As always a huge thank you to anmodo for betaing this chapter. Also thanks to everyone that has reviewed.

Chapter 4

With bleary eyes, Danny looked around the cabin. Usually, he would be excited to fly in a Gulf Steam jet but because of the purpose of this flight, he was anything but thrilled. He rolled over onto his side to get a better look at the cabin and who was inside, but quickly regretted it.

"Alejandro, I see you are awake," Michael said as he threw a file at Danny. "I suggest you read it and memorise it. Your life and the lives of your loved ones depend on it."

Danny sat up, ignoring his pounding head, and slowly pulled open the file that contained the details of his new life. As he read through the details, he was surprised how similar the facts were to his own. Actually, he thought sadly, the details of the recently deceased Danny Taylor. He felt his pockets to see if the CIA had forgotten to remove his wallet. They hadn't. He would have got rid of them himself. He didn't want to endanger the people he left behind, but getting rid of the photos should have been his job. His 'first life', the life as Danny Alvarez, he had never really enjoyed hence the reason he changed his name. His 'second life', the life as Danny Taylor, he loved and now he had to move on and start another life. He didn't know how many times he could start over, especially with the roots he had formed in the life was he leaving. He looked out the cabin window into the darkening sky and for the second time that day he prayed. He prayed that Martin was all right, and he prayed that the team would forgive him for he had done to them.

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"Martin," Jack said pleading for him to wake up. He could not face it if another of his agents died. He nearly cried with joy when he saw Martin's eyes fluttered opened. "Hey Martin. It's okay. I've got you. Just stay still, all right. The paramedics are on the way."

Martin slowly opened his eyes to see Jack and he knew everything was going to be okay. "Jack," he said checking to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He heard Jack continue to reassure him. He closed his eyes momentarily in relief, but as he did, the events of the last day flashed before his eyes. "Oh god! Jack I'm so sorry," he cried.

"Martin… Martin look at me. Now I need you to calm down," Jack said in a firm yet gentle voice. "Now what are you sorry for?"

Jack didn't know, Martin thought to himself. Jack didn't know that Danny was dead. How was he going to tell him? He took a couple of shaky, painful breathes as he tried to prepare himself. "I'm sorry, Jack. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry. I tried to stop them; I promise," Martin paused before continuing, "Jack, they killed Danny," Martin finished and looked away not wanting to see the disappointment in Jack's eyes.

"I know," Jack said as he tried to blink back tears. "I saw what happened. It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done."

"But Jack, I was there. I could have done something… I should have done…," Martin said emotionally, looking away from Jack.

"There was nothing you could have done. If you tried to stop Danny's murder… we probably would have lost both of you," Jack said, feeling relieved as he heard the sirens approach them. "Stay calm. You're going to be fine."

Martin tried to listen to Jack's words. He tried to understand them. He tried to, but he couldn't because he thought it was his fault that his friend was dead and there was nothing he or anyone else could do about it. He was too lost in his own thoughts to notice people surrounding him. He was too numb to feel the paramedics start working on him. He was too out of it to realise that Jack had jumped into the ambulance next to him. His thoughts were lost on his friend's last moments. How was he going to face Sam and Viv after he had caused Danny's death? They all loved Danny. Sure they liked him, but Danny had the closest relationship with everyone on the team… and he had killed Danny.

Jack watched as Martin's eyes glazed over. He tried to reassure him. He tried to get through to him. But nothing was working. He hoped Martin was all right physically, but he knew he wasn't emotionally. To hell with it, Jack thought, even he wasn't all right emotionally. Why the hell should they be emotionally stable at this moment when some terrorist had just murdered one of them. He knew he was racked with guilt, and he couldn't imagine what Martin was going through. Especially since Martin was there. Martin had watched Danny die in the flesh. He had been forced at gun point to check for life signs on Danny's still warm body.

Jack barely noticed the ride to the hospital. He watched as though he was in shock as Martin was wheeled into the hospital. Martin had to be ok; he couldn't face it if Martin wasn't going to be ok. He couldn't face if he lost another agent. He knew he had to contact Sam and tell her that they had gotten Martin back, but he didn't feel he could come up with the words. He stumbled slightly as he remembered that Viv didn't know anything about the ambush… the kidnapping… Danny's death. He collapsed into a chair as he waited for news on Martin.

Jack was still holding his head in his hands when a doctor approached him. "Are you here for Agent Fitzgerald?" He heard the doctor ask.

"Yes," Jack managed to reply. "I have tried to get a hold of his father but… but he's busy," he continued to reply in disgust. After what Martin had been through, what father wouldn't move heaven and earth to be there for their kid. "I'm Martin's boss," Jack added, knowing that they usually only gave out details to family members.

"He's going to be fine. He has a couple of cracked ribs and a mild concussion. So I would like to keep overnight."

"He was unconscious when I found him—after he had been chucked out of a moving van," Jack said, trying to get the full picture of this situation.

"Well, he has high levels of a sedative. It probably saved him from major injury." The doctor looked at Jack's questioning look and added. "Because of the sedative, at the time his body was dumped, his body was relaxed, thus saving him from major injury."

"Can I see him?"

The doctor looked at Jack. His patient seemed so lost, he may benefit from seeing someone he knew. "Sure. Can I ask what happened to him?"

Jack sighed in relief, "I'm sorry I can't tell you what happened. I can tell you… but you probably know this already… he had been through extreme emotional trauma," Jack said as he rose from the chair and began to follow the doctor to Martin's room, where he found Martin asleep. Choosing this moment to gather himself to together, he phoned Sam to tell her after 24 hours of nothing but bad news; he finally had something good to tell her. The phone rang a couple times before she answered. He managed to reply in a quiet, shaky voice. "Sam, its Jack."

"Jack," Sam said emotionlessly. After events of the last 24 hours, she didn't think that she could take anymore horrific news.

"Sam… I'm at Mount Sinai hospital. We got Martin back," Jack said feeling some if his tension being released.

Sam nearly dropped the phone in shock. "Is-is he ok?" she asked as her already tense body, tensed up more.

"He's going to be… he's going to be fine," Jack replied. Sam didn't need to worry about Martin's emotional state right now. "He's cracked a couple of ribs and has a minor concussion."

Sam sighed in relief. "I will be there in 15 minutes or less," she said ending the call.

Jack sat in the chair next to Martin and closed his eyes for a moment. The last 24 hours had been undoubtedly the worse 24 hours of his life. He would like to think that he could end this day on an 'up note'. But he know from the moment that Danny that been murdered, this would never happen. He glanced across at Martin and realised how much worse it could have been. Both Martin and Danny could have died. At least they had Martin back, Jack thought as he tried to stay positive in these trying times. He leaned his head back and rested his eyes, but his mind was drawn back to his deepest and darkest thoughts. Viv, he remembered. Viv knew nothing about this, and now he had to tell her about the ambush, the kidnapping, Martin… he had to tell her about Danny. How to do you tell someone that has just had major heart surgery that her 'boys' drove into an ambush and were taken hostage; that they had hurt one of her boys; that- that they had murder one of her boys. He glanced across at Martin again, he wasn't about to leave him. He would wait until Sam arrived then he would go and break this devastating news to Viv.

Sam barely remembered to put on her shoes as she rushed out of her apartment. The only thing she consciously remembered was her keys. Sprinting down the street, she was glad that her sneakers had been the shoes nearest the door. She jumped into her car and floored it to the hospital. Even though Jack said Martin was going to be ok, she just wouldn't believe it until she had seen him with her own eyes. She managed to arrive at the hospital without being stopped or causing any accidents in record time. She barely noticed the corridors she ran down to get to Martin's room. She quickly swung open the door and rushed inside. She didn't know what to do when she saw Martin's battered but alive form. She noticed Jack coming towards her and making that decision for her.

"You sit with Martin and I- I will… I- I have to tell Viv," She heard Jack say as she watched him age before her eyes.

How he made it to Viv's room, Jack would never know. Pausing before he entered the room, he tried to collect himself. He tried to come up with the words… but found he could not. He gently knocked.

Viv watched as an aged, haggard looking Jack entered her room. She tried to calm herself as she wondered what event would give her boss and friend this appearance. "Jack, what's the matter? What's happened?" She asked making the pre-emptive move.

"Martin and Danny," Jack said collapsing into a chair letting his head fall into his hands. "Martin and Danny," he repeated.

"Jack, what's happened to the boys?" Viv asked slightly panicking.

"Viv you have to stay calm!" Jack said resting his hand on her shoulder.

"How can I? When you come in here looking like hell and something has happened to the boys," Viv said glaring at Jack.

Jack sighed. There was no easy way to tell Viv about the events of the last 24 hours. "Martin and Danny were transporting a suspect in our latest case to a holding cell. When- when they drove into an ambush." He heard Viv inhale sharply. He paused before continuing. "They were taken hostage… umm we got Martin back," Jack said as he tried to soften the blow.

"What about Danny?" Viv asked. Then she looked at Jack's grim expression and red rimmed eyes. "No Jack, please no, he can't be."

"I'm so sorry Viv," Jack said as he let his head fall into his hands again and let the tears fall. He had failed them.

Viv closed her eyes as she tried to comprehend life without Danny. A life without the person on the team who was always there for everyone, a life without her second son. No one would hurt one of the boys and get away with it. But the fact that they had not only hurt one of her boys they had also killed one and that she couldn't do anything about it would haunt her until her dying day.

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Danny felt his back stick to the cheap plastic seats of the old Toyota pick-up. He felt the bitter taste of adrenaline in his mouth that hadn't left him since the ambush in New York, he thought sadly. He hoped Martin was ok. He glanced up and saw the imposing gates of the Cali drug cartel headquarters, which may be his home for the next… He pulled the pick-up, up to the gates and spoke to the guard.

"Hey, I'm Alejandro Rios and I'm starting work here today," Danny said smiling, trying not to show his fear. He had done undercover ops before, but he had never been this scared. Before, if it hit the fan, he knew that he would have the team backing him up. But now… now he was alone and if it went to hell, he had no back up.

"You can go head, but next time use the back entrance." Danny heard the guard say pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Thanks" he managed to reply. He put the pick-up into gear managing not to stall it this time. After years of driving automatic cars he had nearly forgotten how to drive a stick shift car. As he drove down the long drive, he tried to relax himself, knowing these guys could smell fear.

Danny was amazed by the size of the compound as he drove through it. It appeared to strength on for miles. He turned the pick-up on to one of the dusty side roads and drove up to the back of the house. He gently pulled the pick-up to a stop and watched as a cloud of dust rose around them. Turning off the engine, Danny rested his head on the steering wheel and prayed. He prayed that he would see this op through. He prayed that the team would forgive him. He prayed that all this was just a bad dream and he would wake up in his New York apartment and go to work like every other day. But he knew this would not happen – he probably would never do that again. He sat up and took a deep breath and stepped out the pick-up into his new life.

TBC