Well it's not the long chapter I was hoping to post - real life yet again - but it's something. The next chapter will fill in the gaps in this one - it's all coming together, I just need the time to write it!

Chapter Twenty-Three

Irving Ross's strategising was interrupted by the reappearance of Scott and Virgil. It seemed that Sebastian Swayne had thought of a few more useful pieces of information on his way back to the basement, using them as a bargaining chip to persuade them to keep him locked in his study rather than the cold cellar. Prince Louis and Simon were currently guarding him there. The latter might not have been much use in a fight - though in fairness, neither would Swayne - but the prince had the advantage of years of military training and was renowned as something of an action man. There was no way Swayne would be able to get the better of him.

"Swayne said Sahara would be calling in at seven this evening," Virgil said. "We've got just over three hours to work out what to do. She'll be expecting to speak to Eric."

"He was supposed to drive out somewhere to take the call," Scott went on. "Sahara was insistent on keeping the jammers active - in case Virg was carrying a transmitter, I guess."

"As long as she doesn't have any trackers going to trace the signal she won't know the call's coming here," Virgil said, settling himself into a chair opposite the head of MI5. Scott stayed on his feet, the tension he was feeling clearly evident as he paced between the door and the window.

"But that doesn't help us when she'll be expecting to speak to her colleague," Ross said. "Eric Younger's not going to cooperate."

"Swayne's willing to take the call," Virgil told him. "If we can find some excuse for him to be the one to do it, that is. We don't want Sahara realising the game's up here."

"I think we can come up with something plausible," Ross said. "Sebastian's a good enough actor to carry it off."

He certainly was. It had been a busy few hours, full of conferences with various members of the Tracy family, Brains and Parker and things finally seemed to be moving on. There wasn't exactly light at the end of the tunnel, but there was definitely the faintest of glimmers. Of course, it was all hypothetical right now - they could theorise and throw potential ideas around as much as they liked, but everything depended on what happened when Sahara phoned in. So far she'd been quiet - Alan was permanently on edge waiting for another call, but there had been nothing. Clearly she was biding her time and allowing them to come to terms with her demands and get the plans of Thunderbird Four together for her.

"Here we go," Scott muttered as Eric Younger's phone rang right on the dot of seven o'clock. He passed it over to Sebastian Swayne. "Ready?" A silly question really as Swayne had spent the last twenty minutes warming up. Deep breathing, vocal exercises, bending and stretching... Scott had laughed despite the severity of the situation, but Swayne had been adamant that he needed to be fully prepared for his performance. There might not be a stage, he informed them, but as a professional he had certain standards to uphold. He'd even dressed for the occasion, this time donning a pink silk cravat with matching handkerchief neatly folded into the top pocket of his suit.

Whatever he'd needed to do to psyche himself up had clearly worked and the man drew himself upright and smiled at each member of his admittedly small audience before pressing the button to accept the call, the device already set to hands free so everyone could hear the conversation.

"Eric, how's it going?"

Swayne put exactly the right amount of hesitation into his voice when he replied. "Actually, Sahara, it's me. Sebastian. We had a bit of a problem. Eric's, er... indisposed... right now."

"What? What happened? Did he get caught?"

"No, but Virgil Tracy put up quite a fight. Eric's got a broken jaw. He's in the hospital. He can't talk - he's all wired up, poor thing - so you've got me, I'm afraid."

There was silence for a moment, then: "Which hospital?"

"Royal Kent."

"Right. I'll call them. You've got Tracy, though?"

"Oh, yes, safe and well. Zac and Ian wanted to rough him up a little, but you know how I abhor violence."

"It's tempting," Sahara told him. "Unfortunately I need him in one piece. But everything else is alright? The ransom demand for the prince went off?"

"All going to plan. What do you want me to do next? Eric wouldn't - well, couldn't - tell me what I'm supposed to do with our latest guest. You've seen the news? Virgil Tracy is the prime suspect. The police seem to think he and Parker were working together. Maybe we should set him up to take the blame? Make sure we're in the clear.? After all, we'll have plenty of money from the others."

"That's not the plan," Sahara told him. "Although, with Eric out of action I'm not entirely sure what the plan is right now..."

The listeners in Swayne's study permitted themselves satisfied smiles at this statement. It was rare to hear Sahara sounding anything less than completely confident. But the smiles didn't last long.

"Sebastian, how quickly can you condition Virgil?"

Virgil's head snapped up at this. He was aware of Scott tensing beside him. It was one of the possibilities they'd discussed whilst they'd been waiting for Sahara to call, so it wasn't exactly a surprise. But it wasn't something either of them was happy about.

"Uh, that depends," Swayne said.

"Well, do it fast," Sahara told him. "This doesn't have to be subtle like it was with Parker. Give Virgil plenty of whatever it is you use to soften your subjects up then go for it."

"What do I tell him to do?"

"Whatever I say. You don't need to know the details."

International Rescue business, then, the listeners decided, just as they'd anticipated. Just as well Swayne wasn't in the loop - the last thing they needed was him getting wind of what was really going on.

"I need it done by the morning, Sebastian. Can you do it?"

"I suppose I can, if I work on him all night. Will you be back any time soon?"

"I don't know. I'll see what happens with Eric. You just worry about your side of things."

"I'll do my best."

"Do whatever it takes, Sebastian."

It was clear that Sahara was ready to sign off. In response to Scott's mouthing of 'Penny?', Swayne casually asked, "How's the hostage? Her poor husband's beside himself with worry."

"Is he? You hear that, Penny?"

There was a faint reply. No one could make out the words, but the cultured tones of the aristocrat were reassurance enough that Penny was still alive.

"She's fine," Sahara said. "Don't get his hopes up, though. She'll have served her purpose before much longer."

"You really are wicked," Swayne told her.

"Thank you." Sahara sounded genuinely pleased. "Tell Eric to message me if he can't talk. I'm surprised he didn't, to be honest."

Flinching at the hint of suspicion that had crept into the woman's voice, the listeners only relaxed when Sebastian Swayne pointed out that the man had been in too much pain to waste any time in getting to the hospital and once he was there he hadn't had the chance. "I'm sure he'll be in touch soon. When will you call me again?"

"Six am tomorrow. Make sure Virgil's ready to go."

She signed off before Swayne could say anything else.

"Thank you," Irving Ross said, taking back the phone whilst Scott and Virgil pandered to the man's vanity with a round of applause which Swayne acknowledged with an elaborate bow. "That was very convincing."

"I'll get a lighter sentence?"

"You will."

"Then I'll be happy to help you again. Now then, I really would like a drink - I've always found putting on a performance to be thirsty work. It's not as if I need a clear head, anyway, is it? I mean, I'm guessing I won't be conditioning our friend here."

"No, you won't. Although you'll be doing your utmost to convince Sahara that you have. As will Virgil, of course."

Virgil smiled tightly as he went to the drinks cabinet and looked enquiringly back at the hypnotist.

"Gin," Swayne told him. "Lots of ice."

Virgil fixed the drink, strangely reluctant to go near enough to the man to hand the glass over. As safe as he was right now, the thought of being put under the man's control, of behaving in the same way as Parker, whether that meant betraying International Rescue or attempting to take his own life, chilled him. The sooner Sebastian Swayne was locked away - with suitable precautions in place to keep the guards safe - the better.