Chapter 8
Steve ordered the HPD officers to take over. It took two large men to escort an angry Maleko away toward the blue and white parked outside. Another officer took Kimo off Danny's hands, cuffing him and reading him his rights. After he was certain that the crisis was over and the danger to his colleagues past, Kono quietly left the barn alone, distancing himself from others. He had a lot to think about.
Danny's adrenaline rush was almost spent and he was again aware of the searing pain in his arm and his extreme fatigue from the near tragic day. Steve noticed his second-in-command listing to one side and caught him before the young man collapsed.
"Easy, Danno," Steve said, his own heartbeat slowing to a more normal rhythm.
"Long day," Danny whispered between labored breaths.
"Yeah," agreed Steve. "Come on, let's get you out of here."
The lead detective turned to Chin and instructed him to take Mrs. Jameson home. She smiled her thanks and gently patted Danny's uninjured arm. She owed her life to his courage, his and Kono's, Haole and Hawaiian. She would not forget. Neither will Hawaii, she thought.
o-o-o-o-o
Paul Jameson held in his hands the manuscript of the speech he had written but never got the chance to deliver. The paper was crinkled from his reading and rereading it so many times, first in preparation for the speech and then afterward as he tried to reassure himself that he still believed the words that he had written. For Paul had sworn that regardless of what happened he would give that same speech with only a few edits to reflect the events of the past couple days. He had convinced himself that it was the right thing to do.
But it was so hard. So hard to imagine what he would do if anything happened to beautiful wife, his precious Patti. So hard to figure out where the line was between family and duty.
Who was he? Was he Paul Jameson the husband who loved his wife more than anything, who would do whatever it took to save her? Or was he Paul Jameson the Governor, the politician who always put duty and the needs of the state before the needs of his family?
Could he be both?
Glancing over at Duke Lukela, Paul was tempted to order the officer to radio Steve again but he feared that he would be a distraction at a critical moment. So he waited and tried not to think about the danger his wife was in, what would happened if she died…
Paul heard the sound of a car pulling in the driveway and Duke immediately moved to the window, one hand on his service revolver. When Duke pulled aside the curtain, Paul recognized the car; he knew who had come to see him.
The wait was over.
He looked at the Hawaiian cop. Duke's smile told him everything he wanted to know. He ran out to the car as Chin helped Patti to the sidewalk.
Paul took his wife in his arms, tears of grateful joy running down his face.
o-o-o-o-o
Danny was delivered back to Queen's where his wound was re-stitched and bandaged. Since his diagnosis also included new bruising, exhaustion and partial dehydration, Bergman insisted that he spend the night. After a good night's sleep, Danny was feeling better. Better than his first visitor, at least.
"Hi Danny," Kono said softly after knocking and entering the hospital room.
Danny immediately noticed that the spark had left the usually jovial, carefree Hawaiian. His friend's eyes were focused on the floor.
"I'm awfully sorry about your cousins, Kono," Danny said gently. "This must have been hard for you."
"You have no idea, Danny," Kono began. "I gotta tell you, I ain't never felt so torn in my life. But I couldn't let `em hurt you."
"Thanks."
Danny sensed that there was something else, something enormous weighing on his large friend's heart.
"What is it, Kono?"
Several minutes of silence passed between them while the Hawaiian tried to find the right words.
"Danny…please…don't tell Steve."
"Don't tell Steve what?"
"I'm thinking about leaving Five-O."
Kono lifted his head and looked at Danny through his tears. Danny was speechless for several seconds.
"Wow. Are you sure?"
"No. Just feel like I'm tied up in knots over dis."
Danny was close to tears himself over the internal battle that was raging inside his friend and the thought that he could lose him as a colleague. They had been through so much together over the years.
"Kono, do me a favor, okay?" Danny said as he reached out and took hold of the large man's forearm.
"What?"
"Before you decide anything, go talk to your great uncle Akanahe. Seek his wisdom. Don't try to handle this by yourself."