Fic- High Stakes, Desperate Measures (3/4)
24hrs:43mins remaining
Danny watched in the corner as Chin and Kono viewed the video in stoic silence.
"I'll transfer a copy of this to my team," Khalid said after it was done.
Danny stewed and berated himself for not doing something, hunting someone down.
Chin kept his expression neutral, but his voice was a throaty growl. "Sounds like they're trying to keep Steve sedated with some pharmaceutical cocktail."
"Obviously they didn't get the memo that Steve's not human and normal rules don't apply to him," Danny mumbled.
But Danny couldn't help imagining the terror of being drugged and strapped down to a freaking bed. Unable to move or to think clearly, lost in a haze of darkness and paranoia. He'd go out of his damn mind. Because it was obvious Steve wasn't under the influence of ketamine anymore, not the way he was fighting.
"I wonder what McGarrett yelled?" Khalid asked, perplexed.
Kono gnawed at her bottom lip. "He said, 'I'm going to kill you' in Korean."
Chin looked away and Kono's expression turned even more focused. Danny scrubbed a hand wearily over his face. Was Steve lost in the memories of Wo Fat's bunker?
Danny pushed off the wall; he wanted to pace, but there wasn't any room and that only kindled the flames of anger. "Where are we at?"
Chin must have sensed Danny's need for them to be making more progress. "I traced Maslov's flight plan to Oahu from LA, but there's nothing before that. We have no idea how he arrived in the States."
"And we still have no idea how he plans on leaving?" Danny asked.
"He doesn't travel alone," Khalid told them. "He has a small and loyal security detail."
"Okay, so we're talking three or four people," Chin said. "Does he plan on transporting Steve to the buyers?"
"That would be a positron."
Everyone in the room stared at Toast, who lounged around on the leather office sofa.
"Do what?" Kono demanded.
"Said right there in the terms and conditions," Toast mumbled while twirling a stupid lollipop between his teeth. "They, meaning your bad guys, will transport McGarrett to any international country once the buyer's funds are verified. But the exact location for the exchange will be decided by the seller. Meaning your bad guy."
"That rules out commercial airlines under a fake passport," Chin said.
Danny nodded. "Means a private plane or boat. Okay, okay. This leads us back to searching for this asshole's home base."
"We're narrowing down another list of locations and Chrysalis is still actively searching for Maslov," Khalid told them, putting on a confident front. "If we get a hit, we'll have a team on him."
23hrs:12mins remaining
The NSA narrowed down six more locations, and in two hours, those locations were dismissed using satellite imagery. Two of the targets included human heat signatures, but a drone verified that it was not Maslov or his men. Danny still sent HPD to double check, but the last unit returned thirty minutes ago, corroborating the drone's findings. No Maslov or Steve, just some kids and surfers.
Sitting behind his desk, Danny went over locations within close proximity of the exotic tobacco store. Thus far, they'd focused on abandoned buildings, but now he searched for anything that fit the NSA profile. Maybe Maslov had rented a place or set up shop somewhere right under their noses. Khalid was right - it had to be somewhere with several escape routes and a good view of the street.
That left dozens of businesses and expensive residences. Maslov also could have broken into one of many mansions on the island, several of them with acres of land with access to the ocean.
He blinked and stared at his own handwriting, unable to read it, and threw his pen down in frustration.
"Perhaps taking a few minutes to eat might help, Daniel."
Danny looked up in surprise at the familiar voice. "Rachel. What are you doing here? Is Grace-"
"She's fine. Everyone's fine," Rachel said, walking inside just as Danny shot to his feet. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"Damn," Danny muttered, wiping a hand over his face. Narrowing his eyes, he couldn't help a small smile at the Tupperware in Rachel's hands. "Did you bring me dinner?"
Rachel matched his smile. "Ziti, salad, and fresh ciabatta bread. Helen made dinner tonight and I thought I'd bring you the leftovers."
"It's dinnertime already?"
"It's almost eight at night," Rachel admonished, laying the Tupperware down. She studied him with a frown. "You look exhausted."
"Yeah, well, I don't have time for exhaustion."
Rachel started pulling utensils out of a brown paper bag. "But you'll make time to eat. Everything's still warm."
Danny didn't realize how hungry he was until the aroma of fresh garlic and basil assailed him. "Thank you. This is...unexpected."
"I like Steve. He's a good man and I know you're working really hard searching for him."
Danny shoved in a forkful of pasta and chewed because he didn't want to have this conversation right now.
Rachel nervously smoothed down her turquoise skirt and wandered around the office, gazing at the framed pictures and various awards on the wall.
"You're antsy," Danny said around a mouth of ziti. "You're never antsy."
Rachel folded her hands in front of her. "I told Grace what happened."
Her admission took a second to register. "You did what? Why the hell would you do that?"
"Because you didn't call her last night or today."
"I meant to!" He snapped. "By the time I realized I missed talking to her, it was past her bedtime. But that wasn't a reason to upset her!"
Rachel placed her hands on her hips. "Would you rather she hear about it on the news?"
"It's not going to be in the news."
"But given he is the head of the governor's task force-"
"The media doesn't know and we're trying to keep it that way. If the press found out..."
Rachel frowned, obviously upset. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know the situation was-"
"Was what? So serious?"
"No, of course not," Rachel said, defensively. "I just wasn't aware there was a blackout. Wouldn't it help if the public were made aware? Open up one of those tip lines?"
"No," Danny sighed. He didn't have the energy to explain things. "It's complicated."
"You said you were up against a deadline?"
"We are and if we don't find him before then...."
Danny wouldn't say it. He couldn't. There was a good possibility that Steve would be sold and moved completely out of reach and they didn't have a single plan in place. Nothing. Five-0 would be powerless to do anything and the NSA would completely take over. And then what?
"How did Grace react?" he asked, switching the subject. "And what exactly did you tell her?"
"That he went missing and we think some bad men took him."
"Rachel," he hissed. "You shouldn't have-"
"I didn't want have to explain anything to her on her birthday just in case...."
Danny shoved the baked ziti away and she placed a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry." She went over to him tentatively took one of his hands. "I know you'll find him. Just like you found Grace."
"God, I hope so," he whispered back.
22hrs:35mins remaining
Kono caught up to Danny on his way to brew a new pot of coffee. They worked in sync preparing the needed caffeine fix to get them through the night. He dumped the old grounds; she refilled the water. Danny hovered, waiting on the coffee to brew while out of the corner of his eye, he watched Khalid wear a path in the linoleum while on his cell.
"I saw Rachel leave. Everything okay?" Kono asked none too subtly.
"Yeah, she was just worried." Something ached deep in his chest and he tried not to think about what-ifs concerning Rachel. He caught Kono watching him and he sighed. "She brought me dinner. There's still enough for a snack if you want it."
"Maybe later. That was nice of her to stop by."
Danny nodded, trying not to be distracted by Khalid, who was talking animatedly on the phone.
"Did you catch any of that?" Danny asked Kono, jerking his head in Khalid's direction.
Kono blew over her mug of coffee. "Not much. Anytime I got nearby, he walked to the far end of the room. It's been pretty intense, whatever it is."
She zoned out, staring at her coffee.
Danny rubbed his hand lightly on her shoulder. "How are you holding up?"
Kono didn't meet his eyes. "It doesn't matter, does it?" Taking a breath, she looked at him. "What about you? Granting that little favor earlier couldn't have been easy?"
"Going to North Korea, that's not easy. Switching a number around." He shrugged. "Piece of cake."
"I've got to leave for a little while," Khalid informed them as he walked over.
"Leave?" Danny had to be hearing things. "Where the hell do you have to be?"
Khalid ran his fingers through his tussled hair, a nervous tick Danny had picked up on. "I've got to report to Pearl-Hickam and meet with my team."
"What happened?" Danny demanded.
"Nothing." Khalid tried to reassure them and failed miserably. "But there are certain conversations that I can't have over the phone. I have to bring my team up to speed and plan our next strategy face to face."
That set off a million alarm bells. "What aren't you telling us?"
"Nothing," Khalid growled in frustration. "This isn't the time for paranoia. Our window to locate Commander McGarrett is closing and I need to discuss things with my team. They're the best analysts in the intelligence community."
"But how will we reach you?" Kono snapped.
"I'll just be a call away."
"Right," Danny said with an eye roll. "And I'm sure you'll be easily available."
"I'll be back by the morning." Khalid checked his Rolex. "I've got to go; someone from HPD is giving me a lift out there."
Danny stepped in front of Khalid. "If I learn that you did anything to obstruct this investigation, or that you and your little James Bond wannabes cut us out of the loop, I will spend every spare second of every day ruining your life. I'll make it a living hell no matter how many miles separate us."
"I told you, Danny, I'm on your side." Khalid rolled down his sleeves and pulled his cufflinks out of his pockets. "I want to find McGarrett and Maslov."
With that, Agent Khalid marched into the bullpen and snagged his suit jacket off the back of a chair.
"Do you believe him?" Kono asked Danny.
"Honestly? I don't know."
Danny watched Khalid walk out of HQ and he couldn't shake the feeling that Steve's chances of being found in time had left with him.
21hrs:25mins remaining
Burning the midnight oil on a case wasn't anything new, but he hadn't had enough time for a full recharge since Grace's kidnapping a few weeks ago. His skin felt dry and brittle, his head pounded, but it didn't matter because he had to keep plowing along. Keep working.
"Hey," Chin said, coming over. "This package arrived for Steve earlier today but I forgot about it. I thought you should keep it for him."
Steve didn't receive packages, mostly just official correspondence. Danny turned the box over in confusion and read the logo and return address. "The Yba Dojo?"
"I think you should open it."
"Why?"
Chin sighed in frustration. "Just open it."
Curious, Danny removed the tape and pulled open the flaps. Inside was a child's size black t-shirt, pants, and a set of hand wraps. Totally baffled, he read a letter welcoming Grace to the Yba Dojo for her first year of Krav Maga training.
"What the hell?"
"I think that's what Steve got Grace for her birthday."
Danny blinked. "Karate lessons?"
"I think he'd flinch hearing you say that," Chin smiled. "Krav Maga is a self-defense system designed by the Israelis."
"It's what?" Danny looked up in shock.
"It's noncompetitive, brah."
"My baby is not going learn how to be some ninja! What the hell was he thinking?"
"It emphasizes street fighting skills." Chin pulled out the workout pants with pride. "After what happened with Rick Peterson, he told me he wanted her to feel empowered."
Danny gripped the tiny uniform, imagining Grace pulling off some crazy kick with an ecstatic grin. Despite his better judgment, his lips curved at the image. Then his breath hitched, trapped by the tightness of his chest when it felt like an elephant sat on it. He still had his daughter. She was alive and whole and happy.
His hands shook.
"Goddamn it," he choked.
Chin wrapped an arm around Danny's shoulder while he brought the tiny t-shirt to chest. "After I yell at him for trying to convert my daughter into an assassin, remind me to thank the lughead."
Chin laughed. "Something tells me I won't have to."
18hrs:12mins remaining
Danny didn't remember falling asleep on the leather sofa in his office; the last few hours had been a jumble of fruitless searches and discussions. Something woke him and he sat up with a groan, knocking a file off his lap in the process.
He blinked, clearing his vision when he heard a knock.
"You awake?" Chin asked, pushing open the door.
"Yeah, yeah. God. Why did you let me fall asleep?" Danny growled, getting to his feet.
"You needed a couple hours, but we have a situation."
At the word 'situation', Danny fumbled after Chin into the hall and toward the bullpen. "What time is it?" he asked, clearing his throat.
"A little after four in the morning," Chin said, handing him a cup of coffee.
Danny took the offered Styrofoam cup, his stomach churning at the prospect of another caffeine jolt on such little sleep. He stumbled after Chin, noticing Catherine standing a few feet away, her face washed with anxiety. He was really off his game if it took him this long to notice her. It seemed like all the stress had finally taken its toll because she wasn't able to hide her worry under that cool naval officer facade anymore. The three of them waited in tense silence while Kono finished talking on the phone.
"That was Sergeant Benson," Kono said, walking over. "HPD completed searching our new list of locations, but they didn't find any sign of Maslov."
Another twelve locations. Another twelve needles in a giant haystack. They'd have more luck throwing darts at map.
"So, what's the situation?" Danny asked, looking directly at Catherine.
"As you know, Agent Khalid's team have been brainstorming ways to locate both Maslov and Steve," Catherine began. "But with the window closing, new orders have been sent down the chain of command regarding backup contingency plans if we can't find them before the auction ends."
"Backup plans?" Chin snorted. "Maybe if Five-0 had been kept in the loop we wouldn't need any."
"Ivan Maslov is a high value target," Catherine addressed him. "And as such, it's always been the number one priority to capture him alive. But if there is a chance that he might get away, then a kill order has been issued for the mission."
"Maslov's wanted dead or alive," Kono shrugged. "That doesn't sound too out of the ordinary."
Catherine held her body stiffly. "The NSA has also authorized whatever force is necessary to eliminate any threats Maslov poses to national security."
Things started to click for Danny in a very scary, paranoid way. "And that means?"
"It means if SEAL Team Four is unable to rescue Steve, they must ensure he doesn't fall into enemy hands."
Danny felt his face drain of color in absolute horror.
"What?" Kono gasped.
Catherine swallowed. "Walls have gone up on all aspects of this operation and I left when I was strongly encouraged by a friend to make myself scarce. Before I got in serious trouble."
Danny found it hard to breath. "Not only are we dealing with super terrorists, but now our own government isn't even on the same freaking side as us?"
"The NSA can't allow-"
Danny's world went red.
"Don't! Don't you dare defend this insanity!" he snarled at Catherine. "No matter what angle you look at, it isn't right to kill someone because rescuing them proves too much of a challenge! Steve's not collateral damage. He's not a risk assessment. Just because he became a SEAL doesn't mean he gave up the right to be treated like someone worth saving!"
His harsh breathing shattered the silence, and when Danny's heart finally slowed down, he saw the same fury reflected in Kono and Chin's faces.
"I wasn't defending the NSA," Catherine spoke up, standing her ground. "I've been in their shoes before. So has Steve." She held her head high. "But that doesn't mean we have to follow their playbook."
"Then we'll write a new one," Chin said.
"And we'll find Steve on our own," Danny told them.
17hrs:27mins remaining
Toast cradled his head with both his hands. "Dude. Seriously? What's with being kept prisoner, huh? I already did what you wanted me to. I can't track down the IP address of the guy holding that sick auction. I'm good, but even I can't trace something bounced over a thousand times from the original source." Toast held up his hands. "My services have been rendered and I wanna go home."
"No one's allowed to go home until we find Steve. You got it?"
"All right, dude. Take it easy."
Danny blew out a frustrated breath. "Sorry." Rubbing at his temples, he went for a different approach. "Look. Since when do you let a computer beat you at your own game?"
"Since I was hauled into Five-0 headquarters. I have a rep to uphold, man. Besides, I have other obligations."
"Rep? What rep? You gave up!" Danny mocked. "What would your hacker friends think?"
Toast rolled his eyes. "My rep speaks for itself. Online where it counts."
"And what if I gave you a way to improve it?"
"At six in the morning?"
"Fine," Danny huffed, headed to the door. "I'll go find someone else who would like to hack into the NSA's most important surveillance program."
"Whoa, hold up," Toast said, jumping to his feet, suddenly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. "Are you talking Chrysalis, man?"
"Maybe," Danny said casually. "But you need your beauty sleep, so I'll-"
"No way. If you can get me into Chrysalis..."
"Call it more like leading you down the yellow brick road. I can show where we were logged in last."
Cracking his knuckles, Toast spread his hands wide. "Then take me to see the Wizard, man."
17hrs:07mins remaining
"Can I get a Red Bull or something?" Toast asked, looking up from the laptop in the bullpen.
"It's seven in the morning, dude," Kono snorted.
"And your point?" Toast went back to typing and mumbling under his breath. "Okay, thanks to the fact that you guys don't have good security and that your NSA friend didn't cover his tracks well when he logged into the NSA server, I can see what they're tracking."
"That simple, huh?" Danny asked.
"No, man," Toast snorted. "I gave ya the dumb downed version."
"However you did it," Chin said. "Now we won't be in the dark."
"But that still doesn't help us find McGarrett," Kono pointed out. "Even if the NSA locates Maslov, they'll roll out a SEAL team much faster than we could ever reach him."
"Then we need to be one step ahead of them," Catherine said, crossing in her arms.
"That's easier said than done," Chin told her. "We need to know where Maslov is before they do."
"And it's not like he's advertising his location," Danny sighed.
"You could always win the auction," Toast suggested.
All four heads in the room spun around at the same time. Toast glanced up from his screen. "Wouldn't that be the easiest thing to do? Be the highest bidder and go get your guy?"
"Could that really work?" Kono asked, wide-eyed.
"Why not?" Chin said, his face bright with enthusiasm. "It keeps McGarrett on the island and Maslov provides us with an address that leads us right to him."
"Okay, but wouldn't this require us to be able to bid?" Danny asked, pinching the bride of his nose, because really. Why hadn't they thought of this before?
"Bid and win," Chin answered. "And we need Noshimuri to do it for us."
"And not only win, but agree to complete the transaction in person," Danny told them.
14hrs:52mins remaining
Adam Noshimuri wasn't anywhere to be found.
"I've got BOLOs out on Noshimuri's vehicles and there's four units searching for him," Chin said, entering the bullpen where Danny was standing.
"Where the hell is he?" Danny was at the end of his rope.
Chin shook his head. "I don't know. He must have slipped out during the morning shift change. It's not like he was under arrest."
"I should have locked him up in a holding cell," Danny seethed.
"Duke went to his home and business, but he wasn't there. Kono's coordinating things with HPD and Catherine is reaching out to a few of her people for help," Chin said calmly.
They were skating too close to the edge of the cliff.
Danny paced in a small circle. "Could we place a bid without him?"
"Not without providing a source of funds as proof of payment."
"Maybe Toast can do something?"
"I asked," Chin said, shooting down the idea. "He said he wouldn't even know where to start and you couldn't pay him enough money to mess with the Yakuza."
"But terrorists are okay?" Danny ran a hand through his hair. "We have to find Noshimuri."
"And without tipping off the NSA at the same time," Chin reminded him. "I told Duke not to raise any red flags."
"What time is it?"
"Eight A.M." That late already? Chin's mouth twitched. "Have you heard anything from Khalid?"
Danny wiped away beads of sweat from his forehead. "Not a damn word."
11hrs:28mins remaining
The smell of breakfast made Danny nauseous. He skipped the plates of eggs and hash browns someone had spread onto a folding table. He grabbed two biscuits and drank a glass of orange juice because he couldn't stomach another cup of coffee.
How the hell was he helping by standing around? He should be pounding the pavement or busting skulls. Steve would have set fire to half the island by now.
Adam Noshimuri was toying with them. The guy knew the stakes and he'd manipulated Five-0 for optimal gain.
"He's probably right under our noses," Danny muttered to himself.
Then the gut that'd served him his entire life told him what to do. He scanned HQ. Chin was with Toast and Kono had fallen asleep in her office. She deserved a nap.
Danny checked the safety of his Sig and went toward his car. No computer could ever match a cop's instincts.
8hrs:58mins remaining
He gunned the engine right up the iron gate and identified himself at the intercom.
"Mr. Noshimuri isn't available, sir."
Danny ignored the security guards with Uzis a few feet away.
"I have grenades in my car; if you don't open sesame, then I'll blow my way inside," he yelled back.
The gates opened.
The noontime sun burned hot on his back as he waltzed up the driveway. A posse of guards armed to the teeth actually escorted him to the door and took him inside.
Inside a grand foyer, Noshimuri lounged in a large leather chair, sipping tea.
"Did you miss my company, Detective?" Noshimuri asked, brushing lint off his burgundy shirt.
"I know you've been hiding out in plain sight. It's not like HPD can search the premises."
"I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about." Noshimuri feigned ignorance. "I told you I'd remain as long as I could. Was there something else you needed?"
"Yeah, come back to Five-0 headquarters."
"Believe it or not, I have do have a full schedule. I'm not at your beck and call."
"Either come peacefully or in cuffs. Your choice."
"Such hostility." Noshimuri quirked his mouth. "And here I thought we were new allies."
"We're nothing of the sort," Danny grit out.
"Are you not here for another business arrangement?"
Danny smiled with all his teeth. "You're like a drug peddler, aren't you? Teasing out your help. The laptop was free. Then the login, that was a small fee."
"And now you're here for the big score."
Here it was. No more dancing around.
"You know what we need from you."
"The thought had crossed my mind." Noshimuri considered Danny for a moment. "For over ten years, Ivan has evaded arrest. What made Five-0 think they'd find him in a few days? You need me to win the auction, and if I'm not mistaken, conduct the transaction."
Danny's whole body vibrated with tension as Adam casually sipped his tea. "That about sums it up."
"I think I could make such arrangements, but it'll cost you."
Danny knew this was coming. "What would that be?"
"There's a certain money laundering investigation I need you to sink."
"Are you insane?" Danny snapped, eyes bulging. "You want me to obstruct an investigation into one of the biggest criminal organizations on the island. One that happens to be the governor's new pet project?"
"And it must be no secret that my cooperation wouldn't come cheap." Noshimuri dabbed his mouth with a cloth napkin. "Do you know how many countries follow the rules of the Geneva Conventions? Not that it matters when it comes to terrorists. They consider water boarding foreplay. No, their methods for extracting information tend to lean-medieval."
"Shut up!"
"I'm well aware of the prowess of SEALs. And rightly so. They are, after all, among some of the most highly trained military personnel in the world. But tell me." Noshimuri licked his lips in thought. "How many days without sleep do you think McGarrett could endure before he started to break? How many weeks without food? Or days without water?"
Danny's whole body trembled in rage. "I said, shut up."
"I have associates, those who work for other people," Noshimuri continued without missing a beat. "They tell me terrible, terrible things. How to drill holes in the body to cause the most pain without death. What the maximum amount of electricity one could use to-"
Danny pulled out his Sig and shoved it under Noshimuri's chin. "Not another word," he spat, digging a hand into Noshimuri's shoulder. "You listen to me, you sick sonofabitch. You're going to win that auction and you're going to do it with a smile. You hear me?"
At least six weapons were pointed in Danny's direction, but Noshimuri signaled his guards to back away. "Take it easy; Detective Williams is under a lot of stress."
"Stressed isn't even the half of it."
"The choice is yours. Make a deal with the devil or pull the trigger. But without me, Commander McGarrett will probably be thrown in such a deep hole, you'll never find him."
Danny curled his finger around the trigger, could feel it move millimeter by millimeter.
"It's just numbers in a bank account," Noshimuri crooned. "Ones and zeroes or your partner."
07hrs:41mins remaining
"Where the hell have you been?" Chin demanded the moment Danny entered the bullpen.
"Following a hunch," Danny non-answered.
"A hunch? You leave without telling anyone? Don't answer your phone? What? Steve's not here so you have to start acting like him?"
A painful ache flared in Danny's chest at being on the opposite side of such a very familiar argument and he breathed harshly through his nose.
"I know, but I didn't return empty-handed." Danny jerked his head behind him. "You waiting for an invitation?"
Noshimuri stepped out of the corridor where he'd stood observing.
"You found him," Chin said, taken aback
"He was sitting at home like Little Miss Muffett." Danny resisted the urge to frog march Noshimuri toward the laptop and handcuff him to the table. "He's agreed to win the auction and complete the transaction in person."
"He has?" Chin asked suspiciously.
"He did," Danny said, tight lipped. He ignored Chin's narrowed eyes and glanced at Noshimuri with impatience. "What are we waiting for?"
Noshimuri flicked his wrist to check his watch. "Obviously, you're new at this. We have plenty of time."
07hrs:03mins remaining
He could feel Kono and Chin's eyes on him, but Danny ignored them both.
"There are ten bids now," Noshimuri said, studying the screen. "Who has the highest one?"
Toast looked at Danny for confirmation that it was okay to answer. Danny nodded.
"Qatif, Saudi Arabia."
Noshimuri leaned back in his chair and flicked his eyes at Danny and started typing. "The price has gone over three million."
"That's chump change for a guy like you," Danny mocked.
"Only those who do not value money allow themselves to believe that." It only took a few minutes before the head of the Yakuza relaxed in his seat. "I'm the top bidder. We'll see how long it lasts."
"It doesn't matter, because you're staying here to ensure you win this sick thing," Danny told him.
"Even I have limits to how much I'm willing to risk," Noshimuri warned.
"Don't you remember our talk?" Danny needled the man. "You're all in on this."
06hrs:49mins remaining
Chin and Kono ambushed him on the way to the men's room. Chin even blocked the door.
"Hey?" Danny growled. "Can't I take a leak before you gang up on me?"
"No," Chin said. He didn't budge.
"What did you do?" Kono asked.
"Made a deal."
Chin grit his teeth. "What kind?"
Danny's bladder was about to explode. "Does it matter? It's done. I made it."
"Without talking to us first!" Chin threw up his hands.
"Both of you would have made the same decision," Danny growled. "Now, neither of you are involved."
"Like hell," Kono said.
"Look," Danny sighed. "What's done is done. Now, could I please take a piss?"
"Not until you tell us what you agreed to," Chin said, crossing his arms.
Danny sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm getting Toast to corrupt the algorithm Steve developed to analyze the Tong's money laundering operation." Chin closed his eyes and slumped against the wall. "Without Steve's program, it'll either derail the whole investigation or stall it in enough time for the Tong to pull all their assets and transfer them elsewhere." Danny bowed his head, unable to look them either in the eye. "And it's untraceable. We'll have to say it's an error with Steve's coding."
"Danny," Kono whispered.
"It was either the investigation or Steve," Danny hissed. "I didn't have a choice! And if anyone finds out, I'll pay the price."
"No," Chin said, pushing off the wall. "The three of us will. We're in this together. No arguments."
05hrs:19mins remaining
Danny stared at Noshimuri as the man pondered the vending machine, wishing he could barter him for Steve. Certainly, the head of the Yakuza would make a good trade.
Then he mentally kicked himself. The guy wasn't even in the same league as his partner.
"What's the matter, Detective? You afraid I'm going to steal the last Twinkie?"
"Why help the Tong?" Danny asked. Between exhaustion and stress, he'd lost the filter between his brain and mouth. "I mean, it's no secret you guys would rather take each other out. You owe them something...or is it the other way around? You want them to be in your debt?"
Noshimuri popped in his quarters. "This deal puts me in a position to do something that I've long sought after." Snagging a snack, he glanced up at Danny. "I didn't lie to you when I said I was doing this for honor. But for the level of risk involved, I needed a sweetener."
"Where's the risk in this for you?"
Noshimuri smiled like a Buddha. "There is none - for me. Someone once said, 'Let my enemies devour each other.' McGarrett would agree; wouldn't you?"
03hrs:39mins remaining
He loathed waiting. Lines at the grocery store, gas stations. Banks. He couldn't stand banks. But this. Waiting on a clock to run out was pure torture.
Danny felt like he was running on fumes. That didn't stop him from pacing and bouncing off the walls. He was on his third circuit of wandering aimlessly when he spotted Catherine through the window of Steve's office. She'd shed her camo shirt, leaving the blue tee underneath.
He forced himself to open the door despite the guilt eating him up inside. "Hey."
Catherine startled at the noise. "Oh, hey."
"How are you holding up?"
"About the same. Sadly, I can't say this is new to me." At Danny's confused expression, she chuckled sarcastically. "I meant the waiting in the dark, not the whole kidnapping and international auction part."
Her words clawed at his nerves.
"I'm so sorry, Catherine. I..."
"You have nothing to apologize for, Danny. You didn't take Steve."
"No, but he gave himself up because of me." He wiped at his eyes to keep the moisture at bay. "He did it for my daughter. My Monkey."
"Maybe he did," Catherine said, not mincing words. "But that's who Steve is and that's never going to change."
02hrs:22mins remaining
Danny stormed inside the office when he heard Noshimuri had been outbid by someone in Indonesia.
"Why are you just sitting there?" he demanded.
"During the last laps of a race, you never go all out," he said while reading the paper. "You hang back and let the others waste all their energy."
"No one wants to hear you rattle off Asian philosophy from desktop calendars!"
Noshimuri folded the paper in his lap. "I know what I'm doing. We'll wait."
01hrs:06mins remaining
Danny tore through his office, jerked open the bottom drawer of his desk, and dumped all the contents onto the floor.
"Come on, come on, I know I have something in here."
"Hey, heads up."
Danny caught the bottle of Tylenol before it bonked him on the head. "Thanks."
Kono shrugged. "Figured I knew what you were looking for when you starting ripping things apart."
He tapped out two and tried to remember the last time he ate. It didn't really matter if he took them with food, but it went with how little he'd kept up with things like eating and sleeping.
"I had to get out of that room," Kono said, pacing nervously.
"Yeah, I couldn't stomach it much either."
That didn't stop Kono from checking her watch. "We've got under an hour now."
Danny grabbed his lukewarm bottle of water and swallowed the pills. "Guess we're nearing the finish line."
Kono rubbed the back of her neck. "You want to go back in?"
"We can't make time go any faster," Danny said glibly. "But maybe we should. At least it'll make me feel like we're getting closer."
32mins remaining
"Make the damn bid!" Danny yelled.
"I don't want to show my hand yet," Noshimuri said calmly.
But Danny couldn't help it. What if this was all part of the game? What if Noshimuri planned on waiting until the last minute just so he could pull the rug out from under them?
It was a good thing that Chin insisted they leave all their service weapons inside their desks.
08mins remaining
Chin peered over Noshimuri's shoulder. "It's up to twenty bids."
"Yes, it would appear that the groups in Yemen and Indonesia want to win this very badly," Noshimuri commented dryly. "Makes you wonder if this is about intel or if it's personal."
"It doesn't matter, because they're not going to win," Danny threatened.
"Five point six million is a lot of money, Detective Williams," Noshimuri reminded him again.
02mins:11 seconds remaining
Six million. Yemen seemed to bow out once it hit that mark.
Noshimuri poised his fingers above the keyboard, his eyes darting from the auction to the countdown clock in the corner. "It's all about timing," he muttered.
At the one-minute mark, the bid went up to six point three million.
Noshimuri grinned. "That's what I was waiting for."
His fingers hovered, but he still didn't hit a single key. Danny held his breath while Kono and Chin crowed tighter around Noshimuri's chair. Catherine waited anxiously a few steps away.
"You do see that there's only forty seconds left?" Danny blurted.
"Uh-huh," Noshimuri said.
Then, with ten seconds left, he placed his bid. Seven million.
The auction ended three seconds later.
Noshimuri sank into his chair with a smug smile. "Looks like I won."
***
It was a fleeting moment, several seconds where he could breathe again, where anxiety loosened its vise grip around his chest. But Danny took it and allowed himself to bask in those seconds of relief, his head dizzy with it. Then one minute became two, then three, his body thrumming with new bouts of adrenaline.
Chin studied the laptop screen with Noshimuri, his whole body strung tighter than a bow. "You got a new e-mail."
"I see it," Noshimuri said.
Danny tried standing with Kono and Catherine so as not to suck up all the oxygen by the computer. That didn't stop him from backseat driving. "Care to share with the rest of the class?"
Noshimuri didn't look up as he spoke. "It's confirmation of the bid. I'll get another e-mail with instructions for the exchange once they verify I have the proper funds available."
"Can you really come up with seven million in cash?" Kono asked.
"Yes, but all I needed to do was show them that I have access to it. I have no plans to withdraw that much money." Noshimuri folded his hands on the table. "Your unit has used subterfuge in the past. Now I am eager to hear all about your plan for the exchange."
"There will be no exchange," Agent Khalid announced from the doorway. "Because as soon as you get a location from Maslov, I'm sending in SEAL Team Four to finish this."
Danny had never jumped out of an airplane before, but right now, he thought he understood the terror of free falling. He was so furious, so pissed off, he'd lost the ability to speak.
Thankfully, Kono took in the impending chaos and escorted Toast, Catherine, and Noshimuri out of the office, whispering in Danny's ear that she'd keep Noshimuri under guard.
Danny and Chin exchanged looks of anger. Danny clenched his fists to help keep his temper from exploding.
Khalid had changed into another bespoke suit, a light pearl gray with a salmon colored shirt and another matching pocket square. This was just another day at the office for him.
"Where have you been?" Chin demanded.
"I told you. I had to update my team."
"That was last night," Danny reminded him. "What happened to staying in touch?"
"I don't know. What happened to keeping me apprised of your little sting here?"
Danny blinked in surprise, then put two and two together. "You bugged the place, didn't you?"
"I did," Khalid admitted. "I'm sorry. But do you really think the NSA would accept being kept in the dark? That we would allow you to keep the only viable link to Maslov in this office? None of that matters now," he dismissed, loosening his tie. "We need to focus on rescuing Commander McGarrett. When you get a location for the exchange, we'll send in the SEAL team."
"No!" Danny blurted. "No, you won't."
"Excuse me?"
"We already got the ball rolling," Danny said. "We've got an inside guy willing to do the exchange."
"Your team is excellent," Khalid sighed. "You guys have executed several complex stings before, but there's only three of you. And let's face it, without Commander McGarrett, you lack the military expertise to pull off one now." Khalid squinted at the laptop. "Looks like Mr. Noshimuri has a new e-mail."
Danny and Chin went over and read over Khalid's shoulders. The instructions were succinct and to the point.
"Sonofabitch," Danny snapped, banging his hand on the table. "Isn't Kahuku Airfield nearby?"
Khalid rubbed a hand wearily over his tanned face. "He's been right under our noses the entire time."
"I thought that was under military control?" Chin asked.
"Hey, over here." Danny snapped his fingers. "Where is it exactly?"
"It's an airfield on the northern tip of Oahu," Chin explained. "It's gone from civilian to military hands over and over the last sixty years. It returned to the Air Force recently, but it was closed down after budget cuts a few years ago."
"Which means none of us checked it," Danny groaned.
"No, we didn't," Khalid growled, angrily fussing with the hair in his face.
"I checked out this area for a previous case," Chin said. "It just went up for sale within the last few months, but technically it's still considered military property."
"Abandoned military property," Danny pointed out. "So, we're talking about what? A small base?"
"Complete with views in all directions and easy access for a helicopter or a small plane for escape," Khalid said as he paced in thought.
"All the more reason for us to-"
"What do you think SEAL teams do?" Khalid spun around at Danny. "This is a textbook rescue operation."
"And what if something goes wrong?" Danny yelled back, because nothing about this was freaking textbook. "Maslov strikes me as the human shield type and we all know he's the true target."
"Danny, please," Khalid sighed.
"And if he escapes?" Danny snapped, his face flushed. "Don't tell me if Maslov goes up in a plane, you guys won't shoot it down and everyone else becomes collateral damage."
"There's not a single SEAL out there who wouldn't do whatever it takes to avoid killing one of their own," Khalid hissed, equally frustrated.
"Is that why SEAL Team Nine isn't available for the mission?" Danny watched Khalid's left eye twitch. "Steve's not the number one objective, is he?" Khalid opened his mouth, but Danny couldn't hold things back any longer. "I know about the kill order."
Khalid fiddled with his Rolex and Danny knew he had him. It was now or nothing. Steve's life was in his hands.
"I know those orders came down above your head. I know you have a job to do to protect this country - that there's a bigger picture. But what's that worth if we're willing to throw away another life in the process? Someone who's helped take out dozens of bad guys. Who's followed every order given to him? Doesn't he deserve the utmost effort in saving him?"
"Danny, you don't understand."
"Then make me," Danny beseeched, his voice breaking. "You said you volunteered, that you wanted to help Steve. Then help me help him. Let us bring him home and the SEAL team can do whatever it takes to get Maslov."
"Do you know what you're asking?" Khalid whispered.
"All I'm asking is to let us get Steve out and then send in the SEAL team. For the first time ever, you'll know exactly where Maslov will be. If he makes it to a jeep or plane, blow it away. But let us rescue McGarrett first."
Khalid looked away. "I-"
"Please, Yasir," Danny begged, actually begged. "We can do this together."
"Like we did when we were kids, huh?" Khalid sighed. "Okay. You have five minutes to spell out your plan, because we have less than three hours before the meet."
"Good," Danny said, a giant weight lifting from his shoulders. He released a tired breath and wiped at his eyes, feeling rejuvenated. "Then fire up your spy satellite."
***
It felt like déjà vu as they stood around one of the giant plasma screens. The images were clear enough to distinguish the walls and doors, revealing a dozen human heat signatures. Three people patrolled the outer perimeter and the rest milled around inside the small compound.
"If I were a betting man, I'd say this is where they're holding McGarrett," Chin said, pointing at a room in the rear.
There was a lone, unmoving figure in the middle of the room with two people stationed outside the door.
Danny nodded, trying to lock down his emotions. "If they're keeping Steve drugged, two guards would probably be enough."
"Everyone else is moving about the other rooms," Kono interjected.
But Khalid wasn't impressed; he checked his Rolex. "You guys have two minutes."
"This is an image of the area," Catherine said, pulling up a live feed.
"Do I want to know how you gained access to the Navy's Pacific recon satellite?" Khalid asked.
"No." Catherine zoomed in on the building. "Okay, most of southern end of the base is overrun by jungle. That's your best approach to the compound."
"It's our only one," Chin added.
Danny studied the layout, tried to break down a rescue plan into its simplest components. "Okay. We'll use the meet as a distraction. Maslov's not going to hand over a guy trained to kill people with his bare hands, so he'll keep Steve sedated. Which means Steve will stay put until the money is handed over."
Chin moved around the table toward the plasma. "Maslov won't take any chances; he'll keep Steve under guard and use the brunt of his men as security."
"That only leaves a few others to deal with," Danny said. "We'll go in right before the transaction is made."
Khalid shook his head in doubt. "The kind of timing you're depending on-"
"Can be done," Catherine interrupted. "I've facilitated such missions before."
"Special ops missions," Khalid reminded her. "And what makes anyone think the head of the Yakuza would agree to be smack dab in the middle of this? I don't see Mr. Noshimuri agreeing to be the only thing standing between Maslov and an advancing SEAL team."
"He won't," Danny said and tapped his finger on Catherine's satellite image. "The road that leads to the hangar is what? A mile, two miles long? What if his vehicle were to have a flat tire? Or car trouble? Forcing Maslov and his goons out of the hangar."
Catherine smiled. "A sniper could take out the tire. Make it look like an accident."
Danny pointed at her. "Exactly. Serving Maslov up on a silver platter for the SEALS to nab right in the open. All that's missing is a target painted on his forehead."
"And if Maslov smells a trap?" Khalid pressed.
"We'll have Steve secured by then," Danny argued.
Khalid didn't seem sold. "There are too many what-ifs."
"We'll have precision on our side," Catherine insisted. Gone was her exhaustion. "I can feed them live intel from here just like I do in Naval Intelligence. I'll direct them where to go, what to avoid, and where every target is in the compound."
Khalid was wavering. Danny could see it in the way he focused on the map.
"If something does go wrong, you can still send in your people," Danny reasoned.
"How long would it take for them to deploy after your signal?" Kono asked.
"I'm not sure," Khalid said.
"Four minutes," Catherine replied. "Based on experience, the SEAL Team will come via helo. Probably from three miles out right about there," she pointed at the map. "If the helo is on standby, then you're talking one minute for take off. Two minutes in the air and one minute for the team to rappel down."
"Wouldn't that make them a moving target?" Kono asked in alarm.
"Trust me, they've deployed in far worse circumstances," Catherine reassured the group. "They have ways to immobilize the enemy from the air before boots hit the ground."
The whole team waited on Khalid to respond, but Danny applied more pressure.
"Maslov's arrogant. He's kept off the radar, flaunted his power, and grabbed Steve right out of Five-0 headquarters. He thinks we're chasing our tails, but we have the element of surprise." Danny looked Khalid right in the eye. "Let us do this. It'll allow the SEALs to focus on their true objective."
Khalid looked from both sets of satellite imagery to the faces in front of him. "What about equipment? We don't have time to assemble the type of gear you'll need."
Chin cracked a smile. "Oh, don't worry. We have that covered."
***
Five-0 didn't have an armory like any other police precinct. Unless, of course, it was supplied by a guns and ammo loving, paranoid lunatic. Danny entered in the code to the large storage locker and opened the door. He gazed at the arsenal with a frown, thinking how ridiculous and over-the-top it was - just like a certain SEAL.
Khalid stared, owl-like. "That's...um...impressive."
"Everything needed to stage an invasion of Oahu," Chin smirked.
"Or a rescue mission," Kono added.
Danny grabbed a M5 submachine gun. "Want one?" he asked Chin.
"Yep, and that Benelli shotgun."
"I'll take the M4." Kono shouldered the sniper rifle. "And this," she said, snagging another assault rifle.
"And what's a mission without grenades?" Danny snorted, turning his head to mock Steve and stopping short.
Khalid took a deep breath. "All right. We'll coordinate this together. You guys go in and get McGarrett. We'll take Maslov."
They'd been finally given the green light. It took three minutes to load themselves with enough gear for a small army. Danny smiled at the fact that they were ripping a page out of McGarrett's handbook. Steve would be proud.
Conclusion