"No one saw anything out of the ordinary in the neighborhood Don," David confessed to the stressed FBI agent. Don sighed.
"You asked all the neighbors. Everyone?" Don asked with a little hope that David and Colby had missed somebody.
"We asked all the houses on 8 streets, including the one Charlie lives on," Colby explained.
"Okay," Don exhaled. "Lets try running the note through FISH."
"I'm on it," Colby said, grabbing the note and walking off.
"I'll go help," David tried to smile.
Don knew that Colby didn't need help. David just wanted to get away. It seemed like everyone was avoiding him. He guessed they just didn't know what to say to him. No to mention he had snapped at practically everyone over the course of the night. Don checked his watch. It read 9:54 am. The entire team worked through the night on Don's order.
"Hey Don," Meghan said as she came over, two large coffees in her hand. "Here I got this for you," she said, handing Don one of the coffees.
"Thanks," Don muttered.
"How are you holding up?" Meghan asked.
"I guess as best as anyone can when their brother has been kidnapped by some murderous lunatic," Don answered, taking a sip of his coffee. Don's cell phone began to ring, almost making him pour the coffee all over himself.
"Eppes."
"Don?"
"Oh, hi Larry. What's up?" Don asked.
"Well, Charles didn't come into work this morning and there's no answer at the house so I called you. Is Charles sick?" Larry questioned the FBI agent.
Realization dawned on Don. Neither Larry nor Amita knew that Charlie was missing. Don didn't know how to break the news to the professor. "Ah...No Charlie isn't sick," Don said, still trying to think of an easy way to say this.
"He isn't? Well, then where is he?" Larry asked.
"Look Larry there's no easy way of saying this. Charlie was kidnapped last night by a man were hunting," Don dropped the bomb shell. There was silence on the other line for some time.
"Oh my. Do you know where he is? Is he okay?" Larry sputtered.
"Were trying as hard as we can to find him Larry," Don stated.
"Oh. Well, I'm terribly sorry Don. If there's anything you need, me and Amita are here you know," Larry tried consoling the agent.
"Thanks Larry. We'll call you if we need anything," Don emitted.
"Well, all right...and Don?"
"Yeah Larry?" Don acknowledged.
"Good Luck,"
"Thanks," Don sighed.
"Good-bye," Larry said in a low voice.
"Bye," Don said, hanging up the phone.
"Larry?" Meghan questioned.
"Yep," Don replied.
"How'd he take the news?" the female agent inquired.
Don just glared at Meghan. "He was thrilled by it," he said, a little ticked off.
Before Meghan could say anything to Don, the office phone rang. A flurry of activity began to happen. Don put it on speaker phone, and the other agents got ready to trace the call. Don took a deep breath and answered the phone.
"Hello."
"Agent Eppes. Do you want to see you brother again," the voice was deep and clearly had been modified so that the real voice of the kidnapper would remain unknown.
"What did you do to him?" Don demanded to know.
"Now, now agent, lets not get rowdy," the voice cackled.
"What do you want?" Don interrogated.
"50 million dollars. I want it tonight. Meet at 12:00 am, behind the Industrial Park on Groves Road, outside LA," The voice dictated. "And it better be just you agent. You bring any of your other agent's, the professor dies."
Don wanted to desperately scream yes into the phone, but where would he come up with 50 million dollars? Don looked up at everyone in the office. They all nodded and told him to say yes.
"It's a deal," Don agreed.
"Good. Now that we are business partners you can call me Evan. As your brother already figured out, that;s not my real name, but you must call your business partner something right Donald?" the voice chuckled.
"Right," Don said.
"Put the money in the trunk of a car. I'll be there to get it. When it's in my hands, I'll hand over the Professor," Evan explained.
"Okay," Don accepted.
"See you tonight Agent," Evan said, before hanging up the phone. Don hung up the phone soon afterwards.
"Did we get a trace?" Don yelled.
"No, he used a scrambler," Meghan called back
"Where the hell are we gonna get 50 million dollars?" Don sighed, exasperated.
"Fake bills," Meghan said.
"Meghan he'll know," Don retorted.
"Don. Were not letting you go out there alone. We'll have agents in disguise around the area, so when he goes to the trunk of the car we'll surround him," David explained.
"And what if he gets away?" Don questioned.
"He won't," Meghan reassured.
"Okay lets do this," Don nodded.
Don could think of nothing other then the operation that was about to go down as night fell. Before any of the agents knew it, they were heading out to The Industrial Park outside LA. Don's stomach was in knot's. This wasn't just any operation, this was his brother's life that was hanging on the line. When Don reached the industrial park, he put two suitcases full of fake money into the trunk of his SUV and walked off. Meghan, David, Colby, and several other agents were stationed around the area. Don got to a far enough distance but where he could still see what was happening. After several minutes, a large African American man emerged from the shadows and headed towards the SUV.
"Suspect is in sight," Don heard David's voice come over his radio.
"Go on my command," Don said. He waited a little before he yelled, "Go!"
Several shouts of "FBI! Put your hands up," echoed throughout the industrial park. The man at the car and began to plead for them not to shoot him. Don had his gun fixed on the man.
"Where's Charlie?" He yelled.
"Who?" The man asked.
"Charlie!" Don demanded.
"Look man. I don't know no Charlie. I was sent out here by the boss. Please don't shoot me. I got a wife and two kids," the man begged.
"Your not Evan?" Colby questioned.
"Nah. He just sent me out here to get the money," the man stammered.
"What's your name?" Meghan asked.
"Tyrese Knight," He answered.
"All right Tyrese. Were taking you in for questioning," David explained, moving forward and putting Tyrese in handcuffs.
He turned around to see Don. His back turned to the scene.
"Don?" David asked.
"He out smarted us David. He used another man instead of coming himself," Don seethed.
"Lets get back to the office and see what happens from there," David said, still holding a firm grip on Tyrese.
"All right. Lets get out of here," Don nodded.
Back the office the tension in the air was so thick you could probably cut it with a knife. Everyone was sitting around, either stealing glances in Don's directions or hurrying from his presence. Everyone was waiting for one thing...a phone call from Evan. An hour passed before anything happened, but then finally, the phone rang.
"Agent Eppes, you didn't listen to me, you brought the other agents. Agent Eppes...I think you have a funeral to plan."
"Wait Evan...no. We can do this again...I promise this time I'll listen," Don pleaded.
"I don't give second chances Agent. Now it is to late," Evan said, then the click of the phone could be heard.
Don was frozen in place. Everyone was staring at him. Charlie...Charlie was dead. All because of him. If he had only listened Charlie would be alive right now. Don sunk slowly down in his chair and began to sob, as all the other agents watched helplessly.
Please R&R! thank you so much!