Italian sun strolled into the room bouncing off the subtle peach walls and warming the room. James opened his eyes to find Le Chiffre propped up on his right elbow with his free hand rubbing circles around his shoulder.
"You watching me in my sleep now?" James mumbled still half asleep.
"I like watching you sleep, you look so peaceful, my James." Le Chiffre was smiling.
"Pervert."
"I am wounded." Le Chiffre put a hand on his chest in mock outrage and then leaned down and placed a gentle, loving kiss to James' lips. "But I forgive you."
"Good." James kissed back, savouring the taste of the Albanian's mouth. When the kiss broke Le Chiffre looked almost upset. "What is it Le Chiffre?"
"I'm sorry my love but I need to meet Kratt we have some business to attend to."
"So we can't spend the day together?"
"No my James. I am sorry."
"Fine but I am still going to see the Colosseum and I want another kiss." The two chuckled before leaning into another love filled, open mouthed kiss.
Le Chiffre put off getting out of bed for as long as he could but soon he had to get dressed and go off on his mysterious business. James had asked what it was about but all Le Chiffre would say was that it was part of their trip to Dubai. James forced himself not to grow suspicious as Le Chiffre left in one direction and Bond in another.
XXXX
Lennox couldn't believe his eyes, almost a week in Rome with not a single lead and then one day out of the blue James Bond walked right past him. Len stood for a few seconds with his mouth open wondering if had really seen what he had just seen...he had. Agent Lennox charged off towards the unsuspecting 007, he eventually caught up with him in a small rather secluded alleyway.
"Bond." James turned as the word echoed off ancient bricks. "Bond, what the hell are you doing here M is going mad. Did you get away?" James' brow furrowed into a puzzled expression.
"Who are you?" He didn't sound like 007 and Lennox found alarm bells ringing.
"Bond its me Lennox." Len was beyond concerned. Was it some attempt to protect Lennox? No it couldn't have been. "Bond come with me I need to get you back to England."
"No."
"'No'? Don't kid, you are coming with me."
Lennox walked over to Bond and went to place a hand on his shoulder but James blocked the motion and opted to punch Len in the face, it was safe to say even with all his training he didn't see that coming. Bond's fist connected with Len's jaw splitting his lip and possibly fracturing his eye socket. It took a second for Lennox to come back to the present but a second punch helped him back. Len didn't know how but a rather brutal fight broke out. James' foot connected with the back of Lennox's knee knocking him to the floor, Bond's next punch was quickly blocked as Len kicked his stomach knocking him backwards and into a wall. He straightened himself and before James could make his next move slammed Bonds head back into the wall plunging him into darkness. The fight was short but it had most certainly knocked the air from Lennox's lungs, why had James attacked him? He didn't know. Something was seriously wrong with 007 but thankfully it was not his job to fix him, just to get him back to MI6 and M.
Len put pressure on his ear piece as he spoke. "I need transport, I have Bond. Repeat, I have 007."
XXXX
Villiers nearly jumped for joy upon hearing the news, M would finally be her old scary self and not her recent scary self. He put down the phone and charged up three flights of stairs and into her office not even bothering to knock. He gasped for air.
"Bond. Lennox. Found. Bond. Alive." M didn't speak just stared at the out of breath Villiers who was about to pass out.
"Where was he?"
Villiers didn't even get a thank you, just more demands and questions but he knew that deep down she was pleased and grateful.
"An hour out. We can give him a check up and a debrief then."
"Good. Cancel my afternoon, I want it devoted to Bond."
"Yes Ma'am."
Villiers left shutting the door behind him as though he had never been there and went off to make arrangements. Think I will take the elevator this time, yep do that. He told himself.