Shooting At Shadows
Alex, meet Artemis.
Alex Rider walked down the sun drenched pavement of San Francisco, staring up at the towering buildings surrounding him and feeling slightly like a character of a giant board game. He wasn’t here for a holiday; that was made clear by the frown line splitting his brow in two, and the fact that his fists and teeth were tightly clenched. But M16 hadn’t sent him either, he was here to meet someone, in exactly seven minutes, on the corner of the San Francisco Boulevard. Alex wasn’t one to get scared, he had faced too many great challenges for that, though it didn’t stop his heart beating a little faster and harder as he came closer to his desired location, the wide open, public location he reassured himself.
Alex had received a letter a few days earlier at his London home inviting him here to meet the unnamed letter writer, who that was exactly, would be answered soon enough. The letter, addressed to one Master Rider had contained the meeting details and one simple line of text; have lunch with me, Master Rider, and discuss a highly beneficial opportunity that should not be missed.
He didn’t know why he was here; he was blaming the classic spy curiosity that his uncle had trained him to have. It wasn’t a mission, there were no murders, theft or ransom involved. It was just simply an invitation to lunch, to meet someone he didn’t know, in a country he wasn’t from. Simply, Alex thought, is not the word for this. It was with this thought in mind that he turned a corner and saw a lone table placed outside a bustling café. It had a single occupant but Alex didn’t move a step closer until he had decided that the giant of a man standing expertly in the shadows of the alley was not one of the many wanted hit men that lined a poster board in the M16 headquarters. The huge man and Alex caught each others’ gaze momentarily, neither willing to hold the gaze too long. He let out a short breath and took the few, final steps towards the table.
The boy sitting there radiated calm and control, his raven hair perfectly styled to match his expensive suit. He was around the same age as himself but seemed to be enjoying this a lot more than Alex. The said boy tipped his dark glasses revealing two different coloured eyes and said in a smooth, sophisticated tone;
‘’I’ve heard a lot about you Master Rider, please, sit.’’
* * *
While ‘Master Alex’ had been eating breakfast that morning with his best friend and house keeper Jack Starbright, Artemis Fowl had been making the final preparations to stage one of his plan. Artemis had been closely following Rider’s actions for sometime, on occasion setting up small obstacles to see how he would cope but more so, how he would solve the problem. And quite frankly, he was impressed. Not that he’d admit that to anyone, unless you count ‘Butler, I think this just might work’. Alex was what he needed, Butler, no matter how strong and loyal could never simply just blend in. Not like how a fourteen year old, blonde haired, boy could.
Fowl was even a bit jealous, not that he’d even admit that to himself, but Alex Rider was a lot of things he wasn’t. Artemis was smart, too smart for his own, and peers’, good. Alex was athletic, strong, attractive, intelligent and living the little boys’ dream of saving the world. That aside, he was the other half Fowl needed to pull of his plan. The best of both worlds, brains and brawn etc etc. Plus Artemis’ had a reputation, above and below ground, and he did not want to become predictable. Having some other than himself or shielded fairy to do his dirty work would be just the twist he needed. And when that person was a talented, though seemingly normal teenage boy, the possibilities were endless. Artemis was a deceitful, genius brat, with no real friends besides his bodyguard, the giant of a man Butler. He had contacts, oh an endless supply of contacts but none close enough to become intimately involved in a plan. Of course he had friends below ground, and he was going for surprise, but not that kind of surprise. Albeit he wasn’t looking for a friend, he didn’t need one, he just needed someone to help him, no, someone to use for his own advantage. And Alex Rider had the fortune (or misfortune) of being that someone.
On the subject of the pale skinned, evil genius’ relations, he also had a seemingly endless supply of enemies. Something that kept Butler’s life interesting, yes, and quite impressive for someone of his young years but not the best when a high priority of his was staying alive. And of course there was a great many trying unsuccessfully to track and follow his movements but no one had the technology that came close to what the Fowl did. He had to have Rider in this plan, he needed someone cunning and resourceful that no-one knew, that no-one would expect to be working for him.
So the grin that he wore as Alex Rider sat down across from him at the table on the corner of San Francisco Boulevard was a result of the pleasure he felt from the first stage of the plan going perfectly. He had known that Rider could not have resisted his mysterious invitation, but after all, curiosity did kill the cat.
Alex had received a letter a few days earlier at his London home inviting him here to meet the unnamed letter writer, who that was exactly, would be answered soon enough. The letter, addressed to one Master Rider had contained the meeting details and one simple line of text; have lunch with me, Master Rider, and discuss a highly beneficial opportunity that should not be missed.
He didn’t know why he was here; he was blaming the classic spy curiosity that his uncle had trained him to have. It wasn’t a mission, there were no murders, theft or ransom involved. It was just simply an invitation to lunch, to meet someone he didn’t know, in a country he wasn’t from. Simply, Alex thought, is not the word for this. It was with this thought in mind that he turned a corner and saw a lone table placed outside a bustling café. It had a single occupant but Alex didn’t move a step closer until he had decided that the giant of a man standing expertly in the shadows of the alley was not one of the many wanted hit men that lined a poster board in the M16 headquarters. The huge man and Alex caught each others’ gaze momentarily, neither willing to hold the gaze too long. He let out a short breath and took the few, final steps towards the table.
The boy sitting there radiated calm and control, his raven hair perfectly styled to match his expensive suit. He was around the same age as himself but seemed to be enjoying this a lot more than Alex. The said boy tipped his dark glasses revealing two different coloured eyes and said in a smooth, sophisticated tone;
‘’I’ve heard a lot about you Master Rider, please, sit.’’
* * *
While ‘Master Alex’ had been eating breakfast that morning with his best friend and house keeper Jack Starbright, Artemis Fowl had been making the final preparations to stage one of his plan. Artemis had been closely following Rider’s actions for sometime, on occasion setting up small obstacles to see how he would cope but more so, how he would solve the problem. And quite frankly, he was impressed. Not that he’d admit that to anyone, unless you count ‘Butler, I think this just might work’. Alex was what he needed, Butler, no matter how strong and loyal could never simply just blend in. Not like how a fourteen year old, blonde haired, boy could.
Fowl was even a bit jealous, not that he’d even admit that to himself, but Alex Rider was a lot of things he wasn’t. Artemis was smart, too smart for his own, and peers’, good. Alex was athletic, strong, attractive, intelligent and living the little boys’ dream of saving the world. That aside, he was the other half Fowl needed to pull of his plan. The best of both worlds, brains and brawn etc etc. Plus Artemis’ had a reputation, above and below ground, and he did not want to become predictable. Having some other than himself or shielded fairy to do his dirty work would be just the twist he needed. And when that person was a talented, though seemingly normal teenage boy, the possibilities were endless. Artemis was a deceitful, genius brat, with no real friends besides his bodyguard, the giant of a man Butler. He had contacts, oh an endless supply of contacts but none close enough to become intimately involved in a plan. Of course he had friends below ground, and he was going for surprise, but not that kind of surprise. Albeit he wasn’t looking for a friend, he didn’t need one, he just needed someone to help him, no, someone to use for his own advantage. And Alex Rider had the fortune (or misfortune) of being that someone.
On the subject of the pale skinned, evil genius’ relations, he also had a seemingly endless supply of enemies. Something that kept Butler’s life interesting, yes, and quite impressive for someone of his young years but not the best when a high priority of his was staying alive. And of course there was a great many trying unsuccessfully to track and follow his movements but no one had the technology that came close to what the Fowl did. He had to have Rider in this plan, he needed someone cunning and resourceful that no-one knew, that no-one would expect to be working for him.
So the grin that he wore as Alex Rider sat down across from him at the table on the corner of San Francisco Boulevard was a result of the pleasure he felt from the first stage of the plan going perfectly. He had known that Rider could not have resisted his mysterious invitation, but after all, curiosity did kill the cat.