Don't own Chuck
Sarah left the suite then headed down the long corridor that connected the wing they were staying with the main building complex. As she walked she kept thinking about what Ellie said about the test. She wished she could remember what her hCG levels were when she was pregnant with Sam. But the truth was Sam was an unexpected miracle and she didn't find out she was pregnant then until she was far along so it would only be natural that her levels would've been high.
"But what if you're not pregnant," she said whispered to herself. That and what it would mean she preferred not to think about. As she was turning a corner she almost ran into Mike Carver coming from the opposite direction.
"Oh here you are I was coming to get you," said Mike drowning in sweat as usual. "You just missed your husband and the Colonel they had to leave in a hurry but told me to tell you they'd be right back."
"Right back? What do you mean by right back? Where'd they go?" asked Sarah. She wasn't sure she liked this being left behind or told wait in the van.
"They grabbed a chopper and flew out to a remote site on the other side of the country. Follow me back to the vault and I'll show you why," said Mike. They talked as they walked. "Satellite images showed a series of explosions at a location near where Colonel Casey found our downed spy satellite..."
"What kind of explosions? It does sound suspicious but why the rush to investigate when we have the General coming in? And speaking of her coming in shouldn't she be here by now."
"Yes, she's officially late and I've notified Langley per protocol. They're pinging the onboard transponder as we speak. Your husband is a little bit unusual... I'm sorry just an observation... well he's not like your... well he's not like Agent Larkin."
"What? Look Mike can we stick to the mission at hand if you can call it a mission. Getting back to before why did they run off so fast?"
Mike opened the vault door and let her in. There inside were a couple workstations with direct links back to the mainframe at Langley. All connected with fiber optics, humming twenty-four seven non-stop.
"I know it's not much but I call this home. It's the coolest room in the building. I mean that literally most of the air conditioning is syphoned off to keep this equipment cool. This was our lifeline out during the coup attempt."
"So you were going to show me why they had to leave?" said Sarah. She could've done without the nickle tour and the bringing up of her past with Bryce Larkin.
"Yes, they were looking at this. You see the area is peppered with these sink holes they call cenote. The explosion came from one of them. But that in itself is nothing really strange. As you might know sometimes the holes fill with methane gas released from below. The depression traps it then the gas accumulates close to the floor until a spark and boom. What they found interesting is her," said Mike as he brought up the image of a woman standing close to the sink hole.
"She's not dressed for the jungle that's for sure, not in those heels and that dress. Who is she? Did they say?"
"I was doing facial recognition but your husband stopped me. He said there was no need. Her name is Dr. Silvia Martin some sort of expert in telecommunications switching, traffic and networks. I looked her up and he's right plus she was an adjunct professor at Stanford..."
"Stanford you said. Can I see her folder?" asked Sarah, when he mentioned Stanford her interest her piqued.
"Yes she also has a degree in electronic engineering and has worked on some projects for NASA and ESA the European space agency."
"I know what it is and she's in the jungle here," said Sarah as he handed her a dossier and she immediately check dates to find she was right. Silvia was an undergraduate at Stanford the same time Chuck was there. As she was looking at the woman's credentials the monitor came on and the General Beckman's aide appeared.
"Good Agent Carmichael you're there. We've been trying to contact the Hypersonic with no luck. They aren't answering and a little while ago the transponder stopped signaling their position. The last fixed position we have on them they were heading in your direction in the middle of the Atlantic."
"What are you doing about it? I hope you're putting together a search party? I can go to the Premier and ask for his aid. But all their technology is out dated so it won't be of much use to you I'm afraid."
"Let's keep that option available because I just might be desperate enough to try. I contacted the Navy; they're sending something from Mayport. If we still had Roosevelt Roads we could've gotten something there quicker. But the truth this is the worst possible time and in the worst possible location. We've got most of our major assets tied up in that search for that Russian sub and the President has gone on television telling the Russian people we'll do everything to help them."
"So he can't pull anything without losing face. I see how this is going play out," said Sarah as she dropped the folder on the desk in front of her.
"Tell Chuck we're doing everything we can to find them and hopefully this is nothing. Maybe they crash landed someplace along the way and transponder was damaged. Just tell him I won't rest until I find the General and his mother."
"His mother? Mary was on that flight with the General?" said Sarah. "This is the first I'm hearing about this. Has Chuck been told?"
"Yes," said Mike. "I told Chuck when you guys arrived. He and I talked outside the suite that was when he asked that you guys be put on the access list for the vault. Naturally I said yes and then I told him about the General's flight."
"Well Major I'll pass on your info when he and the Colonel return. They went out to the site where Casey recovered that satellite debris. They're investigating an explosion and a sighting of a person of interest. I'll send you her information but she's and expert in telecommunications switching, traffic and networks."
"I see... interesting yes. You know Agent Bartowski... Mary had a theory she was batting about. She thought the crashing of the satellite and the missing submarine were part of a larger scheme orchestrated by Hydra in a project codenamed 'the initiative'."
"Leave it to Hydra to come up something sinister sounding for a codename," said Sarah as she shook her head. "What proof did she have?"
"That's it, she didn't have any or none she'd share, and the General pulled her from Germany to bring her with her to see you guys. I don't know why but she was supposedly onto something in Stalinstadt. Send me that folder I need to run I've got the Secretary of the Navy on another line. Langley out.
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Silvia was making her way through the jungle following the road but the road quickly became a path then even that seemed to disappear. Now add to that she was starting to feel ill. She had to stop a couple of times to dry heave and the cramps in her stomach almost made her double over. At first she thought it was a combination of the heat and the champagne. However, now she wasn't so sure she was burning up and it wasn't from the heat. The only thing she could think of was the water she drank must've been contaminated.
"No, no I don't need this," she said to herself as she continued to walk but the cramping got worse and she had to take breaks more often.
"You need to keep moving," she told herself. Even the monkey, in the tree screaming down at her, seemed to say the same thing.
"Okay, okay, I hear you I'm trying just give me time," she said but as she got up the whole forest seemed to spin around and she had to sit back down. "What's wrong with me? I've got to go."
With that she got up and started off again. This time she was stumbling and tripping as she made her way. Her knees where bearing the brunt of her efforts then she suddenly staggered out into a clearing.
"Help me," she yelled, "please help someone." Then like ice water it hit her. She realized she had come full circle and was back at what was left of the parking area looking down in the deep chasm still smoking.
"Oh God no," she cried as she dropped to her knees realizing she had wandered through the jungle only to come full circle. "I'm never going to get out of here alive." Suddenly she heard something behind her. At first she was hoping it was a rescuer but when she turned she saw a huge male jaguar walk out in the clearing to. He began growling as he started to circle her.
"Get out of here," she yelled as she picked up rocks and threw them are it. He growled and hissed each time she hit him. She didn't have much strength left but she mustered up everything she could. The big cat seemed perplexed and she took advantage of that to throw even more rocks at it. Things seemed to turn for the worse. He growled loudly then faced her crouching down like he was getting ready to paunch. His tail was beating the ground like a whip twisting side to side. She fought as sick as she was. She grabbed a club and then stood there challenging the cat...
They stood there for what seemed like an eternity. Sweat had soaked through her clothes and her hair was soaked. Then everything seemed to take a spin for the worst as she felt light headed.
"No, no I can't faint now," she said as she felt the ground come up to grab her and as she dropped she heard the big cat growl. "Oh God not now," she said expecting any minute to feel the cat's hot breath on her along with his sharp teeth and claws. But when she thought she was done for she heard voices yelling. Now she knew she was hallucinating because she thought she recognized one of them.
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Mary hid in the wheel well strapping herself in and it was good that she did because saying the landing was bumpy was an understatement. The plane landed hard everything seemed to shake and the vibrations caused her to lose her hold. Mary found herself dangling as she fought to regain her hold. That was when she lost her grip on the small oxygen tank she had with her and what had kept her going when the rest passed out. It fell out on the landing strip making a loud metallic ping when it hit and bounced. The impact must've broken the neck on the tank because suddenly she saw it shoot across the runway surface past the apron and out of sight. Finally the plane came to a stop then was towed into a shed that was converted into a hangar.
"Got to move Mary," she told herself as she undid the straps that had kept her from falling out. Her body let her know this was a young woman's game. She ached all over and probably had some good bruising but she had to move before she was discovered. The sound of her dropping to the deck was muffled by the sound of ladder being pushed up against the side. Once down she needed cover and found it when she made it behind some empty oil drums stored in the hangar.
"Okay now to find a disguise and blend in," she said as she observed the workers going over the plane. She watched as they removed the General and the flight crew wondering where they we being taken. There was a certain amount of personal satisfaction when she heard the Russian then she saw what looked like a third of the crew and all the officers. It didn't take much imagination to figure out they'd mutinied. The question she wanted answered was where were the rest of the crew and could she count on them.
"First things first Mary," she said as she grabbed a large screw driver then worked her way over to where the workers were passing by. Then she set a trap taking a twenty euro bill and putting it under an oil drum so it was only partial exposed then waited behind another. It didn't take long for one of the men to notice the bill. Nonchalantly he walked over waiting until no one was looking then he tried to grab it.
"What's this," he said expecting British pounds but finding euro. He was scratching his head but it spent the same as pounds sterling. Mary caught him while he was bending over, jabbing the screwdriver into his ear while she held her other hand over his mouth. He went limp and she recovered her twenty then dragged him behind the drums where she took his coveralls and put him in a barrel of oil sealing the lid.
The key to infiltration was to act like you belonged there and that's what she did. She walked right past the other men who were working without making eye contact. She noticed the man whose clothes she was now wearing had laid a clipboard down near the hangar doors so she walked straight for it and picked it up.
"This could be useful," she thought as she held it up over her name tag but as she was about to make good her escape she was stopped.
"Hey you are you ready yet?" yelled Blake as she was walking out. She looked around then pointed at herself. "Yeah, you who else? You've got the clipboard come on let's move it. I'm in a hurry. Gez, where did Richard get these people? I wonder how many rocks he had to turn over to find this one." Mary looked at the clipboard to find there was a set of vehicle keys attached. That was when she realized Blake thought she was his driver. The man she took out happened to be the duty driver and she had no idea how to get around or where to go.
"Crap," she said under her breath. "Cool... I've got to be cool," she said then pulled down her ball cap and walked over with him to a dark Range Rover. She opened the door for him and he got in then she got sat in the driver's seat and started the engine.
"Well hurry up, we're already late. The new boss just flew in and is waiting at the airstrip. We can't leave him stranded there. Come one what's the matter? Let's get a move on it."
"How am I supposed to tell this idiot I haven't got the foggiest idea how to get to the airport," she said to herself as she glanced up in the mirror and smiled at him.
"What's wrong with you or are you more use to the short bus? Hey, you're not my usual driver. Where's Juan? Oh don't tell me he's shirking again? Today is not the day I told him if I caught him drinking again I'd get rid of him. I guess he didn't understand what 'get rid of' meant."
"Juan's a friend and I'm only doing him a favor. He was complaining about an earache," Mary started to tell. "You know stress and family can be hard a guy like Juan. So can you tell me how to get to the airport?"
"I can't believe this. This is going from bad to worse. You can tell him a nine millimeter round will be hard on him too. Christ, okay just got straight you'll come to a town called Hill Cove from there take the road to Fox Bay we'll get to the airfield before we reach town. What's your name anyway? I can't keep calling you 'hey you'." She pretended to laugh but he didn't.
"My name is Maria but all my friends call me Mary," she said looking back at him in the mirror but he didn't seem to be paying her any attention which was fine by her.
"Well Maria," he said proving he was listening while he was working on his tablet. "If I were you I'd be careful around this guy coming in. Word's out that he's bad news. The last place he came from the organization made the whole outfit redundant when he left and you know what that means," he said but she shook her head no. She wanted to hear him say it. "Gez, I've got the pick of the litter here," he muttered. "Well, let's just say they don't go around handing out pink slips."
They drove across the West Falkland Island, some of the most barren and desolate landscapes she had seen. There were the occasional herds of sheep grazing one of the many non-indigenous species European settlers had brought with them that had pushed out native ones. After driving for hours they came to the airstrip maintained by the Falkland Islands Government Air Service or FIGAS. One of their planes was still on deck a BN-2 Islander probably the plane charted to bring their new boss in.
"Pull in over there," said Blake. "I'll go inside and check everything out. If he's here I'll come back and get you to help with the luggage. But for now just stay with the vehicle and wait."
"Yes sir," said Mary as she watched him in the mirror get out and disappear inside a block building. Her first thoughts were to run but run to where. She had no idea how many people were in on this. Then there was the General and the flight crew. They were being held captive and they had a sub which meant they could easily load them up and disappear. She wished there was some way she could get to a phone to call for backup. One of the things she discovered she lost when the plane took that bumpy landing was her phone but at least she still had her Beretta.
"No Mary this is on you and on you only," she said as she touched the Beretta under her coveralls. "But you can't risk cowboying this with the General." She had almost talked herself into looking for a phone when she detected movement behind her.
"Crap this must be them," said Mary as she saw these two men come out of the terminal and walk towards the Rover with Blake. They seemed cheerful enough Mary thought as she got out and held the doors open as the men came carrying their own luggage.
"Open the back and we'll toss our stuff in. We packed light so it didn't make sense to come and get you. We carried our own," said a man she recognized. She was taken aback for a moment then played it off as embarrassment. He stood there standing for a while staring at her so she acted like he was making her nervous.
"Do I have something between my teeth or something," she said catching Blake's angry look. "Sorry but is something wrong?"
"I'm sorry for staring I know I must seem rude but I get the feeling I know you from somewhere. Do we know each other?" Mary raised her eyebrow then shook her head no. "You have a face that's familiar. Maybe it's not you but maybe... no not you but a relative or someone? Again I'm sorry people just call me Frank and this is Marcus my assistant and your name is?"
"Maria, they just call me Maria. As far as knowing each other I don't know? Have you ever been to Argentina or Chile? Or maybe Miami? As far as relatives I'm an orphan and I've got no children never met Mr. Right just a lot of Mr. Wrongs."
"Well, that's enough Maria. We need to go in order to get back to the base before nightfall. This is a desolate place especially at night. Storms come up all the time without warning so make sure you've got foul weather gear handy. Maria remind me when we get back to make sure both our new friends get parkas. The weather can be quite rigid especially when the westerly winds blow and we are in what's called the mild Antarctic zone."
"I take it that all translates to cold," said Frank as Blake laughed but Marcus was silent. He was too busy with his phone.
"Yes sir," she said as she glanced back in the mirror catching Frank staring at her. She had to do something to turn his attention away from her.
Frank didn't know her but she knew him and everything he had done since DC. She also knew he knew Chuck and Sarah which made her throw up her guard when he mentioned family resemblances. Marcus, Frank's assistant, sat next to her and he kept checking his phone for missed calls and messages. That could only mean he left someone important behind at their last location. If she found out who that was that might be something she could to use to turn him.
"Cell service here can be bad at times," she said as she glanced over at him. He looked up then immediately glanced back to see if Frank over heard.
"No, I'm not trying to call anyone I've got a game of Angry Birds going on and I just can get at that last pig."
"I've played Angry Birds all the way through to the last level. If you let me see what you're doing I might be able to give you a few pointers?"
"No, no I'm tired of playing as it is. How long before we're at the base?"
"A couple of hours," said Blake. "So just relax and enjoy the ride."