We're Gonna Go Through This Together

Chapter Five

Baez walked in to see her partner asleep at his desk. He had his elbow on his desk, and his chin in his hand. Slowly, his elbow inched further away from him. Baez threw her gun in the top desk draw, and slammed it shut.
Danny bolted awake, mumbling, "I'm awake.... I'm awake."
"You were asleep. It's been four and a half days, Reagan, and you haven't slept at all." She watched Danny yawn. "You look like crap."
"I know... I know..." the detective shook his head as if to clear it of the sleep. He took a sip out of the Red Bull can.
"Can't you drink coffee like regular people?"
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not regular people." Danny tried making a joke, to keep himself positive. "Plus, Sarge says I've reached my coffee limit."
"You know Red Bull has ox bile in it, right?"
"And the stuff makeup is made of us scary. And you put that gunk on your face." He shuddered and he and his partner laughed a little. It was the first laughs since Linda was captured.
"Reagan, Baez, we found 'em. Let's go!" Their CO commanded.
"What?" Danny grabbed his coat and followed his boss. "We found her? We found Linda?"
"Yep. Baez, you're driving."
"What?" Danny complained.
"Danny, you can't drive. You're too tired, and you've had too much caffeine. You're heart must be going, like, five miles a minute." Baez explained.
"A mile a minute, Baez. A mile a minute," their boss corrected.
"Hello?! The more we stand around, the more Linda could be slipping into death! Come on, let's go!" Danny jumped into the car, ready to take down the perps.
******
Linda had trouble holding her head up; she felt so weak, and sort of ashamed. She kept thinking she could've done something against them, anything. But she didn't, she couldn't- but she didn't believe that. If only I had ignored the door! Maybe they would-a gone away! But what if they didn't? What if Danny had answered instead? Would they be doing a form of this to him? Oh, Danny! Where are you?!
But her thoughts were interrupted by a perp walking in. He had the most evil look on his face. "This is gonna be fun!" He started unbuttoning his shirt, as Linda held back her cries.
Suddenly, there was a big crash and people yelling "police! Freeze!"
Linda looked up, pleading Danny was there.
Danny continuously called out, "Linda!". Linda heard and used nearly all her strength left to yell a muffled, "Danny!" She continued to yell, until her husband found her.
"Linda!" Danny was shocked when he saw his wife. She was handcuffed and tied to a pole, in multiple places. She was cut and bruised, blood trickling down her arms, face, legs, ankles, and torso. She was completely naked and totally beaten up. He was also shocked to see a perp with a gun to her head.