Back and updating with a new chapter pretty quickly. ;-) See, I promised reviews motivate me.
More whump coming up, hopefully it's not too much but I do enjoy a good whump especially when it can highlight a characters... well character or the relationship between characters
Hope you all are continuing to enjoy the story
Danny heard Steve shout out for him again but the loud ringing in his ears was momentarily drowning out every other sound. Closing his eyes Danny shook his head to clear the fog in his mind.
When he looked up Steve's eyes showed a mixture of deep concern and anger. "Danny, you alright?" He asked hoarsely, taking in his partner's pale complexion.
"I'm feeling superb, Steven," Danny hissed with dry sarcasm, trying to stop his body from shivering in shock and pain. He felt his blue striped dress shirt uncomfortably clinging to his back, wet from the sweat that ran down his back
"It'll be alright ok, I'll get us out of this" Steve tried his best to sound confident when really he was anything but.
"Oh really" Danny bit back "we are tied to chairs and beat to shit. How the Hell are you going to get us out of this?" He regretted the words the moment they left his lips.
He lifted his eyes to meet his partner's, in them he saw the worry and concern and the guilt. "I know Steve" he sighed. He took a shallow breath and started again "I know that if there is a way out of this, you will get us out of this" the bond of trust flowing between the two partners.
"But" he took a few more awkward breaths trying to push past his pain "this guy" he said looking now towards Mitch, who was locked in a heated argument with Henderson "He's unhinged, I've seen it in his eyes, he enjoys this. He enjoys causing pain."
"Then stop provoking him" Steve admonished "why..."
"Because" Danny panted "we have to keep him distracted... the second he truly believes he can't get anything from us he'll kill us"
"But it doesn't have to be all on you"
"You've taken a beating too... plus like you always remind me I've got the loud mouth" he smirked and began to chuckle but it quickly morphed into a pained groan and gasping breath.
"Whoa Danny, breath, just take it easy okay. You just hold on okay. I'll get us out of this" Steve said and silently he prayed it was the truth.
He started to desperately scan the area. He took note of Mitch now on the phone engrossed in conversation. His body language revealing he was the subordinate in that relationship. Steve watched a moment longer, noticing how Mitch continued to glare towards Henderson and then away again.
Then a glimmer of hope, his eyes fell on the pile of objects that had clattered to the ground during Danny's altercation. They'd gone unnoticed but right there amongst the pile lay both their phones and best of all Steve's jack knife.
"There" he exclaimed. "Danny look over there" Danny turned to see what had gotten Steve so excited and knew immediately what his crazy partner had in mind.
Both men glanced back towards Mitch to confirm he was still occupied.
"Hey" Danny said drawing Steve's attention "I have no doubt you can do whatever it is you have planned super SEAL but please be careful" Steve smiled, brushing off Danny's concern for him.
"It'll be ok Danno." and then because he just couldn't help himself he added with a smirk and a wink "what's the worst that could happen?"
Danny groaned from exasperation this time not pain "you just can't help yourself can you. They could kill you, they could kill you while all I can do is sit here and watch. That Steve! That is the worse that could happen" he managed to yell without raising his voice. His mind again flashing to Grace slumped in her chair while he helplessly watched. The look that came across his face must have gave him away because Steve's face instantly softened
"it won't be like that" he softly assured Danny "we will get out of this, together" he said firmly. "these guys.." he continued to try and alleviate Danny's anxiety "these guys are small time, they're not killers." The words were barely out of his mouth when a gunshot rang out.
Danny and Steve watched in horror as Henderson slumped and then fell to the ground. His lifeless eyes staring back at them.
"You were saying" Danny huffed
Any kind if response from Steve was halted as Carter and Mitch emerged from the office. Both men made their way back to their prisoners. Carter was carrying a small duffle with him, which he placed on top of the workbench.
As Mitch approached he followed his prisoners gaze to the lifeless body of the security guard.
"We had a difference in opinion as to how things should proceed" he said matter-of-factly "and now it's no longer his concern" he turned back to his prisoners ready to get down to business.
"I probably shouldn't tell you this, but we have a major delivery planned for this afternoon and your appearance is really endangering our business. There isn't enough time to move all our goods to another secure location and we really don't want to have to postpone our meeting with our customer."
"So, I really need to make sure no one else will be joining our little party anytime soon."
Carter stepped toward them now, grinning diabolically, holding a syringe and small glass vial in his hands. "With this we will know for sure what you know about our little operation"
"We don't know anything and we still would know nothing if you idio..." Danny's rant was cut short by a yelp of pain as Mitch rammed his right fist against Danny's jaw. Danny's head snapped sideways and he literally saw white stars dancing in his vision, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth added to the ever-present nausea.
Carter seemed unfazed by the interruption, slightly shrugging his shoulders he swiftly removed the security cap from the needle and filled the syringe with the clear liquid from the vial. Judging from his smooth movements this was obviously not the first time he handled such medical items and soon he placed the vial back on the workbench and carefully pressed the plunger down a little bit to remove all the air from the syringe.
"What is that?" Steve growled slowly, throwing Danny a brief glance before he returned his attention to the man who had now moved in front of him.
"Oh, that's just something that will help you tell us the truth, so we can be prepared" Carter chuckled softly. "Just a little bit of Sodium Pentothal to loosen your tongue."
"Sodium Pentothal?" Steve repeated and Danny furrowed his brow when he noticed that Steve slightly relaxed in his chair.
Danny knew that Sodium Pentothal was originally a short-acting anesthetic but it was also used as a truth serum to weaken the resolve of the subject. Seeing the expression on Steve's face Danny guessed correctly that his crazy SEAL partner was obviously convinced that he would be able to fight the effects of the drug.
"Yes, Sodium Pentothal," Carter nodded patiently while he placed the syringe on the workbench and tried to wrap a black rubber band around Steve's left upper arm.
Tied to his chair with nowhere to go Steve wasn't really able to prevent him from doing so but he tried to resist anyways. He wiggled in his chair, rocking his upper body back and forth as far as possible until he succeeded and the rubber band slipped from Carter's hand and fell to the floor.
"Stop it," the wiry mechanic hissed impatiently as he bent down to pick up his equipment.
"Or what?" Steve asked derisively, not willing to give in without a fight.
"Or I fear your partner will have to pay for your defiance," Mitch interjected ominously, smiling gently at McGarrett.
Consumed with the fear of what was happening to his partner, Danny had unconsciously unclenched his fists. Before he was able to react Mitch had once more gained hold of his abused left hand and had Danny's middle finger firmly in his grip.
"No, wait," Steve exclaimed immediately but it was too late.
The friendly smile still plastered on his face Mitch turned his gaze from Steve to Danny and without hesitation he twisted Danny's finger back in one jerky movement.
Danny howled.
It was a primal sound of pain and rage that tore from his lips, as if his body hoped to expel it's agony through the noise.
The pain was an all-consuming fire that raced through his veins, momentarily drowning out every other pain he'd recently had to endure. Danny wished nothing more than to finally black out but his mind just wouldn't do him that favor.
Sagging down in his chair, Danny didn't know if his eyes were open or closed or what was happening around him, all he perceived was the agony that flashed through his consciousness, sending fiery bolts of pain into every part of his body. The buzzing in his ears covered up every other sound but after a while the annoying noise finally decreased a little bit and he was able to hear his partners desperate cries.
"Danny! I'm sorry. I'll cooperate. I promise, I'll cooperate. Danny" he said again, needing a response from his partner, needing a response from anyone really. "I'm sorry ok?" he looked at their tormentors pleadingly.
Mitch gestured toward his colleague then to Steve, adding politely, "Carter, would you be so kind as to proceed with our guest…"
Without giving an answer, Carter grinned back before he wrapped the black rubber band around Steve's left upper arm and tightened it.
"Make a fist," he ordered curtly while he grabbed the syringe from the table and checked the contents once again. Steve shot him a hateful look and gritted his teeth in silent frustration.
"Steve don't" Danny cut in.
But after a short side glance at Mitch, who was still sitting dangerously close to Danny, the worry for his partner gained the upper hand. Steve reluctantly obeyed and curled his fingers into a fist.
"You want to use all of that?" Steve asked grimly when he saw the syringe in Carter's hand, "You know that this dose is far too high, right?" He was no doctor but he had seen the effects of Sodium Pentothal before and as far as he knew the amount of liquid in the syringe would probably knock him out immediately.
"Nice try, but I won't fall for your trick" Carter replied, tapping the fingers of his left hand against the crook of Steve's arm in search of a vein.
"I would listen to him," Danny threw in; his own pain momentarily forgotten. When he saw the expression on Steve's face, he couldn't help but interject on behalf of his partner. He was convinced that Steve was right about the dose and he had no intention of seeing his partner drugged up to the eyeballs while they were at the mercy of these two crazy drug runners.
"it's your turn to shut up, Detective," Mitch said, briefly nudging Danny's left hand to emphasize his point of view. "Are we clear?"
The touch was gentle, barely more than a light tap against the tip of Danny's finger, but it was enough to send a spike of pain through his whole hand and up his arm. Tightly curling his right hand around the arm of the chair Danny squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath as he tried to ride out the wave of pain.
"Yeah, yes we're clear," he said "but you really should listen to him" he added with his eyes still closed. He took a few deep breaths until the pain retreated enough to clear the fog of white noise inside his head.
"No, seriously," he then heard Steve trying once more, and Danny's eyes snapped open when he noticed the hint of panic in his partner's voice. "That's far too much, this dose will…"
"Too late," Carter interrupted him brusquely, swiftly pressing the plunger of the syringe completely down before he removed the needle and the rubber band from Steve's arm and stepped back, not caring about the drops of blood that trickled from the injection site.
Once the liquid had been administered to Steve's bloodstream it didn't take long for the drug to do its work. Only a few seconds later Steve started to blink rapidly, his breathing quickened while he swallowed repeatedly. Then he slightly shook his head, his hands tightened around the arms of the chair as he tried to keep himself upright but after a last confused glance at Danny his upper body began to sway. Danny could do nothing but watch with growing horror the effects the Sodium Pentothal had on his friend.
Steve hesitantly licked his lips and his eyes sluggishly opened and closed a few more times before his head dropped to his chest, his hands lost their grip around the armrests and his whole body became limp.
"Steve! Steve!" Danny shouted but received no response.
"Oh, that was quick," Mitch said, blowing a low whistle as he slowly stood up and walked over to McGarrett's chair. "I guess the cop was right, you really overdosed him. Or maybe he's just feigning?" Moving closer he grabbed Steve's hair, rudely yanking his head up so that he was able to throw a look at his face. Ignoring Danny's protests in the background.
"Damn," Carter growled when he realized that Steve was indeed deeply unconscious, angrily throwing the empty syringe back on the workbench.
"You should have listened to him" Danny stated, trying to cover the rising panic he felt as the weight of responsibility for his and Steve's lives now lay solely on his shoulders.
"Shut up" Mitch shot at him. "It's okay, Carter" Mitch added cheerfully, carelessly dropping Steve's head before he slapped a hand on Carter's shoulder. "That gives us a little time to get rid of Henderson's body."
"Don't go anywhere," he addressed Danny with a wink of his eye.
Laughing as he took in Danny's battered and bloody appearance. The blood from his bullet wound had stopped flowing but the crimson puddle beneath provided evidence of the poor state he was in.
Mitch continued to laugh out loud at his own joke. "We'll be right back." He taunted.
To Be Continued
Can Danny get them out of this? Is there really much more that he can take or maybe it's time to check in with what the cousins have been up to. Review if you are dying to find out more.