Don't own Chuck
Earlier at Chicago Memorial the hospital server went down and suddenly no one's passwords were being accepted. The hospital IT guy identified the problem as either a system malfunction or a virus. The Hospital Administrator had doctors and nurses breathing down her neck so she called him in and ordered him to get someone in who could fix the problem pronto.
"I don't care who you have to call or what you have to do. I want the system back on line. Every minute the system is down is costing the hospital a small fortune."
"But if you give me a little bit longer, I'm sure I can have it back up and running," said their IT guy but the administrator wasn't having any part of it.
"No, you're not listening to me. I want this thing back up right now. This is obviously over your skill level so get someone in here and get them in now or you can go back to selling cut rate electronics at the Buy More."
"If that's what you want that's what you'll get," said the man as he texted a message to company that install the computer system for them to get a tech down to them asap.
A later while later two men entered the hospital flashing badges at the front desk. The nurse called their IT guy and he showed up to show them around.
"Hi, my name is Larry the IT guy and if you'll follow me I'll take you guys to the server room," said Larry as he motioned them to follow him. "I don't think I know you two. You must be new."
"We used to work in our foreign office and got transferred here a few days ago. My name is John Smith and this is Mr. John Doe," he said in a thick foreign accent.
"So, your both named John. I bet that's a bit awkward in the work place and judging from your accents you're not from around here."
"No we're from Albuquerque," said John Doe. Larry looked them over as they continued through the hospital.
"I get it that's you work around for any future problems with your H-1B visa problem. Smart move, okay the server room is right down here," said Larry as he took them down a long corridor. "I think the problem is either some sort of malware someone downloaded… and I know I've told them a thousand times not to download personal crap on the system. But it could also be a hardware glitch too. Although I pinged the net and it tested all right. I haven't had a chance to run a full system diagnostic yet not with my boss breathing down my neck. She wants this up and running like yesterday."
"Well leave this to the professionals and we'll have you up and running in a spiffy. You know what would be good," said the other John. "If you went and got us a cup of hot tea. I like a little orange juice in mine. Mr. John, do you want a cup of tea too?"
"Yes, Mr. John that would be nice. Mr. Larry, can you put a little orange juice in mine too," said Mr. Smith as they entered the server room.
"There's no eating or drinking in this room and besides my boss expects me to stay with you at all times. I hope you understand but it's for accountability purposes."
"I guess Mr. John that means no tea," said Mr. Doe as he shook his head. He opened a brief case full of tools and pulled out a crescent wrench.
"That's too bad Mr. John," said Mr. Smith as he opened his briefcase with tools too. "And I was so looking forward to a cup of tea."
"I'm sorry but we can get you guys tea after the job is done. But what are you going to use a crescent wrench on? There's nothing you need that for."
"Oh, this," said Mr. Doe. "Mr. John, do you want to explain to Larry the IT guy what this is for," he said as he closed the wrench head.
"I don't mind at all Mr. John," said Mr. Smith. "Larry, that isn't for the server. That's for you," he said. Larry looked at him puzzled.
"For me? What am I going to do with a crescent wrench?" said Larry as he turned around to see a blurred then he dropped to the floor.
"No, the wrench is for use on you," said Mr. Smith as he heard a loud metallic ping. Larry was out cold. "Good job Mr. John."
"Thank you, Mr. John, now we need to get to work," he said as they got out their equipment. The one Mr. John set up the equipment while the other Mr. John went to the door to act as a look out.
"Okay, I'm in the server now breaking through their firewalls. There I'm in the hospital archives. Now for a quick look around…"
"You can spare me the blow by blow. Just hurry up over there and get what we came for then let's clear out. I don't want to have to shoot my way out of a hospital."
"We aren't getting a little nervous, are we?" said Mr. John. The other Mr. John gave him a look. "Okay, I hear you. I'm searching the root director now." He said as searched for the files they were looking for until…
"Here we go I've found them. Okay, I'm downloading them now," said John the other John grunted. "Sorry, I forgot you don't want the blow by blow. Hey, wait a minute come over here and look at this."
"I hope this isn't one of your practical jokes," said Mr. Smith as he walked over and stood behind him. "What am I looking at?"
"This says these files were accessed recently like within the past few days. Why would someone here at this hospital have to look at these old files?"
"They wouldn't… not unless they're looking for the same thing we are. Get the name and address of the doctor or doctors who accessed the files then when you finish downloading erase them. After that we can get out of here.
"What do you want to do about these doctors… that's right there were two but they are a married couple. Doctors Devon and Eleanor Woodcomb, this is their address," said Mr. Doe as be began to pack everything up.
The two men closed up everything, stepped over Larry then left the server room. They left the same way the came in crossing the hospital welcome desk. They walked straight out the front doors then made their way into the parking garage when a car pulled in with Nerd Herder on the side. They made their way to their car and getting inside John pulled out his phone.
"Hey, it's me we got what you were looking for but there's a problem. The files were recently accessed by a couple of doctors at the hospital. … That's what we thought. … Yes, we've got their address. They are a couple. … Okay, we've got this," said John as he hung up.
"So what's going on? Are we supposed to meet them at the Navy Pier," said the other John as started the car then pulled out of the parking garage.
"No, they're going to handle the pier by themselves. We're supposed to drive over to that doctor couple's house and take care of them."
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Igor and Anatoly rode the elevator down to the basement. Anatoly was getting mentally prepared for what was going to come next. Interrogating was as stressful for the interrogator as the interrogatee. The interrogator had to be mentally prepared for whatever was thrown at him or her and keep a cool head when other lost theirs. Interrogating was like a dance with each dancer trying to lead.
"Here we go," said Igor as they arrived at the basement. "Get ready this might get brutal," he said as they stepped off the elevator. But as they approached the security door an alarm sounded and the whole place went into lockdown mode.
"What's going on," said Anatoly as he tried to swipe his badge but the door wouldn't open. He looked at the guard through the glass and he just shrugged his shoulders back. Anatoly drew his weapon and was getting ready to shoot when Igor stopped him.
"What do you think you're doing? That's bullet proof. All you're going to do is get us shot by a ricochet. Follow me I know where the control panel is. We can manually override it from there."
Igor led Anatoly through an access passage just off the elevator that led to a long corridor with various other utility rooms.
"This is where we get all the services that maintain the building and up ahead there is the boiler room where the master breakers are for the security doors," said Igor. But as they were walking down the corridor the door opened to the boiler room and men dressed like maintenance workers walked out.
"Hey hold up there," yelled Igor. "Stop, we've got a problem and you just might be the people to help solve it." But instead of stopping the men turned and fired at Igor and Anatoly.
"Geez, I've been shot at more in these past couple of weeks then I've ever been in my whole career," said Anatoly as he ducked for cover.
"I wish I could say the same," said Igor as he drew his weapon and returned fire. The fake maintenance people fought in retreat but the guards on the ground floor when they heard shooting they sent in a tac team blocking the kill squad's escape."
"Give it up," yelled Igor. "You've got no place to go. Drop your weapons and come out with your hands in the air. Don't be stupid you've got no other options."
"I wouldn't say that," yelled the team leader. "Sorry guys end of the road," he said as he capped every one of his men in the head then turned his weapon on himself.
"Geez," said Anatoly as he and the men from the reaction team got to the dead men. He checked them but there was nothing that could be done.
"What the heck is going on out here," said the Guard they knocked unconscious. He walked out holding his head. Everyone drew on him as he staggered out of the boiler room.
"Everyone just take a deep breath and put your weapons down," said Igor. "There's been enough blood shed. Someone look at this man while I go inside and look around. He and Anatoly went inside and Anatoly went over to the panel that was marked Emergency Panel.
"This is it. We can secure from lockdown," said Anatoly as he reached to flip the toggle switch but Igor stopped him in the nick of time.
"Don't throw that switch," said Igor as he grabbed Anatoly's hand. "Look what they added to the ventilation conduit for the basement." Attached to the hose that ran into the ventilation shaft was a canister marked 'sarin'.
"They're all dead by now," said Igor as Anatoly though about the guard that had looked at him from the other side of the bullet proof window.
"Who's in charge of this detail," asked Igor and a man stepped forward. "I want men in hazmat suits to clear the basement. Anatoly, you're with me we need to get over to the hospital asap. We still have one ace in the whole."
[On the other side of Moscow in the same bunker]
Even through the closed door the guards outside could hear loud voices coming from inside. The Generals inside were angry with each other and they weren't trying to hide it.
"Yanko, you old fool, I told you to leave the others alone and what do you do? I find out that you sent in a wet team. Do you call that following orders?"
"First, we have the same paygrade and I don't work for you so you can't order me to do crap. Secondly, my plan was fool proof."
"Really! You might tell that to your men… oh you can't because none of them made it out alive. I hope they can't be traced back to you."
"Of course they can't. Every one of them knew what they were getting into and what the consequences could've been. Their families will be taken care of."
"So, you say your plan was fool proof. Well what if I told you this morning our man, Comrade Topo, complained of chest pains and was taken to the hospital for observation before your suicide squad arrived?"
"I'd say he doesn't know anything. He was just a messenger, but he is a loose end that needs to be tied up," said Yanko. He knew what is friend was thinking. The fact that he missed one didn't bode well.
"Yes, he does. Here are all his details," said the General as he handed Yanko a piece of paper. "I hope for your sake he doesn't know anything because if I were him I'd spill my guys so I'd be put under some sort of witness protection program."
"Don't worry, he'll be in a body bag in a few hours," said Yanko. He took out his phone them called a number. "Activate the asset," he said then he passed the information on the piece of paper.
"There, it's all taken care of in a matter of hours Comrade Topo will be no more. I don't know what you're getting so nervous about. Like I said he doesn't know anything. Have we heard anything from the teams in the States?" This was his attempt at changing the topic as they moved over to a map of the U.S. with red pins in Chicago and Los Angeles.
"The Chicago team will converge with the L.A. team. I want them to trace the steps of the team we lost in Primm…"
"Where's Primm," asked Yanko. The General pointed it out on the map. "So, you think Petrovich built his mission control center there… in the middle of desert?"
"It makes sense. It would be isolated and out of sight plus we've gotten word the Americans moved one of their spy satellites over the area."
"I would think that would exclude the area considering that Peter has shot down two of theirs already and as far as I know he hasn't touched this one. Those things don't grow on trees, you know."
"It was a first-generation satellite and I think they were taunting him to fire on it. They dangled it in front of his face and dared him to fire…"
"But he didn't, so doesn't that contradict what you just said," said Yanko. The area was inhospitable and rugged. He couldn't see why anyone would build anything there. But the town of Primm seemed to contradict his theory.
"Don't you see, Peter isn't stupid. He knows if he did they'd know where he was so he's maintaining silence and running dark waiting for the satellite to pass overhead.
"I don't know it sounds like a lot of smoke and very little fire."
"Like gassing a basement full of comrades."
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Chuck ate lunch with Olga, Peter and Imma and as he ate he stole glances around the diner. After lunch Imma and himself were shown to a guest house on the outskirts of town under the pretext that they needed to get rested up from their ordeal of getting there. Chuck tried to argue he was fine and asked for a tour of the facilities but that didn't get him very far.
"I really don't need to rest up," said Chuck. "I'd be interested in seeing how you harvest wind and solar power to provide the energy for your town."
"There will be time for that but for right now you need to rest up. When we get into full swing there won't be much opportunity to rest then…"
"Peter you don't know but Juri has a meditation technique that's interesting," said Olga. "I watched him go into like a trance them when he came out he was rested. It's amazing and he's promised to teach me."
"So, do we add guru to your list of accomplishments. I have to say your record is quite amazing. However, that being said I'm not ready right now for you so please don't think me rude but I need you to stay here and be patient."
"I can understand that," said Chuck. "Come on let's make ourselves comfortable. I hope we go back to Greta's for dinner I'd like to try the borscht you had. It looked good and the smell was appetizing."
"She'll like hearing that. Greta puts a lot of effort into her cooking," said Olga. They said their good byes then Peter and Olga left Imma and Chuck in the guest house.
"We've got a guard out front," said Chuck as he looked out the front window then went into the kitchen and looked out the back door. "We've got one back here too." Imma turned the water on in the sink so they could talk.
"What was that with you insisting you wanted to see how they harvest energy to run their town? Don't push too hard or you might scare him and somehow I don't think you'd like that."
"The fact is I don't believe he's getting his energy from either solar or wind harvesting. To run a mission control center in the middle of the desert like this would take far more than what he could ever produce. You have any idea of the number of acres of solar panels that it would take and then what would you do at night? There would have to be some good size batteries somewhere."
"That would be when he'd use wind. Although now that you mention it I don't remember seeing any windmills. Okay, let's say you're right and he's not drawing his energy from solar or wind how is he getting it? Certainly, if he were drawing it from the power grid someone would notice that much of a drain and come looking."
"I think he's making his own for the reason you just mentioned. I just don't think he's making it the way he told us. Some years ago, we intercept a canister of enriched uranium. We thought the uranium was a plot to build a nuclear ordinance on American soil. We sent some nasty messages to your government but they always denied any involvement even if the man with the uranium was Russian and the isotope was traced back to your facilities."
"What are you saying? This whole place is nuclear? Peter has a nuke somewhere around here waiting to blow up?"
"No, but maybe yes… what I'm saying is he's got a mini-nuclear reactor. Probably buried deep under the mission control center and that's what's powering everything. Think about it, it does make sense."
"I'd like to tell that you're wrong but I don't think you are. Remember what Peter said, he said they knew how to take care of themselves. I think we need to ask ourselves what do we do now and how do we let someone know what's going on? Short of smoke signs I don't know how else we're going to get word out."
"We need to be sure first then we'll worry about how to get the word out. You need to cozy up to Peter but keep an eye on Olga. She's getting extremely jealous and there is nothing she's not capable of."
"I know but this is my family. I'm just trying to digest the fact that I have a family even if they are messed up they are still my family the same."
"You don't know how much I understand what you're saying. Just keep in mind who you are and what you stand for. Let that guide you. I'm not saying it's going to be easy but it might not be as hard."
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A dark sedan eased up outside Ellie and Devon's house parking across the street. They turned off the engine and waited. A few hours later Ellie and Devon pulled in with the girls. From across the street the two men watched as two adults got out of the car along with two girls and a baby. They went inside and the lights came on in the house.
"Do you want to go inside and do this now or wait until they go to sleep," asked the one man as they watched lights coming on and going off as people moved throughout the house.
"I'd prefer we wait until all the lights go off. Then when we go in we'll only have to whack the adults. I don't like whacking kids."
"I was thinking the same thing but shouldn't we call this in and let the boss know we're waiting here?" said Mr. Smith. "If we do you know what's he's liable to say."
"I know he might order us to go in anyway. But do we want to be on his bad side if he gets mad because we didn't let him know what we're doing? You know how he feels about that initiative."
"I know," said Mr. Doe as he pulled out his phone. "Here goes nothing," he said as he hit speed dial. He put the phone on speaker so Mr. Smith could hear too. But the real reason was he wanted their boss to hear Mr. Smith's voice. He didn't want their boss to think this was all his idea. But the phone rang and rang.
"Hang up. He's not answering which means they're in the middle of the hit. He'll get mad saying we distracted them."
"That's right, but now we can say we tried to contact him but he never picked up."
"Sounds good to me," said Mr. Smith as he laid his seat back and got comfortable while Mr. Doe pulled out his weapon checking it.
"You might want to have a look at yours too. The last thing you want is for your weapon to jam when you need it the most."
"This doesn't look like it's going to be anything difficult," said Mr. Smith. There was a sudden peck on the passenger window. "Geez, where did she come from. Put away that thing before she sees it," said Mr. Smith as he started to put the window down.
"What do you want lady?"