WARREN Grafton poured himself a drink from the drink's cabinet. He drank it in one then turned when he heard the front doors of his clifftop house overlooking the Pacific Ocean opening. Larissa walked in. She did not look at her husband, but instead threw her bag angrily on the floor before sitting in a huff on the couch.
Grafton gritted his teeth. "They denied us again, didn't they?" he said.
Larissa sighed. "Damn right," she replied. "Why are you even pursuing this, Warren? You know we're just going around in circles!"
"Because I want to bring the end of International Rescue," said Grafton. "Don't we both want that after what they did to our son?"
"Oh, LIKE YOU CARE ABOUT TRISTAN!" Larissa suddenly shouted, getting up in a rage. "YOU DIDN'T EVEN COMFORT HIM WHEN HE WAS IN HOSPITAL!"
"IF HE'D GOTTEN HIS TASK RIGHT, MAYBE HE'D FINALLY EARN MY RESPECT!" Grafton thundered back.
Larissa stared open-mouthed at her husband, unable to find words to respond with.
Grafton cleared his throat as he poured himself more drink and drank that in one as well. "You want one?" he asked.
Larissa huffed and folded her arms. "No," she answered simply.
Grafton poured her one anyway then left it on the glass table in front of the couch. "What do the Courts need?"
"The same thing any case needs, Warren," Larissa replied. "Evidence. That's why we cannot get them to court. We need evidence."
Grafton puffed out his chest. "I'll get it," he said with confidence.
Larissa turned around to face him. "How?"
Grafton walked up to his wife and took her in his arms. "Let me handle that," he said. "I have a friend or two who can help us." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "We won't lose this battle. We will get what we are owed. I promise."
Larissa returned the kiss, somehow feeling reassured.
Grafton then left the room to head for his car whilst Larissa was left alone in the lounge. She picked up the drink and stood by the window, looking out at the setting Sun across the ocean.
Grafton drove to one of his medical research facilities located about thirty miles from his home. Once inside he exchanged pleasantries with the heads of security and research before using a special key to gain access to an elevator that took him down to a secret room located under the main laboratory building. The doors opened and he walked in, looking at a large tank full of green liquid, and the woman in a white suit who was suspended inside of it. She opened her eyes and looked up at him from behind the mask which allowed her to still breathe.
"My way hasn't worked," Grafton said to her. "Time to try yours."
5!
4!
3!
2!
1!
"Thunderbirds Are Go!"
"DECEPTION"
KAYO was sleeping soundly in her bed. It was comfortable and cosy. Kayo often struggled to sleep because her mind was often on many things like whenever The Cabal were on the loose. Since the capture of all but one of them, her nights were a lot easier she found. The only major concern she had was the new head of the GDF - Colonel Jennings. Her threat of taking action against International Rescue if they got involved with the GDF's activities without being requested did occasionally play on her mind, however she felt sure that the friends of both Jeff and Martha Casey may potentially be used to bring the new colonel down a peg or two.
Her sleep was disturbed by a buzzing sound as well as a vibration on her right arm. It was her communicator. She stirred and opened her eyes before sitting up and turning on the bedside lamp to read the message that had been sent. To her surprise, it was from Captain Rigby.
"Come to the following location. Most urgent. Come alone."
A set of coordinates followed which showed her as being a remote location in Kansas. Kayo wasn't sure what to do at first. Colonel Jennings had ordered Rigby to cut ties with her and International Rescue, but she'd also felt certain that Rigby wouldn't follow it, which had just been proven. And besides, he wouldn't have sent the message unless it really was urgent. She therefore sent a message back.
"Received and understood. On my way."
She climbed out of bed and checked the time. It was 4am and after getting dressed she hurried down to the kitchen to make herself one of Grandma's strawberry nutritious drinks that would give her the energy she would need to be awake to pilot Thunderbird Shadow. She then headed up to the lounge and found Virgil sitting at the desk. It was his turn to do the night shift.
"Kayo?" Virgil said, looking up. "What brings you down here?"
"I've had a message from Captain Rigby," said Kayo. "He's asked me to meet him in Kansas. Apparently it's important."
Virgil looked uneasy. "Is that wise?" he asked. "Didn't Colonel Jennings say we're not to get involved with the GDF's business?"
"He wouldn't have made contact if it wasn't important, Virgil," Kayo said. "I'm therefore going out to see what's going on."
"Okay," said Virgil. "You want me to tell Dad when he wakes up?"
"Only if he asks," Kayo replied as she sat in one of the chairs which was lowered down into the floor.
Kayo was soon in her outfit and aboard the Shadowbike heading along the tunnel to where Thunderbird Shadow was located in the vast cavern that also housed Thunderbirds 3 and 1. The elevator lifted the Shadowbike into the main body of Thunderbird Shadow and the conveyor moved it up the vertical tunnel before the cliff-face swivelled around so that it was outside. The yellow turntable then turned the craft around so that it was facing upwards.
5! 4! 3! 2! 1!
The twin engines of Thunderbird Shadow fired and the clamp holding it in place was released. It dropped away and spun around to horizontal flying before zooming away from Tracy Island.
"Thunderbird Shadow is GO!" announced Kayo.
Virgil watched as Thunderbird Shadow's twin tail-fires disappeared into the distance. He then looked at his watch. "Any…moment…now…" he muttered to himself.
As if on cue, he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. He turned just as Jeff appeared in a dressing gown and a curious frown. "Virgil, did I just hear Thunderbird Shadow launch?" he asked.
Virgil knew he couldn't lie to his father. "Yes, Dad, you did," he said.
"Where's Kayo going?" Jeff asked.
"To Kansas I think," Virgil said. "She said she'd received an urgent message from Captain Rigby."
Jeff's frown increased. "And you didn't stop her?" he asked.
"How can I, Dad?" Virgil asked. "We both know that Kayo doesn't take 'no' for an answer."
Jeff hesitated before answering. "Well…so long as Colonel Jennings is okay with it or they keep it between them I'm good," he said. He turned and headed back to bed.
The Sun had risen by the time Thunderbird Shadow reached Kansas. Kayo used the GPS tracker to mark the location that Rigby had given her. She found the location and after checking that there was nobody around, she landed on a small opening amongst some trees.
Once landed, she climbed out and looked around. There didn't appear to be anyone around. "Hmm. That's odd," she remarked. "I'm sure this is the-"
SNAP!
Kayo jumped to attention at the sound. She looked around, her eyes keeping a sharp lookout for anyone who might be trying to get the jump on her. Then she saw a bush move. "Rigby? Is that you?' she called. Nobody answered. "Don't make me come in there and get you!" Kayo said. Then the bush moved again. She let out a growl and ran towards the bush before diving in, right on top of the person causing it to move.
"EEK!" squealed Hayley as Kayo knocked her to the ground.
Kayo jumped off in shock. "Hayley?!" she exclaimed. "What are you-" Then her suit beeped, warning her of an incoming projectile from behind. She jumped and spun around narrowly avoiding a large red, white and blue shield which passed underneath and bounced off two trees before flying back to its owner - Rigby, in his new identity of Captain Liberty.
"Almost had you!" Rigby chuckled.
Kayo shot a look at him before looking at Hayley who was picking herself up off the ground. "What kind of game is this?" she snapped. "I could've hurt you, Hayley."
"Sorry, Kayo," Hayley replied. "This was Wayne's idea."
"True, it was," admitted Captain Liberty. "But we also needed to make sure you're on full alert."
"For what?" Kayo asked. "You better have a good reason for bringing me out here?"
"We do actually," said Hayley. "We got a tip-off. Apparently The White Ghost has been sighted in the neighbouring town of Proctor. Colonel Jennings has instructed us to try and apprehend her."
"And presumably I'm here to help without her knowledge?" Kayo asked.
"Actually she said we could ask you," said Captain Liberty. "Seeing as Ghost is just as much your enemy as she is ours. It only seemed fair that you help us bring down the last member of The Cabal."
Kayo frowned. "She's allowing this?" she asked. "I thought she ordered you not to make any kind of contact with International Rescue?"
"So did we," said Hayley. "But she said she was just having a mad moment at that time and that she has changed her mind."
Kayo didn't look convinced.
Liberty tapped his wrist communicator showing a hologram of a meeting between him and Colonel Jennings.
"You said you wanted to see us, Colonel?"
"Yes, Captain Liberty. I've had a tip-off from one of our sources saying they have sighed The White Ghost in Kansas. If we can catch her, then we can put the last member of The Cabal away forever and we'll have brought peace to the world."
"How do I find her?"
"You and Madison will head to Kansas immediately. My source says she's planning to rob a bank."
"Really? That doesn't fit the Ghost's style."
"Maybe not, Captain. But I can only put it down to the fact that she's all alone and desperate to survive at any cost. I understand she has a severe condition that the phasing of her body has caused?"
"Something along those lines, yes, Colonel."
"Then you will go and bring her in, Captain. Make your first major field assignment a success."
"With all due respect, Colonel. The White Ghost is a tricky opponent. I'm gonna need back-up."
"You'll have it. Madison will be joining you."
"Again, with respect, Madison doesn't know Ghost well enough to help take her down. Only one person has ever been able to defeat her in a fight."
"And who's that?"
"Kayo Kyrano of International Rescue. The one who you told to get lost and not get involved with us."
"Hmmm. Maybe I was wrong to say that, Captain. Very well, I'll allow you to have her help on this occasion. But let's not make it a habit."
"Thank you, Colonel."
"You see?" Rigby said to Kayo once the hologram had finished.
Kayo still didn't look entirely convinced but decided to play along with it. "Right," she said. "So where do we find the Ghost?"
"By taking a drive through town," said Hayley.
Kayo raised an eyebrow. "Drive? Sorry but there's only room for one in my bike unless you want to ride on the canopy?"
Hayley laughed. "Luckily, we won't need to," she said. She pressed a button on her watch.
The sound of a powerful car engine was heard and Kayo turned in time to see a bright streamlined red sports car zoom out from the trees where it had been hidden before coming to a stop a few metres from where they were standing.
"Woah!" said Kayo in amazement. "Nice wheels, Hayley."
"Thanks," smiled Hayley. "It's called the Cheetah."
"What gave it away that it's hers?" teased Captain Liberty.
"The colours," Kayo answered sarcastically. "Well, it may not be Halloween, but let's go on a Ghost hunt!"
Macksville was the small town where Colonel Jennings' contacts had told her where The White Ghost had been allegedly seen. Kayo flew above the town in stealth-mode so as not to attract any attention whilst Hayley and Captain Liberty made their way through the town in the Cheetah. It had no GDF markings on it so as to hide the identity of those inside it. It did attract the attention of the locals, but only to marvel at how stunning it looked.
"You know Alan would be mega-jealous of you right now, Hayley?" Kayo said over the radio. "He's recently regained his interest in fast cars."
"Yes, Virgil told me he entered the Dakar Rally," Hayley replied. "A real shame it ended so badly."
"But some good came out of it," said Kayo. "He somehow managed to confront and banish the spirit of Sophie that's been haunting him."
"Virgil told me that as well," said Hayley.
"I thought Colonel Jennings forbade any communication between us?"
"She doesn't know about me and Virgil," said Hayley. "Keeping in touch when I'm off duty is easy."
Rigby had been keeping quiet. This wasn't a conversation he could participate in so he kept his eyes peeled on their surroundings and noted every single pair of eyes that looked at the Cheetah as it passed. "The town bank is just ahead," he said at last. "Let's pull over and see what happens."
"Roger that," said Hayley as she pulled the Cheetah off the road and into a parking lot located opposite the entrance of the bank. She parked facing it whilst Kayo landed the invisible Thunderbird Shadow on the roof of the neighbouring convenience store.
"Kayo, you're gonna have to be our secret eyes," Captain Liberty said over the radio. "We can use the windshield to scan buildings but you can get closer than we are."
"F-A-B," said Kayo as she activated her nanotech suit and went into stealth-mode herself. "I'll see what's going on."
"Will you be able to spot The White Ghost with your infra-red?" asked Hayley.
"Provided she's not found any way to upgrade her suit since we last fought, yes," said Kayo as she climbed out of Thunderbird Shadow and walked to the edge of the roof of the store. She activated the infra-red mode inside her helmet and looked down at the bank. She could see the heat-signatures of the people inside. At least three members of staff, one security guard and five customers, three of which were waiting to be served. "I see nine people inside," she reported. "Everything appears to be normal."
"Maybe focus more on the vault area?" suggested Captain Liberty. "Ghost wouldn't need hostages. She could phase right through the back walls and take what she wants without anyone noticing."
"Surely the vault security would detect her?" asked Hayley.
"Maybe. Maybe not," said Kayo. "It's hard to say." It was at that moment that Kayo's attention was suddenly caught. Not by anything going on inside the bank, but by a white transit van that was coming along the main street at a rather slow speed. She turned her helmet scanner onto the van and was surprised to see there were seven heat-signatures coming from inside. One in the front driving, the rest sitting in two rows of three in the back. "Hang on, something's up," she said.
"What is it?" asked Captain Liberty.
But Kayo didn't need to answer for the van suddenly sped up and made a sharp turn to the left, stopping almost opposite where the Cheetah was parked. Kayo, Rigby and Hayley watched in alarm as it then reversed back into the front of the bank, blocking off the main entrance. The rear doors of the van were thrown open as the six occupants inside, four men and two women scrambled out brandishing weapons including a knife, a hand-gun, a shot-gun and some rifles before passing through the automatic doors and firing warning shots into the air.
"THIS IS A ROBBERY! EVERYBODY DOWN!" shouted one of male robbers.
The staff and customers screamed in terror as they were forced down onto the ground. The security officer tried to grab his weapon but he was quickly subdued with a gunshot to the leg.
"What the hell's going on?" Hayley asked. "This isn't what we were expecting."
Kayo used her grapple to cross from the roof of the convenience store to the bank's one. "Hayley, let's not think of that right now. People are in danger and we need to help them."
"I concur," said Captain Liberty. "You take on the ones in the bank to begin with, Kayo. Hayley and I will deal with the driver then I'll join you ASAP."
"You got it," said Kayo as she made her way down the fire-escape door on the roof.
With the plan agreed, Hayley opened the doors of the Cheetah and she and Captain Liberty both barrel-rolled out to avoid the driver of the van noticing them. Hayley pulled out her side-arm, jumped to her feet and fired a shot at the van. It struck the windshield which shattered causing the driver to scream in alarm before hastily opening the door to escape the pieces of shattered glass. Before he had a chance to process what had just happened Captain Liberty's shield came spinning from across the street and hitting his legs, tripping him up and causing him to hit the tarmac hard.
Hayley reached him to hand-cuff him as Captain Liberty was about to make his way into the bank. "Be careful in there," she warned.
Captain Liberty nodded and made his way inside.
Two of the robbers, one male and one female, had taken the manager hostage to the vault to force her to open it for them whilst the remaining four watched the other hostages. They hadn't heard the commotion outside due to the bank's thick walls.
"STAY STILL!" one of the male ones shouted at a woman customer who was trembling with fright.
There came a whoosh as the shield of Captain Liberty came flying across and knocked him over into one of the support columns. Startled, the other three turned as the shield returned to Liberty who then proceeded to drop kick a second male robber when they tried to aim the shot-gun at him. The third male and the second female robbers raised their rifles and opened fire, but Captain Liberty was able to protect himself with the shield and he ran across slamming himself and the shield into the male robber and forcing him into the booth where the injured security guard was.
The female robber then aimed her rifle at a male customer on the floor. "NOT ANOTHER STEP!" she thundered. "One move and he's AAARGH!"
She'd been shot by a stun-weapon. Having secured the driver, Hayley had entered the building and hit the robber with a stun projectile. She then proceeded to do the same with the other three just to make sure that they stayed down.
The two robbers trying to get the vault open heard the commotion.
"What the hell's going on out there?' asked the female robber.
"Dunno," replied the male one. "I'll go check."
"No, you won't."
Kayo suddenly dropped down from above, swinging and kicking the male robber in the chest. He was thrown backwards into the female robber and both crashed against the door of the vault before landing in a winded heap on the floor.
As Kayo dropped down and was about to check on the terrified manager, she saw something that made her stop. The robbers weren't wearing balaclavas to hide their identities. Instead they had black helmets with green eye covers. They were the same design of a helmet that she'd seen before. "No way!"
With all the robbers subdued, Kayo joined Hayley and Captain Liberty in the main area of the bank where the staff and customers had been moved to the side to await the arrival of the Police. Hayley was tending to the injured security guard.
"Did you get the other two?" asked Captain Liberty.
"Yes, they're out cold and handcuffed," Kayo replied. She then looked at the other defeated robbers, a concerned expression visible under her visor.
"Is something wrong?" asked Captain Liberty.
"Do you recognise the design of their helmets?" Kayo asked.
Captain Liberty looked down at the robbers. He'd not had the chance to get a good enough look at them whilst fighting, but now that he wasn't anymore he could get a better look. "Hmmm," he said thoughtfully. "They do look somewhat familiar, although I can't think where from?"
"These are the same kind that The Hood's goons wore," said Kayo. "Now either these are just a kind of helmet that's been mass-produced since or…"
"These are The Hood's lackeys trying to continue his criminal legacy," Captain Liberty said. "Only one way to find out."
One by one the helmets were removed from the heads of the robbers - all looked extremely bitter about having been defeated.
"Okay, boys and girls," Captain Liberty began. "Time to talk. Who do you work for?"
"Screw you!" said one of the male robbers.
"Do you work for The Hood?" asked Captain Liberty.
"Oi, he said SCREW YOU, CAPTAIN AMERICA!" shouted the female robber with black hair.
"Cassidy Jones. Paul Dawson. Malcolm Ericson. Melanie Sanders. Steve Adams. David Blackman. Al Marksman," Kayo said. "Yep. All registered as members of The Hood's former accomplices when his operation was taken down."
The robbers looked at each other in stunned silence.
"How did-?" one began but Kayo cut him off.
"Facial recognition," said Kayo with a sly smile. "It's a wonderful thing. Now who's behind this? It wasn't your old boss. He's in prison. Was it The White Ghost?"
"We ain't sayin' nothin'!" said another of the robbers defiantly.
"Yeah!" said the other female robber. "You won't find anything about us!"
"I found out your identity, didn't I?" teased Kayo which caused their faces to turn white. "Believe me, I am pretty persuasive when I want to be. Now…where is The White Ghost?"
"Right here, Kyrano."
Captain Liberty and Kayo looked behind them and then they gasped and froze. There was The White Ghost, holding Hayley hostage, with her right arm phasing through Hayley's torso.