Don't own Chuck
Chuck got up and passed the chair to Sarah as he sat on the table listening to Marco go over his plan to get close to the mysterious Merchant of Venice. Marco found out he had an office off the Gran Canal he used a sort of headquarters and bank. The Merchant was a money funnel for Hydra part-time at first then went fulltime after the First Bank of Macau went under. However, his real money was made in wheeling and dealing both sides. His financial interests took a big hit when the wall came down and now again with the latest Hydra disasters. The truth was he was financially over stretched.
"I don't understand," said Chuck. "But if he's so hard up for cash why is he coming after us? Where is he planning to get the money to pay for the hits?"
"The old Merchant died a few months back. His son took over keeping the same name, a kind of continuity if you like but it's anything but business as normal. He's the one that put feelers out for you and your father. It was then he finally showed a chink in his armor."
"So you sold us out."
"Chuck," said Stefan. "Our fear is that he plans on selling off some of our secrets to the Chinese, Iranians, North Korean or anyone else who'll pay top dollar. That's why we need to recover this material."
"Sounds to me it ought to be destroyed. Why haven't you just gone in and blown up his bank with him in it? It must not be that simple."
"No it isn't," said Marco. "He's got deposits and archives all over the world. They're all keyed electronically back to the central computer in Venice. If it or he goes dead the material gets released. The only way to do this is to strike all the depots at once."
"I see like what was done to the Templars on Friday the thirteenth 1307 but even that didn't work. Some of them got away and if one of those depots is missed it could mean a diplomatic nightmare."
"Now you understand the problem so maybe when I tell you the rest you'll understand the situation I was in," said Marco.
"You mean when you sold out my wife and her father. Yes I want to hear how that took place," said Chuck grimly. Sarah reached up and took his hand trying to get him to calm down. "Sorry you were saying."
"A few months ago I was trying to get into the inner circle through a Bratva angle but was getting nowhere when this new Merchant put out feelers. I was told he was looking for a woman and a man. The woman was a ghost but he had a general description along with some aliases. But for the man, he had some old mug shots. Then one of my contacts in the Serbian mafia, the Yugos, told me that a man I was searching for looked a lot like a casino manager he knew in Montenegro, Jack so I came and got to know him. I took a few pictures, the bait was taken and I was in. The next thing I know I was brought to Venice and met a go between, a man named Paolo no last name. Paolo started making trips here and we began cycling money that is he'd drop it off, I'd pick it up."
"How much did Jack skim off," asked Sarah. "She remembered the argument Marco had with Jack the one that was recorded and Margo mentioned.
"He claimed a ten percent finder's fee which I thought was too high so we argued. I couldn't just very well roll over since I was supposed to be from the Bratva. I'm sorry if I got you involved in this but I thought you were a low life like Jack. I'm sorry that came out wrong but it's what I thought seeing all those mug shots Paolo had of Jack."
"I probably would've if I hadn't ended up here," said Sarah. "This sounds like someone my father received a donation from and now wants it back?"
"But how does that involve you?" said Chuck. "I just don't understand. Can you remember anyone who'd want to get Jack that badly and you as well? This doesn't make sense. If his father just died and left him the family business so to speak then he can't be that old and you haven't run with your father since high school."
"I don't know if this helps but there were two names we were told to keep an eye out for, a Katie O'Conell and a Rebbeca Franco."
Sarah looked up at Chuck and realized he had flashed she pulled his hand up to her and kissed it. She wanted to say she was sorry but couldn't. Those names she'd hoped she'd never hear again something she'd hoped she'd put behind her. But now ghosts from her past were haunting her present and she didn't know why.
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Margo left she checked with Mike and made sure Jack was under locked and key. He was a walking target and it was best for everyone if he took up residence for a while with them down below. She was riding the elevator up to the suites thinking about what Marco had said. Five years of deep cover, he had spent five years under, five years of friends and family he missed. There were birthdays, Christmases, births, deaths gone all gone. What that must've done to him was unimaginable to her. He'd to give up everything to assume another identity then live it and live with it. There were stories of illegals, ex-Soviet spies, who after years of living a cover refused to go home making their cover a reality. Those were the ones with a happy ending but there were others. She'd heard stories of good operatives losing it while undercover having the cover takeover.
"Well this is something I can't do," said Margo to herself. "I've got Raz to think of now and he's got to take priority. It just has to be that way he's only got me," she said out loud but she said to herself inside, "I've got only him." As the elevator was almost on the floor she heard the sound of a gunshot then heard two more in rapid succession.
"Crap," said Margo as activated her distress beacon then tried to raise her man outside in suites but got no reply.
"Margo what's going on," radioed Mike. "We got you call for help."
"I don't know I just heard three shots fired I tried to raise Tom but he's not answering. What have you got on the feeds," asked Margo as the elevator arrived on the floor the bell sounded then the doors opened.
"I don't have anything from the floor. Right now everything is dark and it looks like the feeds are down. Margo, hold your position I'm sending in backup. If you go in now you'll be going in alone and blind."
"My son is there. Mike waiting is not an option I'm going to leave my mic open have the guys gear up. I don't want to get anyone killed coming in unprepared."
"That goes for you too," said Mike as he looked over at Jack, like Jack was going to give him good advice. But he'd take it from anyway he could get it.
"Well are you going to listen to her and sit on your hands or are you going to do something about it? You know you like her, hell you followed her here from Italy so what are you going to do?"
"Screw it I'm not going to sit around and wait. Jack you wait here and don't move. Hell she can only fire me. I know who I need to get," Mike said as he ran back to the detention cell and knocked on the door until Sarah answered.
"What is it Mike? What's happened?" asked Sarah seeing Mike was out of breath and panting she knew something was going on. "It's Emma and the kids?"
"Yes, Margo just called in shots fired from your floor. She went in without backup I've got a tac tem gearing up but…"
"But that will take time. Crap, everyone is up there," she said as she ran without waiting. "Out of my way," she yelled as she ran through and shoved those out the way who didn't or were too slow.
"Where did Sarah just go," asked Chuck seeing her run.
"I need for you to come with me," said Mike.
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Oscar was coming back to the casino after the night's excitement. He had nothing to show for his outing other than he took out a competitor who was trying to shoot his target. The man had been a freebie, one he couldn't ask to be paid for but there was a certain satisfaction knowing there were a lot few competitors now. Oscar was wondering if his elusive boss was going to call him on the carpet. What happened wasn't his fault but his Mr. Smith might not see it that way. When he got to the elevators he was still lost in his thought then he saw an elevator about to close so he hurried to try and catch it.
"Hold that for me," yelled Oscar but the man inside remained motionless but Oscar was able to get his case in the door and they automatically reopened. "Sorry I'm tired and I just want to get to bed. Slow on the floor?" Oscar said but his travelling companion remained silent.
"Busy night," said Oscar as he pressed the button for his floor trying to get some response but nothing. He noticed the man had pressed the button to get off on floor above his. Oscar was being to wonder if the man spoke English but he had a dealer's uniform on with garters on both sleeves and a waistcoat. Oscar rode up with his silent friend but there was something about the man that was off, something that just wasn't right. He was trying to figure it out when the elevator stop, the bell rang and the doors opened.
"Your floor sir," said the man to Oscar as he hesitated in getting off.
"What? Oh yes," said Oscar. So you can speak English he thought as he got off. He was still perplexed he was about to turn and wish the man a good evening just to see if he'd answer when the he pushed the 'close doors' button then proceeded up.
"Maybe you're in a hurry," mumbled Oscar as he headed to his room when a light came on. Why would a dealer who should be working be riding an elevator up to where guests were staying that was against most casinos policy. He thought about what was above him then dropped his case then yanked out of this Jacket pocket the map of the hotel his benefactor had left for him.
"Crap," he said he had remembered correctly the rooms of interest were located above. Oscar grabbed his case ran through the fire escape then flew up the stairs to the floor above. "Who am I working for," asked Oscar winded as he reached the landing. He heard the sound of supressed gunfire and knew he was right. Sitting his case down, he pulled out his Makarov then opened the door slowly. Looking down the hall he saw a man lying on the floor bleeding, a boy with a Sig 9mm pointed at the man who had been in the elevator with him. The man now had a supressed Glock 9mm aimed at a woman Oscar could barely see in the suite at the end of the hall but he saw she wasn't his target.
"This isn't your business," said Oscar to himself. "Let nature take its course. You shouldn't get caught up in this. You don't have time and Mr. Smith will get pissed." But something inside told him the boy was just a boy even though he might be holding the gun like a man who knew what he was doing. However, shooting bottles, cans and even silhouettes was not like shooting a real breathing person. Oscar had almost talked himself into leaving when Razib fired before he could go. As he had thought the boy was shaking so much he hit the door frame then the man spun around pointing his pistol at Razib.
"Down," yelled Oscar as the man turned to shoot but Oscar shot first hitting the man twice in the chest, center mass right through the heart. The man dropped to the ground as Razib froze turning white as a sheet. Oscar heard the elevator coming so he turned and ran back out the fire escape going back down to his room.
"Crap that's the second freebie this evening," said Oscar as he made his way back down to his room. "I'm going to starve if I keep up like this. I'll have to put out a tin cup to collect change to buy bullets soon."
Margo stepped off the elevator and cleared the corridor around the elevator then she went to the corner. The hallway was 'L' shaped and as she came around she thought she heard the fire escape door close but what she saw shocked her. She found her agent dead lying on the floor with another man lying on the floor in the doorway to Emma and Jack's suite. In the middle of the corridor Razib stood pistol in hand shaking white as a bed sheet.
"Raz, Raz," said Margo, but he didn't reply. "Raz turn around and look at me." Raz turned slowly shaking like leaf. "Raz give me the gun," said Margo as she slowly walked up to him putting her weapon away. Razib still didn't answer he was in shock and just stood there shaking. Margo put her hand on the pistol it was still warm. "Let go, let me have it," she said as calmly as she could taking the pistol from him then hugged him and he began to cry. Emma walked out slowly.
"Razib, Sweetie you saved us," said Emma as she knelt next to them. "Molly's watching Sam I didn't want her to see this."
"What's going on?" yelled Sarah as she ran out of the fire escape with her weapon drawn and at the ready. "Is everyone okay?"
"Yes, Razib saved us," said Emma, "that man was going to kill me but Razib shot him. You saved me. Thank you."
"But no don't you see," said Razib as he broke away speaking in Maghrebi Arabic. "I missed I shot over there," he said as he pointed to the doorframe. "There was another man he saved us. When my gun went off that man turned to shoot me but I… Well I couldn't move but there was this other man he shot him twice I think."
"Margo, Raz is saying he didn't kill that man that there was another shooter and I think he's telling the truth I've got three shell casings all three nines but two have Cyrillic writing on them," said Sarah. Razib in the shock had reverted to speaking his native language.
"There's only one missing," said Margo as she examined the clip from the pistol she had taken off Razib. "Did you pass anyone on the stairs as you came up?
"No which means our shooter could still be in the casino." They heard the elevator rang on the floor. Sarah looked at Margo and both drew weapons pointing them at the bend in the corridor as Chuck, and Mike came around.
"We come in peace," said Chuck as he walked up to them going around the downed agent then over to Sarah and Emma. "You should've let me come with you or don't you realize you're a target the same as Jack is?
"What's Chuck talking about you being a target the same as Jack? What's going on?" asked Emma looking at everyone waiting for an answer.
"It's a long story Mom and I'll explain after we get everything taken care of here," said Sarah as she gave Chuck a look for opening his mouth.
"Raz are you alright?" said Chuck noticing Razib looking down at feet and when he got him to look at him his eyes were puffy and red. Chuck went over and put his arm around him. "Maybe you and I should go and have a talk. Would you like that?" said Chuck in Maghrebi. "Then come with me." He led Razib to their room and went inside.
"I got the cameras back up," said Mike, "I put the tac team on stand down and I've got a group coming up to sanitize the hallway."
"Good Mike you can dismiss the tac team and have someone take Tom down for processing home. I want it noted he died with honor. Take the other guy down run DNA, fingerprints and facial recognition I want to put a name the body."
"I can stay and help," said Sarah. "Maybe I can see something that might give us a clue as to what's going on."
"We don't need any clues because we all know this guy was a hired killer sent here for you and Jack. The best thing you can do is go down with Emma and stay inside. We'll process everything and run it by Chuck. You need to maintain a low profile until we can figure out what we're dealing with and come up with a plan."
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Chuck took Razib into their room then pulled up a chair and had him sit down then Chuck got a chair for himself placing it in front of Razib. Chuck went over to the fridge-bar in the room and took out a bottle of water. After opening it he handed it to Razib.
"You might need to drink as we talk," said Chuck as he rubbed Razib's head and hugged him. "Raz I know you've seen things that I wish you hadn't. I wish I could've protested you before and I'm sorry. I sorry if the adult world came crashing down on you too soon." Chuck had an idea. He took the pillows off the bed and threw them on the floor then sat on one inviting Razib to join him.
"Do you want to talk Bedouin style?" Razib's eyes lit up and he nodded yes as he got up and sat on the floor next to him. Razib looked up at Chuck then looked back down. "Raz tell me what you want. Maybe if you start with why you weren't in the room with Emma would be a good place to begin."
Razib took deep breath then began by explaining that Emma had sent him to their room to look for Mr. Rabbit then the noise he heard in the hall. He went to investigate then everything that happened after that. But when he finished Chuck realized there was more to the story than the facts of what happened.
"There's more isn't there? Does it have to do with why did you miss? Or why you only shoot once? It's all right you can tell me and I promise you'll feel better. Razib, you trust me don't you?"
"Yes, yes, okay," he said as he mustered up courage. "Well you see… huh I was a coward I couldn't shoot. I didn't want him to hurt Emma but I didn't want to kill him. I'm a coward there now you know. I almost got everyone killed because I was afraid."
"But you didn't and let me tell you a secret I don't like guns they make me scared too. Raz I would be worried if found it easy or you told me you weren't scared. Shooting, hurting someone else should never be easy. That man who was killed, he was a bad man he wanted to hurt you and Emma but he was a man, a human being too. What I'm saying is your reaction was normal. You weren't a coward."
"But I acted like a woman freezing then crying and that almost…" Chuck cut Razib off before he could finish.
"Raz this has nothing to do with being a man or a woman. It has everything to do with you being a human being. A coward would've run but you stood your ground even when you could've been hurt. I don't think you froze but you faced your enemy and looked him in the eye. You might have felt scared I would've too that's normal but you didn't wavier. You stood your ground," said Chuck as he reached over and hugged the boy. "Raz you're not a coward you are one of the bravest people I know."
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Sarah walked back with Emma to her room inside they found Molly curled up with Sam in her bed so they decided to leave her for the time being. Sarah walked back out to the living area and could tell Emma was waiting for the answer she had promised to give but she wasn't sure how to tell her. She walked over to where Jack kept a bottle of Johnny Walker Black pouring herself a drink maybe a little liquid courage would help. But the bottom of bottles are always poor counselors.
"Would you like one," asked Sarah pouring Emma one anyway. "Here you're probably going to need this. You want to know what Chuck meant about Jack and me being targets?"
"Yes, tell me what has you father done now? I swear the man just can't stop."
"Mom he hasn't done anything. Why do you always assume he's done something? It's not fair. I'm sorry I shouldn't… Well It's about what he did or better what I did with him. Someone is looking for Katie O'Conell and Rebbeca Franco. Don't you see? That was me before. Mom our chickens have come home to roost I'm afraid."