Raymond Benson - The World Is Not Enough

‘Of course you do,’ Bond said as Gabor and another man patted him and the girl down. Christmas looked at him as if to ask, ‘What now?’ Bond looked at her grimly.

A black sedan screeched around the comer and stopped.

‘We go for a ride now,’ Gabor said. ‘I’m sure Miss King would like to see you.’ He gave a high five to The Bull, then shoved his gun barrel into Bond’s back.

‘Your boss doesn’t like to be double-crossed,’ Bond said to The Bull. The big man replied by grinning broadly, revealing his shiny, gold teeth.

‘Zukovsky? He was a terrible boss. Long hours and no benefits,’ he said. ‘I got a new job now. More responsibility and better pay. Get in.’

Bond and Christmas got into the car, packed in between both bodyguards, and were taken away.

14 - One Last Screw

An innocent-looking launch coasted to the Maiden’s

Tower and docked. A tarpaulin was raised so that

Bond and Christmas, their hands bound, could be

led by The Bull and Gabor into their prison.

‘Move,’ The Bull commanded, his gun digging into Bond’s back.

Bond looked around furtively before being ushered inside, but there were no other vessels about that might have seen them.

Take it one step at a time, he thought . . .

They entered the ancient monument and stood in the magnificent entry hall. The light from the stained-glass windows created a sombre ambience that amplified Bond’s feeling of dread. The showdown would certainly take place here.

The sound of footsteps on the stone stairs alerted them to her presence. Elektra fluttered down and met them, much too jubilantly.

‘Welcome to Istanbul, James,’ she said. ‘Did you have a comfortable journey? I hope you haven't been mistreated. Yet.’ She looked at Christmas and said, ‘I see you’ve made a new friend. How lovely. We’ll make sure she gets the same first-class treatment that you do.’

‘You’re all heart,’ Bond said.

She smiled coldly at the two captives. ‘Take them upstairs,’ she told Gabor. ‘Don’t worry, James, I'll come and give you a proper hello in a moment. There’s something I must attend to first.’

Bond simply glared at her as the men shoved them forward.

Elsewhere in the monument, Renard checked his watch and nodded to his men.

‘That should be enough time,’ he said. ‘Let's go.’

They went down the passage to the hidden quay, hopped onto the platform and boarded the bridge of the submarine. They climbed through the open hatch and descended into the eerie, dark boat. It was like being in a sepulchre: the lighting was green and sickly and the silence was unnerving.

Renard made his way to the mess, where he found Captain Nikolai and several men hunched over the table or lying on the floor. Half-eaten sandwiches and empty glasses of brandy lay scattered around them. One man had vomited and was lying in the stench. They all wore a wide-eyed, frozen mask of terror.

‘The poison worked fast,’ one of Renard’s men said.

‘Take them up and throw them in the sea,’ Renard commanded. ‘Search the entire sub, we don’t want to miss anyone.’

As they dragged Nikolai away, his captain’s hat fell to the floor. Renard picked it up and put it on his head. A perfect fit.

‘We'll be underway in two hours. Use that time to ponder how rich you’ll be,’ he told his men.

One of them handed Renard the heavy lead case.

‘The plutonium, sir,’ he said, straining with the effort.

Renard took the box as if it was nothing. He had become stronger than ever. He handed it to Truhkin, who did his best not to show how heavy it was.

‘You’ll find the extruder in the chamber outside the reactor,' Renard said. ‘Better get to work.’

Truhkin grunted and moved through the hatch.

After they had scoured the ship, Renard disembarked and found Elektra waiting on the quay. He ordered his men to go up into the tower and get their things and be back in ten minutes.

‘The reactor is secured,’ he told Elektra. ‘Everything is ready. As planned. Is your helicopter ready?’

‘It’s coming to pick me up in a half hour,’ she replied.

He glanced around the chamber and saw that they were alone. He stepped closer to her and looked into her eyes. It was the moment he had dreaded for weeks. He reached out and lovingly caressed her hair.

‘This is the end,’ he said softly.

‘No. It is the beginning. The world will never be the same.’

‘I wish I could see it with you.’

She hesitated, but then said, ‘So . . . so do I.’

He could feel her reluctance to show him any affection. As much as he wanted to take her into his anus and kiss her, he resisted the urge. If she wanted to play it cool, then so be it.

Renard removed the captain’s hat. Despite the frozen half of his expressionless face, it was impossible to hide his sorrow. He attempted to touch her cheek but stopped himself - catching his hand in mid-air - and decided, instead, to wave her off.

‘The future is yours. Have fun with it.’

Renard handed her the hat, turned away and walked back to the sub.

Elektra watched him go with mixed emotions. She wanted to lash out at him, but at the same time she wanted to cradle the man in her arms. As he went through the hatch, he stopped and gave her one more longing look. She could have sworn there were tears in his eyes. She felt a lump in the middle of her chest, and for a few terrible seconds, she struggled against running to him.

Renard mouthed the word, ‘Goodbye,’ then disappeared into the sub. Elektra almost involuntarily cried out; she felt as if a part of her spirit was clawing its way out of her body. Damn it aU! she thought. She was above this! Now was not the time for weakness! She had no use for ‘feelings’ now!

Elektra coldly cast away whatever warmth she still had in her soul. From that moment on, her heart became a block of ice. It was a confusing and unpleasant sensation, and it made her angry to experience these emotions. She had to divert the rage before it consumed her, and she knew just where she could redirect it.

Following Elektra’s instructions, Gabor took Bond and Christmas to her bedroom and forced Bond to sit in an ornately carved, wooden straight-back chair. His hands were bound in cuffs attached to the sides of the seat. He struggled with them, but the cuffs kept him constrained Christmas was standing nearby with her hands tied in front of her, a guard watching her every move.

‘What happens now?’ Bond asked. ‘The old Gloating- Followed-by-Torture-Followed-by-More Gloating routine?’ Right on cue, Elektra entered the room, threw down the captain’s hat, crossed the floor and kissed Bond on the cheek as she eyed Christmas.

‘James Bond!’ she said, ever so sweetly. ‘If only you’d kept away, we might have met again in a few years and become lovers once more.’

Christmas furrowed her brow at this. Elektra tinned to her and said, ‘That’s right, dear. I said lovers. Don’t tell me that you thought you were going to get James all to yourself? Haven’t you heard? James Bond is the world’s biggest pig. He’s a sexy pig, I’ll grant you that, but he’s still a pig.’ She nodded to Gabor. ‘Take her to Renard and leave us alone. I’m sure he’ll find a way to amuse her for the last hour of her life. Say bon voyage, my dear.’

There was fear in Christmas’s eyes as the men took her away. After the door slammed shut, Bond could see their shadows move past the colourful stained-glass window and heard their footsteps echo in the stairwell.

Elektra moved to a large curved window that overlooked the whole of Istanbul.

‘Pretty thing,’ she said. ‘You had her too?’

Bond ignored the question.