Juliet Higgins was agitated. And she hated it.
She hated feeling useless, unable to do anything when she knew that something bad was happening. It didn't help her agitation that she had no idea what was happening, or where, or even why.
All she was sure of, was that Magnum and Katsumoto were in the middle of whatever was going on, and that something – or someone – was preventing them from getting in touch with her, or with Rick and TC.
So yes, she was agitated. She was pretty sure that Magnum would have used a different word, just to niggle at her and get under her skin. He would probably use a word like worried, or even terrified. But he wasn't here, so she could call it whatever she chose.
And she chose to call it agitated – and only mildly agitated, at that.
Her fingers clenched tightly around the edges of her laptop and she forced herself to loosen her grip. She shifted her fingers to the keyboard and pinged Magnum's phone again, sighing when she received the same response as she had the last four times she'd done that.
"Still nothing?" TC's voice was calm, but when she lifted her eyes from the screen, she could see a matching level of concern in his eyes.
"No, nothing. Other than confirmation that his phone is still where it was when I received that last message." She kept her tone even, matter-of-fact.
"He'll be okay, Jules." Rick's voice floated in from behind her, and a gentle hand reached over the seat to squeeze her shoulder.
Apparently, she wasn't as good at hiding her feelings as she believed. That wasn't good; lapses like that could get you killed in the field. She did her best to look unconcerned as she turned her head to meet Rick's eyes.
"I know you're worried." Rick managed a tiny smile. "We all are. But this is Thomas; he'll be okay."
"I'm not worried." Higgins aimed for nonchalant, realising she'd failed completely when TC chuckled quietly.
"Of course not, Higgy." The pilot rolled his eyes at her, then focussed back on the chopper's path over Honolulu. "Why would any of us ever worry about him?"
"It's not like he ever gives us a reason to worry." Rick tossed the comment into the silence.
Higgins couldn't stop herself snorting faintly in amusement at that idea, hearing similar sounds from Rick and TC.
"Yeah, see – you get it." Rick said, leaving Higgins in no doubt that both men were simply humouring her by pretending not to worry.
And that was when the realisation that had been percolating through her for a long while finally rose to the surface of her mind, clear as glass.
After Hannah had returned the second time, asking for help, she'd realised that Magnum and his friends had let her into their world, their family, and accepted her as one of their own. And after the siege at the estate, she'd understood that they would stand by her when she needed them, without her needing to ask.
But right now, she finally understood the true depth of their acceptance. These two men, along with Magnum, treated her exactly as they treated each other. They saw beneath the façade she showed to the rest of the world, and knew what was going on in her head, and all without having to ask a single question.
They had no problem with her playing down her emotions, because they knew what she was really feeling. And she knew, without a doubt, that none of them would ever use her emotions against her, to manipulate her or control her. That was a gift beyond price, and she was more grateful for that gift than she would ever be able to say.
"Yes, I suppose I do get it." A wealth of emotion filled that phrase and she saw TC and Rick swap a glance, share a nod. Another whole conversation in a single moment; one she was mildly surprised to realise that she now understood. They shared her feelings, as well as her need to seem unmoved – and thought no less of her for that approach to the situation.
TC banked to the left, now clear of the Honolulu air space, and increased speed. Soon they were flying over the road he and Rick had been driving along barely two hours earlier. The helicopter swooped easily through the air, following the curve of the road, until Rick leaned forward and waved a hand at the strip of tarmac below them.
"There, TC. That's the spot where I lost him."
Higgins heard the self-recrimination in the words and shook her head.
"Whatever is going on here is not your fault, Rick."
"You weren't the one who lost the car, Jules." Rick shot back.
"No." Higgins agreed, tone bland. "But answer me this. Would you be angry at Magnum if he'd lost that car?"
"'Course not." Rick didn't even think about his answer. "Things happen."
"They do, don't they?" Higgins turned to watch Rick's face, raising one questioning eyebrow.
After a long moment, Rick finally nodded and graced her with a slight nod and smile. She turned back, following Rick's example and looking at the road below.
"See anything, Orville?" TC asked, emphasising Rick's full name.
"Not yet, Theodore." The matching emphasis from Rick had Higgins glancing at TC, noting the sudden relaxation of tension in the pilot's shoulders.
She caught TC's eye and tipped her head to one side, indicating Rick's position. TC offered her a single nod, and mouthed a silent 'Thank you', before looking away.
"TC." There was a sudden excitement in Rick's voice. "There."
"Where?" TC looked down, but couldn't see what Rick had spotted.
"Just to your left, just past the curve." Rick instructed. "Look at the trees there. There's a road under those branches."
TC circled the spot and settled the chopper into a hover over the section of greenery that Rick had pointed out.
Higgins stared down as well, noticing now that the section Rick had indicated seemed less dense than the surrounding trees. A clear indication that the trees forming the canopy were spaced further apart from each other.
"Nice." She offered the comment. "You can barely see that from the air; you certainly wouldn't see it from the road unless you knew exactly what you were looking for."
"Which means that Nick Stevens has been here before." Rick offered.
"Yes, it would seem so. And given the fact that he is using a well-hidden road, I'm highly inclined to think that he's definitely up to no good."
Rick snorted a laugh, waiting till Higgins turned to look at him before speaking again.
"You can't just say that he's a bad guy?"
"I believe I just did." Juliet's tone was arch and surprised a laugh from TC as well.
"You Brits are strange." Rick's fond murmur made her laugh as well.
"TC, would you mind?" Higgins spoke to the pilot, indicated the hidden road. "Slowly, if you could."
"Sure, Higgy."
The chopper followed the road, and Higgins noted how the patches of road became easier to see the further they got from the main road. Some of the areas looked as though they'd been cleared recently, suggesting that Nick Stevens had deliberately kept the turn-off overgrown.
"TC, stop." The command came from Rick, and TC immediately set the chopper into a hover, the rotors making the greenery beneath them flap madly.
Higgins turned her head, only to see Rick peering hard out the far side of the chopper. Then Rick turned back to look at her.
"Magnum's car is under that pair of trees just to the left of our position." He sounded sure and Higgins stared at the spot he'd mentioned. The greenery shifted in the rotor wash again and she caught a single flash of red in the deep shadows.
Admiration flowed through her at Rick's achievement. She would never have spotted that on her own.
"Well, at least we know we're in the right place to find Magnum." She was pleased that his car was still in the same area as the last location she had for his phone.
"Not just Thomas." Rick spoke again, tone serious. "Katsumoto's somewhere down there too."
"How do you know that?" Higgins asked, at the same time that TC tossed out a different question. "What else did you see, Orville?"
"Katsumoto's car is two trees away from the Ferrari."
"Are you sure?" Higgins shook her head, then flapped a hand in apology. "Sorry for that. Stupid question. Of course you're sure."
"No problem." Rick waved off the apology. "Any luck with their phones?"
Higgins tapped on her laptop again, sighing heavily.
"Still no answer, but the location pins are holding steady." She looked out the windscreen to calculate angle and distance. "Just over that ridge, slightly to your right, TC."
"Well, let's go see what's going on." Rick suggested, as TC banked slightly to the right and headed for the ridge.
"Hopefully, nothing more than a lack of phone service." Higgins murmured, before admitting what she truly thought. "But I somehow think it's much worse than that."
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Magnum took one last look at the open barn door, seeing no movement there. Then he let himself slide slowly down the wall, trying not to put too much pressure on the broken rib as he let his body roll to one side. He ended up lying on the floor, biting his lip hard to keep the pained whimper from being heard.
He let himself breathe for a long moment, then shifted away from the wall and used his legs to roll himself onto his back. A bit more wriggling had his arms straightened out at his sides and pulled as far apart as the chain would allow. Then he pulled his legs as far up towards his chest as he could, while sliding the chain down past his heels.
He managed to keep both feet in the air long enough to slip them underneath the chain connecting the two shackles, before dropping his heels back to the ground. For a moment, he appreciated the fact that he was wearing sneakers today, remembering how much more difficult that movement had been to carry out when wearing combat boots.
He let his hands fall again, feeling a huge measure of relief at the fact that they were now in front of him. He couldn't see a way to get the shackles unlocked, but at least now he could move more easily and keep his balance if he needed to run. A pleased grin filled his face.
He heard shuffling noises beside him, and rolled his head to the side. A matching grin met his gaze, showing that Katsumoto had followed his example and now had his hands in front of him as well.
He pushed himself upright and slid across the floor again to lean on the wall. Katsumoto shifted immediately to do the same, and they ended up in much the same positions they'd been in before getting free from the pipe. If the guy at the door glanced inside, it would seem that nothing had changed. If he looked closely, the difference in their situation would be obvious, but Magnum hoped that the guy wasn't the most observant person on the plantation.
"We need to get that guy out of the way." Katsumoto's murmur echoed Magnum's thoughts.
"Yeah, I know." Magnum nodded slightly, considering their options. Which were very few, all limited, and none with much potential for success. "But he's too far away for us to surprise him. If we tried, that would be the moment he'd choose to check on us."
"True." Gordon agreed. "Distraction, maybe?"
"Possibly." Magnum considered the layout of the barn for a moment, looking at the angle of the doors, the way the shadows were lengthening. "It's getting late. Those shadows will make it hard for him to see clearly when he first comes inside."
"He'll still be across the room from us, though."
"From you." Magnum laid out the details of his plan quickly. "I'm going to hide behind that door, use that shadow in the angle of the entrance."
"Are you?" Katsumoto raised one eyebrow. "And what will I be doing?"
"You're going to wait until I'm there, then you're going to call out to him. Get his attention, get him to come inside. As soon as he does, I'll jump him, take him down."
Magnum was already pushing himself to his feet, using the wall as a support against the ache in his side, when Gordon spoke again.
"Are you up to that?" The steady gaze moved from Magnum's face to his side and back again, asking another question entirely.
"I'll manage." Magnum shot the detective a determined look. "And it's not like I haven't got great backup. I've got you."
Katsumoto just shook his head, a faintly bemused smile lurking on his face as Magnum moved towards the far end of the barn.
Magnum kept to the wall of the barn as far as he could, using it for both support and cover. He only detoured from his path when packing crates against the wall left him no choice. He kept his pace slower than he would have liked, mostly because he didn't want to alert their captor. If he'd been in better shape, he'd have worried less, but he knew he'd only get one shot at bringing the man down. He couldn't afford to make a mistake, not with a life other than his own on the line as well.
When he reached the door, he slipped into the sharp angle near the hinges and peered through the gap. The tall man with the gun was right at the entrance, staring down the hill towards the other set of gates that Magnum had seen earlier. The man seemed to be waiting for something, or someone, his attention split between the distant gate and the men he was guarding.
Magnum moved slowly until he was standing just inside the leading edge of the door, then raised one hand slightly to send a thumbs-up sign to Katsumoto.
"Hey! You at the door!" Katsumoto managed to sound both worried and scared, and Magnum admired the man's acting skills. He could suddenly picture Gordon working undercover and being highly successful.
"There's something wrong with him!"
"Shut up." The flat words floated in from the doorway.
"He's not breathing!" Katsumoto sounded so worried that Magnum almost turned to look at the detective. If he hadn't known better, he'd have sworn – under oath no less – that Gordon was telling the truth.
That got the man moving, coming in the door at once. Magnum waited until the man was one step past the leading edge of the door, then made his move. He lifted his hands high above the man's head, dropping the chain of the shackles around their captor's neck and pulling back as hard as he could.
The man froze for a moment, then fought back hard, grabbing at Magnum's hands and trying to break the investigator's hold on him. Magnum tightened his grip, determined not to fail.
Their captor's struggles slowed for a second and Magnum thought that perhaps the man was about to pass out. But an unexpected jolt of searing pain in his side tore his attention from the chains, and he realised then that the man had elbowed him in the ribs.
He couldn't drag in enough air to ease the pain, as the grating of the broken rib had stolen his ability to draw a decent breath. He could feel the man tugging on his hands again, trying to pull Magnum's fingers free from their grip on the chain.
If he failed, he was signing his own death warrant. But worse than that, he would be signing Katsumoto's as well. That thought forced him to ignore the pain and hang on, pulling even harder.
The pain grew until his vision whited out almost completely. He could tell that he was about to reach his body's limit, but he ignored the warnings his mind was screaming at him, simply pushing on for one more minute.
Finally, their captor started to sag, body going limp as he collapsed on the dusty floor. Magnum let himself fall with the man, hanging on to the chain until he was sure the man was unconscious. Then he let himself roll to one side, collapsing on his back as he heaved in air, right hand clasped to his side to support the broken bone.
Seconds later, he felt hands touching him, running around his wrists. He didn't even think before trying to land a punch in the new attacker's face, only to have his fist grabbed gently.
"It's me, Magnum." He knew that voice. Katsumoto.
The tension in his muscles eased, and he forced his eyes to focus. The police detective was holding a key in front of Magnum's eyes. Katsumoto must have found it in their captor's pocket. How had he missed the detective crossing the floor and searching their captor? That sort of lapse was unforgivable.
"I'm just getting these off, okay?"
Magnum nodded, waiting as the other man unlocked one shackle and then the other, dropping them on the floor when he was done. Then Katsumoto unlocked his own shackles as well.
As Magnum eased himself upright, he watched Katsumoto drag their captor across the floor to the nearest wall. There, Katsumoto wrapped the chain of his recently-removed shackles around one of the support pillars for the barn, then fastened the manacles around the wrists of the unconscious man.
Magnum could see the satisfied look on Katsumoto's face as he left the man there, muttering as he headed back across to Magnum. "Enjoy the experience."
Magnum was already on his feet by the time Katsumoto reached his side, although he felt much steadier when the detective put a supportive hand on his back.
"Time to leave, I think." Magnum eyed the door, seeing how the light had changed. Evening was coming, and he'd rather not slog his way back to their cars in the dark. It would be too easy to trip and break an ankle. Not what either of them needed right now.
"Not yet." Katsumoto led the way to the open crate, letting Magnum rest against the side of the box while he rummaged inside it. Magnum shook his head, bemused.
"Why not?"
"I want proof of what's going on here." Katsumoto lifted out one package of the black coral. Magnum stared at the bag, the contents looking like desiccated twigs, and wondered how something like that could be worth killing for. Worth threatening a child, and destroying a good man's career.
"Okay." He sighed in resignation, knowing that getting the proof was necessary. Especially to clear Katsumoto's name with Internal Affairs. "But can we be quick about it?"
He should have been expecting the exasperated snort from Gordon. The man promptly left Magnum's side and headed for the second crate, which had already been sealed for shipping. A clipboard rested on the lid of the box, a sheaf of documents attached to it. Katsumoto scanned the documents quickly, took all of them from the clipboard and folded them around the package of black coral, and slipped the wad into his jacket pocket.
"Quick enough for you?"
"Yeah." Magnum nodded, straightening up and holding his right arm flush to his side. He realised what he'd done when Katsumoto looked closely at him, and Magnum wondered suddenly just when he'd become so accustomed to breaking ribs that supporting them had become second nature.
They headed for the doorway, pausing just inside the open doors to take in the situation outside. Magnum sighed when his quick reconnaissance showed that his memory was accurate: the only other building in sight was the main barn and warehouse-type building, down near what looked like the official entrance to the property. At least, the only other building in use, with the possibility of a working telephone.
A black Mercedes was parked just inside the gate, and Magnum stared at it, a random memory sparking from something Higgins had said this morning. Nick Stevens drove a Mercedes, a black one. Could it be a coincidence? Surely it had to be. Or was it something else?
Behind them, further up the hill, was the dilapidated older building he'd passed on his way into the property. It was as much of a wreck as he remembered, the wood barely holding together in some places, and looking like a strong breeze would scatter the remains like ashes in the wind.
Beyond that building was the treeline, and the heavily-forested area leading to the back road where their cars were waiting for them.
Magnum looked across to Katsumoto, trying to read the other man's thoughts about which way to go. Magnum waited a moment, then Katsumoto indicated the building near the gate.
"Best option to make contact with the authorities." The tone was cool logic.
Magnum considered for another second, then tipped his head towards the treeline.
"It's further. More difficult terrain. And you're hurting." Katsumoto was unfailingly logical again, and Magnum acknowledged it with a nod.
"I know. But the cars are that way." He shifted his feet, ready to move. "If we go down there, we risk letting them know that we're free, that you've got evidence about their smuggling."
"Okay, I'll give you that." Katsumoto agreed. "But it's the best option for you."
"I'll be fine." Magnum waved the concern away and slipped through the doorway, hearing the detective moving right behind him.
Before starting the walk up the steep slope to the treeline, Magnum took one more look at the main entrance, seeing a man walk away from the crowd of workers, past the Mercedes and head along the fence line. In just a few minutes, that walk would lead the man right to their position.
He tapped Katsumoto on the shoulder and indicated the man.
"Everyone down there was listening to him, came to see him. Maybe he's the big boss here." He thought again about heading for the cars, then changed his mind. "We should get closer to him. Maybe find out who he is. See what else we can find out."
"You were the one who wanted to head for the cars." Exasperation coloured the words.
"Yeah, I know." Magnum conceded that point. "But if you can see this guy, up close, add a solid identification to that evidence in your pocket …"
"I can bring down the smugglers."
"Clear your name." Magnum offered, his priorities somewhat different. "And way more important, if we're right – get the guy who threatened Dennis."
Magnum watched the options play over Katsumoto's face, indecision filling the man's dark eyes. He could see that the detective in Katsumoto wanted to arrest the criminals and end the smuggling, but his friend Gordy wanted to protect Magnum, while the father in Katsumoto simply wanted to find the person who'd threatened his son and make them pay for their sins.
As far as Magnum was concerned, it was a really simple decision.
Family came first. Always. No exceptions.
"Let's go get that guy." The words were cold and clear, and Magnum started down the hill. He could feel Katsumoto at his back, and knew the other man was watching for any attack from behind them.
But they'd only made it partway down the slope towards the main plantation when the man from the Mercedes stepped out of the trees near the fence.
Magnum stared at him for a moment, recognising that it actually was Nick Stevens. So the black Mercedes hadn't been a coincidence after all.
Who'd have imagined that this operation was what Stevens had been hiding from his partner? And that Katsumoto would have followed a completely different trail to end up here as well? Sometimes, truth really was stranger than fiction. He could see Robin Masters enjoying this story, and finding a way to work it into a new novel, even if the smaller details had to be changed to fit whatever story he was writing at the time.
Nick Stevens stared back at them for a frozen moment, then quickly bent down to retrieve a gun from an ankle holster. Without hesitation, he fired one round into the ground between himself and the spot where Magnum and Katsumoto stood.
Magnum felt Katsumoto grab his shoulder and let the detective pull him one step backward. Down at the main gate, workers were pouring out of the barn, most of them frantically looking around for the source of the gunshot. But a handful of men had reacting differently, producing guns of their own and immediately heading towards Nick Stevens.
"There's too many of them, Magnum." Katsumoto kept tugging his shoulder, and Magnum conceded the issue. Unarmed, they had no chance of besting that many opponents.
"We've got no choice. Head for the cars." Magnum spun around to see that Katsumoto was already heading for the treeline, a bare step ahead of the investigator. He followed, hoping Nick Stevens had terrible aim. He didn't need to get shot in the back, or to see that happen to Gordon.
A sharp report had him flinching reflexively, but the bullet passed to the right of them. Another bullet winged past on the left, much closer this time, and Magnum saw Katsumoto flinch as well. But the two bracketing shots answered his question about Nick Stevens. Not a bad shot at all.
"We're not going to make the trees." Magnum forced himself to close the small gap between himself and Gordon, finishing the thought in a rush. "He's trying to herd us away from the trees."
"And his guys will be coming up that side," Katsumoto indicated the opposite direction from Nick Stevens, "and they'll box us in."
"Yeah." Magnum gasped out the answer, struggling to draw a deep breath. "We've got to get some cover."
"There's always that place." Katsumoto turned his steps towards the deserted barn and Magnum followed.
They fell through the doorway together, then did their best to shove the warped doors closed. That brought down a massive shower of dust from above their heads, and left Magnum blinking frantically to clear his eyes again.
He heard Katsumoto coughing next to him, and couldn't help but cough himself, the fine dust filling the air around them with the scent of decay and rotting wood.
There was no way to lock the doors, or even to bar them shut, so they headed deeper into the building. The early twilight sent dim slivers of light through the rotted gaps in the plank walls, and Magnum made use of the dim illumination to look around.
There was nothing much to be seen in the open space. A few partially rotted packing pallets were stacked next to one wall, the remains of a few empty crates scattered across the floor, everything thick with dust. At the far end of the barn he could see a ladder leading up to a loft section. It was missing a few rungs, and he couldn't imagine that it would survive even one of them trying to climb it, but perhaps there would be somewhere beneath the loft floor that offered more cover.
He headed that way, tugging quickly on Katsumoto's arm to pull the other man in that direction as well. Moments later, they'd reached the far corner of the barn. There they found one empty packing crate, its lid resting at an angle across the box, a few old canvas sacks that still smelt of coffee beans, and an area of deeper shadows.
What they didn't find was anything that could be used as a weapon.
"There's no way out." The words were matter-of-fact. Katsumoto turned to face Magnum, resigned but resolute.
Nick Stevens was right outside, and they had nowhere left to go. No way to defend themselves. Magnum pushed Katsumoto further into the shadows in the corner and ranged himself in front of his friend.
Magnum rested a hand on the packing crate, marshalling all the energy he had left. There was only one way into the barn, so Nick Stevens would be a target when he opened the door. If he could move quickly enough, maybe he could give Katsumoto an opening to escape, and enough time to get to his car.
Maybe this wouldn't end well for him. Who was he kidding? Of course it wasn't going to end well for him. An injured, unarmed, man against a guy with a gun? Put like that, the odds were terrible.
But in the greater scheme of things, that didn't really matter. Not if Gordon could get away.
The one door rattled on its sagging hinges, then groaned mournfully as Stevens pushed on it from outside. Magnum took as deep a breath as he could manage, and braced himself to move as soon as Nick Stevens stepped inside.
The opening widened, and the lengthening rays of the late afternoon sunlight speared through the gap. Under other circumstances, the dancing dust motes would have been almost beautiful. But all Magnum could focus on at the moment was the growing shadow on the floor. The shadow of a loaded gun.
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