Thanks for all the great reviews! Hope you guys enjoy a little action, 'cause that's what you're getting in this chapter.
Chapter Fourteen "Into Battle"
"It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle."~General Norman Schwarzkopf
Steve didn't allow himself to think of what would happen if he lost the courier. That simply wasn't an option. Of course, he had considered that they were probably about to get into a very dangerous situation with no immediate backup. He had always worked very well that way, but for some reason this seemed different. Maybe it was the fact that Kono seemed to follow him indiscriminately. He knew that wasn't true. She was very smart and she wanted to save Rachel as much as he did.
That's why Steve didn't feel guilty for dragging her into this. He would readily admit he couldn't do it alone and Kono was one of about three people he could trust. And really, she was the best person because she didn't have as much distraction.
Of course, Steve was aware that he'd been doing almost nothing for a month and his reflexes might not be at their best. But in his experience, adrenaline more than made up for that. Somehow, the idea of conflict always brought back his extensive training. And from their little encounter on the beach, Steve was sure that Kono had lost none of her skills either.
"He's stopping." Kono's voice brought Steve out of his thoughts.
He drove another block and parked. In the rear view mirror, he could see the courier getting out and going into an average looking apartment building.
"We can't lose him," Steve said, getting out of the car and grabbing his flack vest. Kono followed suit and they were on their way. Once inside, they heard the courier going up the stairs.
"He sees us, we're done," Kono said.
"He won't see us," Steve replied and they started up the stairs, much more softly than their prey. They stopped at each landing and listened as the courier started up the next flight.
"How many floors were there?" Kono whispered.
"Twelve," Steve replied. They were on the seventh.
More floors passed and the courier kept going. Steve realized he was probably headed for the roof. That meant Rachel probably wasn't in this building. Steve ran through the possibilities. They would have to follow a second messenger. Or maybe Wo Fat was baiting him. Steve knew he needed to ignore those thoughts and focus on the task at hand. Not being seen.
They finally reached the roof and waited in the stairwell as the courier went outside. They couldn't risk getting any closer, but they didn't need to.
"Is this what he wanted?" a voice asked.
Kono gasped.
"What?" Steve asked.
"That's Stan," she hissed.
"Call Danny. Have him find out who owns this building."
Kono nodded and went a little further down the stairs. Steve kept listening.
"Yep," the courier said. "Deliver this to Wo Fat and she'll leave with you."
"All right," Stan said.
"The location's already in the GPS."
Steve heard the courier give Stan his car keys and took that as time to move along. As they hurried down the stairs a few floors ahead of Stan, Kono told him what Danny had said.
"It looks like Stan Edwards just bought this building yesterday," she said. "Maybe an excuse to use it as a drop point?"
"Probably," Steve said. "But if Stan's going to meet with Wo Fat, we have to be there. Anyway, I don't think they'll come through on their promise."
"What promise?"
"The courier said that if Stan gave Wo Fat the evidence 'she' would leave with him. I assume he's trying to get Rachel back."
"So, if Wo Fat and Rachel are at the next location, what's the plan?"
"Get Rachel to safety. Stan, maybe, but I'm not particular about that. He is technically an accomplice now. We should probably arrest him."
"You always ad lib, don't you?"
"Today, yes."
They got back in the car and waited for Stan to emerge from the building. He did not disappoint and soon they were following him down the road. He was much easier to tail. He didn't even seem to care whether or not he was being followed.
H-5-O
"It's official," Danny muttered.
"What is?" Chin asked.
"Stanley Edwards is the world's biggest idiot."
"I think we knew that already."
"No, this is more idiotic than that. If there were life on other planets, he'd be stupider than all of them too. The only thing dumber than him would have to be gravel."
Chin could see that having someone to blame was helping Danny. Up until then, it had seemed like he was blaming himself for not stopping Rachel from being kidnapped. Now he could be angry at Stan, which he was anyway, so things were much easier.
Chin knew what a huge effect everything had on Danny. He seemed to understand, more than anyone else the implications of what happened. While Steve and Kono seemed to be making the best of their current position and Chin was trying his hardest to fix everything, Danny was acutely aware of how messed up things actually were.
Chin shook his head and went back to hacking into Stan's GPS. Even if he could shake Steve and Kono, which was pretty impossible, they would be able to catch up to him.
"Got a location," Chin said.
"That is fantastic," Danny said. "Did I ever tell you how wonderful you are? I mean, in this respect. You certainly have flaws, but here, you are the best."
"Yeah, you may have mentioned it once or twice. You want to call Kono?"
"Absolutely." Danny put the phone on speaker. "We have your location," he said. "Hold your applause."
"Oh, bravo," Kono said, only half sarcastically. "Where is it?"
"It's a cabin," Chin said, "but this area's so remote, he'll know if he's being followed."
"No he won't," came Steve's voice. "Give us the location and send backup about ten minutes from Stan's ETA."
"Be careful, Steve," Chin said. "You too, Kono."
"Don't worry Cos'," Kono said. "We will."
H-5-O
When Stan turned off the main road, Steve pulled over. They couldn't keep following him, or he would notice them. Still, Kono wasn't sure what they were going to do.
"You got everything you need?" Steve asked.
"Yeah. What are we doing?" Kono asked.
"Hiking," Steve replied.
They got out of the car and without another word, they headed into the jungle, parallel to the road. It was only a ten minute jog to their destination, but Stan arrived a few minutes before. They watched from the bushes as he met with someone they couldn't see.
"They're going inside," Steve said. "We need to get closer."
"How?" Kono asked, seeing how little cover there was from their current location to the cabin.
"We'll just be fast."
"Just."
"What? You're fast."
"Thanks, I guess."
"I think we should move up west a little." Steve seemed to know that Kono was only "being the voice of doom" again, and wasn't actually concerned.
"Yeah," she said. "And then?"
"Then we run for Stan's car. Once there, we can try to find the best way to the house."
"You don't think they have lookouts?"
"Well... probably."
"Well, what if I went up further and caused a distraction? Then you could get up close without anyone seeing."
Steve didn't say anything at first. Kono could tell he didn't exactly like the idea. But she knew if it were Danny with him instead of her, that's what they'd do. So, she didn't wait for an answer.
"Hey," Steve whispered. "Be careful, all right?"
"You got it boss." She smiled and disappeared into the jungle.
Steve didn't even think twice about the nickname. He waited until he heard Kono's distraction and then he broke cover to run for the car. Once there, he waited. He could hear a couple of people heading off in Kono's direction. He couldn't help a small smile. They wouldn't be coming back out.
Steve looked around. He had about three minuted before backup arrived. If Rachel was in that cabin, he had to get to her first. He heard a sharp crack in the jungle, followed by a cry of pain. More goons left the cabin to investigate.
Way to go, Kono, Steve thought with a grin. Then he made his move to the side of the cabin. He couldn't risk the front windows, so he headed for a bedroom window and looked in. No one was there, and the window opened with a little persuasion. Steve climbed in and dropped to the floor. He drew his gun and headed for the door.
He could hear voices in the main room. From his position, he could peek through a crack in the door and see a hallway. There was another bedroom across from him and the main room to his left.
Steve pulled the door open a little more and he could see Stan's back and hear Wo Fat's voice.
"She's just in the other room," he said. "As soon as my men come back, the two of you may leave. You remember my conditions?"
"Of course."
"And you have the means?"
"Yes. I can get her out of the country easily. They'll never find us."
Steve realized what was happening. Even without killing her, Wo Fat was taking Rachel away from Danny forever.
Two minutes.
Steve eased the door open a little more. He had no way of knowing if there were any others in the house, but he had to take that chance. He stepped out into the hallway and raised his gun.
"Five-0," he said, almost quietly and with an obvious smirk. He saw the expression on Wo Fat's face shift from confident to angry. He masked it quickly though.
"Stanley," he said. "I thought I told you to come alone."
"I—" Stan began, but he never finished.
Before Steve could stop him, Wo Fat pulled a gun and shot Stan in the heart. Steve was ready to squeeze his own trigger when he sensed another presence. He ducked as a fist came at his head and kicked the assailant's legs out from under him. That took about two seconds. Time enough for Wo Fat to redirect.
Steve rolled to the side, back into the bedroom he came from. He shot the guard form there and then came back out. Wo Fat shot at him, but he dogged to the side and heard sirens. Then Steve fired blindly. It didn't matter because Wo Fat was the only other person in the house. But when he looked around the living room, Wo Fat was nowhere to be seen. There was only a second of confusion before he felt the bullets hit his chest and he fell backwards.
His gun clattered away and he heard footsteps. It took more time than he had to catch his breath. Steve couldn't believe it; he was about to die. He saw the barrel of the gun and Wo Fat's face beyond it. He relaxed. He wouldn't give the man the satisfaction of seeing anything but calm in his eyes.
Three shots rang out. Blood spattered his face and Steve was surprised at how little it hurt.