"Someone to watch over me"~for Wednesday is all about April

[mlaw]

      
                                                

April Dancer and Mark Slate sat, curled up in a lonely cabin in the Blue Ridge mountains, cut off there with no means of escape. They couldn’t go down the mountain as no doubt, traps had been set for them.  Their only choice had been to continue going up.

As luck would have, they stumbled upon this old hunting cabin but from the looks of it….the holes in the roof and the cobwebs that hung everywhere, it hadn't been used in quite some time and was seemingly abandoned, but still it was cover as it was getting dark and a few snowflakes were beginning to fall.

Their communicators weren’t working, perhaps something to do with the mountains blocking the signal or who knew, maybe they were being jammed by T.H.R.U.S.H.

The agents had gotten off an S.O.S. before they moved up the treeline to the higher elevations but then lost the signal.

They were on their own and they knew it; and it was only a matter of time until their pursors found them.

 

At the moment Mark and April huddled together in silence, trying to keep warm, until the Brit finally spoke.

“I don’t know about you luv but I’m famished, and I wish to God we had some food. I can’t remember when I last ate...was it two days ago?”

“More like three and me too, but not much we can do about it I’m afraid.” April got up, flapping her arms to keep warm, as they dared not try to light a fire in the old cast iron pot belly stove in the corner.

Wandering to the back room of the cabin, she came upon a wooden crate and after a few tries, she was able to pry it open. The contents made her smile, though she was surprised they'd missed seeing the box when the did a quick look-see around the cabin.

She walked back to her partner carrying her find in her arms.

“Mark darling, looks like the good Lord has answered you.” She held up cans of tuna fish, beans and sliced peaches. “We have a feast.”

“But how are we going to get them open?”

“Ask and ye shall receive,” April dropped a can opener in his lap. "It was in a crate in the back as well. You do the honors. There’s more goodies where these came from and enough canned goods to last us for days if need be.  I’ll be back in a jif.”

April reappeared carrying several woolen blankets, an oil lantern, and an old canvas cloth.

“Got matches?”

“Indeed I do,” Mark grinned.

While the he opened up the cans April hung the cloth over the window. “Will you look at that?" She looked out."The snow is really coming down...I mean really.”

Mark joined her at the window. “With it snowing that heavily, I think we can risk lighting a fire in the stove. Plenty of wood here, and kindling, what do you think?”

“Hmmm, they won’t be able to see the smoke with the snow coming down I suppose and the canvas will block the light...why not? I could do with being warmer.”

Slate lit the kindling, and slowly added the wood to the stove and in no time there was a roaring fire.  Inspite of some snow coming through the hole in the room on the other side of the cabin, the U.N.C.L.E. agents were now snug in their blankets, eating their meal by the light of the oil lamp and were much more comfortable than they thought they’d be once the sun set.

They took turns keeping watch and stoking the fire during the night and when the sun rose, the snow was still falling steadily.

“So time to make a decision,”April announced, “Do we stay or do we try to head down...under cover of the storm?"

“They probably think we’ve been frozen to death by now, so we do have the element of surprise, that’s if they camped out overnight and are still waiting for us luv.”

“My instincts tell me they are, but maybe, just maybe we can sneak past them as I bet they do believe we're dead. Let’s have something to eat and then head out.”

After wolfing down their breakfast Mark and April, wrapped in their blankets, headed down the mountain. The falling snow covered the wool enough to help them blend in with the rocky landscape. When they made it to the base of the mountain trail, no one was there to greet them, however, there were footprints leading in the direction from which they just came.

Apparently the Thrushies had the same idea of an element of surprise but had missed their prey. Timing was everything and in this case it favored Mark and April.

“Will you look at that darling,” she smiled. “They left their car here...how are you at hot wiring an ignition?”

“Are you kidding? I’m a pro.I used to steal cars when I was...well in my younger days.” Mark opened the driver's side door. “Will you look at this...they left the keys in the ignition.”

"That's a story you'll have to tell me once we're home free Mark dear...stealing cars hmmm?"

April climbed into the passenger seat as Slate started the ignition, waiting to turn on the heater until the engine had warmed up. They drove off, moving carefully in the snow as they headed down the narrow mountain road.

“Were we lucky or what?” Mark asked, peering through the windshield as the wipers whisked away the snow.

“Luck, darling? I wonder. What were the odds of us finding that cabin in the middle of no where AND after you sort of asked God for food and lo and behold I found the crate with everything we really needed to survive? Getting down the mountain with no one there to greet us and we have a car just waiting….with the keys in the ignition? Maybe we had our guardian angels watching out for us?"

“Oh April please. It was all just luck...pure coincidence."

“Mark don't you believe in guardian angels?”

“That’s just rubbish. My mum tried to tell me I had one when I was a kid, but I never believed her.”

“Well I believe in them, "April turned on the switch, adjusting the heater to full blast," and I even know my guardian angel’s name.”

“What? April you’ve got to be daft.”

“No Mark. One day when I was alone and feeling a little down, I prayed and I asked my guardian angel if it was there. I suddenly felt a presence, a feminine presence and asked her name.”

“And I suppose you heard a voice?”

“Not really but in my head I heard the name Grace. I once read that all you have to do is ask and your guardian angel answers you. Why don’t you try? It worked for me."

“If my mother couldn't convince me, then you most certainly won’t. Ah look we’ve made it to the highway, try your communicator now.”

April dug hers out of her purse, and opened it. “Channel D-Dancer.

“Yes Miss Dancer, how may I direct your communication?”

“Mr. Waverly.”

“Hold please….Miss Dancer, Mr. Waverly is on the line with another agent, or may I direct your call to Mr. Solo?

“I’ll wait for Mr. Waverly...by the way what’s your name; I don’t recognize your voice.  You sound very efficient.”

“Thank you Miss Dancer. My name is Grace, Grace Dawson. I’m new here but if you don’t mind me saying,  I’ve heard a lot about you and I think you’re setting a wonderful example for women in this man’s world. Keep up the good work.

“Why thank you ...Grace, who knows you might even become a field agent someday.” April stared at Mark giving him an odd look.

“Why thank you so much...here’s Mr. Waverly.

“Yes Miss Dancer, what have you do report?”

“We’ve managed to evade the T.H.R.U.S.H. agents who were after us and are now on our way to Washington with the microfilm.”

“Excellent. I will expect your report in detail once you arrive at headquarters. Someone must be on your side young lady as we've heard a terrible snowstorm is hitting your area.”

“Yes sir,”April smiled,” I agree….someone was and still is watching over us. Dancer out.”

“See Mark even Mr. Waverly believes in a little divine intervention. What are the odds of that girl's name being Grace?"

“Tsk, April please, are you saying a communications tech is your guardian angel?"

"No, but it seems a strange coincidence that I just told you my guardian angel's name and then..."

"Tell you what luv. I’ll think about it," he said just to humor her.

Out of the blue, the car hit an icy patch on the road, sliding out of control and straight towards a large oak tree.  There was no way to stop, and they braced themselves for the impact.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion and just as suddenly the car swerved to the left, back onto the road as if some unseen hand had guided it to safety. The agents breathed a sigh of relief.

“And you’re not going tell me we’re not being watched over today Mark?”

He scratched his head, unable to grasp what had just happened.“What did you say? All I have to do is ask my guardian angel its name?”

“That’s all,” April smiled triumphantly, looking down at the angel charm hanging on her bracelet...a gift from Napoleon.