Chapter 25 Trouble

Gibbs hits the side road at high speed, frustrated with the continued run around this case has been. Never has he felt so out of control on one of his cases. Too many damn fingers in the same damn pie.

"Jethro slow down. If you crash the car what good will it do us? There is no way for any reinforcements to get here with any sort of haste." Ducky pleads as he hangs on for dear life in the back of the car with Dr. Reid.

"We have to find our people and arrest the bad guys before your girlfriend gets killed Ducky."

"Jethro...I thought you said…"

"I know what I said...but it all make sense. She's MI6 and they sent King here to do some espionage trade off, with a former Lieutenant and it went to hell. They will grab her the first chance they get to make her tell them where the item is, or just kill her for personal reasons."

"We don't know that for certain." Hotchner says as he frowns. "Why would you assume that?"

"More than my gut tells me it's Malcolm King's arrival that caused the murders to start up again. We all know this from what our piecemeal investigation brought us. I've seen some twists in cases before, but having MI6 just drop all the keys to the lock box in our lap means that they have all the cards. It's been them from the beginning but they don't care about the locals or Owens...they have their own agenda and only when it suited them they gave us the keys."

"We need to take control of the investigation and we may need more men. I'm getting Garcia on sending in some more men." Hotchner says.

We know that the local police department is tainted by the lies the Sheriff has given them and that's dangerous to every agent in the area." Reid says in a worReid tone. "Granted, we are only four against the entire department, 8 if we wait for McGee, Prentiss and the others to join us." Reid adds concerned about their reckless pace towards an unknown situation.

"Are they on their way?" Ducky asks.

"Yes Garcia messaged me and they left 45 minutes after us and are taking an alternate route to avoid any roadblocks." Hotchner says. "We need a plan."

"I've got one. I go into the Sheriff's office and shoot things until someone tells me where DiNozzo is."

"I've texted M to warn her but there has been no response from her today."

Gibbs meets Ducky's eyes in the rear view mirror. "I'm sorry about that Ducky, I really am."

"Ah...I see you think that M the head of MI6 was laying a honey trap for Doctor Mallard and that is why she lured him away yesterday." Reid looks around and realizes that it is a somewhat sensitive subject for the older gentleman. "I'm sorry too Ducky. I genuinely believed her interest in you was genuine, but it does make sense that she was playing the femme fatale."

"It's alright. I suppose all is fair in love and war and she's involved in a war larger than little old me. I do however wish to be present for her questioning."

Hotchner turns to look at Ducky. "If we catch them I doubt there will be any questioning. I have never heard of a foreign allies special services head ever being questioned. The state department of both countries will step in and they will be gone."

Gibbs shakes his head. "Just like Eli David said. Stay out of their way and let them go...I hate this!"

"I know." Hotchner say. "It's far above our pay grade to question her. Ducky came the closest to questioning her when they disappeared yesterday."

"Fat lot of good it did me. It was all lies, no doubt. However, if we do catch them...it would be wise to have a doctor look over them to make sure they are all right." Ducky says with a sly smile.

"That is true. Dr. Mallard could be involved as an emergency physician, he brought medical supplies and we would have to respect their privacy but...he could tell us all the same." Reid says with a smirk.

"What about doctor patient confidentiality?" Hotchner asks.

"To hell with that! I want to know what she's really been up to and I think she owes me that for leading me down the garden path."

The car pulls up to the Sheriff's office in town and Gibbs looks at Hotchner as he tosses Reid the keys. "You two stay out here and be ready to drive us out of here fast should we need it."

"You want me to be the getaway driver?" Reid asks astonished.

"It should be fine Reid." Hotchner says as he makes a downward motion with his hands. "I'm sure we will just get the agents out and then go look for our British guests and the KGB agents. Garcia called, FBI backup has been called in and is on the way. They have a team set to take control of this station until a complete investigation can be made."

Hotchner tightens the bullet proof jacket as he checks his gun. Gibbs just smiles as he enters the building first with no protection.

After a few tense moments Ducky and Reid see the other two agents coming out of the office with frowns on their faces. Gibbs is pulling along a young officer by the scruff of his neck. Gibbs plops him down on a bench in front of the car under a tree in the parking area.

"Ok here we go. Ducky a hand here please."

Ducky climbs out of the car followed by Reid. "What can I do for you Jethro?"

"I am going to ask this man some questions and you and Doctor Reid can tell me if he's telling me the truth and it will be in your best interest to tell us the truth." Gibbs says as the four men stand above the officer.

Hotchner folds his arms in front of his chest. "No need to be rough agent Gibbs." Hotchner seems to naturally slid into the role of good cop in this scenario. "Young officer Peters here, will be more than happy to help once he hears that the Sheriff is a former KGB agent. One who has been imbedded here since the 1970's and possibly the perpetrator of multiple murders and their cover ups."

The young Peter's face falls in shock. "What! No...it can't be."

"Has the man ever given you pause, in any of the things he has authorized you to do, that you know of young man? Anything? Keeping a close contingent of deputies surrounding him that use less than legal tactics to accomplish tasks? Illegalities? His son and adoptive nephew Thomas I bet. Have you seen the senior Mr. Thomas when he visits and have their accents ever slipped up?" Ducky inquires.

"Yes...there was a time...he was talking on the phone in German...I thought it weird because he never mentioned his ma or pa was German. My grandpa is German and I caught a few words. Motherland and enemies."

"They took our agents somewhere do you know anything about that?" Reid asks.

"No. Everyone is out looking for Carol-Ann the sweet woman who works at the diner. I thought the agents were at the motel still?"

"We need you to call the Sheriff and tell him we are here for our agents. I want you to find out exactly where they are." Hotchner states.

"I...I...what if they won't tell me? How…"

"Just try." Gibbs says as he opens the door to the car and hands him the radio. "What channel?"

"Five."

Two cars pull into the lot one with McGee and Prentiss, the other has Fornell and Hetty.

"Good, reinforcements." Ducky says as he smiles at the newcomers. His smile quickly fades and three police cars come roaring down the road with their lights flashing and sirens blaring. The stop at a distance and open their doors. The officers stand in their open car doors with their guns out.

"What in hell is going on here?" Prentiss asks in shock. Hotchner begins speaking into his phone to Garcia and Abby back at NCIS, likely to request faster FBI back up.

"I have no idea, but I bet Tony pissed them off somehow." McGee says as the all stand in a line in front of the Sheriff's office with young officer Peters.

/****\

Bond and Harry keep a steady pace through the undergrowth. The branches hit their faces occasionally scratching them, but they make their way through with as little talking as possible.

Bond judges the distance travelled at 4 km but without many good game trails to follow it takes them longer then it should. Harry agrees that any game trails they do find, may not be the best idea with hostile locals in the area.

Bond pauses to catch his breath and look at the watch Q gave M. The should be there just over the next rise. "Just over the next hill."

The two of them climb up to see a natural depressing in the earth. They climb down jogging down to see a disturbing sight.

"I guess we don't need to use that watch now." Harry says dismally.

Bond nods as he looks down at a freshly dug hole. He crouches by it and feels the earth. "There's the trail."

"It doesn't seem like there was any delay...whoever it was knew exactly where it was."

"Yes...great...just what we need in all this. That's one more part that's I've failed to accomplish."

"What was the other?" Bond shoot him a look as he frowns. "I still have to track down and kill a couple of old men. I understand if you don't want to come along for the ride. I will drop you with King and M."

"I'm not going anywhere yet. Should we..." A sudden distinctive click of a gun is heard as they look upward. There are 7 men standing on the rise above them and there is no place to hide.

"So what have we here? Trespassers?" The first man says to elicit laughter from the rest of the group. Harry slowly reaches around to his pack and the umbrella that is attached to the side.

Bond can not help but wonder why the man always carries an umbrella when they're not in Britain, but that is a minor problem now.

"What nothin' to say? Looks like we scare the shit out of them boys." The men all laugh.

"Should we make this sporting Duke? Let them run and we'll hunt them down like the English Fox hunt."

"Not sure...I'm surprised. We heard to watch out for you two, but you're like a couple of refined gentlemen...what would the two of you be up to out in the woods? What kind of perverted games you out here playin'?"

"These two puffs ain't much trouble." The leader's second says him with a snort.

Bond and Harry are tense and ready to draw. Bond whispers, "I have the right side, you take the left."

"I say good sirs there seems to be some confusion." Harry says as he stands up tall. "Considering you are threatening us I think we should forgo unnecessary gun play and take you on with our fists."

The men all laugh. "Looks like Johnny English here forgot to bring a gun to the gunfight."

The men point their weapons at the two of them and Harry opens his umbrella pulling Bond by the shoulder to the ground behind it as the group opens fire. The angle of the hill assists in covering them.

"Bulletproof umbrella? That's new. If we get out of this alive I'll tell Q to make one for M."

Harry smiles, "watch this." He cocks the handle and begins firing in the direction of their assailants. Smoke and darts leave the metal tip of the umbrella to give them more cover.

Bond peaks to the left to see a man trying to flank them. He pushes Harry lower and fires over his shoulder killing the man. He then does the same to the right side. Surprise rings out on the side of the Americans as they begin to yell. More shots fire out from Bond with Harry shooting from the umbrella until its ammunition is spent.

"Let's take this to them shall we." Harry says as they hold up the umbrella in front of them and charge the line. Bond knocks off one and Harry another, making the odds better. The Americans back over the rise surprised by the attack.

They spread out but Bond picks another off. The umbrella is weakening under the onslaught.

The Americans begin to shout as more gunfire sounds but not in the direction of Harry and Bond.

Harry tosses the destroyed umbrella and runs for the nearest man but he falls before he can reach him. Bond races towards the blowhard leader but he takes a shot from somewhere and falls to the ground. The leader lies wounded, until Bond silences him with his knife.

Bond walks over to see that Harry done with his man as he looks up to see the smiling familiar face of Felix Leiter. Bond and Harry climb the last rise to a dirt road.

Felix pulls an old man with him from an old red truck. The man is cuffed behind his back and sporting a split lip.

"Felix. What took you so long? The CIA is slipping."

Felix and Bond clasp arms and pat backs. "This is Harry Hart."

The two men shake hands. "That's one damn useful umbrella."

"It most certainly is agent Leiter. Do you have a car to take us back to collect our…parents?"

"About...your parents. This man here tells me that he was hired to take you two boys out, permanently. And you will not like what he was promised in return. Tell them Frank...tell them what you like to do to women...just like your damn brothers."

"I was promised your mother...as part compensation...after the Sheriff kills that King bastard, he's had a hard on for...for the past 30 years."

"Our mother...you…sick..." Harry barely gets over the disgust to insult him, as Bond's fist hits the man's face with a satisfying crunch.

Felix looks shocked and the man slumps in his arms. "Wow...this one has our proof...don't kill him Bond. I think we better focus on finding M and Mr. King, because he said the Sheriff's boys picked them up and took them. I didn't get time to ask him where and now he's out cold. James you're too hot under the collar sometimes."

The put the man in the back of Felix's SUV and climb in. Bond pulls out his mobile and is on with Q and Tanner, shouting into the line. Bond seething in anger from everything. He yells into the line for Tanner to send him information.

"The FBI is on its way to take over the town. Hopefully we are not driving into the damn OK corral." Felix says.

"They are holding three agents at the middle cabin down the road. I think we should get them out. I'll tell you when to stop and Bond and I will go get them out the back window without them knowing...hopefully. I don't relish the idea of killing constables." Harry says.

"I'll help."

"You've helped enough Felix. You can take that garbage to town and give him with his story to the FBI. Pull over here. We'll take our car" Bond loads his gun and Harry does the same handing Bond some extra clips.

The two of them examine the area where they left M and King while packing up evidence that they were there.

Felix drives to town with a bad guy in the back, hoping to avoid any of the local cops.

/*****\

M's dragged into the cabin by a large officer. Where the hell is Bond? Christ she hopes he and Harry are alright. "Stop this!" She yells unsuccessfully.

"Stop fightin' us lady." The shorter of the two says. Jones written on his shirt. This one must be the sheriff's son.

M wonders if it's Vladimir, or Dimitri Scorpius who's behind all this. They ignore her struggles and protests as they pull her to the centre of the room.

The cabin is isolated but it's not as dingy and disgusting as she expected from the outside. It's a nice well cared for place. It must belong to him and be used for rest and relaxation. There may be clues if she can get loose to find them.

The other man carries the prone form of Chester into the cabin, they tie Chester to a wooden chair that they drag into the centre of the floor.

"Why are you doing this?" M continues to act as innocent as possible.

"Well little lady. My father and uncle would like a word with your husband. Using you as pretty little bartering piece."

"I don't understand." M says as they pull another chair over and push her down into it as they tie her hands through the rungs behind her back and leave her. They lash Chester back to back with her and use far more rope bindings on him. Sexist fools.

"We will be back shortly after we take care of your sons."

"I'm warning you...leave them alone!" M yells. "Someone will get hurt. And you call yourselves officers of the law." M keeps the warning and indignation genuine to her cover. They place her tablet and their mobiles on the table, along with Chester's pistol. At least they will be unable to access her tablet and Q will still be able to trace her and lead Bond to them.

Chester did try to shoot but they surprised them by charging directly at him knocking him to the ground. His head hit the ground hard and he may be concussed.

"Arghh."

"Chester! Chester are you alright?"

"Olivia...Olivia...what did you do to me this time? My bloody head feels terrible."

"Thank god! At least you still have your sense of humour."

"Ha...yes...well." Chester pulls on his bonds. His fingers touch hers in the process. "They didn't hurt you did they?" Chester strains his neck to try to see Olivia. M grabs his fingers with hers and intertwines them to reassure him she's there and holding on alright.

"I'm fine. You are in far more danger than I. They think you know what Malcolm was up too."

"And I suppose you are just the wife they will use against me. Good thing I can't spill anything during torture, since only my lovely wife has all the pertinent information."

"Chester...don't. I have no real idea why they are still looking for the item at this juncture. There is more going on here...why would the KGB, or former KGB care for old military secrets anyway?"

"We will find out my dear once our captor makes an appearance. Olivia...M...this does not look good for me particularly. I insist you play ignorant of everything. As long as they do not still have connections in the KGB, or...within our world. They will not know who we really are, or what we know or don't know."

"Chester, don't provoke them on purpose. Bond and Harry will find us...he had better after all he..."

"Yes, he will move the heavens themselves to get to you Olivia. More importantly however, is how long we travelled? Do you know where we are?"

"We traveled at least 20 minutes on small country roads, south I believe. We will have to wait for Harry and Bond. Q will be able to trace my tablet. They will be unable to turn it off, nor open it. Only I can and if it comes to that…well...they will figure out my level of involvement fairly quickly."

"Not to worry love. The boys will search for us, not to mention Dr. Mallard. You've been texting him I assume….ha...I can feel you rolling your eyes dear."

"Chester why do you infuriate me so. I have not messaged him since last night. Is your head well enough to try to untie my hands. They only tied me at my hands...through this chair...far less than what they did for you. I can't believe you tReid to fight them as they charged. You could have ended up worse than a bump on that thick skull of yours."

"As usual…you lecture. I will try my dear." Chester clasps her hands in the process. "This reminds me of one of those Indiana Jones films. The one with Sean Connery."

"Oh...I do remember that one."

"Likely due to Connery, if memory serves you enjoyed his films, particularly the spy ones. It could be said that you have a proclivity for Scottish men my dear."

"Yes...well I don't see many films but my children loved the Indiana Jones films. We will not set this place on fire though will we."

"No...I suppose not and we are dealing with evil KGB rather than Nazis."

"These knots are good."

"Wait! There's a folded knife in my back pocket can you reach it?"

Chester's hands fumble past her own fingers as she leans to try to give him access to her back pocket.

"You know M...This reminds me of the time we went to that dinner theatre event...they picked you and I out of the audience, to play lovers...and...it made my heart beat faster."

"My god...I'd forgotten. Why on earth does this remind you of that."

"I had you captive and alone for that short time. Just you and I backstage ready to come out holding hands…"

"I can't believe you remember that. Let alone that holding hands with me made that much of an impression."

"I want you to know...I've always...well...with this trip...you well know...how I feel about you."

"You had your chance at happy relationships with your wives...it's not like you were ever starved for female attention. Tall blond and muscular...the three of you had women swooning over the lot of you. You got the knife!"

"Yes they did...but not you?"

"Chester...you…"

"You obviously felt that way for Malcolm."

"Chester...you were frustrating. Your pride, and my prejudice...that's what's standing between us. It was then and bloody well exists between us now."

"I knew it! You did like me! You were just too stubborn to admit it. So this is all Austinian bluster! I'm going to overcome my pride, and you, your prejudice. We will go away together on a cruise and you can tell me all about all those racy dreams you had about me."

"I don't want to delve into your subconscious dreams Chester, and you should stay away from mine."

"Since we are tied up with no one around I will tell you my dreams for you to compare to your own."

"Chester...stop...no...I don't want to hear this. It's like torture." M laughs. At least he's keeping her mind off this dire situation.

"So many years...Olivia. I want you to promise me that you will recover from this, no matter what happens to me. Follow your heart, it has served you well in the past. You and I would have been passionate, but it would not have worked between us when we were young. Nigel was a good, good man. So was Malcolm, and you definitely had a type my dear. Men with dark curly hair seems to have been your weakness. I on the other hand was blond but then so is your over zealous agent Bond."

"Why are you becoming so reflective now? Wait. You think we are not getting out of this, don't you? You're giving me images of Nigel to hold on to...for the inevitable painful demise we're about to endure."

"That could very well happen. Look Olivia; the two of us fight passionately but can we work together? I'm sure we can get away if you don't fight me for once and do as I say. I almost have it darling." Chester is trying to saw through her ropes without hurting her. "You know, Malcolm understood the underlying passion between us. Is it like that between you and Bond?"

"Passion...what passion and why bring it up now? Seriously; why are you now taunting me with an inappropriate relationship with an agent!"

"Just trying to prove to you that you are nowhere near the queen of Ice that you exude to the public for work my dear. You are and always have been full of passionate purpose. You may be devoting that mainly to work but Malcolm broke through your defences so there is hope that someone else could too. We would have had a passionate love affair and you can't make me believe otherwise."

M sighs. "Malcolm said it many times, he said... You and Chester would have been brighter than the sun but you would supernova after a short while."

M's twisting and turning her hands trying to get loose from the ropes. "It's getting looser...I can almost get my hand…"

The door to the cabin opens suddenly and the Sheriff walks in. Chester folds the knife quickly and slips it back into M's pocket.

"Well...well what have we here?"

The man's accent morphs from southern drawl to something decidedly more Russian. He moves to walk around them. "You look like that bastard cousin of yours." He say as he stands in front of Chester.

"You have us at a disadvantage. You seem to know who I am but who are you?"

"Like you don't know. Why else would you have come." He pulls out a gun and as he moves in front of M. "My...my but you have a lovely wife. It would be a shame if anything were to happen to her." M pulls back from his hand as he attempts to caress her face.

Chester grasps her hands in his, as he attempts to loosen her bindings more. At least she can run for it if she is free. The Sheriff moves away from her and stands in front of Chester. "Do you recognise this gun?"

"It's a Walther PPK, I am familiar with the make."

"Yes...but this particular gun. It was your cousin's. The gun that injured my leg, making me hobble around for the rest of my life here in exile. Worst of all, it killed my twin brother, Dimitri! Now it's also the gun that killed its owner. What I want to know is why the hell MI6 sent King back here for such an old secret...you are MI6 I take it?"

"No...no I'm not."

"Don't lie to me! I will be forced to do something...hurtful to your lovely wife."

"He's telling you the truth. He's not MI6."

"Oh really...and how would the little lady know?"

M grimaces and says nothing more. Chester squeezes her fingers to make her stop talking. This is not at all about the sub detection device buReid in the woods.

"I have searched the site we found them many times over the years and had no luck. King and the other spy hid it well. I don't really care about that. The Soviet Union is gone and I'm a loyal American now. Being American has put my focus on wealth and it could be worth money. I could sell it back to Britain just to prevent embarrassment to MI6, or on the black market. As for you King, I just really want your line to die out."

"So don't bore me further and shoot me you grotesque excuse for a human being. It won't stop the Americans from finding and ending you."

"I will keep you until they come back with the bodies of your sons and whatever they were finding in the woods. The Americans are too busy searching for the agents that we took this morning. I will divert them and then we will take your private jet back to Europe."

"That would mean you plan to keep me alive until then, to take my plane."

"I'm sure that all I really need is your wife. The rest of you can die here for what your family has done to mine."

"I seriously do not know what my cousin was looking for!"

"Well I guess I will get you talkin by taking your missus to the bedroom for a while then."

"Don't you bloody well touch her! You complete and utter bastard!"

Vladimir pauses and backhands Chester, hitting him in the temple with the butt of his cousin's gun. Chester's not fully recovered from the last knock he took and the dizziness overtakes him as he blacks out again.

M's eyes go wide as he reaches for her with a knife in his hand. He cuts her bindings away...even though the were already partially cut, he didn't seem to notice. He pulls her to his side and drags her towards the back of the cabin and the bedrooms.

M screams..."NO!"

To be continued….