Thank you so much for continuing to follow the story and for the kind words in the reviews. I was very happy about it:-)
I hope today's chapter doesn't shock you too much. Best regards.
Chapter 4
Slowly it became lighter and warmer again in his prison. Steve had tried in vain to free himself so far. The ropes were tied too tightly and there was nowhere he could cut them or rub them open. Slowly, the lack of fluids was also getting to him and he kept nodding off. He woke up again when water was poured over his head.
"Ah, McGarrett, good morning."
Steve squinted into the backlight, but the man stood in such a way that he was unrecognizable to Steve.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"Justice."
Now the man stepped forward. The man was no more than twenty, and Steve was sure he had never seen him before. Confused, Steve stared at him.
"I don't know you. What kind of justice?
"For my father."
"Your father? Who do you mean?"
"My name is Tim Hesse."
"Hesse?"
Steve felt sick.
"Victor had a son?"
"Not Victor. Anton." Then Tim lashed out and hit Steve in the face with his fist.
Over and over again, the fist alternately hit Steve in the face or the chest. By now he was having trouble blocking out the pain, but he still managed. However, this only made his tormentor angrier. He pounded Steve as if he were a punching bag, and with his next blow to Steve's face, Steve felt his cheekbone break. A pain shot to the back of his head and he lost consciousness.
He had no idea how long he had been unconscious, but again he woke up to water running down his face. His hands had been tied together and hung from a hook on the ceiling in such a way that the tops of his feet just touched the floor. Again the young man beat him. One hit after another went against his upper body, stomach and abdomen, which were defenselessly exposed to the attacker.
And regardless of the fact that Steve was already more dead than alive, the young man continued to beat him. Steve meanwhile felt every single blow to the back of his head. Spasmodically he tried to remain steadfast. When Tim let go of him, Steve had the faint hope that he had finally had enough. But with horror he saw him coming back with an iron bar.
Steve closed his eyes, he would die here today. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, beaten to death by a half-breed. When the iron bar hit his upper body the first time, Steve thought of Mel. In his mind's eye, she came up to him and took him in her arms as if to protect him. Steve tried to hold on to the image, but when two of his ribs cracked and bored into his lungs, the image of his fiancée melted away and it went black around him again.
When Steve came to consciousness the next time, his whole body was one big pain and he could hardly breathe. With difficulty, he tried to open his eyes, but only through his left could he see anything at all. He lay tied to the floor. Dazed by the pain, the shortness of breath and the lack of fluids, he drifted back into unconsciousness.
At Danny's
"You guys got anything? Anything?"
Adam nodded, "Yeah, at least I think so. ATC noted the landing of an unregistered aircraft, however, before HPD got there, it was airborne again. An hour later, there's another landing of an unregistered aircraft, but this time on Big Island. That's not a coincidence, is it?"
"That is indeed strange, we should look into that. Has Catherine contacted you yet?"
Junior shook his head.
"No, not yet."
"I hope she's okay."
"You know Catherine, she's a big girl."
"Yes, and alone in Afghanistan because no one could tell us anything."
Danny took a breath.
"Okay, we'll follow up the tip with the plane and fly to Big Island, Adam do the PD there know yet?"
"Yes, they're expecting us. They're already checking traffic cameras."
"Good."
"What about Mel?"
"She's available again and blaming herself for not seeing through the fake. I'll let her know in a minute. Adam, Lou, Junior and I are flying to the Big Island. Tani you stay at HQ for coordination please."
"All right."
"Okay, let's go."
With Catherine in Afghanistan
Slowly, they approached the camp. Catherine had been trying for a long time to find out through Langley and other sources who and if anyone was even in the hands of the insurgents, but she kept getting conflicting statements. So she had decided to look for herself. They had been watching the camp for several hours now, but so far there was no sign of a prisoner. Maybe he was already dead? Catherine was babbling, she wasn't even allowed to think that. Just now, the majority of the rebels had driven away, leaving only a few guards behind. Catherine looked at her fellow soldiers, the Seals nodded at her and then moved forward. One rebel after another was taken out and in no time they were examining the houses and tents. No prisoner far and wide and certainly no Steve. So there was. She had already suspected it.
Just as they were about to retreat again, the rebels came back and opened fire.
"Retreat!"
As fast as they could, they tried to get back out of camp. The Seals gave her cover.
"Catherine, come on!"
She ran. Then there was a huge explosion, Catherine was thrown through the air, crashed into a wall of a house and remained unconscious.
