Built for Espionage: Chapter Ten

Ben continued to sit, leaning against the wall surrounded by nothing, he estimated it had only been three days since he had been taken, yet still nothing had happened and no-one had entered his cell. Not even for food or water.

He was feeling weaker and weaker by the hour, hoping that he hadn't just been abandon and left to die in some unknown location. He prayed that someone knew where he was, even if they person may be his captors. Groaning he stood and walked around the room a few times, trying to keep up his movement in the small cell while also saving as much energy as he could.

As he finally reached one end of the cell the door suddenly jolted and swung open. He stumbled back watching as four who he thought were guards walked into his cell. He surveyed the men, saddened when he realised not one of them held food or any water.

Two men stayed by the door, watching them and the entrance, as the other two approached Ben and he willingly let them grasp his arms, not reacting as them forced a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.

Then they pushed him towards the door, two men walked in front of him as the other two held onto him and walked behind. They escorted him away from the concrete cell and through a few concrete hallways before they stopped at a door, one knocked and it was swung open. The guards pushed him roughly into the cell before leaving only two of the guards.

Only then did he realise there were other people in the room, a man standing behind a chair, another stood beside the chair with one hand resting on the shoulder of another smaller person who was restrained to the chair. He was pushed down to his knees by the two guards behind him, before one of them left- clearly believing they had more than enough people in the room to control Ben.

'Glad you could join us Mr Daniels, I believe we've met before' Said the man standing beside the chair, which was darkened and void of light so much that he could barely spot the person in the chair.

The man who spoke stood away from the chair and came to crouch in front of him, finally seeing the man's face Ben gave out a gasp.

'Sasha'

Wolf, followed by Snake and Eagle made their back into the Royal bank, back into the hands of MI6, the very people who were responsible for their loss of a direct team-mate and a fourteen-year-old boy turned spy.

The two let Wolf lead as the bigger man crashed him way into the main office of one Mr Blunt. He shouted before the door even closed and definitely before Blunt dared to speak up in front of the dangerous SAS soldier.

'How dare you! You knew the danger you were putting both my team and cub in, yet still you did it. And here we go, losing my friend and the target- no a fourteen-year-old kid to criminals because clearly, they knew exactly where we were. They knew the layout of the house; they knew where the house was in the first place and they knew that my team of four and Alex was in there!' Wolf growled before he continued.

'You better know where they are, and you better tell me and my team exactly who we're dealing with before we make it the last thing you ever do!' He didn't advance any closer to Mr Blunt or even the woman in the room, instead they waited, letting Blunt have a few minutes to tell them everything they needed to know.

And it was only an hour and a half later that they left the building again, this time equipped with information that wasn't given before and weapons from Smithers and the regular armoury MI6 provided.

Alex had only been left overnight before Sasha and his guard returned the very next day, they hadn't brought food- though Alex did manage some water from Sasha who had stroked his hair as he drunk. His wrist was still facing upwards, Alex not having the energy to twist it back around in case it opened the deep wound. So, Alex sat cautiously, gag still stretching his mouth open and waited for Sasha to start his next form of torture.

His hopes soared as the door opened and he was meet with a familiar face, so relieved in fact that he nearly didn't notice Sasha's hand falling down from his hair to his neck and then resting on his shoulder. He couldn't call out to the K-unit agent, and he didn't think Ben could even see him thanks to the lighting that had suddenly dimmed in the room not a second before Ben had be pushed inside.

Finally, Alex was released from Sasha holding his shoulder as he approached Ben instead, coming to crouch in front of the young man as he began to talk.

'Glad you could join us Mr Daniels, I believe we've met before' That alone brought but Alex's shock, Ben and Sasha knew each other, and probably not by the same terms Yassen knew the man. Alex heard a gasp from Ben, the man unknowingly shifting backwards against the single guard holding him as he spoke.

'Sasha'

'Honestly so glad we managed to grab you, and not one of your more basic friends- how is the big fellow- Dog? No, no Wolf, and what of the little birdie oh of course the snake?'

'They're none of your business Sasha, you bastard!' Shouted Ben, the man suddenly trying to jump forward at Sasha while the guard behind him still held him on his knees. Alex could tell Sasha was grinning at the development and caught eyes with the guard holding Ben.

'Hang him over there, I want the two prisoners to be able to see each other' Sasha order as he motioned towards a pair of hanging cuffs that swung from the ceiling, low enough to reach Ben, but the man would still be only be able to manage by standing on just a little more than his toes.

'Prisoners?' Questioned Ben as he was roughly strung up, before the guard nodded and made his way out of the room- closing the door as he left. Sasha adjusted the lighting in the formally dark room, allowing Ben to finally cast his eyes clearly at the small frame strapped to the chair.

'Alex!' Cried out Ben, tugging at the chains that held he up on the balls of his feet. The K-unit and MI6 agent surveyed the boy's condition- seeing the red swelled eyes, the gag, the shaking body, tousled hair and then his eyes fell suddenly to the floor, there surrounding the chair on the right side was a large enough puddle of dried blood, obviously that had fallen from a wound to Alex's left arm. And then he saw the cut, crusted with dried blood and with some puss in the centre of the wound.

'Oh god Alex! What did you do to him!' He cried again, jerking from the chains. Sasha watched amused by the other man's reaction. Clearly the man not only was just a protector as he had believed all the agents protecting the boy were- no Daniels knew Alex, and even better cared for the boy.

Sasha reached over to Alex, beginning to play with the boy's hair as he heard Daniels growl, then his hand spilled behind the boys head and he released the gag from Alex's mouth.

'Darling Alexander, answer me this, you know Ms Daniels?' Alex whipped his view from Ben and straight to Sasha, glaring at the man, before he spoke.

'Like I would tell you Pedo' Alex called, he knew he shouldn't anger Sasha, but he wouldn't let what happened to him yesterday happen again. He was scared, the world had all come crashing around him and he was alone. But now he was fine, sure a little blood deprived, but Ben was here. If Ben could handle Sasha, in fact it sounded like all of K-unit had met the man- well that meant he could handle him.

Sasha hissed in anger as he swiftly slapped Alex, before then reaching up to pull the boy's blond locks.

'Try again Alexander, we wouldn't want anything to repeat itself, would we?' Ben called out some derogatory term that Alex barely heard, but still caused a smile to grow as he knew Ben was with him.

'Like I would tell you paedophile' Correct Alex, believing he was in for it as soon as he spoke.

'Very well Alexander, Muller' He queued the man behind Alex who walked over to where Ben hung, waiting for Sasha to give more instructions.

'What shall your punishment be Alexander, we've already cut open your wrist, how about the other? Or maybe- I've always wanted to try this, lets heat up a fire poker, a nice brand on your young skin Alexander I'm sure would look great.' Sasha seemed to agree, he turned to Muller and the two left through the door, promising to be back, most likely with a red-hot fire poker.

Ben eyes instantly fell upon Alex, double checking the boy once more with eyes filled with pity. Alex groaned before turning as much as he could while still being restrained to the chair.

'Don't start- I didn't even pick a fight, he did this when I apparently didn't follow the script' Ben raised an eyebrow before he spoke.

'Script?'

'You won't like this, but I was, well I guess he and I haven't actually been talking for very long- but you probably won't like it.' Ben's instantly thought but to the Sabina girl, he was sure in Alex's file that MI6 had flagged her as a potential future partner, but by the sounds of it, Alex had someone else in mind. Though he couldn't understand what this had to do with Sasha and this apparent script.

'Alex, this isn't what we need to be talking about- how did you get that wound, it's far too deep, are you feeling faint?' Alex cast him a questionable look, then he slowly nodded- confusion evident on his face.

'Uh yeah, no I'm not really faint anymore, I think I passed out though from the blood loss last night. But as I was saying I was supposed to be talking to someone and I said the wrong thing so Sasha cut me.'

'Was that the X on your cheek or the wound on your arm?'

'Arm'

'You said you were talking? Who to? Not Sasha?'

'No not him, no I had a phone on me- and it started ringing while Sasha was talking to me'

'You managed to smuggle in a phone?'

'I didn't smuggle it in, they clearly didn't search me'

'Who called?'

'That's what I was saying earlier, you won't like it- but the phone only has one contact, and of course only one person has the number' Ben was now casting him concerned glances, still seemingly focused on the well-being of Alex, but growing more and more wary about whoever Alex had been talking to. Even worse- clearly without he or K-unit knowing.

While at the same time, Alex was grateful it was Ben he was telling this to. Had it been Wolf the man would've had his head right then and there.

'Yassen, I've been talking to him- when I ran into you guys at the Bank, I had actually just met him again after thinking he was dead, since then I've called only once, but he called yesterday and Sasha found out'

Ben looked on the border of enraged, and Alex- though he knew Ben would never hurt him, was happy that he had kept this a secret till now.

'Alex how could you! He may have known your dad, sure he worked with him- but he's an assassin! he'll kill you just like he did your uncle, you can't trust him Alex!' Ben, while definitely 'pissed' about who Alex had been talking to, but it also could save them he realised. If Yassen, assassin no matter, knew where they were, or at least knew who had them they had a largely increased chance of escape. Whether MI6 found Yassen, or if any of K-unit were still free worked with Yassen, it didn't even matter if just Yassen came, cause that at left them with options.

'You don't understand Ben, everything's gone to shit so quickly in my life, not even a week ago I was at school, talking with my one and only friend about history homework! Everything in my life is ruined again and all because of MI6' Shot back Alex, the fourteen year old tugging unconsciously on the straps keeping him trapped, not even his paper clip- which was in the very same pocket that his phone had been in, was useless against the leather straps.

'Okay Alex, calm down, I get that the last few days haven't been great, but this'll all be over in no time okay' He desperately wanted to reassure the boy, especially after being the reason for his mild outburst, back in all honestly what was he expecting- Alex Rider was a fourteen year old boy, he was just a child.

'Isn't that just the cutest, you've already caused problems for me Daniels' The comment threw both Alex and Ben, they quickly saw Sasha who had re-entered the room, the other man behind him coming in carrying a deep red poker with a coin sized tip that Alex and Ben assumed held a brand.

'Are you ready Alexander, I do feel the need to warn you that there won't be any medical assistance in your future here, though you'll only have less than a month to live anyhow' Sasha gave a chuckle at his words, Ben's protest beginning as both Sasha and the man made their way towards Alex, undoing only the strap around Alex's stomach before lifting his hoodie.

'I'm trying my best to be polite, but if you move that poker a centimeter closer to me, I will tear you apart' barked Alex who was struggling hopelessly against his restraints. Sasha laughed at Alex's threat swapping holding up Alex's hoodie to the other man who in return passed him the poker and it's attached brand, and in a moment of despair Alex wondered what the brand was, he hoped it wasn't anything labeling him as Sasha's property.

'Sasha don't touch him, I'll take the branding!' Ben continued to bargain and in Alex's situation he couldn't help but leach onto the words Ben was saying, especially because he knew Sasha wouldn't brand Ben- at least not in his stead, it was more likely the man would brand Ben after branding Alex just for fun.

And when a burning white pain exploded just above his hip bone he didn't try to hold back his screams or the tears that fell, instead he felt the acid like heat eating at his skin, there wouldn't be any blood- the heat instantly closing any openings, however, he could only pray that the iron would leave his skin before it brunt too deep but with every passing second and the pressure increasing as Sasha pushed it in, his hope of that was fading.

When Alex passed out, the deep red iron branding poker still in his skin, only then did Sasha move the poker out of the child's body and nonchalantly made his way over to where Ben still hung. The twenty-five year old's screams had grown silent at his eyes were trained on Alex and especially where the brand had been left.

'You said you'd take the branding for Alex, but you don't seem to understand that you're not control and therefore I've decided to help you learn your lesson.' Not a second later the now warm poker was pushed into his own body, right over his shirt and landing right where Alex had his brand. The pain while burning and still eating at his shirt and skin was far weaker than the pain Alex had gone through, however, while the poker had been held on Alex for nearly thirty seconds, because of the decreased heat, the poker on him would be keep on him at least a minute before it left even half of Alex's burn.