A/N: Thank you everyone for the kind words. I'm having so much fun with this crazy pair. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any of the characters.
Chapter Seven
When Lou arrived, Steve and Chin stood watching Kono set up her laptop on the hood of the Mustang.
"You sure about this, McGarrett?" Lou looked at the array of police vehicles parked along the side of the quiet suburban street. "You know it's not a crime to lie about your girlfriend."
"Earlier on today I would have agreed with you, but now we have some new information."
"Good to hear, because bursting in fully geared up is gonna earn us more than just a Williams' lecture on proper police procedure. We'll be up to our necks in lawsuits."
Chin raised his eyebrows at Lou's statement. "Steve, you call Max yet?"
"No. Let's see how this plays out first. Kono, what have you got?" Steve checked the clip in his SIG before re-holstering it.
"Joseph Granger Senior. AKA, The Green Bay Butcher. He was serving eight consecutive life sentences." Kono opened multiple files for them all to see.
"Was?" Steve frowned.
"Yeah boss. He died six years ago of a massive heart attack while in a maximum security facility."
Chin popped the trunk of his car and pulled out two vests. He passed one to Kono. "How'd his family end up here?"
"After his death, his wife Alice moved from Wisconsin to Oahu with their children. Joseph, Jr and Elizabeth. Alice reverted back to her maiden name, Foster. She passed away three months ago from liver disease."
"Whoa, back up a minute. How the hell did we just go from creepy intern guy to the suspect in our murder investigation?" Lou sighed heavily. "Seriously McGarrett? Why didn't you say something earlier?"
"Honestly Lou, up until a few minutes ago I thought it was a stretch, that I was overreacting. This information is all new."
"Trust me, none of this was easy to come by. Alice Foster cut all ties with her former life." Kono moved the laptop around to give the guys a better view. "And unfortunately there's more. This is Elizabeth."
Lou whistled. "Daisy Duke indeed."
Kono rolled her eyes at Lou. "Elizabeth worked in a morgue. She was fired over allegations of necrophilia."
"She ever prosecuted?" Steve asked while crouched down checking the backup weapon holstered to his lower leg.
"Charges were brought against her, but subsequently dropped on account of no solid evidence. One of her co-workers, Leonard Jenkins, supplied alibis for each claim against her."
"Great work, Kono. Okay, so we go on the assumption that Joseph's been working us, or more specifically Danny. But I can't figure out his end game."
"Commander McGarrett." Duke was heading their way, concern written all over his face. "Thermal imaging isn't picking anyone up. The house is empty."
"Empty?" Steve repeated the word not wanting to believe what Duke had just said. "Kono check the address again."
Kono began searching her laptop. "It's correct. I'll do another search, maybe the family has another property on the island."
"Kono, you stay here and keep looking. We're gonna check the house." Steve moved off giving the rest of the team little time to respond.
"Copy that." The worry on Kono's face evident, as she watched her teammates head towards the property.
H50 H50 H50 H50 H50
They could all smell it, sense it, as they moved through the house. Something terrible had happened there. Shouts of clear the only sound in the quiet, unremarkable, family home. Thermal imaging may have shown an empty house, but they weren't taking any chances.
Steve stopped by a closed door. He pulled the handle down only to find it locked. The odor was suddenly overwhelming. He tugged the collar of his shirt up to cover his nose and mouth. With one hefty backwards kick, he booted the door open. Gun raised in one hand, and the other still trying to stifle the stench, he moved into the room, immediately freezing in his tracks. He'd seen some gut churning sights in his time, but this was more than he could stomach.
On hearing a muffled, I've got something, through their comms. Chin and Lou converged on Steve's position, only to find him bent over in the hallway, retching.
"Steve, brah. You okay?" Chin placed his hand on Steve's shoulder.
"Shit." Was the only response Steve could muster.
The sharp crack of the bedroom door being slammed shut grabbed Steve and Chin's attention.
Lou cleared his throat before speaking. "I'll get CSU in here. I've seen and smelled enough to tell me this guy's sick in the head." Lou waved his hand in the direction of the now closed off room.
Steve recognized Chin's questioning look. "We now know where he killed those women, and where he stored the body parts."
"McGarrett, you see all those clocks?" Lou scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah. And they've all been stopped on eleven. The time Danny originally planned to pick up the kids." Steve closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. "Let's get moving. We need to figure this out and quick."
"Danny's smart and tough. He'll be okay, brah." Chin gave Steve a reassuring smile.
"I'll second that." Lou raised his hand.
H50 H50 H50 H50 H50
Danny's grasp tightened around the handle of the hunting knife. He opened his mouth to speak, to reason with his captor, but that notion fled him when Joseph exploded forward meat cleaver raised high above his head. He slammed Danny backwards, causing him to lose his footing and crash to the floor. The knife slipped from Danny's hand and clattered next to him. He gasped when the cleaver passed a hair's breadth from his face.
With Joseph's attention on the steel blade wedged in the polished wood floor, Danny rolled over and scrambled to his feet. Breathing heavily, he lunged forward, tackling the other man, sending them both careened into the table. Joseph howled in pain as his back connected with the piece of solid furniture. With the ME briefly off guard Danny swung his elbow out, catching the side of Joseph's face. A short-lived victory.
He felt himself weakening, this latest surge of energy seeping away. His head swam. Pushing himself up, Danny used the table to right himself. He pressed his hand against the burning pain in his stomach and stumbled forward until his legs gave way. The last thing he saw was the corner of the table.
Moments later, Danny blinked his eyes open, everything more than a bit muddled in his over-taxed brain. Then reality came rushing back, and his head throbbed in time with the nearby metronome tapping out an andante beat. Searching for the cause of this new pain, he ran his fingers through his hair, the contact causing him to wince. He pulled away, pulse quickening, and found his hand covered in fresh blood.
The murmur of voices caught his attention. His vision was hazy, but clear enough to see Elizabeth helping Joseph to his feet. Danny knew he had to bury his pain, a moment of weakness now would result in his demise. He pushed himself up and reached for the cleaver. The polished wood cracked as he yanked the blade free. Fueled by the hunger to stay alive, Danny staggered to his feet, and in a fleeting moment of clarity, he aimed for the largest of the figures in front of him, praying he would hit his target.
"Joseph no!" Elizabeth screamed out as her brother charged forward.
Danny hit center mass, sinking the cleaver into Joseph's chest. He watched his attacker crumple to the floor, and blood blossomed across his shirt. Danny couldn't hold back the chuckle. Proud of himself.
Elizabeth's hysterical screams reverberated through Danny's skull. She picked up the hunting knife, and in a frenzied rage, came at him. He threw himself to the side, but his fatigued body was too slow. The blade caught his upper arm, slashing a deep gash. Pain surged through his body again, and his legs buckled. As he hit the floor, his uninjured arm glanced off the metronome. Danny grabbed it, and with his last vestiges of strength, he launched himself upwards and smashed the device across Elizabeth's jaw, knocking her head back with enough force to drop her like a rag doll. Danny backed away, slipping on Joseph's blood. His face void of all emotion, he stood shell shocked and watched the red liquid run down his bare arm and drip from his fingertips.
Survival mode kicked in again, and Danny desperately glanced around the room. The walls appeared to be closing in on him. They pivoted and the red below his feet rippled like waves. He wanted to run, but he was stuck in place, drowning in his own blood. Trapped in his very own house of horror.
With his vision graying, Danny clumsily moved toward the front door. He crashed into a large oak cabinet. Photo frames and a crystal vase went flying. Shards of glass and flowers now littered the floor, but Danny was mesmerized by his feet. His socks were stained crimson, damp when he wiggled his toes. Out of his mind from blood loss, shock and pure terror, and with adrenaline surging again, he laughed at his luck.
Danny steadied himself against the piece of furniture. Unable to perceive the distance to his target he lurched forward. Completely missing the handle, he fell into the door. His wet hands slipped on the door's once pristine white paintwork, leaving bright, bloody streaks. Losing his hold on reality, he slid slowly down to his knees and collapsed onto his side. His body went limp as he lay dying on the threshold to freedom.
~ to be continued ~
