A/N: My sincerest apologies to BeckyS and anyone else who has become confused by the timeline of this piece. I forgot that although it was perfectly clear to me where it was going, it would not be to someone else. This is what happens when one does not take the time to reread what they have written. It is a poor writer indeed who cannot lead the reader smoothly through the storyline.
This, then, would be the correct progression:
Chapter 1 – the present day (Incidentally, this chapter takes place in the early morning hours.)
Chapter 2 – two weeks before the present day
Chapter 3 – one week after Chapter 2
Chapter 4 – the same day as Chapter 3
Chapter 5 – four days before Chapter 1
Chapter 6 – three days before Chapter 1
Chapter 7 – the same day as Chapter 6
Chapter 8 – the present day/same day as Chapter 1 (Later on in the morning.)
Chapter 9 – two days before Chapter 1
Ironically enough, being primarily a poetry writer, my initial inclination for the description of this piece was "The day just went from bad to worse – this is the story told in reverse", but I felt that would have been irritating.
And now I bring to you the events from the night before this story began.
Chapter 10:
One day previousAll day Don Eppes had gone about the regular business of an FBI agent: making telephone calls, doing paperwork, attending meetings. Purely routine, except for the tension coiled in his gut like an agitated pit viper. Either this would work, or a lot of people were going to get hurt tonight, not the least of whom would be Don himself. At least I don't need to worry about anyone else's back, he thought. Giving in and telling Megan, Colby, David or even Charlie might have put them in harm's way. There was no reason to risk their safety as well as his own.
He was leaning on the open top drawer of a filing cabinet, perusing the contents of a folder, when he felt a large, heavy hand land on his shoulder. "What are you looking at there, Eppes?" Don closed the file and turned his head slowly. "What the hell do you care, Travers?" he replied in a calm tone.
Travers looked at him speculatively. "You don't much like me, do you?"
Don dropped the folder back into the drawer and slammed it shut. "No. I 'don't much like' you, Travers. Why?" Don gave him a hard glare before heading to his desk. "Does that surprise you?"
"You're stupid, you know that Eppes?" Travers sneered, following in Don's wake. "You don't know who calls the shots around here."
Don lowered himself into his seat. "Actually, I know precisely who calls the shots around here." He leaned his elbows on the desk. "And it's definitely not you."
Travers stared at Don silently for a moment before leaning down. "You better just watch yourself, Agent Eppes. Maybe McKesson's got a use for you, but as soon as you've outlived it…" Travers mimed pointing a gun at Don's head and firing. Don remained motionless, his eyes locked on Travers' face. The other man drew himself up to his full height and straightened his jacket. Glancing around to make sure they weren't being overheard, he said, "There's going to be a call tonight." Don nodded silently. This was the raid McKesson told him about. Travers glanced at him before continuing. "You already know your part. It'll come in as a kidnapping." Again, Don nodded. "There's going to be eight of us altogether, but the only ones in on what's really going down are you, me, and McKesson." Turning to leave, he offered a parting shot. "Don't be late, Eppes."
Don watched him walk across the room and drop into his own chair. When Travers turned to talk to the agent next to him, Don let out the breath he'd been holding. To himself, he murmured, "We won't."
-x-x-x-x-x-
"Okay, then. Here's what will happen." Megan sat forward in her chair and stared at each of the men nearby. When she got to a pair of deep brown eyes, she asked, "Are you sure you want in on this Charlie?"
Charlie nodded vigorously. "Whatever trouble Don's in, I need to help him."
Megan smiled. "Not just 'want to', eh Charlie?" She sat back and folded her arms. "I told Don a while ago that we'd have his back." She glanced at Colby and David. "He said 'I'm counting on it'. That tells me he's hoping that whatever this operation is, we're gonna cover him on it."
"I still think this is a bad idea," Colby interjected. "If Don wanted us actively involved, he would have told us what he's doing."
David replied, "Maybe he couldn't. Or maybe he trusts that we'll do just what we're doing now – figure it out, and plan on how we're going to be there for him."
Megan looked from one agent to the other. Turning to Charlie, she cocked her head and asked, "What do you think? From a mathematical point of view."
Charlie laced his fingers together on the tabletop. Shifting slightly, he replied, "You mean logically." It wasn't a question. At her nod, he shrugged and said, "It's about even as to what Don meant. He could have meant – like David said – that he wanted you to back him up on this in the physical sense." Colby snorted. Undaunted, Charlie continued, "Or he could have meant whatever the outcome, he wanted you to stand by him – psychologically." David opened his mouth to protest, but Charlie forestalled him with an upraised hand. "I'm not saying either one of you is right. Those are just the possibilities." Turning back to Megan, he added, "Based on emotion? I say we should be there."
Colby laughed out loud. "Right, Charlie," he said. "The four of us!"
Megan gave him a pointed look before asking Charlie, "What's your idea?"
"I've programmed Don's SID and cell phone number into my laptop computer, linking it to basic audio software…" Charlie began, but David interrupted. "Charlie! You cloned Don's cell phone?"
Charlie stammered, "Well... well, technically…"
"It's alright, Charlie," Megan said, coming to his rescue. "In this situation, we'll overlook it."
"Yeah," Colby added. "As long as you don't make a habit of it." Charlie shook his head, and Colby continued. "So we can listen in to his phone. Now what?"
"Now," Megan replied. "You, Charlie, get Don over to your house for the evening. When he gets the call…"
"How do we know," cut in David, "that Don hasn't already gotten it?"
Smirking, Megan answered, "I have my sources."
"For that, read Charlene, the office clerk across the hall from Major Crimes," Colby said, elbowing David.
"You seemed to like her just fine last Friday, Granger," Megan protested.
"Um – excuse me?" Charlie interrupted their good-natured bantering with a frown. "Can we get back to the business at hand, please?"
The three FBI agents immediately sobered. Colby muttered, "Sorry man."
"Fine – whatever. Look," Charlie said, his irritation obvious. "Don is in some kind of mess, and we need to make sure he's got someone on hand to help him out if needed." He stood and began pacing. "I don't need to tell you probability factors for possible outcomes – I'm sure you can figure that out for yourselves." He stopped abruptly and turned to place his hands on the table. "What, exactly, were these two agents into?"
David turned to face him. "All we ever heard was scuttlebutt, Charlie. Nothing definite." Glancing at Megan and Colby, he added, "There was talk of these two, McKesson and Travers, falsifying case reports. The usual things: less narcotics recovered than was originally reported, things missing from houses where investigations were conducted…"
"How does that work?"
"Well," Megan explained. "Homeowners would call in for something else – let's say a home invasion – and when those two went out to do the follow-up, they'd have it in the reports that valuables were stolen."
"When in fact they weren't," David put in. "At least, not when the bad guys left. The stuff would only go missing after McKesson and Travers did their 'investigation'."
"Whoa," Charlie said softly. "You mean these two were doing the stealing?"
Megan nodded. "But nothing could be proven. So they got off, and the whole thing was hushed up."
"There wasn't even enough to get them dismissed," Colby added. "I heard the DA thought they had enough, but the evidence was ruled 'inconclusive'." He glanced at David. "And then there was this investigation against Don…" He turned to Megan.
"For evidence tampering," she said firmly. "I'll admit it, Granger. I was a little suspicious at first. But now we think it was just a plan to get McKesson and Travers' attention."
"Right." David stood up from the table. "So, Charlie? Keep your computer on and your eyes open. Make sure Don goes to your house tonight. And call when he leaves the house." Turning to Megan and Colby, he said, "You guys better get yourselves set up not too far from there so you can follow Don wherever he goes."
"What are you going to do?" Colby asked.
"I'm going to see if there isn't some way I can let him know what we're up to, without anyone else catching on."