Chapter 124

"She's gone, Danny, she's gone." Whispered Steve, shock hitting his body. He rallied, angry with WoFat, "After everything we did, he found her and he murdered her!"

Danny didn't have words for his best friend. There was a hole in the pit of his stomach and that hole had Azucena's name written all over it. Everyone was standing around the Smart Table in shock at what they had just witnessed. This was not a normal day in the office.

Steve picked his cell phone up off the Smart Table and threw it against the far wall, "Fucking son of a bitch!"

The phone shattered to pieces and Steve stalked off to his office, slamming the door shut behind him. He wanted to scream at God for killing another member of his family, he wanted to throw stuff and trash everything in his office, but instead, he collapsed onto the sofa in his office and let the tears flow down his cheeks. His kid sister, who he had done everything in his power to protect, had been tortured and killed by WoFat. He was absolutely gutted.

#$#$#$#$#$

Danny, Lou, and Jerry all pulled their eyes away from the office and looked to each other, Danny spoke up, tears welling in his eyes, "Catherine is on her way here, send her in when she arrives."

Lou nodded, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. He liked the feisty little redhead. He remembered the day Samantha had delivered WoFat's message to Steve about 'Cena, and he thought since the young woman had been put in Witness Protection, she would be safe. He never imagined this would happen.

Danny headed for Steve's office. Tani spoke up, completely confused by everything she had just witnessed. "I thought Steve's sister was named Mary. Who is Azucena? And is WoFat his brother?"

Jerry spoke up, wiping at the tears on his cheeks, "WoFat is not Steve's brother, but Steve's mother helped raise WoFat before she had a family of her own. WoFat hated Steve's mother abandoning him to start a new family.

"WoFat found out Steve had a sister he didn't know about. Steve met Azucena almost two years ago, while she was being tortured for information on Shelbourne."

Jerry was starting to get choked up, the reality of the situation starting to hit him harder. Lou took over, "WoFat is fixated on Steve and 'Cena. So much so that he has tried to kill the young woman on more than one occasion. About six months ago the CIA had to put Azucena in the Witness Protection Program because WoFat escaped a maximum security prison. Apparently he found her."

"Do you think it was the pictures? Jerry asked, fear and sadness in his voice.

"More than likely. 'Cena was a pretty big rules follower, so I can't see her doing anything that would jeopardize her secret."

"If I had only been able to pull those pictures down sooner." Jerry stated, getting angry at himself.

"Jerry, we are just fortunate you found those pictures when you did. We don't know how long they had been up when you found them. Thankfully someone was able to take them down."

Catherine appeared in the office, panic on her face, "Did we find WoFat? Is she coming home?"

Lou walked towards the petite woman, his voice soft and gentle, "WoFat found her. He called Steve and tortured her on the phone while WoFat asked them both about Shelbourne. WoFat shot and killed her on the line."

"Just like John?" Questioned Catherine, softly. Fearful of how this would play out with Steve and knowing he would blame himself for the actions of a madman. The manner WoFat selected in killing Azucena was calculated to cause maximum emotional damage.

"Just like John." Lou confirmed. She wrapped her arms around Lou, and dissolved into tears. Azucena had become such a big part of the family and this was a gut punch to everyone.

Catherine slowly collected herself and pulled away from Lou. She looked toward's Steve's office and saw the backside of Steve and Danny's heads above Steve's sofa. She slowly walked towards the office, knowing Steve would be absolutely shattered.

She slowly opened the door, both men's noses were red and tears freely streaking down their faces. Steve pulled himself off the sofa and prepared to tell Catherine, but she interrupted him, "Lou told me, I'm so sorry."

He pulled her into his chest and they both dissolved into tears. Danny watched his best friend and Catherine mourn the death of Azucena on the week of their wedding. WoFat's timing couldn't have been any worse.

Danny was going to be there for his friends. They were eventually going to have to pick up the body and ship it home. Would they postpone the wedding for a funeral or would they go through with the wedding because everyone was flying in for it? The next forty eight hours were going to be a complete bitch, but Danny was going to be there for them. He was just as devastated as they were. He pulled the blinds, and then quietly left the office, giving Steve and Catherine privacy to mourn their loss.

Steve clung to Catherine as if his life depended on it and he couldn't bring himself to let her out of the safety of his arms. It felt like everyone in his life had been taken from him in some form and he didn't want to lose her too. He sobbed as she held him and he could feel her body shake with the sobs that overtook her body as well.

He wasn't certain how long he let himself cry, but eventually the tears let up. Catherine gently pulled him over to the sofa and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down to lay his head in her lap. Her fiancé rarely let himself be vulnerable, but he had just lost another family member and Danny had graciously pulled the blinds. He let himself be soothed and comforted by Catherine. She was safe in his world.

She gently ran her fingers through his hair and didn't say anything. She knew he would speak up when he was ready to talk and she wasn't going to rush him in any way.

He quickly sat up, "I've got to tell Mary."

Catherine gently pulled him back down, "We will call Mary, but let's give ourselves a little time to grieve. Mary is going to be just as devastated as we are. It's not going to do any of us any good to all fall apart at the same time."

Steve let her hands run through his hair, soothing the ache that ran through his entire being. He knew he was going to have to be strong for Mary, but he was gutted and honestly, he wasn't ready to deal with the world outside of his office. He wasn't ready to deal with the actions that would accompany this loss. He wanted to pretend none of this afternoon had happened, but practicality set in, and he started sharing with Catherine, "She wasn't willing to tell him who Shelbourne was. She was willing to die to protect our mother's secret. The secret of someone who had abandoned her when she was a little kid."

Catherine knew over time, she would get the full story, but for now she was getting snippets. She let him talk, to get everything off his chest in whatever manner he needed to. She would sit, here in his office, doing her best to comfort him, as he came to grips with the death of his kid sister.

Twenty minutes into Catherine listening to Steve ramble, his desk phone rang. He wanted nothing to do with it. He assumed it was work and he honestly was willing to let Danny take over for the rest of the day. However, something nagged at him to get up and take the call. He slowly extricated himself from Catherine's arms, reached over the desk, and picked up the phone, rubbing a hand across his face, "McGarrett."

"Commander McGarrett, this is Marshall Stone." The voice came through the line, and Steve knew the words that would come out of the Marshall's mouth. He was calling to tell him that his sister had been killed by WoFat. Stone wasn't aware that Steve had heard the whole scene unfold across the phone line. He wasn't aware that Steve had listen to his sister being beaten and tortured by WoFat. He wasn't there as he listened to her pained screams or her begging Steve to hang up the phone and let her go be with Jack.

Stone continued, "WoFat has been taken into custody, but he severely harmed your sister before we could catch him. She's currently in a hospital in Roswell, New Mexico undergoing surgery. Her chances of survival are very slim, but we have a plane ready to fly you there to be with her."

Steve looked to Catherine, his eyes growing bigger with each sentence, "Marshall, can you please repeat what you just said."

Steve pushed the speaker button on the desk phone and listened closely the the Marshall's words, as Catherine stood up and walked over to the desk, wrapping her arms around Steve in the process, "WoFat has been taken into custody. However, he attacked your sister before we could catch him. She's currently undergoing surgery and there is no guarantee she is going to survive. I have a plane at Dillingham Airfield to take you to her."

"We will be there in thirty minutes." Steve answered, relief flooding his system. He realized the Marshall had said his sister was in critical condition and she might not survive, but there was a small chance that she would and he would cling to that chance with every fiber of his being.

He hung up the phone and embraced Catherine, cautious happiness spreading through his body. She survived the torture and the gunshot wound, and now he was praying she pulled through the surgery. His sister was a fighter, and if anyone could survive this, it was her.

Steve threw his office door open to the somber faces of his teammates and announced, "She survived, she's in surgery and critical condition, but she's alive."

"What?" Questioned Danny, relieved and shocked at the same time, "That's fantastic news."

"Marshall Stone just called, there is a plane waiting to take us to her."

"What are you still doing here? Get out of here, go see your sister!" Replied Lou, happiness in his eyes.

"My phone is broken," explained Steve, but he was interrupted by Danny, "We have Catherine's number. We know how to get a hold of you."

"The wedding," Catherine stated, not sure what to say, "we need to reschedule everything!"

"Do you have a book with all your contacts?" Questioned Tani, trying to be helpful because this day had made her feel useless.

"There's a binder in the study." Explained Catherine.

"I know which one it is, Tani and I will go through it and call all your vendors. We've got you covered." Responded Junior, thankful to have something to do. He had seen pictures of Azucena, but Steve didn't really talk about her with Junior.

Danny grabbed Steve by the shoulders, relief washing over him. Steve slapped him on the back, knowing they were sharing the same feeling, "You tell 'Cena to heal quickly. We are all ready to have her back here."

"With do brother, will do." Danny released Steve, and the couple practically ran through the office to the elevator. A sense of urgency and happiness enveloping them.