Ever since the beginning of this story some of the readers, desperately rooting for the Chuck and Sarah thing, have been unhappy about Sarah being taken away from Chuck, and this manipulative and insane Carina injected in her place there in LA.
Well, as I hinted in my profile, the realities of the intelligence world don't revolve around our favorite or less favorite characters. They just have their own logic.
Now, however, Sarah will have a day off so she could eventually get back to LA.
Will Chuck and Sarah be able to finish what they started at Barstow provided: how depressed and worried sick Sarah is; how difficult she and Chuck have been at overcoming their sexual barrier; how little interest Casey and the government have in their romantic well-being, and how crazy and unpredictable Carina is.
While Carina might be rooting for them, she has at least two hidden agendas, and one secret official government operation, apart from her official job to protect Chuck. How will her multiple personality disorder play out?
As I hate cliffhangers, I'm uploading all the remaining chapters at once.
CHUCK VERSUS AGENT INSANITY
Chapter IX
Home, Sweet Home
Ellie was on the beach, sunbathing. Devon, somewhere in the water, swimming, chasing dolphins, who knew.
'Be careful while in the ocean Devon', Ellie warned. 'You may bump into a lurking shark there. Might bite you somewhere. Then no more baby-making for you'. Black humor was so untypical for her before. But her nightmares were affecting her psyche now.
'Not awesome, babe, so not awesome,' Devon replied. 'But point well-taken. Don't worry. I'll bite her first." He winked at her, gave the thumbs up and disappeared in the water.
Ellie was trying to forget her nightmares. Eyes half-closed, she was scanning the beach strip. A short male figure was approaching her now. Weirdly familiar, she thought. Was that ….
Yes, it was. Morgan. That was absolutely incredible.
'Morgan, is there a safe place from you, anywhere on this planet?' she asked when he reached her.
'Hi Ellie, I thought you'd been missing me. Just arrived here with Anna. Will be setting up my new business here. Remember? Benihana chef?"
'How did you find us here Morgan?' Ellie was still anxious to find out.
'Relax, Madam Woodcomb. Captain Awesome called once we landed here. He invited us. He hoped we'd help cheer you up a bit. He said you were worrying about Chuck all too much.'
"Yeah, Morgan that's true,' Ellie had to admit.
She and Morgan had always bonded on that. She wondered whether, once back home, she would be missing him. She could now see Anna coming toward them. Good that there is somebody to keep that little bearded nerd in check.
Xxx
Sarah Walker had no idea how much more she would be able to stay in Washington without going crazy.
Her dinner with General Beckman went pretty well, no screw-ups. Dyane was trying to elicit anything about the black op Walker was part of. She obviously felt humiliated for being kept in the cold.
But Sarah wouldn't budge. She couldn't.
Beckman tried a different approach.
'Sarah', she went on first names, 'I have reviewed a lot of those Burbank tapes. I saw you and Chuck being … err, emotional. I have been young as well, you know. You need to understand that I have to stick to certain …'
'Rules, yeah, general, I know,' Sarah interrupted. 'I'm in the same position."
'Let me finish, Sarah, please. I worry about Chuck as well. I wish you both well, once this is over. I can see that you two caring about each other can have its advantages. That's why I allowed you back and sent Agent Forrest away. You just need to keep it discrete.'
Excellent ploy. Beckman knew something was going on between those two, they were most probably secretly sleeping together, so what she generously allowed was actually happening anyway. At least in her head.
Sarah blushed, she didn't know what to say.
Beckman saw that and told herself, 'I knew it, I knew it.'
The DNI head tried again and again to learn something about the operation but this conversation wasn't going anywhere. Sarah didn't reveal anything. That was interesting on its own, Beckman thought. It must be really big.
Finally, Beckman gave up. She sighed, looked at her watch, smiled at Sarah, and said. 'I have to go now. I have a meeting with Hillary a bit later.'
xxx
It was Saturday, about 10 pm. Sarah wondered what to do for the rest of the evening. She wanted to hear from Chuck and Carina but this super-encrypted mobile device Carina had given her was troubling in more than one way.
Even if the NSA wouldn't be able to decipher it in the next 50 years as she said, somebody was picking up the signal and wondering about it. Trying to track it. Yeah, that would be the NSA at least. No doubt about that. Probably that's why Carina kept their conversations short.'
She decided to stop using this mobile. She took off the battery and put all parts in a metal box so that no waves could fly away of it. At least for the time being.
Soon Carina found out that she couldn't track Sarah's whereabouts anymore with the built-in GPS chip inside the handset.
'Eh, Sarah, Sarah, you shouldn't have. I've taken care of that. Nobody would track us.'
xxx
On next morning, Sarah realized that she simply had to fly back to LA for whatever little time she could spend there.
It was their day off anyway. The Brits and the Germans were going back to their countries to consult their chiefs and Agent 20 had his own ends to tie up. She knew there were convenient flights for her. She had checked the timetable so often while here, hoping to find some window to get back to LA. Even if for a couple of hours.
Sarah dialed Chuck's number from her own telephone now. She was allowed to as she wouldn't be going to the underground facility today.
Chuck couldn't believe who was calling. He smiled and answered, 'Agent Carmichael reports. Madam, yes, madam.'
'Chuck.' Sarah was laughing, 'My taxi will be taking me to the airport in 5 minutes. Will be back in LA in about seven hours. Tell Carina to pick me up. How have you been for heaven's sake? The number of the flight is …'
xxx
Several hours later Sarah's plane had landed safely and she was checking out. When she saw Chuck and Carina at the airport lobby she smiled and waved at them. Once they finally got together she gave Chuck only a light kiss on his lips but hugged him and they stayed that way for a minute without saying anything.
Carina was watching their body language. Sarah, professional, Chuck not so. Yeah, as expected.
Then she turned back to Carina. "Hey Carina, you look very refreshed. Seems like your cohabitation with Chuck is doing you very well indeed.'
'What can I say, Sarah, Nerd magic.' Carina replied. 'Who could have …'
I'm heeeeere.' Chuck had raised his hand waving at them.
Xxx
While driving back to the hotel, Carina called Casey.
'Hey, Sugar Bear. Today is off-limits. Switch off the bugs, the cameras, everything.'
Casey grunted, 'Hmmm, and if I don't, you'll do exactly what, defile me?'
'You wish, colonel, you wish.' She countered, 'Two words – my space, remember?'
"You won't."
'I will. Listen, I'll spend the night there in the suite with them, the three of us. Nothing will happen. I'll be there.'
But Casey wasn't in the mood to let go.
"Yeah, three. Last time I checked, that's where the word threesome comes from."
'Touché, colonel, touché. But I'm really serious about this. Come around and have dinner with us, OK? Or maybe it'll be you, Chuck and Sarah, then, OK?' She hung up.
'Condescending ….,' Carina was looking for the right word to depict Casey's attitude.
'Reaganite.' yelled Chuck. 'Codescending Reaganite, that's what I called him yesterday.'
'Good agent Carmichael, good.' Carina was nodding and waving finger at Chuck, and he at her.
Sarah was giggling while watching them.
'You two must have had some fun without me here, haven't you?'
They turned toward her, still nodding.
Xxx
Back in the hotel, Carina first showed Sarah and Chuck around the suite– exactly where Casey had hidden all his cameras and microphones, including the bathroom ones and then went to the kitchen to fix some dinner. Sarah followed her there.
'You'll need my help, I think,' she tried.
Carina started pushing her back to the living room.
'No way.' she was adamant, 'I know you're deadly tired. Just go get your feet up.'
'Really?' Sarah sounded so grateful. 'Thanks a lot, I really mean it.'
Carina continued pushing Sarah back into the living room – she wanted to tell something to both of them.
'Listen up, you two lovebirds.' she said, watching them blush. 'He-he, that's the effect she was after.'
'Casey will be here soon. We'll have dinner. Then I'll have him disable his monitoring system. After he leaves, we'll have the opportunity to talk for real…?'
'How are you gonna make Casey disable it, Carina?' Chuck interrupted her, 'defile him?'
'Handcuff him again?' added Sarah?
'Maybe. Consider it done. Then, we're going to have some serious talk here.'
'You can now enjoy yourselves, my kids,' she teased.
Then she turned around and rushed back into the kitchen.
While preparing the food she felt totally surreal. It was for the first time in Carina's entire life that she was cooking for people she cared about, people she considered real friends.
They probably didn't think of her as a friend, and certainly didn't trust her particularly. To her, however, they were as close as she ever had anybody since she was 9. She had never felt that way. Ever.
Emotions started taking over again so she rushed to put some water on her face.
xxx
20 minutes later, with Casey in, they were all having dinner, joking.
Toward the very end, Carina got up. 'I'm good for a coffee. Anybody else?'
Sarah was so exhausted that she could only beg somebody shoot her.
'No, thanks.'
Chuck wasn't overly enthused either. He'd rather somebody gave him a horse strength tranquilizer. He had worried how he would be able to sleep with those two gorgeous women in the same room. Well, one of those two would be totally sufficient, and he knew which one that was.
Who would sleep where anyway, he wondered?
Option A: He and Sarah in the bed, Carina on the couch, B - Carina and he in the bed, Sarah on the couch. No, that was absurd. So it had to be Sarah and Carina sharing the bed and he "safe and sound" on the couch. He sighed.
'No, no coffee for me right now. I'm golden,' Chuck said unenthusiastically, sipping some wine instead.
'I wouldn't mind a cup of coffee, thank you very much, Falconi, or whatever your name is now.' Casey was visibly drunk.
'Your wish is my entertainment, my colonel. Be right back', Carina disappeared into the kitchen.
She came back a few minutes later with 2 cups of coffee.
She served Casey first, then put the other one in front of her and sat down.
Now Carina turned to Casey.
'Too much wine, Sugar Bear?' she asked. 'I wonder how this would affect your ...' She was leaning toward him now, whispering in his ear. Her fingers were playing with his hair now.
Casey turned and smelled her perfume once Carina was so close. Since she was slightly leaned forward, her shirt was presenting him with an opening to explore.
Casey grunted.
"That was a completely different one," Chuck thought. 'Libido talking.' He wondered what Carina's foot was doing now, as Casey looked really tense.
Chuck and Sarah were feeling really awkward, 'Those two may need a room', both thought, smirking.
'Finish your coffee first, Sugar Bear,' Carina whispered in his ear.
Casey turned away from her and looked for his coffee. What he saw, however, was Carina's left hand right under his nose. She was holding a small glass bottle, like any other of her eau de toilette spays, just smaller. She pressed it and the tiny stream of aerosol went directly into Casey's nostrils. It was a highly concentrated tranquilizer.
Nighty-night, Sugar Bear,' she said to the already sleeping Casey. 'He'll be good for the next 24 hours that we need to be alone.
The whole thing took about 5 seconds. Carina had picked the moment to tranq Casey very carefully – Sarah was swallowing some good at the moment.
She had been feeling such a tremendous fatigue in her muscles that she would probably not have been able to do anything. Has Carina drugged her as well?' she wondered.
Yes, she had. It was a different cocktail however. It just inhibited the formation of ATP molecules, that contained all the energy we need for our muscles. Many labs throughout the world were working on how to increase ATP for all their clients in various professional sports.
Carina's drug worked the other way. Inhibiting. Sarah's body already had as little ATP as a 2-day old baby.
The other component was slow tranquilizer. It was gradually taking over her.
Chuck started protesting, 'Carina, why did you have to do that to Cas…'
'Ah, look who's talking.' Carina countered, 'And didn't you kick him twice in the head yesterday, rendering him unconscious? Carina was watching how Sarah would react to the news.
'Chuck', Sarah said weakly, her eyes wide open, 'is that …'
'Yeah, hmmmm, err,' Chuck was struggling with the choice of words, 'that might have happened within the past 48 hours, give or take … Sarah, I wanted to tell you but we didn't have the time, I think it was another of those new flashes.'
'Flash? What happened? How did Casey manage to trigger it?' asked Sarah quietly, still in disbelief.
Chuck was again struggling with his answer. 'Ummmmmm, I think we better talk about this some other ti….'
"Casey was mocking Chuck about you and him in the bed.', Carina interjected. 'Casey was talking about Barstow, Chuck's imaginary Kama Sutra, you know you and him, mentioned a condom. That's the last I heard from Casey. Then Chuck kicked him. I have it on tape if you don't believe me.'
Sarah was now staring down. Her complexion, normally so fair, was now so very red. She could feel the blushing wave taking over her entire body.
'Is this true, Ch..uck', was the only thing she could say.
'Yes.' Chuck's throat wasn't able to produce any more sounds now.
Sarah was smiling inside. 'Well,' she told herself…. That's my boy, I guess. Kicking Casey's ass', she was giggling inside.
Carina decided to rescue them from all this awkwardness.
'Casey was pushing the envelope.' Carina said.' All these bugs in the bathroom. It's against the rules. Somebody had to clip his wings a bit. Government agents or not, we have some right to privacy,' she added.
They hated what she had done to Casey but had to agree here.
'Chuck, help me move the dinosaur into the kitchen, there is a small couch there. Casey will have to sleep somewhere after all, won't he?'
Chuck readily jumped up and they both lifted the colonel and started dragging him toward the kitchen.
Casey was so heavy. Chuck, being a bit tipsy himself, struggled.
'Move to the right Carmichael, moved to the right. How could they miss to input the coordinates of our kitchen into the new Intersect.'
'Yeah,' Chuck agreed, puffing, 'that's what I was thinfin.'
The couch in the kitchen was too small for Casey, however. Whatever method they tried to fit him into it, he would slip down the floor.
'It's not gonna work,' Chuck observed, 'Not under the laws of physics on this particular planet. On the other hand, on planet …'
He was blabbering something about one of these science fiction movies.
Yeah, Carina could see that. She had missed this small detail. Everything was planned so well except for this tiny, tiny detail. Dammit.
'He'll have to sleep on the floor,' she said, 'wait for me here, Chuck.'
She rushed back to the living room. Passing by Sarah, she smiled.
'Everything under control. I'll be back in a minute. She walked into the bedroom, took a pillow, a blanket and turned back.
Passing by Sarah again, she raised her finger and explained, 'It's a four-star hotel you know, it gotta live up to its reputation.'
Sarah smiled bitterly.'Manipulating b..' she thought.
Carina stopped and turned to Sarah. She leaned forward, so her mouth was next to Sarah's right ear.
'You know, if I were you, I wouldn't have let Chuck go look for a condom, there in Barstow.' she whispered. 'How could you be sure that somebody wouldn't kidnap him tomorrow and you never see him again?'
'Yeah,' Sarah thought, 'that was what I'd been thinking all these days in Washington.'
Did she say that loud or just in her mind? She was losing control over her senses. Totally unable to get up and leave the table.
Carina rushed into the kitchen to lay Casey down to sleep on the floor.
After they finished with him, Chuck and Carina went back to the living room.
First Chuck, then Carina. They were there back with Sarah now.
"Chuck", Carina yelled, 'stop and turn around, please!'
Chuck turned and saw that now Carina was holding guns in both her hands – the right was pointing at his head, the left at the sitting Sarah.
'Don't move Chuck or I'll shoot you both. Just don't move!'
Chuck was like paralyzed.
Sarah was still sitting on her chair, unable to stand up.
'You are a lousy agent, Carmichael, very lousy. You should have figured out I was with the Ring long time ago. Don't you dare move!' she yelled out.
xxx