December 2nd – evening

"Argh!" Danny shouted and sputtered, emitting a small fountain from his mouth. He was wet all over, having been doused in a bucket full of - hopefully - water. His surroundings slowly came back into focus as he realized he'd been expertly knocked out. Head hurts, small bruise on my temple. Probably from the hilt of the gun. If not me, who got shot? His mind desperately tried to catch up on the events until his eyes landed on the shivering frame of his brother and his priorities shifted.

"What happened to him?" Within seconds, he was back on his feet and examined his brother, finding no potentially fatal wounds but far too many abrasions, older bruises and cuts. Jamie looked thoroughly beaten up, worse even than in sixth grade when a group of older classmates had ganged up on him.

"Dammit, kid, open your eyes!", Danny said, shaking him gently. He could feel a pulse, yet Jamie didn't wake up. Poisoned, his mind complied, remembering the panicked phone call he'd received from his family. Angrily, he turned around to face the person who had gotten them into this mess, the person that was still holding the empty bucket of warter and was following his movements resignedly.

"Arabella! What have you done?"

"I was too late. There was nothing I could have done to prevent the injection. I'm sorry." Through his dark haze, Danny hardly heard her words. They stung, each one trampling down his hopes. Jamie was dying, Jamie needed help, his mind screamed at him and Danny wanted nothing more than to scream as well. Roughly yanking Arabella forwards, he shouted at her to help his brother, only to be stopped by the blond man that had been waiting right behind the door. Now he was the one being harshly pushed as the newcomer separated the two.

"Danny, meet Isaac. He's helped me to take out Mr. Wyrdmann's mercenaries", Arabella said calmly, massaging her throat. Suddenly Danny felt bad for hurting her. He still wasn't sure whether she was being honest or not, but did it really matter right now?

"What can we do?", he asked, pointing at his younger sibling who was mumbling something that sounds a lot like his, Danny's, name.

"Your first idea is probably to call the police and an ambulance", Arabella suspected, "They won't be here fast enough. It would take them over an hour, if they came at all. Another hour to get to the hospital..."

"Okay, I get it. No ambulance", Danny agreed, placing his brother's head in his lap. "Can't we decelerate the poison's effects? What kind of poison was it?"

"We don't have a clue, Isaac already searched the whole cellar. There are no documents and the vial wasn't labeled."

"So basically we don't stand a chance?", Danny asked disbelievingly. Minutes too late, only minutes. Maybe he would've made it, had Arabella not taken out his car. Now Jamie was dying and there was nothing he could do about it. Carefully stroking the bloodied hair on his brother's head, Danny tried to concentrate. He needed to focus, to find a solution, to do something. Yet he could only stay where he was, utterly transfixed by Jamie's labored breathing.

"We don't", Arabella admitted, but the thoughtful tone of her voice had Danny looking up. Was there an idea forming in her head?

"Spill it, Arabella! Whatever it is, it has to be better than... this!", Danny ground out, gesturing at the cell and Jamie. He heard steps in the hallway and was a little surprised when Jackie entered the room, accompanied by Isaac. His partner had her gun drawn, but as soon as she saw the situation, she put it away to check Jamie's pulse. Danny knew it was fluttering and way too fast and had to keep his eyes trained on Arabella's stocky frame to stop them from watering.

"We can't involve the authorities, but they aren't the only cavalry available", the redhead stated, letting the two cops ponder her suggestion. It didn't take Danny any time to make his decision. Whatever necessary.

"How?", he asked, his face a mask set in stone. Had somebody told him a month ago he'd once place all his hopes in a rescue by the goddamn mob, he'd have laughed at them and called them lunatics. Now he wasn't sure who the lunatic was. Arabella for wanting to try this or him for accepting without a second thought.

"Get Jamison out of the house, I'll take care of the rest", she said, motioning for Isaac to come closer. Together they exited the room, leaving Jackie and Danny to carry the poisoned man. His skin was hot to the touch, feverish. His closed eyes were moving around hectically and every so often, Jamie moaned softly.

"You're gonna be alright", Danny told him firmly, not looking at his partner's skeptical mien.

"You know this is madness", Jackie said quietly as they ascended the stairs and passed the now-dead man on the doorstep. Danny didn't even so much as glance at the body, completely busy with his brother. Of course he knew the chances of the mob helping three cops were non-existent, but a client of the Spark helping three strangers? Why not?

"It's not as bad as you think", he replied and quickly explained Arabella's unique business, although he wasn't sure how much insight he actually had in her dealings. She was connecting people with the Herrera mob, putting the right word into the right ears, acting as a messenger and sometimes as an independent observer. If she matched the Spider, her skill-set was wide spread and truly scary. And as if to make his point, she and Isaac came running out of the entrance, the man's face serious while Arabella's sprouted a big grin.

"Get down!", she called out, ducking behind her car. Her head wasn't even close to the ground when an enormous explosion shook the ground, fire bursting from every single window of the house. Stones, sand and glass were raining down on them and Danny tried to shield Jamie with his own body. Luckily, they were far enough from ground zero to only have problems with small pieces of debris.

"Are you insane?", Danny hollered as soon as he'd caught his breath. The left side of Arabella's face was illuminated by the flames behind her when she turned around, still smiling erratically.

"Quite possibly", she quipped, then pointed towards the massive column of smoke that was rising into the air. "But I've also just made our 911 call. Somebody will be over to check this out for sure. Easier than phoning twenty different people before you reach the correct person." Danny only groaned and exchanged a glance with his slightly terrified partner.

"You didn't have to destroy the whole building, did you?", he asked, earning him another bright eyed expression and a smile.

"No, but I felt like it. You didn't seriously think they called me the Spark because of my hair, did you?"

"This is ridiculous." Danny didn't even bother to answer. He left Jackie to stand watch over Isaac and Arabella while he took Jamie's pulse every three minutes, noticing that it was getting less regular. Time was running out even quicker than he'd anticipated.

"Danny?", Arabella asked after a few minutes of silence that was only disrupted by the crackling of the fire and the occasional smaller explosion from within the house.

"Yeah?"

"You need to leave. I might be able to smuggle Jamie in and out without anyone noticing he's American and a cop, but you? Not likely. And I'm not even mentioning your girlfriend."

"Oh, right. Jackie, meet Arabella. Arabella, this is my partner Jackie Curatola", Danny said, trying to evade her statement by making introductions. However, the redhead only shook her head when she heard another detective was present.

"I'm not leaving", Danny determined when neither of the women made a move to shake hands. There would be no discussion about this topic, Danny told himself, being able to see the danger but unwilling to leave his brother's side ever again. Jackie seemed to think likewise, although she kept quiet while Arabella noted that they were both wearing their badges and service weapons.

"You might also want to inform your family about what has happened. No, don't use your phone, not here."

"Danny", Jackie said warningly. She stared at the other woman until she and Isaac gave the cops some space. "Again, this is madness. We followed that charming little lunatic out into the wilderness and now you want to trust her with Jamie's – and your own and my – life? Why not head for the next hospital, just because she said it would be too far? Damn, Reagan, think for a moment! She's nothing but a criminal!"

"It's not..."

"She's right and you know it", a hoarse voice supplied, "So stop bitching, Danny, and drive."

"Jamie!", Jackie and Danny exclaimed in unison, looking down at the cop's glassy eyes.

"Hey guys", he croaked, shuddered and closed his eyes while his body cramped on the ground.

"How are you feeling?", Danny inquired, wanting only to keep his brother awake, who actually had the nerve to look annoyed.

"Like I've been poisoned. Would you please get me to a hospital now?"

"It's not that easy...", Danny began, stroking Jamie's hair away from the damp forehead. Shivering, fever, cramps - what the hell had been in that vial? And how much time was left? He had to make a decision, but he'd not been prepared for Jackie's and Jamie's doubts.

"I heard most of it. Don't trust Fire."

"Fire? Oh, Arabella. No worries there, I don't trust her any further than I could throw the ruins of that building."

"Good." Jamie coughed weakly, his hands coming up to protect his stomach. His fingers were shaking violently, as was the rest of his body. And he was considerably thinner than he'd been a fortnight ago, Danny thought and wished Harold Wyrdmann into the deepest pits of hell.

"We're gonna make sure you're alright. I'll watch out for you, kid. Now rest", Danny said, trying to sound calm and reassuring but failing miserably with both. Jackie and Jamie looked at him with the same exasperated expression on their faces.

"And who's gonna watch out for you?", Jamie wanted to know.

"I am", Jackie said. She smiled down at the younger Reagan and did a better job on the act of confidence. Nevertheless, Jamie wasn't fooled that easily. Danny admired his little brother's resolve, even though it wasn't making things easier.

"Not good enough", Jamie stated. Another cramp made him curl into a ball and he gagged, spitting out the remains of his breakfast that now had a reddish tint to it. Blood?

"Hospital, Danny", he declared anyways. His big brother ruffled his hair, equally stubborn. It didn't matter whether he was putting his life in danger as long as Jamie would survive the night. A two-hour drive to the next emergency ward might very well be the end of him.

"You don't get to vote, you might be hallucinating", he commented and pulled his brother close in an attempt to stop him from shivering as much. Jackie had followed the argument with furrowed brows, but was now speaking up.

"We don't even know whether they'll want to help us. Especially once they find out we're with the police."

"That's why, if we do this mob thing, you", Jamie coughed again, clutching Danny's shoulders to stay in a sitting position, "you're gonna go back to New York. They won't recognize me. Lowly officer."

"Not a chance!", Danny howled. He only had to look at his brother to be certain Jamie could not be left alone in the state he was in. It would have been like abandoning a lamb to the wolves. No way.

"It's smart."

"It's plain foolishness. Jackie, a little help here?"

"I don't know, partner. Say we don't trust that woman, at least the two of us could follow and run interference if anything happened. If we all stay, we'll all be caught."

"Not a pretty picture you're painting."

"I know", Jackie said darkly, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. A glance sideways at Isaac and Arabella told her that this private conversation would be over soon.

"Leave me", Jamie tried again, then gasped, his hands gripping his stomach tightly before they released suddenly as he sank back into unconsciousness.

"No", Danny answered and allowed himself to smirk when nobody contradicted him. However, the image Jackie had planted in his brain about all of them ending up as bargaining chips of the Mexican mob deterred him from going through with his original plan. "Hospital it is."

Jackie looked surprised, but left the decision to him, pulling out her gun and hiding it between hers and Danny's body. "We need to make sure she doesn't delay our movements with that long-range weapon again, right?"

"Yeah." Even as he said it, Jackie was getting up and pointed her gun straight at Arabella, who raised her hands, clearly astonished by the change of events. Her mouth opened to object, but a warning shot from Jackie quieted her down.

"Car keys."

"In the compartment on the passenger's side", the redhead replied, stepping away from the vehicle and carefully gesturing for the blond Russian to follow suit.

"Put down your weapons and slide them over", Danny joined in and received two fine handguns. His own had been lost in the flames, so feeling the weight of the metal in his hands was reassuring. One gun trained on Arabella and her companion, he put his arms around Jamie's slim waist and pulled his brother up and into the waiting BMW.

"Damn, you're heavier than you look", Danny grunted and placed his brother in the backseat before seating himself in front of the wheel. As he started the engine, Jackie joined him, still holding the two people outside at bay. Isaac looked furious whereas Arabella only shrugged and quickly glanced at her watch.

"We better hurry", Jackie commented, which Danny took as his cue to speed up as much as he dared on the sandy road. Soon the figures at the house were lost in a cloud of dirt and the sounds of the fire were replaced by the rumbling of the tires on the gravel.

They had only begun to enter the canyon where their own damaged vehicle was parked when a strange noise made Danny freeze. Warily he looked up into the sky. A tiny yellow dot, twice as big as a star, made their way towards them, increasing the sound gradually.

"They've got a chopper. Of course they have a freaking chopper", he murmured, slamming on the breaks as they passed through several big rocks that might hide them a while longer. Jackie peered back at Jamie, whose lips were starting to get a bluish tint and then back onto the road. She sighed and fixed her eyes on Danny, who'd come to the same conclusion.

"They're gonna get us. And it's too far to reach the hospital by foot. Not enough time, even if we could by some miracle slip through their fingers."

"Exactly", Jackie said grimly. Danny thought about it, watched his brother fight for his life and made a final decision.

"You go. I'll stay behind and make sure nobody harms Jamie any further. They might not focus all their attention on you if we provide enough of a diversion. Try to get through to the American embassy and talk to my Dad. He'll know what to do."

"Danny..."

"Go!"

"Fine! But don't blame me if you get yourself killed", Jackie snapped. Her movements were furious as she opened the door and stepped outside into the cool air of the night.

"Be careful, Reagan", she said instead of the normal goodbyes. Danny nodded, slipping out of his seat to keep his brother company on the backseat. Breathe, kid, just breathe through it. Help is on the way. Danny didn't even know whether he meant Jackie's race towards his country and family or the chopper that had found them and was setting down only a few hundred meters from them. Men were jumping from it even before the landing was complete, dark clothed men with big rifles that Danny couldn't exactly make out in the darkness.

"Hands behind your head! Slowly, get out of the car!" Feels a little like being arrested, Danny thought sarcastically, trying to hide his anxiousness as his hands were cuffed behind his back and a black hood was thrown over his face. His breathing quickened.

"You shot me, did you know that?", Arabella said, taking hold of his arm and steering him away from the car and from Jamie. Danny groaned inwardly, remembering he'd pulled the trigger before Isaac had knocked him out. So the bullet had found its target? Nobody harms the Spider and gets away with it, he thought. Exhaustion was creeping up on him and he fought to remain standing, running on adrenaline only.

"Sorry, it was an accident", he said lamely and tripped on the uneven ground, stumbling a few steps without the help of Arabella, who let go of him as if she'd been burned.

"Don't lie to me, Danny. You Reagans don't miss. We're done."

"Wait! We had a deal! You promised to get Jamie home! Since when do you go back on your agreements?", he shouted, anger mixing with desperation. Without her support and with his name being spoken in front of all these people, his chances of survival were plummeting towards zero. She had to be joking. Come on, Arabella, the Spark, whatever you're called these days, don't abandon my little brother and me. Not to them.

"You're right. We did have a deal and I will honor it. Be assured that Jamie will be back in the arms of his family by Christmas."

"Thank you", he said quietly, risking another question, "and how will we get out of this?"

"We? There is no we, Danny. Never was and never will be after the stunts you pulled. I'm leaving. Have a good life, Danny."

And with that, her light footsteps retreated into the night. For a moment he was too stunned to react, then he sent a long line of curses after her, which was met by snickering from all sides. But for all of that, he was left alone and considered getting rid of his blindfold to make a run for it, but already somebody else was approaching.

"Daniel Reagan", an unknown voice greeted as he was being pulled along in the direction of the helicopter. He turned his head towards the speaker, trying to discern at least the outlines of the moving figures but having no such luck. Instead he listened closely and heard muttered voices as something heavy was being dragged from the seat of the car.

"What are you doing to my brother? Arabella? Answer me!"

"Don't worry, Daniel. You're with us now", the man said and patted the cop's back. Rough hands shoved Danny into the helicopter, pushing him down in a corner and tying something around his waist and legs. "Welcome to the family, Reagan. Enjoy your stay!"