AN: Happy (almost) New Year to all of you! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you have a great start to 2022. A huge thank you to all of you for your continued encouragement and excitement over this story! This chapter is more informative and gives our heroes an idea of what they're up against. Enjoy!
The interrogation of Vivoldi was a spectacular failure, which only served to fuel Steve's bad mood. Despite his eloquence on the dock, the drug lord's vocabulary seemed to be limited to the word 'lawyer.' Nothing Chin or Steve did changed that singular answer or erased the smirk on his face. He didn't even flinch at Steve's typical intimidation tactics.
He was a dead-end, refusing to give anything up about his drug operation or the death of his dealer despite the overwhelming evidence guaranteeing time in prison. The only time he hesitated was when Chin asked about the kid - something that looked a lot like pity crossing his eyes before it disappeared behind the smug mask.
Not only had they gotten no information from the kingpin, but his lawyer managed to tie them up for hours with technicalities and other bullshit that wasted valuable time.
So when a thoroughly pissed off Steve McGarrett and Chin Ho Kelly entered the second prisoner's cell, the captured guard - Greg Stallings according to his prints - paled and immediately started talking.
"I'll tell you everything, I swear. Alright? This whole thing makes me sick and I'm done." Handcuffs rattling against the legs of the chair, Stallings zeroed in on Chin. "All I want is protective custody and a guarantee that none of this will trace back to me."
Well, that was unexpected. Despite Chin briefing him on the guard's words before the incident with Danny, Steve still hadn't expected the guy to capitulate so easily. Alarm bells began ringing in his mind, a little voice reminding him that these words were precisely the same words the dealer had said to HPD.
Right before he'd gotten murdered.
Apparently, the similarity wasn't lost on Chin either. Smoothly taking the lead, he nodded firmly. "I think we can arrange that."
The guard shook his head. "'I think' isn't good enough. I need a guarantee here, man. If he finds out I talked, I'm as good as dead."
"Vivoldi?" Steve asked. "We already got him. He's not gonna be able to do anything."
"You really think I'm scared of a rinky-dink 'drug lord' like Vivoldi?" Stallings' nervous laugh startled both detectives. "Man, you guys have no idea what's really going on here, do you?"
"Then enlighten us." Growling, Steve took a step forward and allowed all of his ire built up since Danny collapsed to show. "Or I swear you'll have bigger problems than some mysterious guy."
"Protective custody. Then we'll talk."
Pulling out his phone, Chin motioned for Steve to follow him out of the cell. As soon as the metal door closed, the Oriental man murmured. "We're giving it to him. This case just blew up in our faces and we have no clue what's actually going on. He might be able to give us something that we can use."
"I agree. Make the call." Pulling out his own phone, he shot a quick text to Kono with a request for an update on his partner.
Being an experienced detective and a homegrown Hawaiian, Chin knew all the right people to call and secured the deal before Steve received a reply from Kono. When her text finally popped up, he sighed in relief.
Still sleeping. MRI and CT scan came back negative. Sarah & I are sitting with him.
"Looks like Kono finally got the kid's name," Chin commented, reading the text over his shoulder.
"Yeah. Hopefully this guy is more chatty than she is."
~H50~
Despite doing nothing more than sitting in a hospital room for the past few hours, the mystery kid had certainly piqued Kono's interest.
It'd taken some time, but she'd eventually warmed up to the rookie officer. Granted, Kono needed to use every single one of her best surfing stories to get the kid to even look at her, but it was worth it. The girl - Sarah - was never exactly talkative, but her shoulders gradually relaxed as time went on.
Of course, anytime anyone so much as walked by the door, those carefully hidden signs of stress came rushing back.
They'd been sitting with Danny - who was still unconscious - for the past few hours and Sarah somewhat resembled a guard dog. Her intense gaze alternated between the sleeping detective and the door, her expression morphing into a growl anytime a nurse came in to check on their patient.
"They're trying to help him," she'd tried to reassure the young elite.
"You don't know that," came the cryptic response.
Yeah, the paranoia was ever present and Kono was itching to figure out the reason behind it. But despite the obvious fear, the kid never tried to sneak off - and Lord knew she could with her skillset. Instead, she stayed stubbornly parked in one of the chairs by Danny's bedside and glared at anyone who dared to intrude into the room.
Despite how often Kono complained to her friends about the stubbornness of her three male teammates, Sarah gave them all a run for their money. Reasonable waking hours had long since passed them by, yet the kid maintained her vigil even as Kono yawned beside her.
"You should get some sleep," she tried once more, keeping her tone as gentle as possible. "I think I can keep an eye on things until morning."
Sarah raised an eyebrow, the expression clearly saying, are you nuts?
"What? The doctor did say that you needed rest. You keep this up and they're gonna try to reinsert that IV."
"Yeah, I'd like to see them try," Sarah snorted. "I'll be gone before they even step foot in the room."
"I take it that's a 'no' on taking a break and sleeping."
"Duh." Leaning forward, Sarah scanned the hallway critically before refocusing on Kono. "Do you have any more good surfing stories?"
Chuckling at her eagerness, Kono propped her feet up on the footboard of the bed and smirked. "You must really enjoy surfing to want to hear more stories. Maybe you should tell me one of your surfing stories for a change, huh?"
"I've never been surfing." Chewing on her bottom lip, the girl avoided Kono's gaze and whispered, "I used to ride horses though."
"Really? That's so cool!" Smiling widely, Kono eagerly plunged down the new road of conversation in hopes of finding a new lead. "One of my uncles owns a ranch out in Waimea and he let us come out riding all the time when I was little. Though," she lowered her voice, "Chin was much better at it than me. Don't tell him I said that, alright?"
Sarah giggled, her eyes twinkling in a brief expression of joy before shuttering once again.
But Kono, who was not lacking in tenacity either, pressed onward. "Where did you learn to ride horses?"
A small shrug, then, "My mom taught me."
"That's awesome! Do you ride with her a lot?"
"Yeah, I did." Voice quiet, Sarah stared straight ahead. "She was the best rider ever. My dad said that all the time."
Her reference of her parents in the past tense wasn't lost on Kono. "Sarah," she began slowly, "did something happen to your mom and dad?"
Silence.
Still, Kono didn't relent. If her time on Five-0 had taught her one thing about interrogation techniques, it was that silence proved to be the greatest tool to get perps to talk. People despise silence and can't help but fill it, often spilling secrets that they shouldn't. All she had to do was wait and let the silence do its job.
It was a game of chicken, and after an admirable fight, Sarah was the one to swerve.
"They died, alright? Is that what you wanted to hear?" Her voice was completely monotone, completely contrasting with the vehement intent of the words. "They died and no one was left to protect me."
Two nurses walked past the door talking loudly and Sarah visibly flinched, hand shooting out to grasp Danny's limp wrist. Even in her fear, she stalwartly remained poised to jump to Danny's defense - a fierce warrior and a terrified child all rolled into one. Despite the protective fire in her eyes, the image of a frightened little girl punched Kono in the gut and left her breathless.
Who hurt you? she wanted to scream.
"What happened?" she murmured quietly, the question slipping past her lips before she could stop it.
But Sarah clammed up once more, shrugging with seeming indifference as her eyes remained fixed on the door.
Before she could push further, Steve and Chin charged into the room, darkened fury written all over both of their faces. Sarah stiffened at the sight of them, then relaxed slightly when Chin offered her a small smile. "How's he doing, guys?" he asked lightly, his tone completely contrary to his expression.
"Still asleep," Kono answered, "but Sarah and I are keeping an eye on him, right?"
A hesitant nod from the young girl widened Chin's smile. Still, her gaze lingered on Steve, who was staring at Danny with a myriad of mixed emotions - anger and concern dominant among them - flitting across his face.
"Well, since you're doing such a great job, do you think you can handle it on your own for a few minutes?" Chin asked, ignoring Steve's glare. "We'll be right outside the door. We just need to go over a few things, alright?"
Nodding resolutely, Sarah straightened in her chair and visibly focused on the still-unconscious detective. At Chin's pointed look, Kono hesitantly rose and followed her cousin out the door with Steve reluctantly falling in step behind her.
They stopped just outside the door, Steve stubbornly positioning himself at an angle where he could still see Sarah sitting in her chair beside his injured best friend. Based on the morose undertone to both men's expressions, their update was certainly nothing good.
"Well?"
"Stallings told us everything." Voice low, her cousin's gaze scanned the hallway once more. "It's bad, Kono, really bad. We might've accidentally kicked the hornet's nest with this investigation."
"Apparently, Stallings doesn't actually work for Vivoldi," Steve jumped in, taking over the explanation. "I mean, he's on the guy's payroll but his loyalties lie elsewhere, which is why he ran in the opposite direction of Vivoldi when everything went to hell. He worked with Vivoldi to ensure that his organization didn't step out of line and mention what was really going on."
"So who was he really working for?"
Evidently, Sarah's paranoia was catching. Chin checked over his shoulder again before asking quietly, "Did the kid say anything about a Brad Kingsley?"
Slowly shaking her head, Kono scanned her memories just to be certain. "No, she hasn't said much of anything at all. All I got from her is that she used to ride horses and her parents are dead."
Steve cursed quietly and Chin's expression somehow managed to darken further. "Brad Kingsley runs a massive illegal human trafficking operation that specializes in dealing elites - specifically children. According to Stallings, he kidnaps some but he acquires most of them through the foster care system or the justice system. He gets them fake IDs and they essentially disappear, no questions asked. Some he sells, but most of them get rented out to various organizations for a high fee."
Kono never felt more like vomiting in her entire life. Choking it down, she couldn't help but glance back into Danny's room at the little girl. "Sarah was one of those kids."
"One of many," Chin confirmed. "He's got people all over the country on his payroll, including cops, doctors, judges, CPS, and more. He's based in Hawaii because no one would think to look for a missing kid from Maine on an island in the middle of the Pacific, not that anyone's looking. Sometimes parents even hand over the kids themselves. It's a massive operation that has ties to illegal activities all around the world."
"The toxin that Max said was linked to that theft…" Pausing, Kono finally connected the dots. "It's because Kingsley rented out Sarah to the thieves and he probably created the poison."
"Yeah, and Vivoldi was his latest client." Scrubbing a hand through his hair, Steve huffed out a long sigh. "That's why Stallings was undercover in Vivoldi's operation. Apparently, the two organizations had a long standing contract where Kingsley would rent out a bunch of kids as drug mules. Stallings was there to make sure no one talked, which is what our original murder victim was about to do. So, Kingsley sent Sarah over to take care of the problem at Vivoldi's request. Then made her go back and kill Vivoldi to keep him from talking since the guy wasn't too happy about a child assassin - -"
"- - and then you shot her," Kono finished numbly, her gut churning. "And Danny saved her. Steve, if you hadn't - -"
"That doesn't matter," Steve snapped, all that anger visible on his face making a brief appearance in his voice. "What matters is that this has been operating under our noses for all this time and we haven't even noticed. And we brought them right to our own doorstep while Danny's down and…"
He didn't finish, jaw clenched as he turned away.
Smoothly taking over, Chin stuffed his hands into his pockets. "The good news is that Sarah committed that murder under significant duress, which was outlined by Stallings. Physical abuse and threats to the other children were chief among the tactics used. She won't face any repercussions, but we can't do much until we take down Kingsley. Who knows who he has on his payroll?"
"Probably half of this hospital and all of HPD," Steve growled, still not facing them.
Silence reigned, heavy amidst the bustle of the rest of the hospital floor. Most of the time, Kono didn't feel like a rookie. She knew what she was capable of, what she brought to the team. Together, she was convinced that they could handle anything. Even when she was captured during the Roland case, she was never afraid because she had total faith in the team's ability to handle anything that came their way.
Now, for the first time, she realized how naive that blind faith truly was. Because four people taking down a massive organization seemed… impossible.
How the hell are we gonna get out of this one?
"What do we do now?" she asked, voice small.
Finally turning back around, Steve roughly scrubbed his eyes and sighed wearily. "We go in there and talk to Sarah, see if we can get any more info out of her. Stallings has no idea where Kingsley's base of operations is since he works primarily on this side of things. All he knows about is an abandoned warehouse near the North Shore, which he said Kingsley ditched a few days ago. Sarah might know more. Then we dig into Kingsley's life and build a case."
"You sound like Danny," she said, trying to lighten the mood.
But Steve's expression darkened and Chin shot her a look in warning. Don't, she felt him brush against her mind. He's not dealing well.
Point taken.
"We can't risk him getting off on a technicality," Chin said out loud. "Guys like this are smart and cover their tracks. We have to make sure we have rock solid evidence and coordinate a raid that takes down his base in one swoop."
"Then let's go get it."
Turning on her heel, she strode back into Danny's room with her cousin and boss not far behind. Sarah glanced at them nervously before resolutely returning her gaze to Danny.
"Sarah, you remember Chin and Steve, right?" she started, forcing her tone to remain light.
Nodding, the kid chewed her bottom lip and briefly looked up at the two guys. "You're friends of Danny's."
"Yeah, exactly."
But Sarah wasn't finished. "And you're elites, too. Just like us."
Stunned silence.
Kono was already shaking her head at Chin, negating his unasked question. No, she hadn't told the kid.
"What makes you say that?" Steve asked, tension edging into his voice despite his obvious efforts to hide it.
But Sarah only shrugged. "I can just kinda tell. Elites look different, and you guys look like elites. So I know you won't hurt us."
The 'us' clearly referred to herself and Danny, who had somehow fallen under her sphere of protection. Steve twitched a bit at that but widely kept his mouth shut.
Taking the leap, she nodded. "Yes, we're elites too, but it's a secret. If people found out, bad things could happen."
Sarah nodded solemnly. "I know. I swear I won't tell anyone."
"Sarah," Chin cut in, "do you know a man named Brad Kingsley?"
That name got a reaction, no doubt about it. Breaths quickening, Sarah paled significantly and once more looked desperately towards the door. She licked her lips and nodded, fists clenched at her sides.
"P-please don't let-t him take me b-back," she murmured, her voice trembling. "I'll do whatever you ask."
Heart breaking, Kono shook her head fervently. "Absolutely not. You're safe now. We want to keep him from hurting anyone else."
"He hurts my friends. They're still with him."
"Do you know where?" Steve asked eagerly.
But Sarah only shrugged and looked away.
Dead end. Still, the kid probably had a wealth of information that would greatly help their cause.
"Would you be able to answer some questions to help us find your friends?" she asked gently, pleased when the girl nodded.
Now wasn't the right time, of course. Danny was still out and none of them particularly wanted to leave the hospital. And based on what they'd learned about Kingsley, this place was not secure enough to discuss this.
"So are you guys chipped too?"
All three team members whirled around to face the kid, who didn't seem to comprehend the implications of the question.
"What did you say?" Chin asked, his tone truly concerned. Chin never sounded concerned, never.
But Sarah only huffed an annoyed sigh. "Chipped," she enunciated. "Y'know, since you're all elites too."
"What the - - what are you talking about?" Steve's growing annoyance was quickly rising to the surface and Kono glared at him.
"The chip implanted in your body because you're an elite, because you're dangerous. It tracks your movements and shocks you if you use your powers when you're not supposed to. Well, whoever has the remote shocks you, but the chip is what causes it." Sarah tilted her head quizzically. "Does that mean you don't have one? Mr. Kingsley said they were required. Is it something you get to get rid of when you become an adult?"
Triplet expressions of horror cloaked each of their faces, the implications of Sarah's innocent question painfully clear.
"Chin, find Dr. Sterling now and bring him back here," Steve ordered urgently. "Then figure out if it's emitting a signal at the moment and block it. Kono, stick with her."
Already jogging away, Chin flashed a thumbs up over his shoulder. As Steve's intensity reached an entirely new level, Sarah's anxiety only increased. Eyes darting between the intimidating Navy SEAL and the nearest door and back to Danny, her distress became abundantly clear.
Quickly reading the situation, Kono knelt in front of the child. "No, Sarah, we don't have chips. Elites aren't required to have chips. It's wrong."
"Am I in trouble?" came the soft question.
Kono's heart broke. "No, absolutely not," she reassured gently and risked clasping the little girl's hand. "Thank you for telling us about them; that was very brave. We're going to see about having yours removed too because you don't need it."
"Really?" Shy hope welled in her gaze, the girl risking a glance at Steve before whispering to Kono, "And when you find the others, will you take theirs out too?"
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Kono nodded firmly. "I promise."
~H50~
It had been a long night - an emotionally taxing, mentally demanding night after an already challenging day. And Chin Ho Kelly's legendary patience nearly reached its limit.
How had a dead drug dealer turned into this?
It was nearing dawn when Sarah was rushed off to find and remove the chip in her body. Kono went with her, a bond of trust clearly having been built between the two and that bond kept the kid from running off. As the only medical professional that they sort of trusted, Dr. Sterling oversaw the whole process and smoothly covered for the scans as needed.
Steve and Chin remained in Danny's room, the blonde still stubbornly unmoving even after so many hours. The same couldn't be said for Steve, who was bouncing his legs and fidgeting while his face acrobatted between worry and barely concealed anger. Clearly a ticking time bomb, he hoped that something would deter the man's inevitable explosion.
"Y'know," the increasingly familiar drawl of Dr. Sterling interrupted the silence, "when I told my wife that I wished rounds at the hospital were more entertaining, this is not what I had in mind."
Chin huffed a low chuckle, flapping a hand in Steve and Danny's direction. "Welcome to Five-0, Dr. Sterling. These two manage to keep things pretty interesting. Wait 'til Danny wakes up and they start bickering."
"Sounds exciting." Checking the monitors, Dr. Sterling stuffed his hands in his lab coat's pockets. "We found the chip under the skin near Sarah's spine at the base of her neck. A little local anesthetic and we got it out, no problem. I sterilized it and gave it to Officer Kalakaua for analysis. She's still sitting with Sarah, but she said she'd turn it over to you as soon as possible."
"How's Danny doing, Doc?" Steve's voice was raw, eyes red-rimmed with weariness. The day had worn on him as well, pushing him to a breaking point. "When will he wake up?"
"I was actually about to try to get him up." Sterling jotted something in the chart and gestured absently. "He's been out for over eight hours, so he should be in a state where, with a little extra help, he'll wake up. One of you can stay in case he gets disoriented, which is a distinct possibility, but I can't have both of you here."
"I'll stay," Steve quickly said. Judging by the furious glint in his eye, he'd settled on fury as his dominant emotion at the moment - a sight that concerned Chin to no end.
Shaking his head, Chin tried to reason with his boss. "Steve, it might not be the best idea. You're still pretty upset - -"
"Chin," the SEAL cut him off with a glare. "I got this. I need to have a conversation with Danny anyway about what it means to be partners on Five-0."
Sighing, Chin reluctantly rose and headed for the door. "That's what I'm afraid of, brah. Just… go easy on him, alright? Maybe wait until after he feels better before having that talk."
Based on the grim expression on his boss's face, he didn't hear a word of Chin's warning. Yeah, it'd been a long day, and Chin suspected this was only the start.
Yup, SuperSEAL is more than a little upset with his partner. Anyone else see an argument on the horizon? ;) As always, please share your thoughts! Until next time...