Don't own Chuck
After everyone got Sarah home they disappeared. The General went to Castle with Casey where Alex was working monitoring the current situation. Kat stepped out to run home to get some things she'd put together and Morgan was somewhere. The apartment seemed so quiet. Sarah found herself a couple of times turning expecting to see Chuck come walking down the hall but nothing. Sitting around doing nothing was driving her mad. Sam seemed okay in that she didn't want to lie down nor did she seem to be suffering from jetlag. The truth was she slept most of the way back and taking Sam flying was the quickest way to put her to sleep.
"Let's go bye bye," said Sarah. She grabbed up Sam then took her to her Lotus where she buckled Sam into her car seat then got in started up and headed out. There was only one place she could go to feel close to Chuck.
Morgan walked in the courtyard at Echo Park out of breath with a pizza in hand. The pizza guy had gotten his order confused with someone else's. He ordered a vegetarian with no olives but instead the guy handed him a double peperoni with extra olives which wouldn't do.
"I swear," wheezed Morgan, "I think I set a new land speed record for the hundred yard dash. Wow," he said, "I need to catch my breath." He bent over putting his head down looking between his legs he saw Casey walking up behind him.
"You know you're in a perfect position for an extra point," said Casey. "Don't tell me you left your post? You were supposed to stay here and not move."
"I ordered Sarah a pizza and the delivery guy screwed up the order so I had to chase him down. I was gone all of about five minutes," said Morgan as he stood up.
"You didn't think that the guy might've done that on purpose to get you to leave your post and being the moron you are you fell for it."
"What are you talking about? I ordered the pizza from the same guy we always get it from. There's nothing strange about it and I'll prove it. Sarah," yelled Morgan as he went and started to ring her door.
"Great Moron if she wanted to lie down because she's jet lagged you just woke her up. What if she wanted to put Sam down now you've gone and blown that too. You know a real spy would use tact and cunning. He would stealthfully enter the apartment without being seen and surveil his target then extract himself without being detected."
"Really, I can do that no problem," said Morgan remembering all the times he ended up looking down the barrel of Sarah's Smith and Wesson but he wasn't going to let Casey get the better of him. "Yeah I can do that."
"Then let's see you try. Remember Sarah keeps a loaded pistol under her pillow and she's handy with a knife."
"Is that supposed to be encouragement or your hope for getting rid of me once and for all," said Morgan as Casey grunted.
"Maybe a little bit of both now get a moving we don't have all day. Let's see your moves there Cobra."
"Here I go," said Morgan as he started to open a window then he stopped. "Knives you said, how does Kevlar stand up to a blade?"
"Knives cut right through it Kevlar is only effective against small arms fire. Knives and arrows go right through it and the body inside it but the Cobra shouldn't worry about that."
"Thanks for being precise," said Morgan rubbing his chest like he had heartburn. "Maybe I should just ring the doorbell. After all I don't want to give her a shock or anything she's been through enough." Morgan rang the doorbell then waited.
"Chicken," said Casey but there was no answer. "What the… out of the way Troll." Casey opened the door and went inside the place was empty no one was at home. "They're gone," said Casey as he came out pushing past Morgan heading for his Crown Vic.
"I lost them. What am I going to tell Chuck? I'm sorry dude but I was tricked by the pizza delivery guy. I bet the pizza is probably laced with some sort of deadly neuro toxin that makes you do weird and strange things."
"Like what work at the Buy More? Eat a slice for you that can only be an improvement. Idiot Sarah's car is missing and Sam took her rabbits so unless they were taken by kind and considerate assassins who wanted to joy ride in her Lotus she took Sam out. Since you weren't on station she couldn't tell you where she was going to, way to go there eagle eye."
"She wouldn't have to I know where she's at. Let's go and get her. Trust me I know exactly where she is."
"You'd better be right or you can assume the position again and we'll see how far I can punt. I bet I can send you through the uprights with no problem."
"Funny but that's not happening. Come on we're just wasting time," said Morgan as he got into Casey's Crown Vic and they back out before driving off.
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Riccardo Jones stepped off the plane then walked out of LAX airport. The sun was brighter then he remembered but back then he'd spent most of his time in the brig. There wasn't much sunlight there and the last time he was in California he was being drummed out of the military at Camp Pendleton. But that was just what he needed to send him on his way as an independent fixer for people willing to pay to have problems dissolve away. It's amazing what a tub of acid will do in just a short time.
Picking up a rental car he drove into town. The first thing he did was put on his sunglasses then got on the I-5 driving into town. He parked outside of Echo Park to do a little on site observation.
"You need to be careful here," said to himself as he picked up a folder next to him marked 'secret' then started leafing through it as he made mental notes. "This is some sort of CIA safe house. Probably has got a state of the art alarm system." He looked up then he saw a black Crown Vic pulling out and for a moment he saw the driver.
"Oh crap," he said as he quickly ducked down as it went by and then as soon as he was sure it was gone he left. Getting away as quickly as possible he drove far enough he grabbed his phone and hit speed dial putting the call on speaker.
"That was quick. I wasn't expecting your call this soon," said the voice on the other end. "I knew you were good but this has to be…"
"Shut up and listen. You never told me John Casey was here. I just saw him leaving Echo Park, what were you thinking? He knows me and knows me well that SOB is the one who got me court martialed. But you should know all that so it makes me wonder if this isn't some sort of set up? If it is I won't go down easy."
"Just calm down and let me think. I forgot all about Casey and I can't remember every court martial board I sat on. I remember the three desert rats he brought in that I helped escape. Okay, lay low keep monitoring the situation from a distance and I'll come up with a way to get rid of Casey for you."
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Casey slowed down then signaled for a turn following the turn he doubled back to Echo Park. He thought he saw something or someone and he wanted to take another look. Morgan figured he forgot something like his brain which was confirmed when they passed by there was nothing.
"What is it John? Did you see something?" asked Morgan. "You don't need to get any bran muffins we still have some in the break room. The only two people who are eating them are Big Mike and Fernando."
"Philistines, no I thought I saw someone I knew. Remind me to look through the video feeds and if you say anything about the onsets of Alzheimer's you're going to be a hood ornament got that?"
"Whatever, can we get a move on it? Sarah's out there with no back up and it's my fault but at least I didn't imagine the pizza," said Morgan as Casey growled.
"Where are we going anyway before I image my hands around your throat and you turning blue with your eyes and tongue hanging out?"
"Has anyone every told you John that you've got quite a vivid imagination," said Morgan as Casey growled then started to reach over. "Okay Malibu, Sarah's on the beach at Malibu."
"How do you know that?" said Casey as he got on the Ventura freeway heading towards Woodland hills. "Did she tell you something?"
"No, she didn't have to it's their place just trust me on this I might not be a great guard or spy but when it comes to everything Chuck and Sarah I'm an expert." It wasn't long afterwards they were pulling up to the beach and there they found Sarah's car.
Sarah needed to get away a place to clear her head to think about everything that had happened to them and think about how to get it back. She put Sam down and let her run up and down the beach while she sat on the sand watching her. Sam had fun laughing and giggling picking up shells bringing them to her. Then all of a sudden Sam got sullen walking back to Sarah she climbed in her lap. Sarah knew what was the matter.
"I miss him too," said Sarah as she dried her eyes, "Well let's go before someone sends out a search party and thinks we're missing."
"Too late for that," said Casey as he and Morgan appeared walking up from behind her. "If we'd been one of Izad's killers you'd both be dead. What were you thinking coming out here in the open?"
"I just couldn't stand being in that apartment with just Sam besides I saw you guys pull up. I'm not completely helpless," said Sarah as she patted her purse. "I brought a couple friends with us."
"Whatever Beckman wants us back in Castle. I think she's got some news but don't get your hopes up."
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Nikolai and his men were in a convey heading north while his man Prina organized the departure south of the first shipment of Hammer of Thor chips. The crates were on loaded and the trucks were full so they rolled out early morning just before dawn. One group went one way the other the opposite direction.
"Prina," radioed Nikolai, "when you start the tunnels we'll lose radio contact. Once I finish with the Kolonel I'll catch up with you."
"Roger that Nikolai… I mean Czar… I mean we'll be waiting. Once we're through the pass we'll head to Poti and offload the cargo."
"Roger that I should be there before you finish on loading for the trip back with the Kolonel's head on my hood." Nikolai put away the radio turning to the man next to him. "Are you sure you can track down the Kolonel using his phone?"
"Yes right now he's on the road heading to Vladikavkaz if we hurry we can catch him before he reaches the city."
"He's thinking I won't take my militia into the city and he's right. That would be a quick way for the Russians and Borz to out maneuver me. Are you sure we can get him before he gets to the city?"
"Yes, we'll have to drive fast and we might lose a vehicle or two on the way but we'll catch him. He won't know we're coming."
"Good then let's go." Nikolai's group headed out, driving as fast as they could to intercept the Kolonel. According to the GPS tracker the Kolonel was moping along not going very fast but he didn't know he was being pursed or that's what Nikolai thought.
However, Chuck did know they were coming and he was counting on it. Pinging a cellphone was child's play and one of the oldest stalker moves in the book. Jeff had taught him that. Once he was sure his phone was being pinged Chuck got to work.
"Nothing like a little roadside barbeque," said Chuck as he took the flares lodged them in the roadside then ran wire across the road. It was thin enough not to be seen but strong enough to pull the caps off the flares. The vehicles would be coming along then suddenly find these fires on each side of the road next to them. The first thing they'd think would be IEDs, the lead truck might speed up but the ones behind would stop in a panic knowing they'd never be able to out run an explosion or that was his plan. Chuck now just had to find a place to hide and wait.
He felt feverish and was sweating even though the temperature was quite frigid at 3,000 meters. His head throbbed in pain and he had a headache that felt like someone had split his head in half. His wound was seriously infected and was oozing. He probably needed an antibiotic but he had no time. As time passed and he waited at some point he dosed off or passed out when the first truck rolled by but the sound reverberating in the tunnel waking him up.
"Czar, we're about ready to enter the tunnel. I see the entrance up ahead any last minute instructions before we go dead?" said Pina making one last radio check.
"No, we're still on the Kolonel's trail here but Bula promises me we're almost on him," said Nikolai as Bula began pointing at a truck just ahead. "I think we just got him."
"There he's in that truck," yelled the man excited. "He's trying to smuggle himself into the city. We got him he's ours."
"You mean mine," said Nikolai as he ordered his men to stop the truck. He didn't like this but Bula seemed positive. There was just something off about an FSB Kolonel hiding in the back of a truck.
They cut the vehicle off making it stop then men from Nikolai's militia pulled the driver out and had him kneel down in the snow.
"I don't know what you want with me," pleaded the man. "You can have the truck if you want the keys are in the ignition. Take it just let me live. I have a family to support, please."
'We don't want your old truck what we want is in the back…"
"You want manure?"
"Manure!" said Nikolai as he waved for his men to open the back. That's when the smell hit them. The cold had kept the smell down but with the back open a strong pungent earthy stink of fresh horse manure hit them.
"I collect it from the Russian border guard's stables then I take it and sell it as fertilizer to the farmers in town. I know you you're the Czar. Does the Czar need manure now?"
"Shut up old man or I will kill you and throw you in the back of your own truck. What have we got other than crap? Tell me," yelled Nikolai. He wasn't happy he had split forces and the other convoy was out of radio contact.
"I found this," said Bula as he climbed down from the back of the truck covered. "I found the Kolonel's phone. I guess he figured out what we were doing so he decided to throw us off his trail."
"Do you really think so?" said Nikolai as he drew his pistol and shot Bula through the head. The man dropped to the ground dead. "Old man, throw him in the back of your truck and continue on. Come on," waved Nikolai, "this was a diversion." And indeed it was.
Back in the tunnel…..
The lead truck tripped the wire causing the flares to ignite and as was expected the whole convoy came to a halt stopping in the tunnel as men panicked. Chuck used the confusion to climb in the back of one of the trucks opening a box he grabbed what he was looking for then jumped out running for the exit.
"There look someone is running away." Chuck heard behind him then weapons fire erupted. Bullets whizzed past him he dove to the ground pulling out what he took from his pocket. He inserted the key attached then pressed the big red button.
"Jesus, why does it always have to be a big red button?" Chuck got to his feet and ran as he heard voices and men behind him screaming Chechen. Once outside the sky was filled with lightning enough to make the men inside reluctant to pursue Chuck anymore.
"No, you fools get out of there," yelled Chuck but either they couldn't hear him or they were too afraid to get out in the lightning storm. However, by then it was too late. A massive lightning bolt came down from the heavens ran into the tunnel followed by a series of explosions as truck after truck exploded. The whole first shipment was turned to ash and the tunnel would be blocked for weeks if not months.
"My God what have I done," said Chuck as he dropped to his knees thinking about all the men that had been with the convoy. They were all of them dead now. He tried to get up but he felt extremely dizzy. Chuck knew he needed to get out of there Nikolai would be coming and when he saw what he'd done he wasn't going to be happy. However, as he got up his head was spinning then he had a sensation as if the ground came up at him right before he blacked out.
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General Thomas walked into his office at Langley he was driven straight there from Dulles. His Aide was standing by his door when he arrived and Connie had a cup of coffee in her hand for him. He thought to himself this must be what it's like walking up the gallows. The people standing by as you walk past to your impending doom.
"What is it Major? How did Diane manage this? I just flew in from Europe now you're about to dump on me."
"She usually started with threatening to fire me or to bust me down to lieutenant. I kept my old epaulettes just in case."
"That's good to know so what is it that I need to see?" said the General as he sat down behind Beckman's desk. Her chair was still there and he felt like his knees were in his chest. He couldn't also help but wonder if someone not so subtly was telling him they wanted her back. If it were up to him he'd grant their wish but it wasn't.
"We received an alert that someone had deployed the Hammer of Thor a little while ago. These are our satellite images. As we were told we had a fifteen minute warning before the event window and scientists at our Pasadena complex are currently examining this latest event."
"You mean attack. I should've let Carmichael go after this madman. Now this, okay who or what was the target? Give it to me how many casualties were there?"
"That's just it, the situation on the ground is unclear but it looks like Agent Carmichael activated it to destroy a shipment possibly chips and to block the Roki tunnel. Our satellites picked up a convoy of vehicles leaving from a mountainous location near the Chechen Ossetian border then the event took place in the tunnel. We tried to look through the cloud cover with our satellites before the Russians threatened to shoot them down and this is what we were able to see."
"What's that, a man down being carried off? Do we know who he was and who took him? Are you telling me that was Chuck?"
"We're not sure but that would be a good guess. The strange part is there is chatter about the convoy being destroyed but nothing about anyone being taken. Borz Maribek has taken credit for the attack stating that this shows how little the Czar and his new PLA are worth."
"That's all we need is another lunatic getting their hands on this weapon. I hope Chuck knows what he's doing. Get me the Russians on the line?" said Tank as Connie stuck her head in.
"Sir Admiral Greene is on the line for you. She's demanding to speak with you right now and said it can't wait."
"Naturally when it rain it pours," said Tank as he heaved a sigh. "Connie, you should know what was the shortest record for tenure here?"
"Oh you got that beat. It was one hour. That was time enough for the man to walk from Capitol Hill to Union Station then step in front of an oncoming train."
"Comforting. Put the Admiral through. Major you stay and I'll put her on speaker so we can both hear her. Not that I don't trust her but I don't trust her," said the General as his phone rang. "Agnes I have you on speaker because we're working here…."
"I heard the weapon was just deployed and I wanted to know what you're going to do about it? The rest of the Joint Chiefs are getting tired of your ineffectiveness."
"My ineffectiveness? Listen, I had a man on the trail you had me pull off, then you botched up the mission with an ineffective missile strike sending our guy into Russian territory. I've got an agent on it and this last attack wasn't an attack but our guy destroying a shipment of the chips."
"Is he still your guy or has he gone over to the Russians because that's what I'm being told. Listen I don't want to cut hairs here with you over who your guy is loyal to but we'd all feel better over here in the Pentagon is we had another man on the ground over there. Someone we can trust that's one of our own."
"And who would that be? It sounds like you've already got a name in mind so why don't you spit it out."
"Send John Casey in. No one could ever doubt his loyalty as a true patriot."
"And this is coming from the White house too?"
"Certainly, I've got full POTUS authorization on this or we wouldn't be talking right now. This is your last chance if you want to stay in that chair. You know I'll be stepping down soon. The Senator from my state is retiring early and the governor has asked me to replace him. You could use a friend on Capitol Hill."
"I'm agreeing only because I want to make sure Chuck is physically and mentally okay. If he isn't I'll have Casey extract him for proper medical treatment."
"Of course you are."