Don't own Chuck
Morgan and Alex were babysitting the girls back at Castle wondering what to tell Sam and Samaa. The one good thing it seemed that Jamil, Samaa's father, was safe but now they had to find Samaa's mother. Looking for her was turning out to be difficult or as Morgan said it was like looking for a needle in a haystack made of needles. But they had to stay positive for the girls.
"How is my Chuck," asked Samas as she put her hands on her hips. "I should go to the hospital and make sure they're taking good care of him."
"First we have to wait on wait on John and see what he says. Then after he calls we can make a plan. Second the hospital is not a playground for little girls."
"Play? Who me? I have you know I have a white coat and a stethoscope. I even have medicine and a needle to make him better."
"Yeah you go near Chuck with a real syringe and I don't think he'd feel better," said Morgan. Alex gave him a look.
"Not helping," she said. "Sam darling I know you want to be with your father but that's not possible right now. He's contagious that means he could give you what he has so the doctors… his doctors aren't going to let anyone near him so it's not just you none of us can see him.
"Alex did you see this?" said Morgan. They received an e-mail from their downtown office on the man's stomach content. "Does this sound familiar dried lime and cranberries along with almonds with Basmati rice and chicken with traces of turmeric and saffron. If it didn't come out of the guy's stomach it would sound good to eat."
"That sounds like that rice thing you ordered from Alibaba's. Remember you had me try it and I told you that it tasted good."
"And I told you if you wanted to order from them again we'd need a second mortgage. But you're right; it does sound like the same dish."
"My mother makes something similar with Chicken," said Samaa. "Mâmâ gets her chicken from a local Muslim butcher so it's always fresh."
"I don't know I wonder if they could do something like that with shrimp?" said Morgan. Samaa had a look of disgust on her face. "What you haven't lived until you've tried the shrimp at Sizzling Shrimp."
"No Morgan it's not that," said Samma. "I'm allergic to shellfish which for my religion is no big deal because most well all shellfish is prohibited except shrimp and prawns."
"So much for the ten dollar buffet at Sizzling Shrimp. You're going to cost your boyfriend a fortune when you get older," said Morgan as Alex popped him in the shoulder. "Ouch! What the…"
"Is that why you're always taking me there? You want a cheap date. Well buster I think things are going to change from now on."
"Oh Alex come on, you like the butterfly shrimp and what about the coconut shrimp. Didn't you go crazy about them?"
"Everything rigorously under ten dollars too and now I know why. Come on girls I'm hungry Morgan's taking us to Alibaba's for dinner. I hope you guys have got a good appetite because Morgan's paying."
"Oh Alex come on," said Morgan as he followed everyone out. "This is going to cost me a fortune. Can't we just order a takeaway?"
"You're just lucky it's Muslim or I'd order some champagne to go with it but keep it up and we might start with some nice caviar."
"What's that," whispered Samaa to Sam.
"Stinky fish eggs that adults like. Don't worry we don't have to eat it."
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It was late evening in D.C. and the General was sitting down to a lovely dinner with Roan. They went to this southern bistro that specialized in grilled everything and was the talk on Capitol Hill as a place you had to put on your bucket list. A place you had to go to before you threw yourself on your political sword. The General and Roan were waiting on an order of baby backs and mixed grilled vegetables as they exchanged light conversation.
"How's things going out in California? I heard our favorite spy managed to get himself contaminated."
"I wouldn't be joking about that. His situation is touch and go. The doctor from the CDC that's taking care of him said that if he makes it through the next twenty-four hours he might pull through. You need to be on standby I may have to send you out to run roughshod over the team."
"Well Diane it's like I've always told you. Use me as you need me... and maybe you'll give me a little chance after dinner to show you what I mean."
"We'll have to see what the evening brings but for now I wonder if they grill their desserts too? I going to have to ask," said Diane as the waiter brought their order.
"Your orders," said the waiter as he placed the baby backs on the table. They were still sizzling and there was a tangy tomato smell that filled the air. Then he put down the vegetables and they looked like something from a magazine. "If you want anything else just call."
"There is one thing," said Diane. "You advertise you grill everything but how do you grill your desserts?"
"If I could recommend just one that would be our grilled peach melba. Caramelized peach halves cooked on the grill with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle with a raspberry puree."
"You just sold two," said Diane. "We'll have them when we're done with this. You might standby with a doggie bag because I'm going to save room for that dessert."
"May I add an excellent choice," said the waiter as he handed them bibs to eat their ribs with. "I'll bring you your desserts when you're done with your main."
"I can see why people like coming here," said Diane. "Roan dig in or I'm liable to eat everything I had to work through lunch."
"Well if I were you I'd try to eat fast because don't look now but your aide just walked in and he's still in uniform so I don't think he's here for the baby backs."
"I must've been really bad in a previous life to deserve all this," said Diane as she turned around catching the Major's attention.
"Diane when you're good you're really good, but when you're bad you're better," said Roan as he lifted his glass.
"What? Now you're comparing me to Mae West? What do you want me to say good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere?"
"Major I don't suppose you're here for the buffet," said Roan as the Major approached their table. "Can I get you a drink?"
"No thank you I have to get back to Langley afterwards. I did try to call before I came but both your phones were off…."
"You know that could be a hint that I didn't want to be bothered. But you're here now sit down and let me have it you're making a spectacle out of yourself standing. What is it that's so urgent?"
"We have confirmed reports that Banai crossed the Mexican border and is now in California. We have him heading for L.A."
"Crap that's all we need another player on the board. Get a team together and go pick him up. He's not to be hurt I just want him detained."
"Hold up a second Major, don't go anywhere. Diane this could play for us. We can let Banai run after this Commandant we just have to sit back and follow him. When he nabs Ali we swoop in and take them both. We save on our manpower and we get our man too. It's a win for us."
"Not so much for Banai but I like it. Major make it happen but tell the men that follow Banai they need to be careful. He spotted the idiots in Mexico and if they don't want to be heading up a mission to count snowflakes at the North Pole they'd better not get caught."
"Roger that" said the Major. He got up and was dismissed. Roan noticed he picked up a take on the way out. "Yeah I'm sure you tried calling us."
"What'd you say," asked Diane as she picked up a rib and took a big bite. "Oh my, this is so good. I can hardly wait for dessert."
"You're not the only one," said Roan as he smiled at her."
"Eat your food we'll talk about that dessert later."
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The Commandant got tired of sitting around. At least this place had a TV to watch but one could only watch so much Wheel of Fortune or the Price is Right. Zaid and Gabir were feeling the same way. Zaid went over and looked at the takeout menu that the other team left for them. Some of the plates he knew and other sounded good from their description.
"You know nothing bad against your cooking but it wouldn't hurt to eat something different. It says here all their food is halal and their meats are all certified."
"We're soldiers we don't need all that fancy stuff," said the Commandant as he looked out the window and into the park.
"That's true but a little protein wouldn't be bad either," said Gabir. "You can eat only so much couscous and vegetables before greens start to sprout out your ears."
"Better that than pushing up daisies because we gave away our position," said the Commandant. He looked at both his men.
"If we order takeout we'll have it delivered to the house next door then intercept the delivery boy in the drive. He won't be able to tell anyone where we live."
"It sounds like you two have thought this out," said the Commandant. He paused for a moment. "Let me see that menu."
He took it then walked back to the room they had Noora stashed in. Unlocking the door he paused for a moment.
"Listen I'm going to open the door and I'll be really pissed if you try something. I'm in a good mood now so don't ruin it by doing something stupid." He opened the door slowly to find Noora sitting on the floor.
"If you lend me your pistol I'll show you something stupid," said Noora. "Now what is it you want from me? You know this visit isn't proper without my husband or a male member of my family being present."
"Wonder if your husband appreciates the hellcat he's married," said the Commandant. "But that's neither here nor there. We're going to order takeout and I was wondering if you wanted us to get you anything?"
"How about a nice goat head, pasha? That would be nice so I can eat the eyes out and think of you and your men."
"You just never give up do you? Okay I'll see if they have it but I think the American palate is a little too delicate for certain food. Do you have a second dish?"
"No if they don't have that then… no wait I'll have a couple of lamb chops medium rare with cucumber salad and yoghurt dressing. What do you need to do around here to get a cup of hot tea?"
"I'll make sure you get one but in a Styrofoam cup. I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself or anyone else for that matter."
"Yes it would be a shame wouldn't be especially if a shard should ended up in your throat giving you a smile from ear to ear."
"You amaze me but in a good way. I wonder if you give your husband all this grief or do you play the happy homemaker?"
"What goes on between my husband and me is our own business not yours. I'd like to wash my hands before I eat and to perform my wudu before prayer."
"I think you've gotten me confused with one of your servants."
"I don't have any servants. If I were free I'd do all this for myself and my family but since I'm your prisoner I have to rely on your grace."
"But that doesn't stop you from ordering me around, does it?"
"If you let me go I could take care of things for myself," said Noora as she smiled at him. The Commandant didn't answer he just laughted then left.
"Okay I've got our orders," said the Commandant reading off what he and Noora wanted then he handed the menu back to Zaid who called it in.
[A half hour later]
Zaid and the Commandant staked out the drive next door waiting for the delivery boy. As they promised forty-five minutes later the boy was pulling up. Zaid waved for the Commandant to come help him because he couldn't carry it all as they'd ordered so much.
"The boss told me to apologize again because we didn't have any sheep's heads or intestines. But like he told you we make only so many a day and when they're sold out we don't have any until the next morning when the butcher delivers them."
"Tell him thanks anyway maybe next time," said the Commandant as he paid the boy leaving him a healthy tip. They stood in the drive waiting for the delivery boy to leave before they headed back across the yard to their safe house.
"Dinner's up. I'm sorry but you'll have to make due with lamb chops" said the Commandant as he went into Noora room. I'll leave your food here on the table. I'm afraid you're going to have to eat your meat with your hands. You didn't really think I was going to leave you with a knife did you?"
"I don't know what I was thinking," said Noora as the Commandant left. But yes she did she held up the two lamb chops examining the bones. She remembered watching the Silence of the Lamb and how Anthony Hopkins used similar bones as weapons to free himself. Now it was her turn to see if it really would work. But she needed to wait for the right opportunity then she'd show this jumped up Commandant what Iraqi women were made of.
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Banai drove across the border as soon as it was dark out. Border patrol had a drone up doing an IR mission over the line that separates the two countries. With the IR scan it was difficult of coyotes to simply walk people across the border using the cover of darkness. However, Banai wasn't going to mess around with a drone accidently picking them up so he used a signal jammer that caused the drone operator to lose control. In the distance there was a noise that sounded like distant thunder and there was a glow on the horizon where the drone went down.
"Come on we need to get across before someone comes and investigates what happened to their drone," said Banai as he got his men across. On the other side of the border was a man waiting in an old beat up van.
"Beinvenidos to America," said he man. He obviously was used to a different type of customer. In fact when he saw Banai and his crew he was taken a little aback.
"Listen you've been paid so get us to L.A.," said Banai as he loaded his men in the back with their equipment.
"Wait a minute I don't need any trouble with the Federales or the FBI," said the man as he started back peddling to get out of the deal he'd made with his Mexican partner.
"You've been paid and we need to get to L.A. anything less and I'm going to be upset. I don't think you want me to get upset," said Banai as he opened his jacket and showed the man his piece. "My friend here settles all my disputes so do you have something you want to talk about?"
"No, no let's load up and get on the road," said the man. Banai noticed he made the sign of the cross before getting in then offered a prayer before starting up the motor. He hoped that was for good luck and not that the van needed it because looking at it it did look like it was held together by a prayer and duct tape.
"Look once we're in L.A. you can drop us off and we never saw each other," said Banai. That seemed to calm the man down. "Just be careful to follow the traffic laws and obey the signs."
"Listen you're not the first group of people I've taken to L.A. from the border and God willing not the last so I think I know my job. I've never been stopped so far. There's water and blankets in the back. The heater in Juanita is busted so it could get cool on the way up. There's also a bucket in the back if you need to go because we're not stopping until we get to L.A. The cops have video cameras at the rest stops and pull over people who have large groups coming up from Mexico."
"That's good to know," said Banai. "I guess you do know your job. How long will it take to get there at this speed?" He was thinking the CIA agents in Mexicali would figure out soon he was gone and it wouldn't be hard for them to figure out where he was headed.
"We should be there in about three and a half hours. Maybe less if I push it on the stretches I know aren't patrolled."
"Then go for it we need to get there quickly. We're in kind of a hurry," said Banai without going into detail and the driver didn't ask because he figured the less he knew the better off he was.
"Well I'll get you there are quickly as I can so just sit back and enjoy the ride," said the driver and that was true. He wanted them out of his van as quickly as he could. "Do you mind," asked the driver as he turned on the radio. He tuned into a radio station that broadcasted Ranchera then tuned out everything around him except the road in front of him.
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Morgan moaned about going all the way there and on more than one occasion Alex threatened to let him out. But in the end they made it pulling into the parking lot of Alibaba's. Morgan noticed the lot was packed so he tried one last time to get out of the ordeal.
"Look at all the cars the inside has got to be packed. You know Chuck was telling me about this other place, the Topkapi I believe it was, and the prices were much more reasonable."
"Morgan we're here so we're going in just shut up and follow us. Then when the time comes you can answer the waiter credit or debit. The way I look at after all those ten dollar buffets you've made me eat it's about time you splurge, right ladies?" Alex took the two girls by the hands and led them in with Morgan trailing behind them.
"We'd like a table for two adults and two children please," said Alex as she walked up to the lady handling reservations. Morgan looked around and the place was full. He hoped that they wouldn't have a table.
"Yes you're in luck one of our bookings just called and cancelled," said the waitress. "Please follow me and I'll seat you."
"Some luck, augh," mumbled Morgan. Alex gave him a hard jab with her elbow followed by giving him a menacing look.
"You've got this whole scary thing going on right now. You look just like your father right now in the female version and without the cigar."
Alex chose to ignore him as she got the girls situated. As soon as they sat down a waiter came over and gave them menus. Samaa did a quick scan of what was on it then she leaned over and whispered something into Sam's ear. Sam giggled and nodded her head.
"I can't read this menu," said Morgan. "Anyone got any idea what these dishes are? I could tell what everything was on the menu at Sizzling Shrimp."
"As long as it was under ten dollars," said Alex. "I'm going to have the Basmati rice pilaf with chicken. It's what you got the last time.
"Morgan since you're having difficulty ordering why don't you let Samma order for you," said Sam as she smiled. "I'm sure you'll find it yummy for your tummy."
"That's an excellent idea," said Alex. "Maybe it would be better that way."
"No way, these two will have me eating something weird and strange. Waiter l'll have this," said Morgan as he pointed to an item on the menu. "How do you pronounce this?"
"Pasha," said the waiter as he looked perplexed at Morgan. "I'm sorry we're all sold out. You need to call and reserve that ahead of time." Samaa burst out laughing then she pulled Sam over and whispered in her ear and she started laughing too.
"And I had my heart set on it," said Morgan acting like he knew what he'd ordered but at least Sam and Samaa knew he didn't have a clue.
"It's difficult to get here and to make sure it's halal. But if you order tonight we could have your goat head ready for you tomorrow. You're our second customer this evening who's asked for it and we had to tell them the same thing."
"Mâmâ," said Samaa. "My mother threatened to make me eat it when I act up. She said I was acting like a little goat so that's what I deserved to eat."
"Wait who tried to order it?" asked Alex. She showed the waiter her badge. "This is important we're looking for the man who abducted this girl's mother."
"I don't know it was a takeaway. I only know about it because I was near the phone. One minute let me get the manager for you. I'll be right back."