I still don't own Chuck. Not sure who does at this point. Maybe Subway.
Let's see how Janice approaches her new mission.
Thanks to Happydayz for pulling double duty as my conscience in Brickroad's absence. Don't worry folks, her leash is just as short as Brickroad's. And thanks to Poa for stepping up as lead beta. I appreciate all of your help more than you'll ever know.
If you enjoyed this or any of the stories on this site, please take a second and send the author a review. If you didn't enjoy it, send Poa a PM, lol.
Mission Impossible
- - - -
It was in the cab on the way to the restaurant when it struck Janice how daunting her task was really going to be. His eyes lit up the second he saw her. He obviously adored her. And she… well she was like an entirely different person. They were headed to a nice restaurant in the nation's capital. That meant that half the patrons were either going to be high level government officials, influential lobbyists, or agents trying to compromise someone.
Janice had picked out three people who were more than likely agents while they were waiting for their table. She could tell by just casually observing them. She knew from her training what to look for. But Sarah? She sat there staring at him like a clueless teenager. What had happened to her? Normally, she would have been the one to point out to Janice who to keep an eye on. But not tonight. The only thing that she was aware of was Chuck. It was getting harder and harder to believe that she was the top agent in the CIA.
Naturally, she perked up when Chuck flashed. And Janice had to admit, it was exciting for her too. It was the first time that she had ever witnessed a flash when she actually knew what it was. And Chuck flashed on all three people that Janice had picked out. Fortunately, none of them were serious threats so they felt comfortable staying.
Janice felt a little underdressed for such a place. Not that they were inappropriate, far from it. But it was substantially short of their usual standards. Agents Beckman and Walker would have normally walked into that restaurant dressed so that every man's tongue would be on the floor. After all, who knew when you would need to get close to someone? And they had always liked to be prepared. It's what agents were… prepared. And besides, what was wrong with making a few eyes bug out? If the right guy came along, being prepared could lead to a very enjoyable evening.
They had finally ordered and had just gotten their appetizer. Although the service wasn't all that great, the stuffed mushrooms were every bit as good as Janice remembered. Chuck must have been really hungry. He was so cute devouring his mushrooms and was now working on the bread.
As Janice watched him eat, she racked her brain trying to figure out how to drive a wedge between them. The problem was he obviously didn't view her sexually. She had already paraded around in her underwear in front of him on more than one occasion. And yes, he had looked. But that would have driven most men crazy. With most men, she would be fighting off their advances. But Chuck had never so much as even tried to flirt with her. It was frustrating. But Janice had to admit, it was a main reason why she found him so incredibly attractive.
Jealousy might work. People did stupid, irrational things when they were jealous. Maybe she could tell some stories about how wild Sarah was. But that probably wouldn't be effective. He'd already heard most of those stories. After all, she told him some in Denver for exactly the same reason, to get him in bed. And that didn't work out very well. Janice sighed. This was going to be a long term project. That was for sure.
Then fate, as she was wont to do, intervened on Janice's behalf.
She spied him sitting on the other side of the restaurant.
- - - -
"Hey, John," Devon said as he answered the door. "Come in." Since escaping from Fulcrum, Devon and Casey had come to somewhat of an unspoken understanding. It would be a gross overstatement to call them friends. They probably never would be. The fact of the matter was they were simply opposites who had virtually nothing in common on which to communicate. But they were willing to be around each other without trying to pick a fight. And, at least, that was something.
So Devon let go the fact that he wasn't all that comfortable with this guy taking such an interest in Ellie and even less comfortable with the interest that she took in him. And Casey let go the fact that Devon's whining and stubbornness had gotten them captured by Fulcrum. He was trying to let go the fact that Devon's whining and stubbornness had gotten Casey shot. But that, quite honestly, was a work in progress.
General Beckman had made it quite clear that they would be seeing a lot of each other. It made some sense, after all. Ellie and Devon still represented a risk to the Intersect. They were known to Fulcrum. And although they didn't currently know that Chuck was the Intersect, who knows when they might find out? While there was currently a truce, nobody was willing to completely trust that. And since Casey lived next door anyway, it was natural that he be assigned to watch over them. So Beckman held off on reassigning Casey. Babysitting two doctors was not a suitable long term assignment for someone of Casey's caliber. But Beckman didn't want to lose him. She had a feeling that Team Chuck would be calling on him sooner rather than later.
Since they were going to be seeing a lot of each other, Ellie put her foot down. She had insisted that they learn to be civil, at least when they were around her. And Ellie could be quite insistent. Devon was easy to control. Either get in line or never see her naked again. But surprisingly, Casey was even easier. "Yes, ma'am," was his simple reply. Why was his face so red?
"Hi, Devon," Casey said as he walked into the apartment. "Is Ellie here? I need to talk to her."
"Hi, John," Ellie shouted from the kitchen. "I'm just making dinner. I'll set a place for you."
"I don't want to impose," Casey said. And it was true. He didn't want to impose. But he had to admit, he loved Ellie's cooking. The woman was a true genius with a casserole. There was a reason that he picked dinner time to come over.
"Come on, John," Devon said with a laugh. "You and I both know that she is not going to let you leave without eating dinner. So come, sit down, and tell us what you need to talk about. Do you want a beer?"
- - - -
Oh my God, that's Jimmy.
Of course, Jimmy wasn't his real name. He was the sort of man who didn't have a real name. But he was a big player. Janice could never figure out how best to describe him. The closest that she ever came was that he was organized crime's main lobbyist. And he definitely knew how to play both sides. He gave the CIA just enough information that they protected him. And when the CIA protected you, you were untouchable. He knew it. He made no bones about it. Rules simply didn't apply to him. And if you got in his way, you paid a price. Janice quickly glanced around the restaurant. Jimmy never went anyplace without his bodyguards. And there they were.
The toughest assignment that she and Sarah ever had was 'protecting' him for those three months. Well, actually that wasn't true. It wasn't that hard for Janice. Jimmy had taken a major liking to Agent Walker. Silly boy had picked the wrong agent. Sarah took great pleasure in shutting him down cold. The challenge was probably one reason why he kept trying so hard. Naturally, Janice would have screwed him just to break the monotony. But he wasn't interested. He just had to have Sarah. And since that was the time period when she and Sarah fiercely competed over everything, that fact alone made her dislike for him quite intense. But Janice had to admit; she admired his perseverance, if not his taste.
Janice realized that Sarah might have a hard time with Jimmy. He would clearly try and flirt with her. And it might be interesting if Chuck were to see that. It might spark something that Janice could use later. So she excused herself for a moment. It was easy to pretend to catch his eye on the way to the lady's room. And she knew that he would ask about Sarah. That was a sure thing.
As soon as Jimmy approached their table, Janice could tell that Chuck was in the middle of a flash. This might be fun. But it can't go too far. This guy was dangerous after all. And he definitely was in the Intersect. That couldn't be good. Janice opened her purse under the table and grabbed the gun that she kept there. Better safe than sorry. She also scooted closer to Chuck in a protective measure.
Not that any of that mattered. Jimmy was not paying any attention to Chuck or Janice. His full attention was directed towards Sarah.
"Hi, Jimmy," Sarah said. To anybody else, her smile would have been considered happy. But Chuck and Janice both knew that it was forced. "It's been a long time."
Most people would have recognized Sarah's statement for what it was; a casual acknowledgement to an old acquaintance. And they would have kept walking. But Jimmy was obviously not most people. He was far to used to getting what he wanted to worry about things like manners. So he sat down in the open fourth seat.
Janice was trying to read Sarah's expression to gauge how big of a threat this guy was to her. But her face didn't give her a good feel. Then she looked to Chuck to see if she could read anything on his face. After all, she hadn't seen this guy in several years. Sarah may have had some history with him that Janice wasn't aware of. He may be an even bigger threat now. If Chuck had concern on his face then she was going to make an excuse and get him out of there. After all, Chuck's safety trumped making Sarah look bad. But, again, she couldn't get a good read.
Finally, Janice decided to act. "Hey, Jimmy," she said. "Meet my new husband. Chuck, this is Jimmy."
Sarah's head shot towards Janice in surprise. Even before seeing Jimmy, Sarah was starting to regret coming here for dinner. There were far too many skeletons in her closet to bring Chuck to such a hot spot. But she had to admit, Janice was right. Chuck was safer if Jimmy thought he was with Janice. And she didn't want Chuck anywhere near Jimmy. He was bad news and Chuck was a trouble magnet. And who knows what Jimmy was thinking? Protecting Chuck was primarily Janice's job now. Sarah would have to let that go. But that didn't make it any easier to take.
"Hello Chuck," Jimmy said as he reached across the table to shake his hand. "Congratulations, you've bagged a live one."
"Yeah," Chuck said as he glanced at Janice. "She's full of surprises."
"So, Sarah," Jimmy said as returned his undivided attention to her. "I haven't seen you in years. What happened to you?"
"I live on the coast," Sarah said. "I'm just in town to see my friends get married. I'm heading back tomorrow."
"You're leaving tomorrow?" Jimmy asked. "Then we have to catch up. After dinner, let's go out for a drink. The four of us."
"I'm sorry, Jimmy," Janice said as she reached over to give Chuck a quick peck on the lips. "Chuck and I want to get back. You know how it is. We're on our honeymoon."
"Okay," Jimmy said to Sarah. "I guess that just leaves you and me."
"I don't think so, Jimmy," Sarah said. "I have an early flight tomorrow…"
"Come on, Sarah," Jimmy interrupted. "I have some business to discuss. You'll want to hear this." He looked at Chuck warily and must have decided to be secretive. "Let's take a little walk."
"Jimmy," Sarah sighed as she pushed her chair away from the table. "This better be good."
Sarah was only gone for a couple of minutes. The very instant that she sat back down, Janice was on her. "Well?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Sarah said. "He said that he had some information about the 'Tea Party', whatever that is. He assumed that I would know about it. He said that my bosses would want to know. He said he would tell me if I would go out for a drink with him."
"What are you going to do?" Chuck asked, obviously concerned. "I didn't like the way that guy was looking at you."
"I don't know," Sarah said. "You know how much I like tea." But seeing Chuck's face she broke into a laugh. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'm just teasing. I'm not going to go."
"But this might be important," Janice said. "Maybe he knows something helpful."
"Yes," Sarah agreed. "He might. Then again it could just be another of his pathetic attempts to get me to go out with him. That's my bet."
"He wants more than for you to go out with him," Janice said as she watched Chuck closely for his reaction. "This guy has made more moves on you than I can count. How far did he get last time?"
And, indeed, Janice saw the redness in both Chuck's and Sarah's necks. Bingo.
"Maybe we should call Beckman," Janice said.
"If we could," Sarah said. "But there's no way to call her. It would break our cover to call her. And she's left the office. So we can't go see her. If Jimmy had any real information, he would know how to get it to the right people"
"Okay," Janice said after a moment. "That's probably true. But it's also possible that he's willing to give up something important for the chance to get you in bed. Did you see his eyes? That's still a major motivation."
"That's true," Sarah sighed. "It's possible. I just don't see it as worth the risk." That should end this conversation.
"Don't ask me why," Janice said. "But I have General Beckman's personal phone number. It's one that no one knows about. I can call her without breaking our cover. I'll go find out what she wants you to do."
That immediately piqued Sarah's interest. Why would Janice have Beckman's personal phone number? She would have to find out why. Janice was only gone for a few minutes. When she returned to the table, she paused for a long moment.
"We've got a big problem," Janice finally said. "The Tea Party is a major Organized Crime drug sting. We have a dozen agents with their lives on the line if the cover is blown. There are some very major players involved. Beckman said that it's vital that Sarah find out whatever Jimmy knows about it, using any means necessary."
Chuck's face fell when he heard the 'any means necessary' part.
Sarah stared helplessly. The fact that agent's lives were on the line was probably the only thing that could make her think of doing this. At least, she was grateful for Janice's quick thinking. The honeymoon excuse was great. She didn't want Chuck around this guy any longer than absolutely necessary. "Okay," she finally said with a sigh. "I guess one drink can't hurt. I'll see if I can find out what he knows."
"By any means necessary," Janice stressed as she fought to keep a serious look on her face. Okay, so most of that had been a lie. The Tea Party was a major drug bust. But there weren't any undercover agents. Beckman's exact instructions were to leave it up to Sarah's discretion if she wanted to pursue this. If she found out anything, they would add it to the file. If she didn't, no big deal. But those instructions would hardly help Janice. For her mission to have a chance, Chuck had to believe that Sarah was getting ready to sleep with this mark. On their honeymoon, no less. That had to leave him vulnerable. No problem. After all, Janice could always comfort Chuck.
And she knew exactly how.
- - - -
The rest of the meal was finished in silence. But the tension was there. You could cut it with a knife. It wasn't until they were safely in the cab that Chuck spoke.
"Why would you agree to go on a date with this guy?" Chuck asked. "Do you know what he is into?"
"Of course I know," Sarah said. "Why do you think I agreed? Lives are on the line here, Chuck. This guy is bad news. But at least I won't have to worry about you."
"We're being tailed," Janice said as she glanced out the back window. "They've been on us since we left the restaurant. Come on, Sarah. You know this guy. There is no way he is going to take anything for granted. He knows that we're CIA. He is looking for something suspicious."
"Damn," Sarah said. "I was afraid of that. Okay, sweetie, listen to me. I'm going to go and have one drink with him. I'll find out what he wants to tell me. Then I'll let him make his move. I'll shoot him down and meet you at the apartment. Please don't worry. It will be fine."
"You can't drink," Chuck said with a smile. "Remember the baby."
"I'll have Ginger Ale," Sarah said with a smile of her own.
Janice was disappointed at their reaction. Chuck was taking this far too well. Maybe she could plant a seed. "That's not going to work," Janice said. "There is no way that you are going to get away with one drink. You know damn well what he wants. He probably also knows that you'll do anything to get his information. Guess what he is going to want? You'll have to do some fancy talking to stay off of your back tonight. Why do you think that he wants you to meet at his hotel? You might as well give it to him and get it over with. And he thinks that Chuck and I are together. So Chuck is going to have to stay with me."
Sarah shot Janice a look as she sighed. Thanks for saying that in front of Chuck. But she knew that Janice was right. On both counts. He would be looking to make sure that Chuck and Janice were together. Trusting people was not one of Jimmy's strengths. And she was going to have to do some fancy talking to get his information without getting naked tonight. Jimmy had never made any bones about what he wanted. And he was almost certainly going to use his information as leverage to try and get it. But at least Chuck would be safe. And she could handle Jimmy. She was sure of that. At least, when she didn't have to worry about Chuck.
Sarah had the cab driver take them to a hotel that was several blocks away from Janice's hotel.
"Why are we here?" Chuck asked.
"The tail will stay with Sarah," Janice said before Sarah could speak. "We'll go in and wait for them to leave, and then we'll walk back to my hotel."
"You be careful," Chuck said to Sarah as he leaned in to kiss her. He was trying hard to be supportive of Sarah but his face betrayed his obvious concern.
Janice noted the exchange with interest. At least she had planted the seed. Let's see if it will sprout.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," Sarah said as she backed away and turned her head. "I can't kiss you. They're watching us. Please don't worry. I can handle this guy with my eyes closed. Trust me. I know what I'm doing. I'll meet you back in Janice's room as soon as I can."
"Don't lead them to my room," Janice said. She was genuinely concerned that Sarah had forgotten how to be an agent.
Sarah looked at Janice like she had grown another head. Janice immediately turned red as she realized how stupid she sounded. "Don't worry," Sarah growled. "I'm pretty sure I can lose a tail. I taught a class on the subject, remember?"
"Let's go, Chuck," Janice said as she suddenly wanted to be out of that cab and away from Sarah's glare. "We'll see you in a couple of hours."
As soon as the cab pulled away, Janice could hear Chuck under his breath. "How is she going to avoid sleeping with this guy?"
"I'm sorry, Chuck," Janice said as she grabbed her hand. She put her other hand on his back and rubbed gently. She had to fight to keep the smile off her face. This was working out perfectly.
"I don't think that she can."
- - - -