Nobody Lives for Ever

12

ENGLAND EXPECTS

‘Macabre, Hawk’s Wing, I have you. Over.’

Steve Quinn’s voice sounded too steady for Bond’s liking, but he had to let him go through with it. The voice at the distant end crackled through the small speakers.

‘Hawk’s Wing, Macabre, routine check. Report situation. Over.’

Quinn paused for a second, and Bond allowed the muzzle of the ASP to touch him behind the ear.

‘Situation normal. We await developments. Over.’

‘Call back when package is on its way. Over.’

‘Wilco, Hawk’s Wing. Over and out.’

There was silence for a moment as the switch was clicked to the Receive position again. Then Bond turned to Kirchtum, asking if it all sounded normal.

‘It was usual,’ he said with a nod.

‘Right, Herr Doktor. Now you come into your own. Can you get something that will put this bastard to sleep for around four or five hours, and make him wake up feeling reasonable – no slurred speech or anything?’

‘I have just the thing.’

For the first time, Kirchtum smiled, easing his body painfully from the chair and hobbling towards the door. Half-way there he realised that he was wearing no shoes or socks and limped back to retrieve them. He put them on and slowly left the room.

‘If you have by any chance alerted Hawk’s Wing, you know that Tabby won’t last long once we’ve found you out. You do everything by the book, Quinn, and I’ll do my best for you as well. But the first person to be concerned about is your wife. Right?’

Quinn glared at him with the hatred of a traitor who knows he’s cornered.

‘This applies to your information as well. I want straight answers, and I want them now.’

‘I might not have the answers.’

‘You just tell me what you know. We’ll know truth from fiction in the long run.’

Quinn did not reply.

‘First, what’s going to happen in Paris? At the George Cinq?’

‘Our people are going for you. At the hotel.’

‘But you could have got me here. Enough people have tried already.’

‘Not my people. Not KGB. We banked on you coming down here after May and Moneypenny. Yes, we organised the kidnap. The idea was for us to take you on from here. Getting you to Salzburg was like putting you into a funnel.’

‘Then it wasn’t your people who had a go in the car?’

‘No. One of the competition. They took out the Service people. None of my doing. You seem to have had a guardian angel all the way. The two men I put on to you were from the Rome Station. I was to burn them once they saw you safely into Salzburg.’

‘And send me on to Paris?’

‘Yes, blast you. If it were anyone else but Tabby, I’d . . .’

‘But it is Tabby we’re thinking about.’ Bond paused. ‘Paris? Why Paris?’

Quinn stared steadily into Bond’s eyes. The man did know something more. ‘Why Paris? Remember Tabby.’

‘The rules are it’s to be Berlin, Paris or London. They want your head, Bond, but they want to see it done. We were out to claim the reward and just taking your head wasn’t enough. My instructions were to get you to Paris. The people there have orders to pick you up, and . . .’

He stopped, as though he’d already said enough.

‘And deliver the package?’

There was fifteen seconds’ silence.

‘Yes.’

‘Deliver it where?’

‘To the Man.’

‘Tamil Rahani? The head of SPECTRE?’

‘Yes.’

‘Deliver it where?’ Bond repeated.

No response.

‘Remember Tabby, Quinn. I’ll see Tabby suffers great pain before she dies. Then they’ll come for you. Where am I to be delivered?’

The silence stretched for what seemed to be minutes.

‘Florida.’

‘Where in Florida? Big place, Florida. Where? Disney World?’

Quinn looked away. ‘The most southern tip of the United States,’ he said.

‘Ah.’ Bond nodded.

The Florida Keys, he thought. Those linked islands that stretch 150 kilometres out into the ocean. Bahai Honda Key, Big Pine Key, Cudjoe Key, Boca Chica Key – the names of the most famous ones flicked through his mind. But, the southernmost tip – well, that was Key West, once the home of Ernest Hemingway, a narcotics route, a tourist paradise, with a sprinkling of islands outside the reef. Ideal, thought Bond. Key West – who would have imagined SPECTRE setting up its headquarters there?

‘Key West,’ he said aloud, and Quinn gave a small, ashamed nod. ‘Paris, London or Berlin. They could have included Rome and other major cities. Anywhere they could get me on to a direct Miami flight, eh?’

‘I suppose so.’

‘Where exactly in Key West?’

‘That I don’t know. Honestly, I just do not know.’

Bond shrugged as though to say it did not matter.

The door opened and Kirchtum came in. He was smiling as he flourished a kidney bowl covered with a cloth.

‘I have what you need, I think.’

‘Good,’ said Bond, smiling back, ‘and I think I have what I need. Put him out, Herr Doktor.’

Quinn did not resist as Kirchtum rolled up his sleeve, swabbed a patch on the upper right arm and slid the hypodermic needle in. It took less than ten seconds for his body to relax and the head to loll over. Bond was already busy with the straps again.

‘He will have a good four to five hours’ sleeping. You are leaving?’

‘Yes, when I’ve made sure he can’t get away once he wakes up. One of my people should arrive here before then, to see that he gets the telephone call from his watcher and relays it on to his source. I have to arrange that. My man will use the words, “I’ll met by moonlight.” You reply, “Proud Titania.” Got it?’

‘This is Shakespeare, the Summer Midnight Dream, ja?’

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream, ja, Herr Doktor.’

‘So, summer midnight, midsummer night’s, what’s the difference?’

‘It obviously mattered to Mr Shakespeare. Better get it right.’ Bond smiled at the bear-like doctor. ‘Can you deal with all this?’

‘Try me, Herr Bond.’

Five minutes later, Bond was heading back to the Saab. He drove fast to the hotel. In his room he called Nannie to apologise for keeping them waiting.

‘There’s been a slight change of plan,’ he told her. ‘Just stand by. Tell Sukie. I’ll be in touch soon. With luck, we’ll be leaving within the hour.’

‘What the hell’s going on?’ Nannie sounded peeved.

‘Just stay put. Don’t worry, I won’t leave without you.’

‘I should jolly well think not,’ she snapped, banging down the receiver.

Bond smiled to himself, opened up the briefcase containing the CC500 scrambler and attached it to the telephone. Though he was, to all intents and purposes, on his own, it was time to call for some limited assistance from the Service.

He dialled the London Regent’s Park number, knowing the line would be safe now he had taken out the team at the clinic, and asked for the Duty Officer who came on almost immediately. After identifying himself, Bond began to issue his instructions. There was information he wanted relayed fast to M, and on to the Vienna Resident. He was precise and firm, saying that there was only one way to deal with the matter – his way. Otherwise they could lose the chance of a lifetime. SPECTRE had made themselves into a sitting target, which only he could smash. His instructions had to be carried out to the letter. He ended by repeating the hotel number and his room and asked for a call-back as quickly as possible.

It took just over fifteen minutes. M had okayed all Bond’s instructions and the operation was already running from Vienna. A private jet would bring in a team of five – three men and two women. They would wait at Salzburg airport for Bond who should get clearance for a private flight to Zurich on his Universal Export passport B. Bookings were made on the Pan American Flight 115 from Zurich to Miami, departing at 10.15 local time. Bond thanked the Duty Officer and was about to close the line when he was stopped.

‘Predator.’

‘Yes?’

‘Private message from M.’

‘Go on.’

‘He says, “England expects”. Nelson, I suppose – “England expects that every man will do his duty.” ’

‘Yes,’ Bond replied irritably. ‘I do know the quotation.’

‘And he says good luck, sir.’

He knew he would need every ounce of luck that came his way. He unhooked the CC500 and dialled Nannie’s room.

‘All set. We’re almost ready for the off.’

‘About time. Where are we going?’

‘Off to see the Wizard.’ Bond laughed without humour. ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.’