Very sorry for the delay. I had Part IV completed - It just needed the finishing touch when I lost my USB key with my story on it. I usually keep a copy on my PC but not this time, of course. So I had to re-write the whole Chapter. Anyway, here it is. Thank you for your patience.
Chapter Four
David leant against the door frame of the breakroom and looked around, holding his coffee with both hands, a knot in his stomach. The area where the team usually sat looked like a war zone: there was glass everywhere, all the surrounding partitions were destroyed, what used to be Don's desk was now a pile of wood and twisted metal and the adjacent cubicles were devastated. The four agents and the professor had to be relocated to the main briefing room.
An acrid smell was still floating in the air, stinging the eyes and tickling the throat. The bomb squad had just left after reassuring everybody about the gas: "Not poisonous," the captain had explained. "Very irritant but not harmful."
Once the area was declared safe, all the agents came back and started to clean the place.
David took a deep breath to try and relax. He knew it could have been so much worse. Not just because of the blast but mainly because of the numerous glass panels separating the booths. Most of them had exploded. Fortunately the partitions were made of "Securit Glass", like the glass fitted on cars. It burst into small pieces, flying everywhere and hitting people like pebbles causing cuts and bruises but they weren't razor sharp like shards of normal glass - Otherwise, it would've been a bloodbath. Yes, Sinclair thought, amazingly everybody escaped with minor injuries. Well, almost everybody.
David's eyes fell on Charlie, sitting at a table, surrounded by files and typing manically on his PC despite the bandage on his right hand. He would suddenly get up to write some equations on the board before going back to his computer. The agent observed the professor for a whole minute then poured some coffee in another cup and walked over to the younger man.
Charlie barely lifted his head at David's approach. The agent placed the cup in front of the professor.
"I thought you could use a break."
Charlie ignored the comment and pointed at his PC screen instead. "I ran an analysis on the bomb. It was made to kill whoever was standing within a maximum of 3 meters. Beyond that distance, it would only cause damage." He shook his head and looked at David. "I don't get it. If he wanted to kill us, why did he send a warning?"
David shrugged. "He's playing with us. That's why he gave us very little time to react. If Wright hadn't been quick enough, we would've been killed, or badly injured. But whether we survived or not wasn't his concern. We are only pawns in his plan to get to Wright. All this is just a game for him."
Charlie snorted softly. "A game." He took his cup and stared at his coffee in silence.
David put his hand on the young man's arm. "Hey, you're okay?"
Charlie kept staring at his coffee. "When... When I saw him on the floor, covered in blood and I couldn't wake him, I thought... You know," He looked up at David in distress. "I really thought he was... " He trailed off.
David sat in the opposite chair and said with his soft voice. "He's gonna be fine, Charlie."
Charlie looked down at his coffee, shook his head and whispered, more to himself than to David. "I should've gone with him in the ambulance."
"We need you here. The best way to help Don right now is to find this SoB." He grinned slightly. "I don't think you need to worry too much anyway. Last time I saw your brother, he was on a stretcher, trying to sit up and arguing with Wright to get more men on the case. The EMTs threatened to tie him up if he didn't stay still."
"Yeah, that does sound like Don." Charlie commented, half snorting, half smiling.
"He won by the way. Wright agreed to give him five more agents. Believe me, he's gonna be alright."
The younger man nodded forcefully as if to convince himself. He knew his brother was alive. He saw him come to just before the medics took him away. Charlie tried to talk to him but the agent was too woozy and not very coherent. But despite seeing him awake, the professor still couldn't erase the image of his brother, unconscious on the floor. He could still feel the terror seizing him when he thought back of what happened. He knew it was going to haunt him for a long time.
He swallowed to try and get rid of the lump in his throat, breathed deeply through his nose to focus then pointed at two files on the table. "I'm doing a parallel analysis between the psychological profile Megan made of the killer and the one the CIA sent us on Harper. I'm hoping to isolate similarities between both men."
"Apart from killing people as a hobby, you mean?"
""Strangely enough, that's my point. You see, according to Megan, the man started with a severe inferiority complex. He was certainly pathologically shy and withdrawn. You know, the type of guy who lives in his own fantasy world, too afraid to face reality. He's resentful because he's convinced that he deserves a better life. He blames Society because it's easier than blaming himself. Guys like him are usually inoffensive. Even if they complain, they remain passive. The problem is that the killer went from one extreme to the other."
"How's that?"
"Still according to Megan, he has now developed a superiority complex."
David sighed deeply. "We can't win with that guy!"
"As I said, before the man was bitter but harmless. It all changed when he met Harper. The Ghost is a manipulator. He's good at finding people's weakness, that's how he controls them. It must have been pretty easy for him to get that guy work for him. All he had to do was to feed his need of power and his desire of revenge, to give him the kind of recognition he craved for. He probably taught him how to use a gun, make a bomb and so forth. Today, the man probably thinks he's invincible. That is why, he is placing the stakes so high; to impress us and show us what he's capable of. He's totally delusional and that makes him extremely dangerous."
"Great, that means we can expect anything from him." Commented David. "What about the Ghost?"
Charlie tilted his head slightly and made a face. "Not good on that side either. Harper is clever, calculating, well-trained and doesn't feel much for people. These are probably great qualities for the CIA but it is not good news for us. If only I could figure out where and how he chose the other man, I might be able to find where the killer lives."
"Sorry but I can't see the connection between both facts."
Charlie got up and walked to the board. "Harper is highly motivated. Whatever grudge he holds against Wright, it was strong enough to make him come back to the States despite what's awaiting him if he's caught again, right?"
Charlie nodded.
"That's why he's using someone else to do his job. He can't take the risk of being arrested now."
"Okay, I follow and agree with that, but-"
Charlie raised his hand to interrupt him and picked up a pen. "As I said, he likes to control people. To do so, he needs a central position to keep an eye on both Wright and the man he hired." Charlie drew three "Xs" on the board. "These two "Xs" are for Wright; his home and his office. That one is the killer. If you join these three points," he drew a line between each cross, creating a triangle, that he filled in black. "You get an area which is certainly where Harper hides."
"Except that we don't know where the killer lives, Charlie!"
Charlie and David spun around. Don was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed. The agent looked drawn, a little pale, multiple small cuts on his face and arms, and a larger one near the hairline barely hidden by the four butterfly plasters on his forehead. The wound had started to turn violet and looked swollen. Colby was standing close behind him, as if he was afraid his boss would collapse.
"Don! Shouldn't you be in hospital!" scolded the professor. "How come they released you so soon? You escaped?"
Don pushed himself from the door, wincing at the pain the movement triggered. "Released? Escaped? Hey, I wasn't in jail or in a psychiatric hospital". He said, pretending to be offended.
Charlie walked to his brother, angry. "I'm not joking, Don. You were knocked unconscious!"
"They checked me out; I'm fine. They said I passed out because I hit my head a little too hard on the floor." He explained, pointing at the bump on his forehead.
"Oh yeah? Well, they didn't see how violently you were thrown against that wall! Did you have Xrays? You could have broken something. What about a concussion? Did they check you for that? Sometimes the symptoms develop hours later. They should have kept you under observation and-"
Don caught his brother by the shoulders, looked at him squarely and said in a placating tone. "Charlie, Charlie! Calm down. I'm pretty sure I've got nothing broken. I would've noticed it by now." He released his brother and added with a semi-grin. "At least, I wasn't embedded in the wall, you know like characters in cartoons."
David and Colby smiled at the joke but Charlie stared at his brother for a second, totally dismayed, then shouted. "This isn't funny, Don! Honestly, I don't get you. You almost got killed! There's nothing to laugh about!"
Don flinched. Ouch! Maybe not the best time to make jokes. "I'm sorry, you're right. It's just..." He ran his hand in his hair. "Listen, I'm alive and in one piece... Okay, one aching piece." He admitted. He actually felt like he'd been trampled by a herd of buffalos, no actually two herds, but he wasn't going to tell that to his brother or his team of course. He studied Charlie for a while, noticing all the cuts on his face and his banded hand. He frowned. "What about you?"
Charlie waved dismissively. "I'm fine. I was much further from the blast than you."
Don opened his mouth to answer but his words turned into a violent cough, raising even more alarm in his brother.
"It's the gas." Colby explained then added, leaning slightly towards Don. "They told you to take it easy, at the hospital. They said it would be worse when you get stressed. You shouldn't even be at work."
Don glared at the agent, then glanced at his brother then back at the agent but didn't reply. He was going to have a word with him later, in private. Right now, time to change the subject and focus on the job.
"So Charlie, how do you plan to find out where the killer lives?" He asked once he managed to control his cough.
Keeping his eyes on his brother, Charlie started to explain "By creating a very detailed psychological profile of the man. If I enter variables such as his finance status, his habits, his tastes, his skills et cetera, the computer should be able to calculate the most likely areas where to find him. Megan thinks he can't keep a stable job, just doing little tasks here and there, which means no high income. That eliminates any expensive or residential areas. He is a loner. I doubt he's got a girlfriend or a family, so we'll look for a small studio rather than a house. He hates people, he very likely doesn't have much of a social life. We can dismiss the trendy or crowded places. If he has a superiority complex, he will need to brag about his killings. In a bar most probably. But because of his inferiority complex, he'll go to a low class place where weirdoes like him go unnoticed - people wouldn't believe him anyway. And so on."
Don frowned, surprised and upset. "Charlie, that won't work! You're basing your search on assumptions. I know Megan is a good profiler but what if she made mistakes? We don't know that guy at all. You say he has no money. For all we know, he could have inherited a fortune and be living in a palace. You can't rely only on what Megan said. You're just guessing there!"
"I know that!" Charlie retorted, exasperated and hurt that his brother could believe that he hadn't considered that point. "That's why I'm running a similar analysis on Harper. The CIA's profile was based on actual facts. Wright also provided me with some very interesting pieces of information on him. These aren't hypotheses; they knew each other very well. And I remind you that you didn't give me much data to work on, so I have to make do with what I have, even if that means making mostly suppositions."
Don calmed down and tapped gently on his brother's shoulder as an apology. "Okay Buddy, go on then. Colby, help him. Let us know if you come up with something."
His phone rang. "Eppes...What do you have?" Don waved at the professor. "Liz's just sent you a link to the video surveillance of the floor. Looks like they've got something".
He switched on the loudspeaker of his cell phone.
"Okay, it's arrived". Charlie clicked on the link and played the video on the large flat screen hung on the wall.
"Look at the man who bumped into the mail trolley. Zoom in on his hands when he picks up the letters." Liz ordered.
The three agents and the professor watched as the man slid his own envelope amongst the others then gave the whole pack back to the employee. They saw him entering the bullpen, going to the breakroom, coming back out and leaving.
"He took the stairs." David commented. "He knew the elevators would be blocked as soon as Security heard about the bomb."
The agents followed the man's movements from camera to camera as he ran down the stairs. Arrived on the 2nd floor, he suddenly stopped when the door opened and people started to go downstairs. The bomb had set off the alarm and the staff was evacuating the building.
The staircase became more and more crowded and the agents soon lost track of him.
"Liz, are you still in the control room?"
"Yes, Don"
"Ask the technician to view the tapes from the cameras covering the exits. I want to know if he left the building. I've got two men watching over Wright but I'd feel better if I knew where he went."
"Hold on. We're checking."
Don turned to his men "He showed a FBI pass to the guard when he entered the bullpen. I want his ID."
"I'm on it." David picked up the phone just as Liz came back on line.
"We've got him. We send you the video now. You're not gonna like it, Don." She warned.
The large screen lit up again, showing a corridor filled with people walking towards a fire exit.
The agents squinted to try and find him, without much chance.
"We can't see him. Liz."
"Hang on. We switch to the camera above the fire exit. Can you see him, now?"
Charlie was the first to locate him and pointed at the monitor.
"There! There he is."
The man was approaching calmly. He showed his pass to the guard posted at the door then he looked up straight at the camera, smiled and with a mock salute walked out.
"You have to admit, he's good." Colby commented with a hint of admiration in his voice.
"Yeah, either that or he's too crazy to realise the danger." Proposed Walker
"I think he does. Well, not entirely." Charlie intervened. "Remember the inferiority/superiority complex thing? His behaviour fits perfectly with the description Megan made. He thinks he's invincible."
Don made no comments but his frustration was plainly visible on his face.
"I've got an ID" David announced, putting the phone down. "Security have him registered as Agent Mike McKenzie".
Don put his hand on his nape and worked his neck to try and loosen it. The day was getting better and better. Now they had an FBI agent as main suspect in multiple killings and a bombing. He shook his head. No, there had to be more to it. "What do we know about him?"
"I can tell you he's dead." Lt Walker stepped into the room. "The real McKenzie was found shot in his apartment, half an hour ago. Same MO as the others, including the note." He placed a note in a plastic bag on the table "AD Wright – 4".
Don brushed his face with his hands. God, this guy will never stop. He sat at a computer next to his brother's PC.
"Charlie, see if you can get a good front-on picture of that guy. Try when he looked at the camera just before he left."
Don retrieved McKenzie's picture from the agent's FBI file and forwarded it to his brother.
"Now, place both photos next to each other". The pictures appeared on the large screen. The lead agent walked to the screen. "Good. See? The shape of the mouth is different and this one has a slightly wider nose. It's definitely not the same guy."
"So, unless McKenzie has a double or an evil twin..." Colby trailed off
David quickly verified in the agent's personnel file. "Nope, he's an only child."
"Then," carried on Colby. "The only thing I can think of is a micromask".
"A micromask?" Asked Charlie, frowning.
"It's an ultra thin plastic mask. The CIA use it for their cover operations. They can alter their faces and become unrecognisable. To remove it, you just peel it and throw it away." Don sighed, angry. "Another little gift from Harper, I assume."
"How did he get the bomb in the building?" Wondered David. "I mean, the security measures are very tight here. Even posing as an agent, he would've never been allowed to walk in with C4 on him."
"You're thinking of an inside job." Walker said. It was more of a statement than a question.
"David, I want to know if we're holding any C4 in the premises, as evidence in a case or otherwise. If so, I want a list of those who have access to it: staff, agents on the case, people from the DA's office, everybody. We need to..."
A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over Don and he swayed dangerously. He closed his eyes and held on to the back of a chair to keep his balance. Charlie shot up onto his feet to catch his brother and forced him to sit down.
"Wow, man. Are you okay?" Asked David, moving quickly to help him.
"You should've stayed in hospital." Charlie muttered in a stubborn tone.
Don opened slowly his eyes. The room was steady again, good. "Focus on your analysis, Chuck." He replied in a low voice.
Charlie hesitated then sat back at his desk. "If you pass out and crack your head, don't count on me to explain why to Dad."
Don pointed a finger at him. "Hey! Not a word to Dad, okay?"
"Oh yeah! Like he's not going to notice that we're both covered with cuts and bruises and that you can hardly stand. I called him by the way," Don glared at him and opened his mouth to protest but Charlie added quickly. "Just to let him know we were alive. I didn't go into details. I left that to you."
"I'm fine!" Insisted Don as he got up slowly. "It's just a headache." Okay, maybe a bit more than a headache. Water, painkiller, yeah that sounded like a good plan.
David and Colby couldn't help but shake their heads as they watched their boss walking a little unsteadily through the bullpen, but none of them dared say anything. Colby moved just enough to be able to keep an eye on him.
Don was entering the breakroom when he noticed two men quietly talking and sipping coffee. His heart missed a beat and he rushed in the room, fuming.
"Parson? What the hell are you doing here? Who's with Wright?"
"Easy Eppes. Miller's babysitting him."
"No, not anymore." Miller entered and put the kettle on. "He's now the responsibility of the CIA."
"What?" He stared at the men, in disbelief. "Am I surrounded by morons?"
Miller looked at Don, surprised and offended. "Hey, hold on a minute, Eppes. A guy came and said he was taking over. I checked his story and spoke to his boss. Everything's alright." He assured.
"No it's not! The CIA would never send anyone without telling me." Furious, he turned around and rushed to Wright's office. "I can't believe this." He muttered to himself.
Don's heart missed a second beat when Wright's assistant confirmed. "Yes, he's just left with a CIA agent."
"When was that?" He asked anxiously.
"Just now. A minute ago. Mr Wright said they knew each other and that everything was alright."
The agent went pale. "Harper!"
When his team saw Don waving at them, sprinting to the elevators and squeezing between the doors before they closed, they knew something was very wrong.
"Charlie, stay here." David ordered before the professor could say anything and started to run, followed by Colby and Walker.
David pressed the buttons of the elevators.
"I'll take the stairs!" shouted Colby
David was about follow his friend when the doors finally opened and he and Walker rushed inside.
--
On his way down, Don called Security to ask them to stop whoever was with AD Wright. When the guards answered that no one had showed up in the lobby yet, Eppes went directly to the car park in the basement.
He drew his gun just before the doors opened and got out very carefully. On his right, he saw a man holding the AD by the arm, walking him to his car. Don couldn't see any weapon but knew the man was armed. He placed himself in the central aisle, held his Glock with both hands and shouted. "FBI, Stay where you are!"
The man swiftly turned around, pushing Wright in front of him, a gun now pointed at his hostage. He put his arm around the AD's throat in a strangulation hold.
"Come, come agent. Why don't you put your gun down and let us go?" He said in a very calm, almost amused voice.
"That's not gonna happen, Harper and you know it." Don replied while approaching slowly until he was a few meters away from them.
Wright shook his head slightly. "Eppes, he won't hesitate to kill you. Enough people died because of us-"
"Of you!" Harper snapped angrily, tightening his hold on Wright's throat. The AD grabbed the other man's arm with both hands, trying to release the pressure. "You alone are responsible for their deaths." He pointed his gun at Don "And if you don't want to be the next on the list, drop your weapon and step back."
Don didn't move. At that moment, a car and a van arrived on each side of the aisle. The agent hesitated to shoot, not sure whether they were accomplices or just unlucky drivers. He regretted it bitterly when both drivers got out and aimed at him with submachine guns.
Harper had now regained his calm. He smiled and ordered in a pleasant tone. "Now agent, drop your gun before one of my men gets nervous and does something you might regret."
Swearing under his breath, Don slowly put his Glock on the floor and raised his hands slightly.
The van moved and stopped level with the car. Harper opened the back doors of the van and shoved Wright inside. The driver handcuffed the AD to one of the seats whilst the other man kept Don covered.
Harper looked at Don and smiled ironically. "No hard feelings, agent. Be thankful to be alive. I could 've blown you up this morning."
Don looked at Harper. He needed to gain some time until his team arrived.
As if they heard his thoughts, first Colby rushed out of the stairs then a second later, the elevator doors opened on David and Walker.
Harper and the other gunmen glanced briefly in the direction of the agents. But this half second was all Don needed. He jumped on Harper, grabbed his hand holding the gun and pushed him against the door of the van, trying to disarm him. He heard Colby and David shouting "FBI", followed by an exchange of gunshots.
David, Colby and Walker swiftly took shelter behind the 4x4 next to them when the bullets started to fly in their direction. The windscreen exploded under the projectiles and glass rained on them. They fired back but their pistols didn't have much weight against the submachine guns.The three men tried to assess the situation; one shooter had taken position behind the front of the van whereas the other one was standing at the rear of the vehicle, standing between the agents and Don. Even if they could find a good angle, Colby and David knew it was too risky to shoot as their leader was right in the line of fire. They were trapped and needed to move if they wanted to help Eppes and Wright. Another round of bullets lodged themselves in the 4x4 and the surrounding cars. No, they weren't going anywhere.
Don balled his fist and hit the Ghost in the jaw. Just when he thought he had the situation back on track, he felt a pair of hands pulling him back. He kicked his attacker hard in the leg and elbowed him. The man cried out and released him.
Unfortunately, Don's body was still stiff and aching from the results of the blast, slowing down his reflexes and hindering his movements. He saw it coming, raised his hand in protection but wasn't fast enough to fend off the blow. Harper hit him with his gun, catching him right on the side of the head. A sharp pain crossed his skull and Don's sight suddenly blackened. He blinked furiously, trying to stay conscious and took one step back before his legs ceased to support him. The cemented floor came rushing and he put his hands in front of him in an attempt to protect his fall. His last conscious thought was that maybe he should've stayed in hospital after all.
Harper and the other man put Don in the van while the third man carried on shooting in the direction of the three men. Then he jumped in the driver's seat and drove away. Colby, David and Walker rushed in the aisle and started to fire at the vehicle but the back doors reopened and Harper shot at them with a submachine gun. The three men threw themselves on the floor and behind the parked cars. They watched powerless as the van disappeared at the end of the aisle.
Furious, Colby hit the hood of a car next to him, causing a large dent. But none of the three men noticed it. Don and the AD had just been kidnapped and that was all that mattered.
TBC