Chapter Two
Two men were leaning against a car across the street from Madame Rose Michelle's dress shop smoking. They were watching for their mark to leave the shop. Their boss, Mr. Davis assigned them to watch a chemist named Janice Smyth. Many junior THRUSH agents were given the task to tail each scientist invited to the Rossel Forum to gather information vital into picking out just the right ones to be invite them into their organization, sometimes by force if necessary. They wanted to lower the risk of attracting unwanted attention.
They'd only just picked up Smyth's trail this morning as she had left Lane Pharmaceuticals after calling in to accept the prestigious invitation and an informational packet from a courier.
So far, they'd followed her to this the dress shop and now were waiting for her to come out. They needed to get more photographs of the young, pretty scientist and find out where she lived. Until now, they had only her car's license plate and a fuzzy photo of her taking the package from the delivery guy.
"Hey Joe," Mack said to the other THRUSH agent, straightening up from his slouch. "Did you see who just went into that girlie shop?"
"I see it, but I don't believe it." The other man agreed in amazement.
"Illya Kuryakin, One the UNCLE's finest as I live and breathe…"
"Do you think he knows our pigeon?"
"I don't know. We'd better keep a closer eye on this one. Davis is going to be mighty interested about this."
"You ain't a kiddin.'"
After about another half an hour, Illya Kuryakin and April Dancer came out of the dress shop carrying Dancer's dress box under his arm and they got into her car. A few moments later, out came Monica Lane. She had her dress and a box in her arms as she walked to her car, awkwardly unlocked it, and got in.
"Well, that was a close one. Old Kuryakin was there with that pretty female UNCLE agent, what's her name?"
"April Dancer, I do believe."
"Yes, I don't want to have to deal with him and her at the same time if I canna help it, if ya knows what I mean. Let's get in the car before we lose our prey the traffic. Davis will have our hide if we've lost her already."
"Righto, Mack. We'll tell him what we saw when we report in."
"Chem. lab, Thompson, here."
"Reynolds, its Janice Smyth. Is the boss there yet?"
Thompson could hear the noise of a large department store behind the voice of the same Boston accent that Lexi used the other day in Waverly's office.
"Lexi, is that you? Where are you? Mr. Solo's been at me to find you ever since you've left"
"I've finished the trip to the dress shop for his wife, but can't remember what perfume she wanted. This is the last time I take my lunch hour to run his errands for him. Is there any way that you can find him for me?"
"I can trywait! He just walked in. Napoleon, its Lexi, she's at some kind of store. She wants to talk to you."
Solo stopped in mid-step of charging into the room for the third time to berate the tall lab rat and grabbed the phone.
"I've been looking all over for you" Solo tried to control the rising anger in his voice.
"Mr. Johnson. I can't remember what perfume you wanted for your wife."
"Where are you?" He snapped, even though he let her interrupt him
"I'm here at Macy's.
"What are you doing there?"
"I promise to get back to Lane Labs after that. I know that I'm late coming back from lunch, but I've been following all your directions to find the dress shop, but I forgot to write down the type of perfume to buy. It's busy in here; it will be hard to find a person to help me before I can leave."
"Got it, take your time and I'll meet you at Lane Pharmaceuticals. I'll be inside, just in case they know who I am. Stay safe."
"I understand, sir. I'll better next time. I won't dally."
Solo hung up the phone slowly as he turned to Thompson, tapping his index finger to his lips
"George, let me know if she calls again, before I have a chance to leave. I've got to tell Mr. Waverly what's going on and grab a few things to take with me."
"Napoleon, what is going on?"
"Lexi just told me she is being followed and can't tell if those following her knows that she is part of UNCLE or not. That's why she didn't come right back to headquarters. She's guessing that they tracked her from Lane Pharmaceuticals and not here. Smart girl"
"Do you think it might be someone from last night?"
"I don't know George. Where did you go after you two left the club?"
"Nowhere, she dropped me off at a busy subway terminal and drove off. She didn't say where she was going. I assumed she went home. She didn't say we were being followed either."
"No, I don't think that she would have dropped you off if you two were being followed." Solo looked at his watch. "I have to get going. Do me a favor and stay in the lab until we return."
"Sure thing."
"Good man, George."
"Open channel D. Kuryakin to Mr. Waverly," A hesitate voice called over the open connection.
"Waverly here, report Mr. Kuryakin."
"Sir, has Miss Lane talked in with you?"
"No, why should she? She isn't missing already is she?"
"Well, she was to meet with Miss Dancer and me for lunch. We drove in separate cars to the restaurant and she didn't show up after more twenty minutes. I was wondering if she showed up at UNCLE headquarters instead. I called you when reception said she hadn't check in… "
"I'll have someone check on her whereabouts. In the meantime, I want you to come into headquarters immediately. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir, right away, Kuryakin out."
"Miss McNabb, get me Mr. Solo." Waverly said gruffly as he opened his humidor to find it empty again. "Bother!"
The door to his office opened to let Napoleon in. He was carrying a bag of pipe tobacco and a small box of field agent required equipment.
"Mr. Solo. Are you aware that our newest agent is already missing?" Waverly handed over his humidor to be refilled. At least he had the sense to bring a gift when approaching Waverly with his news.
"Not so much as lost as being followed." He said calmly and then filled him in about his recent phone call with Lexi and how he was on his way out of headquarters.
"Humph!" Waverly grunted as he filled his pipe. "I want you and Miss Lane up here as soon as you get back. I'll send Mr. Kuryakin to see what he can find out who's following her once he gets back"
"Yes, sir."
Solo waited in Janice Smyth's small office in the Anesthetic Medication section of Lane Pharmaceuticals building. The office was neat as a pin with shelves full of reference materials and reams of chemical technical magazines stacked on its own shelf. There were no personal items that he could tell him more about Lexi's other persona.
He casually walked behind the desk, sat down in the stiff, unpadded chair, and started to open the drawers at random. Nothing was unusual, but a small bottle of perfume. Twisting it in the light from a small window caused the cut glass of the bottle to refract prisms on the opposite wall and door. Just then, the door open and UNCLE agent, Monica Lane, walked in as a rainbow of light fell upon her chest.
"Cute, Reynolds!"
Lexi brought her index finger up to her lips and then to her ears. She walked up to the box of gadgets Napoleon bought with him and took out a specific item that she knew he would have and then waved it around to check for hidden listening devises in the office.
"I knew that you were perverted, but do you have to make me your screen?"
"Well, you know me." He watched her walk around the small office as he continued to sit at her desk, placing the perfume bottle back in the drawer where he found it.
"All clear," Lexi said, sitting down on a chair opposite him "I see that I gave you enough time to go through my office. I stopped by my apartment first to drop off my dress and shoes. I still need to buy some groceries. Here's your wife's perfume."
"You went to your apartment!" A stunned Napoleon sat up and slammed the drawer shut.
"It's not my real apartment. It's the one I have as a cover; same as this office. I use both as a place for undesirables to search and find nothing." She waved around the room. "There are no gadgets, no clues, or personal items unless I want them to be found here. Very useful if you are trying to avoid CIA, FBI, or UNCLE…"
"I do have to give you credit, Lexi. You are thorough."
"Napoleon, this isn't my first assignmentwhat did you bring me? The typical stuff?"
"Yes, except for this, your every own communicator pen," Napoleon said and made a show of handing it to her as if it was made of precious jewels.
"Thank you."
Lane took the pen and expertly opened up it and established an open channel. All Napoleon could do was roll his eyes in grudging amusement.
"It doesn't appear that I've got anything to teach you."
"There is always something to learn. I still need to learn the different channels. Illya let me open a channel for him one afternoon, but that's all. He even took it apart to show me the electronics involved. Quite fascinating"
"Okay, that's enough technical mumbo-jumbo. Look through the box, tell me what you don't how to use, and I'll explain how to use it."
"Fair enough," Lane murmured while pulling the box to her and then rummaged through the items. "Well that's done. Do you want to talk about who is tailing me now?"
"First, I want to know where you were this morning. I looked all over for you."
"I worked out with Mr. Cummings in the gym from seven o'clock to eight, took a shower, and went to the lab to talk with George. I left him a note to where I'd be. I came here to Lane Labs to confirm my attendance to the forum, waited and accepted the packet of information for the forum, and talked with CEO of Lane Labs about payment for the forum. I then went to a dress shop and got two dresses for the formal reception and dinner at the forum and was going to meet up with Illya for lunch…"
"Wait!" Napoleon stopped her narration. "Illya knew where you were going to be for lunch?"
"Yes, but"
"No, I'm going to clobber him! He's going to pay for making me run around headquarters all morning long looking for you."
"Hey! I think that you should be more upset with George and me. I gave him my schedule, but he'd misplaced it. I didn't check in with you before I left like I should have. You just didn't ask Illya the right questions. You should know that by now!"
"What goes on between Illya and I stays between us! I'm his partner, not you!"
Lane and Solo hastily stood up and glared at each other for a second, then Lane's face softened and she tiredly sat back down as if to give up with her hands lying in her lap.
"You're right. You are his partner and now, my boss. I am sorry. I should learn my place, sir."
"Lexi, I already have one stubborn Russian who doesn't listen to me." Solo mimicked her exhaustion as he sat down too. "I don't need another right now. I know that it is hard, not being in charge, but you have to trust me and listen to what I say."
"I have trust issues, remember?"
"I did hear that somewhere. Damn. Illya called this one wrong. He thought that you and April would be battling for who would be top dog. I didn't think it would come down to you and me. Were you in charge of the KGB section here in New York?"
"I was in charge of a loose group of assassins that operated here in New York and Washington. I helped on criminal investigations when I was in the Soviet Union. I was the one who assigned agents to their marks and I took the more difficult ones that meant traveling around the world. Most of the agents knew me by my voice on the phone or by messages dropped off by a courier. They didn't know that I was also the messenger as well."
"What is this about you being rich?"
"Oh, did Illya also tell you that I'm Russian royalty as well?" Lane smiled while snorting out a deep chuckle.
"No."
"Good, because I'm not, I guess you can say that I am very well to do, but material concerns as having lots of money are not a priority of mine."
"I'm all ears."
"My mother's father left St. Petersburg with most of his fortune intact and settled here in New York just before the Czars were murdered in the revolution to become one of the largest manufacturers of medications in the United States. When my mother went back to Russia, it was to be with my father while he worked for the Soviet Government and to continue their research. My grandfather had set up a trust fund for my mother, his only heir and any subsequent children she might have."
"My parents decided to leave the trust fund alone while they were in Kiev, because of the continued political unrest. I didn't disturb the trust fund until I came here. If I had touched it while I was growing up in the Soviet Union, as a worker and child of the state, I would have to give up the fund. I wanted to keep it safe for my sister and you know how that went."
"Yes, it's a shame that she betrayed us all and ended up dead."
"The trust fund left me with several companies and enough funds to live rather comfortably. Basically, I give most of it away the part that's considered part of my personal income." Lexi shrugged.
"Well, I think that enough time has passed that we can try to get back to headquarters."
"Yes, I had the CEO order a female secretary who looks similar to me to take my car to a shop about half a mile from here for here and take a cab back. She should be leaving right about now. Don't worry. I trust him. He likes to make the big bucks and I make it worth his while to keep things quiet. Look out that window and see if the blue sedan is still in the far right side of the parking lot."
"Ah, yes, there goes the secretary in a lab coat. She's by what I assume is your car got in and started the car. She's left and the blue sedan in following. Okay, we can go. My car is around the other side of the building. Let's go."
Once back in UNCLE headquarters, Solo and Lane met up with Kuryakin in Waverly's office. Waverly was looking at a photograph up on the monitor. Lexi looked up at it and stopped, as she was about to sit between Napoleon and Illya. She put the small box of gadgets on the table.
'I know who that is," she said while pointing to the screen. "It's Nigel Fellows from Cambridge."
"You are correct, but no longer from that university, Miss Lane." Waverly nodded as he started to pack tobacco into pipe. "What else can you tell me about him?"
"Well sir, he was at Cambridge at the time IllyaMr. Kuryakin and I were there. He was in medical school and we shared an inorganic chemistry course and an abnormal pathology lab session. He wanted to go into research to find a cure for squamous cell carcinoma and the pain it caused."
"I don't remember him." Illya shrugged as he tried to think back to his time at Cambridge.
"You probably don't. He wasn't in any of your classes, but he was in a play that we were in. It was a small bit part in the crowd with a line or two at the end of the play."
"You were in a play?" Napoleon smiled at his partner with a small dig for the day's activities. "What was it? Peter Pan?"
"No." His ice blue eyes rolled up slightly as if he was talking to a simple-minded person. "It was part of the required curriculum from General Kuryakin. While at Cambridge, we were required to take at least two courses in Literature and participate in the production of a play. We chose William Shakespeare and played the main characters in "Hamlet".
"I'd like to see you as the Danish Prince," Napoleon sneered, leaning over his arm chair and drawing crazy circles by his well groomed hair.
"As I recall, Mr. Kuryakin received several ovations for his performance." Lexi jumped in as he pulled back and gave her a stern warning. Illya just triumphantly smiled before he knew that he had to put a end to her interference.
"As did my fair Ophelia, mad as she was."
Illya lightly stressed the last part of his comment to let Lexi know that he could take care of his counter-part without her help. She forcibly mouth shut and chewed on her tongue to prevent it from acting on its own, thinking that she might regret her decision to work at UNCLE and Section Two.
"Can we get back to the subject of Nigel Fellows?"
"Yes, sir," they all said grudgingly to Waverly.
"As much as I can recall, Nigel got a job in London right out of College, but I don't know where. It has been years, but I do know he had a great laugh and a big gap between his teeth."
"He was reported missing after attending the Rossel Research Forum in London that ended ten weeks ago. His employer thought that he had taken extra time for a honeymoon. He suddenly announced that he had met a fellow attendee and got engaged. No other contact has been made from him since. Dr. Fellows worked for a lab that was using different types of snake venoms to develop medications to help with pain relief and muscle control. It's just in the beginning stages of development for medical use."
"Do you think it's someone in the forum staff or one of the participants?" Solo asked.
"It's unknown, at this point, Mr. Solo. Now, with Miss Lane being followed, I don't want to hedge my bets. Mr. Kuryakin, what did you see in the parking lot?"
"Two THRUSH agents, junior level at best. I got their license plate and heard them talk about having someone going through Miss Smyth's apartment and later tonight, plant bugs in her office. One of them said that he reported that they saw Miss Dancer and I leave the dress shop right before she left. They told their boss, Davis, that they don't know if UNCLE knows Miss Smyth or not. We don't have a THRUSH agent named Davis in our data base, first or last name."
"Well, I think that we should give them a show and see where it leads us."
Waverly struck a match and lit his pipe. He thought much clearer when the smoke ringed around him like a blanket.
"Miss Lane will be seen tonight in her apartment. Mr. Kuryakin will accompany her to the forum and will act as her bodyguard, but from a distance. Let them think that Miss Lane is not with UNCLE and Mr. Kuryakin was invited on his own or interest in finding up and coming scientists for our employment."
"Yes, sir," Kuryakin nodded. "I'll start making enquiries into getting invited to the forum. I'll call the Scientific Hall at the University to get a list of attendees and replace my name with one who was unable to attend."
"Mr. Solo, you are to get to know the professors and those involved running the traveling forum. See if there are obvious THRUSH connections here in New York."
"Yes, sir."
"I'll send Miss Dancer and Mr. Slate to London for any possible leads to the last whereabouts of Mr. Fellows."
"Miss Lane." Waverly gave her a very stern look. "You will stay in constant contact with Mr. Kuryakin, Mr. Solo, or me. You are not to go out on your own without a communicator. Is that understood? Do you have your packet from the forum here?
"Yes, sir, to both."
Lexi had to hold her nose and close her eyes, because of the smell of Waverly's pipe smoke that now filled the room. The nausea hit her hard, as she had to swallow down the lump in her throat. She hadn't eaten since breakfast and that was just a slice of toast.
"Miss Lane? Are you all right?" Waverly raised his eyebrows. "You appear to be turning green."
"No, I'm not. It's the smoke from your pipe on an empty stomach. If you excuse me"
Lane jumped up and ran out of the room, seeking the nearest bathroom.
"Well, there's work to be done before tomorrow, gentlemen, you're dismissed. See that Miss Lane has something to eat and gets back to Lane Pharmaceuticals before she returns to her apartment for the night. Send in Miss Dancer and Mr. Slate."
"Yes, sir." Both agents nodded and left the room.
Napoleon and Illya found where Lexi was and waited for her to come out of the restroom. When she finally stumbled out of the bathroom, she was shaking, pale, and sweating. She caught the sight of them and steeled herself for their impending wrath.
"I'm fine, low blood sugar." Lane spat out as she tried to pass them without swaying too much. "I just need to get something to eat. I'll go to the commissary while you two start gathering information. I'll be there shortly."
"I do believe that we are being dismissed, Illya," Solo said not moving from the wall that he was leaning against.
"She gets very testy if she doesn't eat at least one meal a day."
"Hey, just like you when you don't get all three meals."
Lane rolled her eyes as she turned to leave and sputtered a curse in Russian. It was common enough one for both men to raise their eyebrows, as they understood it and then follow her to one of the main intersection in the hallway. She turned left, but was grabbed by an arm and steered in the opposite direction by Illya.
"Wrong way, Lexi."
"We're all going to get something to eat." Napoleon grabbed her other arm as she tried to yank her arm away from her first partner.
"I've worked here only for two days. Cossacks, the both of you! *$#$*!" Lane cursed again, making Illya laugh out uncontrollably.
"Okay, what language are you cursing in?" Solo asked, stopping everyone in the middle of the hall. "I heard it in the medical ward, at breakfast the other day, and now and then when you two don't want others to understand. I want to know Illya, Lexi?"
They looked at each other, smiled, and Lexi nodded for Illya to continue.
"It isn't a real language. It's a hybrid of sorts. We made it while we were on missions when we were young. What were we, twelve or thirteen?"
"Twelve. It was to help keep me up to speed with you." Lexi continued on for Illya as she turned to Napoleon. "I had to work extra hard to master as many languages as Illya had learned. He had natural ability to think in each language he learns, damn him.
"I'm not so lucky, so Illya would help me by making it a game by combining all of the languages we knew by shifting the words, vowels, and tenses randomly. It kept us focused on the mission and was a distraction from the cold weather."
Napoleon sighed, rubbed his neck, and then he shook his head.
"More of that advance learning training from good old General Boris Kuryakin? So, how many languages did you two combine?"
"Well, at that age, we knew Russian, High and Low Land German, French, Proper English, Latin, Mandarin, and a basic Arabic."
"I was such a fun game that it became its own language."
"Well, after all of that information, now I'm really hungry. Let's all eat, talk about the case, and get Lexi back to Lane Labs before she passes out."
"I am not going to pass out! I am fine! It was Waverly's pipe smoke that did it to me."
"I dare you to walk a straight line without help or find the commissary on your own."
"Must you always have strings attached, Napoleon?"
"Yes, he does. That is why I suffer" Illya began to act forlorn as he took her arm again and steered her into the right corridor as she tried to take the wrong turn again with the CEA bringing up the rear, head bent with a smile, hands in his pockets, and shaking his head.
Janice Smyth walked into the New York University Hall and went to the registration table and was met by a man that looked like Mr. Solo.
"Good Morning, can I help you?" He smiled with a pencil in his hand and a list of names. "Are you here for the Rossel Research Forum?"
"Yes, my name is Janice Smyth from Lane Pharmaceuticals. Here is a business card. My Boss wants me to pass them out to anyone who will take one." Lane said in her spot on Boston accent.
"I'll take one, thank you Miss Smyth." The dark-haired gentleman smiled. "You received your packet? Good. Here is the schedule of lectures and assigned rooms. The reception will be held at the President's home tonight at six. Your identification tag and registration are in there as well. Welcome to the Rossel Research Forum."
"Thank you for all your invaluable help. I hope to see you again."
"First the meeting is down the hall, second door on the right."
Smyth smiled, nodded, and took off down the hall.
"Next."
Janice Smyth found the door to the small auditorium, opened it, and looked around. Each row had its own table to sit behind so each student could spread out their notes and books. She picked a row in the middle and off to the right of the center. Not too close to be picked on for answers, but close enough to hear everything that was said in the front and the back of the room.
"Just like college the first time around." She murmured to herself as she settled into her chair and opened her bag.
"It is, isn't it?" A handsome man with green eyes and glasses agreed with her as he put his bag next to hers. "Do you mind?"
"No, I'm sorry; I didn't know that anyone had heard me. I'm Janice Smyth from Lane Pharmaceuticals. My boss wants me to pass out these cards, but what he doesn't know, can't hurt can it?"
Lane motioned him to take the seat next to her and made a point of throwing the business cards back in her bag.
"Mr. Josh Green, from the National Institute of Health. Be aware, I work for the government."
"I won't hold that against you."
While she was placing her notepad on the table, she noticed that Illya had taken a spot a few rows back and up to the left of her and Napoleon was in the right back corner by the door acting as course monitor.
Other than a few cordial words back and forth with Green, Lane and Kuryakin spent most of the first morning listening to different lecturers' give their speeches and their findings. The answers and questions section was lively as some participates were becoming very zealous in stating their point of view.
Lunch was informal, so that the professors could meet the attendees. Green had insisted that Lexi meet some of his colleagues from the federal government that worked in healthcare and research. Illya had lingered on the edge of the group and quietly listened to the pleasant gathering of like-minded scientists.
Back in the auditorium, the scientists had rearranged themselves closer to those they had met at lunch or favored the same opinion. The UNCLE agents kept their same seats as did Green. Illya could tell that he was interested in the female agent, but it appeared to be more of a personal nature than for where she worked.
"Hey, Janny," Green called out before the lecture started. "Can I see your notes?"
"Not a prob, it's just you might not be able to read them. I use my own short hand when I sit in lecture."
Lane showed Green her notes and he made a silly show of turning her notepad upside down to even try to read it.
"Boy, you aren't kidding. The penmanship is neat, but I can't read the words. I don't think that some of these are in English."
"All right, funny boy, hand me yours, since you saw mine. I bet you a drink at the reception tonight that I can even read your poor handwriting." Lexi put out her hand, demanding it. He handed it over with an inviting smile and folded arms across his chest.
"You're on, because I know that no one, but me can read my writing."
"The application of a stabilized base if imperative to allow"
"I don't believe it!" Green smiled, wanting to lose all the time. "I owe you a drink. Can I pick you up as well?"
"No Mr. Green, I'll meet you there. I wouldn't want to appear too easy to pick up just yet." She smiled sweetly, giving him a warm squeeze on his arm. "We had better settle down. The lecture is about to start."
"Right, we'll play later."
Illya could hear that last comment and decided that he would be his first person to have his partner check out.
"Oh, Josh!" Lexi snorted as everyone turned to the lecturer. A few more people besides Illya noticed their conversation as well. Others watched with interest, because the subject matter could be a little dry and it was giving them some entertainment.
"Well, Napoleon?" Lexi asked after he gave the all-clear sign as she walked into the lab section in Lane Pharmaceuticals. "How did you survive your first day of the forum?"
"Luckily, I was able to go back and forth or I would have snored louder than the person given the lecture. How do you two do it?"
"Ancient Russian techniques, a little brain washing, mind-altering drugs, and well you know..."
"No, I don't know."
"Right. Now tell me that Josh Green is who he says he is."
"Yes, he seems to be." Solo started to play with a beaker on the Formica table. "Most of the attendees and staff seem to be who they're supposed to be and most of attendees seem to have a THRUSH agent tailing them. As soon as Illya had gotten out the Scientific Hall, he picked one up too. His wasn't a given just any junior THRUSH agent like most of you got, but a well-known superior THRUSH agent."
"So, that'll mean that another UNCLE agent will be following home and that I will not be seeing you or Illya until later tonight at the reception."
"Yes."
"Can I take Josh home with me?"
"That will be up to you." Napoleon smiled. "Can't stand to be alone for even a day?"
"Jealous, Napoleon," She asked with a purr.
"Say, how soon do you think it'll be before someone might be selected as a potential new employee of THRUSH?"
"I'd say by the beginning of next week when the labs start. The end of this week will be a mock test for certification and determining factor in who runs each assigned group as leaders for the various experiments. The scores are announced out in front of the class."
There was silence as Lexi watched Napoleon continue to play with the beaker.
"What is more important to you, for me or Illya to be top of the class?"
"Let's play it by ear for now. Oh, I almost forgot. Here, this is for you from George and Illya. Since you can't go back to headquarters for a while..."
Solo handed Lane a jewelry box with cream-colored pearls in it. It had a necklace, bracelet, drop earrings, and a ring with a single large pearl on the top. Lane's eyes widened as she took the ring, rubbed the right side of it, and the large pearl opened up.
Then she picked a pearl off its backing on the bracelet, placed it inside of the larger pearl and closed it with a soft click.
"The backing of the pearl is made of wax." Lane said wispily as she now rubbed the left side of the ring until a small hypodermic needle pointed out from the back of the ring with drops of some kind of drug coming out. "There is enough in each pearl to be used on two to three grown adults, men preferably. Perfect."
The last words came out with a purr and a pleasurable smile on her face. Solo watched her with fascination.
"Lexi, do me a favor."
"Yes, Napoleon," she said in a daze, not fully listening.
Lane put the pearls back into the box, closed the lid, and then finally looked up at him.
"Never let me piss you off enough for you to use that on me."
"Let's hope you don't. This even isn't the worst one of my batches of nasties."
Kuryakin sat at the bar at the reception in the New York University's President's house while his THRUSH agent waited outside. He was nursing his untouched shot of vodka while he watched the other attendees and professors talk with each other and exchange business cards. He had talked to a couple of fellow scientists himself here and there.
Josh Green and a couple of his colleagues came into the room and went right to the bar, laughing and being loud enough to stop most of the conversations and gathering a mixture of looks around the room. Kuryakin thought Green and his friends reminded of some college frat boys out for a good time. Hardly how typical scientists acted and he knew who Green would be looking for at the moment.
Lane walked into the room and all eyes turned to her. Her shiny auburn hair was tied in a French knot that showed off the back of her neck. It was one of Illya's favorite spots to touch on her body. Her dress was sapphire blue satin with a square neckline and empire waist. The hem stopped just above her knees that fitted her body all in the right spots.
Green saw her and smiled hungrily. He walked up to her, gave her a quick bow, and brought her to the bar by the hand.
"I promised to buy you a drink. Pick your poison."
They stood by Kuryakin and slightly pushed him to the side, almost spilling his drink.
"You know what looks good is…what this gentleman is having. I'll have that."
"Vodka, ice cold."
"Yes, vodka and your name?"
"Illya Kuryakin, how do you do Miss?"
"Janice Smyth of Lane Pharmaceuticals," she said smoothly as he kissed her hand with a short bow and slight click of his heels. "You have a great Eastern European accent. Where are you from?"
"Come on Janny, let's get our drinks and go sit over there with Bill and Julie." Green rudely interrupted.
"In a minute, I want to know where he's from. I could score big points with my boss if I find a company that imports raw materials from Russia or Poland. Are you from one of those countries?"
"Yes"
"Janny, you're a scientist, not a sales person." Green persisted, trying to pull her away.
"Wait a minute! I have to be both right now. Lane labs are on the verge of hitting the big times with its advancements in Anesthesia drugs, especially hypnotics and analgesics. It could mean stock options for me. Give me a moment to talk to this guy and I'll be right there. I promise. I've to find a specific salt compound only found in Russia or Poland to stabilize my formula. I can't leave without asking him if he knows."
"Fine, when you are ready to have some fun instead of working, come join us."
Green was weary of competition that Kuryakin was giving him for her attention, but didn't want to push his luck or he wouldn't get his chance at all. He left her side as he gave this fellow attendee a challenging look.
"Excuse me, Miss Smyth, if there a problem? I don't want to intrude"
"Not at all, he just wants to get laid during this forum, go back to his little job, and tell all his friends about it. But, he is good looking enough… I just might want to give him what he wants all night long." She said with an evil smile, saying the last sentence only loud enough for others to hear.
"Wow! I would guess that he's not the only one here at this forum that would want that."
"Is that an offer, Mr. Kuryakin?"
"Call me Illya and if you were inclined too, yes. I think that most men here would take you up on that offer. Especially in that dress…"
"Thank you, but I'm supposed to talk business for my boss, because he paid for me coming to this forum. What I need to know is if you can help me find a manufacture of raw glacial salt compounds."
"I am Russian and have many connections through my employer as well. I'd be most interested in your formula, maybe we could meet again during the conference?"
"Yes, here's my company's card. I think that I've talked enough business for now. It was nice to me you. Good night."
Lexi accepted another kiss on her hand from Illya, took her drink, walked over to Josh Green, and joined their group.
After her departure, Napoleon walked up to the bar and ordered a drink.
"Did you see?"
"Yes and I heard. She said it just loud enough to spark some attention."
"The game has started."
Solo took his drink and walked around, asking people in the room if they were enjoying themselves at the forum.
"That was interesting."
"Do you think this show was for us to think that Smyth is involved with Solo and Kuryakin or that they are trying to lure her to them? Maybe, that's why they're at the dress shop, to check her out."
"I thought we were after Mendes, not her?"
"Change of target. With UNCLE here, we'll have to give up this venue for recruitment anyway. How was her first day?"
"It's too hard to tell at this point and time. She's attentive in the lecture hall, but doesn't speak up to participate. When Green flashed her notes, they were in another language although, I couldn't tell which one."
"Not usual fair for someone who was born in Boston and has never left the country to write in another language. Continue to watch her in lectures and tell me her test scores. See if she purposely does average or gets the highest score. I'd seriously doubt that her lab skills would be lacking that we couldn't add her to the fold like the others."
"Do you think that she would go willingly?"
"No, she will not want to go easily and I know that Kuryakin would miss her presence if they want her for UNCLE. We'll have to take him as well. THRUSH Central would like a piece of him, once we are done with our new conditioning method…"
"That's if the formula works better on them than on Fellows."
"They could be the first ones we use it on with some measure of success. We've altered it since it was used on him. Dr. Kuryakin is no shrinking violet when it comes to working in the labs either with his PhD in Quantum Mechanics. He could be very useful to us."
"What about Solo and the other agents snooping around, keeping tabs on his partner?"
"We'll pick our time to act and distract Solo. I'll have Davis prepare for two instead of one. This could be my chance to be a part of THRUSH Central of Western Hemisphere if I deliver both of them."
"Yes, sir."
Illya knocked on the door of the Regency Hotel room #3125 and waited. He'd received a call on his communicator for him to meet here once he slipped the THRUSH agent following him. The door lock clicked, he quietly opened it, walked in, and silently closed it again.
"Did you bring it with you?"
"I thought you were with Green tonight? I saw you leave with him and his group of friends. Quite the show you put on for the first day."
Illya casually stood in the middle of the hotel suite's living room as he watched her grab some shot glasses from the wet bar's freezer along with a iced bottle vodka and brought it to the coffee table.
"I did, but he's too smooth for me." Lexi shrugged as she bent over to fill the glasses and handed one to him. "I slipped him a sedative and used my new hypnotic on him to suggest to him that we had a really, really good time and he was so exhausted that he fell asleep for the whole night, not even caring that I'd left before he woke up."
"Won't he know that he wasn't taken care of?" Illya knowingly smiled as he drank down his vodka.
"Are you suggesting I don't know how to take care of a man?"
"Yes, when you don't actually sleep with them."
Lexi held onto her glass as she felt Illya's hand caress her body and stop at her shoulders, lightly pulling a strand of hair from her French knot and twisting it in his fingers as she leaned into his caress.
"How many people did you meet who were interested in your formula?"
"Several of the attendees and professors gave me their business cards each time I went to the bar to get another drink and waiting for me to offer the proposition I gave you. Josh had finally had enough of my admirers and the group left for this hotel's bar, taking me with them."
"Whom do you think might have interested our feathery friends if you hadn't stolen the show?"
"My guess is on Mendes or Vincent, both were very interested in telling me their needs of finding backing for their own formulas, but weren't so willing to tell me what they were making. I think each of them wanted to know if Lane labs were willing to support their endeavors without getting too involved with watching the bottom line or sharing in the end results. Very selfish of them, don't you think?"
"That is what I thought as well, when I talked to them. I'm inclined to think that since I've shown up and they saw April and I leave just before you came out, that we've become their new targets for sure. I'll tell Napoleon our information on our two new acquaintances just in case they try to recruit them anyway."
Illya took his and Lexi's drinking glasses, set them down on the table, and started to remove her dress.
"Hey, did I say you could do that?" Lexi said in a mock angry tone, but didn't try to stop him.
"No, but you are not looking for someone who treats you like an easy conquest as Green would have. Telling you that your eyes shine brightly as the stars, skin smooth as silk, and a body that rivals the goddess Venus."
"I'm not?"
"No. You are looking for someone who ignores you, is very rude, drinks up all your vodka, and is very Russian."
Lexi's dress was the first thing to fall to the floor; not definitely not the last. Illya then threw her over his shoulder and took her to the bedroom.
"Cossack!"
"Da!"
"You didn't stick around last night. I was hoping that we could've had breakfast this morning."
Josh Green smiled down at Lane as he took his seat next to her while she smiled sweetly back and shrugged.
"I had to go into work early this morning and didn't want to show up in what I had worn the night before. Very unprofessional…"
"I want you to know that I had a very nice time last night."
"I did too." She leaned close to him so no one else could hear. "What was your favorite part?"
"WellIcan't just pick one"
Green really couldn't remember much from the night before and fidgeted as she called his bluff. Lane just smiled warmly, nodded, and then went back to finish pulling out her note pad and pen from her book bag.
"Maybe we could have a repeat of what we did last night, tonight?"
"Maybebut not tonight, I need my rest."
Green's face brightened with renewed hope as he settled in his chair proud as a peacock.
The rest of the morning went without incident or excitement as the lecture began with compositions of amnesia or hypnotic drugs and their dosages in the adult patients.
.
Solo had to get up from his chair in the back of the auditorium to stretch his legs or he was going to fall asleep. He walked out the door to the water fountain and took a long cold drink to wake himself up as he wondered how Illya could possibly think this subject was interesting.
He walked around the perimeter of the Scientific Hall's entrance to watch what activities were going on around the forum. The service staff was setting up a table to serve a light lunch and registration for another conference was in full swing. Solo nodded quietly to some of the UNCLE agents dispersed around the room as he started to walk back to the auditorium with a tired sigh.
"Only only more hour until lunch…"
"I think that we need to move up our time table."
"Why?"
"Because the longer we sit here, the more UNCLE will be in place to shut us down before we can recruit our two new lab techs."
"I'll call Davis and move it up. Enjoy your lunch."
"Thank you, I will Professor."
It was hard for Lexi to wait for the afternoon break to use the restroom. She swore to herself for drinking too much tea with her sandwich at lunch. Having become bored in the lecture, she used this time to look around the room and at the people near her. Most of them were frantically taking notes.
Her eyes briefly settled on Green who gave her a wink as he noticed her bouncing her leg up and down to relieve some of the tension. Then she looked back up to the clock as she shifted her gaze behind her. Illya was deep in concentration with his black rimmed glass pushed so far forward that they were just about to fall off his nose.
What had really caught her eye was the way Julie Wallace, from Green's group, stared back at her. She could see a look of anticipation that made her nervous. Julie's eyes bore down on her as she gave a hard smile and then she raised her arm to rest her chin on her hand. She was wearing a unique man's ring on her middle finger.
Lane turned back to the lecturer as she began to wonder what was so familiar about that ring. She shook her head slowly as her mind whirled in thought and then stopped when she looked at the formula that Professor Augustine had placed on the overhead. Her eyes constricted as she smiled slightly, she had suddenly figured out that those two were working for THRUSH.
"Fellows," Lane mouthed silently as the Professor wolfishly eyed her and then turned to Kuryakin. He didn't notice, because his head was turned to scan the room. She could almost see a smile touch Professor Augustine's face in the glow from the overhead machine with a black marker in hand, tapping it with his large finger. He straightened up from his hunched over position and capped his pen.
"That's all for today. Our test will be in the morning over the material we have covered. Remember that this will help us find out who will be our group leaders for the lab sessions. Study hard and don't forget your lab coats. Good afternoon."
While everyone started to gather their notes, Lane took this time to scribble something on a sheet of paper, crumple it up in a look of quick frustration, and then finish putting her notepad in her bag.
"Janny, are you going to join us for a study group this evening instead of resting up?" Green asked her mischievously. "Or we can have our own study group? I'm sure that Bill and Julie won't mind."
"Tempting, but I have to get back to Lane Labs and make an appointment with that Russian guy, Mr. Kurry something for him to meet with my boss . . . "
"I think that Janice and I need to go powder our noses. I'm sure I can persuade her to come with us, Josh. Come on, Janice. We can talk about girl stuff and what we are going to wear tomorrow night at the dinner. Maybe you can help me find a fancy dress that I can afford while we are here in town."
Julie took Lexi by the arm and started to lead her out of the auditorium. Her hands were firmly wrapped around Lane's arm.
"Well...I don't know...I really should be..."
"Nonsense! You are coming with me, Bill, and Josh. I insist!"
"Oh, alright, but let me throw my trash away first."
Lexi chose the trash bin right in front of Napoleon and gave him a quick look as she and Wallace continued on into the hall. After most of the attendees passed him and went through the doors, Solo bent down and picked up the rumpled piece of paper that simply said. "Find me."
Illya had watched his partner pick up the piece of crumpled paper, lift his head, and looked around the hall for someone. He knew it had to be Lexi he was looking for and started to look for her as well. He'd watched over most of the attendees during the lecture and lost track of where Lexi had dashed off to when everyone stood up.
There she was, about to go into the restroom with a friend of Green's who had her arms wrapped around Lexi's. Kuryakin was about to make his way towards Solo when he was grabbed and felt the cold hard steel of a gun silencer in his side by his waist.
"Make a sound or wrong move and you die. Don't even turn around. Keep walking into the crowd and out the doors to the kitchen."
"Professor, do you think that after hearing your lecture for the last hour and a half that I wouldn't know your voice."
"I don't care if you do, Kuryakin. You'll not know your own name soon. THRUSH will pay me exceedingly well for just getting you to Central. Dead or alive doesn't matter, but someone else has plans for you and that pretty Smyth girl first."
"Why do you want her?"
"Why does UNCLE want her? We know that you've been watching her as well. Now, shut up and keep walking."
Solo was looking all around to see where Lane had gone with that other female attendee. A rush of people coming out of all of the lectures halls at once, making it difficult to spot her. He started to move to where she had been going only to be stopped by a group passing in the other direction. The more he tried to push forward, the more he was going nowhere fast.
Before he could move, Solo's communicator clicked on and he could hear muffled noises just as gunshots rang out into the front part of the hall. Smoke started to fill the room as people ran screaming in every direction. He ducked down, pulled out his gun, and tried to crawl forward through the crowd as he began to choke on the smoke.
Once Napoleon made it to the far wall, he fell back against a door frame and fumbled inside his jacket to find his communicator pen and open a channel.
"Open channel D! There is an emergency situation in the Science Hall! A smoke bomb exploded and gun shots were fired! All agents need to report in and locate agents Lane and Kuryakin!" Solo gasped out as his throat felt thick from the acid fumes that hung in the air.
It was hard for Solo to hear anything over the deafening sounds of the fire alarms, screams of those around him, and his own heartbeat ringing in his ears. He pulled out is locator to see if he could find Lane through her homing device in her communicator pen.
Through bleary, burning eyes, he followed the signal into the women's bathroom. The room had been closed off to the smoke and he was able to breathe easier as he slowly stood up and started to open the doors to each stall to find Lexi.
The tracer showed that she should be in the second to last stall, but when he opened the door he found it was empty. Exhausted and frustrated, Solo sat on the toilet, put his gun away and raised his communicator to his mouth.
"Open channel D. Mr. Waverly."
"Mr. Solo, what is the situation?"
"Sir, I am in the Ladies Restroom, where Lexi is supposed to be, but she isn't here!
Just as he sighed out his frustrations, he let the door to the stall close shut and he saw Lane's communicator pen resting on the blade of a petite knife with the initials AK on it jammed in the side of the coat hook on the back of the door. In black magic marker were the words written File: 41837 just below the knife.
"Mr. Solo!"
"Sir, she left us a message, one of her knives, her communicator, and words, file 41837."
"Bring it back with you to headquarters; I'll have the other agents sweep the building. I doubt that Miss Lane or Mr. Kuryakin will still be there. His communicator signal has been destroyed. I can only hope that where he is, she is there as well."
"Yes, sir."
Napoleon was upset that he was unable to find Lexi. He knew that she and Illya were supposed to flush out who working for THRUSH, but couldn't help but feel a usual dread that they could be abused or killed before he could find them.
"Well, Lexi, I hope that I have an easier time finding you this time than the last."
Solo tiredly got up, grabbed the knife with communicator hanging from it, and walked out of the ladies' restroom to face the mayhem outside.