HAYLEY's Cheetah soon reached the field where Thunderbird Shadow had nose-dived into the ground. Caring not at all for the hedge that separated the field from the road, she spun the wheel to the right and ploughed straight through the hedge before slamming on the brakes once inside the field. She and Colonel Jennings could only stare in horror at the burning mess that lay ahead of them.

Colonel Jennings was straight on the radio. "This is Colonel Jennings. Emergency! Thunderbird is down! Send back-up squads to our location, now…MADISON!"

Hayley had practically leapt out of the car and was sprinting towards the crash site.

Colonel Jennings jumped out after her. "MADISON!" she bellowed again.

But Hayley was committed. Thoughts and concerns for Amanda and Rigby were completely gone. Only Kayo was in her mind and she needed to find her. She tried to get right up into the wreckage but the burning flames and heat kept her back. She tried to be brave and go in but Colonel Jennings caught up and pulled her back.

"GET BACK FROM THERE!" Colonel Jennings shouted.

"NO! I NEED TO FIND HER!" screamed Hayley. "LET GO OF ME, COLONEL!"

"YOU CAN'T HELP HER, DAMN IT!" Colonel Jennings shouted, getting Hayley in a lock and preventing her from going any further. "You can't help her…"

Both women fell silent and looked despairingly into the burning wreck.

Aboard the Helijet, Grafton could hardly believe what had just happened. He saw Thunderbird Shadow explode upon impact and he was ecstatic. "I…I've done it! I'VE DONE IT!" he shouted with delight. "I'VE DESTROYED A THUNDERBIRD! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!"

The threats of death and vengeance against him from both Rigby and Amanda were only muffled due to the tape over their mouths, but Grafton didn't care what they were trying to say. He'd been deceived once before thinking he'd destroyed Thunderbird Shadow when it had crashed into New Yard Harbor. But that had only been a trick to deceive him. This time, even he could tell it was truly genuine.

Thunderbird 1 was flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Scott had been oblivious to the escalating situation. That was until a very concerned Jeff called in. "Scott, what is your location?!"

"Dad…? What's wrong?" Scott asked, noting the unusual seriousness in his father's voice.

"WHAT IS YOUR LOCATION?!"

"Atlantic Ocean. About three hundred miles West of Europe."

"WELL, HURRY IT UP! KAYO'S DOWN!"

Scott opened his mouth but his voice had gone. Had he just heard that right? Kayo was down? Eventually his voice returned. "Wh…Wh…WHAT?!"

"That bastard Grafton has shot her down over Northern France!" Jeff barked. "Thunderbird Shadow has been destroyed and we can't get hold of Kayo. I'm sending you the last location of its tracker system. Find her…son." His voice seemed to break as he finished.

Scott felt his stomach churn. "I'll find her," he promised, pushing Thunderbird 1 to its absolute limit. But he could feel all sorts of unusual feelings inside his body as he went. Fear. dread. Anxiety. This must have been what Kayo and the others had felt when they'd thought he'd been killed by The Cabal. "You better be alive, Kayo."

At its highest speed, Thunderbird 1 arrived on the scene in no time at all. Finding the crash-site was easy due to the presence of GDF and local Emergency Services. Colonel Jennings had called the Fire Department to deal with the blaze from Thunderbird Shadow's wreckage. Upon seeing Thunderbird 1 approach, the Colonel ordered a space to be cleared so Scott could land his ship. Once he'd done so, he couldn't exit quick enough to run over to her.

"Colonel Jennings?"

"Hello, Tracy," said Colonel Jennings. "I had a feeling one of you would be-"

"Any sign of Kayo?" Scott asked urgently.

Colonel Jennings shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said sadly. "We saw it come down. There's no way she could have bailed out in time."

Scott couldn't find any words. His body was shaking.

Colonel Jennings put her hand on his arm. "I don't know whether your brother is coming, but…" She looked over to the Cheetah. "You might want to be with her until he gets here."

Scott looked at the Cheetah. He didn't say a word but walked over to the bright red car. He could only guess who the Colonel was referring to. There was no sign of Hayley outside, so he nervously tapped on the blacked out glass window of the left-hand side door. The door suddenly swung upwards to reveal Hayley, her eyes red from having been crying her eyes out. She threw herself out and onto Scott, sodding loudly as she did so. She couldn't speak but as Scott put his arms around her for comfort, he knew exactly what she would be trying to say. He said nothing, closing his eyes and allowing his own tears to form.

FAB1 was driving through rural East Anglia. Lady Penelope and Parker were heading to attend a Flower Show when Jeff called them up.

"Hello, Jeff," said Penelope sweetly. "To what do we owe the-"

"Please tell me you're free, Penny?"

"Well…we're on our way to a flower show," Penelope began.

"That's not important," said Jeff sharply. "Grafton's escaped from prison. He's kidnapped Captains Rigby and Thompson from their wedding and…"

"And what?" Penelope asked. She grew concerned seeing the sadness in Jeff's eyes. "Jeff…what's happened?"

Jeff finally found his voice again. "He…He's shot Kayo down…"

Parker and Penelope's eyes widened. "Oh, my God…" Penelope said. "Kayo…"

"Thunderbird Shadow is destroyed," Jeff continued. "The GDF and Scott are in attendance. Penny, John is getting a fix on Grafton's aircraft via a tracker Kayo was able to attach on it before she was shot down. I need you and Parker to find that aircraft and trail it. He cannot be allowed to escape!"

"Oh, don't worry, Jeff," said Penelope in an extremely un-Lady Penelope-like voice. "We won't. Parker?"

"Yus…m'lady," responded Parker as he switched on FAB1's flight-mode. He too was as angry now as Penelope was, and they were determined to bring Grafton down…whatever it took.

Scott was talking to Virgil over his wrist-controller and filled him in on the situation. "How's Hayley?" Virgil asked.

"Not good," replied Scott. "She saw her come down, Virgil. She's really shaken by it."

"Tell her I'll be there soon," said Virgil.

Gordon then chimed in. "You're going after him right, Scott?"

"Who?"

"Grafton, damn it!" Gordon said.

"Yeah, you're not just gonna stand there and wait for us whilst he gets away with this are you?" added Alan.

Scott turned and looked into the sky in the direction of where Grafton's Helijet had gone. "No…" he said after a pause. "I'm not…" He began to walk towards Thunderbird 1. Then he spoke into his sash radio. "John, tell me you have a fix on Grafton."

"The tracker Kayo managed to put onto Grafton's Helijet has managed to create a scan of it," John replied. "It's currently heading North-North-West and has just crossed the coast. It's heading over the English Channel towards Southern England."

"I'll catch up to them before they get there," said Scott bitterly. "I'm taking this-"

"WE'VE FOUND HER!"

Scott stopped dead. He turned around. Colonel Jennings was nearby. She'd been heading after him but had stopped following the shout.

One of the GDF soldiers ran up to Colonel Jennings. "Colonel! We've found the pilot."

Colonel Jennings opened her mouth to speak, but Scott appeared out of nowhere. "WHERE?!" he cried.

"In that tree," said the soldier, pointing to a large oak tree on the edge of the field.

Scott had never run so fast in his life before. He pushed a group of soldiers around the base of the tree out of the way and looked up. He gasped. There was Kayo hanging from the tree. Her parachute had deployed and was caught on the upper branches. Kayo was still. Not moving. It wasn't clear if she was alive or not.

Hayley and Colonel Jennings arrived just as Scott had begun to scramble up the trunk of the tree to where Kayo was. He reached her and tried to release her from the parachute's harness.

"SCOTT, WAIT!" Hayley shouted from below. "IF SHE FALLS, WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO CATCH HER!"

"THERE'S A CRASH-MAT INSIDE THUNDERBIRD 1!" Scoot shouted down. "CAN YOU GO AND GET IT?!"

Hayley was off in an instant, instructing two soldiers to come with her. Scott remotely opened up the cargo doors of Thunderbird 1 so they could enter to collect the mat.

Scott knew he had to tell the others. He pressed his sash icon. "Everyone, this is Scott. We've found Kayo. she's in a tree close to the crash-site."

"Is she okay?" Jeff asked urgently.

"She looks to be unconscious, Dad," Scott said. "I just hope that's all…wait…I think-" He gasped. "Her eyes are flickering!"

A collective gasp of relief was heard from everyone who heard him say that.

Kayo let out a moan as she opened her eyes. She looked around, confused, groggy. Then she saw a face on her left. "S…Scott?"

"Yeah, Kayo, it's me."

"Wh-What happened?" Kayo asked.

"READY, SCOTT!"

Scott and Kayo looked down to see that Hayley and the soldiers had laid out the crash-mat on the ground underneath Kayo.

"I'm gonna cut you free," Scott said. "Can you handle the drop?"

Kayo looked down at the mat below. "Do it," she said.

So Scott cut her free from the harness and Kayo dropped down onto the mat. No sooner was she safe when a somewhat emotional Hayley grabbed her for a hug. "Oh, God. Kayo, I saw Shadow hit the ground and I thought-"

"I'm okay, Hayley," said Kayo as she let go. "Which is more than can be said about Grafton when I'm finished with him."

Scott came down from the tree. "Yeah, well get in line," he said. "John, are they still over the channel?"

"Affirmative," said John. "They look to be making landfall at a place called Dungeness. Lady Penelope is closing in on them. I've told them to trail and not engage."

"Then we're going to join them," said Scott. "Come on, Kayo."

Before anyone could say anything, Scott and Kayo were running towards Thunderbird 1. They climbed inside and the sleek, silver rocket took to the air once more.

Colonel Jennings got on the radio. "All GDF units. Grafton's heading towards England. Closest landfall is Dungeness. Be on the lookout but do not engage. Repeat - do NOT engage!"

Grafton's Helijet was almost across the English Channel with its destination slowly coming into view.

"Mr Grafton, we have a visual on the coastline," reported the pilot.

"Excellent," said Grafton. He turned to Rigby and Amanda. "Not far before we reach our hideout. Then we can begin negotiations with-"

WHOOSH!

The Helijet seemed to shudder as something zoomed past.

"What the HELL WAS THAT?!" demanded Grafton.

"SIR! Another of the Thunderbirds has arrived!" said the pilot.

"Which one?!"

"The silver one."

"Then give it the same treatment as the other one!" barked Grafton.

The crew of the Helijet activated the guns on top and underneath the aircraft. But try as they might, they were not able to get a lock onto Thunderbird 1. They tried shooting at random in the hopes of scoring a hit, but it did no good. Scott used all his flying skills to keep out of reach and prevent his craft from getting hit.

"Have you got it yet?" asked Grafton.

"No, sir," said the pilot.

"WHY THE HELL NOT?! WHAT DO I PAY YOU IDIOTS FOR?!"

"We can't hit it, sir, it's too fast!" the pilot protested.

Grafton threw the walkie-talkie he had in his hand across the cargo bay in disgust. Then he looked at Rigby and Amanda. "Get ready to open the cargo door," he ordered. "I have some trash to throw out." He grabbed Rigby, released the bonds that held him to the crates and tried to drag him towards the rear of the cargo bay whilst Amanda created muffled protests. Rigby did as well, using his superior physical strength to wriggle free from Grafton. However his hands and feet remained bound so he couldn't really do anything except lose his balance and fall over. Grafton then managed to get hold of a leg and drag him along the floor towards the back of the Helijet. He attached himself with the safety line and then pushed the button. The door began to open whilst the muffled cries of both Rigby and Amanda were drowned out by the sound of both the alarm and then the rushing of the wind.

From inside Thunderbird 1, Scott and Kayo observed the Helijet. "The cargo door is opening again!" said Kayo.

"I wonder what he's gonna try this time?" said Scott.

"If its another of his mech-suits, you can easily outfly it," said Kayo. "If you could cause a distraction, I might be able to get inside before he closes the…" She broke off, suddenly seeing through her visor's heads-up display what was going on. "Oh, no!"

"What's wrong?" asked Scott.

"Grafton's got someone!" said Kayo. "It's Rigby! And, oh, my God, he's gonna throw him out!"

"HEY, THUNDERBIRDS!" Grafton shouted, even though he knew they couldn't hear him. "WHY DON'T YOU DO YOUR JOB FOR A CHANGE?!" He roared with laughter as he kicked the bound Rigby over the side of the ramp whilst Amanda let out one long muffled scream.

Rigby could do nothing but tug at his bonds as he fell.

"Scott, we have to save him!" ordered Kayo.

Scott had never liked Rigby, but he knew Kayo was right. "I'll get us close, then you dive out and grab him!" he said. He turned Thunderbird 1 away and dived down after Rigby. Once they were close enough, Scott levelled out and opened the underside hatch. Kayo jumped out, carrying a grapple-gun as she went. She was also attached via her harness to the winch cable from Thunderbird 1. She used the grapple to grab onto Rigby and pull him back to her.

"I GOT HIM!" Kayo shouted to Scott. "Reel us in!"

Scott reversed the winch and it pulled Kayo and Rigby back up as they flew away, well clear of the weapons on Grafton's Helijet.

Grafton saw the rescue and he was livid. He let out a bellow of rage and jumped up and down on the ramp, much to the still captive Amanda's delight for it told her the man she loved had been rescued.

FAB1 had finally arrived on the scene just as the Helijet was about to cross the coastline. Below it was the only part of the United Kingdom that was classed as a desert - Dungeness. It was a vastly unpopulated area with the only major landmarks being two lighthouses, the world's smallest public railway and a decommissioned nuclear power station.

Penelope looked down at the area below and compared it to the position of the Helijet. "Thunderbird 5, if we can take out the Helijets engines now, would it crash-land in an unpopulated area?" Penelope asked.

"If you act quickly, yes," said John. "But you'll have to get past Grafton's defences somehow. That Helijet is well armed."

Then Scott chimed in. "I can use Thunderbird 1 to create the distraction," he said. "Grafton will be so focused on trying to hit Thunderbird 1 that he shouldn't realise you're there."

"Okay, Scott, but be careful," said Penelope. She closed her compact. "Parker, get ready to blow Mr Grafton a kiss, would you?"

"With pleasure, m'lady," answered Parker. He flicked a switch on the dashboard that opened the front grill area of the car to reveal its powerful missiles.

Now that they were safely aboard Thunderbird 1, Kayo was able to remove the tape from Rigby's mouth as well as cut the zip ties that bound his wrists and ankles. "Thanks," Rigby said gratefully.

"Are you okay?" Kayo asked.

"Ask me after I've beaten Grafton to a pulp!" snapped Rigby. "We need to get Amanda! She's still in there!"

"Strap in," Scott told them both. "It's time to bring him down to Earth."

Scott brought Thunderbird 1 back just within range of the Helijet's weapons.

"Sir, he's back within range," said the pilot.

"SHOOT…THEM…DOWN!" screamed Grafton.

The guns began shooting again, but all Scott needed to do was see the yellow flashes to be able to pull Thunderbird 1 back out of range again.

The distraction couldn't have worked better. With both sets of guns trying to target Thunderbird 1, nobody, not even the radar operator had realised that there was a flying pink car closing in on them.

"H'In range, m'lady," said Parker.

"Then fire, Parker," said Penelope.

Parker pushed a button. Two missiles shot out from the front of FAB1. They zoomed across the sky towards the Helijet.

Alarms rang out inside the Helijet's cockpit, alerting the flight crew to the incoming threat. "MISSILES!" cried the radar operator.

"LAUNCH COUNTERMEASURES!" ordered the main pilot.

The weapons operator reached for the button to release flares. But he wasn't quick enough. The missiles found their mark, slamming into the starboard engine and blowing it to smithereens. In an instant, control was lost and the Helijet began to lose altitude, falling gradually towards the shingle desert of Dungeness below.

Grafton didn't know what had caused the explosion but he wasted no time in making his voice heard over the intercom. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING AT?!" he bellowed.

The pilot instead sent a warning to all crewmembers. "We're going down. EVERYONE BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

Everyone had to grab hold of something. Amanda was still tied to the crate and could only hope the crate remained in place during the landing.

Using all their skills, the pilots were able to prevent a complete nose-dive into the ground, keeping the aircraft level until it came down belly-first. The impact shook the ground as it slid along, throwing shingle in all directions before eventually coming to a stop after skidding for about a quarter of a mile, leaving a long trail in its wake.

"They're down," said Penelope.

"But not out," John said from Thunderbird 5. "I'm detecting a lot of movement inside."

"We have to take them quickly," said Rigby. "And when we do, I'm having a moment with Grafton."

"Save some for me," said Kayo. "Nobody destroys my ship and gets away with it."

"And there they go!" said Penelope.

Everyone looked to see three green Armoured Personnel Carriers come racing out of the rear of the downed Helijet. After them came nine armed Jeeps. They all raced along the shingle towards a nearby road that would lead them to more populated areas.

"Thunderbird 5, can you tell which one of those APCs has Grafton and Captain Thompson?" asked Scott.

"Negative," replied John. "Those vehicles are made from the same material as the Helijet. I was only able to scan it due to the tracker Kayo put on. I can't scan the vehicles as well."

"Then we'll have to take our chances, won't we?" said Penelope.

"We pick one each?" said Scott.

"But that leaves a third," said Rigby. "Whichever ones we choose will be the wrong ones! We need to hit all three at once!"

"We'll take the third if needed."

"Hayley?" said Kayo. "Where are you?"

"Approaching the coastline," said Hayley.

Those in FAB1 and Thunderbird 1 could now see a formation of GDF Flyers in the distance.

"They're h'on the road, m'lady," said Parker.

"Then let's chase them down," said Penelope.

The APCs and support Jeeps raced through the next town before coming to a junction. Two turned right and one turned left.

"One's peeled off," said Scott. "We'll take it."

"There's another junction ahead of the other two," said Penelope. "My guess is they'll split up again."

"Whichever one you chose, we'll take the other, Lady Penelope," said Hayley.

"Good luck," said Scott. He set Thunderbird 1 to go after the APC. As they closed the gap, they noticed that it had missile-launchers mounted on its rear. The soldiers in the Jeeps were armed RPG launchers as well. "Where the hell did Grafton get all this military-grade gear from?" Scott asked.

"A better question would be how the hell did he even get outta prison?" snapped Rigby.

Scott hastily adjusted the controls to dodge incoming fire. Then in the distance, he saw something that gave him an idea. "Perfect," he said. "Thunderbird 2, feel up to a bit of bushwhacking?"

"You got trouble?" Virgil asked.

"It's heading your way," said Scott.

Virgil smirked. "We'll be ready for them."

The APC raced along the country road with the three Jeeps following close behind. So far the APC's missiles had not been launched as they couldn't get a lock on Thunderbird 1. The soldiers in the Jeeps had tried firing their RPGs but they were way off target much to their frustration.

"Keep going!" the Lieutenant said to the driver. "They can't stop us!"

They rounded a bend. "HOLY-" exclaimed the driver and slammed on the brakes. The wheels screeched as they skidded along the road, but they were unable to stop the momentum, taking them straight up the ramp and into Thunderbird 2's module which was perfectly positioned on their path. The air cushions inside deployed, capturing it and then the door was raised, causing the speeding Jeeps to crash into it one after the other until they were all a crumpled mess.

Alan and Gordon emerged from the bushes either side of the road and Virgil lowered himself down from the cockpit as Thunderbird 1 came in to land. Whilst the brothers checked those in the Jeeps were all knocked out cold, Scott, Kayo and Rigby came hurrying up.

Rigby was trying to find his stun-gun, only to realise he no longer had it. "Damn it!" he cursed. "Grafton's taken my weapon!"

"We've got you covers, Rigs," said Kayo as she and Scott drew theirs.

"Virgil, are we good?" asked Scott.

"All clear, Scott," replied Virgil.

"Scott aimed his stun-gun at the door. "Open it," he said.

Virgil remotely opened the door of the module. The APC was well and truly stuck in the cushions. They were half expecting it to try and reverse out. It didn't.

Virgil used the voice amplifier in his shoulder torch to call out. "Grafton! You are completely surrounded! Come out with your hands up!"

Gordon, Alan and even Virgil had their stun-weapons drawn as well. No answer came from inside the APC.

"Tell him we're coming in," said Scott.

"Okay…we're coming in!" Virgil called out.

Alan and Gordon went to the back of the APC. Alan found the release button and opened the rear door of the vehicle. Virgil shone his torch inside. But all they saw were a group of five soldiers, all motionless having been knocked out by the sudden impact of the APC stopping.

Gordon went inside to check. He came back with bad news. "Grafton's not here," he said. "Nor is Captain Thompson."

Rigby bellowed and kicked the wheel of one of the smashed up Jeeps in frustration. "I KNEW IT!" he roared. "I TOLD YOU WE'D PICK THE WRONG ONE!"

"Hey, Captain, calm down," Scott began. "We'll-"

Rigby lunged forwards and grabbed Scott, shoving him against one of the other Jeeps. "DON'T…TELL ME…TO CALM…DOWN!" he screamed, spit flying into Scott's face.

It took the combined strength of Kayo, Virgil and Alan to pull Rigby off of him.

"HEY! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kayo shouted. Rigby stormed away, pulling pieces of his hair out as he did so. Kayo went after him. "Wayne…I know you're upset and you've every right to be. But lashing out like that isn't going to help, is it?"

Rigby was too furious to respond with words. However he did manage an understanding nod.

Kayo then spoke into her helmet radio. "Kayo to FAB1 and Captain Madison. "APC-1 has been caught. Result - negative."

"Understood, Kayo," said Penelope. "We're in pursuit of our target now."

"And my Flyer is chasing down the third," said Hayley.

"Great," said Kayo. "Let us know as soon as you have results."

Penelope closed her compact and set her focus on the APC and Jeeps that were ahead of FAB1. They were now on the road and were going after the group that had gone straight ahead at the next junction rather than the one that had turned left.

Parker was using all his skills as a professional driver to dodge and weave to avoid the hits of incoming RPGs from the Jeeps. "Pathetic, h'aren't they, m'lady?" he remarked.

"Quite, Parker," said Penelope. "But please don't get complacent."

"H'Of course not, m'lady."

The Jeep drivers then decided to try a new tactic after realising they were struggling to have success with their RPGs. They cut their speed and moved aside, allowing FAB1 to race between them. Two then managed to match speed, boxing them in on opposite sides whilst the third closed in behind. Looking ahead, Penelope and Parker saw that the APC was slowing down.

"It would appear they have us trapped, Parker," said Penelope.

"Wrong, m'lady," replied Parker with a smirk. "That's what we want them to think." He pressed the button that opened up the grill with the concealed missiles again. Immediately he locked onto the APC and fired a single missile. The explosion wasn't able to stop the APC but it almost lifted it up off the ground and caused significant damage.

"GAARGH!" cried the Lieutenant inside the cab before shouting into his radio. "WE'RE TAKING DAMAGE! TAKE THEM OUT!"

But Parker didn't give the soldiers in the Jeeps any time to do anything. He spun the wheel to the left, side-swiping the Jeep, pushing it off course and causing it to slam straight into a sign-post. The impact crumpled the front of the Jeep and stopped it dead in its tracks. Then Parker spun the wheel to the right, side-swiping that Jeep and causing it to drive straight into a ditch, taking that out as well. This now only left the one behind FAB1 which was now backing off so that the soldier in the passenger seat could try again with another RPG.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Parker?" Penelope asked.

"Mmhm," said Parker. "Time for h'a little slip, m'lady?"

"I concur."

Parker flicked another switch, releasing the oil from the rear of FAB1's bumper. The Jeep's wheels lost all grip and it wavered uncontrollably along the road before veering off to the left and slamming into a stone wall.

The Jeep stopped dead upon impact and Penelope was alarmed when the driver came flying out of the windscreen, disappearing into the field behind the wall. "Oh, dear. It would appear that the fellow wasn't wearing his seatbelt," she remarked.

"Learned the 'ard way, 'asn't 'e, m'lady?"

"Quite, Parker. Now let's take these guys out, shall we?"

Parker turned his focus back on the APC. It was still going at some speed although not as fast as it had been before taking the direct hit. He lined up and fired a second missile. It scored another hit.

"NO!" screamed the Lieutenant. "NO WAY YOU'RE STOPPING US!" He punched a button on the dashboard which caused the APC's missile launchers to rise up. But he didn't get the chance to even find a target because Parker fired a third missile which finally did the trick. With an almighty BOOM the APC was thrown into the air, spinning over a few times before coming to rest in a clump of trees at a bend in the road.

Bringing FAB1 to a stop beside the crashed vehicle, Parker stepped out and opened the door for Penelope. Both drew their stun-guns and cautiously approached the rear of the APC. Like Alan had done before, Parker opened the rear door and they checked inside. The news they delivered to Kayo and Hayley wasn't good.

"I'm sorry to report that this APC doesn't contain Grafton or Captain Thompson either," Penelope said.

"Then they have to be in the one heading for London," said Hayley. "I'm being dropped off now. I'll keep them busy until you can arrive."

"Be careful, Hayley," warned Kayo. "You're on your own against four heavily armed vehicles."

"I know, Kayo," Hayley replied. "I won't engage unless they do."

Hayley's Cheetah revved its engine before speeding onto the motorway after being dropped off by the GDF Flyer.

It didn't take long for Hayley to track down the APC and its escort which were speeding along at well above the speed limit, causing several near misses with regular vehicles as they went.

"Idiots!" Hayley said out loud. "There's gonna be an accident at this rate. WHOA!" She managed to swerve as an RPG came right at the Cheetah. She got on the radio. "They've spotted me! I'm gonna back off! There's too many NO!"

Another Jeep had launched an RPG, only this time at a regular car. The car exploded in a fireball and Hayley had to swerve again to avoid the wreckage.

"Madison, what's going on?" Colonel Jennings asked over the radio.

"They're not targeting me, Colonel!" Hayley said. "They're targeting innocent civilians."

"Then back off and keep your distance," ordered Colonel Jennings. "Then they might-"

"DAMN IT!" Hayley shouted. "They've just destroyed another one! I need to stop this!"

"Madison, no!" Colonel Jennings began but Hayley turned off the projector. She was angry now. Innocent people had just been killed by Grafton's cronies and she wasn't going to let anyone else get hurt if she could help. She put the Cheetah into top gear and charged forwards, slamming into the back of one of the Jeeps. It caused it to lose control for a moment and allow her to get round the side. Then she side-swiped it and caused it to crash through the side of the motorway and into a field. It fell badly and then the fuel tank ruptured. It exploded.

Normally Hayley would have had sympathy for those inside the Jeep, but as they'd just killed regular people, she didn't care on this occasion. She set her sights on the next two Jeeps whose occupants were shooting machine-guns at her Cheetah. These of course did nothing due to the car being bullet-proof. As Hayley began to bump them about, they passed under a junction road bridge. It was only then that Hayley realised something. The APC wasn't there. She glanced into her rear-view camera screen. There it was, driving across the bridge, pushing a van right off the bridge as it went. The van fell and smashed into the road below causing other cars to crash into it creating a pile up.

Hayley swore but wasn't going to let up now. She activated the Cheetah's flight mode and the car lifted off the ground, much to the surprise of those in the remaining Jeeps. The car spun around and landed on the opposite side of the motorway, narrowly avoiding the cars. Hayley then took the junction exit and set off again in pursuit of the APC.

"Captain Madison to Colonel Jennings and International Rescue. Sorry for the radio silence there. Grafton's APC has turned off the motorway and is heading towards South London."

"He's heading into the city?" asked Gordon from inside Thunderbird 2. "That's not gonna end well."

"Not if his guys are targeting innocent people!" agreed Alan.

"He's gotta be heading for somewhere," said Virgil.

"Agreed," said Scott. "Lady Penelope, any idea where he might be heading?"

"No idea, I'm afraid," said Penelope. "London's a big place. He could have a hideout anywhere."

"If he goes underground, it could take hours to find him," said Kayo.

"We have to stop him!" insisted Rigby.

"Guys, relax," John chimed in. "I've managed to get his APC on satellite image. Hayley, he took the third right off the road you're currently on."

"The third right, gotcha," said Hayley. "Thanks, John." She soon reached the turning and headed down the road. She couldn't see the APC. However, she did catch sight of something in the distance. About two miles away, standing tall above everything else was a very strange-looking tower. It was tall and mostly thin but with a very large and flat platform on the top of it. She then checked the digital map on the computer inside the Cheetah, and began to realise something. "Guys, I think I know where they're going. He's probably making for the London Car-Vu."

"The London what-now?" asked Scott.

"The Car-Vu!" said Penelope. "It's an observation tower where people can drive up to the top and get a panoramic view of the city!"

"But why would he go up there?" asked Colonel Jennings. "That's a dead end if he does. Then we'll have him!"

"Unless he's arranged for some kind of pick-up," said Virgil.

"Everyone head for the London Car-Vu," said John. "Let's stop him before any pick-up can take place."

Hayley's prediction was right. The APC did indeed contain Grafton and Amanda, and it was now racing down the road that led through an open park where the Car-Vu was located. The tower was clearly visible to them at the end of the long straight. The Car-Vu wasn't actually open for tourists on this particular day due to some maintenance that was meant to be carried out, but some forecasted high winds had put a stop to the workers' efforts. The security guard at the main gate was startled when a large green APC came smashing through the gates before starting to make its way up the long spiral roadway towards the car park located at the top of the tower.

Amanda did not have her gag on anymore and was quick to voice her observation. "You're crazy," she said to Grafton. "If you're trying to escape, this is the wrong way to go!"

"Did I give you permission to speak in my presence?" Grafton said rudely. "No…I did not."

Amanda cursed under her breath. Her hands were still tied behind her back. She needed to find an opportunity to escape if she got the chance.

Hayley's Cheetah wasn't far behind and was soon racing up the roadway as well. Hayley felt uneasy. She knew when she got to the top there would probably be a welcoming committee waiting for her when she got there. She knew her best hope of protection was to just stay inside the car.

The APC reached the top and soon screeched to a stop in one of the parking bays. Grafton disembarked armed with a hand-gun and pulled Amanda with one hand as he did so. Six other soldiers came out from the rear as well as the Lieutenant and driver from the cab. All eyes turned when they heard the sound of a vehicle racing up the roadway. The Cheetah then came into view and skidded to a stop, facing them.

"FIRE!" Grafton yelled, dragging Amanda away whilst the soldiers opened fire on the Cheetah with their machine-guns.

Hayley gritted her teeth. "Sorry about this, guys," she said. She slammed her foot hard on the accelerator. The Cheetah zoomed forwards and the soldiers had to dive out of the way. The Cheetah then began to spin around, creating donuts and producing a huge cloud of tyre smoke which obscured her view and made the soldiers run to get out of range. Then they got distracted by the arrival of another vehicle. It was FAB1 rising up from behind one of the concrete edges of the platform. Straight away they turned their weapons onto it, but Parker pressed another button that released a knock-out gas. All the soldiers quickly succumbed to the gas and collapsed onto the ground.

FAB1 landed close to the Cheetah and Hayley got out to meet Penelope and Parker.

"Glad you could join me, Lady Penelope," said Hayley.

"Looks like we got here in time," said Penelope. "Where's Mr Grafton?"

"There!" said Parker, pointing.

Penelope and Hayley looked across to the West-side of the car park. On each corner of the tower was a metal triangular support beam that had communication dishes mounted on the ends. Grafton was out on one of them, inside the triangular bit. Amanda was in front of him whilst his gun was pressed firmly in her back.

"LET HER GO, GRAFTON!" Hayley shouted as she drew her weapon. "YOU'VE GOT NOWHERE TO HIDE! IT'S OVER!"

"OVER?!" Grafton shouted back. "COME ANY CLOSER AND I PULL THE TRIGGER!"

"MR GRAFTON, WE CAN SETTLE THIS PEACEFULLY!" Penelope joined in.

"THERE IS NO…NEGOTIATIONS!" Grafton bellowed. "I AM GETTING MY REVENGE…ON ALL OF YOU…FOR DESTROYING…MY LIFE!" He brought his gun round from behind Amanda and fired three shots. Hayley, Penelope and Parker dived for cover behind the Cheetah. "YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME! NOW YOU WILL KNOW…WHAT IT FEELS LIKE…TO LOSE!"

"So that's what this is all about," Hayley realised.

"He wants revenge for the loss of his family," Penelope said.

"Shhh!" Parker said suddenly. "Can you 'ear that?"

Hayley and Penelope listened. Just above the wind noise, they could hear a buzzing sound coming from somewhere below the platform.

"What is that?" Penelope asked.

"HAYLEY, GET OUT OF HERE!" Amanda suddenly shouted. "THERE'S-MMPH!"

Grafton's hand was now clamped tightly over her mouth. "DO YOU HEAR THAT?!" he shouted with glee in his voice. "THAT'S THE LAST SOUND YOU'LL EVER HEAR!"

The buzzing was getting louder. And then the cause of it was revealed. Penelope, Parker and Hayley froze and their eyes widened as a large green Apache Helicopter appeared from beyond the Northern-side of the platform. Inside, a female pilot quickly trained its front-mounted machine cannon onto the trio who had no protection outside their vehicles.

"Well…" said Penelope, trying to hide the fear in her voice. "This is…rather distressing!"