A/N: So, I like the idea of this chapter, but I'm not sure how well I pulled it off writing-wise. Ah well. No more time for self-doubt-just post! Callahan's not my favorite character, but I have to say, he's fun to write :)

Disclaimer: Numb3rs isn't mine.

A tempest struggles in the air

Unto myself alone I sing

It could sink me then and there

I can hear the echoing

-"Tell Ol' Bill," Bob Dylan

Chapter 10—The Cavalry Waits

Agent Callahan eyed Liz Warner. She was, in a word, hot. Even in a vest. Not everyone could pull off Kevlar, he thought to himself. The fierce look on her face only made her more attractive, in a way, although Callahan knew that he wouldn't be doing anything to piss her off anytime soon, not with that glare.

"We have to move in," said Warner, her voice tense. Callahan bit back his annoyance. They all knew that Agent Eppes and she had had something going on—it hadn't been six months since it had ended. She also had a right to be stressed—it was her that Agent Reeves had contacted to inform the FBI of the team's plans, and Warner felt responsible for them. But, as the senior agent present, Callahan and his team had taken command of the situation.

"We don't know how many hostiles we have. Hett could be working with someone," Callahan repeated to her. He liked to rotate through their reasons, giving a new one each time she asked to move and then starting over once he'd run out. They'd been out there all day and he'd given her this particular reason at least a dozen times. No doubt more. His second in command was keeping track—Callahan would check with him later, just out of curiosity. Next reason up: we've had no demands.

"Hett's alone," came a new voice. Callahan spun, along with the other dozen agents on the scene. Liz took a step towards the new arrival, looking relieved. Another ex, thought Callahan, nearly rolling his eyes. I mean, he could see why, and he'd gladly add himself to the list if it meant a few months with her, but…

"And how do you know that?" Callahan challenged, not liking that all of his men were suddenly looking to this stranger for information instead of to himself.

"I've been tracking this guy," began the man. "He was moving under a different name before he reached L.A., so it took me a while to put together the dots. But now here I am. And trust me, this guy works alone. He's not exactly a team player."

"I'm not just going to take your word for that," Callahan retorted.

"Well, then, there's only one way to prove it." The taller man's words sounded like a challenge.

Agent Warner had reached him by now, and began talking to him rapidly. The man nodded, and they both paused a moment to check their gear, un-holstering weapons. Callahan was getting a real bad feeling about this.

"Hey!" he called out, but not too loudly. They were too close to the target for noise.

Warner and the man didn't pause, but instead turned away and strode off towards the warehouse. Then men around Callahan began to scramble, clearly unsure of whether they should stop the renegades or back them up.

The shot that echoed off of the surrounding buildings moments later solved that problem for them.

Liz was frustrated. And furious. And completely and utterly terrified. Megan had called her, telling her that Don was in trouble and the rest of the team was about to surrender themselves to the guy who had just shot Colby and abducted Don. Oh, and guess what? Robin Brooks was going with them. Liz hadn't needed to warn Megan that Don was going to kill her for this, even if Hett didn't—Megan's voice gave away a painful awareness of all the possible consequences of choosing to follow the hostile's orders. And of choosing not to follow them.

Then Liz had called in backup and Callahan's team had taken over, playing the seniority card, when it was, by rights, her case. And to make matters worse, she was perfectly aware that the guy who had forced her to take the backseat on this one was now checking her out. Very obviously.

In short, Liz wanted to kill everyone. Slow, painful deaths. And she wanted to get her sometimes-team out of there. They she wouldn't kill. Although she rather suspected that Don would take care of that in her stead. Finally, she could hold her silence longer, although she knew that it couldn't have been more than ten minutes since she last made this same statement: "We have to move in."

Her voice sounded harsh. But under all of her anger and annoyance, Liz was terrified for the team. And the backup was supposed to be backing the team up. Standing here was not backing them up. It was not helping in any way. And they'd been standing here for nearly six hours. They might as well be in the FBI office, happily oblivious. Once again, Liz mentally cursed Callahan. He had to be the least competent agent she had ever met. Let him go botch up his own cases—but not when her team's lives were at stake.

"We don't know how many hostiles we have. Hett could be working with someone." Callahan was repeating the reason for the fourteenth time. Once again, Liz fought to control the urge to strangle him. He was mocking her, and she knew it.

"Hett's alone." Liz spun with the rest of the agents, smiling in relief at who she saw. She began walking over to him, knowing that now she had an ally. Between the two of them, Don and the others had all the backup they needed.

"And how do you know that?" Liz ground her teeth as she walked, resisting the urge to turn around and yell. Seriously, Callahan was an idiot. When the guy in front of them said that Hett was working alone, Hett was working alone. No questions asked. She tuned out the rest of the conversation that was taking place, her mind scrambling to remember the blueprints of the warehouse, the best entry points. There was a small room off to one side, and she didn't need Charlie to tell them that this was most likely to be where Hett was holding Don and the others.

Charlie. The thought of the other Eppes brother distracted Liz for a moment. She'd almost been tempted to bring Charlie in on this one, see if he could tell them anything. But she knew that the last thing they needed was to have another person emotionally involved in this case. And Liz knew that where Charlie's emotions were involved, his math side tended to disappear. But it was too late for second guessing decisions now. Liz shook herself slightly, reaching her target.

"You know the situation?" she asked without preamble. She received a terse nod in response. "Well, we need to move now. They've been in there way too long, and these guys aren't going anywhere. There's only one entrance to the warehouse. The only concern is that Hett may be with our guys, who are in a separate room. If so, there's no way to get to them without alerting Hett or turning this into a flat out hostage situation."

"We'll go check out the situation, and then make our move." Liz nodded briefly in reply, slipping her gun out of its holster, just in case. Her companion did the same.

A few moments later, they were in position, and in luck, because their target was in view and separate from the team. She nodded to the man next to her, and they stepped out into the open, perfectly aware that this put them in a position to be shot. And to shoot. The "FBI" emblazoned on their Kevlar was enough for Hett. Sure enough, he raised the gun.

A single shot echoed through the warehouse.

Yes, I will eventually reveal the identity of the man. Although I'm sure that some of you will have already guessed correctly.