Skeleton Key

coldblooded to enjoy such company. Or had they been invited here for the president?
    Alex wondered if he was meant to be in this part of the grounds and was about to leave when Sarov saw him and waved a hand, calling him over. With a sense of growing curiosity, Alex walked over. Sarov spoke quickly to the president, who nodded and smiled.
    “Good morning, Alex!” Sarov seemed unusually cheerful. “I understand you went out riding again. Please let me introduce you to my old friend, Boris Kiriyenko, the president of Russia.
    Boris, this is the boy I was telling you about.”
    The Russian president reached out and took Alex‟s hand. Alex could smell the alcohol on his breath. Whatever he was drinking in the cocktail, he‟d had too much of it. “It is a pleasure,” he said, in heavily accented English. He pointed a finger at Alex‟s face and broke into Russian.
    Alex heard the name Vladimir mentioned twice.
    Sarov answered briefly, then translated for Alex. “He says that you remind him of my son.” He smiled. “Would you like to swim, Alex? You look as if you need it.”
    Alex glanced at the three girls. “Unusual lifeguards,” he said.
    Sarov laughed. “Some company for the president. He is, after all, on holiday, although unfortunately we do have a little work to do. Our local television station is naturally interested that we have such a distinguished visitor and Boris has agreed to give a brief interview. The crew will be here any minute now.”
    The president nodded but Alex wasn‟t sure if he‟d understood.
    “You can have the pool to yourself. We‟re going into Santiago after lunch, but I hope you‟ll join us for dinner, Alex. The chef has planned a special surprise for the main course.”
    There was a movement at the archway leading into the house. Conrad had appeared and with him was a short, serious-looking woman in a drab olive-green dress. There were two men behind her with cameras and lighting equipment.
    “Ah! Here they are!” Sarov turned back to the president and suddenly Alex was forgotten.
    He stripped to his swimming shorts and dived into the pool. After the long horse ride the water was cool and refreshing. He noticed the three girls watching him as he swam past. One of them winked at him and another giggled. Meanwhile, the camera crew was setting up its equipment in the shade of the palm trees. The Russian president waved a hand and one of his bodyguards brought over another cocktail. Alex was surprised that such an insignificant-looking man could be the head of a huge country. But then, he thought, most politicians are small and shabby, the sort of people who have been bullied at school. That‟s why they become politicians.
    Alex put him out of his thoughts and concentrated on his swimming. In his mind he went over what Sarov had just said. They were driving into the city after lunch. That meant the cars would be leaving the compound. It was his only chance. Alex knew that there was no way off the island. The moment he was found missing, the alarm would be raised. Every guard at the airport would be on the lookout for him and he doubted he would be able to get on a boat. But if he could at least find a telephone that worked without an access code, he would be able to get in touch with the American mainland and they would send someone to pull him out.
    He finished his eighth length and twisted round for a ninth. The Russian president was sitting in a chair, being wired for sound. Juan, Alex‟s personal guard, was waiting for him at the other end of the pool. Alex sighed. He was going to have to do something about Juan.
    The television interview began. Sarov was watching carefully and, again, Alex got the impression that there was more to all this than met the eye.
    He pulled himself out of the pool and went back to his quarters to get changed.
    Alex wore another pair of shorts and an aertex shirt, both of them chosen because they were neutral colours, allowing him to blend in with the background. In his pocket he had a stick of the bubblegum that Smithers had given him. If everything went according to plan, he was going to need it.
    Juan was standing outside the room. Alex was suddenly nervous about what he was going to do.
    After all, Sarov had already warned him what would happen if he tried to escape. He would be shot—or at the very least, whipped. But then he thought of the nuclear bomb. Sarov had to be stopped. His mind was made up.
    He stopped suddenly and groaned.