I do not own the Thunderbirds. I do not own the Thunderbirds. I do not own the Thunderbirds. I do not own the Thunderbirds. I do not own the Thunderbirds.

Chapter Five – What Have You Been Up To?

"Kyle Wescott? Is that you?" Everyone turned at Alan's words. The gunman reached up and pulled off his ski mask. Kyle Wescott glared at his nemesis.

"Hello Tracy. Sorry to interrupt your day of triumph. But then every day is a day of triumph when you are a Tracy isn't it."

Alan rolled his eyes. "Wescott, I just don't get you. You are claiming that Jackson Mitchell was your brother, so you what – come to Wharton's to stalk me? I notice you transferred here the semester after the kidnapping. Yes, kidnapping. Mitchell didn't just "borrow" me for an evening. And I didn't lie at the trial. He did hurt me; he did threaten to give me to men who would have abused me. Mitchell terrorized my family, tried to shoot my brother Scott and did shoot Katie. So if Kate shot him, it was no less than he deserved. The first time she shot him to save Scott. Come to think of it, that was why she shot him the second time."

"Don't you get it Tracy? He was the only person who cared about me. Jack said once he got the five million for the software he designed he would take me with him."

"And you believed him?" Alan scoffed.

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I believed him. Do you think you are the only person worthy to be loved? God knows my parents never loved me. When I was asked to leave Wharton's back in December after a small discrepancy with my Semester Finals – "

Fermat interrupted, "He g-got ca-caught ch-cheating."

Glaring, Kyle continued. "I barely got home when my dear old dad told me I was out of there. Since I was eighteen, he felt no obligation to support a son who couldn't do anything right. He had the freaking nerve to hold you up as an example to me. Pointed out how you had set a national track record while coming down with a serious illness. Then he remarked on how people were talking about how even while you were recovering, you were keeping up on your studies, coordinating student government issues, all while thousands of miles away, safe in the bosom of the family. It just tugs at the heartstrings, doesn't it?"

Alan glared right back. "I had to go back home. My only choice would have been staying in a hospital bed for weeks or months until my lungs were strong enough. But I wasn't about to ruin my chances to get into Harvard. The fact that the student government and the faculty were willing to work with me to the degree that they were was a show of good faith that made everything easier for me. It wasn't because I was a Tracy. It was because I had shown I was willing to do whatever I could on my end."

"You just kept ruining everything. When my dad's former college buddy was here I could blackmail him into helping cover for me whenever I needed it. He made sure I had any info I needed - from tests to long-forgotten entrances to the school grounds." Alan and Fermat looked at each other. They instinctively knew Kyle was referring to the former headmaster. The next words confirmed it. "Your newest, deadest headmaster was so eager to be appointed to the job that he made sure that when your murderous bitch of a sister-in-law filed her complaint against the headmaster, that he would lose his job. Suddenly, I had no one to help me, no one on my side – as usual. You wouldn't know anything about having to stand on your own, would you Tracy?"

Alan's eyes were filled with pity for his former classmate. Trying not to watch the other parents being forced to electronically ransom back his fellow Seniors and then being forced into storage rooms located in the hall, the youngest Tracy son looked Kyle in the face. "No, I have never had to be on my own. And I'm sorry you drew such a lousy family. But life is what you make it. Hell, you are what you make of yourself. Yes, my life is better because I have a supporting, loving family. I am scared to death at the idea of ever losing them. I have had a recurring nightmare for years of losing my dad and brothers all at once."

The others at the Tracy table tried not to flinch. Only they knew Alan's fears were based in real events. Instead, they focused as he tried to reason with the other boy. "But blaming me for all your problems just won't cut it. And I won't lie and say my father mistreated or cheated your brother. And I certainly won't condemn Kate for using her training to first protect innocent civilians, then for using that training to protect family. She found no joy in killing Mitchell. But she also felt no guilt. Regret, perhaps, that the situation forced her to take another's life, but no guilt."

Wescott simply glared harder at Alan. "Good old Teflon Tracy. The Golden Boy of Wharton Academy always has just the right thing to say. But you won't sway me to your side the way you do everyone else. I hold your life in my hands Tracy. And I'll let you in on a little secret." He leaned over and whispered to Alan. "Only one of us is getting out of this alive."

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

The mini-van carrying the other Tracys had pulled up to the gates of Wharton's. Already, news vans had begun to gather at the smell of blood like so many sharks in a feeding frenzy. They quickly introduced themselves and were directed over to the command post the state police had set up on the grounds. Captain Hermoine James of the Massachusetts State Police walked up as the Tracy party emerged from their vehicle.

"You would be John Tracy? And Gordon Tracy?" Shaking the hand of each of the men, she nodded. "I realize this would be difficult for you, but International Rescue contacted us and gave a heads up. Seems a friend of yours, a" she consulted her notes, "Professor Hiram Hackenbacker, has been experimenting with some kind of small portable communicator and was able to open a line to them." The men tried not to look at their wrist communicators. "In turn, the operator of the Thunderbirds space station got in touch with us. They learned from the communication that you were on your way. And in talking with us, relaying whatever information they can, we told them that we are sadly understaffed today." Captain James rolled her eyes in frustration. "More than half our personnel are at the anti-terrorism summit. And my best computer/ communications expert went into labor two hours ago and our sniper from SWAT is currently in Boston, testifying before the budget committee. We have calls in and back-up personnel are on their way, but I have at least an hour before they will be here. In the meanwhile, International Rescue seems to think you can help. I have read the files they accessed on you and I have to agree." Kate really had to have purged and rewritten those files before sending them on. "Mr. Tracy… Oh, heck, this would be too confusing. John, I understand you are something of a communications geek? And Gordon, I see you were trained by the WASP and is known to be an expert with a long-range rifle." Both men nodded. "The question is, are you willing to help?"

Gordon raised his chin and looked the woman in the eye. "Ma'am, that is our father and baby brother in there. Not to mention Professor Hackenbacker is practically family, Fermat Hackenbacker was raised like a sixth brother and Tin-Tin is special to us as well."

"Tin-Tin… I am not sure who…"

Onaha, who had been hovering in the background spoke up. "Our daughter, our only child, accompanied Mr. Tracy today as a guest of Mr. Alan."

Emily was passing her baby girl over to the Kyranos as she explained. "Like Professor Hackenbacker, the Kyranos have worked for my father-in-law for years. Their eighteen-year-old daughter is engaged to Alan. He wanted her to come to the awards luncheon as well as his graduation. So several people we love are in there. How can we help?"

"Well, Dr. Tracy – it is Dr. Emily Tracy, right?" Emily nodded. "I am hoping you won't be needed at all. But just in case, we do have paramedics setting up over here. Would you mind checking on them? And if the Kyranos would like, we do have a family area set up in this direction." With a nod, the Kyranos walked away with Elizabeth, letting the baby's family be free to try and help save their endangered loved ones.

Moving towards the command post, James continued on. "Usually, we would never use civilians in such an operation. But based on communications International Rescue has forwarded to us, we fear time may be a serious constraint. They seem to feel that the situation is highly volatile and that if not resolved soon, more lives may be lost."

"More lives lost?" John asked with a false sense of calm.

Captain James turned and met the worried family's eyes straight on. "We know at least two people have been shot. One is dead and another wounded. We do not know who they are yet. And apparently, they are using your brother as some kind of human shield. Beyond that, I am afraid we just can't give any more information because we just don't have any."

Faces set grimly, John and Gordon followed the police captain as Emily went to the rescue station. Prayers filled hearts that were breaking at how quickly this day had turned from one of celebration to one of terror. They could only pray that it did not turn to one of sorrow for the Tracy Family.

a/n - well, we found out how to bring everyone in without exposing IR. and for all those who wanted resolution with Kyle Wescott, you will be getting it. and now we know the reason for Kyle's hatred of Alan. it is an irrational hatred, but then show me one that isn't