Mind Games

Chapter 50

See Chapter 1 for disclaimer

A/N: Thanks for the reviews all, very much.

Don followed Masters down the stairwell the next morning, trudging behind him in a sort of reverse deja vu from the night before. He'd slept fitfully; fighting voices in his head all night – voices that whispered poison into his brain, trying to turn him against Charlie. According to instructions, he left the jacket behind, but even without it he didn't dare say anything to Masters until they were outside the building, and then he asked him, "Are you sure your vehicle is clean?"

Masters stopped and stared at him. "Clean? As in bugs – that kind of clean?"

"Keep walking," murmured Don, "and just answer the question."

"I can't imagine that it wouldn't be," said Masters, a frown settling between his eyes as he began to move again. He smoothed it out with an effort, trying to appear normal. Don Eppes apparently thought they were under surveillance.

"When's the last time you had it swept?"

"I couldn't tell you that. It's a rental. Probably never – we didn't see a need."

"Not good enough," muttered Don. "I have something to tell you, but it will need to wait. It's probably best if I tell everyone at once, anyway. How sure are you that you have all the cameras out of the house?"

"We're sure. Wilkes knew exactly where they were, because they used them several times when they were working you and Charlie."

"I hope so, because you guys missed one at my apartment," Don said.

Masters flicked a glance around them and said quietly, "We left one there on purpose to help your protective detail. Why?"

"I'll tell you at Charlie's house," replied Don. They'd reached the SUV, and he climbed in. Masters stared at him for a split second, then went around and got behind the wheel.

"Can we stop for a coffee?" asked Don. His voice was light, his demeanor casual.

Masters turned the key in the ignition, trying to fight down a feeling of paranoia. "Sure," he said, "No problem."

They were the last to arrive. The front of the house looked marred; the plywood over the window a stark reminder of what had happened the night before. The others – Ian Edgerton, Colby, David, Wilkes and Rogan were there already, gathered in the dining room, along with Charlie. Don saw Charlie's eyes dart toward him; his brother still looked edgy, but his gaze lingered just a bit longer this time.

Masters fiddled with his phone, pretending to try to connect to CIA Director Conaghan's office at Langley, and then said, "I'm not getting a signal in here," he said. "Let's try out in the garage." Rogan and Edgerton looked at him strangely, then at Don, but didn't say a word as the group trouped through the kitchen - past Alan, who stared at them - and out to the garage. There were two of the protection detail members inside, and Masters shooed them out and shut the door, then hit dial on his cell phone. He looked at Wilkes and Rogan as he did so. "You guys are sure we got all the cameras out of the house? I know we're clean in here."

Rogan nodded. "Wilkes accounted for them all. We swept for bugs as recently as two days ago. Why?"

"I don't know," replied Masters, as Conaghan came on the line. "Eppes is going to tell us." He broke off. "Hello, Director."

"I've got Director Maxwell with me," came Conaghan's voice. "Eppes is going to tell us what?"

All eyes swung toward Don, including Charlie's, dark and watchful. "I was contacted last night," said Don. "He's turned on the controls."

"What?" exclaimed Wilkes. He stared at Don. "I'm assuming the dampening devices are doing what they're supposed to be doing?"

Don shifted, suddenly uncomfortable under their scrutiny. He could see the looks on their faces – if he wasn't to be trusted before, they certainly didn't trust him now. Charlie's eyes had widened, and he was staring at him as if in a trance. "Yes," Don replied. "I can feel it, but it's manageable. I walked into my apartment last night, and I could feel the power come on in my head, could hear him talking to me. He sent me the denim jacket – it came via Express Packaging – their Santa Monica hub. He had to be watching me through the camera in my apartment, because he knew I was there, even before I opened the jacket. He knows, or guessed, that the attempt last night was unsuccessful."

Rogan and Masters exchanged a glance and Rogan spoke. "Did he tell you what he wanted?"

Don nodded, and looked at Charlie. "He wants Charlie and me to go on a hiking trip, alone, in the Angeles National Forest, starting tomorrow."

"What?" exclaimed Masters. "Is he nuts?"

"That, or desperate," said Conaghan. "This might be our opportunity, gentlemen. We can play along; perhaps draw him out in the open."

It had never occurred to Don that they might actually try to cooperate with the controller, and the thought made his gut contract in fear at the risk. At the same time, a wild hope sprang inside him. This was it – finally, an opportunity to get the man, an opportunity to put it all behind them.

There was silence for a moment; then Masters said, "Agent Eppes, Doctor Eppes, why don't you head out for a moment? Go have a cup of coffee with your dad. We need to discuss this."

Don shot a look toward Charlie, trying to gauge his reaction. His brother stood silently across the garage, next to one of his chalkboards. 'Right where he belongs,' thought Don. 'Right here, not running around out in the woods with a killer.' Especially if the killer could be him. He could feel emotions roiling inside, and he wasn't sure if the feelings were generated by the controller, or were his own. Charlie looked at him; then slowly began to move toward the door, and Don followed him outside.

As soon as they were gone, Wilkes snapped, "There's no way. I wouldn't put them alone together yet in the same house, much less in a stressful situation in the middle of nowhere. Don's not ready yet, plus he's fighting the controller now, and Charlie's having issues of his own."

Rogan frowned. "It seems to me that Don is fairly well recovered. You don't think he can be trusted?"

"I don't know," said Wilkes, with exasperation. "Those devices we attached decrease the current going in, but they amplify every signal coming out; it's impossible for me to tell how he really is. And keep in mind, from now all the way through this, his mind will be under a constant barrage of current. If he's on the edge, even reduced current for that length of time might push him backwards."

David and Colby looked at each other with alarm, and David said, "I have to agree, I don't think this is a good idea."

"You got that right," muttered Colby, nodding emphatically. Ian Edgerton said nothing; he merely listened, his dark eyes inscrutable.

"Well, then, why did we put the devices in to begin with, if you don't think they'll protect him?" said Conaghan.

"For a situation like this – so that Don would have a chance to give us some warning if he was contacted. The devices weren't intended to be a long-term solution," responded Wilkes. "They may offer enough protection; they may not. We simply don't know – and that's not good enough. How do we even know if the man will show himself? He may simply try to use Don to get to Charlie from a remote location – he may not even be anywhere that we could see him. We could put them at risk for nothing."

"I've got to believe that the man will be somewhere in the area, where he can verify what's going on, maybe even try to go for both them himself," argued Masters. "We would only pretend to send them out alone – we could have people in the area, and Agent Edgerton could lead a surveillance team to keep visual contact. We'd only have to keep them out long enough for our tracking team to spot the man and apprehend him, and the Eppes brothers would be under constant surveillance. Maybe he won't show – but if he does, it could be our one chance to get the guy. I say we ask them – if they're willing, I think we should try it."

……………………………………………

Charlie paused outside, and looked at Don. They had a decision to make, and in a way, this was a repeat of weeks ago, when Rogan and Masters had first asked them to go undercover. Then, Charlie had been brash, naïve. He'd made up his own mind without listening to his brother – and they'd both paid as a result. Now, they were facing a similar choice, and Charlie knew he couldn't make it himself. He was too shaken, too uncertain, his world rocked by the recent events – and considering the outcome of the first decision, he didn't want to risk making another. He would follow Don's lead this time, he decided, and he had a good idea of what that would be. Don had been vehemently opposed to him going undercover the first time – of course he would say 'no' to this; this was even riskier – they would purposely be facing a man who wanted them dead.

He glanced at Don again, nervously. "So what do you think?"

"I think we should do it, Charlie," said Don. Charlie's heart plummeted, and he stared back at him, stunned.

Don was looking at him earnestly. "We have a chance to end this – no more threats, no witness protection - it can all be over. If they have people in the field around us, it should be okay, and I know it's hard after what happened, but you have to believe that I'll do anything to keep you safe. I think we can minimize the risk, and I want to get him. He's been like this – presence – hanging over us. When we signed up for that undercover operation, we took it on to stop them, and we didn't complete the mission if we don't bring this guy in. I want to get him for what he's done, for what he made me do – but most of all, for what he might do yet."

For a moment, Charlie could do nothing but stare. 'I can't do this,' he thought to himself wildly. His heart was thumping uncomfortably just being alone in the back yard with Don for a few minutes – how on earth would he be able to handle a trip to a remote location that could take hours, even days? This didn't even sound like something Don would say – perhaps he wasn't right yet. He forced himself to keep Don's gaze, forced himself to look deep in his eyes, but he saw nothing there but steadiness, and the flicker of hope. Don was looking for something, Charlie suddenly realized, a sign that Charlie had faith in him, and the thought generated a burst of wild hope. Maybe Don was right; this was a chance to move on, in more ways than one - and although the idea terrified him, he couldn't let Don think that he didn't trust him. "Okay," said Charlie finally, and the word made it out past the lump in his throat. "We'll do it."

…………………………………………

Rogan opened the door, intending to head for the house, but found the Eppes brothers standing right there, in the yard. He ushered them in, and Masters looked at them. "We need to know if you are interested in pursuing this."

"Yes," said Don quietly. "We are. We talked outside."

Wilkes stared at him, nonplussed. He had been certain that neither of them would have gone for the idea, and here Don stood, calmly telling them that they were prepared to cooperate. In truth, he had thought Don had come a long way, and the idea that Don would willingly put not only himself but also Charlie at risk both surprised and disturbed him. He shifted his gaze to Charlie. Surely, Charlie hadn't agreed… Charlie said nothing, just stood there silently, and Wilkes frowned.

David and Colby exchanged an uncomfortable glance.

Wilkes shook his head. "Neither one of you is in a good mental state for something this risky. I have to say that I violently disagree with this whole concept."

Charlie finally spoke. "And what are the other options? Looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life? Putting my friends and family in danger? Witness protection?" His words backed his brother, but his voice lacked conviction.

Wilkes looked at Don, still trying to determine what had transpired outside. He turned to Charlie and indicated the rest of the group with a sweep of his hand. "Charlie, you can't listen to them. Of course they're going to tell you they want you to do it – they want to catch a high-level traitor, and they don't give a shit about you or your brother."

"You'd better remember who you're speaking about, Agent Wilkes," Conaghan's growl floated out from the phone.

Wilkes continued, passionately. "With all due respect, sir, it's the truth. We're supposed to apprehend a traitor. That's your job, that's their job, that's my job. Charlie is a civilian, and it's not his job. He deserves to have someone tell him that."

"It may not be my job, but it's my life," said Charlie levelly. "Don and I already talked. We're going to do this, and that's our answer."

Wilkes looked at him, and then at Don, in dismay. He would have bet anything that Charlie would have refused this assignment, and he wondered what Don Eppes had done to change his mind. Don Eppes stared back at him, his eyes flat, unreadable.

Alan looked up as Charlie and Don came back through the kitchen, both of them looking somber. Their expressions made Alan's anxiety level ratchet up a notch. "What's going on?" he asked, a little too heartily.

Charlie glanced uncertainly at Don; there was still fear in that glance, Alan thought. Don spoke. "Charlie and I need to go away tomorrow for a day or two – hopefully not too long."

Alan stared at him, his face blanching. He tried to assume a normal expression, but his face felt as though it had stiffened into plaster. "Alone?" he said, trying to sound as if there was nothing wrong with that.

"No, the team will be with us," Don replied. "It'll be okay, Dad."

Alan looked at his younger son. Charlie looked – not himself. He stood there, pale, thin, uncertain. With a glance at Don, he said, his words an eerie echo, "It'll be okay, Dad." Then he put his head down, and headed across the kitchen floor. "I have to go pack," he mumbled.

Don's eyes followed him until Charlie pushed through the door, out of sight. Then he looked at Alan. "I'll watch over him, Dad, I promise."

Alan's heart caught. In those dark eyes, for a moment, he saw his older son, Don, the way he used to be. The moment hung there, bittersweet, yet filled with something ominous. Then a veil dropped over his son's eyes, and Don turned and walked away.

Don climbed the stairs back to his apartment, and with a nod at Masters, slipped inside. There was no agent watching the apartment this morning – Masters had called the man away, on purpose. They were trying to give the mystery man some room to maneuver, to make things easier for him, so they could set up the sting. They'd left the camera in the apartment for the same reason – they couldn't afford for the man to know that Don wasn't the only one who knew of his plans. If they removed the camera, he'd get suspicious.

Don shut the door and leaned against it for a moment, fighting the fatigue, the noise in his head. The constant surge of current through his brain was wearing him down; it was getting harder to think straight. He still wasn't sure he'd made the right decision this morning. He could make black-and-white judgments; the controller didn't have enough sway over him yet for him to get confused over something obvious. It was the obscure stuff, the gray stuff, that was not clear. The decision to go on the trip with Charlie was one of those gray areas – it wasn't an easy decision; there were pros and cons. Don couldn't help but wonder if the controller was the deciding factor in any matter that was less than clear-cut. He had the uncomfortable feeling that he'd just made a decision that he wouldn't have ordinarily made – a decision to take Charlie somewhere he shouldn't be taking him. He couldn't think…

'How did it go?' The voice was there, asking specific questions now. It had been there last night and this morning, whispering words of hatred in his head. Now it was talking to him instead of at him, wanting an answer.

"We're leaving tomorrow morning," Don said, loudly enough so that the camera could pick up his voice. "They're driving us up as far as the junction of the Angeles Forest Highway and the Angeles Crest Highway. They'll make sure we aren't being followed; then they'll let us go on without them."

'Good,' said the voice. 'Bring your jacket and backpacking gear. Park at the parking spot for the Ridgeline trailhead, and go in there. You'll take Ridgeline in to the Mountain-to-Sea trail. It's a longer trail; it takes about four days to walk the whole thing; bring gear and enough supplies for that period of time. Stay on it and keep going west. You'll know what to do when the time comes. Now, I want you to go out in the hallway, to the trash flue on the landing above the stairway. Open the door to the flue; you will find a package, taped to the inside wall above the door. Bring it back here and open it.'

Don had still been leaning against his apartment door, and with a sinking feeling, he pulled himself upright, then turned and opened it. With a quick look up and down the empty hallway, he stepped across it and opened the door to the landing to the stairs. He opened the door of the flue, felt around the inside wall, found the package and pulled it out, then replaced the lid and stepped quickly back across the hall. He went back inside and closed the door to his apartment, and tore open the package, slowly, carefully, because he knew what was inside, he could feel it through the heavy brown wrapping. The blue-black gleam of gunmetal hit his eyes, as he turned the sleek Beretta in his hands. He checked; it was loaded, and along with it were two extra clips of ammunition. There was one more object, which prompted a visceral reaction, however, and made his heart twist. With an impending sense of dread, he lifted out a lethal-looking knife in a scabbard.

End Chapter 50