Ark Angel - Anthony Horowitz [75]
“The boy…” Magnus Payne had reached Drevin’s side.
“Yes. It seems your man didn’t quite finish the job.” Drevin stepped forward until he was centimetres away from Alex. Alex didn’t flinch; rain streamed down his face. “Tell me, Alex,” Drevin asked. “I’d be interested to know who you’re working for. Is it MI6 or the CIA? Or perhaps both?”
“Go to hell,” Alex replied quietly.
“I’m truly sorry that you chose to make yourself my enemy,” Drevin continued. “I liked you from the start. So did Paul. But you have abused my hospitality, Alex. A great mistake.”
Alex was silent. Next to him Tamara had gone very pale. She had one hand clamped over her wound and was obviously in pain. But she was still defiant. “The CIA know we’re here, Drevin,” she said. “You do anything to us, they’re going to be crawling all over you. You’re not getting away; you’ve got nowhere to go.”
“Whatever made you think I was planning to go anywhere?” Drevin retorted. “Lock the girl up,” he ordered. “I don’t want to see her again. Magnus – bring Alex Rider to the main hangar. I want to talk to him.”
Drevin turned and walked away. It only took three paces and he had disappeared into the rain.
PRIMARY TARGET
The main hangar was huge. Perhaps this was where the Cessna was kept when it wasn’t in use. The roof was a great curve of corrugated iron. One wall slid back to allow access to the launch site. There were various pieces of machinery and a few oil drums scattered around, but otherwise the hangar was bare. Alex was tied to a wooden chair. Drevin was sitting opposite; Magnus Payne was standing beside him. Combat Jacket, Silver Tooth, Spectacles and Steel Watch were grouped together a short distance away. They had been invited to the party but it was clear that Drevin didn’t expect them to join in.
The rain had stopped as suddenly as it had started. Alex could hear the water still gurgling in the gutters and there were a few last drops pattering on the roof. The air in the hangar was warm and damp. He was soaked. Payne had used a length of electrical wire to bind him to the chair and it was cutting into his flesh. His hands and feet were numb.
Drevin was wearing a light blue cashmere jersey and cords. He was relaxed, holding a giant brandy glass in one hand, two centimetres of pale golden liquid forming a perfect circle in the bottom. He raised it to his nose and sniffed appreciatively.
“This is a Louis XIII cognac,” he said. “It’s thirty years old. A single bottle costs more than a thousand pounds. It’s the only cognac I drink.”
“I knew you were rich,” Alex said. “I also knew you were greedy. But I didn’t know you were boring as well.”
“There are five men here who would be only too glad to deal with you if I were to allow it,” Drevin replied mildly. “Perhaps you would do better to keep your mouth shut and listen to what I have to say.”
He swirled the brandy and took a sip.
“I have to confess, I’m fascinated by you.” The grey eyes studied Alex closely. “When Magnus told me you were an MI6 agent, I laughed. I simply couldn’t believe it. But when I look back over everything that’s happened, it makes perfect sense. I met Alan Blunt once and thought him a most devious and unpleasant individual. This confirms my impression. Even so, I find it hard to accept that he sent you after me. Is that what happened, Alex? Were you planted from the very start?”
“He’d been shot,” Payne growled. “I’ve seen copies of his hospital records. That was real enough.”
“Then perhaps it was no more than an unhappy coincidence. Unhappy, that is, for you. But I’m glad we have this time together. Although I’m afraid that both you and Miss Knight must be dispensed with soon, at least I’ve been given the opportunity to explain myself to you. You see, Alex, I’d like Paul to know about me. I’d like to tell him everything I’m about to tell you. But he’s weak. He’s not ready yet. He might even end up hating me for what I am. But