Cool water, forgiving, cleansing washed over him, his head hurt, his eyes ached and his mind screamed at the turmoil so long fought to be buried, so long controlled. Illya lowered his head the water pounding onto his back and a sob was torn from his lips.

In all the years that UNCLE had been his life, Mr. Waverly had never asked him to do anything more personal, more destructive and more revealing than to set him up on this assignment. Of course the final decision had been his own. The outcome of that would never be spoken of again, never repeated and hopefully buried. He smiled ruefully as he stepped out of the shower, his reflection showing in the mirror. He saw his own eyes, the small smile and he knew that he could never go back, that everything was different even though it stayed the same.

The towel barely covered him as he entered into the small shabby lounge room. Tentative fingers paused as they opened a file, the name Paul Carter ringing in his ears as he flicked through the folder again. This time the name made the connection with a face, younger and in uniform yet no matter the same.

He picked up the cigarette packet and attaching it to the cable of the phone took a deep steadying breath before he spoke.

“Open Channel D. Report Section one.”

“Channel D open.” The female voice purred across the wire.

“Number one.” He ordered. The line clicked for a moment and then the unmistakably gruff yet affectionate tone.

“Waverly here.”

“Kuraykin sir, Paul Carter has taken the bait.”

Silence.

“I see.” The voice sounded almost solicitous, and Illya blushed furiously. //Damn how could he have known, was he being watched??// Paranoia set in because in that moment he knew, Waverly knew and Illya could do nothing about it except stay quiet. A cough, the old man was clearing his throat. “Good work Mr. Kuraykin. Report when you have something.”

“Yes sir. Close Channel D.” the line went silent and sitting heavily on the old and battered sofa Illya leaned forward head in his hands.

OoooOOOOOOOOOoooo

Solo turned the file in his hands over and over again, the address was known to him yet somehow he still didn’t believe it could be true. He had known his cool Russian companion for years now, and despite his reticence in the arena of sexual sport he never dreamed of this. Always a contender for the ladies, often and without much chagrin Solo witnessed the Kuryakin appeal first hand as one beautiful woman and then the next fell to the blond's ambition and charm.

Yet still Solo mused, he never kept them long, they never seemed to hold a lasting appeal. He had assumed that perhaps it was because Illya found no common ground and would one day return to the Soviet Union and find his true love, or maybe never. He was certainly committed to his work and science, but now this.  Solo smiled, long and satisfied hastily stuffing the folder into the drawer as his new partner arrived.

“Hello Mark.” Solo was distant a nagging doubt about this case coming back again and again. He finally noted the problem looking the Colonel up and down he smiled, wide and feral.

“What’s up Napoleon?” Richards took Illya’s chair and flipped open a file.

“Oh ah nothing I have an appointment with Mr. Waverly. Will you be here when I get back?”

Richards smiled, “Sure. We still interviewing Captain Cooper from PAFB?”

Solo nodded and turned towards the door, “Alright then, shall we say around three this afternoon? Have Betty make the arrangements to bring him in.”

Solo continued talking to his pretty secretary as he shut the door behind him.

“Betty, alert Mr. Waverly that I need to see him at once. Colonel Richards will need you to make some arrangements regarding a young captain at PAFB, stall him.” He dropped a kiss on top of her head as he headed down the corridor towards the briefing room.

Efficient as ever, Betty had the section head waiting as Solo came through the door making certain it closed behind him before he spoke.

Out of courtesy and training he waited till Mr. Waverly had finished tamping down his pipe and closed the lid of the humidor. “Sit down Mr. Solo, you have some information regarding the affair of yours?”

“I have a hunch sir.”

Waverly looked up surprised as he knitted together his generous brows. “Might I remind you Mr. Solo that in UNCLE we need proof positive. We can't go off on a wild tangent because of a hunch of yours.” He admonished the young agent.

Solo stood his ground, “Indeed sir, yet there are blazing inconsistencies in the investigations carried out on almost every base.”

Mr. Waverly sat back and waited for a moment before he motioned his protegee to sit. “Surely Mr. Solo this is something you should be discussing with your partner.”

“If my partner was Mr. Kuraykin then I would have no trouble discussing this matter sir.”

“I would assume then your new partner is not to your liking.” Distaste was evident in his voice as he adopted a superior pose, yet Alexander Waverly had raised this whelp to the man he was within UNCLE. He knew instinctively of the affection between Solo and Kuraykin, it was almost palpable.  But he had worked successfully with a host of agents in numerous fields and he had rarely seen the young American so incensed.

“The Colonel and I are old acquaintances sir, it is not the partnership that bothers me, it is the man. On each and every occasion there has been trouble the UN council has sent in the top team. A team headed by Mark, all the information has been tracked and to a letter has always come into play several days after the UN team has finished its investigation.”

“Am I right in assuming you think Colonel Richards has something to do with the theft of information and it being passed onto THRUSH?”

Solo nodded, “There should have been a court martial over the incident in Da Nang. Mark wasn’t even reprimanded, according to his record, in fact he was given a posting that was totally contrary to the charges and circumstances.”

“Your Colonel was an agent for the CIA for some time Mr. Solo, such acts as are witness by some are often a ploy in a bigger picture.”

“Sir I was there, what he did was disgusting and all the records on the matter still exist, if indeed it was a matter involving the CIA then such information would have been liquidated a long time ago. No sir, I don’t believe that this was the case.”

“Alright then assuming I am prepared to go along with this, what will you need?”

Solo eyes flared for a moment – “Tacit approval to investigate Richards, including surveillance.”

“Granted. Anything else?” Waverly puffed on his pipe.

“Normal security measures until he is cleared.”

“I am curious Mr. Solo, what caused you to become suspicious?”

“How many Colonels do you know sir can afford solid gold cuff links inset with diamonds?”

Waverly smiled as he watched Napoleon leave, he shook his head. The young man would one day take over his position within UNCLE of that he was sure and with the pressing of time knew that day to be getting ever closer. Still though it would not be today or any too soon. The section head turned back to the communications and computer bank as he opened an overseas relay to the London office.

A smile as warm as the arctic tundra carved into his graven image as he was put through on his call, it was time to call in some old favors. Past time.

-----------------------------
To Proceed to Part Four
------------------------------

To be continued...

Authors love feedback.

To send Ravenschild a note, click below:
Ravenschild