M was saddened as she made it back to the ship alone. She made her way to her cabin and noticed right away that her door was slightly ajar. It was either Ian or that man that was following them.
M decided to pass her room and go straight to Ian's room. She hesitated but knocked on the door. Eventually she heard movement and he opened the door. Ian looked shocked.
"What are you doing here? Change of opinion about me or just bored with no other men at your beck and call."
M frowned. "I was just here to try to explain and to ask you if you had been in my stateroom?"
"What? No. What do you take me for? Some sort of thief or stalker?"
"No not at all. I just came to my room and the door was ajar. I decided that it was too suspicious so I came her to ask. If I'm being intrusive I'm sorry. I will go get security."
"Never mind that. I will come back with you to make sure there is no one lurking and following you around. After all you seem to believe that to be the case, you must crave attention or need a big strong man to look after you with all this created drama you have in your life." Ian said sarcastically.
M huffed after him, challenging him as they walked. "I do not need you for anything! I just asked a question and you answered and then volunteered to come check the room."
"Fine...fine. Do you always have to be right? Even in this extended fantasy world you are living in?"
"I do not live in a fantasy world it is you who have no idea what is really going on here."
They reached the room and Ian threw open the door yelling, "Anyone home?"
There was no answer but the room had signs of rummaging and the computer was left open with a note folded on the keyboard stating "PLAY."
M looked concerned and hit the spacebar. The computer sprang to life and a voice echoed out.
"Mother...do you remember me? I remember you so very well. I found something that means something to you and you didn't even know that this little bird was here. She was on this cruise with one of your boy toys from London . I bet they were sleeping together."
Suddenly there was the live image of Judith unconscious on a bed. The mobile being used then displayed an image of Bond on the deck of the ship with Judith. What the hell was going on?
"Although she resembles you a great deal I have only eyes for the original...Olivia Mansfield. Section head of Hong Kong. I suggest you drop the old man you've been using as a shield or I will have him dumped overboard...after all you just dumped him. Go back to the shop. Leave the ship and don't look back if you want the little bird to live. I will know if you are being followed. I have eyes everywhere and I'm better equipped than even Q branch."
M had her hand against her mouth as a tear slid down her cheek. She took one look at Ian and said. "Go back to your room and don't say a word."
M turned and rushed down the hallway, ignoring Ian's protests. She had to get off the ship before it sailed and she needed to get back to that store to face one of her greatest regrets. Tiago had survived, as she had guessed and unfortunately Judith had somehow gotten onto the ship in Monte Carlo. Damn Bond for not seeing her to safety before rushing onboard to follow her.
Bond walked up the boarding plank and headed back to his cabin. He opened the door and instantly pulled his gun. The room had been tossed and there was no sign of Judith. Bond searched around and then saw that his computer was open and a note that said play.
Bond pressed the button and watched.
"James Bond, MI6 from Glencoe Scotland…orphan...she always did like orphan's best."
There was only the image of a tied up and unconscious Judith on a bed but not the one in this cabin. It was a larger stateroom. Bond paid very close attention to any clues.
"I have a little bird but it will be detrimental to you if you or any of the other 00 agents appear to disrupt my plans. I will send you another clue as to this one's whereabouts on the ship in an hour. I have programmed this computer to let me know when you've watched this video of poor Judith...our sleeping beauty. I will send direction to your mobile which you will follow to the letter or she will die."
Fuck! M would kill him and he wouldn't blame her in the least. "Q we have a situation." Bond said into his ear bud but no answer. He left the room and headed for M's suite. It must be where the video was taken. Who ever the voice belonged to he seemed to like games. Q came on the line.
"Please hold Bond we're doing a search and will contact you in a short while. I have everyone called in and the entirety of Q branch looking."
"Damn it! Just hurry!"
Bond ran down and hall to see the door ajar. He entered the room to find Ian sitting in a chair looking downright confused.
"Where is she?"
"You! You were the one at the store! Did you do this? Take her daughter?"
"No. Listen to me carefully. Where did M go?"
"M? Who's M?"
"Olivia Mansfield. Where is she?!" Bond said forcefully.
"She followed the instructions on the computer when she saw her daughter tied up in what looked like this room. The man told her to go back to the shop."
"The shop!" Bond turned and ran from the room. He hit the hallway at a run with one single thought, find M. As he ran up the stairs to the deck of the ship the mobile in his pocket rang Bond barely slowed as he answered.
"Tisk, tisk agent Bond. Where are you running off to in such a hurry? I thought you were waiting for my call to find dear Judith? After all….mummy will be terribly upset if something happens to her daughter."
Bond froze. A grimace on his face as he nearly crushed his mobile down to its component parts. Judith was in danger...somewhere. Could this all be a ruse? M said that his first priority was to Judith and to see her safely home.
"Bond...yoohoo are you still there? Are you coming after M or saving her daughter? What will you do. I would love for you to come and see my reunion with darling mummy...but will she be happy or angry to see you?"
"WHERE!"
"Oh come now Bond. You are a 00 agent. Do you really think that I would make it that easy for you? No...this will be a test. Find a burner mobile in the place that you left the daughter. More instructions will follow."
The call disconnects and Bond swears. "Fuck." He hits his comm and calls Q. "Q...just listen to me. Not only has M been led off the ship but Judith is likely unconscious and being held somewhere on board. Can you help me find her as quickly as possible?"
"What on earth is going on there Bond. You should have had eyes on at least one of them!"
"Don't lecture me now Q. I was working at making sure M was not kidnapped on shore. I disposed of her followers without her knowing it."
"A lot of good that did. Where is she now?"
"Heading back on shore to a small shop near the harbour. That is where they had her cornered before I took care of them."
"I will look into that….as for Judith…we're searching through video right now."
"I'm headed back to our room to find a burner phone and get more instructions. Delay the ship from leaving Q. Tell the Captain that someone is missing. The bastard never said I couldn't have help looking."
"Good luck 007."
Bond made it to the room and began searching for the damn burner. He eventually found it and the video camera in the room that he smashed in anger. The mobile rang.
"Mr. Bond...so angry. You would have thought I took your favourite toy away. Was the daughter all that you thought she would be? An equal substitute for her lovely mother? The woman we both want but are conflicted about taking. I for one have gotten over my convictions and know exactly what I want to do with...mother. It is all so inevitable. The poor orphan boys reaching out to the woman who dominates their world and needing so much more from her."
"I will kill you."
"What? No options? No if you touch a hair on her head? No if you hurt her? Just murderous intent. Well I'm shocked Mr. Bond. I thought you would have more finesse than that. More layers. I guess what they always said about you 00 agents is true. You are unfeeling...murderers with a penchant for booze, fast cars and nameless faces of women used to get what you want. Except for M that is. M will always be a different matter. M gets under our skins like the stern maternal figure she attempts to occupy in our thoughts. Strange how it migrates to sexual desire despite the age difference isn't it? Although, the woman is beautiful regardless of her age the physical is only part of what we desire from her. You and I are not so different Mr. Bond."
"Why don't you shut up and tell me where Judith and M are. Then go crawl back into whatever hole you sprung from and rethink your life."
"Tisk tisk...let us see how intelligent you actually are. Judith is safer than anyone could be. Luckier than many on the Titanic. As for M. She is mine. Don't bother looking for her. I will keep her for the rest of her life. I don't know how long that will be however because I am no longer a patient man. I've been waiting 15 years to have her and my revenge. I will not be giving her up. If I see you near you will be killed. As you already realize. I have eyes everywhere."
"I will enjoy killing you and taking M back to where she belongs."
"We will have to see...won't we Mr. Bond."
Bond hung up the mobile. "Did you get all of that Q?"
"Yes we did Bond and he is in Genoa still. The main street near to where you said M was shopping earlier. We have eyes on him but not a very clear image of his face yet. He avoids the camera."
Bond looks at his mobile as a photo of a large blond man in a hat and pale suit stands on a street. "I need someone to get Judith home once I find her."
"Tanner left hours ago and is already on a flight to Genoa. The boat has been delayed. You know where is Judith?"
"In a lifeboat. Patch me through to the Captain, I need the crew to begin searching with me."
With the help of the crew Judith was found bound and gagged in one of the port lifeboats wrapped in blankets and very upset.
Upon seeing Bond she both lunged into his arms to perpetuate the supposed relationship between them and to hit him for all that had happened.
The captain had ordered housekeeping to fix M's stateroom for their use and had all their belongings brought there. The damage to their cabin would have to be fixed later.
"Please delay the ship captain. I will be leaving as soon as Mr. William Tanner arrives to collect Ms. Mansfield."
"How long a delay? The cruise line will not be happy…"
"I don't care about that and if you don't want it to hit the news how two women were kidnapped on one of your ships you will do exactly what I say." Bond said with absolute certainty.
The Captain nodded curtly and left them in the room. Judith had a long glass of water.
"You are going after her now aren't you. I mean I'll be fine and Tanner is on his way right?"
Bond grimaced and looked pained. "I cannot leave you alone. I have to wait for Tanner."
What the hell do you mean you have to wait! My mother has been kidnapped by an insane man who will do who knows what to her and you need to go now!"
"My orders...from you mother were to not leave you alone and I did and look what happened. I have to stay until Tanner replaces me."
"NO YOU DON'T! Go get my mother back! I can't believe you're delaying! She's the woman you're bloody well in lov…"
Bond put his hand up over her mouth and leaned into her ear. "Whoever that man is he has eyes and ears everywhere. I have to stay here and never voice your opinions on what you think my feelings are again. Do you understand." Bond's eyes darted around the room looking for possible bug and camera locations.
Bond had a grip on her and not very gentle one at that. But she understood. "OK...fine she whispered as his hand loosened. He looked upset and angry at himself.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." Bond said quietly. He had royally fucked this up and it was not Judith's fault. If anything he was relieved that she was here and alright and not in the hands of the same man who had her mother.
Bond searched the room for the cameras, closing the laptop and checking over their cell phones. Q assumed that the man hacked the video and microphone in the laptop to see and hear what was going on. He did find one camera in view of the bed. The bastard likely got his jollies watching her. Bond's heart rate sped up again just thinking on how he hoped to kill that man with his bare hands.
"Gather all your things. I will pack mine and send everything off with Tanner."
"Alright." Judith hurried around making sure all her things were in the suitcase the pursers had moved from their trashed cabin. She began packing all her mother's things when it suddenly hit her, that her mother may never be in need of them again.
Bond had slipped into the bath with a duffel bag and Judith sat in the dimming room by herself on the bed and began to weep.
Bond had gone in and had a quick shower. He changed into loose black cargo pants and a lightweight base layer considering the temperature. He added supplies he may need to his vest and found a dark cap.
Opening the door, he noticed that the sun was going down and heard the quiet sobs of Judith hugging a pillow to her chest. He walked over and sat beside her, placing his arm around her shoulders.
"Hey. I know this is a lot. I was against this from the beginning but your mother...well she is the strongest most annoyingly stubborn person we both know. The man wants her...not to kill her. He could have done that many times over and I think she knew that there was no danger of death for you."
Judith turned her tear stained face to him. "I know but I don't think she thought it would happen this fast. I don't think she thought about meeting a nice gentleman and having an affair either but it happened."
Bond frowned. "Yes it did. I can only promise you that I will do whatever I can to bring her home and kill the man who took her. I can't promise that she will not continue to see that fellow...but I think she ended it before...all this happened."
"Well I can imagine that he was quite shocked to have her act...well like normal. Rather than the way she'd been carrying on at the casino and in public. It was so bloody unnatural. At first I thought it was fun and games but it so quickly turned."
"This job has a habit of doing just that. One minute it's boring surveillance and then the bullets fly an there is a hight speed chase."
"I don't know how you do it James. I really hope that you don't lose a bit of yourself every time you have to...you know. And I can't believe how you can drive with so little regard to any safety. You really must have to be well trained to not let all this get to you."
"Believe me I was well trained, first by the Navy and then by SIS and it wasn't a couple of months like what you mother put you through. It was years. I don't recommend it really but I didn't have anything else."
"No family at all?"
"My aunt raised me but she died when I was still a teenager. Boarding schools and some time in the continent with friends of my parents, honed my languages."
"What where your parents like?" Judith asked. Bond pulled back a bit and surveyed her carefully.
"I don't usually get asked about them anymore. Sorry if I looked shocked but...it was all so long ago. They died on a ski trip. My father was a gruff out doors loving Scotsman and my mother was a beautiful blonde Swiss woman. She was the one who insisted I spoke German and French."
"How old were you?"
"I was eleven."
Judith put a hand on his knee and squeezed. It was just a gesture of comfort not anything more but in that moment Bond wanted to kiss her very badly. Something about shared grief and talking of the past. He tried hard to tramp those feelings down over the years yet sometimes they bubbled up.
"That's so terrible. I lost my father as an adult and it still hurt like hell and if I lose…"
"No. I will not let that happen." The pull to kiss her was becoming overwhelming. Luckily there was a knock at the door. Bond jumped up and pulled his gun.
"Who is it?"
"It's me 007." Tanner said.
Bond opened the door to reveal M's chief of staff looking somewhat dishevelled and tired. Bond had long ago shelved tired and it was unlikely he would sleep tonight at all.
"Finally. I leave you to Tanner Judith. Head home and take her and her family somewhere safe."
"A safe house? Do you think that's necessary Bond?"
"This man saw and heard everything. He knows their real names and I don't trust that he doesn't have eyes on six so take her to your flat Tanner. He would never look there for them."
"My flat!?" Tanner said shocked.
"Well somewhere they would not think to know and not a MI6 safe house he may know where they all are. We don't want a hotel. London is the most camera filled city in the world so figure it out. Somewhere safe. I've delayed the ship so you should come with me and get going now. Did Q give you a scrambler?"
"Yes he did." Tanner pulled it out.
"Good turn it on and head out." Bond handed Tanner M's bags as Judith gathered her own.
Judith came to stand before Bond. "Bring my mother and yourself home safe James." She reached around James' neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss.
Bond just held her for a moment as his face began to flush. Tanner stood with his mouth hanging open in shock and that made Bond smirk even more as the kiss tapered off.
"I could see that you wanted that earlier...before the interruption, so why not seize the day we may never have another chance. Keep that in mind when you find her and don't waste anymore time Bond. Promise me that."
"I promise and if she says no?" Bond asked with an arched brow.
"You must know where Tanner lives."
Bond smirked. "Yes I do."
"Seriously? Can we get moving now." Tanner asked frustrated.
"If she says no...keep trying. The art of seduction you were teaching us may work...but she won't believe you so you will have to be really convincing James."
"I will try my best. See you back home and stay safe."
With that Bond clicked on his scrambler and headed out the door at a jog. Within a few minutes he was off the ship. The captain stood at the side rail and when Bond turned back he was helping Judith and Tanner.
Bond took the second car from some agents who got into the larger SUV that Tanner had brought. He headed off towards the shop knowing that there was little chance M was still there but he had to start somewhere. He hit the controls to the car's comms and Q's voice sounded out.
"Ah good. 007 so you are away. I have had some luck tracing where M is headed and you should see the route on your navigation screen now. They are still on the move in a convoy the second car with the green dot is M."
"That's strange. How much a head start Q?"
"No more than 30 minutes at the rate you drive Bond."
"He doesn't think that I would have been able to leave the ship. He would have been expecting it to head out regardless of a missing passenger."
"I guess not. He did not anticipate back up. Speaking of which...I have a team that is heading in from Rome that is several hours out."
"Good. I'm not taking any chances on this one Q."
"I should hope not! Bring her home safe Bond."
"I will."
To be continued...