She's at it again. That Poa's editing my literary dribblings. Thanks, P!
CHUCK VERSUS THE BUY MORE BOMBER
Chapter 27
Bring Me the Head of Moses Finkelstein
"Dude! You're kidding me."
Chuck smiled. His life might be spiraling out of control – well, more than usual, anyway. He might have messed up by accepting Moses Finkelstein (etc.)'s offer. He might have blown it big time by telling Sarah that he loved her. But Morgan was always there for him. He felt a little guilty. So much had been going on that he had been ignoring his 'little buddy' lately.
"You have reached the rarified heights I always knew you could. You have your seat on the Jedi Counsel, my friend. Allow me to be your padawan, oh master."
Chuck's smile faltered and he looked down at his hand, remembering the burning sensation when he had accepted Moses' offer.
"It's just a job at corporate headquarters," Chuck said. He had told Morgan that he had been offered a job as a vice president at Buy More Corporate. He didn't tell Morgan about the whole 'apprentice' thing.
"It's the Golden Ticket! Willy Wonka is handing you the keys to the chocolate factory. I can be the chief oompa loompa! Seriously, Chuck. I mean, I always dreamed that one day you'd be the assistant manager and I would be your right hand man, but I never dreamed that one day we would reach the highest echelon of Buy More Corporate."
Now Chuck was frowning. He hadn't gone over any details with Moses Finkelstein (etc.). He hadn't thought about leaving Morgan behind. Maybe he could arrange for Morgan to be his gofer or something. Although it was hard to imagine Morgan and his mad work avoidance skills in constant contact with Moses Finkelstein (etc.) and his relentless, driven attitude.
"Um, about the 'we', Morgan…" The line beeped. He held out his phone and saw Sarah's smiling face in her pigtails and Weinerlicious outfit. He really did miss that uniform. "Ah, Morgan? That's Sarah beeping in on the other line. Let me let you go, buddy."
"Right, Chuck. When the lady calls, you've got to answer, right? I fully understand. I'll just be…" Chuck cut the connection with Morgan and clicked over to Sarah's call. Given her mood when she had stormed out of the room, he didn't want to keep her waiting long.
"Sarah, listen," he said without preamble, "about what we were talking about earlier. I know it's kind of sudden, me springing the whole 'I love you' thing on you that way. It's not exactly the way I was intending to say it. I was picturing something more along the lines of a nice picnic, or…"
"What is her life worth to you?" an accented male voice hissed from the phone.
"Wha… What?" Chuck stammered.
"Sarah Walker. What is her life worth to you?"
"Who is this? What have you done with Sarah?"
"She is relatively unharmed… for now. If you want her to stay that way, you will listen and do exactly as I say."
"If you hurt her…"
"Silence! You do not have time for pointless threats. If you want her alive, you will bring Moses Finkelstein to me. Bring him to the Beverly Hills Buy More store in one hour. Do you understand?"
Dazed, Chuck nodded.
"I said, do you understand?" the voice hissed.
"Yes…" Chuck choked out.
"One hour." The line went dead.
Chuck tried to swallow the lump in his throat. It took three tries before he could control his shaking hands enough to dial Casey's number.
"Casey," the NSA agent's gruff voice barked out of the speaker.
"Casey, it's Chuck. al Fayed has Sarah."
"What? Where are you?"
"I'm at her hotel. She went for a walk. al Fayed must have grabbed her."
"Dammit," Casey hissed. "Did you talk to her? How do you know he has her?"
"He told me. He called me on her phone."
"What did he say? What exactly did he say?"
"He wants Moses Finkelstein. I'm supposed to bring him to the Beverly Hills Buy More in one hour or he'll kill her. God, Casey, what are we going to do?"
"Stay where you are. We'll come get you."
"No, Casey. I'm going to see Moses."
"Bartowski, don't be an idiot. You don't…" Chuck hit the button on the phone terminating the call.
His phone rang. The scowling face of John Casey filled the screen. Chuck turned the phone off.
Chuck ran from the room and down to the Nerd Herder. He threw it in gear and exited the parking lot on two wheels.
Twelve and a half minutes later, he pulled up in front of the Buy More Corporate Headquarters. He parked in front of the row of concrete planters fronting the building and jumped out, not even bothering to close the door of the Herder as he raced toward the building.
He burst through the front doors and immediately two security guards moved to intercept him. Chuck beat them to the reception desk. "I need to see Moses Finkelstein, Founder and CEO of Buy More. This is an emergency."
He was suddenly flanked by two very large men who pressed in close. The guard manning the desk waved them off. "Good afternoon, Mr. Bartowski," he said in a pleasant, even voice. "Welcome back. Here is your corporate identification card for Buy More Corporate Headquarters. You have been cleared for access to all areas. Keep that security badge visible at all times, please."
Chuck fidgeted as the guard slid the badge under the scanner. "There you go," the guard said. "All set."
Chuck snatched the card from his hand and ran for the executive elevator. He skidded to a stop in front of it and jabbed at the button like a woodpecker working a tree. "Come on, come on," he muttered.
The doors finally opened and Chuck darted inside. He immediately started jabbing the button for the top floor. "Let's go, let's go," he muttered.
On his previous trip, Chuck had been impressed by the speed of the elevator. Now, however, it seemed to crawl upwards. Finally the doors started to open and Chuck darted out, pushing at them to try and force them apart more quickly.
"Hello, Mr. Bartowski," the receptionist on the executive floor said as Chuck ran past her. "Mr. Finkelstein…" She leaned over to watch his back recede down the hallway toward Moses Finkelstein (etc.)'s office. "…is expecting you," she finished. She shook her head. "One more inmate for the asylum," she muttered.
Chuck threw open the doors to Moses Finkelstein (etc.)'s office – no easy feat considering the size of the massive mahogany doors.
Amelia Banks jumped to her feet and reached under her coat when the doors banged open. She relaxed slightly when she saw Chuck, but kept her hand under her coat.
Moses was sitting behind his enormous oak desk. He rose to his feet as Chuck entered.
"Charles, what's wrong?" he said, stepping around the desk.
Chuck was panting. "al Fayed has Sarah," he gasped out.
"I see," Moses said, nodding. "What does he want?"
"I am supposed to bring you to the Beverly Hill Buy More in…" he glanced at his watch. "Forty three minutes."
Moses slumped against his desk. "I knew it would come to this. It had to. It was inevitable."
"What?" Chuck asked. "What was inevitable?"
"I hoped he would give up after you took out his associates. I hoped that maybe it was over, at least for now. A vain hope, alas. I have to confront him. It's fate. My destiny and al Fayed's have been intertwined far too long for me to escape until one or both of us are dead."
He straightened and looked at Chuck. "I am sorry that your Sarah has been dragged into this. It is ironic, really, that your love and mine…" He sighed. "But no matter. No matter. We have work to do, you and I. Have you informed your superiors?"
Chuck shook his head. "No. Well, I told Casey. And I guess he's probably called General Beckman by now."
"Unfortunate, but unavoidable I suppose." He walked over to the far left bookcase, pulled out a book, and slid his hand into the opening. He withdrew his hand, stepped back, and a large section of the bookcase slid open, revealing a hidden room. "Come along, my boy," Moses said.
Gaping, Chuck followed Moses into the opening. Chuck did a double take. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn he had just walked into the Castle, complete with banks of computers and a complete armory.
Moses walked over to the armory and took off his suit coat. He pulled on a double shoulder holster and then pulled on another suit coat from a hanger. Chuck could see that it was slightly bulkier than the coat it replaced. Chuck realized that it must have a bullet proof vest sewn into the lining. Moses scanned through his collection of firearms, selected a pair of Walther PPK's, and slid them into the holsters.
Chuck heard a noise behind him and turned. Amelia Banks stood in the doorway. She, too, shed her suit jacket. She grabbed a tac vest and started shrugging it on. Moses looked up. "That will not be necessary, my dear Amelia. But thank you. Charles and I will handle this."
"The hell you will," Amelia said, picking out extra clips for her Desert Eagle.
"Amelia, I'm ordering you to stay out of this," Moses said.
"Then I quit. But I'm coming."
Moses managed a sad smile. "That will not be necessary. You know how I hate interviewing for assistants. But you have to promise me that you will not do anything foolish."
Amelia's answering smile was feral. "I never do, Mr. Finkelstein."
Moses turned back to Chuck. "What is your preferred weapon, Charles?"
"I, ah, don't carry a gun," Chuck replied.
"Though I salute your bravery, Charles, I think that in this case you need to make an exception." He turned and surveyed the armory, picked up a pair of guns, and turned and handed them to Chuck. A matching pair of Smith & Wesson 459's – Sarah's weapon of choice. Chuck wondered for a moment if Moses knew that, then decided that of course he did.
Moses handed him a shoulder holster and a tac vest, both of which Chuck slipped on.
There was a 'boom' from Moses' office. Moses and Chuck glanced over at a monitor to see Casey and Forrest storm into the office. Amelia drew and cocked her Desert Eagle.
Casey evidently noticed the secret room, because he appeared in the doorway a moment later, Forrest a half step behind him. Forrest had her gun drawn and at the ready. As she and Casey strode into the room, Amelia slipped behind Forrest and stuck the barrel of her massive gun against the back of Forrest's head.
"Drop it," Amelia said coldly.
"You are interfering with a Federal investigation," Forrest said. "If you do not cease and desist, I will see to it that…"
Suddenly, Forrest crumpled to the floor. Amelia stood behind her, her gun raised, butt first. "She was going to be a problem," Amelia said with a shrug.
Casey looked at Amelia, down at the still form of Forrest lying on the floor, and back up at Amelia. "I like the cut of your jib," he said. "But I wish you hadn't done that."
Amelia shrugged again and pointed her gun at Casey's head. "You can join her if you like."
"We don't have time for this," Chuck said.
"Charles is right," Moses said. "You can join us, Agent Casey, or join…"
"Agent Forrest," Chuck supplied.
"Thank you, Charles. Or join Agent Forrest. Now, al Fayed has Agent Walker and we intend to rescue her. Are you with us?"
Casey looked at Amelia, who had lowered her gun slightly, but still at the ready, then at Moses, and then looked Chuck up and down, taking in the holster and tac vest.
"You got an extra vest for me?" he asked.
