Don't own Chuck
The odor inside the van was rank, almost over powering from the smells of cigarettes, cheap booze, and sweaty men plus that of the chemicals used with the explosives. Although Chicago this time of year was cool, inside the dodge under the sun it didn't take long for it to start to warm up. Sarah wasn't feeling so well. She had a pale look about her and was beginning to sweat through her clothes. Sarah never sweat or at least not unless gun play was involved a premonition of sorts.
"Hey, can you give her some water?" Ellie yelled at the man in the driver's seat but he just sat there and ignored them. "Sarah, how do you feel?"
"I'm fine it's just a little hot. How are you holding up?"
"I'm more concerned about you right now." Thinking it would be better if she could take Sarah's mind off the situation and the baby. "Continuing what we were talking about in the cafeteria earlier. You know Chuck couldn't even call Hannah his girlfriend."
"What? I don't understand."
"I met her coming out of his bathroom with just a towel on after taking a shower. That was how I met her for the first time, and talking about awkward. I think we both turned ten shades of red. Then Chuck showed up with doughnuts and he tried to introduce us. Let me see if I can remember his words. He said, this is Hannah she's a girl and a friend."
"But he never said girlfriend?"
"No he never put the two nouns together. Can you imagine how that poor girl must've felt? Not to say I was more than a little embarrassed."
"She probably felt like me," Sarah made a mental note: gut bathroom and redo. "What happened next?" Sarah's curiosity was up and she couldn't remember Chuck telling her all this about Hannah. But she couldn't blame him because he was probably more concerned that she would have a memory burst and spiral. She hated the way she felt. She hated even more the way she made people feel around her.
Ellie continued, "Well she disappeared quickly back into the bathroom, the whole thing was very embarrassing. Chuck decided that he would cook for everyone. We had dinner that Chuck made his-"
"Chicken peperoni"
"Right, how do you know? Did Chuck tell you? Are you remembering?"
"I remember Chuck was on mission so Shaw and I helped him out. I think Shaw actually cooked it if I'm not mistaken."
"That's why Chuck hasn't made it ever again. I've asked him for the recipe and for him to fix it for us when you two were in before but he's always come up with excuses. I wish he'd told me something or I would've stopped pushing."
"Ellie, I think he didn't want me to remember it and so he didn't want to make it. He probably thought that if I tasted or smelt it I'd think of Shaw. Ellie what am I going to do? Can we continue like this?"
"Sweetie, the following day and as a matter of fact the very same day you told Shaw about your name that night Chuck broke up with Hannah. He was supposed to meet her parents for the first time and instead he broke up with her almost in front of them. That was when she told him he wasn't a nice man."
"And the story of his lies keeping him up at night?"
"Yes, I'm sorry if this is upsetting you but I think you need to know."
"Ellie, I'm glad you're telling me. Every time Chuck and I try to talk something comes up and we have to stop so we never finish. El, why am I talking to you about this and not Chuck? Why does everyone seem to walk around me like they're walking on glass? Ellie, I love your brother. I love Charles Irving Bartowski and nothing is going to change that I'm not a porcelain doll."
"Hey lady you looked in the mirror lately? You're pregnant so you need to be taken care of like a good little mamacita." The man said the wrong thing to the wrong woman.
"I'll show your mamacita," snorted Sarah she raised up and leaned forward. She lifted her hands up making fists to keep the zip tie taut then brought them down hard on her backside and the plastic zip tie snapped. Before the man had time to react she grabbed his seat belt. She wrapped it around the guy's throat and the headrest then gave a hard tug so it locked in place and pulled with all her strength. He thrashed for a bit trying to signal his friends outside but soon went limp.
"Who's your mamacita now, Muchacho" Sarah said as she let him slump forward. She pulled a blade from the back of her heel and freed Ellie who was a little shocked to see Sarah in full combat mode. Ellie couldn't believe this was the same woman who looked so sickly just a few minutes ago.
"Ellie keep an eye out I'm going to call in the Cavalry." Sarah carefully removed the cover for the bomb and dialed a number on the cell phone timer. She smiled inside because Pablo couldn't call to explode it if the line were busy.
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Chuck was looking over the satellite feed staring at the van on the roof going over all the various possibilities of rescue and their rate of success. He was coming up blank nothing he could think of didn't have some wildcard that he couldn't control. Devon and Dr. Martinez had scrubbed in and were busy trying to save Hortencia while Colson was standing in the doorway of Devon's office talking with some of his men not wanting to leave Chuck alone with Miguel. He'd already seen him shot the guy and he probably wanted to do worse. He found himself wondering if Miguel didn't deserve it, maybe he ought to take a walk. As he was thinking he looked up and saw Devon coming towards him almost running.
"Chuck, Devon's coming," said Colson. Awesome walked in and flopped down on the chair in front of his desk next to Miguel who was coming out of his drug induced haze.
"Well, we did it. It wasn't easy but I think we saved her life. However, she's not out of the woods yet. We have to wait and see how she holds up in post-op."
"You just sealed both your women's fate," said Miguel. "Pablo will be calling soon and if I don't tell him she's dead then well you know what happens." Devon wanted to reach over and punch Miguel but he didn't.
"Mr. Chuck, leave this man to me and we'll see if he'll laugh afterwards," said Juan from the door. "I wanted to say we are most grateful for your sacrifice."
"Wait no one has sacrificed anything. Colson, Miguel is right. This Pablo will be calling soon how much time before you can have your men in the air. I don't think we can't wait any longer."
"They can be here in fifteen minutes but-" Before he could answer Chuck's phone rang. Something told Chuck to answer it although he didn't know the number and as soon as he answered he heard Sarah.
"Bebe are you okay?" Everyone in the room went silent, "I'm going to put you on speaker."
"Yes, we're okay for now. I think we're parked across the road on top of the parking garage we should be in a dark Dodge van."
"We know. I've got one of Pablo friends here. I think they're from Costa Masgravas. I spoke with Beckman and our team is okay but it looks like their neighbor is about to invade. My guess is they wanted to embarrass Allejandro and the US so they could take over."
"Makes sense. Sweetie, now don't go Charles on me but you need to know we're sitting on top of a little C-4."
"Love, how much is a little?"
"About half the van is full of it."
"Christ!" Chuck's first thought was to get Colson's bird up in the air but to do that they would need a diversion. Then he looked over at Miguel and had a plan.
"Dave talk with my wife and get the descriptions of the men she saw so we can know who we are dealing with. Devon I need to see you outside please and you too Juan."
"Colson, did my husband just leave?"
"Yes, I need you to describe to me the men you saw."
"Colson, he's up to something."
"He who? Chuck? No he just stepped out with your brother-in-law. He'll be right back. I'm sure." Colson thought that the women might be suffering from some sort of dehydration being stuck in that metal box under the sun.
"Dave, my husband wouldn't leave me hanging like this. He'd stay in the room while you talked with me. Go find him, now!" Sarah knew Chuck too well and that Charles mode had kicked in. "Wait why haven't you sent in a helicopter to take out Pablo and his men?"
"One of them has a Stinger we were concerned they'd use it against the helicopter and then he'd take his anger out on you two." Colson to be a FBI agent was a little naïve but he also felt bad about the way he had treated Sarah. "You know I want to apologize for what I said when we first met."
"Given our present circumstances I'd say we can table that right now."
"Chucks back." Chuck walked in with Devon and Juan. They ignored Colson and went straight for Miguel.
"Miguel, this is what you're going to do," said Chuck as he held Miguel's phone in front of his face. "You're going to call Pablo and tell him that Dr. Martinez discovered that Devon was trying to kill Hortencia. He's ordered her immediate medevac to another hospital where she will be operated on. Am I clear?"
"Why should I do that? You must be loco if you thank I'm going to."
"Devon, would you diagnose me as being crazy?"
"Miguel, Miguel, you don't know my brother-in-law. If I were you I'd do what he asked dude."
"You're both crazy and you're wasting my time."
Chuck looked up a Juan and nodded. Juan stepped in between Colson and Miguel then Chuck extracted from his sleeve a double gauge needle popped the cap in his teeth and in one swift move jammed it through Miguel's sternum into his thoracic cavity.
"Christ! Chuck, you can't do that," yelled Colson.
"What's going on," screamed Sarah over the phone.
"Chuck just jammed a huge needle into our prisoner's chest," said Colson as Miguel eyes were open wide from fear looking down at the needle that protruded from his chest.
"Dave I have every right to under the patriot act. Miguel is a foreign combatant who is, was planning terrorist activities on US soil." Chuck turning back to Miguel, "See this," he held up a small bottle that was empty putting it in Miguel's face. "This is atrophine and well I'll let the expert tell you what it does, Devon."
"Dude, I hate to tell you but well you did help kidnap my wife. Atrophine will dilate your eyes, reduce salivation."
"Devon get to the important part," said Chuck.
"Yeah, it increases you heart rate, a lot. Now if you needed resuscitation because your heart stopped that would be a good thing but seeing as you have a healthy or should I say you used to have a healthy heart then it will go boom like the bomb you have our wives tied up to."
"Thank you Dr. Woodcomb," said Chuck then he turned to Miguel. "If I push the plunger you will die do you understand? Look me in the eyes and nod that you understand." Miguel sweating like a pig nodded. "If you do what I ask I will see to it that you're on the next plane to Costa Masgravas."
"But Chuck," Colson wanted to intercede but Chuck just raised his hand to tell Colson to be quiet and Juan pushed him back. Chuck put his hand around the syringe and placed his thumb on the plunger.
"Chuck don't," yelled Colson at this point the other agents started to come to Devon's office just to be held back by Juan's men.
"Okay, okay I'll do it. Just take this thing out."
"Not before I hear you make the call. You'll be on speaker." Miguel made the call and did as he was told so Chuck pulled out the syringe. "A deal is a deal, you'll be to the next plane after we get our wives back. Don't say a word because it's all I can do not to throw you out that window."
"Chuck, I'm sorry," said Colson. "But I am going to have to report this to my superiors. This is way out there I can't cover this up."
"Colson, Dave," Sarah called out over the phone. "Before you file your report ask my husband what was in the syringe."
"Sterile water of course, I just showed Miguel the bottle and Devon told him what atrophine does he drew his own conclusions."
"Remind me never to invite you to play poker with us."
"Sweetie, there'll come a day when that trick doesn't work."
"Well, it did and the cavalry's on the way so you and Ellie hold tight." Chuck turned back to Colson, "Dave, get your bird in the air."
"Chuck, Chuck," called Sarah but got no answer. She wanted to ask him what he was going to do about the missile. But then she heard the sound of a helicopter in the distance then another one from the hospital whose sound drowned out the sound of the first. She knew what he was going to do he was going to act as decoy so the second helicopter could get troops on the ground without before being detected.
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Pablo was looking out at the hospital from the roof of the parking garage. He wished this job were over because he didn't particularly like the weather in Chicago. He preferred the hot tropical climate of his native country. The warm trade winds and the way they made the palm trees sway. He couldn't even get a good cup of coffee not that he had any with El Cardillo but he had his place. Maybe that's what he would do when all this was over. He could retire to a nice place like Cuba maybe north Havana and open his own locale, call it the Copacabana. He could hire his friend Lola she was a showgirl. He knew she liked to merengue and cha-cha. He could also hire his other friend Tony, he could tend bar. No, he was getting his dreams confused with a Barry Manilow song.
Pablo was checking the news on Bing when he read the following report:
BREAKING NEWS:
The armed forces of Costa Masgravas has been reported to have crossed the borders of their peaceful neighbor state, Costa Gravas. The reason given for this aggression has been stated that a climate of anarchy has ruled in Costa Gravas since the beloved Premier (BP) Allejandro Goya moved to free elections and installed a new democratic constitution. This anarchy culminated in an American plot to assassinate the Premier's wife Hortenica by CIA thugs on the beaches of the capital city. El Cadillo, Raoul El Salvaje stated that it was with heavy heart that he must depose his relative but the offenses against the citizens of Costa Gravas and his own step-sister must be answered. This station has been trying to contact the government of Costa Gravas for a statement but as of present all requests have be futile. Standby this station for future developments.
"Men," said Pablo, "the winds of change are upon us. Our brothers and sisters have taken up arms. What we do here will help them," he said but what he meant was it would help him and his boss El Cardillo.
Pablo's phone rang and he could see that Miguel was checking in but Pablo thought it much too early for the operation to be over.
"Miguel, what is it? …. Who discovered what? …. Who is this Dr. Martinez? The personal doctor of the beloved Premier. …. No I didn't know he'd be coming but I should've guessed." He should have and he knew El Cardillo wouldn't be happy. He just wondered if he could use someone else as an escape goat or simply not go home. "What are they going to do? ... On the helicopter that is leaving now. … Yes I can see it. Good I see the rotors turning. … Yes, I told the Doctor what would happen. But don't tell him just bring him out to me. He'll be able to watch the fireworks when I blow them both up then you can kill him. Do you understand? … I don't want anything that can be tied back to us left. Good." Pablo didn't like this change. It put a kink in his plan and this required quick action and diplomacy. After all in the end he could have this Doctor Martinez terminated too, but for now first things first.
"Bring me the Stinger," ordered Pablo. This would be his shot and maybe by him doing it himself El Cardillo would overlook his oversight.
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Casey and Allejandro were talking over a table while Alex and Morgan were sitting on a small love seat close to the bar. They felt explosions going off all around them and with each blast a little more plaster and dust fell.
"BP" Casey refused to call him the beloved Premier while he was collaborating with him, even the word collaborating left a bad taste in his mouth. "If you pull your troops back to this river you can use it to stop the advance of their tanks and foot soldiers."
"Yes, but can I ask so many young men to sacrifice themselves for me? This Mendoza is a very good General."
"I've read about him. General Carlos Mendoza, the field general in charge of the military forces of Costa Masgravas a top graduate from the US Army War College," and given his record Casey thought also reluctantly in charge of the Costa Gravas invasion. He could tell by some of the General's false moves. He moved his forces around populated areas whenever possible and tried to surround BP's troops so they surrendered instead of mowing over them. He was trying to reduce casualties and injures to a minimum. Casey actually admired him the General was making the best of a bad situation.
"My friend is this the end? Is all of this for nothing?"
"BP, I've got news for you. Your men aren't sacrificing themselves for you; they're sacrificing themselves for an ideal, for democracy. They're sacrificing themselves for their wives, for their children, for their friends. They come from the same stock that we had at Bunker Hill, at Lexington, at Concord and Valley Forge. Your young men have heard freedom's bell and have come to fight for a cause greater than themselves. It isn't your job to lessen their sacrifice but to celebrate it."
"I'm glad I'm not running against you in the next elections." Casey grunted as he puffed on a cigar.
"Alex," Morgan said, "I'm sorry if I got you into this."
"Oh Morgan you didn't get me into anything I came because I wanted to come. I wanted to be with you. Things just happened."
"You know I wanted to get you alone so we could talk about important things without, well you know without the big guy being around and well you know it's like that's never going to happen so I want to-"
"Grimes get over here," yelled Casey.
"Alex one second I'll be right back," said Morgan. Alex's look was kind of strange a mix between being perplexed and anger. Morgan hoped it was more the former and not the later. "Casey what do you want I was kind of in the middle of something."
"Yeah, I saw you over there with my daughter."
"John, she's a grown woman. She must be like a beautiful butterfly, free."
"Allejandro good advice. What would you do if you had a daughter?"
"I have dungeons under the palace."
"Troll you got in touch with Chuck or Sarah yet?"
"No Chuck's phone is busy and Sarah isn't answering."
"There in Chicago have you tried Devon or Ellie?"
"Ellie isn't answer and Devon was operating."
"Have you tried him back lately, dimwit! Go try him again we got to get some relief in here soon or were in trouble. I don't know for how much longer we can hold our position. Grimes I need to show you how to use a S.A.W."
"We got to cut down some trees?"
"On second thought Alex you and I will man it. I wouldn't want any friendly fire unless I'm shooting the friendly, right Morgan."