"Hello? John? Are you still there?" Ian screams at the top of his lungs into the phone, he hears the explosion, but he wonders if John, his older brother is ok. "JOHN?" He yells again then turns the car on and hit's the gas. The car speeds down the highway, going 90 MPH in a 50 MPH zone, and he wont stop. He barley puts on his brakes as he skids around a turn and heads toward the building in smoke. He takes a deep breath and pushes his foot down harder on the gas. He watches the road and glances at the speed going up to 110 MPH, while keeping his eye on the building in flames.

France is nice this time of year, only a number of SCORIPA agents are back in England, most are known to be here, which made this the prime target for John and Ian. Their hideout is a 5 story church building, more like a corporation, but it works for them. Ian stops in front of the light pole, beside the destroyed building, and he picks up his phone in a panic. He dials the number on speed dial and waits to see if it will be answered.

Change P.O.V (JOHN)

*5 Minuets Earlier*

I stand in the shadows and try not to be seen by the people sitting around the table, the SCORIPA agents. I hide silently and they have no clue I'm there. I listen to every thing they say, recording everything coming out of their mouths.

"qui est notre prochain objectif?" (Who's our next target?) I listen closely to the French language I learnt long ago. They've been talking about many things, most of them are drunk, but they are making progress. They've talked about their recent losses, what's happened, and what will happen, only now have they talked about who they will be after next, or what. I listen closely, but I'm not ready for the answer, deep inside I'm afraid.

"Je pensais que nous avons déjà allé au cours de cette Marty" (I thought we've already been over this Marty) A man says in a deeper voice, the one who's been running this meeting.

"Non, monsieur" (no sir) The same man answers this time I hear a slap, and I peak into the light to see the man, Marty, holding his cheek in his hand, and looking up at the man. The man running this is wearing a black suit, he's bald, and has glasses. From the back I can see one thing about him, a scar on his neck. It's none other than the one and only Gautier Aisha. Gautier steps back and I hide myself in the shadows again.

" Notre prochain objectif est Alex Rider" (Our next target is Alex Rider.) My breath deepens and I feel my heart beat fast. They are planning to target my son, my only son. I haven't seen my son in years. With that note I start to make my way back down the hallway, I turn the fast walk to a sprint when I push the button sending the bomb that I planted off.

My phone viberates softy, and I answer while I run.

"Hello?" I ask and I hear a nervous voice on the other end.

"John? Where are you? Are you ok?" my little brothers voice brings joy to my ears and I only run faster, this time hitting the flight of stairs.

"I'm ok. I'm heading out. I set it off." I say still running then I am stopped by a tall man, a SCORIPA agent. "Trouble." I say and hang up.

"bien bien bien, qu'avons-nous arrivés là?" (Well, well, well what have we got here?) The man demands and grabs hold of my arm. I let him grab me but when he starts to move I fight against him, sending him down the stairs and continue to run. I have 3 more flights of stairs and I only have a minuet left to make it. I run, jumping down most of the stairs and make it to the second floor when my phone goes off again. "Hello?" I ask and smile at my the sound of my little brother again.

"John? Are you ok?"

"Yes, heading out now. Be there in a second!" I say stopping not relising the situation, I run again telling my brother to meet me outside, but as I make it to the first floor the bomb goes off sending many things flying. "JOHN? Are you still there? Hello?" I here Ian freaking out over the other end, but continue to run away from the degree, and make it outside to where Ian is waiting in a panic. I run to the silver car and get in the front seat, still holding the recorder. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Ian, but we do have to get back to London." I say in a rush and he just looks at me. "What did you find out?" He asks and I rewind the recording a little bit then push play. He doesn't take his eyes off the road, so I just let it go on.

"Notre prochain objectif est Alex Rider" I watch his eyes widen at the words, then he looks at me.

"What are we going to do?" He asks and I think of a plan.

"We've got to go back to London of course." I say and he just sighs.

"Alex is going to hate me. He's going to hate us. We left him, no telling what's happened to Alex." Ian says driving at 100 MPH.

"Alex will deal with us, you know why?"

"No please inform me." I give Ian a look because of his sarcasm. I tap the dash, then look at him.

"Because I'm the boys father."

"You haven't really been around." My heart breaks at the words and I just glare at my little brother.

"I didn't really have a choice." I say and just take a deep breath. "Ok get in touch with MI6, tell them what we found out. Tell them we're coming home."

Alex's P.O.V

I wake up in a cold sweat, the wetness of my pajamas chilling my body because of the cold air around me. I glance at the clock and groan when I find out it's only 1 in the morning. I still have hours before I have to wake up to go to school, but I doubt I'll be going anyway. I've been sick for the last couple days, not the fake sick either, but really sick. I get up and change clothes quickly then crawl back into bed with the lamp still on. I grab my Harry Potter book from the nightstand and open it up to the page I left off from. I look at my bookmark for a second. The picture is still as good as new, and I smile at the memory of Uncle Ian and I in the sun, where we went rock climbing.

As I read I let my mind wonder, thinking about how today would be if Uncle Ian was alive. I think about all the times he would be gone and how Jack and I would be the same as we were before. Then I begin to think deeper, thinking about how it would have been if my parents would of never died. I drift off into a peaceful sleep, with the light on, dreaming about a life with my parents.

*next morning*

I'm being woken up by a soft hand shaking me. I open my eyes only a little bit, but close them when the light stings. I rub the sleepiness out of them and then look up at Jack, blocking the sun, and look in amazement. "What time is it?" I ask softly with a horse voice.

"Around 10. I came in here at 6, and found you sleeping with the light on. I checked your temperature, but you still have a fever. You need to wake up, breakfast is ready." I feel my stomach turn at the thought of eating and I look at her giving a sick face.

"I don't know if I can eat Jack. I don't want to get up." I say and she just sighs before helping me sit up in bed.

"I know you don't feel well Alex, and I know that you don't think you can eat, but you need to try. You need something in your stomach to help you get better. Come on get up." She says and I steady myself once I'm on my feet, then slowly make my way to the bathroom. After using the bathroom I head to the kitchen, not even bothering to put on my clothes. Jack is sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading the paper, like uncle Ian use to do all the time. A plate is in front of me, it's filled with fruit of different colors, and some eggs. She also put apple juice on the table, we pray and are about to start eating when the phone rings. She groans in an annoyed way and gets up to get it. After a while I can hear her yell from the phone in the living room.

"NO! Alex is sick. Cant this wait?" After a few moments she comes back holding the phone out for me.

"Hello?" I ask already knowing who it is.

"Hello Alex. I'm calling to discuss your banking account." Mrs. Jones voice is soft and I can tell she's around people by the words she's chosen.

"No. Can we do this some other day? I'm not feeling good." I say and she just sighs.

"No we can not do this any other day. It has to be today. This is a life of death situation. A car will be sent in an hour to pick up you and Mrs. Starbright."

"What if I refuse to come?" I demand and she just sighs.

"With the news we have to give you, I doubt you would want to do that. If you were smart you would listen to me." She says and the other line goes empty.

"A car will be sent in 30 minuets." I tell Jack and begin eating, she takes the phone back to the living room and comes back in, also starting to eat.

"I would just go in your pajamas." She says and I blush, telling her no that she's insane before going up stairs and forcing myself into clothes. I find sweatpants, and a big sweatshirt. Finally warm I go down stairs and hunt some shoes but by the time I make it, the car has arrived. Jack is yelling at me to hurry and find the quickest thing around to cover my feet, slippers. I rush out the door in front of her, thinking how great this day will be. I'm sick, I'm heading to the Bank and oh look the clouds in the sky predict a thunderstorm. I knew I should of stayed in bed.