Chapter three

Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs.

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Part VII

The three agents felt relieved when a large van finally arrived and seven men got out. The SWAT leader asked. "What do we have?"

Colby was about to reply when another vehicle appeared. It was a Prius. David swore and ran to it. "For God sake, Charlie, what are you doing here?"

"If Don's in that building, I want to be there." The professor replied as he got out.

"If he is in that building, so is Harper and things could turn nasty. If you get hurt, your brother's gonna kill me!"

The other two agents had joined David. "He's right Charlie." Liz agreed. "You can't stay here. It's too dangerous."

"We're losing time!" Charlie replied impatiently. "Shouldn't you be attacking the place by now?"

Realising that Charlie wouldn't leave, David ran to his car and came back with a Kevlar vest. "Okay, you wear that and you wait here until we tell you it's safe to move." He hesitated then added. "You can sit in my car. The radio's on our frequency. You'll be able to listen to what's happening."

"Thank you." The professor put the vest on and sat obediently in the vehicle.

The agents and the SWAT team discussed briefly the strategy to adopt then started to move toward the terminal. They spread out around the building; two men covering each of the back exits, the rest positioning themselves at the main entry and the roller shutter.

Charlie heard a voice whispering in the radio. "SWAT team, ready?"

"Affirmative." Several other voices replied softly.

"One my count; three... two... one... Go! Go!"

The agents and the SWAT forced their way in and disappeared in the terminal. The shutter was lifted, setting the alarm off and the men invaded the dock.

Charlie could hear shouting and shooting. Suddenly the radio came alive again. It was Colby.

"I've got Wright!"

Charlie sat on the edge of his seat.

"And Don?" This time is was David.

"Wait!" Silence. Charlie was about to leave the car and run to the terminal when Colby's voice echoed again. "We've found him!"

"Oh my God, Don!" Liz's voice, in the background.

"Get the medics here now!" Colby ordered.

"Don, can you hear me?" Liz, again in the background.

"Let's get him out of here. Easy. David? Where are you?"

David shouted. "I've got a runner! It's Harper. He's heading to one of the back exits!"

Charlie felt a sudden rage rising in him. Harper was not going to escape! Not after what he had done to Don! He looked for the SUV's key but David had kept them with him so he ran to his car, started it and drove as fast as he could down the road and around the building. A door opened just as he reached the back. Without hesitation, he accelerated and hit it shut. He heard a cry of pain followed by the sound of a brawl.

He listened and when he heard David's voice shouting "Shut up and stand up!", Charlie backed up his car, got out and knocked on the door shyly, calling out. "David?"

The door reopened. Davis was holding a handcuffed Harper with a bloody nose, surrounded by two more men aiming submachine guns at the professor. Charlie jumped and raised his hands.

"Woah! Easy guys, he's on our side. Charlie? Man, you could've been killed! But thanks."

"Is that Harper?"

"Yeah." David replied with a big smile.

"Where's Don?"

David's smile disappeared at once. He handed his prisoner to the other men. "Colby and Liz are with him. This way."

Don was lying, semi-conscious on the floor next to the main entry. Although the temperature outside was above 80, he was shivering violently. For a second, Charlie remained petrified at the sight of his brother: there was dried blood on his face, fresh blood on his wrists, his teeth were chattering and he was extremely pale.

Wright gently covered him with his jacket. When Harper passed them, he looked up, angrily. "You almost killed him." He said accusingly.

"That was the plan, Philip. But he was more resistant than I thought. I should've turned the temperature down further."

Charlie turned around to face the man and before he knew it, he had punched him. The man was much taller than the professor and the blow only connected with his chin. Harper worked his jaw and said mockingly. "Your brother's aim is better and stronger. There's room for improvement, Professor."

Colby got up and looked at Harper sharply. "My aim is very good. If I were you, I'd shut up if you want to keep your teeth intact."

Don managed to open his eyes and noticed his brother shaking his hand in pain. "What... are you... doing here?" He said between two shudders. "It's... dangerous."

"Not anymore. All the bad guys have been arrested." Charlie reassured him.

"No... not all... The killer's still... out".

Exhausted, Don closed his eyes.

Charlie kneeled next to his brother, alarmed. "Hey! Don! Stay with me, okay?"

The agent tried his best to obey his brother but he felt his strength leaving him. He had fought so hard to stay awake and alive in the cold store, he had no energy left. And God, he was so cold!

"Open your eyes, Don." Charlie shook his hand, almost imploring.

Sleep was too tempting. The last thing he heard was his brother's anguished voice calling his name.

--

Charlie refused to budge: this time, he was going in the ambulance with his brother!

Once Don was transferred to his room, Charlie decided to call his father. He couldn't delay it anymore and would have to tell him everything; no way to keep it to a minimum. With Don in the hospital twice in the same day, Alan was going to demand explanations. He braced himself, called him and gave him a sum up of the events of the day.

Alan remained very quiet... too quiet for Charlie's liking. The elder man just replied dryly. "I see... Which hospital?... I'm on my way."

Charlie winced as he hung up. He knew it was the calm before the storm and he was going to be right in the middle. He sighed deeply and he walked back to Don's room.

His brother was asleep, bundled up under several covers but the Doctor had assured that his body temperature was returning to normal.

"He had a severe hypothermia when he arrived. His concussion didn't help his condition." He read his notes. "I understand that he was caught in an explosion this morning and lost consciousness? Then he discharged himself and went back to work?" Charlie nodded. The doctor pursed his lips in disapproval. "He's FBI, isn't he?" Nod again. "Are you too?"

"No, I'm a mathematician. I consult for Don."

"Hmm, hmm. Your brother was extremely lucky. Maybe you could remind him he's not Superman and that human bodies have their limits. I know FBI agents are bad patients but this was pushing his luck a bit far!"

Charlie made a face, upset. "I know. I told him this morning but he didn't listen. You don't know him. His work prevails against everything, including his own safety."

The doctor looked at Charlie with sympathy and gave him a quick pat on the upper arm. "Maybe you should talk to him about how you feel."

--

Don stirred and opened eyes half mast, looking at the ceiling. He was warm again and lying on something soft. Nice. He knew he was in the hospital; he vaguely remembered being in an ambulance and Charlie was there too... Charlie! He cracked his eyes open and turned his head slowly and carefully: no pain, no dizziness, a big improvement on that side too. His eyes finally fell on his brother who was staring at the window, lost in his thoughts. And from the look on his face, they were not happy thoughts.

"Hey Buddy." He whispered.

Charlie started slightly then quickly pulled his chair closer to the bed. "Hey Don. You're awake. How you're feeling. And don't say you're okay." He pressed the bell hanging at the head of the bed.

"I'm fine honestly Charlie. In fact, I'm too warm. Could you remove a cover?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure. Wait until the nurse arrives, okay? She won't be too long. Do you want some water?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice."

Charlie was handing a glass to his brother when the door opened and a nurse, followed by the doctor entered.

"Good evening Agent Eppes, I'm Dr Lopez. Glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

"He said he was too hot and wants a cover off." Charlie responded at his place.

Don looked at him, surprised and amused then turned his head toward the Doctor. "I feel fine actually. Can I leave?"

Dr Lopez raised an eyebrow and glanced quickly at Charlie who rolled his eyes and spread up his arms in a exasperated gesture.

"Uh. Not right away, I'm afraid. You had a concussion and I want to keep you under observation, ideally I'd say all night but something tells me you won't go for that, so let's make a deal. Wait a couple of hours and if your results come back clear, you can go home. But you'll need someone to keep an eye on you just in case. And no going back to work until tomorrow. I will be intransigent on this. You need to rest."

"He'll stay with us. My father will know how to keep him still."

"What do you mean?" Don looked at him warily. "What did you tell him? You called him?"

Charlie moved briefly his head from side to side. "I had to. He's on his way."

Don closed his eyes and sank deeper in his pillow, resigned. "Great."

The doctor finished his examination and said. "The cut on your forehead should heal nicely. The blow on the side of your head is going to be painful for a few days. I'll prescribe you some painkillers. They won't make you drowsy, don't worry" He specified before the agent could start objecting. "The aches from this morning blast should ease quickly. Your hypothermia won't leave any after-effects. You were found in time, there's no damage to the skin or any organs. Your wrists however are going to be painful for a while but they too should heal without any problem. I will recommend no field work for three days."

"But I'm in the middle of an investigation!"

"Well, you'll need to be patient for the next few days."

Charlie muttered. "You could just as well talk to walls, then."

Don glared at his brother but said nothing. "Thank you Doctor."

As soon as the nurse and Dr Lopez had left the room, Don sat up and asked angrily. "What's your problem, Chuck?"

"My problem is that you nearly died this morning and you just ignored it! You went back to chase a trained killer although you weren't in any condition to do so. And you almost died again this afternoon. How many lives do you think you have?"

"Charlie. It's my job-" The agent started.

"No! We had this conversation before! Your job is to protect people but not at your own risk. I know you once said to Colby that you weren't afraid to die but what about us, hmm? What about Dad and me? Have you ever thought of what it would do to us if you got killed?"

Don took a deep breath through the nose. Here we go again. "You're right, we had this conversation before. And if I remember well, I told you I couldn't do my job if I had to worry about what could happen. I do what I have to do. No one in my team or in any team for that matter, can think about the consequences every time we stepped into a dangerous situation. We just go and do our best to watch each other's back. You cannot seriously expect me to back off every time the odds seem against us!" Don stopped and observed his brother. The younger man seemed in pain as if this brother's words were hurting him. The agent calmed down and added in a softer voice. "Charlie, most of the time, I have only a split second to make a decision and, yes sometimes I miscalculate the risks and things can get a little... out of hand."

Charlie snorted and looked away.

"I do my best. That's all I can do... Hey you too make mistakes in your job, right?"

"Very rarely, and even if I do, there's not life threatening. I won't die because of it. What you did today was stupid and useless."

"Hey, what do you mean useless?" He asked, slightly offended. "We caught the Ghost, no?"

"Yeah, but I'm sure we could've got him without you being turned into an ice-cube."

Both brothers challenged each other with a look then Don smiled.

"So you hit Harper?" He said, punching him gently on the arm.

"I tried to anyway." Charlie worked his hand. "It's amazing how much it can hurt."

His brother frowned. "Don't tell me you put your thumb inside your fist when you hit him?"

"No, no! I remembered what you taught me. But still..."

Don shook his head slowly, smiling proudly. "I can't believe my little brother did that."

"Well I didn't exactly plan it, you know. Actually I only realised what I did when my hand started to hurt... But he deserved it after what he did to you." He said in a sulking tone.

Don's smile turned mischievous. "Did it feel good?"

Charlie's face lit up. "Apart from my hand? Yeah, definitely!" He watched his brother laughing. "It's good to see a smile."

"I return the compliment, Buddy."

"Well, it's nice to know that at least some people are in a good mood."

Both men turned their head to the door. Alan was standing, arms crossed, a mixed look on his face. He started to walk to the bed. "I'm glad to see you're alright despite an obviously busy day."

"Dad-" started Don.

Alan ignored him and carried on, coldly, "Being blown off by a bomb in the morning, knocked out and kidnapped in the afternoon then almost frozen to death in the evening, I suppose it's an average day for you, almost boring, hmm?"

Don scowled at Charlie, who raised his hands in defence and started to walk backwards to the door.

Alan turned briefly to his younger son. "Don't go anywhere young man, I want a word or two with you." Then he turned back to his eldest. "But first, I'm going to have a little conversation with your brother, here."

Time for a back-up plan. "The Doctor said I needed to rest and to be honest I'm a bit tired. Can't it wait?"

Alan studied Don's face. He knew his son was playing him but he could also see lines of pain and tiredness around his eyes. His anger vanished and he sighed. "You should be so lucky to get away that easily... Well, I guess the most important is that you're alive... But we will need to talk. You cannot carry on taking so many risks."

Don closed his eyes and smiled lazily. Close call.

As promised by the doctor, he was released later that evening. He spent the night at the Craftsman house

and went back to work the following day, much to Alan's and Charlie's distress. Wright called him in his office as soon as he arrived.

The AD stood up as Don entered and he gestured toward the armchair opposite his desk.

"Good to see you back, Agent Eppes..." He smiled sadly, ill-at-ease. "I wanted to thank you for what you did and also to... to apologize for not coming clean about my brother."

Don raised his hand to brush the excuse away. "It's alright, Sir. Where is he now?"

"The CIA have him in custody but he will be transferred to jail tomorrow."

Don shook his head. "I'm really sorry it had to end that way."

Wright looked down to the floor and whispered. "Yes, so am I."

--

He put the phone down, irritated. Harper wasn't responding. Why wasn't he returning his calls? He knew this could happen. They had discussed what to do in that eventuality; wait 12 hours and follow the plan. 12 hours had gone and Harper hadn't call back. So it was up to him now. A sense of pride grew in him. Harper had said he was the only one he could count on in case of problem, and his silence meant that he was definitely in trouble. Whatever happened, he wasn't going to fail his mentor. He had already gathered the equipment he needed. He packed everything meticulously in a sport bag, picked up his jacket and walked to the door. He stopped short as he grabbed the knob. An idea started to form; why go for small when you can do spectacular? He opened a cupboard and took a parcel wrapped in Kraft paper that he had hidden under some clothes and placed it with the rest in his bag. He smiled; this was going to be his masterpiece! He slammed the door behind him as he left the room. Yes, he was going to make Harper proud!

TBC