The Ransom (Part 14)

By Jenny Taylor

"Are you going to drown me? Where? On board your ship?" Questions came blurting out of the panicking Tracy. He's terrified on what tactics the villain would use to make his fake death realistic. The villain chuckled in amusement.

"A demise on board my ship? Well…that might be amusing, but impractical so no…your demise will NOT be performed on my ship, however…it WILL be the start of your demise." He smiled.

"The start?" Virgil exclaims in fear. "What do you mean?" The Hood didn't answer his captive's questions. He just sat back into his chair smiling at his blind and bound prisoner, allowing the prisoner to try and figure out the clues that the villain had given.

Virgil breathes deeply and slowly for a few minutes in order to try and calm himself down before he tries to figure out his captor's plans.

So…my demise isn't going to happen on board his ship. In a way…that's a relieve for me and my family, because…I don't think that neither they nor I can cope with another ordeal like that. But…he said that his ship will be the start of my…demise. What does he mean?

He pauses his thinking for a while and tries to stretch his stiff limbs and body, but it's easier said than done, due to the fact that he's wrapped up tight like an Egyptian Mummy AND… as an extra pain of stiffness and restraint, is that he is strapped to a medical bed.

If that wasn't bad enough, he had, for a short period thankfully, his family's arch-nemesis's hands on his own body, which had freaked him out and yet strangely a few moments' later warmth and comfort.

"I wouldn't move around too much if I were you, Virgil Tracy" The voice of evil cuts through the mind of the helpless, second-eldest Tracy brother. "Just because you're in the medical bay in my domain, it doesn't mean that I'll let you wander around freely. Besides…I need you alive and prepared for your new career." The villain sits in his chair smugly.

Virgil frowned. The way that the Hood portrayed 'new career' didn't sound too pleasing for him. He's worried that the villain will force him to work on the wrong side of the law. But he's also confused by the word 'prepared'. Prepare him for what? One has to wonder what evil schemes the evil mastermind has up his sleeves.

'Rumble, gurgle'

The noise of Virgil's groaning stomach interrupts the minds of its owner and his captor's. Virgil wonders if the villain will give him something to eat, it would make logical sense if the Hood wants him alive. It's probably about 25 or 26 hours since Virgil's eaten.

He turns his head towards the villain, even though he can't see him due to the bandage blindfold but he uses his other senses to locate the bald-headed nemesis, waiting to hear what the villain is going to do about this situation.

"Erm guys." The boys spin their heads round to the owner of the voice. "I might have an idea in how to rescue Virgil from that bald-headed chameleon." Eyebrows raised in confusion in the doctor's choice of words. Seeing the confusion on the boys' faces Jaycee rolled her eyes before answering. "The Hood."

Still confused in what she's on about, Scott jumps to ask Jaycee. "You do?" The young doctor nodded.

"Uh-huh. But you'll have to wait until we get Joe into the ambulance. And speaking of which, I'll need a stretcher with collapsible legs in order to Joe out of the water and perform CPR when his blood pressure drops as soon as he's free from the debris."

Scott nodded and turned towards Alan. "Alan, I'll need you to get the collapsible stretcher and the defibrillator from Thunderbird 2's med-bay and bring them here asap."

"F.A.B." Alan takes off in Scott's jet pack in order to collect the requested equipment.

"Gordon, as soon as Alan arrives with the equipment and sets it up, I'll need you to prepare to lift the cross-beam of the kid's legs as carefully as you can." Scott commanded the aquanaut.

"F.A.B. Scott. Ready when you need me." The aquanaut replied.

"I take it that both you and Alan are going to help me pull Joe out and onto the stretcher and so forth?" Dr. Anderson asked the Field Commander.

"Yes. Is there anything else that needs to be prepared before extraction?" He asked. Jaycee looks thoughtfully at her young patient.

"I'll need to check and double check his vitals, plus I'll need the O-Type blood and saline bags ready to be inserted immediately after extraction." She replied and then turns to Joe who's been leaning against her chest watching and listening with interest to the unexpected situation unfolded before him. "Joe?"

"Yes Rescue Girl?" The young man replied, full of curiosity.

"I need to place another special needle into your arm."

"Why?" He asked nervously.

"Because, I'll need to attach a bag full of blood in order to top up your blood levels, so you can get better quicker." She replied calmly, "Scott, can you hold Joe while I'll get the catheter ready please?"

Scott nodded in acknowledgement to the doctor's request he places his hands on the partially wrapped up Joe, then gently pulls him away from the doctor's chest and onto his own and then with his long, strong arms wraps around the child to give the patient warmth and security.

When Dr. Anderson was free from her young patient, she collects and prepares another IV catheter before inserting it into Joe's arm. Joe winces at the insertion of the second catheter and looks up at doctor and then Scott.

"Erm…Rescue Girl and err…sorry I don't know your name Mister…?"

"The name's Scott, Joe. Is there something on your mind that you want to ask me and the good doctor here?" He replied in a brotherly, caring manner. Joe nodded.

"Uh huh…I was wandering…are you two related or something?" Jaycee and Scott both look at each other eyebrows raised.

"No…We're just friends…Friends whom haven't seen each other for over 10 years." Scott replied with a smile towards Jaycee who smiled back and nodded at Scott's response. Gordon, John in his Thunderbird and Alan who's on his way back to the scene with the required medical equipment smiled too.

The warm feeling of a renewed friendship filled the boys as well as determination to help their oldest and dearest friend with anything that they can. And they can see that she, in turn, will also do anything that she can to help the brothers in any situation that they'll encounter.