Chin felt like he was betraying his cousin's trust, but right now the success of this operation depended on him being able to sell the story. Kono's face had been filled with pain when he left the hospital, but he could not help her, not until Danny was safe and O'Brien in prison where he belonged. He drove to the Governor's office and waited for her to see him.
"The governor will see you now," the secretary told him.
"Thanks," Chin said and moved through the door into the woman's office.
"Chin, how is Steve?" Jameson asked.
"He's still in SICU, but he's off the ventilator and hopefully will be moved to a regular room tomorrow," Kelly answered. "That's partly the reason I'm here, Governor. I need your help."
"My help?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Chin answered and went through the plans he'd hashed out with Danny before dropping off the DVD.
"That's treading on dangerous ground, Chin. Danny will be cut off from help if things go wrong."
"I know, but at least you and I know the truth. I gave the doctored DVD to IA and they're probably already looking into Danny's past," Chin told her.
"Then this operation is already in motion. Did either of you think about what this will do to Kono and Steve?" Jameson asked and noted the way Kelly dropped his eyes.
"Unfortunately it's the only way. Danny went to see Steve this morning while Kono was there. From what she told me he was like a runaway freight train in the rant department."
"Damn it, Chin, that's not a good idea with Steve especially in the shape he's in!"
"It was the only way we could think of that would make David..."
"Was he there?"
"I think so...I thought I saw him following Danny. The man is dangerous, Governor, and we have a chance to take him down."
"What if it takes the team down with it? Is that worth catching O'Brien?"
"If it's as bad as that evidence says then yes, it is. Do we have your support in this?"
"Yes, do whatever it takes." Jameson told him. She walked to the window and looked out over the city. How many times had she sent people on dangerous missions because the good of the many outweighed the good of the few?
"You'll talk to Higgins and Sheffield?"
"I'll tell them to make Danny Williams their personal agenda," the woman said softly.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me for putting a man out in the cold," Jameson said and heard the man leave. She thought about John McGarrett and their friendship, followed by her betrayal and wondered if she could ever redeem herself in Steve's eyes should he ever find out the truth. For now she would just do her damndest to make sure Five-O survived.
Chin watched the woman for a minute before leaving the office. He knew his next step would be Five-O headquarters and he'd have to follow through on the plans he'd made with Williams. God help them all if this went south.
5050505050
"Not until I say what all of us are thinking! You know, Steve, I once told you that you have a problem with letting someone else take the lead on a case and you proved just how right I was yesterday! You screwed up the whole case and now those women could be dead because...I know damn well you and Chin and Steve and everyone else thinks I can't do my job because I'm not from this pineapple hellhole, but I'm damn good at what I do...They don't have to, Steve, none of you do...That's what pisses me off more than anything else. I've done everything I can to prove I can do the job and yet you couldn't even let me handle a simple sting operation...Shut up, Steve, just shut the hell up and stay away from me. I'll put in for a transfer back to HPD as soon as this case is over and you're back to being a fucking dictator with delusions of godhood."
The words rolled through his mind and he fought to make sense of them, but Danny's face, his anger flashing in his eyes kept him from sleeping. The raw emotional agony was far worse than the physical pain and no amount of medication could rid him of it. He opened his eyes, relieved to find he was alone in the room and didn't have to hide what he was feeling.
'I'll put in for a transfer...fucking dictator with delusions of Godhood.' Those words echoed and re-echoed through his mind and he shifted, trying to sit up in the bed, but failing miserably as fire ignited in his side.
Steve fought to stay conscious, unaware of the sweat that beaded on his brow and rolled onto the pillow that wasn't quite as white as he was. What had he done? Was Danny right? Was he so caught up in his job that he didn't think anyone else could do theirs? No, he didn't think that was true, but there was no escaping the scathing words his partner had said.
McGarrett turned onto his left side, facing away from the door and closed his eyes as he tried to make sense of what he heard. He knew Kono had been there, but wasn't so sure about Chin, yet it was his words, and Kono's, spoken in anger that he heard now.
"I hate to say this, but I think Danny's dirty...I won't believe that and neither will Steve...Then how do you explain his actions just now...We really need to face the fact that Danny might have been working with David after all."
Steve turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling as the day nurse came in to check on him. He answered when she spoke to him, but for now he didn't want to hear anyone, except maybe Danny Williams, but he knew that wasn't going to happen. Not now, maybe not ever again.
"Commander, I'm going to give you something for pain now..."
"Don't."
"Dr. Wilson ordered it before he left. It will make it easier for you to sleep."
"I don't want to sleep," McGarrett told her, but his eyelids closed as he felt the medication working its magic. He sank deeper into the dreams, none of them pleasant as if his memories were somehow part of his nightmares.
5050505050
Danny watched as Sheffield opened the door and Held it while his partner entered. He sat on the edge of McGarrett's desk and forced a smile that didn't hold any mirth.
"Detective Williams, we need to have a word with you in private," Sheffield said.
"Anything you have to say can be said in front of David," Williams told him.
"It's your grave," Higgins observed.
"Is that a threat, Higgins?" Williams spat.
"Maybe," the man said with a smirk as Sheffield sat on the edge of the desk. "I guess O'Brien has a right to hear what we have to say since it involves him as well."
"We have evidence that you both use the law as a coverup for your illegal activities," Sheffield said.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Williams said.
"Oh come on, Williams, you must have known you'd be discovered at some point. You left Newark in a hurry and yes, we know you were following your ex-wife, but somehow I don't see you as a lovesick fool," Sheffield said.
"Danny and Rachel belong..."
"I wasn't talking to you, O'Brien," Sheffield snapped. "Although I'm sure you and Williams probably set this whole thing up. Tell me...how did you manage to get rid of the evidence in Newark before coming to Hawaii and how the hell did you manage to set the whole thing up down here without any contacts?"
"That's why Williams came here first, isn't it?" Higgins asked. "To set up a new operation here."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Higgins!" Williams snarled.
"So we're supposed to believe this is all some convenient coincidence? I don't think so, Detective," Sheffield said. "It seems to me...to us, you and O'Brien have something going down and it's not something you want your team to know about. Isn't that right?"
"You're full of shit, Higgins," Williams spat. "No get out of my office..."
"Your office, detective? Did McGarrett keel over already?" Sheffield asked. "If he hasn't then this is still his office although it sure sounds like you've got your eye on it."
"Look, I've got work to do so if you're just shooting off your mouth as always then get the hell out of here and let me get back to work," Williams said.
"We heard you saw McGarrett this morning. That didn't go very well did it?" Higgins said with a smug smile. "I heard he's having a rough time of it...wonder if that had anything to do with your visit."
"Does it look like I give a damn?" Williams said, forcing a smile to his face in spite of the bitter pill he was being forced to swallow. "McGarrett proved that he doesn't trust any of us to handle things unless he's in charge and I'm not about to get killed because he thinks he's Rambo and can do it ll with a butter knife and a smile. It's not going to happen anymore...I told him I was going to put in for a transfer as soon as this case was over!"
"You'd leave a cushy job like Five-O just because of McGarrett? Higgins asked and smiled at his partner before returning his attention to the Jersey native. "Wouldn't it make more sense to stay on and force McGarrett out."
"Just how do you propose to do that? McGarrett is the governor's golden boy," Williams asked, hating that he was being forced to use those words.
"We'd rather not talk about it here," Sheffield told him. "Is there somewhere we can meet once we've had a talk with McGarrett?"
"We'll be at the bar where McGarrett was shot," O'Brien told them.
"So you two are working together?" Higgins asked.
"I didn't say that," O'Brien said as Chin entered the office.
"Danny, what the hell is wrong with you?" Kelly spat, pointedly ignoring the other men.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Williams said.
"Kono told me what you said to Steve. You're a miserable bastard, you know that Danny!"
"Am I, Chin, or am I the only one who sees what's really going on?"
"What's really going on, Danny? Tell me...go ahead...tell me you sonofabitch!" Kelly spat.
"McGarrett wants to run things...not because he;s good at it, but because he wants to be a hero! Did you even see what he was doing at that bar? He went there..."
"To help..."
"Wrong! He went there because he was afraid he'd miss out on the glory that went with a successful operation and he fucked it up, Chin! Can't you see that? Steve McGarrett wants the glory, but he doesn't have the guts to do the job properly. Look, I've got a few things to do this afternoon and maybe we'll finish this case before Steve manages to fuck up another operation," Williams snarled.
"Steve didn't fuck it up, Danny, we should have kept him up to date on what we were doing," Kelly told him.
"Why, Chin, just tell me why the hell he needed to be kept up to date when he was officially out of action because...dare I say it! He was in the hospital because he'd already made a mistake that got him injured..."
"He didn't do anything..."
"He picked a fight with Jacobs and by the way word is that body they found at the rest stop is Chris Jacobs," Danny spat and thought he saw a flicker in O'Brien's eyes, but he kept his gaze averted as the IA agents seemed to be enjoying his tirade at Chin's expense. "I wonder if Steve had something..."
"Don't!" Chin said and decked the other man angrily, moving back when Williams wiped the blood from his split lip.
"What's the matter, Chin, can't stand the fact that McGarrett's shiny medals aren't so shiny anymore?" Williams snarled.
"Get the hell out of here, Danny," Kelly spat.
"Come on, David, I don't feel like listening to this shit anymore," Williams said and left the office with O'Brien right behind him.
"Officer Kelly, we need to question you and Officer Kalakaua," Higgins said.
"Make an appointment!" Chin snapped. "I have work to do so get out!"
Higgins and Sheffield knew there would be nothing gained by staying while Chin Ho Kelly was stilling reeling from his confrontation with Williams and left the room. They had plans to celebrate no matter what happened with Williams because at least there seemed to be a rift widening between the team members.
5050505050
Keanna Wahine smiled at the man who seemed to have slept through the move from SICU to a private room near the nurses' desk on the third floor. She'd completed her shift, checked on several patients and finally made her way to his room. She studied his face, hating how pale he looked, and knew Wilson had him on strong antibiotics for the gunshot wound. His fever was down, but there was no mistaking the lines of pain that creased his forehead and she wondered if it was physical or emotional pain she was seeing.
Keanna had heard about the scathing verbal assault and could not fathom what had come over Danny Williams. How he could possibly condone his own behavior was beyond her and she wanted to tear him a new hide when she did see him. She heard a soft moan from the man on the bed and moved to sit on the edge before reaching for his hand. She smiled as his eyelids finally opened and he saw her.
"Hi," McGarrett managed once he focused on the woman sitting on his bed.
"Hi, how do you feel?"
"Better, now that you're here," Steve said and pulled her close, ignoring the painful tug on the wound in his side.
"You shouldn't move around too much yet," Wahine told him.
"Yes, I should, Keanna. I learned long ago that the longer you stay down the harder it is to get back on your feet,"" McGarrett told her.
"You just got out of SICU, Steve, so don't expect to be running any marathons for several weeks yet," the physician warned and kissed his forehead before staring into his eyes again. "I heard Danny was..."
"Danny's angry," Steve told her.
"That may be, but he was wrong in what he said to you."
"Was he?" McGarrett asked and turned away, but she placed her hand on his cheek and turned his head until he looked at her.
"Yes, he was and when I see him I'm going to make damn sure he knows that raking a patient over the coals in my hospital is not allowed and in this case totally uncalled for."
"Thanks, Keanna," McGarrett said softly as a knock sounded and an orderly brought in a lunch tray. He turned his head away when she placed it on the table, but Keanna spoke softly to him.
"Steve, you have to eat."
"I will...just not hungry right now," the injured man told her.
"Steve, look at me."
"I'm tired, Keanna."
"All right," Wahine said. She could tell there'd be no persuading Steve McGarrett of anything right now and gently stroked his forehead until his breathing evened out and she knew he was sleeping. Again she silently cursed Danny Williams and planned to tell him off the next time he showed his face at Queens.
5050505050
David O'Brien looked at the women and knew Howard was right. None of them were ready, not if he wanted the full price from the client. Cole Howard knew his job and although they obeyed him for fear of being punished, they were not quite submissive and that meant more training. A smile was born as he looked at the woman he knew was Sandra McMillan and desperately wanted to take her into one of the rooms, but right now was not the time.
"I told you I needed more time, David," Howard said.
"I know, and I may just be able to give it to you."
"How? I thought your friend was closing in on you?"
"So did I, but it seems Danny's been stepping over the line more often than is good for him."
"How can you be sure?"
"I can't, not yet anyway, but I saw him hit McGarrett with both barrels today..."
"It could have been for show."
"Maybe, but Danny didn't know I was there," O'Brien assured his partner as he stroked the woman's cheek passionately, smiling when she tried to pull away. He grabbed her chin and squeezed tightly, pressing his lips to hers before shoving her back on the bed. "She needs another lesson in who's in charge."
"I'll see that it's done," Howard said.
"Good, I'll contact you after I meet with Danny."
"Just make damn sure he's not screwing with you."
"Don't tell me what to do, Cole, i know exactly what we stand to lose," O'Brien said and left the house.
5050505050
Danny sat at the back of the bar, nursing a bottle of beer with little interest as he waited for O'Brien, Sheffield, Higgins, or all three to show up. He wasn't all that surprised when O'Brien pushed open the door and looked around until he spotted him.
Danny didn't bother signaling the other man as he took a long drink from the bottle before slamming it down on the table. O'Brien took the seat next to him and Danny wanted to wipe the smug look from his face. "What took you so fucking long?"
"I had a stop to make," O'Brien answered and motioned for the weary looking waitress to take his order. "Do you want another one?"
"Might as well," Williams told him and waited for O'Brien to finish ordering the next round Once the waitress was out of earshot he turned to the other man. "We need to talk."
"You said that already. So what's going on, Danny?"
"Why are you here, David?"
"To do my job, Danny, same as you," O'Brien told him.
"Just what is your job? I mean you come down here and he governor gives you a prime position on Five-O when there are plenty of other cops who worked damned hard to get that job."
"Now you sound like McGarrett and the others. Don't tell me the Hawaiian mentality has already rubbed off on you," O'Brien snapped.
"Like that could ever happen. No, David, I know damn well you can do your job, but I want to know about the stuff you do on the side," Williams said, smiling at the waitress when she placed a beer in front of him. "Thanks."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Danny."
"Cut the crap, David, you once told me I was the best detective you ever met."
"You still are."
"Then don't fuck with me now, David," Williams said and reached for the files Chin had helped him prepare.
"What's all this?"
"Some points of interests. I didn't just come here for Rachel and Grace, David. Back in Newark a cop named Partington was getting a little too close and when Stan told Rachel he was being transferred here I jumped at the chance to leave. That bastard was looking into several cases I worked on and I know he was checking some of yours too. Now the thing is, David, I got a few things on the fire here and I'm keeping the flames in check, but you're screwing with it..."
"How?"
"You're behind the disappearance aren't you?"
"What disappearances?"
"The women. Don't deny it, David, because if you take a look at those files you'll see they corroborate everything I say. Back in Newark several women disappeared...same MO and same description," Williams said with a lewd grin. "You know I never knew you were so stupid."
"What are you talking about?"
"You come down here and set up the same operation that was nearly your undoing in Newark. Partington sent a file to Jameson telling her of his suspicions. He didn't have much on me, but the stuff he had on you could make three or four of these files. Now I'm pretty sure we can do damage control, but it will cost you."
"Cost me?" O'Brien asked and leaned back.
"This is my territory, David, and I have a lot going on and it's a real balancing act to keep McGarrett and the other idiots off my trail, but I do it. I have several contacts who let me know when things are going down and that gives me a head's up on people like you."
"People like me?"
"You want money, but you really don't want to work for it and from the looks of the women you chose you like to enjoy yourself while you make the money."
"Don't you?" O'Brien asked, licking his lips while images flashed through his mind.
"Hell, yes, but it's hard to do that now that Rachel's back in my bed."
"I could arrange for a little meeting...Rachel wouldn't know anything about it," O'Brien told him.
"I'll think about it...we'll talk about it later...Heckle and Jeckle are here," Williams told him.
Author's Note—-Thanks for all the wonderful Reviews and comments...Winnie