The compact communicator chimed, pulling her away from the blue water pushing against her window. They had been scanning the lake bottom for what felt like hours. It had only been about thirty minutes. Activating the holocomm attached the to seat in front of her, she took in the focused aqua-blue eyes. "Please tell me you have something?" Her tone was light and pleading.
"I've got an emergency beacon that activated not far from your position." There was a stress behind John's words. He couldn't be certain it was Gordon, and he could be asking her to go into a dangerous situation blind.
"We'll check it out." Penelope gave him her best it-will-be-okay smile. "Send it through. We'll keep in touch."
The astronaut nodded, the beacon indicator popping up beside Parker. She could see her bodyguard tense as he sent Fab1 toward the surface.
"Kayo?" She waited for the security officer to respond.
"On your six. We'll take this slow and quiet." The ice in her voice didn't go unnoticed.
"FAB."
OoOoOoO
An old house? That hadn't been what he'd expected, but the lack of vehicles lining the street or movement was encouraging. They didn't need to try and fight through a group of unknowns. Fab1 set down a few blocks away, next to Shadow, hidden in an empty storage yard. Stealth was at the forefront of his mind, not hesitating to grab his crowbar from the trunk. If Gordon was here, Parker was going to let his girl do the talking.
They made it to the edge of the building next to the home. The sign hanging from the old building read 'Dromey Street House'. Really not what he was expecting. Beside him, Kayo held up her arm, scanning the structure.
"One lifesign." There was hope in her hushed tone as they surveyed the path to the side entrance. The front door wasn't an option if someone was home. She motioned for them to follow as she left their cover, easing up to the delicate-looking door, it's hinges clinging to the wood frame. With a nod, he took the handle, nearly dropping the bulk as it came away, hanging limp. Propping it up as best he could, Parker pulled out his flashlight, noting the darkness within. He went first, followed by Kayo, who took to scanning the other side of the hallway. Penelope stayed close behind.
The creaks and groans echoed off the ancient walls, setting his nerves on edge. With all this racket, stealth was quickly changing to cautious speed. The younger woman pointed down a set of stairs and they descended quickly, the flashlight beam sweeping over the new area. The center appeared to be a living area, consisting of abandoned couches covered in dust and garbage. The wall beyond held doors, most likely leading to bed rooms. Another door was set into the wall on the left, the only one on that side. He glanced to kayo, who in turn pointed to it.
Stealing himself, he held out a hand towards the two women as they made it to the entryway. The glares he received left his mind shuddering, but he stood firm. Whatever was behind this door, he needed to be the first to see it. No matter how tough and disciplined these two were, this was Gordon. He wasn't naive enough to assume Penelope didn't have feelings for him. And he was practically Kayo's brother. He could deal with what lay in wait long enough to determine if they could. The hard set of his jaw left no room to argue as he took the door knob in hand, pushing it inward to view the dark room, flashlight and crowbar at the ready.
His girl fell, reverberating off the cold, cement floor. Grabbing the edge of the door, he pulled it back, turning to address the startled, angry women behind him. He kept his face stern, hand raised as a signal to remain there. He'd let them in as soon as he was finished. Then, he shut the door.
A line of expletives flowed through his mind as he took in the sight again, falling to his knees by Gordon's left side, noting the pool of blood under the shoulder. Well versed hands worked the cuff on his left wrist, the lock snapping open with a flick of his thumb. Gently, he placed the appendage over the aquanaut's side, his hand resting over his slowly rising chest. Quickly, he unlatched the other hand, repeating the movement. He frowned as he received no indication that Gordon was aware of his presence. They would deal with that once they were out of there. The leg shackles came next.
Ready to bring in the others, Parker paused, looking at the blood streaked and bruised face. A protective rage ignited at the images of an eight year old trying to pick the lock of a small metal box. Parker had brought on a trip to the Tracy home when he'd just started working for the Creighten-Ward family. Seeing that same boy broken and left in this ruin was more than he could handle.
A cry emanated from the prone figure and Parker moved back to his side. Gordon's hands were digging across cement floor, teeth clenched in the throws of a nightmare.
"H'easy goes, lad." Parker placed a gentle, gloved hand on Gordon's forehead, brushing back the sweat-matted hair. His other hand held to the aquanaut's injured arm as he began to thrash against the tormentors in his mind. Tears were springing from behind lidded eyes and he brushed them away. Parker felt his own starting to form as he watched the usually so lively young man reduced to a whimpering heap, left to die in the forsake place. "M'lady!" He needed a hand with calming the nightmares.
The door flew open before he'd even finished the call. She knelt on the other side of Gordon, ready to help, and froze, her hands hovering just over his chest. The hesitation was only a short moment as he cried out again, Penelope's hand quickly resting on his trembling shoulder.
"Gordon. Darling." Despite the fear he knew she felt, her voice was steady and calm. "We're right here. We've got you." Her other hand found the top of his head, fingers running gently through his hair. At the touch, the tremor began to slow, his breathing less ragged.
Parker turned away, leaving his charge to take care of the distraught form. He glance up to see Kayo pacing in the other room, her comm up to her mouth as she spoke rapidly to the brother on the other end. No doubt, someone would be here soon. He need to make a decision before anyone else came into this room. Turning back, noting Gordon's much calmer disposition, he knew now was the time. "We'll need to move 'im, m'lady. Far too dark down 'ere." He waited just a moment for her nod. One last glance at Gordon and he gently took hold of the uninjured arm, the other hand moving under his shoulders. With one not-so-quick motion, he pulled the aquanaut into a sitting position. With Penelope's help, he lifted the arm over his shoulder, grunting as he lifted Gordon into a fireman carry.
Parker cursed inwardly again as he set the blond down beside Fab1. His injuries were blaring in the late day sun. Penelope was by Gordon's side the moment he'd started groaning again. She pulled him up, allowing his head to rest on her lap as she stroked gentle fingers through his hair. As Kayo came to stand beside him, Parker let his hand fall on her shoulder. Her eyes were wide and glistening.
"'e'll be h'alright. 'e's a tough one." Parker kept his words light. He knew what he said might not come to pass for some time, but for the life of him, he refused to see Gordon give up, no matter what he'd been through.
OoOoOoO
Scott's mind was reeling as Thunderbird 2 lifted from the desolate storage yard. The large bird shook under his hands as he guided it towards the island. Virgil had demanded his brother fly while he started the process of triaging their second youngest. Opening the comm, he sent the call through. "Thunderbird 2 to Thunderbird 1."
As though he'd been waiting with his finger on the receiver, Alan responded. "Scott! You got him?" There was no mistaking the anxious tone.
"Virgil has him in 2's infirmary." He was finding it difficult to keep the anger out of his voice. "How close are you to the island?"
Hand it to Alan to let his brother's attitude roll right off of him. "Coming up on it now. I'll help Brains' get things ready here. See you in a few, Scott." Damn, when did he grow up.
"FAB." And the comm disconnected, leaving the brunette alone with his thoughts.
Not for the first time since helping his father start International Rescue, he was considering shutting it down. The dangers were no longer confined to those of buildings on the verge of collapse, snowy mountain climbs, or trips to anywhere in space. The Hood. The Chaos Crew. These people had taken his brother and done the unimaginable. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to protect his family from a group whose ways involved hurting them?
Blue eyes glistened with with the anger and pain flooding his heart. Dad…. I don't know what to do… We have to stop… I have to protect them, and i can't do that with a maniac still out there, trying to destroy our family! He let out a soft sob as a tear broke free and he closed his eyes, opening them once more to find the autopilot. They closed again as he brought his hands up, scrubbing away to hopelessness he was feeling. Please don't hate me… I can't lose them too… He knew he'd made the decision then and there, and he felt the weight lift from his shoulders slightly. The only thing in the way of his plan was convincing his brothers it was the right thing to do, and he knew he wasn't ready to deal with that. Right now, he needed to be with Gordon.
Coordinates locked, he stood from the pilot's seat, heading down to the infirmary. They still had an half an hour before they made it home, plenty of time to help Virgil. As he entered the small area, he was forced to stop, his eyes glued to the bruises that covered his little brother's side. Virgil had removed the top of the IR uniform during his examination. Finally, finding his voice, he stepped forward. "Want some help?"
His dark haired brother barely looked up from the shoulder wound he was cleaning, but Scott could see the overwhelming emotions flowing across his face. It was rare to see them so exposed during a rescue. Normally, he would wait until after they made it home, knowing everyone was safe, before he snuck off to his studio to release them. Now, with Gordon here and not even close to okay, Scott knew his brother was losing the battle over his heart. Gently, he placed a hand on the one fussing with the wound. "Why don't you take a break. I've got this." Brown eyes flashed with defiance, wet with tears ready to spill. "Just five minutes, Virgil. He'll need you when we get to the island." You can't lose it when we get home…
With much reluctance, Virgil relinquished his task, pulling his gloves off as he moved away and throwing them into a corner. The full sight of his little brother must have been too much as he spun, pushing past the doorway and out into the module. Scott's shoulders sagged with relief. He knew two brothers to take care of would be too much right now.
A soft groan pulled his attention back the blond on the bed. His eyes were darting behind bruised eyelids. Placing a gentle hand on his brother's head, he leaned down close to his ear. "It's okay, kiddo. We're here. You're going home." Scott let his hand run through the hair, wishing he could just scoop Gordon into a reassuring hug. He would have to be content with the trembling sigh as his brother began to settle. Standing back up, he found the supplies necessary for the shoulder wound. A knife… had to be. Shaking his head of the thought, he went to work cleaning it up before gently wrapping it. Next he moved to the blood covered cheek, clearing the crusted remnants that trailed from his nose. He didn't miss the tear streaks that had intermingled with the red. The decision was back, more solid this time. He wouldn't send his brother's out with the intent to save a life if it could mean they might be taken again. The what-ifs were winning out. More blood flaked away, this time leaving a fresh trail in its wake. What? Wiping a little more gently over the bruised cheek, he finally noticed the defined features of the cut. Definitely a knife.
Scott was jolted from his thoughts by a weak hand on his arm. He blinked, staring down into slitted amber eyes. "Hey, Gordo." He clasped his hand over the one on his arm. "It's ok, I'm here." The eyes opened a bit more, trying to focus on Scott's face.
Footsteps drew his attention as Virgil returned, his features a little less rigid. He noticed the medic catch sight of Gordon's alertness, moving quickly to his side. "Gordon?" He received a blink in response, the eyes shifting. Slowly, a smile tugged across the younger man's face, his other hand reaching out to hold Virgil's. The medic took it, squeezing gently. "Welcome back." The emotion was thick.
Scott gently took Gordon's hand, setting it back down on the bed. "Gordon, I'm going back up to check our progress. Virgil's going to take care of you. Just rest." Glancing up at his raven haired brother, he clasped his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. An appreciative smile from the medic and he walked out, moving up towards the cockpit. As he stepped inside, he stopped, staring at the empty seats. He closed his eyes, the bloodied image of Gordon laying on the bed burned into his mind. And before he could stop himself, his fist slammed into the metal wall beside him. He fell into the pilot's seat, his hand grasping the controls. Heaven help the person who did this if he ever got his hands on them. These thoughts continued on repeat, giving him something to focus on other than his brother's injuries.
Scott blinked as the comm sounded, John's image appearing. "You planning on landing, Scott?"
Confused, Scott looked at his readings. He must have lost track of time, lost in his own thoughts. They were well past the point of requesting clearance to land. "Sorry." The harsh whisper did nothing to deter his brother in space.
"I'll let them know you're coming in now." The red head blinked away before he could say another word.
Scott lifted his hand to hit the necessary switches for landing. A dull ache shot though it with the movement. He cursed himself, praying it wasn't broken. Virgil had enough on his plate right now. Tentatively, he flexed the fingers, wincing at the pain it caused, but recognising that nothing felt fractured. Thank goodness he was wearing his gloves.
Slower than desired, he hit the controls that would help him navigate their descent, reducing their speed. He tapped the comm beside the wheel. "Virgil, we're about to land."
"FAB. Gordon's set for transport." Admittedly, it was easier to handle a tough situation if they fell back into their training. He could hear it in his brother's voice. All Scott needed to do was land. Gordon would be home. He would heal. And then they would talk about the future of International Rescue.
