Ch15
Thunderbird 2's engines thrust into life and she lifted into the air. The jungle island below was ablaze. Huge exploding fireballs rocketed into the night sky. Virgil had to manoeuvre the aircraft several times to dodge projectiles of concrete and rock.
Once the Tracys reached a safe distance away from the island, Scott unbuckled his seatbelt and went to check on Gordon who was strapped into one of TB2's medical beds. The eldest Tracy worked quickly, stabilising his brother with a saline drip, and cleaning and redressing Gordon's bloody arm wound. While he worked on Gordon, he noticed the strange medallion around his brother's neck. Scott reached to take it off his brother but a strong grip stopped him.
Scott looked down and saw it was Gordon's hand which held him. Surprised at his brother's unusual show of strength, Scott looked to his brother's face. Two amber eyes were open and watching him.
"Hey, Gordon. How're you doing, buddy?"
Gordon's hand loosened its grip and fell to his side. The eyes slid shut.
Alan appeared behind Scott. "Is he awake?"
Scott shook his head. "No, not now but he did wake briefly."
The blonde pointed to the medallion around Gordon's neck. "What's that?"
Scott shrugged. "I don't know, I tried to take it off but he stopped me."
"Stopped you, how?"
"He grabbed my hand and stopped me."
"Probably just an automatic reflex. He may not yet realise he has been rescued, and thinks you are one of the bad guys."
Studying his sleeping brother's features for a moment, Scott nodded. "Yeah, you could be right. Do you want to sit here for awhile and watch him, or shall I take first shift?"
Alan sat down on a bench near the bed. "Nope, I'll do it. Don't want to shock him with your scruffy facial hair when he wakes up."
Scott touched the bristles on his chin. "At least I can grow a beard."
A loud guffaw came from the cockpit. "Good one, Scott" Virgil called out.
Scott couldn't suppress a chuckle, and clapped his younger brother on the shoulder as he stood to leave. "Seriously though, yell if there is any change. I'm going to tell Dad the good news."
Jeff gave Brains a hearty slap on the back once he had spoken to Scott on TB2. He couldn't contain his joy that all his boys were safe, and Gordon was on his way home.
"It was close though," Jeff remarked. "The bastard who took Gordon decided to blow the island sky high. We could have lost all of them."
"S...so do they kn...know who t...took Gordon, Mr Tracy?"
"Didn't have time to find out, when they grabbed Gordon the place was already falling to pieces. John confirmed the explosions on the island were fairly damaging. If IR was in operation we would be out there looking for survivors. John contacted the area's local military force and they are now overseeing the rescue operations. He is also going to listen in to see if they mention anything that might lead us to the kidnappers."
Brains nodded in reply and collapsed into a chair next to Jeff. The tension he had been feeling for days was suddenly dissolving. "I...I know we didn't g...get the p...person behind G...Gordon's kidnapping but he is s...safe and well. Safe and w...ell." The man repeated with a small smile.
"We know he is safe but we don't know about well. I can't imagine what he has been through in the time he has been missing," Jeff took up his phone and pressed a number on the speed dial. "I want to get Dr Porter here after TB2 arrives to check Gordon over."
Brains stood up from the chair. "I...I'll help K...Kyrano prepare G...Gordon's room, Mr T...Tracy."
Jeff nodded as Brains left the room.
Dr Porter quietly exited Gordon's room and walked over to the Tracys and Brains who waited in the hallway outside.
The Doctor took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes before beginning to speak. "Physically, Gordon is fair. He has been beaten, there is bruising on his torso and face. He has been cut on his back and arm. I've cleaned the cuts and applied fresh bandages; thankfully, the cuts don't look infected. He was dehydrated, and I'd say he hasn't seen a decent meal for a couple of days. I took a blood sample to see what drugs are in his system, and I'll have the results of those by tomorrow. In the meantime, he needs rest and fluids. Give him solids if he feels up to it, something plain and simple to begin with. If he starts to vomit, complains of severe headaches, stomach pain, anything out of the ordinary get him to a mainland hospital asap." The doctor's final words were stern.
Jeff nodded. "We understand, Doctor. "
Doctor Porter replaced his glasses. "He has been through a pretty tough ordeal. I know your boys are made of strong stuff, Jeff, but I don't want to guess what mental torture he has endured. I'll give you the number of a counsellor I can highly recommend."
"Thanks Doctor, I'd appreciate it," Jeff replied and added, " Is there anything else we should know before we take you back to the mainland?"
The doctor shook his head. "No, nothing more, other than I believe Gordon shouldn't be by himself for long, he may need a reassuring face when he wakes up."
Alan made to go into the room. "I'll sit by him, Dad."
Virgil stepped in front of Alan. "Please, could I sit with him first Al? I need to make amends."
Puzzled by Virgil's words but noting the heartfelt emotion in his brother's voice, Alan stood back and allowed him to enter the room.
"Come through to the kitchen, Doctor. I'll make you a coffee before you go." Jeff ushered the Doctor towards the kitchen, Brains, Scott and Alan followed.
Hovering in the shadows of the hallway, Kyrano now approached the closed door to Gordon's room. When he had helped bring Gordon into his room, Kyrano had noticed the strange medallion around the young man's neck. When Kyrano saw the eye on the medallion, he had almost let out a cry of horror. It had been a long time since he had seen such a symbol, and it was one he had hoped he would never see again. Pressing his hands to the door, Kyrano closed his eyes and concentrated. A savage howl of laughter smashed into his head and Kyrano jumped back from the door in shock. Trembling, the man pressed the button to open the sliding door.
Virgil sat with head bowed over a book in the muted lamplight next to a sleeping Gordon. Virgil looked up as Kyrano nervously approached the bed. Kyrano winced. As he grew closer to Gordon, a chant of many voices grew louder in his head.
"Kyrano, is there something you need?" Virgil's voice was soft.
"I can watch your brother for a while if you need to take a break, Mr Virgil"
Virgil smiled and shook his head. "No, that's okay, Kyrano. I have two other brothers and a Dad lining up for duty. You already have so much else to do."
Kyrano's smile was tight in reply. The chant in his head grew louder and became a horrendous, howling chorus.
Kyrano's eyes winced at the pain of the many voices in his head, and he reached out towards Gordon to stop them. The young man stirred and moaned, his body restless on the bed.
Virgil's hand clamped down on Kyrano's. "I really think he needs his rest, Kyrano, he'll wake in his own good time."
Shaking his head slightly to rid his head of the hated noise, Kyrano mumbled his apologies and fled the room. Virgil looked after him, puzzled by the man's strange behaviour. He noticed that Gordon had settled once more, and so after checking his brother was comfortable, Virgil resumed reading his book.
On an island in the South China Sea, a temple stood at the base of a dormant volcano. The temple, elaborately carved to honour a goddess of war, was lit by torchlight. Inside, gathered around a black marble altar, a hum of voices rose in unison as a man, his bald head gleaming from the blaze of torch fire, chanted over a bowl of blood. The man lifted his arms towards the temple's ceiling and called on the Gods to favour him. In his hand he held a medallion with an eye carved in the centre. Plunging the pendant into the bowl, the man drew it out and it dripped crimson red in the fire light. The man placed the medallion over his head, closed his eyes and fell back onto an intricately sculpted throne. The voices in the temple became a loud wail.
The exhaustion from the last few days soon caught up with Virgil and his book slipped to the floor with a dull thud as he slumped in the chair, asleep.
The medallion on Gordon's chest began to glow red. Two amber eyes opened, and the young man sat up in the bed. He looked to the dark haired man sleeping in the chair next to him and smiled.