Because You're Always Right (Part 9: Highway to Hell)
Note: Again, thank you all so much for reviewing! (And so faithfully!) We promise much whump in the chapters ahead. 'Cause really, it's all about the whump. (And the snark!) : ) Enjoy!
"See. This is how you go after a bad guy," Danny said as he surveyed the blockade. "You don't go after a violent criminal with semi-automatics and two guys. No. That's what we call suicide, not that you care. You have back up. Hey, Steve, this is back up."
Steve shot his partner an irritated glance, dark blue eyes fixated on the empty road stretching out before them. "He should have been here by now."
"Relax. This is his only option," Danny answered with a shrug. "I mean, it's an eighteen wheeler on an island. There are only so many places he can go with it, and this is the last one. We'll catch him." A wide grin spread across his face. "And guess what. No one's bleeding at the end of this one. This is progress."
"Don't say that." Steve said, looking at him seriously.
"Why?"
"We're not at the end yet."
"Hey guys?" Kono called. She jogged up to them, hiding her smile. They looked like opposite sides of the same coin, fair and dark both standing amidst the flashing lights of the police cars with their arms crossed frowning at each other.
"Yeah, Kono?" Steve greeted.
"Boys up the road say the eighteen-wheeler has been spotted. He's headed fast in this direction, but we may have a problem. Only Dixon has been sighted in the cab. If his partner isn't hiding in the back of the cab, they may have split up." She said.
"We'll ask him when he gets here." Danny said, nodding down the road. "There's Bertha now."
The eighteen-wheeler was bearing down on them, horn blaring. It did not appear to be slowing down.
"It's not going to stop, is it?" Danny grumbled.
"I told you not to say anything," Steve pointed out.
"Yeah, after the fact."
One of the HPD officers called out to Dixon over a radio, hoping to reach him. There was something about having no way out, giving himself up and possibly cutting a deal. The horn blared again and the police scattered as Dixon's big rig slammed through the blockade, scattering police vehicles in his wake. Steve eyed Danny's Camaro and started for it, the expression on his face telling him everything that Danny needed to know.
"Oh no! No, no! We are not taking mine. You've already killed one car of mine; you don't get a try at that one!"
Without a word Steve switched directions, not having time to argue. He approached a somewhat terrified young officer. "This is your squad car?"
"Yes sir."
"Does it have a full tank of gas?" Steve asked.
"He's getting away!" Danny called.
"Yes, sir." The young man said.
"Keys." Steve held out his hand.
The young man opened and shut his mouth several times. "I'm responsible for it, Sir." He said.
"Currently you are responsible for every second between us and that truck. Give me your keys." Steve barked.
"You could say please, you know." Danny suggested.
Steve glared at him and the officer threw him a pleading glance. Danny shrugged.
"He says please. Now give us the keys and we'll make sure you get a replacement car." Danny said grimly.
"It's definitely not coming back?" the officer asked weakly as he gave Steve the keys.
"Probably not. Danny jinxed us." Steve said.
They got in the car and Steve gunned it, siren wailing and lights flashing.
"Wait. Why do you get to drive?" Danny asked as the landscape flashed by.
Steve gave him a half smirk as he pushed the car's limits, speeding along the road, even when it began winding. Danny grabbed for the handle up top and found none. Instead, he just grabbed at the ceiling, hoping for anything to keep himself from flying all around the cab.
"Not throwing your partner through a window would be a notch on the 'good things not to do' side of the list, just so you know," he managed through gritted teeth.
"Put your seatbelt on."
"I would, if I could keep from being thrown around long enough." He reached back and tugged the seatbelt over his shoulder and fastened it. When his eyes returned to the road they went wide.
"Steve! Watch out!"
A black car driving down the opposite side of the highway was swerving across the open median and into their land of traffic. The eighteen wheeler ahead blew its horn twice: a greeting. Gregory Dixon's partner, an island native called Sami Lukela was behind the wheel. Steve braced his hands on the wheel, counted softly under his breath and swerved at the last second to avoid being clipped by the other car. Danny let out a low whistle that would have been screams of distress by anyone else. He turned to watch the car screech to a halt then roar to life heading up behind them.
"They're gonna sandwich us in, Steve." He warned.
"No they're not."
Danny started to argue but thought better of it. It was best to let the other concentrate on his task at hand. He glanced back at the car, speeding steadily towards them, and then again towards the big rig. An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of his stomach when he saw signs indicating sharp turns.
"There's a bridge up ahead," Steve said, as if it explained his plan.
"Yeah, not seeing how that helps us."
"It's not the kind of bridge that a truck that big is going to go flying across. He'll have to slow down or risk going to the side."
"It would be too much for me to hope that you are going to slow down, too, wouldn't it?" Danny mumbled.
A cheerful ringtone filled the tense space and Danny groped for his cell phone. "Heya, pumpkin! Yes, Danno's at work right now." He shot a glance at Steve. "Yes, I will say hi to Uncle Steve for you. He says hi back."
Steve lifted one hand in a wave.
Danny lowered the phone. "Don't take your hand off the wheel." he growled.
"What's that Gracie? Yeah, yeah we're still on for that barbeque this weekend. Okay, I'll see you then. Danno loves you." He hung up the phone and switched his grip from the ceiling to the dashboard.
Steve glanced at him. "Barbeque, huh?"
"Just keep your eyes on the road, will ya?"
The bridge loomed ahead, long and warm looking in the sun, the light sparkling off the water far below.
"So when did Grace get her own cell?" Steve asked, noting the uncomfortable on his partner's face at the quickly approaching site.
"Step-Stan and Rachel thought she needed one," Danny grumbled. "She's eight. Eight, Steve. What does an eight year old need with a cell phone?"
"To call her dad with."
Danny grinned, not being able to stop himself. "Yeah. Rachel hates it."
Panic came back all at once as he saw the smoke from the tires and the sudden stop ahead. "He's stopped!"
The big rig jackknifed with the momentum sliding sideways and covering the lanes. Steve cursed and hit the breaks, the police car's tires also emitting smoke at the sudden halt. Lukela's car was right behind them ready for the move. Danno was on the radio, barking information out to Kono who assured them that back-up was on the way. It wouldn't be soon enough. The black car rear ended them, propelling them towards the stopped truck.
The two men braced themselves as they skidded across the bridge and towards the truck. Steve struggled with the wheel, hoping to regain control, swerving the car around. It did little good as they still collided with the truck, sending the car teetering dangerously one wheel over the edge, the back end wedged under the truck's cab. The airbags went off in the police car and it took a moment for Danny to realize they'd stopped moving. He breathed in shakily for half a second before taking in his surroundings. Deciding that they were not so far over that he couldn't risk shifting to check on the strangely quiet Steve, he unclicked his seatbelt to get to him.
Danny reached over and grabbed his shoulder, shaking gently. "Steve? Are you okay?"
Steve groaned and pressed the palm of his hand against his eye, and then touched his nose gingerly from where he was struck by the airbag. "Yeah, yeah I'm alright. You okay?"
"Yeah." Danny said, glancing behind them. "We might be surrounded, though."
Steve half turned to look behind them, the cab of the truck filling the view of the back windshield. He glanced forward to see the water below. It always came down to the frying pan or the fire for them. A low rumble sounded behind them and adrenaline lanced through Steve's system. The big rig revved, the wheels turning against the pavement, pushing their police car further towards the edge and twisting it towards its side.
The shift sent the surprised Danny tumbling back, a yell escaping his lips and Steve reaching for him. The blond slipped just out of his reach and hit the door on his side of the car hard. Almost faster than Steve could comprehend, the door wrenched open and Danny dropped suddenly out of sight.
"Danny!" Steve screamed, ripping his own seatbelt off and scurrying for a better look. It wasn't a tremendous drop down, but Danny couldn't swim. He wasn't sure that he could get to the other man this time. Dark blue eyes peered down, expecting the worst, but instead saw his partner swinging dangerously, both hands latched as tightly as they could to the door opening.
"Danny!" Steve breathed. "Hang on, buddy."
"Steve?"
The fear in his partner's voice twisted in Steve's stomach as he carefully maneuvered himself to a position where he could grab Danny's arms without falling out of the car as well.
"I'm coming. Hang tight. I've got you." Steve said, wrapping his hands around Danny's wrists.
"Hurry." Danny said desperately.
"Get out of the car and put your hands where I can see them!" Lukela's voice echoed from behind the car.
Steve spared a glance and could see the man standing with a gun drawn, advancing slowly. "Isn't that our line?" he muttered.
"I said put your hands where I can see them, McGarrett!" Lukela said.
"In a minute, okay, his hands are busy right now." Danny snapped.
Steve arched an eyebrow and Danny risked looking up.
"What?" he demanded.
"Nothing." Steve said.
Danny flushed. "Shut up. Just shut up and get me out of midair, please."
"Stop what you're doing!" Lukela shouted, cocking his gun.
"Listen to me, I am not going to let him fall. So can it!" Steve shouted back.
He pulled back, lifting Danny further into the vehicle. For one heart-stopping second Steve's grip slipped and both men caught their breath. Steve carefully readjusted and with one final effort hauled his partner back into the body of the car. Danny braced himself against the passenger seat and Steve kept one arm around him to keep him from falling again. Danny leaned his head back, heart pounding.
"Thanks." he muttered.
"Now get the hell out of the car before I shoot you both," Lukela growled out and wrenched open the driver's door, aiming his gun to prove his point. "Out!"
Steve glanced at Danny who nodded in return and they each moved as they were told, slowly and very carefully as to not send the car tumbling the rest of the way. Back up should be just around the corner. Hopefully.
"You've wasted a lot of time with this little stunt." Steve said, glancing between Lukela and Dixon who had joined them.
Dixon shrugged. "You two are a pain in the ass. Not just for me. I'll be doing my world a favor by wasting the both of you."
"You talk big for a man without a gun. Is that why you've hired your little pet, here?" Danny asked, nodding towards Lukela. "That's real cute. Do you get treats for being a good boy?"
"Shut up!" Lukela growled, taking aim at the blonde.
"Or promise of a treat," Steve answered somewhat thoughtfully. "Lukela, have you even gotten anything for your trouble? You know what Dixon is notorious for on the Mainland, right? Taking the prize and running off with it, leaving his hired help to take the fall." The gun spun around on Steve and its owner snarled a dark curse.
"He's right, you know. We have information that Dixon has a private jet chartered at the airstrip. Just for one, though. Such a shame. And you made such a cute little couple," Danny returned.
"Enough. Both of you," Dixon hissed.
Slowly, Lukela turned the weapon on Dixon. "Is it true?" he asked coldly.
"You think couples counseling would help?" Danny asked.
Steve shook his head. "Too late, I think. At this point a clean break is best."
"No such thing." Danny mused.
Dixon was backing away from his former associate. "It isn't true. There's plenty of room on the plane, you'll still get you're share of the cut…"
Lukela fired as the first siren wail cry could be heard over the crest of the hill overlooking the bridge.
Steve and Danny were on him nearly as soon as his attention had been diverted. His hands were wrenched behind his back, gun pulled from them, and cuffs clasped on. Steve had him on the ground as the back up pulled up and Danny peered down at the irate lackey.
"You know, I'd read you your rights, but I'm not sure they apply with this one," he warned with a shrug towards his partner.
"Just to be safe." Steve suggested.
Dixon laid on the ground several feet away, groaning and holding his shoulder. "He shot me! He frickin' shot me!"
"Shut up!" Steve and Danny both shouted.
Behind them, the guardrail gave an ominous creak, and their borrowed police car screeched as it dragged along the edge and plunged into the calm Hawaiian waters. Steve and Danny stood, staring at hole in the guardrail where their car had been. Danny looked at Steve.
"You think the Governor will help us out with that?"
Steve shrugged. "One way to find out."
"This is why I said no to you driving the Camaro."
"You're the one who jinxed us." Steve said simply.
"You're the one who thought driving like a lunatic in pursuit of an eighteen wheeler was a good idea!" Danny exclaimed.
Chin and Kono pulled up near them and got out of the car. Neither Danny nor Steve seemed to notice their arrival. Chin looked at Kono.
"You think they're okay?"
She watched them for a second and grinned. "They seem to be just fine."
