JAMES BOND AND THE PELOSI AFFAIR 

By Bob French

Henry felt as though he was sitting in the very room as Bond entered the large office of the Director of the British Secret Service.

“You’re late Bond.  This is important.”  M sounded annoyed.

He glanced at the Minister and nodded, then smiled as the tall, stocky figure of Felix Lighter of the CIA stood up out of the high-backed chair and turned to face Bond. “Good to see you, Felix.  This must be serious to drag you away from the other side of the pond?”

“Bond, do you mind?  Take a seat and let me explain. You may not have heard that the American Congressional Delegation is visiting the Indo-Pacific region to reaffirm its strong and unshakable commitment to its allies.  The mission is led by Nancy Pelosi the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and has the backing of the house and the President.

Bond nodded.  “Nothing new in that Sir.  Most of the first world nations are sending delegations out to the far east in the hope of picking up trade deals.”

What was omitted from the press release is that Pelosi intends to visit Taiwan in early August.”

Bond sat quietly and cast his mind back over the files he had read about the continued tension between China and Taiwan and the reputation of Nancy Pelosi and was momentarily worried.

“Not a very sensible thing to do Sir, bearing in mind the delicate situation between the two countries.  I find it hard to believe that President Biden approved the visit.”

Felix cleared his throat “That’s it, James.  She deliberately omitted to list her visit to Taiwan in her travel plans and No.  The President does not approve of her visit to Taiwan and has gone on record that he thinks that the visit is not a very good idea.”

“Then why doesn’t she wind her neck in and follow the advice of her president?”

The Minister put down his glass of brandy.  “Bond, the Americans have a different style of politics than ours.  Apparently, the Speaker outranks the President in certain matters of state.”

Bond frowned, then turned to M.  “So how are we involved, Sir?”

“The problem is that our Customs have been tipped off that there is going to be an attempt on her life during the visit.”

“Surely, then it’s their problem, Sir.”  He turned to Felix.  “No offence, but I think you need to get your house in order before involving us.”

Felix grinned.  “Not exactly James.  You see the CIA has come up with a plan which means for security reasons, Pelosi will be residing in the British Embassy instead of the American during her visit. They think it will fool the Chinese protesters.”

Bond looked at Felix with a question in his eyes.  “Nothing to do with me, James.  It came from on high.”

“Bond, it doesn’t matter.  The thing to remember is that our old friend The Spider is involved.  You will recall he helped to create the panic over the shortages of PPE, then offered Europe and UK masses of the stuff.  What we didn’t know at that time was that he was using this import of PPE to smuggle his drugs.  If you hadn’t stopped him, God knows what would have happened.”

Bond felt his temper start to rise and glanced at Felix. “Does anyone in your organization know where the Spider is at present?”

He shook his head, took a deep breath as though beginning a confession. “James.  This isn’t going to be easy.  We have found out that The Spider has connections inside the MSS, the Chinese secret intelligence, and the secret police service. And if that isn’t enough, Pelosi is a stubborn old bitch and when she makes her mind up, nothing will stop her.  You Brits can be arrogant, but wait until you see her in action.  She’s something else man, believe me.  You also have to remember that our country is having its elections this year, so a stunt like this will get her a lot of votes.”

The last words from M were, “get out there, find out what is going on and stop it, and if you should happen to come across The Spider, eliminate him.”  The meeting ended abruptly and as they filed past Moneypenny, she caught Bond’s eye and smiled then discretely slipped him an envelope.

Felix was met outside the offices of Universal Exports by a swarthy-looking man in a flashy grey Italian suit and keen steel blue eyes.  He was quickly introduced as Sirius Bromovitch, Section Chief of the Eastern Desk at the US Embassy.  Without any foreplay, he invited them around the corner to the Three Feathers pub, just off Craven Street, tucked away behind Charring Cross Station and off the tourist beat.   

Bromovitch ordered a Martini on the rocks, but Bond chose a black coffee along with Felix.

“So. How did it go Lighter?  Did you convince the Brits to cooperate?”

Bond stared at Lighter, then took a sip of his coffee, letting Felix start the conversation.

“Well, we have their cooperation but it is early days and ….” Bromovitch butted in.

“Listen Bud, we don’t have much time.  She is planning to visit Taiwan during the next few days so…” Bond lent forward so his face was a few inches away from Bromovitch’s.

“Listen.  If you are going to work with the Bits, as you put it, I suggest that you respect the confidentiality of the matter and not blab it around a place you know nothing about.”

Bramovitch jumped back and stared at Bond.  “What do you mean Bud?”

“Firstly, I am not your Bud, and secondly, this pub is frequented by the staff from at least four embassies all within a few minute's walking distance.  I don’t have to tell you that what is said in here will be reported back to their respective Charge d’affairs within minutes, so Bud! I suggest we go for a walk down by the Thames where we can have a little privacy.  Felix?” Bond nodded to Felix who was already standing.

As Bond and Felix reached the sunshine of the pavement outside the pub Bond spoke quietly.  “Who is this clown? Do we have to work with him?”  Before Felix could answer him, the arrogant American Section Chief joined them.

  “Sorry about that Bond. I agree, let’s take a walk along the Thames and go over the plan.”

After an hour, Sirus Bramovitch was happy that Bond was on board with the insertion plan and took his leave.

“Sorry James.  He’s new to the appointment.  He has connections in Washington, hence his appointment to London.”

 

Bond nodded, but said nothing. They parted at Trafalgar Tube Station and Bond explained that he would get back in contact once he had digested the details of how the Americans wanted to play this.  On the tube back across the capital Bond decided that he needed to think and decided once he got back to the hotel he’d go for a long hard swim in the hotel pool.  He thought better when he pushed his body to the limit.  After a blistering forty lengths, he pulled his tired body out of the pool and smiled to himself. His insertion plan was sorted. 

At ten that night he called his friend, Adrien Benoit, an ex-Sergeant Major who had served in the 2^nd Battalion of the French Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment before being recruited by the French Intelligence Service, in Lyon.  Adrien had been in on the first operation to take down The Spider.  The phone call was brief and within two hours Benoit was on a flight out to Taiwan.  

When Felix called just before seven in the morning to inform Bond when his car would be picking him up, he was not surprised to be told that Bond had booked out at five.  Felix knew that Bond had little trust in the CIA and like Felix, only dealt with people he knew and trusted.

Felix met Bramovitch at the steps of the Gulfstream G700 on the pad.

Before Felix could greet him Bramovitch demanded. “Where the hell’s the Brit?”

Felix ignored him, stepped past him, and boarded the private CIA jet.  He turned to the pilot at the top of the steps, “OK Jim, let’s roll.”

Bramovitch stormed up the steps and confronted Lighter.

“Hay! I asked you a Godam question.  Where’s the Brit?”

“He’s gone.” 

Bramovitch stepped back in mild shock. “What ja mean, gone?”

“Listen Bramovitch.  You’ve been behind a desk too long.  Out in the field things are a little different.  For a start we don’t advertise the fact that we are about to arrive in Chinese air space in a CIA private jet when on a secret mission.”  He saw the cogs slowly turning in Bramovitch’s face.

Realising it was taking Bramovitch too long to work out, he turned and sat down.

Bond met Adrien at the pre-arranged time in a restaurant outside the entrance to the Yangmingsham National Park.  Bond noticed the strain in hs friend’s eyes and quietly questioned him.

“What’s on your mind? You don’t seem at ease.”

Adrien casually glanced around to ensure that no one was trying to listen in on their conversation. “Before I left, a friend of mine from the old days told me that something was going down out here.  Is it to do with this American woman?”

Bond nodded slowly.  How on earth did the French Intelligence Service get to know about the job, unless there was a leak in the CIA, he thought.

“I have been sent out here because there is a threat to the life of Ms Pelosi.  The Americans think that the Chinese are going to try and take her out.”

Adrien frowned.  “That is not what I heard.  The word on the street is that the CIA are using The Spider as a decoy whilst their own team are going to take her out.”

Henry froze, then turned the page of his comic and cursed.

‘TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT,  BUY THE AUGUST EDITION OF “THE ADVENTURES OF JAMES BOND 007.”

Copyright Bob French