A winning Formula

Em

Em ran as fast as she could to escape the man who was pursuing her. Her heart was pounding and the blood rushed to her face at a rate of knots. Perspiration trickled down the side of her face; both lungs burning as the cool breath hit. To stop meant she would be captured and face imminent harm.

Her only chance was to carry on she held the flash-drive that tightly her knuckles where white. People stopped as she ran past them, looking, watching as she pushed past some, trying not to knock the advertising boards, trip, or fall over roped sections on the sidewalk.

Em knew she needed to get herself to safety. She couldn't go to the Police, and had no-one she could trust locally. As Em recalled there was a coffee shop nearby; she would sit at a booth where she could catch her breath and perhaps rest a while.

Arriving at the coffee shop Em pushed her way backwards into a booth, not noticing the guy who sat in the corner. He was reading, papers spread before him, strewn across the table; the open booth faced the window and she could see the man chasing her approach. She turned to see the man's eyes open, pupils dilated. "Kiss me" she said to the stranger. He looked at her as though she had two heads, and was speaking to him in Klingon.

"Excuse me?" he said.

"Kiss me like you know me" she said to the stranger, she leaned over to plant her lips over the strangers, she could see her pursuer stop and place his hands on his thighs in front of the large plate glass window of the shop. Em placed her lips over his; her back towards the window, with her hair curtained over her stranger's face she didn't move. He reacted by placing his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him she fell forward onto him, one arm around his neck to balance herself, the other on his chest her fingers stroking absently his shirt. He gave out a low moan as his tongue began to trace her lips, his body began to stir. Em opened her mouth to allow him in. Forgetting for an instant the predicament she was in.

Regaining her composure, in her peripheral vision, she caught sight of her pursuer. He had moved further along the street looking over his shoulder every second of the way. She withdrew her lips from the strangers and sat on the seat next to him.

"Thank You" she said, her face flushed and eyes brimming with tears. Em stood and made her way to leave, the stranger suddenly moved to his feet after her. Throwing his money on the table and following her quickly to the sidewalk outside; He caught up with her as she was waiting to cross the street. He placed his hand on her waist and turned her to face him. "I think we need to talk" he said.

She turned and buried her head into his chest as he turned her body away from the busy traffic, looking up at him she met his eyes which were looking at her as though she owed him an explanation. Where would she start? She could hardly believe it herself. Em choked her voice was small; "I need to get away from here. Now." she emphasised. He took her hand in a vice like grip, and pulled her away from the traffic. "My truck is this way" he said changing direction.

They walked together in silence; he didn't loosen his grip on her until he reached his dark Chevy truck. Turning towards her, he looked into her eyes to see if there was any indication of her breaking down. Leaning her against the truck's door he asked if she was ready to tell him about what had just happened.

Em hunched forwards and lunged herself at the stranger; pushing her arms against his shoulders with force. He caught her around the waist as she tried to push past him. "Not so fast" he said "You need to tell me what's going on if you want me to help you"

"I don't want, or need your help" she said to the stranger while struggling for release. He refused to let her go,

"Ok" he said "let me give you a ride home then"He said to her. Reluctantly she agreed to get into the truck; she would direct him to the next corner and make him let her go without further questioning. "I only live two blocks away I can walk" she said.

"I am going to take you, and it's not up for discussion!" he said seriously and louder than he expected.

Em got into the truck and gave him the address of her friend. He started off, along the main highway and asked her why she ran into the coffee shop as she did.

"I was being chased by and ex-boyfriend" she said "he wasn't a particularly nice guy and I knew that if I stayed to talk to him I would regret it." She said. It seemed to convince him. So she thought. "Ok" he said where do you need to be dropped?"

"I can walk from the next corner" she said as he pulled up to the curb in the now residential area. Em had flicked the handle and opened the door before the truck came to a stop.

"Hold it right there" he said to Em. She stopped dead in her tracks, and turned to look at him.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Georgina" she replied. It wasn't a lie; she just didn't share with him it wasn't the name she was known by, Georgina was in fact her middle name.

"Ok Georgina, my name is Steve; I work at 5-0 Headquarters. Now, it's your choice, you can either spill or I will take you straight to HPD and I will handcuff you, and use interrogation techniques I haven't used in some time, which will make you tell me".

Em looked at him with eyes like saucers. "I told you" she said "I wanted to get away from an abusive ex-boyfriend" she jumped down from the cab, and thanked Steve for the ride. Walking away from him she could feel his eyes on her back, he didn't drive off and waited to see which house she approached.

A she moved closer to the front entrance, Steve picked his up his phone his fingers already on the screen, he called dispatch...

Steve

These papers were all messed up; he couldn't believe Danny had dropped the evidence recordings that he had poured all yesterday and into the early hours organizing. He needed coffee and he needed it now.

I'll sit over by the window he said to the server as she took his order. Steve liked this coffee shop it allowed him to have the coffee without constant disturbances. He could see some shoppers outside becoming unnerved; he hoped he wouldn't need to intervene.

With his head firmly buried in the paperwork trying to find the missing reference for page three sixty two; the door opened and a young woman slid her body backwards into the booth and sat next to him. She had obviously been unaware of his presence. Shocked, he turned to meet her eyes, which were wide. Her breathing fast and irregular and she had sheen to her skin. She asked him to kiss her, like he knew her.

She leaned over him and rested her lips on his, his lower body suddenly betraying him. He pulled her towards his chest, his hand around her waist while her hand stroked his shirt. Parting her lips with his tongue he moaned. Ugh what was he thinking, she needed his help and he wanted to stick his tongue down her throat.

She turned her head towards the window and said she was leaving; he threw money on the table, and gathered his paperwork, thrusting it under his arm he followed her out onto the sidewalk.

She was aiming to cross the busy road he grabbed her around the waist once more turning her to look at him. Her face became level with his chest; she looked up at him and told him with an urgency she needed to get away from here now.

Grabbing her by the wrist tightly, he stepped away from the traffic and pulled her toward where the truck was parked. He wanted to know who she was. She had obviously lied to him earlier, about the ex-boyfriend.

She reluctantly accepted his offer of a ride home, but remained skittish, and very unsettled. "What's your name?" he asked, hearing the name Georgina as a reply.

Georgina asked him to pull up outside a house which looked to be uninhabited. It was a nice area, and Chin he knew lived around the corner.

She managed to open the door before he could park, but as soon as she left the cab of the truck he pulled his cell out to call dispatch.

He watched her go up the garden path; she stopped at the door, and waved. He pulled away from the curb, and slowed up a little further down the road.

"No said the dispatcher, no-one of that name living at that address" she said. Simply confirming what he had already guessed, she was lying.

Em

Walking up to the front door of the empty house, she was sure he knew she had lied about her name and using this as her address. He saw straight through her. Em turned and lifted her hand slightly as the vehicle pulled away. She waited until the truck slowed at the junction, before stepping around the house taking the back route to the highway. She made a conscious decision to leave the flash drive in the truck tucking it safely under the passenger seat as she left the vehicle. At least she knew where the vehicle would be parked. It would be difficult to recover, as she was sure security would beat an all-time high at 5-0 Headquarters.

Em started to think that all was well, she would get back to her apartment, make sure that Josh was ok as he had been left longer than she expected, or liked.

Em stood at the bus stop she had no problem with public transport, it took her home. Getting off a stop before her appartment she took her time to make sure she wasn't followed. Reaching the door she put her key in the lock and entered the flat. Josh was already in bed and looked pale and sick.

"Hi baby" she said quietly leaning over his frail body and kissing his head. "How are you doing?" Josh looked up at her with wide eyes. "Tired" he replied his voice small, as he looked at her, Em's eyes filled.

"Em" he "asked are you leaving me again?"

"No way" she said "wherever I go, so do you. We are a package, a team… sort of a buy one get one free deal!" she smiled at him. He smiled back at her, he was small for his age and this illness had taken its toll. Josh's symptoms initially presented as a weakness with low grade fevers. He had been treated with oral medication, and had been given shots (not favourably). Now they had worn off and he was in desperate need of further treatment. Em's problem was how she would get it.

Em had taken the results of the tests at the lab where she worked, and studied them. Her findings would blow the lid off a profitable market. She had the evidence downloaded onto a flash-drive which was now hidden safely in the Officers truck. Already there had been threats on her life. They were both in danger; but she felt she could trust no-one.

Josh took the medication Em offered without question; she loved him unconditionally and would do anything to help him. "Josh?" she asked " how about some dinner?"

"Not hungry" he replied.

"Hmm I know" she said "what about some chicken?" she said enthusiastically.

Em managed to make Josh eat, tempting him with ice cream afterwards. She knew Josh would eat it, he needed to eat it.

Steve

If it wasn't for the fact that he needed to get back and sort out this damned paperwork he would've sat a while, watching and waiting to see where Georgina's next move would be. She intrigued him, why would she lie about 'the kiss he wondered?' Steve thought she was very attractive, small in stature remembering her smooth skin and her face nestled against his chest. Steve's hand was across his mouth with fingers splayed across his face. Looking over his shoulder at the folder behind him he knew he needed to get back to the office, they were waiting for him to return.

Opening the glass doors, Steve strode into the office; Danny came to meet him and asked him where he'd been.

"Sorting out this mess" replied Steve holding up the folder high and shaking it just above his head.

"Good "said Danny with his hands in the air, "while you've been managing your time… inappropriately may I add, we've have work to do."

Steve looked at his partner with one eyebrow raised. "What's going on?" he asked looking at Danny with one brow furrowed.

"We have had another body turn up. Seems that there are puncture marks, but the victim was a visitor, and had connections with the Governor. Denning's already been chasing tails to get answers."

Danny called for Chin and Kono to join them.

"What do we have?" asked Kono

Danny said that this new victim was a 22 year old male who had been dumped in an alley downtown. Bringing the latest crime scene photographs up on the screen which showed the body, and some clear wounds.

"Max has yet to give us a TOD, or a COD. We'll await his findings. There was nothing on his person except a tattoo, and has been identified as a student at UH. His 'Warrior' ink gave us a clue, and his flatmate reported him missing three days ago."

"Name?" asked Steve.

"Ben Wilson" said Danny, "his parents on the mainland have been notified, and are on their way here. His flatmate is Governor Dennings' nephew. Dale Morgan."

"OK" said Steve, "Kono, Chin get over to Max's and get some answers a cause of death, or at least get us a timescale in which we can work between. We know that Ben has been missing for at least three days, so we need to find out his routines and any contacts he has made within that time."

"OK Boss", said Kono "were on it."

"Danny you coming?" called Steve halfway through the opening he made with one glass door exiting the office.

"Do I get to drive?"

"Let's not get too silly here"

"I think it only fair I get to drive my own car, that's all I'm saying"

"You're winey today Danny, anything wrong?"

"Where we headed?" Danny replied ignoring the question.

"I thought we should start with the Governor's nephew" said Steve

Kono and Chin arrived At the ME's office.

"Hi Max!" said Kono "You have anything new for us?"

"Hi Kono, Chin as a matter of fact I do. It seems that our student here has been restrained; as you can see by the ligature marks around his feet and wrists. He also has puncture wounds, but I am waiting toxicology results to find out more."

"Thanks Max" said Chin. "By the way Max" he continued "our young victims name is Dale Wilson" Max shook his head towards the body showing a sadness in his eyes, the boy had been somebody's baby after all.

"Oh" said Max, as Chin and Kono neared the exit "there is one thing that will need further investigating, I found an indentation mark left on the victim's neck.

Both Kono and Chin looked at the pale bloodless throat of the deceased. Chin standing over the body, as he turned to Kono and showed her the picture on his iPhone.

Steve's phone chimed as it rested in the consul, his hand automatically pressing the receive button

"Chin do you have something?"

Steve shook his head at Danny as Chin relayed Max's findings, and sent a photo text of the indentation mark. Danny said to both Chin and Steve that they should make their way to the boys flat, retrieve Ben's computer, and question the Governor's nephew Dale. Steve disconnected the call with Chin, and floored the gas pedal.

Dale answered the door to the two detectives, he invited them inside. "Does Ben have a computer?" asked Danny

"Yes" said Dale, his laptop is on the desk in his room. Danny went immediately to the door Dale pointed at.

"Who did he hang with" asked Steve looking around the room. His eyes missed nothing.

"No-one" said Dale "that's the odd thing he was a serious student to the point of being geeky"

"We need to know where he spent his time when he wasn't on campus or in the Science labs"

"He went to the library often" said Dale, "and, he was somehow involved in a new research project which he remained very secretive about"

Steve's eyes lifted, looking at Danny "who ran the project Dale?"

"I have no idea it was all very guarded, people were known as numbers and not by names" that's all I know"said Dale.

"Anything suspicious on there Danny?" asked Steve pointing to the laptop.

"I need to take this downtown, get Chin to take a closer look" said Danny with the equipment already unplugged and sitting snugly underneath his arm.

"Dale if there is anything else you remember, anything at all, call us." Danny shouted back while the door began to close on him.

Steve had already started the car by the time Danny opened the passenger door; they headed back to 5-0 Headquarters in relative silence both mulling over what the Governors nephew had told them.

"So you gonna tell me what's eating you, or do I have to beat it out of you?" Steve asked Danny

"Always so aggressive" said Danny "If you must know, I'm having problems with my neighbours"

"What kind of problems?" Steve asked.

"Nocturnal problems" replied Danny

"Nocturnal?" Steve looked at him an eyebrow rose and Steve's lips turned up at the corners.

"Yes" continued Danny, "they are a very vocal couple, Very vocal. My walls are very thin, and they haven't been practicing their carol singing" he finished. Steve let out a laugh at the last statement, understanding why his partner was tetchy and had dark circles under his eyes, he was tired.

Em

"Josh I have to go honey" she said to the sleepy child. Josh turned and looked at her through half opened eyes.

"It's too early to get up" he said

"I'm not going to be long, I'm just going to the pharmacy" she pushed his hair away from his eyes, his forehead slightly warm from sleep.

Em pulled on her jacket grabbed her purse and keys pulling the door; creating a breeze in the void as she left. Reaching the pavement she pulled the lapels of her jacket up to her chin and stepped off the curb.

As Em had the pharmacy in sight, she would get Josh his medication and continue on the task of reclaiming the Flash-drive she left under the seat of Steve's truck. Collecting the package from the pharmacist, Em headed for the door not before thanking a man who held open the door for her to pass. As Em made her way back towards the apartment, she felt a hand came around her face and cover her mouth, smothering her stifled screams. Reappearing from the pharmacy holding up a small packet, the chemist witnessed Em being bundled into a van and took the number.

Rushing back to the shop the Pharmacist called 911 and reported the abduction, stating that it was urgent that this woman be found as the drugs she had picked up he knew were for a young person in her care. He knew this as Em had become a regular customer, plus the fact that the drugs that were prescribed were in dosages denoting the patient was a child.

Em's last thoughts were of Josh; as she slipped easily into the darkness that began to surround her.

To be continued...