"You've got to be kidding me!"
"Gordon-"
"No, Virgil, this sucks ass and it's bullshit. You're telling me we're back to needing a hall pass? I thought Aunt Val told them to shove that idea where the sun don't shine."
They were standing in Lady Penelope's parlour.
All of them - Scott, Virgil, John, Gordon, Alan, Grandma, Kayo, Brains, Penelope and Parker. It was like Christmas in July...or a perfect storm. The missive had come stamped and sealed not long after Aunt Val had signed off. Virgil had no doubt that she knew it was coming and her urgent communique was the best heads up she had been capable of.
Scott had ordered everyone...well, except Grandma, no one ordered Grandma...into Thunderbird Two and to London. Kayo had secured Tracy Island, the villa stark under its storm shutters. They would be back, but first they needed to discuss the situation without the need for comms.
"Gordon, language!"
"I'm sorry, Grandma, but I think the situation warrants it."
His grandmother walked over to Gordon and placed her hand on his arm. "Honey, what the situation warrants is calm and clear heads so we can work out a way to cram this order down their throats."
Russet brown eyes stared at her for a moment before the aquanaut sagged just a little. "Sorry, Grandma."
She reached up and gently cupped his cheek. "We'll work this out, honey. It wasn't your fault."
"No, it wasn't." Scott's voice was firm, but his eyes held that hint of apology. "And we will work it out." He turned to Penelope. "What is the situation?"
"Somewhat alarming, I'm afraid. Rumour has it that there has been some serious shuffling in the upper echelons of the GDF. Certain world councillors have been asking questions and demanding answers that they want to hear."
Gordon bristled. "You mean they don't want the truth."
"I'm afraid so."
"Motivation?" The blue in Scott's eyes was almost electric with energy.
Parker stepped up. "I believe it's the oldest one in the book, Mr Scott, sir. Power."
Penelope's lips thinned. "With a side order of money." A delicate sigh. "I'm sorry, Scott. It is not the best of news."
Lips thin, Scott glanced at Virgil a moment before returning his gaze to Penelope. "Do we know who is responsible?"
She straightened her shoulders. "My father tells me there is a new player on the World Security Council. Elsa Wainwright has replaced the retiring US representative."
Beside Virgil, Gordon startled. "Wainwright? USN Sentinel Wainwright?"
Penelope arched an eyebrow. "Precisely."
"Oooh, that's not good."
"Would you like to share with the class?" Alan's sarcasm was a physical thing.
A narrow glare at his littlest brother, and Gordon twisted his lips in distaste. "US Navy Admiral Wainwright was the principle lead in the Sentinel program." Virgil wasn't sure he had heard his brother say something with such distaste. "A fleet of extremely fast warships commanded by a hand-picked collection of trigger-happy commanders. WASP Command was not impressed. Brandy knew some of the officers killed in the mistaken identity screw up two years ago. Wainwright got off scott-free. That woman is dangerous. She has her own agenda."
Brandy was Gordon's former commander in WASP. After the hydrofoil accident, the entire Tracy family grew to know the brusque but loyal WASP officer.
Gordon may have been given an honourable discharge, but Brandy McGee had left a swath of kicks up the ass for those responsible for the hydrofoil crash. The initial accusation of pilot error had been swiftly crushed under her military issue boot.
Her opinion was worth an ear.
As for Penelope's father, he was a long-time friend of their father's. Hugh Creighton-Ward was the UK representative on the World Security Council. Cool, calm and calculating, his opinion was close to fact.
Scott turned back to Penelope. "Any word from the agent network."
Blue eyes met blue eyes, Penelope's calm, much like her father's. Scott's fiery, all his brother's energy just beneath the surface.
"My mother is investigating." And that was the obvious end to that line of questioning.
There were aspects of International Rescue that the GDF were not aware. In her corner, leaning against a book case, Kayo's green eyes glittered over the smallest of smiles.
"So, what are we going to do?" Alan was obviously frustrated, if not a little frightened.
Virgil didn't blame him. There were so many questions. What could they respond to? What was forbidden?
How many people were going to be lost who could have been saved?
He set his shoulders. "What do we do if we are barred from launching?"
John's movements were graceful as he rose from his seat in the corner. He was finally wearing the new shirt Virgil had bought for him. A deep turquoise, it still had the necessary piping to provide the gravity support tech his brother often needed, but at least it wasn't that godawful beige brown. Virgil considered finding the other shirt and burning it when John wasn't looking.
As if John knew what he was thinking, those equally turquoise eyes caught Virgil's. A copper eyebrow arched.
Who was he kidding? John saw all. Virgil would never get away with it. Eos would probably end up torching his music collection or something.
John's lips quirked and Virgil stared at his brother.
Neither of them said a thing until John turned to Scott. "Eos is in the nets. We'll let you know if we discover anything. As a precaution, I have alerted all the local emergency services that there may be an issue. Our priority must be to save as many lives as possible despite these restrictions."
"It is so frustrating!" Gordon was almost vibrating with aggravation. "We didn't do anything!"
Virgil took a step closer to his brother and placed a hand on his arm. Grandma who was on the aquanaut's other side, caught Virgil's eyes with a worried frown.
Virgil sucked in a breath. "Gords, we will work this out."
"And how many people are going to die in the meantime?!"
Virgil's fingers tightened just a little around Gordon's arm. "We will do what we can."
"What if it is not enough?" Alan took a step forward.
"It will be enough." Scott's voice was cold. "We will not stand by and let people die because someone has a political agenda."
Virgil let out a breath. "Scott-"
His brother's eyes hit him like a pair of laser beams. "They tried this on us once before. It didn't work for Janus and be damned if I'm going to let this Wainwright walk all over us either."
"Scott-"
"No, Virgil. Dad wouldn't stand for it and neither will I."
-o-o-o-