CHAPTER 15

"Attention all units in the vicinity of North Pauahi Street. 417S in progress armed suspects inside. The Phantom club, possible casualties."

"Central, this is Kelly and Williams, Five-0. We're heading in that direction, will respond."

As soon as Chin spoke the words he regretted it, turning to his passenger he began an apology, "Sorry Danny, I forgot. I'll cancel that, plenty of other units to respond."

Williams stopped him before he could pick the mic up again, "No Chin, I'm okay. Let's go see what's going on."

"Don't think we should bruddah," He said, looking at the sheen of perspiration on his colleague's face and the way he was clutching his bad leg, "you're plenty sick. I should be getting you back to the doc!"

Pressing himself back as far as he could on the seat Danny was trying not fade out on Kelly, determination the only thing keeping him from curling up into a ball and feeling sorry for himself. He couldn't shake the feeling they were close.

"Look, I know you think you're doing Steve some good by being out here but it's not your fault if you can't help."

Williams clenched his jaw at that, "Just do as I say will you?!" Although inwardly he regretted his harsh tone he just didn't have the strength to apologize.

Chin shook his head and turning back started the car, he glanced up into the rear view mirror once more and saw his young friend's eyes had closed with the pain. "You and Steve competing for the title of most stubborn cop now?" he tutted, "Okay since we're close we'll take a look but after that you're back to bed deal?"

"Please Chin just drive." Came the exhausted reply.

Kelly radioed Kono to tell him they were responding to the call only to find the Hawaiian detective echoed his sentiments regarding Williams and after a string of very colorful Hawaiian words issued forth from the big guy's mouth starting with pupule haole' Chin had to cut him off. Danny looked suitably surprised but understood they both had his best interests at heart. If they only realized he had McGarrett's.

"Sorry Danny." Chin offered as he pulled out into the traffic.

"It's okay Chin, I'd probably say the same in his place."

Driving fast meant driving less smoothly and Kelly was all too aware of the discomfort he was causing Williams. He tried cornering more slowly but years of conditioning meant he was programed to get to a scene swiftly. It hurt the young man and he knew it.

As the view slipped past the window, Danny was tuning into the sounds and smells once more and trying to keep his stomach from churning over. Somehow it all felt familiar to him, but he knew that was improbable; he had been in the trunk of the car and whilst he kidded himself he was doing a fine job of recalling the journey the truth was he was pretty much incapable of telling anything about the route. It was time to admit that he was never going to find his friend.

"We can go back after this." Dan said bleakly, and thought he heard a sigh of relief come from the driver's seat.

"Sure Danno, will do."

It wouldn't mean the others would do anything less to find McGarrett, it just meant his closest friend couldn't be there to help bring him home.

&-&-&-&-&

McGarrett found himself staring into glassy, lifeless eyes as the sound of the gunshot stopped reverberating around the attic. Noah was dead, a clean shot to the head. He was sprawled at Steve's feet, soaked with blood. The Five-0 chief was disgusted at the waste of life but enough of a realist to understand he could not have stopped Barlow from pulling the trigger; the man was tipping over the edge.

"You murdering bastard!" Brett yelled at him. 'What did you do that for?!" It wasn't like he was best friends with his colleague but seeing him shot down in cold blood was a shock.

Barlow wasn't exactly sure why he'd done it, perhaps it was simply to show everyone who was in charge, whatever the reason it was done - now they had to get away.

"Now do you understand?" Rent said feverishly, "I'M in charge here – ME, not you or McGarrett, ME!"

"More blood on your hands Barlow! This time you're going down and I'll be there to turn the key."

The club owner laughed, "You think you're invincible, you and you're squealing lieutenant, but you're not. I have a fee to collect and no one is going to stop me! Help me untie him." He ordered Brett as he waved the gun.

"Or what, you'll shoot me too?" Brett forced himself to appear calm, the noise outside making him tense, he could see the house of cards wobbling before his very eyes and part of him just wanted to cut his losses and get out.

"Oh you know I will! Stay loyal Brett boy and you will still collect, the alternative scenario is lying on the floorboards. Now get him on his feet!"

Despite his temper, the younger man stuck his gun in his waist band and helped, one handed, to pull the ropes from around Steve's legs before gesturing for him to get up. All the time Rent had the Derringer pointed in the detective's face.

McGarrett lurched unsteadily to his feet, head spinning and ribs protesting as he did so, he reached out and steadied himself on the wall. " You can't use me as a bargaining chip."

"Sure we can, you're what they're looking for, not us. We give them what they want and we get to live, I'd call that a bargain, mister cop!" Brett snorted with bravado.

"You're as stupid as your boss! Consider your options very carefully, those people downstairs won't let you live and neither will he, not if you cross him!" Seeing a chink in their relationship Steve was trying to force a wedge into it just in case he could crack one of them. He figured Barlow was too far gone but Brett…, "The police are on their way. Give yourself up to me and I'll vouch for you, go with him and you're a walking dead man."

"Just where do you get off giving orders McGarrett!?" Barlow barked. He could see confusion cross his accomplice's face and was not pleased. "Hey, that's enough talk let's go! Hands where I can see them and don't try anything because you know I won't hesitate to shoot you!"

Stepping aside to let Steve out first, Barlow none-too-gently prodded McGarrett out of the narrow doorway.

Grateful to see the shredded sunlight pouring into the hallway, Steve was pushed along through motes of glittering dust; annoyed at the continual pushing. Gritting his teeth he resisted the urge to try something - the manhandling was seriously angering him. With a gun trained on his back and more weapons below, he had very little choice in the matter. He needed some kind of plan.

Doyle Weston's men - determined and dangerous - seized the two first floors of the club without much trouble. The top floor was their goal now, the only place the Five-0 chief could be. Joey Johnson gave up, dropped his weapon and was shot where he stood. Barlow's last man, Kapa, died crawling out of the front steps to get help. All was silent save the occasional sob from the girls downstairs or moan from the wounded.

Despite the patently clear intention to steal the merchandise from him, Barlow was determined to extract his money and throw McGarrett to the wolves. Time was running out before the police arrived but this was one party he wanted to control.

Heavy footsteps trod the creaking boards below and a voice called up, "Barlow your price is too high – I've come to get McGarrett!"

Brett forced the detective ahead of him and, using his body as a shield, they reached the head of the steep steps. Steve felt the business end of a gun pointed in the small of his back. He looked down but could only see the bottom halves of three men in suits. One intriguingly wore two-toned cream and brown spatz that looked expensive beneath tailored beige pants but he could see no more - he assumed that this was the mysterious buyer.

Barlow stood to one side, flat against the moisture-laden brickwork. He was vaguely nauseated at the sound of smacking wet lips from his fellow criminal and just wanted to shoot Weston between his weasel-like eyes. 'I have him!" Barlow replied. "You want him, I want my money!"

"My men are everywhere, I can do as I please. You're a worm Barlow, nothing but a second-rate, narcissistic nobody – you never were anything – even your parents knew that!"

"Don't you talk about my parents! You have no right to talk about my parents!!" Weston had hit a nerve.

Bubbling laughter crackled in the air as the criminal enjoyed taunting Rent, "Why would you think I would pay for McGarrett when you had him wrapped up like a gift on Christmas morning for me? You're small time Barlow now send him down, there's a good boy. "

The man was positively gleeful and McGarrett thought he recognized the serpent-like voice as that of someone he had been trying to put away for a very long time, but he couldn't be sure. He was unable to see the face, hidden as it was behind the plain wooden balustrades but he could smell the man's pungent aftershave from where he stood. Whoever it was could see him standing at the head of the stairs as plain as day, and for some reason that made Steve's skin crawl.

Barlow's balding head appeared from behind the corner, he was red faced and jittery, "My money!! You promised me money!"

"No payoff and no hope of getting out of here alive unless I say so! Consider yourself at the mercy of a superior intellect!" More throaty laughter, laced with spittle and evil intentions, traveled up the staircase. Barlow kicked the wall and cursed loudly.

Sirens could be heard in the distance and McGarrett said a soundless prayer of thanks to whatever bystander had called it in. "Hear that?" Steve shouted in interruption, "That's the sound of the good guys coming. You might want to consider leaving right now while you still have a chance!" Brett jabbed him in the ribs and the sudden pain forced the air to expel from his lips with an agonized gasp. He almost toppled forward down the steps.

"Oh bravo! Nice try McGarrett, I have no intention of being caught, besides, with you as a hostage no one would dare shoot!"

Clenching his jaw, Steve put the pain aside to comment with conviction, "You want to bet? My men will nail you as soon as you walk out of here, they won't hesitate after all you've done!" He was stalling for time and Weston knew it.

"Well in that case I supposed we should shoot you now and be done with it!"

-&-&-&-&

It wasn't long before HPD were breathing down their necks. As police units began blocking off the area, armed officers were surveying the scene. With three floors to cover they needed to get men on the roof to work their way into the building but with cars parked in the alleyway leading to the fire stairs it wasn't clear if the vehicles contained more gunmen ready to ambush them and the roof, therefore, was temporarily off limits.

"Best to stay here Danny." Chin said concerned as the car screeched to a halt next to the other units. His passenger was looking green about the gills but there was no time to think about that with lives in danger, "I'll go see what's going on."

Williams could only nod, lost in his own world he found himself staring out at the building as Chin, bent low for cover, went to talk to Duke Lukela and get the low down on the situation. Three storeys tall, a club, gunshots, in the general direction they were heading – all of it connected with Williams memories – it was too much of a coincidence. As things began sliding into place, the radio crackled, it was Kono and it sounded urgent.

It hurt to move but Dan knew he couldn't leave the radio unanswered. Easing his leg off the seat, he tried not to put pressure on the injured limb as he leaned over the front and answered the call, "Williams here Kono go ahead."

"Danny, you okay? Where's Chin?"

"Fine. Chin's with Duke checking things out, what have you got?"

"Just as you said bruddah, one Thomas J Barlow, aka Rent; gambling and prostitution. Comfortably off but by no means wealthy, threatened Steve a couple of times, pretty serious but nothing we could hold him for. Barlow owns a nightclub and get this - ,"

Click click the last pieces fit, and Danny's pulse began racing, "I don't need to Kono, I already know – The Phantom right?"

Kalakua whistled "Right on the money! Steve's there, he's got to be!"

"Yeah, make sure the other units know not to take any chances with Steve's life, I'll tell Chin."

"Don't do anything stupid Danno you hear?"

"I hear, mahalo."

Groaning with effort, Williams opened the car door.

-&-&-&-&

"Hey, the place is crawling with cops, we've got to make a run for it!" One of Weston's men shouted from below.

"Not without McGarrett, I've waited a long time for this. We leave when I say so!"

With the brief distraction it was now or never. Steve twisted round and made his move, "That's what you think!" Catching Brett off guard he grabbed his hand and bashed it against the wall until he dropped the weapon then heaved the man down the stairs. Yelping as he fell, Weston's men fired in rapid succession at the moving target coming towards them. Brett was hit multiple times as he tumbled and bumped his way to an inelegant end three quarters of the way down. Finally joining his friend in death, Brett's leg got caught in the railings; stuck at an awkward angle it would take more than a few seconds to free his body so that the stairs were unblocked. Seconds that McGarrett needed to affect an escape.

Barlow, knowing he was a target now and completely outclassed with just a .38, grabbed his deceased employee's downed revolver before Steve could get to it then ran for the only way out, which was precisely where McGarrett was also headed.

The small window access way was hardly compliant with fire regulation standards but it served its purpose and with a rough shove Barlow pushed the glazed frame open wide enough to allow him to step out onto the rickety iron stairs. It was a tight squeeze for his rotund body and he loathed heights but he was determined to save his hide, if not his fortune.

McGarrett, mindful of the fact that he was unarmed and Barlow wasn't, waited for the man to sense freedom before he tried tackling him from behind for the gun. If he could grab the weapon and get them down to safety, the rest of the units could sweep the building and help the wounded without worrying about him.

When he got outside Steve was suddenly reminded of similar stairs he had seen Danny tied to and shivered in the warm air. Very soon he would find out how his second-in-command was, assuming he got out alive. Never far from his mind, locating Danny was his first duty – after subduing a murderer and kidnapper!

Their escape route was moving unnervingly with the extra weight and McGarrett feared it might give way if he attempted anything too physical on the rusting platform but he also knew time to tip toe was not a luxury he could afford. Lower down, Barlow was clumsy and slow, also feeling the movement beneath and the short man jolted as he heard Steve's feet above taking the stairs two at a time, heedless of the danger. Looking up, Rent took aim.

-&-&-&-&

On hearing more shots from the second floor Williams, moving on pure adrenalin only, had ordered Kelly and Lukela to take the building. He was unwilling to risk more lives, especially with their boss in there, assuming McGarrett wasn't already a casualty. Dan tried not to think about that very real possibility, he was having a hard enough time focusing on standing upright, without apportioning any of his waning strength to an emotional cataclysm. They had a possible hostage situation developing and needed to jump on it before it got out of hand.

Knowing Williams was hurting and unarmed, Chin insisted on taking over. Danny waited until the capable officers got into position before making his way slowly back to the Sedan, unsure how much longer he could hold on. His vision was blurring every now and then and the localized painkillers were wearing off faster than he anticipated - his pain was real and intensifying.

Fearing for his friend's life as well as those of the officers storming the club, he turned back to survey the scene. Williams heard a noise from the alley and looking up saw, to his immense relief, McGarrett crouching on the fire escape at the top of the building. He was alive! It was the first time he had seen his friend since the explosion and only then did he feel that his world was knitting back together but Steve was in danger, someone was aiming at him and McGarrett was a sitting duck. Where were the officers he had assigned to the back? He was sure they were there a moment ago.

Thinking they must have gone inside through the service entrance something inside Danny snapped; he was angry and desperate. McGarrett needed his help and with no officer available it was up to him. He had no weapon and was in no physical condition to tackle anyone but he couldn't stand by and watch his brother murdered before his eyes.

Danny began hobbling towards the cars parked in the alley, unsure just what he could do to save Steve, there was not time to go for backup. He fought down the scream that wanted to free itself from his throat as the torn muscles in his leg vied for poll position with the agony in his broken ribs. A red haze, real or imagined, haloed his cornea but he willed his body to move faster not giving in to the severity of his injuries. He wished he had his police special. Barlow had taken his and no one had thought to bring his back up piece to the hospital; to all intents and purposes there would have been no need for him to be armed in bed but now he felt naked without it. All he had was distraction.

Wiping his palms on the front of his tracksuit pants he edged forward. As he got closer he heard the man speak and Dan, recognizing the sarcastic tones of his kidnapper, knew that he was seeing Thomas Barlow for the first time.

"Don't come any closer McGarrett, stay right where you are!" Rent ordered. "You cost me a million and now you're going to die!"

Steve heard noises from inside but resisted the urge to look behind him, concentrating instead on the lethal weapon pointed at him. More shots and he assumed the cavalry had begun to take back the club, offering a big enough distraction to those following him that they gave up to fight elsewhere. At least that was one problem taken care of, now all he needed was to find cover in a cover-free zone!

Reaching the base of the stairs and leaning heavily on a tinted black vehicle, Danny shouted anxiously "BARLOW! Give it up, you're not going anywhere! Drop the weapon."

"Danno!" McGarrett's vocal box was tight with emotion as he said the name but when he saw how white his friend looked above the neckline of the red shirt and the face covered with burn cream it was like looking at a totally different person and it worried him. He could see Williams was gravely ill and yet there he was, large as life and trying to save his.

"Come to join the party Mister Williams? How good of you oh, and unarmed too I see. My you do look pale!" Barlow swung the gun between the detectives, covering both.

As Rent spoke Steve took a few more steps toward the criminal. They were past the second floor now and if necessary McGarrett would leap on the man, even if it meant bringing the structure down on top of them. He wouldn't hesitate if the Barlow showed any sign of pulling the trigger on Danno.

"There are cops everywhere, it's no use. Surrender to us and we'll give you a fair hearing."

Rent laughed, his face was almost purple with effort and he knew it wouldn't be long before Williams' prophecy came true. "But I'M the one with the gun – should I be saying that?"

Two more steps. Dan moved too, bravely leaving his cover to get closer to the action.

"Williams is right Barlow, give it up. You won't get far before you're caught. Like I said before, it's over."

Danny glanced over his shoulder and noted with relief that Duke and some of the other HPD men were dragging out a couple of gunmen from the front of the building and others were helping wounded and hysterical women. Ambulances began arriving and as they pulled up Chin Ho Kelly and two officers rounded the corner into the alley. Sizing up the situation immediately Chin made them stand back but train their rifles on the perpetrator.

"Danny, Steve, you okay?" Chin hollered from a distance.

"Yeah Chin, just discussing surrender with our friend here." McGarrett offered lightly.

"SURRENDER? SURRENDER?! No one is surrendering, I have you both to thank for that. You and your boy wonder here. I think it's about time we left – together. Get them back McGarrett, order those cops away from here!"

"Uh-huh, no one is listening to you any more Barlow. You're not going anywhere but jail." Steve assured him.

"So you don't think I'm serious, perhaps I should show you, like I showed Noah eh?" Barlow said, the hurt in his voice real.

"I think you're serious Barlow - seriously twisted!" Dan, noting the manic edge to Rent's tone sought to further undermine his balance. He wasn't sure quite what the man meant about Noah but he recognized the name and a chill went through him as he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Barlow would put a bullet in McGarrett and he couldn't let that happen, not on his watch. As he goaded the man Steve carefully eased his way downstairs, face a mask of concentration. Williams continued, "Is that the best you can do? You're small time, you couldn't even organize a sale. No wonder your fellow criminals don't take you seriously!"

At the entrance to the alley, Chin was watching with growing concern, knowing that the second-in-command was gambling on a distraction, but he could see Barlow's face and this cornered rabbit could very well turn out to be a tiger. If Danny wasn't careful his plan would backfire, literally. "If he makes a move and you have a clear shot, go for it." Kelly said under his breath to the officers at his side. Both men nodded.

Careful Danno, McGarrett thought as he watched his officer stake himself out. Another couple of steps and he could take him.

Danny was shaking, the situation having a serious affect on his ability to remain conscious, he couldn't let himself cave in now, he had to distract the man long enough for Steve or the sharpshooters to take him down. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue? You were vocal enough when you were branding me with your cigars and when you left me to die in that inferno! You're a coward, nothing but a two bit hustler and pimp trying out for the big time, you can't even torture properly. Where are your thugs now Barlow? Did they run away or was it you who killed them? You failed, you will lose everything because of your stupidity, how does that feel?!"

"I haven't failed! I have a million dollars coming to me! I have my empire, the Phantom is mine. I earned it with blood and I won't let you take it!!"

McGarrett was close enough now to make his move. But the increasingly peevish man had noticed and swiftly rounded the gun on him, which was precisely what Williams didn't want. The Five-0 Chief stood deadly still, the moment a knife edge.

"You're wrong Barlow, no one wants to take Phantom from you but you have to pay for what you've done. Give me the gun." Steve said and held out his hand.

Danny couldn't breathe.

Rent took a yellow silk handkerchief out of his pocket and swiped it across his glistening brow, "No..no..no no..no!! This is what it was all about, ridding Hawaii of you and your sidekick. Without you we can all be rich! I was going to get someone else to do it but I see now I should have done it all along. I was wrong…but I can change that."

Waving the revolver Barlow was going to pull the trigger, Danny knew it and Steve knew it, he just hoped the men holding the rifles understood it too.

"Then why don't you do it Barlow…kill me, I'm an easy target – your contract failed, I'm still alive! If you're correcting your mistakes here I am!"

"Danno NO!!" Steve couldn't believe what his friend was doing. "Barlow he doesn't mean it!"

Williams wanted the attention on him not his friend, "Sure I do, I mean it – you can't even order a hit on a cop. You're a failure Barlow!"

"Don't listen to him, listen to me!" McGarrett countered.

Back and forth, back and forth. Rent's heart was pounding and he wasn't sure what to do. It was suddenly all so confusing. Right now his plans were being undermined. He wanted to kill McGarrett but he wanted to get the money from Weston too and the curly haired cop was right, he had failed. Weston wanted Williams dead and perhaps that's why he turned on him and tried to steal his merchandise. Because the hit went wrong!

Chin shouted out, "Barlow drop your weapon NOW or we will shoot!"

"Yes…no… I don't know…I think….I think Williams is right!" He turned to Danno. "He wanted you dead and I failed but I won't fail a second time. This time I'll kill you myself!" Danny found himself staring down the barrel of the revolver, had he not been injured perhaps he could have done something about it but in his condition he had no time to react.

"NO!!" Steve flung himself at Rent, grappling the man just as the gun went off, it was a desperate attempt and although Barlow's aim was spoiled, the shot still found its mark in living tissue. Despite his own injuries McGarrett was like a man possessed as the fury of what had been done to his 2-I-C flooded his mind, the tackle pushed them both over and Steve yelled out as he bashed himself repeatedly on the railings.

Danny spun round from the force of the impact and fell against the bonnet of the car, blood spraying from a wound to his shoulder. His bad leg collapsed heavily under him and the world began spinning. He felt the heat of the bullet pierce his skin but the shock of his other injuries momentarily protected him from the pain. As he slid down he saw images in slow motion, fuzzy shapes that slowly moved out of focus to become blobs of color, the scarlet haze was there again and this time he knew it was real. "Chin, help Steve…!" Was all he managed before falling back inelegantly on the ground, too exhausted to even pass out. The shapes disappeared and a canvas of baby blue took their place. He heard the noises close by but everything was of little consequence to him, save the burning need to help his friend and the knowledge that it was his fault in the first place.

McGarrett was too close to Barlow for the officers to get a clear shot, all they could do was watch helplessly as the two men fell wrestling down the steps of the fire escape. They ran toward the scene, determined to untangle the pair who were now fighting. McGarrett, furious and in obvious pain was on top the portly Barlow and punching him in the face, "You hurt him again, you slime! How does it feel to taste some of your own medicine eh…? This is payback for Danno!"

"Stop! Someone get him off me, he's mad!" Rent squeaked and flailed ineffectually, terrified at the angry man attacking him, his nose was bloody and he had a split lip which bothered him on a subliminal level because of his cigar-smoking habit.

"Steve, stop! Boss leave him be!" Kelly urged as other officers rushed into the fray and helped to separate the two. Only when he was satisfied that a panting and enraged McGarrett was safely contained and Barlow in custody did he turn his attention to the fallen detective.

Dan lay at an angle in front of the car, he was barely conscious, staring up at the sky beyond and the ground beneath him pooling with thick blood. Chin bent down and felt for a pulse and was gratified to notice it was strong beneath his fingertips. "Get a stretcher over here wiki-wiki!!" he shouted. "Danny, you're gonna be okay bruddah. Now will you go back to the hospital?"

Dan managed a wan smile, "Think so." A finger reached out to touch Kelly's hand, "Steve safe?" he asked.

"Yeah Danny, Steve's safe."

"Good."

Williams' thigh wound had also re-opened and his pant leg was becoming stickier by the moment. Pressing a handkerchief to the more serious of the two injuries, Kelly found himself eased aside as Steve, wheezing badly and cradling his damaged ribs, knelt down next to Danny and lifted his head onto this lap. Smoothing the pale cheeks with a shaking hand he bent over his friend's face and stared into the shocky cerulean eyes. He himself looked for all the world as though he had been in a bar fight but he was still prepared to tell his officer off, "That was a stupid thing you did Danno! Just wait 'til you get back to work!" he said jokingly between labored breaths. He was grateful beyond belief to finally get to touch and see his kaikaina; twice Williams had saved his life – and that was just this week.

"Sorry." Danny whispered.

"For what my friend?" McGarrett's tone was hushed.

"Letting you down. You okay?"

Steve squeezed Williams' uninjured hand, marveling at how unselfish he was and how proud to be a friend of Dan Williams, "Yes, I'm fine, just a bit busted up and as for letting me down - you never have and you never will!"

The ambulance men were there ready to give first aid and take him to hospital. As they took over putting pressure on the shoulder wound, Danny groaned and his eyes began to glaze over. "I didn't mean to cry out…sorry…Steve.." he said at last but bordering on unconsciousness, uttered no more.

Steve stood up, sniffed and wiped a hand across his eyes, aware that he was giving his men gossip for the canteen but he didn't care, he was too focused on the man being gently lifted onto the stretcher. At first he wasn't sure what Williams meant then it dawned on him that Danno blamed himself for his kidnapping. They would have a lot to discuss later.

"How many dead?" Steve asked, trying to bring his mind back to the present and mindful that he had heard screams during the siege.

"Too many. Ten dead; six shooters, two customers, two callgirls, and the rest were injured or unharmed. A fine mess to clear up."

McGarrett simply nodded, far too tired to even think like a cop.

"Come on Steve, you look beat. They'll take you both to hospital, get you checked out again. Let Duke, Kono and I handle this, you two get better." Chin said kindly and was surprised to hear a strangled sob from his boss. McGarrett was close to collapse from the emotional and physical rollercoaster he had been through and for once in his life he was relinquishing control of a serious situation completely to his men. He and Danno were victims here from the bombing to the final fight and it was all he could do to stagger behind Dan's stretcher to the waiting ambulance.

On the threshold and just before they closed the door after loading Williams in, Steve asked, "The other man, did you arrest him?"

"Which other man?"

"The one who won the auction? These were his men who hit the club."

"Didn't look like no big boss amongst the ones we arrested Steve."

McGarrett looked back at the Phantom, "Are you sure?" he asked, concerned that the more dangerous foe had got away.

"Sure, we covered it from top to bottom, no one in or out!"

"Well someone did and I want to know who!"

Just then a call came in on Chin's radio, it was dispatch with a patch from Queen's hospital. Doctor Bergman was as good as his word, "Chin where's Dan? You promised him back here ages ago! Do I have to come and get you?"

"Yeah sorry Doc, look I can safely say Danno's on his way back to you any minute now but Doc, you'd better get surgery ready he er…had an accident!"

Beside him, listening to the conversation and the irate mumbling that Chin was trying to block with his hand, McGarrett smirked. "Just wait till I turn up as well, he's going to have a fit!"