Don't own Chuck
Chuck was sitting at the conference table staring into a cup of coffee not knowing what to do next. He had gotten caught up on all his mission logs and reports, the tedious part of bureaucracy. He often wondered how spies stayed clandestine when you needed a receipt for everything over twenty-five dollars or there would be no reimbursement. How many spies went rogue just so they wouldn't have to file a travel claim? But what Chuck was feeling today was boredom. He anticipated maintenance on the mainframe which took all the computers off line so until that was done he had nothing to do except recall Sarah's departure.
"Sweetie, it'll only be three days," Sarah said. "I've got to take Alex to Pendleton for her small arms qualifications."
"Can't she do it here? I mean I don't want to be one of those guys but Morgan could get worried."
"Morgan shouldn't get worried because there's nothing to worry about. The range in Castle isn't up to standard and this is the only way to get it put in her record. Besides I want to get information on becoming a PMI. I've asked Casey but he keeps giving me the run around. It's something I could do after the baby is born and I'm good at."
"Okay, but just hurry back. It might be only three days but it'll be three days I'll miss you."
"I know and I feel the same but it can't be helped. Call me."
"Do you even have to ask," Chuck said then picking up his phone he called her. "Aren't you going to answer?"
"Yes," she said as she answered.
"I miss you." That was two nights ago and for two nights he hadn't slept. Sitting there half dozing he lifted his mug to his mouth and the steam reached up caressing his face.
"Sarah," he said out loud just one more day, just one more day he repeated to himself. As he was about to take a drink suddenly a realization struck him like a lightning bolt.
"Where's Casey?" Looking at his watch it was going on eleven and no Casey. Casey was never late. Casey was even born early. The only time he remembered Casey being late gun fire and explosions were involved. So he picked up his phone and speed dialed John's number.
"This is John Casey," his voice mail kicked in. "I can't come to the phone now because I'm in the middle of rodent control so at the sound of the tone don't bother to leave a message."
"Where's the grunt John?" said Chuck. Now he was starting to get worried about his friend. He turned on the monitors for the Buy More. In one he saw Morgan, "there he'll know" so he ran out of Castle and made a bee line to him.
"Hey, Morgan how's it going? You wouldn't know where Casey is? I haven't seen him all day and I was getting worried."
"I'm fine but I don't know where he's at either. I thought he was downstairs in Castle with you."
"Nope, haven't seen him since last night. You don't think he's in trouble?"
"The Big Guy in trouble, no I don't think so but it's strange he's not here. You know let's go ask Big Mike? He's over in electronics." Walking over to electronics they found Big Mike involved with a customer.
"Yes, Ma'am this is one of our exclusive models. You won't find a better deal anywhere."
"But here look at this. At Large Mart they have the same thing but for ten dollars less."
"Ma'am I realize for a laywoman like yourself you can't tell the difference but just look. There's comes in green, our model is brown. Do you know how much paint costs? I don't think you do. Now I realize that the product at Large Mart might look less expensive but we also have our exclusive no refund no money back guarantee.
"Hey Big Mike," said Morgan with Chuck by his side."
"Ma'am I'll be right back just think about it," said Big Mile to his client then turn to Chuck and Morgan. "Now what do trouble and his brother want?" They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "We're looking for John Casey. Have you seen him?"
"I'm looking for your Mamma Morgan she was supposed to meet me for lunch. We're going to try out that new Mexican place down the street, Muy Caliente. I told your Mamma they have a lot in common. Both set me on fire, make my eyes water and bring me down to my knees, Oh sweet Jesus. I could well up and cry."
"So my mother is on the menu at Taco Bell I'm never eating Mexican again."
"Morgan at least he didn't mention sour cream or cheese toppings."
"Chuck, don't encourage. I'm just going to erase all this from my brain. Big Mike, John Casey you seen him, please just nod yes or no. If that's too difficult," said Morgan, "just paw the ground once for yes and two for no, okay."
"You two a bunch of fools like those other two idiots Jeffster I saw them on TV last night on that show. You know it. It was on between the one that teaches you how to cook food no one can pronounce and the other one on how to cook food you can't afford."
"What show was that?"
"America's Greatest Loser - They were arguing over which one of those losers was the biggest loser. Personally I think it's a draw. Oh, you were asking about Casey? He called in and asked for a day off for some personal time he said."
"Personal time, that's what he said?"
"I think I can hear, unlike you two fools wasting my time. You cost me a sale but here's your Mamma now Sweet Bologna just her name makes me want to make a sandwich out of her and cover it with mayonnaise."
"I am going to be ill. Chuck, I must have been very bad in my previous life that's the only explanation. Just shoot me in the head and get it over with."
"Brain stamp little Buddy brain stamp, well I've got to go back to server maintenance."
"No, no you can't go. You've got a team member out on mission alone. Leave no man behind. Don't ask what you country can do for you but whatever you know what I mean. Chuck we have a duty to find out what Casey is doing. He could be wounded holed up in some gutter trying to fend himself against zombie ninjas."
"You mean Ninja Zombies. Morgan, have you been playing Ninja vs Plants and drinking Red Bull again?"
"Maybe but whatever, I'm just saying you could go back to your exciting server maintenance. Hold that image in your head. Or we can hunt down Casey and help him take down some bad dude evil assassin type."
"I guess you're right it wouldn't be right for us to leave a man out there by himself all alone and unprotected."
"But we'll have to stop by the pharmacy first."
"No, Morgan I'm not touching that line."
"Good, then were on mission?"
"On mission, the first thing we do is check out a herder then we activate his transponder. We'll need to tap into the secure satellite feed then we can locate Casey through the GPS tracker inside."
"Road trip?"
"Road trip."
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NEAR SAN DIEGO
Morgan and Chuck drove out of Burbank following the elusive blip. Quickly they discovered trying to find Casey was like trying to find Waldo but through satellite GPS.
"There we're finally here. It's coming from up there on the corner near that church. I think I see him he's standing off to the right, near the doors."
"Yes, it's him. I see him. Man look at that disguise he's got on he looks like one of the three musketeers Arthos, Porthos and Caseyos."
"I was going more for Prince Albert but I'm not going to tell him. Okay Morgan you sit tight here and I'll go investigate."
"Chuck you can't do this to me man, I came all this way with you and I've got to sit in the car."
"I'll come back for you if the coast is clear but we don't want to spook the mark. And besides Casey might not like that too much, we don't want an angry Casey, do we?" Morgan responded by shaking his head.
Chuck was walking up to the church when Casey saw the herder parked on the corner and then Chuck in his white shirt, black tie and pocket protector.
"Christ! Bartowski, what are you doing here?"
"Computer problem, your friendly nerd is here? I thought you might need back up on the mission and I didn't want to leave you hanging. That's what partners do?"
"Numbnuts, first you're not my partner, Sarah is. You're the ride along."
"Oh, cut to the bone."
"There isn't a mission. Christ, you brought the bearded wonder."
"Big Guy, sorry Chuck but I was getting car sick and you didn't leave the window rolled down or a pan of water. So who've we got to bag and tag? Some drug smuggler, African warlord, would be assassin, or maybe a ninja zombie"
"How'd you guess?"
"Really dude, wow!"
"No idiot. Listen up you two, I'm on personal time which means personal to me so get lost before I drop kick the both of you back to Burbank. Crap, hold up." A woman dressed in black walked in front of them crying and as she walked by her feet seemed to go out from under her and she half fainted.
"I got you," said Casey, "let me help you to your seat ma'am."
"Don't we know each other?" she said as Casey let her lean against him.
"I don't think so I'm a friend of Ned's back in high school." He walked the woman gently to one of the front row pews. Not knowing what to do, Chuck and Morgan followed Casey inside.
In the front of the nave before the main altar was a casket with bouquets arranged around it and an American flag draped across the top. It seemed everyone had waited for the woman to come in so Morgan and Chuck were swept along with the tide and somehow they ended up in front of the casket.
"What are we supposed to do," asked Morgan standing trying to smile but feeling out of place.
"I don't know, look respectful."
"Chuck the flag is crooked."
"Morgan don't you dare touch it."
"But Chuck the strips don't match the grain on the casket."
"I pretty sure that doesn't matter and for certain the guy inside doesn't care."
"Just a little nudge see isn't that better. Crap."
"Morgan, we're in church."
"Oh sorry, but now the stars are off maybe…"
"Morgan stop." Then suddenly the flag slid off into Morgan's open arms and he leaned over the casket to put if back on but in doing so he knocked over one of the arrangements that spilt water on the marble floor. Morgan and Chuck had just put the flag back when they felt Casey grab them by the back of the collar.
"Ladies come with me," he said as he took them to the back of the Church and planted them in a pew. "Sit here where I can keep an eye on you two. We'll talk about payback afterwards."
The funeral service began with a friend who came forward to give a eulogy. "I have been friends with Ned Jones…" The mention of the man's name caused Chuck to flash. Ned Jones Lieutenant 22nd Company FMF, skill set: sniper, AOR Honduras sniper cell, team leader Lieutenant Alex Coburn.
"Casey, I'm so sorry I didn't know," said Chuck.
"Didn't know what?" asked Morgan.
"Morgan be quiet. This was Casey's friend."
"I guess we all got to go sometime but that man up there saved my bacon on more than one occasion. If I'm alive today it's because of him. Enough with the female talk just sit and shut up."
"Big Guy, if you want to talk afterwards I'm here. I think I saw a coffee shop down the street we can stop in and grab a cup."
"Just sit back before I rip your tongue out." Now that was the John Casey Chuck recognized.
The service was solemn and nice, well as nice as a funeral service can be. However, Chuck noticed that other than the widow and a few friends the Church was empty.
"Casey, don't you notice something's off," said Chuck.
"The only thing off is going to be your head if you don't keep quiet."
"But John, where are all your other Marine buddies? You know semper fi, semper fidelis." Casey looked around and Chuck was right. There wasn't a one of his former brothers in arms.
"I don't know maybe none of them got the word."
"How did you find out about the funeral?"
"I read about it in the obituary section of my newspaper."
"So you can read and they can't?"
"Enough with the Marine jokes."
"Casey, I'd never tell a joke in a moment like this. I'm just saying something isn't right." As Chuck used to say his spidey senses were tingling and most of the time when they were something was wrong.
Morgan's accident with the flower arrangement caused the water inside to pour out. While a deacon was able to clean most of it up some of the water ran to the center of the nave where it pooled. At the end of the service the pall-bearers came forward to carry the casket out and as they were walking Morgan noticed the water.
"Grab him," said Casey trying not to raise his voice in church but Chuck wasn't quick enough.
"Hey, guys watch out for the water here. Phew a disaster avoided," said Morgan as he gave Chuck and Casey the thumbs up.
"Get back here," said Casey again not wanting to raise his voice but his gesture revealed his true feelings.
"Okay, no reason to get upset," he said as he straightened his tie and started to walk back. Then he stepped in the water and his feet went out from under him. Like in bowling he made a strike taking out all the pall-bearers along with the casket. It came crashing down on the floor and flopped open rolling the poor body on the floor.
"Grimes," growled Casey, "You're Moe, Larry and Curly all rolled up in one," as he grabbed Morgan and pulled him to his feet.
"Casey, we have a problem," said Chuck.
"You bet we do, too bad my daughter is going to be a widow before she gets married."
"No Casey we have a real problem that isn't Lieutenant Jones."
"What are you talking about? It has to be that was his widow I knew her back before we shipped…" Casey stopped in mid-sentence when he looked down at the body that the pall-bearers were quickly trying to put back inside. "You're right. I've never seen that man before." Casey looked around but the widow was gone. "Where did Margery go to?"
"Who's Margery," asked Morgan.
"The widow, she's Ned's wife."
"I think I saw someone take her outside." Casey dashed for the door before Chuck could stop him that made him two for zero today. Chuck ran after Casey because something had clicked in his head as to why he was the only one from his company there today. Casey had just gone outside when Chuck leaped knocking him to the ground and as they fell a bullet came screaming by both of them then past Morgan lodging in the casket.
"Well if he wasn't dead before he's dead now," said Morgan.
"Casey we need to get back inside." They crawled making their way back in through the open door.
"You guys," Casey yelled at the pall-bearers as he pulled out his Sig from his shoulder holster, "put that thing down and go behind the altar. Chuck I don't suppose you brought anything that resembles a weapon."
"Sure I've got my tranq pistol but it's in the herder."
"Chuck didn't anyone ever tell you about the thirty foot rule?" When Casey mentioned it he remembered Sarah telling him about it and that they had almost gotten eaten by a Bengal Tiger because he made her get rid of her weapons.
"Maybe," he replied. "I think I might have heard about it somewhere but I'm not quite sure. You know I could be wrong."
"Shut up and take this," Casey grunted as he pulled a Walther PP from an ankle holster. Then he pulled out a Beretta from behind his back with an extended magazine.
"Is that for me?" asked Morgan.
"No but if you want I'll let you go outside to draw fire so we can see where our sniper's shooting from. You can be our bullet magnet."
"Casey!"
"Can't I tell a joke every now and then? Okay, our shooter is probably gone. Chuck here, hold one of my guns."
"How many guns do you carry?"
"Need to know. Right now I need and you don't know," said Casey as he reach into his jacket pocket and pulled out a compact.
"Do we need to fix our make-up," ask Morgan.
"I'll fix you. Keep it up and you'll be our bullet magnet."
"Morgan, Casey's going to us the mirror to try and see the shooter."
"I see Sarah's taught you something. I don't see anything but that doesn't mean he's not out there." Then Casey fired three rounds into the herder.
"Casey, why'd you do that? You kill it."
"No I put it out of its misery. Idiot I shot into the door. People might not have heard the shooter but they hear that and before long we're going to have police. That'll scare our shooter away then we can start our hunt. Too bad we don't know who the stiff is in the casket that might help us find our guy."
"I can tell you that. His name is Paul Norton a missing ATF Special Agent. Casey I'm sorry but I think our shooter was Ned."