Sorry it's taken me so long to update. But without further adieu…. PS, side note, I'm probably upping the rating on this one too.
One
Semper Fidelis
"Well, Agent Walker," Chuck sat as he sat opposite Sarah on the private jet. "Do you mind telling us exactly what we're up against with Gorzev?"
Sarah settled in her chair and crossed her legs. "Of course. But shouldn't we wait for Agent Fitzroy?"
On cue, Agent Fitzroy appeared lugging two very heavy looking duffel bags.
"Pardon my tardiness, Agents Bartowski, Larkin. Going up against a Russian terrorist cell, one never knows what to expect so I brought almost one of each weapon from the armory."
Bryce shrugged. "No problem, Fitz," he said sitting down beside Chuck. "As long as you get here before takeoff."
Fitzroy sat down the duffels which made a thump when they hit the floor. "And who do we have here?" he asked as he noticed Sarah.
"Fitz, this is Special Agent Sarah Walker," Chuck began the introduction.
"Sarah, this is…"
"Fitzroy. Stanley Fitzroy. It means 'son of the king'," he said as he eagerly shook Sarah's hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Agent Walker. I've heard a great deal."
Sarah fought back an amused smile. "It's very nice to meet you too, Agent Fitzroy."
The shorter man smiled giddily. "Well, I better go prep the weapons." Picking up the duffels, he sauntered off to the back of the plane.
"Is he…always like that?" Sarah asked once he was out of earshot.
Chuck and Bryce glanced at each other. "Pretty much."
"And what exactly does he do?"
"Well, he's our personal assistant. He maintains all of our gear, builds most of our weapons and gadgets, and writes and logs most of our mission reports. He's probably recording this conversation now."
"Wow, what did you two do to get that? I can barely snag a vacation."
Bryce laughed. "Well you see, Chuck here has friends in high places. His parents are…well, legends."
"Really, legends?" Sarah seemed mildly skeptical.
"Frost and Orion."
Her ocean blue eyes went wide. "Frost and Orion? Wow, they really are legends. Trying to live up to those names?"
Chuck shrugged. "I doubt I ever could. They've done so much."
"From what I hear, you're already making a name for yourself…Golden Boy, is it?"
Chuck's cheeks colored faintly and then shrugged. "That's nothing."
Bryce smiled at Sarah. "He says he'll call himself that when he feels he's earned it."
One of Sarah's eyebrows rose. "Really? And when will you have earned it?"
Chuck thought for a moment. "If I stop Al Quaeda, then I'll have earned it."
Sarah smiled, mildly impressed at the level of expectation Chuck held himself to. It was something she'd only seen in herself.
"Well, I guess then all those stories are true."
Chuck smiled. "Some have been embellished. Which have you heard?"
"Budapest, Italy, Romania and a friend of mine was absolutely blown away by Namibia. Did you really take out that guy with a rubber band?"
Chuck shrugged. "It was nothing."
Bryce rolled his eyes. "He doesn't believe in selling himself. But it was awesome. He literally strangled him with a rubber band."
"Well, I'm only as good as my team," Chuck said looking at Bryce. "And I've got the best."
"How long have you been working together?"
"Since forever," Bryce stated. "We've been friends since college, recruited together, trained together. Chuck runs point…"
"And Bryce watches my back."
Fitzroy walked in. "They always say that," he said with a fond smile, before heading back to the head.
Sarah smiled. "It must be nice to have a partner you trust so implicitly."
"It is. I don't trust anyone else as much as I do Bryce. I wouldn't want anyone else watching my back. Didn't you ever have a partner like that?"
"I did…she's a DEA agent. Carina."
Chuck laughed and Bryce turned bright red. "Yeah, we know her," Bryce said staring into his glass of whiskey.
"Bryce better than most," Chuck said, not being able to resist teasing his friend.
"Oh, I know all about that, Agent Larkin. You've got quite the reputation too, you know."
Bryce looked up. "Really? What have you heard?"
"That you get around. But I guess everyone knows that. Carina had a lot to say. Of course, she gets around herself."
"So I've heard," Bryce said with a small smile. "From more than one source."
"Bryce is definitely a ladies' man," Chuck agreed. "I try not to hold it against him."
Bryce, tired of being the butt of the jokes, sighed. "As much as I would to sit here and discuss the activity of my love life, we've got a mission to focus on. So Agent Walker, what can you tell us about Gorzev?"
Sarah sighed. "Well, anything you can think of, they've done it…twice. Everything from plots to take out Parliament to attempted kidnappings of Prince Albert. They're ruthless, cunning and hell-bent on world domination."
"But Nikolai Rokanova has diplomatic immunity?"
"He's a small-time Russian official, if he wasn't the head of a major terrorist cell, he would have no real authority or power. But he's the head of a major terrorist cell. He wields the power of fear with an iron fist."
Bryce grimaced. "So how do we end him?"
"Well for the last few months, I've been trying to find a weakness in the organization's defenses. And I think I've found it. The Gorzev base itself is actually the weakness. And since our orders are also to burn it to the ground, I think we can kill two birds with one stone. Or in this case, furnace."
"Furnace?"
Sarah nodded. "The base is a dilapidated warehouse on the outskirts of Moscow. It's purposely kept in bad shape to give the appearance that it's abandoned. The base's furnace is faulty. It's actually very hazardous. It's been scheduled to be replaced right after the weekly meeting."
Chuck looked up. "Weekly meeting?"
"Yeah, it's when Rokanova and the other very evil heads of Gorzev convene to discuss what nefarious plans they have in store. They have it once a week in their base. The furnace has been giving them a little trouble lately. So their planning on having it replaced right after this weekly meeting. Too bad none of them will make it out alive."
Chuck grinned. "We're gonna make it look like an accident. The whole place ought to light up like a Molotov cocktail."
"So, how are exactly are we gonna stage the explosion?" Bryce asked.
"Well, it's a rather simple set up. I have access to the base, so the day before the meeting, we'll simply rig the explosion. Then day of, I'll be arriving with my boss, Rokanova's right hand. I'm not allowed in the meeting, of course. But once we're sure they're all inside, we'll blow it sky high."
"That actually does sound easy," Chuck commented, impressed with her plan.
"Yeah," Bryce agreed. "If it's so easy why you haven't done it already?"
Sarah's eyes narrowed. Was he accusing her of not doing her job?
"Well, Agent Larkin, it takes a moment to move up in the world of international crime rings," she said in a very cool tone.
Bryce colored slightly, chastised. "Agent Walker, I didn't mean to suggest…"
"Forgive him, Agent Walker," Chuck said coming to his friend's aide. "He doesn't know how to behave around a beautiful woman."
Sarah smiled. "I thought beautiful women were his specialty."
"Well, none as beautiful as you." Chuck turned bright red as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Sarah's jaw dropped slightly, not believing what he'd just said.
Before she could respond, the TV beeped on. Graham appeared. "Walker, a private word, please."
"Excuse me," she said walking to the head to talk to her boss.
Once she was out of earshot Bryce couldn't resist teasing Chuck. "Smooth."
"Oh, shut the fuck up. You're the one that pissed her off. But she seems very professional. She definitely takes what she does seriously."
"Remind you of anyone?" Bryce asked.
Chuck rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm just hoping all goes well with this mission. If the stories I've heard about Gorzev are true…well we better keep our guards up."
Bryce couldn't help but agree with that.
Meanwhile, Graham and Sarah were having a colorful conversation. "Do you like it so far, Sarah?"
"You mean Agents Larkin and Bartowski? They seem like an excellent team, more than competent to handle the assignment."
Graham smiled. "Good. I'm glad you approve. Believe me, they're one of my best teams. I know how highly sensitive this mission is. So I'm glad to hear things are running smoothly."
"Of course, sir. Was that all?"
"Actually, no. I've a small task to ask of you. Throughout this mission, I'd like you to pay close attention to Agent Bartowski's actions and give me a report."
Sarah's eyebrows furrowed. "Sir, I thought that was Agent Fitzroy's job."
"Generally it is, but he's been working with Larkin and Bartowski for years now. I'd be surprised if a small amount of bias hadn't affected his reports. After all, Chuck has saved his Fitzroy's life three times already. You're an impartial third party. Your report would be invaluable. And it's top priority with the Director."
"Well, of course, sir. It shouldn't be a problem. If I may, sir, why are Agent Bartowski's actions top priority with the Director?"
Graham smiled. "That information, Agent Walker, I'm afraid is above your pay-grade. I'll expect your report as soon as you're back stateside."
With that the monitor clicked off, leaving Sarah to wonder just who Special Agent Charles Bartowski really was.
Moscow, Russia
Romanov Square
"Is it ever, ever warm here?" Bryce asked as he stood, shivering and frostbitten on a Moscow rooftop.
Chuck, over his comm laughed. "What, you're getting sick of international espionage?" He was driving a white Rolls Royce through the frozen streets of Moscow.
"No, just sick of goddamn, frost-bitten, desolated Russia."
"Can't say I disagree with that," Sarah chimed in. "So the sooner we get this mission over with, the better." She sat in the back of the Rolls, praying that this would be the last time she saw Russia for a while.
Fitzroy joined Bryce on the rooftop. "Where are we?" he said, grabbing a pair of binoculars and looking intently at the rooftop across from them.
Bryce shrugged from behind his binoculars. "Recon. Trying to get a clear view of the base. In case things get hot, Walker wants me on the rooftop, with a sniper rifle."
Fitzroy grinned. "Well, she's rather proficient, is she not?"
Bryce laughed, before turning his comm off. "Yeah, she's…something."
Fitzroy look thoughtfully at Bryce for a moment. "She must've figured out that you're the better sniper."
"Chuck told her that. Said I see the best from far away."
"Well, leave it to him to talk you up. Where is he, anyway?"
"With Sarah, driving her around on her various duties for Rokanova Industries. His cover is her new driver. We're supposed to meet for lunch and talk about the plan in Sarah's apartment."
Fitzroy nodded. "Good, because I brought all the choice explosives, the ones I designed myself."
"Well then, we better not be late for the rendezvous. I don't think Agent Walker would like that very much."
Bryce was racking his brain on how to impress her. Was she the type that liked to be lavished in expensive presents? Could he sweep her off her feet with some colossal, grand gesture?
He didn't know. she was a tough one to read. Still, he knew if he was his usually charming self, it was only a matter time before she was his.
Still, he wished he could get a moment alone with her, a chance to show her what he was about.
Bryce was suddenly alarmed; no woman had ever attracted him this much. He had never wanted to be near someone this much.
What the hell is wrong with me? I shouldn't be thinking about her this much. I just met her. And all I can do is think of ways to try and get next to her. There's just something about her, something about her that makes me want to rush to see her. I've got to make her mine.
Meanwhile, Sarah and Chuck had arrived at the apartment she'd been living in, right in the heart of Moscow. Chuck whistled as he looked up at the luxurious apartment building from inside the car.
"Guess working for Bad Guys R Us does have its perks," he commented.
Sarah laughed, her first one in a while. "Yeah, I guess it does. It's funny, I'm hardly ever here. I never stop and think I'm staying in a penthouse."
He hopped out, and rushed to open the door for Sarah. When she got out, he fixed his eyes not to look at her legs, her never-ending, beyond gorgeous legs.
It didn't make sense for woman to be so utterly beautiful, but there she was. It literally stunned him. Pondering her perfection, he was at a lost for words. And that didn't happen too often.
But, if it at all possible, he was going to maintain his professionalism. So he made himself tear his eyes away from her legs and focus on her face. Not that looking at her face was a particularly hard task.
He held out his hand to help her from the car. "Thanks," she said with a smile. Chuck really was a gentleman. Sarah had never met too many of them. It was refreshing.
They grabbed their bags from the trunk and headed up to the apartment.
Maybe Chuck had just seen too many Russian penthouses, but they were all staring to look alike. The same dark, metallic color palette, imposing high ceilings, and minimalist furnishings.
It was all…very stark. Sarah clearly hadn't too much redecorating while she was occupying the space. With the exception of a goldfish tank, there was nothing remotely home-y about the place, not even a photograph.
Granted, when you were deep undercover, you really couldn't think about anything else but your cover and how to maintain it at all times.
But maybe it was because there was nothing to give him the slightest indication, he wondered with longing just who she was. Not the spy, but the person.
They put their bags down and shook off their many layers of clothing they'd been wearing to protect themselves from the frosty Siberian winds.
Chuck's observant eyes watched as Sarah went over to feed the fish almost as soon as her coat was off.
"What's its name?" he asked.
"Hmm?" she said turning to face him.
"The fish."
"Oh. His name is Goldie."
Chuck broke into a smile. "Well, it's certainly apt."
Sarah returned his smile. "I thought so."
They put their duffels on Sarah's couch and prepared to lock and load.
Chuck couldn't help but nod in respect as Sarah pulled out a Walther PPK. "A girl after my own heart."
Sarah looked up from her gun. "Hmm?"
"Walter PPK, same gun as Bond," he said as he pulled out his own Walther PPK and a PP9.
Sarah shrugged. "I didn't know. Bond has never been at the top of my list. I just like the firing power.
Chuck's eyebrows rose. "Well, I can't argue with that. Wait, Bond not at the top of your list? Not even Goldfinger?"
From the total lack of recognition on her face, Chuck could tell that Sarah didn't have a clue what he was talking about.
He chuckled. "Oh, my god," he said in disbelief. "We'll have to do something about that. Every seasoned spy should see all the Connery-era Bonds."
Sarah smiled. Chuck was funny, really funny. "Well, if you insist, Agent Bartowski."
"I very much insist, Agent Walker. Name the day and I will educate you completely in all things 007."
Sarah had never been one for hanging out with co-workers after hours. Personal lives should stay just that, personal. A lesson she'd learned when dealing with her old team, The CAT Squad, a joint CIA-NSA-DEA attack team that had dealt mainly with high powered drug rings.
But for some reason she didn't fully understand, she wanted to see more of Chuck. "I'd like that. After this mission, of course."
"Of course. Speaking of which, let's get this over with. Russian terrorist cells are not my favorites."
"Mine either. I've been looking at the view of the Kremlin for way too long now."
"Well, then by all means, let's get you home, Agent Walker."
Chuck and Sarah didn't realize how close they were standing to one another…not until there was a knock on the door.
Sarah was suddenly aware that she could feel Chuck's body heat. Her cheeks flushed ever so slightly.
"That's probably Fitz and Bryce," Chuck said, before clearing his throat.
"Right. I should…um, get that."
Sarah headed off to get the door, and Chuck silently cursed himself. He was on a mission, a seriously important mission. Was he flirting with Sarah?
He wasn't going to lie to himself, he was. He found it impossible not to. She was so…alluring, without even trying.
He couldn't help it, he wanted to know her. Wanted to know what made her tick, what made her smile. Who she was underneath the covers and the missions and the bloodshed.
Bryce and Fitz walked in, none the wiser of anything that had transpired. If Bryce knew Chuck, he was being totally professional.
Sarah wasn't Chuck's type. She was too hot, and definitely not a nerdy brunette. They all sat down around Sarah's coffee table.
Bryce smiled brightly at Sarah. "I hope you didn't find old Chuck here too boring."
Chuck and Sarah exchanged a glance. "Not at all," she told him. "Chuck has been…entertaining."
Fitz was carrying coffee for everyone. "Regular coffee, three creams, four sugars for Chuck. Mocha latte with a shot of espresso for Bryce. And for Agent Walker, Café Americano, no cream or sugar."
"Thank you, Fitz, but how did you know how I take my coffee?"
"I read your file."
Sarah's eyes widened and she shot a questioning glance at Chuck. Chuck shrugged and whispered that Fitz read everyone's file and that Sarah shouldn't feel special or creeped out.
Sarah suppressed a laugh. Bryce looked up and suddenly noticed that Chuck and Sarah looked awfully cozy.
But he quickly brushed that aside, Sarah wasn't Chuck's type. And he was positive that Chuck wasn't Sarah's.
Still, he needed something to give him an edge. He needed some serious time with her. No offense to Fitz, but the nerdy analyst really wasn't who he wanted to spend the majority of his time with.
Sarah took a small sip of coffee, and then pulled out a file from her briefcase. "Shall we get to business?" she said in an authoritative tone. She'd felt her guard going down a few moments ago.
Something about Chuck made her smile…more than she was used to. But she knew she needed to stay close to him, she had to write her report for Graham.
They all looked at her with intent eyes. This was her op after all; she was definitely in charge.
She held up a black and white surveillance photo of a middle-aged man with balding red hair and a sinister smile. "This is Nikolai Rokanova. He's evil, he rich and he's powerful. In fifteen years, he turned his small terrorist cell from a nuisance to a legitimate threat to national and global security. Polish Secret Service has been trying to nail him for the '09 Warsaw commuter train bombings. French Secret Service wants him for the Cannes Square fires. And I could go on and on. The point is the U.S. wants him very, very dead."
She held up another black and white surveillance photo. This one showed a man in his early thirties wearing dark glasses and looking extremely, extremely displeased. "This is Ivan Torakoff, Rokanova's right hand-man. He handles all the dirty work, anything from supplying detonators to dropping employees off fifty-foot buildings. For the past three months, I've been working for him. My cover is Claudia Avers. Trying to find a way to take out the leaders of Gorzev. With your help, I think I've finally found it."
Chuck nodded, suddenly thankful for the distraction of the mission. The feelings he felt around Sarah unnerved him. It wasn't the kind of thing he could indulge during a mission.
But once this mission was over with, who was to know where it would go, if it would go anywhere at all. But if he had anything to say about it, the end of the mission wouldn't be the last time he saw Special Agent Sarah Walker.
"What do you want us to do, Sarah? It's your call."
Sarah smiled at him. "Well, Fitz I'm sure you have something than can blow the place sky high, blaming it on the furnace?"
Fitz smiled. "Indeed I do, indeed I do." He held up a small object that resembled a penny. "This is the TR-56 incendiary device. I designed it myself. Had the clowns at DARPA fuming. It's the world's smallest explosive device. Place it anywhere near a power source, whether it be a wood burning fireplace, spilled lighter fluid, car batteries or a faulty furnace, and it will blow the whole thing to kingdom come. It's designed to erase all biological traces, and will obliterate itself in the process therefore leaving no evidence."
Sarah looked impressed. "All right, well that takes care of the explosion. Should we talk positions? Chuck?"
"All right, at exactly 11:45 a.m. tomorrow, I will escort Agent Walker and target number two to the Gorzev base of operations. Target number two will enter the building while Agent Walker and I wait outside in the Rolls. Bryce?"
"Agent Fitzroy and I will be on the opposite rooftop, with sniper rifles, waiting for word that all targets are in place? Fitz?"
"Once we receive word that all targets are in place, I will deploy the explosive device and blow the heads of Gorzev and their base sky high."
Sarah smiled. "Excellent work," she was genuinely impressed, and she didn't impress easily. "Fitzroy, I'll need you to accompany me to the Gorzev base tonight to rig up the explosion. Chuck, um can you hack into the Gorzev computer system from my laptop? It's wired into their mainframe."
"Sure," Chuck told her. "Computers are kind of my thing,"
"Good, I need you to be my eyes while Agent Fitzroy and I are in the building. It's normally empty at that time of night. But one can never be too careful when dealing with Gorzev. I also need the cameras blind."
"You got it."
"Great. Bryce, I'll need you driving the getaway van. We leave at 1300 tonight. So I'll see you all then."
With that, she stood, signaling the end of the meeting. They all rose right after her.
"Well, we better go check into Hilton Moscow," Bryce said. "I think I'll be Aaron Lockhart tonight."
"And I'll be Reese Ambrose," Chuck said. "I just gotta find that wallet."
The three men headed for the door. Sarah found herself alone in her apartment again. But for some reason, it had never seemed so empty.
Ivan Torakoff sipped a glass of vodka as his assistant, Ms. Claudia Avers, talked to him about the business of the day.
They had a new driver, introduced himself as Dimitri. He was tall, but quiet and seemed to mind his own business. If so, he was already a step up for the last one.
Ivan knew that this meeting was crucial; the safety of the entire Gorzev operation had been compromised. They were at risk, and all risks had to be neutralized.
It was a rainy, dreary morning in Moscow, the kind that Russians were all too used to.
"Mr. Torakoff," said Claudia. "We're here."
"So we are, Ms. Avers. So we are."
The man looked Sarah dead in the eye. "Ms. Avers, why don't you join me in the meeting? Your presence would only be enlightening, I'm sure."
"No," Fitz said through the comms. He and Bryce were on the opposite rooftop, looking into the base where the marks had started to assemble.
"She can't be in there," Bryce added.
Chuck, from his seat at the front of the car, met Sarah's eyes in the rearview mirror. The look in them said don't freak out.
"Of course, Mr. Torakoff," she said unclasping her seatbelt.
Chuck scurried out of the front seat to open the door for the two of them.
Torakoff didn't spare a glance in his direction, simply put on his dark glasses and entered the building.
Chuck extended his hand to Sarah to help her out of the car. "This isn't part of the plan," he whispered. "You shouldn't go in there."
"It's fine," she whispered back. "I'll make an excuse to step out. Then we'll make our exit. Just keep an ear open."
Sarah stepped past him, unafraid and undeterred. No matter what, she was going to complete this mission.
She could hear her team breathing deeply through her comm. They could all feel it: something was wrong. The best spies always said you could tell when the mission was about to head south.
You could feel it your bones, the imminent threat was building and you knew it.
But Sarah knew to keep her cool, and to keep her hand near her gun.
Outside, Chuck listened intently to the silence he heard through Sarah's comm. He wished someone would say something, so he'd know what his next move should be.
"Bryce, tell me you got her in your sights?"
"Affirmative, if it gets hot, I'll take them all out."
Chuck felt better for a moment, but that was short lived.
Two "Oh, shit"s rang in his ears.
"What, what is it?"
"The shades of the window closed. I don't have a line of sight," Bryce said angrily.
Chuck shook his head in frustration. "Shit." He turned his ears back to Sarah; all he could hear was footsteps.
Sarah told herself to remain calm and focused. There were thousands of reasons why Torakoff might want her in this meeting. It didn't mean she'd been compromised.
When they reached the right wing of the warehouse, Sarah swallowed slightly. They were all here, all the heads of Gorzev. They were all standing, silent as the grave. That wasn't a good thing. They were almost always chatting and plotting.
"Ah, Ivan, you're just in time," said Nikolai Rokanova. "And you brought Ms. Avers."
Sarah smiled and faced him. "Hello, Mr. Rokanova."
"Claudia Avers," Rokanova said, enunciating every syllable. "Or should I call you Sarah Walker, CIA assassin." Sarah heard the gasps in her comms, but she didn't flinch.
"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, please Agent Walker, don't insult my intelligence. It's beneath both of us. I must give you credit. You've gotten much closer to my little clique than any who came before you. That's something you should be proud of. A last accomplishment, if you will."
There were eleven men in the room and they had her surrounded. She'd had worse odds, but from her position she wasn't exactly sure how she was going to pull this one off.
Outside, her team was freaking out. "We've got to go," Bryce said frantically.
"That's ridiculous; we can't leave her in there. We have to help her."
"And then we all die? Chuck, she's been made. Her cover is so beyond blown. We have to get out of here. They're not going to let her go."
"They've got to," Chuck said, the thought of not seeing her again, suddenly unbearable. "I'm going in."
"What?" Bryce yelled. "They'll kill you too."
"I don't see the intelligence in that particular plan of action, Agent Bartowski," Fitzroy said. "The odds are not in your favor."
"I know, but they're they only odds I've got." Chuck thought for a moment, he thought about the predicament and the objective.
He reached for his sidearm, but then quickly grabbed his tranq gun.
After all, they wanted this to look like an accident. "Fitz, that penny bomb you planted, it's designed to eliminate all biological traces, right?"
Fitz assured him that it was. "Good. I'm going in."
He thought of all the warehouses he'd been in. They all had the same basic setup. He ran to the side of the building where he saw a rickety metal staircase that led to the roof.
He smiled and raced up the steps, loading his tranq gun. "It's going to get hot," he whispered to Sarah. "I'm coming for you."
Sarah, meanwhile, had been relieved of her gun and Ivan Torakoff was holding it directly in front of her face.
"What have you told your superiors, Agent Walker?" he hissed, his voice full of venom.
Sarah stayed silent. The Basque ETA hadn't gotten anything out of her, these clowns certainly wouldn't.
"Silence will not save your life," Rokanova yelled.
Sarah scoffed. Did they expect her to believe speaking would?
Meanwhile Chuck was on the roof opening the door that led to another staircase that led directly into the warehouse. He assessed the situation quickly.
Eleven terrorists, one had a gun to Sarah's head. He crouched behind a box that was on the staircase. Torakoff was standing closest to Sarah. The others had formed a semicircle behind him.
Chuck thought for a second. If he shot Torakoff first, if would only alert the ten other guys and then bullets would start flying and the chances of surviving would decrease immensely.
So he fired five tranqs into the backs of the five men on the outside of the circle. They dropped instantly. He took out two more guys before the other four turned around.
Torakoff's distraction was just what Sarah needed. While he was turned, she delivered a swift uppercut to his jaw, sending him flying to the ground. She grabbed her gun and pointed it directly at Rokanova's head.
He smiled darkly at her. "You are more resourceful than most," he commented as he aimed his gun at her.
Before either of them could get a shot off, a tranq hit Rokanova directly in the back of his head.
The last two remaining men fired their guns at the direction of the shot as Chuck ducked behind the cardboard boxes for cover. His tranq gun was empty.
They then turned around and lunged for Sarah, but as soon as they stopped firing their guns, Chuck fired his Walther PP9 twice.
The last leaders of the Gorzev terrorist cell fell. Chuck ran down the steps. "Sarah. Sarah, are you okay?" he asked.
Sarah looked up at him. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. That was all a bit anticlimactic."
Chuck sighed. "You think? Let's get the hell out of here."
Sarah touched her comm. "Fitzroy, Larkin, do you copy? Chuck and I are exiting the base. Prepare to detonate."
From their perch on the rooftop, Bryce and Fitz were amazed. Chuck had pulled it off…again.
"Another one for the Golden Boy," said Fitz as he typed furiously on his never-out-of-reach laptop.
"Yeah," Bryce said as he peered at the base through his binoculars. "Another one for the Golden Boy."
"Bryce, Fitz, do you copy?" Chuck repeated. "Prepare to detonate."
"Copy that," Fitz said as he picked up the detonator. "Have you got a visual on them?" he asked Bryce.
"Not yet, don't blow it 'til they're clear."
"Copy that."
Chuck grabbed Sarah's hand and they raced out of the warehouse. Bryce spotted them. "Fitz, light it up."
"With pleasure." Fitz picked up a small red button. "3, 2, and 1," he said right as he pushed it.
Bryce watched Sarah and Chuck hop into the Rolls as the warehouse exploded behind them. Part of him couldn't help but think that they looked like something out of a Bond flick.
The only problem with that was it wasn't him down there with Sarah.
On the plane ride back, everyone was busy writing down their reports for the mission. They would have a full debriefing with Graham when they got back to Virginia.
Sarah had two reports to write, the usual standard mission report and her special report of Agent Bartowski. That report, she knew, was going to be glowing.
He'd saved her life. He really was the one who'd ensured the success of the mission.
Sarah found herself believing that none of the stories about him had been embellished.
She really believed that they were all true. He was truly an amazing agent. He almost made her look like an amateur. Almost.
He was sitting on the other side of the plane, staring out the window. Apparently, he'd already finished his mission reports. She looked around. Fitz was at the head, doing something with the gear and Bryce was knocked out on a couch.
She looked at Chuck and wondered what really went on inside that head of his. Clearly, he was some kind of genius with the ability to see all the angles.
She walked over and sat in the seat next to him. Immediately noticing her, he took out his earphones. "I wanted to thank you," she began.
He looked like he honestly had no idea what she was talking about. "For what?"
"For what? For coming in there…you saved my life. I mean, you could've just blown the room. I would've been nothing but collateral damage."
"I don't believe in collateral damage. You're an officer of the CIA. Furthermore, you're a member of my team, which makes you invaluable. So you don't have to thank me. It's my job." He smiled at her, and she could feel her heart beginning to pound.
"Still, I appreciate it. You're…you're good. A good operative, and that's probably an understatement."
He smiled again. "Well, that means a lot, especially coming from Graham's wild-card enforcer."
Bryce shifted in his sleep, causing both spies to look over at him. "You're lucky to have a partner like him, one who's known you so long. Otherwise, I doubt you could keep one."
Chuck's brows furrowed. "Why not?"
"Because most spies would get really, really sick of having such an amazing partner. It'd be terribly annoying having someone who always gets everything done perfectly. It would only underscore everything they're not."
"Huh. I never really thought about that. I only do my job to the best of my ability. Anything less is unacceptable. And I never, ever leave people behind."
"Always faithful, huh?"
"I prefer semper fidelis."
Sarah sighed softly, all Chuck could think that it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. He fought the urge to kiss her. Their faces were so close; it wouldn't have been that hard. He looked down at her lips, then back into her eyes.
Slowly, his face inched closer to hers. And then their phones buzzed.
They pulled apart, instantly shaken out of their reverie and back into reality. They reached for their phones.
"Graham wants us at Langley first thing," Chuck said.
"Yeah, we should get some sleep, then." Sarah scurried back to the other side of the plane, trying to ignore the feeling that the temperature had just risen about a thousand degrees.
CIA HEADQUARTERS
Langley, Virginia
"Excellent work yet again," Graham told the four seasoned agents. "Your track record only gets more and more impressive."
"Thank you sir." They were all sitting in Graham's office, for their debriefing. Graham was particularly impressed on Chuck managed to save Agent Walker's life.
"And a special commendation to you, Agent Bartowski. Glad to see you didn't leave one of my best agents in the cold."
Bryce fought an eye roll. They all got it. Chuck was amazing. They all fucking got it. He was still unsettled by what he'd seen between Chuck and Sarah the night before.
They were on the plane, chatting like new friends. No, like new lovers. It irked him to no end. He wanted Sarah. Every time he was around her, all he could think about was what she looked like under her clothes.
He couldn't help it. She attracted him. She bewitched him. And he was determined to have her.
"Now, to the official business. Agent Walker, now that you're long-term assignment inside of Gorzev is complete, I'm sure you're wondering what you're doing next."
Sarah admitted that she had been wondering about her newest assignment. She was also wondering why Graham hadn't dismissed the other agents.
"Well, for the time being, I'm placing you with Bartowski and Larkin. Your work in Moscow clearly shows you're an excellent addition to the team. That is, if they don't mind having you."
He looked at Bartowski and Larkin. "Of course, not sir," they said unanimously.
"Good. But I'm sure you all could all use a little downtime after such a harrowing mission. So how about a week's leave? Recuperate a little."
"I never say no to time off, Director," Bryce said with a smile.
"That, I know, Agent Larkin. Dismissed."
The four agents filed out of Graham's office and Fitzroy quickly disappeared to go work on new weapons' designs.
Sarah turned to Bryce and Chuck. "So I guess I'm stuck with you boys for now."
Chuck smiled. "Well, we don't mind accommodating you, Agent Walker."
Sarah drove back to the house in Virginia Beach that she shared with Carina. The two friends were hardly ever there at the same time, both usually being extremely busy with their missions.
The house was seaside, located on top of a hilltop. Sarah couldn't call it home. It was just the place she put her head down when she wasn't on a mission.
But after three months in the frozen tundra of Moscow, the warm costal air seemed like just what she needed.
She parked her Porsche in the drive and then spotted Carina's red Lamborghini. Sarah smiled, listening to one of Carina's crazy stories was probably just what she needed to decompress after Moscow.
Her thoughts went back to Chuck, how brave and valiant he'd been. It went against everything in the CIA handbook to go up against eleven bad guys solo just for the life of one agent. But he had done it, and he'd done it for her.
The moment Sarah stepped inside, her ears were met with the sounds of loud moaning and thrashing. She rolled her eyes. Carina was still Carina.
And then suddenly there was a loud gasp, followed by a quick snap which Sarah recognized as the sound of a neck being broken.
Moments later, Carina appeared in the hallway dressed in nothing but a pink lace negligee, dragging a rather tall and recently deadened man to the backdoor.
"Walker?" she said in surprise. She dropped the man's leg and rushed over to hug her. "Oh, god, you're finally out of that Russian hellhole?"
"Yeah, I am," Sarah said as she embraced her old friend.
"It's great to see you."
"You too. Who's the stiff?"
"Oh him. He's the leader of a local drug ring with ties to the Mexican cartel. Well, he was anyway. Help me throw him the ocean. Then we'll catch up."
Once the aforementioned stiff was swimming with the fishes, they sat down at their kitchen table for a cup of coffee.
"Well, I know you're happy to be out of the Kremlin's view. How long was that mission?"
"Three months, two weeks, and five days," Sarah said with a sigh. "I'm so glad to be out of there. And we took out all of eleven heads of Gorzev."
"In one swoop?" Carina looked impressed. "Wait, who's we?"
"Oh, um me and the team that came in to assist me."
There was something in the inflection of Sarah's tone that made Carina raise an eyebrow. "Anybody I know?"
"Yeah, you know them. Larkin and Bartowski."
Carina's eyes widened. "Wow. Last I heard they were still in Italy. How is old Bryce, these days?"
"He's good."
"So what was it like working with the Dynamic Duo?"
Sarah cocked her head thoughtfully. "It was really interesting. I see why they have their gleaming rep. I mean, Chuck. Chuck is an amazing operative."
"Hmm. I've never heard you give anyone that much praise. What, did he save your life or something?"
Sarah's shy smile was answer enough. "Of course he did. That's Chuck; he somehow always manages to pull it all off."
"Yeah, it was almost surreal, watching him in action. I heard he was good. I just didn't think he was that good."
"God, Walker. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you like him."
Sarah shook her head emphatically. "I do not. I was merely giving my professional opinion."
"Uh-huh," Carina said with a knowing smirk. "Well, Chuck is quite the charmer. Something about those brown eyes makes a lot of girls swoon."
"Really? Because I thought his eyes were more amber than brown."
Carina shot Sarah a WTF glare. "Oh, you've got it bad. I don't even believe this. Well, you aim high. I must give you that."
"I do not, I do not have it bad," Sarah protested.
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Walker. But it's not a bad thing. It's about time you got back out there."
"Please, Carina, I do not have time for romance or anything like it."
"Sarah, I know for a fact that you haven't had sex since you dated that FBI 2x4 two years ago. Considering that he was a 2x4, I almost positive it's been longer since you've had remotely good sex. No I'm absolutely positive considering that you've never had a…"
"Carina, I get it, thank you. You're making me regret I told you that. But are you forgetting that right after I broke up with the 2x4, I went into deep cover for six months in Morocco? And it's been mission after mission since. I haven't had time."
"Well now you do. Don't make me call up Chuck and get him and Bryce over here."
"You don't have to do that. I've been assigned to their team."
"You mean you're going to see him again?"
"In an official capacity, yes I am."
Carina's blue eyes lit up. "Ok, you know what? I don't have to do anything. I am just going to sit back and watch this all play out. 40 bucks says you'll be sleeping with him before the end of the year."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Oh, please I am not going to bet on this."
"What, scared you'll lose?"
Sarah knew she shouldn't play Carina's game. But she just wanted to wipe that smug look off her face. "Make it 50, and you're on."
"Deal. And when I win, I want details, exact details."
"How can you possibly be so sure? For all I know, Chuck is taken."
Carina shook her head. "Oh, but he's not. Okay, there are a lot of spies, and I do mean a lot, that are trying to get to him. None have succeeded. But you, Sarah? Oh how could he resist?"
With that Carina sauntered off to change clothes, leaving Sarah to wonder just what being a part of their team would mean.
August 2006
300 miles south of Istanbul, Turkey
"Well, this is a mess," Fitz said darkly.
"You think?" Bryce said as he stared at the massive hole that was quickly filling with dust and dirt and rocks. Lots and lots of rocks.
Where precisely this mission had gone wrong, none of them could possibly say. It was supposed to be a routine terrorist cell bust, the kind of thing they'd grown accustomed to doing.
It seemed all the Dynamic Duo needed to reach complete and total job perfection was a woman's touch. In the four months since Sarah had joined the team, missions seemed to go even smoother than before.
Mission after mission completed, target after target eliminated, they were virtually unstoppable. It pleased the Powers That Be greatly. Chuck was clearly living up to all the expectations people had for him.
Graham was proud that his agents were doing so well, but he could tell that something was growing between Agent Walker and Agent Bartowski. He didn't know how to label it. An attraction. An interest.
He wasn't the only one to notice it. Fitzroy noticed it, but said nothing. Carina noticed it, and teased Sarah relentlessly. Bryce noticed it, and ignored it. Said everyone was crazy for thinking that. Chuck had a thing for brunettes.
Some believed Bryce was right. After all, he knew Chuck very well, and had been working with both of them for months. And neither one of them ever made a move.
Chuck was honest with himself about his feelings. He knew he was in love with Sarah. Every time he was around her, his pulse raced, his heart started pounding and he couldn't help but smile.
Still, something held him back from saying anything. Chuck had never been afraid of anything. But what if she didn't feel the same way? He honestly didn't believe he could handle that.
Sarah, on the other hand, admitted that Chuck was sweet, funny, charming and an excellent operative and dear friend. But other than that, she would admit nothing.
Not to herself or anyone else. Her intimate feelings were her business. Not that she had intimate feelings for Chuck, because she didn't. And anyone who thought otherwise was sorely mistaken.
At least, that's what she told herself.
But at present, neither of them was thinking about the emotional nuances or non-emotional nuances that existed between them. They were mostly concerned with getting out alive.
The terrorist cell they were after, Luz, had most of its money hidden in a series of caves in Istanbul. Their plan had been simple, put a bomb in the caves and blow everything up.
But even the best laid plans of mice and men go awry. This one certainly had.
None of them had bothered to take into account how brittle and thin the rocky terrain on top of the caves was.
So when Fitz had detonated the blast, the ground right under where Chuck and Sarah were standing caved in and they were literally sucked down into parts unknown.
The only reason they were immediately obliterated by the tons and tons of rock, dirt and debris that came crashing down over them was because they landed in a fork of the cave, a point where all the other caves met and diverged.
And that was the only good news. They were trapped on all sides and another cave in would most likely send them to their graves.
Chuck and Sarah slowly rose to their feet, coughing and hacking, covered in dust and sand. "Are you all right?" he asked as he helped her to her feet.
Sarah steadied herself. "I think so." She had bruises and she ached all over, but she was alive. And right now, that was something to be said.
She grabbed her flashlight from utility belt. "Oh, God, we're trapped," she said as the light peered nothing but rock all around. "How far do you think we fell?"
Chuck shook his head. "It's kind of hard to say. At the least, fifteen or twenty feet, but it's probably more." He tapped the comm in his ear. "Bryce, Bryce do you copy?"
"Chuck? Chuck, man, is that you? You guys all right?" The connection was filled with static, making it hard for either of them to make out what the other was saying.
"We're alive, not seriously hurt," Chuck yelled.
"Good, good. Okay, just sit tight, we will get you…" Bryce's voice faded into nothing but static.
"Bryce? Bryce? Comm went out. But he heard me. Told us to sit tight."
Sarah scoffed. "Like we have a choice."
Chuck pulled out his flashlight as well, assessing the situation. "All right, well as long as there isn't another cave-in we should be fine. I mean, we can breathe down here…for now. Which means air is circulating. We've got our canteens."
He reached for his with his other arm and immediately winced in pain. "Ow!"
Sarah turned her flashlight on him. "Your arm is bleeding. You better let me help you with that. I hope our lanterns aren't busted 'cause we can't exactly start a fire down here."
Sarah rifled in her backpack, she found that everything had been tossed around but nothing was broken. Even her lantern was still intact. She lit the kerosene, thankful for the light.
Chuck sat down on the ground beside her, trying to get a better look at his bleeding arm. "Take your shirt off. That gash looks pretty deep."
Chuck did as he was instructed and Sarah rifled through the first-aid kit in her bag. She tried not to think that she'd never seen Chuck shirtless before. And it certainly looked like she'd been missing something.
Focus on the blood, not on his chest or his arms, she chided herself. She reached for an alcohol wipe to clean the wound She realized she'd never touched his bare skin before, other than his hands.
He couldn't help but watch her as she prepared to nurse his wounds. "Hold still. This might sting a bit."
He only winced slightly when the wipe came in contact with his skin, his eyed fixed on her.
"Sorry," she told him as she reached for a bandage. She placed it over the gash. "That should do for now."
"Will I live?" he asked her.
She smiled. "I think the odds are in your favor."
He returned her smile warmly. Sarah knew if she stared into his eyes for too long she was definitely going to kiss him.
And then the unstable earth around them shook a little, and dust and dirt fell. They backed up against the cave wall, trying to shield themselves from it.
It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to rattle their nerves.
"Shit, this is a mess," Sarah muttered as she put the first-aid kit away.
"Sarah, we'll be fine. We're gonna get out of here. Fitz made the tracking devices in our watches extra strong. They could find us at the bottom of the ocean," Chuck said as he put his shirt back on. "We just gotta keep our minds occupied." He grabbed the lantern from his pack. "So tell me, what was your worst mission?"
"Tell me you have them, Fitz?" Bryce asked as he stood topside, trying to figure out his next move.
Fitz looked intently as his tracking equipment. "Their watches have them 26 feet below our shoes. Can you get them through the comm?"
"No, all I get is static. Ok, how long is it going to take to dig them out?"
Fitz shrugged. "We can't risk blowing the cave until we're down there at least 18 feet. It's going to take the bulldozer at least 6 hours to get down that far."
"This is FUBAR."
"FUBAR, Bryce?"
"Fucked up beyond all recognition," Bryce explained.
"Ah, my sentiments exactly," Fitz said. "Look for now, all we can do: dig and pray that they'll be okay."
Bryce thought for a moment and realized that Fitz was right. He picked up his radio to call the nearest CIA station. "Bring a bulldozer. Matter of fact, bring two."
The first hour went by with talks of missions, best and worst. The most memorable and the craziest.
"Wait, so Bryce really had to dress up like a chicken?" Sarah couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"That was the only way he was going to seduce the Intel out of her. The woman had a thing for guys in chicken suits. We flipped a coin, he lost. I've found that super baddies are usually into some very odd kinks."
"I'm sure Bryce just loved that."
"Usually, he loves seduction missions. But he was pissed about that one for weeks."
"Ok, so what's your craziest seduction?"
Chuck turned bright red. "Mine? Well, mine involves Cannes, the daughter of an arms dealer and my mother."
Sarah's eyes widened. "Your mother? That had to be interesting."
"Indeed, it was. So okay you know the French arms dealer Gilles Firmin? Well his daughter, Ariane, she frequents the Cannes Film Festival every year. And right after, always right after the Festival she goes and has a meeting with her father. And Firmin hardly ever comes out in public, but he does, for the meeting with his daughter."
"And you had to seduce her to figure out the location?"
"Yeah, the only thing was I wasn't supposed to be on that mission. I was actually off work and in my hometown. An agent under my mother's charge was supposed to handle it. But his ex, who's an ATF agent, poisoned him so my mother asked me to fill in. Which was fine, I didn't care. But everything got interesting once I realized I was actually going to have to seduce Ariane with my mother listening."
"Your mother didn't take her comm out?"
Chuck shook his head. "She did not, she did not. Not when I was buying her a drink, not when she was telling me about her favorite painting and not when we were in her hotel room. And not when…well you get the idea."
"I do. Well that's definitely one not to tell the grandkids."
Chuck laughed. "Agreed. It's one of the downsides of having family in the espionage game."
"You're lucky to have them, you know. And that you can actually discuss what you do for a living with them. My family…well they're not CIA agents." Sarah sniffled a little sadly. "I said I'd call my mom when I got home."
"And you will," Chuck told her firmly. "First call you make."
"Chuck, you really think that we're gonna…"
"I do. Nothing's going to happen to you, Sarah. That's a promise. And I don't do broken promises."
She smiled and then shook her head thoughtfully. "I can honestly believe that you've never broken a promise. What is it about you that's just so convincing? You say it and it's as good as done."
He chuckled. "I never promise anything I can't guarantee. But I've been in much worse situations than this. Belgium was much worse than this."
Sarah laughed. "I seriously doubt it, but thanks."
"No, I'm being totally serious. The horrors Bryce and I experienced in Belgium left me scarred for life. I mean between the five-star hotels with the staff that waited on us hand and foot, day and night, and the gaudy, incessant amount of beluga caviar we inhaled…I still have nightmares."
Sarah couldn't stop herself from laughing. "Oh god, how did you possibly endure it?"
Chuck mock grimaced. "I really, really don't know. Our training really was not sufficient for that level of horror."
"God, I haven't been to Belgium since The CAT squad was going after that slumlord."
Chuck sighed. "Belgium. I prefer it over Amsterdam, which is like Bryce's favorite city in the world."
Sarah laughed again. "That, I can believe." She looked at her watch. "How long do you think we're gonna be down here?"
"I'd say at least a couple of hours, but we'll be fine."
Sarah knew he was trying to reassure her, but the odds were stacked against them.
Their team would have to dig them out and any shifting could cause another cave-in which would most likely bury them alive. But all they could do was hope.
"Yeah," she told him. "Only a couple of hours."
"Where is the fucking bulldozer?" Bryce yelled at a totally incompetent CIA agent.
The agent, some young hotshot named Marsh, was clearly taken aback. He'd heard that Agent Larkin had a temper, but this was just over the top.
"As I said, Agent Larkin, the bulldozer will be here momentarily. But are we even sure this course of action is wise? Your team is probably dead by now."
Fitzroy rolled his eyes. He knew what was coming next. Bryce whipped out his Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol and held it to Marsh's neck.
"I will end you if you say that again. Nod if you understand."
Marsh nodded slowly, all too aware of the steel pressed against his Adam's apple.
"Now here's what you going to do," Bryce said, his voice deathly serious. "You're going to get the bulldozers here, in less than ten minutes. You're going to get some thermal scanners down here in less than five, so we can search for body heat, and you're going to do it…NOW."
Bryce released the petrified agent who quickly took off running and yelling orders into his phone.
"Goddamn rookies," Bryce muttered with disgust. By now, it had been three hours. The midday sun was relentless…and it did little to settle his nerves.
He was supposed to have Chuck's back. Not that Chuck even needed backup. The Wonder Boy should've been able to dig himself out of any situation, pun intended.
And now here he was, trying to figure out this situation, trying to think like a Team Leader, trying to think like Chuck. What would Chuck do?
If it was me, Chuck wouldn't give up; he wouldn't back down until he knew I was safe. That's exactly what I'm going to do.
Meanwhile, 26 feet underground, the two trapped agents were doing their best to stay distracted, and not focused on the fact that they were still trapped.
But five hours in and counting, their challenge was becoming more and more daunting. "Hey, you never told me your craziest seduction," Chuck said as he took a small sip of his canteen. He tried not to drink much, knowing they needed to be conservative.
Sarah shrugged thoughtfully. "My last one was like three years ago. And it was…less than memorable. Most of my assignments are deep cover."
Chuck's eyes widened at that. "Your last seduction was three years ago?" an edge of incredulity in his voice.
Sarah nodded. "Why is that hard to believe?"
Chuck hesitated at first. "Well…because…you're, you know…frigging gorgeous."
Sarah lowered her head to hide her smile. "Thanks," she said her voice a whisper. "But Graham has always assigned to me very serious, assignments, often long term."
"He seems rather protective of you."
Sarah shrugged. "He's had charge of me for a very long time." She paused for a long moment, suddenly thoughtful. "His birthday is coming up. I bought him a snow globe. He collects them."
Chuck was surprised. He never thought of his exacting, perfectionist boss having a life outside of Langley. Clearly he did, and clearly Sarah was privy to it.
"Graham collects snow globes?"
Sarah nodded. "Don't tell him I told you."
"Wait, you know Graham's birthday?"
She nodded again. "One night a long time ago, when he came to get me the day after I graduated Harvard. I told him he already knew everything about me and if he wanted me to trust him, he had to tell me one thing about him that was true. Just one. And he knew that I'd know if he was lying. So he told me his birthday. And he swore on the flag that he had told me the truth. Who the hell swears on the flag? But every year, I don't wish him happy birthday or anything. I just buy him a gift. I put it on his desk we don't speak of it. After almost a decade of me briefing him and him debriefing me I realized that he has a whole row of snow globes on the fireplace in his mantle. So I bought him one."
Chuck thought for a moment, Graham did have snow globes, he had just never taken a moment to notice it. He sighed, mostly to himself. "Well, the moment we get back to D.C., you'll give it to him."
Sarah smiled, despite the fact that their situation was getting worse and worse by the moment. "No one ever told me you were an optimist."
He shrugged. "Usually, I'm not. I'm a realist, but you seem to bring out my optimistic side."
"Chuck, I can't tell you how much I've loved working with you," she said softly and he could hear the resignation in her voice.
He looked at her, his eyes searching hers. "You're talking like we're not going to see each other after tonight. Like I said, I'm a realist, Sarah. And we're getting out of here. No questions."
He put his hand on her shoulder. "I don't do broken promises."
The hours passed as they discussed their experiences at The Farm, experiences with fellow agents and whether or not they believed the long-circulating rumor that Graham and Condoleezza Rice were having a fling.
But the moment came when words ran dry and the fatigue started setting in.
"God, I'm so tired," Sarah sighed. "What, it's been like eight hours? It must be almost ten at night."
"Yeah, 9:37 to be exact. It's probably going to be another half hour at most."
"Chuck, what if they think we're dead?"
Chuck shrugged. "Bryce doesn't give up. He's the most determined son of a bitch you'll ever meet. He's coming for us, don't worry."
Sarah nodded, even though with every passing moment, she felt less and less sure. But her mind wasn't conditioned for such disquieting thoughts.
She found herself drifting into an uneasy sleep, and suddenly Chuck's shoulder was the softest pillow she'd ever rested her head on.
Chuck didn't mind, he suppressed the urge to wrap his arm around her. Some missions, he knew, required letting the mark come to you. Besides, he was too tired to move much.
It wasn't long before his eyes closed, and he was too exhausted to fight it.
A rumble shook them awake, and they woke with a start, alert and searching for danger.
Their underground prison shifted and shook, dust fell and flew everywhere. As the rocks cracked and crunched, Chuck, for the first time, entertained the notion that he just might meet his Maker.
And then the unstable Earth was silent again, too silent to be comforting.
Chuck spoke first. "Tell me something," he said in an effort to be distracting. "Tell me something you don't tell people. Ever."
Sarah shrugged. "I've never had an orgasm."
Chuck's eyes widened then his mouth opened in a small circle. He couldn't tell if she was joking or serious.
"Are you…are you serious?"
Sarah let out a breathy chuckle. "Yeah," she admitted with a resigned shrug.
"Never?" Chuck couldn't believe this.
"Never."
Part of him wanted to laugh, part of him couldn't believe that no one had ever pleasured this beautiful woman to the point of release.
"The only person I ever told was Carina."
"Interesting choice," Chuck said, a hint of humor creeping into his voice.
Sarah laughed. "I know. Believe me, I know."
The ground began shaking again. Louder. Faster. Scarier.
Sarah reached out for Chuck's hand. "Your turn," she yelled over the thunderous boom of shifting rock and gravel. "Tell me something, anything, just so I know."
Chuck looked away from their shaky surroundings and stared into Sarah's beautiful oceanic eyes. "Just so you know…just so you know. Just so you know…I love you."
Sarah eyes widened and she found herself looking for a smile, a sign of humor, but all she saw was truth and something else in Chuck's eyes.
And then his lips crashed onto hers, as the world crashed in around them.
Please Review. XOXO.
