Welcome readers. Here is a look into the darker corner of my brain. This is an old story that I just never published, more to come soooon. Please R&R!

Read the warnings! They are there for a reason.

-o-O-o-

Chapter 1

She felt for a pulse...

Got it, good. Then the other one, good, they were both alive but not doing well at all. Chrystal was walking back home when she saw them. Two men, hanging by the arms in the middle of the woods. Stripped down to undershirts and boxers, she was surprised that they weren't frozen stiff. They must have only been out for a bit because nights were bitter cold now. The sun was starting to set so a brilliant orange shown through the trees, taking whatever bit of warmth with it. Soon it would be in the 40's and in the morning a new layer of frost would coat the forrest floor.

She went to get a closer look at the younger man. His face was bloodied and badly bruised. Duct tape covered his mouth and wrapped around his head a couple times, it looked too tight and would be painful to remove. The light revealed the ugly bruises on his chest and deep lashes on his back. He was too skinny, attractive but too skinny. There were burns scattered around his body either just from a lighter or from cigars. She put her hand on his face. He was so cold, so she double checked his pulse and it was there but not as strong as it should be. She shook him ever so gently but a soft look of pain crossed his face so she stopped. Despite the cold Chrystal pulled off her hat and put it on the younger man and wrapped her scarf around the older man. Now what? She had no phone, no money, and no way to help both of them. Her instincts screamed at her to help but what could she do? Going over to the other man, she noticed much of the same. Except the duct tape had been pulled from his mouth and was hanging limply there on the side of his face. When she pulled up his bloodied shirt she froze. FBI. The shiny badge glared back at her. Her first instinct was to run, fast. She was a runaway and didn't want any sort of Federal attention. But she just wasn't the type of person to not help. These were the good guys, what happened?

When she looked back to his face, his light brown eyes were looking back at her. He started to breath a little heavier. The pain and cold combined must be excruciating, Chrystal thought. "Please," he breathed the cold air in to his lungs, "Help us."

"Yeah, um okay." Chrystal reassured him, "who are you and what is going on?" He closed his eyes for a second, she couldn't tell if it was out of exhaustion or gratitude that she didn't bolt. Hopefully the scarf was helping a little with the cold.

"My name is Agent Peter Burke... Please, help." He slumped again.

"Peter?" She shook him lightly to get him to open his eyes again, she needed more information than that. "I want to help Peter, tell me what is going on." She started to examine how he was tied but her stopped her.

What he said next surprised her "you have to go, they'll be back soon." He looked more alert now and worried. "I think they are going to leave my friend to die out here. Please go and hide, then help him. Help him, then contact the White Collar unit in New York. Tell them you've seen me and bring help." He tried to shift and winced in pain. Chrystal could see the zip ties digging into his wrists. "Tell them where I am, hopefully it won't be too late."

"I I-I..." She stammered. "I can't just help you now? Who is coming back, why are they doing this to you?"

"Too much to explain, I will if we all get outta here. I promise."

"Okay, I guess I trust you, I'll do whatever to help." Chrystal wanted to keep him talking. "What is his name?" She nodded towards the other guy.

"His name is Neal Caffery, how is he?" He asked almost pleading.

"He's good. He's gonna be fine" she lied and moved back towards Neal to check his pulse again. She felt it, his heart beating weakly in his battered frame. The still sticky blood on his neck was cold and coated her fingers. For just a second she felt like she was going to be sick. She didn't mind blood really but the amount was shocking. She knew what she had to do so she shook her head and that was the end of being scared. "When do you think they'll be..." A sound in the distance stopped her and both Peter and her looked toward the sound. It sounded like snowmobiles. She had to hide that she had been there or it would just be worse for them, and for her. Grabbing her hat from Neal, then the scarf from Peter she turned to him and reassured. "I'll do whatever I can, just hold on, okay?"

"Thank you. Just please help him, none of this is his fault." Peter struggled to get the words out, then composed himself. "Get out of here, run!"

So she ran. About 60 feet away there was some heavier brush where she could still see well enough. She just had to keep her eyes on Neal. Terrible thoughts started going through her head. What if I have to watch them both die? What if they kill Neal and I can't do anything for him? What if they see me? What would they do to me if they saw me? A panic attack almost drove her further away, but by that time, three grown men were already approaching the agents.

Hard punches to Peter's gut made him groan and swing on his tether. The men used smelling salts to wake Neal up, he was already in pain. The men poked and prodded bruises and cuts. They were drunk, and angry. She could only hear some of what they were saying. "How does it feel? ... kill Caffrey...never get home to your wife." Another round of blows. Two of them teaming up on Neal and the leader on Peter. When she heard a rib crack, it almost made her sick.

How are either of them still alive? Chrystal though. Both men's heads were limp. The main guy grabbed Peter by his hair and slapped him awake. "Pity...your friend...say goodbye."

"No, please!" Peter spoke. Then a louder yell "No!" Peter reacted when the two henchmen, unhooked Neal from where he was hanging and let him crumple to the ground roughly. He stirred only a little before getting pulled to Peter's eye level.

"Anything you need to tell Neal, Peter?"

"Please don't do this. PLEASE!" He begged, seeing the damage of his friend up close made his stomach turn.

"We are going to kill your little pet Peter. That's it, anything else you need to tell him?"

"Neal?" Neal stirred just a bit, struggling to open his eyes, Chrystal couldn't tell if he was awake or not but Peter spoke anyway. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I... "

They pulled Neal back and pushed him face down into the cold ground.

"Sick bastards, Neal I'm so sorry!" Peter's voice was full of the emotions he was trying to hold back.

The three of them continued to kick Neal on the ground while Peter was screaming for them to stop. He begged. "Please just leave him alone!" It seemed like forever before they did and by then Neal was a crumpled up mess.

Was he dead already? Peter was sobbing. "Neal, I'M SORRY!" And with that they dragged Peter to one of the snowmobiles and drove away.

The more reviews and follows I get, the quicker I'll be motivated to upload more! Thanks guys!