Really trying hard not to make you wait too long between updates.

M stood in the hall listening to the phone conversation between Jack and Anton and her blood began to run cold as she started to tremble uncontrollably.

"Good...I will contact you later with the time and place" replied Jack as he ended the conversation. He turned to see a rather pale M staring back at him with a look of disbelief spread across her face.

"M...Glad to see you up and around" he said as he started toward her.

M, visibly shaken, started to back away slowly as the tears started to stream down her cheeks once again.

"M...what is it?..What's wrong?" asked Jack, suddenly very concerned, as he quickly closed the distance between them and gently grasped her shoulders.

"You said you were his friend" she said angrily as she tried to break free from him

"I am"

"Then why...is this what you meant when you said the Russians hadn't cornered the market on double agents?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you planning to give me up in order to rescue James?"

Jack, suddenly realizing what she had heard, quickly pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.

"M...you've got the wrong end of the stick on this one" he said as he held her close "I will never let him anywhere near you and that's a promise" he said quietly

"But you just said..."

"I said I was willing to make an exchange, but not you. Come with me. I want you to meet someone" he said leading her to one of the other rooms

"M, I would like you to meet Susan Thomas, Agent Susan Thomas. Susan, this is M"

Standing before M was a woman, who from a distance, could easily be mistaken for M.

"This is who I will be exchanging for James" replied Jack, as he looked down at her, waiting for some sign that she understood what was happening

The relief on her face was obvious as she looked up at Jack with a look of total embarrassment written across her face.

"I'm sorry Jack. I don't know what's gotten to me" she said quietly

"After all you've been through, I'm surprised you even know what day it is. Don't worry about it" he said, trying to reassure her.

"So when and where will this exchange take place?" she asked

"Still undecided at the moment" he replied as he kept a firm grim around M "But one thing's for sure. You won't be anywhere near the action. My job is to keep you safe at all cost, so we will be moving you shortly to another safe house until this is all over" he said

"I want to be there"

"No way. James would have my head if anything were to happen to you"

"But he is MY agent, as well as my friend"

"And that is precisely why you can't be there. Look, we all know that when we have a personal stake in a mission, we tend not to think clearly no matter how hard we try. That is exactly why James asked for my help. He knew that, despite his best intentions, where you were concerned he might make a mistake that could cost him dearly, so please believe me when I say that this is for your own good" replied Jack in a calm but forceful tone

"But I am the Head of MI6...I should be there"

"I don't care if you are the Queen of Sheba, You will not be anywhere near there...END of discussion"

Mirrinov hung up the phone and turned to James with a rather wicked grin on his face.

"It would appear that your friends don't think as highly of M as they would have you believe"

"Oh...why do you say that?"

"Because that was one Jack Ward of the CIA wondering if I was interested in a little trade, You for M"

James knew Jack too well to believe that he would actually consider such a move, so he decided to play along with the story and act as though he believed it to be true.

"What's the matter Bond?...cat got your tongue?"

"I just didn't expect him to turn on me is all" replied James sounding disappointed

"Well just in case he is planning to try anything I had the call traced. I am quite certain that where ever this Jack Ward is I will find M as well" replied Anton as he motioned to one of his assistants "Find out where that call originated and watch closely. I assume that they are planning to move M and I want to know where"

"Why didn't you just disappear on your own. You have the resources, you didn't need M"

"It's not so much need as want. I always regretted not keeping her all those years ago, her beauty and my brains, we would have been unstoppable, and now after seeing her again..."

"She will never go willingly, you have to know that"

"You know they say in life there are no second chances, but when one presents itself, such as this, you would be surprised what people will do. M has the power to make the choice she chose to ignore all those years ago, and if it means a different outcome well then..."

"She would rather die than go with you..."

As James waited for yet another philosophic retort one of Anton's men came in and handed him a slip of paper.

"Very good" he said with a smile "Watch them closely and keep me advised"

You'll never get away with this!" Snapped James as he struggled against his restraints

"It won't be long now Mr. Bond. Just sit back and relax. If you behave I just might let you say goodbye to her"

"She won't go...not without a fight"

"Then she will suffer the same fate she did all those years ago...such a pity she's such a beautiful woman"

"Why do you really want her? Is it because she is the only one left who really knows what you did?...I mean seriously..the information you have can't be all that earth shattering or you would have used it to your advantage instead of offering it up like a Christmas Goose"

"You know Bond...You are too smart for your own good sometimes. I think that's why she loves you" he said with a laugh

There was a flurry of activity at the safe house as Jack's team was preparing for the first of two missions. The first was to get M out of harm's way and the second was to rescue James. M sat quietly in the corner observing as Jack barked out orders to his team members as to who would responsible for each part of the missions

"Alright...now that we all know what our respective duties are I want to make one thing clear. Mirrinov is one slippery bugger. He is the master of the double cross so don't take anything at face value. The second thing I want you all to remember is that no matter what happens, M is the top priority here. She is not to be left alone for any reason. I don't care if you have a nuclear bomb strapped to your ass, you disarm it and get her to safety" said Jack in an almost militaristic tone "And Susan...It won't take long for him to realize that you are not M so watch yourself. Dismissed"

Once the teams began to disperse Jack turned his attention to M.

"M, I'm sending you with Agents Connor and Booth. They will be with you until this is over" he said as he motioned to the two agents who were waiting at the door "Here...I trust you know how to use one of these?" he said handing her a small handgun

"Well I have to admit I'm not the best shot" she said taking the gun

"It's only in case of an emergency. Accuracy isn't really the point, it could buy some time if necessary" he replied as he guided her toward the door

"Jack I..." she started to say

Jack could tell by the look in her eyes that she was worried, and she had every reason to be as Mirrinov had never been known as one who played by the rules.

"Don't worry M" he said as he pulled her close and kissed her forehead tenderly "I'll bring him back in one piece, I promise"

TO BE CONTINUED...