Wow, thanks so much for everyone's kind words and enthusiasm for the prologue. Makes me happy. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. we're just getting started :)

Thanks to my beta Danno, who mentored me through my last story and is my steadfast rock in this one as always. 3

Disclaimer- as always I make no money form this. My enjoyment is my payment (and the great reviews) ;)

Enjoy!

The explosion was loud and intense, its shockwave reverberating across the once quiet, serene landscape. A plume of black, acrid smoke rose to the heaves, filling the clear blue sky with billowing black fumes, like an angry dragon's breath.

For a moment the sun looked as though it would be swallowed up by the dark beast, until the rising smoke became less opaque and the sun began peering through the grey, ash-filled blanket.

Like the finale of a fireworks display, the spike of energy was abrupt and sudden, only to cease and be replaced by a brief, eerie sense of calm. Then the chaos began.

-H50-

-H50-

-H50-

-H50-

"Duke! What have we got?" Steve McGarrett hollered to the veteran HPD officer as he and Danny approached the scene, voice raised in an attempt to be heard over the shouts and cries of injured people and rescue personnel. The duo had been on their way to the palace when the call came through, and had hastily diverted to the scene to see what help they could offer.

Duke Lukela turned at the sound of his name, and he shook his head in dismay, clearly upset by the current situation.

"It's a mess, Steve," Duke replied with a grim look on his face and he thrust his hand in the air to wave over an EMT.

Steve cast a concerned glance at Danny before his blue-eyed gaze wandered over the scene of devastation around them. The building, once a hustling and bustling diner that was regularly packed with people, was nothing more than a charred heap of metal, wood and glass. The blast radius, large considering the location, extended well out into the street and into the adjacent structures.

Several medical personnel hurried around, attempting to treat the injured as quickly as possible. It was a full on triage situation. The area looked like a war zone, something he might have seen during one of his deployments. Only this wasn't an op overseas in a country of unrest. No, this was here at home, in his own backyard. The thought made him angry.

Steve pressed his lips together. Duke had always appeared the picture of calm even in high pressure situations. But right now, the police chief looked stressed. Very stressed. He briefly placed a reassuring hand on the older man's shoulder in support.

"EMT's and rescue are already on scene tending to people the best they can, and we don't know how many more are unaccounted for," Duke continued tensely.

"Do we know what caused the explosion?" Danny asked, biting his lip.

Steve glanced down at his partner. Danny looked worried, distraught even, and really Steve couldn't blame him. Steve knew how much Grace and Charlie liked this diner, how often they frequented it with Danny or their mom. They could have easily been among the victims here today, and it was only sheer luck that they weren't. Clearly his partner's thoughts were on the same page.

Duke shook his head as he looked at Danny. "Nothing concrete yet, however I'm already hearing talk of this being an accident due to a gas leak. This building is one of the older ones." He sighed and made eye contact with Steve, tone turning even more serious. "But I have my doubts on that one, Steve. I knew the owners. They were meticulous with keeping everything about this place safe for their customers. It doesn't make sense."

"Officer Lukela!" A voice called out over the flurry of activity, and Duke turned to see a young uniform waving him over.

"What a mess," Danny said to Steve with a sigh, as he watched Duke hurry over to the beckoning youngster. "You think that this could have all been an accident? This diner has been here for quite some time. I'm sure it's not the first place to fall victim to something like this."

Steve crossed his arms. Something in Danny's tone told him the blond didn't fully believe the words he was speaking. Without anything to go on, and no demands having been made, he couldn't be sure himself.

"Honestly partner, I really do hope that this was all an unfortunate accident. But my gut is saying otherwise."

"That's what I was afraid you'd say," Danny replied. "But if that's true, then why pick a diner? Why not someplace huge with tons more people? Like a mall?"

"That's what we're going to find out," Steve said, voice filled with purpose. His gaze roamed across the devastation once more, and as he glanced at the street he spotted a familiar black SUV and blue Cruze roll on scene. "Rest of the guys are here."

Chin, Kono and Lou climbed out of the vehicles, their expressions matching the one Steve knew he'd been wearing when he and Danny first arrived. It was at once of regret, shock, and sadness. When he saw Chin scanning the sea of people, he raised a hand into the air to wave them over.

The Hawaiian gestured in Steve's direction as he pointed, and Kono and Lou looked over. When Steve noticed they'd saw him and Danny, he lowered his arm.

"What the heck happened, Boss?" Kono asked as she walked up, brown eyes surveying the damage. She looked as if she was going to cry, and Steve remembered hearing Chin telling stories of how Kono's Auntie used to take her to this very diner every weekend. It was how Danny had found out about it.

He felt for her. "That's what we need to find out Kono. Duke said that there's talk that this was all an accidental explosion due to a gas leak. It is too soon to say for sure, but it's all we've got to go on."

"This doesn't look very accidental," Lou observed, a frown on his face.

Steve met Lou's gaze, and he could almost see the plethora of thoughts running through the large man's head. They were the same ones he was having. That this was deliberate, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. "Duke said something along those lines, Lou. He said he knew the owners of this diner well, and that they were honest, diligent people."

"So what's our next step?" Chin asked, ready to get to work.

Steve glanced at each member of his team. "I know we'd all like to help with getting people medical attention, but let's stay out of the way and let the EMT's do their jobs. They look to have this well in hand, and I don't want us confusing things any more. So our first step is to co-ordinate with HPD, fire department, and the bomb squad. Let's gather all the evidence we can, pool resources. Even if you don't think something is pertinent or important, trust your instincts. Remember- if this was in fact deliberate, the device used and the means to deploy it don't often stem from the ordinary. Think outside of the box," he instructed. "Let's get to the bottom of this."

He watched his team fan out and get to work. Only Danny lingered, a knowing expression on his face as if he had a direct line into Steve's mind.

"You're sure this was an attack, aren't you?" Danny stated softly.

Steve's only reply was a terse glance down at his partner, and a twitch of his mouth before he gave his friend an encouraging pat on the shoulder before he headed into slowly dwindling fray of activity.

"Yeah, I was afraid of that," Steve heard the blond reiterate behind him before his friend rushed up to fall into step alongside.

-H50-H50-H50-

Jack Costas watched the news broadcast with self-praise, a wide smile of satisfaction on his face. He rose and walked to the large picture window of his hotel, hand raising to his lips as he took a long, drawn out sip of his afternoon coffee. It just so happened that the hotel had his favourite blend.

He swallowed the dark brew, feeling the warm sensation of the liquid move down his throat, gaze watching the lingering remnants of distant smoke rise up to the heavens. The first attack went off without a hitch, and he was sure to leave as little a calling card as possible. The American people were relentless and tireless when it came to acts of terror. Or so they said.

They claimed to have their 'war on terror', and yet many of his own family in Ecuador had perished from pointless violence. Violence that even he himself couldn't stop despite his career in the Ecuador Military as a demolition expert, nor even with his current line of work and worldly connections.

That fateful day was several years ago now, but he had never forgotten how little help his country had received. No one in his own government would even listen to him. Give him the time of day. Not even his very own platoon mates. They'd told him he was 'out of his mind', and that he should be grateful for the help they'd been receiving.

So his government and his team were happy? Well he wasn't.

He'd allowed his anger to fester towards his platoon, and his government. Until one day he'd decided to take matters into his own hands. And he was dishonourably discharged for it.

So he'd left, and it was not a day or two later when he began planning his next move. Began searching the globe using multiple means in order to find like-minded, skilled individuals. The search was easier than he'd expected, and it wasn't long before he'd gathered three men, each with their own unique brand of experience.

Originally mercenaries for hire, they'd executed a few jobs here and there in order to gather the funds needed to acquire hardware and equipment. Enough to easily assist in Jack's original goal. To remind America that it was not safe, nor impervious to attack. To know what it's like to feel helpless. As he had felt.

Now, as he looked out the window at the smoldering result of the first lesson of many, he knew in his heart he'd triggered the start of something great.

Jack looked at his watch. His men would be at one of their two base camps soon, deep in the jungle, awaiting his arrival. He gathered his things and with one last visual sweep of the room to be sure he'd left nothing behind, he headed downstairs to check out.

Jack exited the hotel, brown eyes squinting beneath the Hawaiian sun. He stopped at the curb and slipped on a pair of blue chrome lens sunglasses. He looked at his watch before retrieving a cell phone from his breast pocket and pressed a single button.

"On my way."

TBC