Snapshots~"On a need to know basis..."

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

                                             

The helicopter flew low to the ground in the dark, allowing the two passengers dressed in black, and their faces smeared with grease paint, to hop down without it having to land.

As soon as the pair hit the ground it sped away, leaving them there alone a the top of the cliff.

They quickly set about their task, hammering stakes into the ground and just as quickly they set up their D-links harnesses and ropes.  Wordlessly the lowered themselves over the edge and in no time they rappelled down the side of the cliff; coming to a stop at its base.

The ropes were abandoned, and the carbines slung over their shoulders were held at the ready.

Napoleon Solo, signalled, pointing his two fingers to his eyes...telling his companion to keep a keen watch. The other man, Mark Slate nodded.

They moved forward in unison, heading towards a small building located at the far end of the ravine they were now traversing.

No fencing surrounded it, nor were there any visible guards.  Those within were utterly confident they were safe in their little hide away…

When the two agents were close, they knelt side by side; Solo pulling out a pair of mini-binoculars.

“Well mate, see him?” Slate whispered.

Napoleon continued scanning the building, looking through the unprotected windows until he found who he was looking for...Alexander Waverly.   He was seated in a simple wooden chair, surrounded by a group of men in white lab coats.

One of those men moved aside, revealing a familiar Russian, seated in a similar chair beside the CCO.  His head was drooping forward against his chest.

“He’s there on the first floor...Illya’s with him.”

Napoleon handed the binoculars to the Brit.

“Doesn’t look good,” Slate concluded. “I don’t see any guards though, that’s making me nervous.”

“Oh ye of little faith. “Don’t need guards when they have them both drugged up.”

“Riiight,” Mark mumbled. “And how do you know that?

“Mark, look at them. Their heads are drooping, eyes almost closed.”Napoleon spoke in hushed tones, “Follow me.” He led the way, moving quickly to the door. He wasn’t surprised when he found it unlocked and stepped into the hall. Directly to his right was the entrance to the room they sought.

“Ready?” He whispered and a second later he battered down the door with a mighty kick.

He and Mark fired their sleep darts, not leaving the white coats any time to defend themselves, watching them drop like flies to the floor.

“Good show gentleman,” Waverly stood up from the chair, apparently unharmed and seemingly fine. I’m afraid Mr. Kuryakin won’t be awake for a while. They tried using a truth serum on him but thankfully the new conditioning developed by R & D counteracted its effects. After biting down on a false tooth, he released a counter agent, much to our captors dismay. Mr. Kuryakin simply passed out on them.  They were most frustrated...though they were about to use their serum on me when you arrived. I on the other hand would have had a permanently adverse reaction to their drugs.”

“And that is sir?”

“I would have died Mr. Solo. It is the newest formula given to CCOs...called the Exit Strategy.  Information that we Continental Chiefs possess is so sensitive, so vital that it can not risk being revealed. If that were to occur, U.N.C.L.E.  as well as a number of other organizations would be compromised, permanently.”

“I had no idea sir, “Napoleon said as he picked up Illya, hiking him over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold. “And Mr. Kuryakin...he’ll be all right won’t he?”

“Oh goodness gracious, yes he will. If we gave such a formula to our field agents...we’d run out of operatives too quickly, given how often you tend to be captured. No, the one given to our young Russian here is new. He should be unconscious for at least seventy-two hours, it has the same duration as our little blue amnesia pill, capsule B,” Waverly smiled, seemingly pleased. “Except this one is green of course.”

.

How Waverly knew this, Solo had no idea, but then again the Old Man always seemed to be a step ahead on everything….most of the time.

Seventy two hours later, Napoleon sat in a molded plastic orange chair beside his partner’s bed in the Medical wing of New York headquarters.  He looked at his watch, waiting impatiently and just like clockwork, Illya’s eyes fluttered open just as Waverly had predicted.

He blinked a few times, trying to focus when he recognized where he was. Without looking, he asked his question, clearing his throat first. “Seventy two hours?”

“Pretty much on the nose tovarisch. How do you feel?”

“Like I have been run over by a tank.” Illya smacked his lips. “Might I have a drink of water, my mouth feels like said tank has driven through it as well.”

Napoleon helped him sit up, and brought the water to Illya’s mouth as he was still too weak to hold onto the glass.

“I am not sure if this new formula is feasible,” the Russian finally said. “I will have a talk with R & D about it.” His eyes suddenly widened, remembering Waverly. “Is he all right?”

“Yep, the Old Man is fine. We got lucky...he told me about this suicide formula. I don’t like it one bit.”

“Yes it is rather extreme, but necessary.”

“You knew about it...why didn’t I?”

“I could not help but know about it, I helped develop it… a Section I mandate. It was on a need to know basis, and apparently Mr. Waverly felt you did not need to know, just yet.”

That didn’t sit well with Solo either.  “Anything else I don’t know?”

“As far as I know, that is it. Remember Napoleon, I am not privy to everything. You have a higher security clearance than me, and I am sure there are things you are aware of  that I am not.”

“True, fair play.” Solo laid his hand on his partner’s shoulder. “We’ll have to do something about that. I’ll have a talk with Mr. Waverly.”

“That really is unnecessary my friend. I go where I am told and do as I am told, and there is no need for explanations.”

“Stubborn to the core aren’t you?”

“Da… Now can you somehow get me out of here. I am famished as it has been far too long since I have eaten. I want real food and not green jello.”

That made Solo smile, knowing his partner and friend would never change.

Napoleon disappeared from the room, returning moments later with a wheel chair, and a plastic bag containing Illya’s clothes.

“Oh like that is really going to get me past Nurse Walsh. You cannot come up with something more covert than that? I thought you were a master spy.”

“Insults won’t get you you anywhere, especially out of here.”

“I apologize,” Illya said, quickly getting dressed.

“Okay, now just get in the chair and keep your mouth shut.”

The Russian did as ordered, and surprisingly he was wheeled past the nurse’s duty station without a word being said.  Just as Solo backed the chair into the elevator, Nurse Walsh looked up.

“Napoleon, you forgot to take Illya’s discharge papers with you.”

“And you going to tell me this when?” Illya groused.

“Ummm, well it was on a need to know basis…”

Comments

[svetlanacat4.livejournal.com]

Oh, Napoleon, Napoleon... Be afraid.
This is a great one!

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

A really good fic, based on a really good idea.

As is Mr Waverly's suicide pill. Gave me a chill, there.

Another two plusses are the beginning, when Napoleon's partner turns out to be Mark, and the end.

false teeth???

[lindafishes8.livejournal.com]

ARGH! Here is something they need to know-What if,by accident,they bite down on the false tooth while eating something hard like peanut brittle??? Why do I worry about such things? LOL

Newsletter for Sunday, December 15

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User kanders07 referenced to your post from Newsletter for Sunday, December 15 (http://mfu-weekly.livejournal.com/193697.html) saying: [...] by Snapshots~On A Need to Know Basis... [...]