Chapter 9
M looks at Bond with a worry that he has rarely seen on her face before. She grasps Bond's hand as he approaches her. Bond pulls her to his chest and he begins to dance with her.
"What is it M?"
"They have photos of me, found in the captain's home…Tony and Ziva are bringing them to Ducky's. When Nigel and I moved last…MI6 has their own movers…there was a box of photos that went missing. The next day one of the movers came with the box apologizing for leaving it in the truck."
"There is another Quantum agent at 6."
"Yes…this is between us…no outsiders. I removed my earpiece…did you?"
"The second I left to look for a private room…do you want me to go there and wait for you to lure them to me."
"Yes…I will go to the ladies first and then head out to the corridor."
"NCIS will want them for questioning."
"I don't care…I want to question them and then possibly dead…how dare they go through my personal belongings as if I am some starlet that they are stalking…it ends here. Contact Q and Tanner…seal the leak at home that is our first priority."
"This could be very dangerous M…I'm worried that you will get hurt."
Bond holds M too him a little tighter to hid chest.
M looks up into his eyes and frowns slightly and pushes away, there is no time for this sentimentality. M turns and walks towards the lady's room and disappears.
Bond moves into the hall and disappears into a room down the hall and fixes his silencer to his pistol.
M moves into the lady's room and pulls the Derringer out of her purse and places it in her bra under her left breast. She moves back out to wash her hands and she clears her throat.
"I think the night is lovely."
A woman moves beside her, "as lovely as a June day in London."
"Yes…it is."
M drops a card on the floor and leaves the room. The woman knows to pick it up, M's contact has been made her job is done.
M wanders the outside of the hall as she moves towards the exit she is sure they will follow. M hopes Ducky and Gibbs give them some time because the plan has changed as the game has hit closer to home than she anticipated.
Bond contacts Q and Tanner having the moving team investigated and tells them about the CIA involvement. Bond hears someone coming and hides behind the door. M walks into the room and Bond pulls her too him.
M whispers, "Bond…let me go." M pulls out her gun and watches the door.
Bond whirls on her grabbing her shoulders. "What do you think you're doing? Get behind me and hide in the corner."
"Why…I am here and armed?"
"M…be serious…I can't have you getting hurt so get out-of-the-way and let me do the job you pay me for."
The door begins to open as Bond pushes M physically towards the dark corner of the room.
Two men enter and Bond visibly relaxes. Gibbs and Ducky enter with confusion on their faces.
Ducky moves past Bond over to M who instantly extends her hand to him as he pulls her into a hug.
Bond watches and frowns which does not go unnoticed by Gibbs.
"Why did you ditch your earpieces? What are you doing hiding out in here anyway?"
"We expect them to make a move and we took up a defensive position."
Gibbs frowns, "you were trying to lure them here to shoot them."
M and Ducky move forward. "I am the head of MI6 being threatened by a Colonel and CIA agent how exactly did you think this was going to end agent Gibbs?"
"I expected you to help us apprehend them and bring them to justice."
"How very naïve of you agent Gibbs…this is not how the CIA nor MI6 operates and they are operatives of Quantum."
"I know that M, but why not expose them to the world?"
"Our world operates in the shadows but is still responsible to those we serve and in this day and age public information and opinion affects our funding and our ability to do the job that is necessary. I understand that this puts you in a difficult position but Quantum is inserted within your military and clandestine operations…at some point you have to ask your self who do you really trust and do you want the general population to know something like this is happening all over the world?"
Gibbs frowns and shakes his head in exasperation…they are mired in it this time.
"I hate all this secret stuff…it causes more damn…anyhow…Ducky tell them."
"Yes, well I was approached by a man who was interested in my uniform and we believe that he is the CIA agent we are looking for. His name is Gunn and I found that familiar so I looked it up…Gunn and Galvin are variant language forms of the name White."
Bond quickly text's Tanner the information after M gave him one of her looks.
Ducky holds M's hand in his, "shall we go home now and get out of this mess my dear?"
M frowns, "Ducky I don't think it will be that easy…they know we are on to them and this is their opportunity."
The door suddenly springs open catching them all by surprise. Bond reacts immediately and grabs the door and smashes it into the second man through the door. As he falls to the ground Bond grabs the gun arm of the other and smashes it against his knee.
The door's forced open as more enter. Ducky pulls M back to her corner as Jethro and Bond smash fists into the next two men.
"Terrorist!…Give up now and we will not kill you here!"
"I am agent Gibbs of NCIS stand down Marines!"
The two men on the ground begin to get up and Bond levels his gun at them. It is his one gun against the four of theirs.
Gibbs yells. "HOLD!"
The four men do for a moment as they scan the room and find M standing beside Ducky.
"You there…come with us ma'am…there are questions that you need to answer."
Bond snarls, "She is not going anywhere with you!"
"You and what army are going to stop us from taking her?"
"I don't need a bloody army!"
Gibbs yells again. "Hold! Enough! Think about this…how can you believe that this woman is a terrorist? Where did you get the information?"
Instead of listening to Gibbs the men begin to move towards M, confident that their body armour and guns outnumbering Bond's will suffice. M holds her Derringer out in front of her but Ducky stands in front of her body shielding her from the men.
Bond shoots one in the knee suddenly and grabs his gun in his arm as the man fires towards his comrade and catches him in the chest knocking him down.
Gibbs grabs the gun of another and smashes it back into his face. The fourth heads towards Ducky and M. Ducky moves his hand behind his back and takes his dirk from the sheath.
"That ain't going to do you much good old man now hand her over."
"Never and don't underestimate your elders."
Ducky suddenly moves out-of-the-way and M shoots her small pistol hitting the Marine in the neck. As he goes down and more shots ring out across the room the window shatters and more men throwing tear gas rush in the room.
Chaos and confusion reign as M's plucked up by unseen hands and removed from the gaping hole where the window once was. Sirens, smoke and light filled from the crevices of the building. Screams and alarms rang out from the hall.
Gibbs and Bond battled others hand to hand…Bond refrains from shooting to kill but wounds a few…now more men were seeping into the room…where is M? Bond begins to panic and fight his way towards the window as he sees Ducky do the same.
Ducky touches his ear and opens the coms to McGee. "Timothy you must keep this line open…they took M. I'm going after her."
M's leg is the last thing Bond sees disappearing from the hole in the wall as a glint of silver appears on the floor of the dust and smoke-filled room.
The Derringer lies near what remains of the wall as Ducky disappears through after M and Bond fights to follow.
Bond stoops to pick up M's pistol as he fights off another in the smoke ridden room. He's grabbed from behind and whirls around to land a fist to the face of another Marine.
Tony and Ziva finally arrive to a scene of chaos as they battle their way through to Gibb's side. Gibbs has blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as they help him off the floor. The Marines lie on the ground around them. Some are dead and some wounded.
"Tony, Ziva…go after Colonel Galvin…hold him and if you see a Mr. Gunn…he is the CIA we want."
"Ok boss…where is Ducky?"
"Followed M…I think someone took her…Bond is close behind. Have McGee and Abbs watch the traffic leaving this site."
The two agents run back out into the building as Gibbs climbs out the way M, Ducky and Bond left. They are nowhere to be seen.
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M squirms as hands grasp and pull at her…a hand goes tight over her mouth as a strong body pulls her back up against him. He says nothing and she cannot see her assailant.
A flash of tartan catches her eye as Ducky approaches with his knife in hand still. The man holding her drags her into the back of an ambulance. M's pushed down on a cot as he lashes her down with straps.
M can hear Ducky yelling at someone. "Stop this now! Let me go."
Someone pushes Ducky into the back of the ambulance as they climb in and shut the door. There is a thump up against the door as they begin to drive away.
Ducky loses his balance and the man sitting on the bench disarms him and points a gun to M's head.
"Dr. Mallard would you please sit calmly and I will not shoot this lovely woman in the head."
"So Mr. Gunn…what is it you want with us?"
"I don't want anything with you doctor…you merely got in the way. I wanted her…the infamous M…caught here perpetrating terrorist acts on US soil."
M glares at the man. "What bloody terrorist attacks? I have been here to answer questions at the request of the US government."
"The bomb that is about to go off in the banquet hall of course."
M and Ducky both exclaim simultaneously. "WHAT!"
Tim echoes in Ducky's ear…We need to evacuate the entire building now Abby.
There is a thump heard above them as Gunn looks up in confusion. M smiles knowingly as Bond moves along the ambulance to the driver's side.
Gunn nods to his henchman and he moves to exit the rear of the moving vehicle. Ducky takes the opportunity to trip and push the armed man out of the back door and then turns to see Gunn raise his weapon in his direction.
Bond moves to the front to take out the driver and hears a yell behind and a man fly out the back door. The ambulance slows and Bond smashes the drivers window open punching him in the face and pulling the door open. Once opened Bond reaches over and opens the man's seat belt while managing not to drive off the road.
Once the man is free Bond pulls him out of the seat and stops the vehicle and looks through to the back to see M's leg kick out at the agent while Ducky struggles with him.
Damn…Bond doesn't have a clear shot. M's upper body is strapped down on the cot.
Ducky attempts to wrestle with the younger man in the cramped confines, while M's leg shoots out to kick him in the hip and thighs. Gunn fires and it goes through the upper back of the ambulance.
Bond runs around to the back door and opens it as M kicks the two men off-balance and down on top of Bond. Ducky rolls to the side and Bond takes over punching and wrestling agent Gunn.
Ducky climbs back into the ambulance retrieves his dirk and cuts M free. Ducky grabs a syringe and leaps back down to the ground stabbing Gunn in the shoulder with the drug.
Gunn feels the pinch and stops fighting Bond enough to roll over and stare at the doctor.
"Dr. Mallard you are a traitor…I will see you deported….for…this…"
"I doubt that a great deal."
M climbs down with Ducky's help as they look down at an exhausted and panting Bond lying on the ground.
"Bond…are you injured?"
M kneels down beside him with a concerned look on her face. She loosens his tie and unbuttoned the top buttons while Ducky joins her.
"I'm…fine…M…you…hurt…he didn't hurt you did he?"
"No."
Ducky could see the genuine panic and concern on both their faces…and she doesn't see it…they have such feeling for each other if she would only accept it.
Bond loves her…Ducky can see it plain as day. Damn stubborn, beautiful, desirable woman.
"This may seem like an inopportune question my dear but were you a ginger?"
Bond looks up at Ducky and smiles even begins to chuckle with Ducky.
M looks from one to the other confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Ducky laughs and helps the two of them off the ground.
"Asking for a friend…and it explains your stubborn refusal to deal with this lad."
M begins to blush from Ducky's remark still holding his hand. "Blonde with a strong trace of red…does that explain all my stereotypical personality faults to the two of you? What are we doing with him?"
Ducky touches his ear. "Tim did they take care of the hall?"
Yes. ..Ducky, Gibbs. Tony and Ziva picked up the Colonel and arrested his men.
Bond picked up Gunn and cuffed him and tied him down to the second cot.
"Climb in and I will take you two to Ducky's before I take him to visit a friend of mine."
M looks confused. "What friend?"
"The one I called while finding the room to spring our trap."
"Ahh…Felix?"
"Yes, and he will deal with him so our hands are clean."
Bond drives the two of them to Ducky's place to a panicked waiting Tanner. Bond heads back to meet up with Felix and Ducky's keys to drive the Morgan back home…Bond is looking forward to that.
It should also give M enough time to get the good doctor into bed…still hurts but if he is not in the house when it happens then that is far better than the alternative. As long as Ducky makes her happy…that is all that matters.
Bond drives to the allotted place and greets Felix. "Good to see you again…I have a present for you."
"So you say…is NCIS going to track me down for him?"
"I don't think so…if M has anything to say on the matter then definitely not."
"M's here? Where?"
"We are staying with the NCIS doctor…Mallard…he is British and M enlisted his help when I arrived bruised and beaten in her hotel room."
"So why did you rush over here…just to see your boss?"
"That organization I was telling you about was after her. Do you have a line on Quantum?"
"No…and it is worrying some of those I've spoken too…they are very glad you brought him to me and tell M to expect updates on any information he volunteers. How did you like working with NCIS? That particular unit has a bit of a reputation."
"They are a good group but Gibbs took a while to warm up to us."
"I thought he might…he hates all the secret stuff even if he hired a Mossad."
"How did M take the situation?"
Bond frowns and shakes his head. "As well as could be expected but there were unforeseen circumstances that led to her dating the good Dr. Mallard."
"Really! Wow…I did't know she was single…you do not seem happy about this."
"No…but if she's happy…I will just leave it at that."
"Something going on that I don't understand? Why should your boss dating be of concern to you?"
"Safety…issue."
"You know I've always wanted to meet her…the woman responsible for letting you off a leash once in a while to torment the world for the Queen."
Bond frowned. "Could you just drive me downtown to get the good Doctor's classic Morgan and be done with this touching reunion."
"OK…touchy…you would think M was an ex-girlfriend the way you're acting."
Bond climbs into Felix's car with the still passed out Gunn in the back.
"Come by tomorrow and you can meet M and hopefully give her a report to take home with us."
"I will see what I can do...I hate to miss an opportunity to meet the woman who has you this flustered James."
To be continued...