CHAPTER 20

Thursday morning, unknown location:

Steve launched the phone into the brush as he ran. He felt every twig that tore at his bare arms and every root he stumbled on. His right wrist throbbed with every jarring movement. Steve knew he had done more damage after that fall but let his training take over as his instincts told him to get a move on.

The scuffling of multiple feet on rocks somewhere nearby surged him forwards. He weaved through the expanse of lush greenery and ducked under a thicker portion of the brush as several dark-clad figures ran down along the path. He counted three men and they were all armed.

One thing he did notice was that they didn't move as one. They were clunky, loud and moved with an air of authority. Not like a specially trained tactical unit, but more like a group of people randomly put together and tasked with hunting him down.

He smiled to himself. That would be their first mistake.

He paused as the dark thought crossed his mind. He had never been one to enjoy violence. However, given the circumstances, their inexperience working as a group would play in his favour. He waited until they had passed before removing the stolen gun from his waistband.

He could do it; chase after them and eliminate every last one.

Or he could retreat.

The only problem was he had no idea where he was or how far away help was. He figured he was still on the islands. The smell of the ocean and the green shrubbery he was pushing his way through reminded him of home.

He listened as the sound of gravel crunching underfoot dissipated. Once he was certain there was enough distance between himself and the men hunting him, he emerged from the foliage and returned the way he had come. With any luck, they had left the boat unmanned in favour of pursuing him.

He had barely made it to the tight corner of the path when a force collided with him side-on. He collided with the rough ground and the gun fell from his grip and disappeared from sight. He turned onto his back, panting as he tried to recover his breath.

He didn't expect the sudden painful seizure that caused him to writhe on the ground in endless spasms until the current stopped. Too late, he realised he'd been hit with a stun gun. He lay there, unable to move as waves of agonising pain rendered him powerless.

He must have lost time because Rebecca Marsden was suddenly there, too close for him to focus on her features. "Now Steve, what were you thinking?" she asked.

He couldn't get his mouth to work properly as he lay there panting. He felt himself being lifted up on his limp legs and something warm being draped over his shoulders before a soft hand brushed his cheek.

"You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here any longer."

His addled brain took too long to catch up to the words being spoken. It took all his energy to try to stand on his own two feet, let alone follow the conversation taking place around him.

"What do you want to do with them?" a gruff voice asked.

"You know I don't like mistakes!" That was Rebecca's voice. She didn't sound happy.

Steve flinched when he heard what sounded like a bomb going off in his left ear and the hands holding his left arm suddenly released him. His ears were ringing, but he could make out several distinct sounds that he knew were gunshots.

He stood in shock, held up by one person as he looked around at the bodies littering the ground.

"I found this," another voice said. "He must have taken it off Ritz."

Without seeing what it was, Steve knew they had discovered the satellite phone and his one hope of a connection to his team. Hysterical laughter followed and he frowned at the reaction. Until his chin was grabbed and he was forced to look into crazed green eyes.

"Naughty, naughty Steve. It's time to forget them. Your team won't come for you because you never mattered to them. It's okay, though. I can give you everything you need and in time, you will see that we are perfect together."

Steve pulled his chin out of her grasp. "Never going to happen," he spat, pleased to find his tongue was working again.

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Oh, Steven. It's going to be so much fun training you."

"I'm not a dog," he growled.

She ignored him and looked to someone behind him. "Take him to the boat and then clean this up. Make sure to leave no trace. His team is probably on their way and I don't want anything to get in our way."

Steve bit back a retort as he was pulled away by the 'doctor' and another man. His legs were still numb so he was mostly dragged down the path to the boat. Once on the boat, he was roughly shoved inside a small compartment that contained a double bed and what he assumed to be an adjoining bathroom behind the door on the right.

A prod in the middle of his back had him falling forward and using the bed to break his fall. He hissed when his injured wrist hit the mattress. He barely had time to recover before he felt a sharp prick in his shoulder. Looking down, he saw a syringe being pulled out of his arm.

"That should keep you down for a while," the 'doctor' announced with a toothy smile.

He heard the door close behind him and the lock engage. He leaned on his left elbow and levered himself upwards as whatever was in the syringe made the world spin around him. He felt like he was intoxicated and stumbled a few steps towards the door before his legs decided that was not a good idea and he tripped, landing face-first on the carpet.

He rolled onto his back as he struggled to stay awake. His eyes were growing heavier and his limbs refused to cooperate. The last thing he was consciously aware of was the throbbing of his wrist as the drug took hold and rendered him completely defenceless for whatever happened next.

Her eyes followed her soon-to-be lover as he was taken to the boat. She wanted more time to convince him but his team had gotten too close too quickly. She had been glad to see the fire burning in his eyes. It meant the fight was still in there and she was really going to enjoy extinguishing the flame.

She tore her eyes away from his fine form and glared at the man that had just joined her. "How did you let this happen?"

Gabriel Ortiz stood there in shock, eyes wide as he took in the carnage.

"I told you what would happen if there were mistakes! You are lucky you are not joining them," she explained before taking a deep breath. "I take it your return means you dealt with the problem?"

"Yes."

"Good. We are leaving now. I suggest you are on that boat in the next ten minutes."

"Becca?"

"What?" she snapped.

"I—," he started. "Nothing."

She shook her head as she watched him walk away, head bowed. All these pathetic men - none were like Steve McGarrett.

Since that first day, she just knew. She knew the burdens he carried on his shoulders and knew she was the only one that could help him. The man was irresistible; he oozed danger and could get lost in his changeable eyes. She would die a happy woman in his arms.

If he could just let go…let himself have what he desperately craved, then none of this would be necessary. He would eventually realise that she only wanted what was best for him and stop fighting. She couldn't wait for the day his smile was directed at her.

With a pleased sigh, she turned and grabbed the satellite phone from the last man standing. "Get to work!"

The man jumped and she savoured the fear that crossed his face. Pathetic.

She turned the phone over in her hands and smiled. It was still connected. "Detective Williams, I presume?"

After a short pause, a gravelly voice answered. "Who is this? Where's Steve?"

She ignored his questions. "If I were you, I'd stop looking. He doesn't need you…never has. All you've ever done is hurt him. You won't get to hurt him again."

With that, she hung up and threw the phone over the cliff. Never again would Steve McGarrett have to worry about his team forcing their problems on him. Williams and his irresponsible brother; Kelly and his conflict with Internal Affairs. The rookie, Kalakaua and her incompetence. He would never have to sacrifice his happiness for selfish, hungry people ever again.

She would make sure of it.

Thursday afternoon, temporary Five-0 offices:

Danny stared at the computer screen, phone still in hand. Any hope of a quick rescue was quickly shattered as the call was disconnected.

The woman's voice echoed in his head. He was certain he'd heard that voice before, but then again, maybe that was just wishful thinking.

He so desperately wanted to hear his partner's voice but he knew that wouldn't be happening any time soon. He was being held by a psychopathic woman in some place unknown. He could be right next door or five thousand kilometres away.

He hung his head as he realised he'd failed. He'd failed to get his partner back. He'd failed to put together the pieces. Even with Steve handing him clues, he had been too inadequate to do anything to help.

The woman was taunting him. He knew that. Even if he had managed to get a trace, chances were that they'd relocate Steve before the team even arrived. She had to know there was no way he could even start to pinpoint a location now.

She knew his name.

She probably knew everything about them.

Her words repeated themselves in his mind. She sounded…protective? If this were any other situation, Danny would have thought this was retaliation by some criminal they'd put behind bars. Take away their leader and watch the team flounder. But this was different.

This was personal.

Friday morning, TAMC:

There was a short rap at the door. He sighed. Just once, he would appreciate five minutes to himself. Was that too much to ask?

Another knock sounded. Apparently, yes.

"Come in!" he reluctantly called out.

Doctor Eric Palamo looked up from his desk and saw an unexpected face. "Detective Williams. If you are here to make excuses for your partner, then save it."

He was not in the mood for arguing with the vociferous detective. He'd already had several patients decide that they knew better than a doctor and sign themselves out as well as a particularly nasty code blue. Suffice it to say, he was definitely ready to pack it in for the day.

However, the look on the detective's face had him putting down his pen and giving the blond man his full attention.

"What can I do for you, Danny?" he asked.

The detective sighed and took a seat in front of him. "I need some information."

"About?"

"What can you tell me about Rohypnol?"

Doctor Palamo was intrigued by the question. "As I'm sure you are aware, it's commonly referred to as a 'date-rape' drug. Effects usually start between twenty and thirty minutes after ingestion and can persist for up to twenty-four hours."

"How easy is it to get access to?"

"It's normally used to treat insomnia but prescriptions for it are illegal in the U.S. The only way someone can get their hands on it, at least here in the States, is as an anaesthesiologist. It's used to reduce the side effects of anaesthetics," Doctor Palamo explained.

Danny nodded. "If some was stolen, would there be a record?"

"Yes. We need to report any discrepancies to the appropriate agencies." The doctor was confused as to why he had come to him to ask these questions. "Why? What's going on?"

Danny ran a hand down his face. "It's Steve."

The mention of his wayward patient had him on his feet. "What's happened Danny?"

"He's gone…kidnapped."

"Again?" The word slipped from his mouth before he could stop it.

Danny smirked at him, putting him instantly at ease. Initially, he had been miffed that the Commander had missed his appointment. Despite being insufferable and stubborn, Doctor Palamo knew Commander McGarrett was intelligent enough to know the consequences of not following doctor's orders.

"Yeah. We think he was incapacitated by water laced with Rohypnol."

"And you want to know if that will affect his recovery?" he inferred and Danny nodded. "It really depends on the dosage."

"I can get Max to determine the exact amount that was used but it had to have been high enough to render him incapable of fighting back. Otherwise we would have found several broken bodies in place of nothing," Danny explained hurriedly.

"Physically, Commander McGarrett has been healing better than I would have expected. As you know, the heroin overdose affected his respiratory system and yes, he's still weak. However, I wouldn't have released him if I didn't think he was physically ready."

"I sense a but, Doc."

"But, mentally? He just wants to pretend it never happened and move on." He was worried he divulged too much until he saw a look of understanding cross the detective's face. "I know he hasn't been cleared by psych yet and I think there's more he needs to get off his chest before that happens."

"What are you, doc? A psychologist too?" Danny joked.

Doctor Palamo shrugged. "I believe my patients suffer from physical trauma just as much as they do from emotional trauma. You can't treat one without treating the other."

Danny shifted uncomfortably. "Out of curiosity, was there anything I should be concerned about?"

"Don't worry Danny," he answered with a laugh. "I think I pointed him in the right direction. He just needs time."

Danny, however, evidently didn't see the humour in the situation. "That's what I'm afraid of, Doc. He pushes us away when things get dangerous. He thinks he's protecting us when he goes solo. What if this time we lose him forever?"

If they were talking about any other person, Doctor Palamo would find himself agreeing with Danny. However, having met the Commander, he realised obstinate was not a strong enough word to describe him. Underneath the hard shell was a man that desperately craved family and human connection but felt he didn't deserve it.

"Danny. If there's one thing I have learned from Commander McGarrett, it's resilience. He's not used to having so many people care for him and he just doesn't want you to get hurt. I'm sure he will realise that pushing you away hurts you more than anything."

"Yeah," Danny muttered.

Doctor Palamo had seen the damage inflicted on Commander McGarrett. A lesser man would still be in the hospital or worse…dead. Steve McGarrett was no ordinary man. After all, the ultimate measure of a man was not what he does, but what he gives. McGarrett gave everything to protect those he loved. He had no doubt that the Commander would continue to do so.

But at what cost?

Friday morning, unknown location:

Gabriel Ortiz sat in one of the chairs on the deck with a barely contained grunt of pain. He heard a smothered laugh from his right and chose not to pay it any attention. Instead, he kept his eyes on the sparkling blue water as the yacht skipped across it to their next destination.

"Looking a little stiff there, Ortiz. Pick on someone you shouldn't have?"

Gritting his teeth, he turned his head to look at his companion. He smirked when he noticed the ripped elbow of the striped business shirt and the orange dirt that coloured the front of it. "I could say the same thing about you, Gaines."

Melvin 'Mel' Gaines barked a laugh as he took off the round glasses he had used for his role. "Yeah, I guess we both got the short end of the stick. What happened to you?"

"Got caught in traffic," he answered as he rubbed his chest where the seatbelt had pressed on his already bruised chest. "You were supposed to have things under control here."

"I did. Everything was fine. It's not my fault they didn't anticipate McGarrett's move."

"From what I hear, neither did you," he answered while looking Gaines up and down.

He was being paid to keep McGarrett in line. He could not have anything get in the way. He knew how dangerous a man like McGarrett was. Steve McGarrett was every bit as his reputation suggested; intelligent, effective, deadly. Ortiz was no fool. He'd known from the start that McGarrett would not believe that he was a patient in a mental asylum. He was far too smart for that.

What he hadn't expected was for the SEAL to escape so early on. The Commander had similar training to him; he should have been biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to make his move. Not escaping at the first possible moment without some serious recon of the area.

Marsden's plan to make him believe that he was her husband and that his entire life never existed had seriously backfired. Honestly, he wondered if that was her intention all along; to have McGarrett fight harder against her. Maybe she enjoyed watching him squirm.

His warning that McGarrett's disappearance would not go unnoticed did not seem to deter her. Either way, he was getting paid. That's why he had hired several men to keep him in line. Several men that were now dead by Rebecca's hand.

He should consider himself lucky that he hadn't joined the nameless men whose bodies had been thrown off the cliff. After all, he had messed up by involving his own brother in this insane plan.

He gulped down the emotion that threatened to choke him as he thought about killing his own brother. The way Samuel had pleaded with him, his cries for mercy, had cut so deep into his heart that he'd almost hesitated. Almost.

"I suggest you don't let it happen again, Gaines. At least until you get paid," he replied.

"I don't plan to," Gaines grunted. "She's insane. You know that right?"

Ortiz sighed. Initially, Rebecca Marsden appeared to be a normal woman that he had met at a bar one night. He had instantly fallen for her and that was his mistake.

"I know. We just need to do our jobs and handle him."

"That easy, huh?" Gaines said around a scoff.

"Yeah, it's that easy."

He turned back to the water and kept his eyes on the horizon. What had he gotten himself into?