Chapter One
The cost of freedom
"If you do this, if you go, you're going to be a spy for the rest of your life. Every city is going to be a new mission and a new identity and you're not going to be the same person."
Chuck wide eyed looked around at the all the people down in castle. Turning back to face Sarah.
"Yeah that's a good thing." Hoping that Sarah would be as excited as he was.
Sarah grabbed his hand slightly in hers and gave a slight glance to those around her hoping that no one was close enough to hear what she had to say. "Chuck listen. We could…"
"We could what?"
Chuck was a bit worried by how Sarah was looking at him. As her voice softened Chuck leaned in. "We could run….Together….You and me…We go now and never look back."
Chuck backs off slightly and looks at her. "Are you serious?"
"I have some money saved up. I'd have to get us some new identities. Create an escape route." Sarah was now holding onto Chuck's whole hand. "For now, go to the training facility in Prague, then meet me at the Nadrazi train station in three weeks time at 7:00 then I can figure the rest out later."
Chuck looks down at their hands. It was the first time in a long time that, that holding her hand felt this good, felt right. Looking back up at her. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, I want to be a real person again. With you. This is what you want right? I mean, this is it. Chuck. Will you run away with me?"
Chuck smiles slightly but it quickly turns to a full smile that he shares with Sarah. Sarah intwines her fingers with his.
"Yeah."
Sarah walks off with Chuck and finds a quiet place as they embrace. Sarah kisses Chuck then exits. Turning slightly as she reaches the stairs. "In three."
Chuck looks up and nods.
Joint Special Ops Training Facility – Prague
Chuck tossed his bags on his bed as he looked around. He left LA lying to his sister again. Like Casey said, it will only be for six weeks. But the three weeks couldn't come fast enough. Casey hung around, almost too close for comfort and Chuck knew it wasn't for his health but that the big guy didn't really want to go home, that he had grown attached, to Chuck. Casey stayed close and clearly portrayed that protectiveness over Chuck and having strangers take over his duties, of watching over Chuck, didn't sit right. But Beckman had orders and so Casey backed off. Chuck kept up his routine and sessions trying not to think of what was coming. He had packed his bag and slid it under his bed.
The first week was Chuck was wired for sound. EKG's and a battery of tests to see what the 2.0 could do. After Bryce had uploaded it and sent it to Chuck two years before, this joint group tried to duplicate the original, but without the maker the creator it took them longer than they wanted. They felt a year ago when they uploaded the cypher their questions had answers, but it literally blew up. But somehow the 2.0 survived. Chuck took the tests in stride knowing that his father, his dad had to be behind this and thinking about their last conversation he had with his dad and his promise not to come near the intersect again. But Bryce changed that, Bryce risked his life to get rid of it to protect the world, Chuck had to do the same. Protect it from the world.
Chuck sat as the machine hummed and gathered their data, which he didn't think was worth the millions of dollars they tossed around to what it cost to pay for this up grade training. Plus he hadn't yet proved to them what he could do. He watched the technicians scurry around, not sure what to do. And the tests were inconclusive so they started again. The second week, Chuck woke up early and went to bed late, training his physical self. He preferred training with Casey and Sarah for that matter, this was hard core Rocky and Ivan Drago training, and he failed miserably in their eyes. But Chuck saw it as growth, a personal achievement that along with the Intersect made it work for him. Chuck knew that he would never be that spy, a spy like Sarah or Bryce or even Casey but he would be that spy that his father was. And to him his dad was his superhero. And when he closed his eyes at night he felt his dad was always with him. The third week finally came as Chuck grabbed his suit that he had picked out to wear. He wanted to look nice for Sarah and he hoped that Sarah would be there tomorrow night.
Chuck woke up and continued with his training but some divine intervention disrupted his training, so Chuck went back to his room and grabbed his bag. With all eyes elsewhere he slipped out with out being noticed and blended in with the crowd that had stretched out into the street. He was early but he rather be early than late.
Chuck sat down facing the train schedule and read the places that you could go to from this station. Germany, Spain, France, Russia, Swiss Alps, England. He wondered where Sarah had been and where she was planning to take them. Chuck looked at his watch and was surprised that no one had come to find him yet. He hoped that they were gone before that happen. Chuck got up and grabbed his bags and walked into the train yard towards the train deck, where he saw her. Sarah stood by her bags wearing a ¾ length coat and capri style pants and a pair of black high heels, which he loved seeing on her but he did like the height difference much better. Sarah looked up and smiled and inwardly sighed a huge relief when she saw him with his bags. He looked handsome, with his black coat, black pants and brown shirt which complimented his dark hair. He walked towards her and her heart skipped a beat or two. Facing him their lips met as it was a long over due kiss. A kiss that only meant that they were now together. Chuck took her hand in his and pulled her into an embrace. It felt so good to hold her, to feel her body next to his. Sarah held on longer than she wanted but when Chuck backed off, she followed. She looked down at her other hand where their passports and train tickets were and looked up at Chuck. "Here is you new passport and train ticket. Your new name is Hector Caldaron."
Chuck looked at her hand as she passed them on. Chuck looked at the passport. "Hector? Really?"
"Yeah, you look like a Hector."
"Why not Jorge? Something Amercian?"
Sarah could tell that the name didn't sit well with him. She leaned in. "I have four more you can choose from if you want."
Chuck gave her a faint smile, then turned when he heard the train horn. "Well we better board."
Chuck nodded then grabbed his and one of Sarah's bag as she grabbed the other. They boarded and found their car. It was bench seating, so Chuck knew that they wouldn't be on this train for long. Chuck slipped Sarah's one bag overhead next to his as she kept the other close by her side. He figured that it contained spy stuff.
Chuck took his coat off and hung it up and sat down across to where Sarah was standing. She too took her coat off and Chuck quickly got up and hung it up beside his. They waited as the ticket clerk came by to check their tickets and passports. He slid the door opened and said hello as Sarah slipped him their passports and tickets. He clipped the tickets then looked at the passports. He looked at them then back at Chuck and Sarah, then repeated. Handing them back, he tilted his hat. "Looks good Mr and Mrs. Caldaron. Have a pleasant trip to Vienna."
Sarah smiled. Then looked at Chuck. "What?"
"Mr and Mrs?"
"Yeah a couple is more believable than two individuals."
"So Mrs. Caldaron, what is your first name?"
Sarah smiled but kept her lips quiet. Chuck saw her close her passport. Chuck got up and reached for it. Grabbing it he sat down beside her and snuck a look as Sarah tried to get it from him. Chuck knew that she could but she kinda liked the attention. Chuck took a quick look and saw the name. 'Vanessa'
Chuck turned and sat back as Sarah took her passport and put it back into her bag. "So, you like the name Vanessa?"
"It sounded ok and it worked out."
Chuck leaned his palms on the bench next to him as Sarah did the same but again their fingers found each other, then as the train started to pick up speed. Chuck turned to face Sarah. The kiss was sweet, not urgent or rushed. They held hands and as the train was well on its way. Sarah finally started to relax but every sound and movement on the other side of their door kept her on high alert. Chuck got up and closed their make shift curtain giving them some privacy. Sarah didn't like when people lingered too long outside their door but as the train continued to move, the amount of people quieted down. Sarah didn't like to stay in one spot too long because that's when people to ask questions. And she had to get Chuck and her as far from Prague as she could. Distance themselves from their old life. If Chuck knew that she wanted to run away with him a year ago, after she left the note on his pillow he'd might question this one now. Black Rock was a small taste, of what it could be like, but Fulcrum was hot in their trail. Hoping now they could be normal. She took Chuck's phone and hers and took out their old SIM card out and replaced it with a new ones. Then snapped the originals in half. Then she reached for Chucks watch tossing them out the window. She also gave Chuck a burner phone. Chuck took his phones back and slipped them into his pocket. Knowing that it was to keep them safe.
VIENNA
It was past midnight when the train stopped in Vienna. She was tired and Chuck had been quiet for the last hour but never really slept. Maybe she too could get some sleep, but they had to reach Florence Italy first. This would give them a good head start if anyone was coming after them. Reaching the border, she hoped to grab the bus at the border of Italy and France then drive to their destination. She could have taken several direct routes but, this would give them an idea if they were being followed. If the same people or person happened to be with them at all their stops, she knew that they were made. But there could have been the odd person who just happened to take the same route, Sarah just had to be sure, so with every step they took, she took pictures. The train slowed down, and Sarah was up in a flash grabbing their jackets as Chuck sat up and grabbed their bags, it was rushed and fast. Sarah and Chuck slipped out of one train then onto another. This one would take them to the border, and they had eight hours to get some rest. Sarah slipped their tickets to the man as he clipped and returned them. As Sarah closed the door, she asked the clerk if there was anything open on the train. He turned and said yes. "At the back of the train."
"Thank you." Sarah sat down and watched Chuck fight the heaviness in his eyes. She knew he hadn't slept since arriving in Prague. She was quick to pick up on his looks when he was tired, hungry or disappointed she had seen enough of that look. But when he looked at her with his brown eyes it melted her heart it was real, he was real and the only thing she could say was stable in her life. Chuck finally succumbed to sleep. Reaching for his coat she watched, as he used his bag as his pillow. Sarah covered him with his jacket and gave him a kiss. Sarah slipped out and returned with a tray food, some water and a thermos of hot coffee. She sat back and took out her map and notes she wrote on the side of the map. Laying them out on the small table that separated her and Chuck. She looked over the times and routes and locations. All highlighted with back up routes. She checked off Prague and Vienna and looked at the route to Florence. They were a bit late, but she had accounted for the time delays and knew that if she missed the one bus there was another a few hours later. After that she had to find another route other than the bus to get them to their next stop. Slipping her coffee, she sat back and replayed her plan and what was happening back in Prague. She knew that they would look into her safe houses or known jaunts so where they were going had to be new or not known to anyone. She had learned from her dad that you always had to have one place to call home even if you never came home. She had seen that growing up. Apartments and trailers that were hidden among the mass of people and random cities. That if something happened you could find refuge for a few days. Sarah just hoped that the place would be good enough for Chuck. It was a small spec in the big world that they lived in. She looked at her watch and yawned, putting her cup down she folded up her map and put it back into her bag and she too used her one bag as a pillow.
Enroute to Florence
Chuck opened his eyes but was still tired. He got up and headed to the bathroom seeing that Sarah wasn't on her side. Walking down the narrow hall, she met him and smiled. She kissed him that helped wake him up. "Be right back."
"I'll wait?"
Chuck smiled them exited and returned a short while later. Sitting down Chuck saw the tray and looked at Sarah. "Go ahead, you must be famished."
"Yeah."
Chuck grabbed some water and down the first bottle and the opened the other. Sarah poured him a cup and he nibbled on the crackers and cheese and fruit.
"So, what's the plan and what's with my name. Hector. I'm not a Hector."
Sarah laughed. "Ok you can take a look at some of the others and see which one you like better. I got four."
"Four?"
"Yeah. You always want to have that many just in case. I still have our real ones in a mail box in Prague. So, we can always get back those if we want. Your life and mine ended in Prague."
"And the looking over the shoulder thing. When will that stop?"
"It might never, but it we will get to a place where you just accept it and live your life the best as you can. Your life in LA was safe and is safe. Your family is safe. Now even though you're not there they are safe."
"Won't they be looking for me in LA?"
"They might. But because your sister doesn't know really anything and Devon and Morgan no nothing as well, they won't come and ask them. Do you know where your Chuck is?"
"And Casey? We have to let Casey know?"
"He will figure it out. And if he comes for us sooner than later, we/he knows it's because something it wrong. Not because we left."
"So, your saying if I see the man himself in the next little while, we're in danger."
"Pretty much."
"And if we don't see him?"
"We can call him a few weeks, once we are settled. And as for Ellie she knows your gone for six weeks anyways so we take the three weeks, then you can call her closer to that time."
"And Morgan?"
"Again, we have three weeks."
"So where are we heading to now?"
"Italy?"
Chuck looked at her and the way she just said Italy, like it was nothing. "Then where?"
"Just try and enjoy the ride."
Chuck slid back and stretched his legs, he had something to eat and drink. He put his music on and as the train lulled him back to sleep, he looked at Sarah and she finally closed her eyes and he too felt safe enough to go back to sleep.
6:30 local time Florence Italy
Chuck woke everytime the trains horn sounded, looking over at Sarah, she didn't move. And she didn't move for the next three stops. Chuck finally fell asleep again. Sarah woke up just shy of 6:30, she had grabbed another tray and returned to their route. She had run through this trip in her mind for the last three weeks every steps mile and every possible threat major or minor. What could happen etc. But this was happening now. Their next feat was to catch the next bus out. They had less than 36 hours to get as far as they could before someone would be coming after them. Sarah packed the tray of food in the cloth napkins and was glad that she had grabbed a few paper cups to put their coffees in. As the train slowed down and she was glad that they had made up some time and was early. They could actually sit down and enjoy some time together before their bus arrived.
Sarah got up and leaned over to touch Chuck's cheek, to wake him but Chuck must have been dreaming, that he grabbed her and brought her on top of him in a warm embraced then kissed her. Sarah welcomed his lips and kissed him back. The way he kissed her and how he was kissing her now, made her feet tingle. Sarah pulled back as the train forged to a stop. Chuck opened his eyes and saw how close Sarah was. Sarah smiled then kissed him back. Seeing how close she saw she quickly spoke. "Did you sleep ok?"
"I guess and you? I'll sleep when we stop."
But Chuck knew that she slept a little. Sarah got up. Chuck looked at her as she grabbed her bags.
"We're leaving?"
"Yes. Chuck."