Alex Rider: Life goes on

Fighting back

Sabina took Alex into a small low ceilinged room after they had made sure James was well hidden and safe keeping an eye out for them with orders to shout for them if he see's anything.

"Are you going to tell him" Sabina asked under her breath, even though there was no one around to listen.

"What do you mean" Alex replied while searching the floor to ceiling wardrobes for anything of any use.

"You know what I mean" she replied

"About MI6, that's what this has to be about, I mean why else would we be being gunned down by some kind of assassin".

"I don't know Sab's " Alex replied exasperated.

" It's been so long I thought maybe, finally, the nightmare was over".

"Well either way I think James deserves to know". Sabina turned away and started to check shelves for the shotgun cartridges.

"Bang", a single shot pierced the temporary silence.

"James" Alex said cautiously walking towards the room they had left him.

"Is everything ok?" Alex called again.

No reply. They entered the room James was hiding in and spotted him.

Sabina gasped.

James was laying on his front, face on the floor and a man stood over him a gun pointed at his head.

"Where is it" the man croaked in a cold hard voice.

"What?" Alex replied confused and angry at this man who had ruined his chance at becoming a normal teenager and pulled him back into a world he never wanted to be part of.

"Tell me now or I'll kill your friend" .The man levelled his gun.

That was when Alex made his move. He had improvised an explosive from some of the shotgun shells and broken lightbulbs they had found in the other room . To create the effect of a frag grenade.

He threw it hard and fast and the man barely registered the object flying towards him before it exploded, hurling him against the back wall.

Alex and Sabina rushed to James's side but when he appeared to be ok, Alex walked over to the man who had threatened his friend and destroyed his new life. He lay crumpled against the wall breathing heavily as if each breath was a terrible effort.

"Why did you come after me" Alex asked the man, with faked confidence.

"I was sent...to kill you...and...collect... a parcel". Alex remembered the letter and parcel from England, but it didn't make sense? Why was it sent to him?

"MI6...is almost in their...control...its the only...thing that...they need...to control...the secret service...and then...the United Kingdom"

The man took a final breath and died.