Chapter Thirty-Nine

It was nearly five in the morning before Dr. Kendrick emerged from the OR to speak to Megan and David. Colby was still in critical condition but the worst of his injuries had been patched up. The FBI forensics team had arrived and worked with the fire investigator on the scene.

David's assumption that a form of thermobaric weapon had been used proved correct. The devastation to room 466 and the adjoining room were nothing short of cataclysmic and it was a sheer miracle that the men had lived through it.

Megan found the doctor and the resident from the Emergency Department and reiterated that they remain silent about the true nature of Don's injuries. She signed a waver allowing her to take the body for an FBI autopsy, and had the doctor fill out a death certificate that would be filed officially with the hospital and the FBI.

After a through inspection of the scene and a quick conference with the forensics team and the fire investigators Megan, David and Dan Hodges left County General to go to the safe house. Megan told both Dan and David that she had already reported Don's death to their superiors and that only the three of them would have knowledge of his survival.

By seven in the morning the three of them were climbing the stairs to the apartment where Charlie and Alan were staying.

"Who's on the night shift?" David asked as they reached the landing to the top floor.

"I was supposed to relieve Bill Peterson this morning."

Megan stopped before entering the apartment and turned to the others.

"Let me handle this. I don't want to alarm Charlie or Alan if they are awake so we'll talk out here."

David and Dan stepped over to the other side of the hallway and waited while Megan knocked twice and waited for Agent Peterson to open the door. She heard him approach and pause for a moment while he looked to see who it was through the peep hole. After another moment he opened the door to let her in but she wordlessly motioned him outside of the apartment. She looked past the agent and saw that Charlie was hard at work at his white boards and wondered if he had gotten any sleep at all.

Agent Peterson stepped out into the hallway with a puzzled look on his face and when he saw both David and Dan the puzzled look turned to a frown.

"What happened?"

"There was an incident at County General last night. Colby Granger is in critical condition and Don Eppes is dead."

"What? I thought that Agent Eppes was already…"

"We reported his death publicly to protect him, but that obviously didn't fool anyone. The Eppes' will be moved today to another location after I tell them what has happened. Go home and get some rest, then report back to the office by two o'clock this afternoon. I'll brief the entire team then."

"It was a fairly quiet night here and I'm still fresh; do you want me to assist in the transfer?"

Megan frowned slightly at this question. Peterson should know better than to ask that but he quickly recovered.

"I'm sorry; I'm just shocked to hear about this and I want to help in anyway that I can."

Megan nodded to him and turned to Dan.

"Go on in with Agent Peterson, we'll come in when he leaves."

Dan nodded to Megan and followed Dan into the apartment. Megan looked at David, then back at the closed door to the apartment.

"Did anything seem off to you about that?"

David stared at the door that the agents had disappeared through and his voice held a hard edge when he responded.

"I could be wrong but Peterson's shock seemed contrived to me; and did you notice that he didn't ask about Colby; or if he was going to be all right?"

Megan stood there thoughtfully. "I did notice that. The first thing out of Dan's mouth when we met him at Caldwell Park was whether or not we had any news on Colby. Run a check on him David. Look into his financial records, cell activity and his home phone just to be sure. I don't want to go on any witch hunts; we don't have time for that but he warrants closer scrutiny."

Just then Bill Peterson came out of the apartment and approached his fellow agents.

"I just want to warn you that Dr. Eppes has hardly slept. His father was right about one thing, when he gets going on those equations of his he becomes oblivious to the world around him. How is Agent Granger doing? I mean I know you said he was in critical condition, but he's going to make it isn't he?"

"It's too early to tell. I'll know more when I brief the team."

Bill Peterson nodded and turned toward the stairs. The fact that Agent Peterson had called Charlie "Dr. Eppes" was not lost on her. Charlie always insisted that people call him Charlie especially if they were going to be spending any amount of time together. Megan rubbed her face as the fatigue of the night's events began to get to her. The fact that she had to go into that apartment and give this family more bad news made her feel ten years older but it had to be done.

'Let's get this over with.'

Megan and David turned toward the door and entered the apartment quietly. Charlie was busy at the white board and Megan took a moment to observe him. He looked very tired with dark circles under his eyes but he was moving with an almost frantic energy that seemed to consume his entire being. She walked over to him and placed a gentle hand on his arm. It took Charlie a moment to snap out of his train of thought and turn toward her.

"Megan?" He looked around as if slightly confused. "What time is it?"

"It's almost quarter after seven in the morning. Have you been up all night, Charlie?"

Charlie looked down guiltily and mumbled. "Not all night. I got some sleep, a little."

Charlie looked up at Megan but something in her eyes made his heart constrict and he suddenly had no voice.

"Where is your father?"

With a monumental effort Charlie choked out, "Why? What is it Megan?"

Just as Charlie started to tremble Alan stepped out of the bedroom he was occupying and saw Megan, David and Dan. He knew something terrible had happened when he saw the look of terror on his younger son's face and he recognized the signs that Charlie was starting to have another anxiety attack. He moved quickly to his son and took him by the shoulders and turned him around to face him.

"Charlie! Relax now, and breathe."

Charlie tore his gaze away from Megan and looked into his father's caring eyes. He felt a little better just having that strong presence so near. He took a moment to control his breathing and force himself to stop trembling.

"Let's all sit down at the table." Megan began. "Don is all right but something happened that we need to discuss."

Upon hearing that his brother was all right Charlie visibly relaxed a little and walked a little unsteadily to the dinette table and sank down into a chair. Dan had started brewing a strong pot of coffee as soon as he entered the apartment and began to pour cups for everyone.

Once everyone had a cup of coffee Megan gave the Eppes men a complete update on everything that had happened since yesterday afternoon.

"There are several things I need to tell you. Yesterday afternoon we apprehended Rebecca Cantor."

Alan and Charlie both looked startled by this. They had both expected to hear some dire news and smiles crossed their faces that quickly faded when Megan didn't reciprocate those smiles.

"She didn't realize that the money that she was dropping off was to pay for a hit on you and Don. She thought that her cousin needed it to pay for an expensive lawyer."

"And you believed her?" Charlie practically shouted.

"Actually, yes, Charlie I did. Rebecca Cantor has been manipulated by her cousin ever since they were children. Remember that Shelly Arbury has a very high IQ while Rebecca is just above average. Once Rebecca found out that she was not responsible for her aunt and uncle's deaths when they were children her attitude of protecting her cousin changed rather drastically. Apparently Shelly has been holding their deaths over Rebecca's head all of these years and has skillfully manipulated her into believing that she essentially murdered them."

"She dropped $300,000 dollars into a locker at Union Station and that money was collected by Tommy Torpe, one of Anthony Saborgia's men. This and the incident last night are final confirmation that a hit has been arranged and paid for."

Alan looked alarmed now. "What incident?"

Megan sighed deeply and looked up at both Alan and Charlie. For the first time that morning they both noticed how tired and drawn she looked as though she had been up all night and Alan thought that she looked as though she might have been crying.

"Someone used an RPG to launch an incendiary grenade; a type of thermabaric weapon into Don's hospital room around two o'clock this morning."

"Oh my God!" Alan shouted as Charlie stood up so quickly that his chair toppled backward.

"You said that he was all right! People don't survive when exposed to thermobaric weapons!"

Megan wondered for only a moment how Charlie knew about such things before she remembered that he didn't just consult for the FBI. Charlie began pacing and wringing his hand together as his breathing started coming in short quick gasps. David got up and stopped Charlie from pacing and locked eyes with him.

"Charlie! Don wasn't in the room when the device went off. You need to calm down and listen to what we have to tell you. Charlie! Do you hear me?"

Charlie did hear David but it was difficult over the pounding of his pulse in his ears. Numbers and equations flashed across his mind. Blast ratios, heat signatures and flash points, the size of the room, the fact that it had piped oxygen that would feed the fire, all of these variables assaulted his over taxed brain and he started to feel dizzy. David guided him back to the table and into the chair that Dan had righted. Once Charlie has taken a seat and looked relatively calm Megan continued to speak.

"Don had gone into the bathroom with Colby's help at the time the grenade went off. The bathroom door and the fact that the bathroom wall separated them from the majority of the blast saved their lives. Yes we are pretty sure some form of thermobaric weapon was used…"

"But that can't be!" Charlie interrupted in a shrill voice. "If a thermobaric weapon was used they would be dead whether or not they were in the adjoining room. Thermobarics inject a fine, flammable mist into the air. Once ignited, the mist creates a mammoth fireball and pressure wave that's nearly impossible to avoid. The mist can travel around corners and into hidden crannies. Once the fire dies down, the mist sucks all of the oxygen out of the confined space. Those who manage to escape the thermobaric flames and pressure waves quickly die from asphyxiation!"

Charlie's voice rose as he spoke and he had a frantic gleam in his eyes. Obviously he had worked in some measure with these devices. David was impressed by Charlie's knowledge but in this case he thought that ignorance would definitely be bliss.

"Charlie, you are talking about weapons grade military devices. There are several levels and explosive grades to these weapons and you know that. What was used was an adapted or customized grenade. The oxygen pipeline ruptured and there was plenty of oxygen pouring into that room as well as lots of cross-ventilation from the blown out windows and door."

Megan reached out and took a hold of Charlie's hand to try and ease his quickly growing agitation.

"Are they all right; Don and Colby? Were they injured by this explosion?" Alan asked unwilling to wait any longer for the punch line.

"Colby used his body as a shield to protect Don. The door to the bathroom was splintered by the second explosion and broke apart. Colby was impaled by a sizable chunk of wood which destroyed his left kidney and caused other abdominal injuries. He also received third degree burns over thirty percent of the left side of his back shoulder and arm. He is listed in critical condition right now. As soon as he is stabilized he will be transported to Cedars Sinai's burn unit."

Charlie looked stricken by this news and his voice shook when he spoke. "And Don?"

"As I said Colby covered Don but the blast threw them to the floor. When they fell, Don's head hit the sink. He has a skull fracture, a serious concussion and second degree burns on his legs but Colby took the brunt of the blast and the heat from the fire."

Alan pounded his fist on the table in an uncharacteristic display of anger.

"How could this happen? Don was reported dead, we saw the news cast! That was to protect him wasn't it? All of this has been for nothing! Someone still tried to murder him. How is that possible, Megan?"

Megan looked at everyone in turn sitting at the table before she spoke.

"There is a leak in the Bureau so I made a decision last night. I stole an ambulance from County General and moved Don to Huntington. The only people besides the doctors who worked on him last night who know that he is alive are sitting in this room. I have already spoken to Assistant Director Merrick and told him that Don was killed in that explosion. This will likely end my career when it is all said and done, but at this point my only concern is keeping the two of you alive."

David sat shaking his head vehemently at this statement from Megan.

"You didn't steal that rig, Megan; we did."

"No David! You have to be absolutely clear on this point. It was my decision and mine alone. You were simply following my orders." Megan again caught every person's eye before continuing. "No one outside of this room will know that Don survived that explosion. I am taking no chances at all with this."

"What about the people at Huntington; won't they know that Don is alive?" Charlie asked.

"He is listed as John Doe. They have no idea who he is. The intake sheet states that he was involved in an ambulance accident while he was being transported from one hospital to another. That would explain his pre-existing chest wound. The head injury and burns happened as a result of the accident. That is what everyone at Huntington thinks. Now because of this situation I can't have anyone watching him. His anonymity will have to be his protection. To put a guard on him would mean to tell others that he is alive and at this point I don't trust anyone outside of this room."

Dan had sat quietly during all of this but looked up sharply at Megan when she said that. He was pleased that she counted him trust worthy but he had grave concerns about the viability of this plan.

"Are you serious that you don't trust any of the other agents on the team?"

"Dan, listen. I trusted everyone who knew that Don was still alive and yet an attempt was still made on his life and I have a critically wounded agent because of that. The assassin knew which room he was in. They did this in the middle of the night when it was a sure thing that he would be in bed in that room. The only thing the killer didn't count on was a middle of the night trip to the bathroom or Colby's… quick response."

Megan's voice broke when she finished that last statement. She turned away from the table as a tear fell that she couldn't stop. Alan who was sitting closest to her reached over and put his arm around her shoulders.

"It isn't weakness to cry for a friend. Colby put the life of a fellow agent and a friend above his own survival. His selfless act saved Don's life. There is no shame in feeling grief for his injuries, it honors him."

That pushed Megan over the edge and she wept openly while Alan comforted her. After a moment however she collected herself and turned back to the others wiping her eyes.

"Thank you, Alan."

Alan nodded and squeezed her hand. "So what do we do now?"

"We move you. That is standard procedure after one witness has been killed if there is another under protective custody. This is where we have more problems. The mole will know about the move. All of the focus of the assassin will now be on Charlie. I have asked Dan to stay with you from eight in the morning to eight at night for a while. I'll rotate the people I think I can trust the most through the night shift, but we will still have to have two guards at a time; one on the outside and one on the inside."

"What about Don? You can't leave him defenseless at Huntington. You said he has a severe concussion right? That mean he's not even conscious. If someone tries again, he has no way to protect himself. What if the assassin doesn't believe your repost of his death again, what if he goes looking for a patient at other hospitals with Don's injuries?"

"Charlie, There is no other choice where Don is concerned. That is why I am falsifying all of my reports. That's why I had a false death certificate made up signed by the ED doctor who attended his wounds. That's why I committed grand theft auto. I have to focus on you now."

Charlie thought for a moment then said, "Give me your phone Megan."

Megan sat back stunned by the command in Charlie's voice. She mutely handed over her cell phone to the mathematician and watched as he dialed a number.

"Bob? This is Charlie Eppes."

"Charlie! I just got off the phone with Director Donaldson, I am so sorry about your brother. Are you all right?"

"You know about what happened last night?"

"It's all over the news! The name of the patient killed in what the FBI is calling a terrorist attack was not released but as soon as I saw it, I called Donaldson."

"Bob, listen to me. I need your help and I have no where else to turn."

"Anything Charlie, you know that."

"Don's alive…"

Megan almost reached across the table to take the phone from Charlie when she heard that but Alan stayed her hand.

"There is a mole in the Bureau and only three agents know about this. Everyone else believes he is dead. The problem is that he can't have any guards on him without telling more people that he is alive."

"I've got you covered there Charlie. I will need to speak to whoever is in charge of your brother's situation."

"Hold on she's sitting right here."

Charlie held the phone out to Megan who took it with a question in her eyes and a guarded look.

"Megan, Robert Thompkins, Director of the National Security Agency, would like a word with you."

Megan nearly dropped the phone but recovered quickly. She placed the phone to her ear and cleared her throat before speaking.

"Director Thompkins, this is Megan Reeves….
Yes sir, we do…
He is at Huntington Memorial in the isolation unit and he is listed as John Doe…
Yes sir…
No sir, I don't believe so…
I will be at the office in about an hour…
David Sinclair, Dan Hodges and myself…
No sir, both Assistant Director Merrick and Director Donaldson have been given mis-information…
Thank you, sir that will take a huge load off all of our minds."

Megan closed the phone and stared unbelievingly at Charlie. "Bob? You call the director of the NSA Bob?"

Charlie shrugged but had a satisfied look on his face. He knew that his friend would make sure that no one else came near Don. He wished like hell he could go see him, but he knew that the only way they would be together again was for this to end.

"When do we move?"

David was also staring at Charlie with a mix of humor and awe. "Go pack up your tings. Dan and I'll get these boards and your working supplies down to the van in the garage."

"I'll take my laptop. No offense but I don't even let Dad or Don carry that."

What Charlie didn't want to say was that he didn't want anyone, especially a friend, to stumble across what he was doing. He quickly packed up the spiral notebooks and laptop into his satchel and took them with him into the bed room he was using to pack up his clothes.

David looked to Alan and asked, "What's he working on anyway? He seems a little more high strung than usual."

"I honestly don't know David, but I have noticed his change in behavior as well. Of course he has never had to go into hiding before or had two attempts made on his brother's life or any of the other things that have happened during this nightmare so who's to say that this isn't perfectly normal."

It sounded to Megan like Alan was trying to convince himself more than David and again thought about the almost guilty look she saw on Charlie's face before. She had a feeling that he was up to something but she didn't have the resources to try and figure it out right now.

What she needed to do was to get the Eppes men moved to a new secured location, set up the surveillance on Don with the NSA agents that Director Thompkins was sending over, meet with the forensics team working on the explosion scene, check on Colby before calling his family to tell them what had happened, brief the entire team, find a leak in the department, and type up a whole host of falsified reports. She was in for a busy day.