Happy Thanksgiving!
Chapter 9
"We simply can not allow her release, she's way too dangerous. We'll just have to find some alternative." Jones was saying to the members of K-unit excluding Alex and Snake.
The argument was taking place in the front room of Snake's flat two bedroom house and knowing that it would most likely not go favorable for Alex; Snake suggested he not take part. Using the new wheel chair that MI6 had sent for him, Snake had pushed him into the kitchen where they were he was still able to hear the whole conversation.
Apparently Scorpia was willing to spare Alex in exchange for a long lost operative in MI6's custody by the name of Choe Mai.
She was one of the best assassins that Scorpia had ever trained and she had somehow managed to collect information off of MI6's mainframe. She also managed to sell a small piece of the information to a known enemy of Britain for a high price before she was captured three years ago.
"Have any of you're bloody alternatives worked yet?" Wolf countered angrily "He and Fox were just caught in a dangerous car chase that they barely survived. He's a kid dammit! You caused this problem. You rather he die and that woman stay behind your bars?"
Jones finally lost her ever present patience "You think we want him dead Lieutenant?" She demanded using Wolf's formal title "No, surprisingly that's not the case. But if we turn that woman loose we'll have much more to worry about than Alex's life. People have to make sacrifices sometimes for their fellow man."
We have to ask our self how many people are going to be hurt by the release of Choe Mai. It's not a few. Yet on the other hand Alex is just Alex. It's not a nice job; it's not an easy or pleasant decision to make but we can't let emotions dictate our actions."
"Then how the hell do you tell a fourteen year old boy that his life is of little importance in the big picture!" Fox yelled incredulously "Huh, how do you explain to him that its better he die than you let this woman out of jail? Are you that much better than the #$% animals you're sending him to! You did this to him, he didn't get himself into trouble you know. YOU dragged him out of a normal life and did this to him! You can't abandon him like this!"
"I didn't say we're abandoning him! But when the options we have become this narrow we have to make the right choice. I'm sorry if there's nothing we can do to get Scorpia off his back and we won't stop looking for a possible way, but releasing that woman is out of the question and that's final."
Jones meant what she said and the other members of K-unit could see that. It was either Alex become someone other than Alex or Alex become no more and he had made it stubbornly clear that he was Alex Rider until the day he died. Things were not looking up for him.
"Just leave." Wolf told her bitterly, his expression was monstrous.
"He still has the-"
"I said LEAVE!"
Mrs. Jones pursed her lips angrily but turned and left.
After a minute of silent brooding the members of K-unit filed into the kitchen to see how Alex was taking the news.
He seemed to have become very tired all of a sudden. He had his head laid on the table on top of his folded hands but his eyes were open and alert as he thought about what had just been said.
Fox came and stooped down by the table so he could see him face to face. "You heard everything right?" Alex simply nodded not meeting Fox's eyes.
"I want you to know that we're still behind you all the way Alex, I don't want you to go off trying to solve this problem yourself because you think you have no one to turn to; something can be done we just have to think of it."
Alex nodded.
"You still have the option of identity –" Snake began but Alex cut him off fiercely, lifting his head from the table with an angry expression "I am nobody but Alex Rider." He said but when Snake looked as though he was about to argue further he said. "I'm my father's son, a Rider and if I'm destined to his fate then so be it." He looked up at all of them, eyes fiery as though daring them to argue further, but they understood.
Wolf laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We've got your back Alex, I know how you feel when it comes to your identity so we're going to find a way to allow you to keep it and your life at the same time."
"Thanks," he answered laying his head back on his hands. "Can I go lie down now?" he asked tiredly "My back kind of hurts."
"Sure" Snake said getting up to escort him to his temporary room.
Eventually the other men left, there being nothing else left to be said.
Later that evening Snake and Alex where sitting at the dining room table about to have dinner. Snake laid a steaming bowl of Progresso chicken soup in front of Alex along with some crackers. A little way off were some lemon crème biscuits and milk
"I know Fox and Wolf have probably spoiled you into good eating with their high quality food but I can't cook like them and I'm not in the mood to try so here's some soup and crackers if you don't mind.
Alex looked down at the bowl slightly amused "I'm not picky Snake; soup is fine, besides they never gave me any dessert; that counts for something."
Snake smiled ruffling Alex's hair "You're a good kid Alex.
Snake's remark remind Alex of his current predicament so he said nothing, but he knew Snake meant well, it just didn't make him feel any better.
They ate in comfortable silence after that, but it was evident throughout the meal that Alex was preoccupied with thoughts about his problems. Snake really wished he could help but they couldn't do anymore except keep protecting him until they couldn't any longer.
That night Alex sat up in the bed watching as Snake prepared for his night watch. He had been well equipped by MI6 for this particular night when they though Scorpia would strike. He was given an MI6A1 assault rifle and a .45 ACP semi automatic pistol. For his protection he had on Grade IIIA body armor. After he had armed himself to the teeth he sat down in a high backed stool he'd brought into the room for that reason and picked up a large cup of coffee. "To stay awake." He explained when he saw Alex looking. Alex nodded then asked "What do I get?"
"Bulletproof shields on the windows."
"Oh"
"Go to sleep Cub. They're not going to get to you without going through me first."
"That's partly what I'm afraid of." Alex mumbled under his breath but he obeyed and laid down just as Snake turned off the light.
But about an hour later Alex still wasn't asleep. He lay on his back thinking about his last choice wondering if he was being too stubborn for his own good, until finally he decided to get Snake's advice.
"Sky, are you still awake?" he whispered using Snake's real name. It seemed appropriate somehow with how important this was.
"I'm still awake." Snake answered out of the dark "You can't sleep?"
"Yeah," he paused "Can I ask you something." Alex answered quietly
"I'm listening."
"Do you think-" he paused unsure of whether he would like Snake's answer "Do you think I should accept the identity change if its really my last option?"
"That's really your decision to make Alex."
"No, I want your advice. What do you think I should do?"
"I see," Snake was quiet for a good while before he finally answered
"How old are you?" he suddenly asked
"Fourteen" Alex answered in surprise
"Right, you're pretty young but you're proud of who you are right?"
"Yes" Alex responded more confidently
"Well what makes you, you, I mean what makes you feel good about yourself and glad to be you? That's what you have to ask your self when you consider something like this."
Alex still wasn't sure what Snake was getting at but he thought about it. "Well my accomplishments for one. The things that I did, I guess even the missions I went on and completed. I feel good about saving those people."
"I can see why you would." Snake answered sounding kind of proud as well. "What else?"
"And me, I mean who I am. My history I guess." And Alex was beginning to see what Snake was trying to get him to see "I don't really know my mom, she was a nurse before… before Scorpia had her killed." He paused hesitant to tell Snake about his family, but then he realized that it felt right. These men had come to mean something to him now; he could trust them.
"But I…I wish I had known my Dad. It turns out that he had been one of the best agents MI6 ever had."
"Really?" Snake asked "I guess it's in your blood then."
"That's partly why Scorpia wants me gone." He said even more quietly "They say I'm my father's son."
Snake got off of the stool so he could come close enough to hear Alex's whispers "Because he was the deepest undercover agent in their midst."
Snake was silent out of shock but Alex didn't see this. "Ironically he trained the man who killed my uncle."
"I had no idea you're life was so complicated." Snake commented
"But despite the fact that he had to kill some people, I'm still proud of the fact that people say I'm just like him, in looks and personality." Alex sighed tiredly
"I guess this little stroll down memory lane was meant to make me see that even if my name and government file is different I'm still me right?"
"No matter what your name is Cub, you can still be proud of all those things. And it seems like you've got a lot to be proud of. In my opinion its better to keep going with that stuff in a different part of the world with a new name than not at all, don't you think?"
"Yeah thanks, I think I'll tell them that in the morning."
"Good. Means we get to keep you around a little longer" Snake got up off the bed and went back to his stool "Now try and get some sleep."
"Okay,"
"G'night Cub."
"G'night."
It wasn't long after that that Alex did fall asleep.
Some time later...
Snake looked up, completely alert. He'd heard something that sounded like a window being shut. He got off his stool cocking his semi-automatic. He gently woke up Alex to have him alert in case they need to escape. Alex was awake and vigilant within seconds watching wearily as Snake silently left the room. He silently tensely waited for a word or signal from Snake or better yet Snake himself saying it was nothing.
After half a minute, the suspense was getting to him so Alex quietly began to get out of the bed when he heard Snake suddenly shouting from the basement. Shouting to him to leave now.
Alex's bed was fortunately near the window so he quickly hopped out of the bed adrenaline making his good leg stronger than it had been over the past few days. He hopped over to the window and shoved it open climbing out and falling the three feet to the soft grass below.
To his utter horror and surprise just as he was painfully getting up from the ground, someone grabbed him from behind and started quickly dragging him away from the house. Then a second later just as he heard Snake shouting his name again, the house blew up. The front back and sides of the house suddenly ignited in an earsplitting blast that caused the middle of the house to collapse in a heap. Alex was so shocked as he was dragged away that he didn't remember to struggle until the reality of what just happened, what was happening, hit him like a punch in the face.
He screamed for Snake just as he was stuffed in to a car, but of course he got no answer and when the door was slammed shut in his face, he felt as though the door had just been shut on his life.
Just before they drove off Alex turned around to get a good look at his mysterious kidnapper but before he could see anything he was injected with some sort of sedative and the world went completely black.
Wolf sleepily rolled over grabbing his ringing cell phone from his night table. He hung it back up after a short message and quickly jumped out of bed. Rachel woke up from his sudden move. "What's wrong?" she asked sleepily
"Some thing happened up at Sky's house." His voice sounded worried "Some thing bad, we have go up there now."
"Oh my… Well tell me what you find out okay?" Rachel asked
"I will" he answered grabbing his pistol from the locked drawer.
Of the remaining three members of K-unit, Wolf was the first to get to the house, or rather what was left of it and his heart stuck in his throat as he saw the wreckage.
"Oh my God." He breathed as he climbed out of his truck in shock. As far as he knew, If Alex or Snake were still in that house they were dead and some how he thought they were. In a moment the house had gone up in flames and who knew whether they had gotten out.
As Wolf picked his way through the debris ignoring the stares of the neighbors, His comrades soon drove up one after the other in quick succession immediately followed by the emergency services and lastly MI6. As the professional rescuers got to work looking for survivors, Mrs. Jones got to questioning the men about what had occurred but they knew absolutely nothing beyond what was obvious.
And as they stood around waiting for a sign of life from the wreckage, they quietly lamented the loss of their friends, not knowing that Alex was actually quite alive a few miles away and Snake had yet to let go.
When Alex finally awoke at noon the next day, he had no idea where he was again. But this time he knew for sure that he was not in friendly territory. He was sitting on a hard metal chair in a large mostly dark warehouse. There were pallets here and there piled with boxes but other than that the place was empty except for the man sitting next to him. He was slender and fit like all of Scorpia's operatives but he had a casual arrogant air about him that was unnerving as he stared at Alex with a smirk on his face. He seemed to be very young; no more than twenty if not nineteen, it gave Alex the impression that he was very inexperienced.
"What do you want?" Alex snapped after completing his visual survey of his prison.
"Now, now, Alex don't tell me that nasty knock on your head has damaged your memory." He taunted walking around Alex's chair
"Your motives seem to have changed since you haven't killed me already." Alex answered angrily
"You're wondering why we didn't leave you to go up in smoke like your friend is it?"
Alex felt a knot appear in his chest as he thought of the night before and his throat felt tight. He refused to let the man see him cry, but Snake's death hurt hard.
"You were close were you?" the man said sitting down again "But he was in the way; we had to do what we had to do. But you can understand that, you got rid of Nile because he was in the way so you know all about that sort of thing."
Alex held his fist stiffly at his side refusing to rise to the bait allowing this man to get to him.
"But in answer to your question, we have different interest you might say. Ones that are favorable to both you and me, only MI6 doesn't see it that way. They want everything their way. So we have to make them see otherwise, which reminds me of the task at hand." He got up again moving off into the distance near a pallet of boxes piled seven feet high, obviously pleased with the look of bewilderment on Alex's face. He turned on another much brighter light that revealed a commercial video camera and various pieces of equipment that would be found in a TV station. "When I'm through there will be no way they won't agree to our terms.
Alex didn't fully understand what this man was talking about but he didn't like the sound of where it seemed to be going and he had absolutely no way of escaping.
"What's your favorite channel Alex?" the man suddenly asked as he came menacingly closer "We're going live." and Alex couldn't help but feel that he was in the grip of a mad man.
Jack was worried. She hadn't heard from anyone since she'd seen Alex on Sunday night at Wolf's house and to make matters worse Jake wouldn't answer his cell phone either. Now it was Tuesday late afternoon and still nothing. She didn't know who Alex was staying with now and she couldn't go there even if she did because she didn't know where that was. Now as she prepared dinner for herself and Tom, who was beginning to spend more time over here these days, she couldn't help but wonder if something had gone wrong. Just then there was a pounding on the front door that made her heart stop followed by the voice of Jason. The frantic voice of Jason.
"What is it Jason, you're out of breath." Jack asked worried but he rushed past her as he spoke, turning on the TV. "It's Alex…. He's being held some where… By some people called Scorpia."
Tom, who had been in the living room when Jason came bursting in, gave Jack a frightened look, finally Jason found the channel that he had been watching it on along with his parents and sister.
"…our terms one last time." The man who was keeping Alex company in the warehouse now had him by his hair, baring Alex's neck to the merciless blade of a serrated knife. It was pressed against his neck and a small trickle of blood could already be seen running down his cream throat.
"You have three hours to produce Choe Mai to us in exchange for Alex Rider, your precious little spy, or we will kill him on live TV, brutally. An associate will appear at your headquarters one hour before the exchange is to take place and give you further directions." He forced Alex to his feet where he nearly collapsed causing the knife to graze his throat.
"Get up." He ordered "Now's your last chance to say anything to those who may be listening." Up until now Alex's face registered no fear, only anger and determination, but he was in immense pain as well. "Thanks to your lousy driving I have to do that sitting down." He snapped
The man leaned down to Alex's ear but he didn't really whisper "I still have the power to break the other if I so desire; don't make me." And he punctuated the threat with a shove that made Alex have to catch some of the weight on his broken foot which caused him to yelp and fall to his hands and knees. "Get up!" his captor shouted again and before Alex had struggled to his knees properly the man grabbed him by the back of his neck and replaced the knife to his already marred neck.
"Speak."
Alex tried to hold back but tears of pain squeezed out the corner of his eyes. He could almost feel the pieces of the bones of his leg and arm grating together "Jack if your watching this don't do anything rash. Things might not work out, but don't let your life get ruined because of me and please stay safe; I don't want anyone else to get hurt. Please don't let them get you." The man silenced him with the fumes from a cloth over his face sending him into oblivion again. "You have two hours and fifty nine minutes MI6 before I slit his neck on live television."
The broadcast suddenly ended and returned to the previous program but Jack turned it off. Her eyes were streaming tears so she could barely see to dial the number that Jones had given her for emergencies.
"I am not going to sit here and watch him die like that." She said in a distressed high pitched voice "Not while I still have the ability to move" she swiped the tears from her eyes so she could see properly. "No one is going to sit there and threaten him in front of me like that and I do nothing." She was hysterical now "How the hell did Scorpia get him, what happened to K-unit, to MI6 themselves aren't they supposed to protect him!
"Jack calm down" Tom urged her with a hand on her arm "You've dialed the wrong number twice now. Just take a moment and breath." Jack knew he was right. Although the two boys were scared as well which was obvious through their pale worried faces, they weren't losing their heads.
"Besides everybody is going to be on MI6's arse now. One because of what's happening to him and two because he was a spy and caught in the first place." Jason reasoned with his head in his hands.
"That's probably why Scorpia did it like that." Tom realized "They must really want that person."
"You know I didn't completely believe you at first." Jason confessed "but I really do now, and a whole lot of other people are going to too."
"Blunt might actually have to resign and I can't say I mind." Jack said feeling somewhat better. It was true that MI6 would not be able to not make the transaction with the entire public knowledgeable of the whole problem. And as selfish as it sounded she didn't care how dangerous that person was, keeping her in custody was not worth Alex's life.
"You have to make a choice Alan and you'd better make it soon." Mrs. Jones informed him "and I'll just point out that it is very hard for you to keep Choe and let Alex die on public television."
"I know. Have her prepared but make it clear what the terms are; we're not going to hand her over blindly.
…
"Well it looks like your saviors have arrived." Alex heard the voice of his captor whisper in his ear. The sound and tone reminded him of a snake and he couldn't help but shiver.
After a moment he was able to see the other three members of K-unit coming through the door on the far side of the building and he felt a stab in his chest knowing that Snake was not among their ranks any longer.
They were followed closely by two other soldiers flanking a short dark haired woman who looked like she had seen better days and three more armed men. It was evident that the woman had once been beautiful, but her eyes were surrounded by dark circles and she was dangerously thin. Her long black hair was stringy and limp but although her sharp almond shaped eyes were no longer bright they were very determined, even defiant. They actually seemed to have no place on her emaciated form. Alex suddenly realized that she had been tortured and the knowledge that MI6 had done it to her was frightening. Behind her was another man who had a gun pressed firmly to the back of her head. Then behind these was Mrs. Jones herself with her two guards.
After they had all come in, the door was closed and a few second later all the lights in the building came on rendering the entire warehouse very bright. Alex also noticed that the side of the warehouse that he was on was suddenly populated with armed men with their guns trained on the members of MI6's party but K-unit and the other men all had assault rifles drawn and ready and the tension in the room was palpable.
"We've brought Choe," Mrs. Jones announced coldly "but before we make any exchanges I need to make a few things clear.
"Name your conditions and we will consider; them not necessarily accept them." Alex's captor held a large serrated knife to his tensed throat as he spoke. It was so tightly against his neck that if he swallowed it would be cut.
"We will hand you Choe after we have the child safely on our side of the warehouse and-"
"No such conditions will be met." The man barked, refusing to listen any further "This knife will stay pressed at his neck until Mai is right beside me then he will be escorted over there. If you have objections I can draw the line right now." He tightened his grip on Alex hair and yanked his head upward causing Alex to groan loadly
"Watch it bub," Wolf snapped setting his gun for a more precise shot. "No matter how fast you think you are I'll have your brains leaking through a hole in your head if you make one wrong move."
"What's the use if the kid dies anyway?" the leader asked brazenly
"That's not the only consequence of a wrong move." Mrs. Jones interjected "If you fail to agree to our terms we have missiles trained on the entire island of Malagasto. Everyone and everything on it will die if you give me reason to order my men to fire. Alex must reach this side of the building before Choe is allowed to move, we will not tolerate any treachery."
This news came as a shock to those surrounding Jones but even though it was not anticipated by the members of Scorpia, the leader of the operation smirked widely unconcerned.
"I think I forgot to tell you that you're on live television Mrs. Jones, right now. You'll have to get the approval of your people before you can make reality out of any of your rather evil threats."
"The actions of the Secret Services of Great Britain are not dictated by the opinion of the people. We are obliged to work for the best interest of the citizens but not in the way or form that they would like us to because espionage is dirty work that they don't understand. I will do what I must even if that includes blowing up Malagasto."
The cockiness of the leader did not visibly dissipate but he sounded more serious as he asked "And what if I decide to kill the boy now?"
"Choe and everyone on Malagasto dies."
Alex waited tensely to see what would happen; after all his very life hung in the balance. He was supposed to be what would keep MI6 in check. The bargaining chip that would ensure that they didn't go back on their word against Scorpia, except that the problem was they did not seem to particularly care if he died as long as that woman, for what ever she had done, could stay in their custody. Alex realized with a stab of fear that MI6 would actually gain from his loss with the destruction of Scorpia's main training ground and the death of Choe Mai. The only real loss would be the approval of the citizens of Great Britain when they saw him killed.
"No" the leader finally said after some deliberation "We do not agree and you had better start thinking through what you have threatened before you go trigger happy on our property because if you destroy Malagasto you are going to start a war that you will not be able to win and many people are going to die. Many of your people are going to die because we have ways and means of getting the job done; ways you couldn't imagine.
You know that had it not been for Alex, all of those children would have died and you would have had a hell of a time explaining the deaths to their parents. Admit it, you're in no shape to wage a war with us."
"We are well aware of the consequences and are more prepared to deal with them than you think, if ne-"
"Just shut the hell up Jones." Wolf commanded which Jones obeyed only out of surprise for his audacity.
"You all are too blasted trigger happy for your own damn good! You don't wage war with a terrorist organization because the two of you think you're too #$% good to give in to the other."
"You don't know who you're dealing with so stay out of this." The leader started to say but Fox shut him up as well.
"Do you stand to gain anything from killing Alex and messing up everything else? Obviously this is only about pride now, neither of you wants to give in so the other can feel smug."
"It's obvious what everyone wants." Eagle announced loudly "You want your girlfriend back and we want Alex over here unharmed. Blowing up anything is an unnecessary extra that's not going to happen."
He took a daring step forward ignoring the sound of guns being readjusted and aimed at him. "If that's all we want why don't we meet in the middle like it's supposed to be done?" he continued to walk forward slowly with his hands in the air in a non-threatening manner. "If neither of you have any intentions of dealing treacherously then send Alex to meet me here in the middle and Choe will meet you here as well."
"What makes you so bold as to think that we won't shoot you where you stand for your insolence?"
Eagle frowned angrily "I don't give a damn about insolence right now. Either you trade properly and preserve your best interest or else everything for everyone goes down the drain and just so you know, if you shoot me, Choe will be dead before I hit the ground and nothing is going to come of that."
The man stared Eagle in the eye but his gaze was met with fierce determination till he grudgingly removed the knife from Alex throat and released him. Alex nearly collapsed but he was caught by the escort who fairly dragged him along to where Eagle stood waiting while Fox lead Choe Mai himself. None of the members of K-unit trusted Mrs. Jones now and they didn't want to chance her ordering her men to shoot anyway.
When they met in the middle, Eagle and Fox took Alex and backtrack to their side of the warehouse, never taking their eyes off of the members of Scorpia.
Alex was relieved to say the least and gladder than words can describe that K-unit had accompanied Mrs. Jones here or else he may have been dead as per the previous plan. As Eagle gently laid him down on the ground to check the damage to his neck, Alex insisted that he was fine. But Fox told him to be quiet because it was evident that he was severely weakened. The bandages around his chest were loosened and his breathing was halting and wheezy at times.
Eagle was about to get up when Alex grabbed his arm. "Is Snake…I mean did he…"
Eagle's eyes looked pained for a second before he answered "He survived, but he's in pretty bad shape Alex, the doctors aren't sure whether he'll make it yet."
Alex nodded "I'm sorry for everything you guys. I know you're going to say it's not my fault but these things happened because of me and they didn't have to, so I want you to understand that I need to apologize."
"We understand Alex. But don't feel bad, we don't hold it against you and we know that Snake doesn't either. Okay?"
Alex nodded closing his eyes as he was carried to the waiting ambulance outside. He looked forward to seeing Jack and later if Snake survived which Alex felt that he would, he wanted to thank him for the sacrifice he'd made to keep him safe. His last thought as he drifted into unconsciousness was that Mrs. Jones and Alan Blunt were going to have a hard time keeping their jobs after this.
Next Chapter will be the last. Stay tuned.