"Alan to Scott, I've got news about John. He found a way to make contact."

Hearing Alan's voice through the radio, Scott broke away from the small group of workers he had been talking to and moved into a side room before answering. "Scott receiving you. Say, that's great news. Where is he? Is he okay?"

"He was in the mine and said it was no accident, the Hood was there, he saw him and had a little showdown with him but he got away and set off a bunch of explosives. John's unhurt apart from a few bruises, but now he and the girl are trapped in one of the resource tunnels."

"Well, I'm mighty relieved to know he's okay, I was getting worried there-" Scott started but stopped as another thought struck him. "Wait, hold on a second, do you mean to tell me he's not alone? What girl? I was told everyone had been evacuated safely, there's no one unaccounted for."

"She's a civilian, I think I recognised her voice as the one who called us from the rocket."

"Selene," Scott groaned, closing his eyes in despair. "I might have known she'd do something like this."

"Is that her name? It's pretty. She seems nice."

"She's interesting, I'll give her that. And firey. John's in for a tough time if he's stuck with her."

Alan chuckled. "Somehow I don't think he'll mind too much."

Scott knew his brother too well. Alan, along with Gordon, were the gossips of the family and liked to stick their noses into other people's business and, while it was fine back at base, a rescue was not the time for such talk. He'd have to nip it in the bud and focus on the matter at hand.

"So what's the plan?" Scott asked, determined to get Alan back on track. "I was asking the fellas here if it was possible to break through from our side to search for him but they said they don't have the equipment to hand."

"I heard the same. They've been frantically calling back to Earth trying to locate their equipment, but the freighter they use is out of commission and they don't have another due to budget cuts," Alan said.

Scott sighed, it always came down to money. "I guess we're gonna have to find a way to get him out on our own. Look, call Dad for me and explain the situation, I'm gonna make my way around this base and try to chase down the Hood, if we can get him contained I might be able to use Thunderbird after all."

"You're on your own up there," Alan reminded him, "and we know how dangerous he can be."

"I know, and I don't like it either, " Scott admitted grimly. "But it seems to me I have no choice."

"Okay, if you say so, but stay alert, we don't need to have to try and rescue you too."

"It won't come to that," Scott assured him. "I've faced him before, I'm wise to his game. I'll be alright."

"Alright, but I don't like it. Keep me updated."

"You got it. Oh, and Alan?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't call me unless you have to, wait for me to contact you. If you don't hear from me in an hour, then you can worry."

After issuing his orders, Scott cut the call and reached for his gun. There was no time to lose.

-x-

"So, that's the situation, Father," Alan finished, his tone tense. "Scott's okay, he didn't even make it into the mine before the explosions happened, he was getting that worker looked at and trying to explain the situation so they would evacuate the mine. No one else was hurt but John's trapped in there with a civilian."

"And there's no way he can get out on his own?" Jeff asked, stroking his chin as he thought it over. This was one of the times when he hated being the commander of International Rescue. He was putting his sons, his family, into dangerous situations that he couldn't help with. He knew he'd trained them to be the best of the best and that they could look after themselves, but that didn't squash his instinctive desire to rush in after them whenever anything went wrong.

"Not as it stands, no. They're in the middle of an incomplete side tunnel off the main shaft, so cut off from the emergency exits. There should be enough gaps in the rock fall to allow air to trickle through as it can be pumped in through the main system once they get the power up and running again, but they have no food or water."

Jeff got to his feet, the urge to pace too much. "And the mining company can't do anything?"

Alan shook his head. "Not according to Scott. The main and safety shafts were completed more than two years ago so the machinery was shipped back to Earth. The one they were working on wasn't for access but for materials, so they were simply chipping away at it as they went. Besides that, anything they did manage to excavate out to get to them would have to be manually moved and they just don't have the time or technology. Seems to me like the only thing could do it in time would be th-"

"The Mole," Brains finished for him, coming into the room as silently as ever, never one to make his presence known unless he wished to.

"The Mole?" Jeff repeated. "But that's a terrestrial vehicle."

"It's p-perfectly capable of operating in the l-low gravity of the Moon," Brains assured him.

"Yeah, but how do we get it there?" Virgil asked. "Scott has Thunderbird Three. He'd have to come back on his own to fetch it."

"I don't like the idea of him leaving the base unprotected while that character is running around," Jeff mused. "It'll have to get there another way."

"Scott asked them if they had a freighter that could be used to bring emergency equipment up, but it's undergoing repairs," Alan told them. "And it could take days, even as long as a week, to get it up and running. Even then it wouldn't be fast enough."

"Then by thunder we're just going to have to find something that is fast enough!" Jeff insisted, thumping his palm with his fist for emphasis. "Leave it with me, Alan, but check back in with Scott and get an update on the Hood, and tell him to be careful, we know what that man is capable of."

"Yes, sir."

Alan cut the call and Jeff returned to his desk, his mind whirling. They needed something fast, as fast as Thunderbird Three, if not faster. But what? He had connections all over the world, but there weren't many who had influence within space organisations that could help without blowing International Rescue's cover.

He rested his head in his hands, elbows propped up on the desk as he tried to think, but his mind kept going back to his sons, one of them trapped and helpless, the other potentially facing their biggest enemy alone and unprepared. How had a simple rescue mission gone so wrong?

"Would you like some more coffee, Mr Tracy?"

"Huh?" Jeff looked up sharply, his expression softening when he smiled at the sight of Tin-Tin standing beside his desk holding a coffee pot up in offer. "Sure, honey." He pushed his empty cup her way with a distracted hand as he rummaged in his desk drawer. "Say, where did my contact book get to?

"You put it on the shelf when you last cleaned your desk, Mr Tracy," she answered with a little smile of her own as she filled his cup.

"So I did." He moved to get up but she was quicker, grabbing it from the shelf and handing it over. "Thanks."

Jeff flicked through the book, his eyes rapidly scanning the pages. "No… no, she's moved on… he's retired… killed in action…" He paused, a frown creasing his face. "Say, I wonder what Zero is up to these days?"

"Zero?" Virgil asked, crossing to the desk to help himself to the coffee pot while reading over his father's shoulder. "Do we know him?"

"I shouldn't think so," Jeff muttered, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "I knew him during my time in the space program, last I heard he'd become a colonel and moved on to chief astronaut for the world space patrol."

"World space patrol?" Gordon echoed. "Do you think he could help us?"

Jeff shook his head regretfully. "He doesn't know about my involvement with International Rescue."

Gordon shrugged easily. "Who says he has to know? Can't you give him a call and tell him you're helping a friend?"

Jeff opened his mouth to argue but shut it again as he thought it over. "Maybe it might be worth tracking him down, he was always a fair guy and might have a little clout if we appeal to his good nature."

"Can't hurt," Virgil agreed, settling back down next to Gordon on the couch. "Not like we have a lot of options."

"Yeah," Jeff said, chuckling quietly to himself. "I guess anything is worth a try."

It took him forty minutes, many calls, and much name-dropping before he was able to secure a direct line to Space City's commander but soon the grinning face of his old friend filled the screen of his video phone.

"Well, I'll be… if it isn't Jeff Tracy."

"Wilbur, you're a sight for sore eyes," Jeff greeted his old friend, smiling warmly.

"How the devil have you been?" Zero asked, leaning back in his chair. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"Business rather than pleasure, I'm afraid," Jeff admitted. "I've got a favour to ask you."

"And what's that?"

"I got a call from a friend of mine who's based up on the Moon," Jeff said, fudging the truth as best he could. "He's stationed up there for that mining project, I'm sure you've heard of it?"

"I sure have. Heard they found a big vein of Tantalum just last week, should fetch a pretty penny. What about it?"

"It's not common knowledge, but there's been some kind of explosion, sabotage they think, and those fellas at International Rescue need some assistance. Since I know the guy up there, he asked if I could help fight through the red tape and paperwork by cutting out the middle man, " Jeff explained, keeping to his policy of sticking to the truth as much as possible.

"Help International Rescue?" Wilbur sat up straighter in his chair. "Of course, we'll do all we can. What's the situation?"

"They had their spacecraft already docked and two of their operatives on scene when the incident happened. One of their guys got caught up in the blast, he's not hurt but he's trapped in the mine and the other guy is dealing with the saboteur," Jeff told him, watching his friend carefully for any sign that he suspected Jeff was being less than truthful, but thankfully Zero was the same guy he'd always been, taking people at their word.

"Gee, that sure is a mess." Zero said, shaking his head in disbelief. "What do they need from us?"

"They need you to play delivery driver."

Zero frowned. "How so?"

"There isn't enough equipment at the base to help the trapped man, so International Rescue needs to get some of their kit to the Moon in as short a time as possible. I've been hearing on the grapevine that your Fireball fleet is the best in the galaxy. Think you can spare one to take an operative and their equipment up? They can make their own way back." There, he'd said it. He'd asked for help and hopefully in a way that wouldn't tip anyone off to his involvement with International Rescue.

Commander Zero pondered this for a moment or two, his eyes drifting to the side as he consulted some screen or another. "We've got quite a few crews out already," he mused, mentally reviewing his active roster. "And of the three that are on site, only one crew has the flight hours left to make the journey. But yes, I think it's doable."

"Really?" Jeff tried not to let his relief show, it wouldn't do to appear as anything but a convenient go-between for International Rescue.

"Sure thing," Zero replied easily. "Tell their people to contact my people and we'll make it happen."

"Say, that's mighty good of you." Out of shot, Jeff motioned for Virgil and Gordon to prepare themselves for the trip. "I'll make the call. And hey, it sure was good to talk, Wilbur. We should meet up sometime, catch up properly for old times' sake."

"We sure should," Zero agreed. "Great to speak to you, Jeff. But, before you go," he broke off to glance over his shoulder and then leaned closer to the screen. "Can you give me any hints as to who's running this International Rescue outfit? Seems to me like he's one hell of a guy."

Jeff's lips twitched in a ghost of a smile, but he shook his head. "Wish I knew myself, but I'm just the messenger boy. You'd have to ask someone in the know."

Zero snapped his fingers in a 'damn, missed' gesture and laughed ruefully. "Yeah, I figured that would be the answer, they're too clever by half, no one, not even the world president, knows a thing. It's one heck of a secret, I'll give them that. I can't even keep my weekly burger a secret from my wife."

Jeff threw back his head and laughed heartily, feeling somewhat lighter now that he knew help would soon be on the way for his sons. The Hood might be out there causing trouble, but in this, they had the upper hand. That slimy toad could crawl back into whatever hole he'd come from, Jeff couldn't care less, so long as his boys and the people of the moon base would be safe.

"Thanks again, Wilbur," he said, reaching for the end call button. "I'll be in contact about that meet-up."

"Make sure you do," Zero said, "I'll be seeing you."

Jeff stabbed the end call button and turned to his sons.

"Right, let's get this show on the road. Virgil, you'll be taking the mole to Space City in Thunderbird Two. Gordon, you'll go with him and stay behind with Thunderbird while Virgil hitches a ride aboard Fireball with the Mole. Any questions?" Now that they had a plan of action he could feel his usual decisiveness returning.

"No, sir," Virgil said, already on his feet. "Come on, Gordon, let's move."