Wow, I'm really flattered by all the reviews – I have great plans for this fic, and will try to keep up with weekly updates or as near as poss! The encouragement always helps; keep it coming! (re-uploaded to remove the swearing, as per TOS – whoops) …

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== SETTLING IN ==

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Eldemere secure facility for criminally dangerous boys was a typical young offenders institute – red bricks and grey concrete defined the building, but around it lay various well-used sports fields. At Eldemere, teenagers served relatively short sentences for minor offences, such as petty vandalism or drug-related crimes, before being returned to their local authority for parole and reintegration. Alex was given a four month sentence for a drug charge; four months would give both MI6 and Alex the time necessary to do their respective jobs.

Alex did not need to act as he was led through the facility: he genuinely felt a little scared at the idea of being in prison. "Your cell," was all the guard said, as he pushed into a room. A heavy metal door clanked shut behind him, leaving Alex locked in a small whitewashed room with a low bunk pushed against either wall. An arched passageway revealed a stainless steel toilet and shower cubicle.

But Alex didn't spend too long surveying his surroundings, for the target of his mission was right here in front of him. As always, MI6 had organised everything perfectly. Bertie Bastillo, or BB as he liked to be known, looked much older than 16. He towered over Alex, brawny, thick necked and very confident.

"Who are you?" BB demanded. His fists clenched as if sporting for a fight.

"Alex. Alex Riede," said Alex in a small voice. BB frowned at him, then pointed toward the left bunk: "That's yours. The other bunk is mine. The desk is also mine. You wanna do anything round here, you ask me first."

Alex nodded as meekly as he could and put his bag down on his bunk. BB watched his every move with barely concealed disdain. "So what you in for?"

"Drugs," Alex muttered, not looking up to meet BB's eyes. BB laughed mockingly. "Figures. I didn't think a prissy little blondie boy like you would be in for any real crime. Me, I killed a guy."

Alex looked up then, and BB laughed even harder. "I only got five years, though, because I'm only sixteen, and it happened during a fight so they thought it was accidental manslaughter. I'll be out in three years."

Alex managed to look impressed. "I reckon he didn't stand a chance," he said, looking over BB's muscular frame. "That's right," BB confirmed smugly. "Anyone gets on my wrong side, they don't stand a chance. Get that, blondie boy?"

Alex nodded. He had already identified BB's type, and in a normal situation, he would have taught the older teen a lesson there and then. But he wouldn't risk his cover – he needed to become friends with this boy.

"So what's in like in here?" Alex asked.

"S'alright, as long as you don't mess with people." BB left it at that, and Alex didn't push. He knew he wasn't the kind of person BB would normally hang out with at Eldemere. That meant he really needed to impress BB to be accepted.

The next few days were a learning curve for Alex. The boys had a lot of spare time. They convened only for meals, and were split into smaller age-appropriate groups for lessons every morning. Afternoons were free – they could use the sports fields or play board games inside. There was also a library and a computer room. Although access to all but educational websites was blocked on the computers, Alex was relieved that he would at least be able to send Jack some e-mails to let her know he was okay.

Slowly, Alex became familiar with the daily routine of the prison. He also started making sense of the various gangs. BB's gang had strength in numbers and commanded a lot of respect, but it was another boy's gang that ran the show at Eldemere. Alex knew him only as Frank, a tall young man with short cropped blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Frank was one the oldest inmates. He had been in prison for over four years, since he was fifteen. He was going to be transferred to an adult prison at eighteen, but his psychiatrist managed to cancel the order. Frank was a sociopath with a narcissistic personality. In the company of younger men, he was a king. In an adult prison he wouldn't have lasted a week. So it seemed Frank was stuck at Eldemere for the foreseeable future, both for his own protection and for the safety of his fellow inmates.

Everyone avoided Frank's gang, even BB and his otherwise over-confident minions – it was well known that messing with Frank would only get you beaten to a pulp. The guards looked the other way, figuring the boys needed to sort out their own problems, so long as nobody got killed.

"Does no one ever take him on, then?" Alex asked BB one evening.

BB gave him an angry look. It was clearly a point of contention. "Only stupid people start something with Frank. Of course, I could easily deck him," BB boasted. Alex nodded, pretending to agree with his roommate, and BB relaxed a little. "He doesn't mess with me so I leave him alone," BB concluded.

It didn't sound to convincing, but Alex played along and looked impressed. "That's really good of you," he fawned. Alex needed BB to think he was in awe. He knew BB was already warming to him, after a few days of open adulation …

Alex enjoyed the lessons; he had missed so much of his school year that his education level was about appropriate for a young delinquent. The lessons gave him a good opportunity to catch up, and his enthusiasm endeared him to the teachers, who appreciated having enthusiastic students. Alex also started making friends with some of the other younger inmates. Most of them were serving very short terms of one or two months, generally for repeated vandalism or violation of their anti-social behaviour orders. They weren't dangerous boys, just a bit lost.

One lad in particular latched onto Alex – a small dark haired boy named Reese. He had been sentenced to three months at Eldemere for repeated incidences of fighting at school, culminating in an attack on a teacher. Reese had no father that he knew of, and his mother was incapable of keeping him under control. He was fairly quiet-spoken and mostly kept to his own. Until, one day during the evening meal, Reese tripped over and stumbled into Frank, sending the older boy's dinner tray crashing to the floor. Splatters of food covered Frank's trousers and dirtied his trainers.

Reese held his breath for a moment, then started stuttering, "I'm s-sorry, I did-n-n't me-ean t-to …"

But it was hopeless. Frank's fist caught Reese right on the nose, breaking it with an audible crack and sending a spray of blood drops into the air. Reese backed away, clearly unwilling to pick up this fight, but Frank lashed out again, this time hitting Reese in the side of the head and sending him crashing to the floor. Frank drew his leg back for a kick, but Alex had seen enough. He threw himself at Frank, knocking his opponent clean off his feet. Without finesse, Alex punched at Frank, pounding his face as hard as he could, not stopping until he was dragged off his victim.

"For flip's sake Riede, what you playing at?" BB snapped, looking fearfully down at Frank's beaten face. Frank was already getting up, and his expression was murderous.

Alex wrenched away from BB. "He just attacked a friend for mine for no reason whatsoever," he replied, glaring down at Frank. Alex's fists were still tightly clenched and he was balanced on the balls of his feet, ready to counter any attack.

"Get out of the fecking way, Bertie," Frank snarled, glaring at both BB and Alex.

"He's my roommate, man; he's new. He dunno what he's doing yet," BB pleaded, and for the first time Alex realised the older teen was scared of Frank. Terrified.

"You know the golden rule," Frank spat, "your cellie, your responsibility. Now get out of my goddamn way, or it's you I'll be having beef with."

Reluctantly, BB stepped away from Alex. But Alex didn't wait for Frank to attack – he went straight on the offensive, raining a rapid sequence of unexpected blows on Frank and making the older boy back up. The retreat put Frank off balance, and Alex took advantage of his better position and kicked Frank in the gut - one sharp, swift kick that winded his opponent and left him gasping for air on the floor.

"You're on your own, mate," BB hissed, distancing himself from Alex as if to disclaim all responsibility of his roommate's actions.

But it was too late.

Wheezing, Frank dragged himself to his feet. He glared at BB before looking towards the guards, who were surveying the fight with interest. "You've had it, Bertie. You'd bloody well had it." With those words, Frank limped to a table. His friends immediately congregated around him to look at his beaten up face. Not phased at all, Frank jutted his chin toward Alex and smirked. Then he drew one finger across his throat, before turning to his friends.

"Are you stupid or something?" BB shouted once the rooms had been locked for the night. "What were you thinking? Do you know who that guy is?"

"He was beating on my friend," Alex said stubbornly.

BB sighed. "Frank and me, we leave each other alone, ok. But you're my roommate. That makes you my problem, and now Frank is going to want my blood for not being able to keep you in line."

"But it's got nothing to do with you" Alex protested, pretending to be outraged by BB's words. Inside, however, he was feeling jubilant – finally, something had happened to draw his and BB's paths closer together. "I'll tell him it's got nothing to do with you."

"Tell him?" BB scoffed. "What, walk up to him and just tell him? You really are stupid, Riede. "Though I guess you're not as prissy as you look."

"I can look after myself. That bastard had better leave me – us – alone."

BB snorted, but didn't contradict Alex's confident declaration. "You're insane. Don't expect me to look after you, ok?" But he didn't sound too menacing. If anything, BB seemed quietly pleased at the discovery of Alex's fighting ability …

That night, Alex fell asleep with a small smile tugging at his lips. It had taken a few days, but he had finally made proper contact with his target. It was a good start, and Alex was starting to feel very optimistic about his mission. For once, it looked like he was unlikely to be in any serious danger. For the first night in many weeks, Alex slept well.

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To be continued …