Summer 2007 Alphabet challenge at the Numb3rs Forum. Sequel to T is for Tempus Fugit. AU, after Janus List. This is the 19th in what will be a series of 26. Q is for Quagmire is the 1st. There will be no further updates to this piece.
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Zwischenzug - a chess move made to play for time.
--
"You let him win," Melanie said with some amusement from the passenger seat of Sean's car. She was a little lethargic and still full from dinner at the Eppes home.
"I never let anyone win," Sean said loftily.
She laughed, "I don't care what you say. I saw it with my own eyes. You folded with four of a kind, when it was down to just the two of you, just so Alan could win that hand with a pair of aces."
"Well, I certainly hope no one else noticed that," Sean said dryly, "My poker reputation would be shot." But his expression softened, "He's so easy to read, it would be like taking candy from a kid."
"You're just a big softy," Melanie ran a caressing hand against his cheek. She smiled when he rubbed his cheek against that hand.
"Just don't let it get out," he said as he pulled into a parking space close to her apartment complex. He got out of the car to walk her to her door.
"Stay for a while."
Sean turned to look at her. "If you're sure that's what you want." He touched a gentle finger to her lips when he saw them tremble.
"I'm sure," she said softly. Her eyes shone with excitement and desire as she pulled him into her apartment. She dropped everything she was holding the moment she got inside and shut the door, and turned into his arms.
She's such a tiny little thing, Sean thought, and just barely managed to stop himself thinking before he compared her with Hannah. Melanie's head only just reached his collarbone. He lowered his head to slant a teasing kiss across her lips. Picking her up easily, he headed in the direction she indicated.
A little later, she sighed softly with pleasure as her hands continued to explore his muscular chest and torso. Her fingers seemed to have a mind of their own as they followed his treasure trail downward. She felt his laugh rumble in his chest.
"I need a few minutes to recover," he looked amused when she turned to him.
She smiled, "I was just enjoying your sexy bod."
He laughed, "Thank you. That was refreshingly forthcoming."
Melanie rubbed her cheek against his chest and asked softly, "Who are you thinking of when you make love to me?" She smiled sadly when he stiffened.
"I'm sorry," he said, turning her to look at him.
"I think I'm glad you're not denying it. But I'm not sure," she frowned slightly while she thought about it. "It's Hannah, isn't it?" She watched him struggle with it. "I saw how you looked at her tonight." She'd also noticed how Colby watched Sean carefully while he was around Hannah, but didn't seem concerned about Hannah's actions.
Sean sighed, "Melanie, I'm so very sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I do like you a lot, you know that don't you?" He looked relieved when she nodded. "Hannah only has eyes for Colby, and I know I'll get over it. I just thought I hid it better than that."
Melanie wasn't as certain that he would get over it, but she snuggled back into his arms. She was certainly willing to give it a shot. It wouldn't hurt her feelings to snuggle up to this man after the long days at the hospital. "We'll take it one day at a time."
--
"Luchenko wants to meet," Fiona said with excitement as she strode into Steele's office.
He raised an eyebrow since he was in the middle of a discussion with Sean and Colby. But he only said, "Set it up. Is he coming to the States?"
Fiona nodded, unfazed by his displeasure at being interrupted. "In a few days. He says he comes bearing gifts."
"Good, we need a break in the case from the Russian angle," Steele pointedly turned his attention back to Sean and Colby.
She laughed softly but didn't say anymore as she left.
Steele ignored the grins the two men struggled unsuccessfully to suppress. "So you checked the recordings on Ben, Wendy's contact."
"Yes," Sean slipped easily back into his report. "Apparently he's been trying to work something to get her out of prison. She'd become valuable to them and they didn't have anyone in place."
"What does he think he's going to accomplish by getting her out?" Colby asked curiously. "Surely he doesn't think that she'll be able to get her job back."
"Near as I can make out, they think they have some sort of access into our computers and they need her to get information for them," Sean looked grimly at Steele.
"Biden?" The icy look was back on Steele's face. He paused to think about it. "That might not be a bad idea, give Biden a user ID to give to the Chinese. We'll send them to a dummy system with false information."
"Will we be able to set that up in time?" Colby asked curiously. He raised an eyebrow at the look Steele shot him. Then he laughed, "Don't tell me there's already a dummy system with false information."
Steele didn't deign to answer. "Find out if Wendy will work with us on this. I'll see what I can do to stall until she decides. If she'll work with us, have her send the SOS. I'll get some fresh information set up in the dummy system."
"Something that will defuse the missile situation?" Sean asked as he got up.
"That too."
--
"David, what do you have for me?" Don asked as he came into the bullpen.
"Paul and I have gone through all papers we confiscated from Corker's office at the hunt club." David stretched with a sigh. There had been a lot of paper, even though they'd started with the older records.
"And?"
"Well, Luke's conjecture turns out to be correct. Corker was second in command to Spencer Lowell. Lowell was killed by Breston in the crossfire, and Corker took over, even though he had to get out of Duquesne. He rose in the cartel and eventually took over the distribution for that cartel in the United States. Lowell had a son, Steve."
"What happened to that son?" Megan looked up from the profile she had been working on.
"I haven't been able to find any trace of him. Paul's looking in the DDFS computers, he's trying to link Steve Lowell to Leo Spencer."
"Alright. Anything else from the papers?" Don paced a little in the confined space of the bullpen.
"I have some recordings of some conversations. I thought I would send it to Tech and a copy to Charlie, see if we can identify any of the voices."
"What do you think that will accomplish?" Don looked surprised.
"I'm not really sure," David sighed. "I'm just grasping at straws right now."
"Okay, but tell them it's not top priority," Don couldn't think what good a twenty-five year old recording would do them. "And get a copy of all of this to Steele."
"Already done. Oh," David got Don's attention before he left. "Paul says that Luke discovered the mole at DDFS. One Thad Biden, apparently Spencer's nephew, his sister's son."
"He's the one who gave up the names of the undercover agents in the gangs?" Megan looked disgusted.
"Among other things. Apparently he was feeding information to the Chinese via the NSA. He's under Steele's control now though." David looked at them. He wasn't sure what would happen to Biden.
"Maybe we can use him to find Spencer," Don said slowly. "We've been hitting a lot of dead ends on that. No one just ups and disappears like that. See if Steele can get you any information about Spencer from Biden."
David nodded and went back to work.
--
"Don said you would call," Charlie told Steele as he walked into Steele's office.
Steele smiled. He liked the young professor. "Thank you for being so willing to help."
"What can I do for you?" Charlie asked as he looked around curiously.
Looking for Fiona, Steele thought with amusement. He didn't blame Charlie, Fiona was certainly lovely to look at, and he didn't see any real harm in it, Charlie was obviously in love with Amita and not likely to stray. Looking's still free. "I'd like some help setting up a red herring in the NSA's dummy system."
Charlie brightened, "I built that for the NSA."
Steele chuckled, amused at his excitement, "Yes, I know. I need to buy some time. I need to get some information to the Chinese that would make them stand down. I don't think there's any way to make them think we're not targeting them, even if it's true. They've been fed too much information otherwise. But I think they'll believe it if they think we've pushed back the schedule."
"Stand down?" Charlie's eyes were round with fear. "What do you mean stand down?"
"I've been given to understand that they've turned their missiles on our allies. They also have a facility closer to the US that's armed and ready with the missiles targeted at major US cities," Steele told him gently.
"So you need a Zwischenzug," referring the in-between chess move made to play for time. He paused in thought, eyes far away. "I'd better work fast then," Charlie said decisively. He got up to leave.
Steele was pleased to see him push the fear away.
"Oh, there was something I wanted to run by you," Charlie sat back down. "I've been playing with the recording you gave us of the Mastermind. And David just gave me an old recording from Corker's files. Would you happen to have a recording of Leo Spencer? Even if the Mastermind was using a voice changing device, it's possible to figure out the algorithm that was used and match the disguised voice to the actual voice." He grinned when Steele sat up with interest.
"I don't have one handy but I'm sure I can get something," Steele didn't think it would be a problem. He was sure Kaplan would be able to get him something. "Thank you, Charlie! It would definitely help to tie him directly to the Mastermind."
"You're welcome. Glad I could help," Charlie hesitated for a second. "I never thanked you for helping us get the men who shot my father."
He talks like he wasn't shot as well, Steele thought in wonder. "I'm glad we could help. We don't always have the same agenda as the FBI, but I'm certainly glad it all worked out this time."
Charlie nodded and left to do what was asked of him.
"I heard from my brother," Paul said abruptly as he entered Steele's office after Charlie left. "I don't know what's caused it, but there's going to be an all out gang war."
Steele looked angry. "Was it Biden?"
"He's in custody," Paul replied tightly, "But he may have set something in motion before Luke got to him."
"Let the FBI know, and make sure they let LAPD know," Steele said curtly. "Get everyone back to the office."
Paul nodded and hurried out.
--
"Hello, what do we have here?" Fiona murmured with no small amount of glee when Luke got in the car.
"What is it?" Luke asked curiously. They had stopped at a gas station on their way to the office, having received Steele's summons over the brewing gang war.
"It's Bad Boy," Fiona told him with some triumph.
"Bad Boy?" Luke's eyes sharpened. "The one who hit you on the head at the antique store?" She'd told him about Bad Boy liking it when his women screamed.
"That's the one." Her eyes gleamed. "Are we getting him?"
"Damn straight," he said coldly. They got out of the car.
"Hey, big boy," Fiona purred as she came up behind him. She laughed at the look of surprise when he recognized her. "Yes, I see you recognize me. See that man over there?" She smiled a feline smile as he darted a glance at Luke. "He's going to make you pay for what you did to me."
"That little guy?" Bad Boy regained some confidence. "I don't think so... umph!" He grunted when Luke twisted his right arm. Then cried out in pain when Luke broke it.
"I hear you like it when they scream," Luke said, his eyes dark and flat. "When I'm done with you, you'll be the only one screaming."
--
"Sorry we're late," Fiona said as she and Luke walked in. "We found Bad Boy."
"Is he in custody?" Steele asked, looking sharply at Luke.
"In a manner of speaking," Luke said as he sat down at the conference table.
That means I have a body to hide, Steele thought with a sigh.
"He's in the holding pen downstairs," Fiona said mildly. "But I think they're getting ready to give him something so he'll go to sleep. He won't stop screaming."
I'm not going to ask. "Alright," Steele said warily. He didn't like the cold, flat look in Luke's eyes, but they had bigger problems to deal with. "I was hoping to gain some time with the Chinese, but the Mastermind seems to have some other plans that will make time of an essence again. According to Paul's information, the gangs are about to erupt in an all out war. And according to information from the FBI and LAPD, some of them are already gathering and ready to rumble, so to speak. We're going to let the FBI run this, since they have more manpower, but I want to provide what support we can."
"Any chance we can defuse this before the war breaks out?" Sean asked. One of the gangs' territory was close to the hospital where Melanie worked. He didn't want her caught in a crossfire in the middle of her commute.
"At this point, I doubt it," Paul said tersely when they all turned to him. "I had been trying to see if they'll meet and talk but they have a tendency to shoot first and talk later."
"I'm getting Hannah to a safe house before I head out with you." Colby's tone brooked no argument. Her store was close to the hospital Melanie worked at. Far too close to that same gang territory that he knew Sean had to be worried about.
Steele nodded without comment. "Alright, we'll meet at the FBI office."
--
"Gary Walker said he'd already heard some rumblings when we called him with Paul's news," Don told Steele when the DDFS team arrived at the FBI. "He had his people out and about, and he thinks some of the smaller gangs are standing down."
"Unfortunately, the 23rd Street Bangers and Hoover Park aren't standing down," David said grimly.
"Isn't Travis Grant still in custody?" Steele asked. Travis Grant was the leader of the 23rd Street Bangers.
"Yes, he is, but Tyrone Simmons, the new second in command is making a bid to take over the gang," Don replied. "That's what Walker thinks and we agree with him."
Steele nodded, it made sense. "What's Hoover Park's reason?"
"I'm betting that DeLayne Johnson is making a bid to absorb the 23rd Street Bangers now that Travis Grant is out of the way," Paul said bitterly. He saw the surprised glances from Don and David at his tone. "Long story," he said curtly, "But he's the reason my brother got me out of the life."
"Speaking of the Mexicali," David cast a sympathetic glance Paul's way, "They seem to be standing down as well. Your brother's doing?"
Paul shrugged, "It's possible. He hasn't been part of the gang in years, but they'll occasionally listen to him. I know he doesn't want to see any violence, especially with Joe around."
Don answered his phone when it rang. When he hung up, he turned grimly to the group, which included Colby who had slipped in while he was on the phone. "Walker says it's going down in two hours."
"Where?" Steele asked sharply.
"Somewhere on the LA River, Walker isn't exactly sure. He thinks the 26th street crossing."
"That would make sense," Paul said, "That's where the two territories touch.
"Alright, get your gear. Let's roll!"
--
Sean smiled in grim amusement when Fiona joined him at his vantage point on the bridge overlooking the river bed. He'd seen her arguing with Luke just a few moments before. She was a good shot, just not good enough to be a sniper, but a sniper's accuracy wasn't going be necessary in the melee that would follow. "I take it you lost that particular argument."
"He's such a... male!" Fiona stormed. She glared at Sean when he laughed.
"I would have thought that a good thing," Sean said mildly, trying but failing to suppress his amusement.
"Oh hush! You know what I mean." Fiona set up her automatic rifle, still in a huff.
"He just wants you to be safe," Sean said gently.
"I know, or he'd be short some important parts right now," she sniffed.
Laughing softly at her ire, he continued with his own preparations.
"Did you get Melanie to a safe place?" Fiona calmed down enough to ask. She knew Colby had to forcibly carry Hannah away from the store. Hannah didn't argue often, but she was protective of her little store. Fiona figured she wouldn't want to leave it at such short notice. Not without putting everything away in the safe anyway. She didn't think Colby gave her that chance. Or he might have just shoved everything willy-nilly in the safe, which would make sorting things out a nightmare later. But better a safe and angry Hannah than a dead Hannah. After all, there was still no guarantee that the war wouldn't spill out from the river meeting place.
"She wouldn't leave the hospital," Sean said softly. "She said that if there really was a gang war, then she would be needed at the hospital." Which was true enough, but it didn't make him feel very much better.
"This job is a lot harder when there are people you care about, isn't it?" Fiona murmured. She searched anxiously for Luke from where she was.
"Yes."
"You ever think about quitting?"
"More and more often with each passing day," he answered quietly. He smiled when she looked at him curiously. "Did Luke bring it up with you?"
Fiona sighed, "Yes. And I want to, believe me. I just can't see myself doing some regular eight to five sort of job."
"Maybe he has something else in mind," Sean said mildly. He didn't know much about Luke's finances, but he had a hunch, from the conversation Steele had with the two women about Luke's will when they all thought he was dead, and from the teasing remarks Colby had started making to Luke about the restaurant since they got back, that Fiona probably wouldn't have to work if she didn't want to. And he didn't think Luke would want her to work.
"Look sharp!" Don's voice came over the communicator to both of them, and they both scrambled back to their posts.
"Put your guns down and hands up in the air," Gary Walker announced over the megaphone from his position next to Don. The rest of the law enforcement officers were arrayed on slightly higher ground to give them the advantage over the gangs meeting on the river bed. "We don't want any casualties here."
He scowled when neither side did as he asked. "Looks like they're going to go through with this damn war."
"Maybe we should just let them duke it out and clean up the mess," Luke said quietly. He met Walker's glare calmly. "Kill them all and let God sort it out."
"Whoa! Whoa!" Don interposed himself between the two men when it looked like Walker would do something they would all regret. "Let's focus on the gang, shall we? We don't want to be the ones to start the war."
Steele put himself between Luke and Walker as well. He knew from Luke's demeanor that he was in a killing mood, and once it started there wouldn't be anyone left standing. He wasn't sure what had put Luke in that mood, but he knew finding Bad Boy that day hadn't helped.
Everyone ducked when a crack cut through the air, it sounded like a gun going off.
"It's a firecracker! It's just a firecracker!" Walker shouted into the megaphone, but it was too late. Both gangs had opened fire. "Dammit!"
Luke's eyes narrowed as he watched the gunfight. None of the law enforcement officers had opened fire yet. He knew they wouldn't do anything, couldn't do anything now that the shooting had started. They would only interfere if one of their own were in danger. "Sean, two o'clock."
"I see him." Sean's calm voice reassured Luke. He couldn't figure out why he was so jumpy today but knowing Sean had their backs helped.
"What is it?" Colby asked, trying to see what Luke was referring to. He frowned when he finally caught sight of what had got Luke's attention. "What's he doing?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't like it. Sean, if he does anything, wing him. I think we'll want to question him."
"Will do."
"Something's changing," Megan's voice crackled over the communicator. Then she shouted, "Duck! They're turning to shoot at us!"
Grimly, they returned fire. David cried out in pain. Luke hoped that he was staying down and out of the line of fire. He noted that Sean had already taken the guy he'd pinpointed down. Staying low, Luke changed positions to get a better look at the gang members. "Damn!" He cursed when a bullet passed too close to him. "Thanks, Sean," when he saw the guy who shot at him go down.
"That was me, saving your sorry ass," Fiona's voice came over the communicator.
Luke grinned, it was a good thing she was still on his side. "Sean, that one in the blue shirt at nine o'clock."
"Green shirt at five o'clock," Colby said, he'd finally figured out what Luke was looking for.
"Blue stripes at three o'clock."
Luke smiled when he heard Walker's voice. They may not have agreed on methods, but the man knew his job.
Then before they knew it, there was silence. The other gang members had put their guns down.
"Hands in the air!" Don shouted to the gang members. He turned to Luke, "I take it those were the leaders we took out?"
"I think so," Luke told him. "They looked like they were directing things anyway."
"Luke, watch out!" Colby shouted. One of the gang members had reached for a gun and aimed it at Luke.
"Luke!" Fiona screamed as she came running.
Luke tried to duck, and cried out in pain when he felt a hot, sharp pain on his arm. He heard additional shots, then Steele shouting, "Fiona, stop! He's already dead!"
"I'm alright, Fiona," Luke managed to croak.
"Alright, schmalright," Colby scowled as he checked Luke over. "You were shot in the arm. Looks like a flesh wound though, and it's the left arm. You were lucky."
"Doesn't feel very lucky," Luke muttered. He winced when he saw Fiona storming towards him. "I think I'm in for it."
"You're on your own for that one," Colby told him. "I'm going to have my own problems later."
"What were you thinking?" Fiona started to yell but burst into tears instead.
"Sorry, I was distracted," Luke tried to sooth her. "I just wanted to find out what was going on."
"Stop talking and get in the ambulance," Steele said curtly. He was white.
"I'm alright, Dan. It's just a flesh wound, Colby said so," Luke tried to reassure his friend.
"Get in, or I'll toss you in," Sean said mildly. He'd just helped get David in the other ambulance and was ready to make sure Luke did the same.
"Alright, alright," Luke scowled at them but got into the ambulance. Fiona got in with him. Steele followed them in his car.
"Is David alright?" Colby asked Sean anxiously when the ambulances left, sirens blaring.
"Flesh wound, in the thigh. It'll be uncomfortable for a while, but he'll be alright," Sean told him sympathetically. He knew they'd been close. "I'm going to the hospital, make sure Melanie knows I'm okay."
"Alright," Colby looked closely at him, and relaxed to see that he was genuinely concerned about Melanie. He grimaced, "I have to go make amends to Hannah."
"What did you do?" Sean asked curiously.
"Shoved the inventory into the safe in a hurry," Colby said wryly. "I have a feeling I'm going to be sorting jewelry out for the rest of the day."
Sean laughed. He would have liked to have seen Hannah's face when Colby did that. "Later," he said as he left for the hospital.
--
"Sean! Oh God, Sean, you're alright!" Melanie hugged him in relief when she saw him walk into the emergency room where she'd been pressed into duty. "The casualties have been streaming in."
"I know. I just wanted to check on Luke and make sure you knew I was alright." Sean touched her cheek gently.
"He's okay, it's just a flesh wound. We've patched him up and he's actually ready to go. Fiona's alternating between fussing over him and fussing at him," Melanie laughed softly. Then she sobered, "Steele's a little shaky though."
"Steele is?" Sean was surprised. "This I've got to see."
"Over there. I have to get back to work," Melanie sighed softly.
"I'll come pick you up later," Sean said gently.
She smiled and waved as she went back to what she was doing.
Sean made his way to where Luke was and laughed at the sound of Fiona fussing at Luke. "Give the man a break, Fiona, he's just been shot."
"And whose fault is that?" Fiona glared at him.
"I'm sure it's mine, I was distracted," Luke said soothingly.
Sean winced, he was sure that was the wrong thing to say. He cut in hurriedly before Fiona could get started again, "Are you alright, Steele?" He did look white and shaky, Sean thought.
"I will be. Soon." Steele said on a soft sigh. "I'm glad you're okay, Luke. That took years off my life. I'm not sure I could go through that again."
"It looks like they'd targeted us all along," Luke said thoughtfully.
"He's been one step ahead of us every step of the way," Steele said bitterly.
"Maybe what Charlie's doing for you will help turn the tide in our favor," Don said from the doorway. He'd come to see how David was doing.
"I hope so," Steele sighed. "I hope our move will turn the tables on him more thoroughly than his did."
"I'm going to take you guys home. You need the rest," Sean told them. "You too," he added to Steele. It worried him when Steele didn't protest. "Then Colby and I will go see Wendy, get her started."
Steele nodded.
"Are you sure you can get Colby away? He told me what he did at the jewelry store, Hannah might not let him live," Fiona said dryly.
Sean grinned, "I'm sure he'll be fine." He saw Steele's and Luke's curious glances. "Fiona can tell you all about it. Let's go."
--
"Whew! Thanks," Colby told Sean as they left the jewelry store. He scowled at Sean's grin. "It's not funny."
"Looked funny from where I was," Sean tried not to laugh but couldn't help himself. He'd never seen Hannah upset, but she was upset now. She hadn't stopped fussing at Colby the entire time he'd been there. Sean didn't know how long she'd been fussing before he got there. And Colby couldn't seem to sort the jewelry out to her satisfaction either. She'd finally thrown her hands up in the air and thrown Colby out of the store.
"Well, that's the last time I hustle her out of the store in a hurry," Colby said with a sigh. "At least she's safe. And so's the jewelry."
"God willing, that's the last time we'll have to," Sean was contemplative.
"Amen to that," Colby said fervently.
"I heard about the shootout on the news," Wendy said when she saw them. "Were you in it? Are you alright?"
Sean smiled at her concern and reassured her. Then they laid out their plan to her.
"I'll do it," Wendy said, once she heard what they wanted her to do.
"There's some risk to it, Wendy," Colby warned her.
"I'll just make sure they don't find out," she was obviously nervous but she did her best to suppress it. "We need to avoid a missile attack. Wouldn't that mean World War III if they did shoot a missile at us?"
"Yes, that's what it would mean," Sean said gravely.
"Then there's nothing else to discuss," Wendy was definite about her decision.
"Alright, when Charlie gets everything set up, you'll call the SOS line, and get things in motion." Sean searched her eyes.
Wendy nodded. There was certainty in her eyes.
"Alright, be ready when we call."
--
"Mr. Eppes," Sean murmured when he saw Alan at the hospital. "What are you doing here? Don's fine."
"I know," Alan replied with some relief. "But I came to see David." He smiled at Sean, "Here to see Melanie?"
Sean smiled, "Picking her up after her shift."
Alan looked at him for a long moment, "How is that going?" He added when Sean raised an eyebrow, "I'm an old man, I'm entitled to pry."
Laughing at the response, Sean gave himself a moment before answering, "I think it's going well."
"Good." Alan was quiet for a moment before he asked, "Does she know?"
"About Hannah? Yes," Sean replied ruefully. "She figured it out somehow. I guess I didn't hide it well enough."
"But she's still okay with it?"
"Okay enough to take it one day at a time," Sean said slowly. He looked at Alan for advice, "But it wouldn't be fair to her if I can't get over Hannah, would it?"
"I don't have any answers for you, son," Alan said gently, "But I would go with the flow on that one. She's a good woman, and if she's willing to take you the way you are, then you're blessed."
Sean nodded, "Thank you for listening."
Alan smiled, "Go take her home." He chuckled as Sean got up, "And don't think I don't know that you let me win a hand or two. You have a tell too."
Sean burst into laughter. After a moment, he gave in to his impulse and hugged Alan. Then smiling, he waved as he headed to Melanie's station to take her home.
--
A/N: Hang tight! The next few will be a roller coaster!
Oh, those of you who are into geography, well, I made up everything about the locations of the gangs. You know who you are. ;-)