A/N: Happy Thursday…..and welcome to Chapter 15 – Bulls-Eyes & Near Misses.
Last chapter, we saw Chuck and Sarah's relationship deepen as Chuck continued to recover from his wound. At the same time, a double cross was in play as Roark and Volkoff both put in place plans to go after each other.
And with Roark and Volkoff making moves and countermoves, new intelligence surfaced, helping the good guys connect some dots and tighten the noose around Volkoff, the key link to the puppet master.
Thank you again for the kind holiday messages and the continued engagement through the reviews and private messages. You guys are a wonderful group of people to write for!
Again, my deep thanks to klipdoctor for beta reading, and to CliffM for his pre-reading service, though I should note that I have made some additional edits after their good work, so any errors are mine and mine alone. And as usual, I don't own Chuck or profit in any way from writing this completely AU story.
And finally, I would like to wish each and every one of you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2024!
Valkyrie's Invisible Shield
Chapter 15 – Bulls-Eyes and Near Misses
Date: Monday, 27 December 2021
Time: 18:30 EST
Location: 2501 Q Street, Georgetown, Washington D.C. Chuck Bartowski residence.
Chuck supervised the two NSA techs as they assembled his new high-performance computer setup. Once the work was completed, Chuck dismissed the techs and slipped into his bedroom to retrieve a small box hidden in the false bottom of a drawer in his nightstand. Once back at his computer, he extracted several flash drives from the box and started installing programs he had created while at Stanford. After about thirty minutes of uploading and optimizing the system's configuration, he called Casey.
"Casey,"
"I'm up and running and just kicked off the search algos." Chuck paused for a moment, thinking about how to handle his next comment when Casey interrupted him.
"Bartowski? You still there?"
"Yeah…Sorry, Casey. Just thinking." He paused for an additional few seconds considering how to give Casey and the President plausible deniability for the acts he was about to undertake, without putting himself too much at risk. "Look, I am not about to discuss what I intend to do on an open line, but at some point, I might need some air cover, but we can talk about that in person."
"What the hell are you talking about, Bartowski?" Casey flared.
"Casey, all you need to know is that I am going to track the money to its sources. We have a leak somewhere at a senior enough level to know details about the First lady's travel plans, so I can't leave any stone unturned, but I need to be very careful….so for now, that is all you need to know, okay?" Chuck hoped Casey read between the lines and understood why Chuck was being intentionally opaque."
"Fine. Just don't fuck this up then, Bartowski….and if you need anything, you call me…any time."
"Thanks, Casey."
"By the way, how did your post-op checkup go?"
"Gold star and a lollipop, Casey. All good, and I'm healing ahead of schedule. I start physical therapy in two weeks, but I'm cleared to do computer work as long as I take frequent breaks to rest."
"Glad to hear it. Let me know when you get something out of your computer search."
"Sure thing, Casey, but this will take a while, so please be patient."
Salient details of the conversation adequately covered, Chuck ended the call and returned to further optimizing the parameters for the search he was building. As his fingers flew over the keyboard, Sarah sat quietly by, mesmerized by the speed with which Chuck was processing information. After about twenty minutes, he stopped typing, stared intently at the center monitor for a moment, then let out a deep breath and leaned back, raising his arms to stretch.
"Are you done, Chuck?" Sarah asked softly, surprising Chuck, who had been wholly absorbed in his work.
"Sarah, Gosh….I'm sorry….I didn't know you were sitting right there. When I'm coding, I kinda get into a zone and….well, I lose touch with what else might be happening around me. I'm sorry if I neglected you. I didn't mean to." Chuck smiled softly as a bit of blush crept up his neck. "I'm more used to working alone on the computer."
Sarah smiled. "No apologies, Chuck. Watching you work with so much focus and intensity….and the speed at which you seemed to process the data was impressive." Sarah leaned in and nuzzled Chuck's ear. "You are a very smart man, Chuck….and smart is very, very sexy…." Sarah gently sucked in his earlobe and gave it a light nibble causing a shiver to travel up Chuck's back.
"Chuck, I want you….now….Chuck," Sarah's voice was almost a growl as she stood and took his hand, pulling him along with her.
Chuck saw the predatory look on Sarah's otherwise angelic face, and he swallowed hard as she pulled him out of his chair and toward the bedroom. "Sarah - Ellie and Devon…?"
Sarah cut him off. "Ellie and Devon won't be back for another thirty minutes at least. Besides, Devon said you were cleared for "controlled sex," so my aim is to fully control you, Mr. Bartowski. Now, be a good boy, and come with me." Sarah turned and started moving toward Chuck's bedroom again, grinning like a schoolgirl.
-O-
Date: Monday, 27 December 2021
Time: 23:30 GMT (18:30 EST)
Location: Eurotunnel between U.K. and France
Approximately 250 feet below the English Channel, Alexei Volkoff sat in first class mapping out his plan to get to Saint Petersburg and then on to Caracas. He had already called ahead to the pilots to prepare the plane for a flight to Caracas through jurisdictions that would not seize the aircraft, which required some thinking given the Falcon 900's range of almost six thousand miles. After a short discussion, Volkoff's chief pilot suggested a direct flight to Mindolo, one of the Cape Verde islands, with a stop for fuel before crossing the Atlantic to Caracas directly. This was the safest route legally and in terms of aircraft range and fuel reserves. Total flight time, including the fuel stop, would be around 14 hours. Volkoff had also contacted the captain of his yacht, aptly named "Untouchable", and instructed him to fuel up and store provisions for an extended time at sea. When Sergei's phone rang, Volkoff was looking at his laptop and mapping out his travel timetable.
"Boss, it's Nikolai."
"I'll take it Sergei."
"Nikolai, it's Volkoff, what news do you have?"
"The office was ransacked, and all the computers had their drives removed. I found them in the bathroom hammered to bits and then dumped in a tub full of water."
"That's fine, Nikolai. I'm not worried about the drives. I had already copied the most important data, so there is nothing lost we can't recover. What about the Greek….did you find Demetrios?"
"Yes, Sir. He was easy to find, and not too much trouble to grab, though he was being watched, presumably by police. We managed to take him without being spotted and have him in the garage. We have questioned him, and while he confirms that there is an American in town looking to kill you, he has no idea where the man is. The last call he had was earlier today, and the American said he had been compromised and needed to lay low. He would find some lodging himself and call Demetrios at a later time. We have the phone, and so far, he has not called. We are making sure Demetrios is cooperative when the call comes in so we can find the assassin and take care of him." Nikolai paused to allow Volkoff to ask additional questions.
"You have done well Nikolai….Very well. Your plan and approach are sound, so I will leave things in your capable hands. One more thing….I've reconsidered my last decision so please don't terminate the contract without my permission. There is much information I require from these svolitche (bastards)….so when you learn more about the American, call Sergei right away
"Konechno (Of course), boss." Nikolai closed the call and looked at Stavros Demetrios, who was strapped naked to a steel chair. "Cheer up trup (corpse)….Mr. Volkoff is looking forward to your help in this unfortunate matter. Who knows? With a little luck, you can walk out of here alive and with a new job working for Mr. Volkoff." Nikolai laughed as he reached for a bottle of vodka beside the cell phone they had taken from Demetrios.
-O-
Date: Tuesday, 28 December 2021
Time: 08:30 GMT (03:30 EST)
Location: Trotski Auto Repair, Unit 22 Lake Business Center, London, UK
Nikolai snapped awake as the mobile phone on the table rang. He stood, walked over to Demetrios, who was asleep, and slapped him.
"Wake up. Time to go to work." Demetrios looked up, eyes wide, then nodded as Nikolai opened the call and put it on speaker.
"Stavros," Demetrios answered reasonably clearly.
"It's me. Do you have my rifle?"
Demetrios had forgotten about the rifle but saw the hook dangling. "Yes. One of my men went in after the police pulled out. Where are you? I can have it delivered to you." Nikolai gave Demetrios a thumbs up.
"No. I'll come to you. Do you have a safe place to meet?" Nikolai looked at Demetrios and held up a piece of paper, tapping his finger to the details on it.
"Yeah, I do. I'll meet you at ten am at Trotski Auto Repair. The address is Unit 22 Lake Business Center, in Tottenham. The cab driver will know how to find it."
"Good. Where is Volkoff?"
"As of ten minutes ago, he was having breakfast at a Russian bakery in town. Didn't think you'd care about where he ate, so I didn't call." Demetrios was fully embracing his role. He had seen the two bodies in the back of the shop wrapped in plastic, and his only hope for survival was to serve the American up on a silver platter.
"That's fine," Decker replied. "See you at ten." He disconnected the call, then dialed Roark's new burner.
-O-
"What?" Roark barked into the phone, scratching the sleep out of his eyes. "It's almost three in the morning….you better have some good fucking news."
"I found the office, took care of all the files, and have a fix on his location. I should close the deal later this morning."
"Good. Get it done." A tired smile appeared as Roark hung up the phone and went back to sleep.
-O-
"You did well, Demetrios. There is hope for you yet." Nikolai laughed again before walking out of the garage and called Sergei. For the next twenty minutes, Nikolai explained the plan for the American and received approval from Volkoff. With respect to Demetrios, Nikolai respectfully suggested that Volkoff take advantage of the opportunity and fold the Greek's operation into his own, with Demetrios being optional.
"Nikolai, as of now, Demetrios and his minions work for you. Explain to him that his continued survival requires a vigorous commitment to executing on my behalf and that if you should ever find his loyalty and energy lacking, you have my permission to terminate his contract. Congratulations on your promotion, Nikolai!" Volkoff laughed out loud. "Don't fuck it up."
Nikolai smiled as he closed the call. He would now need to have a very transparent conversation with Demetrios about what would happen at 10 a.m. and what would happen after that. As a part of that conversation, Demetrios would need to understand that his life depended on his performance.
-O-
Date: Tuesday, 28 December 2021
Time: 08:40 GMT (03:40 EST)
Location: SIS Building, 85 Albert Embankment, London
Lou, Anna, and Mike were at MI-6, meeting with Roan, Cole, and Jill and going over the phone log data. There were some interesting developments that needed to be further explored. Specifically, the phone that had been linked to the Russian in Tottenham had stopped receiving or making calls, but the calls from the American Alec Trevelyan, had received calls from another D.C. number, the one that appeared to be the puppet master. Alec Trevelyan was clearly a fake name, and given that he had been discovered, he had likely already changed his identity, so the team decided to refer to him as "The American."
With that decision made, they noted that the American then called a new number in the vicinity of Washington D.C., although a precise location could not be fixed. The team didn't know that Vice President Ted Roark had discarded his burner, as had Volkoff, rendering the direct line between those two numbers moot. However, because the American's phone was now connecting to another D.C. number, the team assumed that while the number had changed, it was probably the same puppet master who just changed the encrypted burner.
The team mapped out all the connections on the whiteboard and forwarded them to John Casey, who would then distribute the data on a strictly need-to-know basis. The team also reviewed the files provided by Scotland Yard and MI-5, summarizing their efforts to track down Bryce Larkin, who seemed to have gone into hiding and had probably fled the country. They were about to take a coffee break when Barker's assistant ran into the office.
"Sir! Urgent notification from Communications." Cole took the red folder and scanned the contents.
"Damn, we just caught a break. We intercepted a call between Stavros Demetrios and the American. They have set up a meet at a car repair shop in Tottenham for ten am." He then shared the transcript of the recording with everyone at the table. A moment passed, and then, unexpectedly, Roan spoke up.
"Cole, why Tottenham?" Roan asked. "We know the American spotted the tactical team from last night's recording, so why would he stay in Tottenham? We also know that the tail on Stavros Demetrios lost him last night at some point and hasn't found him yet. Moreover, Tottenham is where "Little Russia" is located. Home turf for Demetrios is down by the Docklands. I have a feeling there's something else going on here. Can we see who owns that garage where they're meeting?"
Less than five minutes later, Cole's assistant returned with another red folder.
Cole opened the folder and read out loud. "Trotski Auto Repair, Unit 22 Lake Business Center, London, is owned by a Russian holding company…."
Roan jumped up excitedly. "It's bloody Volkoff. Has to be!" He stepped away from the table and started pacing.
Lou watched him in deep thought as he paced. "What are you thinking, Roan? How can you be sure it's Volkoff?"
"My dear lady, I'm making an educated guess, but it's one on which I would be willing to bet my rather measly pension. My guess is that the American has been hunting for Volkoff and has been using Demetrios to track him. Somehow, Volkoff figured it out but had no idea where the American was, so he grabbed Demetrios and waited for him to make contact. When he does, he will use Demetrios to lure the assassin to the car repair facility. It's a trap."
The room got very quiet for a moment until Mike spoke up. "I like the theory, Roan. I think we need to get to that garage well ahead of the American so we can grab Volkoff and Demetrios, then grab the American when he shows up. I would bet that between the American and Volkoff, we should be able to gain more insight into who the puppet master in Washington D.C. is."
"I agree." Jill chimed in. "Suggest we get prepped and go ourselves as a tactical team might spoil our surprise."
"Right. Civilian clothes, but body armor, please. We have no idea what resources Volkoff has on site. Lou, how long would your team need to get ready?" Cole asked.
"Five minutes, and we're good to go, Cole. All our gear, including additional firepower, is in the car."
"Good. Go ahead and get your vests on while I get someone to scope out the garage."
Ten minutes later, the elevator doors to the parking garage opened, and Cole, Roan, and Jill came out carrying medium-sized duffle bags loaded with automatic weapons and plenty of ammunition. They threw the bags into the back of a Range Rover, then opened one of the bags, pulled out a smaller bag containing tactical communications gear, and passed a unit to each team member.
"Lou, follow me with your team. I just texted you the address for your GPS just in case we need to separate as we approach. Let's do a quick com-check." Cole started the check, then looked at each team member to verify that comms were working correctly. "Traffic is going to be a bear, so let's go…." Cole turned and jumped into the driver's seat of the Range Rover.
-O-
It was a cold and drizzly day in London, which didn't help the traffic, but Cole drove aggressively, and as long as they were far from Tottenham, he had no issue using the blue strobe lights to brush past traffic and the odd red lights. A quick glance at the GPS had them arriving on location at roughly nine forty in the morning, which was a little too close for comfort. As they drove, Cole and Lou were putting together a plan on the fly.
"Cole, any news from your spotter?" Lou asked.
"Yes, but nothing actionable. The garage has its doors closed, and there doesn't seem to be any movement. They're probably holed up inside waiting for the American."
Lou thought quietly for a moment. "Cole, I see three plays. The first is we get into the garage, grab the Russians and Demetrios, and wait for the American to show up. The problem is that if we get into a gunfight and he hears us, we lose him. The second option is to split up….my team intercepts the American while your team takes the garage. The third is that we grab the American together, and once we have him, we all go after the garage. Does anyone have other ideas?"
"Let's do a variant on option three." Jill offered. "We have no idea what we are walking into at the garage, but there is no reason we need to go in alone. Let's call the tactical team while we grab the American. Once we have him in custody, we cover all the garage exits, and when the tactical team arrives, we go in hard."
Roan had been listening quietly before commenting. "I agree, with one small twist. Jill, I think it would be best if you were to play damsel in distress and knock on the door to the garage, claiming car trouble. If the Russians have Demetrios in there, they'll tell you to sod off. If you can get a glimpse inside the garage, it might help us better understand what we are up against."
The team batted the idea around a little, then reached agreement as they approached their destination.
-O-
"Hello? Is anyone there? I need help!" Jill banged on the steel door to the garage. Above the door was an armored CCTV camera, so she stared into the lens and waved her hand as she shouted. A moment later, the door opened just a crack, and a large head popped out from behind it.
"We are closed." The large-headed man said with a heavy Russian accent.
"But my car," Jill protested as she pointed to the Range Rover. "It started coughing and then just died. Can't someone help me?" She moved closer to the door. "Surely one of your mechanics can take a quick look. I can pay…" She reached into her purse and pulled out a stack of twenty-pound notes. She moved a little closer. "Please?"
"Nyet. We are closed. There is another garage around the corner. Now go away." The large head pulled back, and the door slammed shut.
Jill made an indignant face and gave the finger to the camera before storming off in the direction suggested by the Russian. As she walked away, she spoke into the comm-link. "They're in there. In addition to the man at the door, I counted two men, likely armed, but did not see Demetrios. Best case, there are three of them plus Demetrios, but there could…..."
As Jill was reporting on the garage, Anna interrupted her. "I have eyes on the American. He's just exiting a taxi at the corner."
The teams had split up and positioned themselves to cover the most likely approach paths. "Jill, he's coming toward you," Anna stated. "Stop him momentarily while Mike and I close in from behind."
"Copy," was Jill's muted answer as she pretended to cough in her hand.
"Careful….this guy is dangerous and almost certainly armed. Cole and I are approaching and twenty meters behind Jill." Lou spoke quietly while facing Cole, then took his hand and quickened her pace towards their target.
With less than two meters to intercept, Jill looked up and smiled innocently. "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me where Tesco is? I seem to have gotten myself turned around and…."
Jill had not finished her sentence when Anna drew her weapon and pointed it at the back of Decker's head. "Move a muscle, and I'll blow your fucking head off!" Anna spoke calmly but authoritatively. "Let me see your hands!" she commanded, as Mike pulled a pair of cuffs from the slim pouch on the back of his belt.
Decker raised his hands defensively, but only halfway up so they were at the same level as his shoulders, and as he did, Jill reached forward to search for his gun. With blinding speed, Decker's left hand came down hard outside of Jill's left arm, hooked up underneath it, and lifted it up as he spun and used his right hand to grab his silenced nine millimeter while he forced Jill in front of him.
Anna was ready to pull the trigger, but Decker's movement put Jill at risk of being shot accidentally, so she held her aim without shooting. As Decker spun and brought his gun to bear, Mike was caught holding the cuffs instead of a gun. Decker's fluid movement had the barrel of his nine-millimeter sweeping over Mike towards Anna. The nine-millimeter bucked twice in rapid succession as two bullets were fired point blank into Mike's torso, and the sweeping barrel was now moving towards Anna, who reflexively ducked as Mike's body was slammed backward from the two slugs that hit him.
Lou and Cole were now running with their guns drawn, preparing to shoot, when suddenly, there was a boom followed by half of Decker's head exploding, covering Jill and Anna with a viscous mix of grey matter, blood, and bone fragments. Across the street, Roan holstered his Smith & Wesson SD40 VE, forty caliber semi-automatic pistol.
"Bloody hell!" Roan cursed. They had wanted Decker alive, but the moment he fired two slugs at Mike, all bets were off.
"Mike….Mike?" Lou checked Mike for any blood and, seeing none, started gently slapping his face. "Come on, Mike….Breathe"
A wheezy cough escaped Mike's lips as he managed to suck in a fresh breath of air, the impact of the slugs having winded him completely. "Yeah….I'm….fuck that hurts!..." He clutched at his chest, and his fingers quickly found the two holes the slugs had caused. "I'll be ok, but son of a bitch, that's gonna leave a mark."
"Everyone else, ok?" Cole asked as he turned to Roan. "Hell of a shot, mate…"
"Yeah, thanks, Roan. I owe you one." Anna said. "The way his gun was moving, he was going for a head shot….fuck, that was close!"
"Ok. We need to cover the garage. They likely heard the shots, and it's almost ten. Mike, you stay with him and search him for anything useful. The tactical team should be here in about three minutes, and local police will be here shortly. Jill and Roan, you're with me in front. Lou, you and Anna cover the rear. Go."
As the teams took their positions, Mike as he searched Decker's body. Mike quickly found Decker's wallet, mobile phone, and set of keys that had an address on the key fob. He was doing a final pat down when the sound of gunfire pierced the drizzling rain.
Cole had turned the corner and caught sight of one of the Russians. Their eyes connected, and the Russian bolted back into the garage, slamming the door.
"Lou. They made us. I think they're coming your way. Be ready." He spoke into the comm-link.
A heavy steel door opened at the back of the shop, and three large men slipped out, guns drawn.
"Zamorizit'. Bros'te oruzhiye I podnimite ruki" (Freeze. Drop the guns and put your hands up). Lou's command in flawless Russian was met with a volley of undisciplined gunfire.
Lou fired two shots and hit the first man center mass. The deep red blooms on his chest confirmed the lack of any body armor as the man died before his body hit the wet asphalt. "One Tango down, engaged with two," Lou announced through her comm-link
"Stand by Lou. We're taking the door and will try to come up behind them. Keep them pinned and busy." Cole nodded to Roan, who used his trusty forty-caliber pistol to punch several holes into the steel door where the locking mechanism was located. After a few shots, Cole kicked the door open, and the three British agents swept into the garage. Inside, they found a dead Demetrios still strapped to a chair with a plastic bag over his head. He was still warm. As they advanced, they saw two more bodies wrapped in plastic.
"Clear!" Cole shouted as the threesome moved carefully towards the rear exit, listening to the sporadic gunfire.
Cole held up a fist, signaling a command to stop. They could hear the Russians arguing between gunshots. One of the men wanted to give up; the other, presumably the one in charge named Nikolai, threatened to shoot his colleague himself if he gave up. The debate went on for a moment, then there was a shot.
"Lou, what happened?" Cole called out.
"One of the Russians shot the other. Wait. He's moving…."
Not liking his odds in that direction after shooting Pietr, Nikolai had decided to go back into the garage and look for a better path to escape. He ripped open the door and found himself face to face with the beautiful brunette who had been looking for help less than fifteen minutes ago, except her face and coat were covered with blood, and she held a very large gun in her hand.
Nikolai then looked behind the brunette and saw two additional guns pointed at him. He tossed his weapon aside, dropped to his knees, and placed his hands on top of his head with the fingers interlaced. Then, just as Cole put a pair of cuffs on Nikolai, Lou, and Anna came in behind him.
"Gde Volkov?" (Where is Volkoff?) Lou asked harshly, with no response from Nikolai. In a flash, Anna produced a switchblade with a seven-inch blade, the snapping sound of the blade locking into position startling the giant Russian.
"Put him on his back and unzip his pants," Lou commanded as Anna's lips turned into an evil smile.
"Lou, we are a civilized country. We don't do…"
"Shut it, Roan. This motherfucker is part of a plot against my president, and he's going to tell me what I want to know right fucking now." Lou's usually pleasing appearance suddenly hardened as she put her foot on Nikolai's neck. "Anna…."
Roan played along, desperately trying to hide the grin that was trying to come out as the big Russian's face paled in fear.
Anna placed a knee on Nikolai's sternum, then, while holding the knife in her teeth, unbuckled Nikolai's belt, unbuttoned the jeans, and pulled down the zipper. She then took the knife and slid it under the waistband of the boxers before suddenly yanking the blade upward, slicing open Nikolai's boxers and exposing his manhood.
"Posledniy shans pered tem, kak moy naparnik nachnet rezat'. Gde Volkov?" (This is the last chance before my partner starts cutting. Where is Volkoff?) Lou growled.
"Gone. I don't know where. He left yesterday. I swear."
"Your English is good. How do you contact him?"
"By phone. Only by phone. It's in my pocket."
Lou nodded, and Anna stepped away from Nikolai and slipped the knife back into its hiding place as Cole and Roan pulled Nikolai to his feet and fastened his pants. As they exited the garage, the tactical team arrived, having completely missed the party.
With Nikolai in custody and Mike declining medical attention at the scene, the team made their way back to the SIS building for further interrogation and to report up the chain to Washington. The bad news was that of the two key witnesses they needed, one was in a body bag, and the other in the wind. Hopefully, they could track Volkoff using Nikolai's phone, but they felt no closer to the mysterious puppet master.