Chapter Three: A Cover Blown

He ran, the gun in front of him in case he faced opposition during his escape; sweat forming on his face as he ran down the corridor and into a new one, his breathing was erythematic as he ran at an unforgiving pace as a bullet whizzed past his head as he brought the gun back and spun around quickly and shot a few quick bursts, shooting one of his pursuers in the chest as he turned back around and ran towards the sanctuary of the outdoors.

James Bond didn't stop as he reached the outside of the building but continued to run, ignoring the sharp stabs of pain from the top of his right arm where a bullet had caught him while he had began his escape.

He had been under the cover of an investor for a new project called "Acturus" which was being created with enough power to destroy any major world city and was ten times as powerful as Goldeneye;

Bond reached his car just as a bullet whizzed past once more. Opening the driver side door of the Aston Martin DBS, Bond jumped inside and immediately put it into gear as men came around the side of the building on quad bikes; one driving and the other holding a sub machine gun.

The car sped off at a high speed, Bond wanting to get through the gates before the guards closed it automatically. As he sped down the gravel path, he pressed one of the speed dial buttons on his mobile phone which was in the holder by the gear shift. One of M's people picked up after the second ring.

"This is Bond; I need to speak to M."

"Hold on a moment please," the receptionist replied as she patched the spy through to the Head of Intelligence's office at the MI6 building.

A moment later, the monotone voice of M came over the open line..

"M here. 007, what have you found out?"

"I need to return to London immediately. I've discovered something that I find very disturbing but I can't talk about it on an open line."

"Very well," M replied as she sat in h office in the MI6 headquarters. "Return immediately before something goes wrong."

"Yes Ma'am," Bond replied through clenched teeth as he sped through the gates and made it to the busy motorway as he held his arm feverently as blood stained his shirt.

Aidan Combs sat on the floor of Bond's Chelsea flat watching his Five year old daughter play with a small town the two had created on the coffee table and had been playing with for most of the morning.

"The princess wants to play," Kaley said cheerfully as she moved a toy dog and placed it beside a miniature version of Big Ben.

Aidan smiled as she held a Barbie girl dressed as a fairy princess.

"Where is the princess going to play? Is she going to play in the park?"

"Right here," Kaley answered lightly as she brought the little dog over to where Aidan had put the doll in their "park" and began to bounce it.

"Then we put this one over-" Kaley brought out another doll and placed somewhere else on the clear coffee table.

"This is how they need to get around, right?"

Aidan asked as she began to play with a red toy train, which could go around the table on the beige tracks.

"Chuga, chuga, chuga, chuga, chuga, chuga chuga, chuga..."

Kaley smiled as she put the toy dog in one of the open top carriages. "Go inside the train. Chuga, chuga, choo, choo, choo, choo..."

"Yeah, that's it. Go over the bridge and then they can meet the princess." Aidan urged the little girl gently as she watched Kaley- who was wearing a pair of light blue jeans and cute pink top and had her hair tied in two cute pigtails- push the red train over the arched bridge making train noises as Aidan got up and picked up her mug and Kaley's glass.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"Yeah please Aida'" Kaley replied looking up to the young woman as she smiled and began to walk into the kitchen.

Since she had been able to speak, Kaley had always called her "Aida" rather than "Aidan" and it had stuck for the little girl even though she and James had tried to coax her into calling her Aidan, it just didn't seem to stick with the little girl.

"What do you want- water or orange squash?" Aidan called as she put some fresh water in the kettle as she settled for another Hot Chocolate because it seemed to give her enough energy to keep up with her charge who seemed just as energetic as she was bubbly.

"Squash please," Came the reply from the next room as Aidan smiled at the fact that the little girl was using "please" and "thank you" now.

"Okay,"

Aidan loved taking care of the little girl whom M and Bond had placed in her care while her superior sent the little girl's father away on missions that only he seemed to be able to pull off miraculously. She still carried her gun because it was also her job to keep the little girl safe and knew that Bond had placed his daughter in her care and expected Aidan to take care of her.

She had heard stories of Bond through her training in MI6 and had feared him when they had first been introduced; his eyes had been so cold and unwelcoming as she had stepped through the door to be ordered by M to look after his child- who at the time was only two or three months old- while the agent took revenge on those who had killed Kaley's mother and who wanted him dead also.

But it was also down to Aidan and M that Bond was forced to spend time with the little girl after wanting nothing to do with her and now the father and daughter seemed to have a loving relationship, even if Kaley had wanted to get that little bit closer to her father and he kept pushing her back for unknown reasons.

James had told her what had happened a few months ago with Kaley's sign of affection and it gave her a comforting feeling to know that Bond truly did love the little girl even if he didn't show it in public; But she knew it was to protect the girl from his working life and all those who held grudges against him.

The phone ringing broke her thoughts and hearing Kaley pick it up. Aidan left the spoon in her now cooling hot chocolate and came through to see Kaley holding the phone and answering.

"Hello?"

Aidan stood there as Kaley listened before the little girl looked up to her and held out the phone to her.

"It's daddy's work. They want to talk to you."

Aidan smiled weakly at the little girl who now looked very worried at someone phoning about her father as she passed it to Aidan who immediately put it up to her ear, alert.

"Combs, here," Aidan answered, her tone changing immediately to a neutral and yet sharp tone.

"Aidan it's M here, is everything alright there?" The Head of Bond's department asked in a tone that made Aidan's senses prickle.

"Yes ma'am why?" Aidan asked now, a sense of dread creaping up on her.

"Bond was attacked on his way back from the a mission were he was under the cover as a large investor for a new project known as "Project Genesis", someone revealed Bond's identity and he was forced to leave in a hurry- He was shot in the arm but was very coherent when he phoned us a few hours ago."

M paused for a moment.

"We have just learnt however, that he was involved in an accident on the Kensington High Road and was taken to St. Dominic's about an hour ago- As far as we have been told, he is stable."

"Oh My God." Aidan breathed as she turned to Kaley, who was now sitting beside the coffee table and was slowly pushing the red train on the track with her eyes cast down.

"We believe that he was comprimised by an insider so i am calling you to take care and protect Kaley incase they want to use her- even though as far as we know her identity has not been comprimised and we are still using the cover that she is your daughter and you are staying with Bond as a lodger."

"She will want to see him." Aidan answered solemnly as she sat down on a nearby chair.

"Not just yet i'm afraid. The doctor's want to keep him under close observation for the next few days incase his conditions takes a turn."

"Yes Ma'am i understand. What do i tell Kaley?"

"Tell her that her father is ill and that she will be able to see him in a few days when he's feeling better."

"Yes Ma'am."