Disclaimer: I don't own any characters blah blah blah owned by Anthony Horowitz blah blah blah don't sue me.
Summary: Some rules are meant to be followed. Others were made to be broken. John decided the rule of not writing about his ordeals was one of the latter. Years later, Alex finds a notebook in the attic and decides he needs to know what it means. His decision changes a lot.
Slight AU (Alternative Universe), characters acting slightly OOC (Out Of Character).
'Cause you're a Natural
Chapter 10
It had been a bit of a surprise when Yassen turned out to be right.
Alex hadn't recognised anyone at his uncle's funeral apart from the people the assassin had sent him photos of. They had toed the party line with Ian's "car crash" and he might have believed them if he didn't know better. Honestly, they were supposed to be spies, yet they came out with such pitiful excuses.
Unless that was supposed to be the point, and they were hoping to poke his curiosity into sending him somewhere he shouldn't be, and blackmail him into working for them that way. The "We'll be in touch soon" didn't sound at all ominous. Why did -
Brinnng brinnng. Brinnng brin-
"Hello?"
"Они появились на похоронах," (They turned up at the funeral) the assassin stated. Alex waved Jack off and walked down the street for privacy, missing the van parked outside his house.
"Они даже упомянули, что скоро свяжутся без преследователей," (They even mentioned that they'll be in touch soon in a non-stalkery way) he returned.
"Йен оставил все тебе в своем завещании. К несчастью для вас, он находится в доверительном управлении банка Королевский энд Дженерал Банк, который использует МИ-6. Они могут угрожать продать все, оставить вас без крова или даже лишить денег. Любая ваша попытка лишить их контроля над средствами вряд ли увенчается успехом," (Ian left everything to you in his will. Unfortunately for you, it's in trust with the Royal General Bank, which is the front MI6 uses. They may threaten to sell everything, leave you homeless or even withhold funds. Any attempt that you make to take away their control of the funds is unlikely to succeed) Yassen warned. He could hear the sound of a keyboard in the background.
"Дерьмо," (Shit) he cursed, idly watching a van drive past him.
"Язык," (Language) admonished a slightly amused assassin. Alex stuck his tongue out childishly, even though the man couldn't see him.
"Что я делаю?" (What do I do?)
"Через день или два, в зависимости от почтовой системы, вы получите серьгу. Он магнитный, так что вам не придется прокалывать ухо, и у него есть встроенный передатчик, подключенный к одному из моих телефонов. Он может записать 20 часов разговора. Коснитесь ее один раз, чтобы начать запись, второй раз, чтобы остановить, и удерживайте ее в течение трех секунд, если считаете, что я должен слушать. Что бы кто ни говорил, независимо от того, за кем вы хотите следовать, не подходите к банку, пока не возьми," (In a day or two, depending on the postal system, you'll receive an earring. It's magnetic, so you won't have to get your ear pierced, and it has a built-in transmitter connected to one of my phones. It can record 20 hours of conversation. Tap it once to start recording, a second time to stop, and hold it for three seconds if you think I should listen in. No matter what anyone says, regardless of who you want to follow, don't go near the bank until you get it) Yassen ordered.
Alex mentally took note of the man's orders and hesitated. He didn't know whether he wanted to ask, what the answer could be. He must have been silent for longer than he thought, or Yassen was very perceptive.
"Спросить". (Ask)
He hesitated for another second, breathed out, and did.
"Ты убил моего дядю?" (Did you kill my uncle?) he asked, only realising at that second Yassen had probably been taught how to lie without giving himself away. He still knew what answer he wanted to hear, though.
"Коллега. Йен был хорош, но на этот раз недостаточно хорош. Если бы клиент использовал другой метод для достижения своих целей, он мог бы ответить «да». Однако я… не люблю биологическое оружие," (A colleague. Ian was good, but not good enough this time. If the client had been using a different method to achieve his goals, it could have been yes. However, I… am not fond of biological warfare) Yassen admitted for what was probably the first time ever.
(It was.)
"Спасибо," (Thank you) Alex declared. There was a beep, and the call was finished. He put his phone in his pocket and walked back up the street towards his house.
(A.N: Translations correct according to Google Translate.