Obsession
Disclaimer: See Prologue
A/N: Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. I am going on vacation this Friday and will not have access to a computer so there will be a delay in the posting of the next chapter. I will post it as soon as I return on the 4th of August.
"The best laid schemes of mice and men/often go awry."
John Steinbeck
Chapter 20:
Colby glanced at his watch and went back to scanning his e-mail. It was 6:15 p.m. and he and David were supposed to be on their way over to Charlie's house. Don and Megan had left at four thirty to catch up with the professor at CalSci before heading back to the craftsman. The photographs that Lt. Walker had brought over had put them all on edge and until they knew otherwise, Charlie was going into protective custody. That was the main reason that Don and Meagan had left so early.
"Nothing useful." he mumbled and signed out of his e-mail. The investigation had come to a standstill anyway and unless that data run provided a name for them soon, the perp was probably going to skip town. That's why David and Colby were still hanging around, Agent Stendhauser had predicted that the run should be finished by five thirty, which had already come and gone.
Frustrated , David had decided to give Agent Hendricks one more try for the photo of the third body from the drug bust and had left mumbling something about a "mole" within the department. That was part of the discussion the four of them had started after Charlie had left that afternoon. Someone within the agency had to have downloaded the virus into Hendrick's and the coroner's computers and with the tight security on the FBI systems, it was only logical that it had to be an inside job. Internal Affairs was already looking into the matter but so far their investigation had not yielded any suspects, at least none had been shared with Don's team.
Colby looked up as the elevator came to a stop and watched as his partner hurried toward him. Something was wrong, he could tell by the expression on his face and he stood up as David arrived breathlessly at his desk.
"What is it?" he asked, his brow creasing with concern.
"This….this is what is wrong." he thrust the picture that he was carrying into his partner's hand. "The tech's finally cleared up the virus-- take a look at this!"
Colby's eyebrows shot up as he looked back at David. "Crap! It looks just like him."
David had his cell phone out and was dialing. "Paparazzi my ass!" he muttered as he held the phone to his ear. " Same height and weight, throw in the curly brown hair and you've got a double for Charlie." he shook his head irritably. "No answer." he glanced at his partner. "Recognize that tee shirt? It's just like the one that Don gave him for his birthday last year."
Stunned, Colby stared at the picture. "Charlie's been the target all along…but who?"
"Come on, let's get over there." David muttered heatedly, grabbing his jacket.
Colby made a dive for his windbreaker and quickly followed Sinclair toward the elevators. He had just pressed the button when he heard someone calling out his name and turned just as Agent Stendhauser came running up to them
"Agent Granger…Agent Granger…wait!" She breathlessly handed him a folder.
"You need to see this right away!" she gasped., taking a moment to catch her breath. "This data run should have finished up hours ago but someone planted a virus into my system and it took me a while to find it and take it out."
"You need to report that to Wright right away, he's already started looking for the responsible party." Colby advised.
She nodded her head in agreement. "I already have."
Colby opened the folder and as David read over his shoulder his eyes widened in near panic. "Shit! Megan said we were dealing with a psychopath but did it have to be this one?"
David reached behind him and pressed the elevator buttons repeatedly. "Come on, come on!" he muttered. The door finally opened and they quickly jumped in but Colby stopped the doors long enough to ask Agent Stendhauser if she was still going to be around if they needed her later.
"Just call me if you need anything." she called out as the elevator doors closed and made it's way down to the lobby.
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Bashere was euphoric; he had tried most of the "so-called pleasure drugs" in his lifetime but he was certain that none of them had ever given him the "high" that he was feeling at that very moment. He glanced sideways at the people around the table, distress visibly showing on their faces, but he didn't care, their anguished cries only fueled his heightened state to the point where he felt intoxicated. He followed their eyes to the unconscious man that was pinned against the wall.
"Put him in the car, careful now, I don't want him hurt."
Don watched helplessly as the two men maneuvered Charlie's body over the shoulder of one of them. The man straightened up, adjusting the limp body to a more secure position before turning to leave.
"You son of a bitch!" Don bellowed, still struggling against the tape. "You didn't have to do that to him!" his voice broke. "He was going with you."
Alan cried out in anguish, desperately pleading with Bashere not to take his son.
"Just a moment." The Frenchman said and approached Charlie's limp form ignoring Don and Alan's outbursts.
Bashere put a hand to the professor's neck feeling for a pulse. Satisfied that the man was just sleeping he started to pull away but couldn't resist running his fingers through Charlie's curls . His "high" intensified and his grin broadened even further as watched the expressions on the faces of Charlie's family and friends.
"Take him out and get everything ready." he reluctantly released his hold on the Professor. He didn't want to let go of him, he felt "whole" when he touched him, as if they were one. " I'll be out in a moment."
"You bastard!" Larry shouted, his normally calm features now distorted by his rage. "How can you possibly justify what you are doing to him?"
Bashere moved toward the table. "You haven't been paying attention Professor. I've already told you that I don't abide by your rules…. remember?" he was amused, they could hear it in his voice. "If this were a class, I would have to fail you."
"So now what?" Megan retorted angrily.. "Are you going to kill us?"
"I thought you were supposed to be the calm one, Agent Reeves, you disappoint me." he said sarcastically. "No, I'm not going to kill you. I told the Professor I would let you live and that is what I intend to do."
"Why?" Don was beyond all reason, he had to keep them there, he couldn't let them leave. "I thought you wanted revenge because I shot you."
"Oh, I do, and believe me I intend to have my revenge but in a different way…..one that will last your whole lifetime, Agent Eppes."
He walked toward the agent and stopped by his chair. "I have devised the perfect revenge. You see Don, you will never see your brother again, you'll never know where he is or what he is doing, whether he is alive or dead." he watched the agent's face closely as he spoke, noting with satisfaction the pain in his dark eyes that seemed to intensify with each word. " You'll live the rest of your life knowing that you failed him, that you couldn't prevent me from taking him. That is going to be your punishment." Bashere's knew his words had hit home when the color drained from the agent's face and he looked away.
Alan was shocked, how could this man possibly know that about Don. "You heartless bastard!" he spat out.
"I'm surprised at you Alan, I should think that you would be a little grateful." Bashere said with mock surprise in his voice.
A look of disbelief crossed the older man features. "Grateful, you sick son of a bitch, why in the hell would I be grateful to you. Your kidnapping my son!"
Bashere kept his face impassive as he walked behind the agent's chair. He casually stroked the man's hair and laughed as Don tried to pull his head away from his touch.
"Your are right of course." he said addressing Alan. "But I have left you this one alive, have I not?"
"You're not fooling anyone Bashere." Don angrily retorted. "The only reason that we are still alive is because it will give you some leverage over Charlie!"
Bashere turned suddenly, roughly pulling Don's chair around so he could face him. He pushed the agent's head back against the chair and leaned within inches of his face.
"It would please me a great deal to put a bullet right here." he said as his forefinger pushed at a spot in the middle of Don's forehead.
Don winced from the pain and closed his eyes as the pressure against his forehead increased . The pain stopped abruptly and he opened them again only to find that Bashere's face was still dangerously close to his..
"However, Don, I am a businessman after all, and you are more valuable to me alive…dead you serve no purpose." he straightened back up. "Fortunately, I realized this before my men detonated the explosive at the dock warehouse." he scanned the people around the table until his eyes settled on Alan.
"So, yes, you should be grateful for small favors."
Alan swallowed, or rather he tried to swallow, but his mouth was so dry that he had to settle for licking his lips. He kept silent, however, afraid to say anything more with the madman standing so close to his son.
Bashere was calm and spoke in a musing tone as he leaned his arm on the back of Don's chair.
"I have been observing all of you some time now and I have gotten to know the Professor's weaknesses, as well as your own." Arrogantly, he added. "I played my role so well that none of you even suspected who I really was. You even invited me into your home and I shared a meal with you at this very table."
Alan blanched. "No, that's not possible."
Bashere moved slowly around the table, ignoring Alan completely. "You must know your enemy to defeat him." he stopped behind Megan's chair and caught Don's eye. "Don't you agree Agent Eppes?"
Don studied him closely. There was nothing familiar except his eyes and voice and yet…."You've had plastic surgery, haven't you? That was why you said the mask was for our protection…if we saw your face now, you would kill us."
Bashere grinned but it never touched his eyes. "Let's just say that when I leave here you will not be able to trace me. Henri Bashere no longer exists."
He continued his walk around the table, past Amita who was sobbing uncontrollably now, toward Don. "You are distracting me from my story. Where was I? Oh, yes….you trusted me and we spoke of mundane occurrences. We ate and laughed together and you never suspected a thing. Quite a performance, wouldn't you say?" he laughed and added smugly. "In this town I believe it would be called "Oscar worthy."
The agent just stared at the man trying to access his mental stability. The way his emotions flashed back and forth so quickly, he was afraid that one of them might end up dead after all.
"You gave me the information that I needed to control him. All of you are his weakness, but especially you Agent Eppes." Bashere was full of confidence and he just had to tighten the screws a little bit more. " His big brother, the one that he looks up too. It's a pity you weren't able to live up to his expectations." he was standing in front of the agent once again. "In time, I will take your place and more. I will become his world and you and everyone here will just become a distant memory."
Charlie's cell phone rang and all heads turned toward the foyer where it lay upon the table; it rang several times and then went to voice-mail. A few seconds later Don felt his phone vibrate on his belt several times before it went still again. He glanced at Megan and could tell from her expression that someone had tried to call her as well.
The house phone suddenly rang and they all turned toward the family room. After four rings it went to voice mail and they could clearly hear the voice of Colby Granger as he left a message.
"Charlie, we think your in danger. Don and Megan aren't answering they're phones and we can't locate them. Call me back ASAP!. David and I are on our way."
Bashere smirked and looked around the table. "I think they are going to be too late, don't you."
The front door opened and one of his cohorts re-entered the house.
"Is everything ready?" Bashere asked.
"He's secure sir, we're good to go whenever you are."
"Good." he paused and looked at everyone around the table. "Tape their mouths and hurry, it seems the cavalry is on it's way."
Desperate, Alan tried to appeal to the man one last time. "Please…please…don't take my son." his voice cracked and he finished in a whisper. " don't take Charlie away." but his words fell on deaf ears and his shoulders slumped forward in despair.
The other man grabbed the roll of duct tape and started tearing strips from it, he started with Amita and quickly worked his way around the table.
Bashere moved toward the front door but turned in mid-stride, unable to resist one more taunt.
"Have a happy life, I know I will."
"Bashere! I swear I will find you! I don't care how long--" The masked man had reached Don and shoved the tape over his mouth before he could finish his sentence.
The Frenchman turned once more at the door and gave them a final salute before striding through the open doorway.
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David switched on the lights and siren as soon as they hit the road, but even with the siren blaring it was still going to take them at least twenty minutes to get to Charlie's house.
Colby closed his cell and more than a little exasperated, he turned to his partner.
"I've tried all of them and no one is answering their cells, they all go to voice mail." he grimaced. "I don't like it David. Six people, supposedly together and not one of them can answer the dam phone."
"Yeah, I agree with you, I've got a bad feeling about this." he switched lanes and glanced sideways at his partner. "Listen, didn't Walker say that he put a car on the house?"
"That's right, let me give him a call." Colby quickly dialed and spoke a few words with the lieutenant, bringing him up to speed on their latest discoveries. He closed his phone with a snap. "He's going to check in with them and get back to us."
They rode in silence for another ten minutes and then David turned off the highway at the exit for Pasadena.
"Almost there." David muttered. He cut the lights and sirens when they were within two blocks of the Craftsman house and slowed down as he put on his signal light.
David pulled onto West Adams street just as a limousine pulled out of it.
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Bashere pulled off the mask and sighed with relief. He hadn't intended on staying so long but he couldn't resist taunting the agent. He ran a comb through his hair to fluff it back up where the mask had flattened it out and pulled out a mirror from a bag that was sitting on the seat next to him. He used his fingers to push his hair back into place and noted with satisfaction that the new color suited him. His hair was exactly the same shade of brown as the only other occupant in the passenger section of the limo.
Charlie lay on his side facing toward him. His hair had fallen forward, almost completely hiding his face from view and his knees were slightly bent. One arm lay at his side while the other one dangled loosely over his chest.
With his eyes still on his guest, Bashere slipped out of his black clothing and exchanged them for a pair of jeans and a blue polo shirt. Finally, to complete his new look, he put on a pair of new sneakers.
He picked up the mirror again and took another look. Henri Bashere had disappeared and in his place was a man that no one would ever associate with the Frenchman . In another forty-five minutes they would be airborne and shortly thereafter the plane would enter international airspace and his, no that was wrong, their new life together would begin.
He moved over to the opposite seat and carefully lifted Charlie's head and torso so he could slide beneath him. He turned the young man over so that his head and the top of his shoulders were lying on his lap. The Frenchman gently pushed the curls out of his face and studied his features. He wished that Charlie would open his eyes, he loved to look into them, he always saw so much emotion there.
Charlie was so passionate about everything. Bashere mused thoughtfully; excitement, love, anger and defiance. Ruefully, he rubbed his chin and suddenly laughed out loud. "Oh, yes, defiance! He had actually experienced pride when his young man had fought back so valiantly.
Bashere traced the bruise on Charlie's face with regret. "You left me no choice. I had to show you that I am in charge." he whispered softly.
They belonged together, he knew it in his heart. He knew because he had never felt this way before, his heart was full to the point of bursting. He could change as long as Charlie was at his side. Besides, hadn't he already changed? He had shown mercy today, hadn't he? He had left the Professor's family & friends alive. The old Bashere would not have done that, he would not have taken that risk. Henri knew that he would have to gain Charlie's trust before he could win his love, and he wanted that love desperately. He wanted Charlie to love him the way that he loved his family, more than that, the way that he thought he loved that woman.
He let his fingers drift down to the young man's neck and then reached across his chest to the limp hand that rested on it's owners chest. He entwined the man's fingers within his own and leaning his head back against the seat, he closed his eyes, sighing contentedly.
Yes, they belonged together, Charlie would see it too. He just had to get him away from the influence of the others and he would come to realize that his true feelings were not for her but for him. As a matter of fact, he told himself, he probably already did. He was sure that he had seen love reflected in Charlie's eyes when they were standing face to face; he did love Henri as much as Henri loved him. Convincing himself that this was a true fact, Bashere smiled and ran his other hand through the young man's curls as he drifted off to sleep.
Without even realizing it, the old Bashere slipped back into place; he only saw what he wanted to see.