So this story came about based on a few things. I kind of felt that the mysterious "Ring Elders" were dismissed awfully quickly, after all of the mystery that was built up around them. I figured I'd try to get a bit deeper into them (I wish they'd looked like a more impressive bunch than the five elderly types shown running away in the season finale, though). Second, I haven't done a Casey-centric story before – I'd abandoned the "Eleven Angry Men and One Really Angry Casey" story I'd meant to do before because I couldn't find a decent plot to work with. And third, I wanted to indulge my usual obsession with gathering random characters and throwing them together.

I don't own 'Chuck.' That's probably because the powers-that-be are afraid I'd throw in a bunch of self-indulgent intros explaining why I do things. Of course, that's ridiculous. I'd never do something like…

Oh wait.

Casey vs. the Fifth Elder

Chapter 1

Lukewarm coffee.

It wasn't as if Roland Erickson expected the red-carpet treatment, given his current circumstances. Even if his own government was misguided, foolish, and frequently incompetent, it certainly knew that, by the strict words of the law, Erickson's actions had been treasonous. He knew that he wouldn't receive a fair trial, of course, and might not get one at all. But it certainly had to be recognized that he was a prisoner of some…stature. Someone who had almost managed to bring the entire country down.

Erickson hadn't acted alone, of course. He had been one of five people, a panel that led the Ring, a group that had wormed their way into every corner of the Government, from the highest reaches of the federal government to the lowest state and local agencies.

His own part in all of this had been overseeing the financial side of the operation. It took a lot of money to fund a group like the Ring. Ultimately, it hadn't been too difficult, just a matter of siphoning funds from various programs. A little bit from an NEA grant here, some money allotted to restore a National Park there, even shortchanging military funding. As the Ring grew, its ability to grab the necessary funding grew; in essence, it was able to feed itself.

Of this, Erickson took a lot of pride. It certainly was an achievement worth more than a cup of lukewarm coffee that he could barely bring to his lips, thanks to the cuffs binding his wrists. They'd even gone cheap on the coffee creamer, as the substance they used had a rather unpleasant aftertaste. That was probably his own fault, as he was sure his monetary maneuverings had forced the NSA to cut their coffee budget. The van they were currently transporting him wasn't much better. It had probably been repossessed from some eco-terrorists, judging by the faint patchouli scent that seemed to be lingering in the walls.

Still, no matter how short on cash they were, they should still give him some respect, rather than the ill treatment normally reserved for some petty crook or town drunk. Or better yet, for a fool like Daniel Shaw, the man whose blunder had led to Erickson's current predicament. He'd known that recruiting Shaw, a man who didn't sympathize with the cause but was willing to join anyway, was a mistake. Men ruled by their emotions were always a risky bet. He suspected that Shaw would be dealt with soon enough, though. Even though Erickson and his fellow elders were currently in custody, the Ring still had enough remaining members that justice would be swift. And then it would be only a short while before they would come for him and remove him from his current sorry status. Back in charge, he and his fellow elders would finally be able to focus on their end game.

Enjoying the thought, Erickson took another sip of his coffee. He looked up at the two agents assigned to guard him. Both remained silent. He had tried to speak to them briefly, but neither seemed interested in conversation. Clearly, they didn't see the bigger picture. Erickson didn't expect them to. History would be the true judge.

He looked back down at the coffee, and was surprised to see a speck of red inside. As he watched, a second speck appeared, and he realized that it was coming from his nose. He looked up at the two guards. One looked surprised, while the faint glimpse of a smile appeared on the face of the other.

It took only a moment for Erickson to realize what was happening. The Ring wasn't going to rescue him, even after everything he'd done for it. His mind flashed over at the future he'd long pictured; the thankful reactions of a grateful public, finally appreciating what had been done to make their country stronger and safer. The chance to become a true leader to the country. All gone. Instead of giving him what he had always wanted, the Ring had decided to spike his coffee.

"Please…" he uttered to the guard, his lips dry. The first guard was at his side now, saying something into his com device. But Erickson knew it was too late. A moment later, his vision began to blur, and his last sight was of the Cheshire cat grin of the treacherous guard.


"What?" General Beckman barked at the screen.

The young man was clearly a recent promotion, and wasn't quite used to the General's moods. His face had been white as a sheet as he'd given her the news.

"Dead, General. All of them. Erickson, Moseley, Johnson, Majewski, and Torrance."

"But how?" the General asked incredulously.

"It varied. Two were poisoned, one killed in a fall, one seemed to have a heart attack, and one died in an explosion."

The General's eyes narrowed. "An explosion? Which one was that?" In Beckman's experience, explosions were always suspicious.

The young Agent looked down at his notes. "That would be Torrance, General."

"And the body was positively identified?"

"Uh, I don't know."

"Well for God's sakes, look into it, and don't call me back until you can tell me for sure that Torrance is dead!" Beckman turned off the screen, and stared down in annoyance at her desk.

She knew that the five Ring Elders wouldn't have been willing to talk, initially. Still, she could tell that they would have cracked eventually. They'd all been in high levels of government, which meant they had become comfortable in their place. That meant that they wouldn't have been able to withstand aggressive "questioning." Their pathetic retreat from the meeting last month had only proven that. Clearly, someone else realized this as well, which was why their chance to learn about the inner workings of the Ring might now be gone.

A few hours later, her worst suspicions were confirmed. The body found at the sight of the explosion did not belong to Torrance. One of the five Elders had escaped.

Action had to be taken immediately. Unfortunately, given the extent to which the Ring had managed to penetrate the NSA, CIA, and every other agency, the General didn't have a lot of people she felt she could trust. A few other unforeseen resignations had depleted her resources even further. However, she did have one person she felt she could trust, and who would be more than up for the job.


Colonel John Casey in front of the computer screen in his living room, and soberly listened to the General's news. "So do you think Torrance orchestrated all of this himself, or is there somebody else outside?"

"We don't know, Colonel. But it would certainly seem that Torrance had a greater value to the Ring than the rest, since he is still alive and the other Elders are not. I need you to track him down."

"Of course. I will start assembling a team immediately."

"We have already done that for you, Colonel."

"Oh?" Casey asked in surprise.

"Given how far-reaching the Ring's influence was, we felt that this mission would require those we can be completely sure about. Someone like yourself." Casey nodded at the General's compliment. He was relieved to see that he had restored his standing completely after his recent troubles a few months ago.

"But there aren't many others I feel the same way about. Especially after Walker and Bartowski's 'retirements.'" Casey could hear the trace of bitterness in the General's words. She hadn't been thrilled when Bartowski and Walker had announced they were retiring from active duty. She had only agreed to it because she understood that the Ring was out of commission due to their efforts, and she owed them.

"I have managed to identify a few people to fill out your team. But it wasn't easy, and we had to reach into various other Agencies to do it. They will be meeting tomorrow morning at 0800 at a new base of operations that we have recently set up. I want you to bring them up to speed then. Good luck, Colonel. This country is counting on you." The General signed off.


Casey was of two minds about his new mission. The Ring was dangerous, and the fact that one of the Elders was now at large meant that their efforts in bringing it down weren't finished. And now he would have to do it without his old partners. Through the years he'd come to respect Walker and appreciate her as the best partner he'd ever had. And as much as he hated to admit it, Bartowski had become more than useful, even if a lot of it had to do with the pile of software he'd stuck inside his head. They'd become a real team, and that took time and effort.

Still, things had been quiet for the last month, and he'd split his time between keeping an eye on the Intersect, and trying to catch up with his new-found daughter. The former had been largely unnecessary, as Walker was more than happy to protect the Intersect (the details of which he chose not to dwell on, even if the two of them deserved their chance). The latter had been mostly awkward, as twenty years of ignorance about each other's existence took time to erase.

He was definitely ready for some action. This mission might be exactly what he needed.

So, he was feeling a bit of excitement the next morning as he headed to the location that Beckman had sent him. It turned out to be a used car lot, one that had apparently been forced to shut down due to the recent economic difficulties. Inside the showroom, he found a locked door with a retinal scanner at the side. The scanner recognized him, and he heard the snap of the door being unlocked. Everything was ready. He was almost whistling when he walked into the conference room.

His enthusiasm evaporated when he studied the team that had been assembled for him, however. "You have got to be kidding me," he mumbled under his breath.


So, is this set-up is intriguing enough to build a story around? Please review and let me know. I promise that things will get lighter as the story goes on.