Second night
The second night's show went well after which she met the men at her apartment to change and check all the necessary equipment for the night part of the job. All three were dressed in black including a stocking cap to hide the Kuryakins' light hair. Illya attempted once again to convince Jo not to accompany them to the club.
"Josephina, you did your part, just give me the computer code, and I will install it."
"Look, it's not going to happen. It is my code, and I need to be there if something goes wrong. Stop trying to protect me. I am a big girl now, and can do it. Can you not do something Napoleon to get him to understand why I need to do this," Jo stated with an icy chill towards the other two agents.
"Sorry, I agree with her Illya. It's her program, and she's the one who has to make it work," Napoleon told his partner, though he knew he wasn't happy about it.
"Fine, but you better just do the program. We will handle the explosive in the building", Illya shot back in a tone that was equally as icy as hers was. He picked up his backpack loaded with explosives and led the way out the door.
When they arrived at the club, Illya quickly picked the lock to the outside door. Napoleon started into the basement while Illya directed his sister to the computer room. Within seconds, he also opened that door.
"Just get the program in, and place the explosives in this room exactly where I told you. We will get the rest of the place wired and meet you here," he instructed.
She was still angry about his attempt to exclude her and reminded him, "I was there for the briefing, and I do know what my job is. Thank you."
He shrugged and left to join Napoleon downstairs. As he met up with him, Illya complained, "This is too easy. Where are the guards or alarms? It shouldn't be this simple."
Napoleon grinned at this partner, "You just don't feel right if you haven't fought you way in and out. Come on, let's find the records, finish placing these charges, get Jo, and get out of here."
Both agents searched for the records of what had been done at the site, who was involved, and any other information that was available.
Illya collected samples of fluids in the basement while Napoleon grabbed all the computer tapes that he could find. After assuring themselves that they had everything that was there, they started to set the charges.
"Let's split up. We can complete the job faster, and get out. We can meet by the computer room when we're finish and that way if she needs any help, we will be available." With that, each partner took a section of the basement setting up the charges.
In the meantime, while the others were downstairs, the mainframe password took a little longer than Jo thought it should have to open the security channels, but finally she began to upload the program. While inserting the code, she also worked on other parts of the mainframe itself to ensure the complete destruction of Thrush's database.
Problems began to develop, and she wished she could ask for some help from her brother whose computer knowledge was not as good as hers but was still excellent, but knew he was busy in the basement with the explosives. Suddenly, he appeared at the door.
"Napoleon is finishing up downstairs. So I thought I would see if you needed a hand."
"Thanks. I need someone to turn dials as I am inserting this program. It will go much faster," she instructed. "Illya, I sorry about before. I just…."
"Me too. Let's get this finished and get out of here so we can blow this place."
Napoleon arrived about 5 minutes later. As he glanced around the corner, there were no guards in sight, so he continued to the computer room. When he looked into the room via the small window in the metal door, he smiled at the two Russians with their heads together, speaking quickly in their native tongue, as Jo explained to Illya what needed to be done.
Two of a kind with the scientific knowledge that would be the envy of most but both equally as lethal he thought. Opening the door, he whispered, "Shake a leg, you two. I'd like to be home before breakfast."
Jo looked at Illya questionably, "Why does he want us to shake a leg?"
"Just an American saying. It means hurry up," he explained rolling his eyes towards his partner, "You will have to get used to them. He seems to have hundreds." To Solo, he added, "Just watch the hall for us; we will be done in what five minutes or so?" Shaking her head, she agreed.
Just as they were finished, Napoleon stuck his head back into the room, "Hide, there is flock of birdies on the way. I'll try to draw them off."
Both Kuryakins took cover behind the mainframe. They heard the group as they passed the computer room door with one of the guards stating he saw something move down the hall. When it was quiet, they finished up quickly, then quickly made their way toward the door.
As they reached it, the door burst open and four THRUSH guards rushed in with their rifles aimed at the Kuryakins' heads. Behind them came Simmons.
"Well, well what do we have here? Mr. Kuryakin, I've been waiting to meet you again to repay you for the results of our last meeting. And you Miss Nicholas, if that is your name, what are you doing here. Don't tell me that you're an UNCLE agent too?"
Neither agent answered him. He waved them out the door and as they passed the first set of guards, both were hit on the head with the rifle butts.
"Take them downstairs, I want to get some answers," Simmons commanded as he followed the unconscious agents.
Napoleon was coming back towards the room when he heard the commotion and was too late to help his partners. With the guns pointed at their head and the number of THRUSH present, he needed to come up with a plan to get them out.
He would need to create a distraction as they were removed from the room but when both agents were knocked unconscious that eliminated that solution.
Back-up sounded like the best plan, and he placed a call into HQ to arrange it. When he called in, Mark and April had just returned from assignment, and he directed them to come out right away.
As Illya regained consciousness, he tried to determine where they had been taken. As he shook his head, a blinding pain flashed behind his eyes. He wouldn't be trying that for a while again. At the same time, Jo became conscious. She also learned that shaking her head resulted in a painful experience.
"Come on now both of you, I know that you are just buying time. Open your eyes," the THRUSH leader demanded as he backhanded them across their faces to make sure he had their attention.
Both looked around and saw that they were tied to armed chairs. Not only were their wrists tied, their feet were bound, and a rope circled their chests.
"Guess they want us to stay awhile. You did mention that they were the bad guys. But you didn't mention that they were also stupid," Jo quipped to Illya. This earned her another slap.
"Josephina, you misunderstood me. I told you that they had a poor sense of humor and that they were overbearing and brutes. Brains don't enter into it," Illya corrected her and earning another backhanded slap also.
"Oh I see your wit hasn't changed Mr. Kuryakin, and you're just as bad Miss Nicholas. I want some answers. One: where is Solo? Two: what were your orders, Three: what did you do in the computer room. If you don't mind my dear, what is your real name?" he asked as he lifted her chin to look into her eyes.
Both agents glared at him without answering. "Don't antagonize me. You'll have one more chance to give me what I want to know, and then we'll become more aggressive with the questioning. Mr. Kuryakin, perhaps you would like to see your partner not suffer, I'll let her go if you give me what I want."
"And Illya?" she inquired.
"Sorry, he has other things to answer for."
"Guess we are in this together then. I do not care for your deal Simmons. How about you let both of us go, and we don't kill you," she suggested.
"Answer me," the THRUSH leader spit out at them backhanding the agents again. When neither agent gave him an answer, he looked at his men and instructed, "Don't kill them, but give them a lesson that I mean what I say."
His men took enormous pleasure in making the two agents understand what their boss wanted. Illya as usual received far more punishment than anyone else did. Both agents were silently glad to see Simmons call a stop to the "lesson."
"I want answers. We found your two explosives that you placed under the mainframe. What else have you been up too?" As one of the guards came toward Illya, suddenly Simmons pulled out a gun and placed it by Jo's head.
"Mr. Kuryakin, you'll answer my questions or I'll put a bullet into your friend's head." At the same time, abruptly there were sounds of explosions and footsteps racing down the hall.
Illya yelled, "Now!"
Jo tipped her chair toward her guard and knocked him off his stance, but not before she felt the sting of a bullet hitting her shoulder. Illya tipped his chair toward the guard on his left, knocking him backward.
Napoleon and his team rushed the door and put down the remaining THRUSH agents. April and Mark quickly untied their bound counterparts.
"How are you guys doing?" Napoleon asked.
"Fine," the two answered, Jo not mentioning the injury that she had received.
When Jo was released, she grabbed the two explosive devices that had been removed from the computer room and ran that way. Illya followed, replacing the devices then the two hurried to join the other agents leaving the building.
The UNCLE agents rushing out of the building ran into a group of THRUSH reinforcement agents. As Illya pressed the button on his watch to set off the explosives, he felt a bullet entering his thigh.
The implosion brought the building down, destroying, and burying the labs and computer but leaving the buildings on both sides standing without damage. With the implosion, the additional THRUSH agents began to retreat into their waiting cars.
As the gunplay stopped, Napoleon turned to look at the two Kuryakins. Both looked pale and shaky. "What the …" he stated as they collapsed on the sidewalk.
"Yea, you are fine. Just like normal. Now I have two Kuryakins who are always fine." With a wave, Napoleon had April call for Medical as he checked on his two downed friends.
Napoleon sat between the two in medical waiting for his partners to be conscious. Both had returned from surgery and were just coming around. Illya gave Napoleon one of his rare grins.
"Fine, right. When were you going to tell me that you were hit? Now she's as bad as you," he angrily stated, pointing to Jo who was still out. "I'm going to be waiting for both of you two to come back around a lot in the future, I have a feeling."
"What wrong with Josephina?" Illya began to get up when his partner pushed him back down.
"Doc said you need to stay in bed for the night, stay there and you can leave tomorrow. She was hit in the shoulder. The bullet has been removed, but it broke a bone. They're just waiting for her to come around. A few days and she'll be okay." As if in response, she began to moan a little.
After a few Russian expletives because of the pain, she looked over at Napoleon and Illya, "Hi you two. Did we get the bad guys?'
"Miss Kuryakin, the next time you're shot, I expect you to inform your superior," Napoleon demanded.
"Why, I was okay and finished the job before I passed out," she gave him the Kuryakin grin, "When do I get out of here? I feel fine." To prove the point she started to sit up but with a loud moan, she fell back on the bed, "Well maybe a little sore."
"The two of you are going to drive me crazy," Napoleon sighed. "Illya, I'll be in tomorrow morning to take you home. Jo, the doc said two days for you. We'll pick you up and take you home. Waverly will be here in a few minutes to verbally debrief us. We'll talk later about who gets to do the written report."