The Photograph – sequel to Who Da Man

Disclaimers etc are in part 1

Four Days before the Election: (Late evening)

The groaning woke Danny from his very uncomfortable exhaustion driven slumber.

"Josh? Josh buddy, are you okay?" Danny could barely make Josh out in the darkness.

"Danny? Danny is that you?" Josh's voice was raspy.

"Yes buddy it's me. How are you doing?"

"Hurts everywhere, where are we?"

"I don't know. I think we're in some sort of forest. I'm not sure what this is, maybe a cabin or fisherman's shack. Feel around in front of you there's a bottle of water."

Danny waited while he listened to Josh retrieve his bottle of water, open it one handed and take a drink. "Better?"

"Yes thanks. Have you seen anyone?"

"Only when they brought you in, there were two guys in balaclavas. I know there is at least one more 'cos they talked about a boss. One of them told the one that hit you that the boss wouldn't be pleased."

"Well I'm pleased someone is looking out for me!" Josh commented dryly.

"Have you any idea what they want?"

"No I thought it was to do with the election and we thought they took you because you were close to finding the source of the photograph."

"I was close, very close. I tracked it to an address in Maryland. I was going to check it out when they turned up at my door, stuck me with a needle then I woke up here in some S&M nightmare. How did you end up here?"

Josh shifted trying in vain to get more comfortable, "After you disappeared I asked Mike for help and went to stay with him. He got a tip off on your location and he let me tag along. I was waiting in the car and someone broke the window and my head with a rock, pulled me out, hogtied and gagged me then brought me here. There were three of them, but I didn't see any of their faces."

"What do you think they want?"

"I really don't know. If it's to do with the election, it doesn't make sense to take me. I'm already ruined, the photograph made sure of that." Josh sighed.

"You got the girl." Danny's voice conveyed his smile.

Josh smiled as well, "Yes I got the girl. I'd give up anything for her, she's more important than my career, more important than absolutely anything."

The two friend's quiet contemplation of Josh's last statement was interrupted as Josh was seized by a painful sounding coughing fit. Danny sat tense but feeling helpless. He sat so close but was unable to reach forward to place a comforting hand on Josh to ease his suffering. Josh continued the fight to regain control of his body's breathing. The coughs turned into heaves and he vomited bile and some of the water he drank down his clothes. Eventually his system ceased its rebellion and Josh's head fell back against the wall as his gasps returned to a more normal breathing pattern.

"You okay there buddy?"

"Yeah, I think."

"That sounded painful, are you sure?"

"Hurts like a mother, but I'm okay now. Sorry I tossed my cookies."

"No sweat man. I'm just concerned you know. I mean you took a beating, not that long ago you were in a car accident, and I know you're still recovering from that. I'm sure I don't need to remind you of that little arterial repair a few years ago."

"Danny, I'm okay you really don't have to channel my mother and Donna." They both knew Josh was far from okay but chose to go with the subterfuge.

XxXxXx

"Charlie would you assemble the Senior Staff and Donna here as soon as possible."

"Yes Sir." Charlie quickly left to do as asked.

"Mike and Ron are on their way Sir." Leo informed the President as he entered the Oval from his office.

"Good, Charlie is getting everyone here."

The door opened and the two men watched as CJ, Toby, Sam and Donna filed in to the room.

"Is there news?" Donna asked anxiously.

"We are just waiting for Mike and Ron. Take a seat everyone." Jed Bartlet gestured for his staff to sit whilst taking a seat himself.

They sat looking at each other eyes communicating what words couldn't.

The door opened and Charlie showed in Mike Casper and Ron Butterfield. Charlie turned to leave, "No Charlie stay."

"Yes Sir, thank you." Charlie took a place standing near the wall.

"Okay guys what have you got for us?"

"Well Sir we have tracked down the origin of the photograph to a house in Maryland. The person who sent it was a Giles Sutton. He was paid to send it, which he did through a complex system of IP addresses. He was instructed to make it difficult to trace, but he's not as good as he thinks he is." Ron had a sour expression on his face.

"Do we know who paid him?"

"We're working on it, Leo. He maintains he doesn't have any names. The money was transferred to his bank. Money was also transferred into Doug Saunders' bank." Mike let that hang in the air.

"Doug Saunders? The guy at the Post?" CJ jumped up from her place next to Donna on the couch.

"Yes it would appear he was paid to print the picture no questions asked."

"That would explain how it got though without proper verification." CJ sat down again. Mike nodded.

"Are we any closer to finding them?" Donna's hopeful eyes made contact with Mike and Ron in turn.

"Possibly, once we can find out where the payments came from we will have a better idea of who is behind this. There is a team working on the tracing the money and another focussing on Saunders and Sutton and the tip off we got about Danny. Donna just nodded the loss of hope in her eyes hit Mike as if she had slapped him. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll find them Donna, we'll find them." Donna just again nodded in response.

XxXxXx

Three Days before the Election:

Again the light from the door was blinding. This time only one person shadow was visible. Danny could hear the sound of a vehicle driving away. As his eyes got used to the light he looked over at Josh. Two deep brown eyes surrounded by a battered and bruised face met his.

"Good you're alive." The shadow man addressed Josh. He turned back to the door which he closed staying on the inside. The room remained light, dimmer but there was light. Unseen in the glare the man had turned on battery powered lanterns. He held one near to Josh, peering out from his balaclava.

"No thanks to you."

"Actually thanks to me, my buddy would have beaten you to death if I hadn't stopped him."

"Excuse me if I don't send you a fruit basket."

"You have sure got a mouth on you for someone who is at my mercy." The man's sneer was obvious. He grabbed Josh by the hair and pulled his head back. "Luckily for you my boss wants you alive for now, but that will change. So watch that mouth." He let go of Josh's hair pushing his head on the wall. Josh grunted in pain and launched into another painful coughing fit.

"Shit!" The man turned panicked eyes to Danny.

"Quick he can't breathe. You have to let me help him, he's going to die." Danny screamed at the man.

"I don't know." He looked wildly from a purple faced Josh to Danny. "I don't know!"

"He'll DIE!" Danny screamed, "I can help. You don't want him to die; you said your boss said."

"Okay, okay." The man released Danny from his restraints with shaking hands, "Help him!" He indicated the still apparently struggling Josh.

Danny went to kneel down next to Josh, "Come here I need your help." The man knelt down too now so absorbed in Josh's plight he failed to notice what was in Danny's hand. Danny leaned in towards Josh but quickly turned throwing the contents of his pee bottle in their captor's face. Taking advantage of the momentary shook followed by realisation of what he had been covered with Danny hit the man in the face and jumped on him. The man fell back hitting his head hard on the floor. Danny continuing to use his advantage pinned him to the floor and grabbed the man's head in both hands. He paused momentarily, unused to physical violence, but at the sight of the man's eyes opening and beginning to come to his senses Danny slammed his head on the floor twice until his eyes were once again closed.

Danny remained over the unresponsive man breathing heavily. He checked for a pulse and satisfied he was still alive he dragged him into position and restrained him where Danny himself had been minutes before. He checked the man for a cell phone disappointed not to find one. Once he had completed this task he slumped against the wall and closed his eyes, shaking as the adrenalin subsided.

"Danny? Danny are you okay?" The breathless voice of a very concerned Josh Lyman permeated his senses.

Danny opened his eyes and taking a deep breath he looked at his long time friend. "Hey just call me Rambo!"

They both chuckled nervously. "Hey Rambo any chance you can free me before his buddy comes back?"

"Are you okay?" Danny asked as he released Josh from his bonds.

"Chest and head hurt but I'll make it. Nice work by the way."

"You too, you should get an Oscar for that performance."

"Yeah well it was real to begin with but I knew he'd have to release one of us if I kept going."

Danny helped Josh stand and supported him as they walked to the door. Danny grabbed some bottles of water and put them in a backpack that was lying on the table. He found chocolate in the bag as he was putting the bottles in.

"We'll get away from here and then stop to rest and have some of this."

The two made their way cautiously out of the door. They were surrounded by trees. The only evidence of man was a small track presumably how the vehicle got there. They decided to go into the trees but travel parallel to the track. They set off slowly with Danny still providing support for Josh not knowing where they were or how far from the help they needed.

TBC

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