In Too Deep – Chapter Five
Jeff Tracy sat back from the chaos ensuing in front of him and ran a hand over his tired features. He glanced at his watch. It had been over ten hours since he'd received news that his son was being held hostage. He wondered how Virgil would be handling it down there but he was mildly reassured by his thoughts. Of all his sons, Virgil was the most level headed, rational and sensible. He wouldn't make any rash decisions and could be relied upon to keep his head together, even in the worst possible situations. This was definitely one of the worst possible situations.
"What about this one, Mr Tracy?" Tin-Tin was pointing at a spot on the large, ceiling to floor map in the middle of the lounge. "I think it's the closest to the Claerwen Reservoir that we're going to find."
Jeff didn't reply. They'd looked at what felt like hundreds of airfields. In fact, it was probably only thirty or so. The problem they were faced with was that advances in technology meant most private jets now had a much larger fuel capacity and therefore, predominantly used the larger aerodromes. As a result, many of the smaller ones around in the earlier part of the century had closed down through lack of trade.
"Y'know," Jeff shook his head. "I can remember a time when airfields like this were two a penny," he commented wistfully, as he got to his feet and walked the short distance to where Tin-Tin stood. He looked closely at the spot she was pointing to. "Okay, Cardiff it is."
Alan peered over Tin-Tin's shoulder, a hand comfortably placed on her back. "We won't need that much fuel anyway, just to top her off. It's not like she'll be empty."
"Right," Jeff cleared his throat and looked around the room. "Tin-Tin, I want you to fly Alan to Dublin. Take Tracy One, it's the fastest jet we have. Now we don't have time to waste on this one, Virgil's depending on us to pull this off." He turned to Alan, "From Dublin, I want you to fly the K40 across to Cardiff, top off the fuel supply and then head to Scott's position." Looking to the young assistant engineer at his son's side, he continued, "Tin-Tin, you head straight back here with Tracy One."
"What about the tracker, Dad?" Alan frowned.
"By the time you land, Penelope will be there. Parker will be able to fit the tracker in an inconspicuous place," Jeff nodded and sighed. "Then we'll hand the jet over to the…" he hesitated, trying to find an appropriate description without letting his heart rule his tongue. "To the men down there."
"Dad? What about me?" Jeff met Gordon's tense expression. His wide eyed determination that he should be going with his younger brother was discernible. "Scott might need more help, I might be needed." Gordon continued, an air of desperation hung around him. Jeff wondered if he could stop him, even if he said no. He could empathise with both his youngest sons. He longed to be able to drop everything and head out to Wales to be there, too. But he knew he had to have faith in his sons' abilities, despite the anxiety and fear he felt.
"Okay, Gordon," he nodded under a solemn expression. "Go with your brother." They needed no more encouragement and moved for the lift within seconds.
Tin-Tin watched them both stomp off together before scurrying after them. Seeing them march towards the lift, made her realise that she actually pitied the men behind all this. Scott and Virgil were a force to be reckoned with and always had been, but if there was one thing she'd learned about the Tracy family, it was that they were loyal. Loyal to each other and loyal to their friends. When the worst happened they tended to close rank, pulling together to combat anyone who threatened them. As she felt Gordon pull her into the lift and close the safety bar, she hoped with all her heart that Virgil was okay. Deep down though, she knew that even if they hadn't laid a finger on Thunderbird Two's pilot, the threat that they would was enough to enrage the others and ignite that fierce loyalty they all felt.
Gordon and Alan's urgent discussion went over her head as they reached the floor of Thunderbird Two's hangar. It seemed so strange to be down here when the gigantic transporter wasn't present, the hangar seemed so empty without her looming presence. It sent a chill up Tin-Tin's spine. Shaking herself and pushing the feeling to one side, she concentrated on what Alan and Gordon were discussing
In the Lounge, Jeff's head snapped up as Brains came in at a run. "M-M-M-Mr…" he stumbled out, too agitated to be coherent.
"What is it Brains?" Jeff asked, an anxious frown forming as he studied the flushed scientist.
"Mr T-Tracy," Brains addressed him. "I've been err c-considering the err Mole's o-oxygen parameters, like you err re-requested and I think we may have a err p-problem." Behind his signature blue rimmed glasses, the engineer's restless eyes gave it all away.
"Go on, Brains," Jeff's jaw clenched and his expression became hard. He gestured to the sofa in front of his desk and Brains sat down.
"Well, the err M-Mole isn't fitted with the s-same zyolithic crystals that T-Thunderbird Four has." Brains stated, "It does err h-have o-oxygen tanks but it's not quite the same th-thing. You see the oxygen tanks will pump err o-oxygen into the cabin. But without the zyolithic c-crystals there's only the re-recycler to prevent a err build up off c-c-carbon dioxide. After a while, the recycler will err st-start pumping the carbon di-dioxide b-back into the c-cabin."
"What are you saying, Brains?" Jeff frowned. "You estimated they had twenty two hours hour left, are you saying they don't have that long now?"
Brains shuffled in his seat uncomfortably, "The a-air tanks will work alongside the err recycling plant, to take carbon dioxide out of the c-cabin and replace it with err o-oxygen, but only for a-as long as the recycler is err working. I'm concerned that the recycling plant might not be able to s-stand the p-pressure of constant use." He glanced up at Jeff Tracy's stern expression, "Now, the shielded nuclear fusion reactor, in theory, sh-should be capable of powering it but the err pl-plant is run off the same electric generators that err p-power the drill bit and thrusters."
"So you're saying that by overusing the recycling plant, we're running the risk that the electric generator might not be able to stand the pressure." Jeff let out a heavy sigh, "What then Brains?"
"The err motor on the recycling plant is el-electric, it could b-burn out, I'm afraid. If the motor f-fails, then the err thrusters and drill bit, would also become inoperative," Brains shook his head sadly, "If that happened, Virgil would be err w-well and truly t-trapped."
"Damn!" Jeff exclaimed, "We'd better get on to Scott, he's based his whole operation on the time scale we calculated earlier. This changes everything." He couldn't help the accusing tone in his voice.
"I'm err s-sorry Mr Tracy, I err just did a q-quick calculation earlier. It's only now I've g-gone back to it, after helping Alan and Gordon that I uhh r-realised." Brains apologised profusely, he felt more than a little guilty. He'd done quick calculations earlier before Alan and Gordon had needed his help in adapting the tracking device.
Jeff sighed, as he reached for his desk controls to open a line through to Mobile Control. "It's not your fault, Brains, our resources have been stretched on this one. I didn't mean to snap," Jeff nodded, watching the engineer bow his head. The stress was really starting to get to him and the last person he meant to take it out on was Brains. He felt like he should apologise properly, but the words just wouldn't come. He watched Brains nod and slip out of the room. But there was no time for apologies; he took a few minutes to control himself before putting in a call to his eldest son.
XxxxX
"John," Virgil's voice came through the radio, but it was too faint to seize John's attention. The blond astronaut was currently pouring over information coming from a console on the other side of the bridge. He was shaking his head at what the computer was telling him, deep in thought.
"John," the whispered word came again, barely audible through the speakers and John continued where he was. "John if you can hear me, they're all asleep, I'm going to try something…"
John sighed and rubbed a hand over his head. The situation was becoming ever more dire by the second. Brains' discovery about the generator had them all working relentlessly to find a resolution. John knew that he wasn't the only member of International Rescue who was feeling the turmoil inside as he worked. He wandered over to the transparent window that overlooked the planet below and studied the Earth from the distance. It never ceased to take his breath away and put things in perspective, thus helping him to concentrate on what he needed to do. He allowed himself a few minutes to stare out at the great abyss, feeling its calming influence on him. Turning back to the consoles in front of him, he looked down at his clipboard and shook his head yet again.
It was then he noticed the message recorder had been triggered. Hastily approaching it, he played the tape back but couldn't make it out. It took him a few seconds, and lots of computer modifications, to be able to play the recording properly.
"John," John's heart sank when he realised he'd missed Virgil's contact. It was so quiet. "John," Virgil's voice came through again and John swallowed back his emotional response. "John, if you can hear me, they're all asleep, I'm going to try something…"
"No!" John shook his head, automatically responding as if Virgil were on the line right there and then. "No, Virg," he muttered as his hands went to call his brother, "don't do that." He stopped himself, the last thing he wanted was to alert Virgil's captors to the fact that he was in contact with them. Instead of opening a channel, he took the time to code his reply.
Code five was their most frequently adopted secret language. It was a favourite of Penelope's but Brains had converted it to be used as a series of vibrations as well as movements. And it had the added benefit that it was unique to International Rescue, no-one else knew what it stood for.
John worked on composing his message before going about sending it.
XxxxX
A small and innocuous click echoed against the constant whirring of the life support facilities around them.
No loud bang.
No arm wrenching recoil.
And no sound of impact.
Virgil opened his eyes, not believing what his senses were telling him. He pulled the trigger again, but got the same result. Slowly, his mind attempted to process the events of the last few seconds. Their guns were well developed and not like any gun he'd ever handled before. He couldn't understand why it wouldn't work. Frowning, he looked up at Billy, who was still standing there with a wide grin on his face and not a trace of fear in his eyes.
"What did I tell you?" Billy was crowing, "I said he couldn't be trusted. He could've killed me!"
Virgil became aware that Jake was now stood to his right. He swallowed in apprehension, knowing exactly what kind of response he'd get from him. Movement behind Billy caught Virgil's eye and he saw Luke had come to stand in the gap between the two seats, too.
"I'm sorry," Luke shook his head as he held his hand out. Virgil wasn't sure whether he was apologising to the other two, or to him. Befuddled, he watched as Luke prised his fingers open and several heavy, silver bullets dropped to the floor and scattered. "I trusted you," he frowned at Virgil, raising his voice in anger over the tinny thuds the bullets made as they hit the metal floor. Virgil felt guilty at the disappointment the young man felt but could only frown at the illogicality of it all. He swallowed and met Luke's gaze, hopeful that he was conveying his remorse as much as his confusion.
"Well, well, well," Jake was shaking his head. He reached a hand out to the gun Virgil held and retrieved it without incident. Virgil was too shell shocked to resist and it wasn't like it was any use to him now. "What did I tell you, Luke? You're too soft. Good job I didn't listen to you, eh?" He turned to face his fellow kidnapper and gave him a malicious smile, before grinning back at Virgil. His tone became menacing and dangerously low. "Billy, go and find some rope." He gave a nod, indicating to the storeroom.
Virgil knew there would be plenty of rope out there; it was only a matter of time before Billy came back with some. He turned his attention to where Jake had begun to pace, he was shaking his head but appeared surprisingly calm.
"I thought we were treating you quite well," Jake pondered. "Obviously not well enough! What were you going to do? Did you have a plan?"
Virgil swallowed, but remained silent. He didn't want to ignite Jake's temper even further, so he just hung his head and tried to ready himself for what was coming. His heart was pounding in his chest and it was all he could do to stop himself showing the panic he felt. The tingling sensation of fear at the base of his spine began again and hiding his emotions was even more difficult. With a hard resolve, he tried to appear indifferent.
"Don't ignore me!" Jake voice boomed forth as he pushed his face in front of Virgil's. "Answer me!"
Virgil tried to stop himself from jumping at the shout, and only just succeeded. Luckily, or unluckily depending on how you looked at things, Billy came back into the room. Virgil's heart fell at the length of rope he carried in one hand but at the same time, he served as a welcome distraction from Jake's angry outburst.
"Tie his hands," Jake ordered as soon as Billy closed the door behind him. He nodded and obliged, taking Virgil's wrists and pulling them behind his back. Virgil felt a rising fear inside, he knew with his arms bound behind his back that there was no way he could defend himself; he also knew that was probably the reason behind it. He didn't give either of them the satisfaction of seeing his fright but he couldn't hold back a grimace as Billy pulled the rope tight around his wrists. His defiance wasn't doing him any favours and every time he tried to pull away, the rope just tightened, digging in to his wrists.
Unfortunately, Virgil's wristwatch vibrated as Billy was tightening the bonds. His heart plummeted right down to his boots as he realised John's delayed response to his message would make things ten times worse.
With a startled yelp, Billy jumped away.
"What?" Jake asked sharply. His temper already ignited, it was evident he was in no mood for fooling around.
"His watch!" Billy explained. "It… it vibrated," surprised at the occurrence, he raised wide eyes to his leader.
"Vibrated?" Jake growled. "We don't have time for games, Billy. Cut it out!"
"No, no. I'm serious!" Billy was insistent, he pointed at the object behind Virgil's back. "Look, it's doing it again."
Virgil closed his eyes and sighed, letting his head drop until his chin almost touched his chest. If Jake was angry before, he would be furious now. Virgil awaited the punishment he knew would be coming his way with trepidation, periodically reminding himself that they couldn't do too much damage if they ever wanted to surface again. However, Jake's words earlier came back to haunt him, what did they have to look forward to by surfacing?
"Take it off and give it to me."
Virgil swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the item being removed. He raised his head slightly to see Jake as he turned the watch over in his hands, seeming to be puzzled by the timekeeping contraption. "What is it?" he asked facing Virgil and waving the watch in his face. "Is it some kind of listening device?"
Virgil didn't answer. Instead, he focused on a spot of mud on the floor. He remembered Scott and Gordon telling him once about the survival training they'd both undergone; focus on a spot on the wall and let your mind drift, that's what they'd been taught. Well, focusing on the wall would mean looking up at Jake so Virgil decided on the spot on the floor instead.
His plan soon fell foul when Jake's hand closed round his chin, jerking his head up with some force. Jake's grip was so powerful that he pinched Virgil's cheeks together tightly, so tightly that the pilot could hardly breathe.
"I've already told you once," Jake's fiery eyes told him. "I'm not telling you again. Answer me!"
The fire in Jake's eyes was growing. The anger burned so bright that Virgil could practically feel the heat and his silence was just adding fuel to the inferno. He was relieved when Jake let go of his face and he forced air into his lungs, desperate to regain his steady breathing. His composure was tested as Jake dropped the watch to the floor and stamped on it, Virgil winced as the abuse caused the face to shatter. Brains had built the watches to withstand everyday knocks and bangs and on the whole Virgil had always found them very robust. It was becoming obvious, however, that the more Jake stamped on the device the more it fell apart.
Satisfied that the watch was destroyed, Jake leant forward. "If you won't answer us, we'll have to teach you the hard way. I don't like being ignored." Jake gave a brisk nod to Billy and Virgil was aware of the blond taking a grip of his arms, holding him still in preparation.
Virgil tried to ready himself for whatever was coming his way. Every muscle in his body became rigid as he tried to resist Billy's hold. His jaw was tense when Jake's fist connected with it. Head snapping to his right, he felt every muscle in his neck straining against the sudden movement.
"This could have worked so well," Jake was shouting angrily. "If you'd just …" he paused, becoming breathless at the exertion of repeatedly punctuating his words by throwing punches in Virgil's direction. "Done as we said…" he gritted his teeth. "There was no need for you to get hurt…" he came to a stop. His fists fell to his side momentarily, as he gave himself time to catch breath. His noisy panting was only a little louder than Virgil's involuntary groaning at the pain he'd inflicted.
Virgil felt the blood trickling from his nose and the iron taste that filled his mouth. Facial movement only caused him pain, but he managed to spit out the accumulated fluid and hold his head high. The cabin spun around him and he wasn't entirely sure whether he was still standing up straight. He barely had time to consider it as Jake's pause to recoup his energy was only a temporary one.
XxxxX
Scott sat back down at his Mobile Control console with a heavy sigh and yet another glance at his watch. Time was slowly ticking away and he was beginning to feel the pressure. He knew it was essential that they had everything in place before the deadline the hostage takers had given them and he was now worried that the air recycler wouldn't hold up to the strain. Brain's revelation had certainly added to an already tenser than tense situation. Not wanting to deliberate over the possibilities, Scott moved to contact John.
"Mobile Control calling Thunderbird Five," he leant forward in his chair, shuffling to get comfortable. When he didn't receive a response immediately, he raised the microphone and tried again, "Thunderbird Five, do you copy?"
"Scott," John's reply bypassed the procedural response and Scott's heart immediately skipped several beats.
"Jesus, John!" Scott exclaimed. "You look like you've seen a ghost. What is it? Is it the motor? Has it stopped?" The questions fired out in the direction of his bewildered brother before even Scott himself, had time to process them.
John swallowed and rubbed a hand over his face, "It's all my fault, Scott, I'm so sorry," he shook his head.
"John, what is it?" Scott's distress was evident through his wide eyed expression and his deep frown. "Tell me!" he urged, with feeling.
John took a deep breath and tried to pull himself together at his brother's desperate tone. "It's Virgil," he swallowed again. "He called me, said he was going to try something because they were all asleep." He saw Scott, bare his gritted teeth in frustration. "I tried to stop him, I was telling him it wasn't a good idea," John gabbled. "I was trying to get him to sit tight, just like you said." He paused and Scott waiting patiently for him to continue, knowing that he wouldn't like the bombshell his astronaut brother was about to drop. "I was in such a rush to send him a message back that it wasn't until after I'd sent it that I realized they'd caught him."
"Oh God, the idiot!" Scott growled, shaking his head in frustration. "I knew something like this would happen!" he cursed.
"There's more," John said timidly. Scott looked up to him, his head snapping up in one sharp movement. He continued, "He received the message I sent back just as one of them was tying his hands behind his back."
Scott swallowed, "So what? Do they know about the watch? Do they know we've been listening?"
John could only nod in silence.
"I've been trying to get a response from his watch," he said after a slight pause, desperate for some kind of absolution. "It's not functioning properly so I'm guessing they've damaged it. I can't get any visual feed, I'm picking up sound but I have to amplify it to be able to hear it. It's really faint."
"Do you have sound now?" Scott licked his lips and studied his brother. John was withholding information, that much was obvious but for Scott, his apparent reluctance to divulge the information was more disturbing. "Come on, John, what is it you're not telling me? Is Virgil okay?"
"Not exactly," John looked away. Unable to watch Scott's response even if he'd needed to. He paused for a few moments, allowing both himself and Scott precious seconds to get a grip. "He's err… well, they… they're kicking the hell out of him, Scott."
Scott's eyes hardened and the anxiousness they'd contained at hearing John's news suddenly faded to somewhere deep in his heart. "Patch me through, John."
John knew it was an order and that he didn't have a choice, but even he was finding it difficult to listen to the transmission. Though he knew there was no stopping Scott when he was this determined, for Scott's own sake he had to try. "Scott, please, you don't need to hear it."
"I said patch me through," Scott repeated in a voice far calmer than John had expected. He was tempted to try again to dissuade his brother, but Scott commented further, "Now, John." Those two words just proved that Scott had a very tight hold on his emotions and that he was struggling for control. John could only give a small nod and make the connection.
It wasn't long before the sounds emitted from Mobile Control's speakers were, as John predicted, making Scott's skin, quite literally, crawl. A myriad of grunts and groans pierced the silence the brothers found themselves in. A silence divided only by either incomprehensible, angry shouting or breathless coughing and spluttering. It didn't take a genius to recognise Virgil's laboured attempts at some kind of survival over the speakers. Scott swallowed hard, his mouth was suddenly dry and the simple action felt raw. He realised that his fists were clenched so tight in front of him that his knuckles were white. Opening his mouth to speak he was relieved when a new voice entered the mix.
"Jake, that's enough. You've made your point!" A pause followed, before the same voice spoke again. "Cut it out, you're going to kill him!" There was the sound of a scuffle, before the peacemaker got an abrupt reply.
"I haven't even started yet!"
"We need him to get back to the surface!" The argument continued.
"I've told you already," a different voice replied. "We don't have anywhere to go. I'd rather die than go back inside. Thanks to him," there was another short pause and the sound what Scott assumed was Virgil receiving another blow, "they know everything." There was a bout of interference and for a few seconds it was difficult to understand what was happening. A loud crash followed and then nothing but static.
"J…" Scott disguised his trembling voice with a sudden sharp cough. "John?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders and indicating he wanted some kind of explanation for the loss of feed.
"I don't know," John frowned back. "I err… I don't know, there's nothing from the watch. Maybe they destroyed it completely. The feed wasn't all that great before, I doubt it would take much." He paused, "I'm so sorry, Scott, I should never have sent that message. If only I'd checked first or…"
"John…" Scott sighed. "It's not your fault," he said, his tone sincere. "Virgil took a risk and it didn't work out. He's under a lot of pressure right now, we all are. This isn't your fault, John," he reiterated. "It might've happened anyway, we're never going to know." John nodded automatically but his heart wasn't really in it and Scott could feel the guilt pouring off him in waves. "John, listen to me…" Scott tried once more to offer some kind of comfort.
"Yeah, I'm listening, we don't have time for this now." John swallowed. "I'm going to check on Gordon and Alan. They should be leaving Dublin any time." He avoided the issue, with more blatancy than Scott had expected. "I'll let you know what's going on. Are you going to call Father or do you want me to do it?"
Scott hesitated. He pondered reinitiating their previous conversation but decided against it and settled for playing John's game of charades. They were times when he had to rely on John not to rumble his own façade and he didn't want to jeopardise that. "I'll call Dad. You let me know about Gordon and Alan. Parker's working on that tracker now."
John signed off quickly with a terse, "FAB."
Scott let out a heavy sigh and slumped over the console in front of him. His head fell to his hands and he rubbed at his eyes, attempting to massage the tension away but failing. More than aware of the implications of this situation, Scott knew that this latest twist could make all the difference and he couldn't help but wonder how Virgil was holding up after what he'd just heard. He knew his brother as well anyone, better in fact. People commented on how their personalities complimented each other because they were so different and yet so similar, but that wasn't the complete picture. They had a lot in common and as much as Virgil had his mother's looks and gifts, he had his father's stubbornness too, and a sense of pride that rivalled Scott's.
Scott was startled by a hand suddenly clasping his shoulder and looked up find Penelope, staring at him with a probing expression. She awaited an answer to a question Scott hadn't even heard. "Sorry, Penny," Scott apologised, shrugging her hand away. "I was miles away. What did you say?"
"I was just informing you that the tracker is ready and that we are now awaiting the plane's arrival to install it," she studied Scott closely. To her trained eye, he looked pale and if she wasn't mistaken, his hands were also trembling. "Are you quite alright, Scott?" she frowned.
"Hmm?" he asked her distracted by his thoughts once more. The response only caused Penelope's frown to deepen. "Oh yeah, I'm fine thanks, Penelope." He turned to look up at her and recognised the concern in her eyes.
Penelope glanced at her watch and delicately lifted a finger to her eyelid to rub the carefully curled lashes a little. "You must be tired, why don't you try to sleep?" she suggested. "You look exhausted, Scott, and I'm sure John will wake you if there's any change in the situation."
"Me?" Scott shook his head. "No, I'm okay, Penny. I really don't feel that tired. Besides, someone needs to check that Cook isn't going off on a tangent."
Penelope took an uncharacteristic pose and leaned slightly against the nearest control console, "You trust him, don't you?"
Scott didn't hesitate when he nodded; after all, he'd already been quizzed about putting his faith in Ned Cook. "Yeah I do, after what happened in New York, he's never done anything but support us and he went out of his way to tell us everything he knew about this place."
Penelope nodded but recognised that it was a well rehearsed speech. She didn't doubt that Scott would already have defended his decision to his father and probably his brothers too, though she doubted the latter would ask outright. "Hmm," Penelope muttered. "I suppose you are right. He was conspicuously quiet when Eddie Kerr was exposing us all as criminal masterminds," she grinned a little but Scott didn't return it.
"Exactly," Scott exclaimed, he sighed running a hand over his face. "Cook will do the right thing; he's learned his lesson the hard way. I just hope they get the article finished in time."
"What is the procedure when the article is complete?" Penelope asked. "Do they require it in a specific format?"
Scott nodded, "Yeah, but I'm going to send it to Brains and Tin-Tin. They should be able to make it look like it's a news report." Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet and threw a weak smile in Penelope's direction. "I should go and check how they're getting on with it. Get some sleep, Penelope," he advised.
She nodded in silence and watched as he slumped away into the darkness. Shoulders hunched and his head dropped, Scott was more than aware that the situation was only worsening.
XxxxX
Virgil awoke to a stinging sensation causing his left cheek to smart. With a groan and an instinctive jerk, he tried to roll away from the pain only to move backwards onto his bound wrists. He opened his mouth to let out another moan when he felt someone's hand clamp over his lips. Eyes popping open in surprise and horror at the perceived threat, he began to struggle against his silencer.
"Shh! Calm down!" The voice just caused Virgil to struggle harder, rebelling against the hand that was pushing his head back towards the floor. "Shh!" Luke's head came into view. The image blurred for a while before Virgil focused on the face above him and it came together. Virgil was met with anxious yet piercing blue eyes, inches from his face. "I'm not trying to hurt you but you've got to be quiet," Luke told him.
Virgil attempted a nod, but hoped their eye contact portrayed his agreement; the nod wasn't all that successful. Slowly and very apprehensively, Luke moved his hand away from Virgil's mouth and relaxed a little. Virgil, meanwhile, let out the breath he hadn't realised he was holding and tried to piece together his recollections. His attempt to reconstruct his memory was short lived as Luke brought a hand up to his face and he sucked a breath in, flinching away instinctively at what he thought was more punishment.
"I'm sorry," Luke whispered as he cleaned the cuts to Virgil's face. He seemed a little disappointed at Virgil's reaction. "I know this is a bit sore," he hesitated as he watched his patient wince again. "It needs cleaning though," Luke said. He turned to one side and applied some antiseptic to the cotton wool he used. As Virgil followed his gaze, he realised that the first aid kit was laid out in front of them and that Luke had been methodically treating the cuts and bruises on his face.
He was confused.
After the savage attack he'd just been exposed to, he couldn't help but be suspicious at the youngest of his captors' behaviour.
"It's nearly done now," Luke's tone was hushed, but loud enough to break Virgil's critical thoughts. Glancing across to the two bench seats, Virgil spied the other two fast asleep. Jake's hand had fallen out from under the blanket, revealing scuffed knuckles and Virgil felt a degree of satisfaction when he noticed that his eye had darkened a little as a result of one of the few punches Virgil managed to get in when this whole thing had started.
Hissing and flinching again as Luke turned his attention to another raw area, Virgil found himself thinking suspiciously about Luke's motives. He swallowed but found his mouth unbearably dry and shifted from the uncomfortable position he'd been left in. He'd assumed that the cool pressure against his back was the floor but as he moved he realised it was his hand. The length of his arm was numb where he'd been laid on it and he tried to move to let the circulation flow again. "W-Why are you doing this?" he managed to rasp out as he frowned up at Luke in confusion.
"Jake's already told you why," Luke replied. Sitting back, he looked over Virgil's face and nodded in satisfaction at his work. "We need to get away from here, you know what they've been doing to us." He replaced everything in the first aid box and pushed it away. There was an awkward silence as Virgil shifted again. The sensation of pins and needles in his arm was becoming uncomfortable. He tried to flex his fingers a little but they were still too numb and instead his muscles spasmed, causing a shooting pain deep in his arm.
"Do you believe us?" Luke asked hesitantly as he propped himself up against one of the consoles and stretched his legs out in front of him. He watched Virgil as he fidgeted, sore from being laid on his side but unable to move without causing further pain.
Virgil faltered. He wasn't sure what he believed anymore. "Yeah," he replied after a while and with a small nod. "Yeah, I do believe you." Luke responded with a brief smile and his eyes lit up. The blue sparkle reminded Virgil of his brother, John, and he realised that their eyes had the same depth of feeling. "But that's not what I meant. I meant, why are you helping me?" There was a small voice inside of him telling him that he was being paranoid but he couldn't help wonder if this was some kind of trap. Maybe Luke's kindness was faked and that he was supposed to fall into this false sense of security. If he could feel such a thing, given the situation.
Luke shrugged, "Well if you'd rather I didn't…" He took offence at Virgil's persistent questioning.
"No," Virgil shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant either. It's just…" he trailed off, taking the time to choose his words carefully. "It doesn't matter," he shook his head, unsure how to vocalise his thoughts without sounding ungrateful.
"You're surprised that I'm cleaning your face up after what Jake's just done." Luke seemed to understand Virgil's confusion and nodded. "I'm just doing what I'm told. They don't want you looking a mess for tomorrow, when you talk to your mate up there." He turned his eyes skyward.
Virgil nodded in understanding. He knew there had to be a reason. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed though, he'd hoped that Luke was sympathising with him. He knew random acts of kindness weren't in keeping with any of their characters but then again, Luke seemed different, more compassionate than the others. He hadn't been as aggressive as the other two and he'd seemed uncomfortable, at times, with their actions. "Well thanks, anyway," Virgil smiled. He winced when he felt the action pull against bruised muscles and let it drop.
"Don't thank me, I told you I'm just doing what I was told." Luke shook his head. "It's us that should be thanking you. Without you, we'd be dead by now. You saved our lives." He silently thought to himself about the manner they were all repaying Virgil, but forced his tongue to remain silent. "I suppose you wish you hadn't bothered now," he assumed. "I wouldn't blame you."
Virgil shook his head, but his surroundings swam in front of him and he stopped, pausing for a few minutes to allow it to settle. "No, I just wish there'd been another way for you to prove your point."
"Me too," Luke sighed.
With a certain amount of caution, Virgil looked up to him and realised how much he meant those words. Both of them turned to face the bench seats when Jake moved about in his sleep but he settled and they relaxed. Virgil noted the tension that the thought of Jake waking had caused in Luke.
"You don't seem all that close to him," Virgil said. He was trying to keep the conversation going. If nothing else, it was taking his mind off what was happening around them but he knew he had to play it carefully. Luke might not have been as threatening or intimidating as Jake but he'd already proved where his loyalties lay. Virgil knew he had to be sparing with what he told the young man.
In the silence that followed the comment, Virgil wondered if he'd said the wrong thing. He breathed a sigh of relief when Luke responded, "I'm not. Not really. Put it this way: they're not the two people I'd pick to be trapped with. It's not as if all this is premeditated or anything, I mean it was never a trap for you." He paused, "I've met people who have tried to get at you guys and your technology but we're not interested in any of that. We just want to get away from here. This place changes you. Billy's a good guy really he just got mixed up with the wrong crowd."
Virgil tried to swallow again, "And what about you?"
"Am I a good guy?" Luke asked with a frown. "No," he shook his head. "Definitely not. I'm a criminal, just like they are," he gestured to the other two asleep on the bench seats but kept his voice low.
"Really?" Virgil tried to raise an eyebrow but gave up after several failed attempts. "I don't think you're like them. You've never hurt me, you were never violent or aggressive like they were and you never joined in with them, when they were…" he trailed off, not wanting to think about it.
"I threatened you," Luke smirked back, surprised by Virgil's acuity.
"And if it hadn't been for you stopping him, Jake would have killed me," Virgil replied.
"Okay," Luke shrugged, "So I don't want you to die yet. Have you thought that maybe I'm just selfish enough to want you alive so that you can get us to the surface? I don't want to die either, no matter what Jake says."
Virgil shook his head, being more careful this time, "No," he muttered. "I saw the look on your face when they were laying in to me. It didn't sit too well with you. You disapproved, I know you did."
"You're wrong," Luke replied his tone clipped and adamant. "I've handed out more than my fair share of beatings in the past. Believe me, that was nothing. I'm no angel and I've done worse." Virgil considered the opening to ask Luke what he meant by that but decided not to push it. "I'm telling you, you're wrong. I don't care about you. I just want to see my family again."
"You care enough to be talking to me now," Virgil observed. He shifted once more, feeling the numbness in his arms slowly fade. He flexed his fingers again, pleased when they complied.
Luke scoffed, "You really only see the best in people don't you?" He paused, "I'm a criminal, a liar, a dangerous liar. I can't be trusted out in society," he leant forward, trying to keep his voice low. "Do you know what I was sent down for? What I did to get me locked up in here?"
Virgil shook his head, unsure whether he really wanted to know either. He'd like to think he wasn't prejudiced and that it wouldn't change his hopes that Luke could help him, but deep down he know that no one could ever be impartial. Moreover, he considered that maybe he was grasping on to the one scrap of faith he had left; that Luke was some kind of saviour.
"I killed someone," Luke told him, his head bowed. Virgil cringed but tried hard not to let it show. "I took a life and I'm not sorry I did it either," he said as he looked Virgil in the eye with a harsh, cold expression. "What?" he asked, his tone insolent. "You didn't think I was capable?" He shook his head, "No, neither did the guy I killed."
Virgil watched him wide eyed as Luke became pensive and looked around their surroundings deep in thought. His expression became sad and reflective, and Virgil wondered how much of his unrepentant attitude was just an act. He wasn't naïve and he knew it was a tough life in a prison.
The pensive silence went on.
Virgil was about to break it but Luke suddenly shook himself, "I suppose you think I'm some kind of monster now." He looked across at Virgil in expectation of some kind of reply, "You know it's kind of ironic when you think about it. You saving lives and us taking them." Virgil gave a nervous smirk and Luke laughed.
Virgil watched him as he sobered. It was hot and unpleasant now; the air was heavy, stifling their attempts at breathing and making it a real effort. Virgil swallowed against the clammy, oppressive heat but only coughed and spluttered when the hot air hit the back of his throat. The sudden movement to his chest caused his damaged ribs to ache and he groaned, rolling further forward onto his front. The action only caused the dull throbbing to increase and he screwed his face up.
"Shh!" Luke sat forward, trying to hold Virgil down as he moved. "Be quiet, we can't wake them," he frowned as Virgil struggled to breathe. His mouth was so dry, it felt prickly. Luke realised the problem and reached above his head to the bottle of water on the console. "Here, drink some of this," he directed as he uncapped the bottle. Placing a hand under Virgil's head, he lifted the water to his lips and let him drink. Eager to quench his unbearable thirst and soothe the arid sensation in his mouth and throat, Virgil gulped down the liquid as quickly as he could.
"Go easy," Luke told him, pulling the bottle away. His haste to move the bottle away left trickles of water running down Virgil's chin, with no hands to wipe it away he could only lick his lips in an attempt to savour every last drop. "It's all I've got left." At the sound of the voice above him, Virgil remembered that Luke was watching him. He suddenly felt ashamed that he'd let his captor witness the desperation he felt to quench his thirst.
Virgil could feel the cool of the remaining water against his skin, and the humidity in the cabin just amplified it. He closed his eyes and was surprised when Luke moved forward and wiped his chin clean. "Is there a tap in that toilet? I could go and fill it up," Luke suggested.
"No," Virgil replied. "It's not drinking water. It's got cleaning chemicals in it."
"I'm sorry," Luke apologised again, gesturing to the now empty bottle.
"Yeah," Virgil looked across at him, "and that's why you're different. Do you think they're sorry?" He gestured to the two sleeping criminals. "Do you think they even care if I'm dehydrated?"
Luke shook his head after a few moments of thought, "You have to understand that these last three years have been hell for us. I'd do anything to see my family again and I mean anything, Virgil. That's the only reason I'm here."
"Billy said you had a kid?" Virgil asked. He spoke with caution, not wanting to push too far. Rather than being angry or hostile at the subject Luke sat back, smiled sadly and nodded. "I thought they checked for that kind of thing before they brought you here," the first comment may not have caused an antagonistic reaction, but the second certainly did.
Luke frowned and turned angry eyes in Virgil's direction, "It's complicated." His tone of voice suggested that the conversation was over, and Virgil began to feel guilty for even approaching the subject.
"I don't have any kids," Virgil spoke only to fill the silence but he was thoughtful about how differently things could have turned out. "Guess I never met the right person, not at the right time anyway. It's difficult with this kind of work. It wouldn't be fair of me to have started a family and then subjected them to this kind of lifestyle." He pondered about what it would have been like. To feel the pride only a parent can, for something so tiny and vulnerable to rely on you completely. He remembered what his youngest brothers were like when they were babies but he couldn't help wondering what it would be like to be a father. Some of his friends outside of International Rescue had children.
"You're not married?" Luke asked. He seemed surprised.
Virgil shook his head, "No." He paused, deep in reflection, "I have four brothers though. They're the only family I need." He tried to remind himself of that and not let his mind consider the decisions he'd made in the past. Girlfriends that could have been more than girlfriends but the timing was never right, there was always something there to get in the way.
"Not even anyone special?" Luke persisted.
Virgil shook his head, taking care to avoid another twinge of pain, "My brothers are all pretty special."
"You're close?" Luke asked. When Virgil gave a brief nod, he smiled. "I was close to my brother too. He was my best friend. People said we were like twins," he laughed to himself. "I idolised him when I was a child. Used to follow him around like a lost sheep," he grinned, looking up to find Virgil smiling wistfully too. "Are you the eldest?"
"Second," Virgil told him. "I was the same with …" he stopped himself, "my older brother. Used to follow him around all the time, I think he hated me as a kid." Realising that he'd almost let his guard drop, he forced himself into a more vigilant state of mind. "What about you? Are you the eldest?"
"No," Luke smiled as he shook his head and then stopped, leaving an abrupt silence hanging in the air. "Well, yeah, I am now. My older brother was … well, he…. he was killed," he informed Virgil through gritted death, his tone of voice angry.
"Oh," Virgil let out a small sigh. "I'm sorry," he said, head bowed. Though he felt it was a lame response, he wasn't sure what else to say at the irate tone. He began to wonder if perhaps Luke had killed his brother but disregarded the thought; he was letting the confinement manipulate his mind.
Luke shook his head, anger clearly simmering just below the surface, "The guy that did it, he got what was coming." His eyes took on a far off look and he recounted the tale without emotion, almost forgetting Virgil was there at all. "I killed him," he confessed suddenly, meeting Virgil's gaze and holding it steady, portraying his fury and a mixture of other emotions Virgil couldn't quite comprehend. "I killed him for taking Ben away from me," Luke swallowed and blinked. "And I'm not sorry I did it either," he admitted, repeating his earlier words, completely unashamed.
Virgil's eyes darted about in apprehension, uncertain where to look. "What…" he trailed off, not sure whether to ask, not even sure he wanted the answer. "What happened?" he couldn't help himself and put it down to morbid fascination.
"He wouldn't tell us where Ben's body was," Luke bowed his head further and frowned hard. He began to fiddle with his fingers and shuffle about, needing to explain, "I just wanted a chance to say goodbye. I wanted to bury my brother, give him the send off he deserved. He was a good man. Ten times the man I could ever be." He looked up to gauge Virgil's reaction. He was listening with rapt attention. "He wouldn't tell me. I never meant to hurt him, not really. I just wanted to scare him into telling me. I needed to know," Luke sighed. "But I don't regret it, I'd do it again. Can you understand that?"
Virgil frowned a little, completely unsure how to react and how he was expected to respond to that revelation. "I can't imagine what I'd do if I lost one of my brothers." He tried to visualise what it'd be like to be told that one of his brothers had died but found himself unwilling. The very concept was unthinkable and brought horrible reminders of Gordon's accident.
A pensive silence settled around them again, neither knowing what to say.
"They promised me that you wouldn't get hurt," Luke broke the silence and changed the subject, his unspoken apology was heartfelt. "If you'd just gone along with what they'd told you…" he trailed off and shook his head in frustration.
"But I had to do something," Virgil tried to explain. "I couldn't just sit back and let you use the organization as a bargaining tool."
Luke understood but ignored the urge to feel any sympathy, "The watch was some kind of communications device, wasn't it?" Virgil's nod was almost imperceptible. He was still unsure about Luke's true intentions and watched the young man's reaction to the news with caution. "I knew it. I've been trying to convince myself it was some kind of alarm or maybe even, y'know how some watches bleep on the hour? I thought, well, hoped…" Luke realised he was babbling and sighed. "Deep down, I knew though. Why?" he asked. "Why put yourself in danger like that? Were they listening all this time?"
"It doesn't matter," Virgil told him. "They're still going along with your plan. They just wanted to make sure that I was safe, that's all." His mind wandered as to how much John would have heard. The thought that his brother, or worse brothers, could have heard the feed devastated him. It was humiliating to think they could have been listening to his helplessness all along. "Where is it now?"
Luke gestured over towards the storeroom door. "Jake threw it over there. I don't think there's much left of it anyway." He paused and heaved a sigh. "God, it's hot in here," he groaned as he swiped a hand over his brow.
"The oxygen's running low," Virgil commented. "What time is it, how long do we have left?"
Luke glanced at his watch and did a few quick calculations, "According to what you said, we've got at least another five … nearly six hours left," his tone became accusing.
Virgil frowned, assuming he must've been unconscious longer than he'd anticipated. "Carbon dioxide's beginning to build up in the cabin." He said with confidence, "We need to surface." There was no room for negotiation.
Luke sighed, "Jake won't do it. Not until we've got what we want, he wasn't bluffing when he said he'd rather die down here."
Virgil nodded his head, his expression a cross somewhere between grim and sad. He'd already guessed as much. If nothing else, he knew these guys were serious. "There are oxygen tanks in that storeroom," he gestured to the door at the back of the cabin. "If it gets really bad we could use them, but only as a last resort." Luke nodded. He accepted that their fate was now in International Rescue's hands. Virgil however, felt he should be doing more. "Can I ask you something?" When Luke nodded, he took a breath and went on, "How did you get the bullets out of my gun?" He shook his head in wonder, "Those weapons are pretty advanced. I don't understand how you knew."
Luke shrugged, "I didn't. Billy did. He was in the Navy so he's got a bit of experience with guns, he was playing about with it this afternoon. I told him we didn't need it, that you wouldn't try anything because you understood."
Virgil closed his eyes, suddenly tired. The heat had that effect on you and the stuffy air didn't help, but it wasn't just fatigue anymore, it was exhaustion. The physical and mental pressures of being confined were beginning to get to him. To begin with, he'd denied its presence, then he'd denied its reality but now he was recognising that it was very real, and also very justified.
"For what it's worth, I am sorry for doing what I did," Virgil looked to the ground, feeling a little ashamed of himself for breaching Luke's trust in him, though he wasn't sure why. Luke was, after all, one of the people holding him here against his will.
"Sorry for doing it or sorry for getting caught?" Luke smiled. "God, I sound like a psychologist," he scoffed. "We get asked that all the time. Are we really sorry?"
"I'm sorry for doing it." Virgil replied, "I was playing a dangerous game and I ended up just making the situation even worse."
"What exactly were you planning on doing?" Luke asked with a puzzled frown. "It's not like there's anywhere to escape to."
Virgil shrugged, "I don't know really, there's a full medical kit through there. I guess that's were I was heading, to get some kind of sedative or something, to somehow incapacitate you guys. The cutting gas I used knocks people out if it's used in cold conditions…" He realised that he hadn't thought the plan through properly and that he probably wouldn't have been successful even if he hadn't been caught out. It was testament to the pressure he was under and how it was messing with his ability to reason; normally, he was renowned for his good judgement. He began to realise that he wasn't dealing with this situation half as well as he thought he was.
"You know it changes everything," Luke met Virgil's gaze briefly, conveying the depth of his sincerity. "There's no way Jake's going to let you go now. If there's one thing he hates it's not being in control and you've just proved to him tonight that he doesn't scare you." The words caused Virgil to frown and he turned an inquisitive gaze in Luke's direction.
"What are you saying? You think he'll kill me?" he swallowed. Deep down he wasn't sure he could handle an answer to that question. Nevertheless, despite how much it petrified him inside, he wanted to know the score and he needed to prepare himself. He awaited Luke's response with trepidation and a tense expression.
Luke gazed across at his prisoner in sympathy before nodding with some reluctance. Virgil looked away and swallowed, struggling to comprehend what he'd just been told. He thought the concept over before turning back to Luke and trying to appear courageous. "I want you to do it," he said, his tone adamant. "If they're going to kill me I want you to be the one to do it. Will you do that for me?"
"Why me? Do you think I won't do it?" Luke responded, frowning down at Virgil as he spoke. "I will," he told him with direct honesty. "If they ask me, I won't have a choice."
"No," Virgil shook his head. "It's not that I don't think you could do it. I just…" he trailed off. "I just don't want to give either of them the satisfaction, that's all." He turned over in discomfort on the cold metal floor. "Please?"
Luke hesitated a moment then nodded, "If that's what you want. I don't suppose it'll make much difference to the outcome though."
Virgil nodded his thanks but felt an apprehensive weight settle in his stomach. Slowly he comprehended the enormity of what he'd just done. In asking Luke to be the one to carry out the task, he wasn't just preparing himself to the possibility of death; he was accepting that it was a virtual certainty.