Let us do something, while we have the chance, partner.
Still don't own Chuck.
"That is all her."
-Chuck episode 3.17
Chapter 10—the Notes
Chuck and Hiram had just finished their discussion at Castle. The others were in the office waiting. Chuck spent a considerable amount of time on the note explaining that Fulcrum was behind the attacks, and that their plans seemed to be focused on oil. Then he encoded it. The Telegraph keypad clicked on and on while he was sending the message. When he finished he gave the sheet of paper to Sarah to read. Lisa looked over her shoulder and Chuck nodded. Sarah gave the paper back and he crumpled it and threw it in the fire.
Chuck shook his head, "It will be a while before we hear something back. I need to check those tracks. Please go on your shopping trip."
"Chuck, are you sure?" Sarah asked.
"Yes, I have to check them. I really can't take everyone with me. That would be too hard to explain. And I need you and Casey to look after them." He pointed to map on the wall, "The track I'll be looking at is right here. If something happens and I am not back right away, please go to Ellie's tonight."
Sarah went to Chuck and whispered, "We need to talk."
"Excuse us," Chuck led her back to the exercise room. "What?"
"You're not doing this to lure them away from us. Are you?" Sarah's concern was evident.
"I have to check the track. There is no one else to look after them," Chuck's shoulders gave him away.
"Can't the Sheriff handle it?" Sarah was starting to plead.
"You have seen Sheriff Powell. Do you expect him to be able to handle someone like Tommy?" Chuck shook his head slightly and looked at her.
She closed her eyes, "No."
"Well then, please be careful," Chuck was coming closer to her and she was holding her hands out to go around his waist.
Casey knocked on the doorframe, "Sorry to interrupt, but you two need to get out here. The Telegraph has traffic."
Chuck spent a little time at the Telegraph and then with his book. "Well, not exactly what I had expected. We are supposed to go with them to San Francisco and wait for instructions. Nothing more than that."
Casey grunted.
"Well, it will be fun," said Lisa.
"Yes," smiled Sarah. She was looking at Chuck, hoping they would be able to take time for that date.
Chuck's eye lit up with the same idea, "You know if…"
Casey broke in, "If you head out now, you might make it before sundown."
"Yes, might as well get this done," Chuck went over and opened the armory. He got an extra gun belt and the Winchester. With the rifle resting on his shoulder, he marched across the office. "You kids have fun. And please put it on my account. I'll be back." Chuck walked out of the room.
Sarah got up and followed. Lisa stood, but Hiram took her arm and shook his head. "Granddaughter, let them have a minute. You can see them later." They heard Casey growl.
"Chuck wait up," Sarah asked.
He slowed down and they walked to the horses together. She took his hand. He got the reins and moved to put his boot in the stirrup. She had been thinking about it from the time she left the office. When he looked at her, she looked into his eyes and got lost in the deep brown.
Chuck turned and looked at her. She had come with him like she wanted something. He knew that he did. The sun was shining through the window in the loft and danced on her golden halo. He got lost in her soft blue eyes. Locked in position, he heard the door on the office and swung up to the horse. He spent the rest of the morning wondering why, but bent down with his nose almost to hers.
She heard the office door and the stare was broken. He was on the horse in one mighty swing and bent down. She knew it had to be. It seemed like it was a normal thing. She went to her toes and kissed him. It lasted just a few seconds but felt like warmth came down around her. She felt the parting and already missed him.
"Be careful," was all he could say and headed out.
"You too," she said as she watched him go.
Casey called out, "We have some new traffic coming in."
Sarah went back to the office. When she got the first part of the message, she laughed. "My boss finally caught up with me." She copied down the message and then got silent. Sarah got up and got her purse off the chair she had been in earlier. She opened it and got a small booklet out.
The decoded message said, "Protect H&L Schwartz. Proceed to San Francisco. Await instruction. Roark location unknown. LG"
Sarah gave the message to Casey. "Should we expect a message for you?"
"Probably not here. I'll stop by the office in town and see what they have." Casey got up. "Let's get this started."
Chuck was following the trail by the railroad tracks. The trail was used often to repair the tracks and put out the occasional fire that was caused by the train. Chuck was out of town and only five miles away from the south bend trestle. There were a few ranch houses that were visible from trail. A few cattle loitered on one side of the tracks. No one was out in the fields on either side of the tracks. He was in a small valley that ended in a drop to another old wash. The trestle was there and went to the next hill.
Chuck continued wondering about Sarah and the kiss. It was new to him. He hadn't kissed a girl or woman like that since Jill. It broke his heart when she followed his friend and went to fight for the South. The week after, he graduated and joined the Union Army. Initially in the Cavalry, he finally found his fit in the Engineers. He remembered the end at the Siege of Petersburg. He was a Captain in the Engineering Battalion then, that's when his boss took notice and things began to happen. Following the surrender of the South, he was offered a job with the newly established Secret Service. Yes, he had been a mystery in the west. His cover name, Carmichael, had worked well. He knew though that all of those missions were just a cover. None of the women he met or had to kiss, ever meant anything. Sarah did.
The bullet whipped on its path and the sound reverberated in the valley. Chuck fell off the side of his horse. He was happy the ground was soft enough to cushion the fall. His shoulder was burning. He moved his right hand and drew his pistol out of the holster and kept it at his side. The waiting began. His horse stayed with him marking the spot.
Chuck waited. He could see to his right and fifty feet or so before the valley walls began to climb. He stayed as still as he could. The sound finally came. A single rider was approaching from his right. Keeping his eyes barely open he saw the horse as it was coming toward him.
The click of the hammer was noticeable above the sound of the horse and rider. In one smooth motion Chuck moved his gun into position and fired. The rider was hit, slumped in the saddle and fell off. Chuck went over to him quickly and kicked the gun out of his hand. He grabbed the reins of his horse. Going to his horse, he drew the Winchester from its scabbard. He saw nothing in the valley or on the rims. Leaving the man, Chuck got back on his horse and rode to the rim of the valley. No other riders were visible.
Going back to the valley floor, he checked the man. When he rolled him over and the face became visible, Chuck knew. It was Torrez. Chuck was checking his pockets for any papers. He got a sniff of it. He knew the smell. He had been in it and around it too much and too long building railroads, nitroglycerin. He was almost surprised Torrez hadn't blown up.
Chuck checked his watch. The train was due at the trestle in an hour. The top of his left shoulder was a dark red with dried blood. He knew that was good enough for now. He spent a minute making sure his tie downs were tight. He and his horse would make no noise. He put Torrez on his horse and got the reins. Getting on his horse Chuck knew his best choice was to get back on the ridge and go down the other side. If he could sweep around, he could come up the wash, and hopefully be behind them. With Torrez in front of the trestle, it seemed reasonable that they would have split putting one at the trestle and one in front and behind. He could only hope the middleman did not hear the gunfire from before.
Chuck made the ridge and went to the dry wash down the side. Tying off Torrez and his horse to an old cottonwood Chuck continued. The wash was lower than the surrounding area and offered good concealment. His stealth did the rest. He moved into position with a half hour before the train was scheduled to arrive. Using binoculars he looked over the structure of the trestle and saw the boxes that could hold the nitro. Then he saw the middle rider. He swept the area to make sure the other was not here but down the line. Chuck thought for a second, but could think of no other way. He hated this and knew there would be another one of the three he would have to deal with. Sighting his rifle he squeezed off a shot and rode hard up to the trestle. The man was down and not moving. Chuck swung down checked him and got back on his horse. He rode back up the hill as fast as he could. He saw the other man approaching and fired as rapidly as he could. The man went down and his horse came to a stop.
Chuck went up to him. It was Martin. Putting him on the horse, he knew he did not have much time. He rode back the trestle and tied off Martin's horse at the bottom of the trestle. After studying the trestle, he went to the top of the trestle climbed down over the edge and got the first box. He knew fast moves were not an option and slowly got the box to the top. Walking quickly off the side of the trestle he put the box behind a big boulder. Then after running to the other side, he went through the same procedure. He got the box away from the trestle. He was surprised the old shack was still there but it served the purpose of hiding the second box.
Chuck looked inside and got the sledgehammer. Walking back to the trestle, he finished his job for the San Pedro Rails. He secured the track and support. It would hold for a while and the sway would stop. He knew Moses would not like it, but two of the support beams needed to be replaced. It would cause at least a day of no travel over the trestle. Then there were still some cleanup things to deal with, the three dead men.
It was afternoon when Chuck tied up his horse and the others at the Sheriff's office. Sheriff Powell met him outside. "What do you have for me, Chuck?"
"That's Torrez, Martin, and Waller. They are wanted. Marshal Casey was sent to get them. I'll let him know you'll take care of them. Need anything?" Chuck asked. He saw the Sheriff nod and explained the incident and the Nitro. "So, was there anything on the train?"
"Oh yeah, a big gold shipment," the Sheriff replied.
"Well, do you need anything else?" Chuck asked.
"No, that's good. We'll take care of it." He smiled, "You better head to Castle first. You look like you need to clean up, or you'll be explaining why you have so much blood on you to your sister again."
Chuck rubbed his shoulder. It did hurt. "Thanks. Good point, I'll see you later."
Chuck continued around the outskirts of the town in hope that he would not have to explain to much of what happened to anyone. It did not work. When he hitched his horse at Castle, they were all waiting for him. He winced as they came running to him.
"Chuck, what happened?" Sarah was almost yelling.
Lisa was right behind, "Chuck, are you okay?"
Before they got to him, he held up his hands. "It's okay. I am all right. Just need to wash off."
"You got shot?" they said.
"Well, yeah. But it's only a flesh wound. I mean, it really is." He moved away a little.
They took his hand and led him off. He saw Casey smiling and Hiram shaking his head. "Ah, thanks guys."
They led him into the shower in the exercise room. "Hey, some people here don't get to see me in…"
"Chuck, just take your shirt and under shirt off. What is that smell?" Sarah asked.
"Just a little Nitro." Chuck said.
"What, the big railroad man had to blow up another mountain for progress?" Sarah said.
Chuck stepped back, "No," and closed the curtain around the shower.
Lisa looked at Sarah, "What?"
Sarah was immediately sorry, "Chuck? Chuck? Look, I am sorry. Old habit."
Lisa tried, "Chuck, come on."
"Sarah, you don't need to be in here with Lisa. Please. I'll be alright." Chuck was a little sharp.
The girls left and went out to the office. They saw the Sheriff riding up to Castle. Casey went out to greet him. Casey was out there for quite a while. They saw him wave at the Sheriff and come back in.
Sarah asked, "What did he have to say?"
"He gave me the paperwork for Torrez, Martin and Waller. Seems Agent Carmichael was a bit busy. He caught them preparing to blow up the trestle and rob a gold shipment from the train. They are dead." Casey looked at Sarah and shook his head, "The Sheriff asked that we check on Chuck. To make sure he is okay?"
Sarah thought back to the events after Palos Verdes and Chuck looking out over the ocean, "No." She ran back into the exercise room. She was crying when she pulled the shower curtain back. She thought for sure that he would still be wearing his pants, "Chuck, I'm…"
"You're eyes. You're Eyes! You Can See! You Can See! Sa..ra.." Chuck grabbed the towel and covered himself. "Okay, what?"
When she pulled the curtain back, her eyes got wider and wider. She couldn't help but stare. Her name finally broke it and the towel, well. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. I, wow, I didn't mean that. Sorry," she was just standing there looking at him.
"Well," he had been thinking the whole time how he had snapped at her. "I am sorry too. I apologize. I should never be like that to you or Lisa. I am sorry." He saw her taking in all of his scars and wounds. He wanted her to focus on something else but did not come up much. "And I could use a little help cleaning the wound," Chuck moved his shoulder to her. It was bleeding and still looked dirty.
She moved closer to see, "I am sorry, Chuck. I did not…I thought you would still have your pants on. I…came to…"
"Don't worry," he smiled. "You're starting to get wet. Please let me finish. I'll get my pants on and then you can clean the wound."
Sarah went back to the office to wait. Her cheeks were still bright red.
Casey looked at Lisa, "Don't ask."
Hiram smiled at Sarah, and nodded to Lisa, "Don't tell." They all smiled at each other. Sarah got a cup of coffee and sat at the table.
In a little they heard Chuck call out her name. "Excuse me," she said putting her cup down.
Sarah went back to the exercise room. Chuck was over by a table. He had spread out his medical supplies to clean the wound. He sat on the chair next to the table. "Thanks for doing this."
"Chuck, it is no problem. The Sheriff stopped by and told Casey what had happened. I can't believe…" Sarah stopped.
Chuck jumped in, "Please. Please don't." His face was drooping with sorrow. "Please don't think I am a killer."
She cradled his head in her hands and bent down even with him, "I know you are not. You are the nicest, caring man I know. I know there was no choice, there never is. It is okay."
"Yeah," he looked down.
"Yeah. Now sit up and I'll clean that wound," Sarah told him.
They finished up and joined the others in the office. Sarah went back to her cup and refreshed it. She brought one to Chuck.
Casey was scribbling on a paper, "Anything about the events today that tie in with our problems?"
Chuck thought for a second, "No, there wasn't anything new about them. The Sheriff said it was a gold shipment on the train. But I can't think of anything that ties to."
"Fine," Casey grunted and crossed out something on the paper. "By the way, this is yours." He gave him a bank note for twenty thousand dollars. "That does not count the three today or Tommy. And here is a letter for you."
Chuck held it, staring. If he could, he would have turned the note into a flame right then. He said, "No," and put it in his pocket along with the letter.
Sarah was a bit surprised. She really did not know what to expect. But if he kept that money he wouldn't be much better than her dad. She could not see Chuck with that money. She knew in the back of her mind that he would be having a problem too.
Chuck sat there for a minute and a smile came. He knew what the letter would say. He also knew what his next steps where going to be. "Well, I have to stop by the store on the way. How about everyone head over to the house, if Ellie is there, tell her I'll be spending a little money on her tonight. The old gold train did come in. I'll bring back dinner."
Everyone started to get their things. The horses were still hitched and they headed out. Chuck turned toward town and the others went straight toward Ellie's. After a few blocks, Sarah said, "I'll catch up with you. See you at Ellie's."
Sarah turned back to town. She wanted to find out what Chuck was going to do. His comments about the killings and then the money did not match. But she had to make sure. Had her knight, her rider, turned into her father?
Chuck went into Big Mike's. "Hey, big guy. Need to get a couple things for tonight."
"Sure Chuck. Anything you want." Big Mike moved up to the counter, "What do you want?"
Sarah positioned herself across the street and saw Chuck dismount and enter the store. When she saw that his back was to the door, she quickly made it across the street and next to the corner. She ran down to the end of the store and through the back door. She looked around, no one was in the storage room, so she proceeded. She heard Big Mike ask what Chuck wanted, and listened to the rest.
"Well, I came into a little money this afternoon, not a big strike, but enough. I want to get something for my girls. It has to be good." Chuck shuffled along the counter. "What are those like?"
"Oh, the Rubies. I would think the girls would really like them. They are a real kick," Big Mike observed.
Sarah could only see Chuck's waist and the counter through the boxes and crates in the back. She saw the display case and remembered it from this afternoon. Lisa had commented how nice the rings and necklaces were and that she had some before they were kidnapped.
"Well, how about those?" Chuck asked.
"The pearls. They are special. Real smooth," Big Mike smiled.
"Is that something new over here?" Chuck moved a little further down the counter.
"Why yes, just got those. It is turquoise. Like blue ice," Mike said.
"And the big rocks?" Chuck asked.
"Got enough for any girl," Big Mike responded.
"Well, I take…" Chuck continued, but Sarah had to move. Someone else had come in the store. She was afraid of being seen. All her thoughts for Chuck were being dashed on those rocks. He was using the money to buy jewelry for her and Lisa, or even worse, for some other girls.
Chuck finished, "I have to stop by the bank. I'll have a card to go with it. If you could ask Morgan to deliver…" She had to move again. Then she heard him heading out the front. She went back out of the store and saw Chuck going down the walk to the bank. Again she managed to get to the corner of the bank. She saw him inside. The bank's manager and two others were with him. They were patting him on the back and shaking his hand. She saw him bend over and sign something and again backs were patted and hands shaken. She could only imagine that he had paid something off and it was just like her father. After her mother had died, he wasn't himself. He spent money on jewelry and presents for women and girls that were there less than a day. She couldn't believe it was happening to Chuck, her rider.
A/N Okay Partners, little railroad construction
Nitroglycerin was used in railroad construction for the hard rock blasting through mountains. While Dynamite was introduced and used earlier in the crate, Nitro could have been available at the time as it was made on location by the railroad construction crews. See Wikipedia.
Hope you enjoy.
Partner, them gophers are coming. The only way I can hold them off is with some reviews. Don't forget to write.