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

Chapter 7

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"That message could mean anything." Steve insisted much to Ponch's dismay. He'd also come alone, which surprised the older doctor. But as Steve described it, the team was exhausted from working on the larger case which was taking precedence over Alan Parker's background check. While on the phone too, Ponch had admitted there were no signs of a break-in or struggle and that nothing was out-of-place. The only possible hint was a much too short text message.

On top of it all, what Steve was saying now was far from a popular method of theorizing for the worried doctor.

"He could have dropped the phone. There's no car and no sign of a struggle. Even you admit that there's nothing missing. Could he have taken a patient to the closest hospital by himself?"

"No, Steve. It's none of those things. He's in trouble." Groaning in a disbelief that was perking quickly into becoming a hotter anger, Ponch hid his tightly fisted hands in his windbreaker. It was costing him to keep his voice reasonably low but he was flustered and beyond surprised to have to submit to a line of questioning. "It's been a couple of days since I asked for help. What has Kono found out?"

"Honestly, not too much, Doc. The other case is keeping all of us on our toes right now and Kono hasn't had much time to dig into things. So far, she's run standard background checks and searched for formal complaints against the practice. But, I know she hasn't found anything telling or suspicious on either the father or the son. Her initial inquiries with HPD regarding any complaints about increased drug activity in the area have also come up empty."

It was continually hard for him to stifle his temper though he had no real right. In fact, he had reported the latest Doctor Dread victim much earlier in that same week and he certainly knew of the larger stakes that Five-0 was up against. With an effort born from years of needing to develop patience in a strict military setting, Ponch managed to keep his tone fairly calm. "I'm telling you Jasper Mitchell is in trouble. Something more happened here tonight."

It was Steve's turn to groan uncomfortably. Too early for an actual missing person's report and with no hint of an altercation, there wasn't much anyone would be able to do. With only a bland text message and no other real evidence, there was precious little he could request be done even if he did believe the man. Which of course he did. "I'll put an APB out for his Jeep Cherokee after running his plates through DMV. Do you have a photo of Mitchell here in the office; maybe in his files? What of family?"

While they all would eventually have his official drivers license picture, something more current would always be helpful. Not wanting to wait, Steve wanted something more tangible in his hand.

"Sure. Photos I have; but Jazz doesn't have a family that I know of." Turning sharply on his heel, Ponch went to the reception area where an array of photographs made up a huge walled collage. It wasn't difficult to find more than one of the popular doctor to satisfy Steve's needs. Stalling for a moment, Ponch took one down for himself. The first photo which included him as well and the baby he'd helped deliver the first day he had met both Jasper Mitchell and Alan Parker. Still looking at the photo, he felt Steve enter the room behind him.

"His address, too. We will run it through DMV on his plates, but if you have that now .. maybe if it's close I can swing by and check it out." Ponch nodded again before going to a file cabinet where employees and volunteers all had small thin files. Paging through was easy enough and he quickly found the address.

"He's renting a small bungalow a few blocks from here." Ponch roughly shoved his hands back in to his windbreaker after he handed the files to Steve. "I'm going with you."

Clearing his throat distractedly, Steve was forced to agree even though they both knew the young doctor wouldn't likely be there. In case there were problems though, Steve made one thing quite clear as they walked outside.

"You'll stay in your car if there's any sign of trouble." Steve informed him before they left. They then followed each other to the small dark cottage. Steve's Silverado first, tailed closely by Ponch's SUV.

The big doctor waited impatiently as Steve quickly surveyed the quiet property first from the relative safety of his own vehicle. The word 'bungalow' fit the description of the tiny one-bedroom cottage perfectly. Fairly out in the open with little shrubbery or trees, it was well-kept but there was nothing to see and little to hide. After a few minutes, Steve waved Ponch out to join him. It was painfully obvious that no one was there and nothing had happened. The front screen door wasn't locked but it was apparent that was out of habit and an ease of living style; not necessarily due to any type of deception.

"Damn." Ponch whispered as his last tiny shred of hope evaporated. On the short ride over, he had envisioned blasting the young doctor from one end of the island to the other. But now, that certainly wouldn't be happening.

"No one has been here." Steve reconfirmed as soon as they entered the front door. Other than some clothes strewn about the sofa and what looked like breakfast dishes in the sink, nothing was out-of-place. The two stood in the darkness of the tiny kitchen and then didn't move when Steve thought he heard a rustling sound.

"Did you hear that?"

Ponch frowned and listened hard. There was an odd soft noise from the one bedroom, followed by a light thud and a snuffling growl. Then they heard a few clicks and clacks from its nails on the hardwood floor as the animal approached. It was obvious that he or she had been sleeping on the bed and they'd disturbed it.

"Dog." Ponch whispered with a sightly worried tone. "Uh, I think he's got a dog. He might have said that to me and I'd forgotten."

"Great. Now you remember?" Steve breathed out as a low rumble threatened them from the rear of the house. The sound was deep, intimidating and meant business. "Any idea what kind?"

"Nope." The dog answered the question himself as he peered around the corner of the one bedroom. He was backlit by the moon and completely white in color. Since he was backlit, they couldn't properly see his dark shadowed eyes but they could certainly hear his displeasure at not knowing the late night intruders.

Steve palmed his weapon just in case the dog was uncontrollable as he edged back to the door. "We should leave him or I can have animal control come out for him. But I don't want to have to do anything if he comes at us."

The dog sturdily waddled around the corner and then stopped so they could get a better view of each other. Short of height but stiff-legged and very broad-chested, he halted in the narrow hallway and the growl deepened in warning.

"What is that?" Steve whispered as he reluctantly readied his weapon with one hand and put his other on the handle to the screen door. But Ponch peered closer in an attempt to recognize the breed and then smiled. The dog had a prominent egg-shaped head and wide-set black eyes. Based on the stance and posture, he suddenly knew and he could understand Steve's confusion since the breed wasn't all that popular.

"It's General George S. Patton's dog." At one of the words, the dog's tail slowly began to swirl. The growl ceased and all three waited the other out as they judged what type of trouble one might be to the other.

"What?" Steve hissed as the Bull Terrier took a step closer and he got an even better look at the impressive muscular build. The dog was stout, solidly built with an odd profile. He was nearly all white except for splash of brindle along one hip.

Steve measured the dog's bold posture and stuck to his original decision. "Leave him, Doc. Let animal control come for him."

"No wait." Ponch breathed out. "Patton. Come." He tried the last word he'd said, but got nothing.

"George?" Again, nothing and so gave a short chuckle because it was obvious and suited the stalwart dog so well. It was as if the dog even knew what this new big man would say next as his tail waved slowly again side to side.

"Okay. General it is." Ponch was smiling as he whispered, "General, come."

The tail waved faster at the success and the dog boldly ambled forward as the doctor crouched down with his hand out. Steve sighed in relief but didn't take his hand from either gun or door should the dog abruptly change its mind.

"General. Who's a good boy?" He waited the animal out as they studied each other eye to eye and nearly nose to nose.

General's black nostrils flared, waffled and snorted in Ponch's direction, breathing in the same odors that his Jasper brought home on a regular basis. A mix of other strange people, faint smells of sickness, astringent medicines and strong antiseptic. He sneezed and whuffled more but it was familiar and comforting, and so General heartily approved.

Completely ignoring Steve, he nudged Ponch's hands and got stroked kindly for his efforts. Glancing over his shoulder, Ponch announced something that Steve was already anticipating.

"I'm taking him until we find Jasper."

At the sound of his master's name, General quickly looked up into the doctor's face and then out towards the screen door. He was confused and clearly off whatever schedule he expected Jasper to be returning on.

"He's in trouble." With General now leashed and in hand, Ponch insisted on that fact as he followed Steve out of the house.

"We'll find him either way, Doc." Steve stressed as he contacted HPD on the radio to issue the requested APB. They stood staring at each other in silence until Ponch realized that was going to be it. There was nothing else to be done.

"Go home. This is an open investigation and I will find resources to investigate his disappearance." Steve gently prodded the worried doctor towards his SUV.

"You know what to do if he contacts you again. In the meantime, we and HPD will do what we can."

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Adrian Parker leaned forward in his bed and then heavily thumbed the volume up on the large high-definition television that was mounted directly across from him on the wall. He was watching the late night news and the second story focused on the alleged disappearance of a local young doctor. Positioned as a missing person's report, the telecast implied something even more grievous such as an abduction. But there was no proof and anyone with information was requested to contact the Honolulu Police Department. The man's dog was being cared for by local friends in the hopes that he would be found soon.

"No." Eyes-wide, Adrian gasped at not only the significant twenty-four hour period of time which had elapsed, but also at the smiling photograph of the missing doctor.

Standing happily on the steps outside the Medical Mission Free Clinic with a client and her baby, was Doctor Jasper Mitchell.

"What has he done." It wasn't a question that Adrian asked, but a stunned statement of fact. He wasn't yet putting two and two together; not really. Without a doubt though, Adrian did know that his own son was responsible at least for Mitchell's disappearance.

Locked in horror, Adrian listened to Alan being interviewed for a brief ten seconds where he expressed his genuine concern for his missing colleague. "Alan. What have you done?" The senior Parker felt a cold chill settled in his chest for the recorded tone that was at least insincere to his practiced ear. The news report ended with the reporter noting that everyone associated to the clinic had been interviewed thus far in conjunction with the case, but there were no leads, persons of interest or known motives. The young doctor was well-liked in the community, had no obvious enemies, and anyone knowing more was encouraged to contact HPD anonymously or otherwise.

Sinking weakly back into his pillows, Adrian could have cried real tears as he tried to figure out what to do. He had no proof and the police had no proof. Yet he knew without a doubt that his own son was responsible for Mitchell's disappearance.

Adrian slowly leaned over on his elbow so that the could take the telephone from the side table near his bedside. He turned it on and then off three times before deciding that the right person to contact was his trusted lawyer.

~ to be continued ~

NOTES: General is a Bull Terrier (not a pit bull) - think Spuds Mckenzie from the old Bud Beer commercials. Though I am a die-hard Australian Shepherd person, I have always been intrigued by the breed especially after watching Black Sheep Squadron where Boyington (Robert Conrad) also had one in that TV show. They are neat dogs and can be very sweet - though tough, protective, devoted to their owners and extremely stubborn. They have egg-shaped heads, narrow triangular eyes and are super smart. It is true that General Patton favored the breed very much! His most famous one was "William the Conqueror" or Willie for short and there are a few interesting stories about him if you Google.