Don't own Chuck
General Beckman was livid with rage after she talked with Casey. She ordered the whole facility to be put on extended lockdown. No one in or out, all projects and programs were to be reviewed. Everyone in key and sensitive positions was to be re-vetted at Supermax with new polygraphs. People who didn't pass would become a guest until their positions could be cleared up. If they didn't cooperation they were to receive a government all expenses paid vacation on the sunny island of Cuba.
"Colonel, you're in charge of the facility until you're relieved," said the General addressing the team via monitor in Pasadena. "I have notified the NSA and they're sending in a team to assist. Once they're in place you may go back to Castle and resume your normal operations."
"General, I have the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," said Connie, Beckman's secretary, as she stuck her head in the door. "She's on line one and in her words 'what the hell is going on'."
"I've got a few choice words to tell her. Tell her I'll have to get back to her but the picture isn't clear yet and if she presses tell her I hope she has some good hip waders because there'll be enough to go around."
"I appreciate the political ramifications General but Chuck and Sarah need to be made aware of this ASAP. They don't know who they're dealing with," said Alex. "Morgan and I could fly out tonight."
"I appreciate the initiative Agent McHugh. I can see the apple didn't fall far from the tree and I don't do this often but I apologize that I didn't listen to you earlier. You were right. But unfortunately we're not in contact with the team, someone is jamming our transmissions. I've contacted our office in the Embassy and the Station Chief is organizing a team. But a storm front has settled in that has effectively put up a barrier between them and Chuck. No one will be able to move until the front moves on."
"But if someone is jamming signals then an attack is imminent. If we can't cross over from the Atlantic side can't we send something from the Indian Ocean? Don't we have a MEU in the IO that we can task?"
"Colonel, don't think I haven't thought about that but it seems the Iranians anticipated us and made a move with their Navy so we dispatched ours into the Persian Gulf to counter. This effectively took them out of range for any operation. I'm sorry I know this isn't what you wanted to hear but we're just going to have to wait it out. Beckman out."
"What kind of answer is 'wait it out'?" said Alex as she kicked the trash can across the room. John saw a lot of himself in her. "There has to be something we can do, isn't there?"
"It was the only answer she could give," said John. "I don't like it any more than you do but it's the one we have to accept."
"Come on guys, this is Chuck and Sarah we're talking about. Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael aka Mr. and Mrs. Intersect," said Morgan as both Alex and Casey looked at him like they'd like to slap him. "I know that look. Casey, I'd expect that out of you but Alex, I'm disappointed."
"Grimes, get to the point or I'm going to release some stress on you," said Casey as he cracked his knuckles. "You might not like it but I'll feel better."
"Come on you don't think by now they haven't figured out something's not right. This is Chuck and Sarah we're talking about. Sure, if this had something to do with how one or the other felt they'd be totally lost but when dealing with evil dudes they've got bad guy radars. I bet they've already got a plan."
"A bad guy radar? Grimes, where do you come up with these moronic ideas? But then again Morgan and moron rhymes. However, it begs the question which came first the idiot or the egg."
"No Dad, Morgan's right knowing them," said Alex. She understood what Morgan was getting at and he was right.
"Don't fall all over yourself," said Casey as Morgan smiled at him. "And keep it in your pants. Okay daughter explain."
"Well knowing Sarah and Chuck they should know something is wrong especially because their comms link with the outside is down. I know it's not much but I have to believe that."
"Roger that," said Casey as he put his arms around her.
"Can I get in on this group hug?" said Morgan as he opened his arms
"I swear I'm going to squash you like a bug.
"Or maybe not."
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The distant storm and rolling thunder mover closer during the night and at first the rain fell in gentle drops. However, soon the drops grew larger until it was as if buckets and buckets of water were being poured on them. The distant thunder now sound like Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture and the gale force wind added the strings to the movement. Chuck and Sarah were asleep although they decided with everything going on it was best to sleep fully clothed which turned out to be a wise move. Sometime in the early morning hours Chuck woke up realizing someone was in their room. He gently nudged Sarah but it didn't take much she felt it too. With his hand in her back he counted down, three, two, one.
"Now Sarah," yelled Chuck as he rolled right she rolled left. He grabbed the flash light and shined it at the intruder as Sarah recovered her weapon from under pillow and took aim. "Wait! Don't fire," said Chuck as he turned the flashlight off. In the doorway was the boy he'd saved from the snake.
"Chiyang'a you need to come with me and you to Miss. You have to hurry they're here," said he boy as he pulled Chuck along. The boy picked up Chuck's rifle and handed it to him.
"Looks like we're getting wet," said Sarah as she followed them out. But in the hall the boy signaled them to be quiet.
"Help," Chuck heard and screams from the girl's room. He flashed. The rain made a deafening sound inside so when Chuck kicked in the door no one heard him. He darted one of the assailants then the other attacked him with a knife but Chuck hit a homerun with the rifle butt and the man went down.
"Girls get dressed and come with us now if you want to live," said Sarah. Chuck looked the other way as he examined the two men he took out.
"They're dressed like our security people. Sarah," Chuck said as he turned around then turned back quickly. "Sorry ladies I didn't… but these are our own people what's going on? Do you know these people," Chuck asked the boy but he just shook his head.
"They're bad men who came here to hurt you," said the boy. "We need to go into the forest. I know the way." Suddenly they heard an explosion one of Chuck's flash grenades went off.
"Sarah, go with the boy and take the girls to safety. I need to go and get the rest of the team. I'll meet you remember what I gave you as soon as you're clear use it."
"No Chuck I'm coming with you. We need to stick together," said Sarah as another grenade exploded.
"Listen we don't have time to argue, just go. They won't be able to make it out without you and we have to secure the rest of the team."
"Even if one is a traitor," said Sarah as Roberta and Julie looked at her. "That's right, this has been a setup from the beginning. Chuck, I'm going to take them to safety then I'm coming back and don't tell me no."
"I wasn't going to, I was going to tell you I love you," Chuck said as he kissed her. "Take them to safety," said Chuck to the boy, "then stay there you've done enough." Chuck kissed the boy on the forehead to thank him then went back down the hallway as Sarah took the women out into the rain.
The rain was pelting them so hard that it almost hurt. Sarah put her pistol in her belt then reached down and grabbed a handful of mud. She rubbed it in her hair and on her face signaling the girls to down the same. They were almost out of the camp when the boy signaled for them to be quiet and to get down. Out of the downpour came men dressed in paramilitary uniforms but with the rain and thunder they passed them up all but one. Julie stood up too soon and one of the rear guard saw her.
"Over here" he yelled as he raised his AK47 but no one heard him. Before he could say more Sarah threw a knife that buried in his chest then she charge him dropping to the wet ground sliding taking his feet out from under him. He fell backwards on the ground making a splash in the mud then Sarah raised her leg and kicked the knife driving it in past the hilt. He didn't move anymore after that.
"Come on we need to move," said the boy as he took them away from the camp and deep into the forest.
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Chuck walked down the corridor to the other rooms and as he thought they were all empty. Thunder was now mixed with lightning illuminating the night. There were another series of explosions the intruders were now getting close. Chuck had to find a place to wait and see how things were going to unfold. Something told him this wasn't what it seemed. As the men in uniform broke into camp Chuck made it to the trailer he had left on wheels. If what he guessed was going to happen it would be the only place that would be safe.
Not far from Camp, Dr. Ryder and the rest met up with Izad and the General. The General had his men pitch a tent quickly so they could get out of the rain and a place to use it as an observation point.
"Dr. Ryder, I presume" said Izad, "and Dr. Shepherd, it's a pleasure to finally meet the professor." Herman and Stan looked at each other as Izad completely ignored them. They started to complain but Holter signaled for them to keep their mouths shut. "Yes, so we are here to see this demonstration." The tent was pitched but they still had to trudge around in mud.
"Izad, where are you," radioed Yousef. "I'm in the camp but there's no one here. Those people set up some sort of alarm. They should be heading your way you can cut them off."
"I'll have my men keep an eye out for them. Look for the chip, you need to secure it or our mission here's a bust. They probably left in too much of a hurry to take it. Where did the professor tell you it was at?"
"Sarah, blow the building," said Chuck. He couldn't understand why she was taking so long. He looked up out of a window. He saw a man run into the dormitory then come out with what looked like the chip in his hand. "Crap they moved it." Suddenly something incredible and terrifying happened.
"I found it," radioed Yousef as lightning stuck nearby. "We can go. Forget the rest we've got what we came for let's go."
"Yes, we have," said Izad as he looked over and nodded to Ryder and Holter. Ryder dialed the combination on a briefcase then turned it so Holter could open it and take out a small handheld device. "Imagine this is an invading army." Holter inserted a key then turned it.
"Hey something's going on with the Chip," radioed Yousef. "It's humming. What the…" Then they heard a loud short scream like all the men with him cried out at once. Chuck had to shield his eyes the light was so bright. From the observation point it looked as if all the lightning had converged on one point Yousef then it leaped out from him through the rest of the men until they were all charred. The only survivor was Chuck and he did because the trailer acted like a faraday cage and shielding him from the charge.
"You can see it works," said Ryder happy and content. Holter switched it off then took the key out. Izad held out his hand taking the controls.
"I'll hold onto this until we receive payment," said Holter smiling at Izad as he put away the key in his pocket. "Let's just call it safe keeping."
"You do realize I could make you give that to me," said Izad as he took out his Beretta holding it down by his side smiling back.
"Yes you could but we're the only ones who can make the chip you need to use with that device. So you need us whether you like it or not. In Chess that would be check and I believe mate."
"Well that's not exactly true Professor. You might have me in check but there's only one King on the board," said Izad as he shot Herman and Stan dead on the spot. "I just need some of you; or rather Hydra only needs some. Oh don't look like that instead of splitting your money four ways now you can split it fifty-fifty." Suddenly there was a loud explosion from the camp as the lab blew up.
"What was that? Don't tell me you're trying to double cross me," said Izad as he waved his gun at them. "Is this some kind of trick?"
"No, no put that thing away. It was probably the propane tanks for the generator. The lightning caused a fire near them then they went off."
"General, send some of your men down and finish off everyone in camp. No one is to be left alive then sink the boats. We want to make it look like they were overrun they held out but in the end the wrath of God struck down. Have one of then retrieve the Chip and bring it back to camp." General General went off to make it happen calling over two of his men.
"Izad the Chip is fried if you're thinking about trying to copy it. We haven't come up with a way to isolated the heat of the charge from the current and have it remain effective."
"What Ralph is saying is we haven't found a way yet. With more research and time I'm sure we'll be able to come up with something but for now they're for one time use only."
"Very good, I have to compliment you both. You sell me a device that is effective but I need you to reproduce it. What I don't understand is you tell me this after I killed your two partners. Sounds like you wanted them dead from the start. So what was I seeing, alligator tears?"
"You did point out fifty percent is better than a quarter. Can we get to some place that's dry and change our clothes. This humidity will be the death of me."
"Dr. Holter, humidity won't be what kill's you. I'll have my Range Rover brought up and there's dry clothes inside.
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Chuck didn't realize the idiots had stored propane tanks in the lab. They had put them in with the last load that was offloaded while he was busy with Verbanski. The tanks amplified the blast which knock the trailer he was in off its bed sending him flying inside. Slowly he came to climbing out of the wreckage as chemical fires raged where the lab once was under a pounding rain. He looked around but his rifle was gone the only things he found were his machete and mallet.
"Crap," said Chuck as he came to his sense trying to shake it off. "The Chip Chuck you need to get the Chip." He ran back where it all started. His body ached from the bruising but he work through the pain. The fires and lighting illuminated the square it was like the worst horror film he'd ever seen. Men maybe twenty all dead burnt and charred. Their bodies still hissing as the rain hit them then slowly they melt away as ash mixed with mud.
"Just get the Chip," he said out loud trying to block the image. "Dr. Dreyfus I'm going to need some time on your couch when this is done." Chuck found the Chip mixed with the twenty-seven bones that made up Yousef's right hand.
"Oh boy," said Chuck as he felt like heaving but he fought off the nausea pocketing the Chip and leaving what looked like a set for Michael Jackson's Thriller video behind him. As Chuck was leaving he saw through the flashes of lightning men walking into camp, but when they met men who were supposed to be on the same side they shot them. Chuck realized someone was cleaning house.
Not far away Sarah ran back after she left the girls with the boy in his village. The small encampment was located in the forest where the manual work force came from for the mission site. They had lived there long before the park had been established and the government allowed them to stay afterwards as their tribal home. Sarah made her way back through the deluge trying to avoid detection which was not easy and held up her progress. Pressing the detonator nothing happened.
"Crap Chuck you should've kept this," she said to herself as she realized she was too far out and that she had to get closer. Taking advantage of the rain and darkness she silently took out two soldiers as she made her way, then as she was about to try again the whole camp was illuminated by a massive lightning strike. Now she knew she had to detonate the C-4 no matter what.
"Chuck, please be safe," she prayed as she lift the cap and threw the toggle. A huge fire ball engulfed the lab revealing a crater after the fire died down where it stood. Then it hit her what if Chuck hadn't gotten out before she threw the switch she would be responsible for killing him.
"Oh no please no Chuck why did you do this to me," Sarah said as she dropped to her knees in the mud. Suddenly there was the sound of gunfire she saw muzzle flashes in the dark and bullet's whizzed past her. She flashed.
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Beckman was driving back to her office at least it was still hers for a little bit longer. She had just finished briefing the JCOS and POTUS about one of the most serious breaches of national security since the nation's founding which happened on her watch. This left a bitter pill in her mouth and there would be heads that rolled over this but the truth if Hydra hadn't made their move this would've gone on for years. She could only hope that by being the person who brought the incursion to light the powers to be might see her as the one to revamp their security procedures.
"Well the good news is we're still employed the bad news is I don't know for how long. What's happened since I was inside," said Beckman as she got in her car.
"Nothing good I'm afraid. The storm seems to be hanging over the area and the cloud cover is making it difficult for us to get a view of what's happening on the surface. But this happened a short time ago," said the Major as he reached over press play on her tablet.
"What am I looking at? It looks like cloud cover."
"Yes General but watch now," said the Major. The lighting in the clouds suddenly looked like veins that all converged into one spot like streams that ran together to form a river. There was a huge bright flash then it was gone."
"What the hell was that?" asked the General. "I've never seen anything like it. My God don't tell me they've perfected the weapon?"
"Unfortunately that's what we fear. We ran this by Dr. Beech," said the Major. He noticed the General's look. "I know General but he's the closest we have to an expert on this thing and he stated that the converging lightning and flash of light would be consistent with this type of weapon being deployed."
"My God I need General Thomas to meet me in my office ASAP. I also want our people in Musaka to get to the mission site yesterday. I don't give a damn about a storm if they can't fly tell them to drive and if they can't drive tell them to ride an elephant. I don't care if they swing through the trees like Tarzan I just want someone there. Now more than ever do we need Chuck and God help us all if… well if anything happened to them in that lightning burst. You can quote me the regulations about drinking in uniform later for now I don't want to drink alone," said the General as she reached for the bottle of scotch she kept in her car for guests then poured one for herself and one for the Major.
She drove straight back to her office then got out with her Aide. She sent him straight to the situation room while she went to her office to talk with General Thomas.
"General, the General is in your office waiting," said Connie as Beckman came in walking straight past her.
"That was fast almost like you were already on your way," said Diane as she walked in her office to find Tank standing looking over the books she had behind her desk.
"I was looking to see if you had a copy of Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War'," said Tank as Connie came running in.
"General," she said and they both turned their heads to look at her. "I'm sorry I meant my General, General the Major's on the phone he says it's urgent he talk with you."
"That would be why I'm here," said Tank. Beckman looked at him then put her Major on the speaker.
"Major you're on speaker, go ahead you can talk. What's going on down there and I can already tell I'm not going to like it."
"No ma'am you're not. At zero five hundred local time the USS Louisville launched a cruise missile attack against the mission site impact is imminent."
"You bunch of SOBs they all were sitting there listening to my briefing when they already had their own plan in play. Why'd you cut me out? You thought I'd get word to my people? I've got no way to communicate with them."
"Diane, I came here to say I'm sorry. I argued against this but I was over ruled. But once we saw that they had perfected the weapon we couldn't take the risk that it would fall in the wrong hands. You can understand that."
"I understand that you've also destroyed the only two functional intersects we've got."
"I'm sorry but this was exactly the way we feared you'd see this. A painful decision had to be made and we made it for you."
"Well then this won't be so painful for you. I quit. The President will have my resignation by close of business today. I'll stay on until he nominates a relief only because I'm a soldier but as far as I'm concerned the JCOSs can… well I'll leave that up to your imagination."
"Diane, don't take it this way. You wanted to called me what did you want?"
"I can't remember right now it must've gotten blasted out of my head by a cruise missile," she said as she walked out. "Connie I'll be in the situation room. Contact Castle and patch them through to me."
"Yes ma'am," said Connie as she dried her tears.