CHAPTER 37
2 days later:
Detective Danny Williams rubbed his eyes for what felt like twentieth time. He blinked furiously, trying to force the words on the screen in front of him into focus. It had been eleven days since Nazeef's entire network had been revealed and the man behind it had finally met his match. Danny rubbed a hand over his mouth when he realised it had also been eleven days since his best friend slipped into a coma.
Danny had worked around the clock to track down every last one of the people paid off or manipulated by Qari Nazeef. In Danny's eyes, none of them were innocent. Not by a long shot. There were over a hundred people on the list, including Vice Admiral Walker, Ano Kapule, Trevor Singleton, Marcus Bennington, Jordan Kupahu and Carl Rogerson.
Lucky for them, they were already dead or in custody. As were several others. That left a list of twenty-two people still at large. Danny was determined to make them all pay for what they had done, whether it was willingly or not. In Danny's mind, it didn't matter. They were all guilty by association.
Danny's eyes flicked back to the list in front of him. To think these people were hiding in plain sight…Members of foreign law enforcement agencies, high ranking government officials, specialist doctors, military officials; basically anyone with the power to influence others. The part that was hardest to swallow was the presence of two of Nazeef's 'agents' within the American military. An army General, Michael Gibbon, and of course, Vice Admiral Adam Walker.
It had been eleven days since the drive had been decrypted and all of the information Owen Perry had compiled on Nazeef's organisation was finally placed in the right hands. The Five-0 team, no longer declared dead, were working in conjunction with several federal and international agencies, to put all the people on the list behind bars. Slowly, one by one, they had been put away to rot in a cell for the rest of their lives.
Now, there was just one man remaining: General Michael Gibbon.
The problem was, apart from the information Nazeef had stored on the guy, Danny couldn't find anything about him. One would think, that as a high ranking army official, there would be some sort of documentation about the man. Anything. But no matter how hard Danny looked, there was just nothing.
Danny ran a hand through his hair in frustration. 'If Steve was here…,' he thought.
The problem was, Steve wasn't there with Danny. He was lying in a hospital bed in the ICU, fighting for his life. If Steve made it through, Danny vowed to make sure no one else could hurt him ever again. Starting with Gibbon.
The computer beeped, announcing that yet another search had turned up completely empty. Danny groaned loudly and pushed back from his desk as he cursed loudly. If Steve were there, they would have had Gibbon in cuffs by now. Steve would have called in all his favours with the military and used his tactical abilities to plan an assault.
Except Steve wasn't in a position where he could do any of that, and probably wouldn't be for a very long time. Danny suspected his partner would not be bouncing back so quickly from his ordeal with Nazeef. It had brought up too many bad memories and created some new ones to add to the horror show that plagued Steve's resting hours. Not to mention the physical recovery, which Steve would no doubt struggle with.
"Danny?" a quiet voice came from the entrance to Steve's father's study.
Danny looked up and saw Kono standing there, watching him warily. She looked pale and tired, much like her cousin had been appearing lately. Much like Danny was sure he also looked. He hadn't seen a mirror in quite some time.
"Hey Kono. I didn't hear you come in," Danny said.
"Sorry," Kono said. "I just came to see how you were going."
"I'm fine, Kono," Danny answered with a strained smile.
"Sure you are," Kono replied sarcastically. "That's why you haven't been to see Steve yet."
Danny sighed loudly. "I can't Kono. You know that."
"No, I don't," Kono replied, placing her hands on her hips. "All I know is that you told me you wanted to make sure Steve never had to go through this again."
"Exactly. With people like Gibbon still out there, the threat is not gone. Steve won't be able to rest properly if they aren't all locked away," Danny explained.
Kono narrowed her eyes at Danny. "You're worried that Steve will go off on his own to hunt down these people if we don't?"
"Maybe….I don't know. I just know he won't stop," Danny said.
"And what does all this have to do with you not sitting at his bedside?" Kono asked. "It's been eleven days and you haven't been to see him once."
Danny's expression changed to one of guilt. "I know, okay…I know."
Kono sat down in the chair in front of desk and pinned Danny with an intense stare. "What is it that's holding you back? You think Steve deserved this because he split up from Chin? You think he was just waiting for the opportunity to go after Nazeef on his own? Because we know Steve better than that—"
"—It's not that, Kono."
"Then what is it? I have never seen you like this, Danny. Steve needs you and here you are, sitting by yourself in his house."
"It's…hard to explain," Danny said.
Kono leaned back in the chair. "I have time."
"I owe him so much," Danny started. "And yet, I've let him down too many times."
Kono frowned in confusion. "What?"
"Steve…he has this wild protective streak. When someone is in danger, he takes it on himself to protect them from harm. He blames himself for the danger other people are in. When Fuentes had him, he kept quiet about who he was to protect me and my family. He almost died making sure Grace came back to me whole. None of that was his fault, yet he feels as though it was."
Kono nodded. That much she knew.
"Now, with Nazeef coming back from the dead, it brought a whole new level of complications. He feels guilty about all the people Nazeef killed because Nazeef was targeting Steve. Again, not Steve's fault, but he will feel as though it's entirely his. He withdrew himself from us to keep us safe. He didn't want us to get hurt when Nazeef made his move. Well, he was successful, wasn't he?"
"That depends on how you define 'successful', doesn't it?" Kono asked.
"Exactly. In my mind, Steve getting hurt is not a success. It's a failure. I let him down. We didn't find him quick enough. We didn't think, didn't plan. We just trusted Steve's gut. I should have known better. Once Steve sets his sights on a target, he won't stop. I should have seen how deep he was getting, how lost and scared he was. Then, maybe, I could have prevented all of this from happening."
"Danny, that's not on you. Nor is it on us, or Steve, for that matter. Nazeef was five steps ahead of us and we were playing catch up the entire time. We wouldn't have seen it coming until it was too late," Kono reminded Danny.
"When we found Steve's truck, I remember thinking that it was Fuentes all over again. Then I realised that Fuentes wasn't even in the same league as Nazeef. I honestly thought that was the end. That the last time I saw my partner was in the office before we went to see Kamekona. He tried to warn me, made me promise to watch my back and be careful. I just passed it off as nothing. I remember saying that it would be fine, that we were just going to talk to Kamekona. I mean, how much trouble could we get in to? I should have listened to him, stayed by his side."
"If you had stayed with him, then you could be dead right now Danny. Or Chin, for that matter. Steve was just trying to protect us," Kono said.
"I know, Kono. But if he hadn't spent so much time trying to keep us safe, then he wouldn't have gotten hurt."
"Danny, what—"
"Nazeef threatened Grace because he knew Steve wouldn't risk her life for anything. Somehow, Steve still managed to protect her, probably using his last breath to convey the message about the school to me. Nazeef used us as leverage. And we let him. Now Steve's going to trust himself even less and withdraw. We couldn't protect him like he protects us…That's why I have to do this, Kono. To protect him. I can't face Steve until I know I have done everything in my power to put the people responsible away."
Kono looked into Danny's eyes. She saw a mixture of sadness, determination and anger. She understood why Danny felt he had to do this before he saw Steve, but she was just as determined to get her way.
"Okay. If you aren't going to see Steve, then at least let Grace see him. She's been pestering Chin and I to let her see him for about a week now," Kono said.
"What?" Danny asked, confused. That was the first he had heard about it. He hadn't even broached the subject of Steve with his daughter yet.
"Grace wants to see him," Kono answered simply.
"But…what do I tell her?" Danny asked.
"You tell her the truth. Tell her that a bad man hurt Uncle Steve and that he needs his family to help him get better."
Danny smiled. "That simple, huh?"
Kono grinned back. "Yeah, Danny. That simple."
"Is this your way of making me see Steve? By using my daughter against me?" Danny asked suspiciously.
Kono put on a look of innocence. "Of course not."
"Right," Danny said, not believing a word she said.
The two were silent for a moment. Danny broke it first. "How is he, really?"
Kono thought for a moment. "Not too bad, considering. He's healing, slowly. He's still on the ventilator until he can start breathing on his own. It's really up to him now."
Danny nodded, appreciating the information. He didn't know what he expected, but he had hoped for better news. His partner, normally so strong and high-spirited, had been beaten down and needed a machine just to help him breathe. Danny would give anything to take it all back, to stop it from happening.
"I don't think Grace should see him like that," Danny said.
Kono sighed. "Grace is a tough kid. She's seen him on a ventilator before. If anything, she helped him heal."
Danny sighed and placed his head on his fist as he thought it over. Kono had a point. It wasn't like Grace hadn't seen her Uncle Steve hurt before. But this time felt different, like it could be the last time she ever saw her Uncle. Danny didn't want her last memory of Steve to be lying in a bed with a tube down his throat.
"Danny…please. If he doesn't make it, you will regret not seeing him," Kono pleaded.
"I can't, Kono," Danny said with a sense of finality. "Not until this is over."
It was dark…
It was so very dark.
And quiet…
So very quiet.
The absence of sound and light was disconcerting.
What was going on? Where am I?
Numb…
I can't feel anything. Why can't I feel anything?
Am I dead?
I can't feel anything, so I must be dead. That makes sense, right?
Cold…
How can I feel cold if I'm dead? That doesn't make sense.
What's going on?
Where is everyone? Chin? Kono? Danny?
Yellow, orange and red flashed in front of him. An image blurred into focus. It looked familiar. He had seen it before.
That's right. They're dead…They're dead.
His throat welled with emotion. He choked slightly. There was something in the way. What was it?
"Steve?"
He felt a jolt go through him at the sound. It sounded familiar, but he was dead, so how could he be hearing things?
"Steve…up…hear…well."
What was going on? Was someone talking to him?
That wasn't possible. He was dead, wasn't he?
Maybe not. If he was dead, surely he would see Danny and Chin and Kono, maybe his father too. Right?
"Steve?"
He wanted to move, but he just couldn't. He couldn't lift a finger, not that he could feel it. But he needed to know what was happening. Why couldn't he move? Why couldn't he talk? Why was he so very, very tired?
He could hear, but he couldn't show it. He tried to speak, to make himself heard, but something in his throat stopped him. He tried to swallow, but nothing happened. He had no control over his body.
Wait, where is my body?
Am I floating? Why can't I feel anything?
Something is wrong. What is it? Why can't I think properly?
What's wrong?
Where am I?
Why can't…I…move? H…elp…me…
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
…
"Steve!"
His eyes shot open. He looked around for the source of the sound.
Was he asleep? Was he dead? No, he definitely heard that. He was certain.
He sat up and searched the darkness encompassing him for…what?
"Steve," the voice came from behind him.
Slowly, he turned around.
Was this real? Or was he dreaming?
A young man stood behind him, his face obscured by the shadows brought on by the darkness. The only source of light appeared to be the boy himself. A welcome light. He felt a warmth spread through his chest at the image.
"Steve, you have to go."
The boy's mouth didn't move, but the voice matched the young man standing in front of him. Not quite a child's voice, but not quite an adult either. Somewhere in between.
"Who are you?" Steve asked, taking a step forwards.
The boy retreated.
"Wait!" Steve yelled.
"Get out, Steve. Wake up…You promised," the boy said quietly as he faded into the darkness.
"Come back! Please!" Steve called.
He could feel the panic building up in his chest. He was alone in the never-ending darkness. He couldn't breathe. He gasped, but nothing came in. He's drowning, like a fish on dry land. He choked again, realising he's going to die alone in this unknown place.
"Steve?" a different voice called.
Finally air filled his lungs, allowing the panic to recede slightly. He looked around for the source of the new voice.
"Help me, Uncle Steve." It was a girl's voice this time.
He couldn't see her. He couldn't move. It was getting harder just to breathe, let alone move.
"I know your weakness," another voice said. One Steve could definitely identify.
"Show yourself!" Steve demanded.
"They are all dead because of you," the voice echoed in Steve's ears.
Steve was frozen. And not because of fear.
"You thought it was over? It's just beginning," the voice said. "You can't win."
"Wake up, Uncle Steve," the girl's voice came back, almost like a whisper in the background.
"You thought you could defeat me?" the voice grew louder.
"Please," the whisper returned.
The voices competed for attention, with one getting pushed into the background while the other fought for dominance.
"Make it easier on yourself. Just let go."
"Come back."
"Join the people you killed."
"Your family needs you."
The voices clashed with each other until they suddenly became quiet. It was like someone had flicked a switch. The chaos from before became calm. The darkness became light.
Two small figures walked towards him, followed by three larger ones. He wanted to get up, to go to them, but his body was just so exhausted. They stopped in front of him and smiled down at him. He wanted to smile back, but he couldn't. They looked so familiar. Happy.
They waved at him before fading into the light. Steve blinked, wishing they could come back. He was so confused.
The switch flicked again. It was dark and noisy again. He could hear what sounded like beeping. He could hear what sounded like chatter in the distance. He couldn't make out any individual voices as they droned on. At least, he thought they were voices.
Why couldn't he move?
What had happened to him?
Was this real?
Maybe it was.
Or maybe it was too good to be true.
Kono closed the door to her boss' house behind her. She understood Danny's reasons, but she had hoped to talk him around to seeing Steve. Even using Grace as ammunition hadn't worked. She was all out of ideas.
She saw Chin waiting in his car for her and she just shook her head at him. He nodded, his face belaying the sadness he felt. They'd spent the last few days discussing how to get Danny to see Steve. Last time Steve had been in the hospital, Danny had refused to leave his side. This time, Danny refused to even see him.
Kono slid into the passenger seat with a sigh. "Is Tillman still at the hospital?" she asked.
"Yeah. He said he would stay as long as we needed," Chin answered as he started the car. "Steve won't be alone."
The ride to HPD was silent. It felt weird having a temporary office at the precinct, but there wasn't really anywhere else they could go to work. Now that they knew there wasn't anyone else from HPD involved in Nazeef's plan, Chin and Kono had been able to start the search into all the members of the network.
It was thanks to HPD that they had been able to put away so many of Nazeef's people as quickly as they had. Even the foreign ones. Now, almost every member of HPD was working towards finding General Gibbon.
Apparently, as soon as Nazeef's network had been exposed, Gibbon had gone into hiding. They now had the support of the entire U.S. military behind them as they searched for the last man involved in Nazeef's schemes. But so far, they had nothing. The man was a ghost.
Chin parked in front of the precinct and the cousins climbed out of the car. They walked inside the precinct and made their way to the back where their new office was. Kono slumped down in the seat closest to the window while Chin sat down in front of the computer. He lamented the loss of the smart table in the fire at the Palace.
After half an hour of sitting in silence and getting nowhere, Kono spoke. "What are we doing?"
"What do you mean?" Chin asked, not moving his eyes away from the screen.
"I mean, what are we doing? The entire U.S. military is searching for the man. What help are we? It's not like we have the clearance or the knowledge to join the manhunt. Why are we wasting time on something so useless?" Kono asked.
Chin turned in his chair to face Kono. "You're right. But it's busy work, to keep our minds off of the situation."
"You mean the situation where Steve could die at any moment?" Kono retorted.
Chin stood. "You're right. Let's go back to the hospital. They'll call if they find anything."
Kono smiled slightly and followed Chin outside. They ignored the stares from the HPD officers in the bullpen. Just as the cousins stepped outside, a silver car screeched to halt in front of them. It took the cousins a moment to recognise the vehicle as Danny's Camaro.
Danny climbed out of the car quickly and approached the cousins. "I found him!"
Before Chin or Kono could say anything, Chin's phone rang. Looking down at the caller ID, he felt his stomach clench in fear and anticipation when he saw who was calling.
"It's the hospital."
