Chapter Nine: Different Kinds of Pain
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"You know what I do to people who stab me in the back?" came the angry yet quiet voice of Ed Deline as an approaching thunderstorm rumbled in the distance.
"Ed?" Danny asked, knowing that he had to play innocent. "What are you talking about?"
"I know that it's you, kid." a growling Ed replied as he walked over in front of the younger man, who was still on the ground. "I know that you're the one planning to sell out the Montecito."
"What are you talking about?" a nervous Danny asked, as he really did fear for his life. He wondered how Ed knew this information and if Luis had told him. "I would never…"
"Shut up!" Ed roared, raising the ball bat above his head. The tall, brown-haired ex-Marine cringed in fear as Ed brought it down a few centimeters from him. "Mike and Nessa were at the restaurant tonight. They saw you with him." Throwing the ball bat away, a depressed sigh escaped the older man and the anger in his eyes began to switch to sadness. Danny could tell that his mentor was mentally questioning how it was even possible. It was a moment before the older man spoke again, but his voice was a lot weaker than before. "How in the hell did he get to you?"
"It's nothing personal, Ed." Danny replied quietly as he got to his feet.
"The hell it isn't." Ed finally commented before Danny felt the older man's left fist powerfully connect with his jaw. He staggered back a few steps, and was completely unprepared for when Ed's right collided with his stomach. Holding his abdomen, the ex-Marine sank to his knees immediately with a groan. His blue eyes blazing with hatred, Ed simply watched his protégé as the tall, brown-haired man got back to his feet again. "You sold me out to one of my worst enemies and you don't consider that personal?"
"Considering that it was strictly business, no." a candid Danny replied as he shook his head. Sensing that Ed was about to throw him another left, Danny got his hand up just in time to block another shot to his stomach. Ed pulled his hand away instantly.
"Unfortunately, I still consider it personal." Ed remarked as Danny suddenly felt the older man take his feet out from under him. The tall, brown-haired man landed in a heap on the ground, as Ed's blue eyes narrowed in a look of both sorrow and anger.
The exact details of what happened next were a mystery to Danny. All he could recall later was feeling Ed's feet and hands collide with various parts of his body, mostly his stomach and back as thunder rumbled intermittently in the background. Deline seemed to be avoiding striking his head as he wanted the younger man to be conscious for the entire ordeal. Two distinct thoughts ran through Danny's head as this beating occurred. First, he had to convince himself not to fight back as he realized that it would only make things worse…if that was even possible at this point. Second, he contemplated just coming forward and telling Ed the truth about the whole scam. However, McCoy doubted whether or not Deline would actually believe him, and not think that the younger man was just making it up to get out of this.
"Consider that a taste of what's to come if I ever catch you around the Montecito again." an angry Ed warned with one final kick to the stomach. Rolling on his side, Danny groaned and held his abdomen protectively. He almost wished that he would black out, so that he could escape the pain. "Don't worry about your stuff. I'll make sure that you get it somehow." Chuckling, the older man shrugged. "I'd say that I'd have Mary deliver it, but I'm not sure that even she'll be able to stomach you after this."
Picking up his ball bat, Ed quickly turned and headed back towards his red Hummer H2. After climbing in and setting the ball bat in the passenger seat, Ed took a look out the windshield. He could see Danny on his knees and elbows, slowly trying to get back to his feet. A pang of guilt entered the older man as he suspected that Danny really did have a good reason for doing all of this and that the ex-Marine still faced a many miles walk out of the desert and into town. The already excruciating journey would be made worse by the impending storm and the pain Danny was bound to be in. Could Ed really put a man who was like a son to him through that?
"Get it together, Deline." Ed whispered to himself as he shook his head. Sure, Danny had always been like a son to him, but that son had just stabbed him in the back for reasons the tall, brown-haired man clearly did not want Ed to know about. This torture was well deserved! Slowly, Ed reached over and finally shut the driver's side door before turning the key in the ignition. However, it was a few minutes before the older, gray-haired man could bring himself to turn the huge, red vehicle around and he found himself pressing the gas pedal to the floor.
As the Hummer sped back towards civilization, Danny finally got to his feet. He flinched slightly as his back and stomach reacted to his actions. His hand strayed to his pocket to find his cell-phone, as the tall, brown-haired man really didn't feel much like walking back into town. Even if his Montecito friends wouldn't feel much like helping him out, he knew that he could probably still count on Luis or his father if either one wasn't too busy. Feeling an empty pocket, Danny groaned as he realized that Ed must have taken his phone. Deline really did think of everything.
"God damn it!" he exclaimed in frustration as he kicked the ground under his feel. A flare of pain shot through him, causing Danny to quickly regret his actions. Shaking his head, he slowly started in the same direction Ed's Hummer had disappeared into.
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"God." Danny winced as he sat down against the metal guardrail a few hours later. The tall, brown-haired man took a moment to curse Ed Deline for leaving him so far out in the desert, but he understood why the older man had done so. Ed had wanted him to pay for turning his back on the Montecito, and Danny considered his debt paid with interest. Not only had night fallen (which reduced his chances of being seen by a passing motorist), but also the storm had rolled in, dousing the ex-Marine with rain for the last hour or so. To make matters worse, his jaw, stomach and back all took turns aching from the beating Ed had given him.
Huddling his knees to his chest, Danny vainly stuck his thumb out towards town as he heard a vehicle coming from the direction he assumed Las Vegas was in. As he heard the car stop, he looked back up to see a yellow and black Camaro convertible, with its roof on, parked on the other side of the road. As another burst of thunder rumble, the ex-Marine grabbed the metal guardrail and pushed himself into a standing position. It was only then that Danny noticed the license plates on the vehicle, and realized that it was his car.
The driver's side door opened and the sole passenger silently got out. As a sudden breeze tossed about her long hair, Mary Connell simply stared at the man in front of her with a pokerfaced look in her brown eyes. Realizing who it was, Danny sighed and looked away. He had prepared himself for this moment ever since launching the Professor scam with Luis, but he had foolishly hoped that it would never happen.
"Why, Danny?" Mary asked, not taking her eyes off of him.
"Mary, I…" Danny started but couldn't continue. Realizing that he couldn't bring himself to lie to her, the tall, brown-haired man looked down at the ground.
"I thought something was wrong this morning." Mary said, walking over on to the shoulder with him. Looking up quickly, Danny could now see a few tears escaping her eyes. It was enough to send his gaze back towards the ground. "I thought that something was different about you when I mentioned how the traitor could never be you." She shook her head. "I just dismissed it as you thinking that I was putting you on a pedestal again. Just me being the president of the Danny McCoy fan club." She paused before continuing in a more shakily voice. "And you were right. It was just me stupidly hero-worshiping you like I always do. Stupidly thinking that you wouldn't stab everyone in the back, including me."
"I never meant to hurt you, Mary." Danny replied honestly. "That's the last thing I want."
"So, you sold everyone out to one of our worst enemies and you didn't think that it was going to hurt me?" Mary scoffed, wondering if her best friend had somehow lost his brain.
"I'm just trying to protect you." Danny said, looking back up at her. He wasn't sure just how much more of this he could take. "You and everyone else."
"How?" Mary asked, "How are you protecting us when the Professor wants revenge on the Montecito, and Ed personally?" She sighed and shook her head. "And here I thought that semper fi meant something to you."
"It does!" Danny assured, "It will never not mean anything to me."
"Maybe it does mean something to you now." Mary agreed, narrowing her eyes. "Maybe it means that you'll always be faithful to the Professor…"
"Except for the fact that I'm not really joining with him!" Danny heard himself shout, interrupting Mary's comment. Realizing what he said, the tall, brown-haired man clasped a hand over his mouth.
"What?" a curious Mary asked, looking at him.
"I'm not really joining him, Mary." Danny admitted, realizing that he had to tell her the truth now. "It was just a scam that Luis and I came up with in order to bring him down." Rubbing the back of his head, Danny looked at the ground again and sighed. "Of course, I'll understand if you don't believe that right now, but…"
It was Mary's turn to interrupt him. Silently, she walked over and put a hand on the side of his face. She appeared to be studying his eyes carefully, looking for some sort of sign. A smile quickly appeared on her face, and she slowly wrapped her arms around the surprised man.
"I knew it." she said softly, "I knew that there had to be a reason."
"You believe me?" a surprised Danny asked, "Why?"
"I have my reasons." Mary shrugged, looking at him. Concern flashed in her brown eyes as she surveyed his body. Although his face was beginning to swell slightly where Ed had punched him, the dark-blonde woman knew that his shirt and pants hid the majority of the damage to her best friend. "We should get you to a doctor."
"I don't think that I need to go to the doctor, Mare." Danny waved off; smiling at the concern his best friend was showing him. She had the tendency to overreact whenever she saw that he was injured, but McCoy realized that he would probably do the same in that situation. Hell, if he had anything to say about, Mary would never be anywhere near a situation where she could get hurt.
"How about we go back to my place then?" Mary suggested.
"Your place sounds good." Danny agreed as the two started walking towards the car. The tall, brown-haired man would have rather just gone back to his own home, but he knew that Mary wasn't going to give in until he agreed to let her take care of him. He had already suffered through one battle that he couldn't win tonight, and didn't care to go through a second.
To be continued...
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"You know what I do to people who stab me in the back?" came the angry yet quiet voice of Ed Deline as an approaching thunderstorm rumbled in the distance.
"Ed?" Danny asked, knowing that he had to play innocent. "What are you talking about?"
"I know that it's you, kid." a growling Ed replied as he walked over in front of the younger man, who was still on the ground. "I know that you're the one planning to sell out the Montecito."
"What are you talking about?" a nervous Danny asked, as he really did fear for his life. He wondered how Ed knew this information and if Luis had told him. "I would never…"
"Shut up!" Ed roared, raising the ball bat above his head. The tall, brown-haired ex-Marine cringed in fear as Ed brought it down a few centimeters from him. "Mike and Nessa were at the restaurant tonight. They saw you with him." Throwing the ball bat away, a depressed sigh escaped the older man and the anger in his eyes began to switch to sadness. Danny could tell that his mentor was mentally questioning how it was even possible. It was a moment before the older man spoke again, but his voice was a lot weaker than before. "How in the hell did he get to you?"
"It's nothing personal, Ed." Danny replied quietly as he got to his feet.
"The hell it isn't." Ed finally commented before Danny felt the older man's left fist powerfully connect with his jaw. He staggered back a few steps, and was completely unprepared for when Ed's right collided with his stomach. Holding his abdomen, the ex-Marine sank to his knees immediately with a groan. His blue eyes blazing with hatred, Ed simply watched his protégé as the tall, brown-haired man got back to his feet again. "You sold me out to one of my worst enemies and you don't consider that personal?"
"Considering that it was strictly business, no." a candid Danny replied as he shook his head. Sensing that Ed was about to throw him another left, Danny got his hand up just in time to block another shot to his stomach. Ed pulled his hand away instantly.
"Unfortunately, I still consider it personal." Ed remarked as Danny suddenly felt the older man take his feet out from under him. The tall, brown-haired man landed in a heap on the ground, as Ed's blue eyes narrowed in a look of both sorrow and anger.
The exact details of what happened next were a mystery to Danny. All he could recall later was feeling Ed's feet and hands collide with various parts of his body, mostly his stomach and back as thunder rumbled intermittently in the background. Deline seemed to be avoiding striking his head as he wanted the younger man to be conscious for the entire ordeal. Two distinct thoughts ran through Danny's head as this beating occurred. First, he had to convince himself not to fight back as he realized that it would only make things worse…if that was even possible at this point. Second, he contemplated just coming forward and telling Ed the truth about the whole scam. However, McCoy doubted whether or not Deline would actually believe him, and not think that the younger man was just making it up to get out of this.
"Consider that a taste of what's to come if I ever catch you around the Montecito again." an angry Ed warned with one final kick to the stomach. Rolling on his side, Danny groaned and held his abdomen protectively. He almost wished that he would black out, so that he could escape the pain. "Don't worry about your stuff. I'll make sure that you get it somehow." Chuckling, the older man shrugged. "I'd say that I'd have Mary deliver it, but I'm not sure that even she'll be able to stomach you after this."
Picking up his ball bat, Ed quickly turned and headed back towards his red Hummer H2. After climbing in and setting the ball bat in the passenger seat, Ed took a look out the windshield. He could see Danny on his knees and elbows, slowly trying to get back to his feet. A pang of guilt entered the older man as he suspected that Danny really did have a good reason for doing all of this and that the ex-Marine still faced a many miles walk out of the desert and into town. The already excruciating journey would be made worse by the impending storm and the pain Danny was bound to be in. Could Ed really put a man who was like a son to him through that?
"Get it together, Deline." Ed whispered to himself as he shook his head. Sure, Danny had always been like a son to him, but that son had just stabbed him in the back for reasons the tall, brown-haired man clearly did not want Ed to know about. This torture was well deserved! Slowly, Ed reached over and finally shut the driver's side door before turning the key in the ignition. However, it was a few minutes before the older, gray-haired man could bring himself to turn the huge, red vehicle around and he found himself pressing the gas pedal to the floor.
As the Hummer sped back towards civilization, Danny finally got to his feet. He flinched slightly as his back and stomach reacted to his actions. His hand strayed to his pocket to find his cell-phone, as the tall, brown-haired man really didn't feel much like walking back into town. Even if his Montecito friends wouldn't feel much like helping him out, he knew that he could probably still count on Luis or his father if either one wasn't too busy. Feeling an empty pocket, Danny groaned as he realized that Ed must have taken his phone. Deline really did think of everything.
"God damn it!" he exclaimed in frustration as he kicked the ground under his feel. A flare of pain shot through him, causing Danny to quickly regret his actions. Shaking his head, he slowly started in the same direction Ed's Hummer had disappeared into.
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"God." Danny winced as he sat down against the metal guardrail a few hours later. The tall, brown-haired man took a moment to curse Ed Deline for leaving him so far out in the desert, but he understood why the older man had done so. Ed had wanted him to pay for turning his back on the Montecito, and Danny considered his debt paid with interest. Not only had night fallen (which reduced his chances of being seen by a passing motorist), but also the storm had rolled in, dousing the ex-Marine with rain for the last hour or so. To make matters worse, his jaw, stomach and back all took turns aching from the beating Ed had given him.
Huddling his knees to his chest, Danny vainly stuck his thumb out towards town as he heard a vehicle coming from the direction he assumed Las Vegas was in. As he heard the car stop, he looked back up to see a yellow and black Camaro convertible, with its roof on, parked on the other side of the road. As another burst of thunder rumble, the ex-Marine grabbed the metal guardrail and pushed himself into a standing position. It was only then that Danny noticed the license plates on the vehicle, and realized that it was his car.
The driver's side door opened and the sole passenger silently got out. As a sudden breeze tossed about her long hair, Mary Connell simply stared at the man in front of her with a pokerfaced look in her brown eyes. Realizing who it was, Danny sighed and looked away. He had prepared himself for this moment ever since launching the Professor scam with Luis, but he had foolishly hoped that it would never happen.
"Why, Danny?" Mary asked, not taking her eyes off of him.
"Mary, I…" Danny started but couldn't continue. Realizing that he couldn't bring himself to lie to her, the tall, brown-haired man looked down at the ground.
"I thought something was wrong this morning." Mary said, walking over on to the shoulder with him. Looking up quickly, Danny could now see a few tears escaping her eyes. It was enough to send his gaze back towards the ground. "I thought that something was different about you when I mentioned how the traitor could never be you." She shook her head. "I just dismissed it as you thinking that I was putting you on a pedestal again. Just me being the president of the Danny McCoy fan club." She paused before continuing in a more shakily voice. "And you were right. It was just me stupidly hero-worshiping you like I always do. Stupidly thinking that you wouldn't stab everyone in the back, including me."
"I never meant to hurt you, Mary." Danny replied honestly. "That's the last thing I want."
"So, you sold everyone out to one of our worst enemies and you didn't think that it was going to hurt me?" Mary scoffed, wondering if her best friend had somehow lost his brain.
"I'm just trying to protect you." Danny said, looking back up at her. He wasn't sure just how much more of this he could take. "You and everyone else."
"How?" Mary asked, "How are you protecting us when the Professor wants revenge on the Montecito, and Ed personally?" She sighed and shook her head. "And here I thought that semper fi meant something to you."
"It does!" Danny assured, "It will never not mean anything to me."
"Maybe it does mean something to you now." Mary agreed, narrowing her eyes. "Maybe it means that you'll always be faithful to the Professor…"
"Except for the fact that I'm not really joining with him!" Danny heard himself shout, interrupting Mary's comment. Realizing what he said, the tall, brown-haired man clasped a hand over his mouth.
"What?" a curious Mary asked, looking at him.
"I'm not really joining him, Mary." Danny admitted, realizing that he had to tell her the truth now. "It was just a scam that Luis and I came up with in order to bring him down." Rubbing the back of his head, Danny looked at the ground again and sighed. "Of course, I'll understand if you don't believe that right now, but…"
It was Mary's turn to interrupt him. Silently, she walked over and put a hand on the side of his face. She appeared to be studying his eyes carefully, looking for some sort of sign. A smile quickly appeared on her face, and she slowly wrapped her arms around the surprised man.
"I knew it." she said softly, "I knew that there had to be a reason."
"You believe me?" a surprised Danny asked, "Why?"
"I have my reasons." Mary shrugged, looking at him. Concern flashed in her brown eyes as she surveyed his body. Although his face was beginning to swell slightly where Ed had punched him, the dark-blonde woman knew that his shirt and pants hid the majority of the damage to her best friend. "We should get you to a doctor."
"I don't think that I need to go to the doctor, Mare." Danny waved off; smiling at the concern his best friend was showing him. She had the tendency to overreact whenever she saw that he was injured, but McCoy realized that he would probably do the same in that situation. Hell, if he had anything to say about, Mary would never be anywhere near a situation where she could get hurt.
"How about we go back to my place then?" Mary suggested.
"Your place sounds good." Danny agreed as the two started walking towards the car. The tall, brown-haired man would have rather just gone back to his own home, but he knew that Mary wasn't going to give in until he agreed to let her take care of him. He had already suffered through one battle that he couldn't win tonight, and didn't care to go through a second.
To be continued...