Don't own Chuck

Beckman and Tank listened to the audio file on the pen drive twice then she picked up the letter that had been in the envelope and read it again. Tank shook his head as he played the recording one more time looking for something that wasn't there. Beckman looked at him and read his mind which got her angry and flustered.

"I know what you're thinking and there's no way Roan could've made that recording without being under duress. They could have been holding a gun pointed to his head."

"I didn't say a word but if this is real there's grounds for charging him with treason here. However, I think it's a fake. Probably bits and pieces of recordings someone put together."

"Now that makes more sense and knowing Roan he was probably trying to turn her but she played him. They probably want us to contest it so…"

"So they can say 'the lady doeth protest too much'… not that the lady in question is you. It's just an analogy to what they plan to do. However, that doesn't mitigate the fact that he gave up the Colonel and if I were him I'd be pissed with Roan. Knowing Casey, I bet they've had a heart to heart if he knows about this that is."

"Probably, but what do you make of this letter? Why would they be asking for us to hand Casey over to them if they already have him? And are we sure these tourists they're talking about are Agents S. Carmichael and Grimes?"

"I'm putting the raid on the compound on hold until we can get a clearer picture of what's going on. The last thing we need is to raid the compound and find out the tourists they have are some congressman's son who's on a gap year smoking and tooting his way across South and Central America."

"Especially if we have to send him or her back in a bag. We'll be called before a senate oversite committee asking what we were doing down here and you have to start out with telling them you were here on vacation. That'll go over like a lead balloon. If we can wait until that roof cools down we can get a better picture of what's going on inside."

"That's what I'm thinking too. I don't know if it would do any good to send a message back to them telling them we don't have Casey."

"And even if we did would you really consider giving him to them?" said Tank as he looked at Beckman. "The correct answer is no."

"Oh, of course I wouldn't. We don't negotiate with terrorists and no, I'm not going to answer their letter. They might know where we are but they don't know we know where they are. We can use that to our advantage. If I'm right this letter," said Beckman as she waved it in front of tank. "This will be followed up with another spelling out a time table when and where we have to turn over the Colonel."

"What are you thinking? We bait them and draw them out," said Tank. "If we tell them we agree to turn Casey over and they name the location. Then we can follow them out of the compound from above. Once they're out we jam their comms raid the compound and liberate the hostages."

"But if they take the hostages with them then we put them at risk. However, you're right they probably won't take them but instead keep them back at the compound where they think they're safe."

"The only problem with this plan is how do we get a message to them that we're willing to negotiate if we don't know where they're hiding out?"

"Crap, I can't think of everything" said Beckman as she looked at the letter. Tank was right and it pissed her off he was right. "Where's Chuck?" she yelled. "Someone get me Chuck."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alex, Chuck and Pablito were pinned down in the back office with gunmen blazing away at them. Diego, the one gunman had given Chuck a thirty second ultimatum to hand over Pablito or he was going to begin tossing grenades. The situation was dire and Chuck didn't see any way out other than running a hail Mary. He was going to charge out draw fire so that Alex and Pablito could get out.

"Are you ready to make a decision," yelled Diego. "Your time is up and I don't see Pablito. Don't say I didn't give you a chance."

"Hold up, I'm coming out. Let me come out and we can talk this out together just you and me face to face," yelled Chuck. He had no plans on talking or better he was going to let Mister Colt do his talking for him.

"You can come out but without Pablito it's a waste of time," said Diego as signaled Alonso to be ready. "You can shoot this Yank then we'll take care of the rest in short work." Alonso smile and nodded.

Chuck grabbed the doorknob and started to turn it but before he could open the door there was a loud crash when a Rover Defender suddenly ran through the far wall. When it hit the bar it literally moved the whole club a good six inches off its foundation. The whole building shook as if there had been an earthquake. Diego fell backwards hitting his head on a table knocking him unconscious. The two grenades he had in his hands went rolling across the barroom floor.

"No," yelled Alonso as he got up and hobbled over trying to find them but he wasn't thinking and it was too late when he did. The spoons had flown off when they rolled out of Diego's hands and both were armed.

"Got you," said Alonso as he picked one up. That was he realized he was screwed. "Oh crap," he got out before the bar erupted in a fire storm caused by two consecutive explosions.

[Shortly before in the backroom]

The dust was still thick when the door of the Defender flung open and someone with a thick accent yelled to them to come.

"If you want to live you'd better climb aboard. I'm not going to wait around here all day," said Natasha as Chuck made her image out through the dust and haze.

"And what do we owe this honor," said Chuck wondering if they should trust her but at the time they didn't have much of a choice.

"If it wasn't for Pablito, I wouldn't have come back so unless you want to die here I'd suggest you get your partner and get yourselves inside because I'm out of here right now."

They piled into the Defender and Natasha threw it into reverse peeling out just as the grenades went off. A fireball followed them out as they made their escape in the nick of time.

"I hope you've got good insurance," said Chuck as he looked over his should at the burning inferno. "You need to see if blood thirsty cut throats carrying grenades is covered in the fine print. However, I'm afraid that is usually an add on."

"Natasha, what are you doing here? I thought you told me we couldn't see each other again when you got recalled back to Moscow?"

"I came back for you. Didn't I promise you I'd always take care of you and keep you safe?" said Natasha as they heard another loud explosion behind them.

"Dollink," said Chuck mocking her. "You might want to look in your rear view and rethink what you just said. I take it you pissed off everyone back at the Center including Igor coming here or Anatoly and Stefan wouldn't have been shooting at you."

"Of course you'd know them Colonel," said Natasha as she looked up at Chuck in the rear view. "But winds change direction all the time. Once we're out of town and safe, we just have to lay low for a little while. As your Bob Dylan once said, 'the times, they are a changing'. I'll put you two out…"

"No, they need… we need to go to Miguel's. Please I have to go," said Pablito. Natasha looked over at him like he was crazy.

"Did you bump your head or did you not understand what just happened back there? Miguel is trying to kill you and me. I had a run in with some of his goons in an alleyway getting to you and lucky for you I took care of them."

When she said that Chuck wondered how many other people she'd taken care of to get to Pablito and was that the reason Stefan and Anatoly opened fire on her without warning him. Maybe Natasha was right and the times they were a changing after all.

"I have to go to see Miguel. My son is there along with Donna Rosenda. I need to see him and talk to him…"

"And you think that's going to do any good? If you even get a chance to talk to him because if Miguel doesn't shoot you Rosenda will. What you're talking about doing is crazy and I suppose it was Mr. CIA in the back who came up with the idea, or am I wrong?"

"It doesn't matter who came up with the idea. It's the right thing to do and if you don't want to come with us you don't have to..."

"I came halfway around the globe and I won't tell you what I had to do to get here or the bridges I burnt then you tell me if I don't want to come with you I don't have to? I ought to shoot you between the eyes right here and dump your body in a ditch."

"But you won't Dollink," said Chuck. Natasha looked in the rear view to see him grinning at her from the back.

"But I would gladly shoot you," said Natasha looking back at him. "Okay, if we're going to do this we need to be smart about it."

"You mean like driving right through the main gate kicking butt and taking names?"

"Of course, now where does Miguel live these days?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sitting in a side alley watching Natasha was Anatoly and Stefan. They were in the surveillance van with Tatiana. They watched as Natasha rescued Pablito by running through the side of the bar with the Rover she'd commandeered from the driver who had brought Miguel's assassins to the dead Parrot.

"I told you she'd come back. She didn't come all this way to be scared off by a little gunfire. Get this thing started up and let's get after her."

"Did you see who's in the Rover with her? She's got Chuck so we can't just drive up next to her and open fire."

"Who's this Chuck and why is he so important? I recommend we get past her then set up a sniper. One shot through the windshield and our troubles are history and you two can go back home."

"Chuck is also…," Stefan started to say but Anatoly cut him off shaking his head. "That information is above your paygrade. Let's just leave it that he's important and he's not to be touched."

"Let's just follow them for now and see where they go. I can't see Chuck and his team working with Natasha... not for long."

"I'd love to hear what Colonel Casey has to say about her considering his vocal disapproval of… well everything Natasha believes," said Stefan as he laughed.

"Yeah that would be pretty funny," said Anatoly as he smiled. Tatiana looked at both of them as if they were crazy then turned back to her driver.

"Remember to leave a thirty-yard cushion and do we know where this road leads?" She asked as they left the city behind and started to enter the jungle. "You're going to have to keep up with them or we might lose them."

"Just get close enough to see the dust their vehicle is kicking up and follow it. They won't know we're back here and you don't need to see them."

"This is my team and I'll give them their orders," snapped Tatiana. "You heard him watch the dust and don't lose them," she said then she turned back around. "Maybe it's time for you two to contact the Director and report in?"

"You have your orders and we have ours. We'll contact the Director when the mission is completed and not before. As you pointed out the team is yours but you work for us and not the other way around."

"And when we're done I will be filing a report to the Director about everything that's happened," said Tatiana. She didn't like being the odd man or woman out. Who was this Chuck? All she could see was he was the enemy and what Anatoly and Stefan were doing skirted on treason.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Buddy met up with his friend Marty after school and they headed to Alvin's house together. Both had snuck out of their homes without anyone knowing then they made their way across town. When they got on the bus to go downtown the driver looked at them wondering why two kids were out so late by themselves. But if he said anything then he'd be obliged to do something with them and it was the end of his tour and he was tired.

"You can be someone else's problem," he said to himself as he watched them in the mirror. "I got enough problems taking care of myself." He closed the door then pull away from the stop and continued on his run.

"I need you to help me out Mary," said Buddy as they got comfortable. "Do you think Alvin will sell me one of his spiders?"

"You mean one of his tarantulas? You know how he gets when you call them spiders and what do you want with one anyway?"

"I thought you could've figured that one out on your own. I'm going to give our new classmate a present," he said as he smiled.

"Oh no," said Marty as he shook his head. "I don't want any part in this. My parents are mad enough at me over my bedroom and the mess we caused in school. You can count me out on this one. I don't want any part..."

"Just chill, if you don't have the guts then I'll take care of everything. You don't have to do anything except get Alvin to sell me one of his spiders... I'm sorry one of his tarantulas."

"That's just it I don't think he will. You know how protective he is of his spiders... now see what you've done you've gotten me calling them spiders. But like I said I don't think he will and I know he won't if you tell him what you intend to do with it."

"Then we're going to have to come up with another way for me to get one. I'm going to put one in that brat's backpack tomorrow then we'll all have a good laugh when she screams and it will serve her right. If it hadn't been for her father my Dad would be here right now and not in Acapulco with the Principal."

"Wait a minute, I thought you said he was in parts unknown or something like that when I said he was in Acapulco in school."

"This is our stop," said Buddy as he ignored what Marty said. He pushed the call button for the stop and they got up to get near the doors. When the bus driver eased into the stop it was even later than before. They got off and made a beeline for Alvin's house. There they were greeted at the door by Alvin's mother with a frown on her face.

"Isn't it late for you two boys to be out," she said as she looked behind them. "Where are your parents or the adult that brought you here?"

"Oh, my mother dropped us off," said Buddy. "Yes, that's it. She had to go grab some milk and eggs so she dropped us off but she's going to pick us up later."

"In that case all right come inside. Would you boys like something to eat or drink? Alvin's in the basement with his bugs."

"Tarantulas aren't bugs. They're animals," said Alvin who had come upstairs when he heard voices. He had one of them walking along his arm and up the side of his head.

"Well they're bugs to me and if you don't want me to kill that one you've better take it back downstairs. You know the agreement or do I need to remind you? Only things on two legs above ground and if I catch anything with eight above ground then I plant it below ground."

"Come on George let's go back downstairs. Guys come with me and I'll show you something really neat. I think you're going to want to see this I've got an albino tarantula."

"Now why couldn't he be like a normal child and want a dog or a cat," said Alvin's mother as the boys disappeared. "If you want to grab a soda or some chips come up to the kitchen. I won't go down in that bug hole."

Buddy and Marty followed Alvin down into his basement and what they found both shocked and disgusted them. There were at least twenty to thirty tanks with at least one or two tarantulas in each.

"Come here and let me show you this. I just got it the other day and I'm really proud of it," said Alvin as he put George away. "This is an albino tarantula from Australia. I didn't ask the guy how he got it just that I had to have it and now he's mine," said Alvin as he pulled down a tank and they looked inside.

"Wow that is weird," said Marty as he looked into the tank. "But how do you know it's a he and not a she?"

"First of all, he's not weird he's beautiful and how do you think you tell if he's a he? Why are you guys here anyway? You only come over here when you want something."

"Well, Buddy needed to ask you for a favor. He wants to know..." Marty started to say but Buddy cut him off.

"I wanted to know the address of your seller and how to get in touch with him. I've been thinking about starting a collection of theraphosidae myself."

"See Marty, Buddy's someone who knows the difference between a spider and a tarantula. I've got the address and phone number upstairs in my room..."

"We can stay here and wait for you," said Buddy. "I'll explain to Marty how you can tell the males from the females... that is if you don't mind?"

"No, not at all go right ahead," said Alvin then he ran up the stairs thinking he'd finally found a kindred soul.

"He's gone so help me," said Buddy as he took a bag out of us pocket. "I want you to watch the stairs while I do what I've got to do."

"And what's that? No, you aren't going to steal one of his spiders, are you?" said Marty as he watched Buddy put on a glove and open a tank.

"Tarantulas remember," said Buddy as he put the theraphosidae in the bag he'd brought then gently put it inside his jacket. He could feel the creature moving around in the bag but soon it got quiet."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inside the plantation house Sarah was pacing the room wondering what was taking Beckman so long to act. She looked at her watch and realized that she wasn't going to be able to make the call she wanted to make. Morgan noticed her walking about and so did Casey from the other side of the wall he was about to say something when the door opened and Luiz walked in.

"Here you are," said Sarah. "What's the meaning of all this? If I had known we were going to be locked in our room I would've stayed in town."

"I know this isn't a perfect situation but it's for your own safety. We were told some criminals have escaped and have been seen outside not very far from here. They caused that accident you saw earlier."

"Maybe we should go into town then," said Sarah. "If we went in town then you wouldn't have to waste resources making sure we're safe."

"I can't guarantee that I can get you into town safely so I ask you be patient a little bit longer. Don't worry this will be over soon. In the meantime, is there anything I can get you to make your stay more comfortable?"

"I could use a grape soda," said Morgan. "But make sure it's really cold. Grape soda is best served like revenge cold."

"Right... well I'll see what I can do. So Sarah and for you, is there anything I can get you?" She just shook her head then went to the window and looked out. "Let me check on that grape soda and I'll be right back."

Luiz left the room and closed the door. They heard the bolt inside the door lock and they were back to where they were before.

"Sarah, what's the matter with you? Why are you pacing? You should try being inside the wall where I'm then let me know how you feel."

"It's not that I wanted to give Sam a call when she got home from school to see how her first day back went. But I guess I can forget about that and where's Beckman at with the cavalry? I thought she'd be here by now."

"Don't as me," said Casey from inside the wall. "We're just a part of the fixtures in this place. I'll be right back I want to go see if I can gather more intel." They heard grunts and moans from Casey and Roan.

"I don't even want to know," said Morgan. Sarah just shook her head and looked out the window.