Hour Eleven
The following takes place between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on the day Washington, D.C. was destroyed.
10:00:20
Three International Rescue agents and two nurses wheeled Alan out of the ICU. A third nurse pushed the heart monitor, ventilator and two IV stands close behind. They entered the elevator and rose to the eighth floor, where they wheeled him down the hall, turning right and continuing on to the end. He was taken into a large room on the right and brought to a stop on the far side of it.
The room's one window was covered inside and out by white iron bars. This was the Security Ward, generally where suspects and prisoners who needed medical attention were housed. The nurses flitted here and there making certain Alan was completely set up. One of them approached the three agents.
"There are two prisoners in this ward right now," she said. "They've been taken to the rooms furthest away, 802 and 804. The south wing of this floor is currently used for storage. Our security guards have thoroughly searched it, and the gate leading to it is now locked. This floor cannot be reached without a security pass. You saw me swipe mine on the elevator."
"What about those two prisoners?" Agent 98 asked. "Are they dangerous?"
"One of them was injured during an attempted rape. His name is Joseph Baines. He was stabbed twelve times by the woman he attacked, and hasn't regained consciousness since he arrived."
"And the other?"
"Brenda Farnesworth. A case of road rage. She got so mad at some guy on the 95 that she slammed right into him with her car. She's paying for it, though. Her face was cut up pretty badly. She's been really quiet since she was brought in."
"All right," Agent 182 said. "We'll take it from here. Take 98 and show him where you'll be stationed."
"Yes, Sir. Right this way, please."
His eyes on Alan's prone form, 182 turned to the third agent, 164, and said, "Let's hope we can keep him safe."
10:10:51
Scott ran out of the elevator onto the fourth floor. He bolted to the nurse's station and demanded, "International Rescue operative, where is he?"
Taking in Scott's uniform, the nurse pointed to her right. "Down the hall, right hand side, it's the Training OR with the bay of windows on the wall."
Scott was already halfway down the hall before she finished. He skidded to a halt in front of the viewing window, not even noticing the three International Rescue agents standing outside the OR doors. Grabbing tightly to the railing in front of him, his eyes grew wide as he watched the doctor use a laser beam to close a foot-long gash in Virgil's right thigh. He saw the monitors, the nurses darting to and fro, the dried blood, and the soiled uniform that had been cut away and discarded on the floor. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to maintain his composure.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand touched his arm. His eyes snapped open to find Megan there with him. "How is he?" she asked.
"I don't know, I haven't talked to anyone."
"Well, he must be doing all right, they're very calm in there."
Scott nodded absently. All he could think of was an explosion, of Virgil flying through the air, of Virgil falling, of Virgil bleeding...of Virgil dying. His breath caught in his throat. "I have to know if he's okay."
"Hang on, I'll check with the nurse on duty." It was only a few minutes later than Megan returned, a smile on her face. "Good news, Scott. Virgil's going to be just fine. He landed on a car and a piece of glass went through his leg."
Scott winced.
"But they've removed all the glass, and Dr. Gray repaired his severed femoral artery. Dr. Shea's in there now, he just finished reconnecting the muscles and tendons. X-rays show no further injuries."
"So he's gonna be all right."
Megan nodded, a small smile upon her face. "They're going to take him up to the Security Ward after Dr. Shea is through. He's going to be placed in the same room as Alan."
"Alan?" Scott said, turning to face her. "He's up there now?"
"Yes, according to Nurse Blevins. He's been stabilized again and seems to be doing okay, all things considered."
Scott looked back through the window. Virgil was being sponged down. Dr. Shea removed his latex gloves and pulled his surgical mask down to his neck. He looked up, and his eyes met Scott's. He nodded and exited the room.
"Doctor," Scott said, shaking the man's hand. "How is he?"
"Oh, he'll be fine, son, don't you worry about that. He lost an awful lot of blood at first, from what the nurses tell me. But Dr. Gray patched that up for him. I've just finished with his leg. It'll take time and physical therapy, but I expect him to make a full recovery."
Scott smiled for the first time in a long time. "Thank you."
"No trouble at all, young man. It's the least I can do for you guys. I'm gonna kinda be a hero myself after working on your buddy there."
Scott and Megan chuckled before Scott spoke again. "Doctor, my other...buddy...Alan. He's in the Security Ward?"
"Ah, yes, so I hear. They're prepping this young fella to take him up there now. If you like, I'll let 'em know you can go with 'em."
He nodded.
"All right, then. Just hold tight, it'll be another twenty minutes or so."
"See, Scott? I told you he was going to be okay."
Waves of relief flooded through him as he leaned back against the wall. "Yeah, I know, Meg, I know. I just...I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him."
Rubbing his arm gently, she replied, "Don't think about that now. It's going to be okay."
Scott passed a hand over his tired eyes and looked...really looked...at Megan Crawford for the first time. She stood about 5'8", he reckoned, and had somewhat long auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes were bright blue, almost the color of Alan's, he thought. She wore a pair of jeans and a blue pullover top, which still held traces of Alan's blood.
"Thanks," he finally said, squeezing her hand. "I'd better get in touch with..." he paused, "...with Base."
"Yeah, you should. I'm sure they'll want to know Virgil, Grandma and Alan are okay."
Scott nodded and walked down the hall to the waiting room. Megan stared after him. Truth be told, he was the most gorgeous man she'd ever laid eyes on. But at this point, being physically attracted to him was the last thing on her mind. She was more concerned about him. She turned back to the viewing window, where the nurses were easing Virgil into a hospital gown.
"Tell me things can't get any worse," she whispered.
10:21:15
"Brains..."
"One, uh, second, Mr. Tracy."
Jeff stood at the head of one of the beds in Tracy Island's hospital ward. It was a miniature replica of any of the best hospitals in the world, with everything imaginable that could be needed for medical care. He looked down at Penny, who lay on her stomach. Brains had cut her blouse away and removed the knife Godfrey had stuck in her back. It had taken several minutes for him to stop the bleeding, and he'd just taken CT scans of the region.
"Final scans look good, Mr., uh, Tracy," Brains said from a monitor across the room. "I-It looks like nothing, uh, major was damaged."
"Then why's she unconscious?"
"Probably the, uh, shock to her system, a-and the pain. W-We got that knife out just in time, though. O-One more movement and it could've, uh, hit her spinal column."
Jeff closed his eyes, his hand stroking Penny's soft blonde hair. He reopened them in time to see Brains come to his feet, then stagger backwards into the chair. "Brains!"
He shook his head, squeezing his eyes closed against the wave of nausea that shuddered through him. "M-M-Mis...Mister..."
Jeff raced to his side and grabbed hold of him to keep him from falling. "For God's sake, Brains, it's Jeff. Just Jeff."
Brains nodded, causing his stomach to lurch. He twisted away from Jeff just in time to expel the contents of his stomach all over the floor. He sank to his knees and kept dry heaving as Jeff came down next to him. With one hand, he rubbed Brains' back.
"God, Brains, I-I'm sorry."
"For..." heave "...what..." heave
"I was so worried about Penny, I didn't even...are you okay?"
Deciding not to nod this time, Brains waited a few seconds for his stomach muscles to come under control. "S'okay, Mis...uh, Jeff. Must...have...a...concussion."
It was then that Jeff realized the exact state of his engineer. "Jesus! Your back!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah...it hurts."
"I can see why!" Most of the fabric of Brains' white polo had been burnt away in the explosion. There were blisters on both shoulder blades and down near the waistband of his pants. "Come on, get over here to a bed. I need to get some gel on those."
Jeff helped him to his feet and led him to the bed next to Penny's. Brains climbed up and sat down while Jeff opened a nearby cabinet and pulled out a tube of burn gel, then returned to the younger man and carefully began applying it to his wounds.
Brains flinched every time Jeff touched him. Thankfully, his stomach had settled down, and he found himself watching Lady Penelope's face. He was surprised a moment later when her eyelids fluttered open. Her blue eyes met his, and then looked beyond him to where Jeff stood, concentrating fully upon what he was doing.
"Uh, Mr...Jeff?"
"Yes, Brains?"
He tilted his head in Penny's direction. Jeff stopped in mid-swipe and looked over his shoulder. He was greeted with a dazzling smile, a smile that reached Penelope's eyes. "Penny," he said.
"Jeff," she breathed before slipping back into unconsciousness.
"She's gonna be okay," Jeff said, continuing his work on Brains' back.
"Yes, Sir. That she is."
"Thank you."
"O-Oh, no problem, uh, Jeff." Brains couldn't help but let his mind wander to the scene down in the lab. Jeff had been begging Brains to save her, begging him not to let her die. He'd been reacting like he was about to lose the most precious thing in his life. Reacting...like a man in love. Brains smiled.
Well, I'll be damned, he thought.
10:28:14
Gordon paced the small room like a caged tiger. Yes, he'd succeeded in getting the door unlocked, but when he'd cracked it open for a peek outside, he'd found two of the thugs he remembered from New Zealand camped in the hall not fifteen feet away. Thankfully, they hadn't seen him open the door, and he'd shut it quietly. Now frustration and disappointment overwhelmed him.
"I can't believe I got it open and now I can't do anything but sit here!" he complained to his unconscious companion. "Think, Gordo, think! You know submarines! There's gotta be something!"
But he could think of nothing. From what he could tell, this room was in the aft section of the sub, which meant there was probably a rear escape hatch not too far away. If they did have DDS's aboard, though, they'd be closer the main airlock in the midsection. So even if he did manage to get Tin-Tin out of the room, he'd have to make it all the way there without being seen, get her into a DDS, get into one himself and then try to make his getaway, towing her behind him.
Crouching on the floor next to where she slept on, Gordon reached out and shook her shoulder gently. "Come on, Tin-Tin, wake up. I can't do this if you're asleep. I just can't. I need you." She moaned and stirred, raising his hopes. "Tin-Tin? Come on, wake up. Come on, Tin-Tin, you can do it."
Her eyes fluttered open, and once again she was met with total darkness. Was she still in that place? "Father?" she moaned.
Gordon frowned. Why would she be calling for Kyrano? "No, Tin-Tin. It's me, Gordon." He helped her sit up, holding her steady with his hands. "Tin-Tin, are you all right?"
She shook her head as the fog that had settled over her began to clear. "What? Gordon? Where am I?"
"You don't remember? We're on the sub."
"Oh...the sub...Father!"
"What about him?"
"He's alive, Gordon! He's alive! I saw him! I was with him, I spoke to him!"
"How? You've been here with me the whole time."
"No, not here. There. In the Great Void."
"Tin-Tin, are you sure you're okay?"
She smiled, one hand grasping his. "Yes, I am now."
"I got the door unlocked."
"You did?"
"Yes, but two of those men are out there. I don't see how we can get out without them noticing."
She came to her feet a bit unsteadily, Gordon supporting her all the way. "Let me have a look," she said.
He led her across the room and placed her hand on the latch. "Slowly," he whispered.
She opened the door a crack and peered out into the blinding light. It took some time for her eyesight to adjust, but at last she saw the two men Gordon had spoken of. One was smoking a cigarette and pacing the hall. The other seemed to be speaking angrily into a walkie-talkie.
"They're agitated," she whispered, closing the door again. "If I didn't know better, I'd say something's gone wrong."
Gordon smiled. "Go, Dad."
10:39:22
"This is Operation IR calling International Rescue. Come in, International Rescue."
"Receiving you, Ned."
"John. I just wanted to give you an update on things here."
"Okay, go ahead."
"Well, we've got nearly everyone accounted for and off to their destinations. The evacuating public seems to still be pretty calm. But the television stations are going crazy with people clamoring for International Rescue to give up the ghost."
"I know. I've been watching."
"Other than that, how are things going on your end?"
"Not the best, I'm afraid. Things have been pretty hectic."
"Scott Tracy calling Thunderbird 5."
"Hang on, Ned. Go ahead, Scott."
"John, I can't raise Dad. In fact, I can't raise anyone back at Base. Have they been in touch with you?"
"No, Scott, haven't heard a peep. How's everybody back there?"
"Fine, just fine. They're about to take Virgil up to the Security Ward where Alan is, and Grandma will be joining us up there shortly. After I'm sure everything's under control, I'm gonna head over to the Danger Zone, check in with 53, and get The Mole and Thunderbird 2 under wraps."
"F.A.B. I've got Ned Cook on the line. He says things are going smoothly on his end."
"Well, that's good news. John, I'm worried about Dad. I can't even get Penny."
"All right, I'll work at raising them. Let you know as soon as I hear anything."
"Thanks. Scott out."
"Hey, Ned? Sorry about that." When he didn't get a reply, he said, "Ned? You there?"
"John! John! Something terrible's happened!"
Oh, God, now what? he thought. "Ned, what're you talking about?"
"WNN got wind of what we're doing here. Damn that Phil Epstein!"
"Phil Epstein? What's going on?"
"They're broadcasting. Can you tune in WNN?"
"Yeah, hang on." John flipped one of his monitors over to WNN's broadcast frequency. There was a shot of LAX from a helijet, and Phil Epstein's voice could be heard.
"...can't be certain what's going on, but WNN has learned that the group International Rescuees, formed nine years ago by Ned Cook of NTBS, have swarmed into Los Angeles International Airport. Jets belonging to Unity Airlines have been taking off at regular intervals, reportedly full of Rescuee members and their families. It looks like International Rescue and their supporters aren't going to take Acronym's threats lying down. Stay tuned to this station for further updates on this extraordinary development."
"Dammit!" John bellowed, slamming his fist down onto the console. "Do you know what this means?"
"Jesus, John, I'm so sorry. I have no idea how he found out, I truly don't."
"It's not your fault, Ned. Something this big couldn't be kept secret forever. But still...can the International Rescuee members be identified in any way?"
"No. They were instructed to wear normal clothing. No one will know unless the aircraft they arrive in are identified as being ones that left here carrying IRee members. But, God, if Acronym is watching this..."
"I know, Ned, I know. Just keep things tight as you can on your end. I need to get hold of F...uh, Mr. Tracy."
"Right on. Let me know if you need anything from me."
John closed his eyes, trying to collect his thoughts. Then he opened the special line used for calling Base. "Thunderbird 5 to Base. Come in. This is an emergency. Thunderbird 5 to International Rescue. Come in, please!"
10:46:49
Having finished doing what he could for Brains, Jeff was now pulling a blanket up over Penny's bare back. Brains had sealed the knife wound with syntheskin, and she seemed to be resting comfortably. He happened to look down at his left wrist, and only then did he realize something was missing.
"My watch!" he said, clapping a hand to his arm. "It's gone! I must've lost it in the lab!"
Brains, who was pulling a clean shirt on over the bandages on his back, lifted his own wrist. "I-It looks like mine was, uh, damaged in the e-explosion."
"If the boys are trying to get hold of us...Brains, stay here with Penny for a minute."
"O-Okay."
Jeff raced out of the ward and headed for the Lounge. He cursed himself for not realizing sooner that his watch was gone. When he reached his destination, the eyes on John's vid portrait were flashing. He raced to his desk and jabbed the line open.
"Father! Thank God! What's goin' on down there?"
"Long story, John. We've had some trouble, but I think we're okay now."
"Father, I've got bad news."
Jeff blanched. "Mother? Virgil? Alan?"
"No, no, they're all fine, Scott just reported in from Arlington Hospital. Looks like they're all gonna pull through okay. Alan's secure and Virgil and Grandma are heading up to the Security Ward as well. Listen, Father, about International Rescuees..."
"What about 'em?"
"WNN found out about the operation at LAX. Phil Epstein's blabbing it to the world."
"No," Jeff breathed. "No!"
"Father, the Rescuees should be fairly safe, but if Acronym finds out we're fighting him..."
"Gordon. Tin-Tin. Oh, God." Jeff sagged into his chair. He ran a hand through his hair, thinking how ironic it was that he'd done the same thing not ten hours ago...and things had only gotten worse since then. "Penny and Brains have been injured."
"What? Are they okay?"
"They'll be fine. Brains is up and about, and he's tending to Penny. But I have to take Thunderbird 4 out, and I mean now."
"Father, you can't go alone!"
"I have no choice! Brains needs to stay here to work out that formula to counteract UH-3! And Penny's in no condition to be traveling."
At that moment, Penelope and Brains appeared in front of the desk. Her hand was on his shoulder, and she wore a fresh, clean pink blouse.
"Penny, what're you doing out of bed?"
"Jefferson Tracy, if you think you're going to ditch me and take on that submarine yourself, you have another think coming."
"No way, Penny, it's out of the question. You just got stabbed, for God's sake!"
"Stabbed?" John exclaimed from the wall.
Penny turned to look at John, dazzling him with a brilliant smile. "Not to worry, John, I'm fine." Then she turned back to Jeff and faced him, eyes blazing. "Don't you tell me what to do, Jefferson Tracy. I am an International Rescue agent. Gordon and Tin-Tin's lives are in danger and you need help. I'm going with you."
Jeff opened his mouth to protest, but the look in her eyes told him this was a battle he wasn't going to win. He sighed and shook his head. "Brains, can you continue your work on the formula with the state the lab's in?"
"Uh, yes, Sir. I-I can get Braman to, uh, help me where necessary."
"Good. And check on Otayuki again. I locked him up tight in Containment 1, but I want to make sure he stays there."
"Yes, Sir," Brains replied as he headed for the elevator.
"Otayuki?" John asked.
"Later, John. I'll explain later. Right now, I want you to feed the coordinates of that sub to Thunderbird 4, and then get on with Scott and tell him to get back here as soon as he can."
"F.A.B."
"Tell him to bring Dr. Crawford with him. In spite of having Braman, I think Brains'll need the help."
"Okay, Father."
"And John?"
"Yes?"
"Tell Scott he's got to be 100% on Crawford before he brings her back here."
Understanding fully, John nodded. "F.A.B. Thunderbird 5 out."
Jeff turned his attention to the woman who stood straight as a pin in front of him. "Penny, you have got to be the most stubborn woman I have ever met."
"That's right, Jeff. I am. Now let's get down to Thunderbird 4. I feel like saving some lives."
10:58:52
"I hear voices," Gordon said.
"Yes, they're coming nearer."
Suddenly they heard a key in the lock. It rattled, and then loud cursing followed. The door banged open and all four thugs poured into the room. Two of them grabbed each of Gordon's arms, while the other two grabbed Tin-Tin's.
"So," the one named Greg said as he shook Gordon violently. "You got the door unlocked, huh? Very clever, International Rescue. But it's gonna take more than lock-picking to save your ass now."
Tin-Tin and Gordon exchanged frightened glances. "What are you talking about?" Gordon managed to ask.
Greg sneered. "Your father screwed up, rich boy. Now I get to choose which one of you dies."
10:59:58
10:59:59
11:00:00