Thanks a lot for all your kind words. It makes me happy to know someone enjoys reading what I write :)

I noticed I made a stupid mistake in the previous chapter (introducing Catherine to Junior - but they already know each other) so I'm sorry about that.

Plus even after proofreading the chapters several times I found some English mistakes myself after I've posted it. English is not my native language so please bear with me.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of H50.

The journey took a little over half an hour. Locating the crime scene proved to be a simple task, the yellow tape was already stretched out around the car park. Danny pulled off the car, just a few seconds before Junior parked next to him. Duke was first to see them arrive and he picked his way through the half-empty car park to greet them.

Danny looked towards the scene, taking in what he could. He found himself holding his breath. His main focus was on a silver Mercedes with four windscreen bullet holes and the remainder of the glass had shattered but had not been displaced. The yellow tag on the roof said the car belonged to Aloha Cab company.

Moving around to the side he found the door open. Its window had also been shattered and the glass had fallen in and around the taxi driver who was slumped half out of the car. His body faced inward, almost as he was seeking something underneath the vehicle. The cause of death would no doubt be linked to the bullet in his forehead.

There was blood on the back seat but no body to be seen. Duke joined the Five-0 team again, with a puzzled look on his face.

"The ambulance just took Ms. Green to the Queen's hospital, she had suffered two GSW to the chest," Duke explained. "She was alive when they found her but the driver wasn't that lucky."

"How bad is she?" Adam asked.

The look in Duke's eyes suggested it's not what they want to hear. "I don't know, but she was in critical condition, she was barely breathing."

"My guess is someone found out she wanted to talk to us and didn't like it that much," Lou said.

Danny rested the palms of his hands on the roof of the car and hung his head. "We were so close," he whispered. "If she dies, we have nothing again."

"What do you want to do, Danny?" Catherine asked.

Danny glanced over the team who were all looking at him, waiting for any ideas. But he had none. "When did this happen?" he asked eventually, turning his gaze to Duke.

"According to the witnesses around 9 p.m.," Duke answered. "As far as we know, Ms. Green just got into the car, when a motorcycle driver showed up and blocked the cab, he shot two bullets into Ms. Green and then two into the driver and took off."

Duke's phone rang and he left the team as he talked to the caller, it was just a couple of seconds before he came back. "I've got a call from the hospital. She has made it through surgery and it seems she will be all right. She should wake up in a few hours."

That was good news, at least, but for some reason, Danny couldn't get rid of this feeling something was wrong, his instincts were telling him it won't be that easy. "Okay, Cath, let's go to the hospital, we'll wait for her to wake up," he said after a thoughtful moment of silence. "You guys try to find our shooter, he might bring us to Steve," he ordered as he turned to the rest of the team.

The ride to the hospital was short and pretty quiet, Danny wasn't sure if he should ask Catherine what's going on. He let it slide again, assuming she was probably worried about Steve as much as he was and not in a mood to talk.

The receptionist at the hospital gave Danny the number of the room that Alice Green was staying in. Looking at the numbering system on the doors, he knew that Alice's room would be toward the end of the corridor.

As he walked along with Catherine beside him, Danny kept his senses on alert. As they neared Alice's room, someone caught his eye. The Hawaiian man, wearing blue jeans and a brown leather jacket, his face partially obscured by a baseball cap. Who the hell wears something like that in Hawaii? The man had a confident walk but he was anxious, his eyes darting from left to right, an uneasy expression on his face.

Danny kept his gaze on the man and their eyes met briefly as he walked past. Danny's instincts were already screaming at him. He quickened his pace and found the room they were looking for. He turned the door handle and stepped into the room, followed by Catherine. Long white curtains were drawn around Alice's bed. He moved toward them and reached out to move the drapes aside.

"Damn!"

"We are too late," Catherine stated the obvious.

Danny's heart thudded in his chest. The blood-soaked sheets, together with the gaping wound in Alice's neck, which was still oozing thick liquid, told Danny all he needed to know.

The man with the baseball cap. It had to have been him. A split second later Danny was sprinting back down the corridor.

"Danny! Where are you going?" Catherine asked. "Wait," she yelled as she ran after Danny, not waiting for the explanation.

He screamed at the people to move out of his way, oblivious to their shouts and cries, heading to the stairwell. He took the stairs three at a time and crashed through the doors at the bottom, almost taking out a startled old lady. He briefly heard Catherine behind him apologizing to her.

Exiting out onto the street, Danny finally stopped. He was panting, out of breath. He scanned the street, up and down, his brain calculating the options, determining which way to go next. But in the end, he didn't go anywhere. He shouted in frustration and hung his head. The man was gone.

Catherine finally managed to catch him, panting, giving him a puzzled look. "What was that about?"

"I saw him. The man who killed Alice Green. He's gone."

"Is it done?" bellowed Esther.

"Yes, of course," Keoki said, entering the lounge and sitting down on the empty sofa. "Alice Green is not going to be a problem anymore."

"Okay. Good."

Keoki could tell that Esther was anxious and angry, somewhat unnaturally for her, she was keeping it below the surface now.

"One less thing to worry about now," Esther said.

"One less thing to worry about?" Aaron's voice echoed from over by the door. Keoki and Esther turned their attention to him. "What should we worry about?"

"There is nothing to worry about now," Esther said. "It's been taken care of."

"What's been taken care of, sis?" he asked.

"Your sweet girlfriend, you blind idiot," Esther explained, raising her voice. "But it's sorted now. Keoki took care of her."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Aaron barked.

Esther's nostrils widened, the anger was coming onto the surface now. "What am I talking about? Are you serious?" she screamed. "I found her with McGarrett earlier today, let's say we had an exchange of opinions and she didn't seem to be pleased by what we're doing."

"Calm down," Aaron said. "I talked to her about this and she said she is on our side. She wouldn't dare to go against me."

"Oh really?" Esther smiled mockingly. "Then how can you explain what I found on her phone? She was about to meet Five-0 tonight."

Aaron's face changed from angry to thoughtful and confused. "Damn," he exclaimed. "That bitch told me she is going to her sister's place after dinner. I even dropped Alice at her sister's place."

"You really are an idiot, brother," Esther said, her voice calming down a little. "I had Keoki watch her to make sure I was right."

Aaron turned his gaze to Keoki, standing aside quietly. Keoki nodded, confirming it was true. He wasn't sure if he should mention the little troubles in the hospital, but there was no need for it now, she was taken care of.

"Did you run into any troubles?" Esther asked him.

Now he had no choice but to tell them. "Yes, but nothing I couldn't handle," he said.

"What happened?" Aaron demanded.

"I stayed close to the scene until the cops arrived," Keoki started to explain hesitantly. "Just to be sure. But Alice was still alive so I had to find her in the hospital to finish her off."

"Damn it," Aaron swore. "Did anybody see you?"

Keoki hesitated. He didn't want to make Aaron and Esther angry to not to be the next one on the list but lying to them was as dangerous as admitting he messed up. "One of the cops ran after me but I got away," he said, deciding it'll be better to tell the truth. He did his job, Alice was dead, so he hoped they would forgive him a small mistake. "I think he was from Five-0, I'm not sure."

"Are you kidding me?" Aaron's voice raised this time. "Five-0? And you act like everything is fine? How did he look?"

"Haole, short, blonde guy."

Esther exchanged the look with Aaron. "It sounds like Detective Williams," she said.

"I don't like this. They're getting too close. We can't afford any more mistakes," Aaron said.

"What do you want to do?" Esther asked him.

Aaron turned to Keoki with a determined look in his eyes. "Take David with you and take care of Detective Williams," he ordered.

Keoki nodded without a word and he was already in the doorway when Aaron's voice stopped him. "Actually, you know what?" Aaron said. "Try to bring him alive, we might need some motivation for our other guest."

"Will do," Keoki said and left the lounge with a determination of proving himself. He can't mess it up this time.

"Actually, I think it won't be necessary, brother," Esther announced after Keoki was gone, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "I'm almost done with McGarrett. Give it a few more hours and he'll break."

"Good," Aaron smirked. "That's what I wanted to hear."

The frustration among the team was growing every hour. They couldn't get any clear shot of the man who attacked and killed Alice Green on any security footage, the guy had been careful. And with Alice gone, there wasn't a single lead as to where to find Aaron and Esther Bennett or where Steve was.

The team also tried to talk to the Navy officers but trying to warn the Commander in charge of Red Hill was like talking to a wall. He was so sure everything is under control and nothing can't happen. He kept ensuring Five-0 they are aware of the possible threats and a bunch of criminals was not their concern at all. He even found their concern quite amusing. Stubborn son of a bitch. Danny thought. He wondered if everyone in the Navy comes with this attitude, unable to accept any outside help.

They barely got a few hours of rest in the past three days, barely ate something and it was especially hard for Danny, who was fighting with the devil on his shoulder telling him this time it might not end well for Steve. He was glad Catherine showed up so fast, he didn't expect her to. But as soon as he mentioned Steve is in danger, she insisted on taking the next plane. After all this time away, she must have still loved the man, he was sure of that. And he could see something was bothering her.

"Are you all right?" he asked when they got a moment alone. "I mean, except being worried about Steve."

Catherine remained silent for a while, but Danny could see she was fighting tears. "I wanted to come back, you know," she said, looking down. "After Joe's death. After Steve told me that Joe was the one who brought me into his life." She took a break, Danny listened carefully. He didn't know about it. "But I didn't. I thought it would be too selfish to show up here after all that time when he tried to move on. That was my excuse, but… But the truth is I was scared. I didn't know if he would want me to come back after what I did. He never asked me to. So I didn't." The tears were now rolling down her cheek.

Danny embraced her into a short hug, thinking about what he should say. The regret. It was about regret, he figured. "You know, it hurt him when you left. I haven't seen him so heartbroken before. And he tried to move on with Lynn but he couldn't and honestly, I don't know if he ever will. But he would never ask you to leave what makes you happy to be with him, you know that."

"I never wanted to hurt him, Danny."

"I know."

"It's been a year since Joe's death and…" she sobbed. "I had so many chances to tell him how I feel, to apologize for leaving, to tell him that this life was not what I want anymore, but I didn't. And now, I'm scared. What if I won't have any other chance to tell him?"

The doubts were eating Danny alive, as he felt pretty much the same at the moment. Sometimes he was so sure they'll bring Steve home and then sometimes he felt so helpless, his mind wandering in dark places, doubting whether his best friend was even still alive.

"Do you think he is…?" Catherine asked.

"Yes," Danny said. Thinking this way was the only answer he could give. Because it was the only answer that gave any hope.

Catherine wiped her tears with the back of her hand and her eyes met Danny's. "Okay," she whispered.

Danny yawned, the tiredness was taking over. "I need a coffee," he said. He glanced over Junior, Quinn, Lou, and Adam beside the smart table, relentlessly searching for anything useful. Tani tried to get some rest on the couch in Steve's office this time but she didn't seem sleeping. "I'll get coffee for everybody I guess. You want some?"

"Sure, thanks. You want me to go with you?" Catherine offered.

Danny shook his head. "No, take a break. I'll be back in twenty."

Steve wasn't sure whether he had been awake or asleep, but the sound of the door closing startled his mind into clarity. He could no longer tell what was real and what was a dream. His head was foggy and his sight blurred. He could feel odd sensations in his body. He knew it was there, but it felt so detached. He looked up at the figure that had come into the room.

She strolled closer to him and then he felt a familiar distant sting in his arm, just like every time she came in. He stopped counting how many times that was and stopped caring about what exactly was in that syringe. All he knew was that pain and confusion got worse every time. He had no idea how long he had been there but it must have been days, considering how hungry and thirsty he was. He could feel his body shutting down slowly and he wasn't sure if he could fight it much longer.

"Just let go, darling. We're almost done. You've done enough," he heard Esther's soothing voice. A smirk was creeping up her face as their eyes met.

Steve tried to block the sound. He squinted his eyes shut, wanting to take himself somewhere else. To his home. To his ohana. But he didn't know how. All he could think about was the agony he was now in. And about what more was to come.

His heart was pounding uncontrollably in his chest, the whole world was turning into one big blurry mess. He gritted his teeth, the pain was immense.

Esther was speaking to him again, but he couldn't focus on her words anymore. Steve tried to take his mind somewhere else once again, to a happier place and time. But really his life had seen so few. So he tried to think of Catherine. Tried to picture her face. Her brown eyes. Her smile. Her warm body next to his. But he couldn't, the fire inside him felt like it was burning him alive, the searing pain was ripping through him. After what felt like hours, his brain finally succumbed and, as it had done so many times before, it took him away from that place.

Danny decided to walk to the coffee shop. It was just behind the corner and he needed some fresh air anyway. He stepped out of the headquarters and began to walk. As Danny walked, someone caught his eye, a man on the other side of the road, leaning against a lamppost and pretending to talk on his phone.

It wasn't the man he saw in the hospital - this guy was well-built and probably half a foot taller than the other man. He reminded him of a pit-bull terrier, a fighter. But judging by how easy was to spot him, surveillance probably wasn't his field of expertise. Danny wasn't sure the man was following him or someone else, but there was something about this guy.

He carried on walk away from the headquarters, not looking behind him at all. At first, he wasn't sure whether the man had followed him or not. He passed the coffee shop and decided to keep walking and turn right, to test the guy. Sure enough, Danny spotted the same man once more, on the opposite side of the road. Trailing in his direction Danny had just come from. As they crossed paths, Danny looked up, over to the other side of the road. The man casually walked by, his head down. But Danny didn't buy it. This guy was definitely following him. Now he just had to decide what to do with him. It couldn't be a coincidence. There was a high chance he had something to do with Steve's kidnapping and Danny just had to find out who the man was.

Danny carried on walking as he quickly sent a text to Catherine. 'I've got a tail.' He didn't look back to check if the man was still there. He had to assume he was. He still didn't know what his next move would be. The obvious route was to confront the man, but he didn't want to do that out in the open. If the situation went south on the street, someone else could get hurt.

He reached the entrance to the car park and walked down the stairs a level below. There was no sign of the man or anyone else having followed him in, which surprised Danny. Where was he? He wondered whether he may have been wrong. Maybe the man hadn't been following him.

Danny nearly jumped out when his phone began to ring. He was on the edge. He took the phone out of his pocket, it was Rachel. Yeah, because this is a perfect time. He ignored the call and put the phone back to his pocket.

As he looked up his heart jumped when he saw the outline of a figure move behind the pillar. His hand was already on his gun when the figure emerged from the other side. But it wasn't the man who had been following him. Just a young woman on the way to her parked car.

He waited for another minute but he didn't see anyone so he decided to go back. Danny was about twenty yards away from the entrance when a man appeared, walking down the ramp toward him. At first, he was relieved when he saw it wasn't the man who had followed him. But as he came closer, Danny realized that he'd seen the man before. Last night in the hospital. The man who had killed Alice Green.

A second later, the man pulled a handgun out of his jacket. Almost at the same time, the man who had followed Danny appeared behind him. He was holding a gun too.

*to be continued*

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