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PLEASE do not add burning me at the stake to the list!! I'll try and update more often…maybe Friday/Saturday…not my fault teachers give us homework…honest.

You guys do know I had to get a copy of Scorpia out the school library for this chapter. Well, you do now!

Disclaimer: I do not own Alex Rider. I do however own Draken.


Three days had passed. It was five-fifty AM and Alex, Jack, Mrs Jones, Eagle and a few other men were sitting in an MI6 van, on his way to Albert Bridge. Why did that name seem so familiar?

He sat there, almost numb while a bulletproof vest was put on him. He could hear people around him talking, but he just stared at the floor. He didn't feel well. His mind was clouded with worry. What if something went wrong? What would happen to Jack if something happened to him?

Shaking his head, he focused on what Mrs Jones was saying.

"When we get to Albert Bridge, you will walk to the other side of the bridge. When you are almost there, our men will shoot Draken and those he will have with him," she said, passing guns to other men in the van.

"Wait a minute. How do we know Alex will be safe? I mean, what if-" Jack started, but she was interrupted by Mrs Jones.

"Our agents are well trained Miss Starbright."

"But what if something does go wrong? I mean, his arm is still in a cast, so if anything goes wrong-"

"Real confidence booster Jack," Alex murmured, the uneasy feeling growing inside him again.

Jack looked away. Alex felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't meant to upset her, but he couldn't help but feel nervous.

He swallowed, hoping that everything would be ok.


Wolf was pacing in the cell. It had been three days since they had been captured and Scorpia hadn't exactly been the best of hosts. Snake was asleep in the corner, and Fox was staring at a spot on the wall.

A door opening made all three of them look up. Draken was standing there with three other men, grinning manically. They entered the cell, and made towards them. Snake stood up with the help of Fox, who was also standing up.

They didn't say anything as they were taken out the cell. Draken had threatened that if they tried to escape, then Snake would be shot again. Not wanting to injure him more, they co-operated.

They were led down various corridors and then outside, where three large black cars were waiting. They looked at each other before they were shoved rather unceremoniously into separate cars.

"Hey, watch what you're doing, do you have any idea how much I love this uniform?" Wolf snapped. Draken, who was in the car, didn't say anything.

The cars started up, and pulled away from the building.


At six AM, Alex, Jack, Mrs Jones, Eagle and the others stepped out the van. Alex gasped.

This was the bridge that he had seen in the video Julia Rothman had shown him when he was training with Scorpia. So that's why he had recognised he name…

"Are you ready Alex?" Mrs Jones said, standing beside Alex.

Alex nodded, although he didn't feel at all ready. He looked around, looking at the other cars that were behind him. He supposed they were for a quick getaway.

Suddenly, three large, sinister looking cars appeared at the other side of the bridge. Alex watched as they pulled to a stop, and the doors opened. Wolf, Fox and Snake were pulled out of them, and pushed forward.

"Ah, Mrs Jones, long time no see. Glad you agreed to this little swap," Draken said coolly, a malicious grin on his face.

Alex glared at him. He shivered a little. There was a chill in the air.

"You will walk across the bridge," Draken ordered, prodding Wolf in the back.

Wolf, Fox and Snake all started to walk across the bridge. Alex also started to walk.

--Flashback--

He was back at Scorpia, where Mrs Rothman was showing him the video. He saw his father walking forward…

--End Flashback--

He looked back at the group behind him. He saw Jack's fearful face. He looked back in front of him, and saw he was approaching the middle of the bridge.

--Flashback--

He saw his father and the civil servant's son meeting at the middle of the bridge. He saw him speaking to him.

--End Flashback--

He had reached the middle of the bridge. His heart was thudding in his chest. Wolf, Fox and Snake paused, looking at him. They nodded at him. Alex nodded back, and they continued across the bridge.

Alex neared the other side. When was Mrs Jones going to do something? He was getting closer to Draken. He looked at Draken, who had pulled a walkie-talkie out of his pocket. He saw him speak into it.

And that's when things began to go wrong.

There was a loud bang as gunshots were fired behind him. He spun round only to see MI6's agents being shot at. They had drawn their guns and were retaliating. He watched as several of the hidden snipers went down under the onslaught of bullets.

Hearing loud footsteps behind him, he spun round. He aimed a roundhouse kick at Draken, hoping to hit him in the abdomen. Draken dodged with amazing speed and struck back, his fist slamming into Alex's jaw.

Alex stumbled backwards, momentarily dazed by the blow. He tried to adopt a defensive position, but Draken had other ideas. Alex yelled as Draken grabbed him by his left arm, twisting it behind his back. He began to struggle violently, fear coursing through his body. He kicked backwards, hoping to hit Draken in the leg.

He succeeded, and Draken let go of his arm. Alex spun round and kicked at Draken again. But Draken had been expecting it. He grabbed hold on Alex's foot and pulled. Alex went crashing to the ground, head smashing onto the hard concrete.

Alex fought to hold onto consciousness. He could feel himself being hauled roughly to his feet, and an arm wrapping around his neck. He cried out, using his left hand to claw and tug at the arm round his neck. It was all he could do since his right arm was broken.

He could still hear the gunshots, and people yelling his name. He was being dragged closer to the black cars. He was still struggling against Draken's grip. He tried kicking out again, but was instead the arm round his neck tightened, choking him slightly.

He looked up to see Jack, terror written all over her face. He couldn't imagine how she was feeling. He felt a surge of terror as one of Draken's men pointed a gun at her.

"Jack!" Alex screamed as the man was about to pull the trigger.

"Let me go!" he yelled, pulling at Draken's arm again.

"Stop struggling you little brat or we'll shoot her!" Draken yelled, pulling out his gun and putting it against his temple. He stopped resisting as the cold metal was pressed against his head.

They were almost at one of the cars now. He felt the gun being removed from his head, before it came flying towards his head. There was nothing he could do as the butt of the gun smashed into the side of his head.

Alex felt the grip round his neck disappear, before he collapsed to the ground.


Jack watched in horror as Draken picked up Alex's limp form.

"Alex!" she cried, watching helplessly as Draken shoved Alex into the back of the car. The doors closed as the car screeched away, narrowly avoiding a hail of bullets.

The rest of Scorpia had noticed this, and were quickly retreating. MI6 were desperately shooting at them, but were not quick enough as the other cars sped away.

Mrs Jones turned round and ran to one of the cars. Jack followed, as did K-Unit and the other agents.

The cars started up, and within moments they had caught up with Scorpia.


Alex groaned. His head hurt, and he could feel where the gun had hit him. Opening his eyes, he saw he was in a car, and that he wasn't wearing a seatbelt. As he reached for it, he heard a click. Turning his head, he saw Draken sitting there, gun pointed at his head.

"Try anything and I'll blow your head off," he warned.

The car gave a violent jolt as it sped round a corner. Alex heard gunshots, and looked out the back window. There was a steep verge one side of the car, and several cars were following them. He saw Wolf leaning out of one of the windows, shooting at the car. Alex yelled as one of the bullets ricocheted off the back window. It was sort of reassuring, but in another way, it wasn't.

Draken opened his window and pointed the gun at the cars behind them. There was a loud bang.

But it hadn't come from Draken's gun. There was an almighty jolt as a bullet from Wolf's gun hit the back tyre of the car.

The driver slammed on the brakes, which began to screech. Alex's head was slammed into the side of the car as it started to spin out of control.

The world turned upside-down as the car left the road, crashing down the steep verge. The car rolled over and over, sending bits of metal flying. It bounced six more times before coming to rest at the bottom of the verge.

There was another screech of brakes as MI6 caught up. Wolf leapt out the car, and took off down the verge. Mrs Jones, who had been in the same car followed, along with Fox. Jack stayed at the top to wait for the paramedics that had been called.

They found Draken about halfway down the slope. He was obviously dead.

The group continued down the slope, searching for Alex. They stepped carefully, trying not to impale their feet on the metal that littered the ground. There was a strong smell of burning.

Wolf ran over to the car. The driver was still inside. Wolf hauled him out with the help of Mrs Jones.

A shout from Fox caught Mrs Jones's attention. She left Wolf with the driver, and ran to Fox. He was staring at something. Mrs Jones followed the path of his eyes.

Alex was lying on the ground. He wasn't moving.


Ok…a lot of you probably hate me again -ducks at several flaming pitchforks fly past- but I had to have something happen in this chapter…and this was the only thing I could think of!

Please review this chapter and leave suggestions for the next chapter (I'm kinda stuck for ideas). I'll try and update on Friday/Saturday. Until then, -runs from pitchfork wielders-.