Chapter 33, Blood and Tears

Yup, here's a new chappie! Not much to say 'bout this one so….

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Alex Rider. I do not own Yassen. I do how ever own Erin :D

'They have Jack.'

Saying the words out loud suddenly made it all real for Alex. The numb feeling swept away and black anger replaced it.

"MI6?" Erin asked, eyes widening.

Alex nodded, fists clenched.

"I have to be at the Huxley Residential Building at 6, or they kill her." He said, voice hard and bleak.

Yassen hadn't said anything yet, but Alex knew he was considering their options. The Russian was smart; he saw that if Jack was going to survive, they had to be there. MI6 would do exactly as they threatened, he knew that. However, Yassen wasn't willing to be captured for the sake of anyone else. Even if that person was all Alex had for family.

"You know we can't go." The Russian said bluntly, leading the way back to the car. Alex stopped and glared at him.

"How can you say that?!" He snapped, "I can't just leave her to be killed!"

Erin turned to face Yassen.

"He has a point," She agreed, "It's not fair to leave her to die."

Yassen raised a brow and stared at his daughter.

"Since when have you started caring about what's 'fair'?" He asked.

Erin shrugged and Alex shook his head angrily. This was getting him nowhere!

"Look, I'm going to go help Jack and I don't care if I have to go alone!" Alex snarled, choosing to ignore the way Yassen shot him a warning glance. Erin had gone a little pale.

"Alex, what are saying? You can't go, let alone by yourself!" She exclaimed, "That's just stupid!"

Alex shook his head, able to convince himself that it was the rain trailing down his face, not tears.

"I have to go; this is Jack we're talking about!" He said, anguish seeping into his words. Erin bit her bottom lip, she knew how close Jack and Alex were; she'd figured that out quickly.

"At least don't go by yourself!" She begged.

Alex looked sad, but shook his head.

"Are you willing to come with me?" He asked.

Hating herself, Erin looked down at the wet pavement; embarrassed. She wished she wasn't so selfish. Her hair was plastered to her face by the rain, giving her an unloved look.

"No."

Alex wasn't angry; he'd known that would be how Erin would answer.

"Then I have to go by myself, that's just the way it is." He said, a little hollowly. He turned to Yassen.

"Don't try and stop me." Alex said, looking the Russian in the eye. Yassen shook his head.

"I don't think I have any right to." Yassen said, looking away. "I do think what you're doing is foolish though."

Alex shrugged awkwardly and shook his head.

"I know, but Jack is only involved in all of this because of me. I have to help her, at least try to anyway."

Yassen's face revealed nothing, the Russian just nodded.

"Okay, good luck then."

Alex bit his lip, but didn't waste anymore time on goodbyes. He just turned and began walking down the street, Erin watching him go. As Alex's figure shrunk into the distance, the rain plummeting down turned to snow. Winter's grip on London tightened.

Did you like it? I did! Now, I hate to say this, but there's going to be like, a month's wait for the next chappie.
As he lay on his belly in the falling snow, Alex was almost able to convince himself he was in Poland again. Almost. Things were different now though; he was on the roof of a high rise building, not a forested hill. And it wasn't his own life he was worried about this time.

Alex had spent the time leading up to now preparing. He'd bought himself grey clothing, to match the concrete roof he was on. He'd also bought binoculars, walkie-talkies, a cheap watch and a hot tea. The tea was long gone; he'd drank it waiting in the bitter cold. Alex had shredded the flimsy paper cup from nervousness, waiting from his concealed spot behind a collection of pipes and air conditioning units. The entire rooftop was like that, covered in various utility pieces. The entire building was ugly, but the roof really completed the image.

Resisting the urge to move from his uncomfortable position, Alex checked the watch.

5:45 pm.

With a barely audible sigh, Alex got ready. He picked up the binoculars and shuffled forward a little, so he could peer through a narrow gap beneath one of the larger pipes. He also switched on one of the walkie-talkies, taping the 'transmit' button on, so he could speak and be heard without using his hands. The other one was already switched on, placed on the rooftop of the Huxley Residential Building over an hour ago. The walkie-talkie gave a comforting chirp as it switched on. Its little screen showed full battery. A little relieved, Alex checked his watch again.

5:59 pm.

Heart pounding, Alex leaned forward and looked through the binoculars. The Huxley Residential Building, not for from the Thames, suddenly seemed close enough to touch, as oppose to two hundred metres away. Somewhere in the distance, a clock began striking.

6:00 pm.

On the Huxley Building's rooftop, there was movement. Three men and one woman appeared, moving quickly up the flight of stairs leading from lower floors. Alex stared, the woman was Jack. She was being dragged by one of the men, a thickset grunt from the looks of him. Jack looked terrified, she had tape across her mouth. Tearing his horrified gaze away, Alex looked at the other two men. One was a sniper, Alex could tell instinctively, even without the rifle that was being set up on the building's edge. He guessed that if he revealed himself, he'd be shot non-fatally so he couldn't run. What fun.

It was the sight of the last man that truly affected Alex though. It was Alan Blunt.

As tiny snow flakes fell around him, Alex felt frozen. The grey man was standing quite confidently, completely in control. His words were picked up by the walkie-talkie Alex had hidden on the rooftop.

"Check for bugs, he will have prepared himself for this."

Alex wanted to groan out loud, but he knew that would be transmitted over the walkie-talkies and over to Blunt. It took the grunt who had been restraining Jack less then a minute to find the walkie-talkie. Alan Blunt took the machine with a satisfied expression on his face. He put it up to his mouth and spoke.

"Game over Alex."

Alex didn't say anything, but his hands shook as he gripped the binoculars tighter then ever.

"I know you're listening and watching, so don't bother trying to hide. You know that if you do, Jack will die."

Terrified and desperate, Alex tried to block the insidious words out. He couldn't though; he knew that Alan Blunt was a man who didn't make idle threats. He had to do something, but what?

"Alex, you have exactly one minute to reveal yourself, or Jack will die. This will be your only warning; we will shoot her in one minute."

Alex felt horror freeze him for a second.

"Fifty nine, Fifty eight, Fifty seven-"

Swallowing painfully, Alex looked around for something to help him. After a couple precious moments of searching, he found a solution. Even if he was to stand, he wouldn't be able to be seen. He had to get up to the platform in the middle of the roof that had all the radio and satellite towers on it. Problem was, it was a difficult climb and time was running out.

"Forty eight, Forty seven, Forty six-"

Panicking, Alex stood quickly. The rain and snow had made the concrete slippery, so it was with some difficulty he manoeuvred his way out of the niche in the pipes he'd been hiding in. Immersed in a jungle of pipes, air conditioning units and other various obstacles, Alex made his way towards the raised platform. He still had the walkie-talkie in hand, the counting continued.

"Thirty, Twenty-Nine, Twenty-Eight-"

Less then half a minute! Alex tried not to panic, but it was a difficult thing. The platform was in front, but it was three metres, straight up. He couldn't see any stairs, or any other way to climb up. Then, he caught sight of a tiny, rusty steel ladder clinging to the concrete wall.

"Twenty three, Twenty two, Twenty one-"

Breath coming out in ragged gasps, Alex hurried forward, nearly slipping on the slick surface. With less then a metre to go, he stumbled and crashed into the base of the ladder. Painfully, Alex hauled himself up and began climbing. Then, the unbelievable happened. Someone called his name.

"Alex, stop!"

Hands grabbed him from behind, he was pulled by them. Alex lost his grip on the ladder and fell backwards, crashing to the ground. Dazed and winded, Alex rolled over. To his shock, Erin was kneeling next to him, a huge bruise blooming on her left cheek. She was yelling at him, but Alex was too pumped with adrenalin to understand.

"Fifteen, Fourteen-"

Alex sprung to his feet and shoved Erin away. He tried to get to the ladder again, but before he could even grab a hold of the rungs before someone pulled him away. Shouting, Alex struggled desperately, but whoever had him was stronger then Erin. He couldn't get free.

"Stop, let me go!" Alex yelled, he could see where Jack was standing. She was in the middle of the rooftop, eyes huge. Alex couldn't see it, but she was crying.

"Jack!" Alex shouted, fighting his captor savagely, "Jack!"

He'd dropped the walkie-talkie; it was lying mere feet away. Blunt's words still leaked from the speaker.

"Five, four, three-"

Alex realized with a start that tears were gathering in his eyes. He couldn't get free, someone was holding onto him with an iron grip. He could hear words in his ear, but they were meaningless.

"Two…"

Everything went still, there seemed to be no noise except for what came from the walkie-talkie.

"One."

Alex screamed Jack's name as loud as he could. At the same time, there was a single, thunderous crack. On the Huxley Residential Building's roof, one red haired figure fell to its knees. Then, it toppled and lay on the snowy roof, a pool of blood spreading.

Jack had been shot. Jack was dead.

Alex lost it, he kept screaming Jack's name but he fell to his knees as well, tears pouring down his face. He wanted so badly for everything to just stop so that he could mourn alone, but words were coming from the small machine at his feet. Biting his yells back, Alex listened.

"We warned you what would happen, but you didn't listen. Now you are paying the price. If you do not return to HQ and do what we say, everyone you know and love will be hunted down and you will see them go through the same thing. The choice is yours."

Then, there was silence. Alex stood, Jack may be dead but he could still be there for her. He tried to run to the stairs, but his captor grabbed him again. There were words again, but this time he understood.

"Alex! Stop and listen to me, you can't go to her!"

It was Yassen. The Russian was restraining him, trying to get through to him. There was blood on him. Alex realized it was his blood, his fall from the ladder had cut his head open, and he was bleeding badly.

"Let me go! I have to help her!" Alex shouted, struggling. It was no use though; Yassen was three times his strength.

"You can't!" The Russian yelled back, "She'd dead, you can't do anything! You can't go to her!"

Alex felt fury overrun him, he hated Yassen. He hated Erin for making him fall. He hated MI6 for shooting Jack. Anger spoke for him, not logic.

"Just because you're so fucking cold you don't care about anyone but yourself," Alex screamed at the Russian, "You won't let me go!"

Shock crossed Yassen's face, he released Alex abruptly. Alex tried to run forward, but blood dripped down his face blinding him. And he felt sluggish and dizzy, he took a step forward before he stumbled and fell to the concrete ground. He could hear Erin screaming at him, but he couldn't answer. He was dizzy, the world spun around him and everything went dark. Alex moaned one thing before passing out.

"I'm so sorry Jack."

Omg, i was nearly crying myself this chappie is so sad :'(

Some of you may absolutely hate me for killing Jack, but it makes sense for the future of the story. Sorry, but it had to be done!