Numb3rs Fic: Hunted, Chapter Four/7
Title: Hunted
Author: ALEO aleo_70
Genre: Gen
Characters: Don Eppes, OMC, Season 6 team with guest appearance by Alan Eppes
Rating: PG 13+
Warning: violence
Spoilers: (if you can call it that) Fifth Man
Summary: When the protected son of a witness takes flight Don finds that he is not the only one after him.
A/N: Written from prompts provided by msgrahamcracker
Status: Chapter 4 of 7
Wordcount: 2357
Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just borrowed them. Numb3rs and its characters are the property of those that created them. No copyright infringement intended. No financial reward gained. All real places and organisations are used in a fictional sense. Original characters and the storyline are mine however.
CHAPTER FOUR
He barely managed not to pull the trigger as he recognised the figure as the kid, stumbling at him from the darkness. J spotted him and the raised weapon, shying away until he recognised the agent.
“What are you doing here?” Don hissed, keeping his voice down. “They’re tracking me. Go!”
The kid easily avoided the shoving elbow, peering at him in the dark. “They shot you.”
“Yes.” Don ground out, desperate to separate himself from the boy. Instead of leading the gang away, his blood was now leading them right to their target. “You have to go the other way.”
Ignoring the order J followed as the agent started moving. In the process he pulled at his t-shirt, slipping it over his head and nearly running into a tree for his efforts as he jogged after the injured man. Recovering quickly he ripped at the material until he had several lengths. He reached out and dragged at the agent’s uninjured shoulder. “I know first aid, let me fix it.”
Seeing what the kid intended Don listened for the sounds of pursuit. It seemed that he had opened up some sort of lead for the moment. With the urgent need to have the wounds tended Don stopped and turned so J could work, keeping his attention and gun aimed back the way they just come. The wound in his arm was quickly covered but the other injury was somewhat of a challenge with insufficient material to wrap completely around the agent’s shoulder. J settled for folding the remains of his shirt into a pad that he slipped under the agent’s shirt, the blood that quickly soaked into it helped to hold it in place.
As soon as the kid had finished Don started moving again, staggering slightly as he realised he’d already lost a significant amount of blood. The kid stepped in but Don shoved him away, successfully this time. If the kid was going to stay with him then he needed the ability to react when their pursuers caught up, he could already hear the men on their trail. J tried again but Don waved him forward, indicating that he lead the way.
They continued on for a length of time that Don didn’t bother trying to track by looking at his watch, all that mattered was that they kept free until help could reach them. That thought had Don reaching for his belt only to find his cell holder empty and remember that when he’d last used the phone he’d left it in the handsfree holder. It was going to take longer now to find them without the ability to track the phone as they moved further and further away from the road. The sounds of pursuit behind them had once again grown somewhat fainter but Don had no doubt the gang was still tracking them, even if they’d been slowed by the loss of the blood trail. That gave him an idea.
“J.”
The kid turned and came back. “Jason. My name’s Jason.”
That earned his quirk of the agent’s lips, the barest hint of a smile. “Pleased to meet you Jason, I’m Don.”
Seeing the way the agent was leaning against a tree for support Jason moved in, stopping when he was waved off. He looked down for a moment as he shifted his feet. “I’m sorry.”
Not quite sure how to take the apology given the seriousness of the situation the boy’s actions had placed them in Don managed a short nod. Any more could wait. He started on his idea, pointing off to the left. “I need your help. You keep going that way, making sure you don’t leave a trail. Can you do that?”
“Yes. But what are you-” Jason started to object, getting cut off as the agent answered.
“I’m going to lay a false trail then find you. I need you to go that way.” Don shifted as he got himself upright. “No arguing. Move.”
For the second time that night the boy actually did as he was told, turning and making his way cautiously into the night, stepping around even the smaller rocks to avoid dislodging them and thus leaving evidence of his passing. Don waited until he vanished into the dark before he made his own move. Heading off he initially followed their previous route before curving off to the right, deliberately breaking a small branch as he passed a bush. Scuffing his feet every few steps and even using the blood on his arm which he brushed against rocks he blazed a trail that the gang should find easy to follow. As he moved further away he reduced the obvious signs, until finally he too was moving slowly and cautiously. Voices that had sounded from time to time behind him suggested that his plan had worked.
A wave of dizziness passed over him and he had to stop, leaning against another of the large rocks that dotted the area. He inspected his wounds as best he could and found that the pieces of the boy’s shirt were soaked through and blood was making its steady way once again down his arm. He now became aware of an increasing lethargy that didn’t bode well, he was in bad shape. Don got a grip, there were still seven gang members on his tail and a fifteen-year-old boy was counting on him.
Forcing himself up he stumbled on, leaving a trail again until he got himself back under control and moving a little more steadily. Pushing on a little further than he’d intended he abruptly turned and moved on an angle perpendicular to his previous path, very careful to leave absolutely no trace of the change in direction. After he’d gone about twenty yards he increased his pace as he headed towards where he expected to find the boy.
The sky was turning grey off in the east which gave him a steady point of reference for which he was grateful as he found it was becoming harder and harder to concentrate. Without the breaking dawn he was sure he would have started to wander in circles as his strength and ability to concentrate rapidly left him. He received a sudden boost to his energy a moment later, a sudden shout of fear torn from a young throat that had him lurching into an uneven run. The boy had been found.
As he drew closer he heard voices, raised and angry and a younger fearful one replying. Don slowed, controlling his approach.
“Where are they?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“You were there before you caught that bus.” A second voice broke in. “Where are they?”
“The feds,” Jason’s voice broke. “The feds moved them.”
“Where?”
“Don’t shoot! He didn’t say.”
The first man swore. “Call Diego. They’ll have to take the fed alive so we can make him talk.” He instructed. His voice hardened as he turned his attention back to Jason. “Where are they keeping your father?”
“They didn’t tell me that either.” Jason insisted.
“So how were you going to find him when you got back home?” The tone was dangerous, clearly the man didn’t believe his young captive.
“I, I was going to make the feds take me t-there.” Jason finally answered and Don recognised the truth. The boy really hadn’t had a plan when he’d caught the bus.
He crept closer until finally he could see the kid and the two gang members, aided now by the ever increasing light. Jason was cowering back against a rock, one man had a gun pointed unwaveringly at him while the other had moved away a few paces and was talking earnestly into a cell. The agent also saw that the angle was bad, if he fired at the one standing over the boy he would probably hit him as well. He had to move. It took more precious time as the men continued to threaten the boy but he had no choice. Finally he was in place, a rock providing him with some cover as he drew a bead on the man closest to Jason. With the other gang members somewhere nearby he didn’t have the luxury of calling on the two for surrender, he had no option but to take a lethal approach, the threat to the boy sufficient grounds. Don prepared himself, planning his shots before he fired. He would have to be quick if he were to do this without getting Jason killed in the process.
The one standing over him started to bend, perhaps about to haul the boy to his feet and Don knew he couldn’t delay any longer. His first shot flew true, the man dropping as if his strings had been cut. The second man spun on the spot as the agent attempted to stick to his plan and quickly readjusted his aim. A flush of dizziness passed over him causing his arm to waver, the hesitation allowing the man to fire back with his rounds shattering against the rock and sending chips flying up towards Don’s face. He ducked back before raising himself up again to see the second man now reaching for Jason whether to use him as a shield or kill him Don couldn’t wait to find out. Barely able to aim in time he snapped off three shots until he saw the man falter and fall.
Don got himself up and over to the cowering boy, out of ingrained habit kicking aside the weapons of the two dead men along the way. “Jason. Jason!”
At his name the kid looked up briefly before looking over at the two bodies lying mere feet away. Don saw the shudder pass through him as he struggled to come to terms with the fact he’d just seen two men killed right in front of him. Regretting that he’d been forced into it Don had to push that aside in favour of getting them both out of there quickly. The other gang members could hardly have missed hearing the shots and would be heading their way at speed. Unable to pull at the boy with his good hand holding his gun ready he resorted to words.
“Get up, we have to move. Jason, move it!”
Finally Jason reacted, tearing his gaze away from the dead men and focusing back on the agent.
“Up!”
Getting over his frozen shock Jason moved, leaping up and now seemingly desperate to get away from the bodies. He even scrambled back away from the agent until he got himself under control.
“Keep going.” Don encouraged, sure now that the kid wasn’t going to run off in panic. “Keep quiet but be quick.”
Eyes still wide, Jason reacted, turning and heading away remembering to pick his way and reduce his trail. Don took a step then faltered, leaning against the rock to keep his balance as darkness hovered at the edge of his vision. He reacted to movement and found the kid coming back for him.
“Go.”
“Come on, they find you here they,“ Jason’s words came to an abrupt stop. With what he’d just witnessed he was unable to say the words. Death was no longer some abstract concept, it was real.
“Yeah. I know.” Don got himself moving. They’d not gone far before he found himself further energised by the growing sounds of people running. They were still some distance away but they had no time to waste. They continued on as fast as they dared needing to put as much ground behind them as possible. Despite their efforts they could still clearly hear shouting and swearing as the bodies were discovered.
One raised voice became clear over the rest, a threat shouted into the early morning sky. “When we catch you, Fed, you’re gonna beg us to kill you!”
The all too clear threat gave him some additional motivation to escape, now herding the boy ahead of him and allowing him once again to pick their path. His concentration was spent mostly on keeping upright and moving, their direction of travel was pretty much random anyway. All they needed to do was stay one step ahead. Although, Don added to himself, that was probably more like half a step with the sounds of pursuit behind them. The gang members had no need for silence and could make far better speed in the morning light. With the five of them they could also spread out and cover a fair amount of ground. Dawn had brought with it another problem, the rocks and small trees that had been enough to provide concealment in the dark were far less effective in the light. They needed to put more distance between them or find somewhere to hole up fast.
His feet tangled beneath him and he fell, landing hard. For a moment the hard-packed dusty ground seemed almost comfortable as he struggled to regain his ever shortening breath but he had to move. His first attempt failed with a dizzy spell and it took Jason’s help to regain his feet. Needing his good arm free he shoved the gun into his belt and accepted the boy’s support to keep moving.
“You’re still bleeding.” Jason helpfully pointed out.
“I know.”
“We have to stop it.”
“No time. Keep moving.” It was in all probability past the point where they had to make the time, but Don kept that to himself. His right hand had at some point come free from his pocket allowing the arm to swing loose but what should have been agony was only registering as dull pain. Blood steadily dripped once again from his hand.
Even with the boy helping him they moved even slower than before. Urgently in need of a plan Don studied the land around them noting it was becoming more rugged as they progressed. Abruptly it all vanished as the pair found themselves on the edge of a narrow gorge. It was deep and even though the other side was easily visible it was just too far away for even a healthy person to attempt a leap. They were trapped.
Next Chapter - here
Author: ALEO aleo_70
Genre: Gen
Characters: Don Eppes, OMC, Season 6 team with guest appearance by Alan Eppes
Rating: PG 13+
Warning: violence
Spoilers: (if you can call it that) Fifth Man
Summary: When the protected son of a witness takes flight Don finds that he is not the only one after him.
A/N: Written from prompts provided by msgrahamcracker
Status: Chapter 4 of 7
Wordcount: 2357
Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just borrowed them. Numb3rs and its characters are the property of those that created them. No copyright infringement intended. No financial reward gained. All real places and organisations are used in a fictional sense. Original characters and the storyline are mine however.
CHAPTER FOUR
He barely managed not to pull the trigger as he recognised the figure as the kid, stumbling at him from the darkness. J spotted him and the raised weapon, shying away until he recognised the agent.
“What are you doing here?” Don hissed, keeping his voice down. “They’re tracking me. Go!”
The kid easily avoided the shoving elbow, peering at him in the dark. “They shot you.”
“Yes.” Don ground out, desperate to separate himself from the boy. Instead of leading the gang away, his blood was now leading them right to their target. “You have to go the other way.”
Ignoring the order J followed as the agent started moving. In the process he pulled at his t-shirt, slipping it over his head and nearly running into a tree for his efforts as he jogged after the injured man. Recovering quickly he ripped at the material until he had several lengths. He reached out and dragged at the agent’s uninjured shoulder. “I know first aid, let me fix it.”
Seeing what the kid intended Don listened for the sounds of pursuit. It seemed that he had opened up some sort of lead for the moment. With the urgent need to have the wounds tended Don stopped and turned so J could work, keeping his attention and gun aimed back the way they just come. The wound in his arm was quickly covered but the other injury was somewhat of a challenge with insufficient material to wrap completely around the agent’s shoulder. J settled for folding the remains of his shirt into a pad that he slipped under the agent’s shirt, the blood that quickly soaked into it helped to hold it in place.
As soon as the kid had finished Don started moving again, staggering slightly as he realised he’d already lost a significant amount of blood. The kid stepped in but Don shoved him away, successfully this time. If the kid was going to stay with him then he needed the ability to react when their pursuers caught up, he could already hear the men on their trail. J tried again but Don waved him forward, indicating that he lead the way.
They continued on for a length of time that Don didn’t bother trying to track by looking at his watch, all that mattered was that they kept free until help could reach them. That thought had Don reaching for his belt only to find his cell holder empty and remember that when he’d last used the phone he’d left it in the handsfree holder. It was going to take longer now to find them without the ability to track the phone as they moved further and further away from the road. The sounds of pursuit behind them had once again grown somewhat fainter but Don had no doubt the gang was still tracking them, even if they’d been slowed by the loss of the blood trail. That gave him an idea.
“J.”
The kid turned and came back. “Jason. My name’s Jason.”
That earned his quirk of the agent’s lips, the barest hint of a smile. “Pleased to meet you Jason, I’m Don.”
Seeing the way the agent was leaning against a tree for support Jason moved in, stopping when he was waved off. He looked down for a moment as he shifted his feet. “I’m sorry.”
Not quite sure how to take the apology given the seriousness of the situation the boy’s actions had placed them in Don managed a short nod. Any more could wait. He started on his idea, pointing off to the left. “I need your help. You keep going that way, making sure you don’t leave a trail. Can you do that?”
“Yes. But what are you-” Jason started to object, getting cut off as the agent answered.
“I’m going to lay a false trail then find you. I need you to go that way.” Don shifted as he got himself upright. “No arguing. Move.”
For the second time that night the boy actually did as he was told, turning and making his way cautiously into the night, stepping around even the smaller rocks to avoid dislodging them and thus leaving evidence of his passing. Don waited until he vanished into the dark before he made his own move. Heading off he initially followed their previous route before curving off to the right, deliberately breaking a small branch as he passed a bush. Scuffing his feet every few steps and even using the blood on his arm which he brushed against rocks he blazed a trail that the gang should find easy to follow. As he moved further away he reduced the obvious signs, until finally he too was moving slowly and cautiously. Voices that had sounded from time to time behind him suggested that his plan had worked.
A wave of dizziness passed over him and he had to stop, leaning against another of the large rocks that dotted the area. He inspected his wounds as best he could and found that the pieces of the boy’s shirt were soaked through and blood was making its steady way once again down his arm. He now became aware of an increasing lethargy that didn’t bode well, he was in bad shape. Don got a grip, there were still seven gang members on his tail and a fifteen-year-old boy was counting on him.
Forcing himself up he stumbled on, leaving a trail again until he got himself back under control and moving a little more steadily. Pushing on a little further than he’d intended he abruptly turned and moved on an angle perpendicular to his previous path, very careful to leave absolutely no trace of the change in direction. After he’d gone about twenty yards he increased his pace as he headed towards where he expected to find the boy.
The sky was turning grey off in the east which gave him a steady point of reference for which he was grateful as he found it was becoming harder and harder to concentrate. Without the breaking dawn he was sure he would have started to wander in circles as his strength and ability to concentrate rapidly left him. He received a sudden boost to his energy a moment later, a sudden shout of fear torn from a young throat that had him lurching into an uneven run. The boy had been found.
As he drew closer he heard voices, raised and angry and a younger fearful one replying. Don slowed, controlling his approach.
“Where are they?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“You were there before you caught that bus.” A second voice broke in. “Where are they?”
“The feds,” Jason’s voice broke. “The feds moved them.”
“Where?”
“Don’t shoot! He didn’t say.”
The first man swore. “Call Diego. They’ll have to take the fed alive so we can make him talk.” He instructed. His voice hardened as he turned his attention back to Jason. “Where are they keeping your father?”
“They didn’t tell me that either.” Jason insisted.
“So how were you going to find him when you got back home?” The tone was dangerous, clearly the man didn’t believe his young captive.
“I, I was going to make the feds take me t-there.” Jason finally answered and Don recognised the truth. The boy really hadn’t had a plan when he’d caught the bus.
He crept closer until finally he could see the kid and the two gang members, aided now by the ever increasing light. Jason was cowering back against a rock, one man had a gun pointed unwaveringly at him while the other had moved away a few paces and was talking earnestly into a cell. The agent also saw that the angle was bad, if he fired at the one standing over the boy he would probably hit him as well. He had to move. It took more precious time as the men continued to threaten the boy but he had no choice. Finally he was in place, a rock providing him with some cover as he drew a bead on the man closest to Jason. With the other gang members somewhere nearby he didn’t have the luxury of calling on the two for surrender, he had no option but to take a lethal approach, the threat to the boy sufficient grounds. Don prepared himself, planning his shots before he fired. He would have to be quick if he were to do this without getting Jason killed in the process.
The one standing over him started to bend, perhaps about to haul the boy to his feet and Don knew he couldn’t delay any longer. His first shot flew true, the man dropping as if his strings had been cut. The second man spun on the spot as the agent attempted to stick to his plan and quickly readjusted his aim. A flush of dizziness passed over him causing his arm to waver, the hesitation allowing the man to fire back with his rounds shattering against the rock and sending chips flying up towards Don’s face. He ducked back before raising himself up again to see the second man now reaching for Jason whether to use him as a shield or kill him Don couldn’t wait to find out. Barely able to aim in time he snapped off three shots until he saw the man falter and fall.
Don got himself up and over to the cowering boy, out of ingrained habit kicking aside the weapons of the two dead men along the way. “Jason. Jason!”
At his name the kid looked up briefly before looking over at the two bodies lying mere feet away. Don saw the shudder pass through him as he struggled to come to terms with the fact he’d just seen two men killed right in front of him. Regretting that he’d been forced into it Don had to push that aside in favour of getting them both out of there quickly. The other gang members could hardly have missed hearing the shots and would be heading their way at speed. Unable to pull at the boy with his good hand holding his gun ready he resorted to words.
“Get up, we have to move. Jason, move it!”
Finally Jason reacted, tearing his gaze away from the dead men and focusing back on the agent.
“Up!”
Getting over his frozen shock Jason moved, leaping up and now seemingly desperate to get away from the bodies. He even scrambled back away from the agent until he got himself under control.
“Keep going.” Don encouraged, sure now that the kid wasn’t going to run off in panic. “Keep quiet but be quick.”
Eyes still wide, Jason reacted, turning and heading away remembering to pick his way and reduce his trail. Don took a step then faltered, leaning against the rock to keep his balance as darkness hovered at the edge of his vision. He reacted to movement and found the kid coming back for him.
“Go.”
“Come on, they find you here they,“ Jason’s words came to an abrupt stop. With what he’d just witnessed he was unable to say the words. Death was no longer some abstract concept, it was real.
“Yeah. I know.” Don got himself moving. They’d not gone far before he found himself further energised by the growing sounds of people running. They were still some distance away but they had no time to waste. They continued on as fast as they dared needing to put as much ground behind them as possible. Despite their efforts they could still clearly hear shouting and swearing as the bodies were discovered.
One raised voice became clear over the rest, a threat shouted into the early morning sky. “When we catch you, Fed, you’re gonna beg us to kill you!”
The all too clear threat gave him some additional motivation to escape, now herding the boy ahead of him and allowing him once again to pick their path. His concentration was spent mostly on keeping upright and moving, their direction of travel was pretty much random anyway. All they needed to do was stay one step ahead. Although, Don added to himself, that was probably more like half a step with the sounds of pursuit behind them. The gang members had no need for silence and could make far better speed in the morning light. With the five of them they could also spread out and cover a fair amount of ground. Dawn had brought with it another problem, the rocks and small trees that had been enough to provide concealment in the dark were far less effective in the light. They needed to put more distance between them or find somewhere to hole up fast.
His feet tangled beneath him and he fell, landing hard. For a moment the hard-packed dusty ground seemed almost comfortable as he struggled to regain his ever shortening breath but he had to move. His first attempt failed with a dizzy spell and it took Jason’s help to regain his feet. Needing his good arm free he shoved the gun into his belt and accepted the boy’s support to keep moving.
“You’re still bleeding.” Jason helpfully pointed out.
“I know.”
“We have to stop it.”
“No time. Keep moving.” It was in all probability past the point where they had to make the time, but Don kept that to himself. His right hand had at some point come free from his pocket allowing the arm to swing loose but what should have been agony was only registering as dull pain. Blood steadily dripped once again from his hand.
Even with the boy helping him they moved even slower than before. Urgently in need of a plan Don studied the land around them noting it was becoming more rugged as they progressed. Abruptly it all vanished as the pair found themselves on the edge of a narrow gorge. It was deep and even though the other side was easily visible it was just too far away for even a healthy person to attempt a leap. They were trapped.
Next Chapter - here