Let us do something, while we have the chance, partner.
Still don't own Chuck.
"That is all her."
-Chuck episode 3.17
Chapter 2—the Rush
Boston, MA
October 25, 1870
Sarah knew she was running late. She hardly got any sleep from the night before and woke at the very last minute. She met her lawyer at the lobby of the hotel. Wearing her black dress from the funeral with a dark cloak, she was escorted by two U. S. Marshals. Chuck and his Boss were making sure that she was protected. It had worked. When she went to the reading of the will the day before, the lawyer representing her stepmother sported a crescent and cross on his valise. After a series of coded telegraph messages, a Secret Service Agent working in Boston and two other U.S. Marshals followed the lawyer. The lawyer was not careful and led the Agent to the meeting he attended that night at the room over a local tavern. Taking a room next to that room the Agent and the Marshals were able to determine it was a Fulcrum meeting. The participants in the meeting were arrested. The documents they had with them were damming and would easily hold up in court. Sarah and her escorts were brought into review the documents. That night six offices and three homes of the conspirators were visited by U.S. Marshals. Two other men were arrested and several documents seized. Sarah was busy sending follow-up messages during most of the night.
The meeting today was to be a filing of the stepmother's claim. Sarah was so upset. Her stepmother truly did embody everything that she hated. Her stepmother, June Beth Walker, claimed that Sarah's grandfather's estate really was not his. Her lawyer claimed the previous day that it was Sarah's mother's dowry, and therefore John Jay Walker's money. The meeting was hard enough when June Beth had not acknowledged Sarah and walked off with her lawyer. Sarah had walked over to greet June Beth and said good morning. But there was no reply.
In the middle of the coded messages that followed the meeting, Sarah sent one to Chuck explaining what happened. Her return message reassured her, 'You know that neither you nor I are your dad or his wife, and their sins are not ours. We only work to better our country. And hold true to the idea that we are together. I am with you forever. Love CB' After she read it she paused and melted at the words. He had said the first words a few times. But while he called her his girl, he never got further than that. She folded it the paper, put it next to her heart, and wondered whether she could end her reply in anything but the same.
Sarah was set to reply to Chuck's message as soon as this morning's meeting was over. She walked over to the lawyer and shook his hand. He introduced her to two other lawyers, "Sarah, this is Henry Upton."
"Miss Walker, I am glad to meet you. A classmate and friend, Edwin Crocker asked if I could offer any assistance. He apparently knows someone who is not a friend of Gould or Fisk," he offered his hand.
Sarah took it, smiling, "Then you are surely a friend of mine."
Henry said in response, "My friend's friend was called Ace by his father."
"Yes, thank you so much for coming. Please call me Sarah."
"Well then Sarah, this is Chris Langdell, the new Dean of Harvard's Law School. He is also a friend and is interested in this case," Henry moved so that Chris could take her hand.
Sarah responded, "And thank you. So you know Mister Eddington was my grandmother's lawyer. And these two gentlemen are Marshals John Redding and Gary Fortner. We should take a minute and let us explain a few things about last night."
Marshal Redding showed them to an open room. Sarah and the two Marshals explained the events from the previous night. Henry and Chris nodded their understanding. Henry added, "The lawyer your stepmother has, comes from a law office that is one of the oldest partnerships in town. We should expect a replacement at the filing." He paused, "The alternative is possible. Their office may have researched this and cancelled this foolish action."
Sarah and the other lawyers got in the carriage that was waiting for them. The Marshals rode by the carriage. Everything was in order as they got to the Judge's chambers. The judge knew Henry and Chris and had met Eddington before. While waiting, most of the discussion was about the Judge's son who was trying to decide whether to apply at Harvard. After going ten minutes past the start time, the judge signed the papers, saying, "I am sorry, Miss Walker. But I'll need you to come back one more time. After Mister Eddington submits the results of the estate audit, I'll need you to sign the final documents. In about…" He looked at Eddington.
"Yes, your Honor, that should be next Tuesday," Eddington responded.
The judge and everyone stood up, "Well, Miss Walker and gentlemen I'll see you then."
Sarah got out in the hall, "So does that mean she can't do anything else?"
Chris answered, "That's right. As soon as the list of the assets is audited, you'll be fine. And if it would not be imposing, could I use this as a practicum for one of our classes?"
Sarah looked at Eddington, "That's fine with me."
"Certainly, I'll send over the paperwork to your office," Eddington said.
"Gentlemen, I'll need to get a message off at the Telegraph office, but would you join me for lunch at the Union Oyster House. And since I apparently just won that round, I'll treat, no questions," Sarah was beaming.
Sarah's next stop was the Telegraph office. Her first message was from Chuck's boss confirming that a train was ready for her. It would leave Boston later that afternoon for Washington D.C. She had a hotel room reserved for her that night. It also asked her come by the House for a noon lunch. Sarah also understood that she was expected to give a full account of the events since she met Chuck.
Sarah spent some time composing her message back to Chuck, 'Everything is fine, there was no filing this morning. I have to be back to sign final papers in a week. Your earlier message was pretty eloquent. I am lucky we are together. With you forever, Love SW.' She was happy with it and encoded it.
Sarah stopped by the hotel to pack and then left for lunch. The Union Oyster House was full, but the host found her and her party a room in the loft. It was a nice little room with brick walls and a warm fireplace. Sarah had not had this treat in a couple years. Marshals Redding and Fortner took a table by the door. Sarah, Henry, Chris and Eddington spread out around a large center table. The plates leftover from the oysters on the half shell began to pile up. Henry said, "Thank you for inviting us. I have not been here in a couple months."
Chris added, "Yes, this is very refreshing." He ate another oyster. "So Sarah, what are your plans?"
"Well, I am heading down to Washington D.C. this afternoon. I have a meeting there tomorrow," Sarah replied.
Marshal Redding looked over at her, "We were told to plan for the weekend."
Sarah's eyes rolled, "Yes, Chuck had mentioned that his boss would likely want me to stay for awhile."
Henry asked, "Do you need anything else for the trip?"
Sarah thought for a second. She had increased her wardrobe significantly in San Francisco. She would have no problem over just a few days. "I'll be fine. Thank you."
Chris finished another plate, "Have you thought about what you will do with the inheritance? Henry explained a little about what you do. I would think with all your travels you need to have some kind of managed fund."
"I am sure you are right. Although right now I would like to see the inheritance going toward buying up property and rights for oil. I think we have to beat Fulcrum by not only finding and arresting their people but by taking apart their wealth. We know they have accumulated gold mines. Some of those records were in the documents we found last night. We will be able to deal with that over the next few days. But oil is a new area," Sarah looked at her last oyster and asked the waiter for another plate.
Henry asked for another plate too. When the waiter departed the tables, Henry said, "Our Philadelphia office is working with Atlantic Oil. I could contact them if you're interested."
"Oh that would help. Even if we don't do any business with them, it would be good to talk with their people about what is happening. The more we know about the business…" Sarah saw Chris nod.
"The easier it will be to stop or defeat Fulcrum," Chris ended. "This problem is very interesting. When you get back, please let me know. I'd like one of the classes to take a look at this."
"Certainly, when I get back, I'll give you all the information we have. Any ideas on how to stop them will be appreciated," Sarah smiled at him. The support she was getting was amazing. She was happy to get any help.
Marshal Redding looked at the clock, "We need to be leaving if we are to get to the station on time."
Only shells were left as they walked away from their tables. Henry, Chris and Eddington saw Sarah to her carriage. Marshal Redding drove with Marshal Fortner riding beside the carriage. When they got to the Station, they were directed to a train waiting for Sarah. When her luggage was put on board she got in her car and the train proceeded down the track. The car was well equipped with a bed in the back and sitting room in front. Sarah spent the rest of the day looking through the documents that were taken from the Fulcrum agents.
Washington D.C.
October 26, 1870
The next morning she wore a gray dress with a high neck layered with lace in a lighter shade of gray. She thought it was tasteful and acceptable since she was a granddaughter and not immediate family. The train pulled into the station. After getting her shawl she was escorted off the train by the two Marshals. They were met by a squad of Marines.
At the President's House they rounded the path to the front. The Marshals helped Sarah out of the carriage. She was looking at the house since they came near it. The exterior was a bright white in the morning sun. The portico was magnificent with the high columns and walk way to the door of the house. She went to the door and was met by an older woman.
"Good morning, Agent Walker. I am Diane Beckman, the President's executive assistant. We are sorry to hear of the death of your grandfather. He was a great man. Come with me. We have a little time before the President will be free." Beckman turned around and walked across the entrance area and across the hall to the room beyond.
Sarah hurried to keep up with her. The room they entered was round. It was the Blue Room. The center of the room held a round cushioned settee that was covered in blue velvet. Above it was a large chandelier that had gas lit glass orbs for lights. The carpet was tan with bouquets of blue flowers woven in the carpet. The chairs and sofas around the sides of the room had a Victorian structure and were also covered with the blue velvet. There was a fireplace in the east side of the circle with a large mirror over the fireplace. The mirror was sounded in a Greek columns and arch with a Seal of the Office at the top. The walls were tan with large blue geometric shapes and gas lit sconces at even intervals.
Beckman pointed to one of the sofas and after Sarah sat she took position on the other side of the sofa. "Well, we are all anxious to hear a firsthand report of the adventures in California and the territories."
"Ma'am, this is closer to a war than an adventure. They were willing to kill or be killed to obtain their objectives," Sarah replied.
"Yes," answered Beckman, "we are certainly glad that you and your partners are alive. Has Agent Bartowski recovered?"
Sarah thought for a moment. "The broken leg should heal in another three or four weeks."
"And the other wounds?" asked Beckman.
"The one on the shoulder should be healed if not close to being healed. And the chest wound should be healing soon." Then she thought she better include them all. "The wounds from the beatings he took before I met him should be completely healed."
"Good," Beckman stood up. She motioned for Sarah to keep her seat. "I'll go get him."
Beckman walked out a door on the west side of the room. She returned in a couple minutes with the President. Sarah got up and walked across the room to greet him. Beckman began, "Mister President, this is Agent Sarah Walker."
"Miss Walker, thank you for coming. Please accept my condolences. Your grandfather was a good man."
"Thank you, Mister President."
"Let's have a seat. I would like to hear this from you first before anyone else. Diane, please keep us on track." He explained to Sarah, "They have lunch for us across the hall with the others at noon. Then they have us upstairs in the offices."
Beckman entered, "Please start from the time you met Agent Bartowski."
"Oh Diane, let's please drop the formal names. I have seen him wince at his title. Let's call him Chuck. And if I remember, the Major now calls himself Marshal Casey, but still goes by Casey. And may I call you Sarah?" the President asked.
"Yes, please do Mister President," Sarah answered.
"Good. Sarah, please start from when you met Chuck," he said.
Sarah began the story from when she met Chuck on the stagecoach. She explained her orders at the time and that she looked for both the rider and Agent Carmichael. Finding neither, she went to meet the rider as he requested on the stagecoach. Upon going to what turned out to be a birthday party for him, she found that he was the rider and Agent Carmichael and really Agent Bartowski. She asked him about leaving immediately for the ship and found that he remembered something from a newspaper that was published while he was captured and being beaten. He did not explain what had caused him to remember until the next day.
The President interrupted, "As we go through this, I would like your insights into these Flashes, as Chuck calls them."
"Certainly, Mister President," Sarah replied and then went on to explain the bomb at the bank, the attack at Palos Verdes, and then Chuck's rendition of his capture and the Elder. Seeing the President nod his understanding, she went on to explain the events at San Pedro, the attack by Tommy Delgado at her hotel, and the re-release of Hiram Schwartz and his granddaughter. The time treating the children at Doc Walter's and the dance was included along with the discussion that night and the next day. She explained what Chuck had said about the Flashes which lead to the discovery of Fulcrum and Theodore Roark.
Sarah went on to explain that Chuck took care of the three gunmen at the trestle and saved it from destruction. Then she included the gift he gave the orphanage and that the mine he was working paid off.
The President chuckled at that point and lit a cigar, "You don't mind, do you?" Sarah shook her head. "So, his little cover paid off? That's good." He saw that Sarah questioned what was said, "Oh, he uses the mine and prospecting as a cover to be out of town. Please continue."
Sarah began to wonder how much more they knew about Chuck than she did. She decided to continue with a little more detail. She explained their trip to San Francisco and what she knew of the business dealings Chuck had as a partner with Hiram. Using the information she now knew from their work at Denver, she explained how they were set up leaving San Francisco and the attack on the train.
Sarah explained what Chuck had done on the train coming to Cheyenne and the contest at the train station roundhouse. Explaining their stop for the buffalo and the reaction from Chuck, she said that the Pinkerton force was cut in half at that point. She detailed the Flash that lead to the intersect at the Denver Telegraph office. She went through in detail the activities in Denver and the arrests at the theater.
Sarah said that she got the notification of her grandfather's death and left for Boston the next day. Then she explained the events in Boston and the arrests of the Fulcrum agents there.
The President took his final puff from the cigar and tamped it out in the tray. He looked over to Sarah, smiling he said, "I like what you have been doing. You three are on the right path. Find out where the enemy is. Attack them as soon as you can and as hard as you can. Then keep moving." He paused a second while considering another cigar. "You are going to be asked about your activities. I agree to you telling the others about the events. But the Flashing or Intersect part of your activities must be kept secret. Only the three of us, Chuck, Casey and Lisa will be authorized. I'll give you a letter to deliver to Hiram so he knows what I will be asking. You can explain this again to Lisa. Simply, Chuck has a unique capability. Part of that has certainly been developed by the Elders of the Ancient tribe. Few people understood his tracking abilities and I don't believe anyone will understand the Intersect.
"I am going to assign you, Casey and Chuck to function as a team. Your target is the destruction of Fulcrum. I would suggest that you start by tracking down Theodore Roark. Now the bad part of this assignment, we are still getting questions about Black Friday. I cannot at this time be perceived to be assisting or blocking others from their activities related to oil or gold. I believe Chuck was on the right track by getting the property with the oil near Bakersfield. I suspect you will need to do more of that to trap Fulcrum or get them to show their hand. But your team will have to operate on your own with regard to buying or selling assets. That also means any profits or losses are your own. We will be able to offer assistance in the capture of Fulcrum with troops as where used in Denver." He turned to Diane, "You have anything else?"
"Yes, Mister President. We have a set of new code books." Diane reached into her large purse and pulled out the books. Giving them to Sarah, she said, "These are yours. We have the originals."
"Well, let's get something to eat. You are going to join us for dinner tonight. You'll like Secretary Fish's wife."
A/N Okay Partners, little history.
Christopher Columbus Langdell was the new dean of Harvard Law School in 1870. See Google.
Union Oyster House oldest restaurant still operating in the United States, founded in 1826. Food Channel and Wikipedia.
The White House was not called the White House until 1901, Teddy Roosevelt. See Google, White House History.
Atlantic Petroleum Storage Company was created in 1866. It was bought by Standard Oil in 1874. Was using a little imagining here and created Atlantic Oil. See Wikipedia.
Much of the White House description comes from the White House Museum site. See Google.
Was going to use the Lincoln bedroom but, at this time it was still the president's offices. When Abraham Lincoln was president, it was used as his personal office and Cabinet room (it was used in this manner by all presidents between 1830 and 1902). See Google.
Added a Grant perspective on war, "The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on." Google Grant quotes.
Secretary of State was Hamilton Fish. His wife was the socially prominent, Julia Fish. See Google
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