AFTER hearing the terrifying end of Inspector Corner over the radio, Penelope and Parker had decided it would be best to return to their rooms before anyone noticed they were outside. Penelope however couldn't let the matter slide. After hearing the sound of the monster snarling and the distant explosion as the motor launch that the Inspector had been on had been destroyed.

"John, I'm sorry to have to ask this of you, but I need you to do that scan again," Penelope said into her compact radio.

John groaned and sat up from his bed. "Really?" he asked. "With the greatest of respect, Lady Penelope, I was about to get some rest."

"John, this is a matter of urgency!" said Penelope. "Four people have literally just been killed by what could very well be the Loch Ness Monster. I need you to locate it!"

John rubbed his eyes and then looked at her in confusion. "I'm sorry, did you say Loch Ness Monster?"

"John, please!" Penelope said, getting agitated.

John relented and got off his bed. "Very well," he said as he headed back to the control room. "I'll have another look for you."

Returning to the control room, he activated the scanning equipment and once again ran a thorough scan of the loch. This time he picked up a strange contact moving amongst the depths.

"I think I might have something," John said.

"Is it the monster?" asked Penelope.

"I can't quite tell what it is," replied John. "It's a faint contact and isn't registering properly." Then he frowned. "Odd. I'm also detecting another unidentified signal."

"In the loch?" asked Penelope.

"No, it's coming from the shore," said John. "Along the south side."

"Can you trace it?"

"Going to try if I can," said John. He did so, and then he went a bit pale. "Uh-oh."

"What is it?" Penelope asked.

John turned to face her hologram. "You're not going to like where it's coming from," he said.

"McCullen Castle?!" repeated Gordon. "I thought Parker blew that place to hell?"

"Only part of it, Gordon," said Penelope. "The place has got new owners. Two brothers I believe are known as Andrew and James McGregor. According to the locals, they're not the most pleasant of people either."

"You think they're behind this monster?" asked Jeff.

"Without evidence I cannot say for sure," said Penelope. "However, Parker and I are going to go to the castle in the morning and investigate."

"But, but-"

"But what, Gordon?"

"Surely you don't want to go back there?" Gordon asked. "Not after what happened last time?"

"This is different, Gordon," Penelope said. "I'll have Parker with me. And I know that these two are to be treated with suspicion at all times. They won't get a drop on me. I assure you."

"All the same, Penny, you watch your step," said Jeff. "We don't want to have to fight another battle to save you like we did against the McCullens."

"I will ensure it won't come to that, Jeff," said Penelope. "However, I did hear something about a boat trip heading out onto the loch tomorrow in order to search for the monster. If these people have some monster mock-up and decide to use it to attack the tourists, I dread to think what could happen."

"We'll be on stand-by," said Jeff. "Any sign of trouble and you alert us."

"I will, Jeff," said Penelope. "Over and out."

Gordon ran his fingers through his hair. "This is going to end badly. I just know it," he remarked.

"Less of the pessimism, if you please, son?" said Jeff.

When Alan and Sophie first began to get serious with their relationship, Alan had had visions and dreams of how the two would spend their nights. The actual night parts were easy. Although having them both try to squeeze into his single bed proved a bit more challenging than they thought. What he'd never considered was to have to assist her with getting in and out of bed. Due to her having lost both her legs, it was impossible for her to move from the chair into the bed or vice-versa without assistance. At home she'd got some specialist equipment, but it was bulky and not easy to transport, so it wasn't present on Tracy Island. Therefore Alan found himself with a less than happy task of picking Sophie up and moving her himself.

"I guess I'm going to have to get used to that," Alan said after placing Sophie into her wheelchair.

"Aw, babe, I'm sure Brains can sort me up something," Sophie replied. "Given all the other things he's created, I'm sure he'll be able to create something even more advanced than what I have at home."

"All the same," said Alan. "It'd be a lot better if you had legs. Can't someone make you new ones?"

Sophie burst out laughing. "Oh, I wish," she said. "Maybe someday that can happen. Believe me, I'd rather not spend the rest of my life sitting in one of these, as good as they are."

Alan scratched his skull as he went into his en-suite bathroom to have a wash of his face. "I'm sure in a history lesson I read about a guy who lost his legs and got given a pair of new ones. But they weren't normal."

"As technology advances, prosthetic limbs have become a thing," said Sophie. "Especially in Japan they can create miracles."

"Yeah, this wasn't from Japan though," said Alan. "It wasn't even in this century if I remember rightly. I have a feeling it was a guy in World War Two. A Brit I'm sure it was."

Sophie wracked her brains as she tried to think of who Alan could be talking about. She rolled up her left sleeve and began to fiddle with her watch, using it to browse the internet. Then she found something. "Could it be this guy?" she asked as Alan came out of the bathroom. She held her arm out for him to see the hologram picture projected from the watch face.

Alan looked at the image of a tall man wearing an old Royal Air Force uniform and standing next to a Spitfire. "That's him!" he said. "Douglas Badar."

"I've studied him too," said Sophie. "Lost both his legs in a flying accident between the wars. He got to walk again though using a pair of tin legs. Then during the Second World War he was shot down and became a prisoner of war. He returned after and kept the legs until his dying day from what I've read."

"Incredible," said Alan. "Maybe there's hope for you yet?"

Sophie smiled. "I do hope so," she said.

Alan went back into the bathroom and dried his face off. "Whatever happens, it won't ever stop me from feeling guilty," he said.

Sophie rolled her eyes and came over to the bathroom. "Oh, Alan, for the last time. I don't blame you for what happened to me. Nor do my family."

"I still struggle to believe that," Alan said tearfully. "It's not like we'd been together for a very long time and then it happened. It happened the very first time you came to us. That shouldn't have happened to you. Or Hayley."

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Sophie asked.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then stop beating yourself up," said Sophie. She reached out and grabbed his arm. "If I'd died, that'd be a different story. But I'm not. So take that as a positive."

Alan knew he'd not be able to shake the guilt as long as he could see Sophie in the wheelchair, but he knew she was right. He couldn't let the guilt consume him.

Parker drove FAB1 along the quiet road along the side of Loch Ness, heading towards the grounds of the former McCullen Castle. Soon they reached the gates and were surprised to see that there was only the old archway to be found. No actual gates were present.

"Not very good security, wouldn't you say, Parker?" Penelope remarked.

"Quite, m'lady," agreed Parker. "Do we walk or do we take FAB1 in?"

"We'll take FAB1 in," said Penelope. "Not that I am anticipating any problems, but then again, we did have someone try and take us out yesterday. Being inside the car will protect us."

Parker nodded in agreement and cautiously made his way through the gates and up the long gravel road towards the castle. They'd not really had much of a chance to admire the estate during their previous visit so the slowness of the journey allowed them to take some of it in. Penelope more than Parker.

Soon they began to pass through a familiar clump of woodland which had been close to the castle. And then it came into view. Straight away they could see it looked different as the destroyed battlements were covered in scaffolding as it was being newly rebuilt. To the right however they saw the remains of the old chapel that Penelope had almost been forced to marry Montgomery McCullen in. It seemed like there were no current attempts to have that rebuilt.

"If I'm going to be honest, Parker, I am glad that they've left that building as it is," said Penelope.

"H'I couldn't agree more, m'lady," said Parker as he brought the car to a stop close to the castle's front doors.

Leaving FAB1, they walked up to the doors and Parker, somewhat nervously, rang the bell.

It took a few minutes, but eventually they heard the sound of a key unlocking the doors. One then opened to reveal a tall, slim man in a butler's uniform. "Yes?" he said bluntly. "Can I help you?"

"Hi there," said Penelope. "I would like to see the McGregors please?"

"Do you have an appointment?" asked the butler.

"No, I was just passing by and had heard they'd taken the castle over," Penelope said. "I used to know the previous owners."

The butler frowned. "One moment, please." He then walked over to a nearby telephone on the wall. "Mr McGregor?"

"What is it, Gibbons?" asked a voice over the phone.

"There's a lady here who wishes to see you," said the butler.

"A lady, you say?" said the voice. "What's her name?"

Gibbons turned to Penelope. "Name, please?"

"Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward. Sorry, I should have said that from the beginning."

The butler raised a surprised eyebrow. "It's Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, Mr McGregor."

"Gosh me!" exclaimed the voice over the phone. "Bring her in, Gibbons! And tell the kitchens to lay on a feast!"

Gibbons seemed more surprised. "Very good, sir," he said. He hung up and turned back to Penelope and Parker. "Do come in," he said.

"Thank you, Mr Gibbons, was it?"

"Yes, your ladyship," said Gibbons, giving a bow as he stepped back to allow Penelope to enter.

Penelope smiled as she walked in and headed towards the drawing room as directed by Gibbons.

Parker then walked in and was looking hard at Gibbons. Gibbons too was eying him up with an equal amount of suspicion.

"Do h'I know you from somewhere?" Parker asked.

"Maybe," replied Gibbons blankly. "You seem kind of familiar. Especially with that crooked nose of yours."

"I'll have you know, Mr Gibbons, that Parker has a very fine nose!" Penelope said indignantly. "It's gotten us out of a lot of trouble in the past."

Gibbons sniffed. "And no doubt gotten him into trouble in the past," he remarked before skulking off into the shadows on his way to the kitchens.

Parker and Penelope looked at each other. They'd been warned by the villagers about the McGregors being shady, but hadn't mentioned anything about a butler by the name of Gibbons.

"Do you know him, Parker?" Penelope asked.

"I 'ave h'a feeling that h'I 'ave somewhere, m'lady," said Parker. "But from where I cannot put my finger on."

"Hmmm," said Penelope. "Better keep an eye on him then."

"Yus, m'lady."

The recent sightings and especially the photos of the monster had caused a massive tourism boom to the area around Loch Ness with thousands of people coming to either walk around the edge of the loch or take boat rides out in search of it. There were times when people sometimes caught a glimpse of something moving in the water but never was anyone quick enough to catch anything on camera.

A small white minibus arrived in the car park near to where the boat tours had started. People had come from all over the world as well as different parts of the UK - and the people on this bus were no exception. This was the replacement bus for Trevor Evans after his previous one had been lost over a cliff in North Wales. On the bus were his usual passengers. Bronwyn Jones with her twins Sarah and James; Nurse Helen Flood and her daughter Mandy and Dillys Price and her mischievous son Norman. This time there were two additional people. Hannah Sparks - who was confined to a wheelchair, and Derek Price, the English cousin of Norman, who whilst not quite as mischievous as Norman, was still someone who needed eyes kept on.

Norman bounced off the bus before the doors had even finished opening. "Come ON, everyone!" he said impatiently. "Hurry up, or we'll miss the boat!"

"Norman, stop waving that camera about," scolded Dillys. "I'm not buying you another one if you break it."

"And the boat's not for another hour yet, Norman," added Trevor. "There's time to eat our sandwiches by the lake first."

"Loch, Trevor," corrected Hannah. "They say loch up here in Scotland."

"I meant to say loch," Trevor said, slightly embarrassed.

Norman jumped up and down annoyed. "Awh, but I want to go on the boat NOW!" he said crossly.

Sarah and James giggled. "Norman's having a tantrum. Norman's having a tantrum," they teased.

"SHUT UP!" shrieked Norman.

"That's enough," scolded Bronwyn to her children, but they continued to giggle regardless.

Derek too saw an opportunity to mock Norman. "Someone's impatient, Mr Touchy Pants."

Norman went red in the face and almost exploded before Dillys calmed him with soothing words. "Don't let them get to you, my little precious. You'll get your chance to see the monster."

This did calm Norman down a little, but he was still impatient to get out on the loch.

Penelope and Parker found themselves sitting at a table in the dining room with Jamie and Andy McGregor who had been surprisingly hospitable despite warnings from the villagers.

"There now," said Andy once they'd finished. "That's what I call a fine meal. What did you make of it, your Ladyship?"

"Wonderful, Mr McGregor," answered Penelope politely. "Simply wonderful."

"Och, please. Call me Andy. We aren't formal folk around here."

"Consider this a great honour, Lady Penelope," added Jamie. "We don't get many visitors here. In fact, I would go as far as to say you're the first since we moved in."

"Oh, really?" said Penelope with interest. "That's a shame for you. Why's that, if you don't mind me asking?" She was kind of expecting the McGregors to either shy away from the subject or deny anything. But they didn't.

"Not at all," said Andy. "You see, we're not from around here. We originate from around Kirkcaldy. We are considered outsiders by the locals and they've shunned us ever since we first bought the place and moved in."

"Yes, they do seem a rather set in their ways kind of community," Penelope said.

"Did they warn ye aboot us?" asked Andy.

"Yes, but I like to keep an open mind and not judge people," said Penelope. "And from what I have seen, you two seem very welcoming."

The brothers were flattered by this remark. "That's very kind of ye, Lady Penelope," said Andy. "Would you like us to give you and your driver a tour of the castle?"

Parker and Penelope looked at each other. Parker decided it would be best if he made an excuse not to join them so he could take a look around the castle by himself and see if he could learn anything. "You go for a tour, m'lady," he said. "H'I need to keep an eye on the car."

"Suit yourself, my friend," said Jamie. "If you go with Andy, Lady Penelope, there's a few things that I need to attend to before I join you."

"Of course," said Penelope. She waited until the two brothers were in conversation before she and Parker exchanged knowing looks before getting up to leave with Andy.

Parker got up too and was about to leave when he found Gibbons blocking the doorway. "H'Excuse me. Where is your bathroom?" he asked.

Gibbons fixed him with an icy glare.

"Well go on, Gibbons. Show him!" barked Andy.

Gibbons sniffed. "Very good, sir," he said, sounding somewhat reluctant. "This way." He then led Parker out of the dining room.

Penelope scowled after the tall butler. "Pardon me, boys," she said to the McGregors. "Whilst I have found you both to be very welcoming, your butler doesn't seem too friendly - especially to my driver."

"Ach, yes, Gibbons is a difficult lad at the best of times," said Jamie. "He had a rough bringing up. He's trying to reform from his past misdeeds as a criminal."

Sounds awfully familiar, Penelope thought to herself. Sounds like Parker, only he doesn't seem to be trying to make himself better.

Gibbons didn't say a word to Parker as he guided him to the nearest bathroom. "In there," he snapped. "Be quick about it."

"Alright, alight. Keep your 'air h'on," Parker said, annoyed.

Gibbons suddenly grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. "You mocking me?" he snarled. "Look at my head, Nosey. I HAVEN'T GOT ANY HAIR!"

"GIBBONS!"

The butler released his grip on Parker and turned to see Jamie had come down the corridor after them. "SIR!"

"My apologies, Mr Parker," Jamie said. "Please, carry on."

Parker shuffled himself and went inside the bathroom.

Jamie then turned on Gibbons. "For gosh sakes, man!" he snapped. "Why do you have to be so rude?"

"Sir, I need to talk with you," said Gibbons.

"Not now, I need to get the m-"

"It cannot wait, sir," said Gibbons firmly.

Jamie sighed. "Fine, over here!" They went over to the other side of the corridor about ten metres down from the bathroom. "What is it?"

"Do you remember I used to work with an equally crooked man in my younger days?" Gibbons asked.

"You worked with several as I recall," said Jamie.

"One was called Aloysius 'Nosey' Parker," Gibbons said.

"And?"

"That's him," said Gibbons, pointing back towards the bathroom door.

"And your problem is?"

"Sir, he's a reformed criminal, and from what I've heard, Lady Penelope is a bit of an undercover private detective of sorts. They could blow our entire operation! We must get rid of them!"

Jamie frowned. "I find that rather hard to believe about her ladyship," he remarked. "I also think that-" He broke off suddenly as his eye caught sight of something on Gibbons' jacket. "What is that?"

Gibbons looked down and saw a small black button-like object on his jacket. He grabbed it and pulled it off as it had been stuck on. "What?" he said, confused. "That wasn't there before?" He pulled it apart and was stunned to discover that it was a recording microphone. "WHAT?!" They then heard the sound of running footsteps coming from round the corner. They looked round and saw that the bathroom door was now open. "Blast!" cursed Gibbons. "He must have put it on me when I grabbed him!"

Jamie slapped him across the face. "Idiot!" he spat. "You may have just ruined our operation! Get after that man and take care of him!"

"May I kill him?" asked Gibbons.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO, JUST MAKE SURE HE DOESN'T TELL ANYONE!" thundered Jamie.

So Gibbons set off after Parker whilst Jamie hurried further on down the corridor, both men boiling with anger.

Parker had concealed himself behind a Grandfather Clock and waited until he was certain that Jamie and Gibbons had gone away from where he was hiding. He had tried to get out the front doors to get to FAB1 but had found that Gibbons had locked the doors and there was no key to be seen. He had no time to try and pick it so he'd concealed himself after realising they'd heard him escape from the bathroom.

I need to alert m'lady somehow, Parker thought to himself. Or better still, alert Mr Tracy. Either way, we need assistance. He pulled up his left sleeve to try and call International Rescue with his wristwatch. "Parker to h'International Rescue. Do you read me?" But no response came. "Blast - no signal. H'I need to get up 'igh in order to make contact." He began to slink around the downstairs of the castle, trying to find a set of stairs that could take him up to the battlements. He hurried up the stairs that he did find to the first floor level and turned a corner where he found himself face to face with one of the maids. The maid, having not realised that there were visitors to the castle, let out a terrified scream and dropped the tray of crockery she was carrying, causing it to smash on the floor. Parker lunged forwards, grabbing the maid and pushing her up against the wall with one hand pressed tightly over her mouth. "Shhhh!" he hissed. "Please forgive me, miss. Where can h'I get to the top of the castle?"

The maid squealed under Parker's hand and pointed further down the corridor.

"Much obliged," Parker said before removing his hand and running off, leaving the terrified woman slumping down on the floor, gasping for air.

Gibbons appeared a few seconds after Parker had gone, brandishing a large sniper-rifle in one hand. He saw the maid and went up to her. "Where did he go?" he demanded.

"T-That way," gasped the maid. "He's trying to get to the battlements."

Gibbons gritted his teeth. "It'll be the only place he ends up," he snarled before running off after Parker.

Andy had taken Penelope around to look at the master bedroom around the back of the castle. The interiors had all been redone allowing Penelope to not really recognise much from her previous visit. That was at least until she visited the master bedroom and it was the view from the windows down over Loch Ness that made her realise that here was where she'd been fitted with the wedding dress.

"Quite a view, isn't it?" said Andy. "This is the one room we've yet to make use of. We've had no guests to make use of since we arrived."

"I'm sure you'll get someone one day," Penelope replied.

"We already have," said a voice. It was Jamie, walking in with some rope in one hand. "You."

Penelope raised an eyebrow. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Brother, what is the meaning of this?" demanded Andy.

"My apologies, brother," said Jamie. "But Lady Penelope's driver is a spy! We found a listening device on Gibbons. I can only suspect that her Ladyship herself is also one?"

Andy looked at Penelope. "Is this true?" he asked.

"Certainly not!" said Penelope indignantly. "I'm-"

"Shut it!" snapped Jamie. "You should have heeded the villagers advice! Now sit on that chair."

Penelope didn't answer. She looked at the chair, and then at the rope in Jamie's hands. She knew what was going to happen. She decided to play along. "Are you going to tie me up?" she asked.

"Of course!" said Jamie. "We cannot let you learn our secret."

Penelope calmly walked and sat on the chair, placing her arms round behind the backrest. "Oh, I don't mind really," she said calmly. "But what secret is that?"

"We cannae tell you that," said Jamie as he passed one part of the rope to a disheartened Andy and together they began to proceed in tying Penelope to the chair.

Parker felt certain that Penelope was in danger and knew he'd have to try and help her if he could. But first he had to get some back-up in case any rescue attempt failed and he either became a hostage too, or worse. Making it to the battlements, where he found a lot of it still fenced off due to heavy building work taking place. He did a quick sweep to make sure nobody was around before trying to make an emergency call again. "This h'is Parker to International Rescue. Mr Tracy? Master John? Does h'anyone 'ear me?"

This time a signal was sent out and it was detected by Thunderbird 5, orbiting high above the Earth. John was quick to respond. "Hello, Parker? What's the situation? Do you need assistance?"

"Oh, Master John, thank goodness!" said Parker. "These McGregors and their butler h'are villains! I do not know what they're h'up to, but they're trying to get me and probably already have 'er ladyship 'ostage h'in the castle. I'll try and 'elp 'er but we could use some backup."

"Okay, Parker, I'll alert Tracy Island and have Thunderbirds 1 and 2 sent to your location," said John. "Try and stay out of sight if you can."

"Will do, sir," said Parker.

But then he heard footsteps and a voice shouted out. "NOSEY?!"

"Cribbons!" exclaimed Parker. "It's Gibbons! Got to go!" And he hastily cut the transmission just as the villainous butler appeared round the corner with his weapon.

"THERE YOU ARE!" bellowed Gibbons and aimed his weapon. BANG!

John heard the gunshot just as the transmission cut. "Parker, come in!" he said urgently. "PARKER?!