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.
CHAPTER SEVEN
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"Drive." Charlie's voice came over the radio.
Alan had heard everything that Charlie had said since Luke had returned after taking his youngest from the office. He had listened in horror as Charlie had followed Luke's orders and taken hostages at gunpoint. Had been even more horrified to hear Don's voice filled with bitterness and anger. Then the fear projected by his eldest son that he'd had been harmed by Charlie came across all too clearly. This was why Alan had forbidden Charlie to obey his torturer. He was prepared to suffer any pain if it protected his boys. But he knew that both boys would do whatever they could to try and protect him. It was a situation that simply played right into Luke's hands, each Eppes would do anything to protect the others. It was their strength and an exploitable weakness.
"Turn right."
"Idiots!" Luke exclaimed. He made as if to throw the radio transceiver across the room but restrained himself.
"Not going to plan then, eh?" Alan offered. The hood and gag had been removed not long after Luke's return. But still being bound hand and foot there was nothing else he could do but taunt the man.
Luke rounded on the helpless, older man. He stalked closer in fury and Alan feared that he was in for some more pain. His tormentor was some sort of expert at causing pain with just a finger or two. Alan remembered Don once talking about pressure points used to control violent offenders during arrests. Don had even demonstrated one or two points when he'd been disbelieving that it was possible. Luke seemed to know them all very well, causing pain without injury.
Alan had recovered somewhat from the initial sustained attack that had bent Charlie to the man's will. Luke had since however been revisiting some of those pressure points every time he'd thought Charlie had been wavering in his task. Each time the radio had been held close enough so the sounds he made were transmitted to Charlie. He tried to keep silent but Luke was persistent and was able to make his prisoner cry out in pain. Readying himself for another round Alan defiantly lifted his chin and glared steadily at Luke as the man stopped next to him.
"Perhaps that is for the best."
Alan frowned at him.
"It just means you get to watch your son die, old man." Luke explained as a smile grew on his face. He held up the radio over which Charlie could be heard giving directions. "They'll be here in a few minutes."
Alan's blood froze then boiled at the man's casual statement of intention. How dare he threaten his sons! "Why are you doing this?" He demanded.
"Agent Eppes took something from me that I will never get back. Last time I had him I was unable to do anything about it because we needed him. Now I am free to punish him."
This man once 'had' his eldest son? But that could wait. "What did Don take from you?"
"My brother."
"So you, you want to take Don's brother away from him? To take my youngest son away from me?"
"If SWAT had stuck to procedure then that would be done. Now I have to do it myself."
Luke had taken some pains to describe the scenario he'd set up for Charlie and Don. Alan had been able to 'see' the SWAT officers pointing their weapons at his sons and had expected to hear the gunshots signalling the end of one or both of their lives. He just hadn't realised the full extent of Luke's plans, he was trying to deliberately make SWAT take action. "Why make SWAT kill Charlie? You had him here. Why not do it yourself in the first place?" Oh, Lord, what was he saying?
"Don't you get it, old man? Someone kills his brother and he can do nothing about it, can't take revenge."
Alan knew that Luke was right. If SWAT had killed Charlie, Don wouldn't have been able to do anything. It would have been a lawful shoot. Alan tried to remain dispassionate and reason it out. "You said you had Don before but couldn't avenge your brother. You want him to feel that helplessness?" At Luke's steady smile he continued, defending his eldest. "Don wouldn't have killed your brother if your brother had done nothing wrong. By doing the wrong thing he accepted the consequences."
"By causing my brother's death it is Agent Eppes that should accept the consequences."
"Charlie shouldn't have to pay… Just wait a goddamn minute! Caused? You mean that Don didn't actually kill your brother?"
"Because of him, to save him, my brother had to die."
Say what? A criminal had died to save his Donny? That made no sense to Alan. He was going to have to have a word with Donny about keeping secrets. His son's reluctance to tell his own family what happened to him at the FBI was working against Alan's ability to figure out Luke's meaning.
"He never told you?"
Alan shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Looks like you're gonna find out."
"We're here." Charlie's voice was scratchy over the radio.
Alan figured it was because they were now in the garage under the building. Charlie was obeying orders, bringing his brother to Luke's lair so that one could watch the other die. He was a little unclear as to which son Luke was going to target when he had both to choose from. He couldn't bear it. He was about to loose one, but most probably both of his sons. He felt the beginnings of despair, a father should never outlive his sons. His next thought was that it would be unlikely for him to outlive them by long. Hardly comforting, but there it was.
Neither of them had noted the unnatural silence from Don.
Luke raised the radio. "Make him put the handcuffs back on then bring him up."
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Paying almost as much attention to the rear view mirror as to the road in front of him Don made the turns as ordered by Charlie. He thought he saw a black sedan about a block back, one that was the same make and model as that driven by David earlier on the wild ride to CalSci. The sunlight glinting on the windshield prevented him seeing the driver and it had dropped back behind another vehicle before he could see the tags. He hoped he was wrong, they didn't need to be that close to track the GPS chip installed on his SUV. If they were under surveillance from someone reporting to Luke he prayed that they hadn't noticed the sedan.
"That building, turn in."
Don obediently slowed and turned in noting that as expected they hadn't come very far from the CalSci campus. As they drove into the artificial light of the parking garage and headed down the ramp he had a sudden flash of memory, another garage, another SUV. Another Luke. Surely it was another Luke, it couldn't be the same. Deep down however, he knew it couldn't be a different man. The coincidence was too much. He recalled that Luke had been missed in the roundup when the other fake terrorists had been arrested. This was bad, this was very bad.
"We're here." Charlie announced.
The agent pulled the vehicle up near the elevators, noting a second black SUV already parked in a nearby spot. He turned the key and allowed the engine to die. They sat in silence for a moment, the engine ticking as it cooled. "What now?"
Charlie appeared to listen for a moment then reached over and plucked the handcuffs from the centre console. He held them out. "Put them back on."
Don took the cuffs but hesitated. He could take Charlie, take the weapon from him before he would be able to put up an effective resistance. Their father had to be in this building. Charlie would tell him where. He raised his eyes to meet his brother's. The only problem was Charlie seemed to know what he was thinking. He'd hesitated too long. His brother was backed up as far as he could get in the confined space of the vehicle's interior, fear on his face and the weapon raised between them. No, taking action now would just get their father killed. The sounds of the struggle would alert Luke who would be able to pull the trigger long before Don would even make it to the elevator. That explained Charlie's fear. Looking away in defeat he once again he fitted the restraints around his own wrists. "Alright, Charlie. Whatever you want."
"Out."
Don pushed his door open and stepped down to the concrete garage floor. He shouldered the door closed before walking around the front of the SUV to meet his brother. He was waved over to the elevator and Don watched as Charlie made two attempts to press the call button, his hand was shaking that badly, before it finally illuminated.
Don looked at his brother in concern. Charlie's face was anguished, his whole body trembling. He could barely look Don in the eye. Abruptly he turned away. Don suspected he knew what was happening. They were nearing the end and the moment of truth.
"Charlie?" The younger man shook his head. Don put a bit more steel into his tone. "Charlie?"
"Don, please. Don't." He turned back, eyes brimming. He looked ready to crack. Suddenly he swapped the gun to his left hand and held out it out, butt first.
Don looked to the weapon then up at his brother's face. He took a step back, shaking his head. Whereas a few moments ago he had contemplated taking the gun by force he now realised that it was useless in his hands. Their father was still a hostage and he was sure that Luke would be prepared for such an eventuality, for the tables to have been turned. No, it was better if Charlie continued to hold the weapon. Better that Don went up helpless, like a lamb to the slaughter. Luke would most likely demand the surrender of the gun the moment they arrived on whatever floor they were headed to anyway.
But he suddenly remembered that Charlie had a second gun, one that Luke might not be aware of. Don had no way of telling whether or not Luke had ordered Charlie to pocket his Glock. Operating on the assumption that it had been something Charlie had done of his volition, Don stepped back closer to his brother. Ignoring the proffered weapon he instead lightly touched the pocket on Charlie's jacket that held the Glock. It was lucky that the jacket was long enough so that the pocket hung below the bottom of the Kevlar vest and was still accessible. He then touched the spare magazine still sitting in its pouch on his own belt.
Charlie blinked, the anguish on his face was replaced by hope. He reached out his right hand and touched the magazine before miming pulling it out and putting it into the same pocket with the Glock. Don frowned and Charlie repeated the action this time pretending to put the magazine into the gun he was still holding before pretending to put it into his pocket. He was offering to load the Glock.
Don shook his head. It was better if the Glock remained unloaded for now. If he were able to make an attempt for it later he could load it then. With his hands manacled it would be hard and take precious seconds but he'd practiced one handed loading so he knew he could manage. If Luke did know about the gun he didn't want him pulling the loaded weapon from Charlie's jacket.
The elevator finally arrived. Don resolutely stepped inside turning back to face the doors and waited for Charlie to follow. Charlie finally moved and took up a position behind Don, keeping up appearances. He'd taken the gun back into his right hand and was once again holding it on him.
"Four."
Don pressed the button and the doors closed. He noted the 'for lease' tags beside most of the floors and only two had business names beside them. He'd seen that this was a new building and it was obviously virtually empty. He glanced around and saw the small camera lens in the corner, there was no way to tell if it was functioning. It could have been installed by Luke or could just be standard building security. If it were security it was unlikely to be monitored, with the current occupancy rate there would be no money to support a security office. That left the possibility it was monitored by Luke. With that in mind Don stood still and stared at the doors in front of him.
It was all going to be over soon, one way or the other. He felt remarkably calm having made his decision back in the math department office. If necessary he would die to save his family. If that meant offering himself up meekly then he would do it. If not then he would go down fighting to get his family out. He'd made this decision before and had been tested and that hadn't been for family. He knew he wouldn't back down, no matter what. As the elevator car rose and the number steadily counted upwards he straightened his back and used the limited time to ready himself for whatever would follow.
A/N: For those who haven't yet made the connection (although I'm sure that most of you have) this is a sequel to Vigilante Terrorist. Luke made his appearance in Chapter 2.
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