Chapter 2:
Alex walked up to the front desk and told the receptionist his name and that he was here to see Mrs Jones.
The layout and design of the bank had been completely changed in Alex's absence and the bank had become much more modern and sleek since his last visit.
As he was told to head upstairs to Mrs Jones office, the receptionist handed him an envelope sealed with the MI6 coat of arms.
"Mr Blunt wanted you to have a few months after your mission in Egypt, he sent this to the office, I heard about what happened in Egypt. Nasty business that."
"Thank you," Alex said bluntly, forcing a smile onto his face.
He walked past the front desk, up a small set of stairs and opened a door to his left, taking him into a stairwell that led either up or down.
Alex climbed the stairwell to the fourth and top floor and exited the stairwell into a corridor that he followed straight until he reached the door to Mrs Jones' office.
He walked up to the door and took a deep breath in before twisting the doorknob and opening the door.
Mrs Jones was sitting at a desk in front of a window that covered the back wall of the room.
She gestured for Alex to sit down in front of her and took a deep breath before she spoke.
"Alex. I'm sorry to have to bring you back into all of this after what happened to you in Egypt and in America but now, more than ever – we need someone of your expertise."
Alex gave a small nod to Mrs Jones
"We need you to infiltrate the Holloway family estate in upstate New York. Mr.
Holloway is an international gang boss but neither us or the CIA have sufficient evidence to pull him off his throne. We need you to infiltrate his estate and find something solid we can use to press charges against him."
Mrs Jones reached into one of her desk drawers and pulled out a file.
"This is everything we have on the Holloway family. Once you land at JFK our contact in INTERPOL will meet you there and take you to a compound near the estate. Get reading, your flight leaves at 6 AM on Friday"
Alex stood up from his chair and gave another nod to Mrs Jones and walked out of the office.
He cursed himself, how could he allow himself to fall back into this, back into the grasp of MI6.
Alex stepped into an elevator and rode it down to the ground floor, exited the bank and took a cab back to his house.
The next day
Alex woke up early that morning to finish reading the file he had been given on the Holloway's. From what he had gathered, crime was the Holloway family business.
The family had immigrated from Ghana to the U.S in the 30's when Mr Holloway was a child, once they had arrived in the U.S, Mr Holloway's father worked his way up the ranks in another gang until he had the influence to diverge from that gang and have many follow him.
Once Mr Holloways' parents died he inherited their following and grew the strength of the gang in the late 40's and early 50's.
Mr Holloway increased the ranks of their gang and turned it into an international business and killing machine.
The gang was ruthless and killed anyone bold enough to defy them, betray them or stand in their way without hesitation.
'Great,' Alex thought. 'Just the type of people I want to be dealing with.'
After a few hours of reading through the file, Alex took his phone out his pocked and looked at the time.
2:30 PM
He put his phone back into his wardrobe and threw on a clean t-shirt and a pair of jeans and exited his room, shutting and locking the door behind him.
Alex went downstairs and called a minicab, once the cab got to his house he asked the driver to take him to the shard.
After he had gotten into the cab Alex pulled out his phone and texted Tom.
'Going out for a bit. If anyone knocks at the door asking for me, tell them to fuck off and shut the door'
'Ok,' Tom replied. 'Try not to get stabbed'
Alex put his phone back into his pocked and pulled out the sealed envelope he had been given at the Royal and General.
He tore open the letter, crumpling up the envelope and putting it back into his pocket.
Alex.
If you're reading this, then I've either stepped down from my position at MI6 or I've been killed. Now that you've been back from Egypt from Egypt for a few months, even if you're reading this years later. I suggest you get help Alex, what happened in Egypt has clearly traumatized you. I know you hate me and think of me as just another wanker in a suit but I do really have your best interests in mind Alex.
Alex laughed.
One last thing Alex, if MI6 ever summon you back to the bank, DO NOT trust them, no matter what they say and no matter the circumstances, the only people you can trust there are me and Tulip. If you get spoken to or sent anywhere by anyone else, come straight to me. I'll be at 65 Sloane Street, Knightsbridge.
Best Regards.
Alan Blunt.
Alex folded the letter up and put it in his pocket.
Once the cab had arrived at the shard, Alex stepped out and paid the driver. Alex entered the building and took the elevator up to level 31, The Aqua Shard.
Alex walked into the restaurant and spoke to one of the waiters.
"Hi, I'm Alex Rider, there should be a reservation for me," Alex said.
"Of course, right this way." The waiter said, gesturing for Alex to follow him.
The waiter led Alex to a table. Sitting down at the table, Alex recognized the familiar face of John Crawley.
"Blunt sent me," Crawley said. "I trust you've already met Laura." He said, gesturing to the seat next to him where she was sitting.
"Yes, I've met her," Alex said. "Why have you gone through all this to talk to me?"
"Blunt wanted me to check up on you, I've also got something to say," John said. "I know that Tulip is sending you to America to deal with the Holloway's. I've got some advice for you when you get to the estate, ask around for Simon, he can help you."
After the conversation with Crawley, the three of them sat together for lunch, which to Alex's surprise he enjoyed. He never liked anything organized by MI6.
"Are you still at MI6?" Alex asked Crawley.
"No," John replied. "I left a few years ago, I run security for Blunt, You'd be surprised by how many people want him dead."
After the lunch, Alex called another cab and headed to Sloane Street to see Mr Blunt.
Alex climbed into the other cab and asked the driver to take him to Blunt's addresd.
Once the cab reached Blunt's house Alex stepped out onto the pavement and knocked on the door of the house.
A man dressed in a suit and tie opened the door and led Alex upstairs to Alan's room.
Alex entered the room and the man remained outside,
Mr Blunt was laying in his bed watching the news; a heart monitor connected to him.
He smiled when Alex walked into the room.
"I'm glad you came Alex; I've been waiting for a few years now."
He let out a raspy cough.
"The doctor said I've only got a year left at most; I guess karma finally caught up with me." He said with a smile on his face.
Shock flickered across Alex's face.
"What happened?" Alex asked, concerned.
"Lung Cancer, it's spread to my heart too," Mr Blunt said. "I haven't got long left anymore. I was hoping you would come and see me."
Alex smiled at Mr Blunt. "I'm sorry." He said.
Mr Blunt let out a few more coughs and his heartbeat became slower.
He said through his coughs. "Remember Alex. Don't trust anyone.
His heart monitor flatlined.