Author's note: Okay, before anybody says anything...this is my last story based on the Trust Metric episode. Clearly, I am obsessed. This story is very different to my other stories. So different in fact I'm beginning to wonder if my obsession with this episode has gone overboard (very, very possible.) I don't use original characters often and this story has seven of them, but don't worry; Colby, Don and the team are still the central characters. I also apologise for making David even more stubborn than I usually do.
Warning: un-betaed. Original characters and non-canon.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Numb3rs characters in this story.
Colby Granger returned from his afternoon run. While everyone's day started when the sun rose, his started at sunset. James Cordone had set this job up for him as soon as he returned to U.S soil. His colleagues know him as Caleb Garrick, it was the credentials James and his team developed for him. He knew his name was Colby but that was all he knew.
Two years ago…
Mason Lancer inserted the needle. It felt like a bullet tearing through his skin. "What are you doing?" Dwayne Carter growled.
"What I said I would do?" Lancer was a cold-hearted bastard. Colby may have betrayed him but there was no way he was letting him die after what he just went through. Colby was loyal to his country. He would rather die a painful, lonely death then tell Lancer what he wanted to know. Colby might be willing to die for his country but Dwayne didn't feel that loyalty, he only owed loyalty to his friends and he'll be damned if he let Colby die for an ungrateful country. He pulled his gun and fired. Lancer saw the bullet coming but there was nothing he could do. Dead. The mole was dead but not before the damage was done. Enough of the potassium chloride was injected to stop Colby's heart. Dwayne would've have saved him if a bullet hadn't got him from behind. He was dead before he even knew what had happened.
This was the moment Colby Granger's life took a sharp turn. They were close to international waters and not another ship was in sight, not one of the FBI's anyway. A smaller boat arrived and four masked men boarded the ship without so much as a sound. The Chinese were dead within minutes. They entered the room where Colby was tied to a chair. One of the men felt for a pulse. He shook his head. Another one took out a syringe filled with gold liquid. The needle was injected straight into his heart and the plunger deployed. Adrenaline.
Granger jolted, sucking air into his deprived lungs. What was happening? His whole body was burning but he was too weak to do anything. He looked around at the people in the room wearing masks and uniforms similar to the marines. One of them grabbed by the jaw roughly. "Colby Granger?!" This man was American. Colby lost consciousness.
Colby was taken back to their base interrogated by this covert team for 2 months. He wasn't tortured but he was kept in a small room, given minimal food and clothing. They wanted to keep him weak so that he more susceptible to their interrogation. It didn't work though because you couldn't get information out of a guy who couldn't remember his name.
They found out who he was through a facial recognition program, created by one of the greatest minds in information technology. "Colby Granger, born September 16, 1974 in Winchester, Idaho. Father is deceased. His mother and sister are alive and still reside in Idaho. He was incarcerated for spying on his country for the Chinese."
"Yes, well, we know that's not true. It was Lancer."
"Why did the boss get us to go in and save him anyway?"
This small covert team were sitting at their headquarters, which was a mansion in Mexico. The leader was James Cordone, ex-Navy Seal and extremely dangerous if you're his target. Johnny Zhao a.k.a Techman was their genius computer guy and the youngest of the team. His codename was a combination of his job and his Chinese name, Di-Min. Adam Lavrov, ex-Russian military, was the sniper and weapons expert. Remy Bisset, ex-French intelligence, was the bombs expert and Jay Wilson, ex-Australian airforce, was a Martial arts master. The team nicknamed him Jet Li…a name he disliked and tended to deter his team from using it by swiping their legs out from under them. This team was hired and financed by billionaire, George Hamil.
George Hamil is a man not known to many, considering his fortune. He kept a low profile, even to his closest friend, a friend by the name of Keith Granger. A few decades ago, Keith Granger pushed his friend and classmate out of the way of a speeding car, injuring himself in the process. It was a long time ago and they drifted apart, but George was a smart man, he kept tabs on Keith and when the death of his friend reached his ears, he kept tabs on his family. Close tabs.
George's business was the rescue of high profile nationals and/or their family members. His team were able to get into places without the risk of causing a full-blown war between countries. If they were caught, they couldn't be linked to any national organisation. They could be considered heroes for hire, although he did not discriminate. As long as the client could afford his service then he will provide it, as long as innocent lives were not at involved.
"Your job is not to ask why but to do as the client requests, no questions asked."
Jay rolled his eyes, "Well, he ain't exactly a job. I don't see us getting paid for this one."
"The boss pays us, Jay. He has his reasons." James reprimanded his teammate.
Jay shrugged. He didn't care but he was curious. Colby Granger is very different to all the others they have saved. "Why did you get us to interrogate him?" Jay couldn't help himself. He was nosey.
"I wanted to know if he truly has amnesia or if it was a ploy to buy time until he found a way to escape." George sat himself at the head of the table. "He managed to fool his team for two years, it wouldn't be a surprise if this was an act."
"Well, I think its time to stop. He's dehydrated and malnourished. I checked on him this morning and he's running a fever." It was Dr Rachael Emmett, ex-MI-6, the last member of the elite group and wife of James. She glared at her husband. "I asked you to keep a close eye on him. He's not an abductee of one of our shadier clients. He's FBI." She turned her glare on the boss. "And why did you ask for his rescue if this is how you were planning to treat him?" It seemed nobody was safe from her temper when it came to the health of her patients.
"My dear, my aim is not to harm him but to protect him. He is the son of a man I owe my life to. Now that I have determined his does, indeed, have amnesia I can decide on the next stage of my plan."
Rachael folded her arms, "You may not have intended to harm him but can you imagine how it feels to wake up in a cold, empty prison and be in intense pain! He should have been sent to me first."
"Honey," James cut in, "To be fair, you weren't home when we got here."
"You knew where I was! You could've sent Jay to get me!" Rachael glared at her husband.
"Hey, I am not your personal pilot. Why can't you shop closer to home?" Jay shrunk in his seat when he saw steam coming out of Rachael's ears.
James put his hands out to stop her from killing their pilot. "Okay…okay." He put his arms around his wife. He rarely saw his wife so worked up about a patient. "What's wrong?"
Rachael sighed, "I had Techman hack into Counter Intelligence." They all turned to Johnny.
"What?! She threatened to strap me down and…" He looked down nervously at his…private part and gulped. Rachael shrugged when everyone turned to her.
George already knew what Johnny had found out. "Colby Granger was recruited by Counter Intelligence while he was in training at Quantico. Michael Kirkland was his handler. He needed someone to infiltrate the Chinese spy ring and uncover a mole within the FBI. Colby Granger was the obvious choice because of his friendship with one, Dwayne Carter."
"One of the dead guys we found on the freighter." Adam pointed out.
"Precisely."
"So he's a hero." Rachael folded her arms. "Do I have permission to treat him as one?" If she was angry before, she was furious now!
George's expression softened. It was time Colby stopped being scared. "Please." He sighed, looking older then he really was. "I think its time Colby stopped suffering."
Rachael felt bad for the old man but she wasn't about to let him off the hook. "Good." She turned away from the men to tend to her patient.
Colby slowly became aware of his surrounding, expecting the same room he's been kept in for so long, but he wasn't on a hard mattress in a dark cell. He felt around. The sheets were silky and the bed mattress soft. He opened his eyes and found himself in a room. He pushed himself up and saw that it was not only a room but also one, which overlooked the ocean. Looking down at himself he saw that someone had changed him into silk, blue pajamas. "What's going on?" He whispered to himself as he shoved off the comforter and got out of the bed. He stumbled a little, feeling weak, but he got his bearings and walked over to the door. He reached for the door about to open it when the handle turned on its own. Panicking he looked around and grabbed the vase off the table. He raised the vase when the door opened but that was a far as he got. In a flash, someone had grabbed his wrist and flipped him onto his back. The vase smashed to pieces next to him.
"Jay!" A women's voice called in panic. "Get off him!"
Colby groaned, he had blacked out for a second. "What…" A woman was kneeling above him. "Who?" Distinctively, he grabbed a piece of broken ceramic and held it out, pushing himself up and shuffling back.
James grabbed his wife and pulled her back, pushing her behind him. Rachael rolled her eyes. "Really, James. Does he look like he can hurt me?" James looked down at the man holding the broken ceramic glass so tight in his hand that it cut through his skin. Blood dripped from Colby's hand.
James sighed. Clearly his wife's plan to put him in a nice room did not lower his defences. This man was a soldier and FBI Agent. He wasn't so easy to placate, even without his memories. "Granger, we are not going to hurt you."
Colby scoffed, "You've kept me prisoner for two months. You'll excuse me if I don't take your word for it."
"We had our reasons." Jay tried to explain. "But you're not a prisoner anymore. Look!" He gestured around the room.
"Yeah, a nice room automatically makes you all trustworthy." Sarcasm dripped of the words.
Rachael pushed aside her husband and Jay. Colby needed a face he didn't associate with the cold prison cell. "Colby." She smiled at him. "I can call you Colby, can't I?"
Colby back away when she moved forward. "Apparently, that's my name."
"Yes it is." Rachael knelt down so she was not talking down to him. "You know I won't hurt you."
Colby relaxed a little. "Yeah, you've helped me."
"My husband and his team have been rough on you but they needed to ensure you weren't a threat. They know that now and hence why you've been place in this room."
"We saved you from Mason Lancer and got you off the freighter. Why would we do that if we wanted you dead?" James asked him. He got the chance to read through this man's entire file, including the sealed ones. He was a good man that was dealt a bad hand. But he did what he could with it. It was the FBI's loss. His team should've believed in him more. "Let us help you."
Colby studied the man. He didn't know why but he trusted him. The truth was, he had no choice. These people knew more about him than he did. Slowly, he lowered his hand.
Rachael smiled and reached for the injured hand. Colby flinched as she opened it, removing the shard. She winced sympathetically. "I'll need to remove a few pieces of the ceramic before I can disinfect it and stitch it up."
Colby nodded, tired. "Okay." He said softly. She placed a hand against his brow.
"You're still too warm for my liking. Let's get you back into bed." She moved out of the way so that James and Jay could help him up.
"Sorry about flipping you, man." Jay apologised as they guided him back onto the bed. "Natural reflex."
Colby gave a tentative smile. "Maybe you can teach me that."
James groaned, "Please don't. His head is big enough as it is. We don't need you feeding his ego."
Jay grinned, "You're just jealous." He slapped Colby on the shoulders. "I'll give you some lessons when you're on your feet."
Present day…
Don Eppes looked at the photo of his team from two years ago. David Sinclair, Megan Reeves, Liz Warner, Charlie Eppes and Colby Granger. The team remained the same minus one person. He kept the picture there to remind himself everyday how dangerous doubt can be.
Two years ago…
Charlie Eppes stood in the briefing room. "Nothing. Nothing that we don't already know in our hearts." He was talking about his trust metric and how much they trusted Colby.
Don looked around at each teammate. Do they give Colby the benefit of the doubt?
"I'm in." Megan smiled. She believed in Colby. There was no way a man like Granger could betray his country.
Don turned to David. "I don't know what to believe but I'd like find out."
"Alright we roll in ten." Don ordered. Charlie smiled as the team got ready to get their guy back.
But they were too late. By the time they arrived, the freighter was a ghost ship floating in the middle of the ocean. The Chinese were dead. Dwayne was dead. Lancer was dead and Colby was gone. What was left was a videotape. They brought it back with them and watched it together. Colby was tied to a chair. They watched as he struggled to breathe for hours, and then screamed in pain for hours before the potassium chloride was injected. Their eyes were on Colby's unconscious body when Dwayne shot Lancer and then was shot himself. They were willing Colby to move, to show he was still alive but that didn't happen. Men in masks came in and shut off the camera.
They all got off their seat shocked at the last part. Who were the men in masks?
"They took Colby." Megan gasped.
"So he must still be alive." David reasoned. "Why take a dead body, right?" He looked at Don, begging him to tell him Colby was still alive.
"Right." Don said, dumbfounded.
Charlie sat there, shocked. "These guys took out a ship full of Chinese guys with guns."
Don nodded, "They're good."
"But who are they and why would they take Colby?" David asked.
Guilt filled everyone in that room, but Don felt the worse. Colby had called him. He trusted him with the truth but he waited too long to act on it. "Get that tape to an analyst. Make sure they take it a part pixel by pixel. I want to know who those men are." We're going to find you, Colby! Don promised.
Present day…
They had gone through that tape but these men were too good. They left no evidence behind and none of them had any identifiable markings. It's as if they were ghosts. The team wore themselves out until their boss had to order them to drop the case or lose their jobs. Every team member had to see a shrink and get it signed off each week until the doctor was satisfied that they were mentally fit to do their job.
However, they didn't return to what they were before. How could they after knowing they didn't do everything in their power to save their friend? How could they when they didn't even know what happened to Colby? The unknown was almost worst than if they found Colby's body on that boat. Now they all hung onto a thread of hope that their friend was alive and well somewhere.
18 months ago…
Colby Granger stood at the door of the private jet at a private Mexican airstrip. He waved at the five men and one woman standing near the hanger. He still didn't know why these people saved him. All they said was he was very special to someone they knew. It was so vague it was frustrating. He still knew nothing about himself aside from his name. They gave him a new identity and when he asked why he couldn't use his real name, they told him it was safer this way. Again…vague. Before he was given this new identity, he was made to promise that he would not try to look into his past. This was his chance to start a new life. When he wouldn't, Johnny told him that he could easily completely delete his new identity if they found out he tried to find out about his past. It angered him at first and he was going to tell them they could shove the new identity up their own asses but James took him by the shoulders. He hated that this man seemed to be able to calm him so easily. It's no wonder these men trusted him with their lives. "It's not that your past is bad or that you're a bad person, but things happened in your life that almost killed you on that freighter. We don't want that to happen again. We didn't save your life just so you can go straight back to that same point again." He wasn't convinced. James sighed, "You do trust us, don't you?" Colby nodded without hesitation. James smiled, "Good. Then trust us enough to not look into your past. Your memories will come back if you're meant to face it. Until then, enjoy you knew life and your new job."
Colby smiled as he entered the plane and the door closed behind him. He looked out the window. The team was still out there. He waved at them, and then frowned when he saw another figure standing near the back of the hanger. It was an old man in a grey suit. Who was he? But he was already moving and soon they were out of sight. Colby sat back and wondered if that was the man who orchestrated his rescue.
James Cordone stepped away from the team and walked in step with George. "Why don't you want him to know about you?"
Hamil shrugged, "It's easier for me to keep tabs on him if he doesn't know who I am. If I tell him who I am, I will have to tell him about his father and how I knew about him being on the freighter. He won't be able to live a normal life after finding out there was always someone watching him."
James nodded. It made sense. "You're a good man, boss."
Present day…
This was supposed to be a normal night at Divergence Corporate. It was a company, which developed security systems for international corporations. They handled everything from the planning of a building to the maintenance of the system. The security they set in place was state of the art so it was safe to say their security team were the best in the world. But there was no such thing as perfect.
Colby and his partner Josh Teller were patrolling the floors when the body dropped past the window on the tenth floor. Colby and Josh exchanged looks before they bolted to the fire escape. "Tanner, someone just jumped, call the boss and get out to the front. I'm sure someone has already called the police." He turned to Josh. "Race you to the top." There was no joking in his tone. They just needed to get up their fast. It was a 25-storey building.
Colby burst through the door with his gun raised, but he was too late…or right on time. A man standing on the ledge smiled and waved at him before he dropped backwards. "NO!" Colby ran to the ledge and looked down. "What the…" He just caught sight of the man guiding his parachute around the building across the road. Josh stepped up to him.
"What did you see?"
Colby turned to him. "The killer's face."
Don groaned as he picked up the phone. It was his boss. There has been a murder at the Divergence Corporate and the LAPD has requested their assistance in the matter as it involves a corporate company with many offices all over the country. He got out of bed and got changed as he dialled each of his team members, telling them to meet at the murder scene.
Detective Isaac Drummond of the LAPD, met them at the scene. "What do we have, detective?" Don asked as they walked towards the body. "Female; 45 years of age. Fiona Baker. She's the CEO's secretary of 10 years. According to the security guards, they were making their rounds on the tenth floor when Ms Baker dropped past the window at 11.56. They called it in and then ran up to the rooftop. One of the guards, Caleb Garrick saw the perp jump off the building and parachute his way across and around the corner of this building." He pointed to the building across the road. Don nodded to David, who heard the report and grabbed Megan on his way to the building across the road. Don turned back to the detective. "Where's the witness now? I want to set him up with a sketch artist at the office."
"He's inside but the head of security of this building wants to speak to you first." Don didn't like the look this man was giving him. It seemed like he was too happy to pass this case on. "He's standing at the entrance."
"Great." Don groaned, "Thanks." He said before heading to the front door of the building. He held out his hand to the man there. "Special Agent Don Eppes. FBI." He flashed his badge and I.D.
"Simon Milton, head of security here at Divergence Corporate." Simon shook Don's hand.
"The detective said you wanted to talk to me. Do you have information on the murderer?"
"No, that would be Caleb." Simon told him. "My boss, the CEO of Divergence would like one of our men on this investigation with you." He got straight to the point.
Don frowned, "That's not the way the FBI works. If we need a consultant on the matter, we will request for it."
"This is not a request." Simon said, "And as much I don't want to lend Caleb to you, my boss has already spoken to your boss."
"He…" Don's phone rang.
"That would be your boss." Simon shook his head. He didn't understand why Mr Worth wanted Caleb on the case. Caleb was his best guard, he would rather hand over three other guys then give up Garrick.
"I understand, Sir." Don snapped his phone shut and turned back to Simon. "So where is this Caleb Garrick?" He really hated it when people were forced down his throat.
"Believe me, Agent Eppes, I am as happy about this as you are and trust me when I tell you, you are getting the better end of this deal. Caleb would make an excellent FBI Agent." He led Don over to the front desk. There were a couple of guards where identical suits and ties as Milton standing there, one with their back to them and the other turned to his side, talking into the man's ear. "Caleb." Simon called.
Caleb was listening to Josh talk about how crazy that guy must have been to jump off a 25-storey building when he heard his name called. He turned around and saw his boss with another man. He looked the guy up and down and saw the badge and gun on his belt. Great, another guy to question me. He frowned when he noticed the agent freeze in mid-step.
Don froze when the man called Caleb turned around. His heart started beating a million miles an hours. The security guard in front of him was Colby Granger. He didn't look any different. "Colby." He gasped.
It was Colby's turn to freeze. Nobody knew that name except for James and his team. Is this man from my past? His mind started spinning at the possibility of finding out about what happened to him. "Caleb!"
Colby turned to his boss, a little shaken. "Yeah, boss."
"Are you okay? You look pale." Simon asked, worried.
Colby shook himself out of his shock. "I'm fine, sir."
Don frowned at the exchange between these men. He was sure that Colby recognised his name but now he was acting as if he didn't know him. "Mr Worth wants you to work with Agent Eppes on this case. He feels more comfortable that you're there every step of the way." Don watched as Colby nodded.
"Of course, whatever Mr Worth needs." He held out his hand to Don. "Caleb Garrick."
Don narrowed his eyes suspiciously and slowly raised his hand to shake Colby's, even though his entire being screamed for him to just pull this man into his arms. "Don Eppes." If Colby recognised the name, he didn't show it.
"Don!" Don turned around to find David in with a folded up parachute in his arm and Megan right behind him. "We found…" David and Megan stopped. Megan gasped. They were staring at Colby in disbelief.
Colby's heart was beating so fast and hard he was sure everybody could see it trying to escape his chest. There was always a chance of one man making a mistake but three was not a coincidence. The agents who just walked in recognised him as well. "Colby!" Megan was not as controlled as her colleagues. She ran up to him and threw her arms around his necks, holding him as if he may disappear if she didn't hold him tight enough.
Colby gasped as he caught the woman who flew at him. He didn't know what was happening but having this woman in his arm didn't feel wrong either. Did he really know her? "God, I've missed you!" She whispered in his ear, before she pulled back and punched him in the shoulder. "Where the hell have you been the last two years?" Colby frowned, taking a step back from her, rubbing the area where she punched him. It wasn't that it hurt; just that it had an impact on him emotionally.
"Caleb, do you know these agents?" Simon asked him.
Colby looked at him then back at Megan, Don and finally, David, who hadn't moved from his place where he froze. He slowly shook his head. "No, Sir. I've never seen them before."
Simon frowned, unsure about letting Caleb work with these people. "Why don't I call Mr Worth and tell them you can't work with them. I'll think of an excuse…"
"NO!" Three (including Colby) out of four of them called at once. They all turned a little red when Simon raised an eyebrow at them.
"Um…I have to go with them to get a sketch of the man on the roof. Anyway, you always said I would be a good detective." Colby smiled, nervously, at his boss. "Now's my chance to prove you right."
Simon slowly nodded. "Okay. As long as you're okay with it."
"Thank you, Sir."
Don turned and gestured to the door. "If you could follow us Mr…Garrick?"
Colby nodded, unsure but knowing he had to go with these guys if he wanted to learn about his past. He promised James he wouldn't look into it but what was he supposed to do when it was dropped in his lap? Ignore it? No way. This was his chance.
He silently followed the Agents to their cars before he remembered. "Um…I drove here."
Don looked at him confused before realising what he was saying. "That's fine. One of us will drive you back to pick up your car. It's just easier to get into the federal building if you're with one of us." Don explained. He pressed the button to unlock his FBI issued truck. "Why don't you ride with me?" He gestured for David and Megan to go first. Megan was reluctant to leave but knew she would see him again at the office. Don opened his door then nudged his head to the other side of the car. "Get in." He said, smiling at the nervous man in front of him. It was the only thing that was different about Colby. He wasn't as confident as he was two years ago.
The car ride was silent at first. Neither man knew what to say then when they couldn't stand the silence any longer…
"Do you know me?" "What happened to you?" They said at the same time. Then fell silent again.
Don looked over at him. "You really don't remember me?"
Colby shook his head. "The only reason I know you know me is because you used my real name."
Don was confused. "So you know your name but you don't remember anything else."
Colby shrugged, "That's only because…" He wondered if he should tell Don about James and the team. He decided it wasn't his information to give. "the people who saved me told me my name's Colby Granger."
"So those masked men knew you?"
"Masked men?" Colby asked confused. "What masked men?"
"We…" Don couldn't believe this was happening. It was so cruel. They've been waiting for this day and now that it's here, Colby couldn't recognise them. "You know, this would be easier if we talked back at the office. We have something to show you."
FBI Headquarters…
Colby sat in the briefing room with a coffee between his hands. It wasn't that he was cold, he just wanted to stop his hands from shaking. There was a picture on the table he was sitting at. Don gave it to him to prove he was telling the truth. It was a picture of him with the agents and one other female. So he was an FBI Agent. He looked at up at the man in the room with him. His name was David. He was the only one who wasn't happy to see him. Megan and Don went to get the tape of Colby on the freighter. David wanted to go, but Don told him to stay and see if he could get Colby to remember. After all, they were partners.
"So, how closely did we work together?" Colby asked him, tentatively.
"We were partners."
Colby raised his eyebrows at that. "Very closely then."
"Yep. For two years." David's tone was a little bitter.
Colby frowned. "We didn't get along?"
"Oh we got along just fine." David's answers always seemed to have a sharpness to them. The words themselves were fine but David's tone was…harsh.
"Oh…" Colby decided to let it drop. It didn't seem like David wanted to talk anyway. He let out a breath of relief when Don and Megan returned.
"We got it." Don held up the tape, then frowned as he looked between David and Colby. "Everything okay?"
"Fine." They answered together.
Don turned a warning look to David, telling him to back off. He had hoped after two years David would have put aside his feelings of betrayal. Obviously he hadn't. David just shrugged at him.
Don inserted the tape but he didn't press play. "I'm going to warn you now. This happened just before you disappeared and it's not pretty. I'm just hoping it'll jog your memory."
Colby nodded, "I hope so too." He said quietly.
By the time the video finished, Colby was visibly shaking. He still remembered feeling that pain during the first two days in that cell James kept him in. It was excruciating. Now he knew why he was feeling that way. He was a little relieved because until now, he couldn't be a hundred per cent sure that it wasn't one of James's team that did that to him. "Are you okay, Colby?" Colby flinched violently from the touch, as if the drugs were still in his system. It was Megan. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."
Colby forcefully calmed himself before shaking his head. "It's okay. I just wasn't prepared for that."
Don sat down in the chair next to his friend. "Do you remember any of that?" Colby shook his head. "Nothing at all? How about those guys at the end?"
Colby didn't remember that but he did recognise the men in the mask. There were three of them on the video. They were James, Adam and Jay. He couldn't see their faces but he recognised them by the way they moved. "No." He said.
"No?" David didn't trust him. "It's obvious they were the ones who saved you."
"So what if they were? I don't remember anything on that tape." Colby told him, wondering why this man seemed to hate him.
"So they could be criminals and if you don't tell us about them then you're harbouring criminals. That's an offense." David was getting heated.
"David!" Don reprimanded, looking at him and silently asking; what the heck are you thinking?
"So I'm harbouring criminals then." Colby shrugged, "I'm not betraying the people who saved to the people who didn't!" He growled at him.
David lost it at those words. He launched himself at Colby, grabbing him by the shirt about to punch him but he didn't get the chance. Colby grabbed his arm and flipped him onto his back. Colby leaned over, "One of those guys taught me that." He hissed before moving away from David.
Don helped David to his feet. He wasn't hurt just his pride. David was tense and Don knew he wanted another go at Colby. "Megan, take David out for some fresh air."
Megan nodded, taking David's arm and leading him out. As they passed Colby, David hissed at him. "You're willing to betray this team, why not them?"
"David, get out!" Don yelled. Megan quickly pulled him out the door before David could dig a deeper hole for himself.
Colby watched the man's back as him and Megan walked to the lift. "What did he mean by that?"
Don sighed. "It's not important."
Colby smirked and turned back to Don. "Betraying the team isn't important?"
"You didn't betray the team, you just didn't tell us the truth." Don had come to terms with Colby reporting on them. It was his job, his assignment. He couldn't blame him for following orders to the T.
Colby sighed and dropped down into one of the chairs. "I wish I could tell you about the men who saved me but I owe them my life. Anyway, they're not criminals. Even if I gave you their names and faces, you wouldn't find them in any database. They're not exactly the good guys but they're not bad."
"You're not painting a very law-abiding picture of them." Don smirked.
Colby laughed, "It's the best picture I can paint. I lived with them for six months. They're good people."
"Okay. I'm just going to put them down as 'out of FBI jurisdiction'. I won't investigate them unless something of theirs crosses my table." Don offered.
Colby nodded, "That sounds fair."
Don spread his arms out, gesturing to the room and the whole floor. "So none of this rings a bell?" He couldn't believe Colby couldn't remember a thing.
Colby shook his head. "Sorry. R…the doctor," he amended quickly, "who helped me said I was dead for a couple of minutes. The lack of oxygen to my brain coupled with the cocktail of drugs affected my memory."
Don was shocked. "So you weren't unconscious in that video. You were dead."
Colby slowly nodded. "I guess so."
Don rubbed his chin. "Wow."
"yeah."
On the rooftop…
David stood at the ledge overlooking the city, breathing in as much fresh air Los Angeles could provide. There wasn't much and truth be told, he didn't think it would help his mood anyway. He was angry. He was angry with Colby and with himself. How was it possible that after two years, he still wasn't over the feeling of betrayal? After seeing the video of Colby's torture, he felt guilty for not getting there in time. He had almost come to terms with the fact that he may never see his partner again and then…there he is, standing in front of him as if no time had passed…and it angered him. He didn't feeling the excitement or relief or euphoric feeling the others were feeling. He just felt angry.
Megan waited patiently a few feet behind him. She wanted to give David time to calm down before she spoke with him. She was smiling. She couldn't help it. Even though David was battling with his emotions right now, she couldn't help but be happy it was Colby who brought those emotions out. Colby was back. He wasn't dead or missing anymore. He was in this building. He may not remember her but she didn't care about that right now. Colby was home.
Megan walked up to David when she finally got her own emotions under control. She let her smile fade and walked up to stand beside her friend and colleague. "You want to tell me what that was about?"
David shook his head. "How can you and Don be so calm about this? Just because he's back, it doesn't make what he did okay."
Megan frowned at that, "No, what made what he did okay was the fact that he was undercover to take down a mole in the DOJ."
David rolled his eyes. "That's not the part I'm talking about. He pretended to be my partner for two years!"
"Well, that's something only Colby can clear up with you, but until he can remember us, you're going to have to put a lid on those feelings." Megan placed a hand on David's back. "But just think back to those two years and ask yourself; was he really pretending?" Megan sighed, "Because I don't think he was. Nobody is great that of an actor." She started backing away. "I'm heading back down because Colby's in our office and I want to see as much of him as I can." She turned around and headed back to the office.
David sighed. He wasn't ready to forgive Colby but he owed it to the man to give him a chance to defend himself. Colby couldn't do that without his memories.
When Megan returned to the office she found Don and Colby going through the facial composition software. She smiled at the scene in front of her. Colby was standing behind Don at his desk while Don clicked through the different features until Colby saw one that fit the image in his head. If someone had walked into the office right now, they would've thought they were just two FBI Agents working a case. In a way, they were. It felt so good to have Colby back. "A little narrower." She heard Colby say. "Yeah, that one. Um…the eyes should be a little higher." Colby stood back. "That's the guy."
Don pressed the button to print. "Great job, Colby." He looked at his watch. "2 am. You should go back and rest. I'm going to run this through our database and see if we can get a match."
Colby nodded. "Do you mind if I wait around?" He asked, tentatively, "I work graveyard shifts. I won't be able to sleep anyway."
Don grinned, "Sure. Stay as long as you want."
Megan winced, she didn't want to interrupt but they've left out something very important. "Don." She gave Colby a smile before reminding them of what finding Colby really means. "We have to report Colby's return to the director. Counter Intelligence is going to want to debrief him."
Colby raised his eyebrows at her. "Debrief me on what? You guys know more than me."
Megan grimaced, "They're going to want to hear that from you."
Don thought about that, trying to think of a way to protect Colby from this. "We could hold off…"
"Don." Megan's tone told him to not even think about it. "You got in so much trouble last time for not telling them you were in contact with Colby."
Don gestured to Colby with a helpless look on his face. "They're going to take days! We can't just tell him he's got amnesia! They're not going to believe him!"
Colby looked like he was watching a tennis match as Don and Megan argued what to do with him. "Do I have a say in this?"
Megan looked at him sympathetically. "I'm afraid not. We're lucky it's the middle of the night, otherwise we wouldn't be able to bring you here."
Colby let out a long breath. "Might as well get it over with then. How am I going to explain this to Simon?"
"We'll tell him we need you for the entire case." Don waved away that concern. "I'll call the director now. Waking him up at this un-godly hour is the only pleasure I'm going to get out of this."
"Sorry, I already did it." David said, walking towards them. Colby frowned. How much did this guy hate him?
Megan closed her eyes, knowing how much trouble David was in with Don. Don slowly stood from his seat. Colby could feel the anger radiating off him. He wanted to defuse it but he wasn't sure what he could do or say. He looked to Megan but she gave him a quick shake of the head. It was better to stay out of it.
"He had to be notified of this. We can't bring Granger back in here and act like nothing's changed. What he did was big." David tried to explain himself. "I wasn't sure you would do it."
"So you do it for me, behind my back!" Don all but yelled at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"We have to do everything by the book! We can't change the rules just because it's Granger!" David fumed, not happy at being dressed down in front of Colby.
"It would've been nice for you to bring this to my attention instead of calling the director for me! Now he's going to think I tried to keep this from him and the Counter Intelligence agents are going to be harder on Colby than necessary!" Don shook his head and stepped right up to David. "Get this through your thick head. I'm your boss. Everything you do goes through me first. If you can't do that, then you don't have a place on my team!"
Colby watched as these men had their standoff. He worried that he had just caused a rift in their team. From the picture Don gave him, it seemed they were a close-knit team. He didn't want to change that.
David finally backed off. "It won't happen again." He conceded.
"Make sure it doesn't." Don turned to Colby. "Come on." He nudged his head in the direction of the briefing room. "I'll give you a heads up on what to expect." Then he spoke to Megan, "Run this image through facial recognition and see if you get a hit." Megan nodded.
Colby followed Don, avoiding looking at David.
David sighed. "I had to do it. You understand, right?" He asked Megan, hoping for her approval.
"It's not what you did. It's how you did it." Megan was disappointed and he could see it. "You didn't even talk to me about it. Did you really think I wouldn't agree? That I would cover up Colby's return."
David shook his head, "Of course not. I just…"
"You did it because you want to punish Colby."
"What?"
"I know you, David. If you think Don is walking the line you would talk to him before going above him but this time you didn't because it's Colby." Megan gestured to the man in the room with Don. "Look at him, David. It's Colby! He's back. After two years of not knowing, he's back! Why can't you just be happy about that?" Megan wiped at her wet eyes before sitting down at Don's table to run the image. She was done talking.
David sighed, knowing he'd messed up this time. It's true. His feelings about Colby were messing up his judgement. The question now is; what can he do about it?
Three days later…
Colby banged his head against the table in the Counter Intelligence interrogation office. They tried so many methods to get him to talk; lie detector, photos of his family, personal possessions, threats of throwing him back into prison where he belonged. Don had warned him of the last one. The video they retrieved from the freighter had cleared him of any treason so as long as he stood fast against that threat there was nothing they could do. It didn't matter how many times he told them he couldn't remember a thing, they just kept on asking the same questions over and over again. It was worst than when James and his team interrogated him. At least they were more creative when asking the questions. These guys couldn't even be bothered changing the words around.
"I'm not sure how many ways I can say; I don't remember. I have amnesia. My brain was deprived of oxygen. When I woke up, I was in a hospital with no memory. They found me with these credentials on me and told me my name was Caleb Garrick. I have nothing else to tell you." The last part was a lie James had prepared for him just in case. He was promised that if anybody looked into the story, it would be corroborated by the hospital in Mexico.
"Don't you wonder what kind of person you were? What kind of person can lie to his team for two whole years?"
"I was told I was on an assignment." Colby sighed. They had done this yesterday. Obviously they thought it was the most effective of all their interrogation techniques. Colby had to admit, it was the worst of them but he didn't have the memory and hence the emotional reaction that would have come with them didn't happen. "You are wasting time."
Downstairs…
The Divergence Corporate case was closed. Finally. It was hard to investigate while keeping the lead security guard, Simon, at bay with his questions of where his guy was. They managed but it wasn't easy. The guy was relentless and obviously treated Caleb or Colby like a son.
Fiona Baker was killed because she found out the deputy CEO, Richard Flanning was leaking confidential information about their security system to a competitor. Flanning lured her to the rooftop where the murderer he hired threw her off the roof. That's the short version of the story. The long story involved blackmail, a love affair and investment fraud. The reputation of the company was at stake and hence the CEO's need to place someone he trusted on the case as well, but that didn't quite work out. Don made sure the company's name wasn't in ruins, only because he needed to cover for Colby's absence.
Don returned to the office, tired and needing a break, but he wasn't going to get it because he needed to find a way to get Colby out of the damn interrogation room and home to sleep. This interrogation was borderline illegal. It's a good thing the solution was put on his table via courier mail.
Don frowned as he opened the box. "What is that?" Megan asked as she came out of the break room. Don pulled out a file and read its content. Suddenly he was out of his seat and pulling out more files. "Don?"
Don grinned. "This is good. This will get Colby out of there." He looked up at Megan, shocked but happy. "This is everything Mike Kirkland had on Colby's case."
"How?" Megan put down her coffee and picked up a file. "Who sent it?"
"That's another mystery for later." He grabbed all the files and put them back in the box. "I need to get this upstairs." He hefted the box and headed for the lift, almost bowling over anybody in his way.
David frowned when he barely got out of Don's way. "What's that about?"
Megan smiled, "Colby." She said simply, sitting back down at her table.
Don waited as the counter intelligence personnel read through the files in the box. It's been an hour. The floor was busy with people on calls, verifying the information in the box. Don took the time to think about who would have these files and why it happened to appear now? He was pretty sure he knew why? Whoever sent the box wanted to help Colby Granger. But who did Colby Granger know that would have this much power? Two agents interrupted his thoughts as they lead Colby out of the interrogation room.
Don jumped up. "Colby!" He pulled the man into his arms, relieved to finally see him after three days. Don pulled back and took a good look at him. He was exhausted to say the least. He looked like he'd lost a few pounds and he had dark rings under his eyes.
Colby frowned when Don's grip on his arms tightened to the point of causing pain. "Agent Eppes?"
Don moved him aside and growled out at the men who had escorted him out. "What the hell did you do to him, Grant!"
Sebastian Grant held his hands up, hoping to calm the furious agent. "Nothing. We were only doing our jobs."
"Colby Granger is a hero! He and Kirkland took down a Chinese spy ring, possibly saving thousands and this is how he is treated!" The vein in Don's forehead looked ready to explode.
Colby gripped his arm from behind. "Agent Eppes, I'm fine. Nothing a little sleep won't fix."
Don calmed a little at Colby's voice but it wasn't enough to take his focus off the Agent in front of him. "You treated him worse than I treat murder suspects." He hissed before leading Colby to the lift.
"Agent Granger?" Agent Grant called out. Colby turned around though he wasn't sure he should be answering to the title; agent. "I'm sorry…and thank you for what you did. Mike was a great man. It would've been a shame if his work resulted in nothing."
The lift sounded its arrival. Don entered first, holding the lift open, waiting for Colby to enter. Colby wasn't sure what to say and wondered if he should just nod and leave. He finally found the words he needed. Smiling at the agent he said, "I accept your apology. I'll come back for the gratitude when I get my memory back."
Agent Grant nodded, understanding. "I'll be here."
Don kept glancing over at his passenger in his truck. He called Megan to tell her he was taking Colby straight home. Colby needed rest and he definitely didn't need to parade Colby through an office full of agents who knew him two years ago.
Colby opened his eyes to see how much further they were to his house. He sat up when he realised they weren't headed to his house. "Agent Eppes…"
"Can you please call me Don? Agent Eppes sounds wrong coming out of you."
Colby smiled, "Sure. Don. Where are we going?"
Don frowned, "your place." He answered; a little worried that Colby was in worse shape than he thought. "You okay?"
"Yeah, but this isn't the way to my house."
"Sure it is. You live…" It dawned on Don then that he was driving to Colby Granger's house, not Caleb Garrick's. "Sorry, buddy. I forgot. Where do you live?"
Colby laughed, "That's okay. Turn off at the next road. Norton Ave, 1308."
Don nodded, keying in the address into the GPS. "Go to sleep. I'll wake you when we get there."
Colby nodded, "Thanks for getting me out of there."
Don shook his head. "I didn't. I was just a messenger. Someone sent me the files on your case."
Colby frowned, "Who?"
"I was hoping you could tell me." Don looked at him before turning back to the road. Colby was tired. "We can talk about it after you've slept for 24 hours."
"You think it's the people who saved me two years ago." Colby leaned his head back. "There's a good chance it is but there's no way to know for sure. I can't contact them."
"These men are very secretive."
"Covert." Colby corrected as he closed his eyes again. "They've all had military training of some sort."
"Colby, are you sure…" Don stopped talking when he saw his friend was asleep. He smiled, still finding it unbelievable that Colby was back after two long years.
The next day, Colby was sitting in Simon's office, explaining to his very confused boss who he actually was. He sat there in silence after telling his story. Simon scratched his stubbles. "I was right!" He smacked the table triumphantly. "Didn't I tell you, you would make a great detective?"
Colby couldn't help but laugh. "You know most people would be annoyed or at least shocked."
Simon shrugged, "Who cares? I was right!" Then he sobered. "You do know this means I can't have you working for me under fake credentials."
Colby nodded, "Yeah, I figured."
Simon stood up, "Doesn't matter though, does it? You have the FBI now."
Colby stood as well. "Maybe. I'm not sure if I'm ready to go back. Maybe I'll take a vacation and figure it out." He shook his boss's hand. "Whatever I do, I can't thank you enough for the past 18 months."
"Nah, the pleasure was all mine. You're going to be hard to replace, Ca…Colby."
Colby laughed, "Caleb is fine. I'll see you around."
"Let me walk you out." Simon threw his arm around Colby's shoulder. "Anybody you can recommend to replace you?"
Colby shook his head. "Seriously, that's impossible. I'm too good at this job." He laughed when Simon gave him a shove.
Colby waved at his boss before looking up and down the street. He didn't know where he should be going. He was tempted to go to the FBI building but a screeching black van stopping in front of him took away his choice. Three masked men jumped out and grabbed him. He could hear screams as he struggled with two of them but the third one covered his mouth with a sweet smelling cloth. Chloroform. Slowly, his eyes closed and he knew nothing.
Simon, who was still at the front desk of the Divergence building, heard the screech followed by screams. He ran outside in time to see Colby get thrown into a van and taken away. He ran as fast as he could, catching the number plate before it turned the corner. Standing on the side of the road puffing, he pulled out his cell phone and called 911. "I would like to report a kidnapping."
Colby woke up half an hour later. He was groggy and couldn't get his bearings. His shoulders and wrists were aching. He tried to move them when he realised he was strung up by the wrists. Suddenly he was wide-awake. He got his legs under him, taking the strain off his wrists and shoulders. Looking around he saw he was in an abandoned steel manufacturing plant. "Ah…excellent. You're awake." The voice came from behind him. A voice he didn't recognise. "It's time for you to star in a short video." A big, beefy man, a head taller than Colby, stepped in front of him. Colby didn't like where this was going. Another man, smaller and thinner appeared with a camera and then another holding a cattle prod. Colby closed his eyes and clenched his teeth at what was about to happen to him. He wondered what in the world he got into as an FBI Agent to warrant this. He didn't know it had nothing to do with his background.
"I'm sorry to do this to you Mr Granger but you only have yourself to blame. I would not have been able to find you if you hadn't reconnected with your past." The man spoke with a slight English accent. Colby would put him at 60 to 65 years old.
"Whatever I did to you. I don't remember." Colby was sick of telling people of his amnesia.
"Oh I am well aware of that." The man said.
"Then you should know that torturing me would get you nothing." Colby tried to forestall what was about to happen.
"On the contrary, it will get me the person I have been looking for, for ten years."
Colby frowned. "Who…"
"Enough talk. Gentlemen, if you will."
The beefy man stepped up to him and pulled open his shirt, the buttons rattling on the cement floor. Colby wasn't going to let this happen without a fight. He lifted both legs and kicked the man in the face. It hurt like hell but it was worth it when he saw the man with blood running down his face. The satisfaction didn't last though. He tried not to make a sound as he endured the punches to the ribs and gut. But it was hard not to scream when the cattle prod touched him. "Aaaahhhh!" Colby struggled against his bindings as a fist snapped his head back, followed by the cattle prod again. He didn't know long it went on for, he lost consciousness after the 6th or 7th prod.
Don Eppes was shaking after watching the video of Colby's torture…again. Who were these men? They just got Colby back only to have him taken again. He wasn't sure he could handle it if they lost Colby this time. Megan sat there, silently crying at what she saw. David had closed his eyes, not able to watch the man get tortured again. He may still feel betrayed but that was his own problem, not Colby's. Colby didn't deserve this.
Charlie had to remove himself from the room. Don brought him on this. His brother was already annoyed that Don didn't tell him Colby was back. He had known Colby just as long as his brother had. He was there when Colby's name was announced on the Janus List and he was just as devastated when the team returned to tell him they were too late.
Don gestured for his brother to come back in. "Call Amita. I want her to help our analyst take this video apart." Charlie hesitated. He didn't want Amita to see what was on the video. "She's the best we have. This Colby. We need her. She's strong. She can handle it." Charlie nodded and got his girlfriend on the phone. Don turned back to his team, "I want these guys…" He was interrupted by a phone call. "Eppes." He answered.
"Agent Eppes." Don frowned at the voice on the line. He silently gestured for David to start a trace.
David got on the phone. "I need a trace on Agent Eppes cell phone, now."
"I trust you received my video."
"What do you want with Colby?" Don growled, trying his hardest not to lose his temper.
"I need your friend to lure out an old friend of mine."
"Who's that?"
"His name is George Hamil."
"I've never heard of him." Don turned to David. David gestured for him to keep talking.
"No, and neither does Mr Granger."
"Then why the hell did you take him?!" Don closed his eyes to calm himself.
"Mr Granger may not know this man but George knows him. I need you to get a message to him."
Don thought his man was crazy. "How am I supposed to do that? You said it yourself, I don't know the guy."
"Yes, but I am willing to bet that he has been keeping tabs on Mr Granger. Send him a message, show him that video and he will find me." The line went dead. Don looked up at the David, waiting for him to give him a location.
"What?" David hung up the phone. "It says the call came from Shanghai, China!"
Don squeezed the bridge of his nose. How do I get this message to George Hamil?
"I've run the name George Hamil in the database. I've got ten hits but nothing about their profiles would indicate they would be involved in anything like this." Megan told him.
Don shook his head. "This man needed Colby to lure this George Hamil out. He won't be so easy to find." He started pacing the room, slowly. "The question is why does he think we can get a message to him?"
"Maybe he thinks Colby has a way of finding him?" It didn't make sense and Megan knew it. "But then he would try to torture it out of Colby."
"Colby told me he had no way of contacting the team that saved him even if he wanted to." Don massaged his temple with his fingers. "Think…think…This guy says Hamil would be keeping tabs on Colby."
"How?" Megan watched as an idea formed in Don's head. She knew that look. "What is it?"
"I've been to Colby's place. It's nice but it's not Colby. Not the Colby we know."
"Well, he doesn't have his memories so maybe his taste has changed." David reasoned.
Don shook his head. "I don't think so. I have a feeling he didn't choose that place." He gestured for David to follow him. "We're going to his place. Megan, I want that video footage sent to my phone."
"I'm on it."
"Why are we going to Colby's place?" David asked as he followed his boss.
"Because I have a feeling the place might be bugged." Don said.
Don was right. After half an hour of searching, a camera was found in the clock on the wall in his living room. As soon as Don spotted it, Colby's phone rang. Don and David exchanged warning looks before Don picked up the phone.
"Special Agent Don Eppes." The voice on the other side was young. "Do not even think about touching my tech. They're my babies."
Don put the phone on speaker. "Who is this and why are you spying on Colby?"
"I'm not spying. I'm…monitoring."
"Are you one of the men who saved Colby on the freighter two years ago?"
"So what if I am?"
This man was cocky. "Is your boss George Hamil?" The line went silent and Don couldn't help but feel a certain amount of satisfaction at being able to catch the man off guard. "Listen, you may think you're doing Colby a favour but a man kidnapped Colby because of George Hamil."
"How is it possible? Not even Colby knows about the boss."
"Well, obviously, you're not as covert as you think!" Don took out his phone and pulled up the video of Colby. He handed the phone to David. David took it and held it up to the clock camera.
"What the hell? Whoever this son of bitch is he better go hide in a very small hole otherwise…"
"Who are you talking to?" Another voice…older…with more authority, spoke. "What the hell is that?!" Just like that, Don was speaking to another person. "If this is some sort of sick joke…"
"It isn't. Colby's my friend and I want him back more than you do. Are you George Hamil?"
"You gave them the boss's name?" He was obviously speaking to the other guy.
"Of course not!"
Don was getting sick of this. He gestured for David to put down the phone, then walked up to the camera. "Colby's life depends on your boss revealing himself! Show George Hamil the video and then call me back! I'm sure you have my number! If anything happens to Colby, I don't care how covert you are. I will divert all of the FBI resources into finding you. Got it!?" Don pulled out his gun and shot out the camera.
"Hey! That's my baby!"
"Pray I don't find any more of your babies!" Don hung up the phone.
David worried about his boss. He's never seen him like this. "You okay, Don?"
"No!" Don glared at him. "I'm not okay and you shouldn't be either! How can you be so calm after seeing what they're doing to Colby!?"
"What's the point in getting worked up? It won't help Colby." David sighed. "Look, I know I've been an ass since Colby returned but that doesn't mean I don't care. I want Colby back as much as any one."
"You have a funny way of showing it." Don shook his head. "Out of all of us, you're probably Colby's best shot at getting his memories back. Why can't you let it go? Why are you holding onto that anger?"
"I don't know."
"Well figure it out because Colby needs us!" Don stormed out of the apartment.
David stayed a little longer, looking around the house. Don was right, this wasn't Colby at all. Colby's condo looked lived in. It was cozy and comfortable. This place looked a little too sterile, like Colby knew this wasn't his real home so he didn't try to make it his own. David walked into Colby's bedroom. Just like the rest of the house, it was meticulous. Nothing that told him Colby lived here. Colby's home phone rang again. David returned to the living room to answer it. "Hello."
"Are you Special Agent David Sinclair?" It was the same voice as before; the younger one.
"Yes."
"Just thought I'd tell you that Colby calls out your name in his sleep. Are you two like…you know?"
Don rolled his eyes. "Not that it's any of your business but no. We're partners."
"Oh…Okay?"
"FBI partners! Not life partners!" Don emphasised FBI.
"OH! Right!" Finally understanding. He hesitated before he spoke again. "Colby never remembers his dreams or nightmares. Our doctor tells us it's because his mind can't handle it yet. I don't know but I thought you'd like to know. I heard what Agent Eppes said. Whatever Colby did to you, it's haunting him."
"There's another camera in here."
"Of course, but don't even think about shooting this one."
"Do you know what he dreams about?" David asked softly.
"He keeps apologising and saying your name. Hey, do me a favour and don't tell Colby I told you. My idiot teammate taught him some of his moves and now he can take me down."
Don just nodded and hung up. He rubbed his face and left the building. He needed to find Colby and clear the crap between them. He needed to apologise.
Steel manufacturing plant…
"AAAHHHHHH!" Colby's scream echoed through the plant. These men were relentless. They wouldn't stop the torture, only changed the method. Colby was bleeding from over ten cuts over his chest and abdomen. Most were shallow but a few were deep enough to keep bleeding. Colby sagged in the chains. "AAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Another cut.
"Mr Stubbs, please cauterize Mr Granger's wounds. I do not want him to bleed out before George gets here."
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Four hours later…
A plane landed at a private airbase in Los Angeles. One woman and six men exited the plane. The older man and woman got into the Mercedes while the other five drove away in two separate hummers. There was no talking, only action. They had a mission and anyone who saw this team would not want to be on the other end of that mission.
Don ran his fingers through his hair, pulling at it. They had received another disc an hour ago. He was sick and tired of watching his agent get tortured. Nobody should have to endure what Colby was going through. Colby needed them but these men were good. Not even Charlie nor Amita could get anything substantial off the videos.
Charlie thought about the time it took for the first video to arrive and then the second. He started writing down his calculations. Why didn't he think of this earlier? Colby was abducted at 2:06. They received the video only one hour later. There was only so far they could travel to get that video to the FBI. Charlie stood. "Give me a map." David quickly spread out a map on the large table. Charlie marked the point where Colby was taken. "The video they sent us were each about 8 minutes long. When did we receive the first disc?"
Megan called the front desk who signed for the package. "2.59."
"So it took 53 minutes in total to kidnap Colby and get the video to us. They can't have taken Colby far. According to my calculations, Colby should be within this area." Charlie drew a circle on the map.
Don nodded. "Okay, this is good. This is something we can work with. David," He turned to the agent. "When did the traffic cam lose track of the van?"
David pulled out his notes. "At the corner of 5th and Jackson." He pointed to the street on the map.
"Amita, you said the only thing you could get off the video was that the place Colby was held in was really big."
Amita nodded, "Yeah, the chains echoed."
Don looked at the map and moved his finger in the general direction the van was travelling in. He stopped at Bellington Steel. "Here."
"A steel manufacturing plant. It's closed." David frowned. "Are you sure?"
"I can't be sure." Don told him, "But what else do we have?"
"Nothing." David looked determined. "We need to go now."
Don grabbed his gear and headed out with his team. It was time to bring Colby home.
As they exited the lift, Don's phone rang. He fished it out. "Eppes."
"Special Agent Eppes. My name is George Hamil."
Don didn't stop walking to the truck. "Mr Hamil, you've caused a lot of trouble for my friend."
"It was unintended, I assure you." Hamil sounded apologetic.
"Unintended or not, Colby is being tortured by an old friend of yours!" Don put the phone on speaker and drove out of the FBI garage.
"My team are on the way to retrieve Mr Granger now."
"Yeah? Do you plan on telling me where they are headed?" Don wanted to confirmed the location.
"I would rather handle this situation in-house." Hamil informed him.
"Good for you! We'll meet you at Bellington Steel." Don allowed himself a small smile when Hamil went silent. "Thank you for confirming the location." Don hung up and floored the gas.
George Hamil stared at his cell phone. It was a strange sensation, what he was feeling.
"Are you okay, Mr Hamil?" Rachael asked him.
George looked at her curiously. "Special Agent Eppes just hung up on me."
"Oh," Rachael smiled, "Now you know how we feel."
George looked at her, shocked. "I have never!"
"You don't say good-bye. You give the team their mission and then hang-up. It's the same thing." Rachael looked out the window. "Good-bye isn't so hard to say, you know."
"Hmmm? Well. Special Agent Eppes is on his way to the plant."
"Oh. He's good." Rachael was impressed and she could tell Hamil was as well, even if he wouldn't show it.
George Hamil arrived at the plant the same time the FBI did, which meant his team was already inside. He needed to buy his team some time.
Don got out of the car and stormed up to the mercedes he knew George Hamil was in. The window opened. Only Don saw the man's face. "Please allow me to remedy this problem, Agent Eppes."
"You…" Don wanted to shoot this man. "Colby's in there because of you."
"I understand that is the case. My men are already in there. Give them to chance to retrieve Mr Granger without endangering any of your agents." Hamil requested. "The man in there is named Joseph Stanford. His issue is with me alone. Allow me to go in there and settle this problem between us. If I do not, even if you do save Mr Granger, he will not be safe."
Don hesitated. "You have fifteen minutes and then I'm going in."
"Thank you." Hamil raised his window and the car continued towards the plant. No one noticed Rachael getting out the other side of the car and slipping into the trees.
David jogged up to him. "What's going on?"
"Give them fifteen minutes to get Colby out."
"What?!"
"These are the guys who got Colby off that freighter. You saw how many bodies there were on that boat. Hamil's team took them out."
"They're vigilantes at best, Don. You can't let them take the law into their own hands." David hissed.
"They haven't done anything to warrant an arrest yet." Don knew he was treading that fine line again. "You want Colby back, right?"
"Yeah, but…"
"Colby trusts these guys and I trust Colby. Something I should've done two years ago." Don turned to look down the road the Mercedes went down . "How about you?"
David sighed and then nodded. "Yeah, I trust Colby."
Colby hung limp by the chains around his wrists, bloody, broken, burned and bruised. If these men started another round, he knew he wouldn't survive. How strange, he thought, to have lived over thirty years but only remembering two of them. He wished he could remember his team at the FBI. He wished he could remember his family. He didn't want to die without those memories to bring with him.
James hung from a beam above, as did three of his teammates. They formed a perfect square with Colby in the centre. They needed to take out Stanford's men and get Colby out before Hamil entered the building. The boss made it very clear he wanted Colby away from this place before he started speaking to Stanford. Nobody was using Colby as leverage against him again. James looked at his watch, he put on his night vision goggles. Three…two…one. The lights in the plant went out. His team dropped soundlessly to the ground. Adam, Jay and Remy took out the three men. They were ordered to contain not kill.
"George!" Stanford called in the dark. "George, be a man and face me!" He yelled like a maniac, the gentleman façade gone.
James unharnessed himself and walked over to Colby, ignoring Stanford. He lifted Colby's head and checked his pulse. He didn't need to. Colby groaned at the movement. James was about to lift Colby off the hook when the man started to panic. Damn it, he thought, pulling out an injector. He held it to Colby's neck. The hissing sound indicated the drug was administered. Sorry, Colby but I can't let you give away my position. The big man easily lifted Colby off the hook and carried him, across the shoulder, to the door at the side of the plant. It opened before he even got there. Johnny was waiting for him. Silently, he followed Johnny to safety.
George looked down at his phone. Done. The lights to the plant came back on and George entered the plant alone. There in the middle stood Joseph Stanford.
"George."
"Joseph."
"Your have a very formidable team."
"That I do."
"I had one too." Joseph seethed.
"Mine's better."
"You murdered my men."
"Your men were murderers and rapists. They thought they were above others." George argued.
"Your team are no better."
"That's where you are wrong. I may have helped a few disreputable people but only because the lives that were threatened were innocent. Just because a father is a monster it doesn't mean his daughter is as well. You on the other hand have helped tyrants takes out villages." George stood calmly, facing Joseph. "When we formed our teams we made a pact that they will do no harm to innocent lives. You broke that pact. You recruited monsters for your team. They had to be taken down."
"They were mine! You took away my family!"
"So you try to take away someone I care about."
Joseph laughed, he was mad. "It took me years to find you. You kept yourself and your team hidden but you made a mistake when you rescued Granger from that freighter. It was reported on the news. I just had to wait for the name Colby Granger to surface again and it did." This was why James had made Colby promise not to look into his past. George knew he would be put in harms way if he did. He put precautions in place but it wasn't enough. Colby still suffered for George's actions.
"Colby had nothing to do with this. I thought I had stopped the suffering of innocents when we took down your team but clearly I needed to deal with the heart of the problem. You." George said sadly.
"And how do you plan to do that? You never get your hands dirty and your team is not here."
Outside…
James ran down the dirt road with his precious load and his team around him, watching his back. They saw the team of FBI Agents waiting at the boundary of the plant property. Guns were raised. "FBI! Put your hands up." James's team raised their rifles.
"We just want to return your man." James's movement was slow and non-threatening as he lowered Colby to the ground. He was very careful, hoping to not cause any pain to the man.
"Colby." Don gasped. He lowered his gun and gestured for the others to do the same.
James stood and backed away a couple of steps. He gestured to Don to go ahead.
Don wasted no time. He ran to Colby and dropped to his knees. "Colby." He took in the injuries, reluctant to touch his friend. He couldn't find a place to touch that wasn't bruised or bloodied.
"Three of the men who did this are tied up on the east side of the plant." James told him.
"Megan." Don ordered, throwing her his keys. "Take the truck. Get them processed. I'll call you when we get to the hospital. David, go with her." David hesitated and Don hated to make him leave but he couldn't send Megan alone, it was too dangerous.
James turned to two of his men. "Go with her. Follow her back to the FBI building and then meet at the rendezvous point."
"Thank you." David whispered as he knelt down beside his boss. "Ambulance is on its way. What did they do to you?" He gasped, taking Colby's hand in his, but even that small gestured caused Colby to groan in pain, despite being unconscious. "Sorry."
"Allow me to take a look at him while you wait." Don and David reacted, naturally, pulling their gun and pointing it at the new threat. James's team reacted in kind but their targets were Don and David. It was a women stepping out from the trees to the side of the road. Had she been there the whole time? "I'm a doctor. I took care of Colby after my husband rescued him from the Chinese." She raised her hand, showing she was no threat.
Don and James exchanged nods. Both teams lowered their guns. Don nodded for the woman to do what she needed to do but he didn't move away from Colby and neither did David. She knelt on the other side of Colby. "Can I get some light?" Johnny and Adam turned on their torch. "Thank you." She opened her medical bag and pulled out a vial. "Morphine. I need to dress his wounds but I don't want him in any more pain, even if it is from helping him. In his state, he won't be able to differentiate help from harm, friend from foe." She spoke as she worked just so the men in front of her did not perceive any of her actions as threats. She bandaged the wrists first. "He's been chained up the entire time. The tendons are torn. He is lucky he did not lose circulation to his hands." His fingers were still pink, an indication that blood to his fingers were not cut off. "These cuts are shallow but show signs of infection." She used antiseptic on them but left them uncovered. "These were cauterised." That was all David could bear to hear. He moved to the side of the road and threw up. Don's hands were shaking. He didn't want to hear anymore either but he didn't want to leave Colby alone. "I'm sorry. I can stop talking."
"No, please continue. I have to know." James understood what the agent was saying. He was a leader and whenever his teammates were injured he had to know every detail. It was so he knew how to help them or if those injuries could possibly be an issue in the future.
"The burn marks are from the cattle prod. Not much I can do about that." Gently, she pressed on Colby's rib cage. Six…no seven broken ribs, two cracked." She felt across his abdomen. "No internal bleeding though I can't be sure." She put a hand on his brow. "Fever. No surprise there, considering what he's been through. He's also dehydrated." She took out a stethoscope, listening to his breathing. "His breathing is laboured but his lungs are clear. None of the injuries are severe. There are just…"
"A lot of them." Don finished for her. "Where's your boss?" He asked when the diagnosis was finally over and Rachael did what she could for Colby.
"Taking care of the man who did this." A gunshot sounded from inside the plant as if to confirm what James said. Everyone turned to look down the road.
"Don't you need to check on your boss?" Don asked them.
"No. I took the man's gun before getting Colby out." James revealed, showing Don the gun.
Don nodded, then looked at David. David returned to Colby's side. "I don't want to give that man another chance to get at Colby. The only way to ensure that is if he's dead." Don gave David's shoulder a squeeze. He knew how much it took for David to say that and he was proud.
A siren in the distance signalled the impending arrival of the paramedics. "You should all go. The less people who see you the less explaining I have to do."
James took his wife's hand and pulled her up. "Take care of him."
David stood up. "I don't know which one of you I spoke to at Colby's house, but thank you for what you told me." James turned and glared at Johnny. The guy smiled impishly at his leader. David chuckled and held out his hand. "Really. You opened my eyes." Johnny shook his hand. With that, they left without so much as a sound. Like…ghosts.
The paramedics arrived and loaded Colby into the ambulance. They didn't need to do much as Rachael had already done their job for them. Don closed the door and watched as the ambulance left. "Let's go." David called impatiently from the driver's seat of the truck. Don nodded and got in.
Hospital…
Colby felt as if his entire body was burning from the inside out. He wanted to escape the heat but he couldn't move his body. It refused to obey. It was hard to breath and everything hurt. What was happening? "Colby, it's okay. You're safe." A voice was talking to him. He recognised it. David. Then something cool wiped over his neck and cheeks while another one was placed over his brow. It was such a relief. "That's it, Colb." Another voice. Don. He was safe. His team was with him. He could relax and rest because Don and David had his back.
Don smiled when Colby relaxed. He sat back in his chair and allowed David to take over cooling their friend down. The doctor had told them exactly what Rachael had told them. They dressed his wounds and stitched his cuts. Colby had bruises all over his chest and abdomen. There was a cut and bruise on his left cheek and above his right eye. He looked much better now that he was clean but the bruise stood out even more against his pale skin. He had lost a lot of blood and was severely dehydrated, but the IV was helping him recover from that. The doctor was the most worried about his fever, which is why Don and David were taking turns to keep him cool. The IV was supposed to help with that as well but a cool cloth was an immediate relief.
Don watched David curiously. Something changed the man. "The man that called the camera his baby told me Colby called my name in his sleep." David revealed without being asked. "He said he was always apologising but never remembered the dreams when he woke up. His doctor thinks it might be his mind protecting him from the pain of the memory."
Don knew where David was going with this. "Colby's amnesia is not your fault. Lancer did that to him."
"That was then but now…"
"It's still not your fault. Colby's memories will come back. Just give him time."
"What if…"
"It will!" Don said more firmly. "You let your stubborn pride do the thinking for too long, don't let guilt do the same. Colby wouldn't want you feeling guilty."
David sighed and nodded. He knew Don was right but now that the anger was gone, the guilt he felt was intense. He wondered if he wouldn't let go of his anger because he knew if he did, all he would feel was the guilt. He looked at the man in the bed and pushed aside any emotions that wouldn't be beneficial to his friend. Colby needed him at his best. He wasn't about to let him down again.
Colby started getting restless later in the night. The fever peaked and the nightmares took a strong hold of him. He tossed in his the bed so violently, Don worried he would pull out his stitches. David held him down by the shoulder and forearm, while Don did the same on the other side. Colby's legs kicked as he tried to escape the arms restraining him.
Colby was sitting in the chair on the freighter. He struggled to get free when he realised he wasn't tied down but held down by Don and David. "No, why are you doing this?" Colby tried to break their hold.
"You're a traitor, Colby!" David growled at him.
"No!"
"Yes you are. You're a liar and a traitor."
"Please. I'm not a traitor. I'm working for Kirkland!" Suddenly a needle appeared in front of him but Lancer didn't hold it. It was Megan. "Megan, stop." He begged.
"This should stop your cold, cold heart." Megan stuck the needle in.
"NO!" Colby's scream shocked both agents but they held him still. His eyes shot open. "Please. I'm not a traitor!" Colby arched against the bed, throwing his head back as he tried to unlodge the hands from him. "Let me go!" A nurse rushed in with a needle in hand, ready to sedate him, but Colby panicked even more at the sight of the needle.
"Don't." Don ordered. "Let us handle this. If we let you give him that, whether or not he remembers it, he won't trust us again." The nurse nodded and left the room in a hurry. She'd been briefed about this patient. It was better to allow his friends to calm him down.
"Colby!" Don called, then looked at David. "You got him?" David reached over and held Colby's other arm to the bed so that Don could let go.
Don took Colby's head in his hands and slapped his face hard. "Colby!" He called again. This time Colby froze. He was still tense, but he wasn't struggling, much to David's relief. "Listen to me, Colb. We know you're not a traitor. You're a hero, a friend and a partner. And you're a damn good FBI Agent."
Colby listened to the words. This Don was so different to the one he saw earlier. Which one was real? "He's right, Colby." Colby turned and tensed again when he saw David. "You don't have to be scared of me." David let his friend go, but stayed where he was. "I'm sorry. I should've trusted you. I know you better than anyone else. You grew up in Idaho, joined the army, and learned how to surf. You've seen too much but you never let seeing so much death affect your attitude in life. You've saved my life plenty of times and you're the best partner I could ever have."
Colby relaxed and smiled tiredly at him. "Both of us don't like to drive. We take turns. We make bets…$20. You usually lose."
Don laughed at that before it dawned on both of them. They looked at each other, not sure if this was just his fever speaking. Don put a hand on Colby's forehead. "It's broken. Fever's broken." He smiled at David then looked down at Colby. "What else do you remember?"
"When we first worked together, you accused me of selling wolf's tickets." He was speaking to David. David smiled, nodding. "Charlie scares me with his Mathematics." Don laughed. "The last thought I had on that freighter was that I was going to die and nobody was going to know my story." Don and David bowed their head, sad at hearing that. "It's not your fault. It's not anybody's fault but my own. I chose to accept the assignment and knew the risks."
"You called me because you trusted me. I should've got to you sooner." Don apologised.
Colby shook his head, "You tried. That's all you can do."
"I'm sorry." David gripped his hand. "I've been an ass."
Colby laughed but it didn't last long when the pain in his torso reminded him why he was in the hospital. He groaned, gripping David's hand as he tried to fight the pain. "Easy." Don pushed the morphine button into Colby's hand and guided his thumb to the button. "Press the button." Colby did. "Okay, just wait for it kick in." Colby started relaxing. "There you go. Close your eyes and rest. We can talk more when you wake up."
David sat back down exhausted. "Don, you go home. I'm going to stay the night."
"You sure?" Don looked over at David and then at Colby. "He'll probably be fine for the night."
"Yeah, I'm sure. You've stayed with him since he returned to us. I think it's my turn."
Don nodded. "Okay. I'll be back in the morning with a change of clothes."
Images flashed through Colby's mind. The images were scattered and broken. He was strung up by the wrists in the plant but it was Lancer in front of him with a needle. The pain he was feeling was excruciating…but that needle…Lancer kept getting closer. Colby struggled. No… He watched as the needle entered in skin.
Colby bolted up in his bed, fighting a phantom. Looking around, he realised he was home in his condo. He huffed in relief after discovering it was just another one of his nightmares. Groaning he laid back down, curling around his middle as he waited for the pain in his ribs to subside. He looked at the clock. 3am. He still needed to get used to being asleep at this time. He pushed himself off the bed and grabbed a towel. A shower sounded good.
It's been three days since he left the hospital, five days since he was rescued. He was hoping the nightmares would have left by now. Don told him it was James and his team who saved him. He could tell Don was impressed, but also not happy that he knew nothing about them.
Colby stepped out of the shower and dried himself in front of the mirror, pausing at the person in the mirror. His chest was a mural of cuts, bruises, and burns. The bruises were starting to turn an ugly green. He was getting used to the aches from his broken ribs. If he didn't move too suddenly, the pain was easily handled. The stitches and burns were uncomfortable but he could manage. The swelling in his wrists had gone down but they were an ugly purple. The physical pain wasn't the problem. It was those damn nightmares. They left him exhausted and barely functional. He wanted life to get back to normal but with his memories returned and everything that has happened since the freighter, he couldn't get his mind to stop conjuring up images, even when he was awake. He sighed, there was nothing he could do about it but hope that time will make these memories fade.
Colby strapped on his wrist braces before he got changed into jeans and a blue t-shirt. He couldn't stay inside, he needed to do something…going for a drive seemed like a good idea. Colby drove aimlessly through the streets of L.A. He enjoyed life in the city. It was always busy. Idaho was great but too quiet for him.
Colby didn't realise where he was going until he stopped in front of his home…or more accurately, Caleb Garrick's home. He got out of the car and looked up. It was a nice home but it wasn't him. He never felt that comfortable in it but he didn't know why, maybe because it wasn't his. James's boss had bought it for him. It didn't feel right for him to keep it now. He planned to sell the place and send the money back to James if he could figure out a way to get it to him. Otherwise he could donate the money to the Little Brother program.
Colby stepped into the apartment and closed the door. He frowned when he noticed the missing clock. He walked up the small staircase to his room. He felt uncomfortable, like he was intruding. Colby shook himself of that thought and kept looking around. This was his house. He sat down on the end of the bed and laid back, looking up at the ceiling. It's different being here with his memories back. He remembered lying on the bed and wondering what his life was actually like. Who was he? What was he like? What kind of friends did he have? Now, it was like he was back here to answer those questions for Caleb Garrick. Colby didn't realise he was drifting off.
The nightmares started again. Needles…knives…fists…sparks…Lancer…Stanford. "Colby wake up." Colby frowned. "Colby!" Colby bolted up in the bed, his arms immediately wrapping around his middle, groaning as the sudden movement irritated his ribs. "Take it easy." Colby looked at the man talking to him.
"David? What are you doing here?" He grunted.
"I could ask you the same thing. You should be resting at home." David left him for a moment and returned with a glass of water. "Here."
Colby took it. "Thanks." He water felt good.
"So why are you here? You miss this place?"
Colby chuckled, "No. I'm not even sure I considered this place my home."
David nodded, "Yeah, I got that feeling the first time I came here. It's too…"
"Sterile." They said together, laughing.
"Do you know what happened to the clock?" Colby asked him.
"Oh it…" David stopped himself. James had requested for Don and David to not reveal anything about the cameras in this house. He'd forgotten about it himself. Suddenly feeling self-conscious he quickly changed his response. "I have no idea."
Colby narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his partner, "Really." David nodded. "Why don't I believe you?"
David shrugged, "I don't know why? Shouldn't you be asking yourself that?"
Colby shook his head, "You would make the worst undercover agent." He winced as he adjusted himself on the bed. "What are you hiding?"
"Nothing!" David pitch was a little high.
Colby frowned and looked around the room. "How did you know I was here?"
"Lucky guess."
Colby looked at the time on his watch. "It's 5 am. Why would you come looking for me at this time?"
David shrugged, "Doctor said to…" Colby's phone in the apartment rang. "Saved by the bell." David mumbled as he ran out to the living room to answer it. Colby slowly got up and followed.
"It was painful watching you, man!" David recognised the voice.
"Yeah, well, you shouldn't be watching!" David growled at him.
"Who is that and why are they calling you on Caleb's phone?" Colby found it easier to refer to his other self as another person.
"Don't tell him it's me!"
"Then you shouldn't have called!" David was sick of this. He hated lying and he definitely hated lying to his friend. "I'm putting you on speaker!"
"No…no don't!" It was too late.
Colby squinted at the phone. "Techman!"
"Hi?"
"Why are you calling here?" Colby was really confused now. "You guys made it clear that I couldn't get in contact with you."
"Well to be fair, we didn't say anything about us contacting you."
Colby shook his head and gave up. He found, during the six months with James and his team, that it's impossible to get anything out of them if they didn't want you to know. He gingerly, lowered himself onto the couch. "Hey take it easy, man. You really shouldn't be…"
Colby shot up, ignoring the pain in his ribs. "You can see me!" He accused.
"Crap!"
"Techman!" Colby used a tone a mother would use on a child with a hand in the cookie jar, "How many cameras did you put in this place?"
"I didn't put any in the bathroom!" Johnny told him, quickly.
David slapped his hand over his eyes. "For a guy on a covert team, you break too easily."
"That's why I usually stay here or in a van or a truck." David started wondering how old this guy was. He talked like he's only 16.
"Techman, shut up and get James on the phone!" Colby was fuming.
"I am in so much trouble."
James wanted to punch someone. That someone being Johnny, who was talking like a chipmunk on steroids. "I was only watching over him. I didn't think he would come back to the house and when he did, I happen to be checking to see if he did and he just looked so tired and sore and then I was worried he had passed out so I called…"
"Shut up, Techman." James reached Johnny's laptop, setup at the dining table and pressed the button on the phone. "Colby."
"Colby."
"James! Do you know how disturbing it is to know there are five guys and one woman watching your every move for the past 18 months?" Colby was fuming now. The wait for James to get on the phone didn't help his temper. David stayed quiet near the window, texting Don to come over. He was a little worried this situation may be a little beyond him.
"Don't be melodramatic. It wasn't every move."
"You know what I mean!" James winced and moved slightly away from the speaker to avoid losing his hearing.
"We just wanted to make sure you settled in." James voice was still calm.
James tilted his head away from the phone again, knowing what was coming. "18 months, James. 18 months!"
Colby paced the room. David could see that he was in pain but Colby was too angry to care.
"Colby, you should sit down."
David groaned, "You should've let me suggest that, James."
"You're still watching me!" Colby yelled at the phone.
"Told you." David mumbled.
Colby squeezed the bridge of his nose, tired and fed up with the conversation. "Please don't tell me you put cameras in my condo."
"No, that would be an invasion of privacy." Techman was happy to tell him.
Colby looked at the phone incredulously, then looked up at David, gesturing to the phone in disbelief. "Did you hear that?" David nodded, feeling a headache coming on. "And what the hell is this!?" Colby gestured around the room. "How is this any different?!"
"Techman, you really need to shut up." James shook his head at his teammate. He was too young and a genius, not the best combination. "Colby, Mr Hamil wanted us to keep an eye on you. He knew Stanford was looking for him and you were his best way at finding Mr Hamil."
Colby's expression turned deadly at the mention of those two names. He glared at the phone and spoke in a calm and deadly voice, "You tell this Mr Hamil, to stay the hell out of my life." With that Colby grabbed the phone and yanked out the cable, throwing the phone at the front door, just as it was opening.
"What the hell?" Don managed to duck just in time to avoid the flying phone.
It was all Colby's battered body and mind could take. The room started spinning. He closed his eyes, his hand came up to his head, trying to stop the dizziness. He didn't even know he was falling until arms caught him.
"Easy, Colb." Don and David had shot forward when Colby started swaying and then dropping to the floor. They guided him to the couch and laid him down. Don put a hand against his brow. "You're a little warm." He got up and headed to the bathroom for a towel. "What happened?" He asked as he handed the towel to David.
David folded the towel and laid it across Colby's brow. "He found out about the cameras in here?"
Don wasn't happy. "So there was more than one." David nodded. "What was he doing here?"
David was about to answer when his phone rang. "This better not be a case. It's supposed to be my day off." He pulled out the phone. Anonymous. "Hello."
James and Johnny watched the screen as Colby tore the phone out of the socket and sending it across the room. "He really doesn't like to be watched, does he?" Techman was shocked at the reaction, then watched in horror as Colby collapsed. "Oh crap. I killed him."
James rolled his eyes at the kid, "Get Agent Sinclair or Eppes on the phone."
"Why?" Johnny asked.
James gestured to the screen. "So we can find out if Colby's okay!"
"Right…right." Johnny typed a few keys on his other laptop and then dialed the number on the phone.
"Hello."
"Agent Sinclair, is Colby okay?"
David shook his head at the phone and put it on speaker so that Don could hear. "James wants to know if Colby's okay." David told Don.
Don looked at the phone. "Who's James?"
"I am James, Agent Eppes. The leader of the team that save Colby's life."
"Oh, well, you have to admit, we didn't exactly exchange names. Why the hell haven't you taken down all the cameras in this place? Why are you still watching him? He doesn't even live here anymore."
"We understand but we needed to ensure Colby's safety."
"He's safe now. Stanford's dead, right?" Don's team never did find a body in the plant.
Colby wasn't entirely unconscious. He was groggy and weak but he could still hear the conversation around him. When the name Stanford came up an image of his torturer appeared in his head and he immediately bolted up from the couch. "He's here!" He gasped, looking around in a panic.
"Calm down, Colby. Who's here?" David put a gentle hand on Colby's shoulder. "No one else is here but Don and me."
"That's right. We're right here." Don spoke from above him, behind the couch. "Just lay back down and rest while we deal with your saviours."
"Colby, are you okay?" Colby looked down at the cell phone on the coffee table.
David could see what he was thinking. "If you don't mind, I'd rather not have to go through the paper work for getting a new phone."
Despite Don's request, Colby swung his legs around to sit more comfortable, groaning as his ribs and head protested. Don shook his head. "You're stubborn."
Colby rubbed his hands over his face, "James, tell me Stanford's dead."
"He's dead, Colby. I took care of the body myself."
Colby's body sagged in relief. He leaned his head in his hands, not saying a word. Don noticed something was wrong first. His whole body started trembling, followed by a sob Colby couldn't control. "Oh Colb." Don sat down next to him and pulled him into his arms. He wrapped his arms around his head and pulled him to his chest, protecting him from the rest of the world as he submitted to his fears.
David sat on the Coffee table, opposite Colby and placed a hand on his head, providing whatever comfort he could give. The phone next to him went silent but he knew James and Johnny were still there.
James watched the screen on the computer. He put the phone on mute and spoke to Johnny who looked distressed. "You didn't cause this. He's using the cameras as an excuse to let out his anger and fear."
"Then what is he angry about?" Johnny asked, watching Colby lose all composure with his friends. "What's he scared of?"
Johnny was young, recruited straight out of high school. He's never experienced ugly side of life. The team protected him from that. "Colby was tortured by a mad man who held a grudge against our boss. When we found Colby on that freighter, he was in control. He was being tortured but he knew why and he accepted it. There was no reason behind it this time. Nothing he could say or do to stop it. He was helpless at the hands of a mad man." James nodded at the screen. "This is the aftermath of that."
It dawned on Johnny that Colby had lost control after their boss's names was mentioned. "He's angry at the boss for putting him there."
"Yes, he is." George Hamil spoke from behind them. "And he has every right to be." Hamil nodded at the phone and sat down at one of the chairs. "Let me speak to him."
"Sir, it may be too soon."
"Let me speak to him." He said again.
James sighed and pressed the mute button.
"Mr Granger?"
Colby's head came up and he pulled away from Don, wiping away the tears. He was starting to calm down when the voice came through David's phone. "Hamil."
"Yes, it is I. George Hamil."
Colby hated the calm voice. He hated that his man was safe on the other side of this phone. He hated that he's never seen the face of the man who caused all the pain. "Coward." Colby launched at the phone but Don and David stopped him. Don wrapped his arms around him and pulled him back against the couch while David held his arms down. Colby kicked at the phone, but only managed to hit the coffee table.
"Calm down, Colby. You keep doing this and you're going to end up back at the hospital." David warned him. "You're angry. I get it, but you're getting worked up at a voice on the phone! You can't physically do anything to the man."
Colby stopped struggling at that. He looked up at David, his eyes ready to kill. "He managed to do a lot of damage without being there." David knew he was referring to his torture.
"Mr Hamil, I really don't think Colby's ready to listen to you today." Don called out to the phone as he let go of Colby.
"Colby, Mr Hamil knew your father." James said before the phone went silent.
"Colby, Mr Hamil knew your father." Hamil didn't manage to push the mute button in time.
"Why did you tell him that?"
"He wasn't listening. He doesn't want to hear what you have to say. At least now he's willing to." James explained.
George huffed, "Yes, well…I still don't what him to know."
"Why not?" Johnny asked, "It's not a bad thing."
"Mr Zhao, Mr Granger is angry enough as it is, how do you think he would feel if he finds out I've been watching him his entire life!" Hamil was not happy. He wanted to avoid this.
James turned the laptop to Hamil and turned up the volume. Colby had a hold of David's phone now and was yelling at it. "What about my father?! Answer me you son of a bitch." "Colby, give me the phone." Don was wrestling the phone off of Colby.
James muted the video again. "Not talking to him now will drive him mad."
George sighed and pressed the mute button on the phone. "You better start talking soon or I swear…"
Don was walking behind the couch now, talking into the phone while David tried to keep Colby calm. His friend was trembling on the couch. Don went to the room and dragged the thin quilt off Colby's bed. He handed it to David, who wrapped it around his trembling friend. "You better start talking soon or I swear I will make sure every alphabet department in law enforcement comes down on…"
"Yes, I get the point, Mr Eppes."
Colby turned in his seat, ready to grab the phone but Don held out is hand, telling him to relax. "Listen to what he has to say. You're going to drive yourself crazy if you keep losing it like that." Don sat back down beside Colby and put the phone down on the table. "Go ahead, Mr Hamil." Colby opened his mouth to talk but Don stopped him. "Start with Colby's father." Don gripped his arm. "Just listen." Colby looked at him. Suddenly he didn't want to hear what the man had to say. He worried that he was about to hear something he didn't want to. "We're here. Don't worry." Colby nodded and turned to the phone.
"I knew your father before you were born. We went to the same high school. We met the day he saved my life." Don smiled when Colby visibly relaxed at that news, he even managed a smile. "He broke his arm after pushing me out of the way of a speeding car. The car nicked him and he landed hard on his arm. After that we were inseparable." Colby heard the sigh of an old man and felt himself feeling sorry for the man. "As life would have it, we grew apart after college. I moved to London and your father started a family. What your father didn't know was that I had to means to keep tabs on him and his family. He saved my life and I take that very seriously."
"I know how you feel." Colby mumbled to himself. David rubbed his shoulder. He knew Colby was referring to Dwayne Carter. He remembered what Colby said on the video; Dwayne, I really wish someone else pulled me out of that fire. Why? Because I hate owing you.
"After your father died, I kept an eye on his family but mostly you because of your line of work." George continued. "Your father would be so proud." Colby's eyes started to water. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I sent James after you when I realised your team would not reach you in time."
"Mr Hamil had us ready but he never gave the order until the very last minute. He didn't want to interfere in your life unless it was necessary. Colby, your life is still yours." James told him, knowing what Colby feared most. Learning that someone has been watching you your entire life does make you start doubting how much control you actually had.
Colby nodded, "Thanks, James." He said softly.
"As for why Stanford kidnapped you. That is my fault."
"It's okay. You don't have to explain." Colby wasn't angry anymore. "I get it now. I don't know why he hated you so much but at least I know why he chose me. If you had saved me for no reason, I might not be okay with this." Colby smirked, "Sometimes being saved isn't a blessing. I was starting to think I was cursed."
"You just needed to know why we saved you and why Stanford chose you." James stated.
"Torture is bad enough but not knowing the reason behind it makes it ten times worse." Colby agreed as he laid back and closed his eyes. "Thank you, Mr Hamil, for saving my life. You don't owe my dad anymore. Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope I never hear from any of you again."
James looked at his boss's relieved expression and laughed. "We understand."
"But I'm going to miss you!" Johnny complained.
"Techman, if I see any of your tech near me again, the next time I flip you, it'll be over a cliff."
Johnny gasped, quickly grabbing his computer, he started disabling the cameras in the house. "That can't include the five I have in that house right now."
George got up from the table. "Enjoy your life, Mr Granger. One without me in it."
"One more question." It was Don. "Was it you who sent me Kirkland's files?"
George smiled, "Yes it was." He hung up the phone.
"Wait!" Don cursed. "I wanted to know how he got those files."
Colby smirked. "I want to know a lot of things about them but its hard to get a straight answer."
"You're not stopping surveillance on him, are you?" James asked his boss as George walked away.
"Not a chance, James, not a chance." George laughed. "That boys attracts trouble."
James shook his head. The old man was stubborn. Johnny scratched his head. "So do I continue keeping tabs on him or not?"
"Who pays you?"
Johnny nodded, "Right, enabling cameras again." Then paused, "but you will protect me from Colby, right?" He watched in concern as James got up to return to bed. "Right?!"
Don turned to Colby after conceding to the fact that there are some things he would never figure out. "You should've told us about the nightmares."
"I thought I could handle it." Colby knew it was a weak defence.
"I need you to see the Bureau's psychologist, Dr Bradford." It wasn't a request and Colby knew it. "It's not just because it's FBI regulations. I need to know you're okay."
"And we'll be there every step of the way." David promised. "It's about time we got you back."
Colby smiled and nodded. "Okay." Then he pushed off the quilt. "Now, can we get out of here? I hate the feeling of being watched."
Don shuddered as they got up and headed for the door. "Right. I can't believe there are five cameras in here. I already shot one."
"So that's what happened to my clock."
The end!