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He stood on the water’s edge, the waves washing over his bare feet as he watched the sun slowly sink below the horizon.
He sighed silently and closed his eyes; even though he was aware that he was under the constant surveillance of his friends,
watching his back, ready to protect him if the need arose, he could not remember a time in his life when he had felt as isolated,
as scared as he did now. He just wanted this to be over.
He heard the crunch of tires on the gravel at the front of the house a moment before he heard the slamming of the car door
and the angry shout of his name. “DANIEL!” He sighed again and turned resisting the urge to look around for the
friendly faces he knew were hidden in the dark recess as he walked slowly back towards the house, towards the man who seem
to wield such power that he seemed almost invincible, Forcing a smile he stepped through the back door and warmly greeted
the man who stood by the table, “Hey Martin, what’s shakin’ Bruddah?”
The angry growl caught him by surprise and he had no time to react to the stunning blow to the face that toppled him backwards
into the wall where he slumped to the floor, a hard kick to his stomach drove the breath from his lungs. He gasped in pain
and tried to curl into a protective ball on the ground as he desperately tried to will away the darkness that threatened to
rob him of his consciousness.
“What’s shakin’ Bruddah?” Martin growled reaching down as he grabbed the front of the semi-conscious
man’s shirt and pulled him to his feet before slamming his body back against the wall. “What’s shakin’
Bruddah is the fact that you are a damn undercover cop! One of McGarrett’s little piglets! I bet McGarrett’s sitting
outside right now waiting to make his move!” Martin roared, his spittle hitting his victim in the face as he turned
and yelled over his shoulder, “McGarrett if you think can send in one of your little piggies to set me up than I’m
going to send you out some bacon!” He screamed to the shadows in the darkness outside the back door as he drew a knife
from his coat pocket and plunged it deeply into the young detective’s chest, laughing as the young detective cried out
in pain
He grinned as he heard the running footsteps and heard McGarrett shout, “Police! Drop the knife and let him go, Rodgers,
we have you surrounded!” Pulling the knife free, he raised it in preparation to strike again as he turned towards the
lead detective of the Hawaiian State Police Unit- Hawaii Five O. “Make me, McGarrett!” He taunted as he began
to arc the knife downwards towards his victim again.
The loud sound of gunfire reverberated around the small room as Rodgers jerked as the bullets struck his body. The knife fell
with a clatter to the floor only a moment before both Rodgers and his victim tumbled silently to the ground, neither man moving
as the gun smoke began to clear.
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Chapter 1
Chin sighed silently as he caught the flicker of hopeful expectation change to a look of disappointment before being hidden
behind the stern mask of his boss’ face when McGarrett realized he was not the man he was anxiously waiting for. Stepping
into the room, the oriental detective softly closed the door behind him before he announced quietly. “Rodgers is pau,
Steve, he just died on the operating table.”
McGarrett nodded, almost disinterestedly, before he turned away to stare out of the window. Chin hesitated a moment before
stepping closer. “Any word on Danny yet?”
“He’s still in surgery. Doc wasn’t hopeful when they took him up. His left lung has collapsed and they weren’t
sure if the knife has damaged his heart. He has lost a lot of blood. Bergman said it’s going to be touch and go.”
McGarrett answered tonelessly as he continued to stare out at the darkness before he suddenly hit the window with a closed
fist causing Chin to jump as he growled angrily, “This is all my fault Chin.”
“Steve, Danny’s a cop. He knows the risks of undercover…” Chin began but stopped as McGarrett turned,
the look of guilt and devastation on the dark haired detective’s face shocked him into silence.
“Danno wanted out, Chin, but I …” Anything else Steve was about to say was forgotten as the door to the
waiting room opened and Doc entered the room, the blue surgical cap he wore in surgery was still on his head and his blue
surgical mask hung forgotten around his neck, the expression on the physician’s face was grim McGarrett felt his chest
tighten in fear as he forced the air from his lungs to whisper. “Doc?”
“He’s alive, Steve, he’s extremely weak but he’s alive.” Doc answered softly as he reached for
the coffee pot sitting on the table and poured himself a mug, taking a sip of the strong brew before he turned back to the
two detectives who were holding their breaths for the yet unspoken news that they sensed was still to come. Drawing a deep
breath, Bergman nodded towards the chairs but did not comment when neither man made a move to sit as he continued. “Danny’s
condition is critical, the blade caused a extensive damage to his left lung causing critical blood loss and his lung to collapse
but it did miss his heart. We have managed to repair the tear and are attempting to re-inflate the lung. I’m sorry Steve
but at the moment it is touch and go. I just don’t know if he is going to make it Steve, I’m sorry.” Doc
finished softly trying to control the tremble in his voice
“Oh God, “ McGarrett whispered as his heart sunk at the pessimistic report. “Can… can I see him?”
Bergman nodded. “They should have him settled in the ICU by now. I’ll take you up.”
“Mahalo, Doc.” Steve whispered through his tightened throat as he and Chin followed Bergman to the elevator. He
heard Chin speak to Doc but never took any notice to what was said as he followed the two men into the elevator as the soft
mantra continually played over and over in his head. ‘This is all my fault, if Danno dies, it will be my fault!’
--------
Entering the hushed ICU room, Chin Ho Kelly was shocked at the sight of his young colleague lying motionless in the bed. An
oxygen mask hid the bottom half of Danny’s face and the white bandages that encircle his chest stood out starkly against
the grey complexion of Danny’s skin, several drips hung above the bed, their tubes snaking down to disappear beneath
tape that was stuck to the back of Danny’s left hand. Glancing at the heart monitor on a table next to the bed Chin
watched as s soft green blip flickered slowly across the screen – flickered too slowly Chin thought.
Swallowing hard, the Chinese detective slowly approached the bed and placed his hand gently on the patient’s arm, carefully
avoiding touching the plastic tube that protruded from the chest bandages and disappeared down the side of the bed. Lightly
squeezing the arm beneath his hand, Chin whispered that both he and Steve were present and that the young detective was safe.
Aware that his boss had paused near the doorway and was probably waiting to visit with the critical man on his own, Chin softly
admonished Danny to rest and recovers his strength, promising to return to visit soon.
Turning towards the man standing silently near the door, he waited for McGarrett to approach the bed, surprised when the lead
detective remained still, staring at the figure in the bed. Trading a worried glance with the physician standing behind McGarrett,
the oriental detective stepped away from the bed and quietly cleared his throat before whispering, “Steve?”
McGarrett blinked and broke the stare before slowly focusing on Chin’s concerned face. “I…I can’t.”
He whispered before turning suddenly and knocking past the shocked coroner/official Five O physician rushed from the room
leaving the two men staring in shock at the hospital room door as it closed silently behind the fleeing man.
Bergman stood silently for a moment before turning back to the stunned detective still staring at the door. “He’s
upset Chin, more upset than I have ever seen him before. He’s blaming himself for what ever happened tonight. Steve
seems to believe he is responsible for Danny being injured.”
Chin nodded, casting a quick glance at Danny before refocusing his attention on Doc. “In the waiting room he said something
about Danny wanting out…”
“Maybe you should find out what happened Chin,” Doc advised, “Whatever is going on with Steve, it is preventing
him from being here…if something should happen… and Steve’s not here…”
Understanding the meaning of Doc’s unspoken words, Chin nodded and left the room in search for his boss.
- - - - - -
Stepping out of the room, Chin found the upset detective pacing the corridor just outside the room. Hurrying to join him,
Chin gently grabbed Steve’s arm, determined to find out what was behind the out of character behavior of his boss, “Steve?
What’s wrong?”
“I blew it Chin! I blew it and let Danno down. He’s fighting for his life because he trusted me and I failed him.”
McGarrett whispered angrily, pulling his arm free from his detective’s light hold. “Danno wanted out. He thought
his cover had been blown but I talked him into staying under. I promised him that I had his back and at the first sign of
trouble we would move in.” McGarrett laughed derisively and slowly shook his head staring at the wall just behind Chin’s
shoulder, “Yeah, I really was watching his back for him, wasn’t I?” McGarrett growled softly as he turned
back to stare through the window at the motionless figure in the bed. “I pushed him to stay undercover, Chin, I ignored
the danger Danno believed he was in all because I thought this was our best shot of finally getting Rodgers off the street.”
McGarrett swallowed hard, ignoring the tears that now ran down his face as he admitted guiltily, “I gambled with Danno’s
life and now Danno is paying the price. He trusted me to keep him safe and I failed!”
“I don’t understand, Boss.” Chin said softly, confused why Steve had insisted Dan stay undercover with the
risk that Dan’s cover had been blown and more importantly why Dan had reluctantly agreed. “Why did Danny believe
his cover was blown and why did he agree to stay undercover? Danny is one akamai cop, Bruddah; no way would he stay in a dangerous
situation when his cover was blown, even if you did insist he did.”
Never taking his eyes from the man in the bed, McGarrett drew in a shuddering breath before he quietly began to explain the
heated conversation that had occurred between the two lead detectives only a few short hours before and that had been responsible
for Danny reluctantly remaining undercover. “Danno rang me at home this morning and arranged to meet with me on the
beach in the alcove just beyond Rodger’s house about ten. He said it was the only time he could manage to sneak away
unnoticed.
He was waiting for me when I arrived at the arranged meeting place. He seemed anxious, agitated. He told me that last night
Rodgers received a late phone call but Danno wasn’t able to ascertain who the phone call was from. Danno said after
the phone call Rodgers became quite agitated, almost paranoid, complaining that we were trying to set him up for a bust that
someone in the organization was on our payroll. Danno said he tried to placate Rodgers, tried to reassure Rodgers that there
was no undercover cops but Rodgers was insistent that his information was correct, that his contact had warned him that I
had placed an officer undercover. Rodgers was to meet with the contact this morning. Danno was worried the contact would point
the finger at him. ”
“Did Danny know who Rodgers’ contact might have been?’ Chin asked quietly.
McGarrett shook his head, “Danno suspected it could have been someone on the take from HPD. Rodgers seemed to know our
every move even before we made it.”
Chin’s eyes opened wide at the information. “I don’t like to admit it, Boss but Danny’s suspicions
could be right. HPD lost the surveillance on Rodgers for several hours this morning. If someone in HPD was involved than maybe
losing Rodgers’ tail wasn’t an accident.”
McGarrett nodded, “I should have pulled Danno out as soon as he mentioned the possibility of someone in HPD being involved
but I didn’t instead I talked Danno into remaining undercover, promised him we had his back. We were so close to having
enough evidence to convict Rodgers on importation and distribution of drugs and ordering the hits on Charlie Hakaki and his
two enforcers that I thought we could move in and pull Danny out safely in a few more hours.”
“Boss, you thought you were making the right move. Danny must have believed so as well or else he wouldn’t have
decided to remain undercover.” Chin tried to reassure his boss.
McGarrett nodded unconvincingly as he turned back to the window and looked back into the ICU room where his Second-In-Command
and closest friend now battled for life. “I should have pulled him out Chin.”
“Steve…” Chin began but was interrupted as McGarrett drew a deep breath and turned back to him
“If Danno was right and Rodgers’ did have someone on his payroll at HPD, I want to know who it was!” McGarrett
growled. “I want you to check with the phone company for all incoming and outgoing calls to Rodgers’ house last
night. Also check the HPD officers who were suppose to be tailing Rodgers this morning- find out just how the Hell they lost
him! Get Kono and Duke to hit the streets and squeeze their snitches and to squeeze them hard. I want to know just where Rodgers
went this and who he met with.”
“Done Boss!” Chin said as he turned to leave. Taking a couple of steps, the oriental detective turned back to
his Boss, “Where will you be?”
“I’m going to stay with Danno.” McGarrett answered softly, “I let him down once Chin, I’m not
going to let him down again.”
Chin nodded and watched as McGarrett walked to the ICU room door and opened it, stepping inside before he turned and hurried
to the elevator.
TBC
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