Don't own Chuck

Early the next morning at the mercenary camp, Mad Max got up to hear the sounds of Elmo and Big Bird talking. At first he thought he was hearing things or maybe the rotgut they drank the night before had been cut with Formaldehyde but then he heard some of his men laughing. What the… he thought as he rolled out of his cot to go investigate. When he came outside he found that Killer had connected a monitor to the sat feed and his men were sitting around watching Sesame Street.

"What the Sam Hill is going on here?" said Mad looking around. "I hope someone is still on watch or are you guys too busy?"

"Mike's posted on the ridge and we were just chilling. The new guy was working getting the feeds up so we were just testing it out. No harm, no foul Max chill."

"Killer, it's almost time. I need you to hack into this Satellite," said Max as he handed him the coordinates of a next gen Sat with access codes.

"Sure but you realize this is an NSA Satellite which makes this a federal offense and you, we could go to prison for this," said Lester as everyone laughed.

"I think we can deal with that. Now unless you want to join Oscar in the trash can you'd better hurry up. It's almost time, so stop screwing around."

"Screwing around, I would hardly call what I'm doing screwing around," said Lester as he worked on the keyboard entering code.

"Then what would you call it?" said Max standing over the top of him. Lester could feel his breath down his back.

"Okay technically I could see how you might call it screwing around," said Lester as Max started to growl. "You know I used to work with guy who did that a lot." Max cracked his knuckles behind the back of his head. "He used to do that too. Okay I'm in. Now what?"

"I need for you to zoom in on these GPS coordinates and start recording," said Max as he handing Lester another piece of scrap paper.

"Orange is the next black but why are all those people in orange jump suits? Is this some sort of stalking? Your old lady doing time or are you doing a prison reality? You doing a remake of Caged Heat?"

"Shut up," said Mad as he slapped Lester on the back of the head making a loud pop as his head bobbed forward.

"This guy, I worked with used to do that too, ouch. Be careful to the hair, you know some people have told me I've got this Tony Manero thing going on."

"Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much? Okay you can switch it off," said Max as he rewound the recorded image and began playing it back but he was having little luck. Soon he was cursing the machine shaking the monitor.

"Hey treat the machine with respect and she'll be nice to you," said Lester as he pulled up a chair next to Max. "Let someone who's had years of experience training under one of the best stalkers in the U.S. or if I dare say the world, try for you.," he said as he cracked his kunckles. "Ouch! How do you do that… Never mind, you're trying to zoom in but you didn't compensate for your pixel dispersion a rookie error," he said as Max growled. "Right, so if we try refreshing the ratio, there you can count the hairs on her arm. Kind of reminds me of someone I knew in a sort of existential way," said Lester as Max took out a notebook and began writing.

"You did good work Killer," said Mad as he slapped him again on the back.

'If this keeps up,' Lester thought, 'I'm going to die of whiplash.'

"Listen up folk change of plans," said Max, "looks like your crazy friend jumped for no reason. Bring Mike in and call into the city we need transportation into Las Vegas. This is going down there the day after tomorrow so we're going to need to set up."

"Good, a few hands at the poker tables I'm feeling lucky," said one of the men. "Not mention the babes on the strip."

"Absolutely not, we staying low and keeping our heads down until after this is over then we're across the border. If I catch anyone screwing around you just dealt yourself double eights and double aces. You got it. Game faces on."

"Double eights and double aces?" asked Lester to one of the Merks next to him. "I don't understand?"

"It's the dead man's hand. He was saying if he caught us screwing around he'd kill us," said the man. "What kind of Merk are you?"

"The Canadian kind."

"Killer, come here," said Mad as he met him halfway. "Here take this and study it." He handed him the schematics labeled the Lloyd D. George Federal District Courthouse Las Vegas, Nevada.

"What am I looking for," asked Lester wondering how he was going to get himself out of this. Maybe he could sneak away in Las Vegas.

"I need for you to hack into the building security feeds and shut down the lower gates to the entrance and exit ramps then put the whole building in lock down. I need for you to do that so don't let me down."

"Sure but I really should look the building over first," said Lester wondering if this could be his golden opportunity.

"See we're thinking the same way, I like that. When we hit town you're with me, we'll case the building together. Like I said before your key to this mission so you're not leaving my sight."

"That will make going to the bathroom and taking a shower a little awkward," said Lester laughing but Max wasn't.

"Says who," said Mad as he put his hand on Lester's knee.

"Oh momma!" he exclaimed in a high pitched voice.

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Chuck, Sarah and Casey were sitting at their kitchen table looking over all of Jeff's files Chuck recovered after he hacked into the police database. Before he got out he made sure to cancel and delete all references to 'Chuck the spy' and 'Sarah, his old lady' that Jeff had given. Now they were sifting through the files about how he was found in the middle of nowhere and what seemed a related case of a missing Park Ranger. There was a knock at their door then Ellie and Awesome came in.

"Ellie where's Sam, you were watching her? And where's Clara?" said Sarah looking up and not seeing them come in with them.

"They're in the courtyard playing but you guys ducked out and missed seeing Jeff swallow a whole turkey leg. Not a pretty sight."

"I've seen him do worse," said Chuck as he pushed his folder to the middle of the table then went to get the coffee pot filling everyone's cup.

"Thanks," said Sarah. "Ellie, Devon you want some?" They both nodded as they pulled up seats. Sarah got them cups then Chuck poured. Afterwards he put on another pot. This looked like it was going to take longer than they thought.

"Looks like you guys have been busy? Police documents I don't think I want to know how you got them. So Chuck I suppose you want to hear what I found out. You know that I have Doctor patient confidentiality so I can't tell you anything he told me that might infringe on that." Casey began to grunt and crack his knuckles.

"John," said Chuck. "Listen I'm not asking you to tell me anything he said. I want you to give me your medical opinion. I've got a police report about him right here that says he was and I quote 'really out of it', police jargon. So I need to know can we trust anything he's said or is it a drug induced fantasy.

"Well first of all I don't think he ate peyote brownies. I think he ate dried peyote buds that he thought were brownies. That would explain why his high has lasted for so long but how he got them down I have no idea? Peyote is very bitter and most of the time the first time user throws up before they get any affect," said Devon as everyone stared at him. "That's what I've been told. I don't understand how he survived a dose that massive."

"I think his body had built up a tolerance after years of abuse. But that doesn't tell me if I can believe what he's said."

"I think we have to look at the big picture and not get caught up in the details," said Sarah. "He was found wandering around lost in Death Valley. We should go there tomorrow and talk with that Chief Ranger that's mention then look at where they picked him up. They didn't have an intersect to look over the site so they could've missing something. I read somewhere…" said Sarah as she turned pages. "Yes here the Rangers asked for the State Police to send in a CSI unit but I don't see a report of their preliminary findings."

"Sarah's right, we need to drive out there tomorrow. It's a five hour drive which makes ten round trip, maybe we ought to spend the night. We could take the Airstream and campout for the night and come back the day after tomorrow."

"I can't go," said Casey. My cover job is calling and your friend Morgan will have a fit if we both abandon him on Black Friday. Besides we can provide support from Castle and I can do some checking around on this Killer guy Jeff mentioned. I've got a couple places I know where to check."

"Ellie, you and Devon could come along bring Clara that way we can take Sam. I know you don't like the Airstream…" Chuck started to say but Ellie cut him off.

"It's not that it just bring back a lot of bad memories. The last time we were all happy was when we were in it but then Mom left and Dad was, well, Dad in it."

"Then we make some new memories, happy ones in it," said Sarah as she took a sip of coffee then reached over and took Chuck's hand. "Someone showed me that if you examine our past sometimes we find that things were not as bad as we thought."

"Come on Honey," said Devon with an imploring look. "Sarah's right. Besides it will be nice to get out, to be one with nature and chase some tail."

"What!" said Sarah as she almost spit up her coffee and looked over at Chuck who had a grin across his face. "What?"

"There's a huge yellow-bellied marmot population. They love being chased," said Chuck as he handed Sarah a kitchen towel. "I'll call and have it prep'd and ready to roll tomorrow."

Later after Ellie and Devon went back to their place to pack the girls came inside and were playing with Chuck in the living room while Sarah got Sam's things together for the trip. There was a knock at the door and Morgan came in with Alex and Jeff.

"We brought you your house guest," said Morgan as he went to the fridge to grab something to drink. "Chuck you need to add grape soda to your shopping list. You're getting low."

"I'll mention that to Sarah but… well I need to tell you something about tomorrow you're probably not going to like…"

"You're bailing on me again. Dude, it's Black Friday, Chuck, the biggest shopping day of the year. I was really counting on you but I guess the fate of the nation can't compare."

"I can help," said Jeff. "I know the routine by heart. Besides dumpy housewives love me and I remember pineapple."

"There you go," said Chuck. "Jeff is there anything else you can remember. Like this rave where was it supposed to be held? I assumed in the desert somewhere in Death Valley?"

"No, no we were in Loretta that's how I found out about the gig. There were these other two musicians that looked familiar so we followed them. I used Loretta to listen in and we found out about a gig with ET."

"You stalked you competition to steal their gig," said Morgan looking at Chuck. "Why do I have a feeling this was Lester's idea?"

"But Entertainment Tonight is big time," said Chuck. "So what happened?"

"No ET highway, Extraterrestrial Highway route 375 Nevada we stopped outside Rachel at a diner. I had apple pie I like apple pie. See I've still got the receipt," said Jeff as he pulled everything out of his pocket dropping it on the table un-wading pieces and bits of paper. Here see I paid 2.99 and I didn't even get to finish it that's where we met up with Killer and his Axe man Butch. Killer told me he was a bonafided Injun and I told him about my father was half so we exchanged cool Injun stories."

"That's when he gave you the brownies?"

"Yeah and everything is kind of foggy after that I remember Killer being dead and Butch then a bright light loud noise. There were lots of voices yelling then I was weightless that was cool. Then I was in the county lock up. My God Chuck aliens kidnapped Lester. They could be experimenting on his right now."

"That would set their science back a few hundred years," said Morgan as he sipped on his grape soda. Alex and Chuck gave him a look.

"We have a problem," said Chuck as he pulled up a map on his tablet laying it in the middle of the table as Sarah walked into the kitchen.

"What's that," she asked as she wrapped her arms around Chuck resting her head on his shoulder. "I heard most from Sam's room."

"Well Rachel, Nevada is on route 375 here but where Jeff was picked up is all the way down here that's at least a five or six hour drive, even if you take the short cut through Tikaboo Valley."

Why do I know that road," said Morgan. "I remember it runs by area 51. Geez maybe Jeff is right Lester's been taken by aliens. What am I saying? Lester is an Alien, he's from Canada."

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General Beckman and Mary took a hop over to North Las Vegas airport where they were met by more men in black then driven to the courthouse. Outside they were greeted by a US marshal's detail that would be providing protection and prisoner transport. The Chief Deputy Marshal was standing by and handed them off to a supervisory Marshall that had been called in special for this operation.

"General Diane Beckman, Agent Mary Bartowski this is Deputy Marshal Kenny Dillon. We called him in from Kansas City for this operation because he's worked with your people before."

"Yes I remember reading your name in some after-action reports," said the General as she shook his hand.

"Bartowski? Are you related to Chuck? He's a good friend of mine as well as Sarah, his wife. How's the baby? She's got to be going on two by now."

"I'm his mother," said Mary as she shook his hand. "I think the General is in a hurry. Can you show us what you've got planned then we can go from there."

"No problem we can talk as we walk to my office," said Kenny taking them to the elevator. "I'm going to have three armored transport vehicles leave from your complex at Supermax. They'll travel three different routes to get here."

"Like the shell game," said Mary. "Good so no one will know in which vehicle has our perps. Smart but what if they hit all three. It is within the range of feasibility."

"I'll show you," said Kenny as the elevator stopped in the basement. "Follow me it's right over here. We'll be driving this in the morning and it's my office for now."

"What a laundry van?" said the General looking at the white vehicle he was standing next to. "That's the plan? You want to take them out with the dirty clothes?"

"That's what it looks like on the outside," he said as he opened the door. "The sides are reinforced steel the same as our armored vehicles. The prisoners are housed in the back in two isolated cells. Upfront behind the driver is a mobile comms center with sat control where a man can monitor the area around from Big Brother feeds, seeing the road ahead and behind for miles. There's even a big red button in case of emergency to call in the cavalry. So as you can see, like with the shell game, the pea will never even be under the cup."

"Marshal it takes a lot to impress me and you've just done it," said the General. "Good work. Mary I'm going to make a run to Yucca Mountain to make sure everything up there is in place."

"I think I want to stay here and look over building security if you don't mind? Transport is taken care of but once they're inside what's in place."

"That's a good idea we can cover more ground that way. Then I'll leave you with the Marshal. I'll call when I get back," said the General then she left with her men.

"You asked about Sam, she's fine. I've got some pictures we can look at later. So tell me about internal security." Mary said as they got back into the elevator and went up.

"The Federal court and the State contracted that out to a private security firm. They're supposed to submit to us the names of their employees and we deputize them as special deputy U.S. marshals."

"You say they're supposed to submit meaning they don't always. Is there something going on I should look into before we bring our prisoners in for their deposition?"

"Probable not, it's just sometimes they come up short handed then they send people over who at least on paper are qualified if you know what I mean."

"Can you be a little bit clearer? Are or aren't they qualified to stand their posts?"

"Let's put it this way I wouldn't want to have to depend on them in a firefight. But then again the building is automated. Follow me," said Kenny as the elevator stopped and he took her down a long corridor.

"Where are we going," she asked as the opened a door and entered security's command and control center.

"This is Dave one of the special deputy U.S. marshals I was telling you about. He's the geeky kind. Dave this is Agent Bartowski."

"Mary, please," she said as she shook his hand.

"Actually we prefer nerd. I don't know if Kenny told you but this is the heart of the building. From here we can put the building in lockdown, securing every floor then we muster a Tac team from the armory in the basement and retake the building floor by floor. The judges' chambers lock at the same time so they can't be taken hostage, then we clear civilians as we move up."

"Sounds good, but what about the roof? What would happen if someone dropped in from above or hasn't anyone thought about that?"

"Highly unlikely because the roof wouldn't support the weight of a chopper and when we're in lockdown the roof is locked off too. Besides it's right above us and there are always about ten men in here like myself."

"I see," said Mary as she was thinking about what Kenny had said about building security. She was trying to decide if she should bring it to the General's attention when something on the monitor attracted her attention.

"What is it?" asked Kenny as he started examining everyone in the monitor.

"It's nothing. I thought I recognized someone but I'm probably just tired I was up early this morning making sure turkeys and hams were ready."

"Well there's some leftovers in the other room and the guys are watching the game if you want to join."

"Thanks but that door off the main lobby where does is go?"

"It's a maintenance room there's one on each floor," said Dave as everything went off line then came back on even the lights flickered. "Don't worry that's normal we programed a system backup for today since it was a holiday and no one was in. The computer is doing a system diagnostic test."

"Thanks I feel much better," said Mary she shook Dave's hand then left. Her face said she was feeling anything but better.

"What is it," said Kenny as they got into the elevator. You don't look too impressed with all this tech, I thought as Chuck's mother you would appreciate."

"Chuck's father was a brilliant scientist and he used to say a machine is only good as the person who operates it and right now no one is. They're coking and joking while the system is diagnosing itself. Don't you see the ship's at sea and no one's at the helm… or are they?"

The elevator opened up on the lobby then they hurried over to the maintenance room. She tried the door it was unlocked so drawing her Beretta she went inside with weapon at the ready. But there was no one and the only sounds were the hums and clicks of the electronic equipment.

"Gun," yelled a guard as he descended on Mary drawing his weapon.

"Marshal," yelled Kenny holding up his badge. "Stand down." Another guard checked Kenny's badge as the first one covered them then nodded so they started to walk away.

"Wait," said Mary. "Did either of you see anyone go in or come out of this room before we got here?"

"There was that group from maintenance that just left but they weren't here for long just stuck their head in then left."

"Let me guess no one signed them in and the system doesn't record video when it's doing a system diagnostic test." The men nodded then walked away.

"What just happened?"

"I don't know but I think someone just pulled our pants down. I need to talk to the General."