Author's Note – Thank you for the patience and the feedback. Sorry to leave you hanging. Thanks to Kim T for her encouragement, Sam W for her much needed technical advice and Quiller for beta-ing more than just the commas!! … mcj.
THE FIRE – PART 3
"Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of quiet reflection"
The silent shadow slumped wearily, long and hard, against the trunk of a secluded palm tree. Arms folded, head bowed, he didn't know how long he'd been out here. Long enough for dusk and twilight to turn into the late evening, he supposed, and definitely long enough to replay what had happened in front of Father too many times over in his head.
The shoulders of the shadow slumped further.
He had never walked out on one of Father's debriefings before. There were times, of course, when he'd been tempted, especially when he didn't agree with some of the things Brains or Father recommended. Father tended to base too many of his decisions on what Brains had to think and say. In fact, Father usually asked Brains for his take on things before anyone else was invited to open their mouth. It could be tedious at times and very aggravating, particularly when Brains went nowhere near the danger zone and only had second-hand information about what had actually happened.
Scott Tracy shook his head; remembering the moments of irritation.
Not that Brains had had anything to do with this particular debacle. Brains didn't know how lucky he was to be safely out of the firing line at the aerospace conference in Houston. He was probably sitting across the table from some young and pretty brunette scientist right now, sipping an exotic cocktail and pretending to be engrossed in the world of nuclear physics. Come to think of it, knowing Brains, he probably wouldn't be pretending. Physics was the man's entire life.
Scott shrugged. Not that it mattered to him one way or the other. Whatever Brains was doing, whether it was business, pleasure or both; he had to be having a much better time in Houston than standing here under a palm tree for hours.
He sighed, rubbed his hand across his growing stubble, and glanced up towards the balcony of the villa.
No doubt Father would want a "quiet word" with him when he finally managed to calm down. He wasn't looking forward to that. Father didn't approve of raised voices at the best of times and no-one EVER walked out on a debriefing.
Memories of the glass door crashing closed behind him reminded him that he was guilty of more than simply walking out. The words self-control, self-discipline and restraint came to mind, together with the image of Father inviting him to join him at the railing to remind him they formed the basis of the Tracy family values. Values their father had single-handedly raised them to uphold; just as he had raised them to demonstrate leadership and take responsibility for their actions.
Yep, Father was going to have a lot to say tonight; their eyes level on the darkened balcony. That low commanding voice was no different now to what it used to be in the old days when he or his brothers stepped out of line.
There was an expectation in the Tracy family, he would say. The expectation that everyone showed respect, not only towards him but towards each other.
The palm trees rustled in the growing breeze; a sound he usually welcomed to temporarily block out some of the less appealing images of the rescue business. He liked the gentle noise. It allowed him to put things in perspective…to get a grip again… to relax and find the inner strength to lay his life on the line again tomorrow.
Tonight, even with the rustling, he couldn't put things in perspective.
He'd raised his voice at all of them; Alan, Johnny, Gordon... even Virgil, his closest friend. He'd allowed his iron control to snap trying not to express how scared he'd been. Scared not only for them, but for himself, when things had gone wrong in the danger zone.
The trouble was when Scott Tracy got scared, Scott Tracy exploded.
He never pulled any punches when it came down to the dangerous work he undertook with his brothers. Neither did he play the "what if" game when it came down to making decisions. He made the hard calls and he stuck to them. He focussed on being in command. It was one of the most important things he had learnt as a captain in the Air Force. Father agreed with him. Delay bred doubt and in the rescue business, the combination could be lethal.
"Always go with your gut instincts, son." Father told him. "A good commander can't afford to do anything else once he's decided to take a risk with his men."
So if Father was right and he was such a good commander, why was he standing out here questioning his own judgement and saying the words "what if?"
What if Virgil hadn't pulled Alan out? What if the Firefly hadn't held up for Gordon?
What if all three of them had burnt to death right in front of his very eyes? Virgil, Gordon and Alan weren't just his "men". They were three of his four little brothers. Brothers he'd promised to look out for ever since the day Father had broken the news they no longer had a mother. How could they expect him to forgive himself if any of them had died? How did they think he would have been able explain such a thing to Father? News like that would finish him. He was still retreating inside himself to find the answers about Mother twenty one years after she had died.
Resigned fingers dug into the corners of tired eyes, trying to rub out the exhaustion.
The whole thing had been destined for trouble from the moment Father took the distress call from Five. He, Virgil and Alan had only been back at base for seven hours after dealing with a routine operation in the Philippines.
Routine. That was the story they'd finally agreed to give Father.
The truth was, the operation had almost ended up as anything but routine. The delay in Johnny relaying the clearance requirements had nearly resulted in catastrophe when he had brought Thunderbird One in to land. Fortunately, his Air Force training had come in useful and he'd been able to perform one of his more spectacular landings.
"I'm not going to say this to you again, Johnny. You need to drop your ass into the cot the moment I get off this frequency or I swear I'll say something to Dad."
Yeah, it was fair to say he'd been pretty direct with John as the Thunderbirds headed for home. It was also fair to say that John hadn't liked it. Even Virgil hinted that he might have overreacted a bit when they downed a cognac together, later.
But he didn't agree.
Like he'd said to Johnny, it wasn't the apparent lack of focus that was starting to rub his edges raw. It was the fact that Johnny expected him to believe the problem was the result of too many back to back rescues.
Virgil's casual shrug of the shoulders was really annoying when Scott was trying to make a point. The simple gesture threw him into defensive mode each and every time he did it. It was even more annoying when coupled with Virgil's cool, relaxed exterior.
For goodness' sake, it wasn't like the new volume on astronomy John was writing was any kind of deep, dark, family secret. Father had told him only yesterday that John's latest book was three months ahead of schedule. Three whole months. There was only one way someone monitoring the safety of world 24/7 could get three months ahead of anything. Johnny's lack of sleep was detrimental to his performance and if he didn't start taking Scott seriously soon, his eldest brother was going to make damn sure the message would be handed down from the one person he wouldn't ignore.
"Ah, I see," Virgil had replied, after a few moments of contemplating his glass. Then the brown eyes had lifted and looked directly at him. "You need to justify your decision on what's the right time to rat out on Johnny to Dad."
Even with the sarcasm, Virgil had remained ridiculously composed. AND he knew Scott too well. It was more than simply annoying sometimes. It was as frustrating as all hell.
"Look, Johnny knows the deal, OK?" he'd heard himself snap before draining his own glass and muttering a curt good night. The amused observation that John wasn't the only one in need of sleep had followed him all the way out the door.
So; when the emergency call had come in the next morning, he had expected to see John rested and in complete control of the situation. It had been over eight hours since their terse exchange over the frequency and eight hours of continuous shut-eye should have been enough to pull almost anyone back together.
Provided they had actually slept.
Scott remembered clamping his lips together as he was faced with the sight of his bleary-eyed little brother. It wasn't that Johnny didn't look OK. Johnny always did. The blond hair was never out of place and the long lean body always stood straight and tall. John knew the way it was. He made very sure he was everything Father expected to see when Thunderbird Five radioed in a call, because he knew if he didn't, Father would be asking the reason why. The trouble was, when an emergency occurred, Father tended to forget about everything else. How else could he explain Father failing to notice the dark circles underneath Johnny's eyes?
Father failed to notice a couple of other things too; like Alan arriving shirtless from the direction of the Kyrano apartments and reeking of Tin-Tin's latest perfume. Alan's drowsy, red-rimmed eyes told a unique and sordid story of their own.
He hadn't had much sleep either.
Scott's suspicions were confirmed when Tin-Tin arrived a few moments later; her shapely body hastily covered by Alan's missing shirt.
She looked worse than he did.
Thank God Father had drawn him into a conversation about the danger zone before he'd said something he would probably regret.
"The area is right alongside the Monte Vista fault line, Scott," he was musing, pointing at the image on the map. "Mmm...here...here...and here. Those minor quakes sure are causing us some problems lately. How many did you say were trapped this time John? "
"Errr ..."
Father looked up, momentarily concerned at the delay in providing the information. John obviously realised it, because he cleared his throat, and then said confidently, "Ten, sir," without any reference to his notes.
Father nodded, gave John a brief smile of affirmation and returned his attention to the map.
"Right, ten it is. "
By now, both Virgil and Gordon were dressed and waiting in the middle of the lounge. Virgil leaned against the door jamb, listening attentively. When Father glanced over at him he nodded to indicate he understood. It was a sharp contrast to Gordon, who announced his presence with a cheery, "Land, space or sea, Dad?" and a wink in Alan's direction when he saw Miss Kyrano's apparel.
Father's preoccupied reply of "It's land, son, so it doesn't look like you'll be required…" soon wiped away his cheerfulness. Father was still being very careful with Gordon and unless Thunderbird Four was required or the rescue looked like it was major, he tended to leave Gordon at home. The lack of balance was an uncomfortable subject particularly where Gordon was concerned. He continued to stress to Father he was fully recovered from the accident. Father, like the rest of them, continued to observe otherwise.
"Do you need me to do anything, Mr. Tracy?" Tin-Tin enquired as Gordon flopped on the sofa in complete dejection. Father looked up from the map again to ask her if she'd mind bringing him some coffee; nearly choking on his simple request when he saw her hurried selection of attire.
The long hard glare in Alan's direction indicated he wasn't very impressed.
Alan's face didn't move. He was concentrating hard on what Johnny had to say about the rescue. John had just received further information that the authorities were trying to contain several small fires burning either side of the damaged building. The cause of the fires was unknown, he said. He was waiting to receive more information.
"Fires? How long have they known about that?"
"Unknown at this stage, Scott. All they said was there were two small fires burning in the neighbouring buildings. They didn't give me the impression there's any need for us to panic. The head guy said our main involvement is still only to get the people out."
"How close are the buildings together, son?"
"I'm not sure, Father."
"What do you mean you're not sure?"
"Sorry Scott, but the details coming in are still rather sketchy."
"Mmmm. I don't like this. Scott, I think you'd better get out there and check out the current situation. "
"FAB, Dad."
"John, tell the authorities we're on our way. Scott will be in contact with you as soon as Thunderbird One is airborne to obtain the latest details."
"FAB, Father."
"Gordon …"
"Yes, sir?"
"Looks like you're going along with your brothers after all."
"All right! FAB, Dad."
"You want us to load the Firefly then, Dad?"
"Yes, Virgil. Hopefully we won't need it, but if we do, you know what's required."
"FAB, Dad."
Virgil's words were the last Scott heard before he rotated out of view to take up his position in Thunderbird One. Thunderbird Two would follow the moment the rescue equipment was on board. He heard the familiar clank to his left. Father wasn't wasting any time. Virgil had already begun his descent into the hangar of Thunderbird Two.
Destination: Los Altos Hills.
Once he'd managed to get airborne, Scott thought long and hard about his timing when it came down to the required contact with John. He was still feeling pretty cheesed off that his order to sleep had been ignored. John knew the consequences of sleep-deprivation, despite all the smart-assed argument. Sleeping eighteen hours at a stretch, then tossing and turning all night was no way for a guy to spend two weeks out of four when he came home from Five on rotation. No wonder Grandma said he looked like hell half the time. What he was doing to himself was ridiculous.
Then his thoughts turned to Alan. Alan ought to have more sense when it came to the sleep department too. He was going to have something to say about that to Father, the moment he got back to Base. Burying himself in Miss Kyrano's charms might be fine when there was temporary lull in operations. The rest of the time he had an obligation to the outfit to bury his head in a pillow.
As Thunderbird One headed at top speed towards the American coastline, Scott decided that if anything went wrong this time, he was going to involve Father to the max. The welfare of his brothers meant the world to him and things weren't going all that well lately when it came down to balancing ego with performance.
It was Virgil, not John, who made the first contact; forty minutes after Thunderbird One had headed away from base. Thunderbird Two was well on its way to the danger zone, Virgil reported. They had the Firefly on board. He'd also spent the last fifteen minutes sorting out the kindergarten squabble between the two kids over whose turn it was to operate the rescue equipment.
"Who won?" he'd found himself laughing.
Virgil relaxed and laughed, too. Well, Alan hadn't been very happy at first but he'd finally agreed that Gordon should be allowed to take his turn this time. Gordon would be operating the Firefly. He also had a couple of ideas on how they could get the ten people out fast.
"The unknown of the fires is probably going to complicate things, though..." Virgil trailed off, deep in thought.
"So does the fact that Johnny's still tired," he retorted back. "I don't want a repeat of what happened to us yesterday, Virgil. Let me make that extremely clear."
Virgil remained silent, no doubt deciding whether it was a good move or not to continue with his comments. When he did, it all came out with the same straight down the line candidness he'd displayed the night before.
"You know your problem, Scott?"
"Besides your ETA?"
"Yeah, besides my ETA."
"OK, what?"
"You place too much emphasis on assumption, big brother."
"Oh I do, do I? Well, Johnny's lack of sleep has nothing to do with assumption."
"You don't know how much sleep he had."
"No, I don't. I also don't know how much sleep Alan had and you saw the look Dad gave him."
Alan's voice cut in. "Hey! That's not fair. We…I mean…I…I mean me…err…I did go to sleep last night."
"Yeah and we all know who with, too."
"Don't you guys start all that stuff about me and Tin-Tin again," he protested. "I told you there's nothing going on between us."
"Sure, Al."
"We believe you."
"That's why she was wearing your shirt in front of Father this morning, right?"
"For your information Virgil, Tin-Tin was only wearing my shirt because it was an emergency and she had trouble finding her own."
"I'm not touching that one, kid."
"Me neither."
"Why don't you shut up, Gordon?"
"Hey I wasn't the one without the shirt, OK Al?"
Scott tried to keep a straight face and refrain from joining in the banter. At the moment Father had entrusted him with the role of Field Commander. He needed to concentrate on the job. He wanted to remind his brothers they needed to concentrate on the job, too. He'd do that just before they hit the danger zone.
And that included Johnny.
When the call finally came in from Thunderbird Five, Scott was ten minutes away from the town of Los Altos Hills. The rush of adrenalin had already begun to invade his body. As always, he was calm about the part he was about to play.
Virgil was about an hour behind him. The kids had it clear on who was to operate the equipment. He was ready to talk to John and receive the final updates. After that he would take control of the rescue and set up Mobile Control.
The protocol began the moment he flicked the switch on the frequency. No niceties. Just business. He was impressed. Johnny had really pulled his act together in the past one hundred minutes.
Confirming quake had been categorised as "strong" by the local authorities. Confirming no further seismic activity recorded on or near the site. Confirming building concerned was masonry B."
"Masonry B?" Scott interrupted with a frown. "I wonder exactly what they mean by that."
John didn't look like he knew, either.
"Dunno, Scott – Masonry B just comes up on the town plan as a reinforced building not designed to resist lateral forces. The building was designed by some local guy; a millionaire structural engineer by the name of Harvey T. Giles. You want me to check it out further?"
"Affirmative. What else have you got?"
"Well, as expected, some movement has been detected in the foundations. A couple of wall panels thrown out, too. We have ten… repeat…ten persons who still require our assistance."
"FAB, John. What's the latest on the fire situation?"
"The authorities keep saying they only need our involvement to get the ten people out of the building, Scott."
"Check it out again, John. I don't want any surprises."
"FAB."
"Oh – and while you're at it, try and get a handle on the whereabouts of the Harvey T Giles guy. He might be able to give us the proper low-down on the actual stability of the building."
Father was apprehensive when Scott radioed through the update. He frowned when the name of Harvey T. Giles was mentioned. He'd heard of the guy all right. He made his money by taking shortcuts. He certainly wasn't renowned in engineering circles for his expertise. The story was that one of his Los Altos Hills buildings had collapsed a few years back before the Richter scale hit four.
"Be careful, son. What's the latest update on the fires?"
"Nothing yet, Father. I've asked John to make further contact with the authorities to confirm the fire situation is under control. I'll be flying over the danger zone in just under four minutes so I'll be able to see things for myself. I'll request John to provide you with further information when he receives it from the authorities. "
"All right, son. Keep me informed…whatever you find out."
"Yes, sir. I will."
Four minutes seemed to take four hours when a man was feeling tense, particularly as he waited with impatience for his first glimpse of the unknown. That first glimpse coincided with a call from John in Thunderbird Five. The firm, steady voice from the previous communication was no longer firm or steady.
"Scott, I…"
"You don't have to tell me anything, Johnny. I can see the damn things for myself."
The fires below his Thunderbird craft blazed wildly into the sky. Black smoke billowed in thick clouds towards the height of the surrounding mountains. He swore and began his descent immediately, demanding on the way down that John patch him through to Thunderbird Two and do it on the double.
"Find out the rest of the information while I figure out how to reduce Thunderbird Two's ETA," he barked into the frequency. "I want to know everything there is to know about those fires, Johnny, the moment I hit the ground."
"FAB, Scott."
As he landed and cut the engines, Virgil's face appeared on the vid.
"Hey, Scott. What's up?"
"What's your ETA, Virgil?"
"ETA? Fifty-two minutes. Why?"
"I need you to halve it."
"Halve it? What for?"
"Buddy, I just need you to do it. We've got big trouble down here. I haven't got time for specifics. The two fires reported earlier look to me like there's no differentiation. Our building is smack bang the hell in the middle of it."
"But I thought John said we only…"
"I know what John SAID, Virgil. That's why I need to see you fly over that ridge in the next half an hour, OK? We both know we've got the capability to do it. "
"I know, Scott…but Brains said…"
"I don't care what Brains said. Tell the kids to get suited up. They'll need to work fast. I'm going to go over to set up Mobile Control and check out the situation further."
"FAB, Scott."
Scott closed his eyes and took a deep breath before returning to his communication with the satellite.
"This is Scott Tracy calling John Tracy in Thunderbird Five. I have landed at the danger zone. I repeat, I have landed at the danger zone. Do you have the required information?"
Nothing.
"John, I repeat…do you have the information?"
Nothing again.
Nothing as the fires combined and gained intensity, resistant to all the authorities' best efforts to contain them.
Nothing until twenty seven damn minutes later when Thunderbird Two soared over Los Altos Hills, twenty-five minutes ahead of schedule.
"Jesus, John. Where the hell have you been?"
John sounded surprised.
"What do you mean? I've been on the other frequency as instructed, trying to track down Harvey Giles."
"And??"
"And all I can do is reconfirm the previous information. Sorry Scott, he wasn't very helpful."
"Damn... It doesn't matter. We're nearly ready to go down here."
"Virgil's there already?"
"Yes, John. Virgil's here. Please open all frequencies and reconfirm available information."
"How the hell did…?"
"Don't worry about it, John. Reconfirm information as requested."
"FAB. Thunderbird Five reconfirming all required information.
"Initial quake strong.
" No further seismic activity.
"Building containing ten trapped persons confirmed as standard Masonry B.
"Masonry B defined as building reinforced with good workmanship and mortar. It is not ...I repeat NOT designed to resist lateral forces in presence of violent activity.
"Foundations have moved.
"Several wall panels thrown out."
"What about the f…"
"Fire located in danger zone can no longer be contained. I repeat – can no longer be contained.
"Eight persons located in Zone 1.
"Zone 1 situated centre left on ground floor.
"Wind direction north west."
"North west? You sure about that John?"
"Re-confirming north west, Mobile Control."
"OK then listen up. John, do you also have the rundown on Masonry standards C & D?"
"Copy that to me again Mobile Control?"
"I said …"
"Firefly will be in position within the next two minutes, Scott."
"FAB, Virg. Do not proceed until ordered."
"OK, Scott."
"Are you with me Johnny? I said I require basic information … repeat ... basic information …on Masonry standard C and D. C for Charlie ...D for Delta."
"C & D? Scott, I've already confirmed twice that the building is a category B."
"I know that. Forget that. Just get me the hell what I need!"
"Look Scott, I spoke to Giles myself. He guaranteed the building is a clear cut category B."
"I said get me the information, John and get it for me NOW."
"But why…"
"Just GET it John.""
"FAB."
"Firefly to Mobile Control. I'm ready and in position Scott."
"FAB, Gordon. Stand by pending re-confirmation of current building stability."
"Negative, Mobile Control. We need to enter the building immediately. Please give me the necessary clearance to proceed."
"Gordon! Do NOT...I repeat...DO NOT enter the building until given the order to do so."
"OK, Firefly standing by."
"Johnny, what the hell is the delay in getting that information?"
"Mobile Control, this building isn't going to hold out much longer."
"Stand by, Virgil."
"Sorry... we're not in a position to do that, Scott."
"Do as I say, Virgil."
"But Scott…"
"Don't argue with me Virgil."
"OK. Standing by."
"Thunderbird Five to Mobile Control. I have the requested information."
"OK…OK…give me D for Delta, first."
"Confirming Masonry D - weak materials, poor mortar, low standard of workmanship. Building...horizontally weak. Building not permitted in sphere of influence of Los Altos Hills town plan."
"So what the hell is C then?"
"Ummm…it says here no extreme weakness but building not reinforced. Not designed to withstand horizontal forces. Legal but ..."
"That's it. That's the lowest possible standard he can use."
"Who? What? "
"John, I don't have time to explain. Mobile Control to Gordon Tracy...Gordon, you have less than five minutes to get those people out. Clear the pathway as quick as you can and then get the hell right out of there. That building has no ability to withstand the upper floors crashing down on top of it."
"But …"
"I said proceed, Gordon… NOW."
The waves broke nearby. Scott's body jerked. He lifted a shaking hand to his forehead to realise it was drenched in sweat. The five long minutes that followed were the longest five minutes of his life.
Gordon reacted immediately and feverishly began his work. Scott heard John on open frequency, providing an update to Father. Father began demanding to be patched through to Mobile Control. Scott didn't have time to talk to Father. He could only hope his assessment of the situation was right. If Giles was as crooked as Father said he was, the stability of that building would be barely enough to meet the legal requirements.
Then he saw Alan unexpectedly move towards another entrance to the burning building. He should have known what was coming next. The kid didn't wait or take the time to ask any questions. The kid just didn't think. He scooted inside the building without warning and disappeared into the flames.
The scream stuck in his throat as Virgil saw Alan, too, and headed in the same direction. He watched Virgil panicking when he realised the entrance was gone.
He yelled at Virgil to stay put and ran towards the building himself, screaming at the top of his voice that the wind must have changed direction. They needed to abandon the rescue. They needed to get out of there. The building was coming down.
He saw the Firefly. He saw Gordon. He thought he counted eight people staggering blindly out of the wreckage. But he still couldn't see Alan. Virgil was missing too. He saw the Firefly lurch forward.
"No!"
Dear God…not Gordon too.
The building roared.
He completely froze.
He remembered his promise to Father.
Moments later, the building fell.