By The Dawn's Early Light

By

1st Endeavor

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you for your reviews.

One second: A unit of angular measure equal to one sixtieth of a minute.

Chapter 29:

4:59:59

"I'm sorry," Ludwig whispered, as a single tear slid down his cheek.

Charlie tilted his head back so that he could clearly see the man's face; Schiller's height and their close proximity had made it a necessity. He realized now that he had misread the look in Ludwig's eyes; his original conclusion that the evil persona had returned had proved to be a false one. Instead the man that stood before him had finally regained his sanity….but it had come with a high price. The heinous deeds that he had committed were too much for him to bear and for the first time since his former professor had walked into his office Charlie saw guilt, compassion and remorse reflected in the man's tormented eyes.

The young professor stood speechless, watching in stunned silence as Schiller raised the barrel of the small revolver and placed it beneath his own chin seeking atonement in the only way that he knew how….by taking his own life.

As if from a great distance the younger man heard his brother call out to Ludwig and order him to drop the gun. Anxiously Charlie stared into Ludwig's eyes, hoping that he would see reason and drop the weapon but he just smiled sadly as he wrapped his finger around the trigger. He squeezed Charlie's shoulder tightly as if to reassure him that he would see it through to the end and do the right thing or perhaps Ludwig just needed to feel the touch of another human being to give himself the courage to follow through with his decision. Whatever the reason, Ludwig closed his eyes and prepared to pull the trigger.

Charlie opened his mouth to warn Don of Schiller's intentions but at that very moment the fifth chime resonated throughout his office and suddenly the world around him erupted into some macabre scene from a horror film.

He wanted to look away but it was as if some invisible hand was holding him in place; forcing him to be an unwilling witness to a horrifying act. Charlie didn't need to see the pieces of the man's skull flying all around him to know that Don's aim had been true. Time seemed to slow to a crawl like a slow motion scene from a movie; every detail, and every movement seen with absolute clarity.

Charlie was amazed at how calm he felt, as a matter of fact he realized, he didn't feel anything at all. He should be terrified but he wasn't. Was it because he had endured so much pain and emotional trauma during the night that he couldn't absorb anymore or was it simply because he had accepted his fate?

Ludwig's eyes had burst open, registering shock before going completely blank. The grip he had on Charlie's shoulder lessened but his hand remained there as his body listed forward. His other arm began to fall but at the same time the muscles in his hand jerked convulsively forcing the finger that he had wrapped around the trigger to tighten.

The gun roared to life on its downward spiral; the sound deafening Charlie's ears. He blinked rapidly against the bright muzzle flash and tried to move out of the way of the bullet but knew with mathematical certainty that it was going to hit him. Even now, knowing that the probability of his survival was zero to none his mathematical mind was still crunching the numbers as his brain automatically calculated the distance, trajectory of the bullet, inclination of the gun and muzzle velocity.

"The paths of the victim and shooter would have to intercept in both time and space within a suitable environment." He remembered saying that to his brother when he was consulting on a case but he couldn't remember the exact circumstances. Well the parameters had certainly been met in this particular instance but he had never expected it to apply to him.

It was hard for him to comprehend that all of this chaos had been wrought in one second. Larry would say the second was redefined to be 9,192,631,770 periods of vibration of the radiation emitted at a specific wavelength by an atom of cesium-133 but as a mathematician, he looked at it in different terms.

'One second," he thought in amazement, "1/60 of a minute, 1/3,600 of an hour, or 1/86,400 of a day…this day." One second for Schiller to die and quite possibly his own death would come from that same one second. It seemed unfair that such an infinitesimal moment in time should have so much power over life and death. These thoughts raced through his head at a dizzying pace; it was as if his brain knew that it didn't have much time left and it fought back against the inevitable silence that it knew was coming. The numbers abruptly changed to visions of his family and friends and a sensation of loss enveloped him as instantaneous flashes of Larry, his Dad, Don and Amita swirled through his memory.

Charlie felt no pain just a sort of numb shock as he began to fall backwards. His hands were still tied behind his back so he could do nothing to cushion his fall; his head hit the floor so hard that he literally saw stars. The impact drove most of the breath from his lungs, and then he lost what little was left in them when Schiller's lifeless body toppled over on top of him; his limp hand still lying on Charlie's shoulder.

The approaching darkness didn't frighten him anymore; he greeted it like an old friend. Charlie didn't know how many times that he had lost consciousness during the night's horrendous ordeal but he couldn't help but wonder if he would wake up this time. He offered no resistance but welcomed it with open arms; eagerly anticipating its touch. As the darkness encircled him Charlie thought of his brother one last time and a feeling of relief flooded through him; Don was safe now and he could let go and slip into silent oblivion.

As Charlie spiraled downward into the darkness a disembodied voice seemed to follow along with him, and although he didn't recognize the gentle voice of the man that was speaking, he nevertheless found his words oddly comforting.

"Good night and May God bless"

0

Colby flicked his phone shut and gripped the dashboard with both hands as David made a sharp turn off the freeway for the Pasadena exit.

"Nearest LAPD cruiser is fifteen minutes out." He shouted, trying to make himself heard over the loud sirens.

Nikki called from the rear seat. "Ambulance is on the way."

David nodded grimly as he sped through a red light. "What about campus security?" He yelled, daring a glance in his rear view mirror at Liz.

"On their way over." She shouted, meeting his eyes in the mirror. "I told them to make sure they opened the door to the building and had a key to Charlie's office on hand. I also warned them against forcing an entry; don't want the guy to shoot any sooner than he planned to."

"Good." David grunted, holding tightly to the steering wheel as they made the turn for CalSci on two wheels. A minute later they careened into the parking area at the school and raced for the Math building.

"We're not going to make it!" Liz yelled from the back seat as David slammed on the brakes, bringing the SUV to a squealing halt behind Charlie's Prius. The four doors opened simultaneously as the agents rushed from the vehicle and ran at top speed toward the Math building.

Two security guards stood by the door anxiously waiting for their arrival.

"David I just heard Don yell out a warning to your gunman." Grady said as he handed him the key to Charlie's office.

Breathless, the agent nodded and snatched the key from his hand just as two loud shots reverberated around the campus.

"Stay here!" David shouted racing into the building, his team right on his heels.

.01

"Good night and May God bless" Red Skeleton's signature closing reverberated from the TV just before the lively theme song began to play.

"That's pretty ironic." Don thought distantly, watching Schiller's body topple over. Those were the last words that he expected to hear at a time like this. He pushed the music from his mind just as he blocked out the loud sirens and flashing lights coming from the parking lot; there was only one thing that mattered now and he focused all of his attention on finding Charlie.

The metallic smell of blood and sulfur was something that Don had become accustomed too; both smells often associated with the use of gunfire. But it was the fact that he was experiencing that smell in his brother's office and that there was a very real possibility that some of the blood might actually be Charlie's that had him breathing through his nose to suppress his gagging reflex.

With a trembling hand he wiped the sweat from his upper lip and struggled to his feet; horror- filled eyes locked on the scene before him. Had there been two shots or just one? He wasn't sure. He blinked his good eye rapidly trying to clear his vision; there was too much smoke in the room for just one shot and the way his ears were ringing reinforced his theory of two shots. If that was the case then which one of them had fired first? Had he given Schiller time to shoot his brother before he pulled the trigger?

"Oh, God," he moaned, "I was too late." How else could he explain the lack of movement in front of him? Schiller had fallen between the desk and the wall; Don could see the lower part of his legs and feet sticking out beyond the desk but where was his brother?

"Charlie! " He called out anxiously, staggering toward the desk. In a near panic the agent tried to run, nearly doubling over as a sharp pain sliced across his abdomen. White-knuckled, he gripped the edge of the desk and forced himself to move, edging his way to the back of the desk.

"Charlie!" Don cried out again as he hurriedly looked behind the desk.

Frantically he glanced around in surprise; what the hell had happened to Charlie? His heart lifted a little; maybe he had managed to get out of the way. His eyes skimmed over Schiller's body and he raised his head to check out the office but at the last moment caught sight of a few errant brown curls sticking out from beneath the man's body.

"Oh God!" Don whispered in horror; Charlie was lying underneath Schiller's dead body. Panic-stricken he dropped to his knees and pulled at Ludwig's body. It wasn't easy, especially in his condition, but he didn't care; all that mattered was getting to Charlie. Finally he gave one massive tug and was able to flip Schiller's body over onto the floor but it wasn't without cost.

Don doubled over and wrapped his arms around his middle, moaning in sheer agony as white-hot pains lanced through his chest. He was on all fours now, head bent and eyes squeezed shut, panting against the pain; they seemed to go on forever but in reality only a few seconds had actually elapsed. As he opened his eyes again his hand slipped on the floor and he absently raised it to wipe it on his jeans but stopped when he realized that the palm of his hand was covered with blood. The agent swallowed hard and followed the bloody trail to his brother's body.

"Oh Buddy." Don's voice choked with emotion at the first clear sight that he had of his brother. It looked as if he had literally taken a bath in blood; red stains covered the right side of his face and neck. Charlie's entire upper torso was soaked with the crimson liquid and his head was lying in a pool of blood. His brother lay still and unmoving; no one could lose that much blood and still be alive.

"Charlie. No…no." Don sobbed, frantically feeling for a pulse. His heart seem to catch in his throat when he couldn't find one but he refused to accept the fact that it was too late to save him so he continued to search for a sign that Charlie was still alive. In a blind panic he looked for a wound but there was so much blood that it was hard to determine where it came from and then he remembered that Schiller always shot his students in the back of the head. Reluctantly, Don's eyes drifted to the pool of blood around Charlie's head and he felt his heart shatter; it was true….oh God, it was true!

Ignoring his own pain Don gathered Charlie's limp form in his arms, pulling his head close to his chest so that it rested against his shoulder. Grief-stricken he rested his cheek against his brother's dark curls and closed his eyes as he rocked Charlie slowly back and forth, tears flowing freely down his cheeks; the loss too much for him to bear.

"I'm sorry…so sorry buddy," Don whispered brokenly, "Come back Charlie….please." His chest hurt again only this time the agonizing pain came from deep within his chest; the pains from his cracked rib now paled in comparison to the ones that were ripping apart his heart.

5:02 a.m.

David cautiously turned the key then pushed the door open with his foot. He nodded toward the right and Nikki and Liz darted through the doorway, moving quickly to the right side of the room while he and Colby dodged to the left.

Liz moved silently around the couch on the right while Nikki came around the left side just as "Rocket Man" blared forth from beneath the sofa. Liz dropped to all fours and peaked underneath the couch then rose swiftly to her feet as it went silent.

"Charlie's phone." She said quietly.

Almost immediately another phone began to ring and four pairs of eyes darted around the room searching for it.

"Here" Nikki called out moving closer to the table. "Don's phone and his holster." She pointed to the floor beneath the side of the table where two books had been stacked on top of one another. Her eyes drifted over the empty soda cups and a pizza box at the far edge of the table and then downward to Charlie's upended book bag and its scattered contents.

"Don….Charlie!" David called out anxiously, sharing looks of concern with his team as they moved further into the room.

The theme song for "Bonanza "suddenly burst forth from the TV, startling everyone. Colby was the closest one to the set so he quickly turned around and hit the power button. Afterward an ominous silence filled the room and with trepidation they moved closer to Charlie's desk; guns at the ready.

"I have a body." Liz said softly, angling in from the right; stepping over Don's crumpled jacket she moved closer. "It looks like Schiller."

David nodded breathing a little easier. That explained one shot but the second one was beginning to worry him more.

"There's the revolver." Colby exclaimed suddenly, nodding toward the firearm; propelled backward when it fired, the gun had slid across the floor and landed beside one of the white boards.

Puzzled Nikki moved closer to her partner. "If the bad guy is down then where are Don and Charlie?" From their angle the computer stand blocked the view of the floor behind the desk.

David held up his hand, calling for silence. "Listen?" Suddenly he darted around the left side of the desk, scattering the sand and pieces of the hourglass across the floor.

They found them then and the sight brought David to his knees. "Don?" he whispered, unshed tears forming in his eyes. But his friend didn't seem to hear him, he just knelt there, holding Charlie close, sobbing quietly into the dark curls as he rocked gently back and forth.

"David, what….?" Colby started to ask as he joined him. "Oh,God!"" He exclaimed in anguish at the sight of his friends. Muttering "we're too late" under his breath he turned away and angrily punched the wall with his fist.

Liz and Nikki shared anxious looks then rushed around the desk stopping just a few paces behind David.

"D…Don?" Liz whispered her voice thick with emotion. But as with David, Don didn't look up; he didn't even seem to register the fact that they were there at all. Unbidden, tears flowed down her cheeks as she turned away.

Tears in her eyes Nikki clapped a hand to her mouth and staggered backwards. "No…..no…we can't be too late."

David stretched a tentative hand and squeezed Don's shoulder. "Don?"Still no response. He swallowed thickly and stretched his hand toward Charlie's neck to check for a pulse himself; in Don's condition he could have made a mistake but before he could make contact a familiar voice called out from the doorway. His hand fell limply to the floor and he sighed heavily; this was going to be so hard. Slowly he rose to his feet, his shoulders drooping as he raised his head and met the frightened eyes of Alan Eppes. Larry anxiously stood to his right nervously glancing around the room.

"Where ….where is Don ...and Charlie?"Alan demanded fearfully, dread filling his eyes; the color drained from his face as his gaze drifted from agent to agent then finally met David's. After Larry had picked him up and filled him in on what was happening he had tried to call Don and Charlie but neither had answered their phones…and now he feared he knew why.

David holstered his gun and looked away, sniffing and rubbing a finger under his nose before turning back to face the Eppes patriarch. He felt so helpless; there simply was no easy way to tell him about Charlie.

"Alan….uh…..they're over here." He said quietly and stepped aside as a single tear ran down his cheek.

"No!" Alan gasped, shaking his head in denial at David's emotional response. He shuffled forward on numb feet, breathless with an urgent need to see his sons and yet terrified of what he was going to find on the other side of the desk. He braced his hand on the desk as he rounded the corner and froze; the sight of Don rocking his blood-soaked brother shattered his heart.

"Dear Lord!" Larry sobbed behind him then clasped a hand to his mouth, gagging at the sight of his young friend covered in blood. White-faced, he turned quickly, fleeing from the room as the contents of his stomach rose up in his throat.

Alan's keening wail filled the room as he sank to his knees in front of his sons. With tears running down his face he rested his forehead against Don's and circled his arms around his bent shoulders, embracing both of them.

"Donnie," he whispered tenderly, placing a kiss on the top of his head.

Don finally raised his tear stained face and took a shuddering breath as he met his father's grief-stricken eyes. "I…I was too late Dad." He lamented, his eyes full of sorrow. "I should…have shot sooner….but I was afraid that I would hit...Charlie."Don's voice broke and he looked away.

"Shh…shhh…now." Alan said softly, wiping the tears on Don's cheeks; carefully avoiding his swollen eye. "I know….," he began, but had to stop and swallow, "I know…that you did ….everything you could."His gaze drifted downward and a sob escaped his throat as he stretched his trembling arms forth. "Let me hold him….please?"

Don nodded reluctantly then carefully placed Charlie in his father's arms but was unwilling to let him go completely and reached for his hand. It was only then that he remembered that Schiller had bound his brother's hands together. Anger flared within his breast and suddenly nothing was more important than removing the rope that was around Charlie's wrists. He tugged at the knot until it opened and then tucked Charlie's arms safely within his father's embrace.

Alan gazed mournfully at the still form lying in his arms while memories of his youngest son raced through his mind. There were flashes of Margaret holding him at birth, smiling up at him and of a curly haired five year old jumping in his arms when he came home from work, brown eyes alight with excitement as he told him of a new math problem that he had just learned. The memory flashes flew through his school years, and his remarkable achievements at such a young age. But Alan knew that it had been his relationship with his brother that Charlie valued more than anything and he remembered the look on Charlie's face the day that Don had called him his partner; they had overcome their differences and become friends. Charlie had yearned for that his whole life; his expressive brown eyes had lit up with love and pride.

Alan choked back a sob, reality raising its ugly head and pushing his sweet memories aside. How had it come to this? Ever so gently he pushed a red stained curl back from Charlie's forehead and pressed his trembling lips against his skin.

"He still… feels warm." Alan whispered between sobs.

"What?" Don asked brokenly as he took his brother's limp hand in his own. His brows knitted together in puzzlement. "He does feel warm. " But then again he had only been dead for a few minutes. Nevertheless his fingers tightened around Charlie's wrist…and found a pulse.

"Charlie's alive! " Don rasped excitedly, his voice hoarse from yelling at Schiller during the night. Stunned, Alan raised his head in disbelief, afraid that he had misheard his son. "Alive?" he whispered, his lower lip trembling fearfully, still not sure if he was hearing correctly.

"Yes Dad, I found a pulse." Don grabbed for his hand but hissed when a sharp pain jabbed him in the chest; in the throes of grief he had forgotten about his own injuries. Despite the pain he leaned forward and placed an ear over his brother's heart and heard a sound that made his own heart soar.

Don straightened up and gripped his father's hand tightly. "He's alive Dad," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Charlie's heart is beating slowly but it's steady."

Alan couldn't speak; the relief was just too over-whelming. His arms tightened around Charlie and he closed his eyes while he fought to get a grip on his emotions.

"He's what?" David asked, his voice raising an octave. "Don did you say that Charlie is alive?"

Don looked up, his good eye glistening with joyful tears. "Yes. I don't understand….I couldn't find a pulse before but it's there now…..and that's all that matters. We'll need an ambulance."

"Listen." David said, cocking his head to the side. "There's already one on the way but from the way you look I think we're going to need two of them."

Colby, Nikki and Liz suddenly appeared over his shoulder, sharing relieved smiles with Don and Alan.

"I'll go down and show them the way up." Liz volunteered happily as the ambulance siren blared out from the parking lot. She pivoted suddenly and rushed from the room, passing a stunned security guard and Larry who was just coming out of the rest room. Liz halted abruptly and retraced her steps until she was standing in front of Larry. She grabbed him and gave him a fierce hug then set him at arm's length.

"Listen to me Larry." She said, her lips curving upward in a smile. "Charlie's alive!" She waited a moment to be sure that he understood her then turned on her heel and raced down the hallway.

Larry stared after her with a blank expression on his face and then her words suddenly sank in. With a shout of over-whelming joy he turned and raced back into the office.

TBC