Don't own Chuck
Jack walked Razhib over to the elevators to ride up and as they got there another man walked over followed by another one in a black suit. Jack recognized the black suit as being one of Margo's agents from below. He smiled at him and nodded. The man reluctantly nodded back realizing his cover was blown. But as they started to get on a woman ran over and grabbed Jack.
"I'm sorry Mr. Burton but there is a Serbian man on the phone who said he talked with you earlier and he was sorry it had taken so long to get back but he has something he needs to pass on. I asked him if he wanted to leave a message but he said he need to speak to you in person."
"Naturally, a day late and a dollar short," said Jack catching her look. "Never mind... Okay, I'll be right there. Kiddo looks like you need to come with me and wait while I take this call. I'll try to make it fast then I can run you up."
"Really? I have to wait while you're on the phone. You know Jack I'm right here so why don't you just see me off. We can wave so long and I'll see you upstairs this evening. What can happen in an elevator going straight up?"
"If you were older I could tell you some stories but if I did that I might as well go get my own body bag and put my name on it. Margo will kill me when she finds out. Although… Frank, isn't it?" said Jack as he looked at the man in black. "Can you take the boy up since you're heading that way? Your boss will appreciate the favor." At that point if his cover hadn't been blown before it was now.
"Sure why not. I think you just cleared my schedule for me. Come on kid let's get on and go up," said Frank as he and Razhib got inside along with the other man. Jack smiled and waved goodbye.
"Thanks Frank," said Jack. "Okay darling let me get back to my office then pass it through. Ševo sure took his time getting back to me."
"So what floor are you getting off at?" asked Frank after he punching in theirs. "I don't want to highjack you into riding all the way up then back down again." But the man ignored Frank and just reached over and pressed five. When he did Razhib caught a glimpse of the tattoo on the back of the man's hand. His eyes grew wide and he moved away from him like he had the plague or something putting himself in the corner opposite the man.
Frank caught the man's stare at Razhib. It appeared as though the man was studying him and the man looked at him for most of the ride up then when the doors opened on his floor he stayed on.
"Isn't this your floor buddy," said Frank but by then it was too late to do anything because the elevator doors closed and continued going up.
"Sorry I was distracted. But don't I know you?" said the man looking at Razhib. "I never forget a face but you had to have been very young when we met."
"A lot of people get me confused with someone else. I've got one of those faces that people mistake for someone they know when I'm not. No, I don't and I'm pretty sure I'd remember you if we had and I definitely don't think we have."
Really, are you sure? But if you were little then you might not remember me because I'm almost certain we've met. Have you ever been in the Middle East or how about Morocco? Is your mother or father here maybe I know them?"
"They're both dead and I live here with my Step Mom but like I said I'm sure I'd recognize you I knew you and I don't," said Razhib as the doors opened on the seventh floor.
"You can get off here and take the two flights of stairs down to where you were supposed to get off on the fifth floor," said Frank. He held the doors open not worrying about being politely. It was time to tell the guy his presence in the elevator was no longer appreciated and his conversation with Razhib was over.
"Oh right," said the man as he started to get off. But as he did he turned back to Razhib. "Ma'a as-salaama Akhi al-sagheer al-lateef," [goodbye my little brother] he said nonchalantly.
"Ma'a as-salaama dâdash," answered Razhib without thinking. The man looked at Razhib startled and Razhib knew he remember him then. He'd fallen in the man's trap and answered calling him brother in the man's native tongue.
"What was all that about?" said Frank after the doors closed and they continued up. "That guy was a real pain in the butt and really didn't know how to take a hike did he? He really gave me the creeps"
"Yeah you're right… I mean I told him I didn't recognize him what else was I supposed to do? Maybe a DNA test to prove it. I'm sorry if you got stuck with the task of babysitting me."
"Don't worry about it. Jack took care of what I was supposed to do by fingering me out to our friend. Mike told me to tail him but I'm going to have to go back down below and tell them they're going to have to send someone else because my cover was blown."
"Really? Why were you tailing him? Not that it is any of my business but you know he's a bad guy… I mean I assume he's a bad guy because you were sent to tail him and I don't think you'd be doing that if he weren't."
"Yeah, well I don't know if I should be telling you this but that guy was a part of the wet team that was sent here. We thought were supposed to try to grab the girls but things have changed and they left leaving Mr. personality behind."
"Really they left him behind… all by himself…. They just took off," said Razhib as the bell rang and the elevator doors opened.
"Yeah but do worry we've got a constant watch on him… well we had one until my cover got blown. But if you're afraid don't be we're watching you guys too."
"Gee thanks I feel better already," said Razhib. He was thinking how easy it was for him to slip out of the casino and make his way into old town to see his friends. "Okay I'm home now. You don't have to walk me to my front door... It's only down the hall and I know you've got to get down below."
"Thanks kid and keep what I told you under your hat or I could get into trouble for tell you those things. I just needed to vent and reassure you we're on top of things."
"Sure no problem," said Razhib as he stepped off and the doors closed behind him. "Okay so if he's being followed then I don't need to tell anyone that I do know him. I wish I didn't but I do... who could forget that lunatic," mumbled Razhib as he walked through the front door.
"And where have you been all afternoon," said Molly waiting in the common area. "I covered for you saying you were in your room asleep because you had a spastic colon. You're lucky Sam didn't hear or you'd be on the operating table. But it's not fair your mother put Sam in time out while you did the same thing and got away with it."
"What's the matter?" said Razhib. He was still thinking about the man in the elevator as Molly was lecturing him on fairness. "Where's Sam and Emma?"
"Sam's in her room because she's in time out where you belong," said Molly. "Didn't you hear a word of what I said to you? Emma is in with taking care of Bunny because if she wasn't you'd have some explaining to do right now."
"Come with me I need to talk to both of you and Sam but what I'm going to tell you I don't want you to tell anyone else because I'm supposed to have a party for my friends in the bar. If you blab, then that will get canned and I need this right now."
"For Miriam, right? Well I think that depends on whether I'm invited or not. Maybe if I bat my eyes and smile at you looking stupid you'll want me to come like her."
"Okay, okay you can come just don't say anything like that when Miriam's here. You could also wear a hajib if you wanted to fit in. But that's up to you."
"A what? Is this some sort of costume party?"
"You can think of it as fancy dress but come on I need to talk to you two," said Razhib as he took Molly into Sam's room.
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Sarah and Anatoly left the Hydra compartment then with Morgan's help they were able to avoid detection and slipped off the ship. They made their way into the small village but before the went to where they thought the cave entrance was Sarah wanted to make a stop at a pharmacy. Anatoly couldn't understand why risk getting caught and for what?
"I'm sure you have a good reason for wanting to stop here but it escapes me. Did Chuck say something in his message that said he needed some medicine for himself or for someone who's injured?"
"No but Chuck did give me this idea and believe me if the name of this island holds true we're going to need this. Come on we can do this."
"Okay we just have to hurry. Abu has patrols roaming around in town and the last thing we want is to join Casey and the rest in their cell. I really don't want to sing jailhouse rock."
"Funny," said Sarah as she picked the lock on the back door and they were inside. "Okay come with me. What we're looking for should be around here in the back. I'm looking for something like… well I'll know it when I see it."
"So much for me helping you look then. I'll stay here by the door and keep an eye out just hurry up I think I hear a vehicle coming this way. You don't think we tripped some sort of silent alarm?"
"No I checked. Just give me a moment and then we can get out of here," said Sarah as she rifled through the shelves reading labels but as she was doing that they heard a vehicle pull up outside and heard men talking.
"Get down and hide," whispered Anatoly as he ran over to her. "They're outside and I think they're coming in here."
"Crap, I left the door unlocked," said Sarah but the men outside didn't bother trying they just kicked the door in then walked inside. "So much for wasting time picking the lock. Look I found what I need if we slip around them we can sneak out of here. The cave Morgan was talking about isn't far from here according to the sat images we downloaded."
"Okay but we need to be quiet," said Anatoly as they started making their way over to the broken door. In the meantime, the men carried one of their men in and set him on a table they raked clear first.
"Okay lie back down and let's see if we can find what we need. If you'd been more careful and held on better we wouldn't be in this situation right now..."
"There's no we in this situation," said the man as he moaned. "I'm the one who fell off the quad and twisted his ankle. You were driving like an idiot after you knocked off those two bottles of Rakija."
"I didn't knock them off by myself... as the Beatles say I had a little help from my friends. The good stuff will be in the locked cabinets like those over there," said the man. He went over jammed a knife in the door and pried it open.
"You sure know a lot about medicine. Where you a medic or something before you were recruited to be one of us?"
"I was a doctor before this or at least I used to be. You know you make one little mistake and they kick you out that's so unfair. So, I forgot a pair of forceps in a patient. That could've happened to anyone."
"Anyone right... how drunk were you when it happened," asked the man on the table. He wasn't sure he really wanted to know the answer but he'd asked.
"I was just a teensy bit lit and the patient was in critical condition before anyway so you could hardly blame me if he suddenly took a turn for the worse. If they hadn't insisted on an autopsy everything would've been hunky-dory and no one the wiser. Life is so unfair sometimes."
"Isn't it. You know I'm starting to feel much better. I think we can skip the shot and go back to work," said the man as he tried to move by the pain was too much. He dropped back on his back and moaned.
"I told you not to move now just stay down. I found what I was looking for. A shot of morphine will that the edge off the pain then I'll immobilize the leg and see how you feel in twenty-four hours. Ideally, I'd have an x-ray done to make sure it's not broken or fractured but they don't have an x-ray machine on this rock."
"I could take a boat to the mainland and have someone there look at it. Do you think that would fly with Abu and his plans? Just a quick over and back."
"You know they shoot horses when they get in the condition you're in now so what do you think he'd do? Charlie the tuna would go to town on you. Eating seafood fished here has to be close to cannibalism."
"Okay, okay let's get this over with," said the man as the other man gave him the shot of morphine. Soon the man on the table started laughing and singing.
"See now that wasn't that bad. Now let me get this temporary cast on you but you need to stay down and lie still while I work."
"Oh boy, if I knew it felt like this I would've gotten a shot like that before now. You know if it's too much of a hassle putting that on my leg you could just saw it off."
"I think I'd like to avoid that as least for the time being. But if gangrene sets in we might revisit that option," said the man as he set up the braces then strapped them on.
"Okay not a problem Bert. You know if you have any more of that morphine handy I could use another shot," said the man as he smiled.
"We'll see about that I need to save some for me. You don't want to bogart the stash now do you. It's puff, puff pass. I'm almost done here. Just a little more patience."
"I guess you're right. I think I'm seeing things now," he said as he looked over at the door. He saw Sarah and Anatoly as they made a break for it. "Oh look a pretty blonde lady and a man. They're running out of the door."
"It's the morphine talking," said Bert as he finished up strapping on the cast. But Anatoly stepped on broken glass on his way out the door.
"What," said one of the other man who looked over and saw them. "Crap, he's right. After them they're getting away. Let's go."
"Yeah let's go," said the man on the table as he tried to get up but was pushed back down. "Come on I need to go catch my angel... yes that's who she is. She's my guardian angel who's come to tell me everything is going to okay."
"You know I liked you better when you were complaining. Now stay still we'll go join them latter but for now I need to finish you up."
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[Outside Sarah and Anatoly were running as fast as they could]
"Come on," yelled Sarah. "You need to pick it up or we'll never make the cave. But if you're dying to be with Stefan and Imma just let them take you."
"I'm running as fast as I can. We could stop and drop a couple of them then run on to the cave. You shoot a couple and the rest will be a little more cautious."
"Yes and they have automatic weapons with greater range than ours. They could return fire and get us before we made it very far. So, less talking and more elbows and legs. The cave is just up ahead." Suddenly they heard a gunshot and a bullet went whizzing by.
"You were saying? I think they've figured out where we're headed and want to stop us before we get there. I hope your stop over was worth it," said Anatoly as another round whizzed past them.
"They have to stop take aim then fire so we've got the advantage by not stopping," said Sarah as the cave's mouth came into sight. "Okay kick it and let's see what you've got." Sarah broke into a sprint getting to the cave before Anatoly. She pulled her Smith & Wesson laying down cover fire for him.
"Thanks," he said wheezing bent over with his sides aching. "Let's get inside and out of sight before they regroup. Come on we can't stay here at the cave's entrance. It's not safe."
"Neither is going in like this," she said as she mixed two vials then put them in a spray bottle and doused him. "Here take this and spray me now."
"Geez this crap stinks. What is it? I've smelt musk but this smells like what musk must smell like when it goes bad. It's like a mixture of rotten eggs and spoilt milk."
"This is the chemical composition of mongoose pheromones. Just take my word for it this will help. Our friends are coming so we need to go inside now."
They began running down the cave but quickly they discovered that the cave wasn't a cave at all but a tunnel. Probably built by force labor to connect the port area with the other side of the island where most likely Abu had his hideout or with the cavern with the submarine inside. However, as they ran along things moved in the dark. Anatoly thought he heard hissing sounds and there was the sound of something slithering.
"Come on Anatoly. Keep up our friends are right behind us. You have to keep up or they'll catch you and believe me they won't walk you out of here. They don't know it but they sealed their fate when they followed us in here."
"What do you mean? And what's moving around us? I see something but I'm having a hard time seeing in the shadows."
"Anatoly look at me. We need to get close to the wall and wait for our pursuers to pass us up. But you need to trust me. Whatever you feel it won't hurt you."
"I don't like the sound of that," said Anatoly as he looked around but he let Sarah push him up against the wall. It felt cold and humid then he heard the people running towards them. Their voices got louder and louder. Suddenly he felt something cold and damp slither over his feet. He looked down only to see one of the biggest snakes he'd ever seen before look back at him and hiss. Sarah put her hand over his mouth.
"Shush, not a sound. Nothing is going to bother you," she said and she was right. The snakes all slithered away from them back out the cave.
"Hey what's this," they heard one man yell. "Geez, where did they come from? Come on we need to get out of here on the double."
"But what about the people we were chasing. We need to get them," yelled one man then there was the sound of automatic weapons fire.
"Come on there's no way they could've gotten past all these snakes. They're got to be dead or dying. I'm almost out of ammo and there's a lot more snakes then I've got bullets. We need to go."
"Okay, okay fall back. But we tell the people back at base camp that we saw the people we were chasing get snake bit and we left them. We couldn't get at their bodies but we're sure they're dead... they were in convulsions... Now fall back."
"Okay they're gone. I guess they were smarter than I gave them credit for. Now we can head out again," said Sarah. "Let's go just be careful where you put your feet."
"Do you mind explain to me what just happened? Why did the snakes avoid us but went after those other idiots? I don't understand."
"This is a trick I learned from Chuck. I saw him jump into a snake pit after dousing himself with weasel pheromones. I made an artificial version of mongoose pheromones. The mongoose is a natural predator of snakes so they are genetically engineered to run from the smell."
"So when they smelled this on us with their tongue we appeared to them as two of the biggest mongooses they've ever smelt is what you're saying?"
"Something like that. Come on let's go just watch your step. A mongoose is immune to most snake venom we're not."