Don't own Chuck
The Black Hawk touched down at Ladd and the base commander a full bird Colonel was on hand to meet and brief them. As they were suiting up he gave them a rundown on the terrain and the defence systems they'd be up against. Two flight crews perp'd the warbirds making sure all their systems were up and functional. There was no place to pull over to the side of the road on their way to change a flat so everything had to work. After everything was done they needed only one final detail before they left and that was an overview of the mission site and that came in the form of a jpeg file sent to them from Langley.
"You have one new message," said Chuck's tablet as they were headed out to their planes. "Hold up this could be important. It's from the Beckman's office."
"I had two extra drop tanks with 20,000 pounds of fuel each loaded that's two tanks with 267 gallons in each external tanks plus you've got 16,200 pounds in your internal tank that should get you there and back. And oh by the way try not to scuff up the paint."
"Jesus Christ," said Chuck ignoring the Commander's humor, "look at this, just look at. That's the reason we didn't get this mission off the bat. They didn't want us to know what they were doing up here."
"Chuck what are you talking about we don't have time for this," said Sarah as she took the tablet from him and looked at the picture. "Oh my God that's a-"
"Yes it is," said Chuck walking around trying to shake it off.
"Well this confirms what you thought," said Sarah seeing that the Base Commander was giving them strange looks. "Sorry but there's a lot in play right now and a large piece of the puzzle just fell in our laps."
"No, Sarah you're right we've got to put this out of our heads. We can deal with this afterwards right now we've Morgan and Alex to think about and-"
"No please not this time," said Sarah. She knew what he was about to say and he was risking to become repetitive.
"What 'To infinity... and beyond!'" said Chuck.
"Oh just kiss me and watch your back we're going up against the best, our own," said Sarah as she kissed him then went over and boarded her plane. He boarded his then they rolled out onto the flight line then off.
"Setting coordinates, retracting wings, punching afterburners."
"There's one thing we need to get straight. You realize I'm squadron leader and you're supposed to be my wingman Sweetie which means you follow my lead."
"Don't I always Love," radioed Chuck as he looked over his instrument panel and made some minor course corrections.
"You don't want me to answer that but we need to get up there fast even if they have cold weather gear they can't hold out forever."
"Hold on little buddy we're on our way," radioed Chuck more for himself because he knew Morgan couldn't hear him. "Sarah do you think we're too late?"
"Chuck there are just some thoughts you should put out of your head and that's one of them. We here to rescue them until this becomes a recovery mission and that's that."
"Roger squadron leader."
"Captain Jones," said the Colonel as he walked over to the Delta Force leader. "I was ordered to give you this after the CIA team departed." He handed him a sealed envelope
"Crap I've got an idea what this is," said the Captain as he opened it up and read the contents. "Yeah, just as I thought, boys we're not going home so soon looks like we've got another mission. Colonel, when will our ride get here?"
"It's landing now," said the Base Commander as he pointed to a C-130 that was landing on the other side of the field.
"Okay girls get your gear and let's get ready our friends have a head start on us. The plan is for them to punch us a hole. We're to retake and hold the facility until we're relieved."
The C-130 landed picked up it's cargo of troops and took off without letting its props stop turning. They were refueled in flight and continued onto the target site behind Chuck and Sarah's F-14s.
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Casey looked around and saw Sam with a pair of dark sunglasses. A cold chill ran down his spine when he saw they were intersect glasses. Where the heck did they come from and who knew how to make a pair? These were all things racing through his head but first he had to get them from Sam. At first Sam acted like she was going to put them on and Casey nearly freaked but he knew he had to say cool.
"No! Sam don't," said Casey. Kat looked at him like he was crazy. Already he was running around or better hobbling around with a pistol in his hand. Casey could tell he was freaking her out but it couldn't be helped. Sam looked at him with a puzzled expression turned her head sideways then put them on Mr. Rabbit.
"Yes much better," said Casey. "Kat we've got to get those glasses away from her. They aren't what they seem."
"What cheap sunglass? Are trying to scare me with some sort of joke? It's not funny" said Kathleen chastising him but he wasn't listening. Then he saw what he needed he saw Sam's ball. It was the one they used to play catch with so be picked it up.
"Sam, here catch," he said as threw it to her intentionally over her head so she had to get up and go get it. As soon as she moved he pounced on the glasses immediately breaking them. Sparks flew and the glasses smoked as he broke them in half.
"Hey, what kind of glass are those," asked Kathleen as she started to believe that that they weren't what they seemed and that they were actually dangerous. "Who'd send a baby something like that?"
"Someone sick and who has it out for Chuck and Sarah," said Casey as he examined the glasses. They were and they weren't intersect glasses. They just didn't look like the ones he had seen before.
"Kay see boo-boo," said Sam pointing at the glasses in his pocket.
"Yes baby, Kay See boo-boo come with me," said Kathleen as she picked up Sam and took her in the kitchen giving her one of the cookies she had just made that had cooled down. Kathleen was going to ask him more about them when she saw him talking on his phone to someone about them.
"Tell General Beckman Colonel Casey needs to talk to her right away and I don't care what war she's planning. You can tell her I'm about to launch my own full out ground assault if she doesn't get on this line right now and you can add with all due respects to that threat."
"John is there anything I can do?" said Kathleen as she feed Sam another cookie which she took with a big smile.
"No I'm hold for Langley after I get off the line I'm going to take you two into Castle for lock down. This place has been compromised we can't stay here."
"John if Castle has any of the things you have in your place do you think it's safe for a baby like Sam who can escape from her room without being detected or open boxes. John how did she open that box? If it was taped shut how did she open it? I mean most packages come sealed."
"I don't know but you're right," said John as he examined the box but as he did the General came on the line. "Sorry General I've got you on speaker I'm in the middle of an investigation."
"Investigation? What investigation? You're supposed to be convalescing. Colonel I've got crap hitting the fan up North and I don't have time for games here."
"General someone sent a pair of intersect glass here belay that they sent them to the Buy More," said Casey as he held up the box with a packing label addressed to Chuck at the Buy More. Casey pulled out a letter inside. It was from Big Mike.
'Bartowski, the next time you order fool 3-D glasses make sure you're around to receive them. I don't have time to mess around receiving your idiot merchandise. I hope you didn't pay for these fool things with corporate funds. I'm going to drop them off on your door step on my way to Salsa lesson with my lovely wife Bolonia Garcia Bougainvillea Grimes Tucker, Morgan's momma. We're going to make some Bolognese sauce, squeeze some fresh tomatoes and grind some meat, muy caliente if you know what I mean.'
"Colonel this is important are you sure they're intersect glasses?"
"What ma'am," said Casey as he glanced down at his watch and he understood what happened. "Yes and no they are definitely intersect but I've never seen anything like these and when I broke them they sparked and smoked."
"You broke them? Why am I not surprised," said the General with a disparaging tone. "I'll send a recovery team to pick them up from you. The best thing you can do right now is stay put and try not to break anything else."
"General any report on Alex or Morgan," said Kathleen. "I'm sorry I'm just concerned I haven't heard from them, I mean we haven't heard from them."
"I can tell you Chuck and Sarah are in route to their current location and I'm expecting an update shortly. Listen I know it's not easy being the one to wait by the phone. I'm sorry I wish I could tell you more but until I know something for certain it's best we don't start jumping to conclusions and suppositions. Colonel, can you take me off speaker we need to have a private chat."
"Yes General," said Casey as he started to push the button.
"Wait one Colonel. Ms. McHugh I don't know if this helps but Chuck, Sarah, Alex, the Colonel and Morgan are soldiers in a war. Not one that you'll read about in a newspaper or watch on television at six o'clock but they, we're at war against a foe that hides and attacks from the shadows. He's a coward and lashes out at the weak. It's our job to make sure that's where he stays and that we diligently and with perseverance push that darkness back. Ours is a thankless job, one where there are no laurels at the end, no praise, no glory there is just duty and the knowledge that we did what had to be done. Now Colonel we need to have our little chat.
"Thank you General," said Kathleen. "I need to take Sam in the back and change her so you guys can talk all you want."
"Okay ma'am you're off speaker," said Casey after he switch speaker off, "I take it there's more you want to tell me."
"Listen you might want to gently prepare Ms. McHugh for bad news. The situation is your team went dark and they're disappearance has to do with Santa's Workshop which you and I know is located above the sixty ninth parallel past the DEW line."
"The only way I know about it is that it was in that dossier you sent me at Travis. What the hell were you people thinking trying to build another intersect computer anyway? Especially without Chuck knowing. Who was in charge of that project anyway Santa Claus or one of his elves, maybe Rudolph but none of you were very bright?"
"I found out about it after it was already funded and under construction. This was all done before I became acting director. I knew the way Agents Bartowski would react so I simply ignored it and just read their progress reports and they were making some good headway until today."
"What happened today?" asked Casey a he glanced down the corridor to Sam's room to make sure Kathleen was still inside.
"The facility went dark."
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Chuck and Sarah were coming in low kicking up snow behind them as low to the deck as they were flying. They were coming into range soon so they had to begin to put together an attack strategy. But there was naturally a little disagreement on who was to do what.
"Wingman I want you to follow me in. The missile batteries are set up on the four corners we'll come into it like a diamond I break right you fire then break left then we both lay down chaff. We circle around for another pass same formation taking out the missile battery on the right breaking left to the battery we took out before circling back landing. Once we're on the ground we can recover Alex and Morgan and be off again."
"Sounds like a plan but I think you should follow me in then we do everything you talked about Squadron leader. I'm better equipped to draw fire for you and you're better at shooting things we both know that."
"Remember Chuck, wingman, squadron leader if you argue we're not going to get anywhere so you follow me and break like I said and no I don't want to hear about 'use the force, Luke'."
"Just saying…"
"No Chuck, Wingman, Squadron Leader now get behind me and we'll start our approach." Just then the message started playing about them violating restricted airspace and that they should turn around or deadly force would be used.
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Meanwhile, down on the ice…
"Alex, stay awake, don't sit down. Come on get up we've got to keep moving," said Morgan as he tried to get her up. "Come on you don't want me to have to tell your father that you gave up that you were a quitter?"
"Come on Morgan let me sit down for a little bit, aren't you tired? My legs feel so heavy and I can't feel my hands."
"I'll take care of that," said Morgan as he ran to one of the dead men grabbed the man's weapon and fired it into the snow. They'd already tired shooting the door but to no avail. "Here hold onto the barrel. It'll warm your hands up now let's keep on moving. Come on Chuck and Sarah will be here soon and when we get home we'll all laugh about this over ice cream."
"Rocky Road, Sam and Sarah's favourite. Personally I could go for a hot fudge or just plan something warm. Morgan I feel so very cold."
"Come here," said Morgan as he hugged her then kissed her.
"Morgan I love you I need to tell you that before… well before… You know what I mean," said Alex as she sat down.
"Oh no you don't miss you're going to get right back up and start moving there's no sitting down on the job here."
"Morgan I can't, I just can't anymore," said Alex as she started to cry but her tears crystalized on her cheeks.
"Then I'm going to sit down right here next to you. I can't think of living in a world without you. We both walk out of here or neither of us does."
"I can't Morgan, I really can't," said Alex as Morgan tried to pull her up. She cried as she got up again and trudged a little more. Her legs felt like they were locking up and she could no longer bend then at the knee so she was walking stiffed legged.
Alex knew the end was coming soon and she didn't want to take Morgan with her so she pulled out her pistol. She decided the next time Morgan turned his head she'd do it just one quick fluid motion then it would all be over and he could continue on without trying to keep her going. He'd be able to save himself at least.
"Funny isn't it back at Ladd, you had to yell at me to keep me going not I've got to do the same? We make a good team you and me. Hey I think I see something," said Morgan as he turned holding his hands up over his eyes to shield them from the reflection off the snow. "I think it's them. They're here!"
But Alex wasn't listening she was focused on what she had to do. The moment he turned his head she closed her eyes and raise her pistol to her temple.
"Sorry Morgan, I love you," she said.
"No," yelled Morgan as he turned around and dove on top of her knocking her to the ground. The gun went off making a deafening sound. Alex felt the heat from the blast and a burning sensation next to her head. Her ears rang as she went off into oblivion. Just then two F-14s came roaring in full throttle, the missile batteries became hot and the one closest to them launched a patriot missile before it was hit by an AIM-7 Sparrow.
Morgan shielded Alex from the blast with his body then dragged her close to the flames. One positive thing was the raging fire warmed them. Morgan brushed back her hair and kissed her wound as she slowly came to.
"What happened," said Alex as she opened her eyes. "Are we both dead?"
"Look around does this look like heaven and no this isn't a missing episode of 'Lost'. Don't you ever do anything that stupid again or I'll kill you."
"Now who sounds like my father? The fire," said Alex feeling strangely warm. "How did you set the fire?"
"I didn't I told you Chuck and Sarah would come for us," said Morgan as he pointed out the circling F-14s." Just then two more missile batteries went hot and warning sirens went off before firing missiles.
"We've got to help them," said Alex as she got up grabbed one of the downed guards MP5s and opened fire at the missile battery but it was it was like they were like gnats fighting a giant the bullets just ricocheted off.
"Out of the way," yelled Morgan as he knocked her down just before a AIM-7 Sparrow missile slammed into the battery and a fireball erupted.
"Morgan you've got to stop knocking me over," said Alex as she rolled him off the top of her and tried to get up but her feet slipped out from under her and she fell back down on top of him.
"Oh-woohhh," said Morgan as she basically flopped down on top of him making a loud thud. "I will if you stop trying to get yourself killed."
"Look at that," said Alex pointing to one of the F-14s.
"I would if I could move," said Morgan. "You're still sitting on top of me."
"Oh sorry," said Alex as she got up then gave Morgan a hand. They both looked up in the sky at the two F-14s roaring in at over Mach two. The engine roar was deafening.
"I didn't know planes could manoeuvre like that," said Morgan as he watched one do what looked like a reverse turn. It was like in your car when you use the brake, clutch, hand brake to spin the car around.
"Crap he's not flying, he's falling the plane's stalled," said Alex as they both held their breath. "Come on restart."
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General Beckman was back in the situation room with a map pulled up of the area around Santa's Workshop. She was monitoring progress sitting on the edge of her chair. There were no visual images because the system at the workshop was still armed and they were locked out. So what pictures they received they received through Chuck and Sarah's F-14 along with information computers at Langley could glean from telemetric data that was sent back for the two aircrafts.
"Warbirds have made initial contact with defence perimeter; system at site has auto-activated. I have confirmation via Sat that patriot missile batteries have gone hot. Missile launched." The man paused typing in a keyboard in front of him.
"And?" barked the General. "You can give up sports casting a backup career. Who shot what at whom man? I need to know."
"Yes ma'am there just too much confusion going on and it's taking time to process a clear picture. We just can't keep up with the data stream."
"I'll give you confusion, the stream we're navigating is full of excrement and we seem to lack a means of moment. Get me answers now!" yelled the General then she turned to a man on at the Comms station. "Major what's Delta Force's jump status? We need ground support in right away."
"Their Captain says just give him the green light they're ready to go anytime."
"Roger that at least someone I can rely on. Good give him the go ahead. Green light for the jump and Godspeed."
"I've got the internal computer at the workshop to recognize our satellites again. Moving a bird over the top now we should have video. We're up on the big screen in three, two, one." The screen came on in the middle of the aerial assault.
"You can't do that it a plane, can you?" said the General's Aid thinking out loud.
"Jesus Christ," said Beckman.
