Don't own Chuck

Luiz stomped out of his mother's bedroom and went down to the sitting room to wait for Miguel. There he had another rum then a third thinking about Miguel and his mother. The longer he thought about them the angrier he got until finally Miguel walked in carrying the package from his mother for him to deliver.

"Here you go," said Miguel as he walked in the room seeing Luiz looking to his glass. "Why don't you have another one for the road? It looks like you haven't had enough yet."

"Oh, I have enough all right and I just might but I don't want to keep your man waiting," said Luiz as he sat his glass down and took the package. "Don't think you've got me fooled. I can see what's going on."

"Got you fooled? What are you talking about? If it's about your mother and me… well, I've known her for a long time and I'm just trying to be the friend she needs.

"With benefits," mumble Luiz as he picked his glass back up then downed what was left. "We'll finish this conversation when I return."

"Anytime you want. When you come back you can find me in your mother's bedroom," said Miguel. He knew that would tick him off and judging from Luiz's reaction he was right.

"I've got to go," said Luiz as he slammed down his glass on the table then stormed out of the room. He thought he heard Miguel laughing behind him which pissed him off even more.

Luiz' rage led him straight into Chuck's trap. He walked out of the sitting room pushing past Miguel's men in the hallway as he made his way to the front door. When he walked outside he was on fire… livid and he slammed the door after him.

"What's gotten into him? Did he find out what you've got planned for him?" said Miguel's other lieutenant. "Should I go and ride along with José?"

"No, José can deal with Luiz and no he doesn't know this is a one-way trip. He wants to have a talk with me when he comes back."

"The only way he's coming back is as a ghost like that pirate he pretended to be. What was his name? Black something?"

"Black Bart," said Miguel as he laughed. "I have to admit Luiz had a good thing going with that… scared everyone into believing this ghost really existed. The story goes if you said his name it would bring him back." Suddenly they heard something rattling around in the walls.

"You don't suppose there's any truth in that story?" said the man as they heard more noise. "That is if you're gullible enough to believe that type of foolishness."

"Don't be stupid that was just the rats running around in the walls again. They're probably fighting over scraps. I thought I told you guys to run the dogs in the walls?"

"We did but evidently they must've missed some. We probably have a bigger problem then what we thought. I'll get the traps from the shed and set them until we can get poison from town."

"Do that or they'll start gnawing on the wiring in the walls and short out something. The last thing we need is for them to start a fire."

"Yes, El Jefe I'll get right on it," said the man as he stood there in front of his boss. There was no way he was going to mention anything that it wasn't ghosts he was worried about but he was thinking about El Chupacapra and the way the dogs had run away. "And are still missing," he said under his breath.

"What'd you say? Never mind. Why are you still standing here? Go get on it," said Miguel. "You don't need to worry about ghosts. You just have to worry about me."

"Yes, El Jefe," said the man as he snapped out of his day dream nightmare about having his blood sucked out of him by the Chupacapra. "I'm getting the traps now," said the man as he left the room and went outside.

"Don't let what that idiot said get in your head. Go get the traps and set them. Maybe I ought to get a goat to trap the Chupacapra just in case," he said to himself. "Talk like that will get you killed," he said as he rounded the house and headed towards the shed.

"What's José doing there? He should be on his way in town with Luiz by now," mumbled the man as he walked towards the old barn. Parked outside was the Range Rover and as he got nearer he could see Luiz inside slumped over.

"Geez, El Jefe is going to be pissed. José wasn't supposed to whack him until his return trip. What was he thinking? Unless Luiz caught on and he had too but still that parcel needs to be delivered," said the man as he walked over to where the vehicle was parked.

"José, José," yelled the man. "What have you done? You know El Jefe is going to be pissed at you. I hope you've got a good explanation or you're going to be in a crap storm. But maybe we can help each other out. I need you to pick up something for me on your way back. José, can you hear me? Why aren't you answering? José, José… who are you? You're not José?"

"Astute powers of observation you've got there buddy," said Chuck as he stepped out of the shed. The man reached for his weapon but felt a bee sting. He looked over at his shoulder and saw a dart sticking in it.

"What the…" was all the man got out before his eyes rolled up in his head and he dropped face first on the ground making a low thud.

[A little while before]

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," said Chuck as he checked his watch. "You're a sitting duck inside this vehicle. If someone comes by and sees you there's no place to run to," he said to himself. Luiz was taking longer than he thought to come out and now he was reconsidering his game plan.

"Maybe you ought to go inside and see if you can find him," he said and Chuck was about to open the door when he saw a man come stomping around the house heading for him.

"You must be Luiz," he said as he smiled and pulled down the ball cap over his eyes. "Okay, come to daddy. Geez, I've been hanging around Casey too long."

Luiz was livid with rage when he left the house and so he wasn't looking to see who was behind the wheel of the Range Rover. He was just thinking about how pissed he was.

"Enough is enough," said Luiz as he got in the back of the Rover and slammed the door shut. "José, let's go because I need to get back to finish a conversation I was having with your boss."

"Well, Luiz… and I assume you're Luiz, but I'm afraid that's going to have to wait," said Chuck as he turned around.

"You're not José. Where's José and what are you doing here?" said Luiz as he reached inside his jacket for his weapon. But he looked down to see a dart in the back of his hand then he slumped over.

"Boy, the people around here are one smarter than the other," said Chuck as he turned the key and started the Range Rover. "Time to pick up the rest from the shed the get out of here. Luiz, you're going to tell me where they're holding Casey and Roan. You just don't know it yet."

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Mary finished talking with her contact then put away her phone after that she started to head out leaving Casey's apartment. However, not before picking up the squirt bottle next to John's Bonsai and giving it a drink. The miniature tree looked a little peckish so Mary made a mental note to get some fertilizer. She walked back to the apartment through the courtyard looking up at the stars wondering how things were going down South.

"You're not good at waiting, are you?" said Kate coming out of the shadows. "Everyone's in bed asleep and you hadn't come back so I thought I'd see what was taking you so long."

"You know I've been known to shoot first then asked questions later. Remember what the Surgeon General says, 'hiding in the shadows can be hazardous to your health'."

"Somehow I don't think that's he had you in mind when they wrote that on cigarette packs… so what's the verdict? Are we in it deep again? Don't try to paint a pretty picture for me and whatever you do don't lie either. I just want the facts and not alternative ones."

"It's really nothing to worry about and tomorrow it will be handled so it will go away," said Mary as she started for the door.

"Oh no, you're not getting off that easy. You were next door for a long time and now you're telling me it's nothing then it will be handled tomorrow. What will be handled tomorrow? Should we even take Sam to school tomorrow?"

"Of course, we're going to take Sam to school tomorrow. This doesn't have anything to do with her and I took my time next door to look after John's Bonsai. You should give it a little fertilizer it's looking a bit puny. I'm guess it's missing John. I've heard plants can do that… sense when they're owners are not around."

"Don't try to change the subject. Okay so this doesn't have anything to do with Sam or Chuck or Sarah or John or…."

"No, no one we know so you can stop listing off names. If you have to know the men in the car are ICE and my guess is they threw out that Buckmiller boy's name to throw people off their scent."

"What does that even mean? Oh no, they're after Sam's friend Maria and her family. But they would stake out a school?"

"The boy's mother, Marleen turned them in through an anonymous tip. Anonymous, isn't very anonymous if you use your cell phone. But I have to hand it to her, she was trying to generate interest away from her husband and onto someone else."

"But that's terrible, Sam really likes her little friend. What's Sam going to do when they arrest her friend and her family?"

"You mean will she ever know? The kid will just one day not show up at school and if her family gets wind they'll go underground which could be worse than deportation… I mean the kid never gets an education so what kind of future can she have even if she's able to stay in country. What kind of job can she find? Picking fruit, cleaning houses or worse."

"That's terrible but isn't there something we can do? I mean there are illegals and then there are illegals," said Kate as she looked back at the apartment as if she could see Sam sleeping in her bed thinking about Maria.

"I'm working on it but what I'm doing… well it's best you don't know so you have plausible deniability in case things go sideways. Not that I think they will but just in case they do. John would be really pissed at me if you two had to ask for conjugal visits at Supermax."

"Yes, and speaking of John, I should call him in the morning and yell at him. You'd think he'd be able to find five minutes to call him and let me know he's all right."

"Well, you really can't blame him that much… I mean he was kind of busy when I left. You could even say he was held hostage by the mission. I don't think it's a good idea to call him. I'd wait until he calls you. You never know what he could be up to and you don't want to inadvertently blow any operation he's involved in."

"I don't understand how he can always be so busy," said Kate as she looked at Mary. "You make it sound like he's constantly tied up."

"That's one way to look at it. Now let's get inside before Sam wakes up and can't find either of us. Did you double check and make sure she didn't sneak her hammer in her school bag?"

"Of course, but I let her take Band-Aids and tissues. She said she needed the tissues for her new teacher and when I asked why. She said the woman sounded like she was coming down with a cold."

"I should put some hand sanitizers in there too. An ounce of prevent is worth not running a fever and being all cranky. She's got the part of doctors making lousy patients down good."

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Morgan and Sarah made noise in the room so that Casey could provide them with a way out. John turned around so he was facing away from the wall and gave it a few mule kicks. He kicked until the drywall gave way and he'd made a hole. After that it was just a question of enlarging it big enough for them to pass through.

"Hold up one last thing," said Casey as he went over to a dresser. "Grab that rub Grimes and when I lift up slide it under."

"What do you want with this? Are you concerned we'll get your floor dirty in your hole so you want us to wipe our feet first?"

"How about I wipe this room with your face? Just do as I told you then we need to bug out of here before Miguel and his goons come back."

"Look, over there," said Morgan as he pointed out the window. Isn't that Chuck in a Rover by that shed?"

"Let's work on getting us out of here in one piece," said Casey. "Don't just stand there gawking I can't hold this thing up all day. Slide the rug under it like I told you… hurry up."

"I still say that's Chuck out there. I don't know why you people won't believe me," said Morgan as he put the rug under the dresser. But as he did Casey let it drop almost catching Morgan's fingers

"Geez, you trying to break my hands? I felt the wind of that thing when it came down," said Morgan as he fanned his hands.

"Oh, stop your bellyaching and let's all get inside the wall before it's too late. I'd like to see you explain that rat hole in the wall."

"I wonder," said Sarah as she looked out the window. She wanted to see Chuck but doubted he'd be there now. She thought he would've gone back to the basecamp after finishing at the Dead Parrot. Protocol would dictate he should report in. However, she also knew Chuck never was much on following protocol.

"Sarah, come on. What are you doing looking out the window? Come on we need to go while the getting is good. Don't pay any attention to Grimes he also believes in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny."

"Crap, he's right that is Chuck. He's down there with Alex and… Natasha? What's she doing with him and… and double crap, he's got Pablito with him. Chuck was right, he's still alive."

"Then who did I whack? No, we don't have time for this. If Chuck is here that means we need to go because they'll be up here soon for you guys." What John said was true and she knew it. There was no way to signal Chuck their position so they all ran into the wall. After everyone was inside John used the rug to slide the dresser back over to cover the hole. On the inside of the room it would like they'd vanished. But that would last only up until they moved the dresser but Casey was hoping they'd be long gone by then.

"See you learn a thing or two after living inside a wall for years. Now we need to get out of here. This way," John said.

"I don't suppose either of you has anything to drink," said Roan. "My throat is getting a little parched and I could use a sip or two."

"Sure, I brought a bottle," said Morgan as he started to open his rucksack. "To be a boy scout is to always be prepared."

"But you were never a boy scout," grunted Casey. "And you're not going to drag that backpack with you through these passages. There are places where it's too narrow for you and that thing to pass through."

"It's a rucksack nor a backpack," said Morgan. He could feel Casey staring at him. "There's a difference look it up."

"The only difference is when I grab you by the throat do I twist left or do I twist right. Hurry up Roan drink your water then let's move out."

"Ewe, yuck water, do you have any idea what fish do in water? When I was talking about my parched throat I was talking about something that is measure in proof…"

"The only proof is the one they'll be looking for after I make you disappear but there won't be any. So lady and girls let's move out and Grimes I swear you touch that backpack or rucksack or whatever you want to call it like you're going to bring it with you and I'll break both your arms."

They started down the passageway heading down inside the house. John figured if Chuck had been there then he'd been on some sore of scouting expedition and if he was right there would be an extraction team soon to follow.

"Sarah, how many men did Beckman and General Thomas put together? Never mind it doesn't matter. Look I'm going to get you guys down to the pantry then Roan can take you to the sheds out back. You can hide there until the cavalry arrives. I'm going to stay here and start softening up the target."

"No John, you're coming with us. If we're all out when the team comes then we don't have to play nice with these people."

"And how do we know they don't have an exit strategy. While we're banging on the front door they don't just slip out the back and disappear into the jungle only to surface again in twenty or thirty years like they did now."

"John, thirty years from now they'll be using walkers or they'll be wheeled around and have their names pinned to their shirts so they can remember who they are. Big guy, I can understand you wanting to finish this once and for all but don't lose sight of the big picture which is Kate and Alex."

"John's right we need to think of the people who'll be coming to rescue us. They have their Kates and Alexes and Chucks they want to go home to. We can't turn tail and run for safety to sit it out when they're men and women coming to save us that's not what we do. That's not why we do this job. If we wanted to play it safe we'd all take up jobs in the Buy More…"

"I don't know it can be pretty hairy there. Especially when there's a new product launch and I've gotten some pretty nasty papercuts."

"I'll give you hairy… hairy fingers wrapped around your windpipe. If it wasn't so dark in here we could watch you turn blue but we can wait for the popping sound when your eyes come out of their sockets."

"Okay, okay I'm probably going to regret this but I'm in. Just can someone else be the bullet magnet for once?"

"Everyone has their own wheelhouse so own it," said Casey as everyone turned to Roan. "So, mister smooth talker what about you? We haven't heard a word from you."

"Of course I'm in, but can we come up with a plan that doesn't involve us getting killed? This suit already has to go to the dry cleaner but blood just won't some out not to mention having to mend bullet holes… all that costs extra. Are you guys sure no one has anything to drink?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I could really use a grape soda right now. Just think about it… ice cold on the rocks."

"Come on let's got to the pantry first and see what we can find. Once we're there we can make a plan. But whatever we do we hit them hard and where it hurts."

"I just can't understand what Natasha was doing with Chuck or how she even got here from Moscow. I thought they would've tossed her in a cell in Lubyanka."

"They're not the type of people who like wasting good accommodations. More likely they'd put a bullet through her head but I think she knows that."

"That still doesn't explain why she's here or how she got away."

"Who says she got away? I bet there's a Spetsnaz team looking for her right now and I just hope Chuck has the good sense to stay clear when they come for her because those people don't mess around."

"Casey, this is Chuck we're talking about remember," said Sarah as she got worried.

"Yeah there's no way he's going to stand by and let them whack her even if she desires it. The only hope is they send his commie friends, Stefan or Anatoly or both. They might look out for him but in the end even they follow orders."

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[Outside the gate a little further down the road]

"Look at that," said the driver of the surveillance van pointing at the Range Rover heading towards them. "Looks like our target is coming to us."

"We're not going to waste this chance. Pull off and we'll throw spikes across the road then once they run them off in the ditch we can take Natasha out and if we're lucky your friend Chuck will walk away from this."

"I don't know if this is such a good idea," said Anatoly as he looked at Stefan who nodded back.

"I'm not asking for your opinion. These men are mine and I'm taking over this op. You can complain to whoever once we're done."

"Let her go for it," said Stefan. "She has no idea who she's up against."