Sorry about a couple brief bouts of language in this chapter, nothing too bad though. I have two more chapters finished so they should be up soon. I would like you opinion though. I have some stuff about the good people of buy moria and Ellie mixed through those chapters. Would you guys prefer that that be a separate chapter on its own or mixed in. It has nothing to do with Chuck and Sarah's "mission".

Chapter 21

"Status report!" the director demanded.

"Progress has been slow Sir. They have covered their tracks well and the booby traps have set us back...Sir."

"Booby traps?"

"Yes Sir, there have been a number of non-lethal traps scattered randomly throughout the woods. They have slowed our progress substantially."

"Non lethal you say?"

"Yes sir, no major injuries have been incurred. There have been some flash bangs that temporarily disoriented our men as well as other traps attached to trip wires or hidden in the ground cover," Director Graham listened thoughtfully as the agent spoke. "But nothing serious, is that of importance Sir?"

"Which way were they heading before you lost their trail?" the Director ignored the question.

"They were heading east, but if they took the time to set up the traps they could not have gotten too much of a head start."

"I don't think they were the ones to set the traps."

"AAHHH!" the screams of an agent twenty feet to the Director's right interrupted his thoughts, as he turned to see the man was dangling from a tree branch, his ankle caught in a rope.

The Director shook his head at the pathetic sight of the agent hanging upside down. "Enough of these games, the only thing to the east of here is the interstate. Instead of wasting our time here take most of the men and head out to the interstate. Leave a small contingent here to continue looking for the tracks." The Director turned and stalked away. "I want Bartowski and anyone who is with him found...and cut him down for crying out loud," he yelled as he gestured toward the upside down agent without looking back.

---

"So what brings such a pretty girl to the big city of D.C.?" the driver asked with a smile.

"My brother and I are here to see the sights," Sarah lied with a smile of her own.

"Well it seems like the two of you have gone through some trouble just to see the sights," the driver looked at Chuck for the first time, taking in his disheveled state.

"Well our car broke down a ways back. We decided to take a short cut through the woods to get to the interstate and got lost for a little while," Sarah came to Chuck's rescue when he looked at her nervously.

"You two sure you don't want me to take you back to your car and call a tow truck then?"

"Thanks anyways, but we just need to get to the city. We have some family there that will be able to help us out from there."

"Whatever you say," the portly man shrugged.

Most of the ride went smoothly with friendly conversation between the driver and Sarah. The driver ended up not being as creepy as Chuck had feared, though he still hardly showed any sign at all that he even remembered Chuck was in the rig. All in all, besides being somewhat of a horn dog, the guy seemed pretty nice.

As the truck came around a bend in the highway about 30 minutes outside of the city traffic came to a complete stop. "Well I have seen some bad traffic in D.C. but never this bad," the driver commented as he sank back in his seat grabbing his CB radio from above his right shoulder. "Breaker 1-9, breaker 1-9. This here is Hounddog my 20 is half hour outside Bullshit City at a stand still. Anyone got their ears on, come back?"

"Hey, Hey, Hounddog, this is Big Joe from Chocolate town. I am stuck in the same mess you are. It looks like some kinda Checkpoint Charlie. And these bears mean business. They got boys scouts, local Yokels, and even an astronaut buzzin' round."

Sarah turned a confused look to Chuck who explained what had just happened, "Hounddog here just asked if there was anyone out there listening and told them that we are stuck in traffic half an hour outside of D.C. Big Joe, from Hershey PA. aka chocolate town, responded saying that there is some kind of road-block ahead with State cops, local cops and a helicopter."

Hounddog looked Chuck with a surprise evident in his smile, "Not too bad kid."

Sarah's expression turned from confused to awestruck as she whispered, "Did you flash or something?"

"No, I just sort of know the lingo." when both the other occupants just stared at him Chuck continued, "When I was little I saw the movie Smokey and the Bandit. After that my dad and I built a CB radio together so I could talk to the truckers outside of LA."

"Would have never put you as a CB talkin rugrat from Shakeyotwn," Hounddog continued to look impressed causing Chuck to just nod shyly in response.

"Chuck you said something about a roadblock," Sarah looked hard into Chuck's eyes to get her message across.

"Ooohh, oh ya. Umm...Hounddog can you ask Big Joe if he sees anything out of the ordinary, like other than the police at this roadblock?"

"Umm...sure thing kid," Hounddog hesitated and looked questioningly at Chuck. "10-4 on the checkpoint charlie big Joe. Does it look like there is anyone other than the smokeys up ahead?"

"Good guess back there Hounddog, looks like there are some suits playin bear trainer today."

Sarah looked at Chuck guessing what Big Joe had meant. Chuck nodded confirming her fears.

Hounddog saw this interaction and also saw the reassuring squeeze that Sarah gave Chuck's hand. "10-4, Big Joe. Thanks for the bear story. Catch ya on the Flip side, I'm gone." Hounddog set the mike for his CB down on his leg and turned to look at the couple in the truck with him. "Now I'm not saying that seeing the sights in the city ain't nice and all, but are you sure now is the best time to be goin'," he spoke without any threat in his voice.

"Well...I would understand if you changed your mind about giving us a ride..."

Hounddog cut Chuck off mid sentence, "Now why would I want to go and kick two nice young people, that are just on their way to the city for some sight seeing, out of my truck when there could be trouble out there," he finished with a wink.

"Thank you Hounddogg," Chuck said with a smile.

"No thanks necessary. However, hitch-hiking is illegal so I think it would be best if the two of you hop up into the sleeper once we get closer to those big bad bears, you understand what I am sayin'?" Sarah and Chuck just nodded quietly in response. "Good."

It took quite a while for the traffic to make its way slowly through the checkpoint. eventually Hounddog's truck was only a few hundred feet from the checkpoint. Chuck and Sarah had already climbed into the sleeper of the truck and pulled the curtain closed.

"Now might be a good time to get our plan together. Chances are they are going to want to take a look in the sleeper when we get to the checkpoint. Fortunately for us there happens to be a false bottom underneath that mattress back there." Hounddog smiled when Chuck opened the curtain and looked at him questioningly. "Hey I won't ask questions if you don't ask questions," he said with a mischievous smile.

"Fair enough," Chuck said as he shut the curtain and helped Sarah lift the mattress revealing an area they could both lie in. They both climbed in and pulled the mattress back over top of them. Chuck made sure that he did not end up in a position similar to the one in the laundry cart. With the way Sarah was currently dressed that would be nothing short of torture.

"You two stay real quiet back there. I will take care of the rest," Hounddog said as he pulled out his cell phone. "Hey there Betsy girl."

"Hounddog! How you doin suga'?"

"Good, Good, Hey I was wonderin', you wouldn't have happened to have just passed a checkpoint Charlie on your way out of Bullshit City would you?"

"Actually I did, that stinkin' thing put me way behind."

"I thought I recognized that rig of yours."

"Well if you saw my rig why did you use your cell instead of the radio?"

"I know those bears from that Checkpoint are probably listening, in fact I am counting on it, anyway Betsy, honey, I need you to do me a favor."

---

A state policeman waved for Hounddogg to pull his truck off to the side of the road. All of the other large trucks had been instructed to do the same. A team of policeman and men in suits made their way through each truck as if they were looking for something. Hounddogg had a pretty good idea what.

"Out of the truck, Sir," an officer yelled up to Hounddogg. "Can you please open the back of your truck for us?"

"Sure thing mister, what are you looking for?" Hounddogg asked as he walked to the back of the truck and opened the doors.

"That is a matter of national security," two other officers climbed into the truck and searched through its contents. One of them yelled from in the truck that it seemed clean.

The officer lead Hounddog back to the front of the truck as the two other officers prepared to search the cab of the truck. "Officer, I don't have a problem with you takin a look at my rig, but don't you need a warrant for this?"

The officer turned an angry eye at the driver before answering, "In matter of national security that is not always the case." He did not elaborate any further.

"Sir there seems to be a large locked compartment above the sleeper," one of the officers yelled down from the truck.

Hounddogg didn't give them a chance to ask, "That is just my personal items, but I would be happy to open it up for you," he said as he climbed into the cab and opened the lock on the compartment. As he was exiting the cab of the truck, Hounddog reached over and keyed the mike of his CB three times quickly without being noticed.

Two seconds later a female voice came loud and clear over the radio, "Wo Momma, you boys leaving D.C. are going to be falling all over yourselves to pick-up the two hitch-hikers about 3 miles West of that Checkpoint. Some blond bombshell showin' what God gave her. Too bad for you guys she has some tall lanky guy with her."

The officers in the truck immediately looked at each other and then hastily got out of the truck. It was clear from the commotion coming from other policeman that they had not been the only ones to hear the broadcast. Hounddog watched as the officers ran away from his truck, jumped into a cruiser, and tore off up the median heading west.

"Hey, if that blond is as hot as they say, you tell her I will give her a ride anywhere," Hounddog chuckled and looked at the last officer standing nearby. "Whoever said that the D.C. policemen aren't friendly, they couldn't wait to help that poor girl out if you know what I mean," Hounddog winked at the cop in a conspiratorial manner.

The officer just rolled his eyes, "You are free to go. Get this rig out of here."

Hounddog did just that, climbing into his truck and driving away with a very large smile on his face the entire time.

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