Disclaimer: In case you didn't quite get it last time, no I do not own the rights to Alex Rider... yet
Chapter One
The room was infused with a misty golden light that pricked out the tiny dust motes that hung suspended in the air and that swirled and spun away with every breath that came from Alex Rider's mouth.
He had been led, wide awake for a long time watching the shifting golden patterns of dust and the pale fragmented sunlight that trickled through the shutters on his bedroom window and savouring the feeling of being well rested for what seemed like the first time in a long while.
For a few moments longer he lingered in between the crisp white sheets, blinking lazily and considering his current situation.
It was the first day of the Christmas holidays. Ever since his meeting with MI6 he had been catching up at school; working out of hours with a private tutor and staying up until the early hours of the morning completing catch up work. On more than one occasion Jack had come up to his bedroom in the morning to wake him up for school, only to find him fast asleep at his desk with his head resting on his exercise books. But it had all been worth it. Because now he had the whole Christmas break stretching ahead of him, free from the worries of school and spies.
He sat up and stretched, his jaws gaping into a yawn and then swung his legs over the side of the bed. He glanced quickly at his alarm clock and the spiky neon red numbers glowed, 7:35. He stood up and wandered over to his wardrobe, pausing briefly as he caught sight of his reflection in the full length mirror.
A teenage boy stared back at him, eyes harsh and penetrating, wearing only a pair of flannel sleeping shorts. His torso, arms and legs bore the marks from his various missions and a black scar, like barbed wire, crisscrossed over his muscled chest. For a moment Alex allowed himself to drink in his reflection and as he did so his resolve to never again work for MI6 hardened.
And then he opened his wardrobe, took out a shirt and a pair of jeans and padded out of his bedroom, down the hallway and into the blue and white tiled bathroom.
He stripped and stepped underneath the shower and turned on the steaming hot jets, glad for the warmth after the chill of the winter-wrapped house.
After he was washed, he dressed and then thundered down the stairs and into the kitchen where Jack was stood, wrapped in a white dressing gown, waiting for the kettle to boil.
"You're up early," she commented, but she didn't sound very surprised. It was rare that Alex stayed in bed past eight even at the weekends and she hadn't expected him to abandon that habit for something as insignificant as being on holiday.
"Force of habit," Alex replied as if reading her thoughts.
"Yeah, well, I was planning on making you a breakfast to celebrate the start of the holidays," she protested and Alex shot her an skeptical look.
"As if. You haven't made a proper breakfast since Ian's last birthday. And you burnt it then." He reached up and opened a cupboard as he spoke and took out two mugs. "Tea or Coffee?" He asked, placing the mugs on the counter top next to the kettle.
"Tea please," Jack answered, sinking down into one of the wooden chairs that stood at the kitchen table. "I really was going to make you breakfast you know..." she added sullenly and Alex grinned.
"So... What are you going to do today? Are you going to meet up with Sabina again?" Jack enquired as Alex set a steaming mug of tea in front of her.
"No, Sab is going to visit relatives today with her parents. They're leaving for Italy tomorrow." Alex replied, picking up his mug. Thin wisps of steam rose in tendrils from the mouth of the cup and he blew across the surface of the liquid before raising the mug to his mouth.
"What about Tom?" Jack answered, flipping absently through the newspaper that was lying on the table in front of her.
"Earth to Jack. He's leaving for Toulouse today. He's spending the holiday there with Jerry."
"Oh. So what are you doing today?"
Alex shrugged, sitting down opposite the red haired American and clasping his hands around his mug.
Jack's emerald green eyes were thoughtful for a few moments and she took a sip of tea, studying Alex over the rim of the mug.
"I've got to take the car into the garage today for it's MOT today. Do you want a lift somewhere?" She asked finally.
"No, it's okay. I was thinking that I might take my bike for a spin along the Thames. I haven't been out on it for a while and the exercise will do me good." Alex replied. "Thanks anyway."
"If you're sure," Jack answered. "But be careful!"
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The river Thames churned by to Alex's right, a foaming brown expanse of water, dotted with spotted tawny feathered ducks and the tiny black shapes of moorhens.
The sky was pale blue, streaked with grey clouds.
An icy breeze blasted in Alex's face as he pedaled.
But despite the chill, he was feeling in higher spirits than for a long time. There is a certain sense of freedom you get out of cycling and Alex was just enjoying the sheer speed.
He had followed the river as far as Victoria Embankment by the time he realized he was being followed.
It was an instinct he couldn't explain, but it had saved his life on many occasions and he was not about to ignore it now.
He didn't falter in his pedalling, keeping the same steady pace along the winding gravel path, straining his ears for any sound.
Whatever was following him was moving quickly but lightly. The occasional cracking of branches or swish of air through the undergrowth was the only sign he got that anyone was even there.
Alex swallowed hard, forcing himself to keep moving at the same level speed. He needed to leave the river as soon as possible, get back into the safeness of civilization.
By the time he had found a path leading back up onto the streets, Alex was seriously beginning to panic and his fear was working against him, making him pedal harder and try to cast glances back to spot his pursuers.
Wrenching his handlebar's round he took a fork in the path which led up to a road called Byward Street. As he pedalled fast, up past the trees and towards the tarmac he half expected to feel the molten blaze of a bullet across his shoulders.
But then he was out on the road, with cars whipping by and people wandering past him in vague waves and his heart beat began to slow.
He threw a look back the way he had come.
And there was nothing.
So that is Chapter One. I know that some people may have been wanting some Sabina / Alex interaction but frankly girls just get in the way. So I am shipping her off to Italy. :D Anyway I hope people enjoyed the first chapter .
Thanks to all my reviewers!
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