I'm back, and I come bearing gifts- the next chapter. No action, but necessary in order to set things up for the rest of the fic. The usual disclaimers apply.
Once more unto the breach, then:-
Chapter Two
Feeling the van slow, Alex pulled himself upright, waiting until the van had stopped before sliding the side door open.
"Pile out, guys, we've reached the checkpoint," he said, stepping down himself and greeting the trio in front of them. "Major, Ms Blooming, Mr Hart."
"Congratulations, recruits. You completed the course in a little over seventeen minutes. That puts you safely within the maximum time limit."
"Hurray!" cried Li, jumping out of the van and springing up beside Alex, followed, less energetically, by the others.
"Hey, amigos," shouted Paulo, seeing the masked gunmen sauntering towards them, pulling off their helmets and taking swigs of water.
"You did great, guys!" said the leader. "We thought we had you cornered in that office, but that thing with the lights was amazing."
Paulo thanked him with an over-the-top bow.
"Recruits!" Alpha Force turned to pay attention to the three invigilators. "We have formulated our reports and submitted them to Human Resources Management. You will now each make your way to a recruitment office, where you will be briefed by a staff controller."
Hex poured himself a glass of iced water, setting it down on the desk in front of him.
"Hex Brown." A pale-looking woman with a severe haircut brought out a ring-binder, opening it at the first page. "Accomplished hacker, involved in all major Alpha Force incidents and several other," -she paused and looked down at him disapprovingly- "internet security issues. Personality: Withdrawn, introverted. Motivated by the desire to right wrongs and protect his friends. Main weakness: affection for Amber Middleton."
Hex squirmed, uncomfortable as his life was dissected before him.
"Following your fourteen-day training program, you will be pleased to know that we have decided that you could be of use to us. Your exceptional performance in the combat training compound demonstrated your ability to work well under pressure, as well as your familiarity with most modern computer systems. As of the twelfth of November this year, you will be working with the online fraud team, where you will be attempting to track down high-level tax evasion scams. Thank you for your time."
"What about my friends?"
"I'm afraid I can't speak to you about any other applicants. Please close the door as you leave." She returned his file to its place in her cabinet as Hex rose and left.
Walking along the corridor to the canteen, he felt dazed; he was still in shock. Had that woman actually just told him what he would be doing for the rest of his life?
"Hola, amigo." Paulo caught up with him. "How did it go?"
"I'm going to spend the rest of my life tracking down tax evaders. You?"
Paulo sighed. "I'm becoming a modifications mechanic. Dios. Basically, I'm going to be making cars go really fast so that overpaid agents can have fun. Looks like we both have great futures."
"I hate them!" screeched Amber, surging from her seat as they entered the canteen. Hex and Paulo looked around uneasily, desperately hoping that her not inconsiderable wrath would not fall upon them. "They've put me and Li in a call centre! A call centre! Translating suspicious phone calls! Do they know who I am?"
Hex tutted. "Li and I."
"Whatever."
Li returned from the tills with five trays of food balanced acrobatically about her person, followed closely by Alex, who greeted them with the words:
"Survival Instructor."
Li winced, and the five members of Alpha Force slumped despondently into their chairs and into silence, picking at their meals. Within a few minutes, Hex had taken out his palmtop, compulsively checking his emails. A smile spreading across his face, he looked up.
"Hey, guys, do your jobs all not start until November?"
His four friends nodded their assent.
"In that case, my friends, we are going on holiday. Pack your backs."
"Where are we going?" asked Amber. "If this is that bed and breakfast in Brighton again…"
"How about a private castle, Amber? Set on its own private island? Off the coast of Southern France? Is that rich enough for you?"
"Wow!" squealed Amber, grabbing Li's hand. "Come on, we have to start packing. I'm going to take my black sequinned top for one evening, and perhaps my Gucci necklace? But what about shoes? Perhaps those gorgeous red ones…." She continued talking animatedly as she left the cafeteria, leaving the boys alone around the table.
"You sure know how to cheer her up," smirked Alex.
"Oh, be quiet, guys. And go and pack, we leave in three hours."
THREE HOURS LATER
"Amber, what are you doing in there?" Hex stood outside the door to Amber's dorm room, wincing as he heard banging and smashing coming from the small room. Hearing a desperate wail and fearing for her safety, he opened the door uninvited, only to be met with a haggard Amber, lying on her bed sobbing and clutching a pair of tight jeans.
"Amber, are you okay?" Hex crossed the room and sat on the bed beside her.
"They just won't go in," she sobbed hysterically, indicating one of three open suitcases on the floor.
"Can't you just leave them? You can wash your clothes whilst you are there-"
"No!" shrieked Amber, aghast at the very thought of being parted with her clothes. "They're designer! This is meant to be a holiday!"
"Can't you leave something behind? We have to meet the taxi in ten minutes."
Amber forced herself to calm down. "Fine. I'll take this out-" she yanked a zipped-up orange bag from the nearest case- "and put these in here." She carefully folded the jeans into the gap. "And you can have this in your luggage," she said, tucking the orange bag into Hex's satchel. "How did you fit all of your stuff in there?"
"By not taking the entire contents of my wardrobe."
Amber rolled her eyes, before zipping up her suitcases and picking up her bag. "Come on then. You can carry my bags," she added, skipping off and leaving Hex with three heavy suitcases and an exasperated expression.
And so there it is. Please, please review! I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can.