leaptad
04-10-2005, 07:51 AM
Author: Alison
Title: Two Geniuses
Pairings: none
Summary: Charlie has to help an old friend in need
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: none
Part Four
Charlie grabbed his cell phone and called Don.
"Eppes."
"Don, it's Charlie."
"What's up, buddy?"
"You remember that dead woman you checked into for me? The one who'd been tortured?"
"Yeah."
"They were trying to find some research notes. But she didn't have them. I do. And now I think they might be coming after me." The panic was rising quickly in him. How far would they go for this research? Would they kill him? Would they kill Chris? Larry? Don? Dad? What if he just gave them the notes? Would it stop there? What if he went further and helped Chris re-do the experiment? Would that be enough? "Don, I have to find Chris."
"Okay. Listen, you find him and I'll meet you at your office. I'm sending some agents over to guard the house."
"Thanks. Bye." Charlie snapped the phone shut and shoved the notes in his pocket.
He ran into the kitchen. "Dad, I have to go out."
"But dinner's almost ready."
"I know, but something's happened. Don's sending some agents over to protect you."
"Protect me? From what?"
"I can't say any more. I have to go." Then Charlie did something that even surprised himself. He kissed his father on the cheek.
His father, too, looked surprised. "Charlie..."
But Charlie was already out the front door. He considered taking his father's car, license or not but chose, instead, to take his bike.
--
Charlie sped towards campus as fast as his legs would pump. He became aware that a car had been following him for some time. He checked his small side mirror, hoping it was Don. It wasn't.
Charlie stopped peddling and started coasting to see if the car would pass him. It slowed to a crawl behind the bike. He sped back up and held out his arm to signal a right turn.
Just as he rounded the turn, Charlie jumped off the bike, leaving it sprawled against the sidewalk and took of in a dead run. He ran towards the backyards of the houses that lined the street, making it impossible for them to follow him in the car.
Two men got out and started chasing him on foot. He ran through the yards, hurdling fences, thankful for all the exercise he got on his bike. He cut over to the nearest street, planning to double-back towards his house. Hopefully Don's agents had already gotten there.
As soon as his feet hit the pavement, a shot rang out. Charlie instinctively ducked and then scrambled back to the cover of trees provided by the backyard of corner house. He didn't know what to do. Should he stay out in the open where he would be easier to shoot, or should he stay in the backyards and risk an innocent bystander getting hurt?
He dove behind a utility shed that bordered the neighbors yard. He tried to hold his breath, which was coming in ragged gasps.
From his vantage point, he could see both streets adjacent to the house. One of the armed men was coming towards him from the street to his right. If they had been FBI trying to protect him, they would have identified themselves by now.
"Come on out," ordered one of the men, slowly making his way through the backyard. He was getting closer. Charlie tried to hold perfectly still but the blood pounding in his head sounded so loud. "No one wants to hurt you. We just want to talk to you."
He was getting closer. Charlie had to move around to the side of the shed or they would see him. He took a careful step. The man didn't appear to hear. He took another and his heart froze as he heard a *snap* under his foot. He had stepped on a twig. The gunman turned sharply towards the sound and Charlie froze.
There was a squeal of tires as a black SUV pulled into the street directly in front of Charlie. He would have recognized it anywhere. It was Don. Another silver SUV pulled up alongside. The agents got out, guns drawn. Charlie had one chance. He came out from his hiding spot and raced towards Don's SUV, keeping as low as possible.
Bullets flew over his head and he heard two thuds. Someone had been shot behind him. "Come on!" Don yelled.
Charlie scrambled to the far side of the SUV and dove inside. Don climbed in and they raced away, leaving Don's men to take care of the gunmen.
"Charlie! Are you okay? Are you hit?" Don barked from the front seat.
Charlie gasped, trying to catch his breath. "No. Yeah. I'm okay. I wasn't hit."
"Thank God," Don said. "Keep your head down! Who are these guys?"
Charlie sank down in the seat so that he was hidden from view and closed his eyes. "I have no idea. We have to find Chris. He's working in the lab with Larry."
Title: Two Geniuses
Pairings: none
Summary: Charlie has to help an old friend in need
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: none
Part Four
Charlie grabbed his cell phone and called Don.
"Eppes."
"Don, it's Charlie."
"What's up, buddy?"
"You remember that dead woman you checked into for me? The one who'd been tortured?"
"Yeah."
"They were trying to find some research notes. But she didn't have them. I do. And now I think they might be coming after me." The panic was rising quickly in him. How far would they go for this research? Would they kill him? Would they kill Chris? Larry? Don? Dad? What if he just gave them the notes? Would it stop there? What if he went further and helped Chris re-do the experiment? Would that be enough? "Don, I have to find Chris."
"Okay. Listen, you find him and I'll meet you at your office. I'm sending some agents over to guard the house."
"Thanks. Bye." Charlie snapped the phone shut and shoved the notes in his pocket.
He ran into the kitchen. "Dad, I have to go out."
"But dinner's almost ready."
"I know, but something's happened. Don's sending some agents over to protect you."
"Protect me? From what?"
"I can't say any more. I have to go." Then Charlie did something that even surprised himself. He kissed his father on the cheek.
His father, too, looked surprised. "Charlie..."
But Charlie was already out the front door. He considered taking his father's car, license or not but chose, instead, to take his bike.
--
Charlie sped towards campus as fast as his legs would pump. He became aware that a car had been following him for some time. He checked his small side mirror, hoping it was Don. It wasn't.
Charlie stopped peddling and started coasting to see if the car would pass him. It slowed to a crawl behind the bike. He sped back up and held out his arm to signal a right turn.
Just as he rounded the turn, Charlie jumped off the bike, leaving it sprawled against the sidewalk and took of in a dead run. He ran towards the backyards of the houses that lined the street, making it impossible for them to follow him in the car.
Two men got out and started chasing him on foot. He ran through the yards, hurdling fences, thankful for all the exercise he got on his bike. He cut over to the nearest street, planning to double-back towards his house. Hopefully Don's agents had already gotten there.
As soon as his feet hit the pavement, a shot rang out. Charlie instinctively ducked and then scrambled back to the cover of trees provided by the backyard of corner house. He didn't know what to do. Should he stay out in the open where he would be easier to shoot, or should he stay in the backyards and risk an innocent bystander getting hurt?
He dove behind a utility shed that bordered the neighbors yard. He tried to hold his breath, which was coming in ragged gasps.
From his vantage point, he could see both streets adjacent to the house. One of the armed men was coming towards him from the street to his right. If they had been FBI trying to protect him, they would have identified themselves by now.
"Come on out," ordered one of the men, slowly making his way through the backyard. He was getting closer. Charlie tried to hold perfectly still but the blood pounding in his head sounded so loud. "No one wants to hurt you. We just want to talk to you."
He was getting closer. Charlie had to move around to the side of the shed or they would see him. He took a careful step. The man didn't appear to hear. He took another and his heart froze as he heard a *snap* under his foot. He had stepped on a twig. The gunman turned sharply towards the sound and Charlie froze.
There was a squeal of tires as a black SUV pulled into the street directly in front of Charlie. He would have recognized it anywhere. It was Don. Another silver SUV pulled up alongside. The agents got out, guns drawn. Charlie had one chance. He came out from his hiding spot and raced towards Don's SUV, keeping as low as possible.
Bullets flew over his head and he heard two thuds. Someone had been shot behind him. "Come on!" Don yelled.
Charlie scrambled to the far side of the SUV and dove inside. Don climbed in and they raced away, leaving Don's men to take care of the gunmen.
"Charlie! Are you okay? Are you hit?" Don barked from the front seat.
Charlie gasped, trying to catch his breath. "No. Yeah. I'm okay. I wasn't hit."
"Thank God," Don said. "Keep your head down! Who are these guys?"
Charlie sank down in the seat so that he was hidden from view and closed his eyes. "I have no idea. We have to find Chris. He's working in the lab with Larry."