I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: sooooo, I have doctor appts tomorrow; plus one for mother-dearest. I am concerned/worried? that the doctor did not call yet with the results from the MRI taken last week. *sigh* I guess no news, is good news in this case. The last time it was: Sunday morning 9 am and get your butt to the ER. I'm calling ahead for you & getting an operating room ready now. Okay, doc. Sure.

So I digress! Since time is of the essence and my darling beta's came through yet again on last minute comments ... I am posting an early chapter. But I must admit, you will need to wait until Thursday for the next one as the muses poke and mull over whumpage and plot issues.

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O

Chapter Fifteen

Behind Danny, Steve had become equally as wary. He also had his hand resting on his weapon as he suspiciously cataloged the elder Jameson, the supposed handyman, and then tried to see past them and into the apartment. Jameson's large girth took up the large majority of the view though. He was sure that a third someone was lurking in the background as a certain feeling put him even more on edge. Cocking his head, Steve was positive that he heard footsteps or a shuffling noise from the back of the small kitchen area.

Danny's warning was received loud and clear as Jameson didn't precisely deflate, but he at least rephrased his comments as best as he could. "Fine. I'm here and you called for something?"

"We did." Danny affirmed without offering more. The man was definitely older but hardly could be called elderly. He was burly, steady on his feet, and thick from years of hard labor. His calloused and stained hands swallowed Danny's with a firm handshake which was used to purposefully keep the Detective back from entering the apartment.

Sour-faced and slightly hunched, Jameson distinctly wasn't a friendly soul as he gave Steve a rude, cursory glance. He growled in annoyance and couldn't resist reiterating his complaints. "I still say that you didn't need to come back out here if you're all done here with your sciency stuff. Those other two cops said they .. you all .. were done. What do you want now ... officers?"

Danny frowned in distaste. Besides the man's terrible attitude, personal stench, something sharply astringent lurked just in the background. For Danny, the caustic smell over-powered the cooking pasta sauce, the poor hygiene and the heaviness of the cigar. He had read Lukela's report and nothing pointed to the man in particular, but along with the man's past records something immediately rubbed him the wrong way. Then there was the new chemical-like odor that reminded him of ... fire .. arson. Even if he missed that subtle smell, Danny felt Steve shift behind him and knew his partner now held a very similar opinion of the elderly man.

"Two things. First, we did need to come back out since you refused to be available to me. Secondly, after we're done, yeah it's going to be fine and you can do what you want to clean up this apartment. So, I have a few more questions if you don't mind."

"I mind. The fact I didn't call you proves that." Jameson inhaled and then lifted his face to the ceiling to expel a choking grayish-black cloud that roiled Danny's stomach. He had already forgotten his need to be mannerly as he was not so nicely reminded by Steve's own escalating temper.

"Mr. Jameson seems to have memory problems." Steve ground out in warning as he purposefully watched the bluish smoke hit the ceiling in the hallway. The man paused before chomping on the edge of his cigar. His mind was obviously whirling as he tried to control his own temperamental issues.

He coughed heavily on an inhale before pulling the cigar from his mouth. He held it loosely between tobacco-stained fingers as he pointed at Danny's chest and then dropped the offensive hand when Steve aimed yet another glaring look his way. "Listen. I answered all your police questions down at the precinct. Why can't you get the report from your cop friends?"

"You do realize that your admittance of avoiding my requests means I can bring you in for obstruction?" His rude attitude had more than alienated Danny and Steve easily sensed his partner's temper rising but he stood his ground. Technically, Danny was quite correct and they could bring the man in for obstruction of justice and make his life a bit difficult. His attitude was almost case enough as well, but with nothing solid to go on, it might not be worth the added aggravation.

Steve folded his arms arrogantly, keeping his fingers near his own gun. "I'm sure you'd like to get on with your day. A trip to the precinct would put a significant kink in your plans, though. It's entirely up to you."

Behind him, the supposed painter shifted uncomfortably on his feet and moved a bit out of their view. It was then that Danny realized what was missing. Another vehicle. There was no way that four men could have joined the landlord in the small dilapidated pickup that was parked out front. Other than the ladder, there was no gear or handyman tools.

Danny hesitated and put his hand on Steve's arm as a sign or a red flag. Jameson's face broke into an ugly unfriendly grin as he digested the threat. "Talk then. Ask away."

Forging ahead but with much more caution, Danny pointed to the rear door which led to the path and the parking area near the highway. "How long has this emergency exit door been broken?"

Confused by the odd question, Jameson shrugged. "Just about forever I'd say."

"Have you ever had trouble with anyone coming in off the highway there ... any signs of trespass or vandalism?"

"Nope. This was a first .. and a doozy, I'd say." The man chewed roughly on the cigar as he stared down at the smaller, younger Detective.

"There was no sign of a forced entry. Anyone else have keys to this .. establishment or to this particular apartment? Maybe a real estate agent helping to rent the empties for you?' Jameson paused and then shook his head in the negative.

"Nope. Just me. That it? I got stuff to do." He was annoyed when Danny clearly wasn't finished. Though careful, Danny was pushing the envelope as the fake painter moved deeper into the small apartment.

"Just one more question. Do you think your son is capable of doing something like this? His record escalated over the past few years and he was questioned in detail in regard to an older murder down on the docks where he works." Jameson narrowed his eyes and then his hunched posture became more threatening. His offended anger rose to an extreme level and was overwhelming in the small space.

"Me and my kid don't exactly see eye to eye. But he ain't no killer." Danny's prompt on his arm had caused Steve to react. His finger had easily slid the keeper off the holster. He was within a hairs-breadth now of responding to the ongoing threat.

It was then that Steve interrupted the stilted conversation because he was sure that he saw a third shadow or heard an odd muffled thump. He felt Danny tense and knew he had heard the same but was surprised when he got a sharp elbow in his vest for this next question. Danny had sidled a bit closer and was staring at something towards a barely seen corner of the room. But where Danny suddenly seemed to want to leave, Steve pushed more into Jameson's face.

"Who else is here with you today?" Steve meant besides the crew and Jameson clearly understood he was referring to the shuffling sounds. Both he and Danny were on the same mental wave-length and wondering if a hostage might be held within the confines of the apartment. But again he sensed Danny's growing desire to leave and avoid a direct confrontation.

"Here?" Jameson jerked his head towards Steve and it was the first time there may have been a flash of surprise. "Nobody. It's me, this foreman and his cleaning crew." Thumbing his own chest, he glowered at Steve.

"Mind if we come in for a second?" Steve asked aggressively, but Jameson was talking over him as his face became mottled and red.

"I'm here! Me, myself and I. I'm in charge and I get to clean this mess up myself with this cleaning crew. It's costing me money to have them wait here doing nothing while I waste time talking to the cops yet again. So I've got enough to do instead of answering questions that won't do it for me!"

Unfortunately for Jameson, the faint shuffling sound reached their ears and the three had a momentary, silent standoff. The handyman had moved well off to the side and it was then that Danny absolutely identified the rifle and the shadow of what could be another next to it. If the man hadn't moved it would have remained partially hidden and Danny would have been uncertain. But the AK-47 sent a dangerous message and Danny knew they were in over their heads between the men in the apartment and the small group outside in the parking lot.

There were too many men, unforeseen weapons. a missing vehicle that Danny began to sense would be parked down the path by the highway and a civilian much too close. Danny again gripped Steve's arm as a signal when he felt his partner move to stand next to him. He made a soft disagreeable sound in the back of his throat when Steve leaned forward with one hand on the door frame.

"You know .. we're good here. That's not going to be necessary." Danny changed gears almost instantly with Jameson. At first, Steve avoided looking at him as Danny gently put his hand on the front of his tac-vest. Patting it once, he gave him a warning look when their eyes met so briefly that clearly communicated trouble on the horizon.

Once Steve grudgingly backed up, Danny gave the elderly man a short wave. "Fine. Go ahead and do what you need to do in there; HPD and Five-0 are done here. Thank you for your cooperation. Let's go, McGarrett."

Steve and Jameson were nearly challenging each other now as Jameson shrugged a goodbye with a short triumphant grin. With his fingers lightly laced in the top of Steve's vest, Danny pulled at him once. "McGarrett. We're good here."

He glanced briefly upstairs and made a face as music began to play and the sound trickled down the staircase. "Damn, damn, damn." He muttered to himself.

"There's a problem." Danny whispered quietly over his shoulder. He knew that Steve hadn't seen the weapon and he also knew that Steve wanted to go in on Jameson immediately by his slow pace. "Gimme the keys. Come on."

"I know there's a problem but what are you doing?" Steve hissed while motioning back to the building. They were outside now and just a few steps from the Camaro when Steve tossed the keys over the roof to Danny's hand.

"Here. Catch. What are we doing?" The three workmen were no longer lounging around. They were watching them much too closely.

"Leaving."

"Daniel. We have probable cause." Steve had missed the covert use of his last name and remained puzzled by the sudden change in plans.

"Steven. Get in the car." The pointed stare threw daggers in his direction as Danny repeated the demand before sliding behind the wheel. He didn't wait to start the engine of the Camaro and Steve shook his head when it lurched into drive as he heard the idle change.

The car started moving almost before he could slam the door closed. "He's hiding something or someone and we have probable cause. It's already a crime scene! Our crime scene!"

"Agreed. But we need backup." Danny's voice was all wrong and very, very low. Steve heard him then with the intentional use of his last name. Glancing up briefly to the side view mirror, Steve registered the vicinity of the workmen. Danny was talking quickly while he moved them to safety and a better position.

"Where did these guys come from .. where's their work truck or van? That man in there is no foreman. And there's an AK-47 up against the back wall in the apartment. At least one very powerful weapon. There might have been a second but I wasn't sure. We have one known man with Jameson and possibly a hostage or more gunmen. Plus we have the three outside." Danny was watching in his rearview mirror to see if the were being followed; relieved when he saw nothing in the first few seconds.

"AK-47's?" Steve quieted with a thoughtful look towards Danny. His partner had been living and breathing the case for weeks. Delving back into past records and an old unsolved murder, Steve knew that Danny was crunching through mental data and making any variety of accurate associations. "They must have parked a bigger vehicle out by the highway and come in the back way. We need to get a cruiser or two over there to check out the vantage point." Already contacting the station while speaking, Steve made his demands to HPD for assistance and backup.

"We don't know why they are really here or what else they might have brought with them. On top of it, we have a civilian upstairs." Danny knew that Steve had no time to read his latest report from that morning in detail and the pieces were coming together so amazingly fast, his head was spinning. A very, very long time ago, the elder had been a pyromaniac and he remembered the caustic, incendiary smell from working as a volunteer with his father a few summers in the fire department.

"Jameson was arrested for arson in his youth and it didn't seem that important until now. He's got some sort of chemical in there. Did you smell anything funny?" He continued to watch the rearview mirror and Steve was partially turned as well to look back.

"Not exactly. No." Steve admitted about smelling anything other than the cooking from the upper apartment.

"I don't remember the name. But it's a incendiary .. burns hot and fast. I swear that I smelled it either on him or in the room."

Steve's cell phone interrupted them as Danny was rapidly explaining what he saw and sensed in the apartment. "Kono? What's up? What's the story with Michael Jameson?" Steve asked as he put the call on speaker.

"Actually, he's missing. He was scheduled for a weekend shift, disappeared during his Sunday morning break, and never came back. He then was due to work 5 o'clock this morning. He still hasn't shown up." Kono was worried about their findings.

"The dock foreman said that Michael needed the money and was a hard worker. His take on him is much different than what we've found in his files."

"His message to me was left Sunday morning. I wasn't able to reach him after he left it." Danny confirmed, as he slowed the car to park along the side of the road and just out of sight of Vernon Fields. "Ten to one something happened to him during that break."

"The foreman is actually concerned about him. He's had his issues, but Michael Jameson is well-liked on the job." Kono confirmed.

It was a long ride to meet them, but Steve ordered both Chin and Kono to begin the drive to Vernon Fields. "Something is up here and we are waiting for HPD support now. The old man seems to be our prime suspect now; he's definitely hiding something and it's likely that his son is actually in the apartment with him."

Steve ended the call and as Danny reiterated a few other facts. A spent cigar had also been found near the body from the now 16-month old and currently unresolved dockside murder. Eric Jameson was a veritable chimney; the cigar found by the parking area was too coincidental. The brands were identical; of that Danny was positive based upon Max's preliminary reports.

It was suspicious that Max had asked for additional samples and fibers that very morning; he had obviously found something of import and was working diligently. Within hours, they would have the DNA proof they needed. In addition, both CSU and Max were checking the blood found on the leaf, but Danny knew for certain it would belong to one of the two dead men.

Eric Jameson was a murderer and his son could be an accomplice – or even the potential hostage since anything was possible at that point. If Danny was right, father and son could be working together or in any case, he and Steve would be woefully at a disadvantage with a minimum of four additional hired guns. But before he could turn off the Camaro to wait for that backup, Danny caught sight of a slender black line of smoke in the air. Then another thicker puff of black and gray burst into the sky which held a frightening tinge of yellow.

"We've got another problem." With a civilian definitely involved and a possible hostage at risk, Danny reversed direction to return to Vernon Fields. They would have to go in cautiously, but the tide had suddenly turned and they were forced to respond.

"It's on fire .. he's burning it to the ground."

Next to him, Steve was multi-tasking as he readied some gear in the front seat and put in additional emergency calls to HPD and now the fire department. Knuckling the dashboard, his eyes widened as they rocketed back to the parking lot. "Wait! Stop!"

"What?" Following the command, Danny skidded to a stop in middle of the narrow tertiary road. Steve was gesturing towards Vernon Fields and the men lying in wait.

"Stop here. We'll be setting ourselves up for a trap if we drive back into that parking lot."

Danny nodded as he backed the Camaro up and found a better place deeply in the shade on the shoulder of the road. The two exited the vehicle and took more supplies, including a fire extinguisher, from the trunk. They would go through the heaviest brush and trees as they approached the small complex this time on foot. Time was of the essence as another plume of blackish smoke drifted into the sky.

As he plowed through the gear, Danny realized that he was slamming things home with a practiced ease and by a learned rote. It was to be expected. However, he was faster and more efficient than he ever had been since working on the Five-0 task force which certainly kept him on his toes. Extra magazines for both pistol and rifle, back-up revolver, cuffs, zip ties, Stinger flashlight, and a knife - much unlike Steve's preferred tool. Where his brain nearly stuttered at the thought, his fingers were automatically nimble as Steve did the same while adding a few of his favorite, personal extras.

Deeply pensive, Danny triple-checked his gear and selected a rifle as his new primary. It was then that Steve noticed Danny's movements were almost resentful as he readied his equipment and extra weapons.

"You good?" Danny gave a curt nod before almost coldly asking Steve the same question. He was abrupt and distinctly on edge as they were forced to act early without HPD's or their team-mates' assistance.

Steve saw that resentment for what it really was - a keen concern mixed with Danny's unwavering dedication and he smiled reassuringly. "Terra firma, Danno. It's all good!"

"Really? You're going to say that to me at a time like this?" Danny's eyes widened as Steve stomped both booted feet in place on the side of the road to prove his point before grinning at Danny's disgusted grimace. He was thinking and internalizing so loudly, Steve didn't actually need him to voice his next complaint.

"That's not funny. Not at all."

Small puffs of dirt rose around Steve's boots from the sun-baked dirt which did nothing to make Danny feel better. With another grin for Danny's benefit, they took off side by side towards the burning building.

~ to be continued ~