Chapter 20: Visiting the Yard

Stephanie noticed it immediately when he stepped into the gym, his mere presence effectively bringing the exercise to a halt. She barely managed to hide her astonishment. The difference in body language was massive. Now she understood how he had hidden in MI6 without changing his appearance. Gone was the quiet unnoticeable man with his slightly bent posture. The man in the door opening screamed tightly leashed power. The posture strong and straight. This was why he was called the general, she realized. This was the man that had taken command and ran MI6 in 2 consecutive crises. This was Q.

She fell into parade rest instinctively and barely kept from saluting him.

"Sir." She said.

"001 I have need of a protection detail." Even the words, spoken in soft RP, held power. Gone was the slight Brimmy gab that had coloured Greaves' voice till now, which left her even more impressed. Changing your accent was very hard to do and almost never used in undercover operations because it required upkeep. When shit hit the fan, it was the first thing you forgot.

As she studied him, she saw him study her in return. The eyes seemed to pick up on every little detail of her body language. She admonished herself gently. 'Get a grip, girl,' she thought, 'there was time to contemplate this later. You've got a job to do now.'

"Where are we going?" She asked, shifting in a more active mode and saw Q relax a little as she got her game face on.

"The Yard. It seems 009 decided to get drunk, start a fight and get arrested. We're going to pick him up, though with how angry M was, we're not in any hurry." Q answered. Stephanie rolled her eyes. She knew 9 was getting twitchy but to get himself arrested for beating up someone was taking it a bit far. Still that wasn't her job to deal with. The yard was a secure location so the job would be easy enough. It got her wondering though, going there normally didn't require a protection detail. So why did he need to have one and why wasn't he bringing 7?

"Can you give me your current risk assessment?" She asked first as that was more important than her own curiosity. "Are there threats currently made against you? Any particulars I need to consider." Q seemed to consider the answer for a moment before deciding on something with a nod.

"There are no physical threats at the moment though there are interested parties that are trying to gain information about me. It is therefore imperative for me not to be recognized, which is why we're not bringing 007 as one of the people involved has worked with him before. I will be going in as Ormond Greaves, computer expert for security for Universal Exports as 009 used his Universal Exports ID. The case is handled by Detective Inspector Lestrade. He and the others involved have been thoroughly screened for reasons you don't have clearance for." Q answered. Stephanie accepted it with a nod. It was none of her business.

"That ID will not explain a security detail though." She said. It would be better if she was there as a guard. That way she could keep her eyes on the environment while Q dealt with business.

"I have two ideas about how to play this." Q said and then paused and looked at her waiting to see if she was interested in his input. She motioned for him to continue. "First option we go in as colleagues." He chuckled when she pulled a face at the suggestion. "That one didn't have my favour either. I know you don't want a distraction. My second idea is for us to start training Jordan in the art of guarding a principal. It will give us the excuse to go slow and steady and for you to focus more exclusively on guarding. If we play it right it will also draw attention to you and away from me which is an added bonus." Jordan's eyes widened and he looked at her with a mixture of equal excitement and dread but she ignored it, taking her time to think the proposal through. It did have many advantages. 6 and 7 had both said Q was very security conscious and a breeze to guard. He listened, anticipated moves and knew shorthand for quick communication. The assignment was basically a milk run with no active threats and every contact vetted beforehand. And it was a good opportunity for Jordan to learn. A smile started to spread on his face.

"Let's do this." She said causing Jordan to splutter something like "Don't I get a say in this?" A look was all that was needed to shut him up.

Q smiled in return and then clapped Jordan on the shoulder.

"Looks like you're in for another crash course, mate." He said, his accent back to Brimmy. "Let's get you kitted out in the meantime."

"Lestrade." Greg barked into his phone. It had been a shitty night. He was working on a murder case that Sherlock would've been able to solve in a day, but he was making no headway with it. It was times like these that he could hear the scoffing and the scattering remarks in the back of his head and he missed his friend most. Then John had gotten into trouble. The guy he'd beaten up had been bothering Molly, but the damage the normally pleasant doctor had done was substantial enough that it couldn't be excused. Both men were cooling their heels in lock-up. And now, just as he was about to head home for some sleep, his phone rang.

"There's someone here to see you about the guy Watson beat up." Lestrade sighed. It looked like he wasn't going to see his bed for another few hours.

"Send them up." He said, threw the horn down and dropped back in his seat to close his eyes for just a moment. Then he stood and walked to the door of his office. He looked out just in time to see the doors of the elevator on the other side of the bullpen open. The sight that greeted him caused the bullpen to grind to a halt. "Why me?" He groaned and walked out of his office to the middle of the bullpen and braced himself for whatever shit John Watson had gotten himself into now.

There were three people in the elevator. Two were smartly dressed and obviously there to guard the third. Two, a gorgeous woman and a young man stepped into the lift opening, preventing the doors from closing. They scanned the room beyond, the woman talking quietly to the second while the room stared back at them. Deeming it safe enough they stepped out, followed by the third guy, who didn't look much older than the other one. The guards let him pass and took up flanking positions. Then they moved across the bullpen into his direction.

"Inspector Detective Lestrade? Ormond Greaves, Universal exports, I'm Mr Bassey's superior." The man up front said extending his hand sounded surprisingly normal for someone having such an entourage. Most people who climb up the ladder lose their accents along with their taste for normal clothes on their way to the top. But this guy still wore his jumpers and had a Brimmy accent. The blond hair was rugged and the green eyes hidden behind glasses and he had missed a couple of during his last shave. All in all, he made a bit of a messy appearance.

"Yeah, uh… Nice to meet you." He said shaking the hand while snapping himself out of his abstraction. "Follow me please." He said and gestured to his office. They followed him but the security people stopped him from stepping in. Instead they stepped in themselves and went around the room, the woman once again talking to the other man who nodded once in a while.

"Sorry about that." Mr. Greaves said as he waited beside him. "When they heard I was coming here it was decided that this was the perfect opportunity to do a training run. It means that everything has to go by the book. It takes a bit of time but it's good to get the practice in. Nothing more to it, hope you understand" 'Well that makes sense,' Greg thought and relaxed waiting patiently for the bodyguards to finish their tour of his office. When they received the all clear and the guards had taken up their sentry positions by the door, he stepped in, followed by Greaves and closed the door behind them.

"Have a seat." He said gesturing to the other chair. The man lowered himself into it and relaxed back with a sigh.

"Thanx, mate." He said. "It's been a long night and then the report about this mess came in and it became even longer still. What can you tell me? The report I got said my guy got drunk, hit on the wrong girl and got beat up over it." Well that was an accurate if rather blunt description.

"True, though the guy doing the beating was a doctor so once he was down, he got treatment right away. We have arrested them both and are waiting for charges to be filed." He hoped John would be able to escape charges but he knew those chances would be slim seeing how agitated the other guy was.

"Oh, that's all right. No charges will be filed against the doc." Greg raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Bassey hit on the wrong girl and got beat up over it. He's got a bit of an attitude and the pounding will be a good reminder to him. But the doc and the girl. Are they okay?" Well that certainly wasn't what he had been expecting. These days people cried assault as soon as they got touched a little roughly. Bassey had at least a broken nose. They hadn't been able to let a doctor into the room to examine him. Yet this guy seemed totally unconcerned.

"Both are fine, Molly was a bit shaken but went home with Mary when she came to check on John. Dr Watson." He elaborated when he saw the question in the other man's eyes. "She didn't want to press charges. Said your man had been respectable but she's easily spooked after a bad experience and John is a tat overprotective. But your guy was pretty badly hurt mate. At least a broken nose. We haven't been able to get anyone in there to examine him. He was pretty agitated."

"Probably wondering how he got beat by a guy half his size." Greaves replied still unconcerned. "He's one of our best security guys. Is there a reason to keep him here? Or can I take him with me?"

"Seeing as no charges will be filed, you can take him with you. And if you're sure he won't press charges?" Greaves nodded. "Then I'll be able to release Dr Watson as well." Greg said, glad to be wash of the whole thing.

"Then let's go get them. I can shout at my guy and we can finally call it a night. You look about as done in as I am." Greaves stood stretching as he went.

"You've got that right, mate." Greg agreed and stood as well. A knock on the door alerted the security and with the entourage at their heels they headed for the lock-up.