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

Chapter 113

Just what is it about dark, eerie places that tend to give people the proverbial 'heebie jeebies'! Whatever it was, Gordon Tracy had it. Well and truly spooked, his eyes darted back and forth, the beam from his head-strap torch picking out the sparkling mineral ore in the rock walls, whichever way he looked. He could see nothing amiss however, or nothing that was unfamiliar to him, as he knew every inch of this place, every rock, every nook, every cranny. He also knew that no creatures lurked in this once ethereal and mystical feeling place, even completely harmless ones so, in essence, there was nothing really to be afraid of.

So why then, did he feel such uneasiness!

He could only put it down to the now dark, quiet eeriness and so laughed, somewhat shakily, at his own foolishness. "Geez Gord…you're really losin it!"

The normally jovial and laidback young man then went back to the task of monitoring his casualties, prepared to forget about anything he thought he may or may not have heard, though he couldn't quite stop his heart from beating just that little bit faster! But it was to be short-lived.

Gordon spun around quickly, a shiver of cold again washing over him with clammy beads of sweat forming on his brow and the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. He was sure he had heard a low, deep 'growl' emanating from somewhere in the shadowy gloom!

He swallowed back a nervous laugh, sometimes the body's natural reaction to something the mind knows is wholly impossible but yet has no plausible explanation for; for more often than not, it is the unknown and unseen that plays most on a person's fears.

His logical mind told him, that of course, there was nothing in here that could make such a noise, that had sounded like a not-so-small beast and, had this been under any other happier circumstances than the urgent situation they were facing now, Gordon would certainly have put this down to his brothers just yanking his chain. But he could quite clearly hear them all feverishly working away outside to open up the entrance and knew that, with Scott and Jenna needing urgent medical attention, his brothers would not waste precious time with such pranks and especially not with their father being there.

"Gord…now you're just being ridiculous," the Tracy prankster chided himself, intent on putting it all down to wild imaginings or, more logical still, to something quite natural, most probably the swirling eddies of a breeze through some narrow aperture. "Yeah, that's all it is….it's just a breeze from somewhere," he resolved to happily convincing himself.

Still, it didn't stop him from quickly reaching into the bag and pulling out some more lightsticks, hurriedly snapping and shaking them to ignite the comforting glow. Gordon rammed them upright into the sand all around them, as if to create a protective ring of light. Well, they were going to need more light anyway to get Scott and Jenna safely loaded onto the stretchers, he told himself and to anyone else who would dare to question his excessive use of the handy little gadgets!

"Eh, guys……you gonna be much longer out there!" the copper-haired Tracy inquired with casual nonchalance, trying for all the world to sound totally unflustered.

He couldn't quite hide the edginess in his voice though and it was that subtle little nuance his brothers picked up on immediately. Virgil shot an amused glance to Alan, as they continued to melt their way through the rock with the hot lasers.

"Say, Gordon….you're not letting Cass spook you with all his talk of…..'old Tanka'neh'….are you!" Thunderbird Two's pilot couldn't help the amused jibe over the headset, trying hard to keep from laughing outright and bringing a beam of a grin from his blond-haired youngest brother.

"What! Naw….of course not," the normally jovial young aquanaut blustered in an obvious show of bravado. "Just wondering how much longer you're gonna be….that's all."

It didn't wash with his brothers and this was just too good an opportunity to miss.

"Well…I don't know, Virg," Alan mused in mock seriousness, over the joint communications, knowing full well his just slightly older sibling's ears would be strained to hear. "I mean…you heard what Cass said…we all did!"

"You mean about, old Tanka'neh….being 'in there'…keeping watch!" Virgil returned, picking up on their youngest brother's meaning and trying to instil something of a sinister air into his reply.

"Yeah….and if I was Gordy, I'd be getting seriously worried about now!" the young blond added, making sure his comments held a worrying note of intrigue. "I mean…I sure as hell wouldn't have wanted to go pissin off some…'great wolf spirit'…especially if I found myself in a dark cave…know what I mean!"

"Wh..what do ya mean! Why should I be worried? And wh..why should 'he' be pissed!" Gordon asked, a little nervously, having unwittingly fallen for the bait, hook, line and sinker, much to his brothers and Tin-Tin's amusement. This was going better than they had hoped for.

"Yeah….I bet he wishes he'd been a lot nicer to Scott now," Virgil conjectured, talking to those outside, as if completely oblivious to his copper-haired younger brother.

Now, just why was Gordon Tracy getting the ominous feeling that some of his past 'sins' might be coming back to haunt him…and maybe quite literally!

"Wh..what are you guys talkin about!" the young joker asked, trying not to let his voice crumble into an embarrassing croak. "Aww, you guys are just yankin my chain," he then added in nervous laughter. But at that, the lightest swishing sound of air from behind, the feeling that something had just brushed past him and another low, deep 'growl' emanating from the shadows brought him spinning round with a catching breath. As before, though, there was nothing, nothing from this realm anyway!

"Maybe! Maybe not!" the chestnut-haired Tracy mused thoughtfully, picking up on the younger man's obvious anxieties. "Eh…remind us again, Gordon ….just how many practical jokes have you played on Scott there, over the years!!

"Yeah…not to mention always winding him up and driving him 'nuts'," their youngest brother joined in with unrepentant glee; this, their youngest brother, the normally happy and willing accomplice in such situations. Guess it just goes to show how truly fickle a former ally can really be and how easily sides are changed when there is perverse pleasure to be obtained from another's guilty fears!

"Wh..what has that got to do with anything?" Gordon all but whimpered, though trying to deepen his voice into a steadying control.

"Well think about it, Gordon. If Cass is right…and this Tanka'neh, this Great Wolf Spirit is like some kind of 'guardian'…looking out for Scott …and there you go, playing all those practical jokes and winding him up….really irritating the hell outta him, sometimes…well…..!" Virgil added, letting his sentence hang for the family joker to fill in the blanks.

Gordon gulped somewhat nervously, as he looked around and without thinking, moved closer to his still unconscious older brother, as though seeking his protection.

"Aww, come on, you guys. Scott knows I was just 'jessin' with him…it was all just innocent fun," the copper-haired aquanaut defended himself, continuing to laugh nervously and looking around. Gawd, it sure was spooky in here!

Outside, Alan gave his older brother a nod of admiring approval, almost going as far as 'high-fiving' each other. This was working a treat.

"Well that's all right then, Gordy….you've got nothing to worry about…have you!" the youngest Tracy assured his sibling, with heavily exaggerated brightness and unable to help the huge grin at hearing the whimpered laugh from within.

"Not sure that…umph…'old Tanka'neh' would see it…like that, though!" Virgil Tracy felt obliged to caution, grunting out now under the effort of the hot work. "Still…if you do feel there's 'something' in there ….you could always try making 'friends'!"

"Friends!" Gordon queried in a whimpered croak, unwittingly getting sucked even deeper into his brothers 'evil' enjoyment, while thinking he was being offered some genuine, sound advice and quite frankly prepared, at this stage, to consider anything!

"Yeah…maybe you should've made sure you had some doggie biscuits in the Medi-Kit, Gordy," Alan joined in, carrying on where his older brother left off.

"Dog biscuits!" Gordon could only exclaim in puzzlement.

"Yeah…so that when 'old Tanka'neh' starts getting 'really' pissed at you…you could throw him a couple of doggie snacks!" the youngest Tracy laughed. "That should keep 'him' sweet."

"Oh…and don't forget to say…'nice doggie'," Virgil continued the banter, in mockingly serious tones and wishing he could see his younger brother's face right at that moment.

"Think you mean…'nice wolfie' there…don't you, Virg!" Alan countered quickly, with equal 'seriousness'. With that, the two brothers could no longer hold back the bout of raucous laughter, earning them a good-natured reprimand from Tin-Tin, reminding them that things couldn't be too pleasant in there for Gordon.

"Yeah, very funny, guys…real droll," the copper-haired young prankster called out over the headset and then turned again to the serious business of making sure Scott and Jenna's condition hadn't deteriorated any.

The Tracy patriarch himself, hadn't been averse to cracking a smile all through his sons good-natured bantering. As a commander, having people serve under him in the Space Agency and from his time in the Air Force, Jefferson Tracy was well aware of the value of such harmless amusement and jibing; in that, in highly stressful situations it was a great tension reliever and, as such, he was willing to let it ride, just so long as it didn't get in the way of the serious business at hand. And, besides that, he felt his water-loving son probably had some serious payback coming!

"Alright, boys…just a few more minutes and we're through," Jeff encouraged, knowing his boys were giving it everything they had.

Back in the still dimly lit cave, Gordon Tracy was muttering away to himself. "Yeah…real droll, guys …real droll."

Still, he mused thoughtfully, maybe it wasn't such an entirely ludicrous idea! The making 'friends' bit! After all, appeasement to higher forces in the unseen realm wasn't exactly a new concept! It would kill him though, to ever admit to even contemplating the idea to his 'smart ass' brothers.

So, the next time he 'felt' a cold chill brush past him and 'heard' a 'growl', it was time to put his newfound empowerment to the test. But there was no way in hell, God's green earth, or indeed the entire Universe, that he was going to give his brothers the satisfaction of listening in to this one-sided conversation, to his pathetically whimpered grovelling so, reaching up, Gordon temporarily shut off his transmission, keeping it on 'incoming' only.

"Eh…nice doggie…eh…wolfie! Em…Tanka'neh!!" the Tracy joker began, with somewhat shaky laughter, before deciding that perhaps he should go with being respectful. "You know, we really are on the same side here….," Gordon went on, continually looking all about him and as though trying to appeal to his invisible tormentor's better nature. "….and…and…you being like, Scotty's…eh…'guardian' type thingy….well…well that's kinda neat. I mean…Scotty could do with someone…'something'…watchin over him. Like, everybody should have a…'great Wolf Spirit' watchin over them, huh!" he added in a sheepish laugh, hoping this 'buttering up' was going to work. "And, I mean, hey…all that joking around stuff…the pranks…you know…well, that's just what brothers do! It doesn't mean anything!"

He felt he should make that last point perfectly clear but stopped short of any actual apology.

Another low 'growl'.

Another nervous gulp. Obviously this tack wasn't working, this grovelling wasn't 'grovelling' enough!

"Aw come on…I would never hurt him. I mean, Scotty here…he's my big brother. I love him to pieces, I swear….really!" the young aquanaut continued his nervy ramblings, upping the ante and laying it on as thick as he knew how and then, as though realising just how foolish he sounded….! "Hell, Gordon….what are you doin! This is stupid."

Another low 'growl'.

"O.k.a.y….I take that back," the young man instantly retracted, in nervous laughter. "I meant every word I said and about never doin him any harm….honest! And…alright then, I'm sorry…I'm sorry for all those pranks…and the messin around. Okay!"

Gawd, if his brothers could hear him now, even Scott, they'd swear he was going stir crazy, though this time he thought it perhaps wise to keep from actually verbalising that opinion.

And did the grovelling to some, supposedly present, animal spirit guide actually work!

He was never to know, for at that moment daylight, at last, broke through as the entrance was opened up, without ever another deep, throaty 'growl' being heard.

Within minutes, the family, on full rescue retrieval mode, was at their side and with concern mounting at just how cold the couple were, Scott was quickly, though carefully, manoeuvred onto one of the stretchers, 'wrapped and strapped', ready for transport. While he was being strapped securely in place, Gordon was again doing the gentlemanly thing, discreetly holding up a blanket for Tin-Tin to attend to Jenna and so effectively shielding the totally unclothed young nurse from the male members of the rescue party.

Once it was established that Jenna could also be safely moved, Tin-Tin covered her up, enabling the guys then to lift her onto the other stretcher. As Jeff and his boys were fitting the clear dome covers in place, the covers that would keep the unconscious couple dry when being taken back through the waterfall, Virgil took a moment to look about.

"Geez Gordon…use some more lightsticks, why don't you! You know now we're gonna have to totally re-stock up on these things?" the chestnut-haired engineer teased lightly at noting just how many his brave and professional young brother had used.

"Hey, it was dark in here. And…and I needed to see what I was doin…to check Scott and Jen," Gordon groused, quickly defending himself and bringing self-satisfied grins from his other two brothers.

"So, Gordy….where's this hairy 'friend' of yours then!" the youngest Tracy continued the teasing, looking about in feigned expectation of being introduced.

"Yeah, very funny, guys….laugh and mock all you want. You weren't in here….that's all I'm sayin!" Gordon retorted with fully restored courage, now that he had the comforting assurance of daylight and others about him.

As they worked at manoeuvring the hapless young lovers back outside of their temporary imprisonment, the rest of the family, however, couldn't help one last look around the shadowy grotto…and wonder!

"Okay, boys...let's get them out of here and back home," Jeff ordered crisply.

The small rescue party were then quickly heading back down the trail, towards the villa.

"Brains…we're on our way in. Is everything ready?" Jefferson Tracy asked, his blunt and forthright commanding authority all but demanding it was and expecting nothing less than the highest efficiency, especially when it came to any of the family being injured.

"Yes, Mr T.T.Tracy….everything is…a.a.a…set up. I have the…eh…eh…eh…Plasma Blankets fully charged and heated," the bespectacled scientist confirmed.

The Plasma Blankets were yet another invaluable piece of International Rescue's equipment, in that they defused vital heat quickly to anyone suffering the effects of cold. They were made, not of cloth as the name, 'blanket', might suggest but rather several soft, pliable self-sealed tubes joined together, in which was a neon plasma liquid that when charged would give off enough heat to bring the core body temperature back up to normal levels. Not only were a few kept stocked in Thunderbird Two's medical bay, being essential for cold weather rescues but it had been thought prudent that the Infirmary should also have its own supply.

And soon the young lovers were back in familiar surroundings, in the safety of the Infirmary, being quickly and efficiently transferred onto the beds and covered with the vital heat-giving plasma blankets. The family could only now stand by and wait anxiously as Brains, along with Tin-Tin's assistance, carried out various tests and poured over numerous imaging scan results, with Jefferson Tracy prowling the room like some great grumpy, growling bear.

The tension was almost unbearable and the Tracy patriarch could no longer keep from knowing what misfortune may have befallen his eldest son now and the young woman they had all become so fond of, especially when they should have been celebrating their greatest happiness. "Well, Brains….what's the verdict?"

"A.a.a…well, Mr Tracy……"

Author's Note: Well, you didn't really expect me to tell you how our young lovers were doing, just yet….did you!