A/N: So I have found a new determination - we'll see how long it lasts. I hope to put some good ground between me and the end of this story. Things are coming along better. I am determined to finish it and I think I know where I need to go with it. It's just getting there now. Please be patient with me.
On another note, I know that so many of you hated Lori Weston - I did too. At the time of her failed attempts to fit in I didn't like her at all and I wanted to blame it on everyone except for the writing. I wanted to blame it on the actress but I can't do that anymore. Lauren has become one of my favourite actors. She's incredible on Chicago Fire. And so, I'm giving Lori in this story a little more of a Leslie Shay twist because Lauren could only do so much with the terrible character that was written for her. I also poke fun of the way her character left and what I am calling the fifth member curse. I hope you can find it in your hearts to like her just a little bit, and please, don't blame Lauren.
Enjoy.
Chapter 12: Gathering Doubt
"All right, put me to work!" Lori Weston stated as she walked into the bullpen, followed by the officers who had extracted her from the airport. "I'm here. I'm hot. I'm ready for anything."
"Am I glad to see you!" Catherine stated as she came toward the newcomer. "You had us worried for a moment there."
"Did you see the ruckus I caused?" Lori asked mockingly trying to lightened the mood that she had walked into. Lori knew that it was going to be a dark time in the bullpen. She knew what had happened and how it had - and still - affected her, but she needed to be optimistic at least for her own sake. "Good to see I can still stir things up on this island." she joked.
"I can't believe Gladys would be that bold." Catherine stated with a shake of her head. "In the middle of a crowded airport. Think of the casualties."
"There were so many of them. I can't believe we made it out. More people are helping that woman than you would think, and the bodies we saw on the floor." Lori said with a shake of her head. "It is the stuff of nightmares. I don't know how we got out. And how about that Doris McGarrett? Wow. That woman is as crazy as her kid - if not worse! She went after Gladys like it was nothing at all - ran right into the storm of bullets."
"We know where Steve gets it from."
"Yeah, and does he come by it honestly?" Lori questioned with a raised eyebrow and a hand on her hip.
"Oh yes!" Catherine laughed. "Not at first, he fought it, but now that he's been told by multiple people, he gets it. I don't know if he's come to understand how crazy it is, but he see what he does."
"Ha!" Toast laughed from his place at the computer without actually looking away from it.
"Hello Toast." Lori said saucily.
"Aloha." Was the response she received.
"He's into it?" Lori whispered to Cat.
"Very, and all his gadgets and gizmos that are monitoring the movements of the people who are close to us. He's kind of brilliant."
"Kind of?" Lori asked skeptically. "I'm glad he's on our side."
Catherine nodded her agreement.
"So how far have you gotten? Have you found them? Any ideas where to start looking? Anything at all?" Lori asked - getting back to business.
Catherine shook her head. "Gladys is keeping us distracted. Kono and Chin are at Halawa taking a statement from her eldest son. I'm here with Toast trying to keep track of our people as they run into battle. Duke is baby sitting Doris - or being run like a fool after her antics - we're not quite sure how he's fairing but if what you say is true, he'd going to have to retire after today. And Grover, have you met Grover, he's out at the site of a major house fire."
"Grover?" Lori asked with a shake of her head.
"Captain Lou Grover. He's trust worthy and a SWAT man. He also may have a crazy streak that rivals Steve - not quite as insane as Steve, but it's there. I think that's why Steve likes him but denies it. They butt heads a little, but they are buddies." Catherine explained.
"Oh so he's not the fifth member of Five-O?" Lori asked.
"No, no one is." Catherine stated with a smile. "We fill in the blanks - partnered up together but not officially within the group."
"Good, the position is cursed. You don't want to take that on!" Lori said with a shake of her head and Catherine laughed. "So where do you want me? I'm ready to work and it sounds like you need a few more chickens with their heads still firmly attached to their necks!" she added with a wink.
"All right, I'm here. Better late than never, right?" Charlie Fong stated as he rushed into the bullpen looking frazzled and fatigued.
"Perfect timing!" Cat stated with a smile. "Lori, you and Charlie are going to partner up to do a little investigation. You remember Charlie?" She asked sarcastically as Lori rushed toward Charlie and hugged him - he hugged her back awkwardly but smiled all the same. "But before we sent you out into the danger zone, we're going to outfit you will all the latest in Five-O fashion." She added as Toast stepped forward with his hands full of electronic devices.
"Oh you do know the way to a girls heart!" Lori teased as she took the ear piece from Toast's outstretched hand.
"There is a car in the parking lot that has been cleared by the bomb squad. It's now yours for processing." Toast said with a smile. "It is how our two suspects arrived here this morning."
"You have suspects?" Lori asked.
"Yes, Doris and Kono took them into custody this morning as they tried to get at us here in the office."
"Wow. It sounds like you've been busy!" Lori laughed.
"It sounds like we're walking into the lions den." Charlie said with a sigh. "Back into the fray, I guess."
"I'm down if you are!" Lori said as she smiled at an uncertain Charlie Fong, as he too took the equipment from Toast. "It's been too long since I've gotten down and dirty with some old fashioned forensics! Team Sassy Science. Right here!" She added encouragingly.
"We need you to watch their backs so that they can get their work done." Catherine added to the miscellaneous men who had arrived with Lori and remained gathered in the bullpen.
Nods of understanding came from the borrowed body guards as Lori rubbed her hands together excitedly.
"Automatic weapons for everyone!" Toast stated with an overly sarcastic exuberance as he finished wiring Lori and Charlie to the command centre and then opened the weapons cases that lined the walls.
5-0
Doris and Duke escaped the airport as quickly as possible, considering what had happened there. Gladys had gotten away, escaped, slipped through Doris's fingers and han gotten caught up in the fleeing crowd as more and more people got caught up in the middle of things. Before they were able to leave the airport, statements were taken, reports were filed and the death toll rose. Gladys's men had not been so lucky, and neither had the civilians. Many of them died, the total count was not finalized when they left the airport. Many more people were injured, some of the suspects men were captured, casualties on the HPD and security sides were also mounting. The terminal was a bloody scene and in the midst of it all Gladys McMahon had escaped. It would soon be the talk of all the new medias all over the world. The cover of the distance between the mainland and the islands had just shrunk. There was no hiding this act of violence now.
The flights leaving Honolulu were grounded, for the time being, and all flights in the air - arriving - were diverted to the big island. There was no way Gladys was going to leave by air if that was what she wanted to do. For now she was still on the island of Oahu - right where Five-O wanted her.
Doris sat in the police vehicle now, with sirens blaring. She clutched the bag containing the laptop to her chest and stared at the approaching storm clouds. They were as dark and foreboding as her mood, and Duke, the brilliant man that he was, knew better than to interrupt a McGarrett in the middle of a self condemnation session.
She had let her escape. She had had her hands on the woman who had taken her son. She had seen the maniacal laughter and crazed disinterest in the fugitives face, and she had let her go. Doris McGarrett had let Gladys McMahon slip right through her fingers.
5-0
Lou Grover arrived back at the Hale with his armoured SWAT vehicle and his army of men just in time to find the parking lot blocked off and swarming with officers. He moved quickly through the crowd as people saw him coming and stopped next to the car and Charlie Fong.
"So, you've made it this far, have you, and they wont let you rest for anything?" He asked Charlie as Lori looked up from the photographs she'd been taking. "Is the scene clear at the McGarrett house?"
"As clear as I can make it. The rest of my unit are still there. I was called here for Five-O purposes. I was happy to get away."
"And happy to have a new, smoking hot, super smart, science partner!" Lori interjected.
"And you must be the infamous Lori Weston. The one that got away unscathed." Lou stated with a smile.
"Not quite unscathed - my reputation and my nerves were a little mangled. Working with Five-O will haunt you, I guarantee it." Lori countered but reach out and shook Lou's hand. "Beware the task-force." She added sarcastically.
"With the day they've been having, and the storm that's coming, I think I'd be a fool not to heed your warning - as soon as we find Danny and Steve." Lou said and brought himself up to his full height. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I think you're wanted inside." Charlie answered with a shake of his head. "We'll be in shortly. Not much to find, I'm afraid."
"Anything I can take in for you - get started on?"
"Just the envelopes of instructions that we were expecting to find." Lori answered and handed over the evidence they'd gathered.
"Well if I can't be useful here, I may as well act as courier." Lou said and forced a smile as he nearly bowed to the two investigators and then turned and walked away.
5-0
"It all takes us back to the valley." Kono said contemplatively as she broke the silence that had developed between herself and her cousin.
The day was waining and the long hours of getting nowhere fast were starting to close in on both of the Five-Os as they left the state penitentiary and the gathering cloud cover seem to chase away any remaining hope they'd had.
"I have a feeling that when we find that hide out we'll be shocked at how close it is to where Danny was buried alive and we'll likely find Steve and Danny not far from it either." She added as something like anger but also judgement passed over her.
"You can't blame yourself." Chin said with a sigh. "I was thinking the same thing. If I've learned anything from working with Danny, it's to trust my intuition and mine says you're right. But how do we act on it without proof? We can't just take all of our people out into the valley and start wondering around aimlessly. We need a plan, a clue, a sign. Anything." Chin said despairingly. "But what are we going to do. We have nothing yet, except a hunch, and we have to be prepared. As much as Walter was helpful - or maybe he's lying through his teeth - he still has the McMahon countenance to him and it gave me the creeps."
"I agree," Kono nodded, "but what else do we have to go on?"
"Nothing, and if we don't find something soon, I'm afraid we're going to have to start facing facts." he added and tapped his ear.
It was time to have a private conversation with is cousin and partner, and he didn't need anyone else losing hope because he had to voice something that was weighing heavily on him.
"Which are?" Kono asked and her voice almost dared Chin to say something negative. She tapped the ear piece all the same and fell into the static silence that was swirling between them.
"We can't be naive, Kono. We've had no proof of life this time around, and time is ticking away from us. In all reality, we'd be telling people that the longer we have nothing, the more likely we need to be expecting the worse. Steve and Danny could already be dead and this could be nothing more than a wild goose chase."
"But the letter, Chin. You can't give up on the letter or the fact that Danny and Steve would fight this - tooth and nail. They are alive because they would will it. The letter said we'd have time if we were resourceful, and I have to hope that we are doing - as well as Danny and Steve - everything in our power to beat this bitch!"
"It's just a letter, Kono. Are you really ready to believe the insane rantings of a lunatic? She could have lied to get us to do what she wants." Chin said with as shake of his head and although there was sympathy in his voice there was also defeat.
"You can't give up on this. Not you." Kono said and the loss and desperation was with her again. "Anyone but you, Chin. You can't give up."
"I'm not giving up. We will find them. I just need you to be prepared for how that might happen."
Silence fell once more in the car and Kono didn't breathe for fear that it would change the delicate balance of the static and storms that threatened their every move.