A/N: My daughter gets back from Germany tomorrow night so it may be a bit before I post again, and I wanted to wrap up this episode. Next time is a short one chapter episode called Liberty For All. For everyone who's soldiered through this one, thank you. I know, it was a little heavy, next time we deal with the fall out, and then after that, we have all the shenanigans you can shake a stick out in a little diddy I like to call, The Week of the Living Bernie. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

Chuck rode in silence, playing over the conversation the four exchanged in the diner.

Maybe between the four of us, we can get enough legally to take out the real son-of-a-bitch in this case.

"Black didn't kill his partner, but he had someone do it," Chuck blurted out. Carina glanced over at him, and then went back to watching the road. There was silence in the car, and, after a bit she pulled into a fast-food restaurant. She parked the car, turning in the seat to face Chuck. "Am I right?"

"Can we prove it? No," Carina replied. "But would anyone with a bit of sense in their head think that? Yes."

"Damn it," Chuck muttered.

"I need you to listen to these people, Curls." Chuck nodded. "I mean, keep your mouth shut and just listen. You're going to hear things, and it's going to…" She rubbed her head. "I can't believe John wants you on this," she muttered.

"I appreciate what you two are doing," Chuck told her. "Rene deserves closure."

"I don't know if we can get Rene closure," Carina admitted. "Not the kind she deserves." She turned back, took the car out of park, and they continued down the road.

Chuck sat quietly. This had been his fear. They couldn't bring the closure Rene deserved.

}o{

"Come on," she said softly, leading him through the tents. There was a smell that made Chuck want to gag, but he held it down. "How are you, Bernie?" she asked an older man whose face seemed beaten down by the sun and life itself.

"Fine as frog hair," he replied, smiling at Carina. "I talked to my granddaughter last week."

"Yeah? How'd that go?"

"She wants me to come live with her," Bernie replied, a far away look in his eyes. He shook his head. "I can't."

"Oh, you don't know… what if it goes well?"

"What if it doesn't?" Bernie asked. "Better for her to think what she thinks about me, than to find out I'm a monster." Carina took his hand in hers and patted it. "We're going to make another run later today," he said softly. Chuck watched the subtle change in her body with Bernie's words.

"Are you going?" Carina asked.

"Don't have a choice." It was said so factually that it broke Chuck's heart. He had no idea what Bernie was talking about, but he seemed to just accept that he had to make a run today. Whatever the hell that was.

"Hey, don't do anything stupid," Carina told him. Bernie laughed. "I mean it." She kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

"I hate to see you go, but you look so good walking away," Bernie told her.

"You are bad, Bernie, bad." Bernie shrugged as Carina led Chuck further into the camp. "He's a good guy, but…" Carina shook her head. "They're all fighting demons, Curls."

"I mean, we all are, but theirs are a whole new level," Chuck replied. Carina nodded. "What run is he talking about?"

"Later," she told him. Chuck nodded. She guided him deeper and deeper into the camp, stopping in front of a tent. "Let me go in alone."

Chuck looked around. "No one is gonna mess with me while I'm by myself, will they?"

Carina looked around and saw a woman sitting in a chair. "Keep an eye on her."

"Will she hurt me?"

"No, but she might offer you oral sex if you'll give her some oxy." Chuck's eyebrows raised. "Chuck, I'm here to tell you there are some straight men in this camp. If they're jonesing bad enough, they'll offer you oral sex for some oxy."

"Good to know," Chuck muttered, making Carina chuckle.

"I'll just be a minute, okay?" He nodded, and she disappeared into the tent. It was only thirty seconds, but it felt like a lifetime for Chuck. He thought about how his parents had left him, but left him financial support so he and Ellie wouldn't be homeless. He thought about his sister doing everything for him, so they wouldn't end up in the system. The laws she clearly had to have broken. He realized, in this moment, that he was fortunate in a way he had never dreamed. He had someone that knew you couldn't go too far for those you love. He had someone in his life that wouldn't let him be swept away in the doubt, gloom, and negative thoughts he harbored about himself when his mom and dad left.

He realized that many of these people's loved ones probably had fought for them to come home. But the families didn't have the tools, or their love just couldn't reach deep enough, to fight off the demons that plagued them. They didn't have the resources to save their loved ones. Ellie… Ellie had found it, somehow. She had found him therapists. She had found someone who would do what was best for her and Chuck, and he now realized the therapist should have reported them.

He had someone in his life that would do anything for him. Was it any wonder some saw her as controlling in his life? Was it any wonder that some thought she went to far? What Chuck knew was while Ellie seemed overprotective, he knew she was still suffering from emotional trauma of her own; their parents leaving, and the thought of losing her brother. While she didn't have the demons these folks had, he knew she had her share of nightmares. He had heard her wake up screaming in the middle of the night, and he pretend to be asleep when she checked on him.

He knew she wasn't perfect, but her love for him was unconditional. He looked around the homeless camp. That didn't mean these folks didn't have people in their lives who loved them unconditionally. He sighed. Life was so damn hard, and there was no telling what constituted the snapping point for each of these people. There was no telling what all they went through.

All he knew was that he was fortunate.

"Hey, get in here," Carina said, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked over and she was holding open the tent flap. Chuck came in. "Chuck, this is Rita."

"How are you?" Chuck asked. Rita laughed. He could tell she was high. Her eyes were glazed over.

"Oh, just fabulous," Rita said. Chuck looked over at Carina, who shook her head. "I hear you are trying to find out who killed Dr. Good?"

"I am," Chuck replied. "Did you know him?"

"I did," Rita said. "I thought he was a good guy, but it's his fault."

"What's his fault?" Carina asked her.

"He stopped us from getting help," Rita told Carina. "He stopped us from getting what we needed." Carina stood there, silent. "He took away our relief."

"Oxy," Carina said. Rita nodded. "How do you know this?"

"Fred went to the clinic," Rita began.

"Dr. Good's clinic?" Carina cut in.

"No, no," Rita replied, shaking her head. "The Phoenix Rehab Center. It's where we go for support, where we can get a hot meal and a shower. It's for vets. It's for vets like me, Sam… and Hank." Chuck shot Carina a look. Carina gave the slightest of nods. "They served together you know, Sam and Hank." Chuck glanced at Carina again, and again, Carina gave the slightest of head nods.

"So, what happened at the clinic?" Chuck asked.

"Dr. Black wouldn't give us any more medicine," Rita told them. "He said his partner was putting a stop to everything. No one was getting any more medicine, and that the only way Dr. Black could give out a script was if Dr. Good went away." She was silent for a second. "We all knew what that meant." She turned in her chair, opened a box beside her, and pulled out a shirt that had something wrapped in it. She handed it to Carina. "That's what you want."

"What is it?" Chuck asked.

"It's Sam's knife," Rita told him. "It's what he used to kill Dr. Good."

"You know by telling us this, and giving us this knife, that Sam will go to jail, right?" Chuck asked her. Rita started howling in laughter. "What?"

"Sam died this morning," Rita told him. "He OD'd." She kept laughing, but then the laughter changed to tears. As she sobbed, Carina held her, and Chuck stood there, feeling helpless.

}o{

"Where are you going?" Carina asked, as Chuck walked past her car. He was moving like he was on a mission. "Oh, no you do not, Chuck Bartowski." She began to run, grabbed him, and spun him. "If you do what I think you're about to do… No. Just no."

"He'll get away with it!" Chuck protested.

"He's already gotten away with it," Carina said softly. "Second-hand hearsay from a junkie?" Carina shook her head.

"This is what Casey was talking about," Chuck said, feeling helpless. Carina let go of him as he shook his head. She pushed his hair out of his face, studying him.

The frustration on his face could be read from the moon.

"We found Dr. Good's actual killer. We even found out who put him up to it, but he's going free because there is not one thing we can do about it, legally."

"Trust me?" Carina asked.

"Not even a little," Chuck admitted. Carina chuckled. "But for the purposes of this case? Sure."

"Come on," she said, taking his hand and tugging it gently. The two went to the car, got in, and took off.

}o{

"So, this is the Phoenix rehab center, huh?" Chuck asked. Carina nodded. They were parked some distance from the clinic. Chuck had watched three different people from the encampment walk in, during the last two hours, including Rita.

"Remember the run I was being told about earlier, by Bernie?" Carina asked, as a white sixteen passenger van pulled up.

"Yeah," Chuck replied. "Why do I think I'm about to see it in action?"

The two sat there watching people coming out of the center, filing into the van. Both Chuck and Carina saw Bernie and Rita climbing in. "So, Dr. Black writes scripts," Carina began, starting the car and following from a safe distance as the van pulled away. "They go around to different pharmacies, getting them filled."

"Pill farming," Chuck said, nodding. "I'm beginning to understand why Dr. Black has so much extra income."

They rode in silence until the van pulled up beside a drug store. Carina drove past, parking up the street. "Remember when I had you install that camera and recording device in the license plate, because of guys catcalling me and I wanted them on camera?"

"Yeah," Chuck replied.

"I lied," Carina said. She hit a few buttons, and the screen between them showed the passengers leaving the van and entering the pharmacy.

"You could have told me the truth," Chuck told her. She gave him an amused look. "Fine, but you could have."

"Text your girl that you're okay, and we're on surveillance," Carina told him. "It's gonna be a long day."

}o{

They pulled up to a private airstrip and parked, watching the people on the van unload and walk toward a plane. "Where are they going?" Chuck asked.

"No idea," Carina told him. "That's the problem. They get on that plane and take off. I have no idea where that plane is going." She was silent for a moment. "I was going to go undercover and get on that plane. That's what broke Casey and I up."

"Wait, you've been on this for a year?" Chuck asked. Carina gave him a look. "What?"

"These things take time to infiltrate and get into," Carina told him. "I've also had a full-time job."

"Carina, I'm not blaming you-"

"Yeah, well, I blame myself," she snapped. She was silent for a second and when she spoke her voice was low… Chuck could hear the shame. "Back in the day, I would have infiltrated the group. I would have figured it all out, and Dr. Good would be alive, Chuck. Alive. So would Sam."

"Carina, this isn't on you," Chuck said gently.

"No more," she said shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" She looked over at him and shook her head.

"I love you, Curls, you know that, right?" He nodded. "Please don't ever change."

"Okay," he said, not sure what was going on.

"We built a tracker that's going to ping off of cell phone towers, so that we can follow them," Carina told him.

"Who's we?" Chuck asked her.

"I gave everything I had to the DEA," Carina told him.

}o{

Sarah, Casey, Chuck, Anna, and Carina all sat at the conference table. It was nearing one AM. They were watching a feed from the DEA. When the plane touched down and taxied close to a cell tower, the device pinged, allowing the DEA to begin to narrow down where the encampment was. Using local authorities who knew the area, it quickly figured out a small searchable area where the camp could be located. Using drones, they quickly scanned the area, finding them in a matter of hours. A tactical team was sent in, and they were waiting on their orders.

"I'd like to remind everyone that the majority, if not all, of the civilians are former military," Beckman said. She had joined in on a secure connection. "Most of them are suffering mentally, and the raid might bring out the worst in them. While they are the ones who are breaking the law, please remember they are the ones being taken advantage of."

"Understood, General," the head of the DEA taskforce said. "We've identified four men with weapons, none of them are the folks you were talking about."

"Very good," Beckman said. "Good hunting, and stay safe." The DEA member nodded, then left the link. "Good work, all of you. And, yes, Carina, you will get the scoop on the story."

"I'm just waiting for the takedown so I can hit publish."

"Can you wait until tomorrow morning?" Chuck asked her. Carina gave him a look. "If we get what I think we're going to get evidence-wise, I'd like to be the one to approach Dr. Black." Sarah shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "With Sarah standing right beside me, of course."

"Damn, he's whipped," Casey muttered.

"But smart," Carina added. Casey nodded. The room went quiet as the raid began. Agents quickly, and calmly, subdued the passengers from the bus, to keep them safe. The others stormed the compound. Chuck could hear yelling, orders to put down weapons, and then… a quick firefight. Chuck dropped his head. "Idiots always go out in a blaze of glory. Never want to serve their time." They watched the agents come out of the compound.

"Twelve went in and twelve came out," Casey muttered. A few seconds later the head of the taskforce showed up on screen.

"Ma'am, the compound is secure. The ones in charge attempted to engage."

"How many survived?" Beckman asked.

"Zero," the head of the taskforce replied. "We suffered no casualties."

"Thank you for looping us in," Beckman said.

"Thank you for the vital intel." With that, the DEA member cut the feed.

"Chuck," Beckman said, "get some sleep. We'll see what we find, and in the morning, we will try to honor your request. If that's alright with you, Carina?"

"It is," Carina replied. She turned to Chuck. "You know there was no other way, right? In the end, this only ended with a raid."

"I know," Chuck answered. "While I hate it, I know. I guess the worst part of this, is that these people preyed on those that volunteered to keep our country safe. They preyed on those in their worst, and weakest, moments."

"It's how evil works," Casey said softly. "It's how you get good men and good women to join your cause. It's a tale as old as time, and it sucks."

"It does," Chuck agreed.

}o{

The five stood in front of the clinic the next morning. "How close did you come to getting on that plane?" Chuck asked. He felt all four sets of eyes on him, but he ignored them all and looked Carina right in the eyes. "How close?"

"Let's just say if John hadn't broken up with me, I'd have probably done it," Carina replied. "See, this is what you don't understand, Chuck… it was my job-"

"Was, Carina," Chuck cut in. Silence hung around them. "Was," he said softer. "When you were in the DEA, you had back-up… a team." She held his gaze. "I get it, you know people, and yeah, I'm sure you could have pulled that off. But on the off-chance you didn't… do you know how many people here would have missed you, would have been hurt by you going?"

"So, what are you saying?" Carina asked him.

"You're part of a family now, whether you like it or not. So I will tell you this: If you ever pull something like that… I will be mad at you," Chuck told her.

"I didn't do it, Chuck," Carina told him.

"I know you didn't, but I also know you. And I have a good feeling how close you came," Chuck told her.

"So, you're saying Johnny was right, and I was wrong?" Chuck shook his head. "What are you saying?"

"That the thought of you doing that terrifies me," Chuck told her. "That the thought of you trying to right that wrong by yourself in that situation, scares me shitless. Carina, we love you, okay? We love you."

"I know, and… I know, Curls. Okay?"

"Just… remember you have people here," Chuck told her. "Remember you don't have to be someone that runs off…"

"You think I'm going to join the homeless?" Carina asked.

"I'm saying that I could see you doing that," Chuck told her. "I could see you thinking you've hurt people, and you couldn't face us and " He trailed off, saying nothing else, because Carina was hugging him. "We love you."

"I love you," Carina said. "And Casey's right, you're a moron."

"But our moron," Casey grumbled.

"Okay, enough," Chuck said, play pushing Carina away, and wiping at his eyes. "Let's do this."

"Are they ready?" Sarah asked Casey. Casey nodded. Chuck opened the door and headed in.

"Sir," a woman said at the reception desk. "You can't go back there."

"Rene Good said we could," Chuck said, walking past her. The four followed him in. They came to Dr. Black's office, and Chuck walked inside. The doctor looked up in surprise.

"I will see you in the examination room," Dr. Black said, reaching for the phone on his desk, presumably call security.

"No, I don't think you will," Chuck said, watching him pick up the phone and reaching to dial a number. "I think you're having a bad day, wondering why money hasn't been transferred into your account yet." Dr. Black froze mid-reach, watched Chuck, and then hung up the phone.

"I'm afraid I don't know wh-"

"Your private account, where you are reimbursed for all those prescriptions you write," Chuck cut in. Dr. Black scoffed. "I don't think the money's coming."

Dr. Black sat there, amused. "Let's say I know what you're talking about for a minute, just humoring you. How would you know?"

Chuck leaned forward, putting his hands on Dr. Black's desk, and leaned in. "Because I watched your operation get taken down last night." The amusement left Dr. Black's face, and anger slowly started to replace it. "Oh, are you mad? Are you mad that you got caught, using those that were willing to give their lives for us? Are you mad that you got caught, taking advantage of them in their moment of weakness? Are you mad that you got caught, stringing them along, making them addicts if they weren't already, to line your filthy pockets?"

Dr. Black stood, and Chuck raised up to full height. "I'm just a doctor that's good at what I do, and get paid accordingly."

"No, you're about to be a prison inmate," Chuck said softly.

"Arrest him," Casey said, and the door opened. Dr. Black held up his hands as federal officers came in with weapons drawn.

"I'll be out in no time," Dr. Black said. "And they can never touch my money." Chuck just grinned, and the confidence fell from Dr. Black's face. "What have you done?"

Chuck just waved as they escorted Dr. Black out. "What did you do?" Sarah asked softly.

"Who, me?" Chuck asked.

"Don't make me sing Nickleback to you in this office," she told him.

"Maybe I transferred the money from his accounts into one to help out the homeless," Chuck said with a shrug.

"Chuck!" Sarah said.

"Walker, what's Black gonna do, report him for stealing stolen money?" Casey asked.

Sarah just shook her head.

}o{

"What's got you all torn up?" Zondra asked, as Dan burst into the diner. "I had to drop everything and get over here." Dan thrust his phone at her. Zondra took it, glancing down at the picture as he sat. Her features went from confusion to anger, as she snapped her head up. "What in the fuck is he doing here?"

"Oh, it gets worse. Swipe to the second picture," Dan told her. Zondra swiped, and saw a picture of a man, from behind, looking down at his phone. She could see the phone clearly. She enlarged the picture and saw he was looking at Castle Securities information page online. She looked back up at Dan. "Why is he here?"

Zondra looked back down at the phone, swiping back to the first picture. She stared at it. "I don't know," she admitted, not looking up. "I don't know, and don't like it." She was seething as she took in the picture of Bryce Larkin, coming out of the airport, in her city.

A/N: Before you lose your mind over Bryce showing up, ask yourself, as Sarah asked her Weinerliscious boss, "Who hurt you?"

Next time: "You do this again, and I'll tell Ellie," Carina told him.

"I won't," Sarah said softly. "I will take care of it myself. And no, that doesn't mean break up with you."

"I have never been more scared in my life," Chuck told her. "I'm serious."

"I know you are," Sarah said. "And," she looked pained to say the next words. "We both know that you're right, but we don't have to like it."

"I want you to take him and hide him at your place for a few days until everything is done," Carina told Sarah.

"When you say her place," Chuck began. Sarah glared at him, and he mimed zipping his lips.

Oh Chuck. Actions….they do have consequences. I hope you enjoyed it, leave a review if you can, and take care. See you soon.