Ashleigh woke to the sound of a key turning in a lock. A sharp click echoed in the night. She jerked awake from her restless sleep, trying to throw the blanket from where it had wrapped around her hips. Before she could, a hand shot out and clamped across her mouth, another hand clamped across her body and a voice was hissing in her ear.

'Don't say a word, don't make a sound, just get up and come with me now.'

Ashleigh nodded, feeling the brute strength of Wade's hand across her jaw. Cautiously, he released her, and she slid to her feet, following him across the cell.

They walked down endless whitewashed corridors, passing no guards. Ashleigh stayed quiet, just following Wade and his orders. Ashleigh glanced down at her watch, the illuminated dial telling her that it was just a little after 4am. She was nervous, suspicious, yet she still followed Wade, until he stopped at a non descript door and held it open for her.

'After you,' he said quietly.

Ashleigh slipped inside to discover a small, ramshackle office. A rickety wooden table was smothered in papers, files and documents, two old cushioned chairs sat on opposite sides of it, stuffing protruding from the ripped covers. A surprisingly modern laptop was perched precariously upon several thick, battered books.

'Welcome to my inner sanctum,' Wade said mockingly. 'Have a seat,' he gestured to one of the battered chairs.

'Thanks,' Ashleigh murmured, and collapsed into the chair, sinking deep into the uneven cushions. A pair of orange eyes watched her warily from a nearby shelf, she realised it was a small, slightly straggly cat perched there.

'He wandered in a few months ago and I didn't have the heart to kick him out again,' Wade admittedly sheepishly. 'Now it seems I have the same problem with a British agent.'

'Do you?' Ashleigh asked quietly, fiddling with some of the escaped stuffing from the chair.

'Ashleigh Kain, British Secret Service, active agent, MI6. But here's the rub, Agent Kain, your profile is very quiet about who you actually are. Normal details I'd expect to see have been erased, and I want to know why.'

'International security?'

'You can be smart with me all you like, girl, but I want answers. You were here for a reason, and your colleague was too, and I want to know why. This isn't the normal tourist trap, nor is it on the sightseeing tour. This area has been prohibited for many years now, and you've got no business being here, yet my men just happened to pick you up. Why?' Wade's hand slammed down on the desk, sending papers flying.

'We were interested. We'd heard rumours about what happened here, and we wanted to have a look.'

'Really? And look, wild pigs flying right past my window,' Wade gestured angrily. 'What do you know about what happened here? Because as far as I am concerned, nothing did.'

'So is that why there are armed soldiers patrolling? My guess is that those aren't normal marines, Mr. Wade.'

'That's none of your business, Agent Kain, nor is it to do with your country. Its our jurisdiction, not England's.'

'So tell me what happened here.' Ashleigh shot back. 'What is so interesting that it requires so much security?'

'A matter of international terrorism.'

'Goldeneye,' Ashleigh breathed.

'How do you know that word?'

'I know more than you think, and its time you stop treating me like I'm stupid, Mr. Wade. In fact, I may know even more than you.'

Wade snorted. 'Honey, I lived it.'

Ashleigh shook her head. 'Why are you holding me here?' she asked softly. 'Why not let me go?'

'We found a body, Agent Kain, and giving your description of your partner, we think it could be her.'

'When? When did you find her?' Ashleigh hissed, grabbing the arms of her chair to support herself.

'Shortly after we discovered you. We found the body of a woman, with long dark hair, dressed in a wetsuit. Cause of death was a harpoon to the stomach, but they'd also…' Wade looked uncomfortable.

'They did what?' Ashleigh whispered.

'They cut her up pretty bad.'

'Cut?'

'Slashed. I'd ask you to identify her, but I don't think you should see her. She's not a pretty sight.'

Ashleigh felt a cold numbness spreading through her body. Not a pretty sight. Jasmin had been so attractive, beautiful, and they'd mutilated her.

'I'm sorry,' Ashleigh mumbled, 'I think I'm going to be sick.'

Wade looked alarmed, and then jumped to his feet, jerking open the window behind him. 'Here,' he said, and Ashleigh dashed across the room to it. Wade patted her shoulder reassuringly as she leant over the wooden sill.

'Jeez, they don't breed you strong in the stomach over there in England, do they?' he swallowed uncomfortably as Ashleigh gingerly lifted her head.

'I'm so sorry,' she whispered, her face bright red with mortification.

'I should have been a bit more… sensitive, I guess,' Wade tugged at the collar of his shirt. 'Was she a friend of yours?'

'Sort of,' Ashleigh said, slumping back into the seat. 'She was a member of my organisation, we only met recently, but we were travelling together.'

'Partners?'

'I suppose so. For this case at least. She didn't deserve to die like that.' Ashleigh brushed a shaking hand across her face, feeling the cold sweat that had broken out on her skin.

'No one does. However we still have a problem, Agent Kain, a British agent has been murdered on our territory. I've not contacted MI6 yet, I wanted to tell you first.'

'Why?' Ashleigh's head snapped up. 'Why wait to tell them?'

'Because we have no idea who was responsible, and I wanted to talk to you first. I think you know who is behind it.'

Ashleigh shook her head. 'I'm sorry, but I don't. I have no idea who the men were.'

'Fine,' Wade sat back in his own chair and stared at the young woman. 'You know about Goldeneye?' he squinted at her.

'A bit,' Ashleigh admitted coolly.

'And, er, do you know who was involved with it?'

A trickle of sweat started to snake down the hollow of Ashleigh's spine. 'Why do you ask?'

'Because someone told you about the Rose and I can count the number of people who know about the Rose on my two hands. And I married five of them. One of the others was a Brit involved with Goldeneye. My money's on him being the one who tattled.'

Ashleigh looked at Wade speculatively. 'You're the Rose?'

'In a manner of speaking, honey.'

'It was a man name Bond.'

'Jimbo?' Wade chuckled. 'You know Jimbo?'

'I know him well enough.'

'I bet you do!' Wade hooted.

'He's a friend, Mr Wade.'

'Jack, please, call me Jack. Any friend of Jimbo's is a friend of mine!'

'Jack, tell me, what exactly is the Rose?'

To Ashleigh's alarm, Wade stood, still laughing, and began to unbutton his shorts. Ashleigh watched with increasing panic, frozen to her seat, wondering what on earth was happening, wondering if she should make a run for the door. Her alarm was only increased as Wade turned, exposing the side of one ample buttock to her.

'Wade?' Ashleigh managed to stutter. 'What are you doing? Don't make me have to hurt you.'

'You wanted to see the rose, honey, here we go.'

'The Rose' was a badly executed tattoo of a red flower that apparently was supposed to look like a rose. To Ashleigh it looked as if it had been done in a hurry, and not by a professional either. Next to it was the remains of what had once appeared to have been black lettering and she squinted to see what it had once said.

'Third wife's name,' Wade pre-empted her. 'Fifth wife made me get it removed. Still having the treatment, but its nearly gone.'

'Your fourth wife didn't mind?' Ashleigh said faintly.

'Wasn't into all that, she never really saw it. That's why I moved on to Number Five!'

'Oh,' was all Ashleigh was able to manage. She felt a great sense of relief as Wade tugged his shorts back up and secured them.

'I'll be in contact later this morning with the Brits, let them know the situation. They'll want to make arrangements if one of their agents has been killed. I'll organise transport back to England for you, while I'm at it.'

'No.'

'Excuse me?'

'No. I still have work to do here in Cuba. I'm not leaving yet.'

'That wasn't a request. That was a direct order, Kain. We can't have rogue British agents scouting around here, sticking their nose in where they aren't supposed to be. You'll be on a flight back to London first thing.'

'No, I won't be.'

'I just told you that you will.'

'As far as I remember, the Americans actually have no power over the UK. We may be smaller than you, and occasionally our political leaders roll over to have their bellies' tickled by yours, but you have no jurisdiction over me. I'm here on the orders of my superiors, and my business is in Cuba. And Cuba is where I am going to stay. And I am going to leave here as soon as I can.'

'Agent Kain, you're miles away from anywhere on the island. No one knows you exist out here, no one knows we exist out here. You're miles away from your vehicle, and you have no escort. So tell me, Agent Kain, how exactly do you propose you're going to leave?'

'I'll walk if I have to, Wade.'

He took in the stubborn jaw, and the determined look in her eyes and was amused. 'There's the door, Kain,' he said with a wide gesture towards it. 'You're free to leave whenever you want.'

'Fine,' she said stubbornly, and stalked out the door, leaving Wade still sitting, a wide grin on his face.

'Have a nice day,' he called after her. He settled back into his seat, a twisted grin on his face.

She'd be back within half an hour.