I really will finish this story! Thanks so much for all of you who keep reading. I really appreciate your comments and *ahem* encouragement. This chapter guest stars Agent Gibbs. I don't know how well I wrote him because I don't watch that one as much, so be warned.
Chapter Eight "Small Comforts"
Danny spared a backward glance. Bad idea.
He was already driving the boat faster than he would normally be comfortable with, but he unconsciously sped up. The thought of outmaneuvering his pursuers seemed pretty far-fetched in spite of everything else he had done that day. Danny really wasn't good with boats.
The gunshots in his direction had become like a soundtrack. He wasn't really paying attention. He kept his eyes on the horizon, guiding the boat to the east, because Sam had said O'ahu was that way.
Danny could hear his heartbeat making cacophonous music with the crack of bullets and the slap of waves. He shook his head. It was lulling him to sleep. This really wasn't the time for that.
But then the gunshots seemed closer. Danny looked back again. There were three guys in a slightly bigger boat. And they were trying to take out the motor.
Perfect.
Danny checked the weapons he'd managed to procure. Definitely not enough ammo to outlast these guys. He wasn't a good enough shot to take them all out, especially considering moving targets and the fact that they were on the freaking ocean.
Danny analyzed his other options. He could keep going, hoping to outrun them, but that didn't look like it was going to happen. The only other choice was to stop their boat, but he didn't have any clue as to how to do that. Steve would.
Another idea struck Danny. He could stop, hide in the small hold and wait for them to board. He might stand a better chance of escaping that way. And if one of them had a satellite phone or radio, all the better.
It wasn't ideal, but it was something.
Feeling a little better, Danny glanced back. As he did, he felt a sharp pain in his side. Looking down, he saw his shirt already soaked with blood. He had no way of knowing how long that wound had been there.
Danny cursed colorfully as he shifted his weight and brought the boat around and killed the engine. When he got back, Steve would be hearing about this.
X
Lieutenant Catherine Rollins was exhausted. More emotionally than anything. She knew there was still so much to figure out between herself and Steve, but she also knew it could wait. First she had to help him find his friends.
When Catherine got to the 'Iolani Palace and found that Steve was gone, she thought about being irritated. But then she remembered that he'd been awake for two days. She could forgive worse.
When Catherine pulled up to Steve's house, the lights were off and two sets of footprints went up and down the beach.
The small young woman at Five-0 HQ had said two NCIS agents were staying with Steve, while the others slept in their offices. Everyone was so bent on finding Danny and Sam, and Catherine felt the same way. They were good men, hand families and children, but more importantly they were Steve's friends. Anyone who meant that much to him was the same to Catherine.
Getting into the house wasn't too complicated. Steve had given Catherine a key shortly before their recent argument and she knew the alarm code.
The house was silent and dark. Catherine went upstairs and found Steve sleeping soundly. The last time she had seen him this tired, well, she didn't care to remember.
As she pulled off her shoes and changed her clothes, Catherine thought of how much she and Steve had been through together. They had seen each other at their worst and lasted this long. And as she crawled under the covers next to Steve, Catherine thought that they could outlast this too.
X
Danny waited again, breathing hard. Now that he was still, he noticed the pain in his side much more and the heat of the blood flowing a little too freely out.
It didn't take long for the guys on the other boat to come alongside his. He heard them readying their weapons and climbing over the side. They were moving too fast, obviously amateurs. Perhaps Danny had been wrong when he thought the guards on the island were military. Or else they were really cocky, which was entirely possible.
They came closer and Danny checked his gun. He should have enough. Three against one. No big deal. This was a walk in the park for Steve.
Danny let out a long breath. He wasn't Steve. He wasn't good at killing people offhandedly. Not that he thought Steve found it easy, but somehow he seemed to be more resilient. Like the way Sam looked completely calm after being shot.
Danny shook his head. He couldn't think about that now. He had to get out of this alive and make it back to O'ahu in one piece.
The goons were on top of him now and Danny took his chance. He knew he should take the time to aim better, but he'd already been shot once and he didn't feel like getting shot again.
When the second body dropped to the deck, Danny came out of the hold. The third guy was standing by the rail, reloading. He saw Danny and raised his gun.
Danny had two choices. One was getting shot, so he really only had one. He dove to the side, clearing the edge of the boat and plunging beneath the cold salt water.
Everything stung, but he swam down and away from the boat. Maybe the guy would think he was dead. It didn't matter.
Danny stayed underwater as long as he could. When he surfaced, the boat was a small blob on the water and the third goon was nowhere to be seen.
Danny didn't bother looking any longer, but turned in the direction he thought home was and kept swimming.
Steve would definitely be hearing about this.
X
When Steve opened his eyes, he knew it was later than he usually woke. He also knew he wasn't alone. Turning slightly, he felt the warm body next to him. Catherine stirred a little and moved closer. Steve wrapped his arm around her, afraid she might disappear.
"Are you okay?" Catherine whispered, resting her head against Steve's neck.
"Yeah," he said, not very convincingly.
"We'll find them," Catherine assured him.
"I know." Steve still didn't sound sure.
"Hey." Catherine pulled her head back to look Steve in the eye. "I'm here now, and I'm going to help you through this until the end."
Steve couldn't look at her eyes anymore. He hugged her close to him and took a deep breath in her hair.
"Catherine, I'm so sorry," he said.
"I forgive you," Catherine said. "I overreacted and made things worse. We'll work it out once all this is over."
Steve sighed. "I don't deserve you," he said.
Catherine tilted her head so she could look at Steve again. "Yes you do," she whispered and kissed him softly. "You really should know..." she kissed him again. "That I happen to think..." Steve kissed her back. "That you're perfect for me," Catherine finished.
Steve smiled, kissing her once more. "You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that."
Steve felt the presence in the hallway before the knock came at his door and he knew the moment was over. But it had been enough to keep him going for another day.
Breakfast was quiet at first. Hetty had cooked and from somewhere in her luggage, she produced tea from some country the others weren't allowed to know. Steve appreciated it and he was sure Hetty knew that.
"Sam doesn't like my tea," Hetty said, taking a sip.
"To be fair, it was moldy," Callen said. He was drinking coffee.
Hetty nodded her head to the side. "He pretended to like it. Obviously he knows nothing about tea."
Steve couldn't help a small laugh and Hetty gave him a curious look. He shook his head.
"When I met Danny's ex-wife, she offered us tea," he said. "I think Danny was surprised I drank it."
"I think." Hetty spoke slowly. "That defying expectations is what makes us able to keep going. What will make Sam and Detective Williams able to come back to us."
The way she spoke left no doubt that it would happen. Somehow, Hetty just seemed to know these things and no one thought to question her.
Callen's phone rang and he put it on speaker. "What do you got, Nell?" he asked.
"You all might want to get down here," came the soft voice o f the analyst. "Kensi and Deeks just went to check out a boat that washed up on shore and that information on Erikson came through. It's... a book."
"We're on our way," Callen said.
X
Nell was talking faster than usual, which was something to note. She hadn't even given anyone the chance to ask what was going on.
"Coast Guard just found another boat," she said as Steve, Callen, Catherine and Hetty came into the office. "The boats are registered to a shipping company which doesn't really matter because I did some digging and the company belongs to Commander Donald Erikson. That led me to Erikson's considerable file. He was discharged after a lengthy investigation by NCIS several years ago. They never got evidence or a confession to convict him, but it seems like everyone knew what he was doing: stealing weapons and supplies for the black market. Eric has been looking into all of his holdings in the area."
"This guy is loaded." Eric took over. "He owns several private islands, a fleet of boats, shipping companies, you name it. But there's no reasonable explanation as to how he got his money."
"What about the boat?" Steve asked, getting impatient.
"Kensi and Deeks went to check it out," Nell said. "They'll let us know when they find anything."
"Who investigated Erikson?" Callen asked.
"The case was handled out of Washington," Nell said. "Agent Gibbs was in charge of that."
"Has anyone talked to him?" Steve asked.
There was silence.
"Of course not. Where are Chin and Kono?"
"Sleeping in their offices," Nell replied. "They were up all night."
"Okay, let me know when they wake up. I'm gonna call Gibbs. Keep looking into Erickson and I want to know the second we get anything on those boats."
There was a series of nods and Steve left for his office. He didn't exactly like Agent Gibbs, but he knew the man probably had more information than was in the file, lengthy as it was. Maybe Gibbs knew why Erikson would go after Sam.
The phone rang a couple of times before he answered.
"Gibbs," came the gruff response.
"Special Agent Gibbs, this is Lieutenant Commander McGarrett." Steve hoped formality would make this quick and painless.
"McGarrett? Never thought I'd hear from you. You change your mind?"
"Not a chance," Steve said. "I need some information."
"Sure you do. Can it wait? I'm in the middle of a case."
"No, I'm afraid not. Two people have been kidnapped and I need to know everything you know about Commander Donald Erikson."
"Erikson." The way Gibbs said the name told Steve there was a lot more than the file said. "Why do you need to know about him?"
"Because he abducted my best friend and Agent Hanna."
"Agent Hanna? Where are you?"
"Honolulu. That really doesn't matter."
"I hadn't heard you went back home. I can send you the files we have on Erikson in a while."
"We have the file, "Steve said. "I need to know what's not there."
"You provided a lot of the intel, McGarrett. You know what he's capable of."
"Yeah, but I need details. Did he kill Becker and Johnson? How much of his operation is still functioning in the Navy?"
Steve thought he might have heard Gibbs sigh. "It's a long story."
"Two people's lives depend on this, Gibbs."
"I understand that, Steve. I'll send you my personal files on him. It should give you what you need... And Steve?"
"Yes?"
"You find this guy, you put a bullet in him."
"Don't worry; I will... Unless Agent Callen beats me to it."
