Hostage

Chapter Four

Zebraboymom

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

Author Notes: Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Way too long between updates. This is so not like me, but I have been super busy at work, yada yada, poor excuse, but I will try to speed things up for the rest of this story. Marshall finally gets in the game and we find out just what brought this on. Will the team win or will Nico and Marshall? Who is on whose side? Can Nico keep Dani safe?

As Dani put away the first aid supplies Nico's phone vibrated in his pocket. She could hear a man's voice when he answered.

"Hey. Yeah. We're on Level Four, just under Concession Six, in the prep room. We got two of them. They're in a custodial closet on the same level."

Dani couldn't hear what was being said on the other end, but whoever it was, Nico had talked to them already. Could it be SWAT?

"We meaning Doctor Santino and I. Yes. She helped."

He looked over at Dani and smirked.

"What can I say? She has mad ninja skills."

Dani giggled and sidled back up to Nico. Being with him made her think she could do anything. She was pleasantly surprised when he slipped his arm around her waist while he finished talking.

"I told you not to come down here. This is what they want. You're in danger. I'm sure they plan to kill you Marshall. Let me take care of it. There are only three left. I can easily…"

The door swung open and a man Dani could only assume was Marshall Pittman strode into the room. He was very attractive and almost as tall as Nico. Nico was angry. Dani could tell. He hardly ever raised his voice, even in difficult situations.

"Marshall!"

Marshall Pittman held out his hand to Dani. He took it and placed a chivalrous kiss on the back of hers.

"So, you must be Doctor Danielle Santino, the woman Nico told me he is in love with."

Dani blushed and cut her eyes over to Nico who threw his head back in frustration. When he lowered his eyes down to meet hers she could tell he had not planned on her finding out this way. It made Dani's heart race knowing he had talked to Marshall about her. Marshall looked chagrined.

"You haven't told her yet have you?"

"Sort of in the heat of the moment, but no, not really and thanks for that."

Dani stepped up to Nico and pressed against his chest, looking up into his face. He looked down affectionately at her as his hand came up to cup her cheek.

"I definitely wanted a more romantic place and time to tell you how I felt Danielle."

"Upstairs I thought you were just saying it to you know make me feel better. I thought it might just be the moment and the danger. I had no idea you had told someone else. Sort of adds to the whole romantic adventure vibe we've got going actually. Nico, I feel the same way. These last few months with you have been so great. I've been slowly but surely trusting you more and more and finding myself falling just as hard for you. In case we don't get to say it later, I love you too."

Nico bent and kissed her softly. When he pulled back he whispered in her ear.

"I want to tell you myself now. I love you so much Danielle. I never thought I could feel this strongly for a woman, but you are my life now. I will keep you safe and I will get to tell you this again in a much more romantic setting. That's a promise."

"I'll hold you to that."

"I know you will."

This time Nico captured her lips in a passionate kiss and they were lost in each other until Marshall cleared his throat.

"Uh…we sort of have some business to take care of. Could you save the PDA for a little later? Divorced man here."

Dani liked this man. No wonder he was Nico's friend. Nico put his hands on either side of Dani's waist and lifted her up to sit on the table.

"Okay. They're holding most of the team, along with the Coaches and staff in the locker room. I'm pretty sure they have Gabrielle there as well. Now that they're down to three, we can maybe created a disturbance and knock one or two more off as well. Marshall, do you have any idea what they're doing here after all these years? What happened that night? Are there things you never told me?"

"I promise I'll explain it all later. Right now we have to get to Gabrielle and the others."

"No Marshall. I want to know now! Did you know they were all still alive?"

Marshall looked down and avoided Nico's eyes. His silence was all Nico needed to confirm his suspicions.

"You've known all these years and you never told me? Do you have any idea the sleepless nights, the guilt, the torment over what we did? Tell me the truth for once Marshall!"

Dani knew Nico could be stubborn, so she watched Marshall try to persuade him.

"It's complicated Nico. I can't explain it all right now. There isn't enough time. They are going to start getting restless, if they aren't already. I know what they want and I'm prepared to give it to them."

"And what would that be Marshall?"

"Me of course."

"I'm listening."

"Okay. I knew they were all alive. I've always known. We planned it. I knew it was a suicide mission from the very beginning. We were all supposed to disappear that night. The head of ops ordered the mission. He knew we were going to be compromised. WE believe it was a deliberate move on his part to get rid of us. Jack got the Intel and he and I made a plan. I left you out of it to protect you Nico. The plan was for all of us to disappear together. When you got hurt, I volunteered to stay behind with you. I couldn't leave you Nico. You were my best friend."

Marshall paused and searched Nico's face for his reaction so far. Dani knew Nico's face would be unreadable. She looked sideways at him and she could tell by the way his jaw was set that he was struggling with Marshall's story. She slipped her hand up on his shoulder as he leaned against the table beside where she was sitting. When Nico didn't say anything, Marshall continued.

"Jack and I decided we wouldn't make contact for five years. When the five years came and went and he still didn't make contact, I started searching for them. I hired some retired special ops guys from the old Rio Team to start looking for them. It took five more years before they found anything."

Nico finally spoke.

"It's been twenty years Marshall. You found them ten years ago and you didn't think it was worth mentioning for the last ten years?"

"I didn't want to tell you after what I found. They became mercenaries Nico, working for whoever paid the highest price. They stopped caring that day when they felt betrayed by our government. They…they've done some pretty awful things. I only found out about most of it recently. I left them alone at first. I felt responsible for how they turned out, so I just lived with the guilt. I think that's what ruined my marriage. I couldn't tell Gabrielle and she knew there were secret meetings I was going to. Things I was doing that she didn't know about. She felt shut out. Eventually the guilt got to me so three years ago I went to the CIA and told them everything. I've been working for them ever since."

Nico had grown tense underneath Dani's hand as the story continued and now he stood staring at Marshall, but he didn't allow Nico a chance to speak before he continued.

"We've been after them for the last three years. That's what all my business trips overseas have been about. Three months ago Jack spotted me in Zaire. I knew it was only a matter of time before they came after me. They've been on the run for the last three years because of me. This is payback Nico. My time has run out."

Nico was silent and Marshall shifted from foot to foot waiting to hear what his friend had to say. Dani felt Nico's hand slip up to cover hers. She knew he was drawing strength from her and it made her feel proud to know he looked to her for comfort. When he spoke she could tell he was choosing his words carefully.

"I'm supposed to be your best friend Marshall. Why didn't you let me help you? I would have done anything for you. You know that."

"It's for that very reason that I didn't involve you. I know you too well and I know you would have taken off to God knows where to find them for me. I wanted you to have a life Nico."

"Couldn't you see how miserable I've been all these years? Just knowing they were alive would have helped me put it behind me. God Marshall. You're "protection" just about ruined me."

"I'm sorry Nico. I know now I was wrong. I just thought at the time it was my guilt to bear."

Nico stepped away from the table and paced for a few moments before he returned to wrap his arm around Dani's waist. He leaned into her and she kissed his brow before he pulled away and faced Marshall.

"Thank you for the truth and I have to assume it's the truth, although I'm starting to think I hardly know you at all. That doesn't matter now. Innocent people are going to get hurt if we don't do something. Let's make a plan and end this once and for all."