A/N: I wonder if the good folks who own Chuck would have blown up an Italian judge? Well, they blew up the head of the CIA, so I'm going to guess they would have. Let's see what happened to Luciano Monte, shall we? Oh, and thanks for keeping me company here. It would be pretty lonely without you.
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Monte's car turned out onto the road. The others were just turning to go back inside when there was a huge explosion at the front gate of the property. A part of the wall crumbled inward and the fire ball rising from the road turned the night sky bright.
As the fireball was still rising into the air, Chuck and Sarah were sprinting for the gate. The others at the front of the building were trying to understand what they were looking at and were frozen in place with shock.
Sarah and Chuck got to the roadway. It was a mess. The gate itself, like the wall, was wrecked and broken. A car parked next to the wall nearest the gate had exploded and was scattered in pieces on the road, burning fiercely. Monte's car had taken the hit from the explosion from the side. The car bomb was on a slight incline off the road, so the blast was partially directed up. It had flipped Monte's car onto the driver's side in the middle of the road, wheels still spinning. Monte's car looked intact, but was leaking gasoline. Given the slope of the roadway, the flowing gasoline was moving to the burning bomb debris. That was bad.
Chuck and Sarah ran around Monte's car and couldn't see an easy way in. Sarah stopped and said, her hair flying in the wind, "Up."
Chuck nodded and cupped his hands together, leaning forward to take her weight. She put her foot into his hands, one hand on his shoulder, and, as he pushed her up, she leapt onto the top... the passenger side... of the car, landing as lightly as a cat. "We're in luck," she said. "The window up here is smashed. I'm going in."
"Be careful."
From inside the overturned car she said, "Monte and his man are still alive...get the sunroof open, Chuck."
Chuck looked at the sunroof and kicked it, which accomplished absolutely nothing other than hurting his foot. Get the sunroof open, she had said. Ok, if he were stronger...a lever. He looked at the destroyed gate. Running to it, he pulled a bar loose and ran back to the sunroof.
"I'm going to be smashing something through the sunroof. Up high and to the left...your right. OK?"
A pause, then, "Do it."
He jammed the gate bar through the top edge of the sunroof and twisted it against the fulcrum of the car's rooftop. Nothing happened. He threw himself against it as if the life of the most important person in the world depended on popping this sunroof out of the car. The third time he threw his weight against the bar, with a splintering sound, the sunroof pulled away from the top of the car.
Dropping the bar, Chuck grabbed at the sunroof with both hands, cutting his hands in the process, and pulled it free of the top of the car, Sarah helping by pushing from inside. He threw it aside. Immediately, he saw Sarah's face. She said, holding the unconscious Carabinieri bodyguard under the shoulders, "Take him."
Chuck grabbed at the man she was handing him and pulled him through the sunroof and dragged him to the side of the road, laying the unconscious man's body down.
"Come out, Sarah. It's going to burn," he shouted.
"Monte," was all she said. She took him from the seat and began to hand him to Chuck. At that moment Grillo's Carabinieri bodyguard and Pietro Caron arrived. Neither was the slightest bit out of breath.
As Caron reached out to help Chuck, Chuck said, urgently, "No, the driver. The driver. Get the driver."
Caron looked through the windshield of the car at the unconscious driver and looked around for a tool. Chuck said, "Use the bar. It's how I got the sunroof open."
Caron grabbed the bar and jammed it through the windshield of the car. Together, he and Grillo's bodyguard muscled the windshield out of the car.
Tony Palone arrived and shouted, "Get away from the car, it's about to catch on fire. Get away."
Chuck and Sarah, who had just left the car through the sunroof opening, pulled Monte to safety just as Caron and Grillo's man pulled the driver out. They were barely away when the overturned car started to burn, and burn fast.
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The text message from Chuck went to Amy (in Brazil), Ellie (in DC) and Casey (in Nice).
Don't worry. We are fine. Car bomb nearby tonight, but not us. Don't worry.
Amy and Ellie sent back messages, good, be safe, glad you're ok.
The phone rang. It was Casey.
"Bartowski. What the hell do you mean sending me a message like that? Car bomb? What the hell? Tell me." Chuck told him what had happened that evening.
"You and Walker get hurt?
"Naw, cuts and scrapes from broken glass, but that's it."
"The guys in the car?"
"The bodyguards seem to be ok. Monte hit his head and is being looked at in the hospital last I heard. He was still unconscious when they took him away."
"Ok. Why was the car bomb there? On the road beside the gate?" asked Casey.
"Two parking valets working the party. They were keeping the cars on the road. Each guy thought the other guy put that particular car there," said Chuck.
"Hah. Figures. Somehow, the bad guys knew he was at the party..." said Casey.
"And were watching for him to leave. Yeah. The Carabinieri is looking into that. There must have been a guy with a trigger watching the gate. They are looking for the triggerman, but they don't have an extensive camera network. And this area of Rome is pretty low density."
"But there's a mole or something inside Monte's security or they wouldn't know where and when to be."
"Yeah," said Chuck with a sigh, "We thought of that too."
"Awright. Call me if anything else comes up. Otherwise leave me alone," said Casey.
"Hey, Casey..."
"What?"
"Say hi to Marie," said Chuck.
Casey grunted and cut the connection.
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The stress of the prior night was still felt the next morning. Chuck and Sarah woke up early and decided to go for a run. Leaving their phones in their room, they headed out for what turned out to be a 12 KM run, pretty long, even for them. And, of course, the last bit was a race between them. Sarah still beat him, but he had been, little by little over the last few months, losing by less. They finished the run in a good mood, laughing and high-fiving each other. Hugging with their sweaty bodies, they made their way through the shattered gate and up the driveway. The destroyed cars had been towed away by the Carabinieri overnight. They would be examined by the forensic specialists for any clues they might reveal. The grass under the car bomb was scorched black and the acrid smell of burned rubber lingered. It was the same with the roadway in front of the wrecked gate, where Monte's car had burned.
When they got to the house, they saw that the vibe was bad. Something bad had happened. Both assumed that Luciano Monte had died overnight. When they saw Caron, he told them that Tony, Megan, Lou and Morgan were talking. He'd tell them that Chuck and Sarah were back. Please wait.
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"NO," screamed Lou. "THAT'S BULLSHIT. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. IT DIDN'T. NO."
"Louisa, I agree with you. You know I do," said Tony. "It's got to be connected to what happened last night to Luciano. There's no other choice. But it is what it is. They have a dead girl and they have a video recording of Enzo killing her. He was arrested this morning. His mother called us to give us the news."
"Dad, look, I understand. But whatever they think they saw, they didn't. It's bullshit."
Caron came into the room and said, "Sarah and Chuck are back from their run. Shall I send them in?"
"Yes," said Lou without hesitation.
Tony and Megan gave each other a look. Tony said, "Lou, I don't want to burden your friends. It's bad enough that we have to burden Morgan, but let's let Chuck and Sarah enjoy their time here without this."
Tentatively, Morgan raised his hand, "Um, Tony, Megan. This is a real problem. A real serious problem for a close friend of the family. Chuck and Sarah are...are...well, they are...unbelievably talented and smart...they are skilled and driven and ...honestly, you can't believe what they can do when they set their minds to it. The worst decision you can make right now is to exclude them from this discussion. Please, please trust me. You want Chuck and Sarah here right now. You really do. Trust me."
Tony hesitated. He looked at Caron, who nodded his head with a strong affirmative recommendation.
"Ok. Fine. Pietro, please ask them to join us," he said.
Moments later Chuck and Sarah were shown into Tony's study. At the grim faces, Chuck said, "Mr. Monte?"
"Swelling in the brain. The doctors have put him into a medically induced coma until the swelling subsides," said Tony.
"Oh, good," said Sarah. "That sounds nuts. I mean, from the looks on your faces I expected worse than that."
"The problem now is Enzo," said Tony. "He was arrested this morning."
"For involvement with the bombing?" asked Sarah with surprise.
"No." Tony blew out a long sigh and said, "As insane as it is to believe, he was arrested for the murder of a prostitute three nights ago. They have him on surveillance tapes beating her to death with a crowbar."
"It's bullshit. He didn't do it. Maybe a guy who looks like him did it, but he didn't do it," said Lou with heat.
Megan said, "I understand, Louisa. You loved him once and you..."
"STOP THAT, MOM. JUST STOP IT," she shouted. "I never loved him no matter how many times you say it. Just stop. I moved halfway around the world just so I wouldn't have to hear it anymore. Just stop." Morgan looked at Lou with surprise and Megan looked like she'd been slapped. Lou continued, "I am saying this not out of affection for Enzo, but just because I know him very well. He is an incredibly gentle man. There is no possibility in the world that he could do what they say he did. None. I don't know what is going on, but I'm telling you he did not beat a woman to death. It did not happen."
"Ok, Louisa. I believe you. But the fact is, he's under arrest and his strongest supporter is in a coma. I can make some calls and find out who his lawyer is. Maybe we can help somehow."
Sarah spoke up, "He has a Carabinieri bodyguard. Surely that man would be an alibi witness. He couldn't very well take him along on a murder."
"Yes," said Tony. "That's right."
"Who do we know in the Carabinieri? Someone we can talk to about the evidence against Enzo?" asked Chuck.
Tony, Megan and Lou looked back and forth among themselves.
Pietro said, "Let me make some calls. See what I can do."
"Good, Pietro. Chuck and I will do the same. Among us we should be able to find a contact."
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It was still too cool in the South of France to open the windows, but the sunlight was streaming into the kitchen and brightening the February day. Marie Fabron sat on a high stool at the kitchen island, drinking her coffee and watching John prepare breakfast. He was wearing boxer shorts and a brown tee shirt and she was idlily watching the movement of the muscles in his broad back. She was enjoying the morning and God knew she had enjoyed the prior evening. She smiled to herself a bit.
"I still think they are thick crepes," she said.
"They are not thick crepes. They are pancakes. I don't cook crepes, but I'm famous for my pancakes. Ask anybody," he said, with his back to her.
"Crepes," she said after a moment, just to see the reaction.
His phone rang. Moving a pan off the stovetop, he answered. "Casey, secure."
"Walker, secure. Need a favor, Case. The guy who got blown up last night, his right hand man was arrested this morning for a murder. Lou is convinced it's bullshit. Do you have a friend in the Carabinieri who can help us get a look at the evidence?"
"Sure. This can't be a coincidence. Someone is declaring war."
"I know. This thing is heating up pretty fast," she said.
"You could use an extra hand," he said.
"I don't want to wreck your vacation with Marie," she said.
Casey grunted, then said, "I'll call a guy I know in the Carabinieri. I'll call you back."
He turned to face Marie. She was typing into her computer which she had brought to the island from the other side of the room.
"What are you doing?"
"Two seats on the 11:15 flight to Rome. Flight takes a little over an hour. We'll be there after lunch. Your team is in trouble and you want to help them," she said.
"Well, yeah, but you don't have to..."
"John, if not for Carmichael and Sarah I'd be dead. Forget it. I'm in. Now finish the pancakes. We have to hustle up to make the plane."
"Yes, Ma'am." He smiled to himself and went back to the pancakes.
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More by coincidence than advance planning, Maggiore Umberto Volta of the Carabinieri arrived at the Villa Palone at the same time as Marie and Casey. He was in plain clothes and had a weightlifter's body and a full mustache, but a poet's eyes.
Pietro brought them into the study where the others were assembled. Greetings and introductions were exchanged.
Volta began, in English, "Before taking up the matter of Enzo Grillo I would like to thank Mr. Bartowski and Ms. Walker. I have spoken to Grillo's bodyguard from last night. He was emphatic that the only reason the men from Monte's car are alive today is because of your heroism. As an officer of the Carabinieri, I offer my thanks and my gratitude."
"You are very welcome, Major. It wasn't anything impressive," said Chuck with a shrug. Morgan bit his tongue to stop from extolling just how awesome his friends were.
"On that, my friend, you and I will have to disagree. Permit me to say that your..." He looked at Casey, who shook his head no. "...relationship with my friend Casey is in keeping with my knowledge of his own abilities."
Tony and Megan looked a little confused by the Major's understanding of Casey's abilities. Lou was really surprised, knowing that Casey was a Buy More green shirt who had aspirations to being a DJ and made really great baked stuff. Pietro looked pensive and studied the Americans for an extra moment or two. Morgan, of course, didn't look at all surprised (which Pietro also noticed).
Tony asked, "Any leads on last night's bombing?"
"Not yet. Monte was investigating Andro Rosetti, but so far we haven't been able to connect him. We are still looking into it."
"Thank you. Any connection to Enzo's situation?" said Tony.
"Nothing we can see at this point. His crime is … seemingly unrelated to his work," said Volta.
"His alleged crime," said Lou.
"Yes, of course. In any event," Volta continued, "Grillo was arrested for a murder." He took from his pocket a flash drive. "This is an edited version of the feed from several security cameras from a parking garage in Trullo …" Turning to the Americans he said, "...not an upscale area. I'm told that the only edits are to splice the feeds together to run a continuous story from different cameras."
Chuck took the flash drive from Volta and inserted it into his computer. With a few presses of the buttons, the TV on the wall was activated. Chuck said, "Major Volta, have you seen this previously?"
"Yes. May I suggest that this is very difficult to watch. I have many years of experience with violence and it was still difficult for me. Please...well, be warned."
Chuck pushed the button on his computer and the video began to play on the TV.
Enzo Grillo, in a suit and tie, but carrying a crowbar, walked up to a plain glass door. As he paused to open the door, he turned and looked up at the camera recording his movements. There was no doubt it was the man they had seen the prior night. The recording was grainy and of poor quality, but it was the same man. Casey, who had not met Grillo, looked at Chuck and Chuck nodded in confirmation. Casey nodded in return.
The recording cut to a different camera angle. This one was from a distance. He was walking across a row of cars, maybe ten or twelve of them. With the light behind him, his figure was in silhouette casting a long shadow on the ground in front of him. He was heading for some destination not yet visible. As he passed outside the camera's frame a different camera took over and the frame shifted once again. This time there was a woman in the camera's frame. She was young, maybe late teens or early twenties wearing a tiny pair of shorts and a light jacket. Waiting, she seemed jumpy, nervous. She caught sight of someone coming. Her reaction was to point and laugh, she said something.
Chuck paused the display. "What did she say?"
Volta said, "No audio. They will take the recording to the Istituto Statale per Sordi, the school for the deaf, and have it..."
Marie said, "She said 'Perché lo indossi? Sembri ridicolo.' Why are you wearing that? You look ridiculous."
Chuck said, "You can read lips?"
She nodded.
"In Italian?" said Lou.
Marie nodded.
"Ok," said Sarah, "but that makes no sense. He's just in a suit and tie. He probably wears that every day."
"An in-joke maybe? Just between them? She clearly recognizes him," said Tony.
"Maybe she's used to seeing him in other clothes?" asked Lou.
"Or no clothes," said Casey. Lou frowned at that.
Chuck said, "Where's his coat? It's not freezing, but it's cold enough for a coat."
"I don't know," said Volta. "Perhaps he left it in the car."
"Ok," said Chuck. "We don't understand it. Let's keep going." He pressed a button on his computer and the video recommenced. Grillo came into the camera frame and walked up to the woman. He didn't appear to say anything, just raised the crowbar and brought it down on her head without preliminaries. Blood splattered. She fell to the ground. Grillo leaned over her body and hit her in the head with the bar again and again.
Megan turned away and began to cry. Lou kept watching, but sobbed with her hands to her mouth. Tony reached out and held his wife's hand. Chuck grimaced, but kept watching.
After several blows to her head, Grillo stood up. He took out a handkerchief and wiped down the crowbar, then he dropped it onto the floor next to the dead woman. Without fanfare, he turned and made his way out the garage reversing the process of his entry. The recording ended.
Volta said, "They didn't find the body until the morning."
The only sounds in the room were the crying of Megan and her daughter. Finally, Lou said, "Oh, that poor woman. That poor, poor woman."
Volta said, "We had the footage, but it was only by accident that one of the investigating officers recognized Grillo after a couple of days."
Her voice taut with fury, Sarah said, "Who was the woman?"
"A local prostitute. What we call a lucciola. A firefly. A streetwalker. She was a junkie. Nineteen years old. Name of Rosa Ricci, at least that's the name she used on the street."
Chuck said, "Grillo had a Carabinieri man with him. What does he say?"
Volta responded, "He took him to the garage that night, waited for him and drove him home. He doesn't know where Grillo got the murder weapon."
"He didn't notice anything when Grillo got back in the car? He would have been covered in blood. Nothing?" Chuck asked.
"Dark car. Back seat at night...he says he didn't notice anything," said Volta.
Casey asked, "Why'd he let him go in there on his own? Not much of a bodyguard."
"He says Grillo ordered him to stay. Told him it was a personal matter," replied Volta.
"Piss poor excuse, if you ask me," said Casey.
"Totally right. That sorry son of a bitch should be fired...at a minimum," said Sarah, reflecting on the year she'd spent with the United States Secret Service on protection detail. "Have they searched Grillo's apartment for the suit or the shoes?"
"Probably, but I haven't heard yet."
"GUYS," shouted Lou. "Stop it. You are wrong. Just stop. He didn't do it. Just stop. I don't understand what I just watched...other than it was fucking horrible...but that didn't happen." She was a mess. Tear streaked face, clenched fists, flushed with her fervor, she was desperate to get the assembly to understand.
Tony said, "Look, I hear you. I do, but what we just saw..."
Lou continued, "Enzo did not kill that woman. I can't explain it...hypnosis...mind control...an alien shapeshifter...a Mission Impossible fake face...I have no idea, but I swear to you that Enzo Grillo did not do that. No way in the world. You can't look for the evidence that he did it...you have to find the evidence that he didn't. Because HE FUCKING DIDN'T. HE'S LEFT-HANDED FOR FUCK'S SAKE." Sobbing she ran out of the room. Morgan looked at the others for a half second and ran after her.
Silence reigned for almost thirty seconds, then Megan took a deep breath and said, "I am with Louisa. She has a fantastic ability to read people. Best I've ever seen. If she says Enzo didn't do it, I agree with her. I don't know why and certainly don't know how, but we have to figure this out."
Volta said, "I understand your determination, Mrs. Palone, but the evidence..."
"Then find new evidence, Major...please," she said.
"Major," asked Sarah, "What did Grillo say?"
"Denied everything. Even that he'd been at the garage that night. When he was told that his Carabinieri man put him at that garage he started to cry and refused to answer any more questions," said Volta.
Chuck stood up and looked at his team (including Marie) for a moment getting their unspoken agreement and, turning to Megan and Tony, said, "Ok. We'll look into it. See if we can find anything to help Grillo. But...I don't have a lot of hope. Just speaking honestly. I'm sorry. I think Lou is wrong."
"Thank you. I understand," said Megan.
"Major Volta, I'm going to need the best digital version of this footage. Copies have errors. I need to look at it the best one you can get me. If you can get me the original that's great. If not, please get it duplicated with as much fidelity as possible. I hope I'm not putting you in a bad spot...legally, I mean."
Volta nodded, "I'll get it for you as soon as I can. So long as you don't disseminate it to the press, we will be fine. You are working on behalf of the accused. Until this … situation, Grillo was well liked inside my organization. We respect what you are trying to do. Assisting you will cause me no trouble with my superiors."
Chuck turned to Tony, "Tony, can I talk to your head of IT? I'm going to need some equipment. Best that I work out the house here, if that's alright."
"No problem," said Tony. "The dining room ok? We can turn it into a war room for your work."
"Perfect. Thanks," said Chuck.
"Great. I'll have it taken care of," said Tony, but he was wondering about these people. According to his daughter, Chuck fixed computers at an electronics store with Morgan and Casey. Sarah sold hot dogs. But Tony had built a huge business empire and, like his daughter, could read people very well …. the description of his daughter's friends didn't at all fit with what he was seeing. These were some very impressive men and women, with Chuck as their leader. Solid, serious, intelligent. Together they took to the task of looking into the murder calmly and with determination and energy. Morgan had been right. But Tony still didn't understand what he was looking at. He caught Pietro's eye and knew that, while Pietro didn't understand it any more than he did, he had seen the same thing.
Sarah said, "I want to talk to Ms. Ricci's pimp. He will have a lot to say, I expect."
Volta said, "I'll send Casey the information on how to find him. Ricci would not have been working the streets near Trullo, but I'm sure one of my people will know where she regularly worked."
"Thank you, Major," said Sarah.
"Want some company, Sarah?" asked Marie.
With a small grin, Sarah said, "Love it."
"I'll drive you both when we get the location," said Casey. "Run backup."
"Cool," said Sarah. "Thanks, Case."
Volta said, "Very well. Let me get back to headquarters and get you what you are looking for. Casey, walk me to my car? Pleasure to meet you all."
Casey walked Volta out to his car. The man touched a button on his key fob and the trunk opened. Both men walked to the trunk and Volta handed him a small black duffel bag. He said, "Interesting times, my friend. Four Glock 17's for your team. Ammo, magazines and holsters. Do you need another one for Grimes? He obviously knows the score."
"Naw. Thanks, he's a civilian, but read in. Chuck doesn't carry anyway, so you've left me a spare."
"I hope you don't need it. I know you can get these from your own organization, but in this case I've done the paperwork. You are all legal to carry these in Italy. No need to worry about that. Hell, we still owe you for the thing in Trieste a couple of years ago," said Volta.
"I don't remember debts owed to me, only ones I owe. But, on the other stuff, you are right. Hope we don't need these. Can't help but thinking this Grillo thing is a dry hole. The guy did it. Don't know why or what the woman meant to him, but my own eyes don't lie to me. Can't really think of anyone I want to shoot. Maybe Grillo. He seems pretty horrible, but you guys have him already."
"I can't help but agree, my friend. But Ms. Palone seems quite certain. I suppose the worst that will happen is you and your friends will waste some time poking around a bit on Grillo while we are trying to connect Rosetti to the bombing of Monte."
"Yeah. Stay safe, Bert," said Casey.
"You too, Casey," said Volta.
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A/N2: A murder mystery in Rome. Well, I guess not too much of a mystery when you can see Grillo kill Ms. Ricci. Maybe we just call it an investigation. Our friends (with Marie [my AU's "Ilsa" remember] along for the ride) are gonna poke around. So, if I read this right, Marie and Sarah are going to talk to Ms. Ricci's pimp. Those of you who remember Tuco, Candy Reynold's pimp from the Stanford arc, might also remember that Sarah doesn't like pimps very much at all. I don't know about you folks, but I really want to see what happens next. We'll be back next Saturday morning.
A/N3: If the site is to be believed, I'm getting a ton of reads from visitors. That's awesome and you are all so welcome. If you sign up on the site, the authors that you read and review can send you messages and interact with you. The site doesn't send you spam or crap like that. There's no real reason not to come on board. I'd love to be able to chat with more of you. It's what makes this fun. Please, try it out.
A/N4: Stay safe, everybody. Fall will be here soon and the scientists are predicting a second wave of infections. Socially distance. Wash your hands. And, most importantly, wear a mask. Stay safe.