Entry 8: Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz

Alex's adventure starts when he sees Yassen Gregorovich while vacationing in France. Yassen is working for Damian Cray, has been sent to blow up the house Sabina Pleasure's family is renting. The target was Sabina's father. He was injured by the explosion, but not killed. Alex understands that Yassen did this, so he goes Yassen's motorboat. There Alex finds a gun, but before he can use it, Alex is knocked out by Yassen's men and captured! Obviously, he escapes quite easily... In the boat, Alex finds a telephone number and dials it. He hears Damian Cray's voice! MI6 refuse to believe Alex and alone he begins investigating Cray. Alex goes to Amsterdam, where the Cray Software Technologies are. Damian captures him and puts Alex into a life-size version of his first Gameslayer game ''pain synthesis''. Alex steels a USB drive (a vital piece of equipment for Cray's plan ''Eagle Strike'') and escapes!! Back in London, he finds out that Sabina has been kidnapped and will be released only for the drive. So Alex attempts to rescue her, but gets captured too!! Cray takes them on his jet and once on board, he orders Yassen to kill the two friends. He refuses, Cray shoots him, then Alex, but Sabina attacks Cray, who prepares to kill her. Alex gets up (thanks to the bulletproof jersey) and pushes Cray out the window!! :D

Before Yassen dies, he reveals to Alex that his father was a killer and Alex needs to go to Venice and find Scorpia, his destiny.