Chapter 11

David poked his head through the doorway. "We've got a location," he said. Megan nodded and motioned for Colby to follow. Charlie stood abruptly. "I'm coming with you."

Colby tried to dissuade him. "Charlie, this is probably best handled by…"

"Don't," the young genius interrupted. "I'm coming with you. Or I'll follow you – either way, I'm going."

Colby looked at the other agents. David nodded. "All right, Charlie. You can ride with me."

He turned to say something to his father, but Alan spoke first. "Phone me when you find him. Larry and I will be waiting."

Charlie followed the others out the door.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"This is the address we got for the Diamond Mart warehouse?" Colby asked. "There's nothing here!" The four of them stood next to David's SUV. They were in an industrial area, but the address had led them to a virtually empty lot. There was no warehouse to be seen, just churned up earth and a few small outbuildings, some of which were so dilapidated not much remained except for piles of rubble.

David asked, "What do you think, Charlie?"

He thought for a moment, then said, "It doesn't necessarily have to be a warehouse."

"Right," Megan added. "If Don only had fifteen hours of air, the place he's being kept doesn't have to be that big."

Nodding, Charlie added, "It would only have to be the size of a small cell. Remember – the message said he was in a 'room'."

"So any one of these sheds could be it?" Colby asked.

"Yeah," Charlie replied. When Colby made to move forward, Charlie grabbed his arm. "Wait!"

David sighed in exasperation. "What, Charlie?" Megan looked at her watch. "Charlie," she said, "If this guy was telling the truth, Don's only got a little over an hour left."

"I know," Charlie replied. "Believe me, no one wants to find Don more than I do. I think whoever is doing this will be here somewhere."

"Watching," Megan supplied.

David said, "He was watching before. He's probably watching now."

"Right. So I think we should split up." He pointed to Megan. "Why don't you and I search for Don?" To David, he said, "Then you and Colby can look for the kidnapper."

"The grey van?" David asked and Colby nodded. The two of them moved off to look. Megan joined Charlie and together they began their search. Walking slowly to give the two men time to find the kidnapper, they sifted through likely-looking piles of rubble and peered into gaps between boards on the sheds. After about ten minutes, Megan burst out, "We have to move faster, Charlie!"

"We can't," came the soft reply. Megan looked over and saw tears in Charlie's eyes. "Oh, Charlie," she whispered. "I'm sorry. This must be really hard on you." The mathematician just nodded and kept searching. She mused, "You know, this would go a lot faster if we called LAPD and got them to help."

"All it would take for this twisted individual to bolt is one sniff of the police," Charlie replied. "We'd never catch him, and he'd probably do it again somewhere else." He stumbled, and quickly regained his footing.

"Be careful, Charlie!" Megan warned. "You hurt yourself out here and you'll probably contract tetanus or something!" She noticed Charlie had become motionless and was staring at something by his feet. "What is it, Charlie?" she asked. He shook his head and held up one finger for her to wait. Cocking his head to one side, he seemed to be listening for something. Curiosity got the better of her, and Megan moved quietly to his side. "What?" she whispered.

"I thought I heard…" Charlie paused. "There," he said. "Do you hear it?" Megan shook her head. Charlie shot her a look of exasperation and knelt down. "Listen," he said. Megan crouched beside him, straining to hear. There was a soft susurration of noise, like a murmur, coming from somewhere by Charlie's knees.

"What is that?" she asked. Charlie began to move bits and pieces of construction material, careful not to disturb a small piece of pipe that seemed to be stuck in the ground. Megan helped, shifting lumber and chunks of mortar out of the way. Finally the pipe was exposed, along with a textured surface which, when Charlie brushed it off, appeared to be make of brick. He leaned forward and put his ear next to the pipe. The murmur sounded vaguely like a man's voice, but Charlie couldn't make out what was being said.

"Megan," he whispered. "I think this is it."

Megan regarded him warily. "This is it?" she asked. "A brick box in the ground with a pipe sticking out of it?" At Charlie's nod, she replied, "All right, Professor. If you say so."

"There has to be some way to get it open," Charlie added. "A door or something."

"Unless the whack-job that made it just sealed it up after," replied Megan. "Remember, he doesn't want to bring him back up. He wants to see how long it takes for Don to die."

Charlie regarded her with a withering glance. "Thanks, Megan," he answered. "I hadn't forgotten."

-x-x-x-x-x-

"David!" Colby called.

Agent Sinclair poked his head around the corner of the warehouse, and Granger pointed. On the far side of the building they had just checked, there was a wooden structure that resembled a garage. Colby looked at his partner for confirmation. At the other man's nod, he drew his gun and made for the building. David also drew his weapon and approached from the other side.

Gaining the side of the garage, Colby stood to one side of the grimy window and peered in. He pulled his head back quickly and looked at David. Nodding once, he lowered his gun and moved to the other man's side. "I can see it," he said quietly.

"The question is," David replied. "If we go in there, will he be able to see us?"

"I say we go in low and fast and take our chances," Colby replied. "Don's running out of time."

David nodded. "You go to the front of the van and grab the keys so he can't take off. I'll get the back so he doesn't bolt."

The two men made for the man-door at the side of the garage and eased it open. Staying low, they half-ran, half-crawled along the floor, each taking their prearranged positions. David counted down on his fingers, and when he got to one, they each pulled open their respective doors. Colby reached in and snagged the keys, throwing them to the ground before taking aim on the vehicle's lone occupant. David lined up on the man's head. "FBI! Don't move!" he yelled.

Colby said, "Nah, don't listen to him. Go ahead and move. I'd like to put a hole in your head."

David grinned wryly at the small, bookish man seated in one of the van's captain's chairs. "Maybe we'll pretend he made a run for it, Granger. What do you think?" he asked their captive. The man just stared at him, petrified. David unclipped his cell phone from his belt, his eyes never leaving their prisoner. Flipping it open, he pressed a button and waited. When it was answered, he said, "Megan – we got him."

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Okay, Charlie," Megan said, flipping her phone shut. "Let's get this open somehow."

"What about…" Charlie began, but she interrupted. "They got him. How do we open this?"

Charlie began scrabbling in the dirt. "There has to be either a door, or a newer section of brick." Megan joined him, and together they uncovered the entire top of the structure.

"I don't get it – there's no door," Megan cried. "How did he get it open with no door?"

"He didn't need to," Charlie replied, hunting around for something to use as a tool. "He wasn't planning on ever opening it after he got Don in there, remember?"

Megan looked around them. Spying a crowbar nearby, she ran over and grabbed it. Charlie had picked up a piece of pipe and was attempting to pry at the mortar between the bricks. "The mortar usually takes twenty-four to thirty-six hours to set," he said, straining to push down on the pipe. "It may be wet enough yet to get…" he stopped as one of the bricks came loose. "…Them out," he finished.

Megan was also working on a corner. "We have go faster, Charlie," she said. "Maybe we can find a tractor or something…" she grunted as another brick popped free.

Charlie dropped his piece of pipe and ran to the SUV. Jumping in, he started the motor and threw it into gear. Megan stopped what she was doing to watch. He drove right up to where they were working and jumped out again, reaching into his pocket for his jackknife. Pulling the seatbelt out to its greatest extent, he sliced through the webbing at both ends. Megan said in amazement, "I never thought of that." Charlie then threaded the strap through the truck's bumper and lashed it around the pipe. Climbing back into the vehicle, he put it in reverse and stepped on the gas.

After a few agonizing seconds, the pipe began to first bend and then slowly come up out of the ground. Megan took a few cautionary steps back. Finally, the pipe and underlying venting assembly burst out of the ground in a hail of bricks and dirt. Charlie came out of the truck at top speed and raced for the hole that now gaped where the top of the cell used to be.

"I'll go," Megan said, dropping her crowbar. Charlie was already climbing into the hole. "Charlie!" she said. He paused and gave her a beseeching look. "Megan…" he began.

"Never mind," she replied. "I'll call for an ambulance."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Charlie allowed himself to drop, hoping he didn't land on his brother. As luck had it, when he landed on all fours, his right hand came in contact with Don's shoulder. "Don?" he asked.

No response.

He moved closer and felt for a pulse. It was there, but it was very weak. That's when he noticed his brother wasn't breathing.

"Oh no," he whispered. From above, Megan called "Did you find him?"

"He's not breathing," Charlie said softly, then yelled, "He's not breathing, Megan!" Charlie rolled him over onto his back. "C'mon, big brother," he pleaded. "Breathe."

Just then, Megan dropped to the floor beside him. She, too, took Don's pulse and checked his breathing. Tilting his head back, she began artificial respiration. After four breaths, she paused to take Don's pulse again.

Charlie watched with growing anxiety as Megan resumed breathing for his brother. He didn't dare speak, as though talking would jinx the situation. He could hear sirens approaching.

Megan glanced at him. "I told them to look for the truck," she said by way of explanation. "They'll find us, don't worry." She made to give Don another breath when the older Eppes coughed weakly. Charlie let all of his own breath out in a rush.

"I wondered if I was going to have to do this for you too," Megan said. Charlie smiled gratefully and she grinned back. Rolling Don onto his side, she said, "Watch him while I find out what's taking so long." Charlie looked up and noticed for the first time the seatbelt webbing dangling through the hole. Megan grabbed the belt and climbed out, nimble as a cat. Despite himself, Charlie watched her climb, appreciating the view. When she was almost out Megan called down, "Stop that!" He quickly ducked his head, heat rising in his face.