Thank you so much for your reviews and encouragements!. Hope you'll enjoy Part II.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Don rubbed his face with the heal of his hands, then glanced at his watch. 6.30pm. He got up to get some coffee when his cell phone rang, the screen showing "Charlie."

"Hi, Buddy."

"Are we still on for dinner?"

Oh damn, he had totally forgotten about it. He let himself drop back on his chair. "Uh... no, I don't think so, Charlie. I'm really sorry. We have a rather complicated case and ... " he trailed off.

"It's okay, I understand." His brother tried not to show any disappointment but Don knew better. He winced – Dad was out tonight, Amita and Larry were at some sort of convention for the next two days, which meant that his brother would be alone. Damn!

He leant forward in his chair and put his elbows on his desk, one hand supporting his forehead. "I'm really sorry. Listen, I'll try and stop by on my way home. Okay?"

"It's alright, Don. I know what it's like. Don't worry. You're busy; we'll meet when you have time."

Don closed his eyes at his brother's words and made a face. "Okay. Take care, Buddy...I'll call tonight."

"Sure... Be careful."

Don hung up and looked at his watch again. Well, maybe he could rush to his brother's, have dinner with him and come back to work. He could really do with a break anyw...

His landline rang, interrupting his thoughts. "Eppes."

"I want you and your team in my office now," ordered Wright. Despite the blunt words, it sounded more like a plea than an order.

The agent got up and called his team, "Guys, Wright wants to see us... And he didn't sound too good," he whispered the last sentence as they walked to Wright's office.

The secretary let them in as soon as they arrived.

"Ah, Eppes, come in."

He showed them the sofa. They sat in silence, feeling like teenagers in the supervisor's office expecting a reprimand or a detention. And the fact that Wright looked so tense didn't help. He was about to sit on his chair, but then decided against it, and finally leaned against the edge of his desk instead. His evident anxiety made the whole team even more nervous and they all glanced questioningly at Don, who shrugged quickly. Wright was staring at his hands as if he didn't know where to start.

Without thinking, Don glanced at his watch. When he looked up, his whole team was staring at him in dismay. He shrugged again, apologetically this time. Luckily, Wright was still lost in his thoughts and hadn't noticed anything. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Don cleared his throat and said, "You wanted to see us, Sir?"

Wright startled slightly and, for a split second looked at them with surprise. "Hmm, yes. I...," he coughed. "I think I know... who's behind these murders. And if I'm right, things are going to go from bad to worse unless we stop him quickly."

The four agents remained silent, waiting for Wright to continue. The Director got up and walked to the window. He looked outside for a moment then turned around.

"About five years ago, I worked on a case with the CIA. It was a ... complicated case and ..." He sighed deeply. "Anyway it ended with the arrest of a double agent."

Colby couldn't help reacting at the words. David glanced quickly at him and smiled to reassure him.

"His name was Jack Harper. He escaped about a week ago."

"Escaped? From where?" asked Don.

Wright briefly eyed at Colby. "China."

Now things were getting a bit too uncomfortable for the young agent and he started to fidget nervously. Don looked at him and mouthed, "It's okay."

Wright carried on, "When he realised he was about to be arrested, he fled to China. Unfortunately for him, the Chinese Authorities don't like their agents to blow their cover and they sent him to jail upon his arrival."

"And you know he's back because…?" asked David.

Wright sat at his desk and leaned against his armchair.

"The man was very good at ... well... convincing enemies to talk or to collaborate. He had a very specific MO, like a signature. He stalked his victims to find their weak points and scare them. He loved playing cat and mouse with them until they couldn't take it anymore and agreed to do whatever he wanted. And trust me, he had an amazing imagination when it came to terrifying people. He used to say that someone emotionally bullied was a much easier prey to handle. Quite right on that one," he added in a whisper, to himself as much as to the team then a mix of distress and anger crossed his face. "He killed those innocent people just to get to me. It's his way to tell me he has me under his thumb; that he can do whatever pleases him and I can't stop him. And he'll kill again until he gets what he wants."

"Which is?" asked David.

"To make me suffer first. And once he'll have enough fun, he'll kill me."

Don frowned. "Why is he after you? What happened during that case? What is it you're not telling us?" Don was now getting really frustrated. As Wright didn't seem to want to reply, he insisted, "Sir, we need to know. We can't do our job if we don't have all the details."

Wright looked at the agents and crossed his arms defensively. "All you need to know is that I'm responsible for his arrest. When I discovered what he was, I... I denounced him," he confessed sheepishly.

The rest of the team looked at him, puzzled.

"What's wrong with that? You did what you had to do," stated Liz.

"Yes, but we were old friends. We had worked together for years, and although he's the one who betrayed us, I feel like I'm the guilty one... And it seems that's how he sees things as well."

"Sir, we must take you to a safe-house... Until we locate and arrest him."

Wright smiled sadly. "That won't stop him. His nickname was 'The Ghost' because no one ever knew where he was. He could move without a noise and never left a trace of his passage."

"The Ghost? Yeah, I've heard of him, "Colby advised.

"I'm sure you have. That's why I want you on this case Granger. You might be able to guess his next move. I mean, you were a... well... in the same field." He cleared his throat uneasy and turned quickly to Don. "Eppes, I'll give you all the resources you need. Just ask. We cannot let him kill more people."

Don hesitated, chewing the inside of his cheek.

"Is there a problem, Agent?" the AD queried anxiously.

Don got up. "No. Yes... well... You said I could have whatever I need?"

"Just ask, "Wright nodded.

"Right, I need my brother on this." Wright's eyebrows shot up, but Don raised his hand to stop him before he could say something. "Please, hear me out, Sir. I know he's persona non grata right now, but he's also our best chance to catch that guy quickly. We would eventually get him, but with Charlie's help, we can speed up the process and save numbers of lives."

Wright stared at Don, not sure he had heard properly. "You know I can't do that Eppes," he finally said. "Your brother betrayed the FBI's trust; I cannot allow him to come back."

"The hell you can't!" Don erupted.

At Don's reaction, David closed his eyes and slumped on his chair; Liz moaned softly and buried her face in her left hand; and Colby suddenly found the carpet very fascinating.

"Okay he did something stupid," carried on the lead agent. "Not by treason but because he thought it was right. Okay he was wrong." Sort of, he thought to himself. "But give him a chance to make up for his mistake. Everybody deserves a second chance."

Again, Colby felt uneasy. Gosh he was becoming paranoid or what? He knew Don wasn't talking about him but still.

"Sir," the agent continued before Wright could stop him, "he never meant to betray the Bureau. I promise… assure… swear - whatever you want - that he won't do anything ill considerate. He will only work at the office, will use a computer from the Bureau and won't take it home or anywhere else unless you approve it. We'll do whatever you want, we'll follow whatever procedure you'll demand but let him come back in the team... Please."

Wright stood in front of Don, faced him squarely and said slowly, "You had it all thought over, didn't you? You were just waiting for the right moment to give me your little speech."

He kept staring at Don, who stared back at him. The rest of the team could feel the tension between the two men. They knew Don wouldn't back off, especially since his brother was the subject of the argument. They watched in silence the battle of wills, sincerely hoping that Don knew what he was doing.

"You know I'm right, Sir," Don's tone was neither aggressive, nor disrespectful; just matter-of-fact.

The AD's eyes narrowed, then he suddenly turned around and slowly walked back to his desk, obviously mulling over Don's words. "Very well," he finally said. "I'll give him a pass... but just for this case. He mustn't expect to get his clearance back. Is that clear?"

Don could hardly hide his smile and shook slowly his head. "Understood. No problem with that, Sir... We will need as much information on that guy as possible."

Wright took a thick file from his top drawer and dropped it on his desk in front of him. "Here it is. All we know about him, his entire life is in there. I think you've got everything you need to work."

"If you knew Charlie, you wouldn't say that. He's going to ask for more," replied Don with a large smile as he took the file. "Much more!"

Tbc...