Part 6

John Glenn Tracy was in a word… pissed. He stared at the door opposite the cot he was sitting on with a hatred that could have melted steel if it was possible. John had left the console, had changed into his gym clothes and had walked out of his room to find four armed men aiming riffles at him. John had been shocked to see them there but had put up a fight. Kyrano had taught him tai shi and had taught him self-defense. He had managed to disarm two of the men and had injured the knee of the third. Then the fourth one had gotten him in the head with the butt of the riffle and John had gone down. His other opponents had gotten their revenge by kicking and hitting him so his back and torso now resembled an abstract art piece with all the splotches of black, blue, purple and green. John had lost consciousness after a bit but had been rudely awoken when he was tossed into the cell and chained to the wall with steel cuffs around his ankles and wrists. The men locking him up had gloated about the destruction of Thunderbird Five. The complete and utter destruction of Thunderbird Five. It wasn't the station itself that made John angry, just slightly, no it was that his family would most likely believe him dead and they would be suffering. Something John just could not stand. No one hurt his family and got away with it!

Only… at the moment they were getting away with it because there was nothing he could do to get free and out of this place. He was hurting something bad in his chest and back too… he'd need to heal up a little first before he tried to get out. He leaned his head back and thought of his family. They surely believed he was dead and without Five John's watch, trapped somewhere under the cuffs round his wrists, would most likely not reach all the way to Tracy Island from… wherever the hell he was located.

His poor brothers… they must think him dead… they must think he died up on the station. He needed to find a way to tell them he was okay! He needed to find a way to tell them things were going to be alright. He knew his brothers like he knew his own mind… they'd all blame themselves. They'd all think this was their fault and no one else's. They'd start to pull away from each other, thinking that the others blamed them for some reason or another. John growled angrily. He needed to get out of here! He needed to tell his brothers he did not blame them in the slightest for him getting captured and for Five getting destroyed. These bastards had somehow managed to cloak their ship, even from Five's powerful scanners. He needed to find out who these bastards were and when he did he needed to find a way to contact his family.

That's when the door opened and two of the men from the station entered. One had a blackeye and the other a busted lip. John could not keep the smirk from his face. Good that he at least got in some good hits before they took him down.

"Nice to see the two of you again", he said cheekily.

"Shud ub", the one with a busted lip grumbled. "You arb combin wib bus!"

"Going with the bus?" John asked.

"Shud ub!" The man pulled a gun and aimed it at John's face. "I obly tal libe dibs becaude ob bew!"

"I'm sorry I did not catch that."

"Get up", the other one spat. "You messed up his lip and his mouth when you kicked him in the face so now he can't talk!"

"Well if you people had not threatened me and broken into the station I would not have had to do that."

"Cheeky bastard!" the man made to swing at John's face but stopped himself. John watched him curiously. The man growled darkly and pulled out a key. "If you kick at me my buddy will shoot you in the leg!"

"Fair enough", John said. He realized it would be best for him to be on his 'best' behavior so that he could get a chance to scout the area. The goon that could talk unlocked the shackles on John's ankles and then he took another key and unlocked the locks chaining John to the wall. He did not remove the shackles from John's wrist. John got up slowly when the man indicated for him to do so. Then the goon took a chain each and started walking. John cocked an eyebrow but followed. Where they that afraid of him? Well that was… rather satisfactory actually.

John was led through a series of dark corridors that he carefully tried to memorize. He was sure they were trying to confuse him because they went up flights of stairs, down other flights of stairs, through doors, down corridors, up other sets of stairs and so on. Either he was being held captive in a huge castle or they were trying to confuse him deliberately. John was sure they were trying to confuse him. Soon they arrived at a pair of big and highly decorated doors. One of the goons knocked and he heard someone call for them to enter. The doors were pushed open and John was brought inside. The room hade huge windows with the sunlight streaming in through them. John looked around himself warily. This was obviously a library. He had never seen so many books in one place that wasn't a library. The book nerd in him felt awed. There were also lots of paintings in the room and sculptures and even a grand piano. The person who had him was either very rich or kept him captive in a museum… that's what it felt like. John was pushed into a big armchair and his chains were locked onto two rings in the floor. The two goons then stood just behind just chair. John looked ahead and saw that in the armchair opposite him sat a man. He was rather short and very thin. He looked somewhat like the Duke of… something from that old movie Grandma had shown them. Frost something… no Frozen? Something like that. All he could remember was that Virgil would play that… horrible song for days afterwards. No one had been amused. Not even Grandma. John had to bite back a snigger because the man opposite him looked just like the character.

"Ah", the man said with a rather thick Scottish accent. "Hou's it gaun?"

"It could be going much better", John said. "You blew up my station."

"Nah was not me laddie", the man laughed. "Was me boys."

"On your orders I take it?"

"Aye, true that." The man laughed again. "So, what should I call ye? Mister International Rescue? Or do ye have another name lad?"

"Well I can tell you that it's not lad or laddie. Why don't you figure it out?"

"Hey, yer a chancer."

"Stop it", John growled. "We both know you don't talk that way regularly. You are just trying to, what, make me feel comfortable?"

"I do talk like this lad."

"With the accent yeah but I can't imagine someone of your… pedigree to actually use slang."

"What makes ye believe I have a pedigree lad?"

"Ah dinnae ken", John mocked.

"Fine let's drop the slang", the man said and sighed. His accent was still very thick though. "Do you know why you are here?"

"I figure you want something from my bosses."

"Well aren't you the clever one."

"I try."

"Uh huh… well then maybe you can figure out what it is I want?"

"Our ships?"

"Pft no. If that was the case why would I blow up the station?"

"Fine… money then?"

"I work for one of the richest men in the world. Why would Mr. Tracy need money?"

"Mr. Tracy?" John asked drily. "Jeff Tracy? Ex-astronaut now billionaire?"

"That would be the one."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. You see", the man got up and started circling the room. "Mr. Tracy's company is world-renowned for their techno-gadgets. Me myself own a few."

"Really?"

"Why yes I find them rather… effective."

"I guess companies like that aim to please don't they?"

"That they do. But Mr. Tracy is not too happy with… your company."

"I've not met the man so how can my company bother him?"

"Cheeky but you understand what I mean."

"I do… ya numpty."

"Oi!"

"You started it."

"I did not!"

"You brought me here against my will how is that not starting it!?"

"Your…organization started it by developing tech and not share!"

"Well excuse us for thinking the world was not ready for that kind of tech yet."

"Look", the man sat down in front of John again. "Why don't we start over? Good day I am Mr. Lennox."

"Truly?"

"Yes. Now how about you?"

"We're doing pleasantries, now are we? Fine, I'm Mai Bhalsich."

"Ah look now we are getting somewhere Mr. Bhalsich." John had to fight to not laugh when the man said it so happily. "So, how come you started working for International Rescue?"

"I was Whooped."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. I was studying in the library, researching laser communications and such when all of a sudden I was sucked into an airduct."

"Truly?"

"Why yes. I tumbled down this long slide and crashed down onto a sofa!" John grinned. "At first I got scared by all the high-tech technology around me. I thought that a secret government agency was going to murder me or something. Then I saw an old man behind the desk. Jerry is his name. A British chap. Not of your fine nationality of course."

"You mean English then?"

"I thought you were Scottish."

"No, no, no I meant this Jerry."

"Ah yes. He is an Englishman. He and his robotic assistant Gladys took care of me. Outfitted me with gadgets and sent me on missions to prove my worth."

"Then why were you in space?"

"I proved my worth as an communications expert. I am not fully sure how I got there you see. I was talking to Jerry and then I fell asleep because he always managed to be rather dull."

"Like the English tend to be."

"Quite right."

"Go on."

"Well the most peculiar thing happened. I fell asleep, like I said Jerry was so dull. Anyway when I woke up I was in this… car. It was a limo of some kind, with seats of blue velvet. Come to think of it everything was blue. Even the woman working for the owner of the car. His name was Igor and he had taken an interest in me. He and his associate Margaret, I think her name was, had nicked me from Jerry because they claimed I was a wildcard."

"A wildcard?"

"Yes you see other than being an excellent radio expert I am also a really talented hacker and martial artist. They thought my skills would be better suited fighting shadows, you know enemies no on really sees. But the big man did not agree to that. So I was whisked away again, stuffed in a rocket and sent into space."

"I say that is a very… interesting tale."

"It sure is. I've not seen Jerry, Gladys, Margaret or Igor since."

"Does IR have many recruiters and agents?"

"Oh lots. I mean I only know the name of the main operatives… well their aliases because who would be dumb enough to use their real names in the field?"

"That does sound quite stupid."

"Right? So that's my story, now… why am I here?"

"Like I said… I want something from you."

"Money?"

"No, no, no. It is true that I do not wish to obtain the space station, which is why I blew it up." The man got up again and walked over to the window. "No I just simply want your organization… to stop."

"Stop… stop what?"

"Being operational of course."

"Why?"

"You see Mr. Tracy wish to start a government funded rescue force, an international one or at least multinational. Which means he can't have competition if he is going to monopolize the way his organization will run things."

"Wait, wait, wait… Jeff Tracy wants to monopolize rescuing people?"

"Yes."

"Are you out of your mind?!" John flew up, but was pushed back down with a painful yelp.

"Not at all. It is not my idea. It is Mr. Tracy's. He wants to give the people the help they deserve. For a prize of course. Can't have him running around saving people for free. Somebody needs to pay the salaries and for fuel and the like."

"That's mental!"

"Perhaps", Lenox turned around to face the fuming John again. "But it is his dream and I will do anything to fulfill it for him." He walked over to John and gripped his collar tightly. "And you Mr. Bhalsych are going to help me."

"I would rather die!"

"That can be arranged!" Lennox shouted. Gone was the pleasant tone. "You will tell me the location of your base! You will get me in contact with your superiors and you will do it now!" He pointed at something on a side table and John felt his heart leap in joy. A video-phone! That was perfect! Wait, wait, wait… he could not let Lennox contact the island or figure out that it existed. John glared at the man.

"No", he said. "I will not give you any of what you ask."

"Yes you will or you will suffer the consequences!"

"What are those? More time with your charming self?"

"No… but let's just say that my lads here", he nodded to the men behind John and they both cracked their knuckles. "Can be very… persuasive."

"Oh yeah? But I am more stubborn." John said and crossed his arms. "I'm not helping you."

"Fine", Lennox said. "Let the persuasion begin." He nodded to one of the men and John's hair was pulled so that his head was leaning back. He struggled but then he realized what was about to happen. "Are you a lefty or a righty Mr. Bhalsych?"

"Either", John spat and then gasped when one of the men grabbed his left index finger. A little bit later… John's painful scream rang through the mansion.

TBC I can not take credit for John's made up name. That belongs to Dragon Age. Gold stars to those who got my references ;) Without Google because that would be cheating!