A/N Thank you again to the reviewers. I had been leery about putting introspection into an action story, so the positive responses were greatly appreciated. With that said, we're back with the action in this chapter. With all the reshuffling I've done to the story, this chapter wound up being somewhat lengthy.
Any words in italics indicate the thoughts of the character.
Chapter 8: Chuck versus The Drop
Jonesey sidled up to Mancuso as the SEALs headed out to the flight line, when the MV-22 landed a short distance from the hangar, ramp down and guns manned.
"Skip, just who in the hell are these two? I've never seen any move as fast as Agent Walker when she used that pig sticker to teach O'Neil a lesson. Then there is Carmichael, who does a ridiculously complex surgery inside of a sub without assistance, after hacking a Russian satellite to get overhead imagery. In zero time they get JSOC to green light an unplanned military mission being led by spooks on US soil. That means they had to get clearance from 1600. The President had to get briefed and clear the use of troops operating domestically. Plus they had the juice to re-route a SpecOps sub for a helo drop. Now they've got an MV-22 loaded down with every toy imaginable, fresh gear for us and a dedicated Reaper on station?"
"Jonesy, anybody with that much juice? You're better off not knowing. I've got zero intel on the guy, but as for Agent Walker, if she's who I think she is, O'Neil should be grateful that he's still among the living."
"C'mon, Skip. You can't say something like that and then just leave me hanging," Jonesey retorted with a wry grin.
"Okay, okay," Mancuso replied as he ran a hand through his close cropped salt and pepper hair. "I had some friends when I was coming up through the Teams who were temporarily dispatched to the CIA's Special Activities Division (SAD). A call came in that three agents were about to be overrun by Chechen terrorists. The SAD boys tracked a beacon to a warehouse on the outskirts of Grozniy. When they breached the doors, they found the bodies of two dead agents and a beautiful blonde agent who was seriously wounded. Around them were the bodies of 16 Chechens. One guy described it as a blood bath of mangled bodies, and that it had all been the work of the wounded woman. Even weak from blood loss and fighting off that many men, she was still ruthlessly lethal."
"Turned out the Chechens had been tipped off by some loser stateside with clearance who was looking for a quick and easy payday. You know the deal, the guy was too well connected to get arrested. No concrete evidence, but everybody knew. The day after this blonde CIA agent gets out of the hospital, the weasel disappears. Cops found his body three days later. 26 knives sticking out of him. He had eventually, slowly and painfully bled out, but the coroner's report pointed out that each of the blades had been stuck in without hitting any major artery. It took a whole lot of skill to use that many knives to kill someone that slowly."
"The word from the SAD troops familiar with the agent was that this beautiful blonde had more confirmed kills than our whole squad has had combined. There just can't be that many CIA agents who are so gorgeous that she would make Sports Illustrated swimsuit models look plain if the magazine were to put photos of her in the same issue, and who are also that good with a knife. A no look throw that pinned Miles's arm to the bulletin board? I never even saw where the knife came from. She never looked at her target, yet she didn't draw blood. I'll bet you a week's pay that she knew that if the squad was down a second man that we'd have trouble operating."
"No bet, skipper. Have you noticed how she is around Carmichael? Always positioning her body between him and any potential threat. It doesn't even look as though she even has to think about it, protecting Carmichael to her is as natural as breathing. I guarantee you that nobody in the hangar missed the 'boyfriend' reference. And none of us can figure out if we should feel jealous or sorry for the guy."
"Both," Mancuso responded with a wry grin. With that Mancuso and Jones shared a quiet laugh before grabbing their go bags and climbed aboard the aircraft, mentally preparing to go into harms way once again.
Inside the minivan, Daniel Shaw was fuming as he listed to the reports from the Ring commandos to their base. He had warned them that the store windows were bulletproof. He had warned them that John Casey was a deadly foe that they didn't want to tangle with head on. The fools had botch their mission from the start. It was clear that if he was going to save the operation and get access to Castle's computers, he was going to have to take matters to hand.
The recoilless rifle shooter was down, as were both SAW gunners. There were still plenty of troops to keep Casey pinned down, and the police at bay, but the police could afford to play the waiting game. For this mission to be a success, there had to be a drastic change from the original plan. After breaching protocol by contacting the Squad leader via his Ring communicator, Shaw checked to make sure that the clip in his gun was full, and a round loaded into the chamber before jumping out of the minivan to join in the action. He knew what needed to be done, and he was the one to get the job done- regardless of whether any of the commandos survived. They were hired guns anyway, mere cannon fodder for his goals.
After circling the OO, he approached the squad leader, identifying himself as the Ring spotter. Just as he was about to tell the leader of the revised plan of attack, he saw one of his mercenaries reload the recoilless rifle. His frustration and anger morphed into rage when the incompetent fool fired yet another round into the OO front door. The metal was twisted like a pretzel, but the reinforced door was still largely in place, blocking access.
Shaw couldn't take the chance that any more recoilless rounds would be wasted. He drew his FN7 pistol and walked over to the idiot and put a bullet in the back of the man's head, as the man had stared at the doorframe, unable to comprehend how two RPGs had failed to flatten the entire building. Shaw loaded the last of the high explosive recoilless rounds into the weapon and fired into the middle of the large windows. The large frame window was explosive proof, but didn't have the structural reinforcement of the front door, and the force of the explosion caused the entire window to crash backwards into the shop.
Shaw bent down, removed an H&K MP5 from one of the dead mercenaries, then stashed a couple of spare clips in his back pocket before jogging across the parking lot to enter the OO. He approached the breach from an angle, to minimize the chance that Casey would see him, if the Colonel had been foolish enough to remain on the ground level.
For the second time that day, air traffic around LA was diverted as a direct flight path was cleared for the Osprey. It was no small task clearing a path from Coronado to Burbank. An NBC executive, too caught up in his own self-importance as well as his new toy jet, discovered his own insignificance as a pair of F-15s redirected him to Nellis AFB, his own personal holding cell, and his own personal DHS interrogator. His absence wasn't too great for NBC, as he was unpopular for continually threatening to shut down a popular show about a computer geek and a CIA agent.
Meanwhile, the SEALs triple checked their equipment, with particular attention to the parachutes that each was about to risk his life with in a few minutes. Too much was on the line to risk mission failure to due a defective parachute, dead battery or broken switch. As the SEALs checked their gear, Chuck familiarized himself with the controls and features of the Reaper drone tasked to their mission. While he preferred to take things apart and tinker with them (usually improving them in the process), this time he had to learn on the fly- literally.
As the SEALs started to check their guns, grenades and knives, Sarah subconsciously moved to position herself between the elite troops and Chuck. While the odds of one of the squad being a Ring agent were slim, they were not non-existent, and therefore were too great a risk for Sarah to accept when it came to Chuck's safety. Jonesey noticed the move, then looked back over his shoulder to share the private, silent joke with Mancuso who merely shook his head while grinning.
As the flight neared Burbank, the pilot altered the flight path so that when the team jumped out, they would be parachuting towards the Buy More Plaza with the sun at their backs to reduce the risk of the mercenaries on the ground seeing their approach and being able to attack when the team was the most vulnerable. The altitude of the MV-22, combined with the noise of the news helicopters hovering over the Plaza, prevented the mercenaries or their traitorous leader from hearing the team's approach.
The MV-22 Osprey approached the Buy More Plaza drop zone for the SEAL team, the CIA agent and the man who was a little more difficult to explain. Chuck had gone forward to a computer station built into the aircraft just behind the pilot jump seat. He was remotely controlling the Reaper drone that General Beckman had tasked to their mission. The video feed was several generations better than the images relayed by the Russian satellite. Chuck had visual and heat signature tracking on all of the Ring troopers still alive. With his years of familiarity with the Buy More Plaza, he didn't need any map overlay to know exactly where each man was.
Armed with that knowledge, Chuck powered up the primary Reaper weapon for this Op- a directional EM pulse. He would be able to fry all the circuitry in the Ring communicators and any other computer equipment the enemy force had. Castle was shielded to withstand a nearby EMP, so Casey shouldn't be affected. That being said, they'd never tested out the shielding, as most EMPs were omnidirectional, and would destroy the entire stock of the Buy More, much of the stock at Large Mart, as well as every cash register and ATM anywhere in a square block radius. Chuck figured that a fried cash register would be another reason for Lou to ban him from her deli if she ever learned the truth about him.
Chuck, being the nerd that he was, had read up, as much as he could on the short flight, about the Reaper's directional electromagnetic pulse generator. He did not have the luxury of testing it out, and had to err on the side of caution and broadcast over a larger area than a more experienced operator would- but no operator would be more familiar with the terrain than Chuck, so it wound up off-setting.
"Man, I really hope Big Mike has his insurance paid up. If I'm off by a little bit, the Buy More is going to be out of business. All those flatscreen tvs will be nothing but oversized paperweights."
Sarah shifted her position to lay a hand on his left shoulder. No words were necessary. She could feel him relax from her simple touch. She knew that Chuck was drawing confidence from her very presence, and the fact that she was able to do that for him was truly awesome. Despite her fears at the start of Operation Bartowski, and continuing on since then, Sarah was starting to accept the fact that she was capable of providing emotional support to someone she loved. Between their rides on the helicopter, sub and now tilt rotor aircraft, combined with her fears over the risks Chuck was about to take, freed Sarah to admit-to herself at least-how she felt for Chuck.
Sarah realized that she wasn't as damaged and flawed as she had always believed herself to be. She recognized that this capacity to support and care for someone else was enabled by being around Chuck, Ellie, Devon and even (to a far lesser degree) Morgan. She couldn't have been there emotionally for any other boyfriend, as no one else was either willing or able to get past the shell and see the real woman currently known as Sarah Walker.
She now was Sarah Walker. It was Sarah that Chuck had fallen in love with, Sarah that he had accepted with all of her self-doubts and issues. In her dreams she now even thought of herself as Sarah Walker. For her, there was no going back. It was clear to everyone that Chuck was in love with Sarah Walker, and she could now admit that she both loved and needed Chuck. So Sarah Walker it was and would always be. Well, unless it became Sarah Bartowski…The very thought shocked her, as did the realization that she wasn't terrified of the idea. In fact, she rather liked the sound-and the implication-of it.
Turning her attention back to the computer monitors, she saw Chuck toggle the locations of the Ring agents and their vehicle. "Commander," Chuck quickly called over to Mancuso, "you're going to need to see this." As Mancuso moved over to look over Chuck's other shoulder, Chuck pointed out the SUV that had just skirted the police barricades and pulled up to the BuyMore loading dock. Six heavily armed men could be seen sprinting from the SUV into the building. "There's more. The man from the minivan just went over to the opposition force. Looks like he shot one of his own. He's the one Sarah and I are after."
Mancuso was silent for a moment, looking at the screen from the Reaper video feed. He then marched back over to his troops, with Sarah and Chuck listening in while staying at the computer to control the Reaper and monitor the feeds. Mancuso was brief, "Men, we are modifying the plan. Jimenez, you are going to be responsible for the recoilless rifle. Alpha team, you've got responsibility for the SAW machine gun one. Bravo team, you've got SAW two. Charlie, you boys will be responsible for keeping their troops from entering the shop. Jimenez, once you've dealt with the recoilless, I want you providing close support to our two spooks."
"Delta team, you will be with me. There are now hostiles inside of the BuyMore. We will breach the BuyMore and take down the new group of mercenaries, designated Tango Four. We are one minute out from the drop. The Osprey will shift into helicopter mode two hundred yards northwest of the BuyMore roof. There is a slight breeze to the southwest so we will have an easy drop onto an unfortified target. Remember, there are a lot of noncombatants in the area down there, including local law enforcement. Fire discipline is crucial on this op."
"Miles, you are now tasked to the CIA. They are going after the leader of this group, and you are the best at close quarters combat in this group…" Mancuso paused to look at Agent Walker briefly, "at least the best among the SEALs. You will guard their backs, and you will keep your trap shut. If you fail in either one of these tasks, I will shred whatever body parts are left over after Walker here is done with you. She is in command of Echo team. Your vocabulary is limited to 'yes ma'am' and 'no ma'am' until further notice. Clear?"
"Aye, aye skipper," as subdued O'Neil responded. The bravado from inside the hangar was gone. Whether the absence of arrogance was because a mission was on hand, or because he was completely outmatched against Agent Walker, was up for debate. Mancuso was relieved that the man was acting like a professional again. He wasn't comfortable pairing Miles with the spooks, but if their target was in the middle of the mercenaries, instead of isolated in a minivan, O'Neil was the best option for helping them take down their target.
Sarah was stunned at the speech. She had felt Chuck briefly stiffen at their mention as "our spooks" for the SEALs. He hadn't been a part of the shadow world for too long, and had been press-ganged into service at the start. But he had learned enough to recognize the honor that came when elite troops accepted you as one of their own. But to have the SEAL commander acknowledge her skill at CQC as being equal to or above that of his unit, and then to put her in charge of a team that included one of his troops?
As a SpecWar commander, Sarah knew that Mancuso's viewpoint was distilled down to a simple question. It wasn't a question of gender, race, political affiliation. To him the only question that mattered was: who is the best to get the job done? Mancuso's job involved risking life and limb even more frequently than her job did. For him the equation was simple: whoever can get the job done the best and the fastest gets the gig.
The SEALs were each elite troopers who were highly trained and well equipped. It took a lot to gain their respect. She looked hard at Mancuso. With her prolific memory and attention to detail, she knew without a doubt that she had never worked with him in the past. But she was certain that he had heard of the Wild Card Enforcer, and had figured out that she was that agent.
Chuck called Mancuso over, and using his detailed knowledge of the BuyMore, showed the Commander where the roof access was, as well as a description of getting into the BuyMore unobserved from the roof. The Commander, needless to say, was both impressed and rather confused at how familiar this spook was with a retail box store located in Burbank.
Before he realized it, the minute was up. With a hastily whispered prayer to whatever deity it was that oversaw spooks and spec ops troops, Chuck entered the command to the Reaper to fire its EM pulses. Just as the weapon went active, MV-22 engine nacelles rotated to vertical, and the red warning light buzzed, alerting the team that the aft ramp was lowering and it was time to leap out of a perfectly good airplane into the void 30,000 feet above the ground.
Chuck and Sarah were the last in line, Chuck was busy securing his Orion wrist computer through which he could control the Reaper while on the ground-or rooftop as it were. Sarah had been walking around in her wing suit. As Chuck came to a stop in front of her, she clipped onto the back of his wing suit, so that they could tandem jump down to the Underwear Etc. roof. Tandem jumping also gave her some reassurance that she would be able to do everything possible to keep Chuck safe this way, as she was not happy with the thought of him free falling into a combat zone. But Casey needed them, and she knew that she had to go help out her partner, and Chuck had to as well.
Belatedly, she thought about the fact that if Chuck got hurt, Ellie would kill her when she found out. And when Ellie found out that she was there with Chuck, Ellie would then revive Sarah just to kill her again. As if her desperate need to keep Chuck safe wasn't a strong enough motivator, her fear of facing the wrath of Eleanor Bartowski would have been a good enough motivator in its own right. Sarah was much happier dealing with Ellie Bartowski. Hell, even Casey was intimidated by Eleanor.
As the CIA's top agent, she knew that she could take Eleanor in a fight, but to win would require inflicting some serious damage- and given the incredible person that Ellie Bartowski was, and how important their friendship had become independent of Sarah's relationship with Chuck, she wanted to avoid upsetting Ellie if at all possible. Just the thought of Ellie being hurt made Sarah feel queasy.
Latched on to Chuck's back, Sarah could feel him taking in a couple of deep breaths, clearly psyching himself up for the jump into the air several miles above Los Angeles. "Chuck, don't think about the drop, just look at how amazing LA is from up here. You focus on that, I'll focus on getting us to land where we need to." After giving Chuck a quick kiss on the cheek from over his shoulder (not easy to do given his lanky build), she patted both hands twice on his shoulders, the signal for him to jump straight back off of the ramp. Leaning forward just before they jumped out, Sarah shouted into Chuck's ear, "Just watch out for that first step. It's a doozy!" She knew there was a big Bartowski grin on his face as he launched into the ether. He is turning me into such a nerd. A Merrie Melodies quote just before heading into battle. That's a first. Carina wouldn't even recognize me.