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				HOLIDAY by Katie Oliver Chapter Five: Morning       The sun rose over the stricken city, but Scott Tracy missed it. It was his turn for rest and like Brains, and his brothers before him, he had fallen asleep as soon as he lay down. When John shook him awake an hour later, he was disorientated and could not at first place that ache in his chest. Then he remembered. Alan was still missing, buried under a pile of rubble. He looked at John, hoping that perhaps they had found him whilst he had been sleeping.       "Alan?" he asked, though he knew John would have told him immediately if there was any news.       "Sorry, Scott. No news yet."       Scott sat on the edge of the bed and drank the coffee John handed him. "How is the search going?" he asked.       "Very well. We've got almost everyone out of the Cathedral, not too many deaths but some nasty injuries. The city itself doesn't seem too badly hit. Most of the houses are wooden and stand up well to earthquakes. This area is the worst hit, but we've got reinforcements now. I think we'll be able to get back to the Tourist Information site soon." He voice tailed away. Like all the Tracy's he was very fond of his irrepressible youngest brother. Worry gnawed at him like a knife.       Scott got to his feet. "Good," he said. "Have you called Dad?"       "No" replied John. " I just brewed the coffee and woke you. I'll take a cup out to Brains and Virgil. They'll need it."       Scott looked outside. Things were certainly looking more organised. The fire service had arrived and were helping at the Cathedral site, and the bystanders had all vanished, returned to their own homes and families. Teams of diggers were still working and a fleet of ambulances stood outside the hotel where the injured were being treated.       Scott went into the cockpit and called his father.       "Go ahead Scott. Any news?"       "Not really. We've got help from the emergency services now and ambulances for the injured. I've just woken up, but John tells me we've almost finished at the Cathedral now, and we can have another go at looking for Alan and those missing kids."       Jeff Tracy turned to the pretty girl sitting at his side. "I'm sorry, Tin-Tin. There's still no news of Alan. You'd better go to bed now. I'll call you as soon as we hear anything."       Tin-Tin quietly left the room her hair swinging forward to hide the tears that fell unbidden from her eyes.       Scott stretched his arms above his head. His shoulders ached unmercifully. He was strong and fit, but last night had been hard physical labour. He wondered how Virgil was bearing up. He had been digging the longest.       He made his way over to the site of the devastated cathedral. John was on top of the pile, directing the Excavator and the Domo.       "Where's Virgil?" asked Scott.       "In the Domo. He needed a break from all that digging."       "Good. What's the situation here?"       "We're just checking this last area. The main body of the cathedral held up well, and the visitor centre survived, it's just the area around the spire. I think we will be finished in about 15 minutes."       "I'll go over to the Tourist Information site then. I might be able to hear something." Or someone, he thought.       A small team of diggers had been working all night at the site. Begrimed and exhausted they still struggled on.       "International Rescue should be able to get back here shortly," announced Scott. You can take a break then.       A woman turned to him. It was the mother of the missing children. Her hands were raw and bleeding from moving the blocks of stone, her face haggard. Without a word Scott handed her his gauntlets.       The Excavator and Domo were trundling across the square towards him. John had taken over the Domo again and Virgil came to join him beside the remains of the building.       "I've been thinking Scott. Last night we were concentrating on the area I last saw Alan, but he said he had heard crying children. The only missing kids we have are Martha's, the lady digging up there now. She said her two where quite near the door, so perhaps Alan made his way through the debris towards them. He might even have reached them. I think we should start digging in the area of the door, and work our way in from there.       Scott called Martha to him. "Where were your children standing when the quake hit?" His heart went out to the woman. He knew just how she felt.       "They were near the door. I fell down the steps out of the building and when I turned back the door, the whole building had gone."       Virgil pushed a lock of hair back from his face, leaving a trail of dirt across his forehead. "How old are the children?" he asked.       "Cathy is 7 and Sam's 5."       Scott and Virgil looked at each other. There was no need to say anything.       "Move the Excavator forward and clear the rubble as far as the steps," ordered Scott. The machine chomped though the debris like a child through candy. Within minutes Brains had reached the steps in front of the building.       "OK John lift this slab, and lets see what underneath," continued Scott.       "FAB."       What was underneath was another heavy slab, and more rubble underneath that. Slowly and carefully the machines dug their way through the remains.       Cathy woke first, and saw immediately that it was morning. "Alan, wake up, it's light."       Alan slowly came too. His left arm throbbed and he still had a headache the size of Antarctica. His tongue felt twice its normal size and he found it difficult to swallow. Sam was still asleep, his head resting in Alan's lap. Alan listened carefully. Nothing.       "I think it's still very early, Cathy. They will get to us, I know they will. I've got friends out there who will never give up on me, and I expect your mummy is helping to find us as well."       "I'm thirsty."       "I know, but keep quiet for now; we don't want to wake Sam. He's better off asleep."       Cathy lent her head against Alan's shoulder and they dozed again. Suddenly their sleep was broken by the sound of a machine working nearby.       "I told you they would come!" he had recognised the distinctive sound of the Excavator at work. He knew for sure that his brothers were looking for him. Sam woke up, and cheered up at once at the sound of the diggers.       "Now listen both of you. In a little while they will stop digging and everything will go quiet. As soon as that happens I want you both to shout as loud as you can. This is one time in your life you can make as much noise as you want! Then we stop and be very quiet and we listen to hear them calling back."       Martha took Scott's arm. "I think we're getting close," she said.       "Stop the engines, John, Brains," said Scott. "Silence everyone!" The site froze into stillness. Everyone listened.       Through the silence sounds could be heard. Children yelling at the tops of their voices, and a young man calling out. "Scott! Virgil! We're near the entrance, under a table!"       Scott weak with relief, scrambled over the debris to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. Then the shouting stopped.       "Alan! I think I'm right above you now. Sing out again."       "Scott! Am I glad to hear your voice! I've got two kiddies with me. Safe and sound, but rather frightened and thirsty. Names of Cathy and Sam."       "FAB, Alan. I've got you located now. We'll have you out in a moment."       He turned to see Martha standing behind him, tears running down her face.       "They're alive," she whispered.       Scott put his arm around her and led her from the site. He handed her over to an ambulance man. "Look after her. She's just heard her children are still alive." Then he went over to the Excavator.       "I've located them Brains. Now how do we get them out without dropping rocks on their heads?"       Brains climbed to the top of the rubble heap. From there he directed John and the Domo to clear the last few pieces of masonry. The top of an old wooden table appeared, and from beside it a familiar face looked out, blinking in the sudden light. On to Chapter Six: Rescue.