Marc-Ange Draco was the most powerful man in this room. For all his gregarious nature during the wedding and reception, everyone had left him alone while he breakfasted. Although he wasn't ignoring anyone, he knew that his bodyguard who sat to his left was a deterrent enough at the moment. He lifted his coffee cup and sipped while observing Bill Tanner, he put a hand on his bodyguard's arm and murmured in Romanian, "If he comes here, he talks." The guard nodded and Draco busied himself with a croissant.
"Good morning Signor Draco," Tanner stopped at the table.
Draco looked up with a smile, "Good morning Signor Tanner. Please, join me for coffee?" He signalled to the Head Waiter who had made sure that he was never far from this table.
"Thank you, it will be my pleasure," said Bill will a smile as he sat. Almost miracously waiting staff appeared back at the table and was pouring a cup along with a plate of two hot croissants.
"I trust you and your wife slept well?" Draco sat back in his seat keeping his body language and voice relaxed while his brain wondered why MI6's Chief of Staff had made a direct line to him.
The restaurant staff dematerialised and Bill stirred his cup a moment, took a sip, that is far better than at the police station, before responding, "Yes, thank you. This is a delightful hotel."
Draco eyed him as he tore his remaining croissant in two and proceeded to dip one half in his coffee before eating, "I take it you have heard from our lovebirds or you wouldn't be sitting here?" Why waste the time?
Bill leant forward, he looked Draco squarely on and spoke quietly, "Yes, we have and I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask that you accompany me to another location."
"What has happened?"
"There was an accident and, please, it would be best if we were discreet so as not to cause any alarm."
Draco's eyes swept around the room and then back to Tanner, "Is my daughter safe?"
Bill gulped down the coffee, looked at Draco and repeated quietly, "I need you to come with me and I will explain everything I know." He stood and waited.
The bodyguard looked between his boss and the standing man. He could feel a sudden tension, whatever was going on – he knew he wasn't hired to understand only to react and protect – it was serious. His boss stood and he unfolded himself.
"My man comes with me, Mr Tanner."
Tanner nodded his agreement and said amiably, "Understood, but you are also under the protection of Her Majesty's Government while we are together."
"That is greatly appreciated, but he still comes with me," Draco moved and the bodyguard dutifully followed the two men out.
Although there were not many diners, those that were in the restaurant couldn't help but notice the father of the bride leave with the Chief of Staff and wonder briefly why before the thought was pushed away and instantly forgotten like so much of their daily lives.
Outside, Draco motioned to his Mercedes and asked, "Will you join me, Mr Tanner?"
"Thank you – most kind." He motioned to Adriano to drive in front of them. The police Chief nodded his understanding and readied himself to move away.
Draco and Tanner folded themselves into the rear seating, "You see, Mr Tanner, my man is also my driver – he had to be with us. I take it we are following the Chief?"
Tanner didn't even want to ask how Draco knew the identity of the man in the car in front of them; he just responded, "Yes; I'm afraid we are." Draco spoke to his driver in Romanian to follow.
Once they started moving, "My daughter and James." Bill told him everything while they travelled to Tracy's body at the morgue.
By the time they arrived at the hospital, Draco was drained. He listened to everything the MI6 man had told him and the name of Blofeld burned in his brain. He listened while he was told that MI6 was looking and waiting for any lead or chatter which connected back to Blofeld and that they would deal with him. He listened as Tanner asked for his help in persuading James to rejoin the Service while his brain built the image of him and his son-in-law standing over Blofeld's bloody corpse. Retribution the Union Corse way – Tracy deserved nothing less! Draco had listened and not betrayed a feeling outside the initial shock. His darling daughter, after meeting the man that brought her back from her loss and unhappiness … Blofeld. He would, personally, wipe that name and SPECTRE off the face of the planet.
The cars stopped. Bill exited the Mercedes, but Draco didn't move. Bill looked through the open door, "Signor?" No movement or acknowledgement. Wordlessly, he sat back in the car and touched Draco's arm, "Marc-Ange," he said softly. "We're here."
Draco looked at him, blinking to get his emotions back under control and nodded. He told his driver/bodyguard to stay in the car while he left. In silence, two men walked to the morgue where Marc-Ange Draco formally indentified the Jane Doe that arrived late the previous evening as Mrs Tracy Bond, his daughter and broke down.
When Draco had sufficiently recovered, he pulled out his mobile phone and began to speak in rapid Italian. Tanner only had a rudimentary knowledge of the language at best and the stacco speed with which the conversation was taking place left him understanding one word in possibly twenty. Draco finished the call and told the morgue assistant that they would be contacted by his agent shortly regarding having the body received by funeral directors. He looked at Tanner and said, "I want to see James."
Tanner nodded and together they walked out of the hospital. When they arrived outside, the driver was just putting away his mobile phone and eyed his boss sadly, he was crying. He mumbled in Romanian, Draco responded in the same language, clapped him on the back – time to go back to work.
They arrived at the police station to tense and drawn faces although it was quiet in the building. He decided to be open in front of Draco in an effort to emphasise the request of co-operation. He noted that Robinson visibly relaxed the moment he saw him.
"Charles?"
Robinson glanced at Draco and started when he saw his superior nod, "As you suspected, Sir; James became rather insistant that he be allowed to leave about a couple of hours ago. He's demanded his phone, and his agitation has increased. We're in one of the quiet periods. Also the car has been collected and I have the luggage."
"Did you talk to him?"
"The first time, but he wasn't particularly interested in anything I was saying. We've mostly left him to dissipate."
Bill nodded, murmured "Okay" and went to the cell area followed by Draco, key in hand.
The door to the cell opened and James jumped up, "You have no right to keep me here, Bill. The trail's running cold; I've got to find him. I need to leave now!"
Before Tanner could answer, Draco said quietly, "Where would you go?"
Bond wasn't expecting his father-in-law to also be standing there. Draco continued, "Where would you get the information and the money to carry on? Once you've found him, what then, James?"
Bond looked at Draco with growing anger, "I don't know. There are favours I can call on; and you know I have money or you-"
Draco looked towards Bill, "I want a private conversation, please, Bill"
Crunch time! "Of course," Bill said but his brain was screaming, "FUCK!" He had hoped that Draco would speak with Bond with him present, but he knew the reality would be that this would not happen. As he withdrew, Bill murmured to Draco, "Please, Signor, persuade him to rejoin. It would benefit all of us." Tanner closed the door behind him. He had no choice but to trust Draco.
Bill walked back into the main squad room alone, he looked at Robinson and said, "I'm going to give my wife a call. I don't think we're going to be here much longer. Have you spoken with Penny?" Robinson nodded, "Right. Have the later flights been sorted? I suspect our friends will not be making their next move until they are sure we've vacated the country."
"The plane bringing the Q Branch team in is at our disposal, Sir."
"No. I want this to be a very public departure, Charles. I have no doubt Blofeld has eyes on Sintra and every single airport in Portugal which has UK bound flights; I don't want any room for doubt in that fucker's head. I want four tickets on whatever airline can get us back to London from about 18:00 – I don't care which class. Whatever Draco is saying to James in there, I think he's coming back with us."
All conversation stopped as tapping could be heard from the cells. Adriano motioned that he would go and returned shortly with a shrug saying, "They want coffee."
Tanner released the breath that he didn't realise he'd been holding, "I'm going to speak with my wife."
Outside he sagged against the wall of the building taking a deep breath. He looked around him; God, this was a beautiful part of the world. He'd have to bring Yvonne back for a proper holiday … one day. He thumbed his mobile and held it to his ear, "Hello, darling," he started.
After breaking the awful news to Yvonne, Bill re-entered the building. He looked quizzically at Charles, who just shrugged and shook his head. "Adriano," he asked. "Would it be possible to bring my wife here in about half an hour?"
"Of course. I sent out for some food and I certainly needed better coffee. Go, have some. The kitchen is through there."
"Thank you. I think I will. Charles?"
"Already eaten, Sir"
Tanner filled a plate with a cheese, pastries, ham, bread and cup of bica coffee. God, he was hungary.
About 15 minutes later, Charles appeared in the kitchen with, "Sir, they're asking for you." Tanner nodded, sighed and stood; now he finds out in which direction their next move goes in.
The cell door opened and Tanner stepped inside closing it behind him. James was sitting on the floor, arms on his drawn up knees, looking utterly drained. Draco was sitting on the bed with an unmistakeably haunted look in his eyes. Tanner leaned against the door, "Gentlemen?"
"I want to rescind my resignation, Bill", James looked at his superior.
Tanner nodded and folded his arms, "Are you sure about that, James?" No, you fucker, I'm not going to make it easy for you; convince me you mean it!
"Dammit, Bill, Tracy was the only reason I resigned; without her, there's no point to me leaving the Service!"
"This a difficult time for you, James. I don't think it will be in any of our interests to be making a knee-jerk decision. Maybe you should think about it when we return to the UK?"
Bond stood abruptly and stared down the Chief of Staff, "I need the distraction, Bill. The past hours …" Bond looked at his father-in-law and then back to Tanner, "The only thing I can be sure of is that left to my own devices, I'll retreat to Jamaica and turn into one of those ex-pat country club bores I loathe. I need the type of distraction that only the Service can give me."
Tanner's gaze moved past the figure in front of him to Draco, who simply nodded straight-faced. Bill nodded, looked at Bond, held out his hand and said, "Resignation rescinded, 007. If you have no objections, I, for one, would like to return to the UK as soon as possible."
On the second, "Mr Tanner, Sir", Bill awoke. "Oh, right; thanks." He exited the car and walked to his house taking his keys from a pocket and opened his front door. The house was dark and quiet, Bill listened for a short while, then took off his jacket and hung it over the bannister. He walked up the stairs and texted the driver with a message that meant all was normal in the house and he can leave. His head spun as he laid next to his wife and his last conscious thought was, "Yes, Trevelyan you fucking bastard, it does."