Disclaimer: No, Alex is not mine...
They had been in Malagosto a week now. After their talk with Julia Rothman, Alex and Ari were basically left alone, other then dinner ever night with Julia.
Ari found herself in the large library most of the time. Most of the books were nonfiction, but there was a large number of classics, which Ari was actually enjoying.
Only, she waited impatiently for her father to show up. He had to come. He found her last time, why hadn't he come yet? She would wonder as she fell asleep at night and woke up in the mornings. There was no sign of him.
Alex had taken to wandering around the building, too restless to sit and read. He wanted to know more about his father. Julia had not told him much else after their conversation the first day they were there.
He was able to talk to Ari often, but they had exchanged few words since the night they got there, although they saw each other every day at dinner.
Ari looked up as a woman entered the library. Ari recognized her as one of the maids. "Miss Gregorovitch," she said. "Come get ready for dinner."
Ari nodded and marked her place in Wuthering Heights with a stray scrap of paper. She followed the maid out the door, then into her room.
Inside, she opened the wardrobe door. Everyday there was a different dress to wear to dinner. The one that hung in there was black and about knee-length.
Ari put it on and brushed her hair. When she was done getting ready, she exited back into the hall. A maid stood there with Alex, who was in a suit, the same as each day.
The maid escorted them into the dining room, where Julia Rothman already sat. Sometimes she would have guests, but today it was just her. Ari and Alex were placed across the table from Julia. She smiled cordially at them and took a sip from her glass of red wine.
After she set her glass back down, she began to speak. "For a full week, now, you have been here. I would like to know what you have to say about my offer."
Alex shifted in his chair uncomfortably. Ari said nothing and looked down at her plate which held lamb. "Well?" Julia said.
Alex opened his mouth and said slowly. "I guess... I will... on one condition."
"And that is?" Julia asked, hiding a large grin.
"You have to tell me everything about my father. I don't want to be told I don't need to know something or other about him, because I do."
Julia nodded. "Fair deal. I'll see you tonight at eight and all of your questions will be answered to the best of my ability."
Appearing satisfied, Alex nodded, picking up his fork and putting a piece of the tender meat into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
"And you, Ari?" Julia asked.
Ari slowly looked up from her plate and into the eyes of Julia. "Is there really any other choice? If I say no, you still won't let me go."
Julia nodded again. "That's true. And even if we were to let you go, you'd have no place to live. I'm sure your father has moved on. He does that a lot. It was what he was trained to do."
Ari closed her eyes, trying not to think of Yassen looking back at their apartment one last time before leaving for good. It was not something she was too keen to picture in her mind.
"Fine. I'll do it." She said.
Julia seemed pleased and began eating herself.
Feeling sick to her stomach, Ari ate nothing.
After dinner, Alex changed back into his normal clothes. He waited impatiently for eight o'clock to come around, occupying himself with staring at random paintings.
It seemed like forever, when it was really only half an hour, of waiting passed, Alex went back into the dining room to speak to Julia Rothman.
When he got there, Julia was there waiting. "Hello Alex." she said, sitting down on a couch. Alex sat across from her. "Let me start from the beginning. MI6 recruited your brother, while we recruited your father."
"No," Alex started to say, but Julia cut him off.
"It's true. MI6 lied to you, like they always have, aren't I right?" Alex nodded. "Well, John came here. He was the top of his classes. He was the best. He eventually helped with the training of a certain Yassen Gregorovitch." She let Alex digest this information for a little bit. "Yassen always looked up to his mentor. He loved John like an older brother. It was hard to separate them.
"And then John Rider was taken by MI6. We traded him for a boy they desperately wanted back. But then, just as John had gotten to our side of the bridge which served as no man's land, MI6 shot him, killing him."
Alex felt the blood drain from his face. MI6 killed his father? "How do you know?" he asked, voice hoarse.
"Oh, I was there," she said lightly. "And we videotaped it from a nearby building."
"Can I see it?" Alex asked.
"Certainly." She got up and crossed the small space over to where a large TV sat. She pressed two buttons and the screen blinked to life.
Then the tape started.
The picture was kind of blurry and grey, but Alex could tell what was going on. He saw his father cross the bridge, and just as Julia had said. Then Mrs. Jones said something into her walkie-talkie and a shot was fired.
Right into John Rider's back.
Alex watched with hatred as his father fell to the ground. He turned back to Julia who was studying him thoughtfully. "I knew him personally," Julia said. "He was a good man, attractive, and smart. He was in the militia, you know."
Alex nodded. Everything he had been told was a lie. It sickened him. He wanted nothing to do with MI6 anymore. All he wanted was to... actually, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do, other then be alone.
"I'm going to go to bed," Alex announced standing up. "Thank you for showing me that. I will accept your offer."
Julia smiled as Alex walked out of the room and down the hall to his own room.
Ari, who had been listening in, was amazed. She had no idea, and was pretty sure Alex didn't have a clue either. Until now.
When Alex passed, she hid behind a conveniently placed indoor plant. When he had passed, she stood up, ready to head back into her room.
She felt a hand on her shoulder.
Heart racing, she turned around slowly, and saw Julia standing there. "We will be leaving for Malagosto in the morning. You will need your sleep."
Ari nodded, and hurried to her room. Once she was inside, she drew a shaky breath, then went to sleep.
Julia sat alone in a dark room. The only light came from the moon which streamed in through the open window. Below, Venice was asleep. The canals were dark and few people moved about.
She thought about John Rider. She had loved him. She was willing to spend the rest of her life with him. But no, he loved Alex's mother.
Sure, they had had their special times, but it was never love.
That was all Julia really wanted.
To be in love again and have him love her back.
But John Rider betrayed them all. He had from the start.
She would get her revenge on his son.
Updated: March 15, 2009
