Y is for Yulee- for The ABC Affair II Challenge - Day 25

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Fanfiction.net is apparently down. So I'm posting the story here:

It was time for a pit stop as not only was Illya hungry (which was seemingly always) but Napoleon was as well.

They spotted a diner just outside the small Florida town of Yulee and pulled into the parking lot.

Generally it was a positive sign when trucks were lined up outside of one of these places, as it was an indicator that the food was good. Today though, there wasn’t a sign of a big rig or pickup truck anywhere.

At this point it didn’t matter as both agents needed to eat as they still had a long way to go to their next destination in the state.

The went inside together and seated themselves at a booth, and looking around as a precaution which they always did, they took note of how many people were there.

Not counting the cook and the waitress, there were two men seated at stools by the counter, and there were two women seated at another booth. It seemed quiet enough.

At least with so few people they’d probably get fast service, and as far as the quality of the food...how could the cook screw up a basic breakfast like bacon and eggs with homefries; coffee on the other hand was something that might be a problem.

Napoleon noticed that no one was drinking any as there were no mugs in front of them. Illya always drank his tea so that’s what Solo would probably have with his food just to be on the safe side.

Solo patted his jacket and realized he’d left his wallet in the car. He was paying for breakfast as he’d made a bet with Illya and he lost; a bet was a bet after all.

“I’ll be right back, gotta get my wallet. Just order me bacon and eggs with homefries, and I’ll have tea for a change,” Napoleon said as he stood.

He walked out the door to their car and got into the passenger side, feeling around under the seat where he’d tucked his wallet.

His communicator chirped; he immediately drew it out of his breast pocket and assembled it with a practiced hand.

“Solo here.”

“Napoleon...it’s Gretchen.”

He immediately smiled.” Why hello there, and how are you doing?”

“I’m fine, getting excited for our date tonight.”

“Oh I’m looking forward to it as well. You do like barbeque, right?”

“Barbeque? Who in Florida doesn’t, but I was hoping we could go to a place where they don’t serve barbeque, someplace better maybe?”

“Gretchen, wherever you’d like to go is fine with me,” he made that statement knowing there weren’t too many expensive restaurants in the area.

Their flirtatious conversation continued until Napoleon was distracted by several sheriff’s cars pulling up in front of the diner with their lights flashing.

“Gretchen I gotta go. I’ll call you. Solo out.” He didn’t give her time to respond as he disassembled the communicator and stuck it back in his pocket, he did however, retrieve his wallet.

He stepped from the car and was immediately told by one of the officers that he’d have to leave the area, that there was a hostage situation going on inside the diner.

Napoleon’s eyes went wide.”Wait a minute officer...Doran,”he looked at the name badge. “My name is Solo, I’m with the U.N.C.L.E. and my partner is inside.”

“Mister I don’t care whose Uncle you’re friends with, now I’m not going to tell you again. You need to move.” The officer looked around. “See that grassy spot by the road, go and stand there and stay there.”

The officers were surrounding a man dressed in white, talking to him, and Napoleon recognized him as the cook. He listened in as he very slowly stepped backwards, giving the impression he was doing as he was told.

Apparently the two men at the counter started having a fight, and one pulled a gun and at that point took everyone hostage...including Illya. The cook called the police and escaped out the back door of the diner.

He was sent to the grassy area where Napoleon was ordered to stay, and that’s when Solo found out about Illya.

“The blond man I was with, was he all right?”

“Yessir, everyone was okay when I got out. Don’t know how long that will last. Them two brothers... Joe Bob, and Jimmy Fratelli are always going at it with each other, but never have either of them pulled a gun on people before.”

“Well my friend there inside is a very dangerous man,” Napoleon said.” He and I work for an organization called the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement.”

“Well then why the heck ain’t the Sheriff letting you help.”

“That’s a good question.” Napoleon waved one of the officers over and again presented his identification and told them his partner was inside and that he was armed. So they’d have help on the inside from him.”

“Oh?” The officer seemed surprised. “That’s good to know so’s we don’t shoot him. The Fratelli brothers are both armed…”

“Yes, so I heard.”

The officer was waved over as more police arrived, some dressed in black, and heavily armed.

“This doesn’t look good,” Solo mumbled.

The man in charge had called the diner phone and spoken to one of the Fratellis; apparently they wanted $10,000 and safe passage out and they’d release all the hostages except one, and that one would come with them as protection.

The negotiations when on for a few hours, and the two female diners were released as a sign of good faith. That left the waitress and Illya.

Several minutes went by, and the waitress finally came running out the door, looking quite relieved.

Kuryakin stuck his head out the door a moment later, then his hand appeared holding his gold ID card.

“Do not shoot. You can come in now, it is over.”

The officers charged in, grabbing Illya, intending to

handcuff him and that’s when they saw the Fratelli brothers lying unconscious on the diner floor.

Napoleon quickly entered, telling the officers that Illya was his partner.

Kuryakin was released and as the police examined the Fratellis they found no bullet wounds, though the men were alive, they were out cold.

After giving his statement, Illya and Napoleon were permitted to leave. The police left with the prisoners and all was quiet again.

The cook called the UNCLE agents back inside and reminded them they never got to eat and he would make whatever they wanted.

“Food’s on the house for you,” he told Kuryakin. That Illya found quite amusing, as Napoleon would have to pay.

“So did you sleep dart them?” Napoleon asked.

“Only one, the other was so surprised when his brother collapsed that it gave me the opportunity to karate chop him.”

“Then it was a job well done tovarisch,”Napoleon smiled.

“Thank you. Hostage situations are never easy, as you well know. It was easier when they released the two young ladies, and thereby decreased the number of people who could have been injured. Ideally it would have been better if they freed the waitress, but when I heard the brothers discussing taking her with them as their insurance, I knew I had to act.”

The waitress made googly eyes at the Russian as she set a plate down in front of him; there were double portions of everything. She’d found a jar of seedless raspberry jam for his tea as well.

“My grandma was Rooshin and made her tea like that too.”

“Thank you very much...Tiffany.”

Napoleon calmly folded his hands in front of himself and waited for his breakfast. It arrived once he reminded the waitress that he was still hadn't been served his.

It was a rather meger serving when it arrived, even by Solo’s standards.

“I did tell the police you were an UNCLE agent, so they had an armed man inside who could help them.”

“And I am sure they appreciated that,” Illya saw the look in Napoleon’s eyes and he lifted his plate, giving some of his eggs and home fries to him with a wink…

“What no extra bacon?” Napoleon made that face.

“No, that is mine.”

“Greedy…”

“No, hungry. Now eat your breakfast so we can be on our way down to Zephyrhills. I think you might have to tell your date you will be a little late.”

“Hey I’m worth waiting for,”Napoleon grinned as he stole a piece of Illya’s bacon.