Captivated – Story 2 in the Unbreakable series
Disclaimer: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)
Author's Note: My apologies for the delay - I had some major family crises that make the fictional world look far more blissful. Please continue to comment, I love your feedback and it very much keeps me going. Still looking for Beta readers for the next story in the series - PM me if interested. Thanks!
Laughing, Julia kicked up the ocean spray at Steve. He grabbed her around her waist as she squealed with delight. Pulling her closely, he reached down to kiss her, at first sweetly, then increasing in intensity until it was hard, hot, possessive. His hands skimmed across her flat abdomen, his finger slipping teasingly under the waistband of her bikini. A moan escaped her lips as her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer to her, closer, undeniably closer…
An annoying buzzing sound interrupted, waking Steve up. His heart was pounding, his mouth dry. Crap. Damned alarm. He reached over to hit the snooze bar and rolled over into his pillow, nuzzling it as he tried to get back to the beach with Julia. He stopped, his eyes opened as he laid back on his pillow and covered his eyes with his arm. What am I doing? It's one thing to fantasize about a girl, Steve, it's an entirely different thing to dream about her. It's just because this is new. She's new, we're new, that's what this is. I'm distracted, but nothing's changed, hell, we haven't even slept together. He stretched his arms upward as he began to waken more, only to notice his early morning reaction. Damn. I've just got to focus on work. Everything will fall into place, it always does. Still, something nagged at the back of Steve's mind, something reminding him of these feelings, of an unexpected need that Julia seemed to have stirred up inside of him.
His swim did little to clear his mind. The warm Pacific waters were usually cathartic for him, particularly in the early morning when his mind was sometimes a little foggy from sleep and stress. This morning was different. Try as he might, he couldn't get Julia out of his thoughts. He kept picturing her relishing the challenge yesterday at the shooting range, then later keeping pace with him as they hiked through challenging terrain in Ka'a'awa Valley. It was hard to reconcile her strength and determination with her admission to him that she was frightened. As he toweled off and headed inside to grab a shower before work, he kept replaying their conversation on the beach. There was something that he was missing.
He showered quickly, not quite a Navy shower but almost, reflecting the habits and training that were ingrained in him from an early age. After grabbing a quick breakfast, he was back in his truck and headed to HQ. He thought about that night by the Hilton when he first met Andy, and Julia told him about how she'd lost her husband to cancer. She was so vulnerable in that moment, so small and quiet and trusting. He was used to being the strong one, to being entrusted with great responsibility. But what was it about that moment, something she said? As he navigated his truck through the quiet early-morning roads, he replayed their conversation. The words came back to him as he pictured her in his arms that night. "This could be dangerous for both of us. There are things that I can't share…" And now she was talking about being scared. Was she just scared of being hurt and of hurting him, or was there something else?
He pulled up to HQ, uncomfortably unsettled by his thoughts. Shaking his head briefly, he stepped out of the truck and saw Danny pull in next to him in the Camaro.
"I thought you were spending the weekend with Julia." Danny stated, looking at Steve carefully.
"I did. We had a great time," Steve replied a bit brusquely.
"If you spent the weekend with the lovely Miss Bliss, then explain to me why you have aneurysm face. What did you do?"
"What do you mean, what did I do?"
"I mean, you spent the weekend with a gorgeous woman who makes you go all weak in the knees, and now you have a face that would scare a grown man. Clearly you did something."
"Danny, why do you assume I screwed something up? Perhaps we had a great weekend, and now I'm thinking about the case and that's what has me concerned."
"Oh, concerned? So that's what you're calling it? I know how you get about cases, buddy, and whatever has your panties in a bunch is not related to a case. So I take it she's still speaking to you?"
Steve opened the door to Aliiolani Hale and took a deep breath. "Danny, we had a great weekend, and I know it shocks you, but I didn't screw it up. In fact, you would be pleased to note that Julia and I actually tied on the shooting range yesterday," he said, satisfyingly.
Danny's face paled as they climbed the stairs up to HQ. "Excuse me, wonder boy. You took her to the shooting range? What's next, mortar rounds at sunset? Clearly, my friend, we need to have an in-depth discussion on the details of romance and wooing."
"Believe me, Danno, I have no trouble in the romance department," Steve deadpanned. "Now, considering that we have an active case and an agent arriving today from the Secret Service, do you think we could focus on work for once?"
"Hey boss, I just got a hit on something," Kono started as she saw Steve and Danny walk in the door. "The crime lab is still working on the image from the rental car lot, but I got the recordings from a street camera near the parking garage where our perp says he boosted the car. Take a look." Kono typed on the computer table and then flicked an image up on to the screens as Chin came out of his office to join them.
"Okay, stop here," Danny stated, looking at the screen. "That's our perp driving away in the car with the bonds. Remember how Julia mentioned that it was strange for the bonds to be left in the trunk unless perhaps they were…"
"Being left as a drop for something, like weapons or drugs." Steve finished Danny's train of thought. "Kono, roll forward carefully." Kono hit a few keys as they all watched the screen. "Stop there." A white SUV with tinted windows was on the screen, pulling into the garage. "What's that, just 30 minutes after the car was pinched? No image on the driver from this angle. Forward the video just a few minutes, maybe we can get a shot of the driver leaving. There he is. Now zoom in," Steve said, looking intently at the image as Kono cleaned it up digitally.
"I'm running him through facial recognition now," Kono said as she typed on the table. Images flashed on the screen rapidly as the image was compared to millions of possibles in the NCIC. "Here we go – a match." She tossed the image up on to the screen next to the video of the SUV leaving the parking garage. "Peter Koch, a German citizen, no record in the U.S., but Interpol has him listed as a suspected arms dealer with ties to a German separatist group."
"So what would a German arms dealer be doing driving into a parking garage and exiting just a few minutes later, right after a car was boosted with millions in counterfeit bonds?" Chin asked. "Kono, is there an address?"
"No, but the plates on the SUV are registered to an investment company, Budagan Holdings, in Waikiki. I'm texting all of you the address. Hold on, it's my phone." Kono picked up her cell phone and started to type as she listened. Another photo appeared on the screen.
Chin looked at Danny and Steve puzzlingly. "When did Julia see the bonds? Kono took them to the lab right after you brought them in on Friday."
Oh crap, Steve thought.
"Hey, that was the Crime Lab. They were able to clean up the face of our mystery man who drove the car off of the rental lot Thursday night." Kono flicked something up on the screen. "Meet Garrett Dorman, a number of priors including grand larceny, oh, and this is interesting…. he also works for Budagan Holdings," Kono said, continuing, "I have an address for him in Honolulu, 2545 Rose Street, Apt. 5C."
"All right, let's go. Chin, you and Kono go visit Budagan and see if you can find information about Mr. Koch and what he was doing in the parking garage Friday morning. Look sharp, and call us as soon as you find anything. Danny, grab your gear and let's go pay Dorman a visit," Steve ordered, relieved to ignore Chin's question for the time being.
Kono nodded and proceeded to wipe the board of data and images as Danny headed into his office. Steve started toward his office when a tall, older blond man in a dark grey suit stepped into the room. Damn, Steve thought, just when we get a lead. Feds.
The man walked purposefully up to Steve and offered his hand. "Commander McGarrett? I'm Special Agent Tony Romano."