Disclaimer: I should write five word disclaimer stories... I do not own Alex Rider.

Chapter 37: Across the Sea

Nico kept an eye out as he scanned the airport.

So far, so good.

There hadn't been any signs that things weren't going to plan, or that someone had stumbled upon their presence. Ben, the agent from MI6, had made it clear in their last meeting that he would only be able to run interference for three days following the escape from the hospital. It meant they had a tight timeline.

That said, the manila envelope he had given them, full of more than enough false identities, was a boon they hadn't expected. The plan had come together quickly, though, probably with less input from Alex than he would have liked.

Alex was, obviously, rather tetchy. Though he had been slowly regaining strength in the past few days, it was nowhere near a full recovery. He hardly managed a shuffle from one room to another, much less navigating the finer details of their escape plan on his own feet. So, a wheelchair – and an annoyed Alex – it was.

The four of them were all operating under the assumption that anyone could be a potential enemy – security guard, porter, flight attendant, unassuming grandmother. At least, until they were off the continent. Ben had indicated that MI6 was compromised, along with Central Command. Alex's only hope was to get out of the country undetected and stay undetected long enough for the services to figure out how to rectify their security breach.

Harder than it seemed.

And, in the meantime, they were all going to be marked as deserters. Possibly even lumped with terrorists for kidnapping their protectee. Their families would be interrogated on their whereabouts. If things didn't go according to plan, or if the wrong misfiled paper never made it back to save their necks, if they were found, they would be either dead or imprisoned for who knew how long.

He glanced down at Alex who was, rather morosely, picking at the blanket they had laid across his lap. A flash of red passed Nico, Cameron signaling that he was headed toward the security check point. Which meant that Jacobs was already through security with no issues.

"Get your passport ready," Nico murmured, looping Alex's backpack on the back of the airport provided wheelchair.

This was the first choke point of their journey – passport control in the Manchester airport. There were no long glances or alarming gazes, though perhaps that was due to the fact that people generally tried not to stare at individuals in wheelchairs. No one wanted to bother them.

"Mr. Rana has passed the checkpoint, so we should be fine."

Alex no doubt had seen Cameron pass, but…

They had all assumed alternative identities for the day and were traveling as a pair or trio on different flights. Jacobs would join them on the flight to Amsterdam, but Cameron would join them on the second flight to Lima. Eventually, they would all arrive at their destination, hopefully with the decoy transportation all ready. And hopefully, they would escape the notice of the security agencies of the world.

It seemed like a lot to ask for.

Too much?

Alex's shoulder slumped as they maneuvered the roped off security lanes. Nico gave him a tight squeeze, trying to impart both the importance of not breaking character and that it would, somehow, be alright. MI6 just needed to refocus their efforts. It wouldn't be forever.

Since Alex had a disability, they were given priority access to the screening lane. There wasn't even a line. The security guard just waved them forward.

"Passport." He held out a hand, and Alex handed over his passport. He glanced at the name and picture, and compared it to the boarding pass. "Mica Tomer?" He scanned it, and Nico barely held back a sigh of relief that it had gone through normally. Nico handed his own passport over and received the same, disinterested treatment.

"You can head on to the security checkpoint. They'll ask whether you're comfortable walking through the scanner or not. Usual recommendation is walk if you can, as it'll be a faster process overall."

Nico gave the man a smile. "Thanks." The last thing they needed was to be held up. Though they all felt somewhat bare without their usual arsenal of weaponry, they weren't about to risk it at an airport. Though it wasn't likely that anything else they had would set off red flags, it didn't hurt to bring as little attention to themselves as possible.

The security agents were surprisingly friendly and didn't seem to bat an eye at the grumpy teenager who definitely played up his mobility a bit. It wouldn't do to make him appear too helpless, but at the same time, it wouldn't do for a nosy busybody to ask too many questions.

Nico helped Alex sit down in one of the proffered chairs on the other side of the screening station, while the agents examined the wheelchair. Airport make or not, anything going through the security station was wiped down and checked.

By some miracle, Alex kept up a disinterested string of chatter that was enough to throw off any eavesdroppers. Nico was honestly a little impressed. He knew how exhausted Alex really was, but to watch him slip into a different persona…

It seemed that there were still things that Alex would surprise him with.

After a few more minutes, their belongings were cleared and returned to them. Nico pushed Alex toward their gate, taking the moment to send Mickey a confirmation text that they had made it through security. Now, all they had to do was wait the two hours before their flight took off… So long as they made it through that uneventfully, they would be free. In a manner of speaking.

"Can we get a sandwich?" Alex asked as they rolled through the hall. "And some water?"

Nico snorted. Ever the teenager.

Finally stepping off the final plane was… anticlimactic. Nico could feel the outside chill seeping in through the jetway walls and he sincerely hoped that Cameron had made sure to pack accordingly. Somehow, it seemed to have escaped their attention that flying to the opposite side of the world, and opposite hemisphere, meant that the seasons were completely backwards as well. Winter, here.

One of the gate helpers pushed Alex up the jetway and into the terminal proper. They had to go through customs and immigration still – which was the last true choke point in their journey. At least, the last place their current papers could fail them – as soon as they were out of the airport, it would be on to completely different identities.

Nico took over the pushing once they were headed toward immigration. Better to do it on their own than earn some tag-along. As it was, they were flying on Irish passports that would hopefully raise no eyebrows. Just a couple of siblings that decided to continue with their journey even though Mica had been involved in an accident.

Alex's head dropped forward ever so slightly, a sign of his exhaustion. Truthfully, they were all exhausted. Spending over 14 hours on flights alone, not to mention the layovers and waits in the airports, on high alert for anyone out of the ordinary was far above and beyond the normal call of duty. Normally, they were able to trade off on shifts – impossible when traveling as a group would only raise red flags.

It didn't help that it was after 1 am local time and their systems were entirely discombobulated.

Alex glanced over his shoulder at Nico as they followed the crowd of passengers. "We staying in a hotel tonight?"

Nico raised an eyebrow at Alex. He very well knew what the plan was. "Our tour guide will pick us up and take us from there."

"Hmm…" He sighed. "Could use some tea right about now." He shifted, obviously uncomfortable on the current airport issue wheelchair. "Also, would it kill the designers to make something that was meant to be sat in?"

Nico snorted. "It is meant to be short term use. After all, wouldn't want anyone stealing them." He guided the wheelchair down the priority access immigration lane. There were definite perks to having a wheelchair. There were only one or two other families in the lane, and from the glimpse Nico had gotten, Cameron was still quite a way from the front of his own line.

Mickey and Jacobs were already somewhere out in the city, their flight having touched down nearly two hours earlier.

"Passports."

Nico handed over their passports and the papers the airlines had given them. It was never clear where exactly they were supposed to give the papers…

"Finger prints, you first."

The moment of truth.

Nico didn't hesitate though, as any signs out of the ordinary would be bad. And who knew what they used the fingerprints for in the first place… They took his picture, then repeated the process with Alex who looked like the epitome of an exhausted teenager.

"Very good, Mr. Tomer. Welcome to Peru."

It felt like they were a sore thumb sticking out in the variety of colorful tourists in the airport. Even the locals seemed to stand out in some way. College students on vacation. Retirees on tour. Backpackers. Yet, because of the wheelchair, no one really gave them a second glance. Nico took his time crossing toward the luggage carousels, as Cameron had to catch up with them before they could safely move on to the next phase of the plan.

Even though they had gotten through the line before most of their fellow passengers, the carousels were already running with a steady stream of luggage. Nico pushed Alex up against one side, casually looking for the somewhat bulky backpack they had hastily packed at the last minute. It was the most likely to have warmer clothes, though Nico doubted that Alex was going to be amenable to any changes at the moment. His eyebrows had set into a furrow that was mixed between exhaustion and wariness.

They were all going to be thankful once they reached their destination.

Or at least, once they were out of the airport….

He grabbed the blue backpack and swung it over his shoulder.

Only a few moments later, Cameron passed by them, talking on the phone. "Si, Señor. In just a moment." Cameron glance in Nico's direction only briefly, not signaling any more than eye contact. "Si, look for Mr. Rana."

Mr. Rana was one of the decoy vehicles that had been set up. There were at least three vehicles, aside from those they were actually using that had been arranged. No one was quite sure who their occupants would be, but Cameron's contacts would make sure they were paid well for their time.

"That's our cue," Nico murmured to Alex, turning the wheelchair toward the exit. Their lack of suitcases got them waved through customs, the agent hardly looking as he took their forms, and directing them toward the exit. As they passed through the doors, Nico couldn't help but stare at the lights and colors of the advertisements that immediately assaulted them. And the hawkers and tour guides.

"Car for Señor?"

"Hire, good price."

"I provide discount for you."

Nico held back a snort, but could seen even Alex had roused somewhat out of his stupor. It had been quite a while since he had been away from the strict ritual that was involved in SAS work. They would have never flown civilian for a mission. They would have never seen this side of things.

The final doorway opened into the arrival's hall, which was packed with families and travelers. There were even more car and tour agencies hawking their goods, with a handful here and there that were legitimately looking for their prearranged passengers.

The hustle and bustle of it, for being in the middle of the night, was almost too much.

Nico chewed on his lip, looking around for their escape. "We won't linger here. Look for an Elias Ortega." The name of one of the drivers, not which passenger he was looking for.

Everyone around them seemed wrapped up in their own reunions. Which was okay. Nico saw Alex's clenched hands. Though they were past the proverbial chokepoint, the reality was that they weren't in the clear yet.

His eyes skipped over the casually dressed taxi drivers, though there was one with a familiar name – one of Cameron's decoys – and looked more at the professionally dressed drivers. They were Irish travelers with more than just a little bit of money to their name. They wouldn't travel in squander. Not yet, at least.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nico saw Cameron pass them and meet up with his designated driver. In twenty minutes, they would all hopefully be reunited with no untoward issues arising in the meantime. But it did mean that Cameron was alone and Nico and Alex were alone. Dangerous.

"To the right," Alex said quietly, "That's who we're looking for?"

Nico turned in the direction Alex nodded and surveyed the old man. Elias Ortega. He was on the older side, likely some blend of indigenous, but still looked sharp.

It only took a moment or two of maneuvering to bring them up next to the man. "Señor Ortega? Señor Rana told us to look for you."

A soft smile crossed the old man's face. "Mister and Mister Tomer. It is good you arrived." He cast a long glance at Alex, seeming to judge his clothing skeptically. "Deben abrigarse o él se enfermará más." You should bundle up or he'll get sicker. He held out a colorful pile of fabric toward Alex.

Nico snorted at Alex's scowl. Not wanting to offend their driver, he draped the extra blanket across Alex's lap. "It is winter here, you know."

Alex huffed. "I'm perfectly fine taking care of myself," He bit out in French.

It threw Nico for a second – they had spent months in France, after all. It seemed that Alex still had a few secrets he hadn't shared. He shrugged it off. "Try saying that when you're not suffering the aftereffects from wandering off on your own."

Alex had a petulant look, but didn't argue the point.

The old man didn't seem perturbed by the foreign conversation. "Listo, señores?

"Are you sure about this?" Alex asked carefully.

"Trust us." Cameron had more than one contingency if things didn't go according to plan. And so far, they had. Alex didn't protest anymore, but was silent as they followed the man out of the airport.

The blast of cool air was a shock to both their bones. A great deal colder than what they had dealt with in the UK, much less while they were in France.

"Right this way, señores." The old man said, guiding them to a van.

Nico helped Alex into the seat and the man disappeared to return the wheelchair.

"I just… I've got a bad feeling." Alex said, glancing around the van. "It's too easy."

"And you think something shouldn't go your way for once?"

He shook his head. "No… more like… Something always happens. I can't get away from them."

And while Nico understood that the past several months had been nothing but hiding in one place and then another, this was different. "MI6 doesn't know where you are. They don't know, so they can't leak your information."

"But how'd you all get, all this? What's stopping them from tracking down your contacts and your movements. What's stopping someone else from selling us out?"

Blind faith that Cameron and Mickey had enough resources between them to pull it off. "Alex, this is our job. Your job is to… be a teenager. Survive this. It's not your fault you landed in this mess."

Alex flinched away. "But… it is."

There was that guilt complex. The same one that Nico had seen from the first day he had met Alex. The kid acting like he was responsible for all the actions of others around him. That he was to blame that things were horrible in the first place. That he had to fix it and protect everyone else – all while sacrificing himself. "No, no… It's not."

"It is. It is." Alex's breath came in sharp pants and he leaned away from Nico. "It's my fault we're stuck here. If I hadn't… hadn't…" His fingers dug into his legs.

Panic attack.

Which, it had been quite a while since they had seen the signs around Alex outside of a nightmare. But… there was no telling what would actually be helpful.

And the driver would no doubt be coming back soon. Alex wouldn't want a stranger to witness this… "Hey, hey, kid. Breathe. You're okay." Nico wrapped an arm around Alex's shoulder, pulling him close. "Just… take a deep breath. We don't have to worry about that right now. Just… we're going to meet the others and we'll work everything out."

After a few moments, Alex's breathing evened out, but he refused to look at Nico. Nico left his arm where it was – the charade of brothers worked well – in the hopes that it would stave off another possible panic attack. Though no two individuals were the same, there were at least some things that could be generalized.

It was only another minute before the driver showed up again and he didn't even look twice at their position in the back. "The I Hotel, si? Near the plaza?"

Nico gave a small smile. "Yes." The I Hotel was one of the largest in the city, very popular with those that had money to spare. It also served as an excellent meeting place. No one would think twice about the travelers arriving and leaving. Mickey likely already had their van, ready to make the trek into the outlying cities and towns around the capital. It wouldn't do them any good to stay in the most populated areas.

Though it would be nigh on impossible to blend in the with locals, they would do their very best.

Anything to keep Alex safe.

A/N: PERU! Not gonna lie, I'm not entirely sure when I realized they were going to hole up in Peru, but once the idea got into my head... I couldn't imagine it any other way. That country is near and dear to my heart, having lived there, so parts of the upcoming chapters are actually based on real life. Imagine that. And I'd also like to note that it has been nearly a year since I started updating again. Though there might be indeterminate stretches where real life bogs me down, know that this is always in the back of my mind, and updates will come. Eventually. So, let me know your thoughts and predictions. What's going to happen to them all in Peru? And what will Alex's plan be?