June 2003
After the horror of destroying Nightshade, Alex was still stunned that he had made it back to school in time to sit his GCSE's. He was expecting fails across the board, but the day after he got back to Chelsea, a courier delivered concise revision notes of the exact topics to study for each exam with a sorry we missed your birthday card signed by Walker and Klaus. This not exactly cheating per say, but the ultra streamlined revision plan was shared with Tom, who joined him for several last minute, epic revision sessions, which proved to be perfectly tailored to each exam. This still did not guarantee A grades, but made up for missing most of Years 10 and 11. Alex felt no guilt helping Tom out, as his friend had been shot by MI6 last year. With passes now a thing, the future as a no hope failure was averted, which meant the reluctant spy and failed assassin would be able to sit A levels and go to uni. A future without MI6 or one of their ilk was now a possibility. He'd have to work hard for the next two years to undo the damage done by serial absences to achieve his goal of getting into medical school. Proving he was a Beckett rather than a Rider at heart.
The horror of three weeks of exams over. The walk along the river, on a blissful mid June afternoon, was disturbed by Tom Harris expressing his concern over of the one event left on the school calendar for the Brookland school leavers. "Who's your date for prom, then double-o-nothing?" Tom queried as they walked home from the last exam, avoiding the crowds at the school hall and main entrance, as the hot weather meant they had exited through the open fire exit and across the staff car park. He had to ask, just in case his friend was intent ongoing with one of his spookier friends.
Alex was planning to avoid school all together until exam results day in August. "My CV clearly states likely to die a virgin, considering I don't fancy a single classmate of any gender or sexual orientation. Shouldn't you be hanging out with Jools anyway? I take it her dad is splashing out on the full support package of stretched limo and after party combo. I refuse to go stag or tag along with you two, like an unwanted shadow, even if you need a bodyguard. Might ask if Jack has any single friends, though turning up with a thirty something cougar or divorcee is hardly going to improve my standing as class freak."
Tom then aired the desperate plan his girlfriend had hatched to team each of their besties together for a date. "You could go with Jools' BFF? I know,I know, Mel is no looker, but she's dateless like you."
Alex pondered pulling a sickie to get out of spending any time with Melanie Briskow. One of the many judgemental bullies giggling along with each and every put down and lie from James Hale's lips, his very ex-friend, who had been a complete tosser for the last 2 years. Right along with Tom's squeeze, Julia Martin. "It will be the worst date in the history of the world, we are not even frenemies, never mind friends." The sixteen year old had chosen not to quip, that he'd rather go with Crawley. What did a trained undercover operative, one who was no longer useful to his agency, have in common with a teenage girl, with a superiority complex? Which just about summed up how bad school had been since he ran away two summers ago during the school trip to Venice.
Tom knew that if he could not sell this now, Alex would stay at home and have no chance of friends in sixth form after he started his apprenticeship. "No, it'll be fine. She supports Chelsea. You can talk footie all night and you can actually dance."
Alex stopped walking. "You blabbed to Jools that I took ballroom lessons! Come on! That was a secret never to be told! I swore never to forgive Ian for that shit-fest." He'd never told his best friend that he'd last danced with the Countess during etiquette lessons at Malagosto. The refined, charming and gentile lady was one he'd actually invite to the prom only she was currently living in Macau. Not worth the hassle of making MI6 aware that he was still pen pals with a couple of the instructors who just happen to have escape arrest. He could do without being charged with treason.
For nearly two years, Alex had tried not to think of his other allies, friends of a sort, not employed by MI6 and classified as terrorists. Those texts from a burner phone alone made him a traitor. Discovery of his occasional chats with Ross, the good doctor and the Countess would incur life at Her Majesty's Pleasure in the Gibraltar facility no less. Yassen had been right about finding himself there. He was not a patriot, but as Doctor Three explained directors of SCORPIA were not assassins; the mistake of D'Arc, Steiner and Rothman had been trying to make a diamond into a mere tool not into a fabulous jewel. He was well aware, he had an opening studying with the expert of pain, interrogation and extreme stress on the human psyche and the medical repercussions of torture. Dr Three broke people, but he was an expert on keeping them alive and in working order, when the asset was deemed viable. A genius, but most did not look beyond the horror of interrogation methods, to the healing and holistic aspects of his field of study that the man wrote about. He had papers in medical journal dating back to the late fifties, before fate changed a man of science into an instrument of revenge.
"See you tomorrow, Tom. Please stop playing matchmaker, since my preferred date is more Killer than kisser." Too true, but Mel was probably enough of a bitch to actually fit in the former category. The fact his bestie was trying to make him be sociable was a lost cause. He was not going to get roped into a Carrie like scenario for everyone to pick on him. No, he had better things to do, like cataloging the pantry or rebuilding his bike. His slim book of contacts had three other sixteen year olds who might be game for a real prank date. Alex texted James Sprintz, Hugo Vries and Nick Marc to see if they were available next week to camp it up and party the night away. James would be game, for sure, though he had a bad habit of being grounded.
...
October 2001
Dr Three read the text from Alex Rider. The founder of this unusual school trusted his instincts, when he had warned the fourteen year old about Julia Rothman's duplicitous nature and Hunter's boy was returning the favour, and had sent a warning to ship out ASAP because bogies were on their way. The old man made it to the launch to be joined by three colleagues, but was surprised by the inclusion of the quartermaster and two students. Far from being a traitor to SCORPIA, Rider was keeping his options open to the few at Malagosto who had openly supported him. The Board would need several new members, all picked by Kursk now. The doctor's mind already thinking of reestablishing elsewhere, meaning the school would be out of action for several months. In Asia, far from Kursk's power base with a new headmaster to choose. Once he was back teaching, the doctor might offer a personal apprenticeship to Alex, without seeking the approval of the short-sighted and petty other board members. The fourteen year old had fine instincts and was far more variable than as a mere killer. John Rider had the potential to be a good second in command, his son would make an excellent Board Member and Chairman. Those that had crossed him were dead or about to be arrested. A true viper and MI6 bought the 'just lucky' act, hook like and sinker, with no realisation they were being played for fools.
...
The result of the operation storming the SCORPIA base of operations in the Venetian Lagoon were far from the expected resounding success. Support staff and three students were being interrogated. Steiner and D'Arc were dead. Dr Three, Gordon Ross and three other teachers were MIA. Not the full sweep of known assets INTERPOL assumed. They could not question their intel, as the MI6 insider had survived an assassination attempt and was currently in intensive care. The fact the assassin missed meant the analysts rejected Ross as the shooter. At that short range, any experienced assassin would assume body armour, even on a teenager and would have taken a head shot.