A/N: Continuing on despite the detractors who object to the story being all about the OC and the pervasive theme of H/C. Ummmmm . . . okay, but the OC is listed in the description and the genre is H/C so . . . if you don't care for that, I bet there's a TON of other great stories out there that you would enjoy so much more. Read those and write nice reviews for their authors.
That said . . . these characters and this plot are beyond my control and insist on drifting back and back and back into the realm of science-y medical-y fiction. I am the least person ever qualified to write such story lines. I was an English major with a Shakespeare concentration, for heaven's sake. So, if you want to fuss at me for that I will totally understand. I'm exasperated with it myself but I gave up trying to control my muse. The plot line is getting ridiculous. I love intrigue but I feel like I need a spreadsheet . . .
#*#*#*#*#
They made their way to the Keehi Small Boat Harbor on Sand Island, where a team was busy preparing a small boat for launch. Chin and Kono were already there, helping load boxes marked as medical equipment.
"We're leaving the island?" Riley asked, climbing out of the back seat of the Camaro.
"We're escorting this field team from the CDC to one of the remote islands," Steve explained. "There's been an accident, and a team of researchers is trapped inside the building."
Riley patted her backpack. "You need me to get the CDC people into the building."
"Yeah, I'm shocked," Danny said. "For once, he's not using a hand grenade."
Steve shrugged. "They're scientists, Danny. Don't wanna hurt 'em."
The CDC team leader had joined them, and he shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid it's too late for that. We just received confirmation: one hundred percent contagion."
"What does that mean, all of the scientists are sick?" Danny asked. "Oh, Riley - this is Dr. Huntington. Dr. Huntington, Riley McGarrett."
"The virus being researched somehow escaped containment, despite best practices," Huntington said, nodding at Riley. "And yes, Detective Williams - all seven of the researchers have been exposed, according to the last communication from the site. Which means we are simply going to render palliative care."
"It's always fatal?" Steve asked quietly. "No chance any of them will make it?"
"None," Huntington said grimly.
"Why the hell do you people cook these things up?" Danny muttered.
"It's a reasonable question," Huntington said. "And in this case, the answer is - we didn't. This is a rare virus found on just a few Pacific islands. It wipes out entire villages. The Navy sent one of their medical relief ships once - the sailors who braved making landfall to try to help were exposed, and died. Their bodies couldn't even be returned to their families. We were trying to find a way to stop this thing, or even prevent it."
"Your people?" Steve asked quietly.
"Symptomatic," Huntington said. "Which is why we can't get into the building. Protocol indicates that it stay locked down. There's no way to override it from the inside. It's a logical fail safe but . . . they're people. Good people. And we're not going to just leave them there to suffer. We're going to administer morphine and oxygen."
Steve nodded in agreement. "Okay, well, let's get you there and get you in."
#*#*#*#*#
Kono helped Riley with her lifejacket, nimble fingers fastening and tightening the straps with ease.
"Hey," Kono said, catching an expression of apprehension on Riley's face. "No one is planning on landing in the water. It's a requirement; we're on the clock and on a government owned vessel. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay," Riley said, ducking her head.
"Besides, if for some really crazy reason one of us does get dunked, between Steve, Chin, and me - trust me; we've got it covered," Kono reminded her.
Riley grinned at her. "Have you ever been to this island? The one we're going to?"
"Nah," Kono said. "From what Dr. Huntington said when he briefed us, it's strictly a research lab. It's never been open to the public. There's tons of little islands like that around here. Just far enough from the mainland you're not gonna get people paddling to it, you know?"
Riley held on to the railing of the fastboat, turning her face into the salt spray. Steve turned the controls over to Chin and stepped up beside her, grinning.
"You like this? Being out on the open water?" he asked.
"I love it," she said.
He pointed out a pod of dolphins pacing the boat, and she smiled in delight.
"We need to come out sometime," he said. "You, me, and Mary." He stepped away as the boat slowed to approach a sleek, well-maintained dock.
"We have to go in on foot, and it's about an hour's hike," Dr. Huntington said, apologetically. "I can't thank you enough, Commander, for getting us to our people."
Steve hoisted a weathered Navy backpack onto his back. "I understand, sir. If it was my team, I'd feel the same."
There were ten of them, altogether, and the Five-O team started up the trail with weapons readied.
"I hardly think those are necessary," Dr. Huntington said, raising his eyebrows at Kono's rifle.
"Force of habit," Steve said, but Riley noticed that no one put their weapons away.
They'd been walking for about twenty minutes when Steve noticed Riley tilting her head thoughtfully toward the dense foliage surrounding the rudimentary trail.
"What is it?" he asked quietly.
"Just thought I heard something," she said. "A person. Must not be."
Steve studied her and stood still, listening himself. Nothing - nothing he could hear, anyway. But he wasn't going to dismiss Riley's instincts.
"You hear it again, you tell me," he said. "We'll check it out."
Riley nodded.
A few minutes later, both Steve and Riley stopped abruptly on the trail. She looked at him in question.
"Yeah, heard it," he said tersely.
"What? I didn't -" Danny started, but Steve was holding up his hand. The entire group came to a shuffling stop, and then, there was no mistaking the sound. A low laugh, and a rustle of leaves.
"No one moves but me," Steve said quickly, and just like that, he disappeared into the brush. The rest of them froze; the scientists confused, and the three remaining Five-O team members frustrated at having to stand, inactive, while their leader apparently was tracking . . . well. Someone, or something.
Minutes crawled by, and Danny wondered why he was the only one who seemed to be smacking away insects, as usual. Riley intuitively slowed her breathing, which in turn slowed her heart rate . . . she could hear much more, much further, when she wasn't distracted by the sound of her own pulse. She smothered a smile when she heard Steve's muttered curses and his steps - silent before, comparatively noisy now - headed back toward the group, long before the others could hear his approach. He emerged from the treeline, scowling.
"Who else is on this island?" Steve demanded, toe to toe with Dr. Huntington.
"No one else, not to our knowledge," he insisted.
"Maybe some of your people got out?" Chin asked.
"Their last report was that all team members were accounted for, inside the facility," Dr. Huntington said. "The last two team members to be exposed to the virus weren't even symptomatic yet, and they initiated the lock down protocols. They couldn't open the doors if they tried - that's the point of the lockdown protocol. It seals the building while everyone is . . . in control. And it won't unseal later, regardless."
"What, exactly, do you mean . . . 'in control'?" Danny asked slowly.
"The virus causes fever, delirium," Dr. Huntington said.
"Maybe some locals found their way to the island," Chin suggested. "It would be a good place to hide out. We could have fugitives here . . . people who just wanted to get off the grid. It's not like the research facility is clearly marked."
Steve scowled again and flipped his pack from his back to a rock in front of him. He fished out a cumbersome looking device.
"Looks like the cell phones in those old movies," Kono marveled.
"Old movies?" Danny questioned.
"Yeah, you know - from the eighties," Kono said absently, while Danny and Chin winced.
"Sat phone," Steve murmured, his deft fingers tapping in a series of numbers. He held the handset to his ear. "Cell signal out here is sketchy at best." There was a long pause. "Catherine. I need eyes on these coordinates. We're supposed to be escorting a CDC team on a completely uninhabited island to a research facility that should be locked down. Oddly enough, though, I just tracked someone who I think has been pacing us. What?" A short pause. "No, he rabbited over a waterfall. Well, because I have five scientists I'm responsible for, plus my team." Another short pause, and Steve was rubbing his hand over his face with a sheepish expression. "Yeah, I remember." A low laugh, which made Kono raise her eyebrows and grin wickedly. "Okay, Cath," Steve said hastily, "yeah, thanks. I owe you. No, we don't have . . . I mean, tablets at best . . . send the feed to Jerry. Yes, Jerry, and he can relay it back to us in real time. Yeah. Dinner and a movie? Okay."
"Sleepover and surf lesson in our future," Kono said, winking at Riley.
Steve turned and addressed the group. "There was definitely someone following our group," he said. "Looked to me to be wearing torn and tattered scrubs."
"Our people wear scrub uniforms," Dr. Huntington admitted reluctantly.
"Okay, I take point," Steve said decisively. "Kono, I want you near the center of the group, I need you ready to go to long range rifle shot at any moment. Chin, Danny, cover at the rear. Riley, on my six. I'm going to carry this sat phone, and you're going to communicate with Jerry. Let's keep moving - this section of the trail is completely exposed. We'll stop at that rock cluster ahead and make a decision about continuing, based on what Jerry sees." He tapped another long series of numbers into the phone, then tossed the pack back effortlessly onto his back, and handed the handset to Riley.
"Jerry," Riley said, after a moment. "Yeah, you too. Listen, we're on a . . . an excursion."
Steve nodded in approval.
"Catherine is sending you a live feed," Riley continued. "We don't have monitors available to us; we need you to watch the feed and tell us what you see in real time. Okay, let me know." There was a long pause. "Steve," Riley said, "Jerry has the feed. He sees the island. What is he looking for?"
"Ask if he sees our boat still at the dock, and if there's any activity there," Steve said.
"Jerry, look at the dock. There should be a boat - any activity around it?" Riley relayed. "No," she said, after a moment. "Boat is there, nothing happening."
"Good," Steve said, sighing in relief. "Okay, tell him to look at the facility. Any sign of damage - smoke, debris, anything?"
"Jerry, there's a facility - what?" she stopped. "Oh, okay, that's us. Ten people, that's our group. Ahead of us, there's a facility. Any sign of damage, anything happening?" There was a long pause. "Jerry says nothing - it looks deserted to him. Also, he wants to know if this is where the secret testing on the Tokyo Red Plague is being carried out."
"How?! What - that's - there's no -" Dr. Huntington sputtered.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is the place," Riley said cheerfully. "The CDC guy is wigging out, though, so don't say anything about it." A pause. "Well, I mean, it's supposed to be secret, Jerry. Okay. Thanks." Riley covered the mouthpiece of the phone. "Jerry says what else should he be looking for, and he says that all available research still supports a direct head shot as the safest defense against zombies."
"Tell him to look for any activity at all - person, vehicle, anything," Steve said.
"And tell him if he says zombie again I'm going to punch him," Danny added tersely, gripping his SIG tighter and staring into the vegetation.
"Steve says look for activity," Riley repeated. "A person, a vehicle, anything moving, we need to know. Danny's upset. What makes you think - oh, really? Well, no, I'm not familiar with the Tokyo Red Plague, Jerry, because it's supposed to be a secret. Oh. So it's not a very well-kept secret. I'll let Dr. Huntington know."
Riley turned to Dr. Huntington. "Jerry says there's an internet forum devoted to theories about the secret study of the Tokyo Red Plague."
Dr. Huntington groaned.
"But," Riley continued, "they were sure the research facility was CIA - not CDC - and they think it's two islands over. So there's that."
Dr. Huntington stared at Riley until it unnerved her.
"Hey, it's not her fault your top secret facility isn't as secret as you thought," Steve said. "And I don't think you've been entirely forthcoming about this situation, so don't expect any sympathy from me. As far as I'm concerned, we're going to get you to the facility, unlock a door, and that's it. I'm taking my team back to the boat, and we're out of here. You can call the Coast Guard to come pick you up."
Chin glanced at Danny. It wasn't like Steve to not be willing to go out of his way to help . . . well, pretty much anyone. But given the set of Danny's jaw, Steve wasn't the only one who was starting to have doubts about their mission.
"How is this virus spread?" Steve asked, as he lead the team quickly up the trail.
"Direct blood contact only," one of the other scientists spoke up. "I'm a virologist. The virus is contained in human blood. Never airborne, and it doesn't transfer to other bodily fluids."
Steve grunted as he stopped at the expected outcropping of rocks, and everyone sighed in relief as they could take a break from the grueling pace he had set. They pulled out water bottles and sat down or leaned against the rocks.
"If the virus is bloodborne only," Steve said quietly, facing the virologist, "how did it spread so severely as to wipe out entire villages? What are you not telling me? Bloodborne illnesses aren't terribly easy to catch. We learned this in military history and military strategy. This thing would make a lousy chemical weapon."
The virologist hesitated and glanced at Dr. Huntington.
"In its advanced stages," Dr. Huntington said, rubbing his face tiredly, "the virus causes profuse hemorrhaging from the eyes, nose, and ears. It's . . . horrific. And it creates a contamination problem for caregivers. In some of these villages, they simply had zero equipment to prevent contamination. Look, even among those who understand the nature of the virus - my people in that research lab, for example - the urge to try to ease a fellow human's suffering overrides their good judgment. We tried to get to them before it got to this stage, but . . . it's the virus in its purest form. Strongest form. Before we could send relief . . . the first infected had become severely symptomatic."
Steve was silent for a moment, processing.
"Your people," Kono said quietly, "they were taking care of those who were already sick."
Dr. Huntington nodded. "They took every precaution . . . hazmat suits . . . somehow, they still experienced blood exposure."
"How?" Danny asked, crossing his arms. "They knew to avoid the blood, the people who were already sick . . . look, I have something like that, no way am I letting my family or my team anywhere near me. I'd throw myself off the nearest cliff rather than risk exposing my friends."
"Shit," Steve said. "Shit, Danny, you're right. I'd do the same. Any of us would. That guy - he literally jumped over a waterfall. I could've made the jump, easy, but maybe - he may have been trying to keep me from getting too close to him."
"Or he may have stolen some scrubs from an orderly at a mental institution and found his way to this island," Chin pointed out. "There's no way to know."
"Not until we get to the facility and get inside to take a head count," Dr. Huntington said.
Steve nodded tersely. "Let's move."
#*#*#*#*#
They made their way along the trail a bit further.
"I don't like this," Steve murmured, bringing the group to a stop. He pulled the sat phone to his own ear. "Jerry, what do you see?" he asked quietly. The group waited, barely moving, while Steve listened intently. "Jerry, I love you, man, but if you say zombie one more time, I'm going to personally block all internet and cell signal to your house. Indefinitely." There was another long pause. "Noted."
"There's no sign of movement in the facility," Steve said. "Why didn't you tell us that the blood to blood transfer happens when the infected patients become violent and attack their caregivers?"
"I told you - in the advanced stages of the virus, the patients experience high fever and delirium. It's possible that some of them appeared violent," Dr. Huntington explained.
Steve shook his head. "You could have led with that," he said, exasperated.
"Just get us in the building, that's all we've asked," Dr. Huntington said. "We're almost there.
#*#*#*#*#
The young woman sitting in front of the security cameras wiped sweat from her face.
"They're almost here," she said quietly.
"And the subject is with them?" a young man asked.
"Yes. She seems to be sticking close to the Commander." The young woman stood up, shaking. She held the back of the chair for support.
"You need to rest, Jamie," the young man said. "I can do this."
She shook her head. "We have our orders, Paul. They think I'll be able to get closer. It's human nature. I'm obviously frail, physically small. I don't seem to pose a threat. I can get close enough to her."
"They're sure this is the only way?" he asked.
"Everything we know indicates that the Commander is protective, bordering on controlling. She might volunteer, but he would prevent it," she said. She rubbed a hand over her aching lower back. "If I'm lucky, maybe they'll shoot me. I won't suffer. If you're lucky, maybe they'll be able to find the antibodies in time to save you."