AN: Thanks to all my readers and those who reviewed and put my story on their alerts/favorites lists. Special thanks to my beta!
Chapter 25
Hotel on Essex, San Francisco, 1972
As the LTDs screeched to a halt outside the ramshackle hotel, the detectives exited their vehicles and hastily approached the front entrance. They were greeted by a balding middle aged man who sounded breathless and looked distressed.
"Are you the hotel manager, Sir?" McGarrett addressed the man by the door.
"No but I look after the front desk when Walt's not around. Look, I'd like to report a shooting! My boss's dog just got shot up by a guy who was looking for another guy." Ernie replied as he wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve.
"Which way did he go?" Stone asked in an urgent tone.
"Towards the Embarcadero." Ernie pointed down the road.
"The man he was looking for, is he here?" McGarrett continued.
"He ran out into the street and this guy chased after him. The next thing I saw they got in a car – a blue Mustang I think, and sped off around the corner. I went to Danny's room – Danny is the guy that…." Ernie's babbling was cut off by the impatient detective.
"Thank you. You've been a great help!" McGarrett cut across Ernie's rambling.
"Steve, check out the room then call for back up and a forensics crew. I want the place sealed off!" Stone instructed his partner who nodded and hurried into the hotel. Turning to McGarrett he said, "Let's go! We'll take your car." Together the two men filed into the black sedan and drove down the street in the direction given to them by the hotel clerk.
…..
The Embarcadero, Folsom Street, San Francisco, 1972
Dan Williams sat in the driver's seat of the metallic blue Mustang, a gun trained on him as he drove down Folsom Street. His head ached fiercely and the blow to his jaw had worsened the pain. With his vision beginning to blur, he found himself slowly veering into oncoming traffic.
"Watch your driving, man!" Griffin dug the barrel of the gun into Dan's ribs. He wasn't sure if Dan was deliberately driving in such a careless fashion or if the detective's head injury accounted for it. Either way, they were traveling at high speeds and the last thing he wanted to be in was an accident. As they reached the area around the Wharf, Griffin told Dan to make a right turn. They continued their journey down the length of the Embarcadero until they noticed the thinning traffic. Dan swallowed hard at the very possibility that he was being forced to drive to a quiet spot to have his life ended by a man he did not even recognize.
"Okay, pull over here."
The command broke through Dan's dark thoughts. He took a deep breath then turned to face his captor. "Look I – " The words died on his lips as he stared at the pistol pointing into his face. The young man's finger was already firmly placed on the trigger.
"Shut up and get out of the car nice and slow!"
"Alright. I'm getting out now. Just take it easy." Dan raised his hands in the air and maintained eye contact with the youth and did as he was instructed. The sea breeze blew through Dan's sandy hair and he winced as the bruises on his face stung from the chill. Night had well and truly fallen and he was standing on a lonely street with the edgy hood brandishing a pistol at him. "You don't have to do this. I don't even know who you are. You see, I was in some kind of accident and I've got amnesia. I can't even remember who I am." Dan tried to talk the man down as he backed away from his adversary closing in on him.
"Move!" Griffin tried to ignore the pain that flared in his arm from Raven's deep bite. He had barely noticed the pain radiating up his arm until now.
Dan stopped moving backwards all of a sudden as his eyes caught the tremble in the gunman's hand. Keeping his eyes focused on his attacker's face, Dan waited for an opportune moment to strike. He knew he didn't have much time left and right now timing was everything. He wanted to shake his head to clear away the haziness in his vision but to do so he could miss his opportunity. He could hear the water lapping behind him, telling him that he was not far from the water's edge.
"You might as well know who I am. Name's Riley Griffin. Ring any bells, cop?" Griffin asked sarcastically.
Something about the sarcasm told Dan that Griffin was trying to hide his nervousness beneath a street-wise exterior. A man who set out to commit a murder of his own accord would act differently. Someone must have put him up to the task. How would I know that? I guess the doc was right, I must've been a cop, Dan thought as he racked his brain for the name and finding nothing. "No, I don't remember which is why I can't understand how I could be a threat to you or the people you work for."
"I never said I worked for anyone!" Getting agitated, Griffin started moving forward again.
Dan opened his mouth to answer but a car could be heard screeching its tires followed by sirens closing in. Griffin turned his head to take a quick glance behind him and it was the very distraction that Dan needed to take his chances. Lunging forward, he wrestled Griffin for the gun. The injury to Griffin's arm evened the odds a little with Dan in his weakened form. The gun went off as the two continued to their struggle to gain the upper hand. With a hard shove, Griffin managed to push Dan away allowing him room to pistol whip the detective across the face. Dan lost consciousness almost immediately from the impact. Swaying on his feet, Griffin pushed Dan's limp body into the water. The sirens and neon lights of SFPD black and whites signaled their arrival on the scene. Turning around, Griffin saw a black sedan followed by two marked cars closing in. He pocketed the pistol then ran to his car and climbed in. Turning the key in the ignition, the hood started the car and floored the Mustang back out onto the street before speeding off into the night.
…..
Lieutenant Stone and Detective McGarrett saw to their horror someone pushed over the side of the Embarcadero walkway and into the water. They could then see the attacker take off in the direction of a car matching the description Ernie had given them. By the time they got close enough to see the number plates, the car sped off, fleeing the scene. Stone reached for the mike below the dash and radioed for the back-up team to give chase
After parking the vehicle, both McGarrett and Stone jumped out of the car and raced to the edge of the concrete, searching in the darkness for any sign of the victim. Two SFPD officers joined them and one shone his flashlight into the water. It didn't take long for the officer to catch sight of the unconscious form floating face down near the surface. The man didn't hesitate but jumped into the water and brought the figure to the edge where both Stone and McGarrett helped to lift him back out of the water and onto the asphalt. It was clear from the flashlight shining down over the inert form that it was Dan Williams. "Call an ambulance!" Stone called out at the officers emerging from a second marked police car.
"Danno!" McGarrett tried to rouse his detective as he shook him by the shoulders. When there was no response, the head of Hawaii Five-O checked for a pulse and leaned forward to determine if Dan's vitals could be detected. Not breathing! McGarrett's face drained of color and a sickening feeling settled in his gut as he realized he was losing his detective. "He's not breathing, Stone!"
The Lieutenant's eyes widened in shock at the revelation that the young man was dying.
AN: Apologies to my readers and my beta for leaving this with such an evil cliffie!