Disclaimer: I do not own the Alex Rider series. I own Jamie and Daniil and Ella and Morgan though. I figure that's not bad for a fourteen yeaar old.
I hope you like this chapter because it was cobbled together from three alternative chapters. I took the best bits and tried to weave them together. I hope it worked.
The song title comes from 'Stop and Stare' by OneRepublic.
"They sent you? A boy? Look at you! Go back to school kiddo!" he mocked. Jamie ignored the man and focused on his fingers. Any minute now his grip would give and he was going to plummet to a remarkably undignified end.
He felt Morgan's spiked boot begin to put pressure on his fingers and he frowned. He would not give that imbecile the satisfaction of a cry of pain. He concentrated hard. His leg was definitely snapped in at least three places and he was using only one leg to brace himself on the side of the building. He was sweating heavily.
Then, just as Morgan lifted his boot to stamp down, Jamie pulled himself up, kicking simulataneously. His forehead collided with Morgan's stomach and the man fell back with a loud grunt.
Jamie snapped out his arm, the heel of his palm colliding with Morgan's face, a sickening crunch ringing in his ears.
"That, kiddo, hurt! And now, I'm going to make you hurt. Very badly!" Morgan said, pulling out a flick-knife.
Jamie frowned. The three steps toward safe knife to hand combat.
1- Wait a minute before, whilst carefully avoiding the knife, engaging your attacker in combat.
2- Play to your strengths and wait for your first hit. It'll be worth the next ten.
3- Disarm your attacker no matter how you have to do it. All is fair in love and war. Knife combat was a bit of both. A war of two in which your opponent would love to stab you.
Jamie obeyed the three steps to a t and ducked an angry lunge from Morgan. He was getting sloppy. Good.
"You know Morgan", Jamie ducked another wild slash, "I think", Jamie rolled backwards and onto his feet as Morgan kicked angrily at him, "You need a smidgen of counselling".
Morgan let out a guttural roar and threw the knife at Jamie. Jamie felt a smirk on his face and a second later felt large thump that rattled his skull. He blinked rapidly and moved back from Morgan's flailing reach.
The idiot had hit him in the face with the handle of his knife.
Jamie reached for the knife instinctively and then exhaled sharply as he realised his mistake. Morgan leered and gave a happy snort as he stamped down on Jamies hand, those spiked boots once again coming into play. Jamie heard the crunch and fell onto his back, reeling from the agony. He looked down at his hand and nearly vomited there and then. The spikes, four of them, were embedded in his hand.
Morgan's eyes twinkled and he grinned wildly.
"Say your prayers kiddo!" he crooned.
Jamie blinked disbelievingly. He couldn't make himself believe that this was it. Death at the hands of an under brained meat bag with spiky shoes.
Suddenly, Morgan flew forward, eyes wide, mouth still leering. He stilled and then finaly toppled forward, flopping to the floor beside Jamie. Jamie looked up and saw the familiar goofy smile and almond shaped, piercing blue eyes.
Daniil offered a hand to the teen and hauled him to his feet. He frowned at the messy pulp that was Jamie's hand and gave him a look that clearly said 'Okay Jamie, we're going to a hospital to get those spikes removed and then we're not going to mention the wound to Yassen. Alrighty?'
Jamie scowled darkly and ignored Daniil, storming over to the fire escape and thumping down the stairs. Daniil stared after him with a bewildered look before following with an expresion of complete 'Was it something I said?' written on his face.
"You okay? You look kind of...disturbed" Ella said gently, running a hand through his hair.
Jamie grumbled loudly and let out a sigh. He loved when she twirled his hair like that between her fingers. It felt so soft and gentle and calming. Not that he'd ever let her know that.
"Poor baby! How long did Doctor Rhodes say until the cast can come off?" Ella asked, playing with his hair. She kissed Jamie's cheek lightly and inhaled. He smelt so good. He smelt warm and clean with a faint hint of cinnamon.
Jamie mumbled incoherently and buried his head in the pillow.
"We should get married", Ella said gently, "Kids, dog, nice sub-urban house. I can drive an SUV and you can be a banker. Maybe buy a holiday home on the Isle of Wight".
Jamie's eyes opened and he sat bolt upright, staring at Ella.
"Oh. I thought you were asleep" she said quietly, staring defiantly back.
Jamie frowned.
"Married? Us? We'd devour each other after the first week. Kids? You'd have to stop drinking. We're not a couple Ella" Jamie reminded her, his tone flat.
Ella folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.
"What are we then? You under-brained meat bag" she said angrily.
Jamie felt a smile twist at his lips. If only Ella knew how she made him feel. She twisted his heart around her pinky finger, every cold word biting into him. He was infatuated, though he tried disgustingly hard not to show it. He hated her because he depended on her for comfort. And he loved her because of it. Dysfunctinal, yes.
He felt like putting his fist through a wall. She knew they'd never marry. Regardless of whatever they had. Stiletto would never allow it. Matthew would shoot him dead if he knew exactly what was going on. He thought they were just friends. Jamie ran a hand through his hair and tried to calm himself. It didn't work.
"We are nothing. You don't love me, you love that I somehow find time to amuse you in the middle of life or death situations. You love how all you have to do is click your fingers and I come running. God only knows why. You love seeing me try endlessly to please you. You love making me grovel. You love tearing up every single human thought I have and tormenting me about everything" Jamie snapped. He took a deep breath and waited for the slap that would surely sting against his cheek. Nothing.
Ella ran a finger along his cheek and he inadvertently shivered.
"Really? Well then, I guess I'm wasting my time waiting for you to ask me to the ball, amn't I?" she said, a teasing lilt to her voice.
She ran her finger across his lips lightly and then pulled it away, her lips meeting where her finger had been a minute before.
"The ball?" Jamie asked, forehead furrowed.
Ella grinned and gently rapped on his head.
"Yes. Rothman is throwing that ball, remember? A month from now? I was hoping you'd escort me. But, if you don't want to-"
"Depends. I might. If Yassen hasn't murdered me by then" Jamie said quietly. Ella chuckled softly.
The loud clap. A small hole in his forehead. Dark red blood trickling down his face, staining his eyelashes.
Jamie frowned. He refused to let that memory swallow him again.
"Oh yeah. Weren't you supposed to be calling him or something?" Ella said gently.
The loud clap. A small hole in his forehead. Dark red blood trickling down his face, staining his eyelashes. He slumped to the floor, his chair toppling with a crash. He was limp, like a marionette with the strings cut. He stared up with huge green eyes.
"I am. Which brings me to my next point. I have to go" Jamie replied.
Ella's face lost her mocking grin, replaced by an angry pout.
"Am I going to see you again? Or are you just going to waltz back in here two months from now, looking for a quick lay to comfort you after a job? That's what it's like with you. Wham, bam and forget to say 'Thank you ma'm'" she complained angrily.
Jamie pinched the bridge of his nose.
The loud clap. A small hole in his forehead. Dark red blood trickling down his face, staining his eyelashes. He slumped to the floor, his chair toppling with a crash. He was limp, like a marionette with the strings cut. He stared up with huge green eyes. His eyes, accusing orbs that glared lifelessly at Jamie. The rain kept hammering against the window. Jamie felt the blood drip from his hands to the floor. Two lives he'd taken. Two types of blood on his hands.
He pulled himself up out of bed and slipped on his t-shirt. He found his jeans and ignored Ella's disapproving glare as he stepped into them. He was wearing socks already and he slipped into his trainers before turning to Ella.
She bounded across the bedroom floor and jumped on him, clinging to him with her arms and legs wrapped around his back. She buried her head deep in his neck and kissed him once.
"If you don't come back, you better pray you have a good excuse. Like you died" she said bossily.
Jamie smiled to himself and then set her down on her feet before jogging out of the hotel room. His hand was still in the cast, his bones splintered badly. He wasn't looking forward to explaining that to Yassen. He hurried down the stairs and across the lobby of the hotel, nodding politely to the receptionist.
As soon as he got out onto the street, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and rang Yassen.
Turning left, Jamie passed a large bookshop and stopped to fix appearance in the reflection of the window. His hair was gradually darkening from blond to black. His hair was currently, after a night in bed, rather messy. The mixture of blond and black was annoying him greatly. It made passport photos hell. So did his eyes. His eyes disturbed him sometimes. They were grey. But he'd never known grey had so many various shades. Ella had once said his eyes were the first thing that had grabbed her attention about him.
He wore a light blue polo t-shirt, jeans and lacoste trainers. He supposed he blended in well with the crowd in those clothes. He looked just like a thousand other boys in London.
Yassen finally answered the phone with a frantic shushing noise.
"What? Where are you?" Jamie asked quietly, confused.
"I'm busy. I told you to call me yesterday. Why didn't you?" Yassen asked, disgruntled.
Jamie bit back a sigh. He supposed that was as close as he was going to get to 'Hi, Jamie, how are you?'
"I was busy. Where are you?" Jamie asked.
"Flying over London. I just had a run in with a very charming Alex" Yassen said, voice flat.
"Alex? Alex-as-in-Alex-who-is-related-to-me-Alex?" Jamie asked, biting his bottom lip. He knew the answer before Yassen even replied.
"Yes. He said he was going to kill me" Yassen said, his voice taking on an amused tone.
"What? Why? Where were you talking to him?" Jamie asked quickly. He ran a hand through his hair and continued walking.
"Promised me he'd kill me. Haven't the foggiest. I gave him a little...lift" Yassen said. Jamie could practically hear him smiling. So, whatever had happened with Alex he found hilarious.
"What do you mean lift? I thought you were taking the chopper...You took him somewhere in the chopper!? Do you not remember the last time you were in a chopper with Alex!?" Jamie snapped, drawing curious glances from an old woman who happened to be passing.
"What's this I hear? I'm not the one who threatened him with death last time. I was in the harness. He was going to die. I just gave him a lift and saved his life. Nothing too big. You know, I think you still want to be there for him. You still want to look after him" Yassen said quietly.
"What? No. I don't care about him. You're the one who keeps tabs on him. Maybe someday I might make contact with him. But until then I will continue to nurse a thirst for revenge. It's only natural" Jamie replied in a clipped tone.
He could practically sense Yassen's amusement. Christ, why did that man have to be so reserved!? It wasn't that he didn't laugh or smile. He just, well, he just rarely did. Jamie used to get headaches from talking to Yassen. All the verbal, subtle sparring, the unspoken amusement; he used to find talking to Yassen difficult. That was when he was younger, maybe nine years old. But he supposed he had no reason to criticize. He was quite frequently exactly the same.
Another reason why he liked Ella. Her reactions were so unstudied. She didn't think before she spoke and she made him want to laugh and smile.
"I'm sure. Daniil has been avoiding me. Any idea why?" Yassen asked, his tone serious again.
Jamie swallowed. He knew it was to do with his hand. Usually Daniil pestered Yassen all day long about everything. So Daniil hadn't told Yassen yet.
"No. Not a clue. What was Alex doing in a life threatening situation?" Jamie asked, hoping that he'd changed the subject.
Yassen sighed into the phone.
"Jamie, it's a Rider curse. Trouble seems to just follow your whole family" Yassen said.
"I wouldn't say it follows me. It's more like it runs ahead and waits for me to catch up" Jamie replied.
"Be that as it may, little Alex has gotten himself into a precarious position. I'll tell you more about it when I see you. I want to know why you weren't sleeping at your hotel room last night" Yassen said quietly.
Jamie bit back the swear word that nearly slipped out.
"What were you keeping tabs on me for!?" he snapped.
"What, did you think I'd actually leave you alone in London to your own devices with no adult supervision? You were with the Port girl, weren't you?" Yassen said calmly, waiting for his answer.
Jamie ignored the question/accusation and crossed the busy street he found himself on. He'd never liked London much. He could never find his way around the bloody thing. It was like the city just decided to toy with him, making him get lost. He could never find the building he wanted when he wanted it. And, to top it all off, the constant noise and crowds just irritated him.
"You were. Don't trouble yourself to deny it. We can discuss that matter later. Whilst you were with her, I got a call from her father. Scorpia are mobilising something big. They have his entire family under watch with Recon units snooping around. If Scorpia try anything with Matthew, all hell is going to break loose and you will be caught in the middle of it through association with his daughter" Yassen said very quietly.
"What? Why would Scorpia act now?" Jamie asked, confused.
"Jamie, change is coming. The wind is about to change directions. Matthew Port had extremely good luck when he started Stiletto. Now his fortunes are about to change. Scorpia, for the last few months, has been in turmoil. Unrest has broken out. They're falling further behind Stiletto and they're getting desperate to solve their problems" Yassen replied.
Jamie looked around him, noticing for the first time that he was alone. He'd wandered into a smaller, quieter street that looked, for the most part, run down. He considered what Yassen had said and then looked back over his shoulder.
"Jamie, I want you to get out of England as soon as you can. Get a flight, take a ship, go across the channel to Paris if you have to. Just get out of England altogether. You don't realise it now, but you're caught in the middle of a war between Scorpia, Stiletto and MI6" Yassen said.
Jamie took a deep breath. He knew Yassen probably wouldn't appreciate him being so emotional in the middle of a volatile situation but he felt that sometimes, certain things had to be said.
"I missed you while you were in Cornwall" he said, gritting his teeth. He waited for the yell about wearing his heart on his sleeve. But honestly, he didn't care.
"Really?" Yassen said, a lighter note to his voice.
"Yeah. When we get back to your land can we just do something normal? Together?" Jamie asked. He felt like punching himself. He knew how stupid he sounded. But he hadn't talked to Yassen in three months. He really did miss the Russian.
"Alright. It's a deal. As soon as you get back we'll go do something normal. BASE jumping okay with you?" Yassen asked amiably.
"Yeah, of course. Look, I better go now. I have a thing or two to sort out before I leave" Jamie said.
"Alright then"
"Okay"
"..."
Jamie pressed the hang up button and ended the silence, replacing it with the dialling tone.
He looked around him for the first time, desperate now to find his bearings. He caught sight of an alley leading back out to one of the main streets and turned onto it, deciding that he actually preferred crowds to being alone on deserted, derelict streets.
He was halfway down the alley when he heard the rustle. It was only the faintest of noises, but his ears picked up on it anyway. He was about to turn when he felt himself buckle underneath the weight of something pressing down on him from above.
He hit the ground hard and rolled to his feet in one fluid movement, thankful he'd recently mastered the technique. It was then that he realised that it wasn't a something that had fallen on him. It was a someone.
It was a man, that much was clear. He was wearing a beanie but blond hairs poked out under it. He leaped through the air and rammed in Jamie, knocking him up against the side of the alley.
Jamie retaliated with a punch to the man's face and two kicks to the abdomen. Whoever the man was, his tolerance to pain was incredible. He simply kept Jamie pressed against the wall, eyes roaming his face as though they were searching for something. The man's eyes were a shockingly intense blue. Watchful. And filled with something an attacker's eyes shouldn't have been filled with. No hate or anger. Just something else that Jamie couldn't quite find a word for.
Jamie ducked quickly and swept a kick, taking the man's legs out from under him. He fell to the ground but rolled back to his feet fluidly. He smiled at Jamie. Jamie's blood turned cold. The same maneuver he'd used to get back on his feet. This man was stronger than him and knew at least one technique Jamie did. The odds seemed to say that he probably knew more than just the one.
The man ducked under a series of fist attacks from Jamie but before the teenager could kick him he had grabbed Jamie around the waist and once again slammed him up against the wall, this time face first.
Jamie felt blood trickling from his lips and turned his head sideways to breath. He bit back a gasp from the pain. The man had dug a knee into the small of his back and was holding both his arms in a vice like grip behind his back.
The man flung Jamie around and, after a brief struggle for power, manage to slam him onto the floor. The man sat on Jamie's back and gave a quiet chuckle. His voice was deep, a rich baritone, and he made no move to get back on his feet.
Both fighters were breathing normally despite the exertion of the fight. Jamie lashed out angrily with his foot but the man avoided it.
"I'm going to let you back on your feet now. You can do what you want. You won't be able to follow me. "I am going where you cannot follow me now, though you will follow me later on."" The man said. Jamie vaguely recognized the quote from the bible and frowned.
Then, as quickly as the ambush had taken place, the weight was gone from his back and the man was nowhere to be seen. The only thing Jamie had as confirmation that the fight had really happened was the fact that his lip was gushing.
He rolled back to his feet and groaned. The side of his face hurt and the man had caused the pain in his hand to flare up. He supposed the man mustn't have noticed it in the dark of the alley.
Using the wall to support himself he made his way back out to the mainstreet. At first, he was set on calling Yassen. But then, he realised the Russian would make him fly with him in the helicopter. And Jamie had just one thing he wanted to do before he left England...
He'd barely changed since the last time Jamie had seen him. Of course, he was taller. And his hair had grown. Funny how it was getting lighter while Jamie's got darker.
He was athletic looking. In good shape from the looks of it. And he was happy. That was something.
Happy? You don't want him to be happy. He hurt you. He killed Isabella.
Jamie pushed aside the anger that flared up in his stomach and just watched his younger brother. He was with that red haired woman. Jamie had done a little digging into his brother's life and had found out quite a bit about him.
He was living with an SAS soldier who went by the name of Wolf and Wolf's fiancé Jack, an American student. Alex seemed happy enough living there. Ian had disappeared somewhere and for once it had nothing to do with MI6. At least, as far as Jamie knew.
He'd been keeping an eye on Alex since his thirteenth birthday. For some reason, he had never told Yassen. He had a feeling the Russian knew anyway. If he did, he'd never mentioned it.
Alex said something that made Jack laugh heartily and she wrapped her arm around his shoulder in a quick hug. Alex grinned but his eyes stayed serious. Jamie ignored the searing pain in his chest. His brother was in danger, he knew that at least.
Then, Alex stilled and turned. Jamie felt his brother's eyes catch on his face and he suddenly felt the pain again. Alex's eyes held no look of recognition in them, just a mild curiosity about why a stranger appeared to be watching.
Jamie pulled his phone from his pocket and pretended to send a text. Alex's gaze left his face and Jamie felt a catchin his throat. Alex didn't even recognize him. Jamie took another look at his brother.
Yes, he definitely looked happy. By now the searing pain had settled into a throb in his chest. Maybe he was coming down with something. He didn't miss Alex anyway. That couldn't be the problem.
Miss him? You hate him. You promised you'd kill him. Are you going to?
Jamie frowned to himself. Why did it hurt to see Alex? Why did he have to look at him if it hurt so much?
You don't have to look at him. You choose to.
Jamie took one last long look at Alex, absorbing every detail. The wooden necklace he wore. The bangs that hung over his forehead. The subdued smile on his face. It hurt like hell, worse than a burn or a broken bone.
To know that Alex was so close but so far. If they ever met face to face, Jamie really wasn't sure if he could fulfill the promise he'd made. He felt like he was at war with himself. Good and bad colliding inside his veins. And he knew that soon, whether he chose it or not, one of them would finally pull him closer than the other.
Jamie turned his back on Alex and Jack. The pain grew stronger and he winced quietly. His brother was safe for now at least.
But how long Alex's safety would last in the middle of a war of smoke and mirrors, Jamie had no idea.
Jamie jammed his hands in his pockets and frowned when he felt something inside the left one. He gripped whatever it was and pulled it out. A plain white envelope, sealed with no stamp was in his hand. Jamie's blood chilled and he looked around nervously.
The outside of the envelope read 'To my son, Jamie'.
I was going to wait and post this chapter a week from now just to give me time to sleep on it but I'm going to Donegal so no internet for two weeks. I think this way is better.
Please review because I failed my English Exam. I was supposed to write an essay with the title 'Missing' and my English teacher gave me a big fat F and three weeks detention. Personally, I think he just doesn't like me. I mean, the essay wasn't that bad. After the whole, "Maedhbh your essay was very bad" chat I was kind of depressed so I ended up starting this chapter from scratch and building it up as best I could. I hope you will read it and please review because I desperately need...
...FEEDBACK!!
So, without further ado, I give you...QUESTIONS!!
1) Would you like it if I posted a new story with scenes from between the two stories? I feel I've skipped a huge chunk of both the boy's lifes.
2) Have I ruined Yassen?
3) Who's excited about the letter? (I AM!!)
4) Does anyone want to beta for me?
5) Should Yassen tell Jamie that Alex is working with MI6?