Don't own Chuck
It was just before sunrise and Lou and his two boys Mike and Tommy were out on garbage collection. The city that doesn't sleep makes trash collection a 24/7 job. Lou and his boys got the early morning run and halfway through their pick up. Lou started to get hungry. Looking at his watch they were ahead of schedule so he decided to make a pit stop for refueling as he called it.
"Hey boy after this one we'll head over to Wilma's dinner for breakfast. I think my sugar level is low so we're going to take a break."
"How much sugar is there in bacon and eggs or is it all in that side dish of hash browns," said Tommy. "You've got enough body fat to survive the next ice age."
"What are you talking about fat? I have you know this is all muscle," said Lou. "Just hurry up I want to get there before the rush starts."
"Leave him alone Tommy. Haven't you figured out by now why we always stop at Wilma's? Lou here doesn't just like her cooking."
"Shut up back there and get to work. All your lollygagging around is costing me my breakfast time," said Lou. He stopped the truck then ran in the back to help them. "Boy the flies are out today."
"Phew this is a rip one. Oh I can feel this smell all the way down to my stomach. Lou, I don't know if breakfast is such a good idea today."
"Come on you bunch of light weights. What's a little putrid waste and animal byproduct anyway? Mike grab the other side of this can then let's go. Breakfast is on me." They dumped the can but Mike got hit by some of the back splash.
"Geez can't you be more careful! Crap now I'm going to smell like this all day. I need one of those magic trees to hang around my neck."
"Stop your whining when we get to Wilma's you can go into the bathroom and get yourself cleaned up. Now we've got to stop."
Lou got his crew inside the cab. Tommy had to hang his head out the window as they drove down a few blocks to Wilma's Bar and Grill. When Lou pulled in there were two big rigs parked out front but the morning crowd hadn't started arriving yet. Tommy jumped out of the cab as soon as they pulled in to get away from Mike.
"My Lord, how are you going to go in there? I almost lost it in the cab. To say you smell like a skunk would be an insult to skunks and pole cats."
"Hold up there Mike," said Lou. He reached into the glove box and pulled out a can of Lysol spray then hosed him down.
"Geez Lou why didn't you do that before he got into the cab with us," said Tommy. His stomach still was in knots there was no way he was going to hold anything down.
"Then I wouldn't have been able to watch you go through all the shades of green. Come on a nice plate of greasy bacon and runny eggs will hook you right up."
"Oh crap Lou," said Tommy as he lost it in the parking lot. "I don't want to hear anyone laugh," he said as a second wave of nausea hit him.
"I hope you're going to clean that mess up," said Wilma as she came outside. "I can't have my customers tracking that inside. Morning Lou I'm glad to see you..."
"You are... I mean I am too... I mean well we're just taking a break from our collections and the boys here asked me if we could stop by. They really like your cooking and so do I," said Lou. Mike smiled over at him but didn't say anything.
"I'm glad... well I've got a favor to ask you I know I'm not on your pick up route but customers have been complaining about the smell coming from my dumpster out back and I was wondering if you couldn't make a special pick up for me... Naturally breakfast is on the house anything you want."
"Anything," said Lou. He turned red when he realized he said what he was thinking. Mike started giggling.
"Yes Lou anything on the menu," said Wilma smiling. "So will you help out a friend? I can't afford to lose customers."
"Sure no problem, come on boys let's go earn our meal," said Lou. He got Mike onboard riding the back and Tommy rode in the cab. They drove around behind backing up to the dumpster. Mike directed Lou back then he jumped out and helped Mike push the dumpster up to where the arms could grab it to lift in into the back to be compressed.
"Phew they were right something's rip inside," said Lou as he lifted the lid back. Mike stood by the controls to lift it up when Lou jumped back and began to heave. Tommy jumped out of the cab to see what was the matter with Lou as Mike took a look inside too.
"What did you see...Holy Crap we've a dumpster full of stiffs," said Mike. He picked up a stick and poked them. "Yeah, they're dead all right stiff as a board just look how pale they are. You think it's drugs?"
"I don't know just get away from them," said Lou. He pulled out his phone and called 911. "Hey I need to report... well we just found a dumpster full of dead bodies... No this isn't a joke. We're behind Wilma's Diner and Grill off Oxnard... Yeah we'll be standing by," said Lou.
"Hey I've got five hundred here," yelled Mike. While Lou was on the phone he climbed up and was searching the bodies for their wallets.
"What are you doing up there?" yelled Lou as color started to return to his face. "Leave those bodies alone and stop that."
"What? I'm just taking the cash out of their wallets. It's not like they're going to need it and the police are just going to impound it then it's going to go into their pockets. Yes sir, Mamma needs a new pair of shoes," said Mike.
"This isn't right," said Lou. Tommy nodded in agreement. "Get down from there and put that stuff back."
"You're going to get in trouble," said Tommy. "Get out of there. God only knows what they died from."
"Look at the tattoos on their pale skin. Those are gang tattoos, which means some other gang probably got rid of them. Come on this is easy money. Don't we share things we find? This isn't any different. Crap I was talking with you guys and got blood on me." Mike jumped off the back then grabbed a rag from the back to clean up.
"Mike don't look now but your nose is bleeding," said Tommy.
"What?" he said as he took the same rag and tried to stop it but then he started bleeding from his ear. Tommy and Lou stood back as they watched in horror Mike started bleeding from his eyes too then he dropped to the asphalt. He tried to ask for help but blood started spewing out his mouth then he went into convulsions when they stopped he was dead.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chuck fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and it was lights out until the morning. When he woke up he realized it was late because the sun was already shining in through their bedroom window. He rolled over in bed to tell Sarah they'd overslept but her side of the bed was empty she must've let him sleep in. He put on his house shoes then got up to find her.
"Sam's room, she's probably there," he said as he walked down in his pajama bottoms. Opening the door he found Sam's bed undone but she was nowhere to be found.
"Now what," he said to himself as he made his way to the kitchen then living room but no Sarah or Sam. The wind blew in and the door opened.
"What the heck? Why was the door ajar," he said as he went out in the courtyard. He took a deep breath looking around. Everyone was there Sarah, Sam, Casey, Alex and Morgan. They were all there lying about like they were in a deep sleep.
"Sarah love, wake up," said Chuck as he ran to her. She felt cold and no matter how hard he tried she wouldn't open her eyes. Then he went to Sam and did the same thing with the same results.
"What's going on? What's happening?" Suddenly he heard a voice from above him screaming as something came down at him from the sky. He looked up holding his hand over his eye to see better when a sphinx like an Assyrian lamassu perched on the fountain.
"Answer this riddle and you'll live," said the beast. "There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?"
"Night and day. In Greek they're both feminine núx night and hêmar day," said Chuck. The beast shrieked in anger.
"If you answer me this I'll wake your friends up but if you fail I'll eat you whole then spit out your bones." Chuck looked over at Sarah and Sam.
"Okay but let's add that whatever you did to them you do to yourself that is if you're so certain that I'll fail."
"Then answer me this: which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed." Chuck took his time thinking. "So do you know or am I going to have a juicy snack?"
"The answer is man. When we're born we walk on all fours until we learn to walk upright on two legs then in old age we use a cane becoming three legged. Man is your answer." The beast shrieked then flew off.
"Wait you promise," yelled Chuck as he jumped up in bed. "Crap I was dreaming." Sarah turned on the light then rolled over.
"Who promised what," she asked with sleepy eyes. "Don't tell me you had a nightmare? I love you dearly but this is the second time tonight you've woken me up. Do you want to talk about it?"
"No," he said then he kissed her. "I'm sorry go back to sleep. I'm going to get up and get a glass of water. I'll be right back."
"Chuck, don't go back to work. You need to turn your brain off or you'll get burned out. Get your water then come back to bed. Don't make me come and look for you."
"Okay," he said. He got up then as he was about to leave he turned around to find her fast asleep again. He heaved a sigh then drudge down to the kitchen. In the kitchen he got a glass out of the cupboard then filled it under the sink. He drank it down then looked at the glass before setting it in the sink. He leaning against the counter top trying to clear his head but he could still feel himself shaking. Turning around he saw the mainframe had finished elaborating the audio recording.
"If I go back to bed I'm just going to lay there. At least like this I can get a head start on tomorrow or today," he said to himself as he looked at the clock on the wall. He put a pot of coffee on then went to the living room where he put on headsets and got comfortable on the sofa.
[A couple of hours later]
"Sweetie, how do you feel? I'm sorry I think I feel asleep on you," said Sarah as she rolled over only to find Chuck's side of the bed empty. "Oh Chuck."
She got up put on her house shoes then went looking for him. She really didn't have to look she was sure she knew where he was. On her way she checked on Sam. She was sound asleep in her bed. Sarah had been worried that she might have nightmares after last night's events but the person who had the nightmare was Chuck.
She walked into the kitchen and there he was on the sofa with headsets on. She shook her head then went over to him. When she put her hand on his shoulder he jumped.
"I'm sorry if I sacred you but what did I tell you? You were supposed to get a glass of water then come back to bed."
"I'm sorry but I couldn't go back to sleep after my nightmare. It was… well it was bad and so I decided to start this."
"I don't like it when you have nightmares and you know why. Are you sure your governor is working properly? When was the last time you checked it? You know what Dr. Dreyfus said."
"Yes and that's what scared me the most that the intersect could be trying to communicate to me through my subconscious. They were talking about recovering canisters on the recording."
"Canisters? Did they say what was in them?" she asked as she cuddled up next to him but as she did the front door opened and Casey walked in. "I swear one of these days I'm going to shoot you."
"Yeah, yeah, promises, promises, Chuck go throw some clothes on we need to go meet up with a team from Homeland and this time they are actually Homeland. They want us to look over a crime scene with them."
"I should come with you," said Sarah. "You don't expect me to stay at home all day darning socks do you?"
"These are orders for the General so if you don't like it you can take it up with her. As for what you can do all day well…"
"Don't say it or we can revisit me shooting you," said Sarah. She went back to watch Chuck change. "Promise me you'll be careful I don't like you having your nightmare then this. I've known John long enough to know he's holding something back."
"It's probably nothing but if you want something to do you can go see the museum's antiquities expert and interrogate him. If he is an expert he had to have known those pieces had been touched up," said Chuck as he handed her the business card the Major had gotten from the curator.
"I can leave Sam with Morgan then take Alex with me. We can drop in on Dr. Daniels at Caltech and have a heart to heart."
"Remember he's only a suspect for now so try and not to ding him up too much," he said as he kissed her. "Once we're done with this we'll be running back to the museum. I want to be there when they scan those statues."
"Okay then we can go out to lunch. I was thinking about calling Noora and asking if they wouldn't mind joining us. I could come back pick up Sam so she and Samaa can spend some time together. She doesn't get to spend that much time with children and I just think it would be good for her."
"You're a good mother. It's fine by me but we should go to a restaurant they're comfortable with. I'll leave it up to you to pick one," he said then he kissed her and as they were kissing Casey walked in.
"Yuck, I think I'm going to be sick. Come on Bartowski we've got to go save democracy. Hurry up or we'll be late."
"I really am going to shoot him," said Sarah as she kissed Chuck one more time. Casey grabbed Chuck then herded him towards the door.
"I'll call you," said Chuck as they left the apartment.
"What's going on?" asked Sam as she walked to her door looking out just in time to see Chuck leave with Casey. "Where are Chuck and Uncle Casey going? Isn't it early?"
"They're going to do some work and yes it is early but since you're up I want to leave you with Morgan while Alex and I go talk to a man. I was thinking afterwards we could contact Noora and see if they can meet us for lunch and bring Samaa so you two can spend time together.
"Yippy can we? I'd like that do you think it's possible," said Sam as her face lit up. "Okay I can take care of Morgan while you two are gone. But I'm going to need my white coat and instruments," she said as she disappeared back into her room. "Now where did I leave that syringe?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chuck climbed into Casey's Crown Vic then they took off heading to downtown Burbank then on to Oxnard and on to Wilma's Diner and Grill. Halfway there Chuck decided he'd waited long enough and it didn't look like Casey was going to be forthcoming.
"Okay John what was so earth shaking that you pulled me out of my house before I had a chance to eat breakfast? You know breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day."
"Only if you keep it down I was told this crime scene is pretty grisly and it was told to me by a guy I know who used to eat hot pockets in the morgue while the coroner was doing autopsies."
"It sounds nasty but how does this tie to our museum heist which is what I think it was now. I listened to the recording this morning and the men were talking about canisters."
"Canisters! That doesn't sound good at all. Well here we are you can go out and make initial contact while I get on the horn. I want to make sure there are more guards posted at the museum to watch over those pieces until we can get an X-ray team in there. I knew you guys should've let me loose with a sledgehammer."
"We don't know which ones had the canisters hidden in them and the last thing we need is for you to destroy their remaining artifacts underneath their very eyes."
"Whatever," said Casey. "The agent in charge is a Frank Kelso and that's him stand next to the garbage truck." Chuck got out and walked over to him.
"Agent Carmichael," said Chuck as they shook hand. "Your people called us for assistance. What do you have?"
"I don't know right now. As you can see we've placed the dumpster under an igloo until the CDC gets here. Over there are garbage people who found the bodies at least the ones that are still alive. One of them is next to the dumpster with our stiffs. He was checking IDs or that's what those two said. I believe he was probably lifting all their loss change when he got himself contaminated."
"Contaminated? CDC? What do you have here?" said Chuck. Suddenly he was thinking back to his nightmare that seemed to becoming real.
"I don't know for sure but we're thinking some sort of bioweapon," said Kelso as he passed Chuck photos and what Casey's friend said turned out to be an underestimate of how grisly the scene was.
"Do you have a camera or something inside I can get a better look at our vics?" said Chuck. Casey heard him and for a moment couldn't believe what Chuck was asking.
"Yeah actually we have a drone inside that we're going to use when the CDC gets here so they can get a good look before someone goes in."
"Can I use it? I've work with drones before," said Chuck. They walked over to a mobile command center with monitors. On the way John pulled Chuck aside.
"Chuck, are you sure you want to do this? You've already been having nightmares what do you think this is going to do?"
"I have to if I can identify the pathogen then we can better understand how to deal with it before someone has to risk their life going inside. Besides how did you know I had a nightmare? You haven't been eavesdropping on me... on us again? Sarah will shoot you, you know?"
"Agent Carmichael this is the monitor and these are the controls. I just ask that you don't break it this thing is expensive and I signed for it."
"Your toy is in safe hands."
"Boy have I heard that before," said Casey under his breath. Chuck gave him a look then turned to the controls.
"And Houston we have lift off," said Chuck as he brought the drone to life. He took it up then hoovered over the bodies using the onboard camera to zoom in.
"See that," said Chuck. "Look how pale they look. Now look at the garbage collector's body and John please no puns about him taking out the trash..."
"I don't have to you just did. But I see it look at all that blood, it looks like all his blood just came pouring out of him."
"Which is basically what it did, look at all the dried blood around his mouth, nose, eyes and ears. That's dried blood on his pants. The man bled out from every orifice," said Chuck. He flashed and for a moment lost control of the drone but Casey pushed him out of the way to stabilize it then land it.
Chuck flashed. He saw out breaks of Ebola and Marburg virus with thousands and thousands of bodies under sheets.
"Oh Boy I wasn't prepared for that," said Chuck. "Thanks John for the save. Those people have been exposed to a type of VHF… I'm sorry a type of viral hemorrhagic fever. What we have is a weaponized form of Ebola or Marburg virus. I said this is weaponized because a person doesn't have this rapid an attack. The normal virus usual takes a few days of incubation in its host and in that time some people's immune systems can effectively combat it. These poor people's immune systems didn't get a chance to kick in."
"What do I tell the CDC?"
"Samples should be taking then the bodies have to be incinerated. You catch this by contact so as long as your people don't come in contact with any of their body fluids they should be okay. However, in the doubt…"
"I'm going to leave it sealed."
"That would be my recommend. John we need to go," said Chuck. "We have to get back over to the museum as fast as we can. If this came from those canisters we need to yank out the rest."
"You're going to let me loose with a sledgehammer."
"Culture is only as good as if there's someone left alive to admire it."