Just as Danny had predicted, Chin had given a believable reason to not come in the next morning. Danny's excuse was a little more genuine as he was following up on a breadcrumb from the case. He'd gotten multiple offers for company, but he declined them all and thankfully didn't get a lot of flak, figuring they thought he needed time alone. He was second guessing that decision when he pulled into a prime spot along the street and across from the gentleman's club. He could see every patron coming and going and there he waited.

The Camaro was too familiar. Chin would have made it in an instant, but he had never seen this gold Toyota SUV that Rachel had only owned for about a year. She had been easier to persuade than he thought. Even though she didn't have the excuse of having an appointment or a scheduled engagement, he still thought he would have to do more talking to coerce her into letting him borrow her car. He had prepared a full argument to back his request, summarized and ready to be recited in numeric order, but it just wasn't needed.

"I thought you got rid of that old thing years ago," she had said as he stood on the stoop, turning the blue Mets ballcap around and around in his hands in a nervous tic.

"Yeah, uh, no, just something for work," he had likewise nervously responded as he shoved the thing into his back pocket. She had invited him into her kitchen and stood with her hands on her hips as she listened to him use small talk as his opening statement to gradually prepare her for the blow. When he had finally got around to actually letting her know what he was there for, she had simply said, "Okay."

She had already started walking to where she kept her purse to get her keys as he questioned, "Okay?"

"Yes, okay." She had dangled the keys in front of him.

"All right, then. Thanks, Rach. I owe you one."

"Not necessary. Just no bullet holes, got it?"

"Yeah, right, no bullet holes." She had said it so matter-of-factly, that he did the same. With a sly smile he had added, "Keep the keys to the Camaro away from Grace?"

She had mimicked the smile and tilted her head to the side. He had quickly grabbed her shoulders and gave her a peck on the cheek followed by a final request for her to pass along his love to the kids. Then he had left in his newly acquired, unassuming vehicle.

Now he waited. The text had said for Chin to be there at noon and he had ten minutes to spare. Chin arrived with about five of those left. Peering from underneath the pulled down cap, Danny saw him survey his surroundings. Thankfully, Chin had not seen him. Danny watched as Chin sat in his white rental car, like him, waiting out the remaining minutes. Unless he had gotten another text, Chin was working on the same information as he was. He had just been instructed to come to this location, at this time, on this day, and no more.

Danny saw him open his car door, ostensibly to go into the establishment. Danny grabbed his door handle to get out as well, as soon as the coast was clear, but he paused when he saw Chin look to his phone and then close the door back. He pulled back into the traffic and Danny did a U turn to follow.

Once again knowing Chin's training and experience, Danny had to follow farther back than he normally would tailing a run-of-the-mill perp, and except for some close calls with traffic lights, he was able to keep him in his sights throughout the trip out of town.

The rural area would be easier for him to follow but more difficult to remain unseen. At this point, though, he had come too far. He wasn't about to break off now. So, he continued to stay as far back and with as many cars between them as possible until they arrived at what now appeared was going to be a remote destination.

Chin turned off the main road right in the midst of the vast pineapple farms. He then left the side road into an unanticipated, tightly clustered neighborhood. This small, but tightly packed, community in the middle of nowhere had to be the social and economic byproduct of the numerous employees of the nearby agricultural industry. He was about a block away from Chin when he saw him pull into the empty parking lot of the area's lone elementary school.

Danny didn't know if this was the ultimate destination or another red herring checkpoint before sending him off again to another unknown location. He continued at his same slow speed as he tipped the bill of his cap once again and looked away as he passed by, opting to back into a nearby driveway, covered above by a second-floor balcony. He surmised that the home's occupant was likely not there due to the hour in the middle of a work day and the fact that the spot was available in the first place. The vantage point wasn't the best, but the shadowed area aided in his concealment. As he sat in silence, he got the confirmation he needed to know that he had, in fact, arrived at their final stop.

~~~~~H50~~~~~

Chin thought the location odd, but he was dealing with a crazy man. There wasn't another vehicle in this lot, but there were several other lots around the campus that he couldn't see with the multiple small buildings interspersed on the property. Taking a deep breath, he removed his gun from his holster and placed it in the glove compartment. He then exited his car, taking in his surroundings. It appeared to him as if he were all alone.

As he had been directed, he guardedly tried the door under the white awning. He wasn't surprised to find it unlocked. Stepping inside, he noticed cooler, but not comfortable, air. The thermostat had obviously been adjusted for the summer vacation break and a bead of sweat wasted no time rolling down the side of his face.

He looked to either side of him and found the hallways deserted. Although no one was around, an eerie chill ran up his spine as he felt as if he were being watched. The entrance to the gym was down the hall that was to his left, clearly labeled with bright yellow and cerulean blue paint. One of the two doors was open and he cautiously entered, wondering if he had just stepped into the lions' den. On the other side of the gym floor was a single metal door that noisily opened, almost simultaneously with his arrival. The elusive ghost had materialized. The loathsome degenerate had somehow crawled his way out of hell and now stood across from him.

He heard the door behind him close and didn't flinch when he felt the touch of two hands patting him down from behind. It was expected. This third attendee to the meeting had most likely been waiting behind the open door. He didn't bother to turn to see the new addition, at least not yet, as he couldn't quite take his eyes off of the man in front of him.

Gabriel sauntered closer. As he progressed forward, he raised his arms up and to the sides and turned all the way around in a giant sweeping motion for Chin to see that he, likewise, was unarmed. Chin was unimpressed by the performance, knowing full well that Gabriel wouldn't meet him without having an upper hand, most likely the man behind him.

Gabriel stopped about ten feet from him and spoke first. "Chin."

"Gabriel," he parried.

"You like our meeting place?" He didn't give Chin the chance to respond. "I thought it was fitting for our subject matter today… aaand I have a friend with connections. Nice outta the way place," he proudly added. "You got a few more lines around the eyes since last time I saw you."

Chin remained stolid and didn't offer a response.

Gabriel smirked at his lack of engagement and took one step forward. Reining in his smile, his face clouded in seriousness. "All right then, let's get down to brass tacks. Three years ago, I asked you to step in for me. Remember?"

Once again, Chin remained resolved.

His silence irked Gabriel. He stepped even closer and jerked his tee shirt up for Chin to see the scar on his abdomen. "Remember?! Remember that day, Chin? I almost died."

Chin's eyes flitted down to the wound that he had cauterized. "We were told you did die that day."

Gabriel lowered his shirt and took a deep, calming breath. The smirk returned. "Yeah, I guess I had a guardian angel looking out for me that day… A very rich guardian angel. You were told what you were supposed to be told. You and your cohorts were probably too head over heels in jubilation to confirm it."

"They gave me your ashes."

"Not mine… obviously. Some other miserable, unknown soul." Gabriel stared at Chin for several long seconds, trying to gauge his reception of his version of the story. "So anyway, you do remember. How is she?"

Chin shifted on his feet, the first time he had wavered since meeting with Gabriel. "She's well, no thanks to you."

"No thanks to me?" Gabriel tilted his head and squinted his eyes in confusion. "That California air must have done something to your brain, brother-in-law."

"Don't call me that."

"Oh, excuse me, what should I call you? Father of the year? Thanks to you, Sara almost died." Again, Chin was silent as he realized where Gabriel was going. "You let Carlos Diego kidnap her. I should have learned my lesson. I thought I could trust you, but just like with Malia, you failed."

"Not… like Malia! We got Sara back, safe and sound. And by the way, Diego said you two were friends. What about that?"

"He lied," Gabriel snapped.

Chin ignored him. "If you were friends, it's on you that Sara was kidnapped."

Gabriel was enraged and stepped nose to nose with Chin. "I want… her back. You've proven you can't be trusted. I can take care of her now, the way she deserves."

Now Chin smiled, "Do you honestly think I'd just hand her over? Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"I'm her father and I can give her everything. She'd want for nothing."

"You can't give her a normal childhood and a wholesome upbringing with a family, an ohana, that loves and supports her at all times, not some poisonous, depraved environment, constantly surrounded by a den of vipers."

"You're wrong..."

"I'm right!" he interrupted. "And there is no way, no way in hell, I'd ever let you get your filthy, greedy, murderous hands on my daughter."

"My… daughter," Gabriel vainly tried to correct him.

"Sara has forgotten you. She doesn't even know you exist and you're never going to see my daughter again. You're going to be behind bars anyway. You might as well make it easy on yourself and turn yourself in."

The anger he felt from Chin's obdurate paternal declaration was forgotten as he hardily laughed at his last statement. "You mean, make it easy on you. No, I'm not going to do that. You know me better than that." Gabriel sighed and hung his head low, studying the ground before looking back at Chin. "I thought I could reason with you. I thought maybe, just maybe, somewhere down underneath that hardcore, holier than thou, virtuous exterior, there'd be a part of you that could empathize with me now that you've experienced what it's like. I thought you would realize how I must feel and that it's what Malia would want."

Chin took a step forward and felt a hand on his shoulder. "Don't! Just don't even act like she would approve of this… of you." Even in his defiance, he felt a twinge of uncertainty. Malia had been so soft-hearted and loving. She had loved her brother and her hope for him had been unwavering… but she would hate the things he had done. He quickly dismissed his doubts and forged on in confidence. "She wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want that little girl near you."

"I guess that blue blood runs too deep. Sooo, by the time I'm done with you and your friends, you'll be begging me to take her back."

"Your threats aren't going to work either."

"They're not threats. Remember? How is the commander doing anyway? The distinguished captain? And, how about the rest of the band? Have you been in touch lately? This afternoon?" Gabriel sneered. He saw a flicker of concern in the eyes of his opponent which gratified him. "I know she's not here, but you better be making arrangements to get her back on the island. I'll be in touch soon."

Chin's resolve was gone. Gabriel took several long steps backward, putting distance between them as Chin lurched forward only to be caught by the arms by the one behind him. He was held in place a few moments as he wrestled with the hold, trying to get free as he watched Gabriel turn and disappear through the same door from which he had entered.

"Gabriel!" Chin shouted as he struggled to get free to chase after his adversary. "Gabriel!"

Chin slapped at his neck as he felt the sting of a needle. He fell to the ground in a slump, landing first on his knees and then, giving in to the drug, he connected with the hard, wooden floor. He had not felt the pain of the jarring impact though because he had gone numb and drifted off into unconsciousness soon after.

~to be continued~

\,,,/BronsonL