Author's Note: I want to thank out all you wonderful readers and reviewers out there. You have absolutely been the best. HUGS The reviews on the last update were terrific and I have a very special chapter for you today. Just remember I love high drama but most of all I love Danny and Lindsay! Let me know if I'm on the money with this one!

DISCLAIMERS: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and the wonderful writers for CSI: NY. Any resemblance to scenes from the episodes is included for clarity and continuity and I do not claim any of those as my own work. However everything else is mine.

In Hell

"Lind---say" the male voice sing-songed again. It was the voice from the answering machine. She could not believe that son-of-a-bitch was in her apartment. Why oh why had she missed that plane to Bozeman? Her heart raced, her body broke out in a cold sweat and her knees went weak. Calm down Lindsay. Keep him talking until you can think of some way out of this.

He was right behind her now and she could feel his tepid breathe on her neck. It made her skin crawl. He spoke again in the same soft menacing voice. "I had a great time with your little sister. It was totally unexpected but she was very sweet none the less." He paused to see what her reaction would be. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Keep him talking, Lindsay. Cold-blooded killers love to talk about their crimes. Interrogation 101!

"I bet you're just as sweet." He trailed a finger along the back of her neck right inside the collar of her t-shirt. "I'm so glad you didn't go to Montana after all. Just gives us more time to get to know one another."

How the hell did he know that? Her mind raced. Don't let him get to you, Lindsay. The only thing that matters now is survival.

This time he became a little bolder and placed his hands on her upper arms. That's all the incentive she needed. She leaned her head a little to the right and brought her left elbow up behind her as hard as she could and then lurched toward the door. She knew she had made contact with something behind her because she heard a crack. She hoped it was his nose. Before she could even get one lock undone however, he had wrapped one arm around her middle pinning her arms to her side and clapped the other over her mouth, whispering in her ear. "Oh you're feisty. I like that."

She brought her knees up to her chest and pushed off from the door sending them both to the ground. As they landed with a thud, he lost his grip. She took advantage of his loosened hold to scramble over to the counter and grab the wine bottles. Before she had a chance to turn and crack them over his head, he yanked her down by her ankles. She grabbed at one of the stools tucked under the counter bringing it to the floor with her. She quickly turned on her side and swung the stool in a wide arc down in the direction of the killer. She heard his surprised, "Ouch, you little bitch! You'll pay for that" and she knew he was losing his cool. She didn't have much time.

She scrambled on her hands and feet into the kitchen and hauled herself up against the counter. She yanked open a drawer pawing through it for anything to use as a weapon. She heard him crawling in after her. "Hurry Lindsay, find something, anything," she urged herself. He got up and lunged at her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her grandmother's cast iron skillet sitting on the stove. She dove out of his way, grabbed it, whirled around, and slammed it up against his head. That's for Laurel you sick son-of-a-bitch as she heard a sickening thud. He hit the ground on his knees and she ran like the dickens to the door. The stool, that she had used to clock him just a second ago worked to her disadvantage this time as she tripped over it. Before she could get up again he was on top of her. He gave her a strong cuff on the jaw and everything started to spin.

"Alright little Miss Lindsay," he said smugly as he hauled her up and slung her over his shoulder. "I'm going to have to tie you down. You've become a little unruly."

Her head spinning, she struggled to maintain consciousness as he carried her to the bedroom and slung her down on the bed. Fight Lindsay fight! Don't be his victim! She forced her eyes to focus. It was dark but with the city lights shining through the window she could see outlines in the room. He was kneeling beside the bed gathering something off the floor, maybe from a bag. She could run but she wouldn't make it to the door before he'd be on her again because he was between her and the door. She looked desperately to the other side of the bed for anything that she could use as a weapon. Her heart thumped when she saw the handle of the bat leaning up against her bed. She always kept it there for protection. She slowly inched her hand along the bed, careful not to make any movement or sound that would alert him of her intent. Her hand closed around the shaft just below the knob. She shifted the position of her hand slightly to get a better grip and slowly brought her other arm across her body to add to the grip. Her muscles tensed. Wait Lindsay, wait for the right moment.The killer stood up and she could see his face from the light through the window. There was a trickle of blood oozing from the side of his head and one dripped from his nose. Good, she had gotten him on both swings. The blood was mingling with the sweat trickling down his brow. His breathing was labored and she knew if she had one more chance she could probably immobilize him long enough to get out of the apartment. This is Laurel's killer! He deserves this! Now Lindsay now! She swung the bat as hard as she could and it whacked right across the side of his head. He groaned in pain and pitched forward onto the bed. She scrambled up and jumped right over him hitting the floor with a thud. She felt a pain shoot through her ankle.

All of sudden she heard the shuffle of feet coming down the hallway and a voice shouting, "NYPD freeze."

She thought it was Flack but she couldn't be sure so she put her hands in the air and said hoarsely, "Don't shoot! CSI Detective Lindsay Monroe"

"Lindsay," she heard a familiar voice shout and then running feet heading her direction.

"Oh my God, Danny," she said with relief as he gathered her in his arms. "Oh my God, he's here. I think I killed him. Oh my God." She kept babbling. It was the only thing she could do.

He snaked an arm under her knees and swung her up into a cradle hold. "Let's get you out of here," he said hoarsely.

A pain seared through her ankle as it knocked against the wall. "Ow, ow, ow," she moaned.

"Lindsay, where does it hurt?" he asked anxiously as he made his way carefully through the apartment.

"Ankle," she whispered into his neck.

"Alright, we'll get ya checked out soon," he reassured her.

When Danny emerged from the building with Lindsay, Mac and Stella were arriving.

"How is she?" they asked in unison.

"Alive but pretty battered. I'm taking her to the hospital." Danny replied shakily.

Mac and Stella exchanged looks. "Flack's already called the ambulance. They should be here any minute. Just hang tight Danny," Mac assured Danny.

"I don't need to go to the hospital. I need to sleep." Lindsay piped up weakly and then Danny felt her body go completely limp. He felt a sense of dread go through his body as he thought of his brother Louie already lying in a coma in the hospital.

"She needs help now! I'm taking her, there's no time to wait on an ambulance," Danny said frantically.

Mac put a hand on Danny's shoulder to calm him. "Danny, it's better to wait on the ambulance. Once they get here, the paramedics can stabilize her."

Danny looked at Mac imploringly, "But I can't…" lose her. He had finished the thought in his head because suddenly he became aware of her appearance. It had been dark in the apartment, dim in the hallway and he had been distracted out on the sidewalk when Mac and Stella had arrived. But now, forced to wait for the ambulance, he had no choice but to see the blood trickling from a gash on her forehead, the bruise forming along her jaw line, the deep scratch marks around her calves and ankles, the angry, red marks on her upper arms and wrists. Her body was light as a feather and he wondered how she had even made it out of the apartment alive. She must have put up one hell of a fight. How could anyone so tiny fend off an attacker almost twice her size? He couldn't help it as the tears began to flow down his cheeks. He buried his face in her hair whispering frantically into her ear, imploring her to stay with him. "Lindsay, stay with me… ya done good… we got the guy… I love you baby… I can't be in this life without ya here… you're the reason… don't go… wake up… wake up… wake up… please."

He didn't even hear the ambulance arrive. Mac and Stella pried him away from Lindsay so the paramedics could do their job. Stella held onto his arm as he watched helplessly while the paramedics loaded Lindsay into the ambulance and shut the doors.

"Come on give me your keys. I'll drive you to the hospital," Stella commanded.

As Danny turned to hand Stella the keys, he caught sight of Flack emerging from the building with the perpetrator in handcuffs. Danny's rage exploded and he lunged at the man, knocking him against the wall of the building and Flack to the ground. He started pummeling the guy with his fists shouting, "Ya sorry son-of-a-bitch. Why don't ya take on someone your own size for a change?" Flack and Mac dragged Danny off the guy. Danny was struggling against their hold but they held fast. "Ya aren't worth my time. I'll leave it to the guys in prison. They just love to mess up guys like you," Danny said viscously to the man.

"She was real sweet. I regret I didn't get to finish what I started with her." the perpetrator sneered at Danny as the uniformed officer led him away.

Danny tried again to lunge at the guy but Mac and Flack dragged him over to the SUV and deposited him roughly into the passenger seat.

"Cool off, man," Flack said firmly to Danny. "You're not going to be any use to Lindsay if you're in jail."

"That's right Danny," Mac joined in. "Violence is not the way to fix this. Let Stella get you to the hospital so you can be there for Lindsay. She needs you right now."

Danny shot one last venomous look at the squad car that contained the son-of-the-bitch, then slammed the door and barked at Stella, "Let's go."