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H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O

"Steve? How do you feel?" After literally hours of endless pacing where his anxiety had ramped up exponentially, Chin had just gotten the go ahead from Steve's surgeon to visit him in recovery. The Asian tried to hide his feelings as he leaned over the bed, marveling at the ashen complexion and sickly hue. But Steve's eyes were more telling as they glimmered around a mix of pain, confusion and a frenetic worry. Despite the expression, Chin knew that Steve was keenly aware that something had happened and was desperate for action. And his first words proved it with ease.

"Chin," Steve whispered desperately. "Where's … Danny?" His body was leaden, completely unresponsive to his needs and he grimaced as an attempt to move proved senselessly painful. He felt sick, grimacing against the nausea brought on not only by anesthesia, but also a growing sense of fear. Even worse than sick as only one thought came to mind upon rousing from his medically induced lethargy - all because his very last memories instantly came to the fore.

Where the hell was Danny?

For a time, Steve closed his eyes as images and threatening voices ricocheted in his mind. What he remembered did little to calm his thoughts. If anything, his worry skyrocketed sharply upwards.

"Drink it down Commander," Spenser McCann had chuckled as two of his men wedged him tightly into the corner of his own living room wall. A third closing the loop with a whisky bottle in hand. "I want it all gone every last drop."

A gun had been held to his temple and another wedged tightly into his gut. His hair had been pulled back roughly as his own hand was forced upwards to his lips, his fingers wrapped tightly around the neck to the whiskey bottle by black-gloved hands.

"Hurry now," McCann had whispered with a sinister smile. "Your partner will be here soon. Very, very soon."

He had tried to refuse, sputtering and using everything in his means to fight them. But he was overpowered not by strength, but by fear. Something almost alien to the SEAL. A fear not for himself, but for a young girl with a flowing mane of brunette hair. A young girl who laughed as she ambled arm in arm with her closest friend; the remains of a half-shared mandarin clutched in one hand as her satchel swung carelessly from the other. A young girl whose image tore at his heart, silencing and stilling him as instantly as a double tap to the head, just without the bloody aftermath.

As the live feed played on the tablet held before him, the commander had done exactly as he was told. There on the floor - propped slightly against the wall of his office - he had gagged and spluttered as he downed nearly the entire bottle, the sour taste of both the liquid and the 'persuasion' churning his stomach. He had never been much of a drinker, a beer or two after work or with a meal and maybe a glass or two of the good stuff on occasion . Not like this though ... and never this fast. He was already over half way through the bottle - eyes watering and throat numb - before he had begun to feel the effect.

Spenser had patiently watched him drink, requesting he pause every so often "We wouldn't want you puking before we could get you a little tipsy, would we now, Commander?" It was in those moments that Spenser had asked his enormous sidekick to detail precisely what each member of his team was doing at that very moment - all the while playing the live feed of Grace at school. The man had eyes and ears everywhere and Steve was powerless to stop any of it. By the time the bottle was almost empty, he could barely remember how to say his own name ... but apparently that didn't matter as someone else was doing that for him. There was a dim memory of noise in the background, too. A residual echo of his house being trashed. Of Danny's voice … pleading with him from very far away.

Frightened, concerned, almost frantic.

"Steve! I'm almost there I'm pulling into your street right now …"

There had been the roar of the Camaro in his driveway followed by the overwhelming sound of a single gunshot at incredibly close range. He'd been momentarily deafened as he'd stared up into the smiling eyes of the man who'd pulled the trigger. Staring in disbelief as the hot sharp pain finally registered in his brain just before his body revolted for Steve to remember … nothing.

Spenser McCann had Danny; he also had eyes on Grace.

"Oh my god. No," Steve silently mouthed as Chin grasped his arm, worry etched across his face. Steve cringed as the painful memory became reality and he absorbed the truth without needing to have more tangible proof, wincing as he pulled on freshly tied stitches. He didn't need to remember anything else, but he certainly recalled enough which made him squirm, his legs wanting to move as they fought a sickly, tired body.

"Steve?" Chin asked, instantly concerned at his friend's waking reaction since it was obvious now that he did indeed remember something important. "Steve ... take it easy. Calm down."

Chin unconsciously glanced towards the monitors to briefly watch the rise and fall of brilliantly lit lines and an array of numbers before he met the stern eyes of a nearby nurse who'd been diligently watching her patient's waking state. If things continued as they were, his visit would be duly cut short, and Chin needed time with Steve and he, with him. But their reunion would be exceedingly brief if the Five-0 Commander continued to escalate.

"Take it easy before they kick me out of here," Chin softly coached, working hard to be the antithesis of how he was feeling inside. "What do you remember … can you tell me what happened inside your house?"

Unable to answer at first, Steve shook his head because it couldn't have really happened, a feeling of loss and panic arching through his chest, sending a few of his monitors into a mechanical state of alarm. He didn't remember all of it, yet he was sure that he remembered just enough about why McCann had been waiting inside his own home. "Chin? Where's Grace? And Danny ...where is he? Tell me that they're both safe."

"Grace is fine, but as for Danny, we just don't know. We haven't been able to track him down yet, Steve," Chin softly replied, his brow furrowing in consternation as new implications came to light. The scene inside Steve's home had been staged to his astute mind, yet the doctors had found a more than significant amount of alcohol in his friend's bloodstream. Chin's frown deepened as previously inconsistent clues slowly began to click into place.

"Was Danny with you? When we couldn't reach him, Kono finally ran the GPS on the Camaro. We found it in the parking lot to a supermarket with the keys still in the ignition," Chin said as he heaved in a deep worried breath when Steve's face completely altered, ashen skin now completely colorless. He wanted to stop at that point, yet he was forced to continue speaking albeit slowly and with a great deal of trepidation.

"Danny's badge, cell phone and weapon were left on the rear seat. The damned thing was parked just beyond range of the surveillance cameras. Our team in forensics went over every inch of that car with a fine-toothed comb, but found nothing. We've got nothing, Steve. Not a damned thing. There's been no word from him … no sign of him. I've got an APB out, but don't know what to think."

"Shit," Steve briefly closed his eyes, his breathing labored when he realized he was right and that his team knew absolutely nothing. But he knew ... he knew without a single doubt the only reason why the Camaro would be parked so complacently at a benign supermarket. Steve wanted to scream in frustration at the truth of it. He was newly upset, exasperated and just hanging on to his last fringes of hope.

"Steve, we don't know what happened to you. Can you tell me if Danny was with you at some point? Do you know who did this?" Chin was utterly confused as Steve murmured almost inconsolably to himself, things which he couldn't hear at all. The Camaro's location was much too far from Steve's house to mean much and yet, there had to be a definite connection.

"How long?" Steve asked suddenly, his throat closing as his chest similarly constricted. He blinked through a rise in frustrated tears, his original concern mounting in spades. The answer to his question would substantiate how long his partner had been with the maniacal mercenary. "Chin … how long has it been?"

"About six hours … almost seven," Chin admitted worriedly as he tried to read Steve's expression and guess between the lines as to where his friends disjointed thoughts might be going.

"Dispatch reported an anonymous call about gunshots at your home address. We were immediately contacted … we found you in a setup that was meant to look like a suicide attempt. Your house was ransacked as if you'd intentionally done it yourself and … the whiskey? But … this is you … and who the hell tries to commit suicide by shooting themselves in the stomach? Steve, what the hell happened?"

"Seven hours," Steve whispered distractedly as his medically befuddled brain tried to rationalize the length of time and what had likely happened. He blinked his eyes in rapid succession, confused and barely able to focus. "Seven?"

"Steve? Do you know who did this?" Chin repeated, pushing harder now as his own desperation grew based on Steve's obvious rise in panic.

"He's got Danny," Steve whispered almost to himself. "McCann." His general level of distraction also communicating his incredulous disbelief. The resultant feelings of anger - and even fear - nearly wrecked his voice because what was happening simply couldn't be true. Yet it was and Chin would easily understand the ramifications. "He has him … he lured him to my place. They could be anywhere by now."

"Who?" Chin, leaned closer unsure of what he thought he'd heard, his urgency palpable as he dug his fingers into Steve's arm to draw his gaze back. He shook his head in disbelief not wanting to really have Steve clarify what he'd just said. Afraid that he'd already heard the truth. "Who was it … who has Danny, Steve?"

"Spenser McCann," Steve finally pushed out through clenched teeth. "Ambushed … he forced the whiskey on me … I don't really know what happened after that … but it was Spenser McCann with four … maybe five of his men. He's got Danny ... he's had him for all of these last seven hours, Chin. Where the hell is Grace? You better tell me that she's okay and safe."

"McCann! What? INTERPOL pegged him in Dubai," Chin hissed uncontrollably, still stunned to his core by what Steve was revealing. "He's … here?"

Heaving in a lungful of air, Chin dragged his hands down his face. McCann. It just couldn't be him. And yet, now it all made perfect sense. The first HPD units on the scene thought it a suicide attempt based on the setup and sheer lack of evidence to anything else. With Danny missing and the Camaro abandoned, someone else had the unfortunate gall to even float the idea that one partner had shot the other in a fit of temper. Chin had railed loudly against both ridiculous theories so much so, that any HPD officer was giving him a completely wide berth.

But this, with Spenser McCann? He'd felt the worst inside, but hadn't wanted to go down this particular road. It was too soon … much too soon after the first run-in. Because of McCann's attack on The Palace and HPD headquarters, they had no real formal offices yet to speak of and were working out of cramped, but serviceable modular trailers. Equipment was rudimentary in comparison to what they were all used to. Chin, especially, mourned the loss of the powerful smart table inside the large war room. From common bathrooms to the lack of a cafeteria, quarters were tight. Morale was low across the board, yet now improving in direct conjunction to construction which was finally ramping up in earnest. But, like a lost band of gypsies, none of them were comfortable with their combined situation and Danny was barely back on his feet.

"Grace ... Chin he's ..."

"She's fine, Steve. When we couldn't reach Danny, we picked her up at cheerleading practice and that was hours ago." Chin paused not knowing where to look for a moment before he shared an unhappy fact. "There was a drone in the area when Kono and two HPD units picked her up. The coaches were trying to get the children under cover; but there definitely was a drone and we can't find the operator."

In absolute frustration, Steve punched his fist into the mattress. The whole situation reeked of Spenser McCann and his devious methods. Things had happened much too quickly and they'd all been completely blind-sided despite a firm belief in their preparedness.

"Where is she now?" Steve asked. "Not at the offices, right?" He was unable to hide his worry, nor his spike in fear not only because their temporary offices were so essentially unsafe. He needed to know precisely where Grace was to ensure her safety and then focus on finding her father.

"No, he needs to stay," Steve insisted breathlessly. "This is critical." He then ignored the nurses who suggested now that Chin leave for their injured patient's welfare and Steve gestured firmly that Chin do the same and remain with him until they'd finished speaking.

With an apologetic nod towards one of the nurses, Chin pressed his lips together, torn by his duties. Steve was decidedly doing poorly now and he also didn't wish to continue for his sake, but Steve was as adamant for him to stay as the nurse was for him to leave. Vowing to be quick, Chin chose words which were meant to offer at least some relief. He too was angry though. Angry with himself for not putting the clues together to come up with Spenser McCann as their attacker. He'd believed the reports which INTERPOL had shared and so, he simply hadn't gone beyond setting the wheels in motion to protect Danny's family when their detective came up missing.

"She's been with Kono ever since; Rachel's on her way back from Las Vegas. We have all the info on her flights and HPD will be waiting for her when she lands. I'm not going to lie. Grace originally did spend some time at HQ and now, Kono's taken her home which we both felt was more secure. We've got two unmarked units at Kono's and once I leave you, I'm joining her there. She's already got an ad hoc field office set up and there's nothing that we can't do there at this point."

"Good," Steve answered wearily. His head suddenly felt as if it might explode along with the significant rise in his heartbeat. He heard the monitors reacting over his head as he fisted the bed sheet, rending the fabric uselessly as his apprehension grew. "That's good, Chin."

McCann didn't quite have a direct interest in Grace or Danny's family. The mercenary was all about a show of power which abetted his appetite for manipulation and control. Whatever he flaunted in front of Danny would certainly be more than enough to manage his partner. Past experience had proven that simple fact.

Even while he was in surgery, his team and HPD had been caring for the obvious necessities despite not being completely in the know. Grace was under protection and a BOLO had been dutifully issued for Danny. Still, he was only slightly mollified since no one had assumed McCann. Therefore, much more could have been done and could still be positioned against them ... used as a tool to force Danny along a certain path. They needed to cut the man's intel off at the knees and then bring Danny home.

"Wait," Steve murmured tiredly, his eyes squinting upwards to meet a nurse's warning gaze when he felt the activity increasing by his bedside. He hadn't realized that his eyes had even closed as his brain swirled relentlessly. With that unconscious move, he'd earned himself additional medication and would be forced to rest regardless of his wishes.

"McCann's entrenched here and he's got eyes everywhere; including on Grace. Scour Danny's house and before Rachel gets back, check the Edwards' house out from top to bottom for bugs and then call INTERPOL." Steve clenched his jaw tightly and then closed his eyes as a wave of pain stole his breath. "Have HPD increase their presence at command. Take no risks."

Steve coughed uncomfortably, wincing in pain and unable to bite back the hiss which escaped his lips. He didn't have time for his own ills; however his body certainly had other ideas, as did his medical caregivers. The nurse above him was now tutting unhappily over his blood pressure and apparent flux in pain.

"On it," Chin said with a bitter tone, because he never considered McCann as part of the dangerous mix. For one, they couldn't trust INTERPOL's Intel which meant that they didn't know when McCann and his team had even arrived. And then besides the immediate attack on Five-0, there was the man's true mission because something other than Danny had made him return. An important mission which INTERPOL would need to manage and that they would now demand inclusion in as it related to one of their own.

"Get in touch with the Governor and then Agent LaRouche." Steve shook his head at Chin's self-recrimination, not wanting an apology, only action as he filled in the major gaps which his team had been blind to. Besides, what had happened to Danny was entirely his blame - his responsibility - to have let his guard down and be used as the bait in McCann's schemes.

"Set INTEPOL straight … get them here. Get started working together and don't back down; I want to know everything they know down to the smallest of details. Engage the Governor there if you need to, along with any other Agency we might need at our disposal. We've got a state of emergency … as well as an abduction," Steve gasped the last words out, his face now entirely without color. He was sweating and his nausea was increasing the more he attempted to fight the after-effects of having had major surgery.

"Take it easy. I'll set all the wheels in motion and be back to feed you whatever we learn," Chin responded, moving quickly now since his original feelings of anxiety were incredibly much worse. He'd wrongly assumed that seeing Steve would calm some of his stress. He'd been astonishingly wrong on all counts. "It's not just at the command center either. You can count on having a detail here at your door, too. Just in case."

Chin's voice might have been calm, yet his internal emotions continued to escalate and it was a struggle to fight with reason as he jogged from the recovery room. His feelings were indescribable as he relived the personal horror that had been Spenser McCann's first sojourn to Oahu. He'd met the man personally along with Danny. He'd been subjected to and had experienced the one-on-one butting of heads which he'd originally not recognized as a sexual tension.

That first meeting had occurred during the man's well-constructed first mission and it had nearly destroyed both HPD and Five-0 as agencies. But so much more had happened when it came not only to nearly losing his own life, but the man's odd growing infatuation with Danny.

Spenser McCann had vowed to return to complete the second half of his vague mission. Something which INTERPOL was keenly interested in heading off as it related to the biochemist, Doctor Mercier, and yet, that agency had obviously missed something critically important.

Dubai. McCann was reported as being there with particular members of his team, of most note, his dangerous Second and lover, Dylan Walker. INTERPOL agents had been above board in keeping in touch with the Hawaiian agencies, the FBI and the State Department. Lines of communication were spread wide open. Yet their intel was grievously wrong and Chin didn't understand it; though, knowing of McCann's genius-level militaristic measures, he shouldn't be so surprised that he'd orchestrated his return so well.

Chin's shocked brain could scarcely take in that not only was the man on the Island, but he'd already struck … and struck hard.

~ to be continued ~