Alex Rider: Moving On
We finally get to Alex Rider. So many things have been happening with him and there is a lot of stuff to explain. Sabina will make an appearance. Jack will have a small cameo but it will also be in a dream and in a flashback. This chapter is actually going to be short... again. Sorry!
Enjoy! Sure hope that you like it!
Chapter 3:
Regret
The sand felt like heaven. The water felt like ice. The sun felt like flames.
Alex Rider found himself on the beach, standing there. He looked out to the horizion and watched as the sun started to disappear behind the ocean ahead. He wanted to save this moment forever. But somewhere inside he knew that was not possible. Because it never happened. This was not real.
"Alex!" came a familair voice from behind.
Alex smiled and turned around.
A large house stood near the edge of the long grass. There was a large porch and a set of concrete stairs leading to the beach itself. It was Alex's dream home.
"Come and eat!" demanded Jack. "Don't make me come and get you!"
Alex laughed. After all this time, he still remembered her face... and her cooking.
He watched as she popped the last hamburger from the grill and sat it on a plate full of them. She put it on the table, along with the french fries and the two Cokes.
Jack always did hated cooking things over twenty minutes. That would explain why she bought the "already-made" hamburger meat in the first place.
"Alex?!" Jack's voice raised with worry. Her face was full of concern as she stared at Alex. "You okay?"
Suddenly, the beach, the house, the porch, the food, and even... Jack, all disappeared.
Alex found himself back in Egypt. Back in that same chair that Julius Grief had tied him down in. He was looking at the TV, watching the car explode. Watching Jack die once more. He could hear the evil laughs from Julius as the pain moments returned.
Alex's eyes shot open. His face was covered in sweat. His fingers gripping onto the sheets of his bed. He was back to reality. A reality without Jack Starbright.
Alex calmed himself down and stared up towards the ceiling. He tried to go back to sleep but it was no use. There was no sleeping tonight. Not for Alex Rider.
A lot of things have happened over the last two years.
Alex was now living with the Pleasure Family. Living with them at their nice house in the nice countryside of California. They were a couple of hours away from San Franisco and even closer to Los Angeles. Sometimes they would go to one of the two cities to have fun.
Both he and Sabina were homeschooled. It was Mrs. Pleasure's idea. A few weeks after Alex came to live with them, Mrs. Pleasure thought that it would have been too hard for him to go to a public school. So, she got him into it and even brought Sabina on board. It seemed to be working so far.
Another thing was that Alex and Sabina were offically a couple. Mr. and Mrs. Pleasure approved of it and they saw how they looked after each other. Like two young lovers. Sabina did all she could to help Alex with the death of Jack and it brought them closer together. Their love became stronger.
To add to the list, Alex was now seventeen and was moving onto his senior year when this summer was over. That was perhaps the biggest news of them all. The thought of senior year also brough thoughts of growning up into the question. He began to wonder who and what he wanted to be.
But the one final thing was that... Alex was a spy again. Or at least a part-time spy. A year ago, Alex found himself struggling to move on with his life and made contact with Joe Byrne himself. He struck a deal that he would help the CIA on missions that were in need of someone younger. Every since then, he has been on six other missions around the world. And the Pleasures, even Sabina herself, don't know about it.
Alex hated himself for keeping this a secret from them. He promised Sabina that he was done with that life, but... he was in so much emotional pain that the missions offered to numb the feeling. To hold it at bay, and Alex was determined to keep it that way.
Alex missed his old life back in London. With the exception of MI6, Alan Blunt, and Mrs. Jones, he misses his best friend Tom Harris, who he still keeps in contact with on Facebook; his old school, his old neighborhood, and Mr. Smithers. He even misses his uncle, Ian. A part of him was still in London. A part of him that will never be the same again. For as long as he lived, he will never be able to move on.
Alex's cell phone buzzed right next to him.
What now?!
Alex flipped himself around and answered. "Hello."
Joe Byrne's voice came on.
"Alex! Please tell me that you are fully awake!"
Alex raised an eyebrow and said, "Now I am. What's the mission?" He decided to skip the whole "how are you doing" conversation and just get to the point.
Joe chuckled.
"Nice to know you have a sense of humor," he teased. "I have a car coming to get you in about ten minutes. Get dressed and forget about everything else. You will be debriefed along the way." He hung up.
"Good to talk to you too," Alex quietly said. He allowed his cell phone to fall to the bed as he got up. He stripped off his pajamas and hoped into the shower in his bathroom. He was out of there in five minutes and immediatly got dressed. He soon found himself rushing down the stairs of the house and out the front door of the house.
Four minutes later, a black van pulled up to the drive way of the property, it's lights off.
Alex wasted no time as he got into the van, he closed the door and sat down in the back, relaxing against the comfortable seats.
The driver and the passenger didn't even turn to look at him as the car drove off, silently into the night.
Sabina Pleasure had trouble sleeping. She could hear Alex mumburing in his sleep. Not yelling, but talking in quiet words. And this made her want to cry when she heard him.
Her room was right next door to his. Her bed was right up against the wall. Sometimes she would put her ear against the wall and listen to everything that went on the other side. Some things good and some things bad. But it was moments like these that made her heart sink. She knew that he missed Jack and was still dealing with her death. She could remember the times when she would sneak inside his bedroom at night and cuddle up right next to him. They would hold each other in their arms and force their foreheads together. And... they would sleep.
Sabina loved having Alex with her family. It was hard having an overseas relationship and not to mention the missions that Alex would go on. There were times that she would wait by the phone and expect to her it ring, hoping to God that it was Alex. And there were times when she would fear that it was Jack or Mrs. Jones calling to tell her that Alex was dead. It was her worst fear. The very thought of living without Alex was unbearable and it made her eyes fill up with tears when she thought about it.
She knew that Alex and her had feelings for each other. But... it was more than that. What they felt wasn't just feelings... it was love. She loved him. And he loved her. She knew it down in her heart. But they never said the words to each other. And that... was her greatest regret. She knew that they have been given many second chances to express it, but they have always been avoiding it.
Just tell him girl! she thought. Stop playing miss shy, shy and tell that "idiot" that you are in love with him.
Sabina smiled to herself. She finally knew what she needed to do.
I'll tell him tomorrow!
No! Tonight!
Without thinking, Sabina got out of bed and ran to the door, swinging it open. But as she made it to the hallway she saw Alex walking down the stairs. Stopping in her tracks, Sabina frowned.
Where is he going at such a late hour?
She quietly followed him down the stairs and watched as he went out the front door. Peeking out one of the windows Sabina saw a black van pulling up in their drive way. It's lights were off and Alex was just getting in.
What is going on? she thought.
She watched as the van pulled away and disappeared into the darkness ahead.
A few minutes later, Sabina walked back up the stairs and went into Alex's bedroom. She found his cell phone on the bed. Looking through his recieved calls, she found an unknown caller on it. Taking notice of when the call was sent her face dropped. It was sent nearly fifteen minutes ago. Just before Alex went with whoever was in that van.
Was Alex meeting up with some friends?
No! Alex doesn't have that many friends around here!
Police?
Police would have knocked, not call first!
Then another theory hit her. One that she should have thought of before.
Is Alex working for the government again?
Remembering back to a year ago, Sabina remembered about the job that Alex "supposively" had gotten. A job that involved some late nights and long hours. It was supposed to be with some animation film company in Los Angeles. It was called Creative Ideas Animation of Los Angeles. A film industry company. Alex was hired as stunts man when they did the animation sequences for the movies. It was said to be a good job and paid really well too. Then it hit her.
CIA!
That said it! She knew immediatly that Alex was working with the CIA. The job was a cover. A cover to allow him to go on missions across the world. Missions that he, himself, promised her that he would never do again.
That two timer lying son of a -! she roared to herself. I'm going to kill him!
"How dare he!" she nearly yelled out loud.
Sabina stood in the bedroom, her face red as blood. She knew that once Alex was back from wherever he was heading she was going to have a "conversation" with him. And it was going to be a long one too.
Before storming out of the room, Sabina threw the cell phone onto the ground and stumped on it. The screen was cracked all around.
That's for ruining my chance!
WOW! I really enjoyed that last part! Seriously, I loved writing about Sabina getting mad! But, anyway, I hope you guys liked it. Wait till Alex comes back. I have something "special" planned for that scene.
Please review!
And thank you to Albany, Space Astronaut Capt. Robot Koala, and tickgrey, you guys rock with the reviews! Thank you for giving me hope!