Chapter 14

A conclusion for everyone

Silence! It echoed, ringing in everyone's ears as they stood there stock-still. And then it shattered, like a mirror shards of glass flying everywhere, as Blunt threw himself at the door. It crashed open sending him flying through into the room beyond. Looking down in horror he saw the pool of dark blood spreading across the steel covered floor. There was too much blood; Alex could never have survived.

"I'm so sorry Alex" Tears began to well up within his eyes. Alex Rider was dead because of him!

"It's alright; I didn't really know my mom that well."

"Alex? But…We heard the shot" Blunt looked up unbelieving. Could he trust his own mind?

"It's me; my mom saved my life!" Alex looked down at the floor, for the first time he realised exactly what had happened. He was about to die…but Helen Rider, his mother, had taken his bullet; not only that she had shot the man that wanted him dead…and now she was dead. His mother was dead! Again! He collapsed onto the floor, his knees drew up under his chin and his arms wrapped tight around his legs. And then the tears began to fall. Slowly at first, welling up in the corner of is eyes, and then faster, until a river of salty prayers rolled down his face.

Why was it that everyone he loved got hurt or killed? Would anybody ever leave him alone to lead a normal life? He had never known his mother and what he thought he had known had been lies but now she was gone he could never find out. She had saved his life! She must have loved him; somewhere inside her she felt something for Alex. That bit of love, no matter how small or how deep it was hidden, was what had kept her sane, kept her alive. One persons love can thwart a thousand evils.

Alex felt a light hand on his shoulder but he didn't look up. "Alex, let's get away from here…Alex, I love you and I'm here for you now! Please!" His father; he was still alive and he loved him. The thought crept through his mind pushing back the darkness. Someone loved him. His father loved him. Alex lifted his head from his knees; his raw eyes scanned the room. The people looking worriedly at him, his father smiling kindly, a smile which didn't reach his eyes, and his mother's body. Her hand still clutching above her heart, her eyes staring at where Alex had stood and her lips; frozen eternally on one world- 'sorry'.

Alex dragged his eyes away. She was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. It was time to return to the real world. Probably a very different life from the one he had left. As he began to walk away, his fathers arm clenched tight around his shoulders, his mind began to relive the last few months.

He had faked his own death, his friends, Jack Starbright; to them all he was dead. And why? Because of Scorpia! Well now they were gone. There leaders were dead and the last of their followers would be rounded up and dealt with. They no longer posed any threat. Alex Rider could live again but would he have a life to go back to. How long had he been gone?

"What's the date?" His question surprised everyone. They had been walking in silence for ten minutes now.

"10th July." A young member of the SWAT team answered but Alex didn't register who had spoken; he had just heard the date. It was over 7 months since his supposed death. People would have moved on, even Jack would have forgotten him.

"She hasn't forgotten you. In fact far from it, she has known all along something was going on. She has been pestering us for months now! She is a very persistent woman." It was Blunt that had spoken. When Alex turned round to face him he saw that he was smiling." We can stop lying now. You can tell her the truth as soon as we get back." Alex walked the rest of the way in an ecstatic silence. Planning what he would tell Jack. When they finally reached the outside a helicopter sat waiting for them. Alex jumped wearily in next to his father, and within seconds was asleep on his shoulder, the lack of slip and the pain all over had caught up with him but it was alright; everything would be fine now!

But it's funny that the second everything seems to be going your way the wind changes and the thing most precious to you blows up in your face. It's one of those facts of life, along withthe one that says you neverappreciate what you've got until it's gone,one that Alex was going to find was only to true!

The End

Sequel coming soon!

(Read catch)

AUTHORS NOTE- Alright so it wasn't going to be the end but I decided that it was time I wrapped this one up Thanks to Shadow spy I realised how totally naff my ending was and that once again I had totally written a non existent ending. So it's not an ending. It's a beginning.

One catch- next sequel doesn't get posted until I get 60 reviews so you better get your fingers tapping those keys guys. Until then!