Underestimation

Fermat's breath rose in white, steamy puffs as he tried to keep up with Zave. The little group was making good progress along the path to the Hollow, but Fermat winced at the noise they made. The rustling as they brushed against the bare bushes, the slight scuffling of their feet on the dirt, even the muffled thudding of his own heartbeat sounded unbearably loud to him. In his head, he knew that they were actually making very little sound; trying to get his anxious perceptions in line with reality was the difficult part.

"We're nearly there," Xavion hissed as he came to a stop, crouching on the pathway. "Douse your lights." He turned to Fermat, who was crouched beside him, trying to catch his breath. "Brain, can you tell what's going on now?"

Fermat lifted his good arm, and the boys gathered around to listen to the feed from his radio. There was a thud, accompanied by an "Oof!" Sugi could be heard saying, "Hold him there, Steve, but watch out for his feet." He added something that was muffled, up until the point where it became clear again, "...up the fire, Pierce." The small group glanced off in the direction of the Hollow, where there was a brightening.

"What are we gonna to do with him?" the voice was unfamiliar to all of the boys, and they glanced at each other.

"Don' you mean do to him?"

Zave frowned and whispered, "That's Pierce, but he sounds like he's got a bad head cold."

"Right," Sugi said, sounding clearer. "What are we going to do to him?"

"He's right near Alan," Jason muttered softly. There was another thud, and a groan, and Fermat closed his eyes and swallowed.

"What should we do to you, Tracy?" Sugi said, his smooth, cajoling voice sounding as if he were standing right next to them. "Smack you around some more? Or perhaps something more permanent?"

"I've heard enough," Zave whispered. "Jase, Nate, you two go around that way. Brain, Luke, you're with me. Do whatever you can to subdue them."

In the clearing, Alan was pressed face first against the tallest of the stumps, the one he'd originally thought Devdan Israni was fastened to. With one hand, Steve had Alan in a strong hammerlock, twisting his right arm back and up towards his shoulders, using his body weight to hold Alan firmly against the trunk. Steve's other hand was pressing hard on the back of Alan's head, smashing the younger boy's face up against what bits of rough bark remained.

Tiny grains of dirt were irritating Alan's eyes, making them water. His gut burned where he'd taken a kick out there in the dark, and he knew his knees were sliced up from falling to them after the kick. He was still trying to catch his breath, and Steve's heft and proximity made it impossible for him to push up, or to elbow his assailant.

"Why?" Alan asked, his words slurred. It was hard to talk with his lips and cheeks distorted. "I din't do anyting to you."

"You made me rat out a friend," Sugi said, coming close to Alan's face. "You ratted me out, told the coaches that I was doing steroids. Now I've lost my scholarship. Do you know what that means to my father? Do you?!" His voice got louder, more irate. "Steve here, he was caught, too! His father threw him out of the house for it!"

"No' my faul'," Alan lisped. "You too' steroids. Your pro'lem. Your faul'."

Steve brought Alan's head back and slammed it hard against the stump. Alan groaned as the pain exploded in his cheekbone and spread throughout his face. "If you had kept your mouth shut, punk," Steve growled, punctuating his words with more abuse. "Shoulda kept your big..." slam! "...mouth" slam! "...shut!"

Alan saw stars with the second slam, and grayed out with the third. Blood trickled down from his scraped and abused cheek. He groaned again, and let out a sharp gasp as Steve tightened his grip on his wrist and pulled his arm up further.

"Hey, guys," Mickey said, moving over to where Sugi and Steve hovered around Alan. "Don't you think you're goin' a bit too far? I mean, at first it was just some harmless fun. And that gay kid; he deserved it. But this? You're gonna maim him for life, maybe kill him! That's bad mojo, kid."

"What the hell do you care, Mickey?" Sugi rounded on the older man, fists clenched, face contorted with rage. "You and Pierce, you're the ones got us hooked on this stuff! You're the ones who said you'd doctored it so it couldn't be detected. You promised us!" He stepped toward Mickey. "I'll do what I want with this S.O.B.!"

Pierce sighed, and stood, moving toward Lee even as Mickey stepped back. "Sugi, c'mon. Calm down. You've pounded on Tracy enough. Come back to my place and let's have some beer. I for one don't wanna mess with his old man, capice? Been there, done that." He lifted his hand to his nose, which was badly swollen. "Besides, I think I need to see a doctor."

Sugi made a rude gesture, then pointed toward one of the openings to the Hollow. "You go. You go off and go back to your miserable lives. You'll never be more than what you are now: a dishwasher and a laundry man. But me? I had it all, and Tracy here took it away." He turned back to Steve, who had been watching. "You with me, Steve?"

Alan felt Steve's weight shift as the older boy watched the confrontation between Sugi, Mickey, and Pierce. It's now or never, he thought. He slid his free hand carefully as close to his chest as he could, preparing to lever himself backwards with all the strength he had left.

But, before he could, there was a rustle in the bushes, and a familiar, welcome voice cried, "Now!" Suddenly there were shouts, and the weight on his back was lifted.

"Let go of him!" Fermat cried. He came running in, put his head down, and plowed into Steve's side. Surprised, Steve let go of Alan's arm, Fermat's momentum carrying them both a yard or two away. Alan pushed off and turned to see Steve trip over an exposed root and fall flat on his back. Nate, one of Zave's friends, pounced on Steve, pinning him with a wrestling hold. Fermat, who'd also fallen, picked himself up, adjusted his glasses, and went back to Alan.

"A-Alan! You okay?" Fermat asked, swinging one of the flashlights up to look at Alan's face.

Alan covered his eyes with a forearm. "I will be once you stop shining that thing in my eyes." He leaned back against the trunk. "You guys showed up in the nick of time, just like the cavalry."

"Cavalry? Hell, no, Pinky!" called a grinning Jason, who was helping Zave deal with Mickey. "We made like the Thunderbirds!"

Alan laughed wearily. "Fermat, gimme your light." Fermat handed it over, and Alan flashed it around the clearing. He frowned, and looked around again. "Hey, where's Sugi?"

Zave glanced at his friends, who had Pierce and Steve under control. "Hey, I thought you guys had Sugi!"

Nate and Luke both shook their heads. "I thought you had him!" Nate said.

Alan sagged back against the tree trunk, and slid to the ground. "Great. Just great. How are we gonna catch him now?"

Lee Sugimoto made his way out of the Hollow. He had managed to sidestep Zave by pushing Mickey at his old teammate, and slipped away in the general confusion. Gotta get away. Pierce left his car in the employees' lot. I have a key; I can take it and go. Call my dad, tell him a sob story; he'll believe me over anyone else. Yeah. That'll work.

He was so intent on making his plans that he didn't notice the security detail until it was too late.

"Whoa! Hold on there!" Mr. Magnuson said, grabbing Sugi's arm. "Let's see who we have here." He shone his flashlight into Lee's face, then smiled. "Lee Sugimoto. We've been looking for you, son."

Lee was not to be caught napping twice. "And I've been looking for you, Mr. Magnuson. There are three guys trying to beat up Alan Tracy back there in the Hollow. I knew I couldn't take them all on..." His voice trailed off when he saw Ralph Santiago standing beside Qaeshon Lewis.

"That's an interesting story you've got there, Lee," Mr. Magnuson said. "Why don't you stay right here with Mr. Culp and this officer, and we'll get your statement at the security office? After we've found Alan."

Lee looked back and forth between Mr. Magnuson, Mr. Culp and the boys, counting the number of New Ashford police officers who were with them. He sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat, and said, "Yes, sir."

"Good." Mr. Mags turned to the other officers and said, "Let's go."

"Dad! Let us go, too!" Scott fervently pleaded.

Jeff was ready to leave, even though Alan's watch was still transmitting. What they were hearing was enough to make his blood boil, and he was thinking dark and uncharitable thoughts toward Lee Sugimoto, his father, and the school in general. In thought, he was calling them every name he could think of, but outwardly he maintained an attitude of tense, stony calm, like a spring that's wound too tightly.

"Sorry, boys, but I can't leave base unmanned," Jeff said firmly. "I'll need you to keep me posted on the situation, and to forward the call from the school when it comes."

"But, Dad!" Virgil cried. "We... we want a piece of these bastards!"

Jeff let a short breath out his nose. "I know, Virgil. And I'd like to give you that opportunity. But it would be better if you stay here. My excuse for heading to the States will look plausible if it's only Brains and me going." He smiled grimly. "Besides, we'd be too late to actually do anything. By the time we get there, Lee Sugimoto and his gang should be behind bars."

All of the Tracys turned toward the speaker in time to hear Fermat call, "Let go of him!"

Jeff smiled, and nodded at Brains. "Hackenbacker saves the day... again."

"Th-Th-That's my boy," Brains quietly replied, his pride very evident in his tone.

The broadcast continued and Fermat's voice could be heard saying, "A-Alan! You okay?"

Jeff held his breath for a moment, then closed his eyes when Alan replied, "I will be once you stop shining that thing in my eyes."

All of the men in the room relaxed, and John uttered an audible, "Whew!"

Then Alan's voice could be heard again. "You guys showed up in the nick of time, just like the cavalry."

"Cavalry? Hell, no, Pinky!" another, obviously teasing voice called from a distance.

"Pinky?" Virgil asked, glancing at his brothers and father. Scott shrugged as if to say, "Don't ask me."

The voice continued, cut off a little by Virgil's comment. "...like the Thunderbirds!"

The Tracys chuckled, and Jeff headed for his office door. "On that note, boys, I'm off. Talk to you soon!"

"Bye, Dad." "See you later, Dad." "Fly safely, Dad, Brains."

Jeff nodded and left, Brains in his wake. The three young men turned their attention back to the broadcast just in time to hear Alan say, "...great. How are we gonna catch him now?"

Mickey, Steve and Pierce were seated on one of the fallen logs around the campfire. Jason, Nate, and Luke stood guard over them, while Fermat and Zave checked Alan's injuries.

"You're gonna have a couple of shiners, Pinky," Xavion bluntly stated. "I think the school will want to send you to the hospital for that cheekbone, make sure nothing's broken."

Alan sighed. "Wonderful. My father will have my hide..."

"Y-Your dad will be h-happy to see you're okay," Fermat said. He sat down beside Alan. "M-Mr. Mags should be here soon."

Alan frowned, then winced and hissed as the expression sent a sharp pain through his cheekbone. "Did you send someone back to get him?"

"No," Fermat explained, shaking his head. "Ralph told J-Jason what happened, and we m-met up with them as they were heading to the s-security office. Dom took R-Ralph there to a-a-a... tell M-Mr. Mags, then we came here, picking up Z-Zave and his fr-fr-fr... buddies on the way."

"We left Kay near the mouth of the woods to tell Mr. Mags where we'd gone," Zave added. He glanced up and around. "Hope he gets here soon."

As if on cue, there was a rustle of bushes, and a voice calling, "Alan? Fermat? Xavion?"

"We're over here, Mr. Magnuson!" Xavion shouted back.

Within moments the clearing was full of uniformed men. Mr. Magnuson and Officer Vega came over to where Alan was sitting. "How're you doing, Alan?" the security officer said.

"I've been better," Alan admitted wearily. "But I'd have been a lot worse if Fermat and Zave and Jase hadn't come to the rescue." He shifted, trying to get his feet under him to stand, but Mr. Magnuson put a hand on his shoulder.

"Stay put, Alan. I've put in a call to EMS. They'll be here soon."

"Why don't you tell us what happened?" Officer Vega said. He glanced back at the Steve, Mickey, and Pierce. "Who are these guys, and what did they want with you?"

Alan sighed, and began to tell his tale. When he got to the part where he had used his watch to call for help, he omitted the bit about contacting Gordon first, and just said that he'd called Fermat.

"Let me see that," Mr. Magnuson said. Fermat held up his good arm, and the security officer shone his flashlight on it. "A two-way wrist radio, huh? Just like Dick Tracy."

The two boys exchanged glances, and Fermat asked, "Who?"

"I don't remember having any relatives named 'Dick'," Alan said, sounding uncertain.

Mr. Magnuson chuckled. "Don't worry about it, boys. It was before your time."

"Oh. Okay." It was obvious that Alan was still puzzled. He took a deep breath, letting out a little groan as he did and rubbing his abdomen. "Mr. Magnuson? What about Sugi... I mean, Lee Sugimoto? He was behind this whole thing tonight..."

"Don't you worry about him, Alan." The security officer glanced up at Officer Vega, and nodded toward the EMS workers who had just arrived on the scene. "He came out of the woods just as we were heading in. Tried to give us a song and dance about looking for us to come help you. I left him with Mr. Culp and an Ashford officer. He won't get away."

Alan sighed and relaxed against the tree. "It's over," he whispered as Mr. Magnuson stepped back to let the EMS team examine Alan.