Day of the Dead

The costumes are beautiful. Skeletal men with beautiful brides, all masked for the event.

Rhythmic music dominates the parade as they sway along the crowded streets. The sights, sounds, and smells of the festival permeate the warm air. The feeling of celebration is juxtaposed by the eminent danger that their mission brings.

Bond has one arm wrapped protectively around the waist of his wife, as they saunter through the crowds.

James looks dashing in his black skeletal suit and his top hat. Olivia loves his sexy dark look, and the walking stick that accompanies it.

A large man in the white suit with the ponytail purposefully moves through the crowd. James pulls M closer to his side as they follow. James hates that she's here, yet he craves her constant proximity.

He guides her into the hotel and up to their room. M kisses him for a moment as she pulls off her gloves and James tosses his hat on the bed. Olivia frowns for a moment. She seems to recall that tossing a hat on a bed is bad luck in some cultures.

Olivia lies on the bed as James rushes to get changed, she removes the top hat to the chair as she stretches out on her stomach. The sounds of the crowds below and the music still sound as James comes out of the bath.

Olivia realizes that the less said the better in this circumstance. It's a dangerous job he's about to do and again she's far closer to the outcome, good or bad.

"Are you ready?"

"I will only be a moment. Do not leave this room M. I will be back to ravage you later." James winks at her.

"James, be careful and come back to me." Olivia says in all seriousness.

With that said, he glances at her longingly before he leaves out the window and off on his mission.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

James runs along the rooftop of the hotel, a short hop to the next rooftop and to the edge. He fixes the earbud from the listening device he planted in the room earlier in the week.

James readies his gun. The man makes his greetings and places a briefcase on the table.

They are going to blow up a football stadium later that day.

James aims the gun and the blue laser pointer is pointing towards his target. Marco Sciarra lights a cigar as he speaks with his Mexican accomplices.

The smoke from the cigar makes the laser visible and they turn towards the window. Shots are fired the bomb detonates! The building quakes and begins to fall in his direction.

Bond runs along the rooftop as the building falls towards him, crushing the building under his feet. James slides down the broken roof and jumps out of the way to a small ledge. The ledge and his hand hold, gives way and he falls ungracefully onto a sofa below. Shaking his head at his luck, he's quickly back to action.

He exits the destroyed building, shaking the dust from his suit.

Looking up he comes face to face with a bloodied Sciarra exiting the other damaged building. They both stare at each other for a moment. Once the understanding hits him, Sciarra takes off running and Bond follows.

They weave along the edges of the crowd, moving in behind the police barricades. Sciarra calls someone, as he heads towards the square.

A helicopter makes a dramatic forced landing in the crowded square, while revellers scream and move out of the way.

Bond races forward and steals a walking stick from someone, hitting one of the guards and using it to try to take out his target.

James pulls at Sciarra who gets in a few hits of his own. The other passenger tries to shoot Bond. He kicks him out of the copter. The pilot flies erratically trying to dump his unwanted passenger. Bond hits him in the head and continues to fight until the force of the pilot's maneuvers pin him to the back of the machine.

Sciarra tries to kick him out of the copter but instead. Bond manages grab a silver ring off his finger, just before he manages to toss him out the door.

Turning his attention to the pilot, Bond tosses him outside and just manages to bring the machine under control as the crowd below scatters.

James flies to the helipad of a nearby building. He lands and shuts it down, hopping out and making his way to the stairs.

A security guard come rushing onto the roof as Bond tosses him the keys. "It's all yours."

Bond ducks past the shocked man and begins running down a couple of flights of the office building. Bond exits into a hallway and ducks into a washroom.

He spends the next few minutes cleaning up enough to look presentable for his lovely wife, and to hopefully avoid unwanted detection. He removes his jacket, rolls up his sleeves and removes his tie, pocketing it.

James takes the elevator to the lobby and exits the front door to grab a taxi back to the hotel. Calm and smiling politely to everyone he meets. It's still too difficult to drive too close to the hotel, so he gets out a distance away, to walk.

There's smoke billowing and sirens going off, because of the building collapse. As James gets closer he can smell the fire.

The people are wandering away from the area which is now cordoned off. Bond slips around the police barricade.

James' heart begins to pound as he rounds the building towards the hotel.

The collapse of the building caused far more damage than he thought.

Their hotel is a blaze!

He searches the crowd for her face. A police officer pulls him back. In shocked, stunted Spanish Bond manages, "mi esposa."

No...no..no! Bond grabs his mobile and calls. It doesn't stop ringing until a message.

"M...M where are you M!"

Dear god...please let her be alright! James texts her.

Then he dials Q.

"Q listen to me! There is no time to explain but I need cameras in Mexico City! Ask Quinton for help. He knows what's going on. Our hotel is on fire and I asked M to stay inside until I returned. Ping her mobile...use anything necessary to find her!"

Christ Bond! What in hell are you doing there?

"Just do it Q!"

Just then an explosion sounds within the building and the crowed is forced back more.

Bond...what the hell was that?

"Gas explosion if I had to guess. Q just find her! Find her alive..." The last of his plea quiet drops off in comparison to the surrounding street noise.

Bond moves through the crowded area, looking desperately for a familiar face. He finds a waiter who served them breakfast in the hotel restaurant.

"Mi esposa? Did you see her?"

"No...sir...many in upper rooms did not have time. The bomb exploded from above us."

"A bomb?"

"I think it was, but it was up a few floors and everyone in the lobby ran as we called for the fire department. This day is truly that of the dead."

James leave the man as he weaves in and out of the crowd.

His mobile rings and he looks at it hopefully. The caller ID says M. "Not the right bloody one!" Bond snaps as he answers it.

Bond what the hell are you doing! Where is she?

"Have Quinton explain, and I DON'T BLOODY WELL KNOW WHERE SHE IS! THAT IS WHY I CALLED Q!"

This is a disaster! I do not bloody well need this right now Bond! Please tell me you did not cause the explosion?

"I wish I could. I need to clear this line. She may be trying to call me."

Bond! 007 don't you dare! You need to come in, now!

"Not leaving without her!"

The authorities may take you first! I will send a team.

Bond hangs up on him as he begins to wander in a daze. Usually, he can keep his focus in the heat of a mission, but panic is setting in.

A police officer hands him a water bottle which he takes. Shock...he's actually going into shock. He sits on the street kitty corner to the hotel, as emergency personnel cover him with a blanket. He hears them speak and try to speak to him but it is becoming muffled and distant.

Nothing warms him. Not the hot Mexican climate nor the blanket. Suddenly the din lessens, and focus comes back to him by sheer will. A officer is chatting in English in his ear. "Mi esposa...my wife...Olivia...Bond...my love."

The look the officer gives him settles on pity. "All who made it out alive are here sir. I will take her name and begin asking. We have a list of guests."

The officer checks his list with the red and black check marks. "Your wife, Olivia is not on the list. She has not been rushed to hospital. I will go search and ask the crowd. Do you have an image?"

James manages with numb fingers to make an image of M appear on his mobile and the officer takes a picture with his.

"She is very beautiful, I will try to find her for you sir. The EMT's will be here eventually to look on you."

"I'm fine. Find her and I will give you a thousand dollars."

The man's eyes go wide and he hurries back into the crowd, and all the emergency vehicles with the picture of Olivia.

Bond closes his eyes to the chaos trying to collect himself. The noise has now returned as a much louder buzzing. He snaps his eyes back open and into focus willing himself not to descend into the chaos of worry and grief. He will find her.

His mobile rings again. "Yes Q?"

Her mobile did not leave the hotel 007. We have all the imagery from the surrounding cameras James and no sign of her leaving the hotel. Were you in a back costume and she was in purple?

"Yes Q, that is us."

Her hair is much longer than I have ever seen it before or is that a wig?

"Q...where is she?"

I have the two of you entering and you hopping from the rooftops, which I have made disappear before the Mexican authorities could find them. I do not have her leaving the hotel Bond...007...are you still there? I am so sorry...my god...this is just devastating...all over again. Bond? 007? Can you hear me? M is sending a team...They will search...just wait for them. James...I am so sorry. James? JAMES! 007! Please say something! I have M on the line now.

All James can do is think M's gone...his M is gone.

007 Report! Bond...James! I will have a team there by 8 this evening your time. Bond...James...she is not dead! Not until we have exhausted every avenue to find her. James...we will find evidence...of something...

James suddenly remembers that night he woke on the Island. It's all coming back to him. M's dead.

James is not allowed joy in this lifetime.

Love is nothing but pain and suffering, and that is all he's allowed.

FUCK!

It wasn't long enough...why couldn't we have more time?