Right Place At The Right Time

Right Place At The Right Time
Chapter 9
A/N: A quiet conversation over coffee reveals more than either friend expected. Chuck uncovers new clues about who is hunting Sarah and why, while Lou receives troubling news about someone she thought she’d left behind. As old connections begin to resurface, one name keeps appearing at the centre of it all—Stavros. Coincidence… or something far more dangerous?
Lou Palone
Earlier that afternoon, while Sarah buried herself in language lessons and the endless routine the FBI had designed to keep both her mind and her body occupied, Chuck found himself searching for something altogether different.
Normal.
The previous forty-eight hours had overturned his life with such speed that it scarcely felt real anymore. Sarah had appeared without warning, danger had followed close behind, and before he had the chance to understand any of it, the FBI had swept her away into protective custody, leaving him with little more than unanswered questions and the uneasy feeling that the story was far from over.
Stepping into Lou’s deli offered a brief escape from all of it.
The familiar aroma of fresh bread and brewed coffee drifted through the room, blending with the quiet murmur of lunchtime conversations and the occasional clatter of dishes from the kitchen. It was comforting in a way Chuck hadn’t expected. Nothing inside these walls had changed. Customers still argued over sandwiches, Carlos still barked instructions from the back, and Lou still somehow managed to make everyone who walked through the door feel like they belonged there.
For the first time since meeting Sarah, the world felt almost ordinary again.
Almost.
Lou settled into the chair across from him, resting her forearms lightly on the table as a warm smile spread across her face.
“It’s good to see you, Chuck.”
There wasn’t an ounce of accusation in her voice, only genuine happiness.
“I’m certainly not complaining that you drove all the way out here, but you really didn’t have to. I could’ve told you everything over the phone.”
Her smile slowly shifted into the mischievous grin he knew so well.
“Although…” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. “I have to admit I’m curious about this mysterious blonde I’ve been hearing about.”
She leaned forward just enough to make it clear she was enjoying herself.
“This is the first I’ve heard of her. Were you hiding her from me?” She laughed softly. “Should I be jealous, or is there a story you’re conveniently leaving out?”
Chuck laughed, shaking his head.
Their friendship had never carried even the slightest hint of romance, and neither of them had ever wanted it to. Every few weeks they would find time to meet for dinner or share a drink before life pulled them back in different directions again. Sometimes they wouldn’t speak for weeks. It never mattered. They simply picked up wherever they had left off, as though no time had passed at all.
That effortless familiarity was rare.
Lou possessed an easy warmth that put people at ease, and conversations with her never felt like work. She listened without judging, laughed without forcing it, and accepted people exactly as they were. Chuck had always admired that about her. She never questioned his choices, never tried to steer his life in another direction, and never expected him to become someone he wasn’t.
She was simply his friend. In Chuck’s experience, friends like that were difficult to find. The question about Sarah, however, caught him completely unprepared. His smile lingered for only a heartbeat before uncertainty replaced it.
What exactly could he tell her? The honest answer was very little.
He barely understood Sarah himself. They had known each other for only two days, yet somehow she had worked her way into his thoughts with a persistence that defied logic. He knew almost nothing about the life she’d lived before she sat down across from him in that food court. He didn’t know who she had trusted, who had betrayed her, or why men willing to kill were searching for her.
Yet none of those unanswered questions had changed the feeling he’d carried ever since they’d met. Something about Sarah simply felt…right. Chuck couldn’t explain it any better than that.
Lou watched the uncertainty settle across his face and wisely chose not to press him. She had known Chuck long enough to recognize when his silence carried more meaning than his words. Whatever was happening between him and this young woman, it was clearly more complicated than an ordinary crush.
She decided to give him an easier place to begin.
“So,” she said, easing the conversation in another direction, “how’s school? I hope I didn’t pull you away from your classes. The only reason I called was because Stavros started asking questions that didn’t sit right with me. I don’t trust him, Chuck. I never really have.”
Chuck looked up and smiled.
“Lou, I was heading this way anyway. I figured I’d stop by and see if Morgan needed a ride home.”
She simply looked at him. One eyebrow slowly climbed toward her hairline.
“And I’m supposed to believe that’s why you drove all the way across town?”
Chuck let out a defeated sigh. Trying to fool Lou had always been a losing battle.
“All right,” he admitted with a sheepish grin. “You caught me.”
His smile faded into something more sincere.
“The truth is… I should’ve come to see you long before now. I’ve been a pretty lousy friend lately.”
He shrugged.
“I’ve been buried under school, but that’s not much of an excuse.”
His fingers wrapped around the warm coffee mug.
“When I got your message, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I kept wondering why Stavros was asking questions about me… and about Sarah.”
He met her eyes.
“I figured if you thought it was important enough to call, it was important enough for me to hear from you in person.”
His voice trailed off. For several seconds he simply watched the steam rise from his coffee before speaking again.
“Sarah…”
Even saying her name felt different.
“I’ve only known her for a couple of days,” he said quietly. “I’m honestly not even sure how to explain any of this.”
A faint smile crossed his face.
“I met her in a food court while I was trying to study.”
Lou raised an eyebrow but wisely remained silent.
Chuck’s gaze drifted back to the mug in his hands.
“She walked right over, sat at my table, and acted like we’d known each other for years.”
He chuckled softly.
“I think she picked me because I looked completely harmless. I had textbooks spread across the table, half a sandwich in my hand, and I probably looked like the least intimidating person in the entire food court.”
The smile slowly disappeared.
“But she wasn’t looking for conversation.”
His fingers tightened around the mug.
“She was looking for someone she thought she could trust.”
“The moment I looked at her, I knew something was wrong,” Chuck said quietly. “She couldn’t sit still. Her eyes kept moving from one entrance to another, never settling anywhere for long. She wasn’t looking around out of curiosity. She was expecting someone to walk through those doors.”
He rested both hands around his coffee mug.
“She looked terrified.”
Silence settled between them before he continued.
“Once we started talking, she told me she was running from some very dangerous men. From what I could piece together, she’d witnessed something she was never supposed to see. Whether they believed she had evidence or simply knew too much, I couldn’t tell. I only knew they were hunting her, and I got the feeling they had already murdered people she cared about.”
His jaw tightened.
“She never dumped the whole story on me. It came out a little at a time, almost like she was testing whether I deserved to hear the next piece. Even now, I don’t think I know half of it.”
He looked across the table at Lou.
“Whatever those men are after, they’re not going to stop looking. And if Sarah can’t give them what they want…”
He left the sentence unfinished.
He didn’t need to say the rest.
Lou understood.
“That’s all I really know,” Chuck continued. “The rest is guesswork. The FBI isn’t telling me much, and I don’t think Sarah knows the whole picture either.”
Lou leaned back in her chair, studying him with an expression caught somewhere between concern and disbelief.
“Well,” she said, “this certainly isn’t the Chuck I met a couple of years ago. Whatever happened to the quiet computer nerd? Now you’re caught up with a girl being hunted by killers, the FBI’s involved, and somehow my ex-boyfriend has inserted himself into the middle of it.”
A small smile touched her lips.
“Your life sounds like somebody’s bad spy novel.”
Chuck managed a laugh.
“Yeah… mine too.”
The humor faded almost immediately.
“I’m sorry you’re being dragged into this.”
Lou dismissed the apology with a wave.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
Chuck smiled before his expression settled again.
“The FBI stepped in almost immediately. They have Sarah hidden somewhere under protective custody. I understand why they won’t tell me where, but that doesn’t make it any easier.”
His gaze drifted toward the window.
“Everything happened so fast. One minute we were eating lunch, and the next we were surrounded by agents. Before I even realized what was happening, we’d been separated.”
He laughed quietly at himself.
“I never asked for her phone number. Never got an email address. Nothing.”
He shook his head.
“All I know is she’s somewhere in Los Angeles.”
He looked back at Lou.
“Then your ex starts asking questions about both of us.”
His voice lowered.
“That changes everything.”
The frustration he’d kept buried throughout the conversation finally surfaced.
“I’ve never been good at leaving a problem unsolved. Maybe that’s a character flaw.”
A faint smile crossed his face before disappearing.
“I’m sure the FBI is doing everything they can to protect her. I honestly believe that. But believing she’s safe and knowing she’s safe are two very different things.”
He folded his hands together.
“The people looking for her have already proven they’ll kill.”
The words hung in the air.
“That’s why I need to talk to Stavros. Maybe he knows something. Maybe he doesn’t. But I can’t spend every day wondering if she’s still alive while I sit around hoping someone else figures it out.”
He hesitated, almost embarrassed by what came next.
“I know how this sounds.”
His smile was small and self-conscious.
“I’ve only known her for two days.”
Chuck slowly shook his head, a faint smile touching the corners of his mouth before fading just as quickly.
“I think you’re right, Lou. I can’t let this go.”
Lou didn’t answer immediately. She had listened patiently while Chuck poured out everything that had been weighing on him. His concern for Sarah was obvious, and it was unlike anything she had ever seen from him. As she replayed her own conversation with Stavros, one small detail suddenly surfaced from the back of her mind. It seemed insignificant at first, but the more she thought about it, the more important it became.
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Oh…”
Chuck looked up from his coffee.
“What?”
Lou frowned, still trying to piece the memory together.
“That’s why.”
Chuck looked at her, confused.
“That’s why… what?”
She hesitated, searching for the right words.
“That’s why Sarah was wearing an FBI shirt in the photographs Stavros showed me.”
Chuck stared at her, his thoughts stopping almost instantly.
“What do you mean she was wearing an FBI shirt?”
“In the pictures,” Lou explained, “you were sitting beside her at one of those cafeteria tables that seats four or five people. It was a bright room, and there were people around you wearing business suits. I honestly didn’t pay much attention to anyone else because I was trying to figure out who the blonde woman sitting beside you was.”
She paused, replaying the image in her mind.
“I didn’t have the pictures very long. Stavros was scrolling through them on his phone, but one thing stood out. Neither of you looked like you knew anyone was watching. The two of you were so wrapped up in your conversation that it was like the rest of the room didn’t even exist.”
Chuck felt the warmth leave his face.
His mind immediately returned to the FBI cafeteria in San Diego. He could picture the room as though he were standing in it again. Sarah had been sitting across from him wearing the oversized FBI T-shirt the Bureau had given her after taking her into protective custody. They had shared a quiet lunch together, talking about everything except the danger surrounding them. For a little while, the investigation, the murders, and the uncertainty had all faded into the background.
His mother would have been disappointed.
Ever since he was a boy, she had taught him that awareness was more than simply looking around a room. It meant noticing the people who didn’t belong, recognizing unusual behavior, and remembering the faces of those nearby without making it obvious that he was watching. She had always told him that the smallest detail often became the one that mattered most.
Chuck closed his eyes, forcing himself to replay every minute of that afternoon.
He remembered agents coming and going with trays of food. He remembered conversations drifting across the cafeteria and people walking past their table. He even remembered a few faces scattered throughout the room. Yet no matter how carefully he searched his memory, he couldn’t think of anyone who had paid unusual attention to him or Sarah.
That was what unsettled him. Someone had taken those photographs. Someone had watched them without either of them realizing it. His eyes slowly opened as another possibility settled into his thoughts.
Sarah had only worn that FBI shirt after the Bureau had taken her into protective custody. If Stavros possessed photographs of her dressed that way, then they could only have been taken after she entered FBI custody.
He looked back at Lou, his expression growing more serious.
“Lou, when Stavros showed you those pictures, did he happen to say where he got them?”
She slowly shook her head.
“No. He never mentioned it.”
Chuck leaned back in his chair, his thoughts moving faster than he wanted them to.
If those photographs had been taken inside an FBI building, they never should have found their way into Stavros’s hands. There was only one explanation that made any sense, and he didn’t like it.
Someone inside the Bureau had access to those photographs.
Someone had shared them.
Whether that person had acted deliberately or had been manipulated into doing it, Chuck couldn’t yet say. What he did know was that the circle surrounding Sarah’s enemies had just grown much larger than he had imagined.
The trick, however, was never letting anyone realize they were being observed. His mother had impressed that lesson upon him from an early age. Observation lost its value the moment people became aware they were the subject of it. Over the years, Chuck had developed a quiet talent for taking in a room without drawing attention to himself. A quick glance was usually enough to remember faces, notice subtle movements, overhear fragments of conversation, and recognize the small details that most people dismissed without a second thought.
That was what unsettled him now. As he replayed the afternoon in the FBI cafeteria, he found nothing that seemed out of place. He remembered agents coming and going with trays of food, conversations drifting from nearby tables, and the steady rhythm of people moving through the room, but he couldn’t recall anyone paying particular attention to him or Sarah. No lingering stares. No suspicious behavior. No face that stood apart from the crowd. Yet someone had been there, watching them closely enough to capture photographs without either of them ever realizing it. The thought left him with a growing sense of unease.
Chuck looked back at Lou. “Did Stavros ever tell you where he got those pictures?”
She slowly shook her head. “No. He never said.”
Leaning back in his chair, Chuck let the implications settle over him. The problem wasn’t simply that someone had taken the photographs. It was where they had been taken.
“That picture was taken inside an FBI building,” he said quietly.
Lou studied his face, immediately recognizing the change in his expression. “What does that mean?”
Chuck didn’t answer at once. Director Graham had already warned him that someone might be watching him, but he had assumed that meant surveillance from the outside—someone following him through the city, tracking his movements, or trying to learn who he associated with. This was something altogether different. Whoever had taken those photographs had either gained access to the FBI field office or had received them from someone who already possessed that access. Neither possibility offered much comfort.
His thoughts began fitting together with uncomfortable clarity. The photographs. Sarah’s location. The Demetrios family possessing information they had no legitimate way of obtaining. Each piece pointed toward the same conclusion, one he desperately wanted to reject but could no longer ignore. Somewhere inside the Bureau, someone was feeding information to the enemy.
The realization settled heavily in his mind. If he was right, then Sarah’s greatest danger might not be outside the FBI at all. It could already be inside.
“I don’t know the names of the victims,” Chuck said quietly. “The FBI hasn’t released that information to me, so I can’t say for certain that Robert was one of them.” He held her gaze for a moment before adding, “But based on everything I know… it’s possible.”
The color slowly drained from Lou’s face. She sat motionless, staring across the table as though her mind refused to accept what she had just heard. After a long moment she leaned back in her chair and slowly shook her head.
“No,” she whispered. “It can’t be Robert. I just talked to him about a week ago.”
Chuck felt the hurt in her voice. There was nothing he could say to soften the possibility or lessen the shock that had settled over her. Reaching across the table, he gently rested his hand over hers, offering the only comfort he could.
“I’m so sorry, Lou. I honestly hope I’m wrong.”
Silence settled between them. Around them the deli continued with its usual rhythm. Customers laughed over lunch, dishes clattered in the kitchen, and conversations drifted from table to table, completely unaware that two friends were quietly discussing the possibility of a man’s death only a few feet away.
After a few moments, Chuck gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “We’ll know more later today,” he said softly. “Okay?”
Lou looked down at their hands before giving a small nod. “Okay, Chuck.”
She drew in a slow breath, forcing herself to push the emotion aside. By the time she looked up again, a faint smile had returned to her face.
“Let’s change the subject for a little while. There’s been more than enough tension today, and we still don’t know anything for certain. Until we have proof, there’s no sense convincing ourselves of the worst.”
Chuck returned the smile, although the concern never completely left his eyes. He knew Lou was trying to ease the weight of the conversation as much for herself as she was for him, and he was grateful for it.
“So,” he said after a moment, “did you tell Stavros anything about me?”
Lou immediately shook her head. “No, Chuck. Of course not.” She paused, replaying the conversation in her mind. “He did ask if I knew you, and I told him I did. I said we’d known each other for quite a while, that you used to work at the Buy More, and that you had a close friend who still worked there.”
The sentence died before she could finish it.
Her expression changed instantly.
“Oh my God…”
Chuck frowned. “What?”
She looked at him, genuine alarm spreading across her face.
“I told him about Morgan.”
Chuck remained outwardly calm, but he felt his stomach tighten. Morgan had never asked to be part of any of this, yet his name had just found its way into a conversation with a man Chuck already suspected was dangerous.
“He knows about Morgan.”
“I didn’t tell him anything important,” Lou said quickly, anxious to reassure him. “I never mentioned where you live or anything like that. I only said you used to come in here for lunch and that we became friends. I mentioned Morgan still worked at the Buy More, but that’s all. I don’t even know if Stavros plans to go there or ask him anything.” She looked down at the table. “I’m so sorry, Chuck.”
Chuck squeezed her hand again.
“Lou, you have nothing to apologize for. You couldn’t have known why he was asking those questions. None of this is your fault, and we’ll figure it out.”
The tension gradually eased, and after a moment a small smile crept onto Chuck’s face.
“You know something?” he said.
“What?”
“I really miss seeing you.”
Lou’s expression softened.
“I hate that I haven’t been able to get down here as much as I used to. And it’s not just because you make the best sandwiches in Los Angeles.” He smiled warmly. “I miss coming in here. I miss talking with you. I miss just sitting down and catching up.”
“I miss you too,” Lou admitted. She glanced toward the front counter and laughed softly. “My biggest reminder that you’re not around anymore is seeing your name on the sandwich board. Every time somebody orders ‘The Chuck,’ I can’t help smiling.”
She shook her head, still amused by the thought.
“And then there’s Morgan. He comes in at least twice a week, either grabbing lunch for himself or picking something up for Big Mike. No matter how busy I am, he always finds a reason to wander over and start talking.”
Chuck laughed.
“That sounds exactly like Morgan. He’s like a puppy that follows you around because he’s convinced you might pet him.”
Lou laughed harder.
“You have no idea. Sometimes I have to tell him, ‘Morgan, I’m busy. I don’t have time to talk right now,’ and he looks so offended. He walks away like I just shattered his entire world.”
Chuck grinned.
“Well, he’s a little boy trapped in a man’s body.”
Lou immediately shook her head.
“No, Chuck. He’s a little boy trapped in a little boy’s body.”
The joke finally broke through the heaviness that had been hanging over them. For the first time since Chuck had arrived, they laughed without either of them thinking about Sarah, Stavros, or the growing danger surrounding them. For a few precious moments, they were simply two old friends enjoying each other’s company, exactly as they had done so many times before.
Eventually Chuck’s smile faded into something more thoughtful.
“I really don’t want to make excuses for not coming by more often,” he admitted. “School has been consuming most of my time, but if I’m being honest, that’s only part of it. I should have made time to come see you.”
Chuck shook his head with a sheepish smile. “I should have made more of an effort. I promise I’ll do better. I’ll come by whenever I can.”
Lou smiled warmly. “Chuck, school comes first. I understand that. Besides, we’re only a phone call away.” She laughed softly and shook her head. “Although, I suppose we’re both terrible at remembering that.”
“I guess we are.”
“I’ll do my part too,” she said. “I’ll make a point of calling you a couple of times a week.”
The conversation drifted naturally from there, settling into the familiar rhythm it had always shared. They talked about school, the deli, Morgan, and the endless parade of ridiculous situations that seemed to follow him wherever he went. It wasn’t an important conversation, yet somehow it was exactly what they had both needed. Time slipped quietly past as they enjoyed each other’s company, and every so often their conversation would give way to a comfortable silence neither of them felt compelled to fill.
That was the thing Chuck had always appreciated most about Lou. Their friendship had never demanded anything of either of them. There were no expectations, no hidden motives, and no need to pretend to be someone they weren’t. They could spend an hour talking about nothing in particular and still walk away feeling better than when they’d arrived.
The contrast wasn’t lost on him. His feelings for Sarah had swept into his life like a storm, bringing danger, uncertainty, and more questions than answers. Every memory of the past two days seemed wrapped in tension and unanswered questions. Sitting across from Lou, however, reminded him what normal felt like. She was simply his friend, someone who accepted him without judgment and never expected anything in return.
Chuck looked down into his coffee, feeling an unexpected warmth settle over him. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed afternoons like this until he was living one again.
Lou noticed the thoughtful look on his face and smiled.
“Look at us.”
Chuck looked up.
“We’re sitting here acting like two sentimental fools.”
A grin spread across his face.
“Yeah,” he said. “That sounds about right.”
Before either of them could continue, Carlos called from the back of the deli.
“Lou?”
She glanced toward the kitchen before looking back at Chuck.
“Excuse me for a minute. I’ll be right back.”
Chuck nodded as she disappeared through the swinging door. Left alone, his thoughts immediately returned to the reason he’d come in the first place. The photographs. The Demetrios family. The possibility that someone inside the FBI was quietly feeding information to the people hunting Sarah. None of those questions had gone away. If anything, Lou’s story had only made them more urgent.
His thoughts kept circling back to the same conclusion. Everything seemed to lead to Stavros Demetrios. Whether Stavros was simply acting on someone else’s orders or knew far more than he was admitting, Chuck needed to speak with him. The challenge was finding a way to make that happen without turning the meeting into a confrontation before it even began.
By the time Lou returned from the kitchen, Chuck had made up his mind. He watched her walk back toward the table, her familiar smile returning as she approached, and felt a twinge of guilt. She had already done more than enough for him that afternoon. She had trusted him with information that could easily complicate her own life, and now he was about to ask her for something that might place her in an even more uncomfortable position.
When she sat down, Chuck took a quiet breath.
“Lou, can I ask you a favor?”
She smiled without hesitation.
“Of course. Whatever you need.”
He hesitated for only a moment.
“Do you think there’s any way you could arrange a meeting with Stavros?”
The warmth in her expression faded, replaced by concern rather than surprise. She lowered her eyes for a moment before looking back at him.
“Chuck… I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“I know,” he admitted. “It probably isn’t. But right now it’s the only lead I have. I’m worried about Sarah, Lou. I need to know what Stavros knows, and more importantly, I need to know what he’s planning.”
Lou studied him for a long moment. She had known Chuck long enough to recognize the difference between stubbornness and conviction. He wasn’t trying to prove himself or pick a fight. He was frightened for someone he cared about, and that fear had already made the decision for him.
Finally, she sighed.
“Okay. But you have to promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I will.”
“Actually,” she said after a moment, “this might work out better than you think. I’m supposed to meet him at four this afternoon anyway. I need to pick up some product from him.”
Chuck looked puzzled.
“Product?”
Lou smiled, almost embarrassed.
“I don’t usually tell people this, but he imports meat for me from Portugal.”
Chuck blinked.
“Seriously? From Portugal?”
She laughed.
“Yes, from Portugal. Through his father’s business connections he introduced me to a merchant over there, and ever since then he’s been importing Portuguese cured sopressata for the deli.”
“You can’t get anything like that here?”
“I wish I could.” She shook her head. “It would certainly make my life easier, and I wouldn’t have to keep dealing with him. But the quality is exceptional, and because it’s prepared a certain way, it only takes a few days to arrive.”
Chuck nodded, beginning to understand why she’d maintained contact with Stavros after their relationship had ended. It had nothing to do with lingering feelings. It was simply business.
“The problem is that it doesn’t contain any additives or preservatives,” Lou explained. “If it sits in customs for ten days like most imported products, the quality is ruined before it ever reaches me. Stavros has connections that keep that from happening, and I’ve been relying on those connections for a couple of years now.”
Lou gave a small shrug. “So he does this as a favor. He’s been helping me get it for a couple of years now.”
Chuck nodded, finally understanding why she had remained in contact with Stavros after their relationship had ended. It had nothing to do with lingering feelings. She simply relied on a business arrangement that neither of them had found a practical way to replace.
“But that doesn’t matter right now,” Lou continued. “If you want, you can come with me. We’ll drive over together, and maybe he’ll agree to talk to you.” She held up a hand before Chuck could answer. “I’m not promising anything. There’s no guarantee he’ll cooperate, and he can be quite the jerk.”
Chuck smiled knowingly.
“I noticed.”
“He honestly believes he’s better than most people he meets,” Lou said with an exasperated shake of her head. “And don’t be surprised if he sees you as some kind of rival.”
Chuck frowned.
“Why?”
“Because that’s how Stavros looks at the world. People are either useful to him or they’re standing in his way.” She hesitated before adding, “Deep down, I know he still has feelings for me, even though those feelings aren’t returned.”
A small smile crossed Chuck’s face.
“I understand. I mean, what man wouldn’t want someone like you in his life?”
Lou rolled her eyes and reached across the table, giving the back of his hand a playful tap.
“Oh, shut up, Chuck.”
He laughed, grateful for the brief return to normalcy. The tension that had hovered over them for most of the afternoon eased for a moment, though neither of them forgot what was waiting once they left the deli.
“Listen,” Lou said, glancing toward the kitchen as she pushed back her chair. “I have a few things to finish up. I need to help Carlos close out a couple of things before I leave him to handle the rest of the afternoon.” She looked back at Chuck. “After that, you and I can head over to one of his father’s warehouses. That’s where Stavros wants to meet me. Is that all right with you?”
Chuck nodded without hesitation.
“Of course.”
“Give me a few minutes.”
“I’ll be right here.”
As Lou disappeared into the back of the deli, Chuck found himself alone once again. The quiet gave his thoughts room to return, and with them came the nervous energy he had managed to keep buried beneath casual conversation. He was about to walk into a meeting with a man connected to a powerful criminal family, a man who was searching for Sarah and somehow possessed photographs that should never have left an FBI building. Whether Stavros was simply another piece of the puzzle or someone standing much closer to its center remained to be seen.
Chuck slipped his hands into his pockets and let his eyes wander around the familiar deli. The worn tables, the menu board, the steady murmur of customers enjoying lunch, it had always been a place where life felt comfortably ordinary. Today it felt different. It felt like the last quiet refuge before stepping into something far more dangerous.
A few minutes later Lou returned, grabbing her keys as she approached the table.
“Ready to go?”
Chuck stood immediately.
“Ready.”
She smiled. “Do you want to follow me, or would you rather ride together?”
“Let’s ride together.”
“Good. We’ll take my car.”
After saying goodbye to Carlos with a wave, they stepped outside and climbed into Lou’s car. The drive across the city passed more quickly than Chuck would have liked. Conversation came and went, but his thoughts rarely strayed from the meeting ahead. He rehearsed questions, anticipated arguments, and considered every possible way the conversation might unfold. No matter how many scenarios he imagined, however, one thing remained impossible to predict.
Stavros himself.
Before long Lou turned into the parking lot of a sprawling warehouse complex and eased the car into an empty space. After shutting off the engine, she pointed toward a sleek sports car parked near the loading bay.
“That’s Stavros’s.”
Chuck followed her gaze before looking back at her.
Concern was written plainly across Lou’s face.
“Chuck, are you sure you want to do this?” she asked quietly. “He can be a dangerous man, especially if he has some of his people with him. If things go badly, he won’t think twice about making a scene.”
Chuck drew a slow breath and looked toward the warehouse.
“I’ve thought about that,” he admitted. “But I’m not going there to pick a fight. I’m going because I need answers. I need to know why he’s looking for Sarah, what he thinks she has, and most of all, how those photographs ended up in his hands.”
Lou glanced at the dashboard clock. It was still a few minutes before four, which meant Stavros was probably inside getting the shipment ready before meeting her. The open warehouse doors revealed nothing but shadow and the occasional movement deep inside.
She looked back at Chuck and gave a quiet nod.
“All right.”
Together they stepped out of the car and started toward the warehouse, each carrying the uneasy feeling that once they crossed those doors, there would be no turning back.
End of Chapter 9