Before this chapter proceeds, I wish to say two things.

1) My apologies for the delays. I am finding this story particularly difficult to finish and it may be some time before another chapter is posted, however I will try my best.

2) Thankyou! So many of you have reveiwed the story and constantly encouraged me to continue, despite how few updates have been lately. I really appreciate the reminders!

Boann

By morning, Alex had reached the factory. Obtaining a way of entering the heavily guarded facility proved to be much more difficult, due to his exhaustion and lack of planning. Within an hour of arriving he managed to hide himself once again under the belly of a truck entering the area. Once inside, Alex faced an even bigger problem. The factory was buzzing with activity. As he clung to the underside of the truck, his heart sunk. He had no hope of moving around undetected for long and the clock was ticking. Yassen had said that he would be leaving Manchester at ten thirty in the morning, which would mean that the ammunition would have to be safe enough not to need protection. But where was the ammunition going? Until Alex knew that, he could do nothing to hinder their progress.

His mind wandered back to the office he had infiltrated two days ago and the laptop sitting on the desk. If he could access it, no doubt he would know everything, maybe even find a way to contact MI6.

But how was he going to get inside? Suddenly the truck rolled to a halt.

No! cursed Alex. I need to be closer!

He froze as the driver got out of the cabin and met with a small group of men. The back of the truck was opened and a large trolley piled high with metal crates approached. The men began to load the truck as the driver walked away.

It's now or never, Alex decided. Hopefully the commotion would distract from his presence long enough for him to get inside the warehouse that lead to the office. Rolling from under the tuck, he walked quickly along the side of the truck, peering around the front. He could see his destination; the elevator in the far corner of the warehouse. The difficulty was getting to it. Men in black military uniforms swarmed over the area.

Luckily, Alex had one more trick up his sleeve, courtesy of Smithers. From within his jacket, he pulled a small remote control. He'd tried to protect it from the harsh journey by slipping it into one of his socks and thankfully his idea had worked.

"Seen one of these before?" asked Smithers, holding out a small version of an Xbox controller.

"Haven't all kids my age?" asked Alex, sceptically eyeing the remote.

Smithers chuckled. "I highly doubt that. Have all kids your age used a remote capable of controlling any vehicle it is connected to?"

Alex shook his head. "No."

"Detonation device included?"

"No."

"No."

Smithers removed a metal square the size of a matchbox from underneath the remote control. "Now this," he said. "Is the connection device. To activate it you simply attach it somewhere relatively close to the engine of the target vehicle. It is magnetic, so it should be relatively easy to find somewhere to put it. The device will emit a signal detectable up to twenty yards away. Now, to start the ignition, push the centre button, you use the top left hand gear stick to control steering, the blue button to accelerate and the green to brake. The yellow will activate the horn."

"Why would I want to activate the horn?" asked Alex.

Smithers shrugged. "I don't know. I actually thought it would be rather amusing."

Alex had to smile. "What about the red button?" he asked.

"The detonation device. This is the tricky bit. As I told you before, the range of the remote exceeds no more than twenty yards. However, the explosion you will create by pressing the red button will detonate an area of about a nineteen point three seven two yard radius. Therefore, be sure to stay more than nineteen point three seven two yards away from the detonation, but remain within twenty yards to avoid the remote failing to detonate on cue," Smithers warned.

Alex raised his eyebrows. "Nineteen point three seven two yards?"

"Yes," confirmed Smithers, handing the devices to Alex and wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

"Not even nineteen point six nine two four or nineteen point eight three seven five…"

"This is why children should be left in school..."

Perfect.

Opening the door of the cabin as quietly as he could, Alex dove inside, laying across the two seats and pulling the door closed with his foot. Pulling the connection device off the remote, he positioned it far down the box under the steering wheel.

Hopefully that's close enough to the engine.

Checking the coast was clear, he slid out of the cockpit and crouched behind another stack of crates sitting close to the fence, giving him enough space to move further out of range if need be. As he pushed the centre button, the truck roared to life and Alex couldn't help smile. With a finger on the yellow button and his thumb pushing the gearstick forward, he sent the truck flying forwards, sending the men in the back tumbling out along with the boxes they had been loading. Suddenly everyone in the compound was in hysterics, trying to stop the possessed truck that was smashing its ways through other vehicles and crates. Gunshots were fired at the truck's tires in an attempt to stop it until a familiar voice boomed, "Stop shooting, you fools!"

It was the man with the tattoo on the back of his skull Alex had seen during his last visit. When some men proved too frantic to listen to his orders, he pulled his AK-47 out and let out a round of fire. Alex swallowed as the men dropped like dolls. But he couldn't get distracted. He had to get to the warehouse, which now lay empty. Whilst the runaway truck distracted the men, Alex ran into the warehouse, ducking behind a wall. Another three yards to the lift and the truck was already seventeen yards away. If it kept going, he'd be out of range. Steering the truck around, he drove it towards him, then sent it around again, heading for small outbuilding. Pushing down on the accelerator, he sent it careening into the building. Although it didn't explode, it sent glass and bricks everywhere. Without pausing to watch anymore, Alex bolted into the lift, sending it upwards. Stuffing the remote back into his jacket, he carefully made his way down the hall, relying his memory to take him to the office.

When he saw he was alone, he closed the door and strode to the laptop on the desk.

"I figured we would meet again soon."

Alex whipped around at the all too familiar voice. In the shadows stood a figure, but Alex did not need to see the person's face to know who it was.

"You have a knack for stalking me," he commented dryly.

Yassen smiled and emerged. "And you have a knack for being predictably noble," he said. "It will get you killed someday."

Alex's jaw set. "Ts that a threat?" he asked.

Yassen did not react to Alex's harsh tone. "I do not often make threats, but when I do, I keep my word."

"Your word?" hissed Alex. "What is your word worth? Everything you said to me, after everything I told you, after I trusted you and you still betrayed me!"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Yassen murmured, his face blank.

"You were going to turn me in to Scorpia the whole time," said Alex, his chest burning with the pain of betrayal.

Yassen face flickered for a moment. Alex desperately tried to read it. Confusion? Disbelief? Fear?

"You are of no concern to me anymore," Yassen told him. "It is time I did my job."

"And what is your job?"

Before Alex could react, Yassen pulled out a gun and held it at him. "Mr Banks wants to see you."