Don't Run, Don't Hide
Zebraboymom
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but I have grown to like them a lot in this first season. I look forward to many more seasons hopefully.
Author Notes: I know lots of folks are writing about Kono and Danny, but I like her with Steve. This story is about them discovering the feelings they have for each other.
Danny, Chin, and Steve stopped in a cliff area and sat down in the shade to discuss strategy.
"Guys, we have to get help. Now that we know how many of them there are and how well armed they are, we need to get the governor involved. The two of you have to head back down to where you can get a cell signal and call her. We need helicopters and all terrain vehicles. I will stay on their trail.
Chin stood up. "No way man. She's my cousin. I am not leaving her out here with them. Who knows what they will do to her."
They had been following the men who had taken Kona during a sting operation gone bad. Steve was feeling incredibly guilty for putting her in harm's way. There was no way he was going to head back down, but somebody had to do it and he had a better chance of catching up with them on his own. Danny would especially slow him down and he needed Chin to stay with Danny.
"I'll get her back. I promise Chin. Right now she needs you to bring the reinforcements. We are going to take these guys down, but I'm going to get her free first. I can do this. Just trust me, okay?"
The argument continued for another 5 minutes until Danny stood up and started pushing Chin down the hill.
"He's not going to bend on this Chin. Trust me. A fellow could get shot if he doesn't do what he says. He can get Kono back. I know it. He's some kind of stealth genius. The sooner we go, the sooner he can get her to safety and we can get these guys."
Steve watched as they headed reluctantly down the hill. He began to sprint up the hill in the direction of the arms dealers. One thought on his mind, get to Kono before they harmed her. He knew she was a tiger, but she could only fight them off for so long before they attempted to rape her or hurt her in some other twisted way.
It was dark when he caught up to them and they had started a small fire. Looked like they had no idea anyone was following them. Did they really think Kono had acted alone? He crouched down in the bushes and looked for Kono. He finally spotted her tied up to a tree. Her head was down and her beautiful hair was covering her face. One of the men walked over to her and kicked her feet. Kono looked up at him and Steve's breath caught when he saw her face. She had a nasty cut over her eye and bruises on her face. One eye was slightly swollen shut. They had done a number on her, but she was still full of fight.
The man leaned down in her face and pulled her up by her hair. "Honey, you keep putting me off like this and I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson."
Kono spit in his face, the other men started laughing at him and he struck her hard across the face again and then kicked her as hard as he could in her stomach.
"Hey, man, lay off her or she won't be up for fun later."
"Yeah, yeah, okay."
The men began to bed down for the night leaving her tied up to the tree. Steve watched as she pulled her knees up to her chest and laid her head down on them. His heart caught at how small she looked in that moment. He knew she could take care of herself, but she was no match for this many. He had to get her out of there now before they took that spirit away from her and broke her.
He waited for a full thirty minutes while snoring took up residence in the camp. He skirted around the edge of the camp and knelt behind the tree where Kono was. He began to saw through the rope with his knife and when he had freed her, he reached around the tree and took her hand in his pulling her silently around the tree and into his arms. He could hardly see her eyes in the dark, but he held them for a moment, silently communicating with her. They crouched down and he took her hand again as they made their way away from the camp. When they got far enough away not to be heard. He stopped and pulled her to him, whispering in her ear.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded her head, " I don't think my ribs are broken, but they are really sore.
"They didn't…"
"No, they planned to, but they had some sort of deadline to meet first."
"Are you up to putting some distance between us and them?"
"The farther the better."
"Okay, I think our best chance is to go up. Hopefully Danny and Chin will come back with helicopters at first light. Let's get going."
They took off at a slow jog. Kono was glad it was dark, otherwise Steve would be aware of how much pain she was in. They jogged for over an hour from her estimation and she was beginning to breathe heavily. Her ribs ached and she couldn't breathe very well. Her head was pounding and she could feel the cut over her eye bleeding again.
Steve had skirted way to the left of the hill they were climbing, going through more difficult terrain in an attempt to prevent the group tracking them. He knew they would make a more direct assault, so he wanted to get as far away as he could from their path in hopes they would go straight for their assignment and not try to find Kono. He was pretty sure they would assume she was lost out in the jungle. They might try to find her later, but hopefully by then Danny and Chin would be back with reinforcements. He knew it was a good days hike out to where they could get a signal. He just hoped he could keep Kono safe until then. His thoughts went back to the scene at the camp and how cruelly the man had treated Kono. He was determined she wouldn't be hurt any more by them. He would do whatever it took to keep her safe. He suddenly felt the need to protect her. He knew she would kick his butt if she knew he was having protective thoughts about her. She always acted like she could take care of herself, but Steve sensed she was guarded like that on purpose. Someone must have really hurt her once. He was startled from his thoughts when he heard Kono trip on something in the dark and go down hard. He was instantly by her side.
"Kono."
"I'm okay. Just give me a minute."
Steve reached out for her in the dark and felt her body shaking violently. "You are not okay. Kono, you lied to me. You've never done that before. Tell me where it hurts."
"Everywhere." She whispered.
Steve reached down and scooped her light frame into his arms. She hardly weighed anything. He held her fiercely to his chest. Her face nestled into his neck and he could feel hot tears on his skin.
"I can walk." She gave a half-hearted attempt to struggle out of his arms. Steve held her tighter causing her to squeak in pain.
"That's what I thought. You are not okay. They just beat the crap out of you. From here out I want to know how you are doing and I want the truth. Got it?"
"Got it." She laid her head back down into the curve of his neck and for the first time allowed herself to relax. She breathed in his manly scent and felt suddenly very safe. She would never want to admit to him how scared she had been. If Steve hadn't come for her, she knows they would have raped and killed her. The reality of that made her shiver again and Steve's eyes instantly dropped to meet hers.
"Okay, I'm going to find us someplace to sleep for the night. I think it may rain. It looks like it. I don't see any stars and you can smell it in the air. If it does, they will hunker down and that will give us a chance to get some sleep."
After another ten minutes, Steve found an area of rocks and spotted an overhang that created a small cave. This would keep them out of the elements. He moved inside where they were hidden from view and sat down with Kono in his lap. He pulled his pack off and leaned back against the wall placing her between his legs. She turned sideways and leaned against him with her hand pressed to his chest. Steve hoped she couldn't feel his heart speeding up at her touch. Something about her resonated with him on a deep level. He knew all about hiding. He hid who he was as well. He opened his pack and took out his space blanket and spread it over her first. Then he got out the first aid kit and took one of the cold packs out, breaking it and placing it over her swollen eye. He held it there for a minute.
"Better?"
"Much better."
She took the pack from him and he got out the antiseptic wipes and a butterfly bandage. He pushed her up to a sitting position, immediately missing her warmth, and began to wipe away the dried blood. He used his flashlight to briefly look at the cut.
"Well, it doesn't seem to need stitches. This should hold it and keep it from bleeding any more." He placed a butterfly bandage on the cut and then turned her face from side to side examining it.
"Man, they really did a number on you. How many times did he hit you?"
"I don't know. I lost count." She pulled her face out of his grasp and ducked her head. Steve gently reached down and tilted her head back up to look at him.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let them hurt you. I should never have let you go in alone. It was my call and it was the wrong one."
This time he was the one to look away. She pulled his head back over to look at her.
"I would have done the same thing, so you can stop questioning your judgment. You got me out and I'm okay, or I will be soon. It could have gone much worse for me."
He searched her face and then holding it carefully in his hands he very gently kissed her swollen eye and then her cut and then her bruised cheek.
"God, Kono, I would have died if they had raped or killed you. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
His voice choked and he very tenderly kissed her on the lips. The kiss was tentative and Kono responded by pressing back. It was sweet and loving and gentle. She sighed and nestled back down into his arms. He held her to him and stroked her hair softly, his other arm drawn protectively around her.
"Let's get some sleep. Okay?"
Her response was soft breathing. He cuddled her close and leaned his head on top of hers slowing his own breaths to match hers. Outside the cave, the rain started falling. Soon it was pouring. The sound was soothing. It also meant all traces of their footprints would be washed away. For now they would be safe. He just hoped Chin and Danny didn't take too long getting back. The two of them were no match for the dozen or more men camped a few miles down the hill from them.