Chapter 8 - Alone
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As Danny worked he forgot that Ben was there, behind him, guarding his back. In Danny's world he was alone; it was just him and the wires. Nothing else existed, nothing else mattered. He couldn't afford to focus on anything but the bomb. For his actions, his choices would mean the difference between life and death.
This was a task Danny had to accomplish alone.
"No."
That one word reverberated throughout the Five-O offices as three detectives stared disbelievingly at the man who was supposed to be their leader. The silence didn't last long as Danny, Chin and Kono put too much work into this case to allow Zar to dismiss their work with a single word.
"Sir," Danny pressed, gesturing towards the pile of papers he placed in front of Zar. "I have evidence suggesting that the girl was trafficked into Honolulu."
"I told you to drop the case."
Desperate, Danny pleaded, "This isn't about my ego or proving that I was right. It is about taking steps to stop the human trafficking trade from setting up shop in Hawaii. You didn't have all facts the day we met so I'm presenting them to you now."
Zar was unyielding. "You disobeyed a direct order."
"Sir, Ben Kokua from HPD is in charge of investigation. I chose to assist the investigation in my own time and last time I checked there is no law against using my personal time as I wish."
"Williams, in case you have forgotten, this isn't your team. I decide which cases we investigate and I see no reason for Five-O to investigate the death of a whore."
Placing his palms on the edge of Zar's desk, Danny dropped all pretense of politeness. "Is it so hard to admit that you were wrong?"
Zar swiftly stood and glared at his second-in-command. "Is it so hard for you to follow orders?"
Kono and Chin shared a concerned glance with one another which Danny noticed out of the corner of his eye. He hoped that his friends would stay out of this fight. If there would be any repercussions for this day, Danny would to be the one who bore them.
Leaning forward and matching Zar's glare, Danny stated firmly, "Do you not care that a fourteen year old girl has been sold into prostitution and then murdered right here in Honolulu or have you forgotten that you swore an oath to protect all thepeople of Hawaii?"
Zar shrugged off Danny's concerns as he said, "I thought part of the nonsense you were telling me was that the girl was Chinese not American."
Danny stepped backward and bumped into Kono. He hadn't noticed the big detective move. Flabbergasted and disgusted at Zar's arrogance, Danny spat, "I was mistaken. I thought you were egoistical. You are actually incompetent."
Kono grabbed Danny's shoulder and said, "Hikiwale, Bruddah."
Danny tried to take Kono's advice to calm down as he recognized that his temper was dangerously close to the surface but the days of next to no sleep, his unresolved grief over Steve's death, and his frustration at not being trusted to replace to Steve all kept the detective from thinking clearly.
Zar, however, wasn't finished. He turned his ire towards Kono. "Speak English, you worthless pineapple picker!"
Something snapped in Danny's brain and before he knew it both Chin and Kono were forcibility restraining him from slugging his boss. They were not, however, able to restrain his mouth as Danny made it extremely clear to everyone present what he thought of Zar's attitude and capabilities.
Zar however was unfazed as he declared, "Hand over your badge and your weapon. You're fired."
Shaking free of Kono and Chin, Danny grew silent as he looked at a man full of arrogance and hate and decided that as long Five-O was run by Alexander Zar, he didn't want to have anything to do with the unit. The battle was over, and he would leave the field with his dignity and his morals intact. Placing his gun and badge of the edge of the desk, Danny walked away and didn't look back.
Steve McGarrett was not a patient man. Unable, to remain seated, he paced around the dingy apartment where he spent his nights. Tang Yi was late and Steve was beyond restless. He hated this hiding and this sneaking around. He hated not being able to bark out orders and have them obeyed. Steve was alone in a foreign country where he didn't speak the language, trying to solve a case on his own. The men that he could count on to come to his aid in any situation were out of contact, the resources that he had also depended on were no longer available to him. Steve could gain those things back by making one phone call but if Kaye had a mole in his organization – and Steve believed that he did – than his cover would be blown, the imprisoned girls would disappear, and the Rat would continue smuggling girls through a different port of call.
No, Steve needed to remain dead but that didn't make it any less lonely.
A knock at the door allowed Steve to regain his composure before his contact entered the room. Yi quickly spoke, "I have news; the ship leaves in three days."
Danny was shaking as he walked down the front steps of Iolani Palace. The last time he had completely lost control like that was when Jane died and that time he almost killed someone. Afterwards, he had tried, unsuccessfully, to resign so it was apt that his temper had gotten him fired.
While apt, it didn't make the reality of being fired any less difficult to deal with. Five-O had been a part of Danny's life for so long that it didn't seem real that this had happened.
If Danny was honest with himself, he knew he had been working on borrowed time ever since he was passed up for the top detective slot. Most people preferred to pick their own seconds. What made it difficult was knowing that Alexander Zar was still in charge. How such an incompetent arrogant bastard became a cop, Danny wanted to know. Steve would be rolling in his grave if he could see his beloved unit now! Except they had never found Steve's body; Steve would never have a grave…
Holding back tears, Danny headed in the direction of the Capitol Building. There was one person that he needed to talk to. If there was anyone who could convince Zar of the necessity of taking this human smuggling case, it was the governor. Danny knew it was too late to save his job but if he could get the governor behind what was happening, Five-O would solve the case; Chin and Kono would make sure of it!
Walking to the governor's office, Danny asked the secretary if she could see if the Governor would be willing to meet with him. After checking with her boss, she waved Danny into the office. Once inside Danny noticed that the Governor was not alone; he was meeting with the newly appointed District Attorney, John Manicote.
"Sir, I regret to inform you that…"
The Governor interrupted, "That you were fired fifteen minutes ago on charges of gross insubordination. Zar called me as soon as you left the office."
"I…um…" Caught off guard, Danny was suddenly at a loss for what to say.
Jameson sensed Danny's confusion and ordered, "Sit down."
Once Danny was seated, Jameson continued, "Zar also told me that you would try and convince me that Five-O should take over one of HPD cases.
"Sir, I believe that we are dealing with a human smuggling operation and that this organization may have had something to do with Steve's death. Five-O has to investigate!"
"Danny," Jameson said, his voice full of compassion and sorrow. "I know that it is difficult but I need you to understand my position. "To counteract Zar's order would completely undermine his authority in the eyes of HPD and the people of Hawaii."
"Then get rid of him!" Danny declared. "He's already proved that he is incapable of doing his job."
John Manicote spoke up from where he was sitting. "It isn't that easy. If the Governor fires Zar so soon after hiring him he publically admits that he made a mistake in hiring which would give his political opponents a gift-wrapped opportunity to sow seeds of doubt about his judgment."
Danny bit his tongue to hold back a not-kind retort. Politics!
Jameson looked weary as he added, "Remember why I hired Zar. There will be pushback from Washington if I do this."
"I won't let this case die," Danny stated firmly.
Manicote shook his head. "You're passion is admirable but you need to understand: there are forces involved beyond the control of this office."
The Governor leaned forward and looked Danny in the eye. "Danny, I acknowledge that this hasn't been an easy couple of weeks for you. You have been an asset to this state and your dedication to your job has saved countless lives. There is an opening in the Kauai Police Department for an Assistant Chief of Investigative Services and if you want the job it's yours."
Danny considered the offer before an unpleasant thought hit him. "KPD is still under Five-O authority."
"How often does Five-O work with KPD?" Manicote countered.
"A couple times a year," Danny admitted. "But Zar would still have the authority to keep me off this case."
"As long as you are a member of Hawaiian law enforcement you are correct," Jameson stated.
Danny paused. There was something about the way Jameson said that last sentence that made him think that there was something else going on here. Jameson and Manicote were both seasoned politicians. Neither of them should have been too surprised by today's events and the job offer made Danny realize that they had planned for this.
Knowing that the Governor was waiting on his decision, Danny knew that while it would hurt long term, he couldn't take the job on Kauai. Being fired opened up an opportunity that was previously denied to him: Danny was now free to go to Singapore and figure out where those girls where coming from and what Steve had discovered that caused someone to kill him. When he thought of it that way, it was no choice. "Thank you for the offer but I must decline."
The Governor stood and reached out a hand. "I'm sorry that it has to end this way."
"Me too," Danny replied as they shook hands.
The Governor pushed a button to connect to his secretary and asked that she bring in the papers. Taking them from her, Jameson handed them to Danny. "The official notice of your termination."
Since saying thank you felt wrong Danny just nodded, took the papers and headed out the door. As he walked back towards the Iolani Palace to collect his things, he realized that the papers felt thicker than they needed to be. Sitting down on a bench outside of the Capitol Building, Danny looked through them.
The first paper was, as Jameson promised, the official notification of termination of employment, but behind it Danny saw a set of plane tickets. Barely believing his eyes, he saw that the tickets were in his name for a series of flights that would take him from Honolulu to Singapore! The first flight was scheduled to leave tomorrow morning, and when he looked at the other tickets he saw that he had an open return ticket that would give him the freedom to stay as long as he needed without having to worry about how he would get back. Then looking at the final sheet of paper he saw that it was a notarized letter stating that Dan Williams had the support of the government of Hawaii to investigate the death of Steve McGarrett.
Danny was floored; he could hardly believe it! Jameson didn't want me to take the job. He just gave me the option because he needed to know how far I would go to investigate those girls' deaths. Danny realized that the Governor wanted the same thing he wanted: to get to the bottom of this mess and Jameson had the political savvy to know how to make the best out of a bad situation. Or did he know more than he was letting on? Was Zar just a pawn? And if so, whose?
Danny's head hurt trying to figure it all out.
But as Danny looked at the ticket in his hand he realized that it didn't matter. He was going to Singapore; he had a purpose and a mission and he wasn't going to let anyone get in his way.
Paul Jameson, a man with a big title and an even bigger weight of responsibility on his shoulders, watched Williams walk out the door and wondered if the young man would ever forgive him for the decisions he had been forced to make since he had received word of Steve McGarrett's passing.
As governor, second guessing himself could be disastrous politically but that didn't mean that he didn't do so privately ever day. Paul hated the decisions that he being forced to make and taking advantage of the fact that he was in safe space with a safe person, he allowed himself to do something he never did: give voice to those doubts. "Are we doing the right thing, John?"
John Manicote considered the question for a moment before answering, "I don't see how we have any other choice."
Paul thought back to the morning when he had informed Danny that he would not be appointing him to replace McGarrett. It was amazing how quickly plans could change for only a couple of hours before, Paul was going to appoint Danny in spite of the public backlash but a lengthy phone call with Jonathan Kaye had caused him to change his strategy.
Kaye had explained that in his investigation into the events surrounding Steve's death, he was suspicious of Agent Peter Black's involvement. He had also received intelligence that there was a group of FBI personal who were very interested in Hawaii right now. In short, Kaye explained that he feared they were dealing with possible rogue or corrupt agents and wanted the Government of Hawaii's assistance in flushing them out. And by flushing them out, Kaye wanted him to hire the man the FBI was pressing to replace Steve: Alexander Zar. If they didn't hire Zar, Kaye argued, this group won't cease their plots and they would lose an easy way to keep an eye on them by watching the man they sent.
Paul didn't like the idea but he had agreed with the plan because Steve had put his trust and even the safety of Hawaii in Kaye hands time and time again. If Steve trusted Kaye, than Paul would trust him and go along with this plan. He just never imagined that it would be this hard.
Kaye, Williams, Kelly and Kalakaua. As governor, he had to believe that the men he trusted would act in ways that would kept Hawaii's best interests at heart. That was why he had given Danny those plane tickets.
Paul smiled; he was beginning to think that the Feds who worked so hard to get rid of Danny were going to regret not letting him take over Five-O. Because now nothing was holding Williams back from finding out what was really happening in Singapore and Paul knew that he would not stop looking until he had discovered the truth.
The hard part was watching Five-O become a shadow of itself under Zar's leadership. Kelly and Kalakaua would have to hold down the fort until this mess was over.
Just as that thought crossed Paul's mind, his secretary announced that a Mr. Kalakaua wanted to speak with him. Straightening in his chair, he watched as the Hawaiian detective stormed into the office, anger etched into his features.
"I quit," Kono Kalakaua declared as he slammed down a letter of resignation on the governor's desk.
This had not been in the plans, Paul thought as he tried to formulate an argument to convince the detective to stay. Kono didn't give Paul any time as he began to explain his anger toward Zar's treatment of Danny and his racist attitude toward Hawaiians. As he listened, Paul became convinced that there was no way that Kono could be persuaded to work under Zar a moment longer.
This was not good. The problem was Paul needed Danny free to go to Singapore, and to achieve that he needed to keep playing along with the Feds long enough so that they won't perceive the detective as a threat. Appointing Zar had been a delaying tactic and for that tactic to work, Zar needed to remain in his position until Danny or Kaye found answers.
It was too late; Paul was committed. He had to let Kono go.
To save Five-O, he first had to destroy it.
Alone in an empty office, Chin Ho Kelly debated his next move.
During the past hour, Chin felt like a helpless bystander as he watched Danny return to the office, pack up his things and leave. Then feelings of helplessness turned to despair as Kono also returned and announced that he had quit and taken a job as the Assistant Chief of Investigative Services with the Kauai Police Department and followed Danny out the door.
What was the sole remaining detective to do?
Chin agreed with Danny and Kono that Zar was a major problem and incompetent leader so why in the world did Jameson hire him? Chin couldn't help but think that Zar was a product of the segregated South with the attitude he displayed toward Kono and the Chinese victims but that again begged the question of why Jameson chose him to serve in most racially diverse state in the whole country?
If Chin had his choice it would have been Zar leaving and not Danny and Kono but it wasn't his choice. And, unlike Danny or Kono, Chin couldn't afford to be fired and he didn't have the freedom to quit. He had a family that depended on him and the income he made from this job. Returning to HPD would be an option except the lower salary would make things difficult on the family, especially with Tim starting college in the fall. Finding a similar paying job would require a move and he couldn't just move ten people at moment's notice. He was stuck with Zar and whatever else was to come; family came before happiness.
But even as Chin resolved himself to his fate, he allowed himself to grieve for what once was and never would be again.
Chin was alone. They all were.
Hawaii Five-O had shattered into pieces.
This was a task Danny had to accomplish alone.
"No."
That one word reverberated throughout the Five-O offices as three detectives stared disbelievingly at the man who was supposed to be their leader. The silence didn't last long as Danny, Chin and Kono put too much work into this case to allow Zar to dismiss their work with a single word.
"Sir," Danny pressed, gesturing towards the pile of papers he placed in front of Zar. "I have evidence suggesting that the girl was trafficked into Honolulu."
"I told you to drop the case."
Desperate, Danny pleaded, "This isn't about my ego or proving that I was right. It is about taking steps to stop the human trafficking trade from setting up shop in Hawaii. You didn't have all facts the day we met so I'm presenting them to you now."
Zar was unyielding. "You disobeyed a direct order."
"Sir, Ben Kokua from HPD is in charge of investigation. I chose to assist the investigation in my own time and last time I checked there is no law against using my personal time as I wish."
"Williams, in case you have forgotten, this isn't your team. I decide which cases we investigate and I see no reason for Five-O to investigate the death of a whore."
Placing his palms on the edge of Zar's desk, Danny dropped all pretense of politeness. "Is it so hard to admit that you were wrong?"
Zar swiftly stood and glared at his second-in-command. "Is it so hard for you to follow orders?"
Kono and Chin shared a concerned glance with one another which Danny noticed out of the corner of his eye. He hoped that his friends would stay out of this fight. If there would be any repercussions for this day, Danny would to be the one who bore them.
Leaning forward and matching Zar's glare, Danny stated firmly, "Do you not care that a fourteen year old girl has been sold into prostitution and then murdered right here in Honolulu or have you forgotten that you swore an oath to protect all thepeople of Hawaii?"
Zar shrugged off Danny's concerns as he said, "I thought part of the nonsense you were telling me was that the girl was Chinese not American."
Danny stepped backward and bumped into Kono. He hadn't noticed the big detective move. Flabbergasted and disgusted at Zar's arrogance, Danny spat, "I was mistaken. I thought you were egoistical. You are actually incompetent."
Kono grabbed Danny's shoulder and said, "Hikiwale, Bruddah."
Danny tried to take Kono's advice to calm down as he recognized that his temper was dangerously close to the surface but the days of next to no sleep, his unresolved grief over Steve's death, and his frustration at not being trusted to replace to Steve all kept the detective from thinking clearly.
Zar, however, wasn't finished. He turned his ire towards Kono. "Speak English, you worthless pineapple picker!"
Something snapped in Danny's brain and before he knew it both Chin and Kono were forcibility restraining him from slugging his boss. They were not, however, able to restrain his mouth as Danny made it extremely clear to everyone present what he thought of Zar's attitude and capabilities.
Zar however was unfazed as he declared, "Hand over your badge and your weapon. You're fired."
Shaking free of Kono and Chin, Danny grew silent as he looked at a man full of arrogance and hate and decided that as long Five-O was run by Alexander Zar, he didn't want to have anything to do with the unit. The battle was over, and he would leave the field with his dignity and his morals intact. Placing his gun and badge of the edge of the desk, Danny walked away and didn't look back.
Steve McGarrett was not a patient man. Unable, to remain seated, he paced around the dingy apartment where he spent his nights. Tang Yi was late and Steve was beyond restless. He hated this hiding and this sneaking around. He hated not being able to bark out orders and have them obeyed. Steve was alone in a foreign country where he didn't speak the language, trying to solve a case on his own. The men that he could count on to come to his aid in any situation were out of contact, the resources that he had also depended on were no longer available to him. Steve could gain those things back by making one phone call but if Kaye had a mole in his organization – and Steve believed that he did – than his cover would be blown, the imprisoned girls would disappear, and the Rat would continue smuggling girls through a different port of call.
No, Steve needed to remain dead but that didn't make it any less lonely.
A knock at the door allowed Steve to regain his composure before his contact entered the room. Yi quickly spoke, "I have news; the ship leaves in three days."
Danny was shaking as he walked down the front steps of Iolani Palace. The last time he had completely lost control like that was when Jane died and that time he almost killed someone. Afterwards, he had tried, unsuccessfully, to resign so it was apt that his temper had gotten him fired.
While apt, it didn't make the reality of being fired any less difficult to deal with. Five-O had been a part of Danny's life for so long that it didn't seem real that this had happened.
If Danny was honest with himself, he knew he had been working on borrowed time ever since he was passed up for the top detective slot. Most people preferred to pick their own seconds. What made it difficult was knowing that Alexander Zar was still in charge. How such an incompetent arrogant bastard became a cop, Danny wanted to know. Steve would be rolling in his grave if he could see his beloved unit now! Except they had never found Steve's body; Steve would never have a grave…
Holding back tears, Danny headed in the direction of the Capitol Building. There was one person that he needed to talk to. If there was anyone who could convince Zar of the necessity of taking this human smuggling case, it was the governor. Danny knew it was too late to save his job but if he could get the governor behind what was happening, Five-O would solve the case; Chin and Kono would make sure of it!
Walking to the governor's office, Danny asked the secretary if she could see if the Governor would be willing to meet with him. After checking with her boss, she waved Danny into the office. Once inside Danny noticed that the Governor was not alone; he was meeting with the newly appointed District Attorney, John Manicote.
"Sir, I regret to inform you that…"
The Governor interrupted, "That you were fired fifteen minutes ago on charges of gross insubordination. Zar called me as soon as you left the office."
"I…um…" Caught off guard, Danny was suddenly at a loss for what to say.
Jameson sensed Danny's confusion and ordered, "Sit down."
Once Danny was seated, Jameson continued, "Zar also told me that you would try and convince me that Five-O should take over one of HPD cases.
"Sir, I believe that we are dealing with a human smuggling operation and that this organization may have had something to do with Steve's death. Five-O has to investigate!"
"Danny," Jameson said, his voice full of compassion and sorrow. "I know that it is difficult but I need you to understand my position. "To counteract Zar's order would completely undermine his authority in the eyes of HPD and the people of Hawaii."
"Then get rid of him!" Danny declared. "He's already proved that he is incapable of doing his job."
John Manicote spoke up from where he was sitting. "It isn't that easy. If the Governor fires Zar so soon after hiring him he publically admits that he made a mistake in hiring which would give his political opponents a gift-wrapped opportunity to sow seeds of doubt about his judgment."
Danny bit his tongue to hold back a not-kind retort. Politics!
Jameson looked weary as he added, "Remember why I hired Zar. There will be pushback from Washington if I do this."
"I won't let this case die," Danny stated firmly.
Manicote shook his head. "You're passion is admirable but you need to understand: there are forces involved beyond the control of this office."
The Governor leaned forward and looked Danny in the eye. "Danny, I acknowledge that this hasn't been an easy couple of weeks for you. You have been an asset to this state and your dedication to your job has saved countless lives. There is an opening in the Kauai Police Department for an Assistant Chief of Investigative Services and if you want the job it's yours."
Danny considered the offer before an unpleasant thought hit him. "KPD is still under Five-O authority."
"How often does Five-O work with KPD?" Manicote countered.
"A couple times a year," Danny admitted. "But Zar would still have the authority to keep me off this case."
"As long as you are a member of Hawaiian law enforcement you are correct," Jameson stated.
Danny paused. There was something about the way Jameson said that last sentence that made him think that there was something else going on here. Jameson and Manicote were both seasoned politicians. Neither of them should have been too surprised by today's events and the job offer made Danny realize that they had planned for this.
Knowing that the Governor was waiting on his decision, Danny knew that while it would hurt long term, he couldn't take the job on Kauai. Being fired opened up an opportunity that was previously denied to him: Danny was now free to go to Singapore and figure out where those girls where coming from and what Steve had discovered that caused someone to kill him. When he thought of it that way, it was no choice. "Thank you for the offer but I must decline."
The Governor stood and reached out a hand. "I'm sorry that it has to end this way."
"Me too," Danny replied as they shook hands.
The Governor pushed a button to connect to his secretary and asked that she bring in the papers. Taking them from her, Jameson handed them to Danny. "The official notice of your termination."
Since saying thank you felt wrong Danny just nodded, took the papers and headed out the door. As he walked back towards the Iolani Palace to collect his things, he realized that the papers felt thicker than they needed to be. Sitting down on a bench outside of the Capitol Building, Danny looked through them.
The first paper was, as Jameson promised, the official notification of termination of employment, but behind it Danny saw a set of plane tickets. Barely believing his eyes, he saw that the tickets were in his name for a series of flights that would take him from Honolulu to Singapore! The first flight was scheduled to leave tomorrow morning, and when he looked at the other tickets he saw that he had an open return ticket that would give him the freedom to stay as long as he needed without having to worry about how he would get back. Then looking at the final sheet of paper he saw that it was a notarized letter stating that Dan Williams had the support of the government of Hawaii to investigate the death of Steve McGarrett.
Danny was floored; he could hardly believe it! Jameson didn't want me to take the job. He just gave me the option because he needed to know how far I would go to investigate those girls' deaths. Danny realized that the Governor wanted the same thing he wanted: to get to the bottom of this mess and Jameson had the political savvy to know how to make the best out of a bad situation. Or did he know more than he was letting on? Was Zar just a pawn? And if so, whose?
Danny's head hurt trying to figure it all out.
But as Danny looked at the ticket in his hand he realized that it didn't matter. He was going to Singapore; he had a purpose and a mission and he wasn't going to let anyone get in his way.
Paul Jameson, a man with a big title and an even bigger weight of responsibility on his shoulders, watched Williams walk out the door and wondered if the young man would ever forgive him for the decisions he had been forced to make since he had received word of Steve McGarrett's passing.
As governor, second guessing himself could be disastrous politically but that didn't mean that he didn't do so privately ever day. Paul hated the decisions that he being forced to make and taking advantage of the fact that he was in safe space with a safe person, he allowed himself to do something he never did: give voice to those doubts. "Are we doing the right thing, John?"
John Manicote considered the question for a moment before answering, "I don't see how we have any other choice."
Paul thought back to the morning when he had informed Danny that he would not be appointing him to replace McGarrett. It was amazing how quickly plans could change for only a couple of hours before, Paul was going to appoint Danny in spite of the public backlash but a lengthy phone call with Jonathan Kaye had caused him to change his strategy.
Kaye had explained that in his investigation into the events surrounding Steve's death, he was suspicious of Agent Peter Black's involvement. He had also received intelligence that there was a group of FBI personal who were very interested in Hawaii right now. In short, Kaye explained that he feared they were dealing with possible rogue or corrupt agents and wanted the Government of Hawaii's assistance in flushing them out. And by flushing them out, Kaye wanted him to hire the man the FBI was pressing to replace Steve: Alexander Zar. If they didn't hire Zar, Kaye argued, this group won't cease their plots and they would lose an easy way to keep an eye on them by watching the man they sent.
Paul didn't like the idea but he had agreed with the plan because Steve had put his trust and even the safety of Hawaii in Kaye hands time and time again. If Steve trusted Kaye, than Paul would trust him and go along with this plan. He just never imagined that it would be this hard.
Kaye, Williams, Kelly and Kalakaua. As governor, he had to believe that the men he trusted would act in ways that would kept Hawaii's best interests at heart. That was why he had given Danny those plane tickets.
Paul smiled; he was beginning to think that the Feds who worked so hard to get rid of Danny were going to regret not letting him take over Five-O. Because now nothing was holding Williams back from finding out what was really happening in Singapore and Paul knew that he would not stop looking until he had discovered the truth.
The hard part was watching Five-O become a shadow of itself under Zar's leadership. Kelly and Kalakaua would have to hold down the fort until this mess was over.
Just as that thought crossed Paul's mind, his secretary announced that a Mr. Kalakaua wanted to speak with him. Straightening in his chair, he watched as the Hawaiian detective stormed into the office, anger etched into his features.
"I quit," Kono Kalakaua declared as he slammed down a letter of resignation on the governor's desk.
This had not been in the plans, Paul thought as he tried to formulate an argument to convince the detective to stay. Kono didn't give Paul any time as he began to explain his anger toward Zar's treatment of Danny and his racist attitude toward Hawaiians. As he listened, Paul became convinced that there was no way that Kono could be persuaded to work under Zar a moment longer.
This was not good. The problem was Paul needed Danny free to go to Singapore, and to achieve that he needed to keep playing along with the Feds long enough so that they won't perceive the detective as a threat. Appointing Zar had been a delaying tactic and for that tactic to work, Zar needed to remain in his position until Danny or Kaye found answers.
It was too late; Paul was committed. He had to let Kono go.
To save Five-O, he first had to destroy it.
Alone in an empty office, Chin Ho Kelly debated his next move.
During the past hour, Chin felt like a helpless bystander as he watched Danny return to the office, pack up his things and leave. Then feelings of helplessness turned to despair as Kono also returned and announced that he had quit and taken a job as the Assistant Chief of Investigative Services with the Kauai Police Department and followed Danny out the door.
What was the sole remaining detective to do?
Chin agreed with Danny and Kono that Zar was a major problem and incompetent leader so why in the world did Jameson hire him? Chin couldn't help but think that Zar was a product of the segregated South with the attitude he displayed toward Kono and the Chinese victims but that again begged the question of why Jameson chose him to serve in most racially diverse state in the whole country?
If Chin had his choice it would have been Zar leaving and not Danny and Kono but it wasn't his choice. And, unlike Danny or Kono, Chin couldn't afford to be fired and he didn't have the freedom to quit. He had a family that depended on him and the income he made from this job. Returning to HPD would be an option except the lower salary would make things difficult on the family, especially with Tim starting college in the fall. Finding a similar paying job would require a move and he couldn't just move ten people at moment's notice. He was stuck with Zar and whatever else was to come; family came before happiness.
But even as Chin resolved himself to his fate, he allowed himself to grieve for what once was and never would be again.
Chin was alone. They all were.
Hawaii Five-O had shattered into pieces.