On the fourteenth floor of the United Nations General Assembly Building in New York City, four men and one woman in white lab coats sat around a large round wood grained table.
"We should be just about ready to go. With the heatsink problem conquered, we should be ready to proceed with human testing," a man with dark brown hair with some silver at this temples spoke to the rest.
"When is the courier scheduled to drop the chip off?" one of the other scientists, a woman with long blond hair and rather prominent cheekbones, asked.
"I believe they'll be here any minute now. Security called about five minutes ago. They're on their way."
"So doctor," one of the younger men spoke now. Red hair, thin with fine features and a trace of acne. He couldn't be much more than thirty years old. He was speaking to the blond. "How long have you been working in the area of brain enhancement research?"
"I have been working in a clinic outside of Chicago for some years now. The doctor I worked with there was on the verge of some very exciting breakthroughs. I am eager to take what I learn here back to her."
"Was that Dr. Woodcomb?"
"Yes."
"I knew Ellie when she was just out of residency in Burbank. How is she?"
"She's fine. Husband and one child, nice place in the suburbs," the blond doctor answered.
"Ah, here is the courier now," the older doctor got up out of his chair and headed to the glass door which led to the hall. A pair of men in black Verbanski Corp. uniforms flanked Gertrude Verbanski.
"Dr. Listrom. I'm Gertrude Verbanski. I believe I have a package for you?" Gertrude said.
"We have been eagerly awaiting this," he said and shook her hand.
"Well, if I can get a retinal scan, we can drop this with you and be on our way."
"Certainly," the doctor stooped slightly and placed his eye against the cup of the handheld retinal scanner operated by one of Gertrude's associates. He looked at the screen and nodded.
"Thank you Dr. Listrom. Here's the package. If your group ever needs anything else, I hope you will keep Verbanski Corp. in mind."
"Certainly," the doctor shook Gertrude's hand and she walked back down the hall to the elevators.
Dr. Listrom took the package back to the table and the other doctors got up to gather around him. They all wanted to see the chip first hand. All except the blond. She remained at her seat.
Dr. Listrom removed the cover and picked up a small vial from its place in the foam packing inside the box. "Gentlemen and ladies, here it is."
Four silenced shots left all four doctors with one neat red hole each in their heads. The shots came so quickly that by the time the last doctor met with the bullet that killed him, the first doctor had just hit the floor.
The tall blond calmly walked over to the other side of the table, took the small vial out of Dr. Listrom's hand, placed it back in the box, replaced the cover, set her gun on the table and left the room.
-O-
"So, who is this J.B.?" Frost asked. The ambulance sped north on Interstate 94, siren and lights clearing away the traffic before them.
"I don't know. Lazlo said she was a director in the CIA, but that's all we got from him," Chuck said.
Casey grunted. "If I'm also going to become the brains of this organization, I can't see that I'll need any of you anymore."
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.
"CIA director - initials J.B. That really doesn't ring a bell?"
"Should it?" Chuck asked.
"I would think it would. You went and saved her life. With a pocket protector no less."
"Director Bentley?" Chuck looked to Sarah.
"Jane Bentley. Those close to her call her J.B.," Casey said.
"But, I don't understand," Ellie entered the conversation. "Why would a CIA director be working against her own agents?"
"Years ago when your father was trying to perfect the Intersect, he was working for a division of the CIA called Fulcrum. They're the ones that greenlighted the Winterbottom project and they're the ones that worked to cover it up. I've heard rumblings that Fulcrum never completely disappeared, just stayed under the radar waiting for an opening."
"But they're still part of the CIA right? Aren't we all on the same side?" Ellie asked.
"You'll find there are many sides in an organization like the CIA. Some groups like the Ring were a dark and evil organization determined to take over the world. Fulcrum is different. Their only concern is with the Intersect," Frost drove the ambulance up the exit ramp and headed to the airstrip where the Verbanski jet waited for them. Apparently, none of the agents at the hospital were able to get to vehicles in time to mount much of a pursuit.
"So did Fulcrum have anything to do with freeing Daniel Shaw and his attempt to upgrade the Intersect?" Sarah asked.
"I wouldn't put it past them," Casey said. "Everyone in the CIA is out for themselves. No honor amongst spies."
"Bentley was the one that got me back into Dad's research when she returned the laptop to me," Ellie remembered.
"And I'll bet she got you the research job in Chicago," Sarah said.
"Now that we know Bentley is behind this, maybe General Beckman can help put an end to all of it," Chuck said.
The Verbanski jet was fueled and waiting on the tarmac for them as they drove into the Signature facility. They left the ambulance, boarded the plane and all gathered around the computer terminal near the front of the cabin as the jet taxied and took off.
"Yes Bartowski?" General Beckman's face appeared on the screen. She was seated behind her desk in her uniform. Her hair pulled up tightly in a bun behind her head.
"General, we think we've found out who within the CIA is behind all of this."
"And..."
"Lazlo said his implant was done under the orders of a CIA director everyone just called J.B." Chuck said.
"Bentley." Beckman paused for a moment her eyes staring off to the right of the screen. "I suppose I should have guessed that. Now everything's beginning to make sense."
"What do you mean?" Chuck asked.
"Is Lazlo willing to testify to the things he endured under the command of Director Bentley?"
"He's dead General," Sarah answered.
"That is unfortunate. Officially, the Intersect project is off limits. Anyone involved with the Intersect would be subject to court martial. Evidently, that hasn't stopped Bentley and Fulcrum from continuing their efforts. Anyway, I'm afraid there isn't much I can do without some proof of her involvement in this project."
"You knew Bentley was Fulcrum?" Sarah asked.
"I didn't know for sure, but now it all makes sense."
"So what do we do now? We can't just keep running, hiding our family from the CIA and hoping she never catches up with us," Chuck said.
"There is something," the General paused. "Bentley is running an operation out of Burbank for the next few months. She is supposed to be evaluating new recruits, but obviously there's more to it than that. She has staffed her assignment with many of the same agents she worked with a few years ago when she put the Intersect into her 'Gretas'."
"I had a Greta working for me at the institute while I was engaged in brain implant research General," Ellie said. "She disappeared just before we were about to begin live trials."
"That makes sense. She would need a medical expert if she plans to implant the XV24 into another subject." The General thought for a moment. "Where is the XV24 now?"
"Gertrude, I mean Verbanski Corporation is delivering it to her employers at the U.N. as we speak," Casey said.
"Where exactly is that meet set?" the General asked, eyebrows knit together.
"The U.N. General Assembly Building in New York. Why?" Casey asked.
"I just received word minutes ago that a team of U.N. scientists have been assassinated. I believe they are the same scientists who were to take delivery of the chip."
"That means Bentley has the chip and Ellie's research. There's nothing stopping her from putting the two together to make an entire army of super agents," Chuck said.
"I do have some potentially good new for you," the General said. "They're using the old Castle underneath the Buy More as a base."
"How can they do that? We own the Buy More and everything beneath it," Chuck said.
"It seems Mr. Grimes has rented the space out to the Agency," Beckman said.
"Morgan did say he was going to be investigating other cash flow opportunities for the Buy More. This must be what he was talking about," Chuck said.
"Good thing for us the little guy has some American entrepreneurial spirit," Casey said. "He's just given us the edge we need to stop Director Bentley once and for all."
"You need to know I'm not in a position to authorize any operation against an active CIA director. If you go up against her, you will be going up against the American Government and the CIA," Beckman said. "But, if you uncover proof that she's experimenting on American citizens for the purpose of resurrecting the Intersect program, I can see that she is put in a very dark hole for a very long time."
"We'll do what we can General. Thanks." The General terminated the connection just before Chuck could get the last word out. Chuck turned to Sarah, "She always does that."
"We should get Ellie back to the safe house before we head back to Burbank," Mary Bartowski said.
"No way. Greta was my assistant. I'm responsible for whatever she ends up doing to these recruits. I want to help stop her," Ellie said.
"Sis, you can't blame yourself for whatever this Greta is going to do. You didn't know," Chuck said. "Besides, we need you to keep Clara and Emma safe."
"If it wasn't for me, Bentley wouldn't have any chance of using the XV24. And what if she has already started by the time we get there? Who's going to help those poor people?"
"She has a point Chuck," Sarah stepped in. She didn't often get involved in Bartowski family arguments. She instead preferred to try to talk to Chuck alone afterward. "What if we need a medical expert? Your sister knows more about implanting this device than anyone on Earth."
"She has a point Bartowski. None of us can do any cutting, if it comes down to that," Casey said.
"Fine, she can come, but she stays in the van and out of the way," Chuck said. "We should get Morgan. He rented the space out to the CIA. He may be able to help get us in."
"You call ahead to Grimes and have him meet us at the airport. I'll tell the pilot." Casey walked over to the cockpit.
"I'm going to call Devon and let him know that I'm alright," Ellie said and walked to the back of the plane. Mary Bartowski followed and sat in a row part of the way back.
"It's going to be okay Chuck, I promise. I'll see that nothing happens to Ellie and we'll put a stop to Bentley once and for all," Sarah and Chuck sat alone. She put her hand on his arm as he turned to look out the window.
"I just can't believe she has been behind everything - that she's been pulling the strings for Fulcrum the entire time." Chuck's eyebrows knit together as a new thought struck him. "This means she's responsible for the deaths of Brice and Graham and everything."
"It seems that way. All just to create the ultimate spy."
"And all this time, I had the ultimate spy right here," Chuck smiled, turned and kissed Sarah.