A/N: Time to settle old scores. It's a long dialogue heavy chapter, but there is much spying, if not too much action.
Thank you all for your feedback on the previous chapters.
Chapter 14 – The Takedown
Chuck was in a bit of a foul mood. The last mission was finally over, but it had taken them over a week and during that time he had been unable to court Sarah as he'd originally planned. There had been no time for intimacy at all. Even their cover dates had consisted of stakeouts, pursuits, fights with Fulcrum agents and, to top it all off, his cover was almost blown on one occasion. He directed his anger at Fulcrum and resumed the twice daily chore of reviewing the various files their bosses had sent with renewed vigor. He was all alone in Castle. Last night Casey had ordered Sarah back to her room to get some solid sleep as she'd been in an almost zombie-like state from the combined effects of mission fatigue and her difficult days of the month and she'd gotten a day off from work as well. Casey himself had supervised the cleanup after the mission and was now upstairs in his cover business, drafting a plan for a client. Even he had been so busy that he didn't grumble about his daughter's dates with Morgan.
Thankfully, the last file produced no flashes, so Chuck emailed the results from the reviews and relaxed in his high-backed chair. As he did, his mind went back to planning his next steps in wooing Sarah. He rejected one option after another as too cheesy, too cliché, too aggressive or too pathetic. Sarah definitely deserved his best effort. Having almost run out of ideas, he decided to take a look at what the CIA had to offer, so he called up the textbook on infiltration and inducement of enemy personnel. Some principles, he reasoned, would apply to romantic situations as well as satisfy operational requirements. He quickly read several scenarios, but none seemed to wok for him, until he came across some recommendations by one Roan Montgomery. The name caused a flash which told him that Montgomery was an old school agent and an incorrigible Don Juan. Still, he knew how a woman's mind worked, as evidenced by his former position as a seduction school instructor for the CIA and his innumerable conquests.
"White dinner jacket, bottle of Chateau Margaux, red rose," he read aloud. "I can do all that. Where can I get the jacket, though? I'll have to rent one, unless… yeah, we should have one here in the wardrobe. Sorry for misappropriating government property, Casey, but she's definitely worth it."
He quickly found a dinner jacket that was his size and then went straight to his locker. He changed into black jeans, black T-shirt and white Chucks, which complemented the jacket really well. All that remained was to get the wine and the flower.
"Casey, I'm done with the dailies and I'm going home," he said over the intercom.
"Have a good time with Walker."
"Huh?"
"Did you forget that I have access to the interior surveillance from up here, Moron? You are getting ready for a date with her, aren't you?"
"We do have a cover to maintain."
*grunt* (cover, yeah, right)
Chuck got his car and drove to a wine store and then to a florist, where he bought the most beautiful red rose he could find. He was cheerfully humming to himself as he stepped out of the elevator and marched to her door. Before knocking he plastered a huge smile on his face.
"Chuck?" Sarah said after she opened the door, clearly surprised to see him.
"Hi Sarah."
"What are you doing here?"
He never had a chance to answer as the door opened further and another familiar face appeared.
"Hello Chuck!"
"Bryce? ! ? What are you doing here?"
"Missed me?"
"Uh, yeah, it's great to see you buddy, but…"
"Chuck's here?" The new feminine voice was also familiar to Chuck. In a flash Jill Roberts brushed past Sarah and Bryce and enveloped Chuck in a hug.
"Jill's here, too?" Talk about a huge surprise.
"Come on in, Chuck, don't just stand there," Sarah said. He followed the others inside and noticed various papers and folders strewn all over the place.
"Damn, you look good, Chuck, better than the last time I saw you. Sarah has definitely done a good job with you," Jill said.
"Before you ask, I'm here as Sarah's cousin and Jill is posing as my fiancée," Bryce said.
"We are here for a mission," Jill added.
"I can see that."
"We were about to order dinner. Nice of you to bring the wine." Sarah took the bottle from him and deposited it on the table. "Where are we going to order from, any suggestions?"
-o-
"What do you think they are talking about?" Chuck asked, nodding in the direction of Sarah and Jill, after the dishes had been cleared away.
"Whatever women talk about, I guess," Bryce replied and took a sip of wine. "They could be talking about fashion, celebrity gossip, or us."
"Us?"
"You and me, Chuck. Do you see any other guys around?" They saw the girls giggle. "Yep, they are definitely talking about us. Judging from Jill's expression, I'd say she's telling Sarah about that party back in Stanford."
"Not our finest hour," Chuck said.
"Yeah… According to the guys you had to fish me out of the fountain and carry me back to the frat house."
"I don't even remember how I did it."
"I don't remember that entire night."
"Like Jill said back then, we were beyond blind drunk."
"I vaguely remember her saying something about drawing blood samples from us to see the percentage of alcohol in our bloodstream."
"Did she actually do it? You know how much I hate needles."
"Me too, buddy. But she never said anything about it again."
"No way!" Sarah exclaimed.
"It's true," Jill laughed, Sarah following suit.
"She did it," Chuck and Bryce concluded miserably.
"Care to let me in on the mission?" Chuck asked, wanting to change the subject, as the mere thought of needles made him shudder.
"It's basically about Fulcrum."
"That's new," Chuck said sarcastically. Bryce just smiled before continuing.
"Between our two teams we have managed to thwart many of their schemes. Lately, Jill has become privy to certain information, and recent developments dictate that serious action be taken. We have to join forces. The good news is that we have already identified several ranking Fulcrum agents, but none of the head honchos, unfortunately."
"But those you made can lead us to the big fish."
"Precisely. But that's not why Jill and I are here."
"What's going on?"
"The short version is that Fulcrum is trying to create an Intersect. I guess they are still pissed for not getting their hands on the genuine article."
"Can they do it?"
"Jill seems to think so. And I believe her."
"They must be stopped, Bryce."
"We'll stop them. We'll have a full briefing tomorrow."
"OK. Where are you staying?"
"We are staying in a motel for now. But we'll have to move, soon. Look, buddy, we have to call it a night. I'll see you tomorrow."
While Bryce and Chuck were talking, Sarah and Jill were been having a similar discussion. But the talk between the two women had taken a more light hearted direction eventually. They exchanged funny stories of their relationships with the two men.
"Jill, we have to be going," Bryce said.
"OK. Sarah, it was nice meeting you. Chuck, I'll say it again, you look great. See you tomorrow."
"Goodnight," Chuck and Sarah said in unison.
"Chuck, I just remembered, I wanted to give you this. It's for a real spy, buddy."
"Thanks, Bryce," Chuck said, taking the gift-wrapped package. "What is it?"
"Open it."
"Later. Thanks again."
"You are welcome."
"It was nice seeing them again," said Chuck after Bryce and Jill left.
"Yes, it was. Jill is nice."
"She is."
"What did he give you?"
"Let's see…" he opened the package. "Nice sunglasses."
"Try them on."
Chuck put them on and turned to face Sarah. "Carmichael, Charles Carmichael," he said, mimicking Sean Connery. Then, suddenly, the glasses performed a retinal scan on him and initiated a rapid sequence of images. When it ended, Chuck fell backwards, ending up on the floor.
"Chuck!" Sarah rushed to his side.
"I hate Bryce Larkin," Chuck growled.
"What was that?"
"I don't know… Wait, there is a computer chip in the frame, all fried now. I got it! These were Intersect update glasses. Now they are normal sunglasses. I'll definitely keep them."
"He could have forewarned you."
"Nah, he couldn't resist pulling a prank. Did I tell you that he was a great prankster back in Stanford?"
"No, you didn't."
"Now you know."
"Cover sleepover?" Sarah asked.
"Why not?" Chuck yawned.
"Here, take these." She handed him a T-shirt and sweatpants.
"You seem to have a tendency to swipe stuff from my room."
"Any girlfriend would have some of her boyfriend's stuff in her place. I'm just being professional."
"It helps the cover," he said, but managed to hide his knowing smile from her.
-o-
"Good morning people," Graham said. "Dr. Roberts, I presume?"
"Yes sir," Jill said.
"Allow me to congratulate you on your excellent work with Agent Larkin."
"Thank you, sir."
"So, what do you need assistance for?" Beckman asked.
"General, we have reason to believe that Fulcrum is building an Intersect computer," Bryce said.
"This is serious. Are you absolutely certain, Agent Larkin?"
"Perhaps I should let Dr. Roberts explain. Jill?"
"Thank you, Bryce. General, Director, I was recently assigned by Fulcrum to work on the development of a drug to enhance neurotransmission and memory reception."
"Are you saying that they are seeking to enhance subjects' ability to receive the Intersect?" Chuck asked.
"It's a most logical conclusion."
"How far have you advanced the project?"
"Not very far, fortunately. I told my superiors that it needs extensive research in neurology and biochemistry. It's true, of course, and they had no choice but to agree. I have also heard rumors of agents dying or going insane, leading me to believe that there is at least a test version of the Fulcrum Intersect in existence."
"Prevent Fulcrum's Intersect from going operational by any means necessary. You are also authorized to request support from any CIA or NSA resource you see fit. That will be all for now. Keep us informed of your progress," Graham said and terminated the call.
"I think they just went into panic mode," Casey said.
"Can you blame them? If Fulcrum succeeds in making an Intersect they will be almost impossible to defeat," Sarah said.
"Sarah, we have to go upstairs. Morgan will be over soon and I don't want him to find us gone."
"Bartowski's right. Go, Walker."
"You finally started the business you always dreamed of, Chuck?"
"Yes, Jill, and I'm doing very well."
"Sarah works there, too?"
"It's my cover and an additional source of income."
"What she means is that she's doing real work for Chuck," Bryce clarified.
"She was behind the release of my latest game."
"I read about the event in a magazine. The game rocks. I know, I have played it."
"Another nerd like Bartowski. We're doomed," Casey said. Everyone laughed.
-o-
Chuck and Sarah were trying to get some work done, but their minds kept wandering over to the implications of Fulcrum having an Intersect. The rogue organization already was a formidable threat, but having their agents uploaded with an Intersect… They might become unstoppable.
"Hey, there you are," Morgan said.
"Buddy, this had better be good. We are busy here and you are still not off the hook for the prank you pulled with Ellie's ring."
"I think it will be good." He waved a computer magazine in front of them. "It says here that Roark Instruments will soon release a new operating system, the RIOS."
"And this concerns us how?" Sarah asked.
"Sarah… you have been working here long enough to realize that we could, or rather should, make versions of our programs compatible with RIOS. There is money to be made and from what I read this new operating system is going to sell well. Just think about it."
"He's right, Sarah."
"Well, as the marketing manager, I should contact Roark Instruments and get the necessary information. I'll need your help, Morgan."
"You got it."
"Buddy, leave the magazine here, I want to take a look at the article later."
"Here you go."
"Thanks."
The next meeting in Castle was scheduled for lunchtime. Bryce had gone out and bought Subway sandwiches and soft drinks for everyone and soon they were all seated at the conference table, enjoying a quick meal before getting back down to business.
"I'm not complaining about Subway, but I sure miss Ellie's cooking," said Bryce and was answered by mumbled 'me too' agreements by Sarah, Casey and Jill. Chuck smiled, remembering his Stanford years when he, Bryce and Jill would sometimes drive down to spend weekends and holidays in Burbank and visit Jill's folks in LA.
"Larkin, since you found the evidence for this mission, where do you propose we start?"
"That's the problem. Fulcrum's facilities are dispersed and not easy to locate. But we can tail one of their higher placed agents and hope he'll lead us to where they are developing their Intersect."
"Who is this agent?" Chuck asked.
"He's the man who recruited me for Fulcrum," Jill said. "He happens to be a friend of the family, too. My mom and dad don't know about his illegal activities. His name is Bernard Ominsky, or Uncle Bernie as we call him." The name triggered a flash and Chuck had to get up and turn away, pretending he just wanted to throw away some trash. He knew that Bryce had not told Jill anything about him being the Intersect, for her own safety. Sarah noticed and followed him.
"Did you flash?" She whispered the question, lest the others hear it.
"Yeah," he said. "Bernie is a tough customer. Did you know that he once managed to eat a 96-ounce steak in record time?"
"Can't we nab him for interrogation?"
"He's protected all the time, unless he has to attend family functions."
"I won't let Jill risk her parents' safety by having them throw a party or anything for Bernie," Bryce said.
"Then our only option is to tail him."
"I can also put a trace on his credit cards and get more information on his whereabouts."
"Good idea, Bartowski. Do it."
"I know for a fact that he'll be in LA this week."
"It makes it a bit easier," Sarah said.
"I suggest we reconvene when we have more on Bernie's whereabouts."
"Agreed." The team dispersed, its members heading back to their cover jobs, Bryce and Jill going out to follow up on a lead she had.
A few hours later Casey called Bryce, telling him that he had a hit on one of Bernie's credit cards. Bernie was definitely in LA and now they could tail him, since they had his location. After closing time Chuck, Sarah and Casey piled in the surveillance van and drove to meet Bryce and Jill.
"What is this place?" Casey asked.
"It's the headquarters of Strength and Leadership Corporation, which is a Fulcrum front business. They recruit agents through seminars," Jill replied on their secure channel.
"The CEO here is one Bill Bergey," Sarah said, reading from the company's website.
"It doesn't ring a bell," Chuck said.
"That's Bill Bergey coming in."
"Who is this guy with him?"
"I know him," Jill said. "If he's here, something big is afoot. His codename is Leader."
"The guy is bad news, all right." Chuck had gotten confirmation from the Intersect.
"Looks like we have a Fulcrum douche bag convention," Casey commented. He quickly composed and emailed a report to General Beckman. She sent an answer almost immediately, ordering them to keep digging and she also gave them full authority to request all the support they needed.
While they were waiting for their marks to come out of the building, Chuck started reading the computer magazine Morgan had given him to pass the time. When he reached the article about RIOS, he flashed.
"Sarah, Casey, Roark Instruments is working with Fulcrum!"
"Did you flash?"
"Yes, I did. RIOS will have a back door allowing Fulcrum access to pretty much everything with this OS."
"Roberts," Casey said over the comms, "did you ever get wind of any connection between Fulcrum and Roark Instruments?"
"What?"
"Chuck thinks there may be a connection," Sarah said impatiently.
"Uh, well, we do use a lot of RI hardware, but I never really thought about it. Now that you mention it though, there were several training seminars for Fulcrum personnel given by RI staff."
"The boss, Ted Roark, must be in it up to his ears," Bryce said.
"The guy's no small-timer. I guess he must be part of Fulcrum's senior leadership," Chuck added.
"Someone else is coming to join the party. Look alive, people," Casey said. Chuck zoomed in on a balding man briskly walking towards the building.
A globe
Photos of the man in military uniform
Document mentioning that 2LT Vincent Smith was reported KIA in Iraq
Smith's service record
Information revealing that Smith was recruited by Fulcrum
A globe
"Oh, OK. I got an ID on him. His name is Vincent Smith, ex-US Army Reserve officer. He was recruited by Fulcrum back in 2000, faked his death in Iraq in 2006 to go work for Fulcrum full-time."
"Does the Intersect have any information on his current status with Fulcrum?"
"Yes. He appears to be highly placed, reporting directly to Fulcrum's leadership. They use him as a troubleshooter mostly. The guy's the proverbial bad penny. He's been presumed killed on a number of occasions."
"I thought I had killed him," Bryce said.
"Join the club," huffed Casey.
"Hey, guys, look!"
"Who is this, Bartowski?"
"Ted Roark himself… that cinches it. He's Fulcrum."
"He must be providing the hardware and software for their Intersect," Bryce theorized.
"Odds are that they are keeping it in the RI Campus."
"The place is huge, Chuck."
"I know. We have to narrow it down."
"I'll call Graham and the General, ask them to put the place under surveillance by another team. We should be going." Casey reached for his phone.
"When the replacement team arrives, we're off," Sarah said. They didn't have to wait long. Back in Castle, Chuck went over all the photos and videos they had taken to see if the Intersect could identify anyone else as being Fulcrum. It identified one man, a Lieutenant Mauser, as a Fulcrum mole inside the LAPD. The CIA would give the LAPD Internal Affairs Division a lot of dirt on this guy.
"I have nothing more to do here," he announced, getting up from his workstation. He walked to the conference room, where the others were poring over photographs and maps of the sprawling Roark Instruments facility. "What are you guys doing?"
"We're trying to guesstimate where Roark may be developing Fulcrum's Intersect," said Sarah.
"Mind if I take a look?"
"Take your time. We are going to call the bosses and see if they have anything new to tell us."
He carefully studied the schematics one by one. When he came to a blueprint, he flashed. It surprised him to find that the architecture of the Intersect was included in the data he had in his head.
"Guys, I think I have something here," he said.
"What is it, Bartowski?"
"This building looks like it is intended to house a complete Intersect system."
"Are you sure?"
"I've seen this configuration before."
"Okay," Sarah said, "we have a ballpark."
"Roark is an influential man. We can't go in with a tactical team, not even with a well substantiated search warrant. Fulcrum mustn't know that we're on to them, either. We'll have to be subtle," Casey warned.
"Time for some B&E," Bryce deadpanned.
"This is going to be fun," Sarah smiled.
Before long, the five spies were clad in black, ski masks covering their faces, festooned with the necessary gear. Slipping past the guards and into the campus was easy. Chuck had already hacked into the systems and knew all about the security arrangements, so they were easily able to bypass and avoid the cameras and the patrolling security guards.
"Which way, Chuck?" Bryce asked.
"That way. Follow me."
"There's no way we are getting in through the front door," Sarah said when they reached the cover provided by a well trimmed hedge.
"We have to find another way in," Casey agreed.
"The plans I've got show a maintenance access tunnel over there. It could lead into the building."
"Could?" Casey inquired.
"We don't have the complete plans."
"It's worth a shot," Jill said.
"OK, let's go. Roberts, do you have a gun?"
"No. I'm firearms qualified, but I never carry a gun."
"You may need one, so take this." Casey gave her one of his guns.
"I hope I won't have to use it."
"Believe me, so do we."
No more words were spoken as the three men lifted the manhole cover and sent the ladies down the shaft to the access tunnel.
"It's clear," Sarah said into her communicator. "You can come down, guys."
"Roger that. Bartowski, move it. Larkin, you're next."
"Where to now?" Bryce asked.
"We should head north," answered Chuck.
"I'm point," Casey said, putting on his night vision goggles.
"Be careful. There may be alarms ahead."
*grunt* (I'm not doing this for the first time, Moron)
"It's just like the Stanford Treasure Hunts," Jill chuckled.
"She's right," Chuck said.
"That's what you called it?" Sarah asked.
"You've played this game, too?"
"In Harvard we called it the Fugitive. We were looking for a fellow student, not an object."
"Cut it out!" Casey hissed. He led the team deeper into the tunnel, while Chuck navigated using the partial blueprints they had been able to find.
"There," Chuck said. "This door could lead into the basement."
"It's locked." Casey took out a lock pick kit.
"Let me do it," Sarah said. She had the big padlock open in no time. "It doesn't appear to be rigged with any alarms."
"The place has more security systems than Fort Knox," Bryce said. "I guess they didn't expect any intruders to make it this far."
"Fort Knox," Chuck snorted. "Ha! It's for tourists!" Both Bryce and Jill were trying – and for the most part failing – not to laugh at the comment. But they managed to keep the volume down.
"What's the matter with you three?" Casey asked.
"Nothing," Bryce said, still trying to control himself.
"You guys almost started laughing your asses off," Sarah said. "Why?"
"Die Hard with a Vengeance. Chuck quoted the movie," Jill explained.
"Oh?"
"Don't worry, Sarah. We'll get it for the next movie night."
'That's a relief," she said good-naturedly. She always enjoyed the movie nights, which meant a lot of cuddling with Chuck, for the cover, of course (yeah, right).
"Maybe you should do a Die Hard marathon, Chuck," Bryce said.
"The thought did cross my mind."
"There are no alarms," Sarah said as she finished the inspection of the access door.
"Let's go."
The basement was just like any other. It had storerooms and a machine room, all of which were carefully checked. The only item that seemed rather out of place was the high-tech emergency generator. According to Chuck it was most likely there to ensure a constant power supply to the Intersect system.
"OK, Bartowski, where to now?"
"We need to get to the second floor. The system core will be housed there."
"There is a stairwell over there."
"Larkin, you take point. Walker, you're last."
The team carefully made their way up to the ground floor. It was deserted, except for the three men in the security booth. Chuck a ruggedized laptop computer from a bag he was carrying slung over a shoulder and hacked into the building's security, looping the cameras, before giving the go-ahead. There was no sign of human presence on the first floor, so they quickly proceeded up the stairs to the second floor. They moved quietly along the corridor, until they came to a door marked 'Control Room'. Sarah was about to find a way to bypass the electronic lock when it whooshed open on its own accord. A masked figure stepped out, to find three guns aimed at him.
"Easy there," he said, his voice muffled. "There is plenty of stuff here for everyone."
"Huh?" Casey did a double take.
"He thinks we are thieves," Bryce explained.
"You are not?"
"It's complicated," Chuck offered. They were talking in hushed tones while simultaneously keeping watch for any security patrols.
"What's in there?" Casey asked the man.
"Nothing of value; just a couple of control consoles and an observation deck," the man replied. "The juicy stuff is next door. Care to follow me?"
"No tricks," Casey warned. The man just shrugged and took the lead. They followed him to the door of another room.
"This lock is top of the line," Sarah said. "I'm not sure if I can open it."
"Allow me," the mysterious man said. He typed a few commands on a wrist computer and muttered "open sesame". The door did just that: it swung open.
"How did you do that?" Chuck asked.
"Technology is wonderful."
"This is an exact replica of the Intersect room in the DNI building," Bryce whispered in Casey's ear. He motioned for Chuck to join him. "We are looking for the Cipher. It's shaped like a hockey puck and it's the system core."
Chuck produced his lucky screwdriver, the one he'd had when he used to work at the Buy More Nerd Herd and quickly opened a side panel on the terminal that jutted out from the floor in the center of the room. He had flashed on the device they were looking for when Bryce mentioned it, so he knew what to look for.
"It's not here."
"What?"
"It's gone!"
"It can't be! The system is useless without it!"
"They must be keeping it separately."
"Great! Now we have to scour the entire building."
"Or we were all just too late," their mysterious helper said.
"What do you mean?"
"Fulcrum must have fitted the core to another system."
"You know about Fulcrum?" Sarah asked.
"It's our common enemy."
"Who are you?" Chuck said.
"I'm Orion."
"Who?"
"It's OK," Bryce said. "I know him, he's on our side. Orion, it's me, Bryce."
"Damn, I must be getting old, not to recognize your voice."
"With the mask you are wearing, I didn't recognize yours either."
"We have a lot to talk about. Let's get out of here first."
Getting out proved to be as trouble-free as getting in was. Casey led them through the route they had already taken and before long they reached the van. Casey, as well as everyone else, except for Bryce, was itching to start getting answers.
"OK. Now, you are going to tell us exactly who you are."
"Fine," the man said and removed his mask.
"Dad?" Chuck blurted out. He took a step backwards in shock and Sarah supportively took his hand in hers.
"Hello, son. Bryce, nice to see you again."
"Likewise, Mr. Bartowski."
"Dad, what is going on?"
"I'll explain later. Right now you need to contact your superiors and inform them that Fulcrum's Intersect has been moved."
The ride back to Casey's office passed in deathly silence. A million questions were swirling in Chuck's mind. And everyone was thinking about the complications the Fulcrum Intersect could cause in the struggle against the rogue cabal, now that they had failed to acquire it.
"Maybe I should explain some things," Stephen Bartowski said, when they filed into the office. "Ten years ago, I realized that my invention could endanger my family, so I purged all my personal records and went off grid. I did it to protect you and your sister, son."
"Hold on a second, dad. Are you saying that you invented the Intersect?"
"The really cool parts only, but yeah, you could say that."
"And Bryce knew about you?"
"He was the only spy I could trust, especially since he kept you out of the CIA's clutches back in Stanford. Now, your friends have also been added to the list. You see, I've managed to keep an eye on you and Ellie."
"Your father is a hero, Chuck," Bryce said. "He's done a lot for this country and his family, even though you were completely unaware of it."
"Thanks buddy."
"We still have an Intersect system on the loose," Casey reminded them.
"Any news from the surveillance on the Fulcrum gathering?" Sarah asked.
"They still appear to be at the Strength and Leadership Corporation building," Casey said, after checking the updated reports on his computer.
"We're back to square one," Chuck said and plopped down on the couch."
"Jill," Sarah said, "you are the inside source we have in Fulcrum. Can you think of any place that they may have moved their Intersect to?"
"I'm trying to think about it," Jill replied as she nervously paced back and forth. Her cell phone beeped. It was a short text message. "They are ordering me to report to a Fulcrum facility for consultations."
"What facility is that?"
"I've never heard of it before. It's called 'Black Rock'. They say I'll get directions to it later and… Chuck, are you OK?"
"Black Rock is a codename for Protocol 7, a secret Fulcrum facility outside of Barstow."
"Bryce, did you send the original Intersect to Chuck?" Only now did Jill realize who the Human Intersect was.
"He did. When you mentioned Black Rock, I went over everything we had on Fulcrum bases and managed to put two and two together."
"Why him, Bryce? I thought you wanted to keep him out of it!"
"Jill, don't blame Bryce. Considering the circumstances, he did the right thing, sending it to me."
"I need a drink," Jill muttered. Casey offered her a glass of Johnnie Walker Black, which she took gratefully.
Graham and Beckman went into a frenzy when they learned about the possibility of Fulcrum's Intersect going operational a lot earlier than anticipated. When they asked Jill about how such a move was possible, considering that her research on the retention boosting drug was not even in the initial stage, she didn't know what to say. Stephen went to her rescue and explained that Fulcrum must have settled either on using the Intersect as an analysis machine, much like the CIA and the NSA had done, or accepted the risk of uploading less than ideal candidates with it. It could theoretically be doable by limiting the download volume and extending the absorption period, but it would have to be limited to the basics only and not include the expansion pack either. When he revealed himself to be Orion, the shock to Graham and Beckman was even bigger. When they recovered from it, they agreed to keep the Black Rock facility under constant satellite surveillance. If the Fulcrum Intersect threat could be neutralized, the identified members of the cabal could then be dealt with at relative leisure. It was just a matter of priorities.
"The surveillance team is reporting that they lost them," Casey said an hour later.
"They must be heading to Barstow," Chuck deduced.
"Larkin, Roberts, take the van. Walker…"
"Chuck, you come with me," she said. "We'll take my car."
"Mr. Bartowski, you are with me," Casey finished.
"OK. Son, take this." He gave Chuck a laptop computer.
"What is this?"
"It's all you'll need."
During the drive from Burbank to Barstow the only conversations were mostly over their secure radios. Eventually, Sarah turned to Chuck, who was just sitting in the car, looking out the windshield.
"Are you OK, Chuck?"
"I don't know… Learning the truth about my Dad… It's a lot to process."
""I won't pester you about it, but if you feel you have to talk to someone…"
"Thanks Sarah. I appreciate it." He caressed the back of her right hand which was resting on the stick shift and she smiled but didn't divert her attention from driving.
The team reassembled on a rise overlooking the Black Rock facility, which was an abandoned drive-in movie theater. Sarah was pulling security, while the others peered through field glasses, trying to identify Fulcrum personnel.
"There," Chuck said, "Ted Roark."
"And I see Vincent," Bryce said.
"They are all here," Jill added. Suddenly, one of the men, who was talking animatedly to Roark, clutched at his chest and collapsed. Others attempted to aid him, but eventually stood up and looked somberly at the motionless form on the ground.
"What the hell happened?" Casey asked.
"Uncle Bernie had a heart attack. He always had high blood pressure," Jill explained.
"We have a lot of new arrivals."
"Chuck, can you identify anyone?"
"Not at this range and not while they have the tops of their cars up, but I think I know why they are all here. They are the subjects that will be uploaded with the Intersect."
"I'll call the General to arrange an airstrike. It's the only option now." Casey started taking out his phone.
"Allow me," Stephen said. He entered a few commands in his wrist computer. "Now all we have to do is wait."
"What did you do?"
"I tasked a couple of Reaper drones out of Edwards with bombing the place."
"Can you do that, Dad?"
"Hacking into the USAF drone control system is child's play. Is anyone hungry?" For the first time they all realized that they were indeed hungry. Stephen smiled as he retrieved a cooler from the Vic's trunk and passed around the sandwiches and refreshments he had purchased when Casey had stopped for gas while on the road to Barstow.
"Mr. Bartowski, we have more activity," Sarah said.
"Call me Stephen, Sarah. I'm not that old, am I?" He picked up his field glasses and focused them on the projection shack. "Ted, you dumb bastard… His system is still Cipher based."
"And you think you can do better?" Casey asked.
"I already have. I designed the Cipher over ten years ago, while the new core I recently made for the Intersect is far more advanced. And it is compatible with any Intersect terminal." He was about to say something to Chuck, when a brilliant fireball lit up the sky. The Reapers had started pounding the Black Rock base. It was over in a few minutes. Eight Hellfire missiles and four laser-guided bombs expended on such a small target had a devastating effect. The few survivors from the airstrike were taken alive by the combined CIA/NSA task force dispatched to the area.
"Excellent work, ladies and gentlemen," Graham said during the debriefing.
"Most of Fulcrum's senior leadership has been eliminated and their Intersect was destroyed. We could ask for nothing more," Beckman added. "Mr. Bartowski, we'd like you to resume your former position as Orion."
"I'll think about it and get back to you."
"Let's go back to Burbank and get some rest," Casey said.
"And I'd better call Ellie and tell her that I'll be spending the night at Sarah's."
"I'm too tired to drive to the hotel," Sarah said.
"I can drive us back."
"No way you're driving my baby. Nobody drives her but me. I'll drive." There was laughter all round.
In the morning, after everyone had gotten some rest, they gathered in Castle for a more thorough debriefing. Bryce and Jill were tasked with heading the unit that would mop up Fulcrum's remnants. They said their goodbyes to Casey, Stephen and Sarah. Jill hugged Chuck and kissed him on the cheek. Then Bryce pulled him aside for some buddy talk.
"Chuck, I have one last thing I want to ask you."
"Shoot."
"How are you and Sarah doing? She's changed and I'd say she's changed for the better."
"Frankly, Bryce, I love her. I don't know how exactly she feels about me, except that she seems to like me."
"Jill has changed me, too."
"You and Jill are together?"
"Six months now and counting."
"You make a nice couple. Jill and I were doing OK, but I think we were too much alike."
"Ditto for me and Sarah."
"I guess it holds true that opposites attract."
"Yeah…"
"Look at us. It's like a cheesy soap opera, where everyone has at one time or another been involved with everyone." They both started laughing hard, drawing curious looks from Sarah, Jill, Stephen and Casey. A bro hug later and Bryce and Jill went on their way, promising to drop by again sometime and go out and have a good time with their friends.