A/N: Hello Everyone,
Thank you so much for all the alerts and interest in this story. I still can't believe how man alerts I'm getting. This and Makuahine, are my most popular stories yet and its all because of you!
Well I hope you like the beginnings of Danny's investigation. It looks like something really is up on the farm.
Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful comments and following the story, you guys are why I do this!
As always, I own nothing.
Enjoy!
Chapter 4: Wickedness on a Western Wind
Kono spent the car ride out to the ranch in giddy anticipation, as Danny drove. Something like child like wonder had come over her as she anticipated what she could only imagine. Chin had filled her in, told her what he had seen in the skills that Danny possessed and to see him in action made her even more excited. She wondered if it would be anything like the first time he has seen her surf and she laughed to herself at the idea of becoming a student to Danny Williams; Cowboy.
Danny, on the other hand, tried to down play his skill and tried to remind Kono that this was a working trip more then anything. He was happy to see her excitement, but at the same time, he was apprehensive. He knew that with Kono and Chin involved he would have to get Steve involved or, feel forever guilty, because yes, Danny was now feeling a pang of guilt for keeping Steve in the dark. Unfortunately, even with all of his second thoughts, Danny knew that they had come this far without telling Steve and there was no way around it now. He would be face with the onslaught of the SEALs anger, if anger was all Danny was going to have to deal with, and then he would find a way around it, calm Steve down, and bring him onboard.
Danny pulled the Camaro to a stop and heard a familiar whinny from off in the field. He smiled to himself as Kono got out and bright eyes, looked around to see the farm and the pens full of beautiful horses. Suddenly a black horse rushed along the length of the fence at a full run. The steed tossed his glossy mane as his hooves pounded, thunderously, on the hard packed ground, and Kono stared in shock and fear at the beast's display.
"What is wrong with that horse?" she asked as the horse made a full circuit of the field and came storming back toward them grunting and hissing, before he swerved to miss the fence and headed off again.
"Nothing," Danny stated, "he's just showing off." He added as he climbed up on the fence, sent a sharp, piercing whistle into the air, and stopped the seemingly frantic horse in its tracks.
"Oh my God, Danny, is that your horse?" Kono asked fearfully.
"Yup," Danny smiled from his perch on the fence as the horse regally pranced toward them. "Hey, showoff, you think that's going to impress the ladies?" Danny asked the horse as Target huffed at him and nudged him with his nose.
"That was insane," Kono stated as she watched the horse become completely docile with Danny.
"Yeah, he's a little bit of a goof," Danny laughed as Target rubbed the side of his face against Danny's arm, "Target, this is Kono, be nice." He added as he took Kono's hand and placed it on the side of Target's face.
"Hello," Kono said shaking as she looked into the horses eyes and he pushed against her hand.
"See, he's a big suck and a huge show off and a real loud mouth," Danny laughed.
"Sounds like someone I know," Kono teased.
"Don't start with me Kalakaua," Danny smiled, "we had better get to work."
"But I thought you were going to teach me to ride," Kono smiled. "Or at the very least, I'd get to see you ride."
"We're going to do our walk about first," Danny stated, "I want to investigate a little before we do any riding, because if we run into any trouble, I don't want you bucked off the horse or any thing like that. So, we'll stay close to the ground for now and then get you on a horse when we're done."
"Good call," Kono smiled as she petted the tip of Target's nose and then watched as Danny sent the beast back out into the field.
Kono and Danny walked the length of the drive which led up to the farm house and found Gloria pacing her terrace, ringing her hands together.
"I thought I saw you pull up Haole," She smiled but there was worry in her eyes.
"What's wrong Glow?" Danny asked.
"There was someone wandering my field last night. I chased him off with a couple of warning shorts but he was out by my well." Gloria stated and then noticed the lady at Danny's side, "Kono Kalakaua, I've been trying, for years, to get you off the water and out into the fields!" Gloria cried happily as she rushed down the steps to hug Kono.
"I'm sorry it took me so long," Kono smiled, "but when Danny said some weird stuff was going down, I thought I'd take this as a sign that I was meant to come here."
"You're here to help?" Gloria asked.
"Yup, you see, when you told Danny not to worry that was the wrong thing to say and now you have Five-O on your case," Kono smiled.
"Chin Ho too?" Gloria smiled, "he's out here all the time and I never thought to bring anything up with him."
"Yes Cousin's in; back at HQ doing some research for us," Kono smiled and noticed as the nervousness came back into Gloria's face.
"I'm glad you came back, Danny," Gloria sighed, "I wasn't worried until I saw someone out there in the dead of night and now, I just don't know. Something seems weird and I'm worried about my patrons and the animals."
"I don't blame you Glow, we'll get to the bottom of it," Danny stated and motioned for Kono to follow.
"Is there anything I can do?" Gloria asked.
"Can you saddle up a learner for Kono? I promised her a lesson in exchange for the overtime," Danny stated teasingly as Kono punched him in the shoulder.
"Call it payment for the Surfing Lessons," Kono laughed.
"Sure, you can take out La'i, she my most docile and reliable horse," Gloria smiled and took off toward the barn, waving at the Five-Os as they turned toward the fields.
5-0
Danny led Kono out toward the well. He took it at a jog, and arrived in the area to check out what might be left from the night intruder.
"Gloves," Kono stated, handing Danny a pair of black latex gloves as they began their investigation.
"Thanks," Danny said and got right to work.
"I've got tracks leading away from the area. They don't look small enough to be a woman." Kono stated pointing off toward tree line.
"That looks like the get way," Danny stated as he measured the stride with his own natural stride. "The suspect was running, but where did he come from?" he asked and his eyes fell to the ground again. "look at this," he stated as he squatted down on his haunches and pointed a gloved finger at less then an imprint in the foliage of the crop, "you see how there is a bruise on this leaf and a snap in the stem?" he asked.
"How did you notice that?" Kono asked.
Danny tilted his head with the angle of the sun and saw the shadow of a trail leading, at an angle, away from the escape rout. "The suspect came from the corner of the field, slowly, and probably followed the property line back that way in his get away." Danny stated, "We need to headNorth Westto follow this guy."
"Do you know what is in that direction?" Kono asked
"That leads away from Gloria's property. I'm not used to riding out that way because there aren't any trails, or at least I don't think there are," Danny answered.
Kono pulled her phone out of her pocket, held it out to the sky for a second and then dialed a number. "Hey Chin you at the computer?" she asked. "Good. Can you pulled up my location from the GPS in my phone? Awesome. Can you tell me what is northwest of my current location?" she asked as Danny turned his attention to the well casing and the filters that were attached to the well.
"Thanks Chin," Kono stated and pocketed the phone again, "Chin says that's state land, leading into the national forest reserve."
"Good place to hide," Danny stated.
"Or cause a lot of mischief," Kono added.
"The filter's been tampered with," Danny stated as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and snapped some pictures.
"We should print it," Kono smiled, "I stashed a field kit in the truck of the Camaro while you and Boss Man were conferencing with Gracie." She winked and took off back toward the farm house.
"How did you stash that when I had my keys the whole time?" Danny asked when Kono had returned.
"I swiped the spare set that Steve keeps in his desk," Kono smiled and opened the kit for her printing materials.
"He stole my spare keys?" Danny asked angrily.
"Yup," Kono laughed, "so you see, you're secret keeping is justified."
"Oh my God, he's in for it when I see him later," Danny huffed.
"Hello there," Kono stated pleasantly as the fingerprints began to appear against the white of the filter and well casing.
"That is a work of art Kono," Danny smiled proudly and snapped some pictures to send them off to Chin back at HQ.
"Alright, should we see what else lies just beyond the tree line?" Kono asked as she finished with the well.
"We'll go quickly, but its going to get dark soon and I don't want our Baddie having the upper hand," Danny answered and led the way across the field.
At the corner of the long field Danny stopped, held up his hand and Kono stopped as well. "What does that look like to you?" he asked pointing at something that was tucked out of sight under a palm leaf.
"Looks like a gun," Kono stated, photographed the scene, then bagged the evidence.
"If you came back this way, wouldn't you pick that up?" Danny asked, "After you'd gone through the trouble of hiding it?"
"Not if you lost your light source and couldn't see in the dark," Kono stated. "I'll go back to the escape rout and retrace the Baddie's steps," she added and moved along the tree line.
Danny walked along the tree line looking through the under brush to the trails that were cut into the forest of the state land. They were hardly noticeable to the untrained eye, but the tracker in Danny screamed out in suspicion as he scanned what lay beyond.
"Found it," Kono called from midway through the field.
"Good job Rookie," Danny smiled and moved to meet her.
"What, you've seen enough?" she asked as she finished bagging the evidence and stashing it into her kit.
"You want a riding lesson, don't you?" Danny asked with a smile, "I think we have enough to pique the super SEAL's interest and I have seen enough to know that I need to come out here with another seasoned rider. No offence Kono, but there is a trail cut into the underbrush and I'll need back up."
"I'm not offended. It sounds like a good job for Chin," Kono smiled.
"Yeah, and we need to get a move on so we can take this to McGarrett." Danny sighed.
"You sure you're ready for that?" Kono asked.
"I have to be," Danny answered and then headed off toward the Camaro.
