Scorpia

they died because the Americans wouldn’t agree to our demands. They died because the Americans refused to help the ally who always stands by them. Can you imagine what the newspapers will say? Can you imagine what people will think? By tomorrow morning the British will hate the Americans.

    “And then, Alex, in a few months, Invisible Sword will strike again—but next time it will be in New York. And next time our demands will be more reasonable. We’ll ask for less and the Americans will give us what we want, because they will have seen what happened in London and they won’t want it to happen again. They’ll have no choice. And that will be the end of the British-American alliance. Don’t you see? The Americans couldn’t care less about the British. They’ve only ever been concerned about themselves. That’s what everyone will say, and you have no idea how much hatred will be created. One country humiliated; the other crushed.
    And Scorpia will have earned a hundred million pounds along the way.”
    She paused, as if waiting for him to congratulate her. Alex was meant to be a member of her organization, the newest recruit. His father would have been glad to stand at her side. But Alex couldn’t do it. He simply couldn’t find it in himself. He couldn’t even pretend.
    “You can’t do it!” he whispered. “You can’t kill children just to get rich.”
    The words were no sooner out of his mouth than he knew he had made a mistake. Julia Rothman’s reaction was as fast as a snake … as fast as a scorpion. One moment, that soft, casual smile had been on her lips; the next, she was rigid, alert, her whole consciousness focused on Alex.
    Nile looked over, sensing something was wrong. Alex waited for the axe to fall. And then it came.
    “Children?” Mrs Rothman murmured. “I never said anything about children.”
    “But there will be children.” Alex tried frantically to backtrack. “Adults and children.”
    “No, Alex.” Mrs Rothman seemed almost amused. “You know that children are the targets. I never told you that; so somebody else must have.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
    She was examining him minutely. Closing in on him. And suddenly she saw it. “I thought there was something different about you,” she snapped. “What’s that you’ve got on your teeth?”

    It was too late to hide it. Alex opened his mouth. “I wear a brace.”
    “You weren’t wearing a brace in Positano.”
    “I didn’t have it in.”
    “Take it out.”
    “It doesn’t come out.”
    “It will—with a hammer.” Alex had no choice. He reached into his mouth and took out the piece of plastic. Nile moved closer, his eyes full of curiosity. “Let me see it, Alex.”
    Like a naughty boy caught eating gum, Alex held out his hand. The brace was resting in his palm. And it was obvious it was no ordinary brace. They could see some of the circuitry leading to the switch he had activated.
    Had he pressed it in time? “Drop it!” Mrs Rothman commanded. Alex let the brace fall to the floor and she stepped forward. Her foot came down on it and Alex heard the sound of breaking plastic as she ground it into the tiles. When she removed her foot the brace was cracked in half, the wire bent. If it had been transmitting before, it certainly wasn’t now.
    Mrs Rothman turned to Nile. “You’re a fool, Nile. I thought I told you to search him from top to bottom.”
    “His mouth…” Nile didn’t know what to say. “It was the one place I didn’t look.”
    But she had already turned back to Alex. “You didn’t do it, did you, Alex?“ Her voice was full of scorn. ”You didn’t kill her. Mrs Jones is still alive.”
    Alex said nothing. Mrs Rothman stared at him for what seemed like an eternity, and then she struck. She was faster and stronger than he would have guessed. Her hand slammed into the side of his face. The sound of it echoed all around. Alex staggered back, dazed. His whole head was ringing and he could feel his cheek glowing red. Mrs Rothman signalled and two guards with machine guns stepped forward to stand next to him, one on either side.

    “We may be expecting company,” she announced in a loud, clear voice. “I want units three, four and five to take up defensive positions.”
    “Units three, four and five to the perimeter.” An amplified voice relayed the command and twenty of the men ran forward, their feet stamping on the metal gantries, heading for the front of