Thunderbirds and the Tracy Family are the superb creation of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson

Author's Note: While Mount Aspiring National Park in New Zealand's South Island does actually exist and all associated information genuine, Colgan's Pass is purely fictitious for purposes of the story.

A very much appreciated and continued thank you to all my reviewers and those who continue to read of Scott's recovery.

JamesTKent: This is for you. I know you were wondering about what might happen should a rescue call come in while Mike was still there. I was kinda wondering that myself….and then, wouldn't you know it! Guess you would call that, 'the luck of the Irish'!

Chapter 98

Struck dumb by the awesome revelation, Mike absently held out his glass for a refill, continuing to hold it until Jeff had topped it up with a further measure, much to the amusement of the wealthy industrialist. Now, let me see! Just how did the rest of that conversation go!

"O..k..a..y….now you've got me intrigued," Mike admitted with a puzzled frown of bemusement. "If you are my good friend, Jefferson Tracy….and all this is really yours….then…what else do I need to know! What's the big mystery, Jeff!"

Calm and composed, Jeff took another soothing sip from his glass. "You know of that organisation…International Rescue!" he asked carefully, while studying his friend's reaction, though it was asked from more of a given that of course Mike would know; who didn't.

Mike nodded slowly, though clearly wondering what they would have to do with his friend.

"Well yes, of course, Jeff….I mean who hasn't!" he confessed with a puzzling smile. "They're a fine bunch of men who are to be greatly admired and respected because they willingly put themselves on the line, time and time again, for people they don't know. No one knows who they are, though…or where they come from….but when lives are in danger…they always show up," he added in obvious admiration and automatically reciting what little he knew, as if to prove he was, indeed, aware of who they were. "Why do you ask, Jeff?"

It was only then, when Jefferson Tracy, with cool composure, held his questioning gaze that comprehension began to sink in, or so he thought. You could practically see the cogwheels of his mind turning over.

"You know those guys….don't you, Jeff!" he exclaimed warily, though unable to keep a growing incredulous tone from his voice and such was the sudden revelation of what he thought he knew to be true, he didn't even give the man time to answer. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be that surprised…..not with the people you must rub shoulders with, my friend. So! What! You finance these guys! Is that it? Tracy Industries supply them with what they need for those incredible rescue machines of theirs? Is that what you're telling me!" Mike continued on, with the same feeling of wary incredulity and thinking he now understood the connection and what Jeff had wanted to tell him. Mind you, it wouldn't have surprised him in the least to know that Jefferson Tracy had been the financial backing behind such an incredible organisation.

He still didn't quite get it, though, did he and Jeff couldn't help a chuckle to himself, for in fairness, it was a reasonable assumption.

"Y..e..s...I guess you could say that…I know them!" Jeff responded, slowly drawing out his acknowledgement. "And…y..e..s……I guess you could say Tracy Industries…finance their operation," he added, almost taking delight now in toying with his friend, while taking in the panoramic view.

"So….what's he like then….the guy that runs this outfit!" Mike asked curiously.

And Jeff found himself unable to resist toying with his friend for just a little longer. "Oh….I think you could say he's an amiable sort of man…..likes his privacy….and enjoys a good scotch! Come to think of it……he's not exactly a million miles away from you at this very minute!" he responded with measured calm, his smoky grey blue eyes glinting with amusement, as he took another sip of his favorite tipple.

Whether it was the amusing, though perfectly serious way in which his friend was looking at him or, solely, by what he had just said or a combination of both but it now seemed that the stark, cold realisation began to dawn, to the extent you could have knocked Mike down with the preverbal 'feather'. Having just taken a sip from his glass himself, Mike promptly started to choke and cough.

"Are you….ughh…ughh…telling me…ughh…what I think you're telling me!" Mike choked out. With glass in hand, he again pointed to his friend with his index finger. "That you….that you're……..!"

With a smile of quiet serenity, Jeff answered the unfinished question. "That's right, Mike. I…am International Rescue…..we are…International Rescue!

And hence, being struck dumb by the awesome revelation and holding out his glass for that extra and, very much needed, drink.

"Geez…Jeff. When you said you had something to tell me……!" Mike exclaimed, still trying to take in the enormity of what his friend had just told him, as if it hadn't been enough that Mike thought Jeff to be merely acquainted with those who were involved in the outfit. But this was a revelation on an entirely different scale and, as such, he wasn't too long in downing the scotch that had been given him only moments before, downing it in one swallow.

Pandora's Box had been well and truly opened now, his mind reeling with questions that he wouldn't mind having the answers to but, before he could even begin to decide which question to ask first and, almost as if to prove his friend's candid admission was indeed true, a well-timed alarm sounded through the villa. Jeff immediately rose from his chair, the peace and serenity of the evening broken.

"What is it, Jeff! Is something wrong?" Mike asked in obvious concern, rising automatically from his seat in response, imagining some danger like, perhaps, a fire somewhere within the spacious home. And it was clear that something had happened, for Jefferson Tracy had become quite serious.

"Come with me, Mike. We'll talk later…but right now…you're about to see what few people have ever seen or are ever likely to see!" Jeff announced rather cryptically, as he donned the cool efficiency of commander mode while heading into the lounge, with Mike following close behind.

Aware now that something was going down, Mike never thought to question, since he did not wish to disturb his friend's obvious concentration but rather watched with silent interest from the side-lines of the lounge, transfixed by the flurry of well ordered activity that now started to take place.

He watched as Jeff took his place behind the seemingly ordinary desk, the desk he had passed many times and never given a moment's thought to. Now, at the touch of something concealed, it became transformed into a center of operations, revealing a communications system, along with a panel behind the desk suddenly being revealed, containing the most up-to-date, hi-tech array of monitors and instruments that would give whatever information was needed.

His attention was then diverted to the far wall where the family portraits of the boys were hung, only to watch with amazement as they slid from sight, to reveal new pictures of the same young men, in serious pose and wearing a distinctive blue uniform. Operation Cover Up had most definitely just become, uncovered!

Mike continued to watch in amazement as John's portrait instantly became a live-feed, with John now in uniform and it slowly dawned on him that this must be the 'office' John was being beamed in from while down in the infirmary with Scott, though he still had no idea, as yet, of the organisation's own communications satellite station high above the earth. Realising he was, very much, just a spectator and a very privileged one at that, Mike kept his silence, watching the well-oiled machine of International Rescue swing into action.

"All right, John….what have we got?" the Commander-In-Chief asked calmly.

Just after John had filled his father in on the details, Virgil, Gordon and Alan came rushing into the lounge and stopped dead in their tracks at seeing Mike quietly observing everything that was going on, unsure of what their reaction should be, though just where they had expected Mike to be, I don't think they had given much thought. Now that they had answered the call, the alarm was silenced and, on seeing the glances pass between his sons, Jeff put their minds quickly at ease.

"It's all right, boys…..Mike knows. It was my intention to tell him who we are, when he was here….I feel he deserves that much, after what he's done for Scott….and I think we can safely trust him!" he explained, adding a twinkling smile at his last remark.

"Gee….I sure hope so, Mike….cus we have got kinda fond of you…and we'd hate to see you go the way of all those 'others'…who just happened to be here at the wrong time!" Gordon chirped up, grinning with devilish menace. "Remind me again, Virg…how many bodies have we dumped into the old volcano now! Always room for one more, though…huh! Cus ya see, Mike….we can't let you leave this island …alive that is….if we can't trust you!"

A hearty laugh escaped the consultant surgeon at the copper-haired young man's jest, at least what he very much hoped was jest, and he, readily, put up his hands in assurance. "Oh…I promise you…I'm completely trustworthy. You have no need to worry."

"All right…that's enough, boys," their father gently admonished, having allowed them their moment's light-hearted fun. "Now…let's get down to business."

"So…what's it this time, Dad? Who needs our help?" Virgil asked seriously, turning to the task in hand.

And Jeff started to fill them in with the information he'd been given by John.

"WHAT! Are they crazy….or just plain stupid!" Alan exclaimed incredulously on hearing the details.

"Yeah….like what were they thinking! Didn't they heed the warnings….didn't they read the signs!" Gordon jumped in, agreeing with his youngest brother.

"Yeah…it did seem a pretty dumb thing to do," Virgil had to agree and, having been to almost every rescue as pilot of Thunderbird Two, he had seen it all, so knew what he was talking about.

"So now we get to go pull their ass outta the fire," Alan remarked glibly, never one to pull his punches.

And Jeff had every sympathy for his sons, having to agree that they were right for, time after time, they were called in to rescue people who had put themselves in danger by doing something stupid or careless and expecting International Rescue to bail them out.

"I understand how you feel, boys….but we can't concern ourselves with how they got into trouble…just that they need our help…and we have to give it. Yes, it seems that they are young and obviously inexperienced…and did something very silly…but then it wouldn't be the first time that young people have been careless, thinking they could handle things and then got themselves into trouble….now would it!" their father replied and giving his youngest a rather pointed look, which only made Alan wince. Was he ever going to live that lapse in concentration down!

So, just what did this particular rescue entail that, seemingly, amazed the boys so much by the sheer gross stupidity of those that were needing rescued?

Well, it seemed that, in their haste to reach their camping grounds, a young couple had chosen to ignore all the warnings about taking camper vans or any other such vehicles over Colgan's Pass, the narrow high mountain road set deep in Mount Aspiring National Park on New Zealand's South Island.

The Park is part of the Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area called 'Te Wahipounamu', meaning the place of greenstone, much valued as a material for tools, weapons and ornaments by ancient travellers and it was full of all manner of creatures and exotically coloured birds. It was a truly stunning place, a mixture of remote wilderness, high glacial mountains and beautiful river valleys straddling the southern end of the Southern Alps and lying alongside the largest National Park, Fiordland on the south western coast. Such is the majestic beauty of the place, with endless and unforgettable views, that it attracts visitors from all over to stay in the many camping grounds within the more accessible areas of the park; the most breathtakingly spectacular views being accessible only along the many hiking trails. It was a Mecca for mountaineers and since the boys had climbed here before they knew the area well enough, which was why they felt qualified to comment on the careless disregard that some people seemed to have for the very careful warnings that were put in place to ensure the safety of all visitors.

And it was to one of these camping grounds that the young couple had been heading when they landed in the trouble they were obviously now in. In their impatience to get there in a hurry, they thought it worth the risk to take a more direct route, though it was probably a good guess that they were very much regretting that decision right now. With the weather having been quite bad the previous week, rainwater had been running down off the high mountains, making the narrow road of Colgan's Pass even more treacherous than ever, a pass which was usually only traversed by four-wheel drive off-road, all-terrain vehicles. It seemed that now this young couple found themselves in the perilous situation, whereby the rear wheels of their luxury motor home were slipping off the edge of the crumbling road, unable to regain grip.

The Pass was remote and so it would take too long for Park Rangers to get up there and, besides, they didn't have the equipment needed to pull such a large vehicle back onto the road, or to stabilize it while they got the occupants out safely, since such a vehicle should have never been up there in the first place with the very clear warnings at the bottom of the Pass. So, hence the need for International Rescue to come and save the day once more!

"Sounds like this is gonna be an 'Eddie Houseman' type rescue, Virg," Alan surmised, thinking quickly off the top of his head.

"Yeah….I think you could be right there, Al," his brother agreed, musing over already how they were going to effect the rescue.

Eddie Houseman was, of course, one of their more memorable rescues, well, at least from Alan and Virgil's point of view. With Alan, it was all to do with the heart, since Tin-Tin seemed to have been quite taken with Eddie, causing the old 'green-eyed monster' to rear its ugly head, though with Virgil it was purely from the practicalities of the rescue itself. Just when he thought he had Eddie safely airborne in his vehicle, the worst had happened and, one by one, the magnetic grabs were failing to hold, with the result he lost the vehicle and thought he had lost Eddie too but, thankfully, the man had had the foresight and the courage to jump for safety before it was too late.

It wasn't the only time, either, they seemed to be having trouble with the grabs; that last rescue in the Akashi Straits, Japan, when he lifted the submerged cab from the treacherous waters, came to mind but, hopefully, that problem was now sorted for Brains and he had been working on a way to stabilize the holding capabilities of the grabs.

"Do we know just how big a vehicle we're dealing with here, Dad?" Virgil asked automatically, as his technically minded brain swung into action, so that he could begin to calibrate the lift they would be dealing with.

"Yes Son….according to John, she's one of those latest luxury motor homes….a Roadtreker with a 28ft, six wheel base chassis and just over 8ft wide," his father informed him.

At that, Gordon let out a long low whistle. "Geez…she's a big sucker…isn't she." And who could blame him, for he would be the one charged with the responsibility of operating the grabs while Virgil concentrated on keeping them from becoming part of the mountain!

His father and Mike couldn't help but smile at the response then, it was back to business. "Yes…..but I'm afraid that's not all," Jeff went on to inform them.

"Aww geez….you're kiddin! This just gets better and better," Gordon exclaimed and he didn't like the way Virgil was shaking his head in that very negative way either. "Please Virg….tell me you're not thinkin of doin what I think you're thinkin of doin," he moaned dejectedly.

"Not me…..you," Virgil replied, with a nonchalant raise of his brows.

"Aww Virg…..you can't make me do that! Isn't there some way we could save them!" Gordon pleaded.

"I know how you feel, Gordy….but you know what our priority is…..and it's not looking too good. I'm sorry….it sounds like we'll probably just have to cut them loose," his brother sympathised. "But we'll see what the situation is when we get over there. Just don't hold your breath."

Having done all they could from here, by way of preparation and acquiring the necessary information, it was time to be on their way and Mike got to hear those immortal words that only family had ever heard.

"All right, boys….on your way. THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO," Jeff instructed.

Mike had been very impressed by the cool, calm efficiency with which the boys swung into action and continued to watch, with quiet admiration, as they departed through their respective exits.

"I think you might want to come out here, Mike….this isn't something you're going to see everyday!" Jeff suggested, gesturing for his friend to follow him out onto the balcony. Well, he had been told who they were and, due to some rather fortunate or unfortunate timing, had just witnessed a rescue in the planning so, he might as well get to see the whole package now. "Though I hope I don't need to remind you…this is something you can't ever talk about….not with anyone," he added in all seriousness, to which Mike nodded his complete understanding.

Not knowing what he was about to see but feeling the excited exhilaration at knowing something spectacular was about to happen, Mike could only watch in amazement as the pool began to retract into its position. He stood, totally engrossed by the, now, growing rumble that was heard from deep below the earth and within moments the familiar red nose cone, followed by the sleek sliver grey body of Thunderbird One, rose slowly and majestically from her launch silo, still complete, unfortunately with her recently acquired 'disfigurement', for the boys hadn't got round to fixing her bodywork yet, since it was purely cosmetic and didn't interfere with her flight capabilities.

It was obvious that this was quite a recent battle scar for Mike, thinking back on it, hadn't noticed any such damage when he and Jenna had first been transported to the island but Jeff had already sensed the coming question, so before Mike ever got to voice his curiosity!

"Don't ask, Mike….just don't ask. It's a long story," he responded with a weary shake of his head and in such a way that Mike thought it best not to persue the matter.

Instead, Mike continued to follow her ascent skywards, watching in silent admiration, until she reached her designated height, where she manoeuvred into horizontal flight then, with her thrusters ignited, she sped off across the ocean, disappearing within minutes over the horizon. Once she was gone, he turned to his friend, shaking his head with a, 'I'm still finding this hard to believe' kind of laugh.

"Jeff….you wily old fox. All this time, she's been right here on the island…right below us," Mike remarked, as though saying it helped him believe more, the truth of what he had just seen. Thinking back now, he pieced together what must have happened. "So….I guess…that when Alan dropped Jen and I off…he just circled the island until we were safely down in the infirmary….out of sight…and then… brought her back to her hidden silo!"

His friend nodded. "I'm sorry, Mike….I just hope you can understand our need for complete secrecy. It gave me no pleasure to deceive you this way," Jeff apologised and to which Mike gave him his assurance that he understood fully.

The Commander-In-Chief then directed his attention to beyond the tree-line, where Mike heard yet another rumble before seeing the powerful green transport ship that is Thunderbird Two take to the sky. It took her a little longer to make her way towards the horizon and the mainland of New Zealand but she was none-the-less impressive and Mike watched in fascination until she was also out of sight then, with Jeff gesturing that they should return indoors, he followed his friend back into the lounge.

"So…what happens now?" Mike asked wonderingly.

"Now…we wait," came the seasoned reply, born of the years of knowing what it was to wait.

Mike studied his friend thoughtfully, for he had never really considered what it must be like for whoever commanded these men to do what they do or what it must be like to have to wait for news of those you had sent out into danger time and time again. Now that he knew, of course, he was lost in total admiration, for this was not only a commander sending out his men, this was a father sending out his own sons, this was his friend and Mike could not even begin to know how that must feel.

At that, Kyrano brought Jeff his usual tray of coffee, the caffeine boost always very welcomed whenever a rescue was underway and for which Jeff gave him his usual thanks.

"You sure have some operation here, Jeff," Mike remarked in continued admiration and now, of course, that there was nothing to do but wait it seemed like the appropriate time to gain an even clearer picture. "So…I take it, Jeff…that Scott is involved with the organisation in some way too!" he reasonably surmised, taking a sip from the coffee that had been offered him, while wondering now where his patient fitted into all this.

"Ahh…yes…Scott," Jeff sighed; the reason that Mike was here in the first place and was now being taken into their confidence. "Scott is my Field Commander, Mike….he's in charge out there on the rescue….and he is normally Thunderbird One's pilot," he willingly now informed his friend.

Mike nodded with a smile of understanding. Of course, he should have known. Scott was a natural born leader and with his decisive abilities, of which Mike had just been subjected to, it would have made him the perfect choice to direct operations in the field, especially with his wealth of experience in the Air Force, having to make hard and fast decisions and the courage that had seen him awarded the Medal of Honor. As the picture became ever clearer, it was also reasonable to assume something else, something now quite obvious to Mike.

"So…can I take it then, Jeff…that Scott didn't sustain this injury in a climbing accident after all….but that it happened out on a rescue!" he queried out of interest; not that it mattered much at this stage for the outcome would still have been the same.

Jeff nodded sadly in answer to his question, seeing no reason now to keep that truth from him either and then proceeded to fill him in on the actual details, apologising again for the need of deception as well as thanking him yet again for saving his son's life.

Smiling a little in acknowledgement as he listened, Mike then shook his head at the realisation of how something so simple as a bump on the head could have destroyed this brave young man's life completely and the profound effect it would have had on this rather remarkable family. At worst, Scott could have lost his life but then, with the nature of his work as a neurosurgeon, he had seen it all before, how the simplest of things can prove fatal. And, of course, more and more things started falling into place and were beginning to make much more sense in regards to some of the things Scott had said, such as his concern over the family's need for continued privacy, where Jenna was and what she was doing and his own unwillingness to answer any questions about his injury in his role as the new Patron of the Trust.

"I guess Scott must have found this injury and the thought of permanent disability pretty hard to take then, Jeff!" Mike further surmised, beginning to see his young patient in a whole new light and feeling he understood a lot more how this injury and the potential consequences could have affected him, in the light of this still startling revelation.

His friend nodded in serious thoughtfulness. "Yes Mike….it has been pretty tough on him. Scott's passion is flying…..and he's damn good at his job too as my Field Commander…and I know the boys miss him out there because he reacts so instinctively if anything goes wrong. This just about devastated him….the thought of not being able to fly One…the thought of not being out there…doing his job…feeling useless. Oh, he wouldn't say it, of course….he never does…but I know it was getting to him. He even shut down on us for a while," Jeff reflected sadly in answer to his friend's question, as he thought back on those very early days.

"Well…in most active young men that wouldn't be uncommon, Jeff…but in Scott's case…and in light of what you've just told me…it's not surprising at all…given that young man's rather passionate nature about most things!" Mike assured his friend, though with somewhat of a wry smile at the memory of the earlier encounter. "I would say it was only to be expected……Scott's bound to have found it all very frustrating….but…all I can do, Jeff…is repair the physical damage….and the rest! Well…the rest was always down to Scott…and the love and support he got from his family," he added with a sigh of sympathetic understanding before breaking into a more positive smile. "He seems to have come through it just fine, though…from what I can see."

Jeff nodded in agreement at that last statement. "Yes he has…..and he has always had our love and support….but it's nothing we've been able to do for him…not this time. In fact…I'm not even sure it was down to Scott either….he was pretty low. No….there's only one person that has pulled him through this, Mike….and that's Jenna," he admitted without hesitation and smiling quietly to himself at remembering how she had made such an impression on his eldest son that he could barely keep his eyes from her and how much more alive he seemed to be when she was around and those were only the moments he had witnessed, of course.

He had to seriously wonder, sometimes, just how much of a recovery his son would have made by now if it hadn't been for Jenna's presence and he wasn't just talking about her nursing skills! Yes, he probably would have made the same physical recovery, maybe a bit more slowly though but it was his son's psychological state he would have been more worried about, since his eldest usually bottled up all his emotions and feelings.

"She has been able to do for him what we couldn't, Mike…..no matter how much support we gave him …and that is….to make him feel whole…like a man again….and to make him feel alive inside….to make him feel like life was worth living again," Jeff went on to admit quite candidly then chuckling a little as he reminisced at the change he had seen in his son because of her. "She's been more than a match for him too….and that's just what he needed….someone who would stand up to him and give as good as she got… someone who wouldn't let him get down on himself…and she has stood no nonsense from him …or me either come to think of it," he added with a chuckling laugh, as he thought back to their earlier confrontations, causing his friend to return a wry smile and nod of understanding at knowing just what he meant. In summing up his thoughts, Jeff sighed. "I'm just glad she was here for him, Mike."

Mike smiled with something of quiet pride. "Yes, my old friend…I've seen for myself how they are together….and I can honestly say, I've never seen Jen looking so happy and contented," he happily acknowledged before breaking into another wry smile as he thought of his young patient's fiercely protective streak. "I'll tell you what though, Jeff…..I wouldn't ever want to come between those two. Hell…that young man almost took my head off…just because he thought I was blaming Jenna for getting involved with her patient! He sure put me straight, in no uncertain terms…concerning that young lady…as much as either…to like it or back off!" he added with something of a laugh.

It brought the same response from Jefferson Tracy. "Yes…I made something of the same mistake myself…..," he informed his friend with a knowing laugh, going on to relate the incident of the hydrotherapy session in the pool when Jeff felt Jenna should have exerted her authority and insured Scott hadn't stayed out so long, thereby invoking his son's protectiveness over her. "Yes…he certainly put his old man in his place where she was concerned." Sipping at their coffee they were like two parents comparing the antics of their wayward kids.

"So…I guess, Jen knows all about your operation here too, Jeff…..she knows who Scott is?" Mike, again, reasonably surmised, though somehow, he knew the answer almost as soon as he finished asking the question.

Jeff nodded in confirmation. "Yes Mike…Jenna knows….though I have a feeling she knew for some time before she found out from me." He smiled in reflective thought and went on to tell the surgeon of how she had caught him off guard when she had stormed into the lounge and found him pondering over Scott's portrait, nodding over to the one of his son in his uniform.

Mike grinned broadly at the mental image, knowing Jenna was never one to be impressed by wealth, power or position and was always one to speak her mind, though the puzzlement of how she could have known before clearly showed on his face.

"I know she was protecting Scott…somehow….even from me. But then that's one thing I've always admired about that young lady…her discretion…..and her loyalty and devotion to my son," Jeff admitted freely in answer to the unspoken question.

His friend acknowledged with a quiet smile. "Yes….that's one thing about Jenna….she can be relied on to be discreet…..even from me too, Jeff! I had no idea…..she never gave an inkling, whenever we talked, as to this secret life she knew she would be a part of," he replied, with a laughing shake of his head.

And it was then the things, both his friend, that wily old fox and Scott, had spoken of so cryptically vague, concerning Jenna's future, became a whole lot clearer and made a lot more sense. If he knew Jenna, she would, indeed, be only too happy to bring her nursing skills to bear for such a wonderful, self-sacrificing organisation as International Rescue.

This time it was Jeff's turn to exude quiet pride. "Trust and confidentiality are vital, Mike….when it comes to this organisation," he informed his friend and then, almost as if he had read the surgeon's thoughts, he made a request. "I would appreciate it, Mike…if you didn't mention any future role to Jenna yet….it's something we still have to discuss with her. We wanted to wait, obviously, until her nursing duties with Scott were finished…and until we knew just how much of a recovery Scott was going to make. And of course, you know it's not something you're going to be able to discuss with her in public, at any time!"

"Of course, Jeff…of course…I understand. Don't worry….my lips are sealed," Mike assured his friend.

Just as Jeff was pouring a top up of coffee, the eyes on Alan's portrait lit up, signalling his transmission coming through and concentration turned back to that of Commander.

"Base to Thunderbird One…go ahead Alan," he instructed in that distinctiverich nasal tone.

Alan Tracy had just arrived on the scene of this latest rescue and after quickly surveying the scene, made the call to base to inform his father, though there wasn't much to tell at this stage, other than one of the back wheels of the luxury motor home, plus an accompanying trailer, were hanging precariously off the crumbling road.

Manoeuvring carefully, he brought TB1 slowly upwards to remain in a precise hover parallel to the road, not wanting to risk coming from above in case the central stabilizing thruster should cause the motor home to slid off the road even further, as in the 'Eddie Houseman' scenario, from TB2's jets. Having opened the outer hatch panel, Alan then looked across, through the clear, one-way polymer shield, to see the frightened young couple, who he figured were no more than twenty, clinging desperately to each other as they awaited the hoped for rescue.

The polymer shield had been Scott's idea and allowed the pilot a clear visual as a manual check when the outer panel was opened, serving the dual purpose of protecting him from the elements and offering a security measure; for while the pilot could see out, no one could see in, thanks to the silvered reflective finish on the outside. The shield was only in place, of course, when TB1's hatch was opened in flight otherwise it remained retracted within the hull to allow for the pilot's entry and exit.

Having established the young couple as Zeke and his girlfriend, Mattie, John patched through the frequency they were using to call for help to Alan and it was obvious from their sigh of relief that they were glad to see him, though the fear in the young man's voice was very much apparent.

"Oh thank gawd…International Rescue. Please….please you've gotta help us….you've gotta get us out of here," the young man pleaded.

"That's what we're here for. All right…now I want you both to try and stay calm….no moving about unnecessarily…and no sudden movements. My colleagues will be here soon…then we're going to lift you off the road and take you down to safer ground. Like I said….try and stay calm…you're not in any immediate danger," Alan instructed in a firm and commanding tone to which the young couple nodded frantically in response.

But then, as luck would have it, no sooner had he said the words than the vehicle gave a violent lurch sideways, as more of the road crumbled, causing terrified screams from the young couple.

It was a gut-wrenching, heart-stopping moment, not only for Zeke and Mattie but for Alan Tracy as well, for if he didn't think of something soon, before Virgil got here, there wasn't going to be anything or anybody to save!

"Please International Rescue…save us…..we don't want to die," came the heartrending pleas over Alan's headset.

And despite his earlier irritation over the young couple's self-inflicted foolishness, Alan couldn't now help but feel sorry for them in their very desperate plight, as he looked across to see them cling to each other even more.

"Zeke…Mattie….listen to me. We are not going to let you die….we are going to get you out of this," Alan assured them, hoping, of course, they were going to be able to fulfil that promise. "Please…just try and stay calm."

"Think Alan…think. 'Eddie Houseman' type rescue…that's what I told Virg. Now…how did Scott deal with that? What did he do?" the blond haired young pilot chided himself. His mind quickly recounted the details of that particular rescue and while it may not have been the exact same scenario the same method, he deduced, could be employed here and be just as effective. "Yeah sure….that's gotta work. It'll be tricky…but it's just gotta work," he enthused, as the solution to this immediate danger became clear in his mind.

Having decided on his course of action, Alan then started to pull Thunderbird One away from her position, parallel to the road, much to the alarm and dismay of the anxious young couple, who had felt comforted by Thunderbird One's presence.

"Wait! You can't go…..you can't leave us! Please….International Rescue….we need you," Zeke called out, his voice rising in obvious panic.

"Don't worry, kids….I'm not leaving….just need to re-align my position. I need to get you stabilized before my colleagues get here," Alan reassured them.

He couldn't help, though, the little smile of self-satisfaction at being able to call someone else 'kid', since, being the youngest of the Tracy brothers, it was a term he'd had to get used to, even though he was now twenty-five. Yep, he was in command of this mission and it was the only time this 'kid' ever got to tell his older brothers what to do, knowing they had no other choice but to obey his orders. Of course, that was only when Scott had had to relinquish his command but, hopefully, that wouldn't be for much longer for he really didn't relish all this responsibility on a long term basis. His heart had been in his mouth when the motor home had suddenly lurched and had she not stopped, she would surely have gone over and there wouldn't have been a thing he could do about it, only watch helplessly. This enforced spell of command had certainly given him more of an insight into his eldest brother's world and that made him feel more closely connected to him, for he felt now he understood, more than the others, the responsibility his brother shouldered and the guilt he carried when powerless to do anything to help.

"So just sit tight….and don't panic….everything's under control," the young pilot continued to assure them in a kindly tone, to which the young couple nodded with a nervous smile, while desperately trying not to show just how panicked they were. "I hope!" Alan thought to himself, belying the cool, calm authority he outwardly projected.

As he took the silver grey reconnaissance ship around in a graceful arc to bring her head-on to the road Alan opened up another channel. "Thunderbird Two from Thunderbird One...come in Virgil."

"Thunderbird Two to Thunderbird One….how's it looking, Al?" his brother acknowledged.

"Could be better, Virgil," Alan replied with light-hearted sarcasm, which was something of an understatement. He then went on to inform Virgil of the situation. "So…what's your ETA?"

"I'm just about ten minutes out, Al," Virgil told him.

"Make it snappy…will ya, Virg," Alan returned good-naturedly, though the serious edge to his voice told Virgil of his young Field Commander's concern. "Look….this is what I'm gonna do until you get here…" he added, going on to inform him of his plan.

"Don't sweat it, Al….you could do that with your eyes shut," the engineer/pilot encouraged confidently. "On second thoughts….just ignore that last remark…huh!" he added with a laugh, just in case the young dare-devil might actually see that as a challenge.

"Yeah…thanks Virg," Alan acknowledged, accepting of the compliment but, of course, it was no fun unless you wound up your older brothers. "And don't worry….this is your Field Commander you're talkin to. Would be a challenge though…huh!" he teased with a wide-eyed grin.

"How's the….eh….back lookin, Al……you know….the trailer!" Gordon just had to ask.

Both boys heard Alan wince as he sucked in a breath.

"Ahh….em….sorry Gordy….but it's lookin like Virg figured……we're going to have to cut her loose," he informed his brother and he could just imagine the look of disappointment on the aquanaut's face at that news.

"Well…couldn't you use some of the steel spears to prop her up!" Gordon inquired, feeling that was a reasonably simple option in his almost desperate determination to find a solution.

"No Gordy…I couldn't! I'm sorry…but it's going to take all the spears just to hold up the camper until you get here," the young Field Commander returned with good-natured, mock incredulity before going on to explain seriously why it wasn't possible. And he was sure he heard Gordon muttering away to himself in the background.

Just at that the large motor home gave another lurch, causing more terrified screams and giving the young pilot a stark reminder he needed to get a move on.

"Hurry it up, Virg….she just slid again. Gotta go guys," Alan instructed quickly. He kept the channel open and turned his full attention now to the proposed plan.

Swinging Thunderbird One in an arc Alan was now head-on, facing the road and his proposed plan was to use the steel spears, as Scott had done, though not to keep boulders from falling but to keep the camper van from sliding over the edge altogether. It would be tricky enough, even though he had the targeting array. The plan was to blast the spears into the bedrock just below the edge of the road, just below the wheels that had now slipped off the edge, so the vehicle would settle on the spears and not slip any further. That was the plan. But it would be all too easy, if his aim was off, just even a fraction, for the spears to skewer the wheels themselves, impaling the vehicle to the rock, therefore making it impossible for Virgil to lift her.

Of course, if that happened and it would be unfortunate to lose the vehicle, Zeke and Mattie could then safely climb out and they could be transported down to the Ranger Station but they would prefer to try and save their motor home too and would do their very best to ensure the young couple could continue their camping trip, while hoping they had learnt their lesson.

Alan punched in a code, setting the targeting array in motion and within seconds he had a lock on the precise area to aim for. Just as he was about to hit the firing button, the camper slid again, as more of the road crumbled, leaving the near-side middle wheel off the edge and right where the spears would have hit.

It took just seconds for him to realign his aim. Holding his breath and with a quick prayer, Alan wasted no time in hitting the firing button, launching the spears and sending them rocketing into the bedrock just below the now rapidly crumbling edge. And just in time too, for the backend of the camper gave yet another lurch but this time came to settle firmly on the barrier of steel spears, drawing a thankful, 'Phew' from the young Field Commander, as he let out his breath. And he wasn't the only one! Audible sighs of relief could be heard from one very tense young couple.

It should have been plain sailing after that, however, nothing ever goes quite that simply….does it!

Not only was the road rapidly crumbling from the back of the vehicle but it was now starting to give way at the front too. The only problem was, Alan had just used all of TB1's spears to stabilize the middle and back of the vehicle and if the front should now slip off he doubted whether the spears would be enough to hold her. At that, the inevitable happened and the front wheels started to slide over the edge, sending a fresh wave of panic from inside the camper.

"Aww dammit…dammit…no…no," Alan automatically exclaimed, as he watched the new danger unfold.

"What! What's wrong, Al!" Virgil called out in alarm at wondering what had just happened and Alan filled him in on the latest.

"Please International Rescue…do something…..we don't want to die," came the pathetic pleas. "We…we'll run through the center of Auckland…stark naked…with…with, 'International Rescue saved our butts', tattooed on our…butts…..if you get us out of this," Zeke added, desperate to show just how 'desperate' he was!

And despite the renewed seriousness of the situation it brought an admirable snort of laughter from the blond-haired pilot, who couldn't help thinking that was more something Gordon was likely to do and something his prankster brother would greatly appreciate, which he did actually; he and Virgil both, since Alan had patched them through to the same frequency to enable TB2's pilot to communicate when it came his turn to participate in this rescue.

"No…no…that won't be necessary….but thanks for the gesture guys," Alan acknowledged while trying his hardest not to laugh at the mental image, though he was aware and sensitive to the genuine fear they were feeling right now. "And no….you are not going to die," he reassured them adamantly. "My colleagues will be hear any minute now."

It was exactly in situations like this that a Field Commander had to think on his feet and something Scott Tracy was exceptional at but Scott Tracy wasn't here, Alan was and this was his responsibility, his and his alone. He had to act and he had to act fast for they were running out of time.

All he needed was a few minutes and already he knew what he was going to do. Taking inspiration, once more, from his eldest brother, as he thought back to the 'Eddie' scenario, Alan informed Virgil of what he was about to do before swinging into action.

"Just take it easy, little buddy….you can do this," Virgil encouraged.

That was the one thing about these brothers; they may lark about, heck, they may even argue at times but when the chips were down or when they were on a rescue they were there for each other, encouraging each other and that's what bonded them together to make them the strong and unbreakable team they were.

Alan inched forward and, with perfect precision, that he was sure his eldest brother would be proud of, brought the nose of Thunderbird One up and under the near-side front wheel of the motor home, lifting her just enough to keep her level. Once again, the sighs of relief from within the camper were tangible.

The only thing was now, would Thunderbird Two get here in time before the road crumbled enough that not even the steel spears would have a hold in the rock. If that happened, there was no way Thunderbird One alone could stop her from going over, no matter how finely balanced Alan managed to keep in hover mode.

"Ok, Virg….I've got her. Now just get your ass in here double quick…..I don't know how much longer I can keep adjusting to compensate…..she's still slipping," Alan gritted out his order, in the nicest possible way, of course, using every ounce of concentration now to keep TB1 from clipping her wing, or worse, on the rock face. There was no way he could ever dare go home with another disfigurement to his eldest brother's pride and joy, for that just might push the bond of sibling love and brotherhood beyond its limits!

"FAB…..I'm right with you….in just about….twenty seconds.

And, as good as his word, the great green carrier swung around the side of the mountain into view, a very welcome sight indeed for all concerned.

Virgil quickly manoeuvred into position, high enough to avoid the previous mistake of his VTOL thrusters tipping a vehicle over the edge then spoke to Zeke and Mattie directly, telling them what he was about to do and requesting them not to make any unnecessary movements, which they frantically agreed to.

"Ok….first things first. Let's get the grabs on her to hold her…..then…my little water buddy….we've gotta deal with that trailer!" Virgil instructed, now coming into his own and knowing exactly what needed doing in this rescue from here on in.

With Gordon at the controls, the magnetic grabs were lowered and, one by one, along with visual guidance from TB1's remote camera drone, they were locked into place, making the occupants in the camper feel so much safer.

"And now….!" Virgil started to say; raising an eyebrow in such a way that Gordon knew exactly what was coming.

"Aww Virg…..do I have to," Gordon pleaded, almost bordering on a whining cry and screwing up his face for effect.

Virgil just gave him the exasperated sigh of an older brother. "Yeah Gordon….you do! Now get yourself harnessed up….get down there…..and cut that trailer free," his pilot ordered him.

"But couldn't we……," the copper-haired aquanaut cum 'cable dangler', since that's just what he was about to do, pleaded once more.

"N…O…..no," Virgil returned immediately, spelling it out for him. "Look…you can see for yourself, Gordy. There's just no way I can lift the camper and let that trailer swing loose….so…get yourself down there…be brave….and just…'do what a man's gotta do'!"

Virgil didn't quite hear what his younger brother muttered to himself but he was sure it wasn't all that complimentary, as he disappeared through the hatch in the cockpit floor to then exit the great green giant through the outer hatch on the hull. Suspended on the end of the high-tensile steel cable, Gordon descended easily, with all the skill of a seasoned marine on a rappelling line, watched carefully via Two's on-board camera system by TB2's veteran pilot, who couldn't help but shake his head in amusement at his younger brother's antics.

What's that old saying! 'God loves a tryer'! Well, Gordon certainly was that. He had tried his best but in this instance, the stone was set, the die was cast; the decision had been made and with Virgil and Alan both backing each other to the hilt and immoveable, not even God Himself could change the outcome, as regards the decision, that is. No irreverence intended, of course, for they always acknowledged the moving of a higher power, which was wise in their line of work, since time and time again they relied on miracles, both great and small.

Alan had been listening in to the conversation, so when Gordon decided to try and give it one last go before he set the laser torch to do its deadly deed!

"NO," both men chorused together.

And at that, more of the road started to crumble, sending a shower of loose rock reigning down over Thunderbird One's nose cone.

"GORDON! Get a move on…will you," Alan ground out in exasperation. "Cus I am…NOT…gonna go home and tell Scott I've lost his red nose cone…..or I'm gonna wind up with one…BIG RED NOSE cone….get me!"

"GORDON! Just cut the damn things loose and let's get this baby airborne," Virgil called out too, over his headset.

Author's Note: Just what was it that Gordon seemed so hell-bent on wanting to save anyway!