Don't own Chuck
Chuck realized what had happened and what was going to happen. He opened all the gates and sounded the alarm to abandon the facility. He then ran back up through the plant back to where they first came in. He had seen it on the monitor when he rewound the video searching for Izad and he hoped it was still there after the initial explosions. The fires where still raging out of control, but now most of what was consumable was burned away. However, the thick smoke was still there making it difficult to find anything until he got lucky.
"There you are," said Chuck as he found an ice bike intact. It had been protected parked between two pieces of heavy equipment that had acted like fire shields. Climbing on, he kick started it then tore down the tunnel they had come in by. He just hoped the end was still clear. As he exited the bay there was another loud explosion followed by the ground shaking then water began pouring in.
"Come on don't fail me," said Chuck as he opened up the throttle giving it as much gas as he could. He raced down the tunnel with water chasing behind him. An ice bike is like a normal motocross bike in this case a Honda CRF350 R except it has studded tires to grip the icy road hence the name.
"Faster, faster," Chuck said to himself as gave it everything slipping and sliding on the road. He zipped past the first check point to find the gate open and the guards gone. He hoped he had gotten the word out in time for Nikolai's men to abandon the place before it was too late.
His relief was short lived, when he approached the first gate they came in through to see that in the distance it was only partially open. But it wasn't wide enough to get through and the water was quickly catching up to him. There was only one thing to do.
"Intersect it's up to you," he said as he flashed. He pulled this pistol and fired at the munitions stacked next to the cannon. There was a deafening explosion the shockwave from the blast almost knocked him from the bike. However, when everything cleared the gate was open enough where he could flash, jump turn the bike sideways scrapping the foot peg, then righting it on the outside as he proceeded on.
"Thanks Dad but that was close," said Chuck as he looked in his mirror to see the water bust open the gate sending the cannon and everything plummeting in one huge water fall down into the valley river below.
Now Chuck had to get to the airport in Vladikavkaz. It was obvious to Chuck that Izad was making a run for it and he had to follow now that the rabbit was out of the hole.
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The Ossetenians protested a little at the airport when they rolled up in the BTR but when they saw the Czar was on the run they stood aside. The last thing they wanted was for this clan dispute to spill over in their airport. As it was Ossetia was divided in North and South with the Russians still meddling in their internal affairs. A delicate balance had been arrived at and no one wanted to jeopardize it.
"Yes sir, the plane is over there," said the gate guard pointing at the Learjet 60 parked off the tarmac next to the runway. They drove straight over and quickly got out.
"Everyone stay here and let me talk to the flight crew first," said Izad. "We don't want to spook them and have them do something stupid like leave without us. We need them."
"Just hurry up, it won't take a rocket scientist to figure out where we could've gone after leaving the base."
"I can't say I'm sorry to leave," said Ryder. "The first thing I want to do is to take a hot bath followed by a nice stiff drink of bourbon."
"I hear you there," said Shepherd. "I'd add a piece of prime rib to that wish list. Here comes Izad now get ready."
"Okay, it's taken care of Scientists, you two need to go first. My people want confirmation that we got them out first or the flight is off. Go ahead and get onboard," said Izad but he could tell that Nikolai was about to protest. "Don't go ape on me I'll stay right here until the Co-pilot comes over and tells me we can go. So you've still got me as a hostage."
"Go," said Nikolai. "I just hope your people aren't tricking you. But I guess we've got no choice." The two Scientists got out and climbed on board the Lear. It seemed an eternity but in fact it had only been a few minutes
"What's taking so long asked Nikolai? Do I need to send one of my men to see what's taking so long? This is ridiculous. Are your people trying to put me in my place or something? We're partners here remember?"
"How could I forget," said Izad. "It takes what it takes and don't worry everything will be over soon and you'll be in the sky." What Izad said sounded funny but Nikolai didn't think much about it at the time. "Here we go," said Izad as they saw from the open hatch the Co-pilot climbed off the plane then walked over to them.
"Gentlemen I'm sorry for the delay but we had to get all the clearances and permissions ready. I hope you understand. We can proceed now with boarding. Mr. Izad, give me your hand and I'll help you out," said the First Officer as he winked. Izad knew what was about to happen.
"Thanks," he said and he gave it to him. The Co-pilot took it then yanked him out of the BTR then dropped a grenade inside releasing the support for the hatch. The door made a loud metallic bang as it swung shut and the First Officer latched it then leaped off. There was a dull pop inside with a bright flash black smoke rolled out from inside the BTR.
"Are you okay Mr. Izad," asked the uniformed man as he dusted himself off. Izad nodded his head looking at the smoke now bellowing from the inside. "Good then let's go before the Fire Brigade arrives and finds our crispy friends."
"Lead the way," said Izad as they boarded the plane. Neither professor asked what happened to the mad dictator but they all thought the end of the short reign of Czar Nikolai was much the same as his name sake.
They sat back in their seat as the turbos revved up then they taxied out onto the runway. They were cleared for immediate take off as they cleared the airport they banked right and as they turned Izad saw a man on a bike pull out on the runway with a group of police surrounding him. It had to be Chuck but he was too late again. Izad smiled.
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Igor was in his car driving Roan to the airport with Stefan and Anatoly. Roan's part was over he'd flushed out the assassin which was what he was supposed to do. After the Hydra agent committed suicide in their custody Igor thought they'd go after Roan to make sure he didn't bring any message back with him.
"I thought you said they'd want to talk before they killed me. Ms Fatale wasn't in the chatty mood when she tried to poison me."
"A minor miscalculation is all but we got her that's what's important. They probably knew their man would take the easy way out. I had dental check Ms Fatale and she wasn't given that option."
"I expect you to call me with whatever intel your men manage to get out of her," said Roan as they pulled up at the airport. "I'm only agreeing to go so I can extract Casey before he kills someone." Igor looked at him. "I mean anyone else."
"Sure as soon as Petro gives me something I'll pass it on. I heard through the grapevine that your new boss is in trouble with your congress. Tell him he has my sympathy bureaucrats are the same worldwide." Suddenly Anatoly's phone rang and he answered.
"What? When?... Yes, he's one of ours. Hold on I'm sitting with the Director now he'll want to hear this first hand," said Anatoly as he out his phone on mute. "It's Kolonel Sheshenkov." Anatoly looked over at Roan.
"Go ahead I promised Roan and his boss full disclosure now," said Igor as he took Anatoly's phone placing it on speaker. "Who am I talking to and what have you to report?"
"This is Kaptain Konstantine Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily Rossii [Russian Air Force] Vladikavkaz, your man, Kolonel Sheshenkov commandeered one of my MiG-29s. He's in pursuit of a civilian Learjet 60 he said has suspected terrorists on board," said the captain as he gave Igor the tail number. "He told me to call you with this information."
"Okay, you've done your duty we'll take over from here," said Igor but there was a pause on the line. "Is there anything else you need to report?"
"Yes Sir the Lear is on a course for Turkey but the Iranians have scrambled fighters to intercept. They should all meet up somewhere over Georgia before transiting into Turkish airspace."
"At least they're not crossing over into a NATO country. I'll have a plane arriving shortly there with one of my men you can brief him in person." said Igor as he looked at Anatoly. "It's inside… well it's close enough inside Russia that I'm sending you."
"Director just one other thing, the civilians or terrorists or whoever they are drove into the airport in a BTR after which they scuttled it, or we had assumed they had, until the fire brigade was able to go inside. They found the charred remains of three men and one we believe is that rebel leader Nikolai."
"I want you to turn everything you have over to my man when he gets there," said the Director as he hung up handing Anatoly his phone back. "Roan looks like you're going to have company on the way down to pick up the Colonel. Anatoly in addition to getting the evidence the Kaptain has find out what the mood is like down there. I want you to feel out to see if these people are willing to go back to the peace table. If we're lucky Chuck might have given us the break we've been looking for."
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When the Lear passed over into Georgian airspace the pilot made the announcement. Izad and the two Scientists breathed a sigh of relief. They thought they were safe. Ryder went to the bar and found a bottle of bourbon and poured two glasses. Then he held up the bottle to Izad but he shook his head. Even after everything he'd done there were just some things he couldn't do and drinking alcohol was one of them.
"There's some fruit juice if you want," said Ralph as he passed the glass of bourbon to Shepherd then sat down.
"No I'm fine. I'm still thinking about Chuck. He's got to be really pissed right about now. I bet he thought he had us. We were right in his grasp but we got away. If I were him I'd be beside myself with rage."
"Well here's to his missing us and to our gain," said Holter as he clinked glasses with Ralph then took a drink. "Personally I'd hoped you and your people would've taken care of him and his wife by now. This cat and mouse thing is getting old."
"I agree with Holter," said Dr. Ryder. "The next chip we make we sent to his house. We'll take care of the whole lot of them in one crack they won't see it coming."
"I think that can be arranged," said Izad. "We can have a Chuck out. Get it instead of a cook out we'll have a Chuck out." Izad was the only one laughing while the two doctors just continued to drink. Izad was going to ask what was wrong with his joke when the plane sudden banked as a blast of cannon fire with tracer rounds flew by follow by a MiG that almost knocked them out of the air as it flew by.
"We're under attack from a Russian MiG," the Co-pilot announced over the intercom. The fasten seat belt sign came on and the plane went into a dive almost stalling then as it leveled off the MiG came alone side.
"Crap that's Chuck," said Izad but as they were watching Chuck broke off. Two more MiGs appeared out of the sun and the three began a dance without firing. The Lear pilot tried to take advantage of the situation the make it to Turkish airspace but soon the three turned their attention back to him.
"My friends and I have come to an understanding," radioed Chuck. "You will follow us to the Khoy airport or be destroyed. Do not tell your passengers your destination. If you have to tell them something tell them you're being forced to land in Turkey. Acknowledge compliance."
"Roger Russian MiG we will comply," said the Pilot as he looked over at his Co-pilot trying to operate the radio but their signal was being jammed. Truly they had not option.
Shortly before….
Chuck caught up to the Lear just as it as it passed into Georgian airspace. He was called almost immediately by the Georgian air command to break off pursuit but used the fact that he was in pursuit of wanton criminals along with treaty concessions the Georgians made to the Russian Federation after the last conflict over disputed territory now a part of South Ossetia.
"Very well Russian MiG we'll stand down as long as you or the Lear do not land in Georgian sovereign territory."
"Didi madloba, Thank you," radioed Chuck to the Georgians then dropped out of the sun behind the Lear. "Learjet," radioed Chuck identifying them by their tail number. "You are to turn around immediately and head back to Vladikavkaz." But the Lear ignored him so he opened fire with a short burst then blew by at Mach 2 forcing the Lear into a controlled stall. But as the Lear was pulling up and he was coming alongside his radar warning light came on he was illuminated.
"Crap, I've got company," Chuck's first thought was that it was Hydra pilots coming to the Lear's rescue. He rolled under the plane then climbed wanting altitude if he needed to dog fight that was when he spotted them a pair of MiG 29s too. They began an exchange of illuminating the other then breaking off.
"Kolonel Sheshenkov this is bandit leader by now you've figure we don't want to shoot you and well you haven't shot us. Agent Banai sends his regards."
"You're Iranian? Of course," said Chuck he should've imagined that Banai would've checked his story then follow events from a safe distance. "What's the offer? I assume you don't think I'm going to hand them over. I'd just as soon end them here as to let them get away again."
"Banai, thought you might feel that way. He told me to ask you if you still wanted your ten minutes before the trial and execution."
"Ten minutes he said and he gave his word," asked Chuck. Banai, when they talked outside Embassy impressed him as the kind of man who kept his promises.
"That's affirmative and he guarantees your safe passage in and out of our Republic, Agent Carmichael."
"As-salāmu `alayka," radioed Chuck.
"Wa `alayka s-salām," radioed back bandit leader. "I'll let you communicate with the Lear so we have no mistakes. Tell them to set a heading to Khoy any deviation and we have authorization to down them."
"Roger that I concur," radioed Chuck. He changed frequencies. "Learjet this is Russian MiG…"
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It was early morning in Burbank the sun hadn't come up yet. Sarah was sitting on the sofa with her feet drawn up just staring at the monitor hoping Chuck would come back on. The General had ducked out she said for just a moment and Sarah had given her bed to Morgan and Alex. She had no intention of using it. Kat was the only one who was still standing vigil with her. She looked at her watch, Sam would be up soon and she didn't know any more than when they had finally gotten her to bed.
"Why hasn't anyone contacted us yet," asked Kat breaking the silence in the room. It seemed as long as no one spoke Sarah felt like this was all just a dream that she'd wake up and find Chuck lying next to her. However, that illusion she'd created for herself was gone now and the reality of events seeped back in.
"It's far away and then there's the time difference too," said Sarah as she was having a problem understanding why too but if she created enough excuses then she wouldn't have to face the fact that something might have gone wrong.
"I'm sorry if I have to ask but I really have no experience in these things," said Kat. "But how long do these things usually take?"
"There's really not a set time but usually once an op starts you can pretty much know how it's going to go but…" Sarah was saying but stopped when General Beckman walked back in. The General had a look on her face. "Tell me everything went all right?"
"I'm sorry but I just got off the phone with Langley. Tank told me that Casey reported in. They were able to destroy the production plant but Chuck went off alone after Izad and the two Scientists. He lost Chuck when the facility was flooded. Chuck ordered Casey to leave."
"And Casey listened? I'm sorry, I wasn't there and that's not fair. Chuck went after Izad and the others alone of course he did I'm here who's supposed to go with him?"
"Listen, I don't want to hear you say this is your fault. You're where you're needed here and if you hadn't been I might have fallen in that trap Jones was setting. Didn't he say he was supposed to take care of Sam too? He wasn't talking about child care. No, you're doing what you need to do the same way Chuck is doing what he needs to do too. I found out the tech people tacked down the IP address of those GPS transponders from the drones. They were controlled from the ready room in the Pentagon."
"The Pentagon! Have they checked the logs and CCTV feed? You just can't walk in if you don't have business there."
"That's what I thought too but the log for that time is blank and the CCTV video… well at first they thought that no one was there but I had them go back and look at the clock on the wall. It magically jumped two hours. Someone looped the feeds for the time when Twentynine Palms lost control of the drones."
"General, don't you see this just goes to prove what Chuck was saying all along. We've got a traitor amongst us and it's someone with a very high security clearance. I just hope he talks to the two Scientists before… well he gets their intel first."
"Before what? Before Chuck arrests them?" said Kat as she looked at Beckman and Sarah. "What we can extradite them back here to stand trial then they'll talk if they know what's good for them."
"Kat," said Sarah as she looked down at the ground. "I don't want to bust your bubble, but we don't usually arrest people. Yes, sometimes we are involved with law enforcement but this isn't one of them. Chuck went off on his own also because… well, when you put down someone you don't want witnesses around. He probably didn't want to have to put John in a situation where he'd have to lie for him."
"Chuck isn't going to kill those people in cold blood."
"No he's not. But Izad has put a contract out on us and the Scientists have the blood of everyone that's been killed so far with their device on their hands. What I'm saying is if they have an accident I won't lose any sleep over it."
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After the early morning commotion General Thomas retired to his office to lean back in his chair and charge his batteries before facing the rest of the day. It had been one bomb explosion after another since he got appointed to this job. At least in a war the opposing army will eventually run out of ammunition so they have to stop. Here it seemed there was an endless supply and he was their favorite target so he wasn't in a good mood when his Aide came knocking at his door.
"Gez, I was hoping for five minutes of peace and quiet. I don't think I was asking for too much then you showed up."
"I'm sorry sir, I can come back if you want," said the Major as he was about to turn and leave. "I'll brief you later."
"No, it's better I know right now or the Admiral will be on my phone soon screaming at me why I haven't done something. It's a wonder she doesn't blame me for global warming or climate change, but give her time," said the General as they laughed. "Give it to me."
"Sir, Agent Carmichael is no longer MIA. We've been able to track him down …" said the Major as the General cut him off.
"That's great now we can get together an extraction plan. Maybe we can give this to Colonel Casey since he's already there."
"Well the Colonel actually isn't near Agent Carmichael right now. Well he's closer than we are but still he's in another country."
"Man just give it to me. What was Diane always threating you with? I'm about to start doing the same if you don't just blurt it out. So he's not in Ossetia, where is he?"
"Current intel has him landing a Russian made MiG 29 in Khoy the western capital city in the Azerbaijan Province."
"Where's that exactly?"
"Sir, Chuck's in Iran."