Author's note: This is the third story in my prequel series. It comes after the events in "Smugglers and Spies" and "The Trouble with Money" and features original characters introduced in those stories. However, it is written so that it can stand alone. Also, the quoted lyrics are from "Jingle Bells" which is in public domain.
Chapter One: Jingle Bells
December 25, 1962
There are moments in people's lives that make them stop and look differently at the world around them. It is during these moments that illusions are shattered and dreams become hollow.
Such moments shape a person, break them, and have the ability to transform them into something other than what they were before.
For often, one must experience the deepest and darkest that humanity can offer before one can discover the fullness of humanity's light.
Christmas Day during Officer Dan Williams' second year in the Honolulu Police Department was one of those moments.
"Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh, o'er the hills we go, laughing all the way…"
While the radio filled the squad car with the joyous sound of jingling bells, Danny Williams glanced out the window at Honolulu's empty streets. It was Christmas morning and people were gathered with family and friends to celebrate the holiday. It was the quietest Danny had ever seen his home, which was a nice change from his daily routine.
Smiling, Danny looked over at his partner in the driver's seat and said, "It seems odd to listen to songs about snow when it's seventy degrees outside."
Danny's partner laughed then replied, "No, it's the only reason we can be happy as we sing songs about snow. I have family on the mainland and let me tell you, no one over there has this idealistic view of winter that we think of in the islands.
Nodding, Danny had to agree. He remembered one Christmas break when he was a teenager and had traveled with his mother to visit his Aunt Clara. That year, she was performing in a show in St. Paul, Minnesota. He had been miserable the whole time. He had no idea that the temperature could dip below zero!
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh."
As his partner, Officer Steve O'Donnell, started to sing along, the young cop smiled; in spite of his partner's tendency to sing off key, Danny couldn't have asked for a better person to work with. For the older cop seemed to delight in his role as a mentor to the younger officer. Danny had first met the man whom HPD called the 'the other Steve' when he had worked a case with HPD's detective unit and eventually, with Five-O. They had hit it off and, at the conclusion of the case, the two had become partners.
When Danny had first heard his partner's nickname of 'the other Steve', he thought that it sounded odd. But after having more encounters with Steve McGarrett than any rookie ought to have had, Danny knew from firsthand experience that the nickname was more than apt. For the other Steve was an easy going, slightly overweight, balding man and a father of three. He was content with a career in a squad car and had no desire for advancement. Steve McGarrett, to put it mildly, was none of those things. And since McGarrett was the most powerful law enforcement agent in Hawaii, when anyone talked about 'Steve' it was assumed that the person was talking about McGarrett, so the nickname 'the other Steve' stuck.
When the carol ended, Danny spoke up before the other Steve could begin singing again. "What are your plans once we get off duty?"
"Go home, play with the kids. My wife's sister and her family are over and I can smell the Christmas dinner already. Ham, yams, green beans…"
Danny's stomach growled as he remembered the last time he'd eaten with his partner's family. "Sounds good but I suspect your kids will want to open their presents sometime."
Steve laughed. "I'd be a fool to make them wait. They opened them last night after we got back from church. That way, they can have fun with their new toys and forget that Dad is off at work."
Danny looked at his partner and couldn't help being saddened by the fact that a father was stuck working while his kids were making Christmas memories. "I'm sorry you couldn't be there."
"It's part of the job, Danny. Not a fun part but a necessary one. Someday when you have kids of your own, you'll feel the guilt but you'll come to work because you believe that what you do makes this world a safer place for them to grow up in."
Knowing that there weren't any words to adequately respond, Danny mulled over his partner's statement when a call came over the radio, "Central to O'Donnell."
"O'Donnell here."
"Got a report of a domestic disturbance at 109 Linapuni Street. Home of George and Lisa Thorton. Check it out. Officers Fuorry and Ishi will meet you there."
"Ten-four."
The irony of responding to a domestic disturbance was not lost on the young officer. "You'd think this would be the one day of the year when families would be happy or at least peaceful."
Steve shook his head at his partner's ignorance. "For families dealing with issues, the stress of a major holiday can make things worse, not better. Now this could be nothing or it could be serious so be ready."
Danny nodded. He already knew from his eighteen months on the force that domestic disturbance calls could be some of the most dangerous situations an officer could respond to because until you arrived at the scene, you had no idea what to expect.
When they arrived, Officers Fuorry and Ishi were already at the scene. As the senior officers, O'Donnell and Fuorry decided to knock and ordered their partners to hang back and provide back-up as necessary.
"Mr. Thorton, open up! It's the police," the other Steve called out as he pounded on the door.
A muffled thud and the scurry of footsteps raised Danny's suspicions as he shifted his position and moved closer to the front window to try to see inside.
The other Steve knocked more loudly. "This is your final warning. Open this door or we'll open it for you!"
A gunshot rang out through the air, causing all the officers to immediately hit the ground. "Stay back or I'll start shooting!" a gruff voice hollered out.
The loud shrill scream of a woman in distress caused the officers to push aside concern for their own safety and jump to their feet to aid the victim. But when O'Donnell and Fuorry were about to break down the door, Danny saw something through the window that made his blood boil. "Stop! Thorton's got a gun to the head of a little girl."
Not just any little girl, Danny thought in disgust. That child has got to be his own daughter!
Recognizing that he now had the cops' attention, Thorton said, "Listen up, Fuzz, 'cause this is how it's going to go. You place two hundred dollars by the front door and then back away or I will kill everyone."
Two hundred dollars! In an instance, this call had gone from a domestic violence call to a hostage negotiation. As police officers, they were trained to deal with the unexpected but none of them had the training to deal with this. Besides, what sort of man threatened to kill his own family over two hundred dollars?
I'll bet my next paycheck that he's an addict.
Danny's stomach churned at the thought while the other Steve turned toward Ishi and ordered, "Get on the horn and tell them we need a hostage negotiator, stat."
As Ishi jogged quickly toward the squad cars, Fuorry growled, "I wish I could just kill that bastard."
"No, you don't," the other Steve stated solemnly. "We're better men than that."
Danny looked at his partner whom he had never seen like this before. The usually mild-mannered man had a fire in his eyes and the tone of voice when he reprimanded Fuorry left no doubt that they would follow the book and do their best to preserve the lives of everyone in that house even though this perp did not deserve it.
"What do we do?" Danny asked.
"Stall until someone qualified to deal with this situation shows up," Steve replied grimly.
Danny just hoped Thorton would let them stall. But no sooner than that thought had crossed Danny's mind did Thorton make it clear that he had no intentions of being patient. "Well, cops! Do you have the money by the door?"
They were stuck. None of them carried any money on duty so even if they were inclined to meet Thorton's demand, they couldn't.
But they had no choice, they had to do something.
Knowing that everyone else was looking to him to act, the other Steve took a deep breath and said as calmly as he was able, "Mr. Thorton, we don't have the money."
"No, you're lying. You have to be lying. You've got five minutes to put the money on the front porch or I start shooting."
"Give me more time and I can contact someone who can get you the money."
"NO!" Thorton's shout made Danny take a step back. "Five minutes! Put the money in front of the door!"
This guy is absolutely out of his mind, Danny thought to himself; a thought that was reflected on his fellow officers' faces.
Officer Ishi called out from his place by the radio. "Back-up is coming but they're seven minutes out."
That was not good. Thorton was not going to last seven minutes.
If Danny had been given time to think it over, he probably would've hesitated and convinced himself that he couldn't have an answer that eluded his older, more experienced colleagues. But the one thing this perp had not given them was time. So as soon as the idea hit him, Danny spoke up, "I have an idea."
It would be a Christmas miracle if it worked, but he had a plan.