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! Sorry for the delay today - this was done and then the two muses had an argument of sorts. Saber Toothed Bunny came out on top.

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Chapter Twelve– The Deep End

Kono felt she had done a fairly good job of keeping her temper in check .. patronizing everyone .. being everywhere, at once. Truly supportive. All things to all people. And because of these attributes, along with her reliable nature, it was how she justified her livid anger when she couldn't find either her cousin or Steve and then learned that they'd gone off with Joe Cano.

With a firm hand clamped to the shoulder of a Yakuza underling that she'd brought to the DEA van to hand off, she glared at Girardi. "They're where? Doing what?"

However, Girardi only had half the information correct and he sighed distractedly. His attention was on a heavily guarded Benji Sato now being escorted by four agents to an armored Suburban.

"Uh, yeah. One of my guys said they ran off to help Cano along with one or two of our other agents to track down a lone suspect …"

But the news didn't make sense and absolutely didn't add up … and the fact that neither team member was on line was oddly significant. She wasn't sure now if she was mad about not being kept informed or worried because their alleged activity was so out of the norm.

"So why can't I raise them? Why the radio silence?" With an off-handed shrug, Girardi walked away to make sure his primary Yakuza target was secure and completely locked down. He then demanded a second escort for the Suburban. And as she rounded the front of the DEA Command van in order to catch up to him, that was when Kono finally saw the Camaro.

"When did that get here? When did Danny show up?" She was about to throw her hands up in the air in total disgust when she nearly choked in surprise.

"Damn! I knew it!" As she had worried before, Kono knew now that Danny had definitely seen the clips and reviewed the files. But why he'd be here at the raid was an open question .. unless .. he found something .. unless ..he knew who it was and possibly that there was a link.

"Bobby, come here." Grabbing the DEA Supervisor by the scruff, Kono yanked her cell phone out of a pocket and then shielded the device from the rain.

"Who's in this video? Do you recognize him?" Fast forwarding to the latest segment where the man in the florist's boutique had no limp, she practically shoved the device in his face.

"Who do you see?"

With an almost aggravated glance at her very serious face, Girardi sighed in resignation and then dutifully watched the short clip. It took him less than five seconds for him to study the profile and the arrogant, purposeful walk. And then with no hesitation at all, he blurted out.

"It's Joe. That's Joe Cano. Why do you have him recorded like this? Why are you watching him?" Girardi was baffled as he afforded Kono his undivided attention. But rather than a further explanation, she began to give him unexpected demands.

"You have to do something." With an inward groan, Kono was talking fast and moving quickly as she physically pulled him along with her back towards the warehouse.

"Cano's been terrorizing Danny and his family. We had no idea .. we just got this video pulled together this morning. Danny was hospitalized from the latest attack .. he must have seen the clip and recognized Cano. Just like you did."

Of everyone on the Five-0 team, Danny had spent the most time with Cano. Now that she thought of it, of course he'd recognize the man's demeanor, his profile, way of walking, and his unconscious habits. And only another of the man's close co-worker's would as well. But Girardi pulled away from her in total confusion and rooted himself to the ground.

"Whoa! Wait. I don't understand what you're getting at. What attacks? Terrorizing?" Girardi was defensive as his brain caught up to what she was saying. "This personality conflict has gone too far .. he has his problems, but Joe wouldn't do that …he's …"

His tirade was interrupted when they heard a distant short volley of shared gunfire from the warehouse. Kono was newly anxious as she once again tried to pull him along.

"Honestly Bobby, we don't have time for this. If you have any agents supposedly in there right now helping Cano, call a cease fire and get them out of there. Please trust me on this or it's going to get uglier than it already is. And I need you with me. You might be the only one who can get through to Cano."

He waited then - almost unable to move - as the rain poured down and he sincerely studied her apprehensive face. She was virtually bouncing on her toes impatiently as she waited for him to make the right decision.

"Bobby, there's no way any Yakuza got through the line to this side of the complex. None. Cano is not who you think he is .. I'm sorry, but he's dangerous."

Girardi made a face as he considered the drastic information. "Are you saying that McGarrett and Williams' accident was caused by my agent? That's he's psychotic? He was cleared .. he ..."

Kono's face reddened angrily as a few more distant shots reached their ears. "You don't know the half of it. What I will say is that Cano is after Danny in that warehouse right now. He means to kill him. Steve and Chin are not with Cano, they're trying to stop him from committing a murder."

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Agent Russell hesitated and then whispered in a harsh voice to Supervisor Girardi through his wireless headset. "Yes, this is Russell. But Cano and I .. no .. what? But we're closing in ..wait .. who are they?"

Russell was entirely confused and then incredulous as orders to cease fire and relinquish his weapon to the Five-0 officers were urgently communicated. He couldn't help wavering yet again as he peered over an ancient rusted barrel for he thought he was exchanging fire with new Yakuza reinforcements and certainly not his Five-0 counterparts.

Truly unsure of himself, he called out towards the unknown person he'd just been trying to essentially decapitate. "Ah.. this is Agent Russell .. Identify yourself."

And he was instantly mortified when Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly responded back and cautiously poked his own head out from behind a large metal stanchion.

"Oh my god." The surprised agent mumbled to himself before recovering and then shouting out his surrender to Chin. "Coming out. Weapons down! Cease fire! We're under a cease fire!" Russell thumbed the safety on his gun and then placed it carefully on a neighboring barrel. With a satisfied nod, Chin also lowered his own weapon and approached the concerned agent.

"How did this just happen?"

But Chin didn't offer too much of an explanation as he scooped up the agent's side-arm, removed the clip, and then took him by the arm to escort him out of the building. It was obvious that the man wasn't part of Cano's plan and had been absolutely mislead.

"Your office .. your team .. has been compromised. Is there anyone else besides Agent Cano in here?"

The agent shook his head as he rubbed an unbelieving hand across his face and walked in front of Chin. He was still at an utter loss about what had just happened and couldn't stop from apologizing. But Chin was eyeing the platform where Danny sat virtually hidden from view and thought about Steve who was closing in on Cano. They still had much to worry about and Chin was in a rush to get the distraught agent out and away from the location without further incident.

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Danny had no idea what had just occurred down below, but he sighed with relief when the second DEA Agent simply ceased firing at Chin and lay his weapon down. He'd considering even taking a few warning shots to cover Chin, but the angle was poor and the lighting much too limited.

He could still almost see Steve on the farthest side of the building; however he was now disappearing into the gloom after Cano who seemed to be retreating. But Danny wasn't sure that the word 'retreat' was in the agent's new crazed vocabulary. With a pained groan from sitting much too long, Danny checked the makeshift bandage he had tied around his leg. He then shoved the gun into his belt and carefully began to move across the platform in order to make his way back down the metal staircase.

His right arm was a total mess and the dull throbbing wound in his left leg hampered him as he carefully took the first few tentative steps. The best he could do was one step at a time leading with his right foot and then shimmying his left hand forward on the old rail. He felt like a ninety-year old man as he began the deliberate trek down each of the steps.

It was difficult going and Danny tried to be quiet but within seconds he was sweating and out of breath; fighting back a new wave of nausea and light headedness. And with the old structure now swaying alarmingly with his odd movements, Danny was desperate to reach the bottom in one piece. He was more than half way down when he really began to struggle tiredly and lose steam. And as the platform gave out with a startling metallic creak that sounded loudly throughout the old warehouse, Danny froze in mid-step and hastily scanned the floor of the building. The sound was so raucously loud, it pierced the deafening drumming of the heavy rain. It was obvious that the badly corroded bolts ratcheted into the high beams of the ancient roof resented Danny's slowly moving and heavily shifting weight.

"Please stay." He muttered meaning the old metal stairs and their struts. "Just a few more feet. Just .. stay."

Taking a deep breath, he resumed his awkward step-thump, step-thump gait and then stumbled badly as he finally hit the firm concrete floor. He glanced up with chagrin at the platform and shook his head with a softly sounded but very relieved snort. Up, had definitely been easier than coming down in more ways than one.

Danny leaned against the wall, closed his eyes and counted his many aches. His light headed feeling made him dizzy and he definitely deserved the contempt of Ramirez once he saw the good doctor. But for that very moment, with his body screaming at him about the ongoing abuse, all he wanted to do was rest again. The cold smoothness of the warehouse wall was perfectly fine as far as he was concerned. So now he breathed through the nausea as he resisted the strong urge to simply collapse into a miserable heap on the wet floor.

He almost gave out with a bitter chuckle as his weary mind found a new solution for dealing with Doctor Ramirez. The thought was brought up short as he squinted with alarm at the dark shape moving rapidly towards him. It began to look like Steve, but his hand strayed to the gun in his belt and he awkwardly pulled it out just in case. Aiming the gun uneasily at the hazy form, Danny made sure that a bullet was in the chamber as he muttered to himself.

"A different hospital .. I'll just go to a different hospital. Find another doctor. He'll never know."

The shape slowly became more discernible and Danny relaxed when he did finally recognize Steve. But Steve's face was harried and his hand was out-stretched in askance. He was clearly worried when he saw the weapon at the ready and raised in warning.

"Hey, easy. It's me!"

"Oh. Good." Danny sighed as he lowered it to his side and then blinked rapidly to clear his vision. "Steve. Did you get him?'

Steve didn't answer as he slowed to a stop in front of his friend. He was admittedly angry as he holstered his own gun and then placed a hand on each of Danny's sagging shoulders not only to hold him up, but also to give him a little shake.

"No." The simple statement made Danny's face fall. But Steve wasn't done as he made time to reprimand the injured man.

"You're an idiot Danno. I heard the staircase .. how did you even get up there? I thought the damned thing was coming down with you on it. Girardi and Kono are here and they're flanking the area – doing another sweep. But I was closer to get back and check on you." He whispered the words harshly as he looked from the rotted platform and then to Danny's pale, sweaty complexion.

"You look like absolute crap." Steve gently inspected Danny's right arm down to his elbow eliciting a sharp pained hiss.

"Must you?" Danny griped unhappily as he unsuccessfully tried to pull away. The swelling was severe and Danny was holding the entire arm at an odd angle. Unable to help himself, Steve grimaced when he saw the puffy fingers.

"If it looks bad .. then it's bad, Steven." He flinched and glared as Steve connected with a particularly painful section of his forearm. "For the uninitiated, that means leave it alone. Don't touch."

He grew even more irritated as Steve gently held his limp hand. "Can you squeeze my fingers?"

"What are you .. channeling Ramirez now?"Danny quirked his eyebrows with a clearly disgusted expression and then tried to change the subject. "So where do you think Cano is?"

There was a war-weary sigh as Steve shook his head and once again searched the shadows. "This damned place is huge and there are just too many places to hide. I think he went below. So Girardi has a squad down there while he and Kono sweep up here again."

He was momentarily distracted as he quickly catalogued Danny's injuries and half-watched the area around them. "But I want you out of here. Now."

Steve continued to scowl with a promise of what was to come. And that look followed by the adamant words only made Danny return the challenge with an equally defiant stare.

"You shouldn't be here at all. What were you thinking." Looking down at his hand that still lightly gripped Danny's lax fingers, he crossly demanded once more. "And you're hand's like ice. Fingers .. Danno. Can you move them or make a fist?"

With an exasperated sigh, Danny twitched his fingers successfully but was wholly unable to make a fist due to the swelling. However, it was enough to make Steve nod with some approval at the meager movement.

"That's good I guess. But I think a bone in your forearm is broken and maybe even your elbow. What did you do?" Glancing down at the leg wound, he wove his hands through his hair and then bent down to check the shabby bandage.

"It's a clean through and through. Can you walk out of here?"

But an odd movement directly behind Steve caught Danny's eye and he didn't reply. Instead, he frowned and gazed blearily over the broad shoulder as he endured the complaints, annoying demands and painful triage. Totally preoccupied, Danny now only grunted since he wasn't paying particular attention. The odd shadows were swirling and Danny wasn't sure if it was his fading energy or if there was an actual shape forming in the murky darkness.

Mesmerized by the shape-sifting grayish pools of light and dark, he squinted again as he tried to make up his mind. And the fingers on his left hand twitched automatically around his gun. As he peered past old equipment, rusted barrels and stacked moldy crates, he barely heard Steve repeat his question about his being able to walk out of the warehouse and to a waiting ambulance.

~ to be continued ~