Don't own Chuck
General Beckman followed Hamid through the ship with the Major bringing up the rear. As they proceeded from aft going forward toward midships he noticed armed men appeared as if out of nowhere. Finally they came to the room just off of the casino they were going to use the following day as the auction room. There in a glass case along the far bulkhead was the mask they had been talking about. The General took a few minutes standing there admiring her enigmatic beauty.
"What the heck," said Hamid. He took out a key opened the case then handed it to her. "It's only a replica any way so who really cares. She's quite lovely don't you think?"
"Lovely? I thought graven images were a big no no for your people," said the General as she admired the craftsmanship in the reproduction. "But you are right."
"I can admire beauty and maybe I shouldn't but I've done a lot of things lately that others might consider questionable."
"What's this Hamid a confession," asked the General as she handed back the Mask. "If we were in Rome I'd have you put your hand in the Mouth of Truth. If we were in L.A. I'd have you strapped to a lie detector."
"Why should I deny it? I'm quite proud of what of I've been able to do. The Brigadier came to me with this scheme to recover the canisters we hid when Bagdad fell. He wanted me to use my consular connections to facilitate their recovery. The fool thought he could control me like he did back when I worked for him. No the shoe was on the other foot here and I out maneuvered him with the Commandant."
"I suppose after the Commandant took care of the Brigadier he's end was sealed. You had no use for a fanatic like him did you? He could've caused you too much trouble and wasted your produce."
"The idiot thought we were fighting for the thing to resurrect the Directorate. I was then much the same as I am now an insignificant cog trying to get by with people like the Brigadier or the Cultural Affairs Officer taking the credit for my work. But I showed them who was who they're all off the board and I'm the last king standing."
"King? Really are you going there like king of kings. I suppose you armed that doctor with the canister of gas in the hospital but I don't understand why? What did you hope to accomplish?"
"Economics actually, I'm sorry if I had to make that mess in the hospital but I couldn't have a cure on the market when I'm trying to sell the world's most deadly virus. It's just not good business and would have driven my auction price down."
"Well I hate to tell you if that was your objective you just had your first failure and who knows this might have a snowball effect. My people eliminate Dr…. excuse me Major but what was that doctor's name? You know the one Agent Carmichael gave a new smile to?"
"Dr. Smyth but everyone called him Dr. Greg. I have a picture from the morgue General if you'd like to show as proof of death."
"I don't know. Hamid you want to see it? It is kind of grisly and let's face it mortuary photos are a little lifeless. They don't really show the person the way you knew them in life. But if you want to take a peek…"
"I think we're done here," said Hamid as he waved for the First Mate to come forward with his armed men. The First Mate then had them searched taking their weapons and comms devices.
"Too bad I was planning on giving Ettore La Barba a run for his money tomorrow. I guess you're not going to let me bid at the auction," said the General as the First Mate started to herd them out.
"Wait a minute," said Hamid. He went back to the glass case and took the mask out again. "Here you can have this. Think of it as something to remember me by when this is all done said and done."
"I don't usually collect trophies from my victories but this time I think I'll make an exception," said the General as she took it. "You know if you want to surrender now and save yourself and your men a lot of grief I can arrange for something special at Yucca Mountain. I don't know would you like a cell with a view?"
"Funny General, very funny you just never know when to give up. But that's okay because I really gave you that mask for safe keeping. The mask will make it back to port," said Hamid then he nodded for the First Mate to take them away.
"Don't make a scene in front of our other guests or my men will… well there's no need for any unpleasantries," said the First Mate as he led them down below deck. The General saw Colonel Casey standing ready with his hand inside his jacket but she shook her head.
"You know this isn't going to end well for you or your Captain. Really it's kind of funny because I don't see Hamid as a Marlin Brando or much of a Mr. Christian figure."
"Just move along and keep your mouth shut. That's the oldest trick in the book and it's not going to work on me. You want us to start infighting and we take each other out until you're the only one left. Well that won't work on me."
"I can tell you're too smart for that but I think he just said that's what his other partners thought too before he got rid of them. But you and the Captain will be different because he's known you for longer or you fought together with him like his other two partners."
"I told you to shut up and I mean it. You're trying your CIA tricks on me trying to get into my head but like I said that won't work so you can just forget it. Keep on moving."
"Yes I can see you've got a massive brain running around in there. But let's say for a moment I was Hamid and if I wanted to get rid of the proof of my involvement and keep all the profit for myself what would I do? I think I'd plan explosives around the ship then after we get back in port and drop off our guests I'd have you weigh anchor and go out to one of the Channel Islands. You know someplace isolated. I'd tell you at the last minute I'll meet you there then boom. Everyone in port will think I went down with the ship but the only ones that will go down are present right here."
"You forgot about the Captain," said the First Mate. "He'd be onboard too and I don't think he'd be that foolish. The man knows his job."
"I don't know. Remember I'm Hamid and the Captain might come in handy to help me in my real getaway. The Old Man would say something like First Mate run the ship out to Catalina. I'll meet you there with Hamid and our money but you'll never see a dime. The only person you'll meet is Davy Jones."
"We're here so you can finally shut up," said the First Mate as he shoved the both of them in the cage. "This will be your home until… well until you're not needed anymore. Don't worry about getting comfortable because you won't be here that long."
"You know this ship so go look around and see if you find anything that looks like a bomb or an explosive. If I'm wrong I'll eat crow but if I'm right… well you've got a decision to make."
"You just never let up do you. If you're lucky I'll swing by in the morning with breakfast maybe by then you'll have learned to shut up."
"Well if I haven't by now then it's probably not going to happen. But you're right to trust your friends after all they are your friends and you know they've got your best interests at heart. I'm sure the Brigadier and Commandant felt the same way. But what can it hurt to do a little walk around the ship stretch your legs a bit and see what you find."
The First Mate just walked off taking his men with him but out of sight he got his men together. They huddle in the passageway together as he handed out instructions.
"I don't believe her but like she said a quick once over can't hurt. Listen if you happen to find something which is highly unlikely I want you to come straight to me and to no one else. Does everyone understand that?" There was a general consensus and head bobbing. "Okay I know this is crazy and silly but I can see that some of you have doubts so let's clear the air once and for all," said the First Mate. He watched his men disperse but the one with the most doubts was the one who had just given the order to search, himself. Beckman had sown the seeds and now they were taking root.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chuck rode over to the Buy More in the back of a dark Escalade with tinted windows. He had the driver go around behind the store and drop him off at the loading docks. Because there was where people really had to work receiving and shipping merchandise so being the Buy More no one would be there. Especially the ones he was trying to avoid. Already California sun and the hazmat suit didn't go well together and he was sloshing around inside in his own sweat.
"Okay here should be fine. I appreciate the lift but I'll make my own way from here," said Chuck. The man pulled up and Chuck got out then started up the ramp. "This isn't going to be as easy as I thought," said Chuck as he made it to the top winded.
"I wonder if they had this kind of problem on the moon," said Chuck as he made his way into the back of the Buy More. He was almost through walking past the cage when he felt someone tackle him.
"Hold him down," Chuck heard Skip yell as he fought Fernando to get him off the top of him. But the Hazmat suit made everything awkward. "I need some help you said Martians were little bitty guys but this one is putting up a fight."
"Keep him down while I get some rope. We'll tie him up then call the National Enquirer. They'll pay us a fortune for the rights. I bet they run this on the front cover between 'I married an illegal alien from outer space' and the three headed calf that could play the harmonica. We'll be able to buy tickets and surprise Jeff and Lester at their next rave."
"I don't know about that but if you don't help me he's going to get away. Grab something and hit him in the head. Hurry up or he's going to get away."
"Will you get off me and let me up," yelled Chuck as he tried to push Fernando off but with the suit on he was flailing away like a fish out of water or a turtle on its back.
"That's an alien trick I saw it on TV they try to get you to drop your guard sounding like people you know then pow they whack you in two with their light saber. He'll cut you in half so fast you'll be seeing double before you drop."
"I said get off of me," said Chuck as he finally got clear of Fernando shoving him off then he tried to get up but Skip picked up a crescent wrench and came at him.
"I can't hold him any longer he's free watch out for his saber," said Fernando. Skip swung at Chuck with the wrench he stepped back Skip swung wide catching Fernando instead. The wrench made a loud whack Fernando stood here for a moment then dropped to the floor.
"Mr. Martian see what you made me do," said Skip then he realized it was just him and the alien and he had nothing to protect himself with. "I'm sorry I didn't mean anything we… we were just fooling around…"
"Skip it's me Chuck go get some water and some ice for Fernando. I need to go to the breakroom I forgot… I forgot my tickets. That's right I forgot my tickets to go see the new Star Wars movie. I did an onsite for George Lucas and he hooked me up with a couple of free tickets."
"Wow so cool, but why do you get all the really nifty on sites and we the old ladies who want to watch cats or burping babies on the YouTube."
"What happened," asked Fernando as he got up feeling himself to make sure he was still whole then he saw the silver suit. "Grab him!" yelled Fernando as he jumped at Chuck but he moved out of the way and Fernando did a belly buster in the middle of the floor.
"What are you doing?" said Skip. "You have to forgive him but he's such an idiot somedays… well most days but can't you see this is Chuck? He's dressed up to go see Star Wars while you and I have to finish this inventory. Doesn't hardly seem fair does it?" said Skip.
"What doesn't seem fair," said Fernando but Skip elbowed him to keep quiet. "Ouch! What'd you do that for? You already clobbered me over the head now what do you want? I think I've got a loose tooth."
"Shush that's not the only thing loose," said Skip. "I wonder if Big Mike knows you're out of the hospital and going to the movies. It would be a shame if he should found out. Not that I'm saying we'd tell on you but you know sometimes things just come out.
"What?" said Fernando then it set in what Skip was doing. "Yeah it sure would be a shame if a little bird told him."
"In your cases it wouldn't be a little bird but a pair of turkeys. Okay so what do you want to keep your mouths closed remember I have no control over the schedule. Morgan is my friend but he makes up the work schedule with Big Mike only."
"Well since you're such good friend with George Lucas how about hooking us up with a couple of tickets for the new Star Wars movie…"
"Chuck's friends with George Lucas," said Fernando as he looked at the two of them. Although Chuck was hard to see in the hazmat suit.
"Yes, that's what's what Chuck told me while you were lying about asleep. You need to keep up with what's going on."
"I wouldn't have been 'lying around' as you called it if someone hadn't tapped me in the head with a wrench. Why are you asking for tickets to go see Star Wars anyway? You know how it's going end. No we want tickets to Jeff and Lester's rave."
"You realize there are no tickets to a rave you just show up with a bottle of booze or something else and that's your ticket. But if that's what you want then something can be arranged. Now let me get what I came for. Chuck pushed by the temperature inside the suit was becoming unbearable.
"Why did you do that?" said Skip. "We had him over a barrel. He would've given us anything. No I want tickets to Star Wars and to see Jeffster. Let's renegotiate this deal come on. This time you let me do the talking before you screw it up again. They walked into the breakroom but there was no man in a silver suit. He was just gone.
"What are you two goldbricking lazy want-to-be fired… I would call you workers but you'd have to work first to become one," said Big Mike as he walked in.
"You didn't see Chuck walk through dressed in a silver suit like an alien, did you? He said he stopped by to get his tickets for Star Wars."
"What are you blabbering about? Chuck's still in the hospital. Man in a silver suit you say? You haven't been smoking something that isn't tobacco on the loading docks have you?"
"We saw a Martian that's what it was," said Fernando. "You said they could trick you into thinking they were someone else. He read out minds and tricked us into thinking he was Chuck."
"I bet that was fast reading," said Big Mike. "Well unless you can break out a teletransporter you need to hump those boxes of hard drives out on the floor and I mean by the close of business or you next mission will be to explore the dark planet of unemployment. Now get back to work!"
[Inside Castle]
Chuck rode the elevator down to Castle were he put the place on lockdown. With that he could take his hazmat suit off and breathe fresh air. He sat at the console and within minutes he was in. He hacked into the ship's onboard computer system through a relay he set up with their navigational system acting as a bridge.
"Oh not good," he said as he saw the General being escort by armed guards down to a storage hold then locked inside. Chuck looked around using the various cameras until he could figure out where the General was being held then he sent Casey a text message with her exact location.
"John, smile for the camera," said Chuck as he started his SMS. But as he was doing that he had to pause when he saw the second Morgan. He guessed the second one was La Barba but the likeness was uncanny.
"John," typed Chuck. "Tell Morgan that La Barba might look like him but he's nowhere the same. Ettore is a cold blooded killer and if you guys get in his way he won't hesitate to try to take you out." Then Chuck sent John a police report linking Ettore to the murder of a taxi driver at the pier where the Serenity departed.
Chuck waited and watched as Casey received notice that he had a message. He took out his phone and read it then he looked around for a camera. Chuck turned the camera on and off so Casey could see the red light go on and off. He looked at it and at Chuck then nodded. Chuck blinked the red light back again.
"Okay now he knows I'm here let's see about taking helm and speed control," said Chuck as he wrote virus after virus introducing them throughout the ship. While he was doing this the winds started to kick up as a storm front moved in on the ship.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
[At the hospital]
Sarah saw Chuck off then waited watching him leave. She then called to the airport and used her authority to strong arm the people who worked in the tower to find out which flight Devon was coming in on. Having found out the flight number and arrival time she went back to the nurse's station to round up Sam.
"I'm sorry for dropping my daughter off on you then taking off but you know what they say about desperate times and the like. But all the fires are put out for now so I can take her back."
"She's right back here," said the Head Nurse. "I figured it was her naptime so I put her in the bunkroom so she could go to sleep."
"Sam usually doesn't take a nap anymore," said Sarah a little worried what would she do if Sam came down with something but when they opened the door there was what looked like a little body in the cot asleep. However, on closer examination what was in the bed was a couple of pillows with a blanket tucked in to make it look like she was asleep in bed.
"Why that little… not again," said the nurse. She saw Sarah's look so she confessed. "This is the second time your daughter slipped off. I caught her the last time observing a surgery from the gallery with a group of interns…"
"Now that sounds like my daughter. Are there any other procedures being held this afternoon that she might want to observe?" The nurse started to drag her feet not want to get herself or the hospital in trouble. "Oh I'm not angry with you. This is something Sam's wanted to do for a while and her being in the hospital was her big chance to be like her aunt… her aunt. I know where she's at."
Sarah hurried off and pressed the button for the elevator. But they never come fast enough when you really want them. She pressed the button again and again until it finally arrived she got on then pressed the button to go up. A woman yelled for her to hold the doors but Sarah shook her head.
"I'm in a hurry. You can take the next one," she said as she pressed for the doors to close. They closed right in the woman's face and she was more than a little angry with Sarah. But Sarah could've cared less. The elevator started heading up. She just hoped that Sam was smart enough not to do anything stupid. The doors opened up and as she hurried down the corridor she saw Sam standing in a chair next to the glass partition to the hot zone talking with Ellie through the intercom.
"There you are. You shouldn't go off like this I've been looking for you. You need to come with me we're going to the airport to pick up Devon and Clara."
"Hear that Aunt Ellie," said Sam in the intercom. "Uncle Awesome and Clara are here. I can tell him about what I saw too."
"Yes he's done quite a few bypass operations so he can tell you all about how it's done," said El through the intercom. Sarah gave her a look and Ellie just responded with a shrug of the shoulders.