A/N: Special thanks to Werewolf Girl 22 for her assistance on this chapter. As usual all mistakes belong to me. Thanks to those of you who continue to read and review.
"You ready?" Steve asked Kono.
"Ready," the rookie breathed adjusting her Kevlar. Kono would never admit aloud it but she wasn't sure how she was going to react if they didn't get Danny back. Nearly losing Chin a couple of weeks back had almost been the end of her. And now Danny? The thought caused her heart to plummet; making her wonder if she really had what it took to be a successful cop.
The Jersey native had become someone she had grown to admire since beginning her career. Where Steve was skilled with weaponry and Chin with technology, Danny was street wise beyond all get out. She admired his innate ability to judge people, and his instincts.
Chin handed Kono a small ear piece that would allow her to receive direction. With Chin as her guide, Kono would follow the tunnels to Danny's office and then proceed to take down Doherty.
"I'll be giving you direction the entire way."
"Thanks, Cuz." Kono returned as Steve and Chin hoisted her up into the vent, and handed her the rifle filled with tranquilizer darts.
"Remember Rookie, all you need is one good shot, once Doherty goes down give Chin the signal and we'll bust through the door."
"Got it Boss," Kono returned snaking onto her stomach.
Danny wasn't certain why he didn't scream when the bullet ripped into his upper right thigh. Maybe it was because he had already entered that place of peacefulness where people go just before they die or maybe it was the fact that he was just getting fed up with Doherty and his incessant need to use him as a human voodoo doll. Whatever it was, he didn't care anymore.
Dead or alive all he wanted was out. Stabbed repeatedly, poisoned, and now shot. How much was he expected to take? He wasn't trained like to Steve to withstand the horror of torture.
Steve he cursed his partner's name. His life was on the verge of ending and it was all Steve's fault; crazy S.O.B. and his crazy friends. Of course this should not surprise him, every day since meeting Steve it seemed that found himself in life threatening situations.
Unlike Steve, he was a common ordinary man who spent his life trying to keep the streets safe for everyday normal citizens who had families. In fact he thrived on normalcy. Nothing about his partner, Steve McGarrett was normal.
When he imagined death, he usually thought of himself as an old man, surrounded by Grace and a couple of grandkids. But over the last few months that vision had begun to change. Being a part of 5.0 was far more hazardous to his health than anything he had faced back in New Jersey. Sure, thugs in a New Jersey had taken a shot at him, hell even a mobster or two. With 87 successful homicides cases under his belt he was no stranger to the hazards of his job but this… His thought trailed.
If by some lucky miracle he survived he was going to resign. Resign and open a shaved ice stand. God knows Kamekona made at least as much money as he did. If he got out of this, he would make an apology to Laura Hills. He'd acted like an ass the last he had seen her and though his instincts at the time about Steve's friend, Nick Taylor had been right on the money. But still he owed Laura an apology and who knew maybe an apology would lead to dinner.
His head flopped back onto the floor as bizarre thoughts continued to plague his mind. He was going to lose consciousness soon. This he was sure. The oozing wounds in his body told him so. His whole body felt feverish from the poison crap he'd been given. His head ached from where he'd hit it on the corner of desk, his abdomen and shoulder were both throbbing, waiting for a chance for something vital to slip out. But his leg was the worst. It didn't hurt at all and blood seemed to be pouring from it. Doherty had probably hit the femoral artery and if that were the case he was going to bleed out quick. That might explain why he suddenly felt the need to sleep.
His world fading to gray, Danny felt a sudden jolt, Doherty was tugging on his favorite tie. A quip sprang to Danny's lips but he thought best to keep it quiet. What now? Are you going to try to choke me to the point of unconsciousness? Not necessary pal because in case you haven't noticed. I'm already there!
Blearily, he watched as Doherty removed his tie from around his neck and used it as a tourniquet for his leg. Was this guy trying to save him from bleeding death, only so that he could endure some more torture? Doherty's last comment about potentially ending up with multiple gunshot wounds did not exactly thrill him.
"Hey bub, that's my favorite tie. My daughter gave me that tie." He mumbled softly, unable to keep the words from slipping out.
Doherty gave him the eye and grunt in return. "For a sand jockey, you speak English pretty well."
Danny let out a groan of frustration. "For the last time, I am not a sand jockey. I was born, bred and raised in New Jersey or didn't you catch the fact that I have blue eyes and blonde hair!"
"Traitor!" In his mind, Doherty had captured an operative that they had suspected on treason.
Angered by the detective's comment, Doherty reached down and pulled on the lapels of Danny's shirt forcing him upright so that they were face to face "I'd cut your heart out right now, if I could, but I'm on strict orders to wait for Slum Dog."
"Slum Dog?" Danny repeated, recognizing Steve's handle. "Slum Dog is right outside the freaking door!" Danny moved his bound hands, gesturing toward the door." Why don't you just open it and invite him…"
The rest of Danny's words died when he noticed that Doherty had placed some sort of explosive charge around the door jam. His plan was now to blow them all up? Not that it should have surprised Danny but it did.
He needed to find a way to warn Steve.
From the commons, Chin monitored Kono's movements from a laptop. The laptop displayed a maze of the ventilation system which allowed him to direct Kono step by step or in Kono's case crawl by crawl.
"You're getting close, Cuz. The next set of vents you're going to want to turn left."
Crawling on her hands and knees, Kono was thankful for her slender size. The narrow tubing was barely big enough for a cat to slink through much less a human being. As she drew near the vent in Danny's office, she could distinctly here voices: One of them clearly being Danny's.
Yes, you are right. I am a traitor; I betrayed my country to sell secrets to the Taliban and I'm ready to face my punishment. I'll be happy to tell Slum Dog everything.
Kono's face went all screwy. Why would Danny say something like that? Role playing she assumed continuing on until she met a fork in the tunnels. "Which way?" she asked Chin.
"Left, you're getting close, Cuz"
"I know I can hear Danny. He's saying something about the Taliban and Slum Dog."
"Just keep moving, Kono." Chin's voice came back.
Steve and Chin exchanged glances. With Steve confirming his earlier thought if Danny was talking about the Taliban, chances were it was in response to a delusion on Doherty's part.
Fairly certain that Doherty wasn't going to kill him Danny continued on with his rouse. "In fact if you let me call my boss, I'll get you the latest coordinates, information for my life. "
Doherty thought for a moment and then fished Danny's cell phone from his pocket.
"They'll probably give you a medal for this" Danny quipped, hitting the redial as Doherty placed the phone into his bound hands. Doherty then snatched the phone back, placing it on speaker mode.
Steve was standing over Chin's shoulder when he felt the vibration of his cell phone. "It's Danny." Again the two men exchanged glances before Steve picked up.
"I'm here, Danno"
Danny swallowed hard as he chose his words. He only had one chance to tell Steve about the charges on the door and no doubt when he did he would be in for a world of hurt.
"Danny?" Steve's voice echoed through the phone.
Danny locked eyes with his captor, "Steve, you can't come in here, man. There are charges on the door!"
Instinctively, Danny pushed his arms up over his head to block Doherty's fist from coming into contact with head. He wasn't certain what happened to the phone but from across the room he could hear Steve's distant voice.
"Danny! Danny!"
Once again, Danny was yanked upright by a mighty force. God this guy was strong Danny thought mutely as he felt his body slam into the desk. The desk cracked and splintered. A fist came into contact with his cheek, followed by another alternating blow. Helpless, all he could do was curl into himself and pray that the guy did not decide to throw him out the window. Another punch to the kidney or maybe it was Doherty's foot Danny couldn't really tell until the tip of Doherty's boot slammed into his ribs.
Unconsciously, Danny let out a groan in time with the sound of a crack which he was certain was bone.
From her position, Kono shuddered. "It sounds like he's killing him!"
"Just focus, Kono" Chin's voice came back at her, mixed with Steve.
"Double time it, Rookie. You're the only chance Danny's got!"
Doing an army crawl, Kono scrambled frantically until she reached the vent cover outside of Danny's office. The sound of Doherty assault on Danny was more profound now. Squinting, she struggled to see was happening through the slats. Nothing.
"The vent is closed!" she said a little bit louder than she meant too, panic and adrenaline getting the best of her. She wouldn't be able to get a clear shot at Doherty!
"You've got to find a way to open it." Chin's voice was calm and even.
How? Her only choice was the rifle. Quickly, she flipped the rifle over and slammed the butt into the aluminum of the vent, hoping that all of the commotion inside wouldn't give her position away. The vent cover gave a little and she hit it again. One more time!
Success! The vent cover fell from its hinges, but much to Kono's surprise a hand reached up yanking the rifle and her from the vent. Kono felt her body crumple slightly as she fell to the floor with a thud. Immediately she rolled back into a crab crawl. Face to face with Doherty she willed her herself not to shutter as she looked down the barrel of her own weapon. Though she knew it was only filled with darts, the end result would not be pretty should he choose to fire.
Taking a chance, Kono arched her back and sprang upward, into a back-walk-over her foot kicking at the rifle. The rifle wavered and Doherty grinned, tossing the weapon aside. There was nothing he liked more than hand-to-hand combat. The fact that it was with a woman making it even more fun.
Charging, he slammed Kono into the wall, her head connecting sharply with the plaster. The world went gray for a moment, until she realized that Doherty had a hold of her by the throat. Eyes watering, she clamped them shut, struggling against his strength. She clawed his monstrous hands proving no match for the deranged SEAL. He was crushing her windpipe.
"Kono! No!"
She heard Danny's raspy voice call out to her but it seemed so far away. Gasping, she let gravity take her to the floor, the world fading to black.