Chương 69: Chapter 69: Bond, Blinded by Beauty
After Church left, Bond clinked glasses with William, saying, "Congratulations, William."
"Thanks. So, how are we going to catch Le Chiffre? Do we have any support here?" William asked.
Shaking his head, Bond replied, "Unfortunately, we don't have any backup here. It's just us. Don't worry, I'll handle Le Chiffre and his henchman. You've got the poker game covered, and I'll take care of everything else."
William nodded, relieved that he wouldn't have to get directly involved in any fighting. The thought of enjoying a good meal and some fine drinks while watching Bond do all the hard work was much more appealing.
As William was contemplating his dinner plans, Bond said, "I'm a bit hungry. Care to join me for a bite, William?"
William, pleased, responded, "Of course! My treat. Let's have a drink together."
They headed to the restaurant and spotted Linda Vesper sitting alone by the window.
Bond approached her and asked, "Linda, mind if we join you?"
Linda Vesper stood up, shaking hands with William, and smiled, "Not at all. Please, have a seat. I just got here."
Bond chuckled, "William is treating us tonight. We should order the most expensive dishes."
With their orders placed, they settled into a light-hearted conversation as their meals arrived.
Halfway through the meal, Linda Vesper received a text message. After a quick glance, she said to William and Bond, "Mathis needs to see me. He says the Americans have made contact with Le Chiffre. They're planning to put him on the first flight to the USA tomorrow. Gentlemen, I'll have to excuse myself. Goodnight."
William and Bond stood to bid her farewell. "Goodnight, Miss Vesper," they said.
Once Vesper had left, Bond looked anxious. "We can't let the Americans take Le Chiffre. If they do, we won't be able to report back to the Security Council or M," he said urgently.
Bond began to rise, intending to find Church. Le Chiffre was a high-priority target for M, and if he failed to bring him back, especially after losing the Treasury's $10 million, Bond could imagine the severe consequences awaiting him.
Before Bond could leave, William asked, "Bond, why did you go all-in during the game with Le Chiffre? Why did you bet everything?"
Without hesitation, Bond replied, "I thought Le Chiffre was bluffing. He had tricked me. This guy is a master. From the start, he kept giving me false signals, making me believe that when he touched his forehead, it meant he had a weak hand."
As Bond spoke, he suddenly realized, "Damn, it's Mathis! He must have been bought off by Le Chiffre. I only mentioned that tell to Mathis and Linda Vesper. If Mathis is calling Vesper now, it must be a setup to kidnap her and use her against us. William, we need to rescue Vesper!" Bond shouted as he sprinted out of the hotel.
William smacked his forehead and muttered, "This guy must be out of his mind, chasing after a woman like that."
Following Bond outside, William heard Vesper's scream just as he exited the hotel.
An SUV had pulled up in front of Vesper. Two burly men jumped out, grabbed her, and covered her mouth, dragging her into the vehicle before speeding off.
Bond didn't wait for William. He dashed to an Aston Martin parked nearby, jumped in, and roared off in pursuit.
William stood in the street, cursing. The new Bond, fresh out of the Air Service Regiment, was an exceptionally skilled driver. By the time William could react, Bond's car had already disappeared.
Frustrated, William tried to call Bond, knowing it was a trap set by Le Chiffre to lure him out of the hotel. But Bond's haste had left William behind, thwarting Le Chiffre's plan to kidnap him. If Le Chiffre knew, he would probably be livid.
Patting his pockets, William realized he had left his phone on the restaurant table during dinner. He hurried back to retrieve it and call Bond.
Unbeknownst to William, Le Chiffre was, in fact, on the brink of a breakdown just a short distance from the hotel.
Le Chiffre's plan had been to lure William and Bond out so he could capture William. But now, with William still inside the hotel and Bond chasing the SUV, his scheme was falling apart.
Fuming, Le Chiffre grabbed his phone and called his henchman, "The target didn't follow. Don't waste men on ambushing Bond. Lead him on a wild chase. Keep him from coming back and interfering. You and the mercenaries return near the hotel. I can't wait any longer. By sunrise, I need that money, or we're all dead. Prepare to storm the hotel and capture William Devonshire."
Le Chiffre hung up and muttered to himself, "William Devonshire, I refuse to believe you'll slip through my fingers this time."
William, now in the restaurant, retrieved his phone from the manager. Thanking him, he immediately called Bond.
"Hey, Bond, listen up. This is a trap. Le Chiffre is trying to lure us out to kidnap me. I'm still at the hotel, so Le Chiffre's attention is still on me. Vesper should be safe for now. I'm staying put. You can go rescue Vesper."
Bond, the ace operative, quickly grasped the situation and replied, "Got it, William. Stay in the hotel. I'll rescue Vesper and come back for you. And be careful of Mathis; he's been compromised."
William silently scoffed, knowing it was Vesper, not Mathis, who was the real traitor. Men blinded by love could be so foolish.
Still, considering Vesper had saved Bond in the hotel's stairwell, William decided not to expose her just yet. She wasn't entirely a villain and was worth saving. Besides, if he didn't, Bond might hold a grudge against him.
"Understood. I'll stay in the hotel. You be careful too, Bond."
"Alright, I'm hanging up. I'm driving, and the last thing I need is to get killed in a car crash instead of by a bullet," Bond joked before ending the call.
Half an hour later, outside the hotel, Le Chiffre's bald henchman, Clark, returned with the mercenaries. "Boss, everyone's here. Should we go in now?"
Le Chiffre eyed the eight vehicles hiding the mercenaries and, after a moment of thought, said, "Take six men and go in quietly. The Royal Hotel has a significant presence here. If you can capture William Devonshire discreetly, do it. If not, I'll bring in the rest. We still have the banker with the account codes inside. Be discreet, Clark."
"Understood, boss," Clark replied. He took six men and entered the hotel in two groups.
Inside the hotel lobby, not finding William, Clark instructed his men to split up and search for William. He emphasized to them not to act unless necessary and to call for backup if they found him.
Meanwhile, William was sitting in the restaurant, sipping beer and watching an English Premier League game. He was completely unaware that Le Chiffre would dare come into the hotel to grab him, so he had let his guard down.
Clark entered the restaurant and immediately spotted William, engrossed in the football game. Moving to a corner, Clark discreetly called his men to gather at the restaurant, then stood by the window, keeping an eye on William.
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