I come to, greeted with a persistent headache. My hands won't cooperate as I try to raise them. That's when I really start to panic.

My eyes snap open. But I'm left blinking in darkness. The unmistakable pressure of a blindfold rubs against my face, and that's when I notice that I'm moving. A steady motion. A rumbling beneath me. I must be in a car. No, kidnapped in a car. By Professor what's-his-face. My head is pounding too hard to remember.

I wriggle my hands, the clinking of metal soon following. So I'm handcuffed, then. Great, handcuffed and blindfolded. And, yes, that is duct tape over my mouth.

The light behind the cloth suddenly changes as the sound of a car door opening sounds from above. Hands close around my arms, hauling me up and out of the trunk even as I struggle. Unfortunately it is much harder when I can't see or move my hands, and before I know it I feel myself being thrown into another trunk. The men are silent the whole time, moving quickly. As I attempt to get up, a heavy hand pushes me back down. It is soon followed by a needle injecting into my neck. And then darkness.

My head really, really hurts. But this time when I open my eyes I find that I can actually see. Blinking at the sudden light, I take in my surroundings. I'm slumped in a chair with wheels on the legs, in front of a long desk loaded with computer equipment. The walls are sterile white.

The sound of a door opening takes me by surprise. I look over to see the Professor entering with a pleased sneer on his face.

"Glad to see you awake, Charles. I don't want to waste more time before you get to building my Intersect."

"Hey, hey," I say hastily, putting my hands out. "I can't help you, okay? I don't know how to build an Intersect! They don't really put the instructions for how to build an Intersect into the Intersect, do they?"

"Come now, do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Yes! Listen, alright? Only my dad knew how to work the Intersect. I just got it shoved into my head. I'm good with computers - yeah, but I would never know where to start!"

"Well, I do hope you figure that out soon, Chuck, because I'm not a patient man. And, well, I don't know how much longer your sister has, to be honest."

"What?" My blood runs cold, head snapping up. "W-what does that mean? What did you do?"

"We haven't done anything yet. But I assure you, we will if you don't do a satisfactory job."

I jump to my feet. "Show me Ellie - right now - or so help me-"

"Yes?" The Professor says mockingly, cupping his hand around his ear. "What will you do? Because it looks as if I am the one who should be passing out the threats here. You build me an Intersect and I let your pretty sister go. That's the deal. No cheating."

"I can't-"

"Please, Mr. Bartowski, cut the act."

"I don't know how to build an Intersect! I'm telling you the truth! Please, just let me and Ellie go and I'll make sure the CIA doesn't follow you-"

"I'll let you and your sister go when you give me what I want."

There is no winning with this man. The fight drains from me and my shoulders slump. "Can I at least see her? Please?"

The Professor knocks on the door and it instantly opens. A burly man comes in, hands gripped firmly around Ellie's arm as he pulls her into the room. There are tear tracks down her face, but no harm seems to have been done – other than emotionally. She locks eyes with me almost instantly, and we both start forward. Her guard holds her back and my eyes narrow at the tightened grip on her arm. To my surprise, Instead of the step I meant to take, I pitch forward as something pulls against my leg. Looking down and trying to regain my balance, I see a chain cuffed securely around my ankle, and from there to somewhere under the desk beside me.

"Chuck!" Ellie cries, pulling against the restraining arms. "What's going on?"

"Your brother is going to build me an Intersect," the Professor says in a pleased tone.

"Chuck, you can't be serious-"

"I don't have a choice, Ellie," I retort, tugging at my leg in frustration. I turn to glare at my captor. "Look, Professor-"

"Oh please, call me William," he laughs.

"None of this is necessary! Chaining me up, taking my sister. If you just let her go-"

"Chuck, listen to me," Ellie says sternly, meeting my eyes. "Even I know that these people can't be trusted, and I try to stay as far away from this stuff as possible. You can't give them what they want. Dad wouldn't want you to. More people will get hurt than me if you do it!"

"Take her away," William waves his hand impatiently. Ellie's guard turns her towards the door to leave.

"Wait, no!" I shout, starting forward again, only to be stopped by the chain. "Please, don't hurt her!"

"Will you make me an Intersect, Mr. Bartowski?"

"I-I already told you. I don't know how-"

Without warning, William slaps Ellie in the face, so forcefully that her head moves with his hand. I leap to her aid, this time falling to the ground with the momentum against my restraints. "Don't you touch her!" I growl, getting to my knees.

"Then give me what I want," my captor says angrily before opening the door and pushing the guard and Ellie out. "Oh and Chuck?" William stops before following them, turning to look at me coldly. "You have two weeks." With that he slams the door shut, leaving me alone on the floor.

I rise to my feet, looking about the room. Sure enough, there are cameras in every corner of the ceiling. The large desk is neatly organized. A large, very expensive and high-tech computer that in any other situation I would love to get my hands on sits to the left of the swivel chair. Other wires and computer chips sit in neat drawers, which I pull out and expect. There's a file filled with papers about numerous events and agencies, no doubt just waiting to be typed up into an Intersect. I sink down into the chair. At least it's comfortable.

Panic begins to set in - and not for the first time. I have no clue where I am. It seems like I was transported from different cars many different times. I don't even know if it is the same day that it was when I went on the computer job. Boy, do I wish we had sent someone else. Then they would just slam the door in their face and leave them be. Or they would question them about me...The thought makes me shudder. I wouldn't even wish with that on Jeff or Lester.

William wants me to build him an Intersect...But I don't even know where to begin. There is so much material here. I can't imagine how Dad ever did it. And how am I going to stay alive if I can't give them what they want? How am I possibly going to protect Ellie?

Ellie. Those goons took her away and I have no idea where she is. They could be hurting her, or questioning her about top secret things that of course she won't know. Tears threaten my eyes at the thought of harm coming to Ellie because of this. This is why Dad wanted me to stay away from the spy life. This is why he took the Intersect out of my head, and responded so badly when I put it back in. This is why Sarah had such a hard time opening up to me. Because friends, family, memories, and emotions are a weakness in the spy life. Open up to someone; let them in, and the next day they could get a bullet to the head.

I can't stop the tears now. I have never been good at protecting myself from emotions. I wipe the salty water from my cheeks, holding my face in my hands.

What have I gotten myself into?