Disclaimer: I own nothing, I'm just playing with the Five-O boys, they may be a little beat up, but I promise to fix them up eventually and return them
Chapter 10
"Steve?" May pushed the door to the office open. Steve had come back from the scene of the accident and locked himself in the office. That had been hours ago. Daylight was nearly gone, but only one light, illuminated the room. Steve sat in his chair, facing the windows of his lanai. He didn't turn around and May came further into the office.
"Steve?" she asked again.
Steve finally spoke. "You're speaking to me now?" May blushed, since Steve's blow up at Danny, May had stubbornly refused to speak to the lead detective. She had gone as far to leave when he walked into the room, and turn away even if he was speaking to her.
"I don't blame you," Steve continued. "I'm not sure I'm speaking to me either. I don't know what happened May. I was so scared, and then so angry when Danno didn't seem as concerned as I was." Steve stopped, revealing his heart was difficult for him.
"When I was a little girl, my grandparents a lot of land and horses." May remembered looking out the window with Steve. "One summer my cousins and I took the horses and went on a camping trip overnight. Our parents were busy so we left a note. It seemed like a good idea at the time. My mother was so upset and worried. When they found us, she hugged me, kissed me, cried because she had been so worried. Then she became angry. I had never seen her so furious," May paused and looked at her boss.
"I'm being compared to your mother?"
"Since Danny came to Five-O, we've become a family. I noticed it right from the start. Do you remember his first case with us? There was more laughter in that week he was here than in all the years of Five-O before that. I noticed a change in you too Steve."
"I guess we're in for another change."
"I've never seen Danny look so lost," May quickly continue realizing she was causing Steve more guilt. "He may be hard to pin down, but once you do, he's very forgiving. He considers you a good friend, maybe his best friend."
"Friends don't speak to each other like that."
"Friends shouldn't speak to each other like that," May countered. "But they're the first to forgive when it happens."
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Staying as far from the snakes as he could Danny inspected the small prison. It was rough going, rolling one way, and scooting back the other to avoid the snakes. He had made it less than halfway around this prison when footsteps stopped outside the door.
"Danny, Danny" Heley said in a sing-song voice. "It's been a long time my friend."
Danny stared at Snake Eyes evenly; there wasn't much else he could do with the gag in his mouth.
"What, no happy hello?" Snake sounded almost disappointed. "I came all this way to see you Danny and you're not happy to see me. What's wrong?" Heley's eyes were taunting him, he knew he had the upper hand and wouldn't give that satisfaction up easily. "Oh well, we'll have plenty of time to get reacquainted. How are you enjoying my pets? They aren't as much fun as rattlesnakes, but they are just as poisonous. Hawaii is one of three states in America which have no rattlesnakes. I'm sure you're as disappointed as I am, but we can make do."
"It seems to me the last time we met you couldn't stop talking. You told the judge all those nasty things about me, when all the time I was just trying to help you," Heley kept talking. "I never pegged you for a Five-O guy. I never even suspected you were a cop. McGarrett's kid cop," Heley stared Danny down, his eyes were as hypnotizing as all those years before. "And I've got him, right here."
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She hung up the phone and smiled. Mason looked at her, confused.
"Why go through all the trouble to help him escape and then tip off McGarrett?" he asked.
"I want them to know, that I've decided Adam Heley gets to die. I want everyone to know and I want them to know why. I want the others out there to live in fear. I want them to worry if I've decided whether they get to live or they get to die."
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"Boss" Kono said as he entered Steve's office the next morning. "You're not going to believe it."
Steve looked up from the files he was studying. "Let's have it."
"The phone call we just got, it was some chick. Really weird. She said she decided, Danny got to live. Said Heley was at an abandoned warehouse, and gave us an address. Said she decided another thing. Adam Heley gets to die." Kono reported, not sure if the call was a crank or not.
Steve couldn't decide either. "Come on Kono, we'll check it out. Tell Chin to get out there with HPD. Let's go." Steve led the way out of the office.
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When Heley left Danny had a few extra bruises on his ribs and face. Scooting with sore ribs was a bit more difficult but Danny was determined to get himself out of this situation. He continued his inspection of the room and finally found what he was looking for. On the far wall a cinderblock stuck out just a fraction of an inch; just enough for Danny to get his bound hands over it. The block was rough, and sharp and Danny began sawing away at the ropes. It was slow going; he needed to pull the rope taunt making it cut into his wrists. The rope slipped and the block would slice his hands. He would also pause to listen for movement outside and to keep a wary eye on the snakes around him. So far they were keeping their distance but Danny didn't want to take any chance.
The fibers of the rope split. Danny brought his arms forward, rubbing his sore hands and arms to regain circulation. He quickly pulled the gag out of his mouth and untied his legs. He stood slowly, waiting out the pins and needles.
Carefully Danny crossed the room, giving the snakes a wide berth. He reached the door, surprised to find it unlocked. Danny listened at the door. He couldn't hear anything. He opened the door and peered down the hallway. He couldn't see anything, and decided to take his chances. What was the difference if Heley beat him in the room or out here? At least out here Danny might have a chance to fight back.
Danny cautiously made his way through a maze hallways made up of large crates. He stopped often to listen, but he seemed to be okay for now.
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Steve motioned for Kono to go around back while Steve entered the front of the warehouse. He waited inside for his eyes to adjust to the dim light inside, then he crept forward into the labyrinth.
Someone had been here recently. Steve found a coffee pot, still warm, and a few cans of food on a table. A television sat in one corner with a two day old newspaper in which Danny had made the headlines.
Steve continued further in to the maze of the warehouse. Crates towered over his head making it impossible to see where he was going. Steve never saw the figure in the shadows behind him.
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Danny was tired of going in circles. He was sure he'd passed that same crate twice before, as sure as he could be in the dim light of the warehouse. Danny scrambled to the top of the crates hoping that with a bird's eye view he could spot an exit.
From the top of the crate he saw a shadow. Danny froze and studied the figure for a moment. It was Steve. Danny was about to call out to him when he saw another figure crouching behind Steve. Then Danny saw the gun. Danny ran along the top of the crates as silently as possible. Heley had the drop on Steve, and Steve was oblivious to the danger behind him. Danny's heart was racing. He reached the crate just above Heley.
"Steve, look out!" Danny said as he jumped and landed on Heley. The gun went off, and Heley and Danny went down in a scuffle. Adrenalin fueled Danny's desperate fight against the monster who outweighed him. The scuffled ended and Danny, panting and holding his ribs hauled Heley up.
The gun shot brought Kono running, gun drawn, prepared for action. Sirens wailed in the background. Chin, and HPD arrived in time to take a cuffed Heley away from Dan.
"Steve!" Chin cried in alarm. Danny looked up, his heart in his throat. He hadn't seen where the bullet went; he hadn't had time to care before.
Steve walked slowly toward the group, holding his shoulder in a death grip as blood poured from the wound. Chin and Kono hurried to him, while Danny hung back. He was worried but Steve's words still rung in his head. Danny's guilt went into overdrive. He came to rescue me and now he's hurt.
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The ambulance containing Steve and Danny rolled to a stop at the hospital. The medic on the scene had insisted Danny ride in with them after observing the way Danny held his ribs with his abused wrists and hands. The ride in had been tense. The medic was busy hovering over Steve, and Danny had dismissed the whole scene by closing his eyes and leaning his head back. He didn't want to talk about it. Not yet.
At the hospital Danny sat in the waiting room stubbornly refusing to be examined by another doctor. He also resisted Chin and Kono's attempts to take him into the exam room with Steve. Danny was only here because he had to be, and he certainly had no intention of sticking around for Steve to chew him out in front Doc or anyone else.
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"You want to tell me what's wrong with Danny?" Doc asked as he stitched up Steve wound. It had bled alot, but Steve was lucky. The bullet had done nothing more than graze his shoulder.
Steve looked guilty. "I blew up at him yesterday" Steve began. "He came to the office to check up on me. Heley had sent us a snake, and it proved to me that had Danny or anyone who opened it could have been bitten, and I couldn't stop it."
"And the anger came out directed at him," Doc concluded.
"Yeah. How is Danno, Doc? Where is he? I saw him at the scene."
"He's in the waiting room. Seems Dan hurt his ribs but won't let anyone else take a look at him. He refused to come in here with you, Steve," Doc explained.
"I have to see him Doc" Steve sat up and tried to get off the exam bed. "I've got to talk to him."
"You're not going anywhere yet. I need to check on Danny and from what you're telling me he won't stick around if you're there. I'll tell him you're asking about him."
"Mahalo Doc, and please, I can't lose my best friend."
"Drink your juice," Doc ordered. "Replenish your fluids and you can go home."
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Danny had finally been convinced to wait for Bergman in an examine room.
"How are you doing, Danny?" Doc asked as he came into the room.
"Fine" came the short terse reply. The room was quiet as Doc examined Danny. Bergman would ask questions to which Danny would reply in the shortest possible way.
The head wound Danny had sustained during the car accident had reopened during the scuffle with Heley and needed stitches. Doc wrapped Danny abused wrists and ribs, two of which turned out to be cracked.
"Steve's been asking about you." Doc commented.
"Oh yeah. How's he doing?" Danny asked not meeting Bergman's gaze.
"He's a terrible patient, but he's resting until I clear him." Danny chuckled and Doc continued. "He would have been a lot worse if not for you. Steve isn't superman, Danny. He needs help sometimes just like the rest of us. Steve told me what he said. I'm not excusing him, and you may not believe me, but irritability is a symptom of spider bites."
"That makes sense. I'd be irritable too if a spider bit me" Danny tried to joke but it felt flat. He wasn't in a joking mood.
"Go see him. You don't have to forgive him, you don't even have to talk to him. I heard May didn't for hours after you went missing." Danny smiled at May's loyalty. "He's driving the nurses crazy, go see him if for no other reason to give the poor girls a few minutes break."
"Doc, it's my fault he's injured in the first place. Like Steve said, I can't even keep myself out of trouble. If I'd been able to then Steve wouldn't have been there to get shot."
"Or it could have been you at the back door instead of Kono with no one to notice Heley had gotten the drop on Steve. Or maybe Heley had attacked the office with more snakes or spider and Chin or Kono had gotten bitten this time. Or maybe a lot of thing, Danny. It happened and should've, would've, could've isn't going to do you any good."
Danny mulled the wisdom of Bergman's word over and reluctantly agreed. "Alright, I suppose the nurses could use a break."
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Steve's eyes were closed when Danny walked into the room. Danny stood at the doorway a moment watching his friend sleep. He wasn't sure what to do or say. Before his actions would have come naturally, but that was before.
Steve heard the door open and he knew it was Danno. A nurse would be checking his vitals already and Chin and Kono had already been by. Steve kept his eyes closed a minute more. He was trying to think of what to say, and how to say it. He rarely found himself in a position where he needed to apologize and now admitting he needed to was difficult.
"Hi Danno" Steve spoke finally, opening his eyes.
"Hi Steve," It had taken everything in Danny not to reply 'Mr. McGarrett'. He was still hurt and wanted to be anywhere but here.
"Danno. I don't even know how to begin. I am so sorry. That's all I can think of to say, and it's not enough. I can't believe I said them. Danno, you are the best thing to happen to Five-O, to me, and I don't want to lose you over careless words that I never meant. I was so angry at the situation, at Heley, at myself, even a little at you, that you were there to almost be bitten again. I was so scared when you answered the phone and told me you had been bitten by a snake. I never wanted to experience that fear again," Steve stopped to take a deep breath.
"Steve, I don't think any words ever hurt me more than yours, but I don't want you apologizing, saying what you think I want or need to hear--" Danny began but Steve interrupted.
"You should know by now, Danno, I never say anything because I think it's what people want to hear. You took care of yourself well with the snake, Danno. For goodness sake it was laying on you and you killed it, keeping it from being worse. You got yourself free from Heley and kept him from shooting me in the back. If there's anyone I want looking out for me it's my Aikane, my best friend."
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Epilog:
"Steve?" Danny asked as he walked into the office.
"Out here Danno" Steve answered and Danny joined him on the lania
Danny held a paper from the teletext and a puzzled look filled his face. "We just got word. Heley's dead."
"What happened?" Steve looked at his young friend.
"Apparently, he was poisoned. A fast acting poison absorbed through the skin. He received it in a letter."
"Do they know who sent it?" Steve asked remembering the case and the bizarre incident that led to the end.
"Nothing on the name and address and only one line on the note. 'I've decided, you get to die'
PAU
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Author's Note: I just want to thank all of you for taking this journey with me. I know I had a blast and I hope you enjoyed it as well. Thanks everyone who read and especially those who reviewed, you're kind words mean more than you know. There is a semi-sequel in the works but it's taking some time to get right. I also have two other work in progress stories so keep your eyes peeled, you never know when I might strike next
Aloha!