Tourniquet

The large hands of Joshua Davis reached in and pulled Alex out where he was held and no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't get free of the tall man's firm grasp. This was when he remembered know matter how nice he may appear to his students, like Alex, this man was a brutal assassin well famed for leaving his victims with a paw print brand on their fore heads so that his murders could be recognized as his own. At first his work was known as the work of The Brander. Then he was caught by the police but he never got to prison because SCORPIA had paid off several high ranking officers to hand over the killer. He was then trained to be one of the best killers in the world. Right up to the day he was forced to retire when he got shot in the foot. Remembering this Alex stomped on his foot. Josh let him go swearing in Native American.

Alex practically dived out of the door but was came upon by two guards who had stopped anyone entering after Josh entered looking at the Chinese young man in surprise they knocked him unconscious before Alex had time to react.

Alex woke up in a cell which smelt of damp and he hoped that they were not going to repeat Venice again. But looking around he could see that the water levels would only reach up to Alex's knees. He tried to get up but then he realised he was tied up with plastic cords. Damn he thought – if it were ropes he could do a Houdini, if it were chains or handcuffs he could pick the locks. But with the cables he was stuck tight. Then two men entered: one Hall and the other was The Serpent carrying the emerald topped cane he knew that he needed if going to stand for any great length because of his old knife wound just above his left knee.

'I must say the accommodation isn't all up to the standard I was expecting,' joked Alex softly, 'if this is how you treat your friends I'd hate to see how you treat you enemies.'

'You're not Chong Three are you Alex?' Alex froze so they knew who he was, 'oh yes we know who you are. You see when Josh's guards brought you down here we decided to check your DNA with those in our register,' Alex could have groaned. Of course they'd have his DNA thanks to his treasonous episode at the age of fourteen. 'Well I know why you're here I believe your wondering who the traitor is who managed to poison your back up and give us detail on where you go to school? Why don't you meet my friend - Ricky Hall.'

'So a right dick?' asked Alex a smile playing on my face and earning him a slap across the face by the turncoat.

'Now let me tell you a story –'begun The Serpent.

Alex fake yawned, 'let me guessing you're going to tell me about how awful your childhood was and how you became an assassin to get back at those who made your childhood hell.'

'Not quite,' smiled The Serpent.

'Shame,' said Alex sarcasm heavy in his voice.

'Hit him,' said The Serpent, green eyes flashing in rage at the teen's insolence. The hit was on the other side of cheek and quite a bit harder than before. 'Now with each comment I'm going to ask Hall here to hurt you more, he doesn't like you see. You may know that the only reason he turned traitor was because of you.'

'Can I talk, sir?' asked Hall getting a quick nod from the man. 'You see I, like you, was the best of the best. Since your father died I was rising quickly through the ranks the only one better than me was Ian Rider – your uncle.'

'I know who Ian Rider was since he brought me up,' said Alex coolly and Hall punched him roughly in the gut.

'Shut it,' growled Hall, 'when Ian Rider was killed by Gregorovitch I was sure I would become the best in no time. You see my mother hated being second best. Okay she was in the opera and wanted me to be the best in the opera. But the point still stands so I have never wanted to second and I believed if I worked hard enough I could be the best. But then you came,' he said interjecting just enough venom into the "you" to make Alex understand how much Hall hated him. 'I was shunted aside once again because of the Riders and I knew that you were always going to be better than me, effortlessly. Unlike the rest of us who have to work damn hard to even scratch you standards. Everyone was talking about the teenage spy, the last Rider. Looks of an angel and tongue of a devil and that was it I knew I wanted nothing to do with MI6 and joined SCORPIA.'

Alex was furious how could they blame him? Maybe he was brilliant but that was just because he tried to help others. It was hardly his fault he'd is whole life by Ian. 'So basically your just a bitter old man that can't stand that there's a child better at his game,' earning Alex three slaps to his face, five to the gut and a couple of kicks. Groaning and trying not to show that he was weakening he glared at the two men. Alex was actually scared for the first time in ages – no back up and no gadgets (he couldn't touch his iphone which was in his jeans pocket) tied up with no escape.

'Now I'm sure your wondering what I'm up to,' smiled The Serpent. 'And I'm going to tell you.'

'Of course you are you always do,' muttered Alex. Hall kicked Alex again rubbing his fists together menacingly.

'When my father kicked me out when I was younger than you – fifteen to be exact. About the time you decided to become a full time agent, I believe.'

'Is this going anywhere?' asked Alex cheekily earning another blow to the head.

'Now then I joined the gang known as Serpentine's Revenge. I worked my ways quickly up through the ranks until I became the figurehead. A prestigious title for a seventeen year old I can tell you.'

'Is it too late to send a "Congratulations on Your Promotion Card"?' asked Alex fake-innocently that no one saw through and Hall decided was worth two kicks to his stomach. Alex wondered if by the end of this he would be physically sick but left that to worry about later.

'I even earned my title of The Serpent. Now under my leadership I changed Serpentine's Revenge from a gang of young hard heads to a hardened criminal organisation. We dealt with firearms dealing, people smuggling, drugs, torture, murder – everything. We were second only to SCORPIA. But of course when you're in my business it is inevitable that you will be noticed by MI6.'

'Why didn't they stop you?' asked Alex coolly.

'They tried,' said The Serpent smugly and Alex felt a thrill of foreboding rush through him. 'We were still recruiting of course and I met this young girl – Bella – street kid, she had no second name, only called Bella as she was born under St. Bella's Cathedral. By the age of five she had run away from her orphanage. She was twenty-two when I met her and I was twenty-three. I fell head over heals in love with her.' Alex mimed vomiting and The Serpent who looked angrier than anyone Alex had ever seen proceeded to pulverise the teenager. Still seething he continued looking very much as though he wanted to kill the teenage spy. 'Oh yes I fell in love with her but one day I became suspicious of why she disappeared every so often. I followed her.'

'You know there's a word for people who follow there girlfriends,' said Alex, 'let's see what is it, again? Dick you can help.' He got a punch in the gob this time, 'oh yeah I remember – a – stalker,' this time The Serpent showed hit him three times on his front with his emerald topped cane. Leaving Alex wheezing on the floor by the time he was done.

'I saw her talking to grey eyed man who was glancing around warily I heard enough to realise who she was. The next day I confronted her about who she was. She, of course, denied it spies always do – as you would know. But I tortured her and she admitted it after ten minutes – not as hard wearing as you I'm afraid. Arabella Longe but as I had no further use for her I shot her in the head. I can't say it was painless for either of us.'

'I have the strange feeling it hurt her more than you,' said Alex drily, 'she did die.'

'Never say that again,' snarled The Serpent, 'she broke my heart,' hitting Alex hard enough to make him see stars.

'Lot's of people get there heart broken but that doesn't mean they turn into killers,' spat Alex, 'oh yeah I forgot you were already a killer!'

'Yes I was,' agreed The Serpent a lot more calmly. 'But I vowed to have my revenge for MI6 killing the only person I've ever loved! I would destroy MI6. And recently I hatched a plan –'

'To talk us all into insanity,' muttered Alex and Hall slapped him again.

The Serpent ignored Alex, 'I wasn't able to do anything without help.

'You mean Dick?' asked Alex and Hall growled launching himself at Alex in a fury of attack to his face. Alex knew he would have one hell of a shiner tomorrow.

'Yes when Richard here decided to switch sides I was able to slowly get him to apply James Bright's explosives through various important locations within MI6 itself. Richard would blow the building high sky and "accidentally" survive. He of course being one of the highest ranking spies in Britain would become the Head of MI6. With all of MI6, Scorpia and Serpentine's revenge we could easily get rid of Blare and have our own man voted in. Once we take over Britain it would only be a matter of time before the whole world followed.'

'Nothing like aiming high,' said Alex coldly noticing one major flaw in Anwyl's plan. He barely even felt the cane come crashing down on the top of his head until he felt the blood pooling on his shoulder.

'But there was still one problem –'

'What?' Alex spat out blood at the assassin and ex-spy knowing exactly what it was.

'You,' said The Serpent coolly, 'you see –'

'I'm higher in MI6 than he is and as I'm still in school you couldn't just blow MI6 up at the designated time,' then it hit him and he felt his blood boil in fury, 'so that's why you attacked Brookland,' he stated coldly.

'Yes indeed, Alex. It was quite ingenious except for the fact you escaped,' The Serpent looked quite put out by that fact.

'Ha,' muttered Alex under his breath and was slapped again.

'But that's besides the point we have you now so the plan is going to be put into effect at midday tomorrow,' Alex paled thinking of Ben, Smithers and Mrs Jones. Hall gave him another kick and left the room slamming the door shut, 'the question is what we are going to do with you Mr Rider?'

'Throw me a party,' said Alex sarcastically and getting a whack in the shins by the cane.

'No,' murmured the assassin and his whole face lit up. Alex knew whatever his plan was it wouldn't be pretty. 'I believe you've been tortured before, by the boy's father you were pretending to be even.' Alex felt his insides turn to mush not again was all he could think, 'yes the students need to learn how to torture anyway so we'll use you. You even have knowledge which may be useful. Goodnight, sleep tight you're going to need it.'

With that cheerful thought The Serpent left Alex to his dark thoughts. He had till twelve tomorrow to stop MI6 being destroyed. He had till twelve to stop the whole world being under a madman's control. He needed to get out of here now. But he was still tied up.