Title: Becoming Blue
Chapter 11 – A Dangerous Revelation

"You nervous or somethin? First time in a cab?"

Frank's mind finally snapped to the voice asking him the question and looked at the cabbie who glanced back and then turned around again.

"No I uh…"

"You in trouble or somethin?"

"Trying to avoid trouble."

"Ah well…about two cars back, there's been a car with us for each turn…about two cars back," the cabbie told him much to Frank's surprise.

"Sounds like you have some experience with this."

"Son's a cop down on the shore. He taught his old man a thing or two. If its drugs I don't wanna get mixed up in it."

"The men I think following me have killed good cops and hurt a friend of mine. I don't know what they want from me, but I'd rather not find out," Frank explained. And while the man sounded genuine, he wasn't about to tip his hand to the fact that he was investigating the dirty cops and had potential evidence that could uncover a larger conspiracy. "But if you want…you can pull over to the side of the street and…"

"I got a better idea," the man told Frank as he pulled his phone.

"Uh…"

"It's gonna be alright. My son can help with this."

"How do you know I'm not one of the bad guys?"

"Because Garth Bond is more than just a friend," he smiled back at Frank.

"Garth? I'm not sure I k…"

"He called me. Trust me, you in good hands."

Frank leaned back in the seat and now could only pray that the man in control of his current fate told him the truth and he'd be fine. Otherwise, he'd be the next casualty on Dickson's list.

XXXXXXXX

Danny felt his father's absence during dinner that night and wondered how he was doing with his friend down south and what he had found out. Frank had told his family that he would be a day, two at the most depending on how things went but Danny hoped that he would be home sooner rather than later.

"You hardly ate dinner tonight Danny," Mary commented to her son as he brought in the last few plates to the kitchen and then turned to leave; but paused at his mother's words. "Getting cold feet about the wedding?"

"What? No…I can't wait," Danny replied as he offered his mother a small smile. "I'm just…I think I'm just tired and don't make a fuss but uh…miss dad."

"Your dad went to visit an old friend who was in an accident. He'll be fine," Mary tried to assure her son. Frank had told his wife some details of his trip but not all of them so as not to worry her but left out the key details of why he suspected the accident happened. And of course out of all their children only Danny knew.

"Wanna play some ball Danny?" Jamie asked as he bounded into the kitchen and up to Danny with a wide grin.

He paused before he was about to say no he would be too tired after he took Linda home but Jamie's goofy, pleading grin made him change his mind.

"Okay for a few minutes when I get back…if I get back when you're still up," Danny replied as Jamie left the room with a wide grin.

"That'll make his night. He looks up to you."

"Smart kid," Danny smiled as he started to take his leave. "I'm gonna take Linda home."

XXXXXXXX

"Just promise me you'll stay away from him," Linda told Danny as they reached her current home and Danny stopped the car.

"I can promise that I won't engage him without reason but I need him to incriminate himself in front of witnesses," Danny told her in truth; having left out that his idea of witnesses was him with a wire. "But don't worry…let's focus on the wedding okay?"

"Danny…"

"Come on…I'll walk you to the door," Danny told her as he glanced past her and thought he saw a dark car parked just under the lights.

"Promise me this old fashioned charm won't change after we're married."

"I can't wait to carry you across the threshold," he snickered as she gave him a quick kiss and they both got out of the car and headed for the front of the building. "Never liked this neighborhood. Just need you to be safe."

"Always feel safe with you," Linda smiled as they reached the front entrance and he gave her one last kiss before he watched her slip inside and then waited until she got into the elevator. Then he gave her a wave and turned to leave. However just as he reached his vehicle he heard a woman scream from inside the alleyway about a half block down and raced toward the call without even thinking about what might be waiting.

"Help me!" He heard her call out once more and then rounded the corner to see a woman struggling with a man in black.

"Hey!" Danny shouted as he bounded into the darkness. However, just as he neared a shadowy patch, someone stepped out from the shadows with a heavy pipe that struck him right on the back and sent him forward into the wall. The woman fled and still slightly dazed, Danny looked up to see the other man barrel toward him.

"Wa…it," Danny tried as he twisted around and tried to hit his attacker in the gut or face. But just as his jaw connected with what he thought was a jaw, he was struck in the back again and stumbled to his knees. Danny swung out again, only to have the second man grab his arm and twist it around his back and then slam him into the nearest wall while the other man in black struck him in the back with the heavy pipe.

"Dick…son…know…it's you…" Danny huffed as one of them leaned in closer.

"Time to pay for your insolence!"

"Yo…" is all Danny managed before he was struck in the back of the head and crumpled to the ground.

"How the hell did he know it was you!" Harley growled as he yanked his mask off and glowered at Dickson in their dim surroundings.

"He's just guessing! He can't see our faces! Now shut up and help me restrain him!"

And while Danny might have been out, the small recording device he still wore was wide awake and recording away. All he could do when he regained consciousness was pray it wasn't found.

XXXXXXXX

The plan was simple but would have to be enacted with only a few minutes to spare. The cab would pull up to a banking drive thru where the cabbie's son, along with his father's friend Garth Bond, had another car parked with a man in the back that had the same build and coloring as Frank that they hoped from a distance would fool his followers. And of course the cab number wasn't lost on them either, which is why the cabbie's son had a decoy car made up with the same number as his father's. He had helped Darryl Tillerson in the past and that would come to Frank's knowledge a bit later on.

Frank's heart raced as they neared the dimly lit bank but he was happy that the part where the other cab now waited in the shadows wasn't seen and that this might actually work. However, the other part of him knew that the best laid plans sometimes had a way of going in the wrong direction and the one with the best intensions usually paid the highest price and he didn't want that for this man, his son or himself. But the more he thought about it, he knew that if the situation as reversed and he and Danny had the opportunity to help a close friend, they'd pull out all the stops to do so.

"Okay…here goes…nothin'…" the cabbie muttered as he neared the drive-thru ATM portion.

"Damn cabbie is stopping for some quick cash."

"If anyone gets out we'll know. There's no back way out of this place."

Frank held his breath for a few seconds until the driver yanked the cash free, pulled his arm back and then slowly turned the corner into the shadows. A few seconds later a cab reappeared and then pulled back into traffic.

"Okay he's back on the street and passenger is still with him."

Frank exited the cab and stood in the shadows and watched as the car that had been following him pulled in behind two cars and continued after the decoy cab that would head toward the airport and deposit its passenger where it would only be discovered then that the man in the back wasn't the same as the man who left the hospital but by then Frank would be with Garth on the other side of the city and would fly out from a smaller airport; one where he wouldn't be seen.

"Okay…time to go," the cabbie stated as he slowly pulled out of the shadows and headed in the opposite direction of the main airport.

"Thank you again."

"Darryl Tillerson is also a friend."

"And what is your name?"

"Issac. And yours?"

"Frank. A friend," he stated with a kind smile. He leaned back in the cab seat and let out a relieved exhale and told himself that he'd be in a safe place soon enough, would plug in Darryl's computer and then hopefully find something he could convict Owen Dickson with for good. Just hope Danny didn't engage him today…

XXXXXXXX

Danny's world came back to him but it wasn't the world he wanted. He recalled hearing the woman scream and ran toward her, he entered the alleyway and saw the woman ran and then was attacked. Dickson…that's Dickson's voice…his brain recalled just before he was struck again on the back of the head and his world went dark.

His world was still dark but it didn't take him too long to figure out that he was in the back of a car and unable to escape with his wrists tightly bound behind his back, his ankles bound and a thick cloth shoved between his lips and then tied tightly behind his head – keeping him quiet. This isn't good…hope he didn't find the wire…as dire his predicament he could only hope that Dickson didn't find the wire and that he could get his nemesis and captor to incriminate himself on tape.

Danny struggled to get some kind of movement in his tight bonds but after a few minutes of struggling he slumped back in defeat. His back ached from when he was struck and his head throbbed and wondered just how far Dickson would go to make his life miserable.

He wouldn't have to wait too long.

The car came to a screeching halt and he held his breath for a few seconds as he heard footsteps head toward the back and the truck pulled open.

"Rise and shine," a gruff voice is heard as Danny looked up with an angry glare. But before he could even register the two dark figures a balled fist sailed toward him and hit him square in the gut which made Danny's stomach recoil and his lips grunt into the thick gag. "A lot more coming Danny boy!" He heard one of them hiss and could only hope that the recorder wasn't damaged and he'd get something for his beating. And sure enough his captor delivered on his promise when he delivered another stiff blow to his already aching stomach.

"So…we're gonna do some sightseeing…you know just drive around…make you feel comfortable…drive around some more…round and round here we go, where you'll end up, no one knows. Maybe the water? Feel like swimming?" His captor snickered.

Danny literally rolled his eyes at the small jingle but worried about the fact that he might end up somewhere he didn't want to be and in the condition he didn't want to be and if Dickson did carry through on his threat, even worse he might end up in the hospital and give Linda a scare neither of them wanted. But would Dickson be that daring? This…isn't good…

With that the trunk lid slammed shut and he was once again enclosed in the darkness, cursing his helpless predicament and his aching body and could only hope for a quick rescue.

That hope wouldn't be realized.

XXXXXXXX

"Thank you," Frank held out his hand to the cabbie who took it and gave it a firm shake.

"If you're gonna help us end this madness, it was worth the risk."

Frank watched the cabbie take his leave and drive away before he turned and looked at Garth with a small frown. "Good man."

"One of the few in this area," Garth told him in truth. "Now come on…let's get you into a safe place and see what's on that thing."

Frank followed after Garth into an area on the other side of the city, away from prying eyes and those that might want to end his search before the truth was found. Frank entered the small safe house and followed Garth into the basement, where when the light was turned on, nothing was seen from the outside.

"Okay…let's see what we got," Frank muttered as he turned on the laptop and then started to search through the hard drive.

"You know what you're doing?" Garth asked Frank lightly.

"My son Joe taught me a few things," Frank smiled fondly as he pulled up a few files that looked like they could be what he was looking for. He found one that was password protected and after a few tries was able to open one of the files dates a few months back when Darryl said the trouble with Dickson had first started.

"What's…this…"

"Looks like a payment schedule."

"Yeah but for…what…" Frank pondered slowly as he opened another and then felt his stomach lurch.

"Blackmail?" Garth guessed.

"Or drops and shipments," Frank mused. "But…who is making the payment and who is picking up?"

"Almost afraid to know," Garth uttered fatefully.

"We'll know in a second. Okay…here we go…we have…"

"Wait is that…" Garth stated suddenly as he pointed to a name on the page.

Frank stared at the name and then looked up at Garth in shock and then shook his head as he looked back at the page. "This…this can't be," Frank uttered in dread.

"Why would they do it? What does this mean?"

"It means…" Frank started as he looked up at Garth with a heavy frown. "This just got a whole lot more complicated."

A/N: uhhh oh…I too love some Danny whump so it's a coming! Yikes! (careful what you wish for hehe). So where will Danny end up? Will the recording hold up? Or will Danny suffer for no reason? And what did Frank find out? Who's helping Dickson? Would love your thoughts so please do review before you go and thanks so much!