Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Alex Rider series, Anthony Horowitz does. I do own all OC characters and plot.
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Black Aliss: Thanks.
Honey Nut Loop: No, we wouldn't want that, but I take that as a compliment anyways.
Los Angeles,
California,
United States of America
It seemed every worker on the second floor and others were all there for the meeting Eric Avers was holding. Katie Harold was just one of them, but surely the most impatient one. She sat in one of the many chair lining the conference table, tapping her foot against the floor as she waited for the meeting to begin. In her lap she had the papers she and Ann Cofler had gone over just minutes before, and she was extremely eager to show them to Avers.
On the screen hanging on the wall at the end of the room, the letters NCSR were glowing black-on-white and under them in smaller writing 'Новая Коммунистическая Советская Революция' (1). She wasn't quite sure what it meant, but she assumed it was in Russian or something similar to the language.
The loud chattering in the meeting room faded as Eric Avers entered, a hard, emotionless look on his face. Katie wasn't used to seeing him like this, but the others seemed to be and all seemed to understand that the information he was about to give out was important and grave.
"This," He said, pointing at the screen to his side. "is the NCSR, a name you will be hearing a lot in the following weeks. NCSR stands for the New Communist Soviet Revolution, the words you see here," he pointed below the initials, "is their name in their native Russian. This group or a branch of theirs at least, has come out with the information that the bomb that went off in St.Petersburg is American." Whispers spread through out the room. This was serious. The relationship between America and Russia was important, if the Russians believed Americans were behind the bombing, there could be future attacks against America, or even a war.
"American, sir?" Someone asked. "How is that possible?"
"That's what we don't know, and what we need to find out. Four high ranking Russian politicians, all members of the Government, were killed in that explosion. If it turns out that this bomb was American, or Americans were behind it, all hell will break loose. American and Russia are two of the most powerful countries in the world. We are going to prevent a war between the two of us, at any means necessary." He paused, pressing a button on a remote of sorts. A picture appeared on the screen. "This," He said, pointing at a picture of a building with a flag on it. "Is a picture of the building facing the scene. This flag, the old Soviet Union flag, was raised only hours after the bombing."
"So, in other words, you think the NCSR is behind the bombing?"
"So far, this is our only hunch that they could be, and I need everyone to work on proving it right. This is first priority, understand? Every thing else come second. Go."
Katie pushed her hair behind her ear, nervousness swelling up inside her, rising up from the pit of her stomach and filling every inch of her body. She had never been part of anything this serious, and it was not only that which made her nervous. The thought of a war scared her, she was after all just a kid.
She adjusted her glasses and took a deep breath. If she was to work on this new case for God knows how long, she wanted to alert her boss of her new discovery now.
"Umm, boss?" She asked carefully. Her voice came out more quiet and unsure than she had aimed for, and it sounded almost as if she was talking more to the floor than to him.
The man sighed, and ran a hand through his thin hair. "Yes Katie?" He asked his voice airy and his mind probably on something far more important.
"Well, see, I got the results back from the, the search, and"
"Katie, as much as I know that someone hacking into our database is important to take action on, we don't have time for this now."
"But, sir, see the signal came from an internet café in Hertford, Jack Starbright, Alex Rider's legal guardian owns an apartment only a few block away." She said, trying to prove her point.
"Merely a coincidence." Eric stated, heading out of the meeting room, Katie Harold on his heels.
"But Jack Starbright doesn't even live there. She lives in Ian Rider's home in London, and has lived there for the past two years, the same amount of time that she's been renting that apartment." She insisted, having not taken a hint as the old man's pace had quickened. Now he stopped, and turned on his heel to look her in the eyes.
"Look, we have a crisis on our hands here, Katie. I couldn't care less about some might-be-dead MI6 agent. What I do care about is how a registered American Army bomb went of during a meeting in St.Petersburg, killing 24 people. What I care about is finding the person responsible before it's too late. When we've done that, then we can talk about Alex Rider."
777
Royal & General Bank/MI6 Offices,
London,
United Kingdom of Great Britain
"Sir, he just ran in, I couldn't stop him." Mr.Blunt's secretary's weak voice piped from behind the still panting form of Ralph Mayer. Alan Blunt stood up and walked up to the younger man.
"That's quite alright Elvira." He said emotionlessly, looking over Ralph's shoulder. He turned his eyes towards the blond, looking him straight in the eye. "What is it?" He asked as soon as his secretary went back to her desk, a stern look on his face.
"The American's, they've been blamed for the bombing in Russia." Ralph informed him. Blunts features were suddenly lined with uncharacteristic shock. He quickly regained himself and grabbed the phone on his desk, pressing the '1' button, which was speed dial for Mrs.Jones. He talked to on the phone, his voice so low that Ralph couldn't make out what he was saying to her. Few moments later, Mrs.Jones entered the office.
"What's this information you've received, Mr.Mayer?" She asked, her dark eyes looking over the man whose cheeks were still slightly flushed. Obviously, he did not have the best fitness.
"The American's have been blamed for the explosion in St.Petersburg." Blunt told her. "Mr.Mayer, you can leave." Mrs.Jones eyes were filled with confusion and disbelief. The Americans? They would never do anything as stupid as this.
"You realise, if this is true, it puts Britain in a very complicated situation?" Alan Blunt was right. The British had for along time had ties with the Americans, if they chose to take their side they would immediately become enemies of the Russians, and vice versa.
"We should get in touch with the CIA. I'll put someone on it right now."
"I'll do it my self." He told her. She nodded, absentmindedly looking out the window. "Was there anything you wanted to say Mrs Jones?" He asked, wondering why she was lingering in his office.
"…" She was about to say something but thought twice about it. "No, I don't believe I do." She replied, and with that she left the office of the so called chairman of Royal & General.
777
UndergroundLocation,
Petrozavodsk,
Russian Federation
An underground conference room, consisting solely of a long hallway ending in a large, square windowless room painted in a dull shade of beige. The entrance door are large, simple, double doors in with large metal door handles. At the other end of the hallway is a simple, 6 person elevator, the only way back above the ground.
A woman in her late thirties is walking down this very hall. She walking straight, head held up high. Her face was sharply featured with high cheekbones and pointy nose, her flawed skin was make-up less. Her hair was tied in a tight bun and she was dressed in a skirt which ended right below the knee and a green military jacket, decorated with different medals and pins. Under her arm she held a thin paper file and a small ID card.
Marija Kurkova flashed her identity card to the two guards standing in front of the doors. The men studied the card, lowering the AK-47's they were carrying.
"Прозрачный." (2) one of the guards grunted. She nodded in reply and walked straight through the doors.
The conference room was already filled with people, most of them old men, at least in their sixties. Marija took her seat on the left side of the third row, a hard, emotionless look on her face that could have rivalled Alan Blunts. Her presence was recognised with several nods from he men in the room, and one of them sitting in the front row rose from his seat. He waked onto the podium in the front of the room.
"Brothers, sisters, my equals." He greeted them in a heavy Russian accent. He had a grey moustache and combed back greying brown hair. This man, standing almost 6 feet tall in his dark green uniform decorated with more medals than any other person in the room, was Nicholai Bogodhan leader of the NCSR.
"It is with great pleasure that I tell you that the first stages of operation PHOENIX have been a success. At this very moment the American pigs are shaking with fear of what to come, with our impotent Government doing the same." His voice was lined with confidence, speaking the words loudly. "And as much as our victory should be celebrated immediately, I believe one of our sisters has something to say. Ms Kurkova?" He gestured to the woman on the third row. She nodded and stood up.
"Thank you, Mr Bogodhan." She said stepping onto the podium, as the man once again took his seat on the front row. Still in her hand Marija opened the paper file. "It has come to my division's attention, that a heinous crime has been committed towards one of Old Russia's many great heroes," She held up a picture from her file "General Alexei Sarov." Hushed whispers erupted through out the room. She put the picture back into the file. "After the death of his son Vladimir in Afghanistan, Mr Sarov drew back to the little island 'Cayo Esqueleto' near Cuba. It has come to the attention of my devisoin that Alexei Sarov has been murdered. This happened two years ago."
"What!" one of the men demanded, a furious look on his face. "How could we not have known till now!"
"Because the Americans, and the MI6 kept it secret, in order to protect them selves."
"Protect them selves?" Another asked. "Why?"
"Because General Sarov's murderer was an MI6 agent, sent to Cayo Esqueleto on a mission from the CIA. In doing this, they were both involved in his murder."
"And who exactly is this MI6 agent Ms Kurkova?" Nicholai asked her. "For I assumed that you're division knows, othervise you wouldn't be sharing this information just yet."
Marija nodded. She took out another picture from her file, and held it up for them all to see. "This," She said "is the MI6 agent who murdered Alexei Sarov." All the NCRS members leaned forward in their seats, re-adjusting their glasses if they had, other's squinting their eyes to make out who was on the A4 portrait photograhp.
Nicholai Bogodhan stood up, anger in his eyes. "Is this some kind of joke, Ms Kurkova?"
777
Los Angeles,
California,
United States of America
"All right, I want everyone working on this floor!" Field Operation agent Amir Araz shouted over the group of people who were currently pushing eachother around trying to get to their usual work place. Everyone slowly stopped pushing and turned around to look at the man. "We all need to co operate, get it?"
As if they were little children and had just been given a talking to by their mother all the CIA employees that had been part of the meeting peacefully found a computer to work at. Katie Harold had been trying to sneak down the stairs through all the comotion but seeing as the crowd had suddenly diminished the 16 year old had now been spotted trying to open the door to the stairs.
"I said everyone on this floor Katie," Agent Araz told her. "That means you too." He called after her. She sighed and turned around. When she did she caught a glimps of Eric Aver talking to someone she had not seen before. She assumed he was a high ranking official judging by how the brown haired man dressed. Next thing she knew him and Avers entered the nearby elevator. Typical that elevators only didn't work when she was around. But now her curiousity sparked, where were they going?
She walked over to Agent Araz, who was currently arguing with Ann Cofler about something, in hope of getting some kind of information.
"But you're Field-Op's!" She heard Ann half shout. "Field-Op's has nothing to do with this, if you were Counter-Terrorism then maybe, just maybe I'd understand what you were doing here, but you're not! You have no experience when it come to this."
"Ann, I am perfectly capable of using a computer." Amir retorted. "Either way, Eric asked me to handel this while he was gone."
"Where exactly is Avers going?" Katie interupted just as Ann opened her mouth to say something. Instead the older woman just glared at him.
"That's not relevant to what you're doing Katie."
"I think probably is."
Amir sighed and rubbed his forehead. "He's having a video confrence along with the other executives with the President, Vice President and the Foreign- and Defence Minister. Now, if there isn't anything else, get back to your work." Katie nodded and left whilst Ann waited relucatanly for a few seconds. Eventually she sighed and left as well.
"How do you think we found out?" Katie asked after the two had worked in silenece for a couple of minuttes. "I mean, if it had been on TV, the media would be all over the White House, wouldn't they?"
"6 o'clock news." Ann answered still starring and typing on her computer. Katie turned in the chair and starred at the womans back.
"What do you mean '6 o'clock news'?" She asked, pushing her glasses into place.
"I mean," Ann said turning in her chair as well so they were face to face. "That a small local TV station Petrozavodsk aired the news. So far they're the only TV station that has, but it'll only be a matter of time before it's everywhere."
"How'd you know?" Katie asked curiously.
"I talked to the guy who brought it to Avers. John Wright, from Counter-Terrorism. You know, I still don't get why Avers left Araz in control. He's"
"Wait, John Wright? Why would he picking up that?"
"Beats me, but it's a good thing he did, gives us a jump start to trying to stop it before it goes global." Katie nodded and turned back to her screen. She couldn't help think it was a bit weird that John Wright had seen that news broadcasting. She shook her head. She needed to focus at the task at hand, everything that had no relevancy to her current case needed to stay out of her head, in other words no more thinking about the Alex Rider thing.
777
Underground Location,
Petrozavodsk,
Russian Federation
"Is this some kind of joke Ms Kurkova?" The man, Nicholai Bogodhan demanded of the woman, Marija Kurkova. The picture she was holding in her hand of General Alexei Sarvo's murderer could impossibly be true, he was merely a boy! The picture Marija was holding was one of a 14 year old boy.
"This is Alex Rider, the youngest ever field agent, he has worked for the MI6 on five missions to date. After the fifth he was murdered by terrorist organisation SCORPIA for betraying them."
"You say he was murdered, then why do you speak of him as if he were alive?" one of the few women present asked.
"Because a source of my division is working on a lead that might prove he is alive, and where he is located. If this proves to be true, we should revenge our brother's death."
"If?" Nicholai repeated. "That is too much of a chance. We are at the brink of a revolution. If we do not have all our minds focused solely operation PHOENIX, we will fail."
"And what if I can find Alex Rider, and exterminate him within the 10 days that are left before the next stage of PHOENIX?" Whispers once again spread through the small conference room.
"You believe you and your division can do this?" The same woman from before asked.
"My source will have the information by morning." She said confidently. "Our time." She added.
Nicholai hesitated before answering. He looked at the other members to see what their opinions on the matter were. He sighed. "We grant you permission to pursue this Ms Kurkova, but use any means necessary to keep it from interfering with PHOENIX, understood?"
Marija nodded and took her seat once again. Bogodhan stepped onto the podium once again, a strange glint in his eyes. He raised his fist. "Mother Russia will once again be great!" He shouted.
Cheer broke out into the room and a unison shout of the word "РЕВОЛЮЦИЯ!"(3)
AN:
Translations:
(1) As before mentioned, it here says "New Communist Soviet Revolution."
(2)"Clear."
(3)"Revolution!"
All translations have been done roughly on the web, the first and third on rustran: com and the second using freedict : com
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