Title: Soriteses

Author: Fishgirl

Description: When one of the Eppes brothers is arrested, will the other be able to solve the puzzle on his own? What if the puzzle is really his brother?

Warnings: I do not own the television program numbers or any of it's characters.

Chapter 4:

Don had to pass through 3 security checkpoints before he reached the officer who arrested his brother that morning. She looked bedraggled probably better than he himself looked but that didn't make him feel any better.

"Where is Charlie?"

"He is through there, but I must talk to you first."

"I asked you on the phone what you did to him. It has to be more than questions."

The woman flushed like she wasn't sure how to answer this question. "We used standard procedure. The moment we put any pressure on him he threw himself at the door. When we tried to restrain him he threw himself to the floor and started rocking. He was reciting numbers of some sort and he hasn't stopped. He can't hurt himself for the moment."

"What made you call me?"

"That just started, he stops his numbers every once in a while and asks for you. We need to find out what he knows."

"And you want me to find out for you?"

"It's for his own good as well as your own. If your brother is mixed up with the people we think he is, he is in danger."

Don was in a tug of war with himself, he wanted to ask a thousand questions about the case and what exactly Charlie had been doing, but more than anything he wanted…. 'Take me to Charlie."

The agent turned on her heels and led him through a pair of double doors, she slid her id through the machine and another door opened to her right. Inside Charlie sat with his still cuffed hands in front of him rocking front to back mumbling, "5923078164"

"Don knelt in front of Charlie and tried to get his attention, CHARLIE!"

"What is that he is mumbling?"

"Pie, he's done this before. It calms him down. Charlie, I'm here now come back and talk to me."

"08651Don, where's Don?"

"I'm right here buddy now come back here and let's talk."

"I don't know Don… I don't….32823"

"Its ok, you don't have to answer anything you don't want to."

The female agent tried to break into the conversation. "We really need to find out…"

"I want to… I want to…. Don't hurt Don…"

Don stood in front of the shorter woman, never had he wanted to hit a woman so much in his life, "Hurt me? What did you say to him?"

"We simply explained that your position in the FBI might be in question if we didn't receive some answers from your brother."

"That's the pressure you were talking about?" Don glared at the woman one more time before returning to Charlie's side. At least the numbers seemed to have stopped and when Don pulled his brother to his feet Charlie glanced up at him. "There is nothing they can do to me ok? I haven't done anything and they know it. If I had they would have handcuffs on me too."

"They arrested you too?" Charlie asked frantically grabbing Don's forearm.

"No, no I am here for you. They have nothing on me ok, I'm fine, now let's see about you ok?" He didn't even spare a glance for the woman near the door.

"Get the keys for these ridiculous cuffs." He knew what the cuffs were about, he had used the procedure before. He knew that people like Charlie, who were not usually in trouble with the law, were more likely to talk if they had the reminder that they were under arrest.

"NOW," he bellowed when he saw her hesitate. He instantly regretted his action when he saw his brother flinch. "It's ok Charlie I'm not mad at you."

"I was just trying to help…"

"I'm sure you were. Let's just calm down a little, maybe get you something to eat. Did you eat that sandwich I brought you at the house?"

"No… I forgot…"

"Well maybe someone" he glared at Agent Simmons "will get you something to eat and then we can talk ok?"

"Ok."

Agent Simmons stepped outside the door for a few moments and returned with what had probably been someone's bag lunch from home. Charlie only ate a few bites but he was already much calmer than he had been when Don entered the room.

"Maybe you can tell us what is going on now Charlie?"

Charlie glanced up at the fierce looking woman and then over at Don. "I can't really say in front of…"

"Forget it," Agent Simmons responded, "he is still my suspect and I'm not leaving."

"I'm sorry Charlie, whatever you have to say you must say in front of her."

"I was just trying to help you."

"See that's the part I don't get Charlie, help me with what?"

"I can't tell you, I was sworn to secrecy."

"Secrets? You said back at the house you weren't hiding anything from me Charlie, were you lying?"

"I wasn't hiding it…. Well I was hiding it, but it was for your own good."

"So it was the thing on the computer, what was that? Is it a program? Was it research? What?"

"No one was supposed to know, we agreed on that no one was supposed to know."

"Who is we? Did someone talk you into this Charlie?"

Charlie nodded solemnly.

"I'm gonna need more than this Charlie, you are going to have to talk to someone! This is not going to go away. I don't want to scare you, but these people are serious. They will put you in jail Charlie and there won't be anything I can do to help you unless you talk to me."

"I can't tell anyone."

"Agent Eppes, may I speak with you outside for a moment?"

Don thought about refusing but decided Charlie needed the break, he could see him slowly hiding back inside his numbers. "Sure."

Simmons held the large metal door open for Don, swinging it shut and Don leaned against the far wall. "What is it now."

"Your brother is not responding to this questioning and we think we know why." Don waited for her to continue.

"Well…."

"We think that Charlie is protecting someone. As I said he is in pretty deep. If he was trying to save his own skin he would have talked by now. Prison for a guy like your brother should be scary enough. In fact we went though all that with him and he was pretty calm though it all. It was only when we started talking about you that he had that breakdown."

"So you think this has something to do with me?"

"Yes, now do you want to fill us in?"

"Believe me, at this point I am as clueless as you are. All I know is you are not going to get your answers from Charlie. He is closed up tight."

"I agree."

"So will you let him go. Release him to me. Maybe if I can get him home in more comfortable surroundings I can get him talking."

"You really have no idea what this is about do you? There is no way your brother is leaving this place until we get some answers. I have already arranged to have him transferred to a holding cell for the night."

"Holding cell? You still think you can get Charlie to talk by scaring him? There is no way I am going to let you do this."

"Hold it! If I had any evidence to go by you would be his next door neighbor. As it is I have nothing to hold you on. Do NOT leave town. We will have more questions for you I assure you."

"Slow down here. You haven't even told me what these questions might be about. All I know right now is that you arrested Charlie for espionage. How can Charlie be a spy, he hasn't even been out of the country in the last five years."

"Escort this man to a waiting room while we have his brother transferred."

"I can't believe I cooperated with you."

"I suggest you continue to be cooperative if you want your brother kept in his own private cell. As I said prison can be a tough place for a guy like Charlie."

Two men came up and took hold of Don's arms. Don shrugged them of and started walking in the direction he was pointed. There was no use fighting this. One thing you learned as a federal agent was to pick your battles. Until he had more information Don had to play nice.