The ABC Affair: Stonehenge. Chapter 15 Letter O

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Again, my apologies for having to make you wait.

Chapter 14   (just to jog your memory)

Prompt: observatory

The man was alive, despite having been hit several times.  If the UNCLE agents had wanted to kill him, he would be dead.  Instead he’d been skillfully wounded in the arm, leg and one shot had grazed his temple. They needed him alive.

He moaned, returning to consciousness as Napoleon knelt beside him, grabbing him by the neck of his now not so white robe.

It was Nigel Davies, the head of the BBC film crew. They carried the injured man back to the tent and as April and Kit patched him up, Napoleon began his interrogation.

“You need to explain what you’re up to Mister Davies,” Napoleon said. His tone of voice wasn’t threatening, that he’d leave up to Illya if they needed to play good cop-bad cop.

Davies remained tight-lipped as Napoleon repeated his question again and again.  He finally looked to his partner. “I don’t think you’ll like Mister Kuryakin’s interrogation techniques, given he’s from the Soviet Union and a former member of Military Intelligence.”

Davies’ eyes widened, then he sneered, “Do your best then Kuryakin.”

Illya leaned in, close to the man’s face but not saying a word. He flashed an icy blue-eyed stare that did in the best of them.  Apparently the man was immune, so the Russian took a more direct approach.

“I prefer to do my worst Mister Davies,” Illya spoke sotto voce.

He jabbed his index finger right into the bloody bandage wrapped around in Davies’ leg.

The man let out a blood curdling scream as Illya increased the pressure.

“Answer Napoleon’s question and I will stop.”

After a minute of agonizing pain, the man finally surrendered.

“I’m not really with the BBC,  I actually work at the observatory in Chilbolton, on the edge of Salisbury Plain. I discovered the comet that is linked to Stonehenge. It’s a foreshadowing to those of us who practice... You see we came here to offer sacrifices as I am... a druid.”

“So you murdered innocent victims to worship a comet?” Napoleon snarled.

“No not worshiping a comet, we druids worship the Celtic pantheon of which there are multiple distinct and separate individual gods and goddesses. We are a shamanic religion, and are in contact with the spirit world.”

“And what of the people you killed in the name of your barbaric religion?” Illya hissed.

“Those who died weren’t victims; except for the last two, they all were volunteers. They willingly gave their lives so that we might...might complete the ritual for the Solstice.”

“What ritual? Kit asked, “What’s its purpose?”

“To open the portal. We believe Stonehenge is a gateway to another dimension. A place where all is as it should be, a world where we can live in harmony with nature…”

“What a load of borrie,” Kit waved his hand in the air in disgust.“And what of the sheila...Ellery? Where’s she?”

“She’s safe. Once the final ritual is completed she’ll be returned to you. She’s guaranteed not to be harmed as long as you let us continue unhindered.” 

“You’re out of your bloody mind, ye drongo!”* Kit barked.

Dancer and Slate had been quiet up to this point.

“Look,” April snapped.” How are your druids going to complete the ritual without you...I mean you’re their leader, aren’t you? And we’re not letting you go anywhere.”

Davies hesitated, as he hadn’t figured on that. The disappearing act he’d pulled before when he tried to cut Solo’s throat was all a bit of smoke and mirrors.

“How did you pull off the mist conveniently appearing on cue?”She asked. “A bit of flimflam, I suspect.”

Davies confessed that it was simply a smoke machine well hidden among the stones. It was used to create the atmosphere for the sacrifices, and make it easier on the others not having to see the sacrificial offerings being killed.

“Some of my fellow druids have weak stomachs…”

He also knew that April was correct; without him that none of the rituals were going to go forward, but that fact he kept to himself.

“So you’re the man in charge of everything?”Napoleon asked.

“Yes...I am the leader.”

“And how many of you are there?”

“Twelve.”

“Look guv,” Mark cast an eye in Solo’s direction before he made an offer of which he was sure Napoleon would approve.

“How about a trade, you for Doctor Ellery. Then you can go on about your bloody ritual business...no pun intended.  Though I have my doubts this gateway thing is real.”

“No more smoke machine, and no more sacrifices either. Make do with the lives you’ve taken,” Napoleon pointed directly at Davies’ face.

“Agreed. You have my word...well we need one more ritual sacrifice, but It will be from one of my people. We will not seek an outside victim, this I promise.”

“No more, Davies!” Napoleon barked.

“Fine, no more.”

Solo had his doubts about the man’s word as well as the existence of this portal. Permitting Davies to think he could continue with his nonsense would at least get Ellery back.

Once that was done, they’d round up this dirty dozen wanna be druids for the murders that had been committed.

*Australian slang: drongo- idiot

*Australian slang: borrie-shit

*Australian slang: sheila- woman

Comments

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Good explanation and cliff hanger.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! It was difficult not to reveal details of what has been going on and why. Now I still have 11 more letters to bring this story to a conclusion! Yikes!