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"What does the test say?" Sarah paced behind Casey. The NSA agent was looking through a microscope at the sheet fabric they just acquired from Chuck's bedroom.
"Give me a minute."
Sarah tapped her foot against the floor impatiently.
"Well?"
"We were right," he huffed and sat back in his chair.
"We are?"
"Yes," he repeated, "it's got to be them. There's no other explanation at the moment."
"But why? Why would they take Chuck? They have no reason to!"
Casey didn't look too keen to elaborate, "Did you get General Beckman on the phone?"
"Yes, she's waiting for us to answer."
The NSA agent nodded tersely and the monitor illuminated. General Beckman appeared. She was at her desk as usual, wearing her decorated uniform.
"Agent Walker, Major Casey," the General started, "what is this all about?"
"General," Sarah spoke with a stern voice, "we believe we have identified who Chuck's kidnappers might be."
"Oh, really, Agent Walker?" she glared at them both disapprovingly, "Even after my explicit instructions that you were supposed to leave it alone? My team is working diligently-"
"What team?" Sarah scoffed, "We are his team! Chuck is our responsibility, you can't hand this matter over to someone else. They don't know him like we do."
"I assure you, Agent Walker, we have very capable personnel here," her tone was icy. Sarah was crossing dangerous territory, "Chuck is a government asset, the most valuable one we have. Do you expect me to stand by and not react? Definitely not, and I shouldn't be explaining this to you."
"Then what actions are you taking to find him?" Casey spoke for the first time since the conversation began.
"That knowledge is above your paygrade and ranking, Major."
"I beg to differ, General," Casey said through clenched teeth, "because there is no team working to find him. You were the one who ordered the kidnapping."
Sarah gave her a hard glare, analyzing the General's every movement.
Beckman stopped talking, she stared back coldly.
"And what evidence supports your wild allegation, Major Casey?"
"This," he held up the small vial with the ripped piece of cloth in it. The cloth had a dark spot on it, the very key characteristic that made Casey notice it in the first place, "it's a piece of Bartowski's bedsheet. When I saw it, I was easily able to identify its origin."
Sarah stepped forward, "There is a droplet on the piece of fabric, dark in color. If it was water, it would have dried hours ago, as would most liquids, but this is a much thicker component."
"Tranquilizer," the NSA agent continued, "Standard CIA tranquilizer, to be exact. I ran a few tests and my suspicions were confirmed. It was a team of CIA operatives that abducted Chuck Bartowski."
"You were telling us to stay put, to delay our search because you didn't want us to catch on. It's over, General, we know."
"There was no forensics team on their way," Casey sneered, "you betrayed your agents and your country. You should be ashamed of yourself and stripped of your rank, General."
General Beckman was as still as a statue for a moment. No one said a word.
Then, she began to clap.
"Bravo," she said, unsmiling, "thank you for the very amusing demonstration."
"Amusing demonstration?" Sarah gawked angrily, "General, you have committed a crime!"
"I am going to say this once and only once," Beckman pursed her lips, "I will not deny that the substance you found staining Chuck's bedsheet was a standard-issue CIA tranquilizer. I will admit that there was no forensics team coming, but I will not stand here and be accused of breaking my country's laws, do I make myself clear?"
Both Sarah and Casey looked towards the floor, "Yes, ma'am."
"Chuck was abducted by a squad of ex-CIA agents."
"Ex-CIA?" Sarah repeated.
"Yes, Agent Walker," Beckman continued, "I did not inform you or Major Casey about the situation, because the matter was highly classified."
"That's why you kept it from us?" Walker questioned, "But, General, we are Chuck's handlers, we deserve to know."
"You may be deserving of it, Agent Walker, but that is not what determines the distribution of classified information."
She looked to the floor.
"However, because you both were so keen to play 'detective', I must tell you," she looked at the pair sternly, "Agent Seeley Jones was a remarkable agent for the CIA. He performed and headed the most confidential of missions, and was one of our most trusted and favorable agents. Unfortunately, Agent Jones was given a dishonorable discharge. Now, he finds work as a gun for hire."
"You let him go?" Casey challenged, "An ex-agent with the most valuable information on classified CIA missions was just able to walk out of the agency with a dishonorable discharge?"
"Assassination attempts were made," Beckman said tersely, "all of them failed. Six agents died trying to take out Jones, to no avail."
"Why would he take Chuck?" Sarah questioned.
"Jones had all types of connections in the CIA and multiple government agencies. Jones is the most coveted marksman in the business because of his vast knowledge of our operations and his particular scorn for the CIA and myself. I am sure our enemies had suspicions about Bartowski's role as the Intersect and hired him for an extraction. Over the years, Jones has stolen from various CIA bases. That must be where he acquired CIA standard-issue tranquilizer."
"We need to find him," Sarah looked to Casey defiantly, "do we have any idea where he is?"
"Yes, but I am afraid your involvement in this mission is terminated from this point forward," Beckman said firmly, "Major Casey, Agent Walker, we will find Chuck Bartowski, but I am employing our best troops to follow through with this operation. I will give you word once he has been retrieved. I thank you for your persistence regarding your asset's disappearance, but leave it to me."
"What? No!" Sarah protested, "General, Casey and I are capable enough to find Agent Jones!"
"General, even I think this is absurd," Casey exhaled deeply.
"Your suggestions are noted," Beckman dismissed their complaints, "but my orders are clear. I will have agents there to monitor your actions and to prevent another adventurous excursion on your behalfs. That is all."
"General-"
"That is all."
And the monitor went black.
"What do you mean?" Chuck stammered, looking at Seeley Jones. He just made him an unbelievable offer, one that Chuck had been trying to achieve for months, "You can get this thing out of my head?"
"Easy, Chuck, easy," Seeley smiled widely. Chuck was like a fish caught on his line.
"H-how?"
"That's for me to know and for you to find out, Chuck," Jones teased, "I just need a yes or no."
"Look, people have tried, okay? I can't get it out, it's there forever."
"They haven't tried hard enough, Chuck!" Jones shouted excitedly, "We are on the verge of a breakthrough, we can help you."
"Who is 'we'?"
"Again, that's for me to know-"
"-and for me to find out, right, got it," Chuck breathed heavily, "look, you guys don't want to hurt me, right?"
"Absolutely not," Jones purred like a cat.
"Then just give me a phone call, just one," Bartowski bargained, "let me call my sister at least, and tell her I'm okay."
"No can do, Chuck," Jones tutted, "I need an answer."
"Now? You need an answer now?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then-then let's talk. Get me out of these restraints first. I don't know how to fight, I'm not going to try anything. Plus, I'm pretty sure you could take me."
"That I can assure you of," Jones looked like he was itching for a fight, but kept his cool, "high orders. Restraints stay on."
"So, you won't tell me where I am, who you really are, who you work for, how you plan to get this thing out of my head, and why I'm in restraints, but I'm supposed to trust you?"
"That's the idea."
"Yeah, right," Chuck tried to act confident, "I won't do it. You can't make me, my answer is no."
"Wow," Seeley nodded and looked to the floor, "that's disappointing, Chuck, that really is. Are you sure your answer is no?"
"Positive."
"Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, Chuck."
"Tell me what?"
Jones pulled out a long knife from his belt. He held the blade up against the light, admiring the glimmer on the razor sharp steel. Chuck's eyes widened and his heart pounded. He tried to pull against his restraints, but they wouldn't budge.
Seeley pounced like a jaguar and pressed the serrated steel against Chuck's vulnerable neck. Chuck screwed his eyes shut, heart about to jump out of his chest.
"We don't take no for an answer!"
Chapter 5 coming soon!