Steve's head throbbed as he blinked back the haze clouding his vision. The metallic tang of blood coated his tongue, and the dull ache at the back of his head made him wince. The zip ties binding his wrists to the arms of the chair dug painfully into his skin. As his senses returned, he realized he wasn't alone.
Steve turned his head, grimacing at the sharp pull in his neck. Danny was tied to a matching chair, his own wrists secured to the chair. There was a faint cut along his cheekbone, likely from the earlier scuffle, and his jaw was tight with barely restrained anger or was it fear.
"Danny? You alright?"
The Jersey cop startled when the soft-spoken question pulled him from his unwelcome flashback. Blinking a few times he slowly turned his head and his eyes cleared when he met Steve's worried gaze.
"Yeah" Danny answered hoarsely, "You good?" Danny asked, his tone softening.
"Been better," Steve muttered, testing the ties again. "Nothing I can't handle,"
Danny leaned slightly toward Steve, though the restraints didn't give him much room. "You took a pretty nasty hit. You sure you're okay?" his voice laced with concern
Steve nodded, ignoring the pounding in his skull. "I'm fine, Danno."
Danny didn't look convinced but moved past it.
"Well, this is just great," Danny's voice dripping with sarcasm now. "You had to push it, didn't you?"
Steve groaned, testing the ropes again. "You were the one who said they were jumpy."
"And I said maybe we should tread lightly! But no, Commander Bull-in-a-China-Shop here—"
"Will you stop talking and let me think?"
"Think? Oh, great! Now we're really doomed." then looking towards their captors he asked more seriously "what do you think their plan is?"
"I don't think they have one... and a man without a plan can be very dangerous. This could be really bad for us"
"Yeah" Danny sighed "I was worried about that too"
Before Steve could respond, a gruff voice broke through their conversation.
"Well, look who's awake." The wiry mechanic, Carter, stepped forward, his oil-streaked hands now gripping a gun. Behind him, Mitch, the stockier mechanic, loomed, his arms crossed. It was clear Mitch was the one in charge. His posture screamed authority, and his cold, calculating eyes flicked between Steve and Danny like a predator sizing up its prey.
"Glad you could join us," Mitch said, his voice calm but laced with menace. "Now, let's get down to business."
"What the hell do you want from us?" Steve raised his head and growled hoarsely. He shared a quick look with his partner before he turned his focus back on to the two mechanics.
Danny would not have been surprised if the two men dropped dead from the pure anger in Steve's eyes.
Danny would have given everything if he felt the tiniest bit of the same confidence Steve was showing. Despite their situation the Ex-SEAL was sitting straight in his chair, every fiber of his body was radiating strength and pride and the total trust that everything would turn out fine in the end. Danny didn't know if Steve was truly that fearless or if he just put on a good show for their captors – all he knew was that he himself was completely and utterly scared.
Steve's jaw clenched. "You're making a big mistake. Five-0 knows we're here. You won't get away with this."
Mitch chuckled, the sound devoid of humor. "See, that's where I think you're wrong. Nobody knows you're here." Turning to Carter "Did you see either of them call in for backup?" he asked Carter mockingly "it will be some time before anybody comes looking and we should easily have answers from you by then" he smirked cruelly.
Danny rolled his eyes. "Oh, great. Torture and an interrogation. Exactly how I wanted to spend my night. Thanks, Steve."
Steve shot him a glare. "Really not the time, Danny."
"No, no, I think it is the time," Danny snapped, his voice rising. "Because if you hadn't insisted on poking around like some kind of Navy SEAL bloodhound, we wouldn't be tied up in chairs, in a hangar, with two guys who clearly watched too many gangster movies!"
Mitch's amused smirk faltered as he stepped closer to Danny, his shadow falling over him. "You think this is funny?"
Danny swallowed but didn't back down, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh yeah, hilarious. You should try stand-up. I'm sure prison audiences would love you." Then sitting as tall as his restraints would allow he continued "You're just some two-bit criminal trying to feel big, you don't know who you're dealing with. So yeah I think this is funny because clearly you haven't thought this through. He'll" he gestured with his head toward Steve, "take you all down when he gets loose. And trust me—he will get loose." Danny continued to ramble. The mechanic's eyes narrowed, his patience clearly wearing thin. He nodded to the other mechanic who delivered a punch to Danny's jaw, snapping his head to the side
"Danny!"
Steve's muscles strained against his bindings, his face a mix of fury and concern. "Hey! Leave him alone," Steve barked, his eyes blazing. "You've got questions? Ask me."
Danny shook his head, trying to clear the stars from his vision. He spat blood onto the floor.
Mitch turned his attention to Steve, tilting his head. "Oh, don't worry, Commander. We'll get to you. But first, I think your partner here has a lesson to learn."
Mitch's expression darkened. He nodded to Carter, who handed him a crowbar. Mitch tapped the metal bar lightly against his palm, the sound echoing ominously in the hangar.
Danny didn't flinch, though the thudding in his chest told a different story. He glared at Mitch, his voice low but steady. "I don't take my lessons from goons wearing cheap cologne"
Steve shot Danny a look that screamed for him to just shut up already. But it was too late, the damage had already been done.
The crowbar came down hard against Danny's shoulder, the force of the blow reverberating through the room. The impact sent a jolt of agony through him and he couldn't stop the pained groan that escaped his lips as he fought to catch his breath.
"Aren't you supposed to ask questions before you start torturing me, you whack job?" Danny asked through gritted teeth, trying not to let the other man know how much pain he was in.
The exasperated sigh from his partner told him that his last comment had obviously not been the wisest one, but the words had slipped off his tongue before he'd even thought about them.
"Oh, I'm just making my position clear, Officer," Mitch replied softly, tapping the bar once more on his palm.
Danny watched the rhythmic movement, pondering his next move. He concluded that offense was still the best defense, so he added cheekily, "For the record, it's Detective."
Mitch stared at him out of narrowed eyes, obviously not knowing if he should be impressed or angered by Danny's comment. He finally decided the interjection required retribution.
He swung out striking Danny across the chest knocking the wind out of his sails.
"Leave him alone!" Steve roared, his voice raw.
Danny's head hung forward, his breathing labored. But when he looked up, his eyes still burned with determination. "You're wasting your time," Danny rasped. "We've dealt with worse than you." The mechanics exchanged a glance, their frustration mounting. Mitch stepped closer, his face inches from Danny's. "We'll see how tough you are when I'm done with you."
"Leave him alone" Steve said again, adjusting his tone to something a little more cooperative. "He'll be quiet..." he emphasized with a pointed look at Danny "I promise he'll be quiet" and then he repeated "You've got questions? Ask me."
He looked hopeful towards Mitch, whose chest was heaving from exertion and anger.
"Look," Steve softened his expression hoping it would help his cause "we don't care about your little operation. We were here for something else entirely. It's just by a bit of bad luck that we stumbled onto this. So.."
Mitch raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm not sure how much I believe that. But even so, now that you have stumbled onto this, we can't exactly let you walk out of here, can we? We need to make sure our business stays our business "
Mitch's smug grin then twisted into something cruel. He stepped in front of Steve, "so, you want me to ask you?" cracking his knuckles. "ok then I will get started with you, Commander." he sneered, circling Steve like a predator. Steve sat straight, his jaw clenched but his sharp eyes locked on Mitch.
"You're making a big mistake," he said calmly, his voice steady. "You let us go now, and I'll consider going easy on you."
Mitch laughed sharply, leaning down to meet Steve eye to eye. "Yeah? And what are you gonna do from that chair?" Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Steve by the collar and delivered a harsh backhand across his face. Steve's head snapped to the side, but he didn't flinch.
"That all you've got?" he taunted, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth.
Mitch's face darkened. "You think this is a game?" He grabbed Steve's hair roughly, forcing him to look up. "Tell me what you know about the operation at this hangar. Who sent you? What have you seen?"
Steve smirked faintly through the pain. "Operation? I thought this was a mechanic's lounge. Or maybe I'm in the wrong place—"
The punch came hard and fast, connecting squarely with Steve's jaw. His head snapped back, and for a moment, his vision blurred. Mitch didn't stop there. Another hit and another hit and another landed across his temple, and Steve's body slumped forward, his head hanging as consciousness slipped away.
"Steve!" Danny barked, his voice a mix of panic and fury. He strained against the binds, his fingers twisting in frustration. "What the hell's wrong with you? He's not gonna answer if you knock him out, you moron!" and then he continued "You touch him again and I'll make you regret it" he growled his protective instincts flaring.
Mitch turned sharply, his dark eyes narrowing on Danny. And then he laughed, low and menacing.
"Oh, I do like you, you're feisty." Malice shone in his eyes "You've still got some fight in you, huh? I'm gonna have fun with you" He grabbed Danny's chin roughly, forcing his head up.
"Get your hands off me," Danny snapped, his voice sharp. "What? You didn't get enough hitting the guy tied to a chair." he said through gritted teeth. "He can't even answer you now? Real stupid!"
Mitch's smirk vanished. He violently shoved Danny's head back, causing him to grimace in pain.
"May...maybe you should back off a bit" Henderson timidly spoke up. "We need them conscious to.. to talk" He shrunk back as Mitch shot him a look. But Mitch did release Danny and move back.
"You better start praying to God because you've really stepped in it now" Danny warned while indicating toward Steve.
"Yeah, I'm shaking in my boots." The mechanic's eyes darkened. "You put a lot of confidence in your partner there, let's see how worthy he is"
He straightened and gestured toward Steve. "Wake him up."
Danny's stomach dropped as the other mechanic grabbed Steve by the hair, slapping him hard across the face. Steve groaned, his eyes fluttering open. He was disoriented but immediately tensed as he once again took in their predicament.
"Danny," Steve rasped, his voice rough.
"Yeah, I'm here," Danny said quickly, trying to mask the flutter in his voice. His focus shifting to Steve. "Try not to get hit in the head again, huh? Can't afford to lose any more brain cells."
Steve managed a faint smirk despite their situation, but his eyes flicked to their captors, assessing their positions. He caught the mechanic's smug gaze and let his jaw tighten. "You've made a big mistake," Steve growled, his voice regaining its strength.
The mechanic chuckled. "So I've heard" a quick glance at Danny and then back to Steve. "We'll see about that." he threatened as he moved toward Steve.
"Hey, c'mon now, you've knocked him around enough already!"
The mechanic turned toward Danny, an amused smile playing on his lips. "So, you volunteering, huh? That's cute. But the Commander here.."
"Yeah, I'm volunteering." Danny cut him off, hoping the irritation would shift Mitch's focus away from Steve. "What can I say? I've always been the more talkative one." Danny's blue eyes blazed with determination. "Ask me" he challenged.
The mechanic considered him for a moment. He crouched down in front of him, tilting his head. "Fine. Let's start with something simple. Who else knows you're here?"
Danny chuckled darkly, his breath uneven. "Your mom, for starters. She told us everything. Honestly, she's very disappointed in you, Mitch."
The sarcastic jab earned him a punch to the ribs, the force knocking the air out of him. He doubled over as much as the ropes allowed, coughing harshly.
"Not a good start" Mitch admonished. Then he leaned in close "cut the shit or I will ask your partner instead" he allowed the veiled threat to hang in the air.
"Danny!" Steve shouted in the background, his voice a mixture of fury and desperation. "You don't have to do this. You hear me?"
Danny straightened slowly, his eyes meeting Steve's. His face was bruised and battered face, his labored breathing and strained features evidence of the pain he was experiencing. But despite the pain, Steve could see a flicker of something unshakable in his gaze.
Danny's thoughts shifted to Grace, to the warehouse in Jersey, to everything he'd lost.
Not this time, he vowed.
Not again. Whatever it took, he would not let history repeat itself.
"What do you know about our operation?" Mitch continued to question.
Danny squinted at the crates stacked nearby, some marked with the logos of legitimate shipping companies. "If I had to guess, I'd say smuggling drugs out of the island disguised as legal shipments." Bingo, Danny thought as Mitch's expression gave away the truth of it.
"But here's the thing—" He leaned forward as much as the bindings allowed. "We don't actually know anything about your operation, genius. You're not even on our radar. We came here chasing down some stolen shipments. You're the idiot who escalated this" and he kept going, watching as each verbal jab heightened the look of disdain on Mitch's face. "Two mechanics and a rent-a-cop running some amateur hour operation out of the Governor's hangar? It's pathetic! You idiots don't even know what you're doing." Danny braced himself anticipating retribution.
Instead the mechanic's eyes narrowed, containing his anger he hissed "So, you really just stumbled into this by accident? You expect me to believe that?"
Steve interjected, his voice strong despite the bruises forming on his face. "Believe what you want, but he's telling the truth. We were following a lead, and you're just collateral damage. But keep this up, and Five-0 won't stop until your whole operation is ashes."
Mitch tilted his head, considering Steve's words, it was one threat too many. His anger bubbling. In one swift motion, he stood and delivered a brutal kick to Steve's chair, toppling it sideways.
Steve hit the concrete hard, the air rushing out of his lungs. "You're not making this better for yourself!" he rasped, trying to catch his breath.
Danny's heart raced as he watched Steve struggle. His voice rose, sharp with anger. "Hey! What did I say? Leave him alone! You wanna hit someone, hit me!" Danny held his gaze each man panting after their angry outbursts. Then with his breathing under control he dropped his voice so that it was quiet but resolute. "You're going to regret this."
The mechanic stared back at Danny, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "Big talk for someone tied to a chair."
Danny glared at him. "Yeah, well, untie me, and I'll show you just how big I can talk."
Carter chuckled from the corner. "He has a mouth on him." then he turned, reaching for something on the workbench.
Mitch chuckled darkly. "yeah he does" He crouched down in front of Danny again, his tone turning cold. "Let's see how long it lasts."
To Be Continued