I do not own any characters associated with the TV show Numb3rs. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

Charlie and Amita were still discussing the details of their latest contribution to Don's case as they took the elevator upstairs. Charlie felt it wasn't ready yet, but Amita felt they couldn't do any better with what they'd been given for information, and they were under a lot of pressure to produce something quickly. Don met them at the door and they all walked to the bullpen together. David and Terry were already waiting there.

"Okay Charlie, what have you got for us?"

Charlie and Amita exchanged looks before he spoke. "Well, I'll give you what we've got, but I don't know how much it will help."

Terry gave Charlie an encouraging smile. "Anything will be a help at this point."

Amita connected Charlie's laptop up to the projector as Charlie began to walk everyone through the calculations.

"Based on the data you provided, this is what we've come up with…" Don's team was currently trying to find a pattern, and from that a source, for multiple bombings around the Los Angeles area. Six people were already dead, and there were dozens more in the hospital. Although the bombs were relatively small in scale, it had thrown the city into somewhat of a panic. The case was further compounded by the fact that it was different locations and different types of sites every time. The first explosion had been in a supermarket, but the last one had been at a highway rest stop. Everyone was looking at the map Charlie had generated, trying to follow his line of logic.

Don wrinkled his brow as he stared at the projected map. "Talk me through this again, Charlie, because I just don't see what you're seeing."

Charlie walked up to the projection screen and starting pointing to the indicators as he went over his calculations again. "The greatest concentration seems to be here, as far as number, but the more severe cases have been concentrated in this area farther south. So, after quantifying the data, we're saying your hot zone is here."

"That's a pretty big hot zone, Charlie."

"I know." Charlie was staring at the screen too, looking disappointed with his own work.

"How accurate do you think it is?"

"It's about 78. I couldn't really get it any better than that with the numbers we have."

Don sighed and turned back to the case folders. "There's no way we can clear an area like that ourselves. I'd have to take every man off every other job they're doing, and even then…"

Charlie looked dejectedly back at the group. "I'm sorry, guys…"

"It's not your fault, man; it's just this damn case! We've got some psycho out there terrorizing the city and we've got nothing to go on."

"Look, maybe it would be better at this point if I just went back to looking for clues in the pattern instead of trying to find the source."

"Whatever you think will help."

"You know, Don, we don't know that this is one guy. I still think we could be looking at a group," Terry reminded her partner gently.

Their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Assistant Director Merrick. "Excuse me, Eppes…"

Both Charlie and Don turned to look at Merrick. "Agent Eppes. I want you to go downstairs and get that new special ops training director. Have her give you a hand on this."

"Sir?"

"She's former CIA, Eppes, she's worked cases like this. Run it by her, see what she has to say."

"Yes, sir."

As soon as he left the room, Don rolled his eyes, clearly unhappy about having to get a second opinion. Terry, sensing Don's frustration, tried to be positive. "Look, maybe a fresh set of eyes would help on this."

"Right." Don gave Terry a 'don't try to make me feel better about this' look before heading out the door.

Charlie and Amita immediately got behind their laptops and went to work on their calculations again. Terry and David were discussing their other leads for solving the case.

"Okay, have we heard anything back on the security team for the locations?" Terry was rummaging through papers on the table.

"Nothing yet, unless they called Don."

"No, Don would have told us. Where do we stand with the bomb reconstruction?"

"Miller said he would have more concrete findings within the next few hours."

Terry let out a sigh. "There's got to be something we're missing here—some clue, something."

"Nobody's sleeping on this one Terry. We've got everybody working around the clock."

"I know, but maybe that's part of the problem. We're all sitting too close to the screen to see the big picture."

Just then, Don re-entered the room, followed by a dark-haired woman.

"Everybody, this is Agent Cruz. Cruz, this is my partner, Terry Lake, and that's David Sinclair. Over there is my brother, Ch-"

"Charlie?"

Charlie's head snapped up at hearing his name. His eyes widened as they fell on the woman standing in the doorway. His face drained of all color. "Isabel…"