Thunderbirds and the Tracy Family are the creation of Sylvia and Gerry Anderson
Chapter 111
"What the hell was that!" Alan Tracy exclaimed, in some concern.
"I don't know, Alan. It almost felt like one of the Thunderbirds taking off!" his young raven-haired companion replied, with equal puzzlement, at feeling the low deep rumble. Being in Thunderbird Three and in the heavily protected silo meant the effects weren't felt to quite the same degree as elsewhere on the island but felt nevertheless. "But it couldn't be…could it!" Tin-Tin went on to add, sure that she was right in her assumption.
"Well, it's not us…that's certain…and it sure wasn't Thunderbird One either," Alan returned, most definitely, knowing only too well what her vibrations felt like, for theirs were the only two craft, being launched from underground silos, that would create such vibrations. Besides which, there had been no alert siren to signal a rescue had been set in motion and for which he would have been needed to pilot her.
"Come on…we'd better get back to the villa and see what's happening, Tin-Tin," the young blond-haired Tracy immediately suggested.
Meanwhile, Grandma and Kyrano had just come in from the kitchen and the quietly spoken manservant informed the Tracy patriarch they were fine, apart from being a little shaken, that and the fact they were going to need some more new crockery. Brains was next to join the family members gathered in the lounge from where he had left his lab littered with broken glass, spilt liquids and numerous ruined experiments, mumbling to himself of how he was going to have to start all over again.
Within a few moments Alan and Tin-Tin entered the lounge, coming up through the floor, after which the couch locked into position, sealing off access to the hidden complex beneath.
"Good…you're here. I'm glad to see both of you are all right," Jefferson Tracy exclaimed with thankful relief.
"What happened, Dad?" his youngest son asked, in some concern at now seeing the state of the room, as he looked around to see some paintings at a tilt and a broken sculpture on the floor. "Tin-Tin and I felt a…a rumbling but it looks like you guys felt a bit more than that!"
"We're not just sure what happened yet, Alan. All we know is we just experienced some violent tremors," his father informed him, while working on the bank of monitors behind the desk.
"You don't think it was the volcano…do you, Mr Tracy!" Tin-Tin asked, the worry in her voice clearly evident.
But the Commander-In-Chief was quick to reassure her. "No, Tin-Tin…it wasn't the volcano. That was extinct long before we moved here. I made sure of that. No…this was something else. Anyone any ideas!"
"My guess then is…it has to be an undersea quake," Gordon offered from his wealth of knowledge and experience.
"I would have to…eh…eh…agree with Gordon," Brains concurred immediately. "It most certainly f.f.felt like something from below…em…rather than air displacement from a s.s.sonic boom. To my knowledge, …um…only Thunderbird One could create s.s.such an effect but only then if she…eh…eh…flew low over the island at maximum speed. But since…a….a…Thunderbird One is here, the logical conclusion is…eh… eh…underwater seismic activity," the bespectacled scientist went on to explain.
"Yes…thank you for that, Brains," Jefferson acknowledged, not wanting to dampen his much-needed scientist's detailed analysis though not really having the time to hear what it wasn't.
"Dad, is there…anything…on the thermal imager!" Virgil now asked, with grave concern.
The youngest Tracy was getting the distinct feeling he was missing out on something here, that something else had been happening by the time it took for him and Tin-Tin to get to the lounge.
"Why do we need the thermal imager!" the young man asked, feeling a tightening in his gut, as he looked first to his father, whose grave look was unmistakable and then to his brothers. "What you are looking for!"
The uncomfortable tension in the room was palpable.
"We…eh…we haven't heard from Scott and Jenna yet," his father replied tentatively. "We haven't been able to contact them."
A sudden little gasp sounded from behind Alan, as Tin-Tin put her hand to her mouth and the knot in the blond-haired young man's stomach tightened.
"W.what'd you mean…you haven't been able to contact them! They are alright…aren't they!" he asked, unable to hide his rising alarm and worry.
Jeff could well understand his youngest son's reaction. Although they were all obviously worried and gravely concerned, it was perhaps his youngest who felt it the most, having always looked up to and relied on his eldest brother, almost like a surrogate father. And, although now a young adult, Alan's distress at his brother being hurt or injured had never lessened.
"We don't know, Alan," his father answered honestly and as gently as he could. "All we know is, we can't get in contact. Scott's watch may be damaged, though, because we can't get a GPS signal either."
The look on the rest of the family's faces told him this was not looking good.
Being the ever-impulsive one, which had gotten him into trouble more times than enough, Alan was not for hanging around. "Well, we've gotta get up there then…now. They might be hurt…anything!" the youngest Tracy insisted, eager to get going.
As much as it pained him to do so, Jeff Tracy needed to curb his youngest son's enthusiasm, acting now, as not only a concerned father but as Commander-In-Chief of a highly skilled rescue organisation.
"Now, just hold on, Son. We can't go racing off up there until we know exactly where they are and what we're dealing with. If…they are injured then we can't afford to waste time looking for them. That's why I've set the thermal imager to do a sweep of the area," the Tracy patriarch explained, taking control of the situation. "And besides…they might just be all right….they might even be on their way back at this very minute…just not able to contact us. The thermal imager will be able to tell us that," Jeff added, in the hope it may allay his son's fears, not to mention the rest of the family's. But one look at their father's face, told Virgil and Gordon, that somehow, he didn't really hold out much hope of that.
"So, has the imager picked them up yet, Dad?" Virgil inquired again, hoping against hope for good news.
The family waited on tenterhooks, as Jefferson Tracy scanned the monitor.
"Well, Dad!" the copper-haired aquanaut joined in, anxiously impatient that their father had, as yet, made no reply.
A look of perplexing puzzlement clouded the elder man's face. "That's odd!" he remarked, more to himself than to anyone in particular.
"What is it, Mr Tracy?" Kyrano's raven-haired daughter asked.
"I'm not picking them up on the thermal imager at all…not up at the Falls…or anywhere along the trail back to the villa!" Jeff announced with puzzling concern.
The brothers looked anxiously from one to the other.
"Maybe the imager's not working, Dad. It might have been damaged…somehow during the quake!" the chestnut-haired engineer ventured, as a logical conclusion.
The Commander-In-Chief looked gravely towards his sons. "I'm afraid not, Virgil. The imager's working perfectly well. Look! It's picking up all our heat signatures here inside the villa."
The brothers, Tin-Tin and Brains automatically moved closer to the bank of monitors and quite clearly saw for themselves their outlined figures in the room, glowing and pulsing red, indicating body heat. But, of the two lovers, there was no sign.
"But it's not picking up any trace of Scott and Jenna at all. It's as if they've…disappeared off the island completely!" Jefferson Tracy mused darkly.
"But…but that's impossible," Alan snorted out, in incredulous laughter. "We know they're up there …somewhere! I mean, if they're alive…there should be some body heat registering…right!"
There, he had said it; what was in the deepest, darkest recesses of everyone's mind. The inference hung in the air like a bad smell; invisible to the eye but impossible to get rid of but then, Alan Tracy never was one for keeping his thoughts to himself!
All eyes immediately looked to Brains, as if for confirmation or denial. The young scientist felt flustered under such pressure, knowing they expected him to have all the answers and what they really wanted was for him to tell them that Scott and Jenna were perfectly okay and would come walking through the door any minute.
"Actually…eh…eh…Alan, that's not…s.s.strictly true…..," Brains was just in the process of saying before everyone's attention was suddenly diverted to the eyes flashing on John's portrait, signalling an incoming communication for which, in some small part, the stammering scientist was thankful.
As soon as the Commander-In-Chief opened the link, however, the live-feed picture flickered intermittently, though thankfully the sound remained more or less stable.
"The communications array must have been knocked out of line a bit," Virgil conjectured, judging by the quality of the picture.
"Yes…I think you're right, Virgil. But we'll have to see to that later. Right now, we've got more important things to deal with," his father agreed but knowing exactly what was to be given priority. "Go ahead, John."
"Hey, Dad…I'm just checking in to see if you guys are all right down there. I just came back in from the galley and saw the seismograph had registered a quake in your area…about 50kms due North of you," the blond-haired Space Monitor replied, in obvious relief that he had been able to get through and everyone appeared to be okay.
The young copper-haired aquanaut whispered to Brains and Virgil. "We were right, Brains…it was an undersea quake."
"Yes, John, we did feel it…but, as far as we can tell, there's no structural damage to the villa…and we don't think it was strong enough to do any damage to the silos or hangar," Jeff informed his son.
"You're right, Dad…it wasn't a particularly strong quake…just enough to shake things up a bit," John agreed.
"Now, can you tell us if there's likely to be any more tremors…and can we expect any flooding?" the Tracy patriarch then asked, needing all the information they could get, so they could be prepared, considering they still didn't know what fate had befallen Scott and Jenna.
"No, Dad…there's not likely to be any more tremors…and there shouldn't be any flooding either," the blond-haired astronaut informed them, much to their relief. "Though you will probably get a heavy swell on the far side of the island…but that's well away from the villa, so it shouldn't be a problem," he then added, just to give them the full facts.
"Thank you, John…that's good to know," his father responded, but with rather less enthusiasm than John had expected, given that they had got off pretty lightly.
Come to think of it, his brothers hadn't even regaled him with the light-hearted banter there normally would have been in this situation, the lithe Tracy thought to himself. In fact, from what he could tell, there seemed to be a distinct atmosphere down there, back home on earth, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. So, it was going to have to be up to him to lighten the mood.
"I guess Scott ordered an immediate inspection detail, as soon as he could stand still long enough, huh!" he quipped, thinking it would bring a smile to their faces. So why did he get the feeling he had just said something that was in rather poor taste, like making fun of a man with no legs in a room full of amputees or something to that effect!
"What's going on down there, guys?" John asked, a distinct worrying tone now to his voice. "Did I say something wrong!"
"No, John…you didn't say anything wrong," his father reassured him. "It's just, Scott isn't here…he arranged to meet Jenna up at the Falls around lunchtime……," Jeff then went on to add, his face sombre with the strains of worry but before he could get telling John anything more!
"Yeah…he's gonna ask Jen to marry him," Gordon blurted out spontaneously, with happy excitement; perhaps feeling his space-bound brother should be privy to the same secret they all shared.
And just for the briefest of moments, John's nagging worry was brushed aside. "Hey…that's great news. I wondered just how long it would take him to get round to that," the blond-haired astronaut smiled with genuine happiness.
But he was quickly brought down to earth again, metaphorically speaking of course, at, once more, feeling that distinct atmosphere among his family. It was then he began to realise, with a sickening knot in his gut, just what the cause of concern was.
"They…they are all right up there though…aren't they! I mean…Scott has been in touch to say they're okay!" John queried with growing concern, knowing his eldest brother well enough to know, that under such circumstances, Scott would automatically report in, to allay the family's worry.
"That's what I was about to tell you, John. We just don't know what's happened to them up there since the quake. We haven't heard from either of them…we can't raise Scott on his communicator," his father informed him, the graveness of his tone telling of the deep worry and concern. "We're almost certain it's damaged because I can't get a GPS fix…and we know it's not our communications array at fault because the rest of the boys watches are working perfectly well."
So, now he knew and the family had every right to be concerned.
"Is there anything I can do from here, Dad?" John asked, his own face having now clouded over.
"I know this probably won't do any good but, firstly John, I want you to try Scott's communicator from Five…just in case the quake has caused some sort of anomaly in our system here," Jefferson Tracy ordered, taking it one logical step at a time and intent on bringing all of International Rescue's vast resources to bear in the search for his eldest son and his partner.
"FAB, Dad…just give me a minute," John responded, treating this as seriously as any rescue mission.
Who knew a minute could be so long! Jefferson Tracy for one, being well experienced in having to wait for news but it never got any easier. The rest of the family too, waited in anxious anticipation, hoping things may not be as serious as first thought. But one look at John's face told them otherwise.
"I'm sorry, Dad…I'm afraid you were right about Scott's communicator being damaged. He's just not responding…and I can't find a GPS signal. What else were you wanting me to do?" the blond-haired Space Monitor informed and waiting for further instruction.
"Alright…thank you, Son. Yes…I know it might be a long shot but I want you to try……," Jeff had started to say before suddenly pulling his face into a puzzling frown. "Hold on, John…there's a communication coming through."
At that very moment, far away across the ocean, deep in the heart of South Dakota, a man was troubled, troubled enough to immediately access his vid-phone.
And Jefferson Tracy was a little surprised, to say the least, at seeing whose face now appeared before him, not to mention the rest of the family. At any other time, he would have been more than happy to indulge in conversation with this man, a man he had come to have an enormous amount of respect for and, indeed a man loved by the whole family.
"Cass…it's good to see you, as always…but I'm afraid that this just isn't a good time right now," Jeff apologised, most sincerely. "We're in the middle of a crisis here that's giving us some cause for concern."
The family could never have imagined, however, what they were about to hear next.
"And that concern is for Chey'nah…is it not…and, perhaps, for someone with him!" Cass conjectured carefully, all the time gauging Jeff's reaction to his assumption.
A murmur of amazement rippled round the room. How could he possibly know!
It shouldn't have come as any surprise, though, to the Tracy patriarch, given the close and mysterious spiritual bond the man seemed to share with his eldest son, which had been forged all those years ago during, perhaps, the darkest period of all in Scott's life. Cassidy Grey Wolf had remained a constant in Scott Tracy's life throughout the years, keeping in regular touch with both him and the family and not forgetting the Tribal Retreat to which Scott, as an honorary blood brother, was invited to every year and which, he attended without fail. And how could he forget the things he had heard befalling the despicable Major Bauer and his cowardly Aide! No, Jeff Tracy was not about to dismiss anything this man would tell him.
"Yes, Cass…we are very concerned right now for Scott…and yes, he does have someone with him," Jeff confirmed but feeling that particular information was more for Scott to share with his friend than him and guessing it was something his son would have got round to quite soon.
"She is very special to him…his life's partner," Cass told them, with quiet confidence, as though he knew that for a fact, drawing more amazed murmurings from around the room but before anyone got to asking him how he could possibly know that, the wily Native American was about to astound them even more. "But I fear they are in trouble, Jeff…and this is why I come to you."
"Go on, Cass, please…if there's anything you can tell us," Jeff implored with a heavy frown, ready to believe everything their friend could tell them and going on to explain just what the nature of their concern was and the circumstances that had led to it.
Cassidy Grey Wolf nodded, his face full of the gravest concern and, more than ever now, convinced that what he had to say was of the utmost importance. The family instinctively moved closer to the vid-phone screen, in eager anticipation of what he was about to say, watching while his face took on a faraway look, as though concentrating on recalling a memory.
"I have been troubled by a Vision. The great Wolf Spirit, Tanka'neh, led me on a journey to a place of serene and peaceful beauty," Cass began, with everyone continuing to listen intently, including John.
"Hey…I'll bet that'll be Foley Falls," Gordon whispered, with Virgil, Alan and Tin-Tin having to quietly agree.
"But then the Vision changed…and I was in a place of, almost darkness. There is a little light but it is dim…it is quiet and I sensed a…coldness…all around," the Native American continued, his face pulling into a frown, conveying the emotions that the scene induced, as he searched for how best to describe what he had seen.
For a moment, the four young people thought they had it sussed, having followed the meaning of the Vision so far but now they were a little stumped.
Cass continued in his reverie. "And when I looked…Tanka'neh showed me where two wolves lie together in this dark and cold place. The alpha male…he is protecting his mate…but they are still and unmoving."
"But…but how do you know, Cass, that the two wolves are supposed to mean Scott and Jen and…and that all this is anything to do with them at all!" the youngest Tracy just had to ask and, at the same time, inadvertently mentioning her name. He had been all right with the Vision, up until the wolves entered the scene, having expected Cass just to tell them he had seen Scott and Jenna as themselves and where exactly they could be found. Clearly, he didn't understand the nature of Visions!
By all accounts, it was a perfectly reasonable and logical question. The older man, however, merely smiled in quiet knowing, telling the young man and, indeed, the rest of the family, should the same question have been on their minds, that it was a long story; one that he obviously was not about to share. "….but just trust me, Alan. This is Chey'nah and his…Jen…of which I speak."
It was, of course, all deeply troubling to Jeff Tracy, who knew better than to question such mysteries of spiritual insight and believed, without question, that somehow, Cass had seen what all their expensive technology could not tell them.
"Can you just tell us that they are alive, Cass?" the concerned father forced himself to ask.
"I am sorry, Jeff. The Vision does not show me this. I can only watch from a distance…I cannot touch," he had to answer truthfully, knowing that it would do little to allay the family's fears. "All I can tell you is, they lie still….and close to…shimmering water! But Tanka'neh, he keeps watch over them."
All the while, someone had been desperately trying to decipher the meaning of the change of scene within the Vision. It was somehow connected to Foley Falls, had to be somewhere up there, of that he was sure and then it hit him, as surely as if the proverbial 'light' had been switched on!
"I know where it is…I know where they are!" Gordon suddenly shouted out excitedly. "I know where Scott and Jen are!"
Jeff encouraged his son to continue after asking the family friend to hold on for just a minute, while all eyes looked to him in hopeful expectation.
"It just came to me. If Scott brought Jen up to the Falls then they've more than likely gone swimming…and if they went swimming….!" the excitable copper-haired aquanaut started to reason out. For some, though, he just seemed to be taking rather too long in getting to the point.
"Gordon!" the deep nasal tone of his father rang out in exasperation.
Someone else too, was now following his brother's train of thought.
"Yeah…and if they went swimming then Scott is bound to have taken her into the grotto, to show her," Virgil joined in, with growing hope. "And if they were in the grotto when the quake hit!"
"Then the entrance could have been mostly sealed off," Gordon finished off, following the scenario through to its logical conclusion. "That would make it dark inside. I'll bet that's what Cass saw."
Everything was now quickly falling into place.
"Of…course. And that's why we…um…couldn't find any trace of S.S.Scott and Jenna with the thermal imager…why it…eh…eh…seemed as if they had…a…a…disappeared completely," Brains joined in, providing now the scientific explanation for their failure to find them. "The mineral content of the rock prevented the…eh…eh…thermal imager from penetrating the grotto….in effect, creating a…a…a 'blind spot'."
"Yeah, that's it, Dad…they MUST be in the grotto behind the waterfall!" the young aquanaut announced with certainty.
"Alright…well done, boys," his father quickly congratulated, feeling now they were definitely on to something and turning back to the live-feed image of his son on Thunderbird Five. "But we have to make sure. So, John…here's what I want you to do. I need you to set up a thermal imagining programme from Five…you have a higher density output than we can achieve here and we don't have the time to set up a new programme to allow for the rock strata. Make a sweep of the Falls, John…but concentrate especially on that grotto…and make sure you reconfigure to allow for the mineral content in the rock," Jefferson Tracy ordered, trying to keep his own rising excitement under control.
"FAB, Dad…but you'll have to give me a few minutes on this one. You guys are a pretty small dot in the ocean from up here, you know…not to mention an area as small as the Falls!" the Space Monitor acknowledged.
"Alright, Son…just do your best," his father replied, understanding of the task he'd asked his son to perform.
The atmosphere in the lounge was tense as the seconds, then minutes ticked by. John busily tapped away at his console, keying in the vital commands to set the programme running, while the family looked on, helpless to do anything but wait, including Cass, who remained on stand-by. John, too, could only stand by anxiously waiting, as the Imager gradually zeroed in on its target.
And then, finally!
"Hold on. I'm…getting something. Yeah, Dad…I've got them…and right where Gordon and Virgil said they would be. They're in the grotto, behind the waterfall. There's two figures lying together…one, partly covering the other," John called back to his waiting family but, as he turned to fully face the screen, beaming him into the family lounge, the lithe young man's face was almost the color of his hair! "But, Dad…I think we need to hurry!" he stated, with an ominous seriousness of concern.
An ice-cold chill ran through Jefferson Tracy's veins.
"John! What is it…what's wrong! Are Scott and Jenna alive!" the concerned father asked yet again, desperately needing to know.
"I…I don't know, Dad. It's like Cass said…there's no movement. I just can't tell," the Space Monitor responded, with a worried frown. "All I know is, their body temperature must be really low because I'm barely getting a heat signature…the image is showing up more blue than red!"
This wasn't good news.
Gordon, perhaps of all the brothers, being an expert swimmer, was more aware of the dangerous effects of the cold and wet on core body temperature and, now that it was known where they were, he was more worried than ever.
"Yeah…I hate to say this but it's gonna get cold in there real quick," the experienced aquanaut surmised. "And we don't even know how long they've been in there before the quake started! Dad, we've gotta get up there…NOW."
"Agreed," his father acknowledged, his face dark and sombre but before he turned his full attention to the task ahead, there was something Jeff knew he could not neglect to do! The Commander-In-Chief turned quickly to his vid-phone but their insightful friend was already a step ahead.
"I know, my friend…you must go," Cass replied in understanding.
"Yes, I'm sorry, Cass….we have to go," Jeff regrettably informed. "I don't know how we can ever thank you, my friend. If it wasn't for you…we would have wasted a lot of time searching," he then added in grateful appreciation.
"No need, Jeff," the man quietly assured him. "If Chey'nah is in trouble then I am only too glad to be of help. Now, go to them…and I will keep vigil here, that Tanka'neh will protect them and keep them warm. And Jeff….!"
But this time it was the Tracy patriarch who was one step ahead. "Don't worry, Cass…we'll let you know as soon as we can. And thank you, again, my friend," Jeff promised and with that the link was cut.
Now it was down to the serious business of getting this rescue mission under way.
The International Rescue Complex soon became a hive of activity as each of the family members was appointed their specific task; time being, most definitely, of the essence. Firstly, Brains was sent off to the Infirmary to get it prepared.
"……Alan and Tin-Tin…you go with him, get the Emergency Medical Kits and meet us down in Two's hangar…..," the Commander-In-Chief continued rapping out orders, with curt efficiency.
"Yes, Sir," came the obedient reply.
"And you'd better make sure you include a couple of thermal blankets too," Gordon called out after them, knowing that, not only were the couple likely to be cold but that they were more than likely to be naked as well, given how they all swam up there!
The young pair nodded and hurried off after Brains and Jeff then turned to his remaining sons.
"Alright…Gordon, Virgil, you're with me. Let's get down to Two's hangar and get everything together we might need," their father continued to instruct.
"Yes, Sir," the boys chorused in unison.
"Dad, is there anything else I can do?" the blond-haired Space Monitor asked, eager to be of whatever more help he could be.
"Yes, John. I know this is probably a long shot but…I want you to keep trying Scott's communicator…just in case," his father asked. "And, John….."
"Yes, Sir?" the young man responded and waiting then for whatever else his father wanted to say.
"Please, let us know if the situation changes….if there's any change at all in their condition!" Jefferson Tracy requested, knowing he would be well understood by his son.
"FAB, Dad…I'll keep you posted," John acknowledged, with not only professional courtesy but with a promise that was entirely personal; for this was, after all, like no other rescue they had attempted before.
With that, Thunderbird Five's live-feed image to the lounge was closed and the three men hurried down to the hangar to assemble what they would need.
"Alright, boys…we'd better get the stretchers hooked up to the hover bikes. If Scott and Jenna are injured then we're going to need them," Jefferson instructed, not wanting to but having to think of the worst-case scenario.
"And, Dad…we should take the Laser Blasters with us. If the entrance is blocked then we're going to have to cut our way in," Virgil added in suggestion; the Blasters being a useful piece of their equipment, in that they were hand-held devices, almost like an anti-tank missile launcher in size, emitting a powerful laser beam, capable of quite literally melting rock and so enabling quicker access than by manual power alone.
"Good idea, Virgil," their father agreed and by the time they had loaded up their equipment, Alan and Tin-Tin had joined them with the emergency packs.
Moments later saw the small rescue party leave the concealed entrance to the hangar and head up the trail into the interior, each one concentrated on the task ahead and lost in their own thoughts, desperately hoping that what was supposed to be a happy occasion was not going to turn out to be a terrible family tragedy.
It didn't take long for the hover bikes to reach their destination and, on arrival in the clearing, one would have been hard pressed to know anything bad had happened here at all. Foley Falls was as peaceful and serene in the now late afternoon sun as it had always been, save perhaps for the rather eerie lack of birdsong and even crickets; the only sound heard being that of the continually cascading waterfall.
As the family dismounted from the bikes, experienced eyes were eagerly scanning and surveying the scene and it was Virgil who first caught sight of the evidence that their brother and his girl had been here.
"Look….there!" the chestnut-haired pilot exclaimed, pointing towards the shaded trees, under which lay the large blanket and remains of a romantic picnic. The used things and empty blanket, though, only served as a very vivid and painful reminder that the young couple had obviously enjoyed a happy time together but were now nowhere to be seen. And it hadn't escaped everyone's notice either that beside the blanket lay two piles of discarded clothing!
It was purely an instinctive reaction and just out of sheer desperation that, perhaps, compelled the youngest of the Tracy's to call out, never being one to hold back on his emotions. "Scott! Scott…Jen…are you out here! Where are you…can you hear me! Scott! Jen!"
The family knew, of course, that it was pointless but still, it didn't stop them all from momentarily holding their breath and straining their ears to listen; just in case!
But nothing! Only the sound of the waterfall, seeming to mock at them with the cheerful splashing of its tumbling waters, while all the time hiding its tragic secret. And deep down, even though they hadn't really expected to hear anything, there was still a collective sense of disappointment.
At Alan's outburst, Gordon shot his older brother, Virgil a knowing look, a look that said, 'Just for once, I really wish we were wrong', before reaching out and putting a comforting hand on his younger sibling's shoulder.
"Hey…take it easy, Al. It's gonna be okay," the copper-haired aquanaut reassured in understanding. "We know where they are…and they're not going to hear us over the noise of the waterfall," he added, as all eyes automatically looked over across the pool.
"Yeah, but don't worry, little buddy…we're going to get them out," Virgil joined in with his reassurance.
"Yes, we are…so let's get moving on this operation," Jefferson Tracy determined strongly, not wishing to waste any more time and set about issuing instructions to the best there was for this initial part of the rescue. "Gordon…you're the strongest swimmer. I want you out there now so you can assess the situation. If the entrance is blocked then we can bring the Blasters with us…and if it's not that badly blocked and you think we can get through and get them out then we'll be able to move quicker without them. And Gordon…take a Medi-Kit with you. If you can get through to them before we get there then do it…just be careful, Son," he continued in his instructions, with an added note of caution, being just as concerned for his younger son as his eldest, at knowing the risks he was asking Gordon to take.
"FAB," the young man replied smartly, knowing this was about as serious as it gets.
As his brothers helped him on with the Medi-Kit, their father issued one final instruction. "Gordon, use the headset. You're not going to be able to hear on your watch, over the noise of the waterfall. We'll be standing by…ready and waiting. Good luck, Son."
"Yes, Sir," Gordon acknowledged and headed down to the water.
"Yeah, Gordon…you be careful over there," Virgil cautioned, in brotherly concern. "That whole place could be really unstable now."
The expert swimmer nodded in silent knowing, as the two brothers locked hands in a tight grasp; the knowing that comes from having shared too many dangerous situations together and for which no words are needed.
Moments later, Gordon Tracy was powering his way through the water, while the rest of the rescue party could only stand and wait. It didn't take the young Olympic swimmer long to reach his objective and the family watched from the shore, as Gordon hauled himself up onto the rock shelf and disappeared through the curtain of water.
The wait was agonising, as it always was and they could only hope that Gordon's transmission would be powerful enough to transcend the constant roar of water, since the waterfall wasn't exactly something you could turn off like a tap and this kind of communication being something they had never had to attempt before!
And indeed, it was all Gordon could do to make himself heard, having to shout into his headset and cup his hands over his ears, just to be able to hear the response. Communication was everything in their line of work and he had to be sure his family heard his report on the situation, for he could not afford to waste time having to swim back to shore to relay information.
"Dad…looks like we are gonna need the Blasters….the entrance is pretty much blocked," International Rescue's aquanaut informed, as he scanned his experienced eye over the rock fall but then something caught his attention that gave him a little hope. "But it's not completely blocked at the top. I think…yeah, I think I can see a way in. Dad…I'm going to climb up…see if I can get in to them."
"Alright, Son…just be careful," his father replied, while looking across to where he knew his son was, hidden from view behind the cascading water. "We're on our way over."
"Affirmative on that," came the assured acknowledgement and, with that, Gordon began the treacherous ascent up the wet and slippery rock, feeling carefully for each new hand and foothold before moving on.
He was totally focused on his task, more than aware that this wasn't just any rescue, that hidden from him, on the other side of this rock fall, in the darkened grotto, lay Scott and the love of his eldest brother's life, the young woman he too had grown so fond of and had shared many a laugh with, more often than not, at the risk of incurring his brother's wrath!
Unable to believe this could all now end so tragically, Gordon muttered away to himself as he climbed. "Hang on, you guys…please…we're coming to get you. You've gotta be alright…you've gotta. Cus I've gotta do my wedding speech…you know…something real embarrassing…you can't do me outta that! Just hang on, guys."
Meanwhile, back on shore, things now started to move quickly.
"Alright…you heard him. Let's get moving," the Commander-In-Chief instructed his team and, like the well-oiled machine of the top rescue organisation they were, the family went to work.
Knowing they were going to have to get a little wet on this rescue to reach their objective, the boys had quickly stripped off their tops, with Jeff discarding his shirt, leaving them clad only in their shorts, while Tin-Tin elected to swim out in shorts and the halter-neck bikini top she had on under her clothing. Any thought that Jefferson Tracy should not take any actual physical part in this rescue was not even contemplated and it would indeed have been a brave man who even dared suggest it! Besides, they were going to need every ounce of manpower they had to get quickly to the trapped young couple.
They entered the water, bringing the stretchers, loaded with the laser blasters, between them; Jeff and Virgil either side of one, with Alan and Tin-Tin guiding the other.
When they were almost half way across, Jeff contacted his younger son that he had sent on ahead, to see what progress had been made. "Gordon….any news yet! Have you been able to get through! Can you see them!" he asked hopefully, unable to hide the anxious tone in his voice.
The copper-haired aquanaut, having just cleared the top of the rock fall, scrambled inside, activated the small but powerful head-strap torch and peered into the gloom. All was eerily silent, save for a few small stones still splashing into the water. It had such a completely different atmosphere now that Gordon hardly recognised the place. Gone was that magical ethereal enchantment, the only light now being the narrow shaft of sunlight streaming in through the opening by which Gordon had just come
"Not yet, Dad…I…I'm just through. Give me a sec…it's kinda dark in here…and cold," the young man informed his father and the rest of the team as they continued to swim, having to take time for his eyes to get adjusted and shivering slightly.
As Gordon panned around, from his lofty perch on top of the rock fall, the mineral ore in the rock wall once more glistened and sparkled as it caught in his beam of light, allowing the young man to orientate himself with the cave's dimensions. Further panning around helped him define what was once the crystal clear pool, with the added addition of a few new large rocks. His worst fear now was the possibility that Scott and Jenna could be pinned under some of the rocks and especially if they had still been in the water at the time, since the worst of the fall seemed to be near the entrance.
To help him see better, Gordon reached into the pack he had with him and pulled out a light-stick, a mixture of chemicals encased in a flexible tube that when mixed together would give off a viable and sustained light. Giving it a quick snap and a shake, the experienced rescuer held it out in front of him, as he hastily scanned the water, praying all the time he would not find his brother and girl there. Gordon breathed an audible sigh of relief at finding no trace of the young couple but that still didn't mean they were out of trouble. He had to find them and quick.
Thankfully the grotto was not that big and, with the added light, the next sweep of his torch beam picked out something towards the back of the cave.
"Yeah…hold on…I can see them…I can see Scott and Jen," he reported excitedly, while making sure he kept his voice low.
"Can you tell anything yet, Gordon!" Jeff asked hopefully, as they continued to swim for their objective.
"Sorry, Dad…I can't tell much of anything from up here…it's too gloomy. All I know is, they're together at the back of the grotto…and they're not moving," Gordon had to regretfully inform. "I don't want to shout too loudly either. Thankfully they're not pinned under anything, as far as I can tell but I don't wanna risk bringing anything more down on top of them," the young aquanaut continued to inform, glancing up to give the roof a quick inspection. "I'm just going to have to wait until I get down there to them before I know anything."
"Alright, Son…go carefully. We're almost across so, by the time we get the lasers into position, you should be down the other side. But let us know…just to be sure…before we start blasting the rock from under you," Jeff requested.
"FAB, Dad," Gordon acknowledged and, having thrown the light-stick to the back of the grotto so he could use both his hands, began his ascent down the inside of the rock fall, taking just as much care as before, since it was no less treacherous, being in semi-darkness.
A short while later saw the rest of the rescue party reach the waterfall and help each other, plus the equipment, up onto the rock shelf, though leaving the hover stretchers in the water, securely fastened, until they were needed, giving them room to manoeuvre. Just before Jeff and his boys went to work, the Commander-In-Chief contacted his younger son again, ensuring that Gordon had indeed managed his descent down the other side.
"Okay, boys….let's open up this entrance as quickly as we can," the Tracy patriarch ordered crisply and they immediately went to work with the lasers, concentrating the beams to generate enough heat to begin melting the rock. All Tin-Tin could do was wait, knowing she would be needed to help take care of Jenna, once they got through, especially since the young nurse was unclothed!
Inside, having reached the bottom of the obstruction, Gordon had jumped down into the cold water, making him involuntarily shiver and was now making his way carefully across the pool, having to feel his way along the bottom with his feet to avoid the latest rock additions littering the pool floor.
It was slow progress, wading across and he found himself cursing the water, the environment he loved and felt most at home in, for holding him back, keeping him from getting to his injured brother and Jenna more quickly than he would have liked. But eventually Gordon made it up onto the small stretch of sand at the back of the grotto and dropped to his knees beside the young couple, hefting the Medi-Kit off his back as he did so.
"Dad! I'm here…I've just got to them," the young aquanaut panted breathlessly.
For a brief moment, all work outside ceased, the family listening in on their headsets, as their father took the call, to ask the inevitable question. "Gordon….are they alive!"
And, at that very moment, the young man was already pressing fingers to the necks of both his eldest brother and his girl, in the hopes of finding that most reassuring of all signs of life…a pulse.
Author's Note: As promised, a mention in despatches for my friend, Ms Hobgoblin. My grateful thanks for inspiring my muse by suggesting it would be a nice idea if somehow Cass could make another appearance to help out his friend.
