FIC: In a Mirror, Darkly: Chapter 17/?
Title: In a Mirror, Darkly: Chapter 17
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 V: Don: Basement
Chapter 17:
Monday, 15:53
Basement, Unknown Location
"Oh," Geek blinked owlishly at him, the thick glasses making it look quite ridiculous, as he processed that little tidbit. "Ah... my name's Lawson. Greg Lawson."
"Hello, Greg, I'm Don Eppes, though I'm sure you already knew that," Don replied, pretty certain he'd gotten the boy's real name.
"Yeah."
"Can I- can I have some of that water?" Don asked.
He was trying to keep his attention on Lawson and to not look longingly at the water Lawson had seemingly forgotten about. Don was parched, his lips cracking and his throat so dry it tasted like something had crawled down it and died. Keane had given him some water and toast last night after he'd managed to cajole Frazer into leaving him alone for the time being, but the drugs had dehydrated him badly and the small glass had hardly helped at all. If he'd known he'd get so little, he would have taken a drink from the tap during his trip to the bathroom, but he hadn't thought to do so, the drugs robbing him of reason and the ability to plan ahead properly.
"What? Oh, right! Sorry."
"Thank you," Don said as Lawson refilled the glass after he'd finished the first one, though some had spilt onto his lap as Lawson had tilted the glass forwards a bit too quickly.
"Ho... How are you?"
"As well as can be expected," Don replied simply, not liking how nervous the boy still was, constantly glancing at the door. "Can you get in trouble for this? Have they told you not to speak to me or help me?"
"No."
"But you fear it anyway."
"Yeah."
"Thanks," Don said as he finished the second glass. "That's good for now."
Much as he wanted to ask for more, Don knew that he really shouldn't. Too much water too quickly would make him ill and that would only get Lawson into trouble if Keane figured out what had happened. The smell of the mac and cheese made his stomach growl and he watched Lawson's eyes flickered between him, the plate and the door, obviously trying to decide if offering him some food was worth the risk. He kept quiet on the matter, not wanting to push the boy too far too soon. That could set him back further than going hungry until Keane or one of the others thought to feed him again.
Lawson seemed to reach a decision and walked back to the desk to return the glass and water and to retrieve the plate.
"Thank you," Don said as he took the food offered him.
The fact that he was reliant on Lawson to feed him like an infant grated, but he'd take what he could at the moment. "They've got someone, haven't they?"
"What?" Lawson asked, his eyes going wide with fright.
"Keane and the others. They've taken someone close to you, like they took me to force Charlie to do what they want."
"N- no."
"Then they're threatening someone close to you."
Lawson swallowed hard, glancing at the door again as if expecting Keane, Banner or Frazer to suddenly come bursting into the room. He just silently continued feeding Don until the agent shook his head, indicating that he'd had enough. Again, he'd like more but didn't want to risk making himself sick. Besides, if he ate too much, then Lawson would need to go back upstairs for more and that would raise suspicions if it was noticed.
"My sister."
The words came out hardly louder than a whisper and Don nearly missed them. Lawson had walked back to the desk, clearly not wanting to be caught near him.
"I'm sorry."
"They- they said they'd kill her." Lawson was visibly trembling now, Don could see it even from where he sat. "She's handicapped, wheelchair."
Don closed his eyes and silently cursed Blakely and Keane. The two had chosen their puppets and pawns well, he had to give them that. Even their decision to abduct him seemed to have paid off so far given all of the precautions they'd taken to ensure that he couldn't escape.
"Greg, have you tried contacting anyone for help?"
"No!" Lawson turned to look at him, horrified. "No, no, no- Nathalie, they'd... he said that they would-"
"Shh, shh, it's okay, I'm sorry," Don hurried to reassure him.
Okay, no mention of what his ultimate fate was likely to be. Besides, the boy clearly loved his sister and probably wouldn't dare try anything as long as they were threatening her, even if he was likely to be hurt as a result. Best not to risk sending him into shock or some sort of trance that mathematicians and other geniuses seemed so much more prone to than other people. That would be difficult to explain to Keane to say the least.
"Can't."
"That's okay, I'm sorry."
The petulant tone proved just how close to losing it the boy was. Don suppressed a sigh as he realized that, while he now had one less opponent to deal with, Lawson's situation actually made things worse as he now had someone else to worry about rescuing. Well, if he managed to free himself first that is. He tried to shove the doubt aside, but knew he had to be realistic. The fact that Lawson needed rescuing and would, most likely, be uncooperative given the threat to his sister, made things a hell of a lot worse than they already were.
The sudden opening of the basement door made Don tense, fearing Frazer was returning to make good on his promise from last night. He relaxed somewhat as Keane stepped into the room. The irony struck him, but the truth of the matter was that while Keane planned to execute him, he hadn't done anything to hurt him beyond what was necessary to incapacitate him in the initial attack. Despite that, he knew better than to let his guard down as this was still the man who was allowing Frazer to torture him for some unknown reason.
"Good afternoon, Agent Eppes," Keane said pleasantly, coming to a stop before his captive. "Awake again, I see."
"What do you want, Keane?" Don asked, hoping to steer him away from any thoughts of administering another dose of the drug.
"I've just come to see how the two of you are doing down here. Any progress, Lawson?"
"I'm where I thought I would be," Lawson replied, voice unsteady.
"And Dr. Eppes?"
"Still working on the problem."
Lawson hit a series of keys and all of the monitors were once again filled with a view of Charlie's office and Charlie himself as he scribbled something into a notebook. It took Don a moment to figure out that he was copying down what he'd written on the board so that he'd be able to erase it and continue on working. It was nice to be able to see his brother again, but at the same time it was jarring, almost a violent reminder of where he was and why.
From the clock on Lawson's desk, Don knew that it was Monday afternoon, making it nearly three full days since he'd been attacked and abducted. During that time he had only gotten three glimpses of what was going on outside this basement and he realized that it was starting to affect his judgment. In essence his whole world had narrowed to this one room and the four people who entered it on occasion. How much longer before his whole perception of reality was totally warped? The clock was the sole reason he was even aware of what time or day it was, without it and with the drugs they'd been using on him, he'd have been totally unable to mark the passage of time.
When he was alone again, or alone but for Lawson, Don knew he'd have to go over what he'd learned in Quantico about resisting torture and the psychological consequences thereof. It was so easy to fall into certain types of counterproductive thought patterns and beliefs and he didn't want that to happen to him. Even victims who were determined to fight could be their own worst enemy if they weren't careful.
Victims.
Don fought the desire to swallow as he finally acknowledged the word and the truth of his situation. Keane's attention had returned to him, no doubt to observe his reaction to seeing his brother, and he didn't want him finding any additional weaknesses. They knew more than enough of them already as far as he was concerned. He still couldn't quite believe how stupid he'd been last night, giving Frazer exactly what he wanted. In fact, he couldn't have done more to please the fugitive if he'd tried.
Victim.
Despite his attempts to distract himself, Don had come right back around to that word. He hated to think of himself as such, but acknowledging the reality of his situation was the first step towards breaking any illusions he might have unconsciously erected. The trick was not to let the truth drag him under in confronting it. Yes, he was a victim here; yes, he was likely to be tortured again before he could either be rescued or escape; yes, his present circumstances were desperate. None of that meant he'd give up, it simply wasn't in him to do so, not so long as he was alive.
So, yes, he'd been made a victim, but that didn't make him helpless. And if they thought it did, then he'd just have to prove them wrong. Somehow.
"Still determined to be strong and put up a fight, aren't you?" Keane laughed. "And then you wonder why I feel the need to drug you most of the time."
There was really nothing to say to that, so Don kept silent, hoping Keane's next action wouldn't be to get the syringe and needle out once more.
"Why not show me how you really feel? It's not like I don't already know you care for your brother or can use it against you," Keane continued. "You're the one being used as leverage here, remember?"
"I'm also the one you fear enough to dispose of when this is done," Don shot back.
"True. Does that surprise you, Agent Eppes? That I would admit that to you?"
"A good soldier knows when to fear an opponent for his skills and abilities. Those that don't, do not live very long nor do they make special forces."
"Also true."
"Besides, you're trying to capitalize on Frazer's brutality to make yourself out to look like the good guy, or at least the lesser of two evils, in this particular scenario. Make me start to look to you as a potential protector and start to let my guard down when you're around."
"I told Blakely that wouldn't work on you."
"But, what? He told you to try anyway?"
"It wasn't going to cost us anything and the potential gains weren't insignificant, so yes," Keane admitted readily. "Blakely is a firm believer in not leaving a single stone unturned."
"Or in not covering every eventuality."
"Indeed."
There was a short silence during which Keane observed him, clearly measuring something, though Don wasn't sure what. This one was dangerous and he'd need to be careful with him if he managed to get free. No, not if, when; when he got free. The only reason why he wouldn't escape was if David managed to rescue him first.
"Do you think he'd do it?" Keane suddenly asked.
"Who? What?"
"Your second-in-command, or whatever you call them at the Bureau. Do you think he'd go as far for you as you would for him?"
"Back to this again, are we?" Don replied evasively, not sure if he really wanted to think about that.
He knew David played things far more by the book than he did and Don was proud of that. He didn't want any of his team doing some of what he'd done, especially not for him. Hence the reason he'd made sure to have a word with Colby about the way he'd treated Kardum. The problem was, this situation wasn't just about him, it was about Charlie as well and how he'd feel if things ended badly. He didn't think his little brother would be able to handle that, he knew he wouldn't be able to take it if Charlie was killed because of his work. Then, of course, there was also their father to think of as well. So, while he'd normally not want David to bend the rules a little for him, now he did and that scared him.
"Oh, yes, I find it a fascinating topic," Keane stated. "How you're able to justify some things to yourself and not others. You'd be an even more formidable foe if you'd only just unshackle yourself from the restraints of the law."
"Not exactly the type of thing a LEO does," Don said, not fully able to believe what he was hearing.
Did Keane really expect him to behave like that? Or was this really some bizarre fascination for him as he claimed? It would almost have to be because, in light of his planned execution, there wasn't much point in Keane pursuing the topic. It wasn't like he was attempting to recruit him. Or was it perhaps just a mind game to keep him off-balance, and harmless, like the drugs?
"What I do now isn't exactly the type of thing a soldier does. People change, especially if given the right incentive."
Don tilted his head as he considered Keane carefully through narrowed eyes, trying to assess the man's true intentions.
He was inclined to think this was all a mind game of some sort, either to keep him off-balance or simply for Keane's amusement, yet there seemed to be something else there as well. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, though he suspected it might have something to do with the looks the man had been giving him from the beginning. Not to mention all that the man had said, even as far back as CalSci Friday evening.
"He's got spirit, I admire that."
"You're a dangerous one."
"I think I might well have enjoyed knowing you."
Could Keane really have been serious with each of those remarks? Could the man really regard him highly, maybe even admire him, and still allow Frazer to torture him like he had? It almost seemed like some bizarre, inverted form of the Stockholm Syndrome, which he wasn't even sure was possible. He'd definitely never heard of it before, yet if it could happen, and was happening, perhaps he could use it to his advantage.
"The right incentive," Don repeated slowly, hoping Keane would elaborate and reveal some of what he was up to here.
"Mmm," Keane agreed, seemingly pleased at not being shutdown outright. "What that incentive is differs from person to person, naturally, but Blakely is a master at knowing what people want. He rarely fails to entice the people he's chosen to work for him."
"Like you."
"Yes."
"He recruit you right from the military?"
Keane's eyes suddenly narrowed and he gave a short bark of laughter. "You're trying to draw more information from me. Very well played, Agent Eppes, very well played."
/
Tuesday, 11:44
Basement, Unknown Location
"Thank you," Don said as he finished the last bite of the sandwich Greg had shared with him.
"Do you want some more water?"
"Yes, please."
The drug was really drying his mouth out and what little water Keane gave him did nothing to alleviate it. As Greg lifted the glass to his mouth, Don reflected that at least one good thing came out of his needing Greg's help like this; the boy was no longer as nervous and afraid around him. It would help if he managed to try an escape attempt. No, not if, when. He had to think positively or he might as well give up now and that was one thing he simply didn't do. No, either he would escape or David would rescue him. He did have to wonder though about what was taking them so long. It had been nearly four days since he'd been taken, nearly two since Charlie had been told, so surely he'd have told David that same day.
A chill went through Don as a new thought occurred to him. What if Charlie hadn't informed David of what was going on? What if his team was working on this blind? Surely Charlie wouldn't have done that, would he? He of all people had to know how much better the odds were if the Bureau was involved. But then, living in the reality of something was often far different from knowing about it and, now that he thought of it, he knew Keane would have instructed Banner to tell Charlie not to alert anyone to what was going on. They'd probably threatened his life. There really was no escape for his little brother in this scenario. Regardless of what Charlie did, he wouldn't like the outcome. Well, if he was alive to regret it...
"Greg, do you know what they have planned for my brother?" Don asked, unable to squash the doubt he suddenly felt. "When he's done what they want him to do?"
"Keane told Banner that he's to be left alone," Greg replied, refilling the glass and taking a sip himself as he sat down at the desk.
"You heard him say that?"
"Yes."
The relief that one word could cause was really quite amazing. Don hadn't wanted to dwell on the alternative too much, but it worried him nonetheless. Although Keane didn't have the same incentive to kill Charlie as he did with him, his brother still knew something of what was going on. That and he'd seen Banner, knew who and what he was, so there would be a certain logic in taking him out as well, tactically anyway. The sound of the door opening caused his head to jerk towards it and he watched with dread as Frazer stepped into the room. The urge to laugh rose within him as he realized that he really shouldn't be worrying about Charlie at present, not when his brother was safely tucked away at CalSci and he was helplessly trussed up in a basement with a psychopath who wanted him dead.
Chapter 18