Don't own Chuck

Meanwhile in the Consulate Veracruz was biting his nails wondering what was taking Hortencia so long. What would he do if she suddenly decided to cancel? If she did he was dead and he knew it. He knew he should've gone over to the hospital and rode over with her but he needed to be here. If only he could duplicate himself and be in two places at once. As he was thinking about the impossible his phone rang. Caller ID read it was Captain Dominquez. He took a deep breath before answering.

"Where are you? You're late," he snapped then he toned down his voice remembering who he was talking to. "Okay how far out are you? ... When are you expecting to arrive now? ... Sure I'll make sure everyone knows and don't worry I'll handle it. You can tell madam First Lady that I am her most humble servant," said Veracruz. Suddenly everything turned around and he was back on top again. He walked briskly out into the hall then down to the storeroom. Standing outside the door he looked up and down then when no one was looking he ducked inside quickly.

"What are you doing in here," said Alpha in a low voice so as not to be heard from the outside as he put away his kabar. "I was about to field dress you. Are you trying to get us caught you idiot? What if someone saw you come in here? What are going to tell them that you ducked into the storeroom to grab a roll of toilet paper?"

"Funny, no I was careful when I ducked in here. Anyway I just wanted you to let you know the Premier's wife is only ten minutes out and she's asked us to provide security. My men know to stand down and get out of the way when you start shooting so there will be no return fire."

"That's awfully kind of them but how are you going to explain that after we take her out and leave. Don't you think some of the journalists might find that suspicious?"

"They're going to be too concerned looking for cover and trying not to get shoot to worry about from what direction lead is flying. This is going to be a piece of cake."

"Don't sprain your arm trying to pat yourself on your back. This isn't done yet and when you think things are easy that's when you get bitten. Be careful when you leave now," said Alpha as he handed Veracruz a roll of toilet paper then shoved him out before Veracruz could protest. One of the embassy workers gave him a strange look when he came out.

"Here I was told the women's restroom was out," said Veracruz as he handed the man the roll then he went back into the pressroom. He walked up to the podium and switched on the mic. Immediately the room got silent and all the heads turned in his direction.

"Ladies and gentlemen, friends of Costa Gravas, I just got off the phone with the Premier's wife. She wishes that I extend an apology to all of you from her for keeping you waiting and she wants me to inform you that she's about ten minutes out so please just a little more patience and she'll be here to address you shortly thank you. I'll have more caviar and champagne put out so help yourselves we'll begin as soon as she gets here."

Caviar and champagne for breakfast he thought what an appropriate last meal. You cows don't even know you're in the slaughter house but you will in a few minutes. He began to mingle with the guests joining in the small talk. He was about to scream inside almost every other question was about the Premier's son. Was he sleeping or was Hortencia breast feeding were the big topics. He wished he could shoot them now without waiting then one of his staff ran up and saved him. The man told him that Hortencia's Escalade had finally pulled into the consulate courtyard so he had his excuse to escape.

"Our First Lady is finally here," announced Veracruz. "So if you will excuse me I'll go get her and bring her to you. Please continue we'll be right back then we'll begin." He left heading out to meet Hortencia to bring her in. He wanted to personally put her up on the podium then watch her get what she deserved. Everything was set, the trap was ready now they just needed the mouse and everything would be done.

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Chuck was starting to have a bad feeling about this press conference. He regretted the deal he made with Hortencia now. How was he going to explain to Alejandro if anything happened to her? As the Escalade pulled inside the compound Chuck's phone began to ring. He sync'd it with his ear piece as he watched Hortencia and the Captain get out. He and Sarah stepped out and stood next to the Escalade from her look he could tell she didn't like waiting with the car any more than he did. But she was being a good partner and backing his play even if she disagreed with it.

"General, what can I do for you? If you're checking up on us we just got here. We ran into a little bit of traffic but nothing major. ... Yes I'm shutting up. You want me to do what?" He made a face. Sarah looked at him but he shook his head. "Okay one second I'm going to have to retrieve it. You guys are going to have to hold on. ... No she's not next to me she decided she wanted to use her own guards. ... Just calm down it's a long story just hold on."

"What is it," asked Sarah. She didn't think Beckman would be pleased when she heard what happened. Chuck waved for her to follow him. He ran after Hortencia's party trying to catch up to them.

"Hold up," yelled Chuck. "Wait a minute I need to talk to you. Just one minute." Hortencia stopped and looked at him as he and Sarah ran up to them.

"Madam First Lady we need to go your guests have been waiting all morning for you. This is highly irregular and can wait until after the conference," said Veracruz as he checked his watch trying to impress on them just how late they were.

"Ma'am I'm sorry but I've got my people on the line. There's been a break and we've got a lead but we need your burner phone to test it. This is important I'm sorry I know you're late and I wouldn't ask if it weren't important but we need your phone."

"Okay here you go," said Hortencia. She pulled it out of her purse then handed it to Chuck. Afterwards she turned to continue walking. He noticed immediately that it was off so he switched it on as she started to walk away.

"Crap," said Chuck. He waved for Sarah to follow him as he took off after Hortencia again. She was already just outside the pressroom. "Wait Madam First Lady this is pass protected. Can you give me the PIN or enter it yourself?"

"I'm sorry I don't know it. The Consul, Mr. Veracruz, switched it on for me the first time and I kept it on until you found Alejandro then I switched it off. I didn't think I'd need it anymore. You can ask Mr. Veracruz for the PIN. Mr. Veracruz, go ahead you can give Chuck what he needs."

"Thanks," said Chuck as he turned to Veracruz but facing him what Casey said about him played again in his head then a light switched on his head as he looked at the man in the eyes. "Wait a minute how did you know the PIN?"

"It was in the envelope I gave to Madam Hortencia," said Veracruz. "I'm sorry I don't remember it right now. We're late you need to go inside. I'll deal with you Agent afterwards just stand here. Let me put Madam First Lady on the podium then we can talk about this is my office."

"What do you have in there a gun or poison? I know who you are Señor Butcher. It's you you're the mole. You're Luis the Butcher. If I'm right the man you killed in that dungeon wasn't Luis but your last victim so you could pass yourself off but that almost went south when the man broke free. I get it you and Turrini. You were partners. What there wasn't any room in his little coup for you?"

"What are you saying," said Hortencia. "I was there what you're saying is impossible I saw and heard the whole thing. I'd be careful if I were you you're accusing a friend of the Premier's."

"This man has obviously been listening to the Angel de la Muerte for too long and his mind is poisoned against me. Come we need to hurry. Guards keep this man out here."

"And what are we? Well we... I can prove some of this. I've got some proof right here in my hand," said Chuck as he held the phone out.

"Madam First Lady these people have waited this long they can wait a little long," said Captain Dominguez. "Chuck and Sarah have sacrificed a lot for our country. We owe him the courtesy of hearing him out. Remember it was you who called his wife here and she could've refused but she came."

"And against my wishes but let's not harp on that. You want proof well you see they found a burner phone on Gonzalez like this one. If I look at the lot number for the SIM from this phone and the one from Gonzalez's phone what am I going to find?"

"How am I supposed to know," said Veracruz. "You're the one making a fool out of himself and I'm the one who's going to have to placate all these VIPs."

"I'll tell you what I'm going to find. I'm going to find they're from the same lot and who knows how many other SIM cards were bought at the same time from the same lot."

"That wouldn't prove anything just that a lot of SIMs were bought at the same time," said the Consul. Suddenly it started getting hot. "I'm sure that happens all the time for companies, organizations that issue their people phones to be contacted on."

"You mean like the consulate would do? But could you afford to leave this in the hands of an underling and hope they kept quiet if someone came asking?"

"I think we've wasted enough time listening to this... this... work of fiction. You should write a novel with the strange ideas you have. I'm sure it would be a best seller but it still would be a work of fiction."

"Fiction you say well I wonder when we talk with the clerk where you bought these SIMs if he'll remember you and when we check their security camera footage are we going to see your smiling face. You know since 9/11 all that is backed up to a national data base run by the NSA. Or didn't you know that?" Sarah gave him a look. He understood the look and she was right he was starting to lay it on too thick so he took a step back. But he wanted to rattle the Consul's cage and he did.

"You're going to ruin everything," Veracruz said as he started to draw his pistol from his pocket. Chuck checked his hand then blocked his shoulder driving him into the wall. The gun went off and the security personnel for the consulate came running to Veracruz's aid.

"Kill them, yelled Veracruz as Chuck pressed his face into the wall. "Kill them all." The wet team broke out of the storeroom opening fire. Sarah and Francisco returned fire but they were out number and gunned when the consulate's security guards pitched in with the attackers.

"We need to retreat," yelled Sarah. "We can't hold this position." Chuck pistol whipped Veracruz then shot the fire extinguishers in the hallway to create a smoke screen to cover their retreat. The white cloud that hung in the air was thick enough for them to hide in and make good their escape.

"Follow me," said Chuck as they tried to make it back to the Escalade but found their way blocked by a group of armed men looking for them.

"What now," said the Captain. "We need to get the Premier's wife to safety. Where do we go now?"

"Well we can't get out the way we came. I know another way out." They fought their way to the consul's office then barricade themselves inside.

"Chuck I thought you said this was a way out? We're trapped in here," said Sarah. She tried her phone but there was no signal. "They're blocking our comms with the outside world. We're on our own in here. Now what?"

"You can say I told you so if you want to," said Hortencia. "I know if I'd listened to you we wouldn't be in this situation. Let me go turn myself over to them it's me they want not you. No one else needs to get hurt because of me."

"You think they're going to let any of us out of here alive? Why do you think they're jamming our comms? Or haven't broken down the door? They're eliminating witnesses but we're not done for yet," said Chuck. As he was talking he was walking around the room tapping on the walls. "Here we go," he said when he heard a hollow sound.

"What are you looking for," asked the Captain. He noticed Chuck searching around the room. "We should be piling more furniture against the door. You're right soon they'll figure out where we are then they'll throw everything they have at us."

"This is what I'm looking for," said Chuck. They heard a click then a bookshelf moved away from the wall. "Follow me these tunnels originally connect to the old city sewage system but during prohibition they were used to move bootleg whiskey all over the city. Come on before they come in using one."

Chuck led them down the dark tunnel keeping everyone close so no one could get lost. They hadn't gone far when they began to hear voices in front of them one of the voices they recognized was the Consul's and he didn't sound happy which gave Chuck some satisfaction.

"Shush," said Chuck as he got everyone close to the wall and into the dark. "Stay still and be absolutely quiet we'll let them pass then we can proceed but we need to let them pass by." They saw lights heading their way getting brighter. "Just take my word this will work just keep quiet."

"How could you let them get away?" said Veracruz as they approached them. "I thought your group was supposed to be professional. You hit everyone but the ones that counted and you almost took me out too."

"Too bad we didn't," said Alpha. "But you keep running your mouth and you might just have an accident like your pal Gonzalez."

"You think I care about your threats. I know what's going to happen to me if we fail that was made crystal clear to me by our boss but I won't go down alone that you can count on. I've got an insurance policy so when our friend calls you might inform him of that if he decides he doesn't need me anymore."

"I really don't think you want me to relay that message. He doesn't like threats that much and has been known to act out when... well when people do what you're trying to do right now. You know you don't have to be taken down fast you can whittle on a person for a few days before you remove anything important."

"It gives a whole new meaning to giving someone a hand or handing it over especially when the hands used to be theirs."

"Whatever let's get a move on it. The back entrance to my office is up ahead. Make it quick so I can start circulating those false documents. I'm going to have to call in to report that the consulate was taken by terrorists and everyone was assassinated. I need bodies to show."

"We've got this just make sure your guys keep up," said Alpha as they walked right past Chuck and the rest who were hiding in the shadows. Everyone passed them except the man bringing up the rear. He was trying to keep up when a rat scurried across the path in front of him. He jumped back but when he did his light shined on Hortencia.

"St...," he started to scream but before he could yell Chuck put his hand over his mouth and Sarah came up from behind him and slit his throat. Chuck recovered the man's weapons, ammunition and anything else he thought he might need.

"Come on we need to keep moving it won't take them long to figure out they walked past us especially when they enter Veracruz's office and find us missing. Sarah I know you're not going to like this but we should split up. You go down this tunnel," he said as he shined the man's flashlight down it. "Follow the tunnel and it will take you out near lake Michigan. I'll buy you some time by leading them away down this other one."

"Chuck, I don't like this. Why can't we just stay here together? It would be better if we face them down as a group and hold out for reinforcements."

"That's why we need to split up. There will be no reinforcements coming unless one of us makes it out. Veracruz will see to that. He's probably telling the General right now that this wet team came out of nowhere. They overran the consulate and captured us taking us down in this unground liar."

"The General will insist on sending people down to help look for us. But I see what you're saying in this labyrinth they're bound to get lost and even if they did get close Veracruz's men would take them out before they could rescue us."

"Veracruz is going to tell Beckman he's got men searching for us. But his real objective will be to kill us so we can't testify against him. I'm afraid also the longer we hold out the more desperate he'll become. Sooner or later he will move against the Premier."

"So what are you saying? If Veracruz takes us he'll kill us but if he doesn't take us soon he'll kill the Premier but why?"

"Everything revolves around that Land Reformation Bill. But we can figure that out later right now we need to work on getting out of here. I love you," said Chuck as he grabbed Sarah and kissed her. "I'll see you soon."

"I love you too and Chuck please don't do anything stupid like trying to be the hero. Bunny and Sam need their father and I need my husband."

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Back in the hospital across town Casey was sitting in the room with Alejandro talking. The Premier was telling him some of what happened when he was being held by Gonzalez and some of the things Gonzalez told him. Casey couldn't believe how chatty Gonzalez got with the Premier considering his training.

"It's easy I got him so frustrated and upset he would've told me anything to get me to shut up. All I did was sing all day which drove him up the wall."

"I don't see how that could have that much of an effect on someone," said Casey. Then the Premier started singing 'Besame Mucho'.

"Now think about hearing that song over and over night and day. It can get on your nerves but something he told me was the reason they were interested in this Land Reform Bill was they wanted to get their hands on the oil rights off our coast."

"Is there a big deposit? I don't remember hearing anything about an oil deposit there. If there is it must be a recent find."

"Yes, and I know who made it and who they claimed to be. There was a survey team supposedly from the National Geographic Society that did some geological soundings. I think they were actually looking for oil and they found it off our coast. The problem is it's in a wildlife preserve and the only way they can get at it is if the title for the area is reverted to the previous owner before the preserve was established."

"Sneaky little bastards so what are you going to do? You can't let them get away with all this crap they've pulled. Someone has to pay."

"I agree that's why I've got my Major looking into it and finding out who really funded the survey mission. Once I know who did that I'll know who to move against. Right now I've got the advantage because they don't know Gonzalez told me their little plan so I want to act dumb... It would be hurtful if you said that would be easy."

"I didn't say anything but if it came to you then I think you might have called yourself dumb. However, I have to admit it sounds like a good plan."

"Yes I'm having my Major working on this as you say on the down low. Then when I'm sure I'll pounce on them like a jaguar. They won't know what hit them."

"Guys, guys," said Morgan as he came running in. "You need to see the news," he said as he switched on the local news. "Boy just look at that picture on a seventy-two inch screen. It looks like you're there doesn't it?"

"Grimes pipe down and turn up the volume," said Casey as he growled.