Talk
Chapter 2
"Your 'truth serum' is a bust!" Singleton growled to Dr. Tellen. The mobster pulled a pistol from his shoulder holster and cocked it.
"I've been told truth serum doesn't make you tell the truth; it just makes you want to talk. I can talk. If you want talking, Danny Williams is your man. Anybody will tell you that," Danny said cheerfully, letting the harmless words flow. "Usually people tell me to shut up. My sisters, my teachers, my boss … Steve has offered to pay me to shut up. I could probably make a fortune …"
Singleton couldn't take the inane babble any more. "Shut up!" he roared.
"See?" Danny said to Tellen, who had to hide a smile.
Singleton raised his fist to hit Danny, but Tellen caught his wrist.
"No. Pain increases adrenalin and helps the subject throw off the effects of the drug. We just need to give him more time."
"And more truth serum," Singleton ordered.
Tellen pursed his lips doubtfully. He thought the intravenous drip was going at the proper speed.
Singleton shoved the doctor aside and turned up the flow. The taste of garlic made Danny think wistfully of New Jersey pizza. He sagged against his restraints, head spinning.
"That's too much!" Tellen protested.
Singleton backhanded the doctor's face. "Do as you're told," he growled.
"But an overdose will kill him," Dr. Truth protested. "Some of the components of the drug are the same as those used in lethal injections."
"Appropriate." Singleton gestured with his revolver. "If he doesn't talk, I'll kill him anyway. You, too."
"Kill me and you're signing your own death warrant," Danny said. His words were slurred, but his defiance remained. He knew now — and the knowledge gave him strength — that the drugs might kill him, but they wouldn't break him.
Despite his many successful interrogations, Tellen was losing confidence that this one would be productive. The psychological impact of the term "truth serum" had always played in his favor. People thought it would make them tell the truth, so they did. But Williams was armed against that belief. He'd apparently learned a few things from his Navy SEAL commander, who had been trained to resist interrogation.
"Please, Daniel," Tellen pleaded. "You must tell us about Agnes Stoneman."
"Won't. Won't, won't, won't," Danny chanted. "We can talk about something else. My daughter is 47 years old," the 35-year-old detective said happily. Recalling a story Grace had made up for school, he went on, "She raises lavender flying horses for a living but assembles nuclear weapons in her spare time just for fun."
Danny giggled at the outraged expression on Singleton's face.
"Daniel, it is time for the truth," Tellen said sternly.
"I'm not lyin' when I say, I'm not gonna talk," Danny sang.
"Give him more!" Singleton ordered.
Tellen tried to reason with his enraged client.
While they argued, Danny saw movement through the small window. A man in camouflage pants and a dark T-shirt climbed into view in the tree and settled himself with a sniper rifle. The partners' eyes met and Steve McGarrett smiled with relief.
One good thing about being drugged, Danny thought, there was no way he could tense up and give the game away.
Singleton continued to argue about upping Danny's dose.
"He's lying to you!"
"I know that!" Tellen snapped.
"Don't fight over me, guys," Danny pleaded with mockery in his voice. "It doesn't matter now, anyway. My friends know where you are," he said smugly.
"Liar!" Singleton roared in fury, pointing his gun at the prisoner.
Danny giggled giddily. "Truth serum, remember?" He nodded at Singleton's chest where the red spot of a laser sight glowed evilly.
Insanely, Singleton tried to twist away from the red dot. A bullet shattered the window and hit the mobster in the arm. His gun spun away and he fell, cursing.
Danny smiled sunnily. "Don't move, Doc," he warned.
"No, I will not move," Tellen agreed, raising his empty hands as the red dot tracked his way.
The door crashed in. Kel-Tec raised, Kono Kalakaua sprang to her right. Chin Ho Kelly followed moving left, his shotgun at the ready. SWAT officers crowded the doorway behind them.
"Hi guys, miss me?" Danny asked brightly.
"You know it, brah," Chin answered. Some of the tension went out of his shoulders when he saw his friend apparently unharmed, but he kept his shotgun aimed even as he continued, "It's been too quiet around the office."
"Funny, it's been all talk around here," Danny answered.
Kono secured Singleton, then left a SWAT officer to watch him and — not too gently — treat his wound. The Five-0 officer then handcuffed the submissive Tellen, leaving a second officer with him, while she knelt before Danny.
"I won," Danny reminded her.
"You did," Kono agreed. "How do you feel, brah?" she asked, as she gently removed the IVs from his arm, tying off the bags to prevent the evidence from escaping.
"Floaty," Danny answered. He frowned, wondering if that was a word. Now that he didn't have to guard his every thought, Danny was beginning to feel relaxed and drowsy. "Buoyant," he added, finally finding the word he wanted.
"You can't be too far gone if you can find long words like that," Steve said from the doorway. The commander was covered with leaves and bark and dirt from his scramble down the tree to see if his partner was all right. The relief in his eyes was evident.
"You're a mess," Danny said with a goofy grin. "Good to see you anyway."
"You're high," Steve said in amusement.
"As a kite," Danny agreed cheerfully.
Steve sighed, as he and Kono began to unstrap their friend from the chair. "I wish you had some deep, dark secret that I could question you about right now."
But the ex-Navy SEAL was the one with secrets, not the New Jersey detective.
"Danny's life. Open book. Same difference," Danny answered, his sentences unusually short. The air seemed to be getting thinner, or maybe he was just exhausted.
When the straps were released, he slumped against Steve. The commander helped his friend over to the cot.
"You OK?"
"Tired. Long day," Danny said, his eyes drifting closed.
Steve patted his shoulder. "You rest. We'll take care of Singleton and Tellen.
While his friends impatiently waited for the paramedics to arrive to take care of Singleton, Danny began to die.
A/N: And just when you thought he was rescued, too.