Short but new. :)
Title: Fragile Balance
Author: Cindy Ryan
Pairings: Terry/Don, Amita/Charlie
Timeline: AU season two
Terry stared at the eight by ten picture that was taped to the dry erase board on the left side of the bullpen. A smiling three year old blond, brown eyed boy stared cases were always tough. Terry never got used to them. Something about this boy was tugging at her emotions. She couldn't help but think that with the features this boy had he could be what her and Don's child would look like some day.
Shaking he head Terry turned her attention back to the computer in front of her. She didn't know where that train of thought came from. She and Don were still on the reconnect stage; especially after Vegas.
Terry forced her attention back on the case. The techs had sent the video that Colby had obtained to her computer.
In the first viewing Terry had seen the murder and kidnapping. The cameras were state of the art and had captured the nanny's horror in crystal clarity. Even without sound Terry could almost hear the child's terrified screams as he was ripped away. The kidnappers had worn dark light weight jackets and ski masks. They'd driven a black Denali SUV. The plates had been obscured by a light plastic. The plastic was dark gray so any chances of pulling a plate number was gone.
Terry was now going through tons of traffic camera footage trying to catch a glimpse. It was like a needle in a haystack. There were hundreds of SUV's in Los Angeles. Terry glanced at the computer clock and redoubled her efforts. The boy had been missing almost two hours. The parents were on their way home but as far as Terry knew there hadn't been no ransom demand yet.
None of these factors were a good sign. Terry had to find him before it was too late.
Colby felt himself go cold as he stared at the second crime scene in disbelief. Two murder kidnappings in less than three hours was too coincidental. This one was the same m.o as the first. Ritzy neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills. Nanny shot at point blank range. This time a four year old red haired girl had been taken.
"What do they want with these kids, Don?"Granger asked grimly.
Eppes shook his head solemnly as they stood over the nanny's body sprawled in the front yard. "We'll find them. I'll bring Charlie in."
Colby raised an eyebrow. "Think he's up to this?"
"Hope so."Don replied quietly. "We need him."
By early evening Charlie stood in a familiar place. He was back in the FBI; back consulting on a case.
A horrific case.
Charlie was in one of the small conference rooms a clear plastic chalk board in front of him. To his left was another white dry erase board that he'd placed the pictures of the murder victims and the missing children.
That had always helped him focus. To remember there was something beyond the numbers; beyond the case.
There were families that needed answers.
Now Charlie stared at the clear board that held half an kinds of possibilities were running through his mind. All kinds of different scenarios. Don had told him they had thought the first kidnapping was personal. Now though with the second child there didn't seem to be a connection except that their parents were wealthy.
Even with the different equations Charlie's mind kept drifting back to when he'd been reunited with Don. Faking his death had not been an easy decision for Charlie. He hadn't had a choice and Don had forgiven him for it. Along with all the other people in his life. As Charlie looked at the pictures of the victims he couldn't comprehend how someone could plan something this awful. How they could be so full of hate that they would destroy families without a second thought.
All for revenge and money.
Shaking his head Charlie pulled out his cell phone. He hit a speed dial and called Amita. He was hoping she could track Larry down. Charlie was going to need everyone's help on this one.