AN:

Hello everyone,

Finally got another chapter out. I'm so sorry that it's all taking so much longer than anticipated. As with so many writers, life has gotten in the way. I work full-time now and with the worker shortages it's gotten hectic and on top of that my 5 month old puppy is demanding a lot of attention.

Because the updates are coming out so slowly it's gotten a bit difficult for people to keep on top of all the information. A couple of people asked for a masterlist so they can look things up. I decided instead to make a list per chapter so people wouldn't get any spoilers. However, as I started making it, I ran into a problem.

I'm a discovery writer, I don't use outlines at all. In fact I've killed stories I was writing BECAUSE I was set on making one. The same thing started happening as I started working out my masterlist idea. So, I've abandoned it immediately, before I lost all inspiration to write on this. I want to finish this series. Finishing this series is more important than a masterlist.

So I'm asking you for help. I'm looking for someone who can make (part of) this master list for me. Even a chapter will help. If you are interested in helping, please sent me a message or leave a comment.

Meanwhile, enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 54: Die another day

The door closed and Stephanie let out a big sigh of relief and laughed. She was still alive. How the fuck was she still alive. She had practically pulled a gun on the Adjunct-Director for fuck's sake. How the hell had she gotten away with that. Sure, 10 had defended her, he had even presented some very good arguments for which she was grateful. She hadn't expected it with the way he had been ready to murder her in defence of Q. But she had read her death warrant in the Assistant's furious and worried eyes and it was hard to comprehend she had just walked away with barely a slap on the wrist.

She would've accepted it. Death was part of their job after all. She stared death in the face and it made her appreciate every day she got to live life to the fullest. She had no regrets. Did everything she wanted to. Her bucket list was made and completed, new items ticked off as soon as they appeared on it. She lived prepared to die every day. And just like every time she walked away, she felt immensely grateful to still be here.

"What the fuck was that?" Angrily 9 turned towards them.

"Huh?" She asked, still far too happy to be alive to understand what 9 was angry about.

"10" 9 spat. "Who the fuck does he think he is, ordering us about?"

"He's doing what comes natural to him." 3 answered, sounding bored.

"What? Ordering us about like we were nothing but foot soldiers?" 9 answered. "He has no right!"

"He has every because he's retired to a normal job, doesn't change who he was." 3 argued, still sounding a bit bored.

"What the fuck are you talking about? He's a double-0. Our previous jobs don't matter."

"And for you it might have been a step up, but for him it was definitely a demotion." 3 sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Look, when 10 started working here we were all ordered to keep our mouths shut about it. Besides 5 I'm the only double-0 left of that time. I know what we've agreed to do when we set up our system but we had our orders and it wasn't relevant before. I know you've seen his file, so I'm going to give you some hints. He doesn't have a last name. And his first name hasn't always been Andrew. I've seen him being called Allard before. And when he was ready to kill you, 1, because you threatened the Adjunct, it would've been his right, or maybe even his duty. Just as it was his successor's job just now. Now we were given orders, I'd say we carry them out." And with that 3 got up from where he had been sitting and walked out the door.

Stephanie shared a look full of disbelief with 9 for a moment before they both snapped out of it. 9's face quickly turned to full thunder again. "What the fuck" he cursed, before following 3 out the door. Stephanie shrugged and followed him. Well that explained a lot. That's why 10 was always quiet about everything. And so argumentative and rude about his orders. She bet it galled him to have to follow them instead of issuing them. And the types of missions he was given. Always so politically delicate. But that's what he had been used to dealing with. He had shadowed, learned from and worked for the best. She still wouldn't take orders from him, he was not her superior. But the orders from M were the same and she could treat 10's orders as good suggestions. Even if they weren't worded as such.

The hallway was quiet. 3 started moving as soon as he spotted her and 9 walk out the door. 9 caught up with him quickly.

"Why the fuck did you never tell." He started whispering angrily. "This was exactly why we agreed to our system. No fucking secrets between us, that was the deal. How the fuck can we still trust you after this?"

"We had our orders and it wasn't relevant. 10 had been a double-0 for 15 years when we set up that system. Longer than he had been in his previous job. I honestly thought it wouldn't come up anymore." 3 sounded a bit apologetic.

"Anything else you might have forgotten to share?" Steph asked. She was also a little annoyed at 3 for withholding information, though she could understand his point as well.

"Not as such, though you should know that I don't plan on being reinstated when offered a new contract." 3 answered. Stephanie raised her eyebrows.

"You plan to retire?" She asked surprised. "You don't think you'll get bored?"

"I spent the last 6 months playing a pensioner in Bagheria keeping an eye on Berrini. I slept in, lounged around the cafe, took boating trips, ate out and it never got boring. Didn't really want to come back to be honest. But London was calling out to me. So, as soon as this is done, I'm buying myself a nice place around here and returning to the sedentary life. Grow old, bold and fat doing absolutely nothing and loving every minute of it." 3 sounded so wistful that Steph felt a little envious for a moment. 9 though had other concerns.

"Is your head fully in the game at the moment? You know we need that or else you're no use to us. You might as well start that retirement now." He asked.

"I don't want us to fail anymore than you do. I want MI6 in the best shape possible so I'll be able to walk away with no regrets." 3 said with full conviction. 9 stared at him for a long moment before he nodded before continuing their trip towards security.

The next hour was spent looking over building plans and talking with Banning, the chief of security, an ex-special forces soldier who, though deeply impressed by the fact that there were three double-0's in his office, gave them a precise sitrep of elaborate security measures Q had already taken to prevent infiltration. The plans were neigh-on full-proof, which left the double-0's suitably impressed. The only thing missing really was a plan to withstand a full-on attack. They quickly hashed one out and were just about to head out to scout out sniper positions when a silent alarm started flashing of an unknown person at the entrance. Banning didn't hesitate. He turned to his monitorbank and, with the three of them watching over his shoulder, started following the so far calm conversation at the front desk.

"I just need to talk to Q. I know he's here. I need to report back to him." The man, dressed in a nice suit, explained calmly. He kept his hands away from his body in a way that agents were taught to do when checking in, indicating that they were armed but unlikely to use it. He held his head at an angle that kept it away from any obvious camera angle.

"I'm sorry, sir. I really don't know who you're talking about." The receptionist answered as she was instructed to.

"He's an agent." 9 mumbled beside her.

"He's not in the system, or she wouldn't have rung the alarm." Banning answered. "He's staying clear of the camera's so I can't run facial recognition."

"He's good." 3 commented, approvingly, though with a hint of danger. They continued to watch and saw a security guard come up. Their guest in question tensed and his arms dropped a millimetre to his side before he caught himself and they rose again.

"He's not comfortable being here." Steph commented to Banning. "Perhaps you should warn your guard to proceed with caution."

"Good idea." Banning replied before sharing it with the guard through his earwig.

"I'm sorry, sir." The guard said as he drew closer and stopped about 2 metres away from the man. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I can't do that." The man answered, still calmly but with an edge of frustration in his voice. "My contacts aren't answering their phones and I have information that's vital to an active mission. I NEED to speak to Q." The emphasis on that word set off alarms in Stephanie's head. The unknown agent was getting desperate. And he wasn't going to take no for an answer. She looked at herself. Her business suit was cheap enough for a typical secretary of a general security company to afford. Good, just what she needed.

"What's the name of the front desk secretary?" She asked quietly as she undid her hair, letting it fall down along her face to obscure it a bit.. The other two turned to her.

"Amanda." Banning answered, confused.

"Alright, warn her I'm taking over. Time to go make a nuisance of myself boys." She said with a good amount of sass and a wink. And with a nice bit of sway in her hips she walked to the door of the office. Only to drop it the moment she stepped through the door. Walking over to the desk she saw the visitor tense up more at her presence, scanning her from the corner of his eyes looking for weapons, but the woman behind the desk visibly relaxed.

"Amanda darling, you were due to take a break 10 minutes ago. Why didn't you call me?" She called out to the secretary at the desk.

"I'm sorry, Silvia." She answered. "I completely forgot the time when this gentleman showed up asking for someone called Q. I have no idea what he's talking about." The woman looked desperately relieved to be out of the situation.

"That's okay, dear, off you pop. I'll sort it for you." She told Amanda with a smile, who nodded back and disappeared quickly through the door behind her.

"Now then, sir." She said as she sat behind the computer and started typing. "I understand you're looking to make an appointment with someone. Can you tell me…" She trailed off as she finally looked up into the face of the man. Someone she thought long dead.

"Steph…" Bill Wiggins breathed.