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The moment the phone rings, Frank Castle knows it is trouble.
Because, well, in the first place because of the only folk who have got this particular number. Also because it is fucking three in the morning, and if this turns out to be a butt-dial Frank is going to be going target shooting on the caller.
“Castle!”
Damn. He recognises that particular voice.
“Nelson?” he manages to put as much annoyance as he can into the single word.
And keep his spiking adrenaline from inflecting the word. The DA, calling NYPD’s most wanted. Only one thing – one person, actually – that can make Nelson do that.
“What did your pet devil get into?”
Nelson is too frantic to respond to the tone “Matt’s been kidnapped!”
Great. What now? And why the hell is Nelson calling him instead of one of the Spandex Squad he’s no doubt got on speed dial?
“Calm down” because the way the DA is sounding, he’s one wrong word away from hysterics, and Frank really doesn’t have the time for that. “Where was he taken from? Do you know?”
The Hand? HYDRA? AIM? Kingpin?
“It’s your guys!”
“What?”
On the other end, Nelson takes a deep breath, trying to pull himself together. “Some of your usual target set. Mob guys. I don’t know which ones it is, they didn’t say. They’ve…they’ve sent demands.”
Frank’s eyes narrow. Mob guys. Captured Daredevil. Have sent ransom demands. This is really really not going to be good, is it? “What do they want?”
He doesn’t ask why Nelson is calling him. The DA might be annoying as hell, like his choirboy boyfriend, but stupid he is not. There’s got to be a reason, and Nelson will get to it sooner or later. That’s not the priority information right now. The reason becomes clear the next moment.
“You”
“What?”
“They…” Nelson almost breaks, but manages to go on “They don’t know Matt is Daredevil. They… They took him because we were your lawyers. Because he represented you. And they think we’re – or at least Matt is – still in contact with you. And of course, the DA’s office has way too many pendrives full of files on you.”
“They want ME?”
Frank can feel the old rage rising again, the reptile brain trying to override. They don’t know Matt is Daredevil. They didn’t capture Daredevil.
They kidnapped a blind lawyer because they thought that would be their best option to get to the Punisher. They kidnapped Matt just because he had represented Frank. Once.
“They want all the info we got on you” Nelson continues “Both Nelson & Murdock and the DA’s office. Everything we got. Your usual locations, safe houses, contacts. Anything and everything we got.”
What the DA’s office has got isn’t much, but it is enough for people who don’t have to worry about legal information extraction methods to start hunting. Enough to make this game worthwhile.
“They want me to send the info to them.”
“And Matt, Nelson?”
“They… They say they’ll release him once they get the info” a moment’s pause “I don’t think they will”
Yeah. Nelson is no fool. He knows how this kind of thing works.
“You aren’t sending them anything, are you?” Frank knows the answer, but asks again to make sure.
“No. Nothing.”
“Good.”
A sharp intake of breath from the other end of the call. “If I thought sending them the info could save Matt, I’d have done that in a heartbeat. If it was to be your life or Matt’s, the choice would be incredibly easy.”
Same here, Nelson.
“I’ll bring him back. Ain’t my first rodeo.”
“You’re going after them”
Not a question. Of course. Nelson knew what was going to happen when he called. He can guess why the call didn’t go to the cops or the spandex squad.
If whoever took Red is anywhere close to professional – and they must be, given they did take Red – they are monitoring Nelson’s usual contacts.
But they wouldn’t expect the DA to actually phone the Punisher himself. Probably it is kind of unprofessional, or breach of trust, or something Red will get worked up about. Who the hell cares. Not Castle. And at this point at least, not Nelson.
“I’ll bring your boy back”
No questions about methods.
“Hurry” Nelson’s voice does crack a bit “You’ve got to hurry, okay? They’re… They’re torturing him”
“What?”
They’re… What the hell? Red is the hostage, you aren’t supposed to be hurting the hostage, not if you want a chance of… Stop. Stop. Think.
“How do you know?”
“They sent a video” the DA sounds like he’s on the verge of tears “I… I asked for proof they’ve got him, that he’s still alive… They sent a video.”
They sent a video. Jesus Christ. Explains why Nelson is this messed up.
“He’s hurt bad, Castle. Hurry. Please.”
He can guess what happened. They started in by questioning Red. Yeah, they may not know Matt Murdock is Daredevil, but they know Nelson & Murdock has ties with the majority of supers in town. And they know they’ve had dealings with the Punisher.
They no doubt started by questioning Matt for info. And of course, when it became clear that idiot was too much of a masochist to give them anything, they resorted to asking ransom.
Probably a last ditch attempt. Not much expected to come of it. As Nelson already sensed, unlikely – next to impossible type of unlikely – that they will release Matt. No matter what they get or don’t get.
Fine. Then he’ll just have to make sure they don’t have a choice in the issue.
“Alright. Do you know why they wanted me, in the first place? Did they mention why they are after me?”
A pause on the other side as if Nelson is trying to parse that question “They’re freaking Mob guys! Why the hell d’you think they’d be after the Punisher?”
Fair point.
“No, I mean, did they mention anything specific? Anything recent they’re wanting revenge for or something?”
Anything that can give a clue to who it is. There are several who want him off the streets permanently, more than a few who are reckless enough to kidnap the DA’s special assistant. He needs to narrow it down ASAP.
“…no” Nelson has to admit after a long moment of thought “Nothing. They didn’t go beyond the generic threats.”
Nothing that can pin down the blame too precisely if the call is recorded and ends up as evidence. Okay. One option out.
“Send me the video”
“The…video?”
“The one they sent you. You know the mail to contact me. Send it. Then hang up, stay in your office or home or wherever you are right now. Don’t head out. We don’t need a kidnapped DA to match with kidnapped DD”
………………………………………
The video.
Okay, no wonder Nelson is a wreck after seeing this.
The bastards are professional enough to have Matt tied up firmly enough – sometimes kidnappers neglect it, given, well, blind guy and all (And yes, Red has gotten himself kidnapped as Matt Murdock often enough for a pattern to emerge. Comes of representing way too many supers- heroes and villains – in court)
Unfortunately, they aren’t professional enough to have avoided doing serious damage.
Matt is horribly pale, the blood trickling down his face the only colour on it. His white shirt more red than white.
Not reddish brown of dried blood. Fresh blood. He’s still bleeding. Or at least, was, when the video was taken.
Bruises on his throat, like they had tried to choke him – probably when they grabbed him.
Cuts trickling blood from where he strained against the ropes binding him.
Slumped in the chair. Unconscious or nearly so.
Frank wishes he could kid himself Red is faking, but no. Doesn’t look like it. He needs to be in a hospital ASAP. And the ones who did this need to be six feet under ASAP.
Deep breath. You can take your time killing them once you get Red out of there.
With a conscious effort he dismisses Red’s image to the back of his mind. Focus on the rest of the video.
The background. The kidnappers are smart enough that they don’t come within the camera range, not even a careless hand or shadow.
But the background by itself is enough of a clue. If you are the Punisher, that is. He knows that particular basement.
He’s been there once. Stake out. That didn’t work out. His info was bad, or theirs good. Either case, no one came.
An entire night wasted. Well, not exactly wasted. That means now he can identify where they’re holding Red.
Good.
……………………………………………………
It doesn’t take long.
They are prepared for the cops, for SWAT teams. Maybe even had some plans to handle the Spandex Squad – though that plan, if they had any hint the heroes were called in, probably would have been kill the hostage, burn the place down, destroy evidence and flee to the other side of the globe.
They may have been prepared. But not for the Punisher.
Stupid. Who else should they have expected?
Of course, no doubt figured the DA wouldn’t call him. No doubt exactly the reason Nelson did call him, though he’ll probably catch flack for it from Red once they get him back.
It’s quick, a bit too quick to be fully cathartic, but he doesn’t have the luxury of time. Not now.
The perimeter guards go down with barely a sound. Before those inside get suspicious, Frank is in there.
From the time the attack started, it is less than three minutes later that the bastards are all down and Frank is at Red’s side.
He hasn’t managed kill shots on all of them, maybe not even most of them. But enough to incapacitate. Enough that he has time to go to Red.
Frank doesn’t consciously think why he has left them alive. If he is too late, if Red is… If he is too late, a quick kill shot will be much too easy a death for them. He will want to take his time.
“Red? Matt?”
Please. Damnit, you righteous little idiot, you can’t just check out like this! He’s breathing. Okay. Okay. He’s alive. He’s going to be okay.
There’s blood everywhere. On Frank, on Red, everywhere.
But it’s going to be okay. Red is alive. The idiots on the floor are lucky. They’ll die quick. Hell, it might even be painless. Unlike what they had planned for Red.
He’ll deal with them on his way out. First get Red out of here.
He unties the ropes holding Red. They’ve cut deep into flesh, like Red had been trying to break free or something…
“Hey. I’ve got you, okay? It’s gonna be okay.”
Matt whimpers in pain, jarred back to consciousness by the change in position. “F…Foggy?”
“Nah, Nelson isn’t here right now. You’re gonna have to make do with me.” It is troubling not to have Red instantly recognize who he is, but given the shape the guy is in, can’t be surprised the supersenses aren’t quite up to par for the moment. “It’s me. Frank.”
“Frank? How… What are you…”
“Doing here? Rescuing you, dumbass” his fingers are on Red’s wrist, feeling for a pulse, and not liking the way it now sounds.
His breathing sounds all wrong, too. Blood loss. Internal bleeding. The beating he took… Not helped by the position he’s been tied up in.
“It’s gonna be okay.”
The basement floor is cold, covered in blood and bullet casings after the fight. Will do for the moment, though. Frank eases him gently down to the floor
“I’m calling 911, okay? They’ll be here in a couple of minutes.”
This area isn’t exactly known for quick response. But given Frank has told them it is the Punisher calling, with the DA’s blind special assistant kidnapped and bleeding out, he’s reasonably sure the usual time problems won’t count.
He’s got to make sure the kidnappers aren’t alive to receive the benefits of that rapid response. No problem. Won’t take more than a minute.
“Don’t…” Matt’s senses seem to be coming back online, maybe the cold floor waking him up a bit. Enough to make a weak grab for Frank’s gun. It isn’t even a minor effort to evade.
“No, not today, Red. You don’t get to plead their case today”
It’s enough to drive him half out of his wits, the freaking Choirboy trying to spare these vermin, after what they did to him.
Maybe some people – including too many of the Spandex Squad – will call it noble. Frank’s only term for that is ‘insane’.
“Frank, don’t…” Red tries to get up, as if he thinks he can fight Frank this time, in this state. Wouldn’t put it past the idiot to try, though.
“Lie down.”
One minute gone. If he’s to get rid of the bastards and be out of here before the cops and medics arrive, he’s to deal with it now.
“Don’t”
“Why the hell not?”
Just pass out already, you fool. So I can actually deal with this.
“I don’t want to hear them die…”
“What?”
It is kind of eerie, the way Red’s sightless eyes manage to somehow focus on him. “It… It’s awful to hear…hear heartbeats stopping… last breaths… rattling… I don’t wanna hear it, not now, not because of me, please…”
Red is too out of it to bring up his usual preaching.
This kind of works where the other wouldn’t have. Mostly because there’s no ready counter argument to be summoned on reflex.
“Oh, just shut up and lie down! I won’t, okay? As long as you don’t die on me.”
“Won’t” Red promises, though his own breathing, harsh and ragged, begins to belie the words.
Sirens. Approaching. If Frank can hear them, Red certainly can.
“I’m heading out” There will be cops with the paramedics, and he’s not going to let this turn into a shootout now. “Hold on. Hear me? Don’t you dare waste all the work I put in on the dumb rescue.”
Matt’s blood-flecked lips quirk into a slight smile “Thank you…”
The whispered words are barely audible. Frank glares at him, not bothering to reply, and heads for the nearest window.
The thanks is not just for rescuing him, maybe not even mostly for rescuing him, but also for sparing the vermin who took him.
Frank curses under his breath as he leaves.
He hopes the arriving help is too late for most if not all of the bastards.
He also hopes, if it is, none of them dies while Red is close enough to hear their hearts stop.