⁂ 𝐴𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑐 𝐶ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 #1 | 007 story

#006 | 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑟

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The sunrise came as if it had missed the sky and wanted nothing more than to warm up those blues to a radiant gold, illuminating the darkness as if it were igniting the most perfect flame. Layla spent 5 hours and not counted minutes driving through the french roads. Calais, the city they got in, was still asleep; after all it was only 6 am on a Saturday. They had to go through the borders and join the jet that should be waiting for them by the empty fields.

Layla entered the nearest gas station and parked the car. Her eyes were tired and she was dying of hunger. She looked over the passager seat, watching how peaceful James was, deeply unconscious in his sleep. She wondered how could a person be stubborn, a teaser, a pain in the ass and look this innocent asleep. Suddenly she realised that she was smiling.

"What the hell Layla? God.. why are you even looking at him?" She thought, grabbing some cash she pulled from a hidden box and got out of the car. She walked shoeless to the little store, a little bell ringing when she pushed the door. Her eyes looked around the place. She didn't know what she really wanted and ended up picking an energetic drink, a bottle of water, two bags of cookies and a cup of coffee for James.

Once she paid, Layla noticed how the man was giving her a weird look; probably because of the dry blood on her face and the fact that she was barefooted.
"Les fêtes, vous connaissez." (Parties, you know.) She said to reassure him just in case he wanted to call the cops and left the store. James was standing by the car, looking down. He didn't know when did he fall asleep or what time was it.
"Morning, sleeping beauty." She said walking towards him.
"Good morning, princess." He smiled taking the hot cup of coffee from her hand.
"Don't call me that ever again. Ugh, do you always have to make me regret my great behaviour with you?" She said placing the cookies bags on the hood.
"If you call this 'great behaviour', you surely need to revise your manners." He teased her, digusting his strong coffee. She rolled her eyes at him.
"What are you doing?" James frowned his eyebrows watching Layla crack open her energetic drink.
"Opening my drink?"
"Come on now." He took the can of Monster out of her hand and threw it as far as possible. "Shouldn't be drinking that kind of stuff."
"James, what the FUCK!?"
"See? I'm not selfish after all. I care about your wellbeing." He put his hand in his trousers' pocket, taking another sip of his coffee, his blueish eyes staring into Layla's and she could literally read something else than honesty; mischievous.
"Do you want me to break your face or ribs.. or what exactly?" Layla said in a serious voice looking unamused.
"Layla, please. I'm trying to show you that I can be someone with a good heart."
"You are literally being a dickhead and I just.. hate you." The female agent walked away, going to wash and clean her face holding the water bottle.

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"You think Layla won't end up killing 007?" Will spoke as his voice echoed inside the empty room which lead to Michael's office, M leading the way.
"Doubtfully.. she might." She said now both joining the large hallway which connects to the other compartments.
"But why did you have to choose her to team up with Bond?" Will asked, saluting an agent he knows that walked past them.
"She's an amazing agent. And you do know that." She simply answered but that didn't seem to convince Barlowe.
"Yes but the two of them are no match. It's like putting a wolf and a sheep inside the same room."
"Except, the sheep bites." M took a turn and so did Will.
"I just hope he knows what he's doing." He hold the door open for her, finally making it in front of Mike's office.
"Oh he knows. Will, if someone has to worry, that should be me. She's in good hands."
Slighty reassured, Will nod his head and gave her a smile.
"Now, let's get this over with." She said as Barlowe pushed the door of the office open, M stepping in and he followed.

᯽

The next minutes were spent in silence.

After they had something to eat, James drove to the field where the jet was waiting for them. Black from outside and white from inside, everything swam in luxury.
From the leather large seats to the wooden glued to the ground tables.
Layla pushed a sigh of relief out when she sat down on the soft relaxing couch, hearing the engines warm up. James disappeared as they took off and came back a while later.
He put two glasses on the table, holding a bottle of whisky and took a seat in front of Layla who had been watching and admiring the view from such a high point.
"Enjoying the view?" He poured the golden liquid in both glasses, noticing how she was determined on not speaking nor even move a single muscle.
"Playing the deaf mute? It doesn't fit you, dear." He said, drinking his first glass in one sip his thirst prompting him to pour another glass for himself.
Layla's anger was growing and she just wished she could punch him hardly in the face. But she didn't. She was too exhausted to deal with him or his shit. She slowly rested her back against the couch and closed her eyes, immediately falling asleep.
James drank his second glass and after he made sure she was really asleep, he stood up and took his jacket off. He carefully put it on her body and sat back in his spot, watching the cotton-candy looking like clouds fill randomly the vaste golden sky.

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