An
Hey, long time no post. Sorry about that. Anyways first things first, thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story; we now have one hundred and eleven of them. Also want to thank those who read and reviewed Birthday Wishes. Do you know what is awesome? When someone from church gives your family a free computer, and guess whose room it went in, Awww Yeah. :D
No updates next week as it's the one year anniversary of the Canterbury Earthquake on Wednesday.
But lets get to the story now.
Disclaimer: We don't own anything you recognise.

- Jean & Diana

Chapter Nine
Enemies and Allies

John could hear Aiden and Marcus arguing before he even walked through the door.
He walked into the living room to see Marcus standing on the arm of the sofa, holding a cell phone high above his head. Aiden was clinging on to him trying to pull him down so she could rip the phone from her brother's grasp.

"Giv'it back, you ass!"

John was about to intervene when Aiden balled her hand into a fist and sucker punched her brother in the gut. Marcus dropped the phone and fell into the sofa's cushions. He curled up into a ball, groaning and holding his stomach.

"That's enough!" John roared

Aiden jumped round to look at him, Marcus lifted his head.
Aiden reached down and grabbed the phone off the floor, slipping it into her jean's pocket.
She smiled at him sweetly.

"Hi Daddy, how was work?"

"Hand me the phone Aiden"

Aiden recoiled and placed her hand protectively over her pocket.

"What? It's my phone, he" she gestured to Marcus who was still curled up on the sofa "Took it from me"

"And that is a decent excuse to hit him? Give me the phone"

She glared at him, then pulled the phone from her pocket and threw it to him. John grabbed it in mid air.

"That wasn't to difficult, now was it? Now both of you, go to bed you have school in the morning"

"Fine"

Aiden headed upstairs, Marcus uncoiled himself and sat up slowly, rubbing his stomach.

"Evil little witch, should have never taught her how to hit"

John smiled a little.

"Don't wind her up and it wouldn't be a problem. Bed, now"

Marcus sighed and looked up at him, at that moment he looked exactly as Alex had when he was hiding behind that tree. Wary, not quite sure if he was going to get into trouble or not.

"Okay, see you in the morning Dad"

He followed his sister upstairs.

John ran his fingers through his hair and looked around.
Where was Helen?

.….….Line Break…

John found her in the master bedroom, sprawled on the bed watching television.

"Did you hear the kids fighting?"

He removed his shoes and socks, and then headed towards the wardrobe.

"Yeah I did"

John looked back at her, she was still staring at whatever show she was watching.

"Why didn't you do anything?"

He hung up his jacket and started to get changed into some pajama bottoms and an old shirt.

"I always find it best to let them work it out"

"Do you really think that is a good idea? For all you know that could be killing each other"

Helen sighed.

"Don't worry Chase, if it gets too out of hand I will intervene and I can get pretty scary"

John laughed, walked back and collapsed on the bed next to her.

"I don't doubt it"

Helen gave a silent chuckle.

"Good" She began to run her fingers through his hair "How was work?"

John groaned into his pillow.

"That bad huh?"

"You have no idea" John's voice was barely audible through the pillow.

"What happened?" Had John been able to see her, he would've noticed Helen frown a little.

"All my demons came back to haunt me in the form of a teenager"

Helen stopped stroking his hair and sat up slightly.

"What?"
Her voice was etched with horror and confusion.
John looked up at her.

"Alex lives in Pacific Heights and attends the school we are investigating" John sighed "He is also the 'main suspect'"

John made the quotation marks with his fingers.

"Alex? Our Alex?"

John sat up and looked her in the eyes.

"No Ana, the other Alex, The one who used to deliver newspapers every morning"

Even an idiot would've been able to hear the sarcasm in his voice.
Helen put her hands in her lap, she looked very distressed.

"I…I don't understand, why isn't he in England with Ian?"

John's gut told him he knew the answer to that question, but he didn't want to believe it.
He gave her a sad look.

"He is living with an adoptive family…Helen I don't think Ian is around anymore"

Helen looked into her lap, shaking her head. John could hear her repeating the word no over and over. John pulled her in and held her. He always knew that she had this naïve fantasy when it came to Alex's life, and right now it was breaking before her. His shirt was becoming wet with her tears.

"Why is he a suspect? What did he do?"

John mulled over this a bit unsure how to answer.

"Not quite sure, he is an enigma. Perfectly nice guy one minute then…"
John shook his head
"I was talking to him today, he said the reason that he wasn't pull out of school was because he 'wasn't going to let some pathetic organization stop him going to school' and when Faust questioned him on it, it was like we had thrown a switch. His demeanor completely changed.
He is dangerous, lethal even. I don't think you would be in a good condition if you crossed him"

Helen was drinking in everything he was saying, her breathing was shallow.

"He just acted so much like a…" John paused not wanting to say it.

"A spy?" Helen questioned into his shirt, her voice timid.
John closed his eyes and nodded.

"Yeah just like a spy. On top of that he seems to be on good terms with Gregorovich, he met up with him last Friday, we have video evidence of that. Also he knew I was coming, he knew I was alive; he didn't seem surprised when he saw me"

His tone was becoming higher, the pace of his words quickening showing his distress.

"We tried to do a background check on him and we didn't have the clearance to do so, his file is blocked from the FBI, completely locked down. We are going to have to request permission from the CIA to get so much as who he lived with before he moved to America"

John stopped and took a deep breath trying to compose himself.

"We've had to set up a team who are posted down his street, watching his every move seeing if he is up to anything he shouldn't be"

John stopped there, unable to continue. He felt completely lost. The whole reason he and Helen never retrieved Alex from England because they feared that if they did they would put him in danger, they thought he was safer there.
What if that very decision was the reason Alex was the way he was now?
If Ian was dead, would Blunt let the Rider legacy end with him?
John doubted it, but the thought plagued his mind making him feel uneasy.

"I want meet him" Helen's voice yanked him out of his thoughts.

John looked at her, panic rising in him.

"No you can't"

Helen pushed him away and glared at him.

"Why not? He is my son"

"It's dangerous Helen, He is dangerous" John paused thinking this through "At least while the investigation is happening"

He rose his hand and caressed her face, she looked away from him.

"I'll see if I can arrange something, after the investigation. We can't push him, I doubt he thinks highly of us"

She was about to say something, but was stopped by the sound of his pager.
John got up from the bed and looked at the message.

"It's from Faust, Alex is on the move"

"What?" Helen looked at the bedside clock "It's half past twelve"

John had already chucked on some clothes; he picked up his car keys.

"I told you, he is up to something"

He walked over to her and gave her a kiss.

"I'll be home as soon as I can"

Helen nodded. As he began to walk away she called out.

"Protect him okay, don't let him get hurt"

John nodded.

"I'll try"
John took a deep breath and headed to the front door.

…..…Line Break….

Alex sat inside the Mercedes staring at the size of the bouncers outside the club.
He could turn back now; he could go to the FBI and tell them what he knew.
No.
He had to do this alone, if he went to them he would never be able to get the information he needed to find Ian, and despite everything he didn't want John involved. There was too much at stake. He had already sacrificed so much to try and keep his family safe. If he got involved he might as well send up a flare, saying "Hey I'm alive, shoot me in the face"
Alex examined the building again. It didn't look like much; you could probably walk down this street everyday and be completely oblivious to its existence, let alone the type of people that resided in it.
Quite genius really.
Alex took a deep breath gathering up his courage. He looked at the bandanna on his wrist and decided to remove it. He undid the knot in the fabric and chucked it into the back seat.
Gazing at his tattoo he was almost tempted to put it back on, the thing could get him killed before he even blinked. He thought over what Yassen had told him in his notes.
Was he pushing it?
Either way he could be dead before sunrise.
Screw it; he is going to do this.
Alex got out of the car, locked it behind him and stuffed the keys into his pocket.
He walked right up to the entrance, not even acknowledging the two bouncers, as if he always came here, they should know him and not even think twice about letting him in.
A mammoth arm stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going kid?"

Alex looked at him like he was crazy.

"Inside, where do you think I'm going?"

The bouncer stepped closer to him; Alex became aware of the fact that, despite his great size there wasn't an ounce of fat on the man. Two hundred and ninety pounds of pure muscle was standing in front of him. Alex resisted the urge to turn back.
The man looked over to his buddy who was standing in front of the door, arms crossed. He smirked at him. They probably thought he was some teenager who got the wrong address to some party.

"I think you have the wrong place kid, scat" he waved him off with a slight jerk of the head.

Alex imitated the second bouncer's stance; arms crossed head tilting slightly upwards looking into his eyes. A smirk crossed his features.

"And I think you're mistaken"

The first bouncer lost his smug look and looked at him like he was weighing him up for the first time. He narrowed his eyes at Alex.

"And why is that?"

Alex noticed that he had dropped the kid.*
His next comment could just get him killed right here on the pavement. But he said the words anyway.

"Because this is the address Gregorovich gave me"
Alex leant his right arm on the doorframe, his scorpion tattoo completely visible.

"And I don't think you fully understand who I am"

The bouncer was surprisingly quick. He slammed Alex against the masonry and grabbed his throat. Alex noticed in the corner of his eye that the second bouncer had produced a gun.

"Then enlighten me you little runt"

Alex curled back his lips into a snarl. He had to be quick if he didn't want to be shot.
He brought up his knee into the man's groin, making him loosen his grip. Alex dropped down to his knees slamming his fist into the man's kneecap. The bouncer choked out a scream. Alex then ended it with an uppercut to the man's jaw. His eyes rolled and he collapsed.
Alex turned his eyes to the second bouncer, who was staring at him thunderstruck.
He took an aggressive step forward; Alex went into fighting stance resting on the balls of his feet, ready for the attack. When suddenly a female voice cut through the cold, night air like a knife.

"Causing trouble again Alex?" A dark haired woman was standing just outside the doorway. She looked at the second bouncer.

"Sort out your comrade"
Her accent sounded Israeli which sounded strange saying the Russian term. She turned her cold eyes towards Alex, at that moment he realized he knew her but couldn't bring a name to the face.

"You're late, come. Walker is waiting for you"

Her slim figure walked gracefully back through the doorway, Alex stood shocked for a second before following.

An
Yeah another chapter done, it's ten forty seven pm and we have to be up at five thirty tomorrow. Aren't we good to you guys. Didn't realize how long this chapter was going to be so we are cutting it into two. You get to meet Walker in the next one, you excited?
* writing this sentence suddenly brought to mind this image of a giant man dropping a child and it bursting into tears, don't know why but we found it funny.
So yeah you know the drill, updates follow reviews because reading your comments help us write the next one so please review.
Expect the chapter within the next two weeks as we are taking the next week off.
Well thank you, you lovely people and good night.

-Jean & Diana