Don't own Chuck

Casey glided through the jungle underbrush like a big cat and every step he took was silent. Like a big cat on the prey he made no noise as he double timed towards the plantation. Roan, on the other hand, was stomping through scaring the wildlife. Birds scattered screaming back at him for disrupting their rest and monkeys howled at him from the trees.

"Well, I won't go hungry," Roan said as he picked up a banana that had been flung at him. "Guys, keep the fruit coming but hold the rest."

"Will you please try to keep it down," said Casey as another flock of birds took to the air. "At this rate you might as well send Luiz and his mother a postcard letting them know we're coming. Can't you be quieter?"

"I'm doing the best I can. These deck shoes just aren't made for this type of terrain. Maybe we should take a break and our catch our breathes?"

"If you get a bad omelette who do you blame the cook or the hen? There's nothing wrong with those shoes other than the person who's wearing them," said Casey but he caught Roan's look. "Okay, if it makes you happy we can take a five-minute breather. But when we start up again I want you to put your feet where I put mine."

"Okay, okay but how are we going to take them when we get there? We should wait for darkness then slip inside the plantation house. Once we're in we can work our way up floor by floor."

"I like that. We can take them out floor by floor so in the end they won't know it's over until after it's too late. I don't mind cracking a few heads and snapping some necks. I might be able to set a new personal best."

"We should try to take Donna Rosenda alive. There's a lot of intel we can get from her about her organization and not just the one she's running now but also answer some questions about the past too. For instance, she can tell us how much the Russians and Cubans were involved with her people…"

"Bunch of commie insurgents. You know what they say better dead than red and they chose red so now they're going to dead. It makes sense if you think about it."

"I'm sure it does for you. Just think she can identify all the people who are still in positions of power that helped the PLA. Can you imagine what we could do with that kind of intel?"

"I think I just told you what we could do. It's covered under the 'better dead than red' that I mentioned before. Well, we've rested enough let's get started again. Remember your feet in my footprints," said Casey as they started off through the underbrush again. John bent back a low branch then let it go. It snapped back taking Roan off his feet.

"Geez, John will you please be careful with what you're doing," said Roan as he got up. "Just look at my clothes. When I get back I'm going to have to burn these.

"Stop your squabbling and keep it down. According to my calculations we're almost there," said Casey as they trekked along.

It wasn't long before they came to a clearing in the jungle that was surrounded by an electrified wire fence. "This is it," said John as he pointed to arm guards who were patrolling the perimeter. Now that that we've found this we just have to find a place to hunker down until dark then we'll find a way inside."

But as they were watching from the cover of the underbrush a loud commotion broke out in the compound. Men started running around and shouting outside the large plantation house in the center of the enclosure. Soon afterwards two Defenders sped out of the compound through a gate guarded by two armed guards heading towards town.

"I think they've just figured out we're missing," said Roan as they hunkered down and watched the ruckus.

"Whatever gave you that idea," said Casey as he got up. " Come on they're going to be sending search parties out to look for us so now's the time to figure a way to get inside while they're undermanned."

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[Meanwhile inside the plantation house]

"What do you mean they got away?" said Donna Rosenda. She was livid with rage and she didn't mind showing it as hurled object at Luiz. "You had one simple task and one only which was to bring your father's murder to justice. But what did you do? You screwed it up. If you'd listened to Miguel instead of worrying about other things that were none of your business this wouldn't have happened."

"The situation is under control. We've got men out looking for them and I'm sure we'll have them soon because they couldn't have gone very far. Our men are watching for them outside the American's compound so if they make a run for it they won't get very far."

"I hope you're right because there's no going back to Saint Thomas now and your pirate days are over so I don't see how you're going to make a living."

"Luiz can always work for… with me here and this isn't his fault or anyone's. It just happened," said Miguel. Luiz wasn't sure if he liked being helped out by Miguel but he played along to get out of the dog house. "I've got men searching from town back towards where our vehicle ran off the road and I'm going to personally interrogate the one man that we found left alive."

"I'd like to come along with you and talk to him too," said Donna Rosenda. But the way she said it made it sound more like an order than a request.

"If you like then please follow me," said Miguel as he offered Donna Rosenda his arm and they started for the door. Luiz began to follow them but his mother stopped him.

"No, Luiz, not you," she said. "I don't want to look at you right now. Go out help our people look for our prisoners and come back when you have them."

"But mother," said Luiz. However, he could tell there was no use trying to talk to her in her current state. "Very well if that's what you want."

"This way," said Miguel then he led Donna Rosenda out of the room but he glanced back at Luiz. Luiz caught his look and wondered what game Miguel was playing.

"I don't know what you're up to but I don't like it," said Luiz under his breath as he poured himself a rum then threw it down. "I'd better do this but not before I have another."

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Stefan and Anatoly walked up to a bar located off High Street not far off the beaten path. Above the entrance to the place was a neon sign with a parrot lying on its back along with an empty rum bottle next to it and an illuminated name above the image read 'El Cotoro Muerto'… the dead parrot.

"What kind of parrot is that? Doesn't it look like a Norwegian Blue. I had a cousin once who had a Norwegian Blue. The stupid thing slept all the time and the person they bought it from said it was pining away for the fjords."

"Well this parrot isn't pining. He's passed on. This parrot is no more, he has ceased to be, he's expired and gone to meet his maker.

"You mean he's an ex-parrot," said Stefan. They both laughed as they walked inside then looked around. "I'd say it's not just the parrot's that dead."

"I'll find us a table and you go get us a couple of beers," said Anatoly. He went off and found a table where they could cover the exits and entrance. He waved for Stefan who was walking back with two beers in hand.

"Sorry, no Heineken here so I got you a Sam Miguel," said Stefan as Anatoly made a face but took a sip the same. "Now what do we do, wait?"

"That's the general idea sooner or later Natasha will walk through those front doors then we end her here. One of us can go scout the exits in a little while. We need to do it and get out before we're caught."

"Okay so we cap her then what? You say we make a run for the exit then what? We should contact Tatiana for an extraction plan."

"Not until the deed is done. If we let her in on our intention she'll report it back to the Director and what are we going to do if he orders us to stand down?"

"So, you don't want to disobey a direct order? Isn't that kind of what we're doing now? Didn't the Director tell us to follow her and see where she leads?"

"You don't have to remind me what he told us to do. I was there and I heard him too. Geez, I even sold him on this idea of following her and for that reason I'm responsible for Vlad's death."

"You can't blame yourself over that. Vlad was cocky and got himself whacked. You even warned him not to underestimate her but he didn't listen. No, he got himself killed and no one else is to blame."

"That's not true. We should've never sent him to ride that bus. You said it before yourself, Natasha is one of us and she knows how we operate. Vlad was just a kid trying to make a name for himself but a kid none the less and out of his league with Natasha. No, she didn't have to kill him. She could've done something different but she didn't and it's for that she has to be put down."

"I'm not disagreeing but let's be smart about this and not start a gunfight in this place. I've been looking around at the clientele in here and the vast majority are packing. I don't know if you've noticed but there's a Cuban flag on the wall behind the bar along with a poster of the Che."

"Then it looks like we've come to the right place," said Anatoly as he took another sip from his beer. "Why don't you order us another round while I go to the little boy's room and look for our exit?"

"Just don't touch anything back there. Who knows what kind of bacteria or diseases are lurking about in this place."

"You know what they say, if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger but I hear what you're saying," said Anatoly. He finished his beer then got up and made his way over to a dark corridor that led to the restrooms and exit.

Stefan finished his then looked around to see if there was a waitress or someone he could order from but all he saw were men that he'd hate to meet in dark alley.

"If there was a girl working in here she'd have a moustache and biceps the size of watermelons to survive this crowd," said Stefan as he laughed. He got up and took their empties to the bar then ordered two more after laying cash on the bar.

"Hey, what's so funny," said a man standing next to him at the bar. Stefan was almost knocked over by the man's breath. He smelt like a rum distiller and not the good kind.

"Phew, you must've been in here since the place opened. If I were you I'd be careful around any open flames."

"What's that supposed to mean. Are you laughing at me? I don't like people laughing at me and I can get really mean. If you are then let's go out back and see if you can show me what's so funny?"

"Look, I wasn't laughing at you. I just remembered something funny is all. I don't need any problems with you or anyone else and to prove I didn't mean anything by it I'll buy you another round of whatever you're drinking."

"Here are your two Sam Miguels," the bartender said as he looked at Stefan then at the man standing next to him.

"Thanks," Stefan as he pulled out more money dropping it on the counter. "This is for a drink for my friend here." Stefan then bid a hasty retreat and went back to their table. As he sat back down he glanced back over at the bar. The man he had the run in with seemed to be getting wound up and agitated ranting to himself.

"Someone is off their med. Crap, this isn't going to end well," thought Stefan as he looked around for Anatoly. He watched at as the angry man kept looking back at him then turning back around drinking even more and more. However, Stefan caught a break, before the mad man could think about coming after him, nature called him first. Stefan watched as he headed towards the same dark corridor Anatoly had disappeared into.

"Let's nip this is the bud before it gets out of hand," said Stefan. He took a hit from his Sam Miguel then palmed the bottle walking behind the drunk man down the same dark hallway. He could already hear the man yelling.

"Get out of there I need to use the can," howled the drunk man as he pounded on the bathroom door. "Open this door up now."

"Just a moment," said a voice from inside. Stefan who was behind the drunk now recognized it. Anatoly was inside and oblivious as to who was on the other side of the door.

"Just open the door or I'll break it down," screamed the drunk as he grabbed the doorknob and began rattling the door.

"What's your problem," said Anatoly as he opened the door. "Is the tank over flowing? Maybe you should think about taking some anger management classes."

"Just get out of my way or I'll mess you up," said the drunk as he started to push Anatoly out of the way but Stefan came up behind the drunk and shoved him to the floor in the bathroom then broke his beer bottle over the man's head. To make sure he wasn't going to get up Stefan grabbed him by his greasy hair and banged his face off the slimy bathroom floor.

"I can't leave you alone for one moment. At least tell me this was necessary," said Anatoly as he stood over Stefan and the drunk.

"No, this is just my favour pastime. Of course it was now, just don't stand there looking at me," said Stefan. "Grab a shoulder and help me put him in the stall. It's a long story and I'll explain later but he had to be taken out before he blew our covers. Let's drop him inside and people will think he slipped and knocked himself out."

"Or just plain passed out and fell over. This… he is disgusting. Come on we need to go we're both back here and Natasha could enter any moment. We need to get into position."

They closed the stall door then left the bathroom walking back down the dark but when they walked out front they saw Chuck and Alex walk in then go over to their table. They watched as they sat down and got comfortable.

"Well crap, but this was to be expected," said Anatoly as they watched them from shadows. "We can't very well go over and say hello then cap Natasha as soon as she walks in."

"I don't see why not but what I don't understand is why are they here and what does being here have to do with them getting their people back."

"I'm guessing they're looking for leverage to force the people who grab theirs to let them go. But that creates another problem because they're here for the same reason as Natasha and what do you think she's going to do if she sees them here?"

"She's liable to start shooting and asking names later. We should really warn Chuck besides if we're here it's thanks to him."

"I'd normally agree but let's hold up for a few moments and see how things develop. If Natasha draws on them then we'd be obligate to…"

"I see what you're going for. We take her out before she can take them out and it's a win-win situation. No one could say anything… we did our duty and helped out a friend who helped us."

"I couldn't have explained it better myself."

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Luiz finished his drink and tried to curb his anger but he couldn't help think Miguel had played him to get at his mother. However, he couldn't come up with a plan to get himself out of the dog house other than by finding their escaped prisoners. There was nothing else to do so he downed his last drink then sat the glass down.

"Well, mother wants me to go look for them then I will," said Luiz then he checked his weapon. "However, she never said I had to bring them back alive. I'm tired of being treated like a child. Now I'm going to prove to her that I'm a man once and for all. Things are going to have to change around here."

Luiz left the plantation house and ordered a driver pick him up to take him to where the men were searching. However, as they left the plantation he noticed two strangers talking to the guards at the gate.

"What's going on at the gate? And who are those people?" But the driver didn't know. Luiz saw a blonde woman and a rather hairy short man talking to the guard but there was something about the woman

"What's going on here?" said Luiz rolling down his window as the driver pulled up at the gate. "Who are you people?"

"Just tourists," said Sarah. "We were looking for the hostel and got turned around in town and ended up out here. Now we're trying to find our way back but we still have to find that hostel."

"Well, you're in luck because that's where I'm heading. Hop in and we'll run you two back into town but I've got no idea where the hostel is but I can save you some time and walking."

"I don't know if we should," said Morgan. "I mean it's kind of you and everything but we wouldn't want to put you out of your way. Besides my mother used to tell me not to get into cars with strangers."

"You see that's it, I think I know you from somewhere," said Luiz. "But I can't seem to place where. If you ride with me into town maybe we can figure out where we know each other from?"

"Come on Morgan. Remember what a walk it was to get here. Do really want to walk it back then try to find a place to bed down? We'll take you up on your offer mister," said Sarah as she opened the back door of the defender and helped stuff Morgan along with his ruck pack inside. She got in afterwards then they were off and as Luiz promised heading towards town.

"My name is Sarah Carmichael and this is my traveling companion as of this morning Morgan Grimes and you are?"

"You can call me Luiz. In a certain way we're in the same boat here," said Luiz. "Let me explain, I'm visiting friends here with my mother. She knows this place but I don't. In fact, this is my first time here but I can't get over the feeling I know you."

"Like I said before we just met this morning and found we where trying to get to the same hostel," said Sarah.

"No, I wasn't talking about him. I was talking about you. I know we've met but… oh well maybe it's just in my head. Morgan is it? That's some backpack you've got there and a Maple leaf too. You wouldn't happen to be Canadian, eh?"

"It's a ruck pack and as every traveller knows you need a hefty ruck pack. You noticed the Maple leaf. Yes, I have my house near Toronto," said Morgan trying to sound Canadian. Sarah elbowed him to keep quiet.

"And you Sarah, where are you from? I hope you don't mind we calling you by your first name. I know I know you… I'm sorry that sounds stupid I know."

"Oh, a little here and there… I travel a lot so I really don't have anyone place I call home. So, you're here visiting friends? Have you been here long? I take it no because you say you don't know your way around."

"No not long… we came here to take care of some family business which we hope to clear up soon then be on our way. Wait a minute I've got it! I remember where I've seen you before," said Luiz. Sarah reached into her bag and found her Smith and Wesson.

"I think I'd remember if we've met before," said Sarah as she flipped off the safety and glanced over at Morgan.