You were worried, admit it... ha ha. Things are starting to come together, it will all make sense in the end! And nope, I haven't forgotten about the Sub and it's crew.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER SEVEN
Coming too was a journey in itself. For a while Danny felt like he was slowly floating through a thick soup of black oil. It clogged everything so much so that what faint sounds he could hear were indistinguishable. But then slowly they began to get louder and clearer.
After an eternity of wondering why he couldn't just wake up, Danny finally managed to open his eyes.
"You back with me Danno?" Grunting and letting out an embarrassingly feminine moan, Danny blinked several times to focus the dark haired man looming over him.
That was when it all came back to him. Cahill, the guns, the knife and the cabin where he had Danny and Steve captive.
Steve.
"STEVE!" Danny barked. Adrenaline alone had him trying to sit up only to be pushed back against something soft.
"We're okay Danny," Steve said authoritatively. "You're in the hospital… again." Sure enough the white walls came into focus as did the rhythmic chirping of a heart monitor. But that didn't make any sense, unless Steve had miraculously managed to get them both to safety.
"You really are a freaking ninja," Danny grunted. Steve laughed and shook his head before sitting back in the chair next to the hospital bed Danny now lay in. On the SEAL's face was a freshly stitched wound.
"Cahill let us go," Steve replied. Danny frowned and shook his head.
"What?"
"He let us go," Steve repeated. "Once you were out cold he forced me to take care of his shoulder. He's been shot and now he's on the run from this Max Dartelli guy. Apparently you were right, he was leaving loaves for us to follow. They guy was actually content serving out his sentence when he was snatched out of prison." Shaking his head, Danny tried to understand what exactly he was being told.
"So…?" he questioned.
"So Max Dartelli is an ex-CIA agent," Steve replied. "The way Cahill described him he made the guy sound like something that crawled out of hell itself. Like nine kinds of crazy."
"Wonderful," Danny groaned. "A reference like that from Jackson and I like this guy already." Steve was oddly quiet for a moment before he leaned forward and spoke again.
"Danno, I didn't get much from Cahill, he really did just want me to fix his shoulder but… the way he talked about Max, it sounded like he was genuinely afraid of the guy," he said. Danny snorted and shook his tender head.
"Oh okay, well I'll make sure I give Jackson a good hug next time I see him," he replied. "If he's afraid of this guy, I want to shake Dartelli's hand."
"Even if he was the one who gave the order to have you abducted?" Steve's words rang out and bounced off the hospital room walls. The heart monitors registered a quickening of pace as Danny, finally free from the fog of sedation, sat up despite his sore leg.
"What did you just say?" he asked. Steve reached down and when he came back up he pulled a thick bound document from a backpack. When he turned the manuscript around it's title clearly read; "The Puppet Master".
Danny was stunned.
"That's…"
"Cahill's manuscript," Steve nodded. "He gave me this copy. You've been out for almost seven hours. I've just skimmed through it but there's hero worship in here Danno. I mean serious hero worship. Max apparently taught Jackson everything he knows. The thing is according to Cahill, Dartelli's starting to lose it. He's starting to get to cocky. As I was told, "Dart's crossing the line, I'm a conman but I'm still a patriot."
Curiously, Danny felt a rage building in his gut. He could swear there was an odd hint of sympathy in his partner's voice and that, he couldn't accept.
"Cahill may not have ordered my kidnapping but I'm damn sure he was there when I got the holy hell beaten out of me," Danny snarled. "And I don't think I like your tone right now." Steve looked, understandably, confused.
"What? Danny… I'm just telling you what I got from Cahill," he replied. "I know the guys still a head case that deserves to rot for what he did to you but-"
"But, what Steve?" Danny spat. "We need him to get the bigger bad guy? We need to do what's right for the greater good?"
"Danny we…"
"Screw you," the detective spat. "I want Cahill's head I don't care who trained the beast, the fact is the beast needs to be put down. You can either get-"
"- on board or get out of my way, the detective said to his soon to be ex-partner." Danny's anger fizzled into confusion as Steve had flipped open the manuscript and appeared to be reading from it. When the detective didn't say anything, McGarrett continued;
"I always admired the detective for those words. He's driven, as am I. Someone at some point warped his sense of justice just like they did me. And I honestly look forward to the day when I can get into his head and show him everything my mentor has taught me. The Jersey Detective needs to know how good it feels to feel pain and cause it all at the same time."
A cold shudder ran through Danny's entire body. Those words sounded like Cahill's. They sounded cold and evil but mostly, they sounded frighteningly sincere. It was like any deviation from the belief behind those words would lead to the most severe of consequences.
Resolve in it's truest form and it was honestly more horrifying than being tortured in a warehouse.
Resolve like that got loved ones killed so that the surviving person could feel and know that loss. To learn from it or to die for it, Danny suddenly found himself worrying about everyone he'd ever given a smile to in his entire life.
Tossing back the bed sheet Danny started to haul his injured leg over the side. It hurt like hell but Danny knew there would have been way more IV's and monitors around him if it was serious.
"Hold on Danny, where do you think you're going?" Steve sighed. "Kono and Chin are putting together Dartelli's information with Ander's help."
"Wonderful," Danny replied. "That gives us the job of getting back to HQ and sticking with finding Cahill." As expected, Steve rolled his eyes and moved to stop Danny from attempting to stand.
"You just woke up from the anaesthesia Danny," he explained. "It's nearly noon the next day and you've just gone through mild surgery… You aren't walking anywhere for a few days."
"Watch me," Danny spat. He shoved Steve away from the bed then gingerly dangled his legs over the edge. The gauze was wrapped tightly around his thigh and it stung quite a bit but Danny wasn't about to let it stop him. With a deep breath, he put his foot down and tested the weight baring capabilities of the wounded leg.
The answer was not much. No sooner had Danny put weight on the leg did the white hot searing pain nearly send him crashing to the floor. Thankfully, Steve was faster and caught up then helped him sit back down on the bed.
"Danny this is crazy, you aren't leaving this hospital. At least not until tomorrow morning and a doctor clears you," Steve sighed. Danny was angry. Angry at his leg. Angry at himself for getting hurt. Angry at Steve for suddenly deciding to play by the rules but mostly angry that Cahill was out there probably have a good old laugh at his expense.
"How about you find me some crutches and stop pretending like you wouldn't be doing exactly the same thing if you were in my position?" Danny snarled. When Steve just folded his arms and rolled his eyes, Danny saw red. "Are you seriously rolling your eyes at me?" he spat.
"I'm just doing what's best for you Danno, since you're clearly not thinking straight here," Steve replied.
"Thinking straight? Thinking straight?" the detective growled. "Let me tell you something you self righteous smug son of a bitch!" Steve's eyes grew a little, no doubt this was a tone he wasn't used to hearing. Danny didn't care and carried right on. "I've never been thinking so straight before in my life! I'm trying to stop these islands from sinking and you're just sitting back thinking of Longboards on the beach!"
"That's crazy I-"
"Need I remind you of all the times I've been at your side wondering if I'd ever get to kiss Gracie goodnight again because of your insanity? All those times you just ran off half cocked and nearly got me and everyone around you killed?" Danny barked. Now Steve's hands went to his hips, his face curling down into a frown.
"You remind me everyday, Danny," he replied. "And none of that has anything to do with you and what's going on right now. What looks like risks to you is really calculated actions, it's how I was trained." Now Danny actually laughed.
"Oh so that's what this is? I'm not a trained cold hearted machine so I can't possibly be capable of bringing someone like Cahill down?" he demanded. Steve worked his jaw, no doubt the cold hearted part hurt him but Danny didn't care.
"You're hurt and you aren't yourself right now so I'm going to let that go," Steve replied in a low tone. Then he stepped forward, "And I'm done arguing this. If I have to make it an order I will. You will stay here, you will let your team back you and you will check the attitude before you say something you really don't mean." Now it was Danny's turn to go wide eyed. A half second later, his eyes narrowed like razor blades. He sat up ignoring the pain in his legs and jabbed a finger into Steve's chest.
"You can order me all you want to, you broken pathetic cockroach," he spat. "Maybe I am letting emotions cloud my judgment but at least it's better then just shutting them down completely and I don't know, getting a bomb strapped to a team mates neck."
Steve actually took a step back at that one, his exterior calm but his eyes filled with shock.
"That's not fair," the SEAL replied.
"Fair is still being married, still living in Jersey and still seeing my baby girl everyday when I get home from work," Danny snarled. "Fair is not, Commander McGarrett gets to do whatever the hell he wants to and we all just have to shut up and follow orders. It's not fair when of all the shots you've taken and all the people your emotionally stunted, thousand yard stare and lethal trigger finger have killed, you failed to kill the one man who you knew would come back and put one of us if not all in danger.'
'the guy killed your father for Christ sake, you didn't think you should aim for the head?" Once again, deep inside a suppressed part of Danny's brain was a screaming voice begging him to shut his mouth.
But the anger was overwhelming everything else. The hate at his current situation was blinding him to what he was really saying. Steve was right, he should have just agreed to stay in the hospital before he said something he didn't mean.
"Okay," Steve said nodded his head oddly as his jaw clenched and unclenched. "Okay," he said again looking away from the Detective. "I get it, I'm a danger to you and everyone I work with. But let me ask you this Danny, have I ever, ever failed to protect you and the others from harm as much as I possibly can? You once had an argument with Rachel because she said violence follows you and you said that was ridiculous. You came to this island to protect it for Grace just like you protected Jersey for her. I protect these islands because you, Mary, Chin, Kono, Grace, Kamekona, hell even Rachel and Stan are the only people I have left in this world to protect.'
'So go ahead, take it out on me as much as you want because like I said, I'm trained to take a beating. I'm going to keep protecting your sorry ass whether you like it or not because I need this. So keep pushing Danno, keep pushing. You'll have to shoot me to lose me but you damn sure might scare off a lot of others."
With that, Steve turned on his heels and stalked off out the door. Danny waited a second before flopping back down on the bed and covering his face with his hands.
"Well done you idiot," he scolded himself. Adjusting himself so he was once again properly lying down on the bed Danny reached to the bedside table where his cell had been left for him.
No sooner had he dialled Steve's phone number did it go straight to voicemail. With a huff, Danny hung up and dialled Chin's cell phone. Two rings and the Hawaiian answered.
"Chin Ho Kelly."
"Chin it's Danny."
"Danny? Hey how are you brah? Last I heard from Steve you were still out cold," Chin replied. Danny sighed.
"I actually just woke up." There was a pause before Chin, ever the wise old master let out a knowing chuckle.
"Steve said you'd probably take issue with having to stay in the hospital over night. That's why he asked the doctor to be the one who broke the news," Chin replied. Danny winced, his partner had been there for more than just duty but out of friendship as well.
"Yeah look, I uh… I said some things I really didn't mean," Danny said. Then he winced, he knew how sensitive Steve was about family, they all did. "I said things I really didn't mean."
"Like Steve's going to walk through that door in a second, go into his office and not come out until we have a lead he can track down and shoot?" Chin asked. Danny let out a sad laugh.
"Yeah, exactly," he replied. "Look just tell the big goof that I'm an idiot and I'm sorry okay?"
"I got you covered brother," Chin said. "And don't worry we're all on edge right now." Danny sighed and knew Steve wouldn't like him asking but he went ahead anyway.
"So what d'ya got so far?" he asked. Chin laughed no doubt having the same thought Danny did moments ago.
"From what little the CIA's willing to part with Dartelli was a good agent. He served flawlessly for twelve years until six years ago he suddenly retired then went completely off the grid," Chin explained. "He started out an infield information specialist but within the last few years of his career his main focus was cyber-terrorism."
"Back to the computers we go," Danny sighed. "Anyway you see that connects him to Jackson?"
"Yeah, you're not going to believe it but it was actually Anders who put it together for us," Chin replied. "At one point Cahill was working with the CIA, more specifically cyber-terrorism."
"You're kidding me," Danny asked.
"Yeah, we never would have found the connection if Ander's didn't have CIA contacts," Chin replied. Something stirred in Danny's gut.
"Ander's has CIA contacts?" he asked. Because now there were two things O'Reilly had innocently neglected to tell him about. It made the detective wonder what else was being hidden from him.
"He whistled, Langley called," Chin answered. "Also we sent a team out to that cabin Cahill took you and Steve too."
"Let me guess, ashes?" Danny sighed.
"And then some," Chin said. "We've got PD searching the rubble but I saw pictures, I don't think they're going to find all that much. Listen Danny, Kono and I are still piling together the information. Ander's is in touch with Langley and one or two other leads but it's still early on."
"Gotcha, just… keep me in the loop huh? Pretty sure Steve's not going to be in much of a talking mood for a while," Danny replied.
"Will do," Chin said with a chuckle. "Feel better brah and don't worry, we're just keeping your chair warm for you." Danny sighed as he said goodbye to his team mate then hung up the phone.
Not a moment later, his room door started to open and an older doctor wearing blue scrubs calmly walked in with a chart in hand.
"Hey doc, no worries about me trying to break out of this joint," Danny said. "My partner already gave me the bad news."
"That's good detective," the doctor replied. "Let's take a looks at those vitals shall we?" Danny nodded but there was something odd about the doctor. He hadn't come in as soon as the monitors told the nurses station that their patient was awake. When he did arrive, he seemed like he couldn't care one way or another what Steve had told him.
"Yeah, my partner's a bit of a control freak when it comes to his teams well-being," Danny carried on. "He should be back any minute, just grabbing some coffee." It was an attempt to see if this person really was a doctor or they'd spook at the idea of being caught and make their exit.
The "doctor" didn't seem to blink as he started fiddling Danny's IV's. Something that made the detective more than nervous.
"I'll just make sure you're nice and comfy then get out of your hair," the "doctor" replied. When he pulled out a syringe filled with a clear liquid Danny tensed up.
"What is that?" he demanded. Finally the doctor turned to face him as he slipped the needle easily into the injection sight of the IV. That was when Danny saw the bloody name tag on the man's chest. It read; "Doctor Sylvia Farris." "Who are you!?" Danny demanded. He tried to pull out his IV but having just woken up he was still weak. The stranger had no problem holding him down as once again a powerful drug made his whole body go lax. The horrifying thing was, though he now couldn't move any part of his body, he was still quite awake.
The stranger released him and just loomed over him with a satisfied smile. Danny desperately tried to get his body to respond but all his limbs were suddenly filled with lead.
Just then the door opened and a nurse came in pushing a wheelchair.
"Here's the chair you asked for doctor," she said happily. The strange man turned to her but not enough so she would see the bloody name tag.
"Thank you nurse, you're really what makes my job so much easier," he said with a smile. "I can take it from here, why don't you go grab some coffee, I can keep an eye on the nurses station until you get back." The nurse smile even more and nodded. Inside his head, Danny was screaming at her to run and get help but all he managed was a gurgle.
"Mahalo Doc," the nurse nodded. "I've been dead on my feet all day." The nurse headed out the door and Danny almost wanted to cry. He was in serious danger and she had just walked away from her post because she needed a java fix. Danny could only hope that Steve hadn't left the building yet. He could only hope Steve would still see fit to try and save him after what the detective had just said.
"Now…" the stranger said turning back to Danny's prone form. "Detective Williams, the Commander's well on his way the Navy yard, the intelligence officers miraculously found a lead."
As the stranger spoke, he hoisted Danny from the bed and plopped him into the wheelchair. As Danny was pushed toward the door, head limply bobby around on his neck, the man leaned over.
"By the way, we haven't been properly introduced," said an evil tone. "My name is Max… but most people just call me Dart." With that, Danny was helpless as he was wheeled out into the hall and straight out of the hospital. The psycho even had the audacity to wave at some chatting nurses as they went.
Steve, Danny thought, god help me I'm so sorry.
... Bye bye Danny, evil man has you now. Thanks for reading! Next chapter up soon! Haven't forgotten about the Nukes either... eh he he he.
