Bond was absolutely exhausted. Not so much physically, but mentally.  His last case, on which he completed the final paperwork only four days ago, had required him to exert every last ounce of mental prowess that he could fathom. While the events of the last two weeks had included their fair share of physical demands, he found that side of his job somewhat therapeutic, one might even say relaxing. Without the constant pursuit of the perpetrators and the occasional high stakes toughness,the tension just might be more than one human could bare. Bond approached his job much like an expert chess player might approach a championship match with the world champion. It was crucial – not only for the success of the mission, but also to his well-being – that he remain at least two steps ahead of his adversary. For, as Bond had discovered on more than one occasion, when the tables were turned and his adversary got the upper hand, well, that was when things got a bit messy.

While his last case had taken him from London to Brussels, and later to Bern, James Bond was thankful that M had agreed to give him three weeks off, but not before he had completed that dreaded two days worth of paperwork. Many times Bond told himself that if he were ordered to write one more useless report or draw up one more official document, he would quit. Of course, Bond wouldn’t quit because the adrenaline rush from an exciting case was too great, too powerful for him to leave it behind. After all, he reasoned, who would save the world if he did resign his position as Commander in Britain’s MI-6?

But that life was all behind him for the time being. Even he occasionally needed time to recharge his batteries, and for the next seven days he would be doing just that. He had rented a cabin located 30 miles northwest of the town of Lincolnshire and far away from just about everything else. He would be spending the next week unwinding and relaxing while enjoying the amenities that accompanied this “rustic” retreat. The cabin was a simple three room structure with a porch extending around the two sides that overlooked the calm of the lake that began a hundred yards down the gradual slope. The forest encroached to within a few feet of the opposite side of the cabin making it feel almost like a natural protrusion of the woods,themselves.

Bond was quite impressed with the property and knew he would have no trouble enjoying his stay. On the near side of the lake was a plank board boathouse that contained an old, but fully functional motor boat allowing him to explore the far side of the lake as he pleased.  Adjacent to the boathouse was a 50 foot long pier from which he could jump into the lake and swim to keep his body in top shape. Bond certainly was no fisherman, but he imagined that if he were, this place would be heaven on Earth. Yes, Bond thought, this is going to be quite a week.