Chapter 14
I don’t own Chuck
They were sitting on the couch the next morning, drinking coffee. Chuck was sitting normally, Sarah wedged into the corner, her legs lying over his lap. She was drinking her coffee, while he was rubbing her legs. “Hey,” she said softly, making him turn his head toward her. “Definitely not Bryce.” Chuck couldn’t help but grin.
-ooooo-
“We need to meet, all of us,” Shaw barked into the Ring phone. He was sitting in an underground parking garage. “Volkoff is becoming mad, and do you know what he has done to other customers for not following through on the funds he was promised?!?” Shaw listened for a moment. “I KNOW WE HAVE NO MONEY!” Shaw was seething. Someone was bleeding the Ring dry and he had no idea who. It was driving him crazy. “Next week, Friday,” Shaw barked. “Yes, Volkoff will be there. We have to make him happy or it could be the end of all of us.”
Shaw turned off the phone, started his vehicle and drove away. He never noticed the parabolic mike pointed at his car from another car in a dark corner of the parking garage. The owner of the mike pulled out a phone and sent a message. If you really can do it, it’s time.
-ooooo-
Ellie reread everything Stephen sent to her and looked up at the screen. “So, this is it?” she asked.
“It is,” replied the digitized voice. “It may be our last shot.”
“You do know that I know you’re Stephen Bartowski, right Orion?” Casey asked, coming down the stairs.
“John!” Ellie yelled at him.
“Calm down, Ellie,” Casey said. Ellie found it interesting that she was the only person that Casey called by her first name. She secretly wondered if it was because she scared him. “It’s time we quit fighting this thing on multiple fronts and we all work together.” Ellie nodded. “Stephen?”
“He’s already making his plan and has broken off contact to me,” Stephen replied, letting them see his face and voice. “What do you need me to do?”
“Dad, come here, quarterback this operation from here,” Ellie said. Stephen looked uncomfortable. “You know we do have better equipment.”
“You do,” Stephen admitted.
“I swear to you on my picture of Ronald Regan that I’ll protect you,” Casey told him. “I want you and Ellie here.”
“You need someone, John,” Ellie told him. “In fact, maybe you need two someones.”
“Oh, Christ, no,” Casey muttered.
-ooooo-
“So this is how it is, you finally get the girl and now you ignore her?” Sarah teased him as Chuck was working on the laptop and looking at a map on the table. She squeaked as he spun and pulled her into a kiss. Chuck pulled away slightly. “I was kidding, but geez, I may kid more often if I’m going to get that kind of reaction out of you.”
Chuck’s computer had dinged while they were drinking there coffee. Sarah marveled at how he had moved into action. She worried about him, with the “Bryce Intersect” in his head, him being a spy…well, kind of, and this whole hacking thing, but she was quickly learning, Chuck Bartowski was still Chuck Bartowski. He was her guy. Her Chuck. Nothing had changed. He was still the same guy, just operating on a larger scale.
“I’ve cut all contact to the outside world,” he told her turning back to the table. He spun back to her, worry on his face. “Is that right? Is that what I should do?”
“Hey,” Sarah said, her hand on his arm. “What’s this?”
“Up until now, I’ve had all these…others out there…in case I need them. And-and, I know I have you, and you’re amazing but…” Chuck trailed off.
“Now you’re alone, with just me, no backup, no support, no intel from the outside, and we have to make the call,” Sarah told him gently. “Welcome to being a spy.” Chuck nodded. “What?”
“I’m so not cut out for this,” Chuck groused. Sarah laughed and his eyes went wide.
“Oh, God,” Sarah said, trying to sober her laughing. “Chuck…Chuck, you’ve been doing spy stuff for a few years now. You’ve saved lives, when not trained to. You’ve made calls in the field you shouldn’t have to. What you’re feeling right now is doubt, and I understand that, but Chuck…you’re good at this. Maybe not in the classical way that Graham, or Beckman, or Casey, or even I would do things, but Chuck…Baby-”
“Baby?” Chuck asked, his mouth dropped.
“Really,” she asked, pulling back her chin. “I wax poetic about your accomplishments and that’s what you focus on, me calling you Baby.”
“It’s what’s most important,” Chuck said with a shrug. “Not that the other wasn’t, but without you…” he shrugged again.
“Jesus,” she muttered.
“I’m sorry-” he began.
“I never had a chance against you,” she said, cutting in, shaking her head, smiling. “Never had one chance and I tried to kid myself for two damn years.”
“I didn’t even bother trying to kid myself about you,” Chuck replied making her laugh. They both stood there, lost in each other’s eyes. “Man, I hate to do this…”
“We’ve got work to do,” Sarah told him. “WE.”
“That can be taken sooooo many ways,” Chuck admitted. She smiled at him. “But for now, preparation.” Chuck turned back to the table, where the map was laid out. “Now, according to my bug, they’re going to Paris.”
“How did you bug a Ring phone?” Sarah asked.
“Oh, I didn’t,” Chuck replied. “I hacked into the computer of one of the Ring Elders and he listened to the call on speaker phone, a direct violation of their protocols,” Chuck told her. “That’s an old time trick.”“Hacking into someone’s computer, and listening to a phone call is an old time trick?” Sarah asked.
“No, waiting for a villain to be over confident and reveal their master plans is,” Chuck explained.
“And how did you learn of this old time trick?” Sarah asked.
“Chuck swallowed and his cheeks reddened. “Every classic movie, comic book, or pulp fiction book ever,” Chuck replied, scratching the back of his head, embarrassment on his face.
Sarah pressed her lips together, trying to hide the amusement on her features. “I see,” Sarah said. “Well, it worked.” Chuck beamed. “So, tell me the rest.”
Chuck pointed at the map. “We have to go to Paris and set up, and I happen to know you do have a safe house there.”
“I do,” Sarah said. “What about Volkoff?” Chuck looked at her and she smiled at him. “I get intel as well.”
“Are you still getting it?” Chuck asked, concerned.
“I have gone officially dark,” Sarah told him. “It’s just me and you.”
“Volkoff is being handled by my team,” Chuck told her. Sarah gave him a look. “Team Bartowski.”