To The Moon And Back

Chapter Thirteen

"Alan to Scott, I've got news about John. He found a way to make contact."

Hearing Alan's voice through the radio, Scott broke away from the small group of workers he had been talking to and moved into a side room before answering. "Scott receiving you. Say, that's great news. Where is he? Is he okay?"

"He was in the mine and said it was no accident, the Hood was there, he saw him and had a little showdown with him but he got away and set off a bunch of explosives. John's unhurt apart from a few bruises, but now he and the girl are trapped in one of the resource tunnels."

"Well, I'm mighty relieved to know he's okay, I was getting worried there-" Scott started but stopped as another thought struck him. "Wait, hold on a second, do you mean to tell me he's not alone? What girl? I was told everyone had been evacuated safely, there's no one unaccounted for."

"She's a civilian, I think I recognised her voice as the one who called us from the rocket."

"Selene," Scott groaned, closing his eyes in despair. "I might have known she'd do something like this."

"Is that her name? It's pretty. She seems nice."

"She's interesting, I'll give her that. And firey. John's in for a tough time if he's stuck with her."

Alan chuckled. "Somehow I don't think he'll mind too much."

Scott knew his brother too well. Alan, along with Gordon, were the gossips of the family and liked to stick their noses into other people's business and, while it was fine back at base, a rescue was not the time for such talk. He'd have to nip it in the bud and focus on the matter at hand.

"So what's the plan?" Scott asked, determined to get Alan back on track. "I was asking the fellas here if it was possible to break through from our side to search for him but they said they don't have the equipment to hand."

"I heard the same. They've been frantically calling back to Earth trying to locate their equipment, but the freighter they use is out of commission and they don't have another due to budget cuts," Alan said.

Scott sighed, it always came down to money. "I guess we're gonna have to find a way to get him out on our own. Look, call Dad for me and explain the situation, I'm gonna make my way around this base and try to chase down the Hood, if we can get him contained I might be able to use Thunderbird after all."

"You're on your own up there," Alan reminded him, "and we know how dangerous he can be."

"I know, and I don't like it either, " Scott admitted grimly. "But it seems to me I have no choice."

"Okay, if you say so, but stay alert, we don't need to have to try and rescue you too."

"It won't come to that," Scott assured him. "I've faced him before, I'm wise to his game. I'll be alright."

"Alright, but I don't like it. Keep me updated."

"You got it. Oh, and Alan?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't call me unless you have to, wait for me to contact you. If you don't hear from me in an hour, then you can worry."

After issuing his orders, Scott cut the call and reached for his gun. There was no time to lose.

-x-

"So, that's the situation, Father," Alan finished, his tone tense. "Scott's okay, he didn't even make it into the mine before the explosions happened, he was getting that worker looked at and trying to explain the situation so they would evacuate the mine. No one else was hurt but John's trapped in there with a civilian."