A/N: Once again, editing done by Eleni_pixie. Also, I'd really like some feedback on this story. I'm not begging for reviews, I'd just like to know how I'm doing. I'm especially interested to know who you all think the boy was from the last chapter. I'm sure the girl was pretty easy . . .
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Alex had ridden in the Bentley once before – when Butler had picked him up from the airport. The ride had been cozy and high-tech, and practically screamed, "There is a Fowl inside. We have too much money, as you can see, and our bodyguard will kill you if you bother us!" It was the type of car that Alex could see Artemis being chauffeured around in.
However, as attractive as the car was, Alex did not think it safe – seeing as there was a crazy person trying to kill him through spirits – to be so ostentatious. A rental Impala would do just fine. Alternately, if Artemis was going for safety, Alex would not object to a Hummer.
"Um, Artemis?" he asked, his eyes locking on the tinted window that separated the giant Eurasian man from his passengers as he slid in the back seat. "Should we . . . stand out this much?"
The other teen looked up from the handheld computer he was engrossed in. "What do you mean?"
"Well, we're being stalked by a crazed maniac who's trying to kill me. Shouldn't we be, I don't know, under the radar?"
Artemis blinked in bewilderment. "We are under the radar." Alex had nothing to say to that.
****
Fowl Manor looked abandoned, the spy noted. The horses, normally roaming, were tucked into the stalls. The driveway was empty and the garage door was shut tight. There were no lights on that Alex could see: but, then again, all the heavy tapestries were drawn.
He looked over at the genius inquisitively. He couldn't really imagine Artemis, Sr. allowing his house to go under lock down, without explanation, nor could he see the twins, Myles and Beckett, being locked in the house.
"They're gone," Artemis explained with a pained expression. "The fairies took them underground. They're mesmered, of course, except for mother." The car stopped and Artemis angled himself out of the car. "A team of fairies are here now. They'd like to meet you."
Artemis made quick introductions when they entered the house: the short man with the badge was Commander Trouble Kelp of the LEP, the blond woman with the badge was Commander Vinyaya of Section 8, and the centaur was, obviously, Foaly. Holly and Mulch made up the rest.
"You have a video message, Artemis," Foaly said gravely, cutting right to the chase. "Which I still haven't been able to trace. He made it in a park, transferred the video to a type of USB drive, uploaded it to another public computer and sent it." He shook his head. "This kid is smart."
"Almost as smart as you," Trouble grumbled. "I don't even think you gave us this much trouble."
Artemis ignored the comment, instead fixing the centaur with an intense gaze. "Has he said what it is he wants?"
Foaly pressed a button and a hologram flickered to life. It showed a young boy, tan with blond hair, maybe fifteen, sitting in a park. There was nothing around him except trees, and he had edited out any background noise. His black eyes burned with anger, though his face remained blank.
"See for yourself."
The hologram flickered again. The boy's mouth opened, then the video glitched and restarted.
"Hello, Artemis," he began pompously, "I'm sure, by now, you're wondering who it is that's been behind all these strange attacks on your friend." He paused, leaning forward slightly. "Well, I won't tell you my true name – that would just make the game so much shorter. I have big plans for this game, you see." He smiled. "So, instead, I will give myself a fake name: Hunter," he chuckled. "Rather apt, don't you think? Artemis means The Hunter. The Hunter is now being hunted by Hunter." Artemis rolled his eyes at the pun.
He paused. "I'm not going to go into any theatrics. I have something you want – the spell to really stop these ghosts – and you have something I want. To tell the truth there are several things, but I'm not going to reveal them just yet. I'm sure you have friends with you, watching this with you. I'm also sure that you don't want them to know what it is you've done.
"You have until midnight tonight. You can send them anyway you like, it doesn't matter, just so long as they are no longer in your possession. I'll call at precisely 12:01 for you to tell me the good news. If you don't tell me good news, the deal is up and I start killing." He glowered at the screen. "This time, they won't survive."
The video ended. Everyone turned to Artemis.
He shrugged, looking honestly confused. "I can't imagine what it is I've stolen from him. I knew of everyone that I stole from, in some way or another, but I've never seen this boy before."
Trouble sighed. "Well, that puts us back to square one. Now, with a time limit."
"I have an idea," Vinyaya said, tossing her hair. "We use the mud boy," she pointed a finger at Alex, "as bait."
Artemis raised an eyebrow coolly, but everyone in the room knew him well enough to know that the statement had angered him. "How will that solve anything? This boy is after me, not Alex."
"Look," she cut in angrily, "they tried to kill him once. They obviously know that it didn't work. Eventually, they'll come back to finish the job. That's when we catch him."
"That's assuming they care enough to come back," Holly pointed out. "They may have stabbed Alex to get at Artemis, to give him more reason to cooperate. Like you said: they know he survived. They haven't done anything about it. Using him as bait will just waste time."
"Well, don't see you coming up with a better idea, Captain," she spat.
"Unfortunately," Trouble cut in, grimacing, "I have to agree with Vinyaya. We have no idea what it is this kid wants." He glared accusingly at Artemis, as if he didn't believe he was telling the truth.
Artemis, already having guessed that no one believed him, sighed heavily. "Honestly, Commander, I have no idea who he is, or what it is I've taken. According to him, it was several things, but that doesn't seem sensible – I've never stolen from the same place twice."
"Yes, well," Vinyaya snarled, "with your track record, I suppose we should just trust you."
Artemis inclined his head, but said nothing.
Alex could feel his anger building. First, MI6 manipulated him, with no concerns about his well-being or his feelings. Now, the fairies were stepping up to do just that. Was there any part of this life that he got any say in?
"When do I get to voice my opinion on this subject?" he demanded, his voice louder than everyone's. "I am, after all, the one who's going to be used as bait."
Vinyaya opened her mouth, but Trouble and Holly both glared at her. "Let him speak," the LEP commander ordered. She glared right back, but kept silent.
"I think using me as bait is a stupid idea," he proclaimed. "This Hunter guy said nothing about wanting me, or even caring that I was alive. Also, if he's as smart as you all think, he'd be expecting a trap like this."
"So what do you propose we do?" Mulch asked, stepping forward.
The spy frowned, trying to remember his training and experience.
"I know what I'd want done," Artemis announced suddenly.
Holly raised her eyebrows. "Why did I suddenly just get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach?"
Butler glanced over at her, speaking for the first time. "I don't know. I just got the same feeling."
The genius ignored them both, instead focusing on the two commanders. "I would want the person I was threatening alone. Not only is it emotionally and mentally frightening to be isolated, but it's much easier to manipulate one person. As he is after me," he paused and adjusted his tie, "I propose that I go as bait."
"No. No way!" Butler argued. "That is way too dangerous, Artemis, even for you." The hulking man mountain crossed his arms and shook his head. "I won't let you."
"You may not have a choice," he interjected quietly. "This plan will work. It's the only plan that will work."
Mulch grimaced and glanced guiltily over at Butler. "I gotta agree, Big Man. I mean, this kid's after Artemis. Why not give him what he wants? Both the LEP and Section 8 will be watching. Plus you," he added quickly, "so, there's really no threat."
"Except this is Artemis," the bodyguard pointed out. "Artemis can find a threat to himself while laying in bed. He's a tactical nightmare."
The moment the words tactical nightmare escaped Butler's lips, Alex saw the genius' eyes light up. Much like Butler and Holly, he felt a strange, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had a feeling he knew what was coming.
"We don't only have that," Artemis said slowly. Again, all eyes swiveled to him. "We also have a spy."
There was silence.
"That could work," Trouble said, catching on. "If this kid knows you, he knows that Butler is practically glued to you. He'd assume that Butler wouldn't let you go anywhere alone. So if you leave . . ."
"He'd take it to think that I want to cooperate," the raven-haired teen finished with a flourish.
"You can't stay here," Vinyaya pointed out. "For one thing, it's too guarded and second, he'd expect you to stay here." She paused. "Where else can you go?"
For once, the young genius didn't have an answer, something that both shocked and bothered the other occupants in the room. Artemis was supposed to be able to answer everything.
Alex felt a strange sensation growing in his throat. It was almost as if he wanted to speak. That was impossible though, because he didn't have any place for Artemis to go . . . It wasn't as if he could just . . .
"I know where you could go," he spoke up. This time, all the eyes focused on him.
He swallowed thickly. This was going to be a long day.
