Chapter Text
M stared at the phone after Bond hung up on her again. The next time she saw him she was going to give him an earful. She just hoped he managed to stop the bomb from reaching Skyfleet, or worse blowing up the bloody airport.
Throwing the phone down on her desk, she moved to sit in her chair, trying to focus her attention on the reports that were in front of her. No matter how much she tried, she kept thinking about Bond. That man caused her more trouble than a group of two year olds. She looked up when she heard a knock at the door to see Villiers in the doorway.
"Ma’am, we just received a call informing us that Bond managed to stop the bomb."
"Thank God for that. One less disaster I have to deal with."
"However, at the hotel Bond was staying at, they found the body of Dimitrios' wife, dead on the beach."
M let out a sigh. "This just bloody keeps getting better and better."
"Not only that, Miami police have arrested Bond. They think he was the one that tried to blow up Skyfleet."
"Of course they do." She massaged the sides of her temples, trying to dissipate the headache she could feel starting to coming on.
"Get me out to the Bahamas; this whole scenario has gotten out of hand. I am sending you to Miami, to get him out. I will be at the hotel, with a team of MI6 officers. The both of you can meet me there."
"Very well, Ma'am. We have also gathered information on Le Chiffre's whereabouts."
Villiers handed her the folder he had brought in with him. She took it from him and started to skim through it.
"Our sources tell us that he will be playing at Casino Royale in Montenegro. We could get Bond in there with him; he is the best poker player this agency has. The only problem is the funds."
"How much are we talking about, Villiers?" She asked looking up from the file.
"Ten million dollar buy in, and five million re-buy."
"They don't do things cheaply do they?" She debated with herself on what to do before finally making a decision.
"All right, we will put him in the game, and to make sure he doesn't cock it up, I'll monitor him from the hotel he will be staying at in Montenegro. So I need you to cover for me while I'm gone."
"Are you sure that's wise, Ma'am? Bond won't like it."
"I don't give a rat's arse what Bond thinks or likes; I run this agency. That aside, you had best get ready. Oh and while you are at it, get someone from technical to come with us. I want Bond tagged. It will help you and I to find him easily enough."
"Ma'am."
She watched as Villiers left her office. Picking up her phone, she dialled the National Treasury. After a few rings, they picked up. She asked whether she could talk to Nigel Patterson. Placing her on hold, she waited for the familiar voice to answer.
"Nigel Patterson."
"Nigel its M, I need that favour you owe me. An urgent matter has come up."
"You know I'll help when I can, M. How much do you need?"
"Ten million, plus five million on stand by."
"What are you planning to do? Build a nuclear weapon?"
"You know I can't disclose that information, Nigel."
" I know, M." He lets out a sigh. "All right, consider it done."
"Thank you, Nigel, you will get it repaid in a few weeks, plus interest."
"I need to send one of my employees for security purposes, I hope you understand, M."
"Yes, I thought you might. Make sure it is somebody you trust. I'll email you the details of where they have to meet us."
"Very well. Take care, M."
"Same to you, Nigel."
She set the phone back on the receiver and started to get everything ready that she would need for what lay ahead. Finally satisfied, she dialled Mitchell informing him to bring the car round front to take her home for some clothes she would need for the mission.
Grabbing her bag and coat, she left her office and made her way out of the building. The drive to her house did not take long. She quickly gathered the essentials she needed and put them in a case, then changed from her black suit into a mist green top, with matching skirt that sat below the knee with a pair of modest heels, complimented with a white jacket. Picking up her case she made her way back outside to where Mitchell was waiting with the car.
He took her case from her, and put it in the boot of the car, while M got in the back. The thought of the flight caused her to let out a groan; she never was too keen on flying long distances.
"How are we playing this, Ma'am?"
"You and a few agents will be on standby, a base will be established for you. If too many suits are swarming around the place, it will arouse suspicion."
"With all due respect, Ma'am. Would it not be more secure to have a guard in the same hotel as you? How will we know if you need backup?"
"I'll have Bond. If anything, all the attention will be placed on him, and as for the back up."
She reached into her bag, took out a small device the size of a pager, and showed it to him in the review mirror.
"My ring has a distress signal built into it, when I press it, the device will beep alerting you I need backup. The ring also has a built-in tracker, so you should be able to find me easily enough."
He reached out one of his hands for the device, which M handed over to him.
"Very well, Ma'am."
She gave him a nod, and turned to look out the window, watching the scenery pass by. It had been a while since she had last been out in the field, and she would probably have to attend a hearing if the arse-covering prigs found out about this. She mumbled a silent ‘finally’ when the car eventually stopped; the journey having felt never-ending.
She got out once Mitchell opened the door for her, and made her way over to Villiers, who was waiting by the steps of the plane.
"Did you get everything organised?"
"Yes. There will be an MI6 helicopter on site and two cars when we land. A base has also been set up in Montenegro, as requested."
"Very well, let's get this over with."
M made her way up the stairs with Villiers following behind. Taking their seats, Villiers handed over the documentation that she and Bond would need on the mission.
"There are passports for you, Bond and Miss Lynd. You will be under the alias of Emma Mawdsley."
"I take it our Miss Lynd is from the National Treasury?"
"Yes. There are also two earpieces for you and Bond, and keys for his Aston Martin DB5 that will be waiting for him in Montenegro. Train tickets are also enclosed. All you need to do is email your contact and inform him of the time so Miss Lynd can meet you. Lastly, laptop to access the CCTV cameras, I trust you know how to work it, Ma'am?"
"Yes, I bloody know well how to work it, and less of the cheek."
She placed the laptop on the table with the other documentation. They fastened their seatbelts as the plane was about to take off. Once in the air, M read over everything they had on Le Chiffre one more time to refresh her memory and for any last minute details. When she was finished, she threw the file down, and decided to try and get some sleep; she had a feeling should need it.
Before she knew it, Villiers, who told her they would be landing in a few minutes, was waking her. She hid a yawn behind her hand, and looked out the window as the sun was reflecting in. M felt the plane descend before it touched on the ground. She picked up the documentation, and laptop, and put them into the laptop bag that Villiers handed over to her. They both exited the plane, and M watched as Villiers made his way to the helicopter, while she headed for one of the cars waiting.
Getting in, she saw Mitchell sitting across from her. She took out the laptop, and sent a quick email to Nigel about the time and the train details so Miss Lynd could meet them.
She had to admit, it was a nice feeling to be away from the office and London, as she could not remember the last time she had gone on vacation. She looked back at the laptop screen and noticed she had a reply from Nigel, telling her that Miss Lynd would meet them on the train.
The car pulled up to the entrance of the hotel, and the MI6 team got out and took over from the crime scene. M walked over to the body of Demetrio's wife. The poor woman did not deserve this.
Making her way back inside, she went over to the agents analysing the CCTV footage.
"What have you got?"
"We have footage of Bond playing poker against Dimitrios. At 23:45, he leaves and goes outside. His wife and Bond follow shortly after. They go back to Bond's room, and Bond does what Bond does. He leaves at 00:14. At 01:18, a group of men enter Bond’s room and kill Solange, then dump her body on the beach."
"Do we know who these men are?"
"We have done a trace, but no results are coming up in our system."
"I thought as much. Take a look and see if you can find anything that may give us any leads. There is more here than what we are seeing."
"Yes, Ma'am."
She heard a helicopter approach. "Let's see what you have done to yourself this time, Bond," she murmured to herself.
Walking back over to the entrance, she saw Bond step out of the helicopter, and make his way over to Solange’s body. As she approached Bond, Villiers ran past her, on the verge of being sick. When she reached Bond, she took in his appearance. His face was covered in cuts, and it looked like he had not slept in God knows how long. She stopped at his side and looked back towards the body.
“Quite the body count you're stacking up."
Bond discretely looked at her from the corner of his eye. Although in boss mode, he noticed she seemed more relaxed. The Bahamas would be a good vacation for her, and seeing her in a swimsuit would be a bonus. He was brought out of his thoughts when she started to speak again.
"She was tortured first, and then killed. As you killed her husband, she was probably the only one left from whom they could get answers. Did she know anything that could compromise you?"
"No."
"Not your name, what you were after…"
"No." Bond knew that she would see right through the lie. She could read him like a book.
She turned away, and began to walk back into the hotel. Bond came out of his daze and followed her. They both made their way out the back, and began to walk along the pathway towards the gazebo.
"Dimitrios worked as a middle man, always knew how to put his hands on weapons, and people who could use them. He worked with anyone who had the money."
Bond saw a man approaching them in the opposite direction with a case.
"Oh good you're here." M motioned him towards the gazebo.
"Give him your arm, Bond."
Bond was looking at her wondering what she had planned. She opened the folder that was in her hand and showed him the photos within of Le Chiffre.
"We believe he is Albanian, chess prodigy and mathematical genius, who loved to prove it by playing poker."
Bond looked to the technician as he opened the case and pulled out a gun, which he placed on Bond's forearm. Bond felt a sharp pain, then the technician motioned Bond to place his arm in the scanner. He saw his heart rate, as well as his current location on the screen. She had him tracked. He turned, and gave her a slight smirk.
"So you can keep an eye on me?"
M looked at him indifferently, as she tried to prevent her own smirk from forming.
"Yes. That's one way of looking at it."
She turned away from him, and made her way over to the gazebo railing that was overlooking the pool. Bond watched her as she walked; taking in every curve of her body, and enjoying the view before him.
He followed her, and rested against the column next to the railing. He watched, captivated, as the sun's rays bounced off her face and hair, giving her a soft glow. He leaned back against the railing, unable to take his eyes off her. Her voice, washed over him, and it took all of his restraint not to close his eyes and just stand there lost in the sound of it.
"When they analysed the stock market after 9/11, the CIA discovered a mass shorting of airline stocks. When the stocks hit bottom on 9/12, somebody made a fortune. The same thing happened this morning, with the Skyfleet stock or it was supposed to. With their prototype destroyed. The company would be near bankruptcy. Instead, somebody lost over $100 million betting the wrong way."
"You believe that it is this man Le Chiffre." He had no doubt in his mind that it was; they would have to bring that bastard down.
"Yes, it would explain how he could set up a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale in Montenegro. Ten players, ten million dollar buy-in, five million re-buy, and the winner takes all. Potentially a hundred and fifty million."
"Good. Then we will know where he will be. Do you want a clean kill or to send a message?"
M refrained from rolling her eyes at his obtuse comment. "We need him alive. Le Chiffre doesn't have a hundred million to lose."
"So he was playing the market with his clients' funds? They won't like it when they find out it's gone."
She lets out a sigh, and motioned with her head for Bond to follow her.
"We can't let him win this game. If he loses, he will have nowhere to run. We will give him sanctuary in return for everything he knows. I am putting you in the game; replacing someone who is playing for a syndicate. According to Villiers, you are the best player in the service."
M stopped, and turned to look at him. His face was expressionless, but his eyes showed amusement.
"You knew I wouldn't let this drop, didn't you?"
"As much as I hate to admit it, I knew you were you. You may not care about the consequences, but I do, and I am the one that gets remanded by the PM, and the other government officials, about not keeping you in line."
"You deal with them wonderfully, M."
"Don't try to pull the charmer card it won't work. You had best get your things from your hotel room; we leave for the train in an hour."
"Wait! You cannot possibly be thinking of coming!"
"As a matter of fact I am. We are meeting a Miss Lynd on the train. She has your funds for the game courtesy of the National Treasury."
Bond reached out to grab M's arm to hold her in place when she was about to walk away.
"I am not letting you come on this mission. It is too dangerous for starters, what if something happens to you? I won't be able to watch you and keep my attention on the game."
"First of all, Bond, need I remind you that I'm your boss, and what I say goes? Just because I sit behind a desk doesn't mean I can't look after myself. Secondly, I will be staying in my hotel room so there will not be any danger to me, and I will have guards on standby. It will be Miss Lynd and Mathis that accompany you; I'm merely a second pair of eyes and ears."
"Wait, was that why you put a tracker in me, so you wouldn't have to leave your room?"
"Yes. It was also payback for hanging up on me."
"I'm not going to win this argument am I?"
"I'm not even going to answer that. Look, Bond, I appreciate that you care, but you just focus on winning this game so we can get Le Chiffre, and the answers we need."
"All right fine, but you're not leaving my sight until you're in that hotel."
M rolled her eyes "For goodness sake, fine. You want to hold my hand as well so I don't run off?"
She felt his hand grip hers. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
“You asked me if I wanted to hold your had, and here’s my answer.” He held up their joined hands between them.
"We had best get that train, wouldn't want to miss it." He started to walk away. M had no choice but to follow him.
They made their way toward the helicopter that would take them to the airport, then back to London in order to catch the train that would then take them to Montenegro, a two hour journey that did not sound appealing to her. Between the long hours travelling, as well as having to deal with an egotistical Bond for the duration of the trip, she was starting to think that perhaps she was making a mistake accompanying him.
Looking down at their joined hands, M had a feeling this mission would change them in many ways; for better or worse she did not know. She just prayed that it would not end in disaster.