Don't own Chuck
Riccordo followed Sarah back an old logging road. Once they got on it he had to give them a good head start because there weren't many places to hide or duck to stay out of sight. He used google maps to see the map of the road ahead so when they got on a dead-end he had decided to park and proceed on foot. He went to the trunk and pulled out a semiautomatic .12 gauge Remington loading it with number nine shot then set the choke for full. After the shotgun he slipped a Glock nine in his belt.
"Time to go hunting," he said to himself. He got off the road then hung in the tree line following it back a dusty road. Like this if anyone saw him they'd think he was a hunter. At the end of the road he found Sarah's Lotus parked outside a cabin. Approaching the front door he heard voices coming from inside. Bringing the shotgun up he walked quietly up to the door then as he stepped inside clearing what looked to be the living room he found a tape machine playing voice recordings.
"Crap," he said as he felt a gun poke him in the back. "You wouldn't believe I was out bird hunting and got lost. I was just looking for a phone."
"You're right Riccardo I wouldn't," said Sarah as she took the Glock from his belt and took off the safety. "You know it's a crime to hunt birds with an unplugged shotgun. Toss the piece on the cabin floor then we can talk."
"I don't think you'll…" before he got to shoot Sarah did. She removed part of his foot with this own gun. He dropped to the ground moaning as Sarah kicked away the shotgun.
"Gez Sarah is everything okay out there," yelled the General from a back room. "Try not to kill him before we can get his intel."
"I got this covered. Now Riccardo that we've clarified what I will or won't do, how about telling me who you work for? Did Izad send you? How do I talk to him? I need to get him a message." Sarah's phone began to ring it was Castle but she was busy so she switched it off.
"Go to hell I won't say a word," hissed Riccordo looking down at his bloody foot. "I need to get to a hospital and see a doctor."
"First things first, my Boss is in the other room so it's just me and you," said Sarah as she put her foot on his wound and pressed. He cringed in pain. Normally, I wouldn't threaten a subject with oh say a slashed femoral artery. You'd bleed out in seconds or we could go a slower way, a more permanent way as pointed the gun between his legs. Doesn't sound like something that's in the Geneva Convention, does it? But you see your man can lead me to my husband, Chuck. He loves me, we're married, and we have a daughter who misses her father."
"I know cute kid. I saw her I've got to do her after I get done with you two here," said Riccardo as he smiled with a big smirk on his face.
"I hate smirkers," said Sarah putting her high heel in the hole in his shoe and twisted. "You got me. I'm just a needy, love-crazed girl who's looking for her husband who's trained in over 200 ways to kill you. You know I could take your shotgun and remove the whole other foot if you want. I need a name who is Izad working with in this country?"
"Go to hell I'm not talking," said Riccardo as he looked around the room to see if there was anything he could get at. If only he could roll quick enough he could get the shotgun.
A few minutes before Riccardo arrived…
Are you sure we were followed," said the General worried that Sarah might have finally lost it. Maybe she shouldn't have set her up with Dr. Dreyfus but it was for her own good.
"I'm positive and I'll prove it. You want to search the cabin go for it. Let me wait outside if no one comes in a half hour I'll come in and help. But if they do I get first a crack at making them talk.
"Listen I, we don't need you acting like a spy I used to know, before Chuck, Langston Graham's wild card enforcer. That Sarah was unpredictable I didn't like her because she left too much collateral."
"You're welcome to stay here with me while we waste time when we can get two things done at once."
"Okay but remember what I said." The General picked the lock then walked into the cabin. The living room was non-descript so she decided to start with the study Dr. Parker had in the back. She walked in a room behind the central fireplace. This was obviously his office. The General rifled through his desk and there was nothing. That's when she heard the first gunshot.
"Is everything okay out there," she yelled and Sarah answered she had it under control which Diane knew could mean anything but it mainly meant their intruder was not okay.
"Nothing," she mumbled to herself. "Where did you hide your treasure Doctor?" On the wall behind her was a print by M.C. Escher 'Relativity'. Diane knew the print and studied it. There was something off, something not right then it hit her some of the staircases ran the same direction while in the original none of them matched.
"Could it be you," she said as she touched the print to find that it was actually an image on a flat screen monitor and she could move the staircases around. She took her phone and went the internet getting an image of the original then she moved the pieces on the monitor around until they all match. The wall opened up and inside was an archive with files and old video cassettes.
"Got you," said Diane as she looked at the vast number of boxes with dates going back years and years. She was taking in the magnitude of her find when her phone rang. It was Castle.
"Good I'm glad you called we need…" the General started to say but Alex cut her off.
"You two need to get out of there. The Marines lost control of two predator drones and they're headed you way with missiles armed." Beckman did not hesitate she ran back out front grabbed Sarah dragging her out over her protest.
"What about my prisoner? I'm still interrogating him? I can't just let him go."
"There's no time, leave him," she yelled Diane as he shoved Sarah out the door. Riccardo rolled over grabbed the shotgun firing but Sarah and the General had already cleared the house. Because he set the choke on full he only caught the door frame.
"Crap missed," he said as he got up trying to put all his weight on his good foot and hobbled to the door. Throwing it open he held the shotgun ready to fire only to see a hellfire missile dip down out of the sky headed right at him. He did the only thing he could do he closed the door. Two hellfire missiles crashed into the cabin disintegrating it with all the evidence inside including Riccardo.
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Chuck deployed Borz's men moving everyone out of the camp. He lined the rim of the valley with artillery hiding it from plain sight. Nikolai's men would have to be right up on it to tell what it was. Then he made sure fires were raging below. This would confuse any thermal scans Nikolai would have if he tried to pick up on Borz's actual troop strength. The heat also made the valley one big quagmire. Chuck had logs and stone placed in strategic spots where they knew they could step without getting bogged down.
"Well Borz, it's almost time," said Chuck as they looked over a map. "I need for you to go up on the rim and wait with your people."
"And where will you be in all this?" asked Borz as he looked over the map but Chuck hadn't put a spot for himself on it. "You're planning on staying here, aren't you?"
"Someone has to greet them when they come marching in. Besides, I'm part of the bait that will get them to come into our trap. Every mouse trap needs some cheese and I'm the limburger."
"If you're going to stay I'm going to stay too," said Borz. "I don't need you fighting my battles for me. You have no stake in this it's my family I need to avenge."
"Borz your people look up to you to guide them. You're responsible for everybody's family not just your own. I understand the way you feel, I do but you have to think about everyone else first. Your men followed me because you told them to but they wouldn't have if you weren't around. Like it or not you're all their fathers and you have to act like it now."
"I know. Believe me I know and it weighs on me. With every man I've lost I feel as if I've lost a son I've spent many a sleepless night."
"With great power comes great responsibility said Voltaire and Spiderman. What I'm saying it that what you feel is normal." Suddenly Deshi's phone began to ring. "Does he normal call you or do you call him" Deshi hesitated to speak so Chuck answered the phone trying to imitated Deshi's voice and placing a handkerchief over the phone so his voice sounded muffled but Deshi took the phone from him and placed it on speaker.
"I can't talk my father is nearby," said Deshi. "I missed hearing from you. Emin why have you called? Is something wrong?"
"Your voice sounds strange you should get more rest. I'm called because my people got word the Americans are going to parachute an agent near your camp. I'll text you the coordinates he should be there soon so take a detail with you make up an excuse and you'll be able to capture him. I had to warn you as soon as I found out Nikolai will kill me if he finds out but I didn't want you hurt. Take care my love," said Emin as he waited for her to hang up.
"He's waiting for you to tell him you love him," whispered Chuck she looked at him and he saw how difficult this was for her so he took the phone and switched it off. "He'll just think the line dropped or you're father came in. You know what I said before about him using you is true."
"He said he was telling me this so I wouldn't get hurt then he asked me to go out and capture this man. I was stupid and blind."
"No, you were in love and love sometimes makes us blind. It's not wrong to love; love is what makes all this worth it. What is wrong is to abuse the love of someone else."
"You are a strange agent Kolonel," said Borz. "I will send men and have this American spy killed before he touches ground."
"No capture him and bring him to me. Why do you think Nikolai wanted you to take this man? If you killed him, the Americans will push to have your group labelled as terrorists. Nikolai will have a free hand to deal with you and no one will stop him. If you capture him and hold him then Nikolai will accuse you of being in the pockets of the Americans and people who don't know any better will go along with him giving him added support in the inner circles of what's left of the council. He gets the same thing he can move and no one will lift a finger."
"So it looks as if I'm damned anyway I chose," said Borz looking over at his daughter trying not to blame her but it was becoming hard. "What's the solution? There has to be an out."
"Look at me Borz, I'm your solution. I'll take the American in custody as a Kolonel of the FSB. He'll be my prisoner and when this is over I'll take him with me back to Lubyanka for trial and execution. Now send your men out and bring me back my prisoner."
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Colonel Casey sat in the back of the B-2 preparing for his HALO jump. HALO standing for high altitude low opening. He was to basically free fall until he got close to the surface before deploying his chute. HALO presented special problems the first being hypoxia which is why he needed to jump with oxygen. The second he was taking care of now, he was breathing pure oxygen to flush out the nitrogen from his blood. The last thing he need was to get the bends from the decompression. However, HALO was necessary to get him in under the radar and undetected.
"Don't take your mask off there's a mic inside. Colonel you ready to go," asked the Jumpmaster coming over to sit next to him. Casey gave him a thumbs up.
"Ready to go when it's time. I appreciate the ride but I'm tired of sitting around. It's about time to stretch my legs a little." The Jumpmaster laughed.
"I got someone one the monitor for you," said the man as he handed Casey a tablet with General Thomas already on.
"I see Colonel you're getting ready for your jump. I won't keep you long. I just got back from the White house. The president and I both need for you to make sure that weapon isn't used again. The Russians are up in arms and want to take this to the United Nations which could not only be embarrassing for us but also detrimental. If they do this could lead to the militarization of space and another weapons race."
"Where's this coming from over there? I don't know anyone but from what Chuck told me the Russians seemed reasonable."
"Well they're not being that way now. That word I got straight from their military attaché here as he choked down raw meat. It was all I could do not to choke him myself. Anyway make sure Chuck knows this too," said the General as the yellow light came on they were almost on the jump sight. "You need to go. Thomas out."
"Crap," said Casey. He couldn't help but wonder if the General and Admiral had been talking because it seemed Thomas was in the dark as to his added mission. Maybe that was the plan to keep the General in the dark. The Admiral hadn't been subtle about what he could expect if he played ball. All of this was going on in his head as the green light came on and he jumped.
The cold biting wind shocked him out of his pensive mood and even with his polypropylene knit long johns he still worried about frostbite. Shooting through the clouds like a falcon diving at its prey he monitored his descent speed on his visor display. He reached terminal velocity at 350 miles per hour. Then when he was within the envelope he deployed his chute. It opened the sudden drag popped him back up. The jerk twisted his back and reminded him he wasn't as young as he used to be. Slowly he drifted to the target sight then touched down about a mile from Borz's camp.
"Got to get this chute off," thought Casey as he began to punch out then gather everything together to hide but as he was busy men came of hiding point guns at him. Casey was about to draw when a girl came out in the circle who vaguely looked like Sarah. She looked enough to make him hesitate.
"These men are here to take to back to camp. The Kolonel wants to speak with you," said the girl as the men handcuffed Casey taking his Barrett and sidearm. Casey didn't really care he had other weapons they hadn't found.
"The Kolonel you say, who Klink," said Casey as he got shoved and he shoved back. "I'm going to break Chuck's neck before I kill him," mumbled Casey as they lead him along.
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General Thomas was sitting in his office with his aide sitting across from him reading the situation report for the incident at Twin Peaks. A team of forensic experts were dispatched but there wasn't much to piece back together. The subsequent fire destroyed the pieces the missiles had blown to bits.
"Major take this back to our experts and tell them I don't think 'smithereens' belongs is a technical report," said the General as he handed the report back.
"Yes Sir, I'll send this back and tell them," said the Major as he stood up and took the folder. "If there's nothing else I'll go."
"There is one last thing I read in the report for Twentynine Palms that the drones commands were over ridden? Have the tech people had any luck finding out how that was done?"
"Sir, our people say the only way that's possible is if they knew our command codes and then they'd have to be entered at a command site like the downstairs in the situation room or the ready room in the pentagon or the war room in the White house. The Pentagon has taken the task of running with the ball on this."
"Why? I wasn't told about that? That should be our job or NSAs not the Pentagon," yelled the General. "I'm sorry obviously you didn't make the decision."
"Sir it's on the last page on the drone report in the middle of your desk. Admiral Greene got the president to sign off on it."
"I'm sure she did," said the General as Connie knocked on the door then stuck her head inside the office.
"Admiral Greene is on the line for you and she's in one of her moods again," said Connie. The General just shook his head.
"And when isn't she. I'm sorry that wasn't professional put her through. Major stay I might need your assistance." The Major wanted to say he'd gladly go check out a weapon if he wanted one.
"Admiral, speak of the devil we were just talking about you. Why is the Pentagon investigating the drone hack. That belongs to the NSA or to us? At the most the FBI."
"First of all from what I read it wasn't a hack but a mishap and it's our job to run a system check and see if the problem wasn't a mechanical malfunction due to a hardware or software glitch."
"You're trying to say that two drones flew off course almost a hundred miles then fired two hellfire missiles at a civilian location that just happened to have Agent Carmichael and Diane inside? What do you guys put on your Wheaties?"
"I understand it's a bit of a coincidence but stranger things have happened but what I want to know is what were Beckman and Carmichael doing there to begin with? I've got reports from Pasadena that Beckman was snooping around in the labs asking questions about classified information that she no longer has a need to know."
"She took Agent Carmichael to see Dr. Dreyfus the agency shrink as you asked for in one of the thousands of memorandums you sent me."
"Now you're just exaggerating I haven't sent you a thousand. Okay I might have sent you a few but not a thousand."
"You want to make a bet. I've been numbering them that's the only way to cross reference them when new ones come in. Anyway Diane is in charge of Castle like I told you and we all agreed Agent Carmichael needed some sort of clinical assistance and this was the only way to get her to see the Doctor."
"And what did he report back?"
"Agnes there's something called doctor-patient privacy. Dr. Dreyfus signed her off fit for duty so that's where our interest ends. As far as Diane and Twin Peaks is concerned she discovered a lead and investigated. Turns out a hitman was following them but they were able to turn the table and got the jump on him."
"Has he given up any information? Are your men chatting with him now? He could be the break we're looking for."
"Unfortunately he was killed in that 'accidental' drone attack as you people are calling it over there. We know his name was Riccardo Jones and he's got an interesting jacket."
"Talking about coincidence I think I know him. Your Colonel Casey knows or knew him too. I believe I remember somewhere that your Colonel had him court martialled I forget for what."
"Misappropriation of government property and larceny I got his jacket on my desk. He tried to make it out of Iraq with some of Saddam Hussein's gold and got caught so he got the big chicken dinner. Any way DNA confirmed his identity so that is that on him."
"Well you better pull the reins in on that group you've got in Burbank before they pull you down. I know the President isn't happy so if you want to keep your job you'd better tread lightly."
"Funny he didn't say anything to me about being angry but I'll keep it in mind. Bye Agnes," said the General as he hung up. "That was called a fishing expedition to see what information she could get out of me. I'm missing something here."
As they were talking it over the Major received a call. It was from the situation room they've been monitoring Colonel Casey's progress.
"Sorry I need to take this," said the Major as he answered. "I'm … hold there I'm with the Director right now. Let me put you on speaker. You can tell him directly."
"Sir, this is the watch officer. Colonel Casey's transponder just stopped transmitting. From the last transmission we got for his go-camera it seemed he was being taken by hostile forces. There was a brief audio recording. I'll play it for you.
"These men are here to take to back to camp. The Kolonel wants to speak with you," said a female voice.
"The Kolonel you say, who Klink?" They heard Casey reply.
"We've got our analysts working on this but it sees Colonel Casey was taken by Kolonel Sheshenkov and this Kolonel now has taken over Borz's forces as their leader. Sir, Chuck's got an army.