A/N: Back again. And guess who, after all this time, still doesn't own Chuck?
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FBI Headquarters, Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC (7:00pm EDT time)
A young agent from the Bureau met them at the airport with a van and drove them to the FBI headquarters for their scheduled meeting with Special Agent Statler, the agent running the Federal government's search for the Twins. Sitting next to her friend Sarah, Mei-Ling stayed quiet and observant as they parked in the underground garage beneath the building off 10th Street.
She and Team B, with their driver/liaison, moved to the security desk just inside doors to the building proper. The FBI agent went first and spoke to the security guard at the metal detector. Showing their ID's they moved around the device without incident. As Mei-Ling came up, her lack of sufficient identification impeded them for a moment.
But the agent leading them in came back and spoke to the guard. She couldn't quite hear what was said, but she heard the words "Carmichael's team." She saw the older man start suddenly and turn and look at Chuck for moment and say, with surprise, "That's Carmichael? I thought he'd be older." She, with the rest of the team, was then waived past the device to enter the building. Although it might not have been strict US government protocol, Casey had made sure Mei-Ling was sufficiently armed for this mission.
They arrived at the designated floor and were on their way to a conference room when a tall slender man in his mid-sixties approached them in the corridor. He looked serious. In fact, he looked as serious as anyone Mei-Ling had ever met.
Unsmiling, he extended his hand to Chuck. "You're Agent Carmichael, right?"
"Yes, Sir. Good evening, Director Mueller," said Chuck to the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "May I introduce my team. This is Agent Walker, Colonel Casey, Agent Larkin and Agent Rizzo. Agent Cho is here with us representing the Chinese government."
Silent handshakes were exchanged all around.
Mueller turned back to Chuck and said, "Do your people have anything to offer here?"
"Not yet, Sir," he said. "We're going to be working on it."
"Ok. Let's keep the lines of communication open. Good luck," he said, with a nod, continuing to move down the corridor.
"Yes, Sir," said Chuck, as the man walked away. "Not much for small talk, I guess," said Chuck under his breath.
The guiding agent took them into a conference room to wait for Statler.
They helped themselves to coffees and waters from the ledge and sat to wait for the agent. The wait wasn't long.
A woman in her forties came in with some papers in her hand. She had dirty blonde hair and a matronly build. She was accompanied by a tall thin young man. She looked as if ...well, as if one of the most important searches in the world was on her shoulders. Not great. Stressed.
"Evening. I'm Jennifer Statler. You can call me Jenny. This is Tony Mulia, working with us on this task force."
Everyone introduced themselves and sat.
"Happy to have you and your team aboard, Agent Carmichael," she said.
"Thank you, Jenny. Please call me Chuck."
"Ok, Chuck. You have anything for us?" she asked. She was neither friendly nor unfriendly. Business and eager to get to the bottom line.
"Sorry, but we don't. We've been through all the information both the Chinese and the IC has access to and there's nothing we can find that gives us a lead."
She sighed and said, "Yeah. That's where we are too. Your unit has such a great rep I got my hopes up. Silly, I know."
"We'll do whatever we can, Jenny," said Chuck, with a shrug.
"I know. I appreciate it. We have every resource working on it right now."
Casey said, "The NSA has added to its algorithm the words 'Yama' and 'twins.' So far, no joy on any of the surveillance programs."
"Not surprised," grumped Statler. "Twins alone would generate a billion hits on any system. Every phone call in Minneapolis, for Christ's sake." She shook her head in frustration.
Chuck said, "We don't want to step on anyone's toes. We are just here to help however we can. We have to make a courtesy call to the Chinese Embassy, then to the Secret Service. We were thinking, if it works for you, that we would have Agents Walker and Cho establish themselves with the Secret Service for the duration of the summit and the rest of us stay here with you. Loosely, of course."
The fact that Chuck had been politely deferential totally diffused the turf battles endemic to the nation's capital.
"Ok, Chuck. That sounds fine. I'll have Tony set you up with stations." She paused and continued, "I have to say, you're not what I expected." She looked pensive as she stared at him.
"I'm younger?" Chuck asked with a soft smile.
"No. I mean, yeah, but...you don't have an ego that I have to maneuver past. With your team's rep, I thought you'd come in and throw your weight around. You obviously don't know how DC works." She chuckled slightly, shrugged, and said, "Anyway. Good to meet you all. Sorry to run, but there's a lot to do." She stuck out her hand for Chuck.
"I understand. Good luck," said Chuck.
Once Statler had left, Casey turned to him and said, "How about you let Mei-Ling take you and Sarah to the Embassy, then you get them both to the Secret Service and meet us later?"
"Makes sense. Bryce, can you get us set up with hotels rooms and a few cars for the duration?" asked Chuck.
"You got it," he said, taking out his phone.
Turning to Agent Mulia, Chuck said, "Tony, can you get me a car to use in the meantime?"
"Sure thing, Agent Carmichael." He seemed a little bit nervous.
"Call me Chuck, please, dude," said Chuck.
With a big sudden grin, Mulia said, "Ok, Chuck."
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Chinese Embassy, International Drive, Washington, DC (8:15 pm EDT)
The drive around International Drive looking for a parking spot was interesting. The embassies of a number of countries – Israel, Ghana, Ethiopia, Jordan, among others – were all located in the same little bit of road. In any event, they parked in the public lot across the street and walked to the Embassy. It was still hot and muggy in DC, the summer weather not having given way to the more moderate fall temperatures.
The Chinese Embassy itself, with a modern white design, rather than a single building, was actually more of a multi-building compound behind a wall and fence.
Entering was the reverse of the entry to the FBI headquarters, where, this time, Mei-Ling vouched for the armed Americans and led them past the metal detectors. A young woman guide met them and led them upstairs.
On the third floor they were escorted to a conference room. Once again, water and coffee were on offer, but with tea added. All three of them choose tea at what, for them, was a late hour.
A tall handsome man in his thirties came into the room. With a smile, he said to Mei-Ling, "Cho tègōng, hěn gāoxìng zàicì jiàn dào nǐ." [Agent Cho, good to see you again.]
"You too, Agent Wen. Please, let's converse in English for the benefit of my friends." Turning to Chuck and Sarah, she said, "Agent Sarah Walker, Agent Chuck Carmichael, please meet Mr. Deng Wen. He's helping to run security here at the Embassy." She didn't introduce him as such, but they were certain that Wen would be a senior spy with the Ministry of State Security, the MSS, like Mei-Ling herself.
"Pleased to meet you," he said, his English fluent and with a non-regional American accent. "I've read about your successes over the last few months. Very impressive."
"Thank you, Mr. Wen. We've had some good luck," said Chuck, modestly.
"Undoubtedly. But I've been in this line of work long enough to know that luck only takes us so far. It's impressive. I'm glad you and your team are on this one. It's got us all worried."
"Us too, Mr. Wen. Us too."
"What are your plans?" asked Wen.
"The Intelligence Community is looking for the Twins for any leads pretty frantically. In the meantime, Agents Walker and Cho will embed with the Secret Service. The rest of my team will stay with the FBI. We'd appreciate if your side would keep us informed of anything you might learn from your own sources."
"A solid plan. My own government has made me the contact for any new developments we unearth. Perhaps we can co-locate for the duration? As we learn anything, I can feed it to you and your team immediately."
"A superb idea, Mr. Wen," said Sarah. "We can make it happen." She stepped back from the others and took out her phone to call Casey and facilitate the arrangements with the FBI.
"And, please, I would ask that you all call me Deng, my given name," he said with a smile. "I have been here long enough to know how Americans generally prefer being on a first name basis."
Chuck grinned and said, "I'm Chuck and this is Sarah."
Mei-Ling said, "They are getting married in December."
Wen smiled at them and said, "Congratulations. People in this line of work don't often get that joy."
Sarah, hanging up the phone with Casey said to Wen, "This business makes no home for a family?"
A bit startled, Wen said, "Yes. Exactly." Mei-Ling looked amused by the exchange.
Sarah took Chuck's arm and snuggled into his side, saying to Wen with her best smile, "We did."
He smiled back and said, "I'm happy for you both."
Mei-Ling said, "So, Deng, how do you want to play this?"
Wen said, "I'm going to be playing in your sandbox, Chuck and Sarah. You tell me. How is this going to work?"
Chuck said, "We have to hit the Secret Service yet tonight and it's late for us...shit, Mei-Ling probably hasn't slept in a couple of days by this point. We'll leave now. How about I pick you up tomorrow at eight? You and I will head over to the FBI headquarters and I'll introduce you to the rest of my team and the FBI team running point for us. We can settle in and start to plan. Give me your number and I can call you for the pick-up."
Wen did and they parted ways for the evening.
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Headquarters of United States Secret Service, H Street, Washington, DC (10pm EDT)
Although there was a parking garage under the redbrick office building, at that hour there was ample parking on the street. Unlike the other buildings, this one had a regular office building lobby with the metal detectors recessed back a bit, after the turnstiles and before the elevators.
Sarah took the lead and spoke to the night guard. He, in turn, spoke into a phone on his desk. Shortly a large blond-haired man in his late thirties or early forties and wearing a business suit came through the turnstiles.
Sarah grinned when she saw him. "Fred. Hi. I didn't know it was going to be you."
The man came to Sarah and wrapped her in a hug. "Hey, there, Sarah. Great to see you again. I waited for you guys." He had a huge smile on his face.
"Guys, I'd like you to meet my friend Fred Kemp. Fred, Charles Carmichael and Mei-Ling Cho."
"How do you do?" he said, shaking hands. "Rest of your team?" he asked Sarah.
"Establishing themselves with the FBI at the moment. Mei-Ling is with the Chinese. We're all working together on this one."
With a bit of a raised eyebrow, Kemp said, "Ok, then. Welcome to the party, Agent Cho."
Mei-Ling gave him a smile.
"When was the last time you guys ate?" he asked.
"Chips on the plane," said Sarah.
"Honestly? I don't remember," said Mei-Ling.
"Yeah. That's what I figured. Let's go." he led them out of the building and a bit down the block to a bar and grill. They were a little late for the crowd, but Kemp waved to the bartender and he came out from behind the bar.
"National security emergency, Jake. We gotta to feed these people," said Kemp with a grin.
"I think we can manage something, Fred. Take a seat and I'll send someone over," said Jake.
They took a booth away from everyone else. Shortly a waitress came over with menus. She took drink orders, beer for the men and waters for the ladies.
"Ok. Down to business," said Kemp. "You hotshots got anything good on the Twins?"
"Zip," said Sarah. "Same as everybody else. Mei-Ling's side too. None of us have jack shit."
"Well, we have to take them seriously," said Kemp. "Our defensive precautions are usually comprehensive, so there's not much we can do to up them, but we are running every check twice and adding some more agents to the details."
"Mei-Ling and I would like to embed with you for the duration if you won't mind. POTUS and Hu both asked for us to be involved. While Chuck and the rest look for the Twins, she and I can add a visible presence to the protection. If nothing else, it will reassure the principals that their request is being honored, for whatever that may be worth."
Before Kemp could respond, the waitress arrived with their drinks and took their dinner order.
Kemp had used the time to think. When the lady had left, he said, "Ok. Let's do it. No offense, Agent Cho, but having an armed foreign agent standing around our principal is … well, quite likely to freak a lot of my people out. They'll probably call me insane for agreeing to it. But, they don't know Sarah like I do. If she thinks it's a good idea, I'll go along with it. When do you two want to come onboard?"
"Thanks, Fred. The summit doesn't start until tomorrow, when Hu's plane lands at Dulles. Why don't we start tomorrow? Get some time to get with the rest of the team before it's show-time?" asked Sarah.
"OK. That sounds good. I'll let the others know overnight. This is going to be a hell of a summit, that's for sure. So, before the food arrives, how about you tell me all about the famous Carmichael team? The little I can pry out of Pat Kendler, you guys seem to be pretty hot stuff."
"Aw, not much to say, after all. And," Sarah looked at Mei-Ling, "not all of it is for public consumption. In fact, I think I'll let Chuck take it from here."
With an unhappy grin, Chuck said, "Gee thanks, honey. What do you want to know, Fred?"
And the evening progressed from there.
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A/N2: My brief characterization of Robert Mueller is based on stories I've read from folks who have dealt with him over the years. Not one for small talk.
A/N3: The reason "twins" would have a multitude of hits in Minneapolis is that that is the name of that city's baseball team. (For my non-American readers.)
A/N4: No car chases or gunfights or whatnot in this chapter. This arc is such a big story, with such a big cast, that I have to spend a bit of time introducing some of the new players. So here we are. Hope you guys don't mind too much. Let me know what you think, if you have a moment.