Charlie gladly returned to CalSci. He was done with classes for the day, but he had left his things there. Larry was in his office when he walked in and he almost expected it.
"Charles, I tend not to get into these things with you, but what was that all about?" Larry asked once his friend had fully stepped inside the office space.
"Hi, Larry."
"Hello. Now, answer my question, please."
Charlie sat on his desk and looked at Larry, who stood leaning against one of his chalkboards. His friend was studying his every move. Charlie hated how he seemed to be forever under the microscope of all his friends and family members.
"I was having lunch with a woman."
Larry's stern face suddenly turned into one of confusion. "Are... aren't you and Amita dating?"
"Yes. It was an older woman."
"Charles?"
Charlie laughed at Larry's face. "It wasn't anything romantic. She's the mother of one of my students."
"And?"
"And she had some questions for me. I didn't exactly trust the woman, so I had you call in the middle of it, in case things were going south. As you can see since I'm here now, that's where it was headed."
"You had me worried for a minute. I couldn't understand how you could possibly be going out with someone else when Amita is so..."
"So?" Charlie grinned as his friends faced turned red from blushing.
"Stop it, Charles! You know what I mean. You two are so compatible."
"I'm just teasing you, Larry," Charlie said as he patted Larry's shoulder.
"Shouldn't you be on your way home now?"
"I will in a second." Charlie gathered his papers and stuffed them into his bag before heading out.
"See you tomorrow, Charles."
"See you, Larry!" Charlie called as he ran down the hall.
Charlie wasn't running because he was in a hurry. It was because he couldn't wait to be alone. He wanted to give himself a moment to think, to process what happened with Janet. Sure, he had had the ride home, but that was it. He couldn't think yet. He had still been in shock. What woman didn't care that her one of her sons killed his brother? Charlie couldn't imagine what his mother would think if something like that happened, but he knew she wouldn't be calm and indifferent about it.
Though he wanted to think, Charlie also missed his brother. He decided he could drive to his brother's office. It was a long enough drive that he would have time to think.
Along the way, Charlie stopped to buy another notebook. He kept literally hundreds at a time. He probably didn't need one, but the idea of filling blank pages with his ideas and math thrilled him. He walked into the convenient store and went to the office supply aisle. He found the regular 200 page notebook and picked it up. He was about to casually walk out of the aisle when he was stopped by someone blocking the end of the aisle.
"Hey, Eppes."
Charlie screamed and ran the other way. Maybe he was hallucinating. Yes, that had to be it. Why else would Jake come to a public place and risk getting caught? Charlie felt more fear when he realized that he didn't have an agent on him during the day. So if this was real, he'd have to fight it alone.
People stared as Charlie ran through the store. He didn't bother to turn around to see if Jake was following. He just needed out of there and fast. Passing by the cash registers, Charlie flew out of the automatic doors and out to his car.
He shakily got his hands into his pocket to retrieve the keys to his car. He searched the key chain for the right key and looked out across the parking lot, only to see Jake coming toward him, almost too calmly.
"Damn it," Charlie cried in a high voice. He couldn't get the key right. There weren't that many on there, but his mind wasn't focused. He got to the right one and found that his car wouldn't start up anyway.
What were the odds that the parking lot would be vacant of people? Charlie couldn't think to come up with a number at the moment, but he saw Jake coming toward him and knew he was in for it.
"Please, be a dream. Please, be a dream," Charlie prayed. He wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He should run, get away, but it was too late for that. Jake would only catch him.
So he kept his doors locked tight and watched as Jake slowly moved toward him. He suddenly bent over and pulled out a bat that Charlie hadn't realized was there. It was obvious that Jake had tampered with his car, and left the bat there, too. Charlie was completely trapped. He couldn't even think about leaving.
Jake appeared again in front of the car. He climbed onto the front of the car and took a good swing at the windshield. Charlie screamed as glass shattered in around him. He covered his face, but the glass still cut his forehead and then his hands. Making sure he got ever last piece of glass, Jake swung again and again, leaving Charlie exposed.
Jake got down from the car and beat in the driver's side window. Charlie cried out and dove toward the other direction. The back windows came out and Charlie moved to the front seat. He should run, try to get away while Jake was on the other side. But if he did and Jake caught him, what would happen?
The back windows went out and Jake came to his side before Charlie could react. Glass landed in his hair, cut his face, his hands, and his neck. When all the glass was gone, Jake was finished.
"Hope you liked that, Chucky." Jake walked up to the window closest to Charlie and unlocked the door. Charlie kicked at him, trying to keep him from touching it, but Jake threw the door open and reached in with the bat. Charlie was able to dodge the blows from the bat in the beginning, but once Jake hit once, it was too late. The breath was knocked out of Charlie with a harsh hit to the stomach. Jake hit his arms, his ribs, his chest, his groin, and his legs with stunning strikes. Charlie was left bruised and bleeding in his car. He had no idea how no one was able to come out in time to see Jake's attack. Jake left without any witnesses and got away free... again.
Hissing in pain as he reached his bloody hand into his pocket, Charlie got out his cellphone and brought it to his ear after dialing his brother's number.
"Eppes," Don answered casually.
"Donny..."
"Charlie? What's wrong?"
"He's back."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Those two words were enough to make Don's blood run cold. He was in the middle of getting ready to confront a local gang about a murder. They knew which one was the killer, but it was obvious they wouldn't get him without some conflict. The murderer was the younger brother of the gang's leader. Don was getting his vest on when Charlie called.
"Are you hurt? Where are you, Buddy?"
Charlie took a shallow breath before answering his brother. "I don't know how bad it is. It hurts, though, Don. I don't think it's too serious."
Don's heart raced. "Did he hurt you? Charlie, what happened?" Don motioned with his hands to get a team by him. David noticed and came over. Don turned to his car and took out a piece of paper and wrote what he needed on it.
"I... I stopped at the store for a notebook, and he was inside. I ran out to my car, but he must have tampered with it. It wouldn't start. He... he came at me. He had a baseball bat and he knocked the glass out of my windows. Then he hit me with the bat."
Don held the phone away from his mouth a minute. "Damn it." He turned to David. "Call a team in. They need to check this out. And call in an ambulance."
"Where are you, Buddy?"
"I... I'm at the Office Supply store near your office."
Don paused to tell that to David, who already had his cellphone out to call in a team and an ambulance.
"Buddy, I can't make it down there right now. We're in the middle of bringing someone in, okay? If you're still there, I'll be at the hospital. David is calling in an ambulance right, now. You gonna be okay?"
Charlie's heart fell when he realized his brother wasn't going to be there. He was scared. He wanted family. He didn't want some strangers. But he would have to live with that.
"Okay, Don."
"All right. You take care and sit tight, okay? I'll have someone call Dad, too, so he should be there. I'm sorry, Buddy."
"It's okay."
"Okay. I'll see you soon, Buddy. Bye."
"Bye."
Damn. Don felt awful about not going to his brother, but he was needed where he was. He had to catch this guy and his team would need every one they could get. It was going to be a dangerous situation, and that's what he lived for.
Megan walked over, fully geared and ready to go. "Hey, what was that all about?"
"Jake just attacked Charlie."
Don could see the fire in her eyes as he mentioned that. His whole team was affected by this case. They all were determined to catch him, and the fact that they hadn't just pushed them harder. "Is he all right?"
"I hope so. He didn't sound too bad."
"You should go to him."
"No. I'm needed here. I'll see him in a couple hours, tops."
Megan nodded, though he knew she wanted him to go to Charlie. He could if he really wanted to, but he couldn't face his brother. Not right now.
How could he have let Charlie down again? It was as though he had to follow his brother around 24/7 to protect him. And whenever he wasn't there, that was when Charlie got hurt. How could he let this happen? He should have caught Jake weeks ago. He hadn't so much as had a glimpse of him. There had to be some way to catch him.
Charlie was hurt, again. It was his fault. A good brother - and agent - would have caught Jake a long time ago. A good brother would have fought Jake off before Charlie would get hurt. A good brother would have been there the first time Charlie was attacked and would have ended it all then. But, no, Don was not a good brother. He had failed to protect his brother yet again. What good was he, anyway?
At the academy, they always told them never to go into a dangerous situation with the wrong mindset. They told them to feel good about yourself and feel confident. They told you to think about what you had to do and how you were going to do it. And usually, Special Agent Don Eppes did just that. But not this time.
Shots were being fired from both ends. The FBI team was doing well. They were getting good shots in, ones that didn't kill, but injured enough to detain them. However, Don Eppes moved out of his shielded position. He suddenly felt confident that he could get a clean shot of the gang's leader. They didn't need him right away. They could get him. But that's not what Don had on his mind.
All he could think about was the fact that he had let his brother down again. If he was only going to keep letting Charlie down, what did he have to lose? So he forgot about what his family would think. He forgot about those who depended on him. He forgot how he should never do something like it. He forgot himself.
Don stepped out into the line of fire and took aim at a man they didn't even need. He ignored the sounds of his fellow agents telling him to get down, to come back.
Seizing the perfect opportunity, one of the gang members shot at him. They hit dead on, not hitting his vest or any protection. It hit his right shoulder, a small portion uncovered by protective gear. Don hit the ground by the impact and Colby moved out of his position, covered by his fellow agents. He was able to drag Don back behind a brick wall, so he would be safe there. Colby continued firing, though he stole a few glances at his injured team leader. He ducked down beside his boss and called in on the radio for an ambulance.
Amid the pain and the sounds of shots being fired, all Don could think was that it wouldn't make any difference, him getting shot. Maybe he'd die. It wouldn't make any difference, except maybe Charlie wouldn't get hurt any more. Maybe that was what it took to keep Charlie safe. If that was true, Don was happy he was able to at least contribute that. Because right now, he didn't really think anyone would care that he died. He was no good to his family, his agents, his friends. He was worthless.
Maybe he deserved to die.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alan had rushed to the hospital. He couldn't believe Charlie was hurt again. His son still had his cast on even. It was too much. Charlie needed someone to be with him, so he broke a few laws to get to his son.
And thankfully wasn't caught.
Charlie was being examined when Alan got there, and luckily, Alan was allowed to go back with him. Charlie clutched his father's hand tightly as the doctor looked over his bruised and bloody body. Alan tried to keep from looking at the dark purple bruises, but they were like a car wreck. It was awful, and you didn't want to look, but you couldn't quite bring yourself to look away.
The doctor told them that he had no extensive injuries. Jake had known how hard he was hitting, apparently, because nothing was broken and Charlie had no internal bleeding. He would just need some pain killers and ice packs for the bruising and a few bandages for the cuts from the glass. They were mostly superficial, though painful.
Alan was taking Charlie to get signed out when there was a sudden commotion. Charlie was sitting in the wheelchair he was to be taken out in and couldn't quite see what was going on. Alan turned and saw a few EMTs pushing a gurney inside and he couldn't help but notice the bright yellow letters on the FBI agents running alongside it.
"Dad?"
Alan couldn't respond to his son. Immediately he recognized Megan, David, and Colby. Knowing that when those three were together, Don would be too, he counted the FBI vests. There were only three. Alan prayed Don wasn't the one on the gurney.
But then Megan looked up and everything moved in slow motion. She looked at Alan as she kept running to keep up with the gurney and the look in her eyes told him everything.
And Alan knew it wasn't good.
So sorry it took so long to update. School is getting busy and I've had lots to do and not much time on the computer. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I thought it was pretty good, if I do say so myself. Anyone notice how I used a bat again? I just played baseball today, so I had it on my mind. LOL I hope to be able to update quickly since this was an exciting and cliffhanger chapter. I hope it won't be longer than a week this time!
FraidyCat, if you're out there reading, you know I'm going to be hitting you up for some medical help! Be expecting a message from me!