Don't own Chuck
The pier Beckman was hiding under was a large jetty that extended from a sandy beach out into a man-made port. There were other jetties and boats tied up nearby but to get to them Diane would have to swim over in the open and risked being seen by her abductors so she hunkered down where she was. Her hope was she could out wait her them. She'd heard they were in a hurry to leave so if she could just hold out until they were gone she'd be scot-free. But to be on the safe side she decided to wait until night fall. However, that option seemed to disappear when two men came walking under the pier looking for her.
"Stay down and wait," she told herself as the two men came walking down under the pier carrying flash lights. She cringed in pain as she cut herself on the barnacles and mussels growing on the pilings
"Pedro, did you hear that? What was that," said the one man as he shined his light a big rock sticking up out of the water. Suddenly a big rat jumped off making a squeaking sound and a splash as it scurried off running inside a sewage line that emptied out into the sea.
"There's your answer," said Pedro as he walked down to the water's edge. "Come down here with me Toby, we need to check this place out."
"I'm perfectly fine where I'm at and why did we have to get this job anyway? I hate looking under this pier. You never know what you're going to find down here. What we just saw is a good case in point."
"Don't be such a big wuss and besides it's not like we're going to be wading around under here. I'm thinking we need to go get one of the Zodiacs to check out down here."
"Good," said Toby as he heaved a sigh of relieve. "You had me going there. For a moment I thought you wanted us to go wading in that," said the other man. Suddenly they heard another sound like something dropped into the water. He turned and shined his light to see some crabs that were attached to the pilings had let loose and dropped into the water. Each one that dropped in made a plopping sound. "Crap, let's go back up and get a Zodiac. I don't know about you but I'm tired of screwing around down here."
"You're right we can start at the end then work our way to the shoreline. I noticed there's a good buildup of mussels on the bottom of the pilings. Maybe we can get some to take back for dinner? You know maybe some steamed mussels and cerveza?"
"Are you crazy! Do you know what mussels are? They're natural filters and with that raw sewage being dumped under here they've been... well, I think you get my point. I wouldn't eat anything caught, picked or harvested and if you know what's good for you, you shouldn't either."
"Really, nothing you say. Well, you went to town last night on the mullet that cookie prepared. Where do you think he got them? I probably shouldn't tell you this but he dropped a line over the side."
"No, don't tell me that... Oh, I think I'm going to be sick," said Toby as he started to turn green and he felt his stomach turn. "Geez, why'd you have to tell me?" he said. Then he took off and ran down to the water's edge where he heaved.
"Looks like someone rang the dinner bell," said Pedro as he shined his light at the fish glistening as they gathered around the spew in a feeding frenzy. "Waste not want not that's what I always say."
"Will you please just shut up or the next time I heave it will be on you. Geez is this disgusting. Come on I need to go get something for my stomach and we need to get that Zodiac before we pull out."
The two men disappeared and went topside. Diane heard them walking overhead then there was silence. She took the opportunity to get out of the water for a little while and to check the two weapons she had taken off of her guard. This also gave her a chance to look at some of the cuts she'd gotten from getting too close to the pilings.
"Mussels might be good in a tomato sauce but the shells razor sharp," she said as she examined some of the cuts she'd gotten. "I'm going to need some shots and boosters when I get out of this," she said to herself.
As she was taking care of her cuts and scrapes she heard the engines of the pirate's boat start up. The props began to turn and black water started to kick up under the pier then she watched the yacht slowly pulled away.
"You need to get back into the water," she told herself as she mustered up what strength she had left. Her muscles and joints ached from treading water for so long and now she was going to have to do it again. But with the pirate boat gone there was nothing from blocking the light and to make matters worse she saw two Zodiacs come back around from behind the pirate boat.
"Crap, they must've just put them in the water and there are two," she said to herself as she got up but before she could move the boats separated.
"Oh no, they're going to search the pier by going down each side," she said to herself. She realized there was no time to get into the water without being seen and even if she could the way they were searching she'd soon be discovered.
"You need a new plain," she said then she quickly started digging in the sand with her bare hands. She knew she didn't have time to dig deep but she needed a foxhole to make her stand. She heard people yelling as the boats got nearer.
"Crap, I might've been seen. Well, I'm not going down without a fight," she said to herself as she got in the hole. She held both weapons in her hands at the ready with safeties off and waited. She heard the sound of one of the Zodiacs as it came near her.
"Look over there doesn't the sand look different?" she heard one of the men say. She recognized the voices from before. "Jump in and wade over," Pedro said to Toby.
"Are you crazy? If you want someone to check it out you jump in that muck and wade over there. I'm content with what I can see from here and it doesn't look like anything to me. Now, let's go back to the boat before they leave us."
"They haven't left us and we have plenty of time to catch up with them. Look, I'm on the helm so I can't wade in. Who's going to steer if I wade in?"
"I can do it," said Toby. "It's doesn't look that difficult and if you can do it then anyone can. You want the beach searched again... fine you can do it yourself."
"Don't be silly. I need to keep us from fouling up our engine and if we lose our outboards we will be stuck here."
"Well, if you want me to search the beach and you're that concerned about your outboards then cut the engines and drive up on the beach. I don't think we'll foul out. And if we do we can radio the other guys to give us a ride back to the boat with them. Admit it you don't want to get your feet wet."
"Me? This is you and you'll do anything not to get your feet wet," said Pedro as he circled back around to get speed up then cut the engines and rode in on their momentum.
"There you go that's the best we're going to get. Now go and check out what we saw before. I'll radio the other guys and tell them what we're up to before they leave us. Just remember after this we're out of here."
"Looks to me like the sand was kicked up by our props when our boat pulled away from the pier. If you remember Mikey said the bay here wasn't deep enough for us."
"Stop making excuses and go check it out. You can't see anything from here. You don't want to end up like those other two, do you? I heard they're going to float test them once we get out into open water."
"Okay, okay, I'm going," said Toby. He didn't like this but he didn't have a choice so he jumped off the Zodiac trying to time it when the waves were out. He almost made it but the sandy bottom was slippery covered with some sort of film so as soon as his feet made contact they went out from under him.
"Crap," he said as he got himself up and tried to wipe the muck off his face. He was covered from head to toed with something that looked like black tar. "Don't you dare laugh," said Toby as he fished out his H & K MP5K. When he pulled it out it something oozing out of the barrel.
"Hold up" said Pedro. For a moment, he thought Pedro might be volunteering to take his place but no such luck. "You can't use that. Leave me yours and take mine," said Pedro as tossed him his MP5K. "Just do me a favor and try not to muck mine up."
"I'll try to remember that," grunted Toby as he tossed his back in the Zodiac. "This would've never happened if you'd just listened to me."
"What'd you say? I couldn't hear you I was on the radio," said Pedro. "Oh and they're going to want to hose you down before you come onboard."
"Lovely," said Toby as stomped off heading towards what looked like just a mound of sand. "Why does crap always happen to me?"
"I'd say it has to do with a combination of poor judgement," said Diane as she jumped up from behind the mound. "And a weak will," she said as she put two rounds in his chest then capped him in the head.
"Crap," said Pedro as he leaped forward to grab Toby's weapon but when he brought it up and pulled the trigger nothing happened. It was completely fouled. He reached for the radio but by then Diane had made up the distance and dropped Pedro with a clean head shot. Scavenger fish and crabs were on him as soon as he hit the water.
"Like you said waste not, want not. Now to get out of here," Diane said to herself as she jumped in the Zodiac. She started up the engines and turned the boat around. She could hear the men in the other Zodiac yelling over the radio asking what the gunfire was about and if they'd found her.
"More like I found them. Sorry boys, but I've got no time to play hide and seek with you," she said to herself as she opened up the throttle and made a dash out of the port. She hoped if she could get some distance maybe there was hope she could escape but then it hit her. Escape to where? She still wasn't sure where she was and now bullets where whizzing past her. Opening the throttle even more the Zodiac seemed to be skipping across the surface of the water like a stone.
"There that's what you're looking for," she said to herself. She was making a run in what looked like a navigation channel between the port and the open sea. But up ahead of her was a partially submerged tree trunk. She kept her boat in front of it so the Zodiac behind her couldn't see it then at the last minute she veered to the side to go around it.
"Got you," Diane said as the boat behind her ran right over the top of it. There was a loud explosion as the Zodiac burst into flames sending up a column of black smoke.
"Let's hope someone saw that and now to get some place safe," she said as she started to back down the out boards but as she was clearing the channel another Zodiac came out of nowhere and started to open fire on her. "Crap, where did you come from." She said as she opened the throttle back up but the boat had taken some direct hits. She looked at her fuel gauge and indicator began dropping rapidly.
"Crap, I'm losing fuel," she said as she looked back. A couple of rounds had punctured her one of her fuel tanks. If she didn't find some place to hole up soon she was a goner.
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Luiz and his men were standing by the doors to the elevator waiting for them to open. Luiz had his men primed up and ready to go. They knew what they had to do and they were going to go up to the fifth floor and somehow get close enough to this Colonel where they could subdue him. It was an easy bag and grab; however, this was anything but easy. Luiz heard the sound of the elevator coming down so he turned to his men and looked them over one last time.
"Okay, this is it," said Luiz as he tightened his grip on his weapon in his pocket and felt for the plunger on the syringe. "Everyone look alive," he said as the doors to the elevator opened. "What the heck," he said as everyone drew their weapons pointing them at the open elevator.
"Don't shoot," said Joe as he walked out in a hospital gown. "No one shoot, it's me Joe. This is my cousin Roberto. He's an orderly here in this hospital and he's helping me escape. Boy am I glad to see you guys. I knew you wouldn't let me down."
"Who's that in there with you," said Luiz as he pushed Joe out of his way. "That's the Colonel we're looking for," he said as he looked inside at Casey lying on the floor unconscious. Next to him was the doctor who was out too. "How'd you… you two… how'd you take them… him out?"
"That was Roberto's doing. He helped fake me it then he had four tranquilizer syringes at the ready. One he gave me so when we were in the elevator I doused the doc when he leaned over me."
"Yeah and it took the other three to bring that guy down. I thought it wasn't going to be enough," said Roberto as he showed the bruises Casey had given him as he'd tried to strangle him with his bare hands.
"I'll want to hear more later and so will Donna Rosenda but for now let's get the Colonel loaded up and let's get out of here. This was easier than I thought," said Luiz as he smiled as he looked over Joe and Roberto. "Maybe too easy," he thought.
"Anyone got an extra set of trousers anywhere," said Joe. "This gown is a little airy in the back." There was a general chuckle. "No one? Come on guys someone has to have something. You're going to make me go around like this?"
"There might be something in the morgue," said Luiz. "Come on and let's see if we can't hook you up with something. You're right you can't go around like that. Roberto, is it? Come and help your cousin out. I'm sure we can find something for you and you can tell me more about how you busted free."
"Dead man's clothes? Thanks Boss but no thanks, I can stay like this until we get back to the villa then I can change there."
"And what if my mother is there to meet us and you're dressed like that? No, that would be indecent exposure then I'd have to kill you…"
"Well said like that it's entirely different. I wouldn't want to offend your mother," said Joe as he looked over at Roberto who nodded nervously back.
"You know we were on our way up to grab that man. We knew it wasn't going to be easy but we were determined. And of course we were going to free you. But that wasn't necessary because you and your cousin did our work for us… easy peasy and all that."
"Well, I wouldn't say it was that easy. It was more a matter of good timing and having the right sedative but I don't know if I'd call it easy."
"Come on now you don't have to be modest. We're all friends here, right? We should be thanking you and the boys here especially should be saying thanks because none of them got killed trying to grab that guy. Three sedatives you said it took to bring him down… impressive."
"Well, three syringes of the same sedative it took," said Roberto. "But yes, in the end you could say I… we took him down. The man has got a high resistance and did put up a fight," he said as he rubbed his throat.
"Yet you two got the drop on him which is something considering who the man is. I don't know his full story but he is a Colonel and works for the NSA and the man who took out my father. However, you two didn't seem to have any trouble getting the upper hand."
"I guess we were just lucky," said Joe as he and Robert started looking around for clothes but everyone there seemed to have nothing but a sheet. "Boss, I don't see anything here that I can fit in maybe…"
"Yeah, that was some luck," said Luiz as he stood near the door watching Joe and Roberto search the refrigerators. "What am I going to do with you guys?"
"Why don't you call ahead and one of the guys can go get me some clothes. That way I can change as soon as we get to the villa… we are going to the villa, aren't we?"
"Oh, we are but you aren't," said Luiz as he drew his weapon and put two rounds in Roberto and then two into Joe.
"No, please what did we do? Please, no," begged Joe as he tried to crawl over to Roberto. "What's wrong with…"
"Sorry but I don't believe in luck. For all I know you two could be working with the Feds to turn us in. I think you can understand that a man in my position can't take that chance," said Luiz as he walked over then capped both of them in the head. "And if you can't well that doesn't really matter now."
"Boss, we need to go the Feds are on the move up above," said one of his men who barged into the room. The man stopped and looked at Joe and Roberto lying on the floor.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go or would you like to join them in a dirt nap?" The man just shook his head then they left. As they drove away from the hospital Luiz took out his phone and called his mother.
"Mom, I just wanted to let you know we picked up your guest and we're on our way there now. The boat will be there soon so be ready to get underway. I'll have people waiting for us in Honduras. Who's that talking in the background? Don't tell me you're talking with that American spy? …. We can talk about that when I get there," said Luiz as he shook his head then he hung up.
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Meanwhile above everyone went to Radiology. Marley grabbed a couple of men from the main lobby along with the man Casey had relieved. The man had been standing near the elevator waiting to go back up when he got grabbed. Mary was the first one there with Alex and Morgan. They went ahead and waited near the staff elevator for John to provide backup. Mary was there so John couldn't give her the slip.
"What's taking that elevator so long to come down?" said Mary as she pushed the button. "If this is the Colonel's way of ducking out without seeing me… well he'd better not be trying anything like that or he'll regret it."
"I'm sure he's not," said Alex as she looked at the light above the door. The arrow was lit pointing down but where was the elevator. "He should've been here by now. She could feel it something isn't right."
"Where's the Colonel and our man," said Marley as he walked up to them. "I've got people on both ends of the ward checking on everyone going and coming. "But the Colonel should've been here by now. The elevator isn't stuck somewhere between floors, is it?"
"I don't know but I'm going to find out," said Alex. "Morgan, you wait here. Marley, let's take the stairs and check. We'll start from the basement then work our way up."
"But he wouldn't go down to the basement that's where the morgue is," said Marley. "We should work our way up to the fifth floor from here."
"And if the elevator's stuck in the basement then we have to come all the way back down. No start from the basement then work our way up. It only makes sense."
"Alex is right that's the best place to begin is in the basement. Start there and work your way up but take Morgan with you. I need Marley here. I want you to call me after you've cleared each floor. Now go," said Mary. She didn't like this at all. "Agent Marley, I want your people to secure a perimeter around the hospital. I want them to keep an eye out for any sort of suspicious activity."
"Sure, but what kind of suspicious activity should they be looking for?"
"I think our tiger might've snuck in and has taken our goat right from under our noses."