The Ransom (Part 16)
By Jenny Taylor
Virgil lays in his restricted medical bed, thinking and wondering about his possible fate with his family's mortal and arch nemesis, The Hood, who's still sitting in his chair next to the bed, watching his prisoner like a hawk, smiling in interest to the questions that may appear from the mouth of his blind and bound victim.
"How are you exactly going to fake my death?" Virgil asked worryingly. "As far as you told me that the…start of my…death will be coming from your ship, but not the finish. How is my death going to end?"
"As I previously said, Virgil Tracy…your demise will involve water." The villain said frowning with disappointment at his prisoner's questions, as he prefers to let his victim workout his plans for his fake demise.
Silence falls into the room as a worried Virgil tries to figure out his captor's plans on a fake, but realistic death. Water! But how? I don't get it? He breathes in and out in an attempt to calm himself down, before resuming to the puzzle in his calm and logical way.
Okay, okay, calm yourself Virgil…Let's think this through properly without getting yourself into a panic…Okay, take one step at a time, Virgil…Right, okay…Fact number 1: The start of my death will be on the Hood's ship, not the end… Fact number 2: The demise, according to the Hood, will involve water.
Okay…Breathe Virgil, breathe…Slowly and steady…Right…Okay, let's put those facts together shall we...So…By the sounds of it…my demise will end up in water, but not on the ship…So…Oh my God! No!
Fear and shock of realisation fell on his face as he realises on what the evil mastermind plans to do about his demise.
This change in his prisoner's sudden change in expressions, didn't go unnoticed by one of the world's most wanted villain, The Hood, who just sits in his chair smiling as he watches the emotions being performed and inflicting mental torture to the helpless Tracy.
No! No! No! No!...He cannot do this to me! He can't!... He's going to push me off his ship from a height and end up into the ocean!... Just to fake my death in front of my family!... Oh God no!... I don't want to go through that again!... I don't want my family to see it!... I don't want them to fall apart!... Not after dad's disappearance!... No!... I can't!...God help us!...Save us!...Please!
Tears swelled up in his forced-closed eyes, shaking his head side to side, breathing heavily and rapidly in panic and he's on the point of crying. The smiling and amused villain leans forward and places his hand on Virgil's forehead in a comforting manner, which made the Tracy brother gasp and froze in fear, and then uses his thumb to stroke the terrified victim.
"I can see that you're panicking in fear, Virgil." The enemy spoke comforting in a fatherly kind of way, catching the said person off guard. "Would you care to share your thoughts that are…distressing you to breaking point?"
Virgil just lays there frozen, frozen in fear. He's afraid to speak. He's afraid that what he thought on what the Hood has planned for him is the same as the villain has planed and he didn't want to know. He's also afraid that if he voiced on what he thought on what he believed isthe villain's plan, and it turned out that it's notthe villain's plan, but his thoughts might end up as the villain's plan.
So he remains silent, hoping that the villain would go away, hoping that this event is just a bad dream. Hoping that he's at home asleep, with his beloved family, who will be there beside him, to give him comfort and security from this terrifying nightmare.
But sadly…the nightmare is real!
He's a prisoner, a victim, who'll end up being a guinea-pig to a mad-man's terrifying scheme, which's using his father's rejected project as part of this evil scheme. He'll end up being a villain's servant, being forced to do evil things against his will and on the wrong side of the law.
He doesn't want that life, that life of living as a criminal and living in the darkest of the world society, The Black Market. He wants to be free, free and to continue, with his friends and family, his dad's legacy of saving people around the world in a form of a powerful and an elite team of rescuers, International Rescue.
International Rescue…Gosh…I've almost forgot about that name…The name and organisation that brings hope…Hope to those who needs rescuing…like me…I can't give up…I won't give up hope just because of this mad-man and his evil scheme…I won't give up! I'm a Tracy and Tracys nevergive up, no matter what the situation we're in! I will be rescued! They will find me and bring me home!
Feeling and hearing the change in the breathing and the tension from his prisoner, The Hood became concerned. He can sense that the second oldest Tracy brother's emotions had suddenly turned from one of fear and dread into confidence and determination and to add insult to injury to the villain, his victim is smiling.
What the hell is going through your mind Tracy? The villain scowled in anger, not liking the change from his prisoner. I'll wipe that smile of your face if it's the last thing I do. Plus, I'll make sure that your brothers do notget their hands on you.You're mine! And I'm going to make sure that it will be that way, whether you like it or not!
"Is everyone in position?" The Field Commander of International Rescue, Scott Tracy asks his comrades and the medic in the room.
The aquanaut Gordon, who's wearing his second oldest, biggest and currently kidnapped brother, Virgil's 'Jaws of Life', has positioned himself next to Joe's legs, readying to lift the debris off the young boy's legs.
Scott has already positioned himself behind Joe's back, giving the young patient support and readying himself to lift him up and out of the debris and onto the stretcher, which is currently in the possession of the astronaut Alan, who has positioned himself almost behind his intermediate older brother and to the side of the patient, readying himself to push and slide the stretcher underneath the patient.
Doctor Jaycee Anderson has positioned herself opposite Alan on the other side of her young patient, readying herself to aid her patient and to help Scott in the extraction/recovery. Both the terrible twins and the doctor nodded in response to Scott's question.
"O.K. we need to synchronise the movements in order to get Joe free as quickly and as pain free as possible. And because we have a young injured patient, therefore I believe that Dr. Anderson should take charge of the extraction. Your call doc." Scott commanded to which all three International Rescue members turned to Jaycee, waiting for instructions.
Jaycee nearly jumped out of her skin in shock at Scott's instructions, wide-eyed looking at Scott in disbelief with the look saying seriously at the eldest Tracy. But the calmness and the confidence of those sky blue eyes from him reassures her that he trusts her enough for her to take charge in this situation. She nods in acceptance, takes a deep breath and resumes her duty and her new role which Scott has confidently gave her.
"O.K. everyone. On 3, I'll need you Gordon to lift the debris off Joe's legs, just enough so that Scott and I can pull Joe onto the stretcher, which we will do immediately after his legs are free, and Alan, I'll need you slip the stretcher underneath Joe as soon as we get him clear from the debris. Everyone ready?" The boys acknowledged with either a nod or a thumbs up.
She then turns to her young patient. "Joe?" The young boy looks up at her. "How are you feeling?"
"A bit tired Rescue Girl, but I'll be glad to get back to my mom as soon as I'm free."
Jaycee nodded understandably. "I know Joe, but because your legs are broken, you'll need to be taken to Sydney Hospital, they can check your leg before transferring you to the nearest children's hospital. Besides that, do you feel any pain at the moment?"
Joe shook his head. "None Rescue Girl."
"O.K. Joe, as you just heard that when I say 3, Gordon will lift the debris off your legs, then Scott and I will pull you out and onto the stretcher which Alan's holding. This means that it will get painful when we move you, so I want you to take deep breaths, by breathing in the painkilling gas which I'm just about to give you though this mask. The gas will help in reducing the pain. Do you understand?"
Joe nodded as Jaycee places the respirator mask on his face and turns on the ENTONOX gas tank. Jaycee then turns to the three men. "O.K. 1…2…3"