Chuck and Sarah vs. the Ex, Chapter 4
Disclaimer: Insert boilerplate disclaimer here.
Unknown room, Unknown building, Unknown city, Unknown time
"Excellent work. I'll pass on the intel. We may be able to strike them sooner than planned."
Jill was about to return to Chuck when one of the Fulcrum operators began furiously punching keys on his laptop. She walked over to him.
"Something wrong, Thompson," she asked.
"Maybe. I just got a tip that an order from high up in Washington went out to L.A. area utilities and cell companies. I'm talking way up, National Command Authority level. Whoa, there it goes. Power and cell service are down." A diesel generator automatically kicked in and they noticed only a brief flash of the lights. "And now, power's back up."
Jill tried to find a reason for the short, intentional power outage. "Why would they cut the electricity and cell systems like that? It was only a few seconds."
"You say that guy in there is the Intersect?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, if he's really that important, then it's possible they could have tagged him."
"He was searched and his phone was boxed up. We didn't find any trackers. And the RACJAM is functioning properly."
Thompson thought for a moment. "Back when I was doing R and D for the Science and Technology Directorate, I saw plans for a prototype tracker. It was a tiny, frequency-hopping bastard, to be implanted under the skin."
Jill countered. "Something that small can't put out a signal strong enough to track from orbit. The range wouldn't be that far."
"Right, the range on the prototype was a kilometer or two. But what if they were able to boost that range? Enough to be picked up from within the atmosphere?"
"The Global Hawk?"
"That would be my guess. There would be a small time window when the tracker changed frequencies and the RACJAM adapted. There's plenty of extra space on a Global Hawk for a tracker receiver. Maybe they killed the power to cut down on the noise."
Jill ran a hand through her hair as she contemplated the possibilities. She had only begun to mine Chuck's mind for information. Considering the ease with which he compromised his handlers and confessed to being one of two Intersects, she didn't envision having to go beyond level three to get it all. The schmuck was poorly equipped to be playing this game. However, underestimating her enemy could be fatal. She paced back and forth several times before deciding.
Stepping up on a chair, she put two fingers into her mouth and whistled.
"Listen up! Our location may have been compromised. Shut down the operation and execute the contingency dispersal plan. Assume all our primary safe houses are burned. In the interim, you're all to stay in quiet mode. Lay low and do not initiate communications of any kind. I will take the Intersect, assess the situation, and contact you with instructions. Let's get out of here in ten minutes!"
The operators immediately began packing up their gear. Jill walked back over to Thompson.
"Any chance you can get back in the Global Hawk? I'd like to see what's going on from up high."
"I tried. Our former comrades figured out how I got in and shut down access. They're watching every signal carefully now."
"It was worth a shot."
Jill turned to walk away when Thompson suddenly yelled, "Wait!"
"What?"
"It looks like another National Command Authority order just went out to local air traffic controllers. They are designating two swaths of prohibited airspace over Monterey Park."
"Two? What else are they sending in?"
"I don't know, but it doesn't make sense to have two Global Hawks orbiting the same area."
"You think they would send an armed drone over a populated area," Jill asked
"If that guy is the Intersect, sure."
She began pacing again, while holding her hand over her mouth.
"Can you gain control of a Predator or Reaper?"
"The security protocols are totally different between the three UAV's. They found my backdoor to the Global Hawk, and the Predator is pretty robust. Since the Reaper is newer and more complex, there are some backdoors I can exploit. Want me to try now?"
"Not yet. Run simulations for now, but don't show your hand. We may need an ace card later."
"I'll get to work," he replied. "Hopefully, it is a Reaper and not a manned aircraft."
Jill turned to return to Chuck when a thought occurred to her. Maybe she could double down her bet.
"Thompson, do we have any clean laptops?"
Pointing to the end of the table, "Sure, there's a bunch over there. Why?"
"I have an idea. Give me a blank DVD."
Abandoned retail center; Monterey Park, 11:53pm on a weekday
Sarah and Casey cleared several rooms in the dark. The store they were in used to sell TV's only, but was driven out of business by the growth of Buy More and other similar chains. There was one room left to clear. Situated along one of the walls, it was the analog of the Buy More home theater room. There were two windows which were covered by black cloth or paper.
Several minutes earlier than expected, the TAC teams radioed Casey that they had established a perimeter and saw no signs of the enemy. He ordered half of them to enter the building and perform a more thorough search.
As several TAC team members approached from behind, Casey snaked a fiber optic camera under the door to the theater room but didn't see any people, or traps. They executed a tactical entry of the room and cleared it, finding nothing but a single table with a laptop and disc on top.
"Clear," Sarah yelled. "Let's get some lights in here." After confirming that the switches weren't booby-trapped, the entire store was bathed in fluorescent light.
Sarah and Casey approached the laptop on the table. An ordinance disposal expert checked the laptop and declared it safe. Casey opened it causing it to wake from sleep mode. Sarah picked up the disc which had a post-it attached that read 'Play Me.'
The TAC team left the room to search for evidence, leaving the two agents alone. After sharing an anxious look, Sarah handed Casey the disc which he inserted. A video began to play.
Sarah gasped loudly as her hand flew to cover her mouth.
The video showed Chuck in considerable distress, strapped down to a metal chair. A cannula was taped to his left arm and he seemed to be under the influence of some drugs. His eyes were watery and his muscles tense, as he struggled against his restraints to no avail. What affected Sarah so deeply was the total look of fear in his eyes. She had never seen him look that way, though she had induced the same look in many others. Chuck, where are you?!
Casey's jaw clenched as he too recognized the fear emanating from Chuck. The same fear that he had also caused in so many others. A female off camera was asking questions.
"Is your name Charles Bartowski?"
"You already know my name."
With that, Chuck shut his eyes and winced. Sarah stood motionless, struggling to keep watching, unable to look away.
Casey looked at Sarah. Despite his sympathy for her and Chuck, a tiny part of him felt like saying 'I told you so!' This was why it was bad form to get involved with people outside their little circle. When spies slept with spies, they all understood the rules. They knew that any one of them could disappear tomorrow. Civilians could never understand. Casey instantly felt guilty about his thought.
"They look like they're using physiological response drugs on him. The more he resists, the more he hurts. I think there're six levels of drugs."
Sarah didn't respond as the video continued.
"Let's try again. Is your name Charles Bartowski?"
"Yes!"
"Did you attend Stanford University until you were expelled for cheating?"
"Yes."
"Do you still think about me?"
"Yes."
Sarah finally removed her hand from over her mouth. "Who the hell is this bitch and how does Chuck know her?!"
"Are you the human Intersect?"
The agents tensed. Their biggest secret, the one they had fought so hard to protect was about to be exposed.
Chuck's eyes flared with anger for an instant before the pain overcame his senses. They could see him fighting as hard as he could. His jaw was locked tight as he struggled. Sarah willed him to hold out. C'mon Chuck…
A female hand entered the camera's view, shaking a vial.
"Level two."
My god, Sarah thought. There are six levels.
They saw the back of the female as she suddenly jumped into Chuck's face and screamed.
"Are you the human Intersect?!"
They heard the beeping from Chuck's heart monitor speed up. C'mon Chuck… they both willed.
With his eyes looking like they were about to pop out, he finally screamed.
"Yes! Yes!"
"Fuck," Sarah said softly.
"How did you come to possess the Intersect?"
Chuck seemed to have lost the will to fight.
"Bryce sent it to me. After he destroyed the Alpha Intersect."
"Fuck," Casey yelled.
"Do you still love me?"
"No."
Sarah's head jerked back in surprise. "Do you still love me? Who has Chuck loved? There's only one woman he loved…"
"Who do you love?"
Chuck's eyes regained their fire as he began to fight again. Despite herself, Sarah felt a rush of adrenaline at the prospect of his answer. As much as she wanted him to fight his torturer, she also wanted to hear him say her name. Chuck continued to hold out as his level of pain obviously increased. He finally gave in.
"Sarah! I love Sarah Walker!"
Sarah gasped as her hand flew back to cover her mouth and the tears began to flow. She had longed to hear him say those words. It would be the first time in her life that someone had said it and meant it. She half-expected him to have said it this very night, in his bedroom.
Casey looked sympathetically at her. Bad form or not, nobody should have to experience this. He resolved to find this bitch who was torturing the Intersect and rip her throat out.
The female circled Chuck, but her face stayed out of sight.
"Hmm, Sarah. Is that the name of your blonde handler?"
"Yes." This time blood accompanied the answer from his mouth.
"Who does she work for?"
"CIA."
"What is your other handler's name?"
"John Casey."
"Who does he work for?"
"NSA."
"Are you sleeping with John or Sarah?"
"No."
"Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood. Does the government secretly have another Intersect?"
Sarah couldn't contain her anger and frustration. "Who the fuck is this sadistic bitch?! I'm going to tear her apart!"
"Whoever she is, she and Fulcrum know a whole lot."
Chuck tried to resist but was visibly weakened from his earlier ordeal.
"Chuck, you're still fighting. I guess we'll have to take a step up the ladder."
"No, no, please…"
Sarah's heart broke as she saw Chuck pleading. Her tears were streaming down her cheeks.
They watched his torturer inject the level two drug. Casey twitched at the thought of what Chuck was experiencing. Sarah was getting close to losing control.
"If level one felt like tiny little ants, level two takes away the ants and replaces them with big nasty scorpions. And don't worry; these drugs will keep you conscious."
Chuck stopped blinking as he entered a new realm of pain. His heart monitor sped up dramatically.
"Does the government secretly have another Intersect?"
They could see his wrists turn red against the restraints. He only held out for a few seconds.
"Yes!"
Saliva and blood mixed and began to drip from his mouth to his shirt. Sarah's anger was replaced by abject worry. Instead of thinking about killing the bitch on camera, she hoped that Chuck was actually still alive. And that they didn't have to watch him die on camera.
"Where is the other Intersect?"
"I don't know. They won't tell me."
"Do you know where Bryce Larkin is?"
"I don't know."
"What is he working on?"
"Taking down Fulcrum."
"That son of a bitch!"
"Yes, he is."
Sarah yelled, "She knows Bryce! It has to be her! She's the only one it could be!"
The female on camera filled a syringe with another liquid and approached Chuck.
"No...more…please."
"Mother Fu…" Casey stopped short as the video went dark.
The face of Chuck's abductor suddenly appeared on the video. She was an attractive Caucasian female with straight brown hair, and large, dark brown eyes. Sarah and Casey instantly detected the coldness in her stare.
"In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm the ex-girlfriend. Chuck and I have decided to get back together. It's true love, you see. Sarah, if you're watching this, it never would have worked out between you two. Chuck has never gotten over me and so he can't really love you. It's such a shame you two never got a chance to sleep together. I gotta say, Chuck may be a dork, but he can take care of business in bed. I guess you'll never find out though. Since I'm so far ahead of you feds in this game, I've decided to throw you a bone. And in case you haven't figured it out, the name is Jill, bitch. Enjoy."
A slideshow of images of file folders and papers began cycling on the screen. Sarah and Casey couldn't see the details of the files.
Casey was confused. "What the hell is this? Why would she let us know what she knows, then leave incriminating files?"
Sarah didn't respond. She distantly heard Casey speaking.
"Walker!"
She finally snapped out of her shock.
"What!?"
"What the hell is going on here? Why would she show us the interrogation video and leave what could be useful files?"
Sarah could only memorize Jill's face as it burned into her memory. She was going to take her down no matter what. Jill would never be safe anywhere.
"I don't know. It makes no sense to leave this here for us if she has a head start. Why jeopardize that?"
They continued to look at the files cycling through the screen. They didn't see any reason for leaving them this presentation.
"Casey, how long have we been here?"
He checked his watch. "Watching this video? At least ten minutes and counting."
"Shit, she's stalling us! The video was bait! She's got us just standing around here!"
Casey immediately got on his radio. "Evacuate the building! Evacuate the building!"
They sprinted out of the room and were following the TAC team members out to the exit when they heard a whistle that kept growing louder. Two seconds later, they saw a flash and heard a tremendous bang. They experienced weightlessness as they were lifted off their feet before losing consciousness.
Gulfstream G550; somewhere over Kentucky, 3:39am on a weekday
Nikki Johnson and Agents Lee and Vazquez had gone over the preliminary reports of Chuck's abduction. The operation had Fulcrum's fingerprints all over it. Nikki had looked at a lot of intel and had flashed a few times. She came up with the locations of a few Fulcrum safe houses in the L.A. area, the names and dossiers of some Fulcrum operators, and some information about a KGB truth serum. Nothing more concrete. Her head was beginning to hurt and she contemplated taking a short nap. She noticed the agents were wearing down too.
She reclined her seat as her eyes began to droop when the large video screen in the front of the cabin suddenly came alive with the Department of Defense logo. Agent Vazquez tapped a button on her armrest and the faces of Director Graham and General Beckman appeared on a split screen. At this hour, they looked justifiably weary, but there was something else. Nikki and the agents expected to hear some bad news.
General Beckman began. "Approximately thirty minutes ago, Agents Walker and Casey followed up a lead on Bartowski's possible location. They traced him to a closed retail store in Monterey Park. Several TAC teams were deployed as well to provide backup. Fulcrum set the store up as a trap and used our own resources against us, again."
Director Graham continued. "Even though we eliminated the vulnerability in our Global Hawk, Fulcrum was able to gain access to an armed Reaper that was providing air support…" He stopped short, as if in shock. He cleared his throat and resumed.
"Fulcrum took control of the Reaper and targeted the Global Hawk with a Hellfire missile. It damaged the drone, forcing it to return to Edwards. They then targeted the store where Agents Walker and Casey were, along with the TAC teams. The Reaper dropped two two-hundred-fifty pound SDB's on the building, demolishing it. We're trying to assess casualties at the moment, but it's likely that we lost a lot."
"Have Agents Walker and Casey been accounted for," Agent Lee asked.
"Not at this time."
General Beckman stepped in. "Lee and Vazquez, if Walker and Casey are unable to lead this operation, you will take charge when you land in L.A. We don't know if Bartowski has been compromised, but it's highly likely. If you cannot rescue him quickly, you are to terminate him. We still have one Intersect in our possession. The more time that elapses, the greater the risk Bartowski's knowledge poses to us. We will contact you when we receive more information. Carry on."