Author's Note: Well I finally saw the S2 first ep via internet cuz I can't wait for it to show in UK! And I thought it was great and the promo for next week looks even better! But back to the story, this chapter is kinda short cuz I wanted to split it into two so this is the other half - but plz review anyway. Thanks!

Chapter 14 - One to Go

9:55pm

"Dead!" Danny exclaimed in disbelief, "He can't be!"

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Reagan but he was found outside his house with a bullet in his chest and was pronounced dead on arrival. There goes our character witness."

"Bachman!" Danny rumbled. "He's caught up with Brian first. Silenced him for good."

"Your sister showed up a few seconds ago, she's waiting for you in there," Sorenson jerked his head towards the entrance.

Danny went to find Erin, she was sitting in his chair, twirling a strand of hair nervously around her finger. She stood up when she saw him, "Danny…" She hugged him.

"I'm guessing you heard the good news," Danny muttered, perching on his desk.

"I came as soon as I heard, Dad told me." She sat back down and surveyed her brother, "So you have no idea where Bachman is at all?"

"If I did, do you think I would be sitting here talking to you?" Danny answered impatiently.

"I'm just asking," Erin said in a clipped voice. "Any leads?"

"Nope. We checked his rented apartment but everything's been cleaned out… landlord said they didn't even pay the rent…" Danny sighed and rubbed his tired face, "I'm sorry… it's just been such a long day."

"You should go home and get some sleep Danny!" Erin chided, "You're in no fit condition to work tonight."

"Thank you, who are you my doctor now?" Danny murmured sardonically.

Erin glared at him, "I'm just concerned!" She fidgeted with her hands, "Also…Dad said that Jamie's coming home on Friday."

"What?" Danny recoiled in excitement, "He's coming home this Friday?"

"That's what Dad said, yeah. The doctors think he's ready for recovery."

"What are we gonna tell him?" Danny asked, his excitement turning quickly to worry.

Erin shrugged, "We can figure that out later. He's suffering from severe depression, this is the last thing he needs to hear!"

"I know, I know," Danny said impatiently, "I'm just not too keen on the idea of coddling him and then not telling him why, God he'll hate that, especially after coming out of that place." Danny shuddered.

"Well you have to!" Erin snapped, "It's for his own good -Bachman's still out there Danny!"

"Oh is he?" Danny retorted sarcastically, "Thanks for pointing it out sis, cause up until now I had no idea!"

Erin stood up in a huff and left. Danny watched her leave, wondering if he should call her back but then changed his mind and walked back into observation instead.

"Listen Reagan… I think you should tell Freddie that his brother's been murdered. It could shed some positive light," Sorenson said hopefully.

"Great," Danny muttered, "Some night this is turning out to be." He walked back into the interrogation room.

Freddie looked up expectantly at him as he entered.

"Bad news Freddie. Your brother was found dead about twenty minutes ago." Danny said casually.

All the colour drained from Freddie's face. Whatever it was, he was not expecting that. "W –what? Brian? Brian's dead?"

"Yeah," Danny sat down, "I'm thinking it was your best friend Bachman. Nice work Freddie," Danny straightened his tie, "You've got your own brother killed."

"No, no, no," Freddie shook his head, "I don't believe you!"

"Until we get ballistics back, we're gonna prove that the bullet which killed your brother is similar to the ones which was used at the Kings Plaza Mall shooting." Danny said, ignoring Freddie.

"No way, no way, no way! Steve loved Brian like a brother, he would never do that!" Freddie protested, slamming his fist on the table, his face twisted in rage.

"Wake up Freddie!" Danny barked, "Steve Bachman never loved anyone! He didn't even have a soul! He didn't give a shit about Brian and he definitely doesn't give a shit about you!"

"You're wrong!" Freddie yelled desperately, "He- he promised we were in this together!"

Danny shook his head sympathetically, "He lied to you Freddie. He's gonna walk all over you, just as he always has done. Now you need to get your story straight."

"I don't believe it." Freddie said in denial, "Why the hell would he kill my brother? He knows how much Brian means to me."

"Your brother? Freddie your brother was working with us!" Danny replied sketchily.

"Huh?" Freddie shook his head again. "Working with you…huh?"

"Yeah, how else do you think we knew about Operation Annihilation? He got released on bail this morning. And my guess is that your buddy Bachman found out he'd been with the cops and thought he'd turned. So he whacked him."

Freddie hung his head and sniffed. "I –I had no idea…. Brian."

Danny leaned towards Freddie and dropped his voice to a hush, "And I dread to think what he's gonna do when he finds out you've been arrested."

Brian's head snapped up. "He wouldn't do anything to me!"

Danny shook his head, "I'm not so sure Freddie. Deep down you know what he's capable of. I know you do. I can see it in your eyes."

Freddie just continued to gaze at Danny, caught in a web of indecision at what to do.

"It's okay," Danny continued, "I understand that he's your friend, I do. But you have a decision to make. Now I know you must've cared for your brother -"

"Cared for him? Cared for him? I loved him!" Freddie raged.

"I know." Danny said softly. "But let me let you in on something. I have a brother too. Two actually. And one of them was in the Nintendo store with his friends on that day. In fact – I think Bachman and them actually got themselves acquainted – you know, when he threatened them to keep their mouths shut and then shot one of them when he disobeyed."

Freddie frowned, "Your brother was one of those three guys?"

Danny nodded very slowly, his eyes never leaving Freddie's face. Freddie's look of horror at being held in the gaze of the brother of one of Steve's victims suddenly merged into a look of recognition. Danny shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew Freddie recognized him.

"Oh…yeah," Freddie said haughtily. "I think I remember you… you came into the store about nine months ago – you thought that the – the graphics of Zombitetown were too basic –I begged to differ…"

"Good memory," Danny said blandly, "Let's see if we can put that to use, what's Operation Annihilation?"

"You said you wanted it for your brother," Freddie continued, ignoring Danny. "You said you wanted the best for him because he was turning sixteen. You kept arguing that those graphics weren't good enough. I told you, you didn't know what you were talking about but you wouldn't let up."

"I guess we do have more than one thing in common Freddie. We both want to look after our little brothers."

"Want-ed," Freddie said with a glazed look, "Past tense."

"Yeah." Danny said quietly, "But you know how it feels like. To… watch someone grow up. To help them as much as possible, through school, life.

Freddie wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "I've always tried to do right by him," he sniffed, "But I thought that it didn't matter – we had each other but Steve had no one. He promised me it was going to be okay, that we were doing it for underprivileged people like us."

"Doing what Freddie?" Danny asked inquisitively, "Killing innocent people."

"He told me they weren't innocent!" Freddie shouted, his eyes brimming with tears. "They took everything from us!"

"They were just shopping Freddie!" Danny retorted in disgust. "You might not have shot them personally but you still helped him get away with it."

"Yeah I did." Freddie said broadly, "But I'm not gonna apologize for it." He dropped his voice to a hush and leaned closer to Danny, "Do you have any idea what it's like to grow up with nothing? To have parents that don't give a shit whether you live or die? To go to school where your way and means of living are used as a punch line for every joke?" He leaned back in his chair, satisfied by Danny's obvious discomfort. "Didn't think so."

"You know anybody with a shred of a brain. Anybody who knew what was going to happen to him , would find a decent way of co-operating with us. But you? You just can't stop putting your foot in it can you?" Danny said to Freddie in repulsion.

Freddie just continued to stare blankly at Danny.

"I wanna tell you something…" Danny continued.

"Oh yeah," Freddie raised his eyebrows, "Are you gonna give me the pity speech?"

Danny shook his head, "No. Actually I'm not. Believe it or not there are other people just like you out there! True, some of them don't make it far. But some of them actually do. They allow it to make themselves better."

Freddie continued to just stare at Danny but his eyes held something that looked a lot like regret.

"You made some bad choices Freddie. Befriending Bachman and trusting him was one of them. And now your brother's dead." Danny stood up and was about to leave when he paused, his hand on the doorknob, and he turned to Freddie and said softly, "But I guess you got your whole life to think about that now. In the can."

Danny left the room and shut the door behind him, leaving Freddie McCredie alone to dwell in his own self-pity.

To Be Continued...