Danny watched as Chin's cousin and her crew made quick work of putting Steve's home back the way it was before Higgins and Sheffield tore it apart. He had picked Rachel up at the hospital and spent the night with her, but as dawn brought the promise of another beautiful day, he'd driven back to McGarrett's house.
As promised Halia and her team were there by six and Danny had been surprised to find Chin's cousin looked to be in her 70s, yet there was a wonderful spark in her blue eyes. She'd told him to sit at the table and she'd get a pot of coffee going and if he was hungry they'd brought some fresh pastries with them. Then she'd looked around and cursed whoever had been stupid enough to mess up a man's home.
Danny had offered to help, but the woman had placed her hands on her hips and told him a man should leave jobs like this to the professionals. It hadn't been lost on him that of the five people who came with her, three were men who worked with the same gusto as the women. They seemed to know exactly what they were doing and had even brought their own equipment.
Danny heard the door open and turned to see Chin step inside. He carried several items with him, but dropped them on the table when Halia hurried toward him with a smile that made her look years younger than he first thought.
"You are such a naughty boy, Chin Ho Kelly," Halia said as he lifted her into his arms. "Why you not come see your favorite cousin more often."
"I'm sorry, Halia, it's just..."
"No! No more excuses. You come see me or I will not make those special cookies you like."
"The ones with cranberries and almonds?"
"Yes, those and yes I brought some for you, but I am not so sure you deserve them."
"Please, Halia, I will do better...you know how much I love those cookies."
"Yes, I do," Halia said and straightened out her shirt when he set her back down. "It is why I made them, but I may keep them a little longer."
"But, Cuz..."
"I just tease you, Chin...you know I cannot refuse you anything. If I were ten years younger I would show you what a real woman is like," Halia said. "Go, I bring cookies and you share with your friend."
"Thanks, Halia." Chin hugged his distant cousin before moving to the table and sitting across from Danny Williams. He could tell the man hadn't slept much, and probably wouldn't until this case was cleared up and they knew the truth about O'Brien. "You sure you want to do this?"
"There's no other way, Chin. I don't think those women have much time and if David's involved then we need to stop him."
"I copied the DVD to my computer and added a few things that will throw suspicion on you. It won't pass any major tests, but it should be enough to make Higgins and Sheffield stand up and take notice," Chin told him. "But, Danny, it's going to take more than this to convince David."
"I know. I was thinking the governor could call David in and ask him what he knows about a couple of cases I worked in Newark. Maybe even bring Partington into it and have him say he's got proof of what I've supposedly been doing. It doesn't have to hold up to scrutiny, because hopefully we'll find those women and get the bastards who are doing this before David knows what's happening."
"Including O'Brien?"
"Yes, if he is dirty I'll prove it, Chin."
"I know, Brah, but I also know how close you two were before you moved to Hawaii."
"Yes, we were and we could be again if he's innocent. If not then he gets what he deserves," Williams said.
"Chin, you share with him," Halia said and handed the tin of cookies to her cousin before going back to work.
Chin opened the tin and offered Danny a cookie and took one himself as they talked about the best way to get David to believe he was dirty. O'Brien was a smart man and would see through a ruse, unless they made it seem like he'd been doing it for years.
"You know, Chin, this might work even better if I go to David and tell him I know he's dirty and I've got a job for him," Williams said.
"Do you really think that'll work, Danny?"
"It might if I go in like his life depends on him letting me in on his deal. I could give him something that only he knows."
"Like what?"
"The doc said Steve was given street level drugs when he was first admitted. We both know David had both the mean and opportunity to make the change. I could go to him and tell him I know what he's doing and why he's here."
"What good would that do?"
"Plenty if I told him I wasn't going to let him move in on my territory."
"Your territory?" Chin asked.
"Why not? If I want him to believe I'm dirty I need to have something to bargain with. Kamekona could probably help convince David I'm on the level."
"He probably could," Chin agreed. His cousin was well known on both sides of the law and Chin knew there were times when he stepped over it, but he'd never done anything to bring the law down on his doorstep. More often than not he'd helped the police solve several cases that would otherwise of gone unsolved. "What do I tell him?"
"Tell him to call me around one. I'll make sure David's there when I get the call and make sure he can overhear my side of the conversation. I know it's not much, Chin, but right now it's the best we can do."
"I just hope we don't make things worse," Chin said. They talked about the best way to begin Danny's decent into the criminal world and continued talking until they'd hashed out a simple plan that might just work.
"I need to get to the hospital," Williams said and reached for his keys. It was time he saw Steve, and hopefully put the first phase of this operation into action.
5050505050
Kono felt like her arms and legs were weighed down with lead as she reached the SICU. They'd stopped long enough to grab something to eat and Kono had silently cursed when her stomach churned with the food she took in. She heard Keanna talking to one of the nurses, but didn't really hear what they were saying as she moved closer to the bed. She tried to make sense of what had happened and how things had gone so bad so fast. The last thing she remembered was sipping a drink at the bar, everything after that was just a blur.
Kono watched Steve's face closely and knew he wasn't fully under as the eyes moved beneath the closed lids. "Steve, are you awake?" she asked and almost laughed at the stupidity of the question when McGarrett opened his eyes and reached for the nasal canulas.
"Don't do that, Steve, Dr. Wilson ordered them for a reason," Keanna warned as she joined Kono at the side of the bed. "How do you feel?"
"Not feeling much of anything," McGarrett answered honestly.
"Good, that means the medications are working. I need to check in with several patients, but I wanted to make sure you were okay. I'll come back later unless you'd rather sleep."
"No...seems like sleep is all I do lately," the head of Five-O told her and sighed when she touched his shoulder before leaving. "Kono, are you all right?"
"I'm okay...just feel like I have a bad hangover."
"Hell, maybe they should give you the good stuff too."
"No, thanks, I think I'll just go home and crawl into bed for a couple of hours...days maybe."
"Think you could sneak me out with you?"
"I would, but I'd have a hard time explaining what all this stuff is for," Kono told him.
"Kono, what do you remember about what happened?"
"Not much...I know we set up a sting, but the details are fuzzy. You weren't supposed to be there, but I keep seeing flashes of you dressed as a doctor," Kono said.
"The governor found me some scrubs. I should have been told about the operation, Kono, especially since O'Brien was involved," McGarrett said and frowned as he tried to make sense of the images flashing through his mind. It was liking watching a movie and dozing off at the important parts and he silently cursed the drugs they were giving him.
"You were already hurt...we had a lead on one of the men involved in the case and we needed to act on it. Danny and Chin were there to make sure nothing went wrong, but you showed up and..."
"And fucked everything up," McGarrett cursed.
"That's not what I was going to say..."
"But maybe it should have been!"
Kono jerked at the angry words spoken by the man in the doorway and let her own anger show as Williams made his way to the bed. "Danny, don't..."
"Don't what, Kono, don't be so hard on him, well, hell, why shouldn't I be? And you, Kono! You should be so fucking pissed at him right now for almost getting you killed!"
"Danny..."
"Don't you say a word, Steve, just lie there and listen real good because I really do hate repeating myself especially when I know damn well there's nothing wrong with your ears," Williams spat. He fought down the bile that rose in his throat and swallowed the bitter taste as he drove the imaginary knife deeper into McGarrett's heart. He knew O'Brien was outside, had seen him lurking near the nurse's desk. He didn't miss the fact that his one time friend had been trying to stay out of sight and that played right into Danny's game.
"Danny, you should go," Kono snapped.
"Not until I say what all of us are thinking!" Williams said and watched as McGarrett's Adam's Apple moved convulsively and his hand reached for the button to raise the bed. "You know, Steve, I once told you that you have a problem with letting someone else take the lead on a case and you proved just how right I was yesterday! You screwed up the whole case and now those women could be dead because..."
"Danny, that's enough!" Kono warned. She'd seen Danny angry on several occasions, but he'd never been as maliciously hurtful as he was right now.
"No, it's not! Not even close! I know damn well you and Chin and Steve and everyone else thinks I can't do my job because I'm not from this pineapple hellhole, but I'm damn good at what I do..."
"Danny, no one said you couldn't..."
"They don't have to, Steve, none of you do," Williams spat. "That's what pisses me off more than anything else. I've done everything I can to prove I can do the job and yet you couldn't even let me handle a simple sting operation!"
"That's not why I went to the bar."
"Oh really..."
"Excuse me, is there a problem?" the day nurse asked upon hearing the angry voices. She glanced at the monitors and shook her head. "I want you out of here now!"
"Danny, I didn't..."
"Shut up, Steve, just shut the hell up and stay away from me. I'll put in for a transfer back to HPD as soon as this case is over and you're back to being a fucking dictator with delusions of godhood." Danny turned away from the bed, fighting to keep his emotions in check when he saw the look of betrayal on McGarrett's face.
"Danny, how could you do that to him?" Kono asked once she caught up with Williams at the elevator.
"How could I do what, Kono? Telling him the truth seems to be the only way to get through to him," Williams said and entered the elevator, closing the door before she could follow him.
Kono stood outside the door for several long minutes before heading back to McGarrett's room. She entered just as the nurse finished checking the monitors, leads, and lines and didn't miss the angry scowl sent her way.
"If you're here to continue bombarding my patient..."
"I'm not going to do anything, but sit here and make sure he knows we don't feel the same way Danny does," Kono told her and stepped up to the bed.
"Well, he's sleeping now and that's just what he needs," the woman said. "Perhaps you should go back to your room."
"Kono, is something wrong?" Chin asked and stepped up to her when he saw the tears in her eyes.
"Danny just read him the riot act and then some. You should have heard him, Chin!"
"What did he say?" Chin asked and listened while Kono gave him the gist of what Williams had said. He'd dropped the DVD off at the IA office and knew things were about to get dangerous.
"He was so angry, Chin, if I didn't know better I'd have to say it was a different Danny than the one we know."
"Maybe that's just it, Kono."
"What?"
"Maybe we don't know Danny Williams the way we think we do."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"How well do we really know him?"
"Chin, Danny is a good cop and he has a wife and daughter..."
"Ex-wife and he was angry when Rachel wouldn't let him see Grace."
"They are trying to work things out."
"I know and again I wonder what really happened between Rachel and Stan. Their breakup seemed awful convenient and then Danny moves back in like nothing happened."
"I can't believe you're saying that, Chin! What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Kono, I saw the DVD...saw the evidence against O'Brien and Danny. It's pretty damning," Kelly told her.
"I don't believe it."
"Neither did I until I saw it. Danny...he was angry..."
"Can you blame him?"
"No, but not for the reasons you're thinking. He was angry at being exposed...he didn't deny what was on the DVD and we fought."
"You and Danny?"
"Yes, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have one hell of a shiner before the day is over. Kono, I hate to say this, but I think Danny's dirty."
"I won't believe that and neither will Steve."
"Then how do you explain his actions just now?" Chin said and saw a hint of doubt in his cousin's eyes. "We really need to face the fact that Danny might have been working with David after all."
Kono looked at Steve McGarrett and felt a chill creep along her nerves. Could Danny have fooled them all? Was he really a dirty cop? Did he have anything to do with Steve's being drugged and shot?
"We need to make sure Danny isn't along with Steve."
"How?"
"We take him off the visitor's list."
"Danny has POW for Steve," Kono observed.
"Damn, I forgot about that, but if IA interviews Danny and charges him..."
"Why would IA interview Danny?" Kono asked, searching her cousin's face. "Chin, you didn't? Where's the DVD?"
"I had no choice, Kono, the evidence spoke for itself."
"Then why didn't Steve turn it over when the governor gave it to him?"
"Steve wasn't thinking clearly, Kono, and he's not going to take kindly to Danny being dirty. Hell, for all we know Danny could have set this whole thing up to get rid of Steve."
"I don't believe that and neither do you!"
"Yes, Kono, I do," Chin said. "It's Steve's life we're dealing with, Kono, and since he's not strong enough to protect himself then we have to be," Chin said and eased her onto the chair beside McGarrett's bed. He hated what this was doing to her, but he needed to keep up the ruse if he was going to help Danny trap the sonofabitch behind all of this.
5050505050
Danny knew David was following him, but he didn't let on as he drove his car toward the office. Sure enough David made every turn he did, but kept far enough back that it would be unnoticeable to an untrained eye. He pulled into his parking spot and exited the car just as O'Brien turned into the area and drove into an empty slot.
Danny leaned against the door and waited, searching the area for anyone who might be watching, relieved to find the parking lot empty. He folded his hands across his chest and forced a smile to his face as David joined him.
"Hey, fish bait, how's Steve?"
"He's Steve, and a smug bastard at times," Williams said and walked toward the office. He knew chin had dropped off the DVD before going to the hospital and knew Higgins and Sheffield would be gunning for him before long.
"Uh oh, do I sense trouble in paradise?" O'Brien asked as they walked toward the building.
"More than you think," Williams said, glaring at several cops as he hurried past them and moved toward Five-O headquarters. He strode purposefully into the main office and pulled open the door to McGarrett's private sanctuary. He stood there, anger flaring his nostrils as O'Brien followed him inside.
"What's going on, Partner?" O'Brien said and found himself pinned against the closed door.
"You don't know who you're dealing with, David! You come down here and fuck with me and I'm going to make damn sure you get what's coming to you!"
"What the hell's come over you..."
"Don't act all innocent with me, Partner," Williams said and cruelly latched onto the man's throat as he kept him pinned in place.
"Danny, you're choking me!"
"No shit! Why are you here, David?"
"I came down here to s...start fr...fresh!"
"No, you came down here to try and muscle in on my territory."
"I don't know..."
"Like hell you don't! You listen to me and listen well because I'm not going to say this twice! I know why the governor put you with Five-O and it's not going to work!"
"She gave me a chance to work with you again...that's why I took the offer."
"No, David, that's not why she gave you the fucking job!"
"What are you talking about?"
"She gave Steve a DVD with evidence on it."
"What kind of evidence?" O'Brien asked, relaxing a little as Williams eased up on his throat.
"Let's just say it's enough to put you in a cell for a long time and me in the one right beside you, but if we work together maybe we can get rid of the evidence before Higgins and Sheffield..."
"The IA agents?"
"Yes, by now that bastard Kelly probably gave it to them."
"Good."
"What the hell do you mean good?" Williams asked.
"I just mean that we can prove our innocense."
Give me a fucking break, David! You and I both know you fucked up in Newark and that's why you put in for a transfer. Partington was pretty thorough in his investigation and would have had you if you stayed there."
"Partington's an ass hole," O'Brien snapped.
"No shit," Williams said and took a deep breath before turning his back on O'Brien. His anger had intensified with each breath he took and he knew deep down that O'Brien was guilty of everything on the DVD. He just needed to reel him in and find out where the women were before they disappeared for good. He slammed his fist on Steve's desk, making everything jump before turning back to O'Brien. "We need to talk, David, but not here."
"Danny..."
"Shut up! I'll meet you at that bar and we can talk about all this, but right now I need to do some damage control," Williams said and pointed to the outer office where Higgins and Sheffield were watching them.
Author's Note—-I'd like to dedicate this part to Sue...thanks for the wonderful chats...Winnie