CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Title: "Salvation: Forever and Always: Our Love, Our Legacy"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult situations and language

Summary: Story #8 in the Salvation series. The Five-0 family face challenges that make them all re-evaluate their lives.

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!

Date Written: September 24, 2011

(Ten minutes later, Danny walks back into the large conference and finds Sam sitting at the table staring at the blank flat screen, both hands resting on her baby bump, and tears streaming down her face. Wordlessly, Danny sits down in the rolling chair next to Sam's and moves closer to her. Whereas a few minutes earlier he was full of spit and vinegar when sparring with Steve, his voice and facial expression are full of compassion when he speaks to his sister-in-law.)

"Hey, Steve's going to be okay, Sam, and he'll be home safe and sound before you know it."

"I know that, Danny. Steve's very good at what he does and he's got six great guys with him. If it weren't for the fact that they're going into that lab where a deadly biological agent is just sitting there, I think I'd feel a lot better. They're only going to have one shot at getting in there, securing the weapon, eliminating the tangos and getting out. Anything could happen. What if some of the biological agent isn't in secure containers? What if one of the tangos manages to get to it before they can get to him? What if . ."

"What if you stop worrying about 'what ifs' and have a little faith? Steve knows what he's doing and so do his men."

"I love him so much, Danny; Steve's my life. If anything happens to him I don't think I can stand it."

"Look at me, Sam. . . Steve isn't stupid; he well knows all the risks involved in securing that weapon. I give Steve a lot of grief most of the time, but he's one of the smartest people I know; he won't take any unnecessary chances with his life or the lives of his men. He loves you, Sam, you and that baby you're carrying, more than anything. He's going to make sure that he comes home, healthy and in one piece, to the two of you."

(Sam looks at Danny for a few moments and she sees that he believes every word he's saying. Drawing strength from Danny's steadfast belief in Steve, she can do nothing less. Wiping her eyes and face with one hand, Sam sits up a little straighter and puts a determined smile on her face.)

"Thank you, Danny. I needed to hear that; and you're right, Steve will be fine. . . Is Sims here, yet?"

"Should be in about ten minutes. I sent Chin out to the motel with a forensics team to go over his room."

"Okay. I want to be the one to question Sims when he gets here, and please don't argue with me about this, Danny. I need to do this."

(Danny sees the steely determination on Sam's face and realizes that he can argue until he's blue in the face, but he isn't going to move her on this issue. Standing up, he holds out a hand and helps Sam to her feet with a small smile on his face.)

"Okay, but I think you should go to the Ladies' room and do something with yourself. You look like Hell and Sims isn't going to be the least bit intimidated if you have tears dripping off your face."

"Gee, thanks, Danny."

"Anytime, Sam."

(Sam tells Tony she's going to run over to her office at Flight Ops for a few minutes and he hands her the keys to his truck telling her that Mike will kill him if he finds out that Sam walked over there instead of driving. Rolling her eyes, she thanks him and heads out. Fifteen minutes later, Sam strides back into the building, now wearing a uniform, like a woman on a mission. She finds Mike, Adm. Henderson, Danny, Tony, and Chin in the large conference room discussing the fact that nothing of importance was found in Sims' motel room except a piece of paper with numbers written on that turned out to be the number for an off-shore account in the Cayman Islands. It seems that's where Sims deposited the money he received from Secure Corp. because the balance is exactly one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. All of them look a little surprised when Sam walks in the door, and Chin comments on her changed appearance.)

"A uniform, Sam?"

"Yeah, Danny was concerned that I wouldn't be intimidating enough when I question Sims."

"Hold on a minute. You're going to question Sims?"

"Yeah, Dad, I am. I'm the obvious choice because I know more about the Kasavich brothers and their operation than the rest of you put together. If Sims tries to bullshit me, I'll know it instantly."

"She's got you there, Mike."

"Fine, but I want Danny in the room with you."

"What's the matter, Dad, don't think I'm capable of putting Sims down if I have to?"

"You're five months' pregnant, Sam!"

"And? Don't, for one second, think that any child of mine and Steve's isn't going to be kick ass, 'cause you will be so wrong! 'Little Ninja's' is what I believed Mom called them."

"Sam!"

"Okay, fine. Danny will be in the room with me. Happy now?"

"Not really, but I suppose it will have to do."

"I love you, too, Dad. . . Is he here, yet?"

"He got here about ten minutes ago. He's in the interview room about to lose his lunch."

"Good. If it weren't for the fact that Steve needs whatever we can get from him ASAP, I'd let him sit in there and sweat for an hour or two. C'mon, Danny, let's go intimidate the Hell out of Capt. Sims."

(Danny can't help but grin as he follows Sam down the hallway because Samantha McGarrett is deadly when she's pissed off, and, right now, she's livid. The two walk into the interview room and Danny assumes a casual pose leaning against the wall near the door with his arms crossed over his chest while Sam calmly strolls over to stand in directly in front of the table where Sims, looking a little pale, is sitting.)

"Capt. Sims, I'm Cmdr. Samantha McGarrett. I'm the CAG here at Pearl and the 2IC of this base. I'm also the wife of Lt. Cmdr. Steve McGarrett; the man you helped set up to be killed! While formal charges haven't yet been filed against you; you may rest assured that we have quite a list: Treason, Conspiracy to Commit Treason, Conspiracy to Commit Fraud, Colluding with a Declared Enemy of the United States, Conspiracy to Commit Murder; quite the list, indeed, and I'm sure we'll be adding to that list. Right now, we have enough evidence to put you under the prison, Captain, and, if any of those SEALs dies, we'll add First Degree Murder to your charges. Adm. Harte has already submitted his resignation to the Secretary of Defense and will be damned lucky if he's allowed to resign instead of being dishonorably discharged and maybe even court-martialed. Adm. Harte has several decades of unblemished service to the United States Navy behind him and, because he cared about you, considered you to be a son to him and wanted to help you, he's losing everything he ever worked for, everything that means something to him. He's being forced to leave the Navy in disgrace. That pisses me off, Captain, because Adm. Harte is a good man. Now you, on the other hand, are nothing more than a selfish, greedy bastard who could care less about what happens to other people. Tell me something. . . Is one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars all you asked for or all the Kasavich brothers were willing to give you for betraying your country?"

(As Sam has been calmly speaking, as if she were talking about the weather, Ted Sims has been getting paler with her every word. He even gasped softly when she uttered the words, 'treason' and 'murder'. The fear in his eyes also grew when she told him that Adm. Harte had been found out and was no longer in a position to help him. Sam is thoroughly disgusted at the weak, spineless man sitting before her and her disgust is reflected in Danny's expression, as well. Sims has not yet said anything, so Sam continues speaking to him, but, this time, she places both hands flat on the table and leans toward him; invading his personal space and getting right in his face.)

"I want to know everything you know about the threat of a biological weapon being used here in Honolulu, I want to know everything you know about how Alexei Kasavich plans to kill my husband, and I want that information right now. You have two choices, Captain Sims; one, you give me the information I want and I'll see to it that your cooperation is made known to the panel at your court-martial and Adm. Thrasher, Adm. Henderson, and I will write letters requesting leniency during sentencing or, two, I will make certain that you spend the rest of your life in the worst Hell-hole on this planet and I'll also make sure that the Kasavich family thinks you gave them up. We both know that there are people in prisons right here in the United States who work for the Kasavich family; in exchange for the Kasavich brothers taking care of their families on the outside. You won't live a week if Alexei and Dimitri think you've betrayed them. You're going to prison no matter what, Captain. The question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you want to live. You have ten minutes to make up your mind. After that, my offer's off the table."

(And Sam straightens up and calmly walks out the door with Danny right behind her. They step into the observation room where Mike, Adm. Henderson, Chin, and Tony have all been watching and they join them in observing Ted Sims. The man has a look of sheer horror on his face. He is well and truly terrified and begins to tremble as sweat starts beading on his brow. Danny, Chin, and Tony are all looking at Sam with newfound respect, and Mike and Adm. Henderson are giving her appraising glances.)

"That was very impressive, Sam."

"Thanks, Chin. I just hope it works."

"I'm just glad you're on our side, Commander.