A Night Alone

LoveHateTragedyMore

AN: Here's chapter four...I'm almost done with the story! This chapter's just a tad shorter than the other ones, but it's Don's POV!! Hope everyone enjoys this one just as much as the others...of course, comments are appreciated, as well as concerns. Don't worry, folks. This story will get done eventually...all I really have to do is update now-it's pretty much all written down on paper as well as the computer. The other story I'm still pretty much stuck on. (sigh) I'm not sure if I'll ever get done with that one, but I'll certainly try. Anyways...chapter four.

Chapter Four: Out Of Control

It was, by now, almost to late to do anything else.

But Don wasn't giving up, even though the clock gave him plenty of evidence too. He realized that most people would have gotten fed up by this point, and walked away leaving whoever was in the hands of the lunatic for themselves to deal with it…but he was a cop, and he damned well wasn't going to give up on his own brother. There was too much at stake…for both of them.

Once Charlie had called, things had moved fast. He'd managed to break through some of the case, by discovering who was holding his younger brother hostage and looking for him on the computer. He'd found some intel on the old guy, and wasn't liking what he was looking at-he'd done some time in jail, for killing some people, robbing, and was even accused of burglary.

Then, after looking up some intel on the old guy holding Charlie hostage, he'd started a frantic search for this Terry…and soon discovered that she was actually the old man's daughter. He'd ordered Megan to go after her, because the rest of his team didn't want him to go alone…and they'd also rathered he'd stay in case the old man had called again. Which, for the first time that night-other than when Charlie had called-he had. He'd demanded that they speed up the case, bring her NOW. Don had pleaded with him a bit, but then-his temper getting the better of him like he usually did-resorted to threats…of a sort. After threatening him that if he hurt Charlie, before bringing Terry at the exact time that he'd offered, he'd kill him himself. That was when the old man, either getting angry at him-or offended that he'd back out on his own word-hung up, making it increasingly difficult for him as well as his friends…because they had also wanted to talk to Charlie, in case something had happened to him…and now they couldn't.

Feeling frustrated and useless, he had been forced to resort to pacing-because sitting still was really worse than moving around…though it was a close tie, in his mind. He wasn't allowed to go with the team to collect Terry, nor was he allowed to bring his father there…because, of course, he didn't want him to worry worse than he was already-he'd asked Amita and Larry to keep an eye on him, and in the meantime he would work as hard as he could to get his brother back safely…even if it meant loosing the house in the process. Though he'd only been joking at the time, he couldn't help going over the possibility of that happening…and Charlie being in the midst of it all, not being able to get himself free, because he was tied up.

Because an old guy was willing to kill someone else's son in order to get his own daughter back.

Don wasn't sure what he was feeling when he'd felt that, except that by that time he was numb…because Megan had called and told him that she'd found Terry…in a hospital.

"What do you mean she's in a hospital?" Don demanded in the cell phone, ignoring David's look of concern. Colby was with Megan, and the two of them were taking turns talking to him.

"Well, she was in an accident… her partner, Jacob, didn't make it." Megan explained.

"You might call the guy, and tell him that-" Colby added. Don stared at nothing in particular, feeling his heart race. What was going to happen? How were they going to get Charlie out of this mess now? Feeling a bit of confusion mixed in with desperation, he decided that he would call the guy…and tell him. After hanging up on Megan and Colby, but not after thanking them both for their help at this time of night, he'd dialed his home phone number, waiting for it to ring.

"Come on…" He muttered to himself, aware of David watching him intently by now. The phone picked up, and a the man's-Nathan, he reminded himself-voice answered.

"Hello?" His voice was slightly slurred, but not bad enough that Don couldn't understand what he was saying.

"I found your daughter." He said calmly. "She's in the hospital." There was an instant of silence, and Don wondered for a moment if he was still there.

"Which one?" Nathan growled. Don hesitated, before saying reluctantly,

"St. Bethel's, near Hollywood Street." Then, having his worst fears confirmed, he heard Nathan say in a menacing tone.

"I'm coming over there."

"No, wait-" But Don wasn't quick enough. The tone of the dial sounded throughout his ear, and he hung up-feeling stupid. What was with him? Why had he not insisted on going over there, and at least getting Charlie? What was going to happen now? Well, for one-Nathan was going to the hospital. And that was when the idea struck him like a hammer driving into a nail.

"David, get Megan and Colby on the line. You and I are going to the hospital to meet them, and we're going to block Nathan there…using his daughter as bait." Don ordered swiftly. David looked slightly startled, but nonetheless complied, as the two began to get ready to leave for it. Don ordered a SWAT team on his own cell phone, feeling that it wouldn't be entirely out of place for them to use on. After all, it was still probably a hostage situation…and a dangerous old man was going into the hospital after his injured daughter…Don felt as though his mind were about to explode, and he would have no way to stop or control it.

The entire situation was out of control…and he had only one chance to make it right.

End Chapter Four