AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first Hawaii Five-O fan fic. I fell in love with the show after two episodes. I only own 2 characters out of this, and they should be pretty easy to spot. Everyone else is owned by CBS and 101st Street Productions. Enjoy, comment (and maybe I'll write a sequel!) and remember, flames will be used to help barbeque the pork for the luau…

Holo lio ma ke 'ino

(Riders on the Storm)

By ShadoKat771

"Another day in paradise", Danny "Danno" Williams said, looking out over the beach full of vacationers and locals taking advantage of the near perfect weather. A breeze had sprung up, bringing a slight chill to the air.

His partner, Steve McGarrett, nodded, still looking out at the horizon where a line of clouds was becoming more visible. "You know as well as I do that can change in a moment", he replied as his cell phone began to ring.

"Or a phone call", Danno quipped.

"Governor", the taller man said into the small phone. As he listened, his expression became serious. He nodded. "Thank you. Keep me posted". He pressed a spot on the phone and ended the call. "They just upgraded that storm to a Tropical Storm", he said to his partner, nodding towards the horizon. "And they're calling it Unala. It's starting to look like it's going to go to hurricane strength in the next couple of days".

Danno nodded. "Is it heading our way?" He asked.

McGarrett shrugged. "Too far out right now to tell", he answered, his hazel eyes scanning the crowd as he spoke. "But right now, our concern is all the surfers heading in to catch the waves it's going to kick up. They're probably already here".

At that moment, the cell phone rang again. "McGarrett". His expression of slight annoyance changed when he heard the voice on the other end.

"Steve", the male voice was strained. "It's Cody. I'm over at Smitty's place in Haleiwa. There's trouble". There was a pause. "Smitty's dead".

"Stay put. We're on our way", McGarrett said as he got behind the wheel, almost not waiting for Danny to close the door on the passenger side before he gunned the engine and hit the lights.

"You gonna tell me who that was", Danny said as he hung on while McGarrett maneuvered the car through traffic, "or are we running the lights for fun, here?"

"That was Cody St. James", McGarrett replied. 'An old buddy of mine. He's at a mutual friend's house in Haleiwa, and there's trouble".

"And how do you know there's trouble?" His partner asked.

"He sounded scared", was the reply. "Cody's an ex-SEAL. He moved here after his discharge to compete in big wave competitions. He doesn't get scared".

They arrived in front of a small, modest house a short distance from the beach, and the first thing they noticed was the lone figure leaning against the hood of a white Jeep trying to make a call on his cell phone.

He was tall, taller than McGarrett, dressed in green board shorts, a grey v-necked t shirt and flip flops, his longish dark hair partly covered by a blue bandana. He looked up when they pulled up beside him and lowered the cell phone. His expression was a mix of shock, disbelief and grief, but there was a hint of fear in his light blue eyes. "He's in the living room", he said before they asked, his voice slightly strained.

"Did you touch anything?" Danny asked.

St. James shook his head negatively. "Other than the door handle", he said, "no. I backed out as soon as I saw him and came out here to call Steve".

"Who were you calling just now?" The blond detective continued.

"Keka", the surfer replied, meeting McGarrett's sharp glance. "Only I can't raise her. It keeps going to her voice mail".

At Danny's questioning glance between the two men, McGarrett replied, "Keka Smith. Smitt—David Smith's ex wife".

"Then she's a suspect", Danny said.

"No", Cody said, shaking his head. "She was with me last night. I can vouch for her".

"Cody", McGarrett said, "That makes you a suspect, too".

"I know!" The taller man replied, a little sharper than he needed to. "That's why I'm here instead of trying to find her. I'm giving you my full cooperation".

"Alright", Danny said, nodding. "You can start by meeting with us at our offices". He handed the taller man a card. "Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars".

McGarrett added, "We'll find Keka". He moved closer to St. James and added in a quieter voice, "How long have you two been seeing each other?"

"Six months", was the taller man's equally quiet reply. "We've only been serious for one".

"We'll find her, Cody", McGarrett said in an earnest, quiet voice. "Don't worry. Just let us do our job here".

The tall man nodded, then got into his Jeep.

"Looks like a hurricane has already been through here", Danny said quietly after they had cleared the room. The place had clearly been ransacked. As he moved towards the kitchen area, he called out, 'Looks like he was expecting someone for breakfast, and it doesn't look like it was for a business partner". He paused, then added, "Unless maybe the business partner was female, and it was a different kind of business". When there was no response, he peered over the breakfast bar to where McGarrett was standing next to the body.

"Someone else was here", the dark haired detective said. "The body's been moved".

"But your friend St. James told us he didn't touch anything", Danny replied.

"He didn't", McGarrett continued, indicating a splotch near the blood pool that proved to be a small footprint. "That's a flip-flop print", he continued, "probably a woman's size five or six". He looked around the room. The prints were all over. "The ransacking happened after whoever found the body".

"After?" Danno echoed, looking around. "Wow".

Later, as they drove away from the scene, a call came in from the Governor's office saying that the tropical storm had been upgraded to a Category One hurricane, but an exact path was yet to be determined.

When that call ended, Danny's phone rang. "Syd", he said in answer, then paused. "Yeah, we just got the call from the Governor's office. It's now a Category One". He listened for a few moments, then said, "So who's helping you now? Keka?" He glanced at McGarrett, who was now suddenly interested in the conversation."What's her last name?"He frowned slightly. "Humor me". Another pause. "Knighthorse. Thanks. I'll call you when I can. It's kind of busy here right now".

He rung off and then looked over at McGarrett who was saying, "No, no, no!" and pounding the steering wheel in frustration.

"What?"Danny said defensively. "Her last name is Knighthorse, not Smith".

"Knighthorse is Keka Smith's maiden name!" McGarrett yelled. "She started using it again after the divorce. She runs a surf school just off Waikiki Beach", he continued in a calmer voice. "We went to school together". At Danny's look, he added, "We're old friends." He pounded the wheel again in urgency. "Call your friend back!"

Danny swore as he hit the redial. "Syd", he said after a moment, "Is Keka still there?" He looked at McGarrett, who glanced between him and the road. "Good. Tell her to meet us", he paused.

"At the hospital", McGarrett finished for him. "They'll need her to I.D. the body". He leaned closer and yelled towards the phone, "and tell her to turn her phone back on!"

Keka Knighthorse-Smith was waiting for them in the lobby of the hospital. She was shorter than Danny, tanned and athletically built, dressed in denim shorts and a bright Hawaiian print shirt and sandals, a pair of sunglasses holding back her curly, short, sun-streaked blond hair from her eyes.

"Steve", she said, standing when she saw them, her ocean colored eyes a mix of emotions. "What happened?"

"Keka, I'm sorry", McGarrett replied, giving the small woman a hug. "David's dead. And it looks like murder". He felt her knees buckle and caught her before she fell.

"Murder?" She echoed, allowing him to guide her back into the chair. She looked up at him suddenly, her eyes wide. "Oh my god", she said quietly. "The little psycho wasn't lying".

Both men were instantly alert, a quick glance between them.

"Psycho?" Danny asked. "What psycho?"

Keka watched as the blond detective sat down on the other side of her. She then took a deep breath and began. "Smitty's girlfriend", she said. "Or at least, she thinks she's his girlfriend. She latched onto him at the Triple Crown last year, and never let go. He's been trying to break it off for the last few weeks, but she's tried every trick in the book to keep him around, from saying she's pregnant to threatening suicide".

At that moment, a nurse approached them. "Mrs. Smith", he said. "I'm sorry for your loss, but they're ready for you now".

"A moment, please", McGarrett replied. He turned back to face Keka and found she was smiling slightly.

"I haven't been Mrs. Smith for over a year and a half", she said, standing. As the men stood with her, she added, "Would you mind coming with me, Steve? I'd appreciate the backup".

"Of course", the taller man replied, glancing at his partner, and nodding.

"Ms. Knighthorse", Danny asked, "do you know the name of this sort of girlfriend?"

"Delaine", Keka answered. "Delaine Johnson. I think she lives in Mokulela, but I can't swear to it".

Danny nodded. "Thank you", he said. He looked at McGarrett. "I'll put out a BOLO on her".

McGarrett nodded in agreement. "And call Chin. See if he can get anything on her, too".

"That's him". Her quiet voice seemed to echo in the room. She watched as the technician replaced the sheet and slid the body back into its cubicle and closed the door, then turned and left the room, with McGarrett following her.

She stopped a short distance down the hall. "He", she began, and then paused. "He, um, called me in the middle of dinner with Cody last night, because he wanted to tell me he had finally figured out a way to break it off with Delanie. He was going to have her over for breakfast this morning to tell her it was over".

"What time was that?" McGarrett asked quietly.

She turned to look up at him. "Around 8, 8:30pm or so", she replied. "Cody and I were trying out that new Thai place".

"Did you hear from him any time after that?" The detective continued.

"Once", Keka answered. "Really late. After Midnight, I think." She frowned with the memory. "We were just getting—"she stopped short and blushed.

"It's alright, Keka", McGarrett said quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Cody already told me".

"Oh", she said. After a moment, she said, "It was a really strange call, too. He asked to talk to Cody, and whatever it was about, it was a mood killer, because Cody was upset and wouldn't talk about it".

The detective nodded, then asked, "Why did you turn your phone off, Keka?"

The blond woman snorted. "Delanie called at 8am", she answered. "Woke us up out of a sound sleep, going off on me because something had happened to Smitty and how Cody and I were somehow responsible". She paused. "She was calling every five minutes and making me nuts, so I shut off my phone. I'm going to have the number changed as soon as I can ". She looked up at McGarrett "Cody said he was going to go check it out", she continued, her expression worried, "but that was a few hours ago".

"He's fine", McGarrett said reassuringly. "He's over at my office right now." He watched as she relaxed. He studied her for a moment. "Are you going to be ok?"

She nodded. "Yeah", she said, smiling."I'll be ok. I just need to clear my head a bit. And secure the house."She looked up at him. "Is it as bad as they say it's going to be?"

"It's up to a Cat One now", he replied with a nod, "and probably strengthening as we speak. He was about to say more when his phone rang. "Yes, Governor", he said. His hazel eyes widened a bit as he listened. "That fast?" He listened again."Yes, ma'am. I'm on my way". As he rung off, he looked down at Keka. "The Weather Service just upgraded Unala to a Cat 3", he said, "but it's strengthening by the hour".

"Do they know its path?" The small woman asked with concern.

"Right now, it's still far enough out it could go either way," he replied. "Best case scenario has it passing a few hundred miles to the south", he hesitated.

"And the worst case scenario?" She prompted.

"It could blow right over us".

"Damn", she swore softly. "Iniki all over again". She looked up at him. "I've got to go. I've got to secure the house, make sure the school's ok, see if Syd needs more help—"

"It's ok", Steve said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Go. Do what you need to do. I'll make sure Cody contacts you. And call me if you need anything. "

She smiled up at him and gave him a hug. "Thank you", she said, "I will".

Rain was starting to fall as the two detectives began their drive back to headquarters. McGarrett punched a number into the car's phone as he pulled out onto the highway. "Cody", he said when the man answered, "we found Keka and she's fine". Both he and Danny heard the sigh of relief from the other end of the call. "I sent her home to secure your place before the storm gets worse". He glanced over at Danny. "She told me you had a conversation with Smitty last night that put you in a bad mood. What was it about?"

The surfer hesitated a moment before he replied. "He told me Esterhaus got out", he said finally.

McGarrett was momentarily stunned. "Mike Esterhaus?" He asked. "He's supposed to be serving 30 years for antiquities theft and manslaughter in San Diego. When did they parole him?"

"They didn't", St. James replied. "He escaped three days ago. Looks like he wants to make good on his threat".

"What threat?" Danny interrupted.

"It was the testimony of the three of us that put Esterhaus away", McGarrett said. "Before they took him away, he threatened Smitty, Cody and me".

Danny wiped a hand across his face. "And now it looks like he may have made good on at least part of that threat", he said.

There was a beep on the dashboard. "Cody", McGarrett said, "I've got another call coming in. Go home. Don't break any speed limits, but get home as quick as you can. Call me when you get there".

The second call was from Chin Ho. "We found Delaine Johnson", he said.

"Good", McGarrett replied, "Is she willing to cooperate with us?"

There was a pause at the other end, then, "She's dead, boss. Coroner says maybe a little more than an hour ago. Which was just after her last call to Keka Knighthorse".

McGarrett swore and turned the wheel sharply, causing tires to squeal in protest and the car to fishtail slightly on the slick pavement.

"What the-?" Danny sputtered as he grabbed for a hand hold.

"If Delaine Johnson is dead", McGarrett explained as he regained control of the car, "it means that Esterhaus isn't just coming after us. He's going after the ones we care about, too".

"And you just sent Keka over to ' ", Danny said.

"Yeah", McGarrett said in a tone that caused his partner to look at him.

"Uh, oh", the blond man said. "Something about that tone tells me that maybe you and the former Mrs. Smith are more than just old friends".

"We dated in high school", McGarrett replied quietly, punching the car into a higher speed.

"Got it", Danny said, and flipped the switch for the lights

"That isn't Cody's Jeep".

From a distance, they could see the small truck that was parked in front of the house, but the Jeep parked next to it wasn't white. They turned off the lights and pulled up next to the jeep just as two occupants were leaving. In an instant, both lawmen had their doors open and guns drawn.

"Esterhaus!" McGarrett yelled over the wind, rain and crashing waves. "Stop right there!"

The muscular man with the buzz cut stopped a few feet away and tightened his grip across Keka's chest, almost pulling her up off her feet. "Only long enough to make sure you get out of the way, McGarrett!" He shouted back.

They barely heard a third vehicle pull up alongside the silver Camaro, but they all heard the yell as Cody jumped out and started to run towards the two.

"Stop right there!" Esterhaus shouted, brandishing a gun. "Stop right there or I'll blow her brains out".

"Just take it easy!" McGarrett yelled back, keeping his gun trained on Esterhaus and waving back Cody with his free hand."Nobody's going anywhere!" He caught Keka's eye. She was scared, but calm and didn't move. He gave the briefest of nods, then said, "no one's going to blindside the quarterback here".

There was a moment where both Danny and Cody gave McGarrett a confused look, but he was still focused on the other two. He watched Keka's expression go from momentary confusion to recognition, then her eyes rolled up in her head and she went limp, causing Esterhaus to lose his grip on her and she fell to the ground. In that same instant, McGarrett fired one shot, hitting Esterhaus in the shoulder of the arm that held the gun, causing his return shot to go wild.

"Stay back!" McGarrett ordered Cody as he and Danny rushed to the fallen pair. Keka had not moved since she fell, but Esterhaus was trying to get up. He failed as Danny landed on his back.

"Do not make me shoot you, too", the blond man said as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket and began fastening them on the other man's wrists. As he was doing this, he looked up at McGarrett. "Aren't you going to say it?" He asked.

"Say what?" The other man replied, distracted, then caught on. "Yeah. Book 'im, Danno". He then knelt down by the fallen woman and touched her shoulder. To his relief, her eyes opened and she began to sit up.

"Lucky for you I have a good memory", she said, smiling as he helped her to her feet. She looked at Danny and Cody who still wore confused expressions. "When he was quarterback of the football team back in high school", she explained, "There was a game where one of the opposing players blindsided him and he was down for a bit". She stopped and blushed. "I fainted".

"This trip down memory lane is nice", Danny said, "but can we get someplace a little more dry? And preferably farther inland? Unlike the rest of you, I haven't got the hang of surfing yet, and I do not want to be surfing to the mainland right now!"

McGarrett did a quick assessment. "We've got to take Esterhaus to Queens", he said. "You two need to meet us at HQ. We're going to need statements".

"At least they're safe", Danny said, his voice a mixture of relief and annoyance as he disconnected the call. He and McGarrett were dashing inside the Five-O Headquarters as he spoke. "Step Stan has taken Grace and Rachel farther inland, which is good. He paused, "what's bad is that it's at the Oahu Country Club".

McGarrett nodded. It's a sheltered area", he said "They'll be safe there".

"That's not the-!" Danny began to explode, but stopped when he realized not only his partner was right, he was only half paying attention. "You're right", he continued in a calmer tone. "The most important thing is that Grace is safe, even if I don't like the circumstances". He took a closer look at McGarrett. "Something's going on in there", he said, "and it's not this storm, and it's not the fact one of your ex SEAL friends tried to kill you. Again".

"It's complicated", McGarrett said, not looking at him as they walked down the hallway. They could hear muffled conversation coming out of one of the offices.

"Complicated", Danny repeated. "I've had glimpses inside your mind. It's not just complicated in there, it's dark and scary. It's—"He stopped short when they reached the doorway to the office where the conversation was coming from. A quick glance at his partner caught the briefest of flickers of relief in the man's hazel eyes.

Inside, seated comfortably around a large table were Keka, Cody, Kono Kalakaua, and Chin Ho Kelly. The two women were engaged in conversation like two long time girlfriends. Chin noticed the two men enter the room and rose quietly to stand beside them.

"Kono insisted on taking their statements herself", he said, smiling. "She's been keeping her inner fan girl in check for the last hour". The three men shared a quiet chuckle that was overheard by the rest.

"I was wondering what happened to you after you left the circuit, Kono", Keka said. An impish expression crossed her face. "Sometime, when your boss can spare you", she continued, glancing at McGarrett, "you can come to my school and talk to the students about going pro. Cody gets too tongue-tied".

The conversation turned into good natured teasing from there.

Complicated doesn't even begin to cover this, Danny thought to himself.

To Be Continued…?