Don't own Chuck
Chico walked out in the Polk Bros Park as a light rain began to fall. It was almost midnight and a light cool breeze was starting to set in. Combined with the rain it quickly turned cold and wet but they had to set that aside. It was almost midnight and there was still no sign of Gonzalez. Alex and Morgan provided eyes on scene. They were the only ones Gonzalez didn't know by sight. Taking up position on a nearby bench they pretended to be making out... or were they?
"Remember this is a cover and I'm watching you Troll. There better not be any tongue involved. I've got my Barrett and I can see everything."
"Eyes on the prize," radioed Chuck. "Big guy you're supposed to be watching the target not watching other people from the team."
"Guys we're supposed to be maintaining radio silence," said Sarah as she smiled over at Chuck with her in the surveillance van. "So everyone cut the chatter. John that goes for you too. It's almost midnight and we still have no sighting."
"You know he might already be here," said Chuck. "Check the CCTV cameras for anomalies... I mean any of them go out then come back on. He could be watching our target right now."
"But from where? He'd need someplace to set up... like on the pier. If he hijacked their feed he could work his way here and be watching everything."
"The police that work the pier cover this park too so answer is yes. The police maintain a satellite office on the pier. I want to go talk to them to see if they had any unscheduled repairmen come by."
"I should go and you should stay here. But I guess you're the nerd and you might have to do some of your nerd talk," she said as she smiled at him. "And a cute nerd at that," she added as she kissed him.
"Saved in extremis," he said as he kissed her back. Then he started to climb out of the back of the van when she stopped him.
"Hey wait remember your shoulder. Ellie will kill you if you pull those stitches out again then I'll kill you for not listening."
"I guess I'm lucky you can only get killed once," he said but he could tell by the look on her face she didn't appreciate his attempt at humor. "Okay I'm sorry for joking... I promise to be careful."
Chuck turned up his collar then made it across the promenade past the fountain and onto the pier. The light rain before had become a steady drizzle and Chicago was living up to its nickname as the windy city. All this combined cut down on the number of people on the pier. Chuck made his way to the police satellite office while the rest of the team kept an eye on Chico in the park.
"Desk Sergeant," said Chuck as he walked into the substation. "My name is Agent Carmichael, Homeland. I have a strange question for you did you has a repairmen come in to do unscheduled work on your CCTV equipment."
"Yeah as a matter of fact I read it in the pass down. But the guy I relieved said his paperwork was in order. He asked me to yell at our IT people about letting us know when these guys were going to show up."
"Can I see you equipment room," said Chuck. The Desk Sergeant took him back with a key chain that had almost as many keys on it as Saint Peter had on his but he knew which one went to the lock.
"Here take a peek if you want but can you be quick about it I need to get back out front," said the man. "I can't leave my post unmanned for long."
"This shouldn't that long..." Chuck said as he froze looking inside. He flashed. There was a charge of C-4 with a timer that read forty-five seconds and no time left to defuse it.
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Alejandro sat at home after Gonzalez left. The shadows on the walls told him it was getting late. Gonzalez could invest a little more in heating or they wouldn't have to worry about shooting him pneumonia would do him in for them. In Costa Gravas they didn't have to worry about heating because the climate was always sultry. No they didn't have central heating in Costa Gavas but they had air conditioning. However, this wasn't what was really on Alejandro's mind. He was thinking about Comandante Luis.
"Luis was dead," said Alejandro out loud now that he was sure he was by himself. "How can he still be alive? It's not possible," he said. He closed his eyes and tried to picture anything he might have missed. He remembered walking down into the dungeon under the former Presidential Place. Turrini led the way taking them down to a section set aside by the former regime to interrogate rebels.
"Paco some of our dearest and closest friends spent their last hours here. Hortencia, this really isn't a place where women should visit."
"Nonsense we should open this up as a museum so everyone can see what we had to endure. Maybe people wouldn't be so quick to judge afterwards."
"That's not a bad idea just we'd have people traipsing through the palace. Fidel warned me about possible assassins and they could use that as a means to get inside Presidential compound. They might even hide in the walls."
If they come I'll be ready for them," said Horetncia as she cocked back the bolt on her AK47. "I'd like to see them try."
"Pablo, are we there yet. It's almost time for Veronica Castro. I don't want to miss this episode of 'Los ricos también lloran'. You know now that I have my own country I should invite her to come to visit us."
"You do and it won't be only the rich crying," said Hortencia as Turrini opened a cell and led them inside.
"Generalissimo, let me present to you Comandante Luis," said Turrini as he pointed to a man bound and gagged to a chair. He remembered how perplexed he was then and how he walked around him thinking this can't be him.
"Are you sure this is him? I mean I know you say it's him but are we really sure this is him. I don't know he seems so small and well I don't know are we sure?"
"I asked him and he told me he was. What else can we do? His records were destroyed in the purge before the old guard left to hide themselves and the people he captured that could testify who he was are dead. They passed through these very cells that's why I thought it appropriate to hold him here."
"Good thinking Pablo but there isn't anyone who can testify to who he is. I'd hate to put this man in front of a firing squad then find out I was wrong."
"Well what I said before about there being no one isn't exactly true there is one person," said Turrini. He motioned to a man standing next to the door to come in. "There is one person who can testify. This man was a prisoner here when we liberated the Palace and one of the last men to see Comandante Luis before he tried to escape."
"I'm sorry for what you must've endure señor. I wish we could've saved more of our fallen comrades. Now take your time is this man Comandante Luis?" Alejandro remembered the man in the chair became agitated when he saw this other man. They took it to mean the guard recognized his prisoner but their roles were reversed.
"Yes that's him I'll never forget that face and the hours of sadistic satisfaction he got from torturing me and my friends, our comrades, brothers in arms. You're not so big now are you," said the man.
"See Generalissimo there's your confirmation. Let me take him out and finish him off for you. It would be an honor."
"I'd like to hear him admit what he's done and beg for his miserable life. I want him to gravel and plead for mercy like the men and women who passed through here did then turn a deaf ear like he did. Paco give me your weapon," said Alejandro. Paco cocked a round in the chamber then handed him his Tokarev TT-33. "Release the prisoner," he said.
"I don't know if this is such a good idea," said Turrini. "This man is dangerous it would be better if you leave this up to me. Who knows what he is capable of?"
"That's why I have this now release him. I want him on his belly groveling like there worm he is. Pablo, do it now or stand aside and let Paco release him."
"Okay I will," said Turrini. He undid his legs then his arms but before he could undo the gag he remembered the man shove Turrini out of the way as he tried to pull the gag out.
"No I'm..." he started to say but suddenly stopped and became glassy-eyed before felling to the floor dead. Behind him was the witness standing there with a bloody knife.
"I'm sorry beloved Premier I don't know what came over me. I heard his voice and I became so angry. I... I just had to strike out. I'm sorry you can punish me now," said the man as he hung his head and dropped the knife.
"No, I understand. I can only imagine what you must've suffered at his hand. I probably would've done the same thing if I were you. I never did get your name."
"Veracruz, Luiz Veracruz, if you need anything my beloved Premier do not hesitate to call on me your most humble servant."
"Luiz I will find you something. You've proven yourself a loyal friend of the revolucion and we'll not forget you. Pablo, make sure we find a job for our friend. Now I need to run my telenovela is about to start."
"I swear you invite that woman to visit you'll be going to Cuba by yourself," said Hortencia as she follow out behind him.
He opened his eyes and he was still in the same dark room as before. The temperatures had definitely dropped and he was feeling a chill. But the Comandante was dead he saw his body covered in blood on the cell floor so who was this Luis. It couldn't be the same person or could it considering what happened with Turrini afterwards. But that didn't make sense or did it. He just couldn't make up his mind.
The lights came on in his room making him squinted his eyes to see. A blurry figure walked in front of him and dropped a sub in his lap then went over and turned on a small space heater.
"We wouldn't want you to die of exposure would we," said the familiar voice of Gonzalez. "Did you miss me while I was gone? I'm afraid I've got to go back out again. But you should know that your wife received the care package we sent to her today so now the clock is ticking. I will be calling her soon to explain what we need from her."
"She will never give you what you want," said Alejandro as he took a big bite of his Italian meatball sub. Wherever he got the sub it had to be close by because it was still hot almost too hot to eat but it felt warmed going down.
"Well for you sake you'd better hope she cooperates or things will get ugly fast and I don't think you want that. Here I'm feeling generous tonight," said Gonzalez as he pulling in a television set. He flipped through the stations.
"Wait! Go back channel 44," said Alejandro. Gonzalez had passed a Spanish television station. "There leave it there," he said. It was a rerun of an episode of Los ricos también lloran. "You can go now I'm set."
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Chuck pushed the Desk Sergeant backwards as he slammed the door shut then the two ran as fast as their feet would carry them yelling for everyone to get out. Sarah heard Chuck over the comms and was about to ask what was going on when they heard the explosion. All the CCTV cameras went dark and all the lights in the park went out.
"Down," yelled Chuck as he pushed the policeman to the floor as the bomb went off. The explosion sent a fire ball out of the equipment room that passed over their heads. "Are you all right?" He asked as they got up.
"Yeah, I think so. Thanks," said the Desk Sergeant as they brushed themselves off. Where the equipment room used to be was a big hole in the wall with sparking and crackling cable hanging down.
"I hate to run on you but I need to get back to a stake out we've got going. You can pass on to your commissioner I'll give her a call and tell her what's going on when I can."
"Okay," said the policeman as other cops from the pier started showing up. Chuck had to get out of there. He had a bad feeling about what was about to go down in the park.
Meanwhile Casey was trying to see something; anything but when the lights went out he was literally in the dark. The overcast sky blocked the moonlight that would've given his some light to see by but tonight it was pitch black and worse he found their comms weren't working.
"Grimes, Alex secure the target I can't see crap from up here in the dark. Do you read me," yelled Casey. "Alex radio check. Sarah radio check. Crap, if anyone can hear me I'm breaking out of the nest." John didn't like this their comms signal was being jammed and that could only mean one thing Gonzalez knew they were there.
"Chuck, what are you doing here?" yelled Casey as he ran out of the entrance to the pier. "Our comms are being jammed."
"I know I went to investigate a problem with the CCTV feed and I found a bomb. All the cameras are a dark and that's what happened to the light."
"Gonzalez isn't here to negotiate with Chico. He's here to tie up loose ends," said Casey. Chuck had already figured that out.
"But he still might not know we're here," said Chuck as they ran across the Polk Bros promenade by the fountain and into the park.
"Chuck, what's going on," radioed Sarah but she got nothing except static. She jumped out of the van then it hit her which direction was she supposed to run to. She looked in both directions she could run to Chuck on the pier or go to Alex and Morgan to secure the target. She didn't know which way to choose then she heard what sounded like a grenade go off from the park. Looking back she saw Casey and Chuck running into the park so she followed.
"Don't say a word," she told herself as she ran to try to catch up to everyone else. "If you do Casey will harp on this forever and never let you forget it. No keep this to yourself. Oh I so need to work off come of this baby weight."
Alex and Morgan were sitting on the park bench making out pretending that John wasn't watching when the lights went out. Morgan was still kissing her when Alex pushed him away but he didn't want to stop.
"Hey something happened to the lights Morgan," said Alex as they sat in the dark. "We should stop and find Chico."
"Oh do we have to? You know it might be a circuit breaker or something like that. I'm sure it will come back on it a second or two so we should really maintain cover."
"Morgan, we've got work to think of. Where's Chico at anyway? I thought you were keeping an eye on him. He passed over to your line of sight."
"You don't kiss with your eyes open everyone knows that," said Morgan as he looked around. "Where did he go to?"
"Oh Morgan, don't tell dad that or you might get your own room in the hospital. This was supposed to be our cover which means you were supposed to keep an eye on the target at all times."
"Well, no one explained me the rules of engagement. I think I see him over there. He's on his burner phone. Sarah the target is on his phone are you listening into his conversation," radioed Morgan. "Sarah, are you reading me?"
"Dad, Sarah do you copy," radioed Alex. "Something is going on. Our comms are down but he's talking with someone."
"But how? It doesn't make sense does it?" said Morgan as they got up from the park bench and looked around but they didn't see anyone.
"I don't know maybe it has something to do with frequencies and bands," said Alex. They started walking around Chico so if someone was watching him they wouldn't look like they were walked towards him. Then Alex saw him walk over to a park bench bend down and take a package from underneath.
"Okay Gonzalez may not be showing up," said Alex as she watched him retrieve what looked like a manila envelope. "Chico is picking up his instructions. We should hang back we don't want to spook Gonzalez if he's watching."
"I'm all for going back to the bench and making out some more. I really liked that cover," said Morgan as he smiled at her.
"I bet you did," said Alex as she smiled back at him. Suddenly there was an explosion that knocked them off their feet. When they got to their feet they looked over where Chico was standing but all that was there now was a small hole in the ground. Chico was gone.
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An hour later Chuck and Casey were debriefing Beckman in the Speakeasy, the Chicago substation, with the Major standing behind her to say she wasn't happy was an understatement. Chico was their only lead and they let him get blown to smithereens. She was sitting at her desk thumping on it with her pencil.
"What am I going to do now when the President or the Secretary of State asks me what the situation is with finding the Premier? You got our only lead spread all over the Polk Bros Park. And why isn't the other Agent Carmichael here?"
"The other Agent Carmichael isn't here because she's on maternity leave and had a baby to feed. Now if you want her to do that here then something needs to be arranged. But it's late so I sent her home. Whether she's here or not it doesn't really change the situation any."
"No it doesn't, we got handed our butts tonight and I'm still waiting to hear how I'm supposed to spin this when I'm asked and I will be asked."
"I just don't understand. It doesn't make any sense," said Chuck. But before he could continue Beckman cut him off.
"It's easy Chuck you take a little C-4 put it in an envelope then wire it with a contact detonator that when the envelope is opened it causes the C-4 to explode. It's no difficult to understand."
"I know that but that's not what I'm talking about. Let's take this one step back what if Gonzalez didn't know we were there or better what if he never intended to negotiate with Chico. For all practical purposes once the package got delivered then Chico wouldn't have been needed."
"Yet Gonzalez took him out before he could deliver the package," said Casey. "That can only mean he's found another way to deliver it."
"I've got another for you," said Chuck. "What if he's already got it delivered? Has Hortencia been asking you if there's anything news about the Premier?"
"Well not her but I did get an odd call from the Consul asking if we'd heard anything. He's never called us before then out of the blue... but really I didn't think anything about it. Certainly if she did get an envelope she'd tell us."
"I don't know," said Chuck. "What if a part of the instructions in this new envelope told her not to involve us? She might decide to handle this with her own people."
"If that's the case we should run over to the hospital. You can talk to their Captain and I'll go talk with Hortencia."
"General with all due respect," said Chuck but she interrupted him.
"That will be a new one," she said. He looked at her. "What? You don't like being interrupted while you speak. I've been putting up with it for... well since you got the intersect."
"Okay I deserve that I guess but well ma'am it's two in the morning. Hortencia by now has fed Little Ale and both are sound asleep. His next feeding will be in four hours. What I'm trying to tell you is if you go now you're going to have to wake her up and you might not like what she has to say. Can I suggest we go at them at seven that is five hours from now? That will give her plenty of time to feed him and get situate before you barge in on her."
"Okay, we don't want to upset her and have her throw up a wall. We can do this at seven. If she did get this envelope I'd like to know how," said the General. As they were talking Dennis the only agent left at the Substation that wasn't removed knocked on the General's door then passed a folder to the Major.
"Hold up Agent," said the General. "We're done here anyway. Is there something in that folder we need to know?"
"I don't know. It could be nothing but the Consul's secretary was accidently run over outside the hospital this evening by the Consul's limo. They were leaving after picking up some papers the Premier's wife had signed and dropped off others for her attention."
"I think your question on how the package was delivered just got answered," said Chuck.