A/N: Thank you for your continued support and all the reviews, which I greatly appreciate. I am also very happy to see a number of reviews and PM's from people who have not previously communicated their views. Thank you for taking the time and making the effort, and of course, for giving me an opportunity to say thank you personally. I am also heartened that the number of "favorites" continues to climb even as we hit Chapter 34.
Thanks, as always, go to Nevr for his continued support, and make sure you catch up on his latest releases of "The Novelist," "Shot," and his newest work, "Linked." So much good stuff to read from Nevr!
Don't own Chuck or profit from this work, but I've heard some noise that perhaps Alexei Volkoff might. I'll need to look him up and see what he says…keep you posted!
Chapter 34: Transitions
Saturday, 19 May 2012 – 15:00 Eastern Standard Time
Washington D.C. – White House, Oval Office.
Lieutenant General Diane Beckman stood at attention as President Warner completed affixing a second star to her tunic. "Congratulations on your very well-earned promotion, Diane," Warner spoke warmly and with a wide smile. He was pleased for Beckman, who had proven herself to be a terrific ally in the full-time job of protecting America's interests and her citizens. Gathered in the Oval Office were a small group of people special to Diane Beckman and were of growing importance to President Warner. The group included Alexander Albright, the outgoing DNI Diane would replace next month, and Roan Montgomery, Diane's very close personal friend. He earned the right to attend through his exceptional work in the International Development Bank raid and its subsequent takeover. Next to him was none other than Chuck Bartowski, the man who really made any of this possible, and his dynamo fiancée, Sarah Walker. Behind Walker were Carina Miller and Morgan Grimes, and Major John Casey, accompanied by Gertrude Verbanski, the soon departing head of his Secret Service detail. Last but certainly not least, were Mary Larson, Beckman's long-time secretary and faithful assistant, and John Walden, Currently Deputy Director of the NSA.
With the pinning ceremony completed, President Warner took a moment to speak to the room. "Ladies and Gentlemen, before I ask General Beckman to say a few words, I want you all to know that Alexander Albright, our Director of National Intelligence, has informed me of his decision to retire from government service effective the 15 June 2012. I want to take a moment to thank Alex for his incredible leadership and for his steadfast commitment to protecting our country and its people. I will miss him and his excellent counsel while he spends well-earned time with his wife and family. So while I am saddened to see such a wonderful friend and partner retire, I am pleased to announce that I will be appointing General Beckman as interim DNI, pending Senate confirmation. I am confident that General Beckman will be an equally valuable partner.
"I look forward to seeing her put her fingerprints on the future operating model of our intelligence organizations."
There was applause, though virtually everyone in the room already knew of Diane Beckman's pending ascension to the most senior intelligence post in the U.S. government. "Diane, would you like to say a few words?"
"Thank you, Mr. President, I would." Diane Beckman looked at Casey. "Major John Casey, please step forward," Diane Beckman commanded. John Casey was momentarily too stunned to move, but a subtle elbow from Gertrude moved him forward. He approached Beckman and President Warner and stood at attention.
"Major Casey, it is my privilege to share with you that with immediate effect, you are hereby promoted in rank to Lieutenant Colonel." Beckman smiled at Casey, who was still shocked to be standing at attention for promotion, in the oval office, and in front of the President, before she continued. "Colonel, you are a credit to the Corps and the NSA, and we thank you for your professionalism, dedication, and tireless commitment to excellence in everything you do." Then Diane Beckman and President Warner each pinned one of the silver oak clusters on Casey's uniform before each taking a turn to shake his hand and congratulate him for his service. "Naturally, we will organize an appropriate pinning ceremony for you at the NSA in due course, but it was our honor to pin these silver oak clusters on you today." Beckman continued as Casey walked back to his place next to Gertrude, who gave him a warm smile.
"Next, as DNI Designate, and with President Warner's full approval, I am pleased to announce that John Walden, my Deputy Director, will be named Acting Director of the NSA effective 15 June, and Director pending Senate confirmation be scheduled in late July. Congratulations, John. I'm confident that you will do a terrific job." Beckman paused for the applause to die down before continuing.
"In my last official act as Director of the NSA, and again with full support from President Warner, I would like to ask Sarah Walker, Carina Miller, and Colonel Casey to step forward." Beckman paused as the three approached Beckman and the President.
"On behalf of the President and the NSA, for your actions, bravery, and unparalleled accomplishments in the fight against those who represent a clear and present danger to our country and its people, you are hereby awarded the NSA's highest honor, the National Security Medal. Obviously, the nature of the actions that earned you this recognition are classified and will likely never be disclosed, but you know, I know, and President Warner knows what you did to earn them. The President then pinned the ornate medal, featuring an eagle above a laurel wreath encircling a blue and gold compass rose surrounded by the words United States of America and National Security in red and gold enamel on each recipient as the remaining attendees clapped.
When the three returned to their spots, the President then spoke. "Finally, it is my honor to recognize Charles…..Chuck Bartowski, and Morgan Grimes. Gentlemen, please come up here." The two partners made their way forward and stood before Beckman and Warner. "Gentlemen, your numerous individual contributions to ensuring our collective safety are nothing short of incredible, but again highly classified. Nonetheless, the work you two have done as Orion Cyber Security Systems to safeguard our intelligence community, thereby protecting the interests of the United States of America and its people, is on its own more than enough to earn the highest honor we can bestow upon a non-military person, the Presidential Medal of Freedom." This time, Diane Beckman held the cases containing the medals and handed them to the President, who hung them around Chuck and Morgan's necks as both stood in complete shock.
After the private ceremony, the attendees were escorted to one of the conference rooms, where the White House staff had laid out a variety of refreshments and finger sandwiches. All the attendees hugged each other or shook hands celebrating everyone's individual achievement and enjoyed the opportunity to engage the President informally for a few minutes. During the refreshments, Beckman pulled Mary to the side. "Mary, please don't say anything to John yet, but I would be honored if you moved to the DNI with me as my assistant. The move comes with a significant bump in comp and benefits, and I would love to have you with me. If you wish to stay behind, I will understand….just let me know sometime next week, please, ok?" Beckman's smile was returned by Mary, who was delighted. "Thank you, General," Mary replied. "You will have my response and list of demands by Monday afternoon." Mary giggled, enjoying the moment as Beckman replied. "As long as they are within reason, Mary…." And the two women shared an additional laugh.
After about thirty minutes, Gertrude rounded up Beckman, Chuck, and Sarah and led them back to the Oval Office, where President Warner was sitting with a coffee.
"Welcome back, Chuck, Sarah. Please have a seat." The President sat in a chair while Chuck and Sarah sat on a sofa, and Diane Beckman sat across from the two on the matching sofa.
"Is everyone comfortable?" President Warner asked as Chuck and Sarah nodded affirmatively, "Good, so let's get started. Chuck, Sarah, this is what I want. I want you, Chuck, to be my special adviser on cyber security. I want to leave the title loose, but your remit's scope will reach all aspects of electronic intelligence. Let me repeat that….ALL ASPECTS OF ELECTRONIC INTELLIGENCE. That means that before I make any decision on an intelligence matter, I will want your honest, unvarnished opinion. I have too many politicos kissing my ass and telling me what they think I want to hear. I need a clear voice with a solid moral grounding to help me make good and sound decisions. Diane has told me that you are perhaps the most principled man she has ever met. She has also told me that you are unequaled in your ability to analyze complex data. I want that man standing next to me, helping me make decisions, challenging me when he thinks I'm wrong, and helping me push back on those whose objectives are not as pure of purpose as they need to be." President Warner paused to gauge Chuck's temperature on the pitch, but Chuck was maturing, growing up, and he was learning to school his expressions…which was good. Just not right now. So, he continued.
"As things stand, this is not a cabinet position, but then we've never had the need to make a cabinet position for this sort of thing before. With you in the chair, I will propose the establishment of a Secretary of Technology, whose public scope will be to drive technological innovation to drive the development of a more technologically superior and future-proof United States. This would extend to education, industry, military, healthcare, etc. I want leading-edge technology to be the center of everything we do. Beyond the public scope, you will also be tasked with providing me with tactical and strategic guidance on all technology-based decisions related to intelligence matters. As an advisor, you will serve on the National Security Council as a regular attendee until we can create the cabinet position. At that point, you will become a statutory attendee. All of this obviously comes with the highest, non-compartmentalized security clearance available…..Diane, did I miss anything?" Warner asked.
"Office and resources, Sir," Diane Beckman responded.
"Right. Apologies. You will have an all-access identification card for the White House, meaning you can come and go as you need, which includes an assigned parking spot in the underground garage, and you will be given an office and the ability to staff up as you see fit.….there now, I'm done."
"Equipment, Sir," Beckman intervened once more.
"Sorry, Chuck….whatever equipment you need. No problem. Now I'm done." Warner looked at Diane expectantly and received a nod in confirmation. He then looked at Chuck and Sarah. "Sooo…..what do you say, what do you want from me to make this happen."
Chuck looked at Sarah briefly as she gave him an almost imperceptible nod. "Mr. President," Chuck immediately paused to align his words so as not to spiral. "I am a little overwhelmed by your proposal, particularly after the unexpected awards we received earlier, so to be frank, Sir, I am not in a position to tell you what I need to move forward." The President's face hardened momentarily as he was not prepared to be this generous, only to be refused. He looked at Beckman, who smiled and gave him a reassuring nod as Chuck continued.
"Sir, my biggest concern is that Sarah and the rest of my family, including Carina, Morgan, Casey, and Gertrude, are safe and can choose the path they want. I have also learned in working with Diane that trust is something to be given, not earned, so I will accept your offer and trust that when I provide you with my requirements, we will find a way to make things work. If that is acceptable to you, Sir, I'm more than honored to stand next to you and provide you with the best council I can."
President Warner smiled widely, then walked to Chuck and Sarah and gave each a firm handshake. "I thank you, and your country thanks you," Warner added before walking over to his desk and pushing a button on his phone. Not ten seconds later, a woman with a steno pad entered.
"Rose, this is Charles Bartowski. Chuck, this is Rose Peters, my chief secretary. She's the one that really runs the country." Warner smiled, and Rose blushed a little as Chuck extended his hand to greet her. "And this is Sarah Walker. Ms. Walker is with the NSA and is Mr. Bartowski's fiancée. With immediate effect, Mr. Bartowski will serve as my Special Advisor on Cyber Security. I want all access White House ID cards prepared for him and Ms. Walker as quickly as possible. Then get maintenance to identify a suitable office space for Mr. Bartowski and get it cleaned up, painted, upgraded electrical service, etc. And please make sure purchasing gets him whatever he wants in terms of furniture, computers, etc. Then get him a parking spot in the garage. Finally, you will need to get him the phone, email…you know, the one. I'll speak to the Chief of Staff about his addition as an Advisor and have her also brief the Security Council. We will also want to do a press release in due course." The President paused, then looked to Chuck and Sarah. "I'm sure there is more, but Rose will sort it all out. When do you think you two can be here in D.C. full time?" Warner asked.
"I have a place furnished by the NSA just outside Baltimore but probably need a couple of weeks to get some things moved over to be more comfortable here, Sir, but we are not giving up our apartment in Santa Monica. That, Sir, is home for us," Chuck responded as Sarah smiled warmly.
"Rose, please see what we have in suitable housing closer to the White House. If Chuck has to deal with coming to D.C. from Baltimore every day, he will quit before we get started."
"Yes, Sir," Rose responded before turning and leaving the Oval Office.
"I look forward to having you both on board." President Warner smiled as Diane Beckman gave herself a little grin.
= ! =
Saturday, 19 May 2012 – 16:45 Eastern Standard Time
New York City, New York – Central Park West
Vivian McArthur had gone for an afternoon jog in Central Park and was returning to her luxurious apartment building on the corner of 86th Street and 5th Avenue. As she approached the intersection, a large black limousine pulled up and stopped in front of her. As the door opened, she felt a hand on her shoulder and something hard thrust into her lower back.
"Don't turn around. Just get in the car," the menacing voice said as she was pushed forward into the limousine. She landed on the back seat on all fours as the door closed behind her and the car sped off.
"Ms. McArthur," A pleasant voice with a polished English accent spoke. "My name is Alexei Volkoff. You took something of mine, and I want it back."
Vivian fumbled into a seated position, recognizing the face of the man sitting across from her. She instinctively reached for the door handle and started pulling wildly, but the door was securely locked.
"What do you want from me, Mr. Volkoff? What is the meaning of this?" Vivian shouted with her eyes wide in fear as Volkoff laughed.
"You see, Ms. McArthur, I know that Quinn was aware there would be a raid, so before it happened, he apparently stole a sizeable portion of the money before you raided his bank. I also know he worked with a Mexican lowlife in Culiacan, a certain Mr. Salazaar. I sent my men to collect them both, but regrettably, they started shooting at each other and somehow managed to blow up Salazaar's boat along with my men. Of course, I'm saddened by the senseless loss of life, but it was a substantial amount of money….my money….so you will help me get it back. If you do that, I will let you go unharmed. But if you resist or try to trick me, well, Ms. McArthur, let me just say I will be saddened by more senseless violence and loss of life. If you like, you can tell me what I need to know now, or we can wait until we arrive at my horse farm in Bedford, New York." Volkoff showed a sinister smile and waited….
"Very well then, Ms. McArthur, we shall wait until we get to the horse farm, where you will want to tell me everything."
= ! =
Sunday, 20 May 2012 – 11:15 Central Standard Time
36,000 feet, somewhere over Missouri – Aboard the OCSS Gulfstream G-5
The amount of good news over the weekend overwhelmed everyone on team Bartowski. As the G-5 was jetting westward, Chuck and Sarah were quietly talking in the front of the cabin, while Morgan and Carina sat in the mid-cabin at a table. Casey was catching some sleep in the bedroom after over-celebrating with the team at the Old Ebbitt Grill. Missing was Gertrude, who stayed in D.C. to wrap up her work as head of the President's Secret Service detail.
"Soooo. Washington…" Chuck looked at Sarah with love in his eyes.
"Yeah…." sighed Sarah. "I'm happy and excited, but at the same time, aside from all the shit we've been through the last few months, I really love our lives in Santa Monica. I will miss it out there." Sarah had a slight sadness in her smile.
"Hey….hey….None of that, baby. Santa Monica is our home. How about if we come back every other weekend." Chuck lifted her Chin as Sarah's smile warmed.
"That sounds great…..but…?" Sarah backed away in her seat a little, looked him in the eye, and lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. "Chuck, can I be honest?"
Chuck leaned in and cocked his head. "Of course, baby. What's on your mind?"
"Ok….what do you think is really happening here. I mean, look at you. Look at us, at all this. Did you see the look on Diane's face through our entire meeting with the President?" Sarah asked.
"Uhm, yeah….of course. Why, you don't trust Diane? Or the President?" Chuck asked with some surprise in his voice.
"I do. I trust them both, but I don't think they are giving you….us the full picture here. My gut tells me that there is a much bigger plan at play. Just consider all the visibility you will be getting. The fact that the President mentioned a press conference to announce your addition as a Special Advisor….I don't think that sort of thing normally happens. Then, last meeting, the whole power couple thing…..Chuck, we are being prepared for public life. Does that resonate with you at all?"
"Well, yes, but obviously not the way you have been thinking about it….what are you seeing that troubles you, Sarah?" Chuck brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and waited for her.
"I don't know, Chuck. I guess it's not the destination, per se, but rather that we are being set on a track that we are not in control of, and that track will have certain consequences. I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad thing, but I don't like being managed and not knowing the end game…..does that make sense?" Sarah was focused now and had her emotions entirely in check.
"So, what do you think the end game is, Sarah?" Chuck leaned forward, insisting she finish her thought, so he could digest it.
She let out a deep breath and dove in. "I can see Warner pushing you towards public office after some time in his cabinet…..the question is whether Beckman sees you perhaps running the NSA one day. I can totally see that," Sarah said.
"And?" Chuck asked. "Is that bad…or a problem for you?" He knew how he felt about it, but really wanted to give Sarah the opportunity to really say what she really thought.
"I don't know, Chuck. It's a lot to manage, and I can see how that track could put pressure on us as a couple, and a family at some point….as I said, it feels like our lives are being planned for us, and I don't like it," Sarah sharpened her tone a little.
"I understand, and I don't disagree, but on the other side of the coin, it feels to me that I…we….have been so overwhelmed with everything happening in such rapid succession that outside of you and our family, I'm not sure what I want. But so far, what has come our way has been pretty extraordinary, not counting the near-death experiences. What do you want, Sarah?" Chuck asked softly as he looked deep into her eyes.
"I want to marry you, make some babies, and maybe get ourselves a little boat to go out on…..That's what I want." Sarah closed the distance to him again and kissed him gently. "I want you, Chuck. I want us."
"You are the most important thing in the universe to me, too, Sarah. Us! How about when we get home, you take Carina and maybe go shopping for a wedding dress, while I take Morgan and Casey…if he cares for such things… to look for something to get married in?" Chuck smiled at his fiancée, reached over, and pulled her close as she snuggled into him.
= ! =
Sunday, 20 May 2012 – 10:15 Mountain Standard Time
36,000 feet, somewhere over South Eastern Colorado – Aboard Volkoff's Falcon 900
Alexi Volkov lounged comfortably in the plush seat of his Falcon jet as he drank from a delicate crystal flute filled with Dom Perignon Champagne. He looked at Vivian McArthur, the Warrior Witch of Wall Street, and chuckled to himself. 'These people think they have power, think they strength, but they live in the light, and it is only when they meet men like me, who live in the dark, that their weakness comes out,' he thought to himself. McArthur had been proud, defiant even until she saw the tools Volkoff was prepared to use on her pretty face. Once her fear completely took over, she was a fountain of information. Volkoff went to the Orion Cyber Security Systems website and printed the image of one Chuck Bartowski. He then made several copies and handed them to each of his men. Once that was done, Volkoff set about taking the steps necessary to reclaim his property and punish those who thought they could steal from him.
Volkoff always kept very close council, so he had not shared any specifics about his objectives with anyone in his employ, lest they think him weak for allowing himself to be robbed. He had called his flight crew and instructed them to be ready first thing Sunday morning for an immediate departure to Los Angeles. The trip from Bedford to Westchester Airport was short, and Vivian McArthur proved to be docile and compliant, making her transfer to the jet a smooth and quiet affair. Now flying across the United States, Volkoff looked forward to getting his money back.
Vivian McArthur was a shell of her former self. She felt small…weak…defeated. Yesterday's running clothes were stained with sweat from her run and from the abject terror she felt when Volkoff had strapped her to a chair in a basement under the horse barn and produced a tray of tools, explaining in detail what each instrument would be used for. She was paralyzed in fear and could not control what started to come out of her mouth. She was grateful that Volkoff did not torture or disfigure her, but in a way, he had done much worse. He showed her how weak she was. He made her understand that Bartowski would be taken, made to hack into the FED and steal back his money, plus some sizable interest, and help Volkoff hide it. When his services were no longer required, he would be killed….slowly and painfully. And Vivian McArthur would be made to watch all of this before being released, so she could live with the guilt….and, when needed, do Volkoff's bidding. She hugged her knees and stared out the window, unable to look at her captor, who was sipping Champagne and smirking at her.
The phone next to Volkoff buzzed. "Yes," Volkoff replied simply, then sat motionless for a few minutes listening. "Excellent. We land at approximately 11:20 local time. Be ready." He hung up the phone.
XXX
Shortly after landing in Burbank, Volkoff's plane was met by a black limousine and a white box van. Volkoff made himself comfortable in the limousine while one of Volkoff's henchmen manhandled Vivian into the seat next to him.
"Relax, Ms. McArthur. This is the beginning of a wonderful partnership." He offered her a glass of Champagne. "If everything you told me is true, this Bartolski or Barstolki, or whatever…..person will get me what I want, and you will be back in your office before you know it…..Life goes on….for you, Ms. McArthur." Volkoff was almost jovial as he spoke, sending a shiver down Vivian's spine as she recognized that Volkoff wasn't just a criminal. He was a complete psychopath.
Vivian managed a meek shake of her head to decline the Champagne, never lifting her eyes from her running shoes.
Volkoff looked at her with disdain. 'Weakness…..if she had any brains or balls, she would be figuring out how to make a deal with me. Pathetic.' He thought as his jovial smile turned to a sneer.
Volkoff's limousine cruised out of the VIP area and onto Burbank's surface streets, heading west towards Santa Monica. Behind them, the white box van with three of Volkoff's people followed. They turned south onto 170, then navigated on the 101 West and the 405 South, exiting on Wilshire and heading west. The limo stopped in front of the Santa Monica Proper Hotel, where before exiting, Volkoff leaned towards Vivian and spoke menacingly. "Ms. McArthur, I have a suite waiting for our arrival, but I must warn you….while I abhor violence, if you try anything stupid, I will put a bullet through your spine…do you understand me?" Volkoff then showed Vivian the compact Walther P99c he carried in his coat pocket. A moment later, the door was opened by one of Volkoff's men, who had shouldered aside the waiting bellman, while another team member retrieved the keys to the rooms. Once out of the limousine, Volkoff went straight to the elevator with his arm tightly around Vivian's waist, bypassing the front desk, and minutes later entered the luxurious suite. He then spoke very quietly to one of his men. "You have his address. Go keep watch, and let me know when you see him. Once we have him, we go directly to the plane and get out of U.S. airspace….I have a different plan for the woman.….now go, and keep me posted." Volkoff then called the concierge with a special request.
Ten minutes later, the white van, with three occupants, found a parking spot not too far from where Salazaar's men had parked not too long ago. They sat and waited.
= ! =
Sunday, 20 May 2012 – 12:25 Pacific Standard Time
Van Nuys California – Van Nuys Airport
The rest of the flight for team Bartowski was uneventful. As Chuck and Sarah nodded off, snuggled up against each other, Casey continued to sleep in the bedroom while Carina and Morgan ate microwave popcorn and watched Indiana Jones on Morgan's laptop.
At precisely 12:25 local time, Chief Pilot Larry Graves landed the G-5 smoothly on runway 16-Right, then taxied the gleaming aircraft to its parking spot. Once parked, everyone deplaned and gathered their luggage while Casey retrieved the Suburban for their ride back to Santa Monica. Forty-five minutes later, the Suburban passed the parked white van and entered the parking garage below their building.
XXX
Chuck and Sarah took some time to unpack, then showered and put on some fresh clothes. They had managed to get some sleep on the flight home, so they were not particularly tired, and it was a lovely, warm, sunny afternoon in Santa Monica.
"Sarah, it's absolutely beautiful out. Why don't we see if Morgan and Carina want to join us for a visit to one of the bridal shops on Montana Avenue?" Chuck asked. And when we are done at the Bridal shop, we can look for something for me to wear. After that, if everyone is on board, we can go see the new Avengers movie at the AMC Cinema and then grab dinner somewhere on Ocean Ave" Chuck asked.
"That sounds great. Let me call Carina…do you want to check with Casey?" Sarah answered.
Twenty minutes later, Chuck, Sarah, Morgan, and Carina walked out of the building and headed towards Montana Avenue to go look at some dresses. Casey decided to skip the bridal shop and movies but intended to join them for dinner once they agreed on a restaurant.
XXX
Two of the men exited the van and followed on foot, while the van pulled out and passed the happy foursome walking towards Montana Avenue. "Sir, Target is on the move. Accompanied by a short male and two females," The driver of the van reported to Volkoff.
"Tell me where they stop, and I will come to you," Volkoff responded as he checked his Walther to make sure he had a round chambered before slipping it back in his jacket pocket.
Volkoff had decided to tell Vivian about his change in plans and warn her about contacting the authorities before he was safely away. Thirty minutes later, his phone rang. Volkoff listened, then killed the call and turned to Vivian. "Ms. McArthur, your future awaits, and remember, nothing stupid. I would hate to have to damage such a lovely woman." His smile did not reach his eyes. Volkoff grabbed Vivian by the elbow and propelled her forward out of the suite and towards the elevators. When they reached the lobby, Volkoff stopped by the concierge desk, picked up an envelope, and handed the man a stack of cash. He then marched Vivian directly out the front doors and signaled the hotel doorman for a taxi. Two minutes later, Volkoff was in the back of a cab in his fine English tweed suit, with his arm firmly around Vivian.
"Montana Avenue, please. Between 10th and 11th court," Volkoff instructed the driver pleasantly.
"Yes, sir," responded the cabbie. "Love your accent. Are you two from London?" he asked cheerfully. "I get people from all over the world in here…love hearing the different accents," the talkative cabbie continued before waiting for an answer.
Then, in a deep voice and with a thick Russian accent, Volkoff responded. "No. I'm Russian."
The cabbie had no idea what to do with that, so he just muttered, "Russia….How about that." And did not utter another word until they arrived at the address.
Volkoff spotted the white van, paid the fare, and exited the taxi making his way to the van where the driver and one of Volkoff's men were waiting. The other of Volkoff's men had stopped at a café across the street from the bridal shop, waiting and watching.
XXX
As they approached the bridal shop, Chuck looked through the window with a warm smile and stopped walking. "Tradition says it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding day, so you guys go ahead, and I'll wait at the coffee shop next door."
Sarah bounced up to him, cupped his cheeks, and kissed him. "I love you, Chuck. We won't be long…I promise."
Chuck made his way to the café, ordered a large cappuccino, and found a seat. Meanwhile, Sarah, Morgan, and Carina were greeted by a friendly sales clerk who invited them to a glass of Champagne while the bride-to-be picked some dresses to try on. Sarah was a hunter, not a gatherer, so she immediately selected a few dresses she thought would work for her and went to the changing room to try the first dress. Morgan and Carina sat comfortably and sipped the offered Champagne as they waited for Sarah to reappear from behind the changing room curtain. They were in casual conversation when Morgan suddenly stopped speaking as his eyes and mouth went wide at the sight of Sarah in a simple yet stunning white slip dress.
"Wow…" he breathed out, barely making a sound, his face frozen in awe. After gawking for a moment, he gathered his wits, "Sarah, you look absolutely amazing in that." His hand reached out for Carina's and gave it a gentle squeeze as Carina nodded in approval.
Sarah beamed as she looked in the mirror after a quick spin that revealed her orange Chuck Tailor All-Star high-top sneakers. "I like the simplicity of this one….feels right for a beach wedding, don't you think?"
Morgan's facial expression changed from awe to a wide smile. "Sarah, when Chuck sees you in that dress, you will break him completely. It's absolutely perfect." He turned to Carina and asked, "What do you think, sweetheart?"
'Sarah, I'm with Morgan on this….It's perfect, and it fits you so well I'm not sure you need any tailoring," Carina added as she stood to feel the fabric and check how it draped over Sarah's hips and bust line. "It's perfect…." She repeated, giving her friend and partner a hug, careful to not wrinkle the dress.
"I love it." Sarah turned to inspect herself in the mirror again. "I think it's perfect…simple, elegant, and very comfortable. I think I want this one…."
Carina was now standing behind Sarah with her hands on Sarah's hips, checking the fit of the dress in the mirror once more. "I love it, Sarah, but we're not done with the bottle of Champagne, so you should try a couple more," Carina whispered in her ear conspiratorially, drawing a grin from Sarah as she handed her a flute of the bubbly.
Sarah bounced back into the changing room, her joy evident, as she went to try on one of the other dresses she had pulled off the rack. As she disappeared behind the curtain, Morgan looked warmly at Carina. "You ok there, baby? You look a little lost."
Carina smiled. "She not only looked perfect in that dress, but I could feel her happiness. I'm so happy for her…and for them. So yes, I'm ok. I think about where we were eighteen months ago, which was pretty good, but now, I need to pinch myself with all this. So yes, my handsome man, I'm ok. More than ok. Just reflecting a bit on all that is good.…."
XXX
Chuck was happily musing about his fiancée in a wedding dress on the beach on a warm August day when his mobile phone interrupted his happy thoughts. He looked at the number and noticed the call came from the 646 area code….New York City….Manhattan, to be precise. He put his coffee down and answered.
"Hello, this is Chuck…"
"Chuck, it's Vivian. I need you to listen carefully, do exactly what I tell you, and do not say anything. Across the street from the café is a white van. I need you to cross the street and get in the van. If you don't comply, they will kill me, Chuck. Please. They are watching you through the window, so please do what I asked and put your phone away….no calls to anyone."
Chuck turned to face the window, and nodded affirmatively, then slowly and clearly, he hung up the call and tucked the phone into his pocket. He turned away from the window to work his way out from behind that table while masking his movement, so they could not see him push the chronometer button three times in rapid succession. Once Chuck activated the panic button on his watch, an emergency signal was sent to everyone on their private network, identifying the wearer and tracking the wearer's GPS coordinates. The panic button also activated the microphone so everyone on the network could hear whatever the wearer was saying and hearing. Immediately after activating the panic button, he walked towards the door, speaking quietly.
"Team, Vivian McArthur is being held in a white van across the street from the café. I have to go to the van, or they will kill her. Track me and get us when you can." As he exited the café, the van's side door slid open, revealing Vivian sitting on the floor with a terrified expression and a gun pointed at her head. Chuck raised his hands and walked slowly across the sidewalk, then paused at the street, looking both ways a few times before slowly continuing towards the van. Chuck was trying to buy time to allow his team to catch up, but he could not stall much longer. Eventually, he reached the van, looked around, and stepped inside, as the door closed behind him with a thunk.
"Mr. Bartowski, welcome to the party. Vivian here tells me you are quite the computer wiz and just the man to help me get back what was stolen from me….with appropriate interest, of course. And before you are tempted to say or do anything stupid, you should know that any act of non-compliance will result in me having to damage Ms. McArthur. I will do so slowly, causing her great pain until you get me my money. Are we clear?" Volkoff spoke with a sneer as he stared at Chuck.
Chuck leaned back against the van's wall and could feel Sarah, his special Sig P-229, pressing against the small of his back. He was incredibly thankful that these people assumed a computer wiz would not be armed or trained, so they didn't frisk or restrain him. He was also very conscious that he needed to keep sending information to the team. "Who are you, and where are you taking us?" Chuck spat back with his own sneer.
"My dear boy, my name is Alexei Volkoff, and we are going to Burbank, where my jet is waiting for us. Once aboard, we will fly to Russia, where I am more comfortable, and you will do what I need. If you are as good as Vivian says, perhaps I'll offer you a job….instead of killing you." Volkoff smiled.
Chuck recalled Volkoff's name from the International Development Bank prep meetings. And now, Sarah, Carina, and Casey would know who they were dealing with. "Ok, Volkoff, I'll do what you want, but you don't need Vivian anymore. Let her go, and I'll cooperate." Chuck looked at Vivian, who looked down in shame and fear.
"I have a different plan for the lovely Ms. McArthur here, Mr. Bartowski." Volkoff then produced an airplane ticket from his jacket pocket. "This is a first-class one-way ticket from LAX to New York for Ms. McArthur. Her flight leaves LAX at midnight tonight. So we will drop her off at the Proper Hotel with one of my men, where she will wait until we are well out of U.S. airspace. Then she will be escorted to the airport for her flight. Once she is back at her office, I will have some special projects for her, including hiding the work you will do for me, if necessary. In the meantime, Ms. McArthur has been advised that if she alerts the authorities, I will kill you, and then I will find and kill her."
XXX
Several things happened concurrently when Chuck pushed the panic button on his watch.
Less than two miles away, Casey sprang to his feet and threw on a bulletproof vest while grabbing his trusty P229 and an MP5 from his gun safe. Then he sprinted down the stairs to the garage, jumping into the Suburban.
In the bridal shop, Sarah grabbed her pistol and ran out the back of the shop, causing quite a commotion as the statuesque blonde with bright orange Chuck Taylors, and a short, tea-length wedding dress ran through the customer parking lot brandishing a gun. At the same time, Carina stood, drew her weapon, and held it behind her back as she casually headed out the front door, stopping momentarily to signal Morgan to stay in the shop.
The shop clerk was in shock, watching the future bride run out the back in a dress that cost $1,100.00 with a large black gun in her hand, while her red-headed friend produced an equally impressive weapon and sauntered out the door like it a was common occurrence. The only one who remained behind was Morgan Grimes, who calmly said, "We'll take the slip dress," and handed her his black American Express card. "Please wrap the box with a nice bow, and we'll be back to pick up the dress shortly." He gave her a disarming smile before putting his card back in his wallet and casually strolled out of the shop towards the armed engagement outside.
XXX
Sarah rounded the corner of the building and saw the van as it pulled away from the curb and made a tight U-turn in her direction. She jogged into the middle of the roadway, raised her weapon as she assumed her shooting stance, and fired a tight group of three rounds into the driver's side of the windshield. The van driver saw a blur of white run into the roadway and then unexpectedly stop. Before he realized what the woman in white was doing, a 9MM mullet pierced the windshield, hitting him in the middle of his chest. He never felt the impact of the other two bullets as he died almost instantly, slumping forward. As he did, the van accelerated and swerved, side-swiping one of those ubiquitous hop-on/hop-off tour busses, then rolling onto its side after crashing into a row of parked cars.
Sarah had to dive out of the way as the van veered in her direction after glancing off the tour bus. She quickly recovered into a sitting position as the van hit a parked car hard and rolled. She immediately raised her gun and started moving towards the van, noticing Carina across the street with her weapon up and moving toward the crashed van. As they moved forward, the van's rear doors were suddenly kicked open from the inside, and Chuck stumbled out with his hands up and one of Volkoff's men holding the back of Chuck's shirt in one hand while pointing a gun at Chuck's head with the other. A moment later, Volkoff emerged with a fistful of Vivian's hair in one hand and a gun in the other. As they squared off, Carina heard Morgan scream. "Gun…" She heard the rapport of the weapon as she felt herself slammed into the ground.
Sarah reacted to Morgan's scream pivoting to her right just in time to see Morgan tackle Carina as some thirty feet behind them, a man with a gun fired. Without hesitation, Sarah fired a single shot and was rewarded by the sight of the gunman dropping to the ground before she pivoted back to Chuck, Vivian, Volkoff, and his last remaining henchman.
"Give it up, Volkoff. Let Vivian go and put down the gun. You have nowhere to go," Chuck's voice was firm and clear.
"I don't think so, Bartowski." He pulled Vivian towards the tour bus that had stopped because of the accident and told his muscle to push Bartowski onto the bus. "We will take the bus, along with you and all these lovely hostages."
Forty feet away, Sarah kept her gun trained on Volkoff while shouting for Carina. "Carina, are you ok? You with me?"
"Yeah….yeah, I'm fine." Carina then saw the blood pooling next to her. "Morgan?...Morgan?" No response. "Oh my God, Morgan's been hit…."
Sarah glanced over, feeling a sudden tightness in her chest. "Carina…focus! Check him…..where is he hit….how bad?" Then she instantly refocused on the retreating image of Volkoff and his henchman shielding themselves with Vivian and Chuck and backing themselves towards the tour bus.
Carina rolled Morgan off her onto the asphalt, immediately checking for a pulse while looking for the source of the blood. After a moment, her jittery fingers found his pulse, and she let out a breath in relief. Morgan was unresponsive but alive. Now to assess the damage from the gunshot wound.
Morgan was lying on his back, and the front of his shirt was wet with his blood. Carina rolled him over and saw the entry wound in his upper left shoulder. She rolled him back over and determined that the bulled exited the front of his shoulder, which was good, but it must have either tumbled or mushroomed on impact because the exit was significantly larger and messier than the relatively clean hole in the rear of his shoulder. Carina ripped off her shirt, folded it coarsely, and used it as an absorbent, applying pressure to his wound. With her free hand, she pulled out her mobile and called Casey.
"Casey…." He shouted into the phone
"Casey, Morgan has been shot. He's unresponsive, but I don't think it's immediately life-threatening. Volkoff and one of his men have Vivian McArthur and Chuck and appear to want to commandeer a tour bus. I will back her up as soon as I stabilize Morgan…Please hurry." Carina screamed into the phone.
"I'm less than a minute away…hang on," Casey responded as the Suburban's engine screamed and its tires squealed in protest.
Carina jumped up and ran to the fallen body of the man who shot Morgan, making sure he was incapacitated or dead…preferably dead….which he was. She then grabbed his pistol and tucked it into her jeans, racing back to Morgan, who seemed to be regaining consciousness.
"Morgan, you idiot. Thank God you are alive because I'm going to kill you. Keep pressure on this." Carina put his right hand on her wadded-up shirt and helped him apply pressure to the wound. "I need to go, but I'll be right back." Carina then ran towards the van to make sure no one else was in there before joining Sarah, who was slowly advancing on Volkoff as he was boarding the bus.
XXX
The bus driver had already opened the door to go out and exchange insurance information with the driver of the white van but was stunned when a middle-aged man in a tweed suit and a very posh British accent put the barrel of a gun to his forehead and told him to drive. Chuck and Vivian were now seated in the front row of the bus across the aisle from the driver, with Volkoff's henchman behind them, holding the gun to the back of Chuck's head. Volkoff was standing next to the driver, one hand holding a handrail and the other pointing the gun at the driver. As the bus moved forward, a speeding Suburban suddenly crossed the centerline and skidded to a stop just as the bus hit its broadside.
At the moment of impact, the Suburban was entirely stopped. The bus had only accelerated to twenty miles per hour, limiting the collision's severity. Still, the impact was strong enough that Volkoff was instantly propelled forward, and the one hand holding the railing was simply not strong enough to keep him from flying into the bus's windshield, head first.
Chuck saw the approaching Suburban, and when Casey initiated his maneuver, Chuck had the opportunity to put his feet up against the railing in front of him. On impact, he pushed his legs forward at an angle and turned his torso so he could use his back to pin Vivian against the side of the bus. At the exact same moment, Volkoff's henchman was thrown forward. As he moved forward, so too did his hand holding the gun. With the firearm suddenly next to Chuck's head instead of behind it, Chuck reached up with both hands, grabbed the hand holding the weapon, and twisted as violently as he could. After a moment of concentrated effort, he was rewarded with the sickening sound of the ulna snapping as the man screamed in pain. The gun fell onto the floor at Chuck's feet and safely out of the gunman's reach, but the gunman was only partially incapacitated. His left hand balled into a fist, the injured man swung wildly, but Chuck pressed his advantage, suddenly twisting the wrist in the opposite direction. The man screamed once more, then his scream was drowned out by the sound of more gunshots and shattering glass.
At the moment of impact, Sarah was racing towards the front of the bus with Carina right behind her. As she reached the driver's side window, she saw Chuck in a hand-to-hand struggle with Volkoff's man. The man was large and strong, but somehow Chuck had disarmed him and had him screaming in pain. Just as she started to lower her weapon, Volkoff, who was bleeding profusely from his forehead, staggered to his feet and pointed his gun at Chuck's back. Without hesitation, she fired three shots through the driver's side window, taking care to keep the bus driver out of the line of fire. The first bullet shattered the tempered glass causing small chunks of sparkling glass to fly in every direction before it hit Volkoff's side, shattering a rib, piercing his right lung, and tearing the pericardium. The second bullet struck less than a second later and mercifully hit Volkoff's neck, shattering his cervical spine between the C-4 and C-5 bones, instantly killing him, while the third bullet impacted Volkoff's right temple as his body slumped.
With Volkoff dispatched and the gunman disabled, Chuck drew his Sig P229 and was preparing to walk Volkoff's injured gunman out of the bus, with Vivian in tow, when he stopped. He moved towards Volkoff, reached into his coat pocket, and pulled Vivian's airplane ticket out of his jacket, handing it to her. He then pushed the man out of the bus at gunpoint while pulling Vivian along.
Just as Chuck handed the man off to Casey, Sarah rounded the Suburban at a dead run and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around him in an all-encompassing hug. Chuck and Sarah held each other tightly, both still holding their guns. Not precisely a Rockwell or Hallmark image, but then again, Chuck and Sarah were not an ordinary couple. Their moment was interrupted by a scream as Casey zip-tied the man roughly after frisking him and taking his phone and wallet. The interruption brought Sarah's focus back. 'Oh, God…Morgan!' Sarah thought.
"Chuck, come with me." Sarah took his hand and led him around the wrecked Suburban at a jog towards where Carina was kneeling on the ground. As they approached, Chuck saw Morgan on the ground, his shirt soaked through with blood, and Carina pressing what must have been her shirt against his wound while holding his hand.
"Morgan….Oh my God….no, no, no, no…..Morgan….. Please, God…no..." Chuck's voice cracked as he felt the weight of seeing his friend in a pool of blood on the ground. He knelt opposite Carina, trying to recall anything Casey had taught him about emergency first aid, but there was nothing he could do.
Hearing Chuck freaking out, Morgan managed to open his eyes. "Tis nothing but a flesh wound…." Morgan winced with a slight chuckle as he quoted Monty Python, then he closed his eyes again as the pain surged. Chuck's shoulders slumped as he let out a deep breath. "Oh, thank God….." Chuck murmured as he momentarily looked skyward.
As the paramedics arrived, Carina refocused and gave them the critical information they needed to do their job. "GSW to the left shoulder. He has lost some blood." She moved a little over to give the paramedics more room without letting go of Morgan's hand.
"Sarah…." Morgan managed to wheeze out through the pain. "Your dress was perfect. It's paid for and should be wrapped already….a little gift from Carina and I…..as for the one you are wearing, it does not suit you…." Morgan smiled, then closed his eyes again as the paramedics loaded him onto the gurney, with Carina by his side.
XXX
After roughly an hour on the scene, including a couple of calls between the Chief of Police and General Diane Beckman, Chuck and Sarah returned to the bridal shop. They apologized, bought the "Tea Length" dress Sarah wore, and destroyed during the shoot-out. They also picked up a beautifully wrapped box containing the slip dress Morgan bought for them. While the clerk was finalizing the purchase of the damaged dress, Sarah called an Uber to take them to UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, where Morgan was undergoing surgery. They arrived a few minutes later to find Casey holding Carina's hand in the waiting room. Also waiting was Vivian McArthur.
"Hey guys, what news?" Chuck asked softly as he knelt in front of Carina and took her free hand in his.
"He saved me, Chuck. I was focused on the van and missed the guy by the café. Morgan saw him as he was preparing to shoot and tackled me, taking the bullet in the shoulder." Carina started to sob.
"Carina, it's not your fault. You were moving to cover Sarah and to protect me. That guy was a complete surprise to everyone. I walked right by him and didn't see him, and Volkoff never mentioned him or suggested he had a man on the ground that he would leave behind….ok?" Chuck tried to soothe her. "Tell me about Morgan. How is he, and what is the prognosis?"
"The good news is that he is stable and not in danger. The other good news is that while the bullet left a hell of a hole, it did not damage any bone. He will have a hell of a scar and need lots of physical therapy, but after the initial assessment, the doctor does not think he will be permanently impaired by the injury."
The four sat quietly for another two hours, with Casey and Chuck taking turns getting coffee for everyone, then the chief surgeon entered the waiting room.
Carina jumped to her feet and approached the doctor. "How's he doing, doc? How was the surgery?"
"Surgery went very well, with no complications. He's now in recovery and awake, but we've given him some heavy meds for the pain, so he is not completely lucid. He can have one visitor, but no more than fifteen minutes," the surgeon replied.
"Thank you, doctor. I'll go see him now, but I will be staying with him through the night. If that is a problem, I can arrange for you to speak with the director of the NSA in Washington D.C. to explain why." Carina turned towards the post-op ward and started walking, but before leaving the waiting room, she turned and said, "Sarah, Chuck, Casey, thanks. I'll speak to you tomorrow."
The surgeon looked at the remaining three. "The director of the NSA?" he asked incredulously.
Casey stood, showed him his credentials, and leaned toward the doctor to speak in a low tone. "What happened today was part of a major international anti-financial crime operation. Mr. Grimes is her partner and took the bullet meant for her. It would be good of you to give Agent Miller some latitude concerning the visiting hours because, and I promise you, if she calls General Beckman, you won't like it."
"Right, all night visitor's exception duly noted." The surgeon started to step towards the surgical suites when Casey stopped him.
"Doc, I speak for all of us when I say thanks for what you did for our guy and what you are allowing for Agent Miller."
With Morgan in recovery, and Carina by his side, Chuck, Sarah and Casey decided to get something to eat and invited Vivian. She had been sitting alone without looking at, or speaking to, anyone.
They arrived at a lovely Italian bistro on Ocean Avenue ten minutes later and were immediately seated.
"Chuck, Sarah, I am so very sorry for what happened. He was going to torture me with these horrible tools, and I didn't know what else to do." Vivian broke down.
Sarah reached across the table and put her hand on Vivian's. "It's ok, Vivian….tell us exactly what happened."
For the next twenty minutes, Vivian told the complete story from her abduction to the moment the tour bus rammed the Suburban. Sarah, Chuck, and Casey were all impressed with the sharpness of Vivian's recall, particularly in light of how traumatic the situation must have been for her. They were particularly comforted by the fact that Volkoff apparently never disclosed any information about Chuck outside of the team with him, and except for one man, the rest were dead. She also made sure Chuck knew about the farm's location in Bedford and reminded him about the Falcon 900 at Burbank airport. These assets were owned by shell companies, but now knowing Volkoff had access to them, the forensic accountants could more easily connect the dots and seize the assets. Through the process, Vivian was contrite, and her eyes kept going to Sarah, wordlessly imploring her for forgiveness for her arrogance and rudeness. Sarah simply nodded and gave Vivian's hand a slight squeeze to reassure her. Vivian never stole another glance at Chuck except for her apology, to her credit.
After dinner, the team separated, with Vivian climbing into a cab bound for Los Angeles International Airport while Chuck, Sarah, and Casey headed home with Sarah's big white box.
XXX
As Sarah and Chuck entered their apartment, Sarah's phone pinged with a text message from Carina.
Does Chuck's employment offer really stand? – Carina
Of course, it does…how is Morgan? – Sarah
Sleeping…..excellent pain meds. – Carina
Good. We'll come by tomorrow at 9:00 to bring you some breakfast and clean clothes. – Sarah
Thanks, Partner. Love you! ;-) – Carina
Love you too, girl…take care of the bearded gnome for us, please. – Sarah.
"Everything ok?" Chuck asked as Sarah was furiously typing away on her phone.
"Yep. Morgan is sleeping, and Carina said she loved me….aaand she sent an emoji…..she's never done either of those things before….." Sarah smiled at Chuck. "She also wanted to know if your employment offer was for real…."
"Did she now?" Chuck cocked an eyebrow at her. "And what about you, Ms. Walker? Are you still considering my offer of employment?"
"Nope," Sarah popped the "p" as she moved closer to Chuck. "I'm only interested in sleeping with Chairman…."
Chuck smiled and pulled her into him. He looked into her eyes for a moment, whispered "I love you," then kissed her lips with all the emotion he could convey. He picked her up and carried her to their bedroom. Tomorrow there would be an extensive de-brief with Beckman, but for now, the two were content holding each other and savoring the quiet and still intimacy of their embrace before slipping out of their clothes and making love.
= ! =
Monday, 21 May 2012 – 09:00 Pacific Standard Time
Santa Monica, California - UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center – Morgan Grimes Private Room
Sarah knocked on the door gently before opening it and entering. She carried a tray of coffees and a large paper bag with an assortment of fresh pastries in her hands. Behind her, Chuck entered carrying a gigantic floral arrangement that featured a target shooting silhouette with a big hole in its left shoulder.
Morgan was sitting in his bed wide awake, and he and Carina were holding hands and smiling like idiots.
"Good morning, guys. Morgan, how are you feeling?" Chuck asked as he went to the window to place the flowers. "Casey is talking with Gertrude and then with Beckman, but he should be here by 9:30."
As Chuck spoke, Sarah put the tray of coffees and the large paper bag on the roll-away table and handed a small duffle bag with a change of clothing and other essentials to Carina, who was now wearing a surgical scrub shirt. Sarah then pulled a wrapped tray out of the paper bag and opened it to reveal a beautiful assortment of pastries, including some chocolate croissants.
"Voila…breakfast, courtesy of the French pastry shop on California Street." Sarah waved her hand with some flourish over the delicacies as she presented the tray's contents. She then handed Carina a coffee.
"Wait a minute….what the hell is that?" Sarah's eyes widened in surprise as Carina reached for her cup of coffee.
"Yeah…..about that…." Carina stammered. "I decided to ask Morgan to marry me this morning. I remember your story about the Green Lantern ring and…..well anyway, I went to the gift shop and turns out they had them here too, so I bought two and gave him one."
Sarah was in momentary shock when Chuck shouted, "Wait….what? Are you….are you saying Morgan has a genuine imitation Green Lantern Ring too?" Chuck's eyes were almost bulging as Morgan held up his right hand and wiggled his fingers at him. "That is sooo not fair….Sarah! How come Morgan gets to have one, and I don't?" Chuck whined as the other three stared at him, eyes wide and mouths agape. Suddenly Chuck laughed out loud. "Ha…Got ya! Seriously though….congratulations, guys, that is really wonderful news...we are very happy for you both." Then he leaned forward and whispered to Carina. "Where is the gift shop….?" Causing everyone to laugh, except Morgan, who winced at the pain.
As Chuck moved from the window towards Carina and Morgan, Sarah started bouncing up and down and shaking her fists in front of her as she beamed at her friend….and then she pounced, pulling the struggling Carina into a massive bear-hug.
"Oh my God, Carina….I'm so happy for you….And for you too, Morgan. She is an amazing woman and will be a great partner for you." Sarah smiled widely.
"Thank you, Sarah….When we first met in Brennan's office all those months ago, I never thought that my life would change so much, and I will always be eternally grateful to you both for everything. By the way, you will be my maid of honor." Carina squeezed Sarah while she smiled happily at Chuck.
"I was going to ask the guy that shot me to be my best man, as that's what it took to get that woman to want to marry me, but apparently your fiancée shot him dead, sooo, you will have to do Chuck." Morgan winced in pain as a laughing Chuck tried to gently hug only the right side of his body.
After the congratulations and the pastries were shared, the four sat quietly until Morgan broke the silence. "So, lots of changes coming….a period of transition for all of us. Before all that happens, can I suggest we take a little vacation together as soon as they let me out of here? After all, things will be getting very intense in the next few months, hopefully without anyone shooting at us, and we will all be super busy."
"That is a great idea, Morgan. How about if we give Trish and Rick a call and see if we can do a yacht charter for a few days?" Chuck proposed.
"Oooh….I like that idea. I can call Beckman and see if we can borrow the Equalizer for a few days. That would be so fun." Sarah's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Baby, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that Equalizer has been sold. The good news is that our fee for the seizure was around $500k, so we can use some of that to charter something else." As Morgan looked on with a smirk, Chuck struggled to keep a straight face. "In fact, I'm going to go call Rick right now. Excuse me for a moment."
Twenty minutes later, a smiling Chuck Bartowski entered the room to find Casey had arrived while he was gone. "I spoke with Rick, and there are plenty of yachts to choose from. We just need to tell them when and how many. Casey, if the gang hasn't mentioned it yet, we are planning a little vacation before things change, and we would love it if you and Gertrude could join us."
"Thank you, Chuck, that is very kind and generous, but Gertrude is extremely busy transitioning things and has used most of her vacation time. And given that the threat from the whole Fulcrum mess is fully sorted, Beckman has asked that I return to D.C. to discuss my career, so I'm leaving this evening. And depending on how things go, I would expect to be back here in a few days, probably to pack up and return to Washington."
"We are sorry to hear that, Casey, but you know you are part of the family, and so is Gertrude, so we will miss you both." Sarah gave Casey a hug.
"And if the discussions with Beckman don't go the way you like, you will always have a job at Orion." Chuck shook Casey's hand before Casey unexpectedly pulled him into a hug.
As Sarah watched the two men in an emotional moment, she noticed something. "Chuck…what is that on your finger?" Sarah asked.
"This?" Chuck waved his finger, featuring yet another original imitation Green Lantern ring. "My engagement ring to myself, of course."
= ! =
Monday, 21 May 2012 – 12:30 Eastern Standard Time
Washington D.C. – White House, Oval Office.
"Diane, thank you for coming," President Warner greeted her warmly. "Please sit." The President gestured to one of the couches, where Beckman took a seat while the President settled into one of the chairs. "So, tell me what happened."
"Well, Sir. One of the big fish we hit with the International Development Bank sweep was Alexei Volkoff. You will recall from previous security briefings that Volkoff was involved in weapons dealing, smuggling, murder for hire, extortion, and a number of other crimes globally. However, he was Russian and seldom left his home country. We believe he had significant protection from the Kremlin and its non-extradition policy with the U.S. Mr. Volkoff appeared in New York Saturday, abducted Vivian McArthur at gunpoint, and forced her to disclose who helped seize his accounts. Under extreme duress, she gave up Chuck's name and location. Volkoff then flew to Los Angeles, taking Ms. McArthur with him to abduct Chuck Bartowski. Once they located Chuck, he threatened to kill her if he did not turn himself over. Chuck did as ordered but managed to send a distress call to his team, who intercepted the attempted abduction. That is the short version, Sir. But I can go into as much detail as you like."
"Thanks, Diane. Do we know how much Volkoff knew about Chuck?" Warner asked.
"The going assessment is very little, Sir. When Ms. McArthur revealed Chuck's name, Volkoff had to do a google search to find him. He assumed Chuck was just some software computer wiz and had intended to force Chuck to hack into the New York FED and steal his money back. McArthur also shared that Volkoff shared very little information with his staff, so they likely did not have any deeper insight than the target's name and location," Beckman replied confidently.
"Ok. What is the risk that some others may know about Bartowski?" Warner asked pointedly.
"The risk of that is extremely low, Sir. Having said that, Ms. McArthur was targeted by Volkoff because he saw her on the news explaining the raid and the process. It is possible that others may pursue her as well. I will be speaking with her later today and recommend that the New York Fed provide her with a protection detail for at least the next 3 to 6 months, after which they can reassess." Beckman paused.
"Good…good." Warner smiled as he got up and walked to his desk to pick up an iPad. "And what about the pictures, Diane?" Warner handed the iPad to Beckman. The image was of a blond woman in a short wedding dress wrapped around a tall, dark-haired man next to a tour bus that had collided with a dark SUV. The faces of the two were not clearly visible as they were glued together in a kiss, but Chuck's P-229 was clearly visible in his hand. The photo was on a digital-only local news service website that covered the crash and shoot-out on Montana Avenue, with the caption "Mr. & Mrs. James Bond Stop a Kidnapping…Who Are These Mystery Heroes?"
"Sir, while the passengers on the bus were all sequestered for their interviews, we went through their phones and cameras and deleted any photos or videos we could find. However, someone close enough to the scene must have snapped off a few photos at long-range….you can see from the loss of resolution that these have been blown up significantly. I am not concerned with further leakage, though it cannot be discounted," Beckman responded, again confidently.
"Did we keep any of the footage or images? If so, I'd like to see them."
"Yes, Sir, we did…and some of it is pretty interesting." Beckman smiled.
"Diane, these two are destined for bigger things. Let's make sure we get them there safely, ok?" The President then smiled and pushed the button for the waiter to bring in the coffee service.