The disappearance of a fifteen year old runaway was not a cause anything more than a cursory investigation. A false name and the fact his background story did not check out meant the detective replaced the file in his filing 'not solved' until further information was forthcoming drawer. The paperwork was not sent back to the archives as it was still active as a probable kidnapping, but with an unknown victim and perpetrators and the County Police were overworked and time was better resourced on cases with leads. Without any facts, no ransom, the FBI could not be called in and the case passed on.
The case only rated a three line mention in the Las Vegas Star. Detective Lance Borodin had no news for the guys on the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team or for Clark County Family & Youth Services. Crimes like this were rarely solved and only if another abduction with the same MO happened or if the perpetrators were arrested for another crime.
Doug Colraine sat in the Two of Spades Bar waiting for the Private Investigator Sam Jones, who had been asking after a fifteen year old English runaway. The PI specialised in tracking down missing persons cases and had heard a rumour of a kid disappearing from the Medical Center in 'unusual circumstances' and wondered if the two cases were linked.
The guy sat down and ordered a coffee. "Hi, Doug. I'll show you a photo of Alex Rider, since your kid did not match up on specifics." The photo was of a two kids with blank expressions, one dark and pale and one blond and tanned.
"Not an up to date photo I'm afraid, but taken eighteen months ago."
Doug stared and stated, "Yeah thats Alex, but I swear that kid was American."
"His guardian was from Baltimore. He was also briefly fostered by a couple from LA called Gardiner, hence my thoughts this was the kid I've been hired to find. Any from the cops?" The detective hated it when he had to pass on bad news to his clients.
"Go see Detective Borodin, with a real name to go on they might get some leads."
The Detective got back around to running a search on Alex Rider only after he finished the paperwork on the three cases that had crossed his desk over New Year. He typed in the details of the kid, Alexander John Rider, Date of Birth 02/13/1987, missing persons report filed 28th October 2003 in San Venetia, California. Only there was an alert from the Department of Homeland Security. The Las Vegas cop was glad for once this dead end case would be some Federal Agents responsibility.
…
Alex woke with a start and sat up abruptly to see the simple layout of his bedroom, only containing his bed, a chest of draws and a low writing desk. The large glazed windows dressed with thin curtains showed it was dawn. He had dreamt of his last birthday party, his fourteenth. Last year, he had been in St. Dominics for his birthday recovering from the injuries sustained in Kenya.
He had recalled in perfect clarity the party organised by Jack and attended by his best mates Tom and James and the rest of the football team from school, but no Ian as Ian had been working as usual; probably already undercover in Cornwall. It had been a glorious mess of watching various dvd's, a game of five aside footy inBattersea Park, takeaway pizza, coke, crisps and sweets and finished off with a football shaped cake bought at Sainsbury's. Pure innocent happiness destroyed by Alan Blunt.
Alex paused and rationalised his sense of loss. He got up and went through his new routine of writing down the details of his dream. He was thankful it had not been a full-on nightmare. His two weeks of intense therapy with Dr. Li was paying off. Alex smiled at his close and intense relationship with his new mentor. The man was a brilliant psychologist who in minutes of meeting Alex had addressed the young spy's fears and summarised his problems and stated he was here to rest and to move on. The doctor had also reassured Alex he was a survivor from the fact he had chosen his own path when leaving manipulations and manipulators behind and accepting he needed help. The most important reassurance that Alex had more choices for his future than working for either Scorpia or MI6. The blond haired fifteen year old was enough of a realist to understand 'normal' was not him as he was no longer sweet or innocent.
Alex finished his dream journal entry and went to shower. He was again living in luxury. The house was part of a ranch, surrounded by desert. The holdings of Scorpia were vast, never ostentatious, but blending into the background as the house was built in local style. The organisation was still functioning, without the ambitious schemes of Rothmans or Kurst. Here, he was a guest of the Dr Li San, more commonly known as Dr. Three. As a student at Malagosto, he had read the doctor's works on interrogation but had never had the pleasure of meeting the only surviving original board members of Scorpia. The man was nothing like the butcher Razim, but a learned, cultured man who was an expert on effects of stress, pain and trauma on human psyche. Alex had read papers on the man's more accomplished work on the treatment or reprogramming of those broken by torture, extreme abuse or trauma.
The treatment programme incorporated aspects of western therapy with traditional chinese medicine and lifestyle. Here at the ranch, Alex's daily routine would start with him drinking special tea to cleanse his chi, do an hour of tai-chi, have a three hour session with the doctor, which was not just talking about his problems but also studying and understanding himself and the fact life was not defined in the absolutes good and evil. The afternoons was either learning massage and acupuncture or being the patient. He would then meditate before dinner.
The evenings were generally spent reviewing both normal school studies and all the theory he should have learned at Malagosto. Practical studies would only commence when Dr. Li thought Alex was ready and only if Alex wanted to. The Doctor had stated there was no shame in following a different path, in fact the doctor recommended university as he himself had two doctoral thesis as well as being a respected physician before he helped find Scorpia. When the good doctor had joined Scorpia it had been America and their allies who had been the enemies, but with fall of Russia and the rise of China as an economic giant; those rules had changed. Scorpio had always been independent, working for any with the resources to hire them. Alex was just glad 2004 was proving to be just what he needed, even if it was the bad guys helping him.
Alex was sat on the cold terrace and sipped his rapidly cooling tea as the doctor read his two journal entries. With no prompting the boy stood to begin his exercise of slow, graceful movements.
The morning progressed in silence, as Alex studied rather than talked. It was at lunch, Alex noted a difference; for the first time in two weeks he was being served food he recognised, not the special and mostly unpleasant food for resetting his inner balance. He enjoyed tucking into the spicy slices of belly pork.
It was then the doctor spoke. "You are on high calorie diet. You only weigh 56 kg. Much less than you should as you are 175cm high and still going through puberty. I would think you will be 180cm when your growth finishes." The doctor watched the boy carefully chew his food. Rice and vegetables were also eaten, but like any teenager the boy favoured the dish of meat. "Eat the tofu as well, it balances out the fat." The doctor then put down his chop sticks. "Yesterday, you spoke of Cossack. He is scheduled to visit tomorrow, if you are agreeable?"
Alex stopped chewing and swallowed. "You never said if you disapproved of him and me."
"Homosexuality is not an condition to be cured. Who you love or have a relationship is your business alone. I do think Cossack was wrong to engage in sexual acts with a fifteen year old, but the man has no respect for legal restrictions or moral norms. He perceives you as an adult. I concur that you are mature enough to make your decisions. I disagree with your treatment by your former foster parents. They should have supported your bravery in trusting them with the truth that you were sexually mature. Support and reassurance would have helped you settle and trust. Negativity is destructive." The doctor drank his glass of sweet plum wine. "I have requested you finish your schooling, either here, in Venezuela with Cossack or with Dieter Sprintz. The man has posted a significant reward after hearing of your abduction." The Chinese old man broke into a smile on the last statement.
Alex thought on going back to boarding school and shuddered, "not if its a school like Point Blanc. Anyway Dieter never offered after Jack died. Its only a 'be seen to be doing all he can' gesture. I bet they think I'm dead."
"Well, sometimes its easier to stay dead. Then your life and future is your own."