Don't own Chuck

Mary followed the traitor off the subway at Schillingstraße and through a group of new condos that sprang up in East Berlin after unification. They had had a safe house not too far from here that she'd spent some time in laying low after Alexei went off the rails. It was the beginning of the end for her and didn't bring back very many good memories.

"I know where you're going," she said to herself as she looked at the tracker signal. She took a risk and made a beeline for the location she thought the mole was headed. She started to get a little nervous when she saw the mole starting to head in the opposite direction.

"Hold your position," she told herself. "He's doing his SDR before coming home to make sure he's clean." He was running a surveillance detection route to make sure no one was following him. If she hadn't planted the bug in the pen drive he might've seen her. However, where she was outside his home, she just had to be patient because if she was right sooner or later he'd show up and that would be all the confirmation she needed.

"I could just walk over, ring his doorbell and when he answers tap him in the head. No, that won't let me move up the food chain but it would make me feel better. But no, I can't or can I?"

She batted ideas about and a few fantasies as she waited under a drizzling rain but her patience was repaid. After about an hour and a few twists and turns the target changed direction again but this time he was coming towards her.

"Okay, here he comes," she said as she ducked around a corner and used a mirror to watch him coming near her. A sudden chill ran up her spine as she thought, "What if he's planted a bug on me? Crap, he could be coming to finish what he tried before with my car."

"Not on my watch and not by the likes of you," she mumbled as she pulled out her piece then moved back in the alleyway deeper into the shadows and waited. She brought her weapon up to the ready position.

"If you try anything, I'll get my licks in first," she said and she fixed on the corner and listened for the sound of footsteps. They were steady and constant her prey wasn't in a hurry but that would be the same way she'd play it. All the way up to the corner when she'd round the corner and fire down the alleyway at her unsuspected victim.

"But you're not a victim and you're not unsuspecting. You try this and I can guarantee it will end badly for you," she thought as she concentrated on what was about to happen. It was only a matter of a few minutes but they seemed like hours and with each passing second her weapon grew heavier and heavier in her hand.

"Okay he's near now," she thought as she heard the footsteps a few feet from the corner when he suddenly stopped. "Crap, he's on to me," she thought as she took her finger off the trigger guard and placed it on the trigger.

"This is it. Just a few ounces of pressure," she mumbled but she saw smoke coming from around the corner and an amber glow. "Crap, he's decided to light up. How can anyone smoke in this weather? Wait it could be a ploy to put me off. I'd do something like that if I thought it could give me the upper hand."

She changed her grip on her weapon and moved out into the alleyway away from the wall but staying in the shadow. If she was right and he shot at her he would think she'd be hugging the wall for cover but he'd be fatally wrong. She could hear him taking drags off his cigarette probably hard to draw because of the dampness and he had to really inhale to keep it lit. Soon he finished smoking and tossed the cigarette on the sidewalk in front of the alley then put his foot on it to put it out. He stood there as clear as day under the streetlight.

"Jim, I should've known it was you before," she thought as she watched him. He was totally oblivious to her standing only a few feet away. He quickly walked off and headed for his apartment that was around the corner. Everything fell into place in Mary's head. He'd known what car she'd checked out and he'd planted the bomb under it. He probably got Gina to take the pen from the vault and told her to take it home when she left with the promise he'd be by to pick it up. It was anyone's guess what story he invented to get her to go along with him. Then he had Omer get it from her and he was responsible for her death. He couldn't risk Gina fingering him afterwards and for what... money?"

"Jim, you and I are going to have a nice long chat about choices when this is over," said Mary. She made sure Jim went into his apartment then she pulled out her phone. "I need to be patched through to the General. It's urgent."

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Mr. Black's chartered jet arrived in the early morning hours. After it landed it was directed over to a private hangar. There he found a car waiting for him and after collecting his bags he took off for the city. He drove straight to the Potsdammer Platz where he was to meet their mole and where he had hotel reservations.

"Guten morgen," said the night manager as he greeted Mr. Black at the reception desk. "How can I be assistance to you?"

"I need to check in," said Mr. Black as he passed the man his passport. "You have a reservation for me under the name 'Black'.

"Yes, I see it here and you asked for a specific room but I'm sorry to tell you that room is currently occupied but we can put you in an adjoining room. All the rooms on that floor are identical so..."

"That might be true but you see I've stayed here before and I'm a little superstitious. My business went well the last time I was here and well, I know it sounds silly but I was hoping to get the same room to repeat my success from before."

"I see well I don't know what I can do. As I told you before, we have other guests in there now. I could check with them in the morning and see if they would be willing to swap rooms with you? But it's too early right now to wake them and I don't think they'd be much in a mood to hear about your superstitions."

"No, no forget it. I'm being silly and I'm only here for one day. Let's just leave everything like it is and I'll make do."

"Very well Mr. Black," said the night manager as he took Mr. Black's passport, made a photo copy then handed it back to him. "Here is your key card and let me ring you a porter to help you with your bags. He'll show you to your room. I know you said you're here only for the one day but if you'd like breakfast we start serving at six in the restaurant or you can call room service and have it served in your room."

"Thank you but for now I just want to get up to my room and settle in before my day begins," said Mr. Black as a bellhop showed up and started picking up his bags. "Wait a minute. No, I'll carry that one."

"That's your guitar. I get it," said the boy as they walked over to the elevator. "If I were you I wouldn't let anyone else carry my axe. Are you in a band or something? I am. We're just doing pubs at the weekends for now playing covers but soon we'll have some of our own tunes and then we'll make it big."

"I'm sure you will," said Mr. Black. This was the most talkative bellhop he'd ever met and one of the most annoying. "You know you need to take care of your throat. This morning air isn't good for it and can damage your tone quality," said Mr. Black. This was his way of telling the boy to shut up.

"Really?" said the bellhop as he thought for a few moments and was quiet. Mr. Black hoped he was home free but he wasn't. "But maybe that would give me that deep raspy sound... you know like the two pack a day sound."

The elevator doors finally opened and for Mr. Black none too soon. They got off and Mr. Black walked as quickly as he could to his room then went inside. He gave the boy fifty euro then herded him out the door closing it quickly before the boy could say anything else or he tried.

"Vielen Dank," said the boy. "We're playing at this Irish pub this Saturday night," he said as he handed Mr. Black a card on his way out. "This is the address. There's a small cover charge but the first beer is free."

"Thanks, if I'm still in town I might drop by and check you out," said Mr. Black as he closed the door in the boy's smiling face. "If I go I'll have to cap you on stage," he said as he tried to clear his head and tried to regroup.

"Crap, this isn't going to do," he said as he went to the window and looked down on the square. He went back to his guitar case and opened it up. Inside was a modified Dragunov sniper rifle. He took out the scope and looked around below. "No, this won't do at all the angle is all off. No, I need to be in the room next door," he said as he took out a Makarov nine, attached a silencer then housed a clip chambering the first round.

"I guess I need to go create a vacancy."

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The General got off the phone with Mary and looked across her desk at the Major. They both knew it reflected poorly on her to have agents turn but it was particularly bad when a station chief turns out rotten. There were different ways to mitigate the situation one of which was to eliminate the source then deep six all knowledge of what he'd become. However, Beckman was reluctant to go in that direction.

"General, you heard Agent Bartowski. She told you she could make this traitor go away then we can put a spin on the story that he was taken out in the line of duty. He wouldn't be the first traitor we've given a metal to in order to cover up what he was and he won't be the last."

"Not on my watch we haven't and if we have it was without my knowledge. I can see making him disappear but I'm not going to give him a metal. That would tarnish everything we've given to those who really did deserve them."

"Then let agent Bartowski ghost him and let's be done with him. Afterwards, we can put whatever spin on this you want."

"No, I want him brought back here where we can grill him. He's got intel about what's going on... things we don't know and the names of players involved. It would be foolish to through that away just for the sake of ego."

"Is it just ego? There will be those who'll try to hang this around your neck and try to bring you down," said the Major, but he caught her look. "I'm just saying why take the chance. End it now and tie this off."

"I might reconsider your advice once we've interrogated him, but I want his intel first and that's my last decision. Now, I want to talk to Roan. He's going to have to give Mary support because I don't know how cooperative the Ambassador is going to be in this. The last thing we need is a political appointee trying to play like she's in charge. Which reminds me I want to talk to State, after I'm done with Roan. I'm going to bring them onboard with this."

"Do you think they'll buy off on this? The Secretary wasn't very cooperative the last time we asked for his help."

"I'm responsible for our people not him and until someone tells me I can't I'm going to decide who goes where. As far as the Secretary is concerned I've lost confidence in Jim and am recalling him home..."

"And leaving Mary Bartowski as the new station chief. From what she said it doesn't sound like she got on well with the Ambassador."

"Again, my people, my decision and the Ambassador is going to have to learn to live with Agent Bartowski. At least for the interim, until I've had a chance to select a permanent replacement. I would think she'd understand that..."

"Only if she knows why. But I understand what you're saying, Berlin is too important a station to leave unmanned and if the Ambassador is smart she'll figure out what happened..."

"And if she's really smart she won't ask. Now get me Roan on the horn, I need to let him know that in addition to helping Mary bag Jim, Roan's going to have to escort him back here."

"Do we want to do that or should we take him to Gitmo where we can use more productive means of interrogation."

"That would get me fired if it got leaked out that we used enhanced interrogation techniques on a U.S. citizen. No, we're going to do this by the book. Jim has too many friends that will miss him as soon as we grab him and they'll come to me looking for answers."

"Then we go back to what I started out with which was making him disappear," said the Major. The General looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Just go and get me Roan," said the General. The Major started to leave. "Wait a minute, I appreciate the advice but I'm the one who has to make the decision and I've already told you what we're going to do so don't go rogue on me. The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

"Yes, ma'am," said the Major then he disappeared to get the call put through the situation room to her office.

"The Major's not wrong about leaving Mary as station chief," said the Diane as she turned around in her chair and stared off into oblivion. From their phone call she could tell Mary wasn't happy about being put behind a desk. Roan was definitely better at the social politics that went with the posting, but she didn't trust Mary being put in charge of bring Jim Henson back to the Langley. Mary was more likely to toss him out of the aircraft at 50,000 feet over Virginia. She could hear Mary's voice in her head.

"You told me to bring him back but you never said anything about the plane having to land first."

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Dettrick sat in his office looking over the folders from the car accident involving an Embassy staff member and the other incident involving the American covert agent. The incident was being called a traffic accident but it was anything but an accident. Now he was still waiting on the latest report about the Embassy vehicle that exploded in front of him. His people were on his back wanting to know answers but answers he didn't have. Everyone wanted to know what was going on including himself.

"This has to do with Abe, I sure of it. This is the guy our people say was the one who turned him away," said Dettrick to himself as he tried to make order out of the chaos on his desk. He picked up a folder then laid it aside before picking up another one.

"Then we have this woman the American spy. I don't think it's a far stretch to assume they were involved I some sort of relationship. I've got CCTV footage of them being in the same vicinity. However, they're both dead so I'm back at square one," he said as he laid the one folder on top of the other.

"There's this one. We have that van that blew up near Abe's apartment with a group of men inside who still need to be identified and a body inside. This has 'Mary' written all over it. Could we've missed something in the apartment and that's what this is all about?"

Dettrick was looking over the heap when a man walked into his office with a folder and dropped it on his desk in the middle of the others.

"I heard you were still in the building so I thought you might want to see this. We got called by the police about homicide in the Marx-Engels forum near the statue," said the man as he hoovered over Dettrick. "Wow, it looks like you've got quite the mess."

"That's an understatement. I still need the labs back on that Embassy car bombing. If you get a chance can you yell at them to hurry up."

"Sure, but you do realize what time it is? There won't be anyone down there until tomorrow," said the man as he pointed to his watch.

"Everyone wants a paycheck but no one wants to work for it... and what are we doing investigating a homicide for the police? They have their own people so give that back to them with my best regards."

"You might want to read it first. We got called in because when they ran the man's prints we got a hit. Turns out he's wanted by Interpol and is or was a known enforcer for the Turk."

"Who got himself blown up a couple of days ago. You say the Turk," said Dettick as something clicked in his head. "I wonder if he was buddies with this other guy we found dead in that apartment. He was a known associate of the Turk too."

"It could be someone making sure the Turk's men are laid to rest with their boss. Just in case one of them thinks about going for revenge."

"Maybe or maybe not... I mean these people go with whoever will pay them and with the Turk out of the picture they need to find another money tree to shake. Crap, I think I've got it," said Dettrick as something clicked in his head. "What if our Turkish friend was in Abe's apartment too and they found something we missed. This guy either whacks everyone or got out before everyone got whacked."

"That sounds like a little bit of stretch but I guess it's possible. You think he had whatever it is everyone is looking for? But what was he doing in the forum this late at night... looking for some place to hide. If he did he picked a bad spot."

"No, I think he went there to meet someone. He had something to sell and he needed money... lots of money to disappear. He thought this person was going to bring it to him but he brought a pistol instead."

"Dettrick, listen to yourself you've got no proof of any of this and you're only going on a hunch. The powers to be aren't going to buy into this crazy idea of yours. How do the Americans figure into this? They're dropping like flies over there."

"I think they're after it too but we have all the proof we need to take action. The body of a known terrorist found shot to death in a park late at night. Probably by another terrorist who's still at large. Call everyone in I want all the CCTV feds we can get of this guy. I want to know where he was and how he got where we found him. I want all the camera feeds from the forum and around it. Maybe we'll see someone we know."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't tell you so when the hammer comes down."

"You don't get to where I am by playing it safe. Sometimes you have to take risks but when you do they need to be well calculated.

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Chuck pulled up outside of Barnum Memorial then had to call to get admitted finding the doors locked. He could've picked the locks and bypassed the schools alarm system but he thought he was in enough hot water as it was. The principal met him with Sam standing next to her. Both of them gave him the look of death.

"I don't suppose it will do any good tell you that what we were working on was a matter of national security?" He was greeted with silence. "I didn't think it would. It won't happen again I promise."

"See that it doesn't. I don't usually recommend this but I think Sam is an exception. If I were you I'd get her a cellphone so the next time a national emergency arises she can call and get someone to come for her... someone reliable."

"I'll talk it over with Sam's mother this even but it sounds like a good idea."

"Good and when I said recommend I was trying to be nice. The next time this happens I will have to report it to the competent authorities."

"Yes ma'am," said Chuck. He'd forgotten what it was like to be called into the Principals office for something he'd done. It was like he was back in school again except Morgan wasn't standing next to him. Who was usually responsible for the reason why he was sent to the Principal's office.