Chapter 8

A few days later, Mel was allowed to leave the hospital. Steve had picked up her things at the hotel and booked a new room in Düsseldorf, because Mel had been able to postpone the appointment with the notary a few days due to the circumstances.

Now Steve was standing in the hallway outside the hospital room, waiting for rounds to be completed and Mel to be discharged. Restlessly, Steve stepped from one foot to the other. He had not yet told Mel that Rico and his as yet unidentified accomplice were still out there. The French had arrested the fake Rico, which had only come to light when the German policemen went to receive him.

Since then, the men were on the alert again. The villa, the store and also Rico's warehouse were under surveillance, but so far he had not reappeared. Steve would have loved to fly back to Hawaii with Mel immediately to get his girlfriend as far away from this man as possible, but the notary appointment was also important so that Mel could get rid of the running costs of the empty house. Danny had already flown back because he had to take care of Charly at short notice.

Steve was startled out of his thoughts when the door to the room finally opened and Mel's doctor left the room with the others. Shortly thereafter, Mel was also standing in front of him, stuffing her walker into her travel bag, which was standing next to Steve. She looked at him attentively.

"Steve, what's going on? Something's bothering you."

He shook his head.

"No all good. I just don't like hospitals. Let's go."

Examining him, Mel sensed he wasn't quite telling the truth, but didn't ask again. A short time later they were sitting in the car and Steve steered the car onto the highway. Mel did start to feel a little queasy again. She still didn't like to give up the reins of driving, but the doctor had advised her not to drive herself. She sat tensely in the passenger seat and observed everything around her.

When they arrived at the hotel in Düsseldorf, she was drenched in sweat. While she quickly jumped into the shower, Steve was on the phone with Mattes.

Mel was just listening when Steve said, "...thank you Mattes, and please keep me posted."

"Okay, what do you want Mattes to update you on, please."

"Nothing special Mattes, Chris, Markus and I have a soccer bet going on and Markus is in the lead right now."

"I see."

She shook her head. Men. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I'd like to take a quick shower right now, too."

"You do that, Commander."

Mel threw herself on the bed and turned on the TV. Steve grabbed some fresh laundry from his duffel bag and disappeared into the bathroom. Later they were invited to Cillian's for coffee and Steve was looking forward to meeting the kids and Cillian's wife. For a long time Steve let the water run over his head, hoping that all his worries would be washed away. But they persisted. Rico was out there somewhere and from the article in the newspaper, he probably knew Mel was still alive. Markus was trying to figure out where the reporter had gotten the info. Steve got out of the shower, dried off and got dressed again. When he stepped out of the small bathroom he froze. The TV was still on, but Mel was nowhere to be seen. Steve's throat tightened.

"Mel?"

He rushed out into the hallway.

"MEL!"

Then he saw her get off the elevator at the end of the hall. Astonished, she looked into his panicked face.

"Steve? Did something happen?"

"Damn, where have you been?"

Annoyed at her friend's sharp tone, she replied snottily, "Sorry, I just had the front desk downstairs give me a second pillow. It helps me when I'm lying on my side."

Steve ran his fingers through his hair.

"Sorry. I think there's something I need to tell you. Come."

They went back to their hotel room. Mel threw the pillow on the bed and stopped at the door with her arms crossed.

"Shoot."

"Rico is still at large and he probably knows that you're still alive. Some hack from the tabloids wrote an article about your liberation. He didn't mention your name, but I don't think so many women were locked up in the post office bunker in Frankfurt at the same time."

Mel's eyes grew wide.

"And why the hell don't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry. Mattes has posted a patrol outside the hotel..."

"... Because, after all, it worked so well last time."

"... And I'm still here, after all."

Agitated, Mel paced up and down the room.

"I need fresh air."

Mel threw on her jacket and headed for the door. Steve also grabbed his jacket and hurried after her. Near the hotel was a small park that Mel was now heading for, then she suddenly stopped.

"What about Cillian and his family, are they in danger too?"

"Mattes also posted a patrol there for safety's sake."

"Good."

Mel kept walking. In the park, she calmed down a bit and her brain began to work. She stopped and turned to Steve.

"What if we set a trap for him?"

"No, absolutely not."

"Steve, listen to me first. As long as the police are around me and Cillian, I'm sure Rico won't do anything, but how long are you going to keep this up? The children also have to go to school and to their friends. Should there always be a patrol with them? For the rest of their lives? Why not put an end to all that?"

Steve knew that she was basically right. But he almost lost her; he shuddered as he remembered how he had found her and thought she was dead.

"Steve?"

He swallowed, then nodded slowly.

"Maybe you're right. Let's talk to Mattes on the phone later and figure something out."

He looked at his watch.

"But first, we're going to your brother's house. I'm sure they're already waiting for us."

Mel nodded and briskly they walked back to the hotel and got into their rental car.

It was a great afternoon at Mel's brother's house. Darragh and Teagen liked Steve right away and asked him about his time in the Seals and about Five-0. Andrea was a little more reserved, but still interested. They still had dinner together. After Mel and Steve promised on high to meet up with them again before they left, they headed back to the hotel. At a gas station Mel stopped briefly to refuel the car and Steve went inside to pay. Still thinking about her family and the beautiful evening, Mel didn't notice anyone else sitting in the passenger seat.

"Drive."

Startled, she looked at the man who was holding a gun in her face. Then she stepped on the gas.

Steve had just paid when the man at the cash register grinned stupidly at him.

"I guess your wife doesn't want you anymore."

Puzzled, Steve looked at the cashier, then turned around. He just saw the Audi drive off the gas station's lot. This couldn't be happening now. He ran out of the gas station building, but the car was already out of sight. He quickly dialed Mate's number.

"Steve."

"He got her, Mattes. He's done it again."