Chapter 14 - Disposal
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A gray-haired man in a military cut looked out at his class of students and asked, "You are in a situation with a live bomb when do you consider the danger passed?"
"When the bomb is disarmed, Sir."
"Wrong, Mr. Jefferies. Mr. Williams?"
Danny considered his reply. "When the scene is secured and the bomb is disposed of, Sir."
"Mr. Williams is correct. Just because you get the clock stopped clicking it doesn't mean that the threat is over. Remember that if you are ever tempted to celebrate while you still have a couple of pounds of explosives sitting in your lap. Your job doesn't end until those explosives are safely removed from the scene. God help the fools who put their trust in you if you ever forget this."
Steve's alive.
It's couldn't be true.
But it was.
Steve's alive.
Chin knew couldn't afford to deal with this right now. Standing in front of him was the man who had already tried to kill him once and Chin suspected wouldn't hesitate to do so again. But the sight of McGarrett walking gingerly down the ramp with Duke at his side was one that he was unable to glance away from.
"Alexander, what should we do?" Miller asked in a shocked voice.
That question brought all those present back to their senses as Chin refocused his gaze on the three criminals.
"I'll deal with this," Zar stated as he took a step toward McGarrett who was headed in their direction.
"Freeze," Chin ordered as he drew his gun, the HPD officers behind him mirroring his actions.
"You are going on report for this, Kelly! No chink orders me around!"
"What do you think you're doing?" Steve yelled as he stormed over to the confrontation, the pain from his beating forgotten.
"This doesn't concern you, McGarrett," Zar spat.
"I don't know who you think you are but if you believe that you can address one of my men in this matter you are mistaken," Steve declared as he glared into Zar's cold eyes.
"You're behind on the news," Zar sneered. "I run Five-O, not you."
Steve's eyes flickered with rage. "I have news for you. I'm not dead and if you don't apologize and then crawl back under whatever rock you crawled out of, you will be."
Zar smirked. "Is that a threat?"
"You know it, Mister."
Chin could tell that Steve was barely containing his temper as his hands formed into fists and he continued to glare at the man who had taken his place.
Zar shrugged as if to show that he was not threatened by Steve and turned his attention back to Chin. "Kelly, I said stand aside."
"No." Chin's voice rang out clear he stood firm. Then reaching into jacket and pulling out three warrants, the detective let a smile cross his face as he announced, "Alexander Zar, Scott Miller, Parker Clausen you are under arrest for crimes against the State of Hawaii."
"You won't dare!" Zar hissed.
"Put your hands on your head now." Chin's voice turned cold and hard; he needed the goons to realize that he was serious.
For a moment Zar looked like he would go for his gun when he glanced at McGarrett. A sense of resignation hit him as he realized that McGarrett's return from the dead had destroyed any hope of savaging what was left his plots. So with a sigh, Zar put his hands on his head. His men followed suit.
Chin gestured for the HPD men to relieve Zar, Miller, and Clausen of their weapons. Then Chin personally cuffed Zar himself.
After making sure Zar and his men were securely locked into the backseats of separate cruisers, Chin looked over at Steve who glancing at him with concern in his eyes and questions on his lips. Not quite ready to have the conversation Chin knew was coming, he said, "I need to take care of this."
Nodding, Steve let him go.
Steve's alive.
Word travelled fast and even though Danny was hidden in the bowels of the ship, he and Ben had heard the news over the radio. At first, Danny had thought it was some sort of ill-timed joke but Ben swore that he heard confirmation from Duke that it was true.
Steve's alive.
A wave of emotions threatened to overtake Danny but sorting through feelings of joy and relief, betrayal and anger, was something that he didn't have the time for. He was standing in a corridor of an enemy ship with a disarmed bomb and a roomful of slaves. No, he couldn't afford to think about Steve and his deceptions right now.
Looking again at the frightened faces of the girls, Danny longed for a way to tell them that they were safe, that everything was going to be okay. "English?" he asked in vain. When the girls continued to look at him with terrified expressions on their faces, he turned to Ben for help.
Ben shook his head, his face mirroring the anger and sadness found on Danny's own. While Ben was multilingual, Hawaiian or Samoan wouldn't be any more useful than English in this situation.
Minutes passed as Ben and Danny listened to the sounds overhead as HPD took control of the ship, hoping that the first person that turned into their corridor would be a friendly. Their hopes were fulfilled by a small HPD team that identified themselves before quickly securing the area.
Danny was about to speak when a female officer of Chinese descent separated from the group and quickly took over the scene. She ordered the men to stay back as she began to gently talk to the young girls chained in the hold.
Danny obeyed as he agreed that his gender made him a hindrance in this situation. Instead, he turned his attention to the disarmed bomb and asked the remaining officers members if the ship was secure enough to begin the process of disposing the explosive material.
Once he was given the go ahead and men to guard his back, Danny carefully picked up the remains of the bomb and followed the officers off the ship. As he stepped off the ramp, onto solid ground, he noticed that the bomb squad had arrived and had brought a van so they could safely dispose of the explosive material.
Grateful to hand off the remains of the bomb to those with more experience than him, Danny looked around the harbor. The area was swapped with HPD as officers were preparing the captured crew members for transport. Then Danny noticed only a few yards away Duke talking to Steve.
Steve's alive and he's standing right in front of me.
This was real.
Danny knew he should check in with Duke and greet Steve but Danny couldn't bring himself to do it. In front of him was a man he considered a friend, a friend whom he grieved over, and a man who had decided that Danny shouldn't know the truth.
No, Danny was not in right emotional state to talk to Steve right now.
So before Steve could spot him, Danny ducked his head and walked away from the crowd of cops and wandered the docks until he found a spot where he could be alone.
And delay Danny's reunion with Steve long enough to figure out just what he was going to say.
Steve's alive.
Two words that changed everything.
Two words that brought joy and relief. Two words that brought anger and hurt.
Two words that told Kono that Steve had deliberately chosen to let his team believe that he had been killed rather than trust them with the truth.
That realization brought unwelcome tears to the detective's eyes as he wept for the lies and deceptions, for the lack of trust and the decisions that had broken Five-O into pieces.
Kono considered Steve ohana and a good friend but the people you love the most are capable of hurting you the most. And every time Kono tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for his boss's actions he couldn't forget that Steve had chosen to not trust.
That was what hurt most of all.
But why should Kono be shocked? For ten years, Kono had worked for Steve, and he knew that man better than most: his tendencies, his gifts and his faults. And it was during those years that Kono had worked his hardest, giving up his social life, his energy, and his blood to keep Hawaii safe. He had always been a good little detective, taking on impossible assignments without any complaint. He did whatever Steve ordered, he had accepted his boss's tendency to investigate cases in the way that he saw fit, regardless of what anyone else believed. And while Steve's methods almost always worked, this case was proof that they were not infallible, that they came with a high cost. And all too often that cost was borne by those who served under McGarrett.
For this was not the first time that Steve had chosen to go his own way, nor was it first time that Kono had been left in the dark, but it was the first time that he had realized that things didn't have to be that way. On Kauai, Kono learned that he didn't have to be a follower, that he could be a leader, that he could be in a position where he was given the trust and the respect of others.
After ten years of service, could he be blamed for wanting a better life?
Captain Bost came up and stood beside the pensive detective and cleared his throat. "Detective Kalakaua, we've been given the go ahead to leave the scene. Our orders are to drop you off and then resume our regular patrols. Where do you need to go?"
Where indeed.
In Honolulu, Kono had family and friends, a life that he enjoyed, and while he was mad at Steve, he knew that in time the hurt would heal and things would return to normal. But in Kauai he had an exciting new job and responsibilities that he had taken on. Would it be fair to KPD to leave so soon after joining it?
Kono had to make an impossible choice between his old life and a new life.
Kono knew that he didn't have to make this decision at this moment but he also knew that if got off this cutter in Honolulu to meet up with Steve, Danny and Chin it would become that much harder for him to leave Five-O.
And while Kono was glad that Steve was alive and that he was able to help in closing the book on this case, he knew in the depths of his heart that it was time to move on.
Kono just couldn't do it anymore.
Kono Kalakaua was done with Hawaii Five-O.
Turning to Bost, Kono replied, "Take me home – to Kauai."
What in the world was going on?
Ever since Steve had made attempts to return to the land of the living, nothing had made sense. First, he was told that Danny and Kono were no longer part of Five-O and then he saw Duke overseeing what should have been a Five-O operation. Steve had thought he had seen Danny speaking with Duke but now he was nowhere to be found, and he had discovered that a racist jerk had had replaced him after his 'death.' He had seen Chin but his friend had barely acknowledged his presence.
Why had Chin avoided taking to him? Where was Danny? Where was Kono? How bad had he hurt his men and Five-O by choosing to fake his death?
Steve hadn't really thought through the type of reception he would receive on his return but never would he have imagined that it would have been like this.
"Steve." A gentle voice called out from behind him.
Steve turned and saw the kind gaze of the middle-aged Hawaiian sergeant. Duke had helped him off the ship but he his mind had been focused on securing on the vessel so they hadn't got the chance to more than exchange a few words.
"How are you feeling?"
"Nothing's broken. Just a few bruises and I'll be sore in the morning but…" Steve's voice trailed off.
"But, after dying, a few bruises don't bother you anymore," Duke finished.
It was uncanny, how Duke was reading him. Steve only knew of a few people who were ever able to do so. Today, however, he was grateful as he knew he needed a friend he could confide in, a friend who would tell him the truth about what had happened in his absence.
"How bad was it, Duke?"
Duke paused to consider his answer before simply replying, "Bad."
Steve waited patiently for Duke to continue. Duke face showed the pain of the memories that told Steve just how bad things had been before the words even began.
"Your team was badly shaken by your death but you would have been proud of their resolve. Things would have worked out in time but then the attacks on Danny started. The public decided that he was too young, too inexperienced, and at the time we thought public opinion pressed the Governor into choosing another candidate to lead Five-O. When Zar showed up, everyone immediately knew that he was the wrong man for the job but by then it too late. Zar and Danny fought from day one until Danny lost it and Zar had his excuse to fire him. That didn't sit well with Kono who, after quitting, told all of HPD about the racist things Zar had called him. After that, to a man, all Hawaiians on the force refused to cooperate with Five-O. Zar then started operations against most of the crime lords in Honolulu, and has probably set back our work in that area for years as he revealed a lot of the intelligence we had gathered in doing so."
Duke was deadly serious as he looked Steve in the eye and said, "HPD's trust in Five-O is at an all time low and it is going to take time to repair it."
Sadden and shocked by what he was hearing, Steve could only nod to show that he understood.
"Chin discovered that young girls from China were being trafficked into Honolulu, but Zar refused to investigate and ordered Chin not to as well. Chin didn't stop and when Zar found out he ordered his men to make sure he was killed on the next raid. If Jenny hadn't overheard the conversation and gotten through to me, Chin would have died."
"Oh, God," Steve whispered.
"After that, Chin, Ben and I teamed up to find enough evidence to convict Zar and we found it. Zar was corrupt and part of a much larger plan. It was this point we contacted Jonathan Kaye and learned that he already knew that Zar was corrupt and had convinced the Governor to hire him order to catch Da Shu, the man behind this whole convoluted plot."
Steve's anger rose. "Kaye did what?"
"Deliberately placed a corrupt man in a position of power to achieve his own ends," Duke clarified. "That's how bad things got."
It was unbelievable but the tone of Duke's voice told Steve that every single word was true.
"You and Chin pulled this off?" Steve asked gesturing to towards the ship.
"Ben Kokua helped so did Danny and Kono in their own ways, but those are long stories and I have a crime scene to clean up and you have a meeting with the Governor to attend."
Steve knew that this conversation was over and that he needed to go, but there were still words that needed to be said. "Mahalo, Duke." Then swallowing his pride, Steve added, "I'm sorry."
"I'm not the person you need to apologize to."
"I know."
For that was the reason the Steve was driving to the capitol alone, the empty seats that should have been filled with the members of his team reminding him that the resolution of the case had come at a great cost.
Ben Kokua found Danny Williams sitting at the end of an empty pier, his feet dangling over the water as he stared out towards the sea. The two of them had been friends for a long time, ever since Danny had joined HPD ten years ago and it hurt Ben to see his friend in so much pain. Danny had been so strong throughout this whole crisis, even aboard the ship once the truth become known but the danger was not yet passed. Danny needed time alone to process the events of today but duty pushed Ben forward.
"Danny."
The solemn detective looked over his shoulder at Ben.
"I'm to tell you that Steve has left to meet with the Governor and Kaye and that you are invited to attend."
"I don't feel like going." Danny returned his gaze to the water. Ben knew that Danny wanted him to leave but there was information he had to share. So he walked down to the edge of the pier and sat beside his friend.
Since there was no easy break the news, Ben cut straight to the point. "Kono returned to Kauai."
Ben could tell that Danny understood the meaning behind his words by the flicker of resignation that crossed his friend's face. "I'll call him but I won't pressure him to come back. If Kono's happy he should stay there especially since..." Danny choked back tears, unable to finish.
Ben stated softly, "You're mad at Steve – you both are."
"Yes…no…I'm not mad; I'm furious at him, Ben. Did he take a moment to stop and think what faking his death would mean?"
"Knowing Steve, no," Ben answered honestly.
"That's the problem, Ben." Danny's voice rose as he finally let his anger show. "He never does. But no one ever complains because his crazy plans always work. Once Steve decides a course is right, he takes it. It's what makes him a good cop and it's why in the end I can't hate him for it."
There was a bond between Danny and Steve beyond mentor and protégée that Ben could not deny. It was because of that bond that Ben already knew that Danny would forgive Steve. So as gently as he could, Ben reminded his friend that he couldn't sit on this pier forever. "You will have to face him."
"I know."
It was with the knowledge in both their minds that the two friends sat silently watching the sea, searching for a sense of peace that would not come.
"When the bomb is disarmed, Sir."
"Wrong, Mr. Jefferies. Mr. Williams?"
Danny considered his reply. "When the scene is secured and the bomb is disposed of, Sir."
"Mr. Williams is correct. Just because you get the clock stopped clicking it doesn't mean that the threat is over. Remember that if you are ever tempted to celebrate while you still have a couple of pounds of explosives sitting in your lap. Your job doesn't end until those explosives are safely removed from the scene. God help the fools who put their trust in you if you ever forget this."
Steve's alive.
It's couldn't be true.
But it was.
Steve's alive.
Chin knew couldn't afford to deal with this right now. Standing in front of him was the man who had already tried to kill him once and Chin suspected wouldn't hesitate to do so again. But the sight of McGarrett walking gingerly down the ramp with Duke at his side was one that he was unable to glance away from.
"Alexander, what should we do?" Miller asked in a shocked voice.
That question brought all those present back to their senses as Chin refocused his gaze on the three criminals.
"I'll deal with this," Zar stated as he took a step toward McGarrett who was headed in their direction.
"Freeze," Chin ordered as he drew his gun, the HPD officers behind him mirroring his actions.
"You are going on report for this, Kelly! No chink orders me around!"
"What do you think you're doing?" Steve yelled as he stormed over to the confrontation, the pain from his beating forgotten.
"This doesn't concern you, McGarrett," Zar spat.
"I don't know who you think you are but if you believe that you can address one of my men in this matter you are mistaken," Steve declared as he glared into Zar's cold eyes.
"You're behind on the news," Zar sneered. "I run Five-O, not you."
Steve's eyes flickered with rage. "I have news for you. I'm not dead and if you don't apologize and then crawl back under whatever rock you crawled out of, you will be."
Zar smirked. "Is that a threat?"
"You know it, Mister."
Chin could tell that Steve was barely containing his temper as his hands formed into fists and he continued to glare at the man who had taken his place.
Zar shrugged as if to show that he was not threatened by Steve and turned his attention back to Chin. "Kelly, I said stand aside."
"No." Chin's voice rang out clear he stood firm. Then reaching into jacket and pulling out three warrants, the detective let a smile cross his face as he announced, "Alexander Zar, Scott Miller, Parker Clausen you are under arrest for crimes against the State of Hawaii."
"You won't dare!" Zar hissed.
"Put your hands on your head now." Chin's voice turned cold and hard; he needed the goons to realize that he was serious.
For a moment Zar looked like he would go for his gun when he glanced at McGarrett. A sense of resignation hit him as he realized that McGarrett's return from the dead had destroyed any hope of savaging what was left his plots. So with a sigh, Zar put his hands on his head. His men followed suit.
Chin gestured for the HPD men to relieve Zar, Miller, and Clausen of their weapons. Then Chin personally cuffed Zar himself.
After making sure Zar and his men were securely locked into the backseats of separate cruisers, Chin looked over at Steve who glancing at him with concern in his eyes and questions on his lips. Not quite ready to have the conversation Chin knew was coming, he said, "I need to take care of this."
Nodding, Steve let him go.
Steve's alive.
Word travelled fast and even though Danny was hidden in the bowels of the ship, he and Ben had heard the news over the radio. At first, Danny had thought it was some sort of ill-timed joke but Ben swore that he heard confirmation from Duke that it was true.
Steve's alive.
A wave of emotions threatened to overtake Danny but sorting through feelings of joy and relief, betrayal and anger, was something that he didn't have the time for. He was standing in a corridor of an enemy ship with a disarmed bomb and a roomful of slaves. No, he couldn't afford to think about Steve and his deceptions right now.
Looking again at the frightened faces of the girls, Danny longed for a way to tell them that they were safe, that everything was going to be okay. "English?" he asked in vain. When the girls continued to look at him with terrified expressions on their faces, he turned to Ben for help.
Ben shook his head, his face mirroring the anger and sadness found on Danny's own. While Ben was multilingual, Hawaiian or Samoan wouldn't be any more useful than English in this situation.
Minutes passed as Ben and Danny listened to the sounds overhead as HPD took control of the ship, hoping that the first person that turned into their corridor would be a friendly. Their hopes were fulfilled by a small HPD team that identified themselves before quickly securing the area.
Danny was about to speak when a female officer of Chinese descent separated from the group and quickly took over the scene. She ordered the men to stay back as she began to gently talk to the young girls chained in the hold.
Danny obeyed as he agreed that his gender made him a hindrance in this situation. Instead, he turned his attention to the disarmed bomb and asked the remaining officers members if the ship was secure enough to begin the process of disposing the explosive material.
Once he was given the go ahead and men to guard his back, Danny carefully picked up the remains of the bomb and followed the officers off the ship. As he stepped off the ramp, onto solid ground, he noticed that the bomb squad had arrived and had brought a van so they could safely dispose of the explosive material.
Grateful to hand off the remains of the bomb to those with more experience than him, Danny looked around the harbor. The area was swapped with HPD as officers were preparing the captured crew members for transport. Then Danny noticed only a few yards away Duke talking to Steve.
Steve's alive and he's standing right in front of me.
This was real.
Danny knew he should check in with Duke and greet Steve but Danny couldn't bring himself to do it. In front of him was a man he considered a friend, a friend whom he grieved over, and a man who had decided that Danny shouldn't know the truth.
No, Danny was not in right emotional state to talk to Steve right now.
So before Steve could spot him, Danny ducked his head and walked away from the crowd of cops and wandered the docks until he found a spot where he could be alone.
And delay Danny's reunion with Steve long enough to figure out just what he was going to say.
Steve's alive.
Two words that changed everything.
Two words that brought joy and relief. Two words that brought anger and hurt.
Two words that told Kono that Steve had deliberately chosen to let his team believe that he had been killed rather than trust them with the truth.
That realization brought unwelcome tears to the detective's eyes as he wept for the lies and deceptions, for the lack of trust and the decisions that had broken Five-O into pieces.
Kono considered Steve ohana and a good friend but the people you love the most are capable of hurting you the most. And every time Kono tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for his boss's actions he couldn't forget that Steve had chosen to not trust.
That was what hurt most of all.
But why should Kono be shocked? For ten years, Kono had worked for Steve, and he knew that man better than most: his tendencies, his gifts and his faults. And it was during those years that Kono had worked his hardest, giving up his social life, his energy, and his blood to keep Hawaii safe. He had always been a good little detective, taking on impossible assignments without any complaint. He did whatever Steve ordered, he had accepted his boss's tendency to investigate cases in the way that he saw fit, regardless of what anyone else believed. And while Steve's methods almost always worked, this case was proof that they were not infallible, that they came with a high cost. And all too often that cost was borne by those who served under McGarrett.
For this was not the first time that Steve had chosen to go his own way, nor was it first time that Kono had been left in the dark, but it was the first time that he had realized that things didn't have to be that way. On Kauai, Kono learned that he didn't have to be a follower, that he could be a leader, that he could be in a position where he was given the trust and the respect of others.
After ten years of service, could he be blamed for wanting a better life?
Captain Bost came up and stood beside the pensive detective and cleared his throat. "Detective Kalakaua, we've been given the go ahead to leave the scene. Our orders are to drop you off and then resume our regular patrols. Where do you need to go?"
Where indeed.
In Honolulu, Kono had family and friends, a life that he enjoyed, and while he was mad at Steve, he knew that in time the hurt would heal and things would return to normal. But in Kauai he had an exciting new job and responsibilities that he had taken on. Would it be fair to KPD to leave so soon after joining it?
Kono had to make an impossible choice between his old life and a new life.
Kono knew that he didn't have to make this decision at this moment but he also knew that if got off this cutter in Honolulu to meet up with Steve, Danny and Chin it would become that much harder for him to leave Five-O.
And while Kono was glad that Steve was alive and that he was able to help in closing the book on this case, he knew in the depths of his heart that it was time to move on.
Kono just couldn't do it anymore.
Kono Kalakaua was done with Hawaii Five-O.
Turning to Bost, Kono replied, "Take me home – to Kauai."
What in the world was going on?
Ever since Steve had made attempts to return to the land of the living, nothing had made sense. First, he was told that Danny and Kono were no longer part of Five-O and then he saw Duke overseeing what should have been a Five-O operation. Steve had thought he had seen Danny speaking with Duke but now he was nowhere to be found, and he had discovered that a racist jerk had had replaced him after his 'death.' He had seen Chin but his friend had barely acknowledged his presence.
Why had Chin avoided taking to him? Where was Danny? Where was Kono? How bad had he hurt his men and Five-O by choosing to fake his death?
Steve hadn't really thought through the type of reception he would receive on his return but never would he have imagined that it would have been like this.
"Steve." A gentle voice called out from behind him.
Steve turned and saw the kind gaze of the middle-aged Hawaiian sergeant. Duke had helped him off the ship but he his mind had been focused on securing on the vessel so they hadn't got the chance to more than exchange a few words.
"How are you feeling?"
"Nothing's broken. Just a few bruises and I'll be sore in the morning but…" Steve's voice trailed off.
"But, after dying, a few bruises don't bother you anymore," Duke finished.
It was uncanny, how Duke was reading him. Steve only knew of a few people who were ever able to do so. Today, however, he was grateful as he knew he needed a friend he could confide in, a friend who would tell him the truth about what had happened in his absence.
"How bad was it, Duke?"
Duke paused to consider his answer before simply replying, "Bad."
Steve waited patiently for Duke to continue. Duke face showed the pain of the memories that told Steve just how bad things had been before the words even began.
"Your team was badly shaken by your death but you would have been proud of their resolve. Things would have worked out in time but then the attacks on Danny started. The public decided that he was too young, too inexperienced, and at the time we thought public opinion pressed the Governor into choosing another candidate to lead Five-O. When Zar showed up, everyone immediately knew that he was the wrong man for the job but by then it too late. Zar and Danny fought from day one until Danny lost it and Zar had his excuse to fire him. That didn't sit well with Kono who, after quitting, told all of HPD about the racist things Zar had called him. After that, to a man, all Hawaiians on the force refused to cooperate with Five-O. Zar then started operations against most of the crime lords in Honolulu, and has probably set back our work in that area for years as he revealed a lot of the intelligence we had gathered in doing so."
Duke was deadly serious as he looked Steve in the eye and said, "HPD's trust in Five-O is at an all time low and it is going to take time to repair it."
Sadden and shocked by what he was hearing, Steve could only nod to show that he understood.
"Chin discovered that young girls from China were being trafficked into Honolulu, but Zar refused to investigate and ordered Chin not to as well. Chin didn't stop and when Zar found out he ordered his men to make sure he was killed on the next raid. If Jenny hadn't overheard the conversation and gotten through to me, Chin would have died."
"Oh, God," Steve whispered.
"After that, Chin, Ben and I teamed up to find enough evidence to convict Zar and we found it. Zar was corrupt and part of a much larger plan. It was this point we contacted Jonathan Kaye and learned that he already knew that Zar was corrupt and had convinced the Governor to hire him order to catch Da Shu, the man behind this whole convoluted plot."
Steve's anger rose. "Kaye did what?"
"Deliberately placed a corrupt man in a position of power to achieve his own ends," Duke clarified. "That's how bad things got."
It was unbelievable but the tone of Duke's voice told Steve that every single word was true.
"You and Chin pulled this off?" Steve asked gesturing to towards the ship.
"Ben Kokua helped so did Danny and Kono in their own ways, but those are long stories and I have a crime scene to clean up and you have a meeting with the Governor to attend."
Steve knew that this conversation was over and that he needed to go, but there were still words that needed to be said. "Mahalo, Duke." Then swallowing his pride, Steve added, "I'm sorry."
"I'm not the person you need to apologize to."
"I know."
For that was the reason the Steve was driving to the capitol alone, the empty seats that should have been filled with the members of his team reminding him that the resolution of the case had come at a great cost.
Ben Kokua found Danny Williams sitting at the end of an empty pier, his feet dangling over the water as he stared out towards the sea. The two of them had been friends for a long time, ever since Danny had joined HPD ten years ago and it hurt Ben to see his friend in so much pain. Danny had been so strong throughout this whole crisis, even aboard the ship once the truth become known but the danger was not yet passed. Danny needed time alone to process the events of today but duty pushed Ben forward.
"Danny."
The solemn detective looked over his shoulder at Ben.
"I'm to tell you that Steve has left to meet with the Governor and Kaye and that you are invited to attend."
"I don't feel like going." Danny returned his gaze to the water. Ben knew that Danny wanted him to leave but there was information he had to share. So he walked down to the edge of the pier and sat beside his friend.
Since there was no easy break the news, Ben cut straight to the point. "Kono returned to Kauai."
Ben could tell that Danny understood the meaning behind his words by the flicker of resignation that crossed his friend's face. "I'll call him but I won't pressure him to come back. If Kono's happy he should stay there especially since..." Danny choked back tears, unable to finish.
Ben stated softly, "You're mad at Steve – you both are."
"Yes…no…I'm not mad; I'm furious at him, Ben. Did he take a moment to stop and think what faking his death would mean?"
"Knowing Steve, no," Ben answered honestly.
"That's the problem, Ben." Danny's voice rose as he finally let his anger show. "He never does. But no one ever complains because his crazy plans always work. Once Steve decides a course is right, he takes it. It's what makes him a good cop and it's why in the end I can't hate him for it."
There was a bond between Danny and Steve beyond mentor and protégée that Ben could not deny. It was because of that bond that Ben already knew that Danny would forgive Steve. So as gently as he could, Ben reminded his friend that he couldn't sit on this pier forever. "You will have to face him."
"I know."
It was with the knowledge in both their minds that the two friends sat silently watching the sea, searching for a sense of peace that would not come.