Don't own Chuck
Seeing no one was looking Chuck slipped out making his way to the detention area. There where questions he needed answers to and he wasn't going to let anyone get in the way especially not the General. He made his way down the corridor to the dentation area he found only one guard on post so when he wasn't looking he slipped past. Outside Marco's cell he placed his hand on the scanner he had to work fast before someone saw him on CCTV. The light came on blue then turned red 'access denied' so he punched the scanner breaking it. Behind the screen was the wiring he reached inside shorting out the bypasses granting him access. The door opened as alarms went off warning of a breech. Marco sat there at a table smiling up at him almost laughing. Chuck knew then it was go for broke and all his chips were on the table.
"You're here to release me. It's about time and I expect an apology from your Station Chief and government," said Marco but Chuck didn't answer he just turned to the control panel on the inside then put the cell in lock down.
"Now you're going to tell me everything I want to know," said Chuck as he slowly circled around behind him.
"If your people haven't gotten me to talk yet what makes you think I'll talk to you now? Or are you going to give me kiss?"
"Because I'm going to ask please," said Chuck as he pulled the chair out from under Marco causing him to fall forward. He caught his chin on the table first popping his head back before he hit the ground groaning.
"You're an American agent you can't do this," said Marco as he rubbed his throat and spit blood and teeth trying not to gag. Chuck grabbed him up twisting his arm behind his back he shoved him into the one way mirror.
"Maybe next time I'll say pretty please with sugar on top," said Chuck. "I can wrench your arms clean out of the sockets then leave you in a corner." Chuck applied pressure on the arm as Di Padua started to yell. "You sent killers after the wrong man's wife."
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Margo went to Comms Center to tell the General that Chuck would be with her momentarily while Mike went to contact the Embassy doctor and arrange for Sarah to be seen in her room. Margo walked in to find the General still in her same pleasant mood and Chuck keeping her waiting wasn't helping. So Margo began briefing her with the information she knew while she hoped Chuck would hurry up and show up. However, as she was explaining what they found out from Jack the detention perimeter alarm went off.
"Chief Silverman I appreciate the briefing but where is Chuck right now in this moment?" asked the General. Diane didn't have to be there to realize what alarms were going off. "Did you tell him that Di Padua was not to be touched?" When Margo was slow to answer she laid it out clear. "Let's cut to the chase I know you have him but did you tell Chuck he was to be released unharmed?"
"Well yes and he said he was okay with it. He then told me he'd be right here but wanted to well he was taking care of Sarah, Agent Carmichael… Oh his wife."
"Chief we have a problem," said Mike as he ran in interrupting Margo's briefing with the General. "You need to look at this."
"Mike not right now can't you see I'm on the horn with Langley. I'm sorry General for the interruption I can assure you this won't happen again," said Margo as she gave Mike the look of death.
"No, I think you look at that. Tell Chuck not to hurt Di Padua too much and he's not what he seems but I have a feeling Chuck will find that out soon. Beckman out."
"Let me see that," said Margo as they watched Chuck body slam Marco across the table. Christ, how did he get in there?" Mike started to answer. "Never mind just get some men in there right away before he kills him and Beckman has a cow then we'll all be unemployed."
"We can't, Chuck put the cell in lock down and reset the access code. I've got a team trying to cut their way in but that's going to take time."
"Let's go to the observation room at least we can listen in."
"Okay but he's disabled the mic."
"What's going on?" asked Sarah as she and Jack walked in. Margo gave her a look and she knew. "What's Chuck done?"
"If he wasn't a friend I'd shoot him. Mike, stay here with Jack and post someone on the hall close to Emma and the kids. Sarah come with me maybe you can talk some sense into him," said Margo as they ran back to the observation room in time to see and hear Marco slam up against the one way mirror.
"Chuck stop," yelled Sarah as she banged against the glass but he couldn't hear her.
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Emma took Sam and went to their room with Molly and Raz. It was late and Sam was sleepy so Emma changed her and put her in her bed. They could move her later but Sam was so tired she went straight to sleep. When Emma left the room she left the door ajar so she could hear if Sam woke up then went to check on Raz and Molly.
"What are you two doing still up," asked Emma finding both had changed into pajamas but were still awake playing cards.
"We want to wait for Sarah to come back," said Molly. "I'll see your two jelly bellies and raise you five more."
"I call what do you have?" asked Razib as he showed two pair but Molly had a full house so she raked in all the pot.
"Excuse me but what are you two playing," asked Emma realizing the kids were playing poker and using candy as chips. Somehow she knew whose doing this was.
"Texas hold'em Jack taught us," said Razib. "He said this would help me with my math and he was right just Molly's better especially when she deals off the bottom."
"I do not," protested Molly then Razib gave her a look. "Okay maybe sometimes a card accidently falls from the bottom, but you do too!"
"But I don't get caught."
Great, thought Emma, way to go Jack the model parent, just like you contributing to the delinquency of two minors and if Margo finds out I don't think she'll be so happy or amused.
"Is Sarah going to arrest Jack," asked Molly as she dealt out a new hand to Razib and herself then they both put in two jelly bellies as an opening pot.
"What?" said Emma a little taken aback by the question but she should've known this question was coming.
"Jack isn't a bad man. I've known bad men," said Razib. "Like the man that was in our room this morning he was a bad man. I could see it in his eyes."
"Wait a minute there was a man here this morning? Why didn't you tell me about this and where was Mr. Jefferies?"
"Oh he was here and they talked but Molly explained everything," said Razib as he saw Molly's bet and raised her three more.
"Oh Mom, he was just one of the guys you had looking for Dad. Don't you remember you couldn't find him and you had people looking for him. I call. What do you have?"
"Read 'em and weep four ladies," said Razib as he raked in the candy smiling ear to ear
"Crap! Diamond flush ace high."
"Molly language!" said Emma. Yes it's possible she thought one of the workers on the floor heard her looking for Jack so he decided to find him for her. That was nice of him to go out of his way for her but Razib said he was a bad man. "Can you guys put away those cards? I don't know what's going on between your sister and your father we'll have to wait for them to get back. Razib can you do me a favor and take my master keycard. Go to Chuck and Sarah's room Sam left Mr. Rabbit there. If she wakes up without it there'll be hell to pay."
"Mom language!" said Molly as she smiled.
"You're right I'm sorry… Well Sam won't like it and will let us all know it. So can you run along, it's probably on their bed or in hers."
"Sure I'll be right back," said Razib as he got up and left. Actually Sam was sleeping with Mr. Rabbit but Emma wanted to talk to Molly alone for a little while. She waited to hear the door close before sitting on the floor next to Molly.
"Molly we need to have an adult conversation. Can we?" asked Emma as Molly looked at the floor and nodded yes. "How would you feel if we moved back home to California? Back to your old school and see all your old friends?"
"That would be great. Raz could meet my friends and they could be his friends too. We could go to the park and to the beach. But we might have to move back to our old house. The apartment in Echo Park would be too small but I could take him to Ins and Outs. You know he's never been there before."
"Molly, Razib won't be able to come with us his mother lives and works here," said Emma. Molly looked at her puzzled then she saw Molly thinking.
"But she's his adopted mother she's a fake one. You could adopt Razib that would make him my brother then we could all live together and he'd be happy."
"Would he be or would you be? Molly, it doesn't work that way and Margo is not a fake mother adoption is serious. You have to love someone like your own child to adopt them which makes them even closer because you choose to want them. I don't know if you can understand but I hope you will someday?"
"Then I want you to adopt me because I want you to choose me and I want to choose you. Can I adopt you?" said Molly as Emma grabbed and hugged her. "Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, no Molly dear you said everything right," said Emma as she brushed back Molly's blonde hair and looked her in the eyes. "Yes I choose you and I'll always choose you."
"Then it's a deal," said Molly as she spit in her hand and held it out. "Morgan taught me that this is the way you seal a deal." Emma spit in her hand and they shook. She'd always questioned Morgan's hygiene but at least it was something she couldn't blame on Jack.
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Chuck had Marco up against the glass with his arm twisted behind him. He heard the banging on the glass and had a good idea who was on the other side but that wasn't going to stop him. He had every intention of putting into practice what he had threaten. Di Padua had to know that he was willing to do whatever it took to get him to speak and that his threats were more than just words.
"You hear that there are people on the other side of that glass trying to get me to stop. As we speak there are probably others cutting their way in but before they get in I'll have what I want or you won't walk out of here." Chuck spun him around then kneed him tossing him on the table like a sack of potatoes. He made a loud thud as he came down and moaned. Chuck grabbed him by the throat and squeezed Marco's face began to turn blue.
"This is your last chance to talk," said Chuck as he let up and Marco began to cough. "Wait what is this?" Chuck ripped open his shirt to reveal a rose tattoo over his heart and on his stomach the domes of three Russian Churches. "Vory v zakone bratva."
"I don't know what you're talking about. You were about to kiss me," said Marco. But his attitude had changed he was shaken.
"Sit down," ordered Chuck in Russian as he righted Marco's chair and offer him to sit down. Then Chuck went to the mirror and tapped out code for Margo and Sarah to come to the door. Chuck went over taking the cell off lock down.
"Just you two," said Chuck as he let Margo and Sarah in, "the rest will have to wait outside. I'm going to have to put the cell back in lock down. It's for everyone's good believe me."
"Okay," said Margo, "but if I don't like the way this is going I'm going to pull the plug. Beckman said something cryptic Di Padua's not what he seems but she had a feeling you'd find that out soon. You have haven't you?"
"Sarah look at his tattoos," said Chuck as he took her over to him and pulled open his shirt. She looked at his chest and flashed.
"You see anything you like."
"Marco or whatever your name is I'd mind my tongue but I'm willing to let you slid this one time but I won't promise anything about the future."
"You're bratva," said Sarah as she looked over at Margo. "What has my father gotten himself into and why are you coming after me?"
Chuck sat down on the table next to Marco reaching into his jacket he took out the flask Alexei had given him and offered Marco a drink.
"Volkoff," said Marco looking at the emblem. "Who are you?"
"You see my dear friend now we have a conundrum. You don't know who I am and I don't know who you are? I know who you want us to think you are, a banker, scoundrel, rouge member of the bratva. What are you trying to be either a shestyorka or kaznechey? I'm sorry Margo but some of this you should be able to understand. Sarah can help you understand but I'm going to have to switch to Russian."
"I don't know what you're talking about and I don't speak Russian"
"Okay let's start with the tattoos, the rose on the heart is the initial tattoo a brother gets when he joins then the church domes each dome represent the times you've been sentenced to prison. Three domes means three times but they're all wrong. You used too good a grade of ink in the tattoos but then again they didn't have to pass close inspection." Marco remained silent.
"Still nothing," continued Chuck. "Well it's time we take this back to the motherland." Chuck took a picture of Marco with his phone then dialed a number putting it on speaker he sat it on the table.
"Lubyanka square Federal'naya sluzhba bezopasnosti Rossiyskoy Federatsii[FSB]may I help you," said a woman.
"Da spasibo, I need to talk with Stefan Metrohken Sluzhba vneshney razvedki [VSR] tell him Juri Sheshenko needs to talk with him." Chuck and everyone else in the room could tell Chuck had hit a nerve. Marco was beginning to sweat and this time when Chuck offered he took the drink.
"Chuck, I was waiting for your call. I just found out a little of what's going on and we need to talk before you do something I can't fix."
"Here let me send you his picture," said Chuck. "I need to know for sure he's one of yours. I'm sorry if he got a little dinged up."
"I got it. Yes, he's one of ours. Spetsnaz," said Stefan. "It looks like you treated him well. The bruises will help him maintain his cover."
"How do I know this isn't some CIA trick," said Marco in Russian. Obviously they knew he was SVR so there wasn't any reason to keep on acting like he was something he wasn't.
"I have your service folder in front of me. You know who I am and that your boss works for me. 'A brave man acknowledges the strength of others.'"
"Knowledge is in the end based on acknowledgement," said Marco giving the protocolled reply to Stefan's challenge
"To treat everyone equally is offensive, because it fails to recognize anyone as an individual," replied Stefan. "Now you can answer their questions but I will remain on the line to listen. If you are asked any questions too close to our national interests I will instruct you not to answer. I'm sorry Chuck but that's the way it has is."
"I appreciate your position Stefan but I'm going to need a little wiggle room until I know what questions to ask. Can he tell me what his mission is and why my wife is involved?"
"I'll answer the first part; my agent has been working to the past five years under deep cover to infiltrate a terrorist organization led by a man known as the Merchant of Venice. Chuck and Sarah both flashed. They both saw the same images of documents and money being exchanged then a series of killings. Each frame flipped back and forth from one side to the other. A man carrying a hammer and sickle emblem handed an anonymous man an envelope with money followed by a series of homicides then another man with stars and stripes handed the same anonymous man money resulting in another series of homicides.
"Well he certainly didn't start that way," said Chuck looking back a Margo. "There are some secrets you're better off not knowing because people are willing to kill to keep them secret."
"Margo maybe this would be a good time for you to go up and check on the children," said Sarah looking over at Chuck and he nodded back.
"No I'm the Station Chief and I should stay. It's my job and besides someone is going to have to give our perp a ride out of town."
"Razib has already been an orphan once," said Chuck trying to make her listen to reason. "There's no reason to risk him becoming one again."
"Just dump me behind the casino I've got a car stashed close by I can pick up," said Marco thinking that he'd have to break his arm to sell his being taken and that he could use the car door. "I'm also going to need a local anesthetic for my arm."
"I'll have one waiting," said Margo as she stepped out.
"Okay you were trying to infiltrate the Merchant's circle but he didn't start as a terrorist. Both sides, yours and ours, set him up in the position he holds today with all our dirty little secrets."
"He knows too much," said Marco. "That's my mission to find a way to neutralize him as well as the secrets he has. That's where your wife and her father came in."
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Razib left Emma and Jack's room walking down the hall to Sarah and Chuck's. On his way he bumped into the chewing gum agent and true to form he offered him a stick. He thanked the man then went by continuing his quest for the missing bunny. After entering the suite he looked high and low for Mr. Rabbit but couldn't find him anywhere. He knew how fond Sam was of him and made an extra effort but he was nowhere to be found.
"Well Mr. Rabbit I can't find you anywhere," said Razib to himself. "Why anyone would want to make food a stuffed animal I don't know." He was thinking back to the skinned rabbits hanging in the market and the rabbit one of the old women fed to him with peppers, onions, carrots and tomatoes. "Sam would have a fit if she saw that," he said out loud as he gave one last look.
Then he heard the muffled sound of a fire cracker outside then he heard a moan and a dull thud followed by the same fire cracker sound again. He ran to the door and peaked out. In the hallway he saw the chewing gum agent lying on the floor bleeding and the man he didn't like from that morning standing over him with a pistol and a long barrel in his hand. The man searched the agent's pockets and took out a keycard then he watched him head down to Emma and Jack's.
"Crap," he said to himself. "Think now isn't the time to act like a baby you're a man Razib you've seen worse act like one. What would Chuck do? Chuck!" Razib went to the phone but there was not dial tone. He wanted to cry but he couldn't.
"Razib this is your destiny," he said to himself wiping his face with his sleeve. "The women are unprotected and I'm the only man." Razib crept out into the hall and silently took the pistol off of the dead agent. Working as a houseboy for the Toymaker everyone was expected to know how to use a weapon and he was no exception. The weapon was huge and cumbersome in his small hands but he pulled it out of the holster took off the safety then slowly and quietly followed the killer down to their suite.
Emma and Molly were still talking when they heard the door click. Emma figured Razib had finally given up looking for Mr. Rabbit so now she had to apologize and tell him she had found it which was technically a lie.
"Razib I'm sorry but I found… What do you want here?" said Emma as she walked out to find a strange man standing in the middle of their suite with a pistol in hand.
"I'm looking for Jack Burton but I'll take a hostage instead," said the man as he looked at Molly who just came out. "But I only need one and the kid is easier to carry. Sorry no hard feelings but to leave a witness would be unprofessional." He raised his weapon.