Megan jerked awake as an insistent noise sounded in her ear. Momentarily confused as she shook off the last vestiges of sleep, she couldn't figure out why she was so warm and comfortable, or why the low light around her seemed to be flickering at irregular intervals. She moved to sit up and locate the source of the sound when someone let out a soft sigh beside her. Peering through the dimness, Megan smiled as she made out Larry's peacefully sleeping features, trailing her gaze down to where her head had been resting on his chest. That's right – they'd been watching a movie together and she's fallen asleep in his arms. As much as she would have loved to continue to gazing at him while in the comfort of his embrace, she now recognized the noise as her cell phone ringing.
With a weary and disappointed sigh she levered herself off the couch and felt blindly along the end table until her fingers bumped against the nagging device. "Reeves," she answered around a yawn.
"Agent Reeves?" an unfamiliar voice asked.
"Yes," Megan answered, her mind immediately becoming alert. "Who is this?"
"Detective Steve Madison, LAPD," he informed her. "Listen, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."
"What's going on?" she demanded, her voice growing loud enough to wake Larry.
"Megan?" he mumbled sleepily.
She mouthed 'sorry' to him as the detective continued.
"We had a car bombing at a mall parking garage tonight. Surveillance footage shows two men approaching an SUV as it explodes, after which they are both abducted by four unknown assailants." He paused and let out a deep breath. "Agent Reeves, the SUV belongs to the FBI, registered to one Special Agent Don Eppes."
"What?" Megan asked in shock. Don? But the whole team was off work tonight. He and Colby had… Oh no – two men. "Have you identified the other man with Agent Eppes?"
"We sent the video over to your tech guys," Madison replied. "They're enhancing the footage to try and get a positive ID on all six men. I suggest you check in with them while you make your way down here." He proceeded to give her the address and his cell number before disconnecting the call.
"Megan?" Larry asked, his voice heavy with concern.
Oh God, she thought. What do I tell him? And Charlie and Alan… No, we don't know that it's Don yet.
"Megan?" the professor asked again, more insistent as he rose from the couch to stand next to her.
"It's, uh…" the agent trailed off as she looked into his worried face. Best just to tell the truth. "There was a car bombing at a garage tonight. It was… it was Don's car."
"Oh my God. Is he okay?"
"Two people were abducted right after the explosion, but we don't have a positive ID yet." She placed her hands on his shoulders and peered deep into his eyes. "Look, I have to go to the scene. Depending on what we find, we might need some help."
"Charles."
"Right. Plus, he needs to know about Don."
"You go on," the professor told her. "I'll pick up Charles and drive him to the FBI office."
"Thanks, Larry," Megan said as she gave him a quick kiss. "I'll call you both as soon as I find out more." She bolted out of the door to her apartment – trusting Larry to lock up with his key – and rushed to her car. She had just pulled onto the main road when her cell rang again. "Reeves."
"Agent Reeves," a woman's voice greeted. "This is Joyce down in image enhancement. I've managed to get and ID on our two abducted men. It's Agents Eppes and Granger."
"I was afraid of that," Megan told her. "What about our abductors?"
"They were all wearing ball caps to shadow their faces and some sort of protective eyewear, shooter's glasses maybe. I did get a plate number on the van they were using and I've got a BOLO out on it."
"You're terrific, Joyce."
"Hey, I want our boys back, too," she said sadly.
"I'll keep you in the loop," Megan promised before she flipped her phone shut. Her worry growing, she slammed her foot on the accelerator, dashboard light flashing and tried to set a land speed record as she headed for the garage.
--
"Watch it!"
"Hey, he's a big guy!"
Colby's world of silence was shattered by two angry voices as he landed hard on the ground, an uneven lump beneath him digging into his ribcage.
"That was my foot, though!"
"Quit whining and help me move him."
A pair of hands roughly slid under his arms and yanked him upward, throwing his world off balance. Another pair of hands grabbed his feet and lifted them off the ground, leaving Colby hanging uneasily in the open air. Suddenly he was moving forward, the jarring and swaying – as well as the remains of the drug in his system – setting off a wave of nausea. The agent tried to open his eyes but they were being distinctly uncooperative.
"Why couldn't we just drive him out here?"
"Because someone might see us, you moron!"
"But this is going to take all day."
"Not if you'd shut up and concentrate. Besides, if we used a car and got spotted or caught, what do you think Mister G would do to us?"
"Right," the other voice replied in defeat. "I wouldn't want that."
"So shut up and help me get him over there."
Much to his relief, both men stopped talking, leaving Colby a moment of quiet to try and figure out where he was and what was going on. The last thing he remembered was going to dinner with… Don! It all came crashing back to him – the loud noise, the heat of the flames, the uncomfortable feeling of being hoisted into some sort of vehicle and then darkness. So if these two bozos were moving him, where was Don?
A surge of adrenaline coursed through his system, giving Colby just enough strength to open his eyes a slit. The world was a foggy blur around him, the most distinct shapes being those of the two men carrying him. He tried to blink to clear his vision, alarmed when it took almost a full minute to pry his eyes back open. He tried opening his mouth, but quickly discovered that required more energy than he had available.
"Hey, I think he's waking up."
"That drug takes a while to wear off. He's not going to be able to walk, much less try to get away. And in a minute, even that won't matter."
"Right," the second voice said uneasily. "You brought the stuff?"
"Of course I did. I'm the brains of our little duo, right?"
"You sure ain't the brawn."
"Almost there," he said, ignoring the other man's last comment.
Where? Colby wondered. Where are they taking me? And where is Don?
"Up here?"
"On the hill, in the grass."
"I thought we wanted-"
"We do."
"But the grass is pretty tall. Are you sure they'll find him?"
Find who? Me? What's going on? A renewed sense of urgency filled his being and Colby dragged his eyes open, his mouth finally obeying his command as well. "Don," he rasped.
"I'd worry more about myself if I were you," the 'brains' answered.
"What..." Colby managed before his voice gave up the ghost.
"Right here," Brains told the other captor, ignoring the agent's question.
Colby felt himself falling through the air before crashing onto a hard unforgiving piece of ground, his bound hands protesting as his full weight landed on top of them. A foot dug into his ribs and rolled him off of his hands and onto his stomach. A knee pressed into his back, pinning him in place, while a needle slid into his neck, releasing a burst of cool liquid into his veins.
"That'll keep you from going anywhere," Brains icily informed him. "Just in case this doesn't."
Before Colby could figure out what his captor meant by those words, there was a high pitched, muffled sound, followed by a blossom of pain in his left shoulder. As the agent tried to determine what had happened, a warm, wet trickle began running down his spine. They shot me, he suddenly realized.
The pain in his shoulder combined with the drug in his system started to pull him under. He struggled to remain awake, focusing on the sound of the two men's footsteps as they walked away, leaving him alone and bleeding in the tall grass. Despite his best efforts, Colby lost the battle and succumbed to the encroaching darkness.
--
"Coming!" Charlie growled as someone pounded on his front door. He'd been reading over his freshman class's latest exams earlier that evening before finally drifting off to sleep about halfway through the stack of papers. He'd just been awoken by a frantic knocking on his door and he was irritated that whoever it was didn't seem to want to allow him even thirty seconds to make his way to the door. He sleepily peered through the peephole, frowning as he recognized the worried figure lit by his porch light. "Larry?" he asked as he opened the door. "What in God's name-"
"Get dressed," his friend told him as he brushed past the younger man into the house. "We need to journey quickly to the FBI office."
"Why?" Charlie frowned. "What's going on?"
"Megan received a disturbing phone call this evening," Larry informed his young friend.
"Larry?" Alan yawned as he stumbled down the stairs. "You realize it's three in the morning, right?"
"As I was telling Charles, Megan received a call a few moments ago," he repeated, trying to compose himself. "There was an explosion tonight – a car bomb was detonated inside a local parking garage."
"And they need my help," Charlie stated matter-of-factly.
"No," the normally eloquent yet loquacious man stumbled. "Well, yes… The car… it was Don's."
"What?" both Eppes men demanded in unison.
"Is he okay?" Charlie pressed.
"He wasn't in the car at the time of the explosion," the professor quickly clarified. "However, he has been abducted."
"Abducted?" Alan asked in disbelief. "What do you mean abducted?"
"I really don't have any further information at this time," Larry said ruefully. "But I think it would be a good idea, Charles, if you were to gather your things and let me drive you to the FBI office."
"Of course," the younger man agreed as he grabbed his laptop.
"I'm coming, too," Alan insisted.
"I'm not sure what service you could-"
"He's my son, Larry," Alan growled. "I don't need to be able to solve any fancy equations to worry about my son."
"Of course not," the physicist meekly replied to the older man's departing back as he rushed upstairs to get dressed. Larry stood in the living room with Charlie, both men silent as each one tried to keep negative thoughts from racing through their heads. When Alan returned, Larry led him and Charlie to his classic car and climbed behind the wheel. For the first time in his life – second, if you counted the ride over – Larry broke every speed limit, knowing time was of the essence.
--
"It's clear."
Roberto nodded to Joey before opening the trunk of his car and sneering at the bound and gagged agent inside. "Let's make this quick," he told the other man as they lifted Eppes from the trunk and carried him into the building beside them. Once they crossed the threshold, Roberto supported the unconscious man while Joey went back outside and locked up the car before returning to his boss's side, closing and locking the door behind them.
Joey grabbed hold of the agent again and the big blond led them down the stairs into a large, soundproofed room. He couldn't help but grin as Joey's eyes widened at their surroundings, taking in the various restraints and instruments of pain. "Eppes is going to love his stay here, don't you think?"
"Wow," was all the redhead could manage.
"We need to get him secured on that table," Roberto stated as he nodded toward a corner of the room. Together they heaved the unconscious man across the room and up onto the table, which was equipped with a series of leather restraints. The blond took great joy in securing each and every one of Eppes' limbs to the table, before tightly cinching the final strap across the agent's shoulders. As he completed the task, the unconscious man mumbled, his eyes fluttering as he moved his head from side to side. "Get me another sedative."
Joey quickly obeyed, handing Roberto a syringe and watching as he injected the drug into the agent's neck. "Think that'll keep him out for a while?"
"It should," Roberto nodded. "But then you never know with Eppes – he's one tough guy. That's one reason our boss is looking forward to breaking him."
"That and the fact he ruined his business in LA."
"Good to know you pay attention, Joey," the blond shook his head. "People who don't… Well, Mister Gardenia doesn't keep them around too long." Roberto stretched his arms over his head and let out a yawn. "I'm going to grab a nap so I can get up early and make sure everything is set up for tomorrow. You take first watch over our boy here."
"Sure thing."
"Call me if he gives you any trouble, but I suspect he'll be out all night. If he does wake up, just give him another dose. We don't want him getting too clear-headed until tomorrow night."
"You can count on me, Roberto."
"I'd better be able to, Joey," the blond replied menacingly as he left the room, leaving the unspoken threat to keep the younger man company through the night.
--
"Detective Madison?" Megan called to a tall man, wearing a rumpled suit and growling at a uniformed cop.
"Agent Reeves?" he asked as he held out his hand. At her nod, he went on "We got a hit on that getaway van. It's been found at another parking garage across town."
"Any sign of Don or Colby?" she asked hopefully.
"I'm afraid not," Madison shook his head in frustration. "Looks like they just stopped to switch vehicles. That garage has got surveillance footage, too, so I had it sent to your lab."
"Thanks," she told him as she nodded at the dark-colored van roped off with crime scene tape. "Anything useful?"
"No prints, no registration… nothing. Somebody wiped it down good."
"And yet they're perfectly content to let both of their getaway vehicles get caught on camera?" she inquired doubtfully. "Something's not right. It's like even though they don't want to be caught, they do want us to track them."
"I agree, Agent Reeves, but I have no idea why."
Before she could respond, her cell shrilled. Checking the ID, she flipped it open and answered. "David."
"I'm at the office," he informed her, having made there in record time after she'd called him. "The tech guys have almost got the video of the second van enhanced."
"Get a BOLO out on it as soon as possible," she ordered. "What about the abductors? Any better glimpses of them?"
"Same ball caps and glasses," David sighed. "These guys are pros."
"That's what worries me," she confessed, her nervousness manifesting itself for a brief moment before her professional mask slid back into place. "Get a couple of teams together – enough so that we can work around the clock."
"Already done," her coworker promised. "They should all be here within the hour and I'll brief them then."
"Good," Megan replied as Detective Madison gestured for her to come with him. "I need to check in with the locals here. I'll keep you posted."
"Got it," he said before he disconnected the call.
"What's up?" Megan asked Madison.
"Forensics on the second scene found your agents' cell phones and badges in the back of the abandoned van," he advised her. "They're still working on the vehicle so I figured we should get over there and see what they find."
"I'll follow you," she said. With a mixture of desperation and urgency, she warned him, "Just don't drive too slow."
--
"Charlie," David greeted the professor entered the bullpen, flanked by Larry and his father. "Alan?"
"For the last time," the older man barked in anger, "I am not going to sit at home and twiddle my thumbs while Don is out there in the hands of some… men."
"Of course not," David said, holding up his hands in surrender. "You're more than welcome to wait here."
"What do we know?" Charlie inquired as his father collapsed into a spare seat.
The agent fought back a smile at how professional the genius sounded. "Not much right now. Megan's at the second scene and they've found their cell phones in the second van, but-"
"Their?" the professor interrupted. "Don wasn't the only one taken?"
"Colby's been grabbed, too," the agent informed him.
"Oh my God," Larry breathed. "Has there been any indication from the kidnappers as to what they want?"
"No, but…" David trailed off as he dropped his gaze to the floor. "Two agents taken like this doesn't exactly seem like a ransom situation."
"They took them for personal reasons," Charlie sighed in despair. "So they don't intend to let them go?"
"We don't know that for sure," the agent pointed out. "But no, typically a grab of this nature isn't a good sign." Seeing the despair that came across the two Eppes men's faces, he leaned forward and offered up a very good point. "But they didn't kill them at the scene, so…"
"Whatever they need them for, they need them alive," Charlie finished.
"And as long as they need them alive," David added. "We have hope that we can find them and free them before…" He didn't finish the sentence, but the unspoken words hung oppressively over the four men.
TBC