Author's Note: I'm sorry about the wait, it has been ages since I last updated. I originally intended the whole story to be told from Alex's point of view but it would be a little boring if it was because he's going to be a little in the dark here. I was going to have Robin explain but I like to show not tell so you'll be getting a bit of an insight into Robin's mind here. The first part is still in Alex's point of view, there's a little sign post to let you know when I'm changing points of view. Anyway, I hope it's been worth waiting for and don't forget to leave any comments you have about my work. All reviews are much appreciated. Thank you :)
"You didn't have to lie for me, you know." I said, feeling a little guilty about what Robin had done for me "they could have...killed you if they found out you were lying."
"And they would have killed you if I told them the truth." She shrugged "I've had too much practice lying, Alex. More than I would have liked. It takes one clever person to know when I'm not telling the truth. One good thing about today's trip is that I found out how much information people have about you. Clueless, they were. They'd only heard rumours. It's just the more...accomplished people we have to watch out for."
"So...what exactly are we going to do?"
"Well, Alex, you're going to stay here and do whatever it is you want to do," she said gesturing at her flat "but me, I'm going to go and see my dad. There are a few things I'm going to have to sort out."
"What, you're just going to leave me here?" I said, annoyed at the prospect of being shut indoors.
"It was a mistake taking you with me today, I'm sorry. I had an idea what to do but it's not safe for you yet. I have to sort some things out first, so stay here and I'll be back, hopefully by dark, and then I'll know what I'm doing with you."
"Alright," I agreed, knowing it was hopeless to argue.
"If I'm not back by the morning when you wake up something has probably happened. If you need anything call me first but if I don't answer and it's an emergency, call any of the other numbers on the fridge. They're my friends and I'm the only one who has that number so they'll help you." Robin left and I sighed. Why had I gotten myself into this mess? Why? There was nowhere I could hide. The 'good guys' were after me and the 'bad guys' were after me. What was I supposed to do? There was one girl in all of this. One girl who'd decided to help me. But I wasn't quite sure if she should be classed as good or bad.
Robin's point of view
I stepped out into the evening light, made my way to the road and hailed a cab. I looked at my clasped hands in my lap as the car bumped along the road, stopping occasionally in London's traffic. My hands. They'd done so many bad things. So many terrible things. I ran my fingers over a cut that was healing on my palm, the red streak still raised against my skin. I tried to be a better person, I tried. But sometimes circumstances wouldn't have it that way. Sometimes you had to be bad in order to be good. Sometimes. I tapped the driver on the shoulder when we got to the nice part of the city. The place where all the gleaming buildings stood. The place where the pavements could have been made of gold. Only the rich lived here. Only the people with money. The only thing was, not all of it was clean. I stood there as people bustled past me, as cars drove on. I stood there looking like a normal girl, not in my Mafia clothes but jeans and a T-shirt.
I pushed open the door that lead to a multi-storey building and began to wonder why I was helping Alex Rider. But, I already knew. He was like me. Trapped in this whole thing. I had to help, my conscience wouldn't allow me not to. I smiled to myself at the odd situation as I waited for the lift. One of the Mafia's most important members was soft and rebelling against the whole thing. One of the Mafia's most important members had a heart. I had a heart and I wasn't planning on losing it. I was a human and I wasn't going to lose my compassion, I wasn't. I wasn't going to turn into an animal. I couldn't. I got into the lift and punched in a code, what was it with important people and them having their offices at the top of buildings? I'd asked so many times not to live in the penthouse, thinking about how I could be cornered or fires could kill me easier. But as many times as I'd asked, I'd been told I had to stay there.
The lift doors slid open and I walked into my father's darkened office, I didn't hesitate to make my way towards his figure silhouetted against the window. "You really ought to get some decent lighting in here." I said into the silence. My father sighed and turned to face me and sat down at his desk. The lights flickered on. "What, I'm not important enough for the motion detectors to work for me?" I said, not in the mood for his showing off. He raised an arm revealing a strap on his sleeve that activated the lights. Even though this man was my dad, I still felt nervous under his gaze. He was always judging me. Always. I had to be careful. "Did you get that money?" He said quietly, his deep voice soft and utterly calm. It sent shivers running down my spine. It sent some people running out of the room. But that's the sort of effect my father could have on people. He was, after all, the Boss of our family. "It's in your account. It was in last week."
"What day?"
"Saturday."
"How much?"
"Eight hundred thousand pounds and forty six pence."
He chuckled softly "Excellent. I was just checking it was you who did the job." I stopped myself from snapping back at him. His dark eyes bore into me "well done, child. Well done."
"I came to you on...business today."
"I'm listening."
"It concerns MI6's teenage spy. I've an idea."
"What do you know?" He said, almost suspiciously.
"Not much but...say we found him-"
"Him?" Said my dad, looking at me.
"Well I know he's a 14 year old boy living somewhere in London. But, if we found him, would you consider protecting him?"
"What on earth do you mean?"
"Well, we could protect him from the other families. You could make everyone with us protect him and-"
"Robin." Said my father "this is all very nice but what exactly am I going to get out of protecting the boy? I want to use him to blackmail MI6, so does everyone else."
"Say we made a pact with MI6. If we told them we could protect him, they could...turn a few blind eyes. Only with our family, of course."
My father laughed "first, Robin. You'd have to find the boy, or at least know enough about him to find him. Then, you'd have to make MI6 agree. If you could do that Robin, I'd pinch myself to see if I was dreaming!"
"But, say they did agree. Would you protect him?"
"Of course! The things you come up with are always reliable you know. I always listen. You have that sort of mind on you. But, I think you've gone a little too far this time. Look, you got the money. I'm impressed. Don't try to push it."
"We'll see, Daddy. We'll see." I turned and stalked out of the room, a sly smile on my face, determination hard in my eyes. We'll see, Daddy. Oh, darling dearest Daddy...we'll see what your daughter can do. "Oh, yes we will." I muttered to myself as I walked out of the building grinning. Grinning because I knew it would be ok. I knew I'd do it. People say not to count your chickens before they hatch. But me? Well, I didn't have any chickens and even if I did I wouldn't count them but there was thing I could count on. Alan Blunt's face when he met me again. Long time no see, Blunt. Long time no see.
