Hope everybody is doing well. I just wanted to add Chapter 10 to my "3 Weddings" story. I do admit it gets difficult sometimes writing this story, since I left a lot of it open. I wanted to let the story wander out into public and see how people react to it. One of the scenes in this chapter I didn't have planned until I actually got to it, but another scene was meant to be in it from the beginning. That particular scene played out a lot more emotionally than I originally planned, partly because of something that happened during season 3, but I hope you'll like it.
As always, please leave reviews. Come on, you know you want to. You're hiding in the air-conditioning from these 90-degree days. A perfect reason to stay in a few minutes more and write about what you like (or don't like) about the story.
Moscow, Russia
May 10, 2011
8:00 PM
The five agents sat around the table in the safehouse in Moscow, but nothing was said. Nothing had been said since Sarah, Jimmy, and Ilsa returned an hour ago with the revelation the corruption reached all the way to the French Cabinet. The Secretary of Defence selling military secrets to North Korea seemed almost laughable. But it was still reality. Ilsa may have been dead as far as anyone was concerned, but there wasn't any scenario they could imagine where that wasn't going to be made permanent.
Ilsa looked slowly at each of the four agents who traveled across the world her to help her. She couldn't help but feel guilt their efforts were in vain. They risked their lives to get her out of danger, only to find out she had no place to hide. No matter how much paperwork they could forge, no matter how many fake identities they could obtain, someone would eventually find her and kill her. What she now knew was tantamount to a death sentence. Death was something every agent could face at any moment, and there was never any way of knowing how or when it would happen. However, to lose your life in the name of politics, especially if the people in control were committing treason, left the most bitter taste in her mouth.
Ilsa's voice was soft and full of regret. "I can't begin to thank all of you for what you did for me. I just wish it wasn't for nothing. But it's time for you to return home. You can't risk your lives for me anymore."
"You picked the wrong people to just walk away, Ilsa," Casey replied. Ilsa looked at Chuck, Sarah, and Jimmy, each of whom was unquestionably in agreement with what Casey said.
"But there's nothing left to be done. This goes all the way to the top."
"No, there has to be something we can do," Chuck said with that tone of determination that made him so valuable to the government beyond merely the data in his head. "We can't let you be killed so someone can keep doing this. No matter who it is, they need to be brought to justice."
"I love the enthusiasm, Chuck," Jimmy replied. "But this is a helluva lot more than just fighting City Hall. Baudin wants his money and doesn't give a damn how many thousands of people die because of it. The only thing stopping him from sending the entire French SIS after Ilsa is he thinks she's already dead. And based on what we did yesterday, he may not even believe that anymore."
"Then let's blow this thing wide open. If he's too entrenched in the French government, we should bring it to ours."
"The CIA would label us traitors for violating orders and any evidence we have would be rendered moot," Casey replied.
"Wait," Sarah said. "Didn't you mention your boss' name earlier? Dr. Gauthier? Do you think we can go to him?"
Ilsa shrugged. "I can't be completely certain. But he was the one who recruited me into the DGSE. If we had only one person left we could trust in France, it's him."
"If he still has enough influence, what if we gave copies of the evidence to him and let him march into a Cabinet meeting with it? Perhaps Baudin can be sent packing quietly."
"They won't arrest him?" Chuck said.
"Not likely," Casey replied. "It'd be political suicide to air Baudin's treason in public. Sarkozy's administration would be done. Baudin's more likely to develop some 'health problems'."
"The chances of this working are very slim," Ilsa said with more than a few reservations. "I don't even know if Gauthier can be trusted."
"A slim chance is better than no chance at all," Jimmy replied.
"So, let's get ready to go to Paris," Chuck said with the enthusiasm of a sports fan seeing their favorite football team in the Super Bowl.
"No," Casey sharply replied. He turned to Chuck and Sarah with an almost threatening look. "You two are not risking your lives any further. You are returning to Burbank. You took a big risk coming here in the first place, and there's no way I will let you go on what could be a suicide mission. Ilsa and I are doing this alone."
"But…"
"No buts, Bartowski. End of discussion."
Chuck was about to protest further, but Sarah put her hand on his to calm him. As much as Chuck and Sarah wanted to see this mission through to the end, the unwavering look on Casey's face made them realize he was right. Chuck was still the Intersect and still had to be protected. At the very least, he couldn't walk head-first into an extremely dangerous situation such as this.
Sarah and Casey turned towards Jimmy, who was sitting quietly. He looked at both of them and then looked down at the table. He quietly chuckled.
"I told General Beckman I'd bring Casey back to Burbank." Jimmy hooked his thumb at the front door of the safehouse behind him. "And the last time I checked, that ain't Burbank outside."
The five agents sat for another moment before getting up from the table and going to different parts of the house.
Moscow, Russia
May 10, 2011
9:30 PM
Casey entered the bedroom after making arrangements for flights to Paris using a pair of Russian-issued passports Ilsa carried with her. They would travel together, while Jimmy would arrive in Paris through alternate means. Chuck and Sarah would work their way to Germany and fly back to Los Angeles from there. They hoped that splitting up would discourage anybody who might still be following them. Chuck and Sarah would take copies of all the documents back to the CIA just in case Casey, Ilsa, and Jimmy didn't return.
Casey climbed into the bed, only to be met by an angry glare from Ilsa.
"What?" Casey asked. Ilsa just sat there and continued to glare at him. Casey figured it out.
"I told you, the man is doing his job. He got you the intel, didn't he?"
Ilsa shook her head. "I knew you were stubborn from the day I met you. I just didn't think you were so thick-headed to not appreciate someone going above and beyond for you."
"He knew the risks. Every situation can be hazardous for any agent."
"Sarah was right. We're not on a mission, John. At least it wasn't when you came here. This was a personal favor to me. And even after what you did to Slade last night, he still wants to help us in Paris."
Casey was silent. Ilsa had a point. Chuck and Sarah may have voluntarily come to help him, but Jimmy was probably ordered to find him. And certainly Casey couldn't deny Jimmy was a big help in rescuing Ilsa.
Casey gave an audible growl and got out of bed. He went downstairs.
Sarah sat quietly in the bedroom she shared with Chuck. She found a pad and pen on the nightstand. She needed to think of something other than the dire circumstances they were in right now. She was tired of being on-guard from the events of the last week, and she didn't want to worry about Chuck's safety right now. Instead, she tried to concentrate on her wedding. She was supposed to do that, wasn't she? There were a lot of things left to plan. They still needed to pick the entrée to be served, the type of centerpieces they would have, whether there would be a band or a DJ, and who they should invite.
The last one made her laugh a bit. The only person that would be on her invite list was Carina. Even if she put Casey, Jimmy, and Alex on her side of the list, that would still make for a very miniscule group of people. Although it was true Chuck didn't plan to invite large amounts of people either, it still would have been nice to have more people she cared about there to celebrate what she never dreamed she would have. She spent all that time in her youth moving from town to town. New identities, new cons, new getaways, and no friends or family, other than her father. She always knew she was fortunate that Langston Graham found her the day he went to arrest her father. He took her away from the cons and the teasing and the shame of having a father in jail. It made her shudder to think what would have happened to her if she didn't join the CIA. Certainly she could now appreciate why Jimmy had an almost insane loyalty to Chuck, Casey, and her. They did for Jimmy what Graham did for her.
In spite of how she grew up, she still loved her father and thought he deserved to walk her down the aisle in four months. She had an address for him she hoped was still valid, but a slight misappropriation of the CIA's database systems could help her if necessary.
She started writing what she wanted to tell him. She would have to wait until they were back in Burbank before she could mail it. But she hoped he would be there.
Casey walked into the living room area, where Jimmy was keeping watch once again. Clearly Jimmy understood the rules about being the single guy in any situation, whether it was fair or not. Granted, he wasn't single anymore, but Alex was back in Washington trying to get some answers about who was attacking them. In a weird way, Alex and Jimmy made more sense than if he went out with Forrest. Certainly Casey found her attractive, but her attitude towards Chuck and Sarah back then cooled him off. But obviously Alex was a different person now. She'd have to be to put up with Slade.
Jimmy looked up from his book when he saw Casey. "What are you doing up? I told you I'd keep an eye on things."
Casey stood there for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. "I just want to tell you…well, I shouldn't have hit you yesterday. We needed it for the mission, but that's still no excuse…and…"
Jimmy arched an eyebrow and was almost ready to laugh. "Are you trying to apologize, Case?"
"I thought it was the right thing to do."
Jimmy looked at him a moment and slowly nodded. "Ilsa kicked you out of the bedroom until you did it, right?"
Casey shook his head and growled. "Chuck could have pulled all my teeth out and it would still be less painful."
Jimmy looked at him oddly. "When did Chuck pull…"
Casey waved it off. "Never mind." He went to one of the cupboards and pulled out a bottle. He found two glasses and sat on the couch opposite of Jimmy. He poured some of the scotch into each glass and handed one to Jimmy.
"Good stuff?" Jimmy asked.
"For Russia, I'm sure. It cost more than a few rubles."
Both of them downed the shot, and Casey refilled the glasses.
"Walker was right. They came here out of loyalty, and they shouldn't have. And you shouldn't be here at all. This wasn't your fight."
Jimmy gave a slight smile. "If it involves you three, then it is my fight. Besides, you had to be located, and I didn't want Chuck putting his ass on the line. He's the Intersect, right?"
"Only until his old man takes it out, and then it's your job. Neither of you should be here. You're a huge risk as well."
Jimmy shrugged. "What risk? I'd rather have been tortured by that North Korean agent in San Diego than have to tell Sarah anything bad happened to Chuck or vice versa. If something happened to me, who would care? I have nothing to lose."
Casey gave a derisive grunt. "You really don't get the concept of having someone in your life, do you."
Jimmy sat there, frozen in silence. He then put his head down and banged it with his knuckles. "Errgh. You're right. I don't. Alex would be upset, to say the least. At least I think she'd be."
"She would. Forrest did close quarter drills with you, liked your weapons package, and never looked back. I had to hear about it enough from the weepy twins upstairs."
Jimmy looked at Casey, trying not to burst out laughing. He mimicked answering a telephone and handing it to Casey. "Uh, phone for you, Case. Someone named Kettle wants you to explain this whole 'black' thing?"
Casey growled for a moment and looked ready to go after Jimmy until it sank in. He sat back on the couch and downed his third shot. "You have no idea how annoying you are when you're right. Sometimes you're worse than Chuck."
Jimmy nodded in agreement. "Obviously, Ilsa is a very special lady for you to go through all of this for her."
Casey sat back on the couch, poured his fourth shot, and slid the bottle across the table to Jimmy. He sipped on his scotch while looking off in the distance with a sentimental gaze.
"I was engaged not long after college, when I was starting out in the military. I had to leave that woman and a daughter behind to work on a Black Ops team. I thought I was doing the right thing to protect the country. I couldn't go back to them. Hell, I didn't think I was entitled to anybody ever again. And then I met Ilsa. She was beautiful, funny, smart, and we…just clicked. I finally realized maybe I could have someone again. Then she disappeared…faked her death for the job, actually. We reconnected a few years later. But as much as we wanted to, our jobs would always get in the way."
Jimmy was silent. He never saw this side of Casey before. The only conversations the two of them had were in hostile situations or trades of insults. The entire concept of Casey having a girlfriend was almost as foreign to him as having one himself. But this was a different side of Casey. Obviously Casey was not one to do anything halfway, especially caring deeply for someone.
"I guess if there's something positive you can take out of tonight, your jobs aren't going to get in the way for much longer. Even if every last thing goes our way, won't Ilsa still be out of a job? Hell, we're all going to be out of a job."
Casey sat there, and a smile briefly flitted across his face. It might have freaked Jimmy out at any other time, as he never saw Casey smile before. But the reasons for it were obvious.
Casey's smile disappeared. "We have a long way to go before we can even think about that." Jimmy had to concede that point.
"Come get me to relieve you at 2 AM. And this time, don't give me any crap about interrupting me."
"Will do, Case," Jimmy replied with a slight smile. Casey returned to Ilsa.
Chuck finished brushing his teeth and entered the bedroom to see Sarah still writing on the notepad. He considered asking her what she was writing earlier, but he decided to give her some space to write. She looked like she needed to unwind, or at least get her mind off the events of earlier that day. But he had to admit a growing curiosity for what she was doing.
He slid into the bed next to Sarah. She finished writing and placed the pad and pen back on the nightstand.
"What were you writing?" Chuck asked her.
"I was just writing a letter to my father. I'm hoping he can attend the wedding."
Chuck smiled. "I imagine he'll be very happy to find out you're marrying that schnook, huh?"
Sarah laughed and wrapped Chuck's arms around her. "I'm certainly happy to be. He doesn't trust a whole lot of people, other than me of course. But he trusted you from the start. He always knew there was something special about you."
Chuck held her tightly. "There's nothing special about me. I'm just a guy who was fortunate enough to have a beautiful and amazing person fall in love with me."
Sarah turned to face Chuck and gently cupped his chin as she kissed him. "Believe me, Chuck. You are more than just someone special." She gazed into those brown eyes that alleviated the conflict in her soul at every turn. She then looked down at their joined hands. She was very quiet.
"Is everything OK, Sarah?" Chuck asked softly.
Sarah held Chuck's arms more tightly around herself. She felt a shiver go through her. "It's that. The name 'Sarah'. I mean…you and I…we've known each other for four years and have probably been in love with each other the whole time. And in all that time, you never knew my real name."
"It's OK. You don't have…"
"Chuck, please. Don't start saying it's OK because it isn't. I should have told you long ago. I don't know what held me back. I don't know if it was being an agent or being ashamed about my past, or…"
Sarah looked at Chuck to assess what was going through his mind. The odd look on his face didn't escape her.
"Chuck, what is it?" Sarah was confused until she recalled the mission with Chuck and Daniel Shaw when Chuck had to pose as Rafe Gruber. "Do you already know it?"
Chuck looked down, awash with guilt. "Matty and Scotty, those two mobsters with whom I was pretending to be an assassin, bugged the room where you and Shaw were staying. I didn't know he was the target. And…" Chuck couldn't finish, and Sarah was upset.
"Oh, God. I wanted to tell you myself, but I told that traitorous bastard, and I…" Sarah could feel a few tears coming. Chuck held her and gently kissed her forehead.
"Sarah, no. I…I should have said something, but I figured you'd tell me when you were ready. I didn't want to upset you. It doesn't matter if I knew it or not."
Sarah gripped Chuck tightly and put her lips by his ear as she tried to hold back her tears. "It does matter, Chuck. I should have told you long ago. I don't even know if that's my actual name. I never saw my birth certificate. I figured the CIA had it since they knew all my other aliases, but they wouldn't release it until I was a full agent, and then I didn't bother to find out because I didn't want to remember anything about my past. I had so many different names because of all the cons my father and I pulled. Katie O'Connell, Rebecca Franco, Jenny Burton. Samantha Lisa Baker was the first name I remembered. I think Lisa was my mother's name. And I…I should have been honest with you from the beginning. I just didn't know…"
"Stop!" Chuck replied and held Sarah's face in his hands. His eyes gazed intently into hers. "None of that matters to me. Whoever you want to be is OK, because I always knew you as a smart, beautiful, compassionate, and remarkable woman. And you, Sarah Walker, or Samantha or Katie or Rebecca or Jenny…your name doesn't matter. What matters is you are the person I want to be with forever. I love you. I always have, and I always will."
Sarah gazed into his mocha eyes, which always gave her the comfort and safety she desired her entire life. So many things about her past were things she wished she never did. Given the choice, she would have changed so much of it. But in the end, she still arrived at the point in her life every person dreams of. The moment she was in right now. Chuck telling her how beautiful and amazing she was seemed almost silly. She thought he was the most incredible person she ever knew. He made her life what she always wanted it to be.
"Sarah Walker," she replied as she caressed his cheek. "I was never happier in my life than when I was with you. When I was Sarah Walker. That is my name, now and forever."
Chuck had a smile which lit up his face more vividly than Sarah had ever seen. It confirmed what she already knew: that she was no longer Samantha, Rebecca, Katie, or Jenny. She was Sarah. She was his Sarah.
Their lips met in a blazing and passionate kiss they felt in their souls. They never knew how long they would spend that night in each other's loving embrace. It didn't matter.
Washington, D.C.
May 12, 2011
9:30 AM EDT
The IT group tried their best with the image. The facial structure of the mystery woman was not remarkable in any way. Alex also had to concede the person who stole the Cipher material and killed the three technicians may not work at the DNI itself. More than a few agencies had knowledge of the building, and this woman could have been just there for the day. From what the computer jockeys in the DNI could analyze from the brief image on the security video, they came up with a list of 67 possibilities; twelve of whom worked in the DNI itself.
She craned her neck, starting to regret volunteering for this assignment. She thought it would be more of an infiltrate-and-kick-ass mission rather than staring at computer screens and video monitors. Even finding that image didn't guarantee results, as she was now discovering the hard way. But she wouldn't give up. Someone went after her and went after Jimmy. She wanted to know who it was.
She had the IT department run through the video surveillance for one week back from the day of the theft. If it was someone on the outside who had knowledge of the building, finding out when the person was there could be helpful. But that would take time. She concentrated on the twelve people who worked in the DNI.
Wait, did I let those people off the hook too soon?
She already did a check on anybody who requested time off the week following the theft. But perhaps she should have extended the net a bit wider. She immediately ran a search on all vacation requests through the end of the month. She looked through the names of the twenty-four people who requested one.
She found a match.
She got on the phone to the woman's boss, requesting a face-to-face meeting at his office. If her hunch was right, Dana Browning would eavesdrop on the conversation. That's what Alex wanted.
She arranged the meeting for later that afternoon. Alex then called General Beckman. It was time to put the cheese in the trap.
Domodedovo International Airport, Moscow
May 12, 2011
12:30 PM
Chuck and Sarah looked around the international terminal, awaiting their long journey back to Los Angeles. So much had happened to them since finding out Chuck would get the Intersect out and they would get married. It was almost incomprehensible. But somehow, they were still together, holding hands, and how they felt about each other hadn't wavered one iota. Neither of them heard the noise coming from the busy terminal. They could only hear what was in their minds and what they felt as they held hands.
They looked at each other. Both of them silently agreed they were making the right decision.
Burbank, CA
May 13, 2011
1:00 PM PDT
Mr. Diaz stayed out of the way in Burbank. Dana got him the information he needed two days ago. Nobody was guarding the underground facility right now. He checked the Orange Orange, and another person was working there. He would simply eliminate her and enter from there, as she was unlikely to have extensive knowledge of the facility. She was just a substitute yogurt girl.
However, a hasty text message from Dana last night changed things. She overheard a conversation between her boss and Alex Forrest regarding vital pieces of the Cipher. They were under tight security in General Beckman's office. Without these pieces, bringing the Cipher to Fulcrum would be useless. She told him she would steal the missing items this weekend and fly out to Los Angeles in the early part of next week.
It wasn't the best news he had heard, but he was grateful he didn't try to collect his money without the two Intersects and the completed Cipher as he promised. The Ring would likely shoot him where he stood if he tried it. He would wait until Monday to infiltrate the CIA underground facility. And if the bearded manager in the Buy More or the surfer-looking doctor attempted to interfere, Mr. Diaz would take care of them.
DGSE Offices, Paris
May 16, 2011
10:30 AM
Casey, Ilsa, and Jimmy reunited last night at a safehouse outside of Paris. They spent most of the night drawing up the strategy for getting inside the DGSE. Jimmy would sneak into the basement of the facility and hack the security systems, allowing Casey and Ilsa to make their way upstairs. Once they found Dr. Gauthier, it would be time for the big roll of the dice. Dr. Gauthier would be shocked alone to find out Ilsa was alive. But if he was still the honest, hard-working director Ilsa remembered for all those years, her resurrection would be the least-shocking thing he would discover.
Casey and Ilsa approached the reception desk of the DGSE and presented their ID's. The security guard checked the computer for the appointment they were supposed to have with Dr. Gauthier to discuss upgrading some of the computer systems in the DGSE. The computer confirmed their appointment…at least the one Jimmy slipped into the system from the server room in the basement.
Ilsa made sure not to look up or look in one direction for any length of time so the cameras could not find a good enough image of her to run through the facial recognition systems. Casey did the same thing just to be on the safe side. In the elevator, Jimmy looped archived footage for the elevator from the previous evening as Casey and Ilsa rode the elevator to the 16th floor and Dr. Gauthier's office.
Ilsa noticed Casey's look of concern. "Is everything OK, John?"
Casey looked around carefully. "Just a gut feeling. Things feel a bit too easy right now."
"It could be. Or perhaps we were fortunate." She smiled and gazed into his cobalt eyes. "No matter what, thank you for what you did. I hope this will not be the last time we have together."
Casey ran his fingers through Ilsa's hair and pulled her in for a kiss he hadn't experienced since…the last time he was with Ilsa three years ago. He never forgot the electricity he felt at her lips intertwined with his and her slender body pressed into his road-weary frame. And judging by her reaction now, she felt that same heat from holding him and caressing him in Prague and in Burbank.
"Christ, get a room, willya?" Jimmy said with a bit of laughter. Casey audibly growled.
"You've been watching the whole time, you pervert?"
"I don't really have a choice. The monitor in the server room is still hooked up to the live feed. I can only send the archive footage to the other monitors in the building."
The elevator opened on the 16th floor, and Casey and Ilsa proceeded down the hallway. Casey's guard was up, as he saw nobody walking by. He kept looking around for someone in a cross-hallway or cameras following their movements.
Ilsa walked in and threw open the doors to his office. Dr. Gauthier was inside, attempting to pack items into a box. He stopped and stared at Ilsa in shock.
"I knew it was you! I knew they didn't get to you!" Dr. Gauthier ran to Ilsa and put his arms around her, but Casey pulled him back and aimed his gun at him.
"Of course, I should have realized you don't know everything that has happened. I apologize," Dr. Gauthier said, understanding why Casey had his gun aimed at him. "Ilsa, I cannot tell you how relieved I am you are alive. But you should not have come here. It's already too late."
"What is going on?" she asked.
Dr. Gauthier went to his desk and poured some cognac from a bottle and drank it down quickly, not bothering to take in its aroma or warm it properly. "I found out about Baudin only a few days ago. You were wise to alert the Russian FSB about your work in Moscow. They picked up Aguillard and he confessed everything. I tried to look into it quietly, but Baudin was already ordering someone to do his dirty work. I don't know who."
"Toupin," Ilsa replied.
"That snake," Dr. Gauthier replied with considerable ire. "It is my fault for not keeping a tighter leash on him. But all you can do now is run, Ilsa. You and your friends are in danger. Give the information to the British or the American Embassy and let them put pressure on our government to make Baudin disappear."
"What about you?" Casey asked.
Dr. Gauthier shook his head in sadness. "I'm afraid my days of espionage are long gone. There is nowhere a high-level bureaucrat can run."
"Very true," replied a voice from behind Casey and Ilsa. Laurent Toupin arrived with six armed agents.
Dr. Gauthier looked Toupin up and down with complete derision. "You are so low you would sell out your own country and our alliances for a few measly euros?"
Toupin shrugged. "How many innocent people has this agency killed over the years? Or MI-6? Or the CIA? That is rather hypocritical of you to suddenly act holier-than-thou, Dr. Gauthier."
Toupin turned to Ilsa. "You should have just left well enough alone, Ilsa. Now you won't be able to walk out of this room. You are already dead as far as the world knows, so I wouldn't be committing murder right now. Your friends took care of that for you, didn't they?"
"You don't seriously believe you and Baudin will get away with this, do you?" Casey growled at Toupin.
He smiled. "Actually, Colonel Casey, you're going to help me." Toupin held up a pistol. "Sig Sauer P-226. Your weapon of choice, isn't it Colonel Casey?"
"The only way I'll help you is to cart your dead body to the cemetery."
Everybody will discover that Dr. Gauthier put out the execution order on your lover, and you came here for revenge. They'll say you killed Dr. Gauthier."
Toupin aimed his gun and shot Dr. Gauthier in the head. He fell backwards from the impact and landed in his desk chair.
"Even better. He was sitting at his desk, so it will be even more tragic. You didn't give the poor man a chance. And of course, to make it look more authentic, you'll also have killed your partner. The man who was supposed to find you and take you back to Los Angeles?"
The elevator door opened. Four men with bruises, cuts, and blood on their faces carried an unconscious Jimmy into Dr. Gauthier's office. Toupin was confused.
"Did I not send ten of you to get Agent Murdock? I needed him conscious. Where are the others?"
One of the men pointed at Jimmy on the floor. "He didn't go quietly. We had to knock him out."
Casey grunted in approval. "He went easy on you. Otherwise none of you would be standing."
Toupin turned back to Casey and Ilsa. "No matter. Colonel Casey will shoot Mr. Murdock since he does not wish to return to America to face charges. And then, of course…"
"You catch me in the act," Casey replied.
Toupin nodded. "A little promotion to the head of the DGSE will be in the offing for me for killing the man who murdered Dr. Gauthier and a fellow CIA agent. Soon, we'll be back in business."
"You think you will," Ilsa sneered at him.
Toupin smiled. "Oh, you mean your other two partners? The other tall one and the blonde? The ones who are flying from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles even as we speak? I have people waiting for them when they arrive. They'll retrieve the evidence they possess and eliminate them as well."