We reached one hundred reviews! Oh, thanks to all of you who have reviewed. That makes me so happy. Alright, well, I was so inspired when I wrote the last chapter that I thought it would be nice to all my readers to update once again. This is probably the quickest I have ever updated a story, so take it while you can. So this isn't very long but it will set up the next few chapters. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I'd think after eight chapters that it would be pretty obvious that this is still fanfiction and didn't magically change into the real thing. But just in case, I made this up not Anthony Horowitz. Sorry to burst your bubble.
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Yassen crashed through the door to the holding cell where Wolf was being held. The soldier gazed up hotly at the man before him, thinking of all the things he wished he could do to the assassin, all of which were extremely unpleasant.
The gray stones echoed as the door was shut behind him, Yassen taking in the small barred window, the cold hard floor, and the musty scent of a place removed from the normal cleaning rounds.
"Hello, Wolf." The man's voice was soft and hard, his eyes looking for any signs of a trick that Wolf might plan.
"What do you want, Gregorovich?" Pent up anger could be heard in the soldier's voice, though he tried for indifference.
"I want you to help me."
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Alex came to in the back of the truck, the jolting vehicle showing that they were still moving. He had no idea how long he had been out for, no windows or holes letting light infiltrate the prison. One bulb burned in the corner, the kind of lamp used in worksites. Despite that, the whole truck could pass as a clothing store, racks of women's' dresses and shoes lining the walls, men's dress shirts and ties hanging neatly. A shelve of jewelry lay sprawled on the floor, the twinkling pseudo gems large and gaudy.
Hours seemed to go by as Alex made himself comfortable on the floor, or as comfortable as he could, waiting for when the truck would stop. He counted the minutes, the number of shoes, number of ridges in the ceiling. Anxiety soon washed over him. He was helpless and no one knew where he was. Not that he would enjoy going back to the base but at least he knew what to expect and what was expected of him. He had no idea why he had been taken or who had even known he would be there.
He had only time to think about what would happen.
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Sarov paced the library. His expensive shoes clicked noisily on the wooden flooring as he looked from the phone to the door, cursing his Russian countryman silently. He knew that Yassen was up to something when-
The man walked through the door, calm and collected as always. There was no anxiety, no anger in his face to broadcast that his ward had escaped and was still unfound. The rage built inside of the general at the lack of emotion evident on the assassin's face.
"You said he would take a test, not cause a week long manhunt." Sarov stalked to the gin cabinet, taking out a bottle of clear liquid, hoping to drown in whatever he had found.
"He is proving his resourcefulness. That was the point, was it not?"
"Yes, of course!" Sarov was past furious, he was irate though he could find no evidence that Yassen had allowed Alex to evade them.
"There are many recruits with just as much skill as Rider," Yassen suggested calmly, not fazed by the general's appearance or the fact he had lied right to the man's face. He was in control now.
Sarov turned to look at the assassin, his eyes filled with rage. "You know as well as I do that he is unique. And none of the other recruits are young enough to do the job we had planned." He paced to the window to look out at the majestic expanse of mountains. Yassen did not move from where he was positioned, his body tensed for anything that might transpire. "You are looking for him, da?"
"Of course."
"Fine, then leave me. When you find him, bring him to me so that we can begin his next mission."
The blonde turned to leave but stopped at Sarov's voice. "If you had anything to do with this, you will receive no mercy from me, Yassen."
"I would expect nothing less," he responded. "But I thought I had already assured you of my innocence. Perhaps you should be looking at other parties that could be helping our young friend." With that, Yassen turned, striding confidently out of the room and leaving the general to wallow in solitude. He walked briskly to the holding cells under the compound, the lowest level in the building. Locating the one that Wolf was staying in, he opened the door with that swipe of a key. The electronic buzz preceded him, closing likewise after he had stepped through. The man did not look up, staring intently at the opposing wall.
"Wolf."
The man made no response, did not venture to gaze at the assassin. He just sat still, unblinking.
"I will not tolerate disrespect." The man in front of him finally turned to look scathingly at him, Wolf's eyes filled with hate.
"Have you decided what your answer will be? I must leave post haste if I am to meet them at the rendezvous point." Yassen was trying not to become impatient but he needed to hurry in order to meet Vicktor.
"I cannot betray my team. It would be treason."
"It is your life. You can save it now and in the process help Alex. Or you can rot here or better yet, be executed. They will not hesitate if I give the word."
Wolf sighed, looking away. "If I do this, it will not be to save my own skin." Yassen said nothing, knowing the man was trying to justify it in his mind. "If I help you, who is to say that my team will be safe?"
A raised eyebrow was the only answer he received. "Of course, I can't bargain with you." He seemed to be studying the walls, hoping that he might find the answer scrawled in the stone. Seeming to find none, he hung his head. "I will help you. But I don't trust you."
"I would expect nothing else. But you will be my prisoner. Do not think that you will have special privileges. Remember that you need me to help you find Alex, not the other way around."
"How could I forget," muttered the man under his breath.
"And," prompted Yassen, his eyes searing into Wolf.
"I can't."
"Then when I find out who they are, I will kill them."
"Isn't that what you were planning anyway."
"I will spare their lives if they will cooperate. I will not stand for interference or resistance. One mishap and I will dispose of them."
"I can't bargain for their lives without even talking to them about it. How can you ask me to sign them up for this mission when I can't even ask them what they want to do."
"You could ask them."
"And then you would know who they are. I don't think so," Wolf snapped, his patience gone with the assassin.
"It is your choice. I have previously given my word to you in regards to their safety. The choice is now yours. But if you do not make a decision, I will consider it a refusal, and therefore, you life will be forfeit. I suggest that you make the right decision."
"You don't leave much choice, do you? Alright, Gregorovich, I will talk to my team. But if anything happens to them-"
"You are at my mercy, soldier. I would advise you not to threaten me." His voice was dangerous, like an animal that had been pushed too far. He may have given Wolf a generous offer but he had not transformed into someone warm and fuzzy on the inside.
Yassen pulled out a pair of handcuffs, motioning Wolf to stand. He did as he was asked, gazing suspiciously at the man until he disappeared behind him. The cuffs were tight and cold against his skin, the instinct to pick them foremost. But Wolf refrained knowing that he needed to find Alex and therefore needed to be alive to help him. He had to bide his time.
He was led out the door and up the long deserted hallway. Wolf tensed as a man passed by but did not intercept them. Remembering that Yassen stood behind him almost gave him a feeling of satisfaction, almost.
They arrived at an intersection. With no one in the hallways, Yassen unlocked the handcuffs, one hand on his gun.
"I am allowing you time to meet with your team. If you are not here in 20 minutes, I will presume that you had reneged on our arrangement and will presently find you and kill you." With that, the assassin turned and walked to the wall, leaning against it as if he had not a care in the world. When Wolf stood frozen a few seconds more, Yassen looked pointedly at him. "Time starts now."
Wolf took off in a sprint to find his team and hoped that he had made the right decision. He was willing to die for his country but if it meant saving Alex, he was willing to work with Yassen, monster that he may be.
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The truck stopped. There was no way to tell if it was night or day but Alex had a feeling that no matter when it was, it would be somewhere deserted.
He had come to the conclusion that this was probably a test and he had failed. Yassen knew he would not shoot the man and had planned accordingly. He just didn't know when they would quit messing around and just take him back to the compound. He was getting really tired of looking at women's wear.
The light that had dashed the shadows flickered off with the truck. Sounds of a door slamming and someone plodding beside the truck forced Alex into action. He had to find a weapon in order to immobilize whoever had grabbed him. This was most likely part of the test too.
He looked around the truck, trying to see in the darkness. He pictured the truck as he remembered it; things bolted to the ground, useless clothing items and….the lamp. Jumping over various articles of clothing on the floor and the spilled jewelry, Alex felt for the lamp on the hook it was attached to, the cord connected to an outlet. He pulled it out and grasped the lamp in one hand. As he picked his way through the racks, he approached the door about the time that whoever had captured him started lowering the ramp. It was dark outside with a brilliant array of stars from what Alex could see. He also detected no sign of street lights or houses anywhere in the vicinity, meaning he was in the middle of the countryside. Hefting the lamp and pressing himself against the wall, he muted his breathing, seeing the outline of the man. He was bigger than Alex remembered.
The teen was about to attack when the man's voice stopped him. "Little Alex, put down the lamp and come out of the shadows."
Alex knew there was no way the man could see him, let alone that he had a lamp. Which only meant one thing; he was a trained agent, probably an assassin from the compound. He should have known Yassen wouldn't give him a rookie to work with. He debated on if the man was just bluffing and attacking anyway when he was halted once again.
"If you do not come out I will use the device that Yassen gave me. I hear it is very painful." Alex closed his eyes in realization and defeat, knowing that he had no choice but to concede or that man would force him to.
The teen forced his feet to move as he placed the lamp on the wooden planking that made up the floor.
"That's a good boy. Yassen said that you were sensible." The man attempted a laissez-fair attitude but the hardness was in his eyes and voice. He was not a rookie like the men who were training at the compound. Alex knew in one look that he was like Yassen, experienced, older, having seen much of life.
"Do you work for Yassen?" Alex asked angrily, not liking getting bested.
"No," was his reply. No elaboration, no explanation. Alex was getting frustrated.
"Then who do you work for?"
"Before I answer any question, boy, I want you to put these on." He placed handcuffs on the edge of the truck and backed away, probably having heard that Alex was a fighter. Reluctantly, Alex placed them on his wrists but very loose.
"Come down, Alex. You are safe here."
"Is that why I am handcuffed?" Alex asked sarcastically.
To his surprise, the man grinned slightly but did not answer his question. "My name is Vicktor and we will be here for a few hours. I suggest you take a nap inside." The man pointed behind him to a small dacha, a beautiful garden reaching out through the peeling white picket fence. A large tree stretched upwards in front of the house, its limbs so large any one of them could crumble the house below it.
Sensing that the man was waiting for him to move, he began to walk towards the house, picking the handcuffs as he walked.
"Alex," came a voice from behind. He turned to look but did not turn all the way. "Tighten the cuffs, boy. Good try though." He walked past Alex with the same small grin in place. Alex found that he was more comfortable with the man than with Yassen if he had to choose, only because he seemed to have a sense of humor.
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Alan Blunt sat in front of his computer screen watching the blinking light that was the location of one Alex Rider. The transmitter was weak but the battery was holding on, even after two months. Four other blimps were also on the screen, K-Unit also having been implanted with the beacons. MI6 had the resources to locate and retrieve the men but he was troubled by the fact that Rider had been moved a few hundred miles away from the group. He had never been more than a mile away since his arrival, obviously in some kind of compound.
His instincts told him to retrieve the men, being four of them and only one of Alex. But that one Alex Rider had saved the world and been an irreplaceable asset. But he knew the risks of the job meant some people had to die for the good of all. And maybe, if he was being trained for SCORPIA it would be better if he died.
He continued to ponder, knowing that he would get K-Unit out, but not knowing what to do with Alex.
"Alan, do you have any orders to pass on?" The smell of peppermint alerted Blunt as to the identity of the voice, Mrs. Jones having just entered his office.
"Send in the teams tomorrow to retrieve K-Unit and exterminate the compound."
"Just K-Unit? Are you leaving Alex in the compound?"
"He is not in it," he said simply.
"What-"
"I have yet to decide what to do with Rider. Pass along the orders."
"Right away."
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Twenty minutes on the dot and the whole K-Unit was congregated in the spot Yassen had told him. Wolf looked around cautiously, knowing he had had no choice but hoping that he had not led his people into a trap.
He heard Yassen approach behind him. He turned and saw that the man was alone, relief uncurling the tight knot in his stomach. As long as he had not caused the death of all his men by doing as the assassin said, maybe there was a way out of this after all.
"This is all of them?" asked the cold Russian, his eyes sizing up the group.
"All in my unit. We weren't told of anyone else infiltrating the ranks."
"Good. Then follow me." He stalked away, with all the confidence in the world, not worried at all that the four SAS soldiers would try to overtake him.
As if reading his thoughts, Yassen looked over his shoulder. "If any of you try to break our arrangement, I will kill someone in your unit. You will have to live with their death on your hands for the rest of however long you live." He had said it so casually, so flippantly, grating on Wolf's nerves. The man was a machine, no emotion evident in any of his actions. Wolf hated that he had allowed the man to goad him into going.
They arrived at the garage, Yassen picking his way through the various vehicles until he came to one that fit his liking. Before entering he turned to the unit.
"You are my prisoners, but we are working together. I know that Alex will be more comfortable with you there and I have no doubt that MI6 knows that Alex is not here anymore. They will not hesitate to move in. All that Sarov has worked for will be for nothing." He looked pointedly at each man. "I know you do not like how MI6 has mistreated Alex, probably do not even know all of it. For that reason, I asked for your help. I want you to work for me."
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So, probably not nice but it was fun to write. I'm not too happy with how I portrayed Yassen especially towards the end but it fit what I needed. Okay, so I hope you all liked it and review! This story will probably be ending soon. I think I know where this is going and how I want it to end. Hurray for that! Thanks again!
Cailiean44