Chuck was finding it difficult to keep his mind on the task at hand. He was following Sarah up and down University Avenue, or The Ave as he'd heard a few locals call it. He stayed several steps behind, watching passing pedestrians and cars to see if he flashed … or that's what he was supposed to be doing but his concentration kept getting pulled back to the mesmerizing figure eight-motion of Sarah's compact bottom.
Come on, Chuck. You know how to be disciplined. Like how you always wait until you clear an area in CODMW2 before taking bathroom or snack breaks.
He'd been more on task the first pass up The Ave when he'd expected to flash on nearly everyone, but he had relaxed and now his mind was wandering. His clothes were bugging him as well. Sarah had again changed his look, pulling out the oversized T-shirt and green jacket she'd bought for him, as well as a pair of miss-matched grey slacks that looked like they'd been taken from a Salvation Army rack. They spent a few minutes abusing his shoes into well worn shape and then Sarah topped him off with a long defunct Sonics fisherman's cap she'd found in a refuse drift against one of the bridge supports. Chuck had inspected it carefully, finding nothing crawling in it, but he still had his doubts.
Now, shambling around the U district with a couple of days' scruff on his face he knew he looked like a homeless person, particularly apparent by the way groups of people parted around him. He looked to see that his partner was still steadily gliding along in front of him.
What's she looking for? I am her partner, after all. She could at least fill me in on the plan.
Just as he finished the thought, he saw Sarah stumble straight into the arms of a middle-aged man walking the opposite direction. She giggled, tossed back her hair and smiled at the man, adjusting her black lenses. They exchanged a few more smiles and then, with another toss of her hair she was off again leaving the guy staring, bemused, in her direction.
What the hell was that? I thought we were supposed to be blending.
A minute later, further down the street, she repeated the performance. This time, as she leaned into the man, Chuck saw a flash of money in Sarah's hand before it disappeared into her shorts pocket.
She just picked his pockets!
Chuck had barely seen it. He didn't even see her open his wallet to take the money out, just a barely discernible image of a wad of bills disappearing into Sarah's pocket. One part of his mind was awed by the skill with which she did it and with the way she left the men slightly dazed and smiling, but another part of him disapproved. When the sidewalk in front of Sarah was clear he sped up until he was walking a couple of paces behind her.
"Sarah, what are you doing? Those weren't the bad guys. We can't just rob regular people."
"We don't have a lot of options, Chuck. Besides, both of those men could afford to lose it, considering the shoes they were wearing. And how else do you expect us to get money? You really want to go rob a bank?"
"No, I was kidding about that. But what do we do when those guys call the police? What do we do when they come looking for you?"
"They probably won't call the police since I didn't take their wallets. They'll just think they left the money somewhere. I've done this hundreds of times …" She faltered and looked at the ground for a moment. "… obviously not recently. Now quit walking next to me. We don't need anyone putting the two of us together."
Chuck couldn't exactly disagree with Sarah, first because she was usually right, but second, because he didn't have the slightest idea how they could get money without some kind of thievery. It was just a bit eye opening to see how easily Sarah could slip into her past … and how good she was at it.
"Okay, but at least give me the money. If the police do come looking for you it would look bad for you to have a wad of cash."
"That was the plan. Just not here, out in the open, or it'll be obvious that we're working together."
Chuck and Sarah continued their "harvesting" operation, moving to a different section of the U. district, but it soon became obvious that there weren't many people in the area that fit the profile Sarah was looking for. A little after 1pm they regrouped back on the West side of the I-5 bridge. Sarah looked dejected.
"I was really hoping this would be more efficient. How much did we get?"
"$460"
"Off of five people?" Sarah shook her head.
"And how much do we need?"
"I don't know exactly, but I'm not going to Casey's contact with less than $6,000."
Chuck nearly choked. "$6000! To call Beckman?"
"No, the majority is for the event that we need to disappear permanently. We'll need passports, among several other things. I'm not saying it's the most likely outcome, but if it's what we need to do then I don't want to have to come back a second time after we've scraped the cash together. We see him once or not at all."
"Okay, $6000 it is." He thought about the numbers for a moment and tried to sound nonchalant. "Well, we just made $460 in about three hours so that's only thirty-seven or so more hours until we hit $6000."
The look Sarah gave him made him feel as if he'd failed remedial arithmetic.
"Chuck, do you think I can carry on picking people's pockets like this for a week without someone alerting the police? Robbing a few people isn't as risky but $6000 worth? Besides, I don't want to be out of contact with Beckman for that long and ..." Sarah tucked her top lip between her teeth, eyes fixing on a distant point. "... and the Ring will eventually get the name of the contact ..."
Chuck knew exactly what thought had made her pause and, like Sarah, didn't want to think about it either.
"Okay, Sarah, so we continue our operation where people have more money, like by a ritzy mall or something."
"People don't carry much cash to malls. We would need to find a place where people carry a lot of cash and could afford to lose it."
"What about robbing drug dealers? They carry cash and wouldn't go to the police. And I wouldn't exactly feel bad about taking their money."
"Chuck, seriously? You want to go rob people with guns? Or more accurately, you want me to rob people with guns? Besides, if you don't like the thought of killing people, robbing drug dealers isn't the best idea. You rob a low level dealer of a day's revenue and there's a good possibility they're not long for the world."
"Okay, quit looking at me like I'm an idiot. I'm not the one who grew up with a life of crime." Sarah's eyes opened wide. "Oh god, Sarah. I'm sorry … again. I don't know why I keep saying stupid things."
Sarah sighed deeply. "No need to apologize. It's true."
"Well, now I feel like an ass. Look, you should be proud of your past because it's what's saving our butts right now. I'm just dead weight at the moment."
Sarah's dejected look turned to a sly smile.
"Dead weight that knows where to find tasty muffins and coffee."
"Damn straight."
"And I appreciate that you're trying to help with ideas to get money. I would tell you to leave that up to me, but at the moment I'm not coming up with anything. I'm just not focusing. Maybe I need to eat something."
"Lunch? That's a fantastic idea, but let's not eat here. How about down by the water somewhere? You know, enjoy a little sun … a little view."
Chuck had been hoping for a little quality time with Sarah on this trip to test the waters and see how close she was to Shaw. As badly timed as it was, he was still determined.
"This isn't a vacation, Chuck."
"Of course it isn't. See, we'd be going down to the water because … Carole Takai's boat is moored on Lake Union, right? Maybe we could catch her meeting with her Ring contact there. It would be like surveillance."
This got a smile from her. "You're so full of shit."
"While that may be true it's still nicer to get your head straight in a place that doesn't have 18-wheelers thundering over your head. Tell me I'm wrong."
"Okay, fine."
"Really?"
"Yes."
She must need lunch or something. That was way too easy.
The mismatched pair meandered through the neighborhood towards Lake Union as if they were taking a relaxing weekend stroll, passing joggers and dog walkers as they went.
"You know, Sarah, you're having to relive your past life of crime, I'm having to deal with the fact that I killed someone yesterday, and we're both being hunted by a criminal intelligence agency … but it's a damn beautiful day, isn't it?"
"Mmmm, it is … but you know what would make it perfect?"
"What's that?"
"A shower."
"Oh, don't even tease me like that. My clothes feel like they're sticking to me."
"I won't just tease. I'll make it a reality."
Chuck looked to see that Sarah's attention was focused on a couple hopping into a Subaru which was packed to the gills with camping equipment and topped with a pair of kayaks. The couple ran through a quick checklist in the car then took off.
"Seems like they won't be needing their house for a little while. Let's take a look, shall we?"
Chuck, attempting to stick with the spirit of what he'd said earlier, decided not to, once again, question the morality of Sarah's intentions.
"Okay, just promise me we won't get caught."
"I promise … that I'll do my best to make sure we don't get caught."
"That's encouraging."
Sarah … being impractical? This is new.
Sarah rifled through her pack, found what she was looking for, and led them across the street to the house's front porch. She rang the doorbell and waited nearly a minute before telling Chuck to stand behind her and screen her from the street. Chuck wondered about the prudence of looking like a homeless person standing on the porch of a house in a good neighborhood, but Sarah didn't seem to give it a second thought. She leaned into the door and stood on her toes to peer through its decorative glass, like she was looking to see if anyone was home. Meanwhile, her hands were working the lock with a small Allen wrench and a piece of wire bent into a series of ridges. Less than half a minute later they were walking through the door.
"Sorry, that would've gone smoother if I'd had the proper tools instead of the ones I stole from that garage in Tacoma."
"Oh, gee, I thought you were just slipping or something. That took, what … a whole twenty seconds." Chuck rolled his eyes for Sarah's benefit. "You know you're just bragging now, right?"
Sarah ignored him and was scanning the entrance. She found a sheet of paper on an entryway table and read it out loud.
"Sarah, you have our cell numbers if you need to get a hold of us, but if you can't reach us, the number for the ranger's station is 360-555-2128. We're expecting a package either tomorrow or the day after, so let us know if it doesn't arrive. Otherwise, if you want to hang out, feel free to raid the fridge and use the entertainment center as you like." She stopped reading. "Apparently they expected me."
"I don't think they wrote that for you."
"How do you know, spoilsport?"
Sarah stuck her tongue out at him and wandered further through the house, a happily cluttered two story craftsman. She seemed almost manically cheery while peering at the décor and furniture. Chuck wondered at her uncharacteristic mood but was immediately drawn to the entertainment center with large flat screen, Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, and a library of games and DVDs.
"Leave it, Chuck."
"What? I was just looking."
"Mmm-hmm. The way a wolf is 'just looking' at an injured caribou. The less we touch, the less we have to put back the way it was later."
Chuck mumbled under his breath. "Who's the spoilsport?"
"It looks like they've already brought in the mail and paper for the day so this 'Sarah' person may not be by 'til tomorrow. Still, we can't be sure so, while one of us takes a shower, the other will have to be lookout. Who showers first?"
"Ladies first."
"Oh, I see. We're still living in the 1950s?"
"Okay, fine. I'll go first."
Sarah's mock annoyance evaporated.
"No, you're right, I think I will go first."
"We could go at the same time." Chuck smirked and Sarah smiled back in a way he could swear was flirtation.
"Nice try, but someone has to keep watch … which would be you since I'm going first. Three knocks if you see someone coming."
She grabbed her pack, climbed the stairs to the second storey, and disappeared around the corner with a broad smile on her face. Chuck followed the sound of her steps wondering again at the change in her mood. She had seemed almost coquettish, arguing about who got the first shower and teasing him about the video games. Then he remembered the joke she had so casually made the day before, about them not having had sex in the McDonald's bathroom.
And didn't she say something last night like, 'that's what she loved about me'. Could this be another thaw between us?
He took up position in the shadow of the entertainment center, opposite the big front window where he could see anyone approaching the front walk.
I know she's been seeing Shaw and all and I can't blame her for that. That bastard is a genetic masterpiece … and I guess it did look like I rejected her in Prague. But I don't know how serious they are. Jeez, I thought I'd gotten good at reading her but I can't tell what she's thinking now.
Chuck became alert as a lone female came up the sidewalk in front of the yard but she passed the path to the porch and continued up the street.
Does she think that we're continuing from where we left off at that train station?
The idea attempted to germinate into full-blown hopefulness but he tried to quash it, knowing his optimism often got the better of him. Shaw was more of a match for her than he ever could be, after all. Still, the idea that she was warming to him refused to die so, to distract himself, he thought about how nice a shower would be. Unfortunately this lead to him picturing what Sarah looked like while showering and then he was trying to keep two thoughts out of his head at the same time.
A few agonizing minutes later, he heard Sarah's voice from the top of the stairs. "Your turn."
He looked up to see her wearing the same shorts and T-shirt and toweling off her hair, which was now a somewhat lighter shade than before the shower.
"That took you, what … a little over ten minutes. I can't even get showered and dressed in that time … and I don't have long hair."
"Shaved my legs and brushed my teeth too."
"Bullshit."
This elicited a quick, gloating smile from Sarah.
"You know they taught us special techniques on how to shower quickly at The Farm, right? It's a critical skill for an agent."
"Seriously?"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "No, not seriously. I'm just fast and you're slow. Speaking of which, get your butt upstairs and take your shower if you want one. And don't take forever."
"Whatever. I'm totally fast."
"You shower like a girl. Now go."
Chuck ran upstairs, determined to prove Sarah wrong. After stripping off his homeless gear and jumping in the shower he found it difficult not to think about how the banter between them had become so light and easy all of the sudden. The idea that things were warming between them returned, even though he knew some of it was due to their situation, being isolated from their normal life. In his heart he knew he couldn't give up hope until there was none. She was the only one who could make him feel so out of sorts and, at the same time, so perfectly happy in his own skin. He thought about all the moments they'd had between them and how it felt like they'd formed a connection that transcended all their differences and all the barriers.
Chuck noticed he'd spaced out in the stream of hot water and hurriedly finished his shower. He toweled off, brushed his teeth with the Fred Meyer toothbrush and toothpaste, and dressed while staring at the blonde stranger in the mirror. Tossing the toiletries in his pack he ran down stairs, waiting to hear it from Sarah about the sedate pace of his bathing habits. Instead, he found her sitting silently in an overstuffed chair, chin in palms, staring out the front window, deeply melancholy and faraway.
Whoa. She's not usually one for big mood swings like this.
"Hey, what's the matter?"
"What? Nothing. I'm fine." Sarah jumped up from the chair and grabbed her pack. "We should get out of here before the house-sitter comes over."
Chuck had seen her do it several times before, the way she'd cover an emotion she didn't want him to see by creating a sense of urgency for the moment. He had completely missed it at first but since he'd gotten to know her better, he was surprised how often she did it.
So why is she being so bipolar now?
A hint of intuition tickled the edge of his consciousness. The day before he remembered seeing her go through the same swing, manic to sullen, when she'd stolen that Honda. Then this morning he'd noticed she had a lighter step when they were walking over to the University District but she seemed really down when they regrouped under the bridge.
Irrationally happy followed by irrationally guilty. Like a Catholic, except with crime instead of sex. Oh no! And that means the flirting was probably just her being manic. It had nothing to do with me. Should have known it. I knew it was too good to be true.
Chuck's heart dropped swiftly from the high altitudes it had been flying since earlier that morning. The feeling had been too common after he'd first met Sarah, always hitting the highest highs followed by the lowest lows. He wouldn't let himself wallow in self-pity, however, as Sarah was still his partner and friend. Regardless of their lack of romantic ties, she at least deserved his help, as she was wrestling with the demons from her past life. A strange, slightly crazy idea occurred to him and he blurted it out before he thought better of it.
"You know. It'd be a shame to borrow these peoples' place for showers and not do anything for them in return. I noticed that, with the way they've got their components hooked up, they're missing out on better audio and video quality."
"Chuck, are you serious? It's best if we don't move anything. They'll never notice that we took showers but they'd definitely notice if we rearrange all their component connections."
"And then what? They'll call the police to report a criminal AV improvement? Come on, haven't you ever randomly done something nice for people? It's kinda fun"
"How long would it take?"
"Five or ten minutes. They've got everything I need."
"You really want to do this?"
"You gonna let me do this?"
Sarah's lips twisted sideways in contemplation. "Yes … but get going before I change my mind." Then more to herself, "This is crazy."
As she said it she began stacking magazines on the coffee table and then continued tidying up around the living room. Chuck attempted to keep his chin from hitting the floor, but rather than questioning the prudence of Sarah following along with one of his ridiculous ideas, he got to work. As he began pulling jacks and wrapping himself in cables, he heard Sarah humming while she worked.
Maybe I guessed right for once. Maybe this is what she needed.
Fifteen minutes later they stood side by side, surveying their handiwork.
"Thank you, Chuck … for the second time today." Sarah bumped him with her hip.
"For what? I didn't do anything."
"That's how you're gonna be, huh. Well, thank you anyway. I don't suppose you have any ideas for how we could make some cash, do you?"
"I thought you were the expert."
"Honestly, I don't know how useful I am right now. All the sudden I'm second-guessing every decision I've made since the ambulance. Second-guessing leads to fear and next is paranoia. Paranoia is the enemy of every intelligence officer. It get's people killed. And on top of that I'm doing risky things like breaking into people's houses just to take a shower."
Chuck heard the rising level of frustration and irrationality in Sarah's voice and recognized in it something he'd seen both with his sister and with Morgan.
She needs food ... soon.
"Hey, hey … enough of that. You're the same bad ass Sarah Walker I've always known. We haven't been caught yet and that's all been due to you. Now we're going to go down to the water to eat a nice lunch. We'll both get our perspective back in place and then we're going to come up with a brilliant idea together that's going to get us out of this."
"Wow, you have a lot of faith."
"I have faith in you because you've never let me down and I have faith in us because we're a good team together. Now let's get moving because we're hungry and we shouldn't stay here any longer."
Sarah gave Chuck an appraising look and a slow smile crept from her lips to her eyes.
"Still down by the water, huh."
"I'm telling you … surveillance."
"Uh-huh." She shook her head, laughing. "Alright, you, off we go."