It was a relief to Solo when only a mile from headquarters the call-back came. Crawshaw, however, was less than happy being re-called from his first mission. However minor this little foray was, it could have been the first step to permanently filling Kuryakin�s shoes. He knew that given time Solo would come to respect him and be grateful that the partnership with the Russian had ended. A smile lit his face as he dreamed of the good times to come when he and Solo would hit the town for evenings of wine, women and entertainment.
    "We believe that Thrush have used the same interrogation endured by Kuryakin on two more agents."
    "With the same results?"
    "Both dead I�m afraid." Waverly slowly turned pages on the report and sighed deeply. Solo couldn�t help but notice dark rings under his eyes and for a moment the old man suddenly looked frail. That moment vanished as anger flushed his face to a healthy pink and the file was thumped onto the table. "In both cases the principal agent was tortured in full sight of his associate. The first� Um Jack Barnes�"
    "Jack Snake Barnes?"
    "I�m afraid so, Mr Solo. Tough as the man appeared he endured only minutes of torture before he died screaming."
    Napoleon Solo winced at the thought; Snake had tolerated much during his long association with U.N.C.L.E. and bore numerous scars to tell of his narrow escapes.
    "To continue, Mr Solo," said Waverly pulling Solo back from the brink of those sinister nightmares which lurk in the minds of all agents. "He said, before he died, that he was being repeatedly stabbed. Strangely, the autopsy report on this man and um�" Waverly picked up the file and read for several minutes before remembering the other agent�s name. "Gresham, yes, Peter Gresham� The autopsy shows that shock, in Barnes� case from loss of blood, to be the cause of death. Not one injury that would result in extensive blood loss could be found on either agent."
    "Some new weapon that drains blood?"
    "I�m afraid it appears as if these afflictions are all in the victims mind�"
    "Voodoo, Sir?"
    "As strange as this sounds I am almost inclined to believe that to be the answer. The agents witnessing the torture of their fellow agents have been so badly affected that they have left Uncle."
    "We all witness bad things at one time or another, that is part of our training."
    "Remember, Mr Solo, the witnesses are primary agents seeing hardened men break down for no apparent reason. Possibly the purpose of this appalling exercise is to cause as much fear as possible among our agents�"
    "So much so that they will leave our service or in Illya�s case, destroy the mind."
    "Exactly. I think our priority must be to discover exactly how Thrush are convincing their victims that they are being burnt, electrocuted and stabbed before we lose more agents�"
    The alarms halted the conversation and two breathless, bruised, security agents ran into the office.
    "Kuryakin just walked out of the building, sir!" said one reddening in the face on seeing Waverly�s disapproving face.
    "How on earth did you let him do that?" began Solo.
    "Mr Solo, be realistic," said Waverly waving the security agents out with the only words of reproach being, "I expect more expertise in unarmed combat the next time. Um�As I was saying, Kuryakin has put into practice his escape techniques on more than one occasion. It was this organization that taught most of those techniques to him. I suspect he found escape from this building easy as no-one had orders to use lethal force."
    "I�ll go and get him."
    "No, Mr Solo, I have other agents assigned to do that unpleasant job."
    A smile appeared on Solo�s face as he visualised the consequences the agents faced when trying to re-capture a reluctant Kuryakin.
    "You will leave immediately for Paris and investigate Thrush�s new weapon."
    "I think it might be better if I bring Illya back�"
    "Your assignment has been set. Losing my top agent is not what I had in mind."
    "Illya won�t hurt me�"
    "In his present state of mind that is my top concern. Goodbye, Mr Solo."

"Ya-see, Napoleon, no-one could figure it out. All the books proved that this little fellow was the only one in existence�"
    Solo was in no mood for the bright one-sided conversation that had been almost constant during the last ten hours. He had grown so accustomed to Kuryakin and his limited conversation that Crawshaw had already become annoying. He knew though, that his life might depend on this partnership improving, yet, he found it difficult to even pretend to tolerate the boastful young man. Stories of his conquests with various women and daring missions only re-enforced Solo�s dislike of him.
    The mission had gone wide of the mark from the start and the two agents still sat in the waiting room of the airport. An air crash had delayed all flights, then the weather had become so appalling that those delays were extended. Finding another flight had proved impossible and it was mutually agreed to wait it out. This unfortunately gave Solo time to muse over the recent happenings and worry began to trigger a headache. Kuryakin was out there somewhere! Not only had he escaped from U.N.C.L.E. but was also fully armed with stolen U.N.C.L.E. equipment. Most of which should never fall into the wrong hands, especially THRUSH. The Russian had no memories of his life and no friends. He had nothing except the crazed notion that U.N.C.L.E. was corrupt and had imprisoned him. Solo could only hope that he had headed back to Russia and would perhaps live a long and happy life with the gypsies.
    "And that�s how I solved the mystery of the blue beetle," bragged Crawshaw.
    "What?"
    "It was only blue because�"
    "Ok, I get it. Now let�s go over this mission agai�"
    "Oh, look, riots in England again."
    "What?"
    "Riots. See, on the TV," said Crawshaw pointing to the small set on the wall. Anything was better than the prospect of yet another story of the brilliant exploits of Crawshaw and watching television just might take his mind off Kuryakin. He sat back and watched the small affray that was occurring outside 10 Downing Street in London. Angry crowds shouted abuse at each other as police tried to break up what appeared to be another student demonstration. A young girl caught Solo�s attention and brought back the spark of interest that had vanished from his life. Rays of light highlighted the rich auburn of her hair and he followed the contours of her body that showed so clearly through a dress that could only be worn by a few. Two large rings were the only things preventing the bottom half from detaching from the skimpy top. Raising her arms to hold up the ban-the-bomb poster revealed most of her long, golden legs�
    His interest in her as a potential companion vanished as the camera zoomed in and the crackly microphone picked up her voice. She was speaking Russian, badly pronounced and painfully slow, but defiantly Russian. She was interpreting another person�s speech.
    "He said you are nothing but scum. You are all spies here to infiltrate the British government�"
    "Sweeny!" echoed a voice behind her.
    "Go for it, kid!" shouted a man in the room with Solo. "Kill the Sweeny!" For a moment Solo didn�t quite know what to do, watch the riot on television where a small blond man had begun attacking the Policeman that always stood guard outside the Prime-Minister�s door or question the innocuous little bald man who�s encounter with a toothbrush was yet to happen. He decided on both as the man in the room was there to stay, at least until the show had finished. It was totally clear who the blond man was, but what he was doing was another question. Even as other members of the uniformed branch held him he lashed out, screaming his anger as the girl translated. The unfortunate who was on the other end of Kuryakin�s blows seemed more angry than surprised and shouted back, his words just audible over the commotion.
    "Illya, you idiot! Six months of work and you blow it just like that. Six months of work down the drain."
    "He�s one of ours!" whispered Crawshaw. "The stupid Russian blew his cover! Go on pelt him. One thump from you and he will go down and stay down."
    "Oy!" shouted Solo and the bald man simultaneously. Not wanting the riot to spread to the airport Solo only warned Crawshaw with a look and decided it best to question the bald man. "What did he mean by Sweeny?"
    "Well I�ll forgive him getting it mucked up and all that, being foreign and all. Looks like he�s after law and order. Sweeny Todd, you know?"
    "No, sorry."
    "You foreign too? Thought so. Sweeny Todd the flying squad?"
    "No?"
    "Rhyming slang, yes? Whatever you call then they is still Coppers, still the law! Sweeny is the law!" This was the excuse Solo had needed, such valuble information had to be delivered personally to Waverly regardless of Crawshaw�s opinion that calling it in would be sufficient.

Crawshaw was right and Waverly angrily reprimanded Solo for not calling the situation in as Mark Slate had so correctly done. Matters were made worse the instant Solo was told that Kuryakin had escaped from �the Sweeny� to make an immediate attack on one of the fancily dressed Beefeater guards at the Tower of London. Solo�s laughter had been instantly quashed.
    "I fail to see the humour, Mr Solo. Once again Kuryakin has displaced one of our undercover agents. I can see a pattern forming even if you cannot."
    "The list!" gasped a suddenly sober Solo. "He still remembers the list of English missions!"
    "Exactly, Mr Solo, and he is systematically uncovering them. He must�"
    "He remembers! Mr Waverly, I must�"
    "No! You will follow orders and complete your assignment. Good day, Mr Solo!"
    "Sir�" he sighed deeply and decided that Waverly was in no mood to be tackled further, insubordination of this kind would not be tolerated, even if it came from U.N.C.L.E.�s chief enforcement agent.

"He gave you a right slap on the wrist. I thought once you got to the top you shunned all that rubbish."
    Only a shake of the head answered Crawshaw, Solo had more important matters on his mind. He remembered the list! The words were tossed over and over in his mind. THRUSH had told them that Kuryakin�s mind had been destroyed yet he still remembered the list. Was that because it had been so deeply ingrained on his photographic memory or had THRUSH programmed him only to remember that list and act against it? The thought was terrifiying, if they could brainwash certain agents to take action against U.N.C.L.E. then�
    "He�s at it again!"
    "What?"
    "Kuryakin, he�s at it again, listen!"
    The Cold War edged closer to our shores today as London found itself the focal point of a Russian revolution. Solo tuned the radio in to eliminate any static and listened intently to the news-reader. Sometimes a smile forced itself upon him as the Russian�s exploits were read out but was quickly removed as the seriousness of the situation became apparent.
    Three people have been arrested in connection with the incident�photographs were shown of those arrested and Solo immediately called in to London HQ so that the young girl who had interpreted for Kuryakin be immediately release into U.N.C.L.E. hands for questioning. Only one other was known and Solo knew his release would be immediate, regardless of his alleged crime. Tying yourself to the railings of Buckingham Palace was not too uncommon but doing it nude was much more serious�
    "Cricky! Isn�t that Slate?"
    "Yes, Mr Waverly, I suggest we place a D-Note on the whole situation�" Solo did not listen to the astonished ramblings of Crawshaw, the reputation of U.N.C.L.E. was at stake and the press must be silenced.
    The perpetrator is still at large after gaining entrance to the Queen's private quarters and assaulting a member of the Royal kitchen staff�
    "One of ours?"
    "Not this time, I think� Now back to HQ to find out why Mark would want to pose nude for the cameras."

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