Thank you for the views and review so far! apologies its still a bit sporadic on the old updates. It's back to school next week so i may get a short window to write some more!
Chapter 4
Everyone turned to look at him as the last one to enter. Virgil mouthed a quick "Are you alright?" Alan nodded, catching his breath as everyone turned back to Scott and John's active portraits on the lounge wall. It appeared that John had already dispatched Scott as the situation had arisen in the Naples, a short flight for Scott from England where he now resided.
"Dad, it's bedlam here. There's been two aftershocks, people are still in a state of panic and the emergency services are overwhelmed evacuating the coast as there is a danger to life warning. Here in Ottaviano, we've had reports of liquidation, building collapses and power outages covering a fifty-mile radius.
"And your sure you need everyone on this?" Jeff asked carefully.
"Yes father, there are thousands of people that have been buried alive across the region here. It was just after noon when it occurred, children were in school and people at work. Ottaviano was the epicentre so it's the worst affected. Our priority will be to use the digging and hoisting equipment to free those trapped and ferry them to medical centres further afield which are being prepped to receive them by John."
"Understood. Boys off you go, take pod 5 with the Excadigger."
"What about me Mr Tracy? I'd like to help if I may." Tin Tin piped up. Jeff didn't miss the two heads that whipped around quick enough to develop whiplash.
"No Tin Tin. I'll need you here with Brains to monitor the latest geographical data to try and warn the boys of further impending danger as much as possible. John will be busy triaging the other emergency service calls whilst this incident is ongoing."
Tin Tin looked determined. "Yes sir."
"Good well off you go. All of you."
They scattered out of the lounge.
The Journey to the danger zone was fraught, the cabin silent as the boys were lost in their own thoughts. Earthquakes were one of the most dangerous rescues they attended due to the aftershocks and subsidence that could continue for days afterwards. Virgil wore a fixed frown as he battled with the controls through the fierce storms across the Mediterranean Sea. Rain poured in thick rivulets along the front windscreens. The intense drumming of the onslaught of wind and rain whistling outside could be heard from inside the cockpit.
Gordon's stomach flipped with the turbulence as he took a steadying breath. He didn't fly as well as the others as a passenger. Despite Thunderbird two's baulk she still dipped and bounced on the disrupted jet stream. His grip on the chair underneath him intensified. "I might just crack out the wetsuit at this rate."
Virgil gave a soft chuckle from upfront. "That wouldn't be a bad idea. Think about poor Scott, he's been out in it for an hour now already."
"Nah, that's his normal now. He's acclimatised." Gordon quipped.
Virgil huffed in response just as Alan cut across with. "What's our ETA?"
Gordon refrained from looking at Alan, his tone was enough to gauge that just talking with Virgil had pissed him off.
"We're about…. ten minutes out. I guess I should call it in." Virgil flicked the radio on to hail both Scott and his father. The others listened in for any additional instructions.
"Hey Virgil." Scott's authoritative tone was already tinged with weariness. His hair fell flat against his forehead dripping with moisture, seeping down into his collar under his waterproofs. He was drenched to the bone. "I'm going to need you to land and unload as quickly as possible. I have thirty casualties already laid out in the open here due to the risk of building collapses but in this weather, they are at risk of more harm."
"Ok Scott, I'll get Gordon and Alan to unload immediately, then i'll come to you."
"Excellent. Gordon and Alan, I need you to use the Excadigger to clear some of the larger rubble so we can then get in there to assist on foot." Scott glanced at his watch. "Radio in when you've landed."
"F.A.B"
As they approached land, the turbulence subsided enough for Gordon and Alan to prep. Alan opened the storage compartment to pull out his waterproofs.
"Can you pass me mine?" Gordan asked.
Alan thrust a hand into the closet and grabbed the waterproofs, Gordon held out his hand as Alan dropped the waterproofs. They landed at Gordon's feet.
"Oops." Alan walked off, leaving Gordon to flip him the bird from behind. He threw his jacket on, popping the hood in annoyance. He wasn't asking to be forgiven but a bit of grown-up civility wouldn't go amiss.
Alan took the steps two at a time, the metal clattering underfoot as he entered the lower floor of the pod, a bag of supplies swung over his shoulder. He walked up to the Excadigger, hoisting himself up the short ladder into the cockpit.
Gordon opened the other door a few minutes later, He slammed it loudly before stowing his gear in the locker at the back. He then took his seat next to Alan who'd already fired up the instrument panel and was wating on standby.
They both sat in stony silence, Gordon had given up on making small talk. He decided he would only speak when spoken to. Instead, he adjusted the seat to fit him and took a moment to tuck his waterproofs into his boots more securely.
The signal was given so they rolled out of the hangar straight to the first location given. Outside was a warzone, a grey sickly landscape blurred with waterdrops the size of golf balls. The walking wounded staggered like zombies, dazed and confused as they tried to help each other to safety. Others were on their knees at the side of the road wailing for their loved ones, others actively pushing past and shouting into rubble where they believed their family had been at the time of the quake. Buildings were reduced to unformed lumps of concrete sticking up out of the ground like fractured bones in a wound. Both Gordon and Alan were appalled by the level of destruction. Alan drove on steadily, careful to avoid areas of rubble lest there were people underneath it. It a was slow arduous journey but eventually they made it to a school where they were to begin the dig.
Gordon felt uneasy. "Well here goes nothing, commencing lifting." Gordon gently navigated the joysticks to operate the shovel on the front to lift the first large slab of concrete. Alan concentrated on the scanners looking for any signs of body heat or detect organic matter as potential bodies. Out of all rescues, earthquakes were the worst for Alan. The body count tended to be high, and the gruesome fate of the poor victims played on his mind for days afterwards, their bloodied faces haunting him. With a firm shake of the head he forced himself to return to more positive thoughts, if he and his brothers weren't here the loss of life would be higher. If them assisting in this rescue helped to even save one person, then all his fear and sorrows were worth it.
Alan found he had to speak, despite not wanting to. His clipped tones broke the stalemate. "According to the maps this section was the dinner hall where most of the children were gathered at the time. According to reports twenty out of one hundred have been extracted, five removed." Alan throat constricted with emotion.
Gordon nodded grimly, not looking up from the controls.
Alan looked at the screen once more before throwing up a hand. "Gordon Stop! To the left of us there appears to be two perhaps three casualties huddled under a table!"
"Right." Gordon lifted the shovel, so it sat in the air above them as Alan cautiously turned them around. There was a wide slab of concrete that was sealing them in like a tombstone. "Alan if you slowly move forward, I'll use the grabbers to clamp onto the slab then deploy the cables to stabilise."
"Ok."
Immersed in their tasks they quickly had the situation in hand and began to pull the concrete away. Alan's brow furrowed as the slab began to crack, great fissures splintering like ice splitting on a lake. "It's going to split!" He exclaimed.
"It's alright its almost clear, just a little more Alan!" Gordon encouraged; their current feud forgotten.
With one last tug, it was free, and Alan was able to drag it away to where it split in two, pieces falling inwards but at a safe distance from the casualties. "Whew! That was a close one." Alan's breath whistled through his teeth in release. "Let's go and get them."
"On it!" Gordon flipped out of his seat harness and ran to grab the micro shovels and first aid gear, passing Alan his kit. They both hopped out of their respective sides of the vehicle walking over to the rubble. They both did a quick assessment of the surrounding area before getting down on their knees. Alan crouched and shone a torch downwards. "Hello! Its International Rescue can you hear me?"
A weak "Help!" followed by a deep coughing fit followed. Alan could make out fingertips reaching upwards covered in brick dust. Crimson ribbons streaked down from them, the nailbeds shredded.
"It's alright, we're going to get you out." Alan pulled back and started to open the kit bag, Gordon was already digging furiously, the sheen of perspiration across his forehead visible. Alan set their smaller drone to work, using the remote control to guide it further into the hole so they could monitor the casualties and ensure that their digging wasn't destabilising the area further.
Gordon struck the rubble again and again, the repetitive scrape and ding of the spade ringing in his ears. He'd almost made a hole big enough to hoist them up now, if he could just widen it a little more. Panting from exertion, he growled as a large stubborn boulder refused to move. Grabbing it with both hands he strained, pulling backwards. He glanced towards Alan who was looking at the drone screen. "Gee - can you give me a hand with this?"
Alan looked up "Sure."
Together they both grabbed hold "On the count of three" Gordon intoned "1,2,3" They heaved once more, Gordon could feel the twinge erupt in his lower back, but he wasn't going to give up. Straining once more it finally fell away, taking them both with it, Alan landing on top of him.
"Oooff"
Alan rolled off of him without an apology before heading back to the newly formed entrance. If Gordon was expecting sympathy, he wasn't going to get it.
Gordon rolled onto his hands and knees before leaning back on his haunches. Alan was damn heavy, and Gordon nearly said as much till he remembered he best keep his trap shut. He scrabbled back to the hole; in the gloom he could make out movement. Flicking on his head torch he turned to Alan. "Is it stable?"
Alan assessed the screen. "As much as it can be. I've asked the team to warn us if an aftershock is incoming. From what I gather speaking to the children (The drone had a microphone) one is unconscious, and they can't lift him. One girl has superficial cuts and bruises the other an open fracture to her arm."
"Right. I'll go in then and try and lift them to you?"
"Ok, let me know which one you're sending up first." Alan replied tersely.
"Will do."
Gordon shimmed down on his backside, the scree scraping under his waterproofs along with the damp. He felt himself shift over a ledge before dropping down into the hole. Gordon gauged it was about six foot drop at the front but to the rear where the children were, he would have to crouch low. Sure enough once inside there was barely enough room to swing a cat so he remained crouched. Under a table at the back A girl who couldn't have been much older than seven was crying, cradling the boy's head in her lap. His raven hair and brown complexion looked ghostly in the chalk dust. Gordon scraped a couple of crumpled metal chairs to the side. He then reached out to the boy, gently cradling his head as he started to assess for injuries. Slipping a hand to his utility belt he pulled out a mini body scanner. "Err….." Gordon paused trying to remember his phrasing. "Puoi dirmi dove è ferito?" Gordon asked the girl.
"La sua testa." The girl replied quickly. Gordon ran a full body scan; it did just seem to be his head that was hurt. Gordon grabbed the torch and flashed it in each of the boy's eyes. One pupil was larger than the other and there was a free-flowing wound to his front temple.
This was where his Italian eluded him. "Right. I'm going to lift him out first so he can be treated right away, ok?"
"Yes."
Gordon smiled "We will get you out too so try not to worry."
Gordon leaned towards the drone. "Alan its too tight for a stretcher in here, I'm going to have to lift, and you will need to secure."
"F.A.B bring him up."
Gordon stooped over the boy, scooping him up his arms, Gordon's torso and head tucked against the low slope of the destruction above. He hobbled over to the entrance, grunting with the effort as his back screamed in protest. As he got closer to the hole, he was able to stand fully. Being short and small sometimes had its advantages he reflected. He doubted the others could have fitted in this tiny cavern. He spied Alan leaning down through the gap which he had since widened in the time Gordon had been under. Gordon was able to lift the boy up to the lip of the entrance where Alan reached down to grad him. Alan then shuffled him out and secured the small prone form to a stretcher.
The girls were much easier to secure. Gordon quickly strapped the girl's arm to stem the bleed and make sure she didn't hurt herself any further. He also administered pain relief. Once she was safely up Gordon hoisted the other girl out of the hole and into the storm. He went back one more time and looked around the table they had been sheltering under for gaps or any other signs of life nearby. He called out several times but there was no response, with a final sweep he made his way back to the exit.
It was at that point trouble struck. The sound of scree tapping down stone to his left was the only indicator before it all subsided, clattering down on him. He scrabbled for the lip to the entrance, throwing himself up and latching on the side, the rough-hewn rock shredding his hands as he scrabbled for purchase. "Alan!" Gordon could see his brother was loading casualties into the Excadigger. Gordon watched as his brother sprinted across the ground towards him until he stopped a few metres short. He grunted as he slipped once more.
Alan drew short. Gordon was poised at the entrance, one arm hooked on the edge calling to him, he could see the rubble shifting above Gordon. Time seemed to slow in that moment, the sound of his breath flooding his ears over the patter or rainfall, he could hear his harsh gasps as his chest heaved. Dripping water in his eyes obscured his vision but he could see Gordon scrabbling at the edge trying desperately to lift himself clear. He would have to help him, so why wasn't he moving?
"Alan!" Gordon yelled with a frustrated plea. The rocks rushed into the cavern, engulfing his right side up to the waist. He gave a strangled yell at the impact. Then it all stopped. He waited as the last stones chinked and chipped their way down the pile. With a shaky breath, he gently pushed the larger rocks off the top of him, easing the pinching sensation above his hip.
"Gordon, my god! Are you alright?"
"I think so, no thanks to you! Pull me out will you?"
"Gordon I" –
"Save it! Just get me out of here before I'm crushed fully." He interjected angrily.
Alan grabbed Gordon's hand and pulled, the muscles cording in his forearms as Gordon braced himself the best he could and tried to kick and free his legs. Luckily the pile of rubble was mostly dust and loose scree, so it came away easily. After a few minutes of scrabbling around in the gravel they'd almost freed him until he gave a yelp and swore.
Alan balked, holding onto Gordon's elbow. "What's wrong?"
"Gah! My ankle, think I twisted it. Never mind, carry on."
Alan gave one final yank and Gordon was clear. He lay flat on his back before rolling onto his good side. His right throbbed from waist to thigh, scraped skin catching against the folds of his uniform. Rain dripped in his eyes and his ankle pulsed with a pain intense enough to make his eyes water. He felt Alan's hand hesitantly touch his bicep and shook him off angrily before scrabbling to his feet. He hobbled off, leaning heavily on one leg.
Alan trotted alongside. "Let me help you."
"Didn't want to help a moment ago, did you?" He glowered.
"I did!"
Gordon shook his head and waved him off. "You drive, let's get these casualties extracted."
"You should get seen to."
Now he was concerned for his welfare. Gordon huffed angrily, hopping up into the cab one step at a time.
"I'm fine" He growled through the downpour. "Just get on with it."
Every sway of the vehicle had him biting the inside of his cheek, he felt numb and disoriented as they rocked onwards. The pain he felt was indescribable but the worst wound by far was the one festering in his heart and mind. The one where he knew he'd truly lost his brother's love.