"I am so glad that we only have to be here once every five years to teach a class," Napoleon declared as he gathered up his notes and returned them to his briefcase. "Paddling back and forth to the contact point with a seasick partner is not my idea of a good time."
"We?" the Russian snorted. "You have to be here! I was ordered to come by my CEA, who apparently needs someone to hold his hand while in the submarine, even if that someone turns a lovely shade of green in the dinghy. I am only expected to return to Survival School to attend graduation with my CEA and my Continental Chief."*
"Stop complaining. Listen, before we leave, I want to talk to Trainee Gary Franks again. He was the guy sitting in the first row to my right. I thought he asked intelligent questions and made good points during the discussion period."
"Are you thinking he might be a good fit for North America? Assuming he does not wash out, of course."
"Yes, but I also noticed that he seemed to have a habit of patting his jacket pocket from time to time. I'm curious about that tic."
They exited the classroom and headed to Jules Cutter's office. He looked up when they entered. "Getting ready to go? It was a good class from what a couple of trainees told me. They found it interesting. If I had known you were bringing Mr. Kuryakin, I would have arranged for him to teach explosives, but alas, there was too short a notice."
Napoleon smiled at the compliment and replied, "I instructed the sub to meet us in four hours. I want to speak to Gary Franks, if you don't mind. Do you know where I can find him?"
Cutter checked his schedules and said, "Right now, he's in the cafeteria; he's got First Lunch."
"Perfect. Thanks, Mr. Cutter. Illya and I will be leaving for our rendezvous directly after that, so I'll say my goodbye now." He shook his former instructor's hand and then stepped aside so that his partner could do the same.
"Dosveedanya, Mr. Cutter."
"Goodbye, Mr. Kuryakin. I hope the water is calm today."
The two agents walked to the cafeteria and upon entering, spotted Franks sitting against a wall at a table by himself. They each got a cup of coffee and approached him. "Mind if we join you?" Napoleon asked.
Franks looked up, surprised. "No, not at all, Agent Solo, Agent Kuryakin. This is an honor!"
The men sat and the CEA, without preamble, began to speak. "I was impressed with you this morning, Franks. You asked questions that showed me that you were thinking about what I had been saying. However, I did notice that you have a habit of patting your left jacket pocket. Do you realize you're doing it?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Why do you do it?"
Franks reached into the pocket in question and withdrew a velvet box which he then opened. Inside was a diamond ring that Napoleon guessed to be one carat. "This was the ring I gave my girlfriend when I asked her to marry me. We were engaged for eight months during which time I was working in Chicago in real estate while she pursued a nursing career. One day, she was acting strangely and when I asked her what was wrong, she took it off her finger and said that she was going to marry a doctor at the hospital where she worked. Said she didn't mean for it to happen when she handed it back to me, that it was just 'one of those things.'" He chuffed bitterly. "I'm sure the fact that he probably earned quadruple what I was earning had nothing to do with it."
Napoleon didn't know what to say, so he just said, "I'm sorry that happened to you."
Illya, who had been listening quietly, asked, "Is that the reason why you applied to UNCLE?"
"Yes. I was devastated to be completely honest, and humiliated. I became very depressed. One day, I was sitting on my couch with a glass of tequila in my hand and noticed my reflection in the window. I was disgusted by what I saw. I decided then and there that I would turn my life around and do something really positive, not only for myself, but for society. So I applied and got accepted. I keep the ring with me to remind me why I'm here. I tried to sell it at first, but who wants to buy this diamond ring? One of my friends was planning to propose to his girl, but turned me down even when I offered him a good price. He said the ring doesn't mean what it did before; now it's just a sign of a broken heart. I plan to sell it to a jeweler when I complete Survival School. It will have served its purpose by then and I will no longer need it."
Napoleon stood and shook Franks' hand. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Mr. Franks, it was most informative. With your level of commitment, I fully expect to see you when my partner and I return for graduation."
Franks and Illya stood and shook hands and then Illya followed his partner. They headed to the newly built dock and climbed into the dinghy and began paddling to meet the sub. They bumped over a small wave which made Illya begin to rethink that coffee. To take his mind off his stomach, he said, "So what do you think, Napoleon? Is Gary someone you would like in UNCLE North America?"
"I think so; I'm certainly going to mention him to the Old Man. He reminds me a little bit of me."
"Oh?"
"Yes. He lost a fiancé and decided to join. I lost Brianna and enlisted in the Army."**
Illya smiled tightly. "I thought that was what you meant." He looked to his left and saw movement in the water. "Our ride is here on time." Inwardly, he was glad to see the sub surface because he knew that once he was aboard, his seasickness would disappear.
Napoleon groaned audibly. As they pulled alongside the sub's ladder and climbed up, Napoleon knew that once he was aboard his claustrophobia would appear. He allowed Illya to climb up first, then passed his the paddles before climbing up with the dinghy's lines in his hand. When he reached the top, Illya and one of the sailors helped pull up the dinghy and he let the air out so they could bring it onto the sub.
They climbed down into the sub and greeted the captain who instructed another sailor to show them to their cabin. It would be a day and a half before they rendezvoused with an English Naval vessel that would drop them in Hawaii.
They entered their cabin and Napoleon flopped onto his bed and closed his eyes. The Russian knew it was his head game that he played with himself: If he couldn't see how small his surroundings were, he would be fine. He reached over and patted the brunet's shoulder. "I am going to get something to eat. I will bring back sandwiches for you."
Napoleon laid there after his partner left, his thoughts back on Gary Franks and their conversation. He felt like he had found a kindred spirit in the man. Heartbreak had propelled both of them on paths that led to the Command. He had a feeling Franks would end up in North America, he hoped so anyway. He felt sleep pulling at him and as he allowed it to drag him down, one of his last thoughts was of the diamond ring that Brianna had worn alongside her wedding band, both of which sat in a safety deposit box next to his wedding band. That diamond ring means something beautiful. Maybe one day, Franks and I will have other rings to give to someone special. You never know.
*ref. my story "Indestructible"
**ref. my story "The Moon and Memories"
This Diamond Ring
Who wants to bu-you-uy this diamond ri-i-i-ing?
She took it off her finger, now it doesn't mean a thi-i-i-ng
This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before
So if you've got someone whose love is tru-you-ue
Let it shine for yo-ou-ou
This stone is genuine like love should be-e-e-e
And if your baby's truer than my baby was to me-e-e-e
This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
And this diamond ring can mean dreams that are coming true
And then your heart won't have to break like mine did
If there's love behind it
This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
And this diamond ring can mean dreams that are coming true
And then your heart won't have to break like mine did
If there's love behind it
This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before