Sorry this one took a while to get out. I hope you all enjoy it. Things are starting to wind down with this story. I should be wrapping it up pretty soon. I have been having some issues with my scene breaks lately. There are scene breaks in the story, if for some reason they are removed when i post this again, i appologize.

Enjoy the chapter and please leave a review. Thanks.

Chapter 18

"So you do remember me Agent Walker, or should I say Lieutenant Walker. I heard you got a promotion. congratulations." Lazlo said moving in closer to her.

"I don't understand. You were in custody. How did you get out?" Sarah questioned the man who appeared nothing more than a mere boy, standing in front of her.

"You underestimate me Lieutenant. Just like everyone else. You know you meet a lot of people on the inside. Smart people Sarah. People who are bitter and seeking revenge. You'd be surprised what one can accomplish on the inside when they have the right connections. People will turn on their own for almost nothing. When I was on the inside I had heard a rumor about this human intersect. Now from my experience rumors circulating around the CIA tend to be more than just rumors. Needless to say, I did a little digging around and imagine my surprise when I came across this file for my old buddy Chuck Bartowski."

Casey called in his back-up to surround the building should there be need for an ambush. He moved in a little closer as he listened to Lazlo explain himself to Sarah.

"I should have figured it out sooner, but even the brightest of minds have their flaws I guess." Lazlo continued.

"Chuck was a friend to you. He tried to help you." Sarah finally spoke.

"Help me? If it wasn't for Chuck Bartowski I would have been a free man. He pretended to be my friend and then he turned on me."

"It wasn't like that and you know it. Chuck is the most…was the most…caring person I have ever met. He always went out of his way to help people. He tried to help you."

Lazlo laughed. "Yes well, I think perhaps your judgment was clouded being that you were sleeping with him. It's a shame things had to end for him the way they did. He had great potential. Together we could have ruled the world."

"Don't think he would have ever betrayed his country or those he cared about to join the likes of you. He was a good man, no he was great man." Sarah replied.

"He was a fool!" Lazlo raised his voice. "I've read the reports Lieutenant. He was a free man. He rid himself of the one thing that bound him to this institution. He could have walked away and never looked back. But no, what does he do? He uploads the 2.0. And why? For what? For a girl? Because he fell in love and couldn't walk away? If anyone's responsible for his death, it's you."

Sarah could feel tears forming in her eyes. Even though she knew Chuck was alive and well, hid away in the safe house, Lazlo's words hit her hard. He was right about one thing, if it wasn't for her, Chuck never would have uploaded the 2.0.

"At least now he truly is a free man, it's a shame he had to die for his freedom." Lazlo continued.

"What do you want Lazlo? Chuck is dead. There is no intersect." Sarah allowed the tears to flow. She found it difficult to decipher between what part of the tears were real and what part were for show.

"The same thing I have always wanted. Revenge. The 2.0 was going to give me everything I could have ever wanted; power, respect, freedom. Chuck died before I could complete the transmission. With him gone, there's only one person I can inflict my revenge on. Any guesses as to who that might be Lieutenant?"

Sarah stood before him, her hands still bound tightly to the piping above her head. Her silence spoke volumes.

"What's the matter Sarah? You seem to be at a loss for words." Lazlo moved in and delivered a blow to Sarah's face so hard that it even caused Casey to flinch. Casey had to fight the urge to storm inside and take out Lazlo right then and there.

Sarah's face fell towards the ground. Her eyes looked down refusing to meet his. "What's the matter Lieutenant. Usually you have so much to say." Lazlo delivered a blow to her stomach, causing her to wince in pain.

"Begin to move it in slowly, wait for my signal." Casey spoke into his radio as he prepared his team to move in for attack.

Chuck had been pacing the floor for nearly 10 minutes now, Finally looking up from his magazine, Dan spoke up.

"Chuck. What's the problem? You look like you're about to jump out of your skin."

"Huh?… I don't know…I mean, I just…I dunno I just have this feeling….that something's not right. I've been trying to get a hold of Sarah…She doesn't answer, it just goes right to her voice mail." Chuck continued his pacing.

"Well that's not really unusual is it? Leave a message, I'm sure she'll call back." Dan replied.

Chuck shook his head. "No, something doesn't feel right Dan, I'm telling you. I don't know what it is, I just….I have this feeling that I can't shake."

"Why don't you try John." McKinley offered, causing Chuck to stop dead in his tracks.

"Yeah….yeah, I'll call Casey."

Chuck pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Casey's number.

Casey was contemplating his next move when the phone in his pocket began to vibrate. He pulled it from his pocket and grunted when he saw Chuck's number displayed across the screen.

"Excellent timing Bartowski as usual." Casey said before hitting the ignore button on his phone and shoving it back into his pocket. 20 seconds later the phone went off again. Once again, Casey retrieved the device from his pocket. It was Chuck again. Casey frowned as he answered the phone.

"What is it Bartowski?" He spoke into the phone.

"Casey. What's going on? I've been trying to get a hold of Sarah and I can't reach her… I just I have a bad feeling."

"Listen moron, we're in the middle of a mission here, it's not a good time."

"Casey, please….don't hang up….please…just tell me, is Sarah okay?"

"Look Bartowski, we managed to find our guy, Walker used herself as bait. Right now, Lazlo has her held up in this abandoned warehouse on old state road just outside of L.A."

"Lazlo?"

"Oh, yeah, apparently Haz is Lazlo."

Chuck was confused. Lazlo was Haz. What did Lazlo want with Sarah? "Casey is she okay?"

"She will be once I retrieve her and take out Laz…"

"Casey?….Casey?…" The line went dead.

The ring agent tossed the board on the ground that he had just used to hit Casey in the back of the head with. He bent down and picked the large man up and tossed him over his shoulder.

"Oh my God!" Chuck dialed Casey's number again. There was no answer.

"What is it Chuck?" Dan stood up and approached him.

"Something's wrong…They have Sarah….I was talking to Casey and the line went dead….I think they're in trouble."

"Where are they?" Dan Asked.

"An old abandoned warehouse just outside of L.A.. They tracked down Haz. Turns out he's this guy Lazlo that I helped the CIA retrieve over a year ago…Dan we have to get to them, This is a covert mission. Beckman doesn't know they're there. There's no one else. We have to help them."

Dan could see the fear in Chuck's eyes, and knowing that his son was in danger too was unsettling to him. "Okay, but we need to figure out how to get around these guards. Any ideas?" Dan replied.

"I might have one."

"Boss looks like we got some company." Sarah looked up to see the ring agents escorting all of her field agents inside. Shortly after another agent entered carrying an unconscious Colonel Casey over his shoulder. He tossed him down on the ground.

"John!" Agent Erin Malloy called out. She tried to run over to him but one of the ring agents restrained her.

"Tie them up!" Lazlo ordered the agents.

Sarah closed her eyes. This was not how things were supposed to go down. Her team was captured and things were looking pretty grim for team Bartowski.

The guards outside the safe house happily accepted the hot coffee that Chuck had offered them. Little did they know, he had laced it with some strong narcotics that Devin had prescribed for him after being shot. Within five minutes, both men were passed out on the front porch landing, snoring as loud as can be.

"Nice work Chuck." Dan said as he and Chuck loaded their guns and strapped on some hardware.

"Thanks….ready?" Chuck asked.

"I'm ready. Are you ready for your first mission as a real spy?' McKinley asked.

Chuck smiled. "Let's do this." he said as he tucked his gun into the back of his pants. Both men headed out the front door of the cabin. Chuck retrieved a set of keys from one of the guard's pants pocket. The two loaded into the guard's car and sped off into the darkness.

Lazlo's men had moved Sarah's agents to another room in the warehouse. Sarah had heard some screams in the distance. She could only imagine what was happening to them. Casey was cuffed to a steel beam across the room. He was just starting to come to.

Lazlo approached Sarah. Blood dripped from her nose. Her eyes met his.

"Aww what's the matter Lieutenant? You look defeated."

"I'm never defeated." she replied.

"No?….we'll see." he smiled. "Aww, Don't be angry. I realize you must hate me immensely."

"I don't hate you….I feel sorry for you."

"Feel sorry for me? Why would you possibly feel sorry for me?"

"Because of what they did to you. I've read the reports on you too you know. I know you used to be a good kid. Something happened along the way. They changed you."

" Yeah well, we didn't all have handlers like my buddy Chuck did. Regardless, Don't feel sorry for me, things are definitely looking up."

Casey groaned from across the room. One of the Ring operatives took it upon themselves to deliver a blow to Casey's abdomen with his foot, causing Casey to yelp in pain. Sarah turned her head. She had no desire to see her partner tortured.

Chuck made it back to L.A in record time. He found the road that Casey had spoke of. He dimmed the lights to the car as he slowly made his way down the old path. On their way there, Chuck had made a few phone calls to call in some additional back-up. He told them he was Colonel John Casey, being that Chuck Bartowski was presumed dead.

"I think I see it." McKinley stated as he pointed out what appeared to be a large structure in the distance.

Chuck could barely make it out in the darkness. He pulled the car to the side of the road and parked. "We'll continue on foot. I don't want to risk anyone hearing the car engine."

"Good idea." Dan replied.

The two continued down the path until the warehouse was a mere 50 feet away. They circled the perimeter of the building but saw no signs of any agents standing guard. The two moved in close. They approached an open window where they could see some light shining inside. The two peered inside.

"Oh my God!" Chuck exclaimed. "They have Sarah…They're torturing her…I've gotta get her out of there." Chuck started to run for the front door but Dan grabbed his arm.

"Dan what the hell? Let go."

"Chuck you need to calm down, you're not thinking rationally, you're not thinking like a spy. If you go in there like this, it will be a matter of seconds before they capture you too. How's that going to help her?" Dan peered through the window taking in the scene. "They have John too. We need to do this right. You have incredible skills Chuck. The most advanced I've ever seen. You need to remember your training, find your center and concentrate."

Chuck sighed and took a deep breath. "Okay…okay…I'll take the southbound entrance, you take the north." Chuck peered through the window again. Lazlo and two of his men sat around a table in the middle of the room smoking cigars and playing a hand of poker. "You take out the one on the left and I'll take out the other one. Then we go for Lazlo."

Chuck pointed out who was who to Dan, who took mental notes. The two men dispersed and went their separate ways. Chuck radioed his back up to move in. The compound was surrounded by more than a dozen agents, waiting for his orders.

Minutes later, Chuck and Dan were storming the compound, guns drawn. They both took out their intended targets in the process. Lazlo got up to run. As he tried to make his way past Sarah. She grabbed hold of the piping above her head. Using he upper body strength, she pulled her body up, she raised her legs and struck Lazlo hard, sending him flying across the room. Chuck moved in. reaching down he took hold of Lazlo's shirt and pulled him to his feet.

"Chuck?"

"Yeah."

"You're supposed to be dead." Lazlo replied.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Chuck said taking a swing at him. Chuck struck him directly across the face. This infuriated Lazlo and caused him to retaliate. He pummeled Chuck into the wall and swung at him repeatedly. Much to Chuck's surprise. Although Lazlo was small he sure did pack a good punch.

Sarah toyed with the roped that bound her hands together. She watched across the room as Dan worked to free Casey from his cuffs. Chuck's back-up stormed the compound. Several ring operatives emerged from the back room when they heard gunfire. There was a full blown shootout with Lazlo and Chuck going at each other right in the middle of it all.

"There are several of our field agents being held in the back room." Sarah yelled to the CIA agents as they continued to pour into the room. One of the agents came to assist her, "It's okay, I got it….go help the others." she instructed. The agent nodded and made his way to the back of the building.

Sarah continued to work on her ropes as she watched Chuck's showdown with Lazlo. Several other ring operatives tried to subdue Chuck, but he continued to take them out one by one. Sarah had never seen Chuck like this before. Well just the one time after he uploaded the 2.0. She was impressed. Not one of the ring agents could stand up to him.

McKinley managed to free Casey who immediately went to assist in retrieving their field agents, particularly one Agent Molloy. Dan assisted him. One by one the field agents fled from the building.

"Erin!" Casey called to her from across the room. One of the agents had just finished untying her. She stood up when she heard him call her name.

"John?"

They ran to one another and Casey scooped her up into his arms and she took comfort in them.

"Erin are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. You?"

"I'm fine….let's get you out of here." he said as he shielded her protectively in his arms.

"No, John.. I have to help them."

Casey and Erin shared a knowing look and he nodded. They went to assist with the rescue

of the other agents and saw to it that every one of them were out of the building safely.

As everyone vacated the building, Chuck and Lazlo continued to duke it out. Chuck had Lazlo by his neck. He pressed him tightly up against the wall. Lazlo smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" Chuck asked.

"Because….you can….kill..me….and…I'll…still….win." Lazlo replied as he struggled to breathe.

"How do you figure that?" Chuck asked loosening his grip a bit.

"Because…of this." Lazlo retrieved the detonator from his pocket. "No matter what happens to me….I'll have my revenge." he said before pushing the button. He looked up at the bomb that was strapped to a nearby rafter.

"What did you do?" Chuck screamed in his face.

Agent McKinley entered the room just as Chuck was delivering one final knock out blow to Lazlo.

"Chuck?"

Chuck looked up at him. "Dan, get out of here, clear the perimeter, there's a bomb."

Chuck ran to Sarah to assist her with her restraints.

"What?"

Chuck pointed up to the explosive. The clock counted down. They had just over a minute to get out there.

Dan ran over to assist Chuck. "We're good Dan, just get everyone out of the way."

Dan gave Chuck an unsure look. "Dan, we got it….go."

Dan turned to walk away.

"Dan!"

"He stopped in his tracks and turned to meet his eyes again. "Yeah?"

"Take Lazlo."

Dan nodded and made his way over to the unconscious man. He picked him up and slung him over his shoulder and exited the building.

Chuck turned his attention back to Sarah as he struggled with the ropes.

"Chuck are you okay?" she asked. Worry evident in her voice.

Chuck reached out and touched her bruised, swollen cheek and a tear fell from her eye.

"I'm fine….Let's get you out of here." He said as he looked up at the clock.

58...57...56... It continued to count down.

"I have a knife." Sarah said. "My left thigh…"

Chuck hiked up her dress and retrieved the knife. He went right to work trying to cut the ropes that bound her.

"Damn, what the hell kind of rope is this?" He said not making very much progress despite all of his efforts.

43...42...41...40...

Sarah tried her best to help Chuck but she too made little if any progress at all.

"Chuck you need to get out of here…Go."

"What?….Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you."

"Yes…go Chuck." She urged him.

"You honestly think I would leave you here like this?"

"Why should we both die Chuck?"

"No one is dying here today Sarah.

27.…..26...25...24...

Chuck yanked on the pipes that Sarah's hands were bound to, trying to loosen them up. Anything it took to free her.

17...16...15...14...

"I love you Chuck.…I always have." Sarah said as she looked at the man in front of her, possibly for the last time.

"Sarah…"

"Chuck…if you love me…You'll go…Please get out of here…You have a family…friends…They can't lose you."

"And I can't lose you….I won't." With everything he had, Chuck pulled down as hard as he possibly could on the pipe once more, causing it to break free.

8...7...6...5...4...

Agent McKinley waited patiently with Casey, Agent Molloy and the rest of their rescue team, watching, waiting for Chuck and Sarah to come running out. The next thing they knew there was a loud explosion and the building went up in flames. Windows, concrete and debris flew around them. Clouds of dust blurred their vision and burned their eyes, yet as they struggled to see through it all, they saw nothing.

Okay so that wraps up chapter 18. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.