Returning to the Palace many hours later, Danny wheeled his car into its familiar spot beside Steve's Mercury. As he wearily grabbed his files from the front seat, he noted the absence of the other Five-O vehicles, indicating both Kono and Chin had probably gone home for the day. Stifling a sigh, he reminded himself that Steve was waiting and headed for the steps up to the main front doors.
The fading daylight was sending shadows spreading across the Palace grounds, and Danny's skin suddenly crawled with an intense sensation that he was being watched. Whirling, he peered into the encroaching gloom, convinced he had seen movement out of the corner of his eye. But when he stopped, and looked long and hard into the shadowy darkness, he saw nothing out of sorts in the mild evening air. Shaking his head in dismay, the young detective tried again to dismiss the unease that had been lingering at the back of his mind. Working late into the night was a frequent occurrence with his position in Five-O, yet seldom had he felt this ... disconcerted ... when arriving at the Palace after dark. Entering the building quickly, Danny was almost running by the time he reached the second floor, and he forced himself to slow down and take a few deep breaths before proceeding into the Five-O offices.
"Is that you, Danno? Come on in!" Steve's voice floated out from behind the partially closed door to his inner office.
The light from the lamp on the desk was a welcome sight as it spilled out into the darkened entranceway. Danny almost sighed in relief as the completely normal atmosphere in the office went a long way towards settling his jangled nerves. "Sure, Steve, I'll be right in," he replied, swinging quickly into his cubicle to grab a fresh notebook and pen. Entering the office, he saw a series of photographs laid out on the big desk, and an open file sitting in the centre of them. The lead detective himself, jacket off and tie loosened, was standing at the window, looking out at the darkness.
"Danno. Welcome back." Steve turned and greeted his second-in-command. "You had a long afternoon out there; I hope you were able to bring back some good information for us."
The young detective nodded as he sank wearily into one of the white leather chairs in front of the desk. "I think so," he responded cautiously, tossing his own file down and running a hand slowly through his hair. He leaned forward to study the images on the desktop, frowning slightly. "Are these the photos from the Governor's house? The footprints?"
"Yes." Steve's frustration was obvious. "Nothing but a jumble of indistinct prints, as Chin said. No recognizable tread patterns." He pointed at the lab report in the folder. "Same problem with the jacket sleeve that was found. Common material and colour, hundreds of garments sold in plenty of stores, and nothing embedded in the fabric except dirt from the yard." He settled into his chair, sliding the offending papers to the side of the desk. "Now," he continued. "Tell me what you were able to find out."
"Well..." Danny hesitated slightly. "I did get quite a bit of information, Steve, but I don't think you're going to like all of it."
The lead detective eyed his second-in-command warily. "Let's just hear what you've got, and we'll go from there," he suggested.
Danny pulled his file towards him and opened it. "I spoke to the witness from the break-in at Councillor Carleton's office," he said. "He completely stands by his statement about what he saw." Flipping to another page, he became more animated as he read. "But here's where it gets interesting, Steve. I discovered there have been four other incidents over the past week! Two other Councillors, the Mayor's office, and even the constituency office of State Senator Lewis have all had break-ins involving vandalism."
"Four more?" Steve sat back in shock. "The Mayor? A Senator? My God, Danno, how did this go on for a week without it making the HPD dailies, or even the press, for that matter?"
"Well..." Danny said again, looking uncomfortable. "There were no witnesses to the vandalism at the Mayor's office, just the damage and some dirt and ragged clothing left on the floor. Nothing stolen, either, according to the Mayor's executive assistant."
Steve looked ready to interrupt, but instead scribbled a quick note and gave the young detective a wave. "Go on, please."
"The two other councillors, Thomas and Lopaka, were both hit on the same night." Danny continued his recitation of the facts. "As it happens, their offices are next door to each other. There was a witness, a clerk in Thomas's office, who saw a group of rough-looking and, er, moaning, individuals smash open the door. She was able to get away through another exit, but not before she watched them start to tear up the office." He pushed the file across the desk towards Steve. "There were even some photos taken at the Mayor's office..."
"Stop." Steve shook his head in disbelief. "Moaning, rough-looking characters? Dirt?" He stood and began to pace, slowly and rhythmically snapping his fingers. "Are you telling me there is evidence of vandalism in six, count them, six different political offices in the past week, and this is the first we're hearing about it? Why didn't this get reported, Danno?" The clicking increased, indicating Steve's rising agitation. "And, perhaps more important than that, what is the connection between these three Councillors, the Mayor, a Senator, and the Governor? There has to be one! I refuse to believe that these were just random attacks."
The silence was absolute for nearly a full minute following the Five-O chief's outburst. Finally Danny drew a deep breath, and, fingers tapping on the handwritten notes in front of him, began to speak. "I think I have answers to both questions, Steve," he said. "In actuality all the incidents were reported, but to different authorities! The Senator and the Mayor both dealt with HPD, but statements were taken by different officers and their lieutenant hadn't yet received the reports to make the connection. The Councillors have a private security firm, and when I spoke to the director this afternoon he admitted that his patrol teams didn't take the break-ins too seriously. More like Halloween pranks, he thought they were. And, of course, the Governor dealt with us." Danny stopped suddenly and cocked his head. "Did you hear that?" he asked.
"Hear what?" Steve raised an eyebrow.
"Downstairs, a noise." Danny half rose from his chair and leaned toward the outer office, still listening intently.
The lead detective smirked at his companion. "Kono's ghost stories still getting to you, Danno?" he inquired wryly.
Danny eased back into his seat, his expression a combination of chagrin and concern. "I'm sure I heard something, Steve, but it's quiet now." He returned his attention to the briefing. "Now, where was I?" he wondered aloud.
"The link connecting all the attacks..." Steve prompted.
"Right! The link..." Danny hesitated, then carried on. "The one thing I was able to identify as common to all the break-in victims is that they all attended a meeting last week, hosted by the Governor. It was a tri-level committee put together to approve of and control the development of a package of land immediately adjacent to the Oahu Cemetery. Their initial decision was to, uh, infringe slightly onto Cemetery property to begin this development." Danny closed the file and forced himself to look up at Steve. "The zombie vandal attacks began the next day, and continued until the Governor became the final victim last night."
Steve sat back in bemused contemplation. "Are you trying to tell me that vengeful zombies are out to protect the Cemetery?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I'll take Halloween vandalism over that theory, Danno!"
"It does fit, though, Steve!" Danny protested. He opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted by a low thrum of activity that suddenly drifted in through the open lanai doors.
This time there was no mistaking the sound that came from below them, a deep, muffled thump of the giant wooden doors being forced open and swinging to hit the walls. Both men were instantly on their feet, listening intently as the noise grew louder and closer. The echo of many footfalls, the eerie groaning... the din filled the stairway and the corridor.
Then suddenly, terrifyingly, it was in the office, a surging wave of filthy decaying bodies pouring through the broken frame of the outer door. Despite the fact that they seemed to be merely shuffling, their motion was surprisingly quick; they were through and past May's desk before the two detectives had a chance to react.
"Freeze!" Both men had drawn their sidearms, but it was Steve who shouted the command. It had no effect; the mob's forward momentum continued. Exchanging a quick glance, Steve and Danny raised their weapons and fired at the figures in front of them.
The lead zombie jerked back slightly, stumbling as the force of the bullet striking its shoulder knocked it temporarily off balance. Others behind it staggered in similar fashion, as they too were struck by rounds from both weapons. In the end, however, the effect was negligible, as the steady flow of the invaders into the inner office continued.
Danny both heard and felt the ominous click indicating he was out of ammunition; the weapon in his hand was now useless. He saw Steve throw a desperate glance at the desk, where there were more rounds stored, but there was no way either man could reach them. He bent and grabbed the second gun he carried from its ankle holster; stepping in front of Steve and firing again at the advancing zombies, he was grimly aware that they were being driven back further into the office. When the little revolver spat its last bullet, Danny threw it aside and grabbed Steve's arm, dragging him back towards the lanai in a quick burst of speed.
Closing the lanai doors behind them gained them precious little time, however, as the horde of zombies simply pushed their way through, the wood and glass splintering under the onslaught. Steve and Danny backed up together, each man painfully aware that they were trapped, with no easy escape. Relentlessly the creatures approached, arms reaching out and mouths opening in wide, menacing grins. The rank stench of death filled the air; Danny could almost taste the decay.
They lunged, suddenly; claw-like hands hands reached out and grabbed the detectives, with a grip that was surprisingly strong. Danny twisted and tried to pull away, throwing his arms up to try to protect himself, but there were too many hands, too many pressing bodies. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Steve engaged in the same struggle, and then to his horror, he saw the Five-O chief go down, overwhelmed and immediately swarmed by a crush of the monsters as they moved in on the fallen man.
"NO!" he cried. "Steve!" He fought harder, pushing against the mob; although he managed to knock aside a couple of the grasping claws, they were quickly replaced by others. In an echo of the nightmare still fresh in his mind, Danny felt the tearing pain of teeth ripping into his flesh. His shoulder and arm suddenly felt warm with the wash of blood. Dimly he became aware of the presence of the lanai wall at his back, the railing digging into his side even as another fetid mouth lacerated his leg.
"Steve!" he shouted again, desperately trying to locate the older man. In his struggles against the attackers Danny could hear only the rattling moans, and feel nothing but the press of decrepit bodies against his own. Fighting blindly, he pushed hard against the nearest figure, and in a horrid moment of realization felt himself overbalance at the lanai's edge. His momentum carried him up and over the railing; for an instant he seemed to waver, hovering almost in midair. Then he fell; peripherally he heard the creatures groan as he tumbled out of their grasp. The ground reached up to meet him in a dizzying rush.
"NOOOO..." The desperate cry was wrenched from deep within him. Arms flailing, body twisting, Danny plummeted through the air...
... and landed with a resounding, jarring thud on his bedroom floor, the sound of his terrified scream still echoing in his throat and off the walls.
"NOOOO..." he cried out. "Get off! Get away...!" Hopelessly tangled in the bedclothes, Danny struggled to free himself, lashing out blindly to try to get loose.
"Easy, easy..."
The familiar voice was distant at first, but finally penetrated the fog of panic and confusion enveloping the young detective.
"Easy, Danno, I've got you. You're all right, you're safe." The calm tones of Five-O's chief continued to soothe and steady his second-in-command.
"Steve?" Danny gasped in disbelief, trying and not entirely succeeding to slow his panting breaths. "Is that you? You're okay?"
"Yes, Danno, I'm here," Steve replied. "Hold still for a moment, and I'll get you untangled from your sheets." He gave Danny a quick, reassuring pat on the shoulder, and and set about unwrapping him from the twisted bedding. That complete, he slid a supporting hand under the younger man's elbow and eased his still-dazed companion back up onto the bed.
Danny simply sat for a moment, his heart feeling like it was trying to thump out of his chest, his breath catching in his throat. Finally he ran a trembling hand through his hair, wincing at the feel of the cold sweat dampening his curls.
"Here, drink this."
Dan felt a gentle nudge to his shoulder, and looked up to see Steve standing beside him, proffering a glass of water. He raised a still-shaky hand to grasp it, and took a couple of quick gulps of the cool liquid, coughing slightly as it slid down his dry, tight throat. "Thanks," he muttered self-consciously, suddenly becoming aware of the awkwardness of the moment.
Steve eased himself down to perch on the end of the bed, eyeing his second-in-command with concern. "How are you feeling now?" he enquired. "That certainly seems to have been some nightmare you were having!"
Danny shook his head in disbelief. "You have no idea," he said, flinching slightly as faint shudders continued to wrack his shoulders. He rubbed a hand up and down his arm, still amazed to feel the skin unbroken and only a faint tingle of phantom pain remaining. "No idea," he repeated. "It was so incredibly real, Steve! At the end of it, I thought you were dead! And I was falling..." He trailed off, turning to stare blankly at the darkness outside the window for a moment. Abruptly his focus sharpened, and he swung his gaze back to the Five-O chief. "You're here, in my apartment," he observed. "Why are you here, and how...?"
"I was concerned when you didn't answer your phone," Steve said. At Danny's puzzled look he continued his explanation. "I tried to call you almost an hour ago, Danno. When there was no answer after a couple of attempts I decided to come by and make sure you were okay. I could hear you yelling from out in the corridor, so I used my spare key to get in." He shrugged lightly, adding, "Your apartment is almost on the way, in any case, so we haven't lost much time in getting there."
"I see." Danny nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sorry to have worried you, with just a nightmare, of all things!" He gave Steve a deprecatory half smile. "I guess that will teach me to watch a horror movie late at night!" A sudden thought occurred to him as the rest of the older man's statement registered in his mind. "Er, lost much time in getting where, Steve?"
"Dispatch got an incident call just over an hour ago," came the reply. "There's been a break-in at the Governor's residence, and he wants us to investigate..."
Pau
The fading daylight was sending shadows spreading across the Palace grounds, and Danny's skin suddenly crawled with an intense sensation that he was being watched. Whirling, he peered into the encroaching gloom, convinced he had seen movement out of the corner of his eye. But when he stopped, and looked long and hard into the shadowy darkness, he saw nothing out of sorts in the mild evening air. Shaking his head in dismay, the young detective tried again to dismiss the unease that had been lingering at the back of his mind. Working late into the night was a frequent occurrence with his position in Five-O, yet seldom had he felt this ... disconcerted ... when arriving at the Palace after dark. Entering the building quickly, Danny was almost running by the time he reached the second floor, and he forced himself to slow down and take a few deep breaths before proceeding into the Five-O offices.
"Is that you, Danno? Come on in!" Steve's voice floated out from behind the partially closed door to his inner office.
The light from the lamp on the desk was a welcome sight as it spilled out into the darkened entranceway. Danny almost sighed in relief as the completely normal atmosphere in the office went a long way towards settling his jangled nerves. "Sure, Steve, I'll be right in," he replied, swinging quickly into his cubicle to grab a fresh notebook and pen. Entering the office, he saw a series of photographs laid out on the big desk, and an open file sitting in the centre of them. The lead detective himself, jacket off and tie loosened, was standing at the window, looking out at the darkness.
"Danno. Welcome back." Steve turned and greeted his second-in-command. "You had a long afternoon out there; I hope you were able to bring back some good information for us."
The young detective nodded as he sank wearily into one of the white leather chairs in front of the desk. "I think so," he responded cautiously, tossing his own file down and running a hand slowly through his hair. He leaned forward to study the images on the desktop, frowning slightly. "Are these the photos from the Governor's house? The footprints?"
"Yes." Steve's frustration was obvious. "Nothing but a jumble of indistinct prints, as Chin said. No recognizable tread patterns." He pointed at the lab report in the folder. "Same problem with the jacket sleeve that was found. Common material and colour, hundreds of garments sold in plenty of stores, and nothing embedded in the fabric except dirt from the yard." He settled into his chair, sliding the offending papers to the side of the desk. "Now," he continued. "Tell me what you were able to find out."
"Well..." Danny hesitated slightly. "I did get quite a bit of information, Steve, but I don't think you're going to like all of it."
The lead detective eyed his second-in-command warily. "Let's just hear what you've got, and we'll go from there," he suggested.
Danny pulled his file towards him and opened it. "I spoke to the witness from the break-in at Councillor Carleton's office," he said. "He completely stands by his statement about what he saw." Flipping to another page, he became more animated as he read. "But here's where it gets interesting, Steve. I discovered there have been four other incidents over the past week! Two other Councillors, the Mayor's office, and even the constituency office of State Senator Lewis have all had break-ins involving vandalism."
"Four more?" Steve sat back in shock. "The Mayor? A Senator? My God, Danno, how did this go on for a week without it making the HPD dailies, or even the press, for that matter?"
"Well..." Danny said again, looking uncomfortable. "There were no witnesses to the vandalism at the Mayor's office, just the damage and some dirt and ragged clothing left on the floor. Nothing stolen, either, according to the Mayor's executive assistant."
Steve looked ready to interrupt, but instead scribbled a quick note and gave the young detective a wave. "Go on, please."
"The two other councillors, Thomas and Lopaka, were both hit on the same night." Danny continued his recitation of the facts. "As it happens, their offices are next door to each other. There was a witness, a clerk in Thomas's office, who saw a group of rough-looking and, er, moaning, individuals smash open the door. She was able to get away through another exit, but not before she watched them start to tear up the office." He pushed the file across the desk towards Steve. "There were even some photos taken at the Mayor's office..."
"Stop." Steve shook his head in disbelief. "Moaning, rough-looking characters? Dirt?" He stood and began to pace, slowly and rhythmically snapping his fingers. "Are you telling me there is evidence of vandalism in six, count them, six different political offices in the past week, and this is the first we're hearing about it? Why didn't this get reported, Danno?" The clicking increased, indicating Steve's rising agitation. "And, perhaps more important than that, what is the connection between these three Councillors, the Mayor, a Senator, and the Governor? There has to be one! I refuse to believe that these were just random attacks."
The silence was absolute for nearly a full minute following the Five-O chief's outburst. Finally Danny drew a deep breath, and, fingers tapping on the handwritten notes in front of him, began to speak. "I think I have answers to both questions, Steve," he said. "In actuality all the incidents were reported, but to different authorities! The Senator and the Mayor both dealt with HPD, but statements were taken by different officers and their lieutenant hadn't yet received the reports to make the connection. The Councillors have a private security firm, and when I spoke to the director this afternoon he admitted that his patrol teams didn't take the break-ins too seriously. More like Halloween pranks, he thought they were. And, of course, the Governor dealt with us." Danny stopped suddenly and cocked his head. "Did you hear that?" he asked.
"Hear what?" Steve raised an eyebrow.
"Downstairs, a noise." Danny half rose from his chair and leaned toward the outer office, still listening intently.
The lead detective smirked at his companion. "Kono's ghost stories still getting to you, Danno?" he inquired wryly.
Danny eased back into his seat, his expression a combination of chagrin and concern. "I'm sure I heard something, Steve, but it's quiet now." He returned his attention to the briefing. "Now, where was I?" he wondered aloud.
"The link connecting all the attacks..." Steve prompted.
"Right! The link..." Danny hesitated, then carried on. "The one thing I was able to identify as common to all the break-in victims is that they all attended a meeting last week, hosted by the Governor. It was a tri-level committee put together to approve of and control the development of a package of land immediately adjacent to the Oahu Cemetery. Their initial decision was to, uh, infringe slightly onto Cemetery property to begin this development." Danny closed the file and forced himself to look up at Steve. "The zombie vandal attacks began the next day, and continued until the Governor became the final victim last night."
Steve sat back in bemused contemplation. "Are you trying to tell me that vengeful zombies are out to protect the Cemetery?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I'll take Halloween vandalism over that theory, Danno!"
"It does fit, though, Steve!" Danny protested. He opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted by a low thrum of activity that suddenly drifted in through the open lanai doors.
This time there was no mistaking the sound that came from below them, a deep, muffled thump of the giant wooden doors being forced open and swinging to hit the walls. Both men were instantly on their feet, listening intently as the noise grew louder and closer. The echo of many footfalls, the eerie groaning... the din filled the stairway and the corridor.
Then suddenly, terrifyingly, it was in the office, a surging wave of filthy decaying bodies pouring through the broken frame of the outer door. Despite the fact that they seemed to be merely shuffling, their motion was surprisingly quick; they were through and past May's desk before the two detectives had a chance to react.
"Freeze!" Both men had drawn their sidearms, but it was Steve who shouted the command. It had no effect; the mob's forward momentum continued. Exchanging a quick glance, Steve and Danny raised their weapons and fired at the figures in front of them.
The lead zombie jerked back slightly, stumbling as the force of the bullet striking its shoulder knocked it temporarily off balance. Others behind it staggered in similar fashion, as they too were struck by rounds from both weapons. In the end, however, the effect was negligible, as the steady flow of the invaders into the inner office continued.
Danny both heard and felt the ominous click indicating he was out of ammunition; the weapon in his hand was now useless. He saw Steve throw a desperate glance at the desk, where there were more rounds stored, but there was no way either man could reach them. He bent and grabbed the second gun he carried from its ankle holster; stepping in front of Steve and firing again at the advancing zombies, he was grimly aware that they were being driven back further into the office. When the little revolver spat its last bullet, Danny threw it aside and grabbed Steve's arm, dragging him back towards the lanai in a quick burst of speed.
Closing the lanai doors behind them gained them precious little time, however, as the horde of zombies simply pushed their way through, the wood and glass splintering under the onslaught. Steve and Danny backed up together, each man painfully aware that they were trapped, with no easy escape. Relentlessly the creatures approached, arms reaching out and mouths opening in wide, menacing grins. The rank stench of death filled the air; Danny could almost taste the decay.
They lunged, suddenly; claw-like hands hands reached out and grabbed the detectives, with a grip that was surprisingly strong. Danny twisted and tried to pull away, throwing his arms up to try to protect himself, but there were too many hands, too many pressing bodies. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Steve engaged in the same struggle, and then to his horror, he saw the Five-O chief go down, overwhelmed and immediately swarmed by a crush of the monsters as they moved in on the fallen man.
"NO!" he cried. "Steve!" He fought harder, pushing against the mob; although he managed to knock aside a couple of the grasping claws, they were quickly replaced by others. In an echo of the nightmare still fresh in his mind, Danny felt the tearing pain of teeth ripping into his flesh. His shoulder and arm suddenly felt warm with the wash of blood. Dimly he became aware of the presence of the lanai wall at his back, the railing digging into his side even as another fetid mouth lacerated his leg.
"Steve!" he shouted again, desperately trying to locate the older man. In his struggles against the attackers Danny could hear only the rattling moans, and feel nothing but the press of decrepit bodies against his own. Fighting blindly, he pushed hard against the nearest figure, and in a horrid moment of realization felt himself overbalance at the lanai's edge. His momentum carried him up and over the railing; for an instant he seemed to waver, hovering almost in midair. Then he fell; peripherally he heard the creatures groan as he tumbled out of their grasp. The ground reached up to meet him in a dizzying rush.
"NOOOO..." The desperate cry was wrenched from deep within him. Arms flailing, body twisting, Danny plummeted through the air...
... and landed with a resounding, jarring thud on his bedroom floor, the sound of his terrified scream still echoing in his throat and off the walls.
"NOOOO..." he cried out. "Get off! Get away...!" Hopelessly tangled in the bedclothes, Danny struggled to free himself, lashing out blindly to try to get loose.
"Easy, easy..."
The familiar voice was distant at first, but finally penetrated the fog of panic and confusion enveloping the young detective.
"Easy, Danno, I've got you. You're all right, you're safe." The calm tones of Five-O's chief continued to soothe and steady his second-in-command.
"Steve?" Danny gasped in disbelief, trying and not entirely succeeding to slow his panting breaths. "Is that you? You're okay?"
"Yes, Danno, I'm here," Steve replied. "Hold still for a moment, and I'll get you untangled from your sheets." He gave Danny a quick, reassuring pat on the shoulder, and and set about unwrapping him from the twisted bedding. That complete, he slid a supporting hand under the younger man's elbow and eased his still-dazed companion back up onto the bed.
Danny simply sat for a moment, his heart feeling like it was trying to thump out of his chest, his breath catching in his throat. Finally he ran a trembling hand through his hair, wincing at the feel of the cold sweat dampening his curls.
"Here, drink this."
Dan felt a gentle nudge to his shoulder, and looked up to see Steve standing beside him, proffering a glass of water. He raised a still-shaky hand to grasp it, and took a couple of quick gulps of the cool liquid, coughing slightly as it slid down his dry, tight throat. "Thanks," he muttered self-consciously, suddenly becoming aware of the awkwardness of the moment.
Steve eased himself down to perch on the end of the bed, eyeing his second-in-command with concern. "How are you feeling now?" he enquired. "That certainly seems to have been some nightmare you were having!"
Danny shook his head in disbelief. "You have no idea," he said, flinching slightly as faint shudders continued to wrack his shoulders. He rubbed a hand up and down his arm, still amazed to feel the skin unbroken and only a faint tingle of phantom pain remaining. "No idea," he repeated. "It was so incredibly real, Steve! At the end of it, I thought you were dead! And I was falling..." He trailed off, turning to stare blankly at the darkness outside the window for a moment. Abruptly his focus sharpened, and he swung his gaze back to the Five-O chief. "You're here, in my apartment," he observed. "Why are you here, and how...?"
"I was concerned when you didn't answer your phone," Steve said. At Danny's puzzled look he continued his explanation. "I tried to call you almost an hour ago, Danno. When there was no answer after a couple of attempts I decided to come by and make sure you were okay. I could hear you yelling from out in the corridor, so I used my spare key to get in." He shrugged lightly, adding, "Your apartment is almost on the way, in any case, so we haven't lost much time in getting there."
"I see." Danny nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sorry to have worried you, with just a nightmare, of all things!" He gave Steve a deprecatory half smile. "I guess that will teach me to watch a horror movie late at night!" A sudden thought occurred to him as the rest of the older man's statement registered in his mind. "Er, lost much time in getting where, Steve?"
"Dispatch got an incident call just over an hour ago," came the reply. "There's been a break-in at the Governor's residence, and he wants us to investigate..."
Pau