The Beginning
By
Landon Richardson
Official Disclaimer
The characters of Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Steve' McGarrett, Chin Ho Kelly, Kono Kalakaua, Victor Hesse, Anton Hesse, Former Detective John 'Johnny / Jack' McGarrett, Mary McGarrett, Lieutenant Catherine 'Cath' Rollins, Frederick 'Fred' Doran, Detective Meka Hanamoa, Amy Hanamoa and Billy Hanamoa do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.
The character of Detective Sergeant Danielle 'Danni' Williams probably can be considered to be mine by now. Although she was originally based on male Danny, she soon evolved becoming her own person. She has her own background, her own family, her own history and her own distinct personality. This isn't to say that the Danny Williams we all know and love is completely gone, he still emerges through her at times. I like to think of female Danni as what Danny could have been if everything in his life had gone his way. As in full custody of Grace and a decent relationship with his ex.
The character of Grace has also changed slightly due to the change in Danni. Her surname is Taylor as this is her father's surname and was Danni's married name (Danni reverted back to her maiden name when she was divorced). Her parents also are amicable which has also impacted Grace but never fear, she's still the sweetheart we know and love, if anything she's more a sweetheart now.
The character of Duncan Taylor, Detective Rory Clements, Supervisory Special Agent in charge Ryan Moore, Special Agent Kale Meade, Special Agent Alexis Moss, Jeanine Landon, William 'Will' McGarrett, Noah Landon, Anna Michaels nee Landon, Theresa Law nee Landon, Deborah 'Debs' Landon and Michael Landon also belongs to me as does any other character who you do not recognise from the show. Please do not use them, or my version of Danni and Grace without first asking for my permission to do so.
Thank you.
Author Note
Here's the next chapter for you all.
Please enjoy
Official Summary
When Danni Williams moves to Hawaii, all she wants to do is keep her head down and survive the time she had to stay there. The last thing she expected was to meet Steve McGarrett, a man who seems more intent on getting her blown up and finding out everything about her life than he is about following proper procedure. Danni has a job to do though and one way or another she is going to do it.
Chapter Summary
"So, are you going to fill me in on what you are going to say to Doran once we get down to the interview room?" Danni asked, glancing over her shoulders towards Steve, watching as he stood beside the table and gathered all the files together placing them all back in the waiting box.
Overall Romances
Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)
Hints of Steve McGarrett / Catherine Rollins (McRollins)
Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)
Hints of Ryan Moore / Danni Williams (Rynni)
Meka Hanamoa / Amy Hanamoa (Mekmy)
Mentions of past John McGarrett / Doris McGarrett (Joris)
Michael Landon / Karen Landon (Micren)
Chapter Romances
Hints of Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)
Warning
This story features a female Danni Williams in place of a male Danny Williams. Although in some stories I write, Danny does exist, he does not exist in this one.
If this is not your cup of tea then please hit the back button.
Other note
I do not have a Beta so please forgive any mistakes which may creep in, I always do my best to edit the story and check it but sometimes mistakes do creep in.
The places I've mentioned in Hawaii are ones which come from google, including the addresses. I've never been to Hawaii myself in person so I apologise for any mistakes which I may make, these are not intentional.
Chapter Ten
Follow my lead
Thursday 23rd September 2010
3rd Floor
Ali'iolani Hale
417 King Street
Honolulu
Oahu
"So, are you going to fill me in on what you are going to say to Doran once we get down to the interview room?" Danni asked, glancing over her shoulders towards Steve, watching as he stood beside the table and gathered all the files together placing them all back in the waiting box. He spared her a quick glance, a look in her eyes that she couldn't read as he picked the box in question and headed back to his office, no doubt to dump it back on his desk.
Danni stood patiently, ignoring her own desire to press on with the task at hand, knowing that she had given her word that she would follow Steve's lead in this interrogation. He didn't keep her long as he left the office and moved across the empty room to her.
"Let's go" He stated as he walked passed her, his stride slowing slightly, allowing her to catch up and walk beside him. They headed out the door in silence before moving towards the elevator. Biting her lip, she set her shoulders and pressed on with her original question, a question she couldn't help but notice that he had heard but failed even to acknowledge.
"I'm not asking you because I don't trust your ability to lead the interview, I know you can." She commented, glancing towards him again. "I just want to know the plan of action so I don't reveal it to him by accident. If I know how you plan to play this then I can adapt myself into the role I need to play in order to get the information."
"I know that" He answered as they came to a stop outside the elevator, he reached out and hit the call button, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited.
"But you won't answer my question?" She queried with a frown.
The elevator's doors slid open in front of them and they stepped forward into it, pressing the button for the basement. The moment the doors slid shut Steve spoke.
"I'll be using the information we gathered on his family first, if that fails then there are other options we can use until he gives us what we need to know." He stated calmly, an undercurrent to his voice which sent a slight chill down her spine.
"His family." Danni repeated thoughtfully, her mind whirling with the possibilities of what he had meant when he had stated that they had other options. Somehow, she had the feeling that she wouldn't like what those options would entail. She reached up and rubbed at her forehead as though she was trying to rub the thought away.
"Headache?" Steve suddenly asked attracting her attention.
"No, it's just been a long day so far" She admitted before she dropped her hand to the side of her. "It doesn't help that your explanation hasn't exactly comforted me, in fact its done the exact opposite" She stated with a shake of her head.
"How so?" He asked pleasantly, tilting his head towards her as one dark eyebrow rose.
"You get a tone to your voice at certain times, I noticed it earlier when we were at Doran's trailer and it's a tone which tells me that you're about to do something that I'm probably not going to approve of. It's a tone I'm not greatly fond of so how about the pair of us make a deal right here and now that you won't use that tone in my general hearing, especially in regards to a case we're working on." She remarked lightly, picking up on the tone of hope which came to her voice at her request.
"The tone of my voice" Steve repeated in the same pleasant tone, his mouth twitching slightly as though he was fighting the desire to smile. "I'm afraid I can't do that Danni since I don't actually know what tone you are referring to"
"Of course, you don't" Danni responded on a sigh, turning and looking away from him.
"All I need you to do in the interview Danni is to follow my lead. I know that you're intelligent so you should be able to catch on to what I plan to do and adapt yourself to it. Having you in the room will be enough since you'll keep him off balance." Steve told her, stepping out of the elevator when it came to a stop and the doors opened again.
"What makes you think I can keep him off balanced." She asked as she followed him, surprised when he merely stayed where he was instead of heading towards the interrogation room.
"Because I highly doubt he has met any woman quite like you." Steve told her cryptically before he turned, reaching out and placing his large hand on her lower back and using the hold to move her down the corridor.
"That doesn't comfort me." She told him, glancing up at him when he looked down at her.
"It's not meant to" He replied, "It's merely the truth which is what you wanted from me wasn't it?"
"It is" She said, looking away from him and instead focusing on the corridor they were walking down. She spoke lightly. "For the record Steve, that tone which you were using just then? That's the tone I'm talking about."
"I'll try and keep it in mind" He promised, sounding almost amused for a moment, the hidden tension from his voice dispersing.
"Maybe keep in mind as well that Doran is our only lead so try not to kill him." She remarked, looking at him in time to see him roll his eyes at her comment, his hand dropping from her lower back.
"I'll try and keep that in mind as well" He said, before suddenly stopping causing her to stop as well and look back at him with a concerned look.
"Is everything okay? Did you forget something upstairs?" She queried.
"No" He said shortly, taking a step forward so he was back in her personal space, towering over her though this time, unlike the last time he did something similar, she didn't feel threatened. "Danni, I understand that you aren't used to the way which I work investigations and I understand your hesitancy in trusting me because you don't know me. I can accept that because trust and knowledge take time" He said to her as he crossed his arms. "But to clear up this… idea you seem to have about me in your head let me reassure you that I am extremely good at interrogating suspects. So good in fact that I don't have to resort to violence against them to get the answers which I want. I normally find that by the time I finished with them, they are willing to give me the name of their mother is that was the answer to the question I wanted. I've had training Danni, just like you have. I don't question yours so I would appreciate it if you stop questioning mine."
Danni remained silent for a moment, searching his eyes carefully before she sighed and glanced away, considering his words carefully before she nodded.
"I'll try" She said finally.
It was apparently the right answer because some of the tension in his face eased away as he nodded at her, looking back down the corridor clearly ready to head on.
"Will you use the fact that there are signs of abuse in his past against him?" She asked suddenly, stalling him before he could move on.
"Yes" He replied simply as he turned back to her, his face back into the expressionless mask she was growing used to seeing. "I know that probably makes you uncomfortable but there is too much at stake to take the gentle approach. We have to get him to talk and I will use anything I can to do that."
"I don't like it but I do understand" She said with a nod of her own. "You should probably focus first on the mother if that is what you plan. She's probably the key to breaking him to get those answers."
"That was my thought as well" he said, hesitating for a moment before he looked at her again. "You have my word Danni that I won't do anything that isn't necessary."
"Thank you for that" Danni said, pushing down at the feeling of surprise his promise has evoked as they began walking again. She was surprised by how long the corridor felt to her but she supposed it was designed that way to place a feeling of unease into any prisoner who has been brought down here to await trial. "It will be interesting to see how your way of interrogating compares to the way it is taught at the Academy. I've often wondered whether there was much difference between the Military and the Police in the way they do things."
"The techniques are different" Steve answered her. "Well different in interrogation, whether they are different in other area is up for debate. Maybe one day we'll be able to try it out."
Danni glanced at him sharply, searching the side of his face at the comment before she looked away with a shake of her head, telling herself that she was reading into the comment too much.
"Doran should be ready to talk to us now" She told him as she changed the subject back onto safer ground. "I spoke to Lieutenant Kalikow when we were still back at the trailer park and asked him to place Doran in one of the interrogation rooms without windows, I may have also told them to dim the lights and turn up the air conditioner while telling them to stay away so he was completely alone in there." She admitted before continuing. "He has probably been in there for at least an hour now which means that he will be suffering. I find that if you introduce just a small amount of air con into a room which has a Hawaiian native in it then they become really eager to answer any questions so that they could get back out to the heat."
"Sounds like a solid plan to me" He confirmed before looking back at her with a look which almost looked innocent. "So, are you saying Danni that Hawaiians are a hot-blooded race because I must admit, I had always been led to believe that women liked that or are you the exception to that rule?" He queried.
Danni made a sound of amusement at the comment.
"Wouldn't you like to know." She replied simply "Clearly we do still need to have that talk about privacy so let me make this brief for you since we're on a tight schedule. I'm a private person Steve as you'll soon find out. I'm not the type of woman who just spills out my likes and dislikes to anyone I meet, especially if I have only known that person for a short amount of time. So, you can ask those type of questions all you like just don't expect to get an answer to them" She told him. "You may want to pick a better time as well, asking when we're about to interview our only subject isn't exactly what I would call good timing."
Flashing him a smile, Danni walked past him and turned left at the end of the corridor, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw Lieutenant Kalikow and Officer Castro standing outside a door. They were speaking quietly to each other, both smiling indicating that it was probably non-work related, though the conversation died when they heard the sound of her heels against the concrete floor.
"Detective" Lieutenant Kalikow said, standing straight and nodding his head at her.
"Lieutenant Kalikow, Officer Castro" She said with a smile at them once she was close enough. "Thank you for taking care of Doran for us. I know it couldn't have been easy considering how he never seems to remain quiet for longer than a few seconds at a time. Were there any issues we should know about while you were transporting him or since he's been here?" She asked them, surprised when both men smiled back at her. Since coming to Hawaii, the smiles, she had received from people she had worked with had been few and far between.
"He didn't do anything which me and Ahe couldn't handle and we weren't followed here either by anyone" Kalikow assured her. "We also followed the instructions you gave us over the phone right down to the last detail. The lights are dimmed and the temperature down. I picked out the room myself so there is nothing in there to distract him and we made sure he knew you were both in the building as well. All in all, it's the type of room which no one would want to be in so there's a good chance that he is ready to talk" He stated, his words trailing off for a moment before he picked them back up. "Or he soon will be if he's not quite there yet."
"It's damn cold in that room Ma'am, the suspect started complaining about it within minutes of stepping foot in there, demanding that we turn the heating up." Kalikow's young partner said, speaking for the first time. He looked as though he was about twenty-four and fresh out of the Academy which would explain why he had been paired with a veteran like Kalikow, who she knew from a previous conversation was about to celebrate his thirtieth year on the force.
"Good, thank you both for taking care of that for us." Danni responded, opening her mouth to say more when Steve cut in.
"Has he said anything which we can use against him?"
Danni supressed a sigh at the demanding tone which Steve used, looking towards him as he took a step forward so he was beside her, the same unreadable look on his face which she was already beginning to dread seeing.
"If he had said anything lad then we would have informed Detective Williams about it straight away." Kalikow answered coldly. Danni's eyebrow rose, glancing towards Steve again and wincing when she caught sight of the vein in his temple. Clearly Steve did not like the term lad being used towards him.
"I'm sorry, it just occurred to me that no one has introduced you." Danni interjected smoothly, her voice warm and pleasant as she continued. "Steve these are Lieutenant Joe Kalikow and Officer Ahe Castro, Kalikow and Castro this is Lieutenant Commander McGarrett who as of today is in charge of the Governor's personal taskforce." Kalikow looked at her, clearly picking up on the warning in her eyes, because when he looked back at Steve it was with a bit more respect, not much but Danni would take what she could.
"Sir" Kalikow said with a nod at him, an action which Castro followed.
"Please carry on with what you were saying about Doran, Kalikow" Danni said with a wave of her hand.
"All he did was make the usual noise which all these scumbags make when they are brought in for questioning on a case. Screaming to anyone who will listen that they are innocent. He did the same, trying to claim that you had the wrong man and that we couldn't prove anything. I think he realised pretty sharpish that his claims were falling onto deaf ears because he changed tactics and instead started shouting abuse and making death threats like they were going out of fashion" Danni sighed out loud once Kalikow has stopped speaking, reaching up and pinching the bridge of her nose, meeting Kalikow's concerned dark eyes when he started speaking again. "He had a lot to say about the two of you as well though his main attention seemed to be on you Detective. Seems like you made quite the impression on him though giving what he's like that isn't necessarily a good thing."
"Lucky me" She replied dryly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "I doubt that having the attention of someone like Doran is someone anyone would want."
"That may be an understatement" Castro commented with a shake of his head. "The man in there is touched, completely crazy if you ask me" he said as he brought his hand up and waved it near his temple to indicate what he meant.
"Considering that you have said that he hasn't shut up since being here he is certainly being quiet now." Steve commented, looking away from Kalikow's face to stare at the metal doorway to the side of them with a growing frown.
"Yeah, he fell silent about fifteen minutes ago or so. We've been checking on him through the hatch making sure that he hasn't managed to do anything stupid but there has been nothing. He's still very much alive in there." Kalikow assured them.
"I'm assumed he was. What was he doing when you looked in the room?" Steve stated, cutting across the older man before he could say anything else.
Kalikow tilted his head back slightly, fixing Steve with a cold look before he turned his attention back to Danni and continuing speaking as though Steve has never spoken.
"He is fine Detective, he was just pacing the width of the room, muttering to himself and clutching at his head in frustration. Either he's trying to get his story straight in him mind before questioning or he's hoping that if he acts as though he's losing it then the state of his mental health would be brought into question and maybe used at a later date by the defence. Personally, I think it's probably the first option. He's currently too jumpy for anything else."
"It does sound like the first option would be the most viable one." Danni agreed thoughtfully, glancing towards the door before looking back at them. "Thank you again for bringing him here and guarding him until we could get back. I don't trust Doran as far as I can throw him. We can take it from here though so if you wanted to head back to the station and pick up a new assignment or stop off for a break then feel free to. I think you both have earned a break after this. The Commander will speak to your Captain and make sure that he is made aware of the help you've given us." She said with a smile which faltered when she saw the two men turn to look at her, sharing an unspoken conversation before they looked back at her, both wearing awkward expressions on their faces which instantly placed her on guard.
"Tempting as the sound of a break is Detective I think it would be better if we stayed where we were until this case is wrapped up." He remarked.
"Oh?" Danni stated with a questioning look. "And why is that exactly?"
Kalikow shifted on his feet for a moment before he brought himself up to his full height, squaring his shoulders as though bracing himself for something unpleasant.
"We've been given orders from our Captain who received his orders from Captain Hookano. The orders state that we're to stay in the vicinity of the suspect at all times. If we leave now like you suggest, even if it's to pop back to our station, then our Captain will rake us over the coals for it. I doubt I need to remind you what they are both like when they feel as though an order they have given has been ignored or disobeyed so I'm sorry Detective Williams but we'll be staying put for the time being."
Danni frowned at the comment, wondering how Captain had heard about Kalikow and Castro being the officers who had Doran in their charge but she pushed the problem away to deal with once this case was done and they had a better understanding themselves on where they stood. She noticed that Kalikow was watching Steve closely and followed his gaze, wincing when she caught sight of the dark look which had come to her partner's face at Kalikow's explanation.
"This case belongs to the Governor's task force. It doesn't belong to the Honolulu Police Department." He told them, his cold voice issuing a warning which Kalikow and Castro clearly picked up on if the way they stiffened was any indication.
"We understand that Commander but-" Kalikow began to say, stopping when Danni stepped between them, placing herself in front of Steve as she spoke, her pleasant tone directly contrasting Steve's one.
"If those are your orders then you have to do what you have to do and obey them." She said, reaching behind her and wrapping her hand round Steve's wrist, squeezing down and digging her nails lightly into the warm skin. "The last thing either the Commander or I want is for the pair of you to get into trouble with your Captain on our account, especially as you did us a favour in the first place by escorting Doran to the building. I think though that we can all agree that you standing outside the door while the Commander and I are in there interrogating it is a little overkill though" She remarked with a confiding smile, her eyes remaining watchful as she saw the two men consider her word.
"It does seem a but pointless if you're in there" Castro agreed, shrugging at his partner when the older man shot him a quick look.
"I noticed on our way down here that there was what looked like a break room near the elevator. Why don't you both head in there and at least have a sit down. You're still in the vicinity of Doran so you're not breaking your orders by doing that." She suggested, twisting her round and waving her hand back the way they had come. She briefly considered letting go of Steve's wrist but she could feel the tension thrumming through him and decided that holding on for the time being was probably the sensible option.
"I suppose there would be no harm in going across the street and grabbing a cup of coffee and bringing it back to the room" Kalikow remarked after a pause. "Come on Ahe, I could do with a strong coffee after that ride down here. We'll be back in fifteen, if you could get us when you and the Commander have finished Detective then we would be grateful." He nodded at Castro before the two of them slipped past them and headed down the corridor.
Danni waited until they had turned the corner before dropping Steve's wrist and turning to face him, meeting his frustrated eyes.
"I think it's time that I paid a visit to the HPD Captains and make them understand that I won't tolerate interference from them in our cases" He stated, anger bleeding into his voice.
"It looks like you may have to speak to Hookano after all" She agreed with a sigh, reaching up and rubbing at her eyes, wishing for a moment that things could just be easy for once. The last thing she wanted was having to referee a meeting between Hookano and Steve but it appeared that she had little choice in the matter now.
"I thought you wanted to keep us apart" Steve remarked as though he could read her mind. She glanced up and shrugged.
"I do but today seems to be the kind of day where what I want doesn't matter" She replied, ignoring the way his eyes narrowed at her remark. "In this case though there's little choice. If a case belongs to us then it has to belong to us. The only time there should be any need to deal with HPD is at the initial takeover of a scene or if we ask them for help. However, going after Kalikow or Castro isn't the way, they aren't to blame for it and they are only following the orders to them. You also have to bear in mind Steve that the people you meet are the people who you are going to have to cross paths with constantly. Kalikow and Castro will be our backup in the future and will be more willing to protect us if they like us, so we treat them with respect however pissed we're feeling okay?"
"I was holding back Danni" Steve replied sounding puzzled as he watched her. The simple comment caused Danni's mouth to fall open in disbelief as she searched his eyes trying to determine whether he was joking with her, somehow, she doubted he was though, it was more likely that he was speaking the truth.
"That was you holding back?" She said eventually shaking her head when he gave her a single nod, his mouth twitching again. "Well in that case it looks like I have more to teach you about the way things need to be done then I originally thought since they don't teach you it in the navy it seems." Shaking her head, she glanced at the metal door, studying it for a moment before looking back at Steve. "Shall we begin? I think he's had enough time in there to stew."
"I think you're right" Steve replied. She watched as he reached out and placed his hand on the handle, pulling it down and opened the door, speaking as he did. "Lady's first" He offered, stepping back slightly so she could walk past him into the dark interrogation room.
The first thing which struck her was the coldness, it swept over her like it was alive, making goose bumps rise over her bare skin. She wished that she had thought ahead and grabbed her cardigan which she kept in the trunk of her car for situations like the one she was currently in. A slight smile came to her face when the room around her brightened slightly, allowing her to see the enclosed space clearly for the first time.
She had little time to look though as Doran turned to her, his dark eyes narrowing in a way which sent another shiver through her though this one had little to do with the cold. He looked as though he wanted to tear her apart with his bare hands.
She met his eyes directly, determined not to show him in any fashion that he has unnerved her. Showing weakness in a situation like this was simply not an option in her mind.
"So, we meet yet again Fred, I hope that the journey here and your subsequent stay haven't been too unpleasant for you." She remarked, smiling sweetly at him as she tilted her head to the side, knowing even as she did it, just how much the sight of her smile would infuriate him. She wanted Doran to lose his cool so he would become so enraged that he would end up becoming sloppy with what he was holding back. The more enraged he was, the more likely they were to get what they wanted from him.
If that meant putting herself at some risk then she was willing to do it.
"You" He hissed at her, his eyes narrowing as he took a step towards where she was standing, his hand curling into tight fists at his side.
Danni tensed at the action, ready to move out of his path if it came to it. She knew that her fighting skills weren't necessarily as good as they should be and that often any punches or kicks she did use lacked brutal strength but she knew that she was very fast, fast enough that she would be able to evade any attack Doran may try against her.
She waited for his next move, her gaze never wavering from him but his next move never came. Instead his dark eyes landed on something behind her. Danni risked a glance in the direction he was looking and saw Steve enter the room. She had enough time to blink at him before Steve's body slotted into the space in front of her, blocking off Doran's access to her and making it clear without a word that Doran would have to go through Steve if he wanted Danni.
A tense atmosphere coated the air, making Danni almost reluctant to even breathe in case it set off an event which couldn't happen.
"Sit down" Steve commented quietly, his voice icy and brooking no arguments as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"You know, I would seriously consider doing what he tells you to do" Danni remarked when Doran hesitated as she took a step to the side. As much as she appreciated Steve's presence in the room she wasn't about to allow herself to be treated as though she was something fragile which needed to be protected. She had never allowed it to happen before and she certainly wasn't going to allow it to start up now. "As I told you before Fred, my partner here is a Navy SEAL. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know exactly what they are taught but I'm assuming that it wouldn't be taught to someone regular." She commented thoughtfully before shrugging. "The other thing you should know, though it you have half a brain cell then you would already know, is that he doesn't like you so I doubt he would have much issue with causing you pain so sitting down right now may be in your best interests." She lowered her eyes for a moment, mentally counting to ten in her mind before looking up, surprised to see Doran still standing, though whether he was standing in defiance or because he had forgotten briefly how to move beneath Steve's gaze was anyone's guess. "You're still standing, well you're braver than I pegged you to be. Commander I believe this is more your area of expertise then it is mine." She said with a sigh as she shook her head at Doran.
Looking towards Steve, she made a motion with her hand towards Doran before taking a few steps back until she was resting against the wall, merely waiting to see what happened next.
Doran eyes flickered towards her briefly before focusing back on the main threat in the room. Whatever he saw in her partner's eyes broke him and saw him moving to the single chair in the middle of the room and sit in it, all without Steve saying a word.
"That wasn't too difficult was it" Danni couldn't help but remark, her smile widening when she caught sight of Steve's half smile before it slipped from his face.
"How about you shut the hell up bitch. I'm sitting down because I felt like it, no other reason" Doran growled at her, his face flushing when she merely raised an eyebrow at him. "I swear to God if you say one more thing to me then I'm going to come over there and shut you up myself." He warned her.
Danni considered staying silence but she couldn't as an image of Chen Chi's battered face came to her mind. Injuries which had no doubt been caused by the man in front of her.
"Is that so?" She remarked coolly. "And how do you plan to shut me up? With your fists? Do you think that if you raise your fist at me and hit me that I'm just going to crumple and do what you want me to do? Is that how things tend to work in your life?" She queried. "Because that method won't work for me but feel free to give it a go, let's see how you do when you're up against someone who can and will fight back against you. Be my guest." She told him, her eyes narrowing.
Doran sat for a moment, a gobsmacked look on his face as his eyes flickered side to side frantically. Clearly, he not expected that reaction from her.
A movement from Steve attracted her attention causing her to look away from Doran to focus on him.
"Detective" He remarked quietly.
"Of course Commander. I apologise, he's all yours." She said in response, allowing herself to sink back against the wall again.
"Thanks" Steve commented, looking briefly over his shoulder at her with an unreadable look before he looked back at Doran.
"Fuck the pair of you" He yelled, a wild, almost unhinged look coming to his eyes which made her positive that it had finally sank in to him, just how much trouble he was in. "When I-"
"Look at me" Steve commanded, the tone in his voice demanding complete obedience which Doran gave him, turning to look at him, the words he had been saying dying away, allowing Steve to continue uninterrupted. "I'm going to give you one chance to do yourself a favour and take the easy route out of your predicament. Tell me where Victor Hesse currently is. If you do then I will speak to the DA's office and tell them that you cooperated fully with us during the course of our investigation. They may even be willing to cut you a deal which will allow you out of prison as a free man in the far future. If you choose not to help us then I shall personal make sure that you rot in a cell with a window so small that you will never be able to see out of it again. You will never see daylight except for one hour a day and even than it will be just you. All you will have is yourself, no visits from anyone, no letters, no call, no contact even with your fellow inmates. It will simply be as though you never existed in this world in the first place."
Danni stared at the back of Steve's head impressed despite herself at how he was handling the interrogation. The room around them was silent as Doran considered Steve's words, his eyes still moving to and fro as clearly thought about what his options were and what would be the lesser of two evils for him.
"Fuck you" He finally said, looking up and spitting in Steve's general direction. "You think that because you're a SEAL that I'm scared of you when I could kick your ass if I wanted to. I ain't scare of you and I ain't telling you jack shit about what you want to know. You've got nothing on me that's going to stick in a court of law. I'll be out on probation within two years and when I am then the first thing I'm going to do is visit your pretty little girlfriend over there in her home and show her how a real man uses his woman. I normally like hearing them scream for me but I'll make the exception for your girl over there and gag her mouth and let her big eyes do the talking for her."
Danni shifted her position, wanting nothing more than to smack the smirk off of Doran's face but she resisted the urge, instead looking towards Steve, surprised when he didn't look towards her instead merely continued to stare at Doran who was now openly leering at Danni.
"Let me make something clear to you since you're apparently too stupid to grasp this yourself." Steve commented, sounding almost friendly for a moment. "We've already got more than enough to make sure that you never see outside of a prison again, so do feel free to threaten all you want because all you're revealing is how scared you are. The man who you're risking your chance at freedom to protect doesn't give a shit about you because you're worthless to him now which makes you expendable to him. While you're in here trying to act like the big man, he's out there, keeping track on what's happening and probably already sending out feelers to people to have you taken care of. If you make it to your trial date, and it's a big if, then you won't stand a chance before you're shanked and left to bleed out on the floor."
"That… that won't happen man" Doran said quickly, an almost frantic look to his face as though he was picturing it in his mind.
"It will" Steve replied confidently. "We would actually be doing you a favour by placing you in solitary confinement because it would extend your life since it is unlikely that Hesse would be able to reach you there, at least not straight away at least. However, if you threaten my partner again then I'll make sure that you are placed in general population and I will also make sure the guards mention how much you like little boys and girls." He threatened, the coldness to his voice and features making it clear that he was speaking the truth. Danni wanted to glance towards Doran to see how he was taking Steve's threat but she couldn't bring herself to move or break her gaze on Steve as he continued speaking. "From what I heard even criminals have a code of honour and everything to do with children breaks that code. They don't like it and when they find out about it, that person doesn't tend to live long. So, one last chance Doran, where is Victor Hesse?"
"I don't know what you're talking about man, I don't know no Victor Hesse"
"See you say that you don't know him but I don't believe you, what I believe is that you're lying to me. What's your opinion on the situation Detective, do you believe Doran when he says that he doesn't know Victor Hesse?" Steve queried as he glanced over his shoulder towards her.
"Normally I like giving people the benefit of the doubt but in this case, I feel you are right Commander, he is lying." She replied quietly.
Doran looked back at her, baring his teeth at her in a grimace.
"One day I'm going to be alone with you Detective, one day your boyfriend here isn't going to be around to protect you. It's just going to be me and you and I promise that by the time I'm through with you, you'll be begging me to put you out of your misery." He swore.
"I'm going to let you into a little secret Fred, just between us." She said, falling silent and waiting until she had his full attention before she spoke, the words clear and concise. "I don't need any protection from the likes of you. If you come after me then it will you who will be begging to be put out of your misery. Just don't expect the request to be granted." She promised him coolly, lifting a challenging eyebrow at Doran when he simply gaped at her again.
"Detective" Steve said, his voice void of emotions as he twisted so he could see her. "Could you go into the other interrogation room and make sure that Mrs Doran is comfortable in there. Perhaps you could get her a coffee before you start interviewing her. I'll join you once I'm finished here." Steve said smoothly.
"What?" Doran said, making a move to stand up before he sank back down when Steve's eyes flickered in his direction. "You got my mother here? What the fuck has my mother got to do with any of this shit? You better let her go or I swear that I will gut you
"Move again from that spot and I will ensure that your ability to move is compromised" Steve warned him before shrugging. "I had forgotten that you wouldn't have know what had happened since your arrest. We've brought your mother in for questioning. The judge kindly provided us with a warrant for your phone records and someone has been going through them. It would appear that you are quite the little mommy's boy Doran, ringing her once every day, sometimes even twice a day. Mommy boys like that tend to tell their mother everything, even the stuff they aren't too proud of. It stands to reason that if you won't tell use where Victor Hesse is then perhaps your mother will. I doubt she would want to spend the rest of her days in a jail cell for aiding a wanted criminal." He remarked calmly before turning to Danni again. "Any issues Detective then let me know."
"Of course, Commander" Danni replied, keeping her face free of expression as she turned from them and opened the door.
"And Detective, make sure that you make the coffee with a small amount of cream but with no sugar. Mrs Doran is a type two diabetic after all. The last thing we would want is for anything to happen to her while she was in our care." He told her lightly.
Danni nodded as she pushed herself off of the wall and pulled open the door beside her. She stepped out, allowing it to close before leaning back against it for a moment, focusing on steadying her breathing as she absently wiped her sweaty palms against the side of her dress.
When she felt more settled, she headed down the corridor back towards the elevator, glancing into the break room when she passed it, pleased to see that Kalikow and Castro were sitting round the table, each with a cup of coffee. She stopped by them, knocking lightly on the door and spoke.
"The Commander should be finishing the interview within the next ten minutes or so if you wanted to retake your position soon" She informed them with a smile at the pair of you.
"Thanks Detective, we appreciate the heads up" Kalikow said, returning the smile.
Danni nodded, slapping her hand lightly against the door frame as she turned and headed off towards the elevator which she could see. She hit the call button and stood waiting for a moment, her mind drifting back to the interview and the way Steve had been handling it.
She had to hand it to him, the lie about having Doran's mother in custody was a stroke of genius.
Danni stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the third floor, waiting until she was on the floor before heading back into the main room. She grabbed her bag, kicking herself for having left it there in the first place before she made her way to the ground floor, crossing the foyer and out into the hot sunshine.
A quick glance in her bag showed she still had everything in there.
"Idiot" She muttered to herself as she pulled on her sunglasses, looking around the area through the bustle of people for the nearest coffee shop. One stood out like a beacon to her, mainly because it was the only one which she could see.
She moved towards it, weaving through tourists with the odd murmured apology if she got too close to one and headed over the road, lifted her hand to thank the driver who slowed down to allow her to cross.
The coffee shop was cool with a small queue which she joined, waiting patiently until it was her turn. She ordered a coffee and a latte and a skinny chocolate chip muffin for her to snack on later on when she had a chance since she doubted she would get a proper lunch and Amy's chocolate cake from earlier had been good but not substantial enough to keep hunger at bay.
She already had the impression that her partner was the type of leader who would work the team through the day until he had the answers which he was seeking. Food would no doubt be something to catch during a moment's respite.
Danni paid for the drinks and muffin and left the shop, taking a moment to look around to see what was available. There was a deli a few shops down from the coffee shop which seemed popular from the length of the queue. A park was nearby as well which would be a good place to eat or to just head out to, to read a book on her lunch break.
Even the fact that she see the top of Duncan's work building from where she was, was a positive thing to her. At least he would be nearby if anything happened.
Shaking her head at the thoughts Danni crossed the road again and headed into the building, nodding her head at the guards as she showed them her pass, stepping through the barrier when they buzzed her through. She moved to the elevator, hitting the button and stepping in, the journey to the basement seemingly taking less time this time around.
She took a step forward when the doors opened only to stop when she realised Steve was on the other side, clearly waiting to get in.
"Hey" She said, stepping back, her eyes flickering up and down him before she held out the coffee to him. "I got this for you when I was out, I made the assumption that the coffee order you gave me was actually how you would take it rather than how Fred's mother would take it" She smiled at him, watching as he looked down at the drink with a startled look before his face softened into a half smile at her.
"Go and grab everything you need from our floor, there's someone who we have to go and see." He told her as he took the drink and hit the buttons for the ground and third floor.
"Are you planning on giving me any more information than that? Like who it is that you want us to go and see for example. Did Doran tell you something when I was out of the room?" She questioned.
"I'll explain it to you when we're in the car" He told her, taking a sip of his coffee and walking out of the elevator when it opened on the ground floor. He took a step forward before suddenly stopping and looked back and her. "Thanks for the coffee Danni"
Danni opened her mouth to respond but closed it with a sigh when the door slid shut between them making further conversation between them impossible.
Shaking her head Danni headed out of the elevator and back towards their headquarters with two thought racing through her mind.
Who were they going to see and why?
Author Note
Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left me a review, favourite the story or decided to follow it.
I really appreciate it