I saw the story stats and had a complete spaz attack. My dog is looking at me like she wants to have me committed, but I don't care.
15,000+ views! Over a hundred reviews! That's triple digits!
Oh my goodness, thank you all so much! So much! I don't—I can't—this is so—AAAAHH!
Okay. *deep breath*
Sorry about that. I've been typing again. Big surprise, I know. I don't know how I'm going to top my last story, but here's a little something that I used to work off some excess excitement (Obviously, it didn't really work *eheh*).
Disclaimer: H50 does not belong to me. You know what else doesn't belong to me? The moon. Why do all the songs and cheesy movies have lines about promising someone the moon and then fail to deliver?
It wasn't unusual to see hikers come in to the diner. When the door chime jingled, I barely looked up from the table I was clearing. All I took the time to notice was the mud-spattered jeans and general disarray of the two people before going back to work. They went to a corner booth and sat down; Meredith bustled over a minute later to play waitress.
Rolling my eyes at her bubbly welcome, I took my bucket of dirty dishes back to the kitchen to put in the washer. The lunch crowd had just cleared out and the dinner rush had yet to start, so it was blessedly quiet in the small—but popular—diner. Only a few regulars and the two newcomers were there.
By the time I came back out with an empty bucket, Meredith was on her way back into the kitchen. She flounced past me without looking, bumping my shoulder on purpose. I gritted my teeth and didn't react. Meredith had wanted me to ask her out the year before, just after we'd both returned home after graduating college.
I hadn't. First of all, she was pretty but a royal pain in the ass, and second, she only wanted to make her regular boyfriend jealous. Since I was neither a two-hundred pound construction worker like he was nor suicidal, I'd decided to toe around that hornet's nest.
Unfortunately, while that choice had saved my future as a living, breathing individual, it had invited a wealth of irritation onto my plate. I just wished I wasn't so strapped for cash. Then I could stop working at Meredith's dad's diner and get as far away from her as humanely possible for the rest of my tenure in our tiny home town.
I was distracted from my brooding by the devil-in-pigtails herself when she reemerged from the back. Since I was safely out of her path, cleaning a booth along the front wall, she traversed the room without stepping on my foot. Instead, she stopped on her way to bring someone coffee to gush something nauseatingly saccharine to a regular at the bar.
She was one of those disgusting, pink-confection girly girls that most people thought were fake. Well, truth be told, they were fake, but sadly not in the nonexistent sense.
A phone ringing made me jump. The two people in the booth next to where I was working stopped their quiet conversation. I peeked over at them as the man pulled out his phone and put it in the center of the table. I could only see the back of his dark, curly head, but he and the pretty young woman sitting across him were both dirty and bedraggled. Two hiking backpacks sat on the floor at the end of their booths. I thought I even saw blood on the man's collar—was he hurt? Nevertheless, his tone was bright and her face relaxed as he put the call on speaker for the both of them to hear.
"Hey, Danny. Howzit on your end?"
Well and truly eavesdropping by then, I pointed my nose at the stain I was scrubbing and listened as a man answered the question over the speakers.
"Great. Wonderful. When we finally got into work this morning, Hardy and Knowlton confessed in interrogation. I got full statements out of both of them—once I'd gotten them to stop blubbering after a session with our esteemed leader, that is. Don't ask how that went, because he can't talk and I don't want to tell you."
Then he seemed to get sidetracked, supposedly talking to someone that I couldn't see. He didn't sound pleased.
"Hey. You, with the damned cargoes. What are you smiling for? Do you know how much work I have to do to clean up after you've gone all Guantanamo on somebody? Stop smirking."
The man and the woman were grinning reflexively as the caller directed his ire at the unknown person with him. Heck, even I was fighting down a bemused smile, and I was a professional, poker-faced snoop.
"So I guess you kept your appointment after all," the woman surmised. She sounded delighted at the mentioned man's expense. "Wait, did the doc say no talking?"
"Yeah." Danny sounded incredibly smug. "For three days, Steven is to be scot free of any mutterings, grumblings, mumblings, and all other manner of utterings while he rests and stays on a strict meds-and-sleep regimen. Doctor's orders: the lion sleeps tonight."
"Lucky it wasn't you, brah," the dark-haired man in the booth observed. "Would have been a death sentence."
In the diner, they both laughed.
The caller sighed long-sufferingly. "The appreciation I get around here… Steve, take your foot off the gas pedal. We will get there much faster if you don't wrap us around a tree."
Once again, the man on the phone refocused abruptly, barely pausing for air between the chastizement and his next topic.
"Sorry. The Neanderthal is overzealous today. We've got a lead on Riley from one of the punks in lockup, heading there now. You?"
"We just got into town from the cabin," the man reported.
Meredith finally had her fill of fished-for compliments at the counter and came over to do her job. As he was distracted by the phone call, the dark-haired man barely nodded as she filled their coffees with a silent flourish and blinding smile, as usual. Actually, only the woman took the time to look at her and give her a brief upturn of the lips in return. Then they both turned back to the phone.
Unused to being brushed off so easily, Meredith stood there stupidly for a second longer. I could practically see the rusty gears grinding behind her shining blond scalp as she tried to figure out why she hadn't at least gotten the admiring glances that she was used to preening under. I thought it was gross that she sought attention from every single person that came into the place. She seemed to think it necessary for her survival. Although, going by what I knew of her Alaska-sized ego, that might not be far off.
Obviously coming up with no reasonable answer for her patron's slight, she snapped her lip gloss slathered lips together and spun around on her heel. Not quite stomping away, she rushed past me on her way to the kitchen and made sure to swing her hip into my back just as I straightened up with my full box of dishes.
I managed not to slam it back down onto the tabletop, but only just. Despite my best efforts, a small clatter erupted from within it as my carefully stacked burdens were scrambled. I grimaced and decided to just fix it in the kitchen. For once, I gave in and called Meredith a few of the names she deserved in my head.
My thighs were gonna bruise. I'd been bending at the waist, and her shove had slammed me forward into the edge of the table. She was just lucky I was tall enough that my hips were clear, or I may not have been able to keep up my charade of being a gentleman.
At the sound my dishes made, the woman looked up. Her dark eyes were keen and intelligent as she saw me standing upright a second time and Meredith huffily retreating. It wasn't rocket science to put two and two together. From the way her lips pursed when she looked at Meredith, she'd gotten five. Then her gaze slid back to me.
Crud.
I didn't do well with attention—especially from beautiful females. Blushing at the knowing look on that pretty face, I turned to hastily follow Meredith into the back. Enduring the viper I knew was more or less preferable to floundering in front of the angel I didn't.
As I took the first step to flee, my ears drifted back to the man, who was still talking. "—HPD has it secured, and the forensics team is in there right now. Manu wasn't there. There were clear signs that he'd been staying there, but we couldn't track him down."
Breaking back into the conversation, the woman hypothesized, "Maybe he found out we were coming and rabbited." She frowned. "There wasn't any sign of where he went, though. His truck was there, and the rains this morning wiped out any sort of trail he left behind. At this point, only you or a bloodhound would have a hope of tracking him, boss."
"Don't encourage him," Danny's voice cut in, stalling whatever reply the fourth and as yet silent member of the group would have made. "Great, he's smirking again. No. Don't look at me. You're still in trouble. Chin, Kono, find out if Manu's got any other places in the area, any friends, you know the drill. See if he could have gone somewhere close."
"We've already checked," the man imparted. "Apparently, Manu was a loner. He's only owned property in the area a year, and the cabin's not his full-time residence. No one seems to know much about him."
"What about Frank Hills?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. I had been going back to the kitchen at a death-marching turtle's pace, but a wave of mortification at my outburst nearly spurred me into a run.
The woman's voice stopped me. "Who?"
Jumping, I turned back to the booth guiltily, seeing that both of its occupants were now staring in my direction. Flushing about as red as my pale complexion could go—really, really red—I stared down at the bucket in my hands to avoid meeting their eyes.
"Frank Hills," I mumbled, slowly walking back over to them. There was no getting out of there without telling them, after my slip. Setting my burden down on a table out in the middle space, I stood at the end of the counter and fidgeted under the weight of their combined brown gazes. "He's kinda…I mean, sorry, but he's basically the village idiot," I explained. "His property is next to Owen's—you're talking about Owen Manu, right? They come in here together sometimes. Frank acts like he's Owen's puppy, following him around, doing whatever he asks."
I made a face. Frank had never made for particularly enlightening company, but he was essentially a good guy. It rankled that Manu took advantage of him the way he did. He had Frank buy every meal they ate at the diner, run errands for him, and essentially behave like a numbskull lackey. I'd heard similar stories from around town.
"Hills would shelter Manu if he went to him?" the man pressed, disrupting my thoughts.
Caught off guard, I forgot that I was embarrassed for a second and looked right at him. He had Asiatic features and an expression that managed to look serious and tranquil at the same time. "Frank Hills would strap a rocket to his back and try to island hop if Owen asked him," I told him drily. "The man has trouble outthinking rocks, but he's loyal and always goes out of his way to help others."
The two people exchanged a look. Forgotten on the table, the phone let out an inquisitive, "Who's that?"
"The busboy," the Asian man supplied succinctly. His companion hid her smile behind her coffee cup.
"Oh, of course, the busboy," Danny mockingly berated himself. "I should have known— What are you doing?!"
Finally, the mystery person made himself known. His voice was quiet, but confident and casual as he revealed, "About eighty-eight."
"Miles per hour?" the woman asked, leaning forward interestedly. The man sitting across from her rolled his eyes at the gleam in her gaze.
"Don't answer her," Danny warned the person with him on the other end of the line. He sounded like he was contemplating strangling someone and holding on for dear life all at once. "Yes, Kono. This maniac is currently slowing down from driving eighty-eight miles on the Kamehameha Highway!"
"There's no traffic, Danny!" the other guy objected. "And these guys are runners, you heard what they said about Manu—"
"WHY ARE YOU SPEAKING?"
Silence reigned on the other end of the phone. In the diner, the woman was giggling helplessly, trying to muffle it with her hands. The man shook his head, eyes laughing right along with her, and glanced over at me. I didn't know what to do with my face—smile, laugh, look terrified. It was hard to decide on which of my normal reactions I should use to respond to the definitely abnormal episode I was witnessing.
"We should go check out Frank Hills," the sinewy Asian stated at length, the voice of calm and reason in their little whirlwind. "Danny, make sure to alert HPD to meet you at your destination. Manu had a stockpile of firearms at his place; his partner's probably the same or worse. You'll need backup," he stressed.
I got the feeling he was talking to the crazy guy driving, not the overly-wrathful, outspoken Danny. While I stood there mutely, the dark haired man and pretty woman stood, grabbing their backpacks and the phone. Still holding it between them so that the woman could hear, the man assured, "We'll call if we get anything."
"Yeah. Us too," Danny agreed. Then he paused. "What the hell are you doing? We shouldn't be passing that turnoff for another ten minutes! I told you to slow down!"
"Bye boss! Bye Danny!" the woman said quickly. The man ended the call just as fast, but not before the beginnings of Danny's next shouts came over the line.
"Dammit, Steven, would you stop grinning and slow down? This is not funny!"
At that, the woman's laughter had almost incapacitated her. Glancing blandly at her efforts to compose herself, the tall man looked at me with utter serenity on his face. "Do you think you could give us directions to Frank Hill's place?"
Meredith chose that time to come take their order. Seeing them standing up, packs on their backs, she frowned. Since I was the object of their attention, she obviously drew the conclusion that I was the reason they were leaving and glared hatefully at me. Doing my utmost not to look at her, I swallowed and nodded to the man, quickly rattling off the address and how to get there. While I talked, he pulled out his wallet and dropped money for the coffee on the table—and handed me the tip. Then he smiled his thanks and clapped me on the shoulder, heading for the door.
Following behind him, the woman paused beside me and glanced back over her shoulder. Meredith stood with her hands clenched at a not so discrete distance. From the looks of it, I could expect to be murdered in my bed that night. The woman's face when she turned back to me held complete comprehension of my…problem.
"Boss's kid, huh?" she murmured, keeping her voice low.
Busy ruminating on my coming demise, I nodded mutely and stared back at the vengeance glittering in Meredith's blue eyes. The girl had a tendency to take things too far. I'd say she was off her meds, but I doubted her doting parents would ever accept that she needed them in the first place. Either way, it didn't spell good things for me.
I started when the woman suddenly spun on her heel and walked back towards the booth. Then she was past it. Going…towards Meredith.
Dumbfounded by the turn of events, I watched as my worst nightmare was gently guided to stand at the other end of the diner. The two females appeared to be talking. I sent a nervous look back towards the man, but he was just waiting by the door, arms crossed complacently.
The minutes stretched out. I started to get extremely nervous, vacillating between grabbing my bucket and finishing my rounds and staying to find out what was going on. Meredith was standing very still; the woman seemed to be doing most of the talking. The only indication I had of what was going on was the way Meredith's shoulders kept getting tenser.
Then, just as suddenly as the interview had started, it was over. The woman walked back towards me, leaving Meredith seemingly frozen in her spot, facing away from me. I stared at the back of the blond vixen in open mystification while the other woman stopped in front of me again. A card appeared from somewhere on her person, small and white. Pressing it into my fingers, she patted her other on my shoulder.
"Girls like that exist to give the rest of the world migraines," she declared, straightening out a crinkle in my shirt absently. "She was ready to deck you for just getting someone's attention instead of her." She grinned, expression full of mischief. "We'll see if I managed to fix that."
I automatically smiled back. Fix Meredith? It seemed impossible, but I was willing to hope. I felt the need to vocalize that, but she breezed away before I had a chance to jumpstart my brain and mutter some form of coherent English in response. The man, seeing her coming, held the door open for her and sent a final nod in my direction. Then he followed her out.
The bell jingled. Meredith jolted and moved towards the back at a much more subdued pace than her normal. And I was alone. Mostly.
Blinking at the unanticipated turn of events, I turned slowly back to my bucket where it sat waiting on the table and sighed. As I reached out to pick it back up, though, something prevented a few of my fingers from flexing.
The card.
Frowning over how easily I'd forgotten about it, I flipped over the little business-style paper and scanned its contents. As I realized what it said, my eyebrows promptly skyrocketed into my hairline.
The card was for an Officer Kono Kalakaua, member of the Governor's Elite Task Force. Or something like that. I didn't process what it said verbatim because as soon as I saw the special shield and her name, I knew who she was and what team she worked with. Close on the heels of that realization came an even more interesting thought.
If the woman was Kono Kalakaua, then that made the man with her Chin Ho Kelly—her partner according to the news coverage on the team. And the two on the phone could only be Detective Williams and the infamous McGarrett. I breathed out a quiet, shocked exhalation.
All of them. I'd been in some sort of contact with every member of Kono's awe-inspiring team all at once. While they were on a case. In my home town. Which I had helped them with. How many non-criminals on the islands got that lucky? I grinned broadly. I knew the answer to that, I realized as I tucked the precious card carefully into my pocket.
Feeling almost giddy, I reached for my box of dishes with more enthusiasm than I ever had before and went back to work with a bouncing step. Forget my problems. I loved my job. I'd just met friggin' Five-0, for crying out loud.
Even better: Meredith had, too. I chuckled to myself at the concept.
I was probably the only busboy to ever get an assist from the most kickass female cop in Hawaii.
And I had her number.
All rightie. So, that was written, edited, and posted in less than three hours. I'm sorry for all resulting sadness you might find.
Again, I just want to thank everybody for reading, reviewing, and rocking! You guys are the best!
LOTS of Hugs,
Knyle B.