Chapter 10

...

Inside MI6

007 let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he felt the reassuring thump of Olivia's pulse against his fingertips. It was slower and irregular than he would have liked, but it was there that was all that mattered.

"Olivia." He called out softly to her, hoping to be able to get her to wake.

Looking down towards her legs, he let out a curse at seeing the twisted metal and concrete covering the lower part of her body. He couldn't risk moving any of it in case it would cause more damage to any injuries she may have.

Looking back up towards her face, he reached out and ran his fingers through her dust covered hair. He hoped help would come soon. He wanted to get her out of here as quickly as possible.

"You can't give up Olivia. I won't let you." He waited for any sign she had heard him, but she remained still.

He was relieved Barbara wasn't in the building when the explosion happened. It was hard enough seeing a woman identical to his boss unconscious and possibly injured, never mind his actual boss in Olivia's place. He wished it was neither. Yet, here they were. He has never felt useless as he did in this moment. He should have protected her better.

"We are going to get out of this mess. I promise."

He looked around for any sign of a rescue team, but there was no one in sight. Looking back down at Olivia, he took one of her hands in his, in the hope of letting her know that she wasn't alone.

/*\*/*\

The police officer led Tanner and Barbara to the side of the building. They saw personnel running from the building and to safety, while some others were being treated by the paramedics. Barbara tried to look for the familiar faces of 007 and Olivia, amongst the crowd of people, but so far they were nowhere in sight. She felt a foreboding feeling that they hadn't made it out before the explosion occurred.

"They'll be fine, Barbara. They'll get out alive." Tanner tried to reassure her.

However, to Barbara they were just empty words. Until she saw them both alive with her own eyes, it would only be then that she would believe him.

"What the bloody hell is taking them so long?" She looked at the group of paramedics and fire fighters talking in a group, having not yet started to enter the building.

"They are probably discussing how to handle the operation. I know that you're frustrated. But give them time."

"Time is something 007 and Olivia may not have, Tanner!" She looked up at him. "You of all people should know this."

He knew all too well that the quicker they got them out of the building, the higher chance they would have of getting out alive. He was just as frustrated as Barbara about the whole situation, he could only imagine how Bond must be feeling. He hadn't heard from him since he had informed him that Olivia was in the building. At least he was alive, that had to count for something. He couldn't help but think that it would be ironic if their situations were now reversed. Bond would be alive and Olivia could be dead. Tanner didn't want to know how Bond would take the news if that were the case.

Bond was always close to Olivia in some way or another. He never questioned the nature of their relationship. After all it was none of his business. Nevertheless, that didn't stop him noticing small things now and again between them. The small looks they would share with each other, or how close Bond would stand next to her whenever they were in the same room. He doubted Olivia or Bond was aware of what they felt for each other, but there was something. He just didn't know what it was.

The sound of Tanner's phone ringing caused him to break out of his thoughts, as he quickly answered the call.

"Tanner."

"Is there any news?" Bond asked urgently.

"Nothing yet. The emergency services haven't entered the building."

"What the bloody hell are they waiting for!? An invitation?!"

Tanner gave a sideways glance at Barbara noticing her attention was still on the group of paramedics and firefighters no doubt waiting for them to do their job.

"Where are you, Bond?"

"On my way to catch a flight back to London. How's Barbara?"

"Frustrated... and annoyed like you. Though her meeting with Mallory earlier probably didn't help her mood any."

"Who the hell is Mallory? And why did she have an appointment with him?"

"He's the new chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee and could well be your new boss in the future."

"What do you mean new boss? What aren't you telling me, Tanner?"

"Due to the hard drive incident, they have suggested that she should take voluntary retirement with full honours."

"So, basically they are firing her! They have been trying to get her out of the picture for years, Tanner. And this is as good excuse as any to make sure it happens."

"I couldn't agree more Bond. They don't know about the incident that happened in Q branch, if they find out…

"I know. Which is why we will need to make sure that doesn't happen! We don't need to give them any more ammunition against her."

Tanner didn't miss the defensive tone in Bond's voice. He had no doubt he would make sure, that Olivia still had her job by the end of the year. However, the way Bond would go about that to ensure it was the case worried him slightly.

"I agree, but there is something I want to know Bond... Why didn't you call her to let her know that you were alive?"

"Felix did suggest it, but I was angry that she never let me finish the job."

"Bond, you do realise it wasn't Olivia who initiated those orders, don't you?"

"I do now. Look I have to go. I'll call you when I arrive back in London. Take care of her for me until I return."

Tanner hung up the call and pocked his phone. He was puzzling over Bond's words wondering who he was referring to. He assumed it was Olivia, but it could have been Barbara. It was doubtful it was the latter. Bond hardly knew Barbara, but he guessed he could keep a close eye on both of them.

"I take it Bond has finally caught on then." Barbara looked up at him, having listened in on Tanner's side of the conversation.

"Eventually. He's catching a flight back to London."

"Good, let's hope they get Olivia and 007 out before he arrives." She looked back over at the group seeing the firemen start to head into the building. "It's about bloody time," she muttered under her breath.

Barbara watched them until they were out of sight. "We need to find a way of hearing what is taking place in there, Tanner. Is there any way you can access their radio transmissions from your laptop?"

"I can try Ma'am, but I can't guarantee it will work."

"Try it anyway. I would rather we find out the outcome before they bring out their bodies." Barbara replied, hoping that there was a possibility that he could do what she had asked.

/*\*/*\

Inside MI6

007 continued to speak to Olivia in the hopes that she would at least show some sign of movement. He didn't know how long had passed since the explosion. It couldn't have been long, even if it did feel as though they had been stuck here for hours.

As the minutes wore on, his worry for Olivia increased. Trying to take his mind off the worst case scenario, his mind once again drifted towards Barbara, wondering how she was currently taking the news. Would she be worrying? Or acting indifferent to the full situation? Barbara was never one to show her emotions, especially when she had spoken to him when he was recovering from his torture by General Moon in North Korea. Yet, he wondered why she had agreed to trade Zao for him. Was it to ensure that he didn't tell them any of MI6's secrets? Or was there another motive behind it that she refused to tell him? He had always meant to ask her. He just never got round to it. If he made it out of here- he would ask her. The chances of getting a direct answer from her would be slim, but that wouldn't stop him from asking.

A weak groan caused him to come out of his thoughts as he looked down at Olivia and gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

"Olivia... Open your eyes for me."

He heard her cough, and her eyes flutter, before they narrowly opened.

"James…" she weakly asked trying to move, causing a whimper to escape.

"Don't try to move." He softly told her. "I'm here."

"I can't feel my legs."

He heard the worry in her voice and tried to hide his own concern at her statement as he tried to comfort her.

"That's because there is rubble covering them." He hoped it would be enough to lessen her worry.

"What about… the other agents?"

"I don't know. I passed a body when I was looking for you. Other than that…" He trailed off seeing her eyes closing. "Olivia... You need to stay awake for me."

"Is that an order?"

"Do I have to make it one?" He challenged.

She didn't answer him, and decided to voice the question that she had wanted to ask since she had woken to hear him next to her.

"Why are you still here?"

"I think that answer is obvious." He told her softly. "I meant what I said to you yesterday, Olivia. "I won't leave you."

She didn't say anything, other than tighten her grip on his hand.

"Can you move some of the rubble?"

He looked down towards the twisted metal and concrete that was burying the lower half of her body sticking by his earlier thoughts that he couldn't risk moving it.

"I'd rather not chance it, Olivia."

"So… we're stuck here." She breathlessly stated.

"For the time being."

"You know… I find it ironic, that the committee wants me to retire. When it looks like they will get rid of me… by a quicker means."

"Don't… We are going to get out of here."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, there was a rumbling above him. Looking up, he saw the remaining structure of the ceiling give way. Shielding the rest of Olivia's body with his own. The feel of the concrete covering him and Olivia's weak voice was the last thing he knew before darkness surrounded him.

/*\*/*\

The rescue service moved through the building, checking each floor to ensure there were no personnel still in each of the offices. The lower floors appeared to be untouched, but as they gradually approached the top floor, the smoke became thicker causing them to tread more carefully.

Deciding they would be quicker splitting up. One group continued up to M's office, while the other group helped the people shouting for help in the surrounding offices.

As the group reached the corridor towards M's office, they stopped in their tracks and looked around the surrounding area that was covered in glass, concrete and debris.

"First sign of collapse, you find cover. Understand?" He ordered his men.

The men gave a nod in acknowledgment, as they walked through the corridor. The surrounding silence not sitting well with any of them. As they were about to turn the corner, they felt a tremor as all men stood still waiting for it to pass.

After a few seconds, they continued on with their task. As they entered what was left of the area to M's office, they knew the chances of finding anyone alive would be slim. The area looked like it could collapse at any given moment.

As the search continued, they had come across six bodies who were all deceased. They hoped to at least find some survivors by now, but they had found none so far.

It was another ten minutes into the search, when one of the men saw a hand under a pile of concrete. Calling out to the others, he hurried over and kneeled down, realising the hand appeared to be a females. Pulling off one of his protective gloves, he reached out his hand praying there was a pulse.

When there was no familiar beat under his finger tips. He looked up at his chief and shook his head, watching as he radioed it in.

"We have one deceased female and six agents. So far… no other survivors."