Glad some of you are still reading. Here's an early treat after that last late update.
Danny had spent the last hour in the interrogation room with exactly zero results.
Five missed calls and two texts flashed on the screen of his phone. All from agents Brooks, he guessed. He ignored them all. The cargo was safe for now. This needed to be taken care of first.
Makoni hadn't been at the trade, and Danny couldn't help but wonder if he was really supposed to be there in the first place. They hadn't found nearly anything about the man who sat cuffed to the chair across Danny.
His name was Abdi Ahmed, and he was an ex-soldier of the Somali Armed Forces. There weren't any known links to Roko Makoni. Nor any record after he had gotten kicked out of the army eight years ago for a series of minor criminal offenses. It was like he was a ghost. A ghost that somehow made it to Hawaii and was about to buy shitloads of stolen radioactive material.
Ahmed was all sweaty and on the verge of passing out from pain. Both of his legs were broken, there was no doubt about that. Danny wouldn't care if the man died right there. But he needed some answers first.
"You can't do this," Ahmed growled. "I need a hospital."
Danny pouted. "Right. We already agreed that you could have internal bleeding. You should probably get checked out as soon as possible. But not before you tell me a few things."
Ahmed trashed in the chair in frustration. "What the hell do you want, man?"
"I already told you what I want," Danny said. "Answers."
The man shook his head. "I told you already! I don't know anyone named Makoni. I don't work for him."
"Then who do you work for?"
Silence.
"You're afraid, aren't you?" Danny said. "Scared of what those people would do to you if you speak."
Silence.
"Okay, then," Danny said.
He was sick of this already. There was no time for this either. Deciding to try something different, he approached him and unlocked his cuffs.
"What are you doing?" Ahmed asked.
"Taking you to the hospital. But I'm gonna make a call first."
Danny dialed Junior's number and put his phone on speaker.
"Hey, you got something yet?" Junior asked.
"No, it's pointless," Danny said. "We're taking him to the hospital."
There was a hint of a victorious smile on Ahmed's lips.
"But, Junes, can you do me a favor? Do you think you could put the word out there that he ratted his clients out?"
The smile disappeared from the man's mouth.
"How long do you think he's gonna last if the wrong people find out?" Junior played along.
"He's not going anywhere with those legs," Danny said. "I'd say he'll be dead before the morning."
"No," Ahmed pleaded. "You can't do that!"
Danny ignored him. "Can you do that for me?"
"I'm on it," Junior agreed.
"Send someone to help me with him."
"What kind of cops are you?" Ahmed squealed, his eyes wide in terror.
"The kind who doesn't care if you live or die, considering you've been trying to buy the stolen radioactive material on the US soil," Danny sneered.
"I'm just the middleman. I wasn't planning to use it!"
"But you got it for someone. Who?"
The man shook his head vigorously. "I don't know, I swear. I don't know his name."
"Then tell me what you know," Danny tried. "Or you're going to the hospital without protection and we'll make sure everyone thinks you're a snitch."
"He was from overseas," Ahmed started. "I… I don't even know if he planned to use it in the US."
"That's not enough," Danny said, not yet entirely decided if he trusted him or not.
"Please," Ahmed begged. "They'll kill me and everyone I ever cared for."
"You should've thought about it before you got into this," Danny said. "Anything else you want to add?"
"He… He sounded European. Russian, maybe? And he paid a lot, okay? Extra for no questions asked. So I didn't ask."
"How does Makoni fit into all this?"
The man rolled his eyes. "For fuck's sake, how many times do I have to tell you I don't know who that is?"
The door opened and Chin walked inside, his face serious. "Ready?"
Danny looked at Ahmed. His breath sped up considerably, and his face was twisted in pain.
"Please," Ahmed tried again. "I'm telling the truth."
Danny didn't like this one bit. If Ahmed was telling the truth, it meant Makoni was never supposed to buy the stolen cargo. It was someone else entirely. But why would the CIA agents try to persuade them otherwise? What was Makoni's real plan, then? And where the hell was he?
"You have to believe me," Ahmed said when Chin grabbed him by the arm.
The problem was… Danny did believe him.
"Chin," Danny said. "Tell Jerry to take him to the hospital. Have someone from HPD stay with him."
"Thank you," Ahmed said, visibly relaxing. "Thank you."
Danny ignored him. "I need to bring those things to Brooks before she sends someone from special ops to tear this place apart. Junior, Tani, and Lou will go with me."
"What about me and Kono?"
"There's something I need you to do."
Danny drove the truck loaded with the barrels in silence. Tani accompanied him in the passenger's seat, and Junior and Lou followed behind in Lou's family car.
Brooks had texted him the address where she wanted them to deliver the cargo. It was in the residential neighborhood of Kaimuki. They pulled up on the driveway in front of the small house and got out of the cars. There was nothing out of order about the place. A normal two-stories family house that didn't stand out from the rest. Perfect for a safe house.
Brooks had been waiting for them on the front porch, along with agent Denise and the other four men they hadn't seen before. All armed to the teeth.
Denise stayed on the porch while Brooks and the rest of the men made their way down the stairway and headed to meet them. "I was starting to think you wouldn't show up. That maybe you had other plans with that cargo," Brooks said.
Danny gestured at the armed men behind her. "Hence the small army?"
"Something like that," she said.
It didn't surprise Danny in the slightest.
She noticed the truck with the barrels and smiled. "The keys," she commanded, holding her hand out before Danny.
He handed her the key from the truck. "Here's your shit. Now tell me what this is really about."
Something flashed in her eyes for a brief moment. She locked her gaze on Danny and a long, uncomfortable silence followed.
"I guess you know already, don't you?" she said eventually. Pulled a Glock out of the holder and aimed it at Danny's face as she made a few steps backward.
They didn't have a chance to react before all of the men lifted their rifles and followed suit. Danny heard footsteps behind them. He glanced to the side and noticed three more men approaching them from behind, weapons ready. Lou, Junior, and Tani shifted nervously next to him.
"Your weapons, please," Brooks said. "Now."
Danny's throat seized. He couldn't say he was surprised, yet, he didn't expect such manpower.
"You must be kidding me," Lou said, frustration lining his voice.
"Not gonna repeat that," Brooks warned.
Danny gritted his teeth, and gave a nod to the rest of the team. He was the first one to comply, and slowly rested his P30 on the ground. His brain was on fire as he kicked it away. The rest of the team did the same reluctantly.
"You never wanted us to stop the trade to keep that cargo safe, did you?" Danny said. "You knew the trade would take place, but Makoni was never supposed to be the buyer. You wanted it for yourself and needed someone to do the dirty work for you. Correct me if I'm wrong."
Brooks smiled. "Close enough," she said. "But not exactly for myself."
The door on the house opened. A man walked out of it, and Danny's stomach dropped when the figure emerged from the shadows, walked past Denise down the stairs, and stopped at Brooks' side.
The dim light from the street lights illuminated his face, revealing it was the man they'd been hunting for the last three days.
Roko Makoni.
"I wanted it for him." Brooks gestured toward Makoni.
Danny couldn't believe it. Did the dirty CIA agents really dare to use Five-0 as a pawn to get the radioactive material for this son of a bitch?
"Why?" he asked.
Brooks shrugged. "What does it matter? I had my reasons."
"My friend is a very dedicated woman," Makoni said.
Blood boiled in Danny's veins. Brooks hadn't been the first 'friend' Makoni had in the agency. How twisted was that? How could people tasked with the protection of the country just abandon their beliefs and join one of the most wanted men in the world?
"Your blood diamonds get you pretty far, I'd say," Danny said.
"They got me out of the prison," Makoni said. "Where I've been stuck for nearly four years, thanks to you and your pathetic Navy friend."
Danny shuddered at the mention of Steve and had to fight to maintain his composure.
"But it's okay," Makoni said. "You'll all pay for that. And you'll take this island down with you."
"You're nuts. You can't just destroy the whole island for a payback."
"Oh, I can," Makoni said, his face emotionless. "And I will."
Makoni held out a hand and Brooks handed him the key from the truck. He pulled a gun out of the holster on his waist. An awfully familiar gun. It was Sig Sauer P226. Steve's Sig Sauer P226. Without warning, Makoni aimed it at Brooks' head and fired. The loud noise echoed in the silent night and her body dropped on the ground. A pool of blood surrounded her still form in an instant.
There wasn't the slightest hint of remorse in Makoni's eyes when he looked down at his latest victim. "She was a liability," he said. "I have work to do."
Danny stood there, frozen in place, staring in disbelief.
"It's a shame you guys won't be there to witness it," Makoni said and walked past the armed men toward the truck with the barrels where agent Denise joined him.
"Get rid of them," he instructed and disappeared inside.
Danny stared into the barrel of the rifle, his stomach churning. Just when he thought it was game over, a single shot tore through the night somewhere in the distance. The second one followed less than a second later. Two men dropped dead instantly.
Exhaling in relief, Danny wondered what took Kono and Chin so long. But there was no time to ponder. It was go time.
The front yard erupted in chaos and loud gunfire as the four of them dived for their weapons. By the time Danny got his one, another one of their assailants fell dead and Danny was grateful for their former teammates' sniper skills.
He gunned down one man himself, and caught a glance of the truck with the cargo speeding out of the driveway.
In an instant, he aimed his weapon and fired at the vehicle's tires, but the bullets only dented the surrounding metal. Ignoring the gunfight, he sprinted for Lou's Chevrolet, determined not to let Makoni escape.
Junior seemed to have the same thought and they both met at the car. "Fuck!" Junior swore. "The tires."
Danny looked down. Two of the tires were flat. Probably got hit in the crossfire or Makoni had shot them on the way out. Either way, that car wasn't going anywhere, and there wasn't any other in sight.
Heat flooded his entire body, panic rising. He ran to the road and saw Makoni turning the corner on the other side of the street already.
No. No. No.
"I'll find us a car," Junior said and ran off.
The gunfire died down. The lights in the surrounding houses lit up the night street and some of the neighbors started to come out and peek through the door to see what was happening.
"Get inside!" Tani commanded the old lady in a bathrobe across the street.
Danny fumbled for the phone. Dialed Kono's number. She answered almost immediately.
"Makoni's running!" he said. "Can you guys see him?"
"Not anymore." She breathed heavily, as if she was running. "But we're on it," Kono said. "He was headed north."
There was a slam of the door and the sound of a starting engine.
"We'll try to catch up on him," Kono said.
Lou and Tani joined Danny meanwhile. The panic on their faces mirrored Danny's.
A rev of the engine got their attention and a few seconds later an old gray Land Rover sped through the street and came to a stop right in front of them.
"Get in!" Junior called from behind the wheel.
They rushed inside and sped up. As soon as they turned the corner, Danny's phone rang. It was Kono calling.
"I'm sorry, Danny," she said, her voice filled with regret. "We lost him."
Danny punched the inside of the car door. Anger, frustration, and panic came to the surface all at once, because he knew that soon, Makoni would realize what had happened and he'd be really upset. The problem was, he still had Steve, and there was no telling what he'd do once he realized the three barrels on the back of the pickup were all empty.
*to be continued*
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