Don't own Chuck

Chuck handed Sarah the tablet then he had everyone move to the doorway. The rear tail light rolled up and a fireball jumped out followed a plume trail of smoke. Sarah switched from fire control back to satellite feed in time to see the Mil Mi-26 lift up then get hit falling back down making a hard landing. Chuck took out his phone and dialed a number putting the phone on speaker.

"Dejan one month remember was the deal and don't forget," said Chuck. In the background they heard the voices of men yelling and a state of confusion.

"Sheshenkov you old…" Chuck switched the phone to mute.

"Dejan shut up and listen I honor my agreements you should do the same sometime. Go home count your money I'm in contact now with Agent Carmichael and he's agreed to your terms. Oh and now when I hang up know that I will know if you try anything else and I will take the appropriate action. Have fun walking home." Chuck hung up

"Wow that was great dude," said Morgan. "You had me shaking there. You really nailed it that was much better than your Perchik."

"You think, thanks Morgan… Well okay you guys need to go back to Aviano I'll be in touch. Margo has contacted some people she knew in Italy to give you support. We need to go back to Montenegro where people can see us. For this to work the Merchant needs to think we're there."

"But while you're there we'll…"

"Be free to operate undetected. Once the Merchant deposits that money I'll get a map of his operation. There's a Trojan horse that will map out where all his accounts are including his numbered ones."

"But if you attack his money he'll get pissed off and release the intel he has on the agency," said Mary.

"That's when we need to be ready. Casey I'm sorry but you might have to do some plumbing again even if you don't know how to plumb."

"No problem," said Casey as he cracked him knuckles. "I'm not like the rest of you Nancy's I don't mind getting my hands dirty."

"Guys, I just want to thank you all for coming. You didn't have to but you came and I" said Chuck as he felt Sarah put her hand on his shoulder. "We want to thank you. You guys are the greatest friends anyone could ask for."

"And don't you forget it," said Casey as he ate and drank some of things Ševo put out. "What did you say this was called?"

"The preserves are call slatko and they are usually served with rakija which is a kind of homemade brandy."

"Why? Do you like it," asked Ševo fishing for a compliment.

"This is really good. I don't want to sound like a pig but would it be possible to get a little for the road? You know you ought to package this stuff you could make a fortune," said Casey. Chuck thought about Jack and smiled.

"Certainly I'll prepare some right away," said Ševo beaming with pride then he looked at Morgan with disgust. "Chuck at least one of your friends has good taste. Seljak." Chuck and Sarah both had a hard time holding a straight face.

"What did I do?" said Morgan holding his arms out. "Chuck if I'm being insulted at least I'd like to know what I'm being called."

"Morgan it translates to something like 'peasant'."

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Oscar drove back from the border feeling a lot lighter and in a good mood when he pulled up to the casino. He walked in and went to the casino floor. Right away as he went inside he noticed a lot less clientele. As he dropped some coins in the slots he had to wonder if it had something to do with the contract being put on hold. After losing his limit he quit then walked out to the bar where he got a Captain Morgan and coke then found a table. Looking over at the restaurant he thought about getting something to eat. Alcohol on an empty stomach was a bad idea. As he was making up his mind the boy he had previously saved and a little girl flopped down at his table.

"Excuse me but do your parents know where you're at," said Oscar trying to figure out if he should just get up and go or what. Now he really wished he hadn't drunk that rum and coke on an empty stomach.

"This is our break time from lessons and our teaching is up in our room. I want to start by saying thank you," said Razib. "You saved my sister and me as well as her mother." Oscar was trying to figure out this boy's family.

"Raz you're getting him confused. He's not my real brother but he's like my brother and well, yes I want to thank you too. You saved my mother and me as well as my niece." Now he was really confused.

"You have a niece? Aren't you a little young?"

"I have an older sister, Sarah. I don't know if you know her you might have worked together or sometime."

"Oh," said Oscar that was all he could think to say. He recognized the name as being one of the people that was on the contract. "Well I'm not admitting that I'm the person you think I am but if I were I'd say you're welcome. Now if you'll excuse me," said Oscar as he tried to get up.

"Wait there's one more thing. Are you a hired killer? If you are we want to hire you," said Molly as calmly as if what she were asking him to pass the salt.

"Excuse me?" said Oscar as he sat back down. "I don't believe I understood what you asked? You're looking for a hitman? Do you even know what that is?"

"It's a person who kills people for money," said Razib. "I used to work for the Tazi household as a servant. I met bad men there and some of them were hitmen and women."

"I've heard of them. You did? I'm sorry," said Oscar suddenly feeling sorry for the boy's ordeal and what he must've gone through.

"I told Molly that you weren't a killer I could tell but she wanted to meet you and ask. You see we're looking for a killer. You wouldn't happen to know one?"

"Excuse, why would you two need a hitman? Did your teacher give you too much homework or did some other kid steal your lunch money?"

"No and we're serious," said Molly getting a little angry. "There's a man that wants to hurt my sister and my father Jack. He's hired bad men to… well kill them so we were thinking if we hire our own hitman he could kill this bad man first."

"Oh my God, you're serious aren't you?" said Oscar as the kids both nodded. "Well I'm not saying I know any nor that am I one, but from what I've heard hiring a hitman could be expensive." He had to admit there was a certain logic there, twisted as it might be but it was logical.

"We've got about seventy five dollars plus I'm willing to work to pay off the rest," said Razib. "I can clean and do odd chores."

"I can too," added Molly.

"Okay let's do this you leave this to me. There's no need in becoming indentured servants over this?"

"Yes we've both have our teeth," said Raz. Molly gave Razib a strange look. "Dentures, you know false teeth. I knew a man who used to put his dentures in a glass every evening. It was pretty funny actually."

"Right no… I mean the cash you have should be enough, just leave it up to me to find one okay? These people are really unscrupulous, I mean real bad. So you need someone like me to look for one for you. This will be our secret."

"Here you two are," said Emma as she walked into the bar finding the kids talking to a strange man. What have I told you about going off on your own and talking to strangers? I'm sorry if they've been bothering you."

"No problem and they haven't been bothering me, we've just been chatting," said Oscar noticing Emma was staring at him.

"I'm sorry but have we met you look familiar. But I meet so many people here in the casino that they all start to look alike. Oh I'm sorry that sounded bad, didn't it? I didn't mean you but people in general."

"I understand what you meant don't worry about it and compliments on the children. You're children are very well behaved. It shows they've been brought up in a good family. Well if you'll excuse me I need to eat lunch and make some phone calls for a client." Razib and Molly looked at each other smiling.

Everyone disappeared and Oscar went to restaurant and had a very good meal with a nice bottle of wine. While sitting there he thought about what the kids had asked and had a very crazy idea. Pulling out his phone he called his mysterious Mr. Smith.

"Hey just wanted to know if you got anything… Nothing the contract has been put on hold for a month… That explains why everything is dead here… No it wasn't a joke. I need something from you can you give me as much information as you can on the guy who put the hit out… I know he's no longer my client and that's part of why I'm calling. There may be, someone I just met who might need our services. Just get the info and send it to me… I know I work for you and not the other way around but the way I see it we have a collaboration of sorts so just humor me on this one. Thanks."

Oscar smiled as he hung up. He couldn't very well tell Mr. Smith he was thinking about taking a contract for seventy-five dollars and some odd change.

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Chuck and Sarah saw the team off as they boarded the UH 60 Black Hawk and head back to Aviano to wait for Chuck's orders. He explained part of his plan and what they needed to do but right now they had to wait for the Merchant to transfer the funds. Chuck rode in the back on the way back to Montenegro. Mary had decided to go back with them to watch over her granddaughter and to help look over the kids. Chuck thought it was a great idea while Sarah thought it was less than great. An hour into the return trip and she was being proven right."

"Sarah I don't want to complain but don't you think you're driving a little bit fast. I mean there's no real reason to drive fast and the road isn't in the best of conditions."

"I'm driving the post speed limit," said Sarah as she pointed at the speedometer. She looked in the mirror but Chuck was working on his tablet.

"Really it must just feel that way. You know this car's suspension isn't so great I mean it's not a very comfortable ride but Chuck probably chose it to impress."

"Well he didn't get it to impress me. He probably got it because there was room to add all the upgrades he wanted to put in it, right Sweetie."

"What Love? I was tracking the Merchant via satellite. What did you want?"

"We were wondering why you chose this particular make and model of car. Your mother things you chose this one to impress me, is that right?"

"Well it was the only one I could get my hands on that all the equipment I wanted to put in would fit," said Chuck as Sarah smiled over at Mary. "But the truth I thought you might like it too," said Chuck as Mary smiled back.

They drove the rest of the way through Serbia in a tense silence. Sarah caught Mary looking her over and she had an idea what it was but she hoped she was wrong. Somewhere close to the border Chuck dozed off. He had a lot of sleep to make up for and after all the rakija combined with being stretched out on the back seat it was lights out.

"Chuck's asleep," said Mary as if she was making an announcement that sounded like the ceasefire's over now we can talk. "Poor thing is tired. You know he should still be wearing that sling for his shoulder."

"I told him but he refused. He said it got in the way of his mobility and that he needed his arm free. I argued but he was right so I didn't push it."

"Of course he was right look at the situation you've gotten him into. Now that Chuck's asleep tell me what's going on. The sound went out while the Merchant was explaining."

"The sound didn't go out. Chuck turned it off and that was for my sake. Mary this is something I'd prefer not to discuss if you want to know you can ask Chuck."

"You know he won't tell me anything. I think I have a right to know what you've gotten my son and my granddaughter involved in."

"Mary please can we just drop it. If you have to know Jack and I conned that man's mother out of a large sum of money. The con went sideways and people got hurt."

"But why after…" Mary was cut off by Chuck who woke up in the back. His spidey senses told him Mary Jane was in trouble or that was his dream only to wake up and find Mary the Inquisitor was about to put the screws to Sarah.

"That's enough Mom. Let's just drop it. Did I tell you that like every Bond car this one is equipped with an ejection seat," said Chuck as Sarah popped the cap on the gearshift knob.

"Really your own mother… well I never… Oh go ahead eject me see if I care. I'm only your mother and I think I have a right to know what's going on."

"Mom you know what you need to know. Okay here we go… great" said Chuck. The tablet made a ping noise he tapped on his tablet screen and began smiling with a wide grin.

"What is it? What just happened," asked Sarah as she put the cap back down and glanced at him in the mirror.

"The bait's been taken. I thought they'd be a little more cautious but I guess I read the look of desperation on Dejan's man's face correctly. We'll see very shortly as we speak my virus is gathering all his account information and the first part of my attack will be ready soon.

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Stan was on the phone with the airfield in Zagreb trying to get the pilot on the line for the AW they had flown in from Venice on to come and pick them up to go home. While he was trying to reach him Stan fired up the laptop and logged in as a remote client then took the pen drive Juri had given them and inserted it into the USB port. Marco watched as Stan was typing in the password. He was about to warn him he should check the drive first but then he stopped himself.

"Jesus who do you work for Marco," he said to himself. Chuck obviously had a plan and if he could help it along so much the better. The faster he got this mission over the faster he could go home and back to his real life.

"Don't just stand there," said Stan. "Here try to get the pilot on the line while I'm transferring the money to our accounts. We don't want that crazy old man to pull the plug on the money before we can transfer it."

"You're right good thinking," said Mišović. "Hurry up and get it done. Any luck yet with the pilot? I swear when we get home I'm going to shoot him. Didn't you tell him to stay by the chopper?"

"Yes Sir of course I did," said Stan as he looked over at Marco. Marco knew Stan was lying he had heard him when the pilot asked if he had time for a quick meal tell him to go ahead there was plenty of time.

"Hey the boss has been trying to raise you," said Marco. "Lock on to these GPS coordinates and come pick us up. You won't have any trouble finding the spot just look for the column of black smoke that will be a dead giveaway."

"Good did the idiot say why we couldn't reach him?" asked the boss. Marco looked back over at Stan who was still on the computer sweating even though it was cold out.

"I think he said there was a maintenance problem and he left his phone in hangar while he was working on the chopper. We wouldn't want to lose another bird?"

"Stan you yell at him and tell him to keep his phone close by or I swear next time I'll permanently replace him and the chopper in the Adriatic."

Finally the bird arrived and Mišović along with Marco and Stan left leaving the rest of the Merchant's men. They had to arrange their own transportation back to Zagreb which was what Ševo was waiting for. He had some men go out and pick up the merks stripping them of all their things then sent them naked across the border.

"Next time neutral means neutral," said one of Ševo's captains to the company commander. "The shortest direction home for you guys is about ten miles in that direction," said the man then walked away. However, he paused midstride turning back. "Oh by the way be careful to avoid the prickly pears. I'd hate for you to step on any."

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Casey and the team were met back at Aviano by a group of agents Margo had sent. They were all people she trusted and at this point only those with a need to know were told the plan and only as much as was necessary. This was one of Chuck's most complicated so far. It was like an orchestra production each section had different instruments but for the concerto to be a success each had to perform his piece. Chuck was the conductor and he unified the performers, set the tempo, and beats, as he shaped the sounds of the players.

A few days later…

"John how is this supposed to work," said Morgan as they rode out in boats early before dawn. "I don't want to say anything…."

"Good then don't. Your job is to be the little boy who put his finger in the dike and shut up," said Casey as the two men Margo sent with them told everyone to be quiet. The boat pulled up next to an old building then they off-loaded equipment and started closing off a section of the canal.

"Hey what are you guys doing asked one of the security guards coming out of the building. You can't close this canal off."

"Sorry," said one of Margo's men in Italian. "Canal maintenance project here read the notice," said the man as he handed a finely written document and it was dark out so the man couldn't make out heads or tails of what was written.

"Just tell me what you're doing so I can make a note and pass it down."

"Simple we're re-enforcing the water tight integrity of the canal walls. You wouldn't want water to seep into the building and flood the lower levels would you? This hasn't been done in a while so we're going to have to come back and work on the other side too. If this had been done regularly we wouldn't have this problem but those thieves in Rome… well you don't want to get me started."

"I know what you mean bunch of crooks we were better off when we had our Republic and Adriatic was our own."

"Viva the Serenissima," said the Agent with a strong Venetian accent.

"You can say that again," said the guard. Just then Morgan passed by bumping into him and dropped a wrench on his foot.

"Oh crap," he said in English. The guard looked back at the agent with a puzzled expression

"What can I say 'extracomunitari'. They're cheaper than hiring Italians and they work in the 'gattoli' and septic tanks without complaining which seems to be your problem," said the agent pointing at a hole in the wall.

They had the canal blocked off and with pumps were draining out the water. The 'gattoli' or septic tank leads that fed into the canal were exposed now and black water was running out.

"We're going to have to clean that out. It's not draining properly. I think the last thing your boss will want is for that to flow backwards and flood the whole building with raw sewage."

"Do whatever you have to do just get it done," said the guard holding his nose as the smell was starting to get strong.

"What a Nancy," said Casey.