CAUGHT IN THE ACT
A/N: This was written in response to a writers' challenge; the phrase is bold in the text. Special thanks to my own fellow conspirator for a fun evening/afternoon of collaboration! ubicaritas
"Hey Bruddah, you almost done? Da wahines are expecting to be picked up in less than an hour." The large Hawaiian standing in the doorway of his colleague's cubicle asked softly as he glanced anxiously towards the closed door of their boss' office.
"Almost done." The curly haired detective answered, as he rose from his seat while hurriedly scribbling his name to the bottom of each report. "Are you sure Steve is still busy with the Governor?"
"I know he had Jenny clear his schedule for da whole afternoon! Said something about annual expenditure reports and inter-governmental committees" Kono stumbled slightly over the words, shaking his head in dismay. "Sure am glad I don't have to deal with all that stuff!"
Danny grinned as he dropped his pen and grabbed his coat from the back of the chair, shrugging into it as he headed towards his friend. "That will keep him busy so we can make our escape before he can find us some more paperwork to do. Let's get out of here, Bruddah!"
Kono shuddered visibly at the thought; as far as he was concerned there was already too much paperwork! Spinning on his heel, he made his way to the office's outer door, anxious to make his escape as quickly as possible. Danny followed closely in his wake, trying unsuccessfully to shake the feeling that he was about to play hooky.
The detective froze as he heard the soft, distinctive click from somewhere close behind him. Swallowing hard, he grabbed the shoulder of his fellow conspirator before they both slowly turned around.
"Going somewhere?" Steve asked, eyeing his two guilty looking detectives as he slowly and deliberately pressed the top of the pen he held in his hand, a small smile flickering across his lips.
Danny and Kono exchanged a look of sheer unadulterated terror. "Steve!" The young second in command heard the edge of panic in his voice, and swallowed hard again before continuing. "We, uh, I didn't know you were here! You were supposed to be out of the office all afternoon..." As soon as the words left his mouth Danny wanted to call them back.
"Hmm you did, did you?" McGarrett asked as he pressed the top of the pen and made it click again in the silent office, clearly enjoying his detectives' obvious discomfort. "Well as you see I haven't left the office yet. But that still doesn't answer my question."
"What question is dat, boss?" Kono asked meekly from behind the smaller detective.
"The one where I asked you where you were both going," Steve answered softly.
"Well, Steve, I got a call from, ah..." Danny desperately cast around in his memory for a name from a current case. "From Jason Wilmont down at Kessler's Jewellers. You remember, the robbery there last week?" Not giving Steve a chance to answer, the young detective rushed on. "Anyhow, Wilmont said he had some new information for me about the merchandise that was stolen, so I grabbed Kono and we were just on our way..."
Kono was already nodding vigorously in agreement. "Dat's right, boss," he chimed in, eager to assist Danny in his efforts.
The lead detective eyed both detectives closely as he clicked the top of his pen once more, before he finally nodded. "Wilmont, hey?" he asked softly.
"New information." Danny forced a small smile as he felt his heart pound in his chest.
"Well, you better hurry up and see him." Steve smiled as he surreptitiously glanced down at his watch. Looking back up, he grinned and drily observed, "Or else you are both going to be late picking up your dates for the party!"
Releasing the breath that he had not even realized he was holding, Danny grinned. "Mahalo, Steve!" he managed to say before he turned and pushed Kono out of the door.
Left behind in the office, Steve watched with amusement as Kono and Danny almost fell over each other in their haste to leave. His broadening grin became a full-out chuckle that followed the disappearing detectives down the stairs of the Palace. Shaking his head, the head of Five-O walked back into his inner sanctum to finish his own paperwork.
Pau