Game Over

Chuck's entire body had tensed with the sound of Casey's gun and his right ear was ringing. A small hole bored into the snow next to his head.

"Chuck," Casey's low voice spoke urgently. He knelt down and placed his hand on Chuck's chest.

Chuck realized he was still holding his breath and let it out in a whoosh. He opened his eyes cautiously and saw Casey looking down on him.

"Um, Casey, I think you missed," he said in a shaky voice.

"No shit, Sherlock," said Casey. "Keep your ass right where it is, don't move an inch," he warned Chuck. He pulled out his cell phone and stood up.

"You didn't kill me," said Chuck softly.

"Don't make me change my mind, Bartowski. You keep still and don't make a sound." Casey dialed a number on his cell and walked a few steps away while Chuck tried not to breathe in an attempt to comply with Casey's demand.

"This is Casey. I nailed the asset. Will take a photo and clean the area personally." He hung up without waiting to hear a response. He looked toward the hill; did he just hear a vehicle's engine? He had to act fast if he was going to do anything at all. What was he going to do? He certainly didn't expect to be in this situation. He was ready to kill Chuck, but even as he pulled the trigger, doubt had crept into his mind and his hand veered slightly left as he fired. This had never happened before. He never even imagined it could happen. His mind raced and he diverted his thoughts to the task at hand; he could dwell on his indecision later. A small idea began to take form, and he glanced over at Chuck. The poor guy was probably scared to death.

Chuck watched Casey approach him, wondering if maybe Casey changed his mind. He still couldn't believe it. He thought, no, he knew that Casey would kill him. He wasn't ready to die, but he didn't see how he could have avoided it. He figured it was best to just let Casey get it done. Game over. For the first time since Casey pulled the trigger, Chuck began to realize how very glad he was to be alive. There was so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to say to his family and friends. That thought was quickly replaced by thoughts of what Beckman was going to do; she was probably going to send someone else to finish the job.

Casey stood next to Chuck and pulled out a large knife from his inside jacket pocket. Chuck's eyes widened in surprise as Casey cut one of the fingers on his left hand. He knelt beside Chuck and applied blood to a small area on the right side of Chuck's forehead, and then he allowed a few large droplets to fall in the snow around Chuck's head. He stood up and nodded in satisfaction. "Close your eyes," he told Chuck, holding out his cell phone. He moved the phone as he took the shot, hoping the slight blur would cover up his poor job of making Chuck look dead.

Chuck closed his eyes, realizing what Casey was trying to do. Relief flooded through his body and he held back an overwhelming urge to cry.

"Crap," said Casey. Chuck opened his eyes and watched as Casey listened to his phone. Casey had already forwarded the picture to Beckman's office and then he noticed he had messages. "Watson and Cole are on their way, probably here now," he told Chuck. He listened to a second message. "Crap!" Walker's here, too!"

"Sarah?" said Chuck, hopefully, wondering if she could forgive him for running away.

Casey gave Chuck a fierce look. "You have to agree that you will do everything I say, no matter what. I don't care if Walker comes screaming down that hill with her hair on fire, you will do as I say, Bartowski."

Chuck met Casey's steady gaze. "I will do whatever you tell me to do Casey, I swear it." Chuck meant it. Heck, it was the least he could do, considering Casey just saved his life. He just hoped the gunplay was over.

***

Sarah sat in her car waiting for Casey, clicking through Fulcrum agent dossiers. She stared transfixed for a moment at one of the agents, a man named Joseph Youngblood who sported a crooked nose and wavy blonde hair. It was his eyes that had her transfixed. She was looking at Agent Cole. Impossible, she thought to herself. Cole had a dark buzz-cut and a short brown beard, and, his nose was straight. Besides, Beckman must trust him; she chose him to escort one of the country's most top-secret assets. And yet…the eyes were the same, unmistakable. She accessed another database and queried Peter Cole. A man's face appeared on the screen. It was not the same man she met at the deli yesterday. What the hell is going on, she thought.

As she prepared to call Casey, a green Silverado pulled up behind her vehicle. Agents Cole and Watson got out and walked up to Sarah's window. She rolled it down, placing her right hand on her gun, which was resting in a console cubby.

"We got a location on your asset. He used his cell," said Watson.

"What?" asked Sarah. "Chuck is here?" She was incredulous.

"Looks like it," said Watson, looking at Casey's truck. "Where's Casey?"

"He's checking out that trail, but he's been gone a while," she said. She was at a loss as to handling Agent Cole. She couldn't be certain of Agent Watson, either. And why didn't Casey let her know that Chuck called? She got out of the car. "Let's go," she said, starting down the trail. Cole could wait for now. She needed time to figure out what was going on.

Cole glanced into her car as he passed it; he saw the open laptop and frowned.

The trio of agents crested the hill and spotted the cabin. Sarah reached it first, noting that the lock had been destroyed by gunfire. Ducking inside with her gun drawn, she found Chuck's bag. She stepped back out onto the porch and surveyed the area. "Chuck was here, but he's not now, and there's no sign of Casey."

This doesn't make sense, Sarah thought. She was growing more concerned by the minute. Casey must have found Chuck, but why weren't they here? Would Chuck have run from Casey? She didn't know. It was as if she didn't know Chuck at all. She never would have guessed that he would have run in the first place, especially without talking to her about it. As much as she was worried about Chuck, she was also angry. On the video, he said he trusted her; but obviously he didn't. Chuck was her closest, best friend, and she knew that he wanted more. Heck, lately, she thought that maybe she wanted more. Then why run? Gods! She was going in circles trying to reason it out.

"Over here." Cole's voice shook Sarah from her thoughts. Cole was examining some bushes by the side of the cabin. She and Agent Watson joined him.

"Two sets of prints, nearly covered by the snow. They can't be that far away given the amount of snowfall during the last half-hour," he said.

All three agents looked toward the forest as they heard a short pop, muffled by the snowy landscape.

Shit, thought Sarah, as she ran into the woods, following the footprints. Would Casey hurt Chuck? He might if he was ordered by Beckman. She stopped running suddenly; the footprints had disappeared completely under the falling snow. Without speaking, the agents fanned out and moved toward the direction of the gunshot. As hard as it was to keep from running to Chuck, she hung back, keeping Agent Cole within her sight. She toyed with the idea of capping one of his knees, but worried about Watson's reaction. She focused on her footing as the landscape sloped upward. Keep it together, she told herself.

***

"They're probably tracking us," said Casey. He looked at Chuck, who lay shivering on the ground. "You're going to have be dead for a while."

"Okay," Chuck said, his teeth chattering.

"You've got to keep still," Casey reminded Chuck.

"I'm too friggin' cold right now, I can't help it," said Chuck, bracing himself for an angry comment from his handler.

Instead, Casey removed his coat and laid it over Chuck's head and upper body. Chuck's shivering was no longer noticeable from a distance. "Keep your mouth shut Chuck, no matter what you hear, or it will be the last thing you hear," Casey warned.

Chuck remained silent, and Casey was satisfied.

Casey turned and saw movement along the upper tree line. He heard Watson shout, "Over here." Watson, Cole and then Sarah crested the slope and moved toward Casey. This has to work, thought Casey. If it doesn't, Chuck will end up dead after all.