Don't own Chuck

Sarah pulled off the road just before arriving at the castle then took an access road that circled around behind. Getting out she looked up at the wall Stan said was too steep to climb. The fact was the climb wasn't easy but she'd already done it once before and the pitons were still in place so this time it would be even easier. Chuck got out and opened the trunk pulling out what he needed and began to change as she got her climbing gear together. Chuck didn't like that they were entering from different directions but from the intel they received it seemed necessary.

"How about a kiss for good luck," said Chuck as he caught her glancing over at him as he put his disguise on. He put his arm around her and pulled her in kissing her with his beard on.

"Ouch! Sorry it's hard to kiss you with that thing on your face," said Sarah. "I'm sorry but it tickles and it scratches."

"Really I was thinking about growing one," said Chuck as he checked himself out in the mirror. "Doesn't it make me look wiser?"

"Wise something all right. If you grow one I'll shave it off while you sleep. I swear I've got an old rusty cut throat razor somewhere and if you refuse to shave then we won't kiss anymore."

"Thought forgotten," he said as he kissed her gently this time. "Be careful and take your time going up. Remember good cop silent cop, Djokivic is a traditionalist and I don't think your ideas about the roles of men and women in society are the same. As hard as it maybe you need to let me do the talking and you can't let the Merchant get under your skin. Remember good cop silent cop. I'll try to provoke him to see what I can learn and things could get heated but you need to stay cool and calm."

"Okay good cop silent cop I got it. Don't worry about me Sweetie," said Sarah as she kissed him again. "This is hard I don't want to let you go but you need to or you'll be late."

"If it wasn't absolutely necessary I'd bring you in the front door with me. But after what we heard from Marco I'm afraid one of the Merchant's men might get trigger happy," said Chuck as he let go of her hand when he released it his felt empty. "Okay I'm going now see you inside love and..."

"I know be careful but that goes for you too."

He gave her one more kiss before starting the drive around to the front as Sarah began scaling the back wall. Chuck drove up to the castle and was challenged as he was about to enter the main gate. The guard radioed in and ask what to do with him. Once he got word he motioned for Chuck to drive into the courtyard and park.

"There's a man who just pulled up," said Marco coming back in. "He's driving an Aston Martin DBS V12 Silver Birch wasn't that…"

"Yes it was," said Stan cutting him off not wanting to let Ševo know that something was going on. But he didn't have to the old man could smell Stan's sweat.

"Well the driver is an old man and he's by himself. Come and see for yourselves," said Marco inviting them to a window. "I had him park in the courtyard."

"Good go and bring him inside, said Ševo as he poured two glasses of rakija and waited smiling like the cat that ate the canary. Marco waited in the doorway and watched as this elderly bearded man took two large cases from his trunk then carried both in.

"Would you like some hand carrying those. I've still got one good arm," said Marco thinking the man was pretty strong considering his age. But the more he looked at the man the more he was sure he knew him but he couldn't remember where they had met.

"No thanks Marco, I appreciate the offer but I feel kind of responsible for what happened to you," said Chuck as he looked at Marco and winked.

"Chuck! Jesus Christ go in the big boss is waiting. Remember you can't kill him. Wait where's Sarah? Jesus she's inside."

"Yes listen we need to talk fast. Ševo is a friend and I respect his neutral position in this so we won't do anything to violate the pact. I promise that but I will protect myself and my wife. Now let's go in or they'll start wondering why you're holding me up."

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Casey and Mary were sitting in their perch. John had his Barrett together and was observing the situation through binoculars and using a laser distance finder to mark targets. Mary finished putting her weapon together. She was a little bit slower preferring to take her time which she found paid off in the long run. Afterwards she got wind directions and barometer readings then she took out a PDA and with John's information did her math.

"Hey Mary I got Chuck, he's pulling up now in an Aston Martin… Jesus he's got that Juri disguise on again but I don't see Sarah, he's alone. Crap I know where she is," said Casey remembering they'd all made the climb before. "Alex," radioed Casey. "Take the Jeep and drive behind the castle. Remember the access road we took. I think you'll find climbing gear secure the area and make sure no one touches it. I think that's Chuck's escape route."

"Roger that I remember," Radioed Alex. Morgan drove while Alex rode shotgun and gave directions which turned out to be fortunate because Mišović took Marco's suggestion and sent two men to secure the back just in case. As Morgan pulled up the two merks were looking up at Sarah.

"Morgan swing wide," yelled Alex as she hung out of the vehicle and dropped both before they knew what happened then waved up at Sarah as she was looking down.

"Sweetie, the rest of the team is here," radioed Sarah as she continued her climb up and once at the window she found it opened like Ševo had promised. Looking back down, she switched frequencies on her watch/radio. "Guys thanks, you need to hide those bodies. Keep the motor running because we might be coming out of here hot."

Chuck turned around before he walked in looking at the mountain and smiled after getting Sarah's message. When he picked up static he knew she had changed frequency.

"What time is it?" asked Juri/Chuck as he entered the castle. He started to reset his watch as Marco gave him the current time. Chuck changed frequency too so the team could hear them.

"You're late that's what time it is," said Mišović. He was getting angry that Carmichael would after everything send in an old man to do his talking for him.

"Sorry I'm still on Costa Gravas time. May I…" Chuck was interrupted by Ševo who came up to him and hugged him.

"This is Juri Sheshenko, the terror of the Baltic and a man I consider 'sin od stric', the brother of my uncle. If Carmichael couldn't make it talking to him will be the same."

"Ševo you're too kind and here I brought you something," said Juri as he opened a case. Inside was a cigar humidor with the Costa Gravas Presidential seal.

"Juri prerevolutionary Costa Gravas double coronas," said Ševo. His face looked like it was Christmas morning. "Cigars genuine Costa Gravan tobacco rolled on the thighs of virgins."

"That's what Alejandro told me. I hope you appreciate my little gift but a guest shouldn't come empty handed, isn't that the tradition? Dobor dan drago mi je."

"You know our traditions better than some of our own people," said Ševo looking over at Dejan then he went and took the two glasses of rakija handing one to Juri. "Živeli, Cheers."

"Živeli, Cheers. Do you have any of that slatko that your wife makes? If you guys haven't tried any you don't know what you're missing. There isn't anything like it this side of paradise."

"Can we cut the crap and get down to business," said Mišović. "I didn't come here to talk to an old man I came here to talk to Carmichael. If you don't have any compelling reason I should talk to you then I'll kill you and leave."

"Now wait Dejan you can't, I gave my word and you agree to come," said Ševo. "Do our traditions and honor mean so little to you?"

"Ševo don't worry Mišović is a businessman and he'll do anything that is profitable even sell out his own for a buck. I'm afraid as we speak Dejan has brought troops in to secure the outside." Marco looked at Stan.

"Don't look at me I didn't talk," said Stan as he moved away from everyone. "It could've been anyone even you Marco."

"Let's all just calm down for a moment. Dejan I assume your people outside have orders not to come in until after you leave? Come on guys I wasn't born yesterday."

"Or the day before that," said Ševo as he passed Juri another rakija. "Živeli!"

"Živeli! So to cut the crap as you so colorfully put it this is the deal. First Carmichael wants to know why you're coming after this wife and father in law. Secondly he'd like to negotiate a cessation of hostilities that would be mutually beneficial."

"If he doesn't know he should ask his wife about Chicago and a dog named bunny," said Mišović. Chuck looked up and saw Sarah prowling up on the staircase. He hoped she could hold it together.

"He knows that she had a stuffed dog when she was little that she named Bunny but what does that have to do with this?"

"Nothing and everything, I was born in Chicago my grandfather was head of the brotherhood there warring with the Italians and Irish for control. My grandfather thought it would be good if my father married a woman whose father was Irish, O'Malley was his last name. But my mother didn't want to have anything to do with the business, my grandfather or the brotherhood so much to my fathers' anger and disapproval she kept her maiden name.

"So she kept her name O'Malley and what was her full name?" asked Chuck as he glanced up at Sarah who had a look that told him she remembered. Chuck switched off his mic. There was no need in the rest of the team hearing anymore. She looked back up at her and she mouthed 'thank you.'

"Well everything was soon forgotten when I was born and life seems grand for me at least until I was eleven that was when Jack Burton blew into town but that wasn't what he called himself then. I don't know how they met but the next thing I knew was my mother telling my father that she needed money to give this man so his daughter could be operated on. My father told her she was a fool and he wouldn't give her a cent so my mother took me to visit this kid in their hotel room. She thought if I talked to my father he'd listen to me.

"Did you visit the girl?" asked Chuck as he glanced up at Sarah who looked like she was beginning to well up. She remembered too.

"Yes she looked like death warmed over, all pale lying in bed motionless. I remember her voice being thin and weak that's when she told me the name of the stupid stuffed dog. I heard Jack and my mother talking about how much the operation would cost and that the doctors were hopeful for a full recovery but the operation had to be done now. He laid it on how they had spent all their money getting to Chicago. How he'd lost his wife to the same disease and that Angel was the only person he had left. If his Angel left him he might as well go throw himself into Lake Michigan."

"So were you able to get your father to change his mind and give Jack the money is that what's this all about? I'm sure Carmichael will be willing to make restitution."

"Restitution! Can he bring people back from the dead? No, I couldn't change my father's mind and he just got even angrier that my mother had dragged me over to see this kid. He said, 'this will make you weak when you have to make real decisions when you run the zadruga, the family.' Those were his very words."

"But it didn't end there did it, your mother got the money to give to Jack, how? I'm assuming we're talking about a sizable sum so where did she get it?"

"It was a half a million and she borrowed the money from the Italians who were quick to lend it to her. She gave them some of the jewelry my father had given her as collateral and the deal was done. Except the Italians went around town and told everyone my family was destitute and that they had to bail us out. My grandfather went through the roof and called my father in. He sent some people over to have a chat with Jack and the kid but both had skipped town in a hurry and all they found was that stupid stuffed dog."

"Jesus and you were only eleven. Listen I can understand you anger with Jack. Believe me I can but the girl she was about your same age. She was just following her father the same as you so why do you blame her too?"

"She wasn't innocent. She knew exactly what she was doing, playing up to my mother the way she did offering false affection, looking helpless and wanting. I haven't told you the end of the story yet when my father found out that my mother was conned she had an accident. Or that's what everyone told me but I knew better. My father killed her and you know he was right. She disobeyed him and got what she deserved."

"You can't mean that no one deserves to die and certainly not your own mother. A partner should never hurt his or her partner if they do what kind of relationship is it?" Chuck now realized that the Merchant was off his rocker, a medical term found in the Handbook Of PsychologicalAssessment, Fourth Edition. Gary Groth-Marnat. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

"That's not the end either the Irish owned the police so my mother's family wanted my father arrested and prosecuted but my grandfather said no. The compromise to avoid a war was we were sent into exile back to the old country. The Americans were looking for someone to deal with the commies and the commies where looking to negotiate without losing face so they came to my father and the Merchant of Venice was born."

"That's some story," said Chuck as he turned his radio back on. "Here drink this with me I insist. I think this is more to your liking." Chuck took out his flask and filled too glasses with an amber colored liquid. "I'll go first is you don't trust me." He took a large sip then finished his. Dejan sipped a little.

"Wow thirty year old single malt. Thank you but I'm still going to have to kill you," said Mišović nonchalantly. Chuck saw Sarah wipe her face and pull out her Smith and Wesson.

"Not so fast you don't want to know what's in this case," said Chuck as he opened it up and turned it around. Inside the big case tucked safely in foam padding was a pen drive.

"Excuse me what are we supposed to do with this," said Stan as he pulled it out of the case holding if in front of Juri.

"If you don't get that out of my face I'm going to shove it into your USB port along with my foot. You're holding three million dollars to make all of this go away. I understand you've got a cash shortage Carmichael is willing to do something about it."

"No, take your money," said Mišović. "I don't need it."

"Boss hold up a bit let's not be too hasty," said Stan. He had seen the latest financial reports and knew they needed that cash. "Maybe we can come to a compromise."

"Can we negotiate to save the woman?" Chuck looked up at Sarah who was shaking her head no but it didn't matter.

"No they both have to die. Carmichael picked the wrong wife. Wives are like ties you change them to match your suit. He should know that."

"But when you find the right tie, you want only it and you buy your suits to match the tie," said Chuck. "How about a six month stay to get things in order."

"One week I'm willing to offer," said the Merchant. "Six months is too long they could bury themselves in somewhere and I'd lose them again."

"One week is too short you can't do anything in a week. Remember they have to put a lifetime in whatever period we agree on. Two months.

"One month and that's it. My final offer now the password for the pen," said Mišović holding out his hand. Chuck handed him a phone.

"I'll send you a text with the passkey via text to that phone. I'll do that after you and your men are gone not before. It's not that I don't trust you but a smart man once said doveryai, no proveryai; trust, but verify." Chuck set up another round for Mišović this time palming a powder.

"Budem zdorovy [Let's stay healthy]," said Mišović as he raise his glass to Chuck. The irony didn't escape him so Chuck offered a toast back.

"Chtob vse byli zdorovy [Let everybody be healthy] so you speak Russian. I guess it makes sense with all the dealings you had."

"Well yes and as the Americans say time is money so I will say my goodbyes," said Mišović as he downed the rest of his drink then motioned for Stan and Marco to leave. Juri and Ševo shook everyone's hand then they left.

"You can come down now," said Chuck as he began to take off his disguise. "They're gone. Ševo you wouldn't happen to have another bottle of your rakija and some of your wife's slatko?"

"For you my friend anything after all we're related son of my uncle sin od stric which makes you kin too," said Ševo as he pulled a chair out at the table for Sarah to sit in. She sat slowly next to Chuck staring at him.

"John thanks for coming. Have everyone meet here so we can discuss strategy," Chuck radioed he could change the frequency on the watch so he could transmit but the earbuds were fixed so neither he nor Sarah could hear their reply.

"What?" he asked seeing her staring at him. "Did I miss part of the disguise? Or do I still have glue on my face or something?"

"No… Well huh… I'm sorry I was just trying to see if you were going to look at me differently now after what you heard? I can understand if you did. I won't blame you I've done some pretty…."

"Amazing things," said Chuck as he took her hand, "like making me the happiest man on the planet. Like loving me and marrying a nerd like me. None of that's changed."

"But Chuck how can you…"

"By breathing, you're my air," he said as he leaned over and kissed her then brushed back her hair and looked her in the eyes. "I love you and nothing will ever change that."

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" said Sarah looking back into his eyes. Nothing had changed. She had been afraid that he'd look at her differently but he hadn't. He had that same love look in his eyes she had always seen. There were no words that could express how happy this made her feel other than show it. She threw her arms around him pulling him close covering him in kisses."

"Yuck," said Casey as he walked in with Mary. "You two might want to come up for air. Your buddy, the Merk of Venice, didn't go very far and by the way not a bad plan getting his to drink those microbots now we can track him.

"Thanks John," said Chuck as Ševo brought food and drink smoking on a cigar. Chuck caught Casey's look and I thank you for that too. Casey just grunted.

"Hey dude did you start the party without us," said Morgan as he and Alex came in. Morgan took a glass from Ševo and downed it before Chuck could stop him. "Holy crap this tastes like Jeff's jailhouse juice. If you run out of gas you just a cap full and drive for a week. You sure you should be smoking around this stuff."

"Seljak," said Ševo as he took his bottle and sat it in front of Chuck

"What did I say?"

"Grimes I think you've just learned how to say troll in Serbian. Enough clowning around your buddy has a halo sitting on the other side of that mountain and as soon as you send him that passkey he's going to send his friends back."

"I was kind of expecting that," said Chuck as he took out his tablet from the one case bringing up a satellite view. "What's your extraction plan?"

"We've got a Black Hawk coming in from Aviano to take us back to the base. You guys are coming with us, aren't you?"

"I'd like for us to but we need to go back to Kotor. There will be eyes looking for us in the casino so we need to be conspicuous."

"Charles you can't believe that man will keep his word," said Mary looking over at Casey who nodded in agreement. "The man's… let's say unscrupulous not that there aren't other adjectives I could use."

"Then I'll have to teach him there are consequences if he breaks it," ask Chuck as he sent the passkey. "But it's good you're in Aviano you will need to move to Vicenza. I'll send you all the details but we're going to rob a bank."

"Well we need to get a move on it now that you've send that code."

"Oh Casey, Chuck always has a plan," said Sarah as she kissed him.

"Yuck, well I'd like to see it.