Huge, huge thanks to anmodo for betaing this chapter. Also thanks to everyone that has reviewed.

Chapter 5

That monster's life or Sam's life, Danny thought as he stared down the gun's barrel. My father's life or my best friend's life, the person who beat the hell out of my mother, my brother and myself, the person who murdered my mother and brother – his life or Sam's, who had stuck by him through thick and thin.

"Drop it or I will shoot. And I swear, I will not miss," Danny yelled as he tried to smile reassuringly at the terrified Sam.

"You're a loser and always have been. Nothing will change that, not even a new name," Marco Alvarez taunted as he pressed the knife harder into Sam's neck causing a little blood to be drawn.

Danny knew he didn't have a choice anymore. He knew this monster that used to haunt his waking nightmares, would kill Sam if he didn't act now. But this monster was his father – his flesh and blood. He knew the consequences of his father's psychological make up first hand – he still bore the marks physically and emotionally. But some how, for some unknown reason, he couldn't kill this monster that stood before him, the monster that threatened to take the life of his best friend.

Sam tried to keep as still as possible as this madman held a knife to her throat. She trusted Danny; she trusted him with her life, with the lives of the team, with the lives of her dysfunctional family. She would trust him with the lives of every single person on this planet. He was one of her greatest and most trusted friends – but right now she couldn't for the life of her work out what was going on between these two men. They couldn't have been any different if they tried – one was a psycho monster who was rotten to the core. The other was the kindest, sweetest, gentlest person she had ever met. Danny was the person who visited her everyday when she was at the hospital and at home recovering. Always bringing flowers or chocolate, always making her laugh no matter now tired, down or how much pain she was in. He was the greatest friend she had ever had. She thought she understood him, but she still couldn't work out the connection between these two men. She knew bits about Danny's childhood – Danny had never revealed much about his life before he joined the FBI. From what she could gather it was anything but happy – she had no idea how he had through all of that and turned out to be this kind, gentle soul that he now was.

"What are you going to do Danny? Or shall I draw this knife across your pretty girlfriend's face," Marco taunted as ran a finger across Sam's cheek. "You could never protect anyone, could you Danny? People die because of your weakness."

"I swear if you hurt her, I will kill you. Whether it be today or ten years down the line, I will hunt you down and kill you. So drop the weapon now," Danny said coldly matching the temperature of the room. "It's me you want, not her. Why don't you let her go?"

Marco tossed his head back and laughed, his cold laugh echoing across the empty space. "You think you're a big man now because you carry a badge and gun. Well I hate to break it to you, but all those years, all that education, all that training has done nothing for you, Danny because you still are that pathetic, weak brat I knew. So 'Special' Agent Danny 'Taylor' what are you going to do?"

Danny felt his hands shake. Why couldn't he do it? Why couldn't he shoot this bastard who was holding his best friend – a person he thought of as his sister – at knife point? He knew he only had one choice; he couldn't shoot his father, so he would have to take Sam's place. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward holding his hands up.

"You don't need her, I'm all you need," Danny said trying to hide the fear he felt from his voice. "Let her go and I will go willing with you. I won't struggle. You think you're a man, well then let her go and take it out on me!"

Marco took a deep breath as he considered his options, his reason, his purpose for coming to New York was standing in front of him and was prepared to go willing with him. But every second he stayed exposed like this was a second more for the DEA or Interpol could catch him. But maybe he could have some fun with this blonde before he went – she obviously meant something to Danny.

"Fine," he said but his knife never left Sam's throat. "I would like to see some cooperation from you as well, you pathetic excuse for a human being."

Danny tried to nod reassuringly at Sam but he was terrified. He was terrified that his father would kill him. But what scared him more was that this monster would kill him and then do something unspeakable to Sam, that was the reason he had to stay conscious… stay alive until Sam got away safely away.

"It's going to be alright," Danny said softly Sam who hadn't said a word throughout this whole exchange. He slowly put his gun down and kicked it to one side.

"Danny," Sam started.

"Sam it has to be this way," Danny said as he briefly closed his eyes. He unclipped his cell phone and knife from his belt and kicked them in the same direction as his gun.

"Good, good," Marco said nodding in approval. He dragged Sam towards Danny's gun. Picking it up, he slid it into his waistband. "Now walk towards me and I will let your girlfriend go. Bare in mind, if you don't, I will cut your pretty woman's face," he sneered.

"Danny," Sam tried again but found the cold steel of the knife being pressed against her throat once more. "Danny don't do this."

Danny looked Sam in the eye. "I have to, Sam there's no other way," Danny said as he walked towards them. "Tell Jack thanks for trusting me and having faith in me when no one else did. Tell Viv that I love her and I'm sorry. Tell Martin I'm sorry that I was a jerk at the beginning and I'm sorry for everything ok. T-tell tell Megan," Danny paused briefly as he felt tears sting his eyes. But he refused to let them fall; he refused to let his father see his weakness. "Tell Megan I love her and that she was 'the one' and that I'm so sorry. Sam u-mm I love you, you are like the sister I never had. Just remember I will always be there for you, I'm so sorry Sam."

"Danny don't do this, please don't do this," Sam pleaded allowing the tears to spill down her face. She couldn't imagine life without her gentle, kind friend with the warmest smile. She didn't think she could live with his death on her conscious. "Danny I'm begging you please don't do this, there has to be another way."

Danny's eyes travelled from Sam to his father. For a brief moment, he thought about pulling Sam away from the monster, but he knew it wouldn't work. Even it he could use his body to shield her from the initial knife attack; he would probably be too weak from the first attack to defend her from the second. He wouldn't be able to buy her enough time to get away from this monster. Danny closed his eyes as his imagination ran wild of what his father would do to Sam after he had killed him. He felt bile rise in his throat and quickly swallowed it. He knew what his father would do to Sam if he didn't exchange places. He knew his father would rape her and torture her before he finally killed her. He wouldn't let that happen to any woman, especially not Sam.

He coldly looked his father in the eyes. "You have what you've came for, let her go." He glaze soften as he looked at Sam. "It's ok Sam, you're going to be alright – I promise you."

"What about you?" Sam asked. She felt the madman's grip on her loosen but her eyes never left the knife. She watched in horror as the madman rested it on Danny's neck.

"Sam my life isn't important," Danny said trying to hold his fear. He felt beads of cold sweat run down his back. Why wouldn't Sam go? He didn't know how much longer he could keep it together. He felt the cold blade being run gently across his throat. He hoped that Sam and his father wouldn't see his weakness.

"How sweet," Marco growled. "But I have plans and I don't have time for this." Without another word he spun the gun around in his fingers and brought the butt of the gun down on the back of Sam's head. He laughed as he watched her crumble to the ground.

Danny watched in horror as Sam fell to the ground. "What the hell was that for?" Danny yelled taking his eyes off his father. He cried out in pain as he felt his wrist being twisted in an unnatural direction. He heard a sickening crack and stumbled as the sudden pain overwhelmed him. His vision blurred and bitter taste of adrenaline caused him to retch. He tried to move away from his father, from the source of pain, from the flashbacks and nightmares. But he found his movements were uncoordinated. He tried to stop the room from spinning but he found himself falling and automatically threw out his hands to break his fall – forgetting about his damaged wrist. As soon as his hands hit the cold, hard concrete floor he felt an explosion of white hot pain shot up his arm and through his body. He collapsed on his side breathing hard. Black spots started to blur his vision; he blinked rapidly as he tried to chase them away. As his vision cleared, he looked across at the still unconscious Sam. He had to know if she was alright, ignoring his father's threats and the pain, he crawled across to her. Gently he brushed her neck with trembling fingers as he tried to find a pulse. He felt a deep feeling of relief wash over his body, when he felt a strong, steady pulse.

"What the hell are you doing?" Marco yelled trying to hide his pleasure of watching his youngest son suffer. "I don't have all day, move it or she dies," Marco finished lashing out a forceful kick to Danny's chest. But he couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped his lips as he watched his son cry out in pain but defensively roll his body in front of the blonde protecting her.

"It's me you want, not her, leave her alone," Danny gasped. "If you kill me fine but if you kill her that's two federal agents that you would've killed and the FBI will not rest until they have found and killed you."

"Oh how touching," Marco sneered delivering another forceful kick to Danny's chest. "That's so sweet how they took after their own."

"If you kill me, my boss will be pissed but that's nothing compared to how pissed he will be if you kill the women he loves," Danny said as he tried to bite back the pain. "I swear if you kill her, no one will able to protect you from my boss. So let me make sure she's all right and then you can do what the hell you want with me."

"Fine," Marco yelled fighting the urge to kick his son again.

Danny bent over Sam and gently brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. He bit back the tears that threatened to fall. "I'm so sorry Sam. I am so sorry that I got you into this mess. I hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me," Danny whispered. He shivered as he felt the chill in the air and with difficulty started to shrug off his coat each small movement causing pain to fare across his wrist and chest. But he had to do it; he wouldn't need his coat where he was going. He hastily wiped away the tears that were now falling felling down his face. He didn't notice the tears that had fallen on to Sam. "I'm so sorry," he repeated as he continued to remove his coat.

"Hurry up!" Marco yelled grabbing Danny's coat and forcefully removing it.

Danny didn't know what had hit him but it felt as though he had been hit by a car. He vaguely was aware that he had fallen to the ground as his senses dulled.

He took a few moments to try and ride out the pain. With a clear goal in his mind, he forced himself up, using the last remainder of his strength – he had to protect Sam. Fighting through the pain and darkness that threatened to consume him he fumbled for his coat and gently draped it over Sam. He shivered as he felt the combination of shock and the icy room begin to take affect. With his dulled senses and grim determination to help Sam, he didn't notice the foot encased in a heavy boot swing towards his head.

Danny thought his head was about to explode when his father's boot slammed into his head. He fell back gripping the newly found cell phone in his good hand. His coordinated fingers fumbled across the keypad as he tried to dial a number that he knew would bring help… a person who he knew would take care of Sam. Forcing his barely conscious mind to think, to try to hide the cell phone. He felt nausea rise in his throat again and quickly swallowed it. He slowly turned his heavy head just in time to see that monster's heavy boot swing towards his head. He didn't have a chance to move, as he felt pain explode through his skull again. He knew no more as he sank blissfully into the pain free darkness.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack sat at the table watching Martin brief Viv about the latest development in their case. Danny and Sam weren't back yet – but this didn't concern him. It was all the way across town to get to Miguel Bain's warehouse and for all he knew they had found a witness/suspect and were interviewing them. The shrill from his cell phone pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Hey Sam," Jack greeted having looked at the caller ID before answering. But the sound on the other side of the phone took his breath. "Sam, Sam," Jack cried down the phone as he stood up and ran towards the tech room leaving behind two very confused and concerned agents.

Viv looked as her boss and friend's cell phone rang. She expected to be Sam or Danny checking in. But happened next made her unconsciously hold her breath as she watched Jack blanch and yell Sam's name down the phone.

"Jack," Martin called after him.

Viv and Martin exchanged worried glanced before they quickly followed him into the tech room, where he was barking commends at the terrified Mac.

"I need this call," Jack yelled holding up his cell phone. "Traced now, as in I needed traced yesterday."

"Of course," Mac said as his fingers started to rapidly fly over the keys. "Have you got any idea rough area were this call is from?"

"Look I have two agents who are in some form of danger, so I really don't need this," Jack yelled.

Viv laid a hand on Jack's shoulder in attempt to calm him. "Mac, the last time we heard from them they were headed towards some warehouse in Queens by the river."

"T-thanks," Mac stammered as he furiously entered some more data into the computer. He looked up at the three agents, noting the two missing agents. "It's Sam and Danny isn't it?"

"Yes," Viv replied nervously as she felt the tension in the room begin to get to her.

"Got it," Mac called out as the computer beeped with the location. He grabbed a PDA lying next to the computer and uploaded the information and handed it to Martin. "I've synchronized this with the cell phone."

"Thanks," Martin replied as he turned and jogged to catch up with Jack and Viv, who were almost running towards the elevator.

"Where are they?" Jack demanded as Martin stepped into the elevator behind them.

"Warehouse in Queens," Martin replied as he stared at the PDA, as though if he stared at it long and hard enough his friends would magically reappear beside him. "Mac synched up Sam's cell with this, if they move will know about it."

"That's if they are still there," Jack said tensely as he jumped out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened.

"Jack what aren't you telling us?" Viv said as they jogged after him.

"I heard-I heard," Jack said as he ran a hand through his hair. "It sounded like someone had been knocked unconscious before being dragged."

Viv collapsed into the car after hearing what could be the fate of her friends and colleagues. "If that's what happened to Sam, what's happened to Danny?"

"I don't know, I don't know," Jack replied tensely feeling relieved that Martin was driving. "For all we know Danny made that call. But they are both still alive… I can feel it."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam blinked hard as she tried to ignore her pounding head and the feeling of nausea that rose in her throat. She winced as her muscles protested on the icily, cold concrete floor. As she slowly sat up, she felt a coat – a man's coat – Danny's coat if she wasn't mistaken. As the flashbacks began to invade her senses, she closed her eyes tightly. She let her head fall between her knees, as she remembered what Danny had done. She looked around the room to find that she was completely alone. "Oh Danny," she whispered pulling his coat about her shoulders. "What have you done?"

Jack felt his heart skip a beat as he thought he heard Sam's voice. "Sam," he said urgently.

Sam's head jerked up, she could have sworn that she heard Jack's voice. She looked around praying it wasn't her imagination, her head drooped when her eyes did not meet Jack Malone. She heard her name called again and looked desperately searching for the source of the voice, praying that her head injury wasn't so bad that she was hearing things. She felt an overwhelming sense of relief as her eyes meet the glowing display of her cell phone. She picked it up, holding it as though her life depended on it.

"Jack," she tried.

"Sam are you ok?" Jack replied feeling relief surging from his body. "Sam are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Oh Danny oh god Danny why did you do this," Sam cried forgetting that her cell phone was in her hand.

"Sam what's happened to Danny?" Jack asked his concern growing by the second.

"Oh god Jack," Sam said wiping away the tears that were falling freely down her face. "He exchange-he sacrificed his life for mine."

"Shit," Jack swore. "Sam it's going to be alright, we are only a few minutes out and we will get Danny back."

"Jack what happens if we don't – the man that took him, he knew Danny. Jack, Danny was scared, he was terrified – I've never seen him like that. What happens- what happens if we are too late?" Sam said voicing her fears.

"We'll not be too late Sam, Danny's alive I know it," Jack said clutching the cell phone with a death grip.

"I hope so Jack, I really do," Sam said as she pulled Danny's coat closer as though it was her security blanket. "I hope so," she said looking into the darkest that surrounded her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Danny felt himself start to return to the cruel reality of consciousness. His head pounded and the harsh light that broke through the broken down boards, felt as though millions of tiny blades where being stuck in his head. He groaned and drew his arms up to try and shield his eyes from the torturous bright light. He cried out as he found bindings cut into his wrist. He tried to ignore the pain, but found it brought tears to his eyes. He shifted position as he tried to take the pressure off his damaged ribs, but his wrist knocked a nearby scrap of metal causing a whimper to escape his lips.

Marco stood up taking a swig from one of the whiskey bottles; he walked over to where his son was lying. "You're finally awake," he drooled. He grabbed Danny's bounded arms, laughing as he heard his son's cries of pain. "What did you think of that bitch that was your mother?"

"She was a beautiful, amazing person unlike you," Danny said defiantly.

"Wrong answer," Marco yelled bring down the bottle on Danny's shoulder, laughing as it shattered. "Why did you change your name?"

"Because I didn't want to be associated with you," Danny said. He started to push himself up using the wall finding it hard as his legs were also bound around the ankles. If he was going to die by his father's hand, he would do looking down on him.

"Again wrong answer," Marco sneered as he drew his knife and thrust it into Danny's chest, watching with amusement as Danny struggled to remain standing.

"You see, the thing is that I made you mother and brother's deaths look like accidents. I just don't know what do with you," Marco said coldly as he juggled the broken bottle neck and knife between his hands.

"But they were not accidents. And Rafi's 'accident' is now an ongoing murder investigation. Which you are the prime, sorry the only suspect," Danny gasped. He was breathing hard from the exertion and tried to clutch his bleeding side but found he couldn't.

"You son of a bitch," Marco yelled forcing himself not to slam the broken bottle neck into Danny. "Well you are going to die and I going to take great pleasure in watching you die. But unfortunately I don't have the time." He stood back to reveal a small device in the centre of the room.

"You see, the thing is," Marco said as he traced Danny's jaw line with his knife, "I thought it would be comical to have a timer on it so you could watch your life tick away."

He took one final look his son before he slammed a forceful kick at Danny's chest he turned laughing as he watched his son crumple to floor in pain. "Goodbye Danny."

Danny lay on the ground and blinked as he tried to chase away the darkness that was consuming him. But he couldn't, maybe this was the end, maybe his father would get what he wanted. The darkness grew and Danny laid his head down on the cold, hard concrete floor and gave in.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam sat in the back of Jack's car shivering, despite Danny's warm coat around her shoulders.

"So this man and Danny knew each other?" Jack asked gently.

"Yes," Sam replied still clutching Danny's coat and burying her head into it. "Jack I think he knew Danny before he became Danny Taylor, Jack what happens-"

"Sam I don't what you to even think about it, ok," Jack reassured. "You are going to go with Viv and get checked out."

"No Jack, I need to be here. Maybe I can remember something, Jack I need to help… I need to find him," Sam pleaded.

Jack bent down and held her hand. "If you remember anything, tell Viv. Okay? We will find Danny – he's too stubborn and tough to die." He slowly closed the door and nodded to Viv. He turned to Martin. "Ok, have you found anything to work on?"

"I've found possible drag marks on the east side of the building. According the security entrance, only Danny's car entered the complex in the last two days, so I am guessing he doesn't have a car and if Danny's unconscious he's not going to get far. He has to still be here and if the drag marks are anything to go by there are only two more warehouses," Martin suggested.

"Good work," Jack said as he drew his gun and ran toward the first building, hoping that he would find Danny alive. But as the minutes and seconds ticked by, he knew the less likely they would find Danny alive.

In the cold air of the warehouse, the bomb ticked down. Danny lay oblivious to it. He slowly stirred unaware that bomb only had a couple of minutes left on the dial. He blinked his eyes as he tried to clear his vision, groaning as he tried to move. He felt so cold; he didn't think he could sit up. Meanwhile the bomb still counted down.

"Clear," Martin yelled as cleared the last part of the building. He had said before he turned and ran following Jack to the final building.

"I will take the left side, you take the right side," Jack yelled. He felt sick with concern. He was terrified that they would be too late.

Danny closed his eyes again he was too cold and tried to anything; he just wanted to lie down and sleep. He vaguely looked at the device in the centre of the room, trying to work out what it was. What would have a countdown timer that read 0.20… 0.19… 0.18?

TBC