Author note:
Hello, everyone. English is not my first language, so be easy on me. Thank you all for your support. All feedback are appreciated.
Have a nice day.
Danny tried to remain calm but fear thoughts were looping around in his mind until there was no room for anything else. He dialed the number again.
"It's McGarrett. Talk."
"Okay, so this is what going to happen. I'm gonna give you half an hour tops and you gonna either text or call me back. If not, I'm going to track your phone, find you and nag you for the next twenty four hours on why it is not good, not to inform people of your whereabouts. Your choice." Danny ended the call and started to walk back and forth in the living room.
Tani and Junior exchanged glances but remained silent. A few minutes past and Danny's eyes kept darting to the cellphone in his hand that refused to ring. The sudden doorbell sound snapped Danny out of his thoughts. Junior strode off to the door, swung it open to reveal Adam standing with a smiling face. Junior stepped aside to allow him to walk in.
"Hey, guys." Adam raised a hand in greeting as he walked in and quickly sensed the tension in the space. He looked around and realized an important member of the house missing. "Where's Steve?"
Danny sighed. "That my friend is the million-dollar question."
A look of surprise crossed Adam's face. "What do you mean?"
"We can't get hold of him," Tani answered, leaning on the wall.
"That's strange." Adam furrowed his eyebrows. "I spoke to him like two, maybe er… two and a half hours ago."
"He was supposed to be at home," Junior added in. "Wait, Adam. I'm sorry. I didn't know that you will be joining us. Steve called you?"
"Yes," Adam nodded. "Asked if I wanted to watch the game. Guys, relax. Maybe we are over-thinking. Maybe he just went out to get something."
Danny sighed heavily. Maybe Adam was right. Steve could be out, getting something and perhaps his phone died. Danny took a moment to calm himself down, he tried to rationalize why everything would just be alright. Steve would turn up at the house any second, complaining how he has forgotten to charge his phone. In another hour, all of them will be sitting, eating the pizzas, laughing and arguing about the game.
But then…
The nagging voice in the back of his mind spoke something else. His instincts screamed that something was not right.
Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "You know what, I'm going to call Duke, ask him to trace Steve's phone." Danny took out his phone and was scrolling down his contact list when his phone rang, Duke's name appearing on the screen.
Danny quickly answered. "Duke."
"Danny, we got a problem."
-H50-H50-H50-
"Is someone trying to hurt you?"
Steve froze, hearing the question. He let out a shaky breath, closing his weary eyes for a moment and opening them back again.
"So shall I take the lack of response as a yes?" Ethan asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Ethan!" Matthew facepalmed.
"Guys," Chris called his friends in annoyances before he knelt closer to Steve. "Commander, you're hurt and we know those are not the wounds you get by simply tripping and falling in the jungle. Someone hurt you, didn't they? Do you think they are still looking for you?"
"Yes and ..." Steve admitted. "Look, guys, I appreciate you boys helping me but it's probably not safe here. Those guys…" Steve spoke in a rush and he attempted to stand only to have his legs given way to gravity and thankfully Ethan and Chris caught him and eased him back to the bed. The sudden movement had pain throbbing around his skull that for one moment he thought he was dead for sure. Steve squeezed his eyes shut, he mentally begged the pain to go away.. He could barely hear the boys chattering around him.
"Guys," Chris turned to his friends, lowering his voice again. "I don't think he will stand for long without proper help."
"There is no cell service here." Matthew bit his lips. "Chris, you stay here with him. Ethan and I, we will go. Hopefully, we can get to the nearby clearing and call for help."
"But it's getting dark." Chris shook his head. "Are you sure you know where you're going? What if you get lost?" Chris leaned much closer and whispered. "What if you bumped into the bad guys who hurt him?"
"No," Steve said with closed his eyes, bringing the attention of the boys back to him. "You can't go," He rasped. "Give me a minute. I will be okay."
Steve was triggered. He could hear his focus call. It was not the time for him to rest, to surrender to the circumstances. Like Danny had always said, he was a control freak. He needed to take back control of the situation. After all, there was nothing much, he just has to call for help, wait for Danny and while waiting try not to get himself and boys killed by a bunch of professional killers. He got this. There was nothing the hell week in Navy didn't train him for.
Steve opened his eyes, feeling alert, determined and with a voice filled mission mode, spoke. "Okay, boys. Who is ready to learn some surviving skills?"
-H50-H50-H50-
Danny's Camaro made a sharp turn to the left, driving further into a much narrower road and the tires squeal before it made a stop just before the patrol cars. Danny jumped out, walked past few HPD officers, probably would have just taken a few steps to the front after the crime scene tape when the scene in front stopped him.
Danny's heart skipped a beat when he saw the overturned wreckage of Steve's truck on the side of the road.
"Danny," Duke called, getting Danny's attention. "There is no sign of Steve."
"Oh my god," Tani mumbled in shock as her hands automatically went to cover her mouth.
Junior without any word went straight to check the truck.
"Duke, what do we know so far?" Adam asked, he knew Danny was overwhelmed with what he had just seen.
"The mark on Steve's truck indicate he must been rammed from behind. The hit must have been in full force, causing the truck to overturn. The initial report of tires marks suggest there were at least two suburbans."
Danny's face scrunched in concentration. "What else?"
"Walk with me," Duke said, walked a little further and pointed to the small pool of slightly dried blood on the blood.
Danny automatically crossed his arms in defensive. "Steve's blood?"
"I ask the CSU team to ran the blood as soon as possible." Duke shook his head. "But I don't think it is Steve's blood."
"You're saying maybe…" Adam trailed.
Duke nodded and was about to explain when Junior called them. "Guys, come see this."
Danny and the others quickly jogged to where Junior was standing. Their eyes went straight to where Junior was pointing. The driver's side door was swung open and few bullet hole was visible in dim light set up by the CSU unit.
"I think he got out and exchange fires with the other guys." Junior verbalize his assumption.
Danny pointing back at the pool of the blood he had seen earlier. "I guess at least he took one down. Tani, we need the test results. Can you..?"
"I'm on it," Tani said before Danny could even finish what he was saying. She ran to find the CSU officer holding the sample.
"Steve must have been outgunned," Duke spoke.
Danny turned to the side of the road and looked at the wooded area. "Duke, call for backup. All hands on deck. Steve got to be in there with a bunch of killers." Danny titled his head slightly to Junior, "Get Eddie. We gonna bring Steve back home."
Tell me what you think.
Stay tuned for more. Thank you for your time and support.