Ch. 19

Truth be Told

Danny found himself back in the break room lying stretched out on the couch, staring back up at the ceiling. His shift had ended a long time ago, the most pointless shift of his life. The picture and envelope had wielded nothing for Stella, just like every other piece of evidence they had gone over for the up-teenth time that day. He was supposed to head off to some hotel where he could be under police surveillance, yet had managed to convince Mac to let him stay at HQ, at least for tonight. It wouldn't be the first time Danny had stayed at work all night, even off the clock, though he was normally doing something when it happened.

Right now, all he really wanted to do was go home. Normally he never liked going straight home unless he was exhausted or in no mood to deal with anymore people. But the desire for something was always strongest when it was denied.

Then he would think of the picture, and what he and Farrone had talked about. He hadn't talked to anyone about what Farrone had said, since it was only a theory and nothing about this case was staying the same. Maybe it was a warning to the brother and not Danny, and maybe it wasn't. Both were plausible and Danny knew better than to jump to the conclusion that sounded better. He also didn't tell anyone about it since it sounded paranoid even to him.

It felt more like an insult than a potential attack; being kicked out of his own home because of a picture that could have been dealt with as a prank if it were any other situation.

He still didn't get why it was him and not Mavin. Maybe Mavin was in on it. It was a harsh thought, but Danny didn't care. The man deserved it.

Danny closed his eyes to shut out the sight of the monotonous ceiling. He wasn't tired, and doubted he would fall asleep any time soon. He wondered if he would ever be able to fall asleep again.

The door to the break room opened, but Danny kept his eyes closed. It seemed a little early for the night shift to be coming in for a snack. He only hoped that whoever it was they weren't in the mood for conversation, because Danny sure as hell wasn't.

" Hey Messer."

Danny's eyes snapped open and he rolled his head toward the voice he had hoped never to hear again. Mavin was standing by the door with his hands in his pockets, wearing an expression as if he had just stepped into dog crap while wearing his best shoes.

" Get up. I need you're help with somethin'."

Danny rolled his head away to look back up at the ceiling. " Didn't you hear, Mavin? We don't work together anymore. Go ask someone else."

Danny heard Mavin snort. " Believe me, Messer, I would have. But guess what, you're the only one available."

Danny checked his watch that read nine twenty and grinned. " You're outta luck, Mavin. I'm off the clock. Plus, if you didn't hear me the first time, I'm not working with you anymore. So either dig up someone else to torture or wait until morning."

" That might not be a good idea considering."

" Considering what?"

" Considering I got a letter."

Danny turned his head again to see Mavin holding up a folded sheet of paper. That had Danny's interest enough to at least listen in, and he pushed himself into sitting position.

" Okay then, what's it say?"

" To go to the return address."

" Have fun then," and Danny moved to lie back down.

" Don't even, Messer. I need a CSI with me and you're the only one sitting on his butt not doing anything."

Danny shook his head with dead resolve. " Screw it, Mavin, I'm not going with you on this one. It's just another trap, and you know it."

" What if it's not?"

Danny just stared at Mavin, because he knew the man was right.

Mavin seemed aware of this. " It ain't the same, anymore. These guys are expanding and doing all kinds of crap. You really want to take the chance and say this is nothing? You can't turn your back on these guys. If this is another chance to stop someone from dying and you don't help me out then it'll be on your head, not mine."

Btard, Danny thought. When it came to making points Mavin struck hard and fast.

" You really can't find anyone else?" Danny asked.

" You don't think I tried? Believe me, Messer, I tried. Now you comin' or not?"

Danny studied Mavin over carefully. The man looked genuinely pissed, as though he hated having to ask for Danny's help more than Danny hated being asked.

" Let me see the letter," Danny said. Mavin threw his arms up in a show of impatience, then took four long strides over to Danny, tossing the letter to him.

The letter was short and to the point, telling Mavin to be at the return address at around eleven, but with no heavily articulate mention of anyone getting 'hurt' should he not make it in time. Still, one could not ignore the similarities. There could be a life at stake, and the killer's neglect at mentioning it was part of a means to make things more interesting or unique. Danny still wanted to say no, but neither did he want to chance anything.

" Satisfied? Can we go now?"

Danny was going to regret this. Dread was already creeping up his spine in the form of icy pinpricks. He held up the letter. " Let me dump this thing off at trace and sign back in."

CSINY

The address took them to a neighborhood that Danny had some familiarity with, having worked two homicides in the area just last year. It was a mixture of apartments and stores, with the vast majority of the buildings being empty and disowned. The only stores not permanently locked down were a liquor store, an adult video store, and a small convenient store. As for the apartments, most needed to be condemned, and were either occupied by homeless or druggies.

Mavin parked his car in front of the convenient store, and the two of them crossed the street and headed up the block three complexes down. Each building looked no different from the other, except for the few that were more dilapidated than others. The place with the address was one of those, and Danny felt like he needed a tetanus shot just looking at it. It was three stories high, with every window broken and the front layered in decades of graffiti. Danny recognized some of the gang signs within the tangle of letters and pictures, but it was too dark to know which were the most recent.

Mavin chuckled when he glanced at the building. " Maybe they're hoping the place'll fall on us or something."

" Yeah, maybe," Danny replied dryly. Mavin's dark sense of humor seemed to always verge on sick. But Danny was too preoccupied with the look of the building to fully care what Mavin had to say. Danny hated these kinds of places. They were perfect for hiding in, and if it wasn't the perp jumping out of a closet then it was a junkie on a crack binge hallucinating beyond what was possible.

They climbed the steps of the stoop and went through the door-less entrance, taking out their lights and clicking them on. The first thing that hit Danny was the putrid air smelling of urine, mold, and animal crap. The carpet of the foyer had been pulled up, leaving only patches and glue-stains of its existence. Danny passed his light over the graffiti scribbled walls striped in water stains stretching from the ceiling to the floor.

" Third floor, Messer," Mavin announced. Danny followed the detective up the stairs in the right hand corner of the foyer. As they climbed, the air became heavier with bad smells and thick as though the heating still functioned and had been left on. Danny unzipped his blue CSI standard jacket. Normally he wouldn't wear it on a simple run like this, but it wasn't cold enough for his coat, neither warm enough to go without a jacket.

They came to the end of the stairs and entered a water-stained corridor.

" You sure you know where you're going Mavin?" Danny asked.

" Relax, Messer. It was all in the letter. Just five doors down…"

Mavin stopped abruptly, forcing Danny to halt before running into him.

" You hear that?" he asked in a low voice. Danny strained his hearing into the silence. He caught something that sounded like a short shout.

" Son of a…" Mavin snarled, pulling out his gun, and took off at a run.

Danny started in alarm, then darted after the detective. Five doors down Mavin burst into the apartment room on the left, only to stop abruptly once more, letting out an exasperated sigh.

A tall, lanky man was pacing in short circles of what would be the living room. He must have been late twenties or early thirties, with stringy brown hair that went past his shoulders and a scraggly beard that stood out against his pale face. The guy was high, there was no doubt about that as he circled and murmured, tossing his hands up in the air like one caught up in a bad argument. Whenever he tossed his head back Danny caught a glimpse of his blood-shot and vacant gray eyes. The man was dressed in ragged jeans and a stained black T-shirt, and on the floor outside his pacing circle was a brown paper bag.

Mavin snickered and placed his weapon back within his coat. " This the trap then? A crack-head? Man, they're really hard up for stuff to do, aren't they?"

Danny didn't reply. It looked and felt too weird to take lightly in his opinion. He glanced around the room with walls decorated in more spray-paint. There was a giant cable spool on the right hand side of the room covered by a red cloth. There were beer-cans, liquor bottles, and cigarette butts piled in corners and along the perimeter of the room, as well as the rooms through the doors. This place had been occupied by more than just one junkie.

Danny shook his head. " Don't knock it yet, Mavin. We just got here. This doesn't feel right."

" Chill, Messer. If something was gonna happen then it would have happened."

Mavin moved toward the junkie, reaching out his hand to clasp the man's shoulder. " Hey buddy. Time to snap out of it."

At Mavin's touch, the junkie reacted by smacking Mavin's hand away then springing onto the detective, knocking him to the floor and shouting profanities into his face. The man's hands were seeking Mavin's throat, and though Mavin was holding them back the druggie's state of mind was making him stronger than he looked.

Danny dropped his kit and ran at the junkie, plowing into him and toppling him off of Mavin. The two rolled and Danny managed to wrap his arm around the junkie's throat. The junkie scrambled onto his feet, pulling Danny up with him, and immediately began throwing himself backward to ram Danny against the wall. At the same time he bashed the point of his right elbow sharply into Danny's ribs and chest. The cracking pain loosened Danny's hold but did not break it.

The man then snapped his head back into Danny's face, snapping Danny's own head in turn.

" On your knees!"

Danny heard the command like a voice in a dream. Stars flashed in his vision and his head spun as something warm trailed from his nose down his face and neck. The junkie's hands were clawing at Danny's arm, trying to pull it free.

" I said on your knees!"

The man responded by screaming, and throwing himself back at a more awkward angle. Burning pain ripped through Danny's arm and he finally let go, dropping back first onto the clutter of glass bottles and cans that shattered and flattened beneath him. More pain radiated from somewhere on his back but fell everywhere. He gritted his teeth by clamping his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the agony to pass. He heard the junkie scream, Mavin shout for the man to drop, and the pounding of feet as the junkie took off from the room, sobbing.

" D--m it!" Mavin snarled. Danny then felt hands grip the collar of his jacket, and he was hauled onto his feet. The movement created a fresh eruption of pain and he had to lean against the wall before he blacked out.

Yet even through the haze of pain, Danny was able to realize something odd. He turned his head to look at Mavin in astonishment.

" You didn't shoot him," he panted.

Mavin, also panting, re-holstered his gun then wiped sweat from his mouth.

" You sound surprised, Messer. The guy wasn't armed; I had no reason to shoot him. Besides, he was a potential witness. And I will not get busted just because the bullet might pass through him into you."

Danny stared at Mavin uncertainly. " Potential witness? That guy's brain was so fried he wouldn't have even been speaking the same language if we calmed him down enough to talk. But I believe you on the getting busted part."

Danny pushed himself from the wall. More pain shot through his arm and he gripped it with his other hand. He could feel the grating of bone against bone and it was making him sick. The return throbbing of his chest and the stinging pain in his back was reinforcing it.

" I knew I shouldn't of come," Danny mumbled, sucking a sharp breath in between his teeth when more pain radiated. On the plus side, at least his glasses were still intact.

" You should've just let the creep go," Mavin said berratingly.

" I was trying to bring him down," Danny snapped back.

" Fat lotta good that did. Listen, you wait here. I'm going to see if I can't run that guy down."

Mavin turned to take off, but didn't even take a step when Danny grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.

" Forget it, Mavin, he's long gone by now. I need to get to a doctor, you hear me? This isn't like last time, Mavin. I got more than a few cracks. My shoulders been dislocated and something's wrong with my back. And I'm not gonna wait around for you to chase down some guy who probably can't even tell us what year it is. So let's just go while we can and come back tomorrow."

Mavin stared at Danny with neither anger nor amusement, just blank scrutiny as though he couldn't decide how to react. Then he reached up and shoved Danny's hand from his shoulder.

" Whatever. Just let me do a quick scope of the place."

Danny took a step back. " Fine. But quick had better mean a minute and not twenty minutes."

Mavin twitched his head in a tense nod, then strode off in wide steps to the adjoining room. A minute later he was back out, shaking his head in disappointment. Danny followed him out of the room, grabbing his kit along the way though the movement aggravated every nerve he had. But when they came to the foyer Mavin stopped and looked back, craning his neck in a listening fashion. Danny continued on.

" He's gone, Mavin. Get over it."

Danny stepped through the entrance back into the breathable air of the outside world. It was a quiet night in terms of New York with all sounds muffled by distance. It was silence enough, though, for him to catch a small chorus of voices that seemed to be growing steadily louder. Danny looked left, and saw a small cluster of silhouetted forms moving in his direction.

Danny immediately stepped back, acting on instinct. Groups of people walking darkened streets in the dead of night were never a good sign. But what made Danny really nervous was the fact that he was standing in a heavily tagged building that showed signs of use. Danny and Mavin had been led here for a reason. There was a trap involved, and Danny highly doubted that the junkie had been that trap. No druggie would be even near that predictable.

The voices were nearing, becoming more distinct with laughter and swearing. Danny backed up into the foyer and turned to Mavin.

" We've got a problem," he said. He glanced over his shoulder every time another burst of laughter sounded.

Mavin turned to Danny, wearing a look of deep impatience. " What?"

" I think we might be on some gang's turf. A bunch of guys are heading this way."
Mavin shrugged. " So?"

Danny narrowed his eyes in growing agitation. " So, it made me realize something. What if crack-head wasn't the trap. This is gang turf, Mavin. It's been tagged a couple of hundred times. And some gangs don't take too well to having cops in their territory. Now I don't know about you but I'm a little tired of getting banged up here. That and I would really like it if I didn't get shot any time soon. We need to find a back way out of here…"

Danny began turning in search of another exit, but it was too dark to see anything and his only useable hand was holding onto his kit.

" Messer, stop. Don't move."

Danny froze. " What?"

" There's blood on your back."

The voices were even more distinct, almost as if they were just right outside now. Danny's heart began beating faster, and his mind raced.

" Screw it, I'll deal with it later, we don't have time. I'll go out there, see if I can't distract them. You go find another way out."

Danny started moving to the door when Mavin grabbed his uninjured arm.

" Whoa, Messer! What the Hell! You nuts? What was all that crap about you not wanting to get banged up again and you're just gonna go out there?"

Danny looked back at Mavin. " I'm banged up enough so they won't care where I come from. Trust me. And take this."

He thrusted the kit into Mavin's hands, then pulled free of his grip. He headed to the door, pulling off his jacket. He tried to be careful about it but even such a simple action turned into torture that made his eyes water and his whole frame shake. He turned the jacket inside out, hiding the CSI lettering on the back, then placed the jacket back on in another onslaught of torment as he stumbled outside. He then began walking toward the group as the group walked toward him.

Even in the poor illumination from the few working streetlights he could still see some detail of the group. They were all wearing heavy coats with their faces hidden within heavy hoods. A few had their hoods down, but Danny could not determine clearly whether they were Hispanic or white trying to pass off as being Hispanic.

At their first sight of Danny the group slowed. Danny's heart was beating so hard it made it difficult to breathe. He swallowed against a tightened throat, then cleared it, hoping his fear would be mistaken for pain.

" Hey," he said in a hoarse voice. " Any of you guy's have a phone? I - I think I need an ambulance."

The boys murmured to eachother, then the tallest of them stepped forward.

" What the hell happened to you? And what were you doing in our place?"

Thought so, Danny thought. " What'd you think I was doing? I'm lookin' for freakin' help. My girlfriend's ex paid a surprise visit. She let's us duke it out, beggin' us to stop. Then he wins and I'm out the door, drippin' blood. Go figure, right?"

The leader, at least Danny assumed him to be the leader, looked Danny up and down. " Man, you do look like crap. Was he big?"

Danny looked away, feigning shame and feigning at trying to hide it. " Doesn't matter. Can you guys help me or what?"

The leader held up both his hands, taking a step back. " Sorry, homes, but ambulances tend to bring the cops around here, and I'm not getting' hauled in for beatin' you're a-- when I didn't do it. But, hey, there's a couple of stores back the way we came that could help you out. You'd be easier to find there anyway."

Danny nodded. " Yeah, thanks."

The small gang parted to let him through, then continued on their way. Danny let out a breath of sweet relief, then quickened his steps though it jolted his arm. He soon came to the car, and was both surprised and irritated to find Mavin leaning casually against it as though he had been waiting there for a long time.

Yet when Danny came into view of Mavin, the detective straightened, but his face was in shadows hiding his expression.

" What happened?" he asked immediately. " They try anything?"

Danny shook his head. He could have sworn he heard something akin to concern in Mavin's tone.

" They bought the crap I told 'em. Let's get out of here. I could really go for some pain killers right about now."

Danny made his way around to the passenger side and put his hand on the handle. But he paused when he looked up at Mavin and saw the man's features clearly. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were wide. He seemed confused, while at the same time startled.

Danny released the door handle and tossed his hand up in the air. " What?"

Mavin narrowed his eyes in a scrutinizing manner. " You realize what you did back there?"

Danny dropped his head in frustration, letting it momentarily hang limp from his neck. He then snapped his head back up. " Nearly killed myself?"

" You saved my A-- Messer. You actually risked your own to save mine," Mavin smirked. " And here I thought you hated me."

Danny glared at Mavin from beneath heavy-lidded eyes. " I do Mavin. But you don't stand around just to watch another cop die. So, in truth, I don't hate you bad enough to risk not doing my job. Here's a question, though," he added with unconfined bitterness. " Would you have done the same? I'm kind of curious."

Mavin's visage melted into sincere shock. " Yeah! Of course I would…" then he trailed off.

Danny felt bone weary and sick with pain, but a peculiar look came to Mavin's face that made him momentarily forget his state, a look Danny had yet to see on the man and one he thought he would never see; abashment. Mavin was looking genuinely worried and uncomfortable, and this made Danny suddenly tense up.

" What?"

Mavin inhaled slowly, but exhaled quickly. " I gotta level with you, Danny."

Crap! Danny mentally spat. He is in on it. I was just kidding when I thought that.

" There's a little something about this case I don't think anyone realizes, not even Farrone. It's something I came to realize over time after the last Hangmen spree. I don't even know if it actually holds water - but it seems like it does if you take into consideration that these guys are skilled hunters. The traps - I don't think they're put in place for just laughs. I think there's more to them. I think that they use the traps to help, you know, pick victims. The first trap we came across was triggered by Myers. It was a cement brick tied to some string. When she opened a door it fell out, smashing her hand on the way down. She'd been wounded."

Danny forced his mind to ignore the pain and listen more intently to what Mavin had to say.

" These guys go after the wounded ones - emotionally and physically. You get hurt, you're a target."

" So why didn't the others who got snagged by a trap get killed too?" Danny asked.

Mavin shrugged. " I'm not completely sure. Maybe they were going to but couldn't get to them. Or maybe they just needed one. Maybe it depended on how hurt they were, or their position on this case. Myers' got hurt more than once, so I'm leaning toward how hurt they were. But that's the thing, Messer. So far, you're the only one to get hurt on this case… twice."

Danny's mind shot back to the picture, and Farrone's theory of it being a warning to the brother.

" They're gonna come after you, Messer."

I could have told you that, Danny thought but managed not to spat. But then he was struck with another thought, one that made him even sicker than the pain.

" And you had me come along anyway? You knew this, had known it. Why didn't you say anything? Why did you bring me out here when - you know?"

Mavin averted his gaze to anywhere but Danny. " I wanted - I wanted to see if it was true, if my theory was right. I…"

Now Danny wished he had left Mavin to the gang-bangers. " You son of a b----, you were using me as bait?"

Mavin continued to look away from Danny. Danny's breath came faster with his rising anger, and he winced from the fiery agony tearing through his ribcage.

" You were, weren't you. You were using me as bait and to take the brunt of the traps." Danny slammed the top of the car with his fist. " You were usin' me you sick freak! And now I saved you're life and you feel all guilty about it, right? You feel bad and want to make amends, so you warn me. Well guess what, Mavin, it's old news. Already know I'm targeted. They told me, personally, by putting a knife to my throat and taking a picture of it while I was sleeping."

At this, Mavin finally looked at Danny, but with horror. " What?"

" They're gonna kill me, Mavin! I'm their end game, just like Myers!"

Pain and rage was creating a haze in Danny's mind, one he could not handle. He wanted to beat Mavin to a bloody mess, let him know pain for a while. But just as badly he wanted his own pain to end, which was growing worse the angrier he got.

" You talk about games Mavin, so I'm gonna play. You want me as bait, then you got me as bait. Central Park isn't that far from here. It's a good place for a body to turn up, don't you think? The hangmen brothers like to watch. They're probably watching us right now. And it's about time for another body. You play your cards right and time it good, you might just show up while one of 'em is cutting me open. So I'll see you around Mavin."

With that said, Danny took off at his fastest walk, letting the haze become a fog that muffled the voice of reason trying to scream in his brain.