Alex couldn't sit still for the entire ride to The Church of Forgotten Saints. Jack tried to talk to him, but his replies were short and snappy. He couldn't help it. His nerves had the best of him.

"Alex, will you relax?" Jack complained.

"I can't!" Alex snapped. "I haven't seen her in nearly a month."

"I haven't seen my parents for about three years now. You don't see me acting like you, do you?"

Alex sighed. He knew he was being irrational. "I'm sorry, Jack. I'm just afraid."

"Of what?"

"I'm not even sure," Alex shrugged. "I guess I'm a bit nervous about this."

"A bit?!"

"Okay, I'm really nervous."

"Just relax. Everything's going to be fine."

Yeah, right, Alex thought sarcastically. He hadn't told Jack about the second letter and the phone call from Yassen. He also didn't tell her about the mystery warning call. He thought about telling Jack, but he couldn't. She would tell MI6. She wouldn't let him go alone. Alex sighed again.

"How long will you be gone?" Jack asked. "If you'll be gone for a while, I'll have to make up something to tell the school."

"I really don't know how long I'll be gone. Just say that I got an infection from the stab wound."

Jack finally pulled in front of the church. Alex got out of the car and opened the trunk. He pulled out his duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. Jack rolled down the window.

"Alex, be careful. You'd better come back in one piece," Jack said.

Alex smiled and nodded. "Bye, Jack."

Jack rolled up the window and drove away into the frigid darkness. Alex walked up to the door of the church, which opened automatically. He stepped in and found himself face to face with his uncle's murderer. Mixed emotions rattled his brain. He was angry, scared, nervous, and somewhat excited.

"Hello, Alex," Yassen greeted. He didn't seem happy to see the sixteen-year-old spy. He didn't seem malicious either. Just emotionless.

"Hello," Alex muttered.

"Do you have any questions before we leave?"

"Why are we going to Moscow?"

"That's where Camryn is."

"I got a call from Chechnya yesterday."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know. He told me to stay away. He told me to stay home where I'd be safe."

Yassen shook his head. "Whatever it is, it has no relevance. We're going to Moscow, then I'm bringing you right back to London."

Alex narrowed his serious brown eyes in suspicion. "There's something going on in Chechnya, and somehow, I'm involved. I believe Camryn is involved as well."

Yassen sighed. "I know you don't trust me, Alex, but I am telling you the truth. My plan is to bring you to Moscow, get your girlfriend, and send you right back home."

"Yeah, right. You told me that you wanted my help."

"Oh, about that… You see, I wanted you to help me kidnap someone, but he's disappeared."

Alex frowned. "You're still going to get Camryn back for me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Alex, do you remember the last thing I said to you on that plane?"

Alex shuddered at the thought. "You told me to go to Scorpia to find my father and my destiny."

Yassen frowned. "What else?"

Alex remained silent. He didn't want to say it out loud. An embarrassed red flush came to his cheeks.

"Alex?"

Alex took in a deep breath. "You said that you loved my father, and you love me."

"John was like a brother to me. You, Alex, are almost like a son to me."

"Then why did you kill my uncle?" Alex retorted angrily. "You screwed up my life."

"Now-"

"If you hadn't killed my uncle, I'd still be a normal kid. I would have never found out that Ian was a spy. MI6 would have never made me work for them. My life is a mess, and it's you caused it. I'm pretty sure that isn't love."

"I have a job to do. There are limitations to what I can do for you."

"Whatever."

Yassen laid his hand on Alex's shoulder. "You need to trust me."

"Give me one good reason why."

"You want your girlfriend back, don't you?"

Alex sighed. That would work.

"If you don't have anymore questions, we should go."

Yassen began heading out the front door. Alex followed behind him. There was a black SUV parked outside. Yassen climbed into the driver's seat. Alex threw his duffel bag into the trunk and climbed into the very back seats. He wanted to put as much distance as possible between himself and Yassen.

"It will be a more comfortable ride if you sit in the middle seats," Yassen advised. "It's a long ride and some parts are bumpy."

"I'll be fine," Alex muttered.

Yassen shrugged. He started the engine and drove off into the night. Alex sprawled across the backseat and tried to go to sleep. He stared out the window at the night sky. It was pitch black and dotted with sparkling stars. The stars seemed to glow brighter than they normally did. The shimmering, glittering stars reminded Alex of his girlfriend. Camryn's eyes were a bright silver that lit up Alex's life. Alex smiled a little. He couldn't wait to see Camryn again. He finally drifted off to sleep.

Alex jolted awake. His head hurt and his back felt stiff.

"Are you sure you don't want to move up?" Yassen asked from the driver's seat."

Alex stumbled up to the middle seats and lay down again. It was going to take him a while to go back to sleep.

"How long did I sleep?" Alex asked.

"Only about an hour or so."

"Great…"

"We'll be driving for about another two hours. Then there will be a plane waiting for us. We should be in Moscow by mid to late morning."

Alex folded his arms across his chest and gazed out the window. The silence in the car put him to sleep within a few minutes.

Alex sat on the couch in the hotel room he was sharing with Yassen. They had just eaten lunch, and Yassen was talking to someone in the next room. Alex wanted to eavesdrop, but he couldn't understand Russian. Yassen came back within a few minutes.

"What was that all about?" Alex asked.

"That man that I wanted you to kidnap, he's turned up again."

"So do you want me to do it?"

"That would be nice."

Alex smiled grimly. Even if he said that he didn't want to do it, Yassen would probably force him anyway. "Alright."

Yassen handed Alex a gun and a knife. "Do what ever you have to do to get in and find the man."

Yassen opened a briefcase and pulled out some papers. He showed Alex a photograph of the man. The man was in his fifties. He had scarce gray hair. He had frightening black eyes. He was thin – too thin. He looked as if he had worked too much and too hard. Next, Yassen showed Alex a building schematic.

"This is the building where he is hiding at the moment. I'm going to pull my car around to the back. I will pick up there when you have finished."

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"His name is Adrian Vygotsky. He has some slight heart problems."

"What if I give him a heart attack when I kidnap him?"

"I said slight heart problems."

"There's still a chance that I could give him a heart attack."

"Then sneak up behind him and knock him out."

"Is he armed?"

"Probably. He's alone, so it would just be common sense for the man to arm himself."

"Who is he? Why do I have to kidnap him?"

"He's a nuclear scientist. The Chechens want him to help them develop nuclear weapons."

"So why do you want me to kidnap him?"

"Just think of the disaster that would occur if the Chechens had nuclear weapons."

Alex nodded. "So when are we doing this?"

"Now."