section7mfu | The ABC AFFAIR 2019- D is for DuMonde (Reply)

Their time in New Orleans had to include a visit to the open-air coffee shop on Decatur Street in the French Quarter known as the Café Du Monde. It was famous for its café au lait and beignets among other things. It was so popular with both locals and tourists that it was open twenty-four hours a day.

Napoleon and Illya were seated at a table that lady luck had decided was to be close to the entrance, allowing a quick getaway if needed. Even though they were off duty, one never knew when something in their line of work would crop up. Both men knew that trouble seemed to follow them wherever they went.

Illya was just about to take a bite of a potato beignet when Napoleon’s communicator warbled.

Luckily the restaurant was packed and the noise from the conversations surrounding them muffled the sound of the communicator.

“Oh great,” Solo mumbled as he quickly opened the pen and set up the microphone. He raised his menu and propped it up in front of himself to hide the fact that he was speaking into a pen.

“Solo here, please keep your voice low as I’m in a public place.”

“Hi Napoleon it’s Wanda...I have Mister Waverly for you. Hold please.”

“Ahem,” the Old Man cleared his voice, indicating his presence.

”I have a quick assignment for you and Mister Kuryakin. You are to go to the St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 and there you’ll meet your contact. He's a double agent who has infiltrated THRUSH’s southern division and he has procured the latest Triad codes. It’s vital we get them from him in a timely manner. Since you are my best agents in that locale, your assignment to this task is necessary, rather than using someone from our New Orleans field office.”

Napoleon peeked over the top of the menu at his partner and could see the look in Illya’s eyes. It was one of those ‘not again’ looks.

“Who is this agent and how are we to recognize him?” Solo asked.

“I can’t reveal his identity to you as he is deep undercover and for his safety the fewer people who know who he is, the safer he’ll be. He’ll be waiting for you at the main gate of the cemetery.”

Illya’s eyebrow cocked upon overhearing that.

“A code phrase will be necessary; you will use “What’s the best way to the French quarter? His response is ‘are you traveling on foot or by taxi? You are then to respond “by bicycle.” The cemetery closes at half past two, but you are to meet your contact at 7 p.m. That should alleviate any unwanted company. Once you have the envelope, deliver it immediately to our field office there in the city. Waverly out.”

“Cemetery again?” Napoleon sighed as he closed his communicator and let the menu drop to the table.

“Since you have has no one determined to kill you with a voodoo doll, we will have no need of involving Mama Luc again; that is something positive,” Illya snickered. “Still could they not find a better place for us to meet other than at a necropolis?” *

“Well at least our passcode is somewhat sensible and not strange like ‘the rain in Spain grows mainly on the plain…”

They both blurted out the response with a smile, “But only on Tuesdays!”

“Yes, the idea behind a series of recognition passwords between two players who are strangers should make it sound normal if you are overheard or should you mistakenly approach the wrong person,” Illya said. “Perhaps the people stuck in the code department are getting a bit bored.”

“Agreed,” Napoleon said. “In a natural conversation an agent might begin with, ‘What is the best way to the train station?’, to be answered by, ‘You could walk, but it’s about ten blocks.", followed by, ‘That's fine, I could use the exercise."

“There is also the option of building in an abort phrase such as mentioning a certain business name to signal that one of the parties believes he or she is under surveillance,” Illya added.

“Still, I think this will be a milk run.” Napoleon sipped his café au lait.

“One can only hope.” Illya said quite seriously.

Napoleon paid the bill, though his partner said nothing about where the cash came from; Kuryakin had been prepared to pay given his partner’s wallet had been stolen. Regardless, he’d make sure Solo paid him back for the purchase of those ridiculous alligator shoes…

They returned to their hotel room as they had some time to kill before leaving for their rendezvous at the cemetery.

Illya took advantage of the lull to take a nap. Napoleon donned his new shoes, walking around the room to break them in, and suddenly on a whim, he decided to head down to the hotel bar to have a drink.

He left a note for his partner…no need to worry his Russian friend.

*ref to “That voodoo that you do so well”