AN1 I guess this author's note is to say goodbye :) I will likely be changing the rating of Who Dares Wins to a mature-rated fiction in the coming days. The reality is that I have lost my teen readership in all of my stories, and it has been like that now for quite some time. If my stuff is not wanted here, then it's not wanted. I won't cry about that. Instead, I will disappear into the shadows, and I will cease to publish any further teen rated stories to this fandom moving forward.
So what does the future hold for Who Dares Wins, and for the rest of my Chuck stories you might ask? Well, I am glad that you asked :) I am 99% sure that I will be giving Who Dares Wins a chance to develop a readership as a mature story, and I will see how it's received in the form of review count. If Who Dares Wins is not received well as an M rated fiction, then I will walk away from the story on this website, and there will be no further Who Dares Wins updates to this website, even once it's completed. If people don't want to share the story with me now, then they likely won't even once it's finished.
As for The Spy and the Soldier, I will also give S&S a final few chances to develop an expressed readership at T rated. But if I'm not happy with the numbers in that particular sandbox, then the fiction will be abandoned indefinitely, and it may never receive an update again.
Well, I think this about covers everything. I will now get on with the chapter. And if this really is goodbye, then I can only say that I have enjoyed my eight years here in Chuck fanfiction, and I hope you all continue to enjoy the fictions posted by the outstanding Chuck authors that we have posting updates to other stories :)
Who Dares Wins
Chapter Thirteen: Guardian Angels: Finale
Thursday, 1 November, 2007
"Great job, you two. Inch perfect," Captain Wallace declared, glancing at Chuck and Sarah with approval.
Chuck and Sarah both nodded at their boss. After a firefight just a short while ago, their adrenalin levels were still through the roof, and it would take some time for both of them to cool off and to return to normal after the gunfight, and their foiling of the jihadist attack that was just seconds away from coming to its fruition.
"I'm sorry about your car, Trooper," Captain Wallace said, glancing at Sarah.
On receiving the cue from Captain Wallace, most of Mobility troop began to observe the state of the front side of Sarah's personal vehicle, which would now not look too out of place at a scrapyard.
Sarah opened her mouth to thank her boss, but she paused dead in her tracks because most of the troop suddenly burst into laughter on completing their observations. Sarah quickly shot each member that was laughing at the condition of her car a distasteful glare.
"It's not funny!" Sarah protested as she continued to gaze at her comrades that were laughing at her over the condition of her car.
"She's right! It's not funny! Stop laughing!" Chuck said as he did his best to hold in a laugh, but he quickly started to snort, which caused Sarah to shoot a glare towards her teammate, while the rest of troop shook their heads in approval with wide grins as they continued to gaze at Sarah's wrecked car.
"Let's wrap things up here, and then we'll return to the apartments and collect our gear, and then we'll head back to Hereford," Captain Wallace ordered, and Mobility troop all nodded.
Captain Wallace then began to depart away from his troop and towards several British Army officers that were present at the scene, and Red Team waited until their CO was out of earshot before reminding Blue Team about the wager they had made with each other.
"It looks like you fellas owe us some money," Big Dan stated gleefully to a Blue Team member, and he extended out his hand as he awaited the Blue Team member to hand him a well earned twenty-pound note.
"Alright, Joe, mate? Time to pay up what you now owe me, fella!" Jamie Hughes boasted with a wide grin, as he also began to dangle his hand out in front of Joe Lewis, who started to shake his head and he avoided eye contact with the Red Team member as he took out his wallet. He then proceeded to hand Jamie Hughes £20, to Jamie's great satisfaction, because Joe Lewis had been winding up Jamie over something for quite some time now.
It was then Bryce's turn, and he walked up to Staff Sergeant Williams, and with a smug look on his face, he said, "Cheers for this, fellas! It will buy me and the rest of the lads a couple of drinks later tonight!"
Red Team immediately burst into approving laughter, while all of Blue Team began to groan with displeasure, and they shot Bryce a distasteful glare.
"You snidey little rat!" Joe Lewis complained to Bryce, who was now waving the twenty-pound note that Staff Sergeant Williams had handed to him at the members of Blue Team, which only furthered the laughter of Red Team at the actions of their teammate.
Red Team then collected the rest of the money from Blue Team, and the two teams prepared to part ways.
"Watch your back from now on, you prick!" a Blue Team member said to Bryce while pointing at him in contempt.
Bryce continued to look smugly as he rotated his glance between every member of Blue Team.
"They always were sore losers," Staff Sergeant MacDonald declared as he began to laugh, which caused Red Team to share the laughter with him once more, and the whole team began to dangle their earned wagers at Blue Team in a cheerful mood, and the two teams then went about their separate ways to return to their transports.
"That was the easiest money of my life," John Murray boasted, and Red Team shared laughter once more on getting the better of Blue Team in their latest encounter with each other.
"They never learn," Big Dan stated.
"Yeah, and long may it continue!" Chuck added in.
"See you chaps back at the apartments," Cole said, and the team nodded as they split off into groups. Bryce, John, Dan and Chris would be driving back to the staging area in Bryce's car. While Chuck, Sarah, Cole and Jamie would be driving back in Jamie's car.
Chuck, Sarah, Cole and Jamie then began to walk over to Jamie's car. However, Chuck and Sarah quickly came to a halt, and they allowed their teammates to continue on ahead of them because the soldier that they had saved from the Islamist attack began to walk over towards them.
"I owe you both my life, and I'm not sure how to thank you both for that," the soldier said, glancing at the two teammates with a fond look of respect and affinity.
Chuck and Sarah smiled at their brother in arms.
"Don't worry about it, mate. You'd do the same for us," Chuck said, and he offered out his hand.
The soldier nodded, and he proceeded to shake Chuck's hand before the soldier offered out his hand to Sarah.
Sarah smiled at her comrade, and she moved to shake his hand.
"Can I get your names? Because I would like to know who my guardian angels are," the soldier asked.
"Sure, mate. I'm Chuck," Chuck said.
Sarah smiled at the soldier stood in front of her. "I'm Sarah," she said.
The soldier gave them both a warm smile. "I'm Matthew, but my friends call me Matt. What you have both just done for me, I will never forget for the rest of my life. I'm honoured to serve in the same army as both of you," Matt said, his tone filled with gratitude and respect.
Chuck grinned at Matt. "The honour is all ours, mate," he said.
Sarah nodded. "What regiment are you in?" she asked.
"The Mercian Regiment," Matt declared.
Sarah smiled at him, and Chuck nodded.
"May I ask what your parent regiments are?" Matt asked.
Sarah held her smile, and she said, "Sure. Royal Green Jackets."
"Grenadier Guards," Chuck declared.
Matt smiled at the two teammates. "Well, I won't keep you both. I'm sure you're busy. I wish I had the chance off-duty to thank you more than just offering you both my thanks," he said.
Chuck and Sarah shook it off dismissively.
"You really don't need to, mate, honestly. We were just doing our jobs and looking out for our brother in arms," Chuck stated, and Sarah nodded in agreement.
Matt nodded. "Well, it was a job done well, mate. Please look after yourselves and stay safe and vigilant. I'm sure that you're always in the line of fire in your regiment, and I will pray for you both to stay safe and to return from each operation in good health."
"Cheers," Chuck said.
"Thanks," Sarah said.
The three comrades shared a final warm glance before Matt departed to link up with a large gathering of soldiers outside of his barracks, leaving the two teammates alone where they stood.
Glancing at Sarah, Chuck said, "That was a great manoeuvre that you performed once you stopped messing around."
Smiling at her teammate, Sarah said, "Thank you. I just didn't want to mess up my car."
Chuck nodded. "Sarah, I get it. It's your personal property. When we signed up to join the army, we didn't expect that we'd ever have to risk things that have great value to us, but that's just part of our job."
Sarah nodded. "What will happen to my car now, Chuck?" she asked.
Grinning at her, Chuck said, "The mechanics will now come and take it to the scrapyard!"
Sarah shot him another immediate glare, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter at how easy it actually was to wind up his novice teammate.
"You're evil," she declared.
He nodded. "I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't tease you, I just can't help it sometimes."
She gave him a warm smile, and gazing into his eyes, she said, "Yeah, you just can't help yourself, can you?"
He nodded as he began to chuckle, but he quickly abandoned his playful demeanour, and he turned serious. "Sarah, joking aside, I get your concerns. I am very proud of you, and Wallace will have already taken care of your smashed up car. Trust me."
"I do. And thank you. Great job yourself," she said as she held her warm gaze towards her teammate.
He returned her warm gaze, and he said, "Are you ready to head back then?"
She nodded at him, and she smiled at him a final time before they separated as Chuck walked around to the other side of the car, where Cole was already stood waiting for him.
"Great job, mate," Cole said, extending out his arm to offer a handshake to his best friend.
Chuck grinned at his best friend's praise, and he moved to shake his hand.
"How close were they?" Cole asked.
Chuck puffed out an anxious sigh. "Seconds mate, if we hadn't have intercepted, then Matt, the soldier was a goner for sure. One of them was inches away from stabbing me," he declared.
Cole grimaced over his best friend's remarks. "But you're ok?" he asked.
Chuck nodded. "Right as rain, mate," he said.
Cole smiled. "I've spoken to most of the lads, and we all reckon that the pistol that the driver had was in such a bad condition that it probably wouldn't have fired," he stated.
Chuck nodded at the assessment, as he also had paid closer inspection to the pistol that the driver had in his proximity, and it was an ancient pistol. The weapon was undoubtedly in poor condition. "Yeah, but thankfully he didn't get chance to try and use it," he said.
Cole nodded.
"Which ones did you slot?" Cole asked.
"I got the two that left the car. One of them went lunging for Matt, and the other came straight at me," Chuck said.
"How fast was the crash?" Cole asked.
Chuck shrugged. "I wasn't looking, to be honest. Easily sixty miles per hour, though," he declared.
Cole winced briefly before he began to glance at Sarah, who was waiting inside the back of Jamie's car. "How was she?" he asked.
"She was spot on, mate. Her manoeuvre was on point. It was some of the best driving I've seen for sure," he declared.
Cole nodded in approval. "Well, let's not keep them waiting," he said.
Chuck nodded as the best friends moved to enter into Jamie's car.
O-x-O-x-O-x-O
Jeff and Lester were parked up in Jeff's surveillance van on Williams Street, just outside the Prince of Wales Barracks.
Lester had his camera in his hand that he had used to record the car crash involving Blondie, and the subsequent gunfight that had quickly broke out.
"This footage will get us hired as investigative reporters and give us our jobs again at News Now," Jeff stated.
Lester glanced at his best friend. "Jeffrey, we will be known throughout the world after this!"
Jeff nodded excitedly. "We should send it to Big Mike," he said.
"A wise suggestion, Jeffrey!" Lester said in agreement.
"Why did the soldiers help them though, Lester?" Jeff asked.
Lester took a moment to think. "I think you were right all along, Jeffrey!" Lester started. "I believe we have encountered an alien species. But Jeffrey, they are not looking for humans to abduct for their colony, because this is their colony!"
"So, who are they?" Jeff asked his friend for guidance.
"I think the male that has been with Blondie is their leader. If I had to guess, Jeffrey, then I would say that he is an overseer of the alien race, and when we witnessed him using his scope, he was not looking for people to abduct. Instead, he was observing and making sure that his slaves, and that's us, Jeffrey, were behaving!"
"Is he their executioner?" Jeff asked.
Lester shrieked in fear of Jeff's question. "I think he might be, Jeffrey! We must follow them, but we must be careful, or we might be next on his list!" Lester said with concern.
Jeff nodded, before he proceeded to fire up the engine to his van, and he began to follow the convoy as it departed away from the barracks, while Lester started to send the footage of the action that had taken place outside of the barracks to Big Mike.
O-x-O-x-O-x-O
Red Team entered into the apartment overlooking the East Road Mosque that they had been using as the staging area for their successful operation. They would now be packing up all of their equipment, before returning to Hereford for a debriefing and hopefully, the weekend off.
"Right then, let's pack up, and head home!" Captain Wallace stated.
Red Team all quickly began to disperse as they started to sweep the entire apartment and to collect all of their gear that they had brought with them. The MI5 surveillance team likewise, began to do the same.
On completion of packing away all of their gear, the soldiers and spooks began to depart the apartment one by one until it was just Chuck and Morgan Grimes, the funny Box 500 employee left.
"I don't know about you, Chuck, but why am I always the last one to pack up my gear?" Morgan complained.
Glancing at Morgan, Chuck laughed. "It's because we're the best, mate. We're methodical, and we're the last ones because we're making sure that everyone has got everything," he stated.
Morgan chuckled. "I don't know about that, Chuck. Maybe for you, sure. But for me, I think it's because I'm the clumsiest," he stated.
"Don't be so harsh on yourself, mate. You did a good job here, and we finished the job for you," Chuck said with a nod of his head.
Morgan smiled at the friendly soldier. "I already knew it, but you guys really are the best, Chuck. Those losers didn't stand a chance with you guys around," Morgan said.
Chuck laughed hard at the funny MI5 employee. "Thanks, mate. But don't speak to the rest of the guys like this though, or they might invite you into their quarters after-hours," Chuck said tongue-in-cheek.
However, it appeared that Morgan didn't detect the humour, and his eyes widened in seriousness.
"Wow, that kind of thing goes on in your Regiment?" Morgan asked wide-eyed.
Catching on that Morgan failed to recognize the joke, Chuck was unable to resist furthering it. "Yeah, mate. It happens all the time. Actually, we have a name for it. It's called: GBB," he said with a straight face.
Morgan took a long moment trying to work out the acronym before he gave up, and he asked, "GBB?"
"Gay before bed," Chuck retorted instantly, once more with a straight face, making sure to show absolutely no humour.
Morgan continued his wide-eyed stare on toward Chuck, and Chuck now had to fight hard to hold in his laughter.
"Wow, Chuck! That is disturbing!" Morgan admitted.
"Yeah. But don't take my word for it, Morgan. Ask any of the lads. Just say Chuck told me to ask you all about GBB, but make sure to state what the acronym is because we use so many acronyms in this outfit. I'm sure you understand?"
Morgan nodded. "Of course, I'm sure you guys use many acronyms!" he declared, and Chuck noticed a sudden change in the body language of Morgan as if he no longer wanted to be in the apartment alone with Chuck anymore, and Chuck couldn't help but smirk.
"Oh, Morgan, a final thing," Chuck started.
"Yeah, Chuck?" Morgan asked while glancing at the door to exit the apartment.
"Just don't ask about it or do it around any of the officers, because they don't know," he stressed.
"Ok, will do, Chuck!" Morgan said, and he quickly departed out of the apartment.
As soon as Morgan had left the apartment, Chuck let out a laugh to himself for a long moment in satisfaction of his winding up of the funny Box 500 employee.
Chuck then picked up his gear, and he quickly departed the apartment complex, unable to stop himself from snorting the entire distance to link up with the rest of his troop…
End of Chapter
The Gay Before Bed joke was actually on the TV series Ultimate Force, and I couldn't resist adding it in here when I saw the perfect opportunity for it. There is no offence meant to it, it's just dark military humour :)
I know that the teaser is missing from this chapter. But after just six reviews for a 9k chapter last time out, it has made me not want to compose long chapters anymore; hence the cut off here which is about 8,000 words away from the teaser that I showed in the previous chapter.
I would usually now ask for reviews, but it never seems to work. So, I guess I will see you all next time out.
Next Chapter: The teaser from the previous chapter, and more Jeffster, who turn up at the pub that Red Team always unwinds at!