Losing Alex Rider

Alan Blunt stared blandly at the report on his desk. Though Tulip Jones, having worked with him for many years could see the barest hint on regret on his face. It was something that had only happened a few times since she had developed the skill of recognising the signs of actual emotion on her boss's face. His eyes scanned the report once more, taking in more precise details than the first time.

"It is a shame," he remarked at last. "He was a good agent."

Mrs Jones nodded. She had read the report herself not five minutes before. Ever since they first pulled Alex Rider kicking and screaming into the world of spies and espionage she had known that they would lose him eventually. They had come pretty close to that happening on numerous occasions before. Like after they turned up two days late to his distress call at Point Blanc, when a man who saw the boy like a son shot himself when Alex rejected him, that disaster with Damien Cray, and most notably that mess with Scorpia.

It was her job to know things, so when reports showed up about Alex joining the terrorist organisation Tulip Jones had found herself taken aback by the surprise at that revelation. It was also at that point she had known that Alan Blunt had taken the deal too far with Alex. He had pushed the boy over the edge and into the hands of the enemy. They had seen what he had done on too many occasions not to know how much of a threat he was. He managed to save the world from destruction completely on his own, after they had denied the truth to Sabina Pleasure and not listened to his concerns.

As surprised as she had been to know Alex had joined Scorpia, Mrs Jones was in no way surprised that Alex had managed to pass the security methods put in place by MI6 itself and enter her home to hold her at gunpoint. His eyes had been harder than ever that day. It was her greatest relief to have known that he would never have shot her that day. Not because she valued her life but because, against her better judgement, she had a fondness for the boy and had no wish to see him locked up for the rest of his days for something they had forced him into.

So she had known for a long time that they would lose the boy spy. How and when they would lose him was a different matter. It could have been through being pushed too far, through a mission too much, an old enemy out for revenge. That day outside the Royal and General had been much to close to the last. However she was certain that even Alex Blunt had not seen how they would loose him.

Their awareness came in just hours before the report reached her desk. They had sent Ben Daniels to collect Alex and take him to a safe house when the latest threat to the boy's life had been made. He had stood completely undisguised at the side of the entrance of the cinema Rider had been visiting with his friends. It had taken the teenage spy a full five minutes seventeen seconds to become aware of Daniels' presence due to his preoccupation with the checkout girl's breasts.

"A shame indeed," Tulip Jones agreed.

They had lost Alex Rider to teenage hormones.