Surviving The Poison Of Snakes And Scorpions

The Effects Of A Snakehead

"It was after Mdina." Ash's voice was weak. His face was grey and he could no longer move from the waist down. One hand was on his chest; the other lay palm upward on the floor. "You can't understand, Alex. I was so badly hurt. Yassen..." He coughed and blood speckled his lip. "I had given everything to the service. My life. My health. I wasn't even thirty and I was crippled. I was never going to sleep properly, never eat properly. From that day on it was just pills and pain.

And what was my reward? Blunt humiliated me. I was demoted, taken out of the field. He told me..." Ash swallowed painfully. With every word he was finding it harder to go on. "He told me what I already knew." he rasped. "I was second-rate. Never as good... as your dad."

He had almost come to the end of his strength. His shoulders slumped and for a moment Alex thought he had gone. Blood was all around him now. A steady flow trickled from his mouth.

Major Yu was enjoying himself. "Why don't you tell him the rest, Ash?" He crowed.

"No!" Ash straightened his head. "Please..." 

"I already know," Alex said. He turned to Ash one last time. He could hardly bear to look at him. "You killed my parents, didn't you? The bomb on the aeroplane. You put it there."

Ash couldn't answer. His hand tightened on his chest. He only had seconds left. 

"We had to test him." Major Yu explained. "When he came over to us, we had to make sure he was telling the truth. After all, we had just been tricked by one British intellignce agent - your father. So we set him a very simple task, one that would prove to us with no doubt that he wanted to switch sides."

"I didn't want to..." It wasn't Ash's voice. It was just a whisper.

"He didn't want to, but he did. For the money. He put the bomb on the plane and he detonated it with his own hand. Rather more successful than his mission in Mdina. And the start of a long association with us."

"Alex..."

Ash tried to look up. His head fell forward. He died.

Major Yu prodded him with his foot. "Well, as they say, Ash to ashes and dust to dust," he remarked. "I'm glad you heard that from him, Alex. You can take it with you to the grave." 

He raised the gun and pointed it at Alex.

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"Alex. Alex. ALEX!" Alex woke with a start. His head shot up from his pillow as he studied his surroundings. It had been the boy's guardian, Jack Starbright, who had woken him. "School starts in 20 minutes. Hurry or you'll be late." The red-headed woman said.

The young spy got out of bed straight away before his friend's temper matched her fiery red hair.

After getting changed into the standard Brookland uniform, the boy rushed downstairs, grabbing a cereal bar and heading out the door to grab his bike.

Once he had arrived at school, he looked around for any signs of Tom Harris - who was the only person at school who knew of his... extra-curricular activities. He would inform Rider if anything of importance happened.

"Hey Tom." Was all Alex managed to say before the boy began to fire questions like a gun would bullets. 

"Where were you? Did you get injured? What happened after you left us in Venice? How did the building explode? How did you get home?" By this point the green-eyed boy was nearly jumping up and down with fear and anticipation.

"Tom!" Alex interrupted. "If you're going to ask me about it at least let me answer." 

"Sorry." The boy said with a sheepish smile. The bell rang. Tom walked away.

Alex frowned. "Tom, English is this way." 

Tom frowned, confusion clouding his face, and pointed to the assembly before realization came over his features. "Oh! You weren't here! We have an important assembly today." He explained. "I wonder it is about..." He added as an afterthought.

"I'm sure it's nothing, someone probably flooded the toilets again." Alex reassured, stepping into the hall. He sat down and looked at the front of the room, eyes widening comically before turning to his friend. "Tom..."