Danny Williams brushed away whatever was crawling on his legs and cursed the bastard who'd put him here. His mind drifted as he curled on his side and used his arm as a pillow. A smile formed when he pictured Gracie's smiling face and he worried what she was feeling and if someone explained to her that it wasn't his fault he hadn't been there to pick her up. Rachel would have called Steve and alerted him, but would they be searching for him. Would they have any idea where to start?
Danny remembered going home after taking a long swim at Kailua Beach and talking to Akemi. The woman was such a worrier and she'd taken it on herself to make sure he looked after himself. She'd knock at his door with a casserole or a pie and he'd protest, but she'd ear nothing of it. She'd tell him he was pale and needed to get out in the sun more. Danny couldn't help, but smile at the thought of the woman's motherly instincts where he was concerned.
Danny had no idea how much time passed before he heard movement outside the door. He stayed where he was when it opened and two men entered the small cell. One man held a gun pointed directly at him while the other held a set of handcuffs that he threw at Danny's feet.
"Put those on!" the man snarled.
Williams stayed where he was, and closed his eyes, ignoring the heated barbs from both men. He knew he'd probably pay for his insolence, but right now he really didn't feel very cooperative. He heard them arguing in their own language and soon felt a kick to his left leg.
"Put them on or I'll get a collar and leash and treat you like the dog you are!" the bigger of the two said and made sure he stayed far enough away that Danny couldn't do anything.
"Go to hell!" Williams spat.
"Watch him while I get the collar!"
Danny cursed and angrily reached for the cuffs, ignoring the look on the man's face as he snapped them in place. He knew he'd had no choice, but to do as he'd been told because to wear a collar and a leash would be too downgrading and he wouldn't stand give Wo Fat that kind of satisfaction. He could swallow his pride when it meant keeping his dignity.
"On your feet!" the bigger man ordered.
Danny sighed and ignored the aches from his joints as he used the wall to help climb to his bare feet. He didn't remember when he'd lost his shoes, but right now that seemed a moot point anyway. He was motioned forward and couldn't help, but smile as the two men stayed out of his reach. He might not be a SEAL, but he could intimidate with the best of them.
"Get moving!"
The order was accompanied with a blow to the lower back and Danny stumbled out into the bright sunlight. He managed to stay on his feet, and glare over his shoulder at the two men before moving along the path. The sun shone through the trees, the heat and humidity of the day telling him it was early afternoon. Not that it mattered, because he still had no idea what day it was or how long he'd been in Wo Fat's hands.
They reached the house and Williams spotted Wo Fat sitting at a table with two older men. They seemed to stare at him and he thought he saw anger in one man's eyes, but his captor spoke softly to him and the man turned away.
"Detective, would you like a drink?" Wo Fat asked, and smiled when Williams refused to answer and studied his guests. "Very well, but it would taste better than the water. What about something to eat? I could have the chef prepare something for you."
"Go to hell," Williams said.
"You know, Detective, I am not the enemy here. If it were not for my half brother you would not be here," Wo Fat told him, and tapped his fingers on the table.
Danny frowned at the mention of a half brother and wondered who the hell it was, but his mind finally grasped what could possibly be behind Wo Fat's hatred of Steve McGarrett. "Steve?"
"Well done, I was wondering just how smart you Americans were. Steve is my half brother..."
"How..."
"We share the same father. John McGarrett raped my mother without thinking of the child he placed in her womb! He left us to a life of poverty and I had hoped to kill him, but Victor Hesse got to him first leaving me no choice, but to go after his son."
"So this is about revenge!"
"Revenge has charms to soothe the savage beast," Wo Fat said.
"No I think that was music, but you're right about you being a savage beast," Williams spat.
"Watch what you say, Detective, or you will not be as well cared for as you are now," Wo Fat warned.
Danny laughed at the man's warning and shook his head. "This is well cared for?"
"There are worse things that could be done to you. Now, I have a proposal for you."
"What proposal?"
"I want you to convince McGarrett to come to me."
"Not going to happen," Williams vowed.
"Yes it will," Wo Fat said with a hint of a smile. "You see my friend here has many connections in Hawaii and if I make a request of him I get what I want. Your daughter..."
"Go near her and I'll fucking kill you!" Williams said and would have launched himself at the man but a blow to his lower back put him on his knees.
"Temper...temper, Detective. You need to curtail that before it gets you in trouble. Now, as I was saying your daughter is very smart and beautiful and I'm sure you want her to stay that way. It would be easy to bring her here..."
"Don't!"
"I won't as long as you cooperate. Family means a lot to you, doesn't it Detective?" Wo fat said and took a sip of his drink. "You do not need to answer that...your silence tells me all I need to know. All you have to do to keep your little girl safe is convince Steve McGarrett to join us for a private party. I might even let you go home once he arrives."
"I can't..."
"Very well. Donald, see that Grace Williams...
"You bastard! Don't do this!" Williams spat and tried to come to his feet, but his chaperones held him down.
"That all depends on you, Detective. Make a compelling case and get him here or I bring your daughter into the equation...your choice," Wo Fat told him.
"Why do you hate Steve so much?"
"Because he had what I should have. John McGarrett turned his back on his first family after he raped my mother."
"I don't think he raped your mother..."
"It does not matter what you think, Detective, for I will visit the sins of my father on his favored son."
"Is that what this is? Petty jealousy because Steve grew up with his father?"
"I have nothing to be jealous of, Detective, John McGarrett was a poor excuse for a father..."
"He did a damn good job with his son," Williams said and got the result he was looking fro when Wo Fat stood and backhanded him. Danny spit blood on the man's shoes and looked at him as he spoke. "what's the matter? The truth hurts don't it?"
"You know nothing of the truth, Detective, but that does not matter! Will you do as I want or do I send Donald to pick up your precious little girl?"
"Damn you," Williams snarled.
"I believe John McGarrett damned me many years ago," Wo Fat said. He held out a cell phone and watched Williams closely before asking again. "Will you do as I want?"
"Hard to call anyone with my hands cuffed like this."
"I have his number on speed dial...just press one," Wo Fat said and waited for his prisoner to take the phone from his hand.
5050505050
Steve knew there was nothing more they could do until Wo Fat called him back, and he was sure the man would be calling soon. The man was an arrogant sonofabitch, but he was smart. He knew what his team meant to him, and knew he would do everything in his power to keep them safe. He'd spoken with Rachel and updated her on what little they did know and wished there was some way to keep this from Grace, but she was as smart as her father. She would question why he wasn't coming to see her or calling her and that meant they needed to be honest with her.
"Steve, it's late. Kono and I were going to grab something to eat on the way home. You want to come along?"
"Thanks, Chin, but I need to finish up a couple of things and..."
"There's nothing more we can do until we hear back from Kamekona," Chin said.
"Or Wo Fat," McGarrett observed.
"Did he call back?"
"Not yet, but he will, Chin," the SEAL said.
"I know, but we need to play this smart."
"If he wants to trade Danny for me..."
"No, Danny wouldn't want that and you know it!"
"Yes, I do, and that's why we need to put some things in motion."
" Like what?" Chin asked.
"When Wo Fat calls he's going to tell me what he wants and we need to make him believe we'll give him everything he wants," McGarrett said.
"I'm glad you said make him believe it because that means you're doing what you do best...you're planning."
"Yes, I am. We have to let him believe he holds all the cards, but he doesn't know this team the way we do. Danny's probably already getting on his nerves..."
"Maybe he'll be like that kid in the old story about the boy who drove his kidnappers crazy and the parents made the bad guys pay them to take him back."
"I don't know that one," McGarrett told him.
"Damn, here i thought we were close to the same age. Anyway the story was called The Ransom of Red Chief..."
"That was a funny story," Kono said from the open doorway.
"How do you know that story?" McGarrett asked.
"Chin used to read that one to me when I was little," Kono answered.
"Come on, Boss, there's no point in staying..." Chin grew quiet when McGarrett's phone began to ring.
"McGarrett."
"Steve, it's Danny..."
"Thank God...where are you, Danny?"
"I'm not allowed to say...Is Grace okay?"
"Grace is fine...she's worried about you."
"Make sure she's safe..."
"You now I will...what does he want, Danny?"
"Wo Fat wants to make a trade...me for you...don't do it!"
"Danny!" Steve shouted when he heard a sharp cry of pain and the sound of the phone hitting the floor before another voice came on the line.
"You are certainly rubbing off on your partner, Commander. I'm afraid he's his own worst enemy right now."
"What do you want?" McGarrett asked.
"I believe Detective Williams already told you that and paid the price for not following my instructions. I am willing to make a trade, Commander, but it will be on my terms."
"What are your terms, Wo Fat?"
"I will send instructions to your home and you will follow them exactly. If you do Detective Williams will be back with his family in less than 48 hours. If not you will be planning his funeral and you will have to let me know what funeral home you choose so that I can send a bouquet of flowers befitting his loss. Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes."
"Good. I will send the instructions to your home tomorrow morning. Say hello to the rest of your team and tell them just because I chose detective Williams does not mean I underestimate their worth to you. A man who has loved ones lends hostages to fortune."
Steve cursed when the line went dead and looked at chin and Kono. "We have until tomorrow to come up with a plan..."
"Steve..."
"Give me a plan, Chin, and I'll gladly go along with it if it means getting Danny back," McGarrett told him. "Kono, I need you to stay with Rachel, Grace and the baby."
"Sure, Boss, are they in danger?"
"Maybe...something Danny said doesn't sit right and I don't want them alone. I'll call Duke and have him put a couple of men on them as well," the SEAL told her. "Look, Kono, I know you want to be here, but it's important someone stays with Danny's family."
"I know," Kono said. "I'll check in every couple of hours."
"Thanks, Kono, and ask Rachel to keep Grace home from school until we're sure there's no danger," McGarrett said and knew Danny's family was in good hands. Kono had proven herself since joining Five-0 and he could see the pride in Chin's eyes when he watched his cousin leave.
"She's come a long way," Chin observed.
"Yes, she has," McGarrett agreed. "Chin, I will do whatever it take to bring Danny home."
"I know...I'd do the same thing, but we need to come up with an alternative to you trading places with him," Chin said and stared at his friend. "Besides Shelburne, can you think of a reason Wo fat seems to hate you so much?"
"I wish I could, but I never met him until that day at the golf course with Hiro Noshimuri," McGarrett answered and reached for his phone. "I'm going to call Joe and see if Noshimuri ever mentioned anything. Can you call Duke and have him send a car to Rachel's house?"
"Sure," Chin said and moved to the outer office while McGarrett made his call.
"Joe, it's Steve."
"Is everything all right?"
"No, it's not. Wo Fat has Danny. I need you to tell me everything you can about Wo Fat...I need to know where he could be holding him," McGarrett said.
"Why would he take Danny?"
"He wants to make a trade..."
"Let me guess...you for Danny?"
"Exactly," McGarrett answered.
"Don't do anything stupid, Steve."
"I'm going to do whatever it takes to get Danny out of this mess. I need to know if Noshimuri told you anything about Wo Fat."
"I told you everything I know, Steve."
"I don't think you did, Joe, and what you're holding back could get Danny killed. Why is it I don't believe you're Shelburne?"
"Steve, there are things you're better off not knowing."
"Even if it gets Danny killed," McGarrett snapped.
"If it comes to that...yes."
"I thought I knew you, but it's obvious I didn't. Thanks for not helping, Joe," the SEAL said and hung up as Chin came back into the office.
"Duke's sending a car," Chin told him and saw the anger in the other man's eyes. "I take it Joe didn't help."
"No, he's hiding something, Chin, and it all goes back to something Wo Fat said...something about not liking what I found in my family history," McGarrett said.
"We all have skeletons in our closets, Steve," Chin observed. "Now, how do we go about getting Danny back without giving Wo Fat what he wants?"
"I don't know," McGarrett said tiredly. "I just can't see any way out of it."
"We need to make him come to us," Chin said. "He'll probably suggest somewhere close to one of his holdings, bu we need to take the initiative and make sure it's somewhere we have the advantage."
"He's holding all the cards right now."
"No he's not..."
"He has Danny!"
"I know, but it's not Danny he wants...it's you and as long as we keep you out of his hands the better our chances of getting Wo Fat," Chin said.
"So we set up the exchange in a place where we hold that advantage. Do you have a place in mind?"
"Somewhere secluded, because he won't agree to anything in the city. Let's take a look at the maps," Chin said and moved to the outer office. He quickly brought up the overhead viewer and keyed in several commands until it displayed the Hawaiian Islands. They knew what they were looking for, but they also had to have several places and hoped Wo Fat would agree to do the exchange there. Chin silently vowed that he would not sacrifice one man for another and would get them both away from Wo Fat no matter what it took.
"He won't want one of the big islands. He'll want somewhere away from people...less chance of being caught. He'll also want a place that gives him the advantage."
"What about..."
"The island he owns to the south?" McGarrett said and shook his head. "I don't think he'll go there, but we can keep it in mind."
Chin nodded and for the next few hours the two men went over the best case scenarios. He rotated his shoulders and saw McGarrett do the same and knew it was time to call it a night. "Steve, you should try to get some sleep."
"How can I, Chin?" McGarrett asked seriously, but he knew his friend was right. It was late and if he was going to be of any use in the morning he needed to get some rest.
"Go home, Steve."
"I'll sleep on the sofa," McGarrett told him.
"Steve..."
"I'll sleep, Chin, go home," the SEAL ordered.
"What about a microchip or something like that in case..."
"He'll check for a tracker," McGarrett said.
"I know," Chin said with a hint of a smile.
"What?"
"I have a friend at the university. She's as high tech as they come and several years ago she was given a government grant to come up with a tracking device that was virtually undetectable," Chin explained.
"Did she make one?" McGarrett asked.
"She did and she's looking for a way to test whether it's good for long distances. I'd rather you didn't trade yourself for Danny, but if you're going to do it this will give us a fighting chance if he manages to slip through whatever defences we set up," Chin observed.
"Call her," McGarrett ordered and hoped the woman would agree to his being the test subject. He rubbed at tired eyes while the other man made the call. God, he felt like he hadn't slept in a week and knew it would be some time before he could crawl into his bed.
"All right, Steve, Danielle said to meet her in her lab at the university," Chin told him.
"She's still there?"
"When she's trying to get things done on a schedule she sleeps there. Come on...I'll drive."
"Okay," McGarrett said gratefully.
TBC
Author's Note-Thanks to everyone for the wonderful reviews, alerts, and favorites. You guy are great.