Short Affair-"All that glitters"

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Challenge: The Short Affair- due 8/27- so I'm a little behind

-Prompt Word 1 - Curve

-Prompt Word 2 – Stall

-Prompt Colour – Gold

Author: mrua7

Title: “All that glitters”

Word Count: slightly over...letting my muse do her thing.

They stood there staring at a moderate sized pyramid of glistening gold bullion ingots; it was the last thing they expected to see as they ran through the underground tunnels that would hopefully allow them to escape what was to come.

Solo and a limping Kuryakin were in a bit of a hurry seeing as how the Russian had set a number of explosives in the house above their current location before he took a knife wound to his thigh. (though that was the last thing that particular Thrushman would ever do)

Above them was Hale House, owned by the wealthy financier Richard Hale who was working his way up the THRUSH ladder; his ultimate goal was a seat on the Council.

Finding this cache of gold was a curve Napoleon and Illya didn’t need thrown at them as the minutes they took to look over it was a stall they couldn’t afford.

“There has to be millions of dollars in gold stashed here,” Napoleon said. “It looks like a miniature Fort Knox.”

“If we do not get going UNCLE will never known about it as we...along with the gold will be buried. Now please go?”

Solo grabbed one of the ingots and stuffed it into his coat pocket. “Evidence,” he whispered.

“The weight of it will rip the cloth before we get out of here,”Illya quipped.

“Oh ye of little faith. This is a well made, high quality piece of clothing; it can take it.”

“I see. So the many other missions we have been on when your suit was damaged you were wearing substandard apparel?”

Napoleon glared at his partner as he scooped him him up and dragged him along at a quicker pace.

“Leave me,” Illya groaned. “Save yourself.”

“Not a chance buddy boy!” Just as Solo uttered those words there was a rumble coming from behind them.

They scrambled towards the light they literally saw at the end of the tunnel and as they exited it a blast of dirt and debris propelled them forward.

As they landed hard, the ground beneath them shook and undulated.

“This is not explosion; it is an earthquake!” Kuryakin shouted.

It was over as quickly as it began, and Illya presumed the tremblor helped with the simultanteous destruction created by his detonations. The cave entrance through which they’d escaped had now been sealed, and looking upwards, where Hale House had stood there was now a pile of wreckage.

Napoleon looked over his suit as he stood, brushing off himself; the pocket containing the gold was still intact but that was more than could be said for the rest of his suit.

At least Illya kept his mouth shut for once…

Thirty-six hours later the agents were back at headquarters in New York City; Illya had been treated and stitched up and was now on a pair of crutches, using them was the only way he was allowed out of the medical suite.

He was seated beside his partner in Waverly’s conference room; the Old Man was opposite them and in front of him was the single brick of gold that Solo had grabbed.

“This is most disturbing gentlemen. The stampings on this  gold identifies it as being from the Fort Knox depository in Kentucky. It is a classified facility, no visitors are permitted with no exceptions. No one from the public other than President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who made an inspection trip there in 1943, has been inside before or since.

By the end of the Truman Administration in 1952, some $2 billion in gold had been repatriated abroad to the U.S. allies. Suspecting that this was not the whole story, the incoming Eisenhower Administration was faced with demands for an investigation and promptly conducted one.

An advisory committee was organized, and an audit conducted. Reporting to the President, the committee said it “was impressed with the evidence of the adequacy and effectiveness of the audit and controls methods that are being followed … The committee had no reason to doubt the accuracy of the Treasury’s accounts. Vaults were sealed after that audit in 1953.”

“Yes sir, “Illya agreed. “The Vault doors containing the gold really are little more than compartments within the giant vault and have been sealed with a special tape designed to show breakage and tampering. Hot sealing wax covers both ends, holding them to a card that was signed at the time of the dealing by three representatives of the government.”

“Indeed,”Waverly continued.” That vault consists of 16,000 cubic feet of granite, 4,200 cubic yards of concrete, 750 tons of reinforcing steel, and 670 tons of structural steel. It is virtually impenetrable.”

“Apparently not,”Napoleon said.

“Yes quite, “Waverly tapped the bowl of his pipe in the crystal ashtray just within reach on the the conference table. “I have informed the proper authorities of your find and they will be retrieving the remainder of the gold you saw beneath Hale House.”

“And us, sir?” Illya asked.

“We will be doing nothing in regards to this situation. The FBI will be conducting the investigation as to how the gold, if it is all indeed from Fort Knox, was removed. They will keep us informed and will share any pertinent information in regards to THRUSH involvement.”

Both Napoleon and Illya’s eyebrows raised in reaction to that statement.

“Very well gentlemen, that will be all...and Mister Kuryakin please stay off that leg. No mischief if you please?”

Illya’s face flushed pink. “Yes sir.”

Together Solo and Kuryakin walked from the office as usual, side by side.

“So no mischief,” Napoleon leaned his head over towards his partner.”Does drinking count?”

“Of course not,” Illya half smiled.”Mischief would be what we do after we have been drinking, would it not?”

“Hmmm, let’s find out tovarisch. The Old Man didn’t say anything to me about staying out of mischief. Let’s get hold of those two new secretaries and see if they’d like to join us for the evening?”

“You meant the two blondes with the big…”

“Exactly. Whatever happens post-imbibing is up to them,” Napoleon gave a wink.

For once Illya wasn’t unwilling, there was a twinkling glitter in his eyes that told Solo there was mischief to be had in spite of Waverly's warning.

“That sounds like a plan to me my friend.”

Comments

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

An interesting idea; and isn't it just like UNCLE to spoil what must have been the perfect heist.

Nice touch - the pocket containing the gold was still intact but that was more than could be said for the rest of his suit.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it! My muse paid me a visit and was being cooperative (at last) Hopefully I'm over my dry spell!

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

Excellent! Your muse came back laden with goodies :-)

I love the idea that someone was stealing from Fort Knox. Will we ever know how, or will the FBI keep us out of it? I love "So the many other missions we have been on when your suit was damaged you were wearing substandard apparel?”

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Hopefully she'll stick around. LOL! I couldn't resist Illya getting a dig in about Napoleon's clothing. The pocket survived, but the suit didn't. ha!

[duckys-lady.livejournal.com]

This is terrific! Somehow, I don't think even Waverly can prevent the mischief! :-)

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! Hopefully my muse is done with her vacation and is ready to get back to the business of storytelling!

[maria-priest.livejournal.com]

Very nice, especially Illya's snide remark about Napoleon's suits.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I recall, I think most of Season 3, where almost everything out of Illya's mouth was a snide remark. (Maybe it was David's frustration coming through after so many lousy scripts?{ "D