Agent 010: Spies At War
by Matthew Holmes

My spy series continues with the sequel to “Agent 010: Atmosphere.”

This is a fan fiction spin-off series of Daniel Craig’s James Bond film “No Time To Die.”

SPIES AT WAR

New York City, New York

Mathilde Bond, Agent 010, is part of a security detail at the UN Headquarters in Manhattan, New York City. Patrolling from behind the scenes had been paramount for all the secret agencies across the globe because of the magnitude of the event to establish a New Alliance of Nations. The British Prime Minister has even requested Director Arway to send the best agents to watch over their ambassador. Standing alongside Mathilde, watching the video monitors, is Lexi Garcia. She and Mathilde are close friends since they met in Greece and teamed up on a mission together in Hawaii, ending the reign of Atmos. Lexi is a CIA agent and running point on the comings and goings of everyone from dignitaries to the working staff.

The Assembly is gathered in the main hall when a dozen soldiers in camouflage uniforms, wearing British flag shoulder patches, break in from a side door armed with machine guns. They fire into the crowded room of ambassadors. It’s a panic as police officers fire back at the shooters, and people scramble to get out of the assembly area. Mathilde and Lexi see what’s happening on the security videos and bolt out of an undercover news van they are stationed in for their operation. The shooters are satisfied with their act of terrorism, killing some of the trapped ambassadors along with many police officers and UN workers, leaving from where they came from. Mathilde and Lexi run towards a side entrance as Lexi flashes her officer’s badge at a security guard, who waves them through as he’s guiding people out of the chaos.

Before entering the building, Mathilde spots the terrorists located at a back entrance and tells Lexi that she sees them. They run together at the shooters while pulling out their pistols. Three of the shooters see them from a distance and point their machine guns at the two agents. At the same time, the others open a sewer manhole cover and are climbing down in a line below the surface. Mathilde and Lexi shoot at them, first killing two of the terrorists who are about to fire their weapons. The third shooter pulls the trigger, and the machine gun sprays out bullets that fly, ricochet, and hit surfaces around Mathilde, but Lexi isn’t as fortunate. She’s hit with multiple gunshots that knock her down into Mathilde. Both women are on the ground. The terrorist stops firing, not wanting to be left behind and gets away into the sewer, closing the manhole. Mathilde is kneeling on the ground with a dying Lexi in her arms. The American agent takes her last few breaths of life, smiles warmly up at her and passes away. Mathilde Bond holds onto Lexi’s lifeless body in her embrace, not wanting to let her dear friend go….

MI6 Underground Headquarters

London, England

“The American government holds the British government responsible for what has happened at the UN. They have effectively ended our alliance that we’ve had as nations for over a century. Plus, with global satellites mysteriously shutting down, the entire world is also blaming us. All I see is paranoia everywhere online. People think we’re trying to take over the world and that we’re now a rogue state,” comments Dax, looking at Director Arway and Mathilde Bond. The Director explains, “This is classified, but on top of everything else going on, two of our lead agents have been killed in Washington D.C. The CIA believes they’re responsible for taking out American satellite capabilities, and they leave a bloody mess at our safe house, leaving no survivors. So, it looks like we got you out of the States just in time. Never could I have imagined the Americans would do this to us while denying it in public, but here we are.” Mathilde says, “they’re now targeting agents. This is terrible. What can we do to stop this?” Her boss replies, “we don’t have much choice but to stay home in England. Try to find these terrorists and if they are indeed here, prove to the world it’s them, not us. The mission is simple. You’re going to have to go it alone for this one. I can’t afford grouping up agents to work together only to be killed in one takedown. Find the terrorists, bring them to justice, or put them out of their misery.” The Director gives the two a stare, walks away, and leaves the area. Dax looks to Mathilde and says, “I’m glad you’re alright. I’m sorry about your American friend, Lexi. These times are dangerous, Mathilde, so I want to make sure you have what you need out there in the field.”

Dax walks over to a clothes rack and takes a woman’s black jacket off a hanger. He hands it to Mathilde and begins to describe it in detail: “This is a new woman’s black jacket. Notice it has a metal zipper that goes up and down, a water-resistant coating, multiple front pockets, and two lower pockets for your hands to rest in for maximum comfort.” Mathilde laughs and comments, “I can see that, Dax.” He thinks about what he was just saying and replies, “of course. Now here’s where things get interesting. The jacket is reversible and armed to the teeth.” She flips the jacket inside out, and it reveals a tactical setup with two pistols, ammo clips, grenades, and knives in pockets, straps, and holsters as Dax says, “The perfect jacket for a night out on the town. Don’t you think?” Mathilde puts it on and answers, “it’s what I always wanted.” Dax warns her, “government leaders across the globe are blaming us, so who knows who’s out there right now in the shadows. Also, my tech is down, so I’m not going to be able to do much from my station. Arway wants you to exit taking the tube. Please take care and make sure to bring the items back in one piece.” Mathilde says, “You’re coming with me, Dax.” He is startled by what she says but replies, “Arway said agents shouldn’t be going on missions together.” Mathilde comments, “she meant field agents shouldn’t be working together, and the last I checked, you’re not a field agent.” Dax thinks about it, adjusts his glasses, and says, “Okay. I’m in.”

Mathilde and Dax walk out of the main room of the deep underground headquarters and enter a hallway to an elevator. They take it for a short ride up and get out at a London Underground station. As they reach a side platform waiting for a ride, Dax asks, “Where do we start our quest? My watch says eleven.” Mathilde glances at him, looks ahead, and says, “At the top.” Dax is surprised and questions, “you’re not saying what I think you’re saying? What about just telling Arway and having her look into it? If you want to get into the affairs at 10 Downing Street, we might as well just turn ourselves in now.” Mathilde replies, “I only want to have a chat with our Prime Minister in private. I did save his life after all. I think he’ll be happy to see me.” A train pulls up, and the doors open. Both of them enter an empty subway car and stand. The doors close, and it accelerates like a rocket blasting off. They both grab a rail, holding on as it hovers off and on the rails. Dax says, “Our current speed is three times faster than it should be in this section of the tunnel.” The tube tracks shift, and the train makes a sharp turn, going in a new direction. Dax comments, “Mathilde, whatever is happening, this is a setup.” She answers, “I was afraid you’d say that. Hold on tight. Stay here, Dax.” He replies, “I’m not taking a back seat. I’m going with you.” Mathilde nods in affirmation and takes off her jacket, turning it inside out, revealing its weapons. She then puts it back on and pulls out a pistol. Mathilde asks, “Are you armed?” He grins and replies, “I’ll be all set.” The two agents begin to make their way towards the front by going through connecting doors on each car as the train speeds down the tube.

They only get a couple of train cars ahead from where they started when the train is pulling into a station. Mathilde looks out the windows and sees the armed terrorists waiting on the platform. She yells to Dax, “Get cover! It’s the UN shooters!” He dives down across the way, and Mathilde crouches on one knee just to the side of the doors as the train comes to a stop. The sliding doors open, and a large group of six henchmen wearing camouflage uniforms with British flag patches on their shoulders are standing with machine guns pointed at the opening. The lead henchman, in a South African accent, yells, “Come out, come out wherever you are! It’s all in good fun, agents!” The henchmen chuckle together. While they aren’t paying attention because of their laughing, Mathilde jumps above a seat and fires a shot that breaks through the glass and hits a henchman in the neck, dropping him down in agony. Mathilde squats back down and says, “one down, five to go.”

Dax gives her the thumbs up. The lead henchman yells, “You’re going to pay for what you’ve done!” He signals his soldiers to enter the train car, but suddenly they hear running down the escalator of the station. It’s Tommy and two CIA agents firing at them, so they return fire and battle on the platform. The gunfight goes in between columns, with bullets hitting and missing agents and henchmen. Tommy yells out, “For New York!” He fires his pistol and kills two henchmen in a row, but Tommy gets hit by machine gun fire and slumps down the side of a column. The other henchmen scramble to get into the train car for cover while looking ahead for Mathilde and Dax. The lead henchman surprises Mathilde by having his machine gun pointed at her before she can aim her pistol at him, but he doesn’t see Dax on the other side of the car who has already pressed his watch that emits a huge bolt of electricity. The power knocks the lead henchman to the floor in a spasm of pain, causing him to let go of his gun as the metal conducts more shock into him. Mathilde gets her pistol out and aims at the other two henchmen, who don’t know where to look and shoots them dead with head shots. The two remaining CIA officers arrive at the opening of the train doors as Mathilde and Dax are dragging out the injured lead henchman. The other five henchmen are all dead, but Tommy has also died.

Mathilde tells one of the CIA officers to go check who was driving the train. The American jogs up the platform and looks into the lead car. It’s empty. Walking back to where the other agents are, he says, “Nobody’s there.” Dax comments, “curious.” Mathilde gives the lead henchman to the CIA agents, and they hold him up and handcuff the captured terrorist. She walks down the platform to see Tommy’s dead body slump up against a column. Mathilde is looking down at him but hears people walking down the escalator. Turning to see who it could be and pointing her pistol at the area, Director Arway is standing on a step as the escalator is bringing her down with London Police and agents running down the parallel side. Arway says, “Hardly a day goes by without someone dying next to you, Agent 010.” Mathilde replies, “Tommy’s sacrifice was not in vain. He’s a hero. The terrorists are killed and captured, plus we have a prisoner to question down the platform.” Arway gives her a stare of confidence, then sternly walks by her side, commenting, “let’s see what this murdering lowlife has to say for himself.” Arway thanks Dax for his radio tracker glasses and then puts the attention onto the prisoner, declaring, “I’m here to personally question you. If you ever want to see the light of the day again, you will answer everything I ask.” The lead henchman prisoner speaks out bluntly in his South African accent, “there’s nothing to question. I get paid millions by the Diamond SPECT Corp. to protect their assets. I’m just a gun for hire.” Arway questions, “how did you know our location underground and take control of a train and station?” The lead henchman smiles, saying, “orders from above, Director. Orders from above.” Arway replies, “take him away.”

The London police take control of custody and begin walking the prisoner out of the station. Arway says to the CIA agents, “Go report the facts to your boss. We have video surveillance of the terrorists and will soon get a confession. Until then, I advise you to leave England.” They nod and leave the station, following the police.

Director Arway is now standing with Mathilde and Dax in silence. Mathilde is about to question what the lead henchman meant by his comment when Arway says, “Prime Minister Frederick and his wife have disappeared flying back from Paris, where he was supposedly trying to smooth our alliance over with the French. We believe he may be involved in everything from the satellite shutdown to the attack at the UN.” Dax looks at Arway in disbelief. Mathilde is frustrated and walks a few steps away with her hands on her hips. She comments, “I knew something was up with that guy. In Maui, it seemed too convenient for him to be tied up one moment and then gone the next without any explanation.” Arway declares, “he seems to be a slippery one, and now our top priority is bringing him to justice. You both need some rest. Until I figure out what our next move is, take care of yourselves.” Arway motions for the cleanup crew to get started on the bodies. Mathilde turns her tactical jacket around to the normal stylish outer jacket. Dax and her then exit the London Underground Station. It’s midnight with a clear sky of stars. Dax comments, “I’m a little shaken up, Mathilde.” She looks at him, and he’s sweating, and his hands are shaking more than usual. Mathilde asks, “How about unwinding at my place? It’s fairly close by, and I’ve got the best cold shower in town.” Dax replies, “make that a hot shower, and you’ve got a deal.” Mathilde laughs and says, “I think I can arrange that.” She puts her arm around his arm, and they begin walking to Mathilde’s flat, which is a few minutes away. She asks how his hands were injured, and he tells her he was bullied as a kid. Dax talks about the terrible event that left his hands scarred and shaking ever since the day it happened. He explains the bullies held his hands up against a school locker door and kept slamming it against his hands. They were jealous of his perfect grades, keyboard typing speed, and being half their age but in the same grade. He talks more about it as Mathilde listens. She then opens up about how she spent her childhood with only her mother and had to learn to defend herself from bullies throughout the years. They both talk about growing out of their circumstances and the crazy night they had as they arrived in front of her building.

Later on, in Mathilde’s flat, there are empty packages of microwave meals and Bloody Mary ingredients strewn out on the kitchen table, with the shower running on hot. Dax’s glasses made it as far as a hallway shelf leading to the bathroom as the two spent the night together.

The next morning, Dax is sleeping in late as Mathilde is getting ready to go to their work headquarters. She puts the rest of her clothes on and kisses him on the cheek. She gives him one more look before heading out of her apartment, having left a note saying to rest up as long as he needs to.

MI6 Headquarters

Director’s Office

London, England

Mathilde Bond sits, waiting for Director Arway to enter the office. After a few minutes, her boss briskly walks in and sits down at her desk. Arway mentions, “I hope the rest of your night was restful.” Mathilde replies, “very.” She gives her a look and says, “Right.” There’s an awkward pause. Arway continues the conversation, saying, “we’ve looked into the Diamond SPECT Corp in South Africa our prisoner is claiming to have been paid by. They seem to be a legitimate business importing diamonds to Japan. I still want you to check it out and report back to us with what you find. My staff outside will provide you with a plane ticket and the necessary details once you arrive at your destination. That is all.” Mathilde nods and gets up, walking towards the door when Arway remarks, “Thank you for last night, Mathilde. You and Dax helped put an end to those terrorist bastards.” The two women nod to one another in understanding as Mathilde leaves her office, closing the door.

Polokwane, South Africa

The British Airways passenger plane lands in Polokwane, South Africa, with Mathilde on board. She had decided to dress comfortably for the hot weather, wearing sunglasses, a soft white shirt, tan khakis, brown shoes, and a straw fedora hat she liked for the shade and anonymity. Mathilde looks like any other tourist. Once the plane pulls up to its designated gate and unloads, she proceeds to the arrival entrance of the airport. Standing on the sidewalk, looking out at the many vehicles picking up travelers, she wonders who Director Arway has made arrangements with this time. A Japanese woman walks up from behind her and stands at Mathilde’s side. She is sharply dressed in a pantsuit, with her hair being held up by kanzashi hair sticks. Young, fit, and beautiful, the woman remarks, Youu’ve come a long wa, Agent 010. I’ve seen your photo, but I didn’t catch your name.” She looks at the young woman, then casually says, Bond. Mathilde Bond, and you are?” In a serious tone, the young woman answers, “Endo. Mayumi Endo.” Mathilde smirk, and they both laugh. Mayumi says, Ourr leaders from Japan’s Ministry of Defense train us to get to know our allies, like when meeting someone new it’s important to, how do you say, ice breaking?” Mathilde says, “something like that. So, Mayumi, I want to check in on the SPECT Corp just north of here. How can you help me do this?” Mayumi comments, “ah, yes, your team requested for me to get you a ride with the fixings, and so I’m here to do just that. Follow me, Mathilde.” The two agents cross the road and walk to a parking area nearby. Mathilde says, Pleasee, anything but a minivan.” Mayumi points ahead and says, Howw about this one?” A gray minivan is sitting in one spot, but at another spot just to the right sits a brand new orange Nissan GT-R Nismo sports car that Mayumi is walking towards. She questions, Youu are pointing at the GT-R, aren’t you?” Mayumi replies, “yes, we provide our partners vehicles courtesy of Japan’s highest authority and corporate sponsors. You’ll also find that everything is fine here, but you will at least get a nice joy ride out of all of this,” as she tosses the keys to Mathilde. She grabs them in the air while looking at the Nissan and says, Thankk you. I’ll take it from here.” The young agent slightly bows in courtesy, turns away, and walks back to the airport, leaving Mathilde with the sports car and her upcoming trip to the diamond operation north of the airport.

Mathilde steps into the Nissan GT-R sports car and sits down in the driver’s seat. There is a laptop and a small case on an extended arm stand on the passenger side. She clicks the touchpad, turning on the computer. The directions to the Diamond SPECT Corp. headquarters are on the screen. Mathilde then opens the small case, and there is a Walther PPK/S pistol with several clips of ammo. She picks it up, looks at the pistol in the light, and is satisfied with the new weapon. Mathilde puts it back down and presses the ignition button on the car, and the engine revs up loudly. Following the directions on the laptop, she gets on Route 521, driving north towards the border of Botswana. The two-lane road is in decent condition, with massive game farms on both sides. Mathilde is passing what little traffic there is in the speedy sports car when, from a large farm entrance, a group of vehicles enters the road driving in her direction. She doesn’t see them as three Land Rovers, two Ford Mustang police cars, and two Toyota Tundras with a man in each truck bed begin speeding up to her sports car.

The two trucks take the lead and get side by side, taking up both lanes of the road. All the vehicles are catching up to Mathilde’s position. Before she can react to what’s happening, the men in the back of the two trucks stand up with machine guns and start firing at Mathilde’s car. The bullets hit the back of the Nissan, blowing out the brake lights and cracking holes in the rear windshield. Also, the machine gun spray is hitting the road, and sandy dirt at the sides is kicking up dust. Mathilde swerves to try to avoid the onslaught of gunfire, but there’s enough traffic where she can’t speed away. The Ford Mustang police cars put on their lights and sirens, going ahead of the trucks, getting up close to Mathilde’s GT-R. They position their cars on each side of her Nissan, and their passengers put the windows down, pulling out shotguns. Mathilde sees what they’re doing, so she slams on her brakes as both men shoot their shotguns. They just miss her car and instead hit the opposite Mustang. The force of the blasts goes right through the side doors, hitting each passenger and killing the and knocking their bodies into the drivers. The impacts push and turn the steering wheels to the sides of the road, crashing both cars and leaving them out of the chase. Mathilde replies, Nott a good day to ride shotgun.”

Taking the action of pressing down on the brakes gives the group of Land Rovers time to swarm around her car, but ahead of Mathilde, there is traffic backed up going through a flooded part of the road. She puts her car in the middle of the road with one Land Rover following behind, while the other two vehicles separate away. They drive outside the lanes of the road and into the flooded waters. There is barely enough room to squeeze through the stopped cars as Mathilde maneuvers going in between them. The chase continues with the sides of Mathilde’s GT-R scraping and smashing up against both sides of traffic. The Land Rover following Mathilde doesn’t fit in between the traffic, crashing into cars on both sides of the road. The driver isn’t wearing a seat belt and smashes up against the windshield. The other two Land Rovers are spraying water out from the front and sides, traveling through the deeper waters of the flood. The traffic dissipates as the Land Rover drivers pivot their vehicles and aim themselves at Mathilde’s car, which is on the narrow, unflooded section of the road. Mathilde has an idea and quickly turns her car 180 degreesbackwards, smoothly sliding with the help of the water on the road. Driving in reverse, she rolls down her windows and pulls out the Walther PPK/S pistol. The two Land Rovers are about to collide and ram her car from each side of the flooded road when Mathilde fires the pistol. The shots hit the two front tires of a Land Rover, flipping and rolling the vehicle in a sideways forward motion. Mathilde revs the engine of her car, speeding ahead of the other Land Rover that is lagging behind due to the floodwaters. The tumbling Land Rover, whose tires she shot out, rolls at a fast speed into the other Land Rover. The crash puts the two vehicles into deeper water, and both are smashed up from the impacts. Mathilde turns her car in another 180-degree move that quickly sets her driving forward again. She is determined to find out what’s going on and drives faster toward her destination.

Mathilde sees a large sign that reads SPECT Corp. Diamonds and pulls into the entrance with a security gate, but it’s open. She drives through and follows the road. Up ahead is a large building with a driveway that looks to be the place. There’s a half circle of black SUVs with men in suits at the sides and a man and woman in front waiting for her. Mathilde pulls up to the area, tucks the gun behind her back, and gets out of the car. She walks towards the man and woman standing in the middle of the pack of men in suits. “That’s far enough, Bond,” comments Dr. Fynos Frederick. The Prime Minister’s wife lifts her pistol and points it at her husband standing next to her. The group of men in suits pull out pistols and aim them at Mathilde. Not understanding the scene around her, Mathilde asks, Whatt is this?”

Prime Minister Frederick speaks up, Thankk you for saving me in Hawaii. I’ve been swindled into this mess by SPECTRE! Atmos, the satellites, the UN. It has been them all along!” Dr. Fynos says, Shutt up! The only mess is from you and this pain in my ass MI6 agent. I’ve been cleaning up after both of you like spoiled children. It’s so difficult being married these days,” and shoots the Prime Minister in the chest. He falls down, holding his body, squirming in pain. Mathilde pulls out her gun, aiming it at the Prime Minister’s wife. The henchmen begin walking towards her with their guns out as Dr. Fynos threatens, saying, Surrenderr now 010, and I won’t go after Arway and your supplier boytoy with the full might of SPECTRE. You need to think of others and not just yourself. I know you’ll do the right thing.” The Prime Minister stops moving on the ground, passing out. Dr. Fynos looks down at him and comments, “I guess I’m a widow now. Poor me.” She smiles, looking up at Mathilde, and asks, Whatt’s it going to be? You kill me, and then my men kill you?”

She puts her hand up and twirls it in the air, signaling for most of the henchmen to get in their vehicles, while two stay next to her, still pointing their guns at Mathilde. A sinister Dr. Fynos says, “I’m afraid this is what happens when a blunt instrument like yourself goes up against a sharp blade like me. No one knows what to do besides killing one other. I’ve had to be the British government’s advocate for so long; it’s refreshing to be free from that bullshit. Maybe you should try it on for size?” Mathilde replies, “we’re spies at war, not allies.”

Dr. Fynos comments, Ohh, Bond, you’re just like your father. A lapdog to the crown. I’m not a spy like you. You’re expendable and blind for not seeing how they use you. You should’ve stayed away from your father’s profession. I know how that ended up for him, you, and your mother. You should have gone to college like me. A Ph.D. in economics has certainly come in handy with my organization. Lawrence even saw the potential and investment in SPECTRE, but you decided to kill him.” In a quick motion, Mathilde shoots the henchman on Dr. Fynos’ right side. The doctor grabs the henchman on her left side, putting him in front of her body. It surprises him as he fires his gun at her and the bullet misses. Mathilde shoots at him but hits the henchman. Dr. Fynos is walking backward towards an SUV, still using the injured henchman as a human shield. The other henchmen in the group of SUVs open fire at Mathilde from their windows, forcing her to retreat to her car. Dr. Fynos throws the injured henchman to the ground, leaving him there. A back door of an SUV opens up, and she hops in the back seat. The group of vehicles departs with a couple of henchmen still firing at Mathilde while she’s using her car door for cover, shooting back at them.

The SUVs get away, leaving the diamond complex. Sirens turn o, and warning lights flash at the entrance and inside the building. Mathilde gets up from her crouched position inside the car door and rushes over to the struggling prime minister. Sliding down on the ground, she checks his pulse, looking at his pale face. With his eyes slightly open, his hand lifts in the air for her to hold onto. She grasps it as Prime Minister Frederick whispers, “Lake Chuzenji. You’ll find her. Crystal Crown Villa. I’m sorry,” and he gently passes away. She punches the ground next to him several times, yelling out in anger, gets up, and walks over to the henchman who Dr. Fynos left behind. Mathilde points her gun at him, but he’s dead. The building sirens are still blaring out loudly, so she decides that retreating is the best option. Grasping under the Prime Minister’s shoulders and walking backward, dragging his body to her car is heartbreaking, even though she knows he’s guilty of aiding SPECTRE in plunging the world into death and chaos. Placing his body in the back seat and getting behind the wheel again, Mathilde drives out of the complex towards the airport. With no vehicles in pursuit and a dead head of state in her back seat, Mathilde looks at him, then looks ahead, thinking about how much trouble she’s about to get into.

Mathilde is arrested fas, but it’s a painful event. At the flooded area where the wrecked cars are from the earlier chase, the police had set up roadblocks, and Mathilde decides to turn herself in to them. She steps out of the car, and once they see the dead body in the back seat along with the rear of the car blown out, they tackle her to the ground. She’s arrested, and they go to a nearby police station. At the headquarters, the officers walk Mathilde to an interrogation room as a detective takes over custody. They continue to walk down a long hallway as he puts a black cloth bag over her head, and he rushes her to the basement…

Mathilde is dragged into a basement room of the police headquarters and thrown to the ground with handcuffs on and a black cloth bag covering her head. A woman and a man in military clothing are waiting for her there. Only the man speaks and satisfyingly says, Ourr boss sends her best.” The woman smiles and takes out a short-range whip. The police henchman picks up Mathilde and holds her from behind, standing in place. The police henchwoman, Whiplash, walks up in front of Mathilde and strikes her with the whip. She yells in pain, taking a step back as the henchman holds her up. The whipping continues again and again as she takes each blow with a yell. After several devastating impacts, she drops to one knee. The henchman picks her up for the next attack from the henchwoman’s whip. She can’t see where the next torturous hit is going to land, so she focuses on training and calms her mind. The whipping goes on and on as Mathilde is getting slash marks on her body, shoulders, neck, and arms with bleeding wounds. A strike then hits her in the face, knocking Mathilde to the side. The henchman stands her up again. A couple of more whips to her body, and she finally gives out from all the blows and collapses to the floor. The henchman waves the henchwoman to leave the room with him, and they exit quickly. Mathilde is lying on the floor in excruciating pain as she is going in and out of consciousness.

Agent Mayumi Endo rushes into the basement room, takes off the black cloth hood covering Mathilde’s head, and tries to keep her awake, speaking angrily in Japanese about what Mathilde has gone through. After ensuring she’s okay, Mayumi runs out and gets help, while police officers follow up with medical gear to stop the bleeding and bandage Mathilde’s wounds. They radio for an ambulance, place her on a stretcher, and transport her out of the police station with Mayumi alongside for the ride to the hospital in Polokwane.

It’s nighttime at the hospital, and Mathilde is sleeping with Japanese agents on guard outside her room. Lying in bed, her face has a thick red scar from one of the slashes. There are other visible slashes on her arms and shoulders, while many are bandaged up beneath her hospital gown. Mayumi is sitting next to her, talking on a phone in English. The conversation wakes Mathilde up. The young agent says to the person on the other end of the call, “I’ll put you on speaker.” Mayumi switches her phone on so Mathilde can hear as Director Arway comments, “Bond? You gave us all a good scare. We’re looking into your attackers, but they’ve seemed to have disappeared. I’ll have you know that next time you’re caught with a dead Prime Minister in your back seat, you might not be so fortunate. Agent Endo has filled me in on what they know, and I’ve requested their services to get you home. That’s all we will need from yo, Agent 010, and I look forward to hearing your report in person.” Arway hangs up the phone, and Mayumi puts her phone down, looking at Mathilde. She asks, Howw are you feeling?” She answers, “sore, but I need to get to Tokyo, and you’re going to help me get there,” as she sits up and swings her legs and feet to the side of the bed. She takes off the hospital sensors and needles and as a shocke, Mayumi replies, Youu need rest!” Mathilde comments, “I can rest on the flight,” and stands up. Mayumi stands with her and replies, Okayy, but we need to get you some fresh clothes.” Mathilde says, “and a fresh weapon.”

The group of agents are scattered throughout the plane to Tokyo, but Mathilde and Mayumi are sitting in first class. The other agents discreetly wear fancy business suits to camouflage their profession in the main cabin. Some agents are crunching on pretzels and peanuts. Mayumi is sitting in a seat pod, working on a laptop in front of Mathilde, who is wearing a black pantsuit, a white collared dress shirt, and a black tie. Her dark blonde hair is tied up to the side with sticks. Mathilde is now wearing black pants, a grey shirt, and a thin dark green vest they bought from a store on the way to the airport. Mathilde’s lon, dirty blonde hair is tied back in a ponytail, keeping it away from the scar on her face. Also, being with Japan’s Secret Service, she’s allowed to carry her new Walther P99 pistol on board, in which Mayumi had given her from a security office at the airport. Relaxed but in pain from her wounds, Mathilde orders a double-shot Bloody Mary on the rocks with no garnish. A flight attendant delivers the drink to her with a celery stick in it. Mathilde is about to protest, but still being hungry after her earlier meal, she decides to let it slide. Taking out the celery, looking at it amusedly, she smiles at the vegetable and takes a bite. Then, with a sip of the drink, she glances out the window, finishes it, and falls asleep for the rest of the long flight.

Tokyo, Japan

The commercial plane lands at Haneda International Airport, and Mathilde is led by Mayumi and Japan’s secret service to a part of the airport that’s on Tokyo Bay. Waiting for them at the docks are more armed agents, three seaplanes, and pilots ready to fly them to Lake Chuzenji. Mathilde comments, “I like your style, Agent Endo.” Mayumi replies, “I thought the element of surprise would give us the advantage, like dragons from the sky.” Mathilde smiles as they all load up on the planes and take off from the ocean towards the coordinates Mayumi had researched on the trip from South Africa. It’s a 153-kilometer or 95-mile distance to Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture, where the villa on the lake is located.

Lake Chuzenji, Japan

After a short flight, the three seaplanes circle the lake as Mayumi talks to the pilots over the radio headsets about where to aim their landings. She instructs them in Japanese to approach from the north and get close enough to the shores of the villa on the southern side of the lake so they can disembark from the planes without swimming. Mathilde pulls out her pistol and nods to Mayumi as they come in closer towards the water. Suddenly, a rocket hits the seaplane to the right of their plane and explodes, while machine gun fire starts hitting the other two planes from the front. Mathilde yells, “we have to land! Put it down!” Ahead on the beach and the dock of the Crystal Crown Villa, henchmen are shooting machine guns and reloading a shoulder-held rocket launcher. The other seaplane to the left of theirs gets hit directly in the front windshield as it lands on the water. The pilot gets shot, and his body slouches down onto the steering wheel and controls, sending the plane sideways crashing into the water. The last flying plane with Mathilde and Mayumi inside makes the landing and is heading straight for the shores of the lake where the henchman is located. Mathilde opens the door of the seaplane and jumps onto the floating platform below the opening. She holds on with one hand and extends her gun out in the other hand. The henchman with the rocket launcher is about to fire his weapon again when Mathilde shoots him off the dock into the water. The remaining henchmen run from the beach and onto the dock with their machine guns firing but missing. Mayumi opens the door on the opposite side of Mathilde and stands on the other landing platform while their seaplane is driving through the water, getting closer and closer to the shore. Both agents open fire, and one by one, the henchmen are hit and fall off both sides of the dock and into the lake.

The seaplane pulls into the now-empty dock, with Mathilde casually stepping off the plane but determined to find Dr. Fynos. The Japanese agents and Mayumi, with guns aimed ahead, proceed to follow closely behind. The group of agents makes it to the low-trimmed grassy lawn leading up to the large villa when they hear boat engines start up. They turn to see a small outboard engine boat with three people in it, leaving a dock that’s further down the beach. Mathilde shouts out, Thatt has to be her! Let’s go!” They run to another dock, untie a small boat, hop in, and Mathilde pumps the gas line and rips the cord to start the outboard engine. They see the other boat traveling towards a river, leaving the lake, so Mathilde revs the engine, pulling out of the dock, and starts their pursuit.

Mayumi shouts over the loud boat motor, “they’re trying to escape down the Daiya River!” Mathilde shouts back, Whatt’s down the river!?” Mayumi replies, shouting, “the town and then Kegon Falls! It’s a big waterfall.” They give one another a concerned look and continue towards the river opening. The boat ahead of them goes out of view around a bend in the river as Mathilde and Mayumi slow down, trying to avoid rocks and rough rapids. The water is fast-moving with structures, and the landscape of trees and cliffs blocking the views ahead. Here and there, they see the boat ahead, but then it gets too far away again. Mathilde messes up a maneuver, so they bang up against two large boulders in the water, stopping them sideways. Mathilde puts the motor in reverse, and Mayumi tries kicking off the rocks to get them freed. They are stuck for a while, but it finally works, and they continue the chase.

Up ahead, there’s a scenic pedestrian red bridge above the river, but there is someone who has been strung up by a rope around their ankle, hanging upside down in the air. As they get closer to the bridge, they are shocked to see Dr. Fynos dangling in the air. Mathilde turns the engine to reverse to slow down so they are in front of her and the bridge. “You bitches!” Dr. Fynos angrily says. They both look at her and then at each other and chuckle. Mayumi replies, “I think you meant officers. This was a multinational operation. By the authority of the Japanese Government, the United Nations, and International Law, you’re under arrest, Dr. Fynos.” She yells out at them, “I’m just one piece on the chess board, and you’re still playing checkers! Atmos told me you were dumb, but I didn’t think it was this ridiculous. The two that left me here are the ones you should be going after! You know, the two that whipped you up at the police station!” Dr. Fynos grins satisfyingly, still hanging upside down in the air, and says, “you can still catch them, down river.”

Mayumi says to Mathilde, “drop me off here, and I’ll watch her. You go ahead.” Mathilde thinks about it and agrees to turn the boat towards the bank. Mayumi jumps out and waves a salute goodbye. Mathilde salutes back and angles the boat down the river, passing under the bridge and the hanging woman. “The falls are just up ahead. Lawrence had quite a fall of his own, didn’t he?” A laughing Dr. Fynos comments to Mathilde while she is directly above her.

The river rapids follow around a few turns, with Mathilde on the lookout, when up ahead, there’s a small boat on the bank of the river. She drives closer and looks into the craft. The dead body of the henchman who watched over her while she was whipped at the police station was lying inside the boat. Never having seen him, Mathilde says nothing and looks around for anyone in sight. She pulls her boat up to the shore next to it, turns the motor off, and gets out, stepping onto land with her gun drawn. Mathilde follows the side of the river, going towards the waterfall that’s ahead. Climbing up onto a deck where the large falls are pouring down a cliff, Mathilde sees a woman standing at the edge looking out at the view.

The henchwoman yells out over the sound of the falls, “they call me, Whiplash! Dr. Fynos tricked you again, but it doesn’t matter! This is where your story ends!” She turns around with a pistol and the short whip she used on Mathilde, along with the spray whipping up from the wind of the waterfall. Whiplash comments, “how about another slash or two?” The two women circle one another with the roar of the falls next to them, with guns ready to fire.

Once the henchwoman is close to the edge and her back is to the waterfall, Mathilde shoots both of Whiplash’s legs. She falls to her knees in a stunned reaction, yelling out in pain, and shoots her gun multiple times in the air, missing. Pulling the trigger until it clicks empty, Whiplash doesn’t give up and throws her gun at Mathilde. It flies by and hits the ground. She swings her short whip in the air, flailing and missing any contact because Mathilde is keeping her distance. Mathilde comments, “I think you’ve whipped your last lash.” The henchwoman turns around and crawls away from Mathilde towards the edge of the falls that’s behind her, saying, “they’ll destroy everything.” On her knees, Whiplash goes off the edge and plunges down the giant waterfall.

Mathilde walks up to the edge, looking down at the falls, having taken out her tormentor. Mathilde jogs back to the bridge and sees police officers and the Secret Service agents gathered around the area. They’re upset and look at Mathilde disapprovingly. She sees a woman hanging down from the bridge, but it’s not Dr. Fynos. It’s Mayumi hanging off the rope by her neck in the air, dead, and Dr. Fynos has escaped.

MI6 Underground Headquarters

London, England

Mathilde Bond is sitting across from Director Arway in her underground office. Arway says, “the trail went cold after Agent Endo’s death. The former Prime Minister’s wife is a stealthy one, and with satellites still down across the globe, and our government to blame, I’m afraid we may be looking at England’s ending as an established power in the world. I never thought I’d see this day in my lifetime.” Mathilde bluntly counters, “its not over yet. Why can’t we get our satellites back online?” Director Arway thinks for a moment and says, “the villainous organization, SPECTRE, has had a long history of having its tentacles in everything. Various SPECTRE bosses operated and caused chaos across the world on more than one occasion.” The Director abruptly stops her explanation upon hearing a specific chime on her computer screen. She looks over at the screen and clicks a message from British Parliament. Arway reads the message out loud, “the entire country is currently in a satellite blackout. Our military forces cannot adequately defend us. We’re unable to provide security, communications, and services to our citizens. Please provide Parliament with all updates on this dire national security situation.” Arway stops reading, looks over at Mathilde, and says, “SPECTRE is behind it.” The two women sit together in a quiet moment of contemplation. Arway breaks up the silence to say, “Another troubling development we face is that other agents are disappearing and getting killed in action at faster rates than ever before. I have to tell you, Mathilde, you’re currently my only active top agent, since I’ve been reluctant to trust anyone coming up the ranks at this point. Even the Americans are losing their own, as you well know. Our only lead is Dr. Fynos and a new threat Dax will brief you on. Your mission is to track her down and bring an end to this SPECTRE treachery.”

Mathilde Bond replies “what new threat?” Director Arway opens a file in front of her and picks up a large photo holding it in the air and says “Equinox.”

Several days later

Maldives, Indian Ocean

General Kagami is sleeping comfortably on a beach chair when a breeze wakes him up. He looks out at the clear waters of the ocean and the sandy beach. His personal bodyguards aren’t around as he takes a sip of a fruity cocktail. He’s on another vacation from being the head of Japan’s Secret Service Agency, with a woman lying on her stomach tanning next to him. He says to her, “it was a mess cleaning up what that British secret agent has done to my operation. Having to kill my own agent to free Dr. Fynos and getting her out of the country was risky, but a deal is a deal. I knew early retirement would have its rewards.” He pets and squeezes her lower back, laughs satisfyingly, and comments, “the satellite handover to SPECTRE was a much easier task.” Thinking of how he got away with it and getting to have a beautiful woman by his side, General Kagami happily takes another sip of his drink. He sets it down and leans back in his chair, putting his face up to the sunny sky. Closing his eyes and feeling powerful, he relaxes. A moment passes when he feels a cold metal object press onto the side of his head, and a gun is cocked, making a clicking noise. It’s the woman who’s been next to him. “You,” he says. “How did you find me?” Mathilde Bond says, “for Mayumi,” and shoots the traitor in the head.

Colombia, South America

Two Days Later

Mr. Rexor inspects a warehouse in the southern region of Colombia and is pleased with the operation. He hasn’t divulged to anyone his thoughts of the operation. Jeeps are parked outside the building with drivers and armed guards patrolling the surrounding area. A group of young men follow him closely, waiting for his reaction to their latest spoils of heroin and cocaine. Along the equator is fertile ground for mass-producing drugs to fund organizations, causes, and even corporations. Mr. Rexor, an older man who walks with a cane and wears a white suit, is the dealmaker for his company. “Pangea Corp.’s weekly trade of perfectly legal jewelry in full,” he says to his business partners and hands over a briefcase. Their leader, Cultrano, opens the case, revealing the contents of bright, shiny gold jewelry and large diamond rings. He inspects a few items and closes the case, replying, “until next time, Mr. Rexor.” He then signals his worker to transfer their online funds in a donation to Pangea Corp. from a laptop computer. Watching the screen transaction in the millions of dollars, Mr. Rexor comments, “no need to deal with cash these days. It’s all too easy.” Cultrano smiles with missing teeth and tattoos on his face, replying, “easy if you still have a satellite connection, Mr. Rexor.” They give one another a satisfying nod and go their separate ways. Cultrano gets back to work managing the drug operation. Mr. Rexor exits the warehouse, gets in a Jeep, and tells the driver to take him north to the city of Bogota.

The dirt road leaving the compound is bumpy due to it being partially washed out in places. Mr. Rexor is trying to type on his phone about another successful trip, but the road is proving to be too much of an obstacle. He puts the phone down in frustration and yells ahead to the driver, “are you going to run over every rock in this country, or should I drive!?” The driver stops the Jeep, and Mr. Rexor shakes his head in anger, saying, “now what!? You’re going to be fired once I complain about this to your boss!” The driver replies, “I’m afraid you’re the one who is going to be complaining.” Mr. Rexor looks out the sides of the Jeep, and on both sides, military agents in camo with assault weapons surround the vehicle as Dax smiles in the driver’s seat, who is now pointing a pistol at him. Back at the warehouse, there are workers who are being yelled at for not doing enough drug cultivation by Cultrano. He’s so angry that he takes out his pistol and points it up into the air to intimidate them. Three loud gunshots ring out, but they don’t come from Cultrano’s gun. He brings his pistol back down, looking at it oddly, having never pulled the trigger but suddenly feeling pain. To Cultrano’s shock, he falls to his knees and then to the ground because he has been shot three times and dies.

From out of the jungle, Mathilde Bond slings a rifle on her back, having just shot Cultrano from a distance as she and a large group of four-wheeler-driving Colombian soldiers enter the warehouse and attack the remaining drug dealers. Workers scramble to get out of the way as machine gunfire is being shot by henchmen and soldiers at one another. Mathilde drives the four-wheeler up the warehouse stairs to the second floor, shooting the drug lords from every direction as they try to grab and fire their weapons. She continues by driving up to the third floor in a high daring maneuver on a catwalk, shooting henchmen one by one with accurate precision with a reached-out arm while her other arm is driving her four-wheeler. She spins the four-wheeler in a slide, taking out the last group of leaders at a top office as their shots miss in the air. The four-wheeler blitz attack wins the firefight but with a few casualties of soldiers and workers. All of the henchmen are dead or wounded. The computer systems, infrastructure, jewelry, and money are still intact. Mathilde steps off the four-wheeler and gives the all-clear radio message for the Colombian authorities to move in. Dax messages on the radio, “we have Mr. Rexor in custody, and he has some information on a missing doctor I think you would like to hear.” Mathilde smiles and replies, “thank you, Dax. It’s good to finally have you out here.” She leans up against the four-wheeler, relieved they had won the battle and survived.

Jakarta, Indonesia

1 Week Later

In a high-rise fancy apartment in Jakarta, Indonesia, eggs and rice are being cooked for a midday meal in the kitchen area by Dr. Fynos. A laptop is opened with a financial account in the millions of several currencies, as well as a large flat-screen television connected to an unknown account with a text box. No one is on the screen, yet Dr. Fynos has been angrily shouting at it while pouring the eggs and rice from the stovetop onto her plate. “You assured me I would never be put in a situation like this once I took this role! Must I remind you that I was the one who had government access as the Prime Minister’s wife! I was the one who got you the satellites! It wasn’t Atmos! It was me! Where’s the respect!? After what I did for you in Japan with my connections! Why am I the one having to hide and not be allowed at headquarters anymore!?” On the television, a reply in white text reads across the screen “LOOSE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS. KNOCK. KNOCK.” There is a long silence with Dr. Fynos reading the message. She then turns off the television in anger. She sits down and picks up her chopsticks and is about to take a bite of food when the door of her apartment knocks twice. Dr. Fynos gets up, pulls out her sidearm from her holster, spins a silencer on the gun’s barrel, and walks from the kitchen to the apartment door. She opens fire without even opening the door, unloading the gun’s clip until there are no more bullets left to fire. The door is shredded with holes, and she kicks it down to find no one on the other side or in the hallway of the building. Dr. Fynos walks out into the hallway, yelling up and down “I’m in charge! You work for me! Don’t forget who the boss is!” Nobody answers her, so she turns around and goes back into the apartment. Waiting in the kitchen is Mathilde, who is seated and eating her eggs and rice with chopsticks in one hand and her pistol pointing at Dr. Fynos in the other hand. Mathilde replies “I’d say you look to be self-employed now, Fynos.” She glares at Mathilde in anger and bolts out of the kitchen towards the exit door. Mathilde doesn’t shoot, even though she could have, and gets up, running after Dr. Fynos, while muttering to herself “it’s never easy.”

The chase begins through the hallway and down the stairs of the building complex with Mathilde in pursuit. Both women burst through a ground floor exit door to the bustling outside streets of Jakarta. Running hard and fast, a determined Dr. Fynos dodges and throws street vendor carts and objects to impede Mathilde while they make it through crowds of people. They burst out of the crowd onto a bridge walkway that goes over a highway crossing into the financial district. Both women are running at full speed, pumping their arms with their hair blowing in the breeze. Mathilde can only keep pace with her from about ten feet back while they cross the bridge. Once on the other side, Dr. Fynos runs out onto the side of the road and gets in the way of several motorbikes, forcing them to slow down and beep their screechy loud horns. She pushes one person off a bike, crashing them and several others. Mathilde just about catches up to her when Mathilde gets hit by another moving motorbike. In the mayhem, Dr. Fynos picks up the motorbike. She pushes the driver off and jumps on it. She struggles to get it going as Mathilde is getting up and sees what’s happening. Acting fast, Mathilde grabs the motorbike that hit her with the driver now off it right when Dr. Fynos gets her motorbike running, and they both take off continuing the chase.

Weaving in and out of traffic, both women are riding their motorbikes at top speed. Dodging and weaving through lights, near misses, and crashes all around the scene. People yelling and beeping horns with the mayhem finally get the attention of the local authorities. Dr. Fynos drives up on the sidewalk with Mathilde in pursuit, and they dodge pedestrians for a block. She then ditches the motorbike, jumps off, and runs down a narrow alley with her motorbike blocking the entrance. Mathilde slams into the obstructing motorbike, removing it from the entrance, and hops off, running after her. They exit the alley and into a large open square with fountains and gardens leading up to a central hub of high-end financial buildings with stairs. The local authorities are waiting as they surround the area but are far behind in pursuit of the alley. Dr. Fynos runs towards the stairs of the main building with her arms and hands in the air, yelling out her innocence, but they open fire on Dr. Fynos and gun her down just before she gets to the steps. Mathilde stops in shock, not knowing what to do as a businesswoman in sunglasses along with a group of suited men walk out of the main building down the stairs towards Dr. Fynos’s body to what looks like a meet up with the local authorities that were now moving in with guns holstered and appearing to not see her as a threat.

A city news van and local news team move in as Mathilde looks around confused and exhausted from the chase. Mathilde sees the building name and it’s Pangea Corp. Headquarters Tower. “What a mess,” Valentina Largo says out loud so everyone can hear The Pangea Corp. executive. Mathilde asks her “is this your mess?” As the local authorities are radioing that the suspect is down and interacting with Largo’s suited men. Valentina in her sunglasses and black suit replies “well, when we heard what was going on from the British Government, we notified the police here in Jakarta and everywhere really. They had been unable to locate this rat until you flushed her out. So thank you. And you are?” Mathilde answers “my name is none of your business.” The businesswoman gives her an impressed look. She then pauses in thought, takes a deep breath, walks towards the steps, and looks down at the dead body of Dr. Fynos. Valentina Largo walks up close to Mathilde and says quietly, “it’s Bloody Mary’s isn’t it, Bond.” As she smiles while walking away with her suited men that up close now look more like bodyguards as the police step in and question Mathilde as she watches Valentina present herself in front of the news cameras talking about bringing Dr. Fynos to justice.

London, England

2 days later

An empty bench looks out at the River Thames in London. There’s nobody around but a few birds on the ground nearby. The sky is dark and dreary, but it’s not raining. From a distance, walking towards the bench, Mathilde walks outside MI6 Headquarters to get some fresh air and space. Since returning from Indonesia, she already got the debriefing and chatter about the global hostage satellite dangers that have been plaguing the world for weeks. Luckily, no nuclear attacks or war have occurred, but governments, news media, and citizens fear the worst is yet to come. The financial markets have tanked, people are not going out, and everyone is bracing for the worst. Mathilde makes it to the bench and says to herself, “finally, a place to rest.” She looks out at the water and buildings and has a moment to herself. A small black boat makes its way around the bend of the river moving towards her. Mathilde sees it and thinks nothing of it and continues to look around at her peaceful surroundings. The boat gets closer and is pointing in her direction, speeding along with a driver and a passenger. The boat motor is the only loud noise as the city is quiet with no traffic. Mathilde sits up with her hands resting, looking out at the boat as it slows, making its landing in front of her. The small boat pulls up as a black hooded person gets off the boat, stepping onto the sidewalk in front of Mathilde. The boat motor turns off, and the surrounding is quiet again. The cloaked figure walks up and sits down on the bench next to her. Mathilde and the person sit there quietly, both looking forward. The person worriedly says, “work and play just get all jumbled together in times like this.” It’s in Director Arway’s tired voice as she pulls back the hood and gives Mathilde a look. Both women are sitting side by side on the bench, looking out at the sights of London. Director Arway pulls out an envelope and hands it to her, and continues saying, “this just came in. You’ll find an invitation in there meant for your eyes only. I have to admit Agent 010, myself and several others have already read it as it appears you have made an impression on Pangea Corp. and Valentina Largo.” She takes the open envelope from Arway, pulls out a paper, and looks at it. Upon reading it, Mathilde gives her a look and decides to read it out loud, “Mathilde Bond is requested for drinks, an oceanside dinner, and entertainment at Cape Canaveral, Florida at Pangea Corp USA Headquarters. Please bring a plus one. Our company jet awaits your acceptance at the airport. Signed, Valentina Largo.” Mathilde closes the invitation while Director Arway stands up, looking down at her and says, “Dax is already en route to the airport as your plus one. This could be the lead we need. I’d say good luck Agent 010, but we need more than just luck. We need a miracle to end this satellite catastrophe.” Director Arway nods to Mathilde and stands up. She starts to walk away going back to the boat as the sun is now shining through the clouds. As Mathilde watches, the Director points towards the road behind the bench as a car engine revs up. It’s a classic silver Aston Martin DB5 that pulls in and parks near the bench. Mathilde stands up and shouts to Arway, “it looks like my ride is here, thank you Director” and walks towards the Aston Martin. The driver, a man in a sharp suit and sunglasses, gets out of the car, buttons up one of his lower suit jacket buttons, adjusts his tie, walks over to the passenger side, and holds the door open for her. Mathilde puts on her sunglasses and comments, “why thank you, good sir,” and steps into the impeccable, classic sports car. The fellow agent closes the passenger door, gives a firm salute and nods to their Director from a distance while walking around to the driver’s side door, and gets into the driver’s seat. They take off speedily towards London Heathrow Airport to meet up with Dax and the awaiting private jet.

Pangea Corp. Private Jet

Flying over the Atlantic Ocean

The service is first class, and those who work for Pangea Corp. had been professional and kind at the airport and now on the private jet. Dax and Mathilde are the only passengers, with two pilots and only one flight attendant. The flight over the Atlantic has been uneventful. Mathilde still kept one eye on the crew, not trusting the situation, but things proved to be safe for now. Hours later, they land at a single runway somewhere on the Florida eastern coast. There are white domes and buildings around the runway and on the shoreline. They exit the parked aircraft, where black SUVs are already waiting for them to be picked up. After being searched and their guns taken by several men in black suits, there is one man with long blonde hair wearing a teal blue tie in a black suit who tells Mathilde and Dax to get in one of the SUVs. As they sit down and close the doors, he says, “my name is Dr. Yellor, and this is Project Equinox.” Dax asks, “what is the project?” Dr. Yellor replies joyfully, “This is Pangea Corp.’s global science and command center for our space operations. We’re doing some really cool things here. Capabilities and achievements that people can’t even comprehend are just on the horizon here at Equinox. My team of scientists and engineers run point on our operations from satellite coordinations to the launches of our smaller-sized rockets, which we are doing today. They’re just enough to get the job done without exposing us to much of the outside world. I work on the science side of things, and Largo keeps us clear of any government interference like you.” Dr. Yellor chuckles while Mathilde and Dax look at one another in discomfort from his laughing. The group of SUVs is driving away from the runway with Mathilde, Dax, and Dr. Yellor as passengers and is now approaching a launch pad with a rocket in place, surrounded by other launch pads and rockets in the near distance. They pull up to the center launch site, and everyone unloads out of the SUVs. Dr. Yellor motions and says, “this way,” as he walks towards the structure next to a medium-sized rocket. The group follows and enters the building with Valentina Largo standing among a group of similarly suited men, holding a drink. She says loudly, “I didn’t know if you were going to accept my invitation. Of course, you know this isn’t exactly a regular run-of-the-mill dinner party. I had to revise my schedule, plans, and replace operations officers several times because of you. I have a Bloody Mary drink here for our gloriously successful Mathilde Bond. I will tell you, you haven’t been so good for my business, but what is good for business is my satellite network.” Valentina walks up to Mathilde and hands her the drink and continues, saying, “I decided to bring you here and take care of you and your boyfriend the old-fashioned way.” Valentina laughs, and Dr. Yellor follows her lead with a laugh, too. Valentina continues, “well, more like the new-fashioned way of taking care of your enemies.” She motions for her henchmen guards to pull out their weapons and point them at Mathilde and Dax. They put their hands up slowly. Valentina proceeds, saying, “not with guns, you have earned at least that. Bond is going for a ride unlike any other, and her side piece gets to watch. Mathilde and Dax reply at the same time with different comebacks, but talk over one another that muffles what is heard. Valentina says to her henchmen, “oh, couples. It’s so cute, when they try to plead together at the same time.” She motions for Mathilde to walk to the elevator with her and a few guards and points at the others for Dr. Yellor to walk Dax to the control room on the ground floor. Valentina says, “this will shut them up.” As the two groups begin to walk in different directions.

Once inside the elevator, Mathilde, Valentina, and her entourage of guards are rising to the top section, leaving the main structure of the building. At the top, there’s an entrance to a high elevated bridge tunnel that connects to the satellite rocket. Valentina presses an earpiece radio in her ear to turn it on and says out loud, “if you can hear me, Dr. Yellor, you can begin with the countdown to launch the final phase of Equinox.” Dr. Yellor replies, “I can hear you and will start the sequence.” He’s down in the control room with Dax, being guarded but looking on. Valentina Largo says to Mathilde, “it’s so simple, really. I’ve been shutting down the world’s satellites by sending my own rockets and tech up these past few years. It hasn’t been cheap for SPECTRE, but investments rarely are, and to end all nations and to rule the world by how it’s meant to be. I’d say it’s worth it. Don’t you think, Bond?” Mathilde angrily answers, “I think you have miscalculated me, Dax, and the world. And this Bloody Mary!!” Mathilde throws the glass drink at the head of Valentina, knocking her to the side while simultaneously jumping behind her from the guards who can’t get a clear shot in the elevator with the splashing, broken glass, and bodies of the two women entangled with one other. Mathilde pushes Valentina into a guard, dislodging his gun from his hands so it drops to the floor as another henchman fires a shot, somehow missing the bodies in the tight-spaced elevator that just reaches the top floor with the doors opening. Another henchman slips on the glass and falls. Dr. Yellor’s voice over the radio is “T-minus 90 seconds to launch. What’s going on up there?” Mathilde ducks down and grabs the gun while using a bloodied face Valentina as a human shield. She then shoves her away, and they roll out of the elevator. Mathilde shoots the other two henchmen in the head while they fire back before being hit, and the shots strike Valentina in the leg and shoulder, but one of the bullets goes from Valentina’s shoulder into Mathilde’s chest, knocking them both down. Valentina slowly gets up and sees the henchmen are all dead. She grabs the badly injured Mathilde and starts dragging her across the tunnel bridge towards the open door of the satellite module. “What were you trying there!?” An angry Valentina Largo yells out, “Lawrence was fun, wasn’t he!? It’s always the good boys who are the easiest to corrupt!” As she is laughing hysterically and both are bleeding out of their bodies, face, and legs, they come to the end of the bridge at the open door to the top of the satellite, and Valentina stands up a coughing injured Mathilde.

“Time for your ride to Equinox, Agent 010!” At that moment over the radio, Dr. Yellor yells out a thirty-second countdown as Valentina reaches to push Mathilde into the satellite capsule from the open door. The loud radio voice startles and distracts Valentina giving Mathilde enough time in a last-ditch effort to grab her hands. She swings Valentina around to the open door and, throws the SPECTRE boss into the capsule. Mathilde grabs onto the door and shuts it with a locking turn. Valentina looks back at her in shock with her back on the floor in the rocket ship through the window portal. Mathilde falls back onto the bridge platform and begins to crawl on her knees away from the rocket. A ten-second countdown starts on the loudspeaker. Mathilde gets next to the elevator and slumps up against the wall, watching the scene in front of her. Through the one window portal of the door of the satellite rocket is a yelling angry Valentina Largo without any space equipment or way to survive is now standing and pounding the locked portal as the rocket fires up and launches into the sky, leaving the bridge, Mathilde, and the surface behind.

Mathilde takes a breath and comments, “so much for seeing space, I always wanted to see space,” as she passes out from the pain of the gunshot wound to the chest….

Orlando, Florida

Several days later

Mathilde wakes up in a hospital bed with Dax by her side. “What happened?” He smiles and says, “first, luckily you’re going to be okay. Second, once they realized they had sent their boss on a one-way trip to space, Dr. Yellor and the others just gave up. They didn’t know what to do. So, I simply explained to them to come clean to the authorities, let me call our support team, and they would get fair treatment. I then got to you in time to stop you from bleeding to death, and we flew you to this top-notch hospital in Orlando.” Dax gets up and turns on the TV and says, “check this out.” On the TV, there are celebrations of Unity Day globally as the world has found out about SPECTRE and the Pangea Corp. satellite blackmail scheme as they’re being shut down and arrested across the globe.

Director Arway walks in the room and says, “it’s all because of you, Agent 010. We’re all very proud of you at MI6.” She looks at Dax and Mathilde, commenting, “I hope to see you reporting for duty when able. I think you could use a partner not just at home but in the field moving forward.” Dax, who is now Agent 011, says, “that would be nice, Arway. Thank you.” Mathilde Bond smiles and says, “well, let’s get going. What are we waiting for?” As she rests in the hospital bed, laying there as the three MI6 friends laugh together. Through it all, they had made it.

To be continued as Mathilde Bond will return in….
Agent 010: Eye for an Eye