A/N: Wahoo! It's been edited! I am so sorry for the LONG updates and for taking to long to edit this! I am currently working almost 50 hours a week at work with only one day off and am exhausted. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will FINALLY get more people hired and I can go back to my normal 40 hours, with two days off. :)
Chapter Two: Missing
Alan groaned as the longest day of his life continued, after yet another scan of his head in the infirmary, he was given permission to go to bed, finally. He closed his eyes with a sigh...
"Alan, wake up." Tin Tin shook him.
"Nooooooo..." Alan moaned. Surly he was aloud SOME sleep!
"It's been three hours and we think we have a ghost who is after us. It's the only explanation we can think of."
"We?" Alan asked carefully sitting up, relieved when his headache did not return. Fermat sat down on his bed looking serious. "Did something else happen?"
"The kids clothes are covered in red paint. It couldn't have been a practical joke by anyone here as everyone else are still outside fixing that generator." Tin Tin stated.
"I haven't seen any ghost...but I think your right. We should get the kids to safety as soon as possible." Alan told them deep in thought.
"Five?" Fermat asked.
"That's what I'm thinking, it's the furthest away from us they can get and yet still be here."
Tin Tin nodded in agreement, obviously distressed about being away from her children for the first time ever.
"What's are excuse?" Fermat asked.
"Quality time with John?" Alan more questioned then stated. "I think I can work this out with John." John was the only brother of the three that had been told the real story of Kendra and the ghosts. "Let's see if he's available to talk in private, maybe he needs a break or something." The others nodded as Alan lifted his watch and pressed a button.
"That's if he's away from the magnetic f-f-field messing with communication." Fermat added.
"Alan to John."
"John here, what's up sprout?" John appeared sitting under a tree.
"Are you alone?" Tin Tin asked.
"For the moment, yeah. Why?"
"Remember us telling you about the ghosts?" Alan asked. John's eyes got wide as he nodded, a chill ran down his spine.
"Yeah."
"I think we may have a ma-ma- a vengeful ghost problem on our hands."
"You really think so?" John asked.
"Yeah, it seems to be centered around Fermat, Tin Tin and I. Were worried about the kids."
"You want me to take them up to Five with me tomorrow morning?" John asked.
"Just until we can fix this problem. I don't think it will last that long." Tin Tin told him.
"How do we convince dad?"
"You don't get enough time with them." Alan said.
"And the kids new areas need to be tested before they go up there for three months." Tin Tin jumped in.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. Scott's coming, I'm going to get back to work." Alan nodded before turning off his watch.
"What time is it anyways?" Alan asked now wide awake.
"Four." Fermat answered.
"Uhh...I need to go check on Three to make sure she's ready for her early morning launch."
"Okay sweetly. I'm going to go check on the babies." Alan gave his wife a kiss before nodding at Fermat. They all stood up and stretched before Tin Tin headed for the nursery and Alan and Fermat for the silos. The two minute walk was made in silence as they thought about what was going on. They got to work on checks immediately. They had only been working of a few minutes when they heard Tin Tin scream.
"Alan! Carters gone!" Tin Tin's voice somehow carried all the way down to them. A sinking feeling washed through Alan.
"This is n-n-not happening." Fermat mumbled as Alan shut Thunderbird Three up again. He would have to get up early tomorrow to finish checks if he didn't get a chance to do it that night. They found Tin Tin in the lounge shaking with Lucy held tightly in her arms.
"This has got to stop, Alan." She growled.
"I know, let's find Carter." Alan hugged his wife and child. She nodded and Fermat stepped up.
"I talked t-to your father, Alan. They are on there wa-wa-way." Alan nodded. Where should they start? Did Carter somehow managed to get out and wonder off, or did their ghost problem have something to do with it. The room filled up with family members and friends.
"Wow, this place gets really hot without air conditioning." Gordon mumbled the obvious.
"What happened?" Jeff asked.
"I don't know! I had just gone into check on the twins while they napped. They were fine so I went into the living room to clean. I heard Lucy begin to cry so I went back in and Carter was gone!"
"But you were in the living room, that means he had to get by you to leave the apartment. Plus you would have heard him getting out of his crib." Scott stated looking confused.
"I know! I don't understand it!" Tin Tin wailed, her emotions starting to come to the surface again. She had thus far managed not to cry but it was becoming more difficult by the minute.
"Alright, we can work on the generator after we have found Carter. Let's split up and start inside." Jeff stated. They all went there separate ways.
"Carter!" Alan called for what had to be the twentieth time already as he searched the apartment.
"You won't find him..." A whisper spoke seemingly from everywhere. Alan froze in utter fear. He knew that voice, it still haunted his nightmares.
"No! Your dead!" Alan yelled turning in circles, and then there she was, looking exactly like she did the day she died. Well there was one exception, her eyes. Blood red evil stared at him with a cruel smile.
"Oh God." Alan gasped.
"That's right Mr. Tracy. Thought something like death would stop me from finishing what I started? I always finish what I start. You always were a stupid boy, now...on with the games! I have all of eternity to play them with you and your little family, but I won't need it. What should I do first, hmm...I could always kill them one by one making you watch. I already have one as a matter of fact..."
"NO!" Alan yelled desperate as he lunged for the spot that was now empty. Her evil laugh echoed off the walls.
"Alan?" Tin Tin yelled coming in to the room. "What's wrong?" She ran in and grabbed her shaking husband in a comforting hug.
"Kendra! Our ghost...demon...whatever, is Kendra!" His nightmares were coming alive before his waking eyes.
Tin Tin gasped in horror. "Are you sure?" She whispered now also shaking in terror.
"She was standing here saying she's here to finish the job she started only now she's going to kill everyone around me first." Tin Tin, she has Carter!" Alan sobbed.
"No...no...no..." Tin Tin gulped. "No..."
"We'll s-s-s-stop this, we have to! Where would she take him?" Fermat, who had ran in unnoticed; stated, slightly out of breath and trembling.
"I-I-I don't know." Tin Tin stated trying to catch her breath.
"The infirmary!" Alan exclaimed, but before they could go check it out the emergency alarm went off via there watches. When the electricity had gone out the alarm transferred over to the watches. It was something they did not like to do especially if a member was in a public area. But when you could do nothing else... Alan held it to his ear as he continued on towards the infirmary. The call for help was so faint you could barely hear it. He was blocked however from going much further when all of his brothers seems to appear out of no where going the opposite direction.
"Alan, Tin Tin, Fermat We have to go on this call, Fermat come with us, Tin Tin and Alan stay here and look for your son." We will be back as soon as we can." Scott stated before disappearing around the corner. Normally Alan would be incredibly mad at being left behind but at the moment he needed to find his child and defend his family nothing else mattered.
"Let's go, keep your watch comm loud so that we can hear if something happens." Jeff yelled going to take Alan's place on the mission. Alan nodded even though he knew his father could not see him. He had only one goal on the mind: Carter. Alan finally made it to the infirmary, but it appeared to be empty.
"Carter?" Alan yelled, he was met with nothing but the echo of his voice. He began to desperately search ever corner, cabinet and craves in the giant room until there was no place left to look. His heart stopped as he turned towards the door in the back of the room, it was the only part of the infirmary not yet searched and he prayed his son was not in there.
The Body Room, so nicely named by Gordon. Living on an island you could not go down the road to a hospital if you were hurt or even dead. It was the one room everyone hoped would never be used, as it was the place where the bodies were stores until they could be transported to the mainland. Alan opened the door. A wall of what looked like large metal drawers stood before him. Terrified, Alan began to open each one quickly getting a good glance of the inside of each one. When he had pulled out the last one he could only sigh in relief when he found Carter was not there. With a shaky breath Alan stepped out of The Body Room only come to a complete halt. A bag of O negative blood lay cut open on the floor beneath his feet, Carters type. Looking up Alan gasped as the word RAVENGE appeared in blood across the wall, dripping down it to form a dark and light red puddle on the ground. Alan shook in fury and terror. Where could he be? Alan ran out of the room at top speed wondering to where he should go next. A baby screaming stopped him in his tracks, hope pulsing back in to him only to find the crying baby was Lucy wrapped in Tin Tin's arms.
"Shh...baby. We'll find him...shh..." she cooed but it did nothing to stop the wailing. Together they searched the living room, dining room and kitchen. A loud bang was heard and suddenly the electricity came back on.
"Let's split up again, I'll go down to the silos." Alan said. Tin Tin nodded.
"I will go outside." Tin Tin stated but before they could move Lucy began to vomit all over herself, Tin Tin and the floor.
"Oh Lucy!" Tin Tin cried, feeling helpless. She had tried everything she could to get her baby to calm down but nothing had worked. It felt like the walls were caving in on them. Alan stood frozen, feeling what must be a panic attack beginning before he came to his senses and grabbed a large roll of paper towels. But a beep from his wrist distracted him as he turned his arm to look into his watch. Johns face appeared looking grossed out, as seconds before the watch had been facing the vomit.
"Hey Alan, Carter's here!" John exclaimed. Alan looked at John as if he had two heads.
"What?"
"He somehow got into Thunderbird Twos infirmary. He is safe but won't stop crying. How are we going to explain this to the others, though." John asked. Alan was silent, he didn't have an answer. John continued.
"I don't think Carter likes flying without you, he hasn't stopped screaming, it's making him sick. He has thrown up three times. Virgil is on the Virge of putting an IV in him to rehydrate. Don't worry I know how much Carter LOVES needles and I stopped him." John laughed as he walked toward the infirmary.
"Put him on, I have an idea." Alan stated looking at the still screaming Lucy. John handed the watch over to Carter who was about to throw it across the room when he noticed Lucy on the screen. Alan had handed her his watch. They both stopped crying immediately, there was an audible sigh from everyone involved.
"We can't keep this up." Alan mumbled, his heart still going a mile a minute. Alan turned around only to find Kendra leaning up against the wall, arms crossed with a death glare on her face. Alan grabbed Tin Tin's arms and moved her to look in Kendra's direction only now she wasn't alone.
Monsters, was the only word to truly describe them. They were not people, more like fire giants. An enormous boom rocked the building as a giant flame rose engulfing Kendra and the demons. Tin Tin screamed grabbing Lucy as they ran in the opposite direction. Once in a safe area Alan ran back grabbing the fire extinguisher on his way. The house automatic fire sprinkler system had already turned on but was doing little to dissipate the flames now engulfing the curtains. Finally all the flames were out leaving only heavy, suffocating, blackish gray smoke in its wake. Alan opened a window to let the smoke out and as he coughed violently, then turned around and left, looking decidedly very dirty.
"Oh Alan! Are you okay? I wanted to call you over your watch comm but..." She pointed at Lucy who was still staring wide eyed at her twin brother as if a single blink might make Carter disappear.
"A little smoke inhalation, but nothing to worry about." Alan smiled trying not to cough. Alan hugged his wife making her a little dirty as well. She suddenly stiffened and pushed him away.
"Don't you ever do that again, Alan Tracy!" She yelled causing Lucy to wimpier.
"The house could have burnt down, I needed to assure that the fire went out." Alan stated with all the calm he could muster. His nerves were coming to there ends and all the hard work he had put into controlling his temper was beginning to slip.
The couple always had one knock down drag out fight a month, it's what kept them sane somehow. But they were always away in private when it happened.
"Why you? You have children you know!" Tin Tin growled.
"Who else was going to do it? Brains? Not only is he currently busy with a mission, but he too has a child! You? Your pregnant! I'm not willing to chance our unborn child's or your life." Alan growled back. Lucy made a whimpering sound as she clutched the watch tighter. Then in what must have cost her a lot of strength Lucy looked up and away from the watch.
"Top!" She yelled at her parents looking stern before quickly looking back at the watch.
"Now is not the time or the place, Tracy." Tin Tin snapped.
"I'm not the one who started this, Tracy!" Alan shot back.
"Don't be such a child!" Tin Tin yelled. A roar above them made them stop as Thunderbird Two came in for a landing. Alan growled before turning to head for the silos where his other child was.
"Don't you walk away from me! This is not over!" Tin Tin's voice followed him out.
"Not by a long shot!" Alan yelled back. He walked into the silos just as the engines were cutting off.
"The rescue over already?" Alan asked, the walk had cooled him down quite a bit.
"We got to the site and found that Two wasn't really needed, so I dropped off Dad and Fermat and came home." Virgil told him as he handed Carter over to Alan's waiting arms. After making sure the watch comm in Carters hand was on mute on there end, Virgil grinned at his brother.
"You should know by now how unreasonable Tin Tin gets when she is pregnant." Virgil laughed. "The rest of us are thankful you didn't let the house burn down." Alan rolled his eyes at his brother having forgotten that with his watch comm on Virgil had heard the entire fight. Alan gave Carter a kiss as he looked him over just in case.
"He's fine, not a mark on him." Virgil grinned at the protective father. Alan nodded in relief. Maybe Kendra's abilities as far as she claimed. Alan felt a breeze of hot air on his ear and he tensed up.
"I can't kill you Alan Tracy...yet. But I can make you want to kill yourself." Was whispered into his ear by the voice he would never forget. Virgil heard nothing.
"Well Two is ready, I'm going to find out how the mission is going." Alan nodded and the three headed for the office, Alan slightly shaking.
"T-t-the fire out, Alan?" Brian's asked with a glance there way.
"Yeah, I have a window open to try and clear the air a little. There's going to be fire, smoke and water damage." Alan reported.
"How did it s-s-start?"
"No idea." Alan lied. "How did you get the electricity back on?"
"R-r-r-rewired the generators to go straight to the backup generators before the mi-mission started. I just had to flip a few sw-sw-witches. Could you wa-wa-monitor the computers while I go to the ba-ba-restroom?" Alan nodded and Brains hurried out of the room. .
"Carter!" Tin Tin yelled as he ran in and traded babies. Alan took his wrist comm from Lucy as Virgil did the same from Carter and put them back onto there wrist. The small group moved to the TV to find out how the mission was going but were disappointed.
"Yes, it looks like the Thunderbirds have done it again." Back to you, Smith..."
Flipping it off Virgil turned towards the computer but Alan was already there.
"Base to Thunderbird One." Alan stated into the microphone.
"Thunderbird One here." Scott's voice spoke. Tin Tin pulled out a wipe from the diaper bag and began to clean Alan's dirty face. Alan rolled is eyes in amusement.
"How was the rescue?" Alan asked.
"Good, very easy compared to others we have done. We are heading home now." Scott spoke.
"Good to hear, base out."
"Thunderbird One out." The alarm went off immediately after blaring loudly causing everyone to jump a foot. Alan hit a button and a voice came through the radio.
"P-please...I need help. Thunderbirds..." Came a little girls voice.
"This is International Rescue, what's wrong?" Alan asked like he would to one of his own children.
"The ground shook. I was in the basement and the stairs came down. I – I yelled but no one came. Umm...I am not supposed to be on daddy's radio." The girl sniffed.
"What's your name?"
"Julie."
"How old are you Julie?"
"Six, am I in trouble for using daddy's radio?"
"Of course not, this is an emergency, you did the right thing. Now can you tell me your address?"
"Yeah, it's..." She recited her address which was located in California. After gathering enough information he turned back to Julie.
"Okay, stay by the radio, I am going to talk to my fellow Thunderbirds and make sure they are on there way. I will come right back, okay?"
"Promise?" Julie asked sounding on the verge of tears.
"Promise." Alan told her.
"Okay. I will be right here." She sniffed. Alan turned her switch to mute so that he could hear her but she could not hear him before turning to Virgil who was already re-zipping his uniform and standing in front of his portrait.
"Go ahead and go for now, I will divert One." Alan stated. "Thunderbirds are go." Virgil nodded before stepping behind his picture and disappearing.
"Base to Thunderbird One."
"Are you that board, Alan?" This time is was John who spoke.
"Ha ha, you have another rescue." Alan quickly gave John the information.
"FAB, tell Virge to bring extra gasoline for One, better safe then sorry." John said repeating Scott who was talking in the background.
"FAB, Base to Thunderbird Two..."
"I heard, get back to Julie...hey, where is Brains? Sure is taking a long restroom break."
"I'll go look for him. I'm leaving the kids with you." Tin Tin told him before leaving the room. Alan nodded already back with Julie.
"Julie? Are you still there?"
"Yeah...I thought you may not really come back."
"I promised didn't I?" Alan smiled.
"How are you doing? Are you hurt?"
"No, I don't think so. But I'm scared."
"It's alright to be scared."
"Have you ever been scared?" Julie asked.
"Of course."
"What were you scared for?"
"Well, there were several times. I have one year old twins and one of them recently disappeared, I was very scared then."
"Did you find him?"
"Yep and he is sitting next to me now. Say hi Carter."
"Hi." Carter yelled with a toothy grin.
"Hi Carter." Julie called back sounding a little better. "When else have you been scared?"
"Well a couple of years ago I got very sick and had to go to the hospital."
"But you got better?"
"Yep,"
"Have you ever been more scared?"
"Just before I got sick my family was in danger and I didn't know if I would see them again. I was terrified then."
"More scared then when you went to the hospital?"
"Way more scared." Alan frowned at the memories.
"Wow, did you get them back?"
"They are on there way to help you right now."
"Wow..."
"Yep do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"Uh-huh! I have a baby brother and a big sister, she is eleven years old."
"Wow, do you like them?"
"No, Sally is stupid and mean. She used to play with me, now she won't even let me play with her toys!"
"Oh, things will eventually get better."
"Nu-uh. And Alan, all he does is cry and make smelly diapers." Alan laughed.
"All babies are like that, Alan huh? That's my name."
"Really? Neat! My brother has the same name as a Thunderbird man!" Alan laughed at this.
"Alan, were here." Scott's voice broke in.
"Okay Julie, my brother Scott is there and is going to help you out now, okay?"
"Okay. Thank you, Alan!"
Alan hit mute on his end and sat back listening to Scott try to locate the girl exactly. The loud blaring sound of the alarm made him jump again. He hit the button.
"Calling International Rescue!" A voice of authority called loudly. Lucy looked up from her blocks.
"No yell!" Lucy exclaimed then got back to work.
"This is International Rescue."
"This is Captain John Klines of the Colorado fire squad. A fire has broken out and has trapped three families in there homes. The fire is coming too close and we need the people out and we can't get through the fire to get to them. Alan shook his head.
"About how much time do you estimate until the fire reaches those houses?"
"Less then an hour."
"Okay stay on this line and I will be right back with you."
"Base to Thunderbird Two."
"Thunderbird Two here."
"What is you status?"
"Arrived on scene and helping pull a roof off Julies basement."
"Estimated time until your finished?"
"Thirty-minutes."
"You don't have that long, you have another mission in a Colorado fire."
"Are you kidding me?" Virgil asked.
"Negative. Get going. I am sending you the coordinates. There are families trapped in there houses surrounded by fire.
"FAB, taking Fermat with me in Two."
"FAB" Alan switched to the Captain.
"Alright, I have deployed a rescue team. They're coming from a rescue in California. Estimated time of arrival twenty minutes."
"Thank you, sir."
"Call me if you need anything else or if the situation changes."
"Will do, sir." The alarm went off before he had turned the Captain off. Alan turned off Colorado and got the next one turned on.
"International Rescue, can you here me?" A womans voice cam over sounding annoyed.
"This is International Rescue."
"Oh good! Took you long enough, I must have been waiting for like...a whole thirty seconds!"
"Ma'am, do you have an emergency?" Alan could feel the pain reliever wearing off rapidly so he dry swallowed two more pain pills.
"Well yes, that IS why I called!" Alan wanted to "accidentally" hang up on this woman but knew that he couldn't...yet.
"What is your emergency?"Alan asked after a moment of silence.
"Well it's about time you asked!"
"Sorry Ma'am."
"Whatever. Now my cat, Snuggles; is stuck way up at the top of a tree, and all those police officers and fire fighters are all busy in yet another forest fire. Honestly this is much more important."
"Ma'am, that's not what were here for. The local authorities will help you get your cat down as soon as they can."
"WHAT? But what if she is hungry? My poor kitty!"
"Sorry ma'am." Alan flicked the switch off with a satisfied smile.
Bringing up the report file-ing system on the computer, Alan quickly wrote his reports on the calls and everything that happened. He finished by making sure a copy of the recording made of each distress call was attached. Sitting back Alan turned on his watch and called Tin Tin.
"Yes Alan?"
"Were you able to find Brains? It's been two hours."
"No! And I have checked every restroom here...twice! It's like he just disappeared."
"Have you tried his watch?" Alan asked. There was a long pause before Alan heard his wife curse for the first time. Tin Tin hit a button and the screen went blank.
Alan rolled his eyes as he sat back making funny faces at his children. They giggled and were quick to try and copy him. The alarm went off again and if Alan's head didn't already hurt he probably would have let it fall to the desk. Instead he flicked the switch.
"Can anyone here me?" A deep man's voice spoke.
"This is International Rescue."
"Listen, I was rock climbing and fell. Your the first and only person who has answered my call for help in three hours.
"Are you in any immediate danger?"
"...No, I don't think so."
"Alright, sir. Sit tight for a moment while I see what I can do real quick. I will call you back at this frequency as soon as something is happening."
"Thank you." Alan flicked another switch.
"Wyoming Emergency."
"Yes, this is International Rescue, you have a man trapped..." Alan gave them the information.
"Thank you, sir. We can handle it." The dispatcher stated.
"Thank you." Alan switched back to the victim.
"Sir?"
"Still here."
"The Wyoming Emergency Rescue Team is on the way now."
"That's a relief, this harness has really given me a wedgey," Alan laughed silently.
"Well hopefully you can be free of it soon. Call if you need anything else."
"Will do, and thank you again."
"No problem." Alan jumped when Brains walked in zipping up his fly.
"Wh-what are you doing, Alan?" Brains looked confused.
"Manning the fort like you asked me too. Where have you been?"
"I went to the ba-ba-restroom."
"For two and a half hours? And in what bathroom? Everyone of them has been checked..twice!" Alan asked looking at him like he had two heads.
"What?" Brains yelled, looking at the clock wide eyed.
"I've answered four calls and Virgil came back with Carter only to have to go back out again, we have two separate missions going at the moment." Alan brought him up to date. Before Brains could trade places with Alan, Tin Tin appeared on Brains watch.
"Brains! Oh thank goodness. I was really worried! Where are you?"
"The office with A-A-Alan." There was a pause from Tin Tin's side.
"ALAN JEFFERSON TRACY!" Tin Tin yelled as Alan grabbed the kids and ran for it.