Disclaimer: I do not own the Alex Rider series.

Chapter Six

"Defence people! We need defence!" Colin shouted as he did his best to keep the other team from getting the ball.

"Here!" Robert shouted, waving his arms.

Colin spun, booting the ball towards his friend while at the same time somehow stopping the other team's defender from getting possession of the ball.

It was about four in the afternoon, and some of the boys had gathered together to start an impromptu soccer match before dinner. There were only five players on each team though – most had chosen to be present as a spectator. Including Sandy, who was screaming out John's name every few seconds as 'encouragement'.

Alex on the other hand, being Colin's friend, had been dragged into the game. He was still roughly playing his usual midfielder position, but with the lack of players on the team, it was more a free-for-all than a strict adherence to the actual rules.

Alex grinned as he watched Robert dart around a defender only to have to go back after the defender stole the ball. He was toning down his soccer experience, figuring that it wouldn't do to get too much attention.

The game was travelling towards him, now, with both Colin and Robert chasing after the defender. Alex ran forwards to help, but at that moment, the defender kicked the ball towards some midfielder on his team.

"I've got it!" Tim shouted; a moment later he'd intersected the ball and booted it back towards Robert.

"Nice save," Alex said, smiling at Tim as they watched Robert and Colin pass the ball between each other.

"Thanks," Tim grinned, shielding his eyes from the sun, "Oh bugger, here it comes again."

And suddenly Tim raced off, sprinting towards the incoming ball. Figuring that he could act as a sort of second shield if the ball got through, Alex stayed where he was, watching intently. And it was only his trained eyes that picked out what happened next. Tim closed in on the ball, cutting off the defender. As the two jostled for the ball, the defender stuck out an arm, clearly intending to push Tim off during the struggle. He got nowhere near.

Probably seeing the arm coming for him out of the corner of his eye, Tim reacted. Alex watched in shock as the boy abruptly dropped down a little, tilting his head so that the arm missed. Then he spun slightly, moving out of the way as the defender's momentum carried him around. Tim lashed out with a move so small that had Alex even blinked, he would've missed it.

Certainly everyone else did, and the defender seemed to fall over on his own free will.

But Alex had seen the hand lashing out, heading straight for a nerve point that would have knocked the defender out for a week. Instead, at the last minute, the hand was angled down slightly so that it missed the spot, only serving as an extra force to push the defender out of the way.

Victorious, Tim now had possession of the ball and was running it back up the field to where Colin and Robert were cheering.

Alex on the other hand, was exercising every bit of self-control he had not to run back up to his room and alert Rose.

The fact was that throughout that entire scuffle, Tim's eyes never once left the ball. In fact, after studying his face closely, Alex was sure that Tim had reacted without thinking, only realising what he was doing just in time to stop himself from knocking the defender out for a week. There were only two ways that such an unconscious reaction could occur; by chance, which was definitely not the case here since this usually happened in the middle of a battlefield where the body knows it's in danger and is doing everything it can to save itself.

Or by having such a move drilled into you so many times that you can react instinctively in the heat of battle.

As Anthony called for a time-out, Alex bit his lip in worry. Despite his friendly appearance, Alex now had proof that the boy was dangerous. And he didn't like it one bit. Because if friendly, outgoing Tim could react like that, what would his friend be capable of doing?

"Good job guys, we're in the lead by 2 points. Tim, nice save, Robert and Colin, nice goals, John, nice defence!" Anthony said, grinning at his team. He had volunteered himself as the goal-keeper, where he would be able to 'keep an eye on the others'. It basically meant that he was the unofficially appointed captain of their team.

"John, you were so good!" A sharp squeal was the only think that prepared Alex; a moment later, Sandy had thrown herself around his neck. Colin and Anthony sniggered, as Robert did his best not to do the same.

"Erm...thanks Sandy," Alex said awkwardly, doing his best to get out of her killer grip.

"Alright, back to the game," Anthony sniggered, coming to the rescue. Alex shot him a look that was a mixture between a grateful glance and a full-blown glare.

"Good luck John!" Sandy squealed, before skipping away.

"Oh, shut it," Alex muttered as his friends broke down laughing.

The second half began with vigour. Despite the friendly nature of their game, the opposing team didn't seem to like the fact that they were being beaten. Spurred on by the cheering crowd, and emboldened by the fact that there was no referee, their play turned vicious.

Alex winced as he watched Colin take another unneeded blow by a midfielder.

It didn't matter though, because the game soon ended with a victory in their favour. Robert grinned in triumph, while Colin and Anthony danced around singing "Go u-us! Go u-us! Go u-us!"

"They're a cheerful lot, aren't they?" Tim asked, amused.

"Yeah," Alex said. He was feeling rather wary around the boy, despite him not actually having lashed out intentionally against the defender.

"Well, I better get back. It'll be dinner soon, and I promised Drew I'd tell him about Professor Willard's lecture," Tim said, rolling his eyes, "Don't know why he had to go to Professor Saunders' lecture, no offence to your uncle or anything."

"None taken," Alex smiled.

"Well, see you around!" Tim said, before turning and jogging back up to the dormitories.

Alex didn't really give it that much more thought until that night when he was back in his own bed. His brain was whirling around so much that it was making sleep nigh-on impossible. Alex sighed, and let his thoughts run free. They whirled around his brain for a while before settling on Drew and Tim.

The two were definitely an enigma. Wrapped in a riddle. With a puzzle of a ribbon.

There was definitely something fishy going on with those two. Tim, whose real name was probably Matthew, demonstrated some pretty remarkable skill in his retaliation during their soccer game. And Drew...well, Alex hardly knew anything about that boy.

Alex groaned, before reaching out for his mobile, specially modified so that he'd be able to send email equivalent texts without any word limit. Mentally he formed his message inside his head, before typing it out:

Hey guys, hope you're all doing okay.

Nothing's really going on at this end. Hobbs isn't really doing anything suspicious. All the material in his lecture yesterday you could've gotten off a movie.

Anyway, I'm texting because of two boys. They're names are Drew and Tim. Drew acts like he's much older than eighteen. Tim...well, let's just say that appearances aren't everything with him. They both have rather unusual accents...really familiar, but I can't place them. So I need a favour – can you get any information on those two?

Sorry if I woke you up,

Alex.

Typing in Rose's number, Alex pressed the send button, before putting his mobile away. Crawling back into his bed, he closed his eyes. Within moments he was asleep.

BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Alex groaned, opening his eyes before immediately closing them when the bright sunlight hit his eyes. The beeping didn't stop, and soon it forced Alex to get up.

Peering around his room, he saw his mobile lighting up continuously. It was making the beeping sound, and had made him wake up. Alex sighed, before reaching over and grabbing the God-damned phone.

Message from R.A

Wow, it didn't take Rose long to reply, were Alex's first thoughts. Interested, he opened Rose's message.

Alex.

First of all, I'm bloody bored out of my mind. Second, you did wake me up. Third, you better listen closely to what I'm about to tell you, since I spent all night researching.

I looked on the enrolment form for the Camp. There are two Tim's at the camp – Tim Boise and Timothy Auden. Not sure which one is yours. But there's only one Drew – Drew Wood. I've been able to track his movements.

Drew is a bloody ghost.

I have no idea where he came from. There's no records of anyone by the name of Drew Wood coming into the country in the past two months. I looked at all the international and interstate flights and, well, nothing. I'll look further past the two months, but at this stage I'd say that it was an assumed name. You're going to have to find out more about him. I'll do my best from this end.

As for Hobbs/Olsen, I've got some interesting information for you. When I was looking through the flight records for the past twelve months, I found his name listed several times. The man has been travelling in and out of the country for quite a while by the looks of things. The most travelled to countries are Israel, Australia, and London. No idea why MI6 couldn't pick him up when he was in our country...but there you go.

Thing is, you-know-what is in Israel. And if he's had contact with them, then we're going to need to be a whole lot more prepared.

I'll keep researching, and let you know what I find. K-unit say 'hi'...and also to 'get on with it'. Their words, not mine.

Anyways, Ben's wife called too – could you let him know that he's in trouble for not finishing the tiling before leaving? Thanks.

I'll chat to you soon. Keep safe.

Rose.

Alex bit his lip, turning off his phone. Well, this certainly gave him food for thought.

They couldn't find Drew. At this stage, Alex completely agreed with him being under an assumed name. It was only by luck that he learnt of Tim's. He didn't think that the two would let slip another name.

And as for Hobbs...yes, Rose was right. If Hobbs was travelling to Israel so many times, there had to be a very good reason. And, with all Hobbs' contacts before he was fired from the CIA, then there was a very good chance that he'd done what Rose thought he did.

Contacted the Mossaad.

And if that was the case, then this mission just got a whole lot more difficult.

The Mossaad weren't known as the world's most ruthless intelligence service in the world for nothing.

.:X:.

As promised, this chapter has been posted before Sunday! I think I deserve a reward...!

So, the plot thickens dramatically...and now the Mossaad are involved...

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Love Chariots99