Chapter 4 - Despair
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As Danny attempted to make heads and tails out of the wires in front of him, he became acutely aware of the fact that disarming a bomb in practice was one thing but seeing one that was armed and would kill him and a host of people if he failed was another. And this time he didn't have an expert shouting directions at him from behind a closed door.
An overwhelming feeling of despair threatened to paralyze the former detective as he considered his first move. Who was he to think that he was capable of disarming this thing?
Kono was not happy as he submitted the last of the reports from the Evans case. He had been hoping that now with Danny back that he would be able to take a couple of days off and relax only to be told that Steve was going out of country. Kono knew that the boss was concerned over recent events but it was no excuse, in Kono's mind, for him to leave the rest of the team hanging. Steve had only been gone for two days and already the team was counting the days until his return. If the boss hadn't left so soon after Danny's time away than maybe they all wouldn't feel this way but there was no stopping Steve McGarrett when he was convinced that he needed to do something.
A weary Dan Williams accepted Kono's report without a word and gestured for him to sit and wait for Chin. Once the Chinese detective took a seat, Danny began the meeting. "Chin and I have been on the lookout for new players trying to enter Hawaii and so far we don't have much. The only suspicious thing we've found is that Chin thinks there may be a new supplier for the brothels in Chinatown."
"For da existing ones or a new one?" Kono asked.
"I don't know," Chin answered. "There isn't any word on the street about it so whoever is in charge is keeping things quiet. All the evidence we have so far is the dead bodies of three young girls and no clue as to who they are. No match on the fingerprints or their descriptions in missing person reports. I even took the picture of the last girl around to some of the local schools but no luck."
Danny added, "We think the girls may have come from China but Doc or Che couldn't find any evidence to support or disprove that theory. HPD has been informed of what we are looking for so if another dead body turns up they'll call us in."
Another dead body. Kono never liked that all too often they needed a criminal to continue to commit crimes for them to be able to catch him or her. In the end, it was the innocent who suffered.
When the conversation shifted to other cases, Kono couldn't help but wonder how much longer they could keep this up: running Five-O with three members. They were all exhausted and his gut told him that the worst was still to come.
Steve never enjoyed waking up in a new place. Even after fifteen years in the navy, he still got a feeling of disorientation when he awoke until his mind figured out where he was and why.
Steve blinked his eyes and the moment passed as he recognized the pricey hotel room that he was staying in. Traveling as a rich American business man, Steve checked into hotel last night under the name Stephen Lorden. His cover was that he was the owner of a company that sold high quality rugs. Steve's 'business' imported rugs mainly from Turkey but was looking to expand their market to East Asia and needed to find a reliable company in which to ship their goods.
Remembering that he was to meet his contact in a little over an hour, Steve rolled out of bed and got ready. As he dressed, the veteran detective decided that working with Kaye had its privileges for the Pentagon's resources meant that he was now wearing the nicest suit he had ever worn in his life. Steve couldn't resist taking a glance in the mirror and thinking that this wouldn't be the case if had decided to make a career out of Naval Intelligence. However, he would have missed so much more if had never made the decision to run Five-O so Steve would enjoy the perks of occasionally working for the military while remembering that he already had all he wanted back home in Honolulu.
Once Steve was ready, he quickly made his way down to the lobby of the hotel and asked the doorman to summon him a cab. He didn't have to wait long before one was found and he was on his way. The cab pulled up next to a nice restaurant and after giving his name to the Maître D, he was escorted to a table where his contact was waiting.
A short balding Chinese man with glasses rose and bowed when Steve approached. "Mr. Lorden, how good it is to see you."
"Mr. Tang," Steve replied as he gave a short bow.
Tang sat back down and gestured for the waiter to bring drinks. "I am pleased to that you wish to do business in Singapore. How are finding the city?"
"Well, thank you," Steve replied and the two of them continued to trade pleasantries until the first course. Steve barely noticed what he was eating as he focused on maintaining his persona of a rich businessman. He made it through the most meal in one piece and as they ate their dessert, Tang pulled up out a piece of paper and slid it across the table.
"This is the list companies you requested. I feel that these three would best fit your needs for quality and cost." As Tang talked over some of the generalities of some of the companies he discretely tapped one of the names on the page.
Steve knew that the companies listed where those that were the most likely to be involved in illegal activity and he suspected that the one Tang had pointed out was their most likely culprit. "I would like to set a meeting with each to further discuss my company's specific needs."
"I can certainly do that for you, Mr. Lorden. However, may I make a suggestion?"
"Of course."
"I find it helpful to inspect the docks of a company before they know that you are a prospective client. It gives you something to compare against when they escort you later on the official tour."
Steve smiled. "I agree."
"Good. I have already rented a boat for the task." Tang stated and then requested the bill. Once the tab was settled the two men left the restaurant and made their way to the docks where Tang's boat was waiting.
Once they were in the boat and out on the water where the sound of the engine running masked their conversation, Steve spoke up, "When we're in private call me Steve."
Tang nodded. "I am Yi to my friends."
Leaning back in his seat, Steve watched Yi steer. "So the Pacific Sun Company?"
"It is owned by a man called Da Shu or in your tongue, the rat."
"Hence your note," Steve reasoned.
"Correct. The company is new but they have a lot of capital, are selective about those they hire, are very secretive about their cargo, and have a gang of thugs guarding it all."
"Do you have firmer proof?"
"Money trail of bribes to the police guarding the docks."
Singapore's finest, Steve thought to himself as he remembered the trouble he had with a corrupt inspector the last time he was in Singapore.
"Da Shu is still setting up and he's looking for clients so you should be able to hire them for a good rate."
"And we'll have a schedule of when they ship their goads," Steve added, liking Yi's plan so far, though he did see one hole in the reasoning. "If Da Shu has as much capitol as you say, why does he need clients? He could buy his own cargo."
"It may be risky but it provides better cover and grants him legitimacy to be hauling goods for real companies."
Steve saw Yi's point as looked out over the water as the boat drew closer to a commercial dock.
"Pacific Sun operates out of this dock and rents the three warehouses to the left of where that ship is docked."
Steve studied the area that Yi pointed out: the dock was busy and he thought he could identify a couple of guards even though they were a good distance out. Steve turned back to say something to Yi when he spotted another boat coming up behind them. "Yi…" Steve began when a man in the other boat pointed a gun straight at him. "Down!"
Diving towards the helm, Steve pushed Yi out of way, gunned the engine of their small powerboat, and took off across the harbor. The unmistakable sound of gunshot followed a second later.
"How did…?" Yi stammered.
Steve didn't answer and instead focused on steering a boat going top speed through a busy harbor. Risking a quick look behind him, Steve saw the other boat right on their tail. He could see three men in the boat but he was unable to make out any details. Turning closer to the shore, the detective figured that he would have a better chance of losing them among the mass of boats rather than heading towards the open ocean. But the sounds of more gunshots confirmed that their pursuers were having no trouble keeping up.
Knowing that he was running out of options, Steve formed a desperate plan in his mind. Once he spotted what he needed, the detective hollered, "Yi, get ready to jump!"
Steve turned the boat sharply so that it headed up the mouth of a river toward the city. He pointed the bow straight at a pillar of an incoming bridge. Then Steve grabbed the arm of his contact and they dove into the water.
The waters rushed all around the two men as they swam fast and deep. Seconds later they were hit by a shockwave from the exploding boat that propelled them even deeper into the water. Once Steve recovered, he gestured towards Yi to show that they should surface behind a docked fishing vessel.
Hidden behind the traditional wooden boat, Steve carefully looked towards the wreck. The other boat was pulled along the remains but the explosion had destroyed almost everything. Treading water as silently as he could, Steve prayed that the men hadn't seen them leap from the boat.
The driver of the boat stood to take a closer look at the wreck and Steve's temper boiled as he recognized Peter Black. Taking another look at the two men with him, they matched the descriptions Danno gave him of his captors. While Steve never enjoyed having people attempt to kill him he didn't like the look of this at all.
The tallest man in the boat took another look at the ruins of the exploded craft and declared just loud enough for Steve to hear, "There's no way they survived that."
"Agreed," Black said. "Let's go before the authorities arrive."
Steve watched Black and his men disappear into the horizon. Only once he was sure that Black wasn't returning did he and Yi climb up onto the dock. The explosion had caused a crowd to gather so the two squeezed their way through the people and disappeared into the side streets and alleys.
Once they were away, Yi reached out and grabbed Steve's arm. "We need to call in, let Kaye know what happened."
"No," Steve declared firmly. Black's presence in the boat bothered him and it stank of government corruption. He wasn't going to risk the possibility that Black had contacts among Kaye's men. "Yi, right now we're dead. Our opponents are convinced we're no longer a threat so we'll have more freedom to investigate."
"But Jonathan…"
"Will understand," Steve finished. While he firmly believed that Kaye would support his reasoning, Steve was more worried about others who might never forgive him if he faked his death but he had made a living out making the difficult choice.
This case demanded that Steve make the hardest one yet.
Yi considered Steve's point before conceding. "We're dead but without support this job will be harder."
"I know," Steve stated, "but we have no choice."
Yi smiled his first smile since Steve met him. "Lucky for you, I have a place that no one knows about that we can use. Come."
It was his third day back in the office and Danny was already wishing he could take a vacation. Between worrying about the FBI, dealing with the aftermath of Steve's stubbornness and the bane of every cops existence, paperwork, Danny felt like he had been working for a week straight with no sleep. It was all they could do to continue their investigation into the brothels in Chinatown.
Thank goodness they had no other active investigations.
Just as that thought ended, the phone rang on Steve's private line making Danny hope that he that he hadn't just jinxed himself. "Williams."
"Danny, Jonathan Kaye."
Taking the opportunity to stretch his tired legs, Danny stood and walked around to the side of the Steve's desk. "Aloha, Jonathan. Do you have news of Steve?"
"Yes," Jonathan said, his voice immediately indicating that this wasn't a courtesy call.
Worry crept in Danny voice as he replied, "What's wrong?"
"I regret to inform you that Steve McGarrett is dead."
Danny blinked; he couldn't have just heard what he thought he had. "What?"
"I'm sorry, Danny, but Steve is dead."
Dead. This wasn't possible. This wasn't real. Danny's brain couldn't comprehend what Jonathan was trying to tell him.
Kaye took Danny's silence as invitation to explain and started speaking, "There was wreck. They were in a high speed chase and crashed their boat into a pillar. The boat exploded but we have no doubt that Steve and his local contact were aboard."
Somehow the details broke through the haze in Danny's mind as the detective recognized that there was something he should be saying but he wasn't sure what. Finally, he managed to croak out, "Steve's family?"
"We've already contacted his sister and she has requested privacy."
"Of course," Danny mumbled. "Have you caught the guys who killed him?"
"No," Jonathan answered regretfully. "But I have my best men on it."
Direction suddenly filled Danny as he now knew what he needed to do. "I'll meet them there."
"No, Danny. I need you in Hawaii. Steve and I considered that this was just a plot to get him out of Hawaii and if that is so we need you and the rest of Five-O to be on high alert just in case," Jonathan stated strongly, his voice allowing for no dissention. Then suddenly the old spy's tone of voice turned sympathetic. "Steve believed that you could do this. We need someone we can trust in Hawaii."
As much as it hurt Danny to admit it, Jonathan was right: Five-O couldn't run itself with another man down and they needed to be sharp if someone was trying to move into Hawaii. As second-in-command, Five-O would be Danny's team now and it was his duty to make sure the people of Hawaii were protected first. Still that couldn't stop Danny from being overcome by feelings of betrayal as he chose duty over friendship. "I'll stay in Oahu but keep me informed, Jonathan."
"I promise and, Danny, I truly am sorry for your loss."
No longer sure that he could keep himself together if he continued to listen to Kaye's platitudes, Danny ended the conversation. When he hung up the phone, Danny was struck immediately by a sense of emptiness.
Danny looked over at Steve's desk and chair. While Steve had been gone, he had sat in there without a second thought, knowing that he was holding the spot until Steve returned. Now, looking at that chair the reality that Steve wasn't coming back hit him like a sledgehammer to the gut.
Steve McGarrett was dead.
Who was he to think that he could take his place?
Feelings of grief, of pain, of guilt swirled around the young detective's mind until he could barely stand, let alone think. Steve McGarrett – his boss, his friend, his mentor – was dead.
Why had Danny let him go?
Leaning forward so that the palms of his hands rested on Steve's desk, Danny desperately tried to hold back the sobs threatening to overtake him.
Steve never should have left. Danny wouldn't be shocked to learn that this mess was nothing other than a plot to get Steve to a location where his enemies could…
Steve was dead.
This couldn't be happening.
Steve never should have left. Danny had told him not to go but Steve didn't listen, he never listened, and now…
How right could one be?
Unable to contain the rage that was boiling up inside him, Danny lifted his hands and then slammed his fists back down on the desk hard enough that a sound echoed through the room and a few papers flew slightly in the air. How could Steve done this to him? Didn't Steve think about what his death would do to the young second-in-command he had left behind?
The noise of Danny's fists hitting the desk must have traveled, because the sound of hurried footsteps broke through his thoughts as the door to the office opened and Jenny came swiftly into the room. "Danny," Jenny called out to no answer. "Danny, what's wrong?"
Hunched over, barely able to stand, face full of pain, Danny could only imagine what he must have looked like. Another stab of guilt hit him at that moment; as second-in-command it was his job to be the strong one, the one in control. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he fell apart.
Slowly, Danny took two deep breaths to calm himself. Once he felt like he could fake feeling in control, he stood up straight and ordered softly, "Call the governor. I need to see him as soon as possible. Then I need to meet with you, Chin, and Kono."
Concerned and confused, Jenny looked like she wanted to say something but always the professional she moved to fulfill Danny's orders.
Jenny must have moved faster than she ever had before because less than three minutes later the rest of the team was gathered in the office as Jenny closed the door behind them, stating briskly, "The Governor can meet in twenty minutes."
Danny nodded to show that he heard. Looking briefly at Steve's chair, he knew that he should take it but he also knew that he couldn't. Moving so that he was in front of the large desk, Danny sat down in the reminding white chair noticing that the room was deathly silent.
Mouth dry, Danny stalled for time by looking at the face of each of his co-workers and closest friends in as he tried to figure out how to articulate the hardest words he would ever have to say. Unwelcome tears formed in his eyes when he finally spoke, "Jonathan called. Steve died in Singapore today."
The next few seconds seemed like an eternity as no one spoke and no one even breathed.
The silence was broken by an inhuman cry that escaped Jenny's lips as the news hit home. Chin reached out and placed one arm around Jenny's shaking body but no tears came even though the Chinese detective looked liked he had aged twenty years upon hearing the news. Kono jumped up, anger etched across his face. The big Hawaiian started to walk away before suddenly turning back to Danny. "How?" he demanded, his voice full of the pain that they all felt.
"Boat crash. Steve and his contact lost control during a chase and hit a pillar."
"That…" Kono's curse was lost in a string of Hawaiian words that Danny was unable to translate.
"We told him it was a trap," Chin whispered, "but he was too stubborn to listen."
Kono started pacing, his body language showing that he would rather be any place but here. Danny knew he should say something but what could one say when their whole world had just come crashing down around them?
"What do we do?"
Danny looked up and was surprised to see those words escape Kono's lips as the detective was teetering on the edge of erupting in rage or breaking down in tears. As Kono looked desperately to him for an answer, Danny realized that he had a duty to Kono, Chin, and Jenny now. They needed him to the one they could lean on. This was his team now and he had to take charge or everything that Steve had ever worked for would be destroyed. Privately cursing Steve for leaving him in this predicament, Danny spoke the words he knew his men needed to hear. "We all swore an oath to serve and protect the people of Hawaii; so we will do the only thing we can do: our duty."
An overwhelming feeling of despair threatened to paralyze the former detective as he considered his first move. Who was he to think that he was capable of disarming this thing?
Kono was not happy as he submitted the last of the reports from the Evans case. He had been hoping that now with Danny back that he would be able to take a couple of days off and relax only to be told that Steve was going out of country. Kono knew that the boss was concerned over recent events but it was no excuse, in Kono's mind, for him to leave the rest of the team hanging. Steve had only been gone for two days and already the team was counting the days until his return. If the boss hadn't left so soon after Danny's time away than maybe they all wouldn't feel this way but there was no stopping Steve McGarrett when he was convinced that he needed to do something.
A weary Dan Williams accepted Kono's report without a word and gestured for him to sit and wait for Chin. Once the Chinese detective took a seat, Danny began the meeting. "Chin and I have been on the lookout for new players trying to enter Hawaii and so far we don't have much. The only suspicious thing we've found is that Chin thinks there may be a new supplier for the brothels in Chinatown."
"For da existing ones or a new one?" Kono asked.
"I don't know," Chin answered. "There isn't any word on the street about it so whoever is in charge is keeping things quiet. All the evidence we have so far is the dead bodies of three young girls and no clue as to who they are. No match on the fingerprints or their descriptions in missing person reports. I even took the picture of the last girl around to some of the local schools but no luck."
Danny added, "We think the girls may have come from China but Doc or Che couldn't find any evidence to support or disprove that theory. HPD has been informed of what we are looking for so if another dead body turns up they'll call us in."
Another dead body. Kono never liked that all too often they needed a criminal to continue to commit crimes for them to be able to catch him or her. In the end, it was the innocent who suffered.
When the conversation shifted to other cases, Kono couldn't help but wonder how much longer they could keep this up: running Five-O with three members. They were all exhausted and his gut told him that the worst was still to come.
Steve never enjoyed waking up in a new place. Even after fifteen years in the navy, he still got a feeling of disorientation when he awoke until his mind figured out where he was and why.
Steve blinked his eyes and the moment passed as he recognized the pricey hotel room that he was staying in. Traveling as a rich American business man, Steve checked into hotel last night under the name Stephen Lorden. His cover was that he was the owner of a company that sold high quality rugs. Steve's 'business' imported rugs mainly from Turkey but was looking to expand their market to East Asia and needed to find a reliable company in which to ship their goods.
Remembering that he was to meet his contact in a little over an hour, Steve rolled out of bed and got ready. As he dressed, the veteran detective decided that working with Kaye had its privileges for the Pentagon's resources meant that he was now wearing the nicest suit he had ever worn in his life. Steve couldn't resist taking a glance in the mirror and thinking that this wouldn't be the case if had decided to make a career out of Naval Intelligence. However, he would have missed so much more if had never made the decision to run Five-O so Steve would enjoy the perks of occasionally working for the military while remembering that he already had all he wanted back home in Honolulu.
Once Steve was ready, he quickly made his way down to the lobby of the hotel and asked the doorman to summon him a cab. He didn't have to wait long before one was found and he was on his way. The cab pulled up next to a nice restaurant and after giving his name to the Maître D, he was escorted to a table where his contact was waiting.
A short balding Chinese man with glasses rose and bowed when Steve approached. "Mr. Lorden, how good it is to see you."
"Mr. Tang," Steve replied as he gave a short bow.
Tang sat back down and gestured for the waiter to bring drinks. "I am pleased to that you wish to do business in Singapore. How are finding the city?"
"Well, thank you," Steve replied and the two of them continued to trade pleasantries until the first course. Steve barely noticed what he was eating as he focused on maintaining his persona of a rich businessman. He made it through the most meal in one piece and as they ate their dessert, Tang pulled up out a piece of paper and slid it across the table.
"This is the list companies you requested. I feel that these three would best fit your needs for quality and cost." As Tang talked over some of the generalities of some of the companies he discretely tapped one of the names on the page.
Steve knew that the companies listed where those that were the most likely to be involved in illegal activity and he suspected that the one Tang had pointed out was their most likely culprit. "I would like to set a meeting with each to further discuss my company's specific needs."
"I can certainly do that for you, Mr. Lorden. However, may I make a suggestion?"
"Of course."
"I find it helpful to inspect the docks of a company before they know that you are a prospective client. It gives you something to compare against when they escort you later on the official tour."
Steve smiled. "I agree."
"Good. I have already rented a boat for the task." Tang stated and then requested the bill. Once the tab was settled the two men left the restaurant and made their way to the docks where Tang's boat was waiting.
Once they were in the boat and out on the water where the sound of the engine running masked their conversation, Steve spoke up, "When we're in private call me Steve."
Tang nodded. "I am Yi to my friends."
Leaning back in his seat, Steve watched Yi steer. "So the Pacific Sun Company?"
"It is owned by a man called Da Shu or in your tongue, the rat."
"Hence your note," Steve reasoned.
"Correct. The company is new but they have a lot of capital, are selective about those they hire, are very secretive about their cargo, and have a gang of thugs guarding it all."
"Do you have firmer proof?"
"Money trail of bribes to the police guarding the docks."
Singapore's finest, Steve thought to himself as he remembered the trouble he had with a corrupt inspector the last time he was in Singapore.
"Da Shu is still setting up and he's looking for clients so you should be able to hire them for a good rate."
"And we'll have a schedule of when they ship their goads," Steve added, liking Yi's plan so far, though he did see one hole in the reasoning. "If Da Shu has as much capitol as you say, why does he need clients? He could buy his own cargo."
"It may be risky but it provides better cover and grants him legitimacy to be hauling goods for real companies."
Steve saw Yi's point as looked out over the water as the boat drew closer to a commercial dock.
"Pacific Sun operates out of this dock and rents the three warehouses to the left of where that ship is docked."
Steve studied the area that Yi pointed out: the dock was busy and he thought he could identify a couple of guards even though they were a good distance out. Steve turned back to say something to Yi when he spotted another boat coming up behind them. "Yi…" Steve began when a man in the other boat pointed a gun straight at him. "Down!"
Diving towards the helm, Steve pushed Yi out of way, gunned the engine of their small powerboat, and took off across the harbor. The unmistakable sound of gunshot followed a second later.
"How did…?" Yi stammered.
Steve didn't answer and instead focused on steering a boat going top speed through a busy harbor. Risking a quick look behind him, Steve saw the other boat right on their tail. He could see three men in the boat but he was unable to make out any details. Turning closer to the shore, the detective figured that he would have a better chance of losing them among the mass of boats rather than heading towards the open ocean. But the sounds of more gunshots confirmed that their pursuers were having no trouble keeping up.
Knowing that he was running out of options, Steve formed a desperate plan in his mind. Once he spotted what he needed, the detective hollered, "Yi, get ready to jump!"
Steve turned the boat sharply so that it headed up the mouth of a river toward the city. He pointed the bow straight at a pillar of an incoming bridge. Then Steve grabbed the arm of his contact and they dove into the water.
The waters rushed all around the two men as they swam fast and deep. Seconds later they were hit by a shockwave from the exploding boat that propelled them even deeper into the water. Once Steve recovered, he gestured towards Yi to show that they should surface behind a docked fishing vessel.
Hidden behind the traditional wooden boat, Steve carefully looked towards the wreck. The other boat was pulled along the remains but the explosion had destroyed almost everything. Treading water as silently as he could, Steve prayed that the men hadn't seen them leap from the boat.
The driver of the boat stood to take a closer look at the wreck and Steve's temper boiled as he recognized Peter Black. Taking another look at the two men with him, they matched the descriptions Danno gave him of his captors. While Steve never enjoyed having people attempt to kill him he didn't like the look of this at all.
The tallest man in the boat took another look at the ruins of the exploded craft and declared just loud enough for Steve to hear, "There's no way they survived that."
"Agreed," Black said. "Let's go before the authorities arrive."
Steve watched Black and his men disappear into the horizon. Only once he was sure that Black wasn't returning did he and Yi climb up onto the dock. The explosion had caused a crowd to gather so the two squeezed their way through the people and disappeared into the side streets and alleys.
Once they were away, Yi reached out and grabbed Steve's arm. "We need to call in, let Kaye know what happened."
"No," Steve declared firmly. Black's presence in the boat bothered him and it stank of government corruption. He wasn't going to risk the possibility that Black had contacts among Kaye's men. "Yi, right now we're dead. Our opponents are convinced we're no longer a threat so we'll have more freedom to investigate."
"But Jonathan…"
"Will understand," Steve finished. While he firmly believed that Kaye would support his reasoning, Steve was more worried about others who might never forgive him if he faked his death but he had made a living out making the difficult choice.
This case demanded that Steve make the hardest one yet.
Yi considered Steve's point before conceding. "We're dead but without support this job will be harder."
"I know," Steve stated, "but we have no choice."
Yi smiled his first smile since Steve met him. "Lucky for you, I have a place that no one knows about that we can use. Come."
It was his third day back in the office and Danny was already wishing he could take a vacation. Between worrying about the FBI, dealing with the aftermath of Steve's stubbornness and the bane of every cops existence, paperwork, Danny felt like he had been working for a week straight with no sleep. It was all they could do to continue their investigation into the brothels in Chinatown.
Thank goodness they had no other active investigations.
Just as that thought ended, the phone rang on Steve's private line making Danny hope that he that he hadn't just jinxed himself. "Williams."
"Danny, Jonathan Kaye."
Taking the opportunity to stretch his tired legs, Danny stood and walked around to the side of the Steve's desk. "Aloha, Jonathan. Do you have news of Steve?"
"Yes," Jonathan said, his voice immediately indicating that this wasn't a courtesy call.
Worry crept in Danny voice as he replied, "What's wrong?"
"I regret to inform you that Steve McGarrett is dead."
Danny blinked; he couldn't have just heard what he thought he had. "What?"
"I'm sorry, Danny, but Steve is dead."
Dead. This wasn't possible. This wasn't real. Danny's brain couldn't comprehend what Jonathan was trying to tell him.
Kaye took Danny's silence as invitation to explain and started speaking, "There was wreck. They were in a high speed chase and crashed their boat into a pillar. The boat exploded but we have no doubt that Steve and his local contact were aboard."
Somehow the details broke through the haze in Danny's mind as the detective recognized that there was something he should be saying but he wasn't sure what. Finally, he managed to croak out, "Steve's family?"
"We've already contacted his sister and she has requested privacy."
"Of course," Danny mumbled. "Have you caught the guys who killed him?"
"No," Jonathan answered regretfully. "But I have my best men on it."
Direction suddenly filled Danny as he now knew what he needed to do. "I'll meet them there."
"No, Danny. I need you in Hawaii. Steve and I considered that this was just a plot to get him out of Hawaii and if that is so we need you and the rest of Five-O to be on high alert just in case," Jonathan stated strongly, his voice allowing for no dissention. Then suddenly the old spy's tone of voice turned sympathetic. "Steve believed that you could do this. We need someone we can trust in Hawaii."
As much as it hurt Danny to admit it, Jonathan was right: Five-O couldn't run itself with another man down and they needed to be sharp if someone was trying to move into Hawaii. As second-in-command, Five-O would be Danny's team now and it was his duty to make sure the people of Hawaii were protected first. Still that couldn't stop Danny from being overcome by feelings of betrayal as he chose duty over friendship. "I'll stay in Oahu but keep me informed, Jonathan."
"I promise and, Danny, I truly am sorry for your loss."
No longer sure that he could keep himself together if he continued to listen to Kaye's platitudes, Danny ended the conversation. When he hung up the phone, Danny was struck immediately by a sense of emptiness.
Danny looked over at Steve's desk and chair. While Steve had been gone, he had sat in there without a second thought, knowing that he was holding the spot until Steve returned. Now, looking at that chair the reality that Steve wasn't coming back hit him like a sledgehammer to the gut.
Steve McGarrett was dead.
Who was he to think that he could take his place?
Feelings of grief, of pain, of guilt swirled around the young detective's mind until he could barely stand, let alone think. Steve McGarrett – his boss, his friend, his mentor – was dead.
Why had Danny let him go?
Leaning forward so that the palms of his hands rested on Steve's desk, Danny desperately tried to hold back the sobs threatening to overtake him.
Steve never should have left. Danny wouldn't be shocked to learn that this mess was nothing other than a plot to get Steve to a location where his enemies could…
Steve was dead.
This couldn't be happening.
Steve never should have left. Danny had told him not to go but Steve didn't listen, he never listened, and now…
How right could one be?
Unable to contain the rage that was boiling up inside him, Danny lifted his hands and then slammed his fists back down on the desk hard enough that a sound echoed through the room and a few papers flew slightly in the air. How could Steve done this to him? Didn't Steve think about what his death would do to the young second-in-command he had left behind?
The noise of Danny's fists hitting the desk must have traveled, because the sound of hurried footsteps broke through his thoughts as the door to the office opened and Jenny came swiftly into the room. "Danny," Jenny called out to no answer. "Danny, what's wrong?"
Hunched over, barely able to stand, face full of pain, Danny could only imagine what he must have looked like. Another stab of guilt hit him at that moment; as second-in-command it was his job to be the strong one, the one in control. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he fell apart.
Slowly, Danny took two deep breaths to calm himself. Once he felt like he could fake feeling in control, he stood up straight and ordered softly, "Call the governor. I need to see him as soon as possible. Then I need to meet with you, Chin, and Kono."
Concerned and confused, Jenny looked like she wanted to say something but always the professional she moved to fulfill Danny's orders.
Jenny must have moved faster than she ever had before because less than three minutes later the rest of the team was gathered in the office as Jenny closed the door behind them, stating briskly, "The Governor can meet in twenty minutes."
Danny nodded to show that he heard. Looking briefly at Steve's chair, he knew that he should take it but he also knew that he couldn't. Moving so that he was in front of the large desk, Danny sat down in the reminding white chair noticing that the room was deathly silent.
Mouth dry, Danny stalled for time by looking at the face of each of his co-workers and closest friends in as he tried to figure out how to articulate the hardest words he would ever have to say. Unwelcome tears formed in his eyes when he finally spoke, "Jonathan called. Steve died in Singapore today."
The next few seconds seemed like an eternity as no one spoke and no one even breathed.
The silence was broken by an inhuman cry that escaped Jenny's lips as the news hit home. Chin reached out and placed one arm around Jenny's shaking body but no tears came even though the Chinese detective looked liked he had aged twenty years upon hearing the news. Kono jumped up, anger etched across his face. The big Hawaiian started to walk away before suddenly turning back to Danny. "How?" he demanded, his voice full of the pain that they all felt.
"Boat crash. Steve and his contact lost control during a chase and hit a pillar."
"That…" Kono's curse was lost in a string of Hawaiian words that Danny was unable to translate.
"We told him it was a trap," Chin whispered, "but he was too stubborn to listen."
Kono started pacing, his body language showing that he would rather be any place but here. Danny knew he should say something but what could one say when their whole world had just come crashing down around them?
"What do we do?"
Danny looked up and was surprised to see those words escape Kono's lips as the detective was teetering on the edge of erupting in rage or breaking down in tears. As Kono looked desperately to him for an answer, Danny realized that he had a duty to Kono, Chin, and Jenny now. They needed him to the one they could lean on. This was his team now and he had to take charge or everything that Steve had ever worked for would be destroyed. Privately cursing Steve for leaving him in this predicament, Danny spoke the words he knew his men needed to hear. "We all swore an oath to serve and protect the people of Hawaii; so we will do the only thing we can do: our duty."