Chapter 1 - The Unusual Request
...
Olivia was in her office finishing off paperwork that had accumulated over her desk in the past few days. The latest mishaps from Bond's mission had caused her to become occupied with berating him on following her orders rather than pay attention other matters. Glancing over the current report in front of her, she let out a frustrated sigh it seemed none of her agents appeared to grasp the concept of the word return in one piece. She had no idea how they were supposed to come under budget, with the amount of money they cost this agency day in and out. She was nearly done with the file she was on when her phone started to ring.
"Oh for god's sake!" She threw down her pen and picked up the phone.
"Yes?" she said with much restraint as she could.
"M, it's Mallory."
"What can I do for you at this hour, Mallory?"
"I've just had a call from the Prime Minister. He wants your department to investigate seventeen disappearances that have occurred in the Brecon Beacons in Wales in the past few months."
"Let me get this straight." M's voice held disbelief. "You want me to send my agents to investigate various disappearances in the countryside when they could make better use of their time investigating various terrorist groups? Why us? Why not MI5 it's more their jurisdiction than ours."
She had no time for Mallory or the Prime Minister any more than she had for Bond's inability to follow orders. All she wanted was to go home and have a decent night's sleep. She was still trying to overcome the loss of her husband. She found herself staying later at the office with each passing day, trying to keep her mind busy to try and forget the fact that there would be no one at home to take her mind off the job. Not anymore. The only person she had waiting for her was Bond, and that made staying at her office more appealing rather than have to deal with him away from the office as well on a daily basis.
"M are you still there?"
"What? Yes, I'm still here." She could feel the start of a headache coming on.
"Look, I know it seems a bit out there-"
"A bit! What could MI6 hope to find from this investigation that the police can't?"
"The police have no new leads, none of the bodies have ever been found. These people just fell off the radar. They are no patterns in age, sex, or race. One minute they're here, the next they're gone. Look M. If the Prime Minister didn't think this as important, he would not have asked for your department to investigate."
"How many agents are we talking about?"
"The PM is sending you, Bond, Moneypenny, and Tanner to investigate."
"What? Is the man deranged!? You are telling me that the PM wants to send me, my best agent, my secretary, and my chief of staff into the countryside to investigate seventeen disappearances, with no leads and no bodies?"
"If the PM didn't think you four were capable he wouldn't have asked." Mallory pointed out to her.
She thought the whole situation sounded suspicious; she knew the Prime Minister didn't like the way she ran the department or the fact that she wouldn't get rid of Bond. He was her best agent. He got the job done, even, if it did involve thousands of pounds worth of damages in the process. If the Prime Minister wasn't happy with the results, she couldn't care less. That still didn't explain why he wanted Moneypenny or Tanner to investigate either; they had done nothing except work for her, which was probably the reason why.
"I will have to inform them-"
"No need. They have already been informed as we speak."
Olivia couldn't believe her ears. It was one thing, for the PM to send them on an investigation made by the police, but for his lackey's to inform her staff instead of her, that had gone too far.
"Who the hell does he think he is!? If anyone should be informing my department of missions, it should be me and only me, Mallory! Not you, or the Prime Minister."
"It couldn't wait till tomorrow; you are to meet at MI6 headquarters at 0600 hours where you will be properly debriefed. A car, weapons, gadgets and camping equipment will be given to you."
"So not only are we investigating a fool's errand, we have to bloody camp as well. How long are we talking here?
"Three days, four at most."
M gripped the phone tighter. "Who will be in charge during my absence?" She had a feeling she already knew the answer.
"The PM thought it would be best if I were put in charge."
"Of course he did. If you think you are replacing me, Mallory, you've got another bloody thing coming!"
"No one said anything about replacing you M. I am merely leading the department until you return."
M sighed. "Very well. If that's everything Mallory, I would like to head home to have a decent nights sleep and organise some things before I have to leave tomorrow."
"Of course. I shall see you tomorrow at the debriefing."
"Very well."
Olivia put down the receiver with more force than intended. She looked down at the report, before closing it and placing it in the top drawer of her desk. Letting out a sigh, she turned to her intercom.
"Ross, bring around the car."
"Right away Ma'am."
She looked at her clock again and noticed it was nearing eleven. Grabbing her bag and coat, she made her way out of her office to where Ross was waiting by the car to take her home.
The ride to her apartment was made in silence. M kept going over the details of the mission that Mallory had told her. The fact that the Prime Minister had not only asked her to go out in the field he wanted her secretary and Chief of Staff as well. The situation didn't sit comfortably with her considering this was more of a job for MI5. She had never really trusted the Prime Minister's decisions, and this made her even more wary of him. She was pulled out of her thoughts when the car suddenly stopped. She noticed that they had arrived at her apartment. Ross opened the car door for her and helped her out.
"Thank you, Ross."
Ross gave a small nod, "Ma'am.
M entered her apartment, closing the door behind her and placing her keys in the bowl on the cabinet in the hall. Walking into her living room, she took off her coat and threw it on the sofa along with her bag. She walked over to her drink cabinet and poured a double whiskey drinking most of it one mouthful.
"Rough day at the office, was it?"
M jumped. She turned around to see James Bond staring straight back at her with amusement in his eyes.
"What the hell are you doing here?" M scowled at him, her earlier anger coming to the surface.
"I was in the neighbourhood and thought I would drop by."
"For Christ sake Bond. You can't keep breaking into my apartment when you bloody feel like it. Now you have gotten it out your system; please leave. I need to pack for our mission tomorrow."
Bond's face lost all amusement. "What do you mean, you need to pack for the mission tomorrow?"
Olivia looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "Exactly that, Bond. Do you have problems listening to mission details now?"
"When they told me about the mission they never mentioned anything about sending you out in the field. Are they bloody stupid?"
"Bond, if I didn't know any better, I would say you cared."
"I do, but what i can't understand is why would they send you into the field?"
"I have been asking myself that question ever since I was told about this damn mission." M turned and poured herself another drink for herself and Bond.
She handed him the glass before picking hers up and motioned him towards the sofa.
"I guess that he sees this as an opportunity to get rid of me once and for all. He isn't satisfied with the way I run the department. He thinks that I don't have what it takes to run the double-0 division. Mainly because; I'm a woman and I haven't revoked your license to kill."
"So you think this is his chance to prove that he's right, by sending you on this mission?"
"Either that or he's hoping that we won't make it back alive."
"Well, we'll just have to prove him wrong then, won't we?" Bond said looking towards her.
M noticed that his face is impassive, but his eyes held amusement. She didn't want to know what it was that he was thinking. Whatever it was, M knew it would cause more problems rather than solve them. She finished off her drink and placed the empty glass on the table.
"As enlightening as this conversion is. It's time you left."
Bond finished his drink in one mouthful and places the glass next to M's now empty one.
"Are you sure you will be able to handle this M?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Can you even fire a gun?" Bond asks her skeptical.
"Of course I can bloody fire a gun! It's not exactly rocket science, is it? She stood up and decided to go and pour herself another drink.
"No, but whether you can hit a target is another matter. Don't take this the wrong way M, but…"
"But what? You think because I sit behind a desk day in and out, looking at reports and deal with government officials, you think that's all I do with my bloody time?"
Bond tried to hide the smirk he could feel wanting to break free. "Well, don't you?"
"No, I don't. My firearms' training is up to date if you bothered to check. Since you are so accustomed to hacking into my file, I thought you of all people would have realised that." She gave him a reproachful look as she took a drink from her glass, before placing it back down on the cabinet. "I think there is something else behind you asking, Bond. I'm not stupid; I've seen the inappropriate looks you give me whenever you see me. So, what is this really about?"
"This full situation isn't sitting right with me M."
M scoffed, "join the club, Bond."
"I don't think you should come tomorrow. Not because you can't protect yourself, I know you can…"
"Bond, just get to the point."
"I don't want anything to happen to you M. At least when you sit behind that desk of yours; I know you're safe. I can't lose you. Not to some wild goose chase that has nothing remotely to do with MI6."
"What about Moneypenny and Tanner?"
"What about them? Moneypenny was an agent and can take care of herself. Tanner, although he hasn't been out in the field, he can keep up."
"So, what you are trying to say is that I'm old and will hold you back is that it?" M could feel her temper rising again.
"No, of course not." He denied.
"Because that is what it sounds like to me Bond. Now, if that's all you need to say, I want you to leave."
Bond stands and approaches her. "M, I didn't mean it in that context."
"Oh, and what context did you mean it in, Bond?"
"I mean Tanner has had first-hand experience in the Brecon Beacons. More than the three of us combined. It has nothing to do with your age M; it's about the environment and the elements. It's winter for Christ sake."
"A lot of people camp out in the countryside at my age."
"Yes, but they aren't sent to investigate seventeen disappearances. If we get in trouble, do you think Mallory and the minister will send any backup? If your theory is true and this is a means to get us out of the picture we don't stand a chance. If you stay behind you can help us should we need it. I don't trust Mallory to do that for us, and I'm not letting him put your life at risk."
"That's not your choice to make Bond. I knew the risks of this job when I took it. Besides who is to say they wouldn't try anything while you were away. Even if I did decide to tell them I wouldn't be able to go, they would still find a way to get me out the picture. Mallory is just the middle man if not a pawn; it's the minister we need to worry about."
"M…"
"My decision is final Bond; I'm going. I appreciate your concern, but it isn't your job to take care of me. I can take care of myself. I need your mind focused on this mission if it can even be called that for the next few days, rather than about my welfare."
"I'm your agent. Therefore it's my job to ensure you're safe." He tried to make her see reason.
"Your job is to protect Queen and Country Bond. I'm disposable."
"Not to me." He told her quietly, reaching out for her right hand and clasping it lightly in his own.
Olivia looked down at their joined hands, before looking up into his eyes only to see a range of emotions swimming in those cerulean depths.
The looks he would give her whenever he saw her were starting to make sense. She had tried to ignore them, thinking he was just trying to see how far he could push her before she would finally snap. But, now she knew there was a deeper meaning that she couldn't help but find absurd. He couldn't be attracted to her; the mere thought of it was laughable.
"Bond whatever thoughts you have swimming around in that head of yours, you need to get rid of them."
"You think I haven't tried? It doesn't matter what I'm doing or whether I'm with some woman on a mission, my thoughts always come back to you."
She pulled her hand out of his and walked over to the window to create some distance between them.
"Why are you telling me this?" She turned to face him. "My husband hasn't even been gone a year, and yet you're standing there telling me you care and think about me on a daily basis. What do want from me, Bond? For me to tell you, I feel the same? For me to just jump into bed with you over a few well-placed choice of words?"
"No. I know you don't feel the same, and you would never get involved with one of your agents. The job means too much to you, but you need to know that the reason for me wanting to protect you is not just because of me being an agent and you my boss, but because I care for you on a personal level. Even though I will never have a life with you, that doesn't mean I won't hesitate to make sure you stay alive at all costs."
He took a few steps forward towards her. "Look, even though you don't feel the same, I'll always be there to protect you whether you like it or not. My feelings for you won't go away M, but I need you to know that there is someone out there that cares for you. Even if you think otherwise."
"So, you breaking into my flat it's not just to piss me off is it?"
"Partly, but no. Me breaking in- it's just an excuse to check in on you. I need to know for myself that you are all right."
The pieces were starting to fall into place. Bond was never around when her husband had been with her; it was always when he was away on business if Bond wasn't on a mission himself. But lately, since his death, she had found Bond making more appearances in her flat.
Now, she knew the reason why she didn't know whether to be grateful or annoyed that he was wasting all his free time here, rather than going out enjoying his life while he could. He could easily find a woman; have a family if he wanted to. He may be her best agent, but if he came to her asking to leave the service, she would let him go. She wouldn't blame him. This job didn't exactly offer the option of raising a family and being away on missions at the same time. It was one of the reason's why she had never had children of her own. She would never have been there for them, and it wouldn't have been fair to leave them with her husband to look after, the job had caused their marriage to become strained on most days without adding children to the mix.
"Talk to me, M." He pleaded softly with her.
"You need to stop worrying about me, and go out there and make a life of your own James. Don't make me the reason for holding you back. I've lived most of my life, if not all of it already. And I've accepted that fact, but you have still got a life ahead of you. If you don't kill yourself first with those stupid stunts, you pull."
"What if I want to spend my life with you?"
"Then you will have a lonely life." She turned away from him and stared out the window, noticing the first drops of rain cascade down the glass. "You had best leave James; I need you at your best tomorrow."
"Ma'am." He tried to hide the bitterness and hurt from his voice as he turned on his heel and left.
The sound of her apartment door closing caused M to let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. He knew how to get under her skin, always had done. What James had told her tonight was the last thing she had expected. She had no idea what he could see in her; she could pass as his mother.
She wanted to forget all about the conversation they had here, but his admission left her questioning if perhaps she had given him a reason for him to feel the way he did. That idea she pushed to the side, she had treated him the same way she always had, which left her wondering what had changed for him to feel that way towards her. It was a thought that she would have to leave for the time being. She had other matters to deal with, the first being to pack for this mission tomorrow. M had no idea what the next few days would bring, but she had a feeling that nothing good would come from them.