Don't own Chuck
Sarah boarded a charter Learjet in Tivat and took off following Chuck after she had her talk with Sam. This wasn't easy for her and if she had her druthers she'd prefer to have it out with a dozen bad guys bare handed than have to do this. To say this wasn't easy was an understatement. It was difficult for her to explain to Sam in words she could understand as to why she had to go even if Sam pretended to. She was still only five and there was just so much she could comprehend of the grownup world around her even if she put on as if she did and Sarah knew that well. She'd grown up with the same coping method. It wasn't right and it wasn't fair but this was their reality.
"Sweetie, I'm going to have to leave you here with Emma and Jack. I hope you understand but I can't take you with me it's going to be too dangerous..."
"You're going to bring Chuck back home," said Sam in a little thin voice. Sarah nodded then pulled her in closed hugging her.
"I have to Sweet Pea, there's no one else who can do this but me. I'm sorry... I'm so very sorry. I love you and Bunny believe me if there was any other way I would do it but there isn't. You have to trust me when I tell you this is necessary."
"That man... the one who has Chuck. He wants to hurt a lot of people doesn't he?" Sarah nodded then kissed her on the forehead. "Why? Didn't his Mommy tell him that's wrong?"
"I don't know why he wants to hurt people but don't worry you'll be safe here... you all will be. There's also Margo and Mike here to make sure you guys are safe. So there's no reason to be afraid nothing is going to happen to you guys."
"I'm not afraid and if that guy comes back here I'll teach him what his Mommy should've taught him. Besides Chuck knows what he's doing and when you find him you two can defeat that bad man like in one of the stories you read to me. The man reminds me of Jafar, the Grand Vizier of the Sultan. You know Aladdin and the lamp. You just need to find the magic lamp and get a Genie to help you then everything will be happy forever after."
That was earlier in the Casino before she took off from the airport. Now she was at thirty thousand feet flying over the Black Sea with a flight plan filed for Tbilisi. But as she was flying she thought back to what Sam had told her before she left and maybe Sam was right. They did need a Genie... the intersect. As she was turning this around in her head her phone began to ring. It was Margo via satellite.
"Margo," said Sarah as she answered. She put the call on speaker so she could keep both hands free to fly the plane. "What's up? Please tell me everything is okay back in Montenegro."
"Yes, everything is okay back here but we're monitoring Chuck's flight and he's modified his flight plan. He's not flying into Batumi. It's a..."
"I know what it is. It's the second largest city in Georgia and it's main shipping port on the Black Sea. I was expecting Beckman to give me a progress report on Casey. You wouldn't happen to know what's going on. It's not like the General to forget something like this. I figured if she was busy she'd have the Major contact me."
"I don't know how to tell you this other than just come out with it but there's been an incident back in Langley. The General was gunned down outside her office by two assassins dressed as Air Force officers. The news out of DC is she's being operated on as we speak by the best surgeon Agent Montgomery could lay his hands on..."
"He called in Devon which means she was shot in the chest and the bullet lodged near her heart," said Sarah as she flashed. Gunshot statistics passed in front of her eyes along with surgical procedures and further statistics as she zoned out.
"Sarah... Sarah what's going on with your plane? We're picking up an erratic flight pattern. Sarah can you hear me."
"What?" said Sarah as she came out of it. Warning bells were going off and lights on her console were flashing like a Christmas tree. "Nothing... Nothing at all... There's just a little turbulence," she said as she leveled off and brought the plane back on course. "Give Roan my best wishes and sympathy. I know what he's going through and I feel for him. I went through something like this when I lost... well we've all lost people."
"Yes, that we have. I'll check on Casey's ETA with Langley and get back to you with it. If there's anything else you need, it's probably better you use me as a bridge until things go back to normal there."
"If that's what you can call what goes on back there. Well, I need to get off the phone with you and amend my flight plan for Batumi." Sarah hung up and changed her flight plan then after getting approval she changed her heading. She realized by doing this it was dangerous she could have easily tipped off anyone working the control tower that she was following Chuck and Abu or the evil vizier as Sam called him.
"Out of the mouths of babes," said Sarah as she banked into her new heading. "You do know how to call them. What am I going to do with my greeting party?"
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Banai grabbed a car from the Airport in Tbilisi then met another operative at the train station. The man handed Banai a package as the two men bushed by. Banai ran back out to his car where he opened it. Inside was were his new set of credentials along with a Russian made Makarov 9 with an extra clip and a box of ammunition. Along with these were a new set of orders. Teheran was no longer interested in retrieving the missile anymore they wanted it destroyed at all costs. He slipped the pistol under his jacket then set fire to the papers dropping them in the waste bin as he headed for the cargo area of the train station.
"There you are," said Banai to himself. He saw a couple of brand new Mercedes parked in spots marked reserved for the customs police. No agent on straight pay could afford cars like those. He went back around got into his rental where he grabbed a roll of duct tape then moved it over to the long term lot.
Now to have a little fun," said Banai to himself. He could hear men inside the building laughing loudly. They'd obviously been drinking. If he had anything to do with it they wouldn't be laughing for long.
"Boris, I see you've got a new car. It must've cost you a fortune," said the one man as he laughed almost choking as he tried to take a drink at the same time.
"Hey don't be a hog and drink all of that. You should know how much it cost you bought one too. Now how do we say we could afford them when we're asked. We both can't have rich aunts dying."
"Especially since I don't have any and neither do you," said Boris. They both laughed but their laughter was cut short when they suddenly heard a car alarm go off outside. "Crap is that my car alarm or yours?"
"I don't know we've got the same car so the alarms are the same. Grab your keys and let's go. I swear if someone's dinged my new car I'm going to ding him," said the other man as they both ran outside.
"Look both of our cars are going off. What's up with that," said Boris as he used his key fob to turn off the alarm while the other man did the same. They walked around the vehicles and nothing seem to be wrong. "You don't think this could be one of those factory defects?"
"I don't know but I guess it could be," said the one man. He felt a tap on the shoulder and turned around. "There's nothing to see here you can move…"
"I'll be the judge of that," said Banai as he cold cocked the man with his pistol. The man went down with a loud thud.
"What the…" said Boris as he ran over to his friend. "What happened," he asked Banai looking at his friend on the ground.
"The man turned and slipped on a patch of ice I guess. I came over when I heard the car alarms. Is he a friend of yours?"
"Yes, we serve together here," said Boris as he started to kneel down to check on him but Banai pushed him away before he could see the man's injuries.
"We need to get this man to a hospital right away. Is that your car?" Boris nodded. "Open it up and let's get him to the hospital. Hurry up man he could have a bad concussion. You don't want to let him die do you."
"No… well it's just... you see the car is new and he's bleeding. You know how hard it is to get blood out of the upholstery?"
"Pop the trunk we can put him back there. The hospital isn't far away and when we get there we'll pull him out before anyone can see us. We just need to hurry up and go before it's too late."
"Okay... yeah that's a good idea," said Boris as he popped the trunk. Banai loaded up the man then duct tapped his hands, feet and mouth. "Are you done back there," yell Boris. "I thought we were in a hurry.
"Crap," said Banai. "Maybe not anymore. Come back here I need you to check but I think he's dead."
"Dead? From a slip on some ice that's ridiculous," said Boris as he got out and started back around. "I've never heard of anything like that in my entire life. What the…" he said when he saw his friend done up like the Christmas goose.
"Maybe I was wrong," said Banai as he took Boris out too then taped him up and rolled him in the truck. When Boris got out of the car he had left the keys in the ignition so Banai didn't even have to hot wire it. He pulled away from the train station then headed to a safe house they used outside of Tbilisi for private conversations.
The two men were taped to chairs facing each other. Banai broke the ice in a bucket then doused both with ice water.
"What the…," said Boris as he came to looking around. Sitting across from him in the same condition was his partner. "What's the meaning of this? Who are you?"
"I'm the man who's going to be asking you two some questions. If you answer truthfully then when we're done you can go back to your underpaid jobs. But if you lie to me, and believe me I will know, then there is a possibility they won't find your bodies until the spring thaw that is if the wolves don't get them first."
"What are you talking about? You can't do this to us. Do you know who we are? Someone will be looking for soon so if you don't want to get into any more trouble then you're already in you'll let us go."
"I want to know about the cargo that arrived from Baku that was supposed to be agricultural equipment but we all know here it wasn't."
"What are you talking about," said Boris. "The only merchandise that's come through our office has been agricultural equipment. You can check the cargo manifests if you like."
"What did I tell you about lying? That I would know. I have checked the manifests and that's why I'm here now with you two clowns. You want to tell me how two customs officers can afford brand new Mercedes? I think we all know how that works. You just have to look the other way when certain people bring certain things through."
"I don't know what you're talking about. I had…well I had a rich aunt pass away and she left me the money for the car. I was her favorite nephew you see…"
"Now you're just insulting my intelligence. Really a rich aunt because your service record says your parents were only children," said Banai. He reached into a bag and pulled out a cattle prod. "Remember what I said if you lied there would be consequences." The two men fell all over themselves blabbing to Banai everything they knew which wasn't much but enough for him to get a handle on where he needed to go to next.
"Now see it wasn't that bad. Well this has been fun but now I need to go. Thank you for your cooperation and we'll have to do this again one of these days," said Banai as he started to leave.
"Hey wait a minute you can't leave us tied up here. You promised to cut us loose. How are we supposed get out of this tape?"
"Like all rats you can chew your way out and I'd put a rush on that because the temperatures in this cabin will drop soon. You need to get out of here before hypothermia sets in. Oh and by the way I'm borrowing your car. I do like the smell of a new car."
"You can't do this to us… you made a promise," said the one. "We'll die out here if we can't get back into town."
"Well to show you I'm not all bad there's wood in the fireplace and I'm leaving you this box of matches to light it with. But you'd better get at it or you just might not make it." Banai smiled as he put on his coat then left closing the door to the cabin behind him. The heard the sound of a car started up outside then drive away.
"I can't believe he took your car," said the man. "I guess you can file a claim against the insurance company telling them it was stolen."
"Crap I won't be filing anything if we don't hurry up," said Boris. Already he could see his breath and he felt a chill setting in his clothes as his now damp shirt started to freeze on him. They both gnawed at the tape like rodents until Boris got one arm free then soon he got the other finally his leg.
"Don't worry about me just get the fire started," said the man. "The matches are there on the mantel… start the fire. I'm starting to shiver you can help me out of this chair afterwards just get that fire going."
"Okay," said Boris but in horror he discovered there was only one match in the box. "Crap we've only got one try at this," he said as he held up the match.
"They you need to make it count," said the man. "Watch out for the updraft in the fireplace. Shield the flame or you risk it getting put out before the fire catches."
"Well you shut up. I've got this. You know this isn't the first fire I've lit," said Boris. His friend watched Boris light it then slowly he placed the flame under paper. It started to flicker as he got knelt down next to the chimney so he put his other hand around it then placed the flame under the wood. It caught the wood on fire then soon the flames started to grow stronger and warmer.
"I did it… I did it. We're saved," yelled Boris. "Just look at what I've done." But in that moment a big ball of ice and snow fell out of the chimney landing on his fire. It made a sizzling noise then the whole thing went out.
"You were saying," said Boris' friend. "Now what?"
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Abu and Chuck's flight arrived in Batumi and taxied off the apron to a waiting Discovery with dark tinted windows. As soon as the plane powered down the grounds personnel pushed a ladder to the side of the jet for Abu and Chuck to deplane. Chuck looked around as soon as he got off but he didn't see any familiar faces.
"What are you looking for some of you people to jump out of the woodwork? Don't waste your time no one knows were here," said Abu as he waved for Chuck to follow him down the ladder.
"I was looking to see where the customs officers were or don't you have to get your passport stamped."
"I don't mess with such trifling affairs that's done for me," said Abu. Chuck wanted to add like smuggling an Iranian missile in the country along with an American nuclear warhead. But he thought it was best that he kept quiet at least for now.
"So are we going to go to this warehouse now and wait for your friend Abram to arrive if he hasn't already arrived... That is if he arrives. There's still Banai and he might have caught up with him and if he did your man is probably six inches taller by now."
"I doubt that. My man's got a good jump on him. But I'm having second thoughts and maybe the warehouse is the wrong place to show you just yet. We can do that another day after you're settled in."
"Sounds like you expect me to hang around. But I was so hoping to hear you gloat over how you pulled the wool over everyone's eyes. Come on you know you want to so let's take this little ride together and you can show me your big, big missile. You know I think Feud would say that the missile is a phallic representation or better more compensation if you know what I mean. You're not a eunuch are you?"
"I most certainly am not," said Abu as they climbed into the SUV. "Where do you get these ideas? And despite your badgering I'm still not going to take you to the warehouse yet. I know you'd like to know where it's at so you can try to get word to your people. Although with what's going on back there they've got their own problems to worry about."
"The General is being operated on by the best surgeon there is and if you think we're going to miss a beat while she is out of commission... well you don't know the agency that well. We're all just cogs in the big wheel. If one goes down there's another that comes in and replaces him or her."
"That might be true of the other agents but not you. You seem to have a special standing within the company and I wonder why?"
"I'm not special... as a matter of fact I'm down right ordinary... even common if you like," said Chuck. He was afraid that Abu knew that he was the intersect.
"Now, now you shouldn't be so modest. I know your secret and it's nothing to be ashamed of... actually you should be proud."
"Proud of what," said Chuck. He was going to play dumb and lead Abu along, but now he was beginning to get worried. Chuck looked around for something anything he could use to take Abu out. It wouldn't be easy but it wouldn't be hard and in Casey's words he could get out with sustainable losses.
"Chuck, I know about your mother and your father. They were both spies like you and now you've followed in their footsteps. I'm guess your modesty has something to with your feeling that you can never measure up to them."
"Yes, you've hit the nail on the head. My father was scientist for the agency but you know that. I told you he helped invent the intersect... at least the cool parts. Abu don't listen to Ettore about creating an intersect army. It's been tried and it was a complete failure."
"Well, we'll have to look into that but in the meantime we're here," said Abu as he opened the door and got out. The air was filled with sea spray and the taste of salt. You can wait onboard while I get my affairs straightened out. I'll bring Abram onboard so you two can meet." Abu continued to talk as Chuck got out of the Discovery. His jaw dropped when he saw the ship that was tied up next to the pier.
"You're not telling me this is your ship now," said Chuck as he looked up a sign that ran up the side of the brow, 'Contessa'.
"Yes, you look like you've seen a ghost. I bought the Contessa from a holding firm. Actually I got her for a steal and there's even an old fashion ice cream parlor onboard."
"You don't say. Wow, it must be nice to be able to take something like this out when you want to go fishing."
"Well it does have its advantages but it also has a complete weapons array both for offensive and defensive purposes.
"It sounds like she's got everything a psychopathic sociopath would want or was afraid to ask for."