A/N: Thanks Lady Asphodelic for your kind review, made my night! I anticipate maybe three more chapters in this story.
In this chapter: What trouble has Charlie caused that would leave government agencies acting like children on a school yard? And our favorite sniper finally makes an appearance- however brief.
The conference was worse than Don had anticipated. It was an unmitigated disaster as far as he was concerned. Charlie had been frozen out at every opportunity. Every time he had tried to raise a point he was either blatantly ignored or patronized for his lack of field experience.
Charlie, who was at his wits end stood up at that point to confront the last man who had made a crack about his experience. When his reputation was on the line, Charlie wasn't one to back down. But the man was easily a foot taller than Charlie, with arms as thick as Charlie's thighs. Don was about to step in at that point to keep his brother from being pummeled but the deputy director of the bureau choose that moment to speak up, reminding the audience that Charlie had in fact consulted successfully on numerous cases for the FBI and NSA. The representatives from the NSA looked slightly uncomfortable at their names being brought into it.
The icing on the cake was when it was Charlie's turn to present on the use of math to pinpoint suspects in densely populated areas. As his brother headed to the front of the room, at least eight individuals stood up and made excuses for their departure. A more "pressing" matter had come up.
"CIA boys" whispered Billy.
Don was thoroughly confused at this point. How the hell Charlie had managed to piss off the CIA? Everything seemed to be centering around the Pakistan debacle but as far as Don knew the CIA had no involvement in the matter. But the differing agencies were clearly in some sort of pissing match with each other, and his little brother was in the middle of it.
Charlie was clearly thrown off by the sudden departure, but to his credit, he held it together and finished his presentation with the same style Don's team back home was fond of. The agencies that had stuck around seemed reluctantly impressed with Charlie, who most had never met before today. It did little to improve Charlie's mood though and Don could see he was clearly distressed.
Walking out of the conference and heading back down the elevator, Charlie was staring straight ahead not saying a word. When they reached the lobby Don paused when he felt Charlie's hand on his arm. "What was that Don?"
"I'm not sure buddy, but why don't you head to the room and order some room service huh. I need to talk to the deputy director okay." Don's eyes had been fixated on the deputy director who was standing near the bar in the lobby, more specifically, on who the deputy director was talking to. Don turned his head briefly when he spoke to Charlie, and as Charlie made his way back to the room, Don turned his attention back to the bar, noticing that the man was already gone. Though it had only been a fleeting glance, Don knew those sunglasses anywhere…Edgerton.
"Sir" said Don by way of greeting as he approached the bar.
"Agent Eppes." The deputy director was a tall man in his late 50s with grey hair along his temples. It was rumored that he had seen quite a bit of action in his hay day, but now he just looked like another tired agent in a suit. "What a cluster" mumbled the deputy director as he took a swig from his glass.
"Sir, with all due respect, what was that back there? And was that Agent Edgerton I just saw?"
"That, Agent Eppes, was a royal pissing match. I told the Director it was too soon to have your brother out here. Not until we cleaned up the mess a bit more. And what do you want with Edgerton?"
"Sir, what mess? Is this still about Pakistan? I thought the whole matter was resolved. The stuff Char… Professor Eppes sent was about crop production, it was determined that it didn't have the potential to be turned into a weapon."
"We shouldn't be having this conversation here," quickly snapped the deputy director who was looking more uncomfortable by the minute. "The point is the material was still prohibited. Your brother knew it and sent it anyway. Let's just say the agencies are still in disagreement over what 'potential' that research information had. And a certain agency is not too happy at the moment with your brother."
"Sir…"
"Not here Eppes! My advice to you is to get back on the plane with your brother and go back to doing what you do. Your brother is just going to have to be satisfied with just working with you until this whole mess cools off alright? Let us take care of it. Be happy with the fact he can still work with you and isn't in a cell for Christ's sake."
Don's eyes were wide as he stared at the deputy director who took another drink from his glass. Part of Don knew the smart thing to do was to heed the warning, the other part of him, the Agent part of him, wanted to know what the hell was going on. He needed to have all the information if he was going to protect Charlie.
"What were you asking about Edgerton for Eppes?"
"I saw him talking to you; I'd been trying to reach him. I thought he might be out on a case or something."
"Is this related to a case?"
"Sort of" Don said slowly. Technically it was if you squinted really hard. He was starting to feel like Edgerton was somehow wrapped up in all of this. Something about what Coop had said, and now with Ian pulling a disappearing act likely knowing full well Don was in the hotel and trying to reach him, was making Don uneasy. Don was sure that the "certain agency" the deputy director mentioned was none other than the one a stone's throw from the hotel in Langley, VA. So he would do what he did best, treat this as a case and figure out what Charlie had gotten himself into that had the CIA and FBI at each other's throat.
"Well unless it's vital to a case I'd leave him be if I were you."
Don decided to play the one chip he had. "I heard he may be visiting family in Walter Reed Sir. Edgerton's been an asset to my team in the past and I just want to make sure he's okay."
The deputy director visibly stilled at the mention of Walter Reed. His next words were as blunt as could be. "I'll say again Eppes. Get on that plane with your brother. Go home." With that the deputy director got up and headed out of the hotel with his security team, leaving a shocked Don in his wake.
Well now his mind was made up. He was definitely going to find Edgerton. No matter how much Charlie could annoy him and press his buttons, he was Don's little brother. Don had always looked out for Charlie and he certainly wasn't going to stop now. Family comes first.