Chapter 4
Relieved that Steve is doing well so far, Danny and Chin turn back to the case. Chin puts out an APB on the black RAM with the license plate information. Then they go down one floor and check on Stan. When they enter the room, he is awake and looking at them. Before Danny can say anything, Stan already starts talking,
"I'm sorry, Danny. I just wasn't thinking in the moment and I threw things at Rachel that I didn't even mean. I was just so hurt in that moment when you guys were picking up her stuff. I was about to go after you guys when those two guys showed up and beat the crap out of me."
And more quietly, he continues.
"Thanks Danny, if you guys hadn't come back I probably wouldn't be alive."
Danny is still a little pissed, but somehow he can understand Stan too. How many times has he stood there making a fist in his pocket as Rachel walked away from him. Meanwhile, Danny is sure that Stan had nothing to do with it at all, but like Steve, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He racks his brain, who hates him enough to send killers after him?
Danny and Chin are about to call it a day and head home when Chin gets a call from HPD. Coincidentally, they have come across a Dodge RAM with accident damage to the front in front of a motel. The license plate matches the RAM they are looking for. Chin and Danny make their way to the motel. Forensics is also already on the scene and examining the RAM. The front desk clerk can confirm that the drivers of the RAM have been in their rooms for several hours. With the assistance of HPD, Danny and Chin seek out the room. They arrive too late. The two beefy guys look very familiar to them, only unfortunately they are dead by now. After the forensics are through, the two guys are taken to Max's autopsy.
Afterwards, the two colleagues stand indecisively in front of the hotel. It's almost not worth going home, but a few hours of sleep would do them good. Danny decides to go to Chin's and lie down on the sofa for a moment. Around eight they are back on their feet. Unfortunately, there is still nothing new about the bullets from the two killers, so they decide to stop by Steve's hospital first.
He resumed his position early in the morning. The detective does not seem to have come home at all. Again, he sees only the two women and the children. As one of the women is taking out the trash, he is two steps behind her and presses his gun into her ribs. He takes the gun she is wearing on her belt from her with a quick grip and tucks it into his waistband.
"Shh, nice and quiet and clean." Inside the house, he walks her through each room and gathers everyone in the living room. He has them tie each other up, but still checks and retightens the zip ties. Then he looks at his treasures.
"Where are your cell phones?" The two women's are in the living room. The teen's is probably in her room. No matter. He takes the brunette woman's and dials the detective's number, meanwhile walking around the room and drawing the curtains.
Steve is still asleep when they enter the room. His face has regained its color and seems relaxed. Catherine is sitting on one of the visitors' chairs, has laid her head on the bed and startles when she senses the presence of the two men. Chin and Danny quietly approach and tell Catherine about Stan and also about the two bodies. Suddenly, Danny's cell phone rings. He quickly answers it so as not to wake Steve.
"Rachel?" Then all color drains from his face.
"What do you want? ... I'm coming."
"What's going on, Danny?"
"The guy's in my house and he's got Rachel, my kids and Kono. He wants me to come alone and he'll leave them alone."
"Danny, he's going to kill you before you even know your family is safe." Desperate, Danny looks at Chin. "I almost lost Steve to him already, I have to get them out of there." Catherine looks at him.
"That's what we're doing. But together." She takes one last look at the sleeping Steve. She can understand Danny so well. Then they hurriedly leave the room.
Steve opens his eyes, he had a strange dream. Rachel, Kono and the children were in the hands of a murderer. He shakes his head and looks around. He is alone in his room. Wasn't Catherine there a moment ago? His eyes darken, maybe it was just a dream. No, her scent still hangs in the air. An orderly enters the room with a tray and looks around.
"Good morning Commander, didn't you just have a visitor? I brought a few extra cups, I thought your friends might like to join you for breakfast."
"I don't even know, when I woke up there was no one there." Greg nods.
"Yes there was, Detective Williams and Lieutenant Kelly came by the station room ten minutes ago and Lieutenant Rollins was there all night." He sets the tray down on the nightstand.
"Curious, thanks Greg."
"You're welcome, Commander." Then the orderly leaves the room again. Steve thinks, what if he wasn't dreaming?
Chin, Catherine and Danny drive to Danny's house. They park on a side street and cautiously approach Danny's house. The curtains are drawn forward, preventing them from seeing inside. Chin, Catherine and Danny split up. Each takes a different side.
Danny is approaching from behind when he suddenly feels the barrel of a gun in his back. A low laugh rings out.
"Drop the you couldn't let it go. Once a cop, always a cop. Now come on." The pressure of the gun at his side intensifies. Danny has no choice. He lets go of the gun and gives in to the urging in one direction. A moment later, he lands in the trunk of an old Dodge.