Amber Silence

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: New York

Chapter 2: Gates of Betrayal

"So what do we do? If Danny is the leverage and Lindsay is the trade…what can we do?" asked Stella.
"I don't see how we can avoid telling Lindsay about this part," sighed Mac.

The CSI agent sat down heavily into his seat. He buried his head within his arms and faced the hard wooden desk in front of him. Stella looked at him with the kindest face, yet the saddest one ever. She felt the sorrow and regret within each word he spoke and every breath he took, felt like the horrible effects of a devastating tornado. Stella walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. Danny and Mac had been great friends and worked on many cases together. The very feeling that Danny was in someone else's clutches saddened the great man. He looked up at Stella feeling her hand on his shoulder. Her face showed him comfort and trust.

"We will save him, Danny is strong. You know that," Stella said with a comforting voice.

"I hope you're right Stella. I don't want Danny to be the same as Aiden," he breathed.

"He won't, and we're better prepared…"

"Thanks, Stella. Now, we just have to find Lindsay."

---

Lindsay was sitting in her desk looking at the case she was assigned. Something didn't taste right anymore. She ate some Thai food like she had with Danny, except now, nothing tasted right. Every bite was filled with sorrow and distraught. She was stressed and there was no way that she could put this behind her. As a result, she threw away her next case and began looking through the Danny's files. Her eyes glistened as she looked at the file 'Memories.'

"Danny…" she breathed sadly.

She flipped through the pages and most of them were his childhood. Somehow, he had gotten pictures of him and his rough life. He was all alone reading books most of the time and his face never smiled. Then came the day that he had lost everything. There were so many police cameras that had caught his every move. Lindsay didn't know why he had the horrible intent of printing them out, although she realized something. It didn't matter how rough your childhood was, and it couldn't be forgotten.

"I'm just…so sorry," she cried into the book.

Never realizing Danny's past, her tears fell into the book. Lindsay fell through the pages and finally found the recent ones. She gasped as she looked at his smiling face for the first time. He had been doing cases with Stella, Mac, Flack, and…Aiden. Lindsay was here when Aiden was killed, and felt deep sympathy, for she rarely saw Danny without a note of regret in his voice and within his tone.

She flipped the pages and soon, her eyes fell upon the photos with only him and…her. Lindsay clamped her hands on her mouth in astonishment seeing the many moments that they had shared together. She couldn't believe how many photos they had together. Lindsay paused looking through everyone, and revisiting all her memories with this handsome man.

"Lindsay?"

A sudden voice came out of nowhere and the girl was surprised. She had almost dropped the book and then looked at the woman standing by the door. Stella looked at her with a laugh and then strayed up to the young girl. Lindsay quickly hid the book beneath papers and messily ordered it. Stella looked at the seat before her with Lindsay's next case within it. Apparently, the girl had refused any cases until Danny returned. Stella picked it up and looked at it…

"Sorry, Stella…" Lindsay said sheepishly.

"Don't be, you didn't do anything wrong," Stella said somewhat absentmindedly.

"And…I'm-" started the young girl slowly.

"Refusing your next case, right?" finished Stella.

"Yes, and I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't do that, but I just can't live with myself like this…"

"Surprisingly, you somewhat sound like Aiden," Stella said happily.

Lindsay then looked at the ground and did now know what to think. Her world had turned upside down since Danny was missing. She couldn't understand how horrible it was away from him. His warm smile, his beautiful laugh, and fun character. Knowing that his life was in danger, she couldn't help but feel very scared for him.

"I'm taking Danny's case okay?" Lindsay said clearly after the long strained silence.

"Lindsay, there is something you need to know about this case… The trade, it isn't for her brother, but for someone else…" Stella said slowly.

"Who?" Lindsay asked.

"You're not going to agree to this… I'm sorry Lindsay."

"Tell me, Stella. I won't find it as bad as you are thinking," the girl replied reassuringly.

"Rose is asking for one person in exchange. Lindsay, that person is you."

---

Danny opened his eyes again once more. It had seemed like days since he spoke to Rose about Lindsay. He felt a bruise on his face, for she had kicked him. He coughed a small pool of blood out onto the ground and tried to move his hands away again. He used most of his strength and still hadn't received anything. Finally, he tried to fold his dislocated leg and the one with the horrible red gash under his hands and so he would have his hands in front of him.

"Ow…" he said softly trying to suppress his horrible pain while he did it.

The ropes had tightened against his skin, although finally, through horrible pain, he was able to bring his hands in front of him. Although, it wasn't much more help than before. He rested deeply, and breathed hardly. He knew now how horrible it was to be put through a situation like this. He had always been the CSI agent and never the victim. He leaned against the wall and tried to scan the area with his scattered vision within his cracked glasses.

"Someone…" he breathed.

Danny's POV:

I knew that it was hard being a CSI agent, and yet I wanted the job anyway. I had never really realized how horrible it is to be put in this situation. I cannot believe how horrible I was to family and friends of the victim. Although, should I feel bad for those who have to suffer without my existence? Or there is a simpler explanation… No one is going to miss me. I had made some friends in the past year or so within the Crime Labs, but… that's all they were. CSI agents.

I breathed through the darkest of night, not even knowing where I was. I can see the blood of the giant cut in my arm. Although, I need to stop the blood from flowing. If not dying from infection, I'd die from blood loss. Wait…

I should be begging for death. I feel pain all over my body and no one will miss me. No one. Not even Montana, who I have admired for so long. Although I don't think she will destroy her career and life just to save me. No one is that stupid. I breathe harshly and cough every time I do. I know that I don't have long to live… But if there was one last request I could have…just let me see that beautiful smiling face that belongs to Lindsay…

My CSI team…I want to see them too.

Out of POV

The bulb had gone out and Danny was left being cast into the utter darkness without any ray of hope.

---

"Me?" Lindsay repeated.

"Yes," Stella said grimly. "I really don't want this, Lindsay. This doesn't feel right. I don't think that her true intentions are to release Danny."

"Why does she want me?" asked the young CSI agent.

"I don't know…" Stella said softly.

Mac entered the room with Flack and sat down on the nearby chairs. Stella pulled out a video tape and placed it into the VCR. Stella sat down and so did Lindsay. Soon enough, the tape was recognized and then started to play. Lindsay, Stella, Mac, and Flack all braced themselves to seeing a horrible ordeal before them.

"This is the tape from Rose…" said Mac.

The tape was in focus and began to play. Danny had left the bar a little drunk, although was conscious enough to drive and walk home. A girl approached him with a desperate pleading look in her eyes and face. Danny could barely see in the casting darkness and then followed the girl for she was crying and wailing.

"My brother! He's not breathing!" she shouted.

"What? Where?" asked Danny.

Being the extremely good and helpful CSI agent that he was, he quickly dashed off to the girl's car. Within a moment, the girl shoved him inside, not giving him any time to react. Lindsay could almost feel the tears coming out of her eyes again. Stella, Flack, and Mac had stayed strong, although inside their minds, they were hurting all over. Danny got fallen into the car and out of the backseat, a dark gloved person held a white cloth around his mouth. Their young CSI colleague fought with all he had, and tried to resist. The CSI investigators could almost feel Danny's struggling and horrible fights. Still, he was overpowered and sleep overtook him.

The tape went blank for a little while, until a woman started to speak again.

"Hello, CSI investigators. If I wasn't mistaken, that was Mr. Messer there," she said poisonously. "Still, I die with satisfaction, however this will end. Even if I fail, my purpose is done. Although, there is something you don't have in your power… and I can do anything to him…"

Rose walked down the dimly lit stairs and there was lying Danny. He was moaning and groaning in pain, with his eyes still closed. Rose walked into the grounds and the camera focused in clearly. She stood next to the CSI colleague with a horrible look in her eyes.

"What is she going to do?" asked Lindsay.

"I…don't know…" Flack answered.

The attractive woman stood in the light and then bent down and placed threw Danny onto this stomach. The screen turned red as she dislocated his knee. Lindsay screamed silently in fear seeing the limp leg from her colleague. Danny screamed in pain, being somewhat conscious when she had done it. His yells of torment filled the night air and soon, the tape ended there. The black and white screen came on, and the tape was over.

"Danny…" Stella said softly.

"And judging by the picture she sent us, she hadn't stopped there…" Mac said grimly.

"We need to investigate this now," Flack said firmly.

"Flack and Stella, you study everything you can see from the videotape. Anything would be helpful at this point. But Lindsay…you have to come with me," Mac said steadily.

"What?" she asked.

"You are being used as the trade. We need to discuss what is going to happen. You only have a full 24 hours until…it happens."

Lindsay obediently followed Mac into his office. Stella replayed the tape over, and Lindsay could not bear to look over her shoulder and see his moaning pain. She hurriedly caught up to the leader of the department and closely followed him into his office. Mac sat down on his chair and the guards came guarding it.

"What's all this about?" asked Lindsay.

"I'm going to be frank about this… I know you love him, and I know that you will do anything that you can to make sure he's okay," Mac said firmly.

"What?! Are you crazy? I don't love-"

"And," interjected Mac. "I just can't allow that to happen, so you won't leave this building tomorrow evening, where you will go to the designated place that Rose is planning to meet you. Even though, they said not to bring the police, there isn't anything within my power to stop them…"

"But if the police will come then…she'll kill him!" Lindsay shouted.

"Please keep your voice down. We have to try to do this, because we still need you back here doing cases, Lindsay," Mac laughed slightly. "We can't just not have you return… or Rose will ask for more things and that will be worse. The police are going to be there, whether I like it or not, and I can't stop that. Sorry."

Lindsay thought about everything that Mac had just said and gulped. She felt her whole life flashing before her eyes and then nodded. She understood why Mac had done what he had done, although she knew that something was going to happen that wouldn't be planned. Her premonitions were never wrong, although they were not detailed.

"Okay, I will instruct you on what to do…" Mac started.

Mac brought out a map of the area that they were supposed to be meeting. Lindsay bent down and so did Mac. They began to discuss what would exactly happen and how to adapt to the situation. Lindsay nodded, for she had to memorize the plan quickly and rehearse it soon. Nothing could go wrong. No mistakes were allowed. Danny's life was on the line and within the darkness. She knew his life would depend on her and her alone…

I won't fail you…Hold on Danny.

Author's Note: Yep, things just get more interesting from there. Don't worry…oh no, I should not spoil the next chapter for you! I hope to see you next chapter where the plot thickens and new problems arise for both Lindsay and Danny! THE DRILL! REVIEW!!