Don't own Chuck
Connie was sitting at her desk answering the phones and reviewing reports. She was still receiving mission logs but without the General or the Acting Director there to review them they were beginning to back up. However, she had an agreement with the Major which was if she saw something that was hot and needed to be looked at urgently she'd pass it to him. That being said most were mundane and fell into a different category she'd invented.
"Her we go," she said as she read. "Raúl Castro ducked out of an official function." Her attention piqued but then she read on. Doctor diagnosed indigestion from excessive amounts of rum and cigars. Prognosis: a good antacid and back to work in the morning. "And viva la revolución," she said as she tossed in on the 'interesting but not that interesting heap.
"What's this one? It's about Macron's dog...," she read as she traced down he page with her finger. "Ewe yuck," she said as she had an urge to wipe her finger. "No, you belong in the 'can't believe you wrote a report on it' pile. I pity the servants in the palace," she said as she tossed it over on another heap.
"If this keeps up I'm going to be submerged soon. But I guess this can't be helped," she said as she got up from in between the heaps and went over to get herself a cup of coffee. She stood there for a few minutes sipping on it. She looked at the stacks and shook her head trying to gather strength before she dove back in.
"One of these days if the General doesn't get back soon one of those stacks is going to fall over on me and crush me to death but no one will notice I'm dead until the flies start to circle. Well, back to the grindstone," she said then she went back to her desk. She was about to open a folder when her phone started to ring. It startled her so much she jumped up knocking her coffee cup over spilling it over a folder she had open on her desk.
"Crap, look what you made me do," she said to the belligerent device as it kept ringing. "Okay, just a moment let me get this wiped up," she said but the phone kept ringing with no signs of stopping.
"Okay, okay I hear you," she said as she picked up the receiver. "General Beckman's Office, can you hold please," said Connie as she pulled out a tissue from her purse and tried to clean the folder as best she could. In the meantime, she put the caller on hold then passed him through to the speaker she had on her desk.
"General Beckman's Office, I'm sorry for putting you on hold. But if you're calling for the General, I'm afraid she's on vacation at the moment. Can I take a message and pass it along to the Acting Director?"
"I supposed you have a good reason for putting me on hold," said Diane. In that moment Connie's heart skip a beat and she felt flushed in her face from embarrassment.
"General, we've missed you. We thought... well never mind what we thought. It's good to hear your voice."
"In the future I would just ask that you find out who's calling first before putting them on hold," said Beckman as Connie inundated her with questions and flooded her with words. Some of which made no sense other then telling her how much she'd been missed.
"When are you coming back to the office? What would you like me to do? We missed you... did I tell you that before? Of course I did, I'm sorry for rambling on like this. What..."
"Just hold up a moment and take a deep breath for starters. This is the situation I'm still in Saint Thomas with the team. However, Roan is still missing and now so is Colonel Casey. You can forward any calls for me to this number. Better yet would be if you could tell them I'll deal with… talk with them when I get back. Now can I speak to the Major? I assume he's there with you because he's not in his office. I tried his number already but there was no answer."
"No ma'am, I'm sorry but he's out of the office right now. You see Director Trotski called here and talked with the Major. He's out doing him a favor of sorts with facial recognition down in the situation room."
"I know I've been out of pocket for a little while but have things changed that much since I left. The last I checked, Igor was on the other team or have things changed that much since I've been absent?"
"No Ma'am it's not that... well, it's not really that big of a favor and the Director was vague about what we'd find but he was insistent that it would be interesting. He did also mention he was running down other leads to free you."
"Well, isn't that a twist after all the times he shot at Roan and me chasing us across the East. I guess I should be moved. Listen, I don't have time to hang around on line. When the Major gets back from his errand for the FSB tell him I need to talk with him and I expect a complete report on what he found out for Igor."
"Yes Ma'am, I'll call down to the Situation room as soon as I hang up with you and have him call you straight back."
"Oh, and before we hang up, tell the Major, I will be the one who calls Igor back. He should remember he works for me… for us. Our president isn't called Vladimir… at least not on paper the last time I checked."
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Anatoly and Stefan followed Natasha to Saint Petersburg. There she began to weave in and out of traffic. At first Anatoly thought she might've figured out they were behind her but Stefan pointed out that was impossible since Ivan had been guiding them using traffic cameras and CCTV.
"Well, if she hasn't figured out we're back here she's not taking any chances. It seems like she's driving around in a big circle and that can only mean she's looking to see if she's being followed."
"She might be looking but she doesn't know we're here. Saint Petersburg is like Venice but with cars. You keep driving in circles over bridges and sooner or later you can see if the same car shows up behind you…"
"Or over on a bridge next to you," said Anatoly as he looked over on a bridge with traffic heading in the opposite direction. "Maybe we should pull off and wait to see where she lands. She can't drive around forever and the nanobots are still working."
"Not a bad idea," said Stefan as he smiled over at Anatoly. "I know a good blini stand near here that I think you'll like."
"How can someone who eats as much as you stay so slim? All you think about is eating. You know there are times when I hate you."
"Come on a couple of blinis with sour cream and smoked salmon. This is the place I'm talking about has the best smoked and the blinis are made right there on the spot."
"I hate to say this but I'm hungry too. Okay, we can stop as long as we get them to go and eat them in the car. That way if our target does somewhere which requires us we can pick up and go."
"Okay take a left up ahead then go straight for a couple of blocks and turn left. You'll come to a square and if she's there we'll find Olga selling blinis out of a white van."
"This doesn't make me feel better about stopping. She sells food out of the back of a van? Are you sure about the hygiene?"
"It's actually out of the side. However, her name is Olga or BAH-ba Olga but there is no Jean to say hi to. Trust me after you've tried this place you'll thank me afterwards."
"I hope the undertaker does too," said Anatoly as he pulled into the square but there was no white van parked anywhere to be seen. There was nothing except parked vehicles and pedestrians walking around. "Sorry, Stefan but it looks like you Bah-BOO-shka picked up stakes and drove away."
"That's impossible. She was a cornerstone in this square, but she was getting on a little. Pull over there and let me out. I want to ask if anyone knows where she moved to," said Stefan as he looked around the square.
"You should find out where the local cemetery is and if they rolled her up in a blini before they planted her."
"Funny," said Stefan as he hopped out of the Lada. "I'll be right back in a moment," he said as he walked over to a crowd of people. Anatoly watched him as he went over and struck up a conversation. Russians weren't the easiest of people to talk to especially if they didn't know you. Anatoly waited for it then it happened Stefan pulled out his badge and flashed it around.
"Now that's how you get people to talk. Being friendly is nice but a little fear gets the tongue a wagging faster," he said to himself as his phone began to ring. He looked at it caller ID said FSB restricted.
"Ivan, what do you have for me? ... Yes, we're parked in... well I don't know the name of this square. This was Stefan's idea. ... You see him in the square talking on CCTV? Remind me to wear a hat the next time I go out. He's looking for blinis. ... No time to eat? She's stopped. Give me the address and feed it to the NavSat in the Lada. Thanks, we're on the road now to the location. Wait a moment, while I have you on the line see if you can find a connection between her and anyone in the vicinity," said Anatoly as he honked his horn and waved for Stefan to come back.
"Can you believe that," said Stefan as he climbed back inside. "They closed her down after a couple of people went to the Emergency Room and had their stomachs pumped. I mean how do they know for sure it was her blinis that got them sick. It could've been anything... it could've even been the water they drank. You know what fish do in it, don't you? So, what's up?"
"You mean other than thinking I just dodged a bullet? Ivan called and Natasha just parked near Aleksandrovsky park then walked back to an apartment building on the banks of the Neva river on Petrovskaya."
"You and I are in the wrong jobs. We should've been working out of embassies and consulates then maybe we could afford a place like that."
"I hope she enjoys this one while she can because her next one will have bars on the window and a view of a snow bank."
"But the utilities are included," said Stefan as they both laughed.
[Meanwhile at the apartment building]
Natasha pulled off and parked in Aleksandrovsky park then walked back to Petrovskaya along the Neva river. As she walked she kept looking behind her. She felt she was being followed so she passed up the apartment building on the first walk by then made her way back just to make sure no one was behind her. When she was sure everything was clear she rang a buzzer on the door post near the main door.
"What are you doing here," was the way she was greet. "You're supposed to call before you show up. I've got nothing for you."
"Just open the damn door before I call the police," said Natasha. She was bluffing but the man on the other side of the intercom didn't know that. The door buzzed then opened.
"This is going to be fun," she told herself as she entered the building then got on the elevator. She closed the door behind her then pressed five. The elevator went up clanging and bouncing all the way up. When it stopped she was greet by a mid-aged man with a receding hairline and black horn-rimmed glasses in a bathrobe.
"What are you doing here? The agreement when we separated was you were supposed to call before showing up. All your stuff is boxed up and in storage anyway."
"It's nice to see you too but I won't be long," she said as she pushed past him and went into the apartment.
"Didn't you hear me? All your stuff is in storage. You were always abroad so I thought they were best kept there until you came back and found a place of your own which this is not, remember?"
"As far as I'm concerned you can sell them, give them away or burn them. I don't care where I'm going I won't be needing any of that stuff again," she said as she went into the study. "Oh, I like what you've done in here. The leather and the dark wood all give the air of masculinity probably more masculine than you've ever been."
"You're the only one I've ever known who could say something nice then turn it into a blade and stab you in the heart with it while smiling. I blame that on your line of work."
"Well, we all can't be high paid lawyers who defend corrupt government officials," she said as she grabbed a letter opener off the desk then went over to a vent cover.
"What are you going to do with that," he said but she didn't answer. She jammed it behind the cover then popped it off. "What the..."
"Just a little stash for a rainy day," she said as she pulled out cash in different currencies and passports along with a Makarov 9 and a couple of clips.
"I think you need to explain to me what's going on like right now? Are you in trouble? If you are I can make a few phone calls and we can work this out."
"Walter, I appreciate you finally trying to be the man I need but we both know as soon as you find out that this has to do with Cuba you'll sell me down the river so fast our heads will spin."
"Cuba? I thought that was all over with. You promised me you were done with him... that he was dead. What's going on?"
"I wish I had time to explain but I don't and for what it's worth I'm sorry. I really am," she said looking at him.
"What's there to be sorry about? You fell for another man and I came out of the closet. There's nothing for either of us to be sorry about."
"Oh, I'm not talking about the past. I'm talking about now," she said as she pistol-whipped him and he went down out cold. She ran into the kitchen grabbed a thermos from the cabinet then poured hot water inside from an electric kettle making hot tea. As the tea steeped she went back to the bedroom but as she did she ran into a man coming out in his underwear.
"Where's Walter? What have you done to him," said the man. She noted desperation in his voice and she smiled.
"I'm his ex... well ex everything. I just dropped by to pick up a few things then I'll be gone. Walter's in the study getting things together for me so why don't you go back into the bedroom and wait for him?"
"But if you're his ex then why are you going into the bedroom? Walter never mentioned to me he had an ex or... well other things either."
"What that he'd been with women before," she said as she pulled out her Makarov and pointed it at him. "Now be a good boy, turn around and face the wall. I promised Walter a long time ago not to break any of his play things please don't make me break that promise."
"Please, just on favor let me put on some clothes. I don't want anyone to find me like this," he said as she looked him over.
"You're a small, aren't you? Or are you a medium?" she said as she studied him. "Where are your clothes?"
"In the bedroom on a chair by the bed. Please let me go put them on then we all can sit down and have some tea and cake. My mother made it for us and we can talk about old times."
"Us? Then your mother knows about you and Walter?" said Natasha as she walked up behind the man. He was either cold or scared or both because he was shaking like leaf.
"Oh, of course not," said the man. "She'd have a heart attack and my father would disown me if they ever found out. She made it for my girlfriend or that's what she thought. You see I work with Walter as an apprentice in his law firm..."
"So, you're into each other's business?" said Natasha. She hit him across the back of the neck with her pistol. "I wish I could tell you that you were his first but he did the same thing to me with a fellow he worked with in Cuba. Now to get out of here," she said as she went into the bedroom and found his clothes where he said they were.
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Chuck and Sarah went into their room quietly. They didn't want to wake anyone who might be trying to sleep but when they got inside they found Morgan had hooked the big flat screen television to the satellite feed and he was monitoring an inland stream that lead to some sort of walled compound. Sam was curled up next to him with a bowel of ice cream and he was chugging a grape soda.
"What the heck is going on here? This isn't Call to Duty," said Chuck as he turned up the light. Sarah went to the bedroom to check on Bunny. "Sam, you should be in your bed? Did you even eat dinner?"
"I sure did," she said holding up the bowel of ice cream. "I can swear to you this was one of the best dinners I've ever had. Just my tummy's starting to feels little funny," she said as it rumbled.
"I bet it does," said Sarah as she walked out of the bedroom. Chuck looked towards her and she nodded back signaling that Bunny was fine. "Come on let me get you cleaned up and see if there's any antacid around then it's off to bed for you."
"But I can't, I'm helping watch Alex's back. Morgan and Alex need me. Isn't that right partner?" said Sam as she held her hand up for a high-five from Morgan but he let her hang. "What's up with that?"
"Yeah, what's up with that Morgan," said Chuck as he walked up behind him and looked at the monitor. "Oh, don't tell me that's Alex infiltrating the... geez that's the pirates secret base. How'd you guys even find it?"
"That would be my doing," said Sam. "It was relatively easy. You see we took the legend of you know who and applied it to what we know about these guys. There you go and that's how we found them piece of cake," she said but she had to put her hand over her mouth as she turned a pale shade of ash.
"Yes, yes that's how we did it. Now keep it down," said Morgan as he watched Alex scale a wall then jump into the compound. "What are you doing? Alex is only supposed to get a visual on these guys making sure they're the ones we're looking for then call in for back up."
"We're going to have to have a sit down when this is all over with and lay down some ground rules. The first one being is our children are not to be involved in any shape, form or fashion in our work," said Sarah. "And I don't want to hear a word from you little lady," she continued facing Sam but she was in no shape to talk. "How much ice cream have you eaten this evening?"
"I don't feel so well but I had just a couple of bowels," said Sam. However, her pale face and being green around the gills said there was something wrong with her math.
"Maybe to the fourth power," said Sarah as she pulled her into the bathroom. "Go stand over the toilet and don't move." Strange noises came out before Sarah closed the door.
"Dude, what have you done to my daughter? Where's Alex heading for now? It doesn't look like she's just doing recon."
"There's something under the mangrove that's growing at the end of the inlet. You can't see it well from the satellite image so she's investigating it."
"Wait a moment go back," said Chuck. "Now pan back out to the sea just before the inlet and there you go. Look at that it's boat heading for your mystery compound. I need to print a copy of that image and see if Beckman recognizes it."
"Wait a minute. You never told me Beckman had been rescued. Where's she at I need to welcome her back."
"Not before you clean up the bathroom," said Sarah as she came out with Sam. "I'm putting someone to bed. Morgan, you've got your job. Chuck monitor the situation until I get someone to sleep."
"Do you feel better now Sweet Pea," said Chuck. Sam nodded her head. "Why don't you let her stay on the sofa with me and you go get the General. She needs to see this right away."
"Can I please," said Sam. "I don't think I'm going to throw up anymore. Rocky Road is only good when it goes down not the second time around."
"And I think two to the fourth power was an underestimate."