Alex sighed as he looked over his maths homework again, downstairs he could hear Jack going through the mail that had just been dropped off. Not five weeks ago he had found Jack in captivity with those evil twins he had gotten her out along with all the other children that they had kidnapped. Suddenly the sound of the phone ringing cut through his thoughts,
"Hello? Who is this?" He heard Jack ask, there was a pause then
"Hey Alex the bank is on the line and I really want to hang up on them, can I?" Jack called up the stairs. Alex haft laughed haft groaned.
"Unfortunately not this time Jack," he called as he went down the stairs and picked up the receiver.
"What the hell do you want this time!" Alex growled "I just got Jack back and now you just have to come and ruin this for me don't you,"
"Alex please, you can bring Jack with you, and no it is not another mission." He hard Mrs. Jones calm voice over this line.
"Then what do you want me for?" Alex asked confused, Jack gave him a confused look and he shrugged.
"Smithers has developed some technology that will allow us to read everything that happened on your missions," she said quickly.
"I'm sorry?" Alex said a menacing tone filling his voice,
"I can't explain over an open line, but we need to two of you to come in tomorrow at 1:30, we'll send a cab," a crinkling sound of another peppermint being opened filled the silence. Alex felt himself hissing in anger.
"Fine, we'll take the tube," Alex said slamming the phone back into the cradle and slumming against the wall.
"What do they want?" Jack asked softy,
"I don't really know but they want us both to come in tomorrow at 1:30," Alex said unhappily, Jack sighed and sat down next to him perfectly content to sit in silence.
—T—H—E—N—E—X—T—D—A—Y—
Alex and Jack sat in the crowded tube waiting for there stop,
"What do you think the bank wants?" Jack asked quietly.
"I don't know Jack thy said something about books that where about the missions that I have been on but I really don't know. Mrs. Jones said that she could not tell me over an open line but other then that I really don't know," he told the red head as the tube screeched to a halt and the doors slid open. Alex grabbed his bag and followed Jack off. The bank was a short five month walk and the pair quickly made there way through the thick crowds, the bank was cold and was just as blank as every other time that Alex came in. The receptionist nodded at Alex and Jack as they entered the elevator, there ride up was silent as the thermal cameras scanned the teen and Jack. Alex had been allowed to keep a gun at all times, except for when he was in a meeting with the bank, unsurprisingly he managed to sneak his in every time. Once the two made it to the top floor Alex took the lead and pushed open the door with a angry force,
"Who would like to have the wonderful privilege of telling me what the hell is going on!" Alex yelled, he felt everyone's eyes on him and then realized how many other people where in the room. There where the heads of MI6, K-unit, Mr. Bray, Mrs. Bedfordshire, Mr. Donovan, the Pleasure's, Tom, and Phillip Beach the schools resident bully.
"Now Mr. Rider be careful using that kind of language we have all been invited to the bank to read some books before they come out on the shelves," Mr. Bray said quickly cutting through the thick atmosphere. Mrs. Jones stood up and said tiredly, "Alex and Jack we are so glad you could make it,"
"Not like you allowed us much of a choice anyway," Jack muttered as they both took their seats. Sabrina and Tom both smiled at him, everyone else just looked confused.
"Well now that everyone is here we can begin," Mrs. Jones unwrapped another peppermint before beginning.
"Hello everyone, I am as you all know Tulip Jones, and today we have an exciting prospect on our hands. We have received books about non other than Alex Rider and we have been requested to read them to all of you. We have of course been asked to treat these books with the utmost secrecy, so before we can begin we must ask you all to sign a copy OSA. Also known as Official Secret Act," Mrs. Jones stood in front of the assembly of people like a teacher in a class room.
"Yea what ever this is boring I'm outta here," Phillip interjected getting to his feet and heading for the door. Alex almost considered warning him about the security measures that had been taken to insure that he stayed in the room. But after all that Phillip had done to him and Tom, Alex kept his mouth shut, the moment that Phillip touched to door electricity coursed through his arm.
"Eahhh!" Phillip screamed with a surprisingly girly scream. This went on for a few moments with everyone in the room watching him silently one thought running through all of there heads, what is so secretive that they have this extreme of security measures. Finally after a good three minutes of Philip screaming that he was being held hostage and that this was against the law, Wolf had, had enough and went over to the boy grabbing his shoulder and hauling back to his seat. Alex could have sworn he saw Mrs. Jones smirk in amusement, but it was gone as fast as it was there.
"I will allow my associate Mr. Crawley to get you all the forms that you need and explain how they work, Alex I need to speak with you for a moment," she said motioning to Alex to follow her over to a corner of the room.
"What the hell is going on," Alex hissed the moment that they where away from everyone.
"Smithers found a way to get books that about you and the missions that you have been on, and I thought that it would be a good idea to share this with everyone here. They deserve to know the truth about where you disappear to and what you really do," Mrs. Jones said looking at Alex sadly, he had grown up far to fast and far too much. Alex sighed dragging a hand down his face, he did agree with Mrs. Jones, they did deserve to know the truth, but,
"Why does Phillip have to be here, I mean I get K-unit, the Pleasures, Tom and the teachers and the rest of them, but really can we just make him sign the agreement and leave?" Alex complained.
"Alex, I think you know why he had to be here," the woman said as she headed back to the table. Alex sighed and after a moment followed her. Mr. Crawley was just collecting the papers from everyone when Phillip spoke up again.
"Hey why doesn't druggie Rider have to sign the papers too! He's totally going to snitch to his little gang!" He yelled, Mrs. Bedfordshire gave him a disapproving look as she spoke.
"Mr. Beach its not nice to call people names," she said sternly, Alex rolled his eyes and slumped down into his seat.
"You alright mate?" Alex heard Tom ask from beside him and Sabrina gave him a concerned look from her chair.
"Well I'm getting my life story told to every single person in this room and now they get to know everything that I've done. How do you think I am?" Alex hissed back avoiding the strange looks they where getting as Mrs. Jones started to talk again,
"As you know we will be reading books that are about Alex Rider and you will learn why he has really been missing school,"
"I don't want to know about how his little drug deals went wrong!" Phillip exclaimed angrily. Apparently he had not gotten the message from the glares that he was getting from Tom, Jack, and the Pleasures.
K-unit was sitting at the back of the room watching the exchange with varying degrees of boredom. Fox was smirking slightly knowing a little about what was coming, Snake and Eagle where just watching the room silently waiting for the idiot Phillip to just take the hint and shut up. Wolf however was another story, he was watching Alex closely, or as he knew him Cub.
—F—L—A—S—H—B—A—C—K—
Wolf and the rest of K-unit had just returned from there twenty five mile hike when Cricket from O-unit came running up to them,
"Sergeant wants to see you now!" He yelled to the group, twisting his hands together nervously. Wolf growled as Snake nodded and Cricket ran off.
"Let's got before Sergeant puts us on KP for the reset of the month," Fox said. He had been training with the remaining K-unit, Wolf, Snake and Eagle, after he got injured on one of his missions and was not allowed to go back into the field for another six months so he want back to train with SAS. Upon reaching the Sergeants cabin, Wolf knocked loudly on the door,
"Enter!" Sergeant yelled at them from the inside, he looked up as they entered and stood at attention.
"At ease soldiers," he said "I have received a message from head of British Intelligence, Alan Blunt, that your presence is required at there headquarters at, 1330 tomorrow," Sergeant said in his loud booming voice.
"Sir, if I may, what do they need us for?" Snake asked, asking the question flowing through all four men's heads.
"To be quite honest with you I have no idea, they only said that they need you and that everything would be explained once you get there," Sergeant was just as confused as them "you will be leaving at 1100 tomorrow, so you can spend the rest of your day in your tent, dismissed," the man said giving his soldiers a nod as they walked out.
—P—R—E—S—E—N—T—T—I—M—E—
"Alright shall begin?" Blunt said getting to his feet and gesturing to one of the guards to bring forward a large cardboard box. He set it down in front of Mr. Blunt, who looked up at everyone.
"Well lets start with introductions, I'm Alan Blunt manager of Royal and General Bank and these are my associates, Mrs. Jones and Mr. Crawley," he looked to K-unit next to him and Wolf spoke up,
"I'm Wolf leader of K-unit, this is Snake, Eagle and Fox," he said motioning to the rest of his group. Mr. Bray was next,
"I'm, Henry Bray, principal at Alex's school, this is Jane Bedfordshire and Lawrence Donovan who are teachers of Alex,"
Phillip stood up and tried to look impressive but failed due to the multiple impassive glares he was receiving,
"I'm Phillip Beach," he squeaked and hurriedly sat back down
"Tom Harrison," Tom said trying to keep his face blank but failed and broke out grinning,
"I am Edward Pleasure and this is my wife Liz and daughter Sabrina," Edward said glancing kindly at Alex.
"And I'm Jack," Jack said glaring at the heads of MI6, Alex reached out and took her arm lightly as he said,
"You all know me," he said not bothering to state his name, Alex just wanted to go home. Blunt nodded and pulled a blank dark blue book with Stormbreaker scrawled on the front in gold writing. Mr. Bray noticed this and frowned,
"Weren't those the computers that we where supposed to receive?" The principal asked confused as Phillip nodded,
"Yea what ever the hell happened to those!" He too sounded confused.
"Who would like to read first?" Alan Blunt said ignoring the confused looks that now had an edge of fear to them.
"I'll read," Liz offered taking the book from the mans gasp and opening them to the first page, but not before nervously looking over to Alex who was slumped into his chair, he looked exhausted and a question filled the mind of everyone in that room. What the hell had Alex fallen into?
"Chapter one, Funeral Voices,"
