CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #1: Welcome back everyone! Considering the stats don't fucking work anymore, there is no point in staying up until midnight pacific time. I used to do it so that I could gauge the views in the first 24 hours... but that's pointless now. Because of that, here's the chapter several hours later than expected. *Shrugs*
CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #2: This chapter is where things begin to move, so buckle up!
CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #3: Thanks to the amazing nevr for helping me with the beta of this story. Thanks for the help Nev!
The Monster You Made Me
A Story by
CharmingCharles2896
Chapter Four
It's Hard to Say Goodbye
20 Miles Northeast of Pagosa Springs, Colorado
August 9th, 2023
6:32 PM MDT
On the road, Chuck finally had some time to think about all that had gone on in the last twelve or so hours. Sarah Walker had been sent to kill him and his daughter, but she'd had a crisis of conscience and decided to save them instead. Now, she was rogue, not that her superiors in Washington knew that yet. Looking over to his right, he saw Sarah asleep against the window. She was so beautiful, breathtaking even. Only his wife on the day of their wedding ever looked more beautiful than Sarah Walker. The reports he'd read about Agent Walker painted the picture of a terminator-esque killing machine, completely unfeeling in pursuit of her master's goals. The woman he'd seen since she'd awoken him was nothing like the reports.
At the present moment, they were driving through the mountains, something Chuck had only ever flown over. The winding roads were dizzying and beautiful at the same time. It had been about seven hours since their breakfast stop and Chuck knew Molly was growing restless by now. Seeing the signs for a scenic overlook in two miles, Chuck moved the car over to the right-hand lane and prepared to exit.
"Daddy?" came the voice of Molly from the back seat.
"Yes, Mollybear?" Chuck replied as he took the exit he'd been looking for and exited the freeway.
"Where are we?" Molly asked as Chuck took a right-hand turn onto a dirt road. The sign at the dirt road read "Scenic Overlook and Nature Trail."
"We are in Colorado," Chuck said as he pulled the car into a flat, gravel parking area and turned off the car. In that moment, Sarah stirred from her slumber, wiping the sleep from her eyes. The deep intake of breath that Chuck heard from the blonde assassin told him she'd been sleeping hard.
"Why have we stopped?" Sarah asked in a groggy voice.
"We need to stretch our legs, so I've stopped us at this scenic overlook." With Chuck's explanation out of the way, he unclasped his seatbelt and exited the car, making his way to the back seat for Molly. Sarah just scanned her surroundings as her groggy mind tried to shake off the cobwebs.
"Daddy, I have to pee!" Molly declared as she was hoisted from her car seat. The sound of the door slamming shut followed for Sarah as she sat forward and ran her hand through her hair. Eventually, after a few moments, Sarah's brain felt like it was working at full speed once again. Sarah opened her door and stepped out into the sun. Instantly, Sarah's legs felt like Jello and she had to lean on the car for stability.
"Ugh, headrush," Sarah mused as her brief dizzy spell waned. Looking to her right, Sarah spotted Chuck leading Molly to the restrooms. Beside the entrance to the restrooms was a pair of vending machines, one for beverages, one for snacks. Looking down at her watch, Sarah saw that it was past six thirty in the evening, they'd been on the road for seven hours including time zone changes. Sarah walked away from the car, checking her person for her gun and other personal effects. It had been a long time since Sarah had felt so out of it, but seven hours of sleep in a car does that to a person. Sarah walked over to the bathrooms and entered the lady's room, just as Chuck and Molly left the men's room.
"Life of a single father, I guess," Sarah mused.
Looking down at his watch, Chuck could see that it was already six thirty, and yet the GPS on the car said they still had another four-plus hours left to Denver. Chuck had never driven so far in one go and he had to admit that a one-thousand one-hundred-and-seventy-mile trip was too long. Nineteen total hours in a car was going to be excruciating, but Sarah said they needed to get to Denver, so that's what had to happen.
"Want to go see the view?" Chuck asked Molly, her little hand in his as they walked.
"Yeah!" Molly said excitedly, making Chuck smile. Molly squealed as Chuck picked her up in his arms and carried her through a clearing in the trees. As the two of them passed through the clearing, a spectacular view greeted them. Mountains and a vast vista of forest greeted them in that moment.
"That's something you don't see every day," Chuck said as he soaked in the moment with his daughter.
"How old is she?" came a feminine voice to Chuck's left. Looking over, Chuck found an elderly man and woman, clearly out enjoying the views.
"Four," Chuck said as he looked at little Molly, who wasn't paying any attention.
"She must look like her mother," the elderly man said, obviously commenting on Molly's blonde hair. Chuck's heart lurched in his chest, but he concealed the hurt he felt and gave a half-hearted smile.
"More and more every day," Chuck said in a less enthusiastic voice. Just then, Sarah walked up next to Chuck and Molly, making the elderly couple's eyes grow.
"You weren't kidding, I can see the resemblance," the elderly woman said, clearly making inferences. Sarah picked up on what was being said in that moment and acted quickly.
"Never knew we could love something so much," Sarah said in her best practiced smile. The elderly couple smiled at that and moved on, leaving Chuck, Sarah, and Molly alone.
As the awkwardness began to settle over Chuck and Sarah, she spoke up. "Sorry about that, it's less suspicious If they think we're married." Chuck just nodded, totally understanding.
"As much as I know we've got another four and a half hours of driving ahead of us, we seriously need to think about dinner. It's been hours since any of us have eaten anything," Chuck said to Sarah, who nodded.
"Before we get back on the road, we'll find something to eat. You drove farther than I thought you would, so I'll take over the rest of the way," Sarah said as she took in the stunning view.
"You never told me where we're actually going, just that we're going to Denver. I had the car's GPS set to take us generically to Denver, so you'll have to adjust it," Chuck said, glancing over at Sarah.
"That's no big deal, Chuck," Sarah said reassuringly. "I've got a friend who lives in Denver. She used to work for the agency, but she retired due to injury. This friend of mine operates a private charter business, so I'm hoping we can catch a flight to D.C. Hopefully we can catch something that will get us there without detection. It won't be long before Graham calls me to check in. I might be able to throw him off our scent for a while, but eventually he'll be expecting me back to debrief. If I tell him no, he'll instantly grow suspicious. Our best bet is to get to Fort Meade, before he suspects something is off."
"Sounds like the vague notion of a plan," Chuck began. "Works for me," he said as he turned and made for the car. "Ready to get back on the road, Mollybear?" Chuck asked his daughter, leaving Sarah standing there at the overlook.
Sarah stood there for a short moment longer, thinking about all that was still in doubt. Could she get them to Beckman before Graham was suspicious? If she couldn't, how was she going to get the word out that she wasn't rogue in the traditional sense? The last thing she wanted was some frantic, Jason-Bourne-style chase across the United States. Knowing she had to get going, Sarah turned and left the overlook.
"No use dwelling; better get on with it."
~X~
Sitting in the diner twenty minutes later, Sarah couldn't help but laugh at the site of the tiny little four-year-old sitting next to her father. Molly was dwarfed by Chuck, the little one sitting on the inside of the booth, with Sarah across from them both.
"Okay, Mollybear, what do you want for dinner; macaroni and cheese, or a hamburger?" Chuck asked, looking at the children's menu.
"I want a Krabby Patty!" Molly declared, completely sure of her choice as she continued to color on her children's menu. Hearing Molly mention the Krabby Patty brought back a flood of memories from Sarah's own childhood. Sarah had grown up on cartoons like Jimmy Neutron, Fairly Odd Parents, and especially SpongeBob SquarePants. It had been years since Sarah had thought about that and the memories did much to lift her flagging spirits.
"Roger that, hamburger it is," Chuck muttered as he flipped the menu back over to decide what he wanted. Sarah smiled at the interaction between the two, their personalities were so similar. A part of Sarah wished she could have met his wife, if only to see how much of her was in Molly's looks and personality. The greasy spoon that they'd chosen, Emma's Diner, looked to be the only show in town. The name of the diner made Sarah miss her mother, but she forced that down. Sarah had to say goodbye to her mother long ago, long before she ever became an Enforcer. At the time, it had seemed like the right thing to do, especially with how guilty she'd felt for helping her father. These days, Sarah wasn't as sure that she'd chosen wisely, but that die had been cast and Maggie had died so that Sarah Walker could live.
"Sarah?" came Chuck's voice, snapping her out of her morose musings. Jumping in her seat at Chuck's sudden words, Sarah looked up from her menu at Chuck.
"Hmm?" Sarah said, unsure if she'd missed something. Chuck gave her a small smile as he spoke.
"I was just asking what was wrong, you seemed troubled." In that moment a sense of panic washed over Sarah. She couldn't talk to him about this stuff, yet he clearly could read her emotions better than anyone else she'd met in the seven years she'd been in the CIA.
"Just…" Sarah began before pausing to think of how best to answer. In that moment, something inside Sarah compelled her to speak. "Just thinking about my mother," Sarah said honestly before looking away, uncomfortable with sharing.
"Miss her?" Chuck asked. Sarah thought about that question for a long moment. If there was any man that could understand, it was Chuck Bartowski.
"Yeah, haven't seen her in a long time, almost twelve years," Sarah said honestly, feeling surprisingly good after sharing.
"I don't remember much about my mother; I was only six when she was killed. The only thing I do remember about her was her eyes," Chuck said as his mind seemed to drift a million miles away. "She had the most expressive eyes, always able to calm me. That was over twenty years ago, twenty long years," Chuck said sadly.
"I didn't see much of my mother growing up, I spent most of my childhood with my father. We didn't reconnect until I was thirteen, but that was short-lived."
"What was she like?" Chuck asked, clearly curious. Sarah sat back in her seat for a moment and thought of how best to answer that.
"Forgiving, she was always so forgiving. I took advantage of that too many times, growing up." Sarah's dark mood told Chuck all he needed to know.
"Humans are naturally imperfect; if all of us knew then what we know now, life wouldn't have the ebbs and flows that it does." As Chuck finished his thought, their waitress walked up with a pad of paper and a pen.
"Is everyone ready to order?" she asked. Chuck grabbed his menu and began frantically looking at it.
"Come back to me," Chuck said, his nose buried in the one-page menu.
Sarah shook her head in amusement and spoke, "I'll have a cheeseburger, with extra pickles."
"Sides?" the waitress asked as she wrote.
Sarah searched the menu for the list of sides for a brief moment before answering. "Tater tots and coleslaw." The waitress finished writing Sarah's ordered and turned back to Chuck.
"Okay, this little one will have a kid's hamburger, no onions, with french fries. I will have the pork tenderloin and a cup of slaw."
"Very good, that'll be right up," the waitress said before she walked off. Sarah collected the menus and tucked them behind the little, plastic condiments holder that housed the sugar packets and the old-school bottles of ketchup and mustard. After a moment, Sarah heard Chuck speak.
"Extra pickles?" Sarah gave Chuck a questioning look before she saw the disgusted look on his face, followed by the exaggerated gagging motions. Sarah just laughed at the man sitting across from her and shook her head.
"Don't judge me," Sarah said before sticking her tongue out at Chuck, getting a hearty laugh from Molly, which in turn made Chuck laugh hard.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Chuck said as he looked down at Molly. In Chuck's head he was stunned by the realization that this was the first trip to a restaurant he'd taken since Nora's passing. The last ten months felt like a blur, a long, drawn-out fog over his whole existence. It was easy to forget how much fun they used to have before the cancer took her. Life was so much simpler back then, but such was life. Looking at the woman sitting across from him, he couldn't help but enjoy her company. She wasn't his wife, Nora, but he couldn't think of many other women he enjoyed talking to as much as Sarah.
For Sarah, she couldn't remember a time when she'd just gone out like this and had a meal with someone she actually enjoyed talking to. Even considering their precarious circumstances, this was the first man she'd had dinner with since Daniel was killed, three years ago. Things had been so superficial with Daniel, which was about all she was capable of back then. The types of conversations she was having with Chuck were so far beyond anything she ever said to Daniel. Then again, lives couldn't go much beyond slightly more than professional, other than casual sex, that is. The couple of dates she'd had with Bryce last year had been fun, but there just hadn't been a connection at all. The connection she felt with Chuck was new and scary. She knew it couldn't happen, he was a widower, she a deadly assassin. More than that, they were from different worlds. In spite of all that, Sarah Walker found herself opening up around Chuck Bartowski and his adorable daughter.
"Maybe opening up to him will do me some good," Sarah mused to herself as she watched Chuck tickle Molly's side, making the giggly little girl squeal in delight.
"What's the harm in talking?"
~X~
Denver, Colorado
August 9th, 2023
10:47 PM MDT
Over eighteen hours of driving, one-thousand one-hundred and seventy-five total miles, all to get to Denver. It had been years since Sarah had been to Denver to see her, not since the move into her house. The two of them spoke on the phone at least once a week, but Graham had kept Sarah too busy to visit. Sarah hated dropping in like this, but desperation and circumstance had conspired against her.
Pulling into the driveway of a large, pale blue house on a suburban street, Sarah put the car into park and sat back with a sigh. Looking over to her right, Sarah saw Chuck asleep once again. She couldn't help but smile at his unflattering face as he slept. His curly, brown hair was adorably mussed. Twisting in her seat, Sarah looked back towards Molly, who was asleep in very much the same manner as her father. Her golden blonde curls, mussed as they were, looked absolutely precious. Turning back towards Chuck, Sarah gave him a gentle touch, just enough to rouse him.
"We're here," Sarah said quietly. Chuck sat up in his chair, looking around. His blurry mind saw the darkened, peaceful suburban street. Chuck didn't know what he was expecting, but this wasn't it.
"Right, right," Chuck said as he unclicked his seatbelt. Sarah did the same as Chuck, and opened her door, the dome lights coming on and illuminating the car's interior. As Sarah stepped out of the car, she saw the front door open. Stopping to look, Sarah saw a tall redhead, her hair shining in the glow of the porch lights.
Turning to Chuck, Sarah spoke quietly, "Stay here, I've got to talk to someone." Chuck looked up from the backseat, where he was getting Molly out of her car seat.
Looking over the car towards the door, Chuck saw the redhead standing on the porch. Chuck looked back to Sarah and nodded. Sarah nodded as well and then took off towards the porch.
"Never would have figured you to be the Holly Homemaker type, Walker," Carina said with a smirk on her face. As Carina stepped off her porch, Sarah pulled her into a hug.
"Hey, Red," Sarah said in a tone that communicated just how happy she was to see Carina. No louder than a whisper, Sarah continued. "I need your help, I'm in deep shit." Carina had never heard Sarah speak like that, so she was instantly on alert.
"Talk to me," Carina said more seriously.
"I'm neck deep in one of Graham's coverups; the two people in the car are innocent civilians that Graham wanted me to terminate." Sarah's words shocked Carina, who looked over at the car and saw the tall man and a little blonde girl, a child.
"You finally have that crisis of conscience I warned you about four years ago?" Carina said as she walked past Sarah, towards Chuck and Molly. Sarah turned to catch up to Carina.
"Something like that," Sarah said as she walked beside Carina.
By the car, Chuck saw Sarah walking towards him with the stunning redhead by her side. Chuck could see the slight limp in the redhead's gate, but she did well to conceal it.
"Carina Miller," Carina said as she extended her hand towards Chuck.
"Chuck Bartowski," Chuck began, before reaching into the car and pulling a sleeping Molly out. "This is my daughter, Molly." Carina looked back towards Sarah, a questioning look in her eyes. Sarah shook her head no, getting an acknowledgement from Carina.
"Walker tells me you're in deep sh- trouble," Carina said to Chuck, censoring her language in front of the little one.
"Graham killed my mother back in two-thousand and two. Now, he's trying to kill my daughter and I, because I'm close to exposing him." As Chuck finished, Carina turned to look at Sarah.
"Do you have evidence to prove this?" Sarah just nodded.
"Classified documents, loads of them." In an instant, Carina looked around and then motioned towards the house.
"Get inside, Walker and I will grab the bags," Carina said to Chuck who nodded and quickly made for the front door. Carina and Sarah began pulling everything out of the car. "You really know how to pick'em, Walker," Carina said with humor in her voice.
As Sarah heaved her duffle bag of equipment over her shoulder, she spoke. "What's that supposed to mean?" Carina just laughed.
"Come on, Walker, since when do you stick your neck out against Graham? Back when we worked together, you wouldn't wipe your ass without permission from Graham. Now, all of the sudden, you've gone rogue to save two civilians you don't know? At least be honest about why you've chosen these two to save when there were so many that you didn't." Sarah just huffed angrily in the face of Carina's barb.
"Is it wrong that I didn't want to murder a four-year-old girl? I get that I have a reputation, but I have a soul, Carina!" Sarah hissed as she stormed off towards the house. Carina just smirked at the retreating form of Sarah Walker. Carina knew Walker, better than just about anyone; what she saw in all of this was a woman trying to save something within herself by saving that little girl and her father. Carina could respect that from her friend.
As Chuck carried Molly inside, he was greeted by the sight of a wonderful looking home, modern styling, but not sterile. Pictures adorned the walls, as well as varies stops on the walls. Photos from what looked to be this Carina's spy days, as well as family photos were all over, a glimpse into Carina Miller's life.
"Daddy, are we there yet?" Molly mumbled into Chuck's shoulder, making Chuck smile.
"Yes, Mollybear, we're done driving for today. Why don't I put you down on this nice, comfy-looking couch so you can rest, that way I can help Sarah with the bags," Chuck said as he set Molly down on what looked to be a well-loved leather couch. The couch itself was the kind of couch that just sucks a person in and won't let them get up, lest they leave the comfort.
"Okay," Molly mumbled before going back to sleep. Chuck spared a glance at his little girl, the light of his life. If Chuck lost Molly… he couldn't even think about it, the implication completely unthinkable. Chuck turned and walked back out of the house, finding Sarah and Carina talking about something.
"Is it wrong that I didn't want to murder a four-year-old girl? I get that I have a reputation, but I have a soul, Carina!" Sarah hissed to the red head she was talking to. Chuck barely heard Sarah's words, but hearing her say it so plainly did much to bolster his trust in her. Sarah understood the difference between duty and murder, understood that she was more than a tool for Graham. Sarah turned around to walk towards the house and saw Chuck standing there, a strange look on his face.
"You should be inside," Sarah said quietly as she walked towards him, carrying the large gun case in one hand and her massive duffle full of equipment in the other. Chuck reached out, ostensibly for Sarah to hand him something. Sarah took the duffle off of her shoulder and handed it to Chuck, the bag plummeting to the ground as soon as she let go. Chuck looked down in shock from the heavy bag, then back to Sarah. Chuck saw the mischief in her eyes and shook his head. Several feet away, Carina laughed to herself as Chuck used two hands and all of his strength to lift the duffle bag off the ground.
"My god, you made this look so easy," Chuck grumbled as he got the bag onto his shoulder and began slowly walking towards the house. "What's in this thing, bricks?"
"Yes, Chuck, I had to bring my collection of tactical bricks. You never know when you'll need to build a brick structure," Sarah deadpanned as she climbed the two steps onto the front porch and into the house.
"Heh, heh, heh; really funny, Walker. The killer's become the comic," Chuck shot back, getting a snort from Sarah.
"Should I call you Danny, or Mr. Kaye?" she shot back, enjoying this back and forth.
"Well done, that's an obscure reference; nice one," Chuck said back, impressed that she understood his line.
"White Christmas, best Christmas movie of all time," Sarah began as she took the duffle from Chuck and set it on the ground, opening it. "My father loved that movie, used to watch it with his father and kept the tradition alive with me as a kid," Sarah shared as she checked on all of the equipment that she'd brought with her. Carina had never heard Sarah talk about her past before. Maybe this guy was good for Walker?
"Not to dampen the mood, but did either of you see the news?" Carina asked, Chuck and Sarah both shaking their heads.
"It's been a hectic journey; really wasn't thinking about the outside world to be honest," Chuck admitted. Carina said nothing as she opened her Google Pixel and tossed it to Sarah, who caught it gently in her hands and looked at the screen.
United States attempts to assassinate Premier Mohammad Fazir Zarawi of Socialist West Africa. CIA Agent Fatima Tazi killed by loyalist militias while trying to flee across border into Mauritania.
Sarah read the article in horror, seeing the grizzly pictures of Tazi's corpse strung up in the center of the capital of the PWASR, flanked by loyalist militia fighters. "What was Graham thinking?" Sarah asked aloud as she kept reading. "Tazi wasn't a wet work specialist. Sending that poor woman in there was mindless suicide." Carina merely nodded as Sarah looked over towards her.
"He didn't have his best Enforcer and you know how little he cares about the lives of agents," Carina said to Sarah, who looked decidedly troubled.
"He hasn't called me yet, but this might just force him to. If he calls me before we get to Fort Meade, he'll stop at nothing to capture or kill us," Sarah said to Chuck, who nodded in understanding.
"How do you even plan on getting there? It is literally a days' worth of driving to get there," Carina said, unsure how her friend was going to get out of this. Sarah just looked at Carina, really looked at her.
Carina knew that look, "No way, Walker; no way." Carina shook her head, even as Sarah gave her a pleading look. "You can't take one of my planes, Walker; it would implicate me. You know how much Graham hated me for being loyal to Bentley; you know what he'll do to me if I'm connected." Chuck saw real fear on Carina's face which lent gravity to the discussion. This wasn't two friends discussing something, this was two professionals discussing something.
"Red, I know the risks, but this is bigger than you and me. I-" Sarah was interrupted by her phone ringing. All three of the adults in the room looked down to Sarah's pocket, the ringing unceasing.
"You know who that is," Carina said, a hint of fear in her voice.
"Oh, God," Chuck mumbled as Sarah reached for her phone and pulled it out of her back pocket, answering it.
"Sir," Sarah began in her most professional tone.
"Something has come up here in DC. I'm recalling everyone, for crisis mitigation. Have you completed your assignment in Burbank?" Graham asked bluntly.
"Sir," Sarah began, before he cut Sarah off.
"It's a yes or no question, Agent Walker. Have your targets been terminated?" Graham asked with more force. Sarah's mind was at a loss for words, she knew what he wanted to hear, but his tone told her he wasn't in a flexible mood.
"Agent Walker, is your assignment complete?" Graham called into the phone with considerably more vigor. Looking into Chuck's eyes, she saw fear, but also trust in her to do the right thing. Sarah hung up her phone, knowing that would be answer enough. Without a second thought, Sarah grabbed her gun, dropped to her knees, and used her pistol to smash her iPhone to pieces on the wood floor below. The sound of her bashing her phone to bits was loud, waking Molly. Sarah hit her phone until the thing was a heap of shattered parts, unable to help Graham find her.
Looking back up at Chuck, then to Carina, she spoke intensely to her friend. "Graham knows what that means, Carina. The CIA will figure out where I've gone; I'm sorry, but you're in this now. Are you going to help us, or not?"
Carina looked away to think, weighing her body's crippling urge to throw her friend and the two civilians, out of her door to save herself. Looking back over to Chuck, then over to the couch where Molly was asleep, Carina sighed dejectedly.
"I've got a plane that's down for repairs. The autopilot doesn't work, so you'd have to fly it yourself, but it works otherwise. For the sake of my own protection, I'll have to claim you stole it if questioned, but you can have the plane." Sarah nodded in understanding as Chuck sprang into action to rouse his poor daughter, who hadn't had a stable moment all day.
"I'll get Molly back to the car, we can be out of here in two minutes," Chuck said as he walked past Sarah.
"No, take my car, it'll help with my cover story," Carina said. "At the southern end of the airfield there is a metal fence. Drive there, park my car, cut the fence open and make for hangar number five." Chuck nodded, turned away from the couch and made for the front door.
"I'll swap Molly's seat over!" Chuck called as he walked through the door. Carina looked from Chuck's leaving form, back to Sarah. The two friends shared a long look, both of them knowing this could be goodbye.
"I hope saving that little girl is worth it, Walker, because you're risking everything for her, even if you succeed." Sarah looked at her best friend, seeing the seriousness in Carina's eyes.
Looking away from her friend, Sarah spoke softly, fragility in her tone. "I was that little girl once, another lifetime ago." Sarah continued. "Maybe by saving her, I can prove to everyone that I am not a monster… that I am not what Graham made me," Sarah said intensely, even as the glassy nature of her eyes betrayed doubt and shame. Carina saw the lingering guilt and fear in Sarah's glassy eyes in that moment and understood just how important this whole thing was to her friend. Carina walked over to her friend and pulled her into a hug, one that may be a final goodbye.
"I never saw you as a monster, Sarah," Carina began. "I only ever saw you as my friend." Sarah just nodded, unable to find the words to reply. Separating, they both knew what had to happen next.
"One dart should do the trick," Carina said as she sat down on the wood flooring, knowing that falling was the worst outcome. Sarah silently made for her duffle bag and rummaged through it, finding her tranq pistol. Sarah loaded the tranq pistol and returned to her friend, the two of them sharing one last look.
"Lycka till, min vän; du är den syster jag alltid velat ha," Carina said as she laid back and closed her eyes, knowing what was coming. The hiss of the tranq pistol followed and Carina slipped into unconsciousness. Sarah closed her eyes to stop the tears as she got down onto her knees beside her best and only friend.
As her hand came to rest on Carina's shoulder, Sarah spoke in a strained, emotional voice. "Kocham cię, Carina; zobaczymy się ponownie w następnym życiu," Sarah replied tearfully, before standing. The sound of footsteps behind her told Sarah that Chuck had returned. Turning in place, Sarah looked at Chuck, eyes red, emotion clear to see on her face. Chuck looked down at the weapon in Sarah's hand. Seeing the weapon, Chuck looked over at Carina, who had a tiny, red dart in her neck.
"I hate goodbyes," Chuck said, unsure what else to say. Sarah grabbed the duffle bag as well as her rifle case and walked past Chuck.
"So do I."
~X~
Charles Bartowski's Apartment
Burbank, California
August 10th, 2023
2:35 AM PDT
In Burbank, California, a swarm of CIA personnel were busy tearing apart Chuck Bartowski's apartment. They'd been at their task for going on two hours at this point and had found no evidence of a struggle, no evidence of a termination at all. One man, tall like a redwood and built like the Great Wall of China, pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number. Placing the phone to his ear, the phone rang three times before a voice sounded in his ear.
"Agent Smith," came the voice of Langston Graham.
CIA Agent, Vincent Smith, Graham's oldest and most experienced Enforcer, spoke flatly. "We found no sign of violence. It is safe to say that the targets are in the wild."
"That means Agent Walker is likely helping them," Graham said as he considered the situation. If Walker was helping Bartowski expose the coverup, then she'd likely have to go to someone in the government for help. Walker would have to know someone with clout and influence. Walker would have to know someone who didn't like Graham and would be willing to help the rogue CIA agent.
"Beckman," Graham growled to himself.
"Sir?" Smith replied, not understanding his boss.
"Walker's going to Beckman, hoping the old bag will help her. Get to Fort Meade as fast as you can. You must prevent Agent Walker from getting onto the base." Graham's urgency said much more than his words did to Smith. If Graham was this scared of whatever Bartowski had with him, then Smith needed to get ahold of it. Whatever Bartowski had on Graham was a serious threat, something that had to be eliminated. Initially, Vincent Smith had been recalled to Langley following the death of Agent Tazi, but only an hour after receiving that order, Smith was ordered to investigate Bartowski's apartment. Now, Graham was ordering him back to the east coast to stop two civilians and a blonde whore from tattling to Beckman.
"And if I see the targets with Agent Walker?" Smith asked flatly, already knowing the answer, but asking anyway.
"Kill them, of course," Graham said like it was obvious. Looking at the gaggle of family photos on Bartowski's dresser, Smith knew he would give this Bartowski and his daughter quick deaths. Agent Walker would not be so lucky; the so-called Enforcer had been a thorn in Smith's side for years. She'd come along and made a name for herself as Graham's favorite Enforcer. Smith suddenly found himself relegated to lesser missions. With Agent Walker now rogue, Vincent Smith was going to kill the whore and the two civilians in her care. Once he had whatever Bartowski was carrying, Graham would surely give him his due.
With the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind, Smith spoke into the phone with a bone-chilling tone, one devoid of emotion. "It would be unprofessional not to, Sir."
CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #4: Chapter four is in the books! Sometimes the smallest moments can have the largest impact. With Graham now aware of Sarah's betrayal, our heroes appear to be on a collision course with destiny. Tune in next weeks for The Monster You Made Me, "Chapter Five: Vultures."
CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #5: Considering reviews are about the only metric I can use to gauge reader interest and the like, your reviews really go a long way in telling me what all of you think, one way or the other.
Until Next Time :D