Disclaimer – I don't own them, I just borrowed them. Numb3rs and its characters are the property of those that created them. No copyright infringement intended. No financial reward gained. All real organisations are used in a fictional sense. Original characters and the storyline are mine however.
CHAPTER TWELVE
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Colby's questions were relentless but Charlie's father answered them as patiently as he could, going over and over the development of the community centre in Rialto. As he listened with half an ear Charlie tried not to appear impatient while he waited for David to come running over with good news, bad news or any news at all. But no matter how many times a minute he looked over towards the war room nothing happened.
"So have the approvals gone through for the second centre, the one for kids?" Colby was asking.
"Just about. Some of the councillors want to hold out to see the first stage completed and running before signing off on the second."
"No hard line objectors?"
Alan thought for a minute. The meetings had all been remarkably civil, a community centre could only be good for the area. No, their concerns were mainly in the areas of construction costs and the design, not of the centre itself. He told Colby that before adding, "Are you sure there is nothing else we could be doing?"
"We are doing everything that we can, Alan."
"It's always like this. Sometimes we," Charlie corrected himself, "they, just have to go over and over all the data to find the key. I really could help, Colby. I could apply some expressions-"
"Charlie," Colby sighed and shook his head. "You can't help other than by helping your father. That's the way it is. Look, I've got everything I need for now. I better get started."
"The moment you get anything," Alan started as Colby stood.
"You'll be the first to know." The young agent assured. He nodded at Charlie before stepping out and heading back towards the war room.
"I don't like this, Charlie." Alan said standing and following the agent with his gaze as he made his way across the near deserted office. "They know something they're not telling us."
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Walking back into the room Colby was suddenly fixed with two penetrating gazes. His steps faltered and he stopped. "What?"
David spoke first. "You said Santiago got his intel from kids?"
"Yeah, he did. Through his own son."
"What exactly did you tell Santiago?" Wright demanded.
Colby didn't like the tone of that question, not at all. "Sir, he told me that Don had been kidnapped. He knew all about it and wanted to pass the information on as a favour."
"And what did you ask him to do about it?"
"As I told David, I asked him if he could tell us who the kids were that had given him the information. He refused to say. All he would do was make 'a suggestion'. I did get the feeling that he knew more than he was letting on, that he probably knew who was holding Don." He looked to each man in turn. "What's going on?"
"They found a juvenile at the scene and are bringing him in." Wright supplied.
"You think this kid is one of the ones that Santiago was talking about?"
"Could be. He's told the agents that gang-bangers had taken Agent Eppes moments before the raid team arrived."
"What! You think Santiago-" Colby broke off and reached for the phone. He'd been given a number as a means of direct contact when the meeting concluded earlier. With a quick call they would soon know if Don was safe.
"Colby, wait." David pressed down on the button, disconnecting the phone. "Let's hear what the kid has to say before we tip Santiago off. We need to know more about what is going on before we go off half-cocked."
"But," Colby started before stopping at the firm expressions on the other two agents' faces. He'd spent a lot of time with the gangster and felt that he had a solid handle on the man. If Santiago had involved himself directly then it should mean that Don was safe. But the other agents, especially AD Wright, had seniority on him and Colby knew he had to back down. He replaced the handset without further argument. "How long before they get here?"
"Should be any time now."
"Have a surveillance team set up on Santiago." Wright ordered.
Colby nodded and attended to the arrangements. By the time he'd finished making the calls the elevator dinged and out walked a pair of agents escorting a woman and a young boy. They were escorted to an interview room before one of the agents reported in at the war room.
"Agent Phillips, sir. The boy's name is Ruiz Cubero, the mother is Maria Gonzales." He reported. The difference in family names didn't raise any interest, such things were common. "He is thirteen years old and has already told us that he along with some other kids were the ones who kidnapped Agent Eppes from Professor Eppes' house."
"They what?" David was incredulous. "Kids?" Despite his earlier comment to Charlie that even an agent as good as Don was could be tired and have let his guard down it was big shock that his assailants may not have even been adults, that the kids were the actual perpetrators.
The other agent nodded. "That's what he claims. He and another four juveniles, some older and at least one even younger, had staked out Professor Eppes' house waiting for Alan Eppes. They attacked Agent Eppes thinking he was his father and took him to the warehouse before realising their mistake."
"Five kids held an agent against his will?"
"Apparently there were more waiting at the warehouse and some of them were armed with knives. They'd knocked Agent Eppes out with a baseball bat on the sidewalk and had bound him."
"Unbelievable." David breathed, shaking his head. The problem was, now that he'd gotten over the shock, it was totally believable. They'd had cases where kids had committed murder so there was no reason why kidnapping a federal agent was out of the realm of possibility.
"Yeah." Phillips agreed. He'd been around and seen a lot of offences committed by juveniles, but this out-right kidnapping and holding of an adult by juveniles as young as some of these boys were was a first for him.
"What's he said about the gang-bangers who took Agent Eppes?" Wright asked.
"He doesn't know them, but apparently when the juveniles scattered he heard one of them say that he recognised one of the men as a cousin to one of the boys. He thinks the name was 'Roman' or something like that, perhaps 'Ramone'." He reported getting quickly back on track. He held out a pad on which he'd been scribbling his notes on the way over. "We've been running a micro and the child's been Mirandized. His mother is on side and has waived legal representation. Do you want to take it over?"
David glanced at Wright who through his expression gave the choice back to him. He made his decision. "You do it, clearly you've developed a rapport with the boy and will probably get more out of him."
"I used to work juvenile crime." Phillips explained. He knew how to talk to children.
"Then run with it. Keep us updated with what you get so we can run it down as you go."
"Sure." The agent retreated to start the interview.
"I'm going to call Lieutenant Walker." David announced. "He'll be able to tell us whether there is a 'Roman' or a 'Ramone' in the 18th Street Mexicalis or tied up with Che Lobo Santiago."
"A name like that is too common." Colby commented. There was probably a Ramone in most of the gangs in LA. It turned out they didn't need the information from the Gang Taskforce leader. Colby's cell chose that moment to ring.
"I think it is time for another meeting." The voice started. "I have something for you."
Colby snapped his fingers to attract the other agents' attention then indicated his cell phone. David dived for a fixed line to arrange a trace as Colby acknowledged the caller. "Che Lobo. What do you have?"
"I think you know."
He took a deep breath. "Is he safe?"
"He's unharmed and ready to get back to the office."
"Where is he?"
"Same rules as before." Santiago ordered before saying anything further. The pause stretched, he seemed to be waiting.
"Uh, sure."
"Come to the house alone."
"But-" If Santiago was on the up and up Colby didn't see why there was a need for him to go alone.
"Too many people can lead to misunderstandings. I think you would prefer to avoid that."
The threat was veiled but clear enough. Colby still trusted the gangster but clearly Santiago was less sure about his men and how they would react to a team of agents appearing at the gates. Things had been tense enough last time, the wrought iron gates were no impediment if bullets started flying. "Alright, no one else. No wires. Just me." Colby repeated the instructions from his earlier meet. The phone abruptly went dead.
David shook his head, not enough time for the trace even though it had come through to a bureau issue cell phone cutting down most of the necessary lead time.
Colby relayed the other end of the call.
"Fits with what we know and suspect; Santiago has Agent Eppes." Wright mused. He fixed the junior-most agent with his gaze. "You think he'll just hand him over?"
"He has no reason not to." Colby said. "He sees this as doing me a favour and probably hopes to score some points in relation to the ongoing investigation into his activities."
Wright nodded, that did make some sense. But, "Why hasn't Eppes himself called us if he's not under duress?"
That one Colby didn't have an answer for. "I guess I need to go and find out."
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In enforced silence Don had listened to Che Lobo's side of the call to Colby Granger. Now the 'arrange something else' comment made sense. It wouldn't be a cab or limo collecting him, but a bureau vehicle.
"See, Agent? I have no ulterior motives, you are free to go when your man gets here."
But not before then? Don couldn't help asking himself. He kept his mouth shut as he decided not to push the issue. He could live, that being the operative term, with cooling his heels until then rather than provoking an unnecessary confrontation. Speaking of which, a glance back at his escort confirmed as he'd expected that Guerra was far from pleased with the planned release of the agent.
"Che Lobo," Guerra started.
The gangster-come-record producer held up a hand silencing the protest. "Cruz, see to our guest's needs. A beer perhaps, or something harder?"
"I'm fine."
"Then a coffee it is. Cruz." Che Lobo said, nodding towards the door with his head. The offer had not been a suggestion.
The agent rose and followed the newly identified driver from the office towards another section of the house, Ramone trailing ever watchfully close behind. Having already made the decision to let events play out he soon found himself in the kitchen. The fit out would have done a small restaurant proud and the coffee machine would not have looked out of place in an upscale Starbucks. He was waved to a stool as Cruz applied himself to the machine. A few minutes later Don was sipping at a truly excellent cup of coffee. As it should be, he'd caught a glimpse at the bag the beans had come from, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, something way beyond his pay scale.
He gently shook his head at the surreal moment, here he was rescued from being held captive by kids and now being served coffee by gangsters who may or may not currently be holding him against his will. It was all too strange for any time of day let alone nearly five in the morning. He took another sip as he glanced out the large kitchen windows overlooking a patio area and noted that the sky was starting to brighten with the first light of dawn.
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