Bond Movies 06 - The World Is Not Enough by Raymond Benson

it, too. It would be interesting to see how their relationship progressed.
    The sun was setting and the sea was calm and quiet when he got to the villa. Gun-toting security men roamed the perimeter of the place, their watchful eyes patrolling the roads for anything suspicious. Dead tired, he walked in on an argument between Elektra and her Head of Security. Davidov was furious at Elektra for putting herself in danger on the mountains, but there was not much he could do about it. Once the oil heiress was back in the safe confines of her role as CEO. she had re-assumed her authority. Bond knew, though, that underneath it all Elektra was scared, although she was doing her best not to show it.
    After she had refused to eat dinner, Davidov insisted that a doctor examine her. Bond waited with him and Gabor in the villa’s drawing room while the patient was seen upstairs in her room.
    ‘I still don’t understand how we could have lost you,’ Davidov said, pacing the floor. ‘One minute you were at the top of the mountain, the next —’
    ‘You found us, that’s what matters,’ Bond said, sitting in a large wooden chair and nursing a glass of bourbon. He was exhausted. The meal of beef Wellington, new potatoes, asparagus and beets, although delicious, had done little to recharge his batteries. He had to will himself to get a second wind soon, for he was not going to sit idle that night. Bond knew people in Baku.
    ‘I still think we should have gone after that plane,’ Gabor said.
    ‘The first priority was Elektra,’ Davidov said.
    ‘I have an idea where we might find some answers,’ Bond said.
    ‘Oh?’ Davidov asked. ‘Are we going hunting?’
    ‘We aren’t. This is something I have to do alone.’
    They heard a door close upstairs, followed by footsteps. The doctor, a rather large man of Armenian heritage, waddled down the circular stairway that dominated the room.
    Davidov looked at him expectantly.
    ‘She’s fine,’ the doctor said. ‘Some cuts and bruises, but otherwise fine.’ He gestured toward the men. ‘She wants to see you.’
    Davidov bolted for the stairs, but the doctor stopped him. ‘No, not you.’ He pointed at Bond. ‘Him.’
    Bond and Davidov shared a look, then Bond pulled himself out of the chair and walked up the stairs.
    Elektra was sitting at her ornate bedroom window, looking at the sunset over the sea. She was dressed in a thin lace nightgown. Bond closed the door and walked over to her.
    ‘Arc you all right?’
    ‘I need to ask you something,’ she said. ‘And I want you to tell me the truth. Who is it? Who’s trying to kill me?’
    Bond didn’t want to get into this. ‘I told you. I don’t know. But I’m going to find him -’
    ‘That’s not good enough,’ she said. Bond struggled with the desire to take her in his arms, tell her everything . . .
    She turned to the window again and said, ‘After the kidnapping, I was afraid. Afraid to go outside, afraid to be alone, afraid to be in a crowd . . . afraid to do anything at all, until I realised . . .’ She turned back to face him. There were tears in her eyes. ‘ . . I realised I can’t hide in the shadows. I can’t let fear run my life. I won't'
    Bond moved closer to her and hesitantly touched her shoulders. ‘After I find him, you won’t have to. Now listen to me. I’m going to a casino in Baku tonight to speak with some . . . friends. I have an idea they might know where he is. I want you to stay put You’re safe here.’
    She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. He could read exacdy what she wanted. ‘Don’t go,’ she whispered. ‘Stay with me.’
    Her hand came up to caress his cheek. Bond looked from her hand to her face and saw the hint of promise and passion. He wanted her badly.
    ‘Please . . .’
    Bond slowly removed her hand. ‘I can’t.’
    ‘I thought it was your job to protect me,’ she said.
    ‘You’ll be safe here.’
    ‘I don’t want to be safe!’ she said, fiercely. She moved away