Backscatter
574 million
Credit card accounts
500 million
Dollars stolen annually
16
Digits
2
Phishers
Don pulled into the driveway of the Eppes family home. Don had told his brother he would buy him dinner as a thank you for setting up the WI-FI network that led to his bust today.
He took a breath. Espa as normal was already there. She had been thinking about cooking a pot roast for him, but it could wait a day. She was spending more time with Alan anyway. They seemed to be good for each other.
He walked in the door and saw her sitting on the floor with her legs stretched out and her hands on her belly watching a hockey game. He smiled. He really had rubbed off on her for that.
He set down his keys and walked over to her. He sat down in the chair beside her moving the sleeping lump of a dog and setting her back on his lap. He bent down and caressed the back of her head. She turned her head up to look at him. He kissed her deeply in welcome. He had not seen her since the morning and only talked with her once on the phone.
"How are you tonight, sweetheart?" He asked his hand moving to her cheek, his finger light as he caressed her.
"Good. How are you? You look tired." She said leaning against his thigh as he stretched out his legs.
"Only a bit." He smiled at her. He looked up as Charlie came in. "Ready to order?" He asked.
"Yeah. I want Italian." Charlie said.
Espa smiled.
Don ordered for them. They had about thirty minutes to wait for their food. Don disturbed the dog and put her in Espa's lap. He smiled and got a beer before settling back. He caressed his wife's neck idly. She sighed in pleasure as she leaned her head to the side as they watched the game.
"What is, uh, fishing, as it refers to computer hacking?" Alan asked as he got out the dishes to eat on.
Charlie brought out glasses. He cleared his throat. "Well, it's spelled with a P-H, and it's when people send out fake e-mails made to look like real e-mails from banks and financial companies. And then ask people for their personal account information."
"And some people are dumb enough to give it to them?" Alan asked.
"Yeah, they send out between seventy-five and one-hundred-fifty million of the things a day." Don said looking up. "Five percent respond."
"So that's three to seven million people daily, to the tune of five hundred million dollars a year." Charlie said
"Boy, those are scary statistics, let me tell you." Alan said.
The door bell rang. Gretchen woke and started to bark. Espa hushed her and she reduced to soft woofs and growling.
"Hey. Dinner." Don called. He got up. Espa turned setting Gretchen down on the chair and started to hoist herself up using the chair for balance as Don went to open the door.
"These guys they caught today stole two million bucks in three months." Charlie said.
"Really?" Espa said walking to them her hands on her back as she ached backward to counter the load of the baby before her.
"You're kidding." Alan said.
"Come on in. You can just put that right there." Don told the delivery girl as she carried in two sacks and put them on the table.
"Okay." The girl said. Her phone rang. "Excuse me."
"Hope its not meatballs." Alan quipped.
"I just want to check things out." Don said looking in the bags.
"That's enough. It's for everybody." Alan said.
"It smells good." Don said as his father took a back to the table.
"Mr. Eppes?" The girl asked as she put down her phone.
"Yeah?" He asked looking up.
"I'm sorry, the card you called the delivery on with was declined." She said.
"All right, hold on, let me try this one." Don said reaching into his wallet to pull out a different card.
"You know what? Let me get it." Charlie said walking toward them.
"No, no, no, no, I got it. I owe you." Don insisted. "That's so weird. I just paid that." He looked up at Espa as she walked in. "Right?"
"Your Mastercard? Yeah." She nodded. "I did bills a week ago."
"Hi, it's Becky…" The girl said as she went to call the other card in.
"You don't owe me, you know." Charlie said. "All I did was set up an amplified WI-FI signal. Any of your FBI techs could have done that."
"Hey, Charlie, these are busy people, you know? I would have had to wait. I appreciate it." Don said.
"All right, are you sure?" Charlie asked picking up the second back.
"Yeah, everything's here." Don said.
"Um, this card was declined, too." The girl said. "You might want to call your bank."
"What, are you kidding me?" Don asked.
"No. Sorry." The girl shrugged.
Espa waddled toward the front. "We can use one of mine from Idaho, Don." She said. "I mean we use them for emergencies and…"
"That's weird. Give me one second." Don said as he picked up his cell phone. Espa continued to move toward her purse.
Alan came over. "Here you go." He said.
"No, no, no, Dad, please." Don said. "Just give me a second here."
"All right, let me get this while you figure this thing out." Alan said grabbing Espa's arm to stop her.
"You're sure, Dad?" Espa asked.
"Yeah." Alan said pulling out his wallet. "How much is that?"
"Um, sixty-five dollars and thirty-five cents." The girl said picking up the ticket.
"You can keep all that." Alan said giving her cash.
"Thank you." The girl said and left.
"Okay." Alan said. He pressed a hand to Espa's back to direct her to the table. "Come on, honey." He said softly.
"I think that's yours, 'cause I would never eat something like that." Charlie said digging around and opening the boxes.
"I mean, that's ridiculous." Don said.
The other three turned to look at him.
"You know what? It's probably some glitch in the restaurant's computer." Charlie said.
Don walked forward listening to the messaging service for his bank. Espa watched his face.
"What is it, love?" She asked.
"What's up?" Alan asked.
"The bank's saying my accounts are empty." Don said in shock.
"Get out of here. Your checking account?" Charlie asked.
"Everything." Don said.
Espa cocked her head. "What?"
His phone beeped and he brought it down from his ear to read the text message. He blinked. "'Eppes, you got our guys. We got your money.' What the hell?"
Espa blinked. "Someone took your money out of the accounts?" She said her hand going to her belly.
"Yes…" He said looking at them all in shock.
The next morning Don sat at breakfast with his wife. He called and cancelled all his credit cards and had them reissued. He also called the bank.
"No, I didn't take all my money out. Ask my wife." He said sounding fustrated. Espa gently stood behind him and rubbed his shoulders trying to relax him. He knew they were fine with her salary to keep them a float, but he had no idea who would take the monies he earned. "Your system was hacked." He said. He looked up at his wife. "Because I am an FBI agent."
He hung up and sighed looking at her. "I am going to have to prove it. Can you keep checking on things for me?"
"Sure." She said.
He turned. She grabbed his tie and turned him around to face her. "Hey, easy honey." He smiled. She turned her face up. "Oh, sorry." He said gently. He kissed her and then left for the day.
He had the computer techs trace the phishers e-mails. They sent out four thousand and in a matter of hours they had a few hundred return e-mails from people. They were working from a list of people with high bank accounts and low usage. Seniors, who would respond.
Megan took on one and David the other. They thought they were getting off until they found out they would be going to jail for twenty years. They met too Russians who forced them to work for them. They got one thousand dollars per job only and a guy named Yuri took the rest.
Lieutenant Walker came in after hearing about the mob. He had been tracking a Russian named Yuri Koverchenko. LAPD has several open cases on him. He is illusive and normally stealth, but he is also deadly. He killed an entire family over an insurance scam that a doctor was going to plea out on.
Don still was not able to get his money back yet, but he was going to work on that while Charlie helped him.
Don and Megan went to Passina national to talk to their head of security. His team had three members. Lamont and Colleen. Colleen is also heavily pregnant and Don offers congratulations to her. Don asks for their personal files and the head of security's too as standard procedure. The man agrees readily and then offers to help Don get his money back fasted if he can.
Megan got a call. The two kids made bail and were gone from the holding area.
They were found out by the river. Both were shot execution style. The girlfriend who had picked them up was dead as well. Don had demanded that he find out if they made bail. The records said he was and he was not.
The man behind all this is damn intelligent and one hell of a hacker.
A man ID'ed as Ned Spope bailed the kids out of jail. He used a credit card that had been stolen from Don. The name Ned Spope was an anagram for Don Eppes as well. This Yuri was turning this case into a case about Don. Also he was going to be looking for new workers as well.
Charlie was able to use several computers and Amita to use backscatter to track back to find an address. Don, David, and Walker all went to the industrial park where it was coming from.
Charlie used the information to teach some grad students. Meanwhile, Don led a raid on the address Charlie gave them. They went in and found nothing. Charlie's class translated the last bit of code using alphabet cipher. –Wer waiting for u –
Don found an explosive. As it went off they all dove for cover as a humvie came through the door and men started firing at them with semiautomatic rifles. David was hit in his shoulder. It was a total trap. The humvie got away as Don and Colby went to care for David who was wounded, but not seriously.
David was taken to the hospital. He was stable without much damage. Don sent Espa to check on him after she proctored an exam. He was glad for the momentary company.
Don wanted to go over with the rest of team how and why it went down. Charlie came in and pointed out it was a setup and he was partly to blame because the person led him where he wanted Charlie to go. Charlie wanted to start to try an answer why with team theory.
Don met with Gary Walker who had just come back from seeing David and meeting Espa Eppes who was on her way out. Gary thought maybe there was a power struggle in the mob or something, but then he admitted to Don that he really thinks this is about Don. The mob will come after his co-workers and family to prove his point who is in control.
Espa was drinking tea watching Amita and Charlie work in the garage.
"So besides the hacker, how many players are on the other side?" Amita asked.
"That's an unknown variable." Charlie said writing on the board. "We'll try our first approach with three. The hacker, the Yuri character, and the third will be a super category for all the others."
Espa heard the door open. She turned around and saw Don walk in. He walked to her and kissed her softly. She could tell he was tense about something. He hugged her briefly and then nodded to the other two.
"Hey." Don said to them.
"Hey." Amita said
"Hi. Hey, I hope you have some new data. I could use some." Charlie said turning.
"Well, actually, no, Charlie. Ther's been a change. So…" Don said. He walked to him avoiding Espa's eyes.
"Okay, what kind of change?" Charlie asked.
"Well, the Bureau wants a unit on this that's more familiar with the Russian Mob." Don said.
"Because of the ambush? You're being taken off this case because I missed something." Charlie said.
"No, no, it's just these things happen. It's nothing." Don said.
Espa looked at Amita who looked back at her.
"I…I've just now begun working on the team theory analysis." Charlie protested.
"Well, I'm off it, so you're off it." Don said. "Okay?"
Espa looked at her husband's profile. He looked tired and stressed. She wanted to hold him, but she knew from how he was speaking that would be a while coming.
"So please, do me a favor, and just pack this stuff up." Don continued. "I'm gonna send someone over to get it." He said turning back to his wife. "Come on, honey. I need to get you home."
"But I…" She began.
"It can wait Espa. I need you home now." He said. "All right. I'll see you guys later."
Espa let him lead her to the car. "Is Gretchen here?" He asked.
"No, she's at home." She said. "What is going on?"
"Nothing." He forced a smile. "I just want some of the pot roast you cooked for me. It's about done now isn't it?"
Espa's phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello?"
"Espa. Don't indicate it is me." Charlie said.
"Oh, hi Susanne." Espa said looking over at her husband's look. He started to drive. "So what is up, girl?"
"Don lied to me. He is still lead agent. I am not sure why he is doing this. I was suspicious that he was way too calm about letting go of the case."
"Really…oh yes a black dress is always good for that." Espa said offering a smile in her husband's direction. "Well, why on earth would he do that?" Don arched an eyebrow. "I mean white roses instead of red…men."
Don scoffed.
"She heard that." Espa said giving him a coy smile.
"Something is wrong Espa. See if you can find out what." Charlie said.
"Of course I would do that. Who doesn't like food from there? Okay, my dear. I must go. The husband needs to talk to me. Good night."
"Well played Espa. Good night." Charlie said and hung up.
She looked at Don who concentrated on the road more than normal. She could practically hear the clogs going in his head as he thought. "So Charlie told me earlier that you were shot at and that it was his fault."
"First of all, it was not his fault. He followed the evidence." Don said looking at her. "And yes…I was in the area of shooting."
"David was hit Don. I mean I saw his arm. You sent me there. What happened?" She reached over and touched his leg. "Tell me."
He sighed. "Yes, I was shot at. But I am okay, all right. David is okay, too."
"All right." She nodded sensing he really did not wish to talk about it further right now. He would open up in his own time as he always did with her.
After they had come home and had dinner, Don made love to her gently, but he seemed to be concentrating harder on it than he had for a while as though he were loosing himself in the rhythm. After he held her close, burying his face in her hair, as they lay like spoons in a drawer. She knew he was still awake though his stroking of her hip and belly had stilled. He was deep in thought. She soon fell asleep under his watchful eye.
Don and Megan went the next morning to talk to the head of security at Passina National. The other members of his team were gone and Megan noticed. He told them they were out with sick kids and Colleen was working from home because of the baby coming.
Charlie was at school teaching in a lecture hall. He turned and noticed two strange men there watching him and the class. He decided to change the subject and see how the group would go about calling for help. His phone did not work so he sent four kids to fetch campus security and time themselves.
The strange men got up and left, but Charlie had memorized what they looked like.
Espa had just gotten out of the shower when she heard the door open. Thinking it Don, she kept drying her hair, keeping it wrapped in a towel. She was in a T-shirt and some maternity shorts getting ready for her day.
She heard Gretchen growling and barking in the next room and then heard her yelp. She got up curious as she heard the bathroom door slam hard. She was starting to get a weird feeling as she stepped into the hall with her bare feet.
"Don?" She asked.
She tiptoed down the hall toward the living room. A man whipped out in front of her. She gasped and tried to turn around to go back to the bedroom and find her Walther. She turned into a beefy man who stepped from the closet.
Gretchen was scratching at the bathroom door and growling knowing there was trouble. Espa looked at them. "What do you want?" She screamed turning to the first man.
He just nodded to the second man who brought out his nine millimeter handgun and slapped it hard into her temple. The towel dropped from her head as she blinked and fought the hazy vision she had suddenly. A bit of blood came from a scratch and oozed down her cheek to the floor in a small steady stream.
Espa saw stars as she dropped to her knees stunned before the man clapped a hand on her month and pinched her nose. She could not breathe. She fought down her panic, but then after a moment things started to get wavy and then finally they went black.
She dropped backwards into the second guys arms and she was dragged into the closet.
Don arrived on scene to check on Charlie. He had tried to call his wife. She had not answered her phone. He thought she was in a class and that was why. He put in a call to the secretary to contact him when she was out because she was doing a final.
"You've never seen them before?" Don asked.
"No." Charlie said leaning against the chairs as the other FBI agents looked about the room. Charlie had dismissed his class as soon as the men had left and went out to call his older brother.
"They were in your office?"
"Yeah." Charlie said watching his brother pace. "There were files on the floor. My team theory work."
"I mean, obviously, they wanted to know what you were working on." Don said. His phone rang. "Eppes."
"Agent Eppes. This is Dorothy Lane, the History department secretary. I am not sure how to tell you this sir, but your wife didn't come in to proctor her exam. The kids all came in to ask me what to do. Do you know where she is?"
"I will get back to you." Don said passing in his pacing to look at Charlie. "Oh, Charlie…" He pulled out his phone shaking his head. "Oh, my God. Espa!" He ran for his car.
"And my work at the house." Charlie said following him.
"That is not as important right now as making sure Dad and Espa are all right." Don called his father. "Hey, Dad. I am sending a couple of agents over to look around. I think there may be a problem, but I am not sure. I am going to pick up Espa to bring her there, okay. Thanks."
He called the agents over to his brother's home. He drove at full speed to his apartment with a SWAT team since Espa was not answering her phone, which now concerned him greatly.
Don went up the stairs and found the door leaning against the latch. It was not even closed. He took a breath to calm his worry as he drew his Glock and had two SWAT members go in first.
"FBI!" They called as Don came in after them. Don picked up a wet towel and saw the blood on the floor. He touched his fingers to it. It was not yet tacky. He took a breath fearing she was kidnapped. The men went about clearing the home. They opened the bathroom where Gretchen was barking and howling and scratching at the door.
She ran out and growled at everything. Don sighed and picked her up. "Hey…where is mommy? Did they take her?" God, he hoped not.
Gretchen was squirming so hard in his arms he set her down. She went to the small closet and scratched at the door and whined. Don watched her as did another agent. He knelt down. "Sir, we got blood spatter."
Don's heart went to his throat. Had they killed her? He nodded to the man and they opened the door. Espa's form fell from the closet, bound hand and foot and gagged. She screamed against the gag until Don came into her vision.
He helped her sit upright. He hugged her as the fellow agent released her hands and then started on her ankles. She wrapped her arms around Don as he pulled off the gag. "Shh…" He whispered as she sobbed in relief that he had found her. He hugged her to him. "It's, okay. I'm here now."
"No, sign of them, sir." Another agent said.
Don nodded as he pressed a hand to her head to hold her. She yelped. He pulled back his hand and looked at it. It was sticky with blood.
"I need an ambulance!" Don barked.
"No. I don't need one!" Espa grunted. "I am fine."
"You're bleeding. You're pregnant. You were attacked. Seriously, do I need more of a reason?" Don took her face in his hands careful not to get her blood on her cheek. "I say you are going."
"I will go when you make sure Dad is, okay."
"What makes you think they will go after Dad?"
"Well, seems logical to me. Attack the wife, attack the rest of the family. What about Charlie?"
"He's in the car."
"I will make you a deal. We can treat my pounding headache and the blood after I know Dad is, okay, all right. You can drag me there yourself."
He looked at her. "All right." He nodded and helped her up. He took the towel and pressed it to her temple still thinking this was a bad idea. He wanted her looked at for her own sake and that of the baby in her.
He helped her down the stairs and into the car. Charlie saw the blood and jumped into the back seat with her to hold her head in his lap and press the cloth to her brow. "Just hold it there." Don said as he drove quickly to the Eppes family home with his siren going much to the pain of his wife who had her eyes closed trying to block it out as Charlie tried to help by cupping her ear and pressing the other to his thigh.
Don jumped out and helped Espa down. He walked with her into the house and had the agent sit with her as he made her press the towel to her wound.
"Dad!" He called.
Espa yelped and winced.
"Yeah." Alan asked coming downstairs. "Mother of God!" He gasped seeing Espa with blood on the towel she held softly talking to the agent before her.
Charlie and Don looked about the house and then went into the garage.
"Ahh, yeah, everything looks okay here." Charlie said looking about.
"You did all this?" Don asked looking at the pile of files on the desk.
"Yeah." Charlie said
"Uh, someone mind telling me what's going on?" Alan asked joining them after Espa told him she was all right. She just needed some Tylenol and some soft music.
"Have you seen anyone hanging around the house?" Charlie asked him.
"No. Should I have?" Alan asked. "Donnie what is wrong with Espa?"
Don did not hear him, his eyes were looking on the floor. He squatted down and pulled out his keys to pick something up. "Dad, when was the last time you smoked a cigarette?"
"1979." Alan answered looking at him. "What does that have to do with your wife bleeding from her head?"
Don sighed and picked up the cigarette butt and sniffed it. He shook his head and pulled out his cell phone. This man Yuri had gone after his entire family. Don was not sure what to make about that. His worst nightmare had come true. His family was suffering because of his job.
Within ten minutes Don had an ambulance on the way for his wife and a few dozen agents around the home.
The Eppes men were in the front room talking. Well, talking was not the word. Espa was lying on the couch with a pillow between her knees and gauze on her brow as she tried to rest, but could not with her family arguing about her.
"Explain how a mathematician ends up on a case involving the Russian Mafia?" Alan asked his elder son.
Don spread his hands as he paced. "I told him to drop it."
"You know he can't just drop that stuff!" Alan barked.
"Hey, I'm standing right here, okay?" Charlie was the calmest of them. "So talk to me."
"Did I tell you to drop out?" Don was yelling out of frustration and fear for his family. He had never put them in danger before and he never wanted to again. He was angry that he had not been there for them, but his anger was projecting out now. "Now, you endangered yourself, you endangered Dad, and you endangered Espa and the coming baby!"
"Well, you lied to me." Charlie said.
"Yeah, to protect you!" Don said trying to stare him down.
Espa sat up. "Don…" She muttered. He was to the point of not hearing her gentle voice of reason at the moment. She looked at her husband. In all black, heated, and angry he was a force to be reckoned with. He also was damn sexy she noted, but she kept that to herself.
"All right, just tell us what we should do…" Alan started.
"Nothing!" Don said.
"…and Charlie and I will do it." Alan continued.
"I don't want you to do anything, all right? I got agents here twenty-four-seven. All right, please…" Don looked at them.
"I can still help you. Come on!"
"No, listen to me. Let me make this as clear as possible." Don said. "You're not working this anymore, you understand me?" He glared at his brother.
"You can't tell me what I can't do." Charlie said.
"Yeah, Charlie, when if comes to the FBI, I certainly can!" He looked over as the paramedics came in to see to Espa. "You're done, you hear me, you're done!" He walked over to his wife as the paramedics knelt be her and took her vitals.
They gently eased her after a few moments onto the stretcher and put up the guards. They lifted it up to its height and Don took Espa's hand. "I'm, okay."
"No, you're not." He said looking and seeing how pale she was. He kissed her hand and walked with the stretcher to the ambulance. They loaded her up and he jumped lightly into the ambulance as one paramedic climbed in with him and the other started the engine and called it in.
"We have a pregnant female Caucasian, about one-hundred-fifty pounds and about five foot three. ETA ten minutes."
Don took a breath and rubbed his face as he watched the man take her blood pressure and look at her arms.
"You the husband?" The paramedic with them asked.
"Yeah." Don sighed.
"You are a lucky lady. An FBI agent for a husband." He said as he pulled off the gauze and put a new bit there as it continued to bleed a little.
Don took Espa's hand again careful to not disturb her nails in case she got a piece of her attacker or attackers. He looked away when the jabbed in the needle to start an IV. "She going to be all right?" He asked.
"Yeah. She's fine. Just needs some fluids and stitches." The paramedic said.
"Stitches." He muttered.
Espa smiled at him and he looked down at her his dark eyes full of concern masking the hatred he felt for the men who had done this. "You are pretty damn cute when you are angry." She said trying to lighten his mood a little. "Your scar is really easily seen." She said lifting her other hand to touch the left side of his face where the scar where he had been hit by flying debris a couple of years ago was.
He just stared at her not in a mood for a battle of wits nor did he want to hear that.
Don met with Gary Walker at the office after Espa had been released from the hospital. He was not sure what to make of the doctor telling him he needed a 'chill pill' as far as the baby was concerned. Espa got three stitches in her brow and it bound before she was sent home with him. He took her home to the Eppes family home after picking up Gretchen at the home and a bag of clothing for his wife. He was not about to stretch his agents thin in two places and Espa with Alan and Charlie was the best place for her. They could wait on her while she rested. He had demanded she relax and keep her feet up for a few hours. He had called into the school to advise them she would not be in for a couple days because of health problems.
Gary and Don were stunned that Koverchenko had made a move to target not only Don, but his family also. It was a big step for someone to go from threatening a man's brother and father to threatening a man's pregnant wife and unborn baby. Koverchencho had declared war and Don was ready to meet him at the challenge.
Colby suggested that Charlie could help them, but Don refused to expose his family to any more of this.
David had Espa, Alan, Amita, and Charlie in the garage. His arm was bound in a sling, but he still wanted to be involved with the case. Otherwise, he was on leave, here, he was doing something, even if it was babysitting. Charlie was working on the chalkboard. David realized in short order that Charlie was still working on what his brother told him not to with Amita. Alan idly played with the air hockey board. Espa was relaxing on the couch where Alan had set her with a cup of mint tea.
For a nice guy, Alan had very head strong kids, but David soon yielded and let Charlie work realizing that the math whiz was going to work on it anyway. David and Alan played air hockey. Alan faked out David, which brought up a thought to Charlie. What if all the attacks on the family and Don were bluff to hide Yuri Koverchenko's real goal?
Don would not listen so Charlie calls Walker to tell him. Gary met Don outside the FBI building saying he tried something a little un orthodox. He tried a mathematician for help. He pointed out to Don there was no going back after what Koverchenko did. Don had to get him with everything he had to save his family.
Don finally agrees and meets Charlie upstairs to hear the plan. The team theory work is like football with the teams trying to guess each others moves. The pattern Charlie found started the day Don captured the phishers. All leads go back to Passina National Bank.
Don and Gary waited in a truck for the head of security to come out. He is the key to it all. Two agents threw him onto the truck where Don and Gary were sitting. They had him talk. They know that his co-workers have been kidnapped. The man is scared, but he decides the FBI is his best bet since they can help him. He can go with Yuri's plan as well.
Don returned to the Eppes house and crawled into bed with his sleeping wife. He had to be up early the next morning and he needed to feel her with him before he went after the man who had hurt her.
The next morning Don and his team watched the hacker go to work and steal almost a half billion dollars in eight hours. The head of security was able to get the hacker's cell phone. Charlie then called him to distract him so he would call Yuri Koverchenko.
Colby went in with his team to bust the hacker. He then called Koverchenko to tell him he was done. FBI agents stormed the place and Koverchenko ran taking a shotgun with him. He fired twice at Don as he ran after him and fired back. Megan freed the two hostages.
Gary came out from behind a door and punched Kovercheno knocking him flat so Don could cuff him. Don watched the hostages go. Colleen with her pregnant belly made him think of his own wife as he watched them go. He swallowed. He was looking forward to going home to her, making move to her, and talking to her about his fears. He finally had convinced himself he needed to open up about why he had been edgy through this case. It was not so much the anger he had to explain, but the fear.
"Hello?" Don called as he walked into the dining room of the Eppes family home.
"Hey, Don." David said from where he was seated looking at a framed picture.
"Hey, David." Don said coming to him.
"Our team found the guy who was watching the house." David said.
"I heard all about it. Good job. Thanks." Don said giving him five. "Look, man, you don't have to hang out here, you can take off."
"That's okay. I think your dad wanted me to hang around." David said looking toward the kitchen.
Espa came down the stairs and then waddled to her husband. Don touched her head gently and sighed. He then smiled and pulled her against him and kissed her softly. "How are you doing?" He asked.
"Good." She said. "I do not have a raging headache anymore."
Alan came out from the kitchen. Don and Espa turned. Espa smiled as did Don. "Hey, what do you think? What do you think?" Alan asked.
"Oh, I see why you're hanging around." Don chuckled.
Hey, what's up?" Charlie asked as he set down his handful of food.
Espa went to sit at her place. There was no place for Don yet because none of them had been expecting him until later.
"There you go, Agent Sinclair." Alan said. "And there's a lot more where that came from."
"All right. Thanks, Mr. Eppes."
"He gets the treatment, huh?" Don said removing his jacket as David picked up a slice of meatloaf.
"Dig in. Dig in." Alan said taking a piece for himself.
Don dropped into a seat across from his wife and sighed. He rubbed his face and sighed again. "I got to tell you, that was a crazy couple of days. I mean, It's good we all came out of it all right…"
Espa let Alan dish her up some food as she watched her husband.
"It would appear to be so." Alan agreed.
"In a million years I never would have imagined that. You?" Don asked David who shook his head.
"I think Charlie would say it was a statistically possible, but unlikely event." Alan said.
"Yeah, I'm thinking maybe Charlie should just work at Cal-Sci, Dad." Don said as he bit his finger lightly as he watched his father.
"You're gonna fire him?" Alan asked.
"Oh, does that go for me too?" Espa asked arching an eyebrow knowing full well her connections to the FBI trumped him by several layers.
"Look, I'm the first to admit he's done an amazing job for us. Right, but…Wouldn't it put your mind at ease?" Don asked his father ignoring his wife, for now.
"Donnie what would put my mind at ease would be to see you two boys working together." Alan said. Don sat with his arm on a chair. He cocked his head a little considering that a moment. "Besides, you don't seriously think you're going to get him to stop, do you?"
"Nah, I guess not." Don said. He smiled at his wife. "Hey, Chuck, you need some help back there?" He called into the kitchen. "Come one Suzy Homemaker, we're ready to eat." He said getting up and disappearing behind the kitchen door.
Espa smirked after him.
"Comeon, come on. Go on, Go on eat, eat, eat." Alan said to the other two.
"I have to say, Mr. Eppes…" David said.
"Alan." Alan corrected.
"Alan. I've never seen two brothers so completely different and yet so much alike." David said.
Espa laughed at that.
"If you call me Chuck one more time…" Charlie threatened as he came out of the kitchen with a pot of food.
Don was right behind him holding a place setting and a beer. "All right. How about Chuckie."
Alan looked at David. "Tell me about it."
Espa laughed all the more.
"Chuckie. What if I called you Donald?" Charlie asked setting the food down.
"What if I called you nerd?" Don countered as he set his place setting down and grinned at his wife who was laughing so hard she could not sit on the chair well anymore.
"What if I called you G-man?" Charlie hissed back.
"Boys…" Espa finally managed as she tried to take a drink of water. "Keep that up and I will fall to the floor laughing too hard."
Don smirked. "Oh, we can't have that." He said playfully and then winced as a well placed kick from his wife connected with his shin. "Oh, feisty…" He grinned at her. "See the abuse I get David." Don laughed as he caught her foot for the second kick under the table and grinned at her and clicked his tongue at her as they all laughed.