In the hospital lobby, Chin sat in the waiting room, waiting for Steve. He stood as Steve walked through the double doors and headed his way. "Hey. What is it?" Steve asked.
"I discovered that some of Matt's family is on the island. They came here on vacation a year ago—the summer he was kidnapped—and they haven't left yet," Chin informed. "They're staying at a house in Kapolei." Steve nodded, taking in the information. If Matt's family was still here, then they could tell them about his death. More importantly, Harper could get at least some closure from the ordeal. "Great, thank you. I'll tell Harper," he said.
"How is she doing, by the way?" Chin asked.
Steve sighed a little at the thought. "She's handling it as best she can." It was all he could think to say. And it wasn't near enough to cover it. There were a million problems to work out, not including current events. Chin nodded understandingly. Then he remembered something and glanced down at the manila folder in his hands. "I almost forgot. We found Adam Kent," Chin said, holding up the folder.
He handed it to Steve, and Steve opened it, glancing over the information. "His last known location was at a hotel not far from here," Chin explained.
Steve nodded while Chin spoke. "Alright. Bring him into interrogation. Let me know when you have him, okay?" Chin nodded and Steve handed him the folder.
Harper rubbed her tired, near blood shot eyes as she sat leaning against the wall in Layla's room. So many things whirled around in her head like a tornado. Confessing what she'd been keeping secret to Steve did lift a pretty substantial weight from her chest. She could breathe better now. But she was still crippled by the constant worry for Layla and the baby.
She was confident Layla could make it. Little Henry James was a different story. She sighed, slouching back slightly in her seat, crossing her arms. "Harper?" She jolted upright at the sound of her name. Layla was just waking up. Harper quickly moved over to her bedside and sat next to her. "Hey. How are you feeling?" she asked, gently.
Layla nodded a little. "Better. Henry?"
"He's alive," Harper assured. Layla sighed a little in relief. Harper didn't know what it was like to have a child, and she might not ever, but she understood the undefeatable urge inside to protect someone—how it worsened when you had no control over any given situation. "Harper, what I said about Florida-"
Harper gave a shake of her head. "You don't need to think about that right now."
"Yes, I do," Layla urged. "I have a flight booked for Saturday. I won't be going back for a while, but you could still go."
"Layla..." Harper sighed, looking away.
"Mom doesn't have much time left, and I promised her I'd bring you home before she passed," Layla continued, desperate. Indecision struck Harper's chest. Part of her wanted to go. The rest of her told her to stay put, that she really didn't need to meet her mother. But it was something she'd dreamed about since she was little. "I'll think about it, okay?" Harper reasoned, looking back down at Layla.
Layla nodded. "Thank you."
It only took less than a half hour to get Adam Kent handcuffed to the metal interrogation chair. He slouched in the seat with an annoyed sigh, glaring at Danny and Kono. "Y'all got a warrant for this?" Adam asked, agitated. "I'm pretty sure this is illegal—dragging people into your little box without probable cause." Danny and Kono shared a glance, slightly asking each other the same question—is he for real?
Danny sighed, turning to look at Adam. "You see, we have reasonable evidence that says you hosted, paid for, and participated in an illegal underground fighting organization that kidnaps its fighters," Adam shook his head with a smug expression while Danny spoke. "Okay—what is that? What is that dumb little smirk on your face?"
"You got nothin' on me," Adam said, with a confident smile.
"Oh really? We don't? Okay, good, I wasn't sure," Danny said, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Of course, we could ask Bryan Dublin." Adam's expression soured, causing Danny to inwardly smirk. Kono crossed her arms. "You want us to go get him? He's right upstairs," Kono offered, rhetorically.
"You're lying. Even if you had him, you have no way of connecting me with this. Just call my lawyer, I'll be out of here in five seconds," Adam said, relaxing in his chair. This angered Danny. He had no tolerance for this. He knew this man was involved and he intended to find out what he knew regardless of protocol.
He marched forward and grabbed Adam by his shirt collar, getting in his face. "Listen up, dirtbag. One of my friends was kidnapped to use in your little amateur boxing night, so you better start giving me something useful before I make sure you go to prison for the rest of your pathetic little life. Does that sound good?"
"Fine! But you shouldn't be talkin' to me! If you want answers, you'll have to find Andy," Adam said, quickly.
"Who's Andy?" Danny pressed.
"We need a name," Kono said, moving to stand beside Danny.
"Andrew Delle. Word is, he's connected to the boss. He runs the whole op," Adam confessed. Danny let go of Adam's shirt in a rough shove and stepped back. The smug look on Adam's face was gone, replaced by one of annoyance. Danny nodded to Kono and led the way out of the room.
Steve returned to Layla's room. Layla greeted him with a half-lucid smile and he smiled back, walking around to stand beside Harper. Harper glanced up at him and noticed his expression. Her eyebrows furrowed. "What's up?" she asked him.
"I need to talk to you for a minute," he said, trying to make it obvious it should be done in private with his demeanor. Harper got the hint and slid off the bedside, turning to Layla. "I'll be back in a second, okay?" she told her. Layla nodded and Harper turned to Steve.
He led the way out into the hallway. Harper's insides were churning with curiosity but also with worry. He didn't look like he would be talking to her about something upbeat and cheery. They stopped a foot from the door and Steve turned to her. She crossed her arms loosely. "What is it?" she asked, concerned.
"We found Matt's family," Steve announced. "They're still on the island." Harper didn't know quite what to say. She was overjoyed and full of relief. It was also a saddening topic, though. She nodded slowly, thinking. "Okay...where?" she asked.
"A vacation home in Kapolei," he told her, also crossing his arms. Finding the words to respond once again was troublesome for Harper. What do you say? She wrapped her arms around Steve's neck in a hug and he hugged her back. "Thank you," she said. "I don't know where I would be without you."
Steve thought about her words. Where would she be? Probably on a beach somewhere with Ellie, waxing boards and getting ready to dive into the surf. She'd probably be happy and laughing. If she'd never met him that day at the beach, things would be a lot simpler. But life would be a lot less worth living.
