Napoleon was looking over the files of both individuals involved in tonight's episode. The woman was the mole...or was she? There were too many questions in all of this, and none of it made sense. The lab technician named Marianne Lucas had given no indication of being discontent or a vocal critic of his partner. She didn't have a spotty background; there weren't any blank years or unaccounted for absences that might have allowed her to slip into the enemy's camp and defect. She just didn't appear to be a Thrush, nor did she appear to be anti-Illya. And yet the evidence that she was involved in the attempt on his life was undeniable.
There had been no sign of the woman since he saw her go back into the Purple Unicorn. In questioning some of the patrons from the club all of the accounts from witnesses had suggested that she and Illya were getting on quite well; certainly nothing indicated that she had threatened him or that he felt ill at ease with her. In fact, most people thought quite the contrary as they had seen them kissing. That left Napoleon slightly puzzled.
"Mr. Solo, do you have anything in mind for our next step? We certainly do need to apprehend this Lucas woman as quickly as possible". Sometimes his boss had a propensity for stating the obvious. "Yes sir, I have several agents on this, checking her apartment and her family's home in Connecticut. We seem to have lost her completely, though. Mr. Neville knows nothing about her life outside of UNCLE.
Marianne Lucas was, at that moment, comfortably ensconced in a Thrush safe house on Long Island. She had been safely escorted there after leaving the club; a car was waiting for her as she exited through the back. No one would ever see her again this side of the Atlantic, her new life would be waiting for her in London by the time she arrived there the following day. Her stint at UNCLE had accomplished the goal for which she had been sent. Plastic surgery and the hard work of learning her role had made it possible to replace the real Marianne who had, unfortunately and tragically, been the victim of an accident. She had been specially chosen for her proximity to Kuryakin in the lab. It wasn't too obvious, but she was the perfect invisible employee. The fact that Thrush had been able to pull off this type of deception not once, but twice, was an indication of the means and talent in their organization. This time they would prevail, unlike the failed effort with Solo's double.
When Illya awoke the second time the respirator had been removed and his breathing was stable, if not still painful. A broken sternum was certainly preferable to being dead, but it felt worse. He tried to survey the room, but his movement was hindered by the bandages and the pain. The action at the Purple Unicorn seemed so long ago, but he knew it hadn't been more than 24 hours based on his beard. He had just enough stubble to set the time, which meant the mole might still be at headquarters. He needed to start the process of uncovering that person.
When he tried to sit up, he saw stars and just barely managed to suppress a cry from the piercing pain. This wouldn't do; being inside of Thrush was bad enough when being held in a cell, but as a guest in a hospital bed his agitation was more bruising than the physical injuries. It was only a matter of time before they started using truth syrums and whatever else they had for making sure he was on the level. He didn't kid himself that they were taking him at his word on the subject of defection from UNCLE. That would be too easy, and Thrush was not that obliging.
Deacon Duvall was watching from a viewing panel in the wall across from the patient's bed. A framed picture wasn't a likely conduit for spying, and yet the labs had developed a delightful aparatus that allowed someone to look into a room without the vision being obstructed by the picture. Thrush ingenuity never ceased to amaze the man whose future now hinged on his success with the UNCLE agent in the next room.
The plan had been his own, and it's brilliance had not gone without notice. The so-called mole had been nothing more than a ruse. Marianne was there simply to play a part after Kuryakin was hooked. She hadn't passed anything except time in UNCLE headquarters.
A message had been created that was made to look like a communication between Thrush and someone inside of the pompous do good group. When they started looking and couldn't locate the mole, they assumed it was someone in very deep cover, causing no end of frustration. Another message was captured and it pointed the way for them to give up Kuryakin as a decoy so that UNCLE could weasle the name of the dread enemy within their hallowed halls. Just the suggestion that he was on their most wanted list was all it took for them to hand him over. Not that they anticipated losing him for good; their disappointment over that was going to be a bonus.
It had been so easy. Waverly was so keen to keep his little group pristine and free of infestation, and was only too eager to send in his prized Russian pet if that's what it would take to solve the mystery. Duvall hated UNCLE, hated Waverly. But he was fascinated with Illya Kuryakin and had known instinctively that if he could gain him for his own purposes, then Thrush would promote him to the highest pinnacle of power. Not only could the wiley agent provide information about his own organization, he also had knowledge of the Soviets that would be most valuable to the plans being made by Thrush. His presence was a double prize, and now he belonged to Duvall.
There was one little extra in all of this: Marianne had left something for the folks at UNCLE. In 24 hours their empire was going to be reduced by one location. New York.