Out Of Place

AN – I did promise quicker updates, so here is the next chapter! If you enjoy, please leave reviews (the same if you don't!). It does keep writers motivated to keep writing.

Disclaimer – I don't own Thunderbirds

Chapter Twenty Six – The long way around

Gordon led Lady Penelope and Parker towards the old drainage tunnel that John had located. Their John, not the strange red-headed John that Angel had brought back with her. Not that the other John was particularly strange... but that hair! Not even the same strawberry blond as his own locks, but a vibrant red that almost glowed.

Gordon shook his head slightly in reflection. The other John had somehow decided to fall head over heels for Angel. Well, that was never going to end well. Although it did make him wonder...

He tripped over a length of wire and hit the ground heavily.

"You alright, Mr Gordon?"

"Just swell thanks Parker" He muttered as he climbed to his feet. Luckily the darkness hid his blush – just something else to blame his fair colouring for. Anything even remotely embarrassing and he lit up like a stop light.

Lady Penelope carefully picked her way past him. "Well we can't just be lying around here all day. We need to keep moving if we're going to breach the compound by first light." She took the lead, shining a red torch in front of them to try to remain unobtrusive. Gordon fell into step behind her, Parker at the rear.

The outline of the tunnel could now be seen, a sharp silhouette again the morning sky that was just beginning to fade to a lighter grey. The red beam of Penelope's torch showed that other than the very top of the tunnel the rest of the outlet was very overgrown, dense undergrowth.

"Oh dear," she sighed. "I'm afraid this is going to be a bit of a nuisance."

"Don't worry about it Lady P," Gordon grinned cheekily. "International Rescue comes prepared." Gordon drew out a folded blade from his utility belt and opened it to reveal a long, sharp knife.

"I very much doubt that is standard rescue gear." Penelope stated with a raised eyebrow as Gordon dove into the middle of the thicket.

"It is for me." Came the reply, accompanied by the dull thud of a large branch being struck. "I'm just going to clear away the minimum to get us in, we don't want it to too obvious we came this way." This was accompanied by a choice swearword as the shrubs fought back, their long thorns catching and tearing his uniform. Eventually Gordon re-emerged.

"There is a route through now."

He held back some of the remaining branches so that Penelope and Parker could just about make their way through.

The inside of the tunnel was dark and damp. It smelt distinctly unpleasant, although Gordon just ignored the stench. Penelope was wrinkling her nose in distaste while Parker didn't seem to notice any difference. There was a small amount of old stagnant water in the bottom of the concrete tube and despite being very early in the day there were already several biting insects around. Gordon almost managed to hide his smirk on seeing Penelope's probably expensive shoes getting covered in muck. It was about two metres in diameter so although they could go side by side it was easier to go in single file.

They only followed the tunnel for a couple of metres before they came across a grill that filled the whole width of the tunnel. There was a gate in the centre but as Gordon rattled it he could see that it was locked tight. Luckily, they brought the right person with them.

It only took Parker seconds to unlock the old mechanism, although it had been unused for so long that the hinges had rusted shut. It took both Gordon and Parker together to force it open, eventually the whole gate breaking free and sending both men staggering backwards. Luckily, both kept their feet and out of the murky water. Gordon shone his torch inside the tunnel now that there was little chance of being seen, the blackness stretching ahead of him.

"Everyone ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Penelope told him gravely, before sighing at the state of her shoes. "Parker, remind me that I really must invest in some country boots for this sort of endeavour."

"Yes, milady. You could h'always put a bag over 'em?"

Penelope sniffed. "I rather think it's too late by now. These shoes are consigned to the rubbish tip I'm afraid. Let us keep going, we do have a deadline to meet."

Gordon took that as the cue to start moving, his torch illumination approximately the next ten metres of the tunnel ahead of them. Progress was slow, the stagnant water had caused the bottom of the tunnel to become very slippery and the sides were too steep to offer much grip. After a few attempts, Gordon realised he was never going to keep his boots clean and dry and resigned himself to wading through the water, stirring it up and filling the whole space with its foul odour.

They walked for a long time through the tunnel, Gordon checking every now and then on their progress against the map John had sent to his watch. Despite walking for what felt like hours they were only just coming underneath the base when the tunnel seemed to close up in front of them. Moving closer, it was clear that at some point the tunnel had been boarded up.

Gordon passed his torch around the wooden slats. "What now?"

Parker moved forwards, plucking Gordon's torch off him and scrutinising the wood carefully. "This 'ere 'as been turned into a back h'entrance. May I borrow your knife?"

Gordon handed his trusty blade over to Parker, who prodded several different boards before exclaiming. "'Ere it is!" With a sharp twist he dug into the wood and freed a crudely made door.

"Goodness me, well found Parker. What on earth could this be?" Penelope stepped forwards and up onto a wooden platform. She tested it tentatively with one heel but the boards were sound.

"Would you look at that," Gordon commented as he also stepped up, taking his blade back from Parker as he did so. "I wonder what this was used for?"

"H'if I 'ad to guess, h'I'd say smuggling, Master Gordon." Parker said as he looked around. Beyond the partition was a crude room, the wooden floor supporting a small table, chair and what looked like it might have once been a sleeping bag. "Goods come into the h'airport, come 'ere to be processed then lost like, you see?"

"That makes sense," Gordon replied, taking in the dusty beer bottles lying around, their contents long drunk and discarded. "Well, it should be easier from here if it's boarded."

"Amen to that," Parker replied, taking the lead now with Gordon's torch. In almost no time they reached another dead end, this time with a ladder leading upwards to a trap door. Gordon looked up at the rusty rungs apprehensively.

"Keep the light steady," he instructed Parker before starting to climb. It wasn't a long ladder, passing up through a tube connected to the roof of the tunnel for another couple of metres before ending in the trap door they could see from below. As Gordon got closer he could it was a former service hatch from when the tunnel was a genuine drain, but it must have been modified when the whole system was repurposed into a likely smuggler's tunnel. It took a substantial hit but eventually he managed to free the mechanism and lift the hatch carefully. Seeing that it opened into a darkened room, he dropped the lid open and waved down at the others to follow him up.

Penelope came next and Gordon helped her out before Parker brought up the rear, switching off the torch as he did so. Gordon dropped the hatch back shut as quietly as he could before taking a closer look around.

The room was dusty and obviously disused. Pale morning light streamed through some broken windows, signalling that dawn had broken while they'd been in the tunnel.

"Where do you think we are?" Lady Penelope asked, trying to look out of one of the broken panes.

Gordon spread the map he'd been given out on the floor. "If John was right about the location of the drain then we're along this line somewhere… I'd say here." He put his finger on a building that intersected the line for the tunnel.

"So we're in the corner of the complex. John and Angel are attempting to enter the large office block there," Penelope pointed the other side of the base to the building Gordon had chosen. "Now we need to think logically – where would the most sensible place to have a large arsenal of advanced weaponry?"

"It's got to be here," Gordon pointed to a large warehouse right in the middle of the site. "This used to be the main construction building, they would have any machinery they need there."

"H'I disagree, Master Gordon," Parker interrupted. "H'I think h'it must be 'ere." He pointed to a second large area. "This 'ere was the former storage facilities for completed parts. There's a lot of space h'and loading bays to get it all shipped out like."

"Oh dear, either are perfectly valid options." Penelope frowned at the map. "I think we'll need to ask John to inform Angel and the other John that they should look at the construction building, it's closer to the office block than we are. Meanwhile, we should go and look at the storage facilities."

"As you say, milady." Parker rolled the map away while Gordon crept over to one of the shattered windows.

"It's quiet out there. Almost too quiet."

"We should split up," Penelope decided. "Gordon, you and I will skirt the edge of the compound, around the back of this facility here." She pointed at another building between them and the main storage area. "Parker, track the other way around the building. We don't know if one route may be blocked and we need to cover our bases."

"But milady…"

"I will be fine with Gordon, Parker."

Parker huffed disapprovingly but didn't go against his lady. Gordon came back from the window.

"Looks like we can make a move for it. I sure wish I knew where everyone was, this is odd."

"Maybe this version of the Hood likes to work alone too."

"Even so, John's been finding surreptitious adverts for large amounts of tech. But there just isn't anyone here to build it. I hope that we aren't making a mistake."

"Well, there is only one way to find out." Penelope told him. "Let's go and see what the Hood is up to."

Parker slowly opened the door to the warehouse they were in, having made short work of the lock. After checking that the coast was clear, he disappeared behind an old disposal bin and started making his way to the far side of the next building. Gordon, after one more quick check with Penelope, started heading along the side of the warehouse they had been in, keeping tight against the wall to try to evade any cameras. Not that they could see any cameras other than those guarding the perimeter wall.

"I can see why you think it is too quiet," Penelope murmured as they inched their way along. "There must be some people here, this place looks deserted."

Gordon nodded as they continued to creep along. "It's not just that there isn't anyone we can see, but look Lady Penelope, no one has walked this way for an age. If there were people here someone must have come along here."

"It really is most peculiar."

They continued on their route, keeping close to the building despite not being able to see anyone. As they reached the storage facility Gordon searched for a door, eventually finding a grill that would give a view of the inside. Unfortunately, it was far too high for him to reach.

"Can you see something I can stand on?"

Penelope looked around. "There, Gordon! There seems to be some old packing crates around that corner."

Gordon hurried over, finding wooden crates stacked in a disordered pile. He picked up the top one, groaning under the weight. With some difficulty he got it into position, realising that he would need a second to reach.

"Is it all still clear?" He asked Penelope as he picked up the second crate.

"Yes Gordon. I'm not sure where on earth Parker has got to though." Penelope looked around in some concern as Gordon finally managed to reach the grill when he climbed up the crates. "Can you see anything?"

"Hold on just one minute," Gordon twisted, trying to get a better view. The slats of the grill were close together, meaning that his view was largely obstructed, but he could tell there was a significant amount of activity in the base. There seemed to be rows and rows of gleaming equipment, though he couldn't tell what it was. Something was also flitting around, working on the kit that was there. "I think… there is something in here. Wait a moment – there are people!"

The next second, he jerked backwards in surprise as a shape zoomed straight towards the grill from inside the cavernous storage room. Unfortunately, this caused him to stand on the edge of the wooden crate, tipping it up. Both Gordon and the crate fell heavily to the ground, making a lot of noise.

"Gordon!" Penelope cried, making her way over to him. "My goodness, are you ok?"

"Robots!" Gordon croaked out. "That's why we haven't seen any people. It was all robots!"

A faint whirring noise drew their attention, and they both looked up into the dark visor of a hovering droid, an upside down teardrop in shape. Through the centre of the visor a red light glowed from a rectangular aperture and it hovered at head height. From the point at the bottom the barrel of a gun was pointing straight at them.

"You are trespassing." The robot told them in a mechanical voice.

"Gordon…" Penelope started. Gordon pushed himself up from where he had fallen, standing slightly in front of Penelope.

"Easy there, we just got lost, see?"

"Trespassers will be prosecuted." The robot continued. "You will be taken to the detention centre. Come with me." It turned and started moving away, its gun still firmly pointed at Gordon and Penelope – leaving them little option but to follow.