Fic: Last Chance, Chapter 4 (Numb3rs, Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger)
Title: Last Chance, Chapter 4
Pair: Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger,
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
NUMB3RS Main List
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
“I can stay here if you want.” Colby offered. “Don will understand.”
“Yeah, stay.” Charlie was sitting on the floor of the nursery, peering into Helen’s cot. The child was sleeping peacefully.
“Let her sleep. We could go and get some dinner.”
“In a minute.” Charlie didn’t take his eyes away from the baby. “He was here. He could have just come in and…. And I don’t know what, but he could have.”
“I know.”
“Liza was here, but if…” Charlie’s sentence ended with a loud sniff. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Okay.” Colby sat down next to him and pulled him against his shoulder. “But think about it this way: He didn’t come in. He could have, if he wanted to but he didn’t.”
“That doesn’t mean that he wont do something else. To David or Ian or Don. Anyone.”
“David and Edgerton aren’t even in town. And Don and Megan know how to take care of themselves.”
“I’m gonna ask Lambert to cover my classes tomorrow. I’ll stay here.”
“Charlie-”
“Don’t tell me I’m overreacting, because I know I’m overreacting. But I can’t get the what-ifs out of my head.”
-----------------------------------------------
“What the hell….” Don groaned. He read the print over and over again, but it didn’t make sense. Megan glanced over his shoulder to scan the text, but she was equally puzzled.
“I’ll call Charlie. It was his hunch, he must know what that means.” She dialled Charlie’s number and snapped the call on the speaker.
“Hello.”
“Colby?”
“Yeah.”
“We need to talk to Charlie.”
“Wait a minute.” Colby’s voice disappeared for few minutes.
“Megan?”
“Charlie, you better explain this to us. The DNA from the cut fingers was a partial match to Edgeton.”
“So I was right.” Charlie groaned.
“What is this?”
“Ian has son. Had a son. I mean….”
“Calm down. How old is the son?”
“What did David say…?” Charlie’s distorted voice was replaced by a muffled discussion between him and Colby. “Colby says twenty six.”
“And he lives in L.A.?”
“No, in Boston.”
“Does he use his fathers last name?”
“No. It was Sean… something. I can’t remember.”
“Can you remember anything else about him?”
“He was here with his band, what was it called…. Demon Spawns.”
“I’ll check it out.” Don opened the web browser on his computer and googled the name. “I found their homepage. Current line-up…. Lead vocalist: Sean Merle.”
He kept tapping the keys. “Three Sean Merles, but only one in Boston. He was reported missing four days ago.”
“From Boston?” Megan asked.
“Yeah, but apparently he had been gone for two or three days before they filed the missing persons notice.”
“That explains why the packet was addressed to Ian. They have a personal connection, but why would Carson want to harm him? If he wants Ian’s attention, the kid would be more valuable in one piece.”
“But he was alive when the fingers were cut.” Charlie interrupted. He sounded like a schoolboy hoping for encouragement. “If Carson didn’t let him bleed to death, he can still be alive, right?”
“Charlie….” Megan started carefully. “If he started by cutting his fingers, there’s no telling what he might do next. Don’t get your hopes up, okay?”
“I-” Charlie paused and listened. Doorbell was ringing somewhere in the background. “I’ll go see who it is.”
“Granger, are you there?” Don asked.
“Yeah.”
“How’s Chuck? Really.”
“Nervous wreck. Some math guy combo of panic and parental instincts. I think he’s worried that Carson was so close to the baby.”
“Well, can’t blame him. Can you handle him?”
“Yeah, you don’t need me at the office?”
“A dangerous fugitive was at the house, that’s reason enough to have an agent guarding the premises.”
“Good. How are you gonna continue?”
“Contact the missing persons people, they’ll wanna know about this.”
“Can you wait, Charlie’s trying to say something-” The phone was ripped out of Colby’s hand and Charlie’s slightly laboured breath came through the phone line.
“Don?”
“Yeah.”
“It was Ms. Falk from across the street. Some guy came to talk to her one the street and asked her to bring an envelope here.”
“To the house?”
“Yeah, she thought it was just some work stuff. She’s still here, I thought you’ll probably wanna talk to her yourself.”
“Good job, Chuck. Did you open the envelope?”
“Not yet, but I think it’s a some kind of a disc.”
“Don’t open it. We’re on our way.”
-----------------------------------------------
“A DVD?” Don stared at the disc. “I called people to make sure it was safe to open it and it’s just a damn DVD?”
“I told you.” Charlie replied. “Did you read the card?”
“There was a card?”
“Yeah. I left it here.” Charlie picked the card from the table and scanned the text one more time. “Only the second best but still damn good. Enjoy the movie.” He gave the card to Don. “Addressed to Ian.”
“Where’s Ms. Falk?”
“Megan`s talking to her in the kitchen.”
“Good.” Don snapped the TV on and shoved the DVD into the player.
“Shouldn’t you take that to the AV-lab?”
“I wanna see what that sick bastard`s up to.” Don hesitated. “Maybe it’s better if you stay with Megan too.”
“I’m not leaving.” Charlie suppressed a shiver. Colby instinctively wrapped his hand over the genius’s shoulder. “My mind will come up with a lot more horrible possibilities, if I don’t know for sure.”
“Okay.”
Don pressed Play.
The screen filled with a dim picture of a room that looked like part of a warehouse. Against the wall was a mattress. They didn’t even realise that the immobile figure on it was a man until he let out a faint moan. He moved and his left hand became visible. It was wrapped up in bandages and both of his hands were cuffed together. A thick river of dried blood was covering one side of his face.
Then another man entered the screen. Don Charlie and Colby immediately recognised him. Carson grinned for the camera.
“What do you think? I know he’s a poor substitute for you, but he has his moments. Are you watching carefully? I’ll show you what you missed.”
The man on the mattress stayed still as Carson tore off his jeans. The kidnapper gave one last look at the camera and undid his own trousers.
Charlie turned around and buried his face against Colby’s chest. The screams of pain boomed through the speakers. Charlie pressed his eyes shut, trying to breathe. Colby’s hand tightened around him, and Charlie could feel the combined beating their hearts through two layers of clothes.
He didn’t need to watch the screen to know what was happening.
TBC