The days when he misses Chicago are becoming less and less. Sure, there're people he misses, wishes he could have kept in contact with. And sometimes he misses the camaraderie of Chicago PD, the memories still able to pull a shadow over the brightest day.
He's not a stupid man though. His time with Chicago PD didn't end well. There's a reason he ran to Hawaii. And on the islands he's found a new team, a new way of life that's warming his soul again, giving him and his family another chance.
He's grateful beyond words. Even on the toughest days.
Today's not a tough day though. It's warm without a cloud in the sky. It's taken him a while to get used to the weather, the heat and the rain, but as he slips into the cab of his truck he's humming quietly to himself. Looking back at the house he smiles, noticing the flowers in blossom in the yard, the ones they'd planted when they'd first arrived. Renee had laughed, joking about putting down new roots. He laughed too but the worry and concern he her eyes had twisted at his heart.
He wasn't the only one who'd had to run to Hawaii. He wouldn't let them down like that again.
Putting the truck into drive he pulls away. His humming falters as the radio springs into life and he allows himself a wry smile as Bon Jovi's 'It's my life' blares out. He'd given Danny a lift home the previous afternoon because the Camaro was in the garage (again, as Danny pointed out many times, venting his frustration about insane partners and gun fights and about calling in SWAT teams rather than assuming the Camaro has magical armoured plating properties, which by now he must have noticed it doesn't… ). Like a parent soothing a small child he'd put the radio on to the local rock music station and it had worked like a charm. Once he'd stopped ranting about Neanderthals who wouldn't let him choose his own music in his own car it turned out Williams had a surprisingly good singing voice.
Making a mental note to find a karaoke bar for the next time the team went out for beers, he pointed the truck towards the Governor's residence. The summons from the Governor, received the evening before, was unexpected but not particularly worrying. As far as he was aware, McGarrett and his team hadn't stepped over the line, or at least not the line Steve had drawn for them. More importantly the results spoke for themselves. This remote island in the middle of the Pacific wasn't as defenceless as the criminal world might think. And for those that were stupid enough to get on the plane or boat anyway, then they soon discovered that there was an ex-Navy Seal and a highly competent team of detectives just waiting to push them back into the sea.
Pulling up at the security point outside the Governor's mansion, he lowered the window and unclipped his shield from his belt to show to the soldier on guard. The day Steve had given him his badge had been one of mixed emotions. Fear of the unknown had made him hesitant to accept. He'd already let his family down again and now he was being asked to join a team that worked outside the rules, taking risks that he'd promised himself he'd never take again. Pride had been uppermost though, pride that this man who stood tall and led from the front, who picked himself and kept going no matter what life threw at him thought that he, Lou Grover, was good enough to stand beside him.
Like Danny said, McGarrett never let anyone say no. But he'd seen the affectionate smile Williams had directed at his partner's back as he'd handed over the badge. They'd all had plenty of chances to go. But they stayed.
That was McGarrett's greatest skill, his ability to inspire loyalty. And yet, in many ways, he seemed oblivious.
Grover shook his head as pulled over into a parking space and got out of the truck. For such a clever man who had spent much of his life analysing the behaviour of others in order to survive, Steve was surprising naïve about his own behaviour and its effect on others.
It looked like the others in question were already here. Scanning the cars parked beside him he spotted Chin's red muscle car and the now repaired Camaro, newly polished and gleaming in the sun. At least Danny would be in a better mood he reflected wryly as he headed into the Mansion.
"Where's McGarrett?" he asked, spotting Danny, Chin and Kono perched on the couches in the reception room. His big blue truck had been conspicuous by its absence.
His question had been light-hearted, ready to make the most of McGarrett's unusual tardiness. The worried scowl Danny throws his way set warning bells off though.
"He's not answering his cell or text messages," Kono offers as Danny goes back to pressing buttons angrily on his phone.
The sharp tip tap of heels across the marble floor interrupts his next question. He turns to find the Governor's personal assistant, Lani, waiting for them. She exudes professionalism, smartly dressed as always in a blue jacket and skirt. But she's frowning, her lips tightly pursed. It's the opposite of her usual friendly smile and he feels himself tense.
Lani acknowledges them with a nod. "The Governor's waiting for you".
Apparently he's not the only one feeling the tense atmosphere. Beside him Danny steps up. He's bristling, defensive and it's only a light elbow nudge from Kono that stops him from striding right into Lani's personal space. With a huff he acknowledges Kono but doesn't step back.
"Steve's not here yet and he's not answering his phone. I need to go check-"
"That won't be necessary, Detective Williams."
As one they turn to find the Governor approaching. He looks tired, Grover thinks. It's not often that he meets the Governor, that task usually left to McGarrett. But it suddenly hits him how much the man has aged during his term in office. It's an election year he suddenly remembers. The Governor must have a lot on his mind. And now he's summoned Five-O.
The good mood he'd been feeling first thing that morning is a distant memory.
"Why not?"
He'd forgotten the Governor's question but beside him Danny obviously hasn't. Drawn up to his full height Grover is reminded why no one should ever underestimate the Jersey-born detective. Particularly when he feels his partner is being threatened in some way.
The Governor spares them a brief glance before waving towards a closed door. "This way, please."
It's a command rather than a request and they all respond apart from Danny who doesn't move. "Governor-"
The Governor carries on walking, not looking back. "Lieutenant Kelly?"
The command this time is unspoken but clearly understood. In Steve's absence the Governor is expecting Chin to lead the team. He looks over, expecting Danny to argue but Chin has a hand on his shoulder, a gentle shake of his head stopping the impending explosion. Neither of them looks happy though and Grover understands why. It's not the fact that the Governor 'pulled rank' on them. It's not something they are focused on as a team and Steve has always been more concerned about everyone working to their strengths – and that often means Danny leading in the field while Chin works back at the office. No, they're more worried that their questions about Steve are being studiously ignored.
As a group they follow the Governor through the Mansion. He slows as they approach the Governor's office but the Governor keeps walking. The four of them share a nervous glance but carry on following, Chin at their head. Their concern ramps up further as they follow Governor down flights of steps, taking them into the bowels of the Mansion. Turning one final corner, Grover feels his heart skip a beat. There are two soldiers guarding a door. Fully armed, they look like McGarrett on the toughest days.
In the heavy silence that follows Grover can't stop his nervousness bubbling over. "You taking us to the dungeons, Governor? What did McGarrett do this time?"
The Governor's lip twitch upwards and Grover realises he's as nervous as the Five-O team. "It's the incident room".
"There's been an incident?" Danny asks, sharing a worried look with the team as the soldiers step aside to let them into the room.
"Not recently." The Governor sounds distracted as the door closes behind them. Grover can't help looking over his shoulder as the soldiers disappear from sight. The door is heavy, swinging slowly shut with a thud and a hiss of air that suggests they are not getting back out of here unless someone lets them. He flashes Kono a reassuring smile when he catches her looking at the door too. Together they join Danny and Chin to sit down in front of a large screen on the wall. The room looks dusty and unused but the Governor seems confident operating the equipment before joining them.
"Governor Denning." The screen has flickered to life. A middle-aged man with short grey hair and wearing a dark shirt suit stares back at them.
"Agent Baker."
'CIA' Grover thinks as the agent and the Governor tersely exchange pleasantries. Back in Chicago just looking at a man and demeanour wouldn't had helped him know which agency he worked for. It's another skill he's learnt from McGarrett. Beside him Danny's leaning forward in his chair, shoulder muscles bunched as if he's bracing himself for a blow. Kono's rubbing her lips nervously and Chin's sat statue-like, watching every detail like a hawk.
"Where's Steve?"
Grover knows Danny is starting to sound like a broken record but he's just asking the question they all want an answer to. There's lot of reasons Steve might not be answering their calls but right now they are sitting deep down in the Governor's bunker, talking to the CIA. There is no way these things are a co-incidence.
The CIA agent cocks his head questioningly, his eyes flicking towards the Governor. "Steve?"
"Lieutenant Commander McGarrett." If looks could kill the Governor would have just killed Agent Baker.
Baker seems oblivious. "McGarrett is at another briefing," he explains, breaking eye contact to type on the keyboard in front of him. Another screen on the wall in front of them springs into life.
The face that appears on the screen this time is familiar to Grover but it takes him a minute to place him. Chin is quicker. "Stanley Rosso. Wasn't he the Deputy Secretary of State?"
"Wasn't he injured in plane crash? In Afghanistan?" Danny's leaning forward now, teeth worrying his lower lip as he puts the information together.
"Correct." Leaning back in his seat, Baker looks ready to deliver a sermon. "Stanley Rosso was the Deputy Secretary of State. In 2004 he travelled to Afghanistan as the Secretary of State's representative. The Taliban had started a new wave of insurgency the year before and we were in negotiation with the Afghan government, discussing potential counterinsurgency operations."
Grover nodded, the details coming back to him. "I remember now. They completed the talks but his plane crashed not long after take-off." Rosso's picture had been all over the media: his rescue and triumphant return to the US, his well-documented struggle to overcome his injuries, and his continuous campaigning for those, like him, who had suffered serious injury and were living with life-changing mobility issues.
"No."
The single word snapped Grover out of reverie. Across the room the Governor was studying the carpet, refusing to meet their eyes. Baker was watching them closely, gauging their reactions Grover realised. Taking a deep breath he sat up straighter and tried not to notice how it felt like the walls were closing in.
"Agent Baker." Danny's tone was low, the words deceptively slow but he instantly gained the agent's attention. "I don't know what the hell you're trying to prove but I'm guessing my partner is involved in this somehow. I'm going to give you 60 seconds to stop bullshitting us before I leave this room and go and find Steve for myself. Do you understand me?"
The practical part of Grover's brain reminded him about the security surrounding the room but the approving nod the Governor gave Danny suggested it might not be as hard to get out as he thought.
Baker apparently agreed. "The plane did crash Detective Williams. But Rosso wasn't on it. He'd been kidnapped by the Taliban 48 hours beforehand."
"Shit."
"Shit indeed, Captain Grover." Baker shuffled uncomfortably on his seat before leaning over to bring another picture up on the screen. "He was kidnapped by this man, Abdul Nasheed Nika, a Taliban leader from Kandahar. The Afghan Government was, is, one of the most corrupt in the world. And Nika is an expert in using this to his advantage. He bought the intel necessary to break open the security plan we had in place for the talks. One night after the talks were finished Rosso returned to his hotel with his security detail. Nika and his men were waiting for them."
"But…" Beside him Danny stutters to a halt, his hands waving in the air with frustration. Grover knows how he feels. "How did no one ever hear about this? How did…how did you even let-?"
"Let a member of the US Government fall into enemy hands," the CIA finishes for him tiredly, wiping his hand across his face. For a moment Grover feels sorry for him, imaging the shit-storm the incident must have created. And then he remembers that someone has chosen to tell them this classified information in a secure bunker for some reason and his skin goes cold.
"Yeah, that."
Baker laughs but it's not a happy sound. "Not to sound too callous Detective Williams, but Rosso himself didn't have a lot of intel of use to the Taliban. He was just the front man. He was a trophy, a prize to be shown to the media. They needed him alive. For the first few days at least that was their focus, keep him moving to somewhere we couldn't find him."
"But you did."
"We did. And we sent in an extraction team to get him out."
There's silence for a moment before Danny sucks in a deep breath. "A SEAL team."
"Yes."
Steve's team.
There's no need to ask the question, to confirm that assumption. Three pairs of shoulders slump beside him and the Governor has his hands over his eyes. Baker is watching them all like a hawk again.
Grover can feel his anger growing, beside him he can feel Danny's knee jiggling as he fights to contain himself. He gives him a knee bump and catches his eye, reminds him he's not alone on this one. It's time to stop the bullshit.
"Okay," he says, standing up to his full height which laughingly causes Baker to tip back in his seat, despite being hundreds of miles away in Washington. "So, McGarrett's team are successful and bring Rosso back home. What's a case that happened over a decade ago got to do with us?"
Baker sighs again and Grover resists the urge to punch the screen. "The extraction was…messy."
In a flash Danny is standing next him, causing Baker to flick back again, like a spectator at a tennis match. "Messy? What does that mean? Messy is what my 11 year old daughter does when she cooks pancakes. It is not a word used to describe a clandestine military operation."
"There were casualties."
"Casualties?"
"One of McGarrett's team was killed, another seriously injured. Rosso was injured along with several civilians."
Grover feels bile rise in his throat, memories of his time in Chicago rushing to the surface. He swallows hard, forcing himself to breathe. In war there are always casualties. But sometimes they are a means to an end. "You got him though, right? Nika?"
It's several seconds before Baker answers. "No."
"Fuck." Danny's moving now, his fingers running restlessly through his hair. Baker's expression turns confused as Danny's pacing takes him in and out of the view of the screen. For one insane moment Grover wonders if they can all join him and huddle against the wall so they can just talk about what the hell is going on…
It's Kono who breaks the silence. She's been sitting quietly, watching them all in turn and it's obvious she's been listening, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. "So where is Nika now?"
Baker nods before answering. "Right now? We don't know. But we have been tracking him and we know that he's always been interested in the whereabouts of Rosso."
"And Rosso is where?"
"He lives in Virginia. With a full security detail. Every three months we move him. Up to now it's been a good way of keeping track of Nika, knowing that every now and then he'll find Rosso and then hopefully we can track back intel on him and his cell. Just lately he's been ramping up his activity-"
"So now he has to be stopped."
"Yes."
"Okaay." Kono looks at each of them questioningly in turn. Grover answers for all of them with a shrug. "Sooo, if you're after Nika why don't you just make it look like you taken away Rosso's security detail and wait for Nika to make his move?"
"Because that won't work," Baker answers with another frustrated sigh. "Like I said, Nika understands intel, how to get inside an organisation. He won't go for it and he'll know we've been watching him."
"So instead?"
"So instead we're sending Rosso on holiday to-"
"-Hawaii." Chin breathes the word out in one long sigh, eyes closing as he slumps back in his chair.
"Without his usual security detail," the Governor adds in, the bitterness he's feeling clear in his words.
There's silence again for a moment until Danny speaks again, his body still again like it's run out of energy. "While I would love to think Russo has a thing for spam and shave ice but I'm guessing Hawaii wouldn't normally be his first choice for a holiday."
"No, it's not. But it's a remote location, controllable. And McGarrett fought against the Taliban for years. He has the experience to make this mission a success. And he has a good team behind him."
Grover's sure there is supposed to be a compliment in there somewhere but he lets it wash over him. He only half listens as Baker outlines a few more details, he's got the gist of it. The CIA thinks there's a high ranking member of the Taliban coming to Hawaii to execute an ex-member of the government very publically on US soil and they want the Five-0 team to stop them.
They need Steve he thinks, to help them work through this, understand their options. Something's not right. With billions of dollars spent every year on security there is no way they can be the CIA's only option. He turns to Danny, ready to ask about Steve, but this time he's the one who gets the knee nudge, the imperceptible shake of the head.
Wait.
He takes the hint, forcing himself to relax. The rest is a blur but eventually the Governor stands up to indicate the meeting is over. The others follow his lead and stand too but it's not until the Governor is about to switch off the screen that Grover realises they've forgotten to ask Baker the most important question. Nika may be a terrorist but 10 years is a long time to keep tracking one man like this, especially one who according to Baker has no intel value. Why is Rosso so important to him?
Baker's leaning over his keyboard about to log off too when he asks him the question. The sudden jerk of his shoulders is the first hint that he's hit the target. The guilt written all over Baker's face is just the confirmation. His eyes flick nervously towards the Governor before he answers.
"The civilian casualties included Nika's brother and daughter, Captain Grover."
