The Art of Misdirection - Short Affair - 5th August

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

Prompts - Muscle / Return / White
Word Count - 420

You can find the story under the cut, or you can click the hyperlink to go to AO3.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20125588

Still can't get the picture link to work, but here's a lovely picture anyway.



The slender blond entered Cool Cat Beats record store and all heads briefly turned to see who had come in. With his mop of hair, and black turtleneck, trousers, and jacket, he blended in with many of the other patrons.

“Hi,” the owner, Hank, greeted him, waving his hand. “How’s it shaking? Haven’t seen you around lately.”

“I had to cut out for a while,” Illya replied. “Anything new in?”

Across the room, in a shadowy corner, a man watched Kuryakin’s every move. The record store was known by Thrush to be one of the Russian’s regular haunts so, when Magnus Plumb had learned it was to be a dead-drop location, he knew Kuryakin would be the pick-up courier.

Plumb carefully observed him, trying hard to tune out everything else that was happening around him. He planned to follow Kuryakin out of the store and see where the package was going. It was known that it had originated at U.N.C.L.E. HQ, so knowing where it was going could be a personal coup for Plumb. If he could also get the package then it would be so much the better.

Kuryakin spent a good twenty minutes browsing all the new records; eventually choosing five to purchase. The Thrush figured that one of them must be the package he was trailing. While the agent was paying a large, heavyset man, dressed in white jeans and a white form-fitting t-shirt, came into the corner in which Plumb was standing. He literally muscled his way in, pushing Plumb out of the way. After telling the man what he thought of him, Plumb panicked briefly having lost sight of Kuryakin. Luckily, he saw him passing by outside.

For half an hour, Plumb followed Kuryakin, wondering why he was staying on foot. Too late, he realised where the Russian was leading him. Turning the last corner, he found Kuryakin waiting for him outside the Del Floria entrance of U.N.C.L.E. headquarters.

“Why would you return the package here?” he demanded.

“I do not have the package,” Illya told him, with a rare grin on his face. “The big guy in white took it, and you were standing in front of it the whole time you were in the store.”

With that, he turned and entered Del Floria’s. Magnus Plumb was left standing, open mouthed, on the sidewalk. His shock at the turn of events soon morphed into fear, as he realised he was going to have to report back.

.

Comments

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Excellent! Me want more, please? Perfect photo to go with the story!

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

Thank you :-)
I'm afraid that's all for this one (though never say never). The photo created the story. I had nothing for this challenge, then I saw this pic on facebook.

[duckys-lady.livejournal.com]

I love this! (And the photo stirs my imagination in all kinds of ways!)

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

Thank you :-)
I know just what you mean about the photo. There are many thousands of beautiful images of him, but this one on the ones which caused by breath to catch.