"The really unexpected affair" Chapter 13

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Links to: Chapter 1. Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10
Chapter 11, Chapter 12


Once Maude and the others were safely away from the estate Napoleon had a change of mind with his plan.

“Illya, if we confront the men sent to abscond with Maude, that’ll send a signal the THRUSH operation has been compromised. If we stop their goon squad, they won’t return and we can’t risk it; that might spell an end to the children and Kensington.”

“So what do you propose we do?”

“I think it’s time we vacate the premises as well.”

“Might they not suspect something when they find Maude and the entire staff gone?”

“I think I’ll leave a little note addressed to Charles from Maude telling him she’s gone to….let’s see, to Southport to see a friend. She won’t be back for a few days and has given the staff the time off.”

“Works for me,” Kuryakin nodded.”Now all we need is a car. Did Maude leave you the keys to the roadster?”

Napoleon checked his pockets, not looking very happy.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Do you know where any of the other keys are kept?”

Napoleon scrunched up his face.”I haven’t a clue.”

“We don’t have much time to look, so we best get started.” Illya hobbled off, limping more than he had earlier.

“Time for a painkiller tovarisch?”

“Nyet. I need to keep my head clear until we see this through.”

“Even if you can’t walk?”

Kuryakin shot him one of those squinty-eye looks as he limped out of the room, though he had squared his shoulders as he fought off his discomfort.

Fifteen minutes later they still had no success in locating any of the car keys.

“Perhaps we need to make use of some alternate transportation,” the Russian suggested.

“And that being?”

“The four-footed kind, or more correctly the hooved variety.”

They immediately headed down to the stables, readying a pair of horses. Napoleon helped his partner saddle Cossack Sun, though he questioned the wisdom of Illya riding the horse again.

“Are you sure you want to do this after your fall?”

“Napoleon are you questioning my riding abilities?”

“No not really...the horse is a bit on the wild side isn’t he?”

Another of the patented Kuryakin looks ended the discussion.

He knew Illya was one of the most talented equestrians he’d ever seen, yet every rider took a spill now and again. Napoleon touched his hand to his rump, remembering one such embarrassing fall he’d taken while riding in an equestrian competition when he was a teen.

The horse took the jump, leaving young Solo, behind...literally, as he’d landed hard on his derriere. He was bruised for weeks. Luckily his libido hadn’t really been awakened quite yet; that happened after his sixteenth birthday with the family nanny, and the bruises were long gone by then.

That memory banished all thoughts of his fall from the horse, as his interlude with Helga the nanny was a different fall, more like one from grace.

Napoleon gave Illya a leg up and watched as Kuryakin slipped one of Charles’ rifles into a saddle holster.  Then it was Solo’s turn to mount Midnight Sun, and after holstering his own rifle, they were off.

Napoleon’s communicator suddenly chirped a warning, not the usual sound, but a slightly different tone letting him know the goons had arrived. He’d set up a sensor at the main gate, just to give them the advantage of a heads up.

As they moved the horses from the courtyard they spotted a green van coming up the road leading to the house.

They thought it best to move out once the vehicle had pulled up to the house, and the Thrushies went inside.

It was risky either way, if they left too soon the UNCLE agents could be spotted taking the only road out of the estate.

As the van parked at the front of the house the men approached the entrance and using the heavy door knocker, they waited. When no one answered, the lead agent had the sense to try the door handle. Finding it conveniently open; they all shuffled inside.

It was then Napoleon and Illya kicked their horses into action, galloping out to the road.

They made it away from the stables and were just about to the gate before some of the Thrushies scrambled from the house, returning to the van. They’d seen the riders, though the UNCLE agents were far enough away to remain anonymous.

None of them could make out who was riding at that distance without binoculars, and Solo doubted the Thrushmen had brought the likes of that with them for a kidnapping.

As the Thrushmen appeared, Solo looked back, seeing one of them carried piece of paper in his hand...the note he’d left from Maude most likely. They found it faster than Napoleon had anticipated.

The goons went in pursuit after the riders as they couldn’t risk going back empty handed. Perhaps bringing back anyone from the household to use to gain Kensington’s cooperation might due until Mrs. Kensington could be found. The boss would probably be angry.

Once outside the gate, Napoleon and Illya headed off road, disappearing into the woods.  They were far enough away and completely undercover when the van finally arrived.

Several of the Thrushies got out, tramping along the tree line, but quickly gave up, knowing they couldn’t follow the riders.

“We’re in for it now,” one said.”

“Shut yer gob ye feckin’ eejit?” Patsy snapped back at him.

“Hey boss,” a voice came over a walkie-talkie.”Found somebody ‘ere. A boy...the stable boy.”

“Oh that’s grand, he’ll do nicely he will,” Patsy smiled.” Now back into the van the lot of you, let’s go get our hostage.  Maybe the boss will let us do some target practicing with the lad. That should put the fear of God into Kensington, thinking the same will happen to his nib’s wife.”

“Cor good one Patsy.”

“Damn,” Napoleon muttered under his breath as he overheard the conversation. Luckily the horses had remained silent, munching away on some greenery, while the UNCLE agents waited under cover of the trees.

They were now really caught between a rock and a hard place. They couldn’t rescue the boy Tom now as that would give them away and surely spook the satrap if the men didn’t return.

Such places could be emptied out in the blink of an eye, as THRUSH was quite accustomed to abandoning ship. With the backup team from London hours away, Napoleon and Illya would be hard pressed to free Kensington and the captive children on their own, yet they still had to save Tom before he was killed.

“Best we get to the warehouse as quickly as possible.” Illya said.”We may not be able to wait for our cavalry to arrive.

“Reading my mind parter. Yah!” Napoleon spurred his horse on, followed by the Russian riding on Cossack Sun.

They rode hard, with Illya taking the lead on his Don horse as it was the faster of the two. Both animals had stamina but were being pushed to their limits.

They arrived, seeing the green van parked nearby and empty. Tying off the horses, Illya took but a moment to pat Cossack Sun on the neck, and whispered something to him in Russian.

Napoleon pulled his communicator. “Open Channel F- assault team.”

“Slate here Napoleon. We’re on our way as we made great flight time. We’re midway there from Manchester.”

“We have a problem Mark. They’re going to kill a hostage and we have to stop it. If you ever broke a landspeed record, now is the time to do it.”

“Gotcha mate. Will be there in two shakes of a lambs tail. Slate out.”

“Would that would be true,”Napoleon said aloud.

The sun was beginning to set as the two agents made their way inside the warehouse. Solo having been there previously knew the layout and assumed they’d still be holding Charles in the rear of the building. It was past operating hours and as before, the lights were dim.

Illya moved cautiously behind his partner, though his ankle was hindering his movement. In his head he was screaming each time he felt the sharp pain shooting up his leg from his ankle, but he forced himself to ignore it and keep going. It was one thing to have mind over matter, but an injured  ankle generally, was not be willing to take orders. Kuryakin was going to try his best to will it to listen.

As soon as they agents came closer to the rear of the building, they split up, slipping in through a side door. Inside, one went right, the other left, though Solo was able to move a bit faster than his gimpy partner.

Voices were echoing around them and they could hear shouting; it was Charles begging for the life of young Tom.

“Please don’t kill him! What purpose would it serve killing the lad? He’s innocent and knows nothing. How can you do this? We welcomed you into our community and accepted you as one of our own. Good God man, you helped bring most of those children into this world. How can you be so heartless?”

Dr. Friedrich snickered. “Innocence has nothing to do with it, nor does his lack of knowledge. His death will prove to you how serious we are Mr. Kensington. The boy will be but a minor casualty in THRUSH’s cause for world domination. The children will be ours, our perfect specimens as we create a THRUSH army. Ours is the only way to bring order and subjugate the masses. We will tell the world what’s best for them, and they will obey. Now you will continue to show us support or you darling wife will be next.”

“Fine, I’ll cooperate!”

“Good, now kill the boy,” Friedrich orders.

“NO!”Charles screamed.

One of the goons had hold of Tom, wrenching the boy’s arms behind his back.

“Please Mr. Kensington sir, don’t let ‘em kill me? I ain’t never done anything bad. I don’t want to die.” Tom wailed; his eyes wide with panic.

“Shut him up,” Fredrich ordered.

Grey duct tape was stretched over the boy’s mouth as he continued to struggle; tears now streaming down his reddened cheeks.

“Do it,” the doctor ordered, not a hint of emotion in his voice.  He stepped back, anticipating the blood splatter about to happen.

A gun barrel was pressed against Tom’s temple; the boy giving a muffled scream to no avail as the hammer was cocked on the pistol.

A split second later the gun fell from Patsy’s hand as he collapsed at Tom’s feet having been hit with a sleep dart to the throat.

Charles dove forward, grabbing the boy and pulling him to the floor as a gun battle erupted. Shots rang out, some ricocheting, some hitting their mark as several more of the Thrushies went down.

“Whoever you are, you had best surrender or Kensington and his young friend die!” Friedrich called out. He was aiming his gun at them.

There was nothing the UNCLE agents could do. They couldn’t risk Charles and the boy being killed.

“So much for plans,” Illya mumbled as he and Solo revealed themselves.

“Maybe not,” Solo whispered out the side of his mouth.

They tossed their weapons to the ground, stepping forward with their hands raised and clasped atop their heads.

”You’re just not friends of Mrs. Kensington...who are you?”Friedrich demanded.

“I know who they are boss,” one of the men said. “That’s Solo and Kuryakin from UNCLE. I saw them once, the did in my Uncle Louie Blodgett, they did.”

The doctor cursed in German.” Tie them up, all of them. We must abandon the site immediately. Load all the formula into the trucks. I will see to the destruction of any paperwork.

“What about the children sir?”

“We will kill them all. Once we have emptied the warehouse, we will torch the building with everyone inside. Schnell! Move or you will die with them!”

The remaining henchmen scattered like cockroaches.

“You thought you could outwit THRUSH yet again,” Friedrich said to Napoleon.

“You’ll never win, that I guarantee,” Solo shot back.

“Such bravado in the face of death. You UNCLE agents can be most tiresome. It is time for you to realize that THRUSH will gain the upper hand in spite of your puny efforts.”

“We may die today but there will be more of us to follow in our footsteps. UNCLE will never stop until your organization is destroyed,” Illya added his two cents.

Friedrich bellowed with laughter, “THRUSH is legion Mr. Kuryakin, and we will succeed.”

Solo and Kuryakin listened to his continued laughter as it faded away.

“So tovarisch, what do you mean…we may die today?” Napoleon smirked.

“Well I was only staying true to character, as you have so often pointed out that I have a fatalistic side.”

“How can you two joke at a time like this? He said we’re going to die!” Charles snarled at them. “And where is my Maude?”

“Oh we’re actually being quite serious,” Napoleon smiled. “So Houdini Kuryakin, you got yourself free yet?”

“One more second...there,” the Russian’s hands suddenly appeared. He proceeded to untie Solo and they inturn freed Charles and the boy.

“Maude is fine. We sent her away somewhere for safekeeping,” Napoleon said.

“Are you all right?” Illya asked Tom as he gingerly removed the duct tape from the boy’s mouth.

“Yes sir, boy was I glad to see you.”

“And I you,” Kuryakin winked.”We are going to get you out of here, and the others as well. Now you must do everything we tell you to do, no questions asked. Understood?”

“Absolutely sir…”

Chapter 14

Comments

[lindafishes8.livejournal.com]

Ah! The nefarious plot has unfolded at last. Solo and Kuryakin are saving the day. I thought the stable boy was a goner. Liked the Irish dialogue! A very good chapter. You've been busy!

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Glad you liked the chapter but there's more to come! "D

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

The getaway ride, and rding to the rescue, is much more exciting with horses than cars, isn't it? I liked the bit about my Uncle Louie Blodgett.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

I just had to get Illya back on a horse...yep, much more exciting than them riding in a car. Glad you got the bit about Blodgett. "D Thank you!

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

I honestly thought the boy would be killed, though they aren't out of the woods yet. Can't wait to find out what comes next.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

I couldn't do that to poor Tom, he was just too good a kid. Lots more to come!

Thanks for commenting and keeping up with WIP!

[otherhawk.livejournal.com]

And yet more twisty action. Glad Tom is alright, and Napoleon's reaction to "We may die today" amused me. Can't wait to see what comes next.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

(chuckle) Definitely twisty. Thank you!

Hope you're feeling better?

[otherhawk.livejournal.com]

Yes, thanks, or at least less pathetic. :)

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Any improvement is a good thing, right?