Fighting back several urges at once, one of them being to throw herself into his arms, another being to hit him very hard indeed, Ashleigh glared at Alec Trevelyan.

'Don't point that thing at me,' she snarled.

He glanced down at the automatic weapon he was aiming straight at her chest. 'Oh I think I will for a while,' he said with a dark smile in his voice. 'Since we find ourselves in a very awkward situation.'

As if teasing her he leveled the gun and stared down the viewfinder at her, his cold grey eyes unblinking, a mocking smile on his scarred face.

Ashleigh nervously licked her lips, feeling how dry they were. She tried to stand as still as possible, but she nervously rubbed her fingers against the palms of her hands, her eyes darting between the door and his cruel gaze.

'Bang!' he suddenly said, and laughed as Ashleigh jumped back against the wall behind her. Her hands pressed back against it, and her entire body slumped in shock.

'Bastard,' she hissed, and found her voice was cracked, she swallowed and tried again, 'You bastard!'

He seemed determined to sneer at her, and lowering the gun he raised a dark blond eyebrow at her. 'After everything we've been through...' Taking her hand he pulled her closer to him, 'Walk away now. Turn and walk out the door, mention to no one that you saw me, and you'll be safe.'

'How do I know the second I turn my back you're not going to put a bullet in it?'

'Because you're not my intended target.' He had become disinterested in her, instead loading the submachine gun with a new clip.

'No, I'm not because you've already taken out your 'intended target'. He's sitting dead in the Grand Circle with the rest of the audience thinking he's a philistine who sleeps through the ballet!' She spat the words, feeling her voice tinged with hysteria as she suddenly realised what a screwed situation she was in.

Confusion flickered on his face for a moment, gone as quickly as it had been there, and it was this moment of doubt that threw her.

'What?' she asked peering at him through her fringe, 'You did come here to kill Vaskov?'

'Vaskov?' he gave a hollow laugh, relief showing on his face, "You think I would waste my time on a jumped up little prick like Vaskov?'

The blood ran from her face as she saw the sudden flash of fire within his eyes, 'James?' she said in horror, and using all her strength she tried to pull away, to get out of the small confined room and run to find James, to warn him.

He held her tightly, pulling her back to him, crushing her up against him so he could whisper in her ear.

'I'm not here for James, although that would give me great... pleasure,' he lingered on the word, and against her better judgment the feel of his warm breath against her ear, and the strength of his body against her back caused a tingle to spread over her body and she quelled the urge to press back against him, 'I'm here for Deronda.'

She jerked away from him again. 'What do you know about Deronda? Is he here?'

He steadfastly refused to answer, but the way his finger twitched towards the trigger suggested that perhaps he was. It still didn't give Ashleigh the concrete confirmation she needed. 'We've had this conversation before.'

'So we're both after the same man, Caleb Deronda. Shall we say it was him who took out Vaskov?'

'I mean it Kain,' his gaze was like ice once more, and just as penetrating, 'Turn around and walk away. Get out of this while you still can.'

'No.' Her temper was always quick to rise. 'I'm trying to do a job here, I've already let Vaskov get killed....'

'As I said before - no great loss. There are people out to kill tonight, already have, and you're small fry. If you get in the way they won't hesitate to remove you. And if you continue to try and hinder me - I'll be tempted....'

He never finished his threat, instead both of them jumped as there was a gunshot below them. For a second silence reigned, and the pair of them stared at each other. Then the screaming started, and Alec cursed.

'Its too late, trouble's started, we have to get out of here.' He grabbed at her again, but she stubbornly stepped outside.

'Now it's 'we'.' She crossed her arms and glared at him. 'I believe you were just threatening to kill me.'

'This is not the time for games,' his fingers dug into the soft flesh of her upper arm, 'Get out now...'

Just to emphasise the menace in his voice, he dug the barrel of the gun into her ribs. 'Out, now...'

Ashleigh found herself being guided down the back corridors of the theatre, Alec holding her firmly. She had thought that would be going to be finding an exit but for some reason they were climbing higher into the building. She suddenly had a very bad feeling, and a terrible taste formed in her mouth, Alec was going to kill her, but somewhere where nobody would find her, in the rafters of the theatre. She gave a small moan at the thought, and he turned at the sound.

'Just keep moving,' he instructed. 'No arguing.' His tone was flat, dead, as she would be soon. The irrational, or was it completely irrational she didn't know, fear began to swamp her, and she wished she could break free but the gun was painfully lodged in her side, and Alec had no intention of letting her go anywhere.

She found herself pushed into a dark corridor, at the end of it stood two men, dressed in black. She checked and pushed back against Alec, feeling the solid mass of his body, she tried to twist away hating herself for showing cowardice, but he tightened his arm around her. In a low undertone he whispered, 'Its alright, they're with me.'

She looked up at him in shock, surprised at the first piece of kindness he had shown her since they had laid eyes on each other again. She suddenly had a flashing memory of his gentle whispering in her ear in his bed, and colour rose in her cheeks, she had to look at the floor away from his strong jaw and stony face. Stop it, she scolded herself, this was not the time to remember things like that.

Alec nodded at the two of them, and then barked in Russian, 'Make a distraction.' He continued dragging her along with him until they reached a nondescript doorway. 'In there.'

'Where are we going?' she asked. He looked at her as if she was mad for expecting an answer, and opening the door, he took the lead in. She stumbled after him, once more plunged into complete and utter darkness, the low roof and uneven surface suggested to her that she was in one of the many walkways for the theatrical technicians. Wherever she was, she was cold, disorientated, frightened and tripping over everything in sight. Or not as the case might be, it couldn't possibly get any darker. The satin of her dress brushed against the skin of her legs, she could hear it's gentle swishing noise as she moved. Alec was nothing but a black shape ahead of her, her only contact with him was the fact that she was clinging onto his hand for dear life, he was nearly pulling her along with him. She wondered if he could see any better than she could, or whether it was just brazen confidence that made sure he found his footing safely.

More gunshots were ringing out below. 'Jesus,' she whispered, 'What the hell is happening down there?'

She could vaguely see him turning his head back towards her. 'You heard about what happened at that theatre in Moscow?'

'Yes,' she remembered it well, the siege and the eventual use of chemicals to overcome the terrorists. And a large number of the audience. 'You don't think Deronda means to try out Hermes here?'

'Don't be stupid.' It was the second time a man had said that to her that night and she stiffened. 'Deronda won't risk that yet. He knows when to use Hermes, and when he does, we can say goodbye to this world. No, he's using this as intimidation, and to remove Vaskov from the equation. And if he knew that Vaskov was here, then he knows who was protecting....' His voice trailed off as he realised what he was about to say, he didn't see Ashleigh's brow furrow, he was saying James and Dmitrov was at risk, hell, she was at risk, but she was used to it. She shrugged, and Alec could just make out the up and down movement of her pale shoulders. 'Careful, there's a couple of steps here.'

He helped her over them. She was following him now with some trepidation, and she felt the flicker of fear in her stomach start up again, she was here with Janus, who had admitted to her that his sole purpose for being here was murder, Bond had no idea where she was. 'Will you please tell me where we're going?'

'There should be a way of getting to the stage door from here.'

'And then?'

Silence. She knew he's heard her, instead he ignored her, and stopped, seemingly searching for something. 'Step back' he ordered her. She did, and he reached down and pulled open a trapdoor. 'You first.'

She had no choice, carefully she skirted round it and found a thin ladder. It wasn't recommended climbing in an evening dress and kitten heels, but she would have to make do. It was a struggle, but she finally found herself at the top of a narrow flight of wooden stairs, Alec following soon after. Somehow they made it down those stairs, half expecting to meet a troop of armed terrorists coming in the opposite direction. At the bottom, they rounded a corner, Ashleigh had the impression that they were near the back of the stage, but no longer were the orchestra playing, no longer would dancers be acting one of the most beautiful love stories ever written, instead the evening had descended into horror and fear.

'Have they evacuated?' There was almost an eerie silence from the theatre.

'I hope so,' Alec said grimly, 'Otherwise Deronda is planning a massacre.'

And James was still in there, Ashleigh felt a stab of pain at the thought. She glanced back inside as she was thrust outside into the night air. A black Mercedes was waiting, the windows blacked out, as Alec approached a man got out from the driver's seat and opened the door to the back. Glancing around, Alec quickly concealed the automatic weapon inside, and without looking at her, made to get in himself.

'Wait!' she cried out suddenly. He turned to her, saw her shivering in the night, her arms wrapped round herself trying to keep out the cold, she was hopelessly underdressed for the bitter night air. Alec in a dark suit and shirt could feel the cold biting into him and paused.

'Are you just going to leave me here?' she asked, temper barely controlled. 'Or should I head back in just for the hell of it? I do love to be in the centre of a good terrorist attack.'

Her sarcasm washed over him. He just stared at her.

'You owe me answers.' Her voice was rising, like the frosty night breeze.

'I owe you nothing.'

'Yes you fucking do! What the hell is going on? Why won't anyone tell me anything? You know something about this and I want you to give me answers.'

He turned and slid into the car. He didn't close the door. It was the closest she was going to get to an invitation. She followed, and found herself once more alone with Alec Trevelyan. He had been right. They had to stop meeting like this.