The Ransom (Part 3)
By Jenny Taylor
On Tracy Island, Scott, Gordon, Alan, Kayo, Brains and Grandma were sitting in the sunken lounge, horrified by their worst fears about what had happened to their missing brother and friend Virgil. John's hologram was floating above the round consol table, head down in sadness.
No one spoke for a while, until Scott stood up and looked at John and was about to ask John some questions, but Alan and Gordon cuts him off with similar questions in turn.
"How's this could have happened? It's impossible!" Wailed Alan, shaking his head in disbelief when he looked up at John.
"NO! This isn't true! It can't be! Can it?" Asked Gordon, shocked and starting to panic.
"QUIET!" Commanded Scott looking at Alan and Gordon, before turning to speak to his space-bound brother. "How do you know that Virgil was taken by the Hood, John?" He asked sternly, with a hint of fear. "It could have been anyone who wants us." He turned and looked at the 2 youngest brothers.
"I know that us as members of International Rescue has enemies, but there are others who don't know that we're International Rescue. So Virgil could have been kidnapped by someone who's jealous of us because, we're the sons of a late billionaire and former astronaut and they want a ransom in order for us to get him back."
Everyone looked at each other with concerned and sad looks on their faces. They knew what Scott said might be true, but looking at John's hologram, it looks like that Scott's statement isn't going to stick.
"I hope what you just said Scott is true, but sadly this isn't the case," Everyone looked at John as he shook his head with sadness in his voice. "The Hood has taken Virgil."
"B - but how?" Alan spluttered in despair before Grandma cut him off, sternly.
"Let your brother finish speaking first, kid." Turning to face John and spoke kindly with worry. "What did happen to Virgil, kid?"
"Personally, I would like to have Lady Penelope, Parker and Colonel Casey in on this situation," Frowned John. "Since the Hood is involved with Virgil's kidnapping, I would prefer to have them in the picture too -"
"So they can help us find him, I understand John." Said a worried Scott as he finished off his brother's sentence. "Get Colonel Casey on the line John, while I contact Lady P."
"I'm on it Scott." The space-bound brother replied, slowly.
"I'll contact Penelope and Parker." Chipped in Gordon slowly as he makes a call to their favourite British Agent. Scott looked at Gordon, he can see that Gordon isn't his usual, cheery self today, but since they already lost their father, Jeff Tracy late last year, no-one was in the mood to lose another family member, especially to the Hood.
"Better make this a Code Red conference guys," Commanded Scott, with urgency and fear. "I fear that time maybe running out for Virgil and we need to get him back, fast!"
After the calls were made, Scott, Gordon, Alan, Grandma, Kayo and Brains were sitting in the couches with M.A.X standing next to his creator, looking at the holograms of John (projecting from his portrait), Lady Penelope and Parker (projecting from Lady P's photo frame) and a human-sized hologram of their GDF ally and family friend, Colonel Catherine Casey, sitting at her desk.
"Judging from what I can see and been told so far that the Code Red conference involves Virgil's disappearance." Stated the concerned colonel.
"And from what I'm hearing from Gordon it involves the Hood. Is that correct?" Asked Lady Penelope, concerned.
"The only person who can answer that is up in space." Cried a distressed Alan, who's been comforted by his eldest brother. To which then everyone turned to look at a depressed John. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before he began.
"It started from when I got a call from the Tracy Industries branch in Sydney this morning. They had been contacted by the Australian Federal Police, who told them to get in contact with us, because a female witness called the AFP to say that she witnessed a kidnapping of Virgil Tracy," John paused to allow the information to sink into his listeners until Kayo spoke.
"Did the AFP interview the witness and asked her why did she claim to witness the kidnapping and knowing the name of the victim?"
"Apparently yes, Kayo." Replied John. "The witness said that she recognised him from charity calendar." Scott, Gordon, Alan and Kayo blushed and Lady Penelope grinned while Colonel Casey, Brains and Grandma raised their eyebrows looking towards the boys.
"What charity calendar?" Asked Grandma sternly.
"Erm, can we talk about this after we get Virgil back, please Grandma?" Pleaded Scott, awkwardly. (Please read Scribbles97's For Charity).
"Continue if you please John, about this witness to Virgil's disappearance." The colonel ordered politely.
"The witness saw Virgil leaving the Art Gallery of New South Wales about 14:45 hours local time, in a taxi."
"What's wrong with taking a taxi?" Asked Alan, curiously.
"I don't like the sound of this." Replied Scott, after receiving a hint in John's voice, which is making him worry.
"That taxi sounds dodgy." Replied Kayo in agreement.
"I'm afraid that you're both right on this one." Frowned John, looking towards Scott and Kayo as he spoke. "The taxi is a fake!" Everyone gasped.
"Is there any proof to say that the taxi is a fake?" The colonel asked sternly.
"Apparently yes colonel," Came the reply. "The vehicle which Virgil was taken was on a false registration plate and it wasn't registered in any of the local taxi firms." Faces dropped at the news. "The vehicle was seen driving west by north-west, away from the city and its last known location was a few kilometres north of White Cliffs, 1,045km away from Sydney."
"What? How's long that going to take by road?" Jumped Gordon in shock.
"About 12 hours." Replied John, until a familiar voice of Thunderbird 5's AI, Eos chips in.
"Actually John, it's 11hours 15 minutes to be exact." Corrected Eos.
"Thank you Eos." John replied politely before returning to face the crowd.
"12 HOURS!" Shouted Scott in despair before sinking back into the couch, voice lowered in volume and worry. "No wonder no-one can get hold him. Virgil."
"Do you have any description of the witness who saw the kidnapping?" The colonel asked, calmly.
"The witness is a notorious doctor in training, currently working with the local ambulance and," John replied until he got cut off by the colonel raising her hand, sighing.
"I know who you're talking about John and yes she does have several reputations." She spoke with confidence.
"Several?!" Shocked Scott, wide-eyed.
"Is she one of the bad guys?" Panicked Alan. The colonel calmly shook her head and smiled.
"No, she's a daughter, whom I adopted, after her once, proud mother, a friend of mine, passed away 12 years ago. And she, like her mother, has the instincts of a detective."
"I didn't know you have a step-daughter!" Gobsmacked Gordon.
"Adopted daughter," Corrected the colonel, "And it wouldn't surprise me that she's doing her duty in reporting the incident to the authorities when she's on duty, although I'm surprised that she's taken a special interest in Virgil." Her eyebrow rises with interest, before returning to the original discussion. "However the situation with my adopted daughter is not what we're here for." She turns to John. "Did the AFP apprehend the criminal?"
"Yes," Came the reply, "The criminal was caught on A32, southbound near Dubbo, 09:00hrs local time this morning. Which will be 11:00hrs our time."
"Th- that's about an hour ago." Stuttered Brains, looking down at his wrist watch, worryingly. Everyone looks at each other, faces filled with worry.
"Did they find Virgil?" Cried Alan. John shook his head and sadly continued, slowly.
"I'm afraid not Alan, the AFP had interrogated the driver, who admitted to kidnapping Virgil and was given orders to drive him to a location north of White Cliffs, only to be picked up by," John paused and looked down, wincing and blinking to fight back the tears. Everyone can tell from John's actions that Virgil is now in the hands of their mortal enemy.
"Did the criminal say how he captured Virgil?" Asked Kayo, sadly and feeling guilty, guilty for two facts.
Firstly is her duty to protect her adopted family which she inherited from her late father, who's extremely loyal to the Tracys and International Rescue, and she feels that she's failed them.
And secondly is that her adopted, second-eldest brother is now in the hands their enemy, her uncle and that really hurts, because she does not know if the Hood will tell Virgil the truth, the truth which connects her to the Hood, which will probably tear the family apart.
"Yes Kayo, and the AFP has evidence to back-up his story."
"What sort of evidence, John?" Asked Lady Penelope, with interest.
"There's a glass divider between the driver and passenger compartments, a button which locks the rear passenger doors and two gas canisters underneath the rear passenger seat."
"Two gas canisters? That's a bit excessive!" Bewildered Gordon.
"But, there are two types of canisters, Gordon." John replied in report mode. "One was a small canister, which tests confirmed to be knock-out gas. And the second canister confirmed to be contained sleeping gas."
"Sounds like Virgil getting drunk with all that gas." Joked Gordon, trying to lighten the mood in the room, which backfired by a nasty glare from Scott.
"This is not the time to joke around Gordon!" Snapped Scott, "Especially when Virgil's life is at stake!" He turns to look at his god-mother. "What do you think we should do Colonel Casey?" He asks nervously.
"I believe that the answer is," She starts to reply, but then got interrupted by John.
"Guys!" John shouted in excitement. Scott stood up.
"What is it John?" Scott commanded.
"It's Virgil's communicator!" Everyone gasps, as John continues, "Virgil's trying to communicate with us on his private frequency!"
"Put him through John." Scott commanded again, part excited and part relieved to hear from his missing brother that is until Kayo stops him.
"Hold on a minute John!" Demanded Kayo, everyone turns and looks at her. "Don't put him through just yet!"
"But why Kayo?" Wailed Alan in frustration.
"Because we don't know if it is Virgil!" She exclaimed. Scott frowned, he just remembered what the Hood is capable of.
"But it has to be! He's," Alan protested, but Scott silences him.
"Alan!" He spoke in frustration and despair, "You are forgetting that the Hood is a master of disguise and can manipulate just about anyone! Anyone including Virgil!" Alan backs down, the others frowned.
"So what are we supposed to do with the call?" Asked Alan, scared. Scott shook his head with uncertainty and turns to look at the colonel.
"What do you think Colonel Casey? Should we take the call or not?" He asks the commanding chief of the GDF, frightened. The colonel rubs her chin with her right hand while her left hand holds her right elbow in thought.
"I believe that you should accept the call Scott as it may contain vital information about your brother and to what the Hood may have planned." Replied the military friend, calmly.
"I believe that you should take the call too, Scott." Chipped in Lady Penelope in agreement with the colonel. Scott turns to look at the rest of the household, looking concerned and looking for answers.
"What do you think guys?"
"The timing of Virgil's communicator does sound dodgy," Kayo spoke thoughtfully, "But if we want answers to Virgil's kidnapping then we need to accept the call."
"M – My thoughts exactly," Agreed the resident scientist, "If we do accept the call, we can possibly track where the signal's c – coming from." His voice rose with a bit of excitement.
"Eos." John calls for the resident AI.
"Yes John?" She replies, waiting for her creator's command.
"Set the tracker on standby, we need to trace Virgil's communicator as soon as it is activated."
"F.A.B. John. All systems set and ready to go." Acknowledged the A.I.
"Is everyone O.K. with this?" Asked Scott looking at his audience.
"I don't like it," Snorted Grandma, unhappily, "But if Brains' and John's what-you-might- call it can help find Virgil from his phone, then I say go for it."
"Brains?"
"I'm heading down to my lab to help John track Virgil's communicator." Brains stood up and turned to walk up the steps of the sunken lounge, "Come on M.A.X," He called to his mechanical, spider-like assistant. "I'll need your help too."
"Brains." The scientist stopped and turned towards the caller.
"Y – Yes Scott?" Scott sighed with worry.
"Please find him." His blue eyes fixed to Brains' amber eyes, pleading the scientist almost to the point of begging.
"I – I'll try my best Scott." Replied Brains, he turns and walks towards his lab, with M.A.X. following his creator.
"Scott, have faith in Brains and John." Penelope said calmly and supporting. "They will find him." The colonel nodded in agreement.
"I'm sorry Lady P," Apologising as his hand combs through his brunette hair. "It's – it's almost like a De-Ja-Vu on what happened to dad." He said, sadly.
Virgil's disappearance re-ignited the memory of the day they lost their dad. Everyone went silent at the mention of Jeff's disappearance. They can see where this will go if they lose Virgil and they don't want to go through it again.
"Scott!" A military voice of reason, cuts through the silence and snaps everyone, including Scott back into reality. "Standing there doing nothing won't bring your father back, nor Virgil if you don't accept this call."
Scott takes a deep breath and nods at the colonel. "Yes, I'm sorry." He apologises again.
"There's no need for apologies, Scott." The colonel waved her hand at him, as she spoke in a motherly kind of way, before returning to her military voice. "Now, let's take that call and find your brother."
Scott stands straight and tall, takes a deep breath, resumes his command as the man of the house and as leader of International Rescue and puts on a brave face. He has to, for the sake of his family and friends and for his missing brother, Virgil. He turns to everyone in the room.
"Is everyone ready for this?" He asked, his voice full of determination. Everyone nodded.
"We're r – ready here in the lab." Chipped in Brains as his hologram appeared above the table.
"I've got my search and rescue men and operators on standby." Announced Colonel Casey. Scott nods in acknowledgement and then turns to John.
"John." He commands.
"Yes Scott?"
"Send the call directly to Tracy Island, so that everyone can see and hear what's happening."
"F.A.B. Scott."
Then the tension in the room was so thick that it can be cut with a knife. Waiting for the com to flicker into life, hoping that it would be Virgil at the other end of the line and not his captor, but that's just wishful thinking on everyone's mind.
Then, in amongst with the other, friendly holograms, another hologram appeared, his face concealed, feeding the fear and dread into the household and smashing all hope of those inside, hope that it would be Virgil safe and alive.
But, instead of the missing Tracy, it was the mysterious face of their mortal enemy.