Don stretched, he was going to work late again. Oh well, it wasn't a bad paycheck, then again, it was never about the money. He picked up the phone. Just out of habit he'd been calling to make sure they knew when he was going to be late, since he found Charlie asleep on the couch waiting for him to come home once.
He dialed his home number and heard Larry's voice.
"This is the Eppes residence, how may I help you?"
"Larry?"
"Oh, hi Don." "Charlie, it's Don." he could hear someone running.
"Don hey, what's up?"
"Hey Charlie, listen, I'm going to be working late tonight." "Okay?"
"Okay." "When are you coming home?"
"Way past when you should be asleep."
"Ha ha, very funny." Don chuckled.
"I think I'll be home around one." "You had better not be working on that dumb equation. Or so help me, I'll erase every board in the garage."
"Don! That's my work you're talking about."
"And it's your sleep I'm talking about."
"All right, but Larry and I will be up for a while."
"All right." "Night Charlie."
"Night Don." Don hung up. He'd done his job, now he had to get back to work.
Charlie sat down with Larry.
"So, what did Don want?"
"He wanted to say he'd be home late again."
"Ah, you seem bothered."
"Yeah, it's just this thing." "Lately I've been worried about Don." "You know, about his work. Actually I really started getting worried after the 'Charm School Boys'." "I don't know, don't worry about it." Larry smiled and shook his head.
"Charlie my boy, you are discovering for the first time how really dangerous your brother's job is." "And you don't want to lose him." "It's that simple."
"Yeah, but I shouldn't worry, he's Don. He's always been good at handling himself."
"True." "You know. . . ." Larry stopped talking.
"Charles, what's wrong?" Charlie stood up and walked over to the window. He looked outside.
"What is it?" Larry asked concerned.
"I thought I heard something." "I'm sorry." he said turning and smiling.
"That's quite all right." "That's what night time does, makes us remember our nightmares. The Boogey Man, the monsters under the bed and in the closet, the scary ghosts." "All those things we were afraid of at night when we were little, that we were worried about being hidden in the darkness, their memory comes back at night." "And of course, our more mature and adult rational fears go now to burglars, murderers, and other nasty people that wait in the darkness for us." "Aside from the occasional horror movie scare."
"How true." "I just really thought I heard something."
"You could very well have, cats, raccoons, kids, birds, all kinds of natural night time things and behaviors."
"Or the ramblings of a genius physicist." Larry smiled.
"How true, how true." "Though I truly doubt my words of wisdom would be enough to bother you into thinking the Boogey Man was outside." the two laughed.
BAM!
The two turned as the huge crashing sound rang out. There were six men in black bullet proof vests. They all wore helmets with visors that covered their face. They had their guns pulled and resembled something like a S.W.A.T. Team bust. But they weren't with the S.W.A.T, or any other kind of police force.
"Excuse me, what's going on?" Larry asked standing up.
"Freeze!"
"Don't move Larry."
"I've no intention of moving." "What are you men doing here?"
"You." he pointed at Charlie. He motioned with his gun.
"Over here." Charlie stayed where he was.
"Get over here." Charlie looked at the man defiant.
"No." he looked at him.
"Get over here."
"I said no, and I'm not going to."
"I suggest you do what he says." He looked at the other man.
"He won't, he's as stubborn as his brother is." Charlie looked at him.
"Don?" "What does this have to do with him?"
"A lot more than you think." "And a lot less than you know." Charlie looked at him more carefully. He didn't trust this man. Not one bit.
"Come over here." Charlie stepped back in front of Larry.
"Charles, get out of here." he whispered.
"They want me, you're likely to make it out of here if I can distract them." he replied. He watched one of the men. He looked at his stance there was something that was very familiar about it. That's when he realized, the man was about to throw something. Then something hit Larry.
"Larry!" he turned. It was a wooden object. A rounded stick basically. Someone grabbed him. Charlie pushed him back. He was surprised by Charlie's strength. He hadn't been expecting him to have that much strength. Charlie tried to run. He dodged a hit from someone but the next person was ready for him. He hit him in the throat. Charlie bent over struggling to breathe. He was pushed down.
"Just breathe." "You keep doing that and you'll be fine." Charlie coughed and began to breathe. Charlie's hands were handcuffed and he was dragged outside. He cried out for help and struggled, though the crying out was a little painful. He hadn't been hit with all the strength the person had. But it still hurt. He was dragged into the van. The person who dragged him in got out. He got down and another one pointed a gun at him. He could clearly see him pull the trigger and then everything went black for Charlie.
Don hung up the phone. For the past ten minutes he'd been trying to get a hold of Charlie. Maybe he'd gone to bed. He sighed and went to go get some coffee.
"Listen to me sir, I need to get in."
"I'm sorry sir, but Agent Eppes is busy, and you need some attention. Until then we can't let you see him."
"Tell him that Dr. Larry Fleinhardt is here." Don shook his head.
"Jim!" people turned to the yelling Don. "Let him in!" he waved two fingers towards himself. He looked confused when Larry entered. Two things were wrong with him. The first, was there was no Charlie, the second was a huge bruise on his forehead.
"Larry, what the hell happened?" "Did you and Charlie get in a fight, with something?"
"He's gone Don."
"What?" "Who's gone?"
"Charles." Don looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"He's been kidnapped." Larry said soberly.
"What?" "What are you talking about, where's Dad?"
"Your father went out to see a friend." "After the call Charles thought he heard something and soon six men burst in. They knocked me senseless and took Charles. Though from the debris I think he made a valiant effort to stay free."
"Oh my god." Don ran to the exit.
"Don!" he turned.
"I may have been senseless, but there is one thing I do recall."
"What?" Larry's lip seemed to quiver slightly.
"I heard a shot." Don's heartbeat raced. He ran to his car and sped out tires screeching. He drove home way over the speed limit. He arrived and looked at the house. The door was busted open.
"No." "Charlie!" he went inside. He searched all over the house, and the yard and called again and again. There was no answer or sign of Charlie. He'd been taken. He looked up at the clock. Two forty-five. When did this happen?
Don was headed back to his car. His cell phone rang.
"What?"
"Don, it's me Terry."
"Listen, I have to-" His words were interrupted.
"We're on our way stay there."
"Look, I have to find Charlie."
"Number one, it's been too long, Larry said it happened about 1:30." "Too long to catch anyone, besides, your father should be on his way home soon." "He needs to hear this from you."
Don was sitting at the kitchen table. He held his head in his hands. How could he let this happen?
"What in the world happened?" Allan Eppes entered the house.
"Good lord, Don, what did you do?" he looked at his son. "Don, what's the matter with you?"
"Dad, he's gone."
"Who's gone?" "Where's-"
"Charlie." "They took him."
"Who did?"
"I don't know." "All I know is that they knocked out Larry and took him, and Charlie put up a fight."
"Where were you?"
"I had to work late again." "It's all my fault."