CHAPTER 16

Thursday evening, Five-0 Headquarters:

No one moved. No one spoke. No one dared to breath. The tension in the air was suffocating; the silence even more so. It felt as though moving, even the slightest bit, would cause a bomb to explode. That was an accurate way to describe the current situation.

"Um…hi," the newcomer began, slicing through the tension like a knife as they stepped forward.

Now the fuse had been lit. The cousins cringed as they waited for the expected eruption.

"Hi? Is that all you have to say right now?…Hi?" Danny exploded, his voice laced with anger.

Matthew Williams stood rooted to the spot. He could see the anger building in his older brother, like a boiling kettle. Danny's face and neck were red, his fists were clenched by his side and he was breathing as though he had just run a marathon. If one looked closely, steam could be seen coming from his ears.

"Um…" Matt said, unsure of what to say.

"Um?" came Danny's angry voice again. "Your vocabulary has not improved. You had better have a better explanation than 'um'!"

Matt was scared stiff. He had never seen his brother this worked up before. Sure, as kids, they pushed each other's buttons all the time. This, however, was a new level of rage and Matt knew he deserved every bit of it. Matt opened his mouth to say something, only to close it again. He had rehearsed what he was going to say, but now, facing his furious sibling, he was at a loss for words.

"Um…I…Um…Um…" Matt stuttered. Seeing Danny had definitely thrown him off.

Danny suddenly lunged towards his brother. Chin moved to intercept Danny, to hold him back, but before he knew it, Danny had landed a hard right hook into his brother's jaw, knocking him flat on his back with the force of it. Matt stayed on the floor, cupping his jaw with his hand. Danny stood over Matt, simmering.

Then, unexpectedly, Danny held out his hand to his brother. Matt took it cautiously. Danny pulled him up off the floor and then pulled him into a fierce hug. The cousins and Agent Kipton stared, confused by the sudden change in the small detective. Danny closed his eyes and held his brother tight. After a few moments, he released Matt and turned to face the others, smirking at the shocked looks on their faces.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to kill him. At least, not until this is all over," Danny said, glaring at his brother. Pointing his finger at his brother's chest, he said, "but you have a lot of explaining to do. Right now!"

Matt nodded, rubbing his sore jaw with his hand. He was trembling, unsure whether it was from fear or adrenaline. Either way, it didn't matter. Kono had produced a chair from her office and motioned for him to sit down.

"Alright Matt. Explain everything from the start and don't leave anything out. We need to know all of it," Kono said in a soft voice as she knelt down next to him.

Matt swallowed nervously and began his tale, beginning five months ago. He spent the next fifteen minutes explaining everything that had happened, leading up to this moment. He detailed how he had stolen the money from his clients and then made the deal with Fuentes to pay them back before they noticed anything was missing. Knowing the FBI was after him, he had taken some more money to help get himself off the island. After a month, Fuentes had called Matt, asking about his money. Matt told him he didn't have it. For a while, Matt worked for Fuentes to pay the money back. Eventually, Matt got away from Fuentes and spent a few months on the run. After being chased by a drug lord for months, he had turned himself into the FBI. In exchange for his safety, he had provided evidence against a few of Fuentes' loyal customers, allowing the FBI to put away a few key players in the drug trade. With those people out of commission, Fuentes took over and expanded his drug trade. The FBI needed a way to shut Fuentes down for good. They used the phone call to Danny as a ruse to draw Fuentes out. After Fuentes had called Matt about the money, he had escaped his handlers and gone on the run again. Until now.

The team had remained silent throughout Matt's explanation. It made sense, except for one thing.

"Why are you here and why now?" Danny asked.

Matt looked his brother in the eye. "Fuentes needs to be stopped. I turned myself in to help do that. Then, he threatened you and Grace. I've seen how vindictive Pedro Fuentes is. I couldn't stand to let that happen, especially to my family. Now, Steve and Grace are in serious trouble and it's all my fault. I never gave Fuentes the money, because it's still on this island."

"What do you mean, the money is still here?" Chin asked.

"I never left with it. It was drug money. I lied to Fuentes, saying I didn't have it. I thought it would make a small dent in his business, but apparently not."

"Why does he want the money, anyway? It sounds like his drug business brings in more than you owe him?" Kono asked.

"I think it's more about teaching me a lesson than actually getting the money. The kidnapping was to torment me more than anything."

"Why did you slip away from your handlers?" Chin asked.

"When Fuentes contacted me, I panicked. I knew the FBI wouldn't let me interact with Fuentes." Matt glanced at Kipton guiltily. "I had to do something. Anyway, I slipped out and went into hiding for a while. Ever since Fuentes contacted me, I have been working my way back to Hawaii. Then I found out Steve had been taken instead of you, Danny. I'm ready to face Fuentes to get Steve and Grace back."

"Grace is safe, Matt. Steve got her out," Danny said shortly.

"She's safe?" Matt said, not wanting to believe it.

"Yeah," Danny said with a sigh.

"What about Steve?" Matt asked, glancing around at everyone else in the room.

"He's still with Fuentes. Apparently, McGarrett has become valuable to Fuentes. We have until tomorrow morning to give you to Fuentes, otherwise Steve gets sold in an auction to one of his biggest enemies," Chin explained.

Matt's face paled at Chin's explanation.

"Why did you come back? I mean, you could have kept running and Fuentes would probably have never found you?" Danny asked quietly.

At that, Matt stood up straighter. "Like I said, Fuentes needs to be stopped. When I heard about Steve, I felt guilty. A good man has been dragged into my mess. He shouldn't have to suffer because of my actions. This is my mess to clean up. I am ready to take responsibility for it."

"You are damn right, he shouldn't have to suffer," Danny yelled. "After having stuck his neck out for you, you repay him by leaving him in Fuentes' hands?"

"Wait, what do you mean he stuck his neck out for me?" Matt asked, shocked by Danny's statement.

Danny continued, forgetting who was in the room. "That night you ran away from all of your problems, Steve lied to the FBI about where you were so I could try and talk you down. He told them you were getting on a boat on the other side of the island. He could have been arrested for that, and yet he did it anyway just because he wanted to help you."

"Steve did what?" Chin and Kono asked, angry they hadn't been told about this.

Danny turned to face everyone else in the room. He belatedly realised Kipton was still in the room. He sighed. "Steve might have lied to the FBI to help me."

Chin turned to Kipton. "Did you know about this?"

"We had our suspicions when we didn't find anything at the location McGarrett sent us to. We had no proof to say he wasn't there, so we left it," Kipton said.

"Steve…he…" Danny said, trying to salvage the situation.

"It's okay, Detective. I never heard any of that…Let's call us even," Kipton said with a small smile.

The two men shook hands and Chin and Kono sighed with relief.

"However, that still leaves us with a problem. Matthew Williams is still an FBI asset. We have to take him into protective custody," Kipton said seriously.

"What? But, we need him," Kono remarked.

"I'm sorry, but we cannot risk handing him to Fuentes. Who knows what that man will do to him. Our aim was to draw Fuentes out so we could catch him, not cause more damage. Detective Williams, I would think you would be on board with this, seeing as he is your brother. If we go through with this exchange, that may no longer be the case," Kipton argued.

"Let me get this straight. You won't allow us to rescue a man that got caught up in your poorly thought-out plan because our only bargaining chip is supposedly too valuable?" Danny asked.

"Essentially, yes," Kipton replied apologetically.

"What about McGarrett? How do you propose to get him out of this mess?" Chin asked.

Kipton sighed and rubbed a thumb over his brow. "I don't know. McGarrett is not the primary concern. Putting Fuentes away allows us to save many lives. We can't risk that for just one man. The FBI's priority is Fuentes."

"So, what? McGarrett is just collateral damage?" Kono inquired.

"Not if capturing Fuentes results in the liberation of McGarrett," Kipton said pointedly. "Look, this is way above me. The Director of the FBI and the Navy agree this is the best course of action. The Governor of Hawaii, however, was against it. I respect McGarrett and this team. I'm sorry, I really am."

"Do they understand what is happening? Steve McGarrett, a highly decorated Navy SEAL, is going to be sold to one of the countries biggest enemies. Probably some Taliban leader. They will probably torture him. For fun or for information. Information he has on many of the United State's covert military operations. Do they get that?" Danny argued.

Kipton sighed frustratingly. "Yes, they are aware. They also said that he is trained to endure that exact scenario for long periods of time. I didn't agree with their opinions either."

Danny deflated at that, realising Kipton was actually on their side, on Steve's side. "What do we do now?"

"Like I said, the FBI has their mission. However, your team doesn't have those…restrictions," Kipton said with a wink.

"I like your thinking, Kipton. What do you have in mind?" Chin asked.

"I'm thinking a little subterfuge is in order," Kipton said with a small smile. "But before we get into that, we need to get Matt to a safe location."

The group turned to look at Matt, only to find the the spot he was standing empty and the entrance door wide open. With everyone so engrossed in the argument, they hadn't noticed Matt slip away.

Matt was gone!

Thursday evening, Five-0 Headquarters:

As the argument between his brother and his FBI handler became more heated, Matthew Williams retreated to the back of the room. He hated the whole messed-up situation. The worst part was that he knew he was to blame for it. If he hadn't embezzled money from his clients, if he had listened to Danny, then none of this would be happening. The only thing he could do was to face up to his mistakes.

"What about McGarrett? How do you propose to get him out of this mess?" Chin's words seeped into Matt's mind.

How exactly would they rescue Steve?

"I don't know. McGarrett is not the primary concern."

Kipton's words just sounded wrong. If their 'primary concern' was Fuentes, Matt would give them Fuentes. With everyone's attention on the increasingly heated argument, Matt approached the smart table, swiping two things from it before slipping silently out the entrance to Five-0. Instead of going down the stairs to the main exit, Matt turned to the right and followed the empty hallway to the rear exit.

The door led to a set of stairs. Instead of going down, he opted to go up. He finally made it to the roof of the Palace. He was slightly winded after running up three flights of stairs. However, this was the best option if it allowed him to avoid all surveillance cameras. He couldn't take the chance that he would be followed. He ran across the roof, jumping down onto the nearby fire escape. Climbing down the metal ladder, he hit the ground and nearly lost his balance.

He put on the jacket he had taken and zipped it up. Then Matt walked over to the nearest main road and hailed a cab. The cab driver pulled up, taking in Matt with a curious expression. Matt just ignored it. He supposed it was highly irregular for an FBI agent to hail a cab.

"Warehouse district, please. I'll tell you where to stop," Matt instructed the cab driver.

The cab driver turned around and started the car. "As you wish, sir."

Matt slumped in the back seat. He wondered if he was doing the right thing. He knows he should have stayed, but Steve McGarrett was in trouble because of him. Deciding to turn himself in was probably not the brightest idea he had ever had, but if his plan went accordingly, Fuentes would be off the streets and Steve would be liberated and hopefully unharmed.

Matt shuddered to think about what could have happened to Grace if Steve hadn't helped her to escape. Matt had seen the things Fuentes did to people. Who knew what he would do to an innocent child? His niece, no less. That thought strengthened his resolve. He would do whatever it took to make sure no more innocent people were caught up in his mess.

"You can stop here," Matt said as he saw the warehouses appear around them.

"Okay, sir."

Matt leant forward, handing the man some money to cover the fare. The cab driver waved him off.

"For you, it's free. Good luck with whatever is happening here," the cab driver said.

Matt looked at the man, confused by the nonchalant attitude.

The man smiled and explained. "The cops around here tend to be more of the shoot first, ask questions later type. I'm just glad you asked nicely."

Matt smirked. He had heard the stories about the team McGarrett had put together. Who hadn't?

"Thanks," Matt said as he disembarked from the vehicle.

Matt turned to watch the cab drive away. Sighing, he reached into his pocket and retrieved his brother's phone. Scrolling through it, he found the last incoming call. Assuming it was Fuentes' number, he dialled. Matt paced nervously on the gravel while he waited for the phone to connect. Fuentes answered after three rings.

"Ah, Detective Williams. I take it this means you have what I want?" Fuentes asked.

"No, he doesn't…but I do," Matt said bravely into the phone.

"Ah, Matthew. It's good to hear from you again. I've been looking for you. Tell me, does your brother know you are calling me?"

"No, he doesn't," Matt replied succinctly.

There was a small, humourless chuckle before Fuentes answered. "You are either a very stupid man, or a very brave one. Why have you come to me now? I mean, when I had two hostages, you never responded to my demands. However, now, when I have one man, a man that is not related to you, you are deceiving your brother and making contact with the man you have been running from? What does McGarrett mean to you?"

"Cut the crap Fuentes. You're right. I didn't tell my brother what I was doing. The fact is that an innocent man has been involved in something that never should have escalated like this. I assume the deal is still on? Myself for McGarrett?"

There was a short pause on the other end. Matt's stomach clenched with fear. He hoped he was making the right call and that his actions didn't put Steve in further danger.

"Yes, the deal is still on. I will be waiting for you at the warehouse. Twenty minutes. You will be alone and unarmed," Fuentes replied.

"Twenty minutes," Matt said.

"Yes. We will be there. Oh, and one more thing…"

Matt almost rolled his eyes. "What's that?"

"Ditch that phone," Fuentes said he he hung up.

Matt glanced around. He saw a variety of places he could put a cellphone. He didn't want to leave it in the open. He quickly typed a message on Danny's phone and dropped it into a nearby hedge. Without looking back, he made his way to the warehouse where the exchange was going down. He could only hope the 'we' included Steve, otherwise this would be pointless.

Ten minutes later, he was standing in front of the warehouse. Taking a deep breath, he cautiously opened the door and peered inside. Nothing jumped out at him. He walking inside hesitantly and stood, waiting for Fuentes to appear.

Exactly twelve minutes later, Pedro Fuentes walked through the door with his brother, Andre Fuentes and two henchmen. Fuentes was smiling menacingly, looking Matt up and down. Matt repressed the shudder he felt under Fuentes' cold glare.

"Matthew Williams! It's about time you faced me like a man," Pedro said as Andre chuckled in the background.

"This was between us, Fuentes. You didn't need to bring anyone else into this. Especially not my brother's partner!" Matt said angrily.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I was actually targeting your brother. Obviously, my brother doesn't follow instructions very well," Pedro said, looking pointedly at Andre.

Under his brother's glare, Andre shuffled awkwardly, an ashamed blush creeping up his neck. The two henchmen also shuffled their feet, pointedly not meeting Pedro's stare.

"You thought the best way to get your money back was to kidnap my brother?" Matt asked.

"Yes," Fuentes said simply. "It worked, didn't it?"

Matt refused to answer that.

Pedro motioned with his hand toward the exit. "Shall we go?"

The two henchmen grabbed Matt's arms and pulled him towards the door.

"Wait, where's Steve?" Matt asked, pulling against the men, forcing them to stop.

Fuentes smiled. "We'll take you to him."

Reluctantly, Matt allowed himself to be led outside to the waiting dark coloured sedan. He was led to the backseat, where the two henchmen sat on either side of him. Pedro and Andre slid into the front seats. They pulled out of the warehouse and drove in the opposite direction of the city.

Pedro turned around from the front passenger seat to face Matt. He was smiling like the cat that ate the canary. Matt swallowed nervously, but remained quiet for the rest of the drive. He hoped Danny got his message, otherwise things could get very ugly.