Don't own Chuck

The Natasha's bus from the airport pulled into the central bus station after completing its route. There it let off the passengers before heading to the depot where the driver could rest before his next run. By the time the bus reached the city center it was packed to the brim with people and animals crowded all together. It was so full that when the doors were opened at the final stop it seemed as if people and livestock poured out in a never-ending flow. There was a cacophony of noises of animals and humans along with feathers and fur that seemed to hang in the air.

"There she is," said Tatiana. She was the first one to see Natasha get off. She was on of that human deluge getting off the bus and she used it to her advantage followed the current of people as they all got off. She used it to hide herself in as they all quickly left the bus station. "Wait a minute where did she go?"

"Now to look for where I want to go," Natasha said to herself as she caught her breath in an alleyway away from the cameras around the station. However, as she came out on High Street and began walking down it she saw Chuck and Alex just ahead of her.

"Crap, where did they come from?" she said as she quickly ducked into a shop where she could keep them in sight without being seen. Her first reaction was to put her hand on a Makarov 9 she now had in her purse.

"No, you don't want to attract attention to yourself," she said as she heard the sound of police sirens coming in her direction.

"Don't worry about the sirens they do that often here. May I help you," said a shop assistant. Natasha turned and found a dark-skinned girl with coal black hair and green eyes smiling at her. "If you tell me what you're looking for maybe I can help you," said the young woman.

"What? No, I'm just looking. Thanks anyway," said Natasha as she started to leave. "I'll follow them for now and intervene if I have to," she said to herself but in that moment Chuck turned so she quickly retreated back inside.

"On second thought do you have this is in pink," she asked as she picked up a blouse from a stack near the window but all the time she kept Chuck and Alex in her sight from the corner of her eye.

"I don't know if we do. Let me go check and I'll be right back," said the girl. She turned then disappeared into the back of the shop.

"Thank you," said Natasha as she kept a watch on Chuck and Alex from the window. He was on the phone talking to someone. Alex had gone ahead then reappeared moments later.

"I wish I could hear what you're talking about. But don't panic who knows we might not be going to the same place," she said but deep down she knew that was wrong. If Chuck was here it could only mean one thing and that was the cat was out of the bag which also explained the man on the bus.

"I don't know if you and I are going to the same place," said the shop assistant. Natasha turned around and found her standing there with the pink blouse in her hand. "But we could," she said as she smiled.

"This is perfect," said Natasha as she smiled at the clerk. "Maybe you can help me I'm looking for a place where I can have a good time. I'm new in town and I could use a tour guide as well as a drinking buddy."

"Oh, I can be your buddy," said the woman. "And I know a few places you might like. What kind of music do you like to listen to? We've got all kinds."

"I like Latin music and Cuban in particular. I had a friend tell me there was a place here I should look up but she couldn't remember the name."

"So someone told you there was some place special here? Who was this someone? Was she special as well?"

"Not special… just a friend," said Natasha as they walked over for her to pay for the blouse. "I heard the music was good but like I said I don't know the name of the place."

"We could meet up in an hour when I get off work and try to find it. I can give you a tour of old town. We can bar hop until we find this place you're looking for."

"I'd like that and you can be my date for the evening," said Natasha as she paid. The cashier gave the two of them a look from over the register. Natasha took her blouse then left but not before looking through the widow to see if Chuck and Alex were still outside.

[A little while before in the surveillance van]

"Here we go the bus is pulling into the bus station. I want everyone on the street to keep an eye out for her when she gets off. Radio Vlad and tell him to stay seated. He can get off last then meet up with us later. I don't want anything to spoke her. She's already seen him and we don't want her to get nervous."

"I don't like this sitting and waiting in the van," said Stefan. "We should be out there following her too. We know the way she thinks… Crap, you said it yourself before we're using the same play book."

"But you're forgetting my friend that she knows us and if she sees us she'll know the game is over for her. If that happens who knows what she'll do next and then we'll have a real mess to clean up."

"It's happening. The bus has stopped and the passengers are getting off," said Tatiana. "Wait a minute where'd she disappear to? She was there on the monitor a moment ago."

"This was what I was worried about. Have all your people report in and tell Vlad to get up and go after her too. I should've listen to that feeling in my gut."

They listened and waited as the man sitting in the comms chair relayed the instructions to Vlad but he remained immobile so the man repeated the order. However, Vlad still wasn't moving.

"Sirs, something is wrong with Vlad. He's not responding to my calls. I think something must be wrong with his comms."

"Yes, his comm link is just probably on the fritz. We can get a message to him through one of the team," said Tatiana but as she was about to send someone Anatoly stopped her.

"Hold up on that for a moment," said Anatoly as pointed at the monitor. "I think you need to forget about sending someone."

"Señor, this is my last stop all passengers have to get off here," they heard the bus driver say in broken English. "Señor, are you all right?" said the man as looked at Vlad. In the van the driver's face filled the monitor. "Señor, are you awake? Do you hear me?" he said then he shook Vlad but Vlad didn't answer he just fell out of the seat and onto the floor.

In the van they saw the roof of the bus then the driver standing over the top of him making the sign of the cross and calling the names of every saint he knew making up some new ones along the way.

"Chyort! Crap, that's why she disappeared. She's on to us… yes, she has to be. I'm willing to bet you're missing another agent and that would be the direction she went. Tatiana, you need to recover the bodies before someone starts looking into who they were. Come on Stefan let's go find her. It doesn't matter if she sees us now nor not."

"What are you thinking?" said Stefan as they got out of the van and closed the door behind them. He watched as Anatoly checked his weapon and attached a suppressor.

"I don't care what the Director wants, she's cost us too many people. This has gone on too long now. It's time to put an end to it and her once and for all… accomplishes or not she goes down."

"I second that," said Stefan as he did the same. "Where do you want to start at? I'd suggest where we lost her."

"I don't think that's necessary. I looked over the map of establishments here in the area and I've got an idea where she might be heading but we're going to have to kill some time. I don't suppose you'd want a tea?"

"Are you kidding? It's got to be a hundred in the shade. No, I'm thinking about something cold… something like a cerveza. Actually, I've heard about this one beer called Cerveza de los Mayas that I was told was good. It's supposed to be brewed with herbs and other things." "It's the other things that bothers me. No, you can try that if you want but for me I just want something I know I'll like… like a Heineken. You can find one in whatever country you're in." "I'd call you the ugly American but you're Russian," said Stefan as they walked down a dusty street in the middle of town.

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Chuck called Sarah to give her the latest up date as they walked down High Street after visiting the market. If the intel they received was true this could be a game changer. Sarah was less than happy with the plan because she was still back at HQ and he was talking about going alone with Alex.

"It's better this way. We can go in with a low profile and then see if things pan out." This might be nothing but if it is…"

"I understand. Not that I like it which I don't but I understand. Look, we've got intel that our perps have moved Casey and Roan to just outside of town. Our people saw them being loaded onto a Range Rover then driven out of the airport."

"And they just let them go? Why in the name of Sam Hill didn't they stop them or at least follow them?"

"The General wants to see where they lead us and we have a new player. They didn't follow them because they were afraid of being seen but we got a positive ID on the man who met them… a Miguel Fuentes."

"Fuentes was a name I read in Casey's dossiers about his activates here from before. This Fuentes was thought to have been a gun runner and middle man for the People's Liberation Army. But after the PLA disbanded he disappeared into the woodwork. Him showing up at the airport can't be a good sign."

"I don't think it's a class reunion either. I called Sam but she was asleep so I talked with Mary. We both agreed that she shouldn't be woken up. She's still insisting on going back to Barnum Memorial."

"If that's what she wants then I think we should support her. I'm happy she didn't let what happened to her there get to her."

"I am too. Look, I'm going out on a scouting mission with Morgan. There are a number of warehouses and houses just outside the city that our perps could be using to keep Roan and Casey. I think if we go out playing lost tourists we might be able to find where they're holding them then come back with the rest of our people."

"If what I've got going pans out we might not have to but yours is a good idea. Just promise me you'll be careful when you're out there. These people have proven they'll do whatever it takes to get what they want. I don't like it that Casey hasn't tried to contact us."

"They might not know that the General is free and Roan could be worried that if they try anything their captures will hurt her."

"That explains Roan but since when does Casey listen to anything anyone tells him. He'd probably just write Beckman off as collateral damage then try to take the whole lot on by himself."

"Which is why we need to find where are perps are hiding. John is liable to do just that now if he thinks the nest is full of vipers and he can take out all the snakes with one blow."

"I think I'll keep that to myself," said Chuck as he paused then spoke in a low voice. "Alex is on edge as it is and something like that could push her over. I'll keep her busy here and try to distract her from what's going on back there. Please make sure Morgan wears a vest before the bullet magnet gets himself shot."

"Will do I've got to run now. Love you," said Sarah as she hung up. Chuck was left there holding his phone in his hand.

"What did Sarah have to say? Is there anything new with Dad and Roan," said Alex as she walked back. "I checked that bar out you asked me to look in but I didn't see anything suspicious. Maybe this is just a wild goose chase?"

"No, I think we might be too early. Let's go find someplace to get lunch then we'll come back later. The intel we got is good we just have to be patient."

"I don't know if I can eat. My stomach is in a knot," said Alex as they walked down the street looking for someplace with the least number of flies.

"Here we go," said Chuck as they walked up to street side restaurant. "This is the place for us," he said as he looked at the menu posted outside.

"How do you know this place is good? It looks like all the others to me," said Alex as they walked inside and grabbed a table they could see the street from.

"Did you notice the sign said fresh fish but it didn't mention any names of fish? That's because fish are seasonal like fruits and vegetables. They don't know in here what fish they're going to have until the fishing boats return. If you see fish named on a menu most of the time it's frozen or they're trying to pull a fast one passing one fish for another," said Chuck as a waiter came over.

"Well, I don't know how scientific your reasoning is but I don't think you need to ask to see the menu. You just have to look at his apron and check out which stains are the newest."

"Dos cervezas y dos pescados fritos, gracias," said Chuck. The waiter smiled wrote down their order then left. "You wonder why he had to write down our order. Just look around it doesn't look like they're that busy in here. Oh by the way, I ordered for you too I hope you like fish."

"That's fine by me but this doesn't look like a place I'd feel safe eating raw vegetables like a salad. I get sufficient ruffage as it is and I don't need any more. However, you haven't answered my question when I asked you what Sarah told you? Is there anything new?"

"Well, she didn't say much," said Chuck. He got quiet when the waiter appeared with their beers and food. Alex waited and she waited and she waited.

"Well, and," said Alex after it was obvious that Chuck wasn't going to continue telling her what she wanted to know. "So, what is it Sarah said? You aren't trying to keep anything from me, are you?"

"Who me? No, why would I do that? Sarah just said she'd called home to talk with Sam but Sam was asleep so she couldn't speak to her. She talked with my Mom and my Mom told her that Sam still wants to go back to school at Barnum Memorial."

"And that was it? Are you sure there wasn't anything else? You sure seemed to have talked for a long time and now you tell this was all she said."

"Well, it wasn't just her talking. I told her what we're doing and she mentioned that she was going to go out for a little while with Morgan too. They've almost got HQ up and running. Have you tried your fish? It's really good… This is the first time I've tried Barracuda."

"This is Barracuda?" said Alex as she looked at the fish as it looked back up at her from the plate. "I guess fish is fish."

"Not really, but I'll let you believe that. Just think of it as we're eating it before it can eat us and next to it are some fried plantains. Eat up you need to eat to keep your strength up. If I'm right you're going to need it before the night is over."

"Maybe I should call Morgan and let him know we're going to be late," said Alex as she studied Chuck.

"He might not be able to answer. Cell service here is really bad and like I said I've already spoken with Sarah. Let me explain what we're going to do," said Chuck. He wanted to come up with something to distract Alex but he realized he wasn't doing a very good job. He felt like he was being interrogated and if the truth were known he was because Alex wasn't buying anything he was selling.

[Meantime back at the compound]

"Morgan where are you going with all that gear? Is all that really necessary?" said Sarah as she looked him over carrying an overpacked bag.

"All this helps sell our cover as being lost tourists and as every world traveler knows that he should own a sturdy rucksack," said Morgan as he almost fell over. Sarah had to grab him or he would have.

"Okay, that almost makes sense but what's up with the maple leaf patch? You're not Canadian and our cover is lost Americans?"

"Our cover is lost North Americans as everyone also knows to act Canadian as to be well-liked. Don't worry, I've got this but you should know all this already."

"Come on Morgan you can't really believe that. That's just a cliché and remember we're on a mission, not a vacation."

"I know that and don't worry, like I said I've got this. Now let's get started so we can rescue the big guy before it's too late. He's depending on me and I don't want to let him down."

"Morgan, we're going to go try to find where they're holding him but we're not going to rescue him. We'll call back then wait for the rest to come. No one is going to play hero here, do you got that or do I need to leave you behind?"

"No, no I understand. It's just I know how much this means for Alex and I want to do my very best to bring John home safe and sound"

"Now it's my turn to tell you not to worry. We all do but we have to go about this by the book or people can get hurt," said Sarah but as she was talking to Morgan his phone began to ring. "What are you doing?" she said as he began to dig in his trousers.

"Just hold on for a moment while I get this. Just a second... don't worry, I've got it in my super-secret money pouch. I don't want it to get stolen. I'm almost there," he said as he reached deep in to his pants. "There you are," he said as he dug this phone out and looked at caller ID. "It's Alex, what do I do?" he said as he showed it to Sarah.

"Don't answer it," she said as she made a face and pushed this hand away. "Let it go to voice mail. If she finds out what we're doing it will only make her that much more worried. She needs her game face on for what Chuck has planned."

"I guess you're right," said Morgan as he started shoved it back down inside his pants. "Wait maybe I should put it on vibrate?"

"I don't want to have this conversation with you. Just do whatever it is you've got to do then let's get a move on it. We have places to check out and we're burning daylight."

"You know you almost sound like Casey," said Morgan. Sarah gave him a look. "What? I said almost. What's the matter?"

"Nothing... never mind let's just go. We've got a lot of ground to cover and the quicker we start the quicker we'll get this done. General, we're heading out now."

"Good luck and watch your backs. I don't want to put any pressure on you but everyone is counting on you."

"Geez, there's no pressure there," mumbled Morgan as they went out to get a ride to the edge of the city.