"Blood Moon" part 8

[mlaw]

 
                                         

Kuryakin had positioned himself on the rooftop of headquarters, taking his turn with Mark Slate to keep watch. Every building that was part of the U.N.C.L.E. complex that encompassed the entire block had snipers manning the rooftops, not only protecting the few agents that had to go in and out for whatever reason, but any innocents who'd dared to venture outside as well.

Once the sun had gone down, it was another story. No one was on the streets as roaming bands of hoodlums and drug crazed addicts wandered about at night like zombies.

It seemed the daylight hours drove them indoors, whether it was a side effect of Red Rider or not, no one knew or even cared at this point. With that pattern finally established, people were able to come and go, supplies brought in and delivered.

That was how life went on in New York city and the rest of the country. Europe was following suit, and Asia was now falling under the domain of the Red Rider; only Africa and Australia seemed to be unaffected as of yet.

There was no traffic traveling along the street now as the sun had gone down, yet Mark suddenly kicked Kuryakin's foot as the Russian had just squatted to his knees to wolf down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Oy mate, headlights coming up the block."

Illya stood, ready to hit a spotlight and focus it on the vehicle.

There was no speeding or erratic driving and the car...from the looks of it an older model slowed, pulling up curbside not far from the entrance to Del Floria's

He finally hit the spotlight, shining it at the car as the occupants climbed out, and called to him.

"Freeze where you are and state your intentions."

A female and male stepped to the sidewalk, trying to block the bright light with their hands.

"All right mate, drop the rifle," Mark yelled down, spotting the weapon in the male's hands.

"We're looking for Alexander Waverly," the girl called out, while gesturing for her companion to put down his weapon."My name is Christina Cummings...my dad is a friend, Professor Peter Cummings. I know who's controlling all these drugs."

"Stay where you are," Illya called."Someone will be there in a moment to escort you inside.

Napoleon Solo and two security team members appeared, rising from the stairwell that was below street level like phantasms in the darkness.

"I'll take that gun sir," the Section V agent said, relieving Raymond of his weapon," and the keys to your car too."

"If you two will follow us," Solo asked, guiding them down the hidden stairs and through the entrance to the once busy tailor shop.

"Be careful with that car please?" Raymond added,"it belonged to my grandfather."

One of the agents remained behind, getting into the Oldsmobile and moving it into the secure U.N.C.L.E. garage around the corner.

Christina and Raymond were brought through the dressing room entrance, though a bit bewildered by it. After being scanned for other weapons and found clean, they were both issued black visitor's badges by a very tired receptionist.

They were taken not to Waverly's conference room, but to separate interrogation cells, where Illya met his partner and the questioning was begun in earnest.

Waverly watched and listened from the gallery above and once he was satisfied, Christina was brought to his conference room, as she'd refused to discuss the origins of the apocalyptic drugs with no one but her father's friend.

Raymond was deemed a true innocent in this, just helping to protect Christina and his grandfather's car. He was taken to the Commissary and given a meal while he waited to be reunited with his traveling companion.

In the conference room Waverly gathered with his agents to meet his old friend's daughter. She was looking drawn and haggard, yet she was a grown woman now and hadn't seen her since she was a child.

"My dear, you have your mother's eyes," he gave her a little smile."

"You knew her?"

"Yes but it was a very long time ago, in a different life. Now you said you know who is behind this drug epidemic and in that you have my complete attention..."

Waverly sucked on the mouthpiece of his pipe out of habit since there was no more tobacco to be had.

"Please enlighten me on you and your father's involvement, and where it took place."

She was seated at the table, flanked on either side by Solo and Kuryakin. John Uriel had joined them at the meeting as well.

"You see dad and I were engaged by some man to work at a secret lab last year and we were told it was a government project, hush hush and all. When this insanity began my father started becoming suspicious and he realized the drugs called White Rider and Red Rider were what we were manufacturing there. Dad couldn't change what had already been done, but he decided to sabotage the next two batches of drugs...what they were calling Black Rider and Pale Rider...the last and worst one. He wanted to try and stop it all."

"Where is this lab?"Napoleon asked.

"It's in the Catskill Mountains, though I'm not really sure of the exact location. My father got me out of the compound as he wouldn't risk doing anything with me being there… It took me days to find a small town and sorry I don't know the name of it. You'll have to ask Raymond. I was helped there by his grandmother Lottie. She gave us food, a map and her car and well...here we are."

"Miss Cummings, the man who engaged your services,"Illya asked,"Is his name Rasputin?"

"Why yes it is. How did you know that? Though I never met him, only dad did."

"I had a previous run in with him in France, thought I thought he was dead." He raised his eyebrows in satisfaction now that his suspicions were indeed confirmed.

"My father said you can stop this madman Mr. Waverly. Is that true?," Christina asked.

"My dear, we will most certainly endeavor to try our best. Gentlemen, this is the break we have been waiting for. I need you to pinpoint the location of this drug den, find it and destroy the lab and all of their stocks of drugs as soon as possible. This Rasputin fellow, bring him back dead or alive. You Agent Uriel; I am authorizing you to join in this operation. Mr. Solo, however, will have lead on this. Any objection?"

"No Mr. Waverly, but one suggestion. wouldn't it be more prudent to have a larger force sent in to take down this Rasputin and his lab.

"Stealth is our greatest weapon young man. Messrs. Solo and Kuryakin are quite adept at that. So just go along with whatever plan of attack they come up with."

Uriel nodded his acceptance.

Lisa Rogers entered with a tray, carrying Waverly's afternoon tea, though his favorite biscuits were in short supply.

He asked Christina to remain behind to speak to her about her father and have tea with him; afterwards she'd be escorted up to the Commissary for a brief meal and to rejoin Raymond. After that it was up to guest quarters for the both of them until something else could be figured out.

Speaking with Raymond gave them the location of his grandmother's house and Illya, based on the time it took Christina to travel there on foot from the Catskills, estimated where they needed to go.

After visiting the armory and loading up on a plethora of weapons and explosives, Solo Kuryakin and Uriel headed down to the garage and loaded up the armored van; it's windshield having been repaired and welded in place was galvanized wire mesh. On the roof of the van was mounted a small satellite dish that was already rotating to pick up whatever the agents needed, whether it was radio signals or movement of groups of people or vehicles.

They still needed to be cautious in their travels.

"So what's the plan?" Uriel asked as they slowly exited the garage.

"There is no plan as of yet," Illya said, keeping half an eye on a small radar screen mounted on the dashboard as he drove the van.

.

It was around East 45th Street that several blips appeared on the screen.

"We've got company tovarisch," Napoleon said. He moved to the back of the van, stepping up and opening a small hatch in the roof and just as they headed right to 1st Avenue they were attacked.

Bullets ricocheted off the armored sides of the van as a large group of desperate addicts charged the vehicle as it was forced to stop by a flaming road block.

Napoleon reached out, lobbing smoke and gas grenades, offering them cover. "Punch it Illya!" He yelled, and Kuryakin rammed the blockade, smashing through it.

Solo climbed down, locking the trap door closed after himself.

"Well that was exciting," he said to Uriel, who sat aghast at the clockwork precision with which the two men handled themselves.

"See, no plan," Illya actually smiled.

Three hours later they arrived in the Catskills, in a remote area where they were unable to take the van. After smearing their faces with grease paint and changing to dark clothing, and a cap to cover Illya's blond hair, they gathered up their supplies went on foot, following Kuryakin's lead as he used a compass and his own sense of direction to located the compound.

It took another forty-five minutes before they finally came upon it.

Surrounded by barbed wire fencing, they watched as guards patrolled the interior perimeter. The compound consisted of a warehouse, surrounded by smaller buildings raised up on cinderblocks….the layout resembling a concentration camp if anything. Outside the fenced in compound, about fifty yards away, was a cabin that looked as though it had seen better days.

Watching patrols again and again, a pattern emerged. This one turning that way, when they guards changed, when they took their breaks. All very methodical and predictable.

"There is a gap every fifteen minutes,"Illya whispered as he pointed."As well as a blind spot there

"Just enough time for us to get past the fence and across to the buildings," Napoleon added. "Tovarisch, you take the warehouse and the building closest to it. I'll take the other two. John you see to the cabin."

"That's it? The big plan?" Uriel asked, dumbfounded, he supposed as it seemed too simple. "What about the guards? Shouldn't we take them out first?"

"And risk being discovered, no my friend. Stealth, remember?" Illya said.

"How will I know when…?" Uriel started to ask.

"Trust me," Solo smiled. "Illya has a nice distraction planned."

The F.B.I. man shook his head, just trying to imagine what that meant.

Minutes later their opportunity arrived. Kuryakin scuttled to the fence, quickly cutting the lower strands of barbed wire and carefully pulling them back, giving just enough for him to crawl through. Napoleon, right on his heels, followed after while Uriel headed up to the cabin as ordered.

The first thing they did was set the charges and timers on the warehouse, it requiring more explosives than the other buildings because of its size.

They quickly ducked beneath the structure directly next to it; raised on cinder block supports, it offered them cover. Presumably the lab,; Illya not missing an opportunity, set more charges up under the floorboards while they waited for the guards to change and what would be their next window to move.

Except this time the routine suddenly changed. Instead of the guards switching their positions like clockwork, the two men stopped and lit up cigarettes and proceeded to have a smoke and a gab session.

Napoleon tapped his wristwatch, looking at his partner and shrugging, indicating the timers would now be off on the warehouse as well as on the building they were hiding beneath.

If they could move within the next few minutes, the time difference wouldn't make a big difference.

It felt like an eternity as the two guards continued chatting about nothing in particular, and finally they finished their smokes and went on their way.

Peeking out from their hiding place, Solo made sure the coast was clear and with Illya beside him, they headed to the last structure in the complex.

This one, the barracks was given special consideration as had been the lab. There they set smoke bombs that would force anyone inside to come out, but there'd be no explosion...not yet.

The agents wanted to protect the innocents working there, including Professor Cummings, if he was still alive. Once people were out of those two buildings, explosives with delayed timers would go off and destroy them.

With the last of the devices in place, it was time for Illya's diversion.

He crawled out from their hiding place when the coast was clear and pulling a rather large roll of firecrackers from the pocket in his field pants; he lit the fuse and threw them out into the open.

A moment later…"BAM, BAM, BAM-BAM-BAM!' The firecrackers went off one after another, sending the guards running from every direction.

The U.N.C.L.E. agents picked them off with sleep darts like they were in an arcade shooting gallery.

"Ready?" The Russian nodded.

"When you are Kimosabe," Solo grinned.

They entered the lab, finding only one guard present, and he was taken out by the American with a quick karate chop to the neck.

There cowering behind a workbench was Professor Cummings, and three other workers.

"Professor," Napoleon announced. "Your daughter sent us."

"Oh thank God, she's alive then?"

"Yes, now we need to get you all out of here before the real fireworks begin," Illya interrupted.

"Wait," Cummings said. "We need to get something from the safe."

"We don't have time," Napoleon grabbed the man by the arm.

"I have to get it! I must!"

"Get what? Illya asked.

"It is the cure. Rasputin has created a cure for all these drugs."

"I will help him,"Kuryakin said," Get the others out."

Illya and the professor headed to a black floor safe in the back of the room, but Cummings suddenly stopped.

"What is wrong?"

"I don't have the combination."

The UNCLE agent clicked his tongue, pushing the professor aside as time was of the essence. He put his ear to the safe door, listening carefully as he slowly turned tumbler, listening as it clicked.

Smiling, he turned the handle and opened it with ease.

Cummings reached inside, grabbing a small vial filled with a clear liquid and a piece of paper.

"This is the only sample and copy of the formula."

"Ahhh , tak chto my yeshche vstretimsya Kuryakin_ahhh, so we meet again Kuryakin?" An ominously familiar voice spoke in Russian from behind them. He held a narrow cane sword in his hand, pointing it at the two men.

Illya rose slowly, standing frozen in disbelief for just a second. Rasputin was indeed alive and he turned to face the man; a look of utter determination in his cold blue eyes.

This was going to end once and for all...