Hey there, I'm C.R. Richardson your author for this fic!
Um, so this is a small fic that I just whipped up today. It starts at the end of Eagle Strike (well near the end anyways.) This starts a few days after they (Sabina and Alex) get back from saving the world from Damian Cray. I found I was disatissfied with how Anthony Horowitz ended it with Sabina going to America to live and so in my fic she stays in London. This chapter is all about setting the scene and explaining what has just happened and then MI6 trying to recruit Sabina (hence the title...).
This fic is probably a bit ooc but I hope you enjoy it!
Anways, I understand that these books come out some time ago and so there may not be as much of a fandom for them, so just let me know if you think I should continue or stop and not write anymore for this fic...
Which means I would love it if you could please read and review! Even if it is anonymously, it would mean a lot to me! Whether is is critics or compliments I would love to know your thoughts :)
Lastly, at the moment I don't have a beta, which means I edited this myself and again I just typed it up in a couple of hours so I apologise for any mistakes that I may have missed or any facts that I may have gotten wrong. It has been a few years since I read the Alex Rider books, but I did really like them (obviously otherwise I wouldn't be writing this fic!)
I think that is all I wanted to ramble on about,
Enjoy reading,
Thank you!
C.R. Richardson xx
(Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters (unless they are OC) or the plot of this chapter, if I did it would have never made it on a best seller list :P)
Back and forth, back and forth.
Sabina Pleasure was confined to a small room. The stark, white walls were bare, a bed lay pressed to one of the walls, a desk sat opposite, and behind a screen was a small toilet. But she knew it wasn't a room it was a prison.
Sabina had been pacing the room for about an hour now, and had realised it was exactly ten steps from one wall to the other. Upon arriving at the building she had been taken through countless security checks, had her handbag and cellphone taking off her then marched down a long corridoor and placed in this room.
Outside her house she had been picked up my men in suits, they had badges and seemed official. Although Sabina was hesitant to get in the car with them, Alex had mentioned just after the 'incident' that some government officials would probably call in on her. The black tinted car meant that no one could see her from the outside which made her more than a little nervous.
No one in the car talked to her, or each other. The short trip was a silent one. When arriving at the tall building she finally asked what was going on, but her question was received with blank stares. Flanked by two men in suits, she was ushered to the security check points.
Back and forth she paced.
This mundane task was the only thing to do in the boring prison she had been placed in. After the Damian Cray 'incident', of course she was a little on edge, however, this felt different. This felt less like a kidnapping and more professional. That didn't make her worry less though.
Back and forth, back and forth.
She played with her long brown hair as she paced, her long fingers dragged through the knots.
Back and forth, back and forth.
She counted to 100 in her head. Then counted again. What else was there to do?
Back and forth, back and forth.
She thought about what she would have been doing right now. She had just been on her way home from being at the mall with friends. She was so close to her house, if only she had walked a bit faster perhaps she could have been inside before they had time to catch her.
Back and forth, back and fâ
The door handle pulled down. Somebody was coming in. Sabina backed away from the door a few paces and stood with her head held high in defiance at being locked away.
A familiar face appeared behind the door. A hesitant smile played on his lips, unsure what Sabina's reaction to him would be. He ran a tanned hand through his short blond hair, pushing it out of his eyes. Alex Rider was the one who had gotten her involved with the 'incident' in the first place.
Alex was a spy working for MI6, or so he had tried to tell her, Sabina of course didn't believe him. Not until she had been kidnapped and held for ransom. When she had been sitting in Damian Cray's house, gagged and bound, and Alex had walked into the room, it was only then that she finally believed him.
Now, she was grateful to see someone she knew, but thinking he was behind putting her in this prison made her feel a little uneasy.
"Hey," Alex greeted her from the doorway.
Sabina could see a security guard standing behind him, clad with a gun holstered to his right hip. "Hi." She said bluntly, shooting him a confused look.
He took a deep breath before beginning. "I'm sorry to have gotten you mixed up with this again. We just have to go upstairs and explain what happened, they want a detailed run of events."
"They?"
"Uhh, yeah... look they'll introduce themselves when we get up there."
Sabina nodded and followed him out of the room, thankful to be leaving her prison. As she passed the security checks the guards returned her handbag and cellphone. She turned it on, six missed calls. She sighed, knowing they would be from her parents, frantically worrying about her.
"...and here we are." She finished her story before picking up the glass in front of her and taking in a mouthful of the refreashing water to soothe her parched throat.
Alex had sat and listened tentatively to Sabina's rendition of what had happened. Soon it would be his turn to speak. He had been asked to leave the room by the man taking notes, but had refused to leave. Alex felt extremely guilty over the fear he had caused Sabina and made a promise to himself that nothing like that would ever happen to her again. And if that meant he had to stay her now, then so be it.
"Thank you, I think we have everything we need from you Sabina." Said Mr Goff, the man who had been asking questions to get the details from her. He reached across and turned the recording device off. Mr Goff wore a green tweed suit and had thick, tourtise-shell rimmed glasses, Alex noted.
He glanced towards the door and then spoke to the two teenagers in front of him. "I believe you are wanted elsewhere Sabina. Alex, if you would stay and tell me your version of the story..."
Alex twisted in his seat as Mrs Jones walked into the room. Her blue skirt-suit showed off her dark skin, and her hair was twisted into a tight bun giving her the air of professionalism.
"Don't fret, Alex, we only need Sabina to sign the official secrets act and then she is free to go." Mrs Jones told him in a breath of peppermint.
Sabina stood up from her chair and walked over to the lady. Alex heard them exchanging names as they exited the room.
Sabina was led into a big office room at the top of the building. Two walls were made of glass with a striking view over the high buildings of London. Opposite the door was a mahogany desk, with an impressive looking computer set up on it.
As Mrs Jones and Sabina walked into the room a man behind the desk stood up to greet them. He was yet another man in a suit to Sabina, yet this guy was older. His white hair was thinning and slicked back, his eyes had been magnified under his horn rimmed glasses.
"Miss Pleasure," He stated rather than asked, "I'm Mr Blunt." He introduced himself.
Sabina nodded and shook the hand that Mr Blunt had raised. "Hi." She said timidly.
She took a seat on the other side of the desk, facing the man, Mrs Jones continued standing behind Sabina. "The Damian Cray case went well. The press think he passed away from natural causes, no one knows what his plans were. Anybody involved with Damian has been arrested and will be on trial soon."
Sabina imagined this is what a briefing would be like. She imagined Alex sitting here countless times with a nonchalant expression listening to this man talk. She didn't really care what this man was saying, or understand most of it, but she tried to keep up with him.
When she felt like it was appropriate she would say "aha" and "yup" nodding along. He gestured to a big tv screen mounted on to a wall. When she turned and looked images of people flashed across it. Some of them she recognised from Damian's house, others she didn't.
One short video that played caught her eye. It was security cameras from the plane showing her attempting to stop Damian. Then another played of Alex being shot. The memories and emotions of the time a few days ago came flooding back to her.
"We've been watching you Miss Pleasure." Mr Blunt coming to an end of his briefing and changing topics.
"And?" She asked confused.
Mrs Jones had stayed quiet until now, "and you have certain skills..."
"Skills?"
Images of herself flashed up on the moniter, pictures from before the 'incident' and pictures only a couple of days old. Some one had been following here, right up until the mall only a few hours ago.
The interview was dragging on. Alex could feel the minutes passing like hours. His voice was hoarse from talking. He had to tell his story from the very beginning, since his holiday in the south of France.
Mr Goff sat patiently taking notes when necessary and asking question when needed. The details MI6 needed was comprehensive.
"When I arrived home there was a... present waiting for me."
"What kind of present?" Mr Goff asked.
"A television that was connected to Damian Cray."
"And why didn't you go to MI6 at this point?"
"I tried." Alex said pointedly.
"Oh, please continue." He gestured to Alex.
"Right... so I was shown images of Sabina being held hostage. That was his leverage." Alex sighed dejectedly. And before Mr Goff interupted him again he went into detail. "She wasn't hurt, in the pictures I mean. Just looked distraught and confused. It was my fault she was in this mess though, so I had to get her out."
"Carry on..." Mr Goff said when Alex paused.
He took a quick swig of water, "I took a taxi to Cray's and walked into the lunatics house with the flashdrive..."
"Why have you got pictures of me?" Sabina asked concerned.
"How is your Father doing?" Once again Blunt changed the subject.
Sabina was having a hard time following his train of thought. "Um... he's still in hospital... recovering. I've been told it will take awhile."
"He was burnt badly." He stated bluntly.
It wasn't a question but she answered anyway, "yes."
"I imagine the surgerys will be expensive."
"I never really thought about that... but I guess so."
"After doing some research MI6 has found out that you don't have the money. Your Mother has taken out a second mortgage on the house and that will barely cover the costs. Your insurance was never reapplied so you can't claim it on that. And we found some more debt that they are in which needs to be paid soon. What is your family going to do?"
Sabina was speechless at the wall information thrown at her. "Um..." was all she could manage.
Mr Blunt made his way around the table so he was standing in front of Sabina looking down at her. "I have a proposition for you."
Sabina glanced behind her to Mrs Jones who had a frown on her face and then looked back to Mr Blunt. "Yes...?"
"If you help MI6, MI6 will help you by paying for your Fathers care. We can have him sent to a private hospital, were he will get only the best treatment, do you accept?"
"I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you're asking. What do you want from me?"
"Your assistance."
"Assistance in what?" Sabina asked confused.
"In missions. Alex Rider has proven to be very efficient and a useful asset to Britain, with your help MI6 could be even more succesful." He returned to his seat behind his desk and started signing papers that were in front of him.
Sabina stood up from her seat abrubtly. "That's not much of a choice! You're threatening my family with bankruptcy if I don't agree to help you?"
"Yes." He nodded once for emphasise.
"Don't I at least get time to think this over?"
"You have three days. We will be in touch." He promised. Without Sabina having noticed a kind looking lady walked over to her and gestured towards the door. "Lucy, my assitant, will show you out." He explained.
"Come in, Alex." Mrs Jones opened the door for Alex.
He had been in this office more times than he would have liked. Because they were either recruiting him for yet another mission or debriefing him after one. Never was their a "good luck" or a "congratulations, Alex", he felt always felt underappreciated in this room. Like they didn't care if he didn't come out of this mission alive.
"Where's Sabina?" He asked when he glanced around the room and noticed she wasn't there.
"We sent her home."
"Why am I here then?" Alex asked curiously.
"Same reason Sabina was â debriefing."
Alex listened with some interest as Mr Blunt explained to him what he assumed he had just gone over with Sabina, he wondered why they had to do this seperatly then if they were being told the same thing. Mrs Jones had taken a seat next to Alex but was busy typing some message on her blackburry.
"Any questions?" Mr Blunt asked once he had finished talking. Alex shook his head. "Ok." Alex noticed Mrs Jones put her phone away and sit up a little straighter. "Well, we have one thing to discuss with you. Another mission."
"I just finished one." He protested.
"That wasn't government authorised though."
Mrs Jones often worried that they were pushing Alex too much, but this time she thought her boss, Mr Blunt was going slightly over board. She hadn't known how Alex would react to the news, but she assumed it wouldn't be good, guess she was about to find out.
"Wasn't government authorised!" He repeated, not believing his ears. "I just saved the world! Doesn't that deserve some credit!"
"We are very thankful, Alex." Mrs Jones tried to soothe the conversation. "However, we would appreciate if you could check out something to see if there is a need for MI6 to act."
How quickly this debriefing, Alex thought, had turned into a briefing. He shook his head minutly in disgust but allowed them to speak anyway.
"Aleksandra Titov." Mrs Jones started talking. The image of a lady flashed up on to the moniter. She was very striking in apperance, tall and slender with dark brown hair. Her hair cascaded around her shoulders in thick curls. An elegant but simplistic black dress stretched down to her ankles. The top half of her face was hidden behind huge sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat. "Have you heard of her?"
"The name sounds familiar..." He murmered, wracking his brain for the information.
"Aleksandra is the daughter of Viktor Titov-"
Alex had heard of that name. "The millionaire?" He interrupted.
Mrs Jones nodded and continued, "Yes, the Russian millionaire Viktor Titov has recently acquired a small island in the Pacific. We want to know what is going on there. Half of it has been opened up as a holiday destination, but the other half has as much security as the Prime Minister has."
"Ever think that he's just a private man?"
Mrs Jones just looked at him and kept speaking. "Even a millionaire doesn't need that much security. We want you to go to his island and check out what he is doing. Our sources say he is planning on exploding an atomic bomb, the fall out would be chatastropic. With all the small islands being demolished, New Zealand and Australia would be effected and even Papua New Guinea." As she was talking maps flashed on the moniter of the Pacific.
"We have two other field agents prepared to take on the role of your parents, they are going to help get you onto the island. You will be a vacationing family, looking for a quiet holiday." Mrs Jones continued.
"And when exactly are we meant to be going?" Alex asked, knowing that they will have sorted everything out without his permission, assuming that he would agree. Which he knew he would have to. They had threatened him before, insinuating that his caregiver, Jack Starbright, would be returned back to America if he didn't cooperate. And just like every other time he would agree to go on the mission for fear of loosing her.
"Five days." Mr Blunt joined in the conversation unexpectedly. "What will it be Alex?"
"Fine." He sighed, knowing he would be missing out on yet another few weeks of school.
