Chapter 9: Chapter 8
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize. This is the re-uploaded version of chapter 8.
Sadly the blissful darkness could not last forever. Sooner or later he would have to wake up to the nightmare that surrounded him. He woke just before everyone else, Ben waking only a few minutes later. Wolf was the next to awake, but it was a good ten minutes after Ben had woken before the 'leader' opened his eyes. Snake followed behind Wolf after five minutes, and last was Eagle, who was only woken after Wolf yelled his name and threatened him with mess hall duty when they got back.
They sat in silence, everyone staring at Alex, worried expressions painted across their faces. Alex hated being worried over. He had gotten along fine before, and he could do just fine now. He hated being put in the spotlight and it wasn't long before he snapped.
"Would you please stop staring at me?" Everyone but Ben quickly turned away, embarrassed that they had been caught, even though they had done almost nothing to hide it.
Alex still felt eyes on him and turned to see Ben studying him.
"What?" Alex stared right back with what he liked to call his 'spy eyes.' It was a cold calculating glare that he had perfected over the years. It had been the only thing that had gotten to Blunt during their 'negotiations' and it was the most valuable tool he had. Everyone knew that a teenager should not have such eyes as Alex had, and he used that to his advantage.
"Don't push us away Alex, we want to help." Ben's eyes had softened, no longer studying, but instead just watching.
"Yeah well you didn't seem to care about helping me before." Alex turned away and wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his chin in-between his knees and closing his eyes.
Ben continued to look at Alex, the paternal feeling he had gotten when he had first dealt with the boy during the Snakehead mission had only grown since Alex had been thrown in here. He knew that Alex had been through a lot and he needed someone that would help him through the trauma that he had dealt with. Spies always came back from missions with some sort of trauma, big or small. It helped having someone permanent in your life to get over that trauma, and if the rumors that floated around MI6 were true, then Alex no longer had anyone in his life. It was plain to see that Alex didn't trust anyone, not that Ben blamed him. Spies don't trust people easily; it was a trait they possessed that kept them safe when they were in the field, and sometimes, when they were home.
When Ben had met Alex during Snakehead he could tell he had been through a lot already. His eyes had become more serious and hardened than when they had first met at Brecon Beacons, and he had been able to see the few scars that weren't hidden by his shirt. Ben had wondered, but he had had a job to do, and he knew better than to ask about another spy's job.
They sat in silence. It wasn't like the movies where water would drip from somewhere up above, or mice would skitter across the floor. No, it was nothing like the movies.
It didn't take too long before Eagle got up and started pacing the cell, unable to sit still for very long periods of time. The pacing held a calming rhythm and Alex could help but be hypnotized by the steady sound of Eagles boots against the concrete floor. He caught himself just as his body began to fall asleep, which would have no doubt brought a nightmare.
"Eagle quit pacing." It wasn't a request but an order, which Eagle quickly and wisely responded to.
The quiet didn't last long after that. Eagle began talking to Snake about how bored he was, Snake quietly agreeing, and soon they were playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. They added other things, special types of guns, and bombs. They were soldiers; they had to include some violence.
An hour later and almost everyone was doing something that produced some sort of sound. Wolf was being Wolf, sitting in his cell mumbling about 'childish soldiers' and their 'childish games'. Fox was laughing as Snake kept winning. Eagle was pouting and refusing to believe that Snake was playing fair. Alex was in the same position as he had been an hour ago. The only difference was that he had let himself go; allowing his mind to drift back to a better time, a time when Ian was alive, and Jack was always smiling. A time when Alex had acted his age, when he had many friends, when he was passing his classes, and a time when there were no rumours of him being in a gang or some sort of drug addict.
Everyone was at least semi-happy. Until the door opened once again, the usual dramatic bang included, just like every other time. The guards entered, quickly followed by Josh. Any sort of happiness in the room quickly drained away.
"So, how is everyone?" Josh's voice was cheery and a smile stretched across his pale face.
Silence answered him.
"Okay then, grab that one." He pointed to Eagle whose smile had disappeared the second the door had swung open.
The guards did as ordered. Alex was tied up so that he couldn't try anything while they got Eagle out of the cells. Once he was out one of the guards shut the doors, leaving Alex tied up on the floor once again. Without another word they walked out with the loud slam of the door echoing around the room.
Snake broke the silence. "Eagle will be fine. He's strong, there's nothing to worry about." Alex was almost positive that Snake was trying to reassure himself more than anyone else in the room.
No one said a word. Wolf began pacing, while Snake tapped his fingers on the floor.
'Tells' Alex couldn't help but think. Signs that they were worried. Ben was a spy, and as such, he had no outward signs that he was worried, but Alex knew. Eagle was his friend, why wouldn't he be worried?
Alex tested the ropes and found they were tied just as tightly as last time.
'I could probably bend back and untie my legs. At least I would be able to walk around'. Alex then bent back as far as he could, the cuts on his back tearing open again as his fingertips just reached the rope, and with the tips of his fingers he was able to pull on the end, and loosen it. Soon, after a lot of painful stretching and reaching, Alex's legs were free. He was able to stand and started walking, stretching his legs with a slight limp. The coat from Ben was discarded on the floor and the wounds on his back were sluggishly bleeding again.
After the cramps left his legs he sat up against the wall, and began thinking about ways out of this. Ben soon interrupted his thoughts.
"Come over here and I can undo the rope around your hands." His voice was soft, not patronizing in anyway, just held the hope of being able to help.
With his circulation being cut off he decided to go over without arguing. Ben undid the rope and Alex mumbled a quiet 'thank you' as he rubbed his red, sore wrists. As he started to walk away before Ben asked him a quick question.
"Why did you come in with K-Unit?"
"I was at Brecon Beacons." Alex answered as it was a harmless question that one of the others would probably answer anyway.
"But why? You weren't getting trained for another mission where you?"
"No Ben, I was not being trained for another mission." Alex sat back down, draping the coat back over himself, and closed his eyes. He evened out his breathing, and pretended to fall sleep.
Ben turned his attention to Wolf. "Any idea on why he was there?"
There was a moment of silence in which Wolf had shaken his head. "No idea, sorry Fox. All I know was that he was there for an undisclosed amount of time for classified reasons. He wouldn't talk to us the whole time."
Snake interrupted, mumbling "Well we weren't the nicest of people."
Wolf growled "Well I'm sorry if I don't like the fact that his rich dad paid for his way into 'camp.'"
"Wolf! We have been through this; I don't think his 'daddy' paid his way into camp. He keeps up with us too well to just be a boy with a rich father. You don't know a thing about the kid so just stop." Alex noticed that Snake's Scottish accent was a lot thicker when he was mad.
"Obviously you have talked about this before. Sorry to burst your bubble Wolf, but Snakes right. The kid doesn't have a rich dad; in fact he doesn't even have a dad. Both his parents are dead."
"How do you know this?" Wolf's voice was sharp, probably due to his wounded pride about being wrong.
"I had a mission that he just so happened to be involved in. MI6 gave me a bit of clearance. I don't know much more, besides the fact that he's got a load of talents."
"Want to let us in?" asked Wolf, annoyance clear in his voice, he hated being in the dark about anything.
Ben shook his head "Sorry but, I'm not destroying the small amount of trust he's given me. He wouldn't be happy with me right know, I've already said too much to begin with."
"Gee Fox, he's just a kid and besides he's asleep. We can keep secrets." Snake was clearly interested in the life of the one named Alex.
"Snake, he's more than just a kid, he's been through a lot. And I don't think he's asleep. He's a very convincing actor though." Ben sighed, but Alex refused to show that he was right.
It was quiet and soon Eagle was brought back, and the commotion provided the perfect time for Alex to 'wake up.' Eagle too wasn't badly hurt, a lot of cuts and bruises, but he could walk. He reassured everyone that all he needed was a good night's rest paired with some food and water, and he'd be better in no time. Snake was quick to put in that the cuts also needed to be cleaned in order to avoid infection.
Eagle did what he could before curling up in the corner of his cell, letting sleep over take him. K-Unit followed soon after, leaving only Ben and Alex awake.
"Alex, you know I'm here if you want to talk right?"
A mumbled yes was the only answer Ben got; Alex's mind was preoccupied with plans of escape. The only problem was he could not find one that would work.
"Okay, so if you ever feel the need…"Alex cut Ben off before he could finish his sentence.
"I appreciate the offer Ben but I don't need to talk about anything." Alex felt bad as his voice had been a bit sharper than he had meant for it to be, but he was sure he had gotten his message across.
Ben sighed and turned toward the makeshift bed that he had made over the couple of weeks he had been here.
"Alright but if you change your mind, I'll be here for you whenever you need help." With that Ben laid down and fell into the light sleep that spies were known for.
Alex continued to sit there, almost like a statue. Thinking, planning, and sometimes daydreaming. Many plans came to him, but all were dismissed as impossible. The only way he had a chance of saving anyone, was by begging their capturers to let everyone else go, and keep him as a prisoner.