The ABC Affair- Stonehenge, Chapter 11 letter K

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

This is a short one....

Prompts: Knowledge, key

Napoleon was finally released from his bonds and as he rose from his chair he rubbed his sore wrists.

“Gee Illya, could you have tied these any tighter?”

Kuryakin touched his hand to his head, rubbing it, ”And could you have hit me any harder?”

“I hit you? When?”

“When you were not quite yourself.”

“Oh well, that should make it all right then, since I wasn’t myself when I did it to you.”

“As ever Napoleon, your logic is flawed.”

“You mean flawless, tovarisch,” Solo grinned

“Will you two knock it off,” April chided.

“Do they always do this,”Ellery asked.”I mean argue back and forth like little children?”

“I’m afraid so, but we forgive them anyway...right darlings?”

“Yes April,” they answered in unison like a pair of boys who had just been scolded. It was always better to err on the side of caution when it came to April Dancer who was slow to anger, but when she did lose it, it was a safe bet to not be on her bad side.

“Let’s summarize,”April said,”so I can get things straight. A number of fresh corpses of modern day men dressed as people from the Neolithic age have been found arranged in specific positions within the henge. Each has been ritually sacrificed with their throats slashed from ear to ear. An electric surge destroyed the generator, and film equipment present as there had been a BBC crew here to do a documentary on Stonehenge.”

“The surge also affected vehicles as well as our communicators,” Illya added. “And do not forget the disappearance of the two British security guards, one of whom became the next sacrificial victim after a strange fog appeared, enveloping the henge while ghost-like figures in white robes emerged to commit the grisly sacrifice.”

“Yes and then Officer Kingsley reappeared,” Napoleon interrupted.”When the four of us began to head back on foot towards town, Kingsley and I were taken. My memory is a bit fuzzy on that, and as you informed me I was under some sort of hypnotic trance compelling me to go to the so-called Sun Stone located just outside the henge.”

“We still haven’t addressed Officer Kingsley disappearing for a second time,” Ellery added.

“The Sun Stone,”Illya said,”I think that will be our key, since Napoleon was supposed to go there."

“Then perhaps we should tovarisch? With an escort of course. We can only hope to find Kingsley before he meets the fate of the others."

“Napoleon, and perhaps you as well…” Illya’s tone of voice was an obvious protest.

“I feel fine, and there'll be the five of us.”

“Correction ye drongo, the cavalry has arrived,” it was Kit Kittridge with backup from the London office.

Everyone breathed a communal sigh of relief as Kit had brought a half-dozen agents with him.  They were fully armed with UNCLE carbines and had a few other accoutrements such as knockout gas, gas masks, rebreathers and explosives.”

“You can’t use explosives here!”Ellery protested.”It’s an historic archaeological site! It’s an important source of knowledge that gives us a glimpse into Britain’s past. Damage to it just can’t be risked!”

“I agree,” Napoleon said,”but the other supplies will come in handy if we’re going to catch whoever is doing this.”

“Excuse me,” April interrupted. She was standing by the entrance to the tent and had just peeked outside. “Something’s happening out there…”