Chapter Four: In which there are more mysterious people, very busy park benches and restaurants, hospital visits occur and some things are explained.
France: The day of Alex's crash/the night of the same day
A man and woman were sat at a restaurant.
"It just keep running through my head that Alex may not be able to cope with this. I mean when or even if we come back into his life. It will be so very hard for him to deal with everything" said the woman.
The man's eyes darkened in anger, "I know and it's all bloody MI6's fault. They've fucked up so many people's lives with their blackmail and lies. They will pay for it but we need to get rid of him. "
The woman nodded and smirked in an evil way while buttering a roll, she looked to others as if she was about to stab someone. The man took the knife and bread roll from her and buttered it instead. Just in case he thought to himself.
His phone rang and the woman noticed as his expression grew more serious throughout the call. He hung up the phone with a sigh.
"What? Have we been found out? What's happened?" the questions tumbled out so fast they sounded like one, but it was pure luck that the man had known the woman long enough that he could understand her when she started talking too fast.
"It's Alex, my sweet" he told her a frown playing across his face slightly as he thought about how to tell her the news, he had heard from one of his contacts in MI6, and it was not good news.
"What about him?" she asked leaning forward concern etched on her face,
"Alex was in a car accident. His been injured. My contacts don't know how badly yet." He watched as the woman as her eyes started to shine. He pulled her into a hug and help her close, resting his head on top of her head,
"Do not worry Alex will be fine" he comforted her as she sobbed into his shoulder.
On lookers watched the scene confused at the two stranger's behaviour. They sat in each other's arms for what seemed like ages, the woman had stopped shaking but still had tears shining in her eyes, unshed but there.
The man's phone rang again as they were silently eating their desserts,
"Hello" The woman watched her husband on the phone, he smiled slightly,
"Mmhmm, okay thank you. Bye" he hung up and looked at his wife hope shining in his eyes,
"I have some news on Alex. His in hospital and has been transferred to St, Domanic's. His still out of it but his stable. I don't know how badly injured he is but Alex will be okay. I can feel it. We have to believe in him." The woman smiled slightly tears slowly leaking out her eyes, this time not tears of sadness but tears of relief that Alex was okay, for now.
"Alex will be okay just as soon as he wakes, and then we WILL get him out of MI6" she breathed out He just grinned and hugged his wife again as they sat watching the world go by.
SAS - The night after the crash
Koala was having a hard time sleeping, he rang his brother X-Ray an Australian soldier, something he hadn't done in a long time, in fact it had been nearly half a year since he had last seen his brother,
"Hello" a sleepy voice came from the phone,
"Hey. X-Ray, It's me" Koala answered almost shyly,
"Hey bro, why are you calling mate it's been ages since I last saw you"
"Yeah I know, I was going to ring sooner but something happened"
"What happened?"
"Oh this teenager was sent to SAS and when he did his driving test he hit road spikes placed by a group of people called SCORPIA"
"What was the kid's name?" X-Ray asked
"Alex Rider I think"
"Holy Shit Alex Rider" X-Ray swore Koala was confused
"What?"
"Remember how I told you about that kid in the space shuttle that landed in the ocean and that was sent back to our SAS grounds here in Australia and our boss ordered us to do something stupid?"
"Yes" Koala's brain was slowly figuring it out, it couldn't be he thought.
"We-ell that kids name was none other than teenager Alex Rider. A British teenager used by MI6 as a spy."
"Holy hell" Koala and X-Ray spent the rest of the conversation catching up on times gone by, after gossiping about Alex for a bit, of course.
MI6 LOCATION: SECURED
Before/During the crash/After
"Greetings, Ashley Walker what a lovely time for you to visit us again."
"Screw you Blunt" green eyes blazing in anger,
"Such language is vulgar and you will refrain from using it when I am around" mocked the normally cold man, a cruel smile twisting the corners of his mouth, while pulling out a simple yellow folder. It was the folder of one Alex Rider. A file that every time Ashley saw it got thicker and thicker.
"It's too late Walker you and your friends will not be able to stop me. Soon, Alex will be dead just like his family. Soon SCORPIA will prevail."
Ashley backed up against the wall of his cell. Ashley had chosen the side of MI6 –the greater good- while SCORPIA thought he worked for them. The last agent undercover in SCORPIA was John Rider and he had been compromised, his plane had been blown up –killing him and his wife Helen- by Ash. Ash who was John's meant to be best friend. The one who had turned to the 'right' side.
Alan had not been responsible for sending in another agent so when Ashley came along SCORPIA didn't expect a thing. In reality, Ashley had been sent in by Mrs. Jones without Alan's knowledge. She had begun to suspect that he had something to do with the ongoing leak of top secret MI6 information. Information that required clearance of the highest levels. Clearance that very few agents held.
"Uhuh and the prime minister of Australia is a baboon" Ashley smiled as anger crossed Alan's face. The smile disappearing as Alan stalked forward,
"You don't seem to realise this but Alex Rider will not be with us for much longer. You see he will most likely be killed sometime soon. I would have told SCORPIA about Alex being at the SAS compound straight away but that would have given me away. Instead I might have accidentally given them a hint as to where he was" Alan turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him leaving Ashley sitting there in shock.
Shit, Ian would kill me if Alex got hurt and god help me if he died, stupid bloody MI6. Ashley franticly looked around the room for something to use in his escape, but he couldn't find a thing, not that Ashley really expected to in the first place but it was worth a shot.
Ashley wasn't looking forward to having Alan come back, He sat on his bed and pulled his thread bare blanket over his shoulders to tried and get some sleep.
Ashley sighed, he expected Alan to take longer in coming back, so was surprised when he could hear the sound off footsteps coming towards his cell. The door opened to reveal a nervous looking Mrs. Jones. Ashley jumped slightly and started to get up,
"Sit down Ashley, I don't have a lot of time before Alan knows that I am down here." Mrs. Jones handed Ashley a weapon and a folder labelled 'Alexander Johnathan Rider'
"Take these and get Alex out of the country at least. He does not deserve, nor has he ever deserved, the way he was and is being treated. He is merely a teenager, a teenager who has seen and done too much. I fear that he will break if he has to go through much more at the hands of Alan Blunt's MI6. have sent the guards away they will be gone for a while, before you leave you will need to knock me out to make it look like you escaped and that I didn't let you out, do you think you can do it Ashley?"
Ashley Walker lent forward and whispered "Sure thing Tulip Jones" and pushed two fingers in to the pressure point on her neck knocking her out. He caught her before she hit the ground and placed her on the bed, before running out into the hallway weapon drawn and folder tucked under his arm.
Ashley had just made it out the building before he heard the alarms go off and sprinted down the street. Smithers deleting the CCTV footage as he escaped from his office. Good luck old boy.
After Ashley was a reasonable distance from the building he slowed down to a more sedate walk blending in with all the other people. Sure he was more than just a little thin and had bruises but people just thought was a druggie or their eyes simply passed over him.
Ashley was soon sat on a park bench, he wasn't there long when a simple dressed man with blonde hair joined him,
"Are you Ashley Walker?" he asked while pulling out a copy of The Guardian.
Ashley turned towards the man sitting next to him, and gapped in shock,
"Ian?" The man finally looked up from his paper and smiled slightly mischief alight in his eyes,
"Yeah, that would be me" Ian noticed something in Ashley's expression and frowned, "something wrong?" He asked.
"Oh nothing much Ian. Only the rather small fact that you're meant to be dead. You're old boss and SCORPIA are after me. But no other than that there is nothing's wrong in my life"
Ashley ran a hand through his hair as Ian handed Ashley a thermos full of coffee,
"Here drink this It'll make you feel better" Ashley took the cup and drank deeply. They sat in silence before Ian suddenly turned around to look behind him.
"Ian, What are you-" Ashley was cut off as Ian turned back around and looked in his pockets, finding what his phone he dialled a number, and waited, and there it was the faint sound of a phone ringing and it appeared to be getting closer.
SCORPIA – UNKNOWN
Begins roughly four days before Alex's accident
Yassen Gregorvitch sat in his cell 'tied' to a chair-he had freed himself weeks ago- after one of Matthew's "visits: and heard him order the guard to make him speak. He cursed in Russian and looked around the bleak room, there was nothing in it that he could use to escape.
Wait. What is that? He had caught a glimpse of something flashing in the dark. He moved from the chair, his legs stiff and went over. Yassen found an ear ring with a back still attached to it. It is not possible. There is no way they could be that foolish as to have left this here for all these months, years even. He looked closer, they had in fact been that foolish. It was an earring that Yassen recognised as being Alex Rider's or at least one exactly like it. I was also an earring he knew concealed an explosive. An explosive that would be very helpful in his escape. If I remember correctly if I take the back off and put it back on, twist it three times it will explode after giving be a five second gap' Yassen let a smile grace his face and began plotting. "Tomorrow I escape"
3 days before accident
Unknown to Yassen the next day dawned with clouds in the sky and an air of humidity. Yassen was waiting until they delivered the "food" so he could strike. The unsuspecting guard came in holding the tray of food, they really should know better. Yassen struck, he knocked the nameless guard out cold, took his gun and security pass.
He moved quickly through the familiar hallways towards freedom; taking down anyone who stood in his way. Yassen soon reached the door to the SCORPIA hanger and swiped the card he had taken from the guard, the light stayed red. Looks like it will have to be the Rider way; Yassen fished the ear ring out his pocket, armed it and set it down at the base of the door waiting for the explosion. Yassen covered his face as the door blew open, Yassen ran towards the closest helicopter.
Yassen took off out the hanger as fast as he could to escape the ant-aircraft guns mounted on the walls of the base, he had to be fast because at the moment they had not noticed his escape.
Yassen was soon headed to a safe house he had prepared for occasions like this. It allowed him to gain the necessary documents and disguises as well as ditching the SCORPIA aircraft. He had spent years making his safe house, safe; he was almost saddened to know that after this it would no longer be safe and that SCORPIA would burn it to the ground.
Yassen in the end had to fly a commercial plan from Russia via two different countries in order to try and throw SCORPIA off his tail. He knew it would only work so long, before they caught on to where he was, but it gave him valuable time. Unknown to him he arrived into the United Kingdome the day before his mentors son would be in an accident caused by SCORPIA.
Matthew Rothman was angry no scratch that he was furious, not only had Ashley Walker turned out to be a traitor but, Yassen Gregorvitch was not going to talk and had escaped almost three days after he paid his little visit, blowing up parts of his base while he did and Alex Rider would not fucking die, sure he was out of the picture but he was not dead like Matthew wanted and on top of it all his assassin the one he sent to go after Alex Rider skipped town to Australia. He chucked his glass against the wall and they WILL all pay for betraying SCORPIA and in return me.
England, UK – Park
Day of Ashley's escape and day after Alex's accident
Yassen was once again in his life, up a tree waiting.
The assassin watched as a thin looking man came and sat, looked down, and frowned. He had been sitting on his own for a few minutes, when a blonde man came and sat next to him. The blonde man pulled out a paper and asked the thin man a question. The thin man to turn gasped at the blonde man.
The blonde pulled out a phone, dialled and placed it to his ear. Yassen's phone went off at the exact same moment, he picked up almost immediately,
"Hello?"
"Hi Yassen, why don't you come down from that tree and say hi to Ashley and I already?"
Yassen hung up without responding and climbed down the tree and walked to the bench, and the two people sitting on it. He glanced around before taking a seat. To passers-by it appeared to be simply a polite conversation between strangers. They were unaware of the importance of the conversation and the changes that were about to be bought about because of it.
"Hello Yassen, it's nice to see you again. Despite your current condition, those cuts on your wrist look like they hurt. This here" he pointed at the thin man" is Ashley Walker not sure whose side his on, but well you know 'the enemy of your enemy is your friend' and all that"
Ashley smirked in to his cup while Yassen merely blinked at Ian. Ashley thought that it was now time for his old friend to know the truth, a truth he had been keeping secret for so long. A truth that would dispel a lie that had caused his godson to hate him, and his friends to have to hide out for more years then they should have had to. A lie that was about to be ended.
"I am on your side. I always have been on your side Ian. It was Jones who sent me to SCORPIA. It was Jones who sent me to be on the inside and to offer you cover where possible."
"I always suspected it. But it is good to finally hear it said out loud. Obviously I will need proof but for now I am satisfied"
Ian then turned and grinned at a commotion on the side of at the road. Mrs. Jones had said something about that. Ashley looked just as confused as Yassen felt; the only difference is that Yassen's confusion could not be read on his face.
England, UK - St Domanics Hospital
Running almost the same time as park scene
Alex lay on the hospital bed his leg in a cast, head in a bandage, his wrist strapped to his chest in a sling. On his opposite arm drips were connected, one was giving him liquids the other pumping him full of drugs to ease the pain. The nurses and doctors could only wait for him to wake, so they could see if he would still have full movement of his leg. It was a bad break and the x-rays could only show them so much information. They also would need to check if he had any lasting damage from the head injury.
It was at the same hospital that the doctor checking patient files at the reception desk was shocked as a boy with dark short spiky hair and green eyes rushed in.
"Hello, my name is Dr. Manning; and who would you be?"
"Tom, Tom Harris sir. I'm looking for my brother, Jerry Harris, he had a BASE jumping accident and this was the closest hospital"
"Ah Mr. Harris. Yes it would appear that your brother is indeed here, in fact I'm his doctor. I can take you to him now. He is groggy but he has just woken up" The doctor looked at the boy in front of him and smiled,
"Thank you sir"
Tom followed the doctor and gasped as he past one of the room he stopped to look in, the doctor stopped and saw the boy gaping inside the door of one Alex Rider.
"Tom was it? What is it?"
Tom pointed at the door and spoke "Alex Rider."
"Yes he was just admitted to hospital"
"I know him his one of my mates from school"
The doctor looked at Tom and put his hand on the young boys shoulder,
"You were here to see your brother?"
"Yeah.. I just.. yeah. Maybe it isn't the same person? But I-" Tom cut himself off and followed the doctor. His thoughts kept drifting to one Alex Rider, 'what's Alex doing here? His meant to be at the SAS training ground' Tom sighed causing Dr. Manning to glance behind him at the spikey haired boy before stopping in front of another door,
"Here we are. You can go on in now. Just try not to strain your brother, he may be a bit out of it due to the pain killers" Dr. Manning said.
"Thanks Sir" Tom opened to the door and entered. His brother lay on his bed covered in nearly head-to-toe in bandages. Seeing Tom and Dr. Manning Jerry grinned,
"Hey little bro, doc" Tom sat in the chair beside his brothers bed while Dr. Manning quickly checked Jerry's vitals before leaving,
"Mum and Dad divorced yet?"
"Nah, you know them, their fighting again. It's like a war zone at home I swear" Tom sighed and his brother frowned.
"Come here Tom," Jerry gently patted the spot next to him on the hospital bed. Tom walked over and sat Indian style on the bed. Jerry as much as he could put his arm around his little brother, Tom yawned and rested his head on his older brother's chest, and he fell asleep within seconds. It had been a long few days helping Alex with his revenge plots and very early text messages. Jerry soon joined Tom in sleep.
Dr. Manning and Nurse Julie Le were doing their rounds for the last time before evening change over and were checking in on one of their last patients of the evening, Jerry Harris, They entered the room and saw Jerry laying on the bed with one arm tenderly wrapped around his little brother. Julie and Dr. Manning went and checked the vitals as quietly as possible so as not to wake the two sleeping boys, before moving on.
It was a few minute later that found Dr. Manning and Julie checking their youngest patient. Dr. Manning was shocked this was the second time in under a year that the youngest Rider had been in hospital the first time with a sniper shot and now again with a car accident. Julie was reading the medical files on the patient and comparing them to the read outs the machines were giving.
"Dr. Manning, sir?"
"Yes" Dr manning looked up from checking that
"It appears that Mr. Rider is stable for now".
London - Park
As Yassen meets Ian and Ashley.
Fox, Eagle, Snake and Wolf had just been requested to go to St Domanics to act as guards for Cub's room. The car ride to the hospital was long and awkward with Snake in the front passenger seat, Ben driving and Eagle and Wolf in the back retrospect that was a bad idea. It was quite, until Eagle got bored, right on cue Ben smirked slightly.
"Hey why don't we all play a game or something?" everyone having almost the exact same thought at the same time all said a variation of no,
"No"- Ben
"Hell no"- Wolf
"No games please"- Snake,
"Oh all right" Eagle sighed
They drove past a park with a red head, a blonde, and a thin looking man sitting on a bench, they took no notice until Eagle, who by this stage, already had Wolf on the last of his temper control saw a yellow car, a Beatle. Eagle punched Wolf in the shoulder and yelled loudly,
"PUCH BUGGY YELLOW" as he cracked up laughing.
Ben had just stopped at a red light when it happened. Gosh Eagle is so predictable, Ben thought while slowly putting the remote that allowed him to briefly control traffic lights back into his pocket,
Wolf lent over Eagle, undid the seat belt, opened the door, and pushed him out,
"You can walk the rest of the way"
Ben in an effort to not anger Wolf any more drove off, he would come back later and pick Eagle up.
"Well that wasn't all that nice but expected" Eagle said as he sat up dusting himself off. He checked for any injuries, before standing.
"Are you okay" a thin man from a bench asked,
"Yeah, it was expected I mean, I did punch him"
"Why?" The man with blonde hair who, Eagle would realise later realise, looked uncannily like Cub.
"I needed out, I've been in that car for ages and my arse was going numb" Eagle nodded to himself,
"And who chucked you out the car?" The man with the red hair asked
"Oh him! His just the usual grumpy army guy"
The three men had looks of understanding on their faces. The four men had been talking for a while when Ben drove up and got out. He walked over reading a folder and dodging people as they walked past him,
"Eagle" Ben still hadn't looked up
"Yo, Ben you came back for me?"
"Yeah I guess I did. I don't know why I did though" Ben was still not paying attention to the people Eagle had been talking to until he looked up. They watched and wondered what was so interesting about the folder. Eagle noticed Ben wasn't paying attention so decided he would get him back for leaving him there,
"Ben"
"Yes?"
"Your boss is coming up behind you" Ben looked up so fast they heard his neck crack in protest "Where?" He looked around and not seeing his boss turned on the smirking Eagle
"That. Was. Not. Funny" he punched Eagle giving him a dead arm a little trick he learnt from training. He turned and saw the three men, when he saw the blonde he blinked before sighing and running a hand down his face. Ben closed the folder tucking it under his arm as he pulled out his phone.
"Where is it, where is it" he muttered scrolling through his contacts, finding the one he was looking for he was about to push the call button, when his phone rang,
Oh what now, his normally calm personality was starting to wear thin,
"Hello?"
"Hello Agent Daniels, I believe I have a mission for you." Ben glared at the space in front of him to the amusement of those he was with,
"Really?" He had an idea 'Alex will be proud of this' he thought
"Yes, I need you to put the extra training to go into SCORPIA as our liaison, it involves a treaty against one Alex Rider. We have learnt from our mistakes we will be able to get you in and out without compromising your status as an agent of MI6"
Everyone watched as Ben got an almost evil smirk on his face,
"Have you ever felt the sensation of flying?" before moving the phone away from his ear.
"Who's he talking to?" Ashley asked nobody, Eagle replied anyway,
"Most likely his boss, judging from the glare, Alan not Tulip, He doesn't hate her like he does Alan" Eagle was not expecting what happened next, Ian who had been watching the dark haired man talk on the phone whirled round,
"Where exactly does he work?" Ian then glanced back at Ashley and Yassen who also wanted to know the answer.
"Well" Eagle started, but stopped when he saw Ben chuck his phone through the air.
He yelled out a quick "Wasn't that a gift from your fiancée?"
Ben's face went from an evil grin to a look of horror,
"Ummm no?" He said while thinking 'I'm a dead man walking' Ben came back and stood by the bench sighing loudly. Ben pulled out the folder from under his arm and handed it to Ian
"I think you should see this" He muttered running his hand through his dark hair sighing.
"We have to leave now. Goodbye" He said to the two confused men and one strangely calm one before turning and dragging a protesting and slightly confused Eagle back to his car and started driving back to St. Domanics.
Ian looked at the cover of the manila folder it had a logo on it Ian knew it well, the logo of British Intelligence. Yassen looked at the folder and had a very good idea about whose it was. Ashley on the other hand was still fairly confused as to what was going on did that man's head look a little blue?. He glanced down to the folder he had in his hands and realised he would need to show it to Ian.
"I think we should go somewhere else" asked Yassen, Ian nodded,
"There is a restaurant around the corner, it's fairly busy around this time so we will blend in. Ashley and you can eat something."
"I'm not hungry Ian" Ian scoffed, and Yassen raised his eyebrows.
"Ashley you do realise that your stomach has been grumbling for the last three hours?"
"Ah, I guess I might be a bit hungry then" Ashley conceded
"Good then let's go"
The restaurant was as Ian predicted busy and they blended right in, they took a booth at the back of the cafe and waited for the waitress to come and take their orders before they had a look at the confusing manila file innocently sitting on Ian's lap. The waitress came over after a few minutes for their food and drink orders,
"I'll have a ham and tomato sandwich and a sprite" - Ian.
"I Will have the warm chicken salad and an Irish breakfast tea" - Yassen.
"I'll have the all-day breakfast with the lot and a coke" - Ashley.
"Thank you sirs, you're food will be out shortly" She left and Ian put the folder on the table and opened it, nearly having a heart attack at the name on the first page,
"No" he whispered. First was the shock and disbelief and then the confusion. Ashley had Alex's file on his lap, but that one looks thicker guess I won't have to show Ian after all.
Ashley sighed quietly in relief, he did not want to be the one to have to reveal this to Ian first, and he had gotten lucky thanks to the rather strange duo at the park. Ashley and Yassen guiltily looked at each other before looking at the waitress who was coming back with their drinks, she placed them on the table and left,
"Ian, I tried to keep Alex out if it but SCORPIA got to close and I couldn't do anything because Alan was after me and now, so is SCORPIA. You didn't know. You couldn't have. You were... wait, where were you during this Ian?" Ashley realised he did not in fact know where Ian had been.
Ian looked up from the file, "SCORPIA. Then I had to get back to England, but on the way I got caught by Silver Hand. But after another escape, a hospital stay, one plane trip here we are but if I could have just-"
"Ian Rider you couldn't have done anything. MI6 wanted Alex, well Alan wanted Alex, and they would have done anything to get him. But now you are back and Alan will have to go through you to get to Alex again.' Ian looked at Ashley and nodded.
"Here, I think that you should have a look at this as well" Ian handed the file to Yassen and Ashley just as the waitress came back, this time with their plates of food and their bill. They quickly and discreetly closed the file and slid it onto Yassen's lap this time. The waitress placed the food on the table and the bill. Ashley opened the bill and gapped,
"One: Where are we going to get the money, can't believe we didn't think of this before. Two: she left her number". Ashley did a small victory dance in his chair. The amusement was soon turned sour as they silently read the folder.
Name: Alexander John Rider
Age: 15 years and 3 months
Schooling: Attends Brookland Comprehensive High School
Year: 9
Agency: MI6
Clearance Level: 6
Success Rate: 100%
Missions Completed: Stormbreaker, Point Blanc, Skeleton Key, Eagle Strike, SCORPIA (See Mission File), Ark Angel, Snakehead.
Mission Agencies:
CIA: 2
ASIS: 1
MI6: 4
Known Relations:
Name: John Rider
Occupation: MI6
Agent Status: Dead
Relation: Father
Name: Helen Rider
Occupation: Nurse at St. Domanics
Status: Dead
Relation: Mother
Name: Ian Rider
Occupation: MI6
Agent Status: Killed In Action
Relation: Uncle
Name: Anthony Sean Howell
Occupation: CIA Agent (see file)
Status: Killed In Action
Relation: God Father
Name: Jack Starbright
Occupation: Student/ House Keeper
Status: Alive: Is currently living at Ian Riders old house with subject
Relation: Legal Guardian
Name: Yassen Gregorvitch
Occupation: Assassin (amendment: see file)
Status: Missing presumed dead
Relation: Unknown
Name: Tom Harris
Occupation: Student at Brooklyn High School
Status: Alive
File note: Parents are going through divorce proceedings
Relation: Friend
Name: Ben Daniels
Occupation: SAS soldier, MI6 Agent
Status: Alive
File note: Re-training with SAS due to injury (see: Snakehead file)
Relation: Has worked with subject. May be close to subject
Agent File Notes:
Rider, Alex., has had connection in the past with James Spritz (see: Point Blanc Mission File), Paul Deverian (See: Eagle Strike Mission File) and various agents (see: mission files).
Training
Completed some SAS training to an proficient standard.
Has had to have had training with SCOPRIA. Unknown what he was taught (see mission file).
Black Belt: In Karate and most self-defence techniques.
Has training in many other areas (see: Mission files)
Medical History-
NOT AVALIBLE
REST OF FILE IS HIGHLY CLASSIFIED
The three spent the rest of their meal in silence until Ian flagged down a waiter.
"Excuse me my friend here" he said pointing to the red haired man, who grimaced slightly, "needs a glass of water, can we please have another bottle?"
"Of course Sir"
Jack knew that voice but it couldn't be, he was meant to be dead right? MI6 and the police told her that he had died.
When the waiter came back Jack snuck a glance at the man again. All three of them had appeared to have finished whatever it was that they were reading earlier and were sat in silence. The red haired man was emotionless but from the small frown he looked upset. The thin man looked shocked and the blonde man on the other hand looked ready to kill somebody. She stood up and quickly walked up to the table behind the red haired man and the thin man to get a better look at the blonde haired man. It's him. That's when Jack did something that shocked everyone, even her, she went up and slapped Ian straight across the face with not even a second of hesitation.
"Hello Jack" He mumbled already having figured out who she was from the shock of red hair and the fact she had just slapped him across the face, again. It was an experience he remembered well, although, this hit was harder than some of the others.
"You are meant to be dead. We had a funeral for you. We mourned you. So what the hell are you doing here sitting and eating a ham and tomato sandwich?" Breathing heavily she sat down next to Ian,
"Well Jack my guess is that you do know about MI6" Ian was about to continue when Jack started again,
"Those bastards, blackmailing a teenager to spy for them, wait until I get my hands on that Alan Blunt I'm going to kill him slowly and painfully" she took a deep intake of air " they tried to send me back to America, but Tulip, I think it was her, helped my remain in the UK and made it safe for me to do so".
Ashley was looking between Ian and Jack one thought in his head 'they so like each other even though they ARE fighting'. Yassen on the other hand was watching quietly hoping that the two of them didn't do anything rash.
"What blackmail?" Ian asked anger spiking again.
