ChuckParis12
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Chapter 13: Rescue and Reunion
He was cold and he ached all over. Someone wrapped him in warm blankets and fed him a hot thin soup but he couldn't open his eyes. They were swelled shut. The most frightening thing was the silence. He couldn't hear anything, not even the beating of his heart or the rush of blood in his ears. He slept almost all the time and each time he awoke it was the same.
He woke once in a hot bath with someone washing him. He tried to talk but all that he could do was grunt and wheeze and that hurt more than not knowing. He was Chuck…Chuck Bartowski. No. That wasn't right. Not anymore. He was Chuck Windsor and the one washing him must be Hannah. He smiled and slept. He didn't dream that he remembered.
He had no concept of time. He had no idea of the date, the time of day or how long he'd been in this silent limbo. Someone had bandaged his eyes and cleaned him again. He still ached, so not much time had passed. His hands ached the most.
He awoke in a panic. The warm blankets were stripped from him and the bandage removed from his eyes and a bright light shown into them. He might have screamed and tried to turn his head to escape the painful light but strong, rough hands held him and the light flashed again and again in his eyes.
The same rough hands that held his head released it and began touching his face, arms and hands and then his legs and feet. He was cold and the ache was back. Rough hands picked him up and put him back down on something and then he felt movement, a swaying left and right, and then a shocking cold that stole the breath from him. Whatever he was lying on bounced and tilted and then was placed down. His world began to vibrate.
Straps were pulled tightly across his chest and thighs and he felt a pinprick in his arm and then nothing at all.
The CH-47 Chinook helicopter rose up out of the caldera and joined four other identical helicopters that began weaving an intricate aerial ballet and then all five flew off in different directions. A keen observer might have noticed that all the helicopters had the same registration numbers and all belonged to the Icelandic Rescue Service.
Hugo Panzer sat beside the Stokes stretcher that held Charles Windsor. The doctor had already started an IV and injected a sedative in the line to keep the patient calm until they arrived at their destination.
He called Dubois on his Ring phone.
"This is Panzer. We have him. We'll need access to a full surgery. He is in by far the worst shape of the evacuees. The internees tried to care for him but they had little in the way of medical supplies and the guards provided nothing when they dropped him into Cold Storage two weeks ago."
"I will tell Hannah. She's been chewing her fingernails to the quick and I don't think she's slept more than a few hours at a time. If you hadn't found him alive, I don't know what would become of her. Thank God you found him."
"The anonymous tipster who contacted Dr. Woodcomb was right about his location. Someone on the other side has a conscience. We just pulled his written op plan from the filing cabinet in the carriage house and implemented it. It was low-keyed and simple and went off without a hitch. Good planning."
"Don't bet on a conscience. They simply weighed their options. No intel from the Ring consortium would put a budget burden on them."
"We'll be in France in 8 hours. We'll have him in the Calais facility. They've got the best trauma specialists. Jacques, don't send Hannah just yet. Let them work on him and determine the score. Then you can prepare her."
"Tomorrow was to be their wedding day, Panzer. How is his sister handling it?"
"She is a physician and has total control of her emotions. I think later she will explode but for now, she's moving among the evacuees and rendering aid. She is a lot like Chuck, only softer and beautiful."
"We'll speak again when you reach Calais."
Hugo thought back to their arrival in Buenos Aires more than two months ago. Nothing seemed amiss. They cleared customs, picked up their luggage when suddenly the corridor leading to the terminal was full of men in military gear. They had separated Hugo from Chuck with a cordon of men and that was the last he'd seen of him until today. The BIS explained that Panzer'd been identified as being 'of interest' to American counter-terrorism and been detained momentarily. They had no idea what had happened to his traveling companion. Panzer was the only one on the 'watch list' and only he had been detained.
He spent a week and a hefty pile of Euros bribing his way into appointments to talk with people who had information on the kidnapping of Charles Windsor, CEO of Circus Information Services. They declined any request for information and no one would admit to having even seen a man of Windsor's description at the airport. He'd just disappeared. Any security tapes of the area had either been 'reused' or had gone missing.
Panzer returned to France. There was nothing more to be done in Argentina.
One week prior to the raid
Eleanor Woodcomb had tried reaching her brother by email as they'd arranged and finally by the 'last resort' phone number he'd left her when he was in Burbank.
"Ellie, only use this if the world's ending, understand? It's the last thing you'll want to do. Calling this number will change your life forever."
The way he'd said it and the look on her face had chilled her. The guy who sat at this very kitchen table mornings,
half asleep, and ate sugar bombs cereal had disappeared and a menacing man had taken his place
"What number are you calling?" The voice answered the phone in French and Ellie replied the same way remembering how fluent her little brother had been.
"This is Dr. Eleanor Bartowski Woodcomb and I'm calling for my brother, Charles Windsor. I need to speak with him please. It's a family emergency."
"One moment." Hugo was unprepared to talk with Chuck's sister. He'd forgotten the drill he'd gone through with Chuck. Something about…
"What is the name of the poster on his bedroom wall?"
"Wha? Um, Tron. It's a poster of a movie called 'Tron'."
"I'm Hugo Panzer, Chuck's friend. Are you in danger? Where are you? Have you been contacted by anyone regarding your brother?" The questions were rushed and carried a level of anxiety that immediately put her on her on guard.
"The only danger I'm in is of losing my temper with this spy shit. I got a call from a scary lady asking me about Chuck and if I knew where he was. She works for our government and is some kind of super spy. Well, she was about 50 years ago. Now she's just scary. I told her 'no' and she told me to contact Chuck's bosses and tell them to check out 'cold storage'. So, if you're Chuck's boss, why do you have him in 'cold storage'?"
"I work for him, Doctor. But he's my friend and that's why you have this number. Can you come to Paris immediately? Be prepared to stay indefinitely if you do come. Your brother will need both the women in his life if he's in Cold Storage. Call me back with your flight data. Do you need money?"
"No. I'll tie up loose ends here and be in Paris by tomorrow. I'll call you, Mr. Panzer, with my flight information. Can someone meet me?"
"I'll be there. Look for the biggest and most handsome man you've ever seen and that will be me. Or look for a short, ugly gnome with a beard, and I'll be the one beside him. That is Henri. Another one of Chuck's lieutenants. He's ugly but loyal and he loves your brother like a son. So, make your plans, Doctor, and we'll see you in a while."
Sarah Walker received 'flash traffic' email alerting the Agency directors to a critical event. She cursed when she read the email. Commandos had raided the facility in Iceland and had freed all the detainees and escaped without pursuit. There were no friendly casualties. No other information was available.
She cursed the Ring and Fulcrum and whomever it was who'd led the commandos. Now she had to start all over again, damn it! Her thoughts of plots were interrupted by a call on her 'back line', known only to a few people who had reason to call 'off the books'.
"Walker, secure."
"Beckman, secure. I suppose you've read the flash traffic regarding 'Cold Storage'? I need to know who the most recent detainees were, Director. I have a missing asset and I'm afraid he might have fallen in with a dangerous crowd."
"You'd do better to discuss this with the Director himself, General. All I have is a small segment of the list, only those from my division."
"He was swept up in a counter-terrorism operation in Buenos Aires two months ago. His companions were released but he disappeared. The BIS refuses to discuss it and refers any of our inquiries to the CIA. So, I need that list."
"You need to keep your assets on a short leash, General." She hated Beckman and blamed her for Chuck's death, ignoring her own behavior and actions that contributed to it.
"He'd still be alive if you hadn't been such an uncompromising bitch, Director Walker. He wouldn't have felt the need to get off that plane in Paris and he wouldn't have bothered with Hannah and Agent Bartowski would still be alive and you might be happy. Thank you for your cooperation, Deputy Director Walker."
Sarah had meant the 'new' asset not Bartowski. The emphasis on her title hurt. It was small comfort. It was no comfort.
Diane Beckman hoped Walker was hurt by her words. She'd meant every last one of them to hurt. She also hoped Walker enjoyed testifying before the House Select Intelligence Committee on the activities in Iceland. She'd pulled strings to 'involve' her and bring her name to the Committee's attention.
Paybacks were a bitch. The email Beckman had received from the Director General thanked her for her assistance and promised a less cordial relationship if anything ever happened to his future son-in-law and it could again be traced to the CIA.
Calais, France
Ring Medical Facility
Ellie Woodcomb was exhausted. They'd brought in 18 people suffering from various ailments all associated with malnutrition and the horrendous living conditions in the caves they were living in. Her brother was not the most critical case she had to turn over to the local physicians. There were a few cases of gangrene from untreated frostbite that would require immediate attention. Her brother's situation was different.
She'd never seen a torture victim before. There were ligature marks around his ankles and wrists and there was evidence that he'd been hung up by his wrists with his arms behind his back. All his fingers had been broken and the nails ripped off. Both shoulders had been dislocated but his companions in Cold Storage had popped them back into place. There were also ligature marks around his neck and electrical burns all over his body. He'd been 'hung', probably to the point of unconsciousness and she had no idea of the damage to the throat.
Both eardrums were ruptured from repeated blows to the ears until the eardrums ruptured. Hugo had described the process and she'd almost vomited. The pain would have been terrible.
He was still sedated until the doctors could get around to treating his less critical injuries. Hannah was on her way from the Chateau in an armed convoy. She would be arriving any time now.
She leaned against Panzer and sighed. She was so tired from worrying and from the stress of the operation. How in the hell could anyone live like this?
"Are you tired, Dr. Woodcomb? We can find you a bed somewhere and I'll keep watch over the Director so you can sleep."
"Panz, in the week we've known each other, how many times have I asked you to call me Ellie? I'm tired of asking, Hugo Panzer, and so I'm telling you. Call me Ellie!"
"Yes, Dr. Ellie. Now, come with me. I'll find you a soft bed and sit with you until you are asleep. Henri has been with him the entire time. He can go without eating another few minutes. You can tell me all the stupid things Chuck has done in his life so I can blackmail him. I'll send someone to wake you when he wakes up or when Hannah arrives."
"Drop the damned 'doctor'. Damn, you're worse than Casey ever was! And I won't tell you squat as long as you call me 'doctor'." She was tired and cranky and she was taking it out on this nice man who'd saved her brother.
"I'm sorry, Hugo. I'm wrung out. I don't know how you people can handle this life. I thought the stress of medical school was brutal but this is…beyond belief."
He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the residents' quarters where he knew he would find a vacant bed. "Put me down you big oaf! I'm quite capable of walking!"
"Shhh, Ellie. You make more noise than a herd of cats. This is a hospital. Hush now."
He put her down in a clean bed and she was asleep within seconds. He turned out the light and left. Hannah would be coming and she would not be nearly as easy to handle. Sometimes he pitied Chuck. This was one of those times. She already felt guilty about their personal problems and she would feel more so now. He sighed and thought of the little brunette doctor. He would talk to Chuck before he did anything rash. He liked her. He put her from his mind and went to find Henri.
You can thank Nik for this last one