I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: thank you for all the continued wonderful reviews! I appreciate them all as I slowly catch up on replying.
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Chapter Nineteen
Chin and Kono had heard the reports of a fire over the police radio while en route to Vernon Fields. They looked at each other in surprise before contacting emergency services directly and HPD central. Both confirmed the location and the two increased their haste when they also were unable to contact either Danny or Steve. Of course, they had already been on their way based upon Steve's orders. Their visit to the dock put them in a decent position to get them to the dilapidated apartment building a few minutes faster than other responders. Kono took advantage of it as she stuck to the main highway while driving even more aggressively through traffic. As they neared their destination, they could see the spiral of black smoke in the air and were also privy to civilian calls into 911 that described the strong fire and even an explosion.
"I'm sticking to the highway and that parking area. If I can find it." Kono remarked, as she and Chin rocketed down the shoulder. They had picked up two HPD cruisers who were in their wake with sirens blaring as well. Then, it wasn't too difficult to find it for the parked cars along the side of the road. All three of their units pulled in front of the small dirt-packed parking area and Chin demanded that HPD clear the onlookers and danger-seekers immediately.
"This is just going to cause more of a back-up and create the potential for an accident. Get them out of here. We need the room for emergency vehicles!" Chin was adamant as he grabbed his gear, including his shotgun from the trunk of Kono's car. Most onlookers were stunned by the large display as the team geared up and began to leave on their own, but others began taking even more pictures.
"Get them gone." He warned the young HPD officer who was jogging to each group of bystanders and demanding much more sternly that they all move on for safety's sake.
"Sir?" The voice came from a woman who was obviously more frightened than excited by what was happening. "I saw a man with a gun by that parked van. In fact, he threatened me with it and a few others. He's in the van with someone else and he seems to be waiting for something more to happen. A few of us heard lots of noise a few minutes ago - like more guns going off - down that little path where the fire is. It was like a thousand firecrackers."
She stopped speaking as her eyes widened and they could all hear the distant, powerful shooting. She grabbed his forearm and pointed. "There!"
He had vaguely wondered about it; why the parking area was nearly devoid of onlookers and he understood now. Besides rumor of the one armed man that the woman had personally seen, the noise had obviously scared enough people to keep them well away from the van, the parking area and fire itself. For that, Chin was almost grateful. But he caught Kono's eye worriedly as he wondered what had gone so terribly wrong in just a few short hours. Her eyes reflected the same deep concern for their continued inability to reach either Steve or Danny and she selected a second weapon with additional clips.
"We need to go, cuz." Kono had just slammed a fresh clip home and was bouncing on her toes to get moving. "Now. We need to go now."
Talking quickly while now on the run, Chin handed the helpful woman off to another HPD officer. "Thank you. I need you and everyone else here to leave. It's much too dangerous."
Studying the van, his orders were clipped and efficient as he constructed a plan to safely secure the vehicle and criminals inside. The two men were quickly brought into custody without so much as one shot being fired. One was badly injured and unconscious. The second was the man whom the woman had described and he bitterly surrendered when Chin, Kono and three of the HPD officers surrounded the van and issued their forbidding demands to comply. It took only seconds then for Chin and Kono to begin the short trek down the path towards the inferno and sporadic spats of gunfire. Staying low and nearly silent in their approach, they split up and took to the deeper brush.
There was a subtle bend in the dirt path. One that prevented a direct line of sight to the van and that was where they found the second injured man hop-scotching himself back to the parking area. He was out breath, wincing in pain and holding his fingers tightly to a badly bleeding leg wound. His own AK-47 was slung loosely over his shoulder and he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings.
"Hello, brah." Kono's whisper was harsh as she pounced out of her hiding place directly into his path. He almost fell in his surprise by the unexpected arrival of the black-clad, well-armed woman in front of him. Following her blithe welcome, the solid and immediate chop of her gun's stock into his face helped him fall the rest of the way to lay at her feet. Chin ducked out of his hiding place to help zip-tie the man and pull him under some ferns. Silently, they resumed their positions and continued on.
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Al Harris was furious. He dragged his last armed man to his feet and pushed him hard towards the direction of the waiting van. Though he could still function, a lucky shot had wounded the man in the upper thigh and he was bleeding heavily. Sirens were coming from a variety of directions now and civilians could potentially become so interested, they could have another problem on their hands by the parking area and egress to the highway.
"Get to the van. We will be right behind you."
Eyes lined with shocked pain, the man nodded and set off at a drunken, limping gait towards the small parking area. They were done and reinforcements were much too close.
"Boss. It's over. Let's go." He was stern this time and very brusque. Without waiting, Harris grabbed Jameson's thick upper arm and physically hauled him away from the fire and the two Five-0 officers. They had done their best, but needed to leave immediately before their escape was foiled.
"Did you get them?' The big man resisted because he was still enthralled with the flames and no doubt, he wanted to stay to see the now badly leaning building meet its final demise. He would also have much preferred to watch the fire trucks and emergency vehicles at their finest, too. But Harris now would have none of it.
He lied because he could see the occasional movement behind the over-turned picnic table. He also had no clue about Michael Jameson's fate, and could only assume the younger man had expired from smoke inhalation or during one of their barrages. But he essentially lied because he had no absolute proof and needed to get his boss and team out of there immediately.
"We did. All three are dead. Now let's go."
"Really?" The soft snarl was just a few feet behind him and Harris felt the shocked trill of surprise through to his finger tips. "They'd better not be."
Turning, he came face to face with an irate Asian man holding a powerful shotgun to his AK-47. "Five-0. Get rid of your weapons now, on you knees and lace your fingers behind your head. Cross your ankles."
Harris's shock became a renewed surge of anger but he had nowhere to go and less options. They had waited much too long this time. Being so close to the man, Harris stayed angry when he felt the subtle shift in his boss's body.
"E.J. Don't do it." He hissed in warning as he watched the elderly man's fingers flex once and then twice towards the snub-nosed revolver hidden near his left hip. Usually his tone would have been enough for the advice to sink home, but Jameson was determined. Standing sideways, Harris could see the glimmer of a sick smile and realized Jameson preferred to die rather than be taken.
Uncertain by what he was seeing and feeling, Harris could only oblige the Asian officer by tossing his AK-47 gently off to the far side of the path. Part of him thought that his boss would take that action as another type of advice, too. However, he was sorely mistaken. Besides uncaring of his own fate, Eric Jameson wasn't going to stop after the thrill of an exciting arson and its explosive near finale. He felt strong and nearly invincible as he casually dropped his hand to his belt loop. On one side he felt godly and yet on the other, he was fully willing to die that day.
Through the leaves of the tree, Eric Jameson took a final look at what he could see of his son's body. His eyes then flickered over the picnic table which hid two dead men, then to the smoldering grass and chunks of debris to finally rest on the glory of his amazing inferno; all were fitting epitaphs. He heard Harris, then the Five-0 officer, and ignored both of them completely as his smile deepened.
More to get out of the way of the inevitable than to actually appease the officer, Harris laced his fingers behind his head and took a large step left as he dropped to his knees. His eyes never left the Asian's taught angry face and it took him a moment to belatedly realize that the man was far from alone. Another figure was to his immediate left and the barrel of a rather impressive gun was aimed unerringly at his own head. His move had essentially invited the second officer to a guaranteed party at his ultimate expense.
His face hardened at his own stupidity made worse by a woman's bland and very dangerous chuckle of 'thank you.'
"E.J., listen to the man." Frozen in place, Harris' eyes stayed straight ahead as he repeated his request. The Asian seconded his demand and yet, Eric Jameson still continued in his fatal quest. Not entirely stupid, Harris consoled himself because he felt that he had at least tried. So with an intake of breath, he tightened his laced fingers behind his head, and then closed his eyes as his long-time boss decided his personal fate.
A split second later, the shotgun blast went off with a loud reverberating concussion of sound. Harris flinched but held his submissive posture as he felt the blood spatter instantly spread over his neck, face and down the right side of his shirt. The hot, sticky feeling shocked his usually aloof temperament and he gagged on the stench before vomiting on the spot without even needing to look at Eric Jameson's blown out chest cavity.
Within moments, strong slim fingers were cuffing him and shoving him face down into the dry-packed dirt of the trail. A knee was anchored sharply into his back as at least three new officers surrounded him and the corpse.
"Get up!" The Asian was speaking to him and the knee was removed as he was hauled unresisting to his feet. Harris had to spit to clear his mouth from his own foul taste and bits of dirt. He coughed and blinked his eyes in surprise as the Asian officer grabbed him around the throat heedless of the gore. He gagged again as his air was brutally cut off and his cuffed arms were twisted behind his back. Nodding towards the bloody remains of Eric Jameson, the Asian made a promise to him.
"If they are dead .. you will never see the light of day."
None of the other HPD officers said a word when the threat was lobbied as a distinct vow of retribution. No one moved or seemed to care as Harris's eyes bulged and then watered alarmingly from lack of oxygen. He was released just before is rubbery legs could truly give out and Harris was left bent over and choking air back into his lungs. As two HPD officers took him in hand, he watched the officer and the petite Asian woman, who had obviously cuffed him, run towards the burning apartment building and downed men.
~ to be continued ~