Don't own Chuck
The Goon squad didn't see that they were being observed from above. The Zorros led them back into the park but once inside the ducked back out cover by the bushes and flower gardens then they went up the side of buildings scrambling to the rooftops. From their vantage point on the roofs they watched the goons regroup then head out.
"Okay they're on the move," said Raul. The three moved from rooftop to rooftop with ease like primates moving through the trees.
"Hold up," said Raul as the ducked behind chimneys and ventilation ducts when the men stopped and looked around as if they felt they were being followed.
"Did they see us," asked Marco as he ducked behind a low wall. "How did they see us from down there? What gave us away?"
"Shush," said Rita hiding behind a ventilation duct. "They don't know we're here. They just feel like they're being followed but they don't know it's us or that we're up here. Look they're on the move"
"Let's move it. We still need to follow them," said Raul. "Come on and keep up. I'm not going hold your hands."
"Raul's right come on let's go," said Rita as she took off leaving Marco to play catch up behind them. They continued across the city right behind the goons then they stopped outside a run-down hotel in the middle of the seedy part of town.
"Okay we're here," said Raul as they stopped on top of a building across the street and watched the goons walk into the dilapidated building.
"We've got the building now we need to find the room," said Rita. "We need to go back to our hotel and get our equipment then come back."
"I don't like leaving this this place unguarded. What happens if they decide to pack it up and switch locations? If we're not here watching how will we know? You two can go back I'll stay here."
"Okay Raul," said Rita. "We'll go back but you have to promise me you won't take any initiative on your own and you'll stay here until we get back."
"Of course I will," said Raul. "Now go the sooner you guys go the sooner you'll get back here. I'll be right here waiting for you. Now go and hurry back."
"Come on Marco," said Rita. The began by leaping over to the rooftop behind them rolled in a ball then jumped up using the momentum to leap onto the next rooftop going on and an on as they headed back to the Carlton and their open window.
"Okay let's make this quick. You grab the camera and fiber optic cable and I'll grab the rappelling rope, cams and pitons. Hurry up let's get back."
"I've got everything," said Marco as he put everything in a shoulder bag. "Are you ready? You were telling me to hurry up and you're not ready."
"Shut up and let's go," said Rita. They jumped over the balcony then scurried off from rooftop to rooftop. But what they didn't see was Roan hiding in the shadows watching them as they disappeared into the night. Roan climbed up over the balcony then entered their apartment.
"So if I were a data device where would I be at," said Roan as he searched the apartment without any success. He heard birds making noise outside and knew it was time for him to beat feet.
"Okay time to leave but I'm on the right trail," he said to himself as he went out on the balcony then lowered himself down on the roof then walked over to his apartment and climbed back over the balcony railing.
Rita and Marco returned to the rooftop where they'd left Raul only to find him missing. They looked around then saw him on the dilapidate hotel. Rita waved for him to come back over to them but he shook his head then waved for them to come over to him. He pointed to a powerline that ran across the street. They ran across the line high above over unsuspecting passersby below to reach their brother.
"What are you doing here? You promised us you'd wait over there where we left you no here," said Rita but Raul put his hand over her mouth.
"Shush, I checked out the top floor and there's no one home so we can gain access to the floors below through one of those apartment. You brought the optical fiber and the camera right?"
"Yes," said Marco as he touched the bag he had around himself. Raul waved for them to follow him. He took them through a rooftop door down a small set of steps into the top floor rooms. They went to the first door Raul and Marco posted watching while Rita picked the lock then they were in.
"Okay get the camera ready," said Raul as he took out a hand drill and started making a hole in the floor into the room below. Once the hole was made they passed the camera through.
"Here we go show time," said Raul as they watched on a small monitor. He moved the camera around so they could get a good look.
"Ewe yuck," said Rita. They saw a man walking around the apartment below in his underwear drinking a beer. Raul pulled the cable back out. "Are you sure he's on the floor below us? We might do better from the fire escape?"
"I saw him from the window but it's different inside here," Raul said as they went out into the hall. "As far as using the fire escape there isn't one I checked. Come on let's try this next room." He motioned for Rita to do her magic with the door and in a few minutes they were inside where they repeated the same procedure but this time they hit gold.
"We got him," said Raul as he showed Alfredo on the monitor but much to their consternation their father was nowhere to be seen in the room. It was just Alfred and the head goon that seemed in charge of the rest goon squad. Raul turned up the gain so they could hear what was being said below them.
"What do you mean you lost them in the park? I ask you to do one simple thing and you go and screw it up. Tell me what happened."
"It wasn't our fault… well not totally our fault they must've been onto us. As soon as they left the hotel they separated taking off in three different directions. Looking back on it now they might have been checking to see if they were being followed."
"You should've thought about that before it happened not now that the cow is out of the barn," said Alfredo. The man looked puzzled at him. "No I'm not talking about a real cow…"
"I know that I'm not stupid. Where would you put a cow any way. No you mean like in Farmville? I've got a nice farm there too. My peas are about ready to take to market."
"Shut up and finish telling me what happened," said Alfredo. But the whole time he was thinking and this was the smart one. What were the others rocks?
"Well it boiled down to we didn't have the manpower to follow all three of them individually without being seen. In the end they came together in the park and you know what happened after that."
"Yeah you lost them… But wait they came back together then you couldn't find them. How hard did you look?"
"I think we looked pretty hard and they were nowhere to be found anywhere in the park. It was as if they vanished into thin air. They were there one moment then gone the next."
"Idiot, remember they work the high wire and practice parkour," said Alfredo. Again his man had a puzzled look. "I'm sorry I'm using words you don't know. Parkour is a training discipline using movement that developed from military obstacle course training. The aim is to get from one point to another in a complex environment, without assistive equipment and in the fastest and most efficient way possible. Parkour's development from military training gives it some aspects of a non-combative martial art." The man still had a vacant look on his face.
"Never mind did any of you check the rooftops around you?" Alfredo could tell by the man's expression they hadn't. "Geez, what were you thinking?"
"We were thinking we'd lost them and we needed to get back her and tell you. Remember I called and you told us to come home."
"I didn't tell you to come back here you told me you were coming back," said Alfredo as a sudden though struck him. "Oh crap, don't tell me you came straight back here? You didn't think about checking to see if you were being followed?"
"We did feel like we were being followed and we did stop a couple of times to look around but there wasn't any one we could see."
"Because you didn't look up. You idiot you led them back here," he said as he got up and started looking around the room that was when he noticed the small bits of plaster on the floor then he looked straight into the camera.
Raul looked at Marco and Rita. They knew they'd overstayed their welcome and beat feet for the roof as fast as they could run. They could hear Alfredo's men coming up the stairs as they hit the door to the roof.
"Go quickly," said Raul as he pointed at the power line. "Just go it will only hold one of us at a time. You two go while I try to slow them down. Just go I'll catch up."
There was no arguing at this point. Rita had Marco run across then she followed and in the meantime Raul found an old chair someone had toss aside on the roof. He used to wedge against the door and it gave him just enough time to run across when Alfredo and his men busted out on the rooftop.
"Spread out they have to be here somewhere," said Alfredo. "I want them taken unharmed." But looking around they didn't see anyone.
"Down," said Raul. "Get out of sight we don't want them to see us," he yelled as he sprang off the line and rolled in a ball out of sight. They dropped down just in time or so they thought. But Alfredo noticed the line between the buildings bouncing.
"You can stop looking they're gone," said Alfredo. "I know you can hear me," he yelled. "This little game of cat and mouse is getting old. I want what's mine and you want what's yours we'll be in Monaco in a few days' time that should give you enough time to recover what we want. I'll be in touch. I know where you live and now you know where I live too," yelled Alfredo. But as he was talking to air one of his men came up to him and whispered something in his ear.
"Really, our man saw him coming out of their suite. I want him taken alive then brought here. I want to talk with him in person. Maybe he's the courier delivering our device," said Alfredo. Then he walked over to the edge of the build and cut the line that the Zorros had used. "Post a man on the roof with a radio," he said as he went down below and the building next to theirs went dark.
"There," said one of the men as he pointed to three people scurrying away over rooftops. "There they are. We can head them off at their hotel if we leave right now."
"No, forget them. I want you guys to go over to the Carlton and help our guys over there. I just got word of a man who was seen coming out of our friends' suite. I sent the other team but you can go help them to grab this guy but I want you to take him unharmed and brought to me. If he is the courier we might've gotten lucky and can get what we came for despite the Zorros."
"What if he resists? Or tries to escape," asked the goon. "Accidents do happen and we shouldn't be blamed for them."
"You guys have had a few too many accidents lately. Like I said before I want him grabbed unharmed the brought to me here. Do you think you guys can handle this without screwing it up?" One of the men started to answer. "That was a rhetorical question go and make it happen. Any more screw ups and there will be consequences."
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The next morning everyone was wide awake at dawn. Sam and Molly were up sitting outside with their sundresses on and hats. They looked more like they were headed for the red carpet in Cannes then a promenade on the boardwalk. Chuck walked out and found them all dressed up smiling at him ready to go.
"Do we have to eat breakfast in the hotel or can we go and eat it in one of the sidewalk cafés on the boardwalk?"
"You two fell asleep last evening when your mother and I went out," said Chuck as Sarah and Emma came out pushing the stroller.
"I really have to thank Hannah for sending us this stroller it was a wonderful idea. So what is the game plan for today? I heard some people want to walk down on the boardwalk and grab some breakfast. I'm game for that and we can look at that list of things Hannah sent that we can do together."
"I was reading that the hotel owns a section of the beach across the street with umbrellas, chairs and beds if anyone wants to take it easy today and get over jetlag."
"I think that's direct at me," said Emma. "And it is much appreciated. I think I just might take up the offer… a day under the sun maybe just what the doctor ordered."
"You can do whatever you want to do," said Chuck. "So let's go grab breakfast or as the French call it le petit déjeuner. Man, pastries for breakfast every morning. Europe is genius so let's head out."
They got everyone moving then headed out for breakfast and in a few minutes they crossed the street walking down boardwalk heading back to the same café that they'd found the evening before. The sun was high in a deep blue sky without a cloud in sight. They strolled down with everyone walking chatting as they walked until they came to the café.
"Here we are," said Chuck. "You guys go in while I go get something. I promise I'll be right back just order me a cappuccino and a croissant."
"Chuck, we're in France not Italy," said Sarah wondering where he was ducking out to. "Come on let's get a table. Chuck will be back soon."
"Bonjour," said the waiter recognizing them from the evening before. "Let me help you," he said as he helped then into the table with the carriage and the two girls. "I can bring you a menu if you like something more American if you don't want to go continental."
"I think three café au laut, two orange juices… do you have fresh squeezed? I'd prefer that for the girls instead of processed."
"Look around you Madame you see all this wonderful sun. How would you like that orange juice regular or blood orange."
"Blood orange… oh please blood orange," yelled Sam and Molly as they giggled.
"Okay but you have to drink it," said Sarah then she turned to the waiter. "I'm sorry please make that two blood oranges then can you bring us plan croissants."
"I'm back," said Chuck as he ran in carrying a newspaper in his hand. "I wanted to get this so we'd stay abreast of events and there's something about having coffee, eating a croissant and reading the paper that is so European."
"Yes, I'm sure it is," said Sarah. "But it's also rude when you ignore the company around you reading the paper. A wife could feel like she's being taken for granted."
"Well we wouldn't want that," said Chuck. He leaned over and kissed her. She put her hands around him and kissed him back then worked them down to his paper.
"Thank you, you don't mind if I read it first," she said as she grabbed it from him and smiled. Chuck just shook his head.
"Well at least you said thank you. But what was this story about taking your wife for granted and being rude ignoring people around you?"
"Oh that applied to you," said Sarah as she opened up the paper to another article about the cat. "It says the police are breathing a little easy now that this second night has passed without any sign of the cat." As she was talking the waiter came back with their order and set it in front of them as she turned the pages of the newspaper.
"Oh you're reading about the story of 'La Chat'. Orléans can breathe easier because his next victim will be down here among us. My recommendation is if you've got valuables is to put them away in a sturdy bank vault and hope he goes away soon."
"You talk like you know him. Our job is in computer and home security so can you enlighten us a little. Everything we can learn goes into us providing a better product."
"Well as you can tell this is not the first time La Chat has visited. He strikes every one or two years and hits the wealthy or affluent. However, there is a pattern to his attacks. He usually starts in Orléans like the other night then there is a two or three-day streak then he moves down here to the Côted'Azur. There is usually a week long pillage then he stops until the next time."
"So there's a pattern and if we look for a match… something or someone with the same pattern we could find out who this cat really is."
"Oh Chuck and that pattern I recognize it's called work. It's not our responsibility to bring this 'cat' to justice. It's not like he or she has stolen any of our national secrets."
"I can write an algorithm that will look for those patterns then I just have to send it to the main frame in Castle and let it do all the heavy lifting. Once we get the output we could send it to the Gendarme anonymously and let them run with it."
"Well you can do that but I was looking over the list of things we can do and one of them is a visit to the
Musée Océanographique de Monaco. It's billed as this world-class oceanography museum and it sits on the cliff face looking out to sea on the rock of Monaco. It says here that this in itself is worth the visit. For kids there's an excellent aquarium - not big but perfectly sized for young children and get this there's a touch pool and times to observe the fish being fed."
"Dolphins!" said Sam. "I like dolphins. Molly do you like dolphins they look like fish but they're not. They have babies and take care of them. I saw them in Monterey."
"I don't know if they have any dolphins," said Sarah as she continued looking through the brochure Hannah had left. "Is says the museum is filled full of marine world curiosities. It says it's not so big that kids lose their interest, but just full enough of oddities to capture their imagination."
"Well we'll be the judge of that," said Sam. Molly nodded in agreement. Chuck leaned over and wiped both girls' face.
"You'll look more studious without the powdered sugar all over your faces," said Chuck as he laughed.
"Listen to this there's also a whale skeleton and an enormous polar bear alongside two-hundred-year old diving gear and all sorts of pickled sea monsters."
"No get out of here," said Sam and Molly. They jumped out of their chairs then ran over where they could have a look at the brochure.
"The roof terrace has a restaurant and a play area next to a turtle enclosure and they all have a 360 panoramic views of Monaco and the Mediterranean."
"So we've made a decision we're going to spend the day in Monaco. If you drive I can write that algorithm, then I'll turn everything over. Emma, do you still want to spend the day on the beach here? You can come with us there's plenty of room."
"Chuck, I appreciate the invitation but there's an umbrella and beach chair with my name on it waiting for me. I just want to take it easy for today. You young people ought to go enjoy yourselves."
"Mom you're not that old… Do you feel okay? Maybe I should stay with you. Chuck, can take the girls and I'll stay here and take care of you."
"I'm fine just a little tired from the flight over. There's no need for you to stay here when you can be with your family…"
"But you are my family too. Chuck do you mind if I stay with Emma and Bunny and you take the girls. I know you want to write that algorithm…"
"It can wait. You're right it's up to the police to catch the cat not us. You stay here with your mother I insist. Family always comes first."