So That the Fall of Our Discontent May Bleed Into Our Winter of Hope
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Sitting astride his favorite red and yellow surfboard, Danny absently swirled his fingers through the gently rolling waters beneath him. The sky was still darkened to nearly black by the night; dawn was at least over an hour away. It would seem crazy to most people that he was out here, but he never minded too terribly much as to what people thought, at least not when it came to his private life. His work with the task force . . . well, that was another story all together.
Looking back towards shore, Danny noticed that he was able to start making out the shadowy differences along the horizon. Blue hues started to radiate out from behind the distant buildings that comprised the Honolulu skyline; lighter to darker for where the sky seemed to touch the earth and then went up. He had paddled out beyond the breakers more than an hour ago, to the calmer waters behind the reef. He breathed in the cool morning air, letting it soak into each and every cell of his lungs before exhaling slowly; letting any bad feelings flow out as well. As he bobbed lazily in the waves, Danny let his mind wander back to how his New Years’ tradition had started.
He had been thirteen, he remembered, feeling a smile starting to steal over his lips. His Aunty had said ‘no’ so many times that he was already gearing himself up for another year of begging as he traipsed down the stairs that Christmas morning. As he stepped into the lounge, he saw but one thing – a surfboard. Aunt Clara had finally given in to all his pleadings and promises that he had showered over her for the past year or so. He grinned now at the memory of how many times he hugged and thanked her that December morn. How he had loved that board, white and orange and all sleek and stylish with a small tiger emblem on the back.
Every day of that winter break he could be found sun up to sun down at the beach. Aunt Clara had accused him of being part merman and laughing, she repeatedly checked behind his ears for gills. On the last morning of the old year, the desire to be the first one in the waves in the morning had become almost compulsory to him. Having set his alarm for four AM and with Aunt Clara questioning his health with one of her cool hands checking his brow, Danny had gone to bed early, missing the fireworks over the harbor that signaled the start of the New Year. For twenty-three years now, he had greeted the first sunrise of the New Year astride a surfboard.
And so it goes, he thought now, as the sky started to become tinged with a mix of shades of lavender and rose.
This past year, though. This past year felt different somehow, Danny acknowledged to himself. It was neither better nor worse, exactly, but this year was definitely a year full of change. Mostly for the better, he reminded himself. Especially the past couple of weeks, he thought as he grinned down at the board between his thighs. Well, he ruminated, rubbing a hand idly through his damp blonde hair, no time to ponder on that now. He let his thoughts go as he angled himself down onto the body of the board and started paddling towards the breakers, where the waves of the morning tide were starting to roll steadily to shore.
Thursday, 27 July, 1972
"Chin, Kono! In my office right now!" Steve voice boomed as he strode towards his office after returning from his late luncheon with the governor. Danny looked up from the file he was reading while seated at his own desk. He glanced at the clock, shocked that it was nearly 3 PM. Peering though his open doorway, he watched as Chin hurried towards Steve’s door ahead of the big Hawaiian man. Kono sent him a baffled look and shrugged his shoulders at Danny, before he too, disappeared into cavernous office of their boss.
Danny looked back at the file; it was of a case the team had been slowly working on in conjunction with the security teams of several of the high-end hotel chains along the Waikiki shore. There had been some major thefts over the past few weeks, which unlike the cat burglaries of a couple of years ago, the answers weren’t coming to them. So the case has been dragging on and on, wearing them all down. The governor was becoming more agitated every single day that this case wasn’t solved. Tourism was definitely high on Governor Jameson’s agenda, after all Hawaii had only been a state for a couple of decades. It’s important to make visitors feel safe here; Danny could hear the man say in his mind.
But his mind wasn’t on the countless guest complaints or the nearly too-many-to-name employee interviews he needed to sort through. He glanced out the door towards Steve’s door and caught Jenny giving him a sympathetic smile. He returned it with his own lopsided grin, but she hadn’t noticed it due to her phone buzzing.
“Yes, Steve?” She asked into the handset, “Oh, right. I’ll bring those forms right in.”
Danny watched as she collected a sheaf of papers from the corner of her desk and walked into office, pulling the door mostly closed behind her.
Giving up on the pretext of the studying the file in his hands, Danny closed it brutishly and tossed it onto his desk. Why was he being excluded? Why did Steve call everyone else in, but ignored him. If it was a case, wouldn’t he be able to give some insight? It wasn’t like he hadn’t proven himself time and again these past few years since he started with the state police task force. He glanced up as Jenny hurried out the door and bypassing her desk, headed out of the office. He was still looking at the door she had just walked through, so he missed Steve’s office door opening again.
“Danno, can you come in here?” Steve asked in a voice devoid of emotion.
“Sure thing, Steve.” Rising from his chair, Danny kept his eyes locked on Steve’s face; maybe his boss’ expression would clue him in as to what was going on. But Steve kept his face neutral and with a slight hand on his shoulder, he guided the shorter man into his office.
Chin and Kono, both situated in the white guest chairs facing Steve’s desk, swiveled to watch as first Danny and then Steve entered the office. Their faces gave Danny no joy as both men exhibited grim expressions. Steve crossed over and took his seat behind the desk, leaving Danny feeling out of place and more disturbingly, out of sorts standing between his fellow detectives.
“Danno, it has come to my attention that we, as a team, have made a grave error. One that, it pains me to say, is unforgivable.” Steve started, his eyes flicking to each of the other men in turn. “I really don’t know how we missed it. I mean usually we are much better at checking the facts and getting results.”
“What did we miss, boss?”
“Well, I’ll tell you Chin. We apparently were so caught up in keeping tourist and locals alike, safe, that we overlooked a very important fact.”
Danny could feel the intensity of Steve’s hard gaze cutting right through him, when he made his last statement. He could feel the need to defend himself start to bubble up from the depth of his soul. He had never purposefully overlooked anything and if Steve was going to lay it all on him after he just got done saying it was a team error. Danny felt the muscles along his spine tighten up as if he was in preparation for a fight. He looked first at Chin and then Kono, to see if either man were going to back him up. But both men kept their eyes trained on their boss.
“What’s dat, bruddah?” Danny almost couldn’t believe his ears. Kono was asking Steve to explain how Danny had messed up.
“I don’t know bruddah. Maybe Danny might know what dat is?" Steve replied.
Danny looked first at Kono and was surprised to see the Hawaiian grinning like a loon. A quick glance at Chin netted him the same result, only the smile was a bit more sedate. But it was when he looked back at the man behind the desk that he realized that he misunderstood Kono’s question.
Sitting tidily on the center of Steve’s desk was a small box. Its wrappings were simple, white with a small folded yellow ribbon. He hadn’t noticed it when they first came in the office, but then his mind was busy scurrying this way and that, that maybe he overlooked it. That thought alone made him want to kick himself for his poor detective skills.
“Go on Danny, open it.” Danny turned as he heard the voice behind him. There, just inside the door were Duke Lukela from HPD and Che Fong from forensics. Coming in the open door right behind them was Jenny, carrying a white frosted cake in one hand and a stack of small plates in the other.
“Yes, Danny, open it.” She said as Duke relieved her of the plates.
“Well, Danno.” Steve said the smile evident in his tone, “What do you say? Wanna see what this is all about?” He picked up the package and gave it a gentle shake.
Danny stepped forward and reached out tentatively for the gift. He was confused, but thankful that it wasn’t the reaming that he expected. Lifting the box to his ear, he gave it a little jiggle. He really couldn’t fathom what could be inside . . . or why.
“I don’t know what to say, everybody. It’s not my birthday. I’m a bachelor, so it can’t be an anniversary present. I really am at a loss . . .” He let his voice die away as he turned the box over in his hands. The wrap job was professional, a fact he ascertained from the small embossed gold sticker holding the ribbon in place. “Kam’s Jewelry Co. . . . wasn’t that the place that Filer hit last year?”
“The one and the same, Danno. Now, are you going to open that up and put your imagination at ease or are we going to sit here all day and let Jenny’s wonderful baking go to waste.” Steve chuckled lightly. “It looks positively decadent, Jenny. Mahalo.”
Danny turned and sat on the edge of Steve’s desk. Laying the box in his lap, he accepted the letter opener from Steve and slit the taped seams of the wrapping paper. The thin cardboard beneath was also white, but it had been created to feel as though it was made of alligator skin. He looked up at the expectant faces around him as he lifted the lid. Nestled inside was yet another box, this time a simple black hinged affair. Tipping the white box up with his right hand, he allowed the black one to slide into his left.
“I don’t know what this is or why you all think I deserve a party, but thanks, everyone.”
“Just open it.” Chin urged gently, he knocked a gentle fist against Danny’s thigh. “I think you’re going to like it.”
“Of course he will. Come on Danny.” Kono said, still grinning broadly as Danny snapped open the black box to reveal a fine silver watch, its crystal reflecting the morning sun streaming in the windows. Danny tugged the soft black leather band from its bindings and ran a fingertip around the face.
“Why-“
“Turn it over, Danno.” Steve answered softly, his voice as indulgent as the gift.
“To Danno. For 10 yrs. of loyal service. The Team.” Danny read aloud the inscription that must have taken so much time to painstakingly etch into the polished silver back. He looked up at and was greeted by the faces of his friends, all full of happiness and joy. “I . . . I don’t know what to say. It’s too much.”
“And not enough, Danno. You deserve so much more for your years of service for our great state. And . . .” Steve held out a hand to shush Danny as he opened his mouth to protest. “And though you’ve only been with the task force for a few years, you’ve proven yourself time and again to be an officer of the top most quality these past ten years. We are the fortunate ones that get to not only serve with you now, but to also know you and call you friend. Congratulations, Danno.”
The cheerful voices of his friends died away after seconding their boss’ sentiment. Danny had to swallow lightly over the lump that risen up into his throat. He stared down at the extravagant gift cradled in his hand.
“Um, well I . . . sorry. I just want to say thanks. You guys really shouldn’t have. I’m just doing what I’m paid to do, just like each and every one of you. But for you all to take the time . . .” Danny blinked rapidly, trying to push back the tears of gratitude that threaten to spill. “Mahalo.” He finished simply.
“So what time does dat watch say, bruddah.” Kono said, rising from his chair to clap one of his large hands on Danny’s shoulder.
“It says that it’s time for cake, Kono.” Chin answered, as he too stood and circled around to stand behind Danny, patting him on the back before he went to help Jenny fetch the flatware and napkins.
They spent the better part of the afternoon, relaxing over coffee and Jenny’s famous raisin spice cake, discussing the various cases that they had worked on together. Danny couldn’t remember the last time the team as a whole had done that, just sit there and talk. Duke was the first to leave as he had to go finish up some business in his own office. He was followed closely behind by Che. Steve reminded the scientist that they were still hoping to get somewhere on the various fingerprints collected at the different hotels.
“I know, Steve. I think we’re getting closer to having a definitive set that will prove that it is a team of thieves rather than just an individual or two. I got the boys hard at work right now, so we should know more by tomorrow morning.” The older man replied, stepping up to Danny to shake his hand. “Congratulations, Detective.”
“Thanks, Che.”
“Well, Danny.” Jenny said leaning up to give him a peck on the cheek. “I hope that you know that Steve is going to expect nothing short of total promptness from here on in.”
“That’s right, Love.” Steve grinned at the blonde woman. “Why do you think I picked out a watch, instead of cuff links?”
They all laughed. Jenny coerced Kono into helping her clean up and to return the dishes and flatware to the Palace commissary on his way out. The big man had a date with a woman named Barbara Sue that evening; he had been talking about it all week. Chin followed them out after shaking Danny’s hand one last time and promising Steve that he would be in early in the morning to meet up with Che. Danny watched them all walk out of Steve’s office, a warm smile firmly in place upon his face.
“Is it okay? The watch, I mean. I’m sure we can work out a deal with Kam if you wanted something different. Like the cuff links or something else. It might cost a little more money, but I’m sure I can swing it. They had a gold one that was reall-.”
“Steve.” Danny cut off his boss mid-speech. He was somewhat stunned. He had never witnessed Steve rambling before. “I like it. No, love it. It truly is a beautiful watch. Thank you.”
He watched as Steve’s normally even skin tone took on a rosy tint high in cheeks.
“Aw, Danno, it’s nothing really. The team –“
“No, Steve. It is not ‘nothing’ as you say. It something . . . no, everything. Not only does it tell me that you think that I am worthy enough to be a member of Five-O in the first place, but that I am a functioning part, an active member, of this team. You have no idea what your faith and Chin’s and Kono’s faith in me means to me. So thank you, Steve, I know it was your idea.” Danny watched as Steve rose from his desk and walked over to stand in front of him while he spouted out his heartfelt speech. “This watch means more to me than just as a method to tell time. It is a connection to the only family I have here.”
“I know it’s something, because you’re really something, Danno.” Steve reached out his hand as if to shake and waited for Danny to grip it. “I was just saying that if you preferred a different style, we could do that. I know it’s only a watch, but to me . . . and the team . . . well, it’s a very small token as to how I . . . uh, we feel about you. As our fellow officer and as a friend, it doesn’t even begin to touch on how much you bring to this office, both in knowledge and support. We just wanted a way to show you how we will always be there for you . . . like you are always there for us, time and time, again.”
Danny continued to stare up at Steve’s unusually open face as the taller man spoke of the friendship and the camaraderie that had become nearly commonplace in the office. He had spent so much time in the presence of this man and yet he had only seen him this vulnerable, this exposed, a handful of times, but usually it was after someone he cared for had been taken advantage of or injured in some way. His dark blue eyes were widened in worry, while his chin was jutting out in determination. Like he was willing to fight Danny to the death to make him understand what his worth was to the team, to him. It was nearly overwhelming to Danny to see all those emotions, usually brought out one by one, warring across his boss’ face.
“I understand. I do, Steve. I just think that maybe you all spent too much money –“
“You’re worth it, Danno.”
Steve’s voice had deepened slightly and it sounded somewhat like he was struggling for breath. Danny looked down at their hands, clasp in between them. Steve’s long, tapered fingers wrapped snuggly around his hand, nearly engulfing it. His thumb brushed absently against the webbing between Danny’s own thumb and his index finger. But it’s not just Steve, is it? Danny thought wildly, I’m gripping his hand as if it were a lifeline; as if he was the only one who can save me. But from what, his mind asked his heart. He glanced briskly up at Steve’s face before dropping his gaze back down to their hands.
“Uh.” Danny started.
“Oh, sorry, Danno.” Steve replied, releasing his hand and stepping back towards his desk and clearing his throat. “So now that you have that nice, new timepiece, I expect you to be here bright and early tomorrow. We are going to nail those burglars to the wall. ” He watched as Steve reached down and started shuffling some loose papers on his desk. He had worked with the man long enough now to recognize when he was being dismissed.
“Okay, Steve.” Danny couldn’t help the hurt tone that had crept into his voice. “See you in the morning . . .”
“Night, Danno.”
Friday, 03 August, 1972
"Danno, if you think I'm going to wear that tonight, think again!"
“Kono. You’re our undercover man. You have to wear it or else you aren’t going to fit in.” Danny could feel his patience starting to slip. He held the garishly patterned long skirt, pa’u his mind supplied, out to his fellow officer. “You know if Chin or I could do it, we would. It’s just that, well, you look more . . . traditional.”
“You mean like a jolly, fat native.” Kono’s voice had all the petulance of a twelve year-old.
“No! That’s not what I mean, at all, and you know it. I mean that your ancestry dates back on this rock a lot longer than mine and even further back than Chin’s.” Danny explained to the Hawaiian why he was singled out, for the umpteenth time. “Besides, you’re the one that has been practicing all week. None of the rest of us would have any ideas to what we would be doing up there. So come on, chin up. Maybe it will be a defining moment in your life and some Hollywood producer will take a shining to you. Can you see it now? Kono Kalakaua stars in the ‘Island Life’. Co-starring Brigitte Bardot.” Danny had been moving his hands high above him as if placing the letters upon an imaginary marquee.
“Brigitte Bardot is mighty fine, bruddah.”
“I know. Now hurry up and finish getting ready. We have a band of thieves to catch.” Danny reached for the door knob to go, to allow Kono some privacy.
“Hey, Danno? Do you think Steve is going to see me up there?”
Danny could feel his heart going out to the big goof. He wouldn’t want to be on stage in that outfit. Not in front of strangers, not in front of friends, and definitely not in front of their boss. What Steve thought of him had become more important to him recently, not that he would admit it out loud.
"Bruddah, there's no way Steve is not going to notice. But I think he’s going to be really proud of all the hard work you put into this, especially if we catch the thieves. Now come on, get dressed. I’ll see you out there.” Danny edged out the door and pulled it shut behind him. He laughed quietly to himself as he walked out of the hotel towards the luau pit, where the rest of the team was preparing to divide and conquer the crooks. Kono was a good detective and great friend, but a hula star, Danny swiped the light sweat forming on his brow once he entered the sunlight. Not a chance, he chuckled quietly. Not a chance.
Wednesday, 20 September, 1972
Danny stared in stunned disbelief at the scene in front of him from his seat upon one of the hard wooden benches lining the wall of the arrival gate. Where once there were women screaming and men shouting as they ran for the exits. There was nothing now. Nothing but blessed peace and quiet . . . and a dead body lying in the middle of the airport terminal. Danny looked across the way as Ben Kokua, the new detective on the team, talked to a group of witnesses. Chin’s face was decidedly more stony than usual as he jotted down information in his notebook as he looked examined the body of William Clayton. He watched as Chin used his pen to pull a scrap of something from Clayton’s shirt pocket.
“You’re here. You’re okay. That’ll make Steve calm down a bit.” Danny looked up as he saw Duke walking towards him. “We were all worried that maybe you might have been . . .”
“I’m fine, Duke.” Danny interjected, cutting the other man off before he could finish voicing the team’s fears. His own were still a little too close to the surface for him to address. “There was no way that I was going to board a plane with that man.” He stared at the body across from him, being draped in a white cloth. One arm still peeked out, the dead man’s dragon tattoo partially visible. Weary from his hostage ordeal, Danny leaned his elbows on his knees and ran his hands through the hairs on the back of his bowed head, feeling the large bump that had risen there in the last hour.
“I know. I just . . . when it came over the radio that there was a shooting and that a member of the task force was taken.” Duke gave a heavy sigh. “I was with Steve over at the Aloha Tower. He didn’t take it well, Danny. Not well at all. We weren’t expecting Clayton to make a break for the airport. He didn’t stick to his own plan. I’ll tell you what though; I don’t think I have ever seen Steve break so many laws of road, as I did on the way here.”
“Where is he, Duke? Where’s Steve?” Danny asked tipping his head back to look at the sage looking policeman.
“He got cornered by the Leland Todd on the way in. He’s the guy that runs Honolulu International. But if I know Steve, he’ll be here soon. I got get back . . .” Danny watched as Duke hooked a thumb over his shoulder and then started to turn away. “Just sit and rest, Danny.”
Danny felt the guilt ebbing through his body as he sat watching the men in blue working their way through the crowd, gathering statements and labeling evidence. He knew that if he offered to help that he would be turned down. He was too close to the case, seeing how he was a victim and hadn’t been debriefed yet, but that didn’t make him feel any better. And they were a man down now, what with Kono gone.
Sighing, he thought back to brief moments in the dressing room before the team successfully captured the gang of teens that had been breaking into the extravagant suites of all of the high-end hotels. He had joked to Kono about being discovered and against all odds that’s exactly what had happened. Seems as though the founder of the Hawaiian Arts and Hula Society was impressed enough with Kono’s stage presence, not to mention his policing background that he offered him a job as security/headliner on the spot. Kono had turned him down of course, but after several talks with Steve and one memorable one with the Governor, in which Kono returned to the office, cheeks rosy in embarrassment, the big man tendered his resignation and took to the stage.
So here they were, a man down already, the new detective was still getting a feel for the responsibilities that came with being on Five-O, and now Danny sidelined until he could be cleared to assist. He dropped his head in hands again and felt the anger at the situation bubbling up from within.
“How can I do the job, when I’m being forced to sit here?” He muttered to the empty seats around him. He straightened up and leaned his head gently back against the wall; rolling it slightly to the right, so as not put any pressure on the lump. Letting his eyes drift out of focus, Danny concentrated on the very recent past and how it would look to everyone. A cop knocked on the head and thrown in a trunk. Yeah, he thought bitterly, the media was going to have a field day with this. But he could weather the scrutiny as long as they didn’t know why he had been singled out.
“Danno? Where’s Danno?” He heard Steve’s voice from across the lounge and brought his eyes back into focus.
Danny watched as a look of pure fear stole over the dark haired man’s face, as his shoulders sagged significantly and his hands clenched into tight fists at his side. He followed Steve’s line of sight and realized that the shrouded body lay between he and Steve. Steve stared in horror before he found his voice to yell. "No..."
Every man and woman in that terminal turned as one to see the tall head of the task force, start a slow tortured walk towards the sheet covered body. The realization that Steve thought that he was dead struck Danny at the same time that their eyes met across the lounge. Even from a distance, he could see the fear and relief battled across Steve’s strong features. That was until another, even more heavy emotion that Danny was fearful to name entered the fray, its inclusion practically paralyzed his boss. He lifted a hand in a weary greeting.
“Danno!” Steve’s long legs ate up the negative space between them until he was knelt down beside his second-in-command. “Are you okay? Are you injured? I . . . We came as soon as we could.”
“Yeah, Steve. Duke said that you broke more than a few laws getting here.”
“Yes, well, we had to get to . . . Clayton . . .” Steve flattened his eyes and glanced briefly over to the body on the floor and waited for Danny to nod confirmation that it was indeed the man they sought before continuing. “. . . and you, of course. Was it you that . . .?” Steve’s voice trailed off as he nodded back over his shoulder.
“Nah. It was Ben and on the run, too. That man must have a rifle scope for an eye.” Danny chuckled tiredly. He reached up and rubbed at the bump on his head; a reminder of his entry fee for his trunk ride.
“Are you hurt? Let me see.” Steve rose up to tower over the blonde detective.
Danny noticed that his hand, surprisingly soft as it gentled through the tangled curls on the back of Danny’s head, belied a faint tremor. “I’m okay, Steve. It’s just a bump. It’s nothing, really.”
He realized that Steve hadn’t heard him though. How could he when he was busy calling over the coroner.
“Doc, could you take a look at Danny. He says it just a bump, but you know how he is.”
Danny could tell that there was still worry running beneath the no-nonsense tone that his boss had adopted. So he sat patiently and watched as the curmudgeonly older man picked up his bag from beside Clayton’s body and walked over to them.
“I know how you both are, Steve.” Doc Bergman dropped his bag onto the bench beside Danny and reached into his breast pocket to pull out his pen light. “Well, young man, what was it this time? Rock? Gun?”
“Tire iron. I think. I’m not really sure, Doc. Clayton came up behind me and snarled something in my ear before it all went blank.” Danny tried hard not to flinch as the bright light passed before each of his eyes. He could see Steve tensing even more, no doubt wondering what Clayton had said.
“Tire iron . . .hmm, well, that would do the trick, now wouldn’t it.” Doc replied, replacing his light so that he could run his fingers over the bump. Danny knew that he would never tell the man, but Steve definitely had a more tender touch.
“Danno . . .”Steve started.
“Steve! You wanted me to examine Danny, so I’m asking you nicely. Sit there and be patient.” Doc, bit out, never letting his gaze leave Danny’s face; gauging it for any reaction. “So, Williams. Any nausea? Headache? Chills? Double or blurred vision?”
“I kinda got a headache, but that could be from you poking at it, Doc. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure I’m okay.” Danny answered in a tight voice. He watched as Chin came up and started to fill Steve in on the facts about the shooting. Though they moved a few feet away, so as not to disturb either Danny or the doctor; Steve never let his eyes stray from the pair on the bench.
“Well, I don’t feel any dents, which would signify a fracture, but you should get an x-ray anyway.” Doc Bergman said as he looked at a bruise that was starting to deepen around Danny’s neck. “Did Clayton try to choke you, Danny?”
“I don’t think so . . . maybe? I don’t remember. Sorry.” Danny wrinkled his nose as he tried to get the events of the past hour to slide into place. He didn’t remember being choked, but then he hadn’t come to until his abductor had dragged him from trunk. “Why?”
“Well, Danny. There is some definitive bruising stretching along the width of your neck and along you chin. It’s still feint right now, indicating that it is relatively fresh. Open your jaw for me, will you?” The doctor pulled out his pen light and shone it into Danny’s mouth. “Looks like you’ve got some tearing on the inside of your lips as well. Are you sure you don’t have any idea how this happened?”
“He might have popped me a few times when I was out. I just don’t remember, Doc.”Danny said as he shook his head, watching as Chin handed Steve the piece of paper Danny had seen him pull from Clayton’s pocket earlier. “I’m okay, though. I don’t think I need to go in, do you?”
He watched as Steve read the paper and looked up to stare at him being poked and prodded by the county coroner. His eyes seemed to shutter when he noticed Danny watching him. He turned to the older officer by his side and said something quietly to which Chin shook his head and walked away.
“What is it Steve?” Danny asked, feeling it was his right to know, seeing how he was the one that had been abducted by the dead man.
“Nothing.” Steve answered quickly. “Just a list of his demands. Demands that he will never get to make.” He looked over the doctor’s shoulder. “So, Doc. He gonna live?”
“Well, Steve, He should be watched for the next twenty-four hours. Just to be sure that the wound on his head isn’t more serious than he is letting on, but on a whole I think he’s going to live.” Danny felt the doctor clap him lightly on the shoulder. “Looks like you will be buying daisies, before you ever push them up. Not saying that doesn’t grant me some relief. Well, I had better go check on my other patient; though I’m sure he’s not going to be going anywhere soon.”
Danny could feel Steve’s eyes on him as he watched Doc Bergman walk over to the body on the floor. Sighing he glanced up at his boss and felt the air suddenly rush out of his lungs at the intensity that had settled deeply into Steve’s eyes.
“What did he say, Danno? What did Clayton say as he took you?” Steve asked in a hushed tone. Danny couldn’t find it in him to tell Steve that Clayton had made several remarks about his good looks and what they made him want to do to Danny. It would only set Steve off.
“I . . . I don’t remember . . . I . . . I’m okay, Steve, even Doc said so. It’s just a knock on the head. Nothing to worry about.” Danny raised a stuttering hand to lightly touch his boss’ arm, but his aim was off and it dropped ineffectually back down to his own knee.
“I know, Danny. It’s just that when the call came that an officer had been taken.” Steve wiped a hand over his face. “I prayed that it wouldn’t be you, but I knew it had to be. I had sent you to that parking lot. I . . . I feared that I had somehow sent you to your death and that, well, that scared me.” Steve said quietly, causing Danny to lean in a little to hear him better. “I know that our job is dangerous, I do. But to think that I could have gotten you killed . . .”
“But you didn’t, Steve. How were we to know that Clayton would react that way to a tail? I know that I didn’t and I’m sure that Chin and Ben will agree. We didn’t know th-“
“It’s our job to know. Ours. We are the ones that are supposed to find these animals and lock them up before they can harm anyone.” Steve slammed his fist into the open palm of his other hand.
“But he didn’t get anyone, Steve. We got him before he could ge-“
“He almost got you, Danno.” Steve said, voice dropping after his short outburst. He dropped to sit next to Danny and bumped his unclenching fist against Danny’s knee. “He almost got you.”
“Almost.” Was all Danny answered as they watched the morgue guys loading Clayton’s body into one of the white zip bags for transport.
Tuesday, 18 October, 1972
Danny leaned against the wall of the Palace next to where Chin sat on the steps; both of them waiting for Steve and Ben to come down from the office. They were to have a group photo shoot today, one that they had all bemoaned, but since it was at the behest of Governor Jameson, they had all relented. Danny knew that it wasn’t because of their distrust of the press that made them want to decline, though that might have made it that much more difficult for them to schedule a time.
No, it was because they were still trying to get their flow again after a few stumbles earlier in the autumn, none that were of their making, but the general public, led by the press, seemed to have a few doubts. Danny had had to deal with the aftermath of an accidental shooting, Ben was still trying to get his bearings with the pace in which the 5-0 task force operated, and Steve . . . well, Steve had had another run-in with the evil Wo-Fat, Danny thought bitterly. None of these issues ultimately fell on their shoulders, but it wasn’t as if they, as a team, couldn’t feel the weight of them anyway.
There were few settings in ‘Iolani Palace, where they were coifed and posed by the photographer’s assistant until they were growing weary of the directions she seemed to repeat every five seconds in a simpering voice. If Kono had been there, he would have outshone them all trying to gain her favor. Heck, Danny thought, watching one of the new Ford Pinto’s roll to stop by the courthouse. If Kono had been here he would have tried to make it a challenge to see how much faster he could have got her number than Danny.
He caught Chin smiling at him from behind his newspaper; a smile he returned good-naturedly. Chin returned to the paper he was reading, leaving Danny to his own thoughts again. He used to collect a lot of numbers, more than Kono, but ever since Jane, well, he was too busy and to be honest with himself, he didn’t want to open his heart to more pain. He had loved Jane; she was smart and beautiful, so full of life. But with her gone, Danny didn’t think he had it within himself to love again.
He glanced at the entrance of the Palace, but the doors stayed firmly closed.
“You want a section?” Chin asked, offering up a few pages of newsprint.
Danny took it, but he wasn’t in the mood to read. He couldn’t seem to get his brain to settle today. Well, he thought, not since the incident with Clayton. Something had happened that day, but he couldn’t get a handle on what. The guys, relieved not only because he was okay, were happy because they had had to postpone the photo shoot to wait for the bruises to go away. He smiled at the memory of the chuck on the shoulder from Ben that had nearly driven him into a wall; it was the first time they had truly bonded with one another.
Danny flipped the page over and let his eyes rove over the advertisements. One for a band playing at Club Wa-Wa caught his eye. The headliner this week was Jimmy Diamond and the 12-Karats. He had gone to see them earlier in the summer with Kono and a couple of girls he had found for them. The guy was talented, but definitely not his taste. Maybe you’re getting old, he chided himself silently. He had gone home alone that night and remembered being thankful for that fact. His girl was sweet, Karen or Sharon, he couldn’t remember, maybe it was Sarah. He sighed and glanced at the doors again before sitting down next to Chin.
Chin handed him another page of the paper, before he settled down to work on the crossword puzzle. Danny skimmed through the headlines, trying to find one that looked interesting, before finally settling on an article on the decriminalization of homosexual sex acts between consenting adults. He had followed the bill closely as it had passed into law earlier in the year and not only because he was in law enforcement. He glanced up and watched the sun play tag through the wind rustled leaves of the shade trees in the courtyard. It was if the leaves were dodging back and forth to escape being burned. He knew the feeling, he thought blithely.
The story may have been in today’s paper, but it had started for Danny nearly fifteen years ago. He had never told anyone, but during his time in Berkley, he had witnessed a few of his friends leading double lives, like Hugh and Doug, that had been in his dorm. They had tried everything to hide their sexual desires; from fake dates and sports to academics and even religion for Doug. Sitting here now, Danny remembered how they were never really happy in any of those pursuits. And sure, he had seen those that didn’t shy away from acting out on those feelings. He also remembered the severe beatings they had endured for having them in the first place.
Sighing softly, Danny wondered where his friends were now. Doug had entered the priesthood after his parents found out from a family friend that their son was seen holding hands with another boy at the park. It seemed wrong to him that his friend’s family couldn’t accept Doug for who he was; a funny, and outgoing young man with tendency for practical jokes. But Doug could always get out of trouble with a flash of his boyish grin and a quick apology.
Hugh, though, Hugh was one of Danny’s most solid friends on the mainland. He was tall and dark to Danny’s slight and fair, causing many of their friends to call them ‘Mutt and Jeff’ from the old comic strip. He played on the tennis team and Danny had even doubled dated a few times with him. He was also aces when it came to anything science, not one of Danny’s strong subjects, so Hugh had spent hours tutoring him on the finer points of everything chemistry related. They, along with Doug, had developed a bond that drove their dorm mother crazy trying to keep them out of mischief.
Danny glanced at Chin and smiled. The older detective’s chin had dropped down to his chest, which was rising and falling in a slow and steady manner. He felt a kinship with man, with all his fellow teammates, but none of them seemed to fill the hole that had been vacated by Hugh and Doug. The man to come closest was Steve, but Danny couldn’t imagine asking Steve to kiss him as he once had Hugh.
It had been over spring break, his junior year and since he and his friends weren’t heading to their respective homes and hadn’t made any fanciful plans, they had taken a hotel room near the rocky beach of northern California. They had planned to surf and just laze around that week, but the weather had other ideas, forcing them indoors for much of their holiday. They had taken turns those first few nights, two of them taking the two beds and the third taking a sleeping bag on the floor, but somewhere along the way, Danny slept in one bed and Doug and Hugh shared, each saying ‘he didn’t mind’.
One day near the end of the week, Danny had caught them hugging in the bathroom and asked them about it and they had come clean about everything. To say he was shocked would have been a mistruth, Danny had been stunned, he had no idea that either of his friends had thought like that. Danny just stared down at his shoes now and picked a piece of lint off of his blue suit pants as his memory of that day automatically bled into the memory of that night. They were all nearly broke so they had gotten a few sodas and a couple of burgers each and had brought them back to the room. His friends had acted no different than they always had, so Danny was surprised when they asked if he had any questions about his discovery earlier. The talk had gone on for hours and only ended when both of his friends had been surprised at his request for a kiss, he was curious after all, but both of them had declined for fear they wouldn’t name.
It would be the week before the end of the semester that during a tutoring session that Hugh asked if he still wanted that kiss. It hadn’t been terrible like Danny assumed it would be. Hugh had held him gently by the shoulders and asked Danny to close his eyes. When their lips first touched it had been no different than kissing the few girls had dated at Berkley. But when he had unconsciously reached a hand up to his partners’ cheek to deepen the kiss like he had with the girls, he was slightly shocked to feel stubble he forgot would be there. He had backed away in surprise at first, but then asked Hugh to kiss him again; an act they repeated a few more times that night. The memories were still so fresh in Danny’s mind, now fifteen years later, that he could still smell Hugh’s aftershave whenever he thought about that night and here lately he thought about it a often.
Danny leaned his head back against the wall and let his eyes drift shut. He had never told another living soul about that trip or the tutoring session or how he had learned that there are several ways to love your fellow man. Danny never saw either of his friends again after the end of term. He had come back to Hawaii for the summer and when he returned in the fall, both of them had moved on, Doug to the seminary and he had no clue what happened to Hugh. Sighing inwardly, he hoped they were happy, wherever they were.
The detective froze as he heard the soft, distinctive click from somewhere close behind him. But it was just the photographer snapping the back closed on his camera. Danny swiveled his head to watch as the man, in his flaming yellow and orange print shirt, set his bag down and shoved his fists onto his hips. He liked this man less and less every minute.
“Where are the other two?” He asked, his tone bordering on disgust . “McGarrett and the other one.”
“They’re on their way down.” Chin answered evenly, always the diplomat. Danny glanced at Chin, he hadn’t known that he was awake.
“Well someone should go up and tell them . . . oh . . . never mind, there they are.” Danny turned his head to follow the cameraman’s pointing finger and watched as Steve and Ben pushed through the doors.
“Well, let’s get this show on the road.” Steve called out “It’s not as if the criminals have stopped committing their crimes just so we can be preserved for all time and eternity.”
Danny could have hugged the man right then and there, if it wouldn’t have wrinkled their suits. He smiled slightly at the thought that Hawaii was forward thinking enough to make it a law that didn’t make it improper.
It took another hour of the four of them walking repeatedly up the drive of the Palace, before the little man in the loud shirt was happy with whatever he saw in the cross-hairs of his camera lens.
Wednesday 01 November, 1972
The first thing that Danny could make out was the beeping of a monitor somewhere over his right shoulder. It wasn’t as loud as a busy signal, but that didn’t make it any less annoying. Then it just faded away again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He could feel something pulling on his nose, an unpleasant feeling that was accompanied by a hissing sound and small whoosh of air. He wanted it to stop, but he couldn’t lift his hand to move it. He thought maybe the same thing pulling on his nose was also tying his hand down. But when he tried to think about it, it all just scattered into blackness.
~~~~~~~~~~
“And did the ghost wear tap-shoes? You have to tune in –“
~click~
“-in Mannix.”
~click~
“Coming up, That Certain Summer, starring Hal Holbrook and Martin Sheen.”
~~~~~~~~
Danny could hear a man talking to what sounded like a boy. He couldn’t recognize the voices, but the man seemed so sincere in what he was saying. Danny tried to concentrate the best he could, but all he could make out was that the boy didn’t seem happy, his tone belying petulance, while the man explained about his love for Gary. Try as he might though, Danny couldn’t remember anyone named Gary. It made his head hurt even trying to place him, enough so that he lost all ability to think and the sound faded out again.
~~~~~~
“ . . . – anno, easy. She’s just try – . . . – ake you more comforta – . . . – riend.” Danny could hear Steve and knew that he was saved, but he couldn’t make his boss’ word make sense. They seemed to be half-finished and either too loud or too soft. He found it to be terribly frustrating. But soon after he decided to stop struggling and wait for Steve to loosen his bonds; that should help clear his mind he thought wildly.
~~~~
“. . . – kay, my friend. Just relax, Danno. Stop struggling, it’s going to be okay.” Danny could finally make out what Steve was saying, bringing a tremendous relief to him. He had thought that he had gone deaf and would have to leave 5-0. “You’re in the hospital, Danno. I need you to just relax and breathe, okay? Can you hear me? Relax, that’s an order.”
“I think he can hear you, Mr. McGarrett, keep talking.” Danny didn’t know who the feminine voice belonged to so he dismissed it and concentrated on Steve’s. Danny didn’t like the uneasy tone he heard there, but it was welcoming all the same. As was the familiar smell of Steve’s aftershave.
“We got them, Danno, the Chinese dignitary is safe and Chin and Ben booked the bombers. You are going to be okay, do you understand me? You are okay, my friend, it’s just a relapse from yesterday. Just get some rest, Danno. I’ll be here when you are feeling better, I promise. I’m not going anywhere. You . . .” Danny didn’t track what else Steve said, he willingly let the darkness overtake him again. Steve would be there when he woke up.
Friday, 22 December, 1972
"I don't think that's such a good idea, boss.” Chin said, watching Steve balance precariously upon one of the rolling chair from Jenny’s desk as he stretched to place the star on the tree. Danny watched the pair from his cubicle, while waiting for his call to go through. Ben stood near them, fastening a garland around the watercooler.
November had sped past in a blur of activity. Chin had been forced to say goodbye to his uncle and his cousin as they were used as pawns in a horrible crime. They had crossed paths with the Vashon’s again in a series of events that had pruned the mob family’s tree severely and had nearly cost Steve his job. It was a trying time for the entire team.
“Have no fear, my good man; I have stood on the deck of a Destroyer in 30-foot seas. I think I can handle a simple thing like a chair with whe . . .whoa! . . .wheels, with wheels.” Danny chuckled to himself as both Ben and Chin reached out to steady their boss.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Kalakaua is busy right now, can I take your name and number and have him call you back when he is available?” A voice spoke politely over the phone. It was the receptionist for the HA&HS, the company that Kono had gone to work for.
“No problem, miss. Just tell him Danno called.” Danny rested the handset in the cradle after thanking the girl and wishing her a Merry Christmas. He went out to help the other fellows finish hanging the garlands.
They were readying the office for the parade of children that would visit them in the afternoon. The children, whose mothers or fathers worked in the Palace, would visit each office for a little holiday cheer after their holiday performance in the main lobby. Danny didn’t know when the tradition started as it had been in place before he started at 5-0, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. It was nice to see everyone let their hair down for a change.
The office was filled shortly with boisterous kids and their laughing parents. Everyone talked and exchanged warm handshakes and hugs as if they were long lost family. It made Danny feel a little maudlin deep down really; thinking of his only living family, Aunt Clara, who was over an ocean and a continent away. He stepped over to the punchbowl and ladled up some of the frothy red concoction. The sweetness made him wince. He watched as the pretty redhead from accounting slowly made the punchbowl her destination.
~~~~~
The party was winding down as various families moved on to the other offices on their floor. Danny was helping a few of the girls from the typing pool collect spent napkins and empty cups from the various surfaces of the office when he heard the phone ring. He was making sure to keep a desk between himself and the redhead when he heard Jenny laughing.
“Danny, it’s for you. I’ll transfer it to your office.” Jenny called out gaily.
“Thanks.” He replied hustling towards his office with a handful of party debris. Tossing the trash into his wastepaper basket, he snagged up the phone and leaned against his desk. “Williams.”
“Bruddah?”
“Hey. Yeah, Kono, hey howzit? I was just calling to say Mele Kalikimaka, you big kanaka. How’s the glamorous life?”
“It’s good. It’s good. We’ve got bookings through next March and more on the horizon. I’ll tell ya though. If I thought dat da life of a cop was rough. Woo-wee, we always be movin’, bruddah. Howz everything be dere?”
“Good. Good. Had a few rough patches the past couple of months, but everything seems to be meshing finally. Everyone sends their greetings you know. We miss you, you big lug. So, what island are you guys on right now?”
“Aw, tell ‘em all hello, will ya. I miss you guys, too. We’re booked in on Maui through da 24th. Got da holiday off, then we’re off to Hilo for da New Years.”
“Sounds like you made the big time, Kono. Getting many numbers?”
“Big time is right, Danno. Onwards and upwards. Der’s talk of maybe travelling up to da mainland, you know? See if it won’t make people wanna come down to the islands. And about da numbers, well, I’ll tell ya. Lelani would boot my hind end if I still were getting any numbers.”
“Lelani, huh? Sounds serious.”
“It is, bruddah. Thinkin’ she’s da one, ya know. Just a sec.” Danny listened to a muted conversation as it filtered through what must have been Kono’s large fingers over the mouthpiece. “Look, I gotta get movin’, but it was great talking with ya. Come out to da show when we’re in town, alright. I’ll spot ya tickets, man.”
“I’ll do that, Kono. I’ll do that. Hey, Mele Kaliki – “ Danny didn’t finish the greeting, nobody wants to wish a dial tone a Merry Christmas, he thought sadly, replacing the phone in its cradle.
It had been great to talk to Kono again. He really did miss the big man, but it seemed like he had outgrown them now. Danny didn’t even know why he called, well that’s a lie, he thought, chastising himself. He had called hoping to angle an invite to the Kalakaua festivities. He had gone over there the past two Christmases and had been so overwhelmed by the large and boisterous family that he didn’t concentrate on his own lack of kin to celebrate the holidays with.
Pulling his jacket from its hanger on the coat tree he tucked it over his arm and looked out at the nearly clean office. Chin had gone home with his family and he could see Ben flirting with the brunette from the next office over. He glanced over at Steve’s door and thought about knocking, but in the end he just crossed to the exit and walked down the stairs to his car. They were off until the 26th and he felt as if he were a sea and there were no buoys in sight. It wasn’t like he hadn’t spent a holiday alone before, but it would be nice not to. Sliding into the Mustang, he pulled away from the curb with a miserable cloud hanging over him.
Monday, 25 December, 1972 – Christmas.
He had gotten up and after a breakfast of toast and coffee and opened the small gift that Aunt Clara had sent. A new datebook, the same gift that she had been sending him for nearly ten years running now; he sat at his desk and stared at the old datebook, its cover hardly creased. Flipping through the months, he found himself counting the empty days, where he had made no plans. The number was truly disturbing.
A knock came at his door, softly at first as if hoping he wouldn’t answer, then stronger. He glanced at his watch, the face slightly cracked after his ordeal on Halloween. 11:15. He knew he should take it in to be repaired, but . . .the knock sounded again, more urgently. He stood and walked slowly to the door, almost daring whoever was on the other side to give up and leave. But when he cracked it open and saw Steve, with a look of steely determination on his face, he knew his mouth dropped open in wonderment.
“Steve!” Danny remembered how shocked his voice had sounded.
“Danno . . . May I come in?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry. Please come in. Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? I have coffee.” He couldn’t control his tangled tongue. He set about trying to straighten his already tidy apartment.
“No, thank you.” Steve replied, settling lightly on the arm of the sofa. “Are you okay, Danno?”
Danny stopped his blustering and turned slowly towards his boss. Steve sat erect, one hand resting on his thigh as the other lifted slightly in an almost pleading fashion towards the younger man.
“What? Okay? Yeah, I’m fine, Steve, really.”
“It’s just that you’ve seemed . . . well, I guess I would call it discontent lately; for the past few months, actually. Like you’ve grown weary of the job, of the people you help, of the people . . . around you.”Danny was perplexed at Steve’s assessment. Sure, he had been off because of the holidays, but a couple of months.
“I’m sorr – “
“No, Danno, don’t be sorry, just . . .”He watched as Steve looked around his apartment, his intense eyes taking in every tidy nook and cranny. “I want to help, Danno. Please, let me help.”
Danny leaned against his desk and stared at the man in front of him. He had never heard Steve’s voice take on such a pleading edge before. It was unsettling. He never let his eyes wander from his boss’s face as Steve’s gaze finally stopped its roving and landed firmly on him. He could feel the air slowly seeping from his body, but it was as if none was entering them, causing him to nearly start panting. Those dark blue eyes seemed to cut through him, seeking out all the secrets and hidden truths deep within his soul, below his flesh. Danny found that he was helpless to look away.
Slowly, Steve stood and crossed to stand directly in front of Danny. He lifted his long arms and placed his strong hands on either side of Danny’s neck, wrapping his fingers lightly, gently around behind, cupping and tilting Danny’s head back.
“Danno.” He breathed, as his lips made a painfully slow descent towards the younger man’s. “Tell me ‘no’, Danno.”
Danny knew now what had been torturing him these past few months. It all came rushing at him, as fast as from one heartbeat to the next. It wasn’t that he missed Aunt Clara or Jane or even Kono. It wasn’t that he had no social life. It wasn’t any dissatisfaction with the job. nd it wasn’t that he was lonely, he was, but that wasn’t the case here. It was that he had fallen ever so subtly for the man in front of him right now. He knew that never again would he ever say the word no, because he knew with everything in his mind and in his heart that he wanted this, he wanted Steve.
When the maddening wait was over, when Steve’s lips gently brushed against his, it was as if the world had stopped spinning and then it started spinning out of control. Their hands caressed one another’s bodies, as Steve tilted his head subtly to the side, to deepen the kiss. Danny felt suddenly as if he were riding a long board atop a tsunami wave and there was no end in sight and he couldn’t care less. He wanted never to touch dry land again, if he could continue to stay in Steve’s arms and feel his powerful lips against his own.
He felt Steve’s tongue slide softly against the soft bottom edge of his upper lip, causing him to gasp, letting his partners’ tongue delve into his own mouth. The sweet slipping and sliding of Steve’s nimble tongue caused Danny’s knees to start to quiver. He slid an arm up around the dark haired man’s neck pulling him closer. The heat between their chests was rapidly building.
When they finally parted, they leaned into one another and just clung to one another, gasping for breath. It was Steve that spoke first.
“Have dinner with me.”
“Yes.” Was all Danny could say.
They shared a late lunch at one of the finer Japanese restaurants in Waikiki. As they sat on cushions under woodblock prints depicting a multitude of Samurai, they talked. They talked, of their pasts, of their lives, of their hopes for the future. The sat there so long, sampling the many wonderful flavors of Japan by way of the Hawaiian waters, that when they finally stood to go back to Steve’s, they laughed at how stiff their legs had become. Driving down the palm lined road, Danny couldn’t stop the grin that had settled upon his face. He was having the best Christmas ever. He looked down at the large hand that gripped his thigh and followed the arm up to Steve’s face, his smile just as brilliant as the multitude of twinkling holiday lights festooned between the light posts.
Monday 01 January, 1973 – Two hours later.
Danny could feel the sun’s heat starting to warm the water around him as he again sat behind the breakers. The sun had come up some time ago and he made several rides in, only to paddle out and start all over. He was going to be sore later, but it was worth it just to be doing what he loved.
He glanced towards the shore and could see the city coming alive again. A few cars travelled near the docks and the occasional couple crossed the sand, suit jacket and dress shoes in hands, returning home from the previous evening’s festivities. He could feel a smile growing as he thought back to how he had spent the evening, nestled on Steve’s sofa, a snifter of brandy in one hand and Steve’s hand in his other, watching the spectacular display of fireworks explode over the harbor.
He dipped his head and could feel the heat growing on his cheeks as he remembered how sweetly Steve had kissed him on the stroke of midnight. It was possibly, no, it was the greatest kiss he had ever experienced. So far, he thought wildly. And the slow seductive journey into the bedroom was nothing short of tantalizing and torturous all at once.
Danny lay down on his board and started paddling towards shore. He could see the figure in the grey sweatshirt and white shorts jog along the shoreline. Maybe he could catch that one more perfect wave that would lead him right to his lover.
Pau.
- Both Hawaii and Iowa did pass laws to decriminalize the consensual act of homosexuality between consenting adults in 1972. Hawaii’s was passed in April. THANK YOU, LadyOscar
- Also, “That Certain Summer” was an ABC made-for-TV movie, which did premiere on 01 November, 1972. It stars Hal Holbrook as a divorced dad living with his partner, Gary (played by Martin Sheen) in San Francisco. His son, who lives in LA with his mother comes to visit his dad over summer break and discovers his dad’s lifestyle by accident. It apparently leads to some angst-y times. I found a little information on both IMDB.com and the evil Wikipedia.