I still don't own Chuck. I'm not sure who does at this point.
As always a big thanks to Michaelfmx for his beta services. I really appreciate it.
The Secret Weapon
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Ellie knew that she only had a ten minute head start at best. She had asked Laura not to try to find her. But she knew that wasn't very realistic. So if she wanted to escape she had to be smart about it. One misstep and they would find her and drag her back. That couldn't happen. Oh, they had every good intention. Ellie knew that they loved her and were just trying to help. They simply didn't understand. She wasn't the same person… not after what had happened. She just couldn't face them… especially Devon. How could she possibly face this nicest man in the world, the honest love of her life after…? No, she had to get away. So seconds counted.
That's where Serge came in. Serge was one of the men who Laura and she had met in the club they always stopped in for a drink. He was nice enough. They always had a good time laughing off his suggestive innuendo. And honestly Ellie wasn't sure if he was more interested in Laura… or her… or both of them together. It was probably more the conquest. Serge was as rich as anybody. He was attractive enough, not in Devon's league, but who was? The sexy French accent sure didn't hurt. He certainly had his nightly choice of the hordes of beautiful gold diggers constantly hanging all over the clubs that the privileged people frequented. As it turned out Laura was something of an expert at laughing at potential suitors without being mean about it. But Serge clearly didn't discourage easily. He never failed to come over and buy them a drink whenever they came into the place. He would calmly sit and talk for a while like he'd known them for years.
Ellie walked the four blocks to the club as quickly as she could without drawing attention. It was a little early in the afternoon to be drinking. But she knew that he would be there at his regular table. So she walked right up to him. "I need a favor," she said.
It honestly took a while for him to recognize her. "Ellie?" Serge finally asked. "That's a new sexy look for you. I love it. What do you need? Anything for a Medal of Freedom winner. Where's Laura?"
Ellie looked around the club uncomfortably. Truly, she needed three things. Yes, he was wealthy. But she didn't need his money. She was actually much richer than he was. The five hundred million that she had transferred to the private account yesterday represented only about a tenth of her share of the Volkoff fortune. She wasn't stealing anything. That money was rightfully hers. It ensured that money would never be an issue.
The first thing she needed from Serge was a place to hide. She had just been on TV with the President pinning the Medal of Freedom to her shapely chest. She was very recognizable as a National Hero. What a joke? Some hero. That made things worse. She wasn't close to being a hero. The second thing was even more important in the short term. As soon as she was safely out of sight she needed a line of coke. It had been three days since Carina had taken her stash away and she desperately needed it to dull the aches and pains that were ripping through her body and to reduce the tremors and chills that were slowly overcoming her. She knew what these were. She was going through withdrawal. She had managed to hide it all from her family up until now but she knew she could no longer function properly without another line. She could barely concentrate on her plan of escape at this point.
But the third thing was actually most important to her plan. Serge had a private jet. He was her ticket to anonymity. She obviously couldn't stay in San Juan. They'd find her in a week. She also knew if she set as much as a big toe into the commercial terminal of San Juan airport, Casey or Josh would be standing there waiting and have her captured before the rest of her foot was inside. Serge and his limo to the private terminal would be the perfect getaway to someplace in the world where her millions could buy here privacy… and all the coke she wanted. But for right now, speed was the most important thing. She needed to get out of this club before Laura came bursting through that door with steam coming out of her ears. So she sided into him affectionately. "I'd rather not talk about it in the open," she said. "Can we go someplace more private? Maybe your place?" Ellie knew full well that flirting with Serge was dangerous. In his mind she had just made him a promise… one he was most definitely going to remember.
Indeed Serge made no attempt to keep the gloat from his face. He had been around the block enough times to know what a woman meant when she suggested that they go to his place. He honestly never imagined getting the rich, beautiful, newly famous, and heretofore unattainable Ellie Bartowski in this position. Something was up. She was clearly trying to hide the fact that her hand was trembling. There was an unusual thin layer of sweat on her brow. Whatever the issue was, he surely wasn't about to look that particular gift horse in the mouth. "Of course," he said with a smile as he extended his hand.
"My driver is waiting just outside."
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Ellie didn't want to appear too anxious. So she waited until the limo had driven a couple of blocks. But this was getting more and more serious. She forced the calm smile on her face. "So Serge," she said as casually as she could. "I'm in the mood to party. Do you have any coke?"
Serge wasn't all that surprised. The question of what was wrong with her had just been clearly answered. The lovely Eleanor Bartowski had developed a bit of a coke habit. All the signs were there. "Why Dr. Bartowski," he teased in mock horror. "I never figured you for that type of lady." The fact was that this would now be easy. There was no reason to be subtle. In the game of getting women naked who really didn't want too be naked, there weren't many rules… and even less room for compassion. Ellie Bartowski perhaps was one of the richest people in the world. But right now she was in his realm asking for a favor. If she wanted his line of coke, she was going to pay his price… several times. This limo could hold ten people comfortably. Yet he sat as close to her as physically possible. Her panties would soon be sitting on the seat next to her.
Ellie knew that she was into very dangerous territory. When you told men like Serge that you wanted to party, there was one conclusion that they instantly drew. And indeed, he was already moving in to kiss her. Ellie didn't really eagerly participate. She knew that would just encourage him to go faster. But she also knew that she could make no effort to stop him.
It's when she could feel his hand massaging her breast through her blouse that it hit Ellie that she had a serious problem. This was going much faster than she feared. She knew when she devised this plan that some sex would probably be required. She was going to ask Serge for help, including perhaps breaking some serious laws. There would be some price for sneaking her out of the country. Men like Serge weren't patient when it came to sex. They usually didn't have to be. And if joining the mile high club a time or two was what it would take to get his help, she probably wouldn't have much choice. She had put off thinking too much about it, honestly didn't know what she would do when he inevitably demanded it. She was single. She was free to have sex with whomever she chose for whatever reason she chose. Then again, it just seemed wrong somehow to fuck another man before Devon was even aware that she had left. But was she really prepared to fuck this guy right here in his limo… just because he had a line of coke to offer her? Fucking a man just as payment to get a one-time high?
Dr. Eleanor Bartowski knew very well what a Crack Ho was. She had worked in the hospital of a major inner city for years. She had only treated about a million of them in the ER. It was a routine that was repeated multiple times a night. She always felt so sorry for them. They were so easily exploited… so pathetic… so self-destructive… so hopeless. She wanted to shake them… scream at them to stop throwing their lives away. Now she understood them a little better. Had she fallen so far that she was about to willingly join their ranks? Was she now a slave to this drug, willing to give up everything to it? Her body? Her dignity? And the brutal truth was that she didn't have a good answer. It was a sobering thought. So she just sat there basically paralyzed and watched as he brazenly worked on the buttons of her blouse. Once he had it open, he reached down and gently lifted her flimsy bra out of place. She wordlessly allowed him to fondle her now bare chest, silently praying that he wouldn't go farther but knowing that he would… all the while trying to muster the courage to stop him… but knowing that she wouldn't. She couldn't. Not yet. Not when she was so close to the relief she desperately needed.
Fortunately she was spared the awkward decision… for a moment anyway. "I'm sorry," Serge said as he mercifully removed his hand. "I just ran out." He looked at the disappointed look on her face. "Don't worry," he quickly said. "We can stop on the way to my place and get some. We're almost there. It's not the best part of town. But don't worry. You're in luck. The big supplier just happens to be in town. He always has the best stuff. Then we'll go back to my place and have a wild party."
San Juan was a tropical resort. Its climate and breathtaking views attracted a variety of incredibly wealthy folks from all over the world. The community where they lived overlooking the crystal blue bay was as fabulous as anyplace anywhere that affluent people gathered. The rest of the city… not so much. It was a striking contrast. The rich were very rich. The poor were heartbreakingly poor. So when the limo pulled up to the boarded up vacant storefront, Ellie first thought he was kidding. Why would Serge get out of the car in such a seedy place?
Ellie was barely paying attention as Serge conducted his transaction. She had her own problems. She was sitting in this limo with her chest fully exposed just waiting for Serge to come back and finish the job. Fortunately the bright sun and the tinted windows of the limo made her invisible.
That's when she saw it. It took a long time for Ellie to recognize that she was staring at her own reflection in the mirror. It was jarring. Was that really what she looked like? The bleached hair? The bare chest, nipples involuntarily hardened by the cool air conditioning? It was the cover photo of a cheap porn movie. This was rock bottom. But it was also the turning point. She quickly pulled her bra back in place and buttoned her blouse. There would be no sex in this limo… not today… not for her.
Ellie turned her attention back to Serge and suddenly recognized the man that was shaking hands with him. That was Bryce Larkin. Just as suddenly the epiphany hit. Bryce was the big supplier that Serge had talked about. He must have been dealing in drugs to get the funds to plan an attack. Sarah and the rest of the family needed to know this to have a hope of defending themselves. She knew what she had to do. Getting high was no longer at the top of Ellie's short term priorities. As soon as Serge was back in the car, she turned to him frantically.
"We have to go find Laura."
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Laura knew that she couldn't panic. She called on her training and forced herself to stay calm to think this through logically. But this was bad. Ellie clearly didn't write this note in this room. This wasn't spontaneous. She had written this in advance. And that meant that Ellie had a thought out plan. She only had a ten, maybe fifteen, minute head start at most. So she still had to be in the general area. She clearly had made her escape through the back door which led to an alley. The alley ran in the back of a set of boutiques and ended back at the main street. Once Laura got to the street and looked around for a minute, she realized that she would never find her on her own. There were simply too many places to hide. The first step was to call Casey and get some reinforcements in route. If they let her get out of San Juan, who knew how long it would take to find her? She had just finished that frantic call when a limo pulled up. It was most definitely the most relieved moment of her life when Ellie got out of the car and walked up to her.
Laura knew that she was told to be calm, relaxed, and supportive. Ellie was hurting, confused. But frankly Laura was seething. She had about had her fill with that psychological mumbo jumbo bullshit. It was time to do this another way… the spy way… the Laura way. So she grabbed Ellie, spun her around, and slammed her back into the brick building, maybe a little harder than she first intended. "Do you have any fucking clue what you just put me though!" she more or less shouted. "I'm going to kick your ass right here on the street."
Ellie was sobbing far too hard to be able to speak. She just nodded.
So now Laura found herself sobbing. That in itself was a pretty rare thing. Badass spies didn't cry. They made other people cry. So kicking her ass was probably off the table. She threw her arms around Ellie's neck and squeezed. "Do you understand what you were about to do?" she asked through her sobs. "Do you get what never seeing you again would do to me? Do you?"
Again, Ellie just nodded.
Laura wasn't close to being done giving Ellie a big piece of her mind. "What about Devon?" she demanded angrily. "Do you even give a fuck about him? Are you really willing to take the nicest man in the world and destroy him like this? Are you really willing to let him lay in bed at night wondering where you are… not even giving him the chance to say goodbye? What about Chuck and your dad? Are you really willing to put them through that? Running and taking the coward's way out? Does anyone else even matter to you right now? Do you honestly not get what a fucking selfish bitch that makes you look like?"
Laura just held Ellie close and tried to calm herself. She could feel her friend shaking. Truthfully Ellie was squeezing her just as hard. Laura willed the softness into her voice. "I know that you're hurting," she finally said. "Ellie, I get it. This is hard. But you have to stand up and fight. Putting yourself through medical school on your own was hard. Raising your brother on your own was hard. You're no longer on your own. Giving up and running away is not the answer. Listen to me. Hear what I'm saying and get this through your fucking head. Nobody blames you at all for anything that happened. Not Devon… not me… not Sarah… not anybody. It's the very opposite. I know that for a fact because I've talked to them. You are surrounded by people who love you. Trust us. We're all trying so hard to help you get through this. You have to let us help you."
Ellie was finally able to compose herself enough to speak. "I'm so sorry," she said.
At last Laura felt that she was finally getting through to her. "I know," she said soothingly. "Trust me on this. You need to go see Devon. You've been putting it off for too long. You need to see for yourself. Allow this incredible man to remind you why you chose him to grow old with. Watch while he puts his arms around you and makes you feel like the most loved person in the world. And the funny thing is that he'll think that it is you doing something good for him. If you could possibly leave after experiencing that, let me know. I'll drive you to the airport. Then tomorrow go and do the same exact thing with Sarah. Morgan, you can kill."
In spite of the ridiculousness of the situation, that actually got a laugh. It was the first genuine laugh from Ellie since this nightmare began. And that's when Laura knew, by instinct more than anything, that her friend was going to be okay. There was still a lot of work to do; a lot of healing was still required. But eventually her best friend would be back. She loosened her grip a bit.
For the first time Laura recognized that it was Serge still standing by the car. So she released Ellie and walked over to him.
"Is everything okay?" Serge asked.
Laura realized that maybe she had misjudged Serge. She assumed that he was just one of the million of men looking to get her naked using any means available. Yes, he was a lounge lizard. Yes, he spent his days trolling for the next conquest. And yes, in search of that next conquest there wouldn't be many rules to follow. If either she or Ellie gave him the slightest hint that they were the least bit willing, or had even the slightest leverage to use against them, their panties would end up hanging in his trophy case… side by side. He associated with some pretty shady characters. But he was also basically a nice guy. So she embraced him. "It will be," she said. "Thank you for bringing her back."
"I had no choice," Serge said with a laugh. "Have you ever tried to tell her no? She was pretty insistent."
Laura broke the embrace to preempt his hand that was steadily sliding towards her ass and joined his laugh. "I know exactly what you mean," she said.
Ellie was finally composed enough to walk over and join them. "I saw Bryce Larkin," she said.
It was amazing how quickly Laura changed from her best friend persona back to a spy on a mission. "Where?" she asked.
Ellie's face turned red. "Serge just bought some coke from him," she said.
Laura made a mental note to ask why Serge was buying coke with her. Had she missed the signs of how serious this was? But now wasn't the time. She turned back to him expectantly.
"I don't know the guy's name," Serge said. "He showed up a couple of weeks ago. Big player. Now he's suddenly in charge. He moves around a lot. Everyone on the island is afraid of him when he's here. But he has the best stuff."
Laura quickly came to the same conclusion that Ellie had. It really was the only possibility. "Serge, can you take me there?" she asked.
"Laura, what are you going to do?" Ellie asked in concern. "He is still an Intersect. You'd be defenseless against him."
Laura was already calling Casey. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm just going to tail him. Casey and the crew are already on the way to back me up. Now that we know where he is, we can't let him get away. This is spy stuff. I can do it in my sleep."
"What should I do?" Ellie asked. "He might think that I'm still an Intersect. We might be able to use that."
Laura shook her head firmly. "We're going to drop you off at the boat," she said. "Your spy days are over. You can consider yourself officially retired. Your only assignment is to haul your ass back to the island, march directly to Devon, and get yourself healed. If that healing were to end up in bed with some torrid love making… so much the better. You can consider that an order."
Ellie threw her arms back around Laura. "Yes, ma'am," she said.
That got a laugh. "You do realize," Laura said. "The torrid lovemaking I was talking about? That would be with Devon."
That finally got Ellie laughing. Suddenly it was just the two best friends teasing each other like they always did. "Please be careful," she said. "If I'm going to fight and win, I need my best friend."
"You sound just like Chuck," Laura said. "They obviously didn't cover this in your abbreviated one day spy training."
"Being careful gets you killed."
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Serge had just dropped Ellie off at the boat. Laura waited until it was out of sight before she climbed back in the limo. Ellie would be safely back home within the hour. Devon was already on the dock anxiously waiting for her. Laura picked up her phone and called Sarah.
Sarah held the phone close to her ear to be able to hear over the commotion. Casey had already gathered the family in the Situation Room and they were planning their support mission. "Laura," she said firmly. "We're in route. You have to wait for backup. We'll be there in an hour."
"We don't have an hour," Laura said. "This is the break we've been waiting for. We know where he is. We can't let him get away. Besides, we prepared for this. I have the secret weapon."
"Damn it, Laura!" Sarah shouted into the phone. "That was only as a desperate last resort to protect Ellie and you know it. Those glasses are incredibly dangerous. Intersect 3.0 has capabilities nobody has even dreamed of. If you download it, yes, it will make you the most powerful person in the world. But nobody knows what the unintended consequences will be. After all we just went through with Ellie… are you willing to risk that?"
"I know," Laura said. "Sarah, do you really think I don't know that? We've been all over this. I'm only going to download it if I get into trouble."
"The last thing," Sarah said. "The very fucking last thing that can happen is for Bryce to get those glasses. If he becomes 3.0, there will be no stopping him. If I know him, the first thing he'll do is to demand that I surrender to protect Chuck. I'll have no choice. He'll have me naked and on my knees in the first ten minutes. Laura, think about it. I'll have no way to resist. He'll flaunt his power over me, make me submit to him in every way imaginable… and he'll insist that I have a smile on my face while I'm doing it. He'll record me in every degrading position known to man and put it on the Internet just to taunt Chuck. Please don't allow him to get in that position."
"Don't worry," Laura said. "You're not the only expert spy around, you know. I'm a professional. This isn't my first rodeo."
As soon as Laura ended the call, she noticed that Serge was also on his phone. "Yes, sir,' he said sadly. "I understand."
As soon as Serge ended his call, Laura turned to him. "How much longer?" she asked.
"Not long," Serge said.
Laura didn't notice the gun until it was too late. When she looked down, all she could see was the dart sticking from her chest. She could feel the blackness quickly overtaking her.
"I'm really sorry," Serge said.
"I have no choice."
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Alexei was grinning ear-to-ear as he handed the transcript to Bryce. He saw Bryce's eyes light up as he read the conversation. "I told you," Alexei said. "People will do anything for their next score once they're hooked. Half a million dollars worth of coke to get that cameraman to secretly bug her phone was the best money we ever spent. I knew it would pay dividends. I just didn't realize how big. So Intersect 3.0 is their secret weapon. We couldn't get to Orlando in time to have a workable plan. But this is even better. We've just won."
Bryce could hardly contain his excitement. "Where is she right now?" he asked. "We need those glasses."
Just then there was a pounding at the door. "Relax, my friend," Alexei said calmly. "That's them being delivered to you right now. In a few minutes you are going to be the most powerful person in the world. We'll be calling the shots. You're going to get the lovely Agent Walker on your terms. She was basically right in how it's going to go down, wasn't she?"
"She wasn't right," Bryce said grimly.
"She doesn't know the half of what I'm going to demand."
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