AN: For JBucci...another new chapter for you to read - sorry it is only a short one :-) Mahalo for continuing to follow my story. Hope to deliver another soon, maybe longer offering.

Tanith


Chapter 50

Jenny felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders after telling Dan everything that transpired between her and Dawson, from catching the rogue detective in the act of stealing her keys to access Steve's office to the veiled threats he made.

"Have you told anyone else?" Dan asked. He tried his best to keep the concern he felt for his colleague and friend out of his voice.

"No, you're the first person I've spoken to about this. I'm sorry, maybe I should've said something to Steve sooner…oh Danny, what if I made a mistake by keeping this from him?" Jenny's nerves started unravelling.

"No, no, it's okay. You did the right thing by coming here today and telling me. I'll call Steve and arrange a meeting with him here first thing in the morning. I'm willing to bet my badge that whatever was in that file in Steve's office, Dawson was not authorised to know."

"What can I do?" Jenny asked.

"Just hang tight and try to keep out of Dawson's way. If he gives you a hard time, you tell Steve, you hear me? He has no right to treat you the way he did. No right at all," Dan instructed. Inside, he was seething. Dawson should answer for the way he treated Jenny but he knew that something much bigger was at play. They would need to be patient and act smart to ensure he faced the kind of justice he deserved and nothing less.

Jenny nodded and leaned over the railing to plant a kiss on Dan's cheek. "If you need anything, please let me know. I want to help."

"You already have," Dan said with a reassuring smile that masked the apprehension he felt.

Jenny picked up her purse from the floor and bade Dan good bye before leaving the hospital.

Dan waited a few minutes to gather his thoughts and then reached for the telephone on the bedside table. He placed it on his lap, lifted the handset to his ear and dialled Steve's personal number. It was late the evening and there were only two places Steve could be. Home or the office. He was rewarded after the third ring by McGarrett's clipped greeting on the other end.

"Steve, it's Danny. Yeah, I'm alright but there's something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it, Danno?"

"It's about Dawson. Listen, can you meet me at the hospital first thing in the morning?"

"I have an urgent meeting with the Governor first thing but I'll come by after that. Say ten o'clock?"

"Sure, I'll see you then. Oh and Steve, can we keep this just between us for now?"

"You got it. Good night, Danno."

"Goodnight, Steve."

The call ended.

Both men knew each other too well than to ask questions that were best left answered in person. The situation was far too complex and sensitive to be discussed over the phone and given the hour, it was unlikely any of them could do anything about it but lose more sleep.

With a sigh, Dan placed the phone back on the table beside him and lowered himself into a semi-seated position then closed his eyes.


Immaculately dressed after a shower and a shave, Steve drove to the Iolani Palace almost breaking the legal speed limit and presented himself to the Governor at his office before he was due. Jameson arrived at the precise time and after exchanging quick pleasantries, Steve found himself seated in front of Jameson's desk.

"Steve, this was hot off the press early this morning and I figured you'd be interested in seeing it first before it made it to the breakfast table of every newspaper reader on the island and it won't be long before the mainland catches wind of it too," Jameson revealed. He passed a newspaper article to Steve and waited patiently for the detective to read through it.

Steve's lip tightened, his eyes narrowed, and he was on the edge of losing control of his emotions. Had he been in his own office, he would have slammed the paper down on the desk and said a few choice words about a certain mainland cop but being the lead detective of Five-O sitting in front of the governor, he had grown accustomed to maintaining a calm and collected façade.

"What can you tell me about what happened when Danny was rescued? I know you well enough to know that you were holding back some information in your report. Now, things for whatever reason didn't go going to plan, I know that much. There were far too many casualties for a Five-O operation and far too many holes. There's a press conference held at the Palace this afternoon and we're both expected to be present," Jameson declared.

Realizing the implications the media attention was going have on the reputation of the elite law enforcement unit, and more importantly on the Governor of Hawaii, Steve knew he had to fill in the blanks that had plagued his report on the case. "If I can assure you of one thing, Dawson was not acting on Five-O's command. He took matters into his own hands and acted alone."

"What are you saying, Steve? That Dawson has turned into a rogue detective?"

"I'm not sure yet but I am placing him under investigation. Until I have more…"

"Steve, the press want something today! We need to decide now whether we proclaim Dawson as a hero or we give the media something else to publish." The frustration behind Jameson's words was evident.

"With all due respect, Sir, Dawson is far more cunning than I took him for and I need to tread carefully for the sake of Five-O and for the life of a possible witness – a young girl who is out there somewhere and who could potentially blow this case wide open. I can't risk losing our only lead even if it means we play out this charade for Dawson to give us more time to put together a plan of action."

A moment's tension filled silence fell over the two men before Jameson broke it. "Alright, then we have no choice but to give the media what they want: a hero."

McGarrett nodded. So much was at stake and if it turned out he couldn't locate the girl or produce any ground-breaking evidence, Dawson would bask in his glory and justice would be left unserved. The thought was unsettling to say the least. Steve hoped for all their sakes that whatever his second in command had to say to him later that morning would help to shed the light they needed to prove once and for all that Dawson's intentions were far from anything good.