A/N: Sorry for the delay. My laptop crashed…literally… I made the mistake of handing it to my little sister for one minute and she dropped it. Anyway, I just got the thing fixed. This chapter gave me a lot of trouble…I really wasn't sure what to write so it's probably weird…
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
The pain was excruciating… The bruises from the beatings and the abuse had become dark and prominent on her skin, and on his too. He was far more worse off than she was. Their captor seemed to particularly hate him, beating him and whipping him till he fell unconscious. His body had endured so much trauma and abuse that hers seemed light in comparison. Their captor tortured them even more further by making the other watch his sick thrashing of them. He seemed to delight in their anguish and their pain, and especially when she screamed. He told them in that patronizing, sick voice that he got turned on by her screaming.
Lindsay felt a wave of nausea sweep over her as the memories returned with astonishing force. She bent over as she forced down the bile that was rising up her throat. I've gotten over this. She told herself sternly. I'm older…stronger now…I can handle this. Despite her conviction, it still didn't particularly help her ease the pain of the memories and the old, near-forgotten wounds.
Danny had noticed of course, and he was worried about her reaction to their situation. She'd seen decomposing bodies at its worst, bloated bellies and squirming maggots and everything. She'd been to that bloody crime scene in that Henry Darius case, seen the blood spatter of all those teenagers. She had eaten a dinner feast of bugs and other creepy crawlies. Yet something about their situation was clearly bothering her, scaring her in fact to the point where she actually seemed to be trembling.
"Hey Montana, are you all right?" He asked quietly.
His voice broke through the awful chain of mental images but only for a while. "I'm fine." She answered shortly, staring defiantly up at the only window and their only source of light, which wasn't much. It was getting dark but she could still see the trees outside. Memories of the past and the realities of the present were getting mixed up in her mind. Everything seemed so similar to her past, from this dirty old shack to the crazed psycho whose hands they were in. All Lindsay knew was that she didn't want to be trapped here, not again. She had to get out. Now.
Their captor stood over them, maniacal grin on his shadowed face. He held a knife…a very sharp knife that glittered like a mirror when it caught the light. The brightness was stained by the crimson blood dripping down like liquid rubies. A long tongue stuck out, licking at the edges, perversely tasting their blood. There was no mistaking the glint in his eye as he looked at her. She shrank away from him. She recognized it immediately. It was her turn to play with him. His hand reached down, coming closer…closer…
Lindsay's struggling began as only a minor but frantic wriggling of her hands. The window seemed to call to her, offering hope and escape…but it was so far away. She had to get there…they would be saved if she could get to it. That was all she could to think about. Lindsay continued to struggle, harder and harder until the rope was digging into raw flesh.
"Montana, hey," Danny tried to catch her attention. Her wrist was starting to look red and bloody. She seemed to be having a panic attack and he needed to snap her out of it before she hurt herself any further. "Montana, calm down, you're gonna hurt yourself."
She didn't hear him and the sounds of her straining became even more insistent. Lindsay bit her lip as the rope drew more blood from her already bleeding wrists. Nothing existed in the world now except her and her goal of getting out through that window. She didn't even hear the heavy pounding on the door, but Danny definitely did. He stared apprehensively at it, moving slowly in between Lindsay and the door.
Beefcake's gravelly voice came through the door and this time, instead of being mostly emotionless, there was an irritated edge to it. "Shut up in there."
Danny held his breath, expecting that big mountain of a man to come through the door and administer some kind of punishment. Big guys like that had a need to show off his strength. Thankfully, the noises Lindsay was making as she grunted and struggled with her binds died down as she ran out of strength. She was breathing heavily but at least she wasn't hurting herself anymore.
Beefcake seemed to be satisfied that they were following his instructions. Heavy boots crunched against sand and gravel as he walked away. Danny released a long sigh of relief and then he turned his attention to Lindsay and more importantly, her wrists. "Montana, you're hurting yourself. Calm down. We'll work out something together." His voice was gentle, soothing, a tone he didn't use often. But it seemed he was using it a lot nowadays around Lindsay.
Lindsay didn't hear him as another wave of memories struck her.
He was dead. There was no doubt about that. There was just so much blood…so much blood…no one could survive that much blood loss. Their captor didn't seem to notice and continued kicking at his body, spattering her face with his blood… She could taste the coppery taste of his blood in her mouth…the metallic smell invaded her nostrils…she thought she'd never be able to smell anything else…
"Montana, you're shaking." Danny exclaimed. Lindsay didn't appear to have heard him. She stared off into space, fear and vulnerability in her chocolate brown eyes. Her lower lip was caught between her teeth and her entire body was trembling, shrinking away it seemed, from some unseen attacker. "Montana!" Still no reaction. "Lindsay!"
She actually jumped when she heard her name and looked wildly around at Danny. For a moment, his face was superimposed with the dead face of her companion and Lindsay's expression was filled with fear and horror. And then, it was gone. Only Danny was left staring worriedly at her.
"Lindsay, are you all right?" Danny asked, glad to have gotten her attention at last. But what was that look that had flickered across her face a moment ago? She looked like she'd just seen a ghost.
"Huh? I mean, yeah, I'm fine Danny. I'm fine." Her answer was automatic, almost absentmindedly.
"Are you sure? 'Cos you were spacing out on me for a pretty long while there."
"I'm fine." Lindsay insisted. "I just…I don't want to stay here anymore."
"No arguments there. This place ain't exactly the Ritz." Danny joked. When she didn't respond, Danny saw that her mind was drifting off again. "Lindsay, talk to me. There's something about all this that's clearly bothering you."
"No!" Her vehement answer shocked them both. "I mean…Sorry Danny but this is something I have to handle by myself, okay?" She wouldn't meet his eyes.
"There are things we can't handle alone. That's what we have friends for." Danny said seriously, trying to ignore the fact he hadn't been entirely candid about his Tanglewood connections until he couldn't keep it hidden anymore.
"Friends?" Lindsay looked up skeptically at him, her smile was half-teasing. "This from the guy who told me, on my very first day on the job, in a strange city practically on the other side of the country, to call my boss 'Sir' when he knew full well that the boss didn't like it?"
"I was a jerk, I know." Danny said by way of apology but he couldn't keep the smile off his face. At least she seemed to be getting back to her regular spirit. "But you gotta admit, it was funny."
Lindsay was silent and Danny thought for a moment that she was going to space out again. But then she spoke, "Thank you, for at least giving me a chance to prove myself."
"You earned it. You're a good CSI Montana." He deliberately used that familiar nickname to keep the light, joking tone of their conversation.
"For the millionth time Danny, my name is Lindsay Monroe." Lindsay's reprimand had just a hint of a laughing quality in it. "You didn't seem to have much trouble saying that a moment ago."
"That was a one-time deal Montana." Danny said flippantly, "A pretty name like yours is only used in emergencies." He realized belatedly that she had, quite successfully, managed to change the subject to a light-hearted banter of words. Lindsay seemed really unwilling to talk about her past and he decided that it would be wise not to press the issue yet."
Lindsay blushed at the compliment but she knew Danny called her Montana to tease her, not as an alternative to her name. Still, something about the statement warmed her heart. "Very nice one Messer." She congratulated him.
She looked cute when she blushed, Danny decided. "Why thank you Miz Monroe, I thought so too myself." If he was standing, he would've given her a flamboyant bow.
"You use that line often when you're picking up girls?"
"Only on the very special ones." They exchanged a long look. Lindsay's flush grew deeper and Danny also seemed a little shyer than usual. Not much else passed between them for the rest of the night. They were tired and they hadn't slept much since getting kidnapped off a train, unless you counted being knocked out cold as sleeping. In any case, being caught in a fight and then abducted into the middle of nowhere took a lot out of a person. With Danny's back against the wall, Lindsay laid her head on his shoulder and within minutes, they were sleeping peacefully.
The peace didn't last long however, and their light-hearted conversation last night almost seemed like a dream compared to the harsh reality that the morning brought all too soon. They were rudely awakened by the loud slamming of the door and without so much as a change in expression, Beefcake picked up Lindsay much like a doll of some sort and went outside. Danny struggled to his feet. "Where're you taking her?" He demanded. His only answer was a heavy boot in the gut from Checkers.
"We drew straws last night, Mr. Messer," Checkers informed him in a most urbane, polite manner. It was this kind of men who was really more dangerous than the obvious loony cases, because they were so much more unpredictable. You never know when that civilized mask would slip and reveal the dangerous, often violent madman. "My friend got the honor of entertaining the lady today while we become better acquaintances."
"Leave her out of this! Lindsay!" Danny yelled, and he heard her call his name before the door slammed shut.
"Lindsay huh? That's a nice name." Checkers mused to himself.
"Why are you doing this?" Danny asked, scowling blackly at the man.
"I thought I already told you. It's revenge for putting one of my buddies in jail."
"Isn't this pretty excessive? Abducting and imprisoning two officers is gonna get you into more trouble than with whoever it is that I threw inside." Maybe if he kept him talking, Danny could find an opening somewhere and overpower him. He may be tied up but there were ways of fighting dirty, even when bound in ropes. Danny struggled to stand up again but was once again cruelly kicked in the gut.
"You don't remember, do you?" Checkers asked with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Danny wheezed hard, having had the breath kicked out of him. His tormentor wasn't satisfied with just a few kicks to the gut. "I didn't think you would. He was probably just another case to you. But I remember…very well." At every other word, he drove his boot down on Danny's back. At the last two words, he ground his heel savagely into Danny's fingers.
Danny let out a hoarse yell of pain and then clenched his teeth together. Do not show your weaknesses. That one thought was all he could think about. From outside the wooden shack, there was a high-pitched scream of pain. Danny turned to glare defiantly at Checkers. "If you hurt her…"
Checkers bent down and grabbed his hair. "Who are you to order me around Detective?" He asked maliciously. Danny could smell his acrid breath and the faint tinge of alcohol on it. "You don't have your gun or any of your friends around to help you. You don't even have your shiny little badge to hide behind. You can't even help yourself."
There was another scream from the outside and that tore at Danny even more than the blows he'd received from the psycho who was yanking his head. I'm sorry Lindsay…I'm sorry…
He tried to get his footing but he was encumbered by the ropes around his legs. Their captors thought of everything, didn't they? Danny glared at the man with hate-filled eyes but Checkers actually seemed amused by that. His smile only became wider. He let go of Danny's head and raised his foot again when there was another scream from outside, but this time, the voice was clearly not female. That caught both their attentions immediately and Danny felt a fleeting burst of pride. Lindsay must've fought back somehow. He couldn't lose out to her. While Checkers' attention was diverted, Danny struggled to his feet.
When Checkers turned back to the blonde detective, Danny was ready. He jumped and threw both his feet into the man's face. Something crunched under his blow. Danny sincerely hoped he broke the man's nose as he rolled back to his feet. A broken nose would occupy him for a good while. Checkers reeled backwards at his blow and Danny did the same move again, this time in the stomach. He kicked all the wind out of him and Checkers doubled over against the wall, gasping hard.
Danny rolled to his feet again, ignoring the hard knocks he'd received from landing on the ground after each time he had kicked his attacker. You know, the dropkicks they show on tv don't look this painful. A few more similar blows and their roles were reversed, Checkers on the floor and Danny standing triumphantly over him, jumping up and down on his back, legs, head and anything else that was available. There were more screams and yells from the outside but now, Danny was more engrossed in his own fight.
He had a fleeting memory, one so faint that he was surprised it still stuck in his mind, of jumping up and down on his parents' bed. It was a ludicrous thing to think of at the time but it was what it felt like. He was trying to jump as high as he could so that he would come down with greater, more painful force and with greater force, the higher he could go. Danny wasn't even sure if Checkers was conscious anymore. He wanted revenge for all the suffering he and Lindsay had been put through so far and honestly, Danny was having fun trying to crunch every bone in the man's body.
The door swung open quietly and Danny squinted in its direction, suddenly apprehensive about Beefcake's return. Lindsay had put up a fight, Danny had heard that, but there was no way a petite girl like her could've taken down that mountain of a man all by herself, especially when she was all tied up to begin with. Danny wasn't even sure if he could've taken down that giant. So he was very surprised when he heard her voice.
"Have you regressed back to childhood Messer?"
I'm done with this chapter. Yes, I know I'm evil. More of them in the next chapter though. I hope you guys like the little bit of DL I put in. Once again, thanks for the reviews!