All the clouds inside me are raining.
CHAPTER 8.:
Unexpected outcomes
(missing for 114 hours)
It was calm day. Except for Danny. He no longer knew what to believe, what to do. He has to do something, but how? Sun was going down, making purple nostalgic atmosphere around him. Pink sky and purple clouds above palms, no wind moving them, just complete peace. Danny's eyes stopped on that picture and he would be enjoying this beauty if sadness wasn't enclosing him. Steve loved these dusks. Every time he could, he sat on his beach sight glued on the horizon, waiting like a small child with dreamy eyes for first stars. Danny knew that it was reminding him home. He felt good and Danny never dared to disturb him until show was over. But now, he is all alone. Steve wasn't by his side. His eyes weren't observing the sky. He felt empty, ..alone. Strange beeping on his table didn't belong to this scenery. Why isn't somebody picking up that damn phone!?
"Duke?" He answered, not tearing sight from the window.
"Somebody is looking for you." He wasn't curious. He didn't care. Not now. Just let me be for few minutes... need to see it.. to tell Steve what he missed.
"Danny?... It's Chief Thomas Rowan... should I let him in?"
"Yes, I know him.. thank you.."
"No problem."
Duke declined. Danny still concreted on the view, but now little curious what Rowan wants. Everybody was exhausted. They need to end it and do it now. It's been 5 days. Every new hour they waste the chance is getting smaller.
"Danny?" Lou called him. Danny closed the door on his office and runned his hand through his hair, trying to continue.
"Hey! Chief..This is my team, captain Lou Grover, officer Tani Rey, special consultant Jerry Ortega and you know Junior."
"Good to meet you all.. please call me Thomas. Junior, how are you doin'?."
"Good to see you sir." Junior and Thomas shook their hands. Team was fronting tall and strong man. His pose was confident and his whole appearance made them feel the they're in company of honorable man. Each one of them had same memory on their minds. Steve McGarrett made them feel the same when they first met. There was something special about spec op's men. Especially about Seals.
"Allright..what's up?" Danny continued.
"I got something... I shaked some trees and I found some interesting stuff.. you said that it was Lieutenant Hart who came to you with bad news.. it sounded familiar to me...I chcecked and Officer with this name doesn't exist in the lines of Navy... but there is man in Air Force.. Captain Jason Hart.. and when I saw his picture I remmembered... Captain Jason Hart is brother of McGarrett's friend, whom I'm sure you all know, Freddie Hart."
"What!?" They froze.
"And here story continues... I asked my friends to look at the street cam recording if they could pull out something.. here.." On the screen appeared street in front of Steve's house and...
"Are you kidding me?! It's him!" Dany didn't know what to think.
"I don't think this is coincidence. Hart is only man conected to this case... "
"You are telling me that Hart came to Steve, made him take a couple days off, make that letter and than disappear... okey... help me with this.. why would he came now.. right at 8 year anniversary of Freddie's death?"
"I think I gotta answer... Steve didn't have a choice.. look at this..He pulled gun on him" Thomas zoomed the recording. But gun wasn't only thing Danny noticed.
"hey wait wait.. go back... right there.. stop what is he holding?"
"It looks like some paper or picture..."
"I don't know what it is, we don't have good sight at it, but it looks important, at least it kept Steve under control. I'm sure it wasn't the gun.. well... you know the guy same as I do."
"I should have stayed..I should have known!" Junior was shook. He couldn't believe it's happening.
"Junior..none of this is your fault..you understand me?" Gentle touch from Tani calmed young Seal a bit.
"We have to find him..." Their determination was growing. Finnaly they had something.
"What is he doing up there?" Joe looked like he saw a ghost when he entered and saw the screen.
"Do you know him?" Danny just turned around.
"Of course I know him... It's young Hart... and Rowan, what are you doing here?" And his face was even more shocked when he saw another Seal in the room.
"Sir, good to see you..I wanted to help out" Joe's face didn't change.
"Good.. so?"
"Thomas found out that Hart is not a Navy officer but airman.. "
"Why did you think he was Navy?"
"Well.. it was him who came to tell us about Steve and his SEAL trident looked pretty real.." Danny was sarcastic.. again..
"What? Why didn't you tell me? I know that boy.. "
"How was I supposed to know that you know him? HUH? I didn't know, Joe... I'm ... I'm sorry ..I.. Okey... " Danny took a stoic posture and continued with question. "Do you have any idea what could he want from Steve?"
"No... but.. Jason ..he was angry when it happened.. he never spoke to Steve ever again.. at least as far as I know. Guess for 8 years now."
"Something is wrong... is he able to hurt Steve?" Worries haunted Danny again.
"I don't know..." Joe had serious face... it wasn't a good sign.
"I'll go to miss Haluka to check on that photo.. maybe she'll remember something." Junior needed to be useful, needed to do something.
"I'll go with you." Tani joined him.
(Mrs. Haluka residence)
"Hello Mrs. Can we get in?"
"Oh Junior, welcome. Of course, come in, come in."
"Thank you." Old lady led them inside.
"Is it about Steve?"
"Actually, yes." He pulled out photo. "Is this that man that came here to Steve?"
"Yes,... yes it's him."
"His name you forgot.. was it Jason?" Her face lost few shades.
"I think that's right! It was Jason! What happened? Is Steve allright?"
"We don't know yet... The truth is we have no idea where Steve is or why he left with no explanation.. "
"oh.."
"... but we're doing our best .. don't worry.. you know Steve.. he will be okey."
"I hope so, son... I hope so.."
"You know Steve since he was a kid, right?" Tani was holding a picture of children playing on the beach.
"I lived here when his grandfather built their house. We were good friends. ..." She calmed down a little. "Steve with my son Alex spent hours together... also Jacob's boy Freddie was here all the time... they were good kids... once we were on the beach out there and they found dozens of beautiful seashells and built that sand castle and covered it with them... Steve brought Marry there and my son brought his little sister Jessie too, and they told the girls, they are princesses of our beach and this is their castle. Marry and Jessie are born in same day. It was their 4th birthday. We all were on the beach that day. John was so proud of him. It was a beautiful time... It's a shame how it all ended... going down the river too fast since Doris died. Kids had to grow up so quickly." She just stared at that photo with frozen face. It was obvious she missed that time terribly too.
"May I ask... your son Alex... Are they still in touch with Steve?" There was something childish what forced Tani to ask. Pure curiosity and need for happy ending for that story. Old lady just sadly blinked and little sad smile appeared on her cheeks, not tearing her sight from picture.
"Alex joined 3 months after Steve and Freddie. They wanted to go at the same time but Alex had an injury... He broke his collar-bone and had to wait for couple of weeks. They wanted to wait for him but he didn't let them. Two years in, a second deployment in Afghanistan... his convoy hitted the IED. He lost his left leg. It was hard time for him and he decided to retire from Navy... and now he is running his own organization .. he is helping veterans and their families to get trough hard times on the mainland. He is happy... that's all that matters.. and yes.. of course they are in touch with Steve. Steve is helping him a lot all the ways he can." Little silence followed only her sad breathe.
"When that thing with Freddie happened, Alex was first that Steve called."
Kids didn't know what to say. Tani was just satisfied with kind of happy ending she wanted. Not as happy as she hoped for, but still acceptable. Junior gasped:
"Thank you Mrs. Haluka.. we will call you when we find out something."
"Good luck.." She just smiled at them and watched them leave.
(Kionaole road, 10:43 pm)
No time for mistakes. No time for slowing down. No time for pity. There is only one way, straight trough the fear and pain. The fastest and most dangerous road you've ever took. Oxygen from very bottom of your lungs, the strenght from thickness of your bones, blood boiling, heart scratching out of your chest, eyes wildly searching for safety in every next step. The hunt has just began. Demons all around. Fast. Slow. Cold. Heat. Darkness. Light. Run. Need to find it. The strenght, help, safety. HIM. Run. No time for break. Road.
"HELP!" Too fast. Too slow. "SOMEBODY HELP! PLEASE!" No time for pity. "ANYBODY!"
"HEY! Are you allright? What happened?!" Salvation.
"I need your phone! Please I need to call them!"
"Hey.. hey.. just calm down and come with me... you need to go to hospital.. you're bleeding!"
"Plese, give me... I need to stop him, please."
"Okey..Okey.. I'll give you my phone as soon we are in car on our way to hospital." .
"Please." Dragging.
"Just one more second.. okey here you are.. just be careful." Warm. Safety. Help. No time for pity.
"Please pick it! Please, please, please, pl.."
His phone rang again. Hoping for any possible news he picked up the phone as fast as he could. Unknown nuber.
"Williams" Just sobbing. Fast breathing and noise.
"DANNY!" It was painful and scared. Women on the otherside was terrified. He somehow knew her voice.
"Who is it?"
" Dan..ny" Tears. Pain. No time for pity!
"Hello? Can you hear me? Who is it?"
"Steve.. He needs help Danny.. Steve..!"
"Ca.. Cath? Is that you?"
"Danny!"
"Catherine where are you? Are you hurt?"
"I don't know.." on the other side just cracking.. oh god please Cath, be okay..
"Hello?" Different voice. Danny almost lost his cool.
"Who is it?"
"My name is Jack Young. I found this women screaming for help here. We are on 12th mile on Kionaole road. I'm taking her to hospital she is injured and scared. I don't know what happened to her, but looks bad. I'm taking her to Tripler's. Can you come there?"
"Oh God.. Thank you Mr. Young. I'll be there! Be careful! Can...Can I talk to her?"
"Sure.. good."
"Cath?"
"Danny.."
"OK girl. You are going to be fine. We're gonna meet at Tripler's in a moment okey?"
"Okey.."
"Cath I need you to tell me what happened. Where is Steve?"
"He is there. He needs help Danny.. I left him there with those monsters.."
"What are you talking about?"
"They took us.. He is in pain.. He is hurting, Danny! Dying!"
"Cath. I need you to tell me who took you. Who is hurting him?" Her breaths were driving him crazy. So much pain was in them.
"Jason.. he is gonna kill him! For Freddie! Danny please help him.. I left him oh God!"
"Hey listen to me! You did right okey? Without you escaping we wouldn't know now. We're gonna get him out of there okey!? Everything will be okey!"
"Danny.."
"Listen to me now. You need to calm down. I'm hitting the Tripler's in a 5 minutes. I'll be waiting for you there. Just hold on, deal?"
"I will."
He parked the Camaro near the enterance and waited. Wildly and desperatley looking all around checking every car. He finaly got something. Some news about Steve, but far not the news he wished for. It was bad. It's always bad. And than, sudenly red ford stopped in front of him. Tall black figure appeared.
"Danny, right?"
"Yes." and than he saw her. Half unconscious on a backseat. Covered in dirt and blood, her cheek swollen, deep cut above the left eyebrow. Streams of blood and tears covreder her scared and tired face. Shivering. She was trough hell, not a doubt. If she looks like this, how could Steve look like? God help him.
"Catherine.. can you stand?" No answer. He took her on the arms and headed inside followed by stranger who just saved her life.
"Cath.. stay with me sweetheart. You can't sleep now.. not yet..Can you hear me?" He was stopped by three medics.
"What happened to her?"
"Not sure."
"OK. What's her name?"
"Lt. Catherine Rollins." Danny didn't let her hand.
"Cath! I need you to tell me where is Steve! Cath, please! Cath, where?"
No time. No strenght. Pain. Hunt is not over. Tears. NO SELF-PITY. Remmember!
"There.. I don't... Dann.. there.."
"Please step back. She is falling in shock."
"Cath, stay with us! You are safe! Cath."
"..n't kno.. save 'im Dan.."
She was pale. Her skin almost frozen but her head was in fire. Whole body shaking and Danny wasn't sure if it's from cold, heath or fear. Mixture of everything that happened.
"She'll be O.K., right?... Doc!"
"Please, what is your name?" Young nurse approached him, stopping him from following now unconscious victim and focused personnel.
"Williams."
"Ok. Mr. Williams, please calm down. She is going to be chceked. She is in good hands now, ok?"
"Okey.. allright." Danny's breathing was almost on the edge. Steve was dying right now and he had no idea where.. and Cath.. she just lost consciousness..Not a good sign.
"I'll bring you water. Please sit down. I'll be right back."
"Fine.." Danny was grateful for near chair he sat into. His knees were failing him. He needed break, needed to figure out what to do. But that unknown voice was tehre again.
"What she was talking about?!"
"What?"
"She said they took them.. that Steve, whoever it is, is dying! What the hell happened here?!"
"Come with me!"
Stranger just stared at him. Danny stood in a second back on his legs, wrote his number on first paper he found and urged on a nurse to call him when they will know something about Cath. Then he flashed around him, shouting at him to go!
" I need you to take me on that place where you found her! Now! Please! My friend's life depends on you!"
"Okey, okey.. sure."
Danny felt like burning. No metter what, he will end this nightmare! He picked up the phone.
"Junior!? You there?"
"Yes sir. What's up?"
"Listen to me. I need you to come to Kionaole road on my position. Need whole team, SWAT and all HPD officers available! I need every person possible to be there. NOW!"
"Roger that. What happened? You got something?"
"Long story.. will tell you everything on place. We gonna bring Steve home tonight!"
Call ended. No need for more words. Steve doesn't have that time. Danny was convinced he is gonna find him.
TBC
Hello!
Thank you for your amazing reviews. I hope I answered everybody. You are the best.
Here we are with next chapter! Danny found some hope again, now he knows that Steve is alive and what is going on. But things won't be any easier from now. :O It can't be that easy, right? :) I hope you are still enjoying the story and have a good time reading it. Stay tuned for next chapter! (Coming this week!) :) Feel free to leave your toughts in comments, or PM me! :) MAHALO
Have a nice day, see ya all soon! :*
