This one's for Jake.
Sending him out on missions is hard; he is after all, only a child. I try to convince myself that its necessary because Alex is the best agent we have, try to tell myself that it's for the good of the country. But then my nephew's face flashes in to my mind, he's the same age as Alex and I can't help thinking how I would feel if it was him risking his life for the country. In all honesty, I'd rather risk the country. I look down at my desk at the latest orders for Alex, and although I hate issuing the instructions I pick up the phone and call Crawley. I'm the one who sets the wheels in motion. Ian Rider died when I sent him out, some day Alex probably will too. As I replace the receiver I feel a twinge of regret, shaking myself I place a peppermint on my mouth and turn to the next item on the agenda. Alex, after all, is no ordinary boy.