3/? of "Quicksilver"
.
Title: Quicksilver.
crossover of Numb3rs and Cal's Immortals.
Dedicated to & written at the request of: Mustangcandi.
crossposted to my lj and to SaveColby
Author: Keenir.
Pairings/Characters: Charlie, Hannah, Val (Molly), Colby, Amita, Kim (Wren), Janet,
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The hunt is afoot.
summary of part 3: what they want.
Spoilers: Soft Target.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.
Notes: the math problem is from the book The Babylonian Theorem by Peter S. Rudman.
--words in between dashes-- are on the other side of the phone conversation.
Warnings: none, actually.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the Residence:
--"Who is this?"--
"Tsk, Agent Warner," Hannah Marlowe said, lightly chiding her. "Not even a how do you do?"
--"Am I speaking to Marlowe?"-- Liz asked.
"You are," Marlowe confirmed, looking over at Charlie sitting in the middle of this room, on a folding chair, his mouth duct-taped, his eyes going back and forth between Marlowe and a note on his lap saying you talk while I'm on the phone = I shoot you.
--"Did you abduct Charles Eppes?"--
"Yes, and to save you time, I'll answer your next question: from the airport. I am slightly astonished at how long it took his fiancee to call for help."
--"She knows how the government works," with lots of forms and repeated questions. "Now, why are you doing this?"--
Hannah looked at the large pad of paper (6x6 feet) she'd propped against the wall earlier in the week. Shaking her head once, she ripped the top sheet off, exposing the problem she'd set herself:
234 - convert to b10
"Why?" Hannah asked Liz over the phone.
--"What?"--
"Why do you care?"
--"I -" --
"I am aware he is a friend of yours," Hannah said. "Aside from that."
--"Because if he's still okay, then this hasn't escalated to something we can't talk through. We -" --
Marlowe chuckled. "You truly think I am doing any of this with an eye to negotiate? Clearly my ex-associates have told you less than the crumbs I expected."
--"Then you tell me," Liz said. "What are you doing this for?"--
"Ask Callie. This is her doing," and hung up.
Charlie swallowed nervously.
Marlowe walked over to him and removed the duct tape with more care than most kidnappers would, and took the paper as well. "Not long now," she told him.
"Not long before you kill me?" Charlie asked.
"To paraphrase the great Generals, if I must shoot, then I have lost. Your proposed rescuers, though, may shoot you."
Friendly fire? "I suppose you want me to do something for you," Charlie said.
Hannah tilted her head just a smidge. "Why would you suppose that?"
"You kidnapped me."
"Yes, I did."
"So...what is it?"
"The universe does not revolve around you, Professor Eppes," Marlowe said. "Your friend Dr. Fleinhart should have taught you the Coppernican Principle while he was educating you."
"Oh he did," Charlie said. "But I also learned over the years, that people aren't kidnapped without a reason."
"This is true," she allowed. "But," and rested one foot gently on Charlie's knee, "if I kidnapped a small child and demanded a hundred dollars, would I make the child pay me?"
"No," Charlie said, unable to take his eyes from her foot. If it were Amita doing this, I could trust her, and this would be unbelievably hot. But here, now, her...no. "You'd hold onto the child until her parents paid you."
Hannah nodded. "Quite."
"Then why me?" Charlie asked, curious. "What makes me -?"
"Special? You're a confluence, an intersection...one situated in just the right place to do what I need done."
Another nervous swallow from Charlie. "Which is?"
She looked at him. "Maybe later," Hannah decided, and, removing her foot from his knee, turned around and started walking back to the problem written in bold.
"What if I can answer it?" Charlie asked.
Marlowe smiled, turned her head halfway towards him. "Then you can go. Regardless of your friends' efforts."
Charlie digested that.
"You have my word," Hannah Marlowe told him.
* * * * *
At the Cars:
"What did she mean by 'ask Callie'?" Liz asked.
Callie made no move to lie or undisambiguate or distract: "I arrested her."
"What'd she do?" David asked.
"You arrested Colby," Callie said. "Marlowe's case, while more convoluted, didn't fold back on itself."
"She wasn't a double or a triple agent," Colby translated. "So now what? 'Cause you're not going to hand yourself over to her."
"I'd have to kill her first," Kim said with the sort of resigned voice some use for 'I was only following orders' or 'I'm here to give you a jury summons.'
"Now we just need to find her," Nikki said.
"I'm calling for backup," Edgerton said, pulling out his cell phone. And, as soon as he had it out, before he could put it against his ear -
Ian dropped his phone, which now had a neat hole in it.
"Lunatics," Edgerton muttered.
"She says hi," Kim said. "And that she's got a bead on where Marlowe is, as well as on you."
"Cool," Nikki said. "Do we get an earpiece?"
"We partner up," Callie said. "One of us with one of you. Liz, I think the two of us should stay here and coordinate efforts."
David patted Colby on the back good-naturedly, as if to say 'sorry, dude, but looks like you're not going to get to hang out quite yet.'
"There a problem?" Liz asked.
"Would there be?" Callie asked, putting most of her weight on one leg, letting the other one flex a little, get all the kinks out, keep it from falling asleep.
"Shouldn't be," Liz said.
"Great," Edgerton said with a clap of his hands. "Now can we get moving?"
Callie shrugged.
Kim told him, "You're the big supersniper who wanted to hold mommy's apronstrings."
Nikki and Colby and Ian and David started to fan out, but hesitated when they noticed something:
The Immortals weren't moving.
"New problem?" David asked.
"Depends," Kim said. "We have company."
* * * * *
on a rooftop nearby...
Amita figured this would be a good way to get an idea of what was going on - the lay of the land. Don had told her this was where everyone was, but he thought she should stay at the office with him and - visiting and kinda-sorta on loan during their vacation - Terry and Megan.
But I can't stay there, Amita thought to herself. I have to do this. I have to help. I need to be involved. She told herself it was because Charlie was at stake, though she suspected she had also become accustomed to helping in FBI cases like this.
Amita turned a corner here on the roof, and saw a sniper lying at one ledge, extra-long barrel to the rifle...A silencer?
That was when someone came out from behind her and with one arm grabbed and pinned her arms tight, the other hand holding a US Army combat knife to Amita's throat, holding the weapon perfectly still. Calmly.
Counted to twenty.
Moved the knife out of the way. Let go of Amita, who ran forwards a few steps and turned around, almost falling but keeping on her feet.
"You didn't struggle your way into the knife," Val said. "Good. Thank you."
Amita just looked at her like she was insane.
Well I'll be, Val thought to herself, recognizing the woman with the racing pulse. Charlie's plus-one at my wedding.
* * * * *
a few minutes later, on scouting:
"Can you imagine what's probably going on in Granger's head about now?" Nikki joked with Liz as they walked.
"Probably a lot of things," Liz said. "Few of them being repeatable," and noticed someone up ahead who needed some help.
An elderly Indian woman, her forehead graced by a bindi looking as old as she was, all garbed in a shawl which had definately seen better days. And she was trying to get her grocery cart over the curb to cross the street.
Coming alongside her, "Excuse me," Liz said to the old woman, "do you need some assistance?"
The woman looked Liz dead in the eyes, and lickety-split fast, grabbed one of Liz's arms and pinned it behind Liz while sweeping one foot under Liz's, which dropped her to the ground.
Nikki moved to intercept the attacker, only to find herself lying on the ground alongside Liz, one foot on Nikki's lower spine.
"You really need to find better bodyguards, Elsbeth," Janet said, sliding the kinky-haired black wig off her own head and pocketing the bindi
"Who?" Nikki asked.
"Let them up, Janet," Kim said, her and Colby approaching them. "If it makes you feel any better, Poe made the same mistake."
Colby was squinting, positive that Janet looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't place her.
"Let them up," Kim repeated, "or the next call I make, will ask Agent Chen for backup."
"The concept of subtle blackmail, just goes right over that head of yours, doesn't it?" Janet asked, but took her foot off Nikki and let go of Liz's wrists.
"If I need to use a hammer, I won't be hitting gnats with it."
"I would hope not," Janet said. "You've got better aim when you throw them."
* * * * *
In the Residence:
"And thus far, it all is coming together nicely, since you asked," Hannah said.
"So, if you don't need me to do anything for you," Charlie asked, "why did you kidnap me?" See if she gives the same answer as before. And see if she's forgotten the math problem.
Seriously? That's the best you can do? "You happen to be the sharp point of the spear," Hannah Marlowe said. "You'll do just fine."
"And if I don't want to help?" Charlie asked.
Marlowe smiled, changing her posture, and wiped her hair to drape across in front of one of her shoulders. With an accent exactly that of Amita's, she said, "Do you really want to know what I'm capable of?" I can make the middle of the night a nightmare for you, Mr Married Man. Is that what you want?
Charlie swallowed nervously. "If you don't need me for anything but being here, can I at least play solitare?" Stall for time! Find something to do.
Marlowe shrugged. "If you don't want to solve the problem, go right ahead."
"You'll need to untie me."
"You can't visualize cards? Picture, if you will, a full deck," and walked off, chuckling.
to be continued.
Title: Quicksilver.
crossover of Numb3rs and Cal's Immortals.
Dedicated to & written at the request of: Mustangcandi.
crossposted to my lj and to SaveColby
Author: Keenir.
Pairings/Characters: Charlie, Hannah, Val (Molly), Colby, Amita, Kim (Wren), Janet,
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The hunt is afoot.
summary of part 3: what they want.
Spoilers: Soft Target.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.
Notes: the math problem is from the book The Babylonian Theorem by Peter S. Rudman.
--words in between dashes-- are on the other side of the phone conversation.
Warnings: none, actually.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the Residence:
--"Who is this?"--
"Tsk, Agent Warner," Hannah Marlowe said, lightly chiding her. "Not even a how do you do?"
--"Am I speaking to Marlowe?"-- Liz asked.
"You are," Marlowe confirmed, looking over at Charlie sitting in the middle of this room, on a folding chair, his mouth duct-taped, his eyes going back and forth between Marlowe and a note on his lap saying you talk while I'm on the phone = I shoot you.
--"Did you abduct Charles Eppes?"--
"Yes, and to save you time, I'll answer your next question: from the airport. I am slightly astonished at how long it took his fiancee to call for help."
--"She knows how the government works," with lots of forms and repeated questions. "Now, why are you doing this?"--
Hannah looked at the large pad of paper (6x6 feet) she'd propped against the wall earlier in the week. Shaking her head once, she ripped the top sheet off, exposing the problem she'd set herself:
234 - convert to b10
"Why?" Hannah asked Liz over the phone.
--"What?"--
"Why do you care?"
--"I -" --
"I am aware he is a friend of yours," Hannah said. "Aside from that."
--"Because if he's still okay, then this hasn't escalated to something we can't talk through. We -" --
Marlowe chuckled. "You truly think I am doing any of this with an eye to negotiate? Clearly my ex-associates have told you less than the crumbs I expected."
--"Then you tell me," Liz said. "What are you doing this for?"--
"Ask Callie. This is her doing," and hung up.
Charlie swallowed nervously.
Marlowe walked over to him and removed the duct tape with more care than most kidnappers would, and took the paper as well. "Not long now," she told him.
"Not long before you kill me?" Charlie asked.
"To paraphrase the great Generals, if I must shoot, then I have lost. Your proposed rescuers, though, may shoot you."
Friendly fire? "I suppose you want me to do something for you," Charlie said.
Hannah tilted her head just a smidge. "Why would you suppose that?"
"You kidnapped me."
"Yes, I did."
"So...what is it?"
"The universe does not revolve around you, Professor Eppes," Marlowe said. "Your friend Dr. Fleinhart should have taught you the Coppernican Principle while he was educating you."
"Oh he did," Charlie said. "But I also learned over the years, that people aren't kidnapped without a reason."
"This is true," she allowed. "But," and rested one foot gently on Charlie's knee, "if I kidnapped a small child and demanded a hundred dollars, would I make the child pay me?"
"No," Charlie said, unable to take his eyes from her foot. If it were Amita doing this, I could trust her, and this would be unbelievably hot. But here, now, her...no. "You'd hold onto the child until her parents paid you."
Hannah nodded. "Quite."
"Then why me?" Charlie asked, curious. "What makes me -?"
"Special? You're a confluence, an intersection...one situated in just the right place to do what I need done."
Another nervous swallow from Charlie. "Which is?"
She looked at him. "Maybe later," Hannah decided, and, removing her foot from his knee, turned around and started walking back to the problem written in bold.
"What if I can answer it?" Charlie asked.
Marlowe smiled, turned her head halfway towards him. "Then you can go. Regardless of your friends' efforts."
Charlie digested that.
"You have my word," Hannah Marlowe told him.
* * * * *
At the Cars:
"What did she mean by 'ask Callie'?" Liz asked.
Callie made no move to lie or undisambiguate or distract: "I arrested her."
"What'd she do?" David asked.
"You arrested Colby," Callie said. "Marlowe's case, while more convoluted, didn't fold back on itself."
"She wasn't a double or a triple agent," Colby translated. "So now what? 'Cause you're not going to hand yourself over to her."
"I'd have to kill her first," Kim said with the sort of resigned voice some use for 'I was only following orders' or 'I'm here to give you a jury summons.'
"Now we just need to find her," Nikki said.
"I'm calling for backup," Edgerton said, pulling out his cell phone. And, as soon as he had it out, before he could put it against his ear -
Ian dropped his phone, which now had a neat hole in it.
"Lunatics," Edgerton muttered.
"She says hi," Kim said. "And that she's got a bead on where Marlowe is, as well as on you."
"Cool," Nikki said. "Do we get an earpiece?"
"We partner up," Callie said. "One of us with one of you. Liz, I think the two of us should stay here and coordinate efforts."
David patted Colby on the back good-naturedly, as if to say 'sorry, dude, but looks like you're not going to get to hang out quite yet.'
"There a problem?" Liz asked.
"Would there be?" Callie asked, putting most of her weight on one leg, letting the other one flex a little, get all the kinks out, keep it from falling asleep.
"Shouldn't be," Liz said.
"Great," Edgerton said with a clap of his hands. "Now can we get moving?"
Callie shrugged.
Kim told him, "You're the big supersniper who wanted to hold mommy's apronstrings."
Nikki and Colby and Ian and David started to fan out, but hesitated when they noticed something:
The Immortals weren't moving.
"New problem?" David asked.
"Depends," Kim said. "We have company."
* * * * *
on a rooftop nearby...
Amita figured this would be a good way to get an idea of what was going on - the lay of the land. Don had told her this was where everyone was, but he thought she should stay at the office with him and - visiting and kinda-sorta on loan during their vacation - Terry and Megan.
But I can't stay there, Amita thought to herself. I have to do this. I have to help. I need to be involved. She told herself it was because Charlie was at stake, though she suspected she had also become accustomed to helping in FBI cases like this.
Amita turned a corner here on the roof, and saw a sniper lying at one ledge, extra-long barrel to the rifle...A silencer?
That was when someone came out from behind her and with one arm grabbed and pinned her arms tight, the other hand holding a US Army combat knife to Amita's throat, holding the weapon perfectly still. Calmly.
Counted to twenty.
Moved the knife out of the way. Let go of Amita, who ran forwards a few steps and turned around, almost falling but keeping on her feet.
"You didn't struggle your way into the knife," Val said. "Good. Thank you."
Amita just looked at her like she was insane.
Well I'll be, Val thought to herself, recognizing the woman with the racing pulse. Charlie's plus-one at my wedding.
* * * * *
a few minutes later, on scouting:
"Can you imagine what's probably going on in Granger's head about now?" Nikki joked with Liz as they walked.
"Probably a lot of things," Liz said. "Few of them being repeatable," and noticed someone up ahead who needed some help.
An elderly Indian woman, her forehead graced by a bindi looking as old as she was, all garbed in a shawl which had definately seen better days. And she was trying to get her grocery cart over the curb to cross the street.
Coming alongside her, "Excuse me," Liz said to the old woman, "do you need some assistance?"
The woman looked Liz dead in the eyes, and lickety-split fast, grabbed one of Liz's arms and pinned it behind Liz while sweeping one foot under Liz's, which dropped her to the ground.
Nikki moved to intercept the attacker, only to find herself lying on the ground alongside Liz, one foot on Nikki's lower spine.
"You really need to find better bodyguards, Elsbeth," Janet said, sliding the kinky-haired black wig off her own head and pocketing the bindi
"Who?" Nikki asked.
"Let them up, Janet," Kim said, her and Colby approaching them. "If it makes you feel any better, Poe made the same mistake."
Colby was squinting, positive that Janet looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't place her.
"Let them up," Kim repeated, "or the next call I make, will ask Agent Chen for backup."
"The concept of subtle blackmail, just goes right over that head of yours, doesn't it?" Janet asked, but took her foot off Nikki and let go of Liz's wrists.
"If I need to use a hammer, I won't be hitting gnats with it."
"I would hope not," Janet said. "You've got better aim when you throw them."
* * * * *
In the Residence:
"And thus far, it all is coming together nicely, since you asked," Hannah said.
"So, if you don't need me to do anything for you," Charlie asked, "why did you kidnap me?" See if she gives the same answer as before. And see if she's forgotten the math problem.
Seriously? That's the best you can do? "You happen to be the sharp point of the spear," Hannah Marlowe said. "You'll do just fine."
"And if I don't want to help?" Charlie asked.
Marlowe smiled, changing her posture, and wiped her hair to drape across in front of one of her shoulders. With an accent exactly that of Amita's, she said, "Do you really want to know what I'm capable of?" I can make the middle of the night a nightmare for you, Mr Married Man. Is that what you want?
Charlie swallowed nervously. "If you don't need me for anything but being here, can I at least play solitare?" Stall for time! Find something to do.
Marlowe shrugged. "If you don't want to solve the problem, go right ahead."
"You'll need to untie me."
"You can't visualize cards? Picture, if you will, a full deck," and walked off, chuckling.
to be continued.