Pressure Makes Diamonds
Chapter 4
Danny told Chin that he would meet him at the safe house they had put Sang Min. He had one stop to make first. He had told Kono to go home for now and hang tight until he could get her situation figured out. Though she had resisted the idea of sitting on the sidelines while everyone else worked to help clear Steve, Danny argued calmly that the most important thing for her was to stay clean, that getting involved in helping him would only strengthen the case against her, that if anything went wrong, she'd be dragged down with him and he didn't want to do that to her, despite her protests that she didn't care about that. He told that he did and that moved her. Danny told her to trust him and she had told him that she always had then reluctantly agreed that she would wait it out until she heard from him.
Danny then drove to Steve's house. After his conversation with him in jail, Danny had learned that Steve had recorded the Governor's confession about Laura's murder.
Flashback
"Danny, I got the Governor to confess that she had Laura killed."
"What? Wait a minute, how'd you do that?"
"I had her confess on my phone."
Danny's excitement cooled.
"They found your phone. The recording was deleted, probably by Wo Fat."
"I figured on that -"
"Of course you did," Danny said not surprised.
"I really wasn't recording on my phone, but to a voicemail box on an encrypted phone I have hidden at my house. You just have to get that and it'll prove she killed Laura."
"All right, I'll go over there after I leave here. I'll find a way to use it to get you out of here or at least into protective custody."
"Is Sang Min still at the safe house?"
"Yeh, but I think Wo Fat will be ramping up cleaning house which includes getting rid of Sang Min."
"And probably me too," Steve said. "Danny, be careful. Wo Fat, he's dangerous."
"Really? I had no idea. Can you say understatement of the century? This advice coming from a man who doesn't know the meaning of the word," Danny teased. "You just watch your back in there until I can get you out. I'll be fine."
"Danny, thanks."
Steve looked worried, but sincerely grateful. Danny didn't need to hear the gratitude. He was doing it out of friendship.
"Okay, now how much of your soul did you just lose, huh?" Danny continued to tease. "Don't thank me yet."
After Danny got the phone from where Steve had hidden it, he headed over to Jenna Kaye's apartment after calling her. She let him in and he was taken aback by all of the Wo Fat intel she had gathered.
"If I didn't owe you my life, I'd be a little scared right now," Danny teased.
Jenna laughed. "Too much time in the CIA, I guess."
"Yeh, don't get me started on the CIA. Long as you don't start using terms like 'the Company', we'll be good," Danny said. "Listen, I have a favor to ask -"
"Name it. I want to help," Jenna jumped in.
"Whoa, before you commit to anything, you have to know that what I'm asking you to do could get you into more than just a little trouble. It could get you killed. I'm not working as just a cop anymore. Steve and Kono, they're innocent and they're my friends. I'm gonna clear them and though I do need your help, I need you to be clear on the risks of helping me. I also want you to know that I'll do everything I can to protect you."
Jenna saw the genuine concern on Danny's face and understood why the team had fought so hard to save him. He was more to them than just another team member, he was a friend and someone with principle because even though she was new, he was including her in his circle of protection and it made her feel safe.
"I get that and thanks, but I've been after Wo Fat for a while now. I think I'm already in pretty deep. I know the risks and how dangerous Wo Fat is. I'm doing this as much for my fiancé as I am for you and your team. So, just tell me what you need."
Danny saw a glimmer in her eyes that told him she was still mourning the loss of someone she had loved. Someone who had been taken from her by Wo Fat. There was more than just Steve's investment in taking him down at stake.
"I'm sorry," Danny said with empathy in his voice.
Jenna appreciated Danny's sympathy towards her loss. It was heartfelt and that meant a lot. She just nodded and gave him a small smile.
"Okay then, I need you to take off the voicemail message on here and safeguard it on your computer. It's the Governor's confession. I need to make sure it's safe. I'm turning in the phone to the DA, but I can't be sure he's not on Wo Fat's payroll. Laura was helping Steve and it got her killed."
"Why risk telling anyone you have it?"
"To draw out Wo Fat. If the DA is dirty, the word will get back to him."
"But you'll be making yourself a target."
"With any luck," Danny said, the tone in his voice revealing that he wasn't relishing the idea of putting a bulls eye on his back, but understanding that it had to be done.
"That's crazy," Jenna said, the concern for the risk that Danny was undertaking evident in her voice.
"Yeh, well, like I said, welcome to my world."
TBC