ChuckParis10
A/N: You had your chance. It'll be a while before you see chapter 12 bwahaha
Chapter 11: The Antwerp Exchange
It was almost like being back with Team Bartowski. The commo van was in place and Chuck, with a nervous Hannah on his arm, was verifying communications. She was no Sarah Walker, thank God.
"Leader, on line." He was using a cuff mike and his earwig was already bugging the crap out of him. The Ring used Eastern Bloc commo equipment and it was bulky and lacked the crispness of NSA equipment. The occasional hiss and crackle in his ear was very distracting.
"Panzer, see what you can do about cleaning up the signal. Static and that damned hissing again." Panzer turned out to have a gift for commo. He could make the most clunky equipment work like a dream. This was a nightmare.
"Sorry, Chuck. Best I can do. Maybe we can steal some of the top-drawer NSA stuff you left behind?" He loved zinging him about his alleged NSA connections and Chuck tolerated it since he hated having a sulking Panzer in his ear.
"Find me an NSA cache in Europe and I'll get you some. It's up to you to encrypt it, though."
They were walking from the limo to the gallery and Chuck could feel Hannah's arm trembling. She'd been reluctant to accompany him until he explained her role and how he needed her. That was all it took.
He leaned over and whispered, "Have I told you how beautiful and exotic you look, Hannah Nguyen? That thing you're wearing…it should be illegal."
"It's called an Ao-Dai, Chuck and it's very chic. Do you think it's too daring?" She was concerned it might be inappropriate.
""Nope. It's just so damned clingy and I'll spend more time beating off men than making contact with Katrin ter Horst, that's all." The Ao-Dai was pure silk and Hannah had decided to be brazen and braless. Her breasts were accentuated and stimulated by the pure silk that encased them.
The high-collared, long sleeved top pinched in at the waist and then draped over her hips into a floor-length skirt that accentuated her legs and revealed almost all her charms with a slit up the side. The slight October chill made her regret not wearing a bra but the look on Chuck's face warmed her core.
"You don't think it's…"
"No. I think it's perfect. You're perfect. Now, remember, no flirting and you stay with me, no matter what. I won't let anything ruin our evening, baby. If I give you the word, head for the ladies' room and stay there until I call you. No sense anyone connecting you with the exchange in case something goes wrong."
"Nothing will go wrong, Chuck. Nothing will spoil our first real 'outing' together."
Chuck just smiled and squeezed her hand. 'Nothing' could be the Belgian security service, Interpol, the CIA or NSA or even the Dutch Special Security Branch.
Chuck snagged a flute of champagne for Hannah but went without a drink because he wanted to keep the hand that wasn't around his lady free to access his weapon if necessary.
"Let's check out her work. I doubt it'll hold a candle to what my Hannah can do but we shall be charitable." He affected an elite British accent and his snootiness had Hannah in stitches.
"Stop, Chuck. I'll snort Champagne all over the place if you make me laugh."
He whispered in her ear that later he would enjoy drinking champagne from her navel and marveled at how she blushed and managed to look both innocent and seductive at the same time.
"I heard that, Chuck! Keep your mind on the mission. You'll have time to savor the champagne after the debriefing." Panzer chuckled and Chuck again was struck by the similarities between Casey and Panzer.
"Roger that, Panz…uh oh, target in sight. She's surrounded by half a dozen 'patrons of the arts' so this may take a while."
Loudly, he said, "Hannah, I think there's the artist you told me about. Are you certain this is the painting you wish to purchase?"
The 'payoff' would be in the form of a draft drawn on a bank account in Dijon that would close the day after the draft cleared. The exchange would be handled here. The operatives of the Ring were used to the subterfuge and understood that the cash was always in the bank. They had an excellent reputation for reliability that Chuck found contradictory to their purpose.
"Yes, Charles, as I've told you before, I must have it. Consider it an investment. She's already quite well known in Holland and Belgium. She'll be showing in Paris next, you'll see." She played her part of the 'needy' wife well. They were speaking French to keep up their covers but would use English with the mole who spoke no French.
Hannah pushed her way into the group surrounding the chubby brunette mole, Katrin ter Horst, and introduced herself, speaking in rapidly fluent French. The gallery manager tried to interpret but she was speaking too fast. Finally, Chuck interrupted and asked if she spoke English, knowing full well that she did. Agent Alexandra Forrest, CIA, obviously spoke English.
"Yes, I speak English. Your…companion seems quite enthusiastic about something. Perhaps you could explain?" She was obviously flirting with Chuck, waiting for a code phrase; he was her contact.
"Explanations for why she wants a painting? Her reasons are her own." The group all laughed since they frequently could not explain their own desires to own art. The code phrase given, Chuck waited patiently for the preliminaries.
"And do you like what you see, Mr…?" She had the code phrase but kept him engaged in conversation. Hannah stiffened and pressed herself against Chuck as if to remind him she was there. This fat Dutch whore was obviously after her man and she wasn't about to yield one single millimeter of ground to her.
"Windsor, Charles Windsor and this vision is my wife, Hannah. No, I don't particularly like the impressionists but she has her heart set on it and so she shall have it." Back off, Alexandra, I'm taken. Jesus, Alex, better stay away from the pasties. You're getting…round and that brunette wig is so not you.
"And payment?"
"I'll write you a draft on my bank in Dijon and when the draft clears, have the painting delivered to our home in Paris. We will be in Italy for the remainder of the month. My agent will handle the arrangements."
Chuck wrote the draft for 20,000 Euros and knew the discs would be delivered to his hotel by courier from the bank where the real Katrin ter Horst had placed them in a safety deposit box before being snatched off the street by the NSA. She would be held in detention for the foreseeable future.
The discs would be delivered to his hotel by secure courier after the bank received a code phrase. All very secure and almost impossible to trace.
Business done, he and Hannah walked around the gallery, comfortable in their roles and enjoying each other's company. Hannah's momentary flash of jealousy and insecurity when the mole had come on to Chuck was forgotten – for now.
"Leader, leave immediately. There are security forces setting up a perimeter. We'll meet you back at the hotel. Henri has the limo in place."
"Hannah, time to fly. Let's go."
"But Chuck…" She stopped when she saw the pinched look on his face. She leaned up and kissed him and whispered, "Champagne and my navel await". She laughed again at the look on his face as she dragged him towards the door. Chuck could see the security vans beginning to disgorge their agents and he and Hannah walked to the limo but he stopped her.
"In case I don't get the chance later…" he kissed her soundly and she responded exactly as a wife would, ignoring the line of armed men forming on either side of the entrance.
She raised her thigh and rubbed against his and tried to get as close to him as possible. The slit in her gown served to distract some of the security force. Her leg was an example of her best assets and it was displayed nearly to the hip making the casual observer think she was nude underneath the outfit – which she was.
An officer detached himself from the detail and told the two lovers to 'get in the damned limo and get a room'.
Penthouse Suite
Hotel Metropol
Antwerp
The debriefing went quickly. No complaints, no mistakes, and best of all, they were totally above suspicion. Everyone remembered them as a wealthy couple that purchased a painting and then practically had sex in front of the gallery. Mostly they remembered Hannah's dress. Henri and Panzer were both relaxed and drinking Chuck's champagne.
"Went perfectly, Leader. Good op. The Director General will be pleased. This time tomorrow you and Hannah will be in Rome as part of your cover. Check in there with Leader Ricci and hand over the discs to him for decryption. The move is in keeping with your comments in the Gallery."
"Why did the security forces show up?" He had an idea but wanted to hear Panzer's comments first.
"No idea. Our man there says that supposedly someone phoned in an anonymous tip that there was going to be a meeting of a big money laundering cell but they questioned everyone with no arrests. Our mole is happy and will be back in Holland in three days."
They left immediately after that leaving Chuck to finish off the splits of champagne from Hannah's navel. "Best champagne I've tasted in a while, Hannah."
They finally slept, Chuck tired from the tension of his first anti-Ring operation and Hannah tired from the almost desperate and hungry sex they'd had. 'If he's like this after every mission, I'll make damned sure I go with him.'
Small suite
7th floor
Hotel Metropol
Antwerp, Belgium
"Alex, you strayed from the mission protocol. Why the additional dialogue with Bartowski? You might have compromised the mission, damn it. He wasn't expecting you, and your comments were misleading."
"He's changed. He's different. He's confident, cocky almost. Maybe you were right about Shaw's approach. He sure seems to have his shit together. He didn't even blink when I turned around when his 'companion' approached me and he knew it was me, Casey."
"Yeah, he's different all right. Focused and he didn't even miss a beat when you turned around. I just hope he won't catch any crap when the 'discs' the messenger delivers turn out to be fake."
"He knew the risks when he made the plan. Now, we got what we wanted, how about giving me what I want? And can you please help me off with this damned 'fat suit'? The wig was hot but this is just sweltering. I'll need a shower…"
Penthouse Suite
Hotel Metropol
Antwerp 9am
Hannah answered the door and signed for the delivery from the courier service. "Chuck, the courier has delivered the discs." He was still in the shower. They'd overslept and were rushing to make up lost time. They had a plane to catch for Rome.
Chuck walked out in a towel and opened the aluminum case after keying in the combination provided by the mole. He slammed the case shut angrily and called Henri.
"Henri, you and Panzer get up here right away. We have a problem with the merchandise." He disconnected and hurried to dress.
Fifteen minutes later they were examining the discs. "Porn! The bitch sent us shitty pornographic movies. Why? She's been loyal and reliable for 2 years now." Henri was angry and perplexed. People did not toy with the Ring. They punished disloyalty quickly and violently.
"Henri, have a local cell locate and 'detain' Miss ter Horst for our interrogation. Panzer, report back to the Director General. Also advise him Hannah and I will be staying here until this mess is resolved. He can handle notifying Leader Ricci of our change of plans. Damn it. Why would she do this?"
Hannah had sat quietly listening and watching. She knew why Chuck was so upset. He was still uncomfortable with working with her father and felt anything less than a perfect performance cast doubt on his abilities and made him feel he was being 'tolerated' because of her.
Henri sensed his Leader's discomfort and took him aside while Panzer reported to the Director. "Chuck, these things happen. It was a perfect operation. She either went underground or was compromised in Holland. We, you, did everything right. These things happen."
"Not to me they don't. Have a cell in Amsterdam go to her residence. Look for anything that might indicate a reason for her defection. Be discreet but direct. I want to know their findings as soon as possible. Damn it! How am I supposed to win the confidence of the Ring when things like this happen?"
He was not just play-acting. The case was supposed to contain discs with randomly-encrypted worthless data that would tie up the Ring cryptographers and give them fits thinking the NSA had a new encryption system in place. Porn! Someone had screwed up the plan on the NSA side.
He was angry. He was tired and most of all he was disappointed in the organization he had entrusted his life with. The damned NSA.
"Casey, secure."
"Motherfucker. You're playing with fire when you fuck with me, Casey. Switching those discs out was not the plan and now I'm in serious trouble. You assholes fuck up again and you'll find out for real what the Ring can do with the intersect. Find out who fucked up and remove them from this op. Put them in cold storage for all I care. I don't trust you anymore."
He disconnected leaving Casey staring at the phone and wondering just what happened. Cold storage implied a team member needed to be put in detention indefinitely. Serious charges with serious consequences.
He called Beckman and basically repeated his message to Casey less the 'fuck' words. He had respect for Beckman but little or none at all for Casey. Not now.
"I'll look into it immediately. How serious is your situation?" She knew for him to break cover so spectacularly meant the consequences could prove…terminal.
"I've put on a full-court press so someone better pony up a live sacrifice. I will not be an Aztec Lucky Virgin finalist, General. I've put my life on hold for this. Make it right or forget about the plan. I'll either be dead or off the grid so deep you'll need a bathysphere to find me."
"Contact me within the next five days." If he didn't contact her, it meant he was dead. He'd never abandon the mission.
Unknown Location
Sarah Walker rallied her action team around her. The warehouse was a treasure trove of currencies from many nations, bars of gold bullion and counterfeit bearer bonds and plates for printing more. They'd located the Fulcrum 'financial services center', the Fulcrum equivalent of the Federal Reserve. She was pleased but still it wasn't enough.
"Bring those traitors over here. Tie them to the chairs. Use double zip ties. Go away for an hour. I'll have more information for us to act upon by the time you return. Check the remainder of the building for anyone or anything we might have missed. Prepare the structure for demolition."
The structure went up in a magnificent explosion. They'd removed all the counterfeiting plates, bonds and bullion and then destroyed the building. After her vigorous interrogation, she now had a partial listing of names of Fulcrum and Ring operatives including a new Leader-designate named Windsor based in France and very well connected.