Ch. 13: Rescue

Ethan stared blankly at the radio, as if his empty expression could wish Benji back into existence. He just hung from the chains, not caring what Kane did next. There was nothing else the man could do to him. He thought of when he thought he watched Julia die. Somehow, this was even worse. The idea that he could compare the two people made him sick to his stomach with guilt.

"You know how I knew?" Kane asked, leaning back against the table.

Ethan didn't look at him.

"Knew that he was the key to your undoing?"

Ethan's dead eyes flicked up to Kane.

"You see, we knew you were buddies back when I was sent to find you. We questioned the hell out of him. At first I was certain your techie was helping you elude us. I was so suspicious of him. Then, over time, he seemed tired of you, mad at what you left him in. The mess he had to clean. Honestly, we all bought it."

Kane let out a sigh, "And then...Vienna." He paused dramatically. Ethan looked back slowly to the radio.

"When we caught wind he was helping you, I was floored. I should have trusted my instincts. You guys are such good friends." He leered at Ethan, who could feel the intensity of the stare even though he didn't grace the man with eye-contact during his tale.

"That's when I lost Maria," Kane continued, "I thought killing your friend would be a good start to your suffering, at least until I found more people to hurt to hurt you. My plan was still so young then. I didn't have much set up, but oh-so poetically, the perfect storm was created in England. On the edge of the Thames to be specific."

Ethan looked over at Kane, who smiled at Ethan's recognition.

"A little birdie told me what happened. That Ethan Hunt would rather die staring into the eyes of this little English newbie agent, killing bystanders in the process, than let that man die."

Kane crouched, eye-level with Ethan, smirking as he stared into the agent's eyes.

"Good friends my ass," Kane laughed before standing up. He had some of Ethan's attention now. "Seemed more than a little suspect to me, but I knew he'd be a good pressure point. My luck didn't stop there, though, oh no!" He clapped his hands together, "I could hardly believe what Rand told me when we busted him out of the shitty CIA safehouse they had him in. It's amateur hour over there right now. Anyway," Kane added, throwing up his hands, "That's neither here nor there. Rand managed to spy a sweet little moment between you two. So touching, really, and not only did it become clear that you were in love, but that it seemed to be tearing you apart."

He let the words hang in the air. Ethan wanted to glare at the man, to stare at him with furious hatred, but he was too deep in mourning to find the strength.

"Did you tell him? How you felt? Or did he die never knowing? It was all too good to be true…" Kane whispered giddily, "He is your undoing, Ethan. Now you know how I feel."

"I already knew how you feel…"

Kane quirked a brow.

"I had a wife," Ethan breathed out, "Years ago. I loved her so much. I lost her."

Kane's eyes narrowed, "Well, you should have been extra careful not to let it happen again, huh?"

Ethan let out a laugh, a hearty, broken laugh. Kane stared at him quizzically. Given the circumstances, Ethan appeared a madman before him. Ethan's eyes snapped to Kane's and through the pained chuckles, his eyes had welled with tears.

"I did. I tried to keep him safe. I tried to protect him. To keep him out of harm's way. Not let him in. Not let anyone see what he meant to me, not even him. I felt what I felt and I didn't tell him. I even lied to myself. I wanted him safe even from me," he shook his head, his grim smile fading as a tear fell down his cheek. "He kissed me...and I was scared. I was scared because I knew what he was. Who he was to me. I thought, 'not again,' not like Julia."

A few more tears dripped down his face, "I kept him away, and now he's dead."

Kane cocked his head to the side in mock sympathy.

"I told you I would make you suffer. Make you wish you were dead."

Ethan shook his head slowly, eyes going unfocused, "There's nothing else you can do now...I'm already dead."

There was a series of bangs at the door. Kane smiled, eagerly awaiting Ethan's reaction to Benji's corpse.

Ethan's eyes snapped to the door and without realizing it, he shook his head slightly. He couldn't bear it, but he couldn't not look. He failed Benji and now he had to look at what had become of his stupid attempts to try to protect him. For one of the only times in his life, he couldn't possibly handle what was being dealt to him.

Kane unlocked the door, and it burst open violently, knocking him back into the table.

In limped Benji Dunn, battered and bruised; blood seeped slowly from under the bandages around his thigh, his trousers were stained in blood and dirt. His shirt was slick to him in sweat and grime, his face contorted in a mix of pain and anger, stained with blood, sweat, dirt, and tears. His arms were raised, holding the gun, and in his eyes was a fury that made a killer. In this single frame of a moment, he was a terrifying display of pure rage and determination.

Those intense blues scanned the room and landed on Ethan, hanging by his cuffs, mouth agape. Suddenly Benji's expression melted and his hands lowered the gun slowly, his eyes widened and a smile of pure joy and relief washed across his face, "Ethan?!"

Kane took that moment of hesitation to charge into Benji, knocking the gun from his hands and clattering it to the floor. Benji had merely a split second to register what had happened before the two men were locked in a brawl. The pair scuffled, throwing punches and countering. Benji got a good hit in, nearly drawing a cheer from Ethan, but when Kane returned a solid kick to Benji's chest, sending him flying onto his back, the restrained agent pulled hard on his chains.

To Benji's left was the gun. As he reached for it, Kane was on him again, and the two wrestled on the ground for control of the weapon. Kane used his weight sitting atop the agent and tried to rip the gun from Benji's hand. Suddenly Kane's other hand was on Benji's throat. The agent knew he wasn't as strong as the other man and he wasn't going to win the fight for the gun. He needed help.

Trying to calm his nerves, Benji used his right hand to rifle through Kane's pockets in search of the key to Ethan's restraints. Kane had turned his focus to the gun, and didn't register what was happening. He released Benji's throat and tried to use both hands to grip the gun. Finding the key, Benji pulled it out and raised his arm above his head, throwing the key at the feet of the other agent.

Ethan looked to the key and using one foot to push the key onto the toe of his other shoe, he then flicked it up into the air, catching it in one hand.

Benji, too preoccupied with tossing the key didn't notice Kane remove one hand from the gun and slip it into his pocket. Before Benji could pull back down his extended arm, a pocket knife was plunged into his exposed gut. A gasp escaped him, and he looked down in surprise, seeing the hilt in Kane's hand and the extended metal piercing through his belly. Slowly he could feel his fingers loosen and Kane yanked the gun from his hand, ripping the knife out at the same time. Benji's hands went to his wound as shock crept over him.

Kane stood up, looking down at Benji before turning his attention to Ethan. Just as he looked up, he was blasted backwards in a tackle from the now-free agent. Fury possessed Ethan. Kane knew he was outmatched from the first punch. Upon first chance, he rolled away from Ethan, leaving the gun behind and heading for the door. Ethan grabbed the gun, took aim, and shot, hitting Kane in the shoulder as he exited the room, making him drop the pocket knife. Rather than following the man, though, Ethan turned his focus to Benji, sitting on the floor next to him.

"Benji, can you hear me?"

"I...I thought you were dead, they told me-"

"Shh," Ethan began, "It's okay, none of that is important now."

He pressed a hand over Benji's wound, making him squirm in pain.

"You should go after him," Benji added, teary eyes flicking to the open door, "You should get him."

"I will. I'll make him pay for what he did, but not now."

Benji hesitated, then nodded before locking eyes with Ethan.

"So...you won't leave me…?"

Ethan shook his head, smiling sadly at Benji, "No, I won't leave you."

"Okay," Benji replied, relieved, "I really didn't want you to go. I only said that to try to be brave. I don't want to die alone."

Benji reached a hand up, taking a fistful of Ethan's shirt as a wave of pain hit him.

"You are brave. You did so well. I'm getting you out of here," Ethan told him.

Benji let out a broken laugh, "Please don't lie to me. It's not comforting."

"I'm not."

"How are you not? We can't fight our way out of here. I'm too hurt, I'd slow you down. They have too many men, we don't have a plan…"

Ethan picked up his broken watch, holding it close to Benji's face so he could see. Pressing a button on the side, the rim was suddenly lit red.

"The team always has a plan…"