Chapter Five: Leaving

James eventually came to bed after I heard him make sure M was in her room. I had cleaned my face and put on a slip that James likes by the time he came in I was pretending to read a book waiting for him.

Regardless of my bitter feelings towards the drama unfolding around us I smiled at him as he came in my room. He has a choice...he could have stayed in his own room but he chose me. I guess I should feel happy about that.

I have to avoid asking him about her…

There was not much time to anyway as he hopped on the bed and began making me forget everything else.

I woke wrapped in James' arms and I rolled over to watch him sleep.

James' eyes flutter open. "Hey."

"Hey to you. Want to join me in the shower?"

"You bet." James smiled as he kissed me again.

I extend my hand and pull him up to follow me into the bath. We became passionate again in the shower long enough for the water to become cold.

I dressed and packed finally ready to ask him what I wanted to the night before.

"So did you ask M for the time off to enjoy our little cruise to Venice?"

"Yes...and she acquiesced. I do not have to report back to London for a week."

"Fantastic! I did not think she would cave."

"Why not...M is very reasonable and she does care for the wellbeing of her agents."

"I just thought she was going to force you to go back because she can...as a spiteful power play."

"M would not do that for petty reasons. She called in and another 00 just finished a mission. Therefore, she no longer requires me to come back."

"I just thought...oh never mind…"

"What did you think? Tell me?"

"I think that she hates me and does not want to us together."

James frowns and looks down at his feet for a moment. "That is not true...she is very protective of her agents and the job we have to do...that is all."

James sounds sad when he says it as if disappointed it is not more...that she is not fighting me for him like a princess in a book with two suitors.

"Well I am very glad she gave us a week." I smile at him and pull him by the hand grabbing my bag. James takes it from my hand and smiles. "I need to go get packed. I will meet you downstairs and bring yours along with mine.

I exit the room and head for the dining area. There are bags in the main hall and Mr. Tanner is on his mobile talking to what I assume is the jet to take them back to London. I walk past and enter the dining area to see Mathis.

"Good morning." Mathis pulls me to the corner very serious all of a sudden.

"Not really my dear." There is an urgency in his voice. "Mr. White is on his way to collect M."

"WHAT!"

"He needs that account number and password and he is not about to let that money that Le Chiffre owed Quantum to fill the coffers of MI6."

"What is going to happen...he won't hurt her will he?"

"Not if she cooperates...perhaps joins the organization. "

"M does not seem the type to join...James is not going to let them take her."

"I know...can you hurry him along to leave?"

"I will try."

M and James enter the room with her bodyguard and Tanner.

Good mornings are exchanged and everyone sits to eat.

I am nervous...I want to leave...run away. I do not want to face the vicious old man who shot down the others in his organization without hesitation. He could easily have something to do with Yusef's disappearance.

As they are all just finishing up M's bodyguard, Mitchell leaves the room first. They hear the sounds of someone arriving and I cannot help but catch Mathis' eye.

"What is going on?" M says as everyone stands.

The door of the dining room opens and Mitchell smiles. "New guests ma'am."

M frowns, "but this facility is to be private?"

I see James tense as he and Tanner move to the door. "Mathis...you armed?"

Mathis nods and moves to stand beside M. "I will watch Madame."

Tanner and Bond leave us with Mathis. The outer room seems to erupt into chaos in seconds...shots are fired and things smashed.

Tanner runs back into the room and directly to the window. He opens it and holds his hand out for M.

"Ma'am...you need to get out and hide...NOW!"

M looks shocked but does what he says. Tanner ignores Mathis and I completely as he helps her through the window and then follows her.

"What do we do?" I ask him my panic rising.

"We must follow her."

We scramble out the window and run around the estate looking for M and Tanner but they have already vanished.

The shots have stopped and I hear James call out "M! ALL CLEAR!"

I am crouched behind some bushes with Mathis as James comes into view.

"M...where are you?"

He has not called out for me once but I try not to take it personally. James is in agent mode and it is only natural that he be looking for M.

"I'm here! Come Tanner."

M moves out from behind the boat house and walks back towards the house with Tanner still with a pistol in his hand.

Just as I stand and begin to move towards James he jogs to M and envelopes her in a big hug. Tanner smiles and shakes his head.

I am apparently completely forgotten in the mess of things.

Mathis whispers in my ear, "don't appear so jealous...it does not become you and you can do nothing about the love he feels for that woman. It is not something that you can do battle with...it is undefinable and deep...far more than just sex and beauty can compete with."

"Thanks for that overwhelming vote of sympathy and support Mathis...I am not an idiot and I know he loves her in a way I can never compete with. I just have to try my best to be worthy in his eyes."

"White told me this morning on the phone that he found your Yusef...he is alive and they still have him. Here...look at the picture. White is willing to negotiate on your behalf."

I hold the mobile and look...it is him...my beloved. "What good does this do me if Bond just killed White?"

"I don't know."

James comes up to us, "Mathis...good. Thanks for helping get her out."

He gives me a Quick kiss. "Come get the bags...Mathis will help you load them on the boat while M, Tanner and I question the intruder."

We follow the instructions to see a flurry of medical personnel going over some bloodied bodies and one Mr. White sitting in a chair...with a ripped pant leg being attended to by medical staff.

Mr. Tanner is on a mobile and has a laptop set up in the dinning area now open to the main foyer. M is standing behind him speaking on her mobile.

There are three bodies on the floor...none of whom I recognize. M's bodyguard Mitchell stands by the door to the dining area.

"I will take your bags to the boat my dear you stay by Bond." Mathis tells me. I follow James around trying not to look at the dead bodies they are placing sheets over.

"Are you hurt James?"

"What? No...I'm fine. You should go to the boat...M is going to question this man and you and Mathis need to stay out of the way."

"Alright...please come get me when it is all over."

"I will." James says as he caresses my cheek.

Mathis and I exit the door but move along the side to the open window to hear what happens next. A car with three men in black arrive and walk into the house.

Mathis whispers to me, "MI6 reinforcements."

I nod and listen as M enters the open foyer with Bond beside her and Mitchell stands by Mr. White.

"Are you gonna tell us who you work for?" Bond states.

"I was always very interested to meet you. I'd heard so much about you. I think you would do anything for her." Mr. White says but who he is referring to is lost without being able to see if he is looking at M when he says it.

It could be either of us that White is referring to as he has been getting updates from Mathis since we left Casino Royale.

M begins to speak to the injured man. "Well, you know you're not in Britain, and God knows where you'll be tomorrow. Which should tell you that eventually...you will tell us about the people you work with, and the longer it takes, the more painful we'll make it."

"You really don't know anything about us. It's so amusing because...we are on the other side, thinking, the Ml6, the CIA, they're looking over our shoulders. They're listening to
our conversations. And the truth is you don't even know we exist."

"Well, we do now, Mr. White, and we're quick learners."

"Oh, really? Well, then, the first thing you should know about us...is that we have people everywhere."

The man laughs at M...taunts her and then the bullets start flying again...Mathis and I can only listen as chaos erupts again. Mathis covers my body with his as chips of stone and glass from the window go flying.