I do not own the Numb3rs characters.

A/N: Thank you everyone for those nice reviews and FraidyCat thanks for the compliment on my first full length fanfic

Chapter 31

"Charlie, you've known me for a long time. You helped develop and set up a lot of the security system on the NSA grounds. Have you ever known me to do even one thing that could be considered shady?"

"No I haven't. Bob, I don't know what to think about this anymore. This potential scandal is not something that I have ever seen you face. I just want to be sure that we are doing this the right way. If this is an FBI case, why can't the NSA let the FBI in on some of the potentially dangerous information that was found? They could help protect those people on the list."

"The reason that we can't go to the FBI with what we have Charlie is not just because of the scandal. That would eventually be proven as untrue. Another reason is that this could chase our killers away. But, I have no doubt that they would be back and we may not be as prepared as we can be now. Tell you what, I will allow you to work with this team to find the people involved. If you're in the loop you will see that everything we are doing is aboveboard. We will not kill the ones involved just to keep the NSA out of the news. We don't work like that. When we find out who is involved, we will turn them over to the FBI with the information. Now matter how damaging the information is that we find; FBI gets it all. We can weather a storm."

"Tomorrow afternoon, you can come back here and there will be enough to get you started. We won't keep anything hidden from you. I'll have chalk boards set up and files. You and one other agent will work in this cabin. Ted has a phone for you that is secure and has mine, his and Vic's numbers already programmed in. I won't be here at the cabin but if you find something I'll come here to see it. You'll stay in the loop with this one, you have my word. And Charlie, I will not do anything that is even the slightest bit underhanded. I want to keep the people on that list alive and I want to keep the NSA strong."

Charlie and Bob got in Charlie's car and drove away. Ted and Vic followed behind. After Charlie dropped Bob off in the parking lot, Bob entered the restaurant and met with another agent. He was then whisked out a side door to another waiting vehicle that would take him to safety.

Another agent would get the cabin set up this evening so that Charlie could start work the next day. Bob did not feel comfortable with Charlie working on this case but he admitted that this was Charlie's line of expertise and the young professor would want to stay involved with what was happening. He would make sure that an agent was with him at all times that he was at the cabin. He also had another member of the team station himself as a renter in the apartment across the hall from Charlie.He would move in this evening. As much as he did not say so to Charlie, it could be that the guilty party would be watching the young professor.

Charlie had pretty much been in the protective presence of his family since Thursday so just because he wasn't approached before does not mean it would not happen. Bob and Ted discussed the possible reasons that Charlie was given the disk. If there was any sign of trouble, visiting family or not, Charlie would be taken to a secured location as well.

By the time Charlie got back to the apartment that evening, it was pretty late. All was quiet when he unlocked and opened the door. He quietly entered the kitchen and placed his dad's phone in its charging spot on the kitchen counter.

When Charlie walked through the living room, neither of the Eppes men laying there stirred. Charlie quietly entered his bedroom and headed toward the closet. He unzipped Don's suitcase and started to reach for the gun in the waist of his jeans.

"Charlie, what in the hell are you doing?"

Charlie jumped. "Damn Don. Stop doing that."

"What are you doing Charlie?"

"I was looking in Dad's bag for something."

"Well, that would be fine except that's not Dad's bag and all of his bags have been emptied."

Charlie rose from where he was squatting. "Oh sorry. I'll just wait until he gets up in the morning and ask him."

Don held out his hand. "Hand it here."

"What? I didn't even get the bag opened."

"I already know you took my gun when you left this evening."

Charlie sighed. He should have known that his brother already knew.

"I had something important to do, and it could have been dangerous. But everything was fine. DC is a pretty unsafe place at night in case you hadn't noticed." Charlie handed over the gun and walked past Don.

"Buddy, you want to tell me what you're getting yourself involved in?"

"Not especially. It doesn't concern you."

"If you're doing something that requires that you carry a gun, it very much concerns me."

"I won't touch it again. I'm really sorry."

"Can you tell me what you were doing tonight? You were gone a long time."

"Don, I'm tired and I haven't had a pain pill since before lunch. I'm taking my medication and going to bed."

Charlie headed to the bathroom to change. He wasn't any good at direct lies and Don's conversation would have led that way. The last thing he wanted was to screw up a lie to an FBI agent. They are trained for getting to the truth and his brother had a definite advantage when it came to Charlie.

Don lay awake for a long time that evening. Something was going on with Charlie and he wasn't sure how he could help. He was pretty sure that his brother was headed for dangerous ground but felt powerless to stop it.

There is was again, that sound that Don had come to hate so much. Bat meeting ball. Don looked around for Charlie. He could see his brother with his water bottle but he was not going to make that far in time. While Don was running he could see the ball headed toward Charlie's exposed throat. Don kept running toward where Charlie was sitting and the ball was still moving in slow motion but with every step his brother just kept moving farther and farther away from him while the ball was getting closer to its target. 'You can't save him this time Eppes.' It was that same voice as last time. James Andrews, but Don couldn't see him.

Don awoke with a start with Charlie's name hanging in the air. Alan was sitting up looking at him. "Donnie, what's the matter? why were you calling for Charlie?"

"It was just a bad dream Dad. Go back to sleep. I'm fine now." Don lay back down and waited for his dad's breathing to even out to indicate he was sleeping. He got up and went in Charlie's room. He crept up to the bed. That dream left him with the overpowering feeling that he had to protect Charlie. Whether his brother wanted to admit it or not, he was in real danger and he would need someone to watch over him. Don could feel the danger that Charlie was in and it unnerved him.

He sat in a chair near the side of the bed and Don watched over Charlie while his brother slept. He fell asleep watching and guarding.

Alan awoke when daylight was barely setting in. He noticed that Don was not on the mattress nearby and thought he had hit the shower first this morning. He went to the kitchen to start coffee. After straightening up the two beds, he went looking for Don.

He found him sitting in the chair in Charlie's room. Both sons were asleep. Don did not look at all comfortable in the chair. "Son, wake up."

Don's eyes flew open and he searched for Charlie. When he found that he was still asleep where he'd left him, he calmed down. "Morning." Don's voice was just above a whisper. "Guess I fell asleep."

"It would seem so. Care to tell me why you fell asleep sitting here?"

"It was closer than the floor Dad. Hey I'm gonna jump in the shower."

Alan shook his head. He had the worst time getting a straight answer out of either son.

When Don got out of the shower he stopped and checked on Charlie. Finding that he was still asleep he went in to talk to his dad.

Alan was standing near the counter drinking his coffee and had a skillet heating on the stove to cook eggs in.

"Dad, I need you to do me a couple favors. Two important favors. I don't know what's going on and it might even be NSA related, I don't know. I'm worried about Charlie. I can't explain the details. I don't know any. It's just a feeling and it might be the project he's working on or it might be something else."

"Donnie, I don't think the NSA would allow anything to happen to Charlie. What are the favors?"

"I need you to rent a vehicle. I know I can't really operate the gear shift, but we need a vehicle here in case we're stranded and Charlie needs us. I'll pay the rental. I also need you to call me if he's acting in anyway suspicious to you or if there seems to be someone around that's acting suspicious."

"I wish I could tell you what to watch exactly but like I said, I don't even know what it is."