Disclaimer: I don't own anything Numb3rs, it's all property of CBS and whatnot, so don't sue.
Chapter 23: Some Much Needed R & R
The sun peaked over the Swiss horizon in a brillianty blaze of light. With a small groan of both pain and annoyance, Charlie Eppes arose from his slumber to the feel of a soft pillow beneath his head, and warm sheets cacooning his half-naked body. Deep brown, almost black eyes fluttered open and blinked several times, adjusting to the light. Stiffly, Charlie sat up over the sideof the bed, disentangling himself from the white sheets of his bed, Charlie looked around the room he was in, which had a stunning view of Zermatt and the mountains that surrounded it. He was at the lodge the CIA had so graciously provided.
With a small sigh, Charlie turned his gaze downward and frowned when he saw the now lividcircular bruise that graced the area right above his heart. Two more bruises had formed. Onebellow his left pectoral and the other justbellow that one on the opposite side.
" Yurich, you asshole" Thought Charlie as he grumpily got to his feet and headed for the bathroom.
After he was done with the necessary morning actions, Charlie stripped himself of the black sleeping pants and boxers he had on before stepping into the shower. Within minutes hot steam filled the entire expance of the bathroom. The water was soothing over the discolored regions of his chest. After a good twenty minutes, Charlie turned the water off and wrapped one of the big fluffy white towels around his waist and stood before the mirror over the sink. He reached out and wiped away the fog that graced it and toom in the damage.
Three circular bruises, turned purple stood out against his pale flesh and ached dully. As he looked at himself in the mirror, a dozen thoughts ran through his mind, the chief being
" I could have died last night"
With a sigh, Charlie pulled out his shaving kit and dispposed of his morning stubble. Once he was done shaving, he finished toweling off his messy mass of curls before getting out of the bathroom and get dressed. He went over to his duffle bag and fished out several items, a pair of boxers, one of his favorite pairs of blue jeans with a torn right knee, and finally, a black t-shirt with a red skull and flames emblazoned across the chest. He quickly dressed and then brushed his hair back into a tight ponytail, he'd have to trim it later. He looked down at the wideband platinum ring that graced his right ring finger. He slipped it off and looped it through the silver chain hewore around his neck. He tucked the ring under his shirt and with a final look at himself in the mirror, he headed out of the room to check on his two men.
A little down the hall, Charlie found Julio's door ajar, giving him a view of the room's ocupant that he'd rather no have had.Julio Vargaswas laying facedown on his bed,wearing nothing but his birthday suit. With a calculating grin, Charlie slinked his way into the room and headed to the mini freezer Julio kept in his room and pulled out a few chips of ice. With a grin he stood to loom over his slumbering fellow operative and lowered the ice in his hands to Julio's bare back.
Instantly, Julio Vargas was awake, and let out a high pitched squeal, much like that of a teenage girl's.
" EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Charlie was beside himself with laughter, to the point where he was rolling on the carpeted floor, feeling both the ache from laughing so hard and the remnants of his brush with death from the night before.
" Oh I am gonna get you! Yelled Julio as he lunged at Charlie.
" Oh hell no, get away from me you naked mariachi man! Yelled Charlie breathlessly as he dodged his livid and nude friend and tried to run for the door only to collide with another person, Christian Wolfe, who'd come running to see who was dying. The two men collapsed in a heap of limbs while Julio loomed over them both. The two men on the floor looked up at Julio before both their gazes traveled south. Getting the message, Julio cursed in spanish before scrurrying off to find somthing to wear.
" Christian, could you please get off of me, you crushing my spleen. Said Charlie, grinning as Christian quickly disentangled himself.
" What the hell was goin on? Asked Christian as he pulled himself and Charlieup off the floor.
" I tell you what's goin on man, Chuck here dropped ice on my back! Said Julio crossly.
" What?it's Ten O'clock man, we'd be missing breakfast! Shrugged Charlie. Christian remain silent a moment before he spoke with a smile.
"Nice to see those bullets to the chest didn't take away your sense of humor." He chuckled. Charlie smiled back, while Julio's indignance quickly dicipated and a ghost of a smile graced his features and he pulled ona pair of jeans and a dark blue polo shirt with the Arizon Police department ensignia over the right pec. Christian had on pair of grey sweatpants and a dark red button up shirt. The three of them headed downstairs where breakfast was stillhot and waiting.
Anhour later, Charlie was headed out to the small garage attached to the lodge. He had doned a black and red riding jacket over his outfit along with a small backpack, aset of keys ready in his hands. He walked through the door and flipped on the light to reveal several high velocity vehicles. With a tinylittle smile, Charlie made his way over to his intended vehicle, a black and red HondaInterceptor ABS motorcycle. Contrary to popular belief, Charles Eppes was not a bad driver who easily got distracted, infact, he knew how to operate several vehicles, better than the pros at times.
Charlie picked up the red helmet and eased it over his head befor mounting the bike and putting the keys in the ignition. With a low growl, the bike came to life. Charlieeased the bike forward towards the closed garage door. He reached out and puched the button on the wall next to him and watched the dor slowly slid up to reveal the road before him.
With a rev of the engine, bike and rider shot forth as one, burning up the asphault.Charlie's destination was a small lake behind the mountain the lodge was situated at. The road leading to this lake was deserted and cut through a small forest.
As he drove, the high speed was like an intoxicating drung to Charlie's system. For one small moment, he felt free of his burden, his deceits, his kills, his very cold reality. In that moment he was free. Free to just be. He turned a corner and the lake revealed itself to him.
With a small sigh, Charlie eased up into the small parking space by the little pier that jutted out into the crystalline blue waters. Charlie switched of the ignition an dismounted. He took off his helmet and placed it behind the handlebars. With a wearly look around to see that he was alone. Charlie gripped his small backpack and walked off to the pier. The wood stood firmly beneath his foot falls until he reached the very end. Charlie looked out into the water, blue and mirror like. Charlie slowly sat down and leaned against one of the twin collumns of wood and unzipped his pack. He pulled out a notepad and a simple ball-point pen and began to write a letter, like he always did after a mission.
Dear Mom,
Hey, how are things up there in the clouds. I'm writing to you again, just like you wanted me to the last time we spoke to each other that day. I can remember you saying " You will to write to me from down here won't you?". Well, another mission went down, we stopped this evil scientist from unleashing good knows what into Switzerland. It's really beautiful out here, it's quiet and breathtaking, reminds me of you. God, I miss you so much. And I know you aren't going to like what I write next. I got shot three times last night, thankfully my vest stopped them, got the bruises to prove it. Mom, I wish you here, still on this earth, when you were here,my reality wasnot so cold, so grey. I could tell you almost everything and not keep it all inside. The one thing I truely hate about this job is the lies I have to tell. I had to lie to you,Dad, Don, Larry, Amita,Megan, David, Colby, my students, hell I even had to lie to myself so many times I lost count. Sometimes it gets so badI just can't stand it. But I have to for their sake, and for mine.
It's strange, I don't feel scared right now, maybe because I feel close to you right now Mom. Sitting here, looking out at the water, I can almost see you smiling down at me. In the back of my mind, I can't help but wonder what the future mayhold for me. I may not be so lucky the next time I looking down the barrel of a gun. I can't say I'd die without any regrets cause that's just stupid. Right now, me and my buddies get a week off before heading back to the states and our civilian lives. Julio goes back to being an Arizona police officer who conveniently goes on months long servaillence operations. Christian goes back to being a New York pastry chef who works the big once a year party bashes. Then there's me, I go back to being the CalSci math proffessorwho somtimesgoes off to help the NSA with" Special Projects" and I tell you, Bob Thompkins is agreat friend to have. I don't know what I'm going to do when I get home. I just hope I don't end up spilling the beans, cause if I do, I'm a dead man.
I love you mom, not a day goes by that I don't think about you. Let Don and Dad think that I was too caught up in P vs NP to not go see you. We did said goodbye to each other, I told you as you fought to stay awake those last precious hours, that even if you and me had an eternity all for ourselves, it would never be enough time for you to know how much you saved me.
I Love You With All My Heart Mommy,
Charlie
Charlie finished writing the last word with tears escaping from his eyes. However, he quickly scrubbed them away with the sleeve of his jacket. He didn't break down in sobs like most would have expected the " sensitive, innocent, little math geek" to do. Charlie reached into his back pocket and pulled out a silver lighter and with a flick of his wrist, a small blue flame erupted from the device. Charliepulled the letter free from the notepad and helda corner of the paper to the flame and watched as it instantly ignited.
Charlie watched somberly as the paper was devowered by theredish-orage flames until all that was left in his hand, was charred ashed. Charlie stared at the still smoldering remnants ofthe letter before turning himself to look over the water and blow the contents of his hand into the air, watching as a small wind picked up the ashes and bore them away.
Witha sigh, Charlie sat back against the wood pillar and gazed out at the water once more, memories of his mother and all whom he loved flashing through his mind. I was a smallmoment of solace in a chaotic existance, he savor it for as long as he could before it too would be dust in the wind.