The Last Avengers Story Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: Under Pressure

PRESENT DAY

THE TRITON AT SEA

The other members of the Tibet-By-The-Sea Retirement home sat quietly in the large wardroom where they had been stashed. The wardroom was quite luxurious - an ice cream machine, a popcorn machine, several microwaves and refrigerators, bookcases covered in glass, and a large screen TV set and rack upon rack of DVDs.

After they'd investigated the room and found there was only one door, which would not open, they'd resigned themselves to their fate and started making inroads on the food. They'd been quite cheerful until the door had opened, briefly, and Admiral Forrestal had entered the room. His face was sunken into a death's head and he sat hunched in a chair, casting a pall upon the whole affair. They left him alone and devoured the ice cream while they watched telly.

"I had to do it," thought Admiral Forrestal to himself. In front of his staring eyes all he saw was his wife...his lovely, sweet, fragile wife, tied tightly to a chair and with a strip of plaster over her mouth. Even with the plaster across half her face he could see that it was crumpled as she tried desperately not to cry...And beside her his son and daughter, and their children...all strapped down, all terrified...even if they survived they would never be the same again.

"I had to do it."

But the Triton had so many weapons...nuclear warheads to name only two...if they fell into the wrong hands...the carnage they'd cause...

His family...against the deaths of thousands of innocent people...

He'd had to do it...

There came a knock at the door.

Everyone froze and stared at the door. Why would one of the bad guys knock?

Every face turned to look at Admiral Forrestal. He felt their eyes on him.

Forrestal forced himself to move. He got to his feet, and crossed over to the door. The knock came again, to the tune of "shave and a haircut."

"Two bits," knocked back Forrestal.

There was a scraping sound, as if a heavy wrench were being removed from the hatch handle, and then the door swung open and John Steed and Emma Peel stepped inside.

"Thought we'd find you here," Steed said cheerfully. "Biggest room on the ship."

"Mr. Gascoine," said Forrestal. "Nurse Pray. How did you get here?"

"Long story, Admiral, and we don't have time for it now. What's going on. Do you know?"

Forrestal froze, for just a second...then said, "Bunch of terrorists. Hijacked the ship. That's all I know."

"How could they do that," said Emma, quietly. "This is a new ship, the latest design, remote controlled. They'd need access codes. How did they get them from?"

Forrestal straightened his shoulders. "I gave the codes to them."

He looked at them, and saw no accusations in their eyes, only curiosity.

"They have my family," Forrestal jerked out. "My entire family. Tied up in my own home...like animals waiting to be slaughtered."

Steed and Emma exchanged glances.

Emma turned back to Forrestal. "You have the access codes...does that mean you'd also have the codes to the networks aboard this ship?"

"Networks? What do you mean?"

"I've got a laptop computer. I can get in touch with the outside world, if only I could get online."

"Oh, I see. Well, yes, I know the general password for that as well."

"Then we're in business," said Steed.

"Wait," said Forrestal. "Who are you going to contact? If it's the police...or the military...they'll find out - they're bound to be monitoring the police bands. They'll harm my family."

"Not to worry, Admiral," said John Steed. "We know a few people who can handle this type of thing quite quietly."

"As long as they check their email," Emma murmured as she busied herself setting up the laptop. Forrestal gave her the code, and within seconds she was online. "All right, Admiral, what's your address."

"45 Rupert Lane, W2."

Emma nodded and typed it in. "All right. I'm sending this to Cathy, Tara and the Gambits. Informing them of the situation and requesting that they liberate your family from their captors. Meanwhile, we'll take care of the situation aboard this ship."

She struck a few more keys, then hit send.

Forrestal looked at the very old John Gasgoine and the very large Nurse Pray. "What do you mean, "we'll take care of the situation aboard this ship?""

"Half of my tai chi class is here," pointed out Gasgoine.

"Half of your geriatic tai chi class may be here," Forrestal snapped. "But what of it. You can't even move! And this faaaa...this..."

Emma Peel was divesting herself of the Nurse Pray outfit. All eyes were on stalks by the time she'd finished.

"Admiral, I'd like you to meet Mrs. Emma Peel," Steed said, quite quietly. "And I may not be able to move worth a damn these days but I am still John Steed, and when we work together as a team there is no one who can stand against us."

Admiral Forrestal stared at the two professionals...and a touch of color came back into his face. "I believe you," he said.