The Pawn (S1E8): Missing Scenes

Disclaimer:  I do not own either of the Mission: Impossible series or any of the characters therein.  I receive no compensation or any other tangible benefit from this story.  I am just a fan who enjoys taking the team out for an adventure every now and then.  🙂

*****

Max locked eyes with Casey and began to count silently.  One, two….  Together, they jerked the big green satin cloth to the floor.  The image of the figure that had been beneath it disappeared.  The floating phantom trick had worked!

As applause broke out in the audience, Major Zorbuskaya jumped to her feet, an angry look on her face.  “Follow me,” she barked, and two guards followed her to the stage.  Jim looked on sternly and leaned forward slightly in his chair.

Zorbuskaya glared at Max.  “Where is he?” she demanded.  “Where is Comrade Antonov?”

The audience chuckled as Max shrugged his shoulders.  One guard went toward the back of the stage, while the other one looked underneath the table where Antonov had been lying just moments before.

Suddenly, Zorbuskaya pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Max’s chest.

“Where is he?”  she demanded again.

Max’s eyes grew wide as saucers as he looked back at her, his lips drawn into a thin line.  He knew that Major Zorbuskaya had ordered the cold-blooded killing of Antonov’s son, as well as others, and that she would not hesitate to do the same to him.  His stomach churned, and he swallowed hard, willing it to settle. 

“Where is Comrade Antonov?”

Max continued to stare at her, silent and wide-eyed, while Jim looked nervously to the side and back again.  They both knew that there hadn’t been quite enough time for Nicholas to switch places with the professor and get into position.  

“Tell me now.”

Hurry up, Nicholas, Max pleaded silently, as if his teammate could hear his very thoughts.  She’s not going to wait much longer.

“I give you five seconds to return Antonov,” she dared.

 Max glanced at Jim, who nodded imperceptibly as Zorbuskaya began to count aloud.  “One….two….”

Max seized his opportunity.  “Three,” he interrupted, as he raised three fingers into the air.  “Four,” he continued, as he walked toward the six-foot-tall black chess piece. He sent up a silent prayer that he’d stalled long enough.  Then, “Five!” he said triumphantly, as he opened the front panel to reveal Nicholas, disguised as Antonov, crouched inside, eyes closed as if asleep.

The audience murmured and gasped audibly as Max snapped his fingers, and “Antonov” awoke from his trance.  As everyone broke into applause, Nicholas rose to his feet.

A small, satisfied smile crossed Jim’s lips.  Max clapped along with his audience, and then patted Nicholas’s shoulder fondly as the latter smoothed his tousled hair.  Then he and Max shook hands.

Jim joined the rest of the audience by rising to his feet and applauding.  Zorbuskaya’s angry expression turned even angrier as the spotlight fell on her, causing the crowd to break into laughter.  She locked eyes with Commissar Rudensky, who glared furiously back at her.

*****

The audience’s applause began to die down.  Jim cast a wary eye at Zorbuskaya, who was preoccupied with ushering “Antonov” back to his table.  The elder agent slipped across the room and through a side door.

Max could still hear the applause ringing in his ears as he left the stage.  For the last several moments, adrenaline had coursed through his veins as he’d focused on the task at hand.  The bit of nervousness that gripped him as he’d performed on stage had multiplied rapidly as he’d stared down the barrel of Zorbuskaya’s weapon.  But now, the magic show was over, the switch complete, and the professor was well on his way to making his escape.  The tension left his body suddenly, as if someone had pulled a plug.  Momentarily shaken, Max stopped in his tracks and exhaled forcefully, reaching out his left hand to steady himself against a nearby wall. 

A second later, his team leader popped into view and approached him.  “Nice work,” Jim said quietly.  Then, seeing Max’s expression, he added, “You all right?”

“Yeah,” the blond agent replied, forcing a smile.  “That was a little scary.”

“I’m sure,” Jim agreed, nodding sympathetically.

Max sighed heavily, then he stood up straight and nodded to Jim, signaling that he was ready to proceed.  Not missing a beat, Jim lapsed into his exaggerated Texas accent and struck up a monologue about a hapless American magician.  He was still talking to Max as the two men emerged from backstage and joined Casey, who had left Grant and the professor and was approaching from the stage side of the dining room.

*****

The train pulled into the station at Vienna.  Jim and Nicholas disembarked to find their three teammates waiting for them, along with the professor and his daughter.

“Mister Black,” Antonov greeted with a smile, grabbing Nicholas’ hand almost before his feet landed on the pavement and pumping it vigorously.  “Congratulations on a game well played.”

“Thank you, Mister Antonov.  Or, should I say, Mister Rasmussen,” smiled Nicholas, invoking the professor’s new identity.  “But I couldn’t have done it without you and Grant.”

“Actually, you did,” the professor reminded Nicholas.  “At least, for one brilliant move.”

“Well, I had to do something,” Nicholas countered teasingly, with a grin and a sideways look at Grant, “since the two of you left me hanging out there.”

“We had no choice, pal,” explained Grant, slightly defensive.  “The guards were checking passports.  We couldn’t let them see what we were doing.”

“I did wonder what happened to you,” Nicholas admitted seriously.  “I thought maybe the ring had malfunctioned.  I stalled as long as I could, but I didn’t want to forfeit the match.”  Then the wide smile returned to the dark-haired agent’s face.  “I guess I got lucky.”

“There was no luck about it, my friend,” disagreed Antonov.  “You’ve got some skills.”

“Yeah,” Grant confirmed.  “I tried to play a game with him earlier.  Give him some practice, you know?”  Grant grinned wryly.  “He beat the hell out of me,” he confessed, causing the others to laugh heartily.

“If you ever decide to turn pro, let me know.  You can take lessons from the champion.”  The professor smiled as he locked eyes with each member of the team in turn.  “Thank you.  For my victory, and, most importantly, for our freedom.”  He reached over to give his daughter a sideways hug, which she reciprocated.

Jim looked at his watch.  “We’d better get to the airport,” he advised.  “The plane leaves in just over an hour.”

And with that, the five team members and their two companions left the train station, got into a rented van, and headed out.

The End.

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