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chapter 9 "Oh, I don't think so"
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KONO'S POV...
She could feel herself being carried, but she wasn't sure by whom because
she didn't dare open her eyes at the moment. Her head hurt. In fact, all of
her hurt. She was outside now, that much she'd figured out by the wind
blowing on them. "Just throw her down the steps and get back in here."
She heard one of the perps say. Duffy she thought it was. She wondered
where Steve was. Is his arm still bleeding? Is he okay? She felt her arms
and feet sway as whoever it was that was carrying her took more steps.
'Just throw me down the steps? ... Oh, I don't think so.'

CHIN'S POV (and pretty much everyone else that was watching, too)...
He watched as the first perp continued walked slowly away from the
door, about ten feet, then stopped. He crouched down, it appeared he was
going to lay Kono at the top of the steps, that was as far as he intended
to take her. 'She moved' he told himself, sucking in a breath. 'Kono
moved, I know she did.' he assured himself. And sure enough, he watched
the perp leaned down just as Kono reached up and grabbed him around
the head and rolled him over the top of her, sending them both down the steps.
There may have only been five or six steps, but they were still concrete and he
could hear everyone around him groan as if in sympathy pains. Kono
finally rolled to a stop, landing on her back at the base of the steps, the
perp had landed on the bottom step just above her. She pulled her gun from
the back of her belt, then gripped the perp around the neck, pulling him down
on top of her. With his back pressed against her, she used him as a human
shield and took aim at the second perp still standing at the door. She fired.
He returned fire, hitting the first perp in the chest, twice. She fired again,
hitting her mark this time, right in the forehead.

INSIDE THE JEWELRY STORE...

Bentley had pendulum eyes; going back-and-forth between Steve and the
SWAT team outside the window collecting Duffy and Davis' guns along with
their bodies. Damn, he needed those extra guns! He had only his left.
"Guess it's down to just us, guys."

BACK OUTSIDE...

The wall of SWAT members walked side-by-side, shielding Kono until they
got her to the safety of the waiting ambulance. "Thanks guys." She told
them with genuine gratitude.

"I'm okay. Just a knot on the head, and this blood is Steve's." She told both
Max and the paramedic who were fussing over her.

"Officer Kalakaua." Was all Max said, his arms crossing over his chest and
slowly shaking his head as the paramedic held out an oxygen mask.

"What?" She asked dismissively while attempting to wipe the blood off her hands.

"You will not be rushing off to assist in the rescue of Commander McGarrett
just yet." Max stated firmly. "At least not until I confirm that all that blood is his.
Besides, you've got cuts all over your hands." He added, but he was on a roll now,
so he continued. "Now I must insist that you sit here with this oxygen mask on
because I watched on the monitor as that guy put you into a choke-hold. You passed
out due to lack of oxygen" He said with a straight face and serious tone of voice.

"Max, I'm fine." She insisted, hoping he had not gone into the technicalities of
how long a choke hold must be held in order for oxygen deprivation to cause them
to pass out.

"No you're not." Both Chin and Danny said in unison as they approached
with Diaz, causing Kono to roll her eyes in frustration. She really just
wanted to go help get Steve outta there. After all, it was her fault he was
still in there, or at least that's how she saw it.

"Now sit down and put that mask on." Diaz ordered. "You've got to brief us anyway."

INSIDE...

"Sit down." Bentley ordered Shore who currently stood against the wall with
his fellow captors as he gestured to the chair in front of him. "I said, get
over her and sit down!"

Shore slowly walked over to Bentley with his hands raised and sat in the
chair. Bentley lowered his gun, thought never his eyes, long enough to duct
tape Shore's hands behind him, making sure to catch a rung of the chair so
he couldn't get up.

"Now you get over here." He ordered Quill, who did the same and got the same.

Then Bentley walked over to Steve, still pointing his gun at him, "That way."
He ordered, gesturing to the back hallway. "Move it!"

Steve slowly walked through the doorway and down the hall to an office.
Bentley shut the door behind them and told Steve to sit in the chair before
taking out a cell phone.

MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE...

When Kono was finished, she noticed Diaz's attention focused on
something he was listening to in his ear piece. "Bentley's moved to the
back office with McGarrett. Left the other two in the front." He said.

"He's feeling trapped. Probably thinks we'll use tear gas or something on
him." Danny said.

"Come with me." Diaz said, "You, too, Officer Kalakaua."

INSIDE THE BACK OFFICE...

"Guess I didn't need to pre-program number two after all." Bentley said with
an evil grin as he pressed the auto dial number one button.

An immediate explosion, followed by a second, was heard and felt. Steve
instinctively ducked, wondering if his vest was about to go off, too. But then quickly
realized Bentley wouldn't be anywhere near him if the bomb was that
sensitive. He looked at the sickening expression on Bentley's face,

"Bastard."