Eddie's driving wasn't going to win any prizes and Danny jettisoned the thoughts of somehow opening the car door and flinging himself out. At this speed, that was suicide. He had to do something though. There was no telling where they might end up and the last thing Danny wanted was to end up dead.
He forced himself to pay attention to where they were going, trying to ignore the numbness that was growing in his hands. The laces cut into his flesh and his left arm and shoulder were screaming in agony. He kept his face impassive as he looked around. Were they heading back to Diamond Head Beach Park? He repressed a shudder. He had to stop Eddie and stop him now.
It was too dangerous to do anything on the crowded streets of town. Danny had to wait until they were on quieter, open roads. He didn't want to be responsible for killing anyone. Waiting was agony. Danny's glance flashed to the knife that lay on the seat between them. Eddie caught the look. "Go on," he laughed. "Try for it and see where it gets you." He was so confident that he didn't even put his hand on the blade. If Danny had had any moments of doubt, that laugh settled them. He braced himself, biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment. It would come.
It had to come.
They exited the city onto the open road and Danny knew he had to act at once. They were already driving at breakneck speed and what he had planned would have worse consequences if they were going even faster. He pushed off with his bound hands and threw himself across the seat, bodily knocking Eddie's arm off the steering wheel. The car swerved wildly and Eddie fought the wheel and tried to push Danny back. Danny resisted and pushed again. One handed, it took Eddie a few more moments to recover control, and Danny was not letting up the momentum. More and more of Eddie's attention was taken up with fending his prisoner off and keeping the car on the road was getting more and more difficult. He braked sharply, bringing the vehicle to a sudden stop, fishtailing all over the road.
It had the desired effect, in that they were no longer moving, but the braking caught Danny by surprise and he crashed forward, his head striking the windshield. For a horrible instant, all he saw were stars. He blinked sharply to try to clear his vision. He could feel blood trickling down his forehead, but he still had work to do and even feeling as bad as he did didn't excuse him from doing it. He lunged at Eddie once more.
With the car stationary, Eddie had both hands free to deal with his recalcitrant hostage. He easily parried Danny's lunge and pushed the detective back to the other side of the car with all his might. Danny flopped backwards, just barely avoiding striking his head again and kicked uselessly. Eddie pinned him down with one large hand and scrabbled under Danny's thigh to find the knife.
That was one part of the plan that had gone the way Danny wanted. The knife was no longer on the seat. It had been knocked onto the floor and Danny planted a foot on top of it. He wriggled in such a way that he hoped suggested that the knife was still between him and the seat, but Eddie, sadly, was no fool and he realised that the knife had to be on the floor.
"Dammit!" he cursed and with one twist of his wrist, he shoved Danny off the seat to the floor and gave him a kick for good measure. The kick dislodged the knife, which spun off amongst the pedals. Danny was helplessly floundering, trying to get up, but not having any leverage. He felt the car start moving with a pang of dismay. He had failed.
After a second, he realised that all might not be lost after all. He couldn't get his body off the floor, but his legs were free. He immediately stretched out, striking Eddie's legs hard with his own before kicking up to try and intercept the wheel.
The move caught Eddie by surprise and as he tried to kick his hostage's legs aside, he stopped paying attention to the road and glanced down, furious that Danny was not just going along quietly. He was going to enjoy killing this pig!
Regaining control by grabbing one of Danny's legs in his hand, Eddie looked up and let out a scream. It was too late to make any kind of evasive manoeuvre. They were headed off the side of the road and into a deep, water-filled ditch!
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"Look!" Kono exclaimed, pointing ahead, as though their attention was anywhere except on the fleeing vehicle in front of them.
The car in front swerved wildly across the road before stopping for several seconds, allowing the pursing cops to catch up a few precious yards. Then the other car started going again, gaining speed rapidly.
"It's Danno!" Steve breathed, terrified that Danny would be hurt but also very proud that the young detective was not meekly going to submit to Eddie. "He's doing that."
"No!" Chin cried moments later. He was leaning so far forward between the seats that he was all but sitting in the front beside the others.
"Danny!" Steve gasped in anguish as the other car fishtailed across the road and down into a ditch.
As Kono floored the accelerator, the big car leapt forward, closing the distance in mere seconds. As the car screeched to a halt, Steve and Kono leapt out of the car as Chin grabbed the radio to call for an ambulance.
The sides of the ditch were steep, but neither man hesitated. They plunged down, one on either side of the vehicle. The stagnant water in the ditch came up to their knees, but they didn't even notice.
The car wasn't quite submerged, although it was sinking. Kono, gun drawn, looked cautiously in the driver's side window. Eddie was slumped over the wheel, his eyes closed and his body lax in what could only be full unconsciousness. Kono put a hand on Eddie's wrist, confirming that the criminal was alive. The pulse was strong and steady. Putting away his gun, Kono took out his handcuffs and applied them. He glanced at Steve. "Danny?"
Yanking open the passenger door on his third attempt, Steve almost lost his balance as it finally gave. He caught his footing without noticing he'd done it and peered into the car. For a horrible moment, Steve couldn't see his friend. Danny was crumpled deeply into the footwell, his body curled round at an uncomfortable angle.
Steve heard Kono's anxious enquiry, but ignored it, leaning in and putting his fingers to Danny's throat. The pulse there was good and strong, despite the blood on Danny's face. At Steve's touch, Danny stirred, moaning in pain. "He's alive," Steve reported, leaning further into the car. "Danno? Can you hear me?"
Another moan was the only answer and after a moment, confused blue eyes opened. "Steve?" he croaked.
"Take it easy," Steve crooned. "We'll get you out of there in a moment." He left his hand on Danny's shoulder in reassurance. "Kono? What've you got?" He looked up at the other man.
"He's alive," Kono reported. "You want to get Danny out first?"
"Yes," Steve replied, for the water was coming into the car even faster now that it had been moved and it settled into further into the ditch.
It wasn't going to be easy getting Danny out of there. Using his handkerchief to preserve prints, Steve picked up the slender knife that lay on the floor next to Danny and used it to cut his bonds. Chin took the knife and put it safely in the other car, then slithered down the banking to help Steve once more.
It was a bit easier now Danny's hands were free and he was conscious. Although dazed, he was able to move towards them and together Chin and Steve pulled Danny from the car. It took them both to get him back onto the road, then Chin went down to help Kono with Eddie, who was awake and cursing. Steve crouched by Danny, supporting him. "How do you feel?" he asked, seeing the pallor of the younger man's face.
"Tired," Danny replied. He tried to smile, but his mouth was too sore.
"Where are you hurt?" Steve asked. The nose, mouth and forehead were easy to see, but Danny's posture told Steve there was more wrong with him than he could see at a glance.
"My head," Danny mumbled. "My arm and shoulder." His headache was a monster. The sunlight was far too bright. He squinted against the light. "Eddie?" He couldn't quite hide the tremor in his voice.
"In custody," Steve assured him, glancing around as Kono and Chin walked past, supporting the big Hawaiian. "This time he won't get away." There were sirens in the distance and Steve was relieved, for Danny needed to be under a doctor's care.
"Good," Danny sighed and closed his eyes.
Still crouched by Danny's side, bearing more and more of his weight, Steve glanced up to watch Chin and Kono wrestle Eddie into the back of the car. "You go ahead and take him in," Steve ordered. "I'll go with Danno." He was trying to play it cool, but he couldn't hide his worry from the men who worked with him, day in and day out.
"You won't be able to hold me," Eddie boasted groggily.
Only Danny's trusting weight resting against him stopped Steve from leaping to his feet and burying his fist between the criminal's teeth. The look he shot the big man should have been enough to incinerate him on the spot. "Don't count on it," Steve stated. "Take him away."
"Steve." Danny's voice was quiet, his eyes dazed still, but he met his friend's gaze without flinching. "He isn't worth it," he declared.
Their gazes locked, meshed and Steve marvelled at how well this young man knew him. Danny's body sagged even more as Steve himself relaxed. "You're right," Steve agreed, his voice soft. "He isn't." The sound of the sirens drew nearer. "That's the ambulance," he told Danny. "You'll be at the hospital soon."
"Don't feel too good," Danny admitted, breaking the eye contact. It would be a relief to lie down and let the world take care of itself for a while.
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Danny's injuries weren't too serious, but did merit him an overnight stay, courtesy of the bump on his forehead. He didn't have a concussion, but he did have a dreadful headache. His shoulder wasn't dislocated, as Steve had feared, but would need a couple of weeks rest in a sling. Eddie had also escaped serious injury in the accident and was taken back to court the next morning, with a whole host of other charges to answer for.
"You don't have to do this," Steve told Danny as he edged his way carefully from the passenger side of the Mercury.
"Yes, I do," Danny replied, gratefully accepting a helping tug. "'I need to see this through." He was tired from a broken night at the hospital and sore from the multitude of bruises he seemed to have acquired overnight and his shirt seemed incredibly uncomfortable and he felt slovenly without a tie on. His jacket hung loosely over his shoulders.
"Eddie is going down," Steve promised.
"I know," Danny agreed doggedly. "But I'm still not going to change my mind, Steve. I'm going in and I'll testify if the judge asks me to."
"You're stubborn!" Steve grumbled.
"I learned it from you," Danny laughed and together, they went inside to see Eddie sentenced to life imprisonment. It was a great triumph for the department and a very sweet moment personally for Steve, Danny and the others.
They left the court house and Steve ran Danny home before he returned to his office and the next case. Danny would be back at work soon, and they had plenty to keep them going until then.
From his prison across the ocean in California, Eddie did his time and plotted his revenge against two of Hawaii's finest detectives.
Pau
A/N Marsha, send me a PM and I'll tell you where to find my Emergency stories.
