International Rescue: The Next Phase


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Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #266 is a reply to message #265] Mon, 23 July 2012 15:51 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
artisticrainey is currently offline  artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
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Field Commander
Switzerland
"Did I ever mention how much I adore industrial dishwashers?" Anna turned from the sink where she had just loaded the last of the cooking utensils onto a tray. She slid it over toward the dishwasher.

"You shouldn't be doing this. We can handle most of the clean up tomorrow." Maggie brought a load of dirty dishes over. "Let me just put these in the sink. Then you get to come out and party with everyone else."

Ann chuckled and looked around the kitchen. "Everything is pretty much done. I can just check the food levels every ten minutes or so and slip in here to get some prepared trays when they're needed." She took off her apron and hung it from a hook.

"First you better go change." Maggie looked at Anna. She was wearing a heavy t-shirt and jeans. Both had large wet spots down the front.

"Way ahead of you. I brought a different outfit over when I came. It's hanging in Dianne's dressing room. I'll be out in a sec."

When she came out to the patio ten minutes later, she was wearing a blue silk shirt and a black skirt with black sandals. A silver necklace and matching earrings completed the outfit. She was carrying a plate of food from the buffet. She set her plate down on an unoccupied table and went upstairs to ask Parker for a drink.

"What will you have, Mrs. Hanson?" Despite her request while they were working in the kitchen together, Parker refused to call her Anna.

"White wine and a large glass of diet soda. Whatever flavor you have that's diet."

Parker poured her some wine and handed her a glass. "The soda is over by the punch bowl. Go sit down and I'll bring some to your table. You look all in."

"Thanks. I'll be fine once I've eaten something and relaxed for a bit." She went back to her seat and started to eat, watching everyone talking and dancing.

Alan went to refill his glass of punch. Nikki was over talking to Kat and Elise about something and he was considering getting some dinner for himself. He met Parker at the drink table.

"Who's that for?" he asked as Parker poured a can of diet cola into a glass already filled with ice.

"Mrs. Hanson." replied Parker. "She finally came out of the kitchen for dinner."

"Let me take it over to her." Alan had wanted to meet this lady. He knew both Gordon and Tyler liked her and that Tyler had started eating again. All of the older brothers knew what had happened with Tyler and Alan wanted to see what she was like.

"Parker sent this over. "

Anna looked up and smiled. "Thanks. Which of the boys are you?"

"I'm Alan. Up until two years ago, I was the baby of the family."

"Sit down, if you like. But I warn you, I'm in recovery mode right now. I may bite your head off for no reason, at least until I get more food in me, and about ten minutes sitting down."

"I have four older brothers and we go into high stress situations. I know all about low blood sugar and snapping at people. We all learned not to talk until we've eaten. Biting someone's head off tends to leave a bad taste in your mouth."

Anna grinned then attacked her steak. "I've been snacking on hors d'oeuvres but I need something more substantial. I tend to forget how long I've been working." They were both quiet for a few minutes while Anna ate.

Finally she paused long enough to ask a question. "Alan, who exactly is Parker? Family friend, servant or what? I can't place him."

"He's Lady Penelope's chauffeur, butler and all around anything she needs. He's been with her for as long as I've known her."

Anna put her fork and knife down and leaned back in her chair. "He wouldn't call me Anna. It was always Mrs. Hanson."

"Yeah. He's pretty old school about a lot of things. He'd be welcome to the party on his own but he wouldn't come. Normally Kyrano is the same way. Never join the party, always serve. But with Lisa here, he's staying with her a lot."

"Lisa? Your step-grandmother? What does she have to do with it?"

"They're engaged."

"Ah. Young love is always so romantic." Alan snorted. Anna took another sip of wine. "Does everyone here know about your 'family business'?"

"Tonight, yes. Very few people who don't know actually come here. If someone who doesn't know is on the island we do 'Operation Cover Up'. Among other things, the portraits in Dad's study will change."

"Thanks for the warning. Are all of your older brothers involved?"

"Yeah. I usually fly Thunderbird 3 and relieve John on Thunderbird 5. Scott flies Thunderbird 1 and is in charge at the danger zone. Virgil flies 2. Gordon pilots 4, that's our submarine. He and I go along whenever they need an extra hand."

"Does Tyler want to be part of International Rescue? For that matter, what about Alex and Cherie?"

Alan looked surprised. "I never thought about that. We were in it with Dad from the beginning. I never thought about the kids joining. We realized just this past year we needed more help with rescues."

"So all the new people have been here for less than a year?"

"Most of them joined us in February or March. Elise came here to recover after the crash and wound up joining. Heather, that's her with the red hair, just came yesterday."

"Are you still bringing in new people?"

"If we can find them. We still would like a few more. People with specialties we don't currently have."

"Isn't that dangerous? From a security standpoint?" Anna could hear someone using the karaoke machine above them.

"We usually have people pretty well checked out before they come here. By both Tracy Industries and by Penny."

"Penny handles your backgrounds checks? Why her?" Laughter and clapping came from upstairs as the song finished.

"She handles all our security. She was an agent in the Federal Agents Bureau in England. And Parker was the best safe cracker in Europe."

Anna raised her eyebrows. "Interesting. I'm going to have to meet her."

"I'll introduce you. Come on."

"Thanks, but maybe later. I just want to sit and unwind for a bit longer. At least until my feet stop hurting."

Post by susanmartha on 2/13/2007

Dom plainclothes heartbeat Luke plainclothes

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