Chuck only had a couple of hours before either Sarah or Casey realized he was gone. They were being debriefed in DC, while he stayed in the hotel room. According to them, this was just a routine. The powers-that-be wanted a chance to meet the man who was carrying all the government secrets in his head. The only problem was, Chuck knew that, like many other things in his life, was a lie.
---
"Agent Walker, Agent Casey, unfortunately, we've experienced a setback in our recreation of the Intersect."
From the crack of the door, Chuck could hear another briefing going on in the back of the Buy More.
"What does this mean?" Sarah asked.
"It means, that although you and Agent Casey have been doing an admirable job protecting the asset, it has been placed at considerable and unnecessary risk. In a week, the three of you are to report to the Eagle's Nest to transfer the asset."
"Transfer?" Casey's growl came through loud and clear, and Chuck knew the big guy was not happy. "What then?"
"The two of you will receive new assignments, and the asset will remain under our control until the Intersect can be restored."
Chuck's eyes widened and his stomach lurched. He didn't need any hints to figure out what that meant. They were going to lock him up like they did Laszlo. He'd never see Ellie or Morgan or Casey or Sarah ever again. He'd given up a lot to serve his country since Bryce had sent him the Intercept, but he wasn't giving up his freedom. The only question is, how was he going to outsmart the government to do it?
---
It had taken the rest of the day to figure it out, but the only way to fight the government is with the government. Chuck still had one or two friends that Casey and Sarah didn't know about. But, in order for his plan to work, he'd have to be lucky. He didn't know what kind of surveillance they had on him. Email, IM, they were all at risk of being intercepted. His only chance would be to show up, and pray she was there, that she'd believe him, and most importantly, she'd be able to help.
----
"Hey Elflord, I think one of your gamer buddies is here."
Tim looked up from his desk confused as Tony pointed to Chuck who gave a halfwave. "I don't know him. What makes you think he's my friend?"
Tony chuckled. "Look at him. The white shirt and pocket protector is totally early McGeek."
Chuck cleared his throat. "I work at the Buy More. It's part of the uniform. Is Abby Sciuto here?"
Now both Tony and Tim were intrigued. "Abby? Yeah, she's here. She's in the lab." Tim said, trying to figure out why a computer repair guy needed to talk to Abby. He had yet to see a computer that she couldn't fix herself.
"Yes, right. The lab. That's this way.." Chuck was about to start walking in the wrong direction when Tim got up. "I'll show you. Is she expecting you?"
Chuck fell in step with Tim as they headed to the lab. "No, actually she isn't. I'm a friend, though."
"I see."
They arrived at the lab, and stood there watching as Abby whirled about in her chair. The chair came to an abrupt stop once she realized who was there. Abby eyed the visitor curiously.
"Chuck? Chuck Bartowski? What are you doing here?" She hopped off the chair and wavered only a little as she ran over and swept Chuck into a hug. "You should have told me you were coming!!"
"I...would have told you, but I couldn't tell you. It's something we should talk about in private." He said, darting his eyes at Tim.
Abby let him go and looked at him. "Chuck, Tim's one of my best friends. You can trust him. What's wrong?"
"You're going to think this is nuts." Now that he was here, Chuck was beginning to wonder if coming to NCIS was such a good idea after all. "As you may or may not know, the govermental spy agencies have a huge database of all the intel they've accumulated called the Intercept."
"And you hacked it?" Tim interjected.
Chuck paused. "Not exactly." He tapped the side of his head. "It's all in my brain."
"What??" Tim and Abby asked in unison.
"It was sent to me in an email by a guy I went to college with who turned out to be a spy. It just read as a line from Zork. I typed the response, and that's the last thing I remember until I woke up on the floor the next morning."
"So you know all the government secrets?" Abby was intrigued.
"It's stored in pictures. If I see a picture of a person, then I flash on what the government has on that person, if anything. It's not just people, but that's what happens the most often."
"Really?" She turned to her computer, hit a few keys, and a picture of Ari Haswari appeared on the screen.
Chuck blinked and paused. He focused intently on the picture for a few seconds before speaking. "Ari Haswari, originally believed to be undercover agent for Mossad. Actual double agent, infiltrating Hamas and Al-Queda. Killed NCIS Agent Kate Todd. Believed killed by Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gbbs, though there is some doubt as to whether that is the case."
Tim and Abby stared at each other in silence for several long seconds. Tim finally broke the silence by saying "Wow."
"That's amazing, Chuck!"
"Not so amazing when the government wants to lock you up for safekeeping for the rest of your life away from your family and all your friends."
"What?"
"The government's rebuilding the Intersect, but they ran into problems. Since I'm too valuable of an asset to let get killed, they want to lock me up forever. They'll probably tell Ellie and Morgan I'm dead." He sighed heavily. "That's why I came here, to get you to help me. Please, Abby. You have to help me."
"Maybe it won't be forever.." Tim said, trying to be helpful.
"I doubt it. They weren't even going to -tell me- this was the plan."
"I'll try to help you, Chuck. But we're going to have to tell Gibbs about this."
"Tell me what?"
-------