Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs. And that's a shame because if I did I would have never cancelled the show.
Beta: Huge thank you to Rinne
Reference: "Sniper 0", "Growin'up", "Cause & effect"
I know it's been over a year since my last story. I didn't forget Numb3rs, it was due to a lack of time and inspiration. So, here is my attempt to go back to writing again. Hope you'll like it.
Don and Charlie mentioned on several occasions they were afraid that they might lose contact with each other if they stopped working together (Don in "Jack of all trades" and Charlie in "Growin'up" and "Cause and effect"). Charlie also expressed his concern to Larry, stating that everything would be different when he'd come back. I thought it was a bit dramatic since he was going to be away for 3 months only, not a year or more. To me, their constant fears showed how close they were and how much they cared for each other,
So this is my view on what would have happened once Charlie got back.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Charlie has returned from the UK and is now ready to go back to work… with his brother.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The elevator doors opened and Charlie stepped into the bullpen. He stopped and looked around, a grin of contentment on his face. How he had missed this place! He took a deep breath and walked happily towards the briefing room where he knew he'd find Don and the team.
"So, how can I help you guys?" he asked excitedly as he entered the room, before placing his laptop on the table.
Everybody turned to him, surprised to hear his voice.
"Hey, whizz kid!" Colby teased him. "Good to see you!"
"How was England, Charlie?" asked Liz as she approached to hug him.
"You look great," Nikki commented.
Don, who was seated on the edge of a table, got up and walked up to him. "Charlie?..." He turned to his team. "Excuse us for a moment." Then he walked out of the room, followed by his brother. "Charlie, what are you doing here?" he asked softly. "You should be resting. Dad told me you got back yesterday evening?"
"Yeah. Our flight was three hours late."
"Well then, go home and get some sleep."
"I'm fine. I slept on the plane. I'm not tired at all…" The professor looked intently and worriedly at his brother. "Can't say the same about you… You look exhausted. Dad told me you've been working on random shootings? Is it a sniper?"
Don nodded. "Snipers. We believe there are two guys… But that's not your problem, Charlie. Go home."
The mathematician didn't move and looked his brother right in the eyes before insisting with force, "No, I can help. I know I can!"
Don frowned. "What's the matter?... Is... Is everything okay with Amita?" he asked warily.
Charlie smiled, amused. "Yes, everything's fine, don't worry." His expression grew serious again and he sighed slightly when he realized his brother was still staring at him, alarmed and confused. "Listen, I've been away for three months. I just wanna help, that's all, Don."
Don opened his mouth but for a moment was unable to talk, uncertain he had guessed properly. "Are you… Are you afraid that I won't let you work with us again? Is that what this is all about?" When Charlie didn't reply and kept looking at him with his puppy eyes, Don put his hand on the other man's shoulder, faced him squarely and said in his most gentle voice, "Buddy, you'll always be welcome to work here. You know that? Nothing's changed." Then the corner of his lips curled up as he added, "Actually, Larry will be more than happy to have you back. I think he finds the stress of the job a little too much for him."
"In that case, let me help today. I need to do it. I… I can't explain why… I just need to help you now." He knew his attitude was totally irrational but he felt this irrepressible need to be there, with his brother. Before leaving for the UK, he had been terrified that these three months would push them apart, that things would go back to the way they were seven years ago, before they started to work together. Don had always been so independent; what if he had moved on and didn't want him around anymore? These thoughts had crossed Charlie's mind so often, before and while he was in the UK, and Amita had tried to reassure him every time. He knew it was the result of his imagination and fears but he just couldn't control the anxiety he was feeling.
He had expected to see his brother waiting for him at the craftsman house on the night of his arrival and when their father had told him that Don was still at work, he had felt both disappointed and worried. That was why he had rushed to the FBI that morning, to make sure that his brother hadn't forgotten him, that he was still part of his life. But now, standing in front of Don, he was feeling foolish and ashamed for having had those thoughts. He could see the concern, the questions and the love in his elder brother. What an idiot he was… He smiled apologetically. "You know what?... You're right. I shouldn't have come. You're busy and…."
Don interrupted him. "Hey, now you're here, you may just as well stay and give Larry a hand. We could do with a pair of fresh eyes actually."
Charlie's face lit up. "Yeah?"
Don smiled back. "Yeah. It's good to have you back, Buddy." He put his arm around his brother's shoulders and both men went back into the briefing room.
"Okay guys, Charlie's gonna help us on this one."
"Where is Larry?" the mathematician asked, looking around, searching for the scientist.
"Right behind you, Charles." Charlie turned round to face his friend, as he entered the room. "You have absolutely no idea how delighted I am to see you!" Larry exclaimed as he hugged Charlie with force. Then he turned towards the screen displaying the pictures of five victims and put his hands on his head. "This case is driving me mad! Every time an idea is about to form, it collapses on itself like a dead star and my mind seems to contract then explode like the universe during the Big Bang. My thoughts are total chaos, whooshing in all directions like billions of sub-atomic particles, out of control."
"I missed you too, Larry!" Charlie replied with a grin on his face. Yes, nothing had changed much in three months. He shook his head indulgently then turned to Don, serious. "So you think there are two snipers?"
"Yes, we identified two different MOs. One man killed vics 1, 3 and 5 whereas the second shot vics 2 and 4. They seem to alternate as if it was some sort of game or competition between them."
"We're pretty sure they both have a military background," Liz mentioned.
"Special forces?"
"That or ex-CIA." Colby added, "We checked the records but so far, no name has stood out."
"We tried to contact Ian Edgerton but he's chasing some nutcase in Ohio. He's not answering his cell phone," explained an unhappy Nikki.
"What we are sure of, is that they use the same type of rifle. What differentiates them is the angle they use and the shooting sites." Don approached the screen and pointed to the pictures. "Victims 1, 3 and 5 were killed in high streets or crowded places. Victim 2 was shot in a bank and vic 4 in a supermarket just as they were leaving the buildings. All hit in the head. These guys are very careful. They took their bullet cases and removed any traces of gun powder. All these shots were incredibly difficult to take." Don shook his head and started pacing, before carrying on, "There can't be so many guys able to pull such shots."
Charlie sat down and logged on his laptop. "What about the victims? Any connections?"
Colby shook his head. "None. It's as if they were chosen on the spot."
"We also checked victims 1 and 2 since they were the first for each shooter but again, it led us nowhere," Liz informed Charlie. "One was a Swedish tourist and the other a teenager."
The professor bit his lips, folded his arms and stared at the photos of the victims. "Okay," he started in a low voice, thinking out loud, "if these guys are shooting randomly, it's going to be kinda difficult to predict their next step but…"
"Thank you for your insight, Charlie but I think we'd already figured that out."
Charlie could hear the sarcasm and the impatience in Don's voice. He knew the team had been working days and nights on this case for the past 3 days and he knew only too well the pressure they were under. They had to stop those men from killing another innocent person.
"Sorry Don, but…" he started.
Don shook his head and held up his hand to apologize. "We're all a bit on edge at the moment." He sighed deeply, scratched the side of his head and said, "You always tell us that nothing is random, right? Well, this can't be different."
Charlie got up, starting to feel a little frustrated by his brother's constant interruptions. "That's what I was trying to say actually. The killings seem unrelated but there has to be some sort of connection."
"We've already ruled out the victims," stated Liz.
"Okay… Don, do you remember our first case with Ian? The locations of the shootings were the common denominator?"
Don shook his head. "We're working on that angle but I don't think that'll give us anything. The way I see it: each shooter's trying to outclass the other by firing from riskier areas. They are putting the bar higher and higher. But I don't know if they actually choose their own locations or if one chooses for the other. In any case, they are assessing each others' competence."
The phone rang and Nikki reached out to pick up the receiver.
"What if the locations and victims were chosen by a third party?" Liz suggested.
"Like some sort of tests? And the winner would get what?" Colby couldn't see the point.
Don stopped pacing and pointed his hand to Colby. "A job! The winner would get a job! They are not only competing, they are also practicing," Don exclaimed. At last, things started to make sense. "Liz, I need a list of the main events in LA for the coming week." He turned to his brother. "Charlie, shooter 2 has still to prove himself. His specialty seems to be confined areas or indoors anyway. Can you give us some possible locations that he might use?"
Before Charlie could reply, Nikki put the phone down and announced, "Boss, there's been another shooting in North Hollywood: a client leaving a restaurant."
Don's heart missed a beat then he hit the table with the flat of his hand, furious. "Damn it!"
Colby got up quickly, followed by Nikki. "We'll go check it, Don."
The senior agent replied with a slight nod, jaw clenched and hands on his hips, then he looked down and kneaded his forehead. He hadn't been able to prevent another murder and he hated himself for that.
"Uh… Colby, could you send me pictures of the crime scene? They might be useful," the professor asked before glancing several times at his brother. He could see the guilt and pain in his eyes but made no comments. He knew how his brother functioned; there was nothing he could have said that would have made him feel better. So the professor turned his attention to Liz. "I will need as much data as possible on all shootings: the scenes, the times, the victims." He looked at Larry as if to silently ask for his help. "We need to calculate the angle of the shots. The five victims were shot in the head, I bet the sixth as well."
"Everything's there," Liz told him, gesturing to the pile of files on the table.
Charlie glanced again at Don, who was now standing silently in front of the screen, his thumb running over his lower lip, his eyes darting from one victim to another. Then he pressed on the remote control and photos of the crimes scenes appeared. Suddenly, the agent tilted his head and screwed his eyes before rushing towards one of the windows. His team watched him puzzlingly as he aimed an imaginary rifle at an imaginary target in the street below. Then he whirled around, run back to the briefing room before ordering, "Liz, I need to speak to Ian. Find him and get him on the phone."
The young woman nodded briefly and grabbed the phone.
Then he leaned over the table and took a file. "Larry, help me. We need to identify the type of target they're after."
The other man stared at the agent, mystified. "How? I thought we'd established the victims had nothing in common."
"I know but I need their heights, for each of them. Just… follow me on that one, ok?"
"Ok…" the astronomer trailed off, still confused but he knew that, when the agent was in that mode, there was no point arguing or asking for more info. So he took the first file and searched for the required information. "Alright, Don… The first victim was 6"2'."
"Vic 2 was 6" 3," announced Don.
"Victim 3 was also 6" 2½… Don! They are…" Larry started to understand where the agent was going.
"Yes, carry on. Vic 4: 6"2." Don looked up expectedly at Larry, waiting for the scientist to give him the last measurement.
"Victim 5…" Larry gave a quick read-through. "Almost 6" 3'. This is amazing. Don, how did you know?" he asked, both bemused and in awe.
"Something Charlie said... I was wondering why all victims had been shot in the head… Because they were taller than the rest of the crowd! That's why the killers chose them." Don turned to his agent. "Liz, ignore anyone below 6"2. Whoever these guys are after, he's tall."
"Alright." Liz flipped quickly through her list, then announced, "Don, we have three potential targets. A Tea Party assembly with their rising leader, James Dominico – 6"2. He will be in town next Friday. We also have a basketball game tomorrow… One of the star players happens to be Carl Prewitt's son. He's 6"3."
"Carl Prewitt… as in the business man? The one responsible for closing four manufacturing plants in Texas, Chicago and Philadelphia?" Larry enquired, stunned.
"That's the one," Liz confirmed.
"Someone would want to kill his son as a means of retaliation? That is most unfair. It's not the boy's fault if his father is incompetent and doesn't know how to run a company."
"He pissed of a lot of people, Larry, including the Mafia. Vengeance is their middle name and then don't care how they carry it out," Don commented. "Who's the third one, Liz?"
"Kahed Mallouiwi – 6"2. He acts as a negotiator between Al-Qaeda, and the rebels in Afghanistan. Many in both camps disagree with his approach – members of Al-Qaeda find him too indulgent with the rebels and some rebels sees him as weak with Al-Qaeda. The guy has many enemies and the fact that he accepted a visit to the US didn't help his cause. That puts him on top of my lists of perfect targets.""When is he due to come to LA?"
"Tomorrow as well."
"Alright, contact the CIA and let them know there might be an assassin on the loose ready to take him down. I very much doubt that anyone would want to kill a member of the Tea Party even if he supposed to be their new leader, so let's forget about Dominico. However, Prewitt's son needs protection too."
"Don, I still cannot imagine that someone would want to take it out on him for what his father did. In my mind, Mallouiwi is a more obvious candidate," Larry pointed out.
"Maybe but…," Don made a face, unconvinced. "Hiring a hitman is not Al-Qaeda's mode of operation. They'd rather blow up the whole area, and kill as many people as possible, than paying a sniper to murder one single person. As for the rebels, I don't think they have enough time, money and resource to find two snipers and test them. Prewitt is my best bet at the moment… But we can't disregard any possibilities until we get more evidence."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Don was helping himself to coffee when his cell-phone suddenly rang. "Dad" appeared on the screen. He took his cup and walked back towards the briefing room.
"Hi Dad. What's up?"
"Charlie's with you?"
"Yes. He showed up this morning and insisted on working on the case. I didn't have the heart to turn him away." Although he couldn't see his father, Don knew he was smiling. "How's Amita? I mean… Did she say something about Charlie rushing here on his first day back in LA? She's not too upset?" the agent enquired, slightly concerned.
"No, actually she expected it. Apparently, he kept worrying that you might refuse to work with him again."
The agent stopped dead, shocked. "What? … What made him think that?" He had always tried to reassure his brother that nothing would change between them, even if he too had worried that the distance between them might change their relationship.
"Don, when will you realize the impact you have on your brother? He still wants to impress you, you know?"
"Oh, come on Dad! Not after all these years working together?"
"Hmm, I don't think that'll ever change. You'd better accept it and get used to it once and for all." Don could hear the smile in his father's voice.
The agent resumed walking but remained silent. Knowing that his eldest was a little embarrassed, Alan decided to change the topic of the conversation. "By the way, I'm going to cook Charlie's favorite dish, so don't work too late tonight. I want you both home for dinner, alright?"
"Dad…"
"I won't take no for an answer. And if you don't show on time, I will come to the Bureau to feed you both."
"I'm sure the rest of the team will welcome you with open arms," Don replied with a broad smile, "You know how much they love your food."
Cheeky boy, Alan thought as he put the phone down.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Don pushed open the door and entered the briefing room. Charlie was seated in front of his laptop, looking frustrated while Larry was standing behind him, scratching his chin pensively.
"What's going on?" Don wondered.
"Nothing, that's the problem!" the professor replied. He gestured to his computer, annoyed. "I mean, we can't find anything concrete, not one piece of information that could really help you." He leaned back in his chair, defeated and looked sideways at his brother with shame. "I've lost my touch during these three months. I let you down, Don. I'm so sorry."
The senior agent stared at his brother for a second, taken aback by his melodramatic statement, not knowing if he should laugh or be worried. "Oh man! Where did that come from? If somebody can point us in the right direction, it's you, buddy."
Charlie rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands. "I wish I had your enthusiasm and your optimism but, right now…" He shook his head desperately. "I'm not of much help." He sighed. "I'm wasting your time. I should've stayed at home."
"Yes, you should've because you're jet-lagged and tired, but you're certainly not wasting our time. You never did and never will… Here, have my coffee and show me what you've got."
Charlie took a deep breath, a little comforted by his brother's words, took a sip of Don's coffee and turned to his laptop. "Alright… We found that sniper 2 likes firing from second and third floors, which is understandable since his targets are inside premises – if he's positioned too high he'll have no view of the inside, too low and his view could be blocked by a truck or similar."
"Same with shooting from ground level," Larry indicated.
Liz pursed her lips and shook her head. "Firing from the street would be too dangerous. Anyone could notice him and that would compromise his chance of escaping."
"The other element is the angle," Charlie carried on. "He must be left-handed. There was no way he could've reached his targets from where he was, if he had been right handed. Both times, he shot from about 350 yards. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case with his third victim. Now regarding sniper 1, he likes open area with longer shots, minimum 600 yards. But all his targets were moving when they were killed."
"Which makes these two guys amazing shots. Good work Charlie," Don praised.
"But I wasn't able to…"
"Don," Nikki interrupted, "I have Ian on line."
Don grabbed the phone. "Ian? Eppes. Tell me, would you know any left-handed sniper able to fire at people inside a building… Yeah, a supermarket and a bank… Shooting distance 350 yards but in very difficult conditions…" He chuckled. "I bet, but apart from you, who else could do that?... Interesting, and he's left handed?… Yeah, that could be one of our guys…" Don scribbled a name on a piece of paper. "Hmm hmm, we have a competition between two snipers. The other one is shooting targets in busy streets 600 yards away. No, they're not shooting randomly…well not totally. One more question, would those guys sell their services?… I see." Don wrote down another name. "Okay, we're going to check them out. Thanks, Ian."
He hung up the phone, took his cell-phone, pressed the loud-speaker and turned to Liz, Charlie and Larry to include them in the conversation.
"Colby, we have two possible suspects. Ira Hamond – left handed, and Paul Dorembos, ex-commando and special forces. According to Ian, they are extremely good, extremely dangerous and happy to work for whoever pays good money."
"I heard of Dorembos when I was in Iraq. He was a legend there. A bit like Edgerton… Man, I can't believe it."
"Well, you'd better… Come back here. We need to get their files. I want to know if they have any relatives or friends in town, what kind of places they like to hang out, any specific habits, anything that could allow us to locate them. Whoever's thinking of hiring them must not have the option to use one or the other. Which means that we must catch them both."
"Okay, we're on our way," Colby confirmed.
Don flipped his cell phone shut and put it in his pocket. Then he smiled at Charlie and patted him on the shoulder with enthusiasm. "I knew you'd help us catch those guys."
"You don't have them yet," Charlie pointed out.
"No but we now know who they are and who their target may be. For the first time in four days, we are one step ahead of them. And that's thanks to you..." Don winked at him. "See Buddy? You haven't lost your touch." Then he added before leaving the room, "Now, go home and get some sleep. We'll take it from here."
Charlie looked at Larry with a broad grin. "I think I'm back in the team."
Larry smiled indulgently. "You never left it, Charles."
END