The Man From U.N.C.L.E: The Thief From Moscow

Chapter 14: The Kosygin's

The streets of Moscow were constantly full of people starting the day and going to work. Children were being dragged to school by their parents. Solo and Gaby linked arms as they made their way through the streets in a car. They passed colourful shop windows filled with products they'd never seen in other countries. Snowflakes were still fluttering down from the sky and landing on the road in front of them. They soon drove through gates leaving into a private street, with bigger houses lining the road. The house at the end of the street belonged to Alexei Kosygin and his family; it was bigger than all the other houses, and it was surrounded by several agents and police officers. A police car was parked in the front of the house, and Solo could see an officer inside ready for anybody to attack as he held a gun. The car stopped and Gaby and Solo both got out of the car. Solo looked up at the house, noticing the bullet marks on the walls. They were led inside by a police officer, where the Kosygin's were waiting for them in the dining room.

"Mr Kosygin, sir," Solo said politely when he saw him, shaking his hand firmly. "My name is Agent Napoleon Solo, working for the CIA in America."

Gaby shook his hand next. "Hello, sir. My name is Agent Gaby Teller. I was employed by Mr Saunders of the CIA."

Alexei Kosygin got up from the dining room table to shake their hands in time. He was a short, thin man with silver hair and a worried smile when he greets them. Wrinkles have appeared when he's suffered from stress. "Thank you for coming, Agent Solo and Agent Teller." He beckoned for them to sit down. Before he started talking, Illya entered the room and sat down at the dining room table too. "Agent Kuryakin has told me you were coming and that you were all part of U.N.C.L.E."

Solo and Gaby turned their attention to Illya, but he was purposely avoiding their stare.

Next to Kosygin, his daughter Lyudmila was sitting down. "Hello, agents." She smiled at all of them in turn. "Thank you for coming to solve this."

"We've read the letters," Solo confirmed. "Agent Teller found something suspicious about them."

Gaby cleared her throat and took the letters out of her coat pocket. "You told us these letters were sent over the course of a month?"

Kosygin thought for a moment, but Lyudmila answered for him. "Yes. We've been receiving them for other a month's time."

Gaby nodded. "The person or people writing these letters clearly don't want to attack straight away, Mr Kosygin. They're waiting for the police and secret forces to give up on the case so they attack when you're most vulnerable and alone. Hopefully, we'll find the people doing this before the police give up on you, Mr Kosygin."

"We'd like to start by asking you a couple of questions." Solo looked around the room. "Is your wife here?"

"I sent her to Vladivostok a week ago with permission from the KGB." Kosygin explained. "She was getting too stressed. It was too much for her."

Solo nodded in understanding. "I hope she'll be OK. We'll start by asking a few questions concerning possible motives, if you don't mind."

Gaby took out a notebook to write in. As Solo was about to open his mouth, Lyudmila interrupted him. "I've already talked with my father about the possible motives."

"Oh." Solo looked at Lyudmila, surprised. "That's fine. We'd love to hear them." Solo nodded at Gaby who then got out a pen. She poised it on the paper, ready to scribble down any important details.

"The motives are clear." Lyudmila started. "We've come out with three possibilities..."