“The death toll in Gaza continues to rise since Israel began Operation Protective Edge on July 8. More than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed, around 74 percent of them civilians, including 243 children and 131 women, the BBC reports. On the other side, 55 Israelis are dead, 53 of them members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) – and one Thai national.”

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Beware the Ides of March 2022!

Lili Trifilio

Homecoming - Collision at sea

It’s been a log while since I’ve posted anything and an even longer while since I’ve written anything. My creative juices seem to be being spent elsewhere the past few months, keeping me busy and distracted. Hopefully posting what I have already written may help in my writing exploits.

So here is the next instalment of Homecoming, a rescue chapter written for @misssquidtracy who’s been a constant cheerleader for this story. Thank you, and enjoy.

Chapters1,2,3,4,5,6and7.

***********

Gordon braced himself in Thunderbird Four as the clips released the module. The feeling of weightlessness took over his body momentarily as adrenaline started flowing through his veins, kicking his body into rescue mode. He had to be patient as the door opened and the mechanism turned, preparing the submarine for launch. An eager smile crossed his face and his hand clenched around the controls as the ramp entered the water. This was his territory. This is what he trained for, what he loved. The little yellow submarine started to slip down the ramp.

“Thunderbird Four is go!”

She entered the water smoothly, though Gordon pulled on the controls to keep her at the surface. There was no need to dive today. Gordon manoeuvred his submarine, slowly turning so he could see the boats ahead. Virgil had dropped him a safe distance away, so as not to cause further damage to the boats, which could lead to them sinking. All the lifesigns had been gathered around or on the boats, and as Gordon approached he could see some of them standing on deck or sitting on the hull. From the way one of them was waving his hand in the air, apparently completely oblivious to the approaching rescue vehicle, there was a significant disagreement in progress. EOS had warned him that there may be casualties if he didn’t attend, though it was only now he was there that he realised he might have to play peacekeeper. Below the angry man was the damaged sailboat, a massive hole in its capsized hull and with three figures struggling to stay atop it. Gordon could tell the figures had spotted him and were showing visible signs of relief. He was happy to see they all had lifejackets on, and although they were shivering, appeared to have no obvious injuries. Experience reminded him that looks can be deceiving. Gordon waved at them before carefully guiding Thunderbird Four so it came alongside the capsized boat. Cutting the engine, he quickly slipped through his craft to the airlock at the back and opened it up. The angry voices hit him like a brick, almost drowning out the sound of the sea.

“Get off my boat!”

“Hell no!” An angry female voice yelled back, “you just sank my boat. I ain’t going to sit here getting cold because you can’t drive.”

“Don’t you dare come any higher!”

Gordon reached out a hand to the young man who was balanced nearest to Thunderbird Four. Unsure, shaking fingers grabbed his wrist. With the clouds hiding the sun, the brisk wind that had once filled their sails was now chilling the stranded wet souls, their bodies struggling to cooperate. Carefully placing a foot against the hull, Gordon steadied the man as he forced himself to stand. Gordon gently tugged on the arm as the man hopped across and onto the Thunderbird Four. Gordon had to catch him slightly, thanks to the awkward angle the larger man almost ended up on top of the aquanaut. Once inside, Gordon grabbed a thermal foil blanket from storage and wrapped it around the man’s shoulders.

“Th-thank you,” the man stuttered through chattering teeth. Gordon flashed him a killer reassuring smile.

“Welcome aboard.” He gestured around the small craft. “Cups are here with hot water from this tap ready when you are. You’ll want to warm up slowly, so take it easy for now.”

The man nodded, his russet eyes filled with thanks. Gordon headed back to the chaos, hanging off the back when the shouting was silenced by a splash from near the yacht. There was a moment of shocked quietness which was broken by an enraged male voice.

“How dare you push my wife! After all you’ve done. Our kids are sitting here freezing and you lack the common decency to let them aboard to warm up.”

“Why would we let you anywhere near our boat? I don’t want the likes of you anywhere near me.”

On the capsized boat, a distressed young woman was edging her way over the hull toward Thunderbird Four. She seemed intent on getting away from the situation. Gordon straddled the gap between the hull and Four, trying to give it some stability. Unfortunately her shoes had very little grip on the wet hull and her foot slipped. The momentum stole her balance and she fell into the sea. Gordon had enough time to see the fright in her eyes before he jumped in and swam toward the thrashing woman. Gordon reached her and grabbed onto her lifejacket. He twisted her onto her back before carefully swimming back to his craft. He went slower than usual, watching her head to ensure no water washed over her face. She was in a panic and that would only make it worse for her. His powerful legs meant he was grasping the edge of Thunderbird Four a minute later. The young man ran to them. He grasped the top of the woman’s lifejacket and started to pull her abroad. Gordon gave a well timed push from below, forcing the entire life jacket out the water and onto Four. Swimming warily around her thrashing legs, he helped roll the rest of her body up and onto the craft. Once out of the water her whole body shook as great sobs overcame her. Gordon slipped out the water in a single fluid motion and grabbed another blanket from the store.

“It’s okay, Charlotte, just breathe.”

Gordon wrapped the foil around Charlotte.

“You’re safe now. You are on Thunderbird Four. You’re safe.”

The young man rubbed circles into Charlotte’s back, bent close and continued to whisper encouragement to her. Gordon stayed beside her, monitoring her breathing with his eyes. Behind him there was a splash as someone pulled themselves up into the Thunderbird. Another woman entered and headed straight to Charlotte.

“You can do this Charlotte, we’re here with you. You’re not alone. You’re safe.”

Gordon stepped back keeping an eye on the situation, but letting the youngsters comfort each other. Slowly Charlotte was able to sit up and she was no longer at risk of hyperventilating. He placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder.

“Will you be alright here while I nip outside?”

He nodded and Gordon gave him a grin.

“Help yourself to the water and snacks.”

With one last glance at the trio, Gordon slid back into the water. He swam carefully, aware of the injuries that floating debris could cause. With no one left on the upturned hull, Gordon swam around to where all the voices were coming from. From his new vantage point he could see a couple in the water yelling up at a man in the yacht. It was time for Gordon to put an end to the hostilities.

“Hey!” He commanded, filling his voice with as much of the same authority that Scott’s often held. “I’m here to get you to safety, but to do that I need numbers. How many people were one each boat before the crash?”

Every eye turned on him and for a moment the air was filled with only the slapping of waves against the hulls. Their expressions were of disgust, as if he’d just interrupted the most important discussion in history. He held firm, not faltering, having dealt with difficult customers over the years. He wasn’t phased.

“Five were on our boat,” the man in the water finally spoke first, his features relaxing a tad.

“And yours, sir?” Gordon prompted.

“Four, but we do not require rescuing.”

“Considering the hole in your hull and the fact you haven’t left suggests otherwise. In its current condition, your boat is no longer seaworthy and you are unlikely to make it safely to any local dock. Are all your passengers still on the boat?”

“They are,” the man grumbled, a deep scowl still etched across his face.

“Good. Stay where you are and I’ll come back for you all in a short while.”

“Not like we can go anywhere,” the man mumbled, just loud enough to be audible below.

“If you two could follow me, I can get you onboard Thunderbird Four and into the safety of the module.”

The couple nodded before swimming after Gordon. They were competent swimmers and soon they were huddled with the other three in the back of Thunderbird Four. Gordon took no notice of the puddle of water on the floor as he skirted around them to the helm. It was a quick trip back to the module. Gordon helped everyone out of the submarine and gave them a quick tour of the facilities before making them comfortable. After passing out energy drinks and snacks, he left them sitting on the storage containers wrapped in their shiny foil blankets. Before long Gordon had Thunderbird Four alongside the yacht and had shimmied up the ladder to meet the grumpy crew.

“Hello, I’m Gordon Tracy and that yellow craft is Thunderbird Four. If you wouldn’t mind climbing down and hopping in her, I can get you somewhere safer.”

“What about our boat?” The unpleasant man from earlier demanded, stepping up to Gordon so he would tower above him. “This boat cost a small fortune. I will not leave it floating where someone can steal it.”

Gordon was completely unphased by the man’s attempt to intimidate him. This wasn’t his first rodeo, and neither would it be the last time someone thought they could use their physical presence to get their way. Living with three taller brothers had prepared Gordon for just these situations, having learned years ago how to look them in the eye and stand his ground. This man was nothing compared to the famous Tracy stubbornness.

“Not to worry, sir. The coastguard are on their way to take both you and your boat back to the safety of dry land. All you need to do is step down into Thunderbird Four.”

A cold hard glare came from the man, who crossed his arms and stood with little intention of moving. It was a silent challenge.

“Why would I leave the luxury off my yacht for a tiny rescue craft?”

“Your luxury yacht has a massive hole in it, and if I’m not mistaken, there’s probably a little water on the lower deck. Right now you are lucky the waves aren’t bigger, otherwise it would be just another wreck littering the sea floor. There is no one out there who could steal your boat, let alone want to, and Thunderbird Five will be tracking it until it is safely in the hands of the coast guard. Now, unless you want to be like the captains of old and go down with your ship, please make your way into the yellow submarine.”

The couple behind the angry pair quickly made their way down the ladder, their faces having gone from dignified pride to worry during Gordon’s speech. It appeared their self preservation instinct had won out in the end. The feisty woman stalked after them, not quite willing to be eager, though her bravo had faltered when she realised how close they were to sinking. The man didn’t move, clearly upset at his companion’s departure. The two men stood staring each other down for a few minutes before he too decided it was better to be off the yacht. His jaw stayed clenched as he descended the steps. Gordon slowly let out the breath he’d been holding. Sometimes he swore herding cats would be easier than rescuee wrangling. In a few graceful movements he was down the ladder and into his Thunderbird. All but the angry man were sitting in the provided seats.

“I recommend you sit down for the journey and strap in. Thunderbird Four will still rock a little despite the sea being relatively calm.”

Gordon was happy when the man dropped himself into one of the spare seats, even if he did so with more force than necessary. With his arms crossed and legs splayed out he very much resembled a disgruntled teenager. Leaving the group alone, Gordon slipped into his seat and quickly piloted them to the module. The quieter couple took the offered hand, allowing Gordon to guide them out the craft. The angry man’s wife eyed Gordon up and down before jumping across unaided. Angry man followed last only to embarrass himself by being the only one to fall to his hands and knees. Experience told Gordon to leave him be, knowing he’d get an earful if he even moved toward the man to help.

“This is Thunderbird Four’s module. There’s a toilet if you need it, let me know if you need some snacks or water, though I do ask that you stay off the ramp. It can get slippery and I wouldn’t want anyone accidentally sliding into the sea.”

The group wandered into the module and a little pride filled Gordon as he noted the quiet couple were wide-eyed as they took in everything.

“Would you look at that, Patrick,” gasped the quiet woman to the man beside her, “isn’t it just fantastic?”

“It is, though what is it?”

Patrick turned to Gordon who grinned as he stepped up to the mechanism on the ceiling. All five eyes of the first group were also on him, obviously interested in the answer. They would have had plenty of time to exchange theories while Gordon was away. There was even a little wonder on the now less angry looking woman.

“That is the pod assembly unit. If you have seen any of our rescues before you know we have multiple pod configurations. This module’s main purpose is to house Thunderbird Four and any extra equipment that might be required for a water rescue. The ramp and wire” Gordon gestured to the tilting slipway in the centre of the module, “allows Thunderbird Four to enter the water quickly and helps retrieve her once her job is complete. As the modules are designed to house two smaller machines, there was enough room to install a single pod assembly system. The attachments contained in this module are ones likely to be needed in partially aquatic environments or coastal regions where Thunderbird Four may also be required. This allows International Rescue to be prepared for most eventualities.”

“Are there times when you bring the wrong equipment?” The young woman with her arm around Charlotte asked.

“Of course they have!”

“Calvin!” Patrick snapped, “don’t be so rude. You’re the reason we’re stuck here and needed rescuing.”

Calvin’s face turned an even darker shade of red, the veins of his neck started to bulge slightly and his eyes were like lasers. Gordon was concerned. It didn’t matter to International Rescue who was at fault, only that they stayed safe. Calvin had never calmed down and seemed ready for a fight.

“How DARE you point the finger at ME! THEY were the ones that turned into us. THEY are to blame.”

The word ‘they’ had been spat in the other group’s direction and in a way that Gordon detested. It was like Calvin thought they were the scum of the earth. The eldest woman from the other group stood defensively, her own brow setting in anger.

“You need to learn the rules of the sea. You were blasting around like you owned the entire ocean. We tried our utmost to move out of YOUR way.”

“You tried to MOVE?? Your ship stayed on the same course and WE had to move out of YOUR way. Like flapping your sail was going to do anything!”

The woman had stepped in front of her group, the older man also standing now, as if to protect the youngsters. It was starting to become a standoff, like in an old cowboy movie.

“It’s called tacking and it was the only way we could get out of your way.”

“Well obviously it didn’t work!”

“That’s because you did nothing to avoid us!”

Gordon stepped between the two adults, placing a hand in front of each to stop them from getting any closer to each other. He didn’t touch them, not wanting to ensight them further, but he could see the situation spiralling. Calvin had an air of malice that very much felt like he would turn violent.

“I’m going to bill you for the damage! Do you know how much a yacht like that costs?”

“See you in court because we’re not paying.”

Calvin stepped into Gordon’s hand and the aquanaut was suddenly aware of his heaving chest. Fury seeped out of the man’s every pore as the woman stood her ground.

“Back off. This isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

Gordon twisted as he tried to be the voice of reason for Calvin, still resisting the advancement. Those dark eyes glared down at him, cruel and cold as his hand wrapped around Gordon’s wrist.

“Stay out of this, boy.”

“Let go of me.”

Gordon met the gaze with determination and authority. After a minute his wrist was released and Calvin stepped back. Gordon studied the man as he took a few more steps back, before turning toward the woman. He’d taken one step forward when he heard an impact on metal beside him. Already primed, Gordon twisted, ready to grab the man before he could be violent. A fist flew through the air and there was nothing Gordon could do but receive it. He closed his eyes as it made contact and jolted his neck to the right. Deliberately bending his knees allowed Gordon to catch his fall, his eyes shooting open when his right hand made contact with the floor. Gordon already knew the man’s next move. It was obvious. Making the most of his powerful swimmer’s legs, Gordon thrust himself into Calvin. His shoulder dug into the soft flesh of the man’s abdomen with enough force to knock Calvin off balance. They staggered back, the ridge of Thunderbird Four’s rail causing the man to trip. Gordon made the most of the advantage and grabbed the man’s left arm, twisting it as he rolled the man over. Calvin tried to react but it was too late, Gordon was in control of the situation and quickly had both of Calvin’s hands behind his back. With the man’s wrists secure, Gordon glanced over his shoulder at the woman.

“Did he touch you?”

“No,” her voice wavered, “it just missed.”

“Good. Could you….”

“Calvin! Get off him right now.”

To his right, the woman who Gordon suspected was Calvin’s partner scurried over and started shaking his shoulder.

“Let him go! Let him go!”

“Leave the man alone, Grace. Calvin got what was coming to him.”

The woman stopped rocking Gordon to stare gobsmacked at Patrick. Relief that Calvin’s friends were decent washed over Gordon as he turned away from the new argument. Fearing he might have another fight on his hand, he fixed his eyes on the other group.

“There are a few coils of thin green rope in the box near the wall. Could you grab me one?”

“Of course.”

Gordon shifted so his legs were pinning Calvin’s arms allowing him to construct makeshift cuffs out of the rope. Once slipped over the offender’s wrists, he got both of them off the floor. He guided Calvin over to the side and sat him down on the box of spare scuba gear. To his relief the second argument didn’t end in violence but with the woman wrapping her arms around her grimacing partner. Her fingers went straight for the rope.

“I’d appreciate it if you left that on him, otherwise I might be forced to restrain you too. The safety of everyone here is my number one concern and I cannot let Calvin be violent.”

The threat of also ending up in the same situation made her pause.

“Come on Grace, untie me. Let me at the little bastard.”

Thankfully that was enough for Grace to change her mind and she left Calvin’s restraints alone.

“Lousy woman. Are you really going to leave me here?”

Grace walked away and sat alone on the other side of the module as curses flew at her. Gordon hated restraining rescuees but sometimes it was the safest option. The man could still walk around but with his hands tied and Gordon able to overpower him, he was no longer a threat. Gordon’s face still throbbed from where it’d been hit but he pushed the pain away, needing to appear infallible to everyone around him. Thankfully a mere fifteen minutes later the coastguard pulled up alongside the wreckage and Gordon used Thunderbird Four to hand everyone over. Calvin was untied and plonked away from the others after Gordon had briefed them on the situation. The wrecked boats were hauled out of the water with a massive crane, leaving Gordon to stand the retrieved Thunderbirds Four. With an ice pack to his face he watched them leave him behind.

Let’s play the blame game.