A/N: Thanks for the many reviews guys, especially on such a short chapter, I really do look at and consider each and every one. So here we have our climactic, thrilling(…hopefully), conclusion to the little mini arc, although I'm far from done, so rest assured.
I update early...you review...? Deal?
Chapter Eighteen:
"You've got him wrapped around your finger, then." Shaw spoke with an air of finality, a confident voice on the other end of Jill's phone, her only secure line.
"Of course, Shaw. Well…that is, with the exception of Walker." Jealousy boiled in the pit of Jill's stomach. "But you said you'd take care of her, and Bartowski and I can walk away from this unharmed." Jill reminded, feeling almost angry, impatient.
"That didn't work out as expected with Walker." Shaw was less than happy to admit it. It wasn't every day he failed little seductions like that. "You and Bartowski will have to make do some other way, until we can eliminate Walker."
"Eliminate her?" Jill's throat felt suddenly thick, as she struggled to digest what he'd told her. "I want my hands clean, Shaw."
"Did I ask you what you wanted, Doctor?" Shaw mocked her name with malice. "Last I checked, you didn't have a say in the matter."
Jill clenched her teeth. "I can't kill someone."
"Oh, but you have. We tested your virus on Agent Jackson, yesterday….the one you told Bartowski you were…going to….."fix"."
Jill's eyes widened. "W….what happened, Shaw?"
"He's six feet under…." Shaw's chuckle could be heard. "Well, not actually…..no place to bury him, so he's been….disposed of."
"Shaw…." Jill took in a sharp breath. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"Your talents are unmatched, Roberts. And you know what? I'm giving you and the nerd a chance to walk away, now that you've served your purpose. So don't fuck this up…..or I won't keep my promises."
"What would you have me do?" Jill was in tears on her end of the line, thankful that no one could hear her in the privacy of the Fulcrum bathroom. She'd have to hide her tears from Chuck.
"Tonight, there's the conference, tonight." Shaw reminded, as Jill suddenly remembered her role to speak up about influenza. "We'll be testing your little….masterpiece to work, there."
"There could be other people there, Shaw!" Jill protested, feeling Chuck's persona come out in her words.
"Hopefully more than sixty…..then maybe we'll see how effective this will be." Shaw's tone was almost humourous….it was sickening.
"And Chuck?"
"Well….we can't have him roaming back to Walker…..leave him there, and send off the virus. Once it's been released, you'll have to leave him there and deal with Agent Walker, who's supposed to be coming home from a mission at six thirty sharp, as she told us before."
"Leave him locked in the room with a viral outbreak?!" Jill couldn't contain her anger.
"And men who'll be guarding him." Shaw reminded, and Jill could almost feel him smirk over the line.
"What if the virus kills him?" Jill sighed in frustration. He was innocent.
"You've got the anti-viral, just be quick about killing Walker. I don't have time for your petty problems."
Jill resisted the urge to send the phone flying. "And how do you propose I take her out, Shaw? She's a trained…no, the BEST trained agent I've ever known."
"You've got a gun…..get into her apartment, sneak in, hide….and pull the trigger." Shaw stated apathetically. "It's Childs play, really."
"You're insane…what if I just reported you now…..?" Jill felt so bold as to try.
"Then I'll kill Chuck before you can move, so don't even think about running. Now get to work." He hung up with a smirk, enjoying his authoritative position.
-0-
Chuck gazed out the window of Jill's car, watching as they drove. "So….what's the big event again?" Chuck smiled, not picking up on Jill's uncomfortable demeanor. He was still high from Sarah's last visit, not two nights ago. He was in love, and he simply couldn't wait to be with her.
"It's a conference…..Science stuff." Jill tried to shrug it off. "Not interesting….Influenza talk."
"Oh….so why are those two fulcrum agents tailing us?" Chuck asked curiously, watching them from two cars behind, who'd been following them for nearly twenty minutes. The men were built, dangerous looking. They both wore suits and shades….they looked like secret service.
"They're scientists….." Jill sputtered, turning into the back parking of the center.
"They're a little….burly to be scientists." Chuck noted humorously.
"Fulcrum isn't as choosy as you'd like to think." Jill lied, thankful Chuck had left his comm at her house. After all, he didn't suspect a thing.
"Oh….why aren't we all going together?" Chuck, always the social type, was a bit too curious.
"We'll meet at the entrance…..let's go, Chuck." She tried to divert his attention from them as she entered the building, the two men following about twenty feet behind.
"Name?" There was one man behind the security desk.
"Dr. Jill Roberts…." Jill began, smiling when she received her nametag.
"Good day, Dr." The guard nodded, and Jill and Chuck slid past him into the conference room and the presentation area, where scientists and doctors were gathering.
"And you say my game nights are dorky…." Chuck teased, a little surprised when Jill grabbed his arm. Rather than seeing it as what it was, a blatant romantic gesture, he saw it as a nervous coping mechanism.
"Are you nervous?" Chuck smiled.
"No….ah…..a little." Jill admitted, though Chuck had no idea why. She glanced around. There were only two security guards, one behind the desk, and one roaming the room. She turned to Chuck. "I'm going up in about half an hour….I'd better go freshen up."
"You look fine…." Chuck encouraged, turning to see the doors to the outside rooms closing. A speaker stood, going to the stage.
"I'll be quick….stay put." She smiled and left hastily, leaving Chuck to listen and secretly daydream of Sarah.
-0-
"Doctor…" The security guard rose from his seat. "Can I help you wi-" the man never got to finish his sentence as one of the burly agents from Fulcrum appeared behind him, cracking his neck with one hand as he covered his mouth with the other.
"I…." Jill froze for a moment, trying to will her legs to carry her.
"The virus….?" The other agent appeared, neither of them looking too friendly. "The briefcase?"
"Over there." Jill motioned to the briefcase sitting by the door, the one Shaw had left for her at some point. She always wondered how he could always get by without tipping security.
"I need to release it…." Jill began, having doubts. While it was true, she was planning on releasing it….she'd meant to do it outside. She figured Chuck could fight the Fulcrum agents and they could run together…..clearly, Shaw had other plans.
"No, you need to return to the conference room, now." The man replied, a deep growl eminent in his tone. "Shaw's orders. Now…..where's the air vent?"
Jill looked taken aback, as she retreated back to the conference, a troubled look in her eyes. She only had so much time. She ran to Chuck.
"Oh good, I was getting worried about you." Chuck greeted her with a smile.
"Chuck, we need to leave…."
"What? Why?" Chuck frowned. "You don't need to-"
"Chuck!" Jill hissed silently, tugging on his suit sleeve. "Trust me!"
Chuck immediately went into agent mode, nodding as Jill pulled him towards the back exit. She pushed the door open slightly, cursing when she saw the first fulcrum agent there, shaking his head with a smirk.
"J…..Jill?" Chuck asked unsurely. "Isn't that-"
"Come on….." Jill hissed once more, dragging him to the front exit.
Again, they were greeted by another agent.
"Move." Chuck demanded, clearly frustrated.
"No…no, it's too late…." Jill shook her head.
"What'd you say?" The man spat, brandishing his gun.
"Move." Chuck repeated boldly.
"No one leaves except for the doctor." He motioned to Jill. He then lifted his coat for Chuck to witness the butt of his gun sticking out.
"Is that a threat?" Chuck was getting furious. Jill turned, noticing the speaker slowing down a little. The virus was taking affect. She'd been injected with the antigen earlier; she and the other two fulcrum agents were the only safe ones.
"Yeah, in fact…." The man brandished his gun, and Chuck reacted, sending it flying to the floor. He sent an uppercut to the man's face, sending him flying to the floor, out cold. By this time the audience was screaming, crying for their lives.
"Hey!" A faint voice could be heard over their cries.
A shot went off. A singular gunshot. The crowd fell silent, save for the sobs that were still fresh.
"NO ONE LEAVES, YOU UNDERSTAND?" The back Fulcrum agent shouted, his gun smoking as he raised it high.
Chuck slid to the floor, reaching for the other agent's gun. As he dove, the man took fire, hitting Chuck in the left shoulder.
Chuck immediately fell, crying out in pain.
Jill, shocked from her own fear, snapped out of it, kneeling beside him. "Chuck!" she cried, taking his jacket off. Though he had time, he was losing blood. She needed to play Shaw's game…..quickly.
"Jill…..what the hell is going on?!" Chuck wheezed. Jill's jaw dropped. Chuck had to deal with his wound and the virus for the time being.
"Oh god…." She took a breath. The man she loved was hurt. She needed to do this….he would eventually learn to forgive her.
"I'm going to end this, Chuck…" she watched as his eyes were closed in pain. The fulcrum agent had his gun trained on him the entire time. "Just trust me…"
Before he could respond, she was off. Sarah Walker had to die.
-0-
"To us." Bryce smiled to Carina as he clinked his glass of champagne to hers, sipping a little afterwards.
"Oh, I'm not going soft just yet." Carina smirked, watching him with an amused glance.
"You certainly proved your point last night." Bryce replied, setting his drink down to embrace her.
"Just tell me won't end up like Walker and her…..boy toy."
"What's wrong with them?" Bryce asked, smirking as she was completely taken with the little kisses he placed on her jaw line.
"Nothing….I'm not so shy to the idea of…" she took in a sharp breath from his actions. "…Love."
"But…?" Bryce asked, his lips simultaneously dueling with hers.
"I want a little more….." Carina was cut off as he picked her up, falling back against the wall as her legs went around him.
"That….?" He grinned as she mirrored his actions.
"Exactly."
Just as the two were about to celebrate their successful mission, the sound of the door breaking alerted both of them. They each ripped out their handguns, breaking apart quickly.
"Move move move!" A voice could be heard, and then footsteps….so many footsteps…it had to have been at least six men.
"What the fuck!?" Carina cried as she and Bryce took cover behind various household objects. They stayed low as bullets whizzed past them. Bryce blind fired over his head, hearing a guttural cry as one man was surely hit.
"Extra mag!" Bryce tossed it to her. "Let's see what this is about!" He stood with Carina, ready to return fire and kill his intruders.
-0-
Sarah was exhausted. Running that mission was tiresome, especially after Hannah and Casey's strange antics, Shaw's stupid attempts to flirt, and Carina and Bryce's constant make out sessions. She was surprised they weren't shot dead in the first five minutes.
But now it was time to relax; as much as she could without Chuck at her side. It was everyday without him that she felt how much he meant to her, what life would be like if she lost him. She honestly couldn't bear it. The idea of marriage had always been a frightening prospect; she'd thought about it once, with Bryce…..clearly, she wasn't in her right mind. With Chuck, she couldn't wait. She knew it'd be a while….but the very idea brought a smile to her lips.
She took off her coat, thinking of how strange it was. This confident, young, handsome agent walked into her life, and showed her a whole different side of it. She was full of herself, tired….stress had been consuming her and her team…..she forgot how to live. That's what Chuck revived in her.
She let her hair down, shaking it free when she heard a noise. She whipped around, right as she saw Jill moving a gun to her face. With a solid roundhouse, she kicked the gun to the floor, mentally berating herself for not taking it. She threw two solid punches, but Jill was trained. She blocked the first one, however the second one to her gut sent Jill toppling over. Sarah picked up her gun, absolutely furious. She whipped around, aimed right to blow her brains out.
"Roberts, what the fuck are you doing?!" She demanded, immediately fearing for Chuck.
"We…..we don't have time." Jill began breathlessly, trying to get up. Sarah eyed her; she was terrified of Sarah.
"Why are you trying to kill me, where's Chuck?!" Sarah demanded, heart nearly stopping.
"He's…..he needs our help." Jill couldn't bear to tell Sarah the full extent of his injuries or her situation. She could still run with Chuck, hopefully without disclosing anything important to Sarah.
"What. Is. Going. On?" Sarah demanded, throwing Jill up to her feet, gun still aimed at her with the other hand. "Where's Chuck?"
Jill gave her the address wearily.
"What the hell is he doing at a conference?" Sarah demanded, throwing her vest on, grabbing gear as she did so.
"It's…my…..there's a nerve toxin, and it's been released there through the air ducts….."
"Oh my god…Chuck's in there." Sarah breathed. "Don't you have the antigen?"
"It's in my car…..we have to hurry….."
'We?" Sarah growled. "Why should I spare you after this mess you've made?"
"I'm all you've got." Jill pleaded, and Sarah growled once more, pushing her through the door, gun at her back.
"Let me call the others….."
"You can't…..it's all a fulcrum plot, they're under heavy fire…" Jill huffed out, burning from guilt.
Sarah's eyes widened. Carina and Bryce…..Shaw…..Hannah and Casey….they could 've all been dead.
"Then you'd better run like hell, Roberts." She snapped, sprinting to the car.
-0-
"What the hell?!" Sarah snapped as she drove, speeding way over the limit. She could care less, Chuck's life was in jeopardy. Jill had just stuck a needle into her arm, making her swerve a little.
"It's the antigen!" Jill defended quickly. "You're immune now."
"That better be all that it is." Sarah threatened, turning abruptly. "This is it?"
"To your right!" Jill nodded, watching as she swerved the car with such precision; clearly this wasn't her first rescue.
"Why haven't any of my calls been going through?" She demanded, worrying for her father, and the rest of her team.
"I told you, Fulcrum has been planning this for a long time…." She shook her head. "They've been tampering with you for a while now." Jill lied smoothly, intent on protecting her slim future with Chuck. Shaw was merciful, right?
"Dammit!" Sarah slammed the door in frustration, cocking her pistol as she did so. "Who's in there?"
"One of our men…and a lot of dying people."
"Get them help, I'll deal with your mess." Sarah nearly spat, watching as Jill worked to set up the antigen to give to the victims.
Sarah took a breath, hurriedly sneaking in towards the back door of the conference room. She tried opening it, to no avail; it was locked. She glanced at her car, trying to remember if she had something to pick it with. Shaking her head, she took a step back.
Almost without the need to aim, she raised her gun, and a single, muffled shot went off, the entire handle breaking with a tiny "ping", as it hit the floor. She kicked the door in, arms immediately positioning her gun between her body and any potential threat. Her eyes scoped the room, and in the far back, she saw what made her heart break.
There was Chuck, in a white shirt and tie, his shirt stained with masses of his own blood that he'd tried to suppress. Not two feet away from him was a shocked looking Fulcrum agent. Sarah's next move was instinctive. It was like everything was in slow motion, yet required no thought. Raising her gun, she fired once, a clean shot. It hit the agent right between the eyes, as blood trickled down his face. The poor people in the room could barely make out gasps as they witnessed the event.
"Chuck!" Sarah nearly flew across the room, completely ignoring the fact that Jill was in the room now, treating people already.
"Hey…" She knelt down, trying to suppress the tears she felt coming down. "Chuck…..we need to get you help….."
The makeshift "bandage" around his arm, made from his torn coat jacket, wasn't going to work much longer.
"Sarah…." He smiled somewhat weakly. She could tell he wasn't feeling too well. "You're here."
"I'm here Chuck…." She replied, taking him up slowly as he winced. She'd left messages for the team on her way to the conference….she'd hoped they'd make it through for her…..there was no way she could fix this mess alone. She didn't buy Jill's little bit about tapping the phones.
"Sarah…" he began, leaning on her just a little as he felt sick. He tensed against her, and immediately, she felt it. She turned to see what Chuck was staring at.
Jill stood behind them, holding the dead Fulcrum agent's gun in her hand.
"Chuck…" her eyes were clouded with tears.
Sarah took a mental note; the victims had been treated, and were beginning to recover. The rest of them needed help, why was she stopping?
"Jill….I trusted you." Chuck's breath was gone and he still managed that much.
Jill had to keep from wincing, it stung. She was doing this for them.
"Chuck, you'll understand all of this soon enough…" she pleaded, as Chuck's eyes reflected something of disgust and betrayal.
She raised the gun at Sarah, but Chuck had anticipated that. He drew Sarah's gun, aiming it right back at Jill.
Sarah watched the standoff in disbelief, as Chuck shielded her in a slow motion with his good arm.
"You can walk away from this, Jill." Chuck pleaded. Sarah nodded, trying to show that she wasn't a threat.
"We can walk away, Chuck." Jill pleaded once more.
Sarah's eyes widened. This woman was so blindly in love with Chuck….she was a psychopath.
"We can fix this, Jill…." Chuck was trying to keep her calm, but he was losing blood himself.
"Chuck, I don't want to work for fulcrum…" Jill shook her head, the tears coming down a little more freely. "I don't want to hurt people, I-"
A gun went off, causing Chuck and Sarah to jump.
Jill fell to the floor, two gunshots in her back.
Behind her, pistol in hand, stood Shaw, with minor cuts covering him.
"I got your call, boss." He started slowly.
Chuck went limp.
"He's losing blood!" Sarah shouted, trying to shake off the shock of what just transpired.
"Local law enforcement is en route, can he wait it out?" Shaw began.
"No….I need to get him to his sister." Sarah shook her head, " It's not ten minutes from here."
"I can continue transferring the antigen until law enforcement gets here….I can write up the report?"
"Okay…." Sarah nodded, giving him the affirmative. She looked hesitant.
"Go!" Shaw urged, helping her carry Chuck back out to the car. It was a lot easier with his added muscle. Sarah was ready to leave in the minute.
"Stay in contact." Sarah demanded.
"Roger." Shaw nodded, watching the two pull away.
Shaw jogged back over inside, as the victims were now being aided by cops who pulled in the front, armed at first, and then at ease when Shaw flashed his CIA badge and explained the situation.
Within the hour, they were sent to work, and they managed to save the rest.
Shaw however, did not remain on site a promised. Long before, he'd managed to grab Jill, carrying her out to his car with haste. Once he'd gotten her into the back, he glanced back at her limp body.
He snapped out his phone, quickly dialing a number. "Shaw, secure. I need another one…..Can you save her?"
-0-
A/N: So obviously the next chapter should answer all those questions stupid LLC forgets to address in the story…..such as: where were Hannah and Casey? What about the whole Alex thing? NO CHARAH ENDING…DAMN YOU LLC (that's not a question….but it's what I'd do), are CRYCE okay? I HATE SHAW LLC YOU PROMISED HE WOULDN'T BE SO BAD (Clearly I lied….), and the like. So, it was rushed and crappy, just as usual. Thanks a million for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it.
Looks like the next story I'll be updating is miilionaire, unless you guys REALLY want another one….please share.
As always, have a great one guys.
-LLC
