All of England will know that Alex Rider is dead in three weeks time.

The head of MI6 had read the note in his hands many times, but the above sentence was the only one that stuck in his head. The note had recently been delivered by Scorpia to the British government, and a couple of people in high up places had heard of it…and were not happy about it. This was due mainly to the face that a couple of said officials knew who Alex Rider was – or, more importantly, how old Alex was.

In the privacy of his private office, Blunt sighed and put his head in his hands for a moment. Scorpia had no qualms about killing a fourteen year-old. Not for the first time, Blunt wondered if it had been a good idea to recruit a kid as a spy.

But now was not the time for doubts. Now was the time for action.

There was a brisk knock on the door. Blunt composed his features in seconds, voice bland as he called, "Come in."

Mrs. Jones entered and closed the door behind her, sitting down across from Blunt. After a brief pause, she said firmly, "We have to protect him."

Blunt nodded. "Yes. Yes, we do."

Mrs. Jones gave him a sharp look, wondering at his motives. But Blunt's face, as always, gave no answers. "Well then," she said calmly, "I'm thinking SAS. Teams of SAS."

Blunt raised his eyebrows carefully. "Oh, I think one team should do it."

"We can't take any chances," Mrs. Jones replied sharply.

Blunt shrugged. "We're not. I have just the team in mind – and they're good. Not only that, but Alex is already acquainted with them…."