Don't own Chuck
Yasmin was walking through the manor house heading for her father's room to check on his condition when her phone rang telling her she had received a message. The text was short 'target eliminated' and attached was the photo of Aziz's corpse. She smiled then went back to her phone directory menu then pressed speed dial 'Assassin for Hire'.
"I just got you message Anubis. Do you feel like making some more money? … Good, I have a man who is going to deliver a package in Tangier. I need for him to drop off the package then disappear forever. … Of course first class, I'll cover all expenses. There are a few complications, I don't know the man's name nor do I know what he looks like I just know he's going to drop off a package at the Bab el Assa in three days. I'll send you all the information I have. He can lead the wrong people here and to my father's organization. I can't afford that especially right now. … Like before message me when it's done. … Yes it's nice doing business with a professional."
Yasmin continued on until she reached her father's door. She paused then took the doorknob in her hand and walked in. She was greeted by two Bulgarian nurses who started to leave as she entered.
"Wait has there been any change in my father's condition?"
"None, I'm sorry," said the one nurse.
"Thank you, you may go now," Yasmin said as she dismissed them.
Yasmin stood at the foot of her father's bed as he lay silent and immobile as machines took care of all his bodily functions.
"Evening father I think I'm going to feel a little sad when I have to kill those two, but we can't have witnesses now can we. Well, I'm back and I brought the American Doctor with me. He'll help you, help us to complete our mission and kill every one of those NATO pigs for what they did to my sister." But Yasmin's father didn't say a word, she wasn't even sure if he heard her in his medically induced coma.
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Sarah pushed the call button for the elevator standing in front of the doors with Sam in her stroller. When the doors opened she pushed Sam in then press the button for her floor. Once inside she took Sam out and held her close. She looked down at her as she looked back with her big bright green eyes that seemed to marvel at everything and everyone. Sam reached up and caressed her face. Sarah wondered if she had ever been like that.
"I love you, Sam. You're my precious baby and no matter what happens I'll always love you. The life your father and I live is not safe but we make it safe for other mothers and fathers. I know you can't understand me but I hope one day you will," then Sarah kissed her as her eyes started to well up. "Mommy loves you this is all you need to know," Sarah said as she held Sam tight.
The doors opened and a voice announced the floor. She pushed the stroller ahead of her then she stepped out and stopped to wipe her eyes before heading back down the hall to their suite. She punched in her key card and the door clicked as it opened up and she pushed the door open with the stroller.
"Here let me help you," said Casey as he took the stroller from her. "I didn't expect you two back so soon."
"Mary talked Ellie into taking Clara for some ice cream downstairs in the snack bar and I felt guilty about leaving you two up here to work so I brought Sam up with me. She wants to help so what's going on?"
"Hey, am I glad to see my two favourite girls in the world," said Chuck as he got up and kissed Sam on the forehead and then kissed Sarah. "Boy do you look beautiful."
"You're not so bad yourself, Sweetie."
"Yuck," grunted Casey, "you were saying Chuck."
"Yuck," repeated Sam giggling.
"Yes, I was just explaining to Casey that in order to access Aziz's laptop we need to solve two riddles. I tried to bypass the password protection but there's a bug in the EEPROMS plus the hard drive is computer keyed which means if I try to move it to another computer is auto formats. I could probably get around all this but I'd need time and hardware I don't have. To make it even more menacing look at this," Chuck said as he turned the laptop towards her and on the screen was an image of a Sphinx.
"That does look rather ominous. So what are the riddles?"
Chuck took the cursor and pressed on the Sphinx and he read aloud the text that appeared on the screen. "Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?"
"I know this," said Sarah, "this was the Oedipus riddle a Sphinx guarded the gates of Thebes and strangled and devoured anyone who couldn't answer its riddle."
"I bet that made it a popular vacation spot, probably number one of Club Med."
"Then what's the answer," grunted Casey, "you know you're starting to sound like Chuck."
"Wow sarcasm what a surprise or should I take that as a compliment?"
"The answer is Man— we start off crawling on all fours as a baby, then we walk on two feet as adults, and then we use a cane when we get old."
"Let's see," said Chuck as he typed in man and it accepted it. "Okay here's the second riddle. There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?"
"I'm sorry I haven't got a clue," said Sarah.
"Come on one of you flash," said Casey. They were studying the riddle when they heard the women come in the other suite and Ellie walked over.
"Hey guys, Sarah told me what happened, any luck finding leads?" Chuck was a little worried about how his sister was getting comfortable with his spy life. The last thing he needed was for her to get sucked in too.
"We're trying to access this computer and we have to answer two riddles. Sarah solved the first."
"It was simple," she said and she explained the Oedipus myth and the riddle.
"So what's the second riddle," asked Ellie and Chuck read it again.
"That's easy, it's day and night, hemera and nyx both words are feminine in Greek," said Ellie as everyone stared at her. "What? I took class in Greek to help me with medical terminology."
"Rubik's cube Sis, you just Rubik's cubed us," said Chuck as he typed in her answer and the splash screen came on.
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Late evening Devon heard someone outside his door then he heard the key turn in the lock followed by a knock. The door slowly opened and a servant boy came in waving for Devon to follow him when he was slow to respond the boy came over and took Devon by the hand and lead him out. Standing outside his door with a large gun was one of the men he recognized from the Land Rover.
"Hey dude, you know all that standing is murder on your calves and knees you should really ask someone for a chair." But the man responded with a grunt and shoved Devon along with his 47. "Hey what's up with that guy," Devon said but his little companion tugged him along. As they walked down the stairs Devon looked back up to see the same man standing now at the top looking down at him.
"Devon I hope everything in your room was to your liking," said Yasmin who was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. "Razib, I'll take the Doctor," Yasmin said in Arabic and the boy bowed then left. "Please follow me," she said as she led him into a large room but much like the rest of the house it was sparsely furnished. Sitting in a plush arm chair was a Middle Eastern man in a dark suit wearing a dark Fez.
"Good evening," the man said with a thick accent, "Doctor Woodcomb, my name is Doctor Wadì nice to meet you." The man said as he extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you I guess," said Devon trying to be polite as they shook hands.
"Have you had a chance to look over my patient's charts? I'd like to know what you think."
"Well, I'll leave you two to talk shop while I go check on our dinner," said Yasmin as she left closing two sliding doors behind her that sealed off the sitting room.
"So please sit next to me and tell me what you think," said Dr. Wadì pointing to the armchair next to his. As Devon sat down there was a knock on the door and the same little servant came in bringing in a tray with a tea pot and two glasses with fresh mint inside. Awesome got up immediately and took the tray from the boy and put it on a small table between Dr. Wadì and himself. Devon noticed the boy was more than a little embarrassed and nervous.
"You stole his job," explained the Doctor. "The boy is a servant and this was his task to do but you did it for him. Now he's afraid he's in trouble."
"No, that's not what I meant. I mean I wouldn't want him to get into trouble because of me."
Dr. Wadì sent the boy away after telling him something he couldn't understand. The boy seemed even more nervous after that and then left as fast as he could.
"Come on, I thought child labor was against United Nations regulations that boy should be in school learning to become a doctor one day not being treat like, well you know what I mean."
"Like a slave, you wanted to say how very judgemental. Would it be better if he were in the middle of the street like the rest of his family feeding off table scrapes left by some western conglomerate waiting to strip mine his town?"
"That wouldn't be right either but hey the boy has a brain and he has a right to education."
"We could sit here all evening and debate social mores, western imperialism but I'm more interested in your opinion about my plan for the treatment of my patient."
"I saw your attempt to stabilize the patient failed but that didn't surprise me given his medical history this guy is hating life."
"Here," said Dr. Wadì as he handed Devon a glass of tea, "it really needs to be drunk hot. Take a moment to smell it, like this," he said as he fanned it to his nose. "Now slow sips, tell me that isn't good."
"You're right this is about the best tea I've had. But getting back to your patient, I see why you put him in a coma. Right now his heart can't take any additional stress. The old ticker is a time bomb ready to explode."
"You don't know how right you are Dr. Woodcomb, sorry, please go ahead."
"I agree that a transplant is the way to go even though he has a lot of contraindications including the fact that he's a heavy smoker and his pulmonary vascular resistance was less than 2 Wood units along with the fact that he's no spring chicken he's over the sixty-five year limit. However, all these are indicators not hard and fast rules."
"So what are you saying Doctor?"
"If you want him to live I don't see any other way but to do a transplant but you have to realize he could die on the table or as a result of one of the myriad of things that could go wrong starting from: bleeding from suture lines, hyperacute rejection, allograft vascular disease, psychiatric disturbances from steroid therapy, cardiac rejection, and not to mention infection. If we do this operation here, I hope there's a sterile operating room and a proper ICU for post op care."
"I can assure you everything you've mention has been thought about and proper precautions have been taken."
"Well I hope so but I don't know how it is here but in the States this man would be on the bottom of the list for a heart. There are just too many risk factors and the supply is so few. Then to try and find a match you'd have better odds at the crap table."
"Again that has been taken care of a poor widow has donated the heart of her poor dead son to my patient."
"You're telling me you bought it," said Devon as his conscience tugged at him.
"I think this is something you needn't bother yourself with. I would suggest thinking about your wife and daughter and how as soon as all this is done you'll be back home with them."
Devon was appalled that this man could call himself a doctor let alone practice medicine. He wanted to ask him what oath he took or if he had attend the Josef Mengele School of Medicine but he considered his position and held his tongue for now.
"This will be a two man show. Are you going to assist me?"
"I wish I could but my age and unsteady hands preclude that. No, Miss Yasmin has Dr. Zamir coming in to assist you. I think she told you he's the one that mentioned your name?"
"Yes, she did and I hope I get a chance to properly thank him," said Devon as he was thinking about a good swift kick. "How soon before he gets here? I don't think we can wait around much longer."
"He should be here in a couple of days. He has some urgent business to take care of in Tangier but even if my patient's heart gives out his life support equipment should be able to keep him alive until Dr. Zamir arrives."
"For Mr. Tazi's sake I hope so," said Devon. Doctor Wadì thought 'and for yours too.'
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Yasmin gathered outside in the courtyard three of her own personal guards. Actually they were her sister's ex-personal guards before the American missile attack that took her out. Yasmin had always told Fatima that she liked the limelight too much and that someday she'd pay the price. Better in the shadows where she could come and go, working behind the scenes exacting retribution to those who had done her wrong. The truth is they didn't have to guilty of anything she only had to perceive that they'd done her a wrong and they made her list and it was long.
"I want you three to go to Tangier and find Dr. Mustafa Zamir he'll be at the Bab El Assa after noontime pray in two days. A man will hand him a package you are not to interfere with the drop or what happens afterwards other than to grab Zamir and the package making sure both of them get here safely."
Yaida, Amina and Salina all three told Yasmin they understood then got into a Land Rover and disappeared into the night. Yasmin walked back inside knocked on the study door then walked in.
"Gentlemen I hope you've ironed out everything. If you two will please follow me dinner is ready to be served. I hope you like Moroccan food, Devon."
"I'll try anything once," said Awesome. Afterwards he wished he'd never said that, sheep eyes and goats' private parts might be a delicacy in some parts of the world but they definitely weren't in Burbank at least not in Echo Park.
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Now with complete access to Aziz's computer Chuck browsed through messages sent and there he found one that informed a YT that there was a drop in Tangier in three days. Chuck had a hunch that the 'T' stood for Tazi which would be Fatima's sister. He was sure of this seeing as there were no other files that seemed to deal with the future and this mysterious YT was mention also in messages sent back and forth between Aziz and Abrim. YT was identified as a buyer of medical goods.
"This is what got Aziz killed," said Chuck as he turned the computer to Casey and Sarah. "He knew too much about this YT. I think the 'T' is for Tazi and when she found out we took down Abrim she started covering her trail. There's a drop mention in Tangier and we need to be there. But to do this we're going to need the whole team I've already sent a message for Morgan and Alex to come and to bring Emma and Molly."
"I wish you'd talked to me about this I don't know if it is such a good idea to bring everyone to Tangier that place is worse than here and the drop is going down in the Medina."
"Yeah Chuck I think we can take care of this ourselves without getting the bearded wonder involved. Remember the last time he helped what happened."
"I do Casey and I know how much you care about Morgan." Casey grunted as Chuck continued. "But I think he's learnt his lesson, it's time we all move on and I know you're concerned for Alex the same as Sarah is worried about Emma and Molly but I'm not bringing them to Tangier. We're packing up tomorrow morning and heading to Gibraltar as soon as I talk with Cole Barker. I've already texted him a message and he's supposed to call me back with confirmation. I've asked him to pull a few strings with MI6 to get us free access and clearance."
"Why Gibraltar," asked Sarah.
"Casey tracked a number of phone calls between Aziz and burner phones in Cadiz so if the drop is in Tangier there are three ferry routes that this person can take and I plan on covering all three on the day of the drop. We'll divide up with Casey and my mother taking the one from Algeciras while Morgan and Alex will take the one from Gibraltar. That leaves the one from Tarifa which we will cover. Casey I don't think our guy will use the one from Gibraltar because he'd have to transport whatever it is from Spanish to English territory then to Moroccan. It would be too risky."
"What if he's already there in Tangier," said Sarah.
"That's a possibility and why we have to time it so we all meet up at the Bab El Assa by the drop time. Casey you and my Mom need to try and get there early and set up a sniper perch in the Casbah," said Chuck when his phone rang, it was Cole.
"Hey, Cole do I have a green light? Super I appreciate … Sure I'll tell her she's standing right next to me or would you like to talk to her she's right here with our daughter. … Okay I'll pass her. Here it's Cole, he has some news to pass on." Sarah took his phone and began laughing then walked into the other room.
"What is it?" asked Casey starting to feel like the little fat boy who always gets picked last.
"I'll let Sarah tell you. I think you're going to be surprised and happy." Chuck and Casey were still going over Chuck's plan when Sarah came back in handing Chuck back his phone.
"Well John looks like you're going to have to keep the clovers covered Carina and Cole are getting married. We're all invited to their engagement party, time and place to be determined.
"I knew you two were contagious."
"What's going on between you and Gertrude," asked Sarah but both their heads turned when they overheard Chuck on the phone.
"Can I speak with Stefan Metrohken or Anatoly Mikhailovich," he said in Russian. "Who is calling? Tell whoever I speak to that it is Juri Sheshenko, spasiba."
