Really getting into the action now and it just kept flowing so this chapter is a little bit longer. Enjoy
Danny waited until he was sure that Mitch and Carter had left, then he focused all his concentration on the items on the floor only a few feet away and yet so unreachable. Steve's and his cell phones as well as Steve's jackknife were still lying in the pile where they had dropped down earlier and he knew that this might be their only chance to get out of this mess.
Throwing a last concerned look at his friend, Danny shoved the worry for Steve to the back of his mind. Right now there was absolutely nothing he could do for him and Danny just hoped that he would be alright and wake up soon.
Closing his fingers tightly around the arms of his chair he fought back a pained groan when the movement sent another wave of pain through his hand and thigh. The wound in his thigh had receded to a dull thud and bled only sluggishly. Having a goal to set his mind to helped him push past his pain.
Putting together all his strength, Danny used his entire bodyweight to move the chair closer to the prized items. With his feet also tied to the chair legs it was an almost impossible task but rocking and jerking his upper body forth and back and left and right he finally managed to make one little awkward jump after the other. All the while continuing to ignore the pain that flared through his body with every bounce.
Danny had no idea how he would manage to pick up the phone or the knife from the floor when he got there but that problem sorted itself out when the left chair leg suddenly got caught up on a small bump in the floor. Despite Danny's best efforts to stay upright the chair finally tipped over and crashed to the floor.
Cold sweat was popping upon his brow and white-hot pain drowned out every other thought when he landed on his left side, jolting his two broken fingers. Squeezing his eyes shut Danny tried to breathe through the worst of the pain. His breath came in panted sobs and he clenched his right hand into a tight fist, the fingernails leaving bloody marks on the base of his palm as he dropped his head exhaustedly to the cold dusty floor.
Danny knew that he hadn't much time left; he estimated that Mitch and Carter would be back in twenty, maybe thirty minutes at the most, so he willed himself to pull it together. He slowly opened his eyes when the pain finally retreated to a more bearable level. Turning his head he looked up to throw a worried glance at his partner; Steve was still slumped down in his chair, his breathing fast and shallow and his ashen face covered with a thin layer of sweat.
"Come on, Steve, time to wake up, I really could use a little help here" Danny whispered urgently before he heaved a deep sigh and turned his attention back to the cell phones and the knife on the floor.
With renewed determination, he continued his perilous journey.
He had absolutely no idea how he finally got there but after much wiggling and crawling and cursing Danny finally managed to move close enough to one of the cell phones to touch it with his fingertips.
He was panting heavily from exhaustion and pain, his left hand throbbing mercilessly in sync with his hammering heartbeat. Danny's shirt and face were covered with dust, uncomfortably mixing with the sweat that ran freely down his body. Biting his lower lip Danny stretched out his left hand as far as possible, cursing the uselessness of his two broken fingers; the black zip tie painfully cut into the raw skin of his wrist until he was finally able to drag the cell phone closer.
He turned his hand as much as possible to reach the display with the tip of his finger, hissing out another curse when a rivulet of blood trickled down from his abused wrist and after five or six unsuccessful attempts he finally managed to activate the phone. Pressing a trembling finger to the screen Danny briefly closed his eyes in gratitude that he had Chin's and Kono's numbers on speed dial. Breathing out a tiny sigh of relief when he heard the dialing tone he turned his head toward the other end of the storage area, hoping with all his might that Mitch and Carter stayed away a little bit longer.
"Hey Danny," Chin's calm voice came over the phone but before he was able to say anything else, Danny interrupted him hoarsely.
"Chin, listen," he croaked out, quickly outlining their messy situation to his teammate. "I think I might be able to free us, but Steve is still unconscious and except for his jackknife we are totally unarmed," Danny breathlessly finished his explanations.
"We'll be there as soon as possible and Kono has already called HPD for backup," Chin replied quickly, the sound of a closing car door and a starting engine in the background telling Danny that his teammates were already on their way.
"Hurry up," Danny begged, sharply turning his head when he suddenly heard a noise from the other end of the storehouse. "I think they're coming back," he whispered, trying to fight back the rising panic as he craned his neck in an attempt to have a better view at the exit door. "I need to hang up, I'll try to call again," he added curtly without giving Chin the chance to react, swiftly ending the call with another tap at the small cell phone display.
Holding his breath Danny stared wide-eyed into the dusty room but he didn't hear any other noises and after a few moments of tense waiting he allowed himself to relax a little bit. He briefly closed his eyes and heaved a tired sigh; all he wanted to do was give in to his pain and exhaustion and wait for rescue. But he knew that as soon as Mitch and Carter came back and found him in his current position he would probably be dead faster than he could say the word 'backup'.
So he pulled himself together once more and slowly wiggled toward Steve's jackknife that was lying nearby. Danny didn't care any longer about his broken fingers; the pain was now a constant, all-consuming red fire that filled his entire being but he just gritted his teeth and focused his whole concentration on the black knife in front of him, puffing out a relieved sob when he finally reached it.
It was surprisingly easy to open the knife with only three functioning fingers and Danny smiled grimly when the blade glistened faintly. Turning around the knife he carefully maneuvered the blade between his wrist and the zip tie and started to cut through the plastic. He was making good progress when the knife suddenly slipped from his trembling fingers, cutting deeply into the base of his thumb and into his already bleeding wrist. Hissing out a pained curse, Danny instinctively retightened his grip around the knife handle before it became even more slippery with his blood.
Half a minute later he had finally achieved his goal. The piece of plastic snapped open with a soft popping sound. Danny allowed himself a short moment of joy and gratefulness before he swiftly raised his hand and cut through the zip ties around his right wrist and around his ankles as fast as possible.
Struggling to his feet Danny quickly shoved the two cell phones into his pocket before he stumbled over to his partner.
"Steve?" he asked hoarsely, tightly grabbing Steve's shoulder in an attempt to wake him up. "Steve? Can you hear me?" But Steve was still unresponsive. The rapid up and down of his chest a clear sign that he was alive; nevertheless Danny briefly pressed his fingers against his neck finding Steve's pulse surprisingly strong but much too fast for his liking.
After another worried glance at his friend's pale face Danny bent down to cut away the zip ties around Steve's feet, closely followed by the ones that immobilized his wrists. Without the bonds that held him upright he started to slowly slip down from the chair. Danny pocketed the jackknife to free his hands. But the smaller man still had a hard time catching Steve's limp body. Grabbing his right wrist Danny wrapped Steve's arm around his own shoulders, at the same time hooking the uninjured fingers of his left hand into the waistband of Steve's cargo pants. The wounds on his palm and wrist leaving bloody marks on the beige fabric.
Danny knew that he had neither enough time to get away before their two captors came back, nor had he the strength to carry Steve over a long distance in his current shape. Frantically looking around he finally decided to hide behind two large piles of wooden boxes about thirty feet away from their current position. He knew they would leave unmistakable traces on the dusty floor but he just hoped the hide-out would buy them enough time until Chin and Kono showed up.
Slowly dragging his partner away from the chairs. Danny grunted with exertion after only a few steps. He exhaled a curse when his bloody fingers slipped off and he nearly dropped Steve. Quickly renewing his grip he wasn't able to bite back a hoarse anguished cry when once more a wave of pain rushed through his injured left thigh.
After a few agonizing long minutes they had finally reached the chosen hide-out. Panting heavily Danny lowered Steve's body to the floor as gently as possible. Then he rushed back a few steps, picking up a large toolbox from the floor in the hope that it contained something he could turn into a weapon.
Steve still hadn't shown the slightest sign of wakening when Danny returned to his side, a fact that caused Williams to furrow his brow in deep concern. He put down the toolbox on one of the wooden boxes. The gash on his left palm was still bleeding sluggishly but Danny decided to ignore that and the deep wound on his thigh for the moment. He yanked his cell phone out of his pocket, once more dialing Chin's number. He pressed the phone to his ear with his left, injured hand, his gaze darting between his unconscious partner and the large door at the other end of the building. He opened up the toolbox with his free hand and quickly searched through the contents.
"Where are you?" Danny asked breathlessly as soon as he heard Kono's voice at the other end of the line, growling in frustration at the unwelcome answer he got from his teammate.
"We are about ten minutes away," Kono said apologetically. "Can you hang on that long? Are you ok? How's Steve?" she asked
"Still unconscious," Danny replied tersely. "I managed to get us free, but we're still in the hangar, there's no chance that we are able to get out of here before those two freaks return." His right hand trembled heavily when he briefly stopped rummaging through the tools to wipe the sweat from his face and suddenly he felt a leaden tiredness creeping through his mind and body. "I'll do whatever I have to. Just hurry up, okay?" Danny breathed out exhaustedly, closing his eyes as he leaned against the wall behind him.
A screeching noise startled him back to awareness and Danny's eyes snapped open when he heard Mitch's and Carter's cheerful voices from outside the storehouse. "They're back," he whispered into his cell phone before he ended the call and dropped the small device next to the toolbox.
As silently as possible he placed two large hammers next to the box, ready to pick them up at any time if he needed an additional weapon. Pulling Steve's jackknife out of his pocket he flipped it open and soundlessly retreated further into the shadows. He took a deep breath as he waited nervously, ready to defend Steve's and his life to the last breath.
Danny stood in the shadows; every fiber of his body vibrating in nervous tension, the black jackknife raised protectively, his injured left hand pressed to his chest, leaving crimson bloodstains on the front of his shirt. His eyes were wide-open as he listened to the low voices that wavered through one of the open windows and he figured that he and Steve had maybe two or three minutes left before Mitch and Carter would find out about their escape.
The two voices from the other side of the room suddenly changed; their tone switching from cheerful to outraged in the blink of an eye.
Danny retreated further into the shadows. He grabbed one of the hammers out of the toolbox, briefly turning it in his right hand to get a feeling for its weight before he closed his fingers tightly around the handle.
"Gentlemen," Mitch's voice reverberated loudly through the building as Danny bent slightly forward so that he was able to peek through a small gap between two boxes. "I'm neither in the mood for hide-and-seek right now nor do I have the time to play your stupid game. I suggest you show yourself, and maybe I can offer you a quick, painless death."
Rolling his eyes about that stupid offer Danny watched how Mitch slowly came closer while he motioned Carter to search the other half of the storehouse.
For the first time this day, luck seemed to be on Danny's side when their two captors split up and both of them obviously failed to notice the traces on the dusty floor.
Trying to estimate the time until Chin's and Kono's arrival Danny racked his brain for a way to buy some more time but all he came up with was probably the oldest trick in the when Mitch constantly drew nearer to their hideout Danny saw no other choice than to simply try his idea.
Reaching into the toolbox next to him he grabbed the first item he got ahold of and in one swift move he tossed the screwdriver as far away from his and Steve's position as possible. The small item whirled through the air for about two seconds, finally hitting another pile of boxes and falling to the floor with a clattering noise.
Mitch whirled around toward the sound and Danny could see him narrow his eyes as he stared into the shadows. Raising his weapon he slowly walked away from Steve's and Danny's hideout, carefully looking behind every box as he made his way through the storehouse.
Danny silently left his hiding place to sneak up on Mitch. Hoping the element of surprise would be on his side. He jumped at the man from behind, aiming the large hammer at the side of Mitch's head. But before the makeshift weapon could hit its target Mitch whirled around. Defensively raising his right hand he easily deflected the blow. But the move made him lose his grip around his gun and it uselessly dropped to the dusty floor.
Danny's gaze instinctively flickered toward the weapon but only a millisecond later he stumbled backwards, wheezing out in surprise and pain. Mitch had immediately taken advantage of Danny's brief lack of attention, hitting him fiercely against the chest. Luckily, Danny recovered fast enough to wield the hammer once more in Mitch's direction. This time he managed to land a hit on the other man's shoulder. The short encounter had already used up the majority of Danny's energy; stepping back, he struggled to bring his breathing under control while he tried to think of a quick way to end the fight.
He pulled Steve's jackknife out of his pocket in the hopes it would give him the upper hand that he needed. The two men cautiously circled each other. Mitch, fueled by a volatile mix of rage and fear, threw a wild haymaker at Danny, who narrowly dodged the blow and countered with a strike of his own. The scuffle continued with a barrage of fists and kicks, it was a chaotic dance of desperation in the confined space.
They continued to grapple, each trying to gain the upper hand. Boxes toppled, and crates were sent crashing to the ground. In the midst of their struggle, Mitch looked to take advantage of Danny's injuries. After a feigned punch to Danny's right side the larger man took a little step sideways and aimed the next blow at Danny's injured left hand, closely followed by two quick punches in the gut. Danny cried out in pain and lost his grip on the knife causing it to scatter on to the floor.
Mitch eyeballed Danny from top to bottom and a smug little grin slowly crept across his lips. He noticed Danny's obvious fatigue and now felt assured of his own impending victory. Grinning diabolically he watched Danny; doubled over and squeezing his eyes shut as he drew in air in short strangled gasps. A well placed punch to the left jaw did the rest and Danny slumped to the ground with a hoarse moan, blood running freely from his nose and from a deep cut in his lip.
Danny opened his eyes just in time to watch Mitch bend down and pick up the fallen knife. Before Danny was able to fully struggle to his feet Mitch lunged at him. The blade sliced through the air, finding its mark and embedding into Danny's abdomen.
Agony surged through him as he cried out, his vision blurring with pain. He clutched at the knife and stumbled back onto his knees. His whole body screamed at him to surrender. After all the abuses he'd endured, surely no one would fault him if he did.
He refocused and became aware of Mitch monologuing in the background. "... the great and powerful Five-O, taken down by a lowly criminal, an idiot.. isn't that what you called me?"
His smugness grated on Danny. Mitch continued celebrating; believing the fight was over, that Danny was defeated.
"You're done" He looked down at Danny "you should have stayed where I left you. Now you're dead and your partner... well we'll find him and..." Mitch paused letting his ill intent float in the air. "So much for your promise to kill me"
Mitch's malicious chuckle spurred on Danny's determination. He knew he couldn't give in, that he couldn't let his partner down.
With trembling hands, he grasped tighter to the knife's hilt embedded in his flesh. His breaths labored and ragged. In a desperate surge of strength, he yanked the weapon from his abdomen, his face contorted with pain. Now armed with the very knife that had injured him, Danny's eyes blazed with determination. Before Mitch recognized what was happening Danny turned the tables, lunging at Mitch with newfound resolve.
Mitch's chuckle suddenly turned into a gurgling groan. The burly man swayed on his feet as his left hand tentatively moved to his neck where the knife had plunged into his skin.
The mechanic just stood there for a moment with the most surprised look on his face before collapsing to the ground.
"I keep my promises." Danny mustered. He stumbled, clutching at the flowing blood. The chaotic confrontation had come to an end.
He again wrestled with the idea of collapsing and giving in to his bodies demand for rest. There was, however, no opportunity for Danny to recover or revel in his victory because a sound coming from Steve's direction caught his attention and reminded him this ordeal was not over.
Struggling to remain upright, Danny managed to scoop up the gun that Mitch had dropped at the beginning of their struggle. He gripped the gun in his right hand while using his battered left hand to apply as much pressure as he could to his bleeding abdomen.
Slowly he shuffled along towards his downed partner, leaning heavily on stacks of boxes for support. Swallowing down his rising sense of panic, Danny prayed he would reach Steve before Carter.
But, as he drew near he heard the telltale sound of a cocking weapon. He came around the last set of boxes to find Carter standing there looming large over Steve about to pull the trigger
"Hey, dickhead" yelling out is all Danny could think of to do. It worked, Carter's attention was pulled away from Steve to direct his weapon at Danny.
Instinctively, Danny aimed and pulled the trigger just as Carter did. Both shots rang out simultaneously. Both hitting their respective targets. One, however struck with much more deadly accuracy.
Danny felt the searing pain in his upper left side as the force of the blow knocked him back into a crate, leaving a fresh crimson streak on the wood as he slid down to the ground.
For a brief moment Danny just sat there, not really knowing what had happened. Then he saw the growing bloodstain on Carter's chest, he watched wide-eyed how the gun dropped from the other man's limp fingers and then Carter collapsed to the ground.
Through exhaustion and a haze of pain Danny realized that people were filling into the building and when he belatedly heard the shouts of "Five-0" and "HPD" he finally breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Just in time," he murmured, raising his head to look at the new arrivals.
Kono's dark eyes narrowed when she took in Danny's beaten and bloody form. The growing blood spots on his shoulder and abdomen drew a look of deep concern.
"We need some help over here" she hollered
"Steve, Steve's over there" he stammered, nodding his head in the intended direction. "He was still unresponsive..."
"We know, it's ok, their checking him out now he's fine" The calming voice of Chin stepped in.
"Good, that's goo..." Danny struggled to say as he could muster no more strength and started to give in to the pull of darkness.
"Ahhh" Danny jolted to awake as Kono forcefully pressed on his left side in an attempt to stem the bleeding "are you trying to kill me!" He quipped, but was quick to apologize once he saw Kono's crestfallen face on the verge of tears. "Hey, hey, hey hey, shhh it's OK, It'll be ok" he tried to assure her.
But her knowing gaze told him that she was not to be convinced so easily and that perhaps he was deceiving himself as to the direness of his own condition.
"I need help over here!", Kono once again made a desperate plea for assistance. With Danny's very life force seeping through her fingers she watched as he slipped into unconsciousness.
To Be Continued
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