Chapter 9
Q began typing as fast as he could, hacking into Silva's hard drive.
"We're in," he stated, as a complex system appeared on the large observation screen.
"What do you make of this?" I asked, half to myself and half to the computer genius beside me.
"It's his Omega site, the most encrypted level he has," the Quartermaster answered.
"It looks like obfuscated code meant to conceal its true purpose, security through obscurity." I said with wonder in my voice, I understand that Silva is a bad guy, but damn he could program an obfuscated code.
Q was still typing furiously, trying to break the code, "He's using a polymorphic engine to mutate the code. Whenever I try to gain access, it changes. It's like solving a Rubik's Cube that's fighting back."
"Stop," Bond said suddenly from behind the desk, "go in on that," he continued pointing at the key on the right side of the screen.
"Granborough?" I asked out loud.
"Granborough Road," the double O agent corrected me, "it's an old Tube station on the Metropolitan Line, been closed for years."
Q and I stared at him in wonder. "Use that as a key," he continued.
The young department head did as James suggested and much to our surprise the code on the screen began to change into something quite recognizable to us.
"Oh, look, it's a map," Q said.
"It's London," I added.
"Subterranean London," Bond finished.
Just as James had uttered those words, all the doors surrounding the Q-branch began to open. I stared at them in confusion as the other employees did the same.
"What's going on? Why are the doors open?" Q wondered aloud.
"Q, what if all the doors are open?" I said.
The computer started beeping and James had run through the giant glass doors before either of us could say another word, he feared what we all knew was true; Silva had escaped.
SYSTEM SECURITY BREACH, a message on the giant computer screen announced.
Raoul Silva's laptop screen began flashing a message with a picture of a red sugar skull and much to my horror, the message seemed to be for me and Q.
NOT SUCH A CLEVER PAIR
"Can someone tell me how the hell he got into our system?!" Q yelled angrily at the other Q-branch personnel. I looked at Silva's laptop again and began pulling out the inputs in the old armored laptop.
"Shit, shit, shit," I said, running my hands through my already nest-like hair, I looked at Q for some sort of explanation as I groaned, "How could we be so stupid?"
The Quartermaster looked at me with shame in his eyes, "He hacked us."
Bond's voice suddenly came from the speaker in the center of mine and Q's desk, "Q, Juliet, He's gone."
I signed and tied my dirty blond hair into a messy bun on top of my head.
"I'm in a stairwell below isolation, "Bond informed us, "Do you two read me?"
"Yes, we can hear you," Q responded, "got you, tracking your location. Just keep moving forward. Enter the next service door on your right."
There was a short pause and the sound of a heavy door opening.
"If you're through the door, you should be in the Tube," Q continued.
"I'm in the Tube," Bond confirmed.
"Bond," I added, "this isn't an escape. This was years in the making, he wanted us to capture him, and he wanted us to access his computer. It was all planned!"
Q nodded, "Blowing us HQ. Knowing the emergency protocols. Knowing we'd retreat down here."
Bond sighed, silently admitting these facts to himself, "I've got all that. It's what he's got planned next that worries me."
Q continued giving orders, "District Line is closest. There's a service door on your left."
"Got it," then there was silence and some grunting, "It won't open."
"Course it will," Q persisted, "put your back into it."
I couldn't help but smirk at these two polar opposites but both equally stubborn men.
"Why don't you come down here and put your back into it?" There was more shuffling noises then Bond continued, "No, it's stuck."
"Bond there's a train coming," I said watching the screen, while trying my best not to sound panicked.
The voice came again from the speaker, dripping with sarcasm, "Oh good."
"Hmm," Q pondered zooming in on the fast moving train, "that's vexing."
I held my breath as the train's dot got closer and closer to Bond's dot on our screen, as Q tensed beside me, I feared that Bond would not be able to escape the fast moving train on route to central London.
Just as the train was getting too close for comfort, I heard three clustered gunshots and then finally the special agent's raspy voice.
"I'm through."
I felt all my breath leave my lungs in relief. And Q regained his composure, "Told you."
"I've alerted security, the police are on their way," I said looking up from my MacBook.
We waited for 007 to reply but Q and I were only met with silence, then the sound of a door being opened and very muffled sounds of voices hit our ears.
"Where are you now?" Q inquired from his station beside me.
"Temple Tube Station," the gruff agent muttered, "Along with half of London."
"Oh, I see you," Q said as he monitored the surveillance cameras, "There you are."
"I know where I am, Q," the exasperated man sighed, "Where is he?"
"Give us a second we are looking for him," I said.
"There's too many people," Bond voiced, "I can't see him."
"Welcome to rush hour on the Tube," Q added bitterly, "Not something you'd know much about."
I desperately searched the screens for Silva's familiar form, it's not something I could forget so easily. I honestly did not know how the criminal had evaded Bond's sight for so long. Again the double O agent spoke, "The train is leaving...Do I get on the train?"
Just then, I did a double take on a man I thought was Silva and waited for the train doors to close and for the man to look up.
"Don't get on," Q said still Looking from screen to screen, "I'm not sure he's on it. Give us a minute."
The train started to pick up speed as I zoomed in on the face, Q and I knew it was all too familiar, it had to be the man we were looking for.
"Bond," I said suddenly.
"What?"
"Get on the train," Q finished my thought for me, as we confirmed the unmistakeable face of Raoul Silva. Both of us heard Bond curse under his breath as he started sprinting towards the train. Q and I then heard a series of odd noises and I wondered if he had actually made it onto a fast moving tube train.
"Where are you?" The tall man beside me asked.
"Take a wild guess, Q."
"He's in disguise now, he's dressed as a policeman," the young Quartermaster continued.
"Of course he is," the agent responded bitterly.
There was only silence following those last words by Bond. Q and I continued to look at surveillance cameras and following the route of the train.
"Where is he going," Q asked over and over to himself, trying to make sense of it all. I was checking the upcoming stop for the train as Bond spoke, "He's going for M. Tell Tanner and get her out of there."
Q nodded in my direction but he found that I was already on the task. Trying not to let my hands shake, I messaged Tanner that Silva had escaped and they needed to get M out as soon as possible.
Tanner answered me in record time, saying that M insisted that she had to finish her duty at the court and at least rebuttal the charges. I gave a frustrated sigh.
"What is it?" Q inquired.
"It's M, she won't leave."
"Sometimes I think that woman would make the Reaper himself wait until she finishes her work."
I gave Q a worried smile, and looked straight into his big brown eyes, "I just hope Bond can stop him before he gets to her."
Q gave a nervous nod in return, "I hope he will too."
Suddenly we heard gunshots from the small speaker, then Bond spoke, "I won't miss next time, Mr. Silva."
Q and I tensed at Bond's words, he had caught him and supposedly had him at gunpoint, but as Silva's voice answered the agent we could hear that he was further away than we thought. It was very muffled but we could make out what the enemy was saying, "Not bad. Not bad, James, for a physical wreck."
I had heard how Bond's evaluation scores had basically deemed him unfit to work ever again, but M had let him go on the mission anyway. No one seemed to know the reason behind it, but now I was thinking that M had trusted him so much that she knew that James would not fail her even on his worst days.
We heard another gunshot and a yell from Silva, "You caught me...Now, here is your prize. The latest thing from my local toy store, It's called a radio."
There was an explosion, and judging from how distant the sound came from, it was not far from where Bond was located.
"I do hope that wasn't for me," Bond's sassy voice replied.
There was then cruel and bitter laughter, "No, but that is."
Then there was a huge crashing noise and the squeak of train breaks. "Oh my God," I said, "A train just went off line."
"Bond?" Q asked desperately, "Bond?"
"Q, he got away," the raspy voice replied, "I'm in pursuit."
Hello my lovelies, I am so sorry I have not updated in a super long time, but senior year is kicking my sorry butt. But don't worry its spring break so I should be updating a lot more. Here is a big chapter for you all and as always I hope you love it.
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I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! I love you all dearly,
-Sky :D
