(Alex Rider Fanfiction) Floating in the Dark

Twelve

The hotel room was small; one room with two beds, plus a bathroom. Scare was currently in the bathroom, while Alex was left standing in the middle of the main room. He dropped his suitcase onto his bed; Scare had already thrown a black duffle bag on the other.

Alex flopped back on his bed, sighing as he allowed himself to relax. The short journey from the airport to this hotel had been somewhat tense, as neither he nor Scare had uttered another word to each other. But now that Scare was in the bathroom. . .

Sitting up, Alex eyed the black duffle bag on the other bed. It looked full and heavy. He wondered what was inside it. He glanced back at the bathroom. The door was still closed, and he could hear running water. The man would be in there for a little while, at least.

Alex got up, and walked over to the other bed. He reached out a hand, his fingers lightly brushing against the zipper. He hesitated. All he had to do was open it up, and maybe he'd find some clues about who Mr. Scare really was.

"What do you think you're doing?" A low voice breathed directly into his ear. Alex stiffened, his heart suddenly having convulsions inside his throat. Wha-? What?! He swallowed, and slowly turned. Scare was there, only a foot away, his face completely expressionless.

How had the man got there? Alex hadn't even been aware of the man's approach, much less him leaving the bathroom! Flinching, Alex forced himself to meet the man's blank gaze.

"I don't go through your things," Scare calmly said. "So why are you poking your nose into mine?"

The old Alex might have tried to deny it. The old Alex might have made some excuse to try and cover his butt. But this Alex...

"Are you done with the bathroom?" Alex quietly asked. Without waiting for an answer, he walked around Scare, and headed for the bathroom. Once inside, he locked the door, and slid down to the floor. Dropping his head, he let out a shaky breath.

That. . .had been dangerous.

After a few moments, he got up, and went to the sink. Turning on the tap, he splashed cold water onto his face, letting it drip down. He ran wet fingers through his hair, then looked up into the mirror.

He saw a teen-aged boy with dirty blond hair and brown eyes that seemed to stare right through him. Alex shuddered, and grabbed a towel.

A minute later, he walked out of the bathroom, shaky, yet composed. Scare was standing by the window, holding the curtain aside with one hand while he peered outside. The man turned as Alex drew near.

"I ordered pizza," he told Alex. "Pepperoni."

Alex dropped onto his bed, and rolled onto his back. "Fine."

Scare watched him from behind those dark shades. Alex pretended not to notice, yet he was painfully aware of that gaze. He tried to guess what color the man's eyes were. Would they be blue? Brown or green? Or maybe they would be black. It'd be fitting, if they were. Scare seemed like a black kind of guy.

"You're a lot like your father," Scare suddenly said. That statement took Alex off guard.

"What?" He turned his head to stare at the man. Had he heard him right? If he had, then that would mean Scare knew something about John Rider. Perhaps he had even known the man himself.

"You heard."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "Did you know him?" He knew he was taking the bait, but he couldn't help himself.

Scare gave a slow smile that seemed to radiate an eerie slyness. "I suppose you could say that."

"Are you going to tell me about him?" Alex didn't really feel like asking the man, but he got the sense that Scare wouldn't say anything unless prodded.