Don't own Chuck
Chuck and the man he had rescued where stuck high up in the big top. This moved into phase two of Chuck's rescue plan. Casey took aim with the clown blunderbuss then fired an umbrella with a line attached to it. It flew up towards Chuck hooking in the tent frame just below them. Chuck climbed down retrieved the umbrella and line. In the meantime, below Casey with Raul's help attached heavier rope to the end.
"Okay," yelled Casey as he waved up to Chuck. "Take it away." Chuck pulled up the cord until he had the heavier rope. He looped it over a crossbeam then made a make shift harness for the man.
"Now my friends below will lower you down," said Chuck then he waved at Casey and Raul. They held to the end of the rope and slowly lowered the man down to safety. The man almost collapsed when his feet touched the tent floor.
"Thank you, thank you," was all the man could say. His friends came out to help take him away to be seen. But before Casey undid the rope then signaled Chuck it was time for him to come down. Casey pulled the rope back up and Chuck strapped himself in. After he was sure he was ready Casey started lowering Chuck down.
Emma and the girls stood off to the side watching everything unfold with Don Rodrigo who was by Emma's side. Sarah stood underneath but everything seemed in hand and she was becoming a little concerned with all the attention Don Rodrigo was giving her mother. She could see them talking but couldn't hear.
[A little while before]
"That boy's good," said Don Rodrigo as he watched Chuck work from below. "He'd be perfect in our high wire act tonight. Do you think he could help an old friend of the family's out?"
"Something can be worked out," said Sam before Emma could reply. "But as my father's agent there are some things we have to agree on first."
"Okay, let's hear them," said Don Rodrigo as he laughed. "You know as I recall I had a similar talk with your mother when Jack came to work with us. I never knew why they left... but we're getting off the topic. Let me have it name your price. If it's center billing you want, I'll have to talk with everyone? A private trailer would be easier to come by."
"No nothing like that I think free tickets as well as free cotton candy and ice cream would be acceptable," said Sam as she looked over at Molly who nodded in agreement. Emma gave them both a look.
"I think you need to talk to your mother who's on her way over here," said Emma as nodded over at Sarah who was walking over to check on them. "I can see Don Rodrigo you're a charmer."
"I try to be Emma. If I may be so bold as to call you by your name. You have to be a little bit of a charmer to manage a circus."
"And wealthy," said Giovanni as he came up from behind them. "I just came over to let you know they've taken that hand to the hospital but it seems he's going to be okay."
"Good now if you will I was in the middle of a contact negotiation here," said Don Rodrigo as Sarah walked up." Your daughter was acting as your husband's booking agent."
"What's going on over here?" asked Sarah and everyone looked at Sam. "Sam what are you up to now?"
"Why do I have to be up to something? And why is everyone looking at me," said Sam as she looked at Molly but Molly shook her head.
"Don't look at me this was your idea. You tell her," said Molly. "However, in all fairness I did play along. One just can't pass up ice cream or cotton candy..."
"Nor a trip to the bathroom with a stomachache or a visit to the dentist to have your teeth cleaned," said Emma. "I'm sure candy was invented by dentists to drum up business."
"Will someone tell me what's going on," said Sarah still on edge because of Chuck. "We can't leave you two alone for five minutes without you getting into trouble."
"Seems a little harsh," said Don Rodrigo. "Especially when said by the Jenny Burton I used to know. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
"Well this is my harvest to worry about," said Sarah. "So what's this about you being a booking agent for your father?"
While all this was going on no one was watching Alfredo or where he went. He hid himself behind a set of bleachers out of sight. From his jacket he pulled a blowgun and inserted a dart. He'd learnt how to use one when he was on tour with a circus in Peru. He never thought he'd be able to use it but fate seemed to shine on him today.
"Payback is here," he whispered to himself almost giggling as happy as he was. He took aim and bided his time. "Okay Chuck let me help you down," Alfredo said to himself as he watched Casey lower Chuck slowly from above like they had the roadie.
[In the meantime]
Sarah was getting to the bottom of Sam's dealings when it happened. She was trying to put on an upset face but Sam reminded her so much of herself she couldn't.
"Sure I think it will be fine. I think your father would like to lend a hand but we need to ask him," said Sarah as she turned to look up. But in that moment Casey felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and let loose the rope. Raul by himself wasn't heavy enough to act as a counter weigh so the rope started to yank him up then he lost his grip too and Chuck began to plummet down. It was like everyone took a huge gasp of air at the same time.
"Crap," said Casey as he tried to shake it off but his shoulder and right arm were numb. "Out of my way light weight," said John as pushed Raul aside then ran under Chuck.
"Oh this is so going to hurt," said Chuck as he dropped into Casey's arms. John broke his fall and they both dropped to the floor entangled together.
"Casey, I love you. I could kiss you right now," said Chuck as he started to get up off John who was huffing and grunting but not moving as fast a John would've like.
"Get off me Bartowski," said John as he pushed Chuck off. "Keep it in your pants and if you try to kiss me I swear I'll kill you dead where you stand. I'll shove my fist down your throat and pull you inside out."
"Kiss you... been there done that and remember your cover Big Guy," whispered Chuck as everyone came running. Raul stood off to the side he'd heard enough to realize they knew each other from before.
"Chuck... Chuck are you all right? Speak to me," Sarah said as she ran up to him. He nodded but before he could answer she punched him knocking him back down.
"Never pull that crap again. Do you want to give me a heart attack? And as a by the way Don Rodrigo wants to give you a job for a few days. One his high wire performers was injured and he needs a replacement. Thank you mister," Sarah said to John pretending not to know him.
"You're welcome ma'am," said Casey. "Go away and leave this to me. This is my mission." But as he was whispering everyone else showed up. "Do you think you have what it takes to work in a circus? I might not be around when you fall."
"It's only until Rita's better and you were magnificent on that rope. I can see you've got circus in your blood and don't worry we won't have Johann as your anchor.
"If that's the case then I agree," said Chuck as he glanced over at John. Casey growled back but it was Sam who broke in.
"Remember the deal cotton candy and ice cream to heart's content." Chuck gave Sam a puzzled look. "Don't worry I'll explain. Oh and as your agent I get ten percent." Everyone laughed except Alfredo who watched from his hiding place.
"And what's ten percent of nothing?" Sam gave her father a face like he was crazy. "You help friends out," said Chuck as he looked over at Casey.
"Raul go get your bother Marco and meet your new team member. You might want to use this time to find clothes for our new family member and go over the act."
"Dad hold up a minute. I'm the manager I need to sign off on this," said Giovanni. "There are forms that need to be filled out. What about insurance?"
"I've got my own... just bring me a waiver," said Chuck. "Maybe Love, you and the girls can go walk around the circus while Raul shows me the act."
"A wonderful idea," said Don Rodrigo. "Let me show you around. After all this still is my circus," he said loud enough for Giovanni to hear.
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The General was getting nervous waiting for the chopper to arrive. It was in bound and only five minutes out but her people reported some strange activity in the basement. An ambulance had pulled in followed by a black panel van with five men getting out of the van and three out of the ambulance. Every one of the men had white coats on but underneath they wore body armor and each carried a small bag. The General's man stayed in the shadows and watched all passing on to her everything he observed.
"Shut the elevators down for now if they want us they'll have to come up. Let's make them work for their dinner," said the General. "Let's get the patient out of here. We'll meet the chopper as it lands."
"Ellie, I know you disagree with this but I need your help. We need to prep the patient for transport," said Devon. But Ellie was already at work.
"I just hope you all know what you're doing. So this was supposed to be a walk in the park," said Ellie as she glanced over at the General. "Somehow I don't think we take walks in the same parks."
"Roger that," said the General into her watch. "The chopper is in bound as we speak we need to get this guy out to the pick-up site now."
Ellie and Devon worked feverishly to unhook the man and prepare him for the chopper ride. The idea was to wheel him out then straight into the hyperbaric chamber. The General's man below reported the enemy tac team had breach the stairs and were headed up.
"Okay enough here we need to move. Tell our guy to release the elevators we need to get out of here while our friends are huffing up the stairs. Agents keep your weapons out of sight. We need to get on the elevator right now." Ellie and Devon pushed the gurney while the other agent helped his wounded friend.
"This is called not letting your right hand know what your left hand's doing." Everyone looked at her strange. "You'll see what I mean," said Beckmann as the doors closed. "Boy do I miss being in the field."
[A little while before in the black panel van]
"This is what we know," said the team leader. "Our man called in and said he'd been made. We've tried to raise him since but he's not picking up. The only thing we can think is he's either been taken or he's dead. Our mission is to either recover our target or make sure he can't talk."
"I think I know the answer but since you mentioned recovering the target are we talking temporary can't talk or permanent," asked one of the men.
"We're talking about a nine mil round in the face that kind of can't talk which would be permanently. Is that clear enough? If there are no more questions, then let's get a move on it. The longer our asset is in government hands the more likely he is to talk. I want one of you posted down here while the rest of us goes up," said the team leader. "You Ned walk back to the van with me."
"Oh come on let me go up with the rest of you guys. I'm tired of having to stay in the van. Get one of the other guys to do it. It's not fair I always get stuck with this.."
"Come on Ned you've got this because I trust you. I want you to keep an eye out and watch what goes on down here while we're taking care of business. I know you can handle this."
"Okay I've got your back," said Ned. The team leader rounded everyone up then they went up into the hospital. What they didn't see was one of the General's men who was on the radio warning her the enemy tac team was on their way up.
"This way," said the team leader as they went to the elevators but none of them seemed to be working. "This can't be a coincidence. Follow me we need to hurry."
"Hey watch it! Ouch, don't shove. What's wrong with you this is a hospital," said some disgruntled people as the team leader pushed through to the stairs. He and his men double timed it up the steps. He had a bad feeling about this.
"Okay, we're here," said the team leader. Everyone pulled out their weapons and get ready. The opened their cases pulling out H&K MP5A3. After checking magazines, they were ready. "Okay on three... one, two, three... go... go." They broke out into the hallway fanning out going then going down both side. They found their guy's body outside the patient room the door open and the room empty.
"There's no one here," radioed back one of the men to the team leader who was waiting near the elevators. "I'm standing here and our target is gone. It looks like they've moved him."
"Impossible," radioed the team leader then he turned around and light on elevator indicated it was going up. "Crap they took the elevator to the roof. Come on we need to get after them."
"Team leader, this is Ned. I'm down below but I can hear and see a chopper in bound. Do you copy me?"
"Yeah I copy," answered the team leader as they huffed their way up the stairs. "They must've blocked the elevators so they could make their escape from the roof. Ned find Merriweather and put a bullet in his head."
"Roger that. Finally, I've got some fun to do," said Ned. He started through the underground parking area towards the elevator then he remembered they were out and started for the stairs. But as he stood there the doors he could hardly believe his eyes there was their target on a gurney. However, he never got to share his find. The General's lookout tasered Ned dropping him on the spot.
"Move it," yelled the Devon as he and Ellie pushed the gurney through. "This man hasn't go much time. We need to get him in that diving chamber now."
"What do we do with him?" asked one of the agent standing behind Ned. "We could take him with us and milk him for his intel."
"General, we don't have time," said Ellie. "Devon's right. If this guy is going to make it, we need him in that chopper now."
"Leave him," said the General. "He's low on the food chain so we won't be able to get much out of him. Let's move it before our friends figure out they went the wrong direction."
[On the roof the team leader wasn't happy]
"Where are they," yelled the team leader as he looked around with the rest of the team. "They couldn't have loaded up our guy and flown out of here that fast. Where's the chopper I still hear it?"
"There in the parking lot," pointed one of the men. "That's the secondary pad when this one is fouled or in use."
"Now you tell me," said the team leader as he pushed through his men and looked down. "I don't know who's down there but they're good. Ned, this is team leader over... Ned, this is me answer... Ned, do you hear me? The target is getting away you need to slow them down... Ned ove."
"They probably took Ned out when they left the building," said one of the men. The team leader gave him a look.
"You don't say. I thought they might've invited him along for tea and biscuits," said the team leader. He looked up to see one of his men shoulder his weapon aiming at the chopper.
"I think I can get them from here. If I can put a few holes in it then we can..." The man started to say but the team leader cut him off.
"Can get us killed... put that thing away. This is a bust let's pack it up." The man looked at him like he was crazy.
"I told you put it away. You start firing from up here then how are we going to get away afterwards... sprout wings and fly maybe. I'm willing to bet the elevators are down again. They saw to that I'm sure which means the stairs. We're going to have to fight our way out past those people down there plus hospital security and by the time we get past them then SWAT will show up. Do you want to die for what they're paying us? And if you do how do you intend on spending it?"
"So what do we do? You know they guys back home aren't going to be happy with us. How are we going to spin this?"
"Easy by the time we got here they were taking off in an unmarked chopper. There was nothing we could do other than watch them disappear into the horizon. Now let's go see if Ned is dead and get out of here."
[Back in the Chopper]
It was a rough start getting their patient in the hyperbaric chamber in the middle of a parking lot. There were a lot of gawkers but they managed it and now they were airborne.
"How's he doing in there," yelled the General over the noise of the chopper. Devon gave her a thumbs up.
"We had a little bumpy beginning but everything seems stable now. That was a pretty sneaky maneuver to get us out without a shot fired."
"That's why I'm the General. Where do we go from here?"
"Wherever we go there should be a staff that knows how to work with a hyperbaric chamber. It would help if they'd done something like this before."
"Do you have someplace specific in mind? I need a facility I can control or a staff we can round up. Just give me names and I'll get them for you."
"Bethesda has been doing a lot of work with HBOT therapy and they have a team that already has the know-how…"
"Good that works for me too," said the General. She ordered the pilot to lay in a course for Bethesda then she call the Major and told him to have their team standing by.
"Well here we go," said Ellie as she sat next to Devon as he monitored the vital signs from their patient. "You know even if this does work the General isn't going to let you publish your results."
"I kind of already figured that but this is for this guy. There will be other patients but right now I need to think about this guy and what's good for him. Publishing is nice and I'll be the first to admit the pat on the back from our peers is nice. However, we should never forget the guy we have in front of us that's why we're doctors."
"You know now I know why we call you Captain Awesome," said Ellie as she kissed him. "I suppose we should have Clara come stay with us."
"Well I've been meaning to tell you this. But before we left Clara's friend's mom called and said they had to go out of town so they could keep Clara just for one night..."
"Why did you wait to tell me? That means one of us needs to get back to Chicago this evening or Clara will be at home by herself. You should've really told me you know how these things go. What are we going to do if I can't catch a flight? ... I know the General," said Ellie as she started to get up but Devon pulled her back down.
"Stop freaking out. You're spiraling just sit down and take a deep breath. Everything is under control," he said. But she didn't feel like everything was under control.
"What are you talking about? Under control, what's under control? Everything is but under control," said Ellie as tried to calm down.
"If you don't stop you're going to hyperventilate and I'm not sure there's room in that chamber for two. Look after the mom called I talked to the General then I called Mom and Dad. The General sent two men and they flew Mom and Dad from Connecticut to Chicago..."
"Oh no don't tell me they're staying in our house? Honey's going to think it's a pigsty. I even think I left dishes in the sink."
"No I washed them and put them away. My parents are there to watch Clara not do a white glove test of the house."
"Oh you men... you don't see a house the way we women do. She's a doctor with a successful practice married to your father, the chief of surgery. In all this she raised three awesome sons and she kept her house spotless. She is so going to think our house is a pigpen."
"You're exaggerating and the way my mom kept her house so spotless was with the help of Agnes, our maid and babysitter. Mom says she did everything herself but about all she did was give orders that we all obeyed. I told you that you might want to get help around the house."
"I know and you probably think I'm silly but if I get someone to help out it makes me feel like I'm cheating and cheating is something I've never done. One of the first half things I need to do when we land is to call Chuck. He's going to be worried."