Chapter 25

"My Thoughts Exactly"

Steve opened his eyes, trying to focus, but everything blended together like an abstract painting. He blinked and tried to rub his eyes, but his arms wouldn't move. He attempted to recall some detail that would explain his present situation, but his brain felt numb. Steve forced himself to push back the fog that enveloped his mind. As several minutes passed, his vision began to clear and vague memories crept back.

"Look who's waking up, it's Sleeping Beauty," a familiar voice broke in.

Steve stiffened.

"Don't look so surprised, McGarrett, you knew this wasn't over."

Steve blinked several times as Paul Keller came into focus. The man sat on the edge of a desk, a smirk on his face.

The last thing Steve remembered was grabbing Lynch by the neck. He wasn't sure how Keller fit into all of this. He was sure Lynch hated Keller and would never work with him. So what was happening here?

"No witty replies?" Keller asked. "Oh, I guess wit isn't your strong suit."

"What do you want?" Steve asked through clenched teeth.

"A little fun." Keller picked up a device and pressed a button, a flash of electricity appeared. "I was thinking this might spark some conversation."

Steve glared at him. "Go to hell."

Keller jammed the device against Steve's chest. "I'm already there."

* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *

Nate stared at the food on his plate. He couldn't eat it, but he had promised Arthur he'd try. Mr. Hamilton sat across the table watching him, although Nate knew he wasn't actually looking at him. The older man had an uncanny way of watching everything and everyone without looking at anything. It was rather unsettling.

"That food isn't going to eat itself, Nathan," Mr. Hamilton remarked, cutting a piece of steak on his own plate.

"He's still going to hate me," Nate replied.

"Your brother can do what he wants just as he always does. You can't change that."

"No, but how can I live with it?"

"You may not have been completely honest with him, but you only did that to protect him. In my book, that's hardly something to lose your appetite over." Mr. Hamilton took a bite of his steak and chewed it slowly before meeting Nate's gaze. "You can't afford that in this business."

Nate looked away, shifting in his chair. He would never understand his boss' casual acceptance of dishonesty for the greater good.

Lynch entered the room and sat down at the table. "Save anything for me?"

"What are you doing here?" Mr. Hamilton sounded alarmed. "Where's Keller?"

"I don't know." Lynch shrugged. "Do I have to babysit him every second of the day? You told me to make McGarrett comfortable, so I put him in a chair with a little duct tape."

"What!" Mr. Hamilton lost his cool.

Nate jumped out of his chair. "And you left him alone?"

"He'll still be out for a while," Lynch said. "No use waiting around."

Nate didn't hear Lynch's last words as he ran from the room. The thought of Steve strapped in a chair while Keller wandered about worried him. He raced up the stairs and burst through a door as his brother screamed.

"What the hell are you doing, Keller?" Nate shouted, shoving the man aside.

Keller fell back against the wall, a grin smeared across his face.

"Nate?" Steve wasn't sure if he was glad to see his brother, or angry that he knew Keller.

Nate pulled out a knife, cutting away the tape from Steve's wrists. "You all right?"

"He's perfectly fine," Keller snorted. "He's been through worse. I've seen it."

"Shut up!"

"Little Nate got his manners from his big brother. And now that I see you two in the same room, the resemblance is unmistakable."

Steve wished Keller would shut up. He wanted answers and those could only come from his brother. "Nate, what's going on?"

"I'm sorry, Steve," Nate mumbled. Steve noticed his brother's hands trembled as he cut the duct tape that bound his legs.

"He busted you out of jail that's what," Keller said, gaining Steve's attention. "He's really good at that sort of thing. He crafted my escape beautifully. You remember that don't you?"

Steve's eyes narrowed as he looked down at his brother. Nate lifted his head, he knew things were about to get rough.

Steve slammed his foot into Nate's chest, knocking him backward. Then Steve lunged forward, but his brother rolled away, kicking at the outside of his left knee. Steve's leg buckled and he lost his balance. He grabbed for a chair, but Nate pulled it out of his reach, sending Steve crashing to the floor.

Nate scrambled behind a large desk and held up his hands. "Steve," he pleaded. "I don't want to hurt you."

The veins in Steve's neck pulsed. Just the thought that his little brother could hurt him was laughable. "Too bad. 'Cause I'm gonna hurt you." Steve hurtled the desk. Nate greeted him with a right hook, which Steve barely blocked before another blow followed.

The brothers slammed each other around the room toppling a small table and chairs. Together their movements were a series of quick fluid punches and kicks, neither seemed to have the advantage. Steve was stronger, but Nate met that with speed and agility.

Steve noticed Nate protecting his rib cage, and he remembered his brother's injury. He glimpsed a wooden walking stick leaning in a corner and moved the fight in that direction. Steve grabbed the stick, swung it, perhaps too hard, and the end slammed into Nate's side. Pain exploded in Nate's eyes before he crumpled to the floor, gasping for air. Steve didn't hesitate. He yanked Nate off the ground and pinned him against the wall.

"I trusted you!" he yelled. "Does that mean anything to you?"

Nate sucked in short breaths, unable to reply.

"Dad would be disappointed." Steve watched the sliver of light fade from Nate's eyes, his words cut hard and deep.

A weight on Steve's shoulder ripped his attention away from his brother. He tried to shrug it off, but it only intensified; gripping his shoulder, digging in, and pinching his nerves. Hot streaks of pain ran down his arm and into his fingers.

"Commander McGarrett, release him." The voice resonated with authority, and something else Steve recognized, but couldn't place. Staring into the dark void of his little brother's eyes, he hesitated, then like a child relinquishing something he knew he shouldn't have touched, he let go and Nate slid to the floor.

Keller clapped his hands slowly. "Well, that was entertaining."

Without looking at Keller, Mr. Hamilton snapped, "Get out before I forget you have a purpose here."

Keller sneered then exited the room.

Steve's shoulders rose and fell in rhythm with his breathing. His heart pounded in his chest from the physical and emotional exertion.

"If you're not going to be able to restrain yourself, Commander, I will be more than happy to let HPD know where they can find you. Are we understood?"

Steve tore his eyes away from Nate and looked at the man who spoke. He wasn't surprised to see the fake chaplain who had visited him in prison. "Perfectly."

"Good. Then follow me, we have some things to discuss."

Steve glanced down at the pathetic dark haired heap on the floor. He wouldn't allow himself to see it as his younger brother, the one he was supposed to protect. He clenched his jaw and walked away.

* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *

Chin Ho Kelly surveyed the scene before him; the empty prison cell that had held Steve a short time ago. The only item of interest was a Bible, which had apparently been given to him by a chaplain about an hour before Steve was rushed to the hospital. Chin had already looked into the chaplain and discovered the man didn't exist.

He flipped through the Bible, noting underlined verses, but they didn't seem to have any significance. Chin was about to put it aside when he noticed several pages had been torn out in the book of Exodus. Those pages probably held some clues to Steve's sudden medical emergency. He'd make sure the crime lab examined it thoroughly.

Chin knew Steve had been put into an ambulance with one prison guard, an attendant, and a driver. The ambulance had been found abandoned twenty minutes ago, and there were no clues to suggest the whereabouts of the occupants. At the moment, Chin was going on the assumption that the chaplain and the uniformed personnel had engineered Steve's disappearance. He was concerned Keller may have been involved. But what reason would Keller have for breaking Steve out of prison?

An officer poked his head into the cell. "Lieutenant Kelly, the surveillance videos are ready for you."

Chin nodded. "Okay, thanks." He followed the man out of the room. It felt strange to be working without the rest of his Five-0 team members, but this was the only way he could help Steve.

Chin reached the security room and was greeted by confused chatter as a computer tech and a guard studied a monitor.

"Is there a problem?" Chin asked.

The tech looked up. "Ah...yeah, it seems the video of McGarrett's visitor is gone. We can't find it anywhere. Everything from the time he came into the building to when he left is missing. The guy's a complete ghost."

"What about McGarrett leaving in the ambulance?" Chin asked. "Can we get a look at the faces of the people with him?"

"I'll play it for you."

Surveillance footage of Steve being rushed through the hallways of the prison flashed onto the screen. Chin watched carefully, his trained eye looking for the slightest detail. He saw it. Chin noticed Steve's reaction to one of the attendants. When Steve's eyes opened momentarily, a look of recognition crossed his face before his eyes slipped closed again.

"Back it up," Chin said.

Chin watched the clip again. He hadn't mistaken the look on Steve's face, and as the video continued, Chin realized the attendant seemed familiar. He was unshaven and his hair seemed longer and lighter than it should be, but the build and presence was all McGarrett.

As if on cue, his phone rang. Chin excused himself and answered the call. "Hey, Danny."

"What the hell is going on?" Danny fumed. "Steve was being rushed to the hospital and now he's disappeared, and I have to hear it through the grapevine. Why didn't you call me!"

"I'm sorry, Danny. It's been crazy."

"You're giving me excuses right now and Steve may being dying out there somewhere."

"I'm not making excuses," Chin replied. "I'm trying to do my job."

"Oh, yeah, your job, with your old friends at HPD who didn't want anything to do with you. How's that working out?"

"Danny, look I know you're still upset with me, but this was the only option I had."

"Whatever, I don't want to talk about it anymore. What am I supposed to tell Alex?"

Chin glanced around. "I have a lead."

"Really? Do you care to share?"

"It might be hard to believe, but it makes sense."

"Well, as long as you're not going to say Steve was abducted by aliens I'm sure I can handle it."

Chin lowered his voice. "I think it was Nate."

"Last week I wouldn't have believed it, but I think we should compare notes. There's a lot more to Nate McGarrett than meets the eye."

"My thoughts exactly."

* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *

Steve sat in the fake chaplain's office in a leather chair. Now he was sure the man wasn't military, but rather someone who operated in the shady world spies lived in. He just had that look about him. Steve had worked with this type before and he didn't care for most of them. This man was no exception.

The older man stood by one of the windows, his gaze fixed on whatever lay in its path. Not a word had passed between the two men since they entered the room. Steve tapped his foot on the floor. What was this guy waiting for?

"I want answers," Steve demanded.

"Are you sure you're ready for them?" Mr. Hamilton asked as he turned away from the window.

Steve glared at him.

Mr. Hamilton pulled out the chair behind his desk and sat. "I suppose the two most pressing questions are why Paul Keller is here, and why is your brother involved."

Steve nodded. "That's a good start."

"Keller is here because he has information concerning Wo Fat. And that information is more valuable now that Wo Fat has gone into hiding after framing you for the Governor's murder. Keller can track him down."

"So he's working for you?"

"Keller doesn't work for anyone. He makes deals that are in his best interest."

"What deal did he make with you?"

Mr. Hamilton waved his hand. "That's unimportant."

Steve frowned. He wanted to push the matter further, but decided to leave it alone. "So you make my brother do your dirty work?"

"If it weren't for your brother," Mr. Hamilton snapped, "you would still be in prison." He paused for a moment. "I don't need your help to find Wo Fat. Including you in this operation only makes things more complicated, but your brother was adamant. You should be thanking him, not trying to kill him."

Steve looked to his left. That wasn't what he expected to hear. It still didn't excuse Nate's lies, but it made things more bearable.

"What are you planning to do with Wo Fat once you find him?" Steve asked.

"Whatever is necessary. You know how these things go." Mr. Hamilton raised his left eyebrow. "Sometimes the bad guys don't go quietly."

"I need evidence not a body bag." Steve thought he sounded like Danny. But he knew in the end evidence connecting Wo Fat to the Governor's murder was essential to clear his name.

"There will be evidence. Let's just concentrate on making sure Wo Fat doesn't get away with another murder."

"You don't seem like the type to stop criminals. I'm not so sure you're far from one yourself."

The corners of Mr. Hamilton's mouth turned up slightly. "There's a fine line between what I do and what Wo Fat does."

Steve leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "And what is that exactly?"

The older man pushed his chair away from his desk and stood. "We'll be leaving the day after tomorrow. Arthur will make sure you have everything you need."

"That's it?"

"Yes, I think I covered everything."

"I don't get any details, like where we're going?"

"When we're en route you'll be told. Just in case you get any ideas about striking out on your own." The older man picked up a book that lay open on his desk.

"Do I at least get a name?"

"Hamilton."

"Is that a first or last name?"

"I'll let you decide."

Steve realized he was dismissed. He stood and crossed the room to the door. Looking back at the man who already appeared engrossed in his book, Steve shook his head and left the room. He had no idea where he was going or what the arrangements were, he assumed he was free to wander about the house.

He walked through the hall and made his way down the wide staircase The house was large and definitely something he would never be able to afford in his lifetime. He wondered what Hamilton did to live in such luxury.

An older man appeared at the bottom of the staircase. "May I help you, Commander McGarrett?"

"Arthur?" Steve asked.

The man nodded. "May I show you the kitchen? Or maybe you'd like to rest?"

Steve glanced around. "Where's my brother?"

"He's out by the pool. He's all right. Would you like some ice?"

Steve looked confused. "Ice?"

"For that nasty bruise on your face? Maybe even a little disinfectant for that cut on your forehead?"

Steve touched his right cheek and winced. He hadn't realized how swollen it was until Arthur pointed it out. "No, I'm good."

Arthur produced an ice pack out of nowhere and held it out to him. "You know your brother said the same thing, at first."

"At first?"

Arthur's face became a blank canvas. "I can be quite persuasive."

Steve studied the man for a moment. Visually, Arthur seemed as if he could be someone's grandfather. But something about the man's calm, cool demeanor spoke volumes. Normally, Steve wouldn't have given in so easily, but he wasn't in the mood to be persuaded.

He took the ice pack and slowly put it against his face. "So what are you, the butler or something?"

Arthur smiled. "I tie up loose ends."

"Am I a loose end?"

Arthur chuckled. "The kitchen's this way."

* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *

Danny flicked his finger against his glass as he stared out over the water. He felt strange being at Steve's house when his partner wasn't there. The house seemed to be mourning the absence of its owner. Or maybe that was how he felt. It wasn't as if the house was empty, Alex and Natalie were doing their best to keep it company. Danny shook his head. What the hell was he thinking?

Danny had arrived thirty minutes earlier to find an obnoxious police detective hounding Alex for information about Steve's whereabouts. Although, the guy pretended he only wanted to help, Danny knew better, and he knew Alex did also.

The back door opened and Alex stepped out onto the lanai, carrying a fresh pitcher of lemonade. She filled Danny's glass and her own before setting the pitcher on the table. Danny watched the orange slices bob on the surface of the beverage.

He sipped his drink. "Never thought about putting oranges in lemonade."

"My grandmother always makes it that way," Alex replied.

"Well, she's brilliant." Danny paused a moment. "So you'll let me know if that detective comes banging on your door again, right?"

"Yeah, I will."

"I know this detective, he likes to shake things up, put you on edge, and hope you make a mistake. He's probably thinking you know where Steve is and you're going to lead him right to him."

Alex smirked. "It might be fun to lead him around for awhile."

Danny laughed as he picked up his glass and swirled the contents.

Alex studied him. He had been there for half an hour and he still hadn't told her why he stopped by. She could tell something was bothering him. "What's on your mind, Danny?"

Danny blew out a long breath. "Chin got a look at the prison surveillance video."

"Yeah, you told me that."

"But I didn't tell you who he saw on the video."

Alex rested her elbows on the table.

Danny's voice lowered. "It was Nate."

"What?"

"Nate broke Steve out of prison."

Alex puzzled over that. "Well, he's a McGarrett. I guess anything's possible."

"So you're not shocked?"

She shook her head. "Not much surprises me anymore. Any idea where Nate is?"

"No idea. We're trying to find him."

"Maybe I can help with that."

* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *

Nate arrived at Steve's house as the last of the sunlight faded. Alex had left him a message half an hour ago and asked if he could stop by to see Natalie. She had sounded concerned. Nate still worried Natalie would want nothing to do with him, but how could he ignore the call.

The front light cast an inviting glow as he walked up to the door. The house was dark except for a light in the living room. He knocked twice then let himself in because Alex had said they might be upstairs.

After closing the door, he walked over to the stairs and listened. The house was too quiet. Something didn't feel right.

"You've grown."

Nate spun around. A bald man in his sixties emerged from the shadows. "Uncle Joe? What are you doing here?"

Joe smiled. "I wanted to see you. It's been a long time."

Nate looked around. "Alex and Natalie aren't here, are they?"

Joe shook his head. "You came running when she called though, didn't you?"

"I was worried about Natalie."

Joe held up a drawing done in colored pencils depicting two people on swings. "It seems like you and Natalie are good friends."

"What's your point?"

"Friends. Family. They help each other out."

Nate didn't like the road this conversation was taking. "If Natty isn't here, I should go."

Nate headed toward the door and pulled it open. Danny and Chin stood outside blocking his way.

"We have some questions for you, son," Joe said.

Nate backed up as Danny and Chin stepped inside. "Why would you have questions for me?"

"Steve escaped from prison this morning and we can't find him anywhere," Chin answered. "I think maybe you can help us find him."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nate's voice and facial expression were convincing, but they didn't buy it.

Danny flicked on another light and examined Nate more closely. "What happened to you?"

Nate didn't answer.

Danny whistled. "Looks like you got into some kind of fight."

"I fell."

"On your face?" Danny sounded amused. "That must have hurt."

"It happens."

Danny smiled. "Look, Nate, I don't know what's going on with you, but you're going to tell us where Steve is, or you're gonna fall on your face again."

Nate was taken aback, but he realized Danny was just being protective of Steve. "You guys really don't want to get involved with this."

"I think we do." Chin grabbed Nate and shoved him onto a wooden chair. "We have footage of you getting into an ambulance at the prison," Chin said, holding out his phone so Nate could see the clip. "So far we've kept it to ourselves, but if you don't cooperate, we'll share it with HPD."

"Are you in some kind of trouble, Nate?" Danny asked. "We can help you."

"That's not it."

"Then who beat you up?"

Nate took a deep breath. "Steve."

"Wait, Steve beat you up?" Danny couldn't believe it, well, actually he could.

"We got into a fight."

"Over what?" Chin asked.

"Because I..." Nate looked at the floor.

"Because you what?" Joe asked.

"I...was responsible for Keller's escape."

Chin grimaced and Danny exploded. Nate's head snapped back as Danny's fist plowed into his jaw.

"I've been waiting to punch the guy who did that." Danny shook his hand. "So unless you want my fist permanently imprinted on your jaw you better tell us where Steve is."

A/N: Thanks for reading!