once inside and the doors closed up, Scott unattached himself from the bed and began to work on the straps. "Phew!" he gasped. "It's okay, Rigby. You're safe now."
Rigby was still in a state of shock. "What…the hell…is going on?" he demanded.
"Long story," Scott replied. "And I'm afraid I don't have it all."
Just then John's hologram reappeared. "Thunderbird 1, come in!" he said frantically.
"Thunderbird 5, I'm here," Scott said as he undid the last strap and helped Rigby off the table to place him in a passenger seat. "I've got Rigby and we're back in Thunderbird 1."
"So I can see," John answered. "But you'd better get out of there. The Cabal's ship has turned and it is coming after you!"
Scott looked at Thunderbird 1's instrument panel and realised that the icon showing the Condor was behind Thunderbird 1 and closing rapidly. "Hmm. Looks like my little whirlwind scrambled their cloaking tech completely," he remarked as he removed his helmet and got back into his seat.
The Hood had been able to get access to the Cargo Bay's door controls and had been able to seal it up before turning the Condor around to chase after Thunderbird 1. To the surprise of Scott, the hologram of The Hood's face suddenly appeared on the projector alongside John's. "I see you have put a sonic-amplifier on the outside of my ship, Tracy!" he snarled. "My outside cameras have just detected it. Smart move. Two can play at that game. Now GIVE ME BACK MY PRISONER!"
Scott placed his hands on Thunderbird 1's controls and fixed The Hood with a hard stare. "Hood…get your ugly face out of our sights!" He then pressed a button on his right-side controls.
The amplifier had a secondary role. It could self-destruct. It detonated and ripped a hole in the roof of the Condor's Cargo Bay causing a secondary although much minor decompression than the door had done when it had been open.
Havoc and The White Ghost had been helping to free Techno from the crate he'd been trapped under. All three felt the pull of the escaping air that threatened to pull them up towards the hole.
"Grab onto me!" Havoc ordered as she fired her right grapple through the open doors into the Medical Bay. The White Ghost grabbed her left arm whilst Techno grabbed hold of The White Ghost's left arm. Havoc then pulled all three of them through the doors separating the compartments and then Techno punched the button to close the door sealing the damaged area off from the rest of the ship. The three were safe now, but they were also utterly furious - as was The Hood, who could do nothing but watch helplessly as Thunderbird 1 did a crazy-ivan of its own and then its turbojets activated sending it rocketing off into the distance, disappearing in the blink of an eye. All The Hood could do was bang his remaining right fist against his hoverchair and scream with rage.
Laura had taken her entire helmet and head covering off. She was red in the face and fuming. "I am going to get those damn Tracy's!" she said. "If it's the last thing I ever do!"
Havoc put her left hand on Laura's right shoulder. "Our revenge will come, Laura," she said. "That is a promise."
Techno kicked the wall in frustration. "My test subject has gone!" he roared. "And it's all your fault…again!" He pointed an accusing finger at Havoc.
Havoc was outraged. "You're accusing me AGAIN?!" she shouted. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
"YOU PRESSED THE BUTTON THAT OPENED THE CARGO DOOR!" bellowed Techno.
"HEY, BACK OFF!" shouted Laura, desperate to defend her friend. "IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"
"SILENCE!" The Hood's hologram had appeared and he'd amplified the microphone to make himself heard and they all fell silent. Just one look at the expression in his eyes told them all how livid he was. "Havoc…" he said in a rather dangerous voice. "Get…here…now."
Havoc gulped and her face went pale as she wiped another trickle of blood away from under her nose. She couldn't help but feel she was about to get a right dressing down.
Fort Cheriok was where the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's mountain region force was based. It provided security for the surrounding area and especially for the Penitentiary located a short distance away. In command was Commissioner Tim Casey - the second of Jeff's best friends along with Captain Lee Taylor. Tim had been Jeff's partner in the first Moon landing and the third member of the expedition force to Mars along with Jeff and Taylor. Since then, contact between them had been minimal - not because they'd had any kind of falling out but because of Jeff setting up International Rescue and Tim leaving the Space Agency to take command of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police meant they hardly had any time to see each other. Following Jeff's ordeal with Techno's miniaturised Scorpion-Mecca in his head, Colonel Casey knew it was best for Jeff to have a vacation away from Tracy Island and that Fort Cheriok would be an ideal place due to how little activity went on there. Due to the hostility of the environment, most of the inmates of the Penitentiary were smart enough to know that any escape attempt would be suicide and was often well-behaved.
Alan and Grandma had gone with Jeff to keep him company if Tim was busy. They had now returned from their trip out on the Snowmobile and were warming up against a welcoming fire in Tim's private quarters.
"I still say your son had excellent skill on that Snowmobile, Jeff," Tim was saying. "He's got the makings of an Olympic champion."
"Thanks, Uncle Tim," said Alan. Jeff had brought the boys up to call Tim Uncle even though he wasn't by blood, but Tim had no objection to it.
"Yes, he seems to have caught on pretty quickly," agreed Jeff. "It was good of Martha to suggest this to you, Tim. We're certainly enjoying our holiday here."
"You've come at a good time as well, Jeff," agreed Tim. "Tomorrow is a special day. I'm glad you can be here for it."
"And what would that be?" asked Grandma.
"Tomorrow we celebrate one of Canada's greatest heroes," explained Tim. "General James McCormack. There's a monument to him up on the main hill overlooking the valley."
"Is that what the cannon's for?" asked Alan.
"Ah, you heard it, did you?" asked Tim with a chuckle.
"More than heard it, Tim," said Grandma. "We could see it from down below."
"Ah, well the monument and statue of General McCormack are directly behind where the cannon is," said Tim.
Jeff scratched his chin thoughtfully. "McCormack you say?" he asked. "That name sounds familiar."
"It ought to, Jeff," replied Tim. "It's the name of our Prime Minister. He's a descendant of the General and will be passing through on his private train on his way to an important conference in Quebec."
"Does the train track go over that long bridge I saw crossing the valley?" asked Alan.
Tim nodded. "That is correct, Alan," he said. "That gun is going to mark the occasion with a full salute as the train passes over it."
"I'm no expert on military weapons," Grandma said, "but was that gun using live ammunition?"
Tim didn't answer for a second. "Yes…Yes, it was."
"Live ammo?" repeated Jeff. "Is there a reason for that?"
"It adds a touch of realism," said Tim. "But the gun crew know what they're doing. There's no danger."
Despite Tim's reassuring words, there was a feeling deep down inside the three Tracy's that told them that was a recipe for disaster if the wrong person got their hands on it. Although they didn't say it, they hoped that wouldn't be the case.
Scott returned to Tracy Island after dropping Rigby back to GDF Headquarters. The Captain was shaken, but not physically harmed, which was a good thing for he still had no idea about what might have happened to him had things not gone the way they had done.
Scott entered the Sick Room on Tracy Island to find Brains, Virgil, Gordon and John all standing around a bed where Kayo was lying. She was awake and talking much to his relief. "Hey, Scott," she said with a warm smile.
"Hey," said Scott. "How's the invalid?"
"I'll get there," Kayo said. She looked down at her right leg which was in a cast. "But I think it's safe to say that I won't be chasing anybody for quite some time."
"How long will it take to heal?" Scott asked.
"I guess at least t-two months," Brains said. "M-Maybe longer."
"It certainly took me a long time to recover from my injuries," said Gordon.
"How's Rigby?" Kayo asked.
"He'll be fine," said Scott. "He didn't wake up until after we exited the Condor."
"Condor?" said Virgil. "Is that what their new ship is called?"
"Yes, The Hood said that was what it was called," said Scott.
Kayo blinked. "You came face to face with him?"
"Not exactly," said Scott. "Only via hologram. Wow, he certainly looks messed up after Gordon hit him with Thunderbird 4."
"Kayo was telling us before you got back," John said. "He's lost an arm and the use of his legs."
"And did she also tell you about the other members of The Cabal?" asked Scott.
"The White Ghost and a n-new mechanic called Techno," said Brains. "V-Very unsettling I have to say."
"They're dangerous without a doubt," said Scott. "I only managed to get myself and Rigby out because Havoc got careless and accidentally opened the cargo door."
"That's twice she's messed up then," Kayo remarked. "I only managed to free myself because she thought I had a control over Thunderbird Shadow when it was actually John who was controlling her."
"We were lucky this time," Scott said. "Next time we'll have to be more prepared. More protection. Better weapons. Sorry, Brains. The Hood's upped his game. It's time to make sure we do the same!"
Kayo laid her head back on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. "I sure wouldn't want to be Havoc right now," she said.
The Condor had made it to another secret base for The Cabal. The Cabal themselves were inside the main part of the complex, still fuming over their humiliating defeat at the hands of Scott. Techno stood flanked by Havoc and The White Ghost in a line like three military personnel being made to stand up in front of the commander whilst The Hood, still in his hoverchair, went ballistic at them.
"I planned this cabal to be a thorn in the sides of both International Rescue and the GDF!" The Hood was saying. "Admittedly I did not expect to have an encounter with them this soon, but I am very disappointed in how this has turned out!"
"You're right there," agreed The White Ghost.
"QUIET!" snapped The Hood. "Don't speak unless you're spoken to! You know it's ironic. I caused a lot more pain and damage with my Vulture EXO-suit than the three of you have managed today! I not only shook off my niece, but I was able to take down an entire GDF Squadron, Colonel Casey, Captain Rigby, three of the Tracy's and their Grandmother! And I would have succeeded in ending Jeff Tracy's life if Thunderbird 4 hadn't come out of his mouth when it did!"
"An unforeseen circumstance," said Techno. "We'll be ready for them next time."
The Hood scoffed. "And yet…you three couldn't even take down ONE OF THE TRACY'S!"
The three accomplices remained silent.
"They will pay," vowed The White Ghost. "I swear it!"
"And when we take them on again, we'll show no mercy!" agreed Havoc.
The Hood moved his chair slowly towards Havoc. "Of course, we wouldn't be having this conversation if it weren't for you, Havoc!" he snarled.
Havoc blinked. "Huh?"
"Well losing both our prisoners was your fault," growled Techno.
"You opened up Kayo's chair allowing her to strike you," The Hood continued. "And then you pressed the button that opened the Cargo Bay allowing Scott to escape with Rigby!"
"But that was an accident!" protested Havoc. "I must have been a bit dazed after he knocked me and Laura down."
"Which damn hurt!" hissed The White Ghost. "Honestly, you have no idea how much pain I am in."
Havoc let out a deep sigh. "Boss, look, I'm sorry," she said. "I thought Kayo had a control device and had to make sure she didn't. As for the cargo door. That really was an accident. Honest!"
The Hood's eyes narrowed. Then he sighed. "I don't care what it was," he said. "You have failed me for the last time, Havoc. I have given you more than enough chances to redeem yourself. But now, you leave me with no choice."
Havoc went pale, but before she could even respond, The Hood raised his right arm and blasted her with the zapping device in his hand. Havoc screeched as she flew across the room and slammed into the wall before collapsing into unconsciousness.
The White Ghost had her hands over mouth in shock whilst Techno simply looked back at Havoc with no sign of fear or sorrow whatsoever.
"Do you want me to dispose of her?" Techno asked.
"No," The Hood replied. "Despite being a failure to me, she may still be useful." He looked over at Havoc. "You wanted a test subject, Techno. Now you have one." He turned away.
Techno looked back at Havoc. "Perfect!" he said. "Although I will need time to set up my operating lab again."
"Take as long as you need," The Hood replied. "We have all the time in the world right now." He began to move away towards the control computer.
Techno walked over to Havoc and picked her up before walking out of the room with her.
It took a few seconds for The White Ghost to suddenly realise what was going on. "Wait, what are you doing?" she asked nervously.
Techno stopped and looked back over his left shoulder. "We lost Rigby as a test subject because of her. Now she will suffer the consequences and become the experiment herself." He then left and the doors closed before The White Ghost could respond.
Horrified, The White Ghost ran after The Hood. "Sir, you can't possibly mean this?" she asked.
"Her fate is in Techno's hands now," The Hood replied as he continued moving forwards.
"No, you can't!" Laura pleaded after removing her helmet. She ran round in front of The Hood and forced him to stop. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "She's my friend! The best I've ever had! Please…don't allow this to happen."
The Hood looked into her eyes and let out a small sigh. "My dear Miss McCullen," he said, lifting her chin up with his right hand. You've only been in my presence for a very short period of time so I wouldn't expect you to fully understand straight away. I do not tolerate failure or mistakes. Havoc made one too many, and for that, she must pay the price. And…" he added dangerously. "If you make any similar mistakes, the pain from your condition will be the least of your worries." He then moved his chair around and continued towards the control desk, leaving Laura sobbing her eyes out behind him.
When Havoc came to, she found herself lying on her back on a table and locked inside a strange coffin-like box. She gasped in alarm and tried to sit up only to find she was being held down by some kind of metal restraints. "NO!" she cried in terror. "LET ME OUT! PLEASE! LET ME OUT!"
"I hear that you have awoken," Techno's voice said through a speaker inside the box. "Pity you have to be awake to experience this, but there's no alternative.
Despite everything inside the box being pitch black, Havoc sensed movement coming from the sides of the box and several sharp needles attached themselves to various parts of her arms, torso and legs making her winch in pain. "What are you doing?" Havoc asked, terror flooding through her veins.
"Don't talk," Techno said. "Although I must warn you, there may be some minor discomfort." He then pushed a button.
What Havoc felt next was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. The sharp pain from the needles increased dramatically to the point that the pain became unbearable as she felt something liquid getting injected into her body. She let out an ear-piercing scream which the box wasn't quite able to drown out.
Laura and The Hood had been watching on a monitor screen and although they couldn't see what Techno was doing to Havoc, her screams came through the radio.
"Argh, ooo, er!" The Hood said having not expected to hear such noise. "Let's cover that up, shall we?" He looked at a screen. "Let's see. Ah, Track Nineteen." He pressed a button and a song began to play out over the entire complex's tannoy.
"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight! In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight!"
Laura had to run out of the room whilst she cried for Havoc once more. It was all too terrible.