Don't own Chuck
The Republic of Costa Gravas, formerly known as the People's Republic located on the Atlantic side of South America, graced with a temperate climate and warm tropical winds that some would define as sultry. The people of Costa Gravas have had a stable government since 1970 when the beloved Premier Allejandro Goya came to power after a military coup that threw off the last vestiges of English colonial denomination. The country and their beloved Premier had recently embraced democracy and had opened its doors to their American neighbors. A thriving tourist industry had bloomed and as one of the country's first visitors Morgan and Alex had come wearing matching his and hers Hawaiian outfits.
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ON THE SUN KISSED BEACH OF COSTA GRAVAS
"This is great, don't you think no worries or cares, right Morgan." Alex was daydreaming about her life back in L.A. and trying to image what she would be doing in her future which always seemed so murky. After recently graduating she still didn't know what she wanted to do.
"Yeah and no Casey," said Morgan as he thought maybe now he could get some quality time with Alex alone. He had brought with him the engagement ring he was planning to give her and was hoping to find the right opportunity here. It had taken Chuck forever to propose to Sarah he remembered all the places and ways they had discussed so he wanted his, theirs to be perfect.
"Morgan, I think I'm going for a run on the beach. Do you want to come? Morgan, Morgan. Oh he's asleep. I hope he put suntan lotion on." Alex took off down the beach she wouldn't be long so she could check on Morgan when she got back; roll him over so he'd be done on both sides. The locals were already calling him los tomate rojos (the red tomato).
Alex hadn't gotten very far when she noticed a woman running towards her. The woman was waving her hand so she waved back. Alex was thinking how friendly the people were not at all like what her father had told her. She then noticed that there was a man behind the woman running too. She guessed she had picked the time of day that runners come out. I was much the same back home. It was a time when it was neither too hot nor cool for in southern California it was never really cold.
Alex's mind was elsewhere, in her run, when she realized that the woman that had just passed her was dripping blood and the man now almost on top of them was holding a pistol. Her self-defense training kicked in almost like Chuck's flash; she scooped up a hand full of sand and threw it in the man's face then blocked his gun arm. She heard a shot go off into the jungle. After she disarmed him, she retrieved his gun but the man was fast disappearing into the jungle but not before Alex got off two shots both missed.
"Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Alex asked the woman but she collapsed in her arms. She heard sirens and commotion. People yelling there was chaos before the police showed up.
"She's here," yelled one policeman, then an entire squad appeared with weapons drawn pointing them at Alex. "What have you done?" asked one.
"I didn't do anything," she said. "There was a man he ran up the beach behind and he had this gun." She held it up and the police immediately drew down on her.
"Lay that down on the sand, slowly. No sudden moves," instructed one of the uniform men gesticulating with his free hand what she was supposed to do.
"I didn't do anything the man ran off into the jungle. I swear. Look you can see his tracks behind us in the sand. Look over there." Alex turned to point them out but saw the waves had erased them. The officer picked up the gun and examined it.
"This has been recently fired."
"I know like I said there was a man. We fought the gun went off and then I got the gun and shot at him as he ran into the jungle over there."
"Convenient I would say so if we test your hands for gunpowder residue they will come back positive." All Alex could do was nod her head. "Miss you're under arrest for the attempted murder of Hortencia Goya, the wife of our beloved Premier. You have no rights so I don't have to read you any."
"But my father is a friend of your Premier?" Alex remembered her father giving the leader his blood during a transfusion which saved Goya even though her father wasn't exactly pleased at the time maybe this would come in handy now.
"Our beloved Premier a friend of your father's and who might be your father exactly?" Thinking these gringos who do they think they are? They come into our countries and think they can do whatever they please.
"John Casey, have you hear of him? He told me he used to live here in the palace with your Premier?" Actually he lived in the walls when he was on mission to fix a temporary problem permanently as her father used to put it.
"Madre di Deos L'Angelo de la Muerte! You're the daughter of the Angel of Death!" Thinking there was something wrong with her Spanish or his translation she corrected him.
"No, L'Angelo della Vita." But all she got were handcuffs and a quick pushed into a police car that left with tires squealing headed towards a military prison.
"Call the Magistrate," said the policeman over the radio. "I have the daughter of L'Angelo de la Muerte in custody." He went on to explain why he had arrested Alex. "Ask him what he wants me to do?"
"Bring her to the Palace, the beloved Premier wants to handle this personally," he was told.
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Morgan was lying stretched out under the mid-day sun. Gentle tropical breezes caressed his skin like he imaged Alex's fingers would do, "ah so soothing," he mumbled. He could hear the sea as the waves rhythmically lapped up on the beach, each wave rolling and rolling one right after another from an endless sea. It wasn't long before Morgan abandoned this world for one of dreams. As of late he had a reoccurring dream and today was no different.
"Chuck how do I look," he asked Chuck standing beside him in a bright white church. Chuck was his best man. Morgan looked around and there sitting on his side of the church was Big Mike lip locked to his mother. "Even in my dreams," he said.
"Yes, Morgan your Mamma and I are proud," said Big Mike then returned to what they had been doing.
"Thanks, I think, but can you two get a room. This is my wedding day."
"Son you're leaving the nest so we need to hatch another little Morgan." And as he looked out at the congregation they all nodded in agreement.
"Christ a conspiracy. Who shot JFK?"
Then he looked over at Alex's side and there sat her mother, Kathleen all happy and full of smiles. "Morgan" she said with Casey's voice, "don't screw up troll."
He heard the Wedding March and he saw the most beautiful creature Alex in a log white wedding gown walking down the aisle with Casey by her side followed by little Morgana, Sarah and Chuck's child.
"Morgan you don't think we're going to name our baby Morgana, do you? said both Sarah and Chuck pointing fingers with angry faces standing over the top of him.
"Hey this is my dream. I can make it however I want, I can make it however I want," he repeated as he felt himself being shaken. "Chuck, Sarah, leave me alone." Then he found himself face down in the sand and the cool metal of handcuff being place on his wrists from behind.
"Hey, what's going on?" Now he was awake trying to get up but being pushed back down. "You don't have any right-"
"No it is you who don't have any rights. You are an associate of Alex McHugh? You are living with her here, no?
"Yeah, what's going on? I demand to know? Where's Alex?"
"Like you don't know your wife is being held in custody for the attempted murder of Hortencia Goya the wife of our beloved Premier."
"Can I get up please?" after he was picked up by two very large uniformed men. "Thank you, first Alex is my girlfriend not my wife yet. That doesn't mean that someday we won't get married just for now we aren't and as a matter-"
"Please get to the point or I'll have one of my men throw you in the car then he'll open the door."
"Right to the point. Well there has to be some mistake because Alex wouldn't hurt a fly. I don't know why people say that because obviously we do kill flies but yes back to the point. Buddy, do you know who her father is?"
"L'Angelo de la Muerte, John Casey is this some sort of family thing were the daughter finishes the job of the father."
"Mister you've been watching too many B-rated horror movies. Dude you've got this all wrong. Your Premier renamed Casey the angel of life for saving his with his very own American blood."
"You mean our beloved Premier."
"Is beloved a part of his title anyway what I'm saying is that you've got this all wrong."
"We can sort this out later," said the uniform officer. "Take him to the magistrate he'll want to interrogate him. I hope you have a good lawyer."
"Lawyer! Why do you say I need a lawyer? Hey I want someone from the Embassy. I want my one free phone call."
"Free phone call!" It was then that another policeman came running over and whispered something in the man's ear. "It seems you're very lucky or very dead. The beloved Premier wants you to be brought to him."
"That's what I'm talking about someone's finally got some sense. Take me to your leader." Morgan was loaded into the back of a black van and driven off the beach outside of their bungalow as a crowd stood by and watched.
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A tall muscular man stepped out on the tarmac from the air terminal at Travis AFB making his way to a parked airplane. The sun was bright reflecting off the asphalt so he reached in his shirt pocket and pulled out his pair of Ray Ban aviators. A Tech Sergeant greeted him at the tailgate, "Colonel Casey, we'll be wheels up in half an hour."
The Colonel had hitched a ride space-A on an Air Mobility Command (AMC) C-130 that was making the milk run to all the American Embassies located in the banana republics of South American. Casey had completed the tasks he had been assigned to at Castle plus he field stripped and cleaned all the ordnance twice in the armory. Since the Bartowskis were in D.C. he decided that now would be a good time to get some much needed R&R maybe on some sunny beach or maybe troll fish.
"Colonel, you'll need hearing protection," said the Sergeant as he handed him foam earplugs, "Are you familiar with this aircraft?"
"Son, if the pilot gets tired I'll take a turn." Casey had clocked more time sitting in both the pilot's seat and as a passenger in the C-130 than he cared to remember. He remembered the Iran-Contra debates he used to say he wasn't contra anything except godless communism. "Thanks," Casey said as inserted the EarGuards, but they didn't do much good. They helped reduce the volume of noise but the perpetual roaring was ever present. As he sat there with that muffled sound his mind wondered back to the jungles, the jungles of Honduras, Panama, Grenada and Costa Gravas, anywhere where the NSA needed a quick fix and steady aim. Yes that was what he used to do a fixer of problems permanently but what was he now an office boy for some nerd but then he remembered Alex. She was his joy. Yes, he had some regrets but now at least this one he could correct and it wouldn't involve lead. Well that depended on Grimes.
Finally after three days of bouncing from one dirt runway to another he arrived at his destination. Above the terminal gate was written Bienvenido a Costa Gravas. As he disembarked he had to pass through customs.
"Passport, please," asked a customs officer.
"Here you go," replied Casey. The man froze in terror on hearing that voice. He had been told horror stories as a child of the angel of death that visited the wicked children of Costa Gravas and its name was Casey.
"Cristo!, l'Angelo de la Muerta, please go." He stamped Casey's passport then ran out of the terminal all the way home screaming at the top of his lungs "the angel of death is here!"
"So much for slipping in," grunted Casey. He had hoped that all that stuff about the angel of death had blown over now that the Premier was calling him the Angelo della Vita but evidently that hadn't trickled down yet.
The local military militia that manned the airport spotted him. Casey watched as the uniformed men tremble in fear as they saw their worst nightmare walk through the automatic doors. The hiss of the door was like that of the Cobra before it struck. A corporal who was on the phone froze in fear as Casey's shadow touched is foot. He laughed inside as he heard the person in the receiver yelling obscenities at the immobilized man but he was too scared to talk for fear the angel of death would take him. Casey walked out of the terminal with his sunglasses on and looked up at the setting sun remembering all the miserably hot humid nights he had spent in the walls of the palace at least he wouldn't have to do that again.
"Taxi," he yelled. A man stopped in a multi-colored vehicle the locals called Jeepneys known for their crowded seating and kitsch decorations each one reflecting its owner's individual poor taste that they had imported from the Philippines. Casey told the man the address he wanted and then sat down on a bench in the back between a woman holding a chicken and a man with a goat. Yes, he recognized that smell he was back in Costa Gravas again.
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DURING THE COUPLES LUNCHEON BACK IN LANGLEY
"Mr. Carmichael," said a young man. "General Beckman needs to see you right way. Please follow me." Sarah noticed from across the room Chuck getting up and leaving following a man she recognized as being an agency analyst.
"Excuse me, please," she said as she quickly followed behind tailing Chuck all the way to the reaction room. She pressed her hand against the biometric scanner and the door opened. She saw on the monitors that lined the wall all were tuned into the same story. Chuck saw her standing by the door and went to meet her.
"Sarah, you shouldn't be here."
"Why? What's going on?"
"No Chuck, it's best she knows," said the General standing beside them. "She'll hear it on the news anyway. There has been an assassination attempt on Hortencia Goya, the wife of Allejandro Goya Premier of Costa Gravas."
"But Morgan and Alex are there."
"Yes, and it seems they've be accused of the attempt. Worse is Casey just flew in and is MIA."
"That's ridiculous they would never do anything like that now Casey I wouldn't swear to. What is the State Department doing?"
"They have taken a hands off policy. I can't order anyone in or provide any assistance. The Premier's wife was medevac'd to Chicago per her husband's request. He wants her to be treated by your brother in law, Chuck."
"Awesome?"
"Yes, Dr. Devon Woodcomb, Chuck I'd like you and Sarah to go to Chicago and get as much information as possible. Satellite feeds have picked up troop movements between Costa Gravas and their neighbor Costa Masgravas."
"That's right Hortencia's step-brother is the dictator there. There are stories that he had their father executed. He invited him for a fish dinner the problem was he was the dinner for the dictator's piranha.
"I've had your things load into a car and a driver is waiting outside he'll run you two back to Union Station in D.C. Reservations have been made; you leave at 4:05 pm. Agent Bartowski S. you can go ahead I need a word with Agent Bartowski C. in private.
Sarah didn't like this she couldn't understand why the General wanted to talk to Chuck alone. She was just pregnant she wasn't an invalid. If things went down she could and would pull her weight no matter what the load.
"Hey Sarah, I just wanted to say thanks for inviting me," said Cole standing in front or her with his arm around Carina.
"Oh don't mention it; I'm glad you two could come. Especially after the ride here it would have been a shame."
"Well I just want you to know and you can pass on to Chuck. We got a hit on Ice Pick's DNA. Her real name was Lilly Gruber a former Olympic Marksman or Markswoman before she turned to her life of crime. She was actually very good in her prime still has a number records for long distance kills before her eyesight went out." Sarah felt a sudden pain worse than any headache she had ever felt before like someone had taken an axe and split her skull then reached in and pulled out her brain. She had to brace herself against a table.
"Sarah do you feel okay," asked a concerned Carina.
"My God what have I done to Chuck," she said then looking up at Cole's and Carina's faces. She recomposed herself, "No, I'm fine just a dizzy spell. I'll be okay in a minute." But she knew she wasn't and she knew why she had felt the way she did but she didn't know why she had done what she did to the only man who truly loved her.
"Chuck, what I'm about to tell you is between us. You can't tell your wife. Do you understand?"
"Well I might if you explained yourself better. I don't like keeping secrets from Sarah and you know she'll ask me what you said as soon as I get in that car."
"I realize you'll be in an awkward place but this is the way this has to be. If any crap comes rolling downhill it will be just you and me that'll get burnt. What I said before about hands off policy applies to government agencies and resources do you understand what I'm getting at."
"So if a private consultant firm were to get involved."
"Then I nor the State Department could do a thing."
"This private firm would they have access to satellite feeds and unlinks say to drones."
"Well, if they already had access then I would think that all those codes would still be in place were they needed and could be called on."
"Let's say for argument sake that such an Industry were needed when could they expect to be deployed."
"I would say that would depend in part on what information they might find out in Chicago along with the information they could get from missing members of their team. Hypothetically that is."
"More like plausible deniability, but I understand."
Chuck left and made his way as fast as he could out of Langley but he made sure he said goodbye to Cole and Carina.
"I've got to run but I wanted to say how good you two look together. Oh by the way Carina do you know how to contact Zondra?"
"Yeah, why? Is something going on?" Carina was thinking about the incident with Sarah earlier.
"Well, you might want to keep the props turning co-pilot." Carina then understood the CATs might be needed.
"Hey, how about Cole?" She had just started this relationship and she didn't want to have to bail out on it right now.
"Cole ever considered free-lancing? I hear her majesty's government frowns on that sort of thing."
"Sometimes things get overlooked why?"
"Can't talk, got to go," Chuck said.
"But Chuck you need to know-" but he was gone before they could tell him about what had just happened to Sarah.
As Chuck made his way out of Langley he was trying to figure out how he might get Cole involved. The cogs in his head started to turn as he weighted different scenarios. What if British nationals or EU citizens were involved? A former Commonwealth member.
"Yes that just might work," he said aloud as he got in the car then he realized what he had just said as he sat down next to Sarah. But she was different somehow, confused and even angry. He was wondering if she were mad at him over Beckman. Then she grabbed his head and pulled it into hers and kissed him. She kissed him so hard it almost hurt.
"What's going on Love? Is this about the train?" He asked.
"Chuck, we need to talk about the train, but there's more," Sarah said nervously with a tone of dread. "I had another memory-"
"Flash," he completed. As much as he liked the fact that she had regained most of her memory. Every time she had these memory bursts there was a load of emotion that came along with them. She had most of the good ones back now which meant the ones coming now brought pain and looking in her eyes this one was the one he had dreaded, had hoped would stay gone but here in the car they were now in four counting the baby. Sitting on the other side of Sarah was Shaw.
"Tell me what happened," he asked. This was what they had agreed upon that when she had these bursts she would talk them out with him and he would correct anything that was mistaken and explain at least his view.
"Well, I was talking with Cole and then," she went on to tell him about Ice Pick, Gruber, marksman and long distance kills. "You see all this combined with see that old woman dead made me remember how much I hurt you. I never told you my real name you had to find out by listening to me tell it to Shaw. I remember seeing your face when you came in that door. The pain I caused you, the hurt. I don't know how you can keep saying you love me."
"Love, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. We can talk if you're ready to talk. Please don't make a big deal about it. I love you and you love me what came before is the past. Let's get to the train and get settled in. It's another eighteen hour trip and you haven't slept much."
"Sweetie, you keep finding excuses for me but the truth is there can be none and sooner or later we need to talk this out. I had to have hurt you and I feel I owe you this. Please let's talk on the train. The longer we ignore this wound the more it will fester and for our sake it needs to be lanced once and for all. I realize for you this is old but for me it's like this morning. Please let's talk,"
"Let's talk on the train then." Chuck took Sarah's hand and she rested her head against his shoulder. Maybe this time he thought, we can finally exorcise this demon once and for all.