CHAPTER 15

Tuesday afternoon, Kamekona's Shave Ice Stand:

Chin watched as Danny's expression changed from anxious, to relieved and then finally irritated over the duration of the phone call. Admittedly, Chin's stomach had plummeted when Steve hadn't answered his partner's call the first time. Then, Chin thought that perhaps, after what had transpired after Steve had left the hospital, that Steve may not want to talk to anyone, especially Danny, for a while. Luckily for them, however, Steve did answer the second call.

However, listening to Danny's rant, Chin wondered if Steve would ever want to answer the phone again.

"…are you forgetting about the Yakuza ninjas that tasered you in your own house?" Danny ranted.

There was a pause as Danny listened to Steve's answer. Then Danny hung up and turned to face Chin with a slightly confused expression on his face.

"He's fine," Danny summarised.

Chin raised his eyebrows at Danny's statement.

"Okay, he says he's fine. That he can handle it if someone does try to take him out. He also said that if he sees a uniform anywhere near the vicinity of his house, then bad things would happen. And no, he didn't specify what those things might be," Danny added.

Chin's lips quirked upwards slightly; not quite a smile, but close to it.

Danny sighed. "I swear, being partnered with that man gives me more heart attacks than the thought of a boy going anywhere near my sweet angel of a daughter."

"We should head back to HQ, see if Kono has made any headway on Miller's associates," Chin suggested, not wanting to get Danny started on another rant.

"Yeah," Danny said distractedly.

The atmosphere in the car on the drive back to headquarters was docile. The radio was on and Danny was humming away to a Bon Jovi song while Chin drove.

"Hey Chin?" Danny said suddenly.

"Yeah?" Chin said.

"When you worked with Steve's dad, did you ever get this feeling that trouble was about to rain down on you?" Danny asked.

Chin thought for a moment before glancing at Danny in amusement. "I can't say I had that exact feeling, but yeah, I kind of know what you mean. McGarrett's are trouble magnets. Why do you ask?"

"I've been trying to decide if what I'm feeling is just me worrying about Vivaldi trying to take out my partner, or if it's the same feeling I get when Steve is about to do something completely idiotic and dangerous," Danny explained.

"Those feelings could definitely be one and the same, given the situation. But you know how Steve can get. Once his mind is set on something, it's hard to get him off track," Chin said.

"That's what I'm worried about."

"You think Steve's going to go looking for the hitman?" Chin asked, glancing at Danny briefly before turning his eyes back on the road.

"No, I think he'll let the hitman come to him, just to prove he's not 'vulnerable'," Danny said, emphasising the word with air quotes.

Chin sighed. "Danny…"

"Yeah, I know. I'd feel the same after what he's just been through. But this feels just like what happened at the supermarket…Zero regard for himself."

"Well, this time we will make sure he's not alone," Chin said.

"You did hear me say that if he ever saw a uniform near the house—"

"—I heard. But he didn't say anything about anyone out of uniform, did he?" Chin said with a mischievous grin.

"Chin Ho Kelly. I love the way you think."

Tuesday evening, McGarrett residence:

Steve's mind hadn't turned off since the phone call with Danny. While it wasn't a common occurrence, having his enemies target him wasn't entirely out of the question. Vivaldi had directly threatened him and his family, after all. So, the news that he might be the next one on the list of a hitman wasn't completely unexpected.

He had been trained for all kinds of warfare during his time with the SEALs. Steve knew that whatever happened, he would be able to take them on. The only problem was that he was hindered by his injuries. But then, he's never let that stop him before, so why would he now?

Steve grabbed his phone off the desk and made his way towards the stairs to get ready for bed. He made sure the sling was still holding his arm securely. He wasn't an idiot, unlike what his team thought. While he didn't like the doctor's orders, he knew they were only in his best interest. Besides, a little rest never hurt anybody.

Just as his foot touched the first step, he heard a scratching sound. Steve craned his head, listening for where the strange sound was coming from. It was coming from the front of the house. Steve took his foot off the step and approached his front door.

The sound stopped suddenly. He glanced at the alarm pad next to the door. It had been disabled. And not by him.

Steve could almost hear Danny's admonishing tone about installing the alarm system the last time someone broke into his house as he thought about his options. He had his phone in his pocket, but his gun was upstairs. He left arm was still out of commission. He had the home advantage, but that didn't help him too much right now.

Suddenly, the lights went out. Steve knew that wasn't a coincidence. The power had definitely been cut, presumably by the same person that had disabled the alarm system. Steve shuffled quietly into the kitchen while listening for footsteps or any other noise that was out of place.

There!

There was a small click and then quiet, almost imperceptible footsteps coming from the living room.

He was no longer alone.

Steve moved further into the kitchen. He reached towards the knife block while keeping an eye on the kitchen entrance. He accidentally knocked the tray of drying dishes next to the sink as he stretched his arm out. The loud clatter made the footfalls pause. Steve cursed silently at having given away his position so carelessly.

It was silent as both Steve and the assailant waited for the other to make the first move.

Tuesday evening, Five-0 Headquarters:

Danny stared at his computer screen. The longer he stared, the more the words blurred together in a mosaic of black and white. Brian Miller's finances were squeaky clean. There was no reason why he would have tried to rob a petrol station. The man was actually quite well off, having plenty of savings in his bank accounts. That meant the robbery can't have been about money. Or could it?

Danny ran a hand through his hair as he tried to get his eyes to focus on the numbers on the screen. Sometimes, he never understood people and the reasons why they did stupid things. Like his partner, but that was another story for another day.

Speaking of his partner, Danny looked up from his computer to search for Chin. Chin was sitting in his office, staring at the ceiling. Danny shoved his chair back and made his way to Chin's office.

"Hey," Danny said as he knocked on Chin's door.

"Hey," Chin said, only minutely startled by Danny's entrance.

"So, nothing in Brian Miller's financials," Danny announced.

"Right…All of his coworkers checked out too," Chin explained unenthusiastically.

"Should we call it a night then?" Danny asked.

"Yeah," Chin agreed.

"Are you going by Steve's place?" Danny asked.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Of course," Danny said.

"Maybe we should call him first," Chin suggested.

"Yeah. Good call. We wouldn't want to get ourselves shot by showing up unannounced," Danny said sarcastically as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Chin started packing away all the files while Danny dialled his partner's number.

"It went straight to voicemail," Danny said, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"Try again," Chin said, also trying to mask the concern he felt.

Danny dialled again and waited for it to connect. When he got the automated message again, he shook his head at Chin.

"Kono!" Chin called out.

Kono came rushing in to Chin's office at the sound of her cousin's yell.

"Danny and I are going to Steve's house. Send HPD there now!" Chin said loudly.

"Steve's in trouble?" Kono asked.

"We think so," Danny answered. "He's not answering his phone."

Danny and Chin rushed out of headquarters and to Danny's Camaro. Danny didn't even wait for Chin to put on his seatbelt before pulling out of the parking lot at an alarming speed. All those times Danny ranted at Steve for driving recklessly…

Chin held on to the handle above the door as Danny took a corner a little too fast. Chin readjusted himself in the passenger seat as he held on for dear life.

"Stupid, idiotic Neanderthal," Danny muttered.

On a normal day, Danny's rants would be amusing. Today, however, Chin could hear the worry in his friend's voice. When Danny was worried, he expressed himself using a number of words. Not all of them very nice or appropriate for all age groups.

"If he had let us put a detail on his house, we wouldn't be in this position. Doesn't he realise how inconvenient this is? I bet when we get there, he is going to be lying on the couch watching TV or cleaning one of his many guns. What is he thinking?" Danny answered himself. "He isn't, of course. Typical SuperSEAL. Thinking he can take on a hitman in his condition. He's probably welcoming the challenge. Stupid."

Chin's shoulder slammed into the door as Danny turned abruptly onto Piikoi street. Their boss' house came into view as Danny sped down the street. Danny screeched to a halt in front of Steve's house. Steve's truck was sitting in the driveway. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary.

Danny climbed out of the car, his gun already out of its holster. Chin mimicked Danny's actions and they approached the house together and saw that the lights were off. That in itself wasn't unusual, but the uneasy feeling in Danny's gut was.

"Hey Chin," Danny whispered.

"Hmm?"

"You know that feeling I was telling you about before?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm feeling it right now," Danny said.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash from inside and a single, loud gunshot that echoed in the quiet neighbourhood.

Tuesday evening, McGarrett residence:

Knowing that the element of surprise was now gone, Steve changed his plan of attack. Carefully and silently, he removed his arm from his sling and placed it on the tiled floor. This way, he would have more mobility in a hand-to-hand fight, if it came to that.

Steve pressed himself against the wall as he listened for movement from the other room. A slight shuffling sound made Steve tense. He crouched next to the door, ready to catch the unknown assailant off-guard.

Steve could just make out a shadowy figure as they approached the doorway. The figure's hands were outstretched, holding what Steve assumed was a gun. Steve lunged forward and grabbed the assailant's arms. He twisted the hand holding the gun, causing the weapon to fall to the ground with a loud clunk. In the darkness, neither man could see where the gun landed.

The assailant didn't let the loss of their weapon deter them. They responded by pulling their other hand from Steve's grasp and ramming that fist into Steve's jaw. The blow sent Steve into the wall behind him. Before Steve could get his feet back under him, the assailant was already on him, delivering punch after punch to Steve's face and midsection. Steve cried out when he felt his cracked ribs break after a hard punch. The sound echoed off the tiles in the room.

Steve tried to swallow down the pain as he looked for any opening where he could get in a hit of his own. Both men paused when the sound of Steve's phone ringing added to the cacophony taking place. The distraction was just enough to take the assailant's attention off of Steve for a moment. A moment was all that Steve needed.

Steve gathered all his remaining strength and wrapped his legs around the mystery man. As one, the two men rolled to the right and stopped when Steve was on top. Steve tried to punch the man in the jaw but was immediately blocked when they raised their arm to protect their face from Steve's onslaught.

Steve saw white when the man below him kneed him in the side, right where his still-healing stab wound was. Steve fell backwards, away from the assailant. He lay there for a moment, trying to get his bearings back. By the time his vision returned, the other man was already on their feet and ready to begin their next attack.

Steve looked up just in time to roll out of the way as the attacker dropped their elbow to the ground. Steve scrambled to get away from the man as he readied himself for another attack. Steve felt something cold and hard next to his left leg.

The gun!

Steve reached out with his left hand to reach for the weapon. The assailant, having realised what Steve was doing, kicked out at Steve's hand. The force of the kick was enough to reawaken the pain in Steve's shoulder. Steve gritted his teeth against the pain, refusing to let it consume him.

Steve had finally gotten onto all-fours, bracing himself to stand when suddenly, he felt an arm go around his neck and pull him upright. Steve threw his good arm backward, elbowing the man in the side repeatedly until the grip loosened. Using the rush of adrenaline, Steve bent forward and flipped the man over his head.

Steve heard the sound of air rushing from the other man's lungs as he collided with the hard, tiled floor. Steve took advantage of the man's momentary misfortune and tried to spot the gun in the darkness. He thought he could see it in the doorway.

He shuffled over to the doorway, his side smarting with the movement. He felt, more than heard, the other man standing up. Steve quickly bent down to grab the gun. He stood and turned, gun in his hand, only to be forced back onto the ground as the man lunged at him, taking them both to the ground.

Steve kept his tight grip on the gun as the man tried to wrestle it from his grasp. Even when he tried to punch him, Steve still held on. The other man then dug his fingers into Steve's injured shoulder. Steve cried out with pain and involuntarily let go of the gun. Before the assailant could grab it, Steve pushed it away from both of them with his other hand.

Steve used his legs to push the man off him. He rolled to the side and stood, ready for the other man. The other man had regained his balance and was already coming at Steve, but Steve was ready this time. Steve blocked every punch and jab. The assailant had obviously been trained in advanced hand-to-hand combat.

Steve delivered a wicked right hook to the man's face, which caused him to stagger backwards. Steve took the opportunity and continued his assault. He delivered punch after punch to the man's face and abdomen, not giving the other man a chance to recover.

Just when Steve was beginning to get the upper hand, the man ducked under Steve's outstretched arm, grabbing it and twisting it behind Steve's back as he pivoted. In this position, Steve could barely move, especially since it was his injured arm being contorted. Steve hissed as the man pulled his arm higher, forcing Steve to bend over slightly to accommodate the movement.

Steve could feel intense pain shooting down his arm and across his chest. He knew he couldn't let this go any further, otherwise he would have a dislocated shoulder as well as a cracked collarbone. Steve raised his right foot and, with all the energy he had left, kicked backwards. He was rewarded with a crunching sound and a cry of pain, as well as the release of his arm.

Steve dove forwards and grabbed his sling off the ground. He turned around, not surprised to find the other man having possession of the gun once again. Steve kicked out at the man and pushed him backwards into the sink.

The man tried to use the bench to right himself, but instead caused the disk rack to topple to the floor. There was an almighty crash as the dishes fell to the floor, sending sharp, ceramic and glass shards in all directions. Steve stepped forward and grabbed the assailant's arm. He twisted, and wrapped the sling around the other man's arm, pulling it over his shoulder, effectively placing him in an improvised strangle hold.

The man tried to turn the gun on Steve, but Steve grabbed the other arm, twisted, causing the man's wrist to snap. The gun discharged, but thankfully didn't hit anyone.

There was a loud bang from the front of the house. Steve heard his name called out and moments later there were two flashlight beams being directed straight at his face. Steve squinted and could just make out Chin and Danny behind the bright lights.

"What took you so long?" Steve asked.

"Wha…What?" Danny sputtered.

"You took your time," Steve said dryly, still holding on to the struggling man.

Chin snorted at Steve's comment. Steve's statement couldn't have been further from the truth. Breathing heavily, Danny ran his flashlight over the kitchen and the chaos that must have taken place moments before.

"You're not wearing your sling," Danny commented.

"True, but it was useful for other things," Steve said as the man currently trapped in the device groaned loudly.

"I can see that," Danny said evenly as he glared at the hitman.

Suddenly, Steve faltered a bit. The adrenaline dump had come on quite suddenly.

"How about you hand him over to Chin?" Danny suggested as he took in his partner's appearance.

Reluctantly, Steve released his hold on the hitman into Chin's custody. Steve watched as Chin cuffed him before shoving him out of the kitchen.

"Come on, SuperSEAL," Danny said, motioning for Steve to follow him.

Steve followed, careful to avoid the debris on the ground. His shoulder, chest and side were throbbing. Hell, everything hurt. He moved like an old man as he followed Danny into the living room. As Danny waved his flashlight over the room, something caught his eye.

"God damn it!" Steve yelled.

Danny jumped. "What?"

Steve sighed. "I just repaired that wall!"

Steve stared at the bullet hole in the wall next to the lanai doors. The bullet, while not having gone through anyone, had gone through the newly plastered wall. The wall he had repaired just last week.