“La Gioconda” ~for the Short Affair Challenge

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Challenge: The Short Affair

-Prompt Word #1 - Arch

-Prompt Colour – Pink

Author: mrua7

Title: “La Gioconda”
Word Count: approx. 1000

Napoleon was shivering from the cold when he woke, and with a splitting headache. Reaching up, he winced as his fingers touched a very sizeable lump on his head.

Solo was in a bit of a daze while trying to recall something...anything to give him a clue as to how he’d gotten here. Under a stone archway from the looks of it, and once his eyes focused he realized exactly where he was.

He was under a familiar archway, not-far-from-...the Metropolitan Museum of Art! The last thing he remembered was being at the museum, helping to safeguard an important female visitor, the famous Mona Lisa herself; here on loan from the Louvre.

Napoleon was filled with a sinking feeling something bad had happened to her. He felt his pockets, looking for his communicator. Finding it; he contacted Illya.

“Napoleon where are you? I came to relieve you at the museum and you were nowhere to be found.”

“It appears I’m In Central Park under the Greywacke Arch.”

“And how did you get there?”

“I have no idea. I’m not wearing an overcoat and am nearly frostbitten, so I think I’ve been out here a while. I have a nasty lump on my head too.”

“Are you all right?”

As Solo tried to stand but suddenly fell back to his rear, feeling seriously dizzy.

“Come get me and bring a coat please; I’m freezing.”

“I will be right there.”

He arrived on foot as it took him all of six minutes to get there; finding Solo sitting on the cold ground, holding his head in his hands.

Illya draped a wool coat over Napoleon’s shoulders and helped him to his feet.

“What happened to you my friend?”

“I haven’t a clue...the painting, she’s all right?”

“Yes. The security guards and museum officials have kept a twenty-four-hour vigil. In the meantime let us get you out of this cold.

They returned to the museum, though it was closed in preparation for the onslaught of visitors expected to view the painting.

They went to the director’s office where Solo was able to warm himself. The director was concerned about Napoleon having disappeared and questioned the ability of UNCLE to help guard the painting, but the agent waved dismissed that.

Napoleon’s color was coming back, and his cheeks flushed pink as they warmed.

“If the painting is fine, then why was I attacked?” Solo asked. “And I’m positive I was.”

“Surely you must remember being in the museum when the painting arrived last night?” The director asked.

‘I do recall bits of the arrival. I spoke to a woman in a red dress...she had a clipboard.”

“Mr. Solo there was no woman.”

Napoleon shook his head. It wasn’t like him to mix his facts and found it odd he recalled a woman’s presence when there wasn’t one here.

“Would you mind if we go check on the painting. I’d feel much better if I saw it for myself. ”

“The painting is fine,” the director insisted.”You were present when she arrived. I assure you she’s the only woman who was here last night.”

“Indulge us,” Illya insisted.

The director, Solo and Kuryakin arrived the Medieval Sculpture Hall, where La Gioconda was ready to greet them. The painting was behind a red velvet curtain in the center gate of the Spanish choir screen bisecting the hall and protected by bulletproof glass. Flanked by two guards, and detectives watching from behind; all was ready for the unveiling the next day.

“Curtains,” the director snapped his fingers.

The guards immediately complied, drawing them back.

There she was in all her glory; her enigmatic smile and eyes gazing down at them.

“See gentlemen.”

“Not so fast,” Illya said. He stepped over the red velvet stanchions there to keep the onlookers at a proper distance. Kuryakin pulled a magnifying glass from his pocket, examining the painting.

“This is a forgery.”

“Impossible!” The director barked.

“Look here,” Illya invited to him to look under the magnifier. “I do not think Da Vinci signed his work, ‘Kilroy was here,’ do you Director?”

The man went into an instant panic.”What are we going to do? The museum...our reputation will be ruined. Not to mention the insurance. We’ll be bankrupt!”

“Take it easy,” Napoleon said. “We’ll figure this out. There’s no way the painting got out of here without anyone seeing it happen. Do you have any surveillance cameras in the museum?”

“Yes, they’re not monitored and record automatically.”

They pulled up the last twenty-four hours and there a woman did indeed appear on the tape, carrying a clipboard. Napoleon didn’t recognize her, nor did the Russian. They watched as she smashed a glass ball containing a knockout gas, downing Solo and the guards.

Napoleon saw his head hit against a metal stanchion, and he touched his hand to the still tender lump. “That explains my head.”

The woman and her goons took down the painting and carried it to a side room.

“Where is that?” Illya asked.

“That’s where we prepare paintings for shipment.”

They watched as she and the men exited empty handed, and just as they left the building Napoleon came to and followed them out the door.

“That explains how you ended up outside,” Illya said.”You must have followed them to the park before you passed out.”

“Not important now,” Napoleon said. “Are there any shipments due to go out?”

“Why yes, the director said,”One’s leaving in fifteen minutes.”

They dashed down to the loading dock where a large crate was being loaded on a truck, by the same two goons.

“No you don’t!” Solo shouted, quickly dispatching them with sleep darts.

The crate was brought inside and it indeed contained the original painting. La Gioconda was returned to her proper place behind the protective glass, and the guards were tripled.

There Mona Lisa remained under continuous observation until her official unveiling ceremony the next day. Visitors were allowed only a brief chance to view the painting before they were ushered out of the building through an exit to the Museum's parking lot.

“All’s well that ends well,” Napoleon whispered to his partner as they watched the first guests marvel at the painting.

“Still we do not know the identity of your mystery woman. We are running her image through our database to see if we can find a match.”

“One can only hope,” Napoleon nodded, his fingers absentmindedly drifting to the lump on his head.

Comments

[rose-of-pollux.livejournal.com]

I have to say, when you mentioned the lady in red, I immediately thought of Carmen Sandiego.

And ooh, the intrigue of a Mona Lisa theft and, of course, Napoleon's luck running out...

An intriguing piece!

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It was one of these stories that came together like a domino effect. First I looked up arches, found the one in the park and like'd its interesting name, then I looked up what was nearby, found the Met, then I googled events around a few dates in the 1960s and so a story was born. Not going to continue this one for now as I have 2 WIPs running already. Maybe at a later date I'll expand this story.


Carmen Sandiego...wasn't familiar with her but after googling, I may have to pursue that route. Thank you!

[lindafishes8.livejournal.com]

"Kilroy was Here" Hee Hee! Illya made that up, right? At last, a story where the Russian isn't the one with a lump on his head. Interesting story.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you! No Illya didn't make it up, the baddies did it. lol!

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

Ha, I love the 'Kilroy was here'. In fact I love the whole story.

I got to see the Mona Lisa first hand back in 1990. It was a lot smaller than I expected and is extremely under-whelming.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Ewww, glad the story struck a chord with you and that you liked it. It was hard not to keep going with this one, as it could have been way longer. Didn't want another WIP.

I've never seen the painting in person and doubt I ever will. Still it would be nice...

Kilroy was here seems to be amusing a few people!

[ssclassof56.livejournal.com]

Very intriguing. Is the woman in red Dr. Egret? Inquiring minds want to know. :)

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Chuckle...thanks. No one particular in mind. If I get around to continuing this story (not now) I'll decide who she is and she probably won't be THRUSH. Sometimes it's good to get away from those 'birds.'