Raymond Benson - Doubleshot

Bond was aghast. “You’re not serious.”

“Please don’t make me use force,” Hedy said. “I’m pretty good at what I do.”

“I believe you,” Bond said. He reached into his jacket.

“Carefully,” Hedy commanded.

Bond froze, then continued in slow motion. He brought out the PPK and tossed it on the desk.

“The knife?” she asked.

“Oh, right,” Bond muttered, and took the sheath off the back of his belt. “This really isn’t necessary, you know. I’d much rather be arrested by you two than the Moroccan police. I’ll be a good boy.”

“We’re just playing it safe,” Hedy said. She was definitely the “bad cop” of the two.

“I seem to have lost a Walther P99 in Tangier,” he said.

“Yeah, you left it on that ferry after killing those civilians,” Hedy said.

“No, I didn’t. I wasn’t there.”

“Sure,” Hedy said with a sneer.

“I’m sorry, James,” Heidi said with sincerity. “We might have had some fun together.”

“We still can,” Bond said. “It’s a long way to London.”

“Hush,” Hedy snapped. “We’ve got a car outside. We’re going to take a drive to the airport. There’s a plane that leaves in three hours. But first you’re going to shower and change out of those stinky clothes.”

“I must know what you think is going on,” Bond said.

“We don’t know what’s going on,” Hedy said. “All we know is that we have to escort you to London and hand you over to your chief.”

“You do know that was the Union headquarters that blew up this morning?” Bond asked.

“We had come to that conclusion but didn’t have proof,” Hedy replied. “Actually, our suspicions were focused on another part of town, the Central Market, southeast from here. Maybe what you found this morning could have been another entrance. Anyway, we were already in the process of coordinating a raid on the Central Market entrance with Interpol and the Moroccan police when all this business with you and the ferry happened. I guess that sorta screwed up our plans.”

“Sorry.”

“We were told that you had gone renegade, had joined the Union,” she added.

“That’s why you were in Casablanca, we thought,” Heidi said.

“Well, it looks like the Union might have suspected something and got the hell out of Dodge,” Hedy continued. “That building was completely empty. The police reports are still coming in. They’ve begun to explore it and apparently there’s some kind of underground complex. If I didn’t have to deal with you, I’d be one of the first officials in there to find out if it really was Union headquarters.” Hedy looked at him out the corner of her eye. “You sure you’re not Union?”

“I’m not a member of the bloody Union,” Bond said.

“I’d like to believe you,” Hedy said.

“I believe you,” Heidi added.

Hedy rolled her eyes. “My sister has a one-track mind.”

“Look,” Bond said. “There’s something … there’s something going on. Some kind of plot that the Union have cooked up. I’m a part of it. I can’t explain it, though. Not yet. If you take me to London, something terrible will happen. My hunches are usually pretty good.”

“We don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hedy said. “Better hit the shower so we can get going.”

“Wait a minute,” Bond insisted. “Listen to me. For the past few days, I’ve felt as if I’ve been knocked here and there like a pinball. Whoever committed those crimes in London and Tangier—he’s some kind of double. I think I’ve seen him. Once, in London. He looks just like me and he’s certainly Union. I’m also pretty damned sure that I’m being manipulated by them; to what end, I don’t know, but I would bet my life that there’s something monstrous behind everything that’s happened. The murder of Dr. Feare … the shootings on the ferry … the explosion in the medina today … They’re all connected somehow, and I think that this Spaniard, Domingo Espada, is involved.”

Heidi and Hedy looked at each other. “What do you mean?”

Bond reached into his pocket and pulled out the envelope he had taken from van Breeschooten. “I got this from one of the Union’s top men. He was responsible for recruiting—and killing—someone close to me at SIS. I tracked him from London to the very location where that explosion occurred this morning. As you can see, he had something to do with Espada.”

The girls looked at the bullfight ticket and the map. “What’s this ‘X’?” Hedy asked.

“I don’t know yet.”

“It’s not far from Marbella,” Heidi observed. “Domingo Espada’s home is just north of there. I think that ‘X’ marks the spot.”

“Hey, I think you’re right, Heidi,” Hedy said. They gave the material back to Bond. “The U.S. government is very concerned about Espada. We’ve been on alert ever since he started all the ruckus in Spain over Gibraltar. We’re afraid your people might get into a nasty scuffle with Spain over it.”

“We’re all afraid of that,” Bond said. “You’ve got to give me the benefit of the doubt. If I’m taken out of the picture, we’ll never know what’s going on. I’m a part of it, don’t you see? The Union needs me for something. If I don’t follow this scheme through to the end, then we’ll never know what it is.”

The girls were silent. Finally, Hedy said, “I want to talk to Heidi in the other room. Don’t try anything.”

“I wouldn’t dare leave,” Bond said. “Being with you two is the safest I’ve felt in days.”

When the girls went into the bedroom, Bond shut his eyes and tried to relax. They returned, and Hedy sat down in front of him. Heidi draped herself on the desk, one long leg bent like an inverted V.

“All right, James,” Heidi said. “We’re going to play it your way. But we’re going to have to clear it first.”

“You have to call your boss,” Hedy said. “You have to convince her. If she gives us the okay, then we’ll trust you on this one.”

“Give me the phone,” Bond said. He fought a wave of panic. Could he convince M that he was sane and not guilty of the crimes he was accused of? Would she allow him to continue this possibly aimless wild goose chase?

Hedy handed him a white phone. “It’s a secure line.”

Bond dialed the number and was put through to Bill Tanner.

“My God, James, are you all right?” The Chief-of-Staff sounded very alarmed.

“Yes, Bill.”

“I’m glad to hear that. We were very relieved a few minutes ago when we got the message that the CIA had found you. You have to come back, James. You know you do.”

“Bill, I didn’t do those things, and you know it.”

“I believe you. But …”

“No ‘buts,’ ” Bond said angrily. “You have to trust me. I’m on to something and must speak with M.”

“Certainly,” Tanner said. “I’m sure she’ll want a word.”

Bond waited a moment. He looked at the twins, who suddenly felt uncomfortable and exchanged glances, but didn’t bother to get up and give him some privacy.

“Double-O Seven.” The voice was hard.

“Ma’am.”

“Well? Are you on your way back to London with Agent Taunt?”

“Agent Taunt?” Bond asked.

“That’s what it says here, Double-O Seven, agent Hillary Taunt.”

“Are you listening, Bill?” Bond asked. He knew that Tanner monitored some of M’s phone calls when she gave him the order, and he was sure that this would be one of them.

“Yes,” came the voice, after a beat.

“I’m with … er, Miss Taunt, now,” Bond said. “If you insist on it, ma’am, yes, I will come back to London. However, I must ask that you hear me out first.”