Hi I'm back! I have to say that I was flabbergasted by the response I got for last chapter! I got seven reviews, SEVEN! That is definitely more than I expected. Thank you guys so much for your support!
I'd like to thank: Albany, FallingStar93, Mythomagic-Champion, MonssterUnderYourBed, She Weapon1, Optomistic Emo Kleptomaniac and Waterbottlesgalore for reviewing. Also many thanks to the people who've put this story on their favourite/alert list!
To tammy: I'm sorry for not replying to your review for chapter six, as it was annonymous the site didn't alert me to it and I saw it after I had posted chapter seven. If I had seen it earlier I would've replied to it in my A/N because I genuinely enjoy replying to my readers' reviews. Sorry again...
Hits Count: 2,405!
Disclaimer: I Don't own anything... except my not so lovely OCs in this chapter.
Warnings: I guess just the after effects of torture... yeah that's about it.
It took a few seconds for Ben to comprehend the meaning behind Alex's words after he got over the shock of hearing Alex stutter twice in the same day. When realization dawned on him, anger flared within his chest and his hand shot involuntarily to the holster under his jacket. He felt the need to hurt, no scratch that, kill those men for torturing Alex and forcing him to live through hell for their own sick pleasure. However, he realized that starting a gun fight here, for the strangers were surely armed, wasn't a wise idea.
Things could easily escalate out of control and civilians would inevitably get hurt, Ben reasoned with himself as he watched the strangers move to the counter and talk with the girl behind the cash register, they were showing her a picture. Shit! They have a photo! I must get Alex out of here quickly before he's recognized.
"Alex." He whispered but got no response from the shell-shocked teen. "Alex!" he repeated urgently as he grabbed the boy's shoulder.
Thankfully, the boy responded and soon Ben was staring at Alex's wide and terrified dull brown eyes.
"Listen to me carefully, there is a door behind you, I want you to open it and get the hell out of here." Ben motioned discreetly to a back door a few feet behind their booth.
Alex moved his head slowly to get a view of the door and barely managed to nod when he did.
"It will lead you through a store room and then outside to an alley. Head outside of it and to the main street, wait for me by the car. I'll be right behind you, alright?"
Alex nodded again, this time with a bit more will-power.
"Good. Now go, and no matter what you hear don't turn or look back."
Alex reached for his crutches and stood up with their aid, his movements were mechanical like he was just some robot carrying out his programmer's orders. Without hesitating, he made a bee-line for the door Ben mentioned earlier. He tried being as inconspicuous as possible, but it wasn't easy with the crutches adding bulk to his silhouette and hindering any stealth movements he had learned with the SAS.
Alex made it to the door. He reached out to the handle and turned it slowly with a sweaty hand, wishing desperately that the hinges were oiled and the door would not creak…
"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Cold fangs of fear sunk themselves into Alex's heart rendering him completely immobile for what seemed like ages. He turned around slowly to see the waiter from before stomping towards him, eyes narrowed and mouth set into a thin line.
"Can't you read? It says authorized personnel ONLY! Now get out of here before I call the police and have them arrest you for trespassing." The waiter exclaimed angrily.
Everyone present was now staring at the two, including the two strangers, who were now smirking evilly at Alex.
Just like they used to when he told them to have fun with me. Alex remembered, shuddering at the memories that invaded his mind. He still had bruises from those days.
They were now advancing towards him, their hands inside their jackets undoubtedly clutching their weapons. As if they were silently warning the boy of the consequences of running away.
Alex found himself unconsciously backing away, his mind in disarray as he contemplated whether to run or surrender, because frankly he was tired. Tired of being manipulated. Tired of being tortured and most of all, tired of Kurst and his goons. He had no doubt at that moment that if there was any sharp object nearby at that moment, he would've shoved it straight through his heart without second thought. That is how desperate he'd become.
The waiter was still standing next to him, shouting at him to leave the parlor immediately. Well, he will be leaving soon, whether dead or alive, depended on the orders those men had received. Alex honestly couldn't decide which was worse.
"Hello Alex." The man on the right spoke first. He was tall, so tall in fact that he had to bend his neck in order to enter the shop a few seconds ago without hitting the door-frame, making him about six feet and two inches tall. He also had hair so light, that under the right degree of lighting, it appeared purely white. His eyes were a murky shade of green, but they were now covered by the shades that he was wearing. Alex knew him only as Pierce.
"Yeah, long time no beat brat!" The other man added in a mock cheery tone. He was more on the muscular side, with a highly toned body that gave off the impression that he was on steroids, which Alex thought probably wasn't far from the truth. He was bald and had a scar that ran all the way from his right temple to his lower lip. He looked South American and spoke with a slight Spanish accent. The name he went by was José.
Alex didn't, no, couldn't, reply. He merely took a few steps back, shaking his head as if pretending that they weren't right there in front of him, would somehow make them disappear. He almost yelped when his back connected with the door he had been trying to open minutes ago. They were standing a few feet from him, taking their time because they knew that there is no escape for him. They were two fit, experienced and dangerous men and he was just a pathetic little wounded boy in their eyes.
Alex would've loved to contradict what was undoubtedly going through his soon to be captors' minds, but staring at his reflection in the mirrored surface of the black shades each was wearing, he saw the look of genuine terror and helplessness in his own eyes. He saw the sweat dripping down his face and the uncontrollable shudder that shook his body. The only thing that he didn't see was Alex Rider.
It was then that Ben made his move. He had watched the whole ordeal from the booth waiting, with barely restrained self-control, for the perfect moment to act. He knew that if he acted too early then he'd lose the valuable element of surprise and the thugs might just shoot him first and ask questions later, but if he acted too late then Alex would be captured and he wouldn't be able to attack the men without harming Alex. So when opportunity presented its self Ben didn't hesitate.
The two men were standing next to each other, too occupied with the impaired teen in front of them to notice the MI6 agent approaching them from behind. When he was close enough, Ben launched himself at the pair, successfully tackling both of them to the polished tile floor.
"Alex, Run!" He exclaimed as he struggled with both men, trying with all his might to keep them from going after Alex.
Alex hesitated momentarily. A flash of worry appeared in his dark eyes before he stemmed it and turned to the door. The damned waiter was blocking his path.
"I don't know what the hell is going on, but-" That was as far as he got before Alex, purely out of frustration, drove his right crutch into the man's groin with as much as he could muster. The man crumpled instantly, his mouth opening and closing silently, in a pathetic resemblance of a fish out of the water.
Alex carefully stepped around him to get to the door and open it. He stepped inside, forcing himself to ignore the sound of the scuffle behind him. The door swung shut behind him and he had no time to contemplate Ben's fate any further, because just as his eyes adjusted to the grim darkness around him, he spotted a thin shaft of light filtering through a linear space at ground level on the opposite side of the room.
Must be the door Ben mentioned. Alex thought as he approached it, being very careful so that his legs, or crutches, would not get caught on anything in the murky room. He reached out with his right arm, leaning his right crutch momentarily against his thigh, and closed his trembling fingers around the cold handle and pushed open the door.
Bright sunlight blinded him and he lost a few valuable seconds waiting for the black spots in his vision to clear. When they did he stepped out into the alleyway Ben had told him about and indeed, when he turned his head to the right, he found the main street, still curiously empty.
Alex started moving towards it with an urgent gait, purposefully shutting out the part of his mind that told him that he was abandoning Ben. The man who had cared for him and had offered him something resembling a normal life. Even if it was for a few days, Alex had been truly grateful for each second of it. He wanted to go back in there and help Ben, but he knew that he would just be a burden on the older spy in his current state.
It was then that Alex heard it, echoing loudly in the empty alley and freezing him in his place, a single gunshot…
Please don't kill me!
I'm sorry I left you hanging, again. However this is all I could write in the time I had so please understand. Also I will still include a teaser in my replies so review people I'd love to know what you think about this chapter or the story in general. It would be really nice to get 9 reviews for this chapter, just saying! (HINT HINT!)
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: K Unit was requested by one of the reviewers and I want to know what you think, so if you want me to include K Unit in this story mention it in your review. If at least five reviewers show interest I will incorporate them.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT THINGIE: I have a poll on my profile page and would really appreciate it if you guys would vote. It's about whether or not I should write an AR Fanfic. that includes the world of Formula 1. If I get enough positive votes, then I will make a start on it after DITV is done, BTW it's no where near it. So vote PLEASE! and if you wanna ask about any thing at all PM me!
Sorry about the long note XD
Love, RBR XX
