Chapter 4: A Sense for Danger
Ian Rider was irritated. He knew Alan Blunt knew full well that his nephew's term ended in a few days and he was getting called in for another mission. While he could take Alex with him, it was dangerous, particularly since Alex's survival training was far from complete and because he had a talent for finding trouble. He had started teaching him at a young age in case his enemies decided to put some effort into tracking him down, NOT because he wanted him anywhere near the intelligence world. Seriously, he hated his boss sometimes. He decided to hint at a break. He wanted to take Alex on a trip to work on his Spanish and maybe some mountain biking. Boys like biking, right? Alex seemed to like the holidays well enough, despite the training. Ian was torn between being pleased that his nephew was doing so well and a certain amount of self-loathing for training him in the first place.
SOUTH AMERICA? Blunt wanted him to go on an investigation in SOUTH AMERICA while bringing his 10-year-old nephew?! The criminal gangs practically rule the poorer parts of some of the countries. It would be a miracle if he didn't get shot or injured. Plus, how was he supposed to explain to Alex if he got injured. There are only so many times you can "fall down the stairs" and stairs don't exactly shoot people. Yes, he could see the conversation now. Yes, Alex, the stairs shot me as I fell down them. Just ignore the hand-shaped bruises and the blatant lie. Honestly, you would think the director of Special Ops for MI6 would come up with a better set of excuses. Though, Ian privately suspected that his boss came up with deliberately flawed excuses as a test for people. If you asked too many questions, well...Blunt was always looking for people to recruit. Alex was also observant and curious - not a good combination for staying out of trouble during his investigation. No way he was leaving Alex with a vacation alone with Ms. Starbright. He already did that enough as it was on his business trips. Ian had already resolved to go with Alex, but he had a bad feeling about this entire trip.
Jack Starbright was concerned and angry. Alex seemed sadder than normal and she really couldn't blame him. Ian Rider was not the most attentive of guardians sometimes and she knew that Alex tried very hard to impress the man. His grades were always exemplary and his joining the soccer team, for one. Not to mention the Karate lessons. She sometimes got angry with her employer because of the fact that he sometimes left Alex with only her for companionship and didn't so much as call on the phone for weeks on end. Not to mention the birthdays he had missed and the school events and…. She also saw that the man supplement Alex's education with activities that seemed almost a little too intense for a child. Honestly, mountain-climbing and white-water rafting and diving were all dangerous, even for adults. She had no idea why Alex would need to know extreme sports or any other skills like it, but the man insisted. What was next? Cliff-diving? She had begun to care for Alex like a sister and hated the loneliness he felt in Ian Rider's absence.
She wondered about the holidays they took sometimes. They were always so long and so physically demanding. It was a wonder Alex didn't hate the outdoors. Alex seemed more suspicious and was always more observant afterward. Honestly, she didn't know what Ian was trying to turn Alex into, but she was frightened for Alex sometimes. All she could do was keep supporting Alex and hope everything went alright in the end. The other times, he pretty much ignored the fact that his nephew existed. His adorable, blond, ever-so-wonderful nephew. It was awful, in her opinion. She hated feeling this helpless.
Alex Rider was worried. He had a sense of foreboding for the entire play date with Tom, which had gone well, all things considered. It felt like just before the starts of his missions. He was anxious for Ian's return, now that he knew exactly how dangerous the man's job was. Tom seemed to sense something was off with Alex, but he had known not to press him after Alex mentioned family issues. Tom could relate to not wanting to talk about his family, considering the turmoil his own was going through. His parents still argued ferociously. At least that hadn't changed. Neither had their friendship. There weren't words in the English language to express Alex's relief that he had Tom. Tom would help him. Tom wouldn't ask questions.
Alex was also, frankly, fed up with school. He had to remember to play nice when most of his classmates had made his life hell after MI6 had ruined his life. Rumors about him being a druggie or a gang member had abounded. A few had stayed loyal, even with their limited knowledge. Even then, it was difficult dealing with children. They all seemed so young and innocent. Then again, they were ten and he had almost been fully grown when he died. The classes, particularly the languages and math, were easy. He also struggled to conceal his new reactions to being approached from behind and his new ability to read moods almost at will (SCORPIA and SCORPIA). He felt he was failing at not being jumpy. Ms. Bedfordshire seemed concerned and he really didn't want his home life investigated. She was the type to call social services if a kid seemed extra jumpy for no apparent reason. At least he didn't have to see the teachers who had failed to notice what was wrong in his life for another few years and it was break time after this week. He wasn't sure how long his facade would hold.
Death was giddy with joy. Phase One of Operation Alex Rider Redo was about to begin. No, the alliteration was not cheesy or overdone. Not at all. The things he was going to make Alex encounter in South America had him plotting like he had never plotted before. Sending him a little twist to his old life would throw him for a loop and he really wanted to see how Alex acted around some new criminal elements. Normal life? Bwah hah hah. As if. Rider was in for a nasty shock. He would feel sorry for the kid if he wasn't his new entertainment. Plus, let's be real, the kid wouldn't actually be satisfied with a boring normal life. Too bad he had yet to realize it, but that wasn't Death's problem.