CHAPTER 13

Three weeks earlier:

The ringing of a phone woke him at two o'clock in the morning. Reaching for it, Steve McGarrett answered without looking at the caller ID.

"McGarrett," he said, expecting to be called out on a case.

Instead, all he heard on the other end was silence, like there was no connection.

"Hello?" he tried again.

Again, nothing but silence.

"Hello? Is someone there?" he asked, again receiving no response.

He heard another phone ringing from somewhere in his house. He quickly disconnected the current call without a second thought and made his way downstairs to find the other phone. He followed the shrill sound to the study. Opening the third draw in the desk, he pulled out the burner phone.

He had forgotten all about it. In the last couple of days, their investigation had ramped up in its intensity and Steve's mind had been on Ano Kapule and what he was hiding.

Just as he got the phone in his hand, the ringing stopped. Steve swore angrily. His contact had been trying to get in touch with him and so far, he had missed every single call. Steve jumped in surprise when the phone vibrated in his hand a second later, indicating an incoming text. Opening it, he read the message

CHECK YOUR EMAIL.

Without hesitation, Steve quickly jumped onto his computer and loaded up his email. He scrolled through all the unnecessary messages until he found one from an unknown sender with no subject heading. Opening it, he found there was a document attached to it.

Steve stalled for a moment, the mouse hovering over the document. He looked at his watch. It was nearly two-thirty in the morning. He ran a hand over his face, scratching the two-day old scruff on his face.

Steve knew he had no chance of getting any more sleep tonight, no matter how hard he tried. Or was it morning? He was too tired to figure out which was which. Instead, he clicked on the file and waited for it to download. A moment later, Steve was reading the message sent by his old friend.

Hey Smooth Dog,

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I had a little bit of trouble finding any information. It's locked down tight for some reason. Anyway, here's what I found:

After 2004, both subjects were imprisoned, which you already know. However, both were released last year. I don't know why yet, so don't ask. They stayed on the mainland for about four months before they disappeared. No record of them anywhere. Current location unknown. Rumour has it they went back to their old tricks. I'll keep looking, so keep your phone on you.

Marcie said to tell you that you still owe her that steak dinner. She's hoping to collect soon.

Steve smiled at the end of the message. He remembered making that bet three years ago and how he had lost dramatically. Then he got deployed and couldn't pay his debt. The rest of the message, however, nagged at him. It didn't make any sense.

Before he got the chance to think about it any further, his phone (not the burner phone) rang for the second time that morning. Steve groaned loudly when he saw the caller ID.

Governor Denning.

Whenever the Governor called at this time of the morning, it was never anything good. In fact, that was how the Monroe case had started.

"McGarrett," Steve answered.

"Commander. I'm sorry to disturb you so early in the morning," Governor Denning's deep voice reverberated through the phone.

"Not a problem, Sir. I was already awake," Steve replied.

"I see," Governor Denning said, his tone accusatory.

"What can I help you with?" Steve said, successfully side-stepping the awkward start to the conversation.

"I have a situation that needs Five-0's attention. One of my close friends, Senator Nalani Iosua has been receiving death threats for the last two weeks," Governor Denning explained.

"That sounds like a job for HPD, Sir," Steve said, rolling his eyes.

Nalani Iosua was a native Hawaiian and one of the first females to be voted into the Senate. Recently, she had been campaigning for her position as Lieutenant Governor. As ambitious as that was, a lot of people were actually in her favour. There were a few, however, that thought she wasn't right for the job; Steve included.

Senator Iosua had recently changed her political position on climate change, stating that it was all a ploy to allow the resource sector to take over and earn more money by scaring everyone into buying renewable resources. Many environmentalists, Kono included, had been very opposed to her change in view. As a result, there was a lot of tension in the world of politics at the moment. It did, however, increase her political presence significantly, for both the right and wrong reasons.

"Ordinarily, I would agree with you. However, earlier this morning, someone tried to kill the Senator."

"So…you want us to provide a protective detail, Sir?" Steve asked.

"Essentially, yes," Governor Denning said.

"But?"

Denning sighed. "But I suspect this is just a publicity stunt, to get more votes."

"Well, we all know she has recently garnered a lot of attention, and definitely made a few enemies because of it. What if it's not a publicity stunt?"

"Then make sure you find who is behind it," Denning said. "I'll send the file to your office later in the morning."

"Understood, Sir," Steve replied before Denning hung up.

Steve stood, closed his computer and went upstairs to get dressed before heading to the office. He would call the team at a more respectable hour. They had a lot of work to do.

Steve looked at the file in front of him before rubbing tired his eyes vigourously. He glanced at his watch. Ever since he had come into the office at four thirty, he'd been unable to make sense of anything he read. His mind kept drifting to the message his contact had sent him and what the information meant.

He really just wanted to pick up his phone and call his contact back, but he had other matters to attend to. Personal issues always took a back seat to work and this was no exception. He could think about it later.

Steve leaned back in the chair and placed the file back on the desk. He closed his eyes for a moment, wishing that he could shake the relentless fatigue. His thoughts turned to the phone call that had woken him in the first place. He briefly wondered if he had just imagined it before remembering that his phone had showed an incoming call from an unknown number. He made a mental note to pursue it later, once the problem with the Senator had been sorted out.

The glass door to his office made a quiet hinged sound and Steve's eyes popped open. He was relieved to see it was only Chin standing in the doorway.

"You're here early," Chin stated.

"Couldn't sleep," Steve answered.

Chin walked into Steve's office and sat down in one of the leather chairs in front of his boss' desk. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

"Early morning phone calls," Steve replied simply.

"Let me guess, the Governor?"

Steve smiled. "He was one of them. We caught a case. I waited until five o'clock to call you guys in the hopes that Danny might complain less about being woken at the crack of dawn. You got here quickly though."

"I was already awake.. I couldn't sleep either. Thought I'd come in to the office and get some of that paperwork done on the Perry case while we waited for the others," Chin replied. "So…the other phone call?"

Steve sighed. "Just some crank call, I think."

Chin smiled. "Heavy breathing?"

Steve shook his head. "No. Nothing. It was completely silent on the other end."

"Did you recognise the number?" Chin asked.

"No. Like I said, it was probably just a prank. Someone's idea of a good time. Besides, the Governor called not long after that, so I would have been awake anyway."

"Right. So, what's our new case?" Chin asked.

Steve handed the file over to Chin. "Governor Denning has asked us to help one of his friends."

"He's the Governor of Hawaii. He has a lot of friends," Chin commented as he opened the file. "Senator Nalani Iosua?"

"Yep. Apparently, the lovely Senator has been receiving death threats for the last two weeks. Earlier this morning, someone decided to try and take a shot at her when she was walking to her car. Lucky for the Senator, they missed," Steve replied.

"So, the Governor wants us to provide protection?" Chin asked.

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"I'll start on organising a safe house," Chin said.

"Thanks. As soon as Danny and Kono get here, we'll go over to her house and see about moving her. Then we will see if we can find the culprit," Steve said.

"Given her new-found fame, it's going to be hard doing this under the radar. She's not going to want to go into hiding with the elections so close," Chin added.

"Well, if she wants to live she's going to have to deal with it," Steve said, his voice tinged with annoyance.

Chin snorted. "You really don't like her, do you?"

Steve sighed. "I like her enough. But since she changed her political position, well, who knows what she really values. I don't trust politicians, especially ones that use tactics like hers. I can think of several people who would be better suited to be Lieutenant Governor than her."

Chin had to agree with Steve. The Senator had definitely ruffled some feathers recently. It was no wonder that she was receiving death threats. But for someone to actually try to murder her? That was beyond a joke.

At that moment, Danny and Kono entered the office and immediately spotted Steve and Chin.

"Hey," Danny said as a greeting. "Why on earth do we need to be here at the crack of dawn?"

"Good morning to you too," Steve said, sharing a knowing look with Chin. "We have a case."

Chin showed the other two the file. "Senator Iosua?" Danny asked.

"Yeah. The Governor has requested that we provide the Senator with protection," Steve explained for the second time that morning.

"Let me guess, she started receiving threatening messages after that stunt she pulled?" Kono asked bitterly.

"Yes," Steve replied.

"What does that have to do with us?" she asked.

"Someone decided to take it to the next level. Earlier this morning, someone tried to kill her."

"Good," Kono muttered under her breath.

Chin rolled his eyes at his cousin. "Regardless of what we think of her, we have our assignment,"

"Exactly," Steve concurred, although reluctantly. "Kono, I want you to make arrangements for a safe house and call us as soon as you have an address. Danny, Chin and I will go to her place and arrange to bring her to the safe house."

"Good luck," Kono said.

"Thanks Kono. I think we're going to need it," Steve replied as he, Chin and Danny began to gear up.

"So, why does Kono hate this Senator so much?" Danny asked from the backseat of Steve's Silverado.

"You know how Kono cares incredibly about the environment?" Chin asked. Danny nodded. "Well, Senator Iosua recently made a statement, saying that climate change was only a ruse so that resource companies could make money. As a result, lots of renewable resource industries have gone bust and various environmental protection acts have been discontinued. "

"Oh, I heard about that. So, some hippie with a gun decided to go after the Senator?" Danny asked.

"We don't know if that's true. Although he suspects it could just be a publicity stunt, the Governor wants us to find whoever is behind it. Ever since she made the statement, her political standing has increased. She's in the spotlight a lot more than she used to be, and not for a good reason, " Steve answered.

"Regardless of what anyone thinks, we still have a job to do," Chin reminded them.

"And here we are," Steve said as he pulled up in front of a surprisingly quaint house with a large, open front garden.

"Let's get this over with," Danny said as he emerged from the car, followed by Steve and Chin.

The trio, decked out in their bullet proof vests and with their guns strapped into various holsters, looked as though they were about to invade a foreign country rather than provide protection for a local Senator. They didn't want to take any chances, especially if the threat was real.

Steve knocked on the door and stepped back, waiting for the wooden door to open.

"Who is it?" they heard from behind the door.

"It's Commander McGarrett, Five-0. I'm here with Detective Williams and Lieutenant Kelly. We have been assigned to provide you protection, Senator Iosua," Steve stated.

A moment later, the door opened, revealing a green eyed, brown haired woman of average height. Her skin was tanned from the island sun and she wore a pantsuit. Her eyes widened as she took in the three imposing men in front of her. She stepped aside and allowed them to enter, quickly closing the door behind her.

"Sam said he was sending over someone. He never mentioned it would be Five-0," Senator Iosua said, eyeing Steve's wrapped wrist carefully.

"We are going to take you to a safe house, Senator, where you will be safe until we apprehend whoever is responsible for the threats against you," Chin said.

"I can't leave now. I'm in the middle of a campaign…" she argued.

Chin shot Steve a knowing look. Steve took a deep breath to contain his annoyance. "Look, Senator, it's either you come with us or you take your chances with whoever is trying to kill you."

"Commander McGarrett, I can't go now. I have to maintain my image. I can't back down at this point," Senator Iosua said earnestly.

"That's fine, Senator. I'll just call Sam and tell him you don't want protection. There are plenty of other people on this island that need our help and won't waste our time. Come on, guys, let's go," Steve said as he turned to leave, his phone to his ear.

"Wait!" the Senator shrieked. "You're supposed to protect me."

"Yes, we are. But we can't do that if you won't cooperate. I am not going to put my team in danger because you have to 'maintain you image'," Steve spat, using air quotes to emphasise his point.

At that, the Senator deflated. "Fine. I'll go."

Steve smiled, pleased that he had gotten his way. He moved to the door, sensing the others following behind him. He opened the door, the sun blinding him momentarily before he heard the unmistakable sound of a bullet being fired from a gun. Then he felt all the air being knocked out of his lungs as he fell backwards and hit the floor with a dull thud. He heard a woman's shriek and then felt himself being dragged by his vest back into the house.

"Steve!" he heard Danny's frantic voice from somewhere above him.

For the life of him, Steve couldn't get enough air into his lungs to respond. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Then came the pain. His whole chest felt like it was on fire as he fought to breathe. He saw Danny's blurry face above his, but he couldn't focus as it got harder inhale oxygen.

"Take his vest off," Steve distantly heard Chin's voice from somewhere in the room.

Steve felt hands over his body, undoing the velcro that attached the vest securely to his body. The same vest that had apparently saved his life, although, right this second, it felt like the opposite. A moment later, he vest was removed and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest. Suddenly, Steve gasped as his diaphragm remembered how to move and sweet oxygen filled his lungs.

Steve heard Danny's relieved sigh. As he took more deep breaths, Steve felt clarity returning. As his mind cleared, he realised he had been shot.

Shot in the chest!

Steve groaned as he tried to sit up, but he felt a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stay on the floor.

"Just stay down, Steve. We don't know where the shooter is," Danny's voice again.

"North," Steve muttered.

"What?" Danny said.

"The shot came from the north, probably a roof top given the angle," Steve relayed.

"Chin, see if you can get eyes on our shooter," Danny yelled.

"The Senator?" Steve asked, sitting up with a small groan.

"She's fine. I think she's just in shock," Danny replied, glaring at Steve for moving.

Steve turned his head and saw the woman sitting on the floor with her knees tucked up to her chest. Her head was resting on her knees as she rocked her body backwards and forwards.

"Oh my God. I could have…I nearly…" she stammered.

"Lucky for you, you didn't," Steve said as he rubbed his chest. He could already tell that he had bruised ribs, at the minimum.

Chin walked back into the room. "The shooter is long gone. Kono's sending HPD to check the area."

"Chin, take the Senator to get some things in a bag," Steve ordered.

Chin nodded and held a hand for the shaken woman to take. The two of them retreated to the rear of the house.

"So, maybe not a publicity stunt?" Danny asked as he pulled Steve to his feet.

Steve groaned as he touched his chest. "Definitely didn't feel like it. That's going to leave a mark."

"Are you okay?" Danny asked out of concern.

Steve nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I think it's just bruised."

"That bullet hit you hard enough to knock the wind out of you. You will be lucky if your ribs are just bruised. In fact, you're lucky you're not dead. As soon as we get the Senator to the safe house, you are getting that seen to," Danny said, his tone suggesting that it was not negotiable.

Chin returned with the Senator five minutes later. Apparently, she had gotten over the initial shock of the incident and was vocally expressing her desire to remain there.

"I need call my advisor and make some new plans…" she said as she looked around for her phone.

Steve sighed. "Senator, do I need to remind you that someone just tried to shoot you, in your own home no less?"

"Well, it's not the first time," she replied nonchalantly.

"You're right. It's the second time in nine hours. Clearly, someone wants you out of the way," Steve said, trying to contain his rage.

"Maybe they were aiming for you instead?" Senator Iosua suggested with a seething glare.

"It's a definite possibility. It's not like it hasn't happened before. But are you willing to take that chance?" Steve asked seriously.

"No…you're right. Why is this happening?" she asked as she sat on one of the chairs in the living room.

"It may have something to do with your current political position on climate change. You pissed off a lot of people when you made that statement," Danny chipped in.

"I knew I shouldn't have done that!" she said exasperatedly. "I should have just ignored the suggestion, but he insisted."

Chin, Steve and Danny exchanged confused looks at each other before turning back to the Senator.

"Who suggested it?" Chin asked.

"My political advisor, Sheldon Matthews," the Senator said.

"What exactly did he ask you to do?" Steve asked.

"He said to change my platform, that it would bring in more votes, especially if I wanted to make Lieutenant Governor. He suggested that it would put me in favour of many of the outlying groups. I told him it was a stupid idea. But, he insisted on it. I mean, if you can't trust your political advisor, who can you trust?"

"Okay. Here is what we are going to do. As soon as HPD gives us the all clear, we will be transporting you to the safe house. Then, with your help, we will narrow down who might have it out for you," Steve said. "In the meantime, we will do everything in our power to keep you safe."

"Thank you," Senator Iosua whispered shakily.

Steve motioned to his other two team members to join him over by the door.

"Chin, call Kono and get her to look into this Sheldon Matthews. Danny, once the Senator is at the safe house, you and I will go talk to the Governor. After all, he's the one that asked us to do this. I want to know why there is a bullet embedded in my vest," Steve whispered.

"Got it," Danny and Chin whispered back.