Hey All! Okay, I know I really don't need another story out there, but I just came up with this idea and had to go with it. So here it is. Hope you enjoy it and please leave a review!
The mission was simple enough: observe and report. That's all they told him to do. And to seventeen-year-old Alex Rider it was almost a relief. After his last mission, where he had been nearly killed (again) and left to crawl back to civilization half dead, this seemed to be relaxing and blissfully uneventful. But something told him there was much more to what was going on.
And his instincts proved right yet again. Kneeling painfully in the freezing air duct, Alex looked down through narrow slits at the scene below. He guessed it was a cult, hidden inside the large, mysterious factory, for the members were all dressed in floor length black cloaks and masks. He fiddled for a moment with his ear piece, turning it on so he could hear what was happening on the ground.
"What's the news?" One of the members asked, and by the way the others seemed to keep their distance Alex guessed he was the leader.
"Potter wasn't there." Another replied. A general hiss rose from the crowd, but the man raised his hand to silence them before continuing. "However, one of his friends was."
He motioned to someone Alex couldn't see and a door could be heard opening. Then three figures entered his range of vision. Two men and one boy who looked no older then Alex himself. The boy with flaming red hair had his hands tied behind his back and a gag in his mouth, but he was fighting hard against the two men holding him. But his struggling was useless; Alex could tell they were far too strong for the gangly teen.
The boy was brought to kneel in front of the leader and his gag was ripped away. He didn't say anything but glared straight into the hidden eyes of the man before him.
The leader laughed mirthlessly. "Ronald Weasley, I presume."
"Malfoy." Weasley spit out his name with all the hate he could muster. Alex almost unconsciously flinched at the venom in his voice. But the leader seemed not to notice his captive had said a word.
"It seems we missed Mr. Potter when we went to visit him today." He said almost politely.
"Yeah, you always seem to be just a step behind him, don't you?"
"Don't interrupt me again, Weasley." Malfoy warned as he reached into his pocket and pulled out something long and skinny. From his position, Alex couldn't see exactly what it was. But it must have been something horrible, for the boy below visibly stiffened and remained silent at the sight of it.
"Now, as I was saying, Potter wasn't there when we arrived at your hideaway. Tell me where he is."
"No, I don't think I will thanks." Weasley replied bravely. Surprisingly, Malfoy didn't reply immediately. Instead he raised the strange object, to the laughter of the watchers.
"Are you sure about that?" When the teen didn't answer the man said something in a foreign language that Alex didn't quite catch. Suddenly, Weasley let out a terrible yell and began twitching and turning on the ground. The men standing nearest him stepped away quickly as he convulsed violently.
A moment later the boys' yells died away and the laughter of the cult members could be heard. Alex stared down in horror at what was happening, knowing full well there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. This was defiantly not the boring, relaxing mission he had signed up for.
The laughter died away soon as well and the leader spoke again. "Tell me where your friend is, Weasley, and I won't do that again."
Weasley pushed himself up from the ground and, between his gasps for air, muttered, "Doubt it. Besides, I'd sooner eat Bubotuber puss."
Malfoy laughed again. "We can always arrange that." He told the boy. He waited for a moment, but Weasley didn't say anything else. "Fine. Since you don't seem to be in a very revealing mood tonight we'll just have to continue this tomorrow. But in the meantime—"
He raised the strange object once more and the boy began to scream and twitch again. Alex quickly reached up and turned off his ear piece, hoping to drown out the sound, but the yells still drifted up to him. He could not escape it. He also knew he couldn't sit around and not do anything. But what else could he do? The vent made way too much noise when he moved. He would have to wait until everyone was gone.
Finally, the boy stopped screaming, but even without his ear piece Alex could hear him gasping for air and trying not to sob. Malfoy began to speak again and curiosity took the better of the young spy. He flipped the ear piece back on and forced himself to keep watching.
"How about you tell me about the Order of the Phoenix? That shouldn't be too hard for a blood traitor like you, should it?"
Order of the Phoenix? What the hell is that? Alex thought to himself.
"Why don't—you go snuggle up—with some Devil's—Snare. See what happens." Weasley replied between gasps.
"Tisk Tisk Weasley. Do you really want to keep this up?" he raised the object again and once more the room was filled with screams. They didn't last very long this time and Alex opened one of his eyes to see the boy lying still on the ground. A cloaked man came forward and blocked Alex's view of him. "Still alive." He reported and Alex felt himself sigh with relief. He didn't even know the guy but couldn't help from being unbearably sorry for him.
"Tie him up." Ordered the leader. "Then take him one of the cells. I have a feeling he's going to be here a long time before we're through with him."
A man came forward, hoisted the limp teen up, and dragged him off. The party then began to disperse and the last member turned off the lights before disappearing. Alex counted to ten, and when he was sure there was no one left down there, started making his way slowly and carefully through the vent.
TBC
So, that's the first chapter. What do ya think?! Just drop a review on your way out please!!
Till next time
hollyandmisltoe