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Chapter 6: The Rescue

          Thunderbird 2 rose majestically on its four stilted 'legs' to reveal the pod with a large white no.5 on the door. This quickly opened to reveal the inside of the giant machine and provide a ramp from the bay housed within, to ground level. Virgil drove the Firefly out of bay and headed towards the remains of the prison. Scott and Tin-Tin meanwhile crossed and the eldest Tracy climbed into the cabin of The Mole. He then drove this out of the pod and halted at the bottom of the ramp ready for Virgil to complete the clearance. The appearance of the pod vehicles drew gasps of incredulity from both the governor and the remaining guards and even a few of the prisoners in the remaining truck who could watch the rescue through one of the narrow windows in the mobile secure unit, constructed of unbreakable glass. The gasps brought a smile to Tin-Tin's face. Scott had got used to this reaction.
           "Mobile Control from Mole"
           "Go ahead Scott"
           "Tin-Tin what's the seismograph reading"
           "I'm afraid there's another aftershock imminent" She replied coolly
           "Virgil, you better brace yourself, there's another aftershock on the way"
           "FAB, lets hope the roof of the basement cells hold"
           Sure enough as Scott spoke the site started to shake again and more cracks appeared in the ground.
           In the cell, the ceiling now looked like some weird inverted pitched roof with a huge crack and dust and masonry falling through it.
           Symonds rose from his bunk.
           "One more of those and it'll be all over" He announced.
           A piece of small concrete fell from the roof hitting the two prisoners. It was not enough to kill them, but knocked them unconscious.
           On the surface Virgil continued clearing a pathway through the rubble for The Mole.
           Meanwhile Tin-Tin was talking to Scott.
           "Scott, I've calculated the angle of drilling. You'll need to drill through the wall of an adjacent cell in case the vibrations of The Mole breaking through cause the other cell to collapse and you'll have to cut your way through the cell doors. The angle you'll need is thirty seven point five degrees precisely"
           "Check, we've got the oxyhidnite gas with the electronically heated cylinders. So those cell doors shouldn't provide us with two many problems. Any predictions as to when we can expect the next aftershock?"
           "Given the readings from the seismograph, the mobile unit computer predicts another big shock-wave in about six minutes"
           "Wow, that's gonna leave us pretty tight for time. Still when is it ever anything else with us?" Scott chuckled. 
           The Firefly had by now cleared a pathway long enough for The Mole to proceed to the correct drilling position. Virgil reversed the remarkable little bulldozer back along the pathway he had cleared and towards The Mole. When he was level with it he exited the cab and joined Scott in the cabin of the fantastic tunnelling machine. Scott drove the Mole forward to the drilling position and the upper part of the vehicle tilted at the precise angle that Tin-Tin had calculated. The bit then started to revolve faster and faster and then slid down the carrier towards the ground. The Mole ate hungrily into the earth and rock and soon clouds of dust were shooting up before the vehicle disappeared from view.
           Once again the onlookers gasped in amazement.
           "Just take a look at that" Said Ford in awe of what he was witnessing.
           The remaining guards just shook heads in disbelief. 
 It took The Mole less than in a minute to tunnel into the underground cells. As Tin-Tin had suggested the vibrations caused by the machine as it broke into the adjacent cell to the trapped inmates caused the now fragile ceiling to partially cave in. 
           "Well I guess it's no use using over hoverbikes in this situation" Stated Virgil.
           "Guess not. Right, I'll grab the oxyhidnite cylinder and the torch" 
           Scott picked up the cylinder and strapped it on his back then Virgil handed him the torch and they exited the cabin. Clambering over the fallen masonry the two of them stood by the cell door. Scott ignited the torch and the gas burned brightly. Turning the cutter to maximum heat the oldest Tracy began cutting through the first cell door. Above them the ceiling groaned under the stress but held. The gas started to cut through the door like the proverbial hot knife through butter and soon there was a section of door cut out big enough for the boys to walk through. More creaking could be heard from the ceiling and more dust and small chunks of masonry fell through. The brothers climbed over more fallen debris in the access passageway and Virgil knocked heavily on the cell door and yelled.
           "Can you hear me in there, this is International Rescue, we've come to get you out. Stand clear of the door"
           There was no reply.
           "Guess they must be unconscious" Virgil deduced.
           "Maybe, but they are criminals. Have your gun drawn ready to cover them just in case." Scott replied cautiously as he began to cut through the two inmates' cell door. 
           Above ground at the mobile control unit Tin-Tin watched the seismograph intensely. The readings were becoming more severe again and the computer predicted two minutes before the next aftershock struck.
           Scott cut quickly through and then kicked in the section of door. It skewed backwards to reveal the unconscious men covered by various pieces of masonry.
           "We'd better work fast" Said Virgil looking at the sate of the ceiling above them.
           Scott just nodded and the two brothers cleared away the pieces of concrete from the men. Then each exerting a classic fireman's lift then carried the stricken inmates from their cell.
           On the surface, the mobile control computer predicted that time had just about run out for anyone in the basement.
           "Mole from Mobile Control, Scott, Virgil come in please"
           She looked glum as did Ford and the other guards as there was no answer.
           "Mole from mobile control….." She broke off as she tried again. The ground shook and the area covered by the prison began to subside. Huge chunks of masonry and concrete fell as the ceilings groaned and creaked before finally giving way. Tons of concrete and metal cascaded down from the cell roof into the basement cells. Clouds of dust flew up and on the surface Ford and his guards clung to the vehicle to maintain their balance. Then almost as suddenly as it arrived, the shock ended. The seismograph suggested that the worst was over, but what about Scott and Virgil and the trapped men?
           "Mole from Mobile Control, Scott, Virgil come in please" Tin-Tin begged over the radio.
           Her relief was visible to all when a familiar cheerful voice of Scott Tracy answered back.
           "It's all right Tin-Tin, everything's okay. You better have someone standing by to administer some first aid to these guys. They've received a few bad blows, but mainly superficial I would guess. Returning to surface."
           Loud cheers went up as the news filtered through, even from some of the prisoners locked in the secure unit who had been watching the rescue. These were sustained as The Mole broke the surface and slid smoothly back onto its carrier.
           Inside the cabin, Virgil with pistol drawn was keeping an eye on the still unconscious Symonds and Sanchez.
           As Scott manoeuvred The Mole back around Firefly and towards the pod Symonds began to regain consciousness. Virgil had his attention drawn by Scott steering the vehicle and failed to notice the villain open one eye very slightly. It took Symonds a few seconds to come to his senses but the International Rescue sign on the side of the cabin and the two men dressed in the rescue team's uniform soon gave him the clue as to what had happened. Almost imperceptibly he moved slightly and saw his co-conspirator lying close by still knocked out. As Virgil turned his head to check on the two men, Symonds shut his eyes again waiting for his chance.
           The Mole reversed up the ramp into the container bay in the pod and Virgil rose to his feet still unaware that at least one of the men was conscious. By now Sanchez showed signs of coming round and opened his eyes.
           "Ooh what happened, I….I remember the earthquake"
           He sat up and focused his eyes seeing Virgil covering him with the gun and Scott at the controls. He also saw Symonds still lying apparently unconscious next to him.
           Virgil was caught off guard as he walked towards Sanchez. Without warning Symonds kicked out his leg and felled the Thunderbird 2 pilot. The gun skewed away across the floor towards Sanchez who grabbed it hungrily. Scott tried to draw his gun but was prevented from doing so.
           "Do not do that amigo, I would hate to have to shoot you after what you have just done for us."
           Symonds laid out Virgil with a sucker punch and stood up.
           "Okay you, turn this machine around and get us out of here" Ordered Symonds.
           "You must be joking, you can't seriously think you can escape from the authorities in this."
           "I don't think they're gonna follow us underground.
           "I theenk you should do as we say hombre" Sanchez told Scott as he pointed the gun at Virgil.
           "You're both crazy." Said Scott shaking his head.
           Sanchez' finger squeezed the trigger slowly.
           "Okay, okay." Sighed Scott as he nodded his head.
           However at that moment there was a sound of someone moving up to the door of the cabin.
           "Hey boys what's keeping you so long?" Tin-Tin yelled.
           "Tin-Tin, no get awa……" Scott's voice trailed off as Sanchez ruthlessly hit him over the head with the commandeered pistol.
           "Oh brilliant" muttered Symonds sarcastically. "Now we've got no-one to drive this thing."
           "You heard, there ees someone out there." Sanchez protested.
           Tin-Tin had not heeded Scott's warning and pushed the button to open the cabin door on the side of the machine. It took a few seconds for her to register the situation. She gasped and put her hand to her mouth as she saw Scott and Virgil unconscious. She turned to run.
           "Hold it honey. Well aint you the little cutie? Somehow I don't think we'll be needing these two now." Said Symonds.
           Tin-Tin stood transfixed as Sanchez kept her covered.
           "You're now gonna be our ticket out of this joint and to two million dollars." 

On to Chapter 7.