Thank you all for giving this a chance and favoriting it. Thank you Stephanie for leaving your review, I'm glad you like it.
CW: hostage situation, gun violence, canon violence
"Come on guys, I know you don't really like history and 6:30 is too early for you, but Ms. Jones is sick and asked me to take you over to Pearl Harbor." Karen spoke as the school bus made its way to Ford Island.
Two weeks she had been on O'ahu now and there was no sign of her one night stand. It felt like he disappeared or maybe he wasn't even there anymore. She tried searching the web, but finding a guy with only a fraction of his name was a bit harder, especially being so drunk that she forgot it. The only thing she remembered from that night were his eyes, the feel of his hands on her body and that his name started with an S.
Sighing, she scribbled in Ms. Jones' notes, going over what she was supposed to say. The brunette wasn't a teacher by any means but as the only history teacher assigned to the school wasn't available the principal thought it was a good idea to put her on the trip as supervisor.
"Ms. Bishop?" One of the girls, Clara, in the back called, making her turn around to the class. "Is this trip going to be the whole day or just this morning?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Karen smiled. "From the info sheet I got for the trip it's going to take all morning but I promise you guys we can take some time at lunch, I talked with Principal Michaels."
"So that means we got half a day off from school!" Justin called, raising his first and his friends joining in with a whoop, thinking they'd get a free pass for the day.
"Guys. Guys!" Calling over the commotion to get their attention, Karen held up her hands to stop their celebration. "You still need to write a paper on the trip, so please stay calm and be on your best behavior. This is my first time, so don't make me mess it up."
All the students smiled at her before Justin leaned up in his seat again. "You'll do great Ms. B, you're cooler than Ms. Jones, we get to see the Bowfin and talk about military stuff."
"Great, can't wait to hear what she'll have to say about that." the brunette grumbled, sarcasm lacing her words as she looked down at her phone making sure the times and tickets were correct. "Once we're at Pearl Harbor I want you guys to get into pairs, need to keep you together. We'll start off with the Visitor Center, move on to the Missouri and finally the USS Bowfin, Submarine Museum and Park. I know Ms. Jones already went to the USS Arizona Memorial with you last month and she didn't put this on your plan but I thought as I'm new here we'd do it that way."
The class gave another whoop and Karen smiled, wanting to get something out of it, too.
"So, that's why we got the early start? Cool!" Reggie, one of Justin's friends called, earning a chuckle from everyone, even the bus driver.
Sweat was running down his forehead as he walked across the grounds of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. No one had found the weapon on him, having concealed the small bag in a bush near the walkway to the USS Bowfin, everything going according to plan.
He would make them listen to him.
After all those years he'd make them listen.
Every man of the Emery family was part of the Navy and Corbyn Emery was going to be a sailor, too, one way or another. He had trained with his father since he was a kid, wanted to be part of the SEALs but all they told him was to get lost and get a real job. That he wasn't cut from the right material to be part of the SPECOPs force of the Navy.
But today he would show them all what a perfect soldier and sailor he was. Corbyn watched the students and their teacher flock aboard the submarine, a sinister smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
He concealed the gun in the waistband of his jeans under his shirt and made his way to follow the group. No better time than the present.
"All right, gather round guys." the brunette called to her students holding her hands up for them to follow her. "We're on the USS Bowfin, a submarine of the United States Navy. Do you guys know anything about it?"
The kids stayed silent, either not knowing what to say or too shy because their friends would call them nerds. Karen smiled knowing being a teenager wasn't easy, so she was going to put them out of their misery and continue with the lecture when suddenly a man in his late thirties stepped up to their group.
"The USS Bowfin is a submarine of the Balao-Class. This class of submarines was used during World War II and with 120 boats completed the largest class in the US Navy. The Bowfin was launched on 7 December 1942 by Mrs. Jane Gawne, she was the wife of Captain James Gawne and commissioned on 1 May 1943." Corbyn was happy to brag about his knowledge of Navy history, none was more of a nerd regarding warfare and its history.
Karen watched the blond man with a soft smile. He was tall and kind of handsome, but definitely not her stranger with an S. "Uhm, thank you sir. Are you part of the personnel of the Park? I wasn't sure if there was going to be a guide."
"Oh, well I'm Corbyn. Normally I'm not doing any tours, but if you want I can be your guide for the USS Bowfin, I know my way around that shop better than other sailors." The blond grinned, saluting the group and stepping around them to wait at the entrance steps leading down into the hull of the submarine.
His plan was moving along splendidly. Corbyn was going to call for a ransom for the hostages. Parents wouldn't want their kids to be harmed, so he'd get whatever he wanted and that was very easy: He'd want the Navy to compensate for all the years he had sacrificed to become a sailor, just like his father and his grandfather who died on the Arizona along with many others. They had ridiculed him wherever he went for not being good enough to even make a cut to part of the Navy.
"Are you okay, Mister?" one of the girls asked him, her eyes curiously seizing him up as he turned back to the group once everyone was aboard the Bowfin. "You look a bit sick."
Lifting one corner of his lips, Corbyn shook his head and gave her a slight push to move along. "I'm fine, it's just very hot outside."
Not really believing him but letting it slide for now, the girl with the blond curls joined the rest of the group while Karen waited for him to take the lead. "I wanted to thank you for showing us around. It's probably a hassle keeping a group like this together and entertained."
"Nah, it's fine. I like showing off my naval history skills to the younger generation. It's a family business you could say." His eyes glinted dangerously as he put his hand on her lower back, leading her along to the important parts of the sub. She'd see soon enough what a hassle they could be.
"Now we're in the main part of the Bowfin, this is the communications and control room. The sub was home to ten officers and around seventy enlisted. They were the ones handling the ship under the sea and being sent out to intel missions and sometimes having to fight against the bad guys. Even today the subs are the most important warships of the Navy."
The kids and the brunette sat around on the chairs having been allowed to by Corbyn, listening to all he was telling about the attack on Pearl Harbor and Naval Warfare History.
"But my dad said that today the submarines are mostly used for gathering intel and not shooting at other ships." Justin spoke up, a small frown on his face as he remembered what his father told him.
Corbyn growled when he listened to the boy. "Well, you shouldn't always listen to what others tell you, especially if they don't know what they're talking about." He ground out and Karen could see his jaw muscles working.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Justin got up from his seat. "My dad is a commander in the Navy, he knows what he's talking about."
"Shut up, buddy, or I'll make you." The blond walked closer to him and everyone could feel the tension get worse by the second.
The brunette stood up and held her hands up, turning her eyes to look at their guide who was sweating more than he should and she could see his hands twitching to reach to his back. "Come on, I think we should all calm down. Corbyn, I bet Justin didn't mean it like that, he's just a kid."
In the blink of an eye his arm was around Karen's neck and the kids let out a scream, now afraid of the man holding a gun to their substitute teacher's head. "You're right Ms Bishop, we should all stay calm and no one gets hurt." He whispered into her ear, his hot breath making her nauseous. "I'm going to make them all listen to me. None of them really know what it's really like to be in the Navy, they made a mistake by making my life a joke."
"Danny, give me the rundown." Steve called when he came onto the scene. It felt like yesterday since he had this kind of situation at Pearl, only the last time it was a ship, not a submarine.
The blond detective opened up the video surveillance on a tablet, showing his partner what was happening on the Bowfin. They could see a blond guy holding on tight to a brunette woman, the students huddled next to the control panels in that room. "His name's Corbyn Emery. Family history states they were all enlisted in the Navy. Everyone but him."
Steve's forehead crinkled as he heard that. "So he's taken hostages because he didn't make the cut?"
"Guess he was pretty pissed, tried it in fifteen different cities, none would let him enlist. Hostages are students from Kukui High and their teacher, Ms. Bishop."
Nodding his head he moved back to his van with Danny hot at his heels. "So what's the plan? Running in guns blazing? Or try to talk him out of it?"
"This guy is unstable, one wrong move and he'll be not just holding that gun. I need a blueprint of the sub." The leader of Five-0 answered, opening the back of his truck to get out what he needed. Taking a deep breath he was going through a plan of attack, they needed to keep a clear head. "Is there any way of communication? Has he called about a ransom?"
"Actually he had a radio, don't know where he got that but he called the guys at the front desk of the visitors center." The Jersey detective shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched his partner gather every weapon and spare he'd need. "Guess it was the same way he got the gun in. Kono's on her way to the parents and Chin is walking the perimeters, looking for something to give us a clue."
"Commander McGarrett!" A HPD officer called him, holding up the computer phone they set up for the case. "It's the suspect, he wants to talk to the leader."
"I'm on it." Steve walked over and took the phone from the officer before he answered. "This is Commander Steve McGarrett of Five-0, am I talking to Corbyn Emery?"
They watched him on the tablet as he made his call, still holding on tight to the woman. "Ah yeah, heard about that task force you're running. Must be nice to play the hero every day. I trained to be a hero, too, but all you people did was mock me."
"Okay Corbyn, listen to me." The Navy veteran started, earning an eye roll from his partner, because Danny knew he'd go all super SEAL on the suspect. "I know that with your family's history it's not fair to not get a chance to follow your father's footsteps, but maybe I can arrange something if you let the kids and their teacher go."
Raising his eyebrows at Steve, the Jersey detective shook his head, asking a silent 'What the hell' when he listened to him talking to Emery.
Heavy breathing sounded on the line as both part of Five-0 and the HPD watched him turn around towards the camera and clicked the safety off of the gun and his finger hovered over the trigger. "Is this a joke to you, Commander? The lives of all of them are in your hands and you decide to mock me."
Everyone stayed silent, not sure what to say or do as they watched him with bated breath, praying to every god and deity out there that for the moment he'd not pull that trigger.
Tears made their way down the woman's face as she trembled in his grip, hoping that this wasn't her last moment on earth. She looked up and Steve felt his breath catch even more. There was something familiar about her that he couldn't place at the moment but he saw a fight return to her, as if she felt him watching.
"I'm not joking around Emery. I need you to let the kids and the woman go, let me talk to you instead." He tried to reason with the man, hoping that somehow he'd turn back and come out without much resistance.
Shaking his head, Corbyn held on tighter to the phone. "You think I'm going to let my leverage go? You want to play the hero, then show you are one."
"Please, get the kids out! You need to get the kids out of here!" the woman cried, desperation coloring her words as she fought against his grip before the line went dead. Steve and Danny watched as the hostage-taker hit her in the side of her head with the butt of his gun, making her stumble back against the computer panel of the control room.
Chin had come back and joined them, sending a questioning glance towards his boss and partner. "What are we going to do?"
"I'm going in and make sure he's not going to make good on his threat." Steve said, refastening his vest and taking one last controlling look at his weapons. "You wait for the hostages, I want them out as soon as possible."
Snorting Danny looked his friend and partner up and down. "You really wanna play the hero? That guy is as unstable as they get and all because they wouldn't let him enlist? It's crazy going in there."
"Was there a question somewhere or just you stringing your words again?" He eyed the detective, earning another chuckle from Chin, who watched his friends bemused. "I want this over with before the end of the day, one way or another this guy isn't going to harm anyone anymore."
"Ms. Bishop?" Justin's hand hovered over her shoulder, afraid to hurt her even more.
Grimacing, Karen pulled herself up a bit to sit back against the panel. "I'm fine, guys. Just stay where you are."
Corbyn moved around like a tiger in a cage, his fingers running through his hair as watched the group huddled together. "If you'd just shut up, nothing would have happened."
"The police are going to get us out. And you're going to jail." The dark blond boy called, eyes blazing as he saw the blood on her forehead. Karen pulled him down into her arms, hoping it wouldn't antagonize Corbyn more than it already had.
The blond stopped in front of them, steadily pointing his gun at their heads. "I don't mind hurting kids that don't know when to shut up, so you better stay silent from now on."
"Leave them alone, they're just kids." She blinked, feeling the droplets of blood run down over her eye, Corbyn Emery's dark gaze settling on her, making her swallow hard.
He was about to retort, safety clicked off again, when a loud bang sounded on the closed steel door.
"Corbyn Emery! Five-0, open up!"
The deep voice called and Karen sighed in relief, feeling that all was going to be fine soon. Corbyn turned around, his gun trained on the door, knowing the task force would breach soon enough.
"Come on, McGarrett! Show me what you got!" He called, reaching down to pull Justin up and held his gun against the boy's neck.
When the door was thrown open, everyone let out a cry of surprise, the kids sniffling as Karen pushed herself back on the ground. "It's gonna be fine, they're here to help." She whispered, trying to keep her voice calm and strong, while on the inside she was freaking out.
"Drop the gun, Corbyn, there's no need to hurt anybody." Steve called, his stance closed off the way he had been trained to do. "Don't make it worse than it already is."
The blond held on tightly as he felt Justin's shoulder twitch. "Oh no, buddy, you'll stay right here." He grinned at the Commander and looked over his shoulder, seeing no one else behind him. "You came alone? You must be very confident about taking me on."
"Oh I am." His eyes moved around the small space, making sure that everyone was unharmed before they fell on Karen, blood running down the side of her face but otherwise she was fine. Nudging his head at her, she answered his silent question with a nod.
Turning back to Corbyn, Steve took a step closer to him, gun trained at his head. "I'm telling you again, drop the gun."
"Or what?"
"Or I'll drop you." The Navy veteran looked at Justin, giving him a silent signal with a barely there nudge of his head and thankfully the boy understood what he meant. In the fraction of a second, Steve pulled the trigger on his gun and the bullet lodged itself in Corbyn's leg. He lost his grip on the gun he brought to the submarine.
A howl sounded throughout the control room and Karen saw Justin sprint towards the task force leader, standing behind him and watching the scene with wide eyes. "You good, buddy?"
"Yes, sir." the young boy responded, looking up at him.
Nodding his head, Steve put one hand on his shoulder while the other still trained his gun on the blond. "Get through the door, buddy. My team's waiting there for you guys."
Justin left after he saw his substitute teacher nod at him and the commander moved forward, pushing the fallen gun away with his foot. He leaned down and turned him over after he holstered his own firearm, keeping a knee on his lower back. Taking a zip tie Steve grabbed Corbyn's arms and pulled them together. "Corbyn Emery, you're arrested. Once you're out of here you can plan how you want to decorate your six by eight cell in Halawa."
Grunting, the blond turned his head to look at Steve. "I would have never done that, if they'd just given me a chance to prove myself. I would have been the best sailor the Navy could have seen, no one could have matched me."
"You know, the way I see it, you should have just stuck with the job your dad arranged for you. Now all they can do is visit you in jail."
Hauling him up, the leader of Five-0 pushed him through the entrance to the control room, glad that Danny and Chin were already waiting to take the scum bag away from him before he lost himself and shot him in the other leg, too. "Book 'em, Danno."
Nodding, the Jersey detective left the scene and Steve turned back to the rest of the freed hostages. "You guys doing okay?"
The kids shyly watched him before they turned to Karen, who nodded her head. He could see her wince at the movement and walked closer, holding his hand out. With the situation under control again he finally had the chance to take a better look at her, that familiar feeling washing over him again.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" the brunette finally asked when he helped her up to stand. "I have a feeling that we've seen each other before."
Shrugging his shoulders, Steve raised his hands indicating the kids to get up as well. "I'm not sure, we've probably seen each other around. It's not that big of an island I guess."
"Probably." she answered hesitantly, not sure what more to say. "I'm just glad you got us out of here, so thank you."
Smiling, he nodded his head at her. "You don't have to thank me. It's my job and I'm happy to save the day, ma'am."
"Protect and serve, right?" She grinned and held her hand out for him to shake. "Still I'm thanking you and please don't call me ma'am, the name's Karen."