Chapter 14

Don came into the office the next morning with renewed hope. David had called the night before and informed him of the symbols drawn in the dusty asphalt of the parking lot. They had found several numbers, though some had been stepped on and others were missing entirely. Still, they were a sign that Charlie was alive.

Across the bullpen, he could see his team and the BAU gathered in a conference room. Even Amita and Larry were present today. With so many brilliant and reliable minds working together, Don had to believe they would find his brother.

"What do we know?" Don asked, stepping through the door. Every set of eyes moved to him and he felt his heart drop into his gut.

"We need to talk," Agent Hotchner said, taking Don's arm and leading him outside.

"Is it Charlie?" Don asked, fighting the panic.

"The CalSci professors managed to figure out the meaning of the numbers drawn in the dust. Dr. Eppes was definitely leaving a clue."

"So where is he this time?" Don asked.

"The clues don't tell us his location, they tell us the plan of the men holding him."

Despite his fear, Don felt something like pride for his brother. When Charlie realized he couldn't be rescued, he had instead told them what to expect.

"And?" Don asked, realizing that Hotch was hesitating.

"It's a recipe for high level explosives."

Don's gut clenched. "Nuclear?"

"No. Though, Professors Ramanujan and Fleinhardt say that this level of explosive is enough to level a city block."

"I thought the terrorists holding Charlie were trying to get Nuclear bombs?"

Hotch considered Don for a moment. "It may still be an eventual plan. For now, all we know for now is that they are creating an explosive powerful enough to kill dozens, maybe even hundreds of people."

Before Don could respond, the conference room door opened and Agent Jareau looked out.

"Hotch? Agent Eppes? Garcia finished crosschecking the explosives recipe."

After exchanging a final glance, Don followed Hotch back into the conference room. Garcia had projected he computer screen onto the wall where all agents could see it.

"Okay, so this is really scary," the computer tech began. "This particular explosive is new and highly classified. It has been used only a handful of other times, but never in the states."

Images of destruction and carnage appeared on the wall.

"Could that be what the money was being transferred for?" Morgan asked. "They were buying the recipe?"

David replied, "It sounds a bit better than the idea that terrorists bought a nuclear bomb."

"Not so much," Garcia said. "When I said this is really scary, what I meant was this could possibly be the start of the apocalypse scary."

"Explain, Garcia," Hotch ordered.

"If I may," Larry cut in, "the formula Charlie left for us in that parking lot is remarkable. It combines elements that are easily accessible in accurate quantities so that when detonated it causes more damage than most other well-known explosives."

Everyone was silent for several seconds, digesting Larry's words. Then Emily Prentiss said, "So the ingredients are easy to get and the result is…"

"Cataclysmic," Larry finished.

Colby turned to Garcia. "You said it hasn't been used in the States before. If it's so easy to make, why hasn't anyone used it?"

"I think the classified part has something to do with that," Morgan said.

Garcia raised a finger. "There is one more reason. This type of explosive has one fatal flaw. It can't be triggered remotely."

"Suicide bombs," Megan said sadly.

"I'm afraid so," Larry said, shaking his head.

Don looked thoughtful. "Okay, so this helps us."

"I don't see how," Amita said in a quiet voice.

"Because," Don said, "We have a room full of profilers and this case just became about people."

Silence descended as his words sunk in.

"We need to profile a serial bomber," Hotch said. "Let's get to work."

- O -

Charlie leaned against the wall and watched the men work in the lab. He felt exhausted, physically and emotionally. Scenes from the warehouse played in his mind over and over, starting with Dufresne's words.

"I will reward you by not drawing out your death."

He thought that had been the end, that Dufresne would kill him right there. He took out his gun and pointed it at Charlie. Charlie flinched, but the only sound he heard was a knocking. A messenger had arrived. Dufresne's henchmen brought the messenger forward for a whispered conversation in a language Charlie couldn't understand. They sounded excited. The messenger handed a thick stack of papers to Dufresne. Sirens sounded in the distance. Don was close. Charlie watched, horrified as a tripwire was laid across the entrance of the room they occupied. Orders were given to evacuate through a hidden passage at the back of the room. Charlie was pulled to his feet. One man stayed back to keep watch. No sooner had they entered the tunnel then an earsplitting bang cut through the tension. Dufresne had shot the messenger. Grinning, he turned to Charlie.

"When the time comes, Dr. Eppes, your death will be quick."

Dufresne still planned to kill him. Charlie sat and waited for his eventual death. Only one thought gave him any sort of comfort.

Back in the tunnel, as the messenger collapsed to the ground and Dufresne pronounced Charlie's future death, Charlie had caught a glimpse of the stack of papers. His heart flipped as he recognized the formulas. He'd consulted with scientists working on the classified explosive. Somehow, Dufresne had gotten his hands on the recipe.

On the other side of the tunnel, a car waited to take Charlie, Dufresne, and the rest of the terrorists to yet another location. Pretending to fall, Charlie landed hard on the pavement. He feigned injury as he scrawled the numbers into the dust with his finger. It was the best he could do. He could only pray Don would figure out what it meant.

Those thoughts swirled through his head as he sat on the floor and watched the men work to build the explosive. A glass window separated Charlie from the deadly work proceeding on the other side of the wall. It didn't matter if the wall was there or not. One slip and the entire building, along with everything inside it, would be eviscerated.

Charlie was still in danger. And this time, he had no way to contact Don. No hope for rescue.