A/N: Sorry for the amazingly long wait, but my plot bunny just came back and luckily for you I even have a bit on chapter five typed up, so it probably won't take as long. I just watched the Numb3rs season finale and omg it was great. Well here goes and I hope you like it.
Also thanks to my beta Enigste1, that beta job was awesome, THANKS!
Chapter Four: Father and Son
Charlie opened his eyes tiredly. He'd cried himself to sleep, something he hadn't done in a long time. His stomach growled and he picked up the leftover sandwich, finishing it off quickly. He washed it down with a large gulp of water and recapped the bottle for later.
Carefully he pushed himself up into a sitting position, wincing as he put pressure of his shoulder. The gash on his shoulder had scabbed over, but it had cracked and was bleeding slightly, "What did I get myself into this time?" He whispered to himself quietly.
"Oh you do not want to know, Professor," Dark Shadow told him, emerging from the corner where he'd stood unnoticed, watching the younger man. Charlie's head shot up, his eyes locking on his captor.
His heart raced in his chest as anxiety overran him, a fear nothing like he'd ever felt before the kidnapping. Now it felt as if the feeling never went away. Dark Shadow advanced on him and Charlie struggled to get away, but the chains restricted his movement. A hand gripped his hair and pulled him to a standing position, but the way his feet were fastened together didn't let him support himself at all. He was essentially hanging by his hair. "Stop, please!" He begged as tears began to escape his eyes.
The hand let go suddenly and Charlie felt himself crash to the ground. He threw his hands out to break his fall and landed squarely on his stomach, letting out a loud puff of air. A solid kick to his side flipped him onto his back and Dark Shadow pressed his boot into his chest, "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" He asked cruelly, adding more pressure.
Charlie's hands gripped the man's ankle, trying to lift the weight that was beginning to limit his breathing, "Stop, please..." he rasped, trying to draw in a deep breath. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get the foot off of him. Dark Shadow stepped down harder and Charlie didn't know how much more he could take. What had he done? He remembered Dry Ice mentioning something about punishing him if he 'misbehaved', but he hadn't done anything that he was aware of.
"What's wrong Eppes?" He continued to taunt him ruthlessly, but the door burst open to reveal Dry Ice, only recognizable by the unique mask he wore, a black plastic mask with bloody red streaks moving up and down it.
"Shadow!" He yelled at his crony angrily, clutching the phone in his hand, "What are you doing in here? I thought I told you to take care of the witness!"
"Boss?" He lifted his boot automatically and faced the other man. "Yeah, I'll get the girl. I just wanted to have some fun first."
"This isn't about fun. This is about money and about not getting caught! Do you understand me! Or do you want to end up like Joker, on a slab in the morgue?" Dry Ice screamed at him angrily, his voice piercing to Charlie's ears.
"Uh, I gotta go," Charlie piped up, a slightly embarrassed look on his face. Dark Shadow grabbed his hair and all but dragged him to the bathroom. He called someone's name and a man appeared producing a set of keys.
Only moments later, Charlie exited the bathroom and could only comply as they held him down and bound his legs once again. It was too soon that he found himself in the small cold room.
Charlie squirmed on the floor, trying desperately to push himself away from the two men who'd resumed their conversation, but Dark Shadow gave him a stern glare, and he stopped moving completely. "I'll take care of the girl," Dark Shadow told his boss firmly.
"You'd better. She heard everything and she must have recognized Joker. Take care of Blaze too, that agent probably knows his name by now – that makes him a liability," Dry Ice commanded in a cold voice, devoid of any emotion.
"What's the girl's name again?" Dark Shadow asked. He'd never really paid attention earlier when Dry Ice had first given him his orders.
"Amita something-or-other. She's with the agent anyway. Just get to her any way you can," he answered quickly. Charlie automatically pushed himself into a sitting position.
"No! Leave her alone! Don't you even go near her or I swear I'll…" Charlie began angrily, forgetting his situation. All he could think about was that his friend was in serious danger.
"And what the hell do you think you'll do, huh Professor?" Dry Ice sneered back maliciously and took a step towards the mathematician. Charlie blanched and sat stock-still. He knew he'd just gotten himself into even deeper trouble. Dry Ice only smiled at his fear and continued his advance. When he stood directly in front of Charlie, towering over him, he spoke again. "I think you need to be punished. Maybe then you'll think twice about talking back to me."
"I think so too," Dark Shadow agreed with a twisted grin. "Boss, why don't I make a little audio tape of what I do to the Professor's little friend? He seems so protective of her. You like her a little more than a friend, Prof?"
Charlie didn't answer, but tears came to his eyes. There was nothing he could do to stop Dark Shadow from doing whatever he planned to do and it would be all his fault if the man succeeded.
"Do that. I knew there was more than one reason I made you my right-hand man," Dry Ice laughed before continuing. "But the Professor will still be punished my way as well. Get me the keys, and get Mask and Gargoyle down here too, then our little lesson will begin."
Dark Shadow nodded and strode out of the room, shutting the door behind him as he went to gather his comrades.
"Please, just leave Amita alone," Charlie spoke up quietly and Dry Ice sat on his haunches so he was eye to eye with his captive. A wide smile was spreading over his face.
"I would Professor, but you see – she heard Joker die and nearly helped him live. She's a witness, and we never leave witnesses that can identify us," he told Charlie quietly in a matter-of-fact voice.
"But what if she only heard you? What if she didn't see anything?" Charlie asked. He wanted to find some way – any way – to save her.
"Can't take that chance," Dry Ice whispered cruelly in his ear as the door opened once again and three other men came into the room, one of them holding a set of keys. Mask threw them to Dry Ice who caught them easily. "Ah ha. Right on time. And Professor, this time you will be the one learning the lesson."
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"Dad, we're at the bank now," Don spoke into his cell phone as they waited in line for Amita's turn.
"Are you close Donnie? I've got almost enough money, from the business with me and Stan and from the money Charlie gave me for the house and a loan, but I think I may need to sell the car as well," Alan informed them of how they were doing on the ransom part of the kidnapping.
"We had a lead, but ten minutes ago I got a call from Megan, and our lead is dead," he told his father sadly, referring to the earlier murder of the doctor.
"Donnie, please find him. I want my boy back," Alan's voice broke over the phone. "I know if anyone can get him back, it's you."
"I'll get him back Dad, I promise," Don answered just as they reached the teller. "Sorry Dad, I gotta go. Bye."
"I love you Donnie," Alan told him, knowing he didn't tell his sons that often enough.
"I love you too," Don hung up his phone, flipping it closed.
"How much money would you like to take out, Miss?" the clerk at the bank asked Amita politely.
"Uh… twenty thousand," Amita told him. It was the money she'd been saving so she could buy a house and move out of her apartment.
"Isn't that a bit much?" the clerk asked suspiciously, eyeing Don who stood behind her. He spotted Don's gun and his eyes widened.
Don rolled his eyes and quickly flashed his badge. "Please hurry, this is important."
"Large bills or small?" He asked Amita pointedly and she looked to Don for advice.
"Large," he answered for her and explained, "Less time to mark and harder for them to spend."
This really got the clerk's attention. His eyes narrowed. He'd been aware that he might be lucky earlier, but now he knew for sure. He carefully clicked on the wire and gave Amita her money.
As she turned to leave, following her friend's brother, the clerk jumped over the counter and grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her backwards. It was his favorite way of causing pain.
Amita screamed and Don's hands flew to his holster, but a gun was already at her head. "Agent Eppes, I suggest you let me leave or I shall open fire on these good people," he spoke calmly as he dragged Amita back with him towards the rear exit. "Okay! Everyone on the floor!"
The manager stood, shocked at his employee's actions, but got to the ground before the clerk decided to fire his gun. The rest of the costumers and banks employees rushed to the ground, staying as still as possible to avoid catching the man's attention.
"My name is Dark Shadow," he announced coldly. "And as long as I leave here safely, none of you will come to any harm!" He knew that his cover was blown and Dry Ice would have him eliminated, as he'd done to Blaze earlier, but as long as he did his part he was happy.
Don stood where he was, searching for an exposed area he could shoot at without ultimately killing Amita, but she was being used as a human shield. He could do absolutely nothing as Dark Shadow dragged her out the back door.
He rushed to the door, hoping he could get to her in time, but heard the sound of tires screeching and saw the back of a blue van as it drove away. The license plate however was frozen into his mind. 'AEM 856' – Canadian plates.
His cell phone was out in a flash. "David?"
"Yeah? Don what is it? Do you have him?" His agent's voice asked urgently.
"No, and Amita's gone too." He ran a hand through his hair, wondering how the hell he'd let this happen.
"They took her? Damn... where are you?" He questioned, needing as much information as possible.
"The bank, one of the clerks was in on it. The plates of the van he used are AEM 856. They're Canadian," Don answered quickly and took a deep breath.
"Canadian, eh?" David tried to lighten the mood a little, but knew that it wouldn't work, "Okay... I'll meet you there." He hung up, knowing Don did not want to mess with idle goodbyes.
Don flipped his phone shut. Looking around the alleyway behind the bank, he let out a long sigh.
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One man held down each of his arms, leaving him completely helpless to whatever was planned for him. The chains had been removed from his legs and he had no idea what was coming next.
It had been three hours since the lesson had begun. They'd unlocked the chains first and hoisted him to his feet, only to be knocked down again by a solid punch to his stomach. It had been three hours of that. He tried to get away numerous times, but had been beaten into submission each time. Eventually he'd given up, just taking all they gave out, though his yells of pain never ceased.
The door creaked open and Amita stumbled through the door just as Dry Ice picked up an inch thick metal pole and completely defeated the need for the chains. He beat Charlie's legs with it until audible cracks were heard.
"Charlie!" He barely registered her voice, but he peered at her through his tears.
"No, Amita..." he whispered and he felt the hands holding him down leave his arms and Amita rushed to him. She kneeled down beside him and touched a hand tenderly to his cheek.
"Charlie, are you okay?" She asked him in a whisper.
"Not really, you?" He forced out as a bolt of pain ran up and down his leg.
"Head's a little sore, but I think the worst is yet to come," she told him and looked at Dark Shadow who was speaking to his boss. Both Amita and Charlie went silent as they listened in on the conversation.
"I've been compromised. I brought the girl here though. Maybe you can make the Professor watch whatever you do to her. I understand I must be eliminated and would rather do it myself." Dark Shadow hung his head, understanding he'd made a crucial error and needing to die for the operation to continue running.
"Give it up, Dark Shadow. This was our last one anyway. You're an important part of the team. We're moving on to a new city and you can take on a new name. Everything will be fine, son," Dry Ice told the younger man with a grin.
"Thanks Da-Boss," Dark Shadow breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to the pair on the floor. "And them?"
"She can't very well say anything if she's here, can she? We need to find out what she's told the FBI, too. Give them an hour, then we'll question her," he turned to Amita. "You tell us what we need to know when we ask, and it will go much easier on both of you."
She clasped Charlie's hand tightly and stared back, fear glistening in her eyes. She had no idea what to do. It seemed as though Dry Ice and Dark Shadow were father and son, and cruelty was in their blood.
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A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! They make me ever so happy, lol, but seriously...review!
