When Alan first fell asleep, he found himself trapped in a dream:
He was surrounded by darkness; everywhere he looked an unending black. "Hello?" he called out. An echo was his only answer.
Walking forward, Alan tried to find a way out. Suddenly, something grabbed him from behind and pulled him back. Looking over his shoulder and trying to get away, Alan saw an impossibly blacker shadow moving to envelope him in a tight, inescapable hold.
Crying out, Alan started to run. But he was moving nowhere, and a chilling laugh filled the air. "You aren't going anywhere, boy, you are too valuable," a cold voice matched the laugh.
"Who are you?" Alan asked now frozen in place, "What do you want?"
"You," was the laughing response, "You will be mine and never will you see your family again. I will keep you forever, there is no escape!"
Alan found himself unable to talk or cry out for help. Feeling panic rise in him, Alan felt the shadow wrap itself around him and squeeze, "Mine forever," it whispered. A cold feeling spread over Alan, taking his breath away.
A sudden flash of light blinded Alan. Closing his eyes, he heard a piercing scream, and then the constricting hold of the shadow vanished. Tentatively opening his eyes, Alan found himself in his favorite cove on Tracy Island.
The sun was shining, and the waves beat rhythmically against the shore. "Hello, Alan," a musical voice chimed.
Turning, Alan saw a woman with eyes as blue and as changing as the sea and long brown hair blowing in the soft breeze. "Who...Who are you?" Alan asked nervously.
A soft smile graced the gentle face, "I am what you would call a guardian angel, Alan," she explained, "I am here to keep nightmares at bay, and I will keep you safe during this daunting time."
"If you're my guardian angel, why did this happen?" Alan cried desperately.
"I cannot change the way of the world, Alan," she explained sadly, "I can only help you through it and keep you from losing hope. Hope will always give you a better chance than giving up. Do not give up Alan…Hold onto hope; hope that your family will come for you, hope that the world is a good place; hope that you will make it through this."
"What good does hope do me if I'm tied to chair and can't talk or see?" He cried, falling to his knees and letting tears fall.
Kneeling next to Alan, the woman lifted his chin. Wiping away his tears, she smiled, "Hope is stronger than the chair or the blindfold or the gag," she spoke softly, "Hope will give you the strength to make it through so you can see your loved ones." That said, she pulled Alan to his feet. Taking him in her arms, Alan felt warmth and energy enter him. Then she was gone.
True to his word, Billy woke Alan up with a little more than an hour before the next bid. "Let's go, sleepy heady," Billy said undoing the ankle cuff then the wrist.
"Hmmm," Alan groaned, in his half-awake state he felt Billy secure his wrists behind him again, "What t'me is 't?" He slurred.
"Not a morning person I see," was all Billy offered as an answer as he brought Alan to his feet.
Shaking his head to clear it, "I like me sleep," Alan said, his voice rough from said sleep. He felt himself being pulled forward, and blindly stumble along.
"Not unusual," Billy said sitting Alan at the table again, "Orange or apple juice?"
"Orange," Alan said, adding, as an afterthought, "Please."
Billy smiled, "You don't need to worry about manners, Alan." Alan just shrugged, "Your choice. Anyway, What do you want on your toast, butter or raspberry jam?"
"Jam."
Billy walked out of the room wordlessly, coming back with Alan's light breakfast. Repeating how they did dinner the last night, the toast was gone in a few minutes and the orange juice followed shortly after.
"So…What now?" Alan asked, sitting back in the chair.
"Now," Billy said standing up, "We call papa Tracy."
Alan sat up and turned his body towards Billy's voice, "What?"
"Let's call it a reward," Billy enlightened, "You have been here for over twelve hours, and have behaved well."
"No early release, though?" Alan said wryly, "That's usually the reward for good behavior."
"Nice try," Billy snorted, "But that doesn't apply here."
"And when you say 'talk'," Alan ventured, "Do you mean I actually get to talk? Or is it one sided again?"
As he led Alan back to the bed – sitting him so his back was against the metal frame– Billy thought about how to answer. He didn't respond until Alan's hands had been cuffed behind him, around one of the frame's horizontal bars. "I'll give you an option," Billy decided, "You can talk for ten minutes without a gag or they can talk twenty minutes and you have a gag."
"Without, please" Alan said without a second thought, ten minutes of really talking to my family is much better than twenty minutes of listening to them.
"Alright then," Billy walked over to the camera and turned it back on, "Are these vid-phones tied into the internet?"
"Um, no," Alan answered, "They are like cell phones, working off satellites or towers. Why?"
"If your father signs out of the auction, then he won't be able to get back in. And considering he has already scared off a third of the bidders with his high one, I don't think he would want that," Billy supplied, connecting the call, "You may want to mention that detail, by the way, wouldn't want him to accidentally log out, would you?"
Alan shook his head, and waited for call to be answered.
"Jeff Tracy."
Tracy Island
Looking at the screen, Jeff almost dropped his fork loaded with salad, "Alan!"
"Hey, Dad," Alan gave a small smile.
Jeff pushed a silent alarm to call John, Gordon, and Virgil to his office, and then spoke again, "How are you holding up, son?"
"Not too bad," Alan said as the rest of the Tracy sons came running in. Jeff signaled them to be quiet and pointed at the vid-phone. "Look we don't have a lot of time to talk," Alan continued.
"How much time do we have?" John asked.
"Ten minutes, starting now," the voice from the first call and beginning of the auction said.
"First things first," Alan started again, "Whatever you do, do not sign out of this…web page," he could bring himself to say auction.
"Why, Sprout?" Virgil asked.
"Cause you can't get back in if you leave, Virgie," Alan replied with a frown.
"Alright, good to know," Jeff said, "Anything else?"
"Not relating to this…situation, no," Alan shook his head.
"Well, Al," Gordon began, "You better make it back here for Operation Angry Elder, Team Terrible Two minus One doesn't sound as good!" He wanted to lighten the mood a little; Alan just nodded his head slowly.
"I hear ya, Gordo," Alan fought some tears from falling, before continuing, "You wouldn't stand a chance without me."
"Oh," Gordon joked, "When'd you get to be so cocky?"
Alan gave a wet laugh that betrayed his tears "Spending too much time with you and Scooter."
"That why you suggested he replace Gordo…later on," John caught himself before he revealed the family moonlighted as the Thunderbirds.
"That had a part in it, Johnny," Alan gave a small smile, "I was also at school, so I was safe from payback."
"One minute," the tenor warned.
"Alright, Sprout," Virgil spoke up, "You stay strong, we'll get you back."
"Yeah, kiddo," John nodded, before realizing Alan couldn't see him, "You'll be back here in the warm sun in no time."
"And then you and I will have a good prank planning meeting," Gordon added.
"Now that the rest of us fear future traps," Jeff glanced as Gordon, "We'll say good-bye."
"Bye, Dad, Virg, John, Gordon," Alan said a little sadly; leaning forward as much as he could, not wanting to end the conversation, "I love you."
"We love you to, Al," Jeff said for his three other sons, they all added their own good-byes. Then the screen went black as the call was disconnected.
The four Tracy's watched the black screen for a moment longer before John cleared his throat, "Gordon," he began, "Should we be worried about Operation Angry Elder?"
Gordon just cracked a devious smile, "You'll just have to wait to find out, Johnny-boy." Jeff shook his head as John and Virgil groaned.
Looking back at the computer, Jeff saw there was still half an hour before next bidding.