Sorry for the delay, manic time of year and we've all been ill as usual! finally got around to editing this one, thank you for the views and reviews so far! I'm sorry there isn't a Christmas fic this year but wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Chapter 11

Gordon stood in dumbstruck horror. His cuffed hands hanging loose in front of him as he warily observed the man who tried to kill him, the man who he was convinced he had killed in turn. He was meant to be dead, yet it seemed he'd got away - although not unscathed.

When the Hood revealed his face, the damaged eye was evident. The iris and pupil were a milky white, the surrounding tissue puckered where a long three-inch scar ran from just above his eyebrow to mid cheekbone, the flesh pockmarked with deep scaring. His skin on that side of his face had the appearance of faint webbing across the top of his cheek and to the side of his eye. Most likely an old burn injury, the skin pulled taut across the side of his eyelid giving it a hooded appearance.

"Admiring International Rescue's handiwork? The damage they inflict?" He hissed.

"Don't be so righteous, I've felt you inflict enough damage yourself to last a lifetime. No worse than having your vertebrae snapped. Have you ever considered its Karma?" Gordon circled inside the cell guardedly, not taking his gaze off the man who broke his back.

The Hood growled. "Karma must flow both ways. When I heard you were here with my niece, I was astonished. Your father and my brother have spent years ensuring that their families don't stray into my domain. I wonder what changed? My supposed death? Finally, there may be a gift worthy of the pain and suffering I have endured, another chance to ensnare International Rescue and their brilliant machines ripe for the taking."

Gordon snorted. "Yeah, because that worked out so well for you last time, didn't it?"The Hood turned on his heel and raised his gun to Gordon's forehead. Gordon raised his chin in defiance.

"Your brother may have bested me last time with that little bitch of his, but rest assured I shall not fail now. You will tell me where the Thunderbirds are located if you and dear Tin-Tin are to survive."

Gordon gritted his teeth. This guy was as indestructible as a cockroach and as repulsive too. Would his thirst for power ever be quenched? Not even being inches from death had reformed him. It tore Gordon up inside, but he knew he couldn't let this man continue to live no matter who he was, even if Tin-Tin and Kyrano could never forgive him. This man would continue to maim countless others in his quest for dominance and Gordon wouldn't put it past the guy to kill his niece and brother if they stood in his way. Did this man have Tin-Tin captive and if so, where was she? Gordon made a point not to mention her. The less they focused on her at the moment, the better. Then this dick might leave her alone long enough for him to rescue her.

"No one knows where they are, its classified." Gordon wrenched his attention back to the matter in hand.

The Hood's brows furrowed in anger. "You know and you will tell me!" His good eye flared a molten amber before fading. Gordon flinched involuntarily, the flare of power sending a chill down his spine. He made himself stand taller and reminded himself he had a pin he could use to get out of the cuffs. The little voice in his head betrayed him with the thought that having his hands-free last time hadn't saved him either. Internally he told himself to shut up.

The Hood clicked on the radio located on his shoulder. "You three get down here."

"Yes sir."

He heard them before he saw them, the ringing of metal being struck by batons along the length of the corridor. Gordon felt sick to the pit of his stomach, he knew what was coming, knew he'd have to find the guts to hold out no matter what.

Three burly men pushed their way into the cell, the door clanging shut behind them. Raven haired and muscular, their bronze skin gleamed in the dim light of the cell. All had similar features as they glared at him, leading Gordon to conclude that they must be of the same family, they could certainly pass for siblings. Two of them lunged in unison to grab him but he sidestepped both of them, dropping to his knees and sliding between the third's legs. He spun round on his heels bringing both his arms up hard in between the brute's legs. He collapsed to the side with an agonised groan.

Gordon took a hit to the side just as he got back to his feet whilst ducking under the other's blow that had been meant for the side of his head. With a stifled gasp of pain, he lashed out with a foot, jamming it into the back of the guy's leg hard, forcing him to collapse to the ground. A loud bang echoed around the chamber, stopping them all in their tracks.

"Enough, you imbeciles! Grab him!"

The third one had recovered enough to quickly bring his baton down in front of Gordon's neck, lifting Gordon against his chest to effectively pin him. He dragged Gordon backwards, coughing and spluttering as he desperately tried to squirm out of his hold but with his hands still cuffed it was impossible.

Now it was deemed safe, the Hood prowled into the cell and up to Gordon's face. "You always were a slippery one Gordon Tracy. Now you will look at me and listen."

Gordon grunted with sheer effort of keeping his head turned but the baton was so tight, he was on the fringes of blacking out. He let his head be forced back to face the evil in front of him. The Hood addressed him directly. "You will tell me exactly where the Thunderbirds are housed." The amber eye flared to life, the damaged one remaining a cold milky white.

Gordon panted with the effort of ignoring the direct order, breaking out into a sweat across his temple. "You're going to have to try harder." He bit out.

"Where do you keep the Thunderbirds?" The Hood roared; Gordon could feel the spittle splatter against his cheek. He wished he could wipe it off.

A sharp pain blossomed between his eyes, and he yelled in defiance, he wouldn't break like last time. "Go and ask someone who knows because I don't!"

The Hood's eye dimmed back to normal. With a frustrated growl he turned to his subordinates. "Beat him but make sure he doesn't lose consciousness. I want answers and I will have them!" With that he stormed out on his heel, Gordon's grunts of pain following him down the corridor.

Gordon let the first blow hit him across the cheek, pain flared immediately as he hung limp like a marionette in his captives' arms. That was enough to loosen the hold around his neck, within minutes he'd jabbed upwards at the burly man's elbow and smashed it with enough force to get him to drop the weapon. He lunged for it two handed before bringing it across the nearest assailant's neck in a crippling blow. He fell to the floor gasping for air like a carp out of water.

Gordon ducked another blow from the youngest of the trio. A lithe small man, more agile than a panther. He easily darted and danced away from Gordon flicking a small knife from his waistband as he did so. Him and the final attacker fanned Gordon from both sides working in unison to the point where Gordon realised, he was in deep trouble.

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With tear-stained cheeks and her hair unravelled, she hobbled through the dense undergrowth in the pitch black relying on scent and hearing alone to see her through safely. Her mind was reeling - she couldn't make sense of it all, but she knew she had to get as far away as possible and quickly. She glanced over her shoulder in fear, dreading the sight of torchlight or the gleam of a barrel in the moonlight. Someone was hunting her, someone who looked like Gordon.

She'd been driving down the road adjusting the volume of the radio, enjoying the fact she could listen to her favourite local station in real time. As she rounded the corner on a rural lane, she noticed a figure in the middle of the road. Wary of car jackers (which were common in these parts) she maintained her speed and checked the road behind and ahead was still clear whilst locking the doors. As she neared closer, she saw the figure was waving and shouting Tin at her. A shock of auburn hair flashed in the light; pale freckles visible as the man doubled over in pain. It was Gordon and he was hurt! She was cursing herself now that she realised how strange the encounter was in hindsight. Gordon hadn't been in his usual clothing, he was in a white shirt and tan pants and he was miles from home to have got there on foot but all she saw was her boyfriend hurt and alone. She'd pulled over at the side of the road as he'd stumbled round to the passenger's side. She unlocked the door.

Gordon had pulled himself up into the seat weakly, pulling the door shut with a clunk.

"Oh my. Gordon, what happened? Do we need to go to the hospital?"

He was still doubled over grimancing but didn't say a word. He raised his head to look at her with a weak smile and nodded towards his lap. The barrel of a pistol was pointed directly at her. She gasped in horror.

"Drive."

"What? How?...I….I….don't understand." She shook her head at him, the bile rising in her throat at the deep baritone that wasn't Gordon's soft tone. It was wrong.

"Tanusha you will drive, now." The man barked harshly in a poor imitation of an American accent.

Seeing she had little choice, she turned back to the wheel and started the engine; she had to find a way out of this situation and quickly. Her phone was in her bag at the man's feet, she could use the Bluetooth in the car, but it would obviously alert him to the call. She tightened her grip on the wheel, knowing that they were heading towards a stretch of dirt track road with no lighting and dense undergrowth. It would be the perfect place to take her out and leave with the car and no witnesses. Or attack her. She couldn't let that happen.

She drove steadily, her breathing a little more ragged than usual, her hands shaking on the wheel. The road ahead had ditches on either side, filled with water. A plan began to formulate in her head. She'd taken her belt off already when she thought she needed to help Gordon. The plan was risky and could get her shot, but she figured she was a sitting duck if she didn't do something.

As they rounded the next corner, she swung into it hard, causing the imposter to crash against the passenger door. The gun clattered into the footwell. She straightened up before forcing her door open and throwing herself out onto the verge where she thudded into the rain softened ground and bounced down the bank. She could hear a furious roar from the imposter as the car careened down the bank.

She hissed in pain as gravel and mud scraped her bare arms while she scrabbled desperately at the bank for purchase. Spitting mud and blood from a cut lip, she scrabbled up and away into the forest. She yelped as she tried to sprint, her ankle was really sore. She must have rolled it. She stopped and held her breath before she crept further into the undergrowth.

That had been sometime ago, exactly how long she couldn't say. Her possessions were back at the car and her watch had been smashed during her fall. She held back a sob as her ankle throbbed, cradling her right arm closer to her where the grazes had started to sting horrendously.

She had to be careful at this time of night, not just because of the imposter that could be stalking her but of the local fauna who would happily take her down at this hour, be it a snake or panther. With this weighing heavy on her mind, she decided she would have to risk heading back out to the fringes of the forest to follow the road. As she trudged carefully back to the highway, she thought about what might have become of Gordon. If someone had stolen his identity, they could be committing all sorts of crimes he would be deemed responsible for! What had the imposter done to him? She had to find him and warn him if she could before it was too late!

The thought spurred her on, allowing her to quicken her pace despite the pain, soon she could see the road bathed in the moonlight from between the trees, casing long silhouettes on the road. She thanked the fact it was a full moon tonight and that she could easily guide herself back to civilization as a result. She shivered, the shock and chill of the night starting to get to her but she pushed on painfully, putting one foot in front of the other as she traced the road back through the valley. It must have been the early hours of the morning because she didn't see a soul. As dawn broke, she wearily crested the hill into her village, skirting around the back on the back road so as not to be seen. She crept up on the house from the forest behind. All seemed quiet but she knew better than to just walk out into the open despite the warmth and safety her home could provide. She carefully squatted into the undergrowth before sitting and raising her ankle on a nearby boulder. Then she waited.