Felix Leiter met '007 in
' in a bar called 'Risico'. He sidled up to the counter and ordered a whiskey sour.
"Make it a 'Double Shot'" he demanded.
He met Bond's quizzical look with a scowl "Hey pal, different bosses. I'm working for Uncle Sam here, I'm not 'On Her Majesty's
'".
"Whoa! Easy up there Felix," chided Bond, "'Nobody Lives
' my good man, and you should 'Never Dream of
'".
"Fair enough English, any idea who the mark is"?
"I'm not sure Felix, I was simply told to look for 'The Man with the
".
"How good is that intel James, who's the source"?
"Scorpius"
"You're kidding James, 'The Man from
'. That's some 'Blast from the Past', are you sure he's not playing you for a game of 'Strike Lightning'"?
"I doubt it Felix, we have him over a barrel for the 'Goldeneye' fiasco, for him right now, this is a 'Role of
'".
Felix lifted his glass to drink when his eyes were drawn to a woman. A woman who had the power to divert all the eyes in the room, she was as bright as 'Sea Fire'. She moved with confidence and grace, there was purpose in every stride. Leiter's eyes appraised her shapely calves, noting the delicate power they harboured, traced a line past the skirt that clung tightly to her, accentuating every elegant curve, to her bare back which revealed...
"James" Felix said with a twinkle, "I don't think that your mark is a man".
To avoid turning his head, Bond used the mirror behind the bar to spy on the lady. Her back was painted with a large crimson cephalopod. Every motion of her muscles, every sway of her hips, only served to make the creature writhe and, seemingly, come to life. But Bond already knew this. He knew, intimately, every tainted line on that creature, every graceful arch of those muscles, every crest and valley down that spine...
"Octopussy" he whispered under his breath.
He had to grab the bar for support as a momentary wave of vertigo assaulted him and his breath caught in his throat. He recalled their last meeting, that moment he'd presented her with that ring, "A diamond James," she almost cried, that second when she'd spoken those three words that tore his world apart, "Diamonds are
", and, terrified of the commitment that it implied, Bond had bolted with a severe case of 'Cold' feet.
His thoughts were interrupted by Felix. "Hey James, who's that she's walking toward? Is that..."
"That's 'Colonel
'" said Bond, "'The Man with the
', and it looks like he's about to hand her ..."
"'The
Rarity'" finished Leiter, "and it's about to become 'The
of a Lady'".
"Agreed" answered Bond "and that's one lady in whose hands it should not be. We have to move Felix".
In the far corner of the bar, the Colonel was smiling. He stood stiff legged and bowed slightly, never taking his eyes off the woman. With both hands he raised the prize toward her as it were a sacrificial offering.
"'From
, with Love' my dear lady" he cooed with a voice as sweet as caramel.
Bond's voice cut across him "I will take that Colonel".
The woman turned and faced Bond. "James," the name melting in her mouth, "'The Spy Who Loved Me' and then ran away. And then nothing James. You never call, you 'Never Send
'".
That momentary distraction was all that the Colonel needed. Gripped by a rising '
Fever' he drew his gun and, shouting '
, Mr. Bond', he fired at 007. Bond, anticipating the gambit was already on the move. The bullet whistled by and splintered against a column behind him, forcing Felix to dive for cover. The Colonel tried to fire again but the gun jammed.
"Time you learned 'The Facts of
' Colonel," cried Bond, ruthlessly firing at his '
Nemesis' and bringing him down with a single shot. "Looks like '
Mortis' has set in," Bond uttered sardonically.
It had been a matter of heartbeats, and the Colonel was dead, the prize was at his feet and the lady had vanished. Bond was not prepared to pursue her. Felix arrived bearing two glasses of whiskey. "Cheers," he said "'For Special Services' James. Are you sure he's dead"?
"Yes Felix... '
is Forever'".
