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Heat Wave

"A hundred and two degrees at 8:45 in the morning." Danny held up the weather app screen on his phone. "That's just not right. I say we put out an announcement," he said as entered his partner's office. "Requesting anyone thinking of engaging in criminal activity that may need to involve the task force to hold off until later in the week." He glanced out the window at the heat waves that were making the asphalt in the parking lot look as though it were wavy. "Committing crimes in this ridiculous heat is next level gangster, but it's also very dangerous. Stay home in the air conditioning, binge watch TV and we'll all reconvene when it's cooler."

"And that's gonna work?" Steve smirked and closed out of the program he had on screen. "You know they get crazier in the heat."

"How about if we add this heat makes me very cranky and I will absolutely shoot them before I chase anyone's sorry ass down an alley or worse, up a flight of stairs?"

"Crankier than usual, you mean," Steve busted, just as Catherine appeared and tapped on the doorframe.

"Hey," she held up a folder. "Ready to meet?"

"In the AC, absolutely," Danny said and moved towards the doorway. "Whatever keeps us inside today. Tell me that case is gonna take copious amounts of research done from inside…"

"Arms dealers," Catherine replied with a grin for their blustering friend. "Here's the intel we have." She passed a drive to Chin and began to run the case details down with the team. "We were just informed there's a shipment arriving …"

"Wow, look at that, Grandpa," DJ pointed to the TV at the condo. "It's 105 degrees at Ala Moana, Kāhala, Hawai'i Kai, Mā'ili, Nānākuli, Pearlridge and Waimānalo."

Joseph nodded and passed each grandchild a frozen watermelon bar. "That's why BINGO was so packed this morning."

"Yeah, because all the ladies from the condo can have fun and it's air conditioned, right, Grandma Ang?"

"That's right. Sweetheart. It's too hot for us seniors to be roaming around outside." She winked. "And it makes for a bigger prize, so everyone's happy."

"An' no walking Cammie or Scout," Angie leaned over to place a kiss on Scout's nose. "They can burn their feet. Just a real fast potty time on the grass and then back inside."

"Good job remembering that," her brother praised. "Mommy says we have to touch the ground for ten seconds when it's super hot out and if it's too hot to touch, it's too hot for their paws."

Joseph nodded towards Gizmo, who was sleeping on the back of the overstuffed chair, which was directly under an air conditioner vent. "Someone's definitely happy he's an inside cat."

"Mom?" Jacob's voice came through the phone Jenna had placed on speaker as she added some budget numbers to a spreadsheet.

"Is everything ok, honey?" The kids normally texted if she was at work.

"Yeah, we're okay but the AC's out. It's blowing warm air and it's …" she heard his steps as he walked to the thermostat. "It's 82 in the house already."

Jenna sighed. "I'll call Mr. Ridgeway and see if he can come look. He's probably very busy because of the heatwave, so you and Kaitlyn get a few things together in case we have to sleep somewhere else for a day or two."

"Okay."

More footfalls as he sprinted towards his room and Jenna smiled. Even at 13 he was in perpetual motion mode. "I'll call you back in a little bit."

"I have my go bag, I'll just check it and add some extra stuff."

"That's my boy."

Jenna called right back and both Jacob and Kaitlyn were there to answer. "You're on speaker, Mom. Is Mr. Ridgeway gonna come?"

"He's very busy, so he'll be there tomorrow. We're going to have to stay somewhere else tonight until it's fixed."

"Casey left for California just in time," Jacob said. "I texted her and it's like 80 in Los Angeles."

"She totally did," Kaitlyn agreed. "And Mr. Ridgeway's probably busy helping senior citizens with broken AC, or people with babies," she observed, and Jenna smiled softly to herself. "Can we call Uncle Steve and Aunt Catherine? Midnight likes Cammie so maybe we can stay there?"

"I hate to bother anyone, but we can't just keep him in a carrier in a hotel room … I think that's a good idea. I'll call Aunt Catherine now."

"I can do it, you're at work," the teen offered. "Besides, it's my responsibility to keep Midnight safe and comfortable - I should call."

"Thanks, honey. Pack up a bag with his things. I know you have an emergency bag for him, but bring his litter box and bowls, so Pumpkin doesn't feel like she's being forced to share."

"Got it." Jenna could picture her daughter's smile. "Calling right now. And Mom? Midnight said thanks." She giggled before she ended the call.

"This is batshit crazy. What kind of lunatic holes up in a sweltering warehouse in a hundred and four degree heat?" Danny leaned forward and adjusted the car's air vent at his face.

"I gotta cut the engine. We're gonna run out of gas if we're here a few hours," Steve pointed to the gage, which indicated half a tank.

"We are not going to be here a few hours, because if they stay in that warehouse much longer we're going to find them boiled to death. Which frankly they deserve."

Two minutes later the radio crackled and Lou Grover's voice came through. "SWAT in place, we've got movement here, are we a go?"

"We're a go. Chin and Kono have the east entrance and we're at the west one. On my three," Steve answered as both partners exited the car and drew their weapons.

"Jesus," Lou mopped his face with a bandanna before stripping off his tac vest. "My grandfather would say it's hot enough to see the devil."

The five men who'd been arrested after a brief firefight were loaded towards the transport looking like drowned rats from the heat and exertion. "Hose them the hell down and get them water," the SWAT commander called out. "I'm not having anyone die of dehydration or heat stroke on my watch." Looking back at Steve and Danny, he shook his head. "Hottest damn day of the year and they pull this crap? Are criminals just getting more and more stupid?"

"Yes. Yes they are. And we're out," Danny waved a hand over his sweat soaked shirt. "I'm going home to take a shower and burn this shirt. And I may turn the AC down to 50."

"Mommy!" Angie greeted her mother as she smiled at the facetime image on Elizabeth's phone. "It's a wave of heat so we're playing inside. We're playing the floor is lava game and me and Grandpa won and then DJ and Grandma won. Now it's gonna be me and DJ against Grandma and Grandpa. Oh, and Grandma Ang is down in the ca-munity room at BINGO with her friends and guess what?"

"What, baby girl?" Catherine grinned.

"We made watermelon frozen fruit bars first thing and we had them for snack with string cheese."

"That sounds yummy. Can I talk to grandma for a second?"

"Mommy wants you," Angie passed the phone over, but stayed close.

"Mom, Jenna and the kids have no central air so they're going to stay with us tonight. I'm running to get Kaitlyn, Jacob and the cat now. Can you have the kids ready in about fifteen minutes so I can swing by on my way home?"

"We're having a sleepover!" Angie leaned close and clapped before running towards the kitchen to tell her brother. "DJ! Aunt Jenna and Kaitlyn and Jacob are coming for a sleepover!"

"Knock, knock!" Grace said as she stepped out onto the deck of the beach house. "I heard this was the place to be during the heatwave," she said and held up a cooler.

"Grace!" Angie ran for her cousin. "Are you sleeping over too?"

"Hey cutie, no, I was dropping off some ice cream." She winked at Kaitlyn who'd stepped outside with Angie to give Cammie a quick potty break. "But Danno and Gabby are meeting me here so now I'm staying for dinner."

"Ohhh yay! Thank you for the ice cream." The five year old hugged her tightly as they all followed the dog inside.

"Daddy! Grace brought us ice cream!" She announced when they entered the dining room where everyone was just about ready for dinner.

"I see." Steve smiled. "Gracie, your father and Gabby are coming for dinner, right?"

A voice from the front door answered, "Yes, we're all here for dinner because my name buddy called and invited us. Which is truly the only reason I would've left the house once I got home." Danny stepped inside with Gabby, and ruffled DJ's hair making him smile. "Apparently this is a heatwave party."

"We brought a giant fruit salad," Gabby held up a bowl.

"What's a heat wave party?" Angie asked.

"Is that a thing?" DJ looked to his father as Kaitlyn put three more of the paper plates she was setting on the table.

"It is most definitely a thing." Danny winked. "You just made it a thing. People have hurricane parties and blizzard parties, if anybody was going to have a heat wave party it would be your father."

"Yay a party!" Angie clapped. "I love parties."

"I think we should have one when this weather breaks," her godfather teased. "A broken heatwave one."

Steve and Catherine's phones rang simultaneously before he could respond and they each stepped back to answer.

"That was Joe Kukoa," he said of the department's liaison with Hawaiian Electric as Catherine thanked Lea and ended the call.

"Is it a case?" Grace asked, hoping her father and uncle wouldn't be dragged back out in the blazing heat after a incredibly long day.

"No, just telling me rolling blackouts aren't starting til morning," he said and bent to run a hand over the dog's head. Cammie had come up to nuzzle his legs just as the phone rang.

"Lucky you have the generator," Jenna said as she poured lemonade for the kids.

"And that the condos have one," Kaitlyn nodded, thinking of Grandma Ang and her friends.

A relieved look shot between Steve, Danny and Catherine. All three were grateful the blackouts would be held off til morning. Nighttime ones would have definitely upped the level of overnight crime.

"Who's hungry?" Catherine asked with a smile for the kids, happy to have everyone there and safe.

They chorused, "Me!" Then laughed.

"So, we should eat." Steve looked around the table and grinned. "Let the heatwave party begin."

# End. Thanks for reading!

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