Troubled Waters IX

Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii 5-0. I wish I did, I wish I did. Did that make any difference?

Thank you everyone who has reviewed. I know I am not regular with my posts but real life just recently hit me where it hurts. I will do my best to keep regular posts but I am heading north again and I hope the notebooks will keep me inspired.

Chapter 9

"That's the last box Boss," Terry announced as he turned away from the van, shutting the back doors. He glared at McGarrett who was taking in every detail and studying each face.

"You're wrong if you think you can use me as leverage against my team," Steve finally spoke, looking at Tambor.

"Should I just shoot you now?" Tambor asked in amusement.

"I'd rather you didn't. I'm just thinking it would be wise to clear the area now since my team is not big on negotiating with hostage takers," Steve replied, staying calm. He had wanted to delay this group but now that the van was loaded and if they took the time to remember wiping away all traces of their of presence his team would never have a clue on how to find him. He couldn't avoid the feeling that he was walking a tightrope, trying to maintain his balance while distracting the others. He had noticed that the big Hawaiian had closed the garage door and was not with the others.

"That won't be much help for you, will it?" Tambor smirked. "Your death will be on their heads because I will give them the choice. However, my plan is to be long gone before they arrive."

"Good luck with that," Steve replied with a smirk of his own. He was now prepared to hurry this group on their way before they remembered to wipe down the entire place. Steve wanted as many clues left behind as possible so that the police would know who was running this show. He would do what he could to get this crew arrested.

"All right, everyone listen up," Tambor called out getting everyone's attention. "Whitley, you and Pono will take the van with Pono driving. Head to the new place and unload. Lyle, you take the pickup. Jack, you and I will escort Commander McGarrett out of here." He looked at the big Hawaiian who was fiddling with the service door to the garage's door knob. "Pono, have you got the garage prepped?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, now take care of the house," Tambor ordered.

"You got it Boss," Pono replied and picked up a large box at his feet and started towards the mobile home.

Steve felt his blood run cold as he recognized the clay-like bricks among the wires as C-4. Tambor wasn't worried about prints left behind because he intended for all the buildings to blow up if anyone opened any of the doors. His team wouldn't be prepared for that possibility.

Knowing he had a few options and with rising frustration, Steve charged toward Jack, driving his right shoulder into the older man's chest. His action sent both men slamming into the closed garage door that did not set off the explosives wired to the service door. The breath knocked out of him, Jack had trouble getting a good grip on McGarrett's sweat soaked skin and Lyle and Tambor stepped in right before Jack could punch Steve in the face. The two men pulled McGarrett away, Tambor turning Steve completely over to Lyle and wiped his hands on his pants.

"Are you crazy McGarrett?" Tambor demanded. "Are you asking to be shot? Or were you hoping to blow yourself up?"

"I can't let my team walk into a trap," Steve panted as he struggled against Lyle's grip.

"You are in no position to prevent it," Tambor growled. He stepped closer to match McGarrett's angry glare with his own. "You are alive because I might be able to use you. That won't last if you keep pulling stunts like this. I can change my mind."

"Don't do me any favors," Steve grumbled.

"I like your spirit McGarrett," Tambor chuckled. "Jack, put the Commander in your car where he can't cause any more trouble. We need to get moving."

"Sure thing Boss," Jack smiled ant took Steve's left bicep in a tight grip and jerked him away from Lyle and towards the Oldsmobile. Terry handed him a handgun as he walked past him.

"Shoot him in the thigh if he gets ornery," Terry smirked. He had rearmed himself when cleaning out the garage and had grabbed an extra weapon just in case.

"Thanks Terry, good thinking," Jack laughed.

He shoved McGarrett roughly in front of him, causing Steve to stumble and fall into the side of the car. Steve went to his knees, his head striking the car window on his way down.

"You are really clumsy Commander," Jack taunted. "Are you having trouble walking? Get up," he ordered and grabbed Steve's bound wrists and tugged him upright.

On his feet, McGarrett turned to glare down at the shorter man without saying a word. Jack shrank back a bit before letting his embarrassment fuel his anger and he shoved Steve against the rear quarter panel of the car, then he opened the car door.

"Get in," he shouted with a wave of the gun. Steve did his best, awkwardly sliding in with his wrists taped behind him. Jack slammed the door shut behind him.

"Okay, this is how we'll do this," Tambor addressed his men as Pono now rejoined the group. "Pono, you and Terry head out now. Don't speed, don't arouse suspicion and get my product safely to the storage building in Poamoho. Lyle, follow them at a distance, don't make it look like a convoy. Understood?"

"Yes sir, I'll keep them in sight," Lyle nodded.

"Good. Jack and I will follow shortly. Be careful," Tambor instructed.

Everyone scattered to their vehicles and Pono headed out of the clearing after Terry got inside. Lyle waited for five minutes and with a salute to his boss, the redhead pulled out of the clearing in the pickup.

"I'll drive Jack, you keep a weapon on our guest. I don't want any funny business from him," Tambor stated firmly.

"Yes sir, can I shoot him in the leg or arm if he doesn't behave? That should keep him in line," Jack asked.

"I think that's an excellent suggestion," Tambor laughed. "You do that if necessary and I'll even spring for a new ride if he bleeds all over the back seat."

"Thanks Boss," Jack said as he got in the passenger seat and Tambor slid behind the wheel.

*H 5-0*

After meeting on the road, the four 5-0 members drove back towards Wal'anae looking for a stronger internet signal so Duke could forward the aerial photos. Once they had them, they studied each shot closely, searching for a place that fit their requirements.

"My choice is this place," Danny said when a photo revealed a clearing near the spot they had last been. "It's in the right range and is isolated enough to house an illegal operation."

"It was just purchased in the last six months," Kono said looking up the information on her phone. "That fits the time frame of when Nohea Hailama started taking trips to Maui. He had to be working for someone and must have double crossed them."

"Duke said that the Maui police were looking at an Edward Tambor. They suspected he was running a heroin operation but had not been able to pin anything on him. If he's running this show it doesn't look good," Chin said in concern.

"We need to get to Steve and we need to do it fast," Danny said urgently.

"All right, do we know if Tambor bought this property?" Lou enquired.

"It was a cash purchase. The name on the deed is Michael Wyler," Kono answered.

"When we wrap all this up we'll see if his photo matches Tambor's, for now let's move," Lou said forcefully.

"Okay, we move," Chin agreed. They got in their vehicles and with lights flashing they sped off to the address they had received. Backup would be following as Duke had informed Kono but they would have to catch up, 5-0 wasn't waiting.

As they backtracked to the roads they had been checking earlier, an older white panel van rolled by heading for the coast. In the passenger seat of Danny's low riding Camaro, Lou didn't get a good look at the passenger slumped down in the van's front seat or he would have recognized the man who had abducted Steve. It wasn't more than five minutes later that a Dodge pickup rumbled by them not making the 5-0 team look at it twice.

Arriving at the road that led to the clearing, the Mustang and Camaro slowed and turned off their lights. They didn't want to alert the drug dealers that they were arriving. None of them spotted the brown Oldsmobile sitting between two large trees behind a screening of brush just off the road.

"Looks like your team has arrived McGarrett," Tambor announced with cruel delight. "Should we wait around to see if things go boom?"

Steve sat silently in the backseat, trying to loosen the tape the that confined his wrists. He glared back at Tambor but said nothing. Jack was watching the cars disappear up the road and looked at his boss.

"They're out of sight," he said.

Steve watched the dust settle and for a brief moment he wildly considered grabbing the door handle and rolling out to run after his team and warn them. Common sense stopped him and he knew he'd be shot down before he even got out of the car. Steve knew that his team was good, they were pros and he hoped they'd check for explosives before going into any unknown doorway. That knowledge did not calm the anger he felt towards the men in this car with him.

"As much as I would love seeing the expression on the Commander's face when things blow up, we have to get moving," Tambor gloated as he started the car and drove back onto the road. He headed for Wal'anae and the highway as the silence behind them weighed heavily on McGarrett's heart and mind.

The two 5-0 vehicles pulled up the slope and parked in front of the large garage.

"There's the Taurus," Lou announced, waving his gun at the green car with a missing rear window. There were no other vehicles present and no gunfire greeted their arrival.

"Doesn't look like anyone is still here," Danny said opening his car door. He got out and joined Chin and Kono who had also exited their car. All four had suited up with vests earlier and now they brought out the rifles and shotguns out in case someone was still present and hiding.

"I think we're too late," Chin remarked.

"We passed a truck and a van earlier, we should alert HPD," Kono said and made the call.

"Let's look for clues. We need to check out these buildings. We have to be sure no one is here," Danny said heading for the garage. "Chin, Kono…you take the mobile home."

End chapter.

So….will things go boom? Thank you for reading. I will be gone for the holiday weekend but I will take the muse and the notebooks north with me.