Alex sighed and slid down the back of his bedroom door to sit on the floor. He'd been at High School precisely three weeks and thoroughly understood the phenomenon of teenagers taking guns into school and killing their class mates.

Sabina was in final year, Alex a freshman at the faculty in Presidio. Alex was quiet, introverted and had no wish for friends. He also studied hard and was good at sport. He fit into none of the categories at school. A complete and utter outcast. Alex smiled as he recollected the two jocks who attempted to bully him today after track tryouts. Alex's smile should have been their first clue that they should have backed off. Alex with a quick precise practiced move had knocked one unconscious and when the other had moved in Alex had broken his wrist. Now Stevie would not be playing football this year, what a shame. Alex was scrawny compared to those linebackers, so who'd believe the emo kid had got one over both of them. The fact they called him emo also made Alex laugh. Alex dressed in sneakers, jeans and long sleeved t-shirts. He was not goth in any way.

Alex then came down with a crash. School here sucked worse than Brookland. At least there he had Tom to talk to. Sabina had distanced herself as Alex, god forbid might affect her status as little miss bright and popular. Alex looked at the clock. He should be at Dr. Schutt's office talking about crap. He had yet to discuss what was really the cause of his nightmares and flashbacks. Alex still could not look at his reflection without shuddering.

Alex looked at the Chelsea posters on his wall, the photos beside his bed and the piles of reminders of a happy life, destroyed by MI6.

Liz knocked on the door to tell her foster son dinner was ready and opened it when Alex had not replied. She had already had a phone call from Ruth, Alex had missed his therapy session. Sabina was not home tonight and Edward had called to say he was running late. Liz hoped to get Alex to talk, she already knew school was a nightmare for Alex. The room was a mess. Photo frames broken and stamped into the floor, posters ripped from the walls and screwed up. All Alex's possessions brought from London, his clothes, his books, DVD's and CD were smashed, ripped and destroyed.

Liz went further into the room and in his empty closet was Alex, looking shell shocked, trying to make himself into as small a target as possible and was shaking. Liz crouched down and then crawled up to Alex and with soft tones reassured him, that it was OK, that he was safe, not to worry. Alex looked at his foster mother and was about to apologised when Liz smiled and hugged him. "Alex darling, tell me what caused all this" and he told her everything. They were still talking when Edward arrived home two hours later to see the cold uneaten dinner in the kitchen.

He went upstairs and was shocked at the devastation that was Alex's bedroom. His wife was sat in the closet holding a sleepy Alex, stroking his hair. She looked at Edward and fixed him with a stare that promised pain and retribution. Edward only hoped he was not the one on the receiving end of that tongue lashing. When Liz finally spoke. "Get Ruth on the phone. Alex, as you see, has had a breakdown. He needs to go to that clinic she mentioned." She then sighed. "We need another family meeting, after we get Alex settled. You and I need to have a serious talk as well." Liz was still in shock at all that Alex had told her. She would fight tooth and nail for her son. For she and he had bonded at a deep level. He had trusted her with his darkest fears. She now understood her husband's deep distrust of governments and their shady dealings.

The clinic at Cedar Woods was an hour north of San Francisco. Liz had taken Alex earlier that morning after he had slept in the couples bed next to the fully clothed Liz, who had got very little rest, but had spent the hours writing long notes on all Alex had told her. Ruth had suggested that since Alex was calm they did not need an ambulance right away and they could all go in the morning. Edward got to sleep on the sofa.

The next morning Sabina arrived home with Krista and Marina, her two BFF's. Edward then told the two girls that the planned shopping trip with Liz was cancelled and that Sabina was grounded. Both girls smiled and looked at Sab wanting to know what Miss Goody Two Shoes had done. Sabina sulked as Edward led her upstairs. "Get changed we have tidying up to do. Then some shopping. Then we're going out so pack an overnight bag."

Sabina came out in her sweats. Edward stood in the upstairs hall with two rolls of garbage bags, the vacuum cleaner and a large pile of cleaning products. He smiled a weak smile and then opened Alex's door. Then Sabina let rip. "I'm not cleaning up Alex's shit. Get emo boy to do it himself!"

"Emo boy, really Sabina. You will clean up Alex's room with me." In a voice that told Sabina the law was being laid down, Sabina noticed her dad looked old and tired. "We will salvage what can be mended and buy new what cannot. Then we are going for a family therapy session at Cedar Woods at 5. We are on a deadline. So we better get started."

It was only then that Sabina saw the devastation and destruction wrought on Alex Rider's normally perfectly neat, clean and ordered personal space. "Alex did this?"

"Yes. He was a bit upset yesterday" Edward cringed at his understatement "Lets get to work, munchkin."

By 2pm, Edward and Sabina had cleared the room, Alex had been most through in removing all reminders of his old life. They had a basic shopping list of clothes and personal items for Alex. Luckily the room did not need redecorating and the carpet would survive with professional cleaning. They both showered and changed. They were off to Wallmart for a one stop shop for basics for Alex. They would grab lunch there and then drive north. Edward was waiting for Sabina to pack her overnight bag when there was a knock at the door.

There was an angry large middle aged man. "Are you Rider's father?"

"Foster father, yes" Edward said in a resigned voice, praying this confrontation would not get violent.

"That little shit put my boy in the hospital yesterday." Abe Christensen ranted. Foster kid, well that explained it all.

Edward then cooly said "So are you Steve's or Mitch's dad?" Edward had read his wife's notes that morning.

"Steve's. Admitted it has he." Abe still had a problem understanding how one weedy little emo kid had got one over on his son.

"He was very upset yesterday at being bullied. Alex reacts to threats in a very physical way. Quite understandable after his last guardian was murdered by terrorists in July."

"Murdered?'

Edward rubbed his neck "Yes, well Alex is quite fragile at the moment. PTSD. Any acts of violence would always cause him to react in kind. I'm afraid Alex can't apologise personally as we committed him this morning. I'll check with the clinic and you can bring Steve and I'm sure Alex will apologise when he's a bit better"

"Committed?"

"Yes, Alex has been too quiet, controlled and accepting since we fostered him. Acting on Auto Pilot as such. Well he's hit rock bottom, the only way is up now. I can only thank god he hasn't tried to kill himself. He's such a great kid. He just needs stability and understanding. Jack was killed in front of him. He feels so guilty for surviving."

"Oh Right oh. I'll ring you next week, Mr..."

Edward then handed over his card. "You'll probably get me on my mobile or message. I think its going to be a bit of a mixed up week."

"Yeah I guess so." Abe added. He shock his head. So, Steve had bullied the wrong kid. He'd have words with his son. The kid had survived a terrorist attack. Abe had a friend in the FBI, this he would follow up.

Charlie Prince pulled into the bar, he had invited the CIA liaison as well. Abe was an ex-cop so would understand the National Security Blackout.

"Hi Abe, this in Agent Carla Jacobs." Abe stood up and shook hands with the petite blond.

"Are you FBI?" He had noticed the Special was missing on her title.

"No CIA." She smiled, "So you enquired about Alex Rider. What I tell you is for your ears only, you know the drill."

"Yeah, I only enquired as my son lost a fight with him."

"I guess it was a bit of a one sided fight. Alex's father and uncle were MI6 Agents. So the kid has been taught from a young age to be able to defend himself." Carla had read the file, Alex at fourteen was listed with full Agent status.

"MI6?"

"British secret service." Carla then had a sip of her coffee. "Both were killed during operations. Alex was in protective custody and placed in the American High School in Cairo last year. There had been an incident at his school in London. The terrorists that murdered his uncle caught up with him there. He and his guardian were captured by an Al Queda operative called Razim in Cairo. Alex was tortured and his guardian killed in front of him. Our covert operations unit had been monitoring Razim and took out his operation. The kid was a mess by the time he was brought in. He's fostered to a British writer and his family in San Francisco at the moment. I have been monitoring his situation. Cedar Woods is a good clinic. Some of our Agents have been treated there."

"Kids been through the wringer."

"Alex is a capable and resourceful boy. Very Bright. We'd hoped he'd settle in here. I guess High School was a bit too much for him. He'd had problems at school since his uncle passed last year."

"Did his dad die recently?"

"No Alex was orphaned in 1987."

"Orphaned? Both his parents died?"

"Yes. His dad was a double agent in place with terrorists. It was a bad extraction, before my time so I have no details."

"Christ."

"Indeed. Your son OK?" Carla inquired.

"Broken wrist."

Lucky. thought Carla. Alex had killed in cold blood in Cairo. One of the reasons they were monitoring him. With therapy the kid would bounce back. She could bet they meet at some point. CIA wanted that kid to continue in black ops. He was one in a million, born to be an agent, it was in his blood.

Abe left and Charlie laughed "Left a few details out there, Carla."

"To right, Chuck. How the hell are you meant to explain a 15 year old with full Agent status. Alex is still a fine operative. Amazing control. Some punks razzing me I'd have done more than break their wrist."

Mitch's father came around to Abe's house and was astonished when the ex-cop told him that their kids were lucky. "Why were they lucky?"

"The Rider kid has both FBI and CIA protection. If it came out our kids attacked him, they'd be arrested as suspected Al-Queda terrorists."

"What the fuck has that emo limey kid got to do with terrorists. His foster father is a journalist for christ's sake."

"I met Edward Pleasure. The guy had one hell of a limp. I reckon its a cover and he's operations as well, or ex-operations. The kid is a material witness to some terrorist cell the CIA took out last year, his last guardian was killed. So, drop it. I doubt Rider will come back to school, anyway. Cedar Woods is a place neither of us could afford in our wildest dreams. He'll be there for at least two months. Protective detail will move him to another location probably with different foster parents. Poor kid. Steve is getting grounded for this. As soon as he's out of the cast I'm volunteering him to help out at the local children's home. He's had everything handed to him on a plate. Its time for him to discover he's been lucky. He's had a stable home environment. You have to give back to society."