Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Ten Minutes to Closing

Chapter 4

Danny and Lindsey pulled into the huge parking lot of the store and walked in. They headed straight for seafood area. Jess, a sales associate in the deli tried to stop them, "You're not allowed back here!"

Danny showed her a warrant. "This says we're allowed where ever we want." She backed off immediately.

"We're also going to need everyone's overshoes," added Lindsey. The associates took off their shoes and Danny put them in evidence bags. The customers at the store were getting a little annoyed that all the employees were too busy to serve them. "What's going on here!" am impatient, clueless customer demanded. Doug, now store manager, practically ran down to the deli and seafood areas.

"What hell is going on?" he bellowed. Doug spotted the CSIs. "Why are you people back here?"

"Just collecting evidence." Danny responded. "May we look at your shoes?"

"Why?"

"Why not?" Lindsey answered. Doug took off the overshoes and handed them over.

Dylan chose that moment to walk in for the start of his shift. He took in the scene and rolled his eyes. "Now what are you people looking for?"

"Overshoes." Danny said causally. "Where are the rest of them?"

Doug sighed "Show them." H went help serve the crowd of customers that had materialized in the two minutes they had been talking to Danny and Lindsey.

Dylan led them over to a small back room. "Seems like I just left you guys." He pointed out a large storage bin when both Danny and Lindsey's phones went off.

They both answered. Stella had called Danny, and Jane was talking to Lindsey. The DNA on the murder weapon matched Doug! They had called to warn them, and said Flack was on the way to make the arrest. They hung up and looked at each other. "I'm gonna test his shoes for blood to make sure he's our guy." Lindsey said.

The shoes tested positive. She showed Danny just as someone snuck up behind her with a knife. "The Fat Man was gonna run the store into the ground. I couldn't let that happen us. He treated everyone like shit and didn't care that he was going to put all of us out of work, as long he got what he waned. He didn't deserve to live!"

Danny couldn't let this lunatic injure Montana. He was surprised by who how he cared for Lindsey. No way I can let this creep hurt her. Without thinking, he tackled Doug.

They both fell to ground. Doug beat him to the knife and stabbed him. Suddenly Doug fell off him, looking a bit stunned. Danny glanced up at his rescuer to see Dylan, wielding a large, slightly damaged, fish. The young clerk had smacked Doug in the head with a salmon. Danny took advantage of the distraction to grab his gun. "Put your weapon down." he ordered. Instead of answering, Doug grabbed his knife and tried to attack Lindsey. Danny fired to save her from being hurt. Doug dropped to the floor for the final time.

"Danny, hang on." Lindsey quickly called for help on her cell phone. I can't lose him now! Danny managed to smile at her.

"Couldn't let that sick bastred hurt you. I … ", Danny started coughing up blood. That's not a good sign.

"Don't try to talk." Where the hell was the ambulance? Flack entered the store a few seconds later.

"Ambulance was only a minute behind me." He stopped, starring in disbelief at what had happened to his friend. Lindsey was fighting back tears.

"He went after the guy to save me." She was holding Danny's hand. Flack tried to comfort her. He'll be okay. The paramedics were right behind me.

Sure enough, they arrived seconds later. Lindsey and Flack watched as they worked.

One of them spoke to Lindsey. "Your friend probably has a punctured lung, and is bleeding very badly, but he should be okay once we get him to the hospital. Lindsey went with them in the ambulance.

Flack met them at the hospital, along with Stella, Hawkes and Mac. As the doctors rushed Danny to the OR Lindsey and Flack filled them in on what happened. Mac was the first to notice how upset Lindsey was. "You stay with him when he gets out of surgery." he said.

A doctor came out looking for them. "Is there a Mac Taylor or Lindsey Monroe here?" he asked.

"Yes," Mac answered. "We're his emergency contacts."

"I came to tell that Detective Messer had a punctured lung and lost a lot of blood. He is stable now but he will have to stay here for a while."

"Can I go see him now?" Lindsey asked.

"He's not awake yet, but you can if you want to." He led Lindsey to Danny's room.

The others waited until Lindsey walked off. "Why is Lindsey his emergency contact?" wondered Hawkes.

Mac sighed "Because they've been dating for several months. You didn't notice?"

"They've always flirted with each other at work. Didn't think anything of it."

Flack remarked, "That explains why she's so upset. Linds held his hand all the way to the hospital."

Back in Danny's room, Danny had just woken up.

"Hi, Montana… "

A/N: Almost finished. I'll try and have the next chapter up tonight, but not making any promises R&R Thanks!