Don't own Chuck
Sarah and Margot walked back into the Casino with Molly and Razhib. They'd left Mike with the cleaners and another crew to take apart Mr. Black's room. They went into the bar to try to work with the kids. Both Sarah and Margot were worried about Razhib but as soon as they walked in Margot spotted Carmen sitting in a booth with another one of their guests.
"Margot, who's that woman you're staring at? Is that the woman you mentioned earlier," said Sarah as she glanced over then turned back. "It seems she's found someone to latch on to."
"Yeah, there's her. I don't know there's just something about her that just isn't right. I don't like the way she was coming on to Jack. Maybe I'm just a little on edge because of everything that's going on right now. I don't know," she said but Razhib cut her off.
"Do you want me to go over and take her out. Just say the word," said Razhib as he sat there looking down at his hands. "How can you two just sit here after everything and act... well like nothing happened."
"Razhib, I'd like to tell you that you'll get over this with time and everything will go back the way it used to be but it won't. This will always sit in the back of your mind and you'll turn it over and over in your head thinking if you could've done things differently. However, second guessing yourself will do you no good. Believe me when I say it because I've been there."
"And that's supposed to make me feel better? If that's what you're trying to do it's not working," said Raz as the waitress brought over their hot chocolate and sat their cups down in front of them. The waitress at Raz and started to say something but Margot shook her head then handed her a tip sending her on her away.
"I'm not trying to make you feel better," said Sarah as she leaned into him. "I'm telling you that you're going to have to live with it but you're not going to have to bear this alone. If this is hard then think about the alternative, he could've killed you and taken Molly. Sure, he would've said he'd trade her for Jack but then he would've killed them both."
"Because she'd be a loose end," he said as he played with his cup staring down at it. "And you don't leave loose ends."
"So instead of being sorry for someone who doesn't deserve it, think about this. Your action saved Molly and Jack's lives."
"What am I going to tell Miriam? How can I face her tomorrow with everything that's happened this evening? She's going to hate me and so will her father. This will just convince him that what he thinks about me is true and maybe he's right."
"You're not going to mention any of this to Miriam or her family. Tomorrow morning when you wake up pretend this day never happened and don't be surprised if Miriam calls you apologizing that she didn't show up at the pub."
"But she did and with that man," said Razhib as he looked at Sarah and Margot. "Oh, what did you do to her... them?"
"You could say we simply reset their clocks by twenty-four hours. Tomorrow when they wake up they'll have forgotten about everything that happened this evening. Probably due to a gas leak that will be discovered tomorrow."
"You can do that," said Molly. "Is it like the "Men in Black"? You hold up a flashlight then press a button and they forget everything?"
"This isn't funny and you can't go around doing that to people even thought if what you say you did seems to contradict that... but it's still not right. It just isn't."
"Would you like to face Miriam's father in the same tirade he had going back in the apartment? Which reminds me I need to get Mike to leave a note in the room telling Miriam's father that Black had to leave suddenly and that he could keep the rent."
"You people are something. The man you're talking about is dead and you're telling Miriam's dad he can keep his rent money. And why did he leave like this in the middle of the night? Because his inventory was slashed? You just move on like nothing. I don't know how you can do it. Maybe Miriam's father isn't that wrong when he talks about you."
"You're upset," said Sarah as she pulled out her phone. "I get that but the man that was killed did this," she said as she showed him a video from Berlin about the terrorist attack. "He did this right before he came here so you won't see me shedding any tears for him."
"But he could easily be you one of these days," said Razhib as he looked at the two of them across the table. "I don't want this to happen to you or Margot. What about Sam and Bunny? What about them?"
"I've thought and thought about that but Sam knows the work Chuck and I do is important," said Sarah as she looked down at her hot chocolate then over to Margot. This was something she preferred not to think about because she had no real answer so when Margot changed the topic she felt relieved.
"I've run that woman over there through the deep data base and it came back negative," said Margot as she tried to shift the conversation. "Now it looks like I need to run her new friend too."
"You don't have to," said Sarah as she flashed. Sometimes she wondered if the people around her thought that she was being possessed by demons when she flashed like this.
"Do you feel all right," said Molly as she watched Sarah flash. "Maybe we ought to call it a night so you can get some rest. You did just fly in from L.A. so you've got to be jetlagged."
"No, I'm fine. That man sitting with your friend," said Sarah and when she mentioned friend Margot gave her a look. "Well, whatever she is... anyway, the man she's sitting with is Major Oleg Romanoff, ex-spetsnez. He saw a lot of action in Chechenia then with Boris the Butcher and Chuck in the Caucasian mountains. He dropped off the map after that."
"And now he surfaces here. I'm going to keep an eye on him," said Margot as she looked over at them. "I think that woman is just taunting me."
"Kids, if you're done why don't you both go on up to your rooms and go to bed. It's late and tomorrow will be another day."
"You mean you want us to leave so you two can talk," said Molly. "That's all right by me. I'll be happy to put this day behind me," she said as she pulled Razhib with her.
"I'm worried about him," said Margot as she watched them walk together over to the elevator.
"We should worry about everyone here with that DC 9 heading our way. I think we need to come up with a plan."
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Twelve went to try to find One's man but he was conveniently absent or as Twelve assumed in hiding. Things were happening and he couldn't find out what was going on which made him anxious. Twelve tried to call the wet team that had been sent to round up White to bring him to Moldova but no one was picking up nor returning his calls. One's secretary wouldn't have put his neck on the chopping block if he didn't know something. Now there was this new guy coming. What was going on?
"I want everything you can find out on this new guy," said Twelve as he handed a name on a piece of paper to one of their men in the comms trailer. "Reach out to everyone we know then b ring it straight to me."
"But Sir wouldn't it be better if you made the calls. I mean who am I to them. They aren't going to tell me anything other then to take a hike."
"I want you to try and if you run into a stonewall then tell them you're calling for me. If that doesn't work give me the name of the person you talked with and I'll call them. Don't worry I'll set them straight."
"I still think it would be better if you made the call sir," said the man. However, as he was talking Twelve gave him a look of death. "Okay, I'll try but I'm not promising anything."
"That's all I'm asking. I need to get into the meeting now before they come looking for me and then I need to talk with the Major. I left word with him to call me back but he's not returning my calls either."
"He's not the type of person to ignore you," said the man. "I mean I'm sure he's got a perfectly good explanation for being out of pocket."
"I'm sure he does and I can't wait to hear it. Just do what I asked you to do and as soon as we let out I'll come by to see what you've got for me. The old Serb vouched for this guy but I want to be sure I know everything about him before he gets here. I don't want any surprises and speaking of surprises has anyone seen the secretary anywhere? I've been trying to find him but I don't seem to be having any luck."
"He was just here a few minutes ago talking with Alpha... that is the team leader of the wet team that we sent to Mexico. They talked then he disappeared out the door but I couldn't say where he went from here."
"You said he talked with the wet team," said Twelve. The man nodded his head as he looked over at the others that were sitting with him in front of monitors. "None of you happened to overhear where he said he was going when he left?"
"I'm sorry no," said one of the other men. "He just left in what seemed to be a hurry. That's all I can tell you," he said and the rest nodded in agreement.
"I've been trying to raise them but no one is answering. He calls and gets through right away," thought Twelve. "I don't like this one bit." He started to leave the trailer when he got an idea so he stopped and turned back around. "You wouldn't have an ETA on our plane from Mexico, would you? We're going to have to organize a pick up at the airport. We wouldn't want them to have to wait around in Chişināu, would we?"
"No sir we wouldn't but we were told their pick up is on hold for now or that's what was passed down to us by the secretary before he ran out of here."
"Thanks, I wish he'd told me that," said Twelve as he turned then left. He stopped to think on the other side of the door after he closed it behind him.
"What could this mean they don't need to be picked up. Either they're going to rent a vehicle or they're not arriving on schedule," he said as a sudden thought hit him. "What if they aren't coming straight here but stopping off in Montenegro. Geez, I need to talk to One and see if he knows what's going on then give the Major a heads up. If One doesn't know then he can grab that little slimy weasel he has working for him and wring his neck," said Twelve as he looked at his watch.
"Geez, I need to get to the city hall or I'm going to be late for the opening. Do I bring this up in front of everyone? No, I'd better not, because this could backfire on me in a heartbeat. One could feel I was trying to embarrass him in front of the rest of the circle then it will be my neck on the chopping block' said Twelve as he went up the steps to the City Hall.
"However, I should pull him aside afterwards," said Twelve as he continued to think things over. "I need to see if he knows what's going on but tactfully. Yes, definitely tactfully... crap, I wish the Major would call me back," said Twelve as he entered the city hall building. As soon as he walked in he looked up the staircase to the second floor just in time to see One's secretary emerging from an office with One walking next to him.
"Double crap! What do I do now? Could One already know what's going on and am I being setup by the little weasel, White and the Major? Just stop and take a deep breath. There's nothing you can do right now except go into the meeting with everyone else."
"What are you waiting for," yelled the secretary down to him. "Everyone is inside and things are about to commence." Twelve looked up at him at the top of the stairs and stifled a growl.
"I swear one way or another I'm going to gut you. No, I'm going to go medieval on you and make a blood eagle with you."
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Chuck drove to Camp Pendleton with everyone on board a black van. Sam sat in the back next to Kat and on Kat's other side was Bunny in her car seat. In the front in the passenger seat was Morgan who was rattling off information about Moldova and what he could expect to find in Moldova.
"The largest city in Moldova is Chișinău the capital with a population of 635,994 people. Moldova is divided into 32 districts or raioane, three municipalities and two autonomous regions called Gagauzia and Transnistria. The status of Transnistria is disputed because the central government does not control that territory. Other 10 cities, including the Comrat and Tiraspol, the administrative seats of the two autonomous territories, also have municipality status.
Moldova has 66 cities or towns, including 13 with municipality status, and 916 communes. Another 700 villages that are too small to have a separate administration, and are administratively part of either cities, 41 of them altogether as well as 659 communes," said Morgan as he read from his Fodor's guide to Moldova. "That's a lot of flower power. This makes for a total of 1,682 localities in Moldova, two of which are uninhabited. What's this ghost towns?"
"I appreciate the intel little buddy. I really do but I've got all that already up here," said Chuck as he pointed to his head. "I don't suppose there's anything in there about why a group of nefarious thugs are meeting there?"
"I'm guessing it has to do with how isolated the whole country is. Chuck, you need to be careful over there because there won't be any cavalry coming to pull your bacon out of the fire," said Morgan. Chuck gave him a look then glanced up in the mirror to see if Sam overheard him.
"I wouldn't say that. I'm putting together a team to come along with me and we're going to meet up at the airport in Chișinău. It's just Beckman doesn't know I've invited guests to come along and truthfully, they don't either. I'm going to have to call them once I'm in the air. So Sweet Pea there's nothing to worry about I've got this under control," he said as he glanced up at her.
"You know I don't want you to go," said Sam as she looked down at her feet. "I wish you could stay here with me and Bunny," she said as she glanced over at her sister who was looking out the window.
"I do too but Jack's in trouble and I'm the only one who can help him. I promise I won't be gone anymore than I have to. I love you and your sister very much and I won't let anything get in the way of my returning," said Chuck as he looked back at her in the mirror. He realized he was saying the same things his mother had told him before she didn't return.
"Chuck, slow down," said Morgan. "You're coming up on your exit. We can stop on the way back home and get some ice cream."
"Thanks, little buddy," said Chuck as he signaled and got over to make the turn off. "Just promise me one thing no Cherry Cheese Cake."
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Director Trotski was having a series of good days which had him in a relative good mood. After crushing the siloviki, the grey cardinals, who had tried to undermine the authority of the current occupant of the Kremlin. He was walking around basking in the light of his success. However, as much as he liked his improved position within the pecking order he knew that it could all be taken away in a heartbeat with the wrong decision or careless words. It was for that reason he was less than happy to be told that take Chuck's was on the line wanting to talk with him.
"Chuck, I'm surprised you called me. You usually don't phone me directly but go through your boss so this must be important. You aren't thinking of defecting, are you?" said Igor as he put the call on speaker so his secretary could hear. He wanted a witness incase someone questioned why he was taking calls from an American operative.
"No, Director I'm not. What I'm calling about is seeing if we can't get the band together again," said Chuck. He loved testing Igor's grasp of American colloquialisms.
"I think you've gotten the wrong department but you might try dialing up the building across the square. They might be able to help you if you need a band for you one of your daughters. But it's not their birthday? Are you celebrating their name days?"
"Yeah, Saint Bunny, the patron saint of pole dancers," said Chuck as they both laughed. But he took note that Igor remembered he had two daughters and he knew when their birthdays were. "No, nothing like that. What I'd like is for Stefan and Anatoly to meet me in Chișinău. That's the capital of…"
"I know what it's the capital of but I just don't see why you need my people. This request really should've come through Diane. Chuck this highly irregular and I shouldn't even be talking to you about this."
"And if I had called my General and she called you then you would've had to shoot down the request before you heard what the mission is about. I realize that current relations between our two countries isn't at it's greatest and there are people in both our governments who'd love to see us at each other's necks."
"Okay, you're probably right but that doesn't mean I'll say yes just because you called. I need the full details on what's going on and why we need to be involved. Wait a minute does this have to do with what happened in Berlin?"
"Yes, this goes back to what happened to not-so-honest Abe who got his hands caught in the cookie jar," said Chuck. Then he went on to explain about what he knew and how Jack was being blamed. "You see I believe Jack and I need to talk to these people. If I'm right among their number will be some of your siloviki. I thought you'd appreciate the opportunity to finding out who they are."
"That would good if no one else knew who they are. But these people are protected by other people in the highest positions of government so that no one knows who they are is doubtful."
"Didn't you get an citation out of rounding up that last group? You could get another one for this one. You should know my General has put a kill order out on the members of this organization and sent... well people to carry it out."
"Why are you telling me this? You know you could get into deep trouble telling me about an op in progress. What do you want me to do? Am I to rescue our people? I could just as easily leave them there to their own fate. They stuck their necks out and they got it chopped off. I don't need to know about this."
"What you do with your people is up to you. I only want a little face time with them and that's all that I want. It would be easier with Stefan and Anatoly with me."
"Chuck, I don't want to throw a hammer into your plans. But what makes you think they'll listen to an American spy."
"I think you mean 'monkey wrench' not 'hammer'. You throw a monkey wrench into something and you're probably right they wouldn't pay any attention to what I have to say to them as me but as Kolonel Sheshenkov they'll stand and listen. I'll wait for Stefan and Anatoly at the international airport in Chișinău. If they show that'll be great but if they don't I'll understand. You can tell them I'll be flying in from Berlin," said Chuck. He gave him the details then he hung up.
Igor was left standing bent over his desk with pen in hand looking at the squawk box in the middle of his desk. His secretary started to say something but Igor turned and cut him off.
"Not a word I need to think."