Danny took Toni's hand as they continued to walk along the beach with the bright moon making it romantic as the soft breeze helped take some of the heat from the air. Danny stopped and watched as two birds flew low over the beach and smiled as Toni turned to face him. Before he could say anything she pulled his head down and pressed her lips to his.
Danny returned her kiss and felt the heat of her passion as she pressed her body tight against his. He felt her tongue moved along his lips and tasted the sweet strawberry lip gloss she wore.
"We should go to my place," Toni told him.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Danny, I'm sure," Toni said and took his hand. She pulled on his arm, laughing when he seemed to hold back, but finally gave in to her. It took twenty minutes to walk back to his car and another forty minutes to drive to her home. He parked the car behind her vehicle and waited for her to unlock the door before following her inside.
Once in the apartment Toni turned and wrapped her arms around him, picking up where they'd left off on the beach. She knew how to keep a man interested and led Williams through the living room and along a short hallway toward the bedroom.
"Toni, are you sure?"
"Hell, yes," the woman answered and looked forward to an enjoyable evening wrapped in this man's arms.
5050505050
Steve opened his eyes when he heard voices and tried to focus on what was happening to him. He tried to move, but his arms were cuffed behind his back and he was lying on the floor of a moving vehicle. Whatever Melina had slipped him was wreaking havoc with his senses and the rocking motion of the van was making him nauseous. He licked at dry lips and knew he'd kill for a cold beer right about now.
"He's back with us."
Steve tried to see the man who'd spoken, but it was too dark and whoever was driving took a sharp turn and his body slammed up against a crate set against the side of the van. He moaned softly, but could do nothing as they took another turn and he was thrown against the opposite side.
"Hope you're enjoying the ride, McGarrett, but it won't be long until we reach our destination and you find out just how many people have died because of you...Rachel, Catherine, Kono and maybe little Gracie..."
Steve knew the man was lying, yet he'd seen the pictures of Kono...could they have been real? Was Kono really dead? No, he wouldn't believe that...he'd seen her earlier in the day and Chin would have called him. His body rolled with the motion of the vehicle and he cried out when his captor kicked him in the right side when he came too close to him.
"Well, McGarrett, we're here," the man said when the van came to a stop.
Steve heard the back doors open and kicked out at the man standing there, before returning his attention to the man who'd been in the back with him. He twisted and kicked the man's left knee, smiling when he heard the cry of pain mixed with rage. Steve rolled toward the open doors and dropped onto the ground, fighting then wave of dizziness that threatened to put him to his knees.
Steve called on everything his trainers had told him, every small detail no matter how inconsequential they seemed, could mean the difference between life and death. He kicked out at the man who was just trying to get to his knees, but was tackled from behind by the other man. He stumbled and tripped over the second man, fighting for balance when something struck his lower back and sent daggers of pain racing along nerve endings that now seemed to have fired simultaneously.
"Stay down, McGarrett!"
The order came from behind him, but Steve had never been one to listen to commands from people who thought they had him at a disadvantage. He ignored the agony that twisted through his back, managed to get to his feet and turned to face the men who'd brought him here, but a new voice barked orders at the two men.
"Leave him, Gentlemen," the man said and moved down the steps of the house with a gun pointed in McGarrett's direction. "I told you not to underestimate him."
"Who the hell are you?" McGarrett managed as he turned to face the newcomer, but felt something enter his chest. He looked down to see a small dart sticking out of the left side of his chest and darkness claimed him before he hit the ground.
5050505050
Danny smiled at the woman in his arms and reached for the glass of wine on the table beside the bed. He took a small sip and smiled when she kissed him and licked the wine from his lips. It felt good to be here, relaxed and content to hold this beautiful woman in his arms.
"Your ex-wife is foolish you know," Toni told him as she leaned on his chest and let her hair fall forward.
"To hear Rachel you'd think I was the foolish one," Williams told her.
"I can't believe she gave this up for another man. You're wonderful, Danny," Toni said and smiled as Williams lifted her head and stared into her eyes.
"You're not so bad yourself," the Jersey native said and began kissing her again. There was something about this woman that brought out the lover in him and yet, deep down there was also a hint of distrust that he couldn't quite erase. He felt her hands on his body, and allowed himself to give in to his body's needs once more.
Two hours later Toni stood in the doorway and watched as Williams left her home. By now Melina should have delivered Steve McGarrett to their benefactors and it was time for her to leave. As soon as he was gone she closed the door, dressed in the clothing she'd discarded and reached for the bag she'd packed her belongings into before spending the day with Williams.
She regretted leaving, only because she enjoyed being with Williams, but money was money and any man could give her what Danny did, especially now that she had enough money to reach for her dreams. She looked around and made sure she had everything that belonged to her and left the apartment with very few regrets, and none that would make her go back on the promise she'd made to herself.
Toni moved to her car and climbed into the driver's seat as she lowered the top and drove out of the parking lot. She felt the wind in her face as she hummed softly and headed for the airport, unaware of the car that followed a safe distance behind her.
5050505050
Steve came to slowly, his head pounding as he struggled with the metal cuffs that surrounded his wrists and held him in the chair. Darkness surrounded him, but he could hear voices and understood the darkness was caused by the blindfold that covered his eyes. He tried to make sense of what his captors were saying, but it was muffled as if they were in another room.
Steve thought about the pictures Melina had shown him and knew they couldn't be real, yet part of him couldn't discount the sightless eyes and shattered body that had once been Kono Kalakaua. How could he face Chin if he was at fault in Kono's death.
"I do believe you're playing possum, Steve."
The voice was right next to his left ear and Steve was startled that he hadn't heard the man approach. He stiffened up as a hand landed on his shoulder, but showed no other sign that he'd been surprised.
"Who the hell are you?" McGarrett asked.
"I am your worst nightmare, Steve, and when the time comes you will die alone," the voice promised.
Steve cried out as a blade was thrust into his side and shook with shock as hands gripped his hair and pulled his head back. The blade was placed at his throat and he tried not to swallow as a pearl of blood dripped onto his bare chest. The knife slid slowly down his right bicep as his captor whispered softly in his ear.
"You will be just like an island, Steve, and I am the man who will take everything you hold dear from you. Kono Kalakaua was the first, but she will not be the last. I will make sure they know who to blame and that you could have stopped them from being killed."
Steve heard the sound of a door opening and a second voice, just before something struck his forehead and he lost consciousness.
5050505050
Danny drove to his home and parked his car before hurrying inside and dropping the keys on the table. God, he was tired, but it was a good kind of tired, one he hadn't felt since his wedding night. Rachel had been so damn sexy and God help him he still wanted her, but she was married to another man now and he wished them both happiness.
Danny sat down in the comfy armchair and reached for the picture of Grace and smiled at the precious gift Rachel had given him. He had some regrets, but his daughter had come from the love he and Rachel had shared and although she hadn't been planned she would never be considered an accident...she was the greatest prize that could come of the love shared by a man and woman.
Danny closed his eyes and could see Grace on the day of her birth, the smile she'd given him when she first began to recognize him, and the tears he'd kissed away when she'd scraped her knee while learning to walk. His marriage to Rachel might have been a failure, but his daughter would always be his biggest success.
Williams placed the picture on his chest and closed his eyes as sleep washed over him.
5050505050
Present Time
Jonathon Marquez had a great deal of respect for the man locked the cell st the end of the warehouse. McGarrett continued to remain silent where Anita Morales was concerned, a feat that would have been impossible in a lesser man. He reached for the glass of brandy and sipped it as he watched Margot Atwood.
The woman held tightly to a picture from the past, one he'd never been able to get her to relinquish and he knew she still loved Steve McGarrett in spite of her protests. He'd seen the tears she shed when she thought she was alone, but it didn't matter because she was expendable and soon he would take her life and make sure McGarrett understood that the guilt of her death lay at his feet.
Marquez stood up and watched as one of his men exited the room where they'd take Melina Collins. He knew by the smug smile that the woman had not enjoyed her time with the heavily muscled man, but again he would make sure McGarrett took the blame for her discomfort. It did not matter whether the woman died now or later, but he wanted Steve to see her when his men were done with her. He wanted to see the look of defeat in his eyes.
"Tell Marco to bring her along. It's time our guest saw what's been done to Miss Collins because of him."
5050505050
Steve swallowed convulsively as he tried to find enough moisture to wet his arid throat, but coughed several times as he tried to breathe. God, he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this way, but he was pretty sure it couldn't have been any worse. He shifted his weight and tried to sit up, and looked longingly toward the bed, but didn't think he had the strength to make it that far. He had no way of knowing how long he'd been out since they'd dumped him in here, but he knew it was long enough for his bladder to become uncomfortably full.
McGarrett tried to pull his hands free of the ties that bond them behind his back, but only succeeded in abrading the skin even more than he already had. He knew Marquez had given him some kind of drug that caused his body to tremble and his mind to see things that weren't there. His mind turned to his team, his friends, his Ohana, but there was no way Danny and Chin would forgive him.
The pictures flashed through his mind as his body shook with the force of his grief. Kono was dead an it was his fault...Rachel and Grace...God, how could he ever face Danny? How could he ever explain why they died when he didn't understand it himself? So many people had died because of him...Rachel, Grace, and Kono were just the latest in a long list of people who died on his watch.
Steve managed to sit up and leaned against the wall as he breathed through the blinding pain that had become his whole world. He leaned his head back against the wall, biting back a cry of pain as he struggled to keep each wound separate. Each one was a badge of honor that he wore for his Ohana. The pain was a constant reminder that he would live long enough to kill the bastard who had taken so much from him.
McGarrett looked up at the sound of the door being opened and and looked at the two men who entered the room. They stayed on either side of the door as Marquez came in slapping a riding crop against his open palm as he moved toward him. Steve could barely lift his head, but he managed to stare into his captor's eyes.
"So, you still have some fight left in you, Steve, that's good to know because right now you have no one who will fight for you," Marquez told him. "You're cut off and alone with no one to give a damn whether you live or die all because you kill everyone who ever cared about you."
"No," Steve whispered and tried to get to his knees, but Marquez easily shoved him back down.
"Melina was such a pretty young woman, Steve, but like Margot, she trusted you to protect her. Now she's just another statistic...another victim who put their trust in the wrong man. Would you like to see her one more time, Steve? Just so you can see the hatred in her eyes because you betrayed her so that a traitor can remain free?"
"She...leave her...let her go," McGarrett managed and tried to clear his mind, but there was so much pain, and so many betrayals that he wasn't sure if he even knew one from the other anymore.
"It's too late for that now, Steve. She's about to become another in a long line of people you've allowed to die because of your twisted sense of right and wrong," Marquez said and placed the tip of the riding crop beneath McGarrett's chin. "All you have to do is tell me where Anita is hiding and I'll allow Melina to go free."
"I can't..."
"You can't or you won't," Marquez said and motioned to the two men at the door. "Look at what you've done, Steve!"
Steve tasted the bitter bile in his throat when he saw the woman struggling against the two men who held her by the arms. Her clothing had been removed, but they'd given her a short robe made of white material which did very little to hide what had been done to her. He looked at her and knew she'd been abused, but there was no way he could help her not if it meant another woman would die.
"Steve, please, you have to help me..."
"I don't think Steve understands what his silence means to you," Marquez said and pulled her closer so that her robe fell open. He smiled and grabbed her right breast and squeezed it until she cried out.
"Leave her alone," McGarrett ordered, but there was very little strength behind it while his eyes were filled with the anger he couldn't voice.
"Tell me where she is, Steve, or I will let my men have her and perhaps she could even star in a special film that ends in her tragic death."
"No," Steve said and understood exactly what kind of film Marquez alluded to.
"Now, Steve, let's not make any hasty decisions. I will leave you and Melina in here for one hour while she tries to convince you that you cannot win. You will have to tell me where Anita is or everyone you care about will die," Marquez warned and left the room with the guards.
Steve looked at the woman kneeling before him and wished there was some way he could get her out of this, but no matter what he did they would both end up dead. He shifted and tried to get up, but his body felt like lead weight. He felt her take his bound arms and allowed her to help him stand and move to the bed.
Steve closed his eyes as a wave of debilitating pain took his breath away. He breathed through tightly clenched teeth until the agony eased enough for him to look at her. He swallowed several times and was surprised when she reached out and wrapped her arms around him. He could feel her body trembling and wondered if there was some way of getting her out of here before Marquez went through with his threat. He had no idea how long she held him or how many tears she cried, but he felt the change as soon as she spoke.
"Steve, please, you have to tell him where she is. I can't...I can't go through this again," Melina tried.
"I can't...he'll kill her."
"He'll kill us if you don't," she whispered and felt his body go tense as he moved away from her. She stared into his eyes, and knew he was remembering something.
"Why?"
"I don't understand, Steve."
"Why did you...you're working for him."
"How can you say that!" Melina cried.
"You dr...drugged me..."
"I had no choice, Steve..."
"There's always a choice, Melina."
"Toni said she'd tell him about my little girl...I couldn't let that happen. I'm sorry..."
"You could have come to me."
"And done what..."
"Time's up, Steve, are you going to tell me where Anita Morales is hiding?"
Steve stared at the man standing in the doorway and shifted away from Melina Collins as he spoke. "Go to hell!"
"You're already there," Marquez said and dragged Melina away from him. He shoved her toward the two men while watching the captive closely. "Get rid of her!"
"Yes, Sir," the man who latched onto her arm said with a grin before dragging her out of the cell.
"Now, Steve, that's another one you can add to your list," Marquez said.
"She works for you," McGarrett spat.
"No, blackmail is a wonderful thing, Steve, she's as innocent as every victim you ever fought for," Marquez said and motioned for the guard to drag the prisoner from the room.
Steve knew he couldn't win, the endless hours of pain and raw emotional trauma were taking a toll on his mind and body. As soon as the man gripped his arm, Steve slammed his head into the other man's nose. He felt the crunch of bone and blood spurted into his eyes as he lifted his foot and kicked out at Marquez. His foot slammed against the man's knee and would have dislocated it if Steve was at full strength.
Marquez stumbled, but didn't go down and turned just as McGarrett tried to launch a second attack. He lifted the riding crop and brought ti down across the SEALs shoulders, but it wasn't enough to stop him. Marquez knew he had underestimated the man, and called out for his men as he caught sight of McGarrett's eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that he could and would kill him if given the chance. Marquez backed up toward the door, keeping two steps ahead of the staggering SEAL.
Steve moved as if his life depended on it and the truth was it did. He called on whatever remained of his strength and dove at the man, receiving another hit from the riding crop. The contact was sharp and sent rippling pain along ragged nerves, but ti didn't stop him. The blow to his lower back did and he went to his knees as Marquez straightened up with a smug smile.
"That was a stupid move, Steve, one that has earned you more punishment. Bring him along," Marque ordered as another man entered the room and grabbed McGarrett.
"You broke my nose, McGarrett, and I'll make you pay for that," the man said.
Steve let his body go slack, and told himself over and over that he wasn't giving up. He'd survive this no matter what it took because he needed to kill the man who'd taken so much away from him. He had no idea how badly he was hurt, but it didn't matter, he been trained...conditioned to get past the pain and focus on one thing...taking out the bastards who crossed the line and took the lives of innocent people.
McGarrett's hands were released, but they were quickly drawn above his head and fastened by a set of iron manacles to an overhead pipe. He cried out as they lifted him until his toes barely touched the floor, but he found the strength to lift his head and stared directly into Marquez's eyes. He couldn't find the strength to speak, but he saw a spark of fear in the other man's eyes.
"Steve, why did you leave me there? You were supposed to save me...to rescue me, but you left me there to die."
McGarrett heard the voice, but kept his eyes on the man standing in front of him. He could not change the past, could not make her understand that he had no way of knowing she was alive. He could not change what happened to her and in effect he could not change the fact that she wanted him dead.
"I didn't know, Margot, or I would have fought my way through hell to get to you," he vowed as she was wheeled in front of him and he looked into her eyes.
"Look at us, Steve," she said and held up the picture that had been taken more than five years ago, yet it felt like a lifetime ago. "That was us, Steve, look at how beautiful I was..."
"You still are beautiful, Margot, but he's made you ugly inside," McGarrett said, biting his bottom lip as Marquez struck him with the riding crop.
"Jonathon was there for me, Steve, unlike you."
"He used you then, Margot, and he's using you now. He'll kill you one he gets what he wants," McGarrett managed, crying out as several more blows from the riding crop landed on his back and chest. He had no idea how long it lasted, but when Marquez was done, he hung from the ceiling, eyes closed and breathing ragged as he fought to stay alive.
TBC
Author's Note—- Well, the past has met the present so from here on out we stay in the present. Thanks so much for your patience and wonderful reviews. They feed my imagination and my muse...Winnie
