Don't own Chuck
The lookout tailed the guys as they left the hospital following them into the parking garage. He realized they were in trouble when Alex and Casey got in the elevator while Sarah along with Kat and Morgan walked around to a Crown Vic parked on the ground floor. He ducked around behind a column and called up to his team leader as quickly as he could while peeking around at Sarah and the rest.
"Abort, abort, we've got a problem the target isn't riding the elevator up. I see him here on the ground level and he's s getting into a Crown Vic with the two new women."
"Crap, everyone in the van now," radioed the team leader. "Joe, pick us up on the fly we need to get down ASAP. Jake, keep an eye on that Crown Vic we're on our way down."
Joe squealed tires as he pulled out he slowed down so the first man opened the side door then jumped in. The rest jumped in one after another in the open door then Joe sped up until he got to the exit where Jake jumped in.
"Where did they go," yelled Joe as then pulled out. "Come on I need to know. Quick I need to know right or left?"
"Go right they just pulled out so you should see them," said Jake as he scrambled up to look out the front. "There they are," he said as he pointed them out. "That's them right in front of you."
"Okay now we can drop back and give them a thirty yard cushion. I don't want any comments or crap from the back. So why do you think they split up? You don't think he made us?"
"No but I think it's obvious. Ettore is making sure no one can follow him. If Jake hadn't been on the ball we'd gone after the wrong vehicle while Ettore got away. You have to give it to him the man is good."
"Yeah but his days... or hours are numbered. What's he up to now? He's pulling into a Trader Joe's why? He's not making any sense."
"I don't know about that he might've seen us but that's okay I just got an idea. We can make this look like a stick-up gone wrong. You two handle the cashiers then herd them and the clients in the back. We'll tap him without any collateral then get out."
"Is that what Marcus wants? I thought he wanted to make a statement out of this hit," said Jake from the back.
"He can make it known with the council that we caused the spill in aisle thirteen but for everyone inside this was just a supermarket heist. Joe park close to the exit and keep the engine running," said the team leader. They pulled into Trader Joe's parking lot as Morgan and the pregnant woman walked inside.
"See what I meant about Ettore and his rep. He sure seems to be living up to it. What do we do if that woman gets in the way? I really don't want to shoot a pregnant woman," said Jake and there was a general agreement from the rest.
"Would you prefer to piss our boss off and face the consequences? Personally she made her bed literally when she hooked up with Ettore and I don't feel like risking a contract on my head for her. But if push comes to shove I'll take the shot. Okay ladies it's time to go shopping."
[Shortly before in Casey's Crown Vic]
Kat pulled out of the parking garage then headed for a supermarket she remembered there was one nearby. But she wasn't sure if it had everything that Sarah needed.
"Sarah there's a Trader Joe's just ahead. They've got just about everything," said Kat. "What do you need to get to make your pasta Alfredo? I know the recipe is pretty straightforward."
"Well I think I've got pasta but I should buy some just in case. Chuck usually uses fettucine so that's what I'm going to look for. Then I'm going to need heavy cream, Parmesan cheese..."
"You're going to need butter because what you had in your fridge the last time I saw it looked like a science project gone bad. I want you to know I'm not making fun of you. In fact that was how Pasteur discovered penicillin."
"And how's that?" asked Sarah. "His spy wife was too busy so she let the bread get old because she was on mission and couldn't buy fresh?"
"I didn't know his wife was a spy? Is that covered in like a history lesson about the craft in spy school or something?"
"Never mind Morgan... so basically I need everything," said Sarah as she heaved a sigh. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. John was right I should stick to MREs and water."
"Nonsense besides remember what your doctor told you about eating healthier. This starts now and your recipe is full of vitamin D that your body needs especially now. The only thing I'd add it is some fresh parsley, a little garlic and a pinch of nutmeg."
"I'm glad you said 'the only thing I'd add' for a moment I was afraid there was a long list of things or my recipe sucked a lemon." They all laughed. Kat looked over at Sarah as she smiled back thinking that she looked a lot better than she had that morning.
Kat put on her turn signal and pulled into Trader Joe's parking lot. She parked closed to the doors then they all got out. As they got out Kat's phone rang it was John.
"I've got to take this. You guys go in and start without me," said Kat as she answered. "No John you don't need to stop and get anything to be on the safe side. ... If it makes you feel better bring a six pack. No, I don't know how much beer they have in their fridge. I generally don't go around checking to see what other people have." As Kat was talking five men walked past her each one looking worse than the other.
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For Beckman this had all be a guessing game wondering where Chuck was going to set down. They had an idea but no one was sure. The only one who did was flying at thirty thousand feet about Southern California. But his trajectory had him headed for where they thought he was going. Then when the Major came and told her a bomb scare had just been called in at the amusement park she knew it was going down.
"Come on Major let's get down to the situation room I want a bird overhead and yell at Twenty-Nine Palms I want a drone to do some low level reconnaissance."
"Aren't you afraid Ettore might see our drone and blow Agent Carmichael's cover," said the Major. "You know the FAA isn't too happy when we use drones over civilian targets."
"The FAA can learn to live with it," said the General. "Their boss used to Air Force so he knows how these things work and as for Ettore seeing it. I want Chuck to know he and Zondra aren't in this alone. Once we've confirmed Chuck's presence I want you to notify the other Agent Carmichael. I also want to talk to Dr. Louis to find out what was going on this morning."
"And if the doctor invokes doctor-patient confidentiality," asked the Major as he caught the look of the General. "I'm just saying there is that possibility."
"The good doctor is still in the reserves maybe it's time to call her up for active duty. I'm sure she'd like a tour in a field hospital in Afghanistan."
"You really wouldn't do that you're only joking right?" asked the Major as he looked at her but she looked right back at him.
"Major after all this time with me you still don't realize I don't joke."
[Meanwhile in the air over Irvine]
Chuck dropped altitude quickly a little payback for depressurizing the cabin before. Eardrums popped because of the rapid descent but he also waited until the last minute so he'd drop off the radar with John Wayne and before being passed off to Tower Control at Bob Hope. The idea was one would think the other picked him up when neither had him.
"What the crap was that," complained Ettore when he came into the cockpit. "You could've given us a little warning to yawn or do something. My ears are still ringing."
"Well you're going to have worse if you don't go and find a seat," said Chuck as Zondra put the fasten seat belt sign on. "We're about ready to make our approach and here goes nothing. I hope your people called in that bomb scare because we're about to find out. Here we go Natasha call out our altitude while I keep track of our air speed. Let's line this baby up."
"I hope they haven't dug any of the runway up," said Zondra as they noticed earth moving equipment sitting off on what used to be the apron."
"That would be a rude awakening," said Chuck. Ettore pulled up a seat in the back behind them buckling himself in as Zondra called out the altitude. They were low now and Chuck could see people below looking up at them pointing.
"Hold on," yelled Chuck, "here goes nothing." He said as the wheel made contact with the runway surface. Chuck applied the airbrakes and reversed thrust but the plane kept on rolling. The ride down the runway was extremely bump. They could tell no maintenance had been done in years.
"I don't want to scare you Juri," said Ettore but we're running out of runway. The big balloon ride was coming up quickly and growing larger by the minute.
"I don't want to correct you but the runway used to continue on the other side of those balloons. Hold on I've got an idea," said Chuck. He looked at the markers on the side of the runway and flashed calculating the plane's speed and kinetic energy to confirm his plan. He split the difference on the tether lines holding the big balloon and hoped they'd act like arresting gear. There was a jerk and the big balloon deflated over the fuselage but they stopped.
"Okay everyone out now," said Chuck as he powered down. "The authorities won't be too happy with us if they catch us." Chuck got everyone to the hatch opened the door then deployed the emergency slide.
"Let's go. Women first," said Chuck as Ettore got on the slide and went down. "Make that women and Ettore first." Chuck got everyone off and standing down at the bottom of the slide they looked around.
"Ettore where are our vehicles. Then three black Rangel Rover Discoveries drove around from behind a concession standing heading their way. Chuck reached under his jacket and he noticed Paolo did the same thing. The vehicles drove up to them Ettore opened the door to the middle one and waved for them to get inside.
"Come on let's go. It's safe I called the one person beside Paolo I trust," said Ettore. Chuck noticed Paolo hanging his head then he got inside. Chuck looked at the two women then helped them get in. The rest of Ettore's men got in the front and back Escalades then they drove off.
"Juri let me introduce you to my brother Julius. The only man after Paolo I trust with the exception of you now," said Ettore as opened the bar inside and began pouring drinks.
"I didn't know you had a brother," said Chuck as he looked over at Zondra then he shook the man's hand. "Julius is it? Nice to meet you but we can save the greetings we need to get out of here."
"Yes," said Julius as he tapped the back of the partisan and the driver pulled out. "I'm his half-brother and Kolonel may I say it is an honor to meet you. When I heard you were with my brother I had to meet you. Ettore and I don't always see eye to eye on many things but we both can agree that you're a man we'd want on our side." Julius then turned to Ettore. "Who are these two women with you brother? You know what Mom used to tell you about bringing you playthings home."
"Maybe I should explain," said Chuck. He already noticed Zondra's feathers getting ruffled so he headed off a confrontation. "This is Natasha my executive assistant and this woman is Ms. Sheila Swanson..."
"I'm aware who Ms Swanson is and I'm not sure why she is here so again Ettore will you never learn. I guess Italy didn't teach you anything?"
"I actually brought Ms. Swanson along," said Chuck. "She and I've been discussing about an opening I can see her filling within our ranks."
"That's right," said Ettore. "She could take over Martin LaBlanc's place. He managed to get himself killed. But I have a more pressing problem right now there is a Mr. Big or whatever his real name is who's coming after me..."
"So what's new? Haven't others in the past and you've managed to elude them all. You and Paolo have built quite the reputation at doing that."
"True but he seems to know things... things that only someone in my inner circle would know. Like the fact that I would be running to my plane to get out of Dodge when my back was against the wall," said Ettore as he looked over at Paolo.
"Well let's think about this but first are you going to drink all those glasses by yourself or are you going to hand them out. I hope you're not being stingy with my booze."
"Oh no... right sorry," said Ettore as he handed out the glasses. Chuck couldn't get over how much Ettore changed around his half-brother. "We were talking about it on the plane and we've got to have a mole somewhere. I asked Paolo to look into it..."
"Look into what?" said Paolo as he took a sip. "Onboard the plane you imposed radio silence but everyone who knew anything was in the house when it blew up so that leaves only the people in this car. I know I didn't say anything to anyone and I know Juri and the ladies didn't know about it so that leaves you two. I'm not accusing anyone of anything but that's the situation."
Zondra looked at Chuck. It seemed his plans to raid Ettore's database just went belly up as an uncomfortable silence set in. Chuck could see everyone looking at the other and the last thing he needed was for one of the idiots to pull a gun.
"There has to be another explanation," said Chuck as he tried to defuse a delicate situation. "I believe Paolo when he says he doesn't know anything."
"You believe him," said Ettore as he looked at Chuck like he was crazy.
"Yeah you believe him," said Zondra basically giving him the same look but for a different reason.
"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once said you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."
"So what is the impossible here that we are excluding that one of us is the mole?" asked Julius as he looked around the SUV.
"More that our friends weren't clairvoyant but they had to get their intel from somewhere and I probably could've gotten them to tell if I'd had time to talk with them. I thought it was interesting that when I boarded the plane tranq'ing they were all huddled inside waiting. I thought they were hiding but I don't think so now. No they were waiting and one of them had a device that I thought at the time was a radio but now I'm not sure. I was too concerned about not getting shot to realize what it was then someone tossed them out of the plane like trash out the window..."
"Juri what are you getting at," said Julius as they pulled in to switch cars. "We're going to split up here. I'm going to leave you here with two new cars then I'm going to double back and go into town. If someone is following you I'll lead them away. But I'd like to know what you're talking about."
"Easy watch this," said Chuck as he took out his phone and turned the volume up on high then they stepped out of the vehicle. "Paolo stand with your arms out," he said then he waved it over Paolo. There was nothing. "Okay Ettore now for you."
"This is ridiculous how could anyone..." he started to say when they all heard the crackling sound of feedback. "But how," said Ettore as they all looked at Sheila.
"I don't believe it was her so stop staring," said Chuck. "You had her sedated most of the time you two were together and... yes here it is. This is subcutaneous so you had to have been injected with it."
"Crap in the prison in Rome I was given a vaccine against Cholera... they had an outbreak. No Geez that's what they told me."
"Yes and did they offer to sell you the Coliseum or maybe Trevi fountain," said Chuck as he reached inside Paolo's jacket and took out his switch blade.
"Wait a minute you need to disinfect that blade as well as my arm. You know you can catch a staph infection like that and die. What about an anesthesia? I'm just saying..."
"Oh give me a fricken break," said Zondra. She pulled a twelve inch boot knife and had the bug out before anyone could bat an eye. "And this is how it's done," she said as she handed it to Chuck.
He didn't much appreciate her handing the bloody thing to him but he held down what he felt inside then waved for one of the men to bring over some water. He washed it off so they could get a better look at it and he flashed.
"Oh boy okay this is a GLG 4000 and it exonerates Sheila although we all know where you picked this up at now. But this is an American bug built by the Agency for use in the cave riddled mountains of Afghanistan. What's interesting is you'd need six feet of steel to shield it," he said as he took Zondra's knife and busted it on the hood of the SUV.
"I think I need a bandage," said Ettore as he looked at his arm. Paolo shook his head as he reached into the back of the Escalade and got out the First Aid kit.
"Thanks Paolo I want you to know I never really thought it was you," said Ettore as Paolo doused the incision with alcohol. "Ouch! That hurts."
"I know," said Paolo as he smiled then he wrapped the wound. "Okay now what? Where do we go from here," said Paolo as he put the kit away.
"Everyone mount up I'll drive from here. We need to stop and grab a few groceries but then it's straight to the cabin."
"Like I said before I'm going to head back in town now. I'll send some of my men with you and you can take the two SUVs. Keep them as long as you need them. I have to tie up some loose ends but once you guys settle in you can give me a call. In the meantime I'll try and find out more information about this Mr. Big and Terror Inc," said Julius.
"That would be helpful and thanks but one last question," said Ettore. "Is there a bar in the SUV or are we going to have to fend for ourselves?"
"Of course there is what kind of brother would I be if I didn't take care of you personally," said Julius. He rounded up the men he was taking with him and got them in the Discoveries then took off. Chuck stood there and watched him leave.
"I know it's hard to imagine that we both had the same father isn't it," said Ettore as he slapped Chuck on the back.
"Not really," Chuck thought as he smiled at Ettore getting in behind the steering wheel. "You both turned out to be SOBs."
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Sarah and Morgan went inside where they got a shopping cart and started going around getting everything thing they needed. Sarah grabbed the Fettucine then went over to the dairy department where she got the heavy cream, butter and Parmesan Cheese.
"You know an interesting fact people use margarine because they think it's healthier. But margarine can be made from any hydrogenated vegetable oil while there's only one source for butter and she goes moo."
"Did you learn that when you were trying to be a Chef at Benihana's," asked Sarah as they headed for the fresh produce for the parsley and garlic.
"No I was watching Rachael Ray a few weeks back in home theater room at the Buy More. You know she can teach you a lot. You ought to try watching her sometimes."
"Thanks I'll keep that in mind. So how are things between you and Alex. Before you left you were a little upset but it seems you've worked things out."
"Yes, I don't want to say anything for fear of jinxing it but she says she wants us to have a closer relationship and when I say close I'm talking really close if you know what I mean."
"No I'm afraid I don't. I thought you were already close. You asked her to marry you after all so that should mean you're close."
"No... I mean yes... oh I mean well she said she wanted to be intimate with me."
"Oh no this isn't good," said Sarah.
"Isn't good? What are talking about? Of course it's good what else could it be? This is great... well as long as Casey doesn't find out and he puts me in traction for six months."
"No, this isn't good Morgan," repeated Sarah. "What I meant was I just spotted two men looking at you and they're both packing. We need to find Kat and get out of here."