The piercing sound of the fire bell caused Danny to stop in his tracks. "What the hell's that?" he almost yelled above the noise.

"That's the hospital fire alarm." Dr. Edwards said.

"Michelle," Danny said fear creeping into his voice. "She's probably freaking out right about now."

"You go to her. I have to attend to the other patients on the floor. You and your men get her outside. I'll find you as soon as everything is settled down. Remember do your best to keep her calm. This is really the last thing that she needs right now."

Dr. Edwards concern for Michelle was evident in his voice. Danny was doing his best to keep his own fear in check. He had to be calm, cool and collected when he went to Michelle. He couldn't let sense how truly scared he was for her. He kept replaying Dr. Edwards's words. Heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrest. He raced back down the hallway to her room. He had to reassure her that everything would be fine.

Hysteria over took Danny as he approached Michelle's room. Max and Tito were nowhere to be found. Even amidst the utter chaos they knew better then to leave her door.

Danny's stomach dropped to the floor. The room was empty. Michelle was gone. "Grip a grip," Danny said to himself. "They must have taken her out of the building already. That had to be the reason she wasn't there."

He walked to the nearest exit still looking for them. His head was telling him that she was with them and safe but his gut was sending out completely different signals. He had the same feeling as he had the night of her accident. That she was in trouble and that he needed to find her. He did his best to squelch those thoughts. He didn't want to let his mind wonder to the place that it was going. He couldn't.

"Dr. Edwards, what's going on now?" Danny asked seeing the man bringing patients back into the building.

"False alarm."

Danny's mouth went dry and his body turned clammy. "Have you seen my men and Michelle?" he tried to keep his voice steady.

"No, I haven't why?" Dr. Edwards concern growing as well.

"Well I went to Michelle's room and she was gone. So were they. They know better then to leave her. I thought maybe they had taken her outside with the others."

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen them."

"You said this was a false alarm?" Danny said more as a statement of fact then a question.

"Yes, why?"

Danny could hear Dietz telling him that Jimmy had lost his tail of Nino. This was just up Nino's alley. But what still didn't make sense to him was where were Max and Tito. They should have shot him dead on sight. Even in the middle of this whole mess.

"Danny," Dr. Edwards said breaking his train of thought, "What are you thinking? Are you trying to say that this was deliberate?"

"I would stake my life on it. I have to find Michelle." Urgency filled his voice as he hurried passed the hoards of people trying to reenter the floor.

Finally he spotted Max helping an elderly back inside. "Where the hell's Michelle?" he bellowed.

"Huh?" was all Max could muster.

"Where is Michelle?" he asked again trying to remain as calm as possible. Danny looked at the old women in Max's arm and tried to remember exactly where he was.

Next glance brought Tito into his line of vision. No Michelle either. He was carrying a young boy in his arms. Rage bubbled just below the surface. Danny couldn't see anything but Nino disappearing into the night with Michelle.

Then the stark reality of her condition came crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. There were those words again, heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrest. Michelle needed to remain calm, relaxed, stress free. That wasn't about to happen if what he feared was happening truly was.

It was as if the world was advancing in slow motion. Danny was an outsider watching himself scurry about the halls screaming her name. He sounded like a crazy man but he didn't rightly care now. Michelle's life was at stake. More so then it had been thus far.

"She isn't anywhere in the hospital, boss," Max and Tito returned reluctantly to report their findings.

"Where the hell were you two?" Danny growled. "You were to be protecting her!"

"In all the commotion we got forced into helping," Max lamely returned.

"WHO THE FUCK PAYS YOU?" Danny asked as he jacked both men up against the wall.

"You do," both barely squeaked.

"I should just kill you right now!" Danny's voice was cold and calm. "I swear to god, if anything I mean if Nino so much as harms a hair on her head you are better then dead!" Danny released his grip on them sending both sliding to the floor.

"Any luck?" Dr. Edwards asked as he approached the scene.

"No," Danny did his best to corral his rage.

"You understand how important it is we find her? I mean I was totally serious before when we speaking about how grave Michelle's condition is right now."

"I know!" Danny shouted his fear getting the best of him.

"I think there's something else you should know," Dr. Edwards hesitated for a moment. Trying to gage the reaction his next statement would elicit.

"What?" Danny spat.

"Someone told me that they saw a man carrying Michelle out to the parking lot."

Danny's blood stood still, frozen in his veins, "A man? Who? Who did they see?" Danny asked already knowing the answer.

"I believe it was the same man who brought Drew Jacobs into the ER."

"FUCKING BASTARD!" Danny's voice was barely a violent whisper as he put his hand through the plate glass window before him.

There wasn't even any pain. He could see the blood coursing from the wound but nothing else. His adrenaline was running far too high to feel much of anything.

"Here let me look at that." Dr. Edwards reached for Danny's hand. "You are going to need stitches."

"Fuck that! I don't have anytime to waste sitting around here. Knowing Nino he could have taken her anywhere by now. She's as good as dead if I don't find her. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I do but if we don't get that stitched up you're likely to lose a great deal of blood. You won't be much good to Michelle if that happens." He was doing his best to get Danny to see reason. But the only thing Danny could see right now was Nino and what he was doing to Michelle.

"Where could he have taken her?" Danny said aloud.

"I think I might know." Danny looked up to see Drew coming down the hallway with Dietz and his mother.

Michelle was paralyzed with fear. There was Nino standing over her, menacing. She wasn't able to catch her breath. Every sense in her body told her run but the connection from brain to muscles was lost. She felt the hot tears escaping onto her cheeks.

"Well, well, Miss Bauer," Nino's voice was sinister as he traced her facial features with his forefinger, "You didn't think you would get away from me that easily did you?"

It was Mick all over again. He had used those very words when he seized her as she ran to her car. Doing her best to escape his grasp. She could feel Mick's hands encircling her throat cutting off the very breath she was gasping for. Absently she brought her hands to her neck as if in a trance. Mick threw her across the seat of his car. She landed hard against the passenger door. Scrambling, she desperately tried to climb through that door. She would have done anything to escape Mick's rage. She kicked solidly at his abdomen hoping to throw him off balance giving her a chance to run. That only served to infuriate him all the more......

"Where's your protector now?" Nino asked causing her to return to the present nightmare.

"Nino," she whispered, "What...what do you want?" she was shocked to have found her voice.

"What? Are all of you women dumb bitches or what?" he let out a wild laugh. The cocaine and alcohol fueling his warped vision of how things were going to go. "I WANT YOU! Getting Danny Santos in the process is an added bonus. I would say wouldn't you?" Again the wild laughter escaped his lips.

Michelle did her best to back away as he came closer towards her. It was then that she noticed the cloth behind his back. Nino grabbed her firmly by the back of the neck as he buried her nose in that rag that he had doused in chloroform. Within seconds Michelle's body went limp under his grasp.

Nino scooped her body up and walked out onto the hospital grounds completely unnoticed in the commotion. "Come on Santos, come on! I'll be sure that you have a front row seat for the floor show!" Nino cackled pulling away from the curb.

Nino finished off the bottle of Jack Daniels as he drove the streets of Chicago. He glanced in the back seat now and again to see if Michelle was still out. He didn't expect much movement from her until he had gotten her exactly where he wanted her.

He planned on this playing out a bit differently then the last time but with some of the same results. Who would Carmen send to find her second son's killer?

Nino threw the empty vial in disgust. He was in need of another fix. Cocaine and booze were the only things that would be able to keep him on his intended plan. Without them he was worthless. "Damn!" He picked up the cell phone from the seat and dialed the familiar number, "Hey Mannie, Nino. You got anything for me? What do you mean no?" fury filled Nino.

"Bernard put a stop to everything," the voice returned from the other end of the line

"What?" Nino's voice echoed off the interior of the car.

"Yeah man, he just called. Said there was some heat right now and everything was to stop until he said otherwise."

"I RUN THINGS HERE!" his verbrado was drug endued,.

"I don't think so, not anymore," the voice countered.

"THIS IS FUCKING RIDICULOUS!"

"Bernard made himself perfectly clear."

"Since when does my father give a rats ass about what I do here in Chicago?"

"Apparently now."

"God Damn. Carmen, Carmen Santos had to have gotten to him by now." Nino said looking in the mirror at Michelle's lifeless body still lying in the rear seat. "Well Danny, you and you're mama just signed her death warrant."

"Nino," the voice questioned.

"What?" he spat realizing that Mannie was still on the other end of the phone.

"Watch your back man. Got a bad feeling about all of this."

"Don't worry about me, I've got my own insurance policy. Don't you worry about me."

Slowly Michelle began to awaken. The faintest aroma of salt water filled her nostrils. She tried to get up but couldn't. She could feel the cool dampness beneath her body. Bringing her eyes into focus, immediately she knew where she was, "No," she whispered hoarsely. There she was again in the very same warehouse. Tied spread eagle to the floor again.

Hysterically she thrashed about the floor. Doing anything to loosen the hold the ropes had on her. Her struggle only served to send the ropes deeper into her flesh. 'No, this can't be happening, not again. Please God not again,' she thought to herself.

"Ah, I see you are awake," Nino came to stand above her. "Remembering this place fondly I hope," he added sarcastically as an ominous smile over took his features.

Michelle's eyes grew wide as she saw the knife, Mick's knife. Nino drew it within inches of her face. "Thought we'd play a little game of dejuve, Michelle." He took delight in the terror he was forcing on her. "See I think though we are missing a key player here though. Where's your white knight Michelle? Where's Danny Santos now Michelle?"

"Leave Danny out of this!" Michelle found the courage to yell.

"Leave him out of this? He's much too far into it now. Hell it wouldn't be any fun without him. He plays a key roll here." Nino was rambling without making much sense. Michelle could smell the stale alcohol on his breath as he bent down to speak to her.

"See here's the plan. A pretty good one I might add," he said pleased with himself, "Danny Santos is going to die in the very spot his brother did. And you are going to watch. Then for kicks I'm going to kill you too. You can't be worth much if you have been had by a Santos," Nino quipped, "Better yet, maybe I'll let Danny watch me slit your wrists the way Mick did. Let him watch you slowly bleed to death. That sounds even better. Then of course he must die too."

"Nino please," she begged. Visions of Nino slaying Danny filled her head. She felt the tightness in her chest growing. She was unable to stop it. All this time fighting Danny, fighting the feelings that had been growing inside her. She couldn't bare the thoughts of losing him. Not like this. Not to Nino Rivera.

"Hey, I think that I have something you want," Nino hissed into the mouthpiece of the phone.

Dietz had been surprised to collide head on with Drew Jacobs, the girl Danny was so desperately seeking, as he retrieved Carmen's bags from the airport terminal. She was a hard one to miss. Danny had been right about Nino beating the hell out of her. She looked as if she tangled with a Mack truck and lost.

"Can I help you with those, Drew?" he asked slyly.

Drew froze. Who was this man and how did he know her name?

"I got them," she said with a shaky voice.

"No really, I think Danny would want me to help you."

"Danny?" fear consumed her.

"Yes, Danny Santos. I believe you are acquainted with him." Dietz was enjoying the game of cat and mouse tremendously.

"What do you want?" she returned as forcefully as she could.

"Some answers is all."

"I don't have any answers."

"Well see we think you do. I think it's in the best interest of your health that you come with me." Dietz whispered in her ear smiling all the while.

Drew let herself be led to the black sedan. Dietz held her arm tightly as he placed Carmen's bags in the trunk. Once that task was complete he opened the door and pushed Drew inside.

"Drew Jacobs....Carmen Santos." His introduction was to the point.

Both women eyed one another. Drew had heard so many things about the woman in front of her but seeing Carmen Santos in the flesh sent chills through her body.

"Drew," Carmen's voice was ice. "So, I hear you knew my son." Drew nodded her response. "Nino too." Again all Drew was able to do was knod. "And this Michelle Bauer she's a friend of yours?"

"Never," Drew spat.

"Would you like to tell me how you ended up in this mess?" Carmen asked coyly.

"What? What mess?" Drew returned anxiously.

"Well seems a bit odd to have yourself a Santos and then head to the likes of a Rivera," Carmen let out a low laugh.

"I loved Mick," Drew claimed, "None of this would have happened if it wasn't for Michelle." Drew was trying to remember the elaborate plan that Nino had constructed. She was as good as dead if she didn't,

"Well, my Daniel has a different theory. So I am told. I think we need to talk with him first." Dietz couldn't resist watching the young woman squirm as Carmen spoke. Carmen Santos was the master of intimidation.

Before Drew knew it, she was once again in the parking lot of Chicago University Hospital. She stood pressed between Carmen and Dietz. She knew better then to attempt to run. It would have been better off had Nino just killed her in the first place.

The threesome approached a frantic Danny. Carmen looked on in horror as her son smashed his hand and arm through a window.

"Daniel, your hand," Carmen rushed forward to her son. Danny had been surprised to see her. He hadn't expected her.

"I'm fine," he pulled away from the doctor's grasp. Blood continued to pour forth. The last thing that Danny cared about right now was himself. He would never forgive himself it anything happened to Michelle. Why he had left her protection up to someone else he was still questioning. He knew better then to underestimate Nino. Sure Nino was half-witted at times but never the less he still was capable of anything. "I have to find her. I don't have time to be wasting here."

"Danny, we really need to take a look at your hand. I need to be sure the isn't any tendon damage." Dr. Edwards continued ignoring the goings on around him.

Danny heard the doctor's words but they were nothing more than a mass of sounds. Almost sounding like a record being played at the wrong speed.

"Don't you get it?" Danny yelled startling everyone around him, "She as good as dead if we don't find her," Danny heard his voice crack as the tears pushed against his lashes. "Where could he have taken her?"

"I think I might know," Drew whispered as Dietz pushed her forward.

Danny looked at Drew unable to speak. He couldn't believe his eyes. Someone had actually done their job. Something was actually done right in this whole mess.

Carmen stood in amazement at the emotions pouring forth from her son. Dietz had filled her in on the little he knew about Danny's feelings for Michelle Bauer. He had also enlightened her to the things that her had uncovered regarding her involvement with Mick.

Carmen was torn. She knew of the Bauer's. They were the finest doctor's on staff at Cedar's. She had attended many functions with them. She knew that Michelle was a well liked girl with great potential. But her association with Mick was a fly in the ointment as far as Carmen Santos was concerned. She wanted to believe that Michelle was as much a victim in all of this as Mick had been but of that she wasn't so sure.

Drew Jacobs wasn't helping any either with her account of Mick and Michelle. Drew played the jilted lover to the hilt. Saying that Michelle used Mick to get back at her for something that happened between them in Springfield.

Carmen knew exactly what that something was. It was no secret that Jesse Blue and Michelle Bauer were the charmed couple and that his suicide was all due to one night's indiscretion with a one Drew Jacobs. So Carmen was holding off judgment of Michelle Bauer just for the moment.

"Daniel, please let the doctor look at your hand," Carmen stressed.

"What do you know?" he said looking right through his mother and directly at Drew.

"I think I know where Nino could have taken her," her voice barely audible.

"WHERE?" Danny said through clenched teeth. Drew shuffled in front of Dietz trying back away from Danny. "DAMN IT DREW! WHERE?"

It took all Danny's inner strength not to walk up to this girl and just snap her neck. In all his years of keeping his hands clean. Away from all the killing the last few days had proved to him that he was capable of just about anything if pushed.

"What?" Danny's voice was harsh as he answered the ringing of his cell phone.

"Santos," Nino's voice dripped with animosity.

"Nino," the name caught in his throat.