(A/N: Alex and Alex are great, aren't they? :D. Anyway, enjoy!)

16. Phone Call

Carson was back to his normal self by the time morning came. The rest of the bottles were used on Austin- it had taken more for him for some reason. It couldn't be easy being the father of a criminal- or multiple criminals. But that was what they spent the morning doing- that, and trying to figure out what to do with the mysterious message that had been left overnight.

"Hello, Alex and Alex." His voice was velvety but deadly. "You two have something that I need. I'd appreciate it if you gave it back- if you want little Miss Rivercreek to live, that is. You have until two o'clock. You know where to go. I'll see you there."

"Why can't we call the police?" Alex Meyer grumbled.

"I don't think that they'll be real happy to see us," Alex pointed out, heavily reminded of his fourth mission- which he had gone of on his own accord. "What can they do in two hours?"

"True." They were eating lunch- Carson and Luke were with their girls. "I bet that Vivie's hungry now... well, anyway, I'd like to know how he knows our names."

"Yeah, Vivie doesn't seem like the type to blab."

"Exactly... I bet he knows about Nessa..."

"That still doesn't explain how he knows our names."

"Maybe he heard us talking," Alex Meyer suggested.

"Yeah, we were talking kind of loudly... oh well."

"Do you think he's setting us up?"

"Well, we were going to go back anyway, weren't we?"

"True... but... well, I don't know. What do you think?"

"I guess that we better try... this happened to me once, and I got tricked..."

"Why can't we tell him that we already destroyed the tape?"

"Well, then he'd just kill Vivie, wouldn't he?" Alex pointed out. "Besides, I still don't know what message is in the tape... aw man," Alex complained. "I dropped it."

"The little gadget you were using?"

"Yeah... but I could have sworn that I put it back..." He almost swore but decided against it. That was what had started this mess in the first place, wasn't it?

"Do you think that he stole it?"

"It's a possibility..."

"We can always watch it with sunglasses on..."

"Yeah, if we can find the sunglasses that Farrior was wearing... do you know where he put them?"

"Who knows? Have you seen how trashed that his room is?"

"I have the feeling that I don't want to..."

"No, you really don't. At least Fisher fits it all into his closet. Farrior's got the biggest room and he still needs all the floor space. You absolutely can't walk in there." To Alex's look, he added, "I used to have to share a bed with Farrior."

"Appropriately, I assume?"

"Rider! I have a girlfriend!"

"I know, I know, and I approve of you two being together."

"When did you decide to play the father in the relationship?"

"Oh, is that what I'm doing?" Alex innocently inquired. "I'd be honored to continue it."

"I'm kidding. You do know that, don't you?"

"Sure, let's go with that," Alex joked. "Let's try to find some sunglasses."

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None of the stores had sunglasses- it was like they had disappeared overnight. Alex had tried calling the girls' house and Luke's cell phone, but nothing he did seemed to work. What a pain. After wondering around until they were hot and sweaty, they gave up on that and went to Andrew's house (or the weather station) and stared at the door. Alex spoke first- didn't he always?

"Are we going to ring the doorbell?"

"I prefer to break in," Alex Rider decided. "Do you have paper clips?"

"Do you know how to pick a lock?"

"Do you?"

"I'll do it," Alex hastily decided. It took him five tries to make it work, and he chucked the useless pieces into a trash can. They clanged softly before they settled. Alex didn't litter- it was a habit- and one that he didn't care to explain. Fortunately, Alex Rider didn't question him, and Alex left the door open, going in after Alex Rider.

"Smart move, Meyer."

"As long as he doesn't notice," Alex pointed out.

"You never know unless you try," he pointed out. Alex nodded, and they both stepped toward the back room.

"Rider, do you have the tape?"

"If your name is Alex Roderick Meyer, then that statement is affirmative. Don't you trust me?"

"Sorry, I'm just getting paranoid," Alex admitted. "Where do you think they are?"

"What makes you think that they're in the same room?"

"I don't know..."

"Well, you would be right," Alex Rider quipped.

"Rider! Quit doing that!"

"Shush, Meyer, let's try to be quiet, alright?"

"Oh man," Alex moaned, glancing into the room- the door was slightly ajar. "Vivie!"

"Meyer!"

"Right, right. Are we supposed to knock?"

"There's no need. I'm already here."

His very voice was identical to Aaron's- only worse. He was even more handsome somehow, but the evil aura that surrounded him was even more prominent. His facade was deeper- it was hard to see who he really was, as compared to Aaron, who had blatantly displayed his personality. But Aaron had been humane- he'd had a visible, human weakness. With Andrew, there was no trace of this. That was what made him even more frightening to Alex- because that made him all the more dangerous. The smile on his face was one that was assured, egotistical, malicious, and as if he knew what he was doing and he wasn't worried. He wouldn't be as easy to get rid of as Aaron had been- not that it had been easy getting rid of him either. It was just that Andrew was so obviously worse that it was Alex's worst nightmares come alive for the third- and what he hoped was his final time.

Alex Rider, on the other hand, knew no fear but seemed to sense Alex's. He was the one who spoke.

"I believe that we have some business to attend to."

"Indeed- there is the girl. Why don't you two have seats?" There were no windows in the dark room. It was bigger than Alex had first thought- although the place looked small outside. It was probably unnatural- well, whatever. They both took seats, Alex in the middle. He saw their mistake when metal locked around his wrists. "Now where is my tape?" he hissed.

"If we give it to you, will you let us go?"

"You better have that tape, punk, or the girl gets it." Andrew's concentration was on Alex Rider. "Do you have it?" he asked dangerously.

"If you want it, you'll have to unlock me."

"Try anything funny, boy, and you're dead."

"Just let me out of this thing already!" he growled.

Andrew shrugged and pressed a button, releasing just his right hand. Alex Rider rummaged through his pocket, seeming to have a plan, and then threw the tape on the table. But Alex saw the unmistakable glint in Alex Rider's eyes and hoped that he knew what was doing- because Alex certainly didn't.