Disclaimer: I do not own Alex Rider. If I did... well, let's just say, I am not Anthony Horowitz.

Chapter 31: Trust for Trust


At some point, the height of summer had crept in on them – and the safehouse wasn't exactly equipped with air conditioning. Although the stone walls helped keep it cool for a while, the only relief from the heat were the two industrial sized fans that Cameron had acquisitioned from somewhere. Alex wasn't asking. It kept the sweat from constantly sliding down his skin, even when he did nothing, so he wasn't going to complain that he had to share a fan with the others.

It was almost August.

Somehow the days had slipped by and before Alex knew it, more than three months had passed with the SAS unit. And in some ways, he had hardly any more information than he had started with. Sure, getting the implant out had been a turning point, but… it had also left so many unanswered questions. Questions that Alex suspected Nico wanted answers to as well.

Why didn't the timeline add up?

Who was truly behind the kidnapping?

What was the meaning behind the discrepancies in his memories?

And what exactly, was the purpose of it all?

Nico's observations hadn't been much help – and then the heat had struck and any real attempt to do anything had just… been washed away.

Alex didn't like the heat.

"Hottest heat wave in this region, in the past 100 years," Nico had told him the night before. Alex had only managed to roll his eyes. It had brought an abrupt end to any attempts at exercising – which in turn pushed back any of the tentative plans he had in his mind. Because peak physical fitness was the key to everything.

Things were rapidly coming to a head and Alex knew that he was going to have to make some decisions. Soon. Although he had, in a way, come to trust the unit, he knew that it was only a matter of time before things spiraled out of control again. He might have control over his memories once again, but it didn't change the fact that someone had come after him months earlier with the intent to get something from him. It wasn't likely that they had stopped just because he had disappeared from the. Likely, whoever it was, was just biding their time, trying to get around whatever protections MI6—and in reality, Jones— had put into place.

He was only safe for as long as those protections held – and then everyone would be in danger again.

It was rapidly becoming clear that Alex was going to need to strike out on his own if he wanted any chance of surviving.

But it was also difficult to imagine a life where the only goal was to survive from one day to the next. Though he was hesitant to admit it, things had gotten better since the last summer. He could manage a couple of days of undisturbed sleep. The anxiety in public wasn't as strong. The pure paranoia that had plagued him with every step… wasn't there all the time. And her… thoughts of her didn't cut quite so deep.

It went to show that ignoring everything and not talking about it did work. Sometimes.

But if he could manage that now… then running and hiding for the rest of his life… was very hard to imagine.

But it wasn't like he could take down another international organization bent on killing him. Could he?

Along with the heat and the absolute lack of desire to be away from the fans had brought the unfortunate consequence that he still hadn't read the report. The nightmares had been less than helpful in the past several days and Alex knew he was reaching the end of what he could figure out on his own. Since Nico wasn't much help… he needed to read the report. But every time… something held him back.

Hesitation.

Fear.

Uncertainty.

Knowledge that as soon as he read it, there would be consequences. Either through his own choosing or imposed on him by someone. And despite the hot summer heat, Alex couldn't help the chill that ran through him at that thought.


The device mocked him.

Alex stared at the blinking cursor that asked for his password.

It had been one week.

The rains had come, cooling the air for a few days. Making life bearable for a short while.

Which meant that it was now or never.

He typed in the password and navigated to the appropriate folder. He held his breath as he double-clicked the folder and the pop-up appeared. 'Warning: Contents accessed by AJR on June 2, at 3:00 pm. If you do not remember these actions, stop now.' Nearly two months ago. Although so much had changed in those two months, at times it felt like so little. Two months ago, he had been searching for answers.

He still was.

He bypassed those warnings and stared at a list of files that both looked familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. D/F Report – 5.2.19, NMK Med Rep – 5.2.19, NMK Initial – 5.2.19, NMK Secondary – 7.2.19, NMK Post-op – 7.2.19, AJR Med Rep – 8.2.19, AJR Initial – 5.2.19, AJR Secondary – 8.2.19, AJR Post-op – 10.2.19, AJR Statement – 12.2.19, AJR Brief – 16.2.19. Nine reports, all of which somehow contributed to the narrative that they knew about his time in captivity. Five of which held his own initials… and he could only guess that NMK was Nico. And D/F would likely be the report of units that had found them.

Alex started with that, casting an anxious glance toward his door. It was late enough at night that the others weren't likely to disturb him, but he couldn't help but admit that the only person he would be comfortable with looking over his shoulder at this point was Nico. Which… was quite a change in opinion over the past several weeks…

He put it off to think about some other time, and focused on the span of words in front of him.

It was indeed a mission report, which corroborated with what he already knew. It had been a fluke rescue. There were signs that someone else was puling the strings at that point, but all leads had dried up since then. But at least… at least it was the same story he already knew.

The medical report was the easiest to read. Nico hadn't had too many injuries. Not permanent ones, at least. But the other three reports were… more difficult to digest. It painted a picture that Alex found both difficult to believe, yet so… completely him that it couldn't have been made up. Nico had been there for several days before Alex had appeared, but it wasn't until they were together that things started happening. And then, in very rapid succession. Alex's determination to not let another person fall victim because someone wanted to kill him… was completely on character.

And Nico's recorded agony over lying to him day in and day out to protect them both was chilling.

A few buzz words here and there – Dr. Three, cooperation, waterboarding – but despite all that… nothing that should have triggered him. Which meant that there was still something else, something more, hidden within whatever reports they had managed to make from him. Because he certainly didn't remember getting interviewed.

And well… the first date that Alex had been able to pinpoint in his memory of the hospital was the 11th of February, by which time there were already four reports prepared for him. He skimmed the medical report, but there wasn't anything in there that he didn't already know. Trace amounts of various drugs had been in his system, but that wasn't exactly a surprise either.

The other reports though… it was all new.

This report includes the complete oral report of AJR upon initial arrival. Follow-up reports will be appended. AJR was on strong painkillers, but was deemed competent to undergo questioning. This report was completed by Agent CC.

And what followed had Alex's jaw dropping. They had asked him questions about the captivity, about the questioning, about the damage done to him – and he had responded. In sentences and paragraphs. Details that he had long since forgotten, but that niggled those memories that he had been shoving to the back.

CC: Did they ever identify themselves?

AJR: Bastards. Reformed… SCORPIA.

CC: How about names?

AJR: Clyde… Vladimir… Norman Rogers…

Which. Alex knew that information right after. But had then forgotten it…?

CC: What information were they trying to get from you?

AJR: What… MI6 knew.

CC: Knew about what?

AJR: Reformed SCORPIA. Have a mole. A mole! (AJR begins to get agitated) They want Project Prism.

CC: Project what?

Interview terminated. AJR went into respiratory arrest and was deemed unfit to continue questioning until after he had been treated.

Project Prism.

The name sounded eerily familiar, but Alex couldn't put his finger on what. It seemed to echo with some of the half-remembered memoires that he hadn't been able to place accurately. But…

The second report was much of the same, but… there was significantly less detail. Similar questions, but answered vaguely or with a small I don't know. He had still been conscious and responsive – even though all medical reports from after had suggested that he had been all but sedated for over a week.

Jones… what were you looking for?

The third report was the most disturbing though. Because Jones herself had been there. There was no way that the simple TJ initials could be anyone else. And the questions had been exacting, with precise answers. Answers that he should have had, given that he had given those responses only days earlier. A damning sentence at the end told Alex all he needed to know about why he had blown up before.

AJR shows signs of retrograde amnesia and needs to be monitored carefully for any sign of returning memory. Any and all information and questions about Project PRISM will be redirected to the appropriate channels.

She knew.

She… knew. Had an idea, at least.

Jones wanted him on such a tight leash because she was afraid that he would remember something. Something big. Something to do with Project PRISM.

Which…

He had no idea what that was.

But whatever it was, it concerned Jones.

Jones had been well aware that his memory was erasing itself, but she hadn't ever brought it up. Hadn't ever mentioned it, even when he was spewing repeat information to her. She had just carried on as if it were a natural thing. That he couldn't remember everything because it was traumatic.

Alex glanced down at his wrist. But they hadn't… could they? Was it possible that Jones was responsible for the implant…?

The thought churned his stomach. But it wasn't impossible.

Jones could… could have done anything in those few weeks. He wouldn't necessarily remember any of it.

But then… he had that conflicting memory of some vague shape looming over him and cutting into his arm. That… couldn't have been manufactured. And it was before Jones had ever entered the picture. It felt like it was before Nico had entered the picture. But that didn't make any sense either…

Alex groaned and let his head fall onto the desk. The more he learned, the less everything made sense. More and more gaps in knowledge were uncovered with each memory. Puzzle pieces that didn't fit into place or even next to each other.

It made his decision to keep the implant and recovery of his memories away from Jones seem all the more reasonable. She hadn't been forthcoming with him – there was no reason he needed to be. It was safer that way, since she was playing with all the cards close to her chest. It also went to reason that the SAS unit were far enough removed from her control that he could have a hope of trusting them.

But even that was going to have to change.

Jones didn't trust him. This Project PRISM held some sort of significance and she didn't want him associated with it.

He knew something.

The house fire?

Possibly.

Alex doubted that Smithers had given him any information on Project PRISM but it wouldn't hurt to check…


"Alex?"

Alex glanced up from where he had finally buckled down on some of the maths coursework. His brain had needed a distraction and for once, it seemed that maths was the key to that. It was making sense unlike every other part of his life at the moment…

"Cameron's got some questions for you."

If that wasn't ominous though… "About…?"

Nico shrugged. "Didn't say. Mickey just got back from the drop, so it's a team meeting."

Alex cast a mournful gaze at his coursework, before pushing it to the side. Things had been going so well for the past several weeks. It was probably about time for something to rock their boat. Though what Cameron could be questioning him about… Alex liked to think he had stayed fairly well under the radar for the past several weeks.

He was cooperating.

Something he had never quite thought he would…

Nico rapped his knuckles on the door once more. "Best not keep him waiting too long."

Alex rolled his eyes, but got up. Information drops had not held much for him so far, but… he couldn't help but hope Smithers might pass something more on to him. The remainder of the files had shone little light on the questions that Alex still had. There had been two brief reports that had related to his last hospital stay, one of which had mentioned the elusive Project PRISM again. A scouring of the other information Smithers had passed on found only a mention that an IAR had been in charge of the project and that most of the information had been lost following his death.

Ian, of course.

Alex suspected that the project information somehow tied back to the house fire and the reason he had been there in the first place, but… there hadn't been any sign of those memories coming back. It seemed that whatever they had been dosing him with had… how had they put it? Specifically targeted memory formation. And if the memories had never formed in the first place… there was no hope of getting them back.

Gone.

Kaput.

Nada.

Which was the reason he had gone looking for a distraction in the first place…

All four were waiting in the kitchen, though Nico and Jacobs seemed the most relaxed. Cameron was staring at whatever missive had been on the latest USB and Mickey… Mickey just looked grumpy.

Alex slid into the empty chair at the table and waited for whatever it was that Cameron wanted.

Cameron looked over the top of the laptop and fixed him with a stare. "Why the hell didn't you tell us you had a connection to another SAS unit?"

Alex stiffened. "What?" The hell?

Where was this coming from?

"This," Cameron tapped the USB on the table. "Said that you've not only been in contact with a specific SAS unit in the past, but that some of the members met you outside of Brecons. Which means that you've been to Brecons."

Alex swallowed and looked away. Why was Jones revealing that now? First of all, that was highly classified information. Second… what purpose did it serve?

"You're not denying it." Cameron snorted. "Of course not. Alright then. Which unit?"

Alex set his jaw, mind working furiously. What was Jones' motive? There was little political ploy in letting them in on a potentially dangerous secret. There was no way she was going to reveal his ex-spy status – all hell would break loose. But… why? Had things been too quiet from him, too many good days, and she needed to make sure that he was still having issues with his memory? Could it be that there was something even worse locked away in his mind?

Cameron rapped his knuckles on the table, catching Alex's attention. "Listen, I've played by your rules. I kept all that information back from MI6, even though I know we could all get into a lot of trouble once this all blows over if that comes out. We're risking our necks, all on your say." He glanced at the others. "If you're still keeping secrets and MI6 can blindside us, then… who can we really trust? So, you've got to give something now."

What was she gaining?

"Alex," Nico laid a hand on his shoulder. "You've got to give us something…"

Alex glanced down at his hands and pondered what he could say that would satisfy them, without inadvertently exposing himself to more questions. "I… knew a SAS unit, but that was nearly two years ago. I couldn't… tell you who, because I never learned their names." Except Ben. But Ben didn't really count anymore, anyway.

"But you know something about the units." Cameron stated. "You asked us which one we were, back in the beginning."

"And you wanted to know who rescued us?" Nico chimed in.

Alex grimaced. More than they should know. "It wasn't a friendly relationship." Kicking a guy out of a plane generally didn't buy one too many brownie points. Though Wolf hadn't seemed to hold it against him, it was clear that there was little love lost between them. "Didn't want anything to do with them or their buddies."

Cameron raised an eyebrow at him, before tapping the USB again. "Then why did we get a note that said known associates of yours are being targeted by whatever organization is after you – and then a note that Christopher McGillian was targeted just this morning."

"Christopher McGillian?" Real names certainly weren't going to get him anywhere…

Mickey crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, buddy of ours. Leader of his unit, good guy, though a bit of a stick in the mud. K-unit, a unit—"

"Wolf?" The word stuck in Alex's throat, but still escaped without his will.

"So, you do know him." Cameron's eyebrows furrowed. "How and why?"

"Well… There was a… uh…" Alex fumbled for an excuse that was close enough to the truth to be believable. "There was this, uh, school. A boarding school. Got sent there for a while and it really wasn't… wasn't the place to be, you know? And, uh, Wolf was one of the people that helped me get out."

"Wolf helped you get out of boarding school?" Cameron snorted. "You expect us to believe that?"

Alex shrugged. It was as close to the truth as he was willing to get. Besides, mentioning that there were clones in that school was probably only going to push them further into disbelief…

"Alright, fine. At least you admit you know him. He was targeted yesterday – he's fine, by the way. Markus Fletch on the other hand… went missing about two weeks ago and his body was found about 100 miles north of here."

"Markus Fletch…?" The name sounded familiar, but… he couldn't place his finger on why.

"Your guardian, right after you were rescued?"

The first one… The only one that he had a hope of remembering, though even then the memories were foggy.

But that led to the question who was targeting them and why. There was little love lost toward Markus Fletch, but Alex didn't exactly want Wolf targeted just because he had been assigned to help him several years earlier. It also meant that whoever was coming after him was more than aware of his history and who had been influential in keeping him alive over the years.

Maybe they had thought he was hiding with Wolf… did that mean Ben was on the hit list too? The thought churned his stomach. Innocents, targeted because he existed.

"That's not even the strange part." Cameron shut the laptop and set it aside. "The strange part was this – our briefing instructed us to tell you this information and then report back any reaction you had to the news."

Jones.

What was her goal?

"So, you offer an olive branch, we offer an olive branch. Information for information. Cooperation for cooperation."

Alex blinked. "You're trying to make a deal with me."

Cameron shrugged. "Far as I can see it, you're the only one who has made the most sense in the midst of all this. MI6 is dragging all of us along, though you've definitely got more information and tools than you let on. Someone is intent on taking you out, or capturing you – I'm honestly not sure which, at this point – and you seem a whole lot more intent on figuring out the who than MI6 is. If it came down to trusting you or trusting the intel MI6 gives us, I'm pretty sure I can speak for the whole unit and say that you rank higher. And face it kid, we've grown fond of you. Don't really want to see you up and disappear, or be forced to live this kind of life for the rest of your life."

Alex stared at him, stared at the others. They were all nodding along.

They… trusted him?

It seemed unthinkable.

Alex swallowed. "So… what do you want?" There had to be a catch.

Nico put a hand on his shoulder, startling him. "Give us a heads up before you try some harebrained scheme. Trust that we've got your best interests in mind and won't betray you. In return," Nico waved his hands at the others. "We're not going to change what we've been reporting. For the past month, just like the months before, there have been continued signs of outbursts and forgetfulness. You reacted badly to the news that someone was dead. Didn't want to talk about K-unit. The usual."

All that? Just by claiming to trust them? Alex narrowed his eyes. "And how do I know you won't go behind my back and tell them anyway?"

Cameron peered at him. "Was he always this suspicious?" He asked the room at large. "Whatever. Listen. We'll let you look over any missives we send out, if that would help. I'd let you go to the drops to prove we don't tamper with it, but that's neither safe nor advisable, because anyone could show up to those. If the wrong person recognizes you, then it's game over. For now, you've still got a bit of anonymity. You have to show a least a bit of trust."

Trust.

That was what it was all coming down to.

Alex jerked his head in acknowledgement, but wasn't entirely sure that he was going to keep his side of the bargain. Which they were trusting him to do in the first place.

But…

There were definitely benefits to having four well-trained individuals at his back. It reduced the constant anxiety because he did trust them. But to trust them enough to believe that they would actively work against orders…? It begged the question of how far their loyalty toward him really went. And what they got out of it…

Alex licked his lips and glanced at each one of them. They all seemed to be earnest. But… "Have you… have you ever heard of Project Prism?" It would be the ultimate test. If MI6 heard about this, then Jones would know what was up.

Cameron reared back in surprise, before glancing at the others. "Actually, we have."


A/N: Surprise! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to those who don't celebrate Christmas! Gonna try to just keep rolling with the updates here. Let me know what you think/predictions!