"The warehouse was empty," Chin reported. "The lab boys are going over it with a fine-toothed comb, but we don't think any drugs were ever there."
The four detectives were once again gathered in Steve's office, wearily tucking into Chinese take-out.
"Don was set up," Danny observed bitterly. "Mickey fed him false information and killed him as a warning." Mickey had audaciously rung the Five-O offices personally to tell them he was responsible for the shooting before Dan had even managed to contact Steve to tell him what had happened. "He's toying with me."
"Word on the streets is that talking to Danny is big pilikia, boss," Kono reported, have gleaned this information from one of his cousins.
"Mickey has to be somewhere," Steve stormed. "He can't just disappear."
"HPD are asking at all the hotels," Chin offered. "He might have the gall to book into one of them."
"I hope he hasn't had better luck at finding a room than I have," Danny groused in an undertone. He hadn't meant for his comment to be for general consumption, but it was.
"You're staying with me, Danno," Steve commented. Everyone who heard that statement knew that it was as set in stone as one of the tablets Moses had brought down from the mountain.
Everyone but Danny it seemed. He opened his mouth to protest, but Steve simply kept talking. "Your apartment will have to be redecorated and you'll probably have to get new furniture. The smoke damage was pretty bad. May has already spoken to your insurer and there won't be a problem with your claim." He glanced up at the slightly stunned younger man opposite him. "What?" he asked. "Did you really think you could just move straight back in after a fire? You might even want to take this chance to move somewhere new. Oh and May has arranged for someone to collect your clothing and personal belongings and have them cleaned for you."
"Thank you," Danny replied, sounding rather dazed. He hadn't given a single thought to any of those things, but it had been rather a rollercoaster of a day and it was not over yet. Steve simply tipped his head in acknowledgement of the thanks. May had suggested it and when Steve had indicated he thought it was a good idea, she had run with it. To Steve, nothing more needed to be said.
They finished eating and Kono collected the empty boxes and took them out to the trash. Danny rose and went to look at the board to see if he could see something new from the information that was there. He yawned.
Feeling somewhat lethargic himself now that he had eaten, and knowing that it was going to be a long night, Chin rose and left to put on some fresh coffee. The pot that was currently there was stewed beyond hope of redemption. Steve, also feeling the urge for an after dinner nap, got to his feet and opened the windows, letting in the warm, plumeria-scented evening air.
The fresh air drew Danny like a moth to a flame. He headed over to take some deep, cleansing breaths as Steve turned back into the room, already feeling fresher and more awake. It was a good idea, he decided.
Something sailed into the room, barely missing Steve, and exploded on the floor. Clouds of gas rose and immediately, both detectives felt the tell-tale prickle in their eyes and noses. "Tear gas!" Danny cried and dug frantically in his pants pockets for a non-existent handkerchief.
Engaged in a similar search, Steve had more luck. He had felt the missile singing past his ear and there was something about that that clamoured for his attention, but, coughing heavily already, his eyes streaming uncontrollably, he had no leisure to think about it. They had to get out of the office until the air cleared.
The handkerchief helped filter the gas a little. Steve staggered towards the door, sure that Danny, invisible to all intents and purposes because of the gas and the tears, was already outside in the clearer air. Next moment, Steve collided with his second, who had just bumped bruisingly into the corner of Steve's desk. They both staggered and Steve, more by luck than design, managed to catch Danny's sleeve and stabilise them both.
By now, Chin and Kono were well aware of what was going on. Both took a few second to soak their own handkerchiefs in water before funning into the reeking inner office. Steve emerged from the gas, steering Dan with one hand, while holding the other over his face. Kono grabbed Danny and Chin grabbed Steve and they hurried from Steve's office, through the outer office and into the lobby where the air was blessedly clear. Steve sank down on the steps to try and catch his breath. Kono, one meaty hand still holding Danny by the arm, lowered the second in command down beside Steve before he hurried off to get some wet towels to wipe off their faces. Chin crouched worriedly beside them, but both were starting to recover already. "Are you all right?" Chin asked.
Predictably, they both nodded. Steve was recovering faster and the wet towel Kono brought helped the process along. Danny, who had not had even the minimal protection that Steve had had, took a few minutes longer to come to himself.
"Mickey!" McGarrett growled, his voice hoarse. He gingerly sipped the water he was offered. His throat was raw. "I think you should get checked out at the hospital, Danno," he added, thinking of the smoke inhalation Danny had suffered earlier.
"I'm fine," Danny snapped, equally hoarsely.
"I think you should both go," Chin declared. Danny smiled at that, but Steve scowled.
"Why didn't you cover your face?" Steve asked, realising that Danny did not have a crumpled bit of fabric clutched in his hand.
"Because you didn't buy me any handkerchiefs," Danny shot back. He had piles of them at home, because there was no doubt they came in useful for all sorts of things in police work, but it hadn't occurred to either of them to buy some this morning.
For some reason, that struck McGarrett as funny and he started to laugh. After a moment, so did Danny. Chin and Kono exchanged glances and Kono mouthed the word 'pupule'. Chin whole-heartedly agreed. Still, the laughter relieved the tension.
Getting to their feet, they tentatively went back into the office. The open windows had cleared the gas and Steve was careful to close them almost to. It was only as they bent over to examine the small projectile that Steve remembered it whizzing past his ear. "Mickey!" he said again.
"It couldn't be anyone else," Danny agreed. Kono used his handkerchief – with a big flourish to rub it in to Danny that he had one – to pick it up and put it in an evidence bag.
"He had to be close, though," Steve mused, his mind working. He closed his eyes to try and bring his swirling thoughts into order. "I was over here," he went on, crossing to the windows. "Danno, you were…" He pointed and Danny obliged by standing there. "The missile came past me about here." Steve put his hand just above his shoulder. "Where could Mickey have been to throw it at that angle?"
Following an invisible line with his mind's eye, Danny moved closer to the windows, ignoring Chin's slightly anxious half-formed grab for him. "Just outside," Danny realised. "In those trees?" He whirled around. "Let's take a look!"
"Not you!" Steve ordered. "Chin and Kono can do it. Keep alert, gentlemen. We don't know what Mickey has up his sleeve, but I don't want anything happening to either of you."
"Right, Steve," Chin agreed and he and Kono hurried out.