Chapter 11 – Day Three, 7:55 AM

Chapter 11 – Day Three, 7:55 AM

Chuck's phone rang again. This time it wasn't Morgan. It was Ellie. Sarah looked up at him.

"Aren't you going to answer it?"

Chuck froze for half a second. Then nodded automatically. "Y-Yeah. Of course." He answered. "Hey, Ellie!" He swallowed. "Sarah? Yeah… I'm with Sarah."

Sarah slowly raised an eyebrow. Chuck instinctively took half a step backward, as if putting more distance between himself and the lie might somehow make it more convincing.

"Morgan? Oh… right. He called. I just… you know… there was this thing. I couldn't answer."

A pause. Chuck's expression became increasingly strained. "Uh-huh… Okay. I'll find him."

He hung up. Silence immediately settled over the room. Sarah stood there with her arms crossed. "'This thing'?"

Chuck attempted an innocent smile. "It's a very… context-dependent expression."

"Chuck."

"Okay, okay… Morgan's in trouble."

Sarah's expression didn't change. "And?"

Chuck sighed. "And… I'm apparently the one who has to fix it." He smiled tiredly. "Looks like I'm rescuing the Bearded Wonder again."

Sarah exhaled softly. "Big Mike?"

Chuck nodded. "Something involving missing inventory, the wrong customer… and a level of detail I'm honestly afraid to ask about."

Sarah considered it for a moment. "Morgan got himself mixed up in something."

"As usual," Chuck replied automatically. Then he realized what he'd said. "I mean… This one's bigger."

Sarah walked over to a computer terminal. "How much time do we have?"

Chuck checked his phone. "According to Morgan… not much."

Sarah nodded. "Then we'll deal with it quickly."

Chuck blinked. "What?"

She was already typing. "Yes."

Chuck frowned. "Sarah… This is Morgan."

She didn't even look up. "And?"

Chuck spread his hands. "Shouldn't we be focusing on Mariana… the bomb… and whatever global conspiracy we're caught in?"

Sarah finally looked at him. "Those things aren't mutually exclusive."

Chuck smiled. "Fair point."

A brief pause. "You know… Sometimes I forget your definition of a normal day is a little… flexible."

Sarah shut down the terminal and stood. "Let's go."

Chuck looked surprised. "Right now?"

"We're already late."

Chuck nodded. Then smiled. "So… It's official. We're running off to save the world… because Morgan did something stupid."

Sarah looked at him. "Nothing new there."

Chuck followed her toward the exit. "I know." He smiled to himself. "I just haven't gotten used to it yet."

Together, they climbed the stairs out of Castle. And for the next few minutes… their race against Mariana would have to wait. Because Morgan Grimes had somehow managed to create another crisis. Which, for everyone involved… felt strangely normal.

Morgan was wringing his hands when Chuck and Sarah walked into the Buy More. "Dude!" His face lit up with relief. "I am so glad to see you." He glanced at Sarah. "And Sarah… you look amazing today, by the way."

Sarah rewarded him with a faint smile. "Ellie said you were in trouble. What happened, Morgan?"

Morgan swallowed nervously before looking back at Sarah. "Could Chuck and I have… just a minute?"

Sarah didn't like the idea. It showed for the briefest moment. Still, she nodded politely. "I'll be over there."

She wandered toward the other side of the store, casually pretending to browse through a display of DVD players. Chuck knew better. She wasn't shopping. She was watching. "So?" Chuck asked.

Morgan leaned in. "I went along with one of Jeff and Lester's brilliant business opportunities."

Chuck closed his eyes. "Morgan…"

"They said they had a friend." "A guy who makes great investments."

"Morgan."

Morgan swallowed hard. "I know, Chuck. I know. Don't hate me. The thing is… an entire pallet disappeared from the warehouse."

"Oh, my God. Morgan! Where are Jeff and Lester?"

"They went on…" Morgan hesitated. "…an off-site installation."

Chuck stared at him. "They're trying to get it back."

"Get what back?"

Morgan looked everywhere except at Chuck. "From a self-storage facility. On Twenty-Seventh Street."

Chuck slowly closed his eyes. "This… doesn't sound good."

Morgan looked genuinely desperate. "Chuck… You can help, right?" It wasn't really a question. Chuck sighed and nodded. "I'll do what I can."

He turned toward the exit. Sarah appeared at his side almost immediately, slipping her arm through his. "So? Did they fix it?"

Chuck shook his head. "No. I have to go out to a storage facility on Twenty-Seventh Street."

Sarah studied him for a moment. "Morgan's in serious trouble. I have to help him."

She nodded once. "I'm coming with you. I just need to run down to Castle and grab a few things. I'll bring Casey. Wait here."

She leaned closer, speaking softly enough that only Chuck could hear. Then she kissed his cheek. Her voice had been light. Her smile effortless. To anyone watching, they looked like an ordinary couple. Chuck knew it was part of the cover. But he didn't care. It still felt good. And somehow… knowing Sarah had his back made everything seem just a little more manageable.

The self-storage complex on Twenty-Seventh Street looked like an industrial beehive. Perfect rows. Identical steel doors. Unit numbers glowing beneath fluorescent lights that made the entire place feel orderly… as though everything here was under control. Chuck immediately spotted the Nerd Herd van. Jeff and Lester, however, were nowhere to be seen. A black Crown Victoria glided between the rows like an approaching storm cloud. Casey climbed out, already grumbling. "We're wasting valuable time on this." He slammed the door shut. "I'm gonna wring those idiots' necks."

They stepped out together. Sarah moved beside Chuck, quietly scanning every angle of the storage yard. She didn't answer. She simply watched. "No movement," Casey muttered. "Complete waste of time."

Sarah glanced sideways at Chuck. "Stay in the center aisle. If anything happens, call it in."

Chuck nodded. "Like always."

"Like always," Sarah confirmed. There wasn't the slightest hint of playfulness in her voice. She was too alert. Too tense.

As they entered the maze of storage units, Chuck walked cautiously down one of the rows. Every footstep echoed off the corrugated metal walls. "Jeff? Lester?" His voice disappeared into the silence. Nothing. Only the faint hum of fluorescent lights overhead. Then— Clunk. Chuck froze. "Did you guys hear that?" he whispered into his communicator.

Sarah answered immediately. "I did." "Stay where you are."

Another noise. Closer this time. Chuck slowly ducked behind a trash bin left in the aisle. "Okay… That definitely doesn't sound like missing inventory."

Casey's voice came over the radio, harder now. "Walker. I've got movement in the east sector. I'm on my way."

Chuck swallowed. Then he saw it. One of the storage-unit doors stood slightly open. Light spilled through the gap. Voices. Movement. "Sarah…" he whispered. "I found something."

"Don't go inside." Her reply came instantly. Too late. Chuck was already standing in front of the door. He hesitated for one heartbeat. Then stepped inside. His heart skipped a beat. "Okay…" he whispered. "This is officially worse than I expected."

Sarah's voice sharpened in his earpiece. "Chuck. Don't move."

Too late. A voice spoke from somewhere behind the stacks of boxes. "So… You must be the boss."

A lanky man covered in tattoos stepped out from behind a pallet. He looked like exactly what he was— a low-level street thug. His oversized Red Bulls jacket hung loosely from his shoulders, and he lazily waved a pistol in one hand. "Me?" Chuck pointed to himself. "No, no, no. I'm just the manager of the Nerd Herd at Buy More."

"Whoever you are… You're not getting your merchandise back."

Chuck swallowed. "Actually… I kind of need it. My friend's in serious trouble if those products don't make it back."

"I'll show you who's in trouble." The man raised his gun— —but before he could aim, Sarah exploded into motion. She came in from the side with a flying roundhouse kick. Her boot connected with his temple. The thug collapsed like an empty sack.

Casey looked down at the unconscious man. "That was easy." He sounded almost disappointed. Then he looked at Chuck. "The morons are locked in another storage unit out back. Should we let them out… …or leave them there a little longer?"

Chuck couldn't help smiling. "I think they've probably learned their lesson."

Then he looked around the unit. It was packed floor to ceiling with stolen electronics. Televisions. Game consoles. Computers. Boxes everywhere. His eyes swept across the room— —and suddenly stopped. Hidden among the electronics… was the briefcase. Chuck's eyes widened. "Guys… You're not going to believe this. We found it!" He lifted the briefcase high above his head with a huge grin.

Sarah immediately took possession of the briefcase. Casey dragged the unconscious thug out of the way. Meanwhile, Chuck located the storage unit where Jeff and Lester had been locked inside. Even before he opened the door, he could hear them arguing. "Jeffrey!" Lester wailed. "I can't go to prison! They'll shank me on the first day!"

"If you rat me out… I'll shank you first!" Jeff shot back with complete conviction.

Both men froze when Chuck yanked the door open. "Jeff. Lester." They stared at him. "Charles!" Lester blurted out far too enthusiastically. "Oh, thank God you're here!"

"Idiots," Casey muttered from behind Chuck. Lester instantly fell silent. Jeff took one cautious step backward. "Look… This isn't what it—"

Chuck raised a hand. "I don't care." Silence. "You're putting every single piece of stolen merchandise back in the Buy More. And you are never… ever… dragging Morgan into one of your brilliant ideas again."

Jeff swallowed. "What about Big Mike?"

Chuck thought for a second. "Not. One. Word."

Lester nodded so hard Chuck thought his neck might snap. "We swear!"

The two of them bolted out of the storage unit and immediately started hauling boxes toward the Nerd Herd van. Casey watched them go. "It's a miracle they're still alive."

By then Sarah had already disappeared with the briefcase. Slowly… the tension inside the storage warehouse began to fade.