Turn Around - Short Affair 2/13

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Prompts: shake, white
Word count: 912
.......................................



There was frustration written all over his face.  A sheen of perspiration gave away Illya's  discomfort with the situation, and a silent stream of Russian coursed through his mind as he watched the scene unfold before his unbelieving eyes.

Napoleon Solo looked across the room at his partner and smiled, a wan and slightly tentative expression that did not convince the Russian that his friend was actually happy.

The ceremony was stiff and unyielding, something that struck Illya Kuryakin as being inconsistent with the content.  If Napoleon were going to be installed as temporary chief of the New York Headquarters, then why all of this nonsense?  If Alexander Waverly had so willed it, why then should there be any of this formality to the change in regime, so to speak?

Illya looked up from his thoughts, his face a white relief against the dark mahogany walls behind him.  He was Napoleon's second in command, had been required to attend this little soiree.  He shouldn't call it that, but it was so unnatural feeling.  Mr. Waverly's passing had been sudden and without warning, and now all of this.  Napoleon had taken it well; perhaps too well.  For Illya it had caused a sense of doom to hover over him like a dark cloud.  These men who now held their futures had been Waverly's peers, the four lesser chiefs to his higher calling.

And now he was gone.  Illya still felt his insides shake with the impact of the news.  No one had been with him except for …

Napoleon.

Something was wrong.  Something was off.

Illya began to search the room, to examine every face for something familiar.  Waverly was like a sly old fox, always with a plan and often involved in a gambit of some sort to catch another wily subject.  This entire scene had been constructed in order for Waverly to observe something, or someone.

Who?

And then Illya saw it.  A nod of acknowledgement from among the four men seated around Napoleon; it was not directed to the others but out towards someone in the audience of twenty or so observers.  Illya followed the line of sight dictated by Cho's eyes as he looked to his co-conspirator; it was obvious to whom he was signaling.

As one the would be assassin and Kuryakin rose from their seats, one pointing a gun at Napoleon and Illya taking aim at the rogue UNCLE agent.  Section III agents who were stationed at the door assumed a position  of defense to keep everyone inside the room.

"Drop your weapon!"  Illya yelled across the heads of people who now cowered low in their seats.  Cho, head of the Eastern Region, wrapped an arm around Napoleon's neck and held a gun there as he demanded of Illya that it was he who should drop his weapon.

"Enough Mr. Kuryakin.  Mr. Solo will die and my plan will succeed, regardless of your heroics.  The men at the door are handpicked by me, and UNCLE is now mine to contral alongside the Central Committee of THRUSH.  We win, Mr. Kuryakin, and Waverly's dream dies here."  He was smug in the declaration of his victory, but it was short-lived when the two agents at the door turned their guns on him and another fired a dart that struck his neck with keen accuracy.

"Stand down, Mr. Kuryakin, everything is under control now."  Alexander Waverly slowly pulled off the latex mask that had allowed him to enter the room without notice.  He had positioned his men among the traitor's own, maneuvering this attempted coup into a signed confession, with a room full of witnesses.

Cho would pay a price, and Waverly was judge and jury.

Illya was at once both relieved and angry.  He had not been included in this plan, had been forced to endure the pangs of sorrow and regret that accompany the death of someone close.  He would deal with that later, but for now it was a great relief to him for Mr. Waverly to be returned to his post.

Napoleon wanted to tell his partner but it was too precarious a situation to let anyone else know the details.  Illya would forgive him… eventually.

It was several hours before the two friends were able to sit and talk alone about the events of the day.

"Illya, I wanted to have you involved in this, but…" Illya stopped Napoleon.

"It was not necessary, and ultimately the plan worked which means it was the right plan."  Napoleon shook his head, grateful for a partner who was so logical.  Well, most of the time he was grateful.

"Thank you.' Suddenly the events of the day settled in on the CEA; a drop in the adrenaline levels that ran so high in these men caused him to sigh so deeply it seemed almost endless.

"It could have gone all wrong Illya.  I'm so glad you were there to cover my back. Thank you."

That took Illya by surprise, the idea that he would ever not be there to save his partner.  That was the job, along with saving the world.  He smiled at the thought of it, of how grand it all sounded.

"You are welcome.  I expect the same you know."  He said it with a smile, and in return Napoleon slapped him on the back and offered to buy him dinner.

Some things never changed, in spite of saving the world on a regular basis.

Comments

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

OMG this was fantastic. When you come back, you come back with a vengeance. Again, this piece has the possibility to be a long story, even though we know the outcome it might be nice to experience the journey that too us here. Thank you, I really enjoyed this.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Thank you :D Sometimes the stories just present themselves so clearly.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

This was excellent and I could envision it as an episode.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks again, looking episodic is always a great compliment.

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

A very well written story with top notch suspense. The scene setting at the beginning is involving, too.

And I must quote: That took Illya by surprise, the idea that he would ever not be there to save his partner

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Thank you, for the comment and for highlighting that line. It's the defining quality for these two.

[rose-of-pollux.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I loved this! Always enjoy a suspenseful fic!

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I'm glad the suspense worked :D

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

The suspense in this was almost electric. Waverly is, as ever, the master strategist and Illya's instincts were at their height. Brilliant!

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Wow, electric. You're hired ;) Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed this story.

[jkkitty.livejournal.com]

The Russian doesn't know when something is wrong, and thanks to that, he still has his partner and his boss. great fic

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks, they do indeed owe so much to each other.