Disclaimer: see Prologue

A/N; Wow, thanks so much for the reviews and alerts. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Blockbuster

~ by MsGrahamCracker ~

Chapter One -

It was early – very early – Saturday morning and Don and Charlie stood beside Don's Suburban in the parking lot at the ranger's station, near the trail head of Wooster State Park.

Charlie yawned and rubbed his hands together. They knew the day would be warm and had dressed accordingly, but at the moment, there was a definite hint of winter in the air and they both had their jackets on. Charlie shivered once and stuck both hands in his pockets.

Don was leaning back against the front of his vehicle, his hands similarly trying to stay warm in his pockets, as they waited for the Boudines. He was feeling good. There was nothing pressing at the office and he was looking forward to the weekend. It had been raining steadily for a few days now, but today was suppose to be sunny with minimal cloud cover. Unfortunately, the clouds would roll in by nightfall again and the rain would return, but they were prepared for it.

He glanced at his watch - 6:30 am. The Boudines would be here any minute. Don thought about the meeting with Wright two days ago. He and Charlie had discussed it at length that evening over a few beers – well, it was actually more than just a few beers. Initially, they had found the situation of two brothers who didn't get along slightly unsettling – it was too close to home. They had worked too hard, spent too many hours in therapy, talked out too many feelings of guilt and jealousy not to feel uncomfortable when their emotions might literally be thrust into a spotlight, but that night, they not only worked out some of their own feelings, they put together a game plan that they hoped would save both them and the Boudines.

Charlie nudged him out of his thoughts as two black limousines pulled into the parking area behind the ranger station. The drivers parked the vehicles at least thirty feet apart, then cut the engines. One back door on each limo opened and the two young actors stepped into the cool morning air. Both of them wore casual, hiking clothing, as instructed, but Don and Charlie nearly laughed at the obvious expense and premeditation that had been involved with the selection. The actors looked around, deliberately avoiding each other's eyes, scanning the parking lot and passing over both Don and Charlie and Don's SUV. Don saw the unmistakable disappointment and puzzlement in each of them and he realized with a start that they had been looking for paparazzi. Did they expect this to be a freaking publicity stunt? Don bristled, his earlier good humor gone. Personal favor or not, he was not going to spend his weekend playing nursemaid to two spoiled, egotistical, truculent actors. A quick glance at Charlie told Don his brother was similarly put off by the two men's reaction.

Don studied them. Both of the Boudine brothers were tall, lean, bronzed and well-built; typical Hollywood idols. They were both in their early 30's and each of them stood at least an inch or two past 6ft, which meant they towered over Charlie and looked down slightly at Don. Jordan, the older by two years, wore his sand-colored hair a little longer than his sibling and had intense blue eyes that had caused many fans, female and male alike, to swoon. Alex was a little less "star-like" in his appearance than his brother, sporting a scruffy, un-shaven look and dark, brooding, bedroom eyes topped with a mass of perfectly tousled hair.

Once they were over the disappointment of no reporters or photographers, the Boudines glanced disdainfully at each other, then Jordan made the first move towards Don and Charlie.

"Good morning. I'm Jordan Boudine. Are you the Eppes?"

Don stepped forward, still slightly wary, offering his hand and shaking the young man's in return. "Special Agent Don Eppes. This is my brother, Dr. Charles Eppes. Don and Charlie are fine."

Alex was there by then and the four men greeted each other. Don didn't miss the fact that when Alex had approached, Jordan hadn't acknowledged or introduced him.

The introductions over, Don considered them again. Their earlier egocentric episode had diminished and both men seemed to be relaxing and slightly more comfortable. Don allowed that the press was an important and necessary aspect of their lives and it was natural for them to expect reporters to chronicle their hunt for realism for such an important role – but, acceptable or not, he had no intentions of subjecting himself or Charlie to their vain and narcissistic attitude for the next two days. His instinct, though, told him they weren't the "stars" they first appeared to be and that maybe they could all survive the weekend together. He was willing to try and he knew Charlie would follow his lead.

The two limo drivers appeared, each carrying an overstuffed backpack and placed them on the asphalt next to their employers.

"Ready for this?" Don asked, his eyes searching theirs for any signs of hesitation or doubt. Both brothers, however, leaned over, swung their packs on their backs and nodded.

"Alright, then. Charlie and I have mapped out a tentative route. The terrain along Flying Fox Trail is similar to what I assume you will be working in while filming; nothing too strenuous - that's not the point of this. Charlie and I will try to give you the instructions you need to understand your characters as we go. Tomorrow's route will be slightly more adventurous. We'll hike up to Red Mountain Pass, then double back following the river and be back here by early evening."

There were nods of agreement and understanding all around, then they turned and started walking. Don put Charlie in front, letting him set the pace, leading the Boudine brothers on a leisurely trek through the fading darkness while Don brought up the rear.

They walked quietly for the first hour or two, all of them just enjoying the cool morning air, then Jordan finally spoke. "Agent Eppes, er, Don, I thought you were going to give me some idea what my character would be doing. I mean, that's the reason Martin insisted on this little excursion, isn't it?"

Don stopped and called ahead to his brother. "Hey, Charlie, hold up."

Charlie stopped and both he and the Boudines lowered their heavy packs to the ground. Don, who had been waiting for this, removed his backpack and took his time digging a bottle of water from it. He tipped his head back and took a long, deliberate, slow drink. Screwing the lid back on the bottle, Don looked at Jordan and said, "Alright. Where are we?"

Jordan Boudine frowned. "What?"

"Where are we?" Don repeated. "How long have we been walking? What direction are we going in? Have there been any distinguishable landmarks that you've noticed? Is there a breeze and if so how does that affect us? Have you noticed any signs of dangerous wildlife? If you had to, could you find your way back to the main road?"

Jordan shook his head, his mouth agape, looking somewhat like a high school student who had just learned there would be a pop quiz. "I...I don't know," he stammered.

"Well, an agent would." Don said sharply, then adapted a calmer, teaching tone. "A good agent is aware of his surroundings at all times, no matter where he is. Danger can come from any direction, at any time, not just from terrorists or bank robbers. If you're prepared, there can't be any surprises."

Don watched the young actor glance helplessly at his brother and Charlie, as if he expected them to help him, then he turned back to Don. "What ... "

"Alright." Don began patiently. "We traveled north/northeast for 43 minutes. The last twenty minutes we've been heading due east. About a half a mile back we passed an outcropping where someone could have been hiding – either to escape discovery or to lie in wait for an ambush. There's a slight wind this morning coming from the southwest that could distribute our scent and carry any sound we make, even stepping on a twig. We need to stay ahead of that. There was some bear scat just off the trail we're on, but it indicated the bear was heading north towards the higher elevation where this time of year the berries are still ripe. We shouldn't run into him, but he's not the only one in these woods. We've pretty much stayed on the major trails, so returning to the main road should be easy enough, but the ground is covered with several heavy layers of wet leaves and we haven't left many discernible footprints - a good thing if you're being followed – but, heading back, you'd have to watch carefully that you didn't venture off on one of the smaller trails that branch away taking you deeper into the woods."

Both Jordan and Alex stared with incredulous expressions, mouth open, eyes wide at the agent with a mixture of astonishment and admiration that Don hadn't enjoyed since his days training the rookies at Quantico. Jordan suddenly smiled then, a brilliant Hollywood smile that was filled with excitement. "That's what I'm talking about!" he whooped. The man nearly danced with delight."Martin was right. This is just what I need. I'm going to make this character so real it's going to jump right off the screen. There's no way they can overlook this performance."

Don noticed Alex, watching, frowning, clearly unhappy with the situation. The agent turned back to Jordan, making sure he had the young man's attention and added, "It's all about focus - concentration."

Before Jordan could reply Alex leaned towards Charlie and snarked loud enough for everyone to hear, "I heard he had some trouble 'performing' behind the scenes with his last leading lady and she said the same thing."

His mood immediately dampened, Jordan scowled at his brother. "At least I had a leading lady. The only action you had in your last movie was with a race car – and even that was PG."

"Well," Alex replied, smoothly, undaunted, "I didn't have any 'action' in that movie I made with you, either, but, apparently the Academy didn't have a problem with that."

Jordan's scowl deepened and his eyes turned dark. He opened his mouth to retaliate, but Don signaled the break was over by repositioning his backpack on his shoulders and saying, "Let's go." As the Boudines gathered their packs again Don caught Charlie's eyes. Game on. His brother nodded and took the lead again.

Several hours later they stopped by a cool, rushing stream where they refilled their water bottles and ate a small snack.

Don was sitting on the ground, resting, leaning back against a large rock and Jordan chose a spot close by. Alex sat nearer to the stream, where Charlie lounged, enjoying an apple.

"Well, now that we know Jordan should be watching out for bear scat and what way the wind will blow his hair," Alex joked, "what about a math teacher. What part would he play in all of this?"

Charlie sat up, his eyes suddenly sparkling. "Oh, there's any number of mathematical applications that can be used in this situation. I once helped Don and an FBI sniper track down a fugitive in the wilderness very much like this using Soap Bubble Theory and Steiner Tree."

"Soap bubbles and what?" "Wait, you two work together?" Both Boudines voices rang at the same time.

Don shrugged and mumbled, "Sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Charlie snorted, derisively. "I help him on cases all the time, actually. Even though I teach at CalSci, consult for other agencies and try to find time to keep up with my own research, it seems I'm at the FBI offices more than my own."

"Well, it's not like you don't paid for what you do." Don stood up abruptly and tossed an empty wrapper into his pack. He turned, giving his brother a dark look. "And you can say no anytime you want to, you know. Hell, half the time you're there before we even call you – butting in like usual."

Charlie's voice remained normal in it's volume and pitch but it's tone was mocking, arrogant. "Well, if I didn't "butt-in", as you put it, your solve rate wouldn't be one of the highest in the bureau."

Both Boudine brothers glanced discreetly at each other, unsure of what exactly was happening as Don turned to Charlie once again and snapped, "I don't need you to do my job, Chuck. I can handle it just fine without you."

"Oh, yeah? Well, the numbers say differently. Your solve rate rose 12% the first year I started to help out and it has grown exponentially since then," he boasted.

Don took a few steps towards his brother. He glared down at him, intimidating and threatening. "My team has one of the highest solve rates in the bureau because they're damn good. We don't need some puppy dog mathematician nipping at our heels to make us look good. So you can just take your 12% and your soap bubbles and your stupid Steiner Tree and shove them ... "

"Hey, hey," Alex broke in, standing up quickly. He swallowed nervously and his eyes flitted uncomfortably between Don and Charlie. "Shouldn't we be going? I mean you said we had quite a ways to go, yet, right?"

Don snarled under his breath and glared at Charlie, who had the audacity to throw a smug look back at him. As he swung his backpack over his shoulders, Don noticed the what's that all about? look Jordan shot Alex's way, and the discreet, beats me shrug that Alex sent back, but neither of them saw the slight upturn of Don's pouting lips as he stomped past Charlie, or the twinkle in the mathematician's eyes before he frowned and cast them down as his brother passed.

They walked quietly for a while, then, Charlie, still in the lead, suddenly left the main trail they were on, venturing onto a small, less traveled one.

"Hey," Don called. "I thought we were heading for Webster's Bluff. We need to stay on the same trail."

"No. This way is better."

"And who decided that?"

"I did. You put me in the lead and this route is not only shorter, the ground is more level here, easier to travel on, and we'll make better time. It's logical, Don. I thought even you would have seen that." The three men caught the thinly veiled contemptuous tone of Charlie's voice, and Jordan and Alex tensed slightly, waiting for Don's reply.

"Maybe logical, little brother, but not too practical." There was a blatant condescending tone in Don's voice and manner, and he smirked, "We're pretty low here and with all of the rain we've had lately this area is more prone to flash floods. We're safer traveling the higher route. But, if you'd rather be logical . . . oh wait, let me guess, you have some magical mathematical equation that tells us what route is safer?"

Charlie glowered back, his dark brows forming a V above his eyes. "Fine," he snapped. "Fine. We'll go your way. You lead, then."

Don took them on a gradual climb, passing through Webster's Bluff by mid-afternoon. Charlie sulked most of the time while Don offered a few bits of information to Jordan and Alex about tracking down a suspect.

"Your character is an agent from Homeland Security, right?" Don asked. When Jordan nodded, Don snorted, shaking his head in a wry amused manner. "Hollyweird." he muttered. At Jordan's puzzled look, he explained. "Homeland Security is really an umbrella term for several different agencies, so your agent could actually be from the DOD, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Protection, the Coast Guard or even the Secret Service. ICE – the Immigration and Customs Enforcement – is the largest investigative department of Homeland, but it's not too often an agent from ICE would be actively tracking a terrorist. That usually falls to the FBI Counterterrorism Division, which works closely with Homeland and the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force in such situations."

Jordan nodded, understanding Don's wry remarks, and shrugged. "So they played around with the facts a little. Does it change how the terrorist would be tracked?"

Shaking his head, Don answered, "No. Tracking is tracking, but you have to assume that he's been trained in survival and evasion techniques. Most of them are pretty serious about being prepared for their mission and there's not going to be tracks to follow or broken twigs to lead the way."

"It's a good thing Alex isn't playing the agent, then," Jordan's tone was both teasing and mocking. "He was so bad at hide and seek when we were little the other kids had to give him clues in order to find me."

Alex, a few steps behind his brother, glared angrily, but remained quiet.

"It helps if you know your suspect's intent," Don continued, "where he might be heading, what he plans to do. If your intel is good and you have an idea what his plans are, you're one step ahead of the game."

"Probability Theory would work, too." Charlie interrupted, finished with his brooding. "It's like tossing a coin in the air. That's a random event, and if repeated many times the sequence of random events will exhibit certain statistical patterns, which can be studied and predicted. Using known terrorist patterns as random events, you could predict where the suspect is likely to go next."

Don went on, ignoring his brother. "Successfully tracking another man is not just something you learn in specialized training. It's a skill that grows with each case, each time you hunt a suspect down. There's a lot you have to take into effect; does he know he's being followed - is he armed - is he familiar with the area - is he injured? It's like a game, but you have to control it. Again, knowledge is the key. If you know what your suspect is planning and where he's likely to head – you can anticipate his path and execute a predictive strike aimed at his destination."

"It's what we call pursuit evasion." Charlie tried again. "If your evader can find a way to outmaneuver you, he'll escape. But, you can gain an advantage over your opponent by changing the movement rules using variants, such as using tracking dogs, or air support or simply by changing the edge weight."

"Instinct is more important, though, than any rules of tracking," Don continued, as though Charlie had not even spoken. "You have to put yourself in your target's head; know him, what he's likely to do next. You have to anticipate his next move and outmaneuver him."

Tired of being ignored, Charlie cut in again, his voice scornful and sharp. "Or you could apply an overlapping search pattern to maximize the area covered, like the one I devised when Agent Reeves was kidnapped. Don and his team weren't getting anywhere – even with instinct – but as soon as I gave them the Reeves Variation, they found her, no doubt saving her life."

Don stopped walking and turned on his brother, his eyes dark and angry. "We would have found her!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, big brother," Charlie scoffed, "but wasn't time an intricate factor that day? Yes, you would have eventually found her, but, the way she was bleeding ... "

Don had him pinned to a tree before anyone could blink. "Listen, you little twerp. I've had enough..."

Jordan and Alex moved quickly, each grabbing one of Don's arms and pulling him away.

"What's with you two," Jordan demanded, breathless, looking at both Don and Charlie in turn.

Don shook off their hold, his hands held up and open in a back off, I'm okay gesture. Charlie took a few steps away from both the tree and his brother as they released him. "Nothing." Don muttered, his head down, his lips pursed and tight. "Nothing. It's alright. Let's just go."

Jordan and Alex held back, waiting for Don to take the lead again, and, for just an instant, while the Boudines exchanged a few mumbled words between themselves, Don reached forward to help his brother pull the heavy pack back into place on his shoulders. He hesitated, his fingers lingering at Charlie's elbow for a second and their eyes met; two sets of dark eyes searching for forgiveness, and both finding nothing but absolution, apology and conviction.

tbc