Chapter 03
***James Bond***
The journey wasn't very comfortable for her. James knew she must have felt every bump on the road. His gaze traveled back and forth between her and the road.
Every few minutes he would stare at his own hands hardly believing he touched her and held her again, breathing and alive. The inside of the car was filled with her fragrance and the antiseptic smell from the hospital. She needed better clothes. The hospital gown really wasn't a good look on her. It wasn't a good look on anybody.
The blanket he wrapped her in was around her back but had fallen away and gaped open at the front.
"Keep your eyes on the road, 007." M ordered breaking the silence.
"Ma'am," he muttered being the good agent he was. His lips curved in a small smile on one side. She had her eyes closed but she must have felt him looking at her. It was good talking with her again, just like any other day with him in London back at the office.
"I'm pretty sure you have seen women less clothed than me, Bond. So, stop staring at the old lady and focus on driving."
"They weren't you." Shit! How did that slip out? It was completely unintentional.
He seriously had to learn to keep his mouth shut.
M's discomfort was almost palpable. She was hurting and it wasn't time for his normal flirting. Although, that was normal for him and he wanted her to feel normal in this unusual circumstance. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to mutter some sexist comment, that made her even more uncomfortable with her attire. She was too precious to him.
"Bond..." she sighed with exasperation. In that moment she tensed even more. The action obviously hurt her lungs. "Not now." She said as if she knew what he wanted to do.
The worst thing was she meant it. She honestly couldn't handle anything in her state. She was just so tired, even a slightest verbal exchange was too much for her. She had just spent the whole week unconscious. She needed time to heal, time to get her strength back. Shutting his mouth was the only thing he could do to help, but his eyes moved to her. It seemed he couldn't have controlled them if he tried.
M moved a little and tightened the blanket around her as much as she was able. She closed it around herself like a shield and he wanted to hit himself. He slowly pulled over on a deserted road.
"Why are we stopping?"
"It's only for a minute." He hastily walked around the car opening the boot found a standard emergency kit. He pulled out another mylar blanket, placed over her and tucked it around her. How could he have been such an idiot? She was cold. James turned the car's heating system on, hoping it was enough to prevent her going into shock. She didn't even have a pair of shoes on for fuck's sake.
"I'm sorry." He had been taught to be a gentleman. How could he have forgotten? He was in too bloody much of a hurry to take her away from that place. Especially, from the prying eyes and invisible danger that could take her from him again.
"You're saving my life. I will hardly complain about such a trivial matters."
Her imperial scowl was firmly in place on her face, but she looked like a weak lamb trying to stand up to a wolf. Underneath her battered exterior, she was still a lioness. She didn't back down. She didn't let people win over her. She would always be ruthless.
"They are not trivial to me, ma'am." Why the hell couldn't he keep his mouth from spewing these remarks? Damn it! He should just shut his mouth and keep his eyes straight ahead?
"We should be on our way." M's defensive demeanor signalled that their conversation was over.
James let her sleep. It was the only thing he could do and the safest option. Or he would open his mouth again. He decided to try focus on his plan of escape, but there was just something about her. Something that crawled under all his defenses. Something that drove him crazy as all his thoughts would drift back to her. Just being near her was a gift and he had to protect her this time. He couldn't lose her again.
M woke up near dawn, as he was pulling over to a motel. "Where are we?"
"Nowhere. We need to change the car for a new one. I will be back." He handed her a gun from glove compartment without words. It didn't take long and he found the owner of the insignificant blue Ford B-MAX. He impatiently knocked on the door and in a second explained his situation before handing them a set of keys and his card with his personal number hastily written on it.
He opened the door of their new vehicle. The family of three were standing on the doorstep of a motel room and watched him take a woman into his arms.
"Bond, stop."
"Hm?" What? Why are they stopping? "Do you need anything?"
"Yes. Go back to them."
They don't have time for this. She couldn't change the plan just like that. He painfully planned every action they had to take and the less she is seen or interacted with strangers the better.
"Ma'am?" James didn't like this. He had to look into her eyes. It was the closest they've to each other since that awful night. He was awash in her perfume, he could almost breathe her breath and the blue of her eyes was even more impressive this close. Now was not the time for him to stare at her. Not this close, but he felt completely helpless with her in his arms.
"They will call the police the moment we drive away. You're putting an old woman in blankets and a hospital gown into a borrowed car. Not suspicious at all. Take me to them."
"Ma'am." She had a point. He watched her melting into his arms. There was no other way of describing the moment. When he stopped near them, she opened her eyes. The family looked tired, barely conscious this early.
"Thank you for the car. I am deeply sorry for your disturbance. My family wants me to die in a hospital bed surrounded by machines. My son is a police officer and he will be looking for our car. My nephew promised to take me away and take care of me. I am so grateful for your assistance."
James was silent the entire time. She was unbelievable. Her teary eyes, her broken voice, her acting skills. The three people almost cried with her and the moment he put her in their new car, they smiled. Even in such pain she made them believe whatever she had told them. No wonder she was the head of MI6. He left the family with a good feeling that they helped an old woman spend her last days in peace. Nobody suspected anything and he promised to return their car in a week or so to their address.
"You're too reckless, 007," she reprimanded him when they were on the road again. "Lucky for you, I learned to smooth the edges of your plans long ago. I've had a lot of practice."
"Yes, ma'am," he muttered.
They travelled off the motorway and took the smaller routes North. Hours later, they arrived at another motel. James could no longer ignore the fact that they both needed the rest. She needed a break. Clothes, food and a bathroom and most of all comfortable bed and a few hours of undisturbed rest.
Although, it was still morning they had a room available. Bond left her at the hotel reluctantly and went shopping, but not before contacting Mallory to give him an update on recent events, and that he would contact him later once they had reached their new location.
As he hung up the phone and went to the shops, his mind kept thinking about the horrible scenarios where she could be hurt in his absence.
They could find her and kill her, who ever they are. They could kidnap her and demand information on MI6. They could torture her and hurt her again. She could barely move herself. She was in no position to defend herself. He quickly grabbed the items he needed from the shop so that he could get back to her. The sooner he did that, the better he would feel.
He contacted Mallory to tell him that he had her and was heading somewhere safe. He told him about the borrowed car and said he would contact him again later.
