Pinkranger888- Yep, it is a very good thing he has them. XD I would most likely trip too. My mother is a klutz and so am I.: P I think you are right about that. Strange how things work out like that. : P I know how that is. I too am waiting for updates. XD –returns the high five- Dang! And I thought it was cold here in Southern Cali. Though it does seem to be more windy then cold right now. I would be freezing too. XD Good luck keeping warm! Of course I will. XD
err... who am i?- I am the same way. Very easily distracted. It seems to be a trait in my family because my mom is the exact same way. :P They've been walking just over a day, as they were captured at night. Right now yes, but worse is yet to come. XD I'm glad you like it. He's going to get off very easy compared to his children. Especially Alan, Evelyn, and Gordon. XD
Little Miss Bump- XD I'm glad you enjoyed it. Aw, your making me blush! Again. :P I totally agree. Scenes with Alan are awesome. XD Yeah, that had to hurt and yes you are right, a load of Alan whumpage is on the way. You are absolutely correct. It's gonna be big and loads of fluff will follow it. XD
Gilian 101-It's okay. Real life takes priority. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hmm, about three of four chapters off yet. And it's a big boo-boo, so hopefully you will enjoy it. XD
foxee-chik- I'm glad you like it and that you can't wait for the next chapter. XD
Chapter Twenty- The Five Flyers
September 10th, 2024
The next afternoon found John, Evelyn, Fermat, Tin-Tin, Kaphiri, Lady Penelope, and Parker waiting in a familiar field on the outskirts of Boston for Sam and his family to arrive. The group had spent the night at Lady Penelope's mansion before traveling to Boston the next day, Sam having agreed to sell his four ultra lights to Evelyn and then have dinner with them at Samantha's apartment that evening.
Shortly after agreeing to the favor, Sam had apparently called his sister and had told her the news of Evelyn's visit. He had promptly called Evelyn back and told her that they would all have dinner that evening after he helped load up the ultra lights into the trailer they had rented to carry them to the airport.
John, Fermat, and Kaphiri stood leaning against the large enclosed trailer attached to the truck they had rented while a few feet away, Parker stood beside Lady Penelope as they stood beside FAB 1 and watched the horizon for any approaching vehicles. Evelyn and Tin-Tin sat in the shade provided by the trailer, both of them playing with the grass on the ground in front of them.
The sound to two approaching diesel engines alerted the group of the approaching vehicles before they appeared and began to drive towards them. Both trucks pulled small, enclosed trailers in which the ultra lights were stored. Evelyn and Tin-Tin dropped the blades of grass they had been playing with and stood up, brushing off their pants as they two trucks stopped a few yards behind the rental.
As the engines were turned off, the passenger door of the second truck was pushed open and a familiar brunette emerged from the truck and made her way towards Evelyn. Samantha smiled brightly as she hugged Evelyn in greeting.
"Hey Evelyn," Samantha smiled, glancing over her shoulder at her brother and his family as they stepped out of the truck. She then looked back towards Evelyn and smiled over towards Fermat. "Hello again Fermat."
"H-h-hey Ms. Connors," he replied, stepping away from the trailer to stand before the women.
Samantha frowned, though her hazel eyes sparkled with mirth. "Fermat, you no longer attended Wharton's. I think you can start calling me Samantha now. Unless you would like me to continue calling you Mr. Hackenbacker?"
Fermat smiled. "I-it will just take some a-a-a-a getting used to."
Samantha then noticed Kaphiri standing awkwardly a few feet away."Who is he?" she asked quietly.
Fermat glanced over his shoulder to see who she was talking about and smiled as his eyes landed on the Medjai. "T-that's Kaphiri. He's an f-f-f-friend of Lady Penelope's," Fermat fibbed.
A few feet away, Evelyn smiled as she hugged Sam, Jessica, and Brad in greeting before looking to the tallest of the family. "Thank you so much for doing this Sam."
"We're glad to help Evelyn," Sam smiled, his wife wrapping an arm around her husband's waist as they both smiled at Evelyn. "Though we would like an explanation."
"We will explain everything at dinner," John commented as he came to stand beside Evelyn and extended his hand towards the family. So they will be sitting down when we tell them.
Jessica took John's hand first and grinned at him. "And you must be John. Evelyn's told us so much about you and the rest of your family I feel like I already know all of you."
John glanced over at Evelyn with a raised eyebrow. Evelyn shrugged in response. John laughed before shaking Sam's hand. "I think that goes both ways, and not just from Evelyn."
Sam and Jessica laughed. "Speaking of Alan, where is he?" Jessica asked as Sam and Brad headed towards the trailers to unload the ultra lights.
Evelyn bit her lip and glanced over at John. Jessica's eyebrow's furrowed in confusion as she looked between the two siblings. "Where he is will also be explained over dinner," John answered, looking towards Evelyn as he spoke.
Jessica nodded slowly, her expression curious. John then reached into his back pocket and removed an envelope. He then preceded to hand it to Jessica. "For the ultra lights and flight suits," he explained as she opened the envelope and looked at the check inside. Her dark blue eyes went wide at the amount written on the check.
"I-we," she paused and took a deep breath as she closed the envelope and holding it out for John to take. "I-I can't accept this."
"Yes you can Jessica," John replied, pushing Jessica's hand and the check back towards her. "You are doing us a huge favor and this is the least we can do."
"Now," Evelyn interrupted before Jessica could say any more about the check. John set a hand on Evelyn's shoulder as he smiled towards Jessica. "How about we get suited up so we can teach John, Tin-Tin and Lady Penelope how to fly."
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... …
After spending several hours teaching John, Tin-Tin, and Lady Penelope how to fly an ultra light and also letting them go up on their own, the group found themselves in Samantha's apartment, who was amazed that so many people were able to fit into her dining room. They were currently sitting around her table, finishing off the third pizza she had gotten from Pizza Hut.
"Okay," Jessica began as she set down her napkin on the paper plate that Samantha had provided for them. "Where is Alan and why exactly do you need four ultra lights?"
"You never were one to beat around the bush were you Jess," Samantha teased as she walked back into the dining room and sat down beside her brother. Samantha smiled as he sister-in-law rolled her eyes before she also looked towards Evelyn and John. "Though she did ask exactly what I was thinking."
"Same here," Sam agreed. On the other side of Jessica, Brad nodded his argeement.
"First things first," Lady Penelope stated, glancing at each of the Connors sitting at the table. "Everything that is going to be explained must stay in this room. No one must know what we are about to tell you."
"Are you guys like spies or something?" Brad laughed, ignoring the stern look his mother was giving him. "Oh, I know. The Thunderbirds."
Evelyn and John glanced at each other, their expressions serious before turning back to look at the four Connors. Brad slowly stopped laughing at the looks on their faces. "You are. You're the Thunderbirds?" he asked, his eyes wide in shock.
Sam, Samantha, and Jessica all looked towards Brad incredulously. They watched him stare at John and Evelyn for a few moments before they too looked at the two siblings sitting across from them. John gave a slight nod of confirmation and Evelyn smiled sadly towards Samantha.
"That's impossible," Samantha muttered, shaking her head.
"Dad came up with the idea the year after our mom died," John explained. "Fermat's dad helped dad's dream of a nonprofit rescue organization become a reality."
"But for all the good that they do, they have their enemies. One in particular called The Hood," Lady Penelope added.
"I remember that name," Sam muttered, glancing over at his wife before looking back towards the Tracy's. "About four years ago I believe. He found the base and hijacked Thunderbird Two. Wreaked havoc in London."
"That's exactly what he did. He first shot a missile at our space station, Thunderbird Five, where John was at the time," Evelyn explained, briefly glancing over at her brother beside her before looking back at the Connors. "While our father, Scott, Virgil, and Gordon headed up to help John, The Hood and his minions took over the island. While all those on the island were thrown into the freezer and Thunderbird Five headed towards the Earth's atmosphere, I was hiding on Thunderbird Two as it flew to London."
"And in London he used the Mole to break onto the Bank of England, where he then got caught and thrown in prison," Sam concluded, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Evelyn and John nodded.
"But what does this have to do with the ultra lights?" Jessica asked.
"As you guys know, I have my bachelor's in history and that while I was getting my degree, I was taking online lessons with George Carnarvon," Evelyn began. The Connors nodded that they remembered the times that Evelyn had raved about her latest lesson to them. "Two months ago I got an e-mail from his successor Adrien Ness, inviting me to a dig in the city of Amarna."
"The entire thing turned out to be a trap, because the day after I arrived at the city I was tricked into reading an excerpt from the Book of the Dead. When I read it, I bought a mummy called Yuja to life," she continued, resting her elbows on the table and pressing the tips of her fingers together. "Ness turned out to be allied with the Hood, both of whom allied themselves with a woman named Saadia who is very chummy with Yuja."
"Three days ago there was a call in Egypt and our father and brothers were captured. It was while investigating where they had disappeared that we met Kaphiri, who is a Medjai. He and his people have agreed to help us. So we now plan to go after them in the ultra lights," John concluded.
The Connors sat silent after the explanation, staring down at the grain of the table in front of them. Evelyn bit her lip as she watched for a reaction. After several moments, Sam looked up towards Evelyn. "So four of you are going to fly over there?" he asked.
"Five," she replied with s small smile. "Dad got me my own ultra light for my birthday last month while Alan got the flight suit. Fermat and his father then customized it."
He nodded before looking towards Samantha. His younger sister looked up at the two siblings seemed to have a silent conversation for a few moments before Samantha nodded slightly and looked back towards John and Evelyn with a small smile. "We won't tell anyone what has been said here," she said. "But, we do want a phone call afterwards to tell us what happened. It's not every day you find out a friend of yours is part of a secret organization and is going off to fight a mummy."
Evelyn laughed and leaned back against the chair. "I will. I'll call and tell you all the details when this is over."
"I look forward to it," Samantha smiled. She then glanced over at her brother to see him nod his agreement.
I am so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! I ended up getting busy with decorating and church Christmas preperations, then last Wednesday it snowed here and that was a huge distraction, seeing as the last time it snowed and was more then half and inch was three years ago. Though I did have fun. XD Anyway, sorry it took so long and I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas.
~Lee~