A/N: If you insult a claimer, have you dissed him or her?
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"Chuck just saved your life, Agent Larkin. Say thank you," said Graham.
Bryce took a gulp of air, as if he'd been holding his breath and let out an audible sigh of relief. He seemed to slump a little as the tension left his body. He said, "Thank you, Chuck." He sounded like he really meant it.
Casey grunted and stepped forward. He began to untie Bryce's wrists.
Graham said, "So, now we have to decide what to do with you. Now that I've decided to trust you, I mean. You are in a very special but very dangerous spot, Agent Larkin. You are our only lead to Fulcrum."
"Sir, I want to fight them. Give me a chance. Give me Chuck and Agents Walker and Casey. Together the four of us can take the fight to them. They won't know what hit them. You've already said this is the best team you have in operation. Adding ...another agent will only make it better. I have experience working with Agent Walker and I'm best friends with Chuck. It would be a great mix, Sir. We'd be unbeatable."
"I understand that was your plan, but I have something else in mind. Agent Larkin, we need to focus on the one thing that makes you so special right now. The one asset you have brought us that no one else can match."
"What's that, Sir?"
"They trust you. They think you are one of them. You can operate from the inside. Get close to the top people. Obtain information for us that no one else can. I'd like you to keep up that façade, at least for the time being. It is incredibly dangerous to be undercover with these people. Every one of them is a trained spy and killer and the littlest mistake can give you away. And if that happens you won't die easily. Will you do it? Will you go back under? I'm not going to order you to. The assignment is much too dangerous for that. If you are going to do it, you'll need to volunteer."
He looked at the others. "And this team?" he asked, gesturing at Sarah, Casey and Chuck.
"Working the same problem from the outside as leads develop. You know as well as I do that you can't take all three of them with you undercover. That would never work. Particularly Chuck, who's original reason for being on the team at all, proves that you've been lying to them for the last two months."
"How about just Agent Walker, then? We worked together very well and can do it again. I could take her under with me. Tell Delgado that I recruited her to Fulcrum."
Graham didn't even turn to look at her, but if he had he'd have noticed that a quick flash of revulsion passed over her face. "Yes, you could do that, but I'm loath to break up her new team. General Beckman and I are treating them as a single unit for the time being. So, if you do it Agent Larkin, you'll be on your own. As you've been since March."
He thought for a few moments and said, "Yes, Sir. I'll do it."
"Good. Do you have a way to re-connect with them? To get back under?"
"Yeah. I can get in touch with them. Once I get back with them, what's my mission, Sir?"
"Disrupt their plans as they go along, when you can do it without endangering yourself or your position. But the real mission is to get a list. We need to identify who is part of this conspiracy so we can eliminate them. The list of Fulcrum personnel is the goal. They've got to have one. Once you have that, disengage immediately and come out. I'll take it from there."
"Yes, Sir. I'll get that."
"I'm calling this Operation Thirty. The only people read in will be the five of us and General Beckman. So far as the rest of the Intelligence Community is concerned you are either still dead, or, if the rumors of your resurrection are to be believed, once again rogue and in the wind. There will be no written record of Operation Thirty maintained for the time being. You'll still have a burn notice out on you. I can't get you more operational security than that."
"Yes, Sir. Before I leave, I'd like to spend some time with Chuck to get an understanding of how the Intersect works. If I'm going to continue faking that I have it, I should know..."
"No. Bad idea, Bryce," said Chuck. "You won't know the underlying facts or connections. If they test you to flash on something they already know, you will fail the test. Since the damn thing is essentially an experiment anyway, they won't know if it worked any more than you would. Why not just tell them it was a bust? That it gives you headaches, but no new information. There are no other test subjects they can ask. If they figure out I have it we've all got a ton of trouble. We know they had one scientist involved in the Intersect project..."
"Which one?" asked Bryce. Chuck glanced at Graham, who nodded his head.
"Zarnow, but he's dead. They might have more. Don't know. They'll assume we are trying to make it better...to perfect it, get it to work, but in the meantime they can think it didn't do shit for you. That it just doesn't work. Saves you from having to pretend when you won't have any real flashes to rely on. You can act eager to get it right the next time. To try again."
"Yeah, that makes sense. It's certainly a better plan now that I know that they are as in the dark as I've been about the effects and operation of the program," said Bryce.
Graham said, "I want you to set up a system to communicate with this team, Agent Larkin. In case there are plans we can stymie and you have to let us know somehow. Also, a distress flare if you are in trouble. These will be the people to pull you out if you are stuck and in danger. It can work the other way too. If we learn something and decide that we need to pull you out, we have to be able to tell you."
"That's not going to be easy, Sir. They are all trained spies. They will know all the communication tricks I know. We all learned from the same teachers."
"Yes," said Graham, "I can see that..."
"Let Bartowski come up with something," said Casey. "He never learned the lessons we did. He automatically thinks outside the box because he's never been taught the box. It's one of the reasons we've been so successful so far." He turned to look at Chuck. "What do you think, kid? How would you contact Bryce anywhere in the world if he can't use a burner or check a normal email account?"
After thinking for a few moments, he said, "Bryce, check Granger's Video Game Message Board for … Call of Duty discussions and a thread on weapons. Look for a message from ...Worf. I'll leave any message for you in Klingon. If we need you to pull out, it will just say 'Sup'."
"Jump," said Bryce. "Ok."
"If it's a more complicated message I'll do my best to hide its meaning from other Klingon speakers."
"Ok, if I have anything to tell you, I'll post a picture on the same board under the name...Sam Wilson. Do you have a high megapixel camera you can lend me? More than I would have on my phone?"
"Sure...ah, I get it." Chuck grinned. "Like that time sophomore year. Yeah, that should work."
Bryce grinned back at him, "Exactly." For the first time, Sarah was able to see that the two men were, or at least had been, friends.
"Hang on, I'll get it for you." Chuck left the room and was back in a minute with a digital camera and charger. "Here you go."
Bryce put the camera with his other gear on the counter. "You can do the same. I assume you can get another camera?"
"Sure, that's easy. But, Bryce," said Chuck, "if you are in real trouble a distress flare like that might take too long. We might not get to you quickly enough. You should take normal contact info too, in case you can use that safely."
Bryce gave one of his insouciant smiles and said, "I will, buddy. If I have to cry for help, though, I'll just have to deal on my own until you can make it to wherever and save my ass. You'll manage, Chuck. I trust you. You've never let me down. Not once."
"I'd be delighted to share your confidence, but you are relying on me so it's a little harder to do."
"He's relying on us, Chuck," said Sarah. "All of us. We'll get to him if he needs us."
"Thank you, Sarah," said Bryce.
Graham said, "Ok. I'll leave first and take my security guys with me. It's even more important now that they don't see you." Graham shook his hand, "Good luck, Agent Larkin. If you can pull this off...well, just don't die trying."
"Yes, Sir. Not part of the plan."
"I'll walk you out, Sir," said Sarah.
"Good," said Graham. He shook hands with Casey, "Good to meet you, Major"
"You too, Sir. I like the way you work."
"Thanks, Major." He turned to Chuck. "Next time I'm around, Chuck, we'll spend more time," Graham said, shaking Chuck's hand.
"Looking forward to it, Sir."
Sarah and Graham walked out of Casey's apartment together. Sarah said, "Chuck and I are taking the apartment across the courtyard. That one." She gestured at the door.
"So, the whole team will be living here? Hummm. You know, you guys need a proper base of operations. Working out of Major Casey's apartment is a poor substitute and not fair to him. Beckman and I will get on that. Get you guys someplace with decent facilities." They approached Barker. "Jerry, you remember Agent Walker, right?"
"Certainly. Agent Walker, good to see you again." He gave her a pleasant smile as they shook hands. "You and your team are the talk of Langley. Every time I turn around you've pulled off another big win. Congratulations. You're doing good work out here."
"Thank you, Agent Barker. Rumors do tend to exaggerate though."
"Agent Walker, show me the new apartment you and Carmichael will be taking," said Graham.
"Sure," she said, removing a credit card from her wallet.
"We'll just be a minute, Jerry."
"No worries, Boss."
She jimmied the door lock with the card and entered the empty apartment with Graham. The paint had been stripped from the walls and the painter's gear and drop cloths were stacked against a wall, ready to apply a fresh coat of paint but unused on the day after Thanksgiving. Sarah closed the door behind them.
Once they were alone she and Director Graham stopped and smiled at each other. As happy as she was, she thought of what she wanted to tell him and became a little embarrassed. The look she wore was, essentially, as if she had lost an argument to him, but was happy to lose the argument.
He raised an eyebrow in a question. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and said, "I'm in love. I'm in love with Chuck." She was smiling so hard now that she started to giggle a little. "Head over heels, crazy, think-of-nothing-else in love." She threw her arms high and waved them about like a little girl, laughing.
He laughed quietly with her. Then he spread his arms out wide reaching for her. She walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his massive chest. He hugged her and kissed her gently on the top of her head, lightly stroking her back. He murmured, "It's about damn time. And it looks to me like you picked a winner. I think he's pretty great too."
Her voice was muffled by his chest as she said, "You going to say, 'I told you so'?"
"Nope. I'm just happy you finally got your dad out of your head. He put some toxic shit in there, Sarah."
She snorted a little into his chest, hugging him tight. She said, "Thank you."
Sighing, he said, "We don't get to do this often enough."
She said, "Well, yeah. You're my boss. It's inappropriate. Like nepotism, sort of."
"Well, everybody already knows you're my protégé, but it's the family part that would surprise folks."
"Yeah," she stepped back, breaking the hug. "I miss you guys. Sorry we couldn't make Thanksgiving this year. It would have been awkward with Ellie and everything."
"I understand. I figured that would be the answer. But we missed you, too. Your dad's warnings about making friends...you know that was just bullshit, right? As much bullshit as his telling you not to fall in love? Your dad messed you up. You have to break out from his influence, Sarah...I know, I know...I'm a broken record on this stuff."
She chuckled slightly, "Yeah, a little. But I'm in a different place now. I'm listening for once. Chuck has...changed me. Changed the way I look at things..."
"Well, good. So, call Karen, will you? She misses you. She's got all kinds of romantic drama in her life just now and she misses talking to you. You're the only big sister she ever had and you went and disappeared on her."
"I will, I promise," she looked a little chagrined at her own behavior.
"And Kevin's kids have heard about the elusive Aunt Sarah. The little one's never even met you. And Jimmy hasn't seen you in years. Who knows what he remembers?"
"I know. I'm sorry."
"No apologies necessary. Just re-connect. Kevin wants to talk flying with you. He's flying the B-2...well, now he's flying a desk in the Pentagon and totally pissed off about it... but when he goes back in the air, he's got the B-2." He shook his head. "Sarah, you got it into your head years ago that you can't have civilian friends. That was a holdover from your dad. On the run constantly, living one lie after another, changing your whole identity when you got to the next town, it wouldn't be safe or comfortable to make real friends. I understand. You have a different life now..."
"I know, but a spy can't..."
"No, Sarah. No. That's still bullshit. Of course, we can. Listen, there were five of us in college. Me and my four buddies. They are still my best friends, all civilians. Every year we go away for a week, ten days. Every year. At first it was beer and babes. Now it's wine and golf. Eventually it will be prune juice and shuffleboard. They all know what I do for a living and have all along. We just don't talk about it. It's no big deal. You can do that too. You can have friends. What ever happened to that girl you lived with at school? Rachel something?"
"She went to law school. She's at a big firm in New York now."
"You ever talk to her?"
"No. I've been thinking about it..."
"Well, give her a call. Tell her you've fallen in love, for God's sake. Can't you just imagine her reaction?" He was grinning at the thought.
Sarah started to laugh again. "Yeah. She'll want to hear all about it."
"So, do it, Sarah. Call her and call Karen. Introduce them to Chuck. You are allowed to have friends. They are required for your mental health. Chuck is good for you. He's getting your head straightened out. I'm really delighted for you. Anna's going to be thrilled. You'll be able to hear her squeal from here."
Sarah laughed lightly and said, "She'd get along really well with Chuck's sister, Ellie."
"Sounds like she's become a friend too," he said.
"Yeah. I really love her too. Like another sister," Sarah said. She looked down and away from him for a moment and then said, "It's a great family."
He said, "You seem to be in a really good place now. I'm happy for you, Sarah."
She moved in to another hug and said, "Thanks."
He kissed the top of her head once again and said, "It's all good. Come visit us the next time you are back east, ok? And bring your guy. The family will want to meet him."
"Will do." She gave him a little kiss on the cheek. "Now, come on. If we stay in here longer, Barker is going to think I'm stepping out on my boyfriend."
Graham chuckled as he headed to the door, "Now that would improve my reputation at Langley. I'll have to think about how to start that rumor."
She stopped before the door and said, "Game faces."
He stopped smiling and said, "Yup."
They put on their serious faces and walked out. As they approached Barker, Graham said, sternly, to Sarah, "You need much better security. It's got all the security of an old lady's apartment. The locks suck."
"I know, Sir. We're going to take care of that after we get possession. Don't worry."
"Ok, Agent Walker. See that you do."
She reached out her hand and said, "Thank you for your help today, Director."
"Glad it worked out. You have any problems, you give me a call."
"Yes, Sir. Have a good flight. Good to see you again, Agent Barker."
"You too, Agent Walker. Take it easy."
Sarah went back into Casey's apartment as Graham left Echo Park with his security men. Chuck and Bryce were looking at the screen of Chuck's laptop and pointing at something. Casey was making a new pot of coffee.
"Yeah," said Bryce. "Like that..."
"Sure. That would work."
When they saw Sarah, they broke off. Bryce said, "I've got to go. Back into the lion's den."
He moved towards the door. "Later, Casey." Casey grunted.
"Bye, buddy," said Bryce extending his hand to Chuck. Both men understood the significance of the gesture. A measure of forgiveness.
Chuck seemed to pause a moment or two before reaching out to take Bryce's extended hand. "Good luck," he said, shaking the hand.
Bryce turned to Sarah and said, "Goodbye, Sarah. We'll always have..." He saw the look on her face and seemed to stammer a little. "...have...ummm...Good luck with this team..with Chuck."
Nodding, she said, "Good luck, Bryce." They didn't shake hands.
CIA Agent Bryce Larkin left.
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Tommy Delgado walked into the Fulcrum safe house in Los Angeles with his pistol in his hand. He moved carefully towards the living room, listening closely and alert for any threat. There was nothing but silence. When he got to the living room, he found Larkin sitting in any easy chair in the dark. On the side table next to him was a bottle of Irish whiskey and a glass of ice. From the level of liquid in the bottle, Larkin had been there for a while.
Neither man greeted the other. Larkin barely looked up. Delgado holstered his pistol and walked past Larkin, into the kitchen area. He found a glass. He filled it with ice and walked back into the living room, taking the seat next to Larkin. Larkin pushed the open bottle towards him without a word. The moving bottle made a slight scratching noise on the table, but that was the only sound in the room. Delgado poured a couple of fingers of brown liquor over his ice and took a sip.
He settled back into the seat cushions as the whiskey burned its way down his throat to kindle a small fire in his belly. He said, softly, "It's a woman, right? It's why you ran. Why you came out here when you escaped from them in Brooklyn."
"Yeah," said Larkin, quietly.
"Your old partner, Walker?"
"Yeah."
They sat quietly for almost a minute. "No chance?" asked Delgado.
"No. She's found someone else," said Larkin, after pouring himself another drink.
"Well, to be fair, she did think you were dead," said Delgado.
"Yeah. I don't blame her. It is what it is," said Larkin.
"There are other women, Bryce," said Delgado.
"Not like her," said Larkin with sadness and resignation.
"Well, then," said Delgado. "Here's to Walker." He raised his glass towards Larkin.
"To Walker," said Larkin quietly, clicking glasses with Delgado.
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A/N2: During World War II MI-5 (the British organization in charge of internal security) ran a number of double agents against the Germans. They were controlled by the Twenty Committee. "Twenty" as in the Roman numeral XX, standing for a double cross. As Fulcrum agents are already doubles, Bryce is intended to be a triple agent. Hence, Operation Thirty. XXX.
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