The weather has gone weird. Is it a natural phenomenon or is something more sinister at work ? Search and rescue.
Frank looked worried. "I've got two agents in the house. He knows one of them is an agent, but he thinks the other one is just one of the students," he said. "They're in danger. I've got to get them out ! Can you help ?" he asked.
The ranger took a deep breath and then nodded. "I'll try," he promised.
Frank spoke to the class of shaken students. "All right. I want Aneisha and Zoe to come with me to the house. We're going to contact the police. The rest of you I want to stay with Mr. Flatley. If the minibus is safe, you can wait in there. The police may come to contact you before we go home," he was about to hand the keys into the hands of a shaking Mr. Flatley, but then had second thoughts and handed them to Melissa. "Melissa, can you please get everyone into the minibus ?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.
"Come on everyone. Let's get a comfy seat in the minibus," Melissa said. "We can eat our packed lunches in there." This got everyone's attention and they all filed out after her, including Mr. Flatley.
Frank let the ranger guide himself, Zoe and Aneisha up to the main house. The meadow looked like a mad tractor driver had thrashed his way through the field, ploughing up everything in sight. A winding band of meadow turf had been stripped revealing bare soil. Where the stone walls had been hit, there were only holes, surrounded by random stones and bits of fencing. "How long will the tornado last ?" asked Aniesha.
The ranger shrugged his shoulders. "Mr. Storm doesn't include us in his plans any more," he said. "He only trusts a couple of the rangers now. He's really paranoid. I think it must be the effects of the experimental field he uses to control the weather," he said sadly. "He never used to be like this, honestly. He was a really good guy and he really cared about the planet and the people who lived on it," the man assured them. "I think he needs help now."
The ranger took them to a side door into the house. He looked around and quickly slid a passcard through a card reader on the side of the door. They all slipped inside. Zoe and Aneisha had their backpacks with them. Frank used his spy-pod to detect for people nearby. "The control room for the weather machine is at the back of the house on the floor above this one," explained the ranger. "It's probably best if you're not found with me. I'll head off. Good luck," he said before walking quickly up the corridor and going through a door at the end.
Frank looked at the other two. "I think we should stick together," he said. "Come on." He led them down the corridor until they came to some stairs. They carefully climbed, coming out on a carpeted corridor above. Then they heard a familiar voice and slipped into an alcove.
"Look, I did what you said. When are you going to let us go ?" asked Tom.
"When the boss says you can go," said the ranger accompanying him.
After a few seconds, Tom passed the alcove. As the ranger passed, he would have been seen suddenly disappearing from sight. "Tom !" hissed a voice.
Tom turned round looking puzzled. He was shocked to find himself alone. He walked back to the alcove and grinned when he saw Frank tying an unconscious ranger's hands. "I think there are some storage rooms along here," he said, dashing quickly along the corridor and pulling a door open. Behind it was a small room piled high with boxes. Frank and Aneisha hauled the man's body into the cupboard before shutting the door. "Boy am I glad to see you," said Tom pulling Aneisha into a quick hug. She grinned at him and he blushed and let her go. "Oh, we've got to rescue Dan. Storm's got him tied to a chair in the control room."
"Show us the way Tom," said Frank. Tom started to lead them in the direction he had been travelling when they had released him. As he neared the door to the control room, it opened and a ranger came out. He saw the team and shouted a warning to the control room. They saw Storm come to the door. His face shifted into fury.
Storm slammed his hand on to a large red button on the control room wall. "Intruder Alert !" shouted a loud voice. "Intruder Alert. Security lockdown. Security lockdown !" blared out from speakers all around the house. Immediately the door to the control room automatically slammed shut and could be heard locking. The ranger looked around startled and then turned to face the MI9 agents. He pulled out a radio and started shouting into it.
"Intruders on corridor five. Entrance to the control room. All rangers converge on my position !" he ordered. Frank huffed. They couldn't get into the control room. If they stayed in this corridor they would be trapped.
"This way !" he ordered, turning back the way they had come.
The team ran back up the corridor, but before they reached the end, heard footsteps running towards them. "Stella, now would be a good time !" murmured Frank under his breath. A group of rangers ran at them. Zoe and Aneisha dropped into fighting poses and started kicking and punching off their attackers. Frank turned and hit the ranger who had followed them and was trying to grab Tom. Tom spun between the two fighting groups, unsure what to do. In the end he joined with Zoe and Aneisha, making what hits he could to help them.
"Stop, or he gets it !" shouted a voice behind them. Tom looked back and saw to his horror that the ranger had grabbed Frank around the neck and was holding a stun gun of some sort against Frank's head.
"Guys ! Stop !" called Tom. Zoe and Aneisha turned to look and stopped fighting. The ranger nodded at them and they all put their hands on their heads.
"Sorry team," gasped Frank hoarsely. Their gear was confiscated and the four agents were propelled through the house to the large, luxurious room where Tom had first met Storm. They were each made to sit on a dining chair with their hands tied behind their backs. After a time, Sinstra Storm entered the room.
"So, more spies !" he hissed angrily. "You are all determined to stop my work !"
"Actually, we just want to rescue our friend," said Zoe. "You're holding him prisoner."
"The other spy !" hissed Storm. "You are all my prisoners. Nobody can stop me now !" he shouted. "You, stay with them !" he ordered one of the rangers. "The rest of you, come with me. We must make preparations. Our enemies will stop at nothing to end our work. Come !" he ordered, leaving the room.
The last ranger to leave the room turned to the remaining one. "Do you think one of us should stay with you mate ? They might try to escape," he warned.
The big man who had been left behind glanced disdainfully at Zoe and snorted in derision. "Yeah, like that's going to happen. They're nearly all kids ! Get going before Storm finds you missing !" he laughed. Sighing, the other man left the room. As the door clicked shut, the ranger turned back to the group of agents with a smirk on his face. There was an empty chair where Zoe had been sitting. "What ?" he squeaked, twisting round to try and find her. He turned again to find Zoe looking up at him with a smile on her face.
"Looking for me ?" she asked, before slamming her foot into his chest. The big man flew backwards. He looked up in time to find Zoe's fist slamming into his face. It was the last thing he saw before falling unconscious. "That's for Dan," she muttered.
Zoe helped the others to free themselves and Frank grabbed his phone from the table. "Stella, hurry !" said Frank urgently. "Storm's making preparations to defend himself I think. You are ? Great, see you soon !" he said, closing the call. "There's a SWAT team on its way. Good work Zoe," he said, before helping Aneisha to pull the guard on to a chair and tie his hands.
Frank glanced out into the corridor. There was nobody on guard outside the door. He waved the others forward. "We need to let the SWAT team in," he said. As they reached the top of the stairs, there was a bang and the big front door softly swung open. Smoke was pouring from the security control panel by the front door. Tom smiled to himself. Stella had come up trumps again.
A few rangers ran through the hallway, but were all immediately overwhelmed by a large MI9 team in full SWAT gear. The rangers were all lined up on one side of the hallway. One of them was the man who had helped Frank and the others, who were racing down the stairs to meet the team. "Stella, you're just in time, as usual," said Frank, grinning gratefully at her. She smiled back at him.
"Where's Storm ?" she asked.
The ranger who had helped before stepped forward. "He'll be in the control room at the back of the building. You need to be careful. I think he's been planning something. The way things have been going around here, it's bound to be dangerous," said the ranger.
"You double-crossing scum !" shouted one of the other rangers. "We're supposed to be saving the planet here !" he yelled.
"Are you stupid ?" responded the first man. "You've seen what Storm's been doing lately. He sent a tornado out into a field full of teenagers for God's sake ! How's that going to save anything. The man's been changed by that weird field thing. He's not the same. Tell me you think he's still sane," he challenged the other rangers. They all shifted uncomfortably and started to look worried.
"He has got a bit unstable," admitted one of the other men. "He's shut himself in the control room. You'll have to get him out of there and turn the thing off."