Don't own Chuck
Suddenly Luiz's world was turned upside down. He was thinking about the altar his mother had built at home and the father cult she had ingrained in him. Etching what was now clearly a lie on his brain about how noble his father was. Now she was admitting that the rumors and whispers he had heard were true realizing that he had even killed to protect that lie.
"What have you done to me? Are you telling me I killed that man the other day for trying to tell me the truth. And your friend on the Annabel Lee… you and him?"
"In his dreams… it's not like what you think. Yes, your father knew other women but only for work. It was different back then. Pablito was good at getting women to do things for him or telling him things they shouldn't. He was good at gathering intel and these women would've done anything for him. This particular woman was a Russian agent that they sent to aid freedom fighters across Central and South America. She fell for his Ché charm. In the beginning she was his handler but in the end… well it was different," said Rosenda. She caught the look in Luiz's eye. "No, I don't mean like that. It was more he became her handler."
"And I bet he handled her well," said Luiz. He could see fire in his mother's eyes. "Sorry that just slipped out but I have to ask were you okay with this arrangement? I mean it seems a little… for lack of better words, unorthodox," he said. He realized he was on thin ice but he wanted answers and for the first time his mother was willing to talk. "And this was acceptable to you?
"Yes, of course, you have to remember we were fighting a revolution and everyone was supposed to do their part. I shared your father with other women, so what? In the end it was me he always came home to. I was his corazon… his heart. You were on the way and I knew he'd always come back to me… to us… until he didn't. Now scoot along and make the arrangements for us to pull into Saint John," she said as she wiped her eyes. "Someone needs to get down here and wipe this place down. It's filled with dust and making my eyes water."
"Right," said Luiz. This was his mother's way of saying question time was over. "Okay, but why don't you come along with me. When I came down here you were about to put a bullet in that guy's head. Maybe you should stay by my side? You were complaining about dust… come topside and that will go away."
"Nonsense, I was angry before with him but now I'm happy to get this finally over with. Here," she said as she handed him her Tokarev. "Here take my weapon with you that should make you feel better about leaving me here alone."
"All right, I'll take this but I'll give it back to you before we pull in," said Luiz as he took the weapon from her then he disappeared. But as he made his way up to the bridge he could hear the old man's words from the pier over and over in his head… 'you need to get a DNA test from any girl you date. She could be your half-sister.' Now after this revelation maybe the old man was right.
"The sun is starting to rise and the fog is burning off," said the first mate as Luiz entered the bridge. "I've checked the radar and it looks like that Coast Guard cutter is gone."
"Good, lay in a course to our secondary base on Saint John. Donna Rosenda and I will be getting off but I want the rest of you to stay onboard and be prepared to pull out at a moment's notice. Are there any questions?" Everyone was silent.
"Good then let's get out of here while the getting is good," said Luiz as he looked out at the horizon while everyone else prepared to depart and weigh anchor.
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On board the Annabel Lee Agent Marley had finished interrogating Spike and was now questioning Spud. By all accounts he was the last person to have talked with the passengers before they were boarded. And there was something about him that Marley just didn't like but nothing he could put his finger on. If he was his man he needed to be careful and not tip his hand.
"Please sit down," said Marley as he pointed to the chair across the table from him. "Have a seat and we'll get started."
"Do I have a choice?" said Spud as he sat down. "I take it I'm the last one you're speaking to or that's what I've heard."
"Yes, but order doesn't mean anything. Would you like something to drink before we get started? Maybe a glass of water or something stronger?"
"You've been told I have a drinking problem, haven't you? I might like to take a nip every now and then but I wouldn't say I have a problem… not like some that is.
"Not like some? Is there anyone is specific you're talking about?" said Marley as he took a sip of coffee. Spud began looking around. "Don't worry whatever you tell me will stay in here."
"Well, I'm not one who likes to talk but Spike has been on a bender for a while. He likes to blame it on what happened to him and his boat but the truth is he'd been on the bottle for a long time before then."
"So let me get this straight are you saying he's basically a functional alcoholic? He's seemed all right since I've been on board."
"He hides it well but I know he's got bottles stashed around the boat. I see him going in and out of the engine room all the time like right after we were freed. Everyone was working frantically to put out the fires but he disappeared for a little while then I saw him coming back up from the engine room."
"And you think he went down there to get a hit of liquid courage before coming back up? Was that before or after they tried to start the engine?"
"That would've been before because we were still trying to put out the last of the fires. I don' think the Skipper noticed he was gone because he was up forward with the other fire…"
"And you were back fighting the other one," said Marley as he tried to make a mental note where everyone was during the fires.
"That's right," said Spud as he nodded. "I don't know if anyone thanked you but thanks for deactivating that bomb. You really saved our bacon but I guess they teach you boys how to do that in spy school."
"You're welcome," said Marley making a mental note of everything Spud had said. "Now, if you don't mind I think you were the last member of the crew to have talked with your passengers."
"Maybe, I was teaching that guy… Montgomery, how to make the perfect Hurricane. You know the drink with rum, fruit juice and grenadine. Mr. Montgomery was having a hard time perfecting it so he made a lot of attempts."
"Really," said Marley as he took another sip of coffee. "And how many attempts would that be and what was he like when he stopped?"
"Enough and more than a little tipsy, but I really wasn't counting. It was his misses or the woman he was with who didn't seem to appreciate his effort. In the end it was her who cut him off…"
"You mean it was she… you need the subject pronoun after the verb to be. So it was the… I mean the woman who called it a night for them?"
"Yes, I offered to walk them to their cabin but they wouldn't have it. They said they knew the way… wait you don't think they fell overboard, do you? The fog was thick and the Skipper had ordered them down below."
"Can you explain that better?" said Marley. "Neither the Skipper nor the First Mate mentioned that to me."
"It really was nothing but before they'd gone up to see him or that was what I was told then the Skipper sent them down with Spike who turned them over to me. Crap, maybe they went back up topside and fell overboard before the pirates arrived."
"I guess it's a possibility," said Marley as he got up and filled his cup again. "Would you like something while I'm up?"
"I'll take a cup too… black no sugar," said Spud. "Wow, that would be something if they'd fallen overboard and all this was for nothing."
"Well, there's still the question of the pirates and the bomb so I wouldn't go jumping up and down yelling eureka," said Marley as he passed Spud his cup of coffee. "There's no love lost between you and Spike, it there? Like I said what you say in here stays in here and I understand why. He did take your job."
"Spike is only here temporarily for this one trip then I go back to my only position. Troy felt sorry for him because they go way back and the Skipper brought him onboard so he could make some money to pay for his booze. I don't hate Spike if that's what you're asking but I don't like him either."
"I know I'd be pissed if I were you to be knocked down from First Mate to Third. I might even try to think of some way to get revenge…"
"Revenge for what? Like I said this was just temporary and as soon as we finished this voyage things will go back to the way they were. I'll be back up on the bridge and Spike would be down in the bottle. Aren't you even going to consider what I told you about the passengers falling overboard? Not that you're going to find much of them now. They were probably a late night snack for some sharks or breakfast for a school of barracudas that happened to be swimming past."
"Can we stick to the facts? So, they left you in the lounge then headed for their cabin," said Marley but Spud wasn't going to let go of his theory that easily.
"Well that's where they said they were going, but I can't be sure. You know they could've still gone topside and I'm almost sure they did. I mean how else do you explain their cabin being undisturbed. Surely if they had been grabbed in there something would've gotten knocked over."
"You mean like glasses that were on their bed," said Marely as he held up the bag with broken glass in it. "I wonder what our lab is going to find when they examine this… the perfect hurricane with a sedative added and they might even be able to lift fingerprints?"
Spud knew he'd said too much and in that instance he threw his coffee at Marley's face then made a dash for the hatch. Marley was right behind him as Spud broke out topside.
"Stop," yelled Marley. "Give it up. You've got no place to run." But Spud drew a weapon and got off two rounds. Both missed but it gave him time to dive over the side. Marley drew his and fired twice kicking up water on both sides of him.
"Stop there, I won't miss the next time," Marley yelled but before he could get off the third a passing couple in a speed boat came to Spud's rescue. They'd seen him go over the side so they were trying to safe him. But no one could save them from him. The speed boat was between Marley and Spud and as soon as Spud got onboard he took the woman hostage holding her in front of him as he yelled the man to speed away.
"Crap, crap," said Marley as he put his weapon away and pulled out his Sat phone. All he could think was all that time and effort as well as a night's sleep gone. The Coast Guard put one of their boats in the water to pursue Spud but he had a good head start at that point.
"Well, it looks like you found your man," said the Skipper as he came up behind Marley. "And it looks like it's going to be a little while before we're pier side now."
"Agent Carmichael," said Marley in his phone. "I've got good news and bad news…"
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It was early in the morning at the Waldron and Sam was still asleep. The flight down had been long and it was late when they got into Saint Thomas. Everything that had happened before now seemed like a dream. She was being woken up at what she thought was before daybreak when all she wanted was to go back to sleep. She didn't know why nor did she care she just wanted was to pull the covers over her head and tell whoever it was to go away… and she did.
"Go away and turn off the lights, it's too early to get up," said Sam as she pulled the sheet up over her head. "Wake me up tomorrow."
"Come on sleepy head it's time to get up," said Sarah. "I can't turn off the light that's the sun shining through your window and you need to get up."
"Do I have to? Can't I just stay here for a little while longer?" she said as she yawned. "Just a few minutes more. What's the rush anyway?"
"Come on and get up. Don't you remember you're supposed to start school today? But only if you get a move on it."
"School! You mean I wasn't dreaming… I really am starting school here?" said Sam as immediately sat up in bed. "What time am I supposed to be there? Come on let's hurry up, I don't want to be late my first day. Chop, chop let's get a move on it. I don't want to be that person who's always late."
"Just slow down you've got plenty of time," said Sarah as she kissed her on the forehead. "And please try not to show off any of the moves that Casey showed you."
"I'll do my best," said Sam as she scrambled out of bed. "I need to get my shower and then get ready… come on we need to go," said Sam as she took Sarah by the hand. "Do I stink? If I don't stink we can skip the shower."
[An hour later they were down in the lobby in the bar for breakfast]
"There they are," said Chuck as he got up when Sarah walked in with Sam. Bunny was sitting in a high chair with a bowl of pureed fruit Chuck had been feeding her from.
"Well, I have to say it's about time. I thought I was going to have to send a search party up to find you two," said Mary who was sitting at the table nursing a cup of coffee. "I've got a car waiting outside for us. Eat your breakfast then we can go."
"I'm really not hungry," said Sam. "I'm too excited to eat. Can we just go? This will be my first actual day in school."
"I know and I wish I could be there with you but I have to go to meet someone with Casey," said Chuck. "But I want to hear all about it when I come home. But you have to promise me something…"
"Mommy already told me not to use anything Uncle Casey taught me," said Sam. "But what if they deserve it? I'm not saying I will but I'm just saying things could happen."
"Well let's try not to let things from happening. You talk out your problems then if that doesn't work you get a teacher or an adult," said Chuck then he kissed her on the forehead. "I need to run down to the pier I want to be there before the boat ties up."
"And ask Marley why he hasn't been reporting in regularly about his interrogations. I expected to hear something from him by now. I don't care if he was busy collecting evidence. I want to know what's going on. I'm also going to rip the Major one for that stunt he pulled with Igor. I should've brought me in the loop beforehand and not leave me hanging.
"We can talk about this later when we're alone and there aren't any little ears present to overhear," said Chuck as he held his hands over Sam's ears.
"I don't know why you do this… covering my ears?" said Sam as she looked up at Chuck. "I can still hear and whose little ears are you talking about? Morgan's. Although, I think his are larger than his head or that's what Uncle Casey says. He keeps calling him Dumbo."
"Like I told you before you shouldn't be repeating everything that Casey says," said Sarah. Sam shrugged her shoulder.
"It's not her fault," said Chuck as he kissed her. "How is she supposed to know what's PG-13 when John speaks. I really have to go if I'm going to pick John up and be on the pier before the boat pulls in. I'll see you onboard later and we can have lunch at the Marina."
"Come on or we're going to be late too," said Sam. "I hear they close the front doors and won't let you in if you're too late."
"Who are you? What have you done with my daughter? I don't ever remember being that excited about going to school."
"Funny, don't you have to be somewhere right now?" said Sam looking at him with her hands on her hips. "This was what I was talking about when I said I didn't want to be that person who was always late."
"Be good," he said then he kissed her on her forehead and afterwards kiss Sarah.
"Come on no more dillydallying, we're burning daylight. We've got to go," said Sam as she motioned them to get up.
"Now that I know you heard from John," said Sarah. She caught Sam's look. "Okay let me wipe Bunny's face at least then we can go."
"Too bad it's not milk, then we could grab a cat and let it clean her."
"Ooh," said Bunny as she looked at Sam.
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[Back on the pirate boat]
Luiz saw the first mate was right the fog was burning off faster than he'd expected and as it did everything was coming into sight. Which also meant they could be seen too now and it made it even more imperative for them to get out of there. If nothing else to put distance between themselves and where the Annabel Lee had been boarded.
"Crap, we've got a problem," said the first mate as he pointed off the portside. There was a park patrol boat headed their way. The fog had cleared and the Ranger on the island had seen them. "How do you want to play this?"
"We'll let him come onboard then deal with him," said Luiz as they watched him wave at them then he took out a bullhorn announcing he was going to board.
"I'll go meet him but be ready to shove off as quickly as you can and have the guys below fire up the signal jammer. I don't want him radioing anyone we're here," said Luiz with that he left the bridge to go down to greet their boarder.
Luiz raced down and aft playing out different scenarios in his head on how to deal with the Ranger. First of all and most important, he had to find out if anyone else knew the Ranger was here. He got to midships just as the Ranger tossed a line up to one of their deckhands. He looked at Luiz who nodded so he tied his boat off then they lowered a Jacob's ladder for him to climb board.
"I going to need to see you documents," said the Ranger after he board. "Did you know this island is a natural wildlife preserve and no ships are allowed near it without special permission?"
"No, I'm afraid I didn't," said Luis. "You see with the fog last night we decided to anchor here where it was safe. I had no idea this was a wildlife preserve but even if I had the fog was so thick we were afraid of bumping into something. You see our radar's on the fritz but we're going to have it repaired when we reach our next port."
"That's good and everything but you shouldn't have anchored here. This cove is where sea turtles come to lay their eggs and your presence puts them at risk. But I guess as long as you leave now there's been no harm."
"Do you need to radio in and tell someone you gave us a warning then sent us on our way? I'd hate to get stopped as soon as we round the island."
"No, there's no need for that. I don't get good reception on this side so I was waiting to radio in when I got back. Hey, you guys wouldn't happen to have seen any other boats last night? The Coast Guard's looking for a boat."
"Really? No, I can't say as we did. As soon as it got thick we decided to pull in here but we didn't see anyone. What did they do? We could keep an eye out. Do you have a description or something we could look for?"
"They said they were some sort of modern day pirates if you believe that. The boat they're looking for has two Zodiacs onboard," said the Ranger but that was when he saw a zodiac sticking out from under a tarp and he saw Luiz's back in some brightwork. He had his mother's weapon tucked in his belt. "Well, I really need to get back and report in. If I don't call in soon someone will come looking for me."
"And we wouldn't want that," said Luiz. The Ranger became nervous and started sweating. "I'd like to offer you a cup of coffee…"
"I'd like to take you up on that but I really need to go," said the Ranger as he hurriedly went to the ladder and climbed down to his boat. He fired up his outboard and casted off making a beeline for the coast.
"Now didn't he tell us that was where turtles laid their eggs?" said Luiz as he reached up under the tarp where they kept the zodiacs pulling out a M72 LAW. He made his way to the fantail then popped the caps off and took aim.
"I've got to protect the turtles," said Luiz as he fired the weapon. The missile leaped out as the back blast kicked up spray on the opposite side. The missile hit the Ranger's boat dead center causing it to explode into a fireball.
"You run up to the bridge and tell the First Mate to take us out of here ASAP. If he needs me I'll be in the galley. I haven't had breakfast yet and I'm thinking a short stack would hit the spot right now."