FIC: In a Mirror, Darkly: Chapter 14/?
Title: In a Mirror, Darkly: Chapter 14
Author: Valerie Vancollie (valeriev84 [at] hotmail.com)
Characters: Don, Charlie, Alan, David, Colby, Nikki, (surprise)
Pairings: brief canon mentions of Charlie/Amita & Don/Robin
Rating: 15
Summary: There was a certain irony to the situation, that the brother who was a federal agent had been abducted to be used as leverage against the brother who was an applied mathematics professor at a highly respected college. Don Whump, Charlie Angst!
Betas: aleo_70 & fredbassett
Spoilers: Uncertainty Principle, Vector, Man Hunt, Protest, Dark Matter, Spree, Two Daughters, Brutus, Finders Keepers, One Hour, The Janus List, Breaking Point, Black Swan, When Worlds Collide, The Decoy Effect, Jack of All Trades, Arrow of Time, The Fifth Man, Greatest Hits, Angels and Devils
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Numb3rs characters, items or situations. I only lay claim to the original aspects of the fic.
Part IV: Alan: FBI
Chapter 14:
Wednesday, 21:03
Visitor's Parking Lot, CalSci
Alan didn't know why he'd come back to CalSci after what had happened the last time. Don's unexplained disappearance had clearly sent Charlie on a trip and he'd lost himself in his precious numbers again, just as he had done when Margaret had gotten ill. The signs were far too familiar for him not to recognize them instantly. He'd just been shocked to see them again given all the progress Charlie had made in the past few years. He'd managed to resist it when Don had been stabbed and when Amita had been kidnapped. So he didn't understand why his youngest had succumbed to it now, when they didn't even know what had happened to Don. Or was that just it, the uncertainty of it all?
He had to admit, not knowing what had happened to his eldest, why he'd suddenly vanished without a trace, was horrible, but Alan couldn't say it was worse than waiting in the hospital as doctors fought to save Don's life. It wasn't any easier either though, just different. Then, at least, he'd known exactly where his son was and what had happened to him, now he didn't. Now he knew nothing except that something had happened for not only had Don disappeared, but his car, cell, wallet and gun had been found abandoned across town from CalSci.
Colby had told him of his own unsuccessful visit to CalSci and Alan despaired of anyone but Don getting through to Charlie. Yet, despite that, he was back, supposedly ensuring that his son ate, but really seeking comfort and reassurance. When Margaret's prognosis had become fixed and Charlie had retreated into his numbers, he'd still had Don to lean on. He'd never realized just how much he'd depended on his eldest during that time until now that he wasn't there for him to do so. Don was now the one who'd been torn from them, leaving him to deal with it on his own and he wasn't sure he could do that. If it turned out that something horrible had happened to his little boy, he just didn't know how he'd cope with both that and an out-of-touch son, stuck in his own mental world.
Not wanting to think about it, Alan picked up the food he'd bought and got out of the car. Colby had mentioned that it seemed like Charlie hadn't been eating and he figured that was probably exactly what had happened. His youngest always forgot about food when he got deeply involved in a problem. He'd often wander into the house a few days later, starving, and gorge himself on whatever he could find. It wasn't exactly a healthy habit, but Alan was damned if he could figure out a way to break it. Even Margaret hadn't been able to achieve that and she'd always understood their second born best, especially when he got into one of these moods.
It was slightly disconcerting to Alan to see how deserted the campus was now, as he was used to seeing it teeming with students. According to Charlie, it was only like this for a few weeks before summer term classes started and other projects brought students and faculty alike back to campus once more. Charlie didn't normally teach during the summer months, preferring instead to use that time for collaborations and his own work. Not to mention his consulting for the FBI.
Alan shivered inexplicably as he stepped off the tarmac of the parking lot and onto the pathway. He supposed it was nerves stretched thin from both the shock and horror of Don's disappearance and the anger at his youngest. He knew he really shouldn't be so angry with Charlie, that his son couldn't exactly help it, but he was, he couldn't help that.
"Charlie?" Alan called out when he reached the door to his son's office.
Not bothering to wait for a reply that might never come, Alan opened the door and entered. Any irrational hopes he might have entertained of finding his son improved were instantly dashed. The office seemed to be in an even greater state of disarray than before with papers now littering the floor as well as every available surface.
"Charlie, I brought some food," Alan said as he approached his son.
Charlie, however, seemed completely unaware of his presence, continuing his work without even the slightest pause. Alan's heart clenched as he tried to ignore the urge to just sink to the floor in defeat. He was worried, exhausted and sick with dread that something horrendous had befallen Donny. All he really wanted was a little acknowledgment from Charlie, was that really too much to ask?
/
Thursday, 07:33
Main Entrance Lobby, LA FBI Office
Although he'd never particularly enjoyed entering the FBI building, Alan had never done it before with such mixed emotions either. Ever since receiving David's phone call half an hour ago, a strange mix of fear, dread and hope had been swirling within him. The fact that Charlie seemed to have come out of his own little world and wanted to be a part of the investigation was the cause for the hope. The strange circumstances, however, and his request that his father join them at the office worried him. He'd tried calling his youngest to find out exactly what was going on, but the call had gone straight to voicemail. While that was not so abnormal on its own, Charlie often forgot to either charge or turn his cell on, when paired with the fact that his son had contacted David via e-mail, it bothered him.
Something about this whole situation wasn't right and that made Alan fear the worst. He tried to convince himself that he was being ridiculous, after all Charlie hadn't even seen all of the data yet, so how could he possibly have anything bad to say about the situation? The feeling, however, refused to go away. Perhaps that was simply because he'd had so much time to think about what might have happened to Donny. He might not be an FBI agent or a Bureau consultant, but he too had seen some of the crime scene photos Don worked with and, more importantly, he was a father. His mind was therefore more than capable of dredging up horrible scenarios, many of which had featured in the nightmares he'd occasionally had since Don had announced he was joining the FBI.
Quickly breezing through security, Alan found the elevator he was in rapidly approaching Don's floor. In some ways it was doing so far too rapidly as a part of him wanted to run away, terrified of what he might learn. The other part of him urged the elevator on, wanting to see Charlie and the miracle he was sure to have come up with. When the doors finally slid open, he had to force himself out of the car before it was called to another floor.
As usual, the bullpen was abuzz with activity as agents went about their business, but Alan thought he could detect an uncharacteristic undercurrent of anger and grimness that wasn't normally there. He couldn't be sure if he was just imagining it or not. Whenever he'd been by the past few days, people had always assured him they were doing everything they could to find Don and he believed them. The anger and determination in their eyes had been easily visible and it comforted him somewhat. Ironically, the whole 'one of our own' attitude that he'd hated so much during his activist days- how dare they act like their lives or safety were more important?- was now a source of solace to him. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they would do everything humanly possible to find and rescue Don.
If he could still be rescued.
Alan slammed the lid down on that thought and made his way toward David and Colby's cubicle. As he neared it, he spotted his son pacing back and forth in an otherwise deserted room off to the side. He headed towards it instead, his heart sinking as he took in the appearance of his youngest. Charlie was very pale and looked like he hadn't slept in days. His face seemed gaunt and Alan knew he hadn't been eating properly, probably hadn't even realized his father had left him dinner just last night. The agitation in every line of his body, however, was what caused real fear to clench in his gut and chase out the stubborn hope he'd clung to as the start of the weekend neared and with it the rapid approach of the one week mark since anyone had last seen Don.
"Alan, you made it," David said as he suddenly appeared, Colby and Nikki in tow.
"How long has he been like this?" Alan asked, gesturing at Charlie.
"Not long, he only arrived ten minutes ago."
"Has he said anything?"
"Only that he wanted to wait until you were here. Can we get you something to drink?"
"No, I don't think that's such a good idea," Alan replied, walking to the room's glass door and opening it.
"Dad," Charlie whispered.
"Charlie," Alan acknowledged, crossing the room in a few steps.
He didn't like the worry and desperation he could so easily see in his son's eyes. At first he thought it was due to the fact that Charlie was only just starting to realize what was going on, but then, suddenly, he knew that wasn't true. Alan wasn't sure how he came by this knowledge, if it was simply a parent's intuition or whether Charlie had given something away with his body language, but it came to him nonetheless.
"You know," Alan stated bluntly. "You know what's happened to your brother."
"Y- yes," Charlie acknowledged, startled.
"What?" Nikki exclaimed. "You knew and you didn't tell us right away?"
"Nikki, leave him alone. I'm sure Charlie had a very good reason for whatever he did or didn't do," David stated sharply.
The words caused Charlie to flinch slightly and Alan staggered back to one of the chairs placed around the table to the left of the room.
"What's happened to Donny?" Alan asked, his voice trembling. "Is he alright?"
The way his son seemed to hunch in into himself at the question nearly made Alan moan as his fears were confirmed. Oh God, Donny!
"No," Charlie finally managed, his eyes desperate as he looked at them. "He's not okay. You have to get him out of there or he'll kill him! He'll kill Don and enjoy it. I tried, Dad, you need to believe me, I tried, but I can't do it, not fast enough."
The words froze Alan in place. Kill Don. It was just like in one of his nightmares and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach as he thought of how those always ended.
"Whoa, whoa, easy, Charlie," Colby said, gently guiding him to the chair opposite his father's. "Why don't we start with the basics? Do you know where Don is being held?"
"No."
"Do you know who's holding him?" David asked.
"I know one of them and have seen another," Charlie said before looking up at Colby. "That fugitive you mentioned-"
"Darien Frazer?"
"Yeah, do you have a photo of him?"
Alan nearly cursed aloud at the words. The fugitive. David had told him about the man when they'd first gotten word of him late Monday. Although he'd always hated Don's Fugitive Recovery time and had feared greatly for his safety during it, it had never occurred to him to worry about one of those men coming back for Donny later.
"Yes, here," Nikki said, pulling a picture from one of the boards lining the room.
"That's him, that was the other man," Charlie stated as soon as he looked at it. "You have to find Don, Frazer's gonna kill him if you don't."
"Are you sure?" David asked before he shook his head. "No, wait, how about we start at the beginning? What time did Don leave CalSci Friday evening?"
"It didn't start on Friday, it started on Thursday when Special Agent Jeremy Banner came to see me," Charlie informed them as the others took seats.
"FBI?" Nikki questioned.
"No, NSA. He's one of the agents I've worked with before in DC."
Not seeing where this was going, Alan had to bite down the urge to ask Charlie to skip ahead to what this had to do with his brother's disappearance. The questions Don's team kept asking didn't help much either, but he noticed that Charlie seemed to be getting calmer. It was as if he finally felt he was accomplishing something, so he forced himself to be patient even as they went straight past Friday and Saturday without any word of what had befallen Don.
"So what did you do about your suspicions?" David asked.
"Nothing, I didn't have a chance to as Banner came back to see me," Charlie replied. "He tried to placate me, but I said I'd call Bob, Assistant Director Thompkins that is, as it didn't feel right. That's when he showed me the photos."
"Photos?" Alan demanded, straightening.
The change in Charlie's tone indicated he'd finally arrived at something relating to Don. The sudden quiver that accompanied it didn't do anything to ease his nerves, but he had to know.
"Yeah," Charlie pulled out several Polaroid sized pictures from his pocket, his eyes drawn to them. "He said they'd release Don if I hacked the security for them."
Alan snatched up the first photo his son pushed across the table before any of the agents could grab it. This time he did moan as he caught sight of Donny, injured and tied down. He hardly heard the sharply indrawn breath from David as he leaned in for a look. All Alan could see was his eldest, every single bruise and cut standing out like a neon sign. The blood on Don's shirt worried him the most, a terrible echo of the events from just a few short months ago. The photo had almost instantly burned itself into his memory, so when David gently tugged it from his fingers, he let it go, needing to see the others.
"I assume he threatened Don's life if you didn't cooperate," Nikki said, her face pale with anger.
Charlie merely nodded, seeming to be at a loss for words as he put another photo on the table and pushed it away from himself. David reacted faster this time and managed to snag it before Alan could, but not before he'd caught a glimpse of it.
"Is... is that a gun?" Alan demanded, voice quivering as his mouth went dry.
The hardening of the agent's eyes as he studied the photo confirmed his fears, but Alan knew he had to see it again for himself. Leaning over, he craned his neck for a look and was forced to close his eyes when he caught sight of the Polaroid. Yes, it had been a gun he'd seen and it was pressed right up against Donny's temple. He could suddenly understand why Charlie hadn't been eating as his own breakfast threatened to make a reappearance.
The only somewhat comforting thing was that Don was clearly still himself. He'd recognize that defiant look anywhere, not to mention the anger. Given the extent of the rage he could see, Alan knew that his son was aware of why he'd been abducted. Don had always been protective of Charlie, ever since he'd been a baby, so to know he was being used to force his little brother's cooperation... it had to be horrible for him. He could only imagine what had gone through his son's head when he'd learned the truth.
"I take it he also threatened Don's life if you came to us?" Colby prodded gently though his face was a mask of barely contained anger.
"Yeah. He said one of the men involved, Frazer, really didn't like FBI agents and had to be restrained from hurting Don any more."
"You couldn't do it?" Alan questioned. "You couldn't do what they wanted?"
"I think I can," Charlie replied defensively before he deflated. "But... not fast enough. I've been working on it since Banner first came to me and I'm still not through it."
The next few questions were asked and answered almost without Alan hearing them. If Charlie couldn't do the math fast enough, then what hope did Don have? His youngest had already said that he didn't know where his brother was being held, so how was the FBI to rescue him? Sure, they'd do their best, but given that this Banner and Frazer had already had his eldest for nearly a week, would there be enough time? How much longer were they willing to wait before they decided their plan wasn't going to work?
Before they decided to cut their losses and go?
"What about the other photos?" Alan demanded suddenly, seeing the two his son still clutched.
"They were given to me later," Charlie said hollowly. "As incentive."
"When?" Nikki asked.
"The first on Tuesday, before Colby came by. Banner came back to ensure that I didn't speak with you or let you bring me here."
Charlie shot this Polaroid away from himself with so much force that Colby's grab missed it and Alan was able to catch a good look at it. The multicolored bruise stood out against Don's pale skin like a flare and it caused the breath to catch in his lungs even before he managed to take in the other injuries. Once more, a noise escaped from him, but it wasn't nearly coherent enough to be called a moan and Alan dropped his face into his hands, unable to look at the damage wrecked upon his little boy.
His hand... the burns... The nausea welled in him once more and this time he could taste it in his mouth though he managed to force it back down. There was still one more photo and Alan had to see it. He had to know if anything else had been done to Donny.
"Charlie," David began tentatively as he passed the photo to Colby. "Did Banner provide you with anything else when he gave you this?"
"No, why?"
"Well... ah, how do you know it was taken on Tuesday?"
"That's when Banner gav-" Charlie cut off as a look of understanding and horror flashed across his face as Alan lifted his head once more. "You think it's old? That it was taken before?"
"I'm saying that it could have been."
It took Alan a moment to figure out the real meaning behind David's question, but when he did, it froze him in place. The agent feared the photo could be old and might not present an accurate representation of Donny's current condition. If that were the case and Don's true condition was already worse than the picture depicted on Tuesday, then what was it like today? Was his son even still alive? Charlie seemed to think so, but if he'd been wrong about the date of the Polaroids, then were his thoughts still valid?
"What about the other photo?" Nikki asked, indicating the one Charlie still held. "Does it contain anything that proves what day it was taken on?"
"No," Charlie replied hollowly as he stared at it, clearly devastated.
Chapter 15