Chapter 6
Sorry for any problems with the chapter if there are any please point 'em out and I'll try and fix 'em but I kinda wanted to get this up and I feel horrible (in a good I've been enjoying myself way) so I didn't really get to go over it. And barely being able to read what I type is hurting me right now as I don't have my glasses.
A/N Thanks for the reviews. The following chapter is brought to you by the Hawaiian sunset and night sky. This chapter initially had more, but I decided to cut it down.
Chapter 6
+ 1 Day 3 Hours
"Gamma three-six or should I say Director Grimsdóttir how are you?"
"Good Echo, but what have you gotten yourself into?"
"Just the usual you know kidnapping Intersects and knocking out government agents."
"Why did you take the Intersect? I know it wasn't ordered by the bosses."
"Why do I do anything? To win."
The director stared at him for a moment shocked, "The whole thing?"
"Whole thing."
"You pull this out you'll be one of the bosses."
"Yeah so what's up with you?"
"Beckman called me in."
"Walker was going to, Beckman's worried about you she thinks you might be Fulcrum."
He laughed at the idea of him being Fulcrum, "So what role am I to play in this production Echo?"
"You need to use regular CIA assets to try and track us down, don't worry the op was totally clean there's nothing for anyone to find. We're going to have the Intersect call his girlfriend sometime today and you guys are going to trace the signal to the decoy house. After that I'm sure Beckman will insist on sending her team, let her Lima is waiting for her agents he'll deal with a few then blow the building. They're going to think Chuck was there and they should call off most of the search the only exception might be Walker she won't accept him dying."
"Why?"
"She's in love with him." Echo said with certain distaste evident in his voice.
The pair laughed at the agent's mistake, "Oh dammit Walker is my Agent, so you're telling me that one of my agents fell in love with her asset?"
"Totally and completely," They laughed again.
The laughter slowly subsided, "All right I have to go meet with Beckman, but I do have one bit on intel for you regarding her." The director's face held a mischievous smile.
"Oh?"
"Her replacement is Ring, now we don't know when they're planning on taking her out but they aren't going to wait forever."
"Dammit!" he cursed, "I'm going to deliver the perfect weapon right into their hands if that happens. Can you protect her?"
It was the response he had been expecting, unfortunately direct knowledge of the Intersect like that was held only by the Washington, LA, and London teams. "Not forever, you'll have to work something out with the Intersect or at least get ready to kill him."
Echo nodded as his friend moved back into his helicopter.
Stepping back inside the stairwell he saw his friend and protégé waiting for him, "Call Sierra and Lima in I need to talk to them."
She reached into her pocket, "Shit! I left my phone with Chuck."
"You what?"
"It was an accident I just took it out quickly to show him that I had a cell phone and then something happened and I dropped it and then I ran up here."
"That was dumb, really dumb." He deadpanned, the comment wasn't designed to hurt her but he really hated mistakes like this.
"Maybe he didn't call anyone?"
"He's untrained not stupid."
She took off running towards the holding cell.
***
She burst into the door violently, pistol drawn. Chuck wasn't a threat but it never hurt to show a little bit of force. "Where's the phone Chuck?" She leveled the pistol at him to emphasize that she meant business.
He meekly pointed to the nightstand, "Right there I figured you'd be back for it."
She eyed it suspiciously; she hadn't left it on the nightstand which meant he had obviously touched it and possibly manipulated it. She holstered her weapon.
"Don't worry it isn't booby trapped or anything."
"Did you call Sarah?"
"Me? Call Sarah? Now what kind of prisoner would I be if I just took every advantage to call my CIA handler?"
Did you call Sarah?" Anger seeped into her voice and she drew her semi-automatic again but didn't point it at Chuck yet.
"Check the phone logs."
She did and finding nothing grew suspicious, Chuck did work at a Buy More where he'd have regular contact with phones like the model she was using and he was probably familiar with how to delete every trace of the call.
She pointed the pistol at him, "Did you call Sarah?"
"Yes-Yes I did." He tripped over himself in order to answer in the affirmative desperate to escape the wrath of the gun.
"You know you really need to work on that thing where you'll tell the truth if a gun is pointed at you or Sarah."
"Uh-huh."
"Now did you tell her anything to compromise our location?"
"No, not really you guys haven't exactly given me much to compromise it with."
"That's the idea."
"She'll find me, she always does."
"She's never dealt with us before." She said before once again locking him in the room for the night, this time without any communications device.
***
+ 1 Day 3 ½ Hours
The vibrating phone on her nightstand woke her, she immediately grabbed it up hoping it was Chuck calling again but her face dropped when she saw it was simply Bryce. She answered it, "Sarah, Director Grimsdóttir is arriving now."
She hung up the phone without a word, "Thanks for the warning." She said to her drawers full of clothes.
She quickly threw on the first pair of mission clothes she found, if the director turned up some leads she wanted to be ready to lead the strike force.
She raced upstairs to the rooms where most of the NSA agents and Beckman were staying. As she arrived out of the stairwell (she had decided the elevator would take too long) she heard the elevator ding to announce its arrival and probably the arrival of her director.
She covered the distance between the stairwell and meeting room in no time at all and was outside the door waiting for an agent inside to open it when she caught the first real glimpse of her new director. He was older than she had expected, he looked to be well into his fifties or sixties, but he had the swagger and muscles expected of someone much younger. His eyes however, they captivated her. Sparkling with the wisdom of the CIA, they also seemed to sag slightly with the bureaucratic dealings Sarah and often heard Director Graham cursing. She could tell this director had even less patience for politicians and politicking than his predecessor did. Which made his ascension to being the director a small miracle, it was a political appointment. Clearly he must have done something in the intelligence community to garner a huge amount of respect if he did in fact exist beyond the politics of the beltway. The little exposed skin he was showing Sarah was able to see at least half a dozen different scars. The man had played the game for a long time and been captured a little too often for Sarah's liking. Enough torture turned any man into a cold desolate soul and she had no desire to be working for someone like that.
As the door opened and light spilled into the hallway Sarah froze, of all the ironies in the world Grimsdóttir was at that most hated distance from the door. The distance where waiting can seem inappropriate as the other person is forced to hurry up as you hold the door for them, but going in without holding the door can seem rude and one thing she did not want to be at her first real meeting with the new director was rude. So she stayed there like a deer in the headlight as Bryce stood just inside staring at her like she'd gone mad. Grimsdóttir however was himself in a rush and quickly covered the distance between the elevator and the door, "Agent Sarah Walker I presume." He said shaking her hand.
"Director Grimsdóttir it is an honor to meet you, I've heard some interesting things about you."
"Oh? I might like to hear one someday; spies do make up such great stories. "
Sarah's emotionless agent mask was dangerously close to failing, the director was going to prove to be interesting.
"I think we should get down to the business at hand as soon as possible, sir."
"I agree the Intersect is a rather important asset wouldn't you agree Agent Walker?"
"Yes sir I would." How does he know this is about the Intersect? No one ever told him.
"Then perhaps you can start by…." His voice trailed off for a second as he looked in at the door at Agent Larkin. He gave him a quick up and down shook his head and muttered something Sarah thought sounded like pretty boy and promptly shut the door to give the pair the privacy of the empty hallway, sans Grimsdóttir's security escort. "Explaining why you were getting busy with the asset instead of being busy protecting him?" He hadn't missed a beat from where he had left off earlier.
Sarah's eyes went wide, but she managed to keep her mouth from dropping open. "Sir?"
He agitated easily and loathed to repeat himself. "You heard me Walker, but perhaps I'll make it slightly clearer. Why. Were. You. Sleeping. With. The. Asset. Instead. Of. Protecting. Him?" He poked her in the chest with each word to drive home his point. Gamma contained his smile; he was rather enjoying getting to play the part of the angry superior.
"I was sleeping with asset to protect our cover sir, we are here as a husband and wife, and in my experience generally a husband and wife not sleeping together raises suspicions."
"I wasn't referring to the literal sleeping agent, I was talking about what was going on instead of sleeping."
"Sir we weren't having sex if that's what you are implying."
"Really now? Because I've got sources that tell me you two are in love." He mocked her with the final two words.
She knew outright lying would be worthless, you didn't get to be director of the CIA without being able to tell when someone was lying or not. "Regardless of any feelings I may or may not have towards the asset, Chuck and I are not having sex nor have we ever."
"Really? Waiting till marriage is he? How very old fashioned."
"Sir is this really going to help us find the asset? Perhaps this conversation would be better held once he's back safely in US government hands." My hands, Chuck I really wish I could defend you from what he's saying Chuck but I can't do that until you are back at my side.
"Good change of topic Agent Walker, but yes perhaps we should turn out attention to recovering the asset and we can deal with how he was lost in the first place afterwards."
Sarah smiled in relief and rapped her hand against the door, "Larkin open up."
"As in Bryce Larkin your ex-boyfriend and partner?"
"If I didn't know any better, director, I'd say you were stalking me."
"Good thing you know better." He said disappearing into the now open door, Sarah followed right behind him.
"Ok everyone, I do have one development to report." Sarah said as everyone sat down.
"What is it Agent Walker?" General Beckman announced casting annoyed looks over at the CIA director.
"Chuck called me earlier this morning."
"How long ago?"
"Did he give you any clues to his location?"
"Did you get a trace?"
"Why was I not informed immediately?"
Were the first salvo of questions she faced.
"He called about half an hour ago, I didn't have time to get a trace or alert anyone else. He was unable to give me any clues as to his locations other than that he is still in the city and that there was absolutely nothing of interest for him to see just other skyscrapers. The reason I did not inform you general is that I decided to wait until the Director arrived on scene, there was nothing further we could have done with the call."
Beckman turned to one of her agents, "Get me a trace on the line that called Walker's phone, the second it's active I want to know where it is."
"Yes ma'am."
"Agent Walker if Bartowski ever contacts you again you are to inform us immediately."
"Yes ma'am I intend to."
"Did he say anything else?
"Nothing of importance."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Does anyone else have any kind of lead?" Sarah challenged .
"Perhaps I should be fully briefed on the situation Diane." The director said turning to the General.
"I think this should cover everything you need to know," she said handing him a thick file with a red Classified at the top.
The Company man grabbed it and tucked it under his arm. "Well I'll have to read this, but in the meantime just tell me quickly what leads you have developed so far."
Beckman nodded, her face set and completely unemotional, and indicated for the agents who had developed leads to begin explaining them first pointing to Agent Walker. "They aren't amateurs for starters. They knew exactly how and where to hit us, they took out our surveillance, then neutralized me. He used tranquilizers rather than a real gun though. He definitely wanted both of us alive and while we know why he would have wanted Chuck alive, he knew he was the Intersect, I still don't know why he wanted me alive. Reviewing the surveillance footage it was clear they weren't Fulcrum, they killed two Fulcrum agents and dumped them on the roof. Their exfiltration appears to have been done by helicopter." Sarah finished.
"I assume you've checked JFK and La Guardia radar, along with any visual surveillance?"
"Nothing, absolutely nothing these people are ghosts, sir." One of the Agents, John Syme, said nervously. He wasn't used to having some much high powered brass in one room.
"I met with someone I suspect has at least something to do with the kidnapping, he blew his cover with me during the exchange but I've got next to nothing on him and his own team and himself were top notch. Definitely trained somewhere, but I was unable to get any real intel from him apart from his concern for Agent Walker."
"He was concerned with Agent Walker?"
"Yes he was interested in her mental state." Bryce almost cringed under the withering look Sarah shot him at the revelation.
"Why?"
"He thought the disappearance of The Intersect could have an adverse affect on her."
"You mean that because Agent Walker has compromised herself with the Asset she would become an emotional wreck after he was kidnapped?"
Everyone remained silent and stared at the director.
"Well then is there anything else?" He added after a moment.
"No, nothing else."
"Well then I suppose I should review the file and begin reorganizing CIA assets to support this investigation."
"The NSA is still in the better position to continue to take the lead on the investigation." Beckman said, like a lion defending her territory she was not granting the other agency one inch of room.
"With all due respect
General Beckman, you don't have the ground assets and you also
don't appear to be heading up this investigation very effectively."
She had no counter argument to his point, they didn't have as
many human agents as the CIA and she couldn't argue with the fact
that they hadn't yet secured Bartowski.
"I will continue to use NSA assets, there's no reason to squander one agencies asset's due to inaction."
He nodded and left the room heading to his room with the Intersect file.
***
+ 1 Day 9 Hours
Sierra turned to her boss and Alpha one who were standing near a bank of computers on the opposite side of the room, "Lima reports that he's ready, sir. Wait I'm getting some flash traffic, oh shit, Oscar Romeo is signaling that he is now entering our jurisdiction and wants coming to see the Intersect."
"We know he had told us yesterday."
"Does he know why you took the Intersect?"
"No, he probably thinks it's to remove the Intersect from his head."
"He's going to flip when he finds out; you know he didn't want either of them to be exposed to this game. Hell he denied a protection detail from us, and eluded everyone but us."
"I'll deal with him when he gets here. Has Alpha two arrived yet?"
She shook her head "He's still securing our ride and gear."
He turned to his protégé standing next to him, "Ok how soon will the Intersect be ready?"
"I can have him ready in a couple of hours."
"Sierra how about your end?"
She pulled up a window and typed in a flurry of commands, "I'm good to go boss." She proclaimed upon finishing the string.
"And Lima is ready so we are a go for Operation Hognose."
Alpha one disappeared through the door, heading off to find Bartowski.
Sierra heard the door close and without turning around started speaking to her boss, "Echo how do you seriously plan to deal with Oscar Romeo? You know there's no way he'll accept what you're doing."
"The same way I always planned to deal with him, to allow him what he wants."
She stared at him in absolute disbelief. "You're letting him remove the Intersect?"
"I'll give him the ability to offer it; the Intersect will have to accept."
"You've read LA's psych profiles and intelligence reports you know he wants it out." She spun around from the computer and walked over to him on the other side of the room.
"With the right amount of force in the right spot anything will budge." He smiled at her, it was one of the sayings he showed some fondness for.
"You think your that good?" Her eyes twinkled, they both knew that their team really was that good.
"It won't take much to get him to get the new one, hell if we got his CIA handler to say she wanted it then he'd do it of that I have no doubt."
"You're going to forge her voice."Her voice showed slight disappointment at the crudeness of the plan. Sierra had a predilection for longer involved operations that used new technology and technical support to achieve their objective. This one seemed rather simplistic compared to some ops she had participated in.
"No, I'm going to lay everything out for him and let him make the decision that I know he will."
"What if he doesn't?"
"Then I'm pretty well screwed." He said cracking a smile.
She laughed and turned back to the computer satisfied with the information.
***
+ 1 Day 11 Hours
"Ok Chuck I see your putting some effort in and if you promise to continue to put in the effort I'll let you call Sarah now."
"Ok, do you mind if I take it uh outside-more privacy out there-I mean the phone is probably bugged and all that, but I'd at least like the illusion of some privacy so could I?"
"Yes Chuck here's my phone," she tossed her modified phone towards him, "call her wherever you want. Inside the facility that is."
He nodded and grabbed the phone, heading for the balcony. He quickly dialed Sarah's number again.
"Hey Sarah it's me Chuck." He couldn't help but smile as he said it.
"Hey Chuck," Sarah nodded at the NSA agents to confirm that they were tracking the call. "No need to listen in, there's no intel to be gained and this will be a private conversation." She said to everyone who had on headphones.
"Agent Walker!" Beckman warned.
"Chuck have you learned anything new?" Sarah decided to quickly appease the General.
"No, sorry Sarah but I haven't noticed anything. Wait a minute. Yeah actually I might have, most of the people on the street below are wearing suits I think."
"That's it nothing else?"
"Sorry Sarah but there really isn't anything I recognize." She gave a look to everyone else to make sure they were satisfied that he wouldn't be giving away any mission sensitive information.
Beckman and her agents took off their headphones reluctantly, if they were going to keep him on the line for the longest time personal was the best root and no one cared to hear those details. Well Sarah didn't think anyone would want to hear those details. "Its fine Chuck, are you okay?" Sarah said as she slipped out the door and into the hallway.
"Yeah Sarah I'm fine, now she's teaching me some hand to hand." I wish she wasn't though I really don't want to have to use it.
"But your okay?"
"Okay, Chuck you should know that when you get back I'm not going to be transferred for our relationship."
"Sarah, please don't promise things like that just because I'm not there."
"I'm not, after this I'm not ever leaving you no matter what Beckman or the CIA says."
"Sarah you love your job." I'll never be more important than it.
"Chuck I—" She was interrupted as the door opened to reveal one of the NSA techs. She whipped around and fixed her most vicious gaze upon him.
"Agent Walker we have located him." He said before quickly scurrying back inside under her toxic gaze.
"Chuck are they listening to you?"
"No, they don't care they know I don't have anything that could give away my location." I wish they weren't right.
"Good, because I'm coming to get you we just traced the call and we're loading up a strike team as we speak."
"Ok Sarah just be careful these people are good I wouldn't want you to walk into a trap." I can't lose you, even if I have to stay with them awhile longer it's better that you're alive."
"I'll be careful Chuck, and we'll finish our other conversation when I see you."
"Goodbye Sarah."
***
+1 Day 10 Hours
"Oscar Romeo is landing now sir." Sierra said over the radio before shutting down her computers and heading to the command center.
Echo came over the radio a moment later, "everyone report to the command center immediately."
When Sierra arrived she saw Echo and Alpha 1 already present and standing at attention. She quickly joined them. "Where's Alpha Two?" She asked quietly.
"Retrieving the Intersect."
"Are you sure that's wise? I mean our guest isn't going to be happy about the Intersects treatment."
"Better than seeing him locked up in a cell."
The door opened and in walked their newest guest, "No I imagine I wouldn't take kindly to seeing Charles in a cell, speaking of which where is he?"
"Alpha Two is just bringing him up now he should be here momentarily."
The door behind the trio opened and in walked Alpha Two and Chuck Bartowski. The operative quickly moved to join his three team members giving Chuck a clear shot at his newest, and first, visitor. "Dad?"
End of Chapter 6
A/N-The operation is named for a snake that fakes its own death in case anyone didn't know I had to look it up I was initially looking for the fish that freezes every winter and stays alive but google didn't cooperate so I went with the snake. Hope you enjoyed.
Oh and I'm dedicating this fic to my new White Tip Reef Shark buddy lol hopefully I'll see you eating on a night dive 'cause I do so hate when you have to get woken up to play with us. Seriously I love diving with that thing around, he or she is so cool amazing predators sharks.
I did kinda speed it up a little, hope no one minded. I thought it might be dragging a bit.