Alex Rider - three months to the end

Chapter 5

Alex eyed the suit and mask given to him. A masquerade ball, fantastic, no one would recognise him now. This time MI6 is thinking at least. Alex mused as he tugged at the zip of his black jacket to take it off. Then he stripped off all his clothing and changed into the suit. The suit was tailor made to fit him perfectly. Alex put on the beautiful intricate mask lined with gold glitter and adjusted it so it's comfortable and that he could see properly. Alex moved around to pack up his things and handed it a waiting agent that told him the meeting point to hand them the Ruby and get his clothing.
"Good luck." The agent whispered as she stuffed Alex's clothing into a duffle. Alex shot her a surprised look that quickly masked itself before she noticed it. "Thank you. I'm gonna need it." Alex mumbled the last bit as he turned and stepped out of the room. He took in the sight silently as he walked through the hallway, noticing the amount of security, where the exits are located, number of windows, camera locations, etc.
"May I have your invitation please sir?" A man, in suit wearing a mask, asked at the big magnificent double doors. Alex took out the invitation MI6 got for him and handed it to the man. "Thank you Sir." The man said handing the invitation back and then letting Alex pass and the other two at the door pulled open the door for him. The ladies seem to be a magnet when he stepped in through the doors. They came one by one, all flirting with him inviting him to a drink even though he clearly insisted on not drinking, they still ordered him one. Alex found out most of them are just attracted to his figure, lean and graceful, and they love his blue-green-grey eyes for some reasons. The magic of contacts and naturally long eyelashes. Alex mused as he sipped on his Martini. Underage drinking blared in his mind but he pushed it aside. It's for the mission and he knows how to control and make sure he doesn't get drunk. The perks of being a Scorpia assassin. Alex's lips tugged into a pretend smirk to make the lady think he is interested. Then it came down to having to dance. Alex was switching from partner to partner so in an hours' time he had covered almost all the girls. About twenty minutes to half an hour later, he finally reached the last girl. Thank god. Alex sighed internally in relief and his eyes spotted the ruby necklace at the corner of his eyes. Alex put on a flirtatious smile which mean him cringe on the inside. "Hey cutie." The woman purred.
"How would you know I'm cute?" Alex teased as he danced with the woman. The woman giggled when he said that. "Well, you have beautiful eyes for starters."
"Oh why thank you." Alex said. Manners earns you extra points.
"And you have one beautiful body."
"Thank you." Alex said as he made his eyes drift down the necklace to the ruby. "That's a beautiful necklace."
"Thank you. That's so sweet of you." She purred.
"Well then I don't think my necklace would be anything compared to that then." Alex said carefully with a shrug. He saw her eyes widened before she gushed about wanting to see it and that it would be magnificent. Gotcha. Operation ruby fishing is now near completion. Alex thought as he was led by the woman to a room in the back. Alex's eyes darted around casually to look for the possible exits and the cameras. Alex pulled out a big elegant diamond necklace. "Ohhhh mystery." She said as she closed her eyes when Alex had instructed so that she wouldn't see the necklace. "May I?" Alex asked, gesturing to the ruby necklace. "Sure. Sure." She said eagerly. Alex smiled at her and his long slim fingers gently but quickly unclasped the hook and slipped on the cold metal. She shivered slightly from the cold. Alex slipped the ruby necklace into his pocket. "Okay you can open your eyes now." Alex said calmly as he glided quietly out the room whilst the woman is mesmerised with diamond. Alex walked quickly behind an indent where a door labelled 'laundry' is. Alex placed the ruby necklace into the heel of his shoe that was specially made to fit an object in and the necklace fitted perfectly. Then he flipped his jacket to make it look like the ones the waiters wear. Alex heard shouting and people running. She finally realised. Alex thought as he removed the contacts and dropped it in his pocket, he'll throw it out later so that he doesn't leave any evidence behind. Alex walked out from behind the wall and was suddenly slammed against the wall hard. Alex faked panic when the man grabbed him and slammed him into the wall while the others pointed a gun at him. "Where is he?"
"Who?!" Alex asked in a panicky voice, apparently not knowing the answer is the wrong answer to the question. Alex was punched in the gutted hardly and in the face, Alex let out a groaned in pain and felt something roll down his face. It felt warm and sticky, blood. "Where is he?!" The man growled again, slamming Alex against the wall again, causing his head to snap hard on the wall. The wall that made contact with his head cracked, meaning his head might just have cracked too. Damn.
"Who are you guys talking about?!" Alex asked in a panicky American accent. Alex was punched and kicked multiple times until the woman came up and looked at him before saying he is not the one. "Where is he? A man with blue-green-grey eyes? He is about your size." The woman asked gently.
"He went that way." Alex said with a shaky breath, to make them think he is very scared, pointing to the other direction of the exit he is going to take. The way he pointed to leads back to the ballroom. "Thank you." The woman said before ordering the guards to find him. "You may go."
"Thank you." Alex whispered before scurrying off.
***************
"God." Alex huffed as he sat heavily into the car backseat. The agent that briefed him before looked him up and down. "You're a trouble magnet aren't you?" Alex shrugged at the statement before the agent hightailed out of the car park and onto the highway. Alex shifted around to change. "The first aid kit is under the seat." The agent said before Alex could forget about fixing himself up. "Thanks." Alex bent over to pull out the kit. When Alex was done with his bandages they have already arrived at the Royal and General bank. He went upstairs to hand over the ruby and to be debriefed before he took the tube back to Ben's house.
He walked silently up to the front door and pushed the key into the keyhole and twisted as gently and quietly as possible. When he was in, he locked the door silently and glided up the stairs with light and soundless steps.
The next day he woke up to the four men making lots of noise around downstairs. Alex groaned as he buried his face into the pillow. He can sleep anywhere and anytime and can function on a small amount of sleep but he doesn't like to be woken up this way. Inconsiderate people. Alex grumbled to himself as he rolled out of bed to take a shower. He must smell like alcohol with the amount of cocktails he has drank. Alex showered, changed and replaced his bandages. He paddled down the stairs silently and slide to the pantry, he pulled out a packet of biscuits: butternut snap cookie - one of his favourites. When he was about to step out of the kitchen, he almost scared the wits out of K-unit. Eagle fell out of his chair, Snake coughed as he choked on his food, Wolf just froze like he was caught in an act, Ben was trying to swallow his food.
"What happened?" Ben asked, rushing to check Alex. "I'm fine Ben. I'm fine." Alex said trying to stop Ben from touching him. "What happened? Any concussion?"
"I'm fine." Alex repeated. Ben imitated him by repeating his previous question that he asked twice. "Well, I was asked to retrieve a rare ruby that was suppose to be auctioned but someone stole it. "
"That doesn't explain how you got injured." Ben pressed as he watch Alex take a bite from his cookie. "... After I got the ruby I left and changed into a waiter's uniform and since I was the only one, technically, in that hallway so I must have seen something or someone." Alex said.
"And how did they not recognise you?" Ben asked.
"The magic of contacts." Alex deadpanned like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "How did you retrieve the ruby?" Eagle asked, curious. Alex looked at them all before he sighed and gave them a short account of what happened. "You mean they just came to you and started flirting?" Ben asked amused. "You can say that." Alex said. "See I told you you're a ladies man."
"Don't even try. They totally do not understand me when I said I don't drink." Alex almost groaned at the memory. "So how much did you drink?" Snake asked, concern about the kid's health. "But that's underage drinking!" Ben interrupted before Alex could answer. The rest of K-unit looked at them in shock. "You, you're saying that he isn't 18?" Eagle spluttered.
"That would be classified information." Ben and Alex said. "Anyways, I drank like 20 glasses of cocktails. One of them was a James Bond one, martini stirred not shaken." Alex said, waving his biscuit at Ben. "The ladies doesn't give me a chance to speak, they just dragged me off to the bar. You can say that night was very tiring."
"Why?"
"Why?" Alex repeated the question, looking slightly incredulous at them. "I danced with literally everyone in that ballroom and listened to their giggles and complaints and boring fashion conversations and their ways of trying to get me into bed." Alex cringed at that. Ben on the other hand was laughing his ass off and rolling on the ground. "Double-o-nothing at least has some skills huh." Wolf sneered. Alex pretended he didn't hear him as he pulled out his phone while telling Ben he was heading upstairs. They heard the door close and the click of the door locking. Ben glared at Wolf. "Now he wouldn't trust any of us even more now."
"Then why did he tell us the mission?" Eagle asked.
"Because that mission is a low clearance. You guys just nice have the perfect level of clearance that's why he told you guys." Ben said and stopped himself before he blurted out anymore things. He knows Alex can hear them from his own room and he wants Alex to know that he can trust him. Alex looks so physically exhausted its not even funny.