The Thinking Machine Affair (12 page)

"Yes, Illya, and I have heard everything that was said," Solo replied. "There's no need to rescue me, I am already out of my dungeon and on my way to you. These apes forgot to take all my tools away."

The Chief Organizing Officer felt uneasy when the Special Tasks officer failed to arrive with the Professor and his apparatus. To find out what was going on in the workroom, he switched on the closed circuit television, but the screen remained blank. He connected with Technical Control and told them angrily:

"Check communications to the workroom and report at once what's wrong!"

"Both the audio and vision communication lines to the workroom are dead, sir," the Technical Control officer reported. "Communication will be restored as soon as practicable."

"See to it fast! It's urgent!" the Chief Organizing Officer said, and disconnected himself.

He was about to summon guards to investigate when the Duty Officer of Internal Security appeared on the television screen.

"The U.N.C.L.E. prisoner's escaped from the dungeon cell, sir," he reported. "He's blown up the two guards who were on duty at the top-security prison wing."

"Where is he now?" the THRUSH executive yelled. "I want him immediately!"

"The entire Center is being searched, sir."

"I want him alive and I want him here—and quickly!"

"Yes, sir."

"I also want you to investigate whether there's anything wrong in the workroom and I want to know fast!"

"Yes, sir."

Napoleon was traveling in the elevator to the seventh floor of the Center. He knew exactly where to go, for Illya had given him the layout via his cuff-link transmitter-receiver.

When the elevator reached the seventh floor and Napoleon stepped into the corridor, four THRUSH guards faced him with drawn guns. Knowing that there was no hope of escaping re-arrest by trying to shoot it out, he snatched the plastic explosive handkerchief from his pocket and threw it towards them. He managed to dive behind a steel pillar before the handkerchief bomb exploded and scattered the men.

Napoleon hurled himself through the explosion cloud and ran along the condor, ready for any other attack. He reached the door of the workroom and gave a prearranged signal. As Illya opened the heavy door, Napoleon spotted two groups of guards heading for them. He threw another plastic explosive handkerchief into their path, before diving into the workroom to shelter from the blast.

Out of breath, Napoleon asked Illya for his transmitter-receiver. He requested Channel D, and immediately it was opened Waverly answered.

"Everything's under control, sir," Napoleon re ported. "I propose now to call Major Klima of Czech State Security…"

"Czech State Security and our own forces are already on the way, Mr. Solo," Waverly cut in. "Expect them any moment. And, Mr. Solo," he added before closing Channel D, "don't forget to recover your own transmitter-receiver. We can't have our precious equipment lying around all over the place."

The Professor and Vlasta were still busy with the apparatus. "We should be ready any moment now," the scientist assured the two U.N.C.L.E. men.

"We'd better order the THRUSH executives and personnel to surrender," Illya said. He restored the two-way internal communications system and was about to pull the switches which put the workroom on to all closed circuit television screens throughout THRUSH European Center E.

"Shouldn't you take off your fancy dress?" Napoleon pointed at the THRUSH uniform Illya was still wearing.

Illya took off the outfit, threw it at the THRUSH officers still lying unconscious on the floor, and announced: "I resign!"

Over the closed circuit television, Illya declared:

"Gentlemen—it's time to surrender!"

Defiantly, the Chief Organizing Officer shouted: "I have ordered gas to be pumped into the workroom through the air-conditioning plant."

"Now, now," Napoleon countered. "This is no time for threats. We have the thought-transference apparatus and Professor Novak is about to condition your minds to surrender. In addition, THRUSH European Center E is surrounded by U.N.C.L.E. and Czech State Security forces..."

"They will be too late to save you, Mr. Solo," the THRUSH executive replied. "Before they have the chance to reach you, you'll be beyond help. You won't get out alive. Our technicians have jammed your door, but should you succeed in opening it, explosive charges will deal with that eventuality."

A moment later the entire internal communications system went dead; then the light went out in the work-room.

"Try to condition their minds to surrender, Professor Novak, by aiming your apparatus in all directions where the enemy can be," Napoleon ordered. Then he helped Illya to seal the air conditioning inlets to stop the threatened gas from entering, realizing all too well that their efforts might be insufficient to succeed in doing this.

CHAPTER NINE

HEADING FOR THE LAST ROUND-UP

THE special U.N.C.L.E. forces, reinforced by battalions of uniformed and plainclothes Czech State Security commandos, encircled the area of THRUSH European Center E. Units penetrated the underground water channel from the Moldau, while at the same time other detachments went through the entrance Illya had already found. Further units broke into the well-camouflaged passageway behind the stables of the mansion house on the hilltop. It was a full-scale military operation.

When the detachments that entered the Center through the underground water channel reached the platform at the end, the voice of the Chief of THRUSH'S Special Tasks Department shouted through an amplifier:

"Lay down your arms and surrender! Your escape route is cut off and you are trapped!"

The combined U.N.C.L.E. and Czech State Security officers ignored the surrender warning and continued to penetrate into the stronghold.

Machine-gun fire brought down some of the advancing men. A high-explosive plastic missile was thrown among the THRUSH guards who barred the way into their Headquarters.

Meanwhile the U.N.C.L.E. and Czech State Security forces that had penetrated the fortress from the camouflaged entrance on the top of the bill reached the battle area and cut off the escape route of the THRUSH guards there. Caught between the two detachments, these were disarmed and handcuffed.

The way was now open to search the Center for the remaining executives, officers and men, and liberate Napoleon, Illya, the Novaks, and possibly other unknown prisoners as well. The vastness of the underground stronghold and the need to open so many heavy steel doors with explosives made this a very slow operation.

Napoleon, Illya, the Professor and his daughter pressed wet handkerchiefs over their nostrils and mouths as a precaution against the gas seeping into the room. They all knew that if help didn't come soon, it would be too late to save them.

Napoleon and Illya made several attempts to blow a hole through the wall near the door to let fresh air in, but their attempts were futile. They did not dare fix strong charges, otherwise they might be killed by the blast.

The situation was desperate. Breathing was be coming almost impossible in the by now gas-filled room.

"I am going to blow the door lock," Napoleon decided. "If there are explosive charges outside and blowing the lock tears us all to pieces, well, it's just another and quicker way of dying."

"You are right. We have nothing to lose—the gas will kill us slowly anyway," Professor Novak agreed weakly.

Illya helped Napoleon position the explosive charge and then they crouched with the Professor and Vlasta in a corner, using the bodies of the three THRUSH officers as well as the metal workbench as extra protective cover against the blast.

"Here we go!" said Napoleon, and detonated the charge.

It sounded like a whole battery of explosive detonating in rapid succession. The heavy steel door disintegrated and the blast flattened almost everything in the workroom, but miraculously seemed to miss the corner where they crouched.

Napoleon and Illya helped Professor Novak and Vlasta from the shattered room and pulled them into the corridor and its cool fresh air. They stood there gulping in the air, trying to cleanse their lungs of the gas.

"The apparatus!" Vlasta cried. "We left it behind!" The two U.N.C.L.E. men went back into the room, looking everywhere for the thought-transference machine. They saw fragments of it scattered everywhere and knew that it had been destroyed by the explosion.

"I don't know how my father will take it," said Vlasta, who had followed them into the room. "I only hope its destruction won't break his heart..."

"What is it, my child?" asked the Professor from the corridor.

Vlasta stepped back into the passage and cried anxiously: "Are you all right, father?"

Napoleon and Illya saw the scientist sitting with his back against the wall. Illya loosened his collar and tie and said: "Breathe deeply, Professor."

"I am all right," the scientist said. "I only feel a little weak. It's not surprising, after all the excitement I'm not as young as you are..."

Vlasta knelt beside her father and caressed his head lovingly, fighting to keep back her tears.

"What did you say in the room, my child?" the Professor asked.

"Not now, father…"

"It's the apparatus, isn't it?"

She didn't answer.

"Don't worry," he said, and looked into her eyes. "I pray that the apparatus is destroyed beyond recognition."

"Why? Why?" Vlasta exclaimed. "It was your life's ambition."

"Yes—until I came here," he admitted. "When I discovered how it could be abused, I hated ever having devised and perfected it. I am happy it has gone."

Napoleon wandered off, searching for the office of the Chief Organizing Officer. He had a bill to settle, and he also wanted to recover his transmitter-receiver.

When he reached the deserted corridor in which the THRUSH executive's office was located, he found the steel door shut. Indeed, it appeared as though this whole part of European Center E had been abandoned.

He removed an electronic opening device from its hiding place in his left heel and unlocked the steel door. He entered the office, to find the Chief Organizing Officer with his back towards him, busily engaged in disguising his appearance before a cabinet mirror. Napoleon locked the door behind him to cut off the escape route.

"I've already told you it was time to surrender," Napoleon said.

The THRUSH executive whirled round. "Solo! How did you get out?"

"Through the door," he answered teasingly, enjoying the other's bewilderment. "All your explosive charges and other friendly ideas, like gas being pumped into the room and so on, were quite ineffective against our protective and combat devices."

"Well, let's see how effectively you can protect yourself against this, Mr. Solo," the THRUSH executive said threateningly, pointing the gun in his right hand at Napoleon. "It was obliging of you to come to my office. I am sure U.N.C.L.E. and Czech State Security will gladly trade you in for my freedom."

"Throw your toy gun away; it's useless," Napoleon bluffed. In that moment he aimed the electronic opening device he had been holding in the palm of his hand ever since he had entered the office at the THRUSH executive. "With this ray gun I can wipe you out and burn your body to cinders."

The Organizing Officer's hand trembled as he pulled on his automatic. The noise of the shot filled the room. His nervousness made the bullet miss Napoleon by a fraction of an inch, enabling the latter to jump at the THRUSH executive and knock the weapon from his hand, his left foot kicking the automatic out of reach.

The other was powerfully built and Napoleon needed all his karate knowledge to combat him. He threw his attacker and made his head crash against the oversized desk in the office. He took advantage of this to hit him on the throat with all his strength. The man crumpled without a sound.

Napoleon stood a moment to recover his own balance, then bent to tie up the man. He found this unnecessary, for he was dead.

He discovered his transmitter-receiver in the desk drawer. Then he switched on the closed circuit television screens throughout the Center to announce:

"This is an ultimatum for all THRUSH executives, officers, armed guards and other personnel, to surrender unconditionally. THRUSH European Center E is completely surrounded and all escape routes are sealed off. The Chief Organizing Officer is overpowered, as you can see for yourself if you look at him lying on the floor of his office, and European Center E is deprived of its leader. We want to prevent bloodshed, but will not hesitate to retaliate against anyone offering resistance. You are all advised to lay down your arms at once and surrender."

Napoleon was unaware that this ultimatum was late, the U.N.C.L.E. and Czech State Security forces having already broken all resistance; indeed, full-scale mopping-up operations throughout the vast underground network were now in progress.

As he left the dead leader's office and went to rejoin Illya and the Novaks, he met a group of U.N.C.L.E. officers.

"Mr. Solo," one of them said, "we have been looking for you. The doctor wants to see you urgently, to check the effect of the gas on you."

"Right," Napoleon said, and followed him to the elevator.

They arrived a few floors down and walked towards the Medical Room. As they passed a group of THRUSH guards and personnel who were being escorted by Czech State Security officers, Napoleon stopped––the woman from the restaurant and the agent from airport were among the prisoners. The woman looked away when their eyes met for a moment. U.N.C.L.E.'S Medical Officer examined Solo and declared: "There's nothing wrong that the antidote wouldn't put right instantly," and dug a hypodermic needle into Napoleon's arm pressing a liquid into his bloodstream.

"How are Illya and the Novaks?" Napoleon enquired.

"Fine," the doctor confirmed. "The old man was rather shaken and might have been knocked out for good by the gas, but THRUSH's own antidote is superb and counteracts all the effects of the poisoning instantly. We should be grateful to them for a well-equipped Medical Room."