Don had barely entered the parking garage when David called him. Hurrying over to his side, Don took in the grotesque, twisted sculpture that was once Colby's Maserati. "What have you got?" he asked.
"High grade explosive, wired to the alarm," David replied. "I don't think he was supposed to get that close."
"What do you mean?"
David shook his head. "If I wanted to blow someone up, I'd wire the explosives to the ignition. Not the car alarm." He pointed. "If Granger hadn't been talking to Megan, he probably would have done what everyone else does."
Nodding, Don said, "Hit the button as soon as he was within sight of his car."
"Right," David turned and pointed at a group of evidence technicians who were going over every inch of the twisted and charred metal. "There's not much left of it. I don't know if the techs are going to be able to find anything useful." Allowing his arm to drop, he added, "We're going through all the security cameras now, but it doesn't look as though there's anything on them."
"Then go over them again," Don commanded. "I want to know how the hell someone managed to plant a bomb on an agent's car, and fast." He started to walk to the stairwell. "They hit one of us at home, David. Until we find out how and why, we're all potential targets."
-x-x-x-x-x-
Megan stood next to Colby's bed, waiting for some sign of consciousness. Both eyes were bandaged, and there were angry welts and bruises on his face. His forearms had been completely encased in gauze to protect the cuts he received while shielding himself from the blast.
Only a few minutes had passed when the young man stirred.
"Hey," Megan said softly. She knew he would be startled at first, and wasn't disappointed.
"Megan?" he asked.
"Yep, it's me."
Granger reached up to touch his face. Megan stopped him. "Don't touch," she said. "Your eyes are bandaged."
"Why?" The tone of his voice betrayed his fear. To one who didn't know him, he would have sounded angry.
"You hurt your eyes, and they have to be protected so they can heal," she replied.
"I'm blind?"
"Well, for now – just until the bandages come off." She sighed. "The doctors operated on your eyes so you wouldn't be blind."
Colby lowered his arms gently. "Have you found out who did it yet?"
"Not yet. David and Don are working on it now."
"Why aren't you working on it?" he asked.
Megan lowered her voice to a whisper. "Actually, I'm supposed to be at home. I thought I'd come visit you instead."
Colby smiled. "So you actually risked the wrath of Super Agent Eppes to came and see me?"
"I heard that." Don entered the room smiling at Megan, who smiled back. He adjusted his voice to sound stern and added, "Just what is that supposed to mean, Granger?"
The smile quickly slid from his face. "Uh… n – nothing, Don," he stammered. "I was just… uh…"
Don reached down and put a comforting hand on Colby's shoulder. "It's okay, man. I was just joking." He laughed. "Good to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"
"Okay, I guess," Colby replied. "Except that I can't see."
"For now," Megan put in. "I told you – it's only temporary."
Don glanced from Colby to Megan and back. "Right. But it's not your vision now I'm wondering about." He leaned over the rail. "What was it like before?" he asked.
"You mean – did I see anything?" Colby asked.
Don nodded. Remembering suddenly that the younger agent couldn't see him, he said, "Yeah. Think hard, Colby."
Granger lay quietly for several minutes. Megan glanced at Don, the question in her eyes apparent. Do you think he's asleep? Don shook his head and resumed waiting.
After almost five minutes, Colby said, "I do remember… something."
Don lowered his voice. "What, Colby? What do you remember?"
"There was a guy…" he began. Megan leaned closer. "Standing by the stairwell. He was almost behind the pillar…"
"What did he look like, Granger?" Megan asked excitedly. Colby fell silent.
"C'mon, help us out here," Don coaxed. "Was he tall, short…"
The younger agent interrupted. "Average height and build. Dark hair – I'm not sure of the color." He sighed. "Sorry, Don. That's all I can remember."
Don sighed as well. Standing, he said, "That's okay. Don't worry about it. We've got a few things we're looking into." He patted Colby on the shoulder again. "I'll come back later to check on you, okay?"
Colby nodded. "Thanks." Don gestured to Megan to follow him as he headed for the door. Megan said, "I'll be right back, Colby."
Gently closing the door after her, Don hissed, "What are you doing here, Reeves? I thought I told you to go home!"
"I know, Don," Megan replied. "But I couldn't bear the thought of him waking up, not being able to see, and no one he knew around. It'd scare the hell out of him!"
Putting his hands on his hips, Don stared over her head for a moment. Finally he said, "All right, Megan. I see your point. But from now on," his voice rose. "You do what you're told, do you hear me?"
Megan studied him in silence. "What?" he demanded.
"What is it you're not telling me, Don?" she asked.
His jaw snapped shut. Obviously he had no desire to share what he'd learned, but eventually he gave in. "This wasn't supposed to go down the way it did."
"What are you talking about?" she asked. "The bomb?"
Don nodded. "It was wired to the alarm, not the ignition. Granger was supposed to set it off from further away."
Megan digested this. "So whoever did this, whatever their motive, it might not have been revenge?"
"I think it was to get our attention."
"Well," Megan folded her arms. "They sure as hell got my attention."
"Yeah," he agreed. "Mine, too."