A/N: Fortunately it again took less than a week to update. Virtual cookies go to whoever guesses which movie the rehearsal and the actual execution of the mission were inspired from. Hint: The movie's story takes place in Canada.

Chapter 20

"How did it go?" Sarah asked as Chuck and Bryce returned from another day of staking out the office building where the Fulcrum front business was located.

"Nothing to report," Chuck replied. "Our friend Scarface showed up as expected, but nothing else triggered the Intersect. We stayed and watched until all lights went out in the office."

"There were no changes in the guard rotation either," Bryce added.

"Shift change is at ten," Chuck reminded them.

"Then we go in as planned," Casey said.

"Yes. Since the shift runs from ten until six in the morning, we'll have more than enough time to do the job."

"I got a World Send package today," Casey informed them. You mentioned the ascenders yesterday, so I called Beckman and she arranged for an expedited delivery. And before you ask, she only used people she and Graham trust, so no need to worry about mission security."

"As we still have time to kill before going in, I suggest we check our gear again. Chuck, make sure your gadgets have new batteries. Same goes for the ascenders Casey received for us today. Morgan, you go ahead and park the van across the street from the building just before shift change. You can monitor the security guards until we get there for the infiltration phase. Be sure to time their rounds."

"I know my part in this, Sarah," Morgan assured her.

"All in all, we are ready."

-o-

They had decided to go in well after midnight, for two reasons: to allow the guards to settle into the tedium of their shift and to make sure the area would be practically deserted. After all the planning and effort that went into the mission, it wouldn't do to have it blown because some random person just happened to see them.

Morgan called them to report the shift change just as they finished checking and stowing their weapons and gear. As planned, he would call and report regularly until they showed up. He would also be sending them direct video feed if anyone showed up. Chuck and Sarah would use the Intersect to see if they could identify persons of interest.

"I'll go change," Sarah announced after packing the last of some necessary tools in a backpack. "You guys should change, too."

"Don't worry about us," Chuck told her.

"We'll be ready before you are," Casey added. Bryce just chuckled.

True to their word, the three men were ready before Sarah. She was still in the bathroom putting on her mission outfit. The men were dressed in black cargo pants and black sweaters. All had black ski masks and gloves in their bags, in addition to their equipment vests and harnesses. When the door to the bathroom opened, they casually glanced in that direction… and froze.

Sarah emerged clad in tight a zip-up black top, form fitting black pants made of a leather-like material and calf-high medium heeled lace-up boots with tractor soles. A belt with two tactical holsters for her Smith & Wesson pistols and a long black leather overcoat completed the outfit.

"Guys, are you OK? Say something."

"Something," Chuck mumbled, looking enraptured at his girlfriend.

"What's wrong?"

Bryce turned to Chuck. "Buddy, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yes, and I'm pretty sure Morgan would be thinking the same if he was here."

"Casey, what are they talking about?"

"I have no clue. But you do look like something out of a comic book or a movie."

"She'd definitely have given Kate Beckinsale a run for her money had she auditioned for the part," Chuck said, still unable to take his eyes off of her.

"What part, Chuck?" Sarah asked.

"Dude, you haven't watched the Underworld film series together yet?" Bryce asked Chuck in a mock accusing tone.

"Trust me, it's on the to do list. In fact, it just moved to the top of said list. And then I'll take her to see the latest one."

"Nerds," Sarah laughed and Casey grunted in sympathy. He grunted again, this time in mock disgust when Sarah laid the smack on her boyfriend.

-o-

The guards were all at the front desk again, one of them having just returned after making a round. Barring an emergency, they wouldn't leave their station for another hour. Chuck, Sarah, Bryce and Casey had arrived at the van not long ago. Naturally, Morgan had also expressed his admiration of Sarah's outfit and made much the same comments as his two other friends had.

"Having three guards seems like a waste of manpower," Bryce commented.

"It's a pretty big building. To adequately cover it, one man would be away from the front desk for far too long," Sarah said. She was speaking from experience, so no one doubted her.

"Let's go." Chuck grabbed a backpack and opened the side door of the van after checking to see if anyone happened to be walking by.

"We're right behind you, pal," Bryce said. Sarah was the last to leave the van, after depositing her overcoat on a rack in the cargo compartment.

Furtively entering an alley, the four quickly made their way to the side emergency exit, only they didn't bother to try to open the door, at least not right away. Instead, Chuck moved to a point under the lowest of the emergency stairwell windows and stood facing the outer wall of the building. He held up his hands to his sides, allowing Sarah to grip them. With the help of Bryce, who formed a step with his own hands, she was easily propelled upwards, ending up standing on Chuck's shoulders. Now she was able to reach the window. A careful examination revealed that it was not rigged with any alarms, designed as it was to open only from the inside and being over two meters from the ground. Sarah prepared to jimmy the latch, but noticed with surprised relief that it was unlocked. Obviously, a cleaning crew had forgotten to latch it closed when cleaning the outside of the glass pane and the frame.

"I'm going in."

"We'll be waiting. Don't be long."

"You know I can't stay away from you, Chuck," she smiled.

For once, Casey refrained from commenting, verbally or otherwise. He knew it was important to keep their spirits high while on the job.

The moment she stepped inside, Sarah paused to get her bearings. It was not just a simple matter of opening the emergency exit for the others. She would have to disable the alarm connected to it first and also tap into the building's security system, to allow Morgan to monitor the guards and loop the cameras as required. Thanks to the schematics of the building included in the Intersect, she knew the layout of the security system's wiring. Removing a false ceiling panel exposed a mass of wiring running along the edge of the ceiling. It was a simple matter to connect a couple of Chuck's little black boxes to some of those wires. Now, Morgan had absolute control over the security system and he promptly disabled the alarm on the emergency exit. Sarah pushed it open and gestured for the others to enter.

"Okay guys, the way is clear. It's eighty steps to the fourth floor. Go!" Morgan told them.

They set off single file, with Chuck leading, Sarah behind him, Bryce third and Casey bringing up the rear. They had been unencumbered by some last minute additions to their equipment during the rehearsals, but the added weight slowed them down only slightly. After all, they were in excellent shape.

"Fourth floor," Chuck announced. "I'm about to open the fire door."

"I have the camera nearest to you looped."

"Okie-dokie. We're in the hallway."

"You know where to go. Left for thirty meters," Morgan reminded them.

"Don't forget to loop the second camera."

"Oh ye of little faith… it's looped."

"Good job, buddy. Your turn honey."

Sarah smiled and knelt by the door, swiftly picking the lock. Once it was open, she dashed inside and made for the office security system control panel. She had done it dozens of times while rehearsing, so she could probably disable the alarm blindfolded. In the end she broke her own record and did it with seven seconds to spare. "The place is ours," she said smiling.

"Our turn, bro," Bryce said, nudging Chuck towards the door leading to the main office.

"Piece of cake," Chuck grinned. "Stand by for the access code."

"Did you get the card code?"

"Hang on… There, I got it."

"I have the access code. Bounce the card code back."

"Card swiped. Punch in the code."

"Roger that." Bryce entered a sequence of numbers on the pad. It beeped, a green light came on and the heavy secure door opened with an audible metallic click.

"Ladies first," Chuck said, holding the door open and bowing theatrically for Sarah to enter.

"Thank you, dear sir," she laughed.

"Cut it out, will you? We're here for work."

"Who says we can't enjoy doing our job, Casey? You know the drill, people. Anything of value is fair game. The more it looks like a burglary the better."

All four began methodically searching the place. They even found a hidden safe, which Sarah cracked in mere minutes.

"Chuck?"

"Yes?"

"Are we going to take any documents we come across, or photograph them and leave them where we found them? I'm asking because I just flashed on this here manifest."

"I have an Orion pocket-size portable scanner just for that. Give me the documents and just take everything of value, like cash, bearer bonds, jewelry, the works."

"And leave the safe open?"

"Not necessarily."

"I'll close it. I'd give anything to be a fly on the wall and see their faces when they get in, open the safe and find their money and valuables gone. But is it wise to tip them off that they have been broken into?"

"Insurance," Chuck replied. "Those guys are spies, just like us. They're bound to check the security logs and will see that an entry was made tonight. And the first thing they'll do is check to see if they've been compromised, hence the need to make it look like a run of the mill burglary."

"Well, they are using a financial firm as a cover. It's a natural target for high-end thieves like me… or rather like I used to be."

"You got the gist. I'll also take a look at their legitimate client list, just in case any of them are fronts for illegal operations."

Morgan's voice crackled through their earpieces. "One of the guards just went for his rounds. He took elevator two."

"Track his progress. Let us know when he's on our floor."

"It will be some time before you guys have to worry about him. I'm just giving you a heads-up." The next thing they heard was a soft pop.

"Morgan, did you just open a can of grape soda?" Sarah asked. It amazed her that The Bearded One never went anywhere without even a small supply of his 'personal Kryptonite' as he called his favorite soft drink.

"Uh-huh."

"Just don't spill it all over the gear. I don't want a repeat of the Berlin incident," Bryce cautioned.

"Are you going to be rubbing it in my face for much longer? It was two years ago, dude!"

"What happened in Berlin?" Sarah and Casey asked in unison.

"I'll tell you some other time," Chuck replied.

"I'll hold you to that."

"Besides," Morgan continued. "The console is the latest model, completely waterproof."

"Sarah, where are you going?"

"I'm just going to check if we left anything in the lobby, Chuck."

"We didn't. I checked just as we went in," Casey informed her.

"The guard just reached the top floor," Morgan reported.

"I hear you," Chuck replied. "Guys, which one of you has the package with the special replacement network cards?"

Bryce had it. "Here you go, bro." He handed it over and Chuck got to work on replacing the existing network cards in the office computers with his own, just like he'd done in Zurich.

"You may want to be real quiet now," Morgan said. "He's on the fourth."

"Be sure to let us know the second he's on his way down to the third."

Morgan watched as the security guard walked along the hallway, pausing now and then to look into the lobbies of those offices with glass walls and doors. He was also checking the function of the cameras with his colleagues downstairs. Fortunately, Morgan had un-looped them the second his friends had gone inside the target office.

"All clear," Morgan said into the mike.

"There's a ton of stuff we need to go through here. The guards will probably make another couple of rounds before we're done."

The next time Chuck checked his watch it was almost four in the morning. They had been in there for just shy of three hours. Just as he'd predicted, the guards had been making their rounds, blissfully unaware of what was going on in a certain fourth floor office.

"I believe we've gone through everything," Bryce said at one point.

"Good, because the flashes I had so far are beginning to give me a headache," Sarah complained.

"Me too," Chuck added.

"You too? Then we should talk to Ellie about it. If it is a side effect…"

"No need to worry. I'm sure it's because we're tired. We haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"Oh. You're probably right."

"Now's your chance to get outta there, guys," Morgan said. "Don't forget to reactivate the alarm and lock the doors behind you."

"OK. The moment you see us, leave the van and come to us. We'll give you a lift back to the hotel."

"I know it'll look better that way, but we have some expensive equipment in the van. We shouldn't just leave it here. I'll drive off. They're not looking outside much anyway, so I doubt they'll notice anything. Come at the warehouse to pick me up."

"See you there, buddy."

They ran down the stairs to the window Sarah had entered the building through, pausing only to remove the equipment they had used to tap into the security system. From there, all they had to do was get to their cars.

-o-

"Your coat, Sarah," Morgan said and handed her the black overcoat.

She took it gratefully, as it was a cold night. "Thanks. So, what now?"

"It's not even midnight in the States. Let's call Graham and give him a preliminary report once we get back to base."

They split up, got into their cars and made it to the base with no problems. Morgan immediately activated the communications and initiated a video call.

"I assume you have something good to report," Graham said. He noticed that they all looked satisfied with the night's work, if a bit haggard.

"Yes Boss," Chuck said. "We managed to gain entry into the office used by Fulcrum personnel. It is now bugged to the hilt. The moment they turn their computers on you'll be getting their data."

"We also have plenty of cash to play with," Bryce added. "They're bound to notice our entry when they check the security system logs, so we made it look like a burglary plain and simple." He waved a wad of cash in front of the webcam.

"We took care to leave everything else in place, making it look like we had no interest in their paperwork whatsoever," Sarah finished this part of the report.

"I assume you retrieved valuable information."

"Actually, we did. It's all digitized and will be sent to you immediately. Sarah and I also flashed a few times. We can supply you with the identities of several Fulcrum agents and contacts."

"You did great, people. Get some rest and go over the intel later. If you flash on anything else, let me know and follow up if it's actionable. By the way, did you uncover any clues as to the identity of Fulcrum's leaders?"

"No, at least not at first glance. We'll get back to you when we review the intel."

"OK. Don't worry about keeping up the surveillance on Delgado and his office. I've sent another trusted team to take over from you. Thanks again for all your hard work. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Boss. And it's morning here."

"Smartass," Graham smiled and signed off.

"I'll go change," Sarah said, picking up the bag containing her street clothes and heading for the bathroom.

"Just don't fall asleep in there," Chuck yawned.

She just snorted. "You know perfectly well I like to fall asleep next to you."

They all made it to their respective hotels with no trouble. In their room, Chuck and Sarah barely had enough energy left to change into their PJs before getting in bed and falling into a deep sleep cuddled together.

-o-

When Sarah woke up, she immediately felt lonely for some reason. Patting Chuck's side of the bed, she discovered that he wasn't there. And then she heard voices speaking in French. She was already fluent in it, so she didn't need the Intersect to follow the conversation. Chuck had obviously ordered something from room service.

"You're awake," he said as he returned to their room's main area pushing a cart.

"Uh-huh. It smells delicious."

"I took the liberty of ordering us some breakfast, which I'm going to serve you in bed."

"I can think of no better way to begin our day. Besides, we'll both need our strength."

"We have work to do," he reminded her.

"I haven't forgotten. But if we split it, I reckon we'll be done early enough." She smiled and gave him a predatory look. "And, after we submit our report, I expect you to ravish me."

He actually laughed.

She shot him a dirty look. "You should know me better, Charles Irving Bartowski. I get cranky when I don't get my Chuck fix."

"Relax. I also want my Sarah fix. Let's have our breakfast, do the intel review, report our findings, and then we can ravish each other to our hearts' content." He held a strawberry covered in whipped cream temptingly in front of her. She took a big bite out of it, fortunately without biting Chuck's fingers as well.

After finishing their breakfast, they decided that work could wait for another thirty minutes while they took a shower together, thereby getting a foretaste of what was to come later.

Later, they were both sitting up in bed, propped up against the headboard, poring into the documents scanned in the Fulcrum office. In addition to a laptop computer, each had a small digital recorder to recite any Intersect information into.

"Any flashes yet?" Chuck asked.

"Nope. Haven't had any since the shipping manifest."

"You didn't tell me what it was all about."

"All I know is that Fulcrum is interested in shipping something to a client in the Far East." For good measure she also called up said manifest on her computer. "It says office furniture, but I flashed on it for some reason."

"But you didn't get anything specific."

"No."

"I guess it's one of the problems of having to rely on what's available. Has the shipment gone out yet?"

"This is just a draft. The manifest hasn't been filed with Customs and I found no bills of lading."

"Look at this. It says it's pending approval by the board of directors."

"So?"

"Fulcrum is not a normal company. The 'board of directors' thing must be a thinly veiled reference to their leaders. Graham was right. Something big is about to go down."

"For some reason I don't think Fulcrum's bosses are selling office furniture."

"It must be something way more sinister."

"Chuck, the shipment is going to Thailand."

"Thailand… the Golden Triangle," he deduced.

"My thoughts exactly," she agreed. "They must be doing business with drug traffickers. If the deal goes down, half the world will be flooded with top quality heroin."

"And the money Fulcrum is going to make from it will go towards furthering their own nefarious goals."

"There must be more clues in these documents," Chuck said and began reading again. Sarah followed suit.

"A-HA! Got 'em!"

"Tell me."

"This is an invoice for a hotel suite reservation. Whoever is staying there is doing business with Fulcrum."

"And since the deal is important, he must be here to meet Fulcrum's leaders."

"Which means that we can identify them," Chuck finished the sentence for her.

"Bam, mission complete," she agreed. "I'll call the others."

"I'll call Graham and Beckman."