Changes in plans were once something she found confidence in. Penelope prided herself in her ability to think on her feet and adapt to an ever changing situation, counter it, and make it work to her advantage. This change, however, sent her stomach twisting and her heart plummeted.
Beside her, someone's fingers brushed her arm and her instincts wanted her to rip them off. Impulse had given way to shock and she simply turned to see Seth watching her apologetically.
"Sorry, ma'am," he let his hand drop to his side. "Where'd everyone else run off to?"
She didn't answer as her gaze went back to the still form on the mat and she realized she needed to get to him. Seth followed as the crowd parted for her and she bounded up the stairs and into the ring. A couple of the officials had gathered around Gordon while Micah was showboating to his fans.
"We've got him," Seth managed to get rid of the referees while Penelope tapped her friend's cheek that wasn't swollen and bruised - yet. When Seth returned, he was on one knee, his hands grasping Gordon's arms to help pull him up. "C'mon, you lead the way and I'll carry 'im."
She wanted to be grateful for the man's presence in helping her friend, but suspicion was screaming in her ear that Gordon was now a target. Were Seth's intentions wholely good-natured? There was little she could do about it now as he worked to get a groggy aquanaut to his feet, supporting much of his weight as they made their way out of the ring.
They made as far as the hall leading back to the hotel lobby when Gordon came to just enough to be coherent, "Pen?"
She whirled in her tracks and stepped up to him, catching his face in her hands, "Samuel, Seth's got you, okay?"
For a terrifying moment, she wondered if the warning had made it through, but as he turned to see the man supporting him, he gave an disheartening groan, "S'rry - didn't win."
"Aw man, don't sweat it," Seth adjusted the aquanaut before they continued on. "You put up one hell of a fight. Had old Huller there running scared!"
"- think he got - desp'rate," this time, Gordon let out a short chuckle, subdued by the swelling in his jaw.
The rest of the trip up to their room was uneventful and Penelope thanked Seth before not so politely kicking him out of the room with Gordon's promise he would check in with the fighter as soon as he was rested. Now, all they needed to do was wait for Parker to get back with the others once the authorities had everything wrapped up with Micah's men.
That thought alone brought a decent amount of satisfaction. The fighter might have won the match, but with just the right amount of pressure, the people who had taken Virgil would be more than willing to rat out their employer. A win for the good guys.
"Is Virg okay?" The tired voice sounded from the figure on the bed, an ice pack pressed to his face.
"Parker says he is," she frowned, not comfortable with making him worry, but certain he would want the details. She took a seat on the end of the bed, catching his attention, "A little roughed up, but okay."
Gordon groaned with the information and his free hand found the tuft of hair on top of his head. It stayed there, blocking her view of his face, but she knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Don't start blaming yourself. You know I won't stand for it," it was an order that came out much gentler, her worry for her friend outweighing the authority she was accustomed to.
"He said ev'ry hit I landed, Virgil got hit too," Gordon challenged.
Penelope thought she should be more irate at that news than she was, but maybe that wasn't what he needed. He was hurting - damaged in more ways than simply the physical - and more anger wouldn't do him good. No, Gordon was sunshine, warmth that she envied in the cold world she worked in.
With a slow breath, she stood and moved further up the bed until she could reach out and took the hand from his hair, "I've no doubt Micah Huller will face charges for what he did. For now, you and I are going to wait here for the others."
Their fingers laced together and she smiled at the befuddled expression that took over the guilt. He blinked and Penelope felt him relax into the pillow. The stress was hitting him hard as he blinked again, his eyes staying closed longer than before. She didn't think letting him sleep was the best idea, but his body had been through quite a bit more than they'd anticipated. Her own adrenaline stores were leaching away and Penelope couldn't find it in herself to make him open his eyes as they closed again and stayed that way.
With a sigh that spoke of the frayed nerves her friend seemed to instill within her, she slid down next to him, still holding his hand. She knew she shouldn't let herself get so comfortable, but there was no way she was going to leave him - asleep or not.
What the London agent hadn't planned on was letting her own eyes close. She was vaguely aware of the room floating away as the sound of their door opened and an alarm droned dully in her mind. She was out before her brain could connect the problem with their situation.
OoOoOoO
"Quickly," he whispered as he watched his team go to work, their masks hiding their faces from more than just the gas. "Get his things packed. Don, get him in the case. Shuttle leaves in five."
He delighted in the efficiency, the careful precautions his team took in making it seem as though the fighter had left without warning, but in a way that could easily be translated into a rhetoric of embarrassment or a seedy affair. Today's was a bit challenging with the rest of Mr. Tucker's team potentially on their way back. The woman still had her own fight - if she made it in time. It hadn't escaped his employer's watchful eye that Ms. Nguyen had run off after the hooded assailants.
That had been a surprise. It was rare for teammates to be the target of nefarious plots. It was easier to buy someone than it was to force them to sacrifice their wellbeing or that of their friends. It seemed whoever had taken the medic was willing to make high risk moves. Certainly not something his employer wanted to pursue.
In only a few minutes, Samuel Tucker's belongings were stowed into a suitcase, the fighter in much the same position.
"Alright, get him downstairs," he open the duffle that hung over his shoulder and pulled out a pair of glasses, a nearly empty bottle of brandy, and a similar bottle of champagne. Alcohol always made his job easier. If it appeared they had been drinking, the effects of the gas were questionable.
The glasses were set on the side table, a hint of brandy added to each and shifted around to appear they had been consumed. He took special care to press one against the sleeping woman's lips. It was the small touches that made the difference.
Once satisfied, he followed the remainder of his team out, shutting the bedroom door to stave off as much suspicion as possible. Oh, and a do not disturb sign only sealed the plan. Perfect.
Job complete, he left to continue his usual duties within the hotel.
OoOoOoO
John had designated her priority over Gordon and Lady Penelope, simple enough while he kept open communication with Kayo and Virgil. She hadn't been alerted to anything of significance once the two had entered the room and their guest had promptly left. Heart rates were steady, fluctuating slightly. It was consistent with her data on the aftermath of adrenaline rushes.
"We should be finished shortly," Kayo's voice floated from the hologram. John was glancing between the woman and his immediate elder brother's med scan. From EOS' view, most of the damage was superficial. No breaks, very little hemorrhaging from the cut under his eye that the glasses had caused. Virgil would be fine, if not a lot more grumpy than usual.
And then something changed on her readouts. Gordon was moving. She wouldn't have thought much of it except his heart rate and brain waves were consistent with sleep. In all her time monitoring the Tracy family, only Alan had shown the ability to sleep walk. When Gordon was up, he was typically running at near full efficiency - for a human.
"John, I've detected an anomaly with Gordon," she had his full attention in less than a second and she continued. "He appears to be leaving the room without Lady Penelope. I believe he is asleep or unconscious."
"Where's Penelope?" His brow furrowed.
"She, too, appears to be asleep." EOS enlarged the London agent's icon for clarification.
"Damn," the astronaut hissed before shifting back to Kayo. "Gordon's left the room. I'm contacting security -"
"John, wait," the look of regret on the younger woman's face was in contrast with the authority in her voice. "We stick to the plan. Follow him and they'll lead us to the others."
"Kayo -" Virgil's voice cut in and EOS suspected Parker would be listening as well.
"Right now, he's our only chance, since I doubt they'll come after me for simply missing my match," logical thought was needed over the emotions running between the operatives. "I suggest we get back to Lady Penelope and make sure she is okay. John, you have Gordon's location?"
She offered it to him before he could ask, "Leaving the front lobby." She pulled up the security camera feed for the entrance and they watched a man pulling a large suitcase behind him. The growl from her creator was all she received for how he felt about the treatment of the aquanaut.
"I'll follow him," John informed as his eyes moved with the case into the back of a van.
Something outside of the hologram had caught Kayo's attention, "Alright, we're heading back to the hotel, now." This included Virgil who was in the process of climbing into a vehicle with Parker, the security officer stepping in last.
"I'll keep the comms open," because they all needed information as they came upon it. Gordon's life could depend on it and, as much as she tormented him, EOS did not like the idea that they might lose him, again.
OoOoOoO
Angry didn't come close to how Lady Penelope must have felt. Virgil was having a difficult time figuring out who to be angry at most. Micah had kept him from taking care of his little brother and inadvertently led to the unhindered abduction of that same brother. Then, there were the people who took Gordon. They'd shoved him into a suitcase and wheeled him out under everyone's noses. Not to mention the setup they'd left in the room. The smell of alcohol was impossible to miss, as was their intent.
What made it worse, he hadn't been able to talk to his brother after being saved by Kayo and Parker. The London agent had gone over what happened in the ring as they waited for Gordon's blip on the holomap to stop moving. The speed at which he was moving told of a trip in a plane.
The fight had sounded pretty bad and he realized how much worse it might have been to witness it in person. Dark brown eyes found the socialite and wondered how she was handling it. Just looking at her, you wouldn't see anything other than a calm fury that spurred her to do her job. She'd changed out of her blouse and skirt, donning a black jumpsuit he figured was meant for infiltrating hostile areas.
Kayo's hand slipped into his and Virgil turned to catch the hesitant look in her eyes, "You should really get that looked at."
He didn't need clarification, having done his best to clean the blood from his face. The rest was pain he would deal with. The pair of tablets he'd swallowed would help take the edge off before they went in the save Gordon and the others.
Because he would be going in, regardless of what anyone has to say about it.
"I'm fine," the automatic response was at least true this time. Virgil would deal with the achy muscles later. Their focus was on the rescue mission.
She let out a sigh, but didn't press the issue. Their attention went back to the map and John, who hovered beside it. Ginger brows knit together as his fingers worked over calculations visible only in Thunderbird 5. He knew his brother well enough to know he had something useful.
"What is it, John?"
"I may have found their destination," he still wore a frown, however. "Based on fuel consumption, they only have enough to make it to this location and return. There're no other areas large enough to land on for refueling." An image of a lone island expanded for the group. It showed only one thing of interest. A mansion was built in the center of its own private island. It made sense.
"We can start heading that way," Lady Penelope stood. "John, are there any blueprints outlining the location?"
"I've got EOS looking through national archives, but a quick scan shows a hollow structure underneath. I'm not getting anything else from it. I can't guarantee I'll be able to see Gordon's trackers once he's inside either." The worry in his voice didn't sit well in Virgil's gut, but it was a reality they had to face.
"Alright, alert the GDF. If this is the location, we'll need to move quickly." The London agent turned to the group. "If we're all ready?"
Virgil was the first to stand - sluggishly - his eyes firm as they met her's, "Let's go."