Don't own Chuck

Chuck drove the lead vehicle on the I-5 heading north towards Angeles National Forest and his father's cabin. Chuck was quiet on the trip thinking about what Julius had said. There was just something about Julius that he didn't like and he thought he had the answer. After about an hour on the road they started to pull off into the forest so Chuck pulled in a small grocery where they could get supplies.

"Ettore, you should stay in the vehicle. We don't need for any cameras picking you up and letting the people looking for you to know where you are. Ladies, you might want to get out and stretch while Paolo and I get supplies."

"I should really stay with Ettore," said Paolo. "Just don't get anything with nuts in it. I'd prefer not to go into anaphylactic shock in the middle of nowhere. I only have one epinephrine autoinjector with me."

"I'll come with you Otets," said Zondra as the two of them got out. "I'll help you. I hope they have a clean bathroom."

"Oh I should go too," said Sheila. "We wouldn't want an accident in this nice new vehicle all over the upholstery would we?"

"Juri, you're in charge I'll send in a couple of my men to help out," said Ettore then he looked over at the women. "Sheila, remember you're our guest but if you misbehave things can change."

Chuck led everyone inside then divided tasks. The women went off to the restrooms while Chuck took the two men back for provisions. One he put in charge of grabbing meat for the grill and the other beer and water. While he had both men busy he went to the counter and bought a prepaid phone he slipped inside his jacket.

"Ladies grab anything you might need while we're roughing it. I've got some wine at the cabin a little Rombauer," said Chuck then he looked over the meat selection the man he put in charge made. "Good job I've got a beastmaster at the cabin we can fire up. I bet one of you guys is good at grilling?"

Chuck intentional was friendly with Ettore's men who came in with him so when it came time to load up they took everything out and didn't pay any attention that they left him inside by himself.

"Zondra watch the door," said Chuck as took out his burner phone and called Sarah. It seemed like it rang forever then it went to voice mail. "Crap... I didn't mean to say that. I'm sorry. I just got into town. I'm taking Ettore to the cabin. Have the General look into a Julius La Barba. I'm not sure if that is his last name. He's supposed to be Ettore's half-brother. The intersect doesn't have anything on him. I'll try to call back later once we're situated. I love you," said Chuck. Sheila looked at him odd. "What? She's my wife and I do."

"Hang up Paolo's coming," said Zondra. Chuck hung up then went to the counter to pay. The cashier didn't know what make of everything.

"How much do we owe," said Chuck as Paolo walked in. "Hold that thought a minute before you ring us up did we forget something?"

"Ettore sent me in... he wants a bag of funyuns," said Paolo as he rolled his eyes then went back and grabbed a bag.

"Why don't you grab four or five while you're there? We could be at the cabin for a while and if they pacify him go for it. You, my friend, deserve a medal for everything you do for him."

"It's nothing," said Paolo as he put the bags on the counter. "I've been doing this since... well since the La Barba family took me in off the street."

"You and Ettore seem more like brothers then he did with his real brother," said Chuck as he handed the man at the register his credit card.

"You mean half-brother. Julius is quick to point that out if you hadn't noticed," said Paolo as he collected the bags.

"I noticed. I also noticed he was kind of cold and condescending towards Ettore. Yet Ettore took it and I can't figure out why?"

"Easy the two mothers hated each other. Julius' mother was the first wife who Don La Barba dumped for a younger model that was Ettore's mom. When the old man died he left everything to Ettore but his mom died in an accident which left him and me the wards of his step-mother. The woman did everything to tear Ettore down and push up her son but the purse strings were tied in the form of trust fund. She could do only so much because the two needed Ettore... or they needed his inheritance and they both resented him for it."

"I take it Ettore doesn't see how they used him?" said Chuck as they walked back to the vehicles. They could see Ettore inside chatting it up with the ladies.

"I think he does but after the old woman passed he's been trying to make amends with Julius because... well he is his only living relative. But the truth is he's got nothing to make amends for and Julius takes advantage of it. Let's table this for now I don't know much of this story Ettore wants me to tell you."

"Sure, I can understand," said Chuck as he walked around to the driver's side thinking. He had a better picture of what was going on but he didn't know how to broach the subject so he opted to keep quiet. He looked back at Zondra.

"Natasha, I want to walk the perimeter when we get to the cabin while everyone is getting settled in. Then one of us should contact our people and find out when we'll be ready to make our move. We can't live in the countryside forever."

"Da otets," said Zondra. They started to speak Russian. "Is there something else you need to tell me? I don't like your look."

"Da," said Chuck as he looked back at everyone in the rearview. "But we need to be alone. I think I know if not everything then a good piece of something."

"You know when you two speak in Russian we get the feeling that you're talking about us and you don't want us to understand what you're saying."

"That would be both paranoid and egotistical. My young associate, my doch', informed me that I forgot to buy vodka. But I told her that I have a bottle in the freezer in the cabin I brought it from Russia. The Vodka you buy here tastes like wall paper glue." As everyone laughed Chuck stole a glance at Zondra and she returned his glance with a nod.

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Sarah moved Morgan along trying to look discreet without the men who were looking at them noticing that they were on to them. Sarah took Morgan over a couple of aisles then doubled back. She looked up in the store mirrors and watched the men as they tried to find them frantically thinking they'd lost them. That was the confirmation she needed the men were indeed looking them.

"Morgan come on and keep up with me," said Sarah as she realized they didn't have time to look for Kat. "Morgan, you need to go to the bathroom."

"I'm scared but I don't think I'm that scared," said Morgan. He instinctively looked down at his pants as they walked over to the restrooms. "No, I'm good but thanks for thinking…"

"Morgan shut up," said Sarah as she put her hand over his mouth. "Listen to me you're going to stand here and when you see your two friend you're going to walk inside then go wash your hands."

"But where are you going to be?" asked Morgan as he watched her walk in the men's restroom. "But you can't go in there. You're a..." But she was already gone. Soon afterwards a man came running out zipping his pants up checking the sign on the door.

"She's pregnant and when she has to go she has to go. There's not a lot of advance warning so you need to give her a break." The man just walked off looking back at him like he was strange but as the man walked off he bumped into one of the men that Sarah thought was following him. The man called his friend and then pointed at Morgan.

"I might need those new pants before this is over," thought Morgan. "I'm coming in," said Morgan as he walked into the bathroom. "This is me but I've got those two men following me in. Please don't let them kill me before Alex and I can have… well our moment."

"Shut up and wash your hands," said Sarah from one of the stalls. "Be quiet and everything will be okay. Trust me."

"That's easy for you to say," thought Morgan as he started to wash his hands when the two men walked. He looked up in the mirror and saw the one look at the other then at him.

"Guys if you need to wash your hands I'll be out of your way in a second," said Morgan. He finished washing then he hit the button for the hot air dryer. "I don't know about you guys but I hate these things. They take forever and never really dry your hands so in the end you have to dry them on your pants."

"Well I guess Ettore you never figured your criminal career would come to an end in a nondescript bathroom in a supermarket," said the one as they both pulled out weapons. "It seems rather... I don't know anticlimactic."

"I guess it wouldn't do any good if I told you that I wasn't who you think I'm would it? Well here goes nothing. My name is Morgan Grimes and I live in Burbank." The one killer looked at the other and they both laughed.

"What's so funny," said Morgan getting a little upset. "The whole thing is tragic if you ask me. How would you like to get killed because someone thinks you're someone else?"

"Come on Ettore you can come up with a story better than that one. Don't tell me that the famous Ettore La Barba is going to beg for his life."

"No I just wanted to make sure you guys know you were making a mistake before…" said Morgan then he stopped in midsentence.

"Hold up Jake. I need to know just wait a minute. Before what? You were about to say something so go ahead then we'll tap you."

"Before this," said Sarah as she put a round through the back of the men's head then covered the other one. "You have a choice drop the piece or I drop you? It's up to you. Personally I hope you go with the later because you guys are doing wonders to relieve my stress."

Jake slowly let his Glock drop to the ground then raised his hands. Sarah motioned for him to get down on his knees then she put the barrel to the back of his neck.

"Wait one lady, you know I've got friends with me who are just outside. One way or another Ettore is a dead man. You can go down with him or we can let you and his baby walk. The hit's on him not on anyone else that's my offer." But she didn't hear anything after 'his baby'.

"His baby? You think we're… I ought to shoot you right here just for saying that. I hate to disappoint you but that's the farthest thing from the truth."

"Hey I'm not judgmental anyone can make a mistake in a moment of weakness. Everyone knows what kind of ladies' man Ettore is. There's no telling how many women he's had his way with and how many of them ended up like you. But things happen I listen to Madonna... papa don't preach."

"Hold up there," said Morgan. "Are you saying Ettore can have any woman he wants and they just fall all over him? I think I want to shoot you. You wouldn't happen to be aware of any new women.. like say in the last week or so?"

"Morgan, don't start getting jealous again. You need to trust Alex in whatever she told you. She wouldn't lie to you and you know she loves you. Morgan, pick up their weapons and please be careful. You don't have a good track record with loaded weapons."

"You accidently shoot a Colonel and no one lets you live it down," grumbled Morgan as he picked up the dead man's weapon then Jake's.

"Excuse me, what's going on here?" asked Jake. He was starting to wonder if they had been telling him the truth and he didn't want to get killed over a mistaken hit either.

"What's going on is you and your friend should've listened to Morgan. He was telling you the truth he's not Ettore La Barba. Ettore flew into Irvine a little while ago on his private DC 9. I'm going to do you a favor you're coming with us. Make no mistake you make one wrong move and I will end you. You know there's nothing like shooting someone for stress relieve."

"I won't tell you how messed up that sounds," said Morgan. "But if helps I guess I don't mind being the bullet magnet... again."

Sarah's phone started to ring as they walked out of the bathroom but she couldn't answer it so she let it go to voice mail. They walked out to a quiet store then they made their way to the cash registers that's where they found everyone herded together with one of Jake's friends covering them and another one had Kat covered. The man who was the team leader walked out from behind an aisle to face them all with weapons drawn.

"Turn Ettore over to us and we'll let everyone go even your friend," said the man in front of them. "It really doesn't matter to me how many people we have to take out as long as one of them is him."

"Wait up," said Jake. "I think we might have made a mistake. This guy isn't Ettore La Barba. What did you say your name was?"

"My name is Morgan Grimes and I'm the manager at the Burbank Buy More. I can give you the number. My step-father is the assistant manager he'll tell you the same thing."

"We saw you get off the Learjet with that big guy and that other girl," said the team leader. "How do you explain that? Or does your Buy More offer home delivery?"

"Look in my purse," said Sarah as she tossed it to him. "My credentials are inside and Morgan is a part of my team. They went to Bogotá to extract an asset, the girl you saw them with."

"I went rogue to get my fiancée back. Ettore grabbed her and if you guys don't get him I will. That was the girl you saw getting off the plane with us."

"You need to hear this there's more," said Jake. "Ettore is here in L.A. he arrived in Irvine a little while ago on his DC 9. We already lost one guy to a mistake and that's what this is. I think you need to contact the Boss and verify what they're saying before we all start throwing lead for nothing."

The team leader stopped for a moment then thought. He held up a finger then took his phone out of his pocket and walked away disappearing down an aisle.

"You know with that Alfredo sauce you could add shrimp. You sauté them in the butter and garlic or brown your garlic first then remove it before adding the shrimp. Some people don't like to eat it…"

"Right," said Jake. "It gives me heartburn and I hate how my breath smells afterwards. But if you're going to use shrimp you should go with fresh. If it doesn't gross you out they should still be moving. I wouldn't even shell them just put them in with your butter then add the cream and rest afterwards. Morgan right? What are your thoughts about Parmesan?"

"I hadn't thought about it," said Morgan. "The recipe calls for it so I'd go ahead and add it. Why is something wrong?"

"You really aren't Ettore. No Italian Italian would add cheese to a fish dish especially to shrimp or shell fish. I think it's some sort of unwritten law or something. I did a job over there last spring and I had time plus I was hunger so I went into this little hole-in-the-wall where I order a spaghetti with clams then I asked for some cheese… you know to put on it, and you would've thought I insulted the nation. I thought I was going to get run out of town on a rail."

As they were talking Sarah noticed the would-be assassins all touching their ears at the same time then nodded looking at each other.

"What's going on," asked Morgan. He noticed it too but he soon got his answer as the men packed up and started to leave. However, as they were leaving one turned around.

"The recipe you talked about is good but you should try it with some lemon zest. It will add that extra kick and I think you'll like it."

"Does everyone know how to cook but me," said Sarah. "Morgan, grab your grape soda and our cart while I hold our place in line. Excuse me miss can you ring us up. I'm kind of in a hurry and I'd put an out of order sign on your…." Sarah started to say when they heard a blood curdling scream. "Oops too late.

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Cassius got off the phone with his men. Now he understood what Marcus was trying to tell him and he almost felt sorry for ending Marcus but at least his elimination still had a purpose. With Marcus dead Mr. Big was blocked from going at him in the council. If he did Marcus' death would come out and without proof he could easily point the finger at him. He had a wild idea what to do. It was risky but sometimes it paid to play the odds and right now sitting around doing nothing wasn't an option

Mr. Big was sitting in his office waiting on a phone call that would tell him where Ettore was hidding and as soon as he had Ettore's location he could make his move ending this Greek tragedy once and for all. There was a knock on his door then his secretary stuck her head inside.

"I'm sorry to bother you and I know you said you didn't want to be disturbed but there's an associate of yours a Mr. Cassius. He's here and says he'd like a quick word with you. I told him you were busy but he's insisting."

"That's all right Laura I was kind of expecting him. You can show him in," said Mr. Big as he came around his desk to greet Cassius in the middle of the room. "Cassius," said Mr. Big as he greeted him when he walked in. "Please have a seat. Is there anything I can offer you? Would you like a coffee, Scotch or maybe a beer or handkerchief to cry in?"

"That's a good once. I'll take a bourbon if you've got it neat. I have to give it to you, you certainly played me like a violin," said Cassius as he took his glass from Mr. Big.

"I don't know what you're talking about? Playing you that just sounds rude. If I were to label it I would blame it on not having all my facts straight but that presupposes I know what you're talking about doesn't it?"

"You don't have to be so coy with me. You and I both know you sent me off on a wild goose chase going after the wrong Ettore. Now that was smart letting me spin my tires. I bet you had a good laugh over that."

"I don't think I sent you anywhere you went off all on your own. Are you telling me you eliminated that poor unfortunate who happened to look like Ettore? You know he's CIA and that they will be looking for you."

"Then I guess I was lucky to find out before things got out of hand. So I suppose you know were Ettore is and are about to take the prize. Do I have to wonder who you're going to be coming after next?"

"Oh I think you're a cleaver lad and you can figure that one out on your own. But I have to say I appreciate that you're man enough to come over here and admit defeat if that's what this is?"

"Well I know when I've been bested. Here's to you," said Cassius as he held his glass up and drank a toast to Mr. Big then sat it back down. "I need to go, your secretary told me you were busy so I'll let you get back to work." The two men exchanged handshakes then Mr. Big saw Cassius out. He stood in the door for a while watching Cassius as he left trying to figure out what just happened then he turned and closed his door.

"Okay it's done," said Cassius as he left the building. "I planted the bug do a test but you should be able to hear everything that goes on inside. Listen closely to everything that's said we're only going to get this one chance to get Ettore before him. "Don't screw this up treat this as if our lives depend on it because they do."

[Back in the Mr. Big's Office]

"You're not going to believe who visited me a little while ago Cassius," he said in his phone. "Everything's set I'm waiting for our men to let me where this cabin is. You'll be happy with me I sent some of our men with them to find the location. ... What did Cassius want? I think he was trying to admit we have him. He basically begged me not to take him out after we deal with my dear half-brother. Wait let me put you on speaker," said Julius as he poured himself another drink.

"Don't you think it's strange he just dropped by like that? I don't know there's something I don't like. Are you sure everyone thinks you're me?"

"Don't worry everything is going as planned. I've got you covered and I have to say I like being your front man."

"I'm glad you do just don't get too cocky."