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Napoleon knocked on Illya's door. He was going to drive the Russian to a festival. When Illya didn’t answer, he knocked their special knock. Again, no answer.t his
Pulling out his key to his partner’s apartment and opening the door saying, “If you think you’re going to get out of this festive by hiding, it’s not going to work. You promised ……”
He stopped as he saw Illya’s apartment was a mess. Papers were all over the floor, the end table was turned upside down, and the sofa was pushed across the room. Pulling his gun, Napoleon quietly checked the rest of the apartment. In the bedroom, he found a hole in the wall going into the next empty apartment.
Pulling out his communicator, “Kuryakin has been taken,” he told the operator knowing this would start a response to a team that would be here in a few minutes.
In the meantime, Napoleon looked over the papers. He noticed many had a seal and heading that mentioned Umatilla, Oregon. Others had to do with Umatilla potatoes.
Knowing this, when the UNCLE team arrived, he headed toward headquarters.
Passing by Waverly's secretary, he marched into the office. “I want to go to Umatilla.”
“Would you be seated and explain to me why?” Waverly said.
“Illya had papers all over the floor talking about Umatilla and another vegetable. This has to be Axios.”
“Mr. Solo, we have no proof of this.”
“Then I want some vacation time,” Napoleon demanded.
“You are not due for any for another six months,” Waverly calmly informed him.
“Then….” Napoleon stopped, he wasn’t sure what, but he needed to go after his partner.
After letting his agent, calm down, Waverly said, “I didn’t say you would be assigned to go, but I will not send an agent whose emotions are overriding his training.”
Napoleon sat there thinking over what Waverly said and never the man was right. “I’m sorry sir. You’re correct.” Taking a deep breath, “I’m able to work without letting my emotions rule me. These attacks from Popov and Axios with government collaborators are getting to me. Wherever Axios is hiding between each poisoning is preventing his capture and more people are hurt.”
“I understand but you need to remember Mr. Kuryakin is realizing on you. Here’s the information we have. Good luck Mr. Solo.”
******
Illya woke tied to a chair with Axios before him. “Welcome Mr. Kuryakin, or can I call you Illya as we will be working together.”
Ignoring him, Illya looked around the room. It was a lab containing breakers with different colors of fluids.
“I won’t help you,” Illya stated.
“I was hoping you would have changed your mind. Oh well, please give Mr. Kuryakin the injection,” Axios ordered the doctor who was standing there.
Illya tried to move his bound arm, but it wouldn’t move. “What is that?” q demanded.
“A little something I created. It causes whoever receives it to follow orders without question. You will be helping me.”
“Never,” Illya bit out as the drug hit him. Feeling himself losing the ability to tell Dr. Axios no, he fought the drug.
After an hour Axios asked, “Mr. Kuryakin, are you ready to assist me?”
Forcing a “No” out found him shaking and sweat covering his forehead.
“No ready yet,” Axios said shaking his head, “Give him another dose.”
“Sir,” the doctor said, “It could damage him.”
Axios turned on the doctor, “Do it or you’ll find out what the drug can do.”
The injection was given. An hour went by before Axios asked Illya again.
Instead of answering, Illya's eyes were blank, seeming unaware of what was going on around him. “What's wrong with him?” Axios demanded.
Shaking the doctor said, “Sir, the second dose mind may have destroyed his mind.”
Fury lined Axios’ face. Turning he grabbed one of the guns from his security and shot the doctor.
Handing the gun back to the guard, he nodded to the guard to untie Illya.
Illya didn’t move but sat there staring at the wall. Axios handed him a lab coat which Illya sat there holding. “Put it on,” Axios ordered.
Illya stood doing as ordered. Angrily Axios ordered, “Put him in one of the sections. Mr. Kuryakin, start working on the formula,” he ordered, “And clear up this body.”
******
Napoleon looked at the field of potatoes surrounding Axios’ factory. The field was blooming light purple with yellow-orange centers. He remembered what he read. The Umatilla russet potato began around 1988 after breeding in Umatilla County, Oregon.
The potato is named after the Umatilla tribe, which was living in northwest America, especially in Oregon. Glancing at a few potatoes that were lying on the ground he found they were rounded and oblong with tapering rounded ends. The deep brownish skin has red and orange tinges with sometimes ugly spots on it.
The site was surrounded by armed guards, as Napoleon began to crawl through the field. The flowers provided some coverage. Surprisingly, it seems like the guards were too busy talking to each other to see him moving.
The door was easy and soon Napoleon was into the halls of the building. Carefully he glanced into rooms as he went down the halls, hiding in one when someone came by.
Finally, Napoleon found the lab and saw Illya sitting there. Looking around, he noticed only Illya was there. Going over to him, he touched his partner, who didn’t react. “Illya, we need to get out of here.”
Illya stared ahead. In a voice that held no expression, “Dr. Axios told me to stay here.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Napoleon whispered angrier. “We need no get out of here.”
Illya turned looking at him for the first time. “Do I obey you now?”
Napoleon didn’t know what was going on but decided to figure it out later, “Yes, No come with me. Oh, and do you know what you were given.”
Illya pointed to a capped empty syringe. Napoleon grabbed it and then pulled on Illya’s hand.
Standing up, Illya followed. When someone came down the hall, Napoleon had to push his partner into a room. Once at the door, he knew that Illya couldn’t help in their escape. Looking out the door window, he noticed the parking lot. There were three cars in it, one being a red Lamborghini.
Ordering Illya to run with him, Napoleon ran toward it. After a few minutes, the door was unlocked. Pulling the wire down under the dashboard, he jumped the system of the car causing the car to start.
As the car started to move, he was noticed. Shots began to ring out, Napoleon pushed Illya down, and he stepped on the gas. As Napoleon ran the car through the potato field, the bullets hit the car but didn’t enter it. “Damn, it’s bulletproof.” Napoleon hissed.
******
Napoleon had given his report to Waverly and then headed toward Medical. “Hi Illya,” he said as he entered Illya’s section to find him in a chair and dressed.
Looking at Napoleon, Illya said, “Mr. Solo.”
The doctor had told Napoleon that they were going to try a formula that they thought would bring Illya back. Shaking his head, Napoleon said. “Remember we agreed you would call me Napoleon.”
“Yes, now I do. The doctor told me they were going to give me an injection to help with my memory,” Illya told his partner. The uncertainty could be heard in his voice when he said, “Do you think it will work?”
Not knowing what to say, as the last two injections didn’t work, Napoleon repeated what the doctor had told him. “They’re not positive but hopefully.”
Illya smiled, “You’ll stay with me?”
“Oh course. That’s what partners do. Let’s get you lying down. The doctor will be here in a moment.
Illya fell asleep from the injection. For hours, he dozed as Napoleon waited. It wasn’t until the next morning, that he felt Illya moaning and moving.
“Napoleon?” Hesitancy could be heard in Illya’s voice.
“Here, how are doing?”
“I hurt and can’t remember what happened,”
“Can you tell me about the Umatilla russet potato?”
“What?”
“Just do it,” Napoleon insisted.
Illya took a deep breath and did just that. “Now what was that about?”
“Your back, partner. I’ll go to the doctor. Can’t wait to get you out here.”