Thunderbirds: Penelope's Perils Part 6

Daphne swung on her chair; she was sitting on it backwards, with her, ahem, rear on the seat and her legs swung across the back of it, humming to herself.
"What are you doing, Daphs?"
She looked up to see Gordon looking at her. "Oh, I was just singing Britney Spears' song Stronger; and dancing to it. You know, the bit where she dances with a chair?" She looked across to where the table, five feet away, was missing the chair she was swinging on and grinned, guiltily. "Guess I got a bit carried away!"
"Literally!" Gordon grinned. "Wait; isn't that the song where she splits up with her boyfriend?"
Daphne giggled and turned about properly on her chair. "Yes, but you needn't worry. I was just singing it because it's catchy; not because I've been inspired to leave you for any reason."
"Good," Gordon replied, bending so that his face was level with hers.
"I'd never leave you, Gordon; you know that."
"Yeah; but sometimes I worry."
"Why?"
"Because I can't work out what I've done to deserve you."
"You didn't need to do anything; I love you no matter what."
"I love you too, Daphne," he murmured, brushing her lips with a kiss...

"Gordon! Gordon!"
"Huh?" Shaken out of the memory of Daphne's arms around his neck and lips against his own, Gordon looked up. Virgil, at the controls of Thunderbird 2, rolled his eyes. "I just asked how far to Anderbad. You were miles away. Some navigator you'd make!"
"Oh, sorry; it's a good few miles yet."
"What were you thinking about, anyway?"
Alan snorted with laughter. "What he's always thinking about, of course; his girlfriend!"
"Shut up, Alan!"
"Well, you were!"
"It's alright for you; you don't have a girlfriend."
"Yeah, and I'm glad of it!"
"Hey, pack it in, you two! You're worse than you were ten years ago!" Virgil snapped.
"Sorry," Alan mumbled.
"Sorry, guys," Gordon said, folding the map. "I just miss her, that's all."
"Yeah, well, you'll see her again soon. For now, let's just concentrate on finding Anderbad."

As the Anderbad Express rattled through the French countryside, Daphne, Tintin, Lady Penelope and Sir Jeremy listened to the rantings of their attendant - the same attendant who had been present when Professor Borender had disappeared from the train to Anderbad.
"I have told you before and I am telling you again, Monsieur," the attendant insisted. "I have no Professor Borender on this train!"
"Well, I tell you that you have!" Sir Jeremy replied, hotly. "Because I saw him off at the station myself!"
"Come now," said Lady Penelope, attempting a gentler tone with the Frenchman. "Perhaps you were mistaken."
"No, no!" the attendant snapped. "Not mistaken! Excuse me, please; I must go!"
"Perhaps, after all, I'm the one who's mistaken," Sir Jeremy wondered after their attendant had gone. "Perhaps I imagined the whole thing."
"Nonsense; that attendant is clearly hiding something," Lady Penelope said.
"A child could see that," Tintin put in, helpfully. "You ok, Daphne? You're very quiet."
"Hm?" Daphne looked up; she had been daydreaming. "Oh, no, I was just thinking about this whole thing...and saring at the countryside. It is beautiful."
Lady Penelope smiled. "Well, come along, girls; it's time for coffee; or hot chocolate in your case."
"Actually, I'm going to use the bathroom first," Daphne said, getting to her feet. "If I can remember where it is. I'll meet you all there."

As Daphne steadied herself on her way back from the toilets, because she wasn't that used to monorails; she had been on trains before but that was generally the Tube and that was less rickety than this train, she spotted the door marked Restaurant. Just as she wa smaking her way past the door marked Attendant, the frantic voice of their attendant reached her ears.
"I told them nothing, Doctor Godber! Nothing!"
Daphne hesitated. She knew it was rude to evesdrop but this was, after all, the same train that Professor Borender had disappeared from, and it was clear that their attendant knew something about it and was too scared to let on, so what harm could it do to listen. And she could do more than that. Finding her Flip (the small portable camcorder she had brought with her for the journey) in her pocket, she flipped it on and held it up to the door.
"How do I know you are telling the truth?" a rought German accent replied.
"You must believe me!"
"Those interferring fools will be sorry they ever set foot on this train!" Daphne drew in her breath. There was no doubt about it; this had to be something to do with the Professor's disappearence. "Twice in Paris they outwitted me; but I am setting a trap that not even the lovely Lady Penelope can escape from!"

Daphne threw both hands to her mouth to stifle a gasp of horror. Unfortunately, she almost dropped the Flip. Catching it just in time, she exclaimed to herself "Oh, hell!"
"What was that?" The door was flung open and Daphne found herself looking at a vaguely familiar looking man with grey hair and a stern expression. "Can I help you?" he said, although his voice indicated he was prepared to give anything but help.
"Oh-oh," Daphne stammered, suddenly nervous as she shoved the Flip back into her pocket, switching it off in the process. "I was on my way back to the Restaurant and I lost my footing." Behind the man named Godber, the attendant was looking scared. She had a feeling she knew why.
"Well, you should be careful," Godber replied. "People have been known to fall out of trains so easily. So many accidents are caused by bodies on the line."
"I know," Daphne replied, in an attempt to make out that she wasn't as clever as they believed and had heard nothing of their conversation. "I read Anna Karenina."

As she left, Godber turned to the attendant. "You know what to do."
"Oh, no, Doctor Godber; please! She is only a girl!"
"She is with Sir Jeremy and his nosy friends! You will lure her back to this room and then you will dispose of her!"
"But-!"
"If you don't do it; I will!"
"Yes, Doctor Godber."

Daphne had a feeling that her life was on the line; and if that was the case, then somehow she needed to let the others know what she had overheard in the Attendant's room; without letting Doctor Godber know that they knew. She knew how to do that; it was easy. As she sat down in the chair that her friends had saved for her, she slipped her Flip out of her pocket and, under the pretence of putting her bag under the table, she slipped it into Lady Penelope's jacket pocket. She would know how to work it.
The attendant came and served them their drinks. As he did so, he caught Daphne's eye but said nothing to her. She watched him retreat, casually, and wondered what hold Doctor Godber had on him.
"When I get back to my compartment," Sir Jeremy said, thoughtfully, "I'm going to have another word with that attendant."
"Very well," Lady Penelope agreed, "but for now, let's try to forget the whole thing and drink our coffee."
"Mm!" Tintin sighed as she took a sip of her hot chocolate. "Oh, French hot chocolate has to be the best in the world!"
"I quite like the Italian kind," Daphne smiled.
"Hello, what's this?" Lady Penelope had just picked her coffee cup up off of the saucer to find something small folded beneath it, a slip of paper. She unfolded it and read the words "Beware, you are dealing with desparate men..."

In her bunk in the compartment that she wasn't sharing with Tintin this time, Daphne tossed and turned. She couldn't sleep. It was hard to sleep in something so loud and rattling; compared to Tracey Island where she was always lulled peacefully to sleep by the sound og the waves crashing on the beach and the wind whispering through the trees. And there was also the fact that she was concerned for the attendant. If he had given Lady Penelope the warning note, that must mean that he was having second thoughts about working for Doctor Godber. And playing two sides secretly under the eyes of a villain was pretty dangerous; reading the final Harry Potter book had taught her that much, at least. Eventually, she clambered out of her bunk, dressed and left her compartment. Stumbling along the dark corridors, she wished that she had K9 with her; but he was back in Fab1 with Parker, making their way to Anderbad by road. Not that she needed K9 for protection, she had her powers, but the company would have been nice.

She knocked on the door marked Attendant. There was a pause and then the door opened. The attendant blinked at her. "Madamoiselle? It is very late."
"I think we both know why I'm here," she said. "May I come in, please?"
"Um...oui, oui." He stepped back to let her into the room. The second the door was shut, he turned to her. "Madamoiselle-"
"It's Daphne," she said, holding up a hand to stop him. "What's your name?"
"Alfred. Madam-Daphne, I don't know how much of that conversation you overheard, but this is a very dangerous game."
"I know. But I'll be alright; I've had danger before. Thank you for the warning note. It was much appreciated."
"If Doctor Godber finds out I did that," Alfred said, rubbing the back of his neck and walking past her to the window; the view outside was concealed by the blinds, "he will kill me for sure."
"Well, you're very brave," Daphne replied. "What does he want with the Professor?"
"The secret to the experiments the Professor was working on with Sir Jeremy Hodge. With it he can control, well, so much."
"Alfred, listen to me!" Daphne grabbed his arms. "Clearly you're a good man, no, don't deny it; you must be to have tried to warn us about Doctor Godber. But he'll soon find out that you've betrayed his trust. You should go, right now; get off at the next stop and run for it."
"You know, he ordered me to kill you."
"I had a feeling he might."
"But I cannot do it. You too are a brave young woman."
"I'm used to this kind of thing. You should get out at the next stop and then see if you can't flag down a pink Rolls Royce with the numberplate Fab1; if you do, tell Parker, that's the driver, that I sent you to find him. Or else get to the nearest radio station and call on International Rescue; and tell them the same thing; and that Lady P and Sir Jeremy are in danger and we need backup."
"Oui; I shall do that! Merci, Daphne!"
"That's alright. Do you have any kind of weapon to defend yourself with?"
"Oui, oui; it is here." Alfred went over to a cabinet in a corner of the room and opened it. From within, he drew out a small handgun. Neither of them heard the door opening behind them. Daphne went to the window and peered through the blinds. The countryside was in darkness. She wondered how far away Parker was, with K9.
"Ah!" Daphne turned and gasped. Alfred crumpled to the floor; Doctor Godber had struck him over the back of the head with a heavy pistol. Now he pointed it at Daphne's head. "On your knees," he ordered. "No false moves, or I shoot."
Daphne felt her heart racing as she did what she was told. The last thing she saw was the triumphant look in Doctor Godber's brown eyes before the gun struck her on the side of the head and everything went black...

Base by aqua999