"Sir, please, I can't sit this one out," Junior beseeched.
The team had gathered in the bullpen area upstairs at the palace after getting the last text from Gabriel. Steve had casually selected Junior to be the Five-0 emissary as fulfillment of his promise to James Okala to protect his family. Because of their history, it was a foregone conclusion that Adam and Kono would accompany Steve at Chin's meeting with Gabriel. With Lou incapacitated, that only left Junior to act as escort.
"Junior, look, I'm sorry, but I need you for this part of the operation. I promised."
"But, we're not even using the intel he gave us!" Junior's frustration was rising and he let his tone do the same.
"I still gave my word that Five-0 would look out for his wife and kids, and that's what we're going to do. End of story."
"Steve, you should not be coming with us anyway. Maybe you could head up the detail." Kono tried without confidence.
"We are not doing this again. I'm coming with you," Steve spat back, sick of the unreasonable concern.
Junior felt like he could jump out of his skin. "Sir, it's Tani. I mean, it's…"
"I'll go," Jerry chimed in.
"Jerry?"
"I'll go. I'll do it. I can be Five-0's representative to fulfill your promise. I've been practicing at the range and I'll be with a very qualified HPD detail. Lou can handle the communications from here and let's face it, you need every one you can get."
"That's not a bad idea," Lou advised. "I would go, but I'd be a little slow and awkward on these things." He lifted one of his crutches to make his point. "Like Jerry said, I can take care of things here."
Steve's eyes drifted from side to side as he mulled over the proposal. "All right," he finally concluded, his decision hastened by their limited time. "But no gun. Leave that to HPD."
"Yeah?" Junior almost squeaked as he needed to hear it again.
"Yeah, all right," Steve was more convincing this time.
"Yes, sir," Jerry said as his hesitance morphed into an unexpected infusion of confidence. "I'll make you proud."
"I know you will," Steve assured as he laid his hand on his arm. "Thank you, Jerry."
The younger members dispersed to prepare. Steve and Lou were the only ones left. "Good call," Lou commented. "That was the right thing to do, you know."
Having the approval of the experienced veteran helped to quell his unease. He nodded at his mentor and confidant, thankful for the support.
"I wish I could go with you," he added.
"I know," Steve said, "but in this case, with Jerry gone, you're gonna be right where we need you."
"Go bring 'em home."
"We will," Steve pledged. "We will."
~~~~~H50~~~~~
Steve knew why Gabriel had selected the meeting point. It was logistically an ideal spot. He probably would have chosen the same. It was readily accessible by air, water, and land. The rarely used airfield in Kalaeloa allowed passage of small planes or helicopters. Its outskirts were weakly protected by a bordering chain link fence. A large nearby drainage canal emptied into the ocean for fast access to or from water, and entry to the H1 was less than a mile away. There were paved and unpaved roads crisscrossing the area with plenty of concealing scrub forestry, not to mention the hundreds of buildings, large and small, at the industrial park on the other side of the canal from the meeting place. There was no way to know by which means he would arrive, nor what exit strategy he would choose.
When they arrived, two vehicles were already there, angled toward each other at one end of an unused runway. Chin's car crawled to a stop about a hundred feet in front of them. He took a full two minutes before he stepped out of his vehicle and went to the front of his car. He could see headlights from a fourth car approaching. It stopped in the middle of the other two. The latest arrival prompted the other cars to turn on their lights to aid in illuminating the area, while making it more difficult for Chin to see inside the vehicles.
"Chin, can you see anything?" came Steve's voice in his earpiece.
"Negative," he tilted his head down and responded with minimal movement of his lips.
"Our new arrival looks like the Audi, but it's too dark behind the lights to see," Kono expanded on Chin's answer from her place in the back seat of his car after hearing the same transmission.
"We don't have the angle yet for the NVGs. Stand by." A few seconds went by before Steve added, "We're going to readjust our position. We'll keep you posted." Steve, Junior, and Adam had moved into the vicinity on foot after being dropped almost a kilometer out. They now took cover behind a couple of the many cloned container storage buildings at the edge of the airstrip.
"Better make it fast boss," Kono advised. "They're getting out of their cars."
She had seen someone get out of the passenger side of the center car and walk toward Chin. Moving shadows indicated the drivers of the other two cars got out as well but remained near their vehicles.
"It's him. Again, confirming, Gabriel is here," she said. Even though it seemed impossible to be any more wired than they already were, everyone tensed up a little more at the acknowledgement.
"Any sign of Danny and Tani?" Steve asked through the communication device.
"Not yet," she informed.
"Wait. I see," she and Chin heard Junior say. "I see two figures in the back seat."
"He's right, Steve," Adam added. "I see them, too."
"All right, everyone, stay alert," Steve ordered.
"Sir, I count four hostiles," Junior informed.
"They're outnumbered four to five. I like it," Kono assessed.
~~~~~H50~~~~
Gabriel looked inquisitively at the car behind Chin. "Is she here?" he eagerly asked.
"She's asleep." Chin tossed his head in the direction of his car. "Kono's with her."
"Kono, huh? Where's the lovely Inspector Dunn, or should I say Kelly?"
"Back at the hotel," Chin drew on his planned response. "She wants nothing to do with this."
Gabriel tilted his head to the side as his brow furrowed. "I thought you were staying at your cousin's house," he challenged.
Surprised that Abby's location caught his attention instead of her supposed reluctance to be present, Chin had to think quickly. "Her house is small. Got a little too crowded. Where are Officer Rey and Detective Williams?" he deflected.
~~~~~H50~~~~~
Like Junior, Steve had found an angle where he was able to see the meeting with the night vision goggles. He, too, had seen the figures in the back seat of the car and when he heard Chin ask the question, he held his breath. As his answer, he saw Gabriel turn and gesture to the men from the bordering cars. Each opened a rear door of Gabriel's car and helped the two individuals out. Both had their hands pulled behind them and both were wearing black hoods that completely covered their heads.
"It's them," Steve heard Junior breathe out in eager anticipation.
Steve found his breath with his relief at seeing his people. "Hold your position," he whispered, feeling like he needed to ground Junior before he acted on impulse. One of the two hostages was obviously female. The other was male, wearing a button up shirt that had dark stains down the front. He recognized the shirt, and the conclusion he drew, based on the picture Gabriel had sent him, was that the stains were dried blood, Danny's blood. Danny's shirt, Danny's blood.
They saw Gabriel say something to the man behind and to his left. The man brought one of their captives forward by the arm. Gabriel's face seemed proud and smug as he unveiled one of his prizes.
They watched as Tani shook her head as soon as it was uncovered as if to clear away the offensiveness of the hood. She blinked her eyes to hasten her vision's return, which was difficult with the limited light. When she saw Chin standing in front of her, her eyes got wide and she tried unsuccessfully to speak through the gag that had been forced on her.
"Commander?" Junior spoke without intending to.
"Hold. She's okay. Be patient. We have to get Chin's signal." His own voice sounded odd to his ears, like he was in a tunnel. Danny's shirt, Danny's blood.
"Yes, sir."
Now it was Junior's voice that sounded muted, faraway. Background noises grew indistinct. Danny's shirt, Danny's blood. Ironically, his breathing and heartbeat seemed louder.
"Come on, is that necessary?" They heard Chin express his displeasure over the gag. They could see Gabriel was talking again but they couldn't hear his side of the conversation. Chin responded, "I'm not stalling. She's asleep and I need to know that you're…" Chin stopped mid-sentence when Gabriel threw up his hands and nervously started to shift his head in different directions. They saw him take a step back and pull Tani toward him.
Steve tensed at Gabriel's unexpected reaction. Danny's shirt, Danny's blood.
"I've got him, Chin," Junior informed. "Say it. They'll go down."
"No, hold," Steve ordered. He had been staring at the hooded prisoner. He saw Danny's shirt and Danny's blood. "It's not right."
"Commander?" Junior questioned.
"Steve?" Adam asked from his perch. "What's not right?"
The pounding of Steve's heart eased and the relentless mantra of his intuitive conscience ceased as he felt a cold shiver tickle his spine the moment his nettling feeling became an undeniable realization. "Danny. That's not Danny."
~to be continued~
\,,,/BronsonL