by Lee Homer
Chapter Two
The Spectrum Passenger Jet cruised over the South Pacific, cutting through the cloud layers like a knife through paper. At the controls, Captain Scarlet checked in with Tracy Island. The island appeared over the horizon. They were due to land in just a few minutes. Back on the ground inside the Tracy Villa, Jeff, Scott, and Gordon patiently waited for their arrival. The lights on Alan's portrait flashed revealing the Island's radar scanner. A small blip appeared on it, slowly making its way towards them.
"Father, we have an incoming aircraft. It appears to be heading for us," Gordon said.
"That should be the Spectrum agents," Jeff replied as he approached his transmitter radio. "Why don't you and Scott go down to the runway and greet them. I'll give them clearance for landing."
"Okay, Father," Gordon replied eagerly. "At least we can feel safe knowing that they'll be here."
"I admire your optimism, Gordon but we can't afford to let our guard down for a second," Scott added. "Especially after what happened to Virgil."
"Will you relax for five minutes!" Gordon huffed. "Virgil is alright. There's nothing you could have done. Let's focus on what's going on now, alright?"
"Gordon's right, Scott," Jeff agreed. "We can't afford to dwell on the past. If we're going to survive the Mysteron threat then we need to keep our heads in the game."
Their moment was interrupted by a call from Captain Scarlet. His distinct voice buzzed over the radio.
"Spectrum Passenger Jet to International Rescue, request permission to land. We're banking for our final approach."
"International Rescue to Spectrum Passenger Jet. Permission granted. You have land clearance," Jeff responded.
As soon as the Spectrum Jet touched down on the runway, the three Captains were greeted by Scott and Gordon. Scarlet could feel the apprehension in Scott's voice as they formally greeted themselves.
Gordon greeted them all with a handshake. "Welcome to Tracy Island, Gentlemen. I'm Gordon and this is my brother, Scott."
"Thanks for meeting us like this," Scarlet replied. "I'm Captain Scarlet. This is Captain Blue and Captain Crimson. We've been sent here by Spectrum to monitor the Mysteron threat."
"I see. I'll take you to our father. We can discuss our situation in the lounge," Scott added. "If you'd care to follow us, Gentlemen?"
"Thank you."
The two Tracy brothers then escorted the three Spectrum agents through the hangar where Thunderbird Two was undergoing repairs. They couldn't ignore the state that the craft was in. Captain Blue's curiosity had gotten the better of him.
"May I ask what happened here? I've never seen one of your Thunderbirds in such a bad state before?"
Scott stopped and turned in his tracks. "Our brother was attacked earlier this morning. An XD3 Bomber attacked him and nearly killed him."
"I'm sorry to hear this. Is he alright?"
"He's in a bad way but he'll pull through. Unfortunately, The Mysterons successfully put Thunderbird Two out of action for at least a few weeks."
Scott's comment pricked Scarlet's ear. "What was that?"
Scott looked over at him. "The Mysterons. We think that the attack was an attempt by them. That's why we're so skittish here at the moment."
Scarlet looked over towards Crimson. "Captain, report this into Cloudbase and find out why didn't we know about this sooner?"
"S.I.G, Captain," Crimson replied.
They eventually arrived in the lounge where they were greeted by Jeff himself. Exchanging pleasantries, The Spectrum officers sat down to discuss their plans. Gordon stood by the door, observing the conversation. An irritable Scott decided to go and keep Virgil company in the sick room.
"I appreciate you all for coming in such a swift manner," Jeff said. "I can't pretend to know how The Mysterons work."
"Mister Tracy, we've been ordered by Cloudbase to set up a defense perimeter here on Island until The Mysteron threat is over," Scarlet began. "They tend to make a few attempts before they decide to target something else and it's usually within Twenty-Four hours."
"We were told that they had already attempted to destroy Thunderbird Two," added Blue. "This typically means that they will strike again before Midnight."
Jeff groaned. "I see. Well, I'm not prepared to sit back and let you do all the work. My boys will assist you in any way possible."
"Understood." Scarlet nodded. "Captain Crimson will stand guard over the runway. I'll take the villa and set up a Mysteron detector while Captain Blue will stand guard in the hangar bay. If The Mysterons are going attempt another strike then we'll have the advantage of stopping them in their tracks."
"I'll assist Captain Blue in the hangar," Gordon volunteered.
Captain Blue rose from his seat. "Alright, lead the way."
"I'll grab The Mysteron detectors from the jet," Crimson said followed the two men out of the room.
"Is there anything else I can do for you while you're here, Captain?" Jeff asked him.
Scarlet responded with another question: "Would be alright if I spoke to Virgil? I'd like to know what happened earlier?"
Jeff frowned over Scarlet's request for a moment. "Of course. I'll take you to him, but he needs his rest."
Back on Cloudbase, The Angels had just begun another patrol. Colonel White paced the observation platform waiting for another report from Captain Scarlet. He stared out into the sea of clouds below, watching the Sun dip beneath them. Captain Crimson's report pushed on his conscience. For the first time in many years, he had made an ignorant error. This bothered him immensely. Why didn't he recognize the Mysteron threat sooner? How would they strike again? Lieutenant Green observed the colonel's silence.
"Are you alright, sir?"
The colonel's mind snapped back into reality. "I'm fine, Lieutenant. I'm just wondering. What's the time?"
The lieutenant checked his watch. "It's 20:00 hours, sir."
The colonel sighed. "Four hours to go and The Mysterons haven't made a move. Something isn't right."
Suddenly, the computer console flashed with an incoming transmission. The lieutenant spun round to answer it all the while the Colonel stood there brooding.
"Sir, we've just and another call from Fort Williams. They report that another XD3 Bomber has gone missing. This time from a training run Northwest of the last Bomber's location."
"Damn it! If only the Angels were in interception range!"
"Sir?"
"Lieutenant, That XD3 is most certainly in the hands of The Mysterons. If my hunch is correct, it'll be heading for the International Rescue Headquarters. Get me Captain Scarlet at once."
"Yes, sir."
A blanket of stars twinkled in the skies over Tracy Island. Visibility was clear and the whole feeling was tranquil. Captain Scarlet stood out over the balcony overlooking the darkened sea. Tin-Tin and Alan accompanied him. He had received an incoming transmission from Cloudbase. Alan was impressed by his communication technology.
"Yes sir, we've set up watchpoints all over the island. I have a Mysteron detector operating in the main villa," he said.
"Captain, we've received a report that another XD3 has gone off course. It is most probably in the hands of The Mysterons. Stay vigilant."
"S.I.G."
Alan overheard their conversation with concern. "Is there anything to be worried about?"
Scarlet looked over at the youngest of the Tracy clan. "There's nothing to worry about. Just enjoy your evening."
Tin Tin wrapped her arms around Alan's waist.
"He's right, Alan. Why don't we relax and go in for dinner?" she said softly as she nestled her head into his back. "There's nothing more we can do?"
"You go, honey. I'm not very hungry." Alan sighed. "This sort of thing can kill a guy's appetite."
"You might as well eat something, Alan," Scarlet said. "It's going to be a long night."
Down on the runway, Captain Crimson kept a lonely vigil. His job was to monitor any suspicious activity and would be the first person to report it. It was pretty dark down there. His only light sources came from the Hangar doors which housed Thunderbird Two and the natural light of the Moon. As he paced around the Spectrum Jet, he could hear the ominous sound of footsteps echoing from behind. He couldn't be sure if he was hearing things yet it was enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He spun around on his heels, drawing his pistol only to see nothing. He was completely alone.
"Who's there?" he called out. "Show yourself!"
The footsteps returned. They grew louder with each step. Crimson stumbled as he could hear them rush up towards him. Before he could react, he was knocked to the floor by an unseen force. Something incredibly heavy smacked him in the head killing him quickly. He lay there motionless on the runway when two Green rings appeared from the dark. They silently swept across his body before vanishing into the night. The Mysterons had made their next move. Suddenly, A figure materialized from the shadows. Crimson's body had been dragged out of view replacing it with a reconstruction. Captain Crimson was now in the hands of the Mysterons. His orders had been given to him. A small metallic device appeared in his right hand. The Mysterons had provided him with a personal homing device. It was all that he needed to carry out their threat. Hiding the device under his tunic, he made his way up towards the Villa. The real Crimson was overdue for his report.
Captain Scarlet remained on the balcony with Alan when the doors to the lounge area opened. They both turned to face the Mysteronised Crimson directly in his eyes. Scarlet recognized the familiar empty expression on the young officer's face. It gave Alan the jitters though.
"Captain Crimson. Are you alright?" Alan asked him.
"I'm fine," Crimson replied. His empty soulless eyes crept over towards Alan. "I've come to issue my report."
Scarlet stared at him, keeping his suspicions under a calm demeanor. "Is everything alright down by the Jet, Captain?"
"Yes Captain Scarlet, but I need to borrow a few tools for the Jet. I've noticed a fault with the guidance box," Crimson replied. "May I borrow some?"
Alan and Scarlet looked at each other. "Sure. They are in a storage room just down the hall. Just look for the roof access stairwell and you'll find it on the left."
"Thank you," Crimson replied as he silently walked out of the lounge robotically.
"I'm calling Father," Alan said as he reached for Jeff's desk. "I don't like this at all. Whoever that was, it wasn't the same man we met earlier."
"I think I agree with you," Scarlet replied. "We better keep everyone on the alert. Call your father up here. Captain Crimson is to be observed closely."
Captain Crimson drifted down the dimly lit halls of the villa. He approached his intended destination assuming that nobody was watching. However, prying eyes gazed upon him as he ascended the staircase towards the roof. Safely cloaked in the shadows of his room, Brains watched in puzzlement as the Mysteron agent set about his work. He was curious to know what he was doing but decided to wait until Jeff was out of bed.
On the roof, Crimson planted the homing device securely inside a ventilation duct. He adjusted the dials on the device, homing on the frequency of the XD3 Bomber. The Mysteron plan was put in motion. If all went according to plan, the XD3 would blow Tracy Island out of the water.