I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: the next chapter may take a day or two. Things are a tad nutty at work as I've said. Thank you for the GREAT reviews! This chapter may make everyone feel a bit better about things.

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Chapter 8

There was another loud crack and then it sagged dangerously to the left .. towards the one direction Danny feared the most before the bottom of the seat and the front left leg both gave out with a startling, explosive pop. He had no time to worry if anyone outside could hear it as he hung poised just inches above the dirt floor.

"Crap. This .. is really ... going to ..hurt." He couldn't hide from his own quiet and very plaintive moan which also hung in mid-air as long as the chair seemed to keel on end for a micro-second. The rear leg partially fractured and Danny landed hard on his left shoulder. On reflex, he tried to curl up into himself from the bone-jarring pain while laying on his side in the still damp hard-packed earth. But with legs and right hand still firmly attached to the chair, he only managed to pull more on the remaining tight bindings.

Trapped under his body, his left hand was a mass of bloody sliced skin and he swore two fingers were broken because the bindings tore loose from the arm of the chair at the same time his body hit the ground. He lay there stunned and gasping against the pain that riddled and throbbed from his fingers, through the back of his hand and then into his badly torn wrist. Separately, his left shoulder had taken the brunt and weight of everything else. However, Danny was wholly astonished that he didn't feel anything else ... at least not quite yet.

He could sense the glimmers of the sharpness coming as soon as he propped himself on his left elbow and tried to survey the nearest tools in the old shed. It was at that point where his ribs, the hole in his side, and wounded head all decided to join the crescendo of nauseating and near-crippling agony. Danny was positive he'd never hurt quite this badly as he sagged limply into the hard dirt floor and simply tried to heave in a strangled breath of musty air.

"Not yet." He whispered as his vision grayed-out and a pang of nausea reached his throat. He was shaking from the blinding white pain which only subsided after much too long of a time. And then he was left being afraid to twitch even a finger as sweat poured off his face and his limbs vibrated uncontrollably.

Thoughts of Grace and Becca got him on the move though as he blinked away a cold sheen of sweat that dribbled into his eyes. He had no time for it as he craned his neck for something sharp to cut himself free. One armed, he began a slow drag towards a metal table that held a variety of shining implements. After two or three tugs across the ground, where the left rear leg of the chair scored the dirt in a long rut, Danny had to stop. Head wearily resting on his left forearm, he sucked in air and battled the bile that rose in his throat. Besides his ribs and pain his head, the tearing agony from the bullet wound in his side left him weak and nearly in a swoon.

Rather than from the chair, the creak now came from inside his chest where Curtis's medical goon had duly noted a possible cracked rib. He was also further ruining the rude medical bandages as he scrabbled along and he could almost feel the wound bleeding once more. He didn't rest long as the fingers which worked dug painfully into the dirt and he pulled himself again towards the table.

Starting on his elbow, he heaved himself up half-way only to gag at what felt like a knife in his head. Danny's vision left instantly as muscles became liquid and he briefly blacked out with another miserable thud to his damaged side. His objection to himself was louder as he refused to give up. "No .. no time."

The wind was rattling the door and he could hear spent leaves rustling past the shed as the storm came closer. That urged him on along with the thoughts of how frightened the two children must be alone with Curtis. Panting and demanding his eyes to focus in the dark haze, Danny tried a different tactic as he reached out with his left hand when he finally saw what looked like a broom handle leaning up near the wall. Awkwardly, he hefted the pole up over his head and blindly swept the open air until he connected with every implement he could which rested on the old table. Dust and cobwebs flew up in the air as he groaned in pain and used all his remaining strength to sweep whatever he could to the floor. The resulting crash sounded incredibly loud to his ears in the small room and he paused with his heart hammering in his chest waiting for the alarmed shouts or footsteps. It was much worse than the destruction of the chair and Danny held baited breath as more sweat trickled down his face.

"Good. Okay .. good" He breathed out a shuddering breath as he blinked almost in surprise when nothing happened and no one showed up at the shed door. Only loose rustling leaves and the occasional wind-swept branch hitting the roof of the shed kept him company. Waiting just a hairs-breadth longer, he desperately rummaged through his new treasure. Three rusty screwdrivers and one gardening spade were his immediate finds, along with an empty tin can, two glass jars that miraculously didn't break, and a large variety of nails, washers and bolts which had rained down almost everywhere. But the coups de grace was the set of rusty hinged gardener's pruners. Setting to work on his right hand, Danny awkwardly snipped the ties and then used both hands to force the dull blades to snip his ankles free from the rest of the over-turned chair.

Drained of energy, Danny couldn't help slumping weakly back with his legs and arms outstretched limply. The pruners lay on his chest, rising up and down in motion to his sickened, shuddering breath. With dull eyes that were now tiny slits, he was barely staring at the ceiling of the old shed before realizing that he was shivering. It was an uncontrollable response to stress and shock, and dismally he flopped his hand to the bandages to feel that they were becoming more sticky with fresh blood.

"Get up." Danny's voice was a mere whisper as his hand flopped again in the air. There was no time as the clock kicked down to the ultimate hour when Curtis would return. But his body refused to respond to the verbal demands he whispered again and again. "Get up. Come on .. up."

The wind kicked up and a branch rubbed another to sound like a soft screech and his eyes sprung open wide. It almost sounded like a child crying again and his adrenalin sparked motion. A foot twitched and then his knee. Screwing his eyes tightly shut against the pain that would come, he rolled to his side with a deep guttural moan. Left swaying on his hands and knees, and with screwdrivers gripped in a fist, this time Danny successfully used the same metal table for a brace to crawl himself up.

Pallor gray and swaying badly while clutching his dangerous treasure and wounded side, this time he made it to his feet and then to the door.

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Becca had stopped her tears because crying solved nothing and she wasn't afraid of the dark. She had been on her own so much in her young past, being afraid like that had served no purpose at all. No one ever came anyway; so little Kasey Pearce quickly learned that there was no point to some very childish and unfounded fears.

As the odor of frozen oven-baked pizza filled the house, she was sitting on the bed with her knees tightly drawn up to her chest and simply staring at the door waiting for the knob to turn. She ignored the hungry growl of her stomach and had steadfastly refused to talk to the bad men. She also determinedly refused any of their water or offers of soda. One plastic cup filled with ice-cold water still sat just within reach, quickly brought to her by one of the men who had stayed in the house when Curtis went to visit Danny in the shed. But Becca didn't want any part of their limited acts of supposed kindness knowing that the threatened one hour of time would soon be up.

What did frighten her was the name Kasey Pearce and what it represented. Where her mother had embraced the Pearce name and identity, Becca had resented it. With her father Mike, Aunt and Uncle, she had left that life and had no intention of ever returning there. She hated Kasey Pearce and the terrible threat of knowing about or finding some special key proved it in spades.

Acclimated to the dark bedroom, Becca could see the pile of toys, books and the ugly blue dress. It could be lined with lace, have ruffles and shine with sparkly sequins and she would hate that dress, too. She only wanted whatever her father so generously bought for her with the happy excuse of 'just because, Becca'. The collectible doll stood just above it on the dresser staring at her with its equally ugly green eyes that never closed. This was different and everything came with a price; even at eleven years of age, Becca knew that much. Sadly rubbing her forehead on her folded arms, she jolted in shock when she heard a scratching sound at the tightly closed window.

That was new and Becca scrunched down with large eyes as she waited to see what would happen. Shuttered from the outside, only a glimmer of poor moonlight was coming through and at first Becca really thought the coming storm was the culprit. But when one shutter swung open and a shiny long object appeared, she bit her lip in confusion.

She watched as the screwdriver was wedged under the middle of the exterior frame and raised her eyebrows in alarm when the casement cracked and broke from a determined force. The window raised an inch, fingers appeared and then a hand; a few frightening minutes later, Danny's head popped into view.

"Uncle Danny?" She barely got her stunned words out of her mouth as he disappeared for a moment to rest against the outside of the house. Having used one of the screwdrivers to break the lock and wedge the shed door open, he had to take a wide route through the cusp of the treed area surrounding the house to avoid the two men smoking cigarettes by the parked van. He had stayed low surveying the length of the house to estimate where the kitchen, living room and long hallway might be to the bedrooms. He had tried to count heads, ending at five with the two smokers outside and three lounging in the living room based on silhouettes and shadows. They were all evidently relaxing or getting ready to eat a poor man's dinner based on the faint scent of food cooking. The effort to make his final decision had cost him not only time, but precious reserves of energy. However, he'd been correct and for first finding Rebecca, Danny was immensely grateful.

The height of the window was just right to hoist himself up .. on a good day. On a normal, good day Danny could easily press his hands to the sill and hop right up to swing his legs into the room. But as he rested against the side of the house, he was very far from having that happen.

Trying to be silent, Danny held a shaking finger to his lips to keep her quiet because Becca was clearly excited to see him. She had no idea though, the extent of his injuries and how much effort it was going to physically take him to get her out and both of them away. Having wanted the van, the jungle was the next best option for them and only pure adrenalin was keeping him on his feet.

Using a large rock to gain some inches, he literally hauled himself through the opening to fall bodily into the room. It was then that Becca saw the long, dark streaks across the white window sill and realized Danny wasn't getting up from the floor.

"Uncle Danny?" She hissed his name quietly but was unable to see more than his arm. But that arm moved and he was soon clambering to his feet.

"Becca. Let's go, we have no time. Where's Grace?" Danny was working through his woes and not entirely aware of the handcuff yet. The room was small and she was the only child present and he felt a terrible pang in his chest.

"Becca?" Standing near her, he wound up sinking down to the bed when she didn't move and stroked her hair just once. "Are you okay? Where's Grace?"

Carefully, Becca touched Danny's arm and then tentatively the stain on his ruined shirt. Her eyes widened when she saw the funny way he was breathing and then all of the blood that had smeared down his bruised face and chest. Then, he was also sitting hunched over and holding his side.

"They hurt you." She whimpered before staring accusingly at the bedroom door where she could hear faint voices. "They hurt you bad."

"It's okay." Danny promised. "I just need a minute … and then we need to go. Do you know where they took Grace?"

He missed her confused expression about Grace, because she rattled the metal handcuff. He hadn't realized entirely why she hadn't moved or that she was sitting so oddly on the bed.

"I can't." Scrunching down next to Danny, she picked up his right hand and held it in her lap. "Uncle Danny? I'm stuck."

Limited by the handcuff, Becca could move just so far and he frowned as his eyes followed her shoulder to her wrist and the too tight cuff holding her to the bed frame. He stuttered, blinked in shock and then ignored his pain to lurch over to where he could get a better look.

"What the hell is this?" A fury rolled through him as he gently palpitated her shoulder, arm and slightly swollen wrist. Even in the dark, he could see her pained wince and then the bruises and bloody scrape marks. The surprise of seeing Danny and now having him sitting right next to her, left Becca trembling. His anger made that worse and she didn't understand why he was asking about Grace. She wanted to help but didn't know what to do as he fumbled for the screwdrivers he had shoved in his pockets.

"You're sick." She whispered when she felt the heat radiating from his body and yet his hands were ice-cold as he set to work on the bed frame. "I hate him, Uncle Danny. I want to go home."

"Becca, we are leaving as soon as I get this off you." His own harsh whisper was broken, but filled with volumes of a new anger as he tried to silently work the metal on metal trap. Stopping to wipe sweat from his face, Danny traced the bruise he could now see on her cheek and glowered in rage not understanding that she'd done it herself in the van. He was tense and near sick at the thought Grace might be nearby equally frightened and trapped.

"Does it hurt bad, baby?" The screwdrivers weren't working on the cuff or bed frame and now, he was becoming desperate. He waited for her reply though while looking around the room for some other tool he might be able to leverage.

"No. I'm okay." She was still biting her lip as Danny took a short second to once more rub his knuckles softly against her pale cheek. It was clear that she was lying for him and much more afraid about how he must look for the blood and bruises. He stopped though when she suddenly pulled back from him.

"Becca? What's wrong?" She suddenly looked wrung out and as beaten down as he felt by the frightening events. A new worry teased his brain as her eyes flickered towards the door where they could hear muffled conversation. She unconsciously flinched when a loud noise echoed and he felt the tremor clear down to her fingertips.

"I'm here now and you're okay." He tried to calm her and get her attention which he only barely succeeded at. Gently, he thumbed a tear away and this time, she melted into the caress with more trust.

"Is Grace here, too?" The tone of his question caused an odd reaction as Becca knit her brow and worried her lip even more. She finally heard him ask and didn't know what to say. The bad men had only taken the two of them and she didn't understand him. Her old habits from her time as Kasey Pearce toyed with her and Danny was alarmed for her when her face closed off.

"He calls me Kasey all the time. I hate him." She changed the subject entirely as her face darkened in a combination of anger, fear and distrust. "I'm not her. I'm not going back and I don't lie."

"I know that, sweetie." Pushing his body more upright despite the pain, Danny heaved in a shuddering stunned puff of air. She was suddenly distant from him and her tone was scarily mature. They had no time to talk and her whispers were getting louder, forcing him to lay a finger on her lips as a demand.

"Shhh, Becca. No. Of course not. You're Rebecca and always have been … you always will be. I promise that you're going home. I promise." He put as much into the words as he was physically able. Pulling himself off the bed, he went to the dresser where he eyed the annoying line up of gifts. He grimaced at the collectible doll as he picked it up and brought the expensive thing back to the bed. While talking to Becca, Danny flipped the doll over and rummaged through the extravagant petticoats and doll-sized clothing to get to the porcelain and fabric form underneath. Another part of him had an ear tuned to the rest of the house as he listened to the thrum of men talking and vainly tried to hear any sound from his own daughter.

"Remember how brave you were when you lost your mom and were on your own? And then you found Uncle Steve and after that, so many good things happened? We found your Aunt and Uncle ... and then Mike, your dad, came for you." His fingers searched through the heavy doll material until he found what he wanted. With a flourish and triumphant grin, Danny pulled out two large straight pins from inside the folds of cloth and the petticoats promptly fell into his lap.

Her face changed through so many emotions, he wasn't sure where she wound up as she stared back at him. She was oddly confused by the pins and the doll as her eyes flickered from what he held back to his face. "I promise, Rebecca. You are going back home in one whole safe piece. I just have to get this damned cuff off you."

He wasn't sure what would happen after that. But Danny was positive that he would do everything in his power to protect her and get her back home to her family. She must have finally believed him, though it took her a long time to eventually nod in agreement.

Quietly caressing her hair before using the sharp pins to pick the lock on the cuffs, Danny repeated his question. "Can you tell me though if he has anyone else here .. did he bring Grace along, too?"

"What do you mean? No." A careful monotone reply indicated that her trust was sorely being tested because he should know, and Danny gently cupped her trembling chin.

"It's okay, Becca. It's just me and it's not a trick; I will always believe you." Tears leaked out from her long lashes as she laid her hand on his to fumble for his fingers for reassurance. Danny was sure that he was going to kill not only Frank Curtis, but each of the men that had terrified Mike Ramirez's little girl.

"My head hurts and I don't remember, Becca. I just don't remember what happened. Can you help me by telling me what you saw?"

"Yes. It's just me and you here." She nodded quickly then as she held his hand tightly. "We were at Uncle Ponch's house and the bad men showed up. They took me and you … Grace was inside in the bathroom. The bad men didn't go in the house."

She refused to say that her father had been shot and Danny didn't ask. He needed to know that Curtis had indeed been lying about abducting both girls and he could have cried at the sheer relief of finally hearing the truth. The tumblers clicked and then he felt the lock give and Becca gasped when her wrist fell free.

"Time to go." His eyes glittered in the pale light as she smiled and helped him to the window. Danny swung out first and fought the urge to crumble to his knees as he hit the dirt. Almost immediately, Becca was in his arms and sliding down next to him. Taking his time, Danny closed the shutters and the two limped off away from the van, the men and the frightening house.

They shuffle walked for minutes until Danny's adrenalin truly began to wane thin. They had evaporated into the depths of the jungle and he purposefully went up the mountain to keep the house well in view. But it was an enormous struggle in the dark and with his injuries worsening after only fifteen minutes.

"Uncle Danny." He paused for them both to rest; though he was barely standing at that point. Wavering on his feet and bent over, Becca had her arms wrapped tightly around his waist to offer support. He was breathing hard as every torturous step pulled his body closer to collapse.

"What, Becca?" Danny gasped around a dull cough.

"Is Daddy coming for us?" It was hard even with Grace because Danny never lied either. Becca knew too that Mike had been gravely injured; it was the last shred of her trusting innocence that was begging for some kind of hope. But his answer would be made doubly more difficult because Rebecca was much worldlier than his own daughter in so many other ways. She had seen and been through too many frightening situations and here was another to add to her young roster of experiences.

Danny lay a hand on the top of her head because he was desperate to save at least a tiny piece more of her innocence and trust. "Your father will always come for you, Becca. Always. Don't you ever doubt that for one second. And if he can't for whatever reason, then your Uncle Ponch will come with Aunt Ellen."

She accepted it and Danny felt her arms gently tighten before her head nodded against his side.

"And Uncle Steve." Becca tearfully added as they started their slow stagger to gain more distance from the house. "With Aunt Kono and Uncle Chin."

Her lip trembled as she burrowed her face into him and he winced but said nothing about it. She seemed to feel guilty about his involvement and yet there was no reason for it. In essence, it really wasn't even her mother's fault for she had been mentally unstable and suffering from post traumatic stress. Little Rebecca had been an unwitting and quite unwilling accomplice to those old schemes that created a sad life for a once lonely, Kasey Pearce. In addition, Frank Curtis was beyond an eleven year-old's control and he was willing to do just about anything to anyone.

Picking his way over rough ground, Danny managed to smile when he heard her last words. "And you, too, Uncle Danny."

"You bet. Me too and that's exactly why we are going to hide until help comes." Using her Uncle Ponch's special nickname for her, Danny awkwardly kissed her forehead as he stumbled passed ferns and dark tree trunks.

"Someone will always come for you, Sprite. I bet they're on their way now and we just gave them a little bit of help. They need all the help they can get, too." Danny smiled encouragingly at Becca as she took a deep breath and rocked to a stop under the wide branches of an impressive tree. He could barely see her face at that point and the wind was beginning to pick up as a few stray rain drops pelted their backs.

"Do you think my cell phone will help, then? I hid it in the van."

"What?" His smile faded immediately as his voice dropped to an inaudible level. It was more than he could have hoped for himself and Danny was honestly stunned. "Your what .. you did what?"

"Daddy got me a phone and he showed me the kid finder app. We played hide and seek at the mall and it works. I was afraid that they would find it, so I got it out of my pocket and left it in the van." Becca stared at him, bewildered by his odd reaction and then worried, bordering on frightened because she thought she'd done the wrong thing.

"Was that bad?" She whispered softly. Uncertain, she stepped back from him and shivered from the cooler breeze.

A few things went through his mind, including a worry that they were much too remote. Or, that the battery might die if it hadn't already. But if anyone on his team realized that Becca even had the device, then Kono would work her magic off the last cell sites that were pinged. It would bring help closer. It would give them a real chance and ten to one - no, there were no odds. Danny knew then that help was most certainly on its way.

"No. Bad? Not at all." Danny forgot about the pain he was in and nearly laughed out loud as the wind intensified. He hugged her back to him, one-handed to his body and felt lighter despite his injuries and their still dire predicament. At his chuckle, Becca began to giggle softly as a true smile beamed back down at her.

"You wonderful, smart, brilliant kid .. you are amazing." Beyond astonished, Danny warmly hugged Rebecca to his side. "Damned straight help is coming!" Glancing towards the somewhat far away lights from the house below them, Danny gently urged them both forward into deeper brush to hide.

~ to be continued ~