Don't own Chuck
Sarah was on the second floor with Noora watching Sam and Samaa play. Samaa was walking through the exhibit explaining to Sam what some of the artifacts were and what they represented. It was funny to watch them as Samaa played the guide and Sam following behind her. Every now and then Samaa had to tell Sam to pay attention but that was because Sam was distracted by some of the details.
"Listen up or you won't know what a Sphinx is. It has the head of a man the body of a lion and wings of an eagle. It supposed to ask you a riddle and if you don't answer it the Sphinx will eat you," said Samaa. "Yum in one bite."
"I'd like to see it try," Sam feigning courage. "But this piece was broken then repaired. Look at the lines they're deeper here they're shallower," said Sam. "Can't you see that?"
"What's the problem," said Jamil. Since Chuck hadn't returned yet he felt it was his responsibility to referee the girls' debate.
"Sam says this piece has been fixed but I told her according to granddad's notes this was the way this found."
"But don't you see someone added this part. Just look this side doesn't match the other and the grooves in the stone look new while the other section is worn down."
"You have a good eye for detail little one. Samaa she's right the only thing I can think of is maybe the piece was damaged when they took it then someone tried to restore it but Sam is right they did a poor job."
"But Sam has found places on most of these pieces that have been fixed or altered. What does that mean?"
"That your friend should think about a job an inspector for antiquities," said Jamil. "This is the Sphinx, there used to be two, they stood at the gates of the city guarding against people who wished to do the inhabitants harm."
"Jamil, I'm sorry for interrupting," said Sarah. "Did Chuck say where he was going? I know he went looking for the juice but did he say he was going anywhere else?"
"No he just said he was going to wait for the waiter. Maybe he got tired of waiting and decided to track one down."
"That does sound like him. The General might have waylaid him on his way here to," said Sarah but then she saw the General talking Casey below.
"How far along are you if you don't mind me asking," said Noora. At first it didn't even register with Sarah that she was being talked to. "He'll show up soon."
"What? I know and I must seem silly. Where's he going to go to right? You asked how far along I am will I just entered my last trimester so I'm entering the homestretch. I thought your husband said you didn't speak very good English?"
"I speak better than him but he's my husband so I don't want to make him look bad," said Noora. "That's a wife's duty. You obviously don't understand."
Sarah was about to answer when Chuck's emergency distress beacon went off. Sarah ran to the railing looked down at Casey who was with the General. He looked back up at her she shrugged her shoulders then they all activated comms putting in earbuds.
"I've got the General in my ear yelling asking what's going on?" radioed Casey. "Isn't the nerd up there with you in playtime?"
"No he went looking for juice and hasn't come back. I'm rounding up Sam you take the General outside then we'll sweep the building."
"The General doesn't want to cause a panic so we need to be discreet as we move people out," radioed Casey but as he was talking they heard gunshots from outside then a waiter opened fire at the ceiling with his Tec-9DC. "So much for discretion." Casey drew his Sig and dropped the man.
"General, Major it's time to go. Follow me and I didn't get a chance to sample the canapé."
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A little while before a waiter escorted Chuck into the back of a catering truck with orders to eliminate him. However, the man didn't realize that Chuck was aware of what was about to happen. Chuck followed the man in the back of the truck and watched him pick up a knife so when he spun around to stab him it wasn't a surprise. Chuck check the stabbing arm then reverse chopped to the neck that he changed into a choke hold throwing the assailant to the floor.
"What's going down and who do you work for," said Chuck as they flailed around on the floor. His assailant looked at him as Chuck spoke Arabic to him but still struggled to break free. "That's right I speak your language so tell me what I want don't make me hurt you."
"Funny 'cause that's what I want to do to you," said the man. He raised Chuck's arm enough to get it in his mouth. He bite into it hard, hard enough to make Chuck let him go. He immediately tried to turn to stab Chuck but he got his legs under him and kicked him off.
They both scrambled to get to their feet Chuck grabbing two skillets. The man lunged at him but Chuck parried the stab with one then knocked him flat on his back with the other. The man drew his Tec-9 firing a round but the man caught the skillet. Chuck got knocked backwards but when he got up he found the ricochet had taken out his assailant.
"Thank you Rachel Ray," said Chuck as he looked at the ding in the skillet. He activated his emergency distress beacon then he took the man's weapon and clip. He heard weapons fire inside and knew he had to get a move on it. He cut all the gas leads in the truck then rigged a grill lighter to the door.
He could hear a firefight going on inside and the only thing he could think of was Sarah and Sam he had to get back inside. Putting in his earbud he tried to raise Sarah.
Back inside Sarah pulled her Smith & Wesson from her bag dropping a waiter firing in the air. Then others pulled weapons returning fire.
"Get back away from the railing," yelled Sarah. "Noora, Jamil watch the girls stay back and down try to make it to the exit."
"Who are these people and what do they want?" yelled Jamil as his wife pulled him down then she got the girls together.
"Thank you," said Sarah. She dropped a waiter trying to charge her position from the stairs. "Now go get out of here while I can cover you. Sam, go with them I'll be right behind."
Sarah watched them go out the door. Sam turned to look at her but Sarah waved for her to go. Another man charged up she dropped him but the slide locked back on her weapon she was out.
"Crap now what," she thought. Her first thought was to check on the two she dropped on the steps but they fell backwards and were too far down and too far out in the open to reach then she heard Chuck in her ear.
"Sarah, are you all right," radioed Chuck. "I'm out back. What's your status?" There was a hesitation. "Sarah, can you read me? If you can hear me hold on I'm coming."
"No wait I'm fine. I just got Sam and Samaa out the emergency exit with her parents. You should circle around and secure them. I can hold out here for a little longer." There was a loud explosion behind him.
"Looks like someone went for ammunition," said Chuck as chicken wings and meatballs rained around him. "Speaking of ammo how are you doing? How much do you have left?"
"I've got half a clip left but it seems they're busy on the ground floor getting organized so I should be fine for now. I've got to go I need to find better cover. Go secure Sam I can hold out a little longer here. I love you."
"I love you too just hold out a little longer I'm coming for you."
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When the gunfire opened up on the ground floor there was mass confusion and panic as people stampeded trying to get out. Casey with the Major got the General and the Secretary of State out. He was about to go back in when the General ordered him and the Major to secure a perimeter until reinforcements could arrive.
"Colonel set up a perimeter we need to contain this as the best we can. I've got backup coming in but they're going to need a half an hour there was a bomb threat at Union Station."
"But Sarah's still inside," said Casey. "General, Ma'am, this goes against everything I believe in leave no man behind."
"I know Colonel but you'll just get yourself killed. If we can contain them long enough we can make sure they don't get away and take them. Agent Carmichael will have to fend for herself for a little bit."
"John can you hear me," radioed Sarah. "I just talked with Chuck he's okay I got Sam and Samaa's family out..."
"Is that Sarah," asked the General. Casey nodded his head. "Good, ask her what's going on inside? Tell her to send us pics of the preps we can run them through facial to see if we get any hits. We need to know who we're dealing with."
"Did you copy that? The General wants to know what's going on inside? And see if you can get a few photos of the guy who's giving the orders. We've got backup coming so hold tight."
"I hear them down below breaking the statues. I'm not sure where the hostages are. Let me do a little recon and I'll get back with you."
"That's a negative. You should stay put and out of sight. Think about it what are you going to hide behind."
"Stand down Colonel if she thinks she can do it let her try. We need to know where those hostages are before we can breach the building and we need that intel."
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Sarah worked her way around on the balcony to see a man in a tux giving orders to men carrying tec-9s. The hostages were huddled in the cloak room with one guard. If she could get one of their weapons she could secure the hostages while Casey and an incursion team retook the museum. But she needed to come up with a plan that got her down there in one piece. As she was thinking she took a couple of pics then sent them on.
"Come on, come on we need to get out of here," yelled the man in the tux. "The longer we're here the more likely someone's going to catch on to what we're doing. What's our status report?"
"Commandant we lost five men but it looks like we've got the museum to ourselves at least for now. The hostages we've got secured in the cloakroom. However, the truck is gone."
"We'll, have to make do. If the hostages make a peep execute one then the rest will fall in line. Let's get this crap opened up so we can get our treasure out then let's get out of here before they get reorganize outside. Come on let's get the lead out I want to see some hustle."
The men started setting down their weapons and took up sledgehammers and began swinging away destroying centuries of culture in seconds.
"John, this is Sarah do you read me? I sent you pics. The hostages are being held in the cloakroom. I've got a plan to get down there to them when I'm there I'll try to secure the room and wait for your breach.
"I read you but our team is still fifteen minutes out so hold tight. You might want to know Sam is with me and she's asking about you and Chuck."
"Tell her I'm fine and I'll… wait Chuck isn't there with you? I've got activity here. I need to go I've got to get to that cloakroom and in a hurry."
"Commandant, we've recovered almost all of the canisters that were hidden. There are a couple more upstairs then we'll have it all."
"Good, hey go gentle around those ends you break a seal and we're all toast," yelled their leader at two of their men destroying a Sumerian statue. "Okay let's take a break here. Move the canisters out then get the men ready to pull out. We'll use the hostages as shields then just walk out of here and take a police car. You two go up above and get those last canisters."
When Sarah saw the two men start up the stairs she knew this was her window of opportunity to get down to the hostages. She just had to sell the con. She broke the heel off her shoe then she laid down in the middle of the floor and waited.
"Augh," she moaned as the men came up carry sledgehammers. "Please don't hurt me," said Sarah as she rubbed her ankle.
"What are you doing up here," asked one of the men. "You should be down below with the rest of the hostages."
"I got scared during all the shooting I tried to hide then I ran and broke my heel," said Sarah as she held up her shoe. "I fell and I think I twisted my ankle."
"We've got another hostage up here," yelled one of the men back down. "She's got a sprained ankle what do you want us to do with her?"
"If she can't walk she's no good to us," yelled the Commandant back. "We don't want any witnesses so you know what you need to do. Remember they shoot horses."
"Sorry lady this just isn't your day," said the one man as he looked over at the other then motion for him to do it.
"What? Why does it have to be me?" said the man protesting. "You don't have any sisters you should do it not me to be fair."
"Fair doesn't have anything to do with it. Orders are orders and they have to be followed," said the one man. He started towards her she threw a knife that planted in the man's chest. The man looked down at it with surprised then fell to the floor. The other man drew his Tec-9 and was raising it when the window shattered behind him and Chuck came rolling in. He grabbed the man by the throat then turned the machine pistol inward there was a short burst then the man dropped.
"Where's that half a clip you said you had? How do you want to play this?" Sarah grabbed him and kissed him then she picked up the other Tec-9.
"And for the record just to let you know I had this under control," she said as she kissed him again.
"Yuck, well that's nice but I've got perps and hostages moving out of the museum into the parking lot. What's going on in there?"
"I don't know from where I was I couldn't see much they just vandalized the artifacts and talked among themselves in Arabic."
"I wish I could've heard them," said Chuck. "Wait a minute maybe I can look next to the Sphinx Sam dropped her voice recorder… And she left it on."
"Let's go back up Casey then listen to what's recorded," said Sarah. They were almost at the museum entrance when they heard gunfire. They ran out to find hostages and preps on the ground.
"Good grief John what did you do? You're supposed to separate the sheep from the wolves before opening fire."
"This wasn't me," said Casey. "If you don't believe me you can ask the General. She saw and heard the same thing. They were all marching out in a circle with the perps in the middle then there was a gunshot and all hell broke loose."
"That's right everyone was shooting. Thank God there were ambulances standing by to take care of the civilians. I'm holding the preps until we can transport them to our facility."
"Look," said Casey, "here comes our reinforcements, talking about a day late and a dollar short. Oh and I've got Sam and her new friend locked in my car. I figured it was the safest place around here with all the lead flying."
"Thanks John," said Sarah. But as she was talking with Casey she noticed Chuck walking through the bodies. He knelt down next to one and looked under the sheet then covered it back up.
"What is it? You never wanted to look at a corpse before and now you're actually examining them. What's wrong?"
"He's not here," said Chuck. "Where is he?" Chuck didn't explain he went straight over to the wounded and started interrogating. "Where is the man you called the Commandant?" he asked in Arabic but the man just spit on the ground.
"Chuck, I'm all in for some serious rendition but Sam and her friend can see you not to mention we've got news crews showing up. What's crawled up in your pants?"
"Their leader the one they called the Commandant isn't here. He's gotten away… And I know how he did it. Sarah he was the one in the tux…"
"Yeah I sent them a photo of him for facial, said Sarah. She remembered him as being an SOB and looking around Chuck was right he wasn't there.
"The tux was his getaway ticket. Remember the rest of the commando team were dressed as waiters. I'd go so far as saying he instigated the firefight. You said there was a gunshot then chaos. He knew tensions were high all he needed was a match. Everyone shoots then afterwards the people with tuxes get sent away in ambulances. At least one of your ambulances was a fake."
"I want a bolo out on every ambulance that was here and I want a visual verification of their occupants," said the General to the Major. "I want this Commandant or whatever his name is. No one slips past me under my nose. Do we at least know why they were here? They must've wanted something."
"I'm hoping that the key is recorded here," said Chuck as he pulled out Sam's recorder. He hit playback then fast forwarded it to after the shooting. "Let's go inside to listen it where it's quieter."
They walked inside to find Jamil sitting in the middle of the debris with his wife standing behind him trying to comfort him. Chuck felt sorry for him as desperate as he looked.
"What kind of animals do this type of thing? I wish I could talk to their leader and ask him who does he think he is to have the right to destroy the culture of a people."
"There is something more going on here," said Chuck. "Everyone needs to be quiet this isn't easy to hear but this may shed some light.
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The man in the back of the ambulance laid there until they got through the police barricades. Once they were safe the drive signaled to the man in the back to tell the Commandant that the coast was clear.
"It's okay you can get up now," said the fake EMT as he unhooked the IV and helped the Commandant sit up. The EMT handed him new clothes as he removed his jacket and shirt revealing his Mylar vest underneath.
"Argh," said the Commandant as he removed his vest. "It might stop a bullet but it still smarts. I need a phone."
"Yes Sir here you go," said the medic. He handed him his then started examining some of the serious bruising.
"I'm fine just give me something for the pain," said the Commandant as he pushed the man away. "What do you think this isn't the first time I've been shot at? Now let me make this call."
"Then at least let me wrap it while you talk. It will make moving around easier and less painful. If not you might find yourself immobile."
"Okay just make it quick," said the Commandant as he made his phone call then put it on speaker. "It's me everything ran as planned although there were a few snags but the packages are on the way. I need for you to recover them then bring them to the safe house."
"Sure no problem, but you know I've been rethinking our split and my thirty percent is looking awfully small considering the risks I'm taking."
"Really and what do you see as a more equitable division? Remember I'm the one with all the overhead. But okay what do you think you deserve?"
"Well some of my boys are pushing me to ask for a fifty-fifty split but I reminded them about your overhead but they said they didn't care. However, I told them I did and I told them that I'd ask you for a forty-sixty split."
"I appreciate you taking up for me with your gang… I tell you what I'll give you the forty percent. I just need those canisters as soon as possible. I can't give you your money before I sell our produce but don't worry I've already have buyers knocking down my door."
"Sounds good to me, we're standing by the storm drain now. If you put them in like you said you did they should be here any moment. Wait I got one of my men waving they're here. We got them."
"Good I should see you in a little while."