Chapter 8…
"WHAT!? What do you mean the documents we stole only had a third of the Triad members on them?!" Alex screeched.
"Well, it would be kind of stupid to list all your members in one place where the other leaders knew where it was," Kristen muttered.
"Never mid. We'll reach London soon," Shen's voice was heard as he strode into the room.
Kristen stayed for about a second longer before abruptly turning and leaving, not wanting to talk any longer. Who knew what would happen to her and Shen once they landed? Somehow she doubted MI6 would hold a welcome back party.
Behind her, Alex murmured, "Is she angry?"
Shen shook his head. "I think she just doesn't know what she'll do when we land. I think she wants to go home maybe, but life wouldn't be the same."
She could here them clearly, and it only pushed her to get further away. Kristen came against the rail of the ship, gritting her teeth slightly as the afternoon rays were magnified in her tight dark jeans and t-shirt. Her elbows came down on the rail and her eyes raked against the backdrop, taking in Europe.
Any other time and she would've been snapping pictures like crazy. Now though, she was on edge and her nerves stretched to breaking point. The air felt unpleasantly warm and muggy.
The ship cruised into a spot at the docks half an hour later, and the crew ushered the three of them off. A black sedan pulled up and the driver got out.
"Alex Rider and company?" he asked.
Alex nodded.
"Get in," he said briefly.
They did. The man drove like he spoke, fast and to the point. They reached MI6 headquarters in fifteen minutes.
Kristen opened the door and got out, looking much like a celebrity as she did so. Perhaps it was the way she moved.
Alex shut the door and they headed into Royal and General Bank apprehensively.
A security guard let them up and this time it was Alex who led the way into Alan Blunt's office. Mrs. Jones also sat there next to him. There were three seats in front of their desk; they took them without a word.
"Alex, Kristen. Who incidentally might you be?" Alan Blunt's eyes narrowed.
"This is Shen. He helped us while we were there," Alex supplied.
Kristen nodded, cold-killer-bitch face in place.
"Very well. Thanks to you three, we have vital information on their next moves. I take it you've heard what Levi Kroll and the Triads are planning to do?"
"Plan a coup of Chad, for their oil," Shen answered.
"Yes. We relocated a
few agents once your information got through—we'll let you know
how that goes. Otherwise, congratulations on infiltrating the Triads.
Shen, Kristen, we've arranged for you two to live in the Bridge
Hotel," Mrs. Jones said.
Shen nodded. Kristen made no sign she
heard.
"And that's all," Blunt finished.
Alex and Shen got up and left, the locked door swinging shut before they realized Kristen hadn't come out with them.
"We would love to have you Kristen. Possibly work with Alex too. We could arrange it so that you can live here."
Ignoring this, she asked them, "Does the CIA know about me?"
Mrs. Jones answered. "Yes…they are generally astonished but are ready to take you back to the states. I'm sure they would grant your friend a permanent visa."
"Do you know what happened to my family?"
Mrs. Jones hesitated, then looked at Blunt. He took over. "Your family…we did a search check yesterday and it seems Scorpia—Levi Kroll actually, something about getting back at Alex— somehow got wind of you. They're…they're dead."
Kristen absorbed this without a change in facial expression. "Thank you."
She stood up and left the room. Outside, Shen glanced curiously at her but didn't ask.
Alex relived his previous moments in London. He had spent two wonderful weeks with Sabina, touring London's hot spots. She'd left for America about a week before he'd almost gotten killed by Kristen. Kristen…she was interesting. And what had she talked to Blunt and Mrs. Jones about? She'd come out looking the same, but her aura had stiffened royally.
They had dinner at Alex's house, Jack watching both of the newcomers curiously. Then, commenting that the air was like a morgue, left the table.
Kristen stayed at a hotel, sharing a room. Alex dropped by some time around 9:30, which Kristen had already gone to sleep. Knocking on the room number, he waited while Shen opened the door.
"Hey," the darker haired boy muttered, and let him in. Alex observed immediately that he was watching TV, with subtitles on and the volume off.
"She's already asleep?" Alex asked. "Pretty early."
Shen shrugged. "You saw what happened in MI6."
Alex felt a twinge of guilt. "Yeah. What d'you think..?"
"I dunno. It can't be good though, she was brooding on it the whole afternoon. And I bet that's why she went to sleep so early." Lowering his voice, he added, "I doubt she's truly asleep. She's a hella good actress; the sleep thing is probably to make sure I don't ask her anything."
Alex was silent. "I want to know more about her," he finally responded. "Why she's like how she is, how she ended up with you, her personality, what she thinks of me, you, and everything else I'm not clued in on."
Shen took his time answering. "Well, you know how she and I met. I don't know how, but we became really close. She was already pretty closed when I met her—and I think this Triad business just made her even more. I don't know what she thinks of me, but I get the impression that she respects you, even if she doesn't show it. I can tell you that she's hella sexy though. But she has the worst self esteem I've ever seen. She has strict ideals she would prefer to stick two, strong rules about love, health, mostly her pride.Oh and she loves music, can't live without it."
"I see." Alex wondered if Shen was making it all up. Kristen hadn't displayed half the things he'd just told him.
"It's getting late; do you wanna stay here or get back home?"
"I'll go home. It's been awhile since I've hung out with Jack," Alex answered.
Shen nodded. "Alright. See you tomorrow."
Alex nodded and left.
Shen then went to brush his teeth and fell back on his bed, sound asleep.
And like a shadow, Kristen rose from her bed, already dressed in her dark jeans and t-shirt. Grabbing a key, she slipped out of the room and the hotel. Three blocks to the west brought her in front of Royal and General bank. Squaring herself, she opened the door and walked in.
"What are you doing here?" a guard asked, coming closer to her.
"I have a meeting with Mr. Blunt and Mrs. Jones," she said smoothly. She had guessed correctly that they stayed at work more than they needed to.
His eyebrows rose. They normally didn't meet with people this late. Then again, what did he know of the eccentric and mysterious Special Operations?
"Head on up," before he had finished talking, she had already taken the stairs in stride.
Coming into the hallway two stories up, Kristen knocked on where she remembered Blunt's office to be.
"Come in," she heard his voice resonate.
"I must say, I didn't expect to see you Kristen," Mrs. Jones said as the tall girl took a seat.
She looked incredibly confident and assured.
"I have a proposition," she said smoothly.
Blunt narrowed his eyes, but motioned for her to go on.
"Put me in Chad. Let me divert Levi Kroll."
"Why would we want you to do that?" Mrs. Jones asked despite herself.
Kristen smiled thinly. "Firstly, you avoid a coup of Chad. Extremely grateful…wouldn't you think? A gift of some hundred thousand barrels of oil should cover that. Secondly, a Scorpia Executive Board member would be terminated. Think…3 members had already died. The oldest was murdered by none other than Scorpia themselves. Julia Rothman and Major Yu were taken care of by Alex Rider. A 6th leader dear would cripple them even more."
They considered her proposal.
Mrs. Jones thought that she was already prepared for—maybe destined for leading an intelligence agency.
They conferred silently for three minutes that felt like forever to Kristen. For all the calm she radiated, inside her heart was pounding.
"We have reached an agreement," Blunt announced. "Next week, you will begin. We will test you, see your skills and how advanced you are. Then, you will endure a few weeks training. Chad's coup is scheduled for the next full moon—October 29th."
Two days before Halloween, Kristen thought.
"I have a request to make," she stated.
"Yes?"
"Don't tell Alex anything. I doubt he'd be pleased with either of us."
They nodded. "Next week, Tuesday."
"I'll be here."
Rising, she left the room and the door clicked shut behind her. Down the stars, through the doors and back into the hotel she went. When she stopped in front of their room, she slid the card into the lock. A beep occurred and she opened the door, silently sliding into bed. She would not get much sleep tonight.
--
The next day, while Alex Rider went to school and tried to catch up on his school work, Kristen was asking Shen if he would continue with her.
"I won't make you come with me; into whatever training they want me to do however much I'd like you to. Her gaze and voice were steady and remarkable clear.
"I'll go with you. Hell knows you need someone to watch your back," he cracked.
She shot a thank you grin at him.
"What did you talk to them about?" he asked.
"They told me my family was dead. That's why I'm doing this—to bring down Scorpia and exact revenge."
"Hm. Be careful with revenge—its funny where that can take you."
"Mm."
"When do we go?"
"Next week. MI6 says we'll be headed for the training camp on Tuesday…away for a few weeks. To Alex we're going back to America."
His brows knitted together. "Is that a good idea…? I hate lying to him, especially since we were thrown together for so long."
"It's MI6…It'll be fine. And after I bring down Scorpia, I want to go home." She looked tired, and most definetly home sick. "If I even still have a home."
He didn't reply.
--
Alex rubbed his temples. Already, three classes in, he had a stack of homework as big as the fifth Harry Potter book. In addition to the fact that there was no way he'd be able to get them in before midterm, he was bored. Maybe not bored—restless. School and his former life could never be the same. Part of him longed for adventure—but another resisted, reasoning that adventure only came his way by MI6.
"Alex!" Sean Walsh, a classmate called out to him. He and Sean shared a few classes and talked casually. They were loose friends. "Back again eh? What was it this time?"
"Stomach virus and infection," he answered back easily.
"Man, I don't envy your homework," Sean eyed the stack in his hands. "Going to take you awhile."
"Don't I know it," Alex smiled wanly.
--
I LIVE! As usual totally craptastic chapter but this is the first time I've updated any story in months. So, yes, I'm still alive, though school has taken lots out of me. Total creativity-smusher.
Please review!
Review response:
SheWeapon1: Thanks!! Lol, she's very amusing but has quite the dark side to her. Oh yes Alex is getting jealous—but about what? Hee hee. The romance I'm still on the fence about…Must think of a shipping. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!