Dr. Saetra Heron took a final look at herself in the mirror. Her flaming tresses were tamed into a sedate French twist, lacquered into place as only her dear Matrasiri could manage. Severe black rimmed glasses masked her brilliant blue eyes while her usual brilliant lipstick was toned down to a medium pinkish color. She nodded her approval at her reflection. Low heels, slightly too long skirt and a flowing lab coat to mask the lush figure men seemed to find so damned distracting. Good. She was ready.
The High Council was in session, half the members shadowy faces on television monitors placed around the room. Giles Faversham frowned slightly as he surveyed the table. Several seats would be empty. Hector Bailey was … busy. Whether he was actively pursuing his latest project or yet another woman to subject to his desires was irrelevant. His was the one vote the Council could count on to be biased and Faversham did not want a biased vote on Dr. Heron's plan. He smiled to himself. This was also why his latest acquisition would not be in attendance. Her bias would also be an issue.
Royke Darnall, tall, saturnine and deadly, Faversham's head of security, nodded once and Faversham took his place at the table. "Gentlemen and Ladies, if we could come to order, please?" So began the annual Northern Hemisphere meeting of the THRUSH High Council.
Dr. Heron, waiting in the wings to present her project, practiced yoga mentally while observing her competition. Dr. Dabree would get her funding. The woman was a brilliant technologist and psychological manipulator. Gervaise duBologne would not get funding since his patron was missing and the man had absolutely no couth, much like his patron. She returned his hot eyed stare with a bored glance before considering Dame Edith Munch and her companion. Dame Edith was elderly, but not senile by any means. She was also secretive and a superlative mistress of security. Heron had absolutely no idea what the woman was selling to the council this time and wouldn't until the project was successful.
That left Heron's one possible stumbling block, Chang Bela D'Antonini. He brought a frown to Heron's normally clear forehead. He was tall, lean rather than lanky, his dark hair was worn long, the wave frequently causing it to fall in his face and obscure the brilliant dark eyes. He was in constant motion somewhere. Right now he was twirling a small metallic ball? Egg? Gadget! In his long fingers, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Heron dragged her gaze from D'Antonini. He was trouble. Pure trouble. She threw him an oblique look. Pure and probably somewhat innocent. Many of her colleagues wondered if D'Antonini even knew the mission of the people he worked for. Heron was fairly certain he did not. She avoided his gaze as his name was called and he walked into the meeting. One down, three to go.
From the looks as they left, Heron knew she was pretty much on the ball where funding was concerned. D'Antonini was difficult to figure out, but his protectors on the Council would hardly deny him funding. Dame Edith was also hard to read, but the smug smile on her companion's face as they passed Gervaise was unmistakable. Dabree just burbled happily to herself, her large mad eyes behind the thick glasses seeming to take in everything and nothing as she nodded to Gervaise and Heron in passing.
Heron gave her last remaining colleague ten minutes to make a fool of himself. He was out of the room in five, seething. Had Darnall not escorted him out, Heron might have had to defend herself from the man. Finally, it was show time.
Heron permitted a smile to cross her face as she acknowledged the power of THRUSH in the men and women seated at the table, echoed by the monitors slightly behind them. "It's late, so I won't take long. You are all aware of Dr. Crane's work on a control virus?" Several council members nodded. "Good. I want to finish her project."
"I believe her notes … er … burned," came the objection in a lazy, cultured male voice.
"Her notes, yes. Her project, however, lives on. I have her two primary samples about to be delivered into my hands. "The room projector lit, a picture of two well-known UNCLE agents appearing on the pull down screen behind her. "You may not be aware that Mr. Solo and Mr. Kuryakin, frequently consequential thorns in our paws, were two of Crane's test subjects. I have been monitoring the agents since their return from Romania. Both have been essentially desk bound while their R&D makes certain they are fit to return to the field."
Someone else snorted a comment. "And a damn good thing it's been."
"Yes, it has. However, what if all of UNCLE could be put to our purposes instead of their own? I have already ascertained that both agents are … how shall I put this? Suggestible?" she said with a smile, her eyes bright behind the glasses.
"Suggestible?"
She showed a short clip from UNCLE New York's security cameras. Solo gestured as though tossing something across his desk to the floor. Both men reacted to something unseen, stepped from the office and then returned looking puzzled. "The suggestion was a large, unaggressive tarantula. As you can see, both men reacted to the suggestion. They are now on their way to Blackpool in Lancashire where my people will acquire them for further study and evaluation. "She turned her gaze from the presentation to the Council. "Funding this project to completion will get THRUSH complete dominion over the UNCLE, to use as we see fit and without their being aware that they are being used. Success will net you a field agent to send wherever you wish, from Mongolia to gather data to your bed, if that is your desire. You can chain one to your desk or use one of their intelligent, model-ly administrative assistants as you see fit. UNCLE will be ours." She cringed inwardly over that last lure, glad that Bailey was not present. His leer was enough to make her want to run.
"Well, Dr. Crane," one of the monitors addressed her. Crane, Heron, they were all birds. "I think we should see the results on Solo and Kuryakin before we issue full funding. You require a great deal of money according to your proposal. A quarter of what you're asking should allow you to pursue the two agents. If that is successful, then we will grant you the rest."
"Thank you, sir. I'm agreeable. Since they're in the air, I will get back to my preparations for them." She nodded to the Council and turned to leave before the canary eating grin spread across her face. Now she had exactly what she wanted. For a moment her eyes caught Darnall's. Damn, what a waste. Darnall had eyes only for Faversham. Ah, well. She'd soon have Solo and Kuryakin to play with. What a wonderful time would be had by all.