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.
Chapter Six: Divine Intervention
Beijing, China. A bustling metropolis in Northern China, home to approximately fifteen million people and capital of the People's Republic of China. With the millions of people being involved in the hustle and bustle of their daily lives, along with the economic boom in the progressive nation, it hardly seemed odd for several foreign tourists to be interested in the busy metropolitan. The city's streets were decorated with lanterns and all sorts of assortments in retrospect to the Mid Autumn Festival as a sleek black Mercedes Benz pulled up at an abandoned warehouse. As the door to the car opened, Don Angelo of the Italian Mafia stepped out, accompanied by his various Capos. As they stepped into the building, a different sight greeted them.
The purported abandoned warehouse was decorated in medieval Oriental fashion of the dynasties that ruled over China previously. It seemed the landlord decided to adhere to the traditional decorative styles of China or fascinated by the unique designs from the ancient ages. As the Italians made their way towards the Great Hall, they could be seen greeted by various members of the Chinese triads. It also seemed that the yakuza already arrived as their infamous leader could be seen amongst the crowd. As Don Angelo made his way towards Yuan Zhi, both of the men nodded in silence and acknowledged one another's presence.
The Chinese leader stood and raised a hand, a signal for the triad members that the meeting has begun. "My brothers…I am sorry to announce that Sergei Romalov would not be joining us for this meeting. It seems he has several issues with the custom officers to justify. However, I am pleased to inform that most of our members are here. We have received word that Scorpia has lost another two members on their board of directors. It seemed that they would dwindle in number and in time, power. The more pressing matter at hand is the formation of a new espionage line up. MI6 has just paired Alex Rider with another one of their agent. We have our methods of discarding them but so far, all has failed. However, one must persevere in order to succeed. I propose that with all our resources, we should combine forces and form an alliance, even far greater than Scorpia's. In other words, united we stand…divided we fall…" he stated, as the various members of the meeting roared their approval.
A new organization was born.
As the Aston Martin and the BMW pulled up in an undisclosed location at Rome, out stepped Alex and 007 with their new found ally. Jack Ryan smiled as he walked over to a door and keyed in several numbers. As usual, the CIA always had an excellent headquarters set up for surveillance. "Things been pretty tight…We had to keep things under wraps for the Italians don't like us keeping an eye on their property. Something to hide, perhaps?" he stated as the door slid open. James barely nodded as the trio made their way past a cool air-conditioned hallway as they past into a roomy entrance. From the background, Alex could see the fluorescent words 'Creditare Italiano Agenzia' which advertised for a loan agency. Shaking his head in disbelief, the CIA managed to find a fitting word with their acronym everywhere, it hardly seemed possible for no one to notice the relation it had with American Intelligence. However, when you weren't looking for something…it somehow tended to be overlooked easily.
As they entered an airy office which overlooked the City of Rome, Jack Ryan invited both British agents to take a seat. "Something to drink perhaps, after a long ride? Knowing you, Bond…You'll probably ask for vodka martini, shaken not stirred?" he asked. Both agents probably did not get along with one another altogether, deciding to keep their relations strictly professional. Turning to look at James as he busied himself preparing Bond's drink along with himself, he stated almost knowingly, "Seeing that you're too young to have a drink…we have some cola in that fridge." Looking to the direction in which the CIA agent pointed, Alex proceeded to walk over to the miniature fridge. Opening it, he found it well stocked with an assortment of drinks. Deciding to take a can of Cola, he returned to his seat and faced Jack Ryan. James was already sipping at his beverage, while keeping his ice-cool demeanour. "Well, right to business; Shall we?" he asked, as he snapped his fingers. The lights immediately dimmed inside the office. "As you know, my name is Jack Ryan and I am the Deputy Director for Intelligence in the CIA. I'm sure you've met my associate, Joe Byrne. He speaks very highly of you, especially since the incident involving the lunatic Cuban general," he stated. Looking over at the agent, Alex couldn't help but to ask. "What of Felix Leiter then?" It hardly seemed unlikely that James Bond's greatest ally would not be restricted to only the movie verse.
Draining the remnants of his beer, Jack chuckled, amused at Alex's curiosity of the dealings in the CIA. "Ah, you're familiar with the Bond franchise then. When the Brits thought it funny for them to use something fictional, we caught on. In fact, Felix Leiter is the name of every man who has taken post as the Director of the CIA…" he replied with a smile. Satisfied with the response, Alex decided to sit back as he took a sip of Cola. It proved to be the same disgusting taste of cola which he had tried on his first visit to the Royals and Generals in John Crawley's office. God, doesn't anyone who works in Secret Intelligence know how to purchase normal Cola! Jack Ryan had decidedly started to speak once more, as Alex looked over at James' undiverted attention towards the spoken words. "We've been stationed here for two months already. They're onto you…both of you. When news of the Scorpia board's killing along with the return of their former leader, I was sent here first place. Many of the world's leading terrorists are unhappy with the current shift of power. I've received word of a mass gathering in China, but our agents in the Chinese Republic could not get any closer in that communist nation. Bloody Chinese and their arrogant behaviour…" he stated.
Clearing his throat, James made his presence felt when he questioned Jack. "What can you tell us of this Petrovsky?" he asked, all the while sipping at his vodka martini. Turning back to James, Jack began to shuffle the papers that were on his table. "It's here somewhere…Ah ha! Well, this Petrovsky chap seems to be ruthless as well as silent. It says here that he was the original leader of Scorpia…Well, that was long before either of us here are where we are now. This chap was banished after a gory mission involving a rogue North Korean general who was defecting on our side. Says here, he took out all of the Gen's security task force without mercy…by himself!" Jack stated, failing to keep his amazement at the feat.
Nodding, James proceeded to drain the remnants of his vodka martini. "Well, if he's all that powerful…I'm guessing you have to double your efforts in getting the man then?" he asked, looking at Jack. "Well…I'm sure we're doing the best we can in getting our man. I have men at all exit points of Italy. If he so much as get onto a boat, plane or car…the CIA will know of it," he stated confidently. Alex could only shrug nonchalantly as he listened to the exchange of words between both agents. "Now, what is this meeting in China about?" James continued.
Somewhere not too distant from the CIA command post in Italy, a beat up Fiat 124 Spider was speeding towards the Italian borders, away from the province of Como. The driver of the vehicle, could barely be seen through the tinted glass of the Italian model. It was headed for the Italian-Swiss borders into the Swiss canton of Graubünden, where he could presumably seek refuge; fully aware of his status in the Italian nation. As he approached the Italian security checkpoint, he slowed the car down and opened the glove compartment. Inside lay the Magnum handgun which he had conveniently pocketed from his earlier encounter with Scorpia in Venice. Pulling the handgun out, he checked it for ammunition. Once satisfied, he loaded the gun and hid it beside the door and closed the glove compartment.
Several hours ago, he had easily disposed of the man whom he held hostage in the custody of his own home while he replenished his hunger and thirst. After killing him, he took the vehicle as he sped away from the Italian city. It proved to be altogether too easy until the check point where he assumed was under high security. Two Italian customs and immigration officer were there to greet him as he pulled to a halt at the check point. Inside, he found two more officers along with an American whom he presumed to be an agent of the CIA. Smirking, he glanced over to the Immigration officer who was requesting for him to exit the car. Nodding in understanding motion, he gripped the gun as he stepped out of the car. With lightning quick reflexes, two gunshots were fired and both found their targets. The officers barely had time to respond as they were thrown several feet away from where they stood, dead before they hit the ground.
The two other officers inside who heard gunfire immediately pulled out their weapons. However, as soon as they opened the door; they met instantaneous gunfire which rendered them dead. The American agent who had taken cover from the event immediately radioed for backup, whilst pulling out his own Glock 22 handgun. Returning fire, he fired several shots out of the broken window. Little did he know that the intruder was behind him and broke his neck. As the American agent fell to the ground, he proceeded to pocket the handgun and walk coolly back into the Fiat. Igniting the engine, he proceeded to rev the engines and sped away into the night. It seemed only divine intervention could stop the lunatic; Petrovsky was still a free man.
A/N: This was a tough chapter to write but I'm glad I got it out of the way. Enjoy and don't forget to put a review or two.