A/N: Fanfiction added a new challenge when I published the last chapter. So, in addition to recording zero views, it stopped some people from leaving reviews. Luckily they were able to send PMs, but maybe I shouldn't mention that in case that goes too! The mysteries are supposed to be IN this story not affecting it!
Anyway, thanks to those of you that sent PMs or reviews, or left comments on the entry on the Chuck Fanfiction Facebook group.
As before, thanks to Writesalott for the beta.
On with the story…
Chuck vs The Triangle
Chapter 3: Unwanted Visitors
Chuck lay in bed thinking about all that had happened the day before.
Finding no bodies on the sunken boat had been an enormous relief, but it had left him with the uncertainty of wondering where they might have gone, or who might have taken them, if they left unwillingly.
Tomorrow, they would dive back down to the boat. He would ask to go with them again and do one last sweep before they pulled it up. He was worried that the movement through the water would disturb anything he might have missed before in the boat.
When he thought about the evening, he lay there thinking about the beautiful woman he'd been with. He couldn't stop his mind from wandering, thinking about what she looked like in every item of clothing he'd seen her in. The t-shirt and shorts had shown off her lovely legs. The wetsuit had clung to her curves. Her bikini, especially, had been stunning, showing off what was under the wetsuit. For a bikini it had been modest, but her appearance still left him breathless. Even the dress she'd worn at dinner had somehow managed to show off her calves and ankles even better, which was probably due to the heels she wore. She was by far the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. That alone put her out of his league. He knew he wasn't handsome.
She'd indicated that she'd enjoyed the evening, called it a date, even, and said they'd could go on a date back in Miami before they parted company.
Wow! Just wow!
They weren't meeting to set off until 9am, but Chuck always got up early. He'd done that all his life. So, after a quick shower, he headed down for breakfast at 7:00am.
He was just starting on his cooked breakfast when someone sat opposite him. Thinking it might be Sarah, he looked up with a smile.
The person he saw was a surprise, but not a happy one. His smile disappeared. "What the fuck, Bryce?"
"Nice to see you too, my old friend," the man before him said.
"Piss off, Bryce. We stopped being friends when you stole my girlfriend!" Chuck hissed.
Bryce's smile faded. "Letting her seduce me was the biggest mistake of my life."
"She-" Chuck stopped. He wasn't going to be led down that path. "Why are you here?" he snarled.
Bryce focused on him. "I'm on holiday here, but when I saw you here, I thought I'd come and say hello."
"Hello and goodbye," Chuck snapped.
"Come on, Chuck. We were good friends in Stanford. Please don't let one mistake spoil that."
Chuck put down his cutlery. "You could have come and apologized at any time over the last thirteen years, Bryce. Why now?"
Bryce stiffened. "I tried once, but you disappeared, Chuck. I could only assume you were with your dad and his inventions. How could I contact you?"
What Bryce said was true. Chuck had vanished when his parents did. This however didn't explain the many years before his parents' disappearance when Chuck had been quite contactable. He didn't want to continue the conversation with his ex-friend so Chuck decided not to reply. He just huffed and restarted eating.
"So, what've you been up to?" Bryce asked.
"This and that," Chuck replied.
Bryce chuckled. "You could hardly be more vague than that."
Chuck looked at him. "Bryce, I don't want to talk to you or see you. I'm not talking about my life with you."
"How is your dad?" Bryce asked.
This guy wasn't going to let Chuck eat in peace. "He's dead," Chuck answered. "Drowned."
Bryce looked shocked. "Oh shit! I'm so sorry. When did that happen and where?"
"Two years ago, and out to sea near Bermuda," Chuck replied. He'd gotten used to lying about the location. It was automatic now.
"Bermuda, huh?" Bryce replied. "Far too many good people go down in the triangle."
"I didn't say it was in the triangle," Chuck said quietly.
Bryce held his hands up as if in surrender. "Oh, I assumed it was one of the freak accidents. Your dad was good with boats."
Chuck looked down at his food again and picked up his fork. "He was. We don't know what happened." That was true.
"So, what're you doing here," Bryce continued the conversation.
Chuck dropped the fork. "I'm trying to have fun scuba diving with a friend. Fun doesn't include you, Bryce. Please leave."
Bryce looked a bit taken aback. Then, he got up. "Okay, okay. I'm going." He walked out.
Chuck looked back down and continued with his breakfast.
"Not someone you like, I take it," Sarah said as she sat down next to him with a bowl of cereal.
"No. He's the guy who stole my girlfriend back in college."
"No wonder you were so short with him," she replied.
"Was I loud?"
"No," she said. "I just sat at the next table and listened."
He looked at her, dressed in another t-shirt and shorts. "Good job you didn't join us. He'd be trying to whisk you away."
She snorted. "He might try, but I'm not that easily whisked."
He laughed. "No. I guess not. But you are worth the attempt."
She smiled. "Oh, it takes more than a pretty face to interest me."
He looked her way. "Oh. So, you were checking him out?"
She gave Chuck a flat look. "Only because I wanted to know who had you so riled up."
He nodded. "He did that." After another mouthful, he asked, "So, what does it take to interest you in a man?"
She grinned. "Interesting sunken mysteries."
He grinned back. "Do nice meals and walks on the beach help at all?"
She nodded. "I call that a date. A really good one, actually."
"Even worth another date?" he asked.
"Definitely." Sarah was loving this playful banter, and she could tell he was too.
"Would he get a kiss on the lips on that date or just on the cheek?"
"Yes," she replied. She'd spent the night wishing she'd given him a kiss.
"Wow! Lucky guy."
She leaned over the table and gave him a peck on his lips before sitting back down again.
He grinned. "That was nice, but I'm hoping for more on that second date."
She raised a brow. "So, we've stopped talking in the third person, then?"
"You made it first person with that kiss," he reminded her.
"True." She smiled. "Dancing is required on the second date."
He stifled his groan. "I'm a pretty crappy dancer, but willing to try."
She grinned. "All I can ask." She then winced. "Matt and Janine got hammered last night, so they need to sober up. Is it ok if we leave later? Maybe at eleven?"
"Sure," he replied. "But only if we take another walk on the beach."
She smirked. "Are you moving the date forward?"
"If you want to call it a date." He smiled and added, "Of course, then you'd have to kiss me."
"Nope," she replied. He looked crestfallen, so she added, "The kiss only happens after the dance."
"Oh. I see. So, I have to step on your toes to get a kiss!"
She burst out laughing. "No. You have to actually dance with me."
"Okay. Maybe we could hold hands on the beach?" he tentatively asked.
She pretended to consider that. "Okay."
As they got up and walked out of the restaurant, neither spotted Bryce tracking them. He watched them walk out of the hotel and across to the beach. Then, he took out his cell phone and made a call.
The beach was fairly empty, but that wasn't surprising at only 7:55am.
They'd been holding hands since crossing the road. Sarah had been the one who grasped his, rather than the other way around.
When she'd done that, he'd looked at their hands, then up at her and grinned. "Nice."
She noticed that spark as their hands joined. It was odd as they had just stepped on the sand, but she didn't let it trouble her. He had nice warm hands which enveloped hers comfortably. She smiled. This was, as he said, nice.
They leisurely strolled along the beach for half-an-hour, getting further and further away from the hotel, before turning back. They didn't speak for the first fifteen minutes, just enjoying the walk and the company. Then, Chuck started to talk, "I think dad may have some hidden compartment where he would hide things. Before we set off, I'll search my records about the boat to see where they might be.
When they reached the hotel, he released her hand. Sarah looked down at them and then back up. "I don't know what magic you use, but I miss the warmth of your hand already." She didn't mention it, but she also wondered what was making a closed off, quiet person so open. It wasn't like her at all.
He grinned. "Ahh. The Bartowski magic. You'll never escape now."
She laughed. "He says, when he's about to abandon me for his research."
"True, but that's important," he replied.
She smiled. "I know. I'll be in the restaurant having a coffee. Join me when you can."
He thought about a kiss, but then remembered her words, so he was surprised when she gave him a quick kiss on his lips. "I thought I had to dance for that."
She grinned. "Oh, the dance kiss will be so much more." She walked off leaving him standing there thinking about both kisses.
Sarah had been sitting nursing her latte for the last ten minutes, and thinking about the man upstairs who really did seem to have some magic about him.
It wasn't his wealth that attracted her. Wealth was what her father had taught her to look for, but Sarah was no longer driven by that. Sure, money was important, but look where it had gotten her dad. Besides, Sarah much preferred to earn her money rather than stealing or swindling people out of it.
Charles Bartowski was an attractive man, but it was more than that. He was charming, and a real gentleman. No one had ever treated her with so much respect. And he was so honest, he didn't try to hide. Well, that wasn't true. He had a lot that he was hiding, but he'd opened up to her far more than he needed to.
His obvious liking of her appearance she found flattering, rather than with most men. That was probably because he tried not to stare, although he obviously couldn't help himself sometimes. But it was appreciation she felt when he did, not lust. He was also easy to tease about it, something she'd never done before, but enjoyed with him.
He obviously had a lack of self-confidence, but tried to overcome it. She liked that. It was certainly much better than being around the self-important men she had previously encountered.
As she sat thinking about him, someone sat opposite her. Unfortunately, it wasn't Chuck, but his previous visitor.
"You're no more welcome at my table than you were at Chuck's," she muttered.
He only briefly looked surprised. "So, you saw him getting me all wrong, then?"
"No. I saw you ruining his mood," she coldly replied. "Just as you are now ruining mine."
He ignored her last comment. "Chuck seems to hold grudges far longer than he should. He's a bitter man. Not like me. I'm open to new experiences."
The way he said that felt like a come-on. Was he trying to hit on her? She decided to test that. "So, why come and talk to me?" she asked.
He leaned forward. "Are you interested in new experiences?"
She almost laughed, but replied, honestly, "Plenty of new experiences at the moment." It was true. She was developing feelings for someone, as well as enjoying just being with them.
Bryce sat back, grinned and opened his hands. "Welcome to my world." He obviously thought she was talking about him in some way.
"I meant with Chuck," she snapped.
He looked generally shocked, then his features returned to the suave appearance from before. "But I could show you a really good time, unlike him. A lot more than a walk on the beach."
She leaned forward and hissed, "I'm not interested in self-important pricks like you. Now, piss off!"
Bryce clearly wasn't expecting this. He stood and leaned down to say, "You'll regret turning me down."
She ignored him and drank her coffee. Bryce realized she'd effectively dismissed him and wasn't going to respond, so he left.
"He's not used to rejection."
She looked at the man who'd walked up to her side and grinned at him. "I was serious. I'm not interested in him."
Chuck sat beside her. "But you are me?" The incredulous tone of his voice got to her.
She turned to face him. "Like I told you, not all women are taken in by a pretty boy."
He smiled and commented, "Some go for the dorky ones?"
She sighed. "You think so little of yourself, Chuck. You're attractive too."
"Just not a 'pretty boy' like Bryce?"
"No," she confirmed. "Besides, that's only skin deep."
He sat quietly for a moment. "You judge people quickly, don't you?"
"I'm good at assessing people, if that's what you mean," she said quietly. He nodded, not wanting to challenge her on that.
They sat in silence for a minute or two. Then, he said, "I find it hard to believe anyone would choose me over him. I'm much more familiar with the opposite occurring."
She grabbed his hand. "I'm not 'anyone.' I'm Sarah Walker, and I'd choose you over him any day. I believe any sensible woman would, too."
He smiled but didn't look too happy. "Well, we'll part in a day or two, so no real commitment, huh?"
She gasped at him. "Is that what you think this is? A quick fling?" He frowned. "Chuck, if I wanted that, I would have dragged you into my room last night. We were both ready for it."
His jaw dropped. "You were?"
She rolled her eyes. "I may have been slightly drunk, but I was aware. We're both attracted to each other."
"So, why didn't you?" he asked.
She looked at him and blushed. "I was drunk, and also thought it was too soon."
"And you knew we'd part soon, so it wouldn't work," he added.
She nodded. "That, too."
She was starting to feel down about that, especially as he kept mentioning their parting.
Then, he said something completely unexpected. "I no longer have a business to run back in LA. I can be anywhere. If this becomes more serious…"
She just sat staring at him. "What? You'd move to Bermuda? To be with me? A woman you've known less than two days?"
He looked embarrassed. "I tend to fall hard and fast," he admitted. "I'll try not to be so forward."
This was all a bit much for Sarah. She was falling for him too, but wasn't saying it. "Let's see how things go over the next few days, Chuck."
He chuckled. "I haven't put my place in LA up for sale yet."
She grinned, but said nothing else.
He went and got a latte of his own and brought a fresh one for her.
"I've been looking at the plans and think I know where dad might have hidden things," he said. "Somewhere I didn't look before. That's why I came back down so quickly."
That sounded promising. She said, "That's great, Chuck. We'll go looking as soon as we get there today."
"Any sign of the other two?" he asked.
"Not yet, but I don't expect them until Janine said, 10:30am, so we can leave at eleven."
"Fair enough," he said, then he grinned. "So, I get the exclusive pleasure of your company for a while longer."
Why does the word exclusive feel like a commitment, she wondered. And why doesn't that thought scare me?
It wasn't until a little after eleven that they finally got away. Matt and Janine felt awful about the delay, but Chuck waved it off. "I got to spend more time with the lovely Sarah Walker. I'm not complaining."
The married couple turned to their boss with raised eyebrows.
Sarah just shrugged. "He's good company." She noticed the telling look shared between them, and the smiles, but she didn't comment further.
Two hours later, they arrived at their destination. The tracker hadn't moved.
On the way, Chuck had explained to Matt that he didn't want to raise the boat that day, just examine it again. "I want to raise it and check it out early in the day. If it is seaworthy, I want to pilot it to port myself, but need to dry it out first. With everything battened down, I'm hoping we can tip it to get most of the water out before having to do anything manually, but we haven't got time to do that as well as everything else today.
When they arrived, Chuck and Sarah swam down to the sunken boat, and went in as they had before.
They both stopped as soon as they entered. The place was a mess. Quite clearly, someone had been in here and ransacked the place. They swam through and checked all the rooms, finding them all in the same mess.
Chuck hadn't closed the safe the day before, so that was still open. Whoever had been down here probably thought they'd taken something important from it.
Chuck swam through to the bedroom and searched for the secret hideaway. He grinned when he found that it was still closed and virtually invisible unless you knew it was there. He opened it, expecting to find the Intersect cube, but instead found a sheet of laminated paper. He unzipped the thigh pocket on his custom diving suit and wrapped the sheet around his leg before zipping it back up.
He closed and re-hid the compartment and they left the boat.
They still needed decompression stops, but when he was back on deck, Chuck swore. "Fucking CIA!"
"You don't know it was them," Sarah pointed out. "And how did they find it, anyway?"
"They must have followed me and then tracked your boat, probably by satellite," he replied.
"So, they'll know we're back now?" She asked.
"Yeah. They may not be far away. We should leave," he replied.
"Maybe we should lift and move the boat," Matt suggested.
"Is that possible without lifting it completely?" Chuck asked.
Matt nodded. "Only because the boat is in such good condition. We'll lift it off the seabed enough to clear any obstructions further along, and then move it."
Chuck agreed, and that's what they did. Moving it and lowering it back down gently half a mile away.
As they set off back to Freeport, Chuck looked at the paper he found. He also took a photo of it, just in case.
It was a note for Chuck, encrypted in a way he and his dad used. After Chuck decoded it, he read the words his father had left him. It described where the detailed plans for the Intersect, and another cube, were stored at their home. One of the comments sent shivers up and down his spine, "In case anything happens to us."
He looked at Sarah. "I still want to secure the boat somewhere, but it looks like I need to head to my parents' house near New York for a while."
She nodded. "I have somewhere we can hide the boat, from my time with Dad."
He grinned. "A pirate's lair?"
She chuckled. "Something like that."
The note had said to destroy it after reading, so he set fire to it after securing the image on a secure server and deleting it off his phone too.
"Quite the secret agent, huh?" she teased him.
"Got to be, to compete with the CIA," he replied.
When they arrived back at the port, Sarah stayed behind to arrange for them to remain moored there for a further day. Chuck headed straight back to the hotel.
When he returned to his room, he found that it had been given the same treatment as the boat. His case had been emptied and the contents strewn about the room. It was almost as if they deliberately threw them everywhere. "Bastards!" he muttered. Someone was looking for something.
Chuck went to the hotel security who brought up a surveillance recording of the corridor that showed who had entered Chuck's room and when. There were three of them, all wearing black masks covering their mouths and noses. However, he recognized the lead man. He knew those piercing blue eyes and the ring he'd seen on the man's ring finger of his right hand. Chuck had seen that earlier in the day.
"Bryce Fucking Larkin!" he gasped.
"You know this guy?" the security man asked.
"I do," Chuck replied. "Or at least, I thought I did. He's obviously not an accountant. Please don't report this, I'll deal with it."
He went to Sarah's room to see if she was back. She'd just arrived at her room and was staring at the same sort of devastation as his room.
"Bryce did this," he commented. "He's obviously not an accountant, but a CIA spy."
"You don't know he's CIA," she pointed out.
"True. It's a hunch, but I can just feel I'm right about this," he replied.
"So, he did this while others went for the boat," she said. He nodded. "They'll be back to see what we found this time."
"We'll get new rooms," he commented.
She placed a hand on his wrist. "Get one, a double. We'll pretend to be a couple. The CIA won't expect that."
His eyes glazed over. She laughed. "Only pretend! If he's looking for two checked rooms, he'll have a harder time finding us."
"Right, yes, makes sense," Chuck added awkwardly.
Sarah guessed he was thinking about their relationship. "We aren't there yet," Sarah reminded him.
"It's a nice thought, though," he replied.
She smiled shyly. "Maybe."
Chuck left her collecting her things up and putting them in her case. He went to the security man, Joe Smith, again.
"I'll arrange it," Joe said. "Stay here."
In a few minutes, he was back. "Go pack your things in your case. I've arranged for the cases to be collected and moved in half-an-hour. Two keys will be left at reception for you to collect.
Chuck rushed back and told Sarah first, then went to his room and packed. The two of them walked out of the hotel, leaving their keys at reception.
After a brief stroll on the beach, they returned and collected the new keys.
Their new room was spacious, and the bed was king-sized, but still just one bed. "I'll sleep on the couch," Chuck immediately said.
She rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly. We can put pillows between us if you're worried I might jump you."
He spluttered before being able to quietly say, "You don't seem to realize how desirable you are, Sarah."
"And nor do you, Chuck," she replied instantly. She looked coyly at him. "But I think we can control ourselves."
"Pillows, then," he replied. "I'm not having you attack me," he joked.
She laughed. "You'd enjoy it too much."
He knew that was true, and had to stop thinking about it, so said no more.
After a couple of minutes, Chuck said, "They seem really determined."
She guessed he meant the CIA, or whoever Bryce worked for.
"I don't think we've moved it far enough," he said. "Can we raise it and tow it away somewhere?"
"We'll take it to my dad's cave," she replied.
"Cave? It really is a pirate's lair?"
She nodded. "It's not visible from the sea, but we can get your boat there. If it floats we can leave it in there, but if not we might have to let it settle down, but that might damage it more. The rocks aren't kind."
"We should do it," he replied.
She went to tell Matt and Janine. Fortunately, they hadn't gone out anywhere yet.
The four of them went to Sarah's boat and set off.
Raising the boat was straight forward for the experienced team. The tipping Chuck had suggested lightened the watery load and the boat did float.
They towed it to her dad's cave that was on one of the other Caribbean islands, but thankfully not too far. The cave was away from any human habitation, in one of the cliffs and, as she'd said, hidden from view by a rocky outcropping.
So, they left his parents' boat floating in that cave and headed back to Freeport.
It was dark when they arrived. Not surprising, considering all they'd done that day.
They went straight to the hotel bar and sat together drinking and laughing with each other.
Matt and Janine left first. They still hadn't fully recovered from their heavy drinking the night before.
Chuck and Sarah were both avoiding talking about their sleeping arrangements that night. Chuck got them another drink each.
He'd just sat down when they were approached.
"You have something that belongs to your government," Bryce said.
Chuck frowned. "I don't, but why would an accountant come seeking anything for the government?"
Bryce ignored that comment. "You need to hand it over, Chuck, or I can't stop you being taken away by the CIA."
Chuck leaned forward. "Nothing of mine belongs to the CIA or the government."
Bryce sighed. "Your dad created something for the CIA, and then refused to hand it over."
"Listen, you lying jerk. My dad never created anything for the CIA. They've been trying to steal his inventions for years. To escape from them he and mom fled and ended up dying out at sea. So, piss off!"
Joe Smith and his hotel security team turned up. The look he gave Chuck was a clear question, 'This the guy?'. Chuck nodded. So, Bryce was suddenly surrounded. Joe Smith said to Bryce. "The leader of the gang who broke into their rooms. Come with us, quietly."
Bryce looked at the four men, obviously trying to decide whether to comply or fight. He defiantly said, "I'm a federal officer. You will be ordered to release me."
Joe smiled, "This isn't the United States. You have no jurisdiction here."
The security team led Bryce away.
Joe hung back long enough to say, "He'll probably get released when the CIA finds out we have him and put pressure on us to release him. However, he won't get a call until the morning. Get a night's sleep and leave early."
"Thanks, Joe."
The couple headed up to their room, no longer feeling like drinking.
As they entered, Chuck said, "Can we talk about tomorrow?"
"Sure."
"Can I leave the boat in that cave?" he asked.
"As long as you want," she replied.
"I need to go to my parents' house and see what's there for me," he said.
Sarah suddenly felt upset. "But you're coming back, aren't you?"
He saw her disappointment. "I am. There's this girl I like…"
She grinned. "She likes you, too." She thought for a moment. "If the CIA is tracking you, we need to change your appearance and get you a new identity. I learned some things with my dad that could help us there."
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
"We'll dye your hair, and put glasses on you. You'll need a new passport, driving license and a credit card with a different name. Basically, a whole new identity."
Chuck was stunned. "Wow! You can do all that?"
"Everything I need is in storage in Miami, but easy to access." She flushed. "Dad and I used it a lot in the past. I haven't made any identities since he was taken away, but it will still work. There are even some identities set up, so a credit card will already exist. We just need your photo for the rest."
"Your dad was like a spy," Chuck said in awe.
She laughed. "Con man, but very similar."
He frowned. "I don't want you getting in trouble for this, Sarah."
"I'm already in the bad books." She shrugged. "Let's get ready for bed, Chuck. Tomorrow is going to be a long day for all of us."
When they got to the bedroom, Sarah realized she wasn't fully prepared. Sarah normally slept in the nude, but obviously wasn't going to do that here. "Chuck, can I borrow one of your t-shirts?"
He looked confused, and then understanding hit him. "Yeah, yeah. Sure." He dived into his suitcase, pulled out a long one and handed it to her.
When she came out of the bathroom in his t-shirt, which came part way down her thighs, effectively covering her panties. Chuck instantly looked away.
She chuckled. "With you doing that, I might as well have not borrowed it from you. I thought you'd be more comfortable with me in this."
He kept facing away from her. "I can't stare at you, Sarah. It's disrespectful."
She appreciated that. and pulled the top sheet on her side back, noting the barricade of pillows in the center. She climbed on the bed and covered her legs with the sheet. "Okay, safe to look!"
He didn't because he headed into the bathroom with his pajamas. When he came out, he did look at her and sighed.
"What?" she asked.
"Oh, I didn't realize I sighed out loud," he muttered and climbed into his side of the bed.
"Well?"
"You know, I think," he replied.
She was grinning, confirming his thoughts. "Tell me," she urged.
"My t-shirt has never looked so good. I'm not going to get any sleep with you next to me. Happy?"
She looked at him seriously. "I'm sorry, Chuck. I shouldn't tease you. Do you want to talk or just try to sleep?"
He looked over the pillows at her. "Although this has been traumatic at times, I've enjoyed myself more here with you than I can remember."
She climbed over the pillow and embraced him. "Me too."
She kissed him. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but it did convey her desire for him to return. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer for another kiss. When they separated, both were breathless.
She sighed, knowing they had to stop this. "I should cross back over the wall, or we won't get any sleep."
He just nodded. Once she was back on her side of the bed, he said, "I'm really going to miss you while I'm away, Sarah."
"I'll miss you too," she replied. "Take care and come back safely."
He thought about that for a moment. "Where to? Where will you be?"
Sarah hadn't really thought about that. As she did, there was only really one answer. "We'll go back to Miami and stay there until we hear from you."
After that they both settled down, feeling as content as they could. To their surprise both drifted off to sleep easily.
A/N: So, someone from the show turned up. There won't be many, but I couldn't resist this one.
Fingers crossed that it's possible to leave reviews for this chapter, I really appreciate them, as well as PMs.
