Disclaimer: I don't own the Alex Rider books
Thanks for the reviews: adcohen, gunner10000, magic noden, and karatematt!
Readers: I'm sorry if I move this too fast, but I have the whole thing planned out, and I can't wait to get to this certain part! But I have no idea to do after that part, so….:D
Some Scorpia spoilers will be in this fanfic
Francis Bartemely Institution of Law: Hidden FBI Headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. :
Alex, Angel and Nick sat at a long oak table with another half dozen FBI, CIA and NSA agents in the heavily air conditioned room. The director of the operation, Joshua Klemmings, entered the room and the briefing began:
"Agents, Operatives, time is short and precious, but I'll still start from the beginning. A month ago, a criminal under the name "Sphinx" had cleverly sabotaged the British government by use of infiltration and disappeared with large sums and left the British government on the brink of collapse.
Apparently, this was not enough for Sphinx because Sphinx returned and kidnapped the Prime Minister's two children: 10 year old Nicholas and 8 year old Natalie. Leaving only some "riddles of the Sphinx" at scenes of crime, Sphinx has led the British MI6 from parts of Europe, Southern Asia, and Egypt. When the British negotiator who was working towards the release of the children made a sarcastic remark during interrogations, Sphinx killed 10-year old Nicholas. His body was found in Egypt at the base of the pyramid of the Sphinx. He had been beaten, and suffocated by dirt. During autopsies, another riddle was found in the dirt in his lungs. From that riddle, it is believed that Sphinx is now in Los Angeles. We are now assisting the British MI6 in the retrieval of Natalie and the capture or termination of Sphinx. For this operation, we are joined by MI6 operatives Alex Rider, Angel Chu, and Nick Driaze who have been leading the hunt for Sphinx."
Some people turned and nodded at the three agents.
"We will start from general surveillance of the area. Little Natalie had been spotted two days ago near Sunset Boulevard just outside of the Hollywood area with what witnesses described as an "old lady wrapped in a shawl". That will be only one of the many disguises of Sphinx. Mr. Rider and Miss Chu are posing as an American couple, Stephan and Leah Drake. Mr. Driaze is acting as a British tourist. The rest of us will try to blend into the crowd or coffee shops in LAPD uniforms, or such…any questions?"
A young man raised a hand, "Director Klemmings, does that mean we will be surveying the area with no idea what we are looking for?"
Klemmings sighed, "I'm afraid so, Agent Cooper. So far we are not even sure whether Sphinx is a man or woman...Sphinx had appeared to us from time to time in many different forms. For example—"
There was a knock on the door and the secretary poked her head in and handed an envelope to Klemmings.
"This just came for you, sir. The young lady insisted that it was an emergency."
Scowling, Klemmings tucked the envelope into his suit pocket and turned back to the table, but Alex realized something…
"Open it." Said Alex….what if…?
Klemmings shot Alex a puzzled look, but obliged. There was silence as he tore open the envelope, and then Klemmings let out a gasp as he surveyed the envelope's contents. Alex reached over, grabbed the paper and felt himself pale as well. It was impossible.
On the paper was a single silver Scorpion. Alex had not seen this symbol since he was 14. Scorpia. Alex also noticed something else.
"Somebody give me a match or a lighter." He demanded.
Agent Cooper dutifully handed him a lighter, which Alex ignited and held over the paper. Slowly, the words came:
"And thus I clothe my naked villainy
With old odd ends, stol'n forth of holy writ
And seem a saint when I most play the devil"
William Shakespeare
"It's Sphinx!" cried Angel, but Alex paid no attention, focusing on the Scorpion, instead. Could it be possible that Sphinx had worked with Scorpia before? The once powerful secret organization was now obsolete, and nothing more than an occasional nuisance. Or could it be…could it be that Sphinx had unearthed Alex's previous history with Scorpia? Alex hoped that it was the latter. If Sphinx had indeed trained with Scorpia, then Sphinx would be highly trained and skilled. And the quote…Alex sighed, forget the quote, Sphinx had proved to be more clever than any of them from the beginning. For now, the quote would remain a mystery.
Klemmings was now interrogating the bewildered secretary, and Alex, Nick and Angel prepared to begin their mission by pretending to be shopping at the area around Sunset Boulevard.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Mingling with the thick crowd of afternoon shoppers, Alex and Angel sipped from their Boba drinks and looked around casually, but sharply from time to time for some kind of clue. Alex was already carrying a cheap shirt and skirt he had bought with Angel at Ross as part of their cover as shoppers. Alex could spot and recognize some of the American agents scattered through the crowds, and saw Nick a few times, but was careful to show no signs of recognition. Alex scanned the area again, and THERE! What looked like a figure of a woman with a head scarf around her face clutching a small girl with tufts of blond hair sticking out of a messily done head scarf tightly on the wrist. He left Angel for a moment saying quickly, "You go on and wait for me at Starbucks honey, I've got to call up Poppy, " and ignoring her questioning look. Quickly, but casually, he moved through the crowds, toward the woman and the child. A fat man with a stroller blocked his vision for a second and suddenly, they were gone…both the woman and the child. Alex cursed and looked around at the waves of people. Sphinx and Natalie were no where to be seen. Looking towards the area he had last seen the two, however, Alex noticed a scrap of paper on the ground. He hurried over quickly and picked it up. On the paper, was a bunch of numbers that seemed to become a coded message.
Unbeknownst to Alex, as he picked up the paper, Nick Driaze was gunned down just two blocks away.