Chapter Two: Say it ain't so

When Don stormed into the central LAPD complex, a familiar face was waiting in the lobby.

"Agent Eppes."

"Lieutenant Walker."

Don never broke his pace as he headed past the veteran officer toward guest check in. He paused at the metal detectors to flash his badge and turned back to his old acquaintance.

"Please tell me you had nothing to do with this."

Lt. Walker raised his hands in front of his chest.

"I just heard about it myself when your Agent Reeves called me to find out what was going on."

"Well?"

"I haven't seen him yet. I talked to the Captain about the case, and then came straight down here to bring you up. But,I'm sure they had just cause to………..."

The irate federal agent interrupted him.

"Just cause? What possible just cause would prompt two of your officers

to come into my brother's house and drag him down here against his will?"

"The same just cause that would require them to question any citizen in their jurisdiction."

Don turned away and headed for the elevator, jamming the button multiple times, as if that would make it arrive faster.

"I'll admit, Eppes, they may have been overzealous in hauling him downtown, but they were well within their rights."

Don ran his hand thru his hair, and looked up at the digital numbers over the elevator. It was still on the 9th floor. Giving up he headed for the door across the hall.

Lt. Walker followed, matching the agent's pace as he took the stairs two at a time.

"He's not in any trouble, Don. But he may have witnessed…………."

"HE DIDN'T!"

Don reached the door to the 4th floor, where the Gang Task Force based its operations and turned to face Lt. Walker.

"If he had seen anything, ANYTHING, that would justify those goons hauling him down here like a…….."

Don stopped himself and lowered his voice.

"Well, don't you think he would have told me?"

"Don, those goons are some of our finest detectives."

He reached past Don and opened the door.

"And they have concrete evidence to suggest he was at the scene."

They headed down the hall and Don gave the Lieutenant a probing glare.

"Evidence? And what scene? Gary? What is this about?"

"He's not a suspect, but they think your brother may have witnessed a fairly brutal gangland slaying."

Don's expression was beyond skeptical. He shook his head to reiterate his original denial, but Lt. Walker continued.

"Don, the West LA 18th has been openly feuding with the East Side's Mara 13th for years. They were killing each other off long before this task force was formed. But now the leaders of this division of the 13th have taken it to the next level. They've been targeting the leaders of the 18th's west side faction. This is starting to take the idea of retaliation to a whole new dimension. No one is even sure as to what started it in the first place. As of right now the other subsets of the 18th are staying out of it, but we don't know how much longer that's gonna last. We've been digging for information on the leadership trees for both gangs, but it's pretty shady. The idea of a witness to one of these killings had the guys pretty worked up. If we could find the main trigger men for the 13th, we have a really good chance of shutting down this chain before it really gets out of hand."

"And what makes them think Charlie was a witness to one of these?"

"They found something with his name on it."

Lt. Walker stepped in front of Don and opened the door into a dark room.

As the door was pulled shut behind him, Don stepped up to the one way glass that separated them from a well-lit interrogation room.

He felt his blood boil as he watched his younger brother sitting at the room's only table.

Charlie was clearly intimidated by the two detectives who were circling the table like vultures. The speakers to the room's surveillance system were not on, but Don didn't need to hear the conversation to know that Charlie was still confused as to why he had been brought there.

Turning and heading for the door, Don almost ran into the plainclothes detective who was entering the room.

"You're just in time. We're just getting started on him. But I'm afraid he's not being very cooperative."

He glanced at Don's badge, openly displayed, hanging from his jacket pocket. "Are we bringing the FBI in on this one, Lieutenant?"

"No, Henry, I'm afraid you brought the FBI in on this one."

The detective look confused.

"Detective Sanders, This is Special Agent Don Eppes. I think you've already met his brother Charlie?"

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"I still don't understand. What is it that you think I need to tell you about?"

"Charlie, there's no point in denying that you were there."

"That I was where? You haven't …..I'm sorry. I still don't….."

"Mr. Eppes, we need to know what you were doing there. You're not a suspect. You're not in any trouble. But we need to know what happened."

"If you don't tell us, we can continue to hold you as a material witness; we could also charge you with obstruction of justice."

Good cop, bad cop. As confused as Charlie was he almost smiled at the stereotypical behavior of the two police officers.

"You said you were with the Gang Task Force, right?"

The officer nodded.

"I'd like to see Lieutenant Walker then."

The detective hid his surprise that Charlie had requested their Lieutenant by name. He shook his head.

"Right now, you're talking to us."

The other detective stepped up to the desk.

"That's right. So, can you tell us why you left your backpack at the scene of a multiple homicide?"

"My backpack?"

Charlie put his hand up to the left side of his head and fingered the fresh scar that streaked across his left temple. He had just had the stitches removed the day before yesterday. He instantly recalled the ordeal that had given him that scar. The memory was still fresh. The subway, the earthquake and the six young men who had made that the most memorable panic attack he'd ever had. The faces of those boys floated thru his mind ending with the memory of the smallest one, leaving that subway tunnel wearing Charlie's backpack.

In an instant all the pieces came together and the two detectives watched the dawning comprehension change Charlie's baffled expression to one of deep concern.

"A kid? Was it a kid?"

The detective nodded.

"That's right. Now, how did you know that, Charlie?"

The door to the room suddenly flew open and Don stepped in, looking like he could bite through nails.

"Charlie, you don't need to say anything else."

"Don. What are you….?"

He paused. Lt. Walker had followed Don through the door. The expression on both of their faces suddenly made Charlie feel as if he had to explain how he had managed to end up in this room.

"I didn't ask for a lawyer, Don. I didn't do anything. They say I'm a material witness. They seem to think…."

"Yeah, I know what they think."

Charlie tried to interrupt.

"Don?"

Don turned to the detectives.

"This is the most ridiculous display of coercion that I have ever seen. And trust me, I've seen a lot. "

"Don?"

Ignoring Charlie's attempt to get his attention, Don continued.

"So unless you plan on charging him with something concrete, or pursuing the material witness charge, we'll be going now."

The two detectives looked from Don to Lt. Walker.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Lieutenant, who the hell is this guy?"

Regardless of his serious demeanor, Lt. Walker looked thoroughly amused.

"Special Agent Don Eppes, Detectives Moore and Benson."

Detective Moore shifted his eyes to Charlie as he made the connection between their last names.

"Eppes huh? Well, Damn."

"Don?"

Still ignoring Charlie, Don addressed Benson and Moore.

"Fellas. I think this interrogation is over."

Charlie tried again.

"Don."

The infuriated federal agent finally turned to face him.

"I think………I think I understand what this is about now, Don."

The wrath that had been aimed at the detectives dissipated.

Walking up next to him, Don put is hand on his shoulder.

"Buddy?"

Charlie looked up at his concerned older brother.

"They found my backpack, Don. The one I………….."

There was a very brief pause as Charlie tried to communicate with his brother using nothing but his eyes. He continued, hoping that Don would understand.

"……the one that was… taken from me……….on the Metro."

Don nodded his head slowly. Taken? That was not what Charlie had told him that night. He had said he lost it, or forgotten it.

Charlie lied to me? Why would he lie to me?

Fully comprehending Charlie's nonverbal statement, and not wanting anyone else to pick up on the silent communication, Don kept talking.

"During the earthquake, then? The kids on the Metro with you?"

Reading the remaining, unspoken questions behind Don's eyes, Charlie tried to look apologetic without looking guilty. It didn't work.

"Yeah."

Again Don nodded his head. Charlie said they helped him get out? What else did they do?

Don pushed his perplexity aside. He would have to deal with that later.

He turned to Lieutenant Walker and the two detectives.

"Well then, that explains why it was found on a dead body. See, if you had just told him from the beginning what this was about, we'd all still have two hours of our lives. Is there anything else you need from him?"

Lt. Walker addressed his detectives. "Gentlemen, why don't you get a description of the boys who relieved Professor Eppes of his property? Maybe he can give us an ID on the body as the culprit. But we've got no reason to hold him."

He glanced at Don before continuing.

"And gentlemen. Next time, ask questions first."

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Authors Notes: Thanks for all of your comments! Please don't stop. Posting sooner than anticipated due to the extra encouragement….stayed up late and everything.

Chapter Three: Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death.