Phantoms and Demons
72
Hours
6
Bullets
4
Dead
1
Shooter
There were only three days until Christmas Eve. The Eppes family was getting ready for Christmas. Don had little Lupe balanced on his shoulders as she put the star on the tree. She was staying with them over the holidays since Ysidro had to go back east for a meeting and project that was due the first of January.
Alan walked in with milk and cookies on a tray. Lupe sat down on Don's shoulders and held on around his chin as she leaned over and held him. He looked up at her and made a face.
Espa was sitting on the floor with Charlie pulling out ornaments from her childhood as well as from the Eppes family.
"This is nice. We are all a family at Christmas time." Alan said as he dropped onto the couch looking at the tree with the candles and ornaments.
"Are you going to put the glass pickle up?" Lupe asked her sister.
"Why a glass pickle?" Don asked.
"What is the significance of that?" Charlie asked Espa.
Lupe gave an exasperated sigh. "Boys…" She muttered as she shook her head.
Alan smirked, but covered it with a cough as his sons looked at him. Lupe was a handful for both of the men who truly had no idea what to do with her at times.
Don sighed and lifted her up and flipped her upside down looking at her. He cocked his head. "Are you a monkey, Munchkin? I mean why are you hanging around?"
She laughed and tried to grab him. He held her out at arm's length and then flipped her back up and onto her feet with ease. He held her a moment to make sure that she was all right on her feet before going to sit near his wife.
Espa was holding up a little blue bell and smiling softly.
Don leaned down. "What is that one from?"
"It was my Dad's, father's." She said. "It was always on the tree as long as he could remember."
"You guys have ornaments from every year?" Charlie said lifting up a 'Baby's First Christmas 1978'.
Don took it and looked at his wife. He had known his wife was young, but it suddenly hit him that he was almost eight years older than she was. He looked at her as she smiled at Charlie as he pulled out another one and pushed her hair back in a deft unconscious movement that always caught her husband's attention. Her bronze flawless face with no sigh of age yet was perfect. He had truly robbed the cradle marrying her.
He sighed as his phone rang. He pulled it out. "Eppes." He said noting all eyes were on him. "Yeah…all right…I will be there as soon as I can." He hung up and looked at his family. "Got to go to work."
"You have Christmas off right?" Alan asked.
"I hope so." Don nodded and stood up. He bent and kissed his wife and then smiled at her. She looked a little paler than normal, but maybe it was the light. He held his arm out and Lupe got up and hugged him. "You be good, okay, Munchkin." He said smiling down at her.
She nodded. "I will."
Don then walked toward the door. "See you guys later." And with that he was gone.
David met him on scene. A Catholic priest had been shot with a high velocity rifle round through his chest. He lay in a pool of blood against the church door. Don was stunned. This close to Christmas and someone was attacking church leaders?
He looked up at David. "The locals gave us the case. It is the third shooting, and second death in twenty-four hours."
Don sighed. "Well, start canvassing." He said and sighed as he looked about. He then looked down and saw Ian Edgerton standing there looking up at the surrounding buildings. "Ian…welcome back to sunny LA." He smirked looking up at the cloud cover above them.
"Yeah, well, I needed to get out of Quantico." Edgerton said. "Well, looking at the trajectory, I would say it came from the eighth story of that building." He said pointing.
"This makes no sense. Why kill a priest?" Don asked looking about. No one was really around.
"Two priests dead, and a Lutheran Minister wounded." David said.
"We have a serial killer." Ian said.
"Yeah, and right before Christmas." Don said with a sigh.
Their only lead they had was a man that someone had seen on the roof. He was young. When Don went to his house to question him the kid bailed out of the window to the fire escape.
Don followed him out and yelled for him to stop for the FBI. The kid made it to the street. He ran down the sidewalk with Don and Megan in hot pursuit. He dodged around cars, but then was hit by a moped and dropped to the asphalt.
Don arrested him and they took him in for questioning. Unfortunately, he had a solid alibi for the first shooting. He also had an alibi for the time of the other shootings he was up on the roof with a girlfriend. She verified his story and was embarrassed to admit she had been sneaking around, but she was eighteen and he was twenty.
Back to square one.
Espa was in the kitchen getting things thawed out for dinner. She took a breath as she suddenly felt light headed. She shook her head and went back to slicing vegetables on the cutting board.
A moment went by and she was better, but as she turned to go grab something from the fridge she saw blackness come into her vision. She gasped as she reached for the counter, but missed it. Her hand grabbed the cloth where some of the dishes from breakfast were drying and they fell with her as she dropped to the floor suddenly unconscious.
Lupe had pushed open the door to see what was wrong. She tiptoed in. "Mouse?" She asked. "Mouse!" She said seeing her sister on her side in a strange mangle of limbs and broken dishes. She took a breath and then screamed at the top of her lungs that would have cuddled the blood of most human beings. "GRANDPA!"
Alan came running down the stairs followed closely by Charlie. Lupe whimpered as Alan walked in. He knelt down and looked at her and then followed her gaze. "Mother of God! Charlie!"
Charlie came in. "Dad?"
"Call 9-1-1 and get her away from here!" His father ordered as he dropped to his knees and rolled Epsa onto his lap. He felt for a pulse. It was fast, but there. He took a sigh of relief as He tried to shake her awake gently talking to her.
Charlie had his cell phone out as he held Lupe in his other arm after having to pry her from the scene. "Yes, I am Charlie Eppes. I have an emergency. I live at 874 Hunter Street. My sister-in-law is pregnant and unconscious….Thank you." He said and then turned to Lupe who was looking at him her eyes bright with tears. "Hey, it's okay. She is fine."
"Liar." She snapped at him and folded her arms looking at him as she tapped her foot.
"Okay, but I'm sure she will be." He said trying to calm her. He knew how to handle her even less than Don did. He was sure his older brother would have his hands full if he was here now. Well, if he was here now he would be in with Espa and Charlie would still be stuck with the small twelve year old.
Alan held Espa against him checking her over from broken bones and skin. Finding none he gently held her to him trying to relax himself as he heard the distant whine of the sirens from the local fire station.
Within moments the paramedics were in the house and they took control of the situation with ease. A fireman, who was clearly a father, knelt down before Lupe and smiled at her. "Hey, your Momma is okay. She just needs to go to the doctor." He said gently.
"She's not my Momma." Lupe sniffled as she held herself. Charlie looked at the man helplessly.
"Oh, sorry." The man said. He removed his helmet revealing his bald head. "I'm Rob." He said. "My oldest girl is about your age."
"Really?"
"Yep." Rob nodded. He pulled out a stuffed bear from his fireman's coat. He offered it to her and watched her take it and hug it to her for comfort. "There you are." He gently touched her forehead. "Can you tell me what you saw, precious?" He asked.
Her dark tear filled eyes looked at him. "I heard a crash and then saw her lying there. Don's not here and…Is…is she…."
"No, she's not dead. Both her and the baby are all right." Rob said. "Who's Don?"
"Don works for the FBI." She said drawing herself up a little with pride. "He's her husband and my big brother."
"Ahh…you are going to need to call him, all right?" He cupped her chin as the men wheeled out Espa on a stretcher with oxygen on her face and an IV started. Alan was following closely behind. "I have to go, but I need a favor."
"What, Mr. Fireman?" Lupe asked.
"I need you to be a strong little lady, okay. Help these guys out while we take care of your sister."
"Can I see her?" Lupe asked as Charlie laid a hand on her.
Rob shook his head. "You can see her at the hospital." He said. He stood up. "Call Don for us." He said. He nodded at Charlie and followed Alan out the door.
"Thanks, Mr. Fireman." Lupe waved after him.
Charlie picked up at his phone to call Don as he took Espa's hand to drive to the hospital after the ambulance.
Alan rode holding Espa's hand gently. Her eyes started to flicker. "I think she's coming to." He said softly. He bent down a little. "Esperanza." He said gently. "Honey, you all right?"
"Where am I?" She asked and tried to move away as a paramedic shined a light into her eyes to watch her pupils dilate.
"On your way to the hospital, Mrs. Eppes." The paramedic said. "You took a nice fall and they want to make sure the baby is all right."
Her eyes flashed worry to Alan who smiled in reassurance, though he did not feel it just then.
Don was at the crime scene of a fourth victim, who also was a pastor, this time Presbyterian, who had been shot in the shoulder. The rifle had missed his head by inches and so the shooter shot again.
Edgerton said it was most likely because he thought someone would see him. They were waiting for Charlie to show up when Don got a call.
"Hey, Charlie, where the hell are you bro?"
"The hospital." Charlie said.
"What?" Don asked as he pulled off his sunglasses to stare out into space where he stood in the shade.
"Yeah, look Don, you need to get to Good Samaritan Hospital."
"Why? What is it?" Don asked.
Alan's voice came into the background. "Let me talk to him. Donnie?"
"Yeah, Dad, what is going on?"
"Donnie. It's Espa…she fell and…"
"I'm on my way." Don's look of concern was not lost on Edgerton who stood near him.
"Donnie it is not…"
"I'm on my way." Don said. He turned to Edgerton. "I have to go. My wife is in the hospital."
"Your wife?" Edgerton blinked. "When did you…"
"I have to go, okay?"
"I'll drive." Edgerton said taking the keys from Don.
"What the…"
"You are in no condition to drive." Edgerton looked over at Colby. "We have to take care of something. Don's wife is in the hospital. Report to us if you get anything."
"Sure…" Colby said as the two sped away
By the time Don and Edgerton were able to make it through traffic it was dinner time and Espa was in a wheelchair signing papers.
Don rushed to his wife's side and squatted down beside her his hands going for her hand and face at the same time. She managed a weak smile as he looked over.
"Donnie." Alan said. He saw Edgerton sticking to the background. "Who is this?"
"Agent Ian Edgerton." Charlie said from where he stood leaning on the back of Espa's wheelchair.
Don looked at Espa trying to find something wrong that would justify her being here. She touched his cheek. "I'm, okay." She said softly.
"No, you are not, okay." Alan corrected. Don looked up at him. "She has pre-eclampsia. And she has been ordered onto a couple of days bed rest."
Don's eyes flicked to Espa who just sighed. He wanted that in English. "I have a bit of hypertension is all."
"It made you pass out, Espa." Alan said folding his arms to watch her. He knew she was trying to put on a brave face and not tell her husband, but by Don's look he was seeing right through it anyway.
She looked up and offered her bandaged hand. "Agent Edgerton. I have heard about you. I wish I could have met you under better circumstances."
"Yes." He said taking her hand gently to shake it, careful not to hurt her. He smiled a little. "I see you have a baby on the way your husband neglected to tell me about."
"I am not really the main focus when he is at work."
"Well, to be fair he did not mention you either." Edgerton said eyeing Don as he straitened, holding his wife's hand in his.
"Sorry, I would have gotten around to it. It was just with the people killed and…"
Edgerton raised his hand. "Hey, I get it. I will see you at the office once you get your wife settled."
"Thank you, I owe you." Don said with a sigh.
Don went back to the office an hour later. He went with Charlie and Lupe. Lupe wanted to go see a choir practice and since Espa was no longer able to go, she decided to go by herself with Don's number for when she was done and he could pick her up again.
She was back to her bubbly self when her sister was home safe and sound and only needed rest. Alan was at home caring for the pregnant woman who did not like the idea of being forced to lie in bed for a couple of days.
Don watched Lupe bounce into the church to hear the choir sing.
Don and Charlie arrived at the office and were disappointed to find that there was not much data for Charlie to use to work on an equation to help them stop a killer.
A couple hours later, the choir concert was over and Lupe had befriended the Episcopalian vicar as he worked in his garden. She had tired to call Don, but had gotten his voice mail and so she waited with the man.
She helped him pull weeds as the sun was dropping behind the large mature trees around the vicarage. He smiled appreciating the help. "Where is your parents, child?" He asked.
"Oh, Dad is in New York. My brother is going to pick my up soon. When he looks at his voicemail." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I hope he didn't forget about me. He is super busy."
"Oh?" The man asked amused by the tiny pixie of a helper.
"Yeah. He works for the FBI. He isn't afraid of nothing."
"Sounds like a good brother to have." The vicar smiled. "Come on, let's go into my house and get a cup of tea while we wait, huh?"
They walked together to the door. The vicar smiled at her. As the door opened a shot rang out. Lupe gasped and then cried out as the exit wound from the vicar's head splattered her from the top of her head to her stomach. She whimpered as the man fell down against the door with a thud.
Lupe quivered as she touched her face. She was sticky and she looked at her feet where the man's blood was starting to pool. "Vicar Rosslyn?" She asked softly, blood hammering in her ears. She felt woozy and sick all at the same time. She needed Don, now!
Don pulled up in his suburban. Edgerton had beat him there as first agent on scene. Don had run home to check on his wife who shooed him back to work after a few moments of him fussing over her.
Edgerton walked to him. "Hey, Don. We got a third killing. This time a vicar. He was shot right by his house." He sighed. "There's a witness Don. We haven't been able to get much out of her. She's just a kid. Her name is Guadalupe."
"What?" Don looked about. "Where is she?" There was something oddly familiar about this place, but he could not put his finger on it.
"Over, there, in the police car." Edgerton nodded and pointed.
Don walked to the door and looked at the spray pattern on the wall. The body had been removed, but there was a massive blood stain with shoe prints tracking through the blood that were child size. Also there was a void on the wall that was the size of a child. The poor kid had been right next to the guy when he had been shot.
He took a breath and looked at Edgerton. "No wonder you haven't got anything from the kid. She must be scared and horrified. I mean look where she was standing."
Don's view was obstructed as he walked toward the car. He pulled out his cell phone and noted there had been a call. He pressed the buttons to hear the voicemail and sighed. He hoped the girl had the sense to call Charlie and get him to pick her up.
The female officer stood back as he walked toward the car and he froze. His face went from stunned to horrified as he saw the child who had born witness to the gruesome crime. She looked so small sitting there in a blanket her face starkly white against the blood that had dried there. Her dark normally beautiful eyes were wide, and haunted looking as she seemed to stare at everything and nothing at the same time.
The blood run from Don's face as he took a breath and his blood ran cold. He reached out and leaned against the tree to take a steady breath. He needed to be strong for her.
Edgerton caught his arm. "Hey, what is it?"
"That's my little sister." Don muttered as he walked toward the quivering form of the child who seemed so much younger then. He swallowed feeling the guilt wash over him like a tidal wave. Lupe Urriolabetia had been witness to a shooting.
Edgerton blinked looking from one to the other. "You have a sister named Guadalupe?"
"Lupe." Don corrected softly. He coughed a little collecting himself. "Lupe." He said his voice a little tight even to his own ears, but she heard it.
She looked up at him and whimpered as she jumped off the seat. "Hey, come back here, you need to…"
Don held up his hand as he knelt down and Lupe ran into his arms. She at once started to sob against his neck. He cupped the back of her head feeling his heart breaking at the pain he felt in her and worse the relief she had as he held her. He picked her up and tried to calm her tears gently. He looked down at her t-shirt and jeans. He saw the blood and also the blood on her shoes.
He swallowed hard and held her close. "It's okay, Munchkin." He whispered. "The good guys are here now."
"You…you…didn't…come…" She said her voice small even next to his ear. "We…were going in…for tea…and he…he was…"
Don swallowed. "I know, honey, I am sorry…I was at the office."
"I called…you didn't answer." She said and buried her face against his shoulder. Don swallowed hard again. More guilt added to the ton he already felt. He had let her down when she had needed him most. He had not been there. She had called and he had not been there. He closed his eyes as he forced down his thoughts. She needed him to be clear headed right now.
He turned to Edgerton. "Can you tie things up here while I take her home?" He asked. "She needs a shower…among other things."
Edgerton arched a dark eyebrow. "Yeah. She's pretty much been through hell. You gonna try to get more out of her?"
"Maybe. She needs to not be in shock first." He looked at his fellow agent and friend. "I mean, she's just a kid." Don held her as he walked to his suburban.
An officer looked at him. "Sir, we haven't collected all the evidence we…"
Don's eyes were angry as he leveled the man with a stare. "The blood on her is the victim's. She is a victim too and she needs to be home with family right now."
"We have not been able to reach her father…"
"Of course not. He is in New York in meetings." Don snapped as he set the girl down on the seat and belted her in. Her eyes were haunted again as she stared strait forward.
"You know her, sir?"
"Yeah, I know her. She's my wife's sister. Now if you excuse me…I need to get the blood off of her and get her a drink of some hot tea and something stronger for me." Don hissed and he jumped into his car and drove off.
Don opened the front door. Lupe was walking before him like a living dead zombie. He watched her walk to the middle of the room and stare strait ahead.
Alan came down the stairs. "Donnie. Espa is sleeping, but if you want to…" He froze seeing the small child with blood covering half her body. "Donnie…what the hell happened to Lupe." He rushed forward looking for the wound.
"It's not hers, Dad." Don said. He was not sure if that was better or worse.
Alan lifted her up as Don walked to the liquor cabinet. He needed to take the rest of the day off to sort out his feelings and to sort out hers. Or maybe one drink and go back to work in a couple hours.
Alan tried to get the girl to look at him, but she did not. She stared strait ahead. He held her gently and looked at his son who downed a measure in one gulp letting the Jack Daniels seer his throat and revive him a bit. "What happened?" Alan asked.
"She is a witness to a murder." Don said leaning against the cabinet not looking at him. "She was right next to a guy who was shot. It's his blood on her."
"I am going to bathe her. Did you get everything you need?"
"Keep her clothes for me would you." Don said as he rubbed his face. He could not face the haunted eyes again for a while.
Alan nodded and took her upstairs careful not to disturb Espa who was sleeping in the next room. This was all she needed with her hyper-tension.
An hour later Lupe seemed to be better. She walked down stairs and sat down on the couch. Don looked at her. He went to her and sat down next to her as she picked up her book.
"Hey, Munchkin." He said softly. "Are you feeling better?"
She looked up at him. Well, at least she was responding to people. She nodded and looked back at her bookmarked page. It was a book on biology he noticed. What the hell was she doing reading that? He wondered.
"Hey, you know we are buddies and can talk right." Don said softly. "I mean, talking is good for you."
She looked up at him her eyes clear again. She let the book drop to her knees opened to a page about male and female sex organs. He took no note of that, however, as she sat watching him a moment. "I really do not want to talk about it." She said.
"I understand that." He said softly. This was a bit awkward for him. He needed her to talk to him both on a personal and a professional level.
She then smiled a little. "So with Mouse pregnant, does that mean you two had sex?" She asked cocking her head.
The question completely shot through Don's guard. He stared at her for a few moments unable to think how to either answer that or ignore it. He swallowed and shook his head. How could someone of her age know about that?
He blinked. "Lupe…" He started. "Um…" He said biting his lip a little. His first was to wake up his wife or send Lupe to her, but then he remembered that she was on bed rest and needed to have as much quiet as possible.
She smiled and returned to her book. "It is what I though." She answered.
Don rose. He needed to process that one and it would require something stronger than a shot of Jack. He swallowed. "Well, I will be back later, all right." He said to her. "I need to check on some things at the office." As well as take her clothing in to the lab and some other errands.
The crime scene had turned up a pill bottle with the label ripped off. The Crime Scene people sent it to the lab to have it tested for contents and for finger prints. The team had no other leads except that.
Don had to tell the vicar's wife that he was dead. She was at a conference in Minneapolis. That was s much easier than what he would have to do in a while. He needed to talk to Lupe again.
He was convinced her nature had returned as a front to cover for what she was truly feeling inside. He hardly blamed her.
The tox screen for the pills came back sooner than expected. Paroxetine was in the bottle, or Paxil, used to treat depression. That narrowed the list of suspects down to a only a few thousand.
The leads going no where Don went home for the night. He needed to get Lupe to talk, but he could not have her brought to the office, put in an interrogation room, and grilled about every detail she saw. Edgerton was a good man to get information, but he knew nothing of the hurt small children felt. Not, that Don had any idea what the little girl was thinking inside, but he knew his sister better.
He walked in the door and saw Espa sitting with a terry robe wrapped about her pregnant body as she watched TV. She was watching some show with Tommy Lee Jones. He recognized the film as 'Man of the House' and was shocked on several levels. First, that Espa was out of bed, second, she was watching that movie, and third, that Lupe was at the dining table coloring and well within hearing distance.
He took a breath and walked to his wife. "Hello, my love." He said softly. He bent and kissed her softly. "I thought you were supposed to be resting." He said his hand gently moving to her belly. Gretchen lifted her head to look at him from where she rested tucked between Espa and the chair arm. He smiled a little and scratched her ears.
"I could not get comfortable in bed." She said a soft smile on her face. "Besides I am resting and taking it easy." She rubbed his neck. "You are in knots again."
"Yeah." He sighed.
Alan walked in and nodded to his son. "Hey , Donnie."
"Hey." Don sighed. He looked at his father and then back to Lupe. "I need to talk to Lupe." He said.
Alan nodded.
Don walked in and leaned against the table and the chair. "Hey, buddy." He said looking down at her pictures. "These are really good." He said picking one up.
"Yeah. I am not using red though." She said not looking at him as she nodded to the small crayon bits about three feet away. She had busted it up into bits. So, she was angry as well, but hiding it. Don looked at all her behaviors. Classic signs of a really freaked out person trying to be tough, as his books from Quantico would tell him. The kind of person he could grind down in an interrogation and break, but he had no wish to break Lupe. In fact, he hoped to boost her up a bit.
"Well, I understand that." He said. "Lupe…listen…"
"I think I will draw this." She said with a smile as she picked you a crayon after pointing to a flower in her biology book before her.
"Okay, that looks really good." He smiled a little. He looked back at Alan and Espa who were watching the movie. It was clear that Lupe's behavior was not worrying them as it was him. Don knew she was avoiding talking to him about her feelings. He sighed a little realizing that this was how he, himself acted. He acted as though there was nothing wrong and tried to bury it deep in his soul.
"Do you like it?" She asked.
"Yeah." He nodded. He took a breath and reached out and stilled her hands. "Can we go somewhere to talk?" He cast a look back. "I mean, where the other adults aren't around?" He said his voice low and conspiratorial.
She looked up at him. That normally would have gotten him a grin, he was sure of that, but she just looked at him. Yes, this had affected her deeper than she was letting on. He took her hand and led her upstairs to the solar.
She walked to the couch and sat down. She had her hands folded in her lap as she looked at him politely. This was not the bubbly Lupe he knew and loved. This reserved girl was not Lupe, it was the mask Lupe was wearing to hide her hurt and pain. He sighed and watched her a moment trying to not be an FBI agent about this and be a big brother.
He took a breath. "You know Lupe its okay to be afraid." He told her softly turning to meet her dark eyes. "We all get afraid."
"Not you." She said. "Not me."
He rubbed a hand through his hair. "No, I get afraid believe me." He said.
"You never show it." She said. "That is why I want to be like you. An FBI agent without fear of anything that happens."
"Lupe." He went to her and sat next to her. "Sweetheart, I get afraid. I was afraid today when I saw you there in the car. You looked so small and lost." He took a breath. "I get afraid every time I go after a bad guy. I never know if I am going to walk away from that or not because they have guns."
"So do you." She said.
"Yeah, but I still could be shot." He sighed. "Honey, you can be afraid. You are afraid. I see it in your eyes. The fear of not being in control again. The fear of seeing someone die again…" He gently touched her face. "If it had been you shot, I never would have forgiven myself. I am not sure I will with you even having seen that horrors of the modern world."
"I…I never saw so much blood before." She whispered her eyes filling with tears. "He was a good man. He offered me tea. The bullet…it buried itself in the door frame. Wood split off." She looked down. "I just stood there as he fell. I saw my life pass before me. I am too young to die…" She whispered.
"Everyone is too young to die like that." He said touching her check softly. She turned to him. "You can be afraid." He said. She saw tears in his eyes threatening to spill.
She touched his cheek as he blinked one down. "FBI agents don't cry." She said as she rubbed the tear between her fingers.
"Oh, we can." He took a breath and hugged her fiercely. "We are just as human as you are honey." He said against her ear and rocked her feeling her tears wet his shirt. This little girl was too young to feel this. Too damn young.
He held her for a moment as he fought back his own emotions for now. She moved and laid her head in his lap. She felt a little better. He idly played with her hair trying to calm her down all the more and himself. Soon her breathing evened out and he knew she was asleep. Sleep was good for her. She likely had not done any since the shooting.
After a few moments he wiggled out from under her. She was better, but his own emotions did not have a tight rein. He went down stairs and went out into the garage after picking up a bottle from the liquor cabinet. It was the bottle of Ever Clear Ysidro had brought with him from Montana for them. Today was a good day to try it out.
He opened the bottle and drank three swallows, not letting the liquid touch his mouth, but letting it burn down his throat. Yes, this would be a quick and easy way to get drunk and pass out.
He set the bottle down and started to pace. Lupe had been an innocent girl when he had first met her. She was a bubbly girl of eleven who had befriended him with her charming personality. Now she was talking about sex and a shooting that would change her outlook on life forever.
He took a breath as tears sprung unbidden to his eyes. Rage…rage at the unfairness of it all came to him. He growled and whipped about punching his hand through one of Charlie's chalkboards. He pulled his hand back and kicked it. The girl deserved to be a kid, but be forever remembering watching a bullet blowing a man's brains out onto her. She should not have to remember the stickiness of the blood that had drenched her through her clothing.
He paced about the room as he took more of the fiery alcohol. The girl would never be innocent again. What the hell was wrong with the world that some one so little had to see that? He punched another board. It cracked in half. He took a breath to keep from utterly sobbing out his frustration.
He drank more of the drink. Thank God it was only a fifth. Otherwise the stuff could be lethal. He finished it off and shattered the bottle at his feet before dropping to his knees. "Why, God, why?" He asked and fought to control his sobs.
"You know Charlie is going to be upset that his equations have big holes in them." Alan's quiet voice came into his alcohol stupor.
Don whipped about to look at him. They stared at each other a long moment. Don then wiped the tears from his face and took a deep breath.
"Donnie, you're drunk." Alan said as Don stood up and wobbled a bit before staggering to a table.
"Yeah, what of it?" Don snapped. "I could not be there for a little girl when she needed me." He hissed. He leaned against the air hockey table for balance. "It broke my heart, Dad." He shook his head. "I could do nothing to take away her pain or my guilt."
"So you drank a whole bottle of liquor?"
"It helped me get numb quick enough." Don said
"Yeah, and removed your pain cells." Alan took a step forward nodding to Don's red knuckles. "You will be feeling that in the morning." He sighed. He could not remember the last time he had seen Don cry like this. He was the strongest of the family, or at least he hid his pain well. Tonight, it was painfully obvious his elder son was chasing away his own demons.
Don woke the next morning next to the familiar feeling of a woman in his bed at the Eppes home. He recognized the room and for a minute thought he was back in college and had brought some cheerleader home. Oh, Dad would kill him.
He felt the girl stir feeling him wake. Her hand was over his hip very close to his... He did not remember getting naked. Actually he remembered very little after talking to Lupe. Lupe…
He sat up and looked over at the woman in bed with him. Had he done something stupid and betrayed his…
"Morning, Don." Espa said with a gentle smile as she looked at him sleepily. "You feel better?"
"Yeah…" He straitened his head a little and then dropped his head back to his hands. "No…" He said.
"Well, you earned that drinking like a fish last night." She said. She eyed him. "What was the matter? You never drink like that."
"Nothing." He swallowed. He then saw her look and sighed. "I will tell you later. Right now I need some coffee and a shower."
"I am not making you coffee. I am not supposed to be out of bed remember." She said sweetly. She sat up and kissed his shoulder and then nipped it playfully and he hissed.
"Ouch, woman." He growled and turned to her. He kissed her and sighed. "Did I throw up?" He asked. Oh, God he was hung over.
"No, but you should have. Alan had to drag you up here after you passed out." She said. "We had to strip you since you reeked of the Ever Clear you drank. Were you drinking it or bathing in it?"
"Thanks." He said and got up. He staggered into the bathroom across the hall to shower. He had to get to work and that was going to be fun as hung over as he was.
He got to work and managed to pay attention to David telling them that the finger prints came back from a Jessica Kaidlyn a girl with priors for assault and battery. She was currently living in an apartment with people checking on her daily to make sure she had taken her meds.
Don's team looked into what the cause of that was. Jessica Kaidlyn was a schizophrenic and she was missing from the apartment complex. No one had seen her in two days. The nurses had filled out a missing person's report.
Don sighed. His hang over was worn off. He still did not feel good about what had happened.
Finally the APB report paid off. It was Christmas Eve and a cop had seen a person who looked like the three hundred pound and over six foot tall woman going into a building. Don had the building surrounded. Edgerton went to the roof of the opposite building.
Don searched by floor. He started in the basement and worked his way up.
Before Edgerton could set up a shot rang out and the pastor of the church a block away dropped. Don was on the roof. He had his flack jacket as did Colby and David.
"Drop the weapon!" Don growled.
The woman turned and looked at him. "God tells me I have to punish them." She hissed. She held the rifle.
"FBI! Drop the gun and put your hands up!" David said.
She moved to fire the rifle. The others ducked and fired at the same time a rifle fired. Don looked at his team and then saw the woman fall. He looked across at Edgerton who nodded to him.
The cuffed the woman and the medics took her to the hospital. She had four through and through bullet holes they repaired.
When she was stable Don and Megan went in to talk to her. "Miss Kaidlyn. Why did you shoot those six people?" Megan asked.
"God said to. God said they are all sinners."
"How so?" Don asked.
"The first one to go hurt me." She hissed. "He liked me. The second was his friend." She looked at Don. "The third tried to take a girl into his house to do bad things to her. This man…" She looked away. "He may have tried."
Don looked at her. "And God told you to do this?"
"He told me sinners should not go to heaven." She said and looked away.
Don took a breath. He and Megan shared a look before they walked out of the security ward.
It was Christmas Eve finally. Don went to the Eppes family home. He found Espa lounging on the couch. Lupe was on the floor playing tug-a-war with Gretchen and a chew toy. Charlie and Alan were putting food on the table. Don looked at his family and sighed. Ah…home.
He removed his gun, phone, and handcuffs and put them on the small table in the front entry with his keys. He hung up his coat. Something smelled good.
Lupe looked up. She let go of the toy, which Gretchen claimed and went to her bed by the fire with. She went and hugged Don about his waist. He smiled. "Hey, Munchkin." He said. He cupped her chin. "How are you buddy?"
He smile was award enough for him. He bent and kissed her cheek as she hugged his neck. He laughed and lifted her up onto his hip and swung her about playfully until they both were a little dizzy and laughing too hard to care.
Espa watched them a smile on her face. He smiled at her as he held Lupe close. He rocked with the small girl as he hummed a soft song grinning at his wife. He truly loved his family. He was learning just how much after this case.
Lupe leaned her head against him and looked up at him. "We'll be buddies forever, won't we?" She asked.
"Oh, yes." He smiled. "I am just a phone call away." He smiled at her. He pressed his mouth to her ear. "Make you a deal. I'll call you when I am scared and you can call me when you are." She smiled as she moved back and held out her hand. He clapped it and brought it to his chest with a smile.
He then set her down and went to his wife. "And how are you?" He asked.
She smiled a little at him. "We are, okay. Are you better?"
"Yes." He said.
"Good." She sat up and he sat down so he could hold her. She scooted up so she was fully on his lap. "Charlie made a dip that is really good."
"Oh?" He asked. She got a chip and then made an airplane noise as she moved toward his mouth. He clamped his mouth shut and smiled at her, his eyes dancing.
She laughed as she pressed it to his lips and he stubbornly turned his head away trying not to laugh out loud at the play. Finally, he reached up and took the chip and bit into it. She smiled at him and waited.
"Actually, you are right it is edible." He grinned and finished it as he licked his fingers.
Espa rolled her eyes as he suddenly grabbed her and tipped her back. He kissed her mouth deeply. After a moment her hand went up and tangled in his spiky hair.
Lupe came in and clapped making Don smirk and pulled back. He looked at his wife, his face inches away. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart." He whispered. "You are carrying the best present you could ever give me. It will just be a little late for Christmas." He grinned.
"The merriest I have ever had, Don." Espa said.
Lupe laughed and bounced back into the dining room as Alan peeked his nose around at the two lovers talking softly together. Don's hand was sneaking higher on his wife's leg and so Alan coughed politely. Don looked up at him a little guiltily. "Yeah, Dad?" He asked a smile on his face of a content man holding his family.
"Dinner is, uh, ready." Alan said smiling at them. Oh, how many times he had sat before the fire holding his wife like that, enjoying her body against his. And when she had been pregnant, feeling the baby move against his hand and arm.
Don looked content and Alan was very happy he soon would be a grandfather at last.
Don got up and helped his wife come in for a dinner of shrimp and fondue.
