Don't own Chuck
Natasha moved as quickly as she could through Helsinki from the port where she landed heading towards the airport for her flight to Honduras. She was determined not to let anything or anyone get in her way no matter what the cost and Aramas was just one of the casualties along the way. However, what she didn't know was a surveillance van had monitor her every step from the port to the train station.
"What have you got for us," said Anatoly as he climbed in the back of the van with Stefan giving him a look.
"What? You want me to tell you that you were right. Who could've known there would be that much air traffic to Helsinki or we'd circle around the airport forever."
"Whatever. What matters is we're here now. Is everyone in place to grab her before she boards that train?"
"Just about, we've got people moving in to block her escape routes. In the meantime, we retrieved these. She dropped them in the male restroom," said the one man as he handed Stefan a brown paper bag.
"What's in that," asked Anatoly as he glanced over at the CCTV feeds and saw Natasha heading for the platform.
"You need to get someone on that platform before she gets there. We don't need her running down the tracks and attracting attention from the local police. I don't care if we have the International arrest warrant these things tend to spiral out of hand quickly. I don't want egg on my face and neither does the Director.
"Look at these," said Stefan as he pulled out a phone and wallet. He opened the wallet and read the owner's name off the driver's license inside. "Aramas Aatu. There's an address for him here in Helsinki. Why do you think she dropped it in the bathroom?"
"I think if you try you can figure that one out. He probably got too close and she took care of him," said Anatoly as he moved closer to the monitor to get a better look at her.
"What's this supposed to mean then? Aramas Aatu is sleeping with the fishes?" said Stefan as everyone turned and looked at him. "What? This is the first time I've gotten a chance to use that line."
"And let's hope it's the last. Tell your people to hang back or she'll see them. Don't underestimate her she's good. If she feels she's trapped she's liable to try to shoot it out and that's the last thing we need."
"We've got a sniper in place and he's just waiting for the greenlight. As soon as she steps on that platform he'll have her in his crosshairs."
"Good, now ask everyone for one last radio check then everyone needs to go silent and wait for orders. Stefan, what are you doing? Do you want to step over here and watch this as it goes down?"
"What? Sure, okay… there I got it," he said as he held up the phone. Anatoly looked at him with a puzzled expression. "I know why she whacked him. Your friend Paul is listed as one of his contacts."
"That's good, but don't you think that's stretching it a little. How did this Aramas link Paul and Natasha together? You just found a number but that doesn't mean anything taken out of context."
"Well do you have a better explanation? People just don't go around whacking people for no good reason unless they're crazy and crazy she's not… well, not that crazy."
"I don't know. We don't even know if this Aramas has been whack. If you'll just hold on for a few minutes you can ask her yourself we're about to bring her in. That is if we don't have to take her out."
"Sir, the target is entering the platform now and our sniper just reported he's acquired the target. We're ready to move in whenever you give the green light.
"Okay tell the sniper to hold off but to standby. I want to try to take her alive first. However, if she offers resistance then he's got a green light but we need to try to take her in peacefully first."
"Roger that," said the man sitting at the comms station. He relayed Anatoly's orders then stood by as they watch Natasha looking around. It was as if she could sense they were looking at her.
"What's she doing? There's no way she can't see us," said the man sitting in front of the monitor but the way she was acting is seemed as if she could.
"That's what happens when you've been in the field as long as she's been. You develop eyes in the back of your head. Make sure out people are well out of sight. We don't want to spook her until she's in our trap."
Everyone was concentrated looking at the monitor the tension inside the van was so thick it could've been cut with a knife. Everyone was so silent that a pin dropping would've sounded like a tree falling. And just as Anatoly was about to give the order Stefan's phone began to ring.
"Geez Stefan what the heck," said Anatoly as he almost jumped out of his skin. "Will you turn that thing off and get with the program."
"Crap, it's not my fault it's the Director calling," said Stefan as he ignored Anatoly's cranky attitude. "Director, we're about to bring Natasha in… what? … Yes Sir, Anatoly is right here with me. But like I said we're about to… Okay, I'll put you on speaker."
"I want you to abort grabbing her right now. Do you hear me I don't want you to take her? Instead I want you to follow her. Ivan's found two fake passengers booked flying out of there. One is booked for Havana and remember that was where Pablito and her owned a bar…"
"But didn't you say she sold that so there's no reason for her to go back there other than to throw us off her trail. She has to realize that would be the first place we'd go to check for her. You said there was a second fake pax."
"Yes, this one is booked for Honduras… the capital with a connecting flight to Puerto Lampiera. I want you two at the airport to follow her. Take the surveillance van and tap into the CCTV in the airport. You wanted to see if she had people helping her well this is your chance. After she leaves you can charter a plane to go to wherever she's heading and with the charter you should beat her there."
"Okay, and as we fly there we can coordinate with our people in either country we land. But what brought about this change of heart? I thought you had enough of her?"
"I just talked with Beckman and Chuck found something that our people overlooked in that web video. I'll brief you more when your wheels up. Just one last thing, don't muck this up or it will be all our heads," said Igor then he hung up.
"You heard the boss stand everyone down then let's round them up and get to the airport pronto," said Anatoly as he motioned for Stefan to step outside the van. They climbed out together then closed the door behind them.
"What do you think of that? It looks like the Director is taking your suggestions now that they've all been proven right."
"Yes, I should be happy that I'm going to get what I wanted and we'll get to see where she leads us but I'm not. There's something else going on here and I wish I knew what it was."
"I know what you mean like what did Chuck see in that video clip that we overlooked. You and I both looked at it and all we saw was Pablito playing the guitar in that beach bar."
"Looks like you're not going to be able to sleep in your bed tonight. You can get one of the guys to bring you something from the embassy if you want to sleep on the charter?"
"No, I only feel worse when I take those. Besides I have my own cure for getting to sleep on planes and it involves a single malt."
"Well, you'd sleep better if you didn't drink all that tea and please promise me you won't piss off the stewardess this time. I'd like to be able to enjoy my meal without have to worry if anything's been added to it."
"They prefer to be called flight attendants and I could go for a nice tropical climate now. Half the reason I got into the SVR was so I could getaway from the wretched climate here."
"I'm going to have to find a nice gift to bring back to my wife for pulling this disappearing act or neither of us can come home," said Anatoly as one of the men inside the van came out looking for them.
"Sirs, we're ready to roll and the suspect is about to board the train," said the man. They climbed back inside and a few minutes later they were on pulling into the airport parking garage.
"Tap into their CCTV and send a couple of men out but make sure they stay out of sight. Have one go to the departure gate for the Honduras flight and the other for the one for Havana. But under no circumstances are they to make contact with the target."
"Roger that."
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Donna Rosenda was looking out the window of their charter at the deep blue of the Caribbean Sea below when Luiz walked up escorting Roan to her. She looked up at Roan and motioned for him to sit opposite her. Luiz didn't like this and to be sure nothing funny took place he began to sit next to him but Roan stopped him.
"I'll take a dry martini with three olives and I'd like it stirred not shaken. Shaking just makes the ice melt quicker and you end up with a watered-down drink. I don't know about you but I hate it when that happens." Luiz frowned and physically growled at him but Donna Rosenda interceded.
"Luiz, you heard the man. Be a good son and go get him his drink. You'll have to excuse me but it's still a little early in the day for me."
"It's always after four somewhere in the world and this isn't early in the morning but very late at night. After all we were rudely interrupted last evening and we never did get a chance to finish our evening meal nor the drink that came with it," said Roan as he stole a glance at Luiz mixing his Martini.
"Here's your drink," said Luiz as he dropped the glass with three olives on a toothpick in it in front of Roan. "Bottoms up," he said as some of it splashed out on him.
"I want you to know you're risking your tip," said Roan as he took a sip. "Well, I hope you're a better pirate than you are a bartender. If you're not then your mother is in big trouble."
"Why you…," said Luiz as he growled again. He'd just finished taking lip from Casey and now Roan was digging at him. And he would've followed up with action except his mother held up her hand making him back down.
"Luiz, why don't you go to the cockpit and call ahead for us. We want to be out of the airport as quickly as we can and on our way. I'd prefer not to linger around there anymore than we have to."
"On our way where? And what airport are we landing at? You see I have a bet going with the Colonel. He thinks we're flying into Nicaragua while I'm betting on Honduras. That's it isn't it," said Roan as he looked up at the two of them looking back and forth at each other.
"Okay, yes, you're right," said Donna Rosenda. "You guessed the country but let's keep which airport a secret a little bit longer. Luiz you can go on now," she said. They both watch Luiz walk away. He did one about-face looking back at them before he disappeared behind a curtain.
"I'm surprised you can find anyone who'd what to help you there. After the amnesty I thought for sure all your kind had evaporated into thin air or left the country for greener revolutionary pastures."
"Oh, don't worry, there are still a few of us around and with your help there will be even more soon. You'll have new recruits flocking in," said Donna Rosenda as she leaned forwarded and patted Roan on the hands.
"I don't understand what are you talking about? How am I going to help you recruit new members for your red army? How do you think I'm going to help you? I won't betray my country no matter what you threaten to do to me."
"You don't have to worry. I'm not going to threaten to do anything to you. I just want you to tell on camera what you told me that your friend, the Colonel, shot my husband down like a dog in the middle of the street. That should be enough to get our people behind me again."
"You want to use me for some sort of propaganda? But wait a minute I don't believe those were my words. Pablito was shot in front of me and he did ruin one of my best shirts," said Roan as he took a sip of his Martini.
"See you agree with me. Your friend shot him and he was in the middle of the street so there you have it. It's as simple as that and the crowds with flock to us and yell 'hasta la revoluciòn."
"Siempre," added Luiz as he came back and sat down. Roan looked at the two of them and realized Casey was right. They were going to turn his words around against him.
"Well, I hate to break your bubble but Pablito was under a tree, not in the middle of the road and he'd just given an innocent hostage a smile that went from ear to ear. For all the Colonel knew from what he could see was I was next in line and he took action. I don't think you can fault him from doing what he did given the circumstances."
"I was hoping you'd appear on camera and tell the truth but if this is your final word then I guess we'll have to leave it like this."
"I am telling you the truth and I always have," said Roan as he ate to olives out of his Martini. He could tell something else was going on but he wasn't sure what it was. "I have been and I don't want you to take this out on Diane. If you want you can take this out on someone then take it out me but leave her out of this."
"Luiz, I think I'd like a glass of champagne. I know it's a little early in the morning but given the circumstances I think I'm allowed."
"I think so too," said Luiz as he got up and went to the bar where he popped a cork, filled two glasses then brought them back. "Mother," he said as he handed her a glass.
"I'm serious if you want to take this out on anyone, you can take it out on me," said Roan as he tried to figure out what was going on.
"I think we're done here," said Donna Rosenda as she motioned for one of Luiz's men to come. "You can take Mr. Roan away and put back with his friend in the rear of the plane.
Roan wasn't sure that was going on when he got up walking past Luiz. Nor did he like the smile on Luiz's face. Something had happened but he hadn't been let in on the joke and he was almost sure the joke had been on him. He was still turning had happened over in his head when he was brought in the back and shackled next to Casey.
"So how did it go? Did you sweep her off her feet with your blabber? Judging by the fact that you're still chained up with me I'd say no."
"She tried to make me a deal but I refused. However, they drank champagne at the end like they were celebrating something but I can't for the life of me see what they'd be celebrating."
"What's this deal they offered you and what exactly did you say to them? Start from the top when you left here and don't leave anything out. I want to hear everything."
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Natasha got off the train just outside the airport and when she got off she purposefully left Aramas' suitcase in the overhead bin. She walked the short distance from the train stop into the airport terminal. There she went to the check-in counter for EasySky and Delta using two different passports she got boarding passes for both planes.
"Now to get to my gate," she said to herself. Before she went to security she had to ditch her weapons. She'd bought a newspaper in the train station and wrapped them in it then she slipped the bundle into the trash bin in in the airport.
"Okay you had to do that," she said to herself as she looked around one last time then headed for the security check before being able to go to her departure gate. She didn't like being unarmed but there was no choice.
"Please have you boarding passes and passports available for inspection," said a man in uniform. He took Natasha's looked at both of them then looked at her. She looked him over too and had already thought out a scenario where she took his weapon and used it on him then shot her way out.
"Please step into the x-ray and extend your arms and spread your legs," said the officer as his partner operated the machine.
"Can I get a copy of that," said Natasha as she stepped through. "It'll save me money the next time I have a medical check-up."
The officers didn't seem to understand her attempt at humour. They just waved for her to move along and called the next person in line which was fine by Natasha. She was through.
"Okay, first hurdle done now to get on the plane," she said to herself as she heaved a sigh. She went to the EasySky gate for Havana and sat down where she knew the cameras could see her. She sat there as Delta announced the departure of its flight for Toncontín International Airport, in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. She waited and waited soon the boarding call was announced for Havana flight too. She got up making sure she was seen then ducked out of camera sight.
"Now to catch my flight," she said as she dashed over to the other flight. When she made the reservations she had also checked the layout of the airport and saw that both gates were opposite the other making it easier for her to do what she did. She ran over and caught the flight for Honduras as they were making the final boarding call.
"Your seat is this way," said a flight attendant as she took Natasha back and got her situated. "We've already got clearance so we'll be leaving soon."
"Thank you," said Natasha as she noticed the man sitting next to her with a rosary in his hands mumbling prayers. He glanced over and noticed her look.
"I do this every time I have to fly to this place. Did you know that Toncontín International Airport ranks as the second most dangerous airport in the worldaccording to Most Extreme Airports? The approach to the airport is considered to be one of the most difficult in the world for all aircraft, especially in inclement weather conditions."
"Well let's hope for nice weather," she said as the man turned back to praying. "Opiate of the people," she mumbled under her breath as the plane began to roll out onto the tarmac and in a few minutes, they were airborne.
"Second hurdle past," she thought as she waved for a flight attendant. "Can I get a glass of sparkling water with a twist of lemon. I feel like I've been doing nothing but running," said Natasha as she put her seat back and relaxed.
"No problem, I'll be right back ma'am," said the flight attendant then she left going to the galley to get Natasha her glass of water.
"You did it. You outsmarted them all," thought Natasha as she relaxed in her chair. In the meantime the flight attendant came back with her water.
"Here you go ma'am," said the woman. "Your glass of sparkling water with lemon. Is there anything else I can get for you?"
"Yes, I'd like a glass of champagne to wash this down with, please," said Natasha as she smiled with a smile that seemed to stretch from ear to ear.
[Meanwhile back in the airport in Helsinki]
"Target is gone. She boarded the flight for Honduras and it's left," radioed the FB agent that had been waiting in the airport.