Chapter 6: A Buggy Lesson (or two)

The first thing Alex noticed getting off the plane was that Brazil was hot and very, very humid. It was a jungle climate. The second thing he noticed was that Ian seemed to have come to some sort of decision by the end of the flight. As he carried his luggage out through the baggage claim area, he couldn't help but notice the noise of the city and the overwhelming smells and shouts that came with it. A car seemed to have been sent for them by the 'bank'. As Alex got into the car next to Ian, he felt a sense of foreboding, like a sudden chill had come to the jungle. It was gone in the next moment.

The driver had been very well payed by Royal and General Bank to pick up the manager and his son and take them to the hotel. He thought that the two of them were rather quiet, even for the English. He briefly wondered what kind of kid was that quiet. His own children were loud and would have bounced about the car. He decided that it was none of his business and dropped them off at the hotel, making sure to be careful with the bags. As he drove off, he couldn't quite get the kid's haunted brown eyes out of his head and decided to head for the bar before going home.

Ian Rider was tired. He knew he had to check the hotel room over before they did anything, however, and was in no way going to slack on safety just because the flight was long and the airport lines were tedious. He decided it was time for a lesson for Alex, to. Everyone should know how to check a hotel room for bugs right? He'd leave the really paranoid stuff for when Alex was older. Ian had also decided to switch the lesson to jungle surveillance with a side of mountain biking. He fondly remembered all the camping disasters that the higher- ups had decided to call team-building exercises. Amateurs. Some of them hadn't even known how to properly do the basics with no supplies on hand. He sometimes wondered how any of them lived as long as they did. It was one of the reasons he had insisted Alex discover things on his own; he had seen what happened to people who relied solely on others while growing up. Self-reliance is an important trait of adulthood.

Alex began to wonder exactly what he had gotten himself into when Ian grabbed a notebook, went to the bathroom, turned the water on, and gestured for him to come in. When they were inside, he shut the door. Ian wrote out on the notebook.

We have to check for listening devices a.k.a bugs. Common places include: lamp shades, paintings, and furniture. They can be anywhere, though.

What do we do with them?

Leave them for now. Mark where they are and remember not to have conversations you don't want listened to anywhere near the room, even if you don't find them.

Where then?

Outside in a noisy forest, crowded bar, public area in prearranged code. You'll think of something.

Why not smash the bugs?

It tips 'em off.

Let's do this, then.

After finding a bug in the lampshade, both of them exchange a look. Alex decided that it was probably the usual paranoia with touristy hotels and covert operations in countries. Ian shrugs and replaces the bug in the lampshade. He writes:

Looks like audio only.

Well, that's good. The bathroom stunt would look really suspicious on camera. Act normal?

Yes.

"We should get some sleep after we finish with the suitcases, Alex." "Sure, Ian." "You'll also have a surprise activity tomorrow; there has been a slight change of plan." Not like you told me what they were in the first place, was the thought that came into Alex's head. He refrained from commenting. At least the showers were not communal; his friends and some of the SAS had gossiped about some of the terrible hotels they had been to (not to mention the showers at basic training). He was also unsure about how Ian would feel about his brand-new and involuntary body art. He was still pissed about having a flower tattooed to his right upper arm, like a brand. Death hadn't even asked. He supposed it kept him from ignoring his situation and from thinking he had imagined the whole thing, but he wished it was something slightly more masculine. He was also relieved the nightmares hadn't come back, though he thought it was creepy that his head had been messed with. Seriously? The memories should bother him. People he had watched die or accidentally done in. He was a little disturbed he no longer felt guilty about anything except the people he cared about getting hurt. Maybe it was the fact that they were alive? Or maybe he now knew that he had no choice in any of it? Either way, no way was he letting Jack, Ian, Tom, or the Pleasures get hurt on his watch. As he towered off, he couldn't help thinking that it would be a long four years. He would have to find ways to tip off MI6 without getting anywhere near them- he wasn't going to let millions of people die because of his own issues with them, after all. He wondered how many times they would go for an anonymous tip before they came looking for a source. He decided not to worry about it for the next few years and go to sleep.

As Ian Rider prepared for bed, he also examined himself and his life choices. He didn't regret serving his country or the thrill of the assignments he got. He did regret leaving behind his nephew, both physically and emotionally at times. Ian was torn between educating Alex himself and sending him to school with other ordinary children. He supposed he could always change his mind at a later date either way. At the moment, he hoped the lesson tomorrow wasn't going to be too harsh. He knew Alex was already strained and probably not very happy with him at the moment. He wanted to do better now that his nephew kind of knew what he really did for a living. Besides God knows what Alex would get himself into if he wasn't taught to be careful. His last thought was that he really wanted both of them to survive.

As a matter of fact, a supernatural being did know what Alex was getting himself into, at least he knew what was coming the kid's way. Death hadn't expected the kid would diverge so soon from the last timeline yet. Ultimately, this was about changing. Yes, it would be thrilling to watch, but the idea was that he wouldn't die young. As Death, he could technically make him undying, but otherwise the kid was living and therefore not under his direct domain. He felt one of his perimeter alarms go off. Uh oh. Looks like Fate had found out what he was up to. "Death! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? YOU BROUGHT SOMEONE BACK FROM THE DEAD, BROKE ONLY EVERY RULE FOR YOU EVER, AND SENT A TEENAGER INTO AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE FOR YOUR OWN SICK AMUSEMENT!" "But Fate.." "DON'T BUT FATE ME!THAT POOR KID BETTER HAVE A DECENT LIFE OR I WILL PERSONALLY FIND A WAY TO GET YOU MURDERED." Death shivered; he knew that Fate was serious. He supposed he'd have to revise his plans for more subtlety. Plus, he felt a little bad about what he had done, but not bad enough that the kid would have a boring life. Who wanted one of those anyway? He would personally bet the kid would be bored within a month of it, although he had been banned from betting by Fate because he had a huge advantage (immortal and semi-omniscient being) and was "sadistic" to losers, apparently. He barely kept from cringing as Fate sent him another irate glare before vanishing. He would just have to be more subtle...and hope Fate didn't find out about what he had planned.

Alex Rider woke to the sunrise streaming in through the crack in the curtains. He wondered why he had gotten up so early. Wasn't he supposed to be jet-lagged? He decided it was the sunlight and the fact that he had slept at night. He decided to take a closer look at the room. Ian was still sleeping, so he would be very quiet. He took in the old hardwood walls, the green carpet, and the green and gold color scheme. The mini-bar was also hardwood and stocked. The bathroom was older marble. The lamps had probably been in style about fifty years ago and the lights definitely had an old-school set up. He had already memorized the fire escape plan (you can never be too careful, plus he had burned down enough places to be paranoid about fires). He decided to get dressed and go for a run. He wanted to scout the area. He doubted Ian would be up soon, but he wrote a note anyway:

Ian, I went out for a run to explore. I should be back in time for breakfast.

Alex

Ian Rider woke up because the room was a little too quiet. He sighed and felt a jolt of panic when he realized Alex was gone. What the? He spotted the note and wasn't all that reassured. Going for a run and being back at breakfast time. Could he be any vaguer if he tried? Sure he let Alex have his independence, but he was in a new country. Surely he would have waited? Actually, on all their other trips he had. He wondered why Alex was suddenly independent to a degree even he was startled by. What happened while he was gone? When exactly did Alex decide to quit relying on adults for…everything really? The note was more like one he would get from a colleague. If Blunt had so much as looked sideways at Alex… He didn't want to think about it. He was actually kind of put out because of the note and his boss, but he got dressed and decided to worry about it later. He didn't really want to add strain to Alex and his relationship quite yet. He knew he was already on thin ice because of all the lying he had done for MI6. He decided to head down for breakfast. What was the worst that could happen to Alex in an hour really? He had been taking self-defense lessons and no one would expect a ten-year-old to be able to defend themselves.

Alex had regretted leaving Ian with only a vague note, but he couldn't really write that he needed to stay fit because he didn't want to be out of breath running from assassin, just in case the plan for a normal life he had from time-travel failed miserably like all his other future plans right? He had also regretted not checking the good areas of the town with the reception. Did he have a sign that said 'come to me I am part of the criminal underworld' on his back in Spanish? The number of times he had be approached by the street criminals could not be the normal amount for dumb wandering tourists or no one would ever travel here. Although, he had accidentally let slip he knew at least a little Spanish- it had been early and he had reacted instinctively. He decided to run back before Ian got too worried. He hoped he didn't get grounded for going on his morning run. That would be irony at its highest, being grounded for being healthy. He decided to shower first, even though he didn't smell that bad because showing up to breakfast after exercising like he had was bound to draw questions. He headed down soon after. As he approached the hotel breakfast area, he spotted Ian. Ian did not look at all happy with his new life choice, which was funny because he had put emphasis on both fitness and independence in his last life. Ian gestured for Alex to sit next to him. To anyone else, he would look like a cheerful parent, but Alex could spot the man's tenseness and the tightness around his eyes that would either be worry, irritation, or a combination of the two. Darn. He had left a note, which was his only defense at this point. He sits down at the table. Sometimes dread came from the smallest of things. Ian sighs. "We'll talk in the room, Alex." They finish breakfast in the most awkward silence since Alex had come back from the dead. And it wasn't like that other breakfast hadn't been pretty awkward. Alex barely managed to keep from fidgeting the whole time. He remembered only then that he hadn't 'explored' places alone until after Ian had shown them to him for at least a few days. He did care about the man's opinion of him, even though he knew he was his own person. He couldn't help but worry as they both went up.

"You left with only a note, Alex. Do you have any idea how I felt when I woke up and you were gone? I was worried. You could have been kidnapped for all I knew."

"I was fine, Ian." Alex decided not to mention the street he had nicknamed Crime Street. It was a more fitting one than it currently had at the moment.

"Fine?! Alex…. I don't really know what to say, but next time you go for a run in a foreign country take me with you the first few times. Okay?" Ian had decided that the conversation was normal enough for the hotel room and that it couldn't wait for too long.

Alex decided telling Ian that he should be more careful himself would not be productive and decided to just let the man gave his way. "Alright, but you may be getting up extra early." He hoped Ian would be put off by this, but knew it was unlikely.

"Well… Good." He had honestly expected more of an argument. He decided to add, "I'm glad you take being fit so seriously." He was trying to bait Alex into telling him what the new exercise was for. He was already the most fit in his grade, probably the school. He knew it was a habit at home as well. Ms. Starbright had told him that. He mentally held back a groan when all he got was: "Being fit is important, Ian." Alex was going to kill him with unspoken questions alone.

Alex knew full well that there was an unspoken element to Ian's last question. He also knew that a vague answer was best, considering if he answered the unspoken why, there would be more questions. The kind he didn't have answers for. He also didn't want to give anything away and he took a petty degree of satisfaction that he now had Ian more focused on him than the job. The man was either taking a few days to get acclimated or observing him instead of the target. He bet he was never this interesting to the man in the past life. He decided to try to quit blaming this Ian for the other Ian's actions. He was kind of brutal about it sometimes and that he had left Alex with so many questions when he died. Right now though, he was really glad the man didn't ask awkward questions. "So what are we going to do today?" Ian smirked. "Well, Alex, you are going to get a practical gift from me and we are going to to camp." Alex barely managed to keep from staring at the man in shock as he handed Alex a knife. Alex knew from his time in SCORPIA that it was a Fairbairn-Sykes, it had been popular with the CIA and SAS. Was his uncle really giving him a deadly weapon? He decided to put it up before his uncle regained his common sense about giving children knives. He was also given a sheath that he could easily conceal on him. He was glad someone took his safety seriously. "So what exactly are we doing?" Ian was still going along with his plan. He thought the shocked expression was rather hilarious on Alex, but felt better now that he had a weapon. Alex prayed it wasn't some sort of camping exercise. "Camping, of course." Alex kept back a groan. Ian must have seen his expression, because he reassured Alex it would be fun. "With no gear and only a knife, Ian?" "It's the best kind of camping Alex." "Why is that?" "Because in real life, you don't always carry camping equipment, so only taking a knife makes sense, since you will always have that with you from now on. Come on, it'll be fun Alex." Famous last words, was the phrase that came to mind. Ian then had paid for the rooms for them to be kept until they left. It was the general way he had his boss set things up after one too many times losing his luggage because he didn't pick it up in time.

Alex and Ian silently crept through the brush. They failed to notice they were being watched from a distance. The man had been on break when he had recognized both of them. He knew he shouldn't be thinking about Alex, let alone following him on vacation, though if he read the situation right the uncle was actually on assignment and using the trek through the wilderness to get to the remote area he was supposed to find. He had stayed away to keep him safe, but he figured that as long as he was on break (his schedule was flexible) he could follow and make sure that Ian Rider didn't get his nephew killed. He had, after all, a promise he made to himself to keep. Plus, if Rider was involved his employers might not care why he had followed the man. Personally, he knew for a fact that John had been way better than his brother, but he was the top agent for MI6, so he should be competent enough to get important assignments. Also, he was kind of pissed at the man for dragging the kid into the spy world. Children should be at home and school, not going on (he hoped) disguised special ops training in the wilderness. He decided to keep following. He knew he wouldn't be spotted- neither of them was John after all.

Alex felt like he was being watched. After receiving a crash course from Ian for survival on any terrain, they were off. Ian occasionally pointed things like edible or medicinal plants out, but was silent otherwise. Alex tried to break the occasional stick, but felt like he was failing at looking like a beginner at jungle stealth training. Ian didn't say anything, but after the fourth stick and suspicious look from Ian, Alex hated the noise enough to quit the charade they both knew was a charade. He hated lying, at least that didn't change. Besides, he knew Ian wouldn't pull a Belinda Troy on him. She had really been afraid of him a few minutes after the boat incident and before that she hadn't considered him as a work partner. Ian actually wanted him to be good, unlike the SAS and most, if not all, of his partners (initially) in the field. After the third hour of both of them moving silently, Alex decided to ask. "What is this really about?" Ian sighs. "I have to find someone's base and try to destroy it". He left out the part where he was supposed to shoot the guy in charge. He was sure Alex would not go into the actual base and see that part, not to mention he had standards about what kids should be exposed to (they may be low, but they are there). He wasn't going to shoot someone in front of Alex unless it was self-defense. He also noticed that Alex had moved silently in their trek and the complete lack of any complaints. He really hoped that the lack of complaints was because of exercise and not something worse. He decided he would surveil Alex's teachers when he got back. They had been vetted, but it couldn't hurt to be sure. Blunt could keep the country from blowing up or dying in mass droves for a few days without him. The man had to have someone else to send. When there was an hour before dark, he decided to stop at a relatively hospitable set of trees next to the river they had been following. It had a nice overhang and lots of dead wood. He showed Alex how to clear the spot for a campfire and how to make a smoke hood without smothering the fire. Since they had been gathering plant to eat for the day, he had decided to leave the hunting lessons until later, especially since he had only knives and the bullets MI6 had been able to get past airport security, which was very limited. He hadn't even gotten his throwing knives for this mission. He decided to start teaching Alex that and get him a covert set for himself after he had learned it. He would tell Ms. Starbright that they were archery lessons. He hoped Alex would like the brand new 'archery' lessons and set. He was getting seriously paranoid about safety when it came to his nephew. He had a feeling that Alex would need it someday, but he didn't know why. He had definitely not told his boss about what he and his nephew did during holidays and he was not going to; he suspected Blunt had his own dossier on Alex anyway. Profiling relatives, friends, and other people close to spies was standard for MI6 and most other agencies.

Alex had already asked Ian what he was doing here, but he knew the man had not told him the whole truth. As they boiled their drinking water and washed off the plants they had gotten, cutting off the inedible parts, he wondered exactly what that might be. He already hated the bugs in the jungle and had decided to order massive amounts of bug spray when they got back to England. He had heard it made great poison and blinded people like pepper spray, to, just in case he got attacked at home. He wondered if he could get rosary peas, hot peppers, and ferns with flammable pollen into the garden without Ian figuring out what they were. He was also going to start carrying a lighter- one of the nicer ones that (as a certain book put it) let people know you were up to no good. He was more focused on the explosions and fire anyway. Smithers had once said that he liked his explosions, and he was completely correct. Also, concealed weapons cache(s)? Or visible ones if he could convince Jack they were 'cool traveling souvenirs' instead of dangerous items to be locked away. He didn't think he would have to try hard. Some weapons did make nice (and functional) wall decorations after all. Worst come to worst he could redecorate with heavy ceramics around the house and drop or throw them at uninvited guests. They even had the added benefit of being able to store items temporarily. Having to learn about pottery to have a fake ceramics obsession would be very dull, but far from the worst thing he had ever had to read.

The watcher was surprised by the adeptness that the boy moved through the jungle. He couldn't help but be impressed at the movement and lack of complaints. He also noticed that the knife was new to the kid. A lack of weapons training? Tsk, tsk. If you drag a kid into this, weapons and hand to hand were practically a survival requirement. At this point, he was debating the merits of taking Alex for himself. He didn't really have the patience or time for children or a family, but an apprentice was…an option he might consider, if the wrong people found out about Alex. MI6 under Blunt was not known for its compassion towards employees. He decided that if Alex was recruited by an organization and not trained properly, he would do the job himself.

Brief Note: Sorry it is late, but my router crapped out on me and I just got Wi-Fi back today.