Casey Vs. The Deja Vu
Chapter 23: Ultimate Revenge
Chuck pulled into the Buy More at 10:30am. Casey had him park away from the front entrance to avoid distractions. Chuck stammered.
"Casey … is that my heart pounding loud, or yours?"
"It's my head and your heart, you never gave me the Painkillers. I don't see either of them."
Casey peered through the grimy windows and his breath hitched. He saw Julia, with their little Charlotte skipping by her side. Both wore a yellow sundress. They happily made their way into Orange, Orange. Casey grabbed Chuck.
"Chuck, listen to me carefully. I need you to go to Orange, Orange, and keep Sarah, Julia, and Charlotte in there at all costs!"
"Casey, Sarah's gonna know something is up, she'll smell the gasoline and everything."
"Oh great. Why didn't you change your … never mind! Okay, alert her about Costa, but her orders are to protect you and my family. Tell her Beckman called me on the spot, with no time for a briefing. Bring them to the hideout if you have to, just keep them safe!"
Chuck wrangled out from his grip. "Casey, you're gonna need my help. You don't even know what kind of bomb it is, we're not even sure it's in the Nerd Herd! You might want two pairs of eyes on it! The Intersect may have instructions to disarm it!"
"There's no time for that! Chuck. Lane and Costa are cold-blooded killers and they want you dead. If they so much as see a lock of your curly head, you're a goner!"
Casey stumbled from the car, the pain radiated down his arm and slowed him. He turned to Chuck with pure desperation.
"Please, Chuck. I don't care what happens to me! I came back to save everyone else, don't make it difficult!"
Chuck came out of the car determined. "All right, do what you have to do!"
Chuck ran to the frogurt shop and waved to him proudly. "Go get em,' Casey!"
As Chuck approached the entrance, he glanced at the Buy More and narrowed his eyes. There'd be too much suspicion with Casey roaming around the store injured on his first day of vacation. If the bomb was in the Nerd Herd, Chuck felt he should be there to scope it out. He imagined Lester and Jeff giving the big guy a hard time, or Big Mike badgering him to check on some incoming stock. Chuck groaned. He made a promise. He rushed into the shop with a huge smile for Casey's family and Sarah.
~Oo~
Casey strode casually through the entrance, trying to avoid eye contact with the employees. He realized how ridiculous he looked in Chuck's tight gray tee shirt and the comatose man's high-water, pale Levis. His body ached from head to toe. The pain in his arm was so severe he wondered if he were having a stroke from all the pressure. It was the same shoulder that took a beating when the truck slammed the hummer. He thought of Rhea's exhilarating massage and grief hit him. She must've known Costa would kill her for the betrayal, but whatever fears she had, she never told him. She only felt that she deserved what punishment came to her.
Morgan gawked at Casey and headed in his direction. Casey tried to duck behind the DVDs.
"Hey, John! John! I thought you were on vacation, man. Neat outfit! What happened, left it too long in the dryer, huh? That always happens to me, but I don't mind, ya see, since I'm short, everything I buy is usually too long. Hey, have you seen Chuck around? He was supposed to clock in about an hour ago and BM's busting chops."
Casey grunted a 'no' and was about to stalk away then realized Morgan could actually be useful. He pulled the little sales clerk back to him.
"Did you happen to see a man in here, mid-fifties, salt and pepper hair, Latino looking?"
Morgan scratched his head, trying to remember. "Umm … uhh … oh yeah! That dude was a little creepy; he wanted a laptop fixed or something, he put mad rush on it, needed it by eleven. Lester just dumped it behind the desk, he's on his fifteen-minute break. I wasn't gonna touch that thing, it's like six years old, ya see I have this morbid fear of old computers and … "
Casey's eyes widened and he cut him off. "Thanks!" He was about to run to the Nerd Herd, then clicked his teeth with regret.
"Hey Grimes, when's your next break?"
"In a half-hour, why?"
Casey dug into his pockets and tossed him a twenty–money he'd found in the comatose man's wallet. "Take Anna now and go buy yourselves some brunch or something. You need to get as far away from here as possible, you work too hard! Try that new Cinnabon all the way down the other end, it's delicious, man! Take your time too."
Morgan eyed the money delighted. "There's a new Cinnabon? Hey, man! Thank you! I'll go right now. Oh, Anna banana …"
Casey heaved a sigh; two more down, however, there was no time or funds left to play benefactor. He rummaged for the laptop and found it shoved under the desk. He checked the model; Morgan was right about the age.
"This can't be the bomb … unless it's the trigger!"
~Oo~
"Chuck, I can't just stay down here while Casey tries to find a mad-bomber in the Buy More. He's injured. You know the drill. You stay put and I go, it's my job." Sarah whispered through gritted teeth.
Chuck had been cautious not to scare Julia and Charlotte with the bomb story. He used the same excuse he had with Ellie about the gasoline smell on his clothes. The pretty mother and daughter sat toward the rear of the shop, indulging in frogurt and looking at tourist brochures.
Chuck leaned over the counter with a tight smile. "Sarah, you don't understand. I have to help him. As much as I hate the vagueness of this phrase, I'm gonna say it … It's complicated! Your orders are to keep them safe for Casey; he's depending on that!"
Sarah glared at him. "Beckman's the only one who gives the orders. I have to make a judgment call on this." She threw down her rag and tried to get out from behind the counter.
Chuck danced around, attempting to block her. "Sarah! Please! All right … all right, the truth is that … that …"
The entrance bells jingled, and a lone man walked in with a dark smile. Chuck turned around and had an instant flash of his own demise and the Buy More's destruction. He gripped Sarah's arm hard.
"Ouch, Chuck. Are you okay?" Sarah asked, wrenching free.
"That's him, that's Costa! He wants to kill me, he planted the bomb!" Chuck whispered.
Chuck rubbed his head from the imagery. Something wasn't right with this flash, the Intersect contained Government secrets, but it couldn't see the future. Sarah guided the man to a small table; he ordered a vanilla frogurt but kept his dark eyes intensely on Chuck.
Sarah came back to the frogurt machine. "Just stay calm, I'll figure something out."
Chuck nervously strummed his fingers on the counter. The tension was unbearable. He leaped from the stool and shuffled to the exit.
"Well, I better get a move on, I have to … "
Costa stood up abruptly and pulled out a handgun. "Nobody goes anywhere! You! Blondie, lock the door now!"
Chuck moved away from the entrance and Sarah did as she was told. She couldn't make any sudden moves with Costa's weapon pointed at Casey's family. Costa laughed aloud.
"Isn't this wonderful? I still win! I have the nerd and the Casey familia at my disposal. He thought he was so smart, they all did, but I know my own Satellite! I know how to work it!"
Julia grabbed Charlotte and huddled with her in the chair, trying to soothe her crying.
"Who are you? What do you want with us?"
Costa moved toward them menacingly, but Chuck jumped in front of him.
"Hey! Hey now! Leave them out of this! I'm the one you want! I'm the Intersect!"
"Yes, that's true, but the stakes just went higher! I have serious bones to pick with Major John Casey, and this will be the ultimate revenge!"