Here's Chapter 15. I hope you enjoy it. It is one of the chapters that I have been working on the longest, so I hope it's at least half good.

News flash! I still don't own Chuck!

The Battle Begins

Knock, knock

Jamie opened the apartment door. The man standing there looked cautiously into her apartment, "Anyone else here?"

"My brother and sister are gone for about an hour. But is that the way to greet your girlfriend, Agent Rayner?" She answered.

"Ex-girlfriend," He corrected, "we broke up remember?" He walked into the apartment, looked around briefly, and then spun around to face her, "Okay Agent Coleman, let's cut to the chase. You and I both know why you're here."

Jamie bit her lip nervously. "It's not what you think, Tripp. I'm not just here to avenge Reed's murder. Intrepid has to be stopped before they catch up with me. With my family." Her eyes were pleading, "Please, Tripp, you have to help me."

"Why should I help you?''

"Because besides Marc Reed, you're the only person who has any substantial information on them."

"Okay, and even if I helped you, what's in it for me?" He asked.

"You'll be able to get back at your old partner." She answered.

"Meaning you?"

"We were never partners, Tripp. I'm talking about the partner that left us for dead in Moscow after she went rogue."

Tripp just looked at her, "I missed you," he said quietly.

Jamie swallowed, "Tripp, we're not going to play this game," she warned.

"Then what game are we gonna play?" He stepped toward her and was about to kiss her when Chuck and Ellie walked in. Chuck saw the young man, and flashed immediately.

Tripp Rayner AKA Chessman

Affiliations: CIA

Whereabouts: Unknown

Partners with Marsha McCauley AKA Checkmate on several missions. Romantically linked to Jamie Coleman, AKA Renegade. Presumed to have gone rogue with Agent McCauley, but not confirmed.

Jamie saw Chuck flash, and she was horrified. Think fast Jamie, think fast! She grabbed Tripp by the back of his shoulders and pushed him out the door, saying, "I'm sorry Mr. Salesman, but I already have a vacuum cleaner. Sorry, Bye." She closed the door behind him.

Ellie chuckled, "Who was that?"

Jamie smiled and shook her head as she turned and walked to her room.

Chuck and Ellie watched her go. "That was weird." Ellie noted.

"Yeah." Chuck said softly as he walked towards Jamie's bedroom door. He knocked.

"What?"

"It's Chuck, can I come in?"

"Not now, Chuck. I really don't want to explain myself."

"Okay, but if you ever do want to explain, I'm all ears," Chuck said as he turned and walked away.

Just then, Jamie heard a tap on her window. She slowly reached for the gun that was beneath her pillow, but when she turned, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. She ran to the window and opened it.

"Tripp!" She hissed, "What in THE HELL are you doing?" She poked her head out the window and looked down. "What possessed you to climb all the way up here?"

He climbed into her room, out of breath. "You want help?" He panted, "I want you back."

"Can't we make a different deal?" She pleaded.

"Those are my terms, take it or leave it."

Jamie bit her lip in thought, "Okay, okay, we'll play it your way. But I'm going to make you an offer."

"I'm listening."

"You help me catch Intrepid, and I'll come back to you."

"Seriously?" He asked disbelievingly, "That's your offer?"

Jamie shrugged "Take it or leave it."

"Okay, deal."

"Good," Jamie said as they shook hands, "So, what's the scoop?"

"Well, I actually have something for you that I think you'll like." He pulled out a manila envelope. "Something fishy is going on in this warehouse back in Los Angeles. I persuaded General Beckman to let you and your team investigate it."

"Really?" Jamie took the envelope from Tripp.

"Yeah, she should be contacting you any time now to tell you to get your ass back to LA."

Jamie looked through the contents of the envelope, "Does this have anything to do with Intrepid?" She asked,

"I have been trying to figure that out, and I think so. Read my reports."

"Okay. Thank you, Tripp."

"You're welcome. So tell me about your recent discovery."

She went on to tell him about the vault, the plastic sheets and the twelve music books.

When she finished, Tripp sat in thought for a moment, "Hmm, which would make sense. Peter Von Hofner often used cultural items such as pieces of art to send messages. It wouldn't surprise me if he hid the twelve keys in different pieces of music."

"But what are the twelve keys?" Jamie asked.

"No one knew except Reed. That's what got him killed. They could be people, places, pass codes, no one knows. But I will tell you that we need them to stop Intrepid, and if I uncover anything, I'll let you know." Tripp grinned at her.

"Thank you, Tripp. You don't know what this means to me."

"Don't forget our deal." Was all He said as he turned to go out the window.

"I won't," She smiled as she watched him descend to the ground.

The mission details were clear. Bug the warehouse and wait. How very unexciting. "Thanks a lot, Tripp," She mumbled after receiving her orders.

The next day, they flew home. Devon and Sarah met them at the airport. There were hugs and 'welcome homes' Chuck and Sarah kissed each other for an awkwardly long amount of time, and didn't stop until Jamie yelled, "Earth to Walkertowski!"

Team Bartowski got together at Castle for a full briefing on the mission. It was decided that it was a three-man op, and Chuck, Casey and Jamie were going to go, and that Sarah and Morgan would be at Castle tapped in to their feeds in case anything went south.

The three spies sat in the van and tapped into the security feeds. Nothing really seemed to be going on, until suddenly…

"Casey, it's Von Hofner!"

"What?" Casey looked at the screen in disbelief.

"Who?" Chuck asked, but Casey and Jamie both ignored him.

"It's him! Look!" She was getting more excited by the minute, "Casey, What are we gonna do?"

"We sit and wait…" Casey began to say, but Jamie cut him off.

"Chuck, do we have a sniper rifle?"

"Uh yeah, right here." He pointed to a case not twelve inches from where he was sitting.

"Hmm, M-107 .50 cal Long Range Sniper Rifle, not bad," she murmured as she picked it up and prepared to exit the van.

"Jamie," Casey growled, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Only what I have to, John." She exited the van and began to run to the top of the building across the alleyway from the warehouse in question.

"Jamie, Wait!" Casey ran after her.

When Jamie reached the roof, she turned around. "John, just let me do this. Please."

"You can't do it!" He insisted.

"You and I both know that I can." She retorted. "You trained me, John! I can do this!" She turned and started setting up the rifle.

"Jamie, if you take that shot, and you miss, you're a sitting duck."

"Whohoa!" Jamie chortled. "I see how it is! You're jealous!"

"What? I am not!"

"Why do you insist on doing it instead of me?"

He took a step closer to her, "Why do you insist on being so stubborn?"

Suddenly, without warning, she reached up and kissed him. It was a soft, slightly lingering kiss, and it took Casey completely by surprise.

After about 5 seconds, she backed away. "Just let me take the shot, Casey."

Casey was still caught off guard. He took a step backward and then nodded his head. "Okay, Jamie, you win. If a shot needs to be taken, it's yours."

"Thank you." She nodded straightly.

She set up the rifle and put on the headphones. "Okay, Chuck, I've got ears on the target, now you have to tell me when he is getting ready to exit the building."

"I'm on it," Chuck assured her.

Jamie turned the volume up on the headphones so that she could listen in on the conversation:

"But sir, it's too risky."

"Never mind the risk; we have to move that key before the CIA figures out that we have it."

"But sir…"

"Do you seriously want the CIA to find out the identity of every Intrepid agent that we have?"

"No sir."

"Then find a way to keep that drive safe."

Jamie sat up. She looked petrified.

"Jamie, what is it?" Casey asked.

"INTREPID" was all she said.

"What? Jamie who the hell is Intrepid?"

Jamie was silent for a moment. "Screw this," she said, taking the headphones off and getting up, "I'm going in." She took off her belt and ran for the cable that stretched between the two buildings.

"Jamie, No!" Casey called after her as she ran.

"Sorry, Casey, I have to do this."

"You are going to have a lot of explaining to do when you get back, young lady!" He yelled angrily as he watched her zip line across.

"Goddamn Renegade," He growled.

Jamie snuck into the compound.

"Chuck," She whispered into her watch.

"Yeah."

"Do you still have a visual?"

"Sure do, wait, why are you whispering?"

Just then, Casey opened the door to the van, "Goddamn imbecile zip lined down there and broke in to the compound."

"SHE DID WHAT! Wait," He looked at the computer screen, "There she is! Jamie! What do you think you're doing?"

"Only what I have to do," Was all she offered as a response. "Chuck, you have to be my eyes here. You need to tell me when a threat is approaching." She snuck cautiously down the hallway. She was about to enter a place where two hallways intersected when Chucks voice came through her earwig.

"Okay, two bad guys on your six."

Jamie turned around just as they were about to attack her. Chuck and Casey watched in shock as she knocked both of them out. She stood up, brushing the hair out of her eyes, and shot both of them in the head.

"Why'd ya do that?" Chuck screeched.

"What?"

"You just shot them in cold blood!"

"Yep.'' She replied, slightly out of breath.

"Casey, why'd she do that?"

"Precautionary measure. She doesn't want 'em waking up and trailing her."

Chuck glared at Casey like he was crazy, and then turned his head back to the monitor.

"Okay, you got something goin' on up in that next intersection."

"Which direction?"

You got two guys coming up at your Three o'clock, and two at your nine O'clock, but it looks like you'll have to deal with three before nine."

"Thanks, Chuck." She whispered.

"Hey, just doing' my job."

She took care of the three o'clock guys, which wasn't easy; she had to bring out her best kung fu skills. She defeated them just in time to pull out her gun and shoot the nine o' clock guys.

"Wow, she's good." He paused to watch her turn and shoot the two guys that she had just knocked unconscious, "and ruthless," he finished.

"That's my girl." Casey grunted, but Chuck could hear the pride in his voice.

"Okay, Chuck, there should be a vault somewhere along this wall, please tell me you flashed on something."

"Who-What? No, I didn't flash." He insisted.

"Oh for goodness sake Chuck!" Jamie whispered, obviously frustrated.

"What?" He retorted. "It's not like I can turn it on at will!"

"Chuck, I'm at the back wall. Please tell me you know where the safe is."

"Wait… how am I supposed to…?" And then he flashed, "Okay, go about thirty feet to your right."

She ran down, "Okay, I'm here."

"Alright, there should be a hidden sensor in the wall, similar to the one that was in that apartment wall. You're gonna need to find it."

"Okay," She started running her hand up and down, "Chuck, I'm not finding it!"

"Just be patient, Jamie, I know it's there."

Suddenly, all of the surveillance screens went blank. "Jamie!" Chuck yelled, "Jamie, are you there?"

Nothing

Inside the warehouse, Jamie heard a thick German accented voice behind her.

"Agent Coleman."

She whirled around to face her biggest fear, "Von Hofner," she said shakily.

"Agent Jamie Coleman," He said again, "I've been looking for you."

Jamie froze. She was out of ammunition, and she was too far away from him and the two men that escorted him to fight, so she did something unthinkable—she ran. As she was running, she took off her watch. She hid behind a table for a minute and popped the back off, twisted a couple of wires around and put it back on, "Chuck! Casey! I can't hear you, but I need help." There was a lot of static, and they barely heard her.

Jamie was running for dear life. Someone fired a bullet at her, hitting her in the leg just as she was running out the door. He fired twice more, both times hitting her in the same leg. She quickly fell to the ground and played dead.

"Chuck, Casey, "I'm at the North Enterance and I could really use some help." She whispered through her watch. The pain was excruciating. She had been shot before, but never three times in one leg. It was almost too much for her to handle.

Chuck and Casey drove around the building as fast as they could. Casey shot the man who was about to finish off Jamie, and then ran over to her, and began assesing her condition. She was losing a lot of blood, but she managed to open her eyes for a split second, and grin painfully at him, "I'm sorry, Casey, He got away."

Casey stopped what he was doing for a moment, and half-smiled at her, "It's okay, it's not your fault."

Jamie's eyes closed. She just couldn't keep them open anymore. But as she drifted off, she couldn't help but ask one thing of Casey and her brother.

"Please don't let me die." She begged.

It wasn't long before total blackness engulfed her.

The End.

Just Kidding! The story is just starting to get good!

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