A/N: So sorry about the last chapter. I guess it really was as bad as I feared (very few reviews). Hopefully this one will afford me some redemption. It's a bit of a doozey.
Chpt 11: Abandoned and Burning
As the haze of deep, restful sleep lifted, Lori's eyes popped open remembering last night, wondering about this morning. She was acutely aware of his absence. "That's not good," she thought as she flopped over onto her back and turned to look at the empty space where Steve had slept. A warm smile graced her face as she drifted through the memory of last night. Sleeping next to Steve was like sleeping next to a fire place. He was hot and inviting and so very nice to look at. She chuckled at the analogy and sat up on her elbows as a key turned in the lock of the front door.
He grinned playfully at her as he entered the apartment. "Morning sunshine. I borrowed your keys."
She shot him a sleepy half smile. "What's in the bag?"
"Breakfast. You're refrigerator is lonely." He handed her a hot tea and pulled a fruity Hawaiian pastry out of a plain white sack. It smelled like heaven. Pulling her feet under her, she scooted back to a sitting position and took a hefty bite. It really was a slice of heaven.
"This is delicious," she said through a mouth full of mango, cream cheese and pastry. "What is it?"
"It's the house specialty at Liliha Bakery. Good, huh?" Bracing himself, one hand on the arm rest and one on the back of the couch, he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss.
"I'll call you after I talk to Joe". He paused, still leaning in close. "That's a good look you got goin' on there."
She rolled her eyes as he kissed the top of her head. She could only imagine what the rats' nest she called hair looked like this early in the morning.
He chuckled at her response.
She watched him head to the door, coffee in hand. "See you later."
H5OH5OH5OH5O
Mid-morning
"How did he look?"
"Tired... He's sad too."
"Did he talk to you about it?"
"Yeah, he still loves her. He's in a tough spot. I think he felt better getting all that off his chest"
"You're a good friend," she said and squeezed his hand. Lori watched, concerned as he picked at his lunch, pushing the fries around on his plate. "What did Joe say?"
He glanced up from his plate and leaned back with a huff. "He's gone."
"What do you mean?"
"Just that. He's gone. He said he was gonna' disappear for a while. He wouldn't say where or when he's coming back."
"I'm sorry."
"He told me who Shelburn is."
"What?" she said shocked.
Steve nodded. "It's him. He's Shelburn. It's just a name he and my dad gave to the persona."
"Joe killed WoFat's father?"
"According to Joe, he did just that."
"Did he say why?"
"Nope, not exactly. It had something to do with my father's investigation into the Yakuza"
"So, what do we do now?"
"We do nothing... Ikeep looking."
Lori cocked an eyebrow conveying exactly what she thought of that idea without saying a word.
"WoFat is dangerous. Look what he did to Jenna. He used her and then he killed her. I don't want you anywhere near this."
"Because we're involved?" she said for lack of a better word.
"Look, I don't want you or anyone else involved with this. It's my fight and my fight alone."
"You really think that's gonna' fly? With any of us?"
Steve opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the buzz of his cell phone. "McGarrett," he snapped.
"Hey, Boss."
"Hey Kono, What's up?"
"We've got a body."
H5OH5OH5OH5O
Thursday
Four days into the investigation, they finally had a suspect. Kono was tracking his credit card expenditures, Chin was combing through his phone records, and Lori was knee deep in his financials. Danny was on his way back to HQ after spending the morning with Grace at the pediatrician's office. Rachel was busy with the baby and it was time for Grace's yearly checkup.
"Thank you for your help, Detective Williams is it?" Without pausing for a response, she continued. "Now, if you would please point me to Lorali Weston's office? You can put my bags down in there."
Steve heard it too. He and Lori appeared at their respective office doors simultaneously. Danny stood blanketed in expensive luggage, one large bag in each hand, a travel bag under one arm and a shoulder bag draped across his chest. He looked as if he'd been caught in a hurricane. The ruckus caught the attention of Kono and Chin who wandered down the hall to see what was happening. Danny looked at Steve, still a little stunned. "She caught me downstairs. The bags… they just kept coming. The cabbie… he dumped them and took off."
"Yes, he was very rude," the tall, slender blond complained as she brushed invisible dust from the oversized black hat she carried. It looked expensive Kono thought. The wide band of ribbon matched the small pattern in her finely tailored mini dress. She exuded wealth. "Worse than that," the woman continued, "his car smelled like fruit and sweat," She punctuated her complaint with a very sour look on her face.
"I'm sorry, Danny," Lori apologized as she rounded the woman. "Let me help you," she said as she reached for the bags. She stacked them by the wall haphazardly and turned to her sister. "Claire, what are doing here? You weren't due to arrive for another three days."
"Oh, I moved a few things around and decided to fly out early. That's not a problem is it?"
"No, of course not," Lori answered through clenched teeth. "Why would it be a problem?" Gathering her wits, Lori turned to her cohorts. "Claire, I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Commander Steve McGarrett. He's in charge around here."
"Mam," Steve nodded and extended his hand in which Claire delicately placed her fingertips.
Lori quickly pulled her sister's attention toward Kono. "This is Kono and Chin and you've already met Danny."
Still a little shell shocked, Danny responded with a pencil thin smile.
"Everyone, this is my sister Claire."
"It's very nice to meet you all, I'm sure. My sister tells me that you've been very kind to her since she moved here. It's not always easy for Lorali to make friends, so I would like you to know that your hospitality is greatly appreciated."
An awkward silence settled over the group. Heat rose in Lori's cheeks. Steve was kind enough to speak. "We're glad Lori's with us. She's an asset to the team."
"Um, I'm sure."
"Well," Lori clapped her hands, "if you all will excuse us, I'm just gonna' get Claire to her hotel. I'll be back shortly."
"Kono, correct?" Claire said before Lori could stop her.
"Yes," Kono confirmed.
"Kono, could you see about getting someone up here to handle my bags, please?"
"Claire!" Lori snapped. "I'm sorry Kono." Mortified, Lori turned to her sister. "Claire, walk."
"There is no need for that tone, Lorali… I only meant…"
"I know what you meant…now walk… please. I will handle your bags."
"Honestly, Lorali. I don't understand you." Stepping around Lori to address the team, Claire gave them an exasperated look as if surely they must understand how exhausting it could be to deal with her sister. "It appears as if we are leaving. We really must have dinner, all of us, before I leave. This is Thursday, correct? Why don't we meet on Monday? I'm staying at The Kahala. I'll make reservations at one of the restaurants there, my treat, of course. Oh, and please bring your significant others. I'll finalize the plans and Lorali can let you know the specifics". She traversed the faces of the group in front of her. They appeared stunned, for lack of a better word. "All right, I look forward to it." She planted a well rehearsed smile on her face and spun on her heals. Empty handed, except for the wide brimmed hat she carried and the small Italian leather bag on her shoulder, Claire Elizabeth Weston Hannidy sashayed down the hall and through the exit door.
With her back to the others, Lori closed her eyes and drew in a cleansing breath.
"Wow," she heard Danny say.
Turning, she echoed his sentiment. "Yeah, wow."
"Here, let me help you handle these bags," Steve offered with a cocky grin.
Lori shook her head and grabbed the three smaller bags. Steve hefted the larger two and followed her to the elevator.
"$2600.00 a night," she heard Kono say to Chin as she and Steve moved down the hall. She knew she had some explaining to do.
H5OH5OH5OH5O
The next few days were rough for Lori. She apologized to the team for her sister's behavior explaining, after a glance at Steve, that her sister had married well and that she really never let anyone forget it. She further explained that, while her sister truly was a good person, she definitely took some getting used to. She relayed her sister's invitation to the team to join them at The Kahala on Monday night for dinner and dancing. She had convinced her sister to reserve an area at the outdoor lounge rather than a table at one of the exclusive restaurants in the hotel. The food was excellent and the music was tolerable. They had a full bar and an open tab. On that note, all agreed to come. Lori thanked them and ended the conversation by apologizing in advance for anything her sister might say or do.
The evening began on a good note. Kono looked beautiful in a form fitting peach silk mini dress. Clearly, Jake (SEAL Team #9 hottie) agreed. Danny showed with his doctor friend from the museum. Lori was grateful Danny brought her as she seemed to handle Claire better than any of the others. Chin and Malia were gracious as always and Claire, after having been warned by Lori to behave, was the perfect hostess. When Steve slipped his arm around Lori's waist, she relaxed. They were careful not to flaunt their relationship in front of the others, but it was clear that things were heating up between the two of them. Steve had let Danny know weeks earlier that sparks were flying between him and Lori. Danny, of course, had given him a hard time, but in the end he made it known that he approved. Kono wasn't at all surprised when Lori let it slip. Dinner was delicious and everyone seemed to really be enjoying themselves. No one could resist AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long except for Steve who politely declined to hit the dance floor with the rest of the party. He instead excused himself to the bar. He was met by Claire half way back to the table. "Commander, I wonder if I could have a word."
Intrigued, Steve nodded and followed her to a quiet spot on the edge of the outdoor lounge. When she turned to face him, her eyes were dead serious. She reminded him of a well trained interrogator. Gone was the high browed pretense. This Claire was all business. "I want to talk to you about my sister."
"OK," Steve said lightly.
"I understand that you and Lorali have begun a relationship of sorts. I don't know how well you actually know my sister or what you've learned of her background, but she and I have certain... responsibilities that come with the Weston family name. Lorali chooses to ignore those responsibilities. She always has, which often results in pour choices. Most specifically, she has a tendency to date beneath her station. I mean no offense, Commander but..."
"None taken," Steve interjected.
Undaunted, Claire continued. "You seem like a descent man, Commander. You're employees respect you and..."
"My team"
"Pardon?"
"I said, 'my team'. They aren't my employees. They're my team."
Claire raised an eyebrow, obviously unaccustomed to trite interruption. She paused, clearly waiting for an apology that was not forthcoming. Lifting her chin defiantly, she abandoned the small talk and got right to the point. "Commander McGarrett, did you know that my sister has never dated a man for more than six months?"
Steve frowned and crossed his arms over his chest defensively.
"I guess not. Do you know her greatest fear," Claire pressed.
"Where are you going with this?"
"When Lorali was ten years old, my father bought us each a new show horse. We kept eight or ten horses typically, and we had a barn foreman and a small crew that took care of the whole operation. Lorali, however, tended her own horse. She would wake up early every morning to feed and water before school. She exercised him, trained with him daily, poured her heart and soul into that horse... The damn thing coliced one afternoon. The foreman and the vet worked through the night, did their best, but in the end he died. The next morning, Daddy caught Lori on the way to the barn and told her what had happened. She blamed herself for not being there with him when he passed. We all assumed she, like most children, would get past it and move on. Daddy even bought her a new horse, but it wasn't the same. She let the barn crew take care of this one. She was very careful, from that point on, not to let herself get too attached. She continued to ride and train as was expected, but her heart wasn't in it. It was clear, even to a self absorbed sixteen year old like me, that she was just going through the motions... The following summer while Lori was away at camp, her dog was killed in a rather unfortunate accident. We had three pups from the same litter, one for each of us...me, my brother, and Lorali. They were outside dogs so his death was no great loss to anyone but Lorali. She reasoned that his death was somehow her fault because he was her dog. Two years later, her best friend was killed in a skiing accident. Lorali was supposed to have gone on that trip with Meredith and her family, but she had strep throat and wasn't allowed to go. She decided that, had she been there, Meredith might not have taken that tumble. At least that's how she explained her feelings to her therapist at the time. Later, she confided that she was sure Meredith had died simply because Lorali was her best friend. Can you imagine what guilt like that would do to a teenage girl? She feels things deeply you see, although she would never admit it. As a result, she shut down. Everyone again assumed that she would bounce back. And she seemed to... on the outside. But anyone who really knew her could see that she wasn't the same. She withdrew from her friends, focused entirely on school and routine. She spent the majority of her time alone, either with her nose in a book or in her makeshift studio drawing or painting. My parents continued her therapy, but all she truly learned there was to mask her pain. She figured out how to rid her face of anything other than the appropriate emotion for the situation at hand. She spent the following summer with my mother's father, moved in with him. He only lived about twenty minutes away. She and my grandfather were close. He was a self made man, practical and grounded like Lori. My parents sent her there to see if maybe he could reach her, bring her out of the cocoon that she kept herself hidden in. It was working until my grandfather had a stroke. He and Lorali had been together most of the day working in the garden. I'm sure you can guess that Lorali blamed herself for his death as well. You see, Commander, she decided that people who got close to her, people that she cared about, got hurt or worse. Now, as tragic as all of this sounds, it pails in comparison to what happened next."
"Your parents and your brother... her sophomore year at Penn State... she told me."
"I'm shocked. I don't know that she has ever shared that with anyone else". Her features softened slightly. "She must care about you a great deal."
"It's mutual."
"I'm sure, but, don't you see? That's why you have to let her go. She can never love you. She won't allow it. She needs to come home, Commander. She needs to be near what's left of her family. If you care about her as much as you say you do, you'll help me get her home. You two have been together, what, three months? You're time with her is halfway gone... that's the rule, six months. Do yourself a favor and let her go now before things become even more complicated than they already are."
Speechless, all Steve could do was watch as Claire turned to leave. She was back in hostess mode by the time she reached the table. Having just finished their turn on the dance floor, Danny and Lori joined the others at the table too. Lori turned to look for Steve. She flashed a rare, yet beautiful, full on toothy grin in his direction. He felt a hitch in his heart and in that moment, he knew that losing Lori was not an option. Steve joined the others and tried not to think about all that Claire had shared with him. He watched Lori with the others. He knew she kept her feelings hidden and that she was very good at masking her emotion. Now he knew why. As the party began to wear down, couples thanked their hostess and said their goodbyes. Steve, Lori and Claire were the last ones left. Steve stood back as Claire and Lori embraced. Over Lori's shoulder, Claire shot Steve a poignant look. He got the message, loud and clear.
On the way home, Lori turned to Steve in the truck. "So what were you and Claire talking about?"
Steve shifted in his seat. "She wants me to help her get you home."
"Ah... we've been fighting about that since she arrived. What did you tell her?"
"Nothing... she didn't give me the chance."
"That's Claire."
"You know, if you two didn't look so much alike, I'd have a hard time believing you're related."
Lori chuckled. "We are two very different people."
"I believe she loves you though."
"In her own way, yes, she does. She wants me married and settled... to an appropriate choice of course… someone of her choosing. She talks about home like we still have one. After my parents were killed, my grandfather sold the estate and funneled the money into a trust."
"This is your father's father, right... the one who wanted you to be an attorney?"
"Yes"
"What about your mother's parents?"
Lori paused. Steve watched as sadness flared in her eyes. "I never knew my mother's mother. She passed away before I was born. My grandfather died when I was thirteen. He overdid it in the garden one summer and his heart stopped."
"I'm sorry."
Lori offered him a small smile. "So you see, Claire talks about me coming home but, the way I see it, home is where I am."
Steve reached over and took Lori' hand in his. They rode in silence until they reached her apartment complex. "I'll see you in the morning?"
"I have a meeting at HPD first thing in the morning. They want us to look into a couple of high profile cold cases. I'll probably be in after lunch."
"I'm sorry if Claire was... unkind in any way. She can be difficult."
"Funny, she said the same thing about you," he smirked.
She chuckled. "I'm sure."
Steve kissed the hand that he held and then leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips. He should have stopped there, but after learning what he had earlier in the evening about her past and about her fears, he simply wanted to let her know that he wasn't afraid to love her and that he wasn't afraid to be loved by her. He ran his free hand through her hair and pressed harder as she balled the hem of his shirt in her hand. He pulled away slowly, breathing heavily, and twisted the end of her hair in his hand. Her eyes were the color of jade, sharp and clear. This close, he felt as if he could see into her soul. Green eyes met him every morning in the mirror, but they were nothing compared to the beauty of hers. Lori tapped him playfully on the nose and bid him goodnight. He watched, enamored, as she disappeared into her apartment complex.
H5OH5OH5OH5O
Tuesday, 1PM
Steve had just returned from HPD and was in his office organizing the cold case files that had been assigned to FiveO. Suddenly, he came charging from his office, cell phone at his ear. "HPD just found Lori's SUV abandoned and on fire. We gotta' roll!"
"Hold on..." Danny started.
"What," Steve snapped. "Let's go!" he said walking quickly backwards from the smart board and down the hall urging the others to follow with a look that conveyed both command and a touch of panic. As he started to turn, he crashed into something in front of Lori's office door. As papers flew in the air, he instinctively grabbed at the offending object realizing on his way to the floor that said object was a body. Landing rather gracefully on his back, he shifted and caught site of Lori's green eyes, big and round with surprise. Lying on top of Steve, papers raining down around them, Lori was speechless. Steve shoved her hair roughly back from her face and held her head securely between his hands. His eyes darted back and forth, searching hers, trying to determine if she was really, truly there in his arms. Lori flinched under the weight of his intensity.
"I..." she began.
"Are you ok?" he asked as if she had just been knocked down by a truck, not by a simple crash in the hall.
Confused, she replied, "I'm fine... What's going on?"
Steve dropped his head back to the floor and blew out a hard breath. Danny stepped closer to help Lori up from her cushy spot on top of Steve.
"What am I missing here?" she asked.
Steve hopped up effortlessly from his spot on the floor. "HPD just called and said they found your SUV abandoned and burned."
"I'll call and let 'em know there's been a mistake," Chin offered.
Lori's expression changed immediately from confusion to fear causing Steve to spring forward and grab her outstretched hands. "Claire," she whispered then quickly found her voice. "Claire has my truck. She dropped me off after lunch. She was gonna' do some shopping at the Aloha Tower. Where did they find it... my truck, where is it?"
Without hesitation, Steve sprang into action. "Kono, see if you can track Claire's cell phone. Lori, what's the number?"
In the time it took for Steve to instruct Kono, Lori had replaced the fear so readily apparent on her face not five seconds ago with a perfectly rehearsed mask of calm. Her expression now conveyed no emotion. She relayed the number to Kono, no trace of fear in her voice. Were it not for the tremble in her petite hands, no one, not even Steve, could guess that inside she was falling apart. Claire was all the family she had left in the world. They were as opposite as night and day. They disagreed, argued and fought more than they did anything else, but Lori loved her and that was the problem. Everyone she loved, everyone who loved her, died. It was the harsh reality that Lori lived with everyday. Steve watched as sadness washed over her eyes. "We'll find her. I promise. See if you can reach her on her cell. Kono, anything?"
Kono had disappeared to the smart board. "Nothing yet," she called.
Lori shook her head. "No answer."
Steve gave Danny the address for the SUV. "You two follow us there."
In the truck, Lori sat stick straight, willing herself to keep it together. She tried Claire's number a second time. Again there was no answer.
Jaw clenched, Steve glanced at Lori out of the corner of his eye. "Your sister has been here, what, five, six days now?"
"Yes," Lori responded.
"Has she had any trouble with anyone? Could she have pissed anyone off?"
Lori trilled a nervous laughed. "Claire can always piss somebody off... but, no, I don't think anything out of the ordinary has happened."
"Do you know where or what, exactly she had planned to do today?"
"She was going to Aloha Tower to do some shopping. I was gonna' walk over after work and meet her for dinner."
Lori stared straight ahead, out the front windshield. "What if this had nothing to do with her? What if whoever did this was after me?"
"Who would be after you?"
"I don't know. It's just a feeling I have".
While her face remained blank, her eyes pleaded with him to find her sister. He reached over and took her hand. They both jumped when his phone rang. The ID read "private caller". Steve answered, "McGarrett."
"Commander," a cold, hard voice met him on the other end. Steve flinched physically.
"What do you want," he asked in a steely voice, full of warning.
"Shelburne"
"I don't have time for this right now. I already told you, I don't know who or what Shelburne is. I thought I made that clear when you were trying to torture that bit of information out of me the last time we met."
"You should make time Commander McGarrett. Remember what it felt like to hear your father die, knowing there was no way you could stop it?" Steve offered no response.
"I'm just wondering, this time, would you like to watch as someone you care about is, lets say, persuaded... or is hearing her scream sufficient?"
"What have you done?"
"She's quite lovely... so very different than your previous interest... not exactly what I expected, however. She's a bit soft for a former agent with The Federal Bureau of Investigation and, as an officer with Homeland Security, I would have thought more of a challenge to grab. You would think someone trained at Quantico could handle this... predicament with a bit more prowess."
Steve's heart raced as the reality of the situation sank in. WoFat thought he had Lori. And he had taken her to get to him. Steve pulled over and dared a glance at Lori. She had shifted in her seat to face him. Gripping the dashboard with one hand, she studied his face, trying to make sense of the one sided conversation. Steve exited the truck, needing room to pace. He was greeted by Danny, arms open and palms up in question. Steve gave him the just a minute signal before Danny could speak.
"Look you son of a bitch..."
"No need for that Commander. This is how this works. You meet me in twenty minutes, Kulolia Harbor, Pier 2. You give me what I want and I give you what you want. It's very simple."
"Let me talk to her."
Lori met him at the back of the truck. Wide eyed and intent, she waited to hear what, Steve knew, she had already gathered.
On the phone, Steve heard a woman's voice desperate and pleading, "Please help me..."
"Twenty minutes, Commander McGarrett".
Steve shut his eyes tightly and brought the top of the cell phone to his pursed lips. "WoFat has Claire," he announced. Turning to Lori, he continued. "He thinks he has you."
All business, Lori frowned. Her hands went to her back pockets. Steve knew the tell.
"What's our move?" Danny asked.
"Chin, call Kono. Tell her to bring the coms and meet us at Pier 3, Kulolia Harbor. I have to meet WoFat in twenty minutes at Pier 2."
Chin stepped back from the group and dialed Kono. Steve turned to Danny. "Pier 2 is three blocks from the office, off of Moana Blvd. It's seven or so blocks from here. We'll meet at Pier 3, pick up the coms and figure it out from there."
Danny nodded once, "I'm following you". He gave Lori his best reassuring smile before turning on his heels and trotting back to the Camaro.
Lori sat quietly as Steve juked and jibed through local traffic, siren blaring. Sliding onto S Nimitz Hwy, he broke the silence. "We'll get her back".
Lori turned worried eyes in his direction.
Kono was waiting at the Pier 3 junction. Aloha Tower stood visible at Pier 9, busy with every day hustle and bustle. It stood in stark contrast to the forgotten Pier 2. "There's nothing down that road but old shipping containers and meth heads," Kono remarked. "What's the plan," Chin asked.
All eyes settled on Steve. "He'll have a detail, at least six I would guess. Danny and Chin, you ride with me. Stay on my flank, either side. Kono, I'll let you and Lori out on the way down. You two see if you can circle around, get eyes from the sides. I want to know where all of his men are. No surprises. He'll trade Claire for information. We get her back and we get the hell out. That's our objective". Every one nodded in agreement. While the rest of the team selected their weapons and checked their ammo, Steve took Lori's elbow and pulled her to the side. "Listen, when we get down there, I want you to stay out of sight. If WoFat sees you, it could blow the whole operation. You and your sister look too much alike. If he figures out he has the wrong girl, he won't trust the information I give him and he won't give us Claire."
"Got it," she answered with determination and turned to join the others.
"Lori..." Steve said as he caught her arm. He opened his mouth to continue, but Lori cut him off.
"We'll get her back," she said, locking eyes with him for the briefest of moments. She could see the determination and the power behind those eyes. It calmed her. Steve squeezed her arm in answer and let her go.
TBC
A/N: Well that seemed like a good place to stop. Apparently I had a lot to say this time around. I hope it wasn't too disjointed. It's hard to write these characters outside of "episode mode" and I'm afraid that interrupts the flow of the story a little. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Please drop a review on the way out. I hate to admit it, but reviews are my motivation. Thanks!