AN : Not Mine :)
I've made quite a few modifications and additions to Chapter One. You might want to read it again, just so you don't miss anything.
20 September 2007
The next morning had dawned bright and clear, but Chuck was still a little freaked out by the break-in at his apartment last night. In the past nine years of his residence, there was never a report of such an incident in his neighborhood, let alone his apartment complex. And what was the deal with the intruder going straight for his computer anyways? He had tried to get a second opinion on his computer's situation from Lester and Anna, but they both confirmed what he had suspected. His hard drive was completely murdered. There was no way to recover anything from the disk, nor could they determine what if anything perpetrated it's meltdown. Thank God, he kept nothing important on his secondary computer. His primary one was safe and sound with enough failsafes and backups guarding it. When he went to the nearby LargeMart to buy new locks for his bedroom window, he was surprised and more than a little bewildered at once again experiencing the multitude of random images that filtered in his brain, after just a proper look at a nearby customer. He hightailed out of there, not sure how much to trust the information contained in that 'flash' as he had started calling these experiences. According to his brain, this was no regular customer out shopping for some tools at the local LargeMart, but was a Serbian demolition expert by the name of Vuc Andric, born in Belgrade in 1980! Still unsure what to do about this knowledge, he returned to his BuyMore desk and dropped his head on his arms thinking he was losing his mind.
Agent Sarah Walker of the CIA had been keeping tabs on her target since the morning, following Chuck ever since he left his home to the BuyMore and was now in the process of updating her boss about yesterday night's debacle. Graham may have told her to stand down and return home, but she had a gut feeling that there was more than appeared to the eye in case of this unique mark. Besides, if it was left to the cold-blooded assassin, John Casey, he was liable to botch things up when he made contact and they would lose any hopes of getting to the bottom of this affair. Charles Bartowski appeared to be no pushover and Casey had a reputation of being heavy handed towards the general public. In her opinion, this situation required delicate handling and Casey was extremely trigger-happy to expect anything else from him. Steeling herself, she made her way to the Nerd-Herd desk twice in two days, ruing the fact that Chuck Bartowski had indeed resisted her lure and made her appear more eager than she was comfortable portraying herself.
Just before she stepped in, she paused to pop the top two buttons on her shirt open, she didn't want to leave anything to chance. The stakes had been raised in this deadly cat and mouse game and the mouse had no idea he had unwittingly become a part of this conspiracy. She felt more than saw, almost the entire set of eyes inside the BuyMore on her, as she walked deliberately towards the only person there whom she didn't mind watching her this way. Unfortunately, that one person was also the only one hell-bent on ignoring her, busy being too miserable and groaning out loud that he was losing his mind. She felt an unexpected stab of sympathy and concern flare up inside her at that, but quashed those treacherous feelings ruthlessly, changing the direction of her hand at the last minute from trying to squeeze his shoulder comfortingly to the small bell on his desk and rang it. She shivered unconsciously at the almost electric spark that ran up her hand and through her entire body, when Chuck swiftly held her small palm in his large calloused hands, without looking at who it was calling for his attention. He let go abruptly, when he saw who it was standing in front of him and stood up embarrassed. Sarah couldn't help feel the sudden loss of warmth when he let go of her hand and gave him a halting, shy smile that was pure Sarah Walker; the agent had been shunted to the recesses of her mind and the repressed girl in her took the opportunity to push through the fore with surprising speed. It was all she could do to stifle a school-girlish giggle as Chuck Bartowski once again lost his composure when confronted by her.
Chuck had recovered from his stupor by now and asked her if she was having phone trouble again.
"Uh .. yeah. I'm not sure if it's working properly and I'm able to receive any calls, 'cause I never got one from you." Internally, she was dismayed at her lame attempt of a pickup line, but she was able to control her outward reaction thanks to her CIA training and came off appearing demure and flirty as she had originally intended.
Chuck was even more stupefied now than before and looked around completely at a loss how to respond to that, "Um, uh, you see, when she gave me your card, I thought Anna had tricked you somehow?"
'Poor guy, he appears to be completely blindsided!'
She rushed to reassure him, "No, no, she definitely didn't trick me in any way, it was completely voluntary on my part. I just moved and don't really know anyone here. I was wondering if you could show me around."
Chuck gulped noisily, still looking at her with an astonished expression and she had a sinking feeling she may have come off too strongly. Hoping to salvage some of her pride, she added glumly, "That is, if you're free?"
Anna and Morgan, who had been lurking in the background so far, could see Chuck making a mess of things again. Anna glowered at him, making him squirm a bit and interrupted, "Oh yes, he's free! Aren't you, Chuckles?"
Not to be left behind, Morgan helpfully supplied, "That's right! Chuck's got nothing but time on his hands. He is very available, you guys are going to have a great time!"
Chuck gave in, thinking he had nothing to lose anymore, "You'll have to excuse my friends over here, they feel like it is their God given right to interfere in my social life and have been pushy lately. So, uh, you really don't know anyone in LA?"
Sarah was grateful for the intervention from these two even if Chuck didn't appreciate it at the moment, "Nope! Like I said, I'm new here."
Chuck was still looking at her suspiciously, "And you're sure, you want me to show you around?"
Sarah dragged her answer playfully, "Yesss."
Chuck's demeanor changed completely, "Well, stranger things have happened and apparently, my schedule is wide open. So, what the heck! When do you want to meet up?"
"Tonight at seven?"
Chuck smiled brilliantly at her, "It's a date!"
"Great! I will see you then."
When Sarah left the store, Chuck turned around to give Anna and Morgan a piece of his mind for interfering, but both of them had already made themselves scarce.
It was funny how his friends and family were making such a big deal out of a single date, Chuck thought later, as he was getting ready for his big date tonight. Normally, he wouldn't have ever thought that a beautiful and sophisticated woman like Sarah Walker would pursue him and not the other way around, but like he said earlier, stranger things have happened. Plus, according to Morgan, he had promised Ellie on his birthday couple of nights back, that he would make an effort to find happiness again in his life and going out on a date with Sarah Walker was definitely a step in the right direction.
Ellie and Anna had taken over completely and had forced him to discard his original choice of evening wear, insisting he had no fashion sense whatsoever and he should just shut up and listen to them, if he wanted to make a good impression tonight. But really, flowers on a first date? Wasn't that too corny? But Ellie wouldn't listen to him, insisting it was chivalrous and showed how thoughtful he was. He agreed begrudgingly, not wanting to be late to pick up Sarah from her hotel room, but when he saw the selection available to him, he shook his head no firmly. He would prefer Daffodils or even Orchids, not the Gerbera Daisies or Chrysanthemums Ellie was holding in front of him. If Sarah tried to look into a deeper meaning for the flowers, at least he would be playing it safe. He didn't know for sure if she even knew or cared about the symbolism associated with flowers, but his past experience, especially in the last three years, had taught him a valuable lesson he would never forget in his life.
Ellie had warned him before he left, "Chuck, don't get too intense. Leave any serious discussions for the third date, okay?"
"Sorry sis, my date, my rules. I like to be upfront about some things, you know that."
Ellie sighed sadly, "You are going to scare her away and blow her off, aren't you?"
Chuck softened at that, "No, no I'm not! You guys are right. I have been too depressed and sad for far too long and need to get on with my life. I am going to give this an honest try, I promise."
"That's all I'm asking, Chuck."
"Alright, I will see you later."
Ellie had straightened his collar and given him a proud smile, "Aces, Charles. You're aces!"
He gave her a crooked grin, "A Dad quote! I'm impressed."
Before it could get anymore sentimental, he had kissed Ellie and Anna goodbye, shared a high-five with Morgan and Devon and slipped away in his Nerd-Herder, seeing no reason to pull out his Mustang for the night. After all, it was only a first date. He would be immensely thankful later on for this decision, not aware just then, how his night was going to turn out.
At the same time as Chuck was climbing up the stairs to Sarah's room, she was on her phone with Graham, updating him of the latest status. She had tried to convince her boss to ask Casey to back off, but he had refused. 'Nice guys aren't sent government secrets, kill him if he tries to run', was what he had said. Looking at the bashful smile Chuck bestowed upon her when she opened the door, she was hard pressed to reconcile Director Graham's orders with the tug of war going on between Agent Walker and the woman inside her. And he had brought her daffodils. In September! Who does that these days? She was ready to write it off as yet another typical Chuck gesture, when he babbled shyly about some sort of language the flowers communicated. A new beginning, he had said. He was so damn adorable!
When he nervously suggested a nice Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood, she had agreed quickly saying she trusted the judgement of a localite. It was a homely place and she was pleasantly surprised how lively and welcoming the decor made her feel.
'Full points for Mr. Bartowski so far', she had privately thought. Never before in her life had she been so relaxed, enjoying her date with a charming man who thought he was out to woo her tonight. She was feeling extremely reluctant to even hint at the topic of her current investigation and the real reason for her interest in him. And he had made her laugh, not the usual fake laughs and giggles she managed during such meets, but real full throated laugh that she was surprised to hear she was still capable of. She had no compunctions admitting he was funny, and even told him so. Chuck's confidence had been bolstered as their dinner went on and he saw that his companion was enjoying herself. He was ready to admit to himself now, he had missed this feeling in the past one year or so. And whatever the outcome of tonight's outing, he was grateful for Sarah for giving him this chance to have some fun and just let his hair down. But he didn't want there to be any unreasonable expectations, and whatever Ellie or Anna may have believed, he just didn't feel comfortable in taking this further without being frank and candid about his past. So, when Sarah gave him the opening he was looking for, telling him it was good he was funny because she was not, he broached the topic in a roundabout way, "So, is that what's wrong with you? 'Cause I've been sitting here thinking about it for a while now. Why would someone like you deign to go out with an average guy like me? And now I know, it's because you are clearly not that funny!"
He emphasized on the last word sarcastically, signalling he didn't mean a word of it, but waited to see how she would respond. And she took the bait, "Believe me, there's plenty wrong with me, least of which is me being not funny. I just came out of a long relationship, so I may come with a lot of baggage too." Now why did she go and say that? What was wrong with her tonight? It was as if this man had punched a boulder sized hole through all her walls, leaving her defenseless. Her brain to mouth filter had simply stopped working!
Before she could try and recover the lost ground, Chuck had reached over and squeezed her hand comfortingly, "I totally understand, believe me. I'm kind of in the same boat here. Look Sarah, I don't want to make this awkward and serious, but I wouldn't feel comfortable going any further without telling you this. I've not been in a good place for a long time now. And I'm still not completely healed, but I'm getting there slowly. So, if you are okay with that, and appreciate that we will need to take things slow, I wouldn't mind exploring if there's a second date in our future. If not, no problems, we could still be friends and since you are new in the area, you could always use more friends, yes?
Sarah was a little thrown off by this little speech and was worried she was losing him already and decided to throw in a bit of her backstory.
"Chuck, I am glad you are being honest and open. I would really like to explore that second date as well, but you are right, I could really use some new friends. I moved here from D.C. after breaking up with my ex, when I realized that all my friends were really his friends and everything in Washington reminded me of … Bruce."
"Bruce, really? You give me crap for being Chuck, and you went out with a Bruce?"
Sarah laughed at that and winced internally, 'Bruce, really? Couldn't come up with anything original, Walker?'
Deciding to find out more, she thought about how to ask him about his earlier comments.
"So Chuck, how long ago did your previous relationship end and do I want to know why?"
She was still looking in his eyes and saw that they were completely closed off as soon as she finished asking her question. They were so warm and inviting before, that she found the sudden change highly unsettling and disturbing. Chuck's body language also shifted and his guard was up now.
"Look Sarah, there are some things which I keep wondering if I could have done differently. But I was in love with this woman, totally madly deeply in love, okay? It still hurts to think or talk about her. And I really want to move on. But if you are asking, if what happened was my fault, then no, I have come to terms with what happened in Cordoba and accepted that it wasn't either of us at fault. Sometimes, life just doesn't turn out the way you expect it to. And before we let this conversation get anymore maudlin, I would prefer we change the subject please."
'Aww, shucks! It looks like I hit a raw nerve there.'
"Hey, it's okay. From what I've seen so far, you are such a nice guy, I was just curious. I really like you, Chuck." She would have really liked to know more about Cordoba though.
Shortly after they had finished their dinners and Chuck had paid for the check, they had sat there content and looking into each other's eyes for a few moments, neither wanting to break this moment of companionable silence, saying with their gazes what words could not convey, when the waitress had cleared her throat pointedly and broke them out of their own little world they were lost in. Feeling embarrassed for no reason whatsoever, Chuck and Sarah made their getaway laughing like kids caught doing something naughty. He wasn't even aware that he had grabbed her hand as they left the restaurant and kept his hold as they walked over to the dance club nearby. She liked this feeling of butterflies in her stomach, it had been a long long time since she had really felt so, not since her first year at Harvard at least.
When the talk turned to their interests and hobbies, Chuck had asked her incredulously, "How can you not have a favorite band?"
All her insecurities she usually kept so well hidden had came to the surface at that seemingly innocuous question. She didn't regularly listen to music, hadn't seen many movies and her knowledge about television was better left untouched. She knew she had not had a normal upbringing and life at the Agency had never left her with too many choices in between her missions. But tonight of all times, she was forced to admit that she had never even made an effort in the last eight years to develop a hobby other than improving her marksmanship or combat skills. At least she was an avid reader and they had something in common to talk about! She never thought her shortcomings would be so apparent to another person, especially not a common electronics store employee, who had no business making her feel so inadequate. Someone who was not even listening to her right then, but was instead captivated by the fleet of cars passing below the bridge, lost in his own thoughts. She meant for it as a joke, but there was a kernel of doubt in her mind when she asked him, "This must be your worst date ever, right?"
As Chuck continued to ignore her, she thought, 'God! Am I really so boring in real life that I can't even keep hold of his attention anymore?'
She tried to keep the disappointment off her voice, but her face gave way to her thoughts, "I was waiting for you to say 'no'."
Broken out of his reverie, Chuck apologized profusely, "Sorry, sorry, I kind of zoned out there for a second. What were you saying? No, no! I have had far worse dates, believe me! When I was in eighth grade, there was this girl I had a big crush on. She was in the cheerleading team and she and I started to hang out after school. I would even do all her homework for her! But when we actually went out on my first date ever, she had invited all her friends and the class bullies to mock me and make fun of me. So there! You can't possibly top that!"
He kept smiling at her trying to move past the sudden awkwardness that had crept up between them.
Sarah was left a bit speechless and felt an unexpected surge of pity for the poor thirteen year old Chuck and anger at the girl who was so cruel to him back then.
Chuck had continued in the meantime, "And then there was this girl in Junior High, but it was really awkward once we discovered there was nothing in common between us except school. She wanted to be an actress or a model and I have always been into computers. And since then, I can count on one hand the number of women I have been out with for a third date."
"Well, it's been kind of a similar story for me. I didn't really have a boyfriend until I went to college and the two short relationships I was in made me realize I wasn't ready for anything serious yet. Then I met Bruce at work and I thought I would give it a try. I guess we were happy for a while, but it appears I didn't know him as well as I thought I did and he didn't trust me either. And now, here I am, in LA, on the other side of the country, trying to put as much distance between my past and my future."
"Okay Sarah, let's just try and enjoy ourselves tonight and we will forget all about our previous attempts at finding our better halves and look forward to the future", he smiled at her, holding the door open to the club.
They had just settled down with a drink each in their hands when Sarah noticed a couple of G-Men suits across the dance floor. Chuck snorted and pointed out two more suits on the other end, "Looks like someone didn't get the memo for the dress code tonight."
Sarah was pissed at Casey and his NSA thugs, for she knew they were here following her and Chuck on Casey's orders, 'They just had to interrupt now, didn't they? Was a single night of romance and normalcy really too much to ask for?'
She calculated all her options and quickly pulled him up for dancing, deciding to take out the NSA agents on the sly, while she was at it. Expertly weaving across the dance floor with Chuck, she took out all of them with her trusted knives, but upon seeing Casey standing at the main entrance to the club with a thunderous scowl on his face, she dragged Chuck out of the side exit towards his car.
"Sarah, not that I'm not flattered, but that ass-grabbing was not at all what I meant when I said we should take things slow."
Exasperated, she shouted at him, "Chuck! Give me your keys."
"What! No, that's a company car, I can't. I'm not even supposed to use it since I'm off duty tonight. My supervisor turns a blind eye to it, as he owes me quite a few favors."
By then, Sarah had already used her electronic lockpick to open the door. "Get in the car."
"Wait a minute, how did you do that?"
Chuck was beginning to realize something was off here and when he saw a black SUV pull around with tires screeching on the asphalt, he decided to get in the car and go with the flow for now.
Without saying another word, Sarah started driving in reverse, away from the big SUV that was inching closer and closer. Chuck was more than a bit freaked out now, "Sarah, please tell me what's going on. Who are these people? What do they want?"
Chuck was pretty sure his life was in grave danger, either from the maniacs who were currently ramming their SUV on the front of his car, or from the crazy person that had replaced Sarah Walker and was driving on the streets of downtown LA like it was a frikkin freeway! In reverse! They lost their pursuers when the SUV couldn't follow them down a narrow stairway and Chuck let out a breath of relief. It was short lived though, as Sarah finally answered his question, "Listen to me Chuck. Those men will hurt you. They are from the NSA and they're after you."
Chuck was flabbergasted, "They are after me? Why? Why would the NSA be after me now? Are you sure they are NSA? How do you know all this? And who the heck are you? Damn, damn, damn! I'm so screwed. I need to make a phone call."
Sarah hadn't been able to get in a word edgewise, but couldn't let him go through with his call, "No! No Chuck, no phone calls, there is no time."
Chuck ignored her and had just reached for his phone, when he saw the SUV from before was heading directly on a collision path towards them. He had just enough time to shout out a warning to get out of the car and had barely opened the door, when the SUV rammed into them at top speed.
Chuck was thrown out of the car and just went with the momentum rolling over and over until he was sure there was sufficient distance between the SUV and himself. He thanked whatever deities there were that his phone was still undamaged and hit the speed dial, hoping he would get help soon. Looking over at Sarah, he asked anxiously, "Are you alright Sarah? Are you hurt?"
She gave him a tightlipped smile saying, "I'll live," and started crossing the street over to him, when the SUV made a return pass. Chuck shouted out another redundant warning to Sarah to look out, but Sarah had already noticed the car as well as the retractable barricades on the road and the emergency blockade button on the guard station. All she had to do was wait for the right moment and throw her knife with enough force at that button to activate the barricades and they would be free of these pests for at least a short while. The execution was perfect and she was not at all ashamed to admit that she enjoyed it more than she probably should, especially after noticing the look of awe and wonder on Chuck's face. It seems she had finally managed to impress him in turn.
Chuck was shaking his head fondly at her, "You are crazy, you know that? You are very good at improvising, Sarah. I will give you that. But it was absolutely nuts!"
She just grinned deviously at him in response.
Not wanting to wait for Casey and his goons to come around, Sarah flipped out her phone, grabbed hold of Chuck and started dragging him to the rooftop of the nearby building. When she asked for an emergency air-evac, Chuck thought about his options. He had no idea what was going on and why the NSA and whoever Sarah was working for wanted to take him in custody now, because that's what it looked like, they were bringing him in.
Sarah barely paid him any attention as she was solely focused on getting them to the top of the building and finally get some answers.
"How well do you know Bryce Larkin?"
Chuck was surprised and more than a little cautious now. Sarah saw that his eyes had gone from the warm chocolate brown to dark, almost black and she couldn't make out anything from his facial expressions either, "How do you know Bryce Larkin?"
"We worked together at the CIA."
If possible, Chuck's expression became even more closed off now, "So, you are CIA, huh? Just to be sure, are we talking about the same Bryce Larkin here? My old Stanford roommate from Connecticut, who was also my best friend since freshman year? The one who tried to get me kicked out of school? The one who stabbed me in the back and slept with my girlfriend, whom he knew I was about to propose? Are we talking about the same son-of-a-bitch?"
Sarah was stumped. Of course, she knew Chuck had dropped out of school in his senior year after the cheating incident and had broken up with his longtime girlfriend after that, but no-one they spoke to had even hinted about Bryce's involvement in either of the events. And here they thought Chuck Bartowski was an accomplice of Bryce Larkin. If what Chuck said was true, he wouldn't touch Bryce with a ten foot pole! But she had to be sure, "Bryce is a rogue spy, Chuck! Did he try to contact you?"
It was then that Chuck felt like the proverbial light bulb going off in his brain and he finally grasped the true reason for his current predicament. This obviously had something to do with the email Bryce had sent him the day before. The details were still hazy, but they were coming back to him rapidly now. Why had he forgotten about that strange email in the first place? Oh yes, the hangover!
"Yes, well, obviously we never spoke after what happened at Stanford five years back, but he sent me an email on my birthday out of the blue. It came with an attachment and I opened it, expecting a birthday greeting. There were millions of pictures and videos in there that I saw … I think. That night is still a little blurry in my mind. Until a few moments ago, I had totally forgotten about what had happened. Ugh, considering both the CIA and the NSA sent you guys to pick me up, it was some highly classified stuff I was not even supposed to be aware of, right?"
"Thanks for stating the obvious, Chuck! Your computer, did you back it up?"
"No, it was destroyed when I opened that email. It kind of overloaded the system, you know. The program kept writing over and over the memory modules, which makes sense considering the huge amount of data being displayed on the fly on my screen. Err, sorry, I tend to ramble when I am nervous and you probably don't care about all the technical details."
Chuck took a deep breath and centered himself, "Look, since I don't remember any of the details anyways, we won't have me spilling the national secrets to anyone. Regardless of which, I will sign any NDAs that the NSA or the CIA ask me to. Although, I have to ask, are you sure Bryce went rogue? He wasn't being a whistleblower or something like that? Have you guys already arrested him? What exactly was in that email?"
He heard the footsteps behind him before the words from the NSA agent and stiffened. He saw Sarah about to say something, but he turned around and stepped back a few feet keeping both Sarah and the NSA agent in his sight.
"Your friend Larkin is dead, Mr. Bartowski. And if you don't want to face the same fate as him, you will come with me. You belong to the NSA." The NSA agent was pointing his gun at Sarah.
Sarah too pulled out her gun, but pointed it at Chuck instead and said "CIA gets him first. Don't come any closer, Casey or I'll shoot!"
Casey gave her a mocking smile, "You shoot him, I shoot you. I leave both your bodies here, go out for a late snack. I'm thinking may be pancakes."
Chuck's eyes bugged out at this turn of events, particularly after hearing the cavalier comments of the NSA agent and he couldn't help the sarcasm, "Nice bit of inter-agency co-operation you have going there agents. Really professional! Listen to you two arguing like eight year olds over who gets to bring me in! You guys say you are NSA and the CIA, but I'm yet to see any credentials so far, only the guns you two have been waving in my face. Guns, for which I bet Miss CIA agent here doesn't even have a valid permit to carry out in the open. Don't you smirk Casey, you don't have any real authority to take me into custody either. Besides, with you and your gorillas monkeying around on the streets of LA, how long do you think it will take the LAPD to reach here? You think your NSA badge will help you when there is a TV news chopper following the mayhem you left behind? Neither of you two have any real jurisdiction on US soil. And you don't get to hide behind the Patriot Act either, otherwise there should have been a local FBI station chief standing here with you. But, I'm ready to co-operate with you, if you follow some common decency and protocol, agents. Get in touch with your bosses and let them decide who gets me first and there is no need for anybody to get hurt, alright? With the stunts you two have pulled so far, imagine the problems your agencies will have with more bloodshed and cleaning up any blue on blue situation, not to mention the cover-up. Will look really bad on your resumes, I assure you. What I am suggesting is pretty reasonable, don't you think? Now, where's that air-evac you requested, Agent Walker?"
Chuck deliberately turned his back at both the agents, sure that they would both cool down now and follow his suggestions. But, as soon as he saw the hotel across from where he was standing, he was hit by the most intense and precise flash so far and he was finally able to link all the previous flashes from the last two days in a common thread. The Serbian demolitions expert was in town to assassinate the NATO general and would have already placed the bomb in the Conference hall where General Stanfield was about to start his lecture. He explained his deductions to the two agents, but he knew there wasn't much time left if they were to stop the bomb from going off and they needed to move pretty fast.
Casey took a little more convincing, but Sarah ultimately managed to get it in his stubborn head that Chuck had ended up seeing all the encoded images and videos from Bryce's file. Even if Chuck didn't remember doing so, those secrets were a part of his subconscious now.
Casey was still finding it hard to believe, "Wait a minute, you are saying all of our secrets are in Bartowski's head now? How is that even possible?"
Sarah hedged a bit about how much to reveal, but didn't find any reason to withhold this information, "Well, from what I know about Project Omaha, its goal had always been to be able to download information packets in the form of similarly encoded images in an agent's head. But it was never meant for a single person to download the entire Intersect database. For all practical purposes, Chuck is the Human Intersect now!"
"Alright, we can discuss this later. Bartowski, do you think we have time to defuse the bomb?"
"I think so, we better hurry!"
They started running towards the hotel which, fortunately for them was only one block away. When Casey called in a NSA bomb disposal squad to reach the hotel, Chuck asked why he didn't alert the FBI instead, but only got a mocking laugh in return. Chuck knew the FBI would never make it there in time, but insisted that they needed to call it in anyways and Sarah finally relented. On their way, Chuck had lagged behind both agents and made sure to send a text. He got a reply immediately and Chuck gave a satisfied smile, grateful that he had always had someone looking out for him at various stages of his life.
Once they reached the hotel lobby, Sarah had argued against Chuck accompanying them, insisting he was too valuable to endanger him in such a way. Chuck pointed out that they might end up needing his help. After all, if the bomb's schematics were in the Intersect, it might also have a way to disarm the bomb safely. Not able to argue with that logic, they followed him to the conference hall where the bomb was placed and found it in one of the dinner trolleys in the center of the room. There were only three minutes left on the timer and they recognized there was no time to evacuate the public or carry off the bomb away to a safe location to dispose it. Neither Casey nor Sarah had ever come across such a complex triggering mechanism in their careers and were at a loss how to proceed. Chuck tried hard to flash voluntarily, but the Intersect didn't have any details other than how the bomb was built.
Looking at the Prism laptop attached to the bomb, Chuck knew the only way to defuse it was to somehow disable the connection between the explosives and the laptop. He was panicking, thinking about how long it would take him to hack into the laptop and stop the trigger program, when he realized he simply needed to crash the laptop, there was no need to be elegant here. And hadn't he come across just the necessary tool for carrying out this destruction today morning? The Irene Demova virus acted so fast, there was no need for him to look any further.
By the time Chuck had defused the bomb, there were only 45 seconds left on the timer.
"Boy! Never thought I would defuse a bomb using porn! Something to tell your grandchildren one day, huh?" Casey just growled at him while Sarah let out a small smile in return.
"Sorry Casey, but you have to admit, gallows humor is the only thing that keeps you sane in such situations."
"And I bet you find yourself in such deadly situations all the time, Bartowski?"
Chuck deadpanned, "You would be surprised, Agent Casey."
As they were getting out, General Stanfield hailed them over and congratulated all three of them for their timely action in saving so many innocent lives at the conference.
"The incoming Attorney General is a very good friend of mine, I will be sure to let him know about the great job the FBI has done tonight, Agents."
'Hmm, looks like the FBI finally showed up, I could use this to my advantage', Chuck smirked privately as both Sarah and Casey looked more than a little uncomfortable, but before they could correct the General, Chuck took his chance and interrupted, "Unfortunately Sir, Agents Casey and Walker never had a chance to talk to their FBI liaison. We got the information about the bomb very late and there was no time to use the proper channels to disseminate the intel. They work for the NSA and the CIA respectively."
The General was unfazed however, "Well, no worries, the National Security Advisor and I go way back, I'm sure he would pass on my recommendations to the DNI and you can expect at least the Intelligence Commendation Medal for your heroic actions tonight."
Chuck then leaned towards Stanfield turning his back to both Sarah and Casey and they talked for a few minutes in hushed whispers. The General let out a booming laugh after hearing what Chuck had to say, shook his hands and left after telling Chuck he will take care of it. He was still laughing and shaking his head when he left.
Casey didn't appreciate that he was not in charge of the situation anymore. Bartowski was turning out to be too much of a wild card. He grabbed Chuck's shoulder, turned him around and asked, "What did you tell him? What's he going to take care of, Bartowski?"
Sarah was not looking too happy with him either and just as she started to say something, Chuck cut her off, "Relax guys, I only asked him to promise not to compromise your covers and he talks only to the NSA and the AG and no one else. Then I requested him to make sure the NSA called your bosses immediately and let them both know how proud he was of your talents in the field. That's all."
Sarah clearly skeptical, countered, "If that was it, what did he find so amusing?"
"Oh that? He asked me who I was and which agency I worked for. I just told him I'm a Federal deep undercover agent and to know my details, he would need to get a signed waiver from the National Security Advisor, the US Attorney General and the SecNav."
Sarah gave him a disbelieving smile, whereas Casey just grunted, "Moron!"
Getting serious again, Chuck inquired, "Anyways, so what happens now?"
Both agents responded simultaneously, "You are coming with me," then looked at each other trying to stare the other down into submission.
Chuck huffed at them both, "Seriously? Are you guys for real? Man! I can't believe you two. Look, I understand your need for urgency and secrecy, but I think you should check in with your bosses first and update them of what has happened so far. Before you do that however, you need to talk to the local Feebs and explain our involvement in tonight's drama, not to mention manage the manhunt for our Serbian bomber. I thought they would be here by now. Oh, there they are!" Chuck had spotted the FBI agents and went over to greet them, before either Sarah or Casey could object.
Sarah and Casey were both startled, they had been so wrapped up in their game of oneupmanship, they had completely forgotten about that little detail of their missing terrorist. They quickly went over their cover stories, deciding to leave out Chuck's involvement from tonight's events altogether, but were quite alarmed when the FBI agents on the scene greeted Chuck like an old friend.
"Chuck? What the heck are you doing here man? Never mind that, how're you holding up? How's Ellie and Devon?"
Chuck smiled and shook hands with the FBI agent in charge, "Hey Don! Long time no see! I was just in the neighborhood, don't worry about it. I'm doing as well as can be expected. And Ellie and Captain are awesome as always." He grinned and continued, "What's up with you? How's Charlie and Amita? Alan still retired?"
After they exchanged pleasantries, Chuck and Don continued to talk in low voices, until Sarah and Casey joined them. Chuck still grinning, turned to introduce Don, "Don, meet CIA Agent Sarah Walker and Major John Casey from the NSA. These two are the one's responsible for avoiding a major incident tonight. Guys, Don here is an old friend of mine. His brother is a mathematical genius and taught me a lot. We worked together on a project back when I was in school. Don, these two will brief you on what went down tonight."
Once the situation was explained to Don and his team, the three of them departed, leaving the FBI to wrap things up. Chuck once again took the lead before Sarah and Casey could get in a word, "So, still no word from your bosses, I take it?"
Sarah shook her head no, but Casey wouldn't let his earlier indiscretion pass, "Listen here, numbnuts! As of this moment, you're the most important and valuable intelligence asset of the United States government. You can't go off gallivanting wherever you want, mouthing off whatever tickles your fancy to anybody and everybody you meet. You have to stay with one of us all the time and watch what you say and whom you say it to, understand? Those FBI agents may be your friends, but we don't know whom to trust right now, especially not some door-knocking cops! Not many people are cleared to even know about the Intersect and you have the entire repository of US government secrets in that noggin of yours!"
Chuck scoffed at Casey, "Please! I'm not stupid enough to start blabbing about the Intersect to any of my friends, no matter how trustworthy they are. I was just smoothing things over with Don for all of the antics you pulled earlier chasing Sarah and me downtown. The LAPD is sure pissed at you Casey! Besides, do you really expect me to believe that the file Bryce sent me had all of our government secrets? I'll bet it was just a chunk, maybe a significant chunk, but definitely not all of it."
"And how would you know that Bartowski?"
"Just by looking at the way you two have been at each other's throat, I can imagine how your bosses really feel about each other too. And if this database was really supposed to contain all the data from every US agency, do you really believe the CIA, NSA, FBI, DHS or the DEA were entirely forthcoming with their information? If that was the case, shouldn't I have known from the start that Agent Walker here is CIA and our date tonight was just a ruse to lure me into a trap?"
Sarah felt cold inside at his words and a momentary flash of hurt showed on her face, but it was quickly hidden under her professional mask.
Casey gave him a calculating gaze and shrugged his shoulders noncommitantly.
Chuck carried on, "Look, I didn't ask for any of this. I had no contact with Bryce for the last 5 years and he sent that email to me out of the blue. I expected it to be some long overdue apology or a simple birthday greeting, but it turns out he is not yet done with meddling in my life. He was CIA, whether rogue or not, I don't really care. It was your responsibility to ensure the Intersect information could not be leaked and you guys failed at your job. I am not looking forward to being punished or reprimanded for something I had no control over or was a part of. Any investigation you or the FBI conducts, my innocence in this whole matter will be proved. So, I'm not too worried about that. What we do need to make sure, is that this information remains secure and no-one knows that I have seen these secrets. Otherwise, there will be a lot of evil people coming after Chuck Bartowski and he would need to die, which I really want to avoid, okay?"
Casey raised his eyebrows at that last comment, "Not bad for a computer geek Bartowski, you clearly understand the situation you are in very well. So, you shouldn't mind coming with us to a safehouse then?"
Chuck let out a small sigh, "Yeah, but I will need to call my sister and .."
But Casey cut him off, "You can't tell anyone where you are going."
Chuck was exasperated, "Casey, do you take me for an idiot? My family and friends are used to me going out on long trips abroad whenever my mood strikes, so they won't find it odd. I will still need to tell my sister though, as I always do that before leaving in the morning, or else it will be too suspicious. I'll go home and pack my gear and no one will suspect a thing. I would suggest you get on a call with your bosses and get all the details about our next steps. Sounds good?"
Both Sarah and Casey, albeit reluctantly, nodded yes.
Before getting into his cab, Chuck lowered his voice and left a parting shot to both agents, "Just tell your bosses this one thing. If Chuck Bartowski dies in real because of a CIA or a NSA sanction, there will be serious repercussions for everyone involved. I have already made that one phone call while we were running towards the bomb. I am willing to co-operate with you guys. But, I won't tolerate any double-cross. And if any of you ever pull a gun on me again, you won't like the consequences, I can guarantee you that. Good night and I will see you both in the morning for breakfast. Casey, I will be sure to pack some pancakes." And with a wink, he was off.
"Did Chuck just threaten us both and our bosses?" Sarah asked incredulously. She was honestly astounded at the change she saw in Chuck Bartowski ever since she let him know she was a CIA agent.
Casey just started laughing loudly, but stopped all of a sudden. "Did he say he made a phone call to someone when we were going to defuse the bomb? We need to report to our superiors immediately and find out whom he called. Never expected Bartowski to be pals with the FBI either. Did you notice he knew each and every member of that team?"
"Yeah, that was a bit surprising."
"Honestly, I'd have preferred to just grab him and put him in a bunker. But he's too damn smart. I know he wouldn't compromise the Intersect knowledge, but he made sure we don't know what he and the General talked about. And the casual way in which he brought up the AG and the NSA, that alone made sure our immediate bosses won't be able to cover this up any longer. There would be too many questions now, if he vanishes without a trace and his FBI friends will definitely not stop snooping. He outmaneuvered and outplayed us Walker!"
"Well, my CO did tell me he was a scary smart genius, we should have expected something of the sort. Anyways, I'll go follow him and keep an eye on him. Casey, you setup a call with Beckman and Graham and conference me in."
Casey nodded and left towards his car, while Sarah tailed Chuck's cab.
She followed Chuck to his apartment complex and watched him go to his sister's place first. Standing in the shadows outside the open window, she could hear the conversation between Chuck and his family and friends.
"So, how did it go Chuck? Don't keep us waiting." Ellie started on him as soon as Anna and her finished hugging him, only for Morgan and Ellie's boyfriend, Devon, to slap him on his back.
Sarah was a little apprehensive. She hoped Chuck wouldn't be foolish and go back on his word, but you never knew with civilians.
"Well, it turns out Sarah just came out of a long relationship and left DC to get away from her ex and her old job. She and I connected because of our similar experiences with our pasts and we got talking and dancing. We had a lot of fun and I made a totally impulsive decision. I know, I know, so unlike me. I am going on a backpacking trip tomorrow and Sarah is coming with me."
"Oh my Gosh!" Ellie had her hands on her mouth and eyes open with shock.
Chuck held her gaze for a few long moments and nodded minutely.
"Good for you, Chuckles!" Anna gave him a thumbs up.
"What!" This was from Morgan, who was looking very dejected now.
Devon chimed in enthusiastically, "Awesome, bro! I'm glad you have not given up on your backpacking trips!"
"Yeah, Sarah and I basically decided to hang out together for a while and see if there is anything more between us while on the trip. If not, we will still be friends and no one gets hurt. Morgan, no need to look so disappointed, buddy. I will be back in no time."
"But you've never taken me on your trips! You go out with this girl on one date today and you invite her to go backpacking with you?" Morgan was aghast.
"Look Morgan, you know these are not just sightseeing trips for me. They are more like a quest, a mission really. It's something I don't share with my family or friends because it gives me the chance to meet new people, learn new things and increase my skills. If it was just you and I together, we will only be goofing around because all you are interested in is doing the easy things and go to clubs and bars. That more or less defeats the purpose of the trip. Sarah has some experience in backpacking herself, so this is a perfect way for us to hang out and see where this goes."
Ellie came to his rescue just then, "Morgan, you always bring this up whenever he goes on his trips, but never commit yourself to follow through on all that is required for these trips. Let him be, I think it's good that he is giving himself a chance to find someone new in his life."
"You are right as usual, Ellie. I just can't stand the thought of trekking through the Amazon with all the snakes and insects for additional company or wandering through the dangerous back alleys in Pattaya or Bangkok like you do Chuck. And all that for the thrill of seeing the local culture up and close. It just doesn't appeal to my cocooned and sheltered existence." Morgan gave a theatrical shudder for effect and they all laughed at that.
Ellie pulled him aside towards the window and Sarah stepped a little further back into the shadows making sure she was out of line of sight. "Chuck, do you know where you are going? And are you sure about Sarah? Is she joining you for sure?"
"Yes Sis, she is definitely joining me and no, I don't know yet where we are going. We will most likely go to DC first to get some of Sarah's gear from her storage and then probably wing it. Who knows, maybe I will finally make that trip to Paris", he added with a wink.
Ellie hit him on his shoulder, "Don't joke about Paris, Chuck. I'm so proud of you and I'm glad you are getting back on your feet. No matter how you two met, I think you should take this opportunity to get to know Sarah better on your trip. Morgan showed us her photo earlier and she is beautiful. And the way Anna and you've talked about her, she seems like a good person, I know you like her. So, don't be too intense and moody. Just give her a chance, okay?"
"Ellie, will you please stop pestering me about this? I will take it under consideration, but things are a bit different now and you know that. The beginnings are always shaky in such situations. Besides, I don't know how long we will be gone anyways."
Ellie hugged him once more before he left and whispered a few things in his ear. Chuck nodded and gave her a wan smile, "I'm going to go pack for my trip and get a good night's sleep. Anna, take care of our BuyMore nerds while I'm gone. Don't let Lester boss you around too much. Captain, you and Ellie should get some sleep too before your early morning shift tomorrow. Come on Grimes, let's go."
Sarah quickly left in the opposite direction. Hugging the walls and staying in the shadows, she reached her car in no time. She set up the watch and waited for Casey to call her in. Just as she started wondering what was taking him so long, she got the call from Casey.
"Walker secure."
"Casey secure. Listen Walker, General Stanfield took Bartowski's request to heart and made the call to both the NSA and the AG. Graham and Beckman are in a call with them and the DNI right now and our orders are to observe and keep watch for the night. Good thing I had his apartment bugged earlier in the day. I also checked with our techies, there was no call or even a text to or from Bartowski's phone. He was most probably bluffing, but I can understand where he's coming from. I will join you shortly and we will setup a rotating shift. As soon as our bosses get out of that meeting, they will call us." He hung up without saying good bye.
Sarah was a bit surprised General Stanfield moved so quickly, but considering that Chuck had saved hundreds of lives today, she should have expected it. She was amazed she was still alive, the bomb she saw today was unlike any she or Casey had ever encountered before and for someone like Chuck to come along and defuse it with porn? Chuck was right, this was definitely a story to tell your grandchildren one day. No sooner had she finished that thought, she recognized the fallacy of that dream. For it was just a dream, people like her would never get to live to be old enough to have any children, forget about grandchildren! It was people like Chuck who would get to pass on these kind of stories and she would do everything in her power to make sure he got that chance. He deserved it for being just who he was. This was the reason she was still working at this job after all, so that civilians like the Bartowskis get to live their lives chasing the American dream.
Casey had joined her after fifteen minutes in her car and they were now waiting for the call from Beckman and Graham. After about half an hour, they finally got the call.
"Casey and Walker secure."
"Agents Casey and Walker," it was General Beckman, the NSA director and she did not sound happy at all, "first of all, I want to congratulate you both for the excellent job tonight. As per the NSA and the DNI's suggestion, you would be awarded yet another Intelligence Commendation Medal to add to your illustrious service record. Good work. Now, what can you tell me about the situation with the Intersect and Mr. Bartowski? Are you telling me he was able to deduce correctly about the assassination attempt tonight based on the information in the Intersect from the NSA, CIA, State Department and the FBI, just by some visual and audio triggers?"
Casey responded, "Yes Ma'am, he did. Bartowski was a bit flippant and I would say a little too sure of himself, even when faced with two guns directed at him from CIA and NSA agents. He even reminded us that we have no real jurisdiction to operate on US soil, nor could we arrest someone without local authorities being involved."
Graham agreed, "Unfortunately, Mr. Bartowski is correct and we were reminded of this fact by the acting Attorney General in our meeting. After we apprised them of the complete situation at hand, let me tell you him and the NSA were not at all happy with the way we let things go out of control. We have been asked to make sure we follow protocols and the law to the tee and that none of our weapons or technologies fall into the hands of a civilian in the future. We are very lucky that Mr. Bartowski is co-operating with us and did not decide to make life too difficult for us instead."
Beckman continued bitterly, "We have also been strongly advised to make sure we give Mr. Bartowski the option to get these Intersect files removed from his brain safely. And to make sure we do the proper medical tests on him before and after the removal."
Sarah was a bit confused by now, "But General isn't that what we want anyways? To get the classified Intel out of a civilian's brain? I thought that was always the plan."
"Agent Walker, you were part of the Project Omaha, yes?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Then you know the real objective of the project has always been to find candidates who can upload and retain as many of the encoded images in their brains as possible. But we never in our wildest imaginations believed it likely for an individual to survive downloading the entire Intersect database in his brain. Mr. Bartowski has not only survived this with no noticeable side effects so far, but he was also able to draw the conclusions which hundreds of our analysts and supercomputer AIs missed. Take tonight as an example. All the information in Mr. Bartowski's brain was already there in our systems, yet we could not connect the dots after sifting through all the chatter. Mr. Bartowski was not only able to do this, but he also showed initiative, bravery and courage to lead you to the bomb and when you both failed to defuse it, he came up with a solution just in time to save the day! And all this without any help from the Intersect! And now the NSA and the AG have more or less ordered us to let him go and not bother him unless he wishes to work with us! How do you think that makes me feel?"
Sarah and Casey looked at each other both wondering the same thing, 'What the hell have they landed themselves into?'
Graham took over, "Agent Walker, you interacted with our subject more socially. What's your opinion on his character? Will he accept the offer to work for us?"
Sarah was thrown for a loop by her boss's last question, 'work for us?' She decided to be honest, "Sir, if you had asked me about him before Agent Casey joined us, I would have said he is a nice, charming, honest and sweet guy who loves his family and friends and was just unfortunate enough to have his life screwed over and over by Agent Larkin. But once I got into a standoff with Agent Casey and he flashed on the bomb in the hotel, it was like he was a totally different person altogether. It was a bit jarring to be honest."
"What do you mean by having his life screwed over and over by Agent Larkin?" Beckman asked.
"Agent Larkin was Chuck Bartowski's best friend since freshman year at Stanford, he was somehow responsible for Chuck getting accused of cheating and dropping out of school. He also slept with Chuck's longtime girlfriend after this incident, in spite of knowing that Chuck was planning to propose to her. Oh, and let's not forget, he sent Chuck sensitive government intel on his birthday, after being out of touch with him for five years."
Graham's voice was thoughtful, "Ah, this level of detail was not there in his file from the background check we did earlier. What we surmised from our previous check was just the bare details - bright with an IQ off the charts, but unmotivated and an underachiever. Our analysts were able to dig up some more details on his family however. His mother, Mary Bartowski, abandoned her family in 1989 and his father Stephen Bartowski left his two children in early 1996, as soon as the elder sister was of legal age. We didn't catch this before, but his sister's boyfriend is a commissioned reserve officer for the US Army Medical Corps and has even had a year long stint in Afghanistan in 2003. This prompted a closer look at Captain Devon Woodcomb and his family and it turns out his parents are well known and highly respected doctors from Connecticut. The father, Dr. Woody Woodcomb, is in fact the current senator for Connecticut since 2006 and is very well connected on the DC circuit. It could be the reason why the AG was so concerned about Mr. Bartowski's welfare earlier in our meeting. He must have recognized the link between Bartowski and the Woodcombs. Mr. Bartowski is also quite rich for an electronics store employee, the children came into some inheritance money from his paternal grandmother's side in August 2001. He has invested his inheritance money in the stock markets very wisely. Looks like our boy is a self-made millionaire and made a killing during the Enron scandal in 2001."
Sarah was surprised at the last bit and thought, 'Hmm, so he has excellent financial acumen as well', "Well Sir, I was listening in on his conversation with his family tonight earlier. He told them he will be going on a backpacking trip for a short while tomorrow with me, whom they knew he had a date with. Apparently, they are quite used to his habit of just upping and leaving with a day's notice to go on his trips. He calls them some kind of a quest where he gets to meet new people, learn about their culture and increase his skills. Speaking of his skills, yesterday, when I broke into his apartment as a robber and tried to steal his computer, he and his friend walked in on me. Naturally, my face was covered with a mask, so they couldn't identify me. I tried to overpower him and make a quick get away, but he was able to block every punch and kick of mine and believe me, after he landed a lucky hit on me, I was not pulling any punches. It was then that I caught on to his strategy, he was just stalling me until the cops came, so I pushed him and ran out. I would say he is very well versed in self-defense in close combat. He didn't follow me when I put some distance between us, probably because he was wary of the robber pulling out a gun."
"Hmm, that's interesting. If he was able to defend himself from a full frontal attack by someone of your caliber, I would rate his skills very high. Anyways, you two should move him to an off-the-books safehouse tomorrow and provide him with round-the-clock protection. Don't use any of the regular CIA or NSA facilities. The less people who know about this, the better. Setup a call tomorrow once you are all settled and we will see if he accepts our job offer. I am thinking he will be more receptive towards the idea of working for the NSA than the CIA, because of Larkin being one of us. What do you think, General?"
"I completely agree, Director Graham."
Casey asked, "Ma'am, I thought we were to bring him with us to DC."
Beckman was circumspect in her reply, "Major, we still haven't been able to determine how Larkin knew about the DNI facility or about the NSA program he used for stealing the Intersect files. There is a very good chance that we have a traitor or a compromised member in the Intersect team. Bringing Mr. Bartowski to any of our DC facilities will just paint a target on his back and we don't want that. You two don't know this, but a few months back, one of our young and most promising scientist from the Intersect team went missing. He was found dead a week later, having been tortured extensively. So, we are going to exercise as much secrecy as we can in this matter. Get the safehouse set up for all the medical tests we need to perform on Mr. Bartowski. The neurologists we assign you will be having no idea about the real identity of our patient and your job is to come up with a convincing cover story to explain the necessity of all the tests they perform. Is that understood?"
"Yes ma'am."
"As far as the removing the Intersect information from his brain, in case Bartowski declines to work for us, we will first have to vet all the current NSA scientists working on the project and see if any of them are a security risk, before we send them to LA. That will be all Agents, we will talk to you again tomorrow," and she closed the connection.
Casey let out a snort mixed with a grunt, "Didn't see that one coming, Walker. Looks like this assignment got a little more interesting."
Sarah just nodded and sat lost in thought at all the new revelations. Flashing back to her previous day's comment on the phone to Jerry, it dawned on her that this assignment won't be such a 'piece of cake' after all. Chuck Bartowski was definitely a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.
A tall and fairly muscular young man entered the underground secret room with a heavy air. He knew he was brooding, weighed down by the sudden turn of events in the past few days, but he couldn't help it. He had secretly always feared of this possibility, but never thought it would come true in such a fashion. All that cloak-and-dagger business had apparently been for naught. His destiny had come calling and he had been swept up in this whole affair against his will. A young lady of about thirty years of age was standing in front of the computer terminal waiting for him to start the proceedings. She was an attractive woman with an elegant beauty that would turn the heads of most about every man in a room that she walked in. Standing just short of six feet by a few inches, one of her most attractive features was her dark brown hair, which by the way not many knew wasn't their natural color, and her deep hazel eyes that usually held a natural kindness and compassion towards her fellow men. Right now, however, those eyes held more than a touch of despair and anguish towards the person who had joined her in their secret base. She was struggling to remain professional and fought the urge to just take him in her arms and soothe away his misery and fears. As he came to stand up near her, she gave in and squeezed his arm comfortingly, letting him know without saying anything that she would be there for him, no matter what.
The man smiled at her briefly, turned to the computer screen and addressed the person at the other end of the video conference in his thick Alabama accent, "Hello Boss! Thanks for never accepting my resignation and looking out for my interests. I take it you've brought the good Lieutenant up to speed on the situation so far?"
Deputy Admin Hartwell nodded and waved his thanks away, "Oh please, Jimmy! As if I would let one of my best agents in the agency waste away his career in the prime of his life! I told you when you tried to resign, you could take as much time as you needed to find your way forward. I'm really sorry about the manner in which you were pulled back in the fold, but we should look at this as an opportunity rather than a curse. The events from the past few days have stirred up a hornet's nest in the Intelligence community and the CIA and the NSA directors have been running around like headless chickens. Those two have long denied us a fair share of the pie, throwing us a few scraps here and there to keep the top brass satisfied, but no more! We have an advantage for the first time, no matter how fortuitous the circumstances that led us to where we are. Irrespective of who you are and who you work for, I know the NSA director will play hardball and won't give in easily to our demands. She guards her turf fiercely and will use every tool at her disposal to thwart our attempts at creating a joint inter-agency task force. It's better that you continue to use your cover until I get things sorted. With the blessings from the President, the National Security Advisor and the Attorney General, she will have no option but to accept my proposal eventually. Until then, carry on as you were."
Special Agent James 'Jimmy' Cooper smiled sardonically at his superior, "Ever the politician, eh boss?"
Hartwell shrugged unabashedly, "I will do what needs to be done for the good of my agency and the people who work for me, Agent Cooper. I have not reached where I'm today by being nice. Are you telling me you would have made a different choice if you were in my position? You know I never wanted this for you. I've tried everything I could to prevent you from being used in such a way. But nobody could've foreseen that the actions of one man would destroy all our safeguards and preparations so far."
Agent Cooper nodded grudgingly, "You are right, boss. I'm just angry at the situation, I guess. I will do what needs to be done. No worries."
Hartwell smiled at him, "I'm not worried Jimmy, I knew I can count on you to be discreet and do your best. Lieutenant Turner, please hand over his badge and service weapons to Agent Cooper. I don't trust those CIA and NSA types to not try and pull one over us when our guards are down. Keep your service weapon with you all the times as well, Helen. It might come in handy when you least expect it."
Lieutenant Helen Turner of the US Navy nodded and left to retrieve the items from her personal locker in the saferoom.
Hartwell addressed him once more, "Jimmy, once the NSA director learns of your truth, she will leave no stone unturned trying to get you under her thumb. I have to ask, are you sure you don't want to work for her agency? No second thoughts on your part?"
Agent Cooper accepted his badge and his trusted Glock 23 from Lt. Turner as well as the newly issued subcompact Glock 27 that served as his backup and answered his superior resolutely, "Boss, I don't know if I'll ever trust the NSA again. And it will be a cold day in hell when I work for them, when they have someone like Beckman at the helm. So no, you don't have to worry about my loyalty to you or to the agency."
Hartwell gave a self-satisfied nod, "Nobody's questioning your loyalty, Jimmy! I just wanted to hear it from you one more time to be absolutely sure that this is the way you want us to proceed. Good night you two and be careful. Until next time."
After Hartwell had signed off, he turned and waited for the inevitable hug of death as he liked to call it, from the woman next to him. He wasn't disappointed and she practically flew in his arms, clutching him so tight, he found it hard to breathe, "Oh, you poor, unfortunate soul! Why does it have to be you, damn it?"
He disengaged from her gently and tried to reassure her, "Hey, don't worry too much. Everything will work out fine, you'll see! At the back of my mind, I always knew this day might come. I just didn't expect it to catch me unawares. I will be careful and be on my guard always, I promise. I may have to take out my primary SIM from my cellphone, but will keep the secure one on. You will be able to track my location and keep in touch with me. Just remember, no calls, only text messages. Don't want to give anything away. I told you earlier, the situation is very fluid and things are not what they seem, didn't I?"
She gave a sad, shaky laugh, "Yeah, and just when I had built up such high hopes for you!"
"Come on, I have to go pack and you need to get some sleep as well, if you want to be ready for work tomorrow morning."
Lt. Turner sighed and nodded sadly, she had indeed known about his situation from day one. Being who he was, it was no surprise he would simply shrug off the danger and give his best to his employers and his country. She hugged him one last time, kissed him on his cheek and left through the door at the other end of the basement.
Feeling nostalgic, the agent in question scanned the array of servers and electronic equipment in his room one last time, turned off the lights and left through the other door. He was tired to his bones and wanted nothing more than to crash on his bed and forget the day he had had. But he was sure the nightmares would be back in full force tonight and his sleep would be anything but peaceful.