+ + + + + + + + +
"Jack, could you come here for a second?" Samantha called across the lobby as Jack stepped off the elevator.
Jack had just left the supposed 'safe house' were he'd seen obvious signs of struggle and more than a little blood on the floor. Three of his agents were missing with their guns left behind. Martin's gun was short by three bullets. One of the bullets, found in the apartment above, had been accounted for. Jack hoped that meant that Martin had gotten a piece of one or two of their kidnappers.
Samantha led Jack down to the basement to show him what she'd found. "Alright now the officers on the scene said that the stairway access had been blocked off forcing them to use a battering ram to take the door down." Jack nodded. "But they also said that the elevator wasn't working." Samantha motioned to the small control bay that maintained the elevators. "Someone was controlling the elevators, Jack. Using them to make sure that only the kidnappers would have direct access to the fourth floor."
"That fits with what Vivian got," said Jack. "Her witness reported seeing two people matching Elizabeth and Petru's descriptions carrying Danny and Martin down the fourth floor hallway, before getting on one of the elevators. Apparently they weren't bothering to rush, even though they could hear the sirens of more cops arriving on the scene."
"Whoever they had controlling the elevator brought them straight down here, away form from the arriving police," theorized Samantha.
"But what's down here," wondered Jack. "It's not like this basement had access to a parking garage or the street. It's all storage down here."
"Not all," countered Samantha. "We followed a blood trail from the elevator to this corner over here." Sam showed Jack to a dark shadowy crevasse, and shined her light on the narrow old door there. "This connects to the building basement next door which then connects to a parking garage. I've got an agent looking for any security tapes the parking garage might have."
"I can't believe I missed this," protested Jack. "This wasn't on the blueprints. I checked them myself."
"I guess Bathory found a better set of blueprints than us," murmured Samantha. It seemed that no matter what they did they were always a step behind, and now half of their team was at Bathory's mercy.
"Keep working on the security tapes. I'm going to push for some warrants. I don't care if we have to raid every building she's ever stepped in. We're going to find Bathory and I'm going to get back my agents," vowed Jack.
+ + + + + + + + +
It wasn't the light that woke Martin. The flickering yellow was barely enough to see by. Nor was it the throbbing pains in his head and arms. It was the sounds moaning, panicked and low, that told him he had to wake up because someone needed him. "Danny?" Martin tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness sent him back to floor with a resounding thump. Taking several deep breaths against the new pains sprouting throughout his body, Martin slowly rolled over to his stomach. Pushing himself up with his arms he locked his joints waiting for the dizziness to pass. When he finally trusted himself enough to move, he crawled towards the moaning. It was quite possibly the longest, most difficult three feet he'd ever traversed. On the floor before him, Danny was tossing his head in denial of whatever nightmare plagued him. "Danny, come on man, wake up." Martin leaned heavily on the wall so he could shake his friend awake.
Danny jerked beneath the touch, his eyes snapping open. For several seconds they skittered about, taking in their surroundings. Martin waited patiently for Danny to sort out their situation. "Martin?"
"Yeah, Danny," Martin's throat was scratchy from dryness.
"Martin, you're supposed to be waking me out of my nightmares, not joining me in them." Informed Danny quietly.
Martin had to smile at Danny's assessment. A waking nightmare certainly described their current situation. "Sorry, brother. I'll try to do better next time. How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been drugged and kidnapped. Again!" a bit of Danny's temper was returning.
Martin, however, suddenly found himself laughing. He wasn't even sure what it was about Danny's words that were so funny.
Danny looked at Martin with concern. "This isn't a laughing matter, Martin. We're in deep trouble."
"I know, but we're alive." Unspoken was the absolute certainty that also long as they stayed that way there was still hope. "Jack, Vivian and Samantha probably have half of New York searching for us by now." Martin set his hand on Danny's chest. "Our job is to hold on until they can find us."
Danny didn't point out that 'holding on' would likely include hours of pain, agony and torture. At least for the moment drugs weren't clouding his mind. He was also relieved that he wasn't alone, though he felt guilty for pulling his friends into his mess. "Elena!" The sudden memory of how the battered and unconscious agent had been carried away, spurred Danny to try to rise, but overwhelming weakness pulled him back to the floor.
"I didn't see her when I arrived," remembered Martin.
"They drugged her and carried her away just before you showed up at the apartment," said Danny, his eyes searching the small concrete room again. This time looking for their missing coworker, but there was nothing else to find in barren room. Danny covered his face with his hands and groaned. "She'd already been knocked out cold, when one of Elizabeth's men started groping her and saying what a tasty morsel she'd be."
Martin didn't know how to respond to that bit of information. It certainly didn't sit well that one possible reason they'd been left alone until now was because their capturers were focusing their perverted desires on Elena. Danny and Martin were quiet for a while; Danny sinking in guilt over what might be happening to Elena, and Martin sitting beside him offering what support he could through his presence and touch.
It was impossible to tell how much time passed before they started hearing noises outside their metal door; distant and muffled, possibly from another room. Still, it was enough to cause both men to tense. Danny forced his body into a sitting position, while Martin warily rose to his feet to approach the door. He leaned close to the door when he heard voices, but they were so indistinguishable that he couldn't even tell if the were male or female. He could also hear clatter and the sound of metal on metal but had no idea what it might mean. Futilely wishing for a window, Martin continued to try to decipher the noises beyond their cell. Martin had already decided that their tiny prison was mostly likely an abandoned janitor's closet in the basement or subbasement of one of Bathory's properties. He briefly considered shouting for help, but was certain that the only people in earshot were Elizabeth's people. He doubted he could have gotten a clear signal on his cell phone. Which was moot point since he and Danny had both been stripped down to their shirts and pants. Even their belts and shoes were gone. Martin shuddered to think what use Elizabeth's crew might find for their badges and credentials or worse yet, their guns.
A change in the pattern of noise had Martin stepping back. "They're getting closer," he warned Danny. Danny climbed to his feet and nodded to Martin. They didn't know what Elizabeth had planned for them on the other side of that door, but neither was willing to go along quietly.
Jingling keys unlocked the door. "You're both awake. Excellent." Elizabeth was flanked by the muscular Petru and the silent Lateesha. "That means we shouldn't have to drag you about any more."
"What did you do to Agent Delgado?" demanded Martin.
"I didn't do anything to little Elena," teased Elizabeth.
"Then where is she?" asked Danny as he took an unsteady step closer to the door.
"Wouldn't you two rather leave this dank little room, and talk elsewhere?" countered Elizabeth, her inviting tone at odds with the situation.
"Tell us where Elena is," insisted Martin, setting his feet in a fighting stance.
Elizabeth pursed her lips in irritation. "It just so happens that I have no idea where she is. Buckingham was apparently even more taken with her than I realized, because he carried her away to parts unknown. Neither has been seen since they left that tiny apartment you were hiding in. You shouldn't worry too much though, Buckingham hardly ever kills his toys."
Martin barely bit back the comment that Elena wasn't a toy. "How do we know you aren't lying?"
Elizabeth smiled as if delighted by the question. "Join me out here, and you'll see that Elena is nowhere to be found. Ryan is waiting for you though." She turned her focus on Danny. "Wouldn't you like to see Ryan, Daniel?"
Danny stepped forward as Elizabeth baited him with his friend's name. Only Martin's hand on his chest kept him from walking straight into Elizabeth's waiting arms. Martin understood Danny's need to get to the friend he feared he'd left behind. Unfortunately, the look on Elizabeth's face said this was just the reaction she'd been hoping for. "Martin." There were so many unspoken messages when Danny said his name, a command . . . a plea . . . a request for understanding.
Martin locked eyes with Danny. They were nowhere near controlling this situation, and if they wanted to get out of this alive they needed to work as a team, trusting and protecting each other before everything else. Martin wasn't sure how much Danny picked up from their silent communication, but it was enough to cause him to step back. Danny was giving Martin the lead to make the next move.
Elizabeth watched the interaction with fascination. They were clearly already so much more than she had expected. The connection between them would only be amplified by the transformation, and by being the one to transform them she would not only become a part of that connection, she would control it. She realized that both men were too strong willed to bring to her way simultaneously. She would have to start with Daniel. Their previous encounter had given her a hold on his psyche, however tenuous. Once Daniel was completely hers, the two of them would transform Martin together.
"Would you step back from the door, please?" requested Martin using his best 'parent's dinner party' manors. He definitely didn't want to stay locked in this little room, but neither did he trust Elizabeth and her friends.
Elizabeth barely suppressed a smirk. "But of course, Sir Martin." Elizabeth and her followers took several simultaneous steps back. Then she gestured grandly to the room before them.
The large open room wasn't completely what Martin was expecting. It was definitely a basement of some sort, with a cement floor and walls. There were no windows that Martin could see, but the surprisingly high ten-foot ceiling secured four large chandeliers to light the room. Thick rugs decorated the floors and walls like he'd seen in castles. There was a modest kitchenette to the right, a king sized bed to the left, and the wall directly across the room was dominated by chains, and a rack of whips, blades and other implements the purpose of which Martin really didn't want to know. As soon as he crossed the door's threshold he was assaulted by the stink of dried blood.
"Oh God," moaned Danny his eyes squeezed shut. Martin realized the odor hanging in the air had probably triggered a flash back. When Elizabeth moved towards Danny, Martin quickly pulled his vulnerable partner behind him.
Elizabeth halted. "Please, gentlemen, make yourselves at home." She and Lateesha strolled over to the kitchenette, but Petru stayed where he was, his arms folded over his chest. Martin noticed he was blocking a second door just beyond the one they'd walked through. It was the only possible exit Martin could see.
"Martin," whispered Danny, putting a hand on his shoulder. Looking back at his partner he saw Danny transfixed by the bed. Then he noticed a slight movement in the thick covers. "It's Ryan," Danny declared. Martin kept an eye on Petru, while Danny moved swiftly to the bed. It wasn't until he was almost to it that he noticed the other figure beside his friend. A petite woman, probably just barely legal to drink, was snuggled up to his friend sucking determinedly at his wrist. Knowing that more was involved than a simple hicky, he ordered, "Back away from him, right now!" She lifted her lips from Ryan's bleeding wrist, but she didn't retreat, growling at him instead.
"Juliet," called Elizabeth. The petite blonde immediately scuttled away, darting meekly to her mistress's side. Elizabeth ran her fingers through long tresses. "Now darling, don't be rude. Daniel and Martin are going to be our friends. They just need time to learn how we do things."
Danny didn't acknowledge Elizabeth's comment. He noted that Martin was standing several feet away, staying between the bed and their capturers, watching Danny's back. Danny climbed onto the raised mattress, untying a silky sash from the bed to use as a makeshift bandage. He ignored the fact that the sash was yet another implement of Elizabeth's bondage fetish, and focused on wrapping it securely around Ryan's wrist to stop the bleeding. Ryan hadn't so much as sighed since Danny begun to work on him. Checking his pulse, Danny found it not only weak, but also faster than he expected. He didn't think that was a good indication. "Ryan, it's Danny. Time to wake up, man." Danny shook his friends shoulder. "Come one Ryan, I need you to talk to me." Even as he said the words another flashback hit him. He could hear Martin's voice in his memories, balanced precariously between urgency and desperation. 'Danny, I need you to keep talking to me.' Danny glanced back at Martin. He'd moved to within a few feet of the bed, apparently to counter Lateesha's approach from the side. Danny was once again glad that Martin was with him, because he'd never heard Lateesha make a sound. Petru was still standing at the far side of the room, blocking their exit, while Elizabeth and Juliet were in the kitchenette. Elizabeth looked to be fixing drinks while Juliet was now feasting on a bowl of strawberries.
"Danny?" Danny almost didn't hear Ryan's weak sigh. "What the hell are you doing here? I told you to run and not look back." The word 'run' echoed through Danny's mind with Ryan's voice, but no explaining memory accompanied it.
"Don't worry about me, Ryan. Everything's going to be all right. I'm going to get you out of this," vowed Danny.
Ryan shook his head, " . . . don't understand. I'm just a toy, you're her chosen." There seemed to be so much implied in that last word that Danny simply didn't understand. Though he did remember that Elizabeth had said that Martin was 'chosen', right before she'd drugged them both.
"Danny." This time it was Martin speaking. Martin nodded to Elizabeth who was approaching with two wine goblets in her hands.
"Would either of you gentlemen care for a refreshment?" Elizabeth spoke like the diligent hostess of a party. Her voice was calm and deceptively inviting.
"I don't drink alcohol," said Danny, the response a long time habit.
"Daniel, I assure you. I never waste the good crystal on mere wine or Champaign." Watching Elizabeth swirl the red liquid in the goblet, Danny knew she was offering them blood.
"My name is Danny," he insisted, needing to change the subject.
Elizabeth scoffed. "Danny is a name for an untested child. Daniel suits you much better. It's a name of courage and destiny. Tell me, do you think you could face the lions in their own den? I believe you could."
"I want you to let Ryan go." Danny new it was risky to place demands on their abductor, no matter how agreeable she was being, but he still hoped he could negotiate them into a better position.
"I would be willing to release Ryan for the right incentive. After all, I know he's learned better than to deny a lady's wishes, especially when I'm that lady. Tell me, Daniel, will you surrender to my will for Ryan's freedom?" asked Elizabeth. She set one of the goblets on the bedside table, taking a sip from the other as she sat upon the edge of the bed.
"I will do anything you want . . ."
"Damn it, Danny!" cursed Martin.
" . . . Anything you want," Danny pressed on, "if you release Ryan, Elena and Martin."
Elizabeth let out a throaty chuckle. "Nice try, Hero, but I can't give you what I don't have. And I've already told you I don't have Elena. Besides which I have special plans for our charming Sir Martin." Elizabeth shot Martin with a predatory look. "You can still have Ryan's life, but I can see where you wouldn't think that was a worthy trade. There isn't much left of him anymore." As she spoke she walked her fingers across the comforter covering Ryan's legs. Ryan shuddered violently beneath Elizabeth's near touch. "How about a trade? I give you Ryan's life and you give me twenty minutes."
"Twenty minutes?" Danny was waiting to hear the catch.
"Twenty minutes, where you do as I ask and listen to what I say," explained Elizabeth.
"I won't do anything to hurt Martin or anyone else," vowed Danny.
"I won't ask you to, at least not yet," assured Elizabeth. "I don't expect you to bow before me so soon, Daniel. I just want a chance to explain to you what it is I want for you. That way you'll have something to think about later, when I reacquaint myself with all you have to offer."
Danny knew he couldn't trust Elizabeth, but neither could he pass up an opportunity to get Ryan out of this gilded dungeon. Martin obviously didn't like where this was leading. He remained quiet though, because the missing person had to take priority. On another level, Danny desperately needed to know that at least one of his friends was going to survive this mess. "It's a deal."
"Excellent!" Elizabeth smiled at her victory. Taking three more swallows from her goblet she slid off the edge of the bed and stepped back. "Lateesha, darling, if you'd be so kind as to indulge me?" She waved to Ryan's form.
Lateesha glided around the bed to stop at Ryan's side. Danny half expected her to hoist him up just as she'd done with Carl back in the apartment. Instead she reached out to set her hand on the side of Ryan's face. "Look at me, Ryan." Lateesha had a deep voice and her accent sounded almost South African, while her coloring and features indicated a mixed heritage. Ryan responded to the command by snapping open his dazed eyes.
"Wait a minute. What's she doing?" demanded Danny. He didn't like the vibe coming off of Lateesha. The air around her literally crackled with energy.
"Well we can't have Ryan running to the authorities with tales of torture and vampires," explained Elizabeth. "Lateesha is just muddling his memories a bit." When Danny looked ready to protest she pressed on. "This will be done, if you want him to make his way out of my care safely." Several more seconds passed as Lateesha stared intently down at Ryan before his eyes slid shut. Lateesha nodded to Elizabeth to signal that her job was done. Elizabeth offered Lateesha the remainder of her goblet, which Lateesha downed in four swallows. Lateesha then placed a kiss on Elizabeth's temple and carried the goblet back to the kitchenette. "Juliet, I want you to take Ryan out of here. Just drop him off at St. Vincent's like you did with that girl last week." A minute passed as the young blonde returned to the bed. She picked Ryan up, carrying the unconscious man slung over her shoulder. Petru let them out the door, immediately locking it behind them.
Danny climbed off the bed as soon as Juliet had taken Ryan. Martin was quickly at his side, watching him worriedly. "I had to do it," was the only explanation Danny could give for the deal he'd made with Elizabeth.
"I know," replied Martin, but it did nothing to ease his concern.
Elizabeth walked over to the two men smiling at them coyly, when as they tensed. Locking eyes with Danny she reached around behind him to the goblet she'd set on the bedside table earlier. Holding it up to him she said, "I've held up my end of the bargain, now it's time for my twenty minutes. The first thing I want you to do is drink every drop of blood in this glass." As revolting as the idea was, Danny accepted the crystal and tried steel his resolve. "Oh, and Daniel, I suggest you don't try to violate our agreement. Juliet would be just as willing to drop Ryan at a morgue as an Emergency Room."
Danny told himself that it was no big deal. He'd tasted blood before dozens of times from split lips and bitten tongues. Raising the crystal to his lips, Danny began to take large gulps deciding that finishing the drink quickly was the best course of action. Though the coppery tasting liquid was cool flowing over his tongue, it burned the moment it hit his stomach. "Every last drop," reminded Elizabeth when he started to falter. Concentrating to make sure not even a drop was spilled; Danny swallowed the last of the blood. He'd barely passed the goblet back to Elizabeth before the fire tearing through his gut doubled him over.
Martin crouched over his moaning friend. "That was more than just blood," he accused. "You drugged him."
"Actually, it would be more accurate to say I infected him," countered Elizabeth pleasantly. Martin had a moment of sheer terror, as all of the many blood born diseases paraded through his mind. But Martin stopped that train of thought when he realized that most infections shouldn't work this fast. "Change is often painful," continued Elizabeth, "but it doesn't last forever. Does it Daniel?"
Martin looked back to his friend who now seemed to be taking deep steadying breaths. "Danny?"
"I'm okay," Danny answered roughly. The fire in his belly had dispersed to a stream of warmth that flowed through his veins. His body felt loose and relaxed, even as his mind seemed to be reaching for a new level of awareness. Innumerable signals, whispers and cues were coming from all directions. Then he felt a soothing hand on his back. Once again Martin was anchoring him against the chaos and insanity swirling within him.
"Would it help to sit down?" Martin indicated to the bed. At Danny's nod, he helped his friend shift back onto the mattress. Martin caught Elizabeth studying them again, as she so enjoyed doing. This time he had trouble reading her expression perhaps because Elizabeth couldn't decide if she was happy with the way thing were progressing. Taking the opportunity presented, Martin asked, "What do you mean by infected?"
"Nothing that's going to kill him," assured Elizabeth. "Despite the plethora of pop culture drivel that abounds, we infected aren't dead or undead as so many believe."
"We?" whispered Danny.
"Vampires," shared Elizabeth. Both Martin and Danny had been expecting a declaration of this sort, but that didn't make her words any more believable. "That's not the name we call ourselves, mind you. Personally, I much prefer Kindred. It has such an eloquence to it."
"Aren't you suppose to have fangs and lack a reflection?" asked Martin. He wasn't denying that Elizabeth was engaged in some very dangerous and tabooed behavior, but he had yet to see anything supernatural. Even Lateesha's strange staring session with Ryan could be explained away as some sort of hypnotic suggestion.
Elizabeth chuckled at Martin's challenge. "No, I don't have fangs or claws. I'm not bothered by sunlight, garlic, holy water or crosses. I'm not hindered by running water, and I don't require an invitation to go anywhere I please. I've never even bothered to try to control an animal with my mind or become a vaporous mist. And I most certainly don't have any need to sleep in a coffin filled with native soil."
Elizabeth stepped close to Danny so that she was leaning against his knees. His first instinct was to pull away, but her raised brow was enough to remind him of the deal they'd made. They were nowhere near the end of her twenty minutes. When she saw him acquiesce, she took his hand in her own, sending a triumphant smirk towards Martin. Caressing Danny's hand she pointed out, "My skin is warm to the touch, just as it should be. I need air to breath just as anyone else. I could be hurt, I could drowned." Martin filed away that reassuring fact. Elizabeth lifted Danny's hand to her breast with her right hand. "My heart beats; sending blood through my veins. You can feel my heartbeat, can't you Daniel?"
Danny was feeling a whole lot more than just her heartbeat, and he damned her for knowing how to play against his weaknesses. Yet something about her look indicated this was about more than just seduction. The pulse beneath his hand seemed to vibrate up his arm. He would almost swear he could hear it thumping in her chest. He knew he could feel his own heartbeat joining the rhythm of hers. Even as he felt his body betray him on every level, he noticed a pressure steadily building in the back of his mind. "What are you doing to me?" Danny barely forced out the desperate whisper.
"Stop it! You're hurting him," Martin's voice seemed to be coming from the other end of a long tunnel.
Elizabeth's responding laughter was much clearer, cascading over and through him. "I said I wouldn't force him to hurt others; I made no promises about his suffering."
Danny knew he should be worried about what was being said, but he couldn't think past the pressure building in his mind. Even breathing was hard and the earlier warmth was now a fever in his veins. Distant chattering slowly collated into sentences, "He might have promised not to fight, but I never promised a damn thing!"
Elizabeth's left hand suddenly abandoned the back of Danny's neck, though he couldn't remember when she'd first rested it there. The harsh thump of a body striking a wall, opened eyes that Danny hadn't realized he'd closed. He couldn't make sense of the scene before him; Martin in a heap against Elizabeth's wall of torture, struggling to rise, his eyes wide with shock. "Martin?" Danny called to his friend.
"No, Daniel. Don't look at him. Look at me," Elizabeth's touch was surprisingly gentle; a soothing counter to the crushing force that was hammering his skull.
"Danny!" Martin's shout again drew his eyes. What he saw this time was enough to force back the pressure in his mind and allow him to focus on his partner. Martin was a trained FBI agent and Danny had seen him hold his own in more than one dangerous situation, but somehow Lateesha was manhandling Martin like a he was a petulant three-year-old. She easily slammed him back against the wall and raised his right arm, securing it in a manacle.
"No! Not Martin!" Danny begged, echoes of Ryan's cries whispering through his memories. "Please don't torture Martin." Danny was more than willing to beg Elizabeth for his friend's sake.
"Hush, Daniel," soothed Elizabeth caressing his cheek. "Lateesha's just making sure he doesn't interfere with our twenty minutes. You remember our deal don't you?" Danny nodded weakly. Not that Elizabeth's words reassured him. She enjoyed inflicting pain too much to hold off for very long. Twenty minutes? To him it felt like their deal had been made hours ago.
"Danny, don't give in. Don't let her win!" Lateesha slapped Martin soundly for his efforts, but something in Martin's defiant shout sparked a like emotion in Danny.
He may have promised to do what Elizabeth asked and listen to her, but open confrontation wasn't the only way to engage in battle. "Chosen. You called Martin and I Chosen. What did you mean?" he asked.
Elizabeth contemplated Danny, trying do decide if his interest was valid or just another way to stall. Deciding that a moment of explanation wouldn't hinder her plans she answered, "What makes us Kindred is a surprisingly common virus that for most people only creates indigestion. But for a rare few, perhaps one in thirty thousand, it does much, much more. Think of it as a viral gene therapy. For those few Chosen, it triggers a radical change on a genetic level, giving us extraordinary resistance to disease and the ravages of time. Some are changed in body, gaining strength and speed, while others develop unusual mental abilities. A rare few even get both." Elizabeth didn't add that she was fairly certain Martin would fall into the second category, while Danny would be in the last. She could already feel the power surging below the surface just waiting to be focused and released. It was intoxicating. Climbing up on the bed to straddle Danny's legs, Elizabeth gave him nowhere to retreat. "Now that I've answered your question, I want you to kiss me."
Danny, seeing no way to avoid it, planted a quick chaste kiss on Elizabeth's lips. But she wasn't willing to accept so little a favor. She kept the kiss going by molding her mouth to his and he didn't dare deny her. A loud pounding on the door gave Danny the excuse he needed to pull away.
Petru opened the door to a middle-aged man with thinning brown hair and glasses. Danny was beyond relieved when Elizabeth decided to slide off his lap to greet her new guest. "Mr. Pembroke, to what do I owe the honor?" asked Elizabeth, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
The name immediately sparked a memory of Samantha talking about interviewing a Harold Pembroke: the only witness willing to offer them useful information on Elizabeth. He also remembered that Martin hadn't trusted Pembroke. Looking to his partner now, still shackled by his right arm, Danny wondered if this was the same man. Martin met his questioning look with a nod.
"I'm here to warn you," stated Pembroke gravely.
"And here I thought you didn't care for me," she baited.
"I don't," assured Pembroke. "I'm warning you, that if you don't immediately release all four of your hostages, you will face sanctions and reckoning by the Kin."
"Well, I'm afraid you're a little late, Pembroke," replied Elizabeth carelessly. "I've already released Ryan Saluke, and as I explained to Daniel; it is Buckingham that has taken Agent Elena Delgado. You'll have to look for him if you want her back."
"Fine. Turn the remaining two over to me and we'll consider this issue closed," informed Pembroke.
Suddenly Pembroke found himself the sole focus of Elizabeth's intent stare. "You dare come into my house and order me about?"
"I'm representing James Gamble, Regent of the New York Kin," replied Harold with a bit less confidence.
"And where is James?" wondered Elizabeth. "Because if I remember Kindred law correctly, the most powerful Kindred is automatically the Regent of the city." Harold's face became grimmer by the moment. "James was the one who decided to go gallivanting halfway across the continent, to abandon his city. From where I stand New York is mine for the taking."
Harold looked disgusted. "You can't honestly believe the New York Kin will cede authority to you. You're a cannibal!"
"While you, like too many other Kindred, are weak. I don't blame you for that weakness. Most of our kind simply doesn't appreciate how much our transformation dictates what we become as Kindred." Elizabeth considered Harold for a minute, and then looked to Lateesha. "Do you think if we put him through our own version of transformation, it might make him something less than the pathetic worm that he is?"
Lateesha smiled. "There is only one way to find out." Harold didn't even have time to sputter. Petru grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the wall chaining him next to Martin. There the man slumped in stunned silence. He'd never expected to become one of Bathory's victims.
Pleased that the distraction had been dealt with, Elizabeth turned back to Danny. "So my Daniel, where were we?"
"Danny! The twenty minutes are up. Fight her!" Martin's declaration freed Danny in a way that echoed to the core of his being. Elizabeth didn't seem concerned that Danny wasn't her willing pawn any more. Her smirk, declaring her utter confidence in her ability to over come any challenge Danny might mount. Maybe she was right and he couldn't beat her, but by God, he would go down fighting. Danny gathered every bit of guilt, confusion, rage, and fear that he'd suffered through for the past few days, focusing them to strengthen his will. He waited as she approached, blocking out Martin's shouts. She was almost on top of him when finally; he hit her with everything he had.
Danny's first thought as he watched Elizabeth sail more than twenty feet across the room was, 'Did I just do that?' Discarding any thought about the implications that he was apparently now a vampire or kindred or whatever the hell it was that he'd become. All that mattered was getting Martin out of here. Sliding off the bed he nearly fell to the floor his knees were so weak. He also found himself wondering why punching someone would make him lightheaded. Forcing his feet to take one step after another Danny almost didn't hear Martin's warning. He looked up just in time to see Lateesha and her backhand coming at him. Then there was darkness.
+ + + + + + + + +
Jack walked out of yet another Bathory property frustrated. Vivian had called in to say that her group had found an impressive stash of drugs at their location, but no one had found Bathory or his three missing agents. Glancing at his watch, Jack wondered how long it would be until Samantha checked in. She wasn't overdue yet, but recent events had left him a bit paranoid about the whereabouts of his remaining agents.
"Jack," called a familiar but unexpected voice. Victor Fitzgerald didn't look his usual imposing self in street cloths and a FBI windbreaker, but he still had an air of authority that made others step back. Jack had known that Victor would be arriving in New York soon, but he hadn't expected him to show up in the middle of the investigation. Though perhaps he should have. "Jack, is there anything new?"
"Not as much as I'd like," admitted Jack. "Since the last time we talked, the lab sent back a preliminary analysis on the blood stained carpet found in the safe house. The blood type doesn't match any of our agents." Jack didn't miss the relief that flashed through Victor's eyes. He'd had a similar reaction himself when he'd heard.
"That means Martin injured at least one of their attackers," suggested Victor.
"Yeah, that's the theory we're going with at the moment," agreed Jack. "It looks like they had already subdued Danny and Elena when Martin arrived."
"You mentioned something about the elevators being controlled?" inquired Victor. He was a man who'd always believed that information equaled power and right now information seemed in too short supply.
"They took over the elevator control system to facilitate their access to the safe house. We also found where they were tapped into the hotel's security. They could see the lobby, meeting rooms, all the entrances and exits, and who was on the elevators," explained Jack.
It didn't take Victor long to understand the implication. "They allowed Martin to walk in on them."
"We're making a lot of assumptions at this point, but my guess is when they saw Martin they decided to take him, too. Martin may have seen or heard something to make him think he was walking into trouble." Jack's cell phone rang. Seeing it was Samantha he said, "I need to take this. What have you got, Sam?"
"Well if we ever do find Elizabeth, we can add four counts of false imprisonment and two counts of murder to the list of charges," shared Samantha. "She had four homeless people locked in the subbasement of her Soho gallery. We also found two bodies. One looks like a junkie who may have died of blood loss. The second is a male with two gunshot wounds and a sliced neck."
Jack relayed to Victor, "It sounds like the perp Martin shot is now a body. They slit his throat rather than risk trying to get him medical attention." Victor grimaced while Jack directed Samantha. "It doesn't look like Bathory ever visited my location so I'm going to send some help your way. Get everything you can from the homeless people she was holding. We need more information on her." As soon as he heard her confirmation he ended the call. Before he could address Victor again someone else was calling his name.
"Agent Malone, we just got a call from SVU. They say Ryan Saluke was dumped at St. Vincent's emergency room doors. He's being treated now for stab wounds and blood loss."
"Tell they I'm on my way over," instructed Jack. "I want to speak to his doctor and sit in on the interview." The agent nodded and dashed away.
Victor was apparently looking over the gathering of law enforcement personnel swirling around them, but Jack could tell his eyes weren't seeing a thing. "What would you like me to do, Jack?" It was a bit odd having the Deputy Director put himself at Jack's disposal, especially considering their bumpy and sometimes adversarial relationship. Victor's mouth twitched at Jack's surprise. "I learned my lesson with the Teno assassination. Someone with better perspective needs to dictate the investigation."
"If you're thinking someone to keep a cool head that's not me. If I get a hold of Bathory I just might end up on charges myself," admitted Jack. "I lost half my team and I'm still not sure who leaked their location. I've got a jet setting billionaire who spends her spare time dabbling in torture and leading a cult of people claiming to be new age vampires. And damned if she hasn't been one step ahead of us throughout this entire investigation."
"Hahn, in OPR, told me they had a lead on who might have leaked the safe house location," shared Victor.
"Great. I hope they fillet 'em alive," murmured Jack. "Who do we have in the Bureau with the most experience dealing with and/or profiling cults."
"There are a couple of names I can pull," said Victor. "How are you for manpower?"
"No problems there. Other units have been volunteering to help." Jack's cell phone trilled again. He did a double take at the caller information and immediately answered, "Elena?"
"Special Agent Delgado is currently at the New York Downtown Hospital, checked in under the name Inez Recillos. She has a moderate concussion and a few bruises, but other than that she's fine," stated a middle-aged man's voice. Jack couldn't place the accent beyond American Midwestern.
"Who the hell are you?" demanded Jack.
"I'm the undercover agent that been working Elizabeth Bathory for the past year; the guy that just saved Agent Delgado's life. Hell, I even helped Taylor get away the first time, never mind that he damn near shot me. But relax. I don't hold a grudge. I'm still going back in, and I'll get Taylor out. Assuming Elizabeth buys my excuse for vanishing halfway through a kidnapping." The last was muttered with a bit less certainty.
Jack didn't know if this mystery undercover agent was trust worthy or even real, but he wasn't leaving anything to chance. Grabbing the arm of a passing agent he ordered, "Get over to Downtown Hospital and check out their patient 'Inez Recillos'." Turning his focus back to the call Jack pointed out, "There was a name you forgot to mention. What about Fitzgerald?"
There was a moment of silence on the other side of the cell call. "When the hell did Martin get taken?" Jack was surprised to hear the stranger use Martin's first name when he'd been so formal discussing the others. "Crap, he must have walked in on Elizabeth while I was smuggling Delgado out," the man answered his own question.
"If you've had Delgado since the kidnapping why am I only hearing from you now?" demanded Jack.
"Do you have any idea how much paperwork and red tape are involved in admitting someone to the hospital?" When the joke fell flat the caller offered, "I had to make sure that none of Elizabeth's little cult suspected what I was up to."
"You said you were going back in. That means you know where they are," started Jack.
"Now, just hold up right there. You try to go head to head with Bathory and people will die. It will make Waco look like a picnic and you still won't get your agents back. It's better if I pull them out on the sly."
"And I'm supposed to just trust you with two of my agent's lives. I don't know you from Adam," said Jack. "Tell me where my agents are!"
"Actually, my name is Buck. And I'm sorry, Agent Malone, but I'm not giving you a choice." The call ended.
Jack tried to call Elena's cell phone back but the call went directly to voice mail. "Son of a bitch!" Jack looked back at Victor, who'd been listening to his side of the conversation. "If you really want to help, find out who the hell has an undercover agent on Bathory and didn't bother to tell us about it," suggested Jack. No way was he going to stop looking for his agents on some stranger's word.
"Do you even know what organization he's part of?" asked Victor.
Jack shook his head. "I only know his name is Buck."
+ + + + + + + + +
Buck stared at the cell phone after he turned it off. He doubted he'd done much to reassure Agent Malone but he knew Elizabeth well enough to know that she'd kill Agent Danny Taylor and Martin before she let herself be forced to surrender them. Which meant their survival would be up to him.
It never should have gotten this far. During the last few months he'd witnessed Elizabeth becoming more erratic. He'd even done what he could to temper her actions, all the while filing report after report to the local Regents on Elizabeth's violent behavior. He had started to wonder if anyone among the Kin was going to lend a hand. If he had been strong enough he would have killed her himself, but the simple fact was he just wasn't that powerful. His biggest asset was his ability to charm people, make them see him, as he wanted them to see him. Not even Elizabeth had been immune.
Buck sighed. He'd been raised to believe that women were everything that was good and pure in the world. Then he'd met Ella Gains and Elizabeth Hastate Bathory. Each one reminded him that men didn't corner the market on depravity. Now he needed to figure out a way to save two people from that depravity before it destroyed them.
Buck was about three blocks from Elizabeth's lair. While they had visited several of her properties during the two weeks they'd been in New York, Buck knew which one was Elizabeth's favorite for playing the worst of her sick little games. Buck's cell phone vibrated. When he checked it he saw a text message: On our way. ETA 10:00am ~C.
Though Buck was relieved to know that help was on the way, he realized that it probably wouldn't arrive in time. Buck couldn't wait. He sent a text reply to explain: Martin taken. Going back in ~B.
For more than one hundred and thirty years Buck and six of his friends had been living the life of Kin. For the most part they relied on their connection to each other and their determination for justice to keep them going in an ever-changing world. Someone had to make sure the Kin followed the rules that kept them from being a threat to society. But that didn't mean that they didn't occasionally get curious about the descendants they'd produced. Several of their group now qualified for great-great-great-grandfather hood, including one of Martin's ancestors. Buck didn't know if it was just Martin's appearance or if it had more to do with the stubborn streak he sometimes showed, but Vin had been keeping taps on his 'grandson' from a distance, for years. Buck knew it would weigh heavily on Vin, if Martin died through the actions of a Kin. Which was why Buck intended to see that didn't happen. One more text massage came through: Understood. Watch your back ~C. Buck smiled and tucked the device away. It was time to enter the lion's den.
+ + + + + + + + +
Martin's wrist ached and his right hand was swollen and bleeding, but he didn't stop twisting at the manacle. He knew he was making progress. Even if it meant tearing off several layers of skin he couldn't stop until he was free. Danny hadn't moved since they'd finished with him more than half an hour ago. Then Elizabeth, Lateesha and Petru had left the prisoners on their own.
When Danny had first shuddered and moaned beneath Elizabeth's touch, barely gasping out the question, what was she doing to him; Martin had been determined to intervene. Then with nothing more than a flick of her wrist, Elizabeth had sent Martin flying across the room in a move that would have left most special effects experts green with envy. Danny had seemed only half aware of what was happening around him, and Elizabeth's continuous reminders of their deal had kept him from fighting her wishes.
Martin had barely gotten his feet back under him when Lateesha had grabbed him. He'd fought a lot of tough opponents in his life, and he hadn't always won, but nothing prepared him for her iron grip. He'd fought her with everything he had and she hadn't given so much as a millimeter. When Lateesha began chaining him, he'd continued to shout at Danny, hoping to break the spell Elizabeth was weaving. Though it earned him a bloody lip from Lateesha, it seemed to work. Danny held Elizabeth off with questions, and they both learned that she wanted to somehow make them like her. A vampire, though not quite the type they'd always heard about as children.
The arrival of Harold Pembroke had been a welcome distraction. Though Martin still didn't trust the man's motives, he was somewhat relieved to hear that others of her kind, the Kin as Harold called them didn't approve of her actions. He'd even gone so far as to refer to her as a cannibal, indicating that perhaps drinking human blood wasn't the norm. The distraction had ended too quickly when Elizabeth had Harold chained up on the wall next to him, but Martin had been watching the bedside clock and was happy to announce that the twenty minutes of Danny and Elizabeth's deal was over.
A look of determination took over Danny's face as he waited for Elizabeth to come at him. Martin tried to warn Danny to stay out of her reach; she seemed to be as strong as Lateesha, but Danny didn't move. Not until she was leaning over him and then he struck out with both hand shoving her back. That the shove sent her flying backwards in a repeat of Martin's earlier aerial maneuver surprised everyone. It also drained the last of Danny's strength. He stumbled a few feet before Lateesha caught him with a vicious backhand that knocked him unconscious.
"Crap," muttered Harold beside him. "The transformation has already started."
Lateesha grabbed a dagger off the rack and moved towards Danny's unconscious form with deadly intent. It was Elizabeth who became his sudden protector. "Don't kill him! It's working! Did you see how strong he is? The transformation isn't even an hour along. Can you imagine what he'll be like when it's done?"
"He'll be a threat. We should kill him now, while we still can," warned Lateesha.
"No, please. I can make this work," begged Elizabeth. The exchange caught Martin's attention not only because it was about Danny but also because it indicated that Lateesha, not Elizabeth had final say. Maybe Elizabeth wasn't the real power behind the cult. "I just underestimated him. We can bleed him to keep him weak, at least until we've broken his mind. Once that happens he'll be ours to control and Martin will follow. I know there are risks, but just think of the rewards."
Lateesha stared down at Danny's limp form for several long seconds. Then she swung her gaze over to Martin. He met her look with all of the defiance he could muster. That defiance took a beating beneath the sudden pressure in his skull. The pain grew to blinding proportions. Martin barely noticed when flashes of memory appeared, most involving fights with his father over entering the FBI.
'With our help you would never have to put up with his manipulations again,' Lateesha whispered in his mind.
Martin struggled to grasp what was happening. How could she violate his mind so easily? Sift through his memories like fingers through a filing cabinet? "You mean trade his manipulations for yours? No thanks. I'll stick with Dad. Now, get out of my mind!" When Lateesha withdrew from his thoughts some of the pressure eased, but his head still throbbed. It was a little disconcerting to see that she done what she had from halfway across the room. It was one thing to avoid the reach of someone's arm, but how did you avoid the reach of their mind?
Lateesha turned back to Elizabeth. "You may continue with Daniel, but he will be bled heavily, and when it comes time to transform Martin, I will take a more active role."
Elizabeth responded by kissing her on the cheek and hugging her with a, "Thank you." The actions reminded Martin of a child thanking a parent for an especially pleasant gift. Then Elizabeth was picking up Danny's form and depositing it back on the bed.
Martin winced when he saw Lateesha using her dagger to cut Danny's still healing wrists. Both women began drinking the blood that seeped from Danny's wounds, sucking on them to encourage a faster flow. Danny started to rouse after a few minutes, but with Petru joining to pin his legs and the women holding his arms, his struggles were fruitless. What tore at Martin the most was hearing Danny call out to him in pain and not being able to help. He responded by trying to encourage Danny, telling him, "Hold on, we'll find a way out of this." Hallow words that only seemed to amuse their abductors. Within five minutes Danny had stopped calling out, stopped struggling. Petru replaced Lateesha cutting a new wound in Danny's side to feast upon, and they continued to drain Danny steadily for another ten minutes. Finally they'd lifted their heads, licked their lips and departed the chamber in silence.
Martin pulled again on his confined wrist trying to force his hand through the metal ring, but it still wouldn't give no matter how much he grunted, groaned or cursed in frustration.
"You're wasting your time."
"Shut up, Harold," ordered Martin.
"Hey don't get pissed at me. I didn't put us in this position. In fact, you may recall I got stuck here trying to help you," Harold pointed out.
"Too little, too late," decided Martin as he adjusted his position to try and use his leg as leverage against the wall. If Harold had really wanted to help he could have warned them about what they were up against days ago.
"Oh right," murmured Harold. "And just what exactly was I supposed to do? Tell you during that interview at your headquarters that Elizabeth Hastate Bathory wasn't just some crazy cult leader, but really a modern day vampire with the ability to toss a man thirty feet through the air and squash a person's mind like a grape?" Martin didn't reply. "All you're doing right now is making yourself weaker."
"Would it be better for me to give up like you?" taunted Martin. "Maybe Elizabeth was right about you being weak, because where I come from you don't stop fighting just because things look bad."
Harold sputtered. "By tiring yourself out you're just making it that much easier for Elizabeth to break you later."
"Don't you mean Lateesha," queried Martin. "You heard their conversation about whether to let Danny live. Lateesha was clearly in charge."
Harold considered Martin's words. "Well, hell. Maybe she's the one that transformed Elizabeth." Martin shot Harold a questioning look. "See, Elizabeth was only transformed about seventeen years ago, but even then she was a powerhouse, which isn't how it usually works. It takes most Kin half a dozen years to fully develop the abilities they get. If Lateesha transformed Elizabeth against her will that would explain a lot about both her mental state and her submission to Lateesha."
"You're loosing me again," warned Martin. Who knew there was so much involved in vampire, no make that Kin, social connections.
"Okay, it works like this. Say you've got a friend and your friend has been diagnosed with cancer or some other life threatening condition. You know he's Chosen, and you want to transform him so his life won't be cut short. Protocol states that at least three Kin agree that said person is mentally fit, and the introduction of the virus should be done slowly to ease the shock to the body. Transforming someone against there will is strictly forbidden, mostly because of the disasters it so often creates. About half of those turned against their will end up with broken minds. They're unstable, obsessive and require constant surveillance from their sires to be kept under control." Martin had to agree that sounded a lot like the relationship between Lateesha and Elizabeth. "The other half usually keep fighting their sire until they eventually kill them and then turn their rage on anyone else unfortunate enough to stumble into their way. Both types are Reckonings waiting to happen."
"Reckonings?" asked Martin as he went back to twisting at his manacle. Though he'd distrusted Harold during the interview he now felt that Harold was being honest with him. He also knew that Harold's knowledge of Kin could be the difference between life and death.
"I guess you could call Reckonings the Kin version of a jury trial," explained Harold.
"Calling Elizabeth a cannibal. Does that mean that most Kin don't drink human blood?" Martin continued to question.
"We're about as likely to drink human as the average person is to start eating another person's flesh." Harold grimaced in distaste and continued. "Most days I don't even bother with blood. A 6 oz. rare cooked steak is more than sufficient to meet my needs. A Kin that has been injured in an accident or exposed to a nasty bug might drink a pint of blood to boost their system, but pork, chicken and cattle are usually the preferred flavors."
"You told Elizabeth that the New York Kin would never accept her. Does that mean they would be willing to help us, if we can get out of here?" Martin knew that going to Jack would likely put more of the team in danger. If there was another option he wanted to take it.
"That depends on what you mean by help. I can think of a few that would be willing to give us shelter, and I know a former Buddhist monk that might be able to repair any damage Elizabeth has done to your friend's psyche," said Harold. "I don't expect anyone to challenge her openly, though. Especially after what has happened to me." Harold shook at his own chains. "She's too powerful. With Lateesha backing her I'm not sure even James Gamble could stop her, assuming he did make it back into town in time to help."
"First things, first," muttered Martin. He braced himself against the wall, took a couple deep breaths and yanked with all his might. The pain increased until finally something gave. Martin landed hard on his back, his right hand bloody and aching.
"Hot damn! You actually got free," whooped Harold.
Martin slowly rose, holding his swelling hand. "I think I dislocated my thumb."
"Hey, your not going to hold those things I said earlier about wasting time against me right?" asked Harold nervously, jingling his chains. "You're going to let me out of these, aren't you?"
Martin grabbed the key off of the rack and pointed it at Harold. "You're going to help me get Danny out of here, and hide us somewhere Elizabeth can't find us."
"Agreed! I'm going to need to hide from her too you know. She's one crazy, vengeful bitch," Harold bemoaned. Martin decided to take Harold at his word and let him loose. "I can check the door while you see to your friend." Martin was already half way to the bed.
Danny looked impossibly pale on the red satin sheets of the bed. With his shirt discarded on the floor, Martin had a clear view of the wounds on his arms and side. The wounds seemed to have stopped bleeding which brought a little relief. "Danny, it's Martin. I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner, but I'm here now and I'm going to get you out of this." Martin's injured hand carefully grasped Danny's limp one. His other hand checked Danny's temperature and pulse. "I just need you to hold on a little longer, partner." Though there was no outward sign, Martin was sure that Danny could hear him on some level.
"Well, do you want the good news, or the bad?" asked Harold.
"Good," replied Martin. He wasn't sure how much more bad news he could take at the moment.
"I found something to top off your partner's tank with." Harold held up a container that he uncorked and sniffed. "Smells like street junkie," he admitted with a grimace. Then he held the flask out to Martin.
"I thought you didn't drink human blood," said Martin refusing to accept the container.
"Beggars can't be choosers. Nothing else in that kitchenette is going to help him, I checked. Besides, it's this or wait for Elizabeth to come back and finish her games," reminded Harold.
Martin reluctantly accepted the blood; trying not to think about what had likely happened to the person it came from. Martin shifted so he was behind Danny and could support his head. "Danny I need you to drink something. I know it's not something you want to be drinking but it will make you stronger and we need that right now." Martin set the opening against Danny's lips tipping it slowly, letting it trickle into his mouth. The relief that greeted Danny's first swallow was tempered by fear that he was making the wrong choice. The fear eased as he felt Danny grow stronger. "That's right Danny, drink it all and then we can blow this joint." Looking back at Harold, Martin remembered, "You said there was also bad news?"
"Our doorway out of here is locked and bolted from the outside," Harold reported. "You may have noticed that super strength isn't one of the attributes I can claim on my Kin membership card."
Martin did his best to examine the door from where he was. "It's a metal door?"
"Yeah, the door and frame are both metal and the surrounding wall is all concrete," detailed Harold. "It won't be easy to break through. I was hoping Danny might be able to do a repeat of his earlier attack on Elizabeth. I don't see either of us being able to put a dent in it."
Danny swallowed the last of the blood from the container and then settled into a relaxed sleep. Martin knew that Danny's body was recovering from the shock it had suffered. While he was certain that Danny was out of the woods as far as survival went, he was nowhere near strong enough to take on that metal door.
Harold seemed to be reaching the same conclusion. "Crap. I was afraid that pint of blood wouldn't be enough to recharge him. They must have drained him down to only a couple liters." Harold grabbed Lateesha abandoned dagger off of the bedside table. "Desperate times call for desperate measure," he offered as he cut into his forearm.
"What are you doing?" demanded Martin.
"Blood is good for healing a Kin, but Kin blood is better," Harold explained. "I give him about a liter, and that should be enough to get him up to fighting strength. I hope."
The words sounded reasonable, but Martin's gut was telling him this was wrong. It wasn't going to work. When Harold moved his bleeding arm towards Danny the reaction was surprisingly violent. As soon as he breathed in the scent of Harold's blood, he began to buck and twist to get away. Martin could barely maintain his grip. "Danny, stop fighting we're not trying to hurt you." The words seemed to settle his partner, but as soon as Harold stepped closer, Danny started to struggle again. "Enough!" Martin shouted at Harold. "This isn't going to work. He knows your blood is infected just like Elizabeth's and he isn't going to drink it again."
"You can't know what he's thinking," said Harold.
"I can't, but I do," Martin replied.
"Well then we're screwed, because he's the only one here that can get us out, and that's not going to happen as weak as he is." Harold dropped the blade on the bed and tore off some cloth for a makeshift bandage.
Acting on impulse Martin picked up the dagger and cut through the skin of his wrist. Harold looked aghast. "Relax Harold. This isn't the first time I've donated blood."
"This is not a good idea," warned Harold. "You're not a Kin, at least not yet. He'll need to take a lot more blood from you. We're talking potentially dangerous amounts."
"I'm tougher than I look," replied Martin as he set his bloody arm on Danny's lips. As Danny began to take in Martin's blood, Martin felt a rightness that told him this was going to work.
'Martin?'
'Right here, Danny. Just take what you need.'
'What's wrong?'
'Nothing that can't be fixed. I know it's a lot to ask, but I'm depending on you to get us out of here.'
"Okay, Martin. It's time to stop. You can't afford to lose any more blood," warned Harold. He could tell there was more going on than he could see. There was a swirl of energy surrounding Danny and Martin. But he feared they were running out of time. Three quarters of an hour had passed since the Kin cult had left and he doubted Elizabeth and Lateesha would leave them alone for more than an hour.
"It's not enough," argued Martin. "He needs more."
'Martin? What do you need me to do?
'We need you to pull a big bad wolf on the metal door to our room. Send it flying, just like you did with Elizabeth. Then we can get out of here.'
'But I don't even know how I did that.'
'Just think about how pissed you are at Elizabeth. I don't think it will take much more than that.'
"Enough is enough, Martin. Wake Danny up now," insisted Harold. He was certain there was some form of communication going on between the two. But he was also worried. If Martin's pulse was anything to go by, he was bordering on shock.
'I need you to wake up now, Danny.'
'Sure, you know I'm always up for saving the day.'
Martin relaxed. Danny had thing under control and Martin trusted him to get them out of here. Martin had done what he could to stack the odds in their favor, now it was up to Danny; and with that thought Martin let go.