Numb3rs – Disarmed

Disclaimer – I don't own them, I just borrowed them. Numb3rs and its characters are the property of those that created them. No copyright infringement intended. No financial reward gained. All real organisations are used in a fictional sense. Original characters and the storyline are mine however.

A/N: Although we have seen worse done to the two brothers, I am about to whump Alan. Nothing graphic I assure you, but I just wanted to give fair warning in case it may upset some people.

CHAPTER FOUR

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Only a few more miles and they pulled into a basement garage of a new office building. There were just a few cars scattered about the spaces. The man helped Charlie from the vehicle and over towards the lifts. Charlie held his wrists up briefly, hoping to be freed but the man ignored him, pressing the lift button. He objected to being hauled around like a child but bit his tongue, he was still bound, the man was still armed and worst of all his father was still being held hostage. He crossed his fingers, perhaps he was being taken to him now.

The lift doors slid open and Charlie was pushed inside. A button with a sticker beside it saying 'for lease' was pressed and the doors closed. He saw that only two floors appeared to be occupied, the tenth and twelfth. The ride up to the fourth floor passed in silence. When the doors opened at their destination the man grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and pushed him out. The sudden movement caused the sharp edges of the flex-cuffs to bite into his wrists but he kept silent. Charlie looked around him and saw that they were in a hallway with plain frosted glass walls and a couple of closed doors.

He was given a push to the left and he meekly walked towards the closed door at that end of the hall. He stopped and waited as the man pulled out a key and unlocked the door, pushing it open. The door was relocked behind them and they walked a short distance into the room before Charlie was given a sudden shove forwards. He was getting heartily sick of the manhandling. He then caught a glimpse of where he was headed and just had time to bring up his bound hands to protect his face as he bounced off the glass window much to the amusement of the man. Charlie knew he was in no danger of falling through, assuming that the building was up to code that was. Four floors may not seem so high but the view from close against the window in the empty office was dizzying.

The man then opened a door to an inner office and Charlie didn't need any encouragement to enter. He immediately rushed over to the bound figure strapped to a chair. The man was wearing a hood but it was his father. Charlie pulled the hood from the older man's head and gently lowered the gag finding that his father was conscious.

Alan blinked his eyes at the sudden glare of light and licked his dry lips. "Charlie?" He managed, still squinting.

"Dad!" Charlie patted anxiously at his father's body with his hands looking for any injuries. The bruise on his forehead was darker than it had been in the photograph but didn't appear too serious.

"Oh, my boy. Why are you here?"

"Has he hurt you? Are you alright?"

"I'm alright, son. Just a bump."

"What happened?"

Alan nodded at the man in the suit. "He did. He came to the house flashed a badge and said he was from Don's office. I went with him like a fool. It wasn't until we got here and there was no Don that I realised something was up. So then he pulls out a gun and hits me with it. Next thing I wake up to find a bag on my head and I seem to be all alone. Now I know why, he was getting you. Charlie, has he hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine." The mild mannered math professor turned on the still unnamed man, eyes flashing. "You didn't have to hit him."

"I'll be doing more than just hitting him if you don't do what I tell you."

"Charlie, don't you do anything." Alan ordered.

He was ignored. "Let him go. I'm here, you don't need him."

"He's going to be enjoying my company for some time yet, unlike you."

Charlie tried to disregard the chill that ran down his spine. "Who are you?"

"What do you want with my son?" Alan demanded at the same time.

"You can call me Luke." The man said, finally identifying himself. He turned his next comment to Alan. "And I don't want this son. I'm after your other one."

"Then be a man and go get him yourself."

Charlie looked at his father in shock before realising what he'd meant. It seemed that this Luke was working alone and felt he was no match for Don in a fair fight. That's why he was taking hostages, one at a time. He needed leverage. If he'd gone after the FBI agent directly Don would have had a good chance of taking him out.

Luke smiled tightly. "I see the Eppes spirit runs through the whole family. You ex-FBI?"

"Ex-town planner, if you must know." Alan retorted defiantly. He lifted his chin. "If you're after Don then you don't need Charlie, you have me. Let him go."

"Oh, I'll be letting this son go soon enough." Luke stepped over and replaced the gag and then the hood over Alan's head despite the older man's struggles. "But now it is time for he and I to have a little chat."

Charlie was pulled from the office and into the room next door. Another chair awaited and he was not surprised to be pushed down into it. A couple of zip ties were produced and he soon found his wrists bound to one armrest. His ankles were then secured together and attached to a chair leg.

"Why do you want my brother?"

"I'd rather discuss that with him."

"Then why are we here? Why have you hurt our father?"

"I haven't begun to hurt him yet." Luke threatened. "How much I do hurt him is up to you."

"Don't hurt him." Charlie tried again: "I'll do what you want."

"I'd like to believe that but unfortunately for your father's sake, I don't." Luke stepped away and went for the door.

"Where are you going? Come back!" Charlie yelled at Luke's retreating back. He had a very bad feeling about what was going to happen next.

Only a few seconds passed before his worst fears were realised. Muffled screams came from the next room, from his father.

"Stop it!"

The screams stopped abruptly and Charlie breathed again. He waited for the sounds of Luke's return and prepared to listen to the man's demands but instead the screams started again.

"Stop it!" He yelled again. "Stop it, you'll kill him!"

The screams continued unabated, varying in intensity but were without let up.

"I'll do it! I'll do whatever you want!" The muffled sounds continued and he was helpless. He tugged at his bonds, succeeding in only causing his wrists to bleed. He pulled violently at the armrest but it stayed firmly attached to the chair. Throwing himself to one side he knocked the chair over only to discover that it was made of sterner stuff than he, staying in one piece as he was falling apart.

He lay panting on the floor, eyes squeezed tightly shut with tears running down his cheeks. He wanted Luke to stop. He wanted to block his ears to shut out the screams that had turned into groans. There was another noise, a painful keening that he suddenly realised was coming from him. He bit his lip to silence himself.

Finally all he could do was beg, his pleas falling apparently unheard to the soft carpeting. "Please…"

"Please what?"

Charlie's eyes flew open to see Luke's shoes inside the doorway. His gaze tracked upwards, over the hands that had caused his father pain. He was surprised to see that they were unbloodied. From the sounds his father had made he'd thought… He shut that line of though down ruthlessly. He stared upwards into the torturer's face.

"T-tell me what you want."

Luke calmly explained what he wanted the math professor to do.

"No!" The objection was automatic. "I can't!"

Luke simply walked away. His absence filled a few moments later by another agonised groan from the other room.

"Alright! Alright!" Charlie cried. He needed Don, needed his brother to save them. If this was the only way to get Don to help then he would have to do it. He knew his father wouldn't be able to withstand any more punishment. Charlie couldn't stand it. He was back to begging. "Please…"

Luke returned, this time looking pleased. He knew he had won, that the professor would play along with the drama he had planned for the FBI agent. If all went well then Charlie was going to be more than just a messenger, an enabler. No, Charlie had a major role, if everyone played by the rules.

Half an hour later Charlie found himself climbing out of Luke's SUV after it pulled to a stop. They were back at the entrance to the math building at CalSci. He had been given a different jacket to wear, one in a style commonly favoured by students with large pockets. He'd also been given a balaclava that sat in one pocket, a micro earpiece embedded in his left ear canal and a microphone pinned under his collar. The transmitter/receiver was clipped to the back of his belt. Most distressingly there was a gun in his right pocket, the weight heavier on his soul than on the fabric of the jacket.

He headed directly inside as he'd been instructed, turning into the men's room and locking himself into a cubicle. He waited, nervously twisting and pulling at the balaclava in his hands. He thought of his father as he'd last seen him just before leaving the office, the hood pushed back, face ashen grey and sweaty as he slumped barely conscious in the chair. There were no visible injuries but he was clearly in pain. For a moment he'd roused, managing to raise his head briefly. The look in his eyes above the gag was clear to his youngest son. But Charlie had to disobey that silent order. He'd stood passively next to the wall and waited as the small explosive charge was set against his father's chest before the hood was once more pulled down.

He forced his hands to still on the balaclava, it would be shredded if he continued. He couldn't do what Luke wanted, he just couldn't. The plan was crazy and Charlie couldn't understand why Luke needed it to be done this way. A phone call was all it would take. A simple phone call and Don would come running, unarmed and alone. He'd tried to argue the point but Luke simply started to walk into the other office and Charlie had surrendered.

He had no choice. It was the only way to save their father. It meant putting Don in danger but he knew his elder brother would volunteer in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. The agent put his life on the line everyday for strangers, for family the son and brother wouldn't even think about it. Don would just do whatever it took. It was Charlie's only comfort and he clung to it. He was going to put his brother at a severe disadvantage but he knew in his heart that the anomaly that was Don Eppes would somehow find a way to save them all.

"Now."

Charlie started violently at the sudden command, the earpiece making it seem like the voice was in his head. It was followed by a weak and muffled cry of agony. Luke was back at the office, back with his father and causing him more pain.

"I'm moving." Charlie said aloud to forestall any more 'encouragement'. Luke had warned him what would happen if he was too slow or disobeyed any order.

Now it was an hour and half later and it was done, Don was his prisoner and at his mercy. Luke's voice was in his ear passing on more instructions. Don was also still holding his last note up in front of his eyes. -Do you know who it is?-

Charlie nodded and reached for the pad. He scribbled his answer and handed the pad back. He watched closely as his older brother read the name without recognition. Charlie wasn't sure what to make of that, his tormentor had to be someone Don knew.

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