Hostage

Chapter Two

Zebraboymom

Disclaimer: They do not belong to me. Nico…Nico…Nico…

Author Notes: Things are just starting to wind up.

"I don't understand Nico. What do you mean dead?"

Nico sighed and shook his head. He never wanted Dani to know about that night and what he had been forced to do. Even if it was a direct order, he should never have been a part of it. They had been his friends. They had been through hell and back, but he had been wounded and when Marshall got the order to terminate the mission and the team Nico had not been strong enough to fight him. He had thought he would die from his wounds as it was.

"I…I need to show you something."

"Okay…"

Nico stood and tugged his shirt out of his pants. He unbuttoned it and Dani gasped when she saw the left side of his torso. There was a long scar that ran from just below his rib cage around to his back. Dani reached out her hand to touch it making Nico recoil away. She quickly caught his hand and drew him back to her.

"Don't."

She looked up compassionately at him and traced her fingers along the scar. She could hear Nico's breath catch and she pressed her open palm to his side. She could see moisture forming in Nico's eyes as he fought with his emotions. She was struck by the fact that she was seeing a side of Nico very few people had ever seen. It made her feel close to him in a whole new way.

Since she and Matt had broken up for the second time Nico had become the one constant in her life. He had been such a good friend to her; helping with TK, with projects at home she couldn't handle, even spending time with her kids, especially RJ. He needed her now and she was determined to be there for him. She stood up and began to button his shirt back up. Her eyes never left his.

"Tell me what happened that night."

Nico was having a hard time focusing with Dani standing so close to him and touching him as she pulled the buttons back through their holes. He cleared his throat and tried to get his emotions under control.

"Marshall and I were best friends. He was in charge of our team. There were seven of us. As you can imagine, we were a tight group. When you go on missions where your life is on the line all the time, you learn to watch each other's back and you get incredibly close. They were all my friends, but Marshall and I were really tight. He was like a brother to me."

Dani remembered their conversation in her car one night.

"He saved your life that night didn't he?"

Dani's hand was resting on his chest where she had buttoned the last button. Nico covered it with his own hand.

"Yes. He was supposed to terminate the entire team, including me, but he didn't. As a result, Marshall was court martialed and I was drummed out of the corp. He never served any time, but his record was ruined. I felt like it was my fault. If he had just left me there with the others, he would have returned a hero and no one would ever have known what happened. I ruined his life. Every time I look at that scar in the mirror it reminds me what we did and what he did for me. It ties me to him forever."

"But the team didn't die."

"Apparently not. I have no idea how they got out of there alive. An aerial strike was called as soon as Marshall got me far enough away for our extraction. It blew that place to kingdom come."

"So, why do you think they're here now?"

"I don't even know how they got back in the country or why after all this time. I think they're trying to get Marshall down here for a showdown."

"You told him to stay away didn't you?"

"Yes."

"So you intend to take care of this by yourself? Nico, are you crazy? It's five to one. I for one do not like those odds."

"But the odds are in my favor."

Nico gently extracted himself from Dani and reached over onto the couch table to open up a laptop. He clicked an icon and six windows popped up giving them a view of the locker room, Coach's office and the hallways that surrounded them. Matt and Coach were now in the locker room with the players and three gunmen were watching over them. There were no signs of two of the gunmen.

"This does not look good."

"Why?"

"Matt or Coach must have given us up. My money is on Matt."

"What do you mean?"

"They knew you were in that room and they must have sent Ben and Jeff to find us."

"Who are they?"

"Two of the best trackers on the team. If Matt told them about the vent then we have to get out of here now. I don't see them in any of the hallways."

Dani's eyes went wide with fear. Nico reached out to pull her into his embrace.

"Do you trust me?"

Dani couldn't speak. She just nodded, her eyes never leaving his. He reached a hand up and smoothed her hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her soft lobe and trailed down her neck to land on her shoulder.

"Then you must do whatever I say immediately. Do you understand? Your life may depend on it."

He wanted to tease her about how stubborn she was when it came to following orders, but he could tell she was terrified. He did something then that he knew was going to change their relationship forever, but he might not get another chance. He slid his hand to her nape and pulled her face up to his as he tenderly took her lips in a kiss. They were so unbelievably soft.

"I will do everything I can to keep you safe."

Dani's eyes filled with tears.

"You will?"

"I care more about you than I think you know."

"You choose now to tell me this? Nico, I don't know what to say."

He bent to whisper in her ear.

"Don't say anything. I just wanted you to know in case…"

Dani clutched his shirt with both hands.

"Don't say that."

"These guys are out for blood Dani and…"

Dani cut him off with her own lips desperately seeking his. She needed him to know she felt the same way. He had become so much more than a friend over the past months. She didn't care about his past, only his future. She wanted a future with him.

The kiss deepened and became passionate until Nico gently pulled her away from him.

"As much as I want to explore this relationship more, I need to get you to safety. If you keep kissing me like that I am certain we will die in each other's arms. I like thinking about that, but I prefer the dying be very far in the future."

Dani looked shyly up at him.

"Just so you know. I kind of care a lot about you too and not just as a friend."

"So I gathered. I can't tell you how happy that makes me, but right now we can't exactly celebrate."

"Right."

Nico took her hand and walked to the door. He reached behind himself and pulled out a gun. Dani looked up at him in shock.

"Did you think I didn't carry one?"

"No. I think I knew you did, but I just didn't want to think about it."

"I don't kill people anymore Dani. If I ever have to use it again, it will be in self defense or protection of someone I care about."

"I know. I understand. It's just hard to think about. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"It's my job. Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

He entwined his fingers with hers and they moved out into the hallway again. This time Nico headed away from where they had come and they descended several sets of stairs. Dani had no idea where they could possibly be in the stadium. But Nico seemed to know exactly where they were going.

It felt like they had been walking for a long time. Surely the stadium couldn't be that huge. Dani watched in awe as Nico stopped at every corner and searched around before they continued. She had never seen him in this kind of setting before and she was suddenly struck with how very tall and imposing he truly was. She trembled at the thought of what they might run into at any moment. Nico sensed her body tense up and stopped long enough to search her eyes.

"You okay?"

She could only nod and bury her head into his coat. He stopped long enough to wrap his arms around her and kiss the top of her head.

"You're doing great Danielle. Just great."

She slipped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. If she had her way, they would stay right here in this moment forever. She didn't even want to think about what they were heading into.

"Sweetheart we have to keep moving."

Dani reluctantly let go and looked up at him.

"I know."

They set off again and made their way pretty quickly to a stairwell that looked like it ran the full height of the stadium. They started down carefully as Nico looked over the side quite frequently.

After descending several flights, Nico used a key card to open another door. It led to yet another set of hallways that switched back and forth. They passed several doorways and openings leading who knows where. Dani realized she had no idea where they were anymore. She suddenly felt Nico tense and squeeze her hand tightly. Something was wrong. As they rounded another corner a voice called to them.

"Nico, Nico, Nico, long time no see buddy."

Another voice came from behind them. It sent chills up and down Dani's spine.

"I see you brought along a little friend. She's very pretty, Nico. Care to introduce us?"