It was barely six in the morning when Steve McGarrett met Chin Ho Kelly at the HPD impound lot. The car belonged to one of their suspects in a high profile murder case. Chin had tracked the car down just in time to save it from being crushed into scrap.
"I can see why it was next in line to be scrapped."Steve commented dryly.
"Somebody was trying to cover their tracks."Chin confirmed.
The small sedan had been torched and the windows were long gone. In it's previous life it'd been a 2007 Ford Focus dark red in color according to the registration specs Chin had sent him. Steve started at the front of the car and began a slow walk around. Chin opened the passenger door and pried open what was left of the glove compartment.
"Gonna need forensics to piece back together what's in here."Chin reported as he pulled out charred paper.
"Pop the trunk."Steve ordered as he reached the rear of the car.
Chin leaned over and hit the release. Steve braced himself for the smell half expecting a dead body. Thankfully the trunk was on latex gloves he'd had in his pocket Steve searched the compartment. Nothing but what was left of the spare tire. Frustrated he closed the lid and walked to the passenger side where Chin was still sifting through the glove compartment.
"Nothing back there."McGarrett stated as he pulled off the gloves. "We should get it towed back and have a tech team go over it."
"Not finding anything here either except for some fried gas receipts."Chin said as he put the items in an evidence bag and closed it. "Probably towing it back is the best..."
A loud creak of metal interrupted the conversation drawing Steve's attention upward. Space on the island was always limited so some of the impounded cars were stacked on top of each other. The stack closest to them had ten piled up and three feet next to it there was another stack of various cars that totaled twelve. It was that twelfth one that had made the sound. The four door black sedan was unstable and the morning's strong winds weren't helping. As Chin and Steve watched the car bobbled and then with another creak of metal toppled in their direction.
"We need to..."Chin began as he stood.
"No time!"Steve replied as he grabbed his colleague by the right arm pulling him away.
The sedan began a domino affect as it knocked into the closest stack of cars. With a deafening roar three cars began to tumble down.
"Go!"Steve ordered.
The two men ran towards the small building that housed the impound lot's office which was located to their right about thirty feet away. Chin and Steve reached the building and ducked behind the left wall. Just as they did one of the tumbling cars which had bounced off their suspect's car landed with a loud thud inches from the office's front door.
"I think forensics can still get something from it."Chin said as he pulled out his phone and walked away from the building.
Steve started to follow when movement caught his attention. One of the cars that had been caught in the original slide hadn't fallen all the way. It was teetering on top of a pickup on the first stack four cars up from their suspect's car. Just as Steve was about to shout a warning the car lost it's battle with gravity and it plummeted. Steve raced forward and grabbed Chin around the waist half tackling him back the way they'd come. They reached the corner of the building as the car hit the Focus. Both vehicles gas tanks ruptured at the impact and exploded sending debris in every direction. When metal and glass finally stopped falling Steve and Chin picked themselves off the ground and turned to look at the destruction.
"Thanks."Chin said quietly looking at the pile of cars. "I didn't see it."
Steve nodded in acknowledgment as he looked at the burning wreckage.
"Thought we'd finally caught a break in this case; guess not."Steve said in disgust. "I'll call HFD and we'll head back."
A few minutes later the fire department was putting out the fire and the impound crew was cleaning up the mess. Steve got in his truck and Chin got onto his motorcycle. They left the impound lot and merged into morning rush hour traffic.
end
