Chapter Three

Plan B? Alex didn't have the time to find out what that was but he had a good idea that it meant another attack on Jack and himself. Jack was still in the hospital, unconscious and totally defenceless, what if that was where Lawrence Tchai was at this very moment? Alex could just picture Jack in her hospital bed with a man stood over her injecting a poison-filled syringe into her arm or holding a pillow over her or turning of her life support machine. The possibilities raced through his mind, Alex had to make sure Jack was safe. He crept silently out the room and along the corridor.

Wendy the receptionist was sat at her desk looking at the wrist of a tallish man in front of her.

"You can't tell the difference can you?" He asked her pointing towards his watch.

"Not at all sir. I don't see why you can't just tell Emma you lost the old one, she'd understand, I left my phone on the Tube last week."

This didn't seem to comfort the man. 'This must be Lawrence Tchai.' Alex thought. He was wearing a brown suit with blue pinstripes, a blue shirt and a brown tie. Wendy turned her attention to Alex who was trying to sneak out unnoticed, "You found the bathroom then?"

Alex nodded.

"This is Mr Tchai." She pointed to him, "This young man was looking for you."

Lawrence turned to look at Alex, "Really?" If Lawrence recognised Alex he hid it well. "And what would someone as young as you need a lawyer for?"

Alex thought fast, "Insurance…My insurance company won't pay out." He took a deep breath, "There was a fire at my house, accidental of course." Alex and Lawrence's eyes were fixed on each other, neither wanting to be the first to look away or blink.

"I suggest waiting a while, these things can take time." The lawyer kept his voice steady.

Alex nodded thinking of how to respond, thankfully he didn't need to. The front door opened and a man in a grey overcoat entered the reception. Lawrence Tchai took a deep breath, "Ah, Mr Hume, come straight through."

Alex took this as the time to leave and slipped through the open door. He rushed to the bus stop and was almost hit by a car as he dashed over the busy road.

He had fifteen minutes until his bus was due, he pulled some loose change from his pocket and headed to a phone box. He would call the hospital and check on Jack's condition then go straight to the hospital to see her properly.

The phonecall lasted ten minutes, Alex was reassured that no-one had been to see Jack but him. While he was comforted by this it also saddened him; Jack had been alone in hospital with no-one for company while he had been chasing dead ends.

Alex walked to the bus stop again bombarded with Laughing Targets advertisements, he kept his head down not noticing a black BMW parked just over the road.

Behind the car's tinted windows sat Robert Reid, next to him was a gun. He had his orders. He was Plan B!

The black car had followed the bus on it's journey back to the heart of London. Reid parked the car as Alex hopped off the bus. Alex was heading for the hospital, he decided on taking a shortcut through an alleyway. Reid smirked, this would be an easy job.

The alley was narrow and there was very little light, a rubbish bin had fallen over and its debris was scattered on the ground, like dead soldiers lying wounded amongst abandoned signs. Alex's footsteps were loud, Reid's were silent, as an assassin he had been taught how to be invisible. Alex idly kicked a can, the sound ricocheted off the walls. Reid reached for his gun and took aim at Alex's head.

The gun fired but missed. Alex had bent over to pick up a pound coin that was shining on floor. He gasped and leapt into action. He spotted the fallen bin and kicked it. It flew into Reid's stomach, he was knocked to the ground, he fired the gun wildly into the air. Alex grabbed an abandoned 'For Sale' sign as Reid struggled to his feet fumbling in his pockets for extra bullets.

"Who sent you?" Alex demanded, ready to lash out with the sign. Reid didn't answer, "Who are you?" Alex demanded again.

Reid smirked, his face unreadable as he reloaded his gun, Alex used the sign to knock it out of his hands. The gun skidded to Alex's feet. They both looked at it.

"Aren't you going to take it?" Reid asked his voice like silk, "It's loaded. Are you too scared?"

"Who are you?" Alex repeated.
"Mr Rider, people are a lot more afraid of a loaded gun than a wooden sign. Goodbye." He turned to leave and began to walk away. Alex looked again at the gun but decided against it. As the adrenaline left his body he felt the heaviness of the sign, without thinking he lashed out. He heard a devastating crack as the wood met with Reid's skull. The sign clattered to the ground as blood began to seep from Reid's wound. Alex ran.

AN - Sorry about the wait, I hope its worth it! Let me know what you think.