Disclaimer: I do not own Alex Rider/NCIS.
AN: Alex-centric chapter!
BTW – PA is short for 'Peppermint Addict' and is one of Alex's nick names for Mrs. Jones (first mentioned in XYXX, chapter 6 or 7, I think)
Thanks for reviewing (and complimenting) me so much! I love to hear what you think!
Love, W
Chapter 12: F for Flirting Because Your Life Depends On It (~1,565 words)
Alex was knocked out just when she spotted Eagle sprinting on top of the roof.
In that single moment she wished she could see his face - however hurt and angry - one last time.
There was suddenly a desire inside her to explain - but he would understand, later.
Because there is going to be a later, she promised herself.
When she woke up again, she was in a cell, hands bound with rope, staring at the ceiling. She took stock of her injuries - only a headache so far - and sat up.
The spy still wore the uniform jacket of her boyfriend. She hated herself for putting him through this, abandoning him again for a solo.
Hopefully, they have kept their word.
If not, all of this would have been for nothing.
Carefully she got on her feet, trying to inspect the cell she was in.
The door was locked, there were no windows or openings of any kind except for a hand-sized air supply.
No way out.
The spy deduced that she had to find another way to escape if she got the chance.
You have to survive.
You have to.
She examined everything very closely, the white walls, the smooth, thick metal door...
Committing it all to memory.
Information is a currency. Information is power, a voice supplied in her head, reciting one of the many lectures she had to endure for the sake of training.
The bright light kept her awake, so she started some workout sessions.
That way she kept her stamina partially intact.
Alex finished her one hundredth sit up when they came. Eagle's jacket was lying on the abandoned cot, so she wouldn't sweat in it.
Walker sauntered in, acting as if he owned the place. As if he owned her.
Alex simply glared at him, not wanting to waste words on someone who had shot her a year ago and dumped a naked, half-decayed body on top of her a few days ago.
He wasn't worth anything in her books, not even the glare.
Three men in black combat clothes, heavily armed, accompanied Walker. Only one of them wore a silver scorpion on his crew neck.
Alex's face was impassive. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing how helpless she felt.
Another man entered behind the guards and Walker. He had a menacing look on his scarred face. He looked like he had a very bad case of pox in the past. Other than his accomplice the stranger wore a black suit, even a tie.
If Alex didn't know better, she could have pegged him down as a business manager.
Well, he is, kind of - just not for business I particularly enjoy to meddle with.
His head was bald, either because of natural causes or because it was more practical.
"Nice to meet you, Alex. I have heard so much about you," the stranger said in Russian.
"Only good things, I hope."
Sarcasm was a way for her to cope, to aggravate her interrogators and an easy way out if she wanted to be unconscious sooner rather than later.
It didn't seem to work on the Russian though.
'Well, it seems that PA was correct for once. They have merged.', Alex thought sarcastically.
"Oh, I assure you, we heard many interesting things about you. For one what a lethal weapon you could be. I do not believe that you are as good as some say, but I will not make the mistake to underestimate you like so many before."
The Russian sent Walker a knowing look. "However, the rumors about your beauty were correct and partially understated, I see. It really is a shame that you have a boyfriend."
The men's grim faces cracked into an evil grin. Walker was the only one who didn't join them, for whatever reason.
"Well, maybe you can make an exception for a Russian comrade, Aleksandra?"
Alex didn't show the boiling fury at his insinuation. She would rather die than let him touch her.
Instead of biting his head off, though, she put a flirtatious glint into her eyes. "Maybe. Depends on who asks."
The stranger nodded. He seemed to have expected her question at some point.
However she also noticed the way her changed demeanor affected him.
He was a womanizer, a connoisseur, a collector. And apparently he had just chosen her as the crown jewel for his collection.
It wouldn't be the first time I have to flirt my way out of a situation...
"Ah, for now you can call me Vlad. These are my men. Walker seems to be already acquainted with you.", the stranger replied to her question.
As if they were attending a pick-nick in a park and met through a mutual acquaintance.
Alex heard the faintly husky note in his tone. "We are here to inform you that your friend is alive and set free. Now we would like you to answer a few questions. If you do not reply in a satisfactorily manner, we will convince you to do so with measures that sadly take their toll on a beautiful body such as yours which we would rather prevent. I'm sure you agree with us on that."
"It depends wholly on the questions asked. If you would ask me about my opinion on your new blow-up doll, I would sadly have to inform you that they are terribly clichéd and a sad reminder of a lacking love life."
Alex was cut off by a hard slap, administered by a guard. She acted as if nothing happened.
The Russians were not amused. Walker, however, was. His lips twitched a miniscule amount upwards.
"However if you ask my opinion on your guards and yourself, a rating ranging from 0 to 20... I might be able to help."
Vlad stopped a guard from slapping her again. "Pray, tell me, how this rating thing works."
Arrogant, vain bastard.
Alex plastered another sickly sweet smile on her lips. "My friend taught it to me when we were younger. A twenty is male perfection on two legs. Zero means the opposite. My boyfriend sadly reached only an eighteen, but what am I supposed to do? Teenage boys are a pain in the a** and he was the only one attractive enough for me from all available men."
Walker narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He refrained from speaking, but he seemed mostly immune to her flirting.
The Russian wasn't.
Nor were the other men.
"Am I supposed to believe that you only play with that soldier?"
"What do you think? Do you believe I told Sabina the truth when she asked me if I was still a virgin?"
It was rather ridiculous how easy she wrapped the majority around her finger. Or held their interest.
Walker stepped forward. "We should focus on the task at hand. You can amuse yourself later with her. First we need to have our answers."
Damn Walker. So close...
Alex sent him an icy smile. "Jealous?"
To her utter surprise (which she again stopped from showing on the outside), Walker blushed. Just faintly, but he did.
"No!"
Too late - the damage was done.
The Russians laughed at his expense.
Alex had underestimated him once before, she wouldn't do it again.
The men didn't touch her, expecting her to follow them on her own accord.
Because they are sooooo good-looking.
Inwardly Alex shuddered in disgust.
Idiots.
She noticed the rather extensive cell area. None were occupied at the moment - but hers. The men led her up the stairs, chatting and thinking this would be an easy 'touch-and-go'-job.
They were wrong.
Very, very wrong.
Alex saw daylight shine through the windows, lighting the ground level of what appeared to be a regular one family house.
A farm house.
She also noticed an SUV in the front yard.
This is too easy.
Walker was in the front, next to Vlad. Before the two men next to her could react, she had knocked them out, striking like a cobra, and pulled two of their guns out at the same time. She incapacitated three and four, shot Vlad in the knee and Walker's hand that had just drawn his gun.
She shot the door open and ran out onto the yard, towards the SUV.
She picked the lock as skillfully as knocking the men out before and hot-wired the car.
Angry shouts followed her, yelling at her to stop, to come back (Seriously?) or simply fired at the tires.
In that chaos, Alex made it on to the street, racing away as fast as possible.
She didn't celebrate her escaping.
She wasn't safe yet. Her foot didn't budge from the gas pedal for a long time. And when she thought, maybe, just maybe, to be rid of any pursuers, she was captured.
Again.
And again it were angry Russians dragging her back to the damn hellhole of a house...