Alyssa took the keys from her purse. She reached to put them into the lock, but realized that the door was open already.
"Aw, damn." she swore quietly. Steve had insisted on seeing her to the door and now she was actually grateful for having his solid presence at her back as they both drew their guns. The sweep went quickly as she had a very small apartment.
"What in the hell is happening? This can't be the trafficking case, can it?" Alyssa was now truly shaken up. They knew where she lived.
"Pack you bag," Steve ordered. "You are not staying here."
"And where do you suggest I go?" Her words were terse. She did not like being in this position and being dependent on others
"Hold on," Steve said as he pulled out his phone.
"Kono? Sorry about this. We have a problem. Alyssa's apartment had been broken into. She needs a place to stay. Ok. Thank you. " Steve looked up. "Let's go. Kono has a spare room."
It was a testament to just how upset Alyssa was that she did not even argue.
Kono was waiting for Alyssa. "Come on in. I've got us a couple of beers.. It will help you relax."
"Hey I am not sure about any of this," Alyssa was feeling defensive again. "I don't need a baby sitter."
"No, you don't, but I am guessing you do need a friend," Kono would not be dissuaded. "Think of it as a girls' night. And tomorrow," she looked over at Steve, who nodded, "Alyssa - do you surf."
"Are you kidding me?" Alyssa practically bounced up and down. "Surfing with Kono Kalakaua? The National Champion? Yes, of course."
"Great," Kono said. I have a spare board so we can head right from here."
Steve left the two young women at Kono's house. Alyssa and Kono were sitting on the couch with beers in hand and chatting.
"Why?", asked Alyssa.
"Why, what?" Kono countered.
"Why do you want to be my friend? I am a job. An assignment." Kono cringed at the bitterness that Alyssa could not quite contain.
"Because, you look like you need a friend. Because that's how I roll. Because I believe in Ohana."
Alyssa snorted, but immediately looked guilty.
"You don't believe in Ohana?" Kono was actually shocked.
"Its never worked for me," Alyssa said. "Thirteen foster homes and 5 group homes in 18 years will really sour you on any concept of family."
Kono considered this. Alyssa looked so strong and so together, but she must really be hurt. She must be so alone and so lonely. Kono took a deep breath. "OK. Tell you what," she said brightly. "You can try me. I'll be your Ohana and you can see how you like it." When she saw Alyssa's dubious look, she said, "What have you got to lose?"
Alyssa considered. "OK. You're on. So if you are my Ohana, can I ask you a question."
"Sure," Kono said.
"Do you think Steve really wants me on the Five-O team?"
Kono thought for a minute. "I hope so. It will be nice to not be the most junior member. That way I willl have somebody to whom I can give orders."
She looked at the look of shock on Alyssa's face and started to smile and, suddenly, both young women dissolved into laughter
It was still dark when Kono and Alyssa left the house. They had grabbed a cup of coffee and headed off because they wanted to be on the water by sun rise. Makapu'u Beach was a favorite with locals and had large, challenging waves. It was also on the way to work. They were surfing their first wave while the sun was coming up. While Kono was clearly the superior surfer, Alyssa managed to hold her own as the two young women enjoyed a companionship based in a mutual love of the sport.
"If you are a foster kid in Hawaii, this is the only way to go," Alyssa said, as the two of them waited for the next wave. "Once you get the money for the board, the rest is time, and you have a lot of that".
Kono and Alyssa surfed for two hours until the sun was high up in the sky. "Guess its time to go into the office," Kono said as she paddled in. They grabbed their gear and headed to Kono's car. They loaded their boards into the back, and just as Kono was walking around to the driver's side of the car, when she saw something glinting in a tree.
"Gun," Kono screamed as she and Alyssa dove for the cover of the car. They both reached in and got their guns. Alyssa fired her gun and the shooter in the trees fell to the ground and did not move. Kono reached for the radio. "Officers need assistance," she screamed. "Makapu'u Beach. Shots Fired."
A shot rang out, and Alyssa screamed as a bullet tore through the muscle in her fore arm. Although her arm and her hand were slick with blood, she managed to hold on to her gun.
They saw a large dark sedan approach and several armed men get out and scatter into the trees. Kono and Alyssa looked at each other. Reinforcements? They heard the sounds of guns, but could not tell what the sides were or who was winning. They were however relieved to hear sirens in the distance.
"Drop your gun, Officer Grant," a voice called out. "Drop it or Detective Kalakaua's brain is going to be splattered all over her car. Alyssa turned around and saw a large man with sunglasses holding a gun to Kono's head. He had been so quiet that they had not heard him at all and now he had the advantage. Alyssa uttered several very creative curses in Hawaiian that impugned the man's mating habits and pedigree, but she removed the magazine from her Kimber 1911, ejected the bullet in the chamber, and tossed the gun out toward the street.
Another man came and pulled her arms behind her, while holding a gun to her temple. "Why don't you come with me, Alyssa," he purred. "There is somebody who is very anxious to meet you."
He started pushing her toward the sedan, when a familiar voice said, "Freeze. Five-O." It was Steve. He had heard the call on his radio and arrived ahead of the HPD as he had been on his way to work. Alyssa was also relieved to hear cruiser doors opening and officers circling around to control the scene. They had gotten here just in time. She did not know where this man wanted to take her, but she was fairly certain, she did not want to meet this "somebody". "You hurt her, and I swear to you, there will be no place on this island where I will not find you," Steve snarled at the man. By the closeness of the voice, she imagined that Steve must be just behind the man with his gun pointed at the back of his head. She was sure that the safety was off.
She felt the pressure of the gun barrel against her temple ease as the man lowered his weapon and stepped away. She felt, rather than heard, him being led away by HPD officers. In the noise and confusion nobody heard a soft pop, but all of a sudden Alyssa felt a strange heat and pressure right around her belly button. It did not hurt, but all of a sudden the world around her seemed to fade and become distant and irrelevant. "Aly", she heard a voice (was that Steve?) call from what seemed very far away; she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder.
The shooter was disgusted. He was hoping for a clean head shot. But with all the distractions and needing to hide, he would be satisfied with this. By the look of the damage he inflicted his shot would be enough to kill her. He grunted, put the safety on his gun and ran for the car hidden behind the trees.
Alyssa stood where she was. She seemed unable to move from the spot, but she felt herself start to shake. Aly," Steve did not realize he shortened the name to something much more familiar. "You're OK, Aly." Steve said softly, reassuringly, while he reached out his hand to touch her shoulder. He thought that she was still in shock from the attempted kidnapping.
Alyssa tried turning toward Steve, but her knees felt like rubber and her feet seemed glued to the sand. When she finally managed to turn to him, she saw his eyes widen. She followed his glance downward and noticed that her arms seemed to be wrapped around her mid section of their own accord. She noticed blood pouring from between her fingers as the agonizing, searing pain cut through her shock. She looked up at Steve, as her knees gave out.
Steve saw Alyssa turn slowly to face him and he sucked in a breath in shock as felt his heart skip a beat. "Oh Aly, no," he whispered. Alyssa's tee shirt was covered in blood pumping from the bullet wound in her stomach.
"Steve," Alyssa managed to whisper before she gasped and doubled over in pain. Steve caught her as she collapsed and gently lowered her to the ground.
Steve grabbed the towel that somehow had remained around her shoulders the whole time and applied pressure to her wound. Alyssa moaned in pain.
Steve cupped her cheek forcing her to look at him. "Hey, Aly. I need you to look at me. I need you to stay with me. Help is on the way. You need to hang on, please."
Danny was the first to reach Steve and Alyssa with Chin and Kono on his heels. Without being asked, Danny dropped to his knees by Steve and took over the job of applying pressure to Alyssa's wound while Chin and Kono ran to get the paramedics.
Steve took Alyssa's hand and continued talking to her. Alyssa clung to Steve's hand; it seemed to be her life line and to provide strength that she no longer had. It was getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open because she was very tired.
The paramedics ran up and Alyssa screamed in pain as she was being lifted on to the gurney. Steve squeezed her hand trying to provide what encouragement he could as he ran alongside the gurney toward the waiting ambulance.
Suddenly Steve realized that he had not let go of Alyssa's hand even as the gurney was loaded into the ambulance and that, without thinking, he had climbed into the ambulance with her. "Will you be riding with us, Commander?" the paramedic asked, but Steve did not seem to hear the question. He was focused on the ashen face and pain filled eyes af the young woman fighting for her life in front of him. He grasped her hand more firmly, as the driver closed the door.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will be posting more soon. I really appreciate your comments, questions, requests, constructive criticism as well as your reviews. Thank you!