How could this man just walk away?
After everything he had done; after everything he had put him through.
"You!" Alex roared, lurching with a forward's momentum, clenching his fists for the fight. He had never wanted to hurt somebody so badly. He had never wanted to kill anybody so badly.
There was no doubt about the fact that he would have done so, had it not been for the person who leapt forward to restrain him from behind, a large hand on both of Alex's slim yet muscular arms, trapping the teen. Alex struggled: he had never struggled so much in his life. He didn't even coordinate his response into the martial art he had been learning most of his life; his brain refused to exert any control over the flood of seething anger pulsing round his quivering frame.
But the man wouldn't let go of him: he had to be bigger and stronger than Alex was. Of course, he knew who they were; he knew where he had been forced to be. Vaguely, Alex noticed the man blocking his view of the retreating figure in a suit, speaking to him in a calm voice; trying to calm him down.
How could he calm down?
His life was bloody tatters; 14 years wasted for nothing. He'd lost his family and his childhood to this business; in the end, it would take his life. And yet these men thought that he should calm down?
Had they never wanted to kill somebody this badly?
Why not?
Tears streaming down his red cheek, undignified, raw emotion. He should probably care that he was breaking down in front of two SAS soldiers; in front of his new team. He should definitely care.
Why didn't he care?
Maybe because the man currently climbing into his helicopter to leave had ruined him, and was now preventing anybody from being able to stitch him back together.
A glance was spared, and even across the distance, those cold, grey eyes bore into his. It made his soul feel empty and sparse. Because of his tears, everything was blurry, with the exception of those two hateful pinpoints.
Over Snake's shoulder, he thought he saw a smirk from the bearer of those cold orbs.
Those cold hateful eyes.
The man disappeared from view, into the machine that would take him back to London and civilisation. It was at this point that Alex realised he wasn't breathing properly, hyperventilating, uneven gasps floundering for the air he'd completely forgotten about.
His world starting tilting, black spots camouflaging the copter as it took off.
He couldn't breathe anymore …
Alex Rider fell back into the arms of Eagle, unconscious.
"What the hell was that about?"