"One Scotch on the rocks," you told the bartender while sitting down on one of the empty stools.
You had already checked the area for the designated target but she was nowhere to be found, so you allowed yourself to let loose. It wasn't your usual neat drink, but you were so tense that you welcomed anything to relax your muscles. Something about the atmosphere of the hotel bar was throwing you off. Perhaps it was the dimly lit lights, or the musky scent of cigars lingering in the air, whatever it was, you didn't like the feeling of it.
Lifting the glass up to your lips, you allowed the diluted scotch to enter your mouth.
"Something feels rather odd Q."
To an outsider you seemed to be talking to the open air, but you were talking to the man all cozied up behind his computer. Your quartermaster was a peculiar man, or rather boy. He was far too young to be creating destructive weaponry, but as you had also proven, age was no guarantee of efficiency. Similar to Q, you had broken several MI6 traditions. For instance, you were the only female in the double 0 program as of late, and the youngest.
"Everything seems normal in the security footage," Q responded nonchalantly.
That's what worried you the most. Everything was too seemingly normal. You were going after a deadly corporate terrorist with classified material that threatened the national security of Great Britain. There should have been more suspicious activity in the hotel, but there wasn't.
You were assigned to eliminate Gina Zanetakos, and all copies of classified material that was in her possession. She was allegedly in Manchester to reveal some classified documents to a client, and it was your job to make sure nothing slipped out of her mouth.
"009, I see the target. She's walking towards your 3 o'clock."
You inconspicuously turned your head to get visuals on the target. There were three men eyeing her from afar and you assumed they were her bodyguards. After all, she was an expensive asset, and whoever was employing her certainly would not want to lose her. But there was one man in particular that caught your eye. He was dressed too impeccably well to be a bodyguard. By the looks of his suit and mannerisms you could that he was a fighter; his built and the shape of his suit gave away the firearms he was carrying.
As you continued to analyze him you realized that his eyes were also on you. For a moment your eyes met with his and you allowed your eyes to linger. Turning your head away too quickly would make you seem more suspicious, so you tried to play it off as flirting. After several seconds of eye contact you slowly turned around and finished the rest of the scotch. The handsome man in the bespoke suit was getting on your nerves, something about the glasses and neatly parted hair was throwing you off, and you needed the numbing agent to calm your nerves. He didn't seem like an ordinary business man, he seemed lethal.
After thanking the bartender for his services, you turned around to take one last look at the mysterious man. Luckily, he didn't notice because his eyes were locked on the terrorist.
Quickly, you stood from your seat and slipped out of the hotel bar as discretely as possible.
You were waiting in the bar for the target. Before eliminating her you were ordered to destroy all the classified files she had in her possession. Knowing her Russian heritage, you knew that the terrorist would come down for a night cap, so you had been waiting patiently.
Now it was your chance to slip into her room.
You walked towards the elevators quickly and swiftly. You were extra on edge now. The man in the suit could have brought backup, and you were not going to allow pretty boy and his friends to jeopardize this mission.
Your unusual tension did not go unnoticed by your observant quartermaster. He had been your handler in too many missions to miss your sudden change in demeanor.
"Is something the matter 009?"
"Look up that man I was just making eye contact with. The man in the suit and glasses."
"I believe M wouldn't be too content with me if I assisted you on your romantic advances during a mission." His tone was full of mockery but you knew he meant it in a playful way.
"Although I have to say 009, he's unlike the other men you usually have me search. Are you taking 007's advice and widening your interests?"
You scoffed and rolled your eyes.
"That was one time in Moscow and it was for the mission."
"Yes. That's what 007 tells me."
"Q, I'm serious. My intuition tells me he is not an ordinary gentleman."
While you waited for the next elevator to reach your floor, you heard Q typing away from the other side.
"My database is siding with your intuition 009."
When the elevator arrived you silently slipped in and pressed the proper button.
"Who is he?" you asked as you pulled out your personalized Walther from your holster.
"That's the thing, I can't find anything on him. Even my facial recognition program failed."
"What does that mean?"
"You've got company from another spy organization."
You cursed under your breath, third parties were a pain in the ass. They always had a knack for making even the simplest of missions difficult.
The elevator dinged and you got off with your custom made gun leading the way. Both hands gripped the gun tightly as you slowly approached Zanetakos' room.
You looked around the corridor to look for security cameras. The ones you managed to find on your quick hunt, you shot down.
"Bloody hell 009, what was that for?"
"If another organization has information about these missing files, I'm assuming they have enough resources to hack into a hotel's security footage."
Q mumbled something under his breath and sighed in annoyance, "Well before you decided to destroy my eyes on the 19th floor, I think I saw someone heading towards her room, you should hurry 009."
You dropped the firearm to your side and started running towards the room.
"How's Zanetakos?"
"She's still being eyed by that gentleman, but otherwise nothing else out of the ordinary."
You nodded to no one in particular and continued running. When you near approached her room you saw the door was wide open. You leaned against the wall and peered inside. You could hear a woman's voice but you could only make out one figure, so she was talking to someone wirelessly. You suspected it was the man downstairs, but that was the least of your concerns right now. If you lost the classified documents to this woman and to whomever she worked for, M would make sure you were flooded with paperwork and never saw the light of day, quite like Moneypenny.
Slowly you brought your firearm to eye level and approached her quietly. You mentally praised your past self for taking out those cameras, or else whoever was on the other side of her earpiece could have seen you coming.
She had her back towards the opened door and she was too preoccupied with her conversation to notice that you were behind her with your 7.65mm Walter pointed at her. Before she noticed your presence you jabbed the back of her skull with your gun, efficiently knocking her out.
As she slowly rested in forced slumber you searched the room for classified documents. The impromptu search was short thanks to the woman passed out on the ground. She had found most of the files and placed them on the nightstand beside the bed.
"I found the documents and I'm in the process of destroying them."
In order to annihilate any trace of the classified files, you started the fireplace and started throwing the files into the hungry flames. Once you determined that the papers were irretrievable, you started patting your suit, ridding it of any residue that may have landed on it.
"Once you're done with destroying the files, there's a flash drive that you need to look for. It's far too valuable to be laying in her room, so it should be on her."
"Understood Q. I'm going back to the-
You were interrupted by a blow to the back of your head.
"Shit," was the only word you could muster up between the ringing between your ears and blurry vision.
The blow had knocked you off your feet and you were now desperately patting the area around you to feel around for your firearm. But you were forced to stop your movements when you heard the sound of a gun cocking.
"Turn around slowly and don't make any sudden movements."