Hawaii Five-0
Best Laid Plans
Chapter 1: Bang
"Cheers!" everyone said as they raised their glasses around the table at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
"Yeah" Danny added. "And cheers to Michael, for taking care of my little sister"
"Yeah to that too" said April as she raised her glass again.
"Yeah well it kind of comes with the territory"
"But seriously congrats on your last session of physical therapy" said Danny.
April had completed her last required session of physical therapy, and Michael had decided it was time to celebrate this final milestone in her recovery; and what better way to do it surrounded by friends that were consider family. After getting their neighbour Molly to babysit both Jessica and Lucy, April and Michael were able to have their first night out since the extreme circumstances that Jessica was born under; those circumstances being the kidnapping of April, Danny, Grace and Rachel. Now just over five months later everything was back to normal. The scars still remain, even more so for April after her psychotic ex-boyfriend, Nathan tried to take her baby, nearly killing them both in the process. This left Michael coming home from his deployment to find out from Steve and Kono that his wife and newborn daughter had nearly died.
"Yeah, but that promise still stands" Danny stated.
"You hurt my little sister, I'll kill you" he said with a smile.
"You've got nothing to worry about Danny" Michael assured him.
"Hey Chin where's Leilani?" April asked.
"She had to work late, but she'll be here" Chin replied with a reassuring smile.
"Good to know" April replied. "I don't want her to miss out"
"Alright, next round's on me" Steve stated.
"Especially because of that" April added as she pointed in Steve's direction.
"Excuse me, what did you just say?" Danny asked.
"I said the next round's on me" Steve replied. "What, didn't you get it the first time?" he asked when Danny gave him a confused look.
"No, no I it got the first time" Danny stated.
"I just wanted to hear those words come out of your mouth again"
"Do you want a drink or not?" Steve asked.
"Yes, the same as last time thank you" Danny replied as Steve left to get the next round.
"That was weird" Kono stated.
"Yeah, since when does Steve buy?" Chin asked rhetorically.
"Since it's probably April and Michael's anniversary…" Catherine replied receiving questioning looks.
"…and since he's using the money I gave him to buy the drinks" she continued.
"Oh, and you just let him do that…with your money?" Danny asked.
"Okay, please don't tell Steve I told you" Catherine begged. "Just let him have this one"
"Okay fine" said Danny as Steve returned to the table. "I'll let him have this one"
"Hey what are you guys talking about?" Steve asked.
"Nothing, just the reason why you would buying us drinks" Danny stated.
"You told them?" Steve asked Catherine.
"Well…I…I need to go to the bathroom" said Catherine as she got up from her chair.
"Yeah, me too" said April as got up to follow Catherine.
"Me three" Kono added. "We'll be right back"
"Seems like you guys have a lot to talk about" April stated before walking away.
"Why couldn't you just let it go and let me have this one?" Steve asked as the girls walked away.
"Because you used your girlfriend's money to buy around on you" Danny replied before a loud bang interrupted their conversation; throwing them all from their chairs to the ground.
"Nice save Cath" Kono stated.
"Did Steve forget his wallet again?" April asked.
"You could say that" Catherine replied before a loud bang threw them to the floor.
There was a few seconds of eerie silence, slow motion and screaming after the loud bang rang out throughout the restaurant before Danny's world came back into focus; the silence stopped and the world sped up when he felt someone shaking his shoulder and turned to see it was Steve.
"Danny? Danny?" Steve shouted. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, I just knocked my head on the ground" Danny replied.
"What about Chin and Michael?" he asked.
"They're fine" Steve replied.
"They've gone to look for the girls. I just got worried when you didn't get up; you've probably got a concussion" he stated.
"I agree" Danny replied.
"What the hell happened?" he asked as he got up trying to gain his bearings.
"I don't know" Steve replied. "But something definitely went bang"
"Ow" April moaned as she clenched her wrist while she sat up.
"Are you alright?" Kono asked as she too sat up.
"Yeah, I just landed the wrong way" April stated.
"There's a right way?" Catherine asked rhetorically gripping a cut on her arm from flying debris as the three of them stood up to see Chin and Michael racing towards them.
"Are you guys alright?" Chin asked with concern.
"We'll live" Kono replied. "But April needs to get wrist checked out" she added.
"I'm fine, I think I just sprained it when I hit the ground" April explained as Michael checked it out.
"You're probably right" Michael agreed. "But you're still getting an X-ray"
"Happy anniversary babe" said April, sarcastically as Steve and Danny made their way over.
"Here comes the rest of Calvary" Catherine stated when she saw them.
"Are you two okay?" she asked.
"We're fine" Danny replied. "Aside from the fact that I probably have a concussion"
"What the hell happened?" Kono asked.
"I don't know" Chin replied as the sounds of wailing sirens grew louder as they made their way through the debris to the exit.
"But I don't think it was a gas explosion…or an accident"
"Me either" Steve agreed. "This was definitely done on purpose"
"Well, the next question we should be asking is why" Chin stated.
"Terrorism?" Catherine asked.
"Maybe" Steve replied. "Or it could be personal"
"Disgruntled employee, fired employee?" Danny asked.
"It wouldn't be the first time a disgruntled employee took such drastic measures to get revenge" Kono stated.
"Whatever the motive is, we need find out soon…before it happens again" Steve stated.
"You think this will happen again?" Michael asked as they stepped outside to meet the waiting emergency services.
"Maybe" Steve replied. "Depends on the bomber's motives"
"Which is why we should assume every possibility" Chin stated.
"That's right" Steve agreed.
"Look, you three go get checked out while Chin, Kono and I go talk to HPD" he said pointing at Danny, Catherine and April.
"Alright" Michael agreed. "I'll go with them and go help out when they're done"
"Sounds like a plan" April stated as the group split up in different directions.
"Duke!" Steve called when he saw him step out of his squad car.
"Steve!" Duke called back. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, we're fine" Steve replied.
"Danny, Catherine and April have minor injuries, but they're going to okay"
"Good to hear" Duke stated. "What happened in there?" he asked.
"Everyone was eating dinner and then bang" Kono stated.
"Looks like the explosion came from the ground floor; looks like the explosion's trajectory was aimed at the dining area" she explained.
"How many people roughly do you think were in the area at the time?" Duke asked.
"Dining area and ground floor included...anywhere upwards of a hundred people" Chin replied.
"But like Danny, Catherine and April, a majority of the injuries seem to be relatively minor" he added.
"Which is why I think this is the beginning of something much bigger" Steve stated.
"You don't think this was a one off?" Kono asked.
"No" Steve replied.
"If the people who did this wanted people to die in this explosion; they would've made it happen"
"It could be warning" Chin suggested.
"Yeah" Steve and Kono both agreed in unison.
"Do you think this could be terrorism?" Duke asked.
"It's a real possibility, but until we investigate…we won't know for sure" Steve replied.
"Right" said Duke. "Keep me informed" he requested.
"Sure thing" Steve agreed as he, Chin and Kono headed over to where the others were being treated for their injuries.
"Michael, I'm fine" Danny stated as Michael shone a light he borrowed from the paramedics in his eyes.
"Go look after my sister or Catherine" he suggested as he batted Michael's hand away.
"Believe me, I would love nothing more" Michael stated as he looked over in April and Catherine's direction.
"But I think if I touch April's wrist again, she'll break mine; the paramedics can take care of it and Catherine just needs to have her cut cleaned and dressed."
"I'm guessing this is not what you two had planned for your first anniversary" said Danny.
"Not exactly no" Michael giggled.
"Hey!" Steve called out when he found the group of four. "You guys all good?" he asked.
"We're fine" Danny replied before Michael had a chance to reply himself and leaving Steve looking confused.
"They're all fine" Michael replied. "April just needs to go to the hospital for an X-ray"
"Sign this" the paramedic behind him said, handing him a clipboard.
"Thanks" he said after Danny handed it back.
"Great, now that we've got that out of the way…what's the plan?" Danny asked as Catherine and April joined them.
"Once HFD puts the fire out and the casualties have been cleared CSU and arson are going to search this place from top to bottom" Chin explained.
"And until then HPD is going to talk to witnesses and we're going to get the Hilton's security footage and see if we can find out who and what caused this" Kono added and was the last thing said before complete and utter chaos broke loose.
A loud crack briefly silenced the organised chaos on the street before a woman's terrified scream broke filled the air. Everyone then turned in the direction where the woman's scream had come from to find a paramedic bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to his shoulder, just as another loud crack was heard, this time hitting a police officer in the back, sending him face first to the ground.
"Everybody get down!" Steve yelled as he and everyone around him ran for cover when he realised that they were under sniper fire.
"Get down!" he yelled again as another shot rang out, taking down another police officer.
As Chin ran to duck behind an ambulance with Steve, he heard another shot ring out and felt an intense pain in his right arm as he jumped for cover.
"Chin!" Steve yelled as Chin hit the ground clutching his right arm.
"I'm hit, but it's just a graze!" Chin stated, showing Steve his wounded arm.
"The explosion and now this. What the hell is going on?" he asked as three more shots were fired.
Kono and Catherine ducked for cover behind the ambulance that they had been standing next to when the shooting started. Michael pushed April to safety behind the ambulance as Danny grabbed her left arm when he caught a glimpse of the sniper on the roof who was now aiming in in their direction before two shots were fired at them; then the sickening sound of the bullets coming into contact with a human body before it hit the ground.
"What the hell is happening!?" April shouted as they faced down to the ground, protecting their faces from any falling glass.
"Looks like Steve was right!" Catherine shouted back.
"This is part of something bigger!" Kono added.
"I hate it when he's right!" Danny yelled.
The sniper continued to fire as shots that missed their targets shattered the glass of the vehicles in the street and injuring those who ducked below them, then there was nothing but eerie silence as the gunshots suddenly stopped.