Don't own Chuck
When Razhib finally woke up he rolled over and saw how late it was on his alarm clock. He jumped out of bed and got dressed in a hurry as he wondered to himself why he'd made an appoint with Molly so early. However, he knew the answer. She was more than a friend she was the closest thing he had to a sister if he ever had one. He saw Molly in the bar sitting in the back booth as he walked in she was holding her phone looking at it.
"I'm sorry I know I'm late but I'm here now so you don't have to call up the posse to go looking for me," he said thinking she was getting ready to find out what was taking him so long.
"What? Oh, the phone," she said as she looked across the table at him. "No, I wasn't going to call you. I just got off the phone with Sarah and we had the strangest conversation."
"Strange, what do you mean strange," said Razhib as Michele came walking over with a coffee pot in hand. "I know I'm late. Have you already had breakfast?"
"No, I was waiting for you," said Molly as she put her phone away. "I bet you're hungry. I heard you got in late."
"So, Sarah called you and you had a strange conversation. What did you talk about?" asked Razhib changing the conversation. Molly realized what he was doing and was determined to go back to the topic later but for now she'd let him off the hook.
"Well maybe strange is the wrong word. She asked me a lot of questions about Jack. I got the feeling she was trying to find out if he was in trouble or something."
"And is he? I mean would you be surprised," said Razhib as Michele poured him a cup of coffee. "Thanks, I can really use this."
"I thought you could," said Michele as she gave him a smile. "The talk around the casino is someone came home late last night."
"I don't think it was that late. If you're talking about coming in after curfew. I think ten o'clock is too early for someone my age and I'm going to tell Margo that when I see her."
"My oh my, look who's all grown up now. Do you want me to bring your usual two soft boiled eggs and toast cut into slices?"
"Yes, please and thank you," said Razhib then he took a drink of coffee. "Well, are you going to get something to eat?"
"I don't have a fixed menu like you," said Molly as she gave him a look then turned to Michele. "I'll have oatmeal with raisins and bananas, please."
"You know why I eat old soldiers and eggs every morning for breakfast. I don't know if they fry my eggs where they've cooked bacon before and pork is haram... forbidden for me," said Razhib as Michele walked away.
"Oh, of course I remember and I'm sorry if I snapped. It's just... well you said you'd tell Margo that when you saw her and it got me thinking. Does that mean you didn't see last night?"
"No... well yes... I mean I saw her a little while when I came home and it was past my curfew. I expected her to let me have it but she didn't. It was strange actually and then she said she loved me like in those American movies where the guy goes off and never sees the girl again."
"But Margo's still here. I saw Mike this morning and he looked like he'd been up all night. He got a breakfast order for everyone then went back down below. I noticed when I left the suite this morning that Jack's bed hadn't been slept in and now you're telling me Margo was up too."
"I didn't say that. I didn't see her when I got up but that doesn't mean she didn't sleep in our suite. I can't be sure that she didn't."
"No, we can. If you didn't see her this morning then she was probably downstairs with Mike and if Mike stayed up the night then so did she."
"But what does Jack have to do with them and why did she give me that 'so long' speech. I'm sorry but I'm confused."
"I think we're missing a few pieces of the puzzle... important ones and we're not going to be able to solve it until we know why Jack's downstairs with Margo and Mike. Because that's where he has to be. It's the only thing that makes sense, don't you see?"
"I'm not sure it does," said Razhib as Michele brought their orders over and put them in front of them. They thanked her then waited for her to leave.
"So, aren't you going to tell me how your big date went with Miriam? Where did you go and what did you do? You can tell me and I promise not to tell anyone."
"What's there to tell? We went out and had dinner then she brought me over to her house. Her parents were there so we talked. I could tell her father wasn't happy when I told him I didn't know who my parents are and you have to back me up on this if Miriam askes you."
"Why'd you tell them that? You know who your mother was and also your father. You can't help what happened to you."
"You and the people here might be understanding but Miriam's relatives might not be and until I'm sure how I feel about her I don't want to take the risk so you have to back me up on this."
"Okay, but how did you explain how you ended up with Margo as your step-mom? She didn't just find you under a cabbage leaf and brought you home along with the other cabbage patch dolls."
"Funny and no... well, that is kind of what I said happened. I said Margo was lonely and didn't have any children. She met the wealthy man I was working for as a servant and Margo bought my freedom from him. For this I'm eternally grateful to her and she's been raising me as her son."
"I think you're going to get yourself in trouble with this lie and if Margo finds out she'll be hurt. I just don't know why you couldn't tell them the truth."
"That my mother was killed in a terrorist attack and my father kidnapped me taking me to Tunis where he died. He left me with his relatives who sold me into slavery to the Toy Maker. Where I learned how to make bombs and was finally freed by Chuck and Sarah. They tracked down my mother's sister a non-Muslim who took me in and who I've been living with..."
"You never cared before that we're not Muslims," said Molly as she went straight to what she heard was the heart of his problem.
"That's not it... no, it isn't. The problem is well like something I read in a story. To lose one parent, ... may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."
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A woman dressed in a dark rain coat and large hat with long flowing hair underneath walked down a busy street in downtown L.A. She loved the fact that heads turned as she walked by and men took a second and third look. It reassured her that she had what it took and if she played her cards right after this gig she'd be on her way. She'd come a long way from her Midwest town and now she hoped this would be the big break she'd been waiting for.
"Well, this is it Carmen," she told herself as she entered an office building off of Burbank Boulevard. Strange how she'd gotten this gig. A telephone call from a talent scout who'd seen her on YouTube. The weirdest thing was she didn't remember posting anything on YouTube.
"It could've been taken at that Halloween party in the hills," she said to herself as she got into the elevator. Her agent had scored her an invitation, so she could rub shoulders with people who counted.
"I don't remember anyone taking pictures or videos but that doesn't mean anything. It was a wild night and I barely remember climbing into that taxi to get home. But does it really matter how they saw me? What's important is I've got the gig," said Eileen as the bell rang and the elevator doors opened on her floor.
"If this works out I can afford to get a real agent not someone's cousin who says she knows people. I bet all those photos in her office are just for show. What work has she gotten me? I just spend my time going from one party to the next and what work do I have to show for it. My savings is almost shot. But that's all going to change now," she said as she knocked on the door of Eliv studios.
"Come in," she heard a voice say from inside. She took a deep breath then did a quick check of her costume and make up before she went inside.
"I'm here to see how my audition went," said Eileen to a man sitting behind a desk. "What happened to your secretary she who was sitting here last time?"
"She's out to lunch… you know union regulations. I'm obliged to give her an hour off so I have to answer my own phones when she's out. I have to say your audition went better than expected and the right people were impressed. We could see you've got real talent but there were a few hold outs. That's why I want you to do this one small demo for me. I'm sure this will be all I need to bring them onboard with my... our project then I'll have your name in lights."
"Anything Mr. Burton … well almost anything," she said as she smiled looking him in the eyes. The look didn't match what she'd just said.
"Like I said I just need to sell some of my backers who are holding out. They want someone like Eva Longoria or Salma Hayek but I told them that it had to be you or no one else."
"Thank you, Mr. Burton for the vote of confidence. And you really think I would be better than those actresses?"
"Please call me Jack and of course I do, or I wouldn't be wasting all my time on you. You need to have a little more confidence in yourself.
"I won't let you down. I promise I won't," said Eileen as she glowed. What this Jack was telling her was too good to be true. "Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."
"Now that's what I wanted to hear. Here take this," he said as he slid her a stubbed nose .38 across his desk to her. She gave him a look as he placed it in front of her. "Don't worry, it's only a stage prop. I need to see you do a dramatic role... I need to see you fired up. But if you don't feel you're up to it…"
"No, I said I could do anything and I can do this," she said as she took the revolver and stashed it in her purse. "What do you want me to do? Who do I have to take out?"
"Of course, your mark is an actor too. Your role will be a blood thirsty assassin and this person you're going to meet is your mark who you've been contracted to kill. All the details are written on the back," said the false Jack Burton handing her a photo. "He will be at this location and you're to walk up to him and take him out in a blaze of glory." She turned over the photo and read the information on the back
"But this is the Burbank Buy More. There will be people… families there. What if someone calls the police?"
"Better… we're going for real life and something like that is gold. Don't worry we'll be there and make sure no real cops roll in and mistake you for the real thing. But we're going for authenticity and you can't get that on a movie set in Hollywood."
"No, of course not… and don't worry I've got this. But just one last thing, do you have any suggestions on what I should say before I pull the trigger? Should I say something like 'eat lead' or 'here's your ticket to hell'."
"I don't know if I would go with that those lines are a little overheard. Why don't we go with something a little more personal? Try saying something like 'this is for Jack'. You and I will know what you meant but no one else will... our own little secret"
"Yes, that's so cool. I really like it," said Eileen as she slipped the pistol into her purse. "Boy, this thing feels heavier than I thought."
"It has to be realistic. You need to get out of here and make it over to the Buy More to have time to get into position. The crew is already there and set up. They're just waiting on you and they'll start shooting as soon as you walk in."
"Don't worry I've got this. I'm a professional."
"Yes, you are," said Jack as he stood up and showed her to the door.
[A half an hour later]
The staff for the Irvine and Sons Law firm came back in to their office after lunch together. When they got to their office they noticed some practical joker had changed out their office logo and sign on their door.
"Okay, who was the wise guy who changed the writing on our door? I know it had to be one of you guys. Who else would do something like this?" But everyone just looked at each other.
"Let's not have everyone speak up at the same time. I want to know who is responsible for this so I can fire them."
"But Maude, we were all out together remember. We didn't even leave anyone behind to answer the phones."
"We did what! I'd like to know whose bright idea was that? You know how many important phone calls we've probably missed. Someone is most definitely going to get sacked."
"But don't you recall, it was yours... the idea that is. You sent a memo to all of us telling us to meet you at Subways for a healthy lunch. You even said it was your treat."
"My treat? What are you talking about? I went to Subways because I got a coupon for a free 'make it a meal' in my mail today. Can someone explain to me what's going on here?"
"I think you're going to have to give yourself the pink slip," said a voice in the back.
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Mary was on the phone with Beckman when the tracking device she had in her bag started bleeping signaling it was now active. She smiled as she picked it. Her trap had sprung and the unsuspecting mole was caught even if they didn't know it yet. However, Mary was a little taken aback when Beckman dropped some late breaking news on her.
"Well, everything is play now. The Mole grabbed the bait," Mary said then explained. "I planted a tracker in a USB Pen this morning in the vault and added to the inventory list from Abe's apartment. I should be able to unmask our vermin soon."
"Good, I'd hate to have to leave a traitor there. I'm thinking you should stay in Berlin for now and wait for further instruction. With the Turk gone there's no need to go on to Istanbul and I can get our people there to take a peek inside the Turk's office. However, Turkish intelligence has already gone over it and removed anything of use."
"I still know some people over there who owe me some favors. I could go and find out what they took then we can work on getting a hold on it. Who knows if we ask nicely they might even give it to us."
"They aren't as friendly as they used to be and the last think I need is for you to go over there then get yourself grabbed. I know this is going to sound strange to you but we do have other agents. Let's let them earn their paycheck. If I run into any road blocks then I'll send you in but for now enjoy Berlin. Roan arrives at ten your time. You might go meet him with Jim."
"Yeah, that will be nice. Well, if there's nothing else I've got an appointment with a nice hot bath then I need to buy a new overcoat before I head out to whack-a-mole."
"One moment the Major is waving at me that he needs to talk to the both of us. Well, don't just stand there come over here where she can see you too," said Diane to someone off screen.
"I just got called from situation room. This evening around 17:00 hundred Central European time Agent Gina Myers was involved in a fatal traffic accident."
"Today's been a bad day to be on the road if you're from the Embassy. 17:00 you say," as Mary looked at her watch then over at the tracker.
"Well, it wasn't much of an accident. A stolen garbage truck was used to broadside her cab then she was found dead inside with a nine mill round in her head and the bag she had with her was missing. The BND is keeping that last part out of the press."
"What the heck is going on over there? Mary, whatever it is it needs to be tied off and in a hurry. What am I supposed to tell the White house when I get called on the carpet? I'm working on it won't fly."
"I'm afraid I might've caused this accidently. Either she was the mole or an accomplish of the mole who is trying to throw us... me off his or her trail. Agent Myers probably removed the pen drive from the vault then someone else took it from her and at that point she had to be silenced."
"So, they waited for her to leave the Embassy. That means it has to be someone who knew her schedule and where she'd go after she got off work."
"A few names come to mind but I think I'm going to forgo the bath and slip out now. I'll locate the person who's got the pen drive and have a conversation with him."
"Before you do something that can't be undone. Remember this might be a little fish who can lead us to bigger fish."
"I love fishing then frying them in the skillet with their heads on. Most people remove them but that's where the real flavor lies. They sizzle in the pan and look up at you at the same time. Sorry Charlie just bad luck and this one is going to get my undivided attention."
"Just remember what we need. I've got Jack on ice in Montenegro for now but sooner or later Sarah and Chuck will figure out something is wrong then you'll have them to deal with."
"They need to stay in L.A. where it's safe and let me handle this. If and when the time arises I'll talk to them but for now I need to sign off and go fish."
"Good fishing in this case," said Beckman as she signed off. The screen went blank and Mary went over and filled her glass one more time then pulled out a long stiletto from her bag.
"After I land my catch, I just might have to fillet it," she said as she tested the blade to make sure it was sharp enough for her. "Yes, I just might."
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Mr. Black flew out of Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen International Airport on the Asian side of the city. The smaller of the two International airports that serviced Istanbul on a chartered flight that left early in the morning to be ready for his meeting with their contact in Berlin. He flew into Berlin Schönefeld Airport which is located eighteen kilometers southeast part of Berlin. Like Sabiha Gökçen, it is the smaller of the two airports in Berlin and was the major civil airport of East Germany (GDR) and the only airport of formerly East Berlin. It was for this reason Mr. Black chose it and the fact he still had contacts there who would facilitate his clearing customs even with the arsenal he had with him.
"Can I take that from you," said the flight attendant as she removed his plate and glass. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"
"Can you find out from the pilot if we're on schedule? Also, can he radio ahead and make sure my car is waiting for me when we get there? I've got business to take care of in Berlin and I'm on a tight time table."
"No problem, I'll be right back and would you like me to bring you another glass of champagne with that information?"
"No, better not, I need to keep a clear head for what I've got to do. Though I will take a cup of coffee and a couple of biscuits."
"Certainly, and before I go how would you like your coffee? Cream, Sugar?"
"Black, of course.