Chapter 12
A car arrives as Tanner brings all the bags downstairs and hands them off to the two guards.
Felix Leiter quickly flashes his badge at the two armed men with very serious expressions on their faces.
Tanner walks forward and shakes his hand introducing himself.
"Nice to finally meet you agent Leiter, I am chief of staff Tanner."
"I thought I recognized your voice. Is James here?"
"M sent him on an errand and he should be back soon."
"Are you off somewhere?"
"M wants me to go make sure the plane is ready and in good order. I will not leave until Bond is here to watch her."
"Is she available to speak to me?"
"Yes, of course, please come in and meet her."
"Do I look presentable enough?"
Tanner smirks at the CIA agent and nods.
"Yes, you are. No need to be nervous M only bites the head off her own staff not agents of foreign nations…she is down right charming to them…"
"Oh I see…is that why we are at the home of the NCIS's doctor?"
"Yes…did Bond fill you in on her fledgling romance?"
"Romance? No I assumed that they knew each other from way back…so they are…"
"Yes…an item…Bond is less than amused. It has made him come forward with perviously unexposed feelings from what I was able to overhear."
"Really? This does complicate things…although it is hard to feel sorry for a man who finds beautiful women wherever he goes."
"Exactly…It is finally nice to see him get his comeuppance with a woman he cannot hope to have."
As Felix walks up to the porch of the house they begin to overhear an argument.
"You continue to divert the topic of conversation to something else M."
"No I do not! I have never…you are the one pushing me away!"
"No and stop being so stubborn. I am more than willing…I would bloody well marry you if you would let me…I would even come home for you. This is how hard I have fallen for you. It is you my dear that will say no…this is too much for you to acknowledge."
"How could you even think to propose to me after two days and a tumble in the sheets? It is as ridiculous as…as…"
"As James Bond being in love with you?"
"Yes…as that."
"It is very telling that you cannot even form the words my dear…you like his roguish behaviour and me thinks you doth protest too much, when it comes to your over protective agent."
"Enough…I cannot stay here and carry out this mission if you are going to pester me constantly with psychological posturing about my relationship with my staff…I suppose Mr. Tanner and I have had a secret fling for years as well. Is it that I am a woman in the big chair that bothers you Ducky?"
"No of course not…It is what drawn them too you."
"So the only way I can attract a man is because of my position?"
"NO I did not say that…you are stunningly beautiful and you know it!"
"I am average at best but the position draws them in…you said it yourself."
"I can see there is no hope…you push away what you refuse to acknowledge. I am going upstairs to read…feel free to use my home to plot your world domination in the name of MI6 and Britain."
Ducky begins to climb the stairs and pauses as M approaches.
"Ducky…I.."
"We had last night my dear…I wish for more but you belong elsewhere…with someone else."
Ducky climbs the stairs as M watches him. Tanner stands with Felix at the screen door and he clears his throat.
M jumps a bit at the sound and turns to face them.
"Oh…I suppose you heard the entire episode. Do come in and bring Felix with you…we have work to do."
M extends her hand to Felix which he grasps gently and brings to his lips. M smiles sweetly at the gesture.
The two men cautiously enter the home and follow M into the dinning room. Her box of photos and Tanner's laptop are all that remain to load into the car.
"It is good to finally meet you face to face agent Leiter."
"The pleasure is all mine ma'am and I must say…James never told me how attractive you are in person."
M scoffs. "I'm sure the term evil queen of something or other graced his lips a few times in your presence Mr…."
"Please all me Felix ma'am…It would be my pleasure to have my name grace your lips M."
"Are all agents this flirty?"
"Perhaps it's only in your presence because I am usually not struck dumb by my superiors."
"You are not struck dumb here either."
"Oh but I am. I usually speak and joke much more than this…just ask James…he is the silent one but now I see why."
"Why is that Felix?"
"James Bond does not want the world to know what a looker his boss is so he refrains from comments to make us believe you are a homely shrew."
The three of them laugh as a voice echoes from the porch.
"Talking about me again Felix?"
M looks at the door expecting the guest that Bond was to bring to her.
"Where is the package I asked you to bring to me?"
Just then Ducky descends the stairs and gathers some things nodding to Bond and extending a hand to Felix in greeting.
"I am to bring your parcel to base…NCIS will keep her safe from this sort of intrigue for the cooperation Galvin has shown us."
M frowns and places her hands on her hips.
"What cooperation? I have not received a call."
Jethro, Tony, Ziva and FBI agent Fornell are on their way here to explain it all to you. Goodbye Bond, Tanner, Mr. Leiter and M…it was... a pleasure and could you please lock up when you leave?"
M frowns as she realizes that her insurance policy and her failed romance have just left her. She will remember him fondly if she manages to survives the day.
Bond looks at the man confused as he turns and abruptly leaves his home. Bond turns to M to see her smile wanly looking sad and shrugging her shoulders.
Ducky drives away with Mrs. Galvin. Tanner gathers the box of photos and his laptop.
"Hold a second Mr. Tanner."
M moves over to the box and removes a photo and leaves it on the dinning room table for Ducky.
"Please take the car and go to the airport and give me a report on what you observe. You and the guards sweep the area and we will join you later."
"Yes ma'am."
Bond frowns. "I will see him off."
Tanner leaves the house and Bond follows as M settles into the sitting room with Felix.
"Tanner what the hell is going on?"
"Felix and I overheard an argument…he wants to marry her but…"
"She is still not over Nigel."
"No…Ducky says that she is in love with another."
Bond looks shocked at first but then the corner of his mouth twitches into a smirk.
"Really…I wonder who that could be?"
Tanner rolls his eyes. "So help me god, if you hurt her Bond I will do everything in my power to see you destroyed."
"Me…why…what would I do to her…come now Tanner."
"She is far more emotionally delicate than she lets on…I knew this affair was just a fling…she likes the man but she does not love him as much as he apparently loves her."
"Ducky is that smitten with her already?"
"Yes…Bond, she has him bound in knots…you saw how he was just now and he is pushing her into your unsavoury arms for you to use and throw away as soon as you've had her."
Bond looks at Tanner intently with very sever posture.
"Tanner…I would never…will never treat her like that! You do me the injustice of thinking that how I act on a mission is how I perceive and treat women…that is all an act…for the job only. I have been desperate to get her to see that for months now."
Tanner nods. "See that she gets home safe and we can all rest a bit easier tonight."
"I will."
Bond turns and enters the house to hear Felix laughing at something M just said.
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NCIS
Gibbs enters the bull pin area. "I just got off the phone to Ducky and he is going to drive Mrs. Galvin over here and keep her safe."
Tony speaks up next. "What is the game plan boss…they are going to attack Ducky's house if we don't get there to stop them…"
"I know that DiNozzo…you two gather your gear. Fornell you're with me and MGee you coordinate from here with Ducky and Abby."
"OK boss…I will call Abby up now."
Fornell looks confused. "The CIA is going to attack and try to kill the head of MI6 at Ducky's house and we are going to go and do what exactly Jethro?"
"I'm playing this by ear…I have a feeling that they don't want her dead…they are trying to pin terrorist activities that they have caused on her for some sort of revenge."
"So we are taking her away from Ducky's?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"I don't know yet."
"This sounds like a dangerous plan Jethro."
"I don't think it is a plan at all yet…it will evolve but the real challenge will be getting M to go along with it."
"This M…what is she like? Tony says that she's…vavavoom and that Ducky is…well…involved."
They climb into the car and Gibbs tilts his head to the side.
"M is not easy to describe…I will let you meet her and then you tell me."
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Tony and Ziva are driving to Ducky's in their car.
"Ziva…I did not like the sound of the Duck man's voice when he called in. It was on speaker in Abby's lab when the boss man spoke to him…all is not well with him…classic heartbreak scenario."
"Really? I thought the two of them were perfect for each other."
"Me too but I think that Ducky may be trying to move too fast too soon…but then again he only has three days with her. I guess you have to move fast with those kind of time restraints. He sounded low…Abby heard it too. The poor girl was in tears by the time the boss hung up the phone."
"M lives in a different world from Ducky not just a different country. We will have to do something to cheer him up."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Felix goes over the information that he has gathered on agent Gunn and his uncle…Mr. White. The connexion makes it obvious to the three of them that revenge is the motivation for all this chaos.
"We need to go…find some place to lay low before they get here."
"I agree 007 but where and we should at least remain until NCIS comes to debrief. We owe it to Ducky to give his people the opportunity to put this case to rest and prove Gunn's involvement so that they can console the families of the marines that died because of us."
"Well, I hope they get here soon so I can get you somewhere safe…any ideas Felix?"
"Gunn will know of any CIA safe houses…maybe the NCIS or FBI could have one that can hide you for the next 6 hours until you are to leave."
"I have moved our departure to 4 from 8 so it is not that long."
"M it will seem like a lot longer if we are running for our lives."
"What else can I do…board a ship and take that back to England?"
"That might be a good idea. I will call Q."
"I was joking 007."
"Yes but just think of it…if the Royal navy is close enough we can send Tanner home by plane and you and I will helicopter to one of her majesty's ships and go home the long way."
"Bond, you're not trying to….it would be too long and I get seasick."
"Trying to spend some quality time with you on a cruise…maybe but if all you're going to do is hang over the side…then I will take my luck with the CIA and fly home on the company jet."
Bond's mobile beeps and he smiles. "Q says that we can get a lift on an aircraft carrier near the Bahamas."
"Let's shelve that for a back up plan please. What do you have for weapons?"
"Standard Walther and clips…your Derringer and whatever Ducky has around the house. You Felix?"
"Standard service revolver and clips…I was not expecting a shoot out at the OK corral when I came over here."
"NCIS will be similarly armed but they may not get here on time."
As that's said the sound of cars approaching brings Bond and Felix to the front door. Bond pushes M behind him and draws his gun as Felix does the same.
To be continued...