A/N: This chapter was a long time coming, because I had to write it about six times before I was vaguely satisfied. I knew where I wanted to go and I had a bit of trouble, logistically, getting there. Disclaimers: 1) I've been good. I've been very good, for many chapters, but notice that I haven't changed the genre of the story - I am, and always will be, a h/c writer at heart. So there's that. 2) Nautical terms - boat, ship, dinghy, raft . . . I tried. I did.
I've finally started watching Season 6 . . . of course, thanks to fiction, I've had a pretty good notion of most of the story lines, but it's one thing to read and quite another to actually see the episodes. I still have very conflicted feelings about Lynn. And I just watched the episode where Grover goes back to Chicago . . . the big guy has a dark side, doesn't he? I reserve the liberty to play with some of the character traits (and flaws) in recent episodes, even though this universe is still set in the early days.
#*#*#*#*#
"So, Danny's accident was a set up, and Chin and Kono are being framed," Jax said.
"What did HPD find?" Steve asked Chin.
"Bank deposits that we did not make, and that we can not explain," Chin said grimly. "One hundred thousand in my account, seventy-five thousand in Kono's."
"Kantaro is in banking," Grover pointed out. He looked at Jax, raising his eyebrows. "You might be closer to detective than Steve and I gave you credit for, after all."
"Kantaro, and his associates, checked out clean," Chin reminded them.
"What if Kantaro isn't Kantaro?" Steve proposed. "He's coming to the island . . . sets up a distraction just ahead of time, frames Chin and Kono upon arrival . . . has our team distracted, spread thin."
"Then he's here for something other than banking, and counting on getting it past us," Danny said. "It makes sense but . . . what? What is he up to, and what is his motive?"
"I have no idea. We keep looking - we follow the blood bank robbery, these bogus deposits in Chin and Kono's accounts, and we look harder at Kantaro," Steve said.
"What else is left on Kantaro's agenda?" Grover asked. "When does he leave the island?"
"Just one more event; a brunch at the La Mariana Sailing Club tomorrow morning at ten; then transport to the airport, his private plane has a flight plan scheduled for two," Steve said.
The team worked late into the night and came up empty. HPD had no leads on the blood bank robbery; all of the security cameras were disabled, and there wasn't so much as a fingerprint left. The bank deposits were routed through dozens of fake IP addresses on six continents. Exhausted and frustrated, Steve finally declared it a day.
"Okay, let's try to get a few hours sleep," he said, rubbing his hand over his face. "We'll start fresh tomorrow morning."
#*#*#*#*#
"I thought the point was to try to get some sleep," Jax said, padding out onto the second story lanai, where Steve sat, looking out over the water. She slid into his lap and nestled her head into the crook of his neck, her fingers tracing over the ink on his bicep.
"Hmm, one of us should be," he said, kissing the top of her head. He inhaled deeply, grounding himself in the familiar scent of her hair. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"You're worried," Jax observed.
"Yeah," he admitted. "Someone's going after my people, ku'uipo. First Danny, now Chin and Kono. If it's Kantaro, we're barely keeping up. If it's not, we haven't even started."
"You said something today: what if Kantaro isn't Kantaro," Jax said.
"Hmmhmm," he murmured, "he checks out almost too clean. If he - wait."
"What?"
Steve sat up, framed Jax's face in his hands, and kissed her soundly. "Grover is right; you would make detective."
"Pretty sure I was just sitting here admiring your ink," Jax said, tilting her head at Steve in confusion.
"Facial recognition," Steve said, going into the bedroom and pulling on clothes. Jax started following suit, slipping into her usual cargoes. "We run facial recognition. Interpol, international warrants, everything. If Kantaro isn't Kantaro, he's probably wanted somewhere, for something."
#*#*#*#*#
"Boss?" Kono said, as she came into the office. It was still almost dark outside; just a few minutes into sunrise. Steve was at the smart table, staring at Kantaro's photo, while a series of photos flickered through on an adjacent screen.
"Hey, Kono," he said quietly. She looked past him, into his office, at the sight of Jax curled up, asleep, on his sofa. "Couldn't sleep either?"
"Not with someone trying to frame me for colluding with the Yakuza, no way," she said. "What are you doing here?"
"Facial recognition," he said. "Kantaro checks out clean, as do all of his associates. But if we look for their faces, not their names, maybe we'll find something."
One by one, the team filtered in, all well before eight am. Jax, true to form, rolled off the sofa and wandered out when Grover arrived bearing coffee.
"Okay, we go ahead with the yacht club brunch today," Steve said. "If Kantaro really is here for something other than business meetings, we have to have some sort of evidence. We can't just arrest him or bring him in for questioning; if we have no basis, the governor would be justified in having our badges. If he is here legitimately, then we do our job of providing security. The yacht club is arguably the most exposed situation that he'll be in while he's here. Chin, I want you here running this facial recognition, and Danny, you stay on the blood bank robbery. Whatever shred of information you find, you check with each other, cross reference it. See if you can find any connection."
#*#*#*#*#
When they arrived at Kantaro's hotel, they were greeted by Mr. Mutsu.
"Mr. Kantaro will be down momentarily," he said. He looked in distaste at Jax's outfit, which had been heartily approved by Kono. "The escort is dressed . . . casually."
"My team is here to provide security, not a fashion statement," Steve snapped.
"I think Officer Nolan looks delectable," Kantaro said, stepping off the elevator. "I find trousers on women very appealing."
"Mr. Mutsu, if you're accompanying us to the yacht club today, please ride with Officer Kalakaua and Captain Grover," Steve said, doing his best to keep a level head.
"Certainly," Mutsu said, openly leering at Kono.
"It's gonna be a long ass day," Grover muttered.
#*#*#*#*#*#
"The LaMariana Sailing Club is adjacent to both the airport and a wildlife preserve," Steve said, as they drove the short distance from the hotel. "Mr. Kantaro, if there is a particular security concern that you have, it would be in your interest to disclose that information. Of the locations you've visited on the island, this is the most exposed."
Kantaro nodded and met Steve's eyes in the rear view mirror. "I understand, Commander," he said, appearing to be sincere. "To my knowledge, there is no particular concern today. As we said, our request for security was just a precaution."
The club bustled with activity on the beautiful, clear morning. The brunch was hosted by a prestigious stocks and bonds company, and many of Honolulu's wealthiest residents were mingling, sipping on mimosas and nibbling at finger foods.
"Lovely," Mr. Kantaro declared, as they stepped out of the SUV. He opened the passenger door and held out his hand for Jax.
"Officer Kalakaua, Captain Grover, and I will be mingling in the crowd," Steve said. "If we see anything out of the ordinary, we'll alert Officer Nolan, and we'll expect you to comply with her instructions immediately."
"I will gladly let Officer Nolan call the shots," Kantaro said.
Steve shook his head as Kantaro strutted into the crowd of wealthy partiers.
"Okay, let's just get through this event," he said quietly into his radio, "and get these guys off the island. And I promise I'm going to have a long, heartfelt discussion with the governor about future security details."
"Good to know, boss," Kono said. "Before the next arrogant prick asks for a tall native . . . escort."
"I say if one of these jerks asks for a tall escort, we offer up Steve," Grover murmured, walking through the crowd and nodding politely.
"Hey, I offered this time," Steve protested, grinning to himself. "The governor was . . . taken aback. Grover, Kono, do you have a visual on Mutsu?"
"I've got him on that luxury sport cruiser to your four o'clock, Boss," Kono said, "the Monsoon Season."
"Copy," Steve said quietly. "Keep tabs on him."
"You got a hunch, McGarrett?" Grover asked.
"I don't know," Steve said. "Maybe."
Jax wasn't terribly miserable, mingling alongside Kantaro. The air was pleasant and the food was delicious, and she was dressed comfortably for a change. It was bearable, even with Kantaro keeping up a steady stream of self-aggrandizing chatter. She could see Steve, on a higher level of the dock. He had taken a position against the railing, and was standing, his chin on his hand, looking down at her with a half smile.
She grinned up at him, watching curiously as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. She saw his face harden.
"Okay, guys," he said, quietly, into the microphone. "Keep your game faces on and don't react. Chin got a hit. Kantaro and Mutsu are not who they appear to be. Their official documentation checks out clean, but facial recognition picked them up. There are countless warrants out for their arrest, originating in South Korea."
"On what charges?" Grover murmured.
"Human trafficking," Steve said grimly. "Of minors."
"Mutsu just ducked into the wheelhouse," Kono said.
"Okay, Jax, hold your position," Steve said. "Grover and Kono, get on board that cruiser and take Mutsu into custody. Jax, I'm heading to you, we'll take Kantaro. Or whatever the hell their real names are."
Kono and Grover moved quickly toward the Monsoon Season, and Steve started heading toward Jax.
Kantaro pulled a cell phone out of his pocket, frowning at it, and grabbed Jax by the elbow, jerking her body close to his. He put the phone back in his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a detonator.
"Congratulations, Commander," he said, his face close to Jax's radio. "Well, despite our tactic of keeping our enemies close, I've been informed that you've stumbled upon something. There really is an app for everything, especially if you're on an international watch list. I'm sure you're quite pleased with yourself. You're going to need to stop right where you are, all three of you, or innocent people are going to die."
Steve's hand went to his gun.
"Ah, ah, Commander," Kantaro said. "You think I got to where I am today by not being prepared? Do you see that lovely cruiser, at the end of the dock? The Autumn Breeze? Lovely little craft. There's a birthday party on board today. Annie Marie Dawson's thirteenth birthday. So many lovely little girls. We have a device on board that ship, and if any of you come one step closer, you'll be picking up pieces of them from the bottom of the bay."
Steve glanced at the Autumn Breeze; there was no way to confirm or deny Kantaro's claim. It was obvious, though, that the pretty ship was full of young teenage girls.
"I accomplished what I came here to do," Kantaro continued. "Now I just need enough . . . security to get off the island. And my personal security escort is going to provide that for me. Officer Kalakaua, from your vantage point, you can see into the wheelhouse, can you not? Want to tell your team what you can see?"
"Guys, Mutsu appears to have a hostage," Kono said quietly. "Young woman, blond; he has a gun to her head."
"Tell me what your friend sees," Kantaro said to Jax.
She looked at Steve, who nodded minutely, and Kantaro squeezed her arm viciously, pulling it around her back, making her gasp slightly. "Oh, you look to him for orders, I see. Well, he gave you the nod," Kantaro sneered. "Tell me, what does your friend see?"
"She says Mutsu has a hostage in the wheelhouse," Jax gritted out.
"That's right, now, you're is going to slowly, slowly pull out your weapon and drop it quietly into the water, or my associate is going to put a bullet in that young woman's head. Now, Officer Nolan."
Jax looked at Kono, who nodded in resignation, and then at Steve, who did the same. She drew her SIG out of the holster, and Kantaro held her other arm in a bruising grip while she dropped the gun. It slipped into Mamala Bay with a quiet splash.
"Excellent," Kantaro said. "I'm glad to know that Officer Nolan is so very good at taking direction."
Steve growled in frustration.
Kantaro chuckled. "Oh, what I wouldn't give to have audio of Commander McGarrett . . . that expression is priceless. More than professional outrage, I'd say. It looks like . . . jealousy. Hmm?" Kantaro ducked his head down until he was speaking into the headset, his lips almost brushing against Jax's cheek. "Is he possessive, Officer Nolan?"
"Let the hostage go," Jax ground out. "You have me, I'm unarmed, let her go. Let Kalakaua pull her badge so the girl knows to go to her."
"You like giving orders, Officer Nolan?" Kantaro demanded, and they heard Jax inhale sharply has his hand slid to her forearm and wrapped around it in a crushing grip. "She is released when you and I are on board, and not before. Let's go; quietly, no attracting attention. If I see a hand go to a gun . . . team . . . both hostages are dead and so are all of those pretty little girls."
Steve, Kono, and Grover watched helplessly as Kantaro pulled Jax on board the Monsoon Season; looking for all the world as if he was politely helping her keep her footing.
"Guys, this detonator looks like the real deal," Jax said, "you need to concentrate on evacuating the area. Do you copy? Clear this area of civilians."
They heard the sickening sound of bone on bone, and then a crackle of static and a high pitched screech, and then silence. Seconds later, a young blond woman exited from the wheelhouse, looking around frantically. Kono gestured to her, and she clambered over the side of the boat and took off up the boardwalk to Kono, tears streaming down her face.
"Okay, we're Five-O, I've got you," Kono said, wrapping her arms around the shaking young woman, as Steve and Grover took off toward the boat.
"Grover, if he gets away from the dock," Steve yelled.
"I know, I know," Grover said, his huge frame moving with surprising speed.
They got close to the Monsoon Season . . . close enough to see Mutsu pushing the engine to full throttle, and Kantaro with his beefy forearm around Jax's neck, a gun pressed to her temple. As they stood watching helplessly in disbelief, the boat sped toward the horizon.
"What the hell just happened, Lou?" Steve asked, his voice shaking and hoarse.
His cell phone rang and he put it on speaker.
"Commander McGarrett, you made the right call," Kantaro said. "I'm glad those pretty little girls didn't have to die today. When we are safely on our way to an undisclosed location, one with no extradition laws, we will call and give you the location of Officer Nolan. You will be able to collect her then. You see, Commander McGarrett . . . you were exactly the sort of security team we wanted. We feel very, very secure."
They heard a scuffle and then heard Jax yelling. "Have the Coasties blow this ship out of the water, Steve! Don't let these assholes get -" There was another scuffling sound, a sharp crack, and a gritted cry of pain. Grover put a steadying hand on Steve's shoulder.
"Well, I must say, I was dubious of the red hair at first," Kantaro said, sounding slightly out of breath. "But I think I'm going to appreciate it, after all. There's something to be said for temper. If Officer Nolan isn't cooperative, you'll just be picking up what's left of her. I'd keep your phone charged, Commander."
The call disconnected with a click.
Steve was on the phone with Chin immediately. While he waited for him to pick up, he turned to Grover.
"Grover, get HPD, SWAT, and the bomb squad here" he said, pacing. "Chin, get a trace on the last incoming call on my cell phone. And see if you can pick up a signal on Jax's radio. The Coast Guard - Chin, call the Coast Guard and get them after the Monsoon Season. Ask them to track it, but tell them not to approach; there are two armed men with a hostage on board."
"On it, Steve," Chin said, "what happened?"
Steve swallowed hard. "Kantaro has Jax. I need - oh, God, Chin, I've got to tell Danny. I've got to tell him I stood here and watched that asshole take Jax and I never even drew on him."
#*#*#*#*#
In moments, HPD was crawling on the sailing club grounds; all of the civilians had been evacuated, and the bomb squad canines were sniffing on the Autumn Breeze.
"Commander," the bomb tech gestured, and Steve went over to him. "It's the real deal," the tech said. "The ship would have been obliterated; there would have been no survivors."
Steve ran a shaky hand over his face. "Okay, I'm going to send you a list of every place that was on Kantaro's itinerary, then, and you'll need to check all of them. For all we know, he had a contingency plan at every location."
The tech nodded and Steve turned around, feeling lost and unfocused. He practically knocked Danny over.
"Whoa, babe," Danny said, reaching out to steady himself by grabbing Steve's forearm.
"Danny," Steve choked out. "Oh, God, Danny, I'm so sorry."
"Steve," Danny said, "He played us. He played the whole team, hell, he played the governor. You heard the bomb tech; that was not a bluff. He could have killed all of those little girls. You think Jax would have wanted to live with that?"
Steve shook his head, his breath coming in short gasps. Danny wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and squeezed, pressing Steve's forehead to his own. "We'll get her back, Steve," he said. "Yeah?"
Steve nodded. "Yeah." He took a deep breath. "Kantaro, or whatever the hell his name is, says that he'll call with a location on Jax when he and his partner are off the island."
"Do you believe him?" Danny asked.
Steve looked at him, shaking his head. "I don't know, Danny. It's not really in his interest to keep her alive." He hesitated. "Not for too long, anyway."
"Okay, I know where you're going inside that head of yours, Steve, and you can not go there. Do you hear me? You can not go there, because then I'll go there, and we'll both lose our minds, and that is not how we help Jax. How many of them were there?"
"Just the two, Kantaro and Mutsu," Steve said. He looked around, half distracted, his mind going in a million directions. Grover was coordinating with HPD and SWAT; Chin was with Kono, helping take the young woman's statement. Steve felt useless, helpless.
"Well, then, I like our girl's odds," Danny said firmly. "She's been trained by a real live G.I. Joe, after all."
"G.I. Joe was Army, Danny," Steve said, allowing himself a shred of comfort in their familiar banter.
"Yeah, yeah, go Navy, hooyah," Danny said. "Let's get our girl back."
#*#*#*#*#*#
The scene at the sailing club was cleared quickly, and the team headed back to headquarters.
They didn't expect to see Lieutenant Cage waiting for them when they got off the elevator.
"Cage," Chin said cooly. He had a sinking feeling. "What can we do to help Internal Affairs this afternoon? As I'm sure you're aware, we are in the middle of an ongoing situation."
"Officers Kelly and Kalakaua, I regret to say that in the absence of a legitimate explanation for the substantial deposits in your bank accounts, I'm going to have to ask that you hand over your badges and service weapons," Cage said.
"You can't do this!" Steve exploded. "You know they're innocent - they're being set up, just like Danny's car was set up. Cage, someone put my blood on Danny's car, and within days, there's phony deposits in Chin and Kono's accounts? All right around the time two men wanted for human trafficking came to the island, under the guise of asking Five-O to provide security. And now they've got one of my people hostage. You can not possibly pretend not to understand that Chin and Kono are being set up as a distraction, to weaken the team and spread us thin!"
"Be that as it may, Commander," Cage said, "Five-O can not operate outside the law. I've been authorized to place them under arrest."
Cage held out his hand toward Chin and Kono.
"Stop it right there," Steve said, "I'm calling the governor."
"The governor is concerned about the apparent coincidence between your team providing security for internationally wanted criminals, and the timing of the deposits," Cage said. "And now that these men have conveniently escaped your custody . . . "
"Unbelievable," Grover muttered. "Keep your enemies close . . ."
"They were not in our custody, damn it," Danny yelled. "The governor set us up to provide security for them. Who's asking about that coincidence? And when we made them, they took one of our people hostage to avoid arrest? Hunh? How about that coincidence?"
Cage hesitated. "I have some discretion . . . I won't serve the arrest warrants. But I have to insist on suspension pending an investigation. That means -"
"We know what it means," Chin snapped, "it's not like I lack experience. You're a gutless wonder, Cage." He and Kono handed over their badges and service weapons.
"Suspension is enough," Steve said quietly. "Cage. We've got a team member missing, taken hostage by two men who are wanted for human trafficking of minors."
Cage nodded. "For now, Commander. But they aren't to be on government property, and that includes these offices." He turned to go toward the elevator, and then hesitated. "Our investigation will be ongoing . . . if we determine the source of the deposits, you'll be the first to know."
They watched in disbelief as Cage disappeared into the elevator.
Kono tried hard, she really did, but handing over her badge was the final straw. She tried to stifle the sob that punched its way up from her throat, but she couldn't.
"Hey, cuz," Chin said, wrapping his arms around her, "it's going to be okay."
"I don't think so," Kono said, shaking her head. "Who are these people, and how did this happen? And now they have Jax." Her shoulder shook silently as she buried her head in Chin's shoulder.
Steve had his cell phone to his ear.
"Catherine? I need help," he said, walking into his office.
#*#*#*#*#
Chin and Kono had gone home, and if Chin just happened to have an exceptionally high-powered, Navy-issue laptop in his possession, well, Steve was understandably distracted. Oops.
And Kono, with her sudden and unexpected time off from work, was going to surf the break at Sandy's Beach; the surf, and the riders, were rough and tumble. And if someone of the undesirable element happened to have an inkling of big out-of-town money being thrown around, well, that would be fortuitous.
Grover rationalized that he had enough sleep and plenty of experience to man the office for an all-nighter. The plasma screens showed ongoing updates from the Coast Guard, the FAA, and every harbor master's office. Any movement on or off the island was being checked and double checked by all available authorities. There were no signals to trace . . . not from Jax's radio, or cell phone, or the Monsoon Season itself. It was as if the ship, and the people on board, had simply vanished.
"I assume Catherine will call you directly if she finds anything," Grover said, "and if I get so much as a blip, I'll call you. But Steve, you're a wreck, both you and Danny. Go; at least get a shower and get comfortable for a bit."
And so it was, that Danny was driving them back to Steve's, at almost two am. Danny was driving, as if that wasn't enough to completely unnerve him; Steve hadn't even reached for the keys. He was just sitting there, in the passenger seat, clenching his phone in his hand, until Danny feared it would crack.
"Danny," Steve blurted, out of the blue. "It's okay, man, if you hate me. I get it."
"Steven," Danny sighed. "I don't hate you."
"I keep going over it, over and over, in my mind. What I could have done differently. I could have taken a shot, maybe shot the detonator out of his hand," Steve said.
"Then it might have been your shot that blew up that birthday party," Danny argued patiently.
"If we had moved in faster," Steve said.
"Then the hostage might have been killed," Danny answered. "Stop it, Steve, just stop. You're a damn Navy SEAL; no one has better training, better instincts. You followed protocol and priorities, and no civilians were injured, despite one being held at gunpoint and many others being in the presence of live explosives."
"They got Jax, Danny," Steve said softly, as they pulled into the driveway.
Danny threw the car into park and leapt out of it, his short, powerful stride carrying him to Steve's front door. He punched in the security code, violently, and threw open the front door, making it inside before Steve even got to the porch. As Steve closed and rearmed the security system behind him, Danny turned on him.
"I know damn well that they got Jax, Steve!" he yelled. "You don't have to tell me. Chin told me. He came in my office with this horrible look on his face, and I knew it. I knew the whole thing had gone sideways, I just didn't know which of you had gone down. I know that they have Jax. I know we have every authority on the island and all of our CIs looking for any leads. I'm convinced we're going to find her. I just don't know what we're going to find. Okay? I know. I know they got Jax."
"I'm sorry, Danny," Steve whispered.
"You don't have to apologize, Steven," Danny yelled, "this isn't your fault. There wasn't anything you could have done differently."
"I know, Danny," Steve said. "I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry that someone we love isn't here, with us. I'm sorry for what you're going through; because I know you love Jax, too. I'm sorry because I know you're hurting."
"Oh," Danny said, deflating. He collapsed on the sofa.
Steve paced uncertainly. "You, ah, want a beer or anything, Danny?"
SIlence, and a shake of the head.
"I'm going to go up and grab a shower," Steve said.
Danny nodded. "I know my way around the guest bathroom well enough; go ahead."
It was pushing three am when Steve's phone rang. He and Danny were sitting in silence in the darkened living room, feeling helpless, unable to rest. The phone was shrill, and they both jumped.
"McGarrett," Steve ground out, answering on the first ring.
"Commander McGarrett," came a familiar voice.
Steve jumped to his feet and drew his SIG. Danny looked up at him in alarm, drawing his own weapon and pointing it toward the window, the door, looking in confusion at Steve.
"Declan Novak," Steve said. "I am in no mood." He thumbed the phone onto speaker. Danny pulled out his cell and sent Chin a frantic text, hoping that the souped up computer that had made its way home with him could trace the call.
"I know, I know, it's been a rough day," Novak said. "It's not gone according to my plan, either."
"You're behind this," Steve said. "You're behind all of it. Danny's set-up, Chin and Kono's . . . "
"Yes. The Miobe brothers, who you know as Mr. Kantaro and Mr. Mutsu, were part of the plan. They were to make the deposits, and Kelly and Kalakaua were supposed to see the inside of a cell. But the brothers deviated from the plan. They were driven by greed, and lust, and decided to take matters into their own hands, to serve their own ends," Novak explained calmly.
"They have Jax," Steve said. "You miserable son of a bitch, you're playing games -"
"Yes, Commander," Novak snapped. "My games, my rules. Your people's worst nightmares, visited on them. This was supposed to be Kelly and Kalakaua's nightmare; not Jax's, not yours. The Miobe brothers broke the rules of the game. It wasn't Jax's turn, and they played out of turn. They've been punished. You should go see what the tide has washed in, Commander."
The call ended abruptly.
"Novak? Novak!" Steve yelled pointlessly into the phone.
"Steve, what does he mean, see what the tide washed in?" Danny asked.
Steve shook his head, then stopped, and took off toward the back door. "The beach, Danny, grab a flashlight from the kitchen!"
He ran outside, looking up and down the beach frantically. The moonlight reflected off the water, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust. There . . . he thought he saw something dark . . .
"Steve!" Danny yelled, turning on a flashlight as Steve dashed into the surf. He ran toward Steve, trying not to trip. Steve was knee deep, then waist deep, and Danny wondered how far in he was going to go, when he was turning and coming back toward the shore, pulling something behind him.
"Danny, get the light over here," he yelled, and Danny closed the remaining space between them, shining the light, trying to figure out what Steve was dragging behind him.
"Oh my God," Danny breathed out, wedging the flashlight in his pocket and grabbing hold of the raft that Steve was pulling out of the water. "Steve, is . . . "
Danny could hear a soft whimpering sound over the noise of the surf.
"Jax? Babe, is -" Danny peered into the raft. There was a tangle of limbs, definitely more than one person.
"Danny," came a broken reply, and Danny thought he would collapse with relief.
"Pull the raft all the way up to the lanai," Steve said, "so we can see . . .I don't want to try to lift her out until we can figure . . . this is like a stretcher, it's safer . . . " he was panting with exertion, and Danny grabbed the edge of the raft with both hands and pulled hard. They covered the distance quickly and reached the lanai. Danny dashed inside, turning on the light, then grabbed both of their cell phones and the first aid kit.
When he returned, Steve was bent over the raft, his shoulders shaking.
"Jax, ku'uipo, hold on, let me check your spine before I move you," he said.
Steve's phone rang, and Danny answered it. "Grover, it's Danny we - what? Where? Okay, well, we got a call from Declan Novak telling us to go look on the beach, and Steve's just pulled Jax and . . . well, what looks like what's left of Kantaro and Mutsu . . . a raft . . . no I can't explain. Better call Catherine. Get Max over here. To Steve's house. Okay."
Danny looked on in disbelief as Steve gently untangled Jax from the bodies on top of her.
"Get me out," Jax pleaded frantically, her voice coming out in gasping sobs. Danny had never heard her voice so panicked.
"The Monsoon Season just washed up on Waikiki Beach," Danny said. "It was torched."
Steve's phone rang again. "Williams," Danny answered tersely. "Yeah, Catherine. Really, on the island? Well, we could have told you that. Yes, we know. I suggest you start by searching in a radius around Steve's fucking house, because he just delivered Jax to us in a liferaft that washed up on Steve's beach."
Danny knelt down next to Steve and got his first close look at the scene inside the liferaft.
Kantaro and Mutsu were obviously, painfully dead, from what appeared to be a bullet to the back of each of their heads. Danny's stomach turned at the sight.
"Get them off me," Jax pleaded, as Steve tried to gently extricate her small frame from underneath the combined dead weight of the two men.
"Danny, her spine is clear but she has -" Steve said, his voice hoarse, "she might have broken bones, I can't tell . . . I'm trying to move them off her and get her out but I'm hurting her . . . "
"Okay, okay, I've got you babe," Danny said. "I'm going to roll Kantaro toward me, hold him against the side, you lift Jax out, yeah?"
Danny swallowed hard against a rush of bile as he pulled the body toward the side of the raft. He absently wondered if they had actually been shot in the raft, there was so much blood, but no, there would be bullet holes . . . he gave himself a mental shake.
"Please, please," Jax was whimpering.
"Almost there," Steve said, his bloody hands slipping as he tried to get a secure grip. Finally he had an arm under her knees and one under her shoulders, and he stood, lifting her free of the tangle of gore of the life raft.
Jax buried her head in Steve's shoulder and sobbed weakly, his hand cradling her blood-soaked hair. He sat down on a bench, holding her against his chest.
"I've got you, Jax," he whispered, over and over. He looked up at Danny, who was hovering anxiously over them. "Danny, call a bus."
"No," Jax protested, "please, can't I just go home? I want to just go home and take a shower. Please."
"Ku'uipo, you are home, I swear," Steve said, looking at Danny in alarm. "Look, we're right outside our back door. But you're hurt; we need to get you checked out. We'll take you to Malia, okay?"
"Untie me, please, please untie me," Jax said, and Danny looked at her wrists and ankles. They were bound, strangely, tied in what looked like red ribbon. She had obviously struggled against the restraints, her skin torn and bloody.
"Evidence bag," Steve said quietly, nodding his head toward the first aid kit.
Danny gloved up and pulled evidence bags and a pair of surgical shears out of the kit, and quickly cut through the restraints, his hands shaking. He sealed the blood-soaked ribbon into the bags and nodded at Steve.
"Novak," Jax mumbled, "said he was returning me to you, gift-wrapped, and delivered."
Steve tightened his grip on her, and she winced in pain. "Sorry, I'm sorry, Jax," Steve murmured. "Where are you hurt? You want me to call a bus?"
Jax shook her head weakly, and Danny took a step back, took a deep breath. His brain, fueled by adrenaline, slipped instantly into investigator mode. She was covered in blood, but it was impossible to know what of it was hers. Her clothing wasn't torn; in fact, her shirt didn't even seem to be untucked. He could see bruising on her face, her forearms . . . her knuckles were a wreck.
"Defensive and offensive injuries," he murmured, and Steve looked up at him. Danny allowed himself a small moment of hopefulness, and nodded down toward Jax. "Clothing is intact." It occurred to Danny that between the two of them, he was the one more coherent. He took a deep breath, and put a hand on Steve's shoulder.
"Just . . . you just hold her, okay, Super SEAL? Because that seems to be helping," Danny said softly. "Jax, babe, you are pretty beat up. Let's take you to Malia, get you checked out. Then we'll sort out what happened. Okay?"
Danny pulled his phone back out and called Chin. This time he was a little more coherent.
"Chin, yeah - Grover caught you up to speed? Is Malia on? Do you think she'd be willing to come in, meet us at Queens? Jax is pretty disoriented, I think someone familiar . . . thanks man. No, I think we're okay bringing her in. She's pretty adamant that she doesn't want a bus." There was a short pause, and Steve noted that Danny's voice dropped, and he half turned away from them. "I don't know, Chin."
"Evidence," Jax blurted out suddenly, pushing weakly against Steve and trying to sit up. "There's . . . we have to get the evidence."
"Ku'uipo," Steve whispered, his voice choking, "what evidence?"
"There's a flash drive . . . it's . . . look in their pockets, you have to get it, it -" she broke off with a grunt of pain.
"Okay, okay, babe, slow down," Danny said. "A flash drive?"
"Yeah, that's what . . . there was a computer, and I tried . . . and they caught me, and took the flash drive, but it's in Mutsu's pocket, I think. It - there's evidence, evidence that they made the phony deposits and -" she broke off, looking up at Steve in panic. "Steve," she whispered, "I think I'm gonna -"
Steve recognized that particular brand of panic and turned her as gently as he could, and she retched violently.
"Steve!" Danny yelled, alarmed, at the sight of what seemed to be a copious amount of blood.
"It's bright red," Steve said, as if that was supposed to make Danny feel better.
"That's exactly the problem!" Danny said, grabbing a towel from the back of a chair and reaching under Jax to gently dab at her face.
"No, it's - I mean, it's not great, but it's not a sign of internal bleeding," Steve said, trying to roll Jax back toward him without hurting her. "But it is a sign that we need to get you to Malia."
"Get the flashdrive, please," Jax begged. "Otherwise I got the shit beat out of me for nothing. There's - I think they were planning something, there might - Steve, there might be children -" she broke off, coughing.
"Okay, okay," Danny said, looking down at the bodies in distaste. "Mutsu, you think?"
"Yeah," Jax said, as Steve fished around for a blanket to wrap around her shaking body. He carefully avoided her favorite quilt, and grabbed the oversized Kamekona Shrimp towel instead. It was more than large enough to wrap around her and, well . . . it just wasn't his favorite. He always felt a little odd, sitting on Kamekona's face like that.
"Aha!" Danny said, pulling out a flash drive in triumph. He turned and held it aloft, smiling. "Whoa," he said, his smile disappearing as he took in Jax's appearance, which had somehow gone from bad to worse. The relieved expression on her face was worth going through a dead man's pockets, though.
"Thanks, Danny," Jax said quietly.
"Okay, now, can we please drive to get appropriate medical attention for you?" Danny asked. "And you, Super SEAL, do you have shoes and dry pants and . . . yeah, a clean shirt would be good." Danny grabbed their cell phones and shoved them in his pocket, and picked up the evidence bags.
"Grab my bag out of the back of the truck, Danny. How about you, you're soaked, too," Steve said, as they hurried around the side of the house. He carried Jax easily, trying not to jostle her too much.
"In the trunk, I'm set," Danny replied. He held the passenger door open for Steve, and handed Jax the evidence bags when Steve settled, still holding Jax securely against him, then quickly ran to Steve's truck to gather his change of clothes.
"Ku'uipo," Steve whispered, while Danny was at the truck. "Sweetheart did . . . okay, they're dead, so we don't need evidence, but do we need to call ahead, have Malia have a kit ready? Do you want us to call Kono?"
Jax shook her head against his collarbone. "No . . . guys like that; they're all talk. I mean, maybe, if Novak hadn't shown up . . . how the hell did that even happen? What is Novak doing -"
Steve put a gentle finger against her mouth. "We'll sort that out. Are you sure, Jax?"
Danny had slipped into the car and started the engine, meeting Steve's eyes over Jax's head.
"I'm sure," Jax whispered. "I would tell you. Or you would find out or . . . I'm sure. They were much more concerned with getting away, and they were on the phone . . . I don't understand any Japanese, or maybe it wasn't Japanese, I'm not sure but . . . and then they got into an argument so I . . . "
"Hmm?" Steve prompted. "Jax?" he asked, louder, when there was no response.
"What?" Jax said, rather irritably.
"Okay, Danny has the flash drive, let's just . . . when you're thinking a little clearer, we'll get a statement, okay?" Steve said, pushing her blood-soaked curls out of her face. He frowned at a deep laceration right at her hairline. "Some of this blood is yours, Jax."
"Hmm," she mumbled, her eyes dropping to half mast. "That might explain the headache."
Danny pressed the gas pedal a little bit more firmly, and decided that lights and sirens were definitely warranted.
They pulled up to Queens, an anxious group waiting for them at the double doors.
Grover reached the passenger door first and opened it for Steve, his big hands helping balance Jax, whose hands tightened around Steve's neck. "Hey, partner, he's got you," Grover said. "It's just me." He stuck his head inside the door. "Danny, go on in, man. I'll park the car."
Danny didn't hesitate; he jumped out of the car. "Thanks, Lou," he said, clapping Grover on the shoulder as he passed him.
"Holy shit," Kono exclaimed softly, as Steve walked toward them, cradling Jax in his arms. Danny mentally echoed the sentiment. He was glad now that the light on Steve's lanai had been dim, diffused. In the brighter lights of the emergency bay, Jax looked like something from an old Stephen King movie: covered in blood and gore, her cheek and jaw purpling, her hands, which were still clutching the evidence bags, were swollen and wrecked.
She shifted and tried to lift her head. "Where?" she rasped.
"Queens," Steve murmured. "The team is here, and Malia."
Jax tried to lift the evidence bags. "Chin . . ." she mumbled.
"Hey, Jax, what do you have?" Chin said, taking the bags gently, and wincing at the sight of her knuckles.
"I'll explain," Danny said, "and we need to get a laptop."
"Trauma 1," Malia said, leading the way. Danny, Chin, and Kono fell in behind Steve.
Malia pushed open the door, and after Steve went through, she held up a patient hand to the rest of the team. "Guys," she said, "come on, you know the drill. Go get Danny cleaned up, then come back and we'll get Steve sorted. Danny, I'm going to assume that it's ok for Steve to stay with Jax?"
"I don't think we could pry him out of her hands at this point, babe," Danny said, smiling tiredly.
Malia nodded and made shooing motions, then closed the door quietly and turned to Steve. He'd placed Jax carefully on the gurney and was standing over her, tracing a finger over her bruised cheek.
"There's a flash drive," she mumbled.
"Hmm, Danny got it," Steve said. "Hey, Malia is going to check you out," he explained, stepping back. She reached for him, a soft grunt of pain escaping her, and he took her hand carefully.
"Jax," Malia said, "I'm going to pull up a stool for Steve, and he can stay right here, okay?" She beamed at Steve as she rolled up a stool, and he ducked his head and smiled. "I'm happy to see you willing to ask for some help, Jacqueline," she said softly. "Let's see what we have here," Malia sighed. "There's . . . " she looked up at Steve and cleared her throat, shaking her head.
She pressed the call button for the nurse. "I'm going to need help," she said, glancing uncertainly at the sheer volume of blood spattered over Jax.
"Shower?" Jax mumbled hopefully.
"Oh, sweetheart, soon, I hope," Malia said. "But we can't until we figure out where you're injured."
Jax haphazardly pointed a finger at her hairline. "Steve says here," she said, her words slurring a bit. "And my hands hurt. And my arm." She looked up at Steve. "I blocked with the side of my arm. Also, Kantusu grabbed it. Hard."
"Kantaro?" Steve prompted gently, looking up and smiling as Julia, Malia's favorite nurse, slipped into the room. She raised her eyebrows at the scene before her, held up a finger, turned, and left.
"Yeah, him," Jax said. "There's a flash drive, be sure - what?"
"We have the drive, ku'uipo," Steve said patiently. "Shh, let Malia take care of you. Chin is taking care of the evidence."
"She's very disoriented," Malia said. "Deep laceration, bruising around it. Blunt force trauma? What happened, Steve?"
"We're still trying to piece it together," Steve said. "I literally pulled her out of a life raft, tangled with two dead bodies. She directed us to a flash drive, in one of the guy's pockets', that she says has evidence to clear Kono and Chin, as well as some sort of deal these guys were working on."
Julia pushed back into a room with a rolling cart, equipped with several basins of warm water, and stacks of washcloths and towels. As Malia started on taking Jax's vitals and trying to determine her injuries, Julia painstakingly started the process of trying to find Jax underneath all the blood.
#*#*#*#*#
Grover had found the rest of the team in the small family waiting room across the hall from Trauma 1. Armed with coffee, Chin plugged the flash drive into the laptop, as Kono looked anxiously over his shoulder. A series of files uploaded rapidly to the screen.
"Hey, that's my bank account number!" Kono exclaimed, pointing.
"Son of a bitch, she actually did it," Grover said, shaking his head. "She actually got the proof of the set-up. What else is on there, Chin?"
"Well, it looks like page after page of documentation of 'imports' and 'exports'," Chin said. "I'm not sorry these guys are dead, but this would have put them away. We'll get this to Homeland and the FBI; this could be vital information to some open investigations." Chin paused, and glanced at the other evidence bag, the one holding the bloody ribbon. "I'm afraid to ask," he said.
Danny sighed. "Kantaro and Mutsu were sent here by Declan Novak to set you and Kono up. They improvised using Jax as a hostage when we made them on the human trafficking warrants. Novak apparently did not approve of their ad lib, and executed them. Jax said that he told her he was delivering her to Steve . . . gift-wrapped. Along with the bodies."
"That's what . . . so all of that blood wasn't Jax's," Kono confirmed.
"No. It was . . . I've seen a lot, and that was . . . indescribably horrific," Danny said. "She was . . . I've never seen her lose it like that. Pulling her out from underneath those bodies. They were . . . they'd been executed. Single shot, back of the head, close range, and they were . . . she had struggled, in the life raft, and they were tangled." Danny shuddered. "I'm going to be having nightmares about this, I can't even . . . "
"Hey, she made it through 9/11, she'll make it through this," Kono said, hugging Danny. "We're all here for her."
Steve appeared at the door of the waiting room.
"Hey," he said, his voice hoarse. He was still soaked and blood spattered.
"How's our girl?" Danny asked, standing up and pushing Steve down into a chair.
"Concussion, there was some sort of blunt force trauma, that's where she also got that nasty cut. Head wounds always bleed impressively, but Malia was able to close it with surgical glue. She took some good shots to the face, had a lot of post-nasal bleeding - that was the deal with her puking up the blood, Danny, so it wasn't anything serious. Her arm isn't broken, but it probably feels like it; Malia says the bruising goes bone deep; looks like a defensive injury. Her hands are a mess . . . offensive injuries," Steve said. He rubbed a hand over his face, frowning as he realized his hand was still liberally spattered with blood.
"She gave as good as she got," Grover said, proud.
"It would certainly appear that way," Steve said, smiling. "Her wrists and ankles are messed up pretty bad. Malia's hoping that once the swelling . . . it's just hard to tell what's going on. She must have panicked at some point, based on the . . . it's pretty bad, but it'll heal."
"What happened, Steve? How did she get from being taken hostage by the Kiobe brothers to being . . . well, rescued hardly seems like an appropriate word . . . and who did the damage?" Chin asked.
"It's coming in bits and pieces," Steve said, "that's why I came to get you guys - we better try to get a statement before the drugs kick in."
"Won't it be too much, all of us in there?" Chin asked.
Steve grinned. "Nah, she's mostly focused on having found proof that you and Kono were set up; I think she'd be disappointed not to see you."
As Grover, Chin, and Danny filed out toward the trauma room, Kono stopped Steve with a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Boss," she said quietly, "those guys . . . they were such arrogant assholes . . ." She stopped, knowing that Steve would fill in what she couldn't quite bring herself to ask.
"She says not," Steve said. He chuckled. "Says guys like that are usually all talk."
Kono smiled wide with relief. "It's true, boss." She threw her arms around him, and he allowed himself a moment of letting relief wash over him, resting his head on her shoulder, his hands fisting at her waist.
"I was so scared, Kono," he whispered. "And Novak . . . damn it, Novak had his hands on her, Kono, I -"
"Boss," Kono said firmly. "One thing at a time. Let's go see what Jax can tell us, and then I'm getting my badge back, and we'll go after Novak."
#*#*#*#*#
"I'd say I hate to see the other guys, but I'm pretty sure that's a little too accurate to be funny," Grover murmured to Danny, as they slowly filed into Trauma 1.
"Hey, babe," Danny said, "you look much better."
"You're lying Danny, but I'll take it," Jax said, smiling tiredly at him, lopsided, since one cheek was swollen and blue.
"Jax, I know you need to get some rest and let Malia give you some of the good stuff, but we need to try to piece together what happened," Steve said gently. "It's our best shot at getting our hands on Novak. Catherine already has a Naval Intelligence team scouring the area. Start with the sailing club, and just try to walk us through what happened, if you can."
Jax nodded, wincing as the movement reminded her of the blow to the head.
"The first thing they did, of course, was destroy the radio. My cell phone got tossed over . . . hey!" Jax stopped suddenly. "Do you think there's any chance we could recover my SIG? That's my favorite. I love that gun."
"We could probably get a diver down there," Chin said, smiling. "And yeah, we figured your phone was toast when we couldn't get a signal. What then?"
"They were arguing," Jax said, shifting uncomfortably on the narrow bed. "A lot. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I don't think taking me hostage was part of the plan."
"It wasn't," Steve said quietly. "Declan Novak sent them to set up Chin and Kono."
"Novak . . . " Jax looked between the team members in confusion, pain and concussion clouding her thoughts.
"We'll get back to that," Steve said. "So, these guys were arguing. Were you on the boat the whole time? The Monsoon Season?"
"Yeah, as soon as we got clear of the bay they shot out a -" Jax made a vague gesture with her hands. "Near the wheel."
"The transponder," Chin said. "No one could pick up a signal."
"Wait," Jax said, struggling and trying to sit up, "the ship, with the birthday party; did -"
"All of the civilians were evacuated safely," Kono said. "Including the young woman they had on the boat before you."
"Good," Jax sighed, sagging back into the pillows. "Sorry. Where was I?"
"They shot out the transponder," Grover prompted gently.
"Yeah. We were still close enough at that point, I thought, while they were distracted, maybe I could go over the side while they were arguing. I tried to get to the door of the wheelhouse, but Kantaro caught me with the grip of his Smith & Wesson," Jax said, touching her fingers gingerly to the side of her head. "It gets a little fuzzy after that."
"Malia said you almost certainly passed out at some point," Steve reminded her. "That's a nasty hit, Jax. It's understandable if it's a little fuzzy. What's the next thing you remember?"
"We were docked somewhere . . . not any of the clubs. Not the docks. I think . . . maybe a private dock? I don't remember seeing anyone else. There was more yelling . . . I was on the floor of the wheelhouse, the door was closed . . . no one was paying attention, so I thought if I could grab the flashdrive," Jax said, looking at Chin. "I know, there's probably a way to upload files or something, but I couldn't think, and I didn't understand anything on the screen, but I thought I could figure out how to drag and drop the files onto the flash. Did it work?"
Chin nodded and smiled at her. "It worked, Jax. We have all the evidence."
"Oh, good," Jax said nodding somewhat absently. "I almost had it . . . I was putting the drive in my pocket, and Mutsu came in. He was upset."
"Upset?" Danny asked, his mouth in a grim line.
"Yeah, he was pretty pissed -" Jax gestured vaguely at the various bruises. "Then he took the flash drive. I saw him put in in his pocket. Then the next thing I know, Declan Novak boarded the boat and all hell broke loose. There was more yelling, and Novak was yelling that it wasn't my turn, that it was Kono and Chin's turn . . ." She looked at Steve in confusion.
"Jax, Novak was behind the set-up on Danny's accident; and he hired - or bribed, or blackmailed - Kantaro and Mutsu to set up Chin and Kono. They weren't supposed to take you as a hostage; they could have gotten away with the explosives on the other ship as their bargaining chip," Steve explained quietly. The team was starting to put all of the pieces together, from Steve and Danny's frantic phone calls, they hadn't been able to sort it all out. "Novak said . . . he said that Kantaro and Mutsu weren't following the rules of the game."
"So it's been Novak," Grover said. "The psychological warfare."
"Yeah," Steve confirmed. "I want to call in Caviness to consult. And we're going to have a long talk about jurisdiction with the governor and Naval Intelligence. Jax, what happened after Novak boarded?"
Jax was suddenly quiet, her hands shaking. "He . . . he'd disarmed them before I even knew what was going on," she said. "He'd knocked them out cold, laid them out on the deck of the boat. He came in the wheelhouse, grabbed me . . . I figured he was going to just kill all three of us."
Malia looked up from where she'd been standing, quietly, next to Chin, and made a note in Jax's file.
Steve was at her side in two steps, taking her hand gently in his and sitting back down on the stool next to her. He pushed her riot of curls carefully back away from her face. "I'm so sorry, ku'uipo," he whispered. "We're almost done. What happened; what happened with Novak?"
"Well, he didn't kill me . . . there was duct tape, and he taped my wrists . . . my arm hurt . . . When Max - did you have Max come to the house? The scene - " Jax struggled again, as if she was going to sit up.
"Stand down," Grover said. "Max is at Steve's house. He's got it."
"Okay," Jax said, panting slightly. "Sorry."
"It's okay, babe," Danny said, resting his hand lightly on her foot. Her toes, sticking out from under the blanket, didn't look to be too bruised.
"Novak," Steve prompted.
Jax brushed at her eyes. "He . . . tortured them," she whispered. "It was . . . you'll get a report from Max. It was already getting dark . . . it went on for hours. We must have been somewhere remote, if no one called in . . . if someone had heard . . . they would have called it in."
Chin made a note on his tablet. It wouldn't hurt to check.
"Finally, he was done with them. I think they were still alive . . . I don't know. I could hear Novak, he'd gone below, and when he came topside he had the raft, and he set it up . . . he . . . he just shot them. Just, without blinking, just shot them in the back of the head and rolled their bodies into the life raft. I thought he was going to start on me next . . . but he didn't. He started the boat back up, and we rode back out into the water, it seemed like, for a long time. It was dark, I couldn't . . . " Jax was breathing fast, panicking a bit, and Steve wrapped a hand around the back of her neck.
"Jax, I want you to breathe with me a minute, okay?" he said. "Just take a minute. Okay, there you go."
"We stopped. We finally stopped, and he undid the duct tape and he pulled that ribbon out of his pocket and he tied it around my wrists and ankles, and I thought, again, that was it, he was going to shoot me next. But he didn't; he shoved me into the life raft, and he said he had giftwrapped me for you," Jax said, looking up at Steve. "And then he lowered the raft over the side, and there was a . . . a little boat -"
"A dinghy. God forbid you not call it a dinghy," Danny said, smiling, his blue eyes crinkling.
"Yeah, that," Jax said, "and he towed the life raft. And then he left, and I panicked because I was alone, except, their bodies, and I couldn't sit up and it was -"
Kono grabbed the basin just in time as Jax retched violently, spitting out a small bit of bloody fluid. She set it aside and pressed the nurse's button.
"Shhh, okay, that's enough," Danny said, shooting a glance at Steve. The image of Jax tangled with those bodies was not one they would soon forget. Steve stood abruptly, put a hand on Danny's shoulder, and stalked out of the room, grabbing his phone as he went. Danny slipped onto the rolling stool that Steve had just vacated.
There was a quiet knock at the door, and Julia's head popped into the room. Kono pointed to the basin, and Julia winced in sympathy. "Dr. Waincroft is filling out the order for medication now; I'll ask her to add an anti-emetic. I'll get some ice chips, too." The door closed softly behind her.
Kono slipped to the sink and wet a washcloth, handing it silently to Danny.
"It's over, Jax, you're safe," he murmured, tenderly wiping her face.
"I'm going to get back to the office; get things geared up for what comes next. You're parked in G-5," Grover said, handing the keys to the Camaro over to Danny. "Nolan, I'll get you a phone requisitioned and anything else you need. Maybe one of those tablets, like Chin uses. Lord knows you can't type, even without your knuckles busted."
Jax grinned lopsidedly at him again. "Thanks, partner."
"Jax, we are so grateful," Chin said, holding up the flash drive. "Mahalo. There aren't many people who would have pulled this off in your situation."
"Yes, mahalo, Jax," Kono said, her warm brown eyes filling with tears. "I'll be by in the afternoon, with my badge back, thanks to you, and I'll bring you some ice cream and the latest issue of Guns and Ammo."
"I'll be in the office," Jax insisted.
"Sure," Chin said easily, winking at Danny, who was rolling his eyes at Jax's proclamation. He slung an arm around Kono's shoulder. "Come on, let's get out of here before Malia throws us out."
"You are so whipped, brah," Kono said, winking at Jax as they left. Jax and Danny could hear Steve's voice in the hallway, as the door opened and closed, and it was getting loud.
Danny hesitated, glancing toward the door, as Julia opened it and entered, holding several syringes.
"Go," Jax said, "talk him down, before security tosses him out on his ass. It's fine; look, here's my favorite nurse with good drugs for me, and Malia is here. Go."
Danny chuckled and slipped out.
Grover, Chin, and Kono were standing with Steve, nurses glaring at the group as they walked by, and Danny rolled his eyes and shooed them all back into the waiting room; Steve walking on autopilot as he continued his conversation.
"No, Catherine, that's not good enough," he said. "Declan Novak towed that liferaft within sight of my backyard, and called me on my cell phone. You should be able to drop a cast net and catch him at this point. Trace my cell phone."
Chin shook his head. He'd tried that, immediately, with no results. Still, Naval Intelligence . . .
"Damn it, Catherine, the man is personally threatening my team. He was behind Danny's accident, and he said that this was Kono and Chin's turn. That means he hasn't even started with Grover, or me. Or Jax." There was a long pause, and they saw Steve's face harden, his jaw twitching. "Yes, Catherine, it's very personal. Because it's my team. You of all people should understand - Fine. I'll be in touch with the Navy. I don't think it would take much to be reactivated to active duty. At which point I will outrank you. Well, then find the bastard who's threatening my people and I won't have to."
Steve jabbed angrily at his phone, then looked up sheepishly at the rest of the team.
"So that went well," Danny said.
Steve sighed. "They have nothing yet. They're processing the boat, of course, but it's charred beyond recognition. I doubt they'll find anything. Our best bet is this location that Jax remembers; remote, private . . . Novak is probably holed up there. Maybe she can somehow . . . " He shook his head as Grover chuckled quietly. Jax had a lousy sense of direction on the best of days.
"Aside from you returning to full Super SEAL, which, by the way, I think is a terrible idea," Danny said, "what next?"
Steve looked around, as if noticing for the first time that the entire team, minus Jax, was in the waiting room. "Wait, is Jax -"
"Malia is still with her, Julia came in with meds, and I assumed probably some other stuff needed to happen that I didn't need to be there for," Danny said. "She's okay."
"Okay, yeah," Steve said. "Kono, please put a call in to Caviness. He profiled our team before; maybe he can help us get inside Novak's head. Grover, will you coordinate with HPD? They need to know this maniac is loose on the island. I want every single officer looking for him. He's probably hiding in plain sight. Chin, first things first, you go to Cage and demand your badges back. Anything less than a full apology and I want to know about it."
There were nods all around.
"I'm going to have that talk with the governor, and I'll be coordinating with Naval Intel. I'm gonna reach out to our friends and ask for extra eyes and ears on all of your families," Steve said, rubbing his hand over his face. "And at some point, everyone grab food and a break."
"That goes for you, too, partner; you are still covered in blood, and wet, and there's probably chafing and who knows what else going on," Danny said, waving his hand in Steve's general direction. "What's my job, by the way?"
"Danny," Steve sighed. "Your job is to keep me from completely losing my shit."
Kono arched an eyebrow appraisingly at Steve, then turned to Danny. "You're going to have to step it up, brah."
Chin, Kono, and Grover headed out, exhausted but relieved, while Steve and Danny made their way back to Jax's room. Malia was standing in the hallway, waiting for them.
"Malia," Steve sighed. "I can't thank you enough for coming in; I know it wasn't your shift."
"If having a familiar face here was one small comfort, it was absolutely worth it," Malia assured him. "You'll be able to take her home by afternoon. I know she looked horrific when you brought her in, but most of that blood wasn't hers. I don't want to minimize the seriousness of the situation, however. First, she does have a nasty concussion. We're going to need to watch that closely, for the customary twenty-four hours, and then beyond, just to be safe. Thankfully, you've had a nice long run without her being injured, so that's to her advantage."
Steve nodded. "I know what to watch for, Malia, and we'll make sure if there are any alarming symptoms, we get her back in right away."
"Good," Malia said. "I also trust that it did not escape your notice that on no fewer than three separate instances in this situation, she was fairly certain that she was going to be tortured, executed, or both. Three times, at least, in the span of about twelve hours. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's not something that even SEAL training can truly prepare you for, much less NYPD. Your task force encounters . . . well, above and beyond. You need to be prepared for there to be some fallout. I'll try to convince her to talk to the hospital counselor before she leaves; but we all know that's unlikely."
Steve and Danny nodded soberly, and Danny glanced anxiously at Steve. He suspected, based on the nature of some of the flashbacks and nightmares he'd witnessed, courtesy of Steve's experience in the Navy, that this was a dynamic with which Steve was all too familiar.
"Last but not least," Malia said, "there's the matter of blood exposure. Could you have samples sent to the lab for testing? Let's test those victims first; then, if there's a need, we'll initiate blood test protocol for all three of you. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we're going to administer some fluids, make sure she's tolerating her pain meds, and watch that concussion very closely for about six hours, just to be sure we didn't miss anything."
Steve and Danny slipped into the room, where Julia was applying bandages to Jax's raw wrists and ankles. Jax appeared to be dozing, dressed in a fresh set of scrubs, her curls damp and relatively clean.
"The good stuff kicking in?" Danny asked.
Julia nodded and smiled. "Yeah; we knew cleaning and dressing these abrasions would be painful, so we waited until the drugs kicked in. Dr. Waincroft says she can go home this afternoon; we'll try to find a slightly more comfortable room for her. I assume one of you will stay with her? Or does duty call?"
Steve hesitated. He hated the thought of leaving her side, but if Declan Novak was on the island . . .
"They need to go," Jax mumbled. "'M'fine."
"Hey," Steve said, "you still with us?" He stood over the gurney, pushing her hair away from her face.
"Sort of," Jax said, opening one eye and smiling lopsidedly.
"Oh, you are feeling no pain," Steve teased.
"'S'true," Jax said, nodding. "So, go. Go do . . . go do SEAL shit. Find . . . no, wait, they're already dead. They're at your house. Go find . . . Neclan. Dovak. Novak."
Danny smothered a smile, and then a yawn.
"Tell you what," Steve said, "Since Danny doesn't have the clearance to negotiate with the governor and Naval Intel, how about I let Danny stay here with you, because he looks about dead on his feet, and I think you scared another five years off his life. I'll go do some SEAL shit; and then this afternoon, when Malia springs you, I'll try to be here to pick you up. How's that sound?"
Jax studied him, blinking owlishly. "You should take a shower before you meet with the governor," she said dubiously. "You look terrible. And you don't smell very good. Not right now; usually . . . usually you smell awesome."
Danny laughed as he handed Steve the keys. "Oh, I do love our Jersey girl unfiltered."
#*#*#*#*#
Malia had managed to find a more comfortable room; more for Danny's benefit than for Jax's, although the window was something that Jax appreciated, as she drifted in and out of a drug induced rest. Danny was fitfully dozing in a recliner, complete with a pillow and blanket, when he heard a soft knock at the door.
He glanced at Jax, who seemed to be resting, and then stood, back popping, and quietly opened the door.
"Rachel?" he said, shocked to see her there.
"Hello, Danny," she said, somewhat uncertainly. "I . . . well, I wanted to ask you something about this weekend, and didn't get you on your cell phone. After what happened the other morning, with the accident, I got a little worried, so I called your office. Captain Grover alerted me to the situation and . . . well, I didn't know if you might need company, or if there was . . . oh my." She broke off in dismay, looking past Danny at Jax's battered appearance. "Oh, Daniel, she's terribly injured; Captain Grover didn't indicate . . . "
"No, no, it's okay," Danny said, taking Rachel gently by the elbow and ushering her into the room. "I mean, yeah, she's beat up really bad, no denying, but there's no broken bones, no internal injuries. Could have been much, much worse. She's pretty looped up at the moment."
"And how are you, Daniel?" Rachel asked quietly.
"I'm . . . relatively okay," he answered honestly.
"Captain Grover couldn't give me many details, of course," Rachel said, "but I gather . . . it was bad?"
"Yeah, it was - Rach, we don't have to talk about it," Danny said. "I appreciate you being here; I know you don't like to talk about the cases. I remember it upset you."
Rachel stepped closer to Jax, gently tugging the blanket up higher on her shoulders. "Maybe if I had been willing to talk, I would have understood. Maybe things would have worked out differently." She paused, and Danny didn't know how to fill the silence, so he didn't. She looked back at him. "Did you find the people who did this?"
"Do you really want to know, Rachel? It's okay, if you don't. You don't have to . . . "
She shook her head. "No, I want to know."
Danny sighed. "The people who did most of the damage were . . . executed. Their bodies were dumped in a life raft, along with Jax, with her wrists and ankles tied. Then someone left the raft in the surf, just behind Steve's house."
Rachel covered her mouth in horror. "You and Steve found her, like that?"
Danny nodded, averting his eyes. He felt Rachel's arms go around him, her hand gently pressing his head down onto her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Daniel. That must have been horrific."
He nodded, giving himself a moment to accept comfort from her. "I won't unsee it anytime soon."
Rachel pulled back and studied him. "You've been going over twenty-four hours straight, haven't you? You look exhausted. Danny, let me sit with her while you get some rest. Really."
He was too tired to argue. "I can't really fall asleep, I'm worried that she'll wake up . . . " he said, sinking back into the recliner. Rachel tucked the blanket around him, her cool hand smoothing over his cheek. "Wake me up if she needs anything, yeah?" he mumbled, his eyes already closing.
Rachel pulled up a smaller chair next to Jax's bed and sat, somewhat awkwardly, until Jax shifted and winced, making a quiet sound of pain as her badly bruised arm was jostled. Rachel spotted an extra pillow, and retrieved it, carefully easing it under Jax's arm.
"Thanks," Jax muttered, opening her eyes. "Rachel? Is . . . Danny? Is Danny okay?"
Rachel glanced over, but Danny appeared to be soundly asleep.
"Yes, yes, he's fine; he's sleeping," Rachel said, hesitantly and carefully patting Jax's shoulder. She hadn't done this in a very long time; not since she and Danny had split up. Stan's job didn't exactly put in in harm's way; that was the whole point. Or at least, she thought it had been.
"Are we in Jersey?" Jax asked, completely disoriented by Rachel's appearance.
"No, Jacqueline, we're in Hawaii," Rachel replied, wondering if she needed to call for someone.
Jax smiled. "I thought so. You're here . . . he must have told you," she said, beaming up at Rachel through a cloud of painkillers.
"Told me what, Jacqueline?" Rachel asked.
"Didn't think he'd have the balls, to be honest," Jax mumbled, her eyes closing again, "to tell you he was still in love with you. Good for him . . ."
Rachel sat back down in the chair, smoothing the pillow under Jax's arm, and looked at Danny.
"Bloody hell," she whispered.
#*#*#*#*#
Steve showered, threw on a clean set of cargoes, and headed back to headquarters. He was just pulling in the parking lot when his cell phone rang again. Concentrating on driving, he absently thumbed the phone, assuming it would be one of the team.
"Commander," came the detested sound of Declan Novak's voice. "Steve. Can I call you Steve? I feel like we've reached a new point in our relationship."
Steve threw the car into park. "Fine, Declan," he spat out.
"Tell me, Steve: what's worse? Knowing that I had her, that I had my hands on her, touching her, that I had her very life at my disposal? Or knowing that I rescued her from whatever those men had planned for her, when you couldn't even find them? Which makes you feel more enraged, more impotent?"
"You really wanna play, Novak? You and me. Name the time and place, I'll play. I'll rip out your spine and shove it down your fucking throat," Steve growled.
Novak laughed. "I may have been wrong. Maybe this was your nightmare."
The call ended with a click.
Chin and Kono watched from the windows of Chin's office, alarmed, as Steve got out of the car and leaned against the top of it, his shoulders shaking. After a moment, he stopped, squared his shoulders, and then his long legs were carrying him into the building.
"This needs to end, and soon," Chin said quietly.