Author's Note: Sorry about the long between, but, you know how things can get, holidays, vacay and everything... ;) Hope you all are still enjoying, and thank you for sticking with us this long. =D
Don started to pace nervously, when Charlie walked in with Amita.
"Hey, we're back." he said, and both he and Amita reached for a baby. "What's going on?" Charlie asked, noticing Don's tense face.
"Bomb in the FBI offices."
Charlie's face fell; he looked pale.
"No fatalities." Colby pointed out quickly to him. "Both David and Liz have minor injuries, but, nothing too serious; the EMTs were able to take care of it on-scene and they got sent home without even a prescription."
"Get me the bomb squad's file when they're done tonight." Charlie said, his mouth dry. "I'll... see what I can come up with..."
"Yeah, I was hoping." Colby nodded. "Nikki's coming with it as soon as she can."
"Ah, Charlie, maybe you shouldn't..." Don hedged, looking at his brother worriedly.
"They came to the friggin F.B.I. officeswith a bomb--- they're not gonna hesitate to come to a house..." Don thought to himself.
But, Charlie shook his head. "I can't not do this, Don. If I can in any way help, I want to. I need to."
Amita nodded in agreement. "I'll collaborate with you."
Charlie nodded, trying to soothe Ethan's sudden fussing by a gentle bounce-step. "What is it, big guy?" he murmured.
"Babies are sensitive; I think he knows you're tense." Alan suggested.
Don snorted. "Great, how often would I be able to get near mine, then?" he said with a hint of sarcasm.
"You'll do fine, Donnie." Alan said, patting him on the shoulder.
Around this time, Nikki came in.
"What'd you find?" Don demanded.
"Well, it's weird." Nikki said, handing Don the folder. "Everything got blown in one direction only. Even the people that got hurt--- it wasn't burn marks or anything; it was from flying debris or being thrown into a wall."
Charlie frowned, looking at the pictures and the path of the bomb.
"Amita... look at this... Only one thing could do this..." he said, his tone raspy.
"Oh, goodness; you're right..." Amita gasped. "A sonic blast..."
"Wait, wait, wait... sound waves did this?" Colby asked incredulously.
"Well, very focused ones, yes." Charlie nodded. "It's all done by radio frequency signaling tech--- It would take a large machine to do so much damage, however... and, for it to travel... you'd need a large transport. Hard to be inconspicuous..."
Amita looked at Charlie with wide eyes.
"Is the one at CalSci big enough to cause that much damage?"
Charlie shrugged. "I haven't worked with it myself, but, I suppose it's possible... I don't know who's in charge of it."
"Marshall." Amita said.
"Pennfield?" Charlie asked distastefully.
"Yes..." Amita nodded. "He mentioned he'd done some work with it while he was talking to Megan and I. You should do some tests with it if you're going to get the proper data you need on size, transport and all that..."
Charlie nodded. "Okay. Let's go."
Charlie was glad that everyone was okay. He knew what his brother Don was thinking. He was worried too. Especially with the babies at home, however, at the same time, he would not allow the worry to cripple him and his family. No, the only way he knew everyone would be safe would be for him to solve the case.
Though something was troubling him. He knew Marshall was jealous, envious rather, but this was crazy.
Amita took Charlies' hand as they approached the Cal Sci parking lot. "Lots of crazy stuff happening at the school lately, hun?" she whispered.
Charlie laugh dishearteningly. "Oh yeah. A barrel of monkeys."
"Charlie are you okay?" Amita asked.
Charlie shook his head. "It's okay. Let's see what Pennfield has to stay about this."
"You know it could be anyone he is working with..." Amita began.
"Why are you so defensive of Pennfield?" Charlie asked.
"Because it bothers me that suddenly you're going on gut in lieu of hard evidence."
"Don goes on gut a lot of times..." Charlie muttered.
"Yes, well, Don also has you go over evidence so that he can form his 'gut opinion'." Amita retorted, and Charlie sighed.
"You're right, you're right..." he acquiesced. "Should we really have brought the babies?" Charlie asked, helping Amita buckle the carseats into the stroller.
"It's 9:07. It's past their 9 p.m. feeding time as it is." she reminded, and held up a large fleece blanket. "I can be discreet, but, they need to keep on schedule,"
Charlie nodded, putting an arm around his wife's waist as they walked back to the party. "Wait here." Charlie said, and walked up to Marshall, who was standing near Larry and Megan.
"Hey, ah, I need your assistance." Charlie said, trying to be loud enough to be heard over the bad kareoke music.
"Dr. Charles Eppes needs my assistance? Mr. SuperStar of the Math World?" Marshall smirked.
Charlie grit his teeth. "Just... follow me, all right? To your new office?"
Marshall shrugged, waving to Larry and Megan as he followed Charlie.
"I need to see the sonic generator." Charlie said, stepping back next to Amita, who had been waiting for him.
"Was your revised clearance enough to allow that?" Marshall asked, clearly barbing at him.
"Yes," Charlie replied. "Just to inform you, my revised clearance is not much different than my previous one. After it got cleared up that is. And the only reason why I lost it in the first place was because I stood up to something I believe in..."
"Ah, I see, Eppsy," Marshall replied. "So why do you need to see the generator?"
"FBI business. Do you have the clearance for more?" Charlie counter-replied.
"Well, I have helped before," he retorted.
"We cannot discuss it here anyway. So if you would just--"
Marshall nodded. "Follow me."
Marshall walked towards the room with the generator, and Amita pushed the stroller behind both of them. Marshall offered her a chair when they walked in, and she sat, adjusting the blanket to begin feeding Emme and not be seen. Marshall tilted his head slightly at her, but Charlie cleared his throat loudly and pointedly.
"Right, right... the generator..." he said, walking over, rolling his eyes at Charlie, who stepped in front of his wife, effectively blocking his view, even though the blanket was discreet enough that there was nothing to see.
"What did you need to know?"
"Everything." Charlie admitted. "Trejectory, speed... how far away it can be and still cause damage, and to what degree... how much damage it can cause total, how it can be transported, and who has access to it other than you."
Marshall nodded. "Right, okay. I can get you that very quickly." he said, going to a computer screen. "However, what is this case."
"Someone used a sonic blast to attack the F.B.I. Offices." Charlie said quietly, arms folded across his chest.
"My God... when?" Marshall breathed.
"Tonight... earlier." Charlie said, eyeing him carefully.
"Well, this one is clearly bolted down; you need an access code to undo those and move it around." Marshall said, gesturing to the large machine. "It even records when someone's moved it for use."
"Great, that's great--- if you could get me all of those records... that'd work." Charlie nodded, taking Emme and starting to pat her on the back as Amita moved Ethan under the blanket.
Marshall nodded, but, he couldn't help noticing how seamlessly, effortlessly they did this, still while working...