BOND 38
The Identity
16:15 pm
Our van pulls up at the Isambard 5 star hotel. The building's a sight for sore eyes, housing some 400+ rooms, ranging from the ultimate overnight stay, right up to the penthouse of all penthouses that'll have you sinking into depression on your last nights stay.
Through the large revolving front doors, we are greeted with over-friendly staff offering greetings with every other word, backdropped by an assortment of glass and marble furnishings, with flashes of green by way of tropical fern plants punctuating the dream-like scenery throughout.
Making our way towards our allocated sub-kitchen, each wearing a face that is not our own, we make sly notes of the locations of all the security cameras, double checking they match the floor plans Matt pulled from the hotel's private database.
A quick glance back towards the entrance door reveals discreetly positioned biometric terahertz scanners interwoven into the door's frame, similar to those I encountered back in Moscow, courtesy of Hazuki Enterprises no doubt, and almost invisible to the naked eye. Or the non-observant.
The expansive lobby area itself isnt particularly busy at this time, which only serves to draw more attention to our presence from the wandering eyes of its guests seated, attempting to escape boredom, especially... the blonde in the red coat, hat and big shades. Curious.
I spot a few discreetly placed earpieces among some of the others... agents. From which I can't tell. But its ok, so long as we don't do anything out of the ordinary to draw more attention. Like, say, drop a very large stainless steel pot on the floor? Which, of course, one of the team does.
Damn it, I know these guys have only been back on their feet for two days, but really?
Immediately two of the hotel's staff magically appear to offer their assistance. Thankfully, it wasn't the pot specially lined with tungsten and lead to conceal various pieces of state-of-the-art surveillance equipment.
So far, so clumsy.
17:00
With all of the 'equipment' finally offloaded and set up in the kitchen thanks to all relevant hotel CCTV cameras being hacked into by Matt and now playing pre-recorded footage on a loop, we begin our prep-work.
17:35
The charges are placed on the relevant fuse boxes in the basement and the timers set to go 'boom' at the key moment, we assume the roles of ordinary catering staff, busily going to and fro in preparation for the big banquet meal.
18:10
With our own hidden cameras strategically placed, it's now the waiting game until the main players arrive. I spot Harper in the corner, stationed by a small monitor, scrutinising its screen with morbid anticipation.
"Harper."
"Bond."
"Not long till the main event. What's this meeting all about, anyway?" I ask.
"The future. Or so you'd be led to believe. A short while back a young and ambitious upstart by the name of Max Denbigh managed to bag himself the title of Director-General of the Joint Security Service. Number one on his agenda, a proposal to merge the agencies of both MI5 with MI6."
"Never happen. The two operate using polar-opposite methods, not to mention a-"
"Never say never, Bond. he's an obtrusive little brat, who's already rubbed more people up the wrong way, than your father did his entire career on the field. Denbigh's MO is all about expansion and control, and his rumoured follow up 'game-changer' is no exception to that ambitious streak"
"I'd guess, but I'd be to nervous I was right!"
"He plans to launch a new global surveillance initiative that would combine the governments of nine of the most prominent english speaking territories around the world into a singular, intelligence-gathering alliance."
"That's a lot of power for one set of eyes."
"Make that 'nine'! My advice, Bond, keep Denbigh in your line of sight. A kid that young and hungry'll trample over anyone who gets in the way of 'progress'. Especially 'old fashioned' field agents like you and your old man."
"I... wouldn't let him hear you call him that"
"Which is why I'm saying it to you." he smiles.
18:35
Guests arrive, Sark issues each of us with one of Matt's fancy tranquilliser toys. And yes, they're even lighter than they looked.
"Is everyone clear on where they need to be and when?" he asks.
"Sure, just as long as these floor plans computer-boy's provided us with are legit." one replies.
|"They're legit!"| confirms Matt, rather hastily through our ear pieces.
"On my signal, people, and remember 'precision'. Think... E.R. Season 8."
"I dunno... It was always Season 2 for me." mumbles another. "'Welcome Back, Carter' is like one of my all-time fa-"
The group splinter off back into the lobby and dinner hall areas to carry out their various assigned tasks. I pull Hunt aside.
"Blonde in a red coat, big sunglasses and hat. Have you seen her?" I ask.
"No. Not one of ours. Who d'ya think she is?"
"Not sure."
"Well, let's keep our eyes open." he suggests, before slinging a hand towel over one arm, taking a bottle of 1953 chardonnay in the other and heading out the door.
19:02
Conference room. Starters are served to the guests seated around 12 large round tables.
I spot a few familiar faces among them. M, Moneypenny, even an old friend of my dad's from the US, Felix Leiter. A CIA operative responsible for getting dad out of his fair share of tight spots over the years. Dad still owes him money from some high-stakes poker game they played back in 2006. Some mission that must have been.
That's when I spot 'her' again, the blonde in the red dress, hat and sunglasses, at the back of the room behind one of the large marble pillars. Not the most discreet colour to be seen in.
She's watching attentively. Those huge black circular baroque sunglasses obstructing any hope of a reveal as to her identity. I follow her eye line back across the room towards... former Assistant Director of the FBI Counterterrorism Division, Harold Cooper. Why?
He catches sight of her and enquires with his colleague sitting next to him. They look back towards where she was standing only to find she's now gone.
The double doors at the back of the auditorium swing close.
Immediately I make my way towards them, discreetly, as to not draw too much attention, finding myself in the hallway outside. Fire exit to my right, I hear footsteps making their way rapidly upwards and decide to follow.
Top of the stairwell I enter through another door to find myself outside the control booth that looks down over the auditorium where the guests are seated.
Cautiously, I enter the room and find her standing with her back towards me looking through the large glass panel on the wall. On the floor at her feet, two unconscious technicians lie motionless, but still breathing, from what I can hear.
And seated to her immediate left...?
"Hunt. What's-?"
"Ah, Holly, just in time for the main event. Remember when I told you how important your involvement was to the execution of my plan? Well, there's good news and there's bad news. Actually, to be honest, it's all bad. At least, where you're concerned."
"What's... going on?"
"Now, I liked you Holly. True fact! To be honest, Ive grown quite attached to you over the short time we've been working together. And whilst, yes, there's a part of me that pains to see you 'go'... well...!"
He shrugs dismissively
"Impossible. You checked out. Everything about you that Q... the other Q had... wait... the other Q...!"
"'Ah yes, Q. Eliminating him without incident was always the key. But getting you to do it for me was the real challenge. And one you rose to, admirably. After all, you said it yourself, there's only a handful of people in the world can do what he does. Did. Oh, you know what I mean."
I say nothing, because there's nothing to say. I shift my stare to the woman in red, who at this point is still standing with her back to me.
"Oh, yes; 'the blonde in the red coat, hat and sunglasses'. Allow me to introduce you." he says.
And thats when 'she' turns around, lifting off her hat and discarding her eyewear with diva-like abandon. Got to admit, even I didn't see this one coming.
"Holly Marie Bond, allow me to introduce you to 'Holly Marie Bond'."
To be continued...?