Tides of War:
Synopsis: The story begins right after Ellie and Devon's wedding at the end of season 2. While trying to warn Bryce about Fulcrum agents being present at the upload site, Chuck is kidnapped by the Ring and he has false memories uploaded into his brain. As he rises through the Ring ranks, and slowly becomes their top agent, the Bartowski family scrambles to find him. With the Ring on the verge of achieving global domination, and Volkoff still on the horizon, the Tides of War are drawing near. The world's salvation lies in the hands of Charles Bartowski, but will his family find him in time to save everyone?
A/N: This is my first attempt at writing anything, especially something this extensive, and I hope you enjoy it.
I was warned about the length of these chapters and I was originally going to cut them in half, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, because I liked the different viewpoints seen in each chapter. Hopefully this will not deter people from giving this story a fair shot. In an effort to be original, I created this Chuck-verse with multiple OCs, and I hope you will give them a chance. I will try my best to keep the original cast in character, but this story is completely AU after Season 2.
This story will be darker than other Chuck stories found on this site and It's NOT fluffy. I would describe it as an intense spy thriller, filled with action and adventure. I'm a huge fan of Charah, and that's what will happen in this story, but it will take some time. There isn't any Sarah sex angst, she just needs time to find her Chuck. Despite the darkness and angst at the beginning of this tale, I PROMISE to give you guys a happy ending. Hopefully everyone will decide to give this story a shot. If you like action and adventure, then please keep reading. I know you won't be disappointed! Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to your reviews.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck
Chapter 1: The Death of Chuck Bartowski
(04-27-09)10:00 pm Casa Bartowski courtyard:
Chuck walked through the courtyard watching his friends and family enjoy the reception and he wished he could join them. A part of him was thrilled that his sister finally got her dream wedding and he knew if anyone deserved this happiness, it was Eleanor Faye Bartowski-Woodcomb.
Ellie sacrificed her teenage years to become a single mother for her only brother and she never once complained about it. She did so much for him over the years, he couldn't even begin to think how she was able to look after him, and still become a great doctor herself. Every time he looked into his sister's brown eyes, Chuck couldn't help but be proud of everything she had accomplished.
As he raised the glass of champagne to his lips, Chuck realized it was now empty and he silently cursed his present misfortune. He quickly looked around for another glass and thanks to Casey and his boys, he knew the reception didn't lack for any alcohol. Hell, the whole event was perfect and even in his despair, he smirked as he thought what a good wedding planner Casey would have made.
Chuck saw a newly opened bottle of Champagne on a table that was directly in front of him, and he made his way towards it. When he finally stood in front of his chosen drink, he decided to take the bottle and leave the empty glass. With the way he was feeling right now, Chuck thought it would be easier than having to come back for a refill again. Tonight he needed the bliss that only the alcohol could provide, and he didn't want to waste time pacing himself with the small glass.
As he walked away from the table, Chuck made sure to stay far away from his newly married sister. He couldn't let Ellie know about his broken heart...not tonight. He wouldn't let anything ruin his sister's big day, especially not his own problems. Chuck glanced down out his watch and did the math in his head... four hours and twenty-seven min until the newly married couple left for their honeymoon. He could keep it together that long.
Chuck took a swig from his newly acquired Champagne bottle and he subconsciously looked around the courtyard full of people. As his eyes unknowingly searched for her, his heart nearly stopped when he saw her...Sarah Walker. For two years he had been around the kick ass ninja spy girl, and each day he was mesmerized by her beauty. When his gaze took in her ethereal perfection, he knew today was not going to be an exception. She looked incredible in her blue bridesmaid dress, with her hair fixed up in a bun and her face lit up by her perfect smile.
The moment he saw her, Chuck felt his feet automatically move to greet her, but he quickly stopped himself. He knew talking to her now could ruin the moment for Ellie, and he refused to do anything that would ruin his sister's big day. Besides, what more did they have to say to each other? After the wedding, she told him that she would be heading up the new intersect project, and that she would leave in the morning with Bryce. It broke his heart to hear her say that to him, but he always knew he would never be good enough for her. Once she confirmed his darkest fears about their relationship, what more did they have to say to each other?
When his ears took in the sound of Sarah's laughter echoing through the courtyard, it brought Chuck out his momentary reverie. As he looked upon the woman of his dreams, he realized he would never hear her angelic laugh again, and he could feel his heart break into a thousand pieces. The sudden onset of his emotions slowly began to overwhelm him, and Chuck knew he couldn't be in her presence any longer. Before Sarah or Ellie could notice him, he moved behind the fountain, and quickly made his way out of the courtyard.
As he walked outside the complex, Chuck knew he couldn't afford to break down right now. If he wanted Ellie to enjoy her honeymoon, he knew he would have to save his tears until his sister and Sarah were safely gone from the reception. Chuck felt his eyes begin to glisten at the thought of losing the woman of his dreams, and he forced himself to blink them away. 'Man up Bartowski', thought his inner Casey.
Once he was certain his emotions were tightly bottled up inside him, Chuck took a deep breath and pulled another drag from the bottle in his hand. He was hoping the alcohol would give him the courage to return to the party and finally face Sarah. Before he could decide how ready he was, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind him, and he turned around to see his dad running towards him.
Stephen J. Bartowski shook the hand of the younger man in front of him. It pained him to know his actions ruined this man's friendship with his son, but he knew he had no other choice. Without Bryce's help, the CIA would have recruited Chuck right out of Stanford. Stephen knew he would always help this man, for helping him protect his son.
"Thank you Mr. Bartowski. The cube you designed for us is working perfectly. I just wanted to thank you for all your help."
"It's different Bryce," Stephen replied. "They've added things to my design."
Stephen saw the young agent shrug uncomfortably.
"Sorry, Stephen. The CIA made some changes, but I'm not at liberty to say what they are."
Stephen nodded his head in understanding. That was the CIA, secretive, daring, and completely stupid. He knew they added special programs to the cube he designed for the government, because he stole a copy of their files for himself. After reviewing the intel, he thought they should have tested the cube, before allowing someone to download the new program, but that wasn't how the CIA worked. They didn't give a damn about the lives they hurt. All those bastards cared about were the results they expected to find.
Before Stephen could respond to the younger man, he heard someone behind him say,"Agent Larkin, your escort to the facility is here." Stephen turned to face the newcomer, and he felt the tell tell signs of a flash coming on...
White Rose
DOB: 7-14-1951
CIA: Agent Sam Allen
Status: KIA 1977
FULCRUM
White Rose
As he came out from his flash, Stephen looked up to see Bryce walking out with the Fulcrum Agent. He tried to call out to the younger man, but the pain in his head prevented him from saying anything. He silently cursed at himself, when his vision continued to stay blurry, and he remained frozen in place. Even after all these years, a flash still left him momentarily disoriented.
By the time he gathered himself and left his son's room, Stephen ran out of the apartment and into the courtyard full of people. He looked around for Bryce and the Fulcrum Agent, but he couldn't find either one. Hoping to catch them in the parking lot, Stephen quickly ran through the courtyard and out of the apartment complex.
Chuck looked down at his father and he slowly lowered the bottle from his lips. "Everything okay, Dad?," he asked curiously.
Panting, Stephen took a moment to catch his breath and asked," Have you seen Bryce, son?"
The question caught Chuck by surprise. "Sorry dad," he replied. "I haven't seen anyone out here in a while. Why?"
"The guy that came to get Bryce for the upload, isn't CIA, he's Fulcrum."
Chuck felt the bottle drop from his hand, and he heard it shatter on the cement below him. "What? How? Are you sure?"
Stephen thought about what to say to his son, and he decided he would try the truth for once. He was tired of lying to his family, and he knew it was time to trust them with the truth. "Sorry son," he answered hesitantly. " I have an intersect too."
When he saw the surprised look on his son's face, he explained, "I was young and stupid, Chuck. I needed to test the Intersect and I tried it out on myself. Most of the data I have is pretty useless since it's almost 20 years old, but the guy that took Bryce isn't CIA. He was in my intersect, and he was supposed to be dead."
Chuck took a second to comprehend what his father just said, and then he realized he needed to help his friend. He thought about finding Sarah and Casey, but he decided against it. His car was right in front of him, and it would take too long to explain everything to his former partners. Once his mind was made up, Chuck looked at his dad and said,"Dad, you have to go find Sarah and Casey and tell them what you just told me. They should still be at the reception right now. I know Sarah wanted to be able to say goodbye to Ellie, and I think Casey still has some packing to do."
Chuck grabbed the keys out of his suit pants and then he turned to run towards his Nerd herder. He was about to start running towards the car, when he suddenly he felt his father grab his arm.
"What are you doing, Charles?," Stephen asked in surprise. "This isn't your fight, son. You don't work for the government anymore."
Chuck knew his dad was right to be worried, but Bryce was his friend, and he couldn't allow Fulcrum to get their hands on the Intersect. If they obtained the 2.0, he knew everything he helped accomplish these past two years, would be ruined in an instant. He couldn't...NO...he wouldn't let Fulcrum win.
"I know I'm not an Agent dad, but Bryce is still my friend. I have to help him."
When Stephen saw the determination on Chuck's face, he realized he wouldn't be able to change his son's mind. He fought back the tears as he thought of his son going back to the dangerous life he just got out of. 'No', he thought. 'I won't let anything happen to him.'
As he looked into his son's eyes, Stephen was proud of the man his son had become. He knew Chuck was someone that would always look out for those he cared about, no matter the cost to himself.
"Okay son," he replied proudly. "But I want you to take this with you."
Stephen took off his wrist computer and tossed it to his startled son. He smiled when he saw Chuck wrap it around his wrist and then run towards the herder. Once he saw the car reverse out of the parking spot, he quickly turned to find his son's former handlers.
As luck would have it, he saw Sarah's blonde hair as soon as he returned to the courtyard.
Sarah Walker kept a smile plastered on her face, as she listened to Ellie talk about the things she planned for her honeymoon. To anyone watching she looked like she was the happiest person at the reception, but inside she knew her heart was broken. She could still see the hurt in Chuck's eyes when she told him she would be leaving in the morning. The hurt had turned into pain, when she told him who she was leaving with...Bryce.
Her former lover/partner was also Chuck's former best friend and for years his arch nemesis. While the rift between the two friends had slowly begun to heal, she knew that he still felt inferior to Bryce. It broke her heart to let him think the thoughts she knew he was thinking. 'It was all an act. That she never loved him. That he could never be as good as Bryce freaking Larkin.' Sarah knew she had to stay strong. She knew she was a broken woman and she believed her Chuck deserved someone who wasn't as damaged and scarred as she was.
Sarah fought against the tears that she felt forming in her eyes, and tried to pay attention to the slightly drunk Ellie.
"Sarah, I love you. You're like the sister I never had, but always wanted. I'm so happy you came into my brother's life. You fixed him sweetie. After Stanford he was broken, and you fixed him."
Sarah lost her battle with her tears, as she heard the words of the woman she too thought of as a sister. Any semblance of control she had on her emotions, shattered when she felt Ellie embrace her in one of her special "Ellie Hugs".
Before she could answer her best friend, Sarah felt someone tap her on the shoulder. When she turned around to see who it was, she was surprised to see Ellie and Chuck's dad standing behind her.
"I'm really sorry, Eleanor, but could I please talk to Sarah for a second. I'm getting tired and I would like to say my goodbyes to everyone."
Ellie knew her father didn't like to be around so many people, and she quickly nodded her head in understanding. "Sure, dad. Go ahead. I have to go find my husband anyways. Can't have him getting drunk tonight." She winked at Sarah, before she went looking for Devon.
Stephen grabbed Sarah's arm as soon as he saw his daughter leave to find her husband.
"I'm really sorry Agent Walker, but we have a problem. I was talking to Bryce in Chuck's room, when his escort arrived to take him to the upload. The guy I saw wasn't CIA, he was Fulcrum."
As soon as she heard his statement, Sarah snapped into Agent Mode. She pulled her phone out of her purse and hit the second speed dial for Casey. The phone ringed twice before he picked up.
"Casey secure. What do you want, Walker? I'm trying to pack here."
"Walker secure. Casey, we have a problem. The guys that took Bryce to the upload aren't CIA. They're Fulcrum. Mr. Bartowski recognized one of them."
"Shit. Okay. I'll meet you downstairs in one minute."
Sarah dropped her phone into her purse, and pulled out the keys to her blue Porsche.
"Thank you for the information, Mr. Bartowski. Please stay here."
Without waiting for a reply, Sarah took off through the courtyard and ran towards her car. She barely pulled her Porsche out of the parking spot, when she saw her partner John Casey, come running out of the complex. She briefly waited for his large form to squeeze into her tiny car, and then she pealed out towards the facility where Bryce would undergo the upload.
(04-27-09)10:45 pm Unknown Government facility:
Chuck looked at his wrist computer to verify he was at the right place, and smiled when he saw the destination was correct. Luckily his father was paranoid enough to know where the upload would be occurring and programmed his gift with the correct location.
After he was satisfied he was at the right place, Chuck parked his nerd herder a little down the street from the warehouse entrance, and he quickly got out. Once he was out of the car, Chuck brought up the schematics of the building on his wrist computer and he immediately noticed a service entrance to the side of the warehouse.
Chuck was about to approach the warehouse, but stopped when he heard the sound of a car rapidly approaching his location. He quickly hid behind a medium sized bush, and peeked up from his hiding spot to take a look at the oncoming vehicle. As soon as he noticed the black SUV pull up to the entrance of the warehouse, he immediately recognized Bryce in the back seat. 'Wow,' he thought. 'I can't believe I beat those guys here. The CIA upgrades to the nerd herder are definitely amazing.'
After the SUV passed through the gate, Chuck realized he couldn't just walk through the main entrance and he slowly made his way towards the side of the warehouse. He quickly searched the perimeter of the building, but he failed to find another entrance for him to use. Once his gaze took in the fence securing the compound, Chuck thought about jumping it to get in, but when he looked up to see the top of the fence was covered with barbed wire, he winced at their presence. Chuck hated needles, and the thought of the barbed wire cutting into his flesh, sent a shiver down his spine. 'How the hell am I going to climb that?'
As he continued to stare at the barrier blocking his path, Chuck suddenly got an inspiration from one of the movies he had seen. When he thought of his intended action, he shook his head in disgust, and proceeded to remove his suit jacket. Once it was off, he grabbed one of the sleeves and looped the jacket over a portion of the fence. 'Hope this works'.
Chuck slowly climbed the barricade until he got to the top, and with a quick breath, he placed his hands over the jacket and pulled himself over. Just as he was about to pull the majority of his body over the fence, he felt some of the barbs cut through the cloth and into his hands. The pain in his hands caused him to lose his balance on the fence and he felt himself fall off the barricade. As his body shuddered with the impact from the ground, he was forced to muffle his groans with his injured hands. Panting from the pain, Chuck took a second to make sure nothing was broken, and then he slowly moved up to a crouch.
Even though he was temporarily hidden behind some bushes, he knew it wouldn't be long before someone spotted his large frame. Chuck silently made his way to the side of the warehouse and grinned when he saw the service entrance was slightly ajar. Moving slowly towards the door, Chuck began to hear someone talking.
"Roger Alpha 1. Service door is secure. The package has arrived and he's on his way to the white room."
Chuck was about to open the door, when he heard the reply from the radio..
"Okay Alpha 4. Once the package has entered the building, secure the perimeter. Our guys will take care of the CIA Agents that are there, and we'll takeover the upload once Larkin has it activated."
Chuck felt his heart begin to beat faster the closer he got to the door and he was willing to swear the guy on the other side could hear it too. He gently pushed against the open door, and when it began to move, he thanked the gods that hinges were well oiled. As soon as he entered the warehouse he saw the Agent with the radio, and he gulped in fear as he took in the guy's massive size. 'It's a Casey clone,' he thought to himself.
When his foot suddenly cracked a dry twig near the doorway, Chuck looked up in horror as the Casey clone turned around to face him. He saw the momentary look of surprise on the Agent's face disappear as the man began to reach for the gun on his shoulder holster.
Not daring to think his plan through, Chuck raced towards the massive Agent and launched himself at the unsuspecting man. After all the years he spent having to play football with his brother-in-law and his frat buddies, Chuck knew with enough momentum, even a guy his size could take down a guy as big as the Casey clone. When his body crashed into the massive Agent, the collision dropped them to the ground and knocked the wind out of both men. Chuck tried to get to his feet before his opponent, but he failed miserably. The Agent was in better shape than he was, and his recovery was faster than he expected.
Chuck felt a hand grab him by the front of his shirt, and he felt himself being wrenched to his feet. He was still trying to catch his breath from the tackle, and he didn't see the fist that connected to the side of his face. His eyes began to water from the pain he was feeling, and he shook his head to try to stop his vision from blurring. As his sight began to clear, he saw the guard smiling in front of him.
"What the hell do you think you're doing here asshole?", the guard asked him angrily.
Chuck tried to think of something to say, but the pain was too much for him, and the Agent's next punch hit him dead center in the chest. As he fell to the ground, his body instinctively curled into fetal position, and he screamed in pain, as the Agent began to kick and stomp viciously on his lanky frame.
After a few seconds, he felt the kicking end, and he looked up to see the Agent towering above him, panting from the exertion of kicking his ass. Chuck still couldn't find the breath to speak, and he watched in fear as the Agent leaned down and picked up the gun that was laying next to his hip.'I'm sorry Bryce,' he thought to himself. 'I tried to help, but I failed. Hopefully Sarah and Casey can save you.'
'Sarah'. His mind raced as he realized Sarah and Casey would be walking into a trap, and he knew he couldn't let anything happen to the woman he loved. Chuck forced himself to push through the pain he was feeling and tried to think of a way to help his friends. When he saw the smiling Agent point the gun at his head, he slammed his foot into the man's groin, and saw the Agent drop to his knees from the pain. Chuck somehow managed to get himself to his feet, and grabbed the gun the Agent had dropped. As he pointed the weapon at the fallen guard, he could see his hands were shaking from the fear that was coursing through his body.
Chuck scanned the room for anything to tie the man up with, but he failed to find anything of use. 'Damn,' he thought in frustration. 'How the hell does this place only have a desk, a chair, and an old desk phone?'.
As he continued to aim his weapon at the fallen guard, Chuck knew he wouldn't be able to shoot the man. He was still trying to figure out what to do, when he saw the Agent begin to slowly stand up. 'Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap. I'm screwed', he thought in fear.
His mind raced to find a solution to subdue the very large and angry Agent in front of him, and he smiled when his mind provided the answer. Just as the Casey clone was about to get to his feet, Chuck gripped the gun in his hand firmly and he crashed the butt of the weapon into the back of the Agent's head. He was surprised and relieved when the man dropped back down to the ground, but this time with his eyes closed. 'Wow. I can't believe that actually worked.'
Once the guard was neutralized, Chuck knew he had to inform Bryce about the Fulcrum Agents, but he wasn't sure what to say. What if someone read the message? When he realized what he could do, he pulled out his Iphone and typed out a single word...Pineapple. He used the code word for emergencies at the Buy More, but it actually originated with Bryce at Stanford. It was the code word he used with his best friend, to tell him a jealous boyfriend was looking for him at the dorm room. 'Hope he remembers.'
Chuck put away his phone and went back to analyzing the building schematics on his wrist computer. According to the plans, there was a hidden elevator in the back corner of the room, and he grinned the moment he found the switch he was searching for. 'CIA and their hidden doors', he smirked to himself.
Chuck crawled through the ventilation shaft, carefully following the schematics on his wrist computer. His head throbbed from the beating he had taken earlier, but he pushed through the pain when he heard gunfire echo through the vents.
The gunplay started right after he got off the elevator, and he feared what it entailed. As soon as he heard the gunshots, he figured Bryce must have picked up the warning on his text, and was fighting back against the Fulcrum Agents. By the time he found and entered the small crawlspace in the vents, Chuck sighed in relief when he saw 5 guys with guns came running through the hallway he was just in. 'Wonder if their CIA or Fulcrum'.
Chuck looked down through the vents, and realized he was finally at the Intersect white room indicated on his father's wrist computer. He took a moment to gather his energy, and gasped when he took a deep breath. The pain in his head was beyond intense, but it paled in comparison to the broken ribs the Casey clone gifted him with. His body hurt so bad, he could barely breathe, but he knew he didn't have any time to rest right now. Putting thoughts of his pain out of his mind, Chuck pulled out his pocket tool kit, and began working on the vent screws in front of him.
Midway through the first screw, he heard the Intersect doors open, and he looked down to see Bryce stumble into the room. When he saw his former best friend fall to his knees, Chuck could see Bryce's bloody hand press up against the obvious wound in his side, and he worked frantically to open the grate that was in front of him. He was so attentive to his task, he didn't see Bryce stand up and walk to the computer in the middle of the room.
Bryce Larkin stumbled into the Intersect room, and he quickly slapped his hand on the scanner on the door. As soon as it closed behind him, he stood up and checked out his wound. 'Not too bad, just a flesh wound'.
He knew there was little time before the Ring Agents got through the door, because a couple of the dead bodies in the hallway could be used to enter the white room. Bryce hurried to the computer in the center of the room and looked down at the picture of the hand on the scanner. He placed his right hand on the monitor and suddenly the entire room erupted with lights.
After what seemed like hours, but was probably just a few minutes, the lights suddenly stopped. The moment the lights stopped flickering, Bryce felt himself become dizzy and he waited until his vision cleared up. Once he could see again, Bryce pulled out the "KILL" virus he received in Langley and he quickly inserted the disc into the computer. Seconds later the virus activated, and he smiled as he saw the Intersect cube go from bright blue to a sickly grey. 'Looks like no Intersect for the Ring,' he smirked to himself.
Before he could think to do anything else, Bryce heard the Intersect doors open behind him. He raised his hands in surrender, and watched as seven Ring Agents came in with guns pointed in his direction. His eyes narrowed in anger, when he saw another two Agents bring in Sarah and Casey. He didn't give a rats ass about Major John Casey, but Bryce didn't want anything to happen to Sarah. She was the best partner he ever had, and a small part of him even loved her. As much as a spy can love.
"What the fuck did you do, Larkin?", the Leader of the group asked him.
Bryce just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He felt his eyes roll up into his head and suddenly symbols and pictures began flashing across his eyes.
"Boss, you gotta see this," one of the Agents said hesitantly. "Something is going on with this guy."
The Leader looked back at Bryce and stared at him incredulously.
"Did you just flash, Larkin?", he asked. "Fuck. For that you die first."
Bryce came out of the flash and he immediately saw the gun pointed at his head. The Intersect came alive in his mind and suddenly he became aware of a dozen ways to neutralize the threat in front of him. He used his left hand to slap the gun out of the Leader's hand, and his hands and feet became a blur as he defended and attacked against all seven Ring Agents in front of him.
In his peripheral vision, Bryce was aware of Sarah and Casey using the advantage of surprise to knock out their respective guards, and he continued to press his advantage against the remaining Agents. As the last Ring Agent fell to the ground, Bryce looked over to his stunned colleagues and said, "Guys, I know Kung Fu."
Chuck woke up and saw the multiple bodies littered on the ground below him. Before he could panic, he saw Bryce, Sarah and Casey and he sighed silently in relief. 'Thank god they're alive'.
"Looks like the new Intersect works, Larkin," Casey said with a smirk. "Without it no way a pansy like you takes out seven guys. "
"Funny Casey. You're an Ass."
Casey just grunted.'Yeah, but your still a pansy'
Chuck couldn't believe it. Bryce took out seven guys by himself? He thought about calling down to his friends, but stopped as he remembered where he was. He shook his head in disgust, when he realized how pathetic he was. He tried to be a hero, and instead of helping his friends, he ended up getting beat up and passing out in some stupid crawlspace. 'I'm a loser. She deserves a Super spy like Bryce, not a useless nerd like me'.
Once he realized what a failure he truly was, Chuck brushed away the tears in his eyes, and started crawling his way back towards the exit. Without the fear of being shot, his exit from the facility was faster than his entrance, and he quickly found himself walking out of the service door. By the time Chuck reached his car, he felt his body begin to stiffen from the beating he had taken earlier and he could already feel his head throbbing with the pain from his burgeoning headache.
When he finally reached the nerd herder, Chuck pressed the alarm to open the vehicle, and pulled off the wrist computer his dad had given him. Just as he was about to enter the car, he felt a slight prick against his neck, and his body spasmed once before he hit the floor.
(04-27-09)11:48 pm Castle:
Casey punched in the code to the Castle entrance, and waited for the retinal scanner to verify his identity. Once the scan was complete, the door unlocked with a hiss, and he held it open for Sarah and Bryce.
The trio made their way down to the Castle infirmary and Casey waited to see if Sarah needed any help with Bryce, before he made his way to the meeting room. When the blonde Agent motioned him towards the briefing room, he quickly left his partners and made his way there.'Generals going to be pissed when she finds out what happened tonight.'
Casey accessed the secure NSA servers and waited patiently for his partners to arrive. Within moments, he heard the two make their way towards him and he looked up as soon as Bryce entered the meeting room. "U okay Nancy?", he asked the man spitefully.
Bryce looked at Casey in disgust and answered, "I'm fine you ass. It was just a flesh wound."
Casey grunted in response. 'Forget I asked, you douche.'
Before the insults could continue any further, suddenly the large blank screen in the room turned on, and the three Agents looked up to see the diminutive head of the NSA... Brigadier General Diane Beckman.
Beckman looked furious when she saw the three Agents through her screen. "Major Casey, what the hell are the three of you doing in Castle? Why isn't Agent Larkin at the upload site?
Casey hesitated before answering, "I'm sorry, General. Agent Larkin has already uploaded the Intersect, but he was injured by Ring Agents right afterwards. It's only a flesh wound, so he should most likely be fine."
While Bryce rolled his eyes at Casey's medical assessment, Beckman was stunned at hearing the upload site had been compromised.
"What?." she asked skeptically. "How is that possible? Only a handful of people even knew the upload would occur today."
Sarah could see the General's confusion, and she tried to explain what she knew. "We're not sure how the Ring found out, General. Major Casey and I were at the Woodcomb reception maintaining our cover, when Agent Larkin left the apartment complex with his CIA escort. Orion recognized one of the Agents as Fulcrum, and reported the information to me. I immediately informed Major Casey and we rushed to provide our assistance at the upload facility.
When he saw the General look to him for an explanation, Bryce defensively said, "They knew all the codes, General, and I never once doubted they were with the CIA. If I hadn't received a warning from Chuck, I'm not sure what might have happened."
"Chuck Bartowski?," the General asked in surprise. "What was Mr. Bartowski doing at the Intersect facility?"
Not wanting Chuck to get into needless trouble, Sarah quickly answered, "He wasn't there ma'am. I believe Orion must have informed Chuck about the Fulcrum Agent, and Chuck used a code Agent Larkin and he used in Stanford, to inform him of the danger."
Beckman almost shook her head in astonishment, when she learned of Chuck's role in the rescue. Despite his blatant disregard for her authority, the General appreciated how his unique perspective often lead to successful missions. After two years of working with the man, she would have loved to retain his services as an analyst.
When she saw the three Agents continue to stare at her through the screen, the General pushed thoughts of Chuck Bartowski out of her mind, and analyzed her current situation. She understood the need for a speedy resolution, and said, "I want all three of you at the airport immediately. You will all be sent to Prague for Agent Larkin's training with the Intersect, and you will remain with him until his training is complete."
When Casey learned he was going to Prague, he became perplexed. He was supposed to be heading to Afghanistan with his old unit and he didn't understand the change in his orders. He served his time with team Bartowski, and he was told he could have his mission of choice.
"Excuse me, General. Did you say all three of us? I thought I was going to Afghanistan?"
Beckman was strangely sympathetic when she heard Casey's objection. "I'm sorry Major," the General answered. " Half your team is dead, and the other half is too injured to go on a mission. With the Ring's infiltration within our government, I need Agents I trust to be a part of this team."
Casey grunted quietly in disapproval, but he nodded his head in acceptance with the General's words. He could see the value in the General's assessment of the situation, but he didn't particularly like her conclusion.
Beckman was about to continue her debriefing, when she was interrupted by Sarah. "Sorry General, but what about our stuff? We don't have our luggage, and I would like to say goodbye to Ch...Mr. Bartowski and his sister."
The three Agents watched the General shake her head in response. Her tone was commanding as she answered, "That will not be possible, Agent Walker. We have no way to determine if the Ring know your real identities, or if you have been followed from the upload site. Any form of communication could potentially be traced, and result in harm to Mr. Bartowski and his family. Once you leave Castle, you will all go silent until you reach the facility in Prague. Your things will be picked up by the cleaners, and they will be delivered to you in a few days."
Beckman looked pointedly at Sarah, almost as if she was daring the blonde Agent to interrupt her again. Once she was certain the younger woman would remain silent, Beckman returned her attention to her prize pupil.
"Colonel Casey," she said with a sudden tinge of amusement in her voice. "You will be responsible for team Intersect's security. I have arranged for your escort at the airport to be handled by Major Reyes. Please vet any members you would like from Reyes' team, as a permanent auxiliary force for team Intersect."
Casey's jaw dropped when he heard the General call him Colonel. 'Did she just make a mistake in my rank?' Confused by her mistake, he reluctantly asked, "Colonel ma'am?"
"Congratulations, Colonel Casey," the General said proudly. "Your work with team Intersect has been exemplary, and you have earned your promotion to Lieutenant Colonel."
Despite the tense situation, Sarah managed to smile at Casey's surprised expression. She was happy for her partner and she knew he deserved the promotion a dozen times over.
When Casey finally found the ability to speak, he said,"Thank you ma'am. I won't let you down. I'll arrange everything with Major Reyes upon our arrival at the airport."
The General offered Casey a brief smile in support, and then looked to Bryce.
"Agent Larkin, on your flight you will receive files on all the Agents assisting at the new facility. I want all of them vetted before your arrival in Prague. We have no idea how far the Ring has infiltrated the Intelligence services, and I don't want to take any chances with the Intersect."
Bryce was in complete agreement with the General's analysis of the situation, and he crisply answered, "Yes General. I'll make sure all the Agents have been vetted, before our arrival in Prague."
The General nodded to the Agents in front of her, and quickly ended the conversation.
(4-28-09)12:05 am General Beckman's office:
Once the connection to team Intersect ended, Beckman got up from her chair and exited her office. She saw her secretary still working on the stack of files on her desk and she quickly walked up to the young woman.
"Thank you, Ann," she said warmly to the pretty young blonde. "You can go home for the evening."
Ann Carlson looked up in surprise, as she saw her boss in front of her. "Is everything okay, General?," she asked politely.
When she saw Beckman nod her head, she continued, "Will you be staying longer ma'am? I have no problems staying if you require my services."
"That's okay, Ann," the General answered. "Go ahead and go home. I'm sure Tom is worried about you. I'll just be a little longer, and then I'll head home too. Just let Agent Townsend know I'll be down shortly."
Ann was grateful the General didn't need her anymore tonight. She loved working for someone as great and important as Diane Beckman, but hated the long hours. She had been married less than a year now, and she knew her husband missed having her home at a decent hour.
"Thank you, General. I'll inform Agent Townsend to be ready for your arrival."
Beckman waved at the young woman, and walked back into her office. She waited until she heard the 'ping' of the elevator and then made sure she was completely alone. Once she confirmed her young secretary was indeed gone, Beckman returned to her chair and picked up the phone in front of her.
"Beckman secure."
"Walters secure."
"Colonel, Operation Flashlight is a go. Do you have the necessary paper work ready?"
"Yes ma'am. Everything has been done as you specified. We are ready to implement your plan."
"Understood Colonel. Remember how important this is. No one can know what you are about to do."
"I understand General. My team is ready."
"Excellent. Then I want team Intersect dead before the nights out."
Beckman replaced the phone onto her desk. Letting out a deep sigh, she opened the bottom drawer of her desk, and pulled out a half empty bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue. She poured a double shot into the glass in front of her, and took down a big gulp. 'I hope this works.'
(4-28-09)3:00 am Casa Bartowski:
Stephen Bartowski continued to pace frantically in his daughter's living room. It had been an hour since his daughter and new son in law left for their honeymoon, and he found himself panicking at the thought of his missing son. He knew Ellie was sad at not being able to say bye to Chuck, but he tried his best to cover for him.
Chuck had been gone for almost 5 hours now, and he still hadn't received any word from his son. Stephen could feel himself become more agitated with every second that passed by, and he knew he couldn't stay there any longer. Finally deciding he had waited long enough, he went to his son's room, and pulled his suitcase out from under the bed.
After opening the suitcase, he immediately found his spare wrist computer, and placed it on his wrist. He connected it to the GPS coordinates for the computer he had given his son, and he was satisfied when he saw it was still at the the Intersect facility. 'Please be okay, Charles. I'm coming for you son.'
(04-28-09)3:45 am Unknown Government Facility:
Stephen pulled his car up to the nerd herder parked on the street. As soon as he was out of the car, he could tell something was wrong. The door to the herder was slightly open and his son was nowhere to be found.
As he approached his son's car, he saw the bloody fingerprints on the door handle, and he could feel the fear begin to flow through his body. Once he opened the door he immediately saw the wrist computer he had given his son, laying below the drivers seat and he picked up the computer with his shaking hands. The moment he inspected it, he noticed the dried blood caked along the bindings of the computer and he immediately knew his son had multiple injuries. He pulled out a flashlight from his jacket pocket, and began to search the perimeter of the car. Within moments he found a tranq dart hidden under the drivers side and he became enraged when he realized his son must have been kidnapped.
The herder's window shattered once Stephen's fist punched through the glass. As the glass cut through his hand and forearm, the resulting pain exploded through his body and caused him to scream into the night. He used the pain to fuel the growing anger that was coursing within him and he swore he would find the people that took his son. 'Whoever you people are, you made a big mistake,' he thought in rage.
His first thought was to contact Beckman and see if she knew anything about his son's abduction, but he stopped himself. Stephen had no delusions about the government kidnapping Chuck if it suited their needs, but he knew Fulcrum had also been present during the download. First he had to determine who had taken his son, then he would make his call to Beckman.
Stephen deleted Beckman's number from the call pad, and typed in a different number.
"Stephen secure."
"Gabriel secure."
"Mary and I need your help Gabe. Someone has taken Chuck. I need you and Susan to protect Ellie."
"I'll be there soon, Stephen. We'll take the next flight from London to Burbank."
"No Gabe. She's on her honeymoon. I'll send you the hotel and flight information. She will be there for three weeks."
"What? Baby Ellie is married? What the hell Stephen? Why wasn't I told. Despite our differences, she's still my niece you bastard."
"Sorry Gabe. I only found out recently. I was too preoccupied helping Chuck with the CIA, and I didn't get a chance to tell you. Besides, our differences are all your fault you ass."
Stephen heard a grunt from the man.
"Fine. Get Chuck back. Susan and I will book our flights as soon as we get your info. And Stephen?...
"Yeah Gabe?"
"Does Mary know Chuck is missing?"
"No she doesn't, and we won't tell her until it's absolutely necessary. She's in enough trouble where she's is at, Gabe. Do you understand?"
Stephen could only hear silence from the other end. Before he could panic about his wife being informed of her missing son, he heard...
"Dammit Stephen. You know you're playing with fire? If my sister finds out something happened to Chuck and you didn't tell her, nothing will save you."
"I know Gabe. But she's in a dangerous place right now, and she doesn't need the added stress. You know it too. I can't risk her life until I'm certain of what's happening."
There was again a moment of silence.
"Fine. We'll do it your way. Good luck Stephen. Get my nephew back."
"Thanks Gabe. Stephen out."
He replaced the phone in his pocket, and picked up the wrist computer he had given his son. As he made his way back to his own car, Stephen let the rage he was feeling continue to boil inside of him. 'I'll find you son. Don't worry. Whoever did this to you will pay.'
(04-28-09)7:30 am Unknown Ring Facility:
Chuck woke up and felt a pounding headache. The pain was so bad, it felt like he had flashed a couple dozen times, in a span of five minutes. He opened his eyes slowly, and quickly shut them, when the bright light intensified the pain in his head. Chuck decided to keep his eyes closed for a moment, and tried moving his body away from the light. When his body refused to heed his commands, he realized his hands were zip tied behind the chair he was sitting on, and his legs were tied and taped to the chair legs.
As his mind began to waken from his tranq induced slumber, Chuck slowly recalled everything that happened the past few hours. When he realized he had been tranqed, and that he was now someone's prisoner, Chuck could feel the fear begin to overwhelm his other emotions. He forced himself to calm his growing anxiety, and thought about the abduction protocols Casey had taught him. First he needed check for injuries. 'Blinding headache...Check. Broken ribs...Check. Fat lip...Check. Overall..not bad.'
Chuck thought about his earlier fight with the guard at the upload facility, and he was glad his injuries were relatively minor. He knew his headache was a combination of being tranqed and knocked senseless by the Casey clone, and from previous experiences with his head and trauma, he knew the pain would go away in a bit.
After a few minutes had passed, Chuck figured it was time to try his eyes again, and he slowly opened them. He braced himself against the pain from the bright light, and this time he managed to keep his eyes open. When he looked around the room he was being kept in, he saw it was empty except for the chair he was sitting on, and an empty chair in front of him. Chuck felt himself begin to panic again, and he tried to take a deep calming breath like Sarah had taught him. When he took the first breath, he gasped as he remembered his broken ribs, and he quickly stopped Sarah's calming technique. 'Great job Moron,' he head his inner Casey remark, and grimaced as he thought how much he hated his inner Casey.
As his eyes finally grew accustomed to the light in the room, he looked down and saw he was missing all of his clothes except his boxers. 'At least they let me keep the boxers,' he thought happily.
Chuck knew he was in trouble. He had definitely been kidnapped, and it most likely wasn't the government. From the way Beckman quickly dismissed him, once the Intersect was removed from his brain, he knew the government was more than happy to be rid of him. He figured he was kidnapped by the remnants of Fulcrum, or another diabolical organization bent on world domination. Either way he knew he was probably looking at torture, and he felt his heart beat faster at his impending pain. 'I can't tell them anything,' he chanted to himself. 'Doubt you last more than a minute Moron,' replied his inner Casey.
When he realized his inner Casey was as irritating as the real one, Chuck shook his head in disgust at the realization. As his thoughts reverted back to his present situation, he knew he would have to lie and suddenly he remembered a conversation he had with Sarah a few months back.
"Sarah, I can't do it. I can't keep lying to Ellie. She'll catch me soon. You don't know her like I know her. The woman is a Master Interrogator."
"Chuuuck. Relax. It won't be that bad. The first rule of a successful lie is to stick to the truth as much as possible. A good lie has two parts truth to every one part lie. The more information you can give that's honest and verifiable, the easier it is to believe the lie that can't be verified."
"Huh? How does that work?
"Okay. Look at today. What did we do today?
Chuck thought about everything that occurred that day, and said..
"First we went to the beach with Anna and Morgan. We played volleyball with a few of Anna's friends that we met there. After the beach, we went to lunch with Devon at the diner near his hospital. Then we ended the day with a takedown of a notorious arms dealer."
"Great. Now when Ellie asks about your day, you tell her everything that you told me, but replace the mission with a late date with me. See? Two parts truth to one part lie. The lie becomes believable, because it's surrounded by so much truth."
Chuck was still deciding what and how much he wanted to say, when the door to his room suddenly opened. If his mouth hadn't been gagged closed, he knew his jaw would have dropped at the Superman doppelganger that walked in. 'Wow. This guy totally looks like Brandon Routh.'
The man walked up to Chuck, and took the empty seat across from him.
"Hello, Mr. Bartowski," the man said politely. "My name is Daniel Shaw. Do you know why you're here?"
Chuck tried to answer the question, but he forgot about the gag in his mouth. He saw that Shaw realized the same thing, and suddenly the gag was pulled out. He tried to swallow before answering, but his mouth was too dry and he found he was unable to speak at all. The man must have known this, because he pulled a small water bottle from his jacket, and allowed a trickle to drop through his mouth. His burning throat cooled, as he continued to drink the cold water. When he had enough to quench his thirst, he pulled his head back and the man placed the still open bottle onto the floor.
"Now that you feel a little better, Mr. Bartowski, it's time for you to answer some questions," Shaw said with a smile.
The man named Shaw pulled out some pictures and Chuck had to force himself to remember to play dumb with his answers.
"Do you know who these people are, Mr. Bartowski?"
Chuck looked down at the pictures and he immediately recognized Sarah, Casey and Bryce. The fact this guy was asking about them, he knew his interrogator definitely wasn't with the government. 'Hope your lying trick works Sarah,' he thought.
"Ahhh, yes sir. The girl is my girlfriend, Sarah Walker. The big guy is a co-worker of mine from the Buy More, John Casey. And the last guy is my former roommate from College, Bryce Larkin."
Shaw was a little surprised the nerd had given the information so readily. 'Maybe he doesn't work for the CIA.' From his time in the CIA, Shaw knew even analysts were taught a little about resisting torture. When he thought about his options, he decided to continue with his questioning.
"You work at a Buy More? I find that hard to believe, Mr. Bartowski."
Chuck was surprised by the question. 'That's where I work'.
"Yes sir," he replied. "I'm the Senior Manager of the Nerd Herd."
Shaw shook his head as if what he was hearing couldn't be possible, and Chuck saw him pull a piece of paper out of his coat pocket.
"Charles Irving Bartowski. You graduated from Burbank high school with a 4.6 gpa and you were named as your class's valedictorian. Your scored a perfect 1600 on your SATs and you received a full scholarship to Stanford University. I find it difficult to believe someone as smart as you would work at a Buy More. Would you like to try your answer again?" Shaw ended the question by slapping the right side of Chuck's face.
Chuck tried to stop his eyes from watering, but he couldn't hold back the tears. The slap stung, but it turned his already bad headache into a full on migraine. Despite the pain, Chuck knew to stick to the truth as much as possible.
"I never graduated, Mr. Shaw. My senior year my roommate Bryce Larkin, framed me for cheating on a final exam and I was kicked out of school. After I came home, my sister let me stay with her and her boyfriend, and my best friend got me a job at the local Buy More."
Shaw just stared at Chuck for a minute. "Strange," he said. "The man who got you kicked out of Stanford is actually a CIA Agent. A rogue CIA Agent. In fact, Ms. Walker is also a CIA Agent and Mr. Casey is with the NSA. You're not only familiar with all three of them, but you also followed them to a government facility last night. Why?"
Chuck was expecting another shot at his face, and he was surprised when no slap came. He tried to sound as shocked as possible at the information Shaw provided and said, "What? Spies? My girlfriend is a spy? Are you sure?", he continued to ramble. "I think you might have the wrong person. Sarah's been working at the Orange Orange for almost two years now. Plus she's not very brave. She usually calls me to kill any spiders that make their way into the yogurt place."
Shaw almost smiled when he heard of the nerd's description of the legendary Sarah Walker. 'Sounds like Walker is trying to be the girl next door.' Keeping his face neutral, he asked,"And Bryce Larkin?"
"After I was kicked out of Stanford, I found out my fiance at the time cheated on me with Bryce. I haven't seen Larkin in five years, and then I suddenly saw him talking with Sarah at the Buy More. I freaked out thinking he was going to steal my girlfriend, so I followed him to the warehouse. That's it. I swear."
It was now Shaw's turn to sound shocked. "You tailed a trained CIA spy, without him noticing you?"
Chuck knew he was dropping too many lies. 'Damn,' he thought. 'I really suck at this. Hopefully this is the last lie before I can get back to some truth.'
"Ahhh... Bryce was at the Buy More having a new GPS unit installed in his car. That's how I knew he was at the store. All service paperwork has to be signed by me, and I recognized his name when I saw the invoice appear on my desk. After I saw him talking with Sarah, I just hacked into his GPS to follow him. Since we installed it, I already knew the model number and the routing code used by the company." 'Please God,' he thought. 'Let him buy this.'
He watched as Shaw remained impassive. "What about Casey?", he heard him ask.
Chuck just shrugged his shoulders in response.
"I really don't know much about Casey. He works as a green shirt at the Buy More, and really doesn't talk much. Just grunts."
Chuck waited as Shaw continued to stare at him in silence.
"Okay, Mr. Bartowski. I believe you."
"Thank you, sir," he said happily. "When can I get out of here?"
Chuck watched as Shaw made his way to the door and knock twice. A Casey clone opened the door, and he saw Shaw whisper something into the man's ear. His hope of leaving this place disappeared, when he saw the Casey clone start walking his way and cracking his knuckles.
"But I answered all your questions," he screamed to the departing Shaw."You said you believed me."
Suddenly his face exploded in pain, as the Casey clone's fist struck him. He tried to spit out the blood pooling in his mouth, but he was unable to, as the man's other fist struck his face again. 'Keep it together, Moron. Just remember what you told them, and stick to it. You can do this.'
If the pain from his beating wasn't making him cry, Chuck would have laughed at his last thought. His inner Casey was actually being supportive?
(04-28-09) 8:30 am Shaw's office:
Shaw walked into his office and made his way to the chair behind his desk. The Oak framed leather chair had been a gift from the Director of the Ring and Shaw loved sitting in it. Sitting in the chair allowed him a sense of peace and tranquility, he rarely found outside of his office, and he was grateful for the respite the inanimate piece of furniture was able to provide him.
Just as he sat down, he heard a squeak come from the corner of his office and he looked up to see Vincent Hale walking towards him. When he saw the man, it took all of Shaw's training to keep the fear from his face. He knew Vincent was loyal to the Ring, but still the man was someone to be feared.
At 6'0", and with a slightly lanky build, the bald man wasn't intimidating to most people that saw him. But those who knew him, knew better. Hale began his career as a member of the Delta force, and was eventually recruited by the CIA to become part of their Special Activities Division.
Shaw had been in the CIA long enough to know that the members of the SAD were the best of the best. They were near ghosts at infiltration, and due to their military training, they were the best Agents at hand to hand combat. They were considered to be one man armies by many in the intelligence community, and were most likely to be given the hardest missions. Vincent wasn't just a member of the SAD, he was one of the elite members, and Shaw knew he could never hope to beat someone as lethal as him in a fight.
"Mr. Hale," he managed with a clear voice. "What can I do for you?"
Vincent looked at the man before him with contempt. He knew Shaw's reputation as a womanizer and abhorred his frequent use of torture needlessly. It was unprofessional for a man of Vincent's skill, and he despised those who took pleasure in other people's pain. Vincent hated working with scum like Shaw, but he was loyal to the cause. He would work with anyone the Ring wanted him to, if it helped them bring the new world order they had promised him.
"I have been sent by the Director to assist in your acquisition of the Intersect, Mr. Shaw. The Director was most disturbed to learn that your team failed in securing the new Intersect cube and Agent Larkin."
Shaw schooled his features, before he answered,"As of now, we are uncertain as to what happened in the Intersect room. I currently have a prisoner that may have some clue as to what occurred last night. Once my man is finished interrogating him, I assure you I will inform you of the results immediately."
Vincent offered Shaw a slight bow of his bald head in acknowledgement. "Very well, Mr. Shaw," he said. "Please keep me informed."
Just as he turned around to leave the office, Vincent heard the frantic knocking on the door, and he narrowed his eyes in displeasure. From the forceful knocks on the door, Shaw immediately knew who it was. Dr. Mueller. He would have shot the man a dozen times over for his insolence, if he wasn't the lead scientist in charge of the Ring Intersect.
The door opened, before either man could call out, and Dr. Mueller stepped in. At 5'5" Mueller was a small man, with a noticeably receding hairline. His love of fast food and late nights working had added layers upon layers of extra padding to his already diminutive frame. As a result, many of his colleagues often thought he looked a lot like Danny Devito.
The excited doctor ignored Vincent, and rushed to stand in front of Shaw's desk.
"Do you have a man named Charles Bartowski in your custody?", he asked excitedly.
Shaw used to the man's erratic behavior, just nodded his head in answer. He knew the good doctor would eventually get to the point.
"I want him," Mueller demanded.
Shaw found himself becoming amused when he heard the doctor's demand. He didn't think the small man's appetites swung that route. Raising an eyebrow he smirked,"You can have your plaything once we're done with our interrogation, Mueller."
Mueller was confused by what Shaw meant. Suddenly it occurred to him what Shaw thought he was asking, and he cringed in disgust. "No. No. No. I don't want him for me, I need him for the Intersect."
Seeing the confused look on Shaw's face, Mueller quickly continued,"Your stupid henchmen used one of my computers to start a search on the man you're holding. Once I read his name, I recognized it from the list of candidates that were fast tracked for the Omaha Project. Based on the little information the Ring managed to secure on the candidates, this man has a 98% retention rate."
Shaw was stunned when he heard the news. He knew as much about the Omaha Project, as anyone in the Ring. In order for the Intersect to be downloaded into a human person, he knew the minimum requirement was a 90% retention rate. In the past 10 years, the Ring had yet to find anyone close to approaching even the minimum requirements.
If Bartowski really was that capable, the Director would be thrilled to have a candidate like him for the Ring Intersect.'But if his score is that high, why wasn't he chosen?'
Shaw voiced his concern out loud to the doctor, and he saw the small man shrug his shoulders in answer.
"I'm not sure, Shaw. We don't have complete files on all the Intersect candidates, but I want to test him. If his retention rate is really this high, we have the perfect candidate for the Ring Intersect."
Shaw didn't answer the man right away. Instead he thought back to the interview he had with Bartowski and replayed the conversation his mind. His first opinion of the kid had been accurate. Bartowski was weak. Shaw barely applied any pressure, and the kid revealed everything he asked about. Walker as his girlfriend, Bryce framing him in Stanford...
Suddenly it hit Shaw...Bryce framed the nerd in Stanford. Now he knew why the CIA and NSA had sent their best Agents to Burbank...Bartowski. The Intersect was meant for a trained Agent in the field. An Agent like Larkin. But with Bartowski's incredible retention scores, he was probably a backup in case something happened with the trained spy.
Shaw smiled as he realized that he probably had his golden goose. If Bartowski was everything he thought, he would soon have his spot in the Ring's senior leadership. He quickly up the phone on his desk, and called one of his men to stop Chuck's interrogation. 'Can't hurt the golden goose, before it gives me the golden eggs,' he thought with a smirk.
Once his call was complete, he turned his attention back to the excited doctor, and said,"The prisoner might not be in any condition to take a test doctor. We will have to wait until he heals from some of his injuries."
Mueller continued his frantic pacing in the Shaw's office, and waved away the man's spoken concerns.
"No need to worry, Shaw. His participation is not required. I have a neuro mapping device that will accurately determine his retention rate and speed."
Shaw felt another grin appear on his face, when he heard the doctor's reply. 'Wow. This day just keeps getting better.'
(04-29-09) 5:14 pm Unknown Ring facility:
Chuck moved his head and grimaced in pain. 'Bad move,' he thought. The consecutive days of beating had taken a toll on his body, and his headache was worse than before. His right eye was completely swollen, and dried blood caked his face and torso. He tried to remember if he said anything other than his original story, but he couldn't think straight. The bastard Casey clone that followed Shaw, had done a number on his face and body, and he shuddered as he recalled the knife the man used to cut into his chest and legs.
When the door to his room opened, Chuck shrank back as he saw three men enter and walk towards him. As soon as he recognized one of the men was Shaw, he spit in his direction, and said, "You bastard. I told you everything I knew. You said you believed me."
Shaw just smiled at the broken body in front of him. "I do believe you Charles...or do you go by Chuck? In fact Chuck, you will be happy to know that your little torture session is now officially over. How does that sound to you?"
Wary of the men in front of him, Chuck knew he really didn't have an option, and said,"Sounds good. Just let me out of here, and we'll call it quits."
The short man next to Shaw snickered at Chuck's joke. "You're a funny guy, Chuck. I think we will get along just fine."
Chuck looked at the small man curiously. "Why would we be spending time together?", he asked. He was still trying to catch his breath after his question, when he heard the little man's response.
"Have you ever heard of the Intersect?"
Chuck was glad his eyes were nearly beaten closed, because he didn't think he could have kept the surprise off his face without it. Instead he just shook his head.
"After 9/11,the government forced all its intelligence branches to share information. They stored everything into one super computer that could analyze this data, and seek patterns in the information to prevent global acts of terrorism. We want to download this computer into your brain."
Mueller watched in fascination, as his new test subject laughed at his statement. He expected this reaction and said, "It's not a joke Chuck. The CIA and NSA already have a working human Intersect, and we believe it's in the head of your former friend, Agent Larkin."
Chuck wanted to freak out. These guys knew everything. They knew about the Intersect and they knew Bryce had it. Forcing himself to speak, he asked,"Yu..u..your not with the government?"
This time the unknown bald man answered his question. "No, Mr. Bartowski. We are part of an independent political organization, that will one day bring down this tarnished government, and bring real security and peace to Americans. And we want you to join us. We want you, to join the Ring."
Chuck was shocked at what he was hearing. This organization was trying to recruit him? Summoning courage he never thought he had, Chuck spit at the bald man and yelled, "Get bent baldy. I'm not a traitor."
Mueller shook his head in disappointment. "Thats a shame, Chuck," he said sadly. "I was hoping you would join us, but I guess we'll have to do it the hard way."
Reaching behind his back, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Chuck. "If Chuck Bartowski won't join us," he said. "Then Chuck Bartowski has to die."
Chuck screamed in fear as the gun went off, and darkness engulfed him.
