Disclaimer: Hawaii Five-0 and its characters do not belong to me.
…
"You had better watch your back, Detective." The words reverberated through the stale prison walls. Danny could hardly breathe, Daiyu's threats clutching his throat. The only reason he was still standing and still able to walk was the sheer determination to get as far away from her as possible.
His legs were barely able to hold his weight any longer as he reached the parking lot. His knees gave way, his hands flailing for the rough, bricked wall that surrounded the prison compounds. He barely registered the burning sensation in his palms as they scraped against the walls. He hunched forward, the contents of his stomach threatening to spill.
"Danny!" He heard Lou's voice in a distance.
But he was too busy to respond. The nausea brewing in his throat caused him to retch drily. He bitterly spit out the bile. His heart clenching tightly as he tried to breathe in the sparse air.
"Hey.. man you alright?" Lou asked. His worries escalating a notch when Danny remained unresponsive.
Knuckling his sternum forcefully, Danny willed for the rock in his chest to vanish. But it remained stubbornly lodged in his chest, causing his lungs to seize for air. His eyes prickled with tears as he began hyperventilating.
"Hey, you're alright, Danny. You're alright." Lou soothed firmly as he rubbed Danny's back. "Look at me, come on just breathe, alright." Lou instructed as he slowly guided Danny to slow down his breathing.
For a brief moment, he shut his eyes and all he could hear was Steve's voice telling him to breathe. Steve always knew how to calm him down, his voice a soothing presence in itself. He breathed, the air finally inflating his lungs.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
"You okay?" Lou asked, eyes slanted in worry.
He nodded, failing to find his voice just yet. What a pathetic mess he had become...
"What happened, Danny?" Lou asked. "Did you see her? Did you meet Daiyu Mei?"
He shivered despite the humid air at the mention of her name. Daiyu's voice rang in his head, her menacing gaze was enough to slit through his throat. But above all, it was her threat that had sucked the life out of him. Steve. She was after his partner. Steve was in danger and...
His eyes drooped heavily, static dancing in the periphery of his vision. He was spiralling, yet there was nothing he could do to stop himself from the endless descent.
He felt Lou's hold around his bicep tighten as the older man attempted to stabilise his body which he seemed to have lost control of. "Danny? You okay, buddy? Talk to me. What happened in there?"
"St.." The word was stuck in his throat. He swallowed thickly. With trembling hands, he wiped the tears forming in his eyes. "Steve." He looked at Lou almost pleadingly. "I.."
"Steve?" Lou repeated.
I need to protect my partner. I need to protect Steve.
...
A warm cup was nestled in his hands. He forced himself to take a sip as Lou's watchful eyes refused to leave him. He placed the cup down on the table in front of him and almost subconsciously, he brought his hand up to his forehead to gently massage away the tension headache that had crept up on him. The ache behind his eyes was almost unbearable.
"Danny.." Lou breathed.
"I'm fine..." He stated tiredly as he immediately brought his hand down in a frankly fruitless attempt to allay Lou's worries.
"Sure." Lou said sarcastically, his eyebrows twisted in an indescribable manner, as he leaned back on Danny's couch.
"I'm really fi.." He once again attempted to begin his lie.
"I'll believe that once you stop trembling like a nervous rabbit." Lou interjected almost immediately. "You gonna tell me what happened or am I going to have to get the recorded footage from the prison?"
He looked at his hands. He hadn't realised that he was still trembling. Still… His heart was still beating a little too fast, that he had to admit. But he hadn't realised the slight resting tremor in his hands. Not until Lou mentioned it. He breathed, swallowing the discomfort lodged in his chest.
"What did she say, Danny?" Lou probed. "What's got you so shaken?"
He looked up, the fear in his eyes had to be evident as he met Lou's worried gaze. He needed the assurance he knew he would never get. Yet he still asked the question he almost certainly had the answer to. "There's no way she'll ever be free right?" He asked almost in a squeak.
Lou's face fell, growing visibly pale despite his complexion. "Daiyu?" Lou asked redundantly, his face contorted in worry even though he tried to school his features as best as he could. "She's in max security, Danny. The charges are going to stick. There's no way she'll never get even a whiff of freedom ever again." Lou said firmly as though he really believed his own words.
He really wanted to believe Lou's words. He wanted to believe that she will stay there for the rest of her life. He wanted to believe that she would rot in prison and die in there. He wanted to believe that she would never be able to touch anyone he loved. His parents, his kids… And most importantly… Steve.
He inhaled heavily yet the air once again seemed to escape his lungs. "She hasn't given up."
Lou looked at him contemplatively.
"Steve." Danny said. "She hasn't given up on Steve. Sh..she wants him..." His voice faltered, breath hitching in his chest. the thought of Daiyu Mei hurting Steve was too much for him to handle. It was almost enough to compel him to hunt his partner and keep him safe.
"Damn it. What else does she want?" Lou cursed. Inhaling slowly, Lou looked at him with certainty in his eyes. "She'll never get her hands on Steve, Danny. She's rotting in prison for the rest of her life. Don't you worry about that."
He almost sneered. As much as he wanted to believe it, he knew better. He had seen her eyes. There was a certain cockiness in them. An unspoken arrogance behind her gaze.
"You've forgotten who Wo Fat is? It's just a matter of time. I can feel it." Danny said. He could literally feel it in his bones. "The way she looked at me.. the way she spoke... it was as though.." He shuddered, a chill running down his spine and freezing the blood in his veins.
As though she had it all planned out. As though she was coming to get to him, to get to the people he loved.
"Danny?" Lou called worriedly, a hand reaching for his knee.
"You had better watch your back.." He breathed, shutting his eyes to dispel the memory. "Was what she said."
Lou swallowed, trying but failing at keeping a straight face. His eyes widened at the blatant threat. "Danny, I'm going to get HPD detail on you as well, alright? There is no way she's going to get to you. Not again."
He smiled, attempting to allay Lou's worries. "There's no need for that.. It's not me I'm worried about."
"Danny, we don't know what she is planning but I don't like it. Not one bit."
"It's not me she wants, Lou." He said. "It's Steve. It's Steve I'm worried about.. Right now, his only protection is that Daiyu Mei has no clue where he is. And it has to stay that way."
"Danny, it didn't stop her the last time. She took you to get to Steve. There's no discussion here, I am going to arrange..."
"Lou, there's no need to arrange anything. I'll be fine." He said. "I'll be fine." He repeated. "But most importantly. Steve does not hear a word about this. You understand?"
"I don't think this is right, Danny." Lou breathed. "She's behind bars and yet she's not afraid to give out threats like this. She has eyes on your family, on you…How else would she know to deliver the parcel on your first day back at work? Danny, you might be in danger. Again."
He exhaled slowly. "If she really wanted to hurt me, she would have done it already. That's not what she wants. She wants Steve. She wants me to be the one to lure him out. But that's not going to happen." He said. "The moment Steve hears about this, that idiot is going to walk right into her trap, you know how he thinks everything in this world is his responsibility. I'm not going to let that happen."
"But Dan.."
"No 'but's, Lou. You're not telling Steve anything. Everything's going to be okay." He breathed. It'll be okay… "I'm a little tired now.. why don't you go home."
"You're crazy if you think I am leaving you alone tonight.." Lou said, his eyebrows raised in question.
"Buddy.."
"No.. don't buddy me. There's no arguing here, I've already told Renee I am staying here tonight."
"Lou, I'll be fine." He said trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince Lou. Because deep in the pit of his stomach, he knew he wasn't fine. And he knew, Lou was right. He could be in danger.
"Yeah, okay. You're tired, go to bed. I'll be out here." Lou said, leaving zero room for discussion.
Danny shook his head in defeat. "Suit yourself. Just don't complain when you wake up with a stiff neck tomorrow. " He stood up with a soft grunt and headed for his room. He breathed, pausing in front of the door. "Thanks, Lou." He said, looking at the older man.
"Good night, Danny."
…
A week later…
The week had gone on about as uneventfully as it could have been. It seemed like even the criminals were taking a break from committing their heinous acts. It had been a peaceful week. Almost too peaceful if there was such a thing. And to be honest, it scared him a little. It was like the calm before a storm.
A truly devastating storm…
He shut his eyes, willing the voices in his head to quieten down as he listened to the sound of the waves. He breathed in the calm evening air as the sun made its slow exit into the horizon. Yet, for some reason, he could not shake of the anxiety lodged in his chest. The fear that had found its permanent dwelling in his stomach was causing him to lose his sleep. His fear for Steve. He knew his parents and kids were taken care of, he had made sure of it. But Steve…
"Hey!"
He opened his eyes. The sky in front of him was vibrant hue of pink and purple.
"Here you are.." Adam said, almost out of breath,
"Took you long enough to find me this time" He said as Adam settled on the Adirondack chair next to him. He handed out a bottle of Longboard to the Asian.
Adam gratefully took the bottle from him and took a sip. "You know you're going to make all of us age a lot faster at this rate."
He chuckled drily. "I just needed some air.."
"Danny.."
He breathed. "I know, I know... I know you guys mean well. But all of you have been watching me like a hawk this whole week. I just needed some time on my own."
"Hey, I get it…" Adam looked at him.
He raised his eyebrow skeptically. The team had not gotten off his back since his meeting with Daiyu Mei. Charlie's room had turned into a temporary guest room for his colleagues who were taking turns staying with him. He knew they worried about him yet at the same time he couldn't accept their protection when he knew Steve didn't have anyone next to him. Well.. there was Catherine and he knew she was fully capable in her own right. But… she wasn't him. He would in a heartbeat give his own life in exchange for Steve's. He would do anything in his power for Steve and he wasn't convinced she would do the same.
"What's on your mind, huh?" Adam asked.
"Hmm?" He feigned.
"You have that look on your face…" Adam said.
"I have a look?"
"Danny... you have that look when something's bothering you." Adam said.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing really…"
"You're worried about Steve?" Adam asked.
"Am I that easy to read?" He asked.
"Pretty much." Adam smiled that charming smile of his that must have won Kono over. "Plus you're sitting here at Steve's place, drinking on your own… So am I right?"
"Pretty much." He replied.
"So why don't you give him a call?" Adam said. "You know he's never stopped asking about you."
He hummed. "He's okay, right?"
"You can ask him yourself, you know." Adam egged on.
"Adam…"
"He's fine." Adam said, pausing tentatively. "Danny, why won't you talk to him? Till when?"
He took a sip of the beer in his hands, refusing to answer the question. He didn't have the answer to it. maybe he was afraid he would crumble if he heard Steve's voice. The pieces of himself he had picked up and reconstructed painstakingly would once again shatter if he heard his partner's voice. Maybe that was why. Or maybe he had given up completely on his best friend. Maybe he was done holding on to someone who never thought he mattered in the end.
"He's fine is all that matters." He said quietly. And he prayed it remained that way. "That's all that matters." He whispered softly to himself.
The sun had completely vanished, plunging him into darkness. The lull of the ocean had picked up speed, the waves crashing relentlessly onto the sand. He breathed in tiredly.
"I'm gonna head on home." He said as he slowly stood up, stretching his arms as he did so. "Is it your turn tonight?" He asked.
"Any complaints?"
"No.. At least you don't snore like Junior." He shook his head. "I swear if someone actually did break into my house he would still be asleep."
Adam smiled, shaking his head as he stood up. "I'll see you at your place? I need to grab some things from mine. Be there in an hour."
"There's no need to rush, buddy. Take your time." He said. "Honestly, you don't have to stay with me tonight. I doubt.."
"Nice try, Danny. You're not getting out of this." Adam said.
"No, but seriously, until when are you guys going to do this? There's really no need to worry about me. Daiyu Mei is behind bars…there's nothin.."
"Until we find out what she's scheming, you're not off the hook." Adam said. "I'll see you in a bit, Danny." Adam said as he reached his car. "Call me if there's anything."
"Yes, sir." He mocked as he entered his own car.
Starting the ignition, he watched as Adam drove off ahead of him. He had at least an hour of freedom before he was once again being suffocated by his teammate's presence. Stepping on the accelerator, he decided to take the longer route home to clear his muddled head a little more.
He was lost in his thoughts, navigating the familiar streets without much thought. There wasn't much traffic either, barely a few cars passing him occasionally. That was when he noticed. The black car several meters behind his….it had been behind him for a while now.
He swallowed. He had to be overthinking...
He stepped on the accelerator.
The car, too, picked up speed.
No, it had to be a coincidence. He was overthinking.
He released the accelerator, intentionally slowing down.
The car, to his relief, did not slow down, passing him.
He exhaled the breath he was holding and watched as the car disappeared in front of him. For some reason, there was still a slight unease in his chest.
The storm was coming…
…
The weather had changed almost too abruptly. The calm breezy night had transformed into a torrential downpour, rain pattering raucously. That was what he thought had woken him up in the middle of the night. He looked at the time on his phone. 3.13am. He shut his eyes, attempting to return to sleep when he heard a thump coming from outside.
He sat up, trying to listen over the sound of rain.
Another bang.
"Adam?" He called out softly. Over the sound of rain, he could hear muffled voices and footsteps coming from outside his room. "Adam.." His heart was beating faster now as he called for his friend again.
He had to be overthinking again. Sliding off his covers, he got out of bed.
Thunk.
He swallowed, he wasn't imagining things. He opened his bedside drawer and took out his service weapon, unlocking the safety. Getting out of the room with his gun drawn, he gingerly headed to Charlie's room where the sound was coming from.
"Adam.."
He inhaled, pushing the door open when he heard another crashing sound, his gun pointed in front of him.
His breath hitched in his throat as his eyes landed on his colleague. The room was trashed… And Adam… He was being held hostage, his mouth plastered with tape. His head was bleeding, bruises already evident on his shirtless body.
Adam looked at him with pleading eyes, shaking his head as though to tell him to run.
"Who the hell are you? Let him go!" It really was a miracle he could find his voice. His gun was pointed at the large Chinese man in front of him. The only thing stopping him from pulling the trigger was the knife held against Adam's throat. Blood already trickling from the pressure of the blade on his neck.
"Drop your gun, Detective." A voice behind him. One he recognized too well. He swallowed, turning around slowly. "Drop your gun or your friend here dies."
He dropped his gun without question. There was no way he was willing to risk Adam's life. Behind him, he could hear Adam's muted protest.
"We meet again." Daiyu Mei smirked. "What did I tell you? Watch your back, Detective."
He inhaled. He knew it was a matter of time. "What do you want?"
"You know what I want." Daiyu Mei voiced. "Where is Steve McGarrett?" She asked.
"I already told you.. I don't know where he is." He said.
Daiyu Mei stepped closer to him. "You're not going to listen, are you?" She signaled to the man holding Adam.
"NO!" He shouted but it was too late.
In a split second, the man effortlessly turned Adam to face him and drove the knife deep into his stomach, pulling it out before thrusting it again.
The sound of metal cutting into flesh would forever haunt him. Adam's muffled groan as he folded into himself, clutching his stomach where the knife had entered his body. Adam dropped onto the ground.
"ADAM!" He shouted, making a run towards his colleague but he was pulled back by another of Daiyu Mei's goon. He felt a sharp prick in his neck, heat spreading through his veins.
There was nothing he could do but watch his colleague sputtering for breath in front of him as he, too, fell forward onto the ground.
...
A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks once again if you're still reading this. Hope yall enjoy this chapter and look fpreard to the next one. Let me know what you think :)