"Intuition" for the Short Affair Challenge

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Challenge: The Short Affair

Prompt 1: decoy

Color: Olive Green

Author: mrua7

Title: Intuition

Word count: approx. 750

Sitting patiently in the nearly invisible duck blind in the marshes along the New Jersey shoreline, Napoleon Solo shivered.

He was dressed in olive green military-like fatigues, and not prepared for the the cooler weather.

Beside him was his Russian partner, dressed similarly but as usual, the cold was not bothering him.

They were peering out at their mallard duck decoy that had been set by their fellow agent, Bill Williams, who along with his partner Louis Kingston, sat in a blind not far off.

“How is it you’re not cold Illya?”Solo asked, setting down his shotgun to rub his hands together to warm them.

“We of Slavic extraction are hot blooded among other things and that is why we survive the cold, though honestly this weather I would not consider as such.”

“What’s the ‘among other things’?”

“Well this helps,” Illya held up a worn silver flask, emblazoned on it, the Soviet emblem.

“You know you could get in trouble carrying that chum.”

“What, a flask of vodka?”

“No a flask with the Soviet hammer and sickle on it.”

“Oh, well you will be relieved to know I have not carried it in a long time. Given the current political situation between your country and mine, I am well aware how possessing it could be misconstrued."

“Good to know. You have enough problems with people at headquarters distrusting you; if anyone were to see that, well...it’s a stark reminder you’re a Communist.”

“I understand that my friend. It is sad that I must lay low when it comes to my Russian-ness. I should be judged as an agent and not the fact that I come from Soviet Union.”

Illya held out the flask, offering his friend a drink and though Solo wasn’t a fan of vodka he took it.

Napoleon was greatful for it as he took a swig; the drink quickly warming him. He coughed, clearing his throat, and handed back the flask.

“Hey partner mine, let’s say we blow this place and go get something to eat. I recall passing a diner not far from here?”

“I thought you wanted to bang a couple of ducks?”

“That’s bag, bag a couple of ducks and you know what... I can always have Peking duck at Changs in the city. I have to admit, all this fresh air has made be a bit hungry."

Illya smiled. “Thank you, and yes this is a good idea. I really had no desire to kill any innocent animals for sport. When I was growing up, we hunted for food to keep ourselves alive and nothing more. You have food aplenty in this country and yet you kill animals for the fun of it.  This I will never understand.”

“My friend, you are so right.” Napoleon drew his communicator from his pocket but just as he did so, it chirped to him.

“Solo here.”

“Sorry to interrupt your hunting foray, but I need you to report to headquarters,” Alexander Waverly cleared his throat,”There is an assignment that awaits your talents, and that of Mr. Kuryakin.”

“Yes sir, on our way.”

“No rush Mr. Solo, as long as you are here by noon. You may stop and get something to eat as I’m sure all that fresh air has made the two of you hungry. Waverly out.”

Napoleon shook his head in dismay at Waverly's uncanny suggestion. “How does he know these things?”

Illya simply shrugged. “You should eventually figure it out when you someday become CCO of U.N.C.L.E. Northwest.”

“Hey tovarisch,”Napoleon smiled,” don’t rush me. I think I have plenty of time to hone that particular skill.”

Napoleon spoke into his communicator again. “Channel F-Bill Williams.

“Napoleon what’s going on? Not havin’ much luck today are we?”

“Illya and I have to leave, duty calls. You two are feeling no pain I suspect and should call it a day as well.  We’re stopping at the diner up the highway for some chow. Care to sober up and join us?”

“Sure, souns’ like a good plan,” Williams out.

.

“How the hell did he know we were drinking?” Bill asked his partner.“That was a bit unnerving.”

“No more than when the Old Man does it.”

“Dunno, guess being the heir apparent to Waverly makes it mandatory...eyes in the back of the head, so to speak.”

“You got tha’ right...”

Comments

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Haha… uncanny indeed. And I like your nod to our common distaste for recreational hunting. I will never understand that and its designation as a sport.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you! We have a lot of hunting going on around here and it always bugs me when they report the number of black bears or deer killed. I know they have to do population control but...

There used to be a fox hunt in the area, dating back to 1932. A rich guy would have a big event on his estate, and it became quite a public event to attend. It was done away with in 1996.

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

Psychic ability is obviously a required skill to be a CCO of U.N.C.L.E. :-) Great story.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you, that and really good intuition, which we know Napoleon already possess.

thanks for commenting and glad you enjoyed the story. I didn't think I'd be able to write one as I just wasn't being inspired, but then it hit me this morning, and voila! "D

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. Mine was written about 45 minutes before I posted it. What do you think of the prompts for next week?

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Yikes, I don't remember them...that memory thing again.

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

One of the words is 'surface', which is a bit dull, but the one that made me laugh was 'trimester'.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. thanks for the reminder. I have an idea for a story, already, but lots to write this week. There's Picfic and Ladies first and What's my Line. I'm stumped on Carabele's challenge though.

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how much I'll get written this week. The real word has got me busy for the next few days.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

I hear you. I'm in the middle of rehearsals for a March 7th gig...the band came out of retirement for this one and maaaaan, will I be glad when it's over.

There's a couple of people in the band who just aren't cutting it and it's becoming tiresome for me and the lead fiddler. If we do gigs in the future, we'll ask one or two other friends to do it with us.

[pactnmmt.livejournal.com]

Oh my you brought back memories that I hadn't thought about in 25 years. You have not really experienced a duck blind until you're standing in hip deep water breaking a skim of ice at Six o'clock in the morning setting up the decoys in the pitch black with your husband and his hunting partner who happens to be your ob/gyn! (How's that for a run on sentence!)

I'd rather be in a duck blind with our heroes. I don't drink vodka but I wouldn't mind sharing with Illya!

Napoleon shows he has the intuitive skills to be following in Waverly's footsteps!

Fun piece.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

LOL! That's the best run-on sentence I've read in a long time. That's a weird thought, your
ob-gyn being your husband's hunting partner. Whoa!

I think we'd rather be anywhere with our heroes, but my preference too is for the blond Russian. Though no resemblance whatsoever, my ex husband was blond and Russian. Yikes.

[pactnmmt.livejournal.com]

My husband is/was very blond and when we first met people thought he looked like John Denver and had a sort of DMC haircut. Not Russian, though. ;-)

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Sounds handsome though.... "D

[carabele.livejournal.com]

Love that similiarity between Waverly's often uncanny estimation of situations and Napoleon's! [grin]

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm trying to improve the way I write Napoleon. So it you like it, that means I'm getting it right. :D