From the author: The reviews I've been getting have been awesome. I'm about to publish another Sci Fi novel so knowing there are people out there that like the way I write is just wicked cool. I appreciate this forum for self gratification with only constructive judgment not negative...

And shameless absolute adoration for the talented geniuses that write Hawaii Five-0 (2010). Ha ha.

So here you go... Enjoy!

It was the maddening *drip, drip, drip* that forced Danny to use every fiber of his being to fight the oppressive drugs that had been keeping him prisoner. As if being unable to move but still awake wasn't bad enough, Dartelli had put a bag over his head which was a nightmare of disorientation. There was bumping and jostling and Danny couldn't be sure he wasn't taken on a plane or helicopter. Then, what felt like hours ago, Danny had been hauled into a dark room with a single dim light dangling from the ceiling. He'd been dumped in the corner and the door slammed shut without any explanation.

For a while, Danny couldn't get passed the sound of his terrified thrumming heart in his chest. However as time passed, he started to realize his fingers were once again starting to twitch to his commands. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing and he focused on that. The reality was, as he'd had a lot of time to think about it, Steve could very well still be blowing off steam somewhere. Who knows if that doctor who belonged to the bloody name tag had even been found.

Right now, if he was going to save himself, it was going to have to be on his own... at least until he could get word out to the team.

With his senses returning, so to did the reality that there was a leaky pipe somewhere in the room. Eventually, Danny became so infuriated with it that he found his muscles twitching in time to the drips. His goal? Get to his feet and rip that damn pipe out of the wall.

He was just starting to lift his head to look around at what little he could see when he heard the *shunk* of an extremely heavy door starting to open. Dropping his head down once again so as to not give away he was regaining strength, Danny waited.

A moment later, a flush of light washed the room blinding the detective. A metal scrapping sound was dragged into the room, stopped and in another heartbeat the door slammed shut again. Danny didn't dare move, he didn't dare attempt to even breath loudly... because apparently someone else was doing it for him. At last Danny had something else to focus on other then the dripping and that was someone's heavy ragged breaths.

Breaths that sounded like someone had taken a beating. Taking a gamble, Danny raised his head and squinted. In the far corner, just outside of the light's circumference, he could just make out a figure. The figure appeared to be tied to a chair, no doubt the metal scrapping sound he'd heard earlier. After another moment of hesitation, not sure he should give up the fact that he was becoming mobile again, Danny cleared his throat.

The reaction was violent, the figure in the chair jerked like he'd been electrocuted.

"Who's there!?" the male voice cried. "What do you want with me?" Danny had to clear his throat a few more times before his voice decided to work for him again. He felt a little bad because each time he did, the man on the other side of the room flinched like he was about to be punched in the gut.

"Are you okay?" Danny finally managed. The figure, who'd started struggling a moment ago instantly froze. A second later spoke,

"Detective Williams?" The voice was vaguely familiar but Danny just wasn't sure.

"Do I know you?" he asked. A heavy sarcastic snort was his reply.

"It's Lieutenant Everett Percy." Danny didn't stop himself, he groaned and leaned his head back against the cement wall.

"You have got to be kidding me," he sighed. He shuffled his body a little actually grateful to have the searing pain in his leg back. It meant he'd soon be able to attempt to stand no matter how bad it hurt. "Of all the hell holes for all the sadistic nut jobs, you had to end up in mine... what are you doing here?" When the lieutenant's reply came back with a little bit of a whimper, Danny suddenly realized that perhaps Percy had been treated a little rougher than originally thought.

"I don't know," Everett replied. "I was leaving my house on base and then I got grabbed from behind. Last thing I remember is waving to my... oh god my wife! Jenny!" Once again, the man started struggling fiercely and Danny realized if he didn't get a lid on the situation someone was going to realize they were both awake and almost fighting ready.

"Hey, hey!" Danny hissed. "Calm down Percy that's an order!" As a good Navy man, Percy immediately stilled. The only saving grace was that right now the man seemed to disoriented to realize Danny was in no position whatsoever to give him orders. Letting a tentative serenity sink in, Danny spoke again, "Now, odds are these guys had no use for your wife, they're calculated from what I can tell. I'm going to say your wife's still at home, tonnes of HPD and Navy officers all around her keeping her safe. All you have to worry about is the hell you're going to have to pay when you get back for making her worry."

Mercifully, Everett let out a shaky chuckle but a chuckle none the less.

"She's eight months pregnant," the lieutenant replied. "Today was supposed to be a day off but this case..."

"You'll see her again," Danny said. Then winced and said, "I'm sorry about all this." Curiously, Everett snorted and jerked with a sarcastic laugh.

"Brother... you have nothing to be sorry about," he chuckled. At that Danny raised an eyebrow, and curled his good leg toward him. Progress at last.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. Everett fidgeted a little, then spoke.

"Last night Jeff and I ran across something interesting," he explained.

"Ever heard of the name Max Dartelli?"

"Have I ever," Danny snorted. "He was my ride here."

"Damn," Everett snarled. "Well once we read through Cahill's manifesto everything kind of came together... That and going through your abduction file." For the first time in however long it had been, Danny stilled.

"Beg pardon?"

"Well your abduction was kind of what lead to the situation we're all in now," Everett went on. Danny felt his body go numb but it wasn't due to a drug, it was by shock. The adrenaline pump was a good thing however, Danny ignored his burning leg and rolled onto his side. Finally he managed to start dragging himself toward Everett. "What are you doing?" Everett asked clearly hearing the grunts of exertion.

"Coming to free your ass so I don't feel bad about punching you in the face," Danny snarled. "You and your boss had no right looking through my case."

"We weren't planning too," Everett said honestly. "The CIA got wind we were tracking Cahill and in turn Dartelli and as soon as the name goes through a database the spooks sent us your file... no explanation why. Little while later two versions of that manifesto show up in the Commander's mailbox."

"Two versions?" Danny asked. He was still trying to figure out why he didn't know about the first one. Taking a break in the center of the room, Danny took a breath trying to piece things together in his head. He was missing something. He was missing a big something and for the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was. Still swallowing his pride Danny started forward again.

"So what did you figure out?" he asked.

"That you're so innocent it makes you look guilty as hell," Everett replied. "The first one has Cahill fixated on destroying to because Dartelli had convinced him you were his only weakness. The second version, has Cahill fixated on you because he believes you to be his only strength. The difference between being the ultimate criminal and being an attention seeker like Dartelli. Like an evil villain needs a super hero or he's just a shmuck with mommy and daddy issues." Danny stopped, mere feet from Everett needing another break yet again. From where he was, he could see the man had a sack over his head and was simply tied to the chair with ropes.

"None of this connects their obsession with me and stealing a sub and it's crew," Danny breathed.

"No but your case file in combination with that does," Everett went on. Danny closed his eyes and sighed. He was a simple kid from Jersey. All he'd ever wanted to do was chase down bad guys and make them wish they'd never been born. He had no wish to be a party to some massive CIA manhunt for two men in possession of enough fire power to cause World War Three.

"Go on," Danny breathed as he once again heaved himself forward. This time he actually managed to use Everett's legs to haul himself up to his feet. Danny pulled the hood off Everett's head and for the first time since their conversation began, they actually looked each other in the eye.

"You aren't actually going to hit me are you?" The man asked as Danny tried to focus on freeing the man from his bonds. "For the record, I was just following the evidence."

"Judgement pending," the detective replied. "Keep talking."

"The original manifesto ends with you dying a not so pleasant death," Everett went on. "A public spectacle that would force police departments all over the US to question their entire system." Danny shuddered to think what would have happened to him had he not gotten free from that hell... or to the department. There's no telling how two ex-CIA could have made his death look like he was part of Al-Qaeda itself.

"And the second manifesto?" Danny asked. One of the knots around Everett's wrists started to give.

"You survive but the idea is that you're so blinded by Cahill walking all over you that he dominates your entire life. So much so that you give up everything to follow him around the world to get him," the lieutenant replied.

"He saw you as shamelessly reckless, you were a worthy opponent but your fury needed to be directed. The more Cahill gained control over his teachings from Dartelli, the more he perfected them and saw Max as obsolete. Dartelli, subject of a CIA investigation for years, doesn't like the idea of losing his pet so now he has planned an end game. No matter how it ends, your name is everywhere on this." Danny finally freed Everett's wrists and could have collapsed to the floor had the lieutenant shot forward and caught him.

"Thanks," Danny breathed. Everett just nodded and lowered both of them gingerly to the floor. In the light, Danny was able to see that someone had indeed worked the man over good. He had a split lip, a black eye and looked like he didn't dare take a deep breath. "You look like hell," the detective supplied helpfully. Everett laughed.

"You look in a mirror lately?" he asked. The smile faded away quickly and the man shook his head, "Man, Detective... you really screwed yourself back in Jersey. No wonder you had to run to Hawaii." Danny frowned at the man and worked his jaw.

"So, Dartelli's end game?" he breathed.

"He's got a nuclear sub, crew and mercenaries ready to do his every bidding," Everett replied. "The hell do you think he's planning?" Danny thought about that for a minute. If Max once had so much control over Cahill. If the man had put him in a situation to officially control him once and for all only to have Jackson turn on him. Dartelli was probably thinking that if he showed the world how powerful he was, Cahill would clip his final burden and the two would ride off into the sunset. The world being their oyster.

"Oh my god there's so much crazy around me right now," Danny breathed. However as soon as he said it, he stopped as something dawned on him. He snapped his head toward Everett and narrowed his eyes. The lieutenant in turn warily turtled his head a bit.

"What?" he asked. Suddenly, for Danny, that " big something missing" smacked him in the face.

"The CIA," he said.

"Yeah?" Everett asked in confusion. Danny shook his head.

"If they were looking into Dartelli they would have known about him long before I caught Cahill," he explained. What he was thinking was to shocking to even put in to words. The magnitude of the betrayal from his own country, the country he faithfully served, was massive.

"And?" Everett encouraged. Danny looked at him,

"And they would have still been watching both of them when I started my own investigation on Cahill!" The lieutenant blinked and then blinked again, clearly not getting it. If Steve had been there, he probably would have already put it together and kicked in the bad guys face.

"I'm not following you detective," Everett finally said. Danny groaned and rolled flat onto his back in hopes to stop the pain radiating from his thigh.

"It means they must have been watching me too," he replied. "They must have been there every step of the way as I made a fool out of myself trying to piece things together. I got people killed for Christ sake because I was too hell bent on nailing that son of a bitch to a wall." Everett's eyes grew as wide as the black eye would allow as he leaned off the wall looming over Danny.

"Are you saying that the CIA, a federal agency, used you?"

"Just as much as Cahill and Dartelli did and are," Danny replied. "That's why they're being so helpful but they haven't actually shown up to take over. They're banking on me being as crazy as I was back in Jersey and getting those two so screwed around that they'll be able to nail them to the wall permanently. We caught Cahill but without Dartelli, his incarceration meant nothing. He wasn't the man they were after." Everett took a deep breath and looked away.

"Which means they're still watching you now," he added. Danny raised his head slightly to look at the man incredulously, he hadn't even thought of that but it made perfect sense. The Intelligence officer looked down at him again, "Just because they didn't knock on the door doesn't mean you don't have a Spook or two haunting your doorway. I've worked with these guys before, a lot of them have no shame in hiding in plain sight."

"But who?" Danny asked. "I can't think of anyone wh-" The detective stopped. He stopped so hard that he shot straight up, his spine stiff as a board as another shot of adrenaline struck his heart dead center. Everett looked confused but curious.

"You know who it is?" he asked. Danny had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down before he could speak. "Detective do you know who the Spook is?"

"Anders," Danny wheezed out. He looked the officer in the eye as Everett's eyebrows shot up to his hair line, mouth agape. "Anders O'Reilly, I knew he was an evil ginger!" The shock of it all, the rage it instilled in the pit of Danny's gut, blinded him so badly he went to jump up only to have a searing pain shoot through his leg.

"Easy! Relax!" Everett exclaimed trying to hold him down. "Your legs bleeding, relax detective!"

"I'm going to kill him!" Danny ranted. "I'm going to kill him and make his who family watch!"

"Williams you've got to calm down!"

"Screw calming down and screw you!" Danny barked as he fought off the lieutenant. "Screw this whole mess! They want half cocked and crazy, congratulations! Mission accomplished! Get. Off. Me!"

"I'm not getting off you until you pull yourself together," Everett replied. Danny was ready to start throwing punches when that heavy metallic *shunk* froze both men where they sat. The heavy door creaked open and Max walked in with two rather large, fully armed gunmen standing behind him.

"Gentlemen, glad to have you both fighting ready," the man said. He smiled as if he was a troop commander and he was about to order his soldiers to war. Danny was still seething.

"Eat it you psycho Spook nut job," he spat. Everett gave him a stern warning glance but didn't speak.

"Ex psycho Spook nut job," Max grinned. "Or didn't your intelligence friend tell you that part already?"

"If that's the only reason he's here you really are demented," Danny raged on. This time Everett put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed silently begging him to shut up.

"There's the Detective I used to know," Max replied. "And the lieutenant's purpose will be clear soon enough. Get up gentlemen, we can't keep the others waiting much longer."

"Others?" Danny asked. Since the man wasn't biting, the detective's rage was simmering a bit leaving way for curiosity. Max turned as the big gunmen passed silently into the room toward them.

"You'll see," Max replied. Danny was the first hauled to his feet and let out a cry of pain as he was forced to walk forward. Thankfully, Everett had no trouble walking and quickly ducked under the detective's arm, taking his weight.

They walked through a dark, mouldy hallway. It looked like the inside of a bunker or prison that hadn't been used in quite some time. After climbing some stairs that nearly made Danny black out, he roused a bit to the smell of ocean water. A doorway later and Danny hissed when bright sunshine blinded him for a second. But then his human crutch sucked in a breath,

"We are so f***ed," Everett blurted out. Dartelli belted out a laugh as Danny blinked a few times and looked out at the ocean before them. In the near distance, he saw Maui. A bit farther, Lanai and between the two, even farther, was Molokai. Which could only mean...

"Welcome to Kaho'olawa gents," Max offered. Then with a wink added, "Careful where you step."

A few minutes later, Danny, still hobbling with Percy as a crutch, rounded a bend and found a sight he never in a million Jersey years expected to see. Before him was a massive beast of a machine that seemed miles of coarse. On the makeshift dock before that creature of power, were 12 men and women on their knees being watched by fully armed gunmen.

It was only when his feet hit dock did Danny jerk to a stop as he was hit by yet another mind exhausting revelation;

"Why is there only twelve?" he exclaimed.

Okie doke, thought I'd put a little explanation in here because it's not going to make it into the story later on: "During World War Two, Kahoʻolawe was used as a training ground and bombing range by the United States. The U.S. Navy ended live-fire training exercises on Kaho'olawe in 1990, and the island was transferred to the jurisdiction of the State of Hawaii in 1994. The Hawaiian State Legislature established the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve to restore and to oversee the island and its surrounding waters."

Basically clean that puppy up and have another beautiful Hawaiian island. It's a breathtaking sight to see from a far. I only wish I'd managed to worm my way to getting out there but alas, I was a few years to early!

Oh and if you're still reading this note; stay tuned to Steve going full on Rambo... eh heh heh heh...