Just an Old Fashioned Love Song 3/4 (Hawaii 5-0)
Just an Old Fashioned Love Song 3/4
Author: Tari_Roo
Rating: PG13 (Gen)
Disclaimer: I own nothing, I profit from nothing. Although if I had my way Steve would be bare-chested even more than he is, we would actually ‘see’ Danny trying to surf and Kono would be a secret Cylon. That is all.
Summary: Danny took a CPR class when Gracie was born, just in case. Danny never once imagined that he’d have to do bastardised rescue breathing to keep ‘I’m a Navy Seal, I can hold my breath for five hours’ Steve McGarrett alive. Sick!Steve Worried!Danny
Spoilers: for season 1 of Hawaii 5-0
Chapter 2
As the soft green and white of Manoa neighbourhood flew by, the U of H’s buildings a blur, Steve took long, steady breathes, trying to ignore the pull in his chest. It was slight, barely anything at all, but it hadn’t been there half an hour ago and it definitely hadn’t been there this morning.
Maybe it was just Danny’s paranoia working on him, causing a psychosomatic effect, a whispered fear made true, but with Danny as your partner it was an annoying, nagging fear screaming in your ear. Any ounce of common sense would have had him agreeing with Danny and staying in the hospital. But he had felt fine, and right up until half an hour ago, had been fine.
But standing up on Round Top Drive, surrounded by lights and noise and a very odd dead body, he’d felt the first twinge. A jab, a hitch in his breath. And with Danny watching him like a hawk, it was easy to shove it aside, easy to push back and yell at his partner to quit acting like a mother hen. Only ... now that hitch was a pull.
As Danny screamed up alongside 5 Kolomona Place, home of Christine Mookini, who worked at a funeral parlour, who was dating Hank Nichols, ex-husband of Julie Greer, Steve leapt out of the car, ignoring the damp patch of sweat at the small of his back, and the tight jab in his side and ran for the door.
Danny was close behind, sidearm drawn, and Steve indicated for him to go around, take the back. Danny nodded, sharp and quick and took off. Approaching the front door cautiously, listening for movement, Steve paused, giving Danny time to reach the back. “5-0, Christine Mookini. Open up!”
Silence, only his heart pounding in his ears. Vaguely he heard Danny echo the same cry and then Steve shouldered open the door. The home was neat, well put together but there were signs of a hasty departure. Danny pounded through the kitchen, and shouted, “Clear. No sign of her.”
“Question is, did she leave before or after the kidnapping?” Steve gasped, lowering his gun. Danny was leaning down the corridor, and hissed, “Hey, have a look.”
Steve trotted out of the room and stared at the small guest bedroom. It was covered in clothing, girl clothing. Dresses and tops, small shoes and bags. Like a fashion whirlwind had blown in and tossed the place. “Guess they needed to be prepared for whatever Ashley was wearing,” Danny sighed.
“Yeah, but it still took some planning,” Steve stalked into the dining room slash kitchen, looking for any clues. Pulling out his phone, he dialled Chin. Waiting for the call to go through, Steve saw the picture of three people, two adults and little Ashley Greer up at Manoa Falls on the fridge. One of the adults was Hawaiian, probably Christine Mookini, and she was wearing a park service’s uniform. The man, no doubt Hank, was tall, fit, the outdoorsy type and Ashley was laughing in the picture.
Whirling, Steve strode over to the cork board over the kitchen counter, and stared at the maps of the Honolulu Mauka Trail System. There were no dots or arrows or neat little circles. But the trails could be picked up off Round Top Drive or Manoa Valley and ... could take days to traverse.
“McGarrett?”
Chin’s voice sounded tight and worried, and Steve barked, “Any luck at Hank Nichol’s place?”
“No. But there are bags packed. Kono says there are no tickets in his name or Mookini’s. What have you found?”
Smiling, Steve tapped the large area on the map and said, “A damned clue, that’s what. Meet us at Paradise Park.”
Ending the call, Steve whirled and nearly slammed into Danny who had snuck up on him. “Care to share with the class, Steveo? Or are you just going to go off on your own mission, Holmes, leaving us lesser mortals in your wake?”
Rolling his eyes, Steve took a deep breath, refusing to feel the hitch and pointed at the map. “All the hiking trails around here interlink. The body was found near Round Top, here.”
Danny peered at the map and nodded but before his constant verbal diarrhoea could take over, Steve turned and pointed at the refrigerator, “Girlfriend Christine used to work for Park Services, before taking up a career at a funeral home. She’d know those trails, damn well.”
“Ok... but?”
Not letting Danny build up any steam at all, McGarrett snorted, “So. Drive up to Round Top, and dump a body. Then hike into the park with your kid, her none the wiser, thinking it’s ok with mom and everything. Girlfriend meets you on the trail and you spend the next few days up on the trails while the island turns itself inside out looking for a murderer and not a little family hiking the Mauka trails.”
Reluctantly impressed, Danny nodded, “Ok. And then come down off the trails and head for the airport?”
Tucking his phone away, Steve nodded in unison and unpinned the trail map, “Only, by then they’d know HPD would have figured out their ruse, so I’m thinking they have another plan while up in the mountains. Maybe a private road, car waiting, and new identities. They just need time.”
“And HPD looking for everyone but a family.” Danny slammed his hand onto the counter and Steve was moving, heading for the door. “Kono and Chin are going to meet us at Paradise Park.”
“Where?” Danny huffed as he trotted after Steve, thudding down the wooden stairs. McGarrett pointed up to the Ko’olau Range rising above them, and said, “There. Paradise Park is near the entrance to Manoa Falls Trail.”
Shouldering Steve aside as he made for the driver’s side, Danny sighed dramatically, “Yeah, keep talking like I know where shit is.”
Sliding into the passenger side, Steve caught the wheeze just in time and sighed, “Just head up into the valley, Danno. I’ll tell you where to turn.”
Danny though didn’t argue, just gave Steve a tight look and McGarrett wondered if he’d actually caught the wheeze at all.
“Go.”
The drive was silent and fast, and Steve dialled Kono just for something to do, so that Danny wouldn’t keep watching him like he was going to keel over at any second. “Kono. You confirm the body with the funeral parlour?”
“Sure did, Boss. Caroline Simms, died of cancer three days ago. The funeral home is freaking out, her parents are threatening to sue.”
Shooting a look at Danny, who slowed minimally, Steve replied, “You call Chief Fong?”
Kono sounded a little put out, “Hey, cuz, watch the road. No, not yet. Bergman’s been delayed, he’s not at the scene and the entire island is on lock down. No one is taking my call.”
“Right. Just get up to Paradise Park as fast as you can.”
“Will do, Boss. If Chin doesn’t kill us first!”
Smiling, Steve ended the call just in time and pointed at the next right, “Take that one.” Danny responded automatically and made the turn with ample time. The rest of the drive was silent, Danny responding to his directions without a word. Figuring this case was hitting a little close to home, a father fighting to keep his daughter, even if he was breaking the law, McGarrett wondered if it was worth the trouble of bringing that up. Danny was a stickler for the law, always would be, but when it came to Gracie, hell, he’d moved to Hawaii to be with her.
“Hey, I know this one is a tough one, but...”
“Just shut up, McGarrett. I get the parallels and similarities, I do. So, just shut up.”
Sitting back in the seat, hoping Danny didn’t decide to distract himself by worrying over him again, Steve tried to calm his own racing heart. It shouldn’t be this hard to breath, not when sitting. But time was of the essence, before a father got away with kidnapping his daughter.
Danny pulled up into the Paradise Park parking lot, flipping his badge at the attendant. Clambering out after him, Steve took off up the fire lane, past Lyon Arboretum towards the old Manoa Falls parking lot. The run was a bad idea, and luckily he had got enough of a head start that Danny didn’t catch him gasping in the rough dirt of the disused lot. There were a few tourists and hikers about, either heading up or off the trails, and Danny was wiping at his forehead as he joined him.
“What did I say about running?”
Ignoring him, Steve pointed up at the forest rising above them and snapped, “It’s maybe a mile up to the Falls and then you hit some pretty tough trails.”
“Too tough for a kid?”
Shrugging, Steve checked that he had his phone, sidearm and the map, “Maybe. But with an experience guide like Christine and her Dad?”
Pulling at that damn infernal tie, Danny turned to look down at the car park, “So, we waiting for Kono and Chin?”
“We have time to?” Steve barked, to which Danny whirled and jabbed a finger at Steve’s aching chest. “Hey, we are acting on your gut instincts here, and as you said, they could be anywhere up there. So, yeah, we’re waiting on Chin and Kono.”
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It was a frigging sauna! Who on God’s green earth would choose to live in a sauna! Oh, yeah. Rachel and Stan, and by defacto, Gracie and Danno. Mr ‘I’m Fine’ Steve McGarrett was pacing in the lot like he was itching to go nature bashing, which he probably was, but on this Danny was firm. They were not heading up onto a nature trail without backup, no matter how well traversed.
Luckily, Kono and Chin didn’t take too long to reach them, Kono glaring at Chin as they ran up the fire lane. “Now I know why you ride a motorbike,” she groused but Chin just smiled. “We all set?”
Steve joined them and pulled out the map. Pointing at the steep trail, McGarrett sighed, “It’s straight up for us, until the Pauoa Flats, and then the trails spilt. But this is a pretty tough trail, one that Christine could handle.”
Nodding Chin pointed to the trails leading down off the Flats, “And these trails lead to private roads or even the Nu’aunu Punchbowl and the Pali Highway. They could be long gone, Steve.”
McGarrett shook his head, “No, not with all the road blocks and police presence. Eventually HPD will have to extend the search, and then they can come down off the mountains and head wherever. I think our best bet is to head up and ask hikers if they’ve seen Christine or Ashley and Hank.”
Digging out her phone, Kono said, “I’ve got recent photos of them, I’ll send them to your phones.”
Pulling out his own fancy piece of shit, Danny received the files and put his phone away. Looking down at his shoes, he sighed. These were not shoes to go tramping through tropical jungles. Catching Steve’s own glance at his shoes, and then his tie, Danny shoved his smart ass partner and said, “Times a wastin. Maybe they’re waiting at the Falls for us.”
Chin led the way, Kono close behind him, with Danny brining up the rear. Usually Steve would be vying for lead position and Danny filed that information away in the ‘Ah ha! You dumbass’ category of information on Steve McGarrett. Content to be at the back with Danny, Steve climbed steadily.
They met hikers almost straight away, the easy trail a popular day out. At first they got no hits on any of the pictures, but as they grew close to the Falls, a couple of hikers with massive backpacks, nodded when Kono showed them Christine’s picture.
“Yeah, we saw her on the Aihualama trail, not too long after the Falls. It’s pretty rough up there, the rains have been heavy.” They pointed up into the dim hazy jungle, the thunder from the waterfall already audible. That was enough for Steve to pick up the pace, and Danny cursed as he slid and slipped over the damp stones.
To make matters worse a soft rain began to fall, the clouds barely even visible and Danny threw up his hands, “Nice, thank you! Just peachy.”
Ahead of him Steve laughed, sounding a bit breathless and said, “It rains just about every day here, Danny.”
Not wanting Steve to get too far ahead, Danny dug in and clambered up, fully intending on shoving the smartass down the waterfall. As Chin cleared the forest and made the viewing area, Kono yelled out and pointed up at the trail above the Falls. There three people were awkwardly making their way down the trail, one supported by two. As they drew nearer, the pale, pained features of Christine Mookini became clear.
Chin and Kono ran to the trail and clambered up, helping the other hikers with Christine. Danny, far too damp, and sweaty for his liking was happy to let them. He shot a sceptical eye at Steve and felt his stomach plummet when he saw how pale McGarrett was. Steve wasn’t hunched over or anything, but he was breathing hard, and sweating... a lot.
“Hey, Steve,” Danny reached out but McGarrett pulled away, walking towards the others. With Chin and Kono’s assistance, the hikers had reached the waterfall base and limped Christine to a small bench. Her foot looked messed up and she was definitely in pain.
“Christine? Christine Mookini?”
She nodded at Chin, her lips trembling, pushing her drenched hair off her face. “I, I slipped. My foot... I...”
One of the hikers straightened and sighed, “She nearly went over, man. Luckily we got to her, and were able to help her down.” Kono gave him a grateful pat and pulled out her ID. “Do us a favour? Go down to the park and send up some help, yeah?”
The hikers nodded and trotted off, leaving Christine with the 5-0 team. Chin laid a gentle hand on Christine’s shoulder and said, “Where is Ashley? And Hank?”
If anything Christine went even paler. She started to stammer and shake her head, “I don’t know... I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Cut the crap, lady,” Steve snarled, “We figured your plan out. Where is Hank heading with Ashley?”
Christine looked up into each of their faces, looking for something, maybe sympathy before sighing at Kono, “I... we didn’t... “
Kono knelt next to her on the bench and said firmly, “Whatever your intentions, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s kidnapping. Where is Nichols?”
Staring at Kono like somehow an answer would appear, Christine shook and trembled before saying, “He’s waiting for me up on the Flats. Not too far from the Tantalus trail. He just wants to be with Ashley!”
Shaking her head, Kono stood and Chin quickly walked away, pulling out his phone. Steve was strangely silent and Danny kept a careful eye on him even as he watched Chin try and get a signal.
“Nothing, Boss. But with the HPD still up near Round Top, they are closer than us right now,” Chin said, pointing up to the distant hill to the East.
Steve nodded and sounded a little off as he said, “Head on down then, make the call. We’ll wait here for ...”
Chin was looking at Steve was well and Danny knew he wasn’t the only one. Steve was looking way too pale, and maybe it was the spray from the waterfall or sweat, but he didn’t look good. “McGarrett?”
“Go, Chin. Now!”
That was full lung capacity McGarrett and Chin took off. Danny though waved at Kono who nodded, and Danny snagged Steve’s horrendously coloured sleeve and dragged him towards the trail. “What’s wrong?”
Shaking his head, Steve tried to free his sleeve but he wasn’t denying that there was something wrong, though. It was difficult to tell with the damn waterfall, but was that a wheeze? Dragging Steve even further away so he could hear properly, Danny grabbed his partner’s arm and froze. Steve’s skin was cold and clammy, not hot, not sweaty. Looking up, really looking, Danny felt his stomach drop again, as he saw the lack of colour, the blue tinge to Steve’s lips.
“Shit! McGarret!”
The ‘I’m fine’ was weak and breathless and Danny was pissed, royally pissed. “Sit down, shit, just sit down!”
Steve barely fought him as Danny shoved him down, propping him against a tree. Kono ran over, shaking and cursing her phone and its lack signal. “Danny, what’s wrong?”
“The damn fool can’t breathe. You got signal?”
Kono shook her head, glancing back at Christine. Danny grabbed her arm and yelled, “Forget her, she’s not going anywhere. Get down to the Park and get some oxygen, now.”
She didn’t need telling twice and took off like a shot. Christine stayed plastered to the bench, quietly crying, but Danny was more concerned with Steve who was wheezing in earnest now. “I’m going to shoot you, you know that, right?”
Steve nodded and Danny hissed, “Deep breathes, in and out, in and out.”
“Not... pregnant.”
Williams snorted, running his hands through wet hair, his shirt sticking to his skin, heart pounding, “No, no, you’re just drowning on dry land! What did I tell...”
But Steve was grabbing at Danny’s hands, eyes suddenly round with panic. He was gasping, exhaling but nothing was going in. “Shit, shit, ahh....”
That damn CPR class may have been only 9 months ago but hell if it covered dumbass partners with pulmonary edema. But Steve wasn’t getting any air, and air was needed. So Danny helped Steve lay down flat, garish shirt soaking up the mud and rain. Tilting his partner’s head back, Danny waited to see if a clearer airway was going to help. But Steve was shaking his head, still gasping, still not frigging breathing.
“Shit!”
So, for the second time that day, Danny wiped his mouth, took a deep breath and covered Steve’s mouth with his and breathed.
One, two.
And another breath.
The irrational, still thinking a mile a minute part of Danny’s brain worried that he was only giving the idiot carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen, but since the moron of the year wasn’t getting any air, Danny continued to breath.
One, two. Breathe.
Steve tasted like sweat and salt.
One, two. Breathe.
Where in the hell was Kono? Steve was staring up at him with those damn huge eyes, like he was both pissed off and scared as hell and if that didn’t make Danny even more pissed off, nothing did.
One, two. Breathe.
“Come on, man!”
One, two. Breathe.
His stupid hair was falling in his stupid face, and Danny wiped it aside only for it fall back into his eyes. Rain and sweat, it didn’t matter, he was soaked and Steve was still gasping, and getting paler and paler.
“Shit! Kono!”
One, two. Breathe.
Danny’s chest was aching, heart beating against his chest like it was trying to climb out and beat some sense into McGarrett. Steve’s hands were fisting in the mud, as he fought his own body’s fragility, and his legs kept on twitching. Breath after breath after breath and Danny’s head was swimming.
“Kono!”
One, two. Breathe.
Straightening Steve’s airway, tilting his head back again, Danny wiped away the stream of sweat, or rain or tears, whatever and leant in for another breath, watching as Steve’s chest rose and fell.
One, two. Breathe.
It felt like forever, it frigging was forever, but suddenly Kono was there, shoving Danny aside. She had two breathless paramedics with her and they had oxygen and supplies and Danny let Kono move him.
And then Chin was there too, and more paramedics with a backboard and more oxygen, everyone shouting and yelling. Feeling more than just lightheaded, Danny stood, his suit pants covered in mud, hair falling into his face. Kono was clutching his hand and saying something, but he couldn’t hear over the waterfall and the pounding in his ears.
One, two. Breathe.
Chin was helping the paramedics put Steve on the backboard and in what had to be seconds they were off, carrying McGarrett down the trail. Kono moved to follow them, but Danny didn’t, snapping her up short in the process.
‘Danny?’ she mouthed, her own hair plastered to her face, the waterfall pounding them all into the ground.
Chin’s back disappeared with the rest of Steve and Kono tightened her grip on his hand. ‘Come on!’ she must have said but Danny couldn’t hear anything besides McGarrett gasping, wheezing, heart pounding.
Steve sitting in the car, arguing with him, laughing at him, calling him an old lady.
With a snarl, Danny whirled and slammed his fist into an unsuspecting tree. The solid thing barely moved, but his fist sure did, splitting wide open. And then the sound came rushing back, and Kono was calling his name. Blinking, watching the rain dilute the blood on his knuckles, Danny sighed, “Let’s go.”
And he let Kono drag him off, her eyes barely able to decide which was more worrying, his expression or the damage to his hand.
They left Christine to the two HPD patrolmen they passed on the trail.
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To be concluded in part 4, chapter 3
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
Author: Tari_Roo
Rating: PG13 (Gen)
Disclaimer: I own nothing, I profit from nothing. Although if I had my way Steve would be bare-chested even more than he is, we would actually ‘see’ Danny trying to surf and Kono would be a secret Cylon. That is all.
Summary: Danny took a CPR class when Gracie was born, just in case. Danny never once imagined that he’d have to do bastardised rescue breathing to keep ‘I’m a Navy Seal, I can hold my breath for five hours’ Steve McGarrett alive. Sick!Steve Worried!Danny
Spoilers: for season 1 of Hawaii 5-0
Chapter 2
As the soft green and white of Manoa neighbourhood flew by, the U of H’s buildings a blur, Steve took long, steady breathes, trying to ignore the pull in his chest. It was slight, barely anything at all, but it hadn’t been there half an hour ago and it definitely hadn’t been there this morning.
Maybe it was just Danny’s paranoia working on him, causing a psychosomatic effect, a whispered fear made true, but with Danny as your partner it was an annoying, nagging fear screaming in your ear. Any ounce of common sense would have had him agreeing with Danny and staying in the hospital. But he had felt fine, and right up until half an hour ago, had been fine.
But standing up on Round Top Drive, surrounded by lights and noise and a very odd dead body, he’d felt the first twinge. A jab, a hitch in his breath. And with Danny watching him like a hawk, it was easy to shove it aside, easy to push back and yell at his partner to quit acting like a mother hen. Only ... now that hitch was a pull.
As Danny screamed up alongside 5 Kolomona Place, home of Christine Mookini, who worked at a funeral parlour, who was dating Hank Nichols, ex-husband of Julie Greer, Steve leapt out of the car, ignoring the damp patch of sweat at the small of his back, and the tight jab in his side and ran for the door.
Danny was close behind, sidearm drawn, and Steve indicated for him to go around, take the back. Danny nodded, sharp and quick and took off. Approaching the front door cautiously, listening for movement, Steve paused, giving Danny time to reach the back. “5-0, Christine Mookini. Open up!”
Silence, only his heart pounding in his ears. Vaguely he heard Danny echo the same cry and then Steve shouldered open the door. The home was neat, well put together but there were signs of a hasty departure. Danny pounded through the kitchen, and shouted, “Clear. No sign of her.”
“Question is, did she leave before or after the kidnapping?” Steve gasped, lowering his gun. Danny was leaning down the corridor, and hissed, “Hey, have a look.”
Steve trotted out of the room and stared at the small guest bedroom. It was covered in clothing, girl clothing. Dresses and tops, small shoes and bags. Like a fashion whirlwind had blown in and tossed the place. “Guess they needed to be prepared for whatever Ashley was wearing,” Danny sighed.
“Yeah, but it still took some planning,” Steve stalked into the dining room slash kitchen, looking for any clues. Pulling out his phone, he dialled Chin. Waiting for the call to go through, Steve saw the picture of three people, two adults and little Ashley Greer up at Manoa Falls on the fridge. One of the adults was Hawaiian, probably Christine Mookini, and she was wearing a park service’s uniform. The man, no doubt Hank, was tall, fit, the outdoorsy type and Ashley was laughing in the picture.
Whirling, Steve strode over to the cork board over the kitchen counter, and stared at the maps of the Honolulu Mauka Trail System. There were no dots or arrows or neat little circles. But the trails could be picked up off Round Top Drive or Manoa Valley and ... could take days to traverse.
“McGarrett?”
Chin’s voice sounded tight and worried, and Steve barked, “Any luck at Hank Nichol’s place?”
“No. But there are bags packed. Kono says there are no tickets in his name or Mookini’s. What have you found?”
Smiling, Steve tapped the large area on the map and said, “A damned clue, that’s what. Meet us at Paradise Park.”
Ending the call, Steve whirled and nearly slammed into Danny who had snuck up on him. “Care to share with the class, Steveo? Or are you just going to go off on your own mission, Holmes, leaving us lesser mortals in your wake?”
Rolling his eyes, Steve took a deep breath, refusing to feel the hitch and pointed at the map. “All the hiking trails around here interlink. The body was found near Round Top, here.”
Danny peered at the map and nodded but before his constant verbal diarrhoea could take over, Steve turned and pointed at the refrigerator, “Girlfriend Christine used to work for Park Services, before taking up a career at a funeral home. She’d know those trails, damn well.”
“Ok... but?”
Not letting Danny build up any steam at all, McGarrett snorted, “So. Drive up to Round Top, and dump a body. Then hike into the park with your kid, her none the wiser, thinking it’s ok with mom and everything. Girlfriend meets you on the trail and you spend the next few days up on the trails while the island turns itself inside out looking for a murderer and not a little family hiking the Mauka trails.”
Reluctantly impressed, Danny nodded, “Ok. And then come down off the trails and head for the airport?”
Tucking his phone away, Steve nodded in unison and unpinned the trail map, “Only, by then they’d know HPD would have figured out their ruse, so I’m thinking they have another plan while up in the mountains. Maybe a private road, car waiting, and new identities. They just need time.”
“And HPD looking for everyone but a family.” Danny slammed his hand onto the counter and Steve was moving, heading for the door. “Kono and Chin are going to meet us at Paradise Park.”
“Where?” Danny huffed as he trotted after Steve, thudding down the wooden stairs. McGarrett pointed up to the Ko’olau Range rising above them, and said, “There. Paradise Park is near the entrance to Manoa Falls Trail.”
Shouldering Steve aside as he made for the driver’s side, Danny sighed dramatically, “Yeah, keep talking like I know where shit is.”
Sliding into the passenger side, Steve caught the wheeze just in time and sighed, “Just head up into the valley, Danno. I’ll tell you where to turn.”
Danny though didn’t argue, just gave Steve a tight look and McGarrett wondered if he’d actually caught the wheeze at all.
“Go.”
The drive was silent and fast, and Steve dialled Kono just for something to do, so that Danny wouldn’t keep watching him like he was going to keel over at any second. “Kono. You confirm the body with the funeral parlour?”
“Sure did, Boss. Caroline Simms, died of cancer three days ago. The funeral home is freaking out, her parents are threatening to sue.”
Shooting a look at Danny, who slowed minimally, Steve replied, “You call Chief Fong?”
Kono sounded a little put out, “Hey, cuz, watch the road. No, not yet. Bergman’s been delayed, he’s not at the scene and the entire island is on lock down. No one is taking my call.”
“Right. Just get up to Paradise Park as fast as you can.”
“Will do, Boss. If Chin doesn’t kill us first!”
Smiling, Steve ended the call just in time and pointed at the next right, “Take that one.” Danny responded automatically and made the turn with ample time. The rest of the drive was silent, Danny responding to his directions without a word. Figuring this case was hitting a little close to home, a father fighting to keep his daughter, even if he was breaking the law, McGarrett wondered if it was worth the trouble of bringing that up. Danny was a stickler for the law, always would be, but when it came to Gracie, hell, he’d moved to Hawaii to be with her.
“Hey, I know this one is a tough one, but...”
“Just shut up, McGarrett. I get the parallels and similarities, I do. So, just shut up.”
Sitting back in the seat, hoping Danny didn’t decide to distract himself by worrying over him again, Steve tried to calm his own racing heart. It shouldn’t be this hard to breath, not when sitting. But time was of the essence, before a father got away with kidnapping his daughter.
Danny pulled up into the Paradise Park parking lot, flipping his badge at the attendant. Clambering out after him, Steve took off up the fire lane, past Lyon Arboretum towards the old Manoa Falls parking lot. The run was a bad idea, and luckily he had got enough of a head start that Danny didn’t catch him gasping in the rough dirt of the disused lot. There were a few tourists and hikers about, either heading up or off the trails, and Danny was wiping at his forehead as he joined him.
“What did I say about running?”
Ignoring him, Steve pointed up at the forest rising above them and snapped, “It’s maybe a mile up to the Falls and then you hit some pretty tough trails.”
“Too tough for a kid?”
Shrugging, Steve checked that he had his phone, sidearm and the map, “Maybe. But with an experience guide like Christine and her Dad?”
Pulling at that damn infernal tie, Danny turned to look down at the car park, “So, we waiting for Kono and Chin?”
“We have time to?” Steve barked, to which Danny whirled and jabbed a finger at Steve’s aching chest. “Hey, we are acting on your gut instincts here, and as you said, they could be anywhere up there. So, yeah, we’re waiting on Chin and Kono.”
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It was a frigging sauna! Who on God’s green earth would choose to live in a sauna! Oh, yeah. Rachel and Stan, and by defacto, Gracie and Danno. Mr ‘I’m Fine’ Steve McGarrett was pacing in the lot like he was itching to go nature bashing, which he probably was, but on this Danny was firm. They were not heading up onto a nature trail without backup, no matter how well traversed.
Luckily, Kono and Chin didn’t take too long to reach them, Kono glaring at Chin as they ran up the fire lane. “Now I know why you ride a motorbike,” she groused but Chin just smiled. “We all set?”
Steve joined them and pulled out the map. Pointing at the steep trail, McGarrett sighed, “It’s straight up for us, until the Pauoa Flats, and then the trails spilt. But this is a pretty tough trail, one that Christine could handle.”
Nodding Chin pointed to the trails leading down off the Flats, “And these trails lead to private roads or even the Nu’aunu Punchbowl and the Pali Highway. They could be long gone, Steve.”
McGarrett shook his head, “No, not with all the road blocks and police presence. Eventually HPD will have to extend the search, and then they can come down off the mountains and head wherever. I think our best bet is to head up and ask hikers if they’ve seen Christine or Ashley and Hank.”
Digging out her phone, Kono said, “I’ve got recent photos of them, I’ll send them to your phones.”
Pulling out his own fancy piece of shit, Danny received the files and put his phone away. Looking down at his shoes, he sighed. These were not shoes to go tramping through tropical jungles. Catching Steve’s own glance at his shoes, and then his tie, Danny shoved his smart ass partner and said, “Times a wastin. Maybe they’re waiting at the Falls for us.”
Chin led the way, Kono close behind him, with Danny brining up the rear. Usually Steve would be vying for lead position and Danny filed that information away in the ‘Ah ha! You dumbass’ category of information on Steve McGarrett. Content to be at the back with Danny, Steve climbed steadily.
They met hikers almost straight away, the easy trail a popular day out. At first they got no hits on any of the pictures, but as they grew close to the Falls, a couple of hikers with massive backpacks, nodded when Kono showed them Christine’s picture.
“Yeah, we saw her on the Aihualama trail, not too long after the Falls. It’s pretty rough up there, the rains have been heavy.” They pointed up into the dim hazy jungle, the thunder from the waterfall already audible. That was enough for Steve to pick up the pace, and Danny cursed as he slid and slipped over the damp stones.
To make matters worse a soft rain began to fall, the clouds barely even visible and Danny threw up his hands, “Nice, thank you! Just peachy.”
Ahead of him Steve laughed, sounding a bit breathless and said, “It rains just about every day here, Danny.”
Not wanting Steve to get too far ahead, Danny dug in and clambered up, fully intending on shoving the smartass down the waterfall. As Chin cleared the forest and made the viewing area, Kono yelled out and pointed up at the trail above the Falls. There three people were awkwardly making their way down the trail, one supported by two. As they drew nearer, the pale, pained features of Christine Mookini became clear.
Chin and Kono ran to the trail and clambered up, helping the other hikers with Christine. Danny, far too damp, and sweaty for his liking was happy to let them. He shot a sceptical eye at Steve and felt his stomach plummet when he saw how pale McGarrett was. Steve wasn’t hunched over or anything, but he was breathing hard, and sweating... a lot.
“Hey, Steve,” Danny reached out but McGarrett pulled away, walking towards the others. With Chin and Kono’s assistance, the hikers had reached the waterfall base and limped Christine to a small bench. Her foot looked messed up and she was definitely in pain.
“Christine? Christine Mookini?”
She nodded at Chin, her lips trembling, pushing her drenched hair off her face. “I, I slipped. My foot... I...”
One of the hikers straightened and sighed, “She nearly went over, man. Luckily we got to her, and were able to help her down.” Kono gave him a grateful pat and pulled out her ID. “Do us a favour? Go down to the park and send up some help, yeah?”
The hikers nodded and trotted off, leaving Christine with the 5-0 team. Chin laid a gentle hand on Christine’s shoulder and said, “Where is Ashley? And Hank?”
If anything Christine went even paler. She started to stammer and shake her head, “I don’t know... I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Cut the crap, lady,” Steve snarled, “We figured your plan out. Where is Hank heading with Ashley?”
Christine looked up into each of their faces, looking for something, maybe sympathy before sighing at Kono, “I... we didn’t... “
Kono knelt next to her on the bench and said firmly, “Whatever your intentions, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s kidnapping. Where is Nichols?”
Staring at Kono like somehow an answer would appear, Christine shook and trembled before saying, “He’s waiting for me up on the Flats. Not too far from the Tantalus trail. He just wants to be with Ashley!”
Shaking her head, Kono stood and Chin quickly walked away, pulling out his phone. Steve was strangely silent and Danny kept a careful eye on him even as he watched Chin try and get a signal.
“Nothing, Boss. But with the HPD still up near Round Top, they are closer than us right now,” Chin said, pointing up to the distant hill to the East.
Steve nodded and sounded a little off as he said, “Head on down then, make the call. We’ll wait here for ...”
Chin was looking at Steve was well and Danny knew he wasn’t the only one. Steve was looking way too pale, and maybe it was the spray from the waterfall or sweat, but he didn’t look good. “McGarrett?”
“Go, Chin. Now!”
That was full lung capacity McGarrett and Chin took off. Danny though waved at Kono who nodded, and Danny snagged Steve’s horrendously coloured sleeve and dragged him towards the trail. “What’s wrong?”
Shaking his head, Steve tried to free his sleeve but he wasn’t denying that there was something wrong, though. It was difficult to tell with the damn waterfall, but was that a wheeze? Dragging Steve even further away so he could hear properly, Danny grabbed his partner’s arm and froze. Steve’s skin was cold and clammy, not hot, not sweaty. Looking up, really looking, Danny felt his stomach drop again, as he saw the lack of colour, the blue tinge to Steve’s lips.
“Shit! McGarret!”
The ‘I’m fine’ was weak and breathless and Danny was pissed, royally pissed. “Sit down, shit, just sit down!”
Steve barely fought him as Danny shoved him down, propping him against a tree. Kono ran over, shaking and cursing her phone and its lack signal. “Danny, what’s wrong?”
“The damn fool can’t breathe. You got signal?”
Kono shook her head, glancing back at Christine. Danny grabbed her arm and yelled, “Forget her, she’s not going anywhere. Get down to the Park and get some oxygen, now.”
She didn’t need telling twice and took off like a shot. Christine stayed plastered to the bench, quietly crying, but Danny was more concerned with Steve who was wheezing in earnest now. “I’m going to shoot you, you know that, right?”
Steve nodded and Danny hissed, “Deep breathes, in and out, in and out.”
“Not... pregnant.”
Williams snorted, running his hands through wet hair, his shirt sticking to his skin, heart pounding, “No, no, you’re just drowning on dry land! What did I tell...”
But Steve was grabbing at Danny’s hands, eyes suddenly round with panic. He was gasping, exhaling but nothing was going in. “Shit, shit, ahh....”
That damn CPR class may have been only 9 months ago but hell if it covered dumbass partners with pulmonary edema. But Steve wasn’t getting any air, and air was needed. So Danny helped Steve lay down flat, garish shirt soaking up the mud and rain. Tilting his partner’s head back, Danny waited to see if a clearer airway was going to help. But Steve was shaking his head, still gasping, still not frigging breathing.
“Shit!”
So, for the second time that day, Danny wiped his mouth, took a deep breath and covered Steve’s mouth with his and breathed.
One, two.
And another breath.
The irrational, still thinking a mile a minute part of Danny’s brain worried that he was only giving the idiot carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen, but since the moron of the year wasn’t getting any air, Danny continued to breath.
One, two. Breathe.
Steve tasted like sweat and salt.
One, two. Breathe.
Where in the hell was Kono? Steve was staring up at him with those damn huge eyes, like he was both pissed off and scared as hell and if that didn’t make Danny even more pissed off, nothing did.
One, two. Breathe.
“Come on, man!”
One, two. Breathe.
His stupid hair was falling in his stupid face, and Danny wiped it aside only for it fall back into his eyes. Rain and sweat, it didn’t matter, he was soaked and Steve was still gasping, and getting paler and paler.
“Shit! Kono!”
One, two. Breathe.
Danny’s chest was aching, heart beating against his chest like it was trying to climb out and beat some sense into McGarrett. Steve’s hands were fisting in the mud, as he fought his own body’s fragility, and his legs kept on twitching. Breath after breath after breath and Danny’s head was swimming.
“Kono!”
One, two. Breathe.
Straightening Steve’s airway, tilting his head back again, Danny wiped away the stream of sweat, or rain or tears, whatever and leant in for another breath, watching as Steve’s chest rose and fell.
One, two. Breathe.
It felt like forever, it frigging was forever, but suddenly Kono was there, shoving Danny aside. She had two breathless paramedics with her and they had oxygen and supplies and Danny let Kono move him.
And then Chin was there too, and more paramedics with a backboard and more oxygen, everyone shouting and yelling. Feeling more than just lightheaded, Danny stood, his suit pants covered in mud, hair falling into his face. Kono was clutching his hand and saying something, but he couldn’t hear over the waterfall and the pounding in his ears.
One, two. Breathe.
Chin was helping the paramedics put Steve on the backboard and in what had to be seconds they were off, carrying McGarrett down the trail. Kono moved to follow them, but Danny didn’t, snapping her up short in the process.
‘Danny?’ she mouthed, her own hair plastered to her face, the waterfall pounding them all into the ground.
Chin’s back disappeared with the rest of Steve and Kono tightened her grip on his hand. ‘Come on!’ she must have said but Danny couldn’t hear anything besides McGarrett gasping, wheezing, heart pounding.
Steve sitting in the car, arguing with him, laughing at him, calling him an old lady.
With a snarl, Danny whirled and slammed his fist into an unsuspecting tree. The solid thing barely moved, but his fist sure did, splitting wide open. And then the sound came rushing back, and Kono was calling his name. Blinking, watching the rain dilute the blood on his knuckles, Danny sighed, “Let’s go.”
And he let Kono drag him off, her eyes barely able to decide which was more worrying, his expression or the damage to his hand.
They left Christine to the two HPD patrolmen they passed on the trail.
*h-50*h-50*h-50*h-50*h-50*h-50*h-50*h-50*h-50*h-50*h-50*h-50*h-50
To be concluded in part 4, chapter 3
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4