Chapter 5 - Resolve
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The weight of the job before him was large but Danny had no choice but to push through his fear and his doubt to begin the task. There was only one person who was capable of saving the lives of every person about this ship and his name was Dan Williams. It didn't matter that he was inexperienced, it didn't matter that he was unsure, the only thing that mattered was that other people were depending on him to disarm this bomb.
Danny hadn't given up when Steve was killed, he hadn't given up when he lost his job, and there was no way that he was giving up now.
After studying the wires, Danny figured out his first move and began.
It was a solemn morning in the Kelly household. Breakfast, normally a lively affair, was devoid of conversation as the only sounds were the clicking of silverware as the children ate and the radio playing in the background. Chin's children had all liked Steve and had taken the news hard.
Lin Kelly walked over to her husband and gently rubbed his back with one hand as she set a cup of tea in front of him. "Drink."
Knowing better than to disobey, Chin raised the cup to his lips and took a sip and allowed the warm liquid sooth his grief-riddled emotions. The radio continued playing in the background until the mention of a familiar name caused him to focus on the morning news.
"The death of Steve McGarrett, head of Hawaii Five-O, means that Hawaii has suffered the loss of a good man and dedicated servant of the law. However, concerns have been voiced about the direction of Five-O now that McGarrett is dead. Dan Williams is Five-O's Second-In-Command but the young man has only been a cop for ten years and lacks the international experience that made McGarrett so effective in many of his cases. One wonders if Hawaii would be better served if another man was found to take McGarrett's place?"
The rest of the report was cut off when Lin swiftly walked over to radio and turned it off. Looking sternly at her husband, she said, "You shouldn't listen; it makes you angry."
"Lin," Chin replied softly, "I know what everyone is saying."
It had been three days since Chin learned of Steve's death, two since the news had broken to the public. The reactions of politicians and public officials started pouring in almost immediately. Most expressed sorrow over Steve's loss, a few faked the required condolences while barely containing their joy that McGarrett was gone, others openly questioned what the head of Hawaii's state police was doing in Singapore, and all expressed doubts about the thirty-four year old man who was supposed to take his place.
The bad news just kept rolling in and Chin couldn't even escape it in the comfort of his own home.
Dreading heading to work, Chin knew that regardless of what new troubles the day brought Five-O needed to face as a team; for each member relied on the others for more than ever before. Filled with resolve, he drank the last of his tea and prepared to leave. "I love you," Chin said as he gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.
Waving goodbye to his children, Chin started heading for the door when Tilda ran forward for a hug. "Bye, Daddy!"
Looking at the bright smile on his youngest child, Chin believed that things would get better in time. They had to. There was only so much strain Five-O could take before it would break.
Danny had lost track of the number of times he had met with the Governor over the past three days as they dealt with the aftermath of Steve's death and were forced to put their mutual concern for the protection of the state of Hawaii before their own grief.
Governor Jameson looked worn as he invited Danny to take a seat, his voice was full of kindness as he explained, "Danny, I'm sorry but I can't appoint you head of Five-O."
It took several moments for Danny to comprehend what the Governor was saying. "Sir, this was never something that I sought but I was trained for this position just in case something happened."
"I know," Jameson sighed as leaned back in his chair. "Politics is an ugly thing. You have shown yourself to be very capable but there are loud voices out there that are convincing the public that you are too young and inexperienced."
"I'm older than…" Danny stumbled as a lump formed in his throat. "…than Steve was when he formed this unit."
"You don't have Steve's international experience," Jameson explained softly.
"Sir, you never cared about public pressure with Steve before…" Danny's voice trailed off as a thought struck him. "This isn't about public pressure, is it?"
"No," the Governor admitted, "I'm getting a lot of pressure from the government to appoint someone else. Five-O has always had jurisdiction over any crime committed in this state. Government agencies have always had to work with Five-O."
"And now they're threatening to end that," Danny stated.
"Yes."
Even though it tore him up inside to say it, Danny hide his pain as he resigned himself to the inevitable. "I understand."
"Danny, I'm sorry." The Governor truly looked like he meant it, that he regretted the decision that duty required him to make.
Danny stood and shook Jameson's hand and started to walk from the room but when he stopped when a thought struck him. "One of the government agencies wouldn't happen to be the FBI would it?"
"Yes, but they weren't the only ones."
Knowing that he was in danger of losing control of his emotions, Danny gritted his teeth as he said, "Sir, it was the actions of the FBI that led to Steve going overseas; I just hope that we aren't making a bigger mistake by listening to them again." With those words spoken, Danny quickly fled from the room before he lost all semblance of self-control and proved that everything his opponents were saying about him was true.
Life is different when you were are a walking dead man, Steve thought to himself as he waited alone in a dingy room for Tang Yi to return. Steve hated hiding while another risked his life but there was no denying that his Caucasian features would stand out while Yi would be able to blend into the crowd. Hopefully, the man would be able to find the elements of the disguise that Steve wanted so he could stop hiding and start doing the job he came to Singapore to do.
Even in death, Steve McGarrett was not a patient man.
The good news was waiting gave Steve plenty of time to work on growing a beard. The bad news was it gave too much time to think. Time to think about the decisions he made and the men he had left back in Hawaii and a sister who would be devastated by the news of his death, time to think about whether he had made the right decision.
So Steve tried his hardest not to think. Instead, he passed the time the by creating a persona and back-story that he hoped would be strong enough to give him access to harbor. Luckily, there was an option for a man without papers stranded in a foreign city that should fit his needs. All Steve needed was for Yi to give him the name of a recently departed ship with no plans to return to Singapore in the immediate future and he could claim that he was a sailor who had a little too much fun on his shore leave and when he sobered up he found that his ship had moved on to another port. Stranded in Singapore, Steve would be desperate to find work so that he could scrape up the money to return home.
The sound of the front door opening jolted Steve out of his thoughts as he wished he hadn't lost his gun during his swim in the harbor. Yi stepped into the apartment, alleviating the detective's nerves, and threw him a pile a clothes.
Looking over the mess in his hands, Steve discovered a rumpled sailor's outfit that stank of stale beer. While his nose protested, his mind knew that this was exactly what he had asked for. Looking up at the tired man, Steve asked, "What've you got?"
Yi sat down in a moth-eaten couch and sighed. "Before we do this I must know: how well do you know ships?"
"Fifteen years in the U.S. navy."
Satisfied, Yi stated, "There was an American registered ship called the Ploion that left port four days ago. They only landed in Singapore due to bad weather up north as this port is not part of their normal route. As for a job, two piers over from where Pacific Sun operates there're hiring cargo loaders."
"That will do."
Yi raised an eyebrow. "It will be hard labor."
Picking up his new old clothes, Steve joked as he headed toward the bathroom to change, "The day this job gets easy is the day I retire."
Kono looked worriedly at Danny's cubicle where his friend was working returned from the Governor's office. After informing the team of the Governor's decision, Danny had shrugged off all attempts by his co-workers at conversation. It pained Kono to see just how much his friend was hurting.
"Dis isn't right."
Chin looked up from his desk and Kono realized that he had spoken those words aloud. The older man looked sympathetic as he replied, "We can't change it, Kono."
No they couldn't. Chin was right; they were powerless. Powerless to stop Steve's death, powerless to give Danny the position he deserved. They had warning of both traps but had chosen to carry on as normal to the detriment of the entire team.
Kono was beginning to think that Five-O would die with its founder.
"Don't," Chin ordered.
"What?"
"Give up. I want to too but we can't. We owe Steve that much."
"Da Boss didn't think 'bout us when he got himself killed! Why should care 'bout him?" Kono cried.
As the shouted words echoed around the office, Kono simmered with anger. This was all the Boss's fault. If only Steve had listened to his men, he would have never gone to Singapore and none of this would be happening. The injustice of the whole situation rankled the Hawaiian. Why should they have to suffer the consequences of Steve's mistake?
Chin looked as he was struggling to come up with a response when the two detectives' conservation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Turning, Kono saw the third member of their team.
Standing in the open doorway to Chin's cubicle, Danny stated, "We have a case. An autopsy performed this morning found that a case HPD thought was a suicide is a murder and they want our help. Kono, I want you to come with me to check out the body."
Realizing that Danny's professional manner was giving him an opportunity to focus his anger into something productive, Kono replied, "Will do."
"Chin, keep digging at the Jane Doe deaths; someone in Chinatown has to know something. My gut is telling they are connected to something big and the sooner we find out the better."
Chin stood and walked over to the younger man and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Danny, I'm sorry. For Steve and for you not being chosen to replace him.
"So am I, Chin," Danny whispered. Then, looking determined, he declared, "We are still Five-O, regardless of who leads us. We will continue on."
Ashamed of his outburst, Kono nodded. No matter what happened they were still ohana.
Danny hadn't given up when Steve was killed, he hadn't given up when he lost his job, and there was no way that he was giving up now.
After studying the wires, Danny figured out his first move and began.
It was a solemn morning in the Kelly household. Breakfast, normally a lively affair, was devoid of conversation as the only sounds were the clicking of silverware as the children ate and the radio playing in the background. Chin's children had all liked Steve and had taken the news hard.
Lin Kelly walked over to her husband and gently rubbed his back with one hand as she set a cup of tea in front of him. "Drink."
Knowing better than to disobey, Chin raised the cup to his lips and took a sip and allowed the warm liquid sooth his grief-riddled emotions. The radio continued playing in the background until the mention of a familiar name caused him to focus on the morning news.
"The death of Steve McGarrett, head of Hawaii Five-O, means that Hawaii has suffered the loss of a good man and dedicated servant of the law. However, concerns have been voiced about the direction of Five-O now that McGarrett is dead. Dan Williams is Five-O's Second-In-Command but the young man has only been a cop for ten years and lacks the international experience that made McGarrett so effective in many of his cases. One wonders if Hawaii would be better served if another man was found to take McGarrett's place?"
The rest of the report was cut off when Lin swiftly walked over to radio and turned it off. Looking sternly at her husband, she said, "You shouldn't listen; it makes you angry."
"Lin," Chin replied softly, "I know what everyone is saying."
It had been three days since Chin learned of Steve's death, two since the news had broken to the public. The reactions of politicians and public officials started pouring in almost immediately. Most expressed sorrow over Steve's loss, a few faked the required condolences while barely containing their joy that McGarrett was gone, others openly questioned what the head of Hawaii's state police was doing in Singapore, and all expressed doubts about the thirty-four year old man who was supposed to take his place.
The bad news just kept rolling in and Chin couldn't even escape it in the comfort of his own home.
Dreading heading to work, Chin knew that regardless of what new troubles the day brought Five-O needed to face as a team; for each member relied on the others for more than ever before. Filled with resolve, he drank the last of his tea and prepared to leave. "I love you," Chin said as he gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.
Waving goodbye to his children, Chin started heading for the door when Tilda ran forward for a hug. "Bye, Daddy!"
Looking at the bright smile on his youngest child, Chin believed that things would get better in time. They had to. There was only so much strain Five-O could take before it would break.
Danny had lost track of the number of times he had met with the Governor over the past three days as they dealt with the aftermath of Steve's death and were forced to put their mutual concern for the protection of the state of Hawaii before their own grief.
Governor Jameson looked worn as he invited Danny to take a seat, his voice was full of kindness as he explained, "Danny, I'm sorry but I can't appoint you head of Five-O."
It took several moments for Danny to comprehend what the Governor was saying. "Sir, this was never something that I sought but I was trained for this position just in case something happened."
"I know," Jameson sighed as leaned back in his chair. "Politics is an ugly thing. You have shown yourself to be very capable but there are loud voices out there that are convincing the public that you are too young and inexperienced."
"I'm older than…" Danny stumbled as a lump formed in his throat. "…than Steve was when he formed this unit."
"You don't have Steve's international experience," Jameson explained softly.
"Sir, you never cared about public pressure with Steve before…" Danny's voice trailed off as a thought struck him. "This isn't about public pressure, is it?"
"No," the Governor admitted, "I'm getting a lot of pressure from the government to appoint someone else. Five-O has always had jurisdiction over any crime committed in this state. Government agencies have always had to work with Five-O."
"And now they're threatening to end that," Danny stated.
"Yes."
Even though it tore him up inside to say it, Danny hide his pain as he resigned himself to the inevitable. "I understand."
"Danny, I'm sorry." The Governor truly looked like he meant it, that he regretted the decision that duty required him to make.
Danny stood and shook Jameson's hand and started to walk from the room but when he stopped when a thought struck him. "One of the government agencies wouldn't happen to be the FBI would it?"
"Yes, but they weren't the only ones."
Knowing that he was in danger of losing control of his emotions, Danny gritted his teeth as he said, "Sir, it was the actions of the FBI that led to Steve going overseas; I just hope that we aren't making a bigger mistake by listening to them again." With those words spoken, Danny quickly fled from the room before he lost all semblance of self-control and proved that everything his opponents were saying about him was true.
Life is different when you were are a walking dead man, Steve thought to himself as he waited alone in a dingy room for Tang Yi to return. Steve hated hiding while another risked his life but there was no denying that his Caucasian features would stand out while Yi would be able to blend into the crowd. Hopefully, the man would be able to find the elements of the disguise that Steve wanted so he could stop hiding and start doing the job he came to Singapore to do.
Even in death, Steve McGarrett was not a patient man.
The good news was waiting gave Steve plenty of time to work on growing a beard. The bad news was it gave too much time to think. Time to think about the decisions he made and the men he had left back in Hawaii and a sister who would be devastated by the news of his death, time to think about whether he had made the right decision.
So Steve tried his hardest not to think. Instead, he passed the time the by creating a persona and back-story that he hoped would be strong enough to give him access to harbor. Luckily, there was an option for a man without papers stranded in a foreign city that should fit his needs. All Steve needed was for Yi to give him the name of a recently departed ship with no plans to return to Singapore in the immediate future and he could claim that he was a sailor who had a little too much fun on his shore leave and when he sobered up he found that his ship had moved on to another port. Stranded in Singapore, Steve would be desperate to find work so that he could scrape up the money to return home.
The sound of the front door opening jolted Steve out of his thoughts as he wished he hadn't lost his gun during his swim in the harbor. Yi stepped into the apartment, alleviating the detective's nerves, and threw him a pile a clothes.
Looking over the mess in his hands, Steve discovered a rumpled sailor's outfit that stank of stale beer. While his nose protested, his mind knew that this was exactly what he had asked for. Looking up at the tired man, Steve asked, "What've you got?"
Yi sat down in a moth-eaten couch and sighed. "Before we do this I must know: how well do you know ships?"
"Fifteen years in the U.S. navy."
Satisfied, Yi stated, "There was an American registered ship called the Ploion that left port four days ago. They only landed in Singapore due to bad weather up north as this port is not part of their normal route. As for a job, two piers over from where Pacific Sun operates there're hiring cargo loaders."
"That will do."
Yi raised an eyebrow. "It will be hard labor."
Picking up his new old clothes, Steve joked as he headed toward the bathroom to change, "The day this job gets easy is the day I retire."
Kono looked worriedly at Danny's cubicle where his friend was working returned from the Governor's office. After informing the team of the Governor's decision, Danny had shrugged off all attempts by his co-workers at conversation. It pained Kono to see just how much his friend was hurting.
"Dis isn't right."
Chin looked up from his desk and Kono realized that he had spoken those words aloud. The older man looked sympathetic as he replied, "We can't change it, Kono."
No they couldn't. Chin was right; they were powerless. Powerless to stop Steve's death, powerless to give Danny the position he deserved. They had warning of both traps but had chosen to carry on as normal to the detriment of the entire team.
Kono was beginning to think that Five-O would die with its founder.
"Don't," Chin ordered.
"What?"
"Give up. I want to too but we can't. We owe Steve that much."
"Da Boss didn't think 'bout us when he got himself killed! Why should care 'bout him?" Kono cried.
As the shouted words echoed around the office, Kono simmered with anger. This was all the Boss's fault. If only Steve had listened to his men, he would have never gone to Singapore and none of this would be happening. The injustice of the whole situation rankled the Hawaiian. Why should they have to suffer the consequences of Steve's mistake?
Chin looked as he was struggling to come up with a response when the two detectives' conservation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Turning, Kono saw the third member of their team.
Standing in the open doorway to Chin's cubicle, Danny stated, "We have a case. An autopsy performed this morning found that a case HPD thought was a suicide is a murder and they want our help. Kono, I want you to come with me to check out the body."
Realizing that Danny's professional manner was giving him an opportunity to focus his anger into something productive, Kono replied, "Will do."
"Chin, keep digging at the Jane Doe deaths; someone in Chinatown has to know something. My gut is telling they are connected to something big and the sooner we find out the better."
Chin stood and walked over to the younger man and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Danny, I'm sorry. For Steve and for you not being chosen to replace him.
"So am I, Chin," Danny whispered. Then, looking determined, he declared, "We are still Five-O, regardless of who leads us. We will continue on."
Ashamed of his outburst, Kono nodded. No matter what happened they were still ohana.