Run the Numbers

Chapter Seven

Terry, David Sinclair and Don arrived at Charlie's house at nearly nine o'clock that evening. Larry had left around eight and Alan had spent the last hour pacing the house. He had started to get out the supplies to clean up the blood on the sidewalk and window but worried that he was tampering with "the scene" and left the bucket and rags where he had set them down. As soon as his older son came in Alan went straight to him.

"Donnie, what is happening, who has Charlie? And don't give me any flack about its top secret either. Charlie is my son and I want answers young man!"

Don looked very tired and the four of them sat down at the dining room table.

"Dad there was a robbery at a genetic research company called Bio-Genesis Technologies Inc. Data to create a very dangerous genetic compound was stolen. This compound can be used as a biological weapon. The data was encrypted with a complicated algorithm and the thieves had someone who was going to crack the encryption for them but he died today of a cocaine overdose. His name was Devlin Jacobs and he was a graduate of Cal Tech. When Jacobs' partners brought him into the hospital they must have overheard the staff talking about Charlie and his ability with numbers."

Don got up and started pacing, a habit he had when under stress and trying to think.

"Taking Charlie was a rash move and awfully risky which means that they are getting desperate and they have shown that they are not afraid to kill anyone who gets in their way. The man they killed on that loading dock was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Terry said, "They probably already have a buyer for the formula."

Don stopped pacing and turned around to face her.

"Yes; someone dangerous who they don't dare cross. OK, we need to find out who Dr. Baker is planning on selling this information too. We need surveillance at every airport. I want immigration to have pictures of Baker and Reed and I want to be notified of any high-risk entries into the country immediately. Immigration is not to stop anyone suspicious but to notify us at once so that we can follow them. If we can't turn up anything more useful on Jacobs it may be the only way for us to find Charlie."

Don's father looked stricken by this news and it was clear that he was terrified that these men would kill Charlie if he couldn't break the encryption for them. Don could read this fear in his father's eyes.

"Dad they won't hurt Charlie, they need him. I need to get back and get the airport surveillance set up and coordinate with immigration but I don't want you to be here alone. These men are dangerous and I would feel more comfortable if you had someone with you."

Terry stood up and said, "I'll stay Don."

Don pursed his lips in thought for a moment.

"Alright, but I will send a relief agent as soon as I get to the office because I need you on this."

Trevor pulled up a few houses down from the Eppes' home and looked the situation over. There were two cars in the driveway and lights on in the house. He watched and waited to see what would happen. After almost an hour the front door opened and he saw Don Eppes and another man step out on to the front porch. The second man went to one of the cars in the driveway and got in the passenger side while Don exchanged words with an older man whom Trevor assumed to be Alan Eppes. After Don got in his car and left, Trevor waited ten more minutes before pulling up into the driveway. He looked around to make sure that the street was dark and when he got to the front porch he reached up and unscrewed the bulb in the light plunging the front steps into darkness then waited for a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the dark before ringing the bell.

Alan was in the kitchen making them tea when the bell rang and he stepped out to the dining room.

"It's probably Larry. He said that he would stop by later to see how I was doing."

Terry opened the door but couldn't make out who was standing there because the light was out. She said, "Yes?" and flipped the switch a couple of times. The next thing that she saw was a flash of light and felt a blinding pain in her head. Alan ran to the door.

"Oh my God, Terry!"

Just as he reached her a man stepped into the house with a gun pointed directly at him.

"Alan Eppes?"

Alan felt dread flood through him for he recognized the man from the photographs that Don had shown him. Terry moaned slightly drawing Alan's attention. She had only been grazed by the bullet and was not dead and Alan sighed with relief. The man in the doorway spoke again.

"If you want your son to live to tomorrow morning you will come out here right now and not make a sound."

Alan got up shakily and stepped out on to the porch and Trevor pressed the gun into his ribs.

"Get into the car right now and say nothing."

Trevor led Alan to the car and had him get in the passenger side. As Trevor drove away from the Eppes' home he drove one handed while pointing his revolver at Alan.

"What does the FBI know?"

"Where's Charlie? What have you done with my son?"

Trevor turned a corner hard nearly running an oncoming vehicle off the road and Alan slid and hit the passenger window hard. Trevor slowed the vehicle down not wanting to draw any attention.

"Listen to me; I hold your son's life in my hands. Tell me what I want to know."

Alan looked hard at this man and said, "You need Charlie, you can't hurt him."

"Mr. Eppes you would be amazed at the amount of pain someone can endure before the mind stops functioning."

Alan blanched at this statement and Trevor waited for that thought to sink in before continuing.

"So I will ask you once again, what does the FBI know?"

Alan took a moment to answer. "They know who you are, and why you took Charlie."

Trevor shot a quick look at Alan and said, "How does the FBI know that I have Charlie?"

"They have a picture of you and you're partners stealing that biological weapon from some genetic research company and you're mathematical expert is in the hospital morgue. It wasn't hard for them to put two and two together."

Trevor realized that if they looked hard enough they would eventually find the house that was deeded to Devlin.

"How close are they to finding us? Be very careful Mr. Eppes, it would be an extremely bad idea to lie to me about this point."

Trevor pulled the car to the side of the road in order to watch Alan's face as he answered.

"If my son knew where you were we wouldn't be having this conversation. If there is anyway to find Charlie, Don will do it and that will be extremely dangerous for you and your partner."

Trevor had a fleeting fear come into his eyes before pulling back onto the road.

As soon as Don and David reached the office Don asked an agent to go to Charlie's house and relieve Terry but before the agent could leave Don's cell phone rang and it was Larry sounding hysterical.

"Larry clam down; what is going on?" Don's face grew stony and he said, "Call an ambulance we'll be right there."

Before David could ask what happened Don was already headed for the door.

"Terry's been shot and they have Dad!"

Terry was clearly distraught about what had happened.

"About ten minutes after you left the door bell rang. I answered it but the porch light was out and I couldn't see the man standing there. The next thing I remember is a flash and then waking up with Larry kneeling over me."

Terry hung her head and winced as the paramedic tried to apply a bandage to her temple. Don was pacing and angry. He saw how upset Terry was and realized that he wasn't helping matter much.

"It's not your fault Terry."

Just then Larry stood up and said, "You know I was nearly run off the road by a black SUV as I turned onto this street."

Don turned quickly to Larry and said, "What else do you remember about that vehicle? Did you catch any part of the license plate?"

Larry was scratching his head and said, "No it was moving too fast and it's dark out. It looked like it was at least a couple of years old and there were two people in the car. They were coming from this direction. Do you think that the kidnapper and Alan were in that car? If I had only gotten here a few minutes earlier…"

"Then you would have been shot as well Larry!"

Don pulled out his phone and walked out to the kitchen speaking to the Police Department about an All Points Bulletin on every Black SUV they saw.

"I don't care what kind of problems that causes if it's a Black or dark colored SUV I want it stopped and checked!" He felt a buzzing all through his body and he started to breath faster. Suddenly he let out a shout of frustration and pounded his fists on the table so hard that everything on it tipped over and broke.

Terry got up quickly pushing the medic out of the way and she and David ran into the kitchen just in time to see Don walking out the back door slamming it behind him. David started to follow him but Terry put out a hand restraining the younger agent.

"Let him be alone for a few minutes."

Before Terry and David had stepped out of the kitchen the back door flew open and Don charged in.

"We have a lead to go on. Jacobs inherited an old house out on the 90 and I'm betting that's where they have Dad and Charlie."