"Cub?"
"Yeah?"
"Where did you get all the scars?"
Alex paused mid-stride. "Why?"
Ben snorted. Wolf looked over at him, confused. "What?"
He flashed his unit leader a bright grin as they walked. "Good luck."
"With what?" Eagle slowed slightly from where he and Snake had taken the lead, powering down the lane fighting over the brown bag.
"Getting Alex- Cub, to talk."
Wolf shot his teammate a glare. "I wanted to know about Cub's scars."
"Cub has scars?" Snake's mouth dropped in horror as he took in the marks under the blood on the youth.
Wolf glanced at the unit's medic. "How the hell did you not notice?"
"It was probably because I have his muffin!" Eagle chirped, still waving the bag.
"I regret giving it to him now." He muttered dejectedly, looking in the direction of Eagle.
Alex raised his eyebrows at Ben who gave him a shrug in return. They continued on in silence for a while, following the dusty road.
Wolf turned to Alex again. "You never answered my question."
Alex cursed under his breath, upset that he hadn't forgotten for longer. "You never answered mine." He replied, carrying on.
Wolf growled threateningly. "You're in my unit- I should know these things."
"And I'm the unit medic so I need to know what kind of stress your body has been put under." Snake stepped toward to Cub, trying to get a closer look. Alex dodged a step away without faltering.
Eagle jumped in between Alex and Snake, trying to throw and arm over them both. The boy moved out the way again.
"Well I'm just nosey."
Ben laughed again, gaining a stripping look from wolf. "You never used to be this happy."
Alex coughed and glanced at Snake, still moving away. "He's lost it, that's what it is."
Snake growled, something akin to what Wolf could do. "Stay still."
Alex flashed him a flippant grin. "Now why would I do that?"
Ben cocked his head as he caught a glimpse at his back. "Where did the burn's come from?"
Snake nearly exploded. "Burns? Cub stay still you little-"
Alex dived out the way. "Watch it Snake, you might damage them more."
It took Snake a minute to take in the sarcasm. "Damn it Cub."
Ben laughed. "He's worse than Wolf."
"Worse than you I'd have said."
Ben laughed again. Eagle pushed him in mock indignation. "Who the hell are you and what have you done with Fox!"
Wolf cuffed him round the back of his head, much to Fox's amusement.
"Stay still Cub before I tranq you!"
Alex dodged around the group, leaving Snake the furthest from him. "Doesn't he know when to quit?"
"Not when its medical- no."
"Damn."
Ben shrugged, still grinning. "So tell. They weren't there in Australia."
"That's because it was after Australia."
"What the hell? How long after? Hell I don't think I want to know."
"Why? What happened in Australia?" Eagle asked, holding Snake back.
"That's not sunburn Cub." Wolf growled, aiming it at Alex.
"And don't I know it."
"Come on! Spill!" Eagle whined, pushing Snake away.
"Nope. Can't... Classified." Alex replied with a grin.
Wolf stopped dead in his tracks, allowing Eagle to walk in to him. Snake pulled himself out of his grip to dive at Alex, only to trip over Eagle's feet in his haste. Ben laughed as he offered a hand to the man on the floor.
"Dont pull that shit with me." Wolf growled.
"Yeah Cub, that's my job." Ben grinned as he patted Snake on his back.
"What could you have done to be classified?" Wolf carried on, with a glare at the MI6 agent.
"Well, he did shoot the Prime Minister." Ben muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets as the group began to walk again.
"He did what?" Eagle jumped over towards them. "Why did he do that?"
"Maybe he didn't like the way the office was running and decided to take drastic action as he can't vote yet?" Eagle just snorted at Ben.
"Oh ha ha."
"You know Cub, you really are into the sarcasm."
"Shut up Ben."
The group continued on for a while in silence. The air was warm and still, but not enough to be unpleasant. In the distance, the small city began to faze into view, marks becoming buildings as they headed toward civilisation. Eagle yawned and pretended to lean on Snake, moaning about his feet. Ben moved closer to Alex.
"So how did you get them?"
"Not telling Ben."
"Why!" he moaned, sounding like Eagle.
Alex laughed. "It's not that I dislike you. There are just somethings I'd rather keep to myself."
"Do you like me Cub?" Eagle shouted from behind them.
Alex flashed him a grin without replying, confusing him. Wolf snorted.
"I don't see what's wrong with telling us- We work with MI6 as well."
"So did Ash, but looked what happened." He muttered under his breath, looking away.
Snake grumbled incoherently about stroppy teenagers as they reached the branch in the road. Alex yawned and stretched, looking both ways.
"How far out are we?"
Ben shrugged. "Some way off Harrow. East somewhere."
"We're headed back to London right?"
"Sure." Ben glanced over, deadpanned. "I believe we're dropping you of at the Royal and General."
"Oh ha ha." He glared at Ben. The man ignored him.
"Look Wolf!" Eagle ran over to stand beside Alex. "His glares as good as yours!"
"Shut up Eagle."
Alex turned around to face the men. "You do have a car along here somewhere don't you..."
"We're fully trained seasoned SAS soldiers. Hiking for a couple of miles isn't really a problem." Ben shrugged.
"What if you needed a quick escape? You do know who you were dealing with right?"
"Er, yeah well-" He began again.
Alex sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in an act of frustration. "Nothing sounds like a great escape plan than 4 SAS men running over fields in order to outrun a highly dangerous, extremely well-funded, criminal organisation that isn't know for taking prisoners."
"No need to be snarky." Ben muttered before turning to Wolf. "Which way, oh wise leader."
"How the hell should I know? Ask Snake."
"Left." the man sighed from where he was next to Eagle.
Heavily, the group trudged on over cracked pavement at the edge of the road. It was quiet, the only movement to slow breeze flowing sluggishly over the ground.
"I'm bored!" Eagle moaned, loudly. Wolf let out a growl.
"So you've told us."
"That doesn't change the fact I'm bored!"
"Your like a child." Snake said playfully, pushing him lightly.
"Shut up!" He whined, pushing back with a pout. "Can't we just hijack a car? Ben could do it for us!"
"I can't hot wire a car Eagle- MI6 haven't covered that bit yet." Ben sighed, looking over his shoulder.
Snake laughed at Eagle's reaction. "How the hell did you get past selection?"
"I did very well thank you." Eagle muttered. "Your just jealous."
"Am not."
"Am too."
"Am not."
"Am too."
"Am not."
"Am too."
"Am-"
"Shut up the two of you!" Wolf cuffed the two of them. "Can't you act like SAS soldiers for one bloody-"
"What was that?" Alex asked suddenly, straightening to concentrate. The back of his neck prickled as his sense's rose, trying to find what was his body was warning him of. There was something off, and he knew better than to ignore these kinds of feelings.
Ben watched Alex carefully. "What is it?"
"I don't know." he replied slowly, turning to look at everything. His mind was blaring at him, screaming at him to pay attention. He looked back the way they had come. The road was straight, the horizon blurred with the little heat the day had provided, forming a faint mirage on the horizon.
"It's a car." he said, eyes narrowed as he looked.
Eagle jumped at the prospect. "Maybe we could ask for a lift!"
A gun cracked out across the road at them, sending the five of them diving to the ground.
"Or maybe not." Alex grunted, rocking onto the soles of his feet. "We need to split up."
"Alex! Wait a god damn-" Ben began, cut off by the second burst of gunfire.
Alex careered off into the long grass at the side of the road, a faint shadow moving between the yellow before disappearing all together. Wolf nodded to the others, before heading to the other side. They spread out, distancing themselves from each other.
The sound of the car was louder, getting closer and closer to where the group had last been. Ben watched through the long grass, unable to see his team mates or Alex opposite. Slowly, an open-topped jeep pulled into view, blocking his view of the other side of the road. Ben instinctively ducked lower, trying to stay as still as possible.
There were six bulky men in the car, geared up all in black, scanning the grassland intently as they climbed out the jeep. Two of the six held long, chunky guns, capable of shooting fifty rounds a minute, whilst the others wielded small .35's. One man stood out from the rest. He was small, smaller than everyone else by at least half a foot. He was encompassed in an aura of danger, eye's holding no mercy as he scanned across the field. His black hair was swept back, almost greased, with a tight upper lip hidden by a moustache. His voice was cold and brittle.
"ALEX RIDER!" he yelled, voice carrying easily to where each of the men where. "You and your friends better step out now before we open fire! Nothing will get up by the time we've stripped the field bare with bullets!"
No one moved, the silence infuriating him more, heat rushing to his face as he gestured to the men around him. They moved, three facing one side, two towards Ben.
"You have five seconds!" he shouted.
"Five!"
There was nothing beside the sway of grass.
"Four!"
Ben looked over his shoulder to see if he could spot any of K-Unit.
"Three!"
He couldn't see anyone. He realised now his mistake- he hadn't gone far enough back to avoid the bullets. He would be hit when they opened fire.
"TWO!"
The voice became shrill, almost desperate in the event he was ignored.
"ONE!"
A gun opened fire.
Tulip Jones signed her name at the bottom of the form with a scratch. The form was brief, as with many that MI6 wrote to encompass the need for secrecy. A tall agent was seated opposite, reading a file that he had received. Mrs Jones knew what was written inside- after all, she had dictated the words of Alan Blunt himself. There was little that surprised her anymore, but the contents of the file was something that did.
It contained the details of a woman, by the name of Jack Starbright, who had temporarily returned to America to visit her parents. The job was simple: watch her whilst she was over there. Mrs Jones was sure that Blunt had something up his sleeve that he wouldn't tell her. All she knew was that there had been a threat against her life.
In the line of work that she did, Mrs Jones came across many assassinations and killings of people who knew or loved a person in the spy business. But never had she expected the one that she had received. Scorpia had written, simply in sliver pen on white card:
To catch a bird dead, bring quick a fast cat,
To trap a small hare, lay down a big trap,
To hurt a little spy, let's take his friend Jack.
(A/N) What do you think? Good cliff hanger? Ha ha! R&R if you will :D