Don't own Chuck

But what they didn't realize on the Chenxing was the Blackhawk they were looking at was a distraction so a second Blackhawk could come in from the stern in stealth mode. The mission had been timed with the rising sun. Sun shining in the eyes of the aft lookout and a signal jammer to block the ship's communications. The whole operation was being run from the carrier's Combat Information Center.

"Admiral on deck," yelled an OS near the hatch when the Admiral walked in. Everyone instinctively started to get up but he waved them to down.

"As you were," said the Admiral as he walked over to the big screen. "How's everything going at we ready to jump?"

"Yes, sir," said the Combat Officer. "Both Blackhawks are in place. The sun will be rising soon so we're as ready as we're going to be."

"Good and I see we've got their GoCameras up. Relay the feed back to Langley they want to watch what's going on. Everyone has been briefed that we might have people onboard so fire only if fired upon."

"Yes sir, the men have been briefed and they have photographs. Sir, it's time we need the go order."

"Let's make it happen. Light'em up," said the Admiral. "XO you can tell your Skipper to lay in an intercept course. Send a message to the Decatur I want them out on point full speed to provide backup for our Blackhawks.

"Sir the Decatur reported sighting a submarine identified as a Chinese Shang class operating in the vicinity of the target vessel."

"Ping them and let them know we mean business if they interfere. I won't launch the first volley but I will be the one to launch the last. Have them keep an eye on them I don't want them to get in the middle of the battle group."

"Sir, Red Dog leader is ready to drop out of the sun and make his attack. Requests permission to engage the target."

"Permission granted, let's get this show in the road and get this over with before the rest of the People's Navy shows up.

[Back in the ready room at Langley]

The General sat on the edge of her chair watching the whole thing start to unfold. Her Major was standing next to her white knuckling her arm rest.

"It's going down now," said her Major as they both watched the big screen. "The first chopper has touched down and off loaded the first team."

"I can see too you know," said the General. "I don't need a blow by blow commentary. Radio the carrier and make sure they're aware to keep an eye out for booby traps."

"Ma'am, should I notify Castle that the operation is going down. I'm sure they'd like to know this is happening now."

"No, not until this is over and the smoke clears. I don't want to build up their hopes then have to kick the chair out from under them by delivering bad news."

"If you want I can deliver the message for you," said the Major. He was expecting the General to turn him down like she'd always done but this time she fooled him.

"I just might have to take you up on that. If anything goes wrong I'll be on the first flight out to Hawaii then on to meet the carrier."

"Oh, but I can set up the call before making your arrangements to fly out west… Or maybe you'd want to stop off in L.A. on the way there and talk with them in person."

"That's not a bad idea. After you notify them you can ask them if they want to come with me to carrier. Now be quiet they are moving below decks and the second chopper is coming in."

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Shortly before the excitement started Andy was taking Devon to where the girls were locked up. He waved for Devon to wait next to him but in that moment some sort of message was announced over the ship's 1MC in Chinese. The hatch to the cargo bay opened and cranes lower cables into the bay as men hurriedly tried to connect them to the containers.

"What's going on," yelled Devon over the noise of the commotion. But Andy drew an automatic and pointed it at Devon motioning him to get inside. However, when he opened the doors to the container the girls tried to run out so he had to point his weapon at them.

"Get back away from the door," he yelled in English. "Back up or I'll shoot. You get in here," he yelled but in his moment of distraction Devon jammed the syringe in his neck and pushed the plunger. He turned and looked at Devon grabbing his neck. "My name's not Andy."

"Sorry but you look like an Andy to me. Girls don't you agree… well maybe a little around the eyes, said Devon. "Hurry up get out of there and hide."

The men operating the cranes saw what was going on and they yelled down to the men attaching the cables. They opened fire on them as Devon got them to cover.

"Stay here, I need to get back out there and get the girls out of the other container," he said as he made a dash across the cargo hold. Men fired on him but he made it. One of the girls recovered Andy's weapon and laid down cover fired for him as he opened the doors.

"Come on get out of there before they dump this container over the side," yelled Devon as he heard gunfire getting nearer. He had no idea who was shooting at whom just that they need to get out of there.

"Let's go topside and try to steal a life boat. If we can get in the water maybe we can get away before they know what's going on. Follow me and stay close," said Devon as he led the girls back through the ship.

"Are you sure about this," asked the one girl. They heard automatic weapons fire all around them along with men yelling and screams.

"We can't stay here," said Devon as he opened a hatch on the weather deck only to find a M4 Colt carbine pointed at his face. "Hey buddy let's not do anything drastic. You want to talk this out first?"

"Dr. Woodcomb," said the man in English. "I've got the one doctor and the female captives...," said a man dressed in black into a radio. "Roger that will do. Doctor, I need to take your people back aft to our chopper. They will ferry you over to the carrier."

"Good led the way. There's a man in sick bay with a stab wound in the abdomen who was my patient. He needs to be medovac'd to the carrier and have a doctor treat him. I did the best I could with what I had."

"Roger that," said the man as he led Devon and the captive women back to a waiting Blackhawk. Devon waited outside the Blackhawk making sure all the women got onboard first.

"Sir, my Team leader just radioed asking when was the last time you saw Ettore LaBarba and if you knew where your wife and the other agent are being held?"

"They're no longer onboard. They were picked up by a submarine last night. I was supposed to go with them but Captain Yang held me here making Ettore an offer he couldn't refuse. I was supposed to be taken to Shanghai where Ettore's men were to meet this ship and take me with them."

"I don't think you're going to make that meeting now," said the man. Then he closed the hatch and the chopper started its rotator. A few minutes later they were headed for the carrier and safety.

"Doctor, you saved us... you saved me. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you," said a girl with a busted lip and two black eyes.

"Carrie, I didn't do anything... I just did what I was trained to do as a medical professional. You're the one who fought off that pig to protect the other girls. You want to thank me then go back to school and make something of yourself. When we land I'd like to run a couple of x-rays on you just to make sure you don't have anything broken inside."

"I'm sorry that your wife and friend weren't onboard to be rescued too," said Carrie as she laid her hand on Devon's.

"Me too," said Devon as he moved his hand away. "You girls need to be more careful when you go out and who you go out with. This turned out okay for you this time, next time you may not be as lucky."

"Sir," radioed back the pilot. "We're in a holding pattern for the moment. The carrier is lunching aircraft but as soon as they get all the birds in the air we'll land. The Admiral is waiting for a brief."

"Okay, thanks," said Devon. This gave him the opportunity to shut his eyes and try to get a little rest. But as soon as he closed them he began to relive what had happen during the night.

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It was about one in the morning and he'd just been taken back to Ellie and Alex. He was in the middle of telling them what he'd done to save the First Mate and how he'd examined the girls the ship had as captives when it happened.

"There are about fifteen girls being held in containers in the hold. They told me they'd gone out to club hopping, gotten drugged then woke up here. It's terrible. One, I had to look at because they roughed her up after she stuck a homemade knife into the First Mates' abdomen."

"Sounds like he got what he deserved," said Alex when suddenly she noticed a lot of men run past their porthole. "Something's going on outside."

"What's going on," asked Ellie as she came over to look out the porthole too. But as they tried to look out someone closed the cover. "Now that was rude." Suddenly the door to the cabin swung open and Ettore with two men entered.

"Speaking of rude," said Alex. "What do you want this late at night? You know you're really going to have to start knocking."

"And I could've left you down in the containers. But that's neither here nor there anymore. Come along our ride awaits us."

"Our ride? What are you talking about? We're still in the middle of the ocean. If you've learned how to walk on water that's your business but I'm willing to go watch you drown."

"Funny, but no my friends have sent a submarine to pick us up. Isn't that kind of them just in case my little diversion didn't work. Now let's get a move on it."

"Hold up a minute," said a voice from behind them. "This wasn't our deal and I don't trust you," said Yang as he came up behind Ettore with his Third Mate along with some armed men.

"I can change the rules as I like. If you interfere Yang there won't be a port you can pull into that I won't have someone waiting."

"Then I should put a bullet in your head right now and I won't have to worry about that. But I've got a deal for you. I only need Doctor Devon to watch over my First Mate. You can take the other two and with him onboard I know you won't fire a torpedo up my stern once you get off."

"Yang, I don't usually negotiate I just take what I want but in this case, I'm willing to make a concession. I might need your services in the future. I'll send people to pick him up when you pull into Shanghai."

"Then it's a deal. My people will put a boat in the water then ferry you over to the sub," said Yang then he said something to the Third Mate.

"Hold up a minute," said Devon as he stepped forward. "I'm not going to stay here and let you take my wife away from me."

"You think you actually have a say in the matter," said Ettore as he pulled his weapon and pointed it at Devon.

"Wait, remember the Captain needs Devon," said Ellie as she got in front of Devon. "And you need me so we'll go with you with no fuss just leave my husband alone."

"No babe, you can't do this. I should stay with you," he remembered saying that then he felt a pain to the back of his head and he came to in the cabin all alone.

"What the heck happened," he remembered saying then he felt the ostrich egg on the back of his head. "No, El," he said as he scrambled to his feet running over to the porthole.

"Open this thing up," he yelled as he banged on the bulkhead. Whether they did it because he asked or they just wanted to check on him from the outside he didn't know but someone opened the cover.

"No, no," he yelled as he watched a motor whaleboat leave their ship and head for a submarine that had surfaced next to them. The submarine hung around only long enough to pick up their riders then submerge…"

[A few hours later Devon was repeating his story]

"…Admiral that's the way it happened. My wife, Alex and Ettore along with whatever men he had with him got on the sub then they disappeared. I was left to treat the First Mate and the girls they held captive. I believe they were going to throw the containers with the girls and myself into the ocean when you arrived."

"Some of the captive girls have said the same thing and they pointed you out as the main reason they're still alive. You did good work back there."

"Thanks for the compliment but do you have any word on my wife or the location of that sub that picked them up?"

"I can't get into that with you just that we are aware of a foreign submarine that was operating in the vicinity. But to say that it is the same submarine you're talking about I can't confirm that."

"Well this submarine that was here can't we ask them what they're up to or if they heard anything? We can't order them to surface, can we?"

"Hold up a minute Doc, I know you're tired and you're worried about your wife but we can't just drop a mic over the side and talk with a sub… not even our own. As far as ordering them to surface for an inspection that's not allowed unless you want to start a war." As they were talking there was a knock on the door to the Admiral's stateroom then a Captain walked in.

"This is Captain Stykes, my Chief of Staff and the man who keeps me out of trouble. "Yes, Bill, what is it?"

"Sir, we've got a secure video call for the Doctor being route through Langley to us. It's from the office of covert operations."

"That would be Chuck, my brother-in-law. Geez, what am I going to tell him? I lost his sister. How am I going to explain this to my daughter?"

"I don't think you have to explain anything. I'll bet they're just happy that you're safe. Let's set up the call in here.

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Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean 900 feet below the surface a Shang class nuclear submarine headed towards the mainland. Accommodations were a little tight but they were learning to get by. Ellie didn't like the way they'd left Devon but she didn't have much of a say in the matter as she was shoved out the hatch and now she and Alex were here.

"Do you have any idea where we're at other than we're on a submarine?" asked Ellie as Alex tried the door but it was locked on the outside."

"No, you know about as much as I do. I think this was some sort of storage locker they converted for us. I see we have the communal bucket again. If I had something like a hairpin I could pick the lock maybe."

"Why? Where would we run to. It's not like we're going to be able to jump overboard. I keep finding myself thinking about Clara and wondering how she's holding up."

"She'll be fine. Sam will take care of her and by now she's with Chuck and Sarah so she's safe. If I could get out of here and start a fire then they'd be forced to surface…"

"Okay so you get them to surface what does that do for us? Nothing, except get the crew pissed off at us. If Chuck and the others don't know we're on a sub then they can cover it up as a shipboard accident then we get locked up some place worse than this."

"Maybe you're right… it's just I don't like sitting back and doing nothing. I'm not one of those girls who likes to play the damsel in distress. Don't laugh but that's Morgan's job." Ellie started laughing. "Not fair you promised."

"I'm sorry but Morgan… yeah he can be that but he can also surprise you too. I wouldn't be surprised to see him pop up sometime soon."

"I hear what you're saying and I agree that's why I hope we're wrong. Ettore will try to eliminate him… he's already tried it. I don't want to see him get hurt." As they were talking the door opened and Ettore walked in.

"Here I thought you two might be hungry," he said as he offered them two steamed pork buns and a bottle of water. "Sorry but these are the best accommodations that could be arranged. I'm sharing the Skipper's berth."

"Is there any way I can contact Devon? I don't want him to get concerned for me. If you were really nice you'd let me contact my daughter."

"Sorry, but no to both. I will tell you that my people informed me that Morgan was seen at LAX boarding a flight for Shanghai."

"Then your people need to get their eyes examined," said Alex. "Morgan is afraid of flying. He says he has to root for the plane and if he falls to sleep… well he's not rooting anymore."

"Interesting, but explain this then," said Ettore as he showed Alex a photo of Morgan getting on a Cathay Dragon flight.

"Just someone who looks like him," said Alex. "But that's definitely now him. Like I said bad eyesight, you should feed your people more carrots."

"Here let me see that too," said Ellie. "Alex is right that's not Morgan and I should know. You know how much I've fed him over the years… not a face I'm soon to forget."

"Well we'll see. When the flight touches down. I've got a kill squad waiting for the him in the air terminal. He won't make it out alive."

"You're going to take out some poor smuck just because he looks like Morgan. Is that anyway to run a railroad or is this one of your fits? How long before the people around you start seeing that you're not well? When they do all of Ellie's cures won't do you any good. Your friends are like sharks and once they smell blood you're going to have your hands full and all for what? Some guy who looks like Morgan."

"I'll have him grabbed and brought to me. If you're right and it's not him I'll put him back on the street but if it is him I'll give you the pleasure of watching me put a bullet in his head. You got anything to say about that?"

"I still want to speak to Devon," said Ellie. "You can't really trust Yang, do you? I don't. I'll make you a deal. You let me talk to him and I'll do the best I can for you. I won't try to escape I'll be all yours and we'll work out a fix for you if there is one."

"Oh, my dear Doctor, there'd better be and you'll find this fix if I let you speak to your husband or not. If not… well, I still have one hostage you care about. I'm sure you wouldn't want anything to happen to her."

"I wouldn't hold my breath on that one," said Alex. "You aren't the only one here who knows how to do crazy," said Alex as she stepped towards him. One of the Chinese guards got between them. "You'd better call in for backup."

"Alex, not now," said Ellie as she pulled Alex back. But as they were talking a sailor ran in and whispered something in Ettore's ears. From the look on his face both Ellie and Alex could tell something was wrong.

"What happened they forgot to fill up before they left port and now they have to gas up at the expensive pumps?"

"Funny, you can't talk to your husband because Yang's ship was boarded by pirates and Devon was eaten by cannibals. They said he tasted like kale," said Ettore trying to hold a straight face.

"There are no cannibals in the islands around where we were at least not anymore so you can cut the crap. I think something else happened," said Alex as things started to add up in her head. "Yang's ship was boarded all right but not by pirates, was it? It was boarded by Special Forces and Devon's free. That's what's happened, isn't it?"

"I like my version better," said Ettore as he started to leave but Alex called out to him.

"Are we going to be stuck on this rust bucket for the rest of the trip? How about some fried rice to go along with these buns? Maybe some sweet and sour chicken?" Ettore looked at her. "What a person has to keep up their strength?"