After 10 days, rather spend all their time cooped up in the house, Ash surprised Alex and promised to travel with him for a bit in the outback. Ash had drove his beat up Landcruiser for the first stretch north into scrub and then desert. They camped, hunted and scavenged as Ash had been trained to do. Proper bushmen, even if they had the fall back of full rations in the truck.

Alex saw the true beauty of the wilderness with nights camped out under the stars with only bonfires to keep the dingos away.

After ten days traveling, Alex lay watching sparks rise up from the fire as Ash snored. He mused on the fact his godfather was fairly unforthcoming about any meaningful details into his parents lives. It was as if being John's best friend was too personal to share. Alex guessed that Ash had told him all that he was going to willingly. The few facts he'd let on had been how he'd met John in Prague. Working in espionage was a lonely life. They had hit it off. Things had gone seriously wrong during John's extraction from Scorpia in Malta. Ash gave no details, but Alex already knew the real events from Yassen, that Ash had made a stupid mistake and it had turned into a blood bath, literally in Ash's case. John had saved Ash's life with emergency first aid. Ash had just been released out hospital, when John and Helena had died. He was one of the few who knew of their plans for a new life in France. John had asked him to bring Alex to them when Alex had recovered from his ear infection. After their deaths, Ian had claimed custody of John's son, but had no problems with Ash visiting. Ash lived his own life after that point. Ash made no excuses about being distant, he was not parent material. Alex tried to understand the man, who had killed his former best friend on the orders of Julia Rothman. Revenge was the furthers thing from Alex Rider's mind. It was all done dusted for him after his tome with Yassen. It was ok for Cossack to play games, but in truth Alex had no memories of either John or Helen.

It was strange to connect to this man, one who seemed genuine to him. Did he regret his action all those years ago? Ash did not seem the type to seek repentance. Maybe he thought Alex had already paid the price for his father's sins.

They got as far as the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park before Ash turned back and returned to civilization. They parted ways as Alex got a lift across the scrub lands towards Alice Springs as the teenager planned to make his way up to Cairns by any means possible. He wanted to experience the real Outback. He learnt so much more about survival than from the SAS. He knew how to fish, hunt and scavenge. His large hat became his best friend and he got serious freckles on his nose.

Three weeks later, a dusty traveller with large brimmed hat, bandana and filthy clothes strode into an isolated outback tavern, built and kept running for the local opal miners.

"Bloody Hell! I thought this place was a mirage. Who puts a pub in the middle of fucking nowhere!" exclaimed Alex on entering the bar. There were two patrons and a barman, Alex stood still as he was the centre of attention before getting on with business. "How much for a bath, bed and a large meal? Laundry would also be fantastic."

"50 dollars a night for food and board, pommie mate, pull up a pew. Beers extra. There's a machine outside in the shed. I'm sure I can throw in some soap."

"OK large glass of water to start and then a glass of beer, please." Alex was absolute parched after walking out of the bush for three days. His feet hot and sore.

Alex spent three days resting his weary body at the Miner's last stand. The owner, Mitch, did a mean steak and chips and the beer flowed and no one gave a rats arse that Alex was only seventeen. He'd had to sleep rough in a few towns because hostels had problems with him being underage, no under eighteens traveling alone. Alex had all the kit anyway, sleeping bag, hammock, rope and waterproof sheet. No worries, cobbers.

Alex travelled east to Bushland Beach on the Great Barrier Reef to do the complete tourist thing of surfing and diving for a week or two. He would even break into his traveller's cheques. Alex had phoned ahead for a small B&B recommended in the Rough Guide. Lou welcomed the hot dusty boy into her house. "Come in , Come in. You been traveling far."

"Hitch hiked and walked for four days from Llanarth." Alex had grit on his face, in his hair and could do with some home comforts.

"The middle of the nowhere? How'd you get a lift?"

"Supply truck, army convoy and some German tourists. I was surprised the army landrovers picked me up. They looked like SAS."

"I bet they were."

"Now for the legal formalities. Sign the register and I need to see your passport."

Alex handed over his British Passport.

"17, huh. What your parents think about you hitching across the outback?" Lou herself had two grown up sons, both of whom lived and worked in Sydney now. She would not have allowed either of then to travel alone until they were out from her house.

"Not a lot, I'm an orphan. Foster placement ended when I turned 16. I'm a free agent."

"So, Alexander" the woman said crossing her arms.

The teenager cur in to make things less like a school bollocking, at least Lou wasn't calling him Rider. "Alex."

"So Alex, room 15's free. Shower and everything. I mentioned the shower because you need one kid. Bring your laundry down. There's a machine in the outhouse you can use" said the smiling woman, she had noted the kid wanting to keep things relaxed.

"I know. You should have seen me last week, I'd been travelling for nearly three weeks, no washing, no shower, no shave. I looked like Robinson Crusoe."

"I bet. I'll have a snack ready for when your out of the shower as its still a couple of hours till dinner."

Alex liked Lou. He bet she didn't give the other guests snacks of a large glass of orange juice and toast with vegemite.

Alex and Lou chatted, waiting for the other guests to arrive back for dinner. Alex volunteered to help clear up and wash up after dinner. "You not hitting the town?" enquired Lou, expecting the boy to want to unwind after his adventure.

"I don't dance, I can't drink legally and Drugs well I used to do them and it was a very bad idea." Alex had decided not to do anything stupid after his stay in hospital. Beer was as much as he'd drunk on his proper holiday.

"You seem like you have your head screwed on right. No one wanted to adopt you?" Lou could see the kid was very independent but good with it. Mind you chores were allotted in children's homes.

"No. I was bounced pillar to post for a couple of years. I ran away lived on the streets, Spent time in specialist juvenile units. My last placement was good though. I finally got some decent foster parents after I hit 15."

"Juvie?" Lou was a bit shocked after that admission.

"Not prison, mental health facilities. For a time I thought it would be best not to exist. Three suicide attempts." Alex explained, as juvie in Oz was like borstal in Britain, only for those with harden criminal tendencies.

"Still on prozac?"

"No clean at the moment. In fact the happiest I've been in years. I worked like buggery during my last year at college to fund my year off. Cleaned toilets, made beds, washed up, pulled pints, washed cars, mowed lawns. I've done everything."

"I bet. The flight alone is a fortune." Alex did not tell her that Edward's publisher's had paid for the flight. Lou had not reacted to his name and he wasn't going to let on about his past.

Alex the next morning ran around town to scout out the bank, surf and dive shops and hire places. He then spent the next five days splitting his time between spending serious amounts of dosh to dive and to surf. He met up with some other tourists to split the cost of boat hire and got to see a few of the beaches out of town and in the Coral Sea.

On Saturday, his friends had moved on, heading south. He planned to get the bus to Cairns on Monday. It was early, before breakfast as he enjoyed the warm morning sun and no crowds. He was running back along the beach when he noticed an early surfer in distress. Alex, in short order, pulled off everything apart from his shorts and jumped in and quickly reached the kid, who looked about fifteen, who had been overwhelmed by a wave. Alex swam back to shore and started CPR. Two walkers ran over and the coastguard and paramedics were called. Luckily the kid spewed up a mouthful of seawater and began to breath unassisted. The kid was quickly seen to by paramedics. The police came and asked Alex's details and about the incident. The policeman radioed in and Alex's name was noted as wanted for questioning by New South Wales police. So Alex got a trip to the station.

Alex got a towel to dry his hair and a cup of coffee from the desk sergeant and waited for his interview. The detective came in. "Umm Alexander John Rider? Date of Birth 13th February 1987?"

"Yeah, thats me." Alex pulled out his passport to prove the point as he pondered the hesitant and closed body language of the cop.

"Just to confirm the name of your Godfather and his address, as he's down as your contact here in Oz."

"Anthony Sean Howell, 1137 West Head Road McCarrs Creek", Alex answered this wondering if there was a problem with the paperwork from the hospital, Ash had signed him out. Maybe he was meant to have stayed with Ash rather than going off on is own.

The cop then stated in a soft calming tone, the voice used to break bad news. "I'm sorry, New South Wales police found your Godfather's remains four days ago. Sean Howell had been tortured extensively. The results of the autopsy state he'd been dead for about ten days, give or take."

Alex froze, shocked. The cop was talking but Alex did not take anything in.

The cop was asking if he needed to see the doctor. Alex looked up and stammered "Ash was headed home when we split up. We... we parted company at Ayers, I mean Uluru... he had a meeting in Sydney he couldn't miss. Something to do with work, I guess. That was 10th November. Meeting on the 12th. I was going to phone when I got to Cairns to arrange my flight back to London."

"He did have an important disciplinary conduct meeting regarding his suspension from work. He didn't turn up. We have him staying at a hotel at Broken Hill on the night of the 11th. The landcruiser was found burnt out near his house. Did Mr. Howell tell you anything else?"

"No, I didn't ask anything personal about Ash, I guessed he was having problems at work, being on suspension and all. Not really my business. I came over to ask him about my mum and dad. I only recently found out about him trying to contact me after my Uncle Ian died. CAFCASS... children's services in London, well they thought he was an unsuitable influence and kept all his communications. Edward Pleasure got hold of my file and gave me copies of the letters after I finished school. He thought I might connect with Ash or something."

"Did you connect?"

"Not sure. Ash plays his cards close to his chest. We hung out. I got to know him a bit. He's not the type to be a surrogate father or kindly uncle. My parents died when I was a baby, named him as Godfather but my uncle got custody." Alex decided to leave out the sordid details of Ash bailing on custody not once but three times. "Anyway, I got an appendicitis on the plane here. Surgery almost as soon as I landed and Ash got to look after me. After three weeks at his house resting, we travelled to Ayers in Ash's truck. I haven't been in contact since then. I've just been hiking and hitching around"

Details of Alex's itinerary were taken. Alex guessed they were checking out his alibi.

The detective then returned and confirmed that Alex was not a suspect, "You have stated you were at Llanarth staying at the Miner's Last Stand last week and that all checks out. You, however, are the last person to see Mr. Howell alive." The cop then paused, "I also ran your details on the system. You've got two hits on interpol for 2001, missing persons reports. You run away?"

"Once, but before that I was abducted. The bastard had a gun. I was told they offered you sweeties, I just got 11 weeks in hell."

"Jesus how old were you?" The cop asked.

"14." Alex tried to get his head around the fact Ash was dead. "Do you have any leads?"

"Nothing that New South Wales Police have passed on. When you get back to Sydney, they will want to interview you as a formality. Detective Ron Draw, is the case officer who wants to speak with you when you get back to Sydney. I have his number here. Are you staying up here for long?"

"I was planning on going to Cairns on Monday. I think I'll head back to Sydney. Get my flight sorted. I'll talk to my friends about going home early."

"We could find no fixed address in the UK for you. Are you just hanging at your friends places?"

Alex pondered this, to tell the truth or to bend it slightly. "I got out of supervised care in January. I need to sort out accommodation." Alex laughed embarrassed, "I've been mixing hostels with friends places. I spent most of the year traveling, even got my first serious boyfriend. I might hook up with him again, I'm just feeling my way at the moment. I prefer to wander than live in a crappy bedsit."

"OK, Alex. I won't keep you. Thanks for the statement. You need a lift aback to your B&B?" The cop stood up as the interview was over and showed Alex out of the claustrophobic interview room at Townsville Police Station "Do you need a lift back to Bushland Beach?"

"No, I'll get the bus. Sorry I could not help."

Alex did not head straight back to Lou's place but wandered around town and browsed in the shops with no real aim of buying anything. Dread and hopelessness were eating at him. Yassen's cryptic warning over Ash. Alex doubted this had been Cossack's handiwork. His style was making it look like a accident or quick and clean. He'd had too much fun frightening Ash. Was it was all to do with Scorpia? Was it related to Yassen taking out that Chinese contact of Sergei's? How did Ash connect to that Yu bloke anyway? Like in the past, Alex had no real idea of what had come to pass, only that he was again involved in events beyond his control.

Alex stood in the too hot phone booth anxious to hear Sergei's voice, wanting to warn him but about what exactly. Alex could hardly say he had several meetings with his kidnapper. Not when Yassen had warned Alex not to enter into a relationship with the russian arms dealer when he had gone ahead and done just that. Sergei had got to him, wormed into his psyche like an addiction. It was bad but good. Alex suddenly wanted another fix. It was early morning in Moscow, Alex was ringing the dacha but he had no idea even if anyone was there. He'd try Nice next, then Maria's personal mobile. He had to talk to Sergei.

Seven rings and a bodyguard picked up. "Hello, Is that Misha? Its Alex, is Sergei there? I need to talk. Its important." The wait seemed to be an eternity. Alex not caring at that his credit was quickly being eaten up.

"Sergei.. Darling.. I .." Alex then burst into tears progressing to hiccups. "My godfather's dead... He was murdered. I... I want to come home. Can I?"

"I will get Maria to sort out flights, Where are you?"

"Queensland. I'll be in Sydney in four days. I have to get stuff sorted with the cops there."

"Whats going on Alex? Are you a suspect?"

"No. I just have to give a statement. I'm feeling paranoid. I just don't know whats happening. The cops here in Queensland have no info. Shit , I liked Ash." Alex tried to form his worries into words. "I'll call you when I get to Sydney. I just wanted to hear your voice. I need you Sergei. I.. I'll talk to you soon."

Alex got his bus ticket exchanged, from Cairns to Sydney. He booked a room at a hostel and then fingered the card the cop had given him, it had the name and number of the investigating detective in New South Wales.

Alex left a brief answerphone message and was then at loose end. He no longer felt like diving or surfing. He wanted to be a million miles from here. He also wanted to talk to the one person who might know what was going on, Yassen Gregorovich.

Alex pulled out a worn and well used copy of The Player of Games, one of his favourite novels and reread it over that Sunday, spending the day in bed at Lou's. Loosing himself in a distant, weird and Machiavellian world helped pass the time. The bus journey was most of two days and one night, a marathon of tedium interspaced with bathroom breaks and bad coffee. The hostel in Sydney was busy, loud and offered no privacy. He wanted with all his heart to be far, far away. To forget everything and the only thing that would accomplish that was Sergei. The young poet was sick of Yassen's games, sick of secrets and sick of the whole world his father, uncle and godfather had belonged to. He was so tempted to go and smoke some heroin and the chemical would erase everything, but that was only temporary. In the morning he would still have to deal with the hard facts of life but with the added bonus of the crash that followed the high.

Detective Ron Drew sat in a bad suit, drinking bad coffee with a sour look on his face as his investigation into the death of a pommie immigrant called Anthony Howell had just entered the freaking twilight zone. A smartly dressed young hot shot from ASIS was going to sit in on the interview with the young kid, Alex Rider, the godson of the deceased. The kid was seventeen and a bit of a wild one according to the press in France, Britain and the UK. He'd arrived in Sydney and sparked a drug concealment alert but had proved to be an appendicitis. The kid had a psych alert on his file as well, suspected anorexia, drug use and alcohol abuse. The cop did not interact with the spook as the kid was shown up from reception.

The CCTV had shown a typical young back packer in loose traveling clothes, longish hair, facial hair just a tad over stubble and into beard territory making the kid look older than his 17 years.

When the kid entered the room he looked haunted, the kid's face was pale, dark circles under his eyes and he looked like he could do with a good meal.

"Hi, I'm Alex.. Alex Rider. I'm here about Ash, I mean Anthony Howell."

"Thanks for coming in. Take a pew. I have a copy of your interview with Queensland Police. I just want to ask you a few questions just to see if we can piece together Mr. Howell's last movements. OK, Mr. Rider can you start on how you contacted your godfather."

Alex noted the cop asked the questions, the other guy had not been introduced and was wearing a visitor's badge as was Alex himself.

It was a weary two and a half hours before the cop had gone backwards and forwards several times detailing Alex's three weeks with Ash and his handful of previous interacts. The grey drab interview room was closing in. "Umm, is there a public payphone nearby. I really, really need to talk to Lisa."

"Your lawyer?" The cop asked.

"My therapist. I'm having a hard time coping at the moment. I don't know anyone here and my hospital experience after my operation left a lot to be desired. I don't want to talk to some arsehole who I don't know." Plus Alex did not want to admit he'd been stupid by not talking, not keeping in touch and not following the rules regarding managing his self medication problem.

It was then the blond haired smartly dressed, observer spoke. "Have you sorted out your return to England yet, Mr. Rider?"

"Umm, no, not yet. My flight was booked for the 30th. Virgin. I flew with them from LA in October. I suppose its only two weeks away."

"Are you spending the holidays with anyone?"

"I was going to ... with Ash. He was going to barbeque something.. Aussie tradition I guess. I'll see if I can get my flight moved. I really, really do not want to be here anymore. Am I allowed to go back to London, or Paris? The hostel in Sydney kinda sucks."

Marc Damon then offered "We can transfer you to an apartment for the two weeks."

Alex's face changed from tired and lost to hard in a flash, "I don't want anything from you, I guess you used to work with Ash. I'll be fine on my own." He'd ring Maria, he'd be out of Oz by tomorrow. "I am free to go home then. You can contact me via my literary agent in Moscow, Anna Mostova or via Edward Pleasure. He normally knows where I'm staying."

"You are free to leave Australia." The cop cut in. He saw no reason in keeping a kid in a place where he had no where to go.

Marc Damon finished his report on Alex Rider. The kid was nothing like he'd expected. The chosen apprentice of the cold and emotionless Yassen Gregorovich was twitchy, exhausted, all raw emotion. The kid had obviously liked Ash. Marc had been investigation Mr. Howell, who they had proved had been in the pay of Winston Yu and before that Julia Rothman. What he had yet to find out is what had soured the relationship with Howell and the Triad. All Ash had to do was lay low, take his punishment and retire after a spell in prison. Ash had demanded something but what? Did that kid, Rider have anything to do with it? That was unlikely, the kid was definitely not an active operative.