A/N: Sorry for such a short last chapter but it seemed like a good stopping point. I hope you are enjoying…here's yet another chapter.
Megan paced the office. She drained another cup of coffee. Where was Don? He wouldn't simply leave a crime scene like that. After he'd simply disappeared she'd told her team to treat his disappearance like a kidnapping, and that's what they did. They searched the extending area for signs of Don. They found his gun, badge, watch, and cell phone in a neat little pile between two warehouses. That sent red flag warnings up in every agent's head. Don was not a person whom would leave that stuff behind willingly, especially his gun. That had been a day ago. There was still no sign or contact from him. His disappearance was looking all to familiar of Charlie's disappearance, but no one was daring to say that out loud. The hardest part, was telling Alan.
No one really wanted to tell him. They knew they should, but they weren't sure they could face his pain when he learned that both his sons were now missing, with no leads to follow. They knew he wasn't dealing this Charlie's disappearance well because he had been bringing the entire office lunch on a daily basis, she knew from Don that when Allen was worked up or worried about something, and he cooked. So the fact that the entire office was getting gourmet, home cooked lunches, was not a good sign. After much discussion, they decided that they should all go to tell him. Alan's face had dropped when he saw the three of them, without Don, and so melancholy. David and Colby had to guide him to a chair before he collapsed. Megan provided a comforting arm around Alan's shoulders as David and Colby explained Don's disappearance. She resisted the urge to cry as she watched the tears brim Alan's eyes. As Colby completed the explanation, Alan couldn't take it any longer and fled upstairs to his room, leaving a morose Colby, David, and Megan to ponder what the next move would be. They decided that Megan would stay at the house with Alan, David went to her house with a key, grabbing a duffel bag full of items that she would need before dropping it off and returning to the office where Colby was working again.
Megan went to the kitchen opening the fridge. She frowned to find the fridge bare along with the cupboards and pantry. It seems that he had been so worried that he cooked every scrap of food in the home but couldn't bring himself to buy more. She made a list of supplies she would buy when the opportunity presented itself. Slipping off her shoes she quietly crept up the stairs stopping in front of Alan's door listening carefully. He was sobbing. She thought of going in to comfort but decided otherwise. Everyone needed their one sanctuary to vent their emotions. When he was ready to be comforted he would come out. Until that time she would look over a stack of old files Colby brought over. If this was an old enemy of Don's out for revenge, this is where they would find the clues.
:-:-:-:-:-:
Don felt alone. He was glad to be alone. With the visitors had come the unbearable pain, his entire body felt like it was on fire and frozen at the same time. His mind continued to replay what had occurred when he woke. Whoever had been in the room had to be there before he woke for he'd heard no door open or close. Just when he was fully aware the blinding, searing, hot pain enveloped him. He didn't think he would ever find something more painful. Then the new pain would end leaving the pains already acquired to radiate for mere moments before it would all begin again. In the end he couldn't take it, the pain overwhelmed him and the reality faded into blackness. Don's thoughts swirled around in his head making him dizzy. He tried not to move a muscle in his body, that only seemed to make things worse and the pain would flare into a roaring flame. He was still in the chair, still tied down by what he was sure were sharpened cuffs. He couldn't understand why he was being tortured already, he didn't even know the who, when, where, or why yet and he'd already been tortured. This made no sense. That was when the epiphany struck him. There was a third person in the room. He heard it only once and only faintly but it had been there, the sound of a restrained sob. Someone had been there whole time and remained silent, until that one slip up. Then it hit him…Charlie. He was being used against Charlie. That had to be the answer. Charlie gets kidnapped to be used for something, they don't want him to be found so they leave no clues and make no contact. Charlie doesn't cooperate so they kidnapped me and torture me before his eyes. In his heart he knew he was right, but he silently prayed to God that he was wrong.
:-:-:-:-:-:
Charlie sat in the floor his knees to his chest, arms around his knees, and chin resting on his knees. He stared unblinking at the dreary gray floor. He didn't want to think, but his mind continued to think anyways, repeating Don's every scream, visualizing the scorch marks only the size of a penny on his chest and yet so undeniably large. Never in his life did he think he would be forced to watch such a horrid occurrence. He was grateful they didn't ask him for his aid, he wouldn't have been able to answer. He didn't even think he could talk, even now, so long after watching his brother be tortured. He knew now that he wouldn't be able to escape helping them, not after this. He wouldn't be able to stop them while they had Don in their control. Before he'd been asking himself how much a life was worth. When was it time to surrender one life to save many? But now that Don's life was in his hands, he didn't have the strength to answer those questions, especially when it was not his life that he was surrendering. He hadn't the right to end another person's life, nor make the decision for them, didn't he? Charlie never got to answer his own questions before Escort came into the room, took him to the room with Don, and put him back in the chair. Charlie's mind froze. Escort asked silently if he would help. Charlie had no answer for him, saying nothing. Escort shrugged.
He stepped closer to Don, one step only, but that was all that was needed. He raised the wooden bat and brought it down full force against the man's midsection. His scream was stopped short by the lack of breath. He gasped frantically trying to breath. He never had a chance to recover as blow after blow landed on his legs, knees, torso, shoulders, and once or twice he received a vicious cracked to the head. His world quickly diminished. He couldn't distinguish between pains just that there was pain. If any noises were made he wouldn't have known beyond his own screams. He hoped Charlie wasn't there, that he'd been wrong after all.
Charlie watched silently, wishing he could tear his eyes away from his brother and not watch, but they see to be glued open. He fought bravely against the screams he wanted to scream. He fought against the tears rolling down his face, his best effort to contain them failing miserably. He could only keep them silent. He watched helplessly as his brother looked from side to side trying to predict where the next blow would come from and dodge. Escort would circle Don never directing a blow from the same direction twice. His brother's strength faded quickly, it was soon evident he couldn't move even if he tried, his head lolled from side to side in little circles as consciousness was lost to him. Escort took a step back from Don. He smiled malevolently at Charlie. Raising the bat up above his shoulder as far back as his arms would let him. He ran forward full speed bringing the bat down one last time against the man's torso with all the strength he possessed. The bat cracked, splinters rained down on Don, the top half of the bat skittering across the floor, rolling meekly to a stop. Even in unconsciousness the man let out a blood-curdling scream. Charlie fell against the cuffs unconscious.
:-:-:-:-:-:
Escort took an unconscious Charlie to his room. He found it amusing that the kid had fainted. He was impressed with himself; he'd never expected the bat to split in half let alone in such magnificent manner. It made having to drag the kid well worth it. He deposited the kid in his cell then went gleefully to report to the boss the results of their little get together. The kid would break soon. He was a little surprised he hadn't already. Once he watched him kill the brother before his eyes what was left of his fading defenses would crumble. He would help them.
