Don't own Chuck

Jian nodded then left Ettore by himself in his study closing the doors behind him shaking his head. When this was all said and done his boss, the Minister, was going to owe him big time for all the crap he was having to put with from Ettore and his ego. If he knew there was a way he wouldn't get in trouble he'd let Chuck have him.

"Crap, I'd drag a rusty knife across his throat myself but you can't do that. Not without incurring the wrath of Emperor Wang," he said to himself. That was what he called the minister when he knew no one was listening.

"You'd better put up and shut up because all else is just wishful thinking. The kind of thinking that will get you into trouble," he told himself as he made his way to the kitchen. Ettore wasn't making this any easier on him and he could put up with only so much.

"And the worst thing is he seems to know what he's doing is pissing everyone off but he doesn't care which makes putting up with him that much harder. Okay stop whining to yourself and find the chef," he said. Jian looked around the kitchen but couldn't find the chef anywhere so he went out back where everyone of the kitchen staff went to smoke.

"Cookie, there you are. Ettore is ready for his dinner," said Jian to the chef as who sucked down the rest of his cigarette the exhaled through his nose then looked him in the eyes.

"I know how you feel but that's neither here nor there. I don't know what you've got ready for him but if I were you I'd hurry it in there pronto. He's in one of his moods again."

"When isn't he," said the chef as they walked back into the kitchen with Jian following him. "I've got something special for him all right," he said as he wiped his nose on his sleeve then spit into the sink.

"Good I think we understand each other," said Jian. He left the kitchen and Cookie then headed to the security office located on the first floor. He needed to talk to their section chief and have him beef up the detail around Ettore. Plus, while he was there he could get a copy of that blurry image printed out to show Ettore and hopefully talk some sense into him even if he knew it was a waste of time.

"Wu is a Chinese name but the person in the video clip didn't look oriental at least not to me," he said as he walked up the steps. "Ettore is just assuming it was the white lotus but then again he's got good reason," Jian said as he began to play devil's advocate turning this over in his head. But as he got to the top of the steps on the first floor landing he caught a glimpse of someone running away from him. He turned to see them disappear down the opposite corridor towards a closed wing.

"Hey you stop… you stop," he yelled as he started running after the figure as he was running he pulled out his radio. "All teams, we've got an intruder in the west wing. Isolated it from the rest then I want a squad with me. We'll search that wing top to bottom," radioed Jian. "I've got you now. You're not getting away from me… not this time." But Jian spoke too soon. The intruder got assistance from the last person he'd thought would've come to her aid.

[Meantime downstairs]

"What's going on out here," yelled Ettore. He heard all the commotion outside his door so he came out to see what was going on for himself.

"Sir, it's agent Jian. He's called away an intruder alert. He said he saw someone in the west wing and he's got everyone on their way up there to search it top to bottom. You should really go back inside and wait for your own safety."

"Don't tell me what I ought to do. But at least you're thinking of my safety more that the rest of these fools around here. The idiot, what does he think he's doing? Give me your radio now," said Ettore. The guard started to hand it to him but he ripped it from his hand. Already Ettore could hear all the chatter and hysteria in their voices. "How am I supposed to get things done when I'm surrounded by idiots?"

"Listen up, this is Ettore LaBarba speaking," radioed Ettore in Chinese. "I want you to stop what you're doing and listen up. I want you to break off this fool mission now. Jian, I want you in my office straight away with a detail of your best men. This is a ruse to leave me unprotected and you imbeciles have fallen for it. I want you to get down here right now. If I finish what I have in my glass and you're not here someone will be in big trouble," said Ettore. He tossed the radio back to the guard then turned around and started to walk back in but stopped.

"You," said Ettore as he looked at the guard. The man pointed at himself. "Yes you, you seem to have above average intelligence when compared to the rest of the bunch around here. But that's not saying much. You're coming with me inside. I don't want you to take your eyes off me until I tell you to stop. Idiots, I'm surrounded by idiots and numskulls. And what are you staring at?"

"But sir you told me not to take my eyes off you," said the man as he stood there staring at Ettore. "This is what you told me to do, isn't it?

"I give up. You people could make an anvil look smart and you're the bright one. How am I supposed to get anything done around here?"

[Meanwhile on the first floor in the west wing]

Jian was hot on the tail of the intruder but his men quickly deserted him leaving him alone in the middle of the hunt. They realized Jian might be able to weather out Ettore's wrath but they wouldn't. And just when Jian thought he had her boxed in he discovered his box was full of holes.

"Crap," he said when he found a window open. Looking out he sat a woman making a break for the wall. He radioed his men at the wall to head her off then to his sniper on the roof but as they started to move into position they dropped.

"Oh," said Jian. He was so angry. He leaned out of the window and looked up only to get blood dripping from the roof on him.

"Naturally they have a shooter on the other side of the wall," said Jian as he tried to wipe his face on his sleeve. He grabbed his radio. "I want someone on the roof now then put a team together and have them go outside and look for a shooter on the other side of the west wall. Radio me when it's done. I'm going to see Ettore."

Jian stomped down to Ettore's office then he took a deep breath outside of his door and exhaled before he knocking. This was going to take every bit of tack and self-discipline he could muster and then some.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

[A few minutes before]

Mary was being boxed in and she knew it. She'd over stayed her welcome but she'd gotten the lay of Ettore's lair now she needed an extraction plan. She made her way through the false overhead as men searched for her below. She waited until they walk past her then she dropped down where she could make better time.

"You need to get out of here. This dodging search parties can't keep up forever and you don't have the luxury of waiting until dark," she said to herself. That left her only one option making a run for the wall.

She made her way to one of the windows, circumvented the security sensor then opened it. She climbed out the window then jumped grapping hold of a drainpipe she shimmied down to the ground.

"Find cover," she told herself as she touched ground. She found it behind some bushes. "You've got to get over that wall. It won't be long before they start searching the grounds." She'd wondered why they hadn't already started but she wasn't going to give them any suggestions. She saw her opportunity when the two guards watching the grounds lit up cigarettes and sat down their weapons.

"This is my chance. You just need to make it across open terrain to the wall then over before they realize what's going on. No problem," she said to herself. She took a deep breath then exhaled as she made a dash for the wall.

"You're not a spring chicken anymore," she said to herself as she saw the half-puzzled, half-scared faces of the guard.

"I'm just passing through. Don't mind me any," she said as she got near them. Their eyes were as big as saucers and the cigarettes they had in their mouths fell to the ground. "I'd close them before a fly flies in. I left my wallet in my car I've got to get it to settle by bill."

She heard someone yelling over the radios they had on which seemed to unfreeze the guards. They reached for their weapons. But a strange thing happened as Mary started to reach for hers, a hole appeared in the wall and the first guard dropped. The second guard looked at her with a look of surprise then a second hole appeared and he dropped too.

"Thank you whoever you are," she said as she used the new holes to help her climb up the wall and then over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Minister Wang drove back into town in his motorcade stopping at the MSS building. There he wanted to make sure everything was on schedule to finish the connection with the hospital. When he got out of his vehicle his people were there waiting for him. Since Tien was declared a public enemy, the minister didn't waste any time replacing them. He had the agents loyal to Tien rounded up then sent off.

"Sir, this way," said a man who greeted him carrying a clipboard. He walked the minister over to the elevator. "I'll take you up to your new office. You'll be happy to know the building is ours," said the man as the elevator doors opened.

"Very good what about laying the rest of the optical cable and connecting us with the Sanatorium. I want that to be a top priority."

"I don't have a status for that. The IT people are a little disorganized after losing their department head to Tien."

"Well tell them they'd better snap out of it or they'll be joining Tien's men in the Gobi. The nomads can use someone to set up their PengYou accounts for them. I want them working around the clock until everything is ready to go."

"Yes, sir is there anything else you want sir?" The bell rang inside for the floor then the elevator doors opened.

"Contact our people in States and tell them to grab the woman and the watch. I want them to find out from her why the watch is so important. Ettore was emphatic about wanting it and I want to know why he needs it. Who knows this might be insurance for me… for us in case he tries something."

"Then you don't trust him," said the man as he opened the office door for the minister. It was a top floor office with a view of the city sprawling below.

"You don't have to worry about who to trust or who not to trust. I'll tell you that and that's all you need to know. You people just have to worry about taking care of this assignments I give you nothing else and if the people in IT can't get their stuff together… well I told you what could happen to them."

"Yes Sir, I'll get right on it." The man quickly left the Wang in his office looking out at the city below. He was admiring his new digs wondering how he'd look in yellow the color of emperors. As he stood there his phone rang and pulling it out he saw on caller ID it was Ettore.

"If I didn't need you… well I do for now," said Wang. He let the phone ring as he poured himself a drink. He wanted Ettore to sweat a bit.

"Ettore, we just met what could be so earth shaking that you had to call me so soon?" he asked as he put the call on speaker then took a sip from his glass. It was as smooth as silk. This I could get used to," he said to himself.

"It's your man Jian. He says I need to talk to you about getting more men. We had a break-in here a little while ago and your man let the intruder get away… and might I add again."

"Well you said you were expecting this Chuck person to try to break-in there. I thought you say you had some sort of trap ready to spring on him."

"I do… I did but we're getting off the point. It turned out it wasn't Chuck. I'm looking at a blurry image of Mary Bartowski… she's Chuck and Ellie's mother…"

"Excuse me, did you say mother? I've heard of family businesses but never… well, I guess the family that spies together stays together."

"Very funny, but Ellie isn't a spy she's a Doctor but again off topic. Don't you see this changes things? She's coming after Ellie and me so I need more men to protect me and guard our guests."

"I don't have anyone else. I've got a team in the States getting you that watch and then I have two teams here getting you connected to us plus there are people guarding this building. Then I have the people at the sanatorium. I can't get more people without raising suspicions and these are the people who are loyal to me. If I bring people from the outside in… well things could get out we don't want out."

"If you mix them with your people you can control them," said Ettore. The minister couldn't believe Ettore was telling him how to run his own people.

"I'm sorry but I've already got people asking questions like Ambassador Mei Sheng. I'd have him recalled but I can't afford the scandal right now and he's got the President's ear. I'll do what I can do and send over a few more men but let Jian do his job."

"I wish I could but I need to look over his shoulder. Like I said he let Mary Bartowski escape when he had her cornered in the west wing. Then he had the nerve to blame it on me. He said it was because I recalled all his men."

"Well, and did you?" said Wang as he finished off his glass. He could see now after he was finished with Ettore he was going to need a refill or two.

"If I had known who he was after I wouldn't have gotten involved but he led me believe it was the White Lotus. If it had been her it would be my head you'd find in the middle of my desk and our project together over."

"We've gotten no solid confirmation that she's in town. There were reports of her being on the plane with the man you have and there was word from a ROC defector but he turned up dead. But video from the scene confirms he was done in by another female ROC agent but not by the White Lotus. Rest easy she's not here. Do yourself a favour and pour yourself a drink that will steady your nerves."

"That's what I've been doing but it doesn't seem to be helping. I'll be waiting for those men," said Ettore then he hung up.

Wang was left there with his phone in his hand listening to a dial tone wondering if Ettore wasn't losing it. He was too deep in this now to let Ettore ruin it at the last minute.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mary was on the other side of the wall but she knew there would be a search party out soon looking for her so she had to get out of there pronto. She started to run down the road to get as much distance as she could before cutting across the fields. If she were lucky she could make it to the Pearl river. Once there they'd never find her. All that changed when a familiar although not so friendly face appeared in front of her.

"Are you going to run off and leave us high and dry again," said Casey. "I didn't just save your bacon so you can run off and go rogue again."

"What the… you where the shooter and who's this? You've been recruiting again in kindergarten I see," said Mary. "You don't have to answer I know who you are and who you work for. I saw you people in the air terminal. Okay, let's go before Ettore's people come looking for us. Where's your transportation?" They gave her a look. "Don't tell me you don't have transport?"

"The truth is…" Lin started to say but was interrupted when a black Nissan SUV tore out of the gate then turned heading straight towards them.

"The truth is our transport has just arrived," said Casey. The driver slammed on his brakes as the vehicle slid to a stop on the gravel. Casey pulled out his Sig nine along with his back up piece then he charged towards the Nissan guns blazing.

Men started pouring out of the vehicle but they had Type 56s and being piled inside they were clumsy trying to raise their weapons to open fire. Casey didn't have that problem. He dropped them as fast as they jumped out.

The driver instinctively pulled the keys out when he stopped but now he wished he hadn't. He watched his colleagues drop one by one and he knew he had to get out of there if he wanted to live. But his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't get the key into the ignition.

"You need some help there, buddy," said Casey as he opened the door. The man felt the heat from Casey's Sig next to his face. The man looked at him puzzled wondering why he hadn't blown his brains out.

"Leather seat… no dirty… we no dirty," said the driver in broken English as sweat ran off him like rivers.

"Lin come here I want you to translate something," said John as he yanked the driver out tossing him on the ground.

"You mean interpret. Translate is written while…" she started to say but saw the look on his face. "Okay what do you want me to tell him?"

"First keys please, then tell him to pass the word on to Ettore that we're coming for him and if he knows what's good for him he'd better not lay a hand on our people. And tell him to tell Ettore judgement day is coming so he'd better get himself ready."

Lin told the man what Casey told her then she motioned for him to leave. He didn't have to be told twice, he got up then ran as fast as he could.

"You realize you scared the crap out of that poor guy," said Mary as she rounded up weapons and ammunition tossing everything into the SUV.

"That was the general idea. Idiots if they'd shot through the windshield they might I've had a chance," said Casey as he got in. "Get in let's blow this joint. I need some nine mill ammo if you found any?"

"Yeah, I got you some but look in your rearview. The guy you just told to deliver your message… he's heading for the hills. Maybe you should've gone a little easier with judgement day?"

"More likely something got lost in the translation," said John as he looked over at Lin.

"Don't look at me I was just the spotter and you in the back. You can say thank me white lady with the attitude. I called the position of those guards so the Colonel could take them out."

"That's right I didn't have a clear shot so she used their shadows to figure out their position then… well the Barret isn't called an anti-material weapon for nothing you know. I'm going to need to call Chuck and let him know what just went down. You stirred up the hornet's nest."

"I couldn't get to them but everyone is being held on the third floor. If we wait until dark then you guys cause a distraction I'm sure I can get back inside and this time I can get to them…"

"More like join them," said Casey. "Chuck's got a plan and let's stick with it. The last thing we need is to have to rescue you too. Need I remind you about the engagement party?"

"That was tactical. You people never know when to let something go."

"Yeah, it sure looked tactical to me all right." Lin gave him a puzzled look. "It's nothing so you know the deal. We meet Chuck then he'll explain us his plan. Think you can do that before you go off on your own again. We might not be around the next time to pull your bacon out of the fire."

"I had everything right where I wanted it for your information. But okay we'll hear Charles' plan," said Mary. "Then I'll sneak back inside," she thought.

"Yeah, it looked like you did," said John as he turned off on a side road when they hit the river then stopped to call Chuck. "Like the sniper on the roof had you dead for rights. But you knew about him because you have eyes in the back of your head."

"That should work in your Colt. If you want ammo for your Sig you're going to have to pass me a clip and I'll load it for you." said Mary as she handed him a clip for his back up piece. "And I suppose I have you to thank for that too?"

"No, actually you have Lin to thank for that," said John as he pulled off and stopped. "We were getting ready to bug out when she caught the reflection of his scope. She grabbed my Barret while I was getting things ready and dropped him. I was going to yell at her but she got the kill and you were on the other side of the wall. Like I said you were lucky we were there."

"How can I forget you keep reminding me," said Mary as John pulled out his phone and dialled Chuck.

"You're never going to guess who we've got with us," said John as he looked over at Mary.