The private UNCLE jet landed at Mikra Airport in Thessaloniki in the northeast of Greece. And there was a Land Rover was waiting for there for Illya as he deplaned, now dressed in a loose fitting collarless white shirt, dark vest, black pants and high boots. He wore a short-brimmed black cap on his head to cover the brightness of blond hair. He loaded his things into the truck, careful to stow the rifle case out of sight, then headed off.
He passed the red-tiled Mediterranean houses bright with white wash, numerous Byzantine churches and off in the distance he could see Mount Olympus, the fabled home of the Greek gods... Illya thought this would be a place he could enjoy exploring some day if he ever had the time. The Greek mythos and sense of history had always intrigued him and was so tied into the landscape itself...
He had been to Greece three times on assignment all with Napoleon, once to stop a megalomaniac named a Alexander, another time to retrieve a stolen UNCLE code book and lastly two years ago to stop a young Thrush trainee sent to blow up a dam. It felt a little strange being there without his partner, especially because Napoleon would not be around to come to the rescue if he were to get in trouble...
Six hours later he arrived in Athens...the city was in chaos and he barely made it through several check points without his weapons being discovered. But his passport and mastery of the language worked and he was able to continue on anonymously into the city.
He made his way toward Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, parking down the street; he walked the rest of the way to the gate of the U.S. Embassy, flashing his UNCLE identification, he was granted immediate access as he was expected.
"This way Mr. Kuryakin...the Ambassador will be with you shortly," the secretary escorting him said, "Can I get you anything, coffee, tea...or me?" she smiled flirtatiously.
She seemed to be offended when he have her no response and walked away apparently miffed that he had not reacted to her obvious overture...
"Napoleon is always better at these things," he thought to himself," sometimes Illya just could not think of the right thing to say, without inviting trouble. There were very few women that he ever felt comfortable with and the only one that mattered to him had just turned down his marriage proposal. He sighed trying not to think of that again.
Twenty minutes later he was brought into the Ambassadors office.
"Welcome Mr. Kuryakin...please have a seat," the ambassador offered his hand to Illya giving it a hearty shake," would you care for a drink?"
"No thank you Mr. Ambassador."
There was another man seated off to his right and Illya assumed it was the representative from the C.I.A.
"This is Mr. Mauer, the C.I.A. station chief here in Athens."
The man nodded to him but made no overtures to shake the Russian's hand and Illya made no such gesture either.
"Let me get down to brass tacks here" said the ambassador"...the United States does not approve of this military coup however my government is still backing it...in spite of the fact that it's "a rape of democracy*" in it's very birthplace."
"How can you rape a whore*?" Mauer blurted out.
"But... unfortunately," the ambassador continued, ignoring Mauer. "it is not within our purview to interfere with the situation at hand...you on however have the "independence" shall we say, that we lack at present..."
"What the Ambassador is trying to say is that in the commission of your assignment from UNCLE to eliminate the Thrush infiltrator among the junta...let's say that a few poorly placed shots at the others would be most welcome?"
"I am sorry Mr. Ambassador, Mr. Mauer. I am afraid that is impossible. I have my assignment to fulfill and nothing more...I have instructions to not "interfere" just as you do."
He changed the subject to the the details of his task.
"I understand that once my assignment is successfully completed I am to return here for asylum until UNCLE is able to initiate extraction procedures?"
"That is the plan Mr. Kuryakin. I commend your integrity...well you may not be willing to do what I'd like you to do but you are getting rid of one of the bastards for us. It's the least we can do for you in return for that. You will have safe haven here until such time your organization can retrieve you," offered the ambassador.
"I am not doing this for the United States sir, I am doing it as part of my job in protecting the world from the nefarious plans of T.H.R.U.S.H. and nothing more."
Mauer stepped in at that moment." Let's get down to details...the members of the junta are to make a public address not far from here tomorrow at ten in the morning in Syntagma Square." Mauer pointed to the place on a city map."The eastern side of the square is higher than the west and is dominated by a set of marble stairs leading down to Amalia Avenue. These steps are where the speech is to take place."
"Syntagma is known for frequent demonstrations as the Greek Parliament building is immediately across Amalia Avenue to the east...even with martial law having been declared there is sure to be demonstrators out in force to cause disruption. There are substantial green areas to the north and south with plenty of shade trees for cover. Now surrounding the area is the extensive royal gardens although the portion of the gardens behind the Parliament building is for restricted use for only the royal family.
"You've got some of the oldest neighborhoods in the city here..." he said running his finger along the map," Monastiraki, Psiro, Kolnaki, Thission district, all within walking distance of the Square...the ruins of the Ancient Agora here and of course the Acropolis just beyond."
Again Illya nodded saying nothing. Mauer folded up the map offering it to him.
"No thank you...I have it all in here now," Illya smiled, tapping his temple with his index finger.
"Suit yourself Kuryakin."
"Mr. Ambassador, unless there is anything else, I will take my leave now?"
"No Mr. Kuryakin, that will be all thank you...and good luck."
Mauer escorted Illya out of the building and to the front of the the compound. He suddenly grabbed Illya by the collar pulling him close before he had the gate opened.
"Here it comes." Illya thought to himself.
"Listen you little Commie fucker...you better be doing what you say you're supposed to be doing or so help me I'll..."
"Get your hand off me Mauer or you will only have one hand to use...permanently." Illya said sotto voce.
Maury stepped back, releasing his grip."If you screw the pooch in any way, don't expect to come back here for help. I was against harboring you in the first place and I won't have us being accused of complicity...do you hear me Comrade?"
Little did Kuryakin know that the U.S. was already duplicitous, as the leader of the junta had already been on the payroll of the C.I.A. for fifteen years.
KYP, the Greek intelligence service had been created by the OSS/C.I.A after the Greek in the course of the civil war with hundreds of it's officers receiving training in the U.S. They routinely bugged the ministerial conversations of their own government, turning the content of the conversations over to the C.I.A. who was fully aware that the head of the junta was planning the coup as far back as January...and Mauer knew that Kuryakin had no clue as to any of this."
"Illya snickered at the man."Tell Bill Klein I said hello, will you?" Mauer, surprised at that remark said nothing. With that Kuryakin slipped through the gate and disappeared down the street.
Illya returned to his vehicle and drove off to the neighborhood of Monastiraki to the Attalos Hotel on Athinas Street. He secured his rifle and cases in his room, took a nap to recover from the jet-lag, then later on headed up to the roof top bar for a meal. He ordered lamb kabobs, eggplant moussaka and topped it off with several glasses of anise-flavored ouzo as an aperitif as he took in the the complete view of the area...there was a flea-market less than a hundred yards away, beyond that the Ancient Agora and in the distance less than fifteen minutes by foot was the Acropolis. In the other direction the square and the Parliament buildings and the royal gardens.
Illya suddenly found himself missing Elliott, wishing she were there to share the spectacular view with him...then he suddenly remembered the sadness that at filled him when he left her. He hoped she was alright, wondering if she were pregnant or not. He spoke to God in a silent prayer."Please, if there is a child...let it me mine?"
He shook himself from his thoughts, paid for his dinner then left to explore Syntagma Square to find the best and safest vantage point to take out his target...
He walked around Syntagma then up the steps scanning across the square to find the best spot...it would be in the trees to the south...from there he could disappear easilr back into the crowded and busy of neighborhood of Monastiraki. Once he had taken Alexandropolos out, the city would again erupt into further chaos...he would have to move quickly doubling back to the hotel then simply walk to the safety of the American embassy.
Illya returned to his hotel room, pulling out his communicator."Overseas relay- Channel R- Gabriel."
"Yes Gabriel, what have you to report?" answered Waverly.
"Anticipate removal of target tomorrow morning at Syntagma Square in Athens. Will contact you at completion of assignment for extraction."
"Understood Gabriel. Out"
Illya sighed as he sat on the bed, looking over to the side that Elliott would normally sleep on...he tried not to think of her as he undressed and climbed under the covers, still feeling a little down. He tucked his special under the pillow, then was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. There was no need to set an alarms...his internal clock would have him awake at six in the morning.
His sleep was a restless one... as he was having a repeated dream that caused him wake up throughout the night. Elliott was in a car with someone...he could not see who it was and he knew she was leaving him, really leaving him. She had an infant in her arms, it had dark hair and dark eyes. He called after her as she looked back at him shaking her head "no," looking at him through the car window as it drove away. When he woke up...his pillow was damp. He was filled with a feeling of emptiness and abandonment...
Illya chastised himself for letting his feelings distract him so. He took a deep breath emptying his mind of her...burying his emotions as he had done all his life, allowing him to concentrate on the mission.
Illya returned to the roof top café, ordering a typical Greek breakfast of tomato and feta cheese drizzled with olive oil and Taygetos Mountain herbs, along with warm wholemeal bread, freshly squeezed orange juice and strong Greek coffee flavored with a little bit of vanilla essence.
After finishing his meal, he returned to his room preparing himself. He attached several explosive buttons to his vest, and put explosive compound in the heels of his boots. He left his UNCLE identity card and the rest of his things, carrying only his special, his throwing knife and his rifle case...this he wrapped in a piece of dark cloth to disguise it. He put his hat on and walked calmly out of the hotel.
He headed out to the square down to the southern end...it was virtually empty as the crowd had gathered up by the steps for the speech. The security had concentrated their efforts up there working on crowd control...they were beginning to haul away some of the dissidents in to police vans.
There were plenty of distractions there to keep anyone from noticing him as he climbed up into one of the many dense shade trees. Illya positioned himself up on a sturdy branch, adjusting his scope as he slipped the barrel of the Winchester through the leaves of the tree.
He checked his watch...five minutes more. Illya breathed in and out focusing his thoughts, forcing himself to relax. He looked through the scope again focusing in on the row of microphones that lined the exact spot at the top of the stairs as the military officers would speak.
He watched as they finally appeared, lining up together for their photograph to be taken. Then one of them stepped up to the microphones...Alexandropolous was the third one to the left.
A voice echoed across the square as the speech began...
"Antimetopísoume d'ykoles iméres brostá mas,_ We face difficult days a head of us, yet we have taken the first steps to free our country of the scourge that is Communism..."
The Russian took careful aim at his target, squeezing the trigger gently. He made the shot, hitting his target directly in the forehead, sending Alexandroplous' head back as his body collapsed to the ground. And then the frenzy began. There were screams as the other military officers were pulled to safety by their body guards. The crowd began to panic retreating in every direction as the police and military began grabbing people at random. Gunfire erupted.
Illya jumped down from the tree with the rifle still in his hand, ready to toss it into the nearby shrubbery.
"ALT! G´yra argá... péta to óplo kai válte ta chéria sas páno to kefáli sou tóra_ Halt! Turn around slowly... drop that weapon and put your hands above your head now!
Illya turned around as he had been ordered, facing two armed men dressed as civilians, obviously ESA, the Greek secret police and both of them had pistols trained directly at him.
He reacted instantly swinging his rifle knocking the gun from the hand of one while he lashed out with his free hand grabbing the wrist of the other man as he swung around and smashing his gun hand down against his knee, disarming him.
The both charged him but he brought them both down simultaneously with a karate chop to one and a kick to the gut of the other. Then he took off at a dead run heading towards Monastiraki. Moments later shots rang out from behind him as the men retrieved their weapons beginning their pursuit.
One of them called out into a walkie-talkie radio.
"Échoume to shooter stin órasi kai stin epidíoxi, méso Monastiráki_We have the shooter in sight and are in pursuit through Monastiraki! He is blond, thin...slightly built approximately 5'7' and wearing black pants, white shirt, dark brown vest!"
Illya turned and fired at them while he continued to run.
"The shooter is armed. I repeat he is still armed!"
Illya ran across a plaza to the middle of the large flea market pulling stands and displays over behind him to slow his pursuers, much to the protests of the vendors.
"Syngnómí_sorry!" he called as he ran past them.
Armed soldiers were suddenly charging down the aisle towards him, ripping one of the explosive buttons from his vest, he tossed it, exploding it in front of them. He scrambled across a table through of the side of a stand as an older woman began beating him on the head and back with a bolt of cloth.
"Malakia! Archimalakas_Son of a bitch! You big asshole!" she cursed at him.
Illya ducked, covering his head,"Parakló kariá! Oi ándres pou prospathoún na me skotósoun_Please madam! Those men are trying to kill me?"
"Oh...why didn't you say? Go go!" she said, then she hit the next soldier as he climbed through her booth in pursuit of Kuryakin."Malakia! Archimalakas!"she repeated.
Illya ran from the market, heading up one of the narrow streets that made up the neighbor hood of Monastiraki, still not losing them. He ran on heading around corners running up street after street until he found himself in the Thission district and out in an open area surrounded by the ruins of temples...he was in the Ancient Agora.
He ran up a small hill ducking behind the doric columns of Agoraeus gasping for breath, his head and shirt wet with perspiration, when an armed man stepped out from among the shadows of the weather stained marble and stone.
"Eí saí nekrós anthrópou_You are a dead man!"
"Den eínai í prótí forá_not the first time." Illya said calmly.
He raised his hand gun and fired it at Kuryakin. Illya, anticipating it tried dodging to his left. The bullet winged him in the right arm.
"Ahh!" he cried out in pain as he dropped to one knee, slipping his special to his left hand then hitting the ground he rolled, shooting the man in the chest, killing him instantly.
Illya staggered to his feet, cradling his arm with his gun hand he ran across the Agora toward the two aisled Stoa of Zeus, taking cover behind the inner colonnades.
He leaned back against one of the columns, feeling light dizzy when a bullet landed near his head, sending chips of marble flying into his face. Illya lowered himself down to a crouching position when he heard the repeat of a second shot and saw the muzzle blast. Illya fired, hitting the shooter, taking him out. He waited a few minutes for another round of gunfire but it never came.
Illya headed out the back of the Stoa moving up the hill behind it, making his way up to the top and the Temple of Hephaestus where he would have a better view of anyone else who was after him. His arm was bleeding heavily as he looked out over the Agora seeing no one...that was when he passed out. He came to sometime later, then using one of the columns for support, he pulled himself up to his feet.
He walked slowly out of the Agora, heading up to the Acropolis...the few tourists that were there ran when the saw the bloody figure of the Russian staggering towards them. The junta had driven many visitors from the country leaving many of the completely empty.
Illya stumbled around the multitude of blocks and stones strewn across the plaza atop the Acropolis, heading across past the Parthenon, covering in scaffolding, and towards the Erechtheum...the structure to the left of the temple would offer him cover and a complete view of the Agora as well as the only route up to the top of the outcrop.
He walked slowly around the south side of the structure, finally allowing himself to stop moving.
Ilya pulled out his communicator contacting Waverly.
"Gabriel here sir...mission accomplished. Complication however. They saw my face and am unable to return to the embassy. I am at the top of the Acropolis and low on ammunition. They have not found me yet, but I anticipate they will. I am going to take capsule B."
"Understood Gabriel. Set the homing device on your communicator. I will send help ."
He walked onto the Porch of the Caryatids...the classic female statues supporting the room the roof aboe him as he opened the top of his communicator, removing a tiny blue capsule. Illya swallowed it without hesitation. It would cause him to have nearly three days of amnesia, protecting him from revealing his identity as an UNCLE agent...at least before he died. And he was sure that was going to happen since he had executed one of their leaders. Not being completely fatalistic, Illya hoped UNCLE would find him first.
Illya then sat on the ledge among the the statues as he readied to set the homing signal, when he leaned back a stone beneath him suddenly gave way sending him backward out of the building. Illya landed hard, bashing his head on the marble blocks below, knocking himself out cold.
He saw her looking down into his eyes as they opened. They were limpid sea-green eyes and she had long black curly hair cascading in a frenzy over her bare, tanned shoulders. Her full lips stained red from the dark cherry she had just bit into.
"Geia, sas ti káneis_hello, how are you?" she asked.''
"Próstimo...nomízó. Ektós apó meriká chtypímata kai mólopes_fine...I think except for a few bumps and bruises."
"Bumps and bruises! You call getting shot and nearly cracking your skull open bumps and bruises?"
"I was shot?"
"Yes...right there." she pointed to the bandage on his right arm.
"Odd, I would have thought I remembered something like that."
"Your accent is a little strange...you're not from around here are you?" she asked.
The blond suddenly looked confused." I do not know? Where is here?"
"You are at my archaeological dig at Cape Sounion...we are about 65 km south-southeast of Athens."
He tried sitting up, then with a moan from the pain in his head he laid back down. "That was not a good thing to do," he mumbled.
"I found you at base of the Erechtheum on the Acropolis...I assumed you were one of the poor souls the junta was trying to arrest and brought you here out of the city to care of you."
"Junta?"
"You know...the military coup? A group of generals and colonels took over our government and declared martial law...they are detaining and arresting people by the thousands. One of the dictators was assassinated yesterday. It is all so terrible..." she whispered.
"I am sorry. I do not remember your name," Illya apologized.
"That is because you do not know it...I am Professor Aphrodite Theohari. Do you remember your name?'
"No I am afraid I do not...that bump to my head must have done something to affect my memory? I will be truthful and tell you my head and arm are hurting." he smiled weakly.
"Now that you are awake I can give you some morphine for the pain. I do have some good news for you," she smiled at him," you had your passport in your pocket. Your name is Nickólaos Demetriou...you came into the country two days ago at Thessalonikis. Does any of that sound familiar?"
"No...nothing. I remember nothing," Illya shook his head.
"Nickólaos you need to rest...you have suffered a trauma. God knows there are many Greeks who are suffering right now, at least I can help one of them." she said placing her soft hand on his cheek.
Aphrodite rinsed out a towel in a bowl of cool water and placed it across Nickólaos' forehead, then injected his forearm arm with the morphine. She noticed a dark area on the skin and wiped it with the towel, revealing a blue tattooed series of letters and numbers. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
Taking a mental guess at his age she asked him," Were you in a Haidari as a child?"
"Haidari?" Illya repeated.
"That was the Nazi concentration camp in Athens during the war...you have a tattoo on your arm. I have seen them before. The Nazis put their mark on many of their prisoners."
Illya shook his head, shrugging at his ignorance.
"No matter, Nickólaos...close your eyes for now. I will bring you some soup to eat?"
She left him laying alone on the then cot in the tent, carrying a small bundle with her. Once outside she opened the cloth revealing a silver pen, a throwing knife and a pistol with the initial K on the grip. The only things she found on the man besides his passport.
She rewrapped them tightly, placing them in a small trunk to keep them safe from prying eyes as well as from Nikólaos Demetriu. Though she found herself very attracted to the handsome blond with the eyes like the Aegean...she knew nothing about him except his name. He could be a dangerous criminal or a murderer for all she knew...
Aphrodite returned with a small bowl of broth for him, helping him to sit up in the cot by propping a pillow behind him; she fed him a spoonful at a time until all the soup had disappeared.
Illya was still a bit hungry, but would not be rude by saying so, as the woman had been so kind to him already and he wished not to trouble her.
"She draped a light blanket over him."Go to sleep Nickó. Tomorrow perhaps you might remember a few things?"
Illya grabbed her hand as she rose to leave," thank you Aphrodite." he whispered." Aphrodite...the goddess of love. I am a fortunate man to have been rescued by such a beautiful incarnation of the goddess herself."
"Ah you are a typical man...you may have lost your memory but you still remember which head to think with!" she laughed at him,"running her finger along his pale chin.
"Indeed," Nickó thought to himself as he sighed, watching the shapely woman walk from the tent.