AN: To "qdid"...hope you enjoy this little treat! Thank you all for reading! All feed back has been greatly appreciated :) Mahalo to my beta.
Chapter 32
Kajukenbo Dojo, Pine Street, San Francisco, 1972
The sight of the tan LTD parked right outside the dimly lit building of Tate's Kajukenbo Dojo was enough for McGarrett and Devitt to be prepared for the worst. With a back-up team less than a block away and Tate expecting McGarrett to be out of his way, they knew they had the element of surprise on their side. After approaching the building silently and parking the sedan, they exited the vehicle. McGarrett had filled Devitt in on the events leading up to that night on their drive.
The Lieutenant walked up to the Galaxy and peered inside the driver's side window. There was no sign of Keller or any evidence that a struggle had taken place which meant the Inspector could be inside the building.
The tall dark haired detective proceeded to the front entrance and turned the door knob. It came to no surprise when he found it was locked. He pulled out his pistol and leaned away from the door. He then used the butt of the gun to strike the glass in the door frame. Using his free hand he shielded his face as the glass shattered into countless pieces. The sound drew Devitt's attention and he walked up to meet McGarrett who beckoned him to stand by. Removing his own piece, Devitt stood at the ready as McGarrett carefully slipped his hand through the jagged hole in the door. He felt for the lock and within moments of finding it his fingers worked the mechanism's release. He turned the knob and pushed it open slowly then after a brief scan of the interior, he stepped inside with Devitt following at his heels. The lights were switched off and they knew once they shut the door behind them, they'd be relying on the faint glow of the street lights through the gaps in the blinds. The lack of lighting could give them the cover they needed to take Tate by surprise but it could also be a hindrance as they were in unfamiliar surroundings. After taking in what they could, McGarrett signalled for Devitt to shut the door. A noise nearby alerted them that company was nearby. Footsteps? They crouched low and scanned the area around them. The sound became more distinct. McGarrett waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. When he could make out the shapes of furniture, he slowly moved toward the front desk and crouched low to the ground while Devitt pressed his body against the wall beside the hallway.
…..
Tate reached for the light switch as soon as he left the parking garage and re-entered the dojo. Hitting the lights, he looked around the illuminated lobby but saw no one. It wasn't long for his keen eyes to catch a glimpse of glistening fragments on the ground by the front doors. Holding his gun up close to his face he crept toward the front door.
"Freeze! Lower your hands nice and slow." The direct command took Tate by surprise. Slowly lowering his arms as he stood still he prepared himself to make his move. To his left was a slender man with silver hair and a dark suit. A cop. San Francisco's finest! Tate realised he must've broke in and hidden by the wall. Four cops in one night! This is ridiculous. Don't they have anything better to do? Another figure emerged from the cover the front of the desk provided. Steve McGarrett? I don't believe it! How could it be? Unless Riley and Charlie…Tate was momentarily stunned to see the man he thought was out of his life for good, standing in front of him with a pistol pointed in his direction.
Devitt moved in on Tate. The Kajukenbo master's years of training took control. He lashed out and landed a karate style chop on the man's forearm, disarming him. In the same flash of movement Tate delivered a brutal kick to the cop's groin, dropping him like a sack of potatoes to the ground.
"Drop it , Tate!" McGarrett shouted as he aimed his gun at Tate who already had his pistol pointed at him. "I said drop it!"
As Tate applied pressure on the trigger, a fiery pain hit him in his upper right arm when a shot reverberated in the room. The impact spun him around and he fell on his side clutching his arm. The gun fell beside him and not a moment too soon the detective rushed forward and kicked it across the floor away from his reach. With his steel blue eyes focused on Tate's upper body, McGarrett failed to anticipate the martial arts instructor's next move. Using his long powerful legs, Tate brought the detective down, hard. No longer in possession of his pistol which clattered across the floor out of his reach, McGarrett closed his fist and struck Tate in the face. Anticipating the blow to land, Tate knew he now had McGarrett right where he wanted him. Though the punch dazed him, Tate recovered quickly and released a calculated uppercut into McGarrett's stomach, expelling the air from the detective's body. Badly winded, McGarrett tried to push aside the discomfort and pain. He lunged at Tate once more and threw another punch but this time his adversary jerked his head to one side and his fist connected with the wooden floorboards. The detective's face twisted into a grimace as he let out a growl of anger and pain. Tate drew his knees up then kicked his legs out in front of him, catching McGarrett in the chest and sending him sprawling to the floor. No more games, McGarrett! I don't know why you're still alive but you won't be for much longer. In fact you're about to be one very dead cop! Tate reached into his jacket and pulled out Keller's gun. As the detective started to rise to his feet, he pointed the revolver at the man's chest. "You've been a thorn in my side for far too long McGarrett!" Tate sneered then fired without hesitation.