Chapter 1 -The Past
Fall 1965
A handsome young man pulled into the parking lot. It was twenty minutes to eight. He was early. Was it okay to be early? It was much better than being late, but was he too early? Would he seem impatient and attract too much attention to himself. The sight of the palace before him was imposing. He pulled the key out of the car's ignition and sat for a moment. He first checked his attire. Everything seemed tucked in, buttoned, zipped, or polished as needed. Then he looked in the rear view mirror. He brushed any remaining sleep out of his eye and rubbed a hand through his hair. He studied the young boy staring back at him. Even at twenty five he could easily pass at eighteen and for a moment, he wished he looked his age.
He glanced at his watch, only three minutes had passed. I can walk slow. He decided and exited the car. He knew if he waited much longer he could quite possibly lose his nerve and never enter the imposing building.
The street around him was beginning to wake up, Hawaiian Time, but when he entered the building that changed. The people here had been up and busy for hours. He trekked up the impressive staircase, wondering about the people who used it every day. Had they grown accustom to the massive building, with beautiful architecture? Or did they at times still feel ill at ease when entering the building that had once housed the kings of his beloved island?
He reached the top of the stairs, and soon found the doorway he had been looking for. He studied his watch for a moment. So much for walking slow, he thought, still thirteen minutes early. Rubbing his sweaty palms together he opened the door.
The large room as empty except for a woman at the desk near the office door. She looked up and smiled. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, I think I'm expected" the young man started.
"Of course. You can go right in" She smiled again and he wondered if it was a sympathetic smile.
Nervously he walked to the door and knocked.
"Come in" a voice from beyond the door beckoned.
A deep breath, then the knob turned and for the first time Danny Williams entered Mr. Steve McGarrett's inner sanctum.
"Good, you're early" Steve McGarrett said from behind his imposing desk. Danny almost fainted with relief when he saw that Kono Kalakaua and Chin Ho Kelly were also occupants of the office. Danny knew Kono, though not very well. He was a great surfer, and a genuinely nice guy, a possible ally. Chin Ho Kelly he'd known practically since birth. A surrogate father while growing up, when Danny's own had died years before.
"Come in, sit down" Steve motioned toward the chairs before his desk. Danny walked towards the chairs remembering the breathe. Steve knew he had a reputation of being quite a beast, but as he looked at the young officer before him, he wondered if Williams had been told anything of why he was summoned to the palace. Steve reasoned not, why else would Williams look absolutely ill.
Chin must have noticed the same thing because he moved to sit with Danny near the desk and smiled reassuringly.
"Dan, have they briefed you?" Steve asked. For some reason he felt the need to protect Dan, and felt like busting some heads at HPD. Some veteran who thought it was funny to send a younger officer over to Five-O with no explanation.
Dan shook his head "No sir."
"Kono, get the Heley file" Kono moved to obey and Steve began his explanation.
"We've reviewed a number of officers for this assignment and you're record had been extremely impressive. You've already shown quite a good track record for arrests and some undercover work, which is what we have in mind for you now."
Kono returned with the file and handed it to Danny. Danny opened the file and took out the first photo. It was a surveillance shot. The man was easily six foot, and over two hundred pound. But it wasn't his size that made him stand out. It was his eyes. He was looking past the camera, his eyes chilling. No beyond chilling, the eyes stalked their prey with a hungry, murderous look. Toying with the victims, taunting them before death came.
"The man in the picture is Adam Heley, otherwise known as Snake Eyes. An all around nasty guy. Drug dealer, part-time pimp. He targets runaways, and young kids who need money. Starts them selling the drugs but before too long gets them hooked. So they're selling drugs, and themselves, to pay for their addiction. Until they outlive their usefulness."
More pictures now came out of the file. Corpses with horribly swollen arms, or legs. Claw marks from on the arms and faces from the suffocated victims.
"He laces the drugs with poison, high doses of rattlesnake venom. It causes paralysis to breathing, shuts down the heart, induces vomiting. It's a terrible death."
Danny nodded, thoroughly disgusted at the photos before him.
Chin broke in now. "He's slippery. He doesn't trust anyone, spies spying on each other, that sort of thing. That's where you come in."
Steve nodded. "He's always looking for a nice young runaway to be a courier, enforcer or one of his spies. The younger and more innocent looking the better." Danny inwardly grimaced. "We can spend this week getting you set up to go under, if you're up for it. The decision is yours."
Danny looked at the pictures for just a second, but his decision had been made from the beginning. "Let's go for it"
"Alright. Chin, Kono get Danny..." Steve paused for a moment. "Wilson set up the with the works. Get a wire, arrange for meets with us, anything he'll need. We need to be ready to go in five days gentlemen."
"Sure Steve"
"On it Boss"
"Yes, Sir, Mr. McGarrett" were the replies as the men headed for the door
"Danny" Steve called and Danny turned back to face the man at the desk. "It's Steve, and good luck"
"Thanks, Steve," Danny smiled before following the other men out the door.
H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50
Danny surveyed the man he was standing in front of. Now, Danny could describe Heley's eyes, and understood the nickname. Snake Eyes, deep, hypnotizing, preparing to strike.
"Nick was right. You're a great addition to our little, family. Welcome aboard son." Heley stated placing a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Nick will explain some of the rules"
"Rules" Danny exploded. "It took me this long to get away from those stinkin' rules. Now you expect me to willing submit to some more?"
Snake Eyes laughed heartily then turned cold. "I like you kid, but next time let me finish. The only thing that is require is you running some errands. Nothing big, just simple errands"