I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Note: once the saber-toothed plot bunny shows up, anything can happen! Thank you CinderH (I can't say that enough). And to everyone that I haven't had time to thank personally. I love and appreciate the great reviews and comments.
H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*
Chapter Eleven – The Deep End
For a second, Danny angrily tried to reason with Cano but his words were cut off by a sharp volley of bullets that sprayed the wall behind his head. Before he could breathe, another round of fire forced him hard backwards towards the staircase and he stumbled to one knee as something sharply bit into his calf muscle. Within seconds, he was cursing as he felt the hot heat of blood dripping down his leg and knew he'd been hit either directly or by a ricochet.
Danny could sense that Cano had crept closer and knew his aim was decidedly excellent. The man was trying to herd him down the dangerous stairwell but Danny had absolutely no intention of doing that if he could help it. He needed to get around the man and into a good offensive position versus being the target.
Danny set his jaw irritably and pursed his lips in a grim furious line. Leaning against the wall, he pulled the oldest game in the book to distract Cano and to give himself an opportunity. He was surrounded by old corroded metal and the floor was littered with various pieces of debris, including metallic bits that had fallen from the sunken roof. Danny kept an active watch for movement as his left hand blindly searched the rubble for something hefty to toss. With a satisfied grin, he found a short L-shaped piece of metal and awkwardly heaved it in a reasonable direction. As another volley of shots echoed, Danny scrambled away from the treacherous staircase towards a stack of metal drums and then slipped badly on the rain-slicked concrete surface. Landing heavily on his right side, he felt a nauseating flash of pain that circulated up his arm and numbed his fingers. Danny gasped at the shock while he frantically fumbled for his gun with his left hand.
Groaning quietly, he forced himself up and limped his way towards the center of the building. And then with great care tediously chose well-shadowed areas and eventually managed to swing around successfully. With Cano now in front of him, Danny had a big advantage that he had no intention of losing.
"And. Now, I see you." Danny whispered sarcastically, as he took control of the situation and began edging back out the door towards daylight. But he hadn't realized that Cano had radioed for backup as a shadow blocked the dim light from the doorway. Ducking down, Danny narrowly evaded being seen by the second DEA agent coming to assist Cano and then desperately needed another plan.
Danny frowned at the appearance of a second agent and became immediately challenged as he tried to split his attention between the two stealthily moving figures. The bullet wound in his leg was a minor annoying ache compared to the savage pain that lanced from his elbow and now into his entire arm. He hissed and then cradled his elbow to his body when he tried to straighten it out. With his hand and fingers seizing continually from jarring flashes that felt like thousands of hot needles, he could no longer lift his right arm or hold his weapon.
Slowly, he backed up and rested in a gloomy corner. The distant shouts and gunfire had just about stopped and he was growing weary as his adrenalin waned.
"Come on people." He muttered to himself. As the raid wound down, his empty car would be questioned. Cano and this other agent would be missed in the very least. But Danny was sure that he simply couldn't afford to wait or remain exposed. Without communications and blocked from leaving once again, he hesitated on who he would be able trust on this side of the line.
Searching his immediate area, his eyes landed on a rickety set of metal stairs that was partially hidden behind four large vats. Studying its heavily shadowed path, he could tell that it led up to a suspended platform that was well concealed in the gloomy shadows of the broken warehouse structure. Without a second thought, Danny shoved his gun into his belt and used his left hand to haul himself slowly up each step. Parts of the dilapidated frame swayed but they held as he squirmed his way across the flat surface and into the darkest recesses. Within minutes he was completely hidden and had a bird's eye view of the men who still lurked below. If needed, he could neutralize his attackers and defend himself from this better vantage point.
By then, Cano had abandoned his search of where Danny had tossed the piece of metal and was carefully working his way back towards the murky stairwell that led down to the lower levels. His posture said that he was belligerant; irate at giving in to the ploy and his movements were jittery. The second DEA agent was flanking Cano on a wide tangent which made Danny huff happily. For the moment, they were on the other side of the building, he was somewhat safe and could rest in peace.
Tiredly, he pulled his right arm into his lap and leaned back carefully against the rusted corner of the platform. With some concern, he briefly examined the wound in his calf and grimaced at the small hole which was bleeding sluggishly. But now, with what seemed like all the time in the world, Danny held his gun in his left hand and smiled almost smugly as a damp chill shook him.
"Now, I see you both."
He was confused by Cano's maddened shouting about what he'd personally destroyed on the man. Near as Danny could figure, Cano was the one making bad decisions and acting like a complete loon.
"Well." Danny muttered ironically as he mentally kicked himself and listened to the rain pounding on the broken metal roof. "This decision wasn't actually the best one either."
But he'd needed to know for sure .. he needed to put an end to whatever it was .. and he was here now. And what he'd learned was mind boggling. Danny breathed out a list of those he knew Cano had either inadvertently hurt or put in jeopardy. As he thought of each, Danny's temper flared again as he watched the shapes creeping on the warehouse floor below him. Grace now twice, himself too many times to count, Kono, Steve and not to mention the man's own DEA agents.
At some point, Cano had begun to completely unravel and the demotion proved it; his more recent insane actions proved it. His work suffered, he had virtually no relationships and the escalation to the present state confirmed a psychotic break from reality. And he, Danny Williams, for what ever reason had become the much hated scape-goat that was going to pay for all of Cano's nasty woes in life.
Sighing disgustedly, Danny shook his head and was still confused. Sitting hidden on the platform as Cano raged below him, he almost ... but not quite, felt sorry for the man.
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The raid on the Yakuza was a complete surprise and over within minutes of beginning. There were very few wounded on either side as the expert plans were executed well and seamlessly. Pushing from east to west, Steve and Chin corralled three men including Benji Sato, the ring leader that the DEA and Bobby Girardi wanted so very badly.
Zip-tied and now fully incapacitated, the three were marched to the DEA Command Center vehicle for processing. Steve waited impatiently while the second swarm of agents took possession of the criminals and then radioed Girardi himself about the good news.
"Your man is here." Steve stated blandly. "Alive and waiting for you personally." He then cut the connection and looked to Chin.
"Let's go." Steve motioned and then turned to start back into the building in order to check on status, but he was stayed by the urgent hand on his shoulder.
"Steve. That's Danny's car … he's here. He's on site." Chin was blinking rapidly in total disbelief as he jogged over to the Camaro to check its contents. "Empty."
Twirling in a circle, Steve tried to see each and every person in the near vicinity. "I don't see him .. maybe in the van?" But a young agent interrupted them as he walked by with a cuffed prisoner.
"I saw him park a little while ago. Not sure where he went …" And then almost helpfully, he added.
"Agent Cano called for help and we've been a little distracted here. I thought Detective Williams was still in his car. For Cano, we could only send one other person to help him out .. and that guy radioed in a few seconds ago that the suspect might have gone into the lower levels of this western corner …that they should have him soon. They were in pursuit .. shots were being exchanged and the perp had been hit. They almost have him …"
Steve froze as his blood pressure went up another notch and the agent stuttered at the looming angry SEAL. For a moment Steve could only glare at the man as dangerous thoughts rapid-fired through his mind.
"What … what did I say?"
Chin was stunned and then automatically intervened with one hand on Steve's chest. "I agree. It's him .. it's been him all along. Steve …he and Danny .. they're in there."
The two nodded and simply took off at a dead run through the rain to retrace the steps that Cano and Danny had made so many minutes ago. As they approached the side of the building, Steve bent down to pick up the grimy white soft cast that lay in the mud.
"Chin .. " Steve gripped the material in his hand for a moment before dropping it. The next spattering of gunfire had them sprinting into the building.
Shoulder to shoulder, they hesitated together as their eyes acclimated to the dim light. Motioning for radio silence, Steve indicated that they would spread out to flank each side of the area. Moving along the right wall, Steve crouched down behind a low pile of rotted pallets as he tried to take a headcount in the darkness. But he frowned when he couldn't hear or see much of anything. The downpour was monsoon-like and the noise was deafening as it pounded what was left of the metal roofing.
He could barely make out Joe Cano in the distance, but not the other agent. Chin was off to his far left moving slowly forward. A shake of the head meant that he too had limited sight. And neither could see nor communicate with Danny.
Steve ground his teeth in a fury. The DEA's own communication and practices were ignorant; distressingly limited and certainly not sensible. And to realize now that the threat against Danny was from someone literally in their own backyard was infuriating. Steve rubbed his forehead hard in an attempt to focus but he couldn't push down the rising surge of dread that was resurfacing.
"Damn it Danno. Why couldn't you just wait?" Steve said in a harsh whisper. But he knew the answer .. he knew that Danny had likely gone to the DEA offices first only to discover that plans had changed. Coming here would have been the likely next step. But Steve was furious that Danny had come to the DEA Command Center and not his own.
"Idiot." He breathed out crossly. And then he flinched unconsciously as something like a small pebble ricocheted sharply off his head. Using his left hand, Steve smoothed his wet hair without taking his eyes off the main floor. But then another small object pinged off his shoulder and he grunted in annoyance. A third soon followed to plunk off his head and his left hand flew up to cover his hair. Bothered now, he distractedly glanced up and then did a double-take in complete wonder. Sitting above him and poised to toss another small bolt or tiny metal washer was a grinning Danny.
Putting his finger to his lips, Danny was entertaining himself as he pointed out Cano's ever-moving position and the second agent's hiding place. He shrugged dramatically at Steve's shocked expression and then gave him a weary "go get 'em" wave of his hand.
But under the grin, he was pale and his eyes looked pained. Steve could see the shadow of blood on his hand along with a slight tremble. And then another signal made Steve huff a disgusted sound. The one finger that came up was emphaticaly waggled in Steve's direction as Danny clearly mouthed "behave".
Steve's own answering expression and adamant hand motion made Danny wince and he bit back a humorless chuckle. Both clearly said, "We'll see. And then .. me and you .. we're talking later."
But he frowned when Danny weakly leaned back into the shadows on his elevated perch and was once again nearly invisible.
With an understanding glower, Steve kept one eye on the platform as he caught up to parallel Chin. Signaling a stop, he motioned towards where Danny sat hidden. He grinned wryly as Chin's startled eyes skittered upwards and eventually made out the faint darkened silhouette. His own silent question was unmistakable and Chin grimaced when Steve scowled and nodded only once.
Danny was undoubtedly injured and they needed to end this with Cano sooner rather than later.
~ to be continued ~