Rider Meets Bond
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Alex Rider or the iconic figure, James Bond. They belong to Anthony Horowitz and Ian Fleming respectively.
A/N: Anthony Horowitz stated that an Australian was a board member of Scorpia in Book Five. This chapter pretty much relates to 007's meteoric rise as a 00 agent. Parts are adapted from Casino Royale. Alongside, the name mentioned by 007 is indeed the purported real name of M.
Chapter Five: Rendezvous
The sun had already set, leaving the night sky lit by the rays of the moon and its stars. As a fog began to settle around a modern office building, a Nissan Skyline pulled up at the entrance. As the driver's door opened, it revealed a balding man in his fifties stepping out from the car. Little was known of the man but he was the managing director of one of the largest companies in Prague. A trench coat shielded him from the crisp weather as he stepped into the entrance of the building. From there, he took an elevator towards the fifteenth floor of the building, where his office was located. As the elevator doors slid open, his leather clad shoes came into contact of the silent marble floors of the office level. He made his way stealthily towards his own office and closed the door behind him. The monitor screen from his desktop illuminated the room as he walked towards his desk. There, he found himself face to face with another man. Handsome and emotionless, the other man looked in his twenties. "Mr. Bond, what're you doing here?" he asked, as he looked somewhat surprised.
James Bond was seated directly opposite the male director as he looked extremely cool. "I'm looking for someone. Perhaps you can help me," he replied monotonously. The director stepped closer to his desk and took a seat before cupping his hands together. Rarely did he come face to face with a British agent, especially in the Czech capital. In truth, the director was Jarek Stepnek, a renowned spy from the Czech secret intelligence. In the past, Jarek had often assisted MI6 in several international espionage cases and proved to be a reliable ally in unfamiliar territory. However, as of late…Jarek has proven to be less reliable than intended. With some information from the German military intelligence, it was gathered that Jarek worked as a double agent against his own nation and the European Union. He was assisting a former Soviet Union spy and acted as an advisor to Scopia's board of directors. As such, the newly recruited 007 was required to remove him out of duty.
"Well, I am sure whoever it is…I will try my best to locate him for you. After all, we're all on the same side, eh?" he asked, looking at Bond with weary eyes. The suspicious expression directed at 007 proves that he was nervous with the direct confrontation from the 00 British agent. James barely moved from his seat as he calmly replied to Jarek's response. "It has come to our attention that someone has been double crossing us, Jarek…MI6 needs to know who and why," he stated as he looked at the Czech. Beads of sweat could be seen forming on the forehead of the director. Considering that it was rather cool outside, fear could be sensed in the director's body language. Taking a gulp, he stuttered in his reply.
"A…a double agent? Who…who could it possibly be?" he asked as his hands darted under the desk, towards the immediate left drawer. Usually keeping it locked, the director had failed to realise that it wasn't in his nervousness. "Well, I assure you 007 that I will help MI6 locate this rogue agent and bring him justice," he said as he grasped the handle of the drawer. James Bond could be seen as half amused from his manner as he nodded at the Czech. "I'll be sure to tell Mawdsley that you'll be on hand," he stated. As soon as the words escaped 007's lips, Jarek could be seen pulling open the drawer, only to find it empty. The expected Glock 17 handgun which he keeps inside his desk was nowhere to be found and looking up, he found himself face to face with 007's weapon.
The 00 agent still maintained his cool and expressionless demeanour as he looked at Jarek. "One always comes prepared. You, I believe…are not," he stated before firing two shots at the rogue agent. The two silent shots were accurate to the target and found it lodged inside the chest of the rogue agent. As he fell to the ground, 007 stood up and removed the silencer from his Walther P99. "It only takes so much to become a 00," he stated before removing the documents that were left on the director's table and left swiftly after that.
In present day Rome, James Bond could be seen staring out of the hotel's large windows which overlooked the city. As the sun began to set in the horizon, the city's lights rushed to flicker on like the stars in the night sky. Earlier on, a visit from the gadgets master at MI6 proved to be vital in the success of their mission. However, more pressing thoughts were running through the mind of the 00 agent. Alex could be seen reading the manual to his recently acquired S&W handgun, fascinated by its features and handling. A folder of documents and papers lay on the coffee table nearby where MI6 had forwarded to the formidable pair on their updated assignments.
Turning around to face his partner in crime once more, James walked over to Alex and sat down in an unattended armchair, staring into the warm fire which gently cackled. "So Alex…Just out of curiosity, why did you choose to be an agent?" he asked, looking at the teenage spy. It proved to be welcome distraction for both of the British agents to strike up a conversation and understand one another better. Turning his attention onto Bond, Alex closed the manual and paused before replying. "I never did choose for this life. Sometimes, I'd even hate myself for picking this but Alan Blunt pretty much blackmailed me into the job. It was either this or they'd put me somewhere miserable," he stated as he stared at his hands.
With a nod, James seemed to understand the reluctance of Alex to join MI6. It seemed surreal of the harrowing experiences that a secret intelligence agent would encounter in the field and James often doubted his decision of accepting an offer from MI6. He often saw himself as a regular citizen doing day jobs in an office. However, that course of life was never meant to be. He knew that the life span of a secret agent wasn't very long and he had to live and let live. The ringing of the phone brought him out of his thoughts as he rose to pick up the phone. "Yes…We'll be there…" he stated before putting down the receiver.
"It's time, Alex…" the 00 agent stated to the younger British agent.
The nightlife in the outskirts of Rome was pretty much quiet as both James and Alex travelled silently through the winding streets of the Italian nation. Sensing that the engine was the only source of noise, James turned towards Alex with a friendly smile. "Any favourites?" he asked, as he pointed to the CD player. Shrugging, Alex didn't mind whatever tunes the 00 agent had in mind. Nodding with a smile, he played the track available in the car. The tune Piano Concerto in A Minor began playing as soft humming could be heard from the older agent. Alex smiled inwardly as he looked out of the Aston Martin's window. As they whipped past the numerous street lights that illuminated the roads of Italy, he could see from the side view mirror that a BMW M5 was tailing them.
Looking over at James, it seemed the 00 agent also realised that they were being followed. The expressionless features of the British agent spelt that he was uncertain of the identity of the pursuer, friend or foe. As he sped up, the BMW soon followed in rapid pursuit of the Aston Martin. Somewhat confused by the scene, Alex could see him prepare for an assault from the unidentified vehicle. As Alex watched through the darkened glass of the Aston Martin, he could see the BMW as it pulled alongside them. Opening the storage compartment, James could be seen headed for the active camouflage igniter.
Soon enough, the BMW pulled in front of the Aston Martin and James had to swerve to avoid the car. He soon accelerated away from the momentarily stationary German car as they approached the bend. However, a road block could be seen up ahead and he had little choice but to slow down the car. Nearing the road block, several officers could be seen unveiling their array of arsenal and began firing at the car. As though by instinct, he reversed the car away from the roadblock with the bullets ricocheting off the windscreen and metallic body of the car. Making a quick 360 degree turn, he was soon off his way towards the way they came.
The BMW could be seen waiting for them as James pulled up in front of the car. As Alex pondered James' next move, the door to the German car opened and out came an unfamiliar man. Looking over at James' relaxed features, he could gather as much that the pursuer was an ally. Stepping out from the car, the two men could be seen greeting one another. "Nice night for a drive eh, 007?" he asked with a smirk. Nodding somewhat humorously, James introduced Jack Ryan of the Central Intelligence Agency to Alex. "We tried to stop you before you reached the roadblock. The Mafia had ensured to have both of you killed…but at least you're still in one piece. What is that they have been feeding you Brits? You guys just won't die!" he said with a chuckle.
Alex smiled as he recalled the sense of humour which the Americans seem to possess. "I suppose this is a rendezvous then," he said with a smirk, nodding to Jack. With a weary glance, James then got back into the Aston Martin with Alex as they followed the BMW back towards Rome.
A/N: A random chapter from my fanfic which I have long last updated. More to follow in the next chapter. As usual, drop me a review.