- - - - -

"I'm not waiting anymore," Don checked his ammunition and stood.

"Don don't," Colby insisted. "You blow this wide open, we may never get this guy out here."

"And he could be taking his chance right now," Don said angrily. "David, where you at?"

David, dressed as a gardener just outside the library, put a hand to his ear. "Do you want me to change positions?"

"Man listen to me," Colby said quickly. "What if his earpiece is just taking awhile to recover or got some wires knocked? We rush in, guns blazing, and he may take his moment anyway. Just bring a few feds down with him."

David shook his head. "We should at least wait ten minutes, I think Charlie would stay on the clock."

Don thought a moment. "Megan, you got anything on this kid?"

"He's clean, Don. Straight-A student, good family situation…I'm getting no motive."

"Yeah, I bet Jim Blake didn't have anything either till he helped bomb the lecture hall."

"I definitely see the similarities, but it's not enough to bust Charlie's cover."

After a lengthy pause, Don finally rubbed his forehead and nodded. "Okay, uh…all right, you let me know the minute you find anything that even smells suspicious. David? Move around outside the building, I'll meet you there. If anything seems wrong, we move in immediately."

"Copy that, Don."

- - - - -

"Adrian, lis- listen to me."

"Shut up."

"Just…listen-"

"Shut. Up…"

Charlie attempted to swallow again. "You don't- want to be doing this, okay, you-"

"I said shut up!" Adrian smacked the barrel of the gun against the table, denting it. Charlie fell silent, his head pounding. "You wanna know why you, why you're at the other end of a loaded gun right now, then shut up."

He paced away, and it occurred to Charlie too late that that may have been his one window of opportunity. But soon Adrian was facing him again, gun trained on Charlie's head.

"You think that hard work and good parents gets you everything, right, you think that working your tail off every day will eventually earn you respect and a high-paying job. Well guess what, Jim, Kyle and Ken and me? We got there and figured out that places like CalSci, Stanford, UCLA- they're not full of hard-workers. They're full of Professor Eppeses. Genius like you who usurp us of all our chances at life just cause you were born that way." He gritted his teeth and Charlie swore he saw tears rising in his eyes. "We'll graduate, walk away with Bachelor's held high, but do you think one of us will be magna cum laude? No. Just the ones who got this far without trying. They'll be the exceptionals, the astoundings. The lucky ones."

With a tremor of panic Charlie remembered something Megan had once said about criminals working out of emotion being the worst. You just- you can't predict them, they'll do anything their emotions drive them to. The thinking doesn't come till after. He found himself staring down the barrel of Adrian's gun again. "So…you're angry. Because I was born different?"

Adrian scoffed, smiling humorlessly. "Yeah. Yeah, that's it, Eppes, poor little guy, born a genius." He leaned over the table and Charlie shied away. "So I'm good with computers, right? I find some kids like me online, Californian students in the same boat as me. And we've all been hearing about the same great lecture coming up." He stood, gesturing grandly in the air as though hanging a huge banner there. "Extremal Combinatorics: Ramsey Theory and Computer Security! Rotating passwords using math equations. Genius, just like all of Professor Eppes' other work. The end to all those password thieves and spyware nerds. No more music theft, photo theft, online identity theft…" His voice dropped. "No more student hackers changing their grades."

Charlie felt his chest tighten. "You…you were…" He took a deep breath. "Adrian, you're such a good student. You didn't need any of that-"

"Yeah, talk it up Einstein." Adrian stood back from the table, fire in his eyes, gun trembling in his hands. "You try being a normal person sometime, see how you like it."

"This was about my lecture,. my…my Extremal Combinatorics theory?"

"It was the end of four students' futures."

"But you all ready stole Jim Blake's out from under him," Charlie insisted, a little of the strength returning to his voice. "He's going to prison for assisting in an attempted assassination. And if you…" he cleared his throat. "If you kill me, you're throwing away your future as well."

"They'll never have enough evidence to convict me, once I'm through." He smiled nastily and walked slowly towards Charlie, gun raised. "It's all just paperwork and records. How do you think I got this?" He waved the gun. "With the right computer-savvy, paperwork and records can be altered. You're gonna find Ken, Kyle and Jim's criminal records have disappeared, for one thing. They weren't there in the first place, it was all part of pinning this on gangs."

"But you can't have meant for them to get arrested-" he stopped. Adrian was wearing a nasty smile. "You…led us right to them. You knew we were coming, that's how you got away." Charlie said slowly.

"I knew you'd be in on the investigation. I fed your game theory all the info it needed to lead you to the Museum of Art. Why do you think I was ready to bolt with the feds got there? The boys didn't know it, but they knew I had a plan, that's why they didn't tell you anything useful."

"Kyle confessed-"

"Yeah, and led you right to our backup plan." Adrian laughed. I sounded more like an unpleasant cough. "Another 'super secret code' in the dumpster. You fell right for it, found out I'd ransacked the house, and in typical Professor Eppes fashion, you offered yourself up as live bait." He smirked. "Because you just can't stand being in the dark. And yet I fooled you, didn't I."

Charlie watched him, mouth dry, eyes locked on the once-promising student's angry face. "Didn't I," Adrian repeated, nodding with the words. He reached into his pocket and dropped a small, black chip that Charlie recognized as a random pulse transmitter. Adrian was jamming his earpiece. "Where's your natural ability now, huh? Was it worth putting kids like me at the back of the line?" He swung the gun around at the ceiling suddenly and fired. Charlie recoiled, ducking his head instinctively as plaster and dust rained down on the floor a few feet to his left.

When he looked up, the gun was pointing at him again, thin wisps of smoke trailing from the barrel. Adrian ran his tongue across his front teeth, nodding rhythmically. "Was it worth all this, Professor?"

- - - - -

Don ran towards David, gun swinging in front of him. The two of them positioned themselves on either side of the doorway. "David, you get anything?"

"Seems quiet. I stuck my head inside, but I don't even hear voices. They must have reached the lab they were going to." Don nodded.

"Don?"

He put a hand to his ear. "Yeah, go ahead Megan."

"I'm pulling up Adrian's class records now, but I'm getting the same kind of thing. There's nothing in here to indicate…"

Don waited a few moments. "Megan?"

In the van, Megan sat back in her chair, voice steadily rising urgently. "He left campus for the afternoon on the 25th of April on sick leave. Requested four student passes for the LA Museum of art."

Don's pulse surged. "That's our guy. Everybody-" A loud bang broke the silent from somewhere in the building and both Don and David whirled. Don didn't hesitate. "Shots fired! Shots fired! Move in, move in, move in!" David agreed to cover him and he tore inside and up the stairs.

- - - - -

"L-listen, listen to me-"

"Stop telling me to listen, you listen for a change! This isn't about you, not really, so don't even try to shrink me or talk me down or discuss my parents or my future or any of that crud I know you're just dying to throw at me. Fact is, if you're alive, my life, and the life of my friends is over. So…I'm sorry. But I have to remove you from this equation."

He pulled back the hammer and Charlie flinched, sitting stiffly in the chair. Adrian advanced slowly, both hands around the gun, trying to keep his aim steady. Charlie didn't even think of looking for an escape route. All he could think was how sorry he felt for his dad, for Don. It wasn't fair to lose him like they'd lost their mom. And the static screamed in his ears like a taunt. He was cut off, waiting for Adrian to work up the nerve to follow through.

And then the pounding in his ears became louder and louder till he realized it was footsteps. His and Adrian's eyes went to the door just as it burst open.

- - - - -

What Don saw when he came running into the lab, gun raised, would stick with him for years to follow. Charlie sat, pale and shaking, in a fold-out chair as Adrian stood before him, gun extended, searching for the nerve to squeeze the trigger.

Despite the horror of it, Don didn't even pause. "Charlie, get down!"

Adrian whirled back around and fired just as Charlie threw himself to the floor. The bullet whizzed over his head, shattering a case of vials across the room. Don fired at Adrian who also dropped to the floor, scrambling on hands and knees behind huge liquid nitrogen tank. He leaned around the side of it, fired three times, then ducked behind it again.

Don and David easily dodged the bullets and David returned fire while Don ran to the other side of the room where Charlie was lying on the floor, hands over his head. Don grabbed the table Charlie had been sitting behind and flipped it onto its side, like a shield. He grabbed Charlie by the shoulder, shaking him hard. "Charlie! You okay? You all right?" Charlie lifted his head off the floor, breathing so hard he couldn't reply. Don grabbed his other shoulder and realized he was trembling uncontrollably. "Easy, easy. Are you hit?" Charlie shook his head weakly. "All right, you just stay put and keep your head down. Keep your head down, you hear me?" Charlie nodded and Don pushed his head to the floor again, standing up quickly and firing twice towards the nitrogen tank.

He scrambled from the table to crouch behind a desk just a few feet away. He heard David fire once, then Adrian fired once. Adrian's was definitely a small handgun. Beretta, maybe, Bobcat if he had to guess. Seven…eight rounds? Don started counting in his head. One shot before they came in, one at Charlie…

Don gestured to get David's attention. He tapped the barrel of his gun and held up two fingers. David nodded and shot at the floor near the tank. They heard Adrian jump behind his shield, firing once in a David's direction. Just as he did, Don stood up and shot once at the floor. Again, Adrian shot in his direction. They heard a click click click coming from behind the tank and knew it was safe.

Don stood up, keeping his gun trained on the tank. "You're empty, Adrian. Come out with your hands on your head." Adrian didn't move. Don nodded at David and they both ran for the tank. Just as they did so, Adrian jumped to his feet and took off for the door. David stopped, fired and missed. Don kept on running.

"Adrian! Stop!" He chased the boy through the lab, Adrian toppling chairs and shoving books and vials on the floor trying to hamper Don's pursuit. Up ahead, Don saw the glowing light of an emergency exit. Adrian flung himself at the door, but it didn't give. Stunned, he scrambled for the release on the handle and Don snatched his opportunity. He stopped, aiming at the back of Adrian's head.

"Move an inch and you're getting a bullet through your head." The boy froze. "Put your hands behind your head. Right now." Adrian continued to stand there and Don could tell his mind was working furiously. "Maybe you think you're smarter than your math professor, Adrian. Think you can you outwit a bullet?" Adrian let go of the door and slowly put his palms against the back of his head.

"That's it, now walk towards my voice." Don pulled his cuffs out just as Colby came running up behind him.

"I'll get him," Colby said promptly. "Go check on Charlie." Don took a step back, handing the cuffs to Colby and after a brief, indecisive pause, ran back through the lab. "Did you learn your lesson? Huh, Adrian?" Colby asked conversationally, slapping the cuff around Adrian's right wrist.

Adrian gave a derisive laugh, slipping into cool mode. "Yeah. Never mess with a guy who's got a lousy fed for a brother."

"I was thinking 'changing grades is more trouble than it's worth'." He cuffed his left hand and spun him around. "But I liked yours better."

- - - - -

Don returned to find Charlie sitting on the floor, head in his hands as Megan knelt next to him, saying something too quietly for Don to hear. David came up to him then, out of breath. "I tried to pursue, but-" he clapped Don on the shoulder. "You're just too fast for me, man. Figured you had a better start."

Don smiled vaguely. "No problem, I got him."

Charlie looked up when he heard Don's voice, something like apprehension mixed with confusion on his face. "Is Adrian…did you-"

"He's okay." Don got down next to Megan. "I mean, well you know…he's facing attempted murder charges."

Charlie nodded, staring into space. "Another promising future ruined. His and Jim's."

"Yeah." Don gave his best 'reflecting on that' expression for Charlie's benefit, but to be honest he could care less about Adrian's future just now. "Hey, what do you say we get you home."

Charlie looked uncomfortable, putting a sweaty hand to his forehead. "Everything's kind of swimming. My…my knees feel really weird."

"Yeah?" Don gave him a casual smile. "It's probably just adrenaline, you'll be fine. Here, Megan can you-"

"You bet." Don wanted to say, take your time, don't rush. Fact was, Colby and David would be coming through here with Adrian any minute and Charlie had had enough trauma for one day.

Megan grabbed one arm, Don the other and between them, managed to get Charlie onto his feet. Once there, Charlie found a little of his strength. Despite his objections, Don put Charlie's arm around his neck and helped him to the door and down the stairs. Once they were on campus, Charlie was walking normally again. "The ground's not tipping anymore, you can let go," he said calmly, and Don complied.

They walked in silence towards the iron gates of CalSci. "We'll take my car, if that's okay," Don told him. Charlie didn't reply. "What's up?" Stupid question, Eppes, Don thought irritably, but Charlie's answer surprised him.

"I was just thinking, shouldn't I stop by and tell Larry and Amita everything's fine now?"

"If you really want to," Don granted. "But Megan can brief them. Anyway, I was thinking we could go to the house, I could try making omelets again, call Dad…maybe watch that Best of the Summer Olympics thing. Start cleaning the place up a bit?"

Charlie considered that. "Could we just get pizza?"

Don laughed. "Sure, whatever. Hey, I'll even stomach sausage if you want."

"You don't have to do that."

Don glanced at him, "Yeah I know. I don't mind."

"No seriously, you don't have to. I'll eat anything…" he stuffed his hands awkwardly in his pockets. "Once I…you know, feel like I can eat again."

There was an uncertain pause, and then Don grinned. "Okay, peppers and onions it is."

The first ghost of a smile showed on Charlie's face. "You got it."

Don put an arm around his shoulders and they made their way across the parking lot. "You're gonna be okay, Charlie."

- - - - -

"I still say he's lucky," Colby said solemnly, handing his finished report to David who put it with Megan's and his own. "Don's statement done yet?"

David shrugged. "Thought we'd give him another day or so. I figure the department can understand the temporary delay, considering. And I think Charlie would be the first to say it had nothing to do with luck."

"A statistic improbability," Megan said with a smile.

David nodded. "Guess that .2 on a statistic has to come from somewhere, right? A slim chance is still a chance."

"Still," Colby went on, "the grocery store bomb was a misinterpretation, the restaurant an unpredictable cancellation, the lecture hall a one out of one-hundred chance, with Charlie getting sick and all. And you know- I still don't get why he ransacked the house. Did the kid just miss Charlie, cause you think by that point he would have at least made sure he was home," he jibed.

"He meant to freak Charlie out, get him back to a normal routine," Megan told him. "Adrian said he was playing Charlie all along. He played his friends too, although he thought he could get them out of it. Kyle worked right into the whole deal with his phony confession, Jim with the coded note too." She shook her head. "All a huge ploy to convince us it was a gang at work."

"They must've known someone had to go to jail," David said.

"I don't think getting arrested had been in their original plan, Adrian apparently told Charlie that he planted all the information he needed to track them to the museum, but I think he failed to share that with the other three. Listening to his confession this afternoon, though, I think he honestly figured he could work the entire system and get his friends off."

"But Jim's pre-law, you would think he'd know better."

"Those four boys had a lot more they were thinking about by that point," Megan said quietly. "Maybe it started as an attempt to climb the educational ladder, but it became a vendetta. They just wanted to see the prodigy math professor fall."

Colby thought about that a moment, then picked up his coat and briefcase with a heavy sigh. "Nah. I still say Charlie's lucky."

Megan smiled tiredly. "Yeah."

- - - - -