Right Place At The Right Time

Right Place At The Right Time

Author’s Note

This chapter marks an important turning point for Chuck.

What began as a simple attempt to get answers from Stavros quickly becomes something much bigger. Chuck is starting to realize that the situation surrounding Sarah, the Demetrios family, and the FBI is far more complicated than he originally believed. More importantly, he is beginning to notice changes in himself.

For the first time, Chuck finds himself walking into a dangerous situation and discovering that he is capable of handling it in ways he never expected. The confidence, observation, and ability to read people that come so naturally during his conversation with Stavros leave Chuck wondering whether this is something new or whether it has always been a part of him.

At the same time, the reader gets a glimpse of what Chuck doesn’t know. There are people watching, secrets being protected, and connections inside the FBI that could have serious consequences.

And this is only the beginning.

I hope you enjoy “The Meeting.”

Chapter 11

The Meeting

Without taking another look inside the warehouse, Chuck eased away from the doorway and turned toward the parking lot. He had taken only a few steps when he walked directly into a wall of muscle. The man stood several inches taller than Chuck and was built like someone who spent most of his time lifting things heavier than himself. Chuck was in good shape, but standing this close made the difference obvious. He instinctively stepped back, catching his balance before looking up at the stranger.

“Sorry,” Chuck said quickly. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

The man didn’t move. He simply stared at Chuck as though the interruption were little more than an irritation. He appeared to be in his late thirties, lean beneath his solid build, with closely cropped dark hair beginning to gray at the temples. He wore dark jeans, a plain button-down shirt, and a pair of worn boots that looked like they had seen more than a few hard miles. At first glance, there was nothing particularly threatening about him. He looked like an ordinary working man who could have belonged anywhere around the shipping yards. It was the way he carried himself that caught Chuck’s attention. His posture was straight without being rigid, his movements economical, and his eyes quietly swept the surrounding area before settling back on Chuck.

“What are you doing checking out the warehouse?” the man finally asked. His voice was low and rough, carrying just enough edge to make Chuck wonder whether the question was actually a question. “You making sure your girlfriend isn’t cheating on you with that Stavros kid? You got some kind of business with Mr. Demetrios? Or are you just one of those punks who likes to hang around the shipping yards, casing the place for a little burglary later tonight?”

Chuck stared at him, trying to decide exactly what kind of man he was dealing with. The stranger’s tone made it clear he wasn’t interested in small talk, and there was something beneath his words that made Chuck’s instincts immediately start warning him to be careful. He couldn’t tell whether the man was genuinely suspicious of him or simply trying to intimidate him into talking. For all Chuck knew, the guy didn’t even work for the Demetrios family. Maybe he was just another person hanging around the warehouse, looking for an opportunity to steal something himself.

“What are you waiting for?” the man continued, taking a slow step closer. “You going to talk to me, kid? Or do I need to beat it out of you?”

Chuck felt his stomach tighten. The guy was definitely trying to play the tough guy, and judging by the way he was dressed and carried himself, he was probably very good at it. Still, Chuck couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to him than simple intimidation. He glanced toward the warehouse, then back at the stranger, wondering whether this man had been watching him before Chuck ever noticed him. Whatever his connection to the building was, Chuck suddenly had no desire to find out the hard way. He needed to get away from the warehouse, and he needed to do it without giving the guy he had recognized inside the warehouse a clear view of him.

Chuck played it cool, forcing a polite smile onto his face even though every instinct was telling him to get away from the doorway as quickly as possible. He needed to say whatever he had to say, keep this man talking for another few seconds, and then put some distance between himself and the warehouse before the man inside noticed him. There was no reason for anyone to think he was casing the place, and Chuck certainly wasn’t about to admit that he had been watching what was happening inside.

“No, no casing going on over here,” Chuck said, keeping his voice as casual as he could. “I’m just waiting on a friend. She’s inside talking to Mr. Demetrios and his son, Stavros. She’s just conducting a little business with them concerning some kind of deli meat.” He gave a small, almost apologetic shrug before continuing. “But listen, I didn’t mean to get in your way or stop you from doing whatever you were doing. Let me just get out of your way, and I’ll head back over to my friend’s car and wait for her, if you don’t mind. That is.”

Chuck started to move, hoping the explanation had been enough to satisfy the stranger, but then stopped himself and glanced back at him. There was something about the way the man had spoken to him that bothered Chuck, and despite the situation, he couldn’t resist one last attempt to make it clear that he wasn’t some helpless kid.

“Oh, and for your information, I’m nineteen years old. I’m really not a kid anymore. No more than possibly your kid, if you know what I mean.”

The man looked Chuck up and down, studying him for another moment before finally stepping around him and turning his attention toward the open warehouse entrance. Chuck remained where he was, trying not to appear interested in what the man was doing as the stranger looked inside. His eyes settled on the woman speaking with Yari Demetrious and the several men standing a short distance behind them. The man’s expression changed almost imperceptibly when he recognized the man in the expensive suit. He had seen surveillance photographs of him earlier that day, photographs his boss had provided before he arrived at the shipping yard, but whatever recognition passed through his mind, he gave no indication that it meant anything.

After another moment, the man turned his attention back to Chuck and looked him over once more. His expression remained unreadable as he quietly assessed the younger man standing in front of him, weighing Chuck’s explanation against everything he had just seen. Chuck could feel the man’s attention on him and suddenly found himself wondering whether his attempt at playing it cool had actually worked, or whether he had just given the stranger even more reasons to be suspicious.

The man continued staring at Chuck, his expression remaining unreadable as he quietly assessed the younger man standing in front of him. After another moment, he finally spoke, his voice still carrying the same warning tone.

“Well, don’t let me stand in your way. Go get back in your girlfriend’s car and stay there. A kid playing around in the shipping yard isn’t safe, especially when you don’t have permission to be here.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll just head back over to my girlfriend’s car, if you don’t mind.” Chuck pointed toward the car with both hands, forcing another polite smile. “I very much appreciate the heads-up. I’ll try to stay out of the way and avoid getting myself hurt.”

The man continued staring at Chuck, but he said nothing more. Chuck took that silence as his opportunity to leave. He turned and started across the parking lot, keeping his stride steady and doing his best to maintain some semblance of a normal pace. Panic would attract attention, and attention was the last thing he needed. Every step away from the warehouse felt like it took an effort to keep his nerves under control, but he refused to look back or give the stranger any reason to believe he was more concerned than he appeared.

When he reached Lou’s car, Chuck opened the passenger door and climbed inside. He closed it quietly behind him before settling into the seat and staring straight ahead. For several seconds, he barely moved, trying to look as though he had never left the vehicle in the first place. Only then did he allow himself to breathe a little easier, although the uneasy feeling that the stranger had seen far more than Chuck wanted him to know remained firmly in the back of his mind.

His breathing was still too quick, and his heart was hammering against his ribs, but Chuck kept his hands still and waited. For the moment, he needed to know whether the man had seen him looking into the warehouse. That possibility changed everything. Whatever confidence he had felt when he first decided to come here was gone, replaced by the uncomfortable realization that he might have put himself in a situation he couldn’t easily talk his way out of. He was already regretting ever thinking it was a good idea to confront Stavros.

Chuck began reworking his plan, considering what he would do if things went wrong. He wasn’t sure whether the man he had recognized inside the warehouse would come outside with Lou, and if he did, Chuck would simply act as though he had never seen him before. He could pretend the man was a complete stranger.

As the possibilities ran through his mind, something else began happening. Chuck found himself sorting through each one almost automatically, considering different ways to handle whatever conversation might come next without becoming overwhelmed. He didn’t realize it at first, but his mind was already doing more than ordinary problem-solving. It was presenting him with options, weighing them against one another, and quietly guiding him toward the one that seemed most likely to work. Chuck simply followed the thoughts as they came, occasionally asking himself a simple question to keep from looking suspicious.

Several long minutes passed before Lou finally emerged from the warehouse with a man who looked as though he spent more time trying to impress people than actually working for a living. He carried himself with an exaggerated swagger, the kind of confidence that seemed to come from living off his father’s wealth rather than earning a reputation of his own. Even from a distance, Chuck could see that Lou was keeping just enough space between them to make it clear she didn’t want him getting too close.

As they continued talking, Lou glanced around the parking lot, expecting to find Chuck waiting where she had left him. Her eyes moved across the rows of parked vehicles before finally settling on the car. Chuck watched her expression carefully from behind the windshield, hoping she wouldn’t notice anything unusual about him.

Lou’s eyebrows drew together in confusion when she realized Chuck had gone back to the car without saying a word. She raised a hand and motioned for him to come over. Chuck hesitated, briefly considering whether he should stay where he was, but finally raised one finger to let her know he would be there in a moment.

He slowly opened the door and climbed out, keeping his attention on Lou and Stavros as he did. The man he had recognized inside the warehouse had not come outside with them, which gave Chuck some relief. He didn’t notice the two additional men standing several feet behind Stavros.

Okay, here we go. Ignore the two thugs. You’re here to talk to Stavros. That’s it. Nothing more. Ask a few questions and walk away. That’s the plan, right?

Chuck repeated the thought to himself as though saying it often enough would make the situation feel manageable. Yet somewhere beneath those words, something inside his mind seemed to be working on something completely different.

As he stood beside the car, Chuck wiped his hands along the thighs of his jeans, drying the sweat from his palms. He drew a slow, steady breath and released it through his nose before starting across the parking lot. He slipped his hands into his pockets as he walked, trying to look as relaxed as possible.

With each step, some of his confidence began to return. Seeing the man he recognized from the FBI cafeteria had changed his entire perspective. He had come here thinking he understood what he was walking into, but the truth was that he knew almost nothing about the Demetrios organization or the business they were involved in. He didn’t know who Stavros really was, what his father was capable of, or how dangerous the men standing behind them might actually be.

Yet somewhere in the back of his mind, another thought surfaced.

Let this fool do the talking. You’re here to listen.

Chuck accepted it without questioning where it had come from. As far as he was concerned, it was simply his own mind telling him how to handle the situation, and he wasn’t about to argue with himself. The fear that had been gripping him only moments earlier was fading, replaced by a strange sense of calm he couldn’t explain. He simply followed it, taking one step after another toward Lou and her ex-boyfriend.

The two men behind Stavros were still watching him, but Chuck barely registered them anymore. His attention had narrowed to Lou, Stavros, and the conversation waiting for him. Something in his mind had already decided what mattered and what didn’t, and for the moment, the two men might as well have been part of the background.

What concerned him far more was the realization that had been forming ever since he saw the man inside the warehouse. If that man really was connected to the FBI, then somebody within the Bureau might already be working with or investigating the Demetrios family. That changed the situation in ways Chuck wasn’t prepared for, especially because he still had no idea what the FBI knew or how much of the Demetrios operation they had uncovered.

Chuck’s eyes never wavered from Stavros as he continued across the parking lot. Stavros noticed almost immediately, and for several seconds the two men simply stared at each other as Chuck closed the distance between them. There was something in Stavros’s expression that made Chuck believe he wasn’t accustomed to being watched so directly, particularly by someone he clearly considered little more than Lou’s friend.

Chuck didn’t look away.

Somehow, maintaining eye contact felt like the right thing to do, even though another part of him was still trying to understand why he suddenly felt so comfortable doing it.

As Chuck approached, Lou and Stavros continued their conversation, although Chuck could tell from Stavros’s expression that he was becoming increasingly irritated. Even from several yards away, Chuck caught fragments of what was being said, and as he drew closer, the words became easier to understand.

“What the hell, Lou? My father isn’t going to be very pleased if he finds out this guy is here. What were you thinking? That conversation was between you and me. You weren’t supposed to discuss it with anybody else, especially that thief’s boyfriend. I mean, why would you get him involved?”

Chuck heard the accusation clearly now. Although Stavros’s words were directed at Lou, the look in his eyes made it obvious that Chuck had already become part of the problem. He kept walking toward them, refusing to let the hostility in Stavros’s voice change his pace. Whatever had brought him here, he was going to find out what was really going on, and for the first time since leaving the car, Chuck felt ready to hear the answer.

Despite the polite smile Stavros forced onto his face as Chuck drew closer, Chuck could immediately see through it. The smile never reached his eyes, and there was no warmth behind it. It was nothing more than a carefully constructed mask hiding the irritation that had been building since Chuck stepped out of the car.

The three of them stopped a few feet apart, and Chuck deliberately positioned himself with his back toward the warehouse. If the man inside happened to look through the large bay door, he would see Chuck only from behind, making it much more difficult for him to recognize him. It was a small precaution, but after what had just happened, Chuck wasn’t willing to take any unnecessary chances.

Lou glanced from one man to the other, clearly sensing the tension between them before finally breaking the silence.

“Stavros, this is Chuck Bartowski. I’ve mentioned him before. He’s one of my best friends. He came here to see if he could help you with any of your questions concerning his girlfriend, Sarah.”

She then turned toward Chuck.

“Chuck, you must remember Stavros. I talked about him quite a bit when we dated a couple of months ago. He’s still a good friend of mine, and he does favours for me.”

Lou seemed to realize there wasn’t much more she could say without making the situation even more awkward, so she left it at that and watched the two men standing in front of her.

Chuck decided it was probably best to slip into what he jokingly thought of as nerd mode. With his fingers still tucked inside his pockets, he began rocking slightly back and forth on the heels of his shoes, offering a polite smile as he turned his head from side to side and casually took in his surroundings. It was a familiar behavior, one that made him appear harmless and slightly uncomfortable in situations like this.

In reality, Chuck was paying attention to everything around him. He was waiting for the uneasy silence to break while trying to determine exactly what Stavros was thinking.

Neither man spoke. They simply stood facing one another, each quietly measuring the other while Lou watched from between them. Chuck maintained his nervous-looking smile, but his eyes remained focused on Stavros. Stavros, meanwhile, continued studying Chuck with an expression that gave away almost nothing.

For several long seconds, the two young men remained locked in an uneasy silence, neither willing to make the first move or reveal what was actually going through his mind.

Chuck’s mother had taught him that the first few seconds of meeting someone were often the most revealing. Before listening to a person’s words, she had always insisted he study everything else. Confidence. Posture. Eye contact. The way someone carried himself when he believed he was in control. She had taught Chuck to observe naturally, never making it obvious that he was evaluating the person standing in front of him.

Those lessons had stayed with him for years, buried beneath the ordinary routines of his life. Now they were beginning to surface almost without effort. He found himself noticing things he might once have overlooked, recognizing small details and considering what they revealed about the person standing across from him.

As Chuck studied Stavros, his mind quietly began sorting those details. The expensive clothes. The carefully styled hair. The expensive watch that seemed chosen more to impress people than for any practical purpose. None of it was particularly subtle.

Stavros was accustomed to attention. He carried himself like someone who expected people to step aside whenever he entered a room. His posture projected confidence, but there was something rehearsed about it, as though he had learned how a powerful man was supposed to stand and was determined to make sure everyone noticed.

Beneath the arrogance, Chuck sensed something else.

Insecurity.

Stavros seemed to need constant reassurance from the people around him, and the more Chuck watched him, the more convinced he became that his relationship with his father was at the centre of everything. Stavros wanted his father’s approval, perhaps more than he wanted anything else. Much of his behavior seemed built around proving himself worthy of the family name. He wasn’t simply trying to establish himself with Chuck. He was performing a role he had learned long before Chuck ever arrived.

Stavros’s hand suddenly shot forward, taking control of the meeting before Chuck could say anything. Chuck extended his own hand and accepted it without hesitation. The handshake confirmed much of what he had already suspected. Stavros squeezed harder than necessary, holding the grip just long enough to establish dominance and make it clear that he expected Chuck to understand who was supposed to be in control. It was the handshake of someone trying to prove he was in charge before the conversation had even begun.

Chuck simply allowed it. He had no interest in competing with Stavros, and he had no desire to prove that he was stronger, tougher, or smarter. This wasn’t an introduction. It was an interview, and Chuck had learned long ago that the person asking the questions wasn’t always the one with the advantage.

His mother had always told him the same thing whenever she taught him how to read people.

Read the person first. The answers usually come long before the questions do.

By the time Stavros finally released his hand, Chuck had already reached one conclusion.

The man standing in front of him wasn’t the real decision-maker.

He might enjoy acting like one, and he certainly wanted Chuck to believe he was, but there was something about him that reminded Chuck of someone constantly struggling to live up to expectations that weren’t entirely his own. Stavros had confidence, but much of it seemed borrowed from the power of the family behind him. The real authority belonged somewhere else.

That matched everything Lou had already told him, and for the first time since looking inside the warehouse and walking away, Chuck felt as though he was beginning to understand the man standing in front of him.

His eyes briefly shifted toward the two men several feet behind Stavros. They appeared to be in their mid-thirties and carried themselves with the alertness of men who weren’t there simply to socialize. Their jackets hung loosely enough for Chuck to notice the unmistakable outlines of weapons beneath them. Security. Hired help, most likely. They weren’t saying anything, but their presence changed the atmosphere around the conversation. Having two armed men hovering nearby wasn’t exactly conducive to an honest discussion, and Chuck suspected anything Stavros said in front of them would be carefully chosen. They were there partly for show, an audience Stavros could use to reinforce his image of authority.

Yet the two men didn’t seem particularly impressed.

Their detached expressions and relaxed posture suggested they were simply following orders. Stay close to Stavros, keep an eye on the situation, and make sure Lou’s delivery was loaded into the car before she and Chuck left. If things got out of hand, they would protect their employer’s son, but Chuck had the distinct impression they would do so because it was their job, not because they cared what happened to him.

The real authority was still inside the warehouse.

Chuck returned his attention to Stavros. The young man was becoming increasingly irritated by the meeting, and Chuck suspected he wanted to appear far too important to be standing around talking to one of Lou’s friends. Chuck wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of seeing that irritation affect him.

Finally, after allowing the silence to stretch for another moment, Chuck decided it was time to speak.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Chuck said politely. “Lou used to talk about you quite a bit when the two of you were dating.”

“Yeah, well, I haven’t heard much about you,” Stavros replied coolly. “So why don’t we skip the pleasantries and get to the real reason you’re here with Lou? I’m guessing it has something to do with me stopping by her deli earlier and asking a few questions about you and that homeless little thief you’ve been hanging around with.”

The insult aimed at Sarah sent a brief flash of anger through Chuck, sharp enough that he felt it before he had time to think about it. For a moment, every instinct told him to push back and demand that Stavros take back what he had said. Then the anger disappeared almost as quickly as it had surfaced. Losing his temper was exactly what Stavros wanted. Chuck understood that now. If he was trying to provoke him, the worst thing Chuck could do was give him what he was looking for.

So Chuck remained calm, keeping the polite expression on his face as though the insult hadn’t affected him at all. He refused to give Stavros the satisfaction of seeing Sarah’s name turn the conversation into something personal.

“I’m just here to find out a few things,” Chuck replied evenly. “I’d appreciate it if you could spare me a few minutes. I want to understand why you’re looking for my girlfriend, Sarah, and why she’s become such a concern to you.”

As he spoke, Chuck watched Stavros’s eyes rather than his expression. His mother had taught him that smiles could be manufactured, but genuine emotion was much harder to hide. Stavros’s smile looked confident enough, yet there was curiosity behind it and something else beneath that.

Determination.

There was no warmth in his eyes, and Chuck couldn’t detect even a trace of vulnerability. Whatever Stavros wanted from this conversation, Chuck suspected he had already decided how it was going to go. Before Chuck could continue, Stavros stepped forward.

“Let me tell you something about your so-called girlfriend.”

His voice hardened with every sentence as he continued, clearly enjoying the opportunity to control the direction of the conversation.

“Did she ever tell you she’s a thief? Did she tell you she broke into my father’s home with a group of her criminal friends? One of those people was invited into our family because of Lou, and this is how they repaid our kindness. They broke in, stole valuable property from my parents, and accessed information they had absolutely no right to obtain.”

Stavros’s voice rose with each word, his irritation becoming increasingly difficult to hide. Several dockworkers began looking in their direction, drawn by the commotion and the possibility that an altercation was developing. A few even stopped what they were doing to watch. One of the guards noticed the growing attention and stepped forward, leaning toward Stavros’s ear.

“Bring it down, sir. People are watching. It’s not good to draw attention to yourself.”

Stavros took a step back, but his irritation was directed more at the interruption than the warning. He waved the back of his hand dismissively near his ear, brushing the guard’s concern aside as though it were nothing worth discussing. The brief interruption was enough to make him realize how much attention they had attracted, but he quickly pushed the thought aside and returned his focus to Chuck.

Chuck simply let him continue.

He didn’t interrupt or challenge the accusations. Instead, he allowed Stavros to believe they were having the intended effect, keeping an expression of surprise on his face as though he had never heard any of this before.

Stavros stared directly into Chuck’s eyes, waiting for a reaction. When none came, he continued.

“Did she tell you any of that?”

Chuck still didn’t answer immediately. His mother had taught him that people often revealed more than they intended when they believed they were still in control of a conversation. Every additional sentence was another opportunity to learn something, and every accusation could reveal something about the person making it. So Chuck waited. He had already learned something important. Sarah and the others hadn’t simply stolen property from the Demetrios family. They had accessed information from Yari’s computer, and Stavros clearly considered that information more important than the things they had physically taken.

Only after Stavros finished speaking did Chuck finally answer. He kept his voice calm, refusing to let the accusations against Sarah provoke him. Whatever Stavros expected to see in Chuck’s reaction, anger wasn’t going to be it.

“Okay, well, that was a lot,” Chuck said, allowing a small breath to escape before continuing. “But to answer your questions, she did mention that she was associated with some minor criminals in her past, and she admitted that she made some mistakes. I also know that she and four other people had been going around robbing places, stealing things, and taking belongings from other people. You probably already know the FBI has her somewhere in San Diego right now, and they know about the robbery at your father’s home. What I don’t believe they know is anything about information being stolen from his residence. That part is new to me. Sarah never mentioned anything about that, so it’s possible she doesn’t know anything about it either.”

“Oh, she knows about it all right,” Stavros replied, his expression tightening. “My father’s accountants found that somebody went through his business computer in his office and copied files from it. Then the surveillance cameras outside the house caught one of her accomplices holding a small flash drive and handing it to her. It showed her looking at it and tucking it into her dress pocket. I’m sure she knows what’s on it. She was part of their gang, so she knows what they took and where it came from. That’s what we want.”

“Okay, well, that makes sense,” Chuck replied, nodding slowly as though he were simply putting the pieces together. “Were you able to find any of the other men involved and ask them about it? I mean, if any of them knew where this flash drive was or where the missing information ended up? I hope you were able to ask them before this past Wednesday, because I don’t know if you’ve heard about it, but somebody they apparently pissed off pretty badly went into one of their houses and shot them all dead. Even Lou’s ex-boyfriend, Robert, was one of the victims. Did you hear about that? It was in the paper yesterday, and I believe it was all over the news.”

Chuck paused just long enough to watch Stavros’s reaction before continuing.

“Is that the reason you’re searching for Sarah? Because she’s the only survivor left from the bunch? I’m just thinking out loud here, and I’m trying to give you some friendly advice. If I were you or your father, I definitely wouldn’t go around telling people that you’re looking for Sarah for any reason that might connect you to the four murders that happened a couple of days ago. I’m just saying, you know, it might be a good way to avoid becoming a person of interest. You know what I mean?”

Chuck noticed the two men behind Stavros subtly shift their posture before looking down at the ground, each making a deliberate effort to avoid eye contact. He didn’t react or allow his expression to change, but he quietly filed the observation away with everything else he had learned. Their reaction didn’t prove anything, but it strengthened a suspicion that had already begun forming in the back of his mind.

The guards knew something.

Chuck couldn’t yet tell what that something was, but their reaction to the murders was too deliberate to ignore. Stavros’s expression hardened, but he didn’t appear particularly concerned.

“Yeah, we’re not worried about that. There’s no proof against us. Nobody could point a finger at us. And no, we weren’t able to locate or talk to any of them before their unfortunate demise.”

“No, no, of course not,” Chuck said quickly, lifting one hand in a gesture of reassurance. “I wasn’t trying to insinuate in any way that you or your father had anything to do with the four murders. I’m sure you understand what I meant. Maybe just going around questioning people about one of the final members of the gang could attract the wrong kind of attention, especially when several of the other members are suddenly dead. That’s all I was saying.”

Chuck let the silence settle for a moment before his expression became slightly more thoughtful.

“What I don’t understand, though, is why you were asking about me. I’m not part of that gang. I have nothing to do with any of them. I met Sarah for the first time two days ago, on Wednesday, so why exactly am I of interest to you and your family?”

He paused, watching Stavros carefully before adding, “Actually, maybe I should ask a better question. How did you possibly get your hands on pictures of Sarah and me inside the FBI building?” His tone remained casual, almost conversational.

“That’s quite a neat trick. Actually, never mind. I don’t really want to know. But I don’t think you should be showing those pictures around during a murder investigation. I’m pretty sure the FBI would want to know how you obtained photographs taken inside their building.”

Chuck let the implication hang between them before continuing.

“You might want to think about getting rid of those. Anyway, I just want to say that I’m sorry about the robbery. Maybe you should report it to the police. They might be able to work with the FBI and get some information from Sarah for you.”

“Don’t worry about it. My dad has people in high places. He can get information directly from the source, if you know what I mean.”

“Not really,” Chuck replied, tilting his head slightly. “When I hear people talk about having friends in high places, I usually think of things like getting front-row tickets to a football game, getting ringside seats for a sporting event, or getting into some exclusive restaurant without having to wait six months to a year for a reservation. That kind of high places.”

Stavros gave him a faintly irritated look.

“My father knows the mayor. He knows several judges in town. They’re real tight. They play golf together, they hang out at the country club, and he even knows people in the FBI. So I’m sure if my father wants information from your little girlfriend, he doesn’t have to knock on too many doors to get it.”

Chuck couldn’t believe how openly the man standing in front of him was bragging about his father and the influence he had with people in powerful positions. Stavros was practically telling Chuck that his family had connections everywhere and that he wasn’t worried about the consequences of anything they did. The arrogance behind it was almost unbelievable, especially considering how freely he was revealing information to someone he barely knew. The same guard stepped closer to Stavros again, quietly conveying his concern about what Stavros was revealing. Once again, Stavros simply brushed him aside, waving him off without even turning to acknowledge him. The guard stepped back, shaking his head in disbelief as he watched Stavros continue talking.

“So why is he sending you?” Chuck asked, his tone remaining almost conversational. “Why doesn’t he just make a few phone calls? Kind of makes you a person of interest yourself, don’t you think?”

Stavros’s expression tightened, but Chuck continued before he could respond.

“I don’t know. I think you should probably get rid of those pictures and stop showing them to people. That’s just me, though.”

Stavros stared at him for a moment before answering, his voice losing what little patience remained in it.

“You worry about yourself, Chuck. I’ll take care of the pictures and everything else on my end. You just keep your nose out of my business, and I suggest you stay away from that psychopath thief. She’s trouble. She’ll only bring you down with her. I’ve seen her kind before. And who knows? Maybe the next people holding a grudge against her will decide to put you in their crosshairs too.”

Chuck recognized the subtle threat for what it was and filed it away with everything else he had learned.

Stavros’s eyes remained fixed on Chuck, and for the first time, the irritation behind his earlier smile was completely gone. There was no attempt to disguise the warning anymore. He wanted Chuck to understand that he wasn’t offering friendly advice. He was making sure Chuck knew there could be consequences for getting too close to Sarah.

Chuck didn’t budge. He didn’t look away or allow any fear to show on his face. He simply held Stavros’s stare for a moment before offering the same polite expression he had maintained throughout the conversation.

“Well, I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the warning. Same goes for you, though. You never know who might have you in their crosshairs as well. Right?”

Chuck allowed the words to settle before continuing in the same calm tone.

“But listen, I’ll be talking to Sarah later today.” He lied. “I’ll tell her what you said and let her know what you’re looking for. I’ll ask her if she knows where this information you’re talking about is located, and I’ll see if I can get you anything that might help. Is that cool?”

Stavros considered him for a moment before finally nodding.

“Yeah, that would be cool. You just tell Lou what you get, and have Lou get back to me. We’ll use Lou as our middleman. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to have any association with you anymore. Right?”

Chuck nodded slowly, accepting the arrangement without giving Stavros any indication of what he was really thinking.

“Right. Lou can pass anything along.”

“If Lou doesn’t mind, I don’t mind,” Chuck replied. “But do me a favor and stay away from my friends. They know nothing about any of this. If you need to get hold of me, you can go through Lou. I think from this point on, we should keep everyone else out of this business before somebody gets hurt.”

“You’re right. I won’t bother you anymore, Chuck. I don’t think you can provide me with much information anyway. We’ll see what your little girlfriend has to say. If she’s locked up with the FBI, they can’t keep her there forever. If she tells you where that drive is, you get back to me through Lou immediately. Don’t go through my father. He doesn’t need to know about this. It’s just between you and me. Chuck, got it?”

“You betcha, I got it,” Chuck replied with an easy smile. “I’ll ask her tonight and see what she has to say. Cool?”

“Sure, Chuck. Cool.”

Chuck remained relaxed, keeping his posture casual as he seemingly forced a smile onto his face, something that could easily be mistaken for nervousness by anyone watching him. In reality, he was absorbing everything that had been said and sorting through the details he might need later. He had never shown Stavros any hostility or anger. As far as Stavros could tell, Chuck was nothing more than a concerned boyfriend trying to help his friend’s ex-boyfriend resolve a problem.

When the conversation finally came to an end, Chuck extended his hand once more and waited for Stavros to take it. He was finished here, and more importantly, he was tired of listening to the man talk. The two security men behind Stavros had largely stopped paying attention to him by then. Whatever they had initially thought of Chuck, they seemed to have settled on the same conclusion he had reached about them. They saw Stavros as someone who desperately wanted his father’s approval, and Chuck suspected they had little interest in anything beyond doing their jobs and keeping their boss’s son out of trouble.

Stavros took Chuck’s hand and shook it, but instead of immediately releasing him, he pulled Chuck closer. He leaned toward him until his mouth was near Chuck’s ear, lowering his voice so that only Chuck could hear the warning.

“Do yourself a favor, Chuck. Don’t ever come here again, not even with Lou. You’re not welcome. If you come back, I won’t show you the same hospitality I showed you today. Capisci? Now get back in Lou’s car and wait while I conduct my business with her. Go on. Get out of here.”

Chuck stepped back, allowing a look of mild confusion to cross his face as though the warning had caught him completely off guard. He gave a small nod, then offered Stavros the same agreeable expression he had maintained throughout the conversation.

“Sounds like good advice. I think it would probably be better for my health if I didn’t come back here. But I just want you to know it was interesting meeting you, and if I find out anything more, I’ll let Lou know, okay?”

Chuck slowly backed away from Stavros, deliberately giving the impression that the older man’s warning had put him in his place. He let his shoulders relax and appeared almost relieved that the confrontation was over, like a young man who had finally realized he had wandered into a situation far beyond his experience.

“But I think you’re right about one thing. It’s time for me to leave.” He gave Stavros a small nod. “And don’t worry. I’ll watch my back.”

Chuck turned away and began walking toward Lou’s car, keeping his movements calm and measured. He didn’t look toward the two men standing behind Stavros. He could feel their attention following him as he crossed the parking lot, but he refused to acknowledge it. Looking back now would accomplish nothing except remind them that he was aware of their presence.

As he walked away, however, the image of the large man he had nearly walked into remained fixed in the back of Chuck’s mind. The stranger’s sudden appearance had caught him completely off guard, and the way he had calmly assessed Chuck before sending him back toward the car had left an impression he couldn’t quite shake.

Yet even that wasn’t what bothered him most.

What truly unsettled Chuck was his own behavior. He had never been particularly confrontational, and walking into a potentially dangerous situation without knowing how it might end wasn’t normally something he would have done. Yet he had stood his ground with Stavros, challenged him, and refused to back down even while knowing there were armed men standing only a few yards behind him.

He hadn’t planned the conversation that way. He hadn’t even known what he was going to say when he first approached them. Somehow, the words had simply come, one after another, and he had found himself reading Stavros in ways that felt strangely natural.

His mother had spent years teaching him how to observe people, recognize danger, and protect himself when necessary. Those lessons had always been buried beneath the ordinary life Chuck had built for himself, things he remembered but rarely had any reason to use.

This felt different.

The observations had come too easily. The confidence had felt too natural. Somewhere beneath the nervous, cautious Chuck he knew so well, something else had surfaced, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

For a moment, Chuck wondered whether this was simply the result of everything that had happened over the past two days, or whether this side of him had always been there, waiting for the right circumstances to bring it to the surface. He didn’t have an answer. What he did know was that he had just walked into a dangerous situation, faced a man who clearly had no problem threatening him, and somehow walked away without feeling nearly as frightened as he should have.

The realization stayed with him as he continued toward the car, leaving him with an uncomfortable question he wasn’t ready to answer.

Maybe this wasn’t a completely new side of him after all. Maybe it had always been there, and he was only now discovering it.

Stavros remained where he was, watching Chuck cross the parking lot. His expression tightened almost imperceptibly as he considered everything the younger man had said. He had no immediate answer to several of the questions Chuck had raised, and that hesitation lasted just long enough for him to realize that Chuck had struck closer to the truth than he should have.

Stavros didn’t like that realization.

His eyes drifted across the shipping yard. At least twenty people were working throughout the area, moving between warehouses, operating forklifts, loading pallets, and carrying out the ordinary routines of the afternoon. Trucks came and went while workers crossed the open spaces around them, paying little attention to the conversation taking place near the warehouse. Any confrontation here would attract attention almost immediately, and Stavros knew it. Whatever impulse he might have had to deal with Chuck differently, this was not the place for it.

His gaze returned to Chuck, and the confident expression settled back over his face. It looked convincing enough from a distance, but the uncertainty beneath it remained. Stavros watched as Chuck continued toward the car, apparently finished with the conversation.

“Chuck,” Lou called out.

Chuck stopped and glanced back.

For the next several moments, he said nothing as he looked toward Lou. He replayed the conversation in his mind, weighing every answer, every hesitation, and every change in Stavros’s expression. Piece by piece, he began eliminating possibilities and fitting what remained together.

He had come looking for answers.

Instead, he was walking away with a much larger question, one that had less to do with Sarah than it did with the people surrounding her.

When Chuck reached the passenger door, he stopped and looked back toward Lou.

“I’ll wait in the car for you, Lou.”

He gave her a small grin, a silent indication that he was finished with the conversation, then opened the door and climbed inside to wait.

Lou watched him settle into the passenger seat.

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute, Chuck.”

Once Chuck was inside the car, Lou’s expression changed completely. She turned toward Stavros, her eyes narrowing as she studied him.

“What did you say to him? Did you threaten him? I want to know right now if you threatened him. I swear to God, Stavros, if anything ever happens to Chuck, I will have no problem getting my family involved. And I’d hate to do that to your father, but if you push me, Stavros, I will push back. Are we clear on that?”

Lou stared at him with an intensity that made it clear she wasn’t bluffing.

Stavros looked down at her for a moment before glancing toward the warehouse bay doors. When he looked back, a faint smile had appeared on his face.

“I just told him not to come back. That it’s dangerous around here at the loading docks and he might get hurt. I wasn’t threatening him. Lou, you know me better than that. Come on, what do you think I’m going to do?”

His smile faded slightly as he continued.

“But bringing him here earlier wasn’t cool. I trust you, and I expect you to trust me, but don’t bring any of your friends here again. Especially one who’s dating a person who stole from my family.”

“I understand, Stavros, and I apologize. I should have called you ahead of time and told you, but I’ve never had to before, so I don’t know what changed. Chuck is harmless. He couldn’t hurt a flea, and I saw no harm in bringing him here. I don’t understand half of what the two of you were just talking about, but it makes me wonder what kind of business you conduct that I don’t know about.”

“Even a flea can be a menace, but don’t worry about it, Lou. Whatever my father and I do, it’s legitimate.”

Stavros gave her a tight smile, making it clear he wasn’t interested in discussing the matter any further.

“Now, let’s go get your product so you and Chuck…can leave.”

Lou studied him for another moment, clearly unconvinced by his answer, but eventually turned toward the warehouse.

Neither of them noticed Chuck watching them through the car window, his expression thoughtful as he tried to decide exactly how much of Stavros’s explanation he believed.

Stavros seemed to pull himself out of whatever thoughts had been consuming him, shifting his attention away from the parking lot and back toward Lou. A forced smile returned to his face as though nothing unusual had happened.