Chapter 5

Steve and Danno pulled up outside Frasier's house, checking the street before getting out. "It's clear," Danny said, locking the truck. Still, their hands were on their holsters as they approached, ready to draw their weapons if necessary. Danny knocked on the door as Steve still scanned the neighborhood. "Miss Frasier, it's Five-O," Danny called out, knocking. "You may be in danger, you need to come with us."

Emma opened the door quickly as Danny and Steve stepped inside. "What are you talking about? Are those kids coming back?"

Steve shook his head. "We have the two other men in custody, but we believe they were working for someone else, and that person may come back looking for the money."

"Oh my god." Emma exhaled. "Who? Who's coming?"

"If you can just get your things and come with us, that would be best," Steve knew he was dodging the question, but telling Emma the truth wasn't going to help her fear. "Really, time is of the essence. Can we help you get anything together?"

"No, I'll just grab my bag, we can go." Danny was going around the house, closing curtains and locking the back door. "There's not even any money...What about my house? What if they break in again?

"We'll put a couple of uniforms on the house to keep an eye out," Steve said, peeking out the window.

"I can take care of myself," Emma said plainly. The men were ready to protest, but she continued quickly packing a bag, throwing in a change of clothes and bare necessities. Danny stayed where he could watch both the front and back doors, and Steve followed Emma like a shadow. "You guys are making me nervous." Steve ignored her comment, sensing that a hollow reassurance of safety wouldn't work to break the tension in the room. "Where are we going?"

This, Steve could answer. "We'll take you back to our station until a safehouse is arranged. One of us will be with you the whole time."

"What about work?" Emma threw a pair of slippers into her bag and zipped it up, swinging it over her shoulder.

"We need some time to assess the threat against you. You going to work is not out of the question for the time being." Steve followed her back to the kitchen, where she grabbed her phone charger. "Ready?"

"Yes." She took a deep breath. "I think so, at least. This is kind of a whirlwind."

Danny opened the door and stepped outside, scanning the street. "Let's get this show on the road." The trio got into Steve's truck and Steve immediately started it, pulling away from the curb. It would be a long ride back to the station through rush hour traffic. Steve was at the wheel, so they were definitely going faster than the speed limit as they wound their way out of the neighborhood and onto the highway.

Emma was staring out the window and the lines of cars ahead of them. "It's almost worse than LA," She said as they inched along.

Although Steve mostly believed her, there was something about her that set off alarm bells in his gut. "How long were you in LA?"

"Six years."

"And before that?"

"I grew up over the border, in a small-ish town in Nevada. Went to school at UCLA." The truck has slowed to almost a standstill and Steve itched to turn on the sirens. It was muggy outside, so Steve kept the windows up. Emma was fidgeting in the back seat, cracking her knuckles.

Steve remembered reading in her file that she had majored in computer science, but still had a niggling urge to test her story. "You majored in Accounting, right?"

"Yeah," Emma replied, distracted.

Steve saw Danny's eyebrows raise at the response. Danny turned around in his seat to face her. "I took an accounting class in college. I failed it."

Emma harrumphed and nodded; her distraction rubbed Steve the wrong way. "Emma. We looked into your background. Your academic record at UCLA said you were a computer science major."

She sat up straighter in her seat, assuming a guarded expression. "It was accounting and technology. Computer accounting, that kind of thing."

Danny was still turned around in his seat, watching her intently. "We know you're lying about something, Emma. You tell a good story, but we'll figure out the truth eventually."

"I'm not lying! I...I just have a bad memory." Danny rolled his eyes.

Steve stepped in. "Emma, we can arrest you for obstructing justice if you don't answer our questions."

"You haven't mirandized me," she said without thinking.

Steve hit the steering wheel. "Things like that! You speak police. You shoot like police. But nothing in your background says police."

"I watch cop shows." She responded, trying desperately to keep the lies going.

The truck cab went silent. They were still sitting in traffic, and Steve kept checking his mirror. "Danny, you see the car three back in the left lane? No plates?"

"I see it."

"Keep an eye on it." Steve directed. He yanked the wheel to the right and into the open shoulder lane, immediately accelerating. Caught off guard, Danny swayed, but kept his eyes on the car, which was laying on the horn and trying to get over.

"You think they're following us?"

Danny nodded grimly. "Seems like it." Although they had gotten a head start, the car had maneuvered into the shoulder and was following. Out on the stopped highway, they were sitting ducks. Danny didn't know how Steve had seen the car, but there wasn't time to get an explanation. His adrenaline pumping, he looked into the rearview mirror at Emma. "Okay, we need the truth, and we need it now, before my little girl ends up without a Danno."

Both men could see the fear in her eyes. "Okay! Yes! I was a cop!"

"Were you dirty?" Steve asked, a hard edge to his voice. He pulled onto an exit, planning on finding some side streets to lose their tail.

"Nothing like that."

"Witsec?" Danny guessed. The second she said she was a cop, his feelings toward her had shifted. He still didn't totally trust her, but it sounded like the truth.

"My own version." She said, still fighting to keep her secrets. "I disappeared myself, and made a new backstory. That's what I did in LAPD, I worked making backgrounds for the undercover unit."

"You did a hell of a job." Steve said tersely. "But you still haven't said why you left."

"I was in danger." Her eyes also flicked out the windows, watching the car that kept gaining. "This is unrelated. I have no idea why those kids came after me, or why there is money buried in my shed."

"Your house used to be a mob home." Danny explained.

Emma cocked her head, "That explains the bulletproof glass."

"And now they think you have the money."

"And that explains the tail."

"Hang on," Steve said, turning wildly again. They were on a dirt road, winding up a hill and into a jungled area.

"Do you know where you're going?" Danno asked in his polite-but-concerned voice.

"Of course I do. We're going to Ito's house."

"Ito? The man who's trying to kill her, Ito?" Danny rubbed his forehead. Emma had blanched at the news. "And when exactly did you have this fabulous idea?"

"Since we made them. Emma's a cop, she can take care of herself. Give her the gun in the glovebox. We've got to grab Ito before he runs."

"I am not giving her a gun. She's not a cop, she's an ex-cop. And don't you think we should have some back up?" Danny saw Steve open his mouth and knew exactly what was coming. "Emma is not back up. Right now, she is the victim. This guy could be planning a cop massacre for all we know. Like you said, they made us! We no longer have the element of surprise!"

Steve pulled into a clearing, where Emma could see a shabby house and an old Chevy. "Danny, you have thirty seconds to decide. I'm going in, you're both welcome to join me."

Emma's mouth hung open. "I think I'm going to stay in the car." She said quietly. "I'm just…not ready for this." The men took a moment to look back at her, but couldn't spare another second to convince her.

"Hand us those vests." Danny said, making his decision clear. Steve and Danny quickly strapped on the bulletproof vests, checked their ammo, and took a second to case the place. Finally, they opened the doors. As soon as they stepped out, bullets started flying.