Chapter 11 - Destiny's Child
Our character...is an omen of our destiny, and the more integrity we have and keep, the simpler and nobler that destiny is likely to be.
George Santayana,
The team suspected that Shaw had gone back to the mine after leaving the warehouse so they staked out the entrance. Their mood was sombre as they waited for Shaw to appear. Bryce may not have been the best of characters and he certainly wasn't someone they would call a friend but he was a fellow agent and he had died trying to protect Chuck so it was hard not to respect him for that.
Chuck could think of plenty of reasons why Bryce didn't deserve to be mourned but none of them made him feel any better about what had happened. Bryce wasn't the first agent to die protecting the intersect and he probably wouldn't be the last. The thought depressed Chuck and he wondered where it was all going to end. Bryce had once told him that he'd taken an oath to protect the greater good. His friend had lived and died for what he believed in and no one could take that away from him. For all intents and purposes Bryce Larkin had died a hero.
Casey had worked with Chuck long enough to know how much Bryce's death had affected him. Dealing with death was part of the job when you were an agent and he had witnessed more than his fair share during his career. He'd learned to live with it but he knew that Chuck was different. He let his emotions dictate his actions and it worried Casey that he would do something stupid like try to avenge Bryce's death.
The last twenty four hours had been emotional and exhausting for Sarah and as dawn crept over the horizon in Laos she struggled to keep her eyes open. They had been on this mission for almost a week and the lack of sleep was starting to catch up with her.
Casey noticed her eyes drifting closed and said, "Get some sleep Walker. I'll keep an eye on the entrance."
Too tired to argue with him Sarah just nodded and closed her eyes. She'd been trained to sleep anywhere and knew that if anything happened she would be instantly awake and ready for action.
Chuck rested his back against a tree and watched Sarah sleep. He longed to hold her in his arms so that she could sleep more comfortably but as that wasn't possible he settled for holding her hand once Casey turned his back to them.
An hour later Sarah stirred. She didn't need to open her eyes to know that it was Chuck who was holding her hand. She always got the same warm feeling whenever he touched her and this time was no different. She turned her face to the warm sun enjoying the early morning peace and quiet that surrounded them. The calm before the storm she thought to herself. She knew that it was only a matter of time before Shaw arrived and all hell broke loose so she roused herself from sleep and turned her head to look at Chuck. When she saw the haunted look in his eyes she asked, "Are you okay?"
Despite his sombre mood Chuck couldn't help smiling. It was typical of Sarah to worry about him. He gave her hand a squeeze to show that he appreciated her concern then whispered, "I'm a big boy, I'll get over it."
Sarah could tell that he was hurting but now wasn't the time to have a heart to heart with him over what had happened to Bryce so she followed his gaze to the tree opposite them. They sat in silence for a while listening to the soft cooing of the birds as they hopped from branch to branch. Sarah had the distinct feeling that she and Chuck had done this before but she couldn't recall where then it suddenly came to her. The morning they'd woken up in the tree house they had watched the birds nesting in the trees in her parent's garden. She turned her head to look at Chuck. The resemblance between the young boy with dark curly hair and the man sitting beside her was easy to see now that she knew they were one and the same person.
Sarah cast her mind back to the day she'd met Chuck in the Buy More. She'd been a different person back then. Casey had called her Director Graham's wild card and he hadn't been wrong. When she'd joined the CIA she had quickly learned that feelings and emotions had no place in a spy's life. Her instructor had told her that there was only one way to condition yourself to feel nothing and that was to let go of your past so she'd buried Lisa Burton's memories in the far recesses of her mind and focused on being Agent Sarah Walker, a cold hearted ruthless spy. From the moment Sarah had left the Farm every mission had involved a new identity and for a while it had been easy to forget who she really was but then she'd met Chuck and he'd reminded her what it was like to have a real life. He had turned her world upside down and slowly but surely his selfless caring ways and adorable smiles had melted the ice around her heart and turned her back into a woman with real feelings and emotions.
Sarah bolted upright when a thought occurred to her. Chuck had been the catalyst for every good thing that had happened in her life and although she hadn't remembered him from her childhood her subconscious had obviously made the connection. The more she thought about it the more convinced she was that Chuck had been the trigger for her recurring dream. It had started shortly after meeting Chuck and she realized now that her connection to him must have triggered memories about her past. She'd made a conscious effort to stop the memories from re-surfacing but when she was asleep her defences were down and it was impossible to stop the dreams that had plagued her since meeting Chuck.
Startled by Sarah's sudden movement Chuck quickly checked the perimeter to make sure he hadn't missed anything. When everything looked the same he turned back to her. "What's wrong?"
She gave him a warm smile and whispered, "Absolutely nothing." When she saw that Casey still had his back to them she leaned over and gave Chuck a quick kiss on the lips.
He grinned and whispered, "What was that for?"
Sarah shrugged and smiled at him then drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Until today she'd believed that the intersect had been sent to Chuck by accident and that it had been pot luck that she'd been given this assignment but now she was starting to think that maybe there was more to their story than she'd first thought. Chuck had made it his mission to be there for her emotionally and he'd gone out of his way to show her that there was more to life than being a spy. He had essentially saved her from becoming exactly like Bryce and she would always be grateful to him for that.
Casey noticed that Sarah was awake and said, "It doesn't look like Shaw's going to come out any time soon. If we want to end this mission we'll have to go and get him."
Sarah nodded. "I want to know what he's done with my mom."
Chuck was determined to make Shaw pay for what he'd done to Bryce but first he had to find out what he knew about their mission. If Shaw was the son of Franco Kovac then there was a good chance that he could be 'The Man'.
"Put your gas mask on," Casey ordered Chuck and Sarah as he fitted his own mask. He threw two smoke grenades into the entrance of the mine and they waited to see if anyone would exit. When nothing happened Casey said, "Let's go."
They drew their weapons as they walked through the smoke using it as a shield until they found cover behind some rocks. When the smoke finally cleared they saw that the area was completely empty. A noise coming from a pile of wooden slabs near the cargo bins got their attention and they quickly made their way over there to see what it was.
Casey raised his arm signalling to Chuck and Sarah to stop. "Cover me while I check this out. It looks like there's a door to the right."
They both nodded and watched Casey hurry over to the other side of the mine then Chuck crouched down keeping his eyes on the doors.
Sarah checked her magazine to make sure she had enough bullets then she moved closer to Chuck and rested her head on his shoulder.
He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer then he leaned in and gave her a kiss.
Sarah looked up at him. "What was that for?"
Chuck smiled at her. "Do I need a reason to kiss you?"
"Well no but when you start kissing me I'm not always sure where it will end up."
He chuckled softly. "Worried are we Agent Walker?"
"No, I just want to enjoy them without having to look over my shoulder every time we kiss, that's all."
Chuck responded by leaning in to give her another kiss. When Sarah reached up to caress his cheek he leaned back and said, "I promise that I will never make you feel that what we share isn't important. I just wish that we didn't have to hide our relationship from the world. Why would I want to hide the fact that I'm in love with you?"
"Why indeed," she agreed.
"Sarah whatever happens here today I am with you always. I need you to know that and remember it if anything happens to me."
"Nothing is going to happen to you or me or us. We're going to find my mom, capture Shaw and go home." Sarah looked up at him. "Besides, you owe me a date!"
Chuck smiled at her. "I promise you, if we get out of here alive you can have a date of your choice."
"Ok guys," Casey said coming through their earpieces. "I'm here. It looks like a door or a stairwell. Could be an elevator. I can't really tell. Get over here."
Chuck and Sarah hurried over to Casey and waited while he ran his hands up and around the door. "There's no indentation or way to open this door."
Just then they heard noises coming from the other side of the door. They quickly hid behind the slabs and waited. When two men came out Casey and Sarah jumped them and knocked them out.
When Sarah saw the door closing she yelled, "Chuck, get the door!"
Chuck found a broken two by four and slid it over the floor. It stopped in the doorway preventing the door from closing. Pleased with himself he said, "It looks like that Wii bowling finally came in handy."
Casey grabbed the men's guns and the three of them headed through the door where they came face to face with a panel containing Chinese writing. Sarah and Casey couldn't read it so Chuck flashed on it and pressed a couple of buttons. When the doors closed he realized that they were in an elevator.
Sarah was proud of what Chuck could do. She smiled at him but it quickly turned to a frown when Casey grunted.
Chuck turned around. "I do have my skill sets, don't I?"
Casey grunted again. "Just don't let it go to your head Bartowski."
The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Chuck grabbed his extension telescopic mirror and scanned the hallway. He read the symbols on the wall: 'dì tiev zhàn' si.
Sarah looked at him. "What does it say?"
"Underground Station 4," he replied. "It looks like we're in some kind of basement."
Casey exited the elevator first. "These floors are reversed so instead of going in ascending order we go in descending order."
"Sounds about right Casey," Chuck replied. "So what now?"
"We'll case this floor then head down to the others. Shaw has to be on one of these floors."
The team walked the corridor knocking out and tranqing anyone who got in their way then they parted ways. Casey went to check out the third floor and Chuck and Sarah made their way to the second floor. Chuck came across an office with some computers, which he assumed was their main frame set up so he broke the glass and climbed through the window. He sat down at the computer which housed the mine's building structure. He placed a USB into the hard drive and started downloading the files. He quickly broke into the computer and started scanning the feeds for any sign of Shaw or Sarah's mom.
Sarah spotted her mom on one of the feeds and breathed a sigh of relief.
Chuck scanned the room and noticed that Laura wasn't alone. She was sitting listening to someone but he couldn't make out who it was. All he could see were bags and totes being filled by this person. He scanned the floor looking for the closest way out if they needed to get out fast then spoke into his mic. "Casey I found the processing area Substation level 1 but first we need to get Sarah's mom. Meet us on the second floor. We'll get Laura out then go after Shaw.'
'Roger that!'
Although Sarah was relieved that her mom was okay she still had lots of questions about why her mom was even there in the first place.
Chuck removed the USB and followed Sarah out the door and down the hall.
Casey came down the stairs just as Chuck rounded the corner. "This place is one big empty fortress."
"I found a few men on each of the wings but nothing to indicate that something big is happening here," Casey replied. "Maybe the first floor will open that door for us."
Chuck was about to open the door that led to the room where they had seen Laura but when Sarah put her hand on his arm to stop him he turned to look at her.
"I know that you want to save my mom but we are not here for her we are here to get answers and find out what the key is for. We are not here to save..."
"Sarah your mom is part of this," Chuck replied. "Somehow she's connected to this mission and we need to find out why."
Casey nodded his head in agreement. "Chuck's right. Your mom is part of this and we need to make sure she's safe not only for the mission but for you as well."
Sarah looked at Chuck and Casey trying to come up with a solution that she was happy with. "Ok, but let's go to the first floor first then come back and get my mom."
Chuck and Casey hesitated for a second then nodded knowing that it was pointless to argue with Sarah once she made her mind up about something.
They headed to the far hallway and walked down the stairs. When they reached the bottom of the stairs they could smell the remnants of smelted copper, stale water and recycled heat.
Chuck crept into the open area first but stayed low while Casey and Sarah kept their eyes on everything else.
Casey fired a few shots when he noticed those infamous red dots of death aimed at Chuck's head.
Chuck sighed with relief. "Thanks Casey!"
Casey and Sarah continued to pick off men as they emerged into the open area seemingly from crevasses in the wall. When everything went silent again they continued through the open area noticing that the dead men seemed to be mostly of Chinese decent. There was still no sign of Shaw though.
Chuck walked behind Sarah. When he spotted the tables he knew they'd hit the jackpot. He walked around the tables of melted copper and computer circuit boards.
"This place looks like the back of the Buy More," Casey said.
"Exactly," Chuck said. "But why all these computer parts and copper discs? What are they doing with them?"
"Beats me," Casey replied. "You're the computer geek."
"Nerd," Chuck said. "How many times do I have to tell you it's nerd?"
Casey just shook his head. "What difference does it make? Geek and nerd mean the same thing."
Chuck decided that it was pointless arguing with Casey so he ignored him and walked around the area trying to figure out why the computer parts and copper discs would be hidden so far underground and in a country like China. He picked up items and discarded them again like he was scrounging around at a garage sale then he across a disc that looked very similar to the copper disc Bryce had given him. It was no bigger than a compact disc. He picked it up then reached into his inside pocket and took out the blood stained one that Bryce had given him. They looked the same but the one that Bryce had given him seemed to have more detail than the one he'd just picked up from the table. He didn't have time to examine it so he pocketed them both and continued searching through the items on the table. He came across several smaller units and circuit boards then motioned to Casey and Sarah to grab what they could as evidence.
They didn't see the person lurking in the shadows until it was too late.
Sarah swept the far table. "How much stuff do we need? I'm not sure that I have what you want."
"Don't worry," Chuck replied. "I'll decide on that when we get back home."
"OK we can ... " Sarah froze when the shadow came alive and she felt someone hold a gun to her head.
Shaw took Sarah's gun out of her holster and threw it behind him then he whispered, "Where's Carmichael?"
Sarah pointed in the direction of Chuck and Casey.
Shaw forced her towards Chuck and Casey.
As Sarah rounded the corner Chuck could see that she wasn't alone. He grabbed his gun and Casey drew his as well.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Shaw warned them. "Trust me, this time I will make damn sure that Agent Walker gets what's coming to her so put your guns down!"
Casey and Chuck never budged.
Angry that they weren't taking him seriously Shaw pistol-whipped Sarah in the back of the head.
Chuck lunged forward. "Sarah!"
"Back off Agent Carmichael!" Shaw sneered. "Unless you want to see her dead of course then by all means please come forward!"
"Chuck!" Casey warned. "Don't move."
Chuck swallowed hard as he watched Sarah being dragged back up with blood running down the front of her neck.
Sarah looked at Chuck and mouthed 'sorry'.
Chuck and Casey immediately threw down their guns.
Shaw tightened his hold on Sarah. "So you found my operation. You have no idea what you've got yourself into. What you see here will blow your mind. What my father has worked so hard for over the last twenty or so years will finally make a difference. I bet that after you blew up the mine in Chile and scared a few of my investors in Columbia you thought I would be worried but no. I still have the upper hand."
"What about Agent Larkin?" Chuck yelled. "What was he to you?"
"Larkin was just a pawn," Shaw replied. "Too bad he wasn't able to help us like we wanted him too but with or without Larkin's brain and the intersect my dad's plans will be carried out. What Larkin brought to the table was only part of it – the files he had stored in his brain no longer exist so we could add what we want. The USA's whole network of Intel and files died the moment my gun was fired into his chest."
Chuck moved closer to Shaw.
Shaw noticed and pressed his gun against Sarah's head. "Carmichael, haven't you learned anything yet? I have a gun and I have Agent Walker. You might not care about Agent Larking but I know you have feelings for Agent Walker. You make the wrong move and she dies. You say or do the wrong thing and she dies. It looks like either way she is going to die so if you want to add another funeral to Agent Larkin's please continue Agent Carmichael."
Casey grabbed Chuck's arm and whispered, "Don't give him what he wants. We'll find another way."
Chuck moved back.
"Thank you," Shaw grinned. "And while you're at it can you please unload your backpacks of the stuff you stole from my tables. I don't need a copy cat system competing with mine."
Chuck and Casey dropped their packs on the table.
"Now step back," Shaw ordered them.
Sarah made make eye contact with Casey. A silent message passed between them both understanding what had to be done. As soon as Sarah stepped on Shaw's foot Casey grabbed a pipe from the table. Shaw loosened his grip on Sarah and she managed to break free just as Casey flung the bar in Shaw's direction.
Shaw saw the bar hurtling towards him and fired his gun.
Casey pushed Chuck out of the way and both men fell to the ground.
Sarah slid under the table.
Blood dripped on the floor next to Chuck and when he looked at Casey he saw that he'd been shot in the arm. "Casey your hit!"
"It's just a flesh wound Bartowski," Casey replied. "It was either you or me. I prefer that it was me."
Chuck saw Sarah crawling under the table towards him then he spotted Shaw following her. When they emerged from under the tables into the open area Chuck grabbed Sarah and held her.
Despite the pain in his left arm Casey picked up his gun and pointed it at Shaw.
Shaw leaned back on his heels. "I guess you got me now."
"I won't take that chance till I know for sure that we have you," Casey replied.
"What? You don't trust me?"
Casey grunted. "Damn right I don't trust you!"
"Major Casey never underestimate your opponent. That is why you're not in the field anymore. You couldn't handle playing the game. Your skills are not as sharp as they used to be and you think that by holding a gun at me you have me. Far from it. You may have a gun pointed at me but I have many more pointed at you."
Instantly a line of red death marks pointed at Chuck, Sarah and Casey.
Shaw smirked. "Make your move Major Casey but be careful ... quite often your next move can lead to your last move."
Casey hated defeat especially from the hands of man like Shaw. For someone who came out of nowhere he was sure becoming a threat. He held his left arm grimacing when the pain started to become unbearable.
"I see my bullet hit you," Shaw drawled when he saw Casey clutching his arm. "I might be persuaded to get you some medical attention if you stop fighting me." He looked at Chuck and Sarah. "Then again I might not hold up my end of the deal if your friends here try to be heroes."
The other men who had snuck in the area came forward aiming their guns at Chuck Sarah and Casey.
Shaw walked over to Sarah and shoved Chuck away from her.
Chuck tried not to flash. He didn't want Shaw to know that he was the intersect and he didn't want anything more to happen to Sarah or Casey for that matter.
Shaw chuckled when Chuck didn't protest or fight back. "You give a little and I take. I like that."
Casey was trying to not react to what had just happened.
Shaw took Sarah and started heading towards the stairs. He looked over his shoulder and called, "If I were you two I would think long and hard about your next move. My men have orders to do what they like to you after I leave."
Chuck tried to move but three guns were pointed at him in various spots. Casey too had a few guns on him.
Shaw dragged Sarah off with a few of his men tagging along behind him.
As soon as Shaw was out of sight Chuck gave Casey a nod and squinted his eyes immediately going into the long awaited flash. He flashed on several fight moves and when he sprang into action the men never knew what hit them. He and Casey grabbed some guns and backpacks and headed up the stairs to find Sarah. Chuck spotted her and Shaw's entourage heading up another flight of stairs towards the elevator.
Casey and Chuck moved as fast as they could but the elevator doors closed before they could reach them.
Sarah made no indication to Shaw that Chuck had seen her and was coming for her.
Chuck and Casey made it to the ground floor of the mine. They hid behind the export cargo bins that had housed Chuck and Sarah the previous day and waited until they saw Sarah being dragged into the clearing by Shaw.
Shaw stopped when he spotted Chuck and Casey. "Well, well, well ... bravo. I'm not sure how you got here but I am impressed. Unfortunately, this is as far as you go."
"I wouldn't count your eggs before their hatched," Chuck yelled.
"Exactly Agent Carmichael, I would say the same to you as well."
When Shaw raised his left arm Chuck saw the detonator. He panicked when he saw that Sarah had C4 attached to the right side of her face.
Shaw wrapped his arm around Sarah's neck. "I am tired Carmichael so we will say our goodbyes. Please say goodbye to Agent Walker because this is the last time you will ever see her alive!" As Shaw moved towards the entrance of the mine, he was distracted by a noise coming from his right.
The noise allowed Sarah to break free and head butt Shaw in the face. Shaw flew back and Sarah continued to attack him with several punches. In the confusion Shaw released the detonator and it flew backwards onto the floor.
Chuck watched in slow motion as the detonator fell to the ground and Sarah ran towards him. He watched the timer counting down then he suddenly yelled, "Run Sarah, run!"
Sarah was focusing on the end with Chuck standing there to catch her.
Chuck saw the timer run down 10 – 9 –8-7-6-5-4-3.
Sarah was inches away from him as the timer counted 2-1. Chuck reached out his hand and barely got to touch Sarah's fingers as the detonator went off. The blast threw Casey into the corridor of the mine. Chuck fell back and Sarah disappeared with the blast.
Chuck waited till the dust settled then called out to Sarah but there is no reply. He continued to call Sarah's name.
Casey looked around to see if there was any sign of Sarah or Shaw. He scanned the debris and noticed a two-meter wide hole in the ground. All he could see was something shiny in the dirt. He bent down and reached for the object, blew the dusted off it and saw that it was a bracelet. He walked over to Chuck and dropped the bracelet into the palm of Chuck's hand.
Chuck knew that Sarah was gone but where? Shaw was no longer there either. This man apparently had nine lives and Chuck was ready to kill all of them. He turned around and ran his hands through his hair, held his head in his hands and fell to the ground. Chuck rubbed his palms on his pants trying not to react to Sarah literally being gone or even worse. He took many deep breaths as he tried to regain some control and hold back his emotions.
Casey walked over to Chuck and pulled him up. He was taking Sarah's disappearance harder than he thought he would but Casey had long ago figured out what was going on between the two agents so he gave Chuck a break. Not all soldiers were hardened souls; some had a hearts Casey thought to himself.
"We need to find her Casey," Chuck said in a panicked voice. "She's my past, present and hopefully my future. I love her!"
Casey nodded and cocked his gun then he looked at Chuck. "It takes a lot for a man to admit that he loves a woman especially one like Sarah. I salute you. Don't worry, we'll find her."
Chuck smiled his thanks to Casey and followed him through the hole in the wall. They followed the tracks and emerged on the far side of the mine near the reservoir.
Chuck realized that Shaw must have found another way out. He paced and yelled for Sarah again but the late afternoon air echoed his cry back to him.
Chuck and Casey headed back into the mine. Casey had just gotten off the phone to General Beckman informing her that Shaw had captured Sarah and that they had found Sarah's mom. General Beckman was curious to see who Sarah's mom was. Without a picture to go on Beckman decided to come out and see for herself and lend her support in helping to get Sarah back.
Suddenly Chuck saw Laura running towards him. When she didn't she her daughter she cried out to Chuck. He shook his head and embraced Laura when tears filled her eyes. He felt her pain.
Casey stood and admitting to himself that he too was affected by what had happened. It was no longer an in and out mission but one that could have two bodies going back to state side as Shaw foretold earlier but he knew that Sarah wouldn't give up without a fight and Chuck would never give up on her. He loved Sarah and had been her saviour on many occasions. It was a deadly but powerful combination.
Beckman's team had arrived within an hour of Casey's call. He gave them instructions to pack up all Intel that connected Daniel Shaw to his father Franco Kovac and Colonel Klinger. Casey called in a favour to have Colonel Klinger picked up and arrested. As the mine was being examined Casey went in search of Chuck and Laura. He found them sitting in the office that Chuck and Sarah had found the first day they'd entered the mine. Laura was still very emotional and Chuck was trying to hide his feelings but Casey saw him wipe a tear from the corner of his eye. "Beckman's men have arrived. I called in a favour to have Colonel Klinger arrested so we can go back to the hotel."
"I can't," Chuck replied. "I need to find Sarah."
Casey stopped Chuck when he headed towards the door. "We'll find her but you're in no state of mind to do that now. You need to get some sleep. We have no idea where Shaw has taken her. We need to go over the Intel we picked up down stairs."
"Charles, I mean Chuck, Casey is right," Laura piped up. "Sarah needs you to be stay strong. You need to get some rest. I know that you care for my daughter. I could see it in your eyes when I entered the room and when I saw you in Prague."
Chuck looked at her. "Nothing happened in Prague!"
Laura smiled. "I know you wouldn't take advantage of her then or now. You love her and knowing that my daughter is taken care of by a man like you makes me very proud. It makes her dad and your parents very happy."
"Why would my parents care who I was in love with?"
Casey pulled up a chair and lit a cigar. "This should be good!"
"Remember when you and your dad came down to San Diego for the weekend and you and Lisa ... I mean Sarah ... were in the tree house? We were talking as parents and we all thought that it would be nice if by chance you two got together. It would make the whole process easier."
Chuck frowned. "Process?"
"Do you remember anything about that weekend or around that time?"
He shook his head. "Not really. I remember the tree house and camping under the stars with my dad, some stuff that Sarah and I talked about but nothing big or of any importance. I still don't know why you're so set on me remembering my childhood and if Sarah and I had a connection back then. I don't have a lot of very fond memories of my life with my dad so anything that involved him is very limited." He stood up. "Casey I think its time that we headed back to the hotel. I'm feeling very tired all of a sudden. And we better get your arm taken care of."
Casey exhaled his cigar smoke and stood up.
Laura watched them walk towards the door then she said, "I'll stop by in the morning."
"Do you know which hotel we are staying at?" Casey asked trying to be civil.
"I'll find you," Laura assured him. "Good day Major Casey."
"Good day Laura."
Laura walked out of the office then turned back to Casey. "Major?"
He turned around. "Yes?"
"Does Chuck love my daughter as much as he says he does?"
"Probably more," Casey chuckled. "I don't know when it happened but it did and since then they have done nothing but protect each other so you need not worry about them. Chuck will go to great lengths to get what he wants and Sarah isn't who she is by mistake. She had to learn it from someone." Casey gave Laura a hardy smile.
"Thank you." Laura knew that her daughter had turned into a strong woman and that she had trained her well. Naturally she was worried about her but she knew that wherever Lisa was she would not give up without a fight.
Hotel outskirts of Vientiane Laos 05:30 hrs
Chuck entered the hotel room and went to fridge. He grabbed two beers and tossed one to Casey then he walked over to the window and twisted the cap on his own beer. After two swigs he put the bottle down.
Casey sat down and put his feet up. He wanted to lighten up the already heavy-laden room. "So you and Walker huh?"
Chuck took another swig of his beer but didn't reply.
"Have you two been seeing each other long? Hiding the Cannoli, have we?" Casey asked trying not to smirk.
"I don't kiss and tell," Chuck replied.
"But you do kiss her right?"
Chuck frowned at him. "Is this eleventh grade?"
"With a girl like Walker I had to ask even if I knew that something was going on between you two. You denied it how many times?"
"I had my reasons Casey."
"I know, but remember after the Lon Kirk mission I knew that there was something going on then."
"Nope sorry long before that."
Casey sat up. "Really before that?"
"Yeah, if you really want to know it was the night that Bryce returned. Sarah kissed me because she ... we ... thought that the capsule was a bomb about to go off."
"Wow, this whole time you've had feelings for Walker?"
Chuck nodded.
"It all makes sense now," Casey said. "Walker reacting to you getting shot wasn't just because you two were partners, she really had feelings for you."
Chuck topped his beer off. He looked at the stars and the moon that were starting to appear in the night sky. He hoped that wherever Sarah was she was thinking of him too. He decided to sleep in Sarah's bed that night.
Casey had no objections.
Chuck said his goodnights and closed the door behind him. He walked around the room; the smell of Sarah lingered in the air and in her clothes as Chuck held them near his face. He wanted to be with her but that wasn't possible. He looked through her suitcase and came across a photo of him and her. It was taken months after they had become partners. They had to pretend to be a couple that day and the cover had stuck. He was surprised that Sarah had held onto that picture. He sighed, undressed and slid under the covers. He grabbed the pillow and leaned into it. He could smell Sarah's wonderful scent in the pillow. Memories of the time he'd spent his first 24-hour detail in her hotel room invaded his thoughts. She'd come out of the bathroom with her hair still wet from her shower. That led to other memories of tender moments they'd shared since he'd met her. He stared at the photo till his eyes could no longer stay open.
Chuck heard the door of the hotel room open and he had to remind himself of where he was. He was in Sarah's bed but she wasn't with him. He got dressed and headed out.
Casey sat at the table with three cups of coffee. Laura had just picked up the third cup. She wasn't lying when she said that she'd be by in the morning. "Good morning Chuck."
Chuck grabbed his cup. He didn't say anything till he had his first sip.
Casey waited till Chuck swallowed. "Laura also brought us breakfast."
Chuck sat down and opened up the containers. He was surprised to find pancakes.
"I made them myself," Laura said. "The Chinese people haven't quite figure out the importance of pancakes in one's diet."
"Thanks!" Chuck said as he indulged in one of his favourite meals.
After breakfast Casey cleared the table while Chuck started on finding Sarah. He went for his computer and started a search for Sarah's beacon hoping that she'd had time to set it off. He started the program just in case the signal had been triggered.
Casey grabbed the USB drives from Chuck's backpack and started downloading the files.
Laura was amazed of what Chuck could do. The more she observed the more she saw Stephen in Chuck. She remembered back in the day when Stephen was sitting behind his computer plugging away at his attempts to create the intersect. Chuck's mannerisms were so much like his father's that it made her chuckle.
"I am glad I can amuse you."
"Sorry Chuck I was just thinking. Is there anything I can do?"
"No, not right now."
Laura got up and started looking at the pages that Chuck and Sarah had found with the key. The key had been found but not the box which meant that it had to be in the third mine. Pictures were found in the first mine indicating that Chuck and Sarah knew each other. The second mine had the key in it so that left the third mine to house the box. Hopefully Chuck would find the box. Laura knew that Mary Bartowski wouldn't let her husband nor her friend down. So far her attempts on hiding these important items had been pretty good and knowing that Chuck would eventually figure them out made her realize that that the prophecy would come true and it would change the world. She got up with the papers from the mine that came with the key.
When Chuck saw Laura holding the papers they'd found in the mine he regarded her with suspicion. When she placed the key down on the table he quickly grabbed it.
"Chuck, you can trust me."
"Can I?" He asked. "You disappeared from your daughter's life. You're supposedly friends with my dad. You took an interest in our lives and followed us. You took pictures of us. Why?"
"In time it will all become clear," Laura replied.
"I guess we're all good at keeping secrets, aren't we? I thought that Bryce couldn't be trusted but I have to tell you that right now you're right at the top of my list as the person I least trust."
"We don't have time to argue about who said what or who promised what," Laura said. "Shaw took my daughter and we need to get her back. He doesn't know who shot his mother or that you're Stephen's son. You need to find Sarah and protect her for me. You need to fulfill the prophecy."
"What prophecy?" Chuck stopped in his tracks and turned to face Laura.
"It's time," she replied. "The truth is in the lyrics."
Chuck recalled hearing that line before. Suddenly he started to flash; he saw many pictures of Sarah when she was a kid standing beside his dad and her parents; there were flashes of his dad telling him stories when they were camping under the stars then suddenly there was an image of him uploading the intersect when he was a kid followed by puzzles , hieroglyphics, ancient prophecies, white tigers and white swans and the big dipper. There were so many flashes that it hurt Chuck's head. He cried out and buried his face in his hands.
Casey ran over to him. He looked at Laura. "What did you do?"
"I told him what he needed to hear," she replied calmly.
"And that was?"
"I told him what his dad wanted him to remember. It was a phrase that his dad put in the intersect to allow Chuck to proceed with the prophecy. Why is he reacting like this?"
"We don't know," Casey replied. "When he has a lot of flashes his brain can't keep up for some reason. Chuck thinks that because this is new to him his brain is trying to compensate for the large amounts of data. He thinks that whoever gave Bryce the intersect to give to him didn't know how it would actually work. It might have looked good on paper but in reality not so much."
Laura watched Chuck. The intersect Stephen had designed might have some quirks but it was doing what he'd programmed it to do. She kept an eye on Chuck until he came out of his haze.
Casey tossed Chuck a bottle of water and some aspirin.
Chuck hesitated about taking them.
"What's wrong?" Casey asked.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"It's no big deal," Chuck replied. "It's just that Sarah is usually here to give me the aspirin. I know it sounds corny but.."
"Not at all," Laura replied. "It sounds sweet ... very domesticated ... very couple like."
Chuck smiled then tossed a couple of aspirin in his mouth and took a big swig of water.
"Do the aspirins help?" Laura asked.
"Not really," he replied. "My brain is always on. The pills just numb the pain from that of a big drum to a slight rumble. It's just enough to allow me to work and function. Sarah can sometimes keep me from freaking out. She has a way of calming me down which helps to keep the pain at bay."
"You really do care about my daughter, don't you?"
Chuck took another sip of his water. "In the beginning it wasn't easy. It took her a long time to trust me enough to let me in. We had a lot of back and forth ..." He smiled. "We were your typical 'will they won't they' couple. Sarah was very driven professionally and that was a big attraction when I first met her because my life wasn't going anywhere and she gave me hope that I could actually make something of myself. I had the family and friends that she was missing in her own life which attracted her to me. Sarah taught me how to be a spy and I helped her find her inner fun so to speak." He chuckled. "She didn't let me in completely until recently and we still have a long way to go before we can consider ourselves a proper couple but we're getting there. Finding out that we knew each other as kids is something of an added complication to an already complicated relationship but we love each other so I'm hoping that it will be enough to see us through these difficult times."
"I never realized how hard it's been for her," Laura admitted.
Chuck nodded. "Sarah has a lot of secrets. Her childhood wasn't exactly the kind that fairytales are made of. She spent most of her childhood on the run with her dad, as you well know. It was all she knew for a long time. When she became a spy she realized that she'd found something she was good at but even that hasn't worked out like she thought it would. Her whole life has been a combination of lies and stretched truths especially the day she had to complete her Red Test. That was the worst day of her life. She actually thought that she'd killed a person."
Laura sighed. "I know ... it hurt her deeply ... I watched her for days after that but lost track of her when she left Lisbon."
"Until you took these," Chuck said picking up the photos.
"Yes," Laura replied. "It was the only way I could verify your identities."
"But how did Kovac get wind of it? How did he know about the mines and the Intel?"
Laura shrugged. "I don't know. Have you heard of Fulcrum?"
Chuck flashed then said, "Sandstorm."
"You flashed again didn't you?"
He nodded.
"Your dad was right," Laura said giving him a warm smile. "The intersect works, Sarah found you and Bryce got the message to you."
Chuck looked sad.
"What's wrong?"
"Bryce is dead."
"I'm sorry," Laura said softly. "That was never part of the plan."
"It never is," Chuck replied as images of Bryce lying on the ground with a bullet in him flashed in front of his eyes. "It's a little ironic to say the least."
"Charles, you should know that your dad asked Bryce to watch over you. He asked him to protect you at any cost."
Chuck sighed. "It was a high price to pay to save my sorry ass."
"Don't say that," Laura retorted. "You have a far greater purpose in life and Bryce knew that. The world needs you Chuck and Bryce did what he had to do in order to help you fulfil your destiny."
Laura told Chuck the real reason for this mission, why he and Sarah had been destined to meet and how the prophecy had been set in motion the day Stephen had told Chuck and Sarah about the prophecy. It was written that their paths would someday cross again so that they could right the wrongs of the world. Both sets of parents had set the stars in motion but the powers of the white swan and tiger were up to Chuck and Sarah.
Laura answered Chuck's questions about the intersect as best she could. "Copper has an electrical property and when exploited into copper wires devices such as electromagnetics, integrated circuits and printed circuit boards you can create things like micro chips. ICs are integrated circuits or monolithic integrated circuits or ..."
"Micro chips," Chuck finished for her.
"That's right," Laura replied smiling at him. "The components can be integrated and wired into bi-dimensional or tri-dimensional compact grids or in your case the brain."
Casey sat up straight suddenly a lot more interested in what Laura was saying.
"The CIA developed the first Central Processing Unit (CPU) on one chip by 1968 and their engineers went on to create things like LEDs, lasers, solar cells, analog and digital circuits (cell phones) that could house intel and could be downloaded by an agent at a later date or time. They figured out that it could create random access to memory or in your case flashes but the attempts proved that these memories were faster than your flashes. Through the manufacturing process they were able to create plates that were no bigger than a compact disc."
Chuck remembered the disc in his jacket.
"These plates were capable of holding thousands of files and could be downloaded into an agent's brain plus smaller units that mostly contained circuits included four common sections: the manufacturer's name or logo, part numbers and batches of serial numbers. A four-digit code that identified when the chip was manufactured. The manufacturing date was commonly represented as a two digit code that included the year followed by another two digit code of the week, such that a part of the code 8341 was manufactured the in the week 41 or 1983 or approx Oct 1983. By the 1980's programmable logic devices were developed re the intersect by your Dad and the project was called the Omaha project. These devices contained circuits whose logical function and connectivity could be programmed by the user – your Dad - rather than being fixed by the manufacturer which in this case was Fornax."
Chuck was captivated by everything Laura was telling him.
"All these inventions allowed your dad to create the intersect but when Cygnus was getting off the ground Stephen had to shut down the Omaha Project. He secured the files and sent them to Bryce. I had to get Sarah out of the hands of Fornax hence her red test. Little did I know that she'd end up protecting you."
Chuck smiled.
"Your dad tried to prevent them manufacturing the CPUs. He didn't want his hard work to end up in the hands of Fulcrum so he hid the CPUs in the CIA back files till he was able to get them out. He also managed to shut down all the mines until recently. Kathy Shaw was hired by the CIA but ended up hooking up with Franco Kovac. She changed sides along with the Intel. Kovac's goal was to create or re-establish Operation Cygnus. He used a dried up business such as Fornax and made millions in mining copper but he couldn't let the CIA or the army know what he was up to so he had the mission changed over 20 years ago."
"Klinger," Casey interjected.
Laura nodded. "The real CIA got wind that Kathy was the leak. Your mom and I heard about Kathy's involvement – we were what you guys now call the CAT Squad. When I heard that Lisa ... I mean Sarah ..." She smiled. "I can't quite get use to her new name."
"That's okay, I think I would struggle just as much if I had to call her Lisa."
Laura smiled. "When I heard that Sarah had joined the CIA and Graham wanted her to shoot Kathy I couldn't let it happen so I took care of it myself. I killed my partner to protect the identity of my daughter and your mom who was my best friend, Mary. Your mom is a spy Chuck. Shaw doesn't know that Sarah didn't shoot his mom so his revenge is very real. Daniel and his dad, Franco, despise your Dad - that's why Daniel wants Sarah dead."
"And my dad? Was he a spy?"
"Yes and no."
Chuck looked confused. "Either he was or he wasn't."
"Your dad worked with us as a part of the CAT Squad. He was involved with the CIA but as an analyst. When we were all in University your mom and I were recruited as agents and your dad was recruited as a scientist/engineer. When your mom started going on missions your dad tagged along. It was risky because the CIA frowned upon their agents being in relationships. The only time I could be with Sarah's dad was when we needed him for a mission." She smiled. "Your mom and I made sure that all our missions included our 'analysts' till one day your mom was called to go on a mission and never came back."
"I don't really remember her," Chuck admitted.
"None of us dreamed it would turn out the way it did," Laura replied. "Your dad left you and Ellie to search for your mom. I left Sarah and Jack because the last mission I was on backfired. If I hadn't left them they could have ended up being killed. Working for the CIA can be satisfying but it also breaks you down and rips at the core of your being. You start to believe that your missions are your life and what you once believed was real starts to fade into the spiralling motions of crime, passion, hate, right and wrong. You start a new day but it quickly gets swept up into weeks and years and by the time you figure out what you're doing it's too late – your child is all grown up and your marriage has become nothing more than a signature on a piece of paper."
"I don't know what to say," Chuck said blown away by everything he'd heard.
"There's nothing you can say," Laura replied. "I regret a lot Chuck but I did what I did for my family. Your parents are doing the same for you and Ellie. They are out there and I believe that we will see them again soon. Your dad has been monitoring this whole thing from somewhere. I don't know where but what I do know is that he is telling you something and maybe the plan that he had envisioned long ago isn't making sense to you and Sarah now but it will. I was there when this started as an idea and I have been part of this ever since. You need to trust me Chuck. You need to trust that you and Sarah are destined to be together and fulfill this prophecy. Whether you believe it or not the world is waiting."
"I don't know what to believe any more," Chuck replied. "It's a little hard to take in." He shuffled through the papers on the table. He had to find Sarah fast. He needed to decrypt the codes with or without the intersect.
"Your dad always said that Fulcrum was like killing the arm of the monster. If they were just in the Los Angeles area we could have shut them down years ago but we're in Laos and the monster is still running wild."
Chuck looked at the papers and globe they'd found in the mine. He scanned sections of the paper and when they appeared on the screen of his laptop he grouped the numbers and letters according to strings that had the same length. He knew that whatever strand he came up with it would be a cryptic code. He sat back trying to decipher his findings but came up blank. He typed the codes in alphabetical order but still came up with nothing. He stared at the screen waiting for the letters to tell him something ... anything. He typed them again and highlighted any that were repetitive. The letters 'UIF' stood out.
The more Chuck looked at the letters the more he was beginning to figure them out. He remembered spending time with his dad doing lots of puzzles. He had never liked the cryptic puzzles but his dad had told him that one day knowing how to solve them would come in handy if he wanted to keep secrets. He looked at the letters UIF wondering what his dad was trying to tell him. He crossed-referenced them and came up with a decoding method that used the letter before the one you were decoding. UIF was suddenly replaced with the letters THE. Chuck smiled when he realized that he had just figured out the code. He typed the rest of the letters into the programme then sat back to read the decrypted message:
UIF/ QSPQIFBZ/ IZT/ CFFO/ UPME/ UIFZ/ CBSSMFE/ SIQPVHI/ UIF/ BHFT/
The prophecy has been told- thy battled through the ages
CVU/ TUJMM/ OFJUIFS/ GPSDF/ XPVME/ ZHFME/ UIF/
But still neither force would yield – The
QFPQMF/ XFSF/ EJWEJEFE/ FWFSZ/ TPVK/ Z/
people were divided every soul a
CBUUMFGJFME/
Battlefield
XIJUFTVBO/
White Swan
CSJOH/ USVUI/ BOE/ VOEFSTUBOEJOH/ GPMMZ/ BOE/
Bring truth and understanding, folly and
XJTEPN/ QSFDJVT/ HJGUT/ CDZPOE/ DPNQBSF/
Wisdom, precious gifts beyond compare
UP/ UIF/ IFBSUPG/ DZHOVT/ GFBSTPNF/
To the heart of Cygnus fearsome
GPSDF/ XF/ TFS/ PVS/ DPVSTF/ TQHSBMMFE/
Force we set our course spiralled
UISPVHI/ SIBS/ SHNFMFTT/ TQBDF/
through that timeless space
J/ IBWF/ NFNPSZ/ BXBSFOFTT/ CVUJIBWF/OP/ TIBQF/
I have memory awareness but I have no shape
PS/ GPSN/ J/ ZN/ EFBE/ BOE/ ZFU/VOCPSO/
or form – I am dead and yet unborn
TJY/ TUBST/ PG/ UIF/ OPSUIFSO/ DSPTT/ UIF/ YSBZ/
Six stars of the Northern Cross – the x-ray
JT/ IFS/ TJSFO/ TPOH/
Is her siren song?
NZ/ TIJQ/ DBOOPH/ SFTJTU/ IFS/ MPOH/
My ship cannot resist her long
OFBSFS/ UP/ NZ/ EFBEMZ/ HPBM/ VOUJM/ UIF/ CMBDL/ IPME/
Nearer to my deadly goal until the black hole
HBJOT/ DPOUSPM/
Gains control
Somewhere in the Northern part of Europe
Sarah is dragged into a windowless room with a faint glowing light. She is strapped to the chair that had seen better days. The ropes were very tight but Sarah figured that eventually they'd be loose enough to break free. She had to stay alert even with the pain. She could taste the foreign substance that still lingered in her mouth. She knew that she had to been given something for the 'ride'. She didn't know how long she'd been out or what time of day is was or if she was still in Laos.
She held onto the feeling and hope that this time her saviour was very close. Not like the time in Columbia. Her hopes of being rescued had been stepped on when Bryce left her to die but there was no comparison between Bryce and Chuck. She knew that Chuck would come for her. He wouldn't stop till she was safe. Her knight in shining armour would save her. She also remembered that Bryce was dead ... this time for good. Her partner and ex lover was dead. She felt sad but her loss was that of a co-worker and partner. She no longer had feelings for Bryce; they had been washed away long ago and had been filled with a much deeper attraction and respect for Chuck Bartowski. She smiled to herself when she thought of his name and even though she was in pain she still smiled. She wasn't sure what hurt most; being physically hurt or being apart from Chuck. Where are you Chuck? Where am I?
Hotel outskirts of Vientiane Laos – mid afternoon
Laura was sleeping on the couch holding the file that Chuck had given her to read. It was something to do while the two men tried to figure out where Sarah was.
Chuck sat with Casey going over the clues he'd decrypted. They tried to make sense of the riddle but came up empty. Chuck pushed his chair away from the table and headed outside. He welcomed the cool air on his skin but every minute he took to regroup was a minute gone in finding Sarah.
Casey leaned against the wall watching Chuck. He could tell that he was giving up. There were still too many pieces to the puzzle unanswered. Chuck was smart but he was starting to doubt his capabilities. Casey walked over to him. "Remember when you played that game of chess on one of our missions?"
"How could I forget? Those guns were pointed right at me but what does a game of chess have to do with anything?"
"Chuck ..." Casey paused. "There are times when a well played pawn is more powerful than a King ... that a pen is mightier than a sword. Maybe Laura's right. Even Bryce heaven forbid had a point. When you received the intersect it wasn't a mistake," Casey said hoping that he was saying the right thing. "Having the intersect is a gift that adds to what you already have but you're smart with or without it. Remember when I told you that Sarah was missing and you found her in Columbia or when I told you that Stanford didn't let just anybody in?"
Chuck sat back pondering what Casey had said. A light suddenly sparked in Chuck's brain and he knew that he had enough to bring Shaw down. He was Stephen J Bartowski's son and it would and always had been aces. He nodded. "You're right Casey, we can do this."
"That's the Chuck I know," Casey replied proud of the agent Chuck had become.
"You're getting good at these talks," Chuck said grinning at Casey. "Maybe it's a sign that you have a gift as a life coach."
Chuck and Casey looked at each other and said simultaneously, "Nah." They both started laughing. When they went back inside the room Chuck saw Laura holding his laptop. "What's wrong?"
She showed held the laptop out to him. "I'm not sure."
Chuck took it from her. When he saw the screen blinking a code he knew it could only mean one thing; Sarah had set off her beacon. He sat down and started tapping the keyboard going through programmes with impressive speed as he searched for Sarah's location. He looked at the map then at Laura and Casey. "She's somewhere in Northern Europe," he said disappointed that he hadn't been able to pinpoint her exact location.
"It's ok Chuck," Laura replied. "At least we're a little closer than we were a few minutes ago."
"She's right Chuck," Casey chimed in. "In time there will be another sign that will come our way. I just know it." His encrypted phone started ringing and he paused to answer it. "Casey secure." He listened then said, "Yes General right away."
"Who was that?" Chuck asked.
"General Beckman. She wants to see all three of us pronto."
Chuck grabbed his things then followed Laura and Casey to the truck.
