A/N: You didn't have to wait long for this update, either. And as things appear to be rather slow in the CHUCK section of FF lately, I'm slowly beginning to catch up on my reading as well. Hopefully, things will stay normal at the office too, thus enabling me to read more and update frequently.

Yet again, a heartfelt thank you for the support you give me in the form of reviews, favorites, C2s and alerts. For now, I hope you enjoy the chapter. It should be humorous enough.

Chapter 3

After the pizza dinner, Chuck gave Sarah everything they had on the mark's residence so far. She took the folder in her room to study, after Chuck and Bryce assured her that they knew the contents by heart. Being a firm believer in meticulous and thorough planning, one of the reasons why she was so successful, she was determined to be able to go around the chalet blindfolded before bedtime.

First, she changed into her pajamas (iris blue colored Carole Hochman Midnight Cocktail PJs, no less. Sarah had excellent taste in clothes) and performed some relaxing exercises before sitting cross-legged on the bed and starting going through the files. Chuck had been right in saying that the security was top of the line. Indeed, the system came from a company considered the bane of every high-end thief. Sarah however, was confident of her ability to find a way to beat it.

A couple of hours later, the bed was strewn with various papers from the folder, her notes and crumpled pages from the notepad she was using. She had made some progress, but not much. She needed the exact layout of the security system components before even beginning to think about planning an entry strategy. Still, she had familiarized herself with the more obvious security features of the target. Then, she decided to take a break. While going to the kitchen to grab a quick snack and something to drink, she passed outside Chuck's room. The door was open just a crack, but she could clearly hear a conversation from inside the room. Chuck was on the phone talking to somebody.

"Really, sis, I'm fine," Sarah heard him say. "Yes, that too… Tell him I said hi... No, I didn't forget it. You'll get your cuckoo clock, all right… Yes, I won't forget the chocolates either. I'll get you a month's supply… You are welcome. Have you talked to Mom and Dad? I called them a couple of days ago from Rome… No need to be so jealous, sis, I got you plenty of stuff from there."

Sarah felt bad eavesdropping on such a private conversation. But it reminded her of something: Chuck was just human. Her thoughts immediately went to her own family. She hadn't talked to her parents and her sister in a long time. She wondered how they were doing. Sighing as she continued towards the kitchen, she resolved to at least call them at the first opportunity, probably after the whole affair in Zurich was over and done with.

He found her not long later prowling the spacious chalet, taking copious notes on the construction of doors and windows. "Hard at work, I see," he said.

"Planning is the foundation of a successful operation."

"We're a lot alike in this respect, Sarah."

"Yes, I suppose we are. What's our next move?"

"It's very simple, actually. We do nothing."

"Excuse me?"

"From what I see the four of us already did everything we could so far. Now we wait for some special equipment to be delivered."

"The LIDAR and infrared imager," she deduced.

"Correct. As soon as we get them, we'll go for a recon."

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

"Thanks. So, what do you think? About the job, I mean."

"It's impossible."

"What?"

"But doable," Sarah smiled.

"Explain."

"I studied everything you gave me in detail. Your mark's security system is going to be a pain to crack. In fact, it's the second best money can buy."

"Huh?"

"The best in the world are the high end security systems made by a company called Orion. Not even I can defeat those. It just ain't done."

"Tell me more about the mark's system."

"Every year, the manufacturer hosts a challenge, offering fifty thousand bucks to whoever can crack it. The who's who of ex-cons shows up. For five years running, not one of them walked away with the prize."

"But you can do it."

"I'm hopeful. The system is designed to be modular and reconfigurable. The more I know about its layout, the better tactics I'll devise to overcome it."

"Right now, I'm taking your guarded optimism as a good sign."

"You really should. But, Chuck, this is my thing."

"I know."

"It means that I'm the lead on this, understand? You and the others will have to listen to me and follow my orders on anything break-in related."

"Of course. We wouldn't have it any other way. It's the reason why you're getting the big bucks. Also, anything you want equipment wise, no matter how exotic or outlandish it sounds, we can get you. No expense will be spared."

"It must be important."

"You have no idea. Thousands of lives are at stake here." He was totally honest with her.

"Shit." For the first time she realized how high the stakes were. It was much more than plain thievery, something she had almost forgotten, completely absorbed as she was in the planning of the heist.

"Exactly." He checked his watch. "It's getting late. We should be getting some sleep. Goodnight Sarah."

"Goodnight Chuck."

-o-

Sarah woke up in the middle of the night. Her mouth was dry, so she decided to go drink some water in the kitchen. She didn't bother to turn the lights on. Even in her sleepy state, she wanted to see how well she had memorized the chalet's layout. She made it to the kitchen without any problems. And then she collided with someone.

"Crap!"

"Chuck?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to get a drink of water."

"Me too."

He flicked on the light and took in their situation. The plastic pitcher of water was lying on the floor, its contents splashed all over, Chuck and Sarah included.

"Sorry. I guess even being a spy is not enough to suppress my inner klutz."

She laughed. "It's as much my fault as it is yours, Chuck. Besides, we can barely keep our eyes open."

"I certainly didn't expect anyone here at this ungodly hour."

"Me neither," she agreed.

"We gotta change."

"Uh-huh."

Since they had neighboring rooms, they went there together. "We didn't get our water, did we, Sarah?"

"No, but we will as soon as we get changed."

She changed into some sweats and went to the kitchen again, where she found Chuck mopping the floor. He had also changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants. Sarah poured two glasses of water and gave him one. He nodded his thanks.

"Does this place have a dryer?" Sarah asked.

"No, but I hung my clothes to dry in front of the fireplace in the living room. There is enough room for your jammies, too."

"Thanks."

"You are welcome."

-o-

The following morning Morgan cooked a hearty breakfast. The discussion at the table revolved around the operation. Chuck told the others about Sarah's assessment of the security system they were up against.

"That may be it," Morgan said when Chuck finished the narrative. "But I seriously doubt that the system ever had to face both a pro like Sarah and a nerd spy like you at the same time. I think we have reason to be optimistic."

"Nerd spy?" Sarah queried. It sounded funny and she chuckled a bit.

"Chuck's a professional nerd," Bryce told her.

"And proud of it," Chuck added.

"He knows everything there is to know about electronics. I'd say you two are a match made in heaven, professionally," continued Bryce.

A phone beeped. Morgan checked it. "The stuff we requested will be arriving within the hour."

"Fantastic. Sarah, I got the satellite imagery of the target area in my email earlier. What do you say? Would you like to plan the recon with me?"

"Yes. I want to find the best vantage points to set up our equipment. The more coverage we get, the less skulking around in the woods will be necessary."

"I'll print some to keep notes on. Then we can view the originals on the fabulous high definition flat screen in the living room."

"The guys are right. You really are a nerd, Chuck."

"Guilty as charged," he laughed.

Everyone pitched in to help with the washing up. Afterwards, Chuck and Sarah went to the study and printed several of the satellite photos. Then he connected his laptop to the TV and settled down on the couch.

"Nice computer," she remarked.

"Thanks. It's the flagship of the Orion line. The battery lasts forever and the titanium casing can withstand a herd of stampeding elephants."

She concentrated on the image displayed on the screen. "You were right. This chalet is indeed the identical twin of our own."

"We were lucky. Apparently the architect reused the design for a client in a hurry."

"And it's solidly built, which rules out major alterations to the interior configuration."

"Yeah, knocking down walls to enlarge rooms is not the easiest thing in this kind of building."

"I already see a couple of places we can set up your equipment for the sweeps. I suggest we go here first and then here." She used a laser pointer to show him exactly where.

"This way we'll get almost full coverage with only two sweeps. Very good, Sarah."

"Plus, as you said, we'll be able to pinpoint the location of just about every sensor and alarm within the sweep zone. It'd be better to do at least one more, just to be on the safe side. But we'll also have to sweep the grounds between the fence and the chalet."

"Why?"

"Trust me, Chuck. It's what I do. If I were a world class baddie, I'd make damn certain that anyone who even got past the fence would not get to the house undetected."

"A couple of cameras on the roof would take care of the matter."

"Cameras can be fooled or bypassed. Me, I'd have a sensor grid set at about knee height."

He looked at her admiringly. "Getting you to work with us was very fortunate indeed."

"Barring the unconventional method you used to accomplish the end of hiring me to consult on your operation, I'll have to agree."

"Like you would have accepted had we just approached you with an offer."

"You got a point there, Chuck."

"OK. You and I will do the sweeps. Bryce will be driving and providing overwatch for us."

"What about Morgan?"

"He'll stay here and monitor the feeds we beam him."

"It's a good plan," she agreed.

"Yes, if I say so myself. And now we get to the good part." He hit a few keys on his laptop and more pictures appeared on the TV. "This is the mark's study."

"I can't see a safe anywhere… unless it's hidden in one of the bigger pieces of old fashioned furniture, like the bookcase."

"I concur."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, although I'd pretty much like to know what kind of safe it is. It'll make preparation a lot easier and it'll save time once we're in. Every second counts."

"I'll see what I can do. By the way, the recon will take place after nightfall."

"Under cover of darkness, it makes sense. I just hope it won't be an all-nighter."

"Believe me, so do I. Get your black clothing out."

"I thought you'd never ask," she smiled.

-o-

"Let's get this over and done with, it's freezing out here," Chuck said, setting up the tripod for the LIDAR. Next to him, Sarah was preparing the transmission equipment to beam the footage from both devices to Morgan.

"We're good to go on my end."

"Okay. Just let this baby warm up and we're in business."

"Goody. You know, I used this kind of high-tech equipment only once when casing a target. I normally use stuff one can find in a run of the mill spy shop. You'd be surprised to learn how useful even cheap gear can be."

"Then it must have been a difficult job."

"Yes, but it turned out to be my best work."

Chuck knew what she was talking about. "It's become kind of a legend. We were awesomely impressed when we found that it was just you and not an entire crew."

"Time to start the sweep."

"Allow me, Sarah."

"What, you don't trust me to work this stuff?"

"I trust you all right, but I signed for it. If we break it, it comes out of my paycheck, so I figure if I'm gonna pay for it, I might as well play with it."

"Fine by me," she conceded.

A few minutes later the first sweep was over. Morgan confirmed reception of the data, so they packed it up and trekked through the woods to another vantage point. Just to be on the safe side, they performed sweeps from four points. They didn't bother analyzing the results on the spot. They'd have all the time in the world after they got back to their chalet for that.

The last sweep was almost finished. But then Sarah noticed something on the hooded display screen as Chuck prepared to pack the LIDAR, unwittingly nudging the swiveling head of the infrared imager with his shoulder.

"Chuck?"

"What?"

"We've got company."

He immediately drew his gun. "Where?"

"Ten o'clock, two hundred meters."

"Bryce, I think there is some competition around," Chuck warned his partner over the comms.

"Do you want me to take them out?"

"Negative for now. I want to see who we're dealing with, first." He took a starlight scope out of a carrying case and focused it in the direction of the people Sarah had spotted. "It's a small world," he said finally, with more than a touch of amusement in his voice.

"You know them?" Sarah asked.

"I know their team leader. Damn, this is gonna be fun."

"Tell Bryce," she reminded him.

"Right. Bryce buddy, stand down. They're friendlies - sorta."

"Roger that."

"You might want to listen to this, too." He took a phone out of a pocket and scrolled his way down the contacts list, looking for one particular name. He pressed dial when he found it and put the phone on speaker. He didn't want the others to miss the fun.

"Hello," a gruff voice answered Chuck's call.

"Hey Sugar Bear," Chuck teased.

"Carmichael, I recall telling you that I'd kill you if you ever said it again." The voice was now low and menacing. Sarah could tell that the man was dead serious and shivered involuntarily.

"It's not my fault that I just happened to overhear a call from your wife."

"What do you want?"

"Look at your three, two hundred meters downhill." When he saw the other man point a vision device in his direction, he started waving in a friendly manner.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Carmichael?"

"The same thing you are, apparently. I suggest joining forces, to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. What do you say, big guy?"

"Sure, why not?"

"I'll call my ride to pick us up. You can send your guys home."

"Roger that, Carmichael."

-o-

"Hello Casey," Chuck said when they stopped to pick up the man he referred to as 'Sugar Bear'.

"Carmichael," Casey acknowledged the greeting. Then he spotted Sarah in the back seat. "Who's the skirt?"

Sarah bristled at the comment, which she perceived as sexist, but before she could express her indignation, Chuck intervened. "She's not an agent, dude, so go easy on the slurs."

"In that case, I apologize, Miss…"

"Walker. Sarah Walker," she replied. "I'm a consultant working with Agent Carmichael and his team."

"John Casey," he introduced himself. He and Sarah shook hands. Then he turned to Chuck. "Are you losing your touch, Carmichael? You've never needed the services of a consultant before."

"This is a special case."

"How so?"

"The security measures over there are not to be trifled with."

"Bullshit. Nothing can stop a Special Forces team, especially one with enough firepower to level a small town."

"You were planning to go in with guns blazing?"

"The General wants him in custody. Dead or alive, I might add. Her exact words."

"Since we have a connecting case, I might as well tell you that we were planning to be far more subtle, namely retrieving critical information and bugging the place to the hilt without announcing it to the world."

"At times like this I almost wish we had better means to exchange information with you CIA pukes. We were lucky today. Otherwise we might've had a huge cluster fuck in our hands, not to mention two very dead CIA agents, a gold star in my book by the way, but anything bad happening to your innocent consultant, like her becoming collateral damage, would be very regrettable."

"Interagency rivalry is a bitch, isn't it?"

*grunt* (Occasionally, it is)

The rest of the ride back to the chalet was quiet. Sarah was thinking. Chuck and Bryce obviously knew this Casey character. He definitely wasn't CIA. So, what was he? NSA, DIA, or was he from another government intelligence agency? Not that it mattered right now, but she was a little curious.

"Nice digs," Casey commented when they entered the chalet. "It's good to see how the taxpayers' dollars are spent by the CIA."

"Come off it, Johnny Boy," Bryce scolded him. "If you must know, this place is identical to the target."

"Larkin, watch your mouth, if you want to keep your teeth in their place."

"Can we keep it civilized for a few minutes?" Chuck asked, exasperated. "Casey, I suggest you call your boss and tell her about the latest developments. I'll call the Director and ask him to talk to her as well."

-o-

When the two team leaders rejoined the others in the living room after finishing making calls, Morgan had already made enough tea for everyone. Chuck and Casey helped themselves to a mug each and sat down to talk.

"I got my new orders," Casey said without preamble. "Apparently the General agreed to let you have this one. My team and I are to provide assistance as required."

"Good to know. I think we'll only need your team to cover us should we have to beat a quick retreat. But if we're successful, we'll share the intel we glean with the NSA."

"OK. Tell me about your operation. First of all, how far along are you on the planning?"

"Tonight was the recon," Sarah answered. "We'll start planning the entry strategy in the morning based on the data we have accumulated."

"Sarah's the security systems expert," Chuck clarified.

"I see. Well, until you have a plan, there is nothing for me to do, unless you want my opinion."

"The more the merrier," Chuck said. "You are welcome to join us again in the morning."

"Thank you Carmichael. I'll call one of my people to drive me back to my hotel."

"See you tomorrow then."

TO BE CONTINUED