A
HAWAIIAN CHRISTMAS CAROLE
Part Two
Written by Cathy Richardson
December 14th
Steve McGarrett had slept little. He
sat in a chair next to his aikane’s bed. Despite the
fact that Danny had been sedated several times during the night his sleep was
restless and fitful. He had moments of thrashing and calling in the night.
Steve sat fingering the small
porcelain figure. He had finally been able to remove it from Danny’s hand. A
small Angel with a broken halo and wing’s. Why had it been so important that
Danny had refused to let anyone have it? Duke had gotten him up to speed on the
details from eyewitnesses but most of it was still vague. Danny had been on a
small street called Lauula just off of Lewers when a large gray/silver Plymouth had sped by and someone
inside shot him. All eyewitnesses seemed credible but they had stated that they
were certain Danny had been shot point blank in the heart. Steve had guessed
the angle had caused them to think this, but Duke had said that three of the
four were standing in different locations along the street. The shot had been
powerful enough to send Danny backward through a plate glass window. All
reported the car had no plates and no one had gotten a close enough look at the
shooter or driver to make an ID. They did report that Danny had been talking to
a homeless person and had shoved her out of the way. He knew without asking
that it had to have been Eddy. Another coincidence?
Doc had stitched Danny up. He had
several cuts from his trip through the window, but he had reassured Steve that
the bullet wound in itself was not serious. He did have another blow to the
head from the fall backward. Doc was very concerned, but seemed to think that
with a little rest Danny would be his old self in a few days. Doc had not realized
that Danny had been anything but his old self for quite some time. Steve was
beginning to think there was more at work here then just a bump on the head and
that concerned him more than anything.
Time moved on, but slowly. Despite
the fact that Danny had finally seemed to be resting quietly he had not awoken.
Steve would not feel at ease until he was able to look into Danny’s compelling
blue eyes. Steve hated it when he and Danny would disagree or have words
because Danny had eyes that could melt an iceberg. He often found himself
looking at the floor or trying to act distracted when they argued, he found it
too hard to look at him directly. He found this out early on in their
friendship. He had thought how tough it must have been on his parents when he
was small to have to punish him. But I guess we would never know that for sure.
Steve stood and stretched, grimacing
as he did. His muscles still screamed at him but he had forgotten all about
them when Duke had called. He walked over to the window and looked out. Morning
had come and he hadn’t even noticed. He pulled the shades open to allow the
bright daylight into the room. He was apprehensive about turning around to look
at his friend knowing the light would reveal all the gashes and bruises he had
collected in the last two days. But when he did, Danny’s eyes were open and he
was staring at him. He was delighted, but something about the look scared him.
He was back at Danny’s side in one long stride.
He kept as much sympathy and concern
out of his face as he could muster, but he knew Danny could read him like a
book. Danny’s short curly hair was damp with exhaustion and pain. His skin pale,
but his eyes, Steve thought…his eyes were empty. Steve spoke in a lighter voice
then usual. One reserved for these kind of moments.
“Hey, Danno. How do you feel?”
“Sorry.” Danny said in a hoarse and
cracked voice.
“Sorry? Sorry for what? Danno you
don’t have anything to be sorry for. Some mad man is going around killing
people and shooting Five-0 cops. This is not your fault. It’s mine! I should
have figured this out by now and this wouldn’t have happened. I should have
been with you last night.”
“NO! Steve it isn’t your fault!”
Danny said as he tried desperately to try to comfort his friend who was feeling
guilty about HIS bad luck.
“Danno take it easy. You’ve had
another bad knock on the head and if Doc catches you getting upset I’m out of
here. Now let’s start over and you tell me how you feel. Not that you need to
tell me. I’m sure you have a killer of a head ache.”
“Yeah a killer of one… Steve…” Danny
paused while he gathered his thoughts.
“Yeah Danno.”
“I…I…You’re going to think this is
crazy.”
“Nonsense. Go ahead.”
“I…think I died.”
Steve sat stunned for a second
looking at his friend trying to find the right words, but Danny spoke again
first.
“See I told you.”
“No, Danno…Why would you say or
think that?”
“I remember getting shot. Did I
dream it Steve? You said I have a bump on the head.”
“No… you did get shot, but not
seriously. Doc said it was a clean in and out wound to your upper arm.”
“I…remember…remember. I got shot in
the…chest…not my arm.”
“Danno, you don’t have any bullet
wounds to the chest, believe me.”
“But…I remember it. Steve?” Danny
said as he tried to sit up but groaned as the pain and a wave of nausea
consumed him.
“Easy, Danno, easy. Just lay back
and rest. We’ll discuss this later.”
“NO Steve! You think I’m losing it
don’t you? You don’t believe me.” Danny said with a cracked voice. He needed
his friend to believe him to listen to what he had to say.
“No, Danno…I mean yes…I mean no… I
mean…” Steve said trying to be precise about what he was stating. “No, I don’t
think you are losing it, and yes, I believe you. I believe for whatever reason
you think that’s what happened.” Steve finished trying to console his friend.
“Right now, though, you need to rest and you can explain it all later.”
“You’ll be here?” Danny asked in a
soft and drifting voice.
“You know it. I wouldn’t want to be
any place else. Now sleep.” Steve issued his first order since Danny had awoken,
but reached up and placed his hand gently on the top of Danny’s head in a
brotherly gesture of reassurance.
***
“Sir, the target has been eliminated
as per your orders.”
“Very good Caruso. Now tell me how
is everything else going?”
“Sir, everything is right on
schedule just as you predicted. But if I must ask sir? What was the purpose of
taking out Williams? Five-0 was not even close to our operation. It all seems a
bit risky.”
“Caruso that’s what I like about
you. You have this insatiable quest for knowledge. And to think that our
government thought you were too unstable to be a soldier. Now what we’ve just
accomplished my young friend is... a diversion. You see, McGarrett was quite
fond of his young protégé. I have been observing them lately. McGarrett will be
so wrapped up in Williams’s death that he won’t have time to worry about our
little operation.”
“Sir, I can understand your logic,
but you see… Steve McGarrett doesn’t use that same logic. The man I know will
be more determined to find out who did this. He will leave no stones unturned.
Sir, I’m not trying to question your judgment, but I think we just made a big
mistake.”
“Son, we’ll be long gone from this
little island before Steve McGarrett has time dry his tears. If I didn’t know
better, Caruso, I would think you have a little hero worship going on there
with our man McGarrett.”
“No, Sir. I just respect his
abilities and wisdom, just as I do your’s General.”
The young man replied trying to smooth the General’s ruffled feathers. He
hadn’t intentionally meant it to be derogatory but he often forgot how
sensitive the General could be about men who challenged his supremacy.
“Just remember, son, there are no
real heroes left in this world.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Now let’s watch the morning news
and see if we can get a glimpse of your mighty McGarrett a defeated man.”
As the General turned on the
television set and tuned it to the morning news another man on a different part
of the island was also watching. The news would be startling to them both.
***
“SIR, I SWEAR I GOT HIM. IT WAS A
CLEAN SHOT!”
“Caruso, they just said he was in stable
condition and would be released in a day or two and you want me to believe you
killed him.”
“But, Sir. I’m a crack shot. You
know that. I know I got him.”
The General paced the floor.
Mistakes like this could cause him some trouble. Maybe Williams was dead and
McGarrett was playing along. He was cunning enough too. He would have to change
the rules a bit. He would show Caruso that the great Steve McGarrett wasn’t so
smart after all. “Two can play this game
McGarrett. I welcome you aboard.” The General whispered to himself.
“Did you say something, General?”
“No, Caruso. You go set things up
with Coffier and pick up the merchandise. See that
you don’t screw that up. We need to be ready to make the exchange and be off
this island by the 19th. Understood!”
“Yes Sir.”
***
Fredrick Lawson sat in a stupor. How
could he. How could Hicks have found out who Danny was? Maybe it wasn’t Hicks.
Maybe it was all a coincidence. As sick as Hicks is maybe he’s just playing
games. Hicks liked to play games with peoples feelings and lives. He sat and
reflected for a moment. He knew the time had come. He was meeting with Caruso
today; he was giving them what they wanted. If everything worked out as he planned
Coffier would have the “General’s” head on a platter
in a few days. It was time for this to end. They say the truth will set you
free. Well he would soon find out. Although free, he was certain, wasn’t where
he would be. At least his soul would be. And then maybe God and his children
would forgive him. Laura on the other hand…well only time would tell. At least
one good thing had come of all this. He’d found Danny. He only hoped that the
news report was correct and he was going to be okay. The poor boy had been
through quite a bit lately. He would meet with Caruso and then McGarrett and
Danny and take whatever punishment awaited him. He just wondered if Danny would
remember.
***
Steve had spent the day watching his
aikane sleep. He had awoken only once and they had talked briefly about the
shooting. Danny had told Steve that he had the eerie feeling of being followed
while he walked the streets. Then he had revealed that he had been standing
with Eddy on the street when the shooting occurred. He had been concerned about
her well being and Steve had told him that no one was sure of what happened to
her just like the day of the bombing, but no one had reported her being
injured.
Danny had given a vague description
of the man that pulled the trigger. Steve had later passed this info on to
Duke. It was not much to go on but it was more then they had earlier. He had
asked Danny about the little glass Angel and Danny had told him he had bought it
for the office Christmas tree. He had appeared disappointed when Steve showed
him that it had gotten broken during his fall.
And then out of the clear blue Danny
had asked him, did he believe in Angels. Not sure how to respond he asked Danny
the same question back. ‘Did he believe in Angels’? Danny became eerily quiet
as Steve sat and watched his friend struggle with the answer. He never got the
chance to; he dozed off again into a fitful slumber. Steve watched and listened
as his friend talked in his sleep and thrashed about. None of what he had said
made any sense. It was just a lot of mumble jumble. Danny was in some sort of
struggle from within and all he could do was sit and do nothing. He felt
totally helpless. Doc had been in to see him a few times and assured Steve once
again that he just needed rest. Steve knew that Doc was right. He had been
continually worried about his friend for weeks. Danny had put up a good front
and for what it was worth his work had not suffered. But he was looking ragged and
pale. Steve was afraid that his reaction time and thinking would be affected
before long if he did not come to grips with the demons that seemed to have a
hold on him. He knew from their talk up on the Pali that something deep and
dark was eating at him. Even though he had revealed that it was his past and
lost memories Steve felt certain it was something in those lost memories that
was disturbing him.
On several occasions during the day
Chin and Kono had been by to check on their friend. Steve had given Chin the
task of searching for an old bag lady named Eddy. He had given Kono the task of
checking out any one that could have a grudge against Danny just in case his
gut feeling was wrong and it had nothing to do with the case that they were now
consumed with. Kono had been in a bad way standing next to Danny’s bed almost
at the brink of tears. He was kicking himself for teasing Danny about the piano
key theory and wished that he could take it back. Steve told him that Danny
would be fine and he was sure he knew it was all in fun.
He had spent the rest of the day
fielding questions from the Governor who was in a state of panic. He had
explained to Governor Jamison that things would be fine. That Danny had
everything set and ready and he had planned for any possibility. He had even
assured the Governor that he would step back in and take over this year. The
Governor had wanted Steve to rub elbows this year with the rich and famous but
Steve was just has happy to be in his usual capacity as head of security.
Although he wished it hadn’t happened this way. The reporters had been ruthless
and Steve had ordered a guard on duty in the hall to keep them at bay. To keep
any one away who did not have clearance to get into Danny’s room.
Duke had been by earlier in the day
to say that they had found the car used in Danny’s shooting. It had been
abandoned a few blocks away and was stolen of course and wiped clean. Another
dead end. All the eyewitnesses were sticking to their stories that they had
seen Danny shot point blank range to the chest. Why would they lie? Three of
them were tourists and the other was a local just getting off from work and
walking to the bus stop.
Steve had plenty of time to sit and
think and there were three things that really had him bugged. Fredrick Lawson,
Eddy the bag lady, and the man on the street the other day. He would love to
have another nice long talk with Lawson. Steve had many questions unanswered.
He had never really pushed Lawson, giving him the benefit of the doubt, but
after the piano keys clue and several other clues that came to mind he was
reconsidering. When Danny was more alert and he knew that he would be okay to
leave briefly. Lawson was his first order of business. The bag lady may just be
a coincidence but he wasn’t going to leave any thing to chance. Not now, and he
chastised himself for not being more diligent before now. Why? Why had he not
done a better job on this case then he had? If he had, Danno wouldn’t be lying
here now. The man on the street was the most disturbing. Now, after Danny
admission of feeling followed, he was certain that the man was not his
imagination at work; that this man played a part in this somehow. Why could he
not place this man? He knew he had only gotten a brief look at him, but it was
usually was all it took.
The guard had stepped in several
times to tell Steve that there had been two men asking about Danny but he had
sent them away. Steve had asked if they had identified themselves and he had
said that they had not. He went on to explain that both were older men and
appeared to be in their sixties. He had said that there had also been several
reporters but they were easy to spot and he had sent them away as well.
***
Fredrick Lawson had tried to get in
to see Danny Williams, but had been turned away. In truth he had almost been
glad. He was losing his nerve as the elevator approached the floor that Danny
was on. An HPD officer was standing guard and had not even let him get close to
the room. He had been glad that McGarrett was seeing to his friend’s safety,
but he had no idea how easily Hicks could get around one guard should he want
to. He had decided to try again when Danny was released. He didn’t want to
cause a scene. Until that is, the elevator opened to the ground floor and
standing before him was Hicks. They both had been caught off guard by each
other’s presence.
“Lawson what are you doing here?”
Lawson couldn’t let Hicks know why
he was there. Not if his plan was to succeed. So he lied. “It’s really none of
your business, Hicks. Our business has concluded. But if you must know. I just
dropped of some lab reports off. What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to see a sick friend. Not
that it’s any business of yours.”
“You actually have a friend, Hicks?
I find that hard to believe.” Lawson sneered back as he stepped from the
elevator and walked toward the doors.
Hicks watched him as he walked
outside into the sunlight. He had had enough of Fredrick Lawson. His time just
ran out.
Fredrick Lawson sat in his car and
watched the door of the hospital. He wanted to see how long Hicks stayed. He
only hoped that McGarrett was in the room with Danny. That one HPD officer
would be putty in Hicks hands if he wanted in the room badly enough. He offered
a silent prayer for Danny and hoped that he remained safe. He knew he would
have to try harder to get to McGarrett and Danny but he had to be covert about
it.
***
“Caruso tell Coffier
that we have merchandise in hand and we are ready to deal. You know where and
when.” The General barked his orders.
“Yes, Sir. I’ll go by his hotel in
the morning and finalize everything.”
“No, Caruso tonight. Wake him up if
you must. I have something else for you to take care of tomorrow.”
Caruso was slow to respond. He was a
bit confused. He had thought that everything was finished and now all that
remained to be done was make the exchange. He really never questioned why they
had to wait until the 18th since he had already probed the General
on too many other occasions about other aspects of the op. “Yes, Sir.”
“Do you have a problem with that
Caruso?”
“No, Sir.”
“Good… Oh, and Caruso, just so you
know, you didn’t kill Williams. I was by the hospital today and he’s very much
alive.” He watched for a reaction but when one didn’t materialize he decided to
give him his instructions for the next day. “Tomorrow I want you to take out
Lawson…and let’s see if you can get this one right.”
Caruso’s look gave him away. Hicks
was wondering whether he was losing his man’s allegiance. “Do you have a
problem with that son?”
“No, Sir, not exactly. I don’t
understand though. Lawson has given you everything you asked of him and after
what we did to his two…”
Caruso was abruptly interrupted by
the General before he had time to finish. “Lawson has become a liability and an
irritation. I want him dead by tomorrow night. You pick the place and the
method. I’ll leave you with all the details you just see that it’s done! But be
sure this time you don’t miss your target.”
“Yes, Sir.” Caruso replied but not
very enthusiastically.
***
December 15th
Danny was standing on the beach crying. Pointing at the
ocean. But it wasn’t really him. It was a little boy and he was crying over
something lost. He couldn’t remember what it was he lost. He just knew he
wanted it back. Then a beautiful woman appeared. She glowed like a light and
then she spoke. Her voice was like music as she tried to comfort him. “Danny”
she said. She knew his name. It really was him. “Danny you don’t need Eddy
anymore. You’re a big boy now.”
He continued to cry and a man appeared. A big kind man and he
took him in his arms and tried to comfort him as well. Only the man promised to
help find Eddy. The man had a funny voice and Danny liked it when he spoke to
him. “Danny the waves will bring Eddy back. We will look tomorrow when it’s
light again I promise.”
Where was Eddy? Eddy come back! Eddy please come back! I want
you Eddy! He was shouting Eddy’s name when
he awoke with Steve standing over him trying to calm him. He was breathing hard
and his eyes were filled with tears. What was wrong with him? Steve was going
to think he was losing it if this didn’t stop soon. He tried to compose himself
as Steve tried to comfort him or maybe humor him.
“Danno you were dreaming again.
About the old bag lady I think. I have Chin trying to track her down. Are you
going to be okay?”
Danny was confused at first and then
he remembered the dream. Eddy, why was he trying to find Eddy in his dream? He
must have called for her. Who were the man and woman? He knew them but from
where? Then it dawned on him what Steve had said.
“Why do you have Chin looking for
Eddy?”
“Well, Danno, I think maybe your
Eddy might know something she could tell us. Like who shot you. Why does she
keep disappearing?”
Danny thought for a second. Was
Steve saying what he thought he was? “Steve you’re trying to say Eddy is
involved in all of this? That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it Danno? Think about it. She
was there when Carole Lawson jumped. She was there when the shack blew up and
she was there the other night when you were shot. Now either she is involved or
that is an awful lot of coincidence. And I prefer to think that she is somehow
involved. Maybe not directly but she may be able to enlighten us.”
Danny never reacted to Steve’s
theory because he had one of his own and he would bet money that Chin wouldn’t
find Eddy until she wanted to be found. He wouldn’t even mention to Steve who
he thought…no knew who Eddy was. She saved him. Or he had one wild vivid dream
that he wasn’t quite ready to share with anyone just yet. Or he thought to
himself maybe he really was losing it.
“Steve did you say the other night?
How long have I been out of it?”
“Well, Danno actually it’s almost
noon of the 15th. I haven’t opened the curtains because I thought
you could rest better if we kept the light out.” Steve replied as he walked
over and pulled the curtains open letting the beautiful Hawaiian sunshine into
the room.
“Noon of the 15th? I’ve
been asleep that long?”
Steve turned around and was pleased
that Danno’s color was already improving even if his face and body was covered
in cuts and bruises. “You needed to rest, Danno. Even before this. You were on
the verge of collapse. Doc gave you a strong sedative.”
Danny eyed his friend. He had a lot
of room to talk. He looked pretty rough himself and he knew he was most likely
the cause. “Steve are you okay? You look
awful? How’s the shoulder?”
“Thanks a lot… I’m okay now.” Steve
said as he eyed his friend and grinned. Both sharing the meaning without having
to say anything further. It was one thing that they both shared that made their
friendship unique.
***
It was late afternoon and Danny was
feeling and looking better and for this Steve was thankful. Doc had been in to
see him and was pleased as well. He even praised them for finally following
orders. Danny had made the mistake and asked when he could leave and Doc had
commented he had talked too soon. Once a McGarrett man always one. He had
ordered Steve to let the nurse redress his burned shoulder and left saying that
he had quieter and more cooperative patients awaiting him. And as he had turned
to leave he commented that he had forgotten to mention that the man in the
shack that had blown up was not Joseph Piilani. The
man in the shack had very extensive dental work and after finally receiving Piilani’s dental work from
Jenny had come by shortly after
lunch and had cried at the sight of Danny’s cuts and bruises, and had made over
the both of them like an old mother hen. Chin and Kono had both stopped in.
Chin said that their bag lady did not exist or she was really not a bag lady
after all. Danny had thought to himself that Chin was on the right track but
wouldn’t he think him really crazy if he uttered who he thought she really was.
Kono had found no one with grudges against Danny from any old or new cases. So
they had both struck out, but Steve had not been surprised. They both had left
and Steve had thought of going as well, so Danny could rest some more. He had
some people to see and places to go but all of a sudden he heard a commotion in
the corridor. Opening the door to the clamor Steve was surprised to see
Fredrick Lawson arguing with the HPD guard. He was trying desperately to persuade
the guard to let him speak with McGarrett. Steve heard his pleas. He wanted to
speak with him as well but was not sure this was the time or place. Steve
exited the room into the corridor to confront the man. Lawson was holding the
picture album and trinket box that his wife always held in her arms. He seemed
relieved to finally see McGarrett face to face. The man was extremely nervous
and profusely sweating. His eyes were constantly scanning the corridor.
“Mr. McGarrett I have been trying to
tell your man here that I must speak with you that it’s of the utmost
importance.”
“It’s okay Simms. I’ll take care of
it from here.” Steve said excusing the HPD officer. “Lawson this is not the
time or place.”
“I’m afraid you’re wrong about that
my young friend. This is the only time and place. If I do not speak with you
today…now… there will be no other time.”
Steve McGarrett stood eyeing the man
soaking up the info he had just presented. What was it Lawson meant by that
statement? Maybe he was leaving
“Lawson, Detective Williams doesn’t
need to be disturbed. He’s not well. Maybe we can do this downstairs.”
The man stood for a moment thinking
of what to say or how to say it. “Mister McGarrett, I know I have not been very
cooperative and I have behaved badly to you and Danny, but you must believe me
when I tell you I had very good reasons. And those reasons are why I am here. I
know you don’t understand now, but I wish for you to let me explain so that you
may. I would like to please see Danny and tell him something. I hope that it
will not upset him, but it is something that I think he will want to know. It
will explain my wife’s strange behavior in his presence.”
Steve stood for another moment as he
absorbed what Lawson had just said. What could he want to tell Danny? “Okay
Lawson, but if you upset Danno in any way you are out do you understand?”
“I understand Mister McGarrett.” He
replied and then very small grinned passed over his face and he said. “It’s
good that the two of you are such good friends. I like your name for
Danny…Danno. It suits him.
***
A young haole
man with blonde, close cropped hair stood in a phone booth near the Queens
Medical Center. He had been given an assignment that he detested. Fredrick
Lawson seemed to be a good man and he had already suffered enough at the hands
of the General. But now Lawson had made a mistake and even if he had not wanted
to before, he had no choice now. The General’s first rule was under no
circumstances to fraternize with the enemy. He hadn’t been able to find the
right opportunity all day to take out Lawson and if he knew he had any other
choice he would have just forgot the whole thing altogether. But after
following Lawson covertly into the hospital and watching him take the floor to
Williams room he had no other choice. If Lawson talked they were all finished.
The ringing phone was answered. “Sir,
we have a problem.”
“DON’T TELL ME YOU BUNGLED THIS
ONE!”
“No, Sir. I’ve been waiting on the
right opportunity all day. He’s been very elusive; he lost me briefly. I think
he knows what’s going to happen. I caught up with him at the hospital, Sir... I
believe he is talking to Williams and McGarrett as we speak.”
“Take him out NOW before he has time
to tell them anything. Maybe you can stop him before he gives away our meeting
place with Coffier.”
“But, Sir he’s inside the hospital.”
“FOR GOD’S SAKE USE YOUR HEAD SON!
There’re windows aren’t there?”
“Yes, Sir providing the curtains
aren’t drawn and I can get into position.”
“WELL, THEN, GET TO IT NOW! AND
DON’T MISS. UNDERSTOOD!”
“Yes, Sir!”
***
McGarrett held the door open as
Lawson entered. Danny was lying with his bed in an upright position and his
eyes closed. When he heard the door he opened them, Fredrick Lawson and Steve
were entering. He was shocked to say the least. He was shocked that Steve would
allow Lawson in his room. He’d been very protective and had only let a few
people in to see him.
Lawson walked over to the side of
the bed and a deep calming feeling overcame him. He wouldn’t have to hide or
lie any longer. He could finally cleanse his soul and hope that for all the bad
things that had happened he could make one good thing happen before it was too
late. “Hallo young Danny, Ich kannte
Du vor ein
langer Zeit.”
Danny looked puzzled and very
confused, Lawson was speaking in German.
McGarrett wasn’t surprised, he had
known since the night he figured out the code. He only needed proof and this
was it. In a long awaited and justifiable outburst McGarrett came to life. It
was reasonably controlled but very direct. “YOU! You’re the Nazi? I knew it!”
Danny’s eyes widened and he sat up
grimacing as he did. “What’s going on?”
Fredrick Lawson stood immobile
unable to speak. How had McGarrett figured it out? Before he could reply or
deny McGarrett spoke again answering his friend’s question. “Danno you were
right about the piano wires. I figured them out the other night. I used a
different way to decode them and it spelled something alright. It spelled
NAZI!” He said as he glared at Lawson.
“Mister McGarrett you aren’t going
to make this easy are you?”
“Easy! How dare you! What’s your
involvement in all of this? Your own daughter’s death? Danny’s shooting?”
“I’ll explain everything I promise.
But there isn’t a lot of time. When I walk from this hospital I’ll be a dead
man. So please let me do this my way so I can try to make you understand. I
didn’t mean for anything to happen to Danny. I would have cut off my arm
first.” His voice had suddenly transformed and he spoke with a slight German
accent. He looked away from McGarrett’s wrath into Danny’s azure eyes. “Your
eyes always gave you away. Helle augen.”
He then turned his attention back toward McGarrett. “You never said what my
Carole Ann was poisoned with.”
“You never asked either.” He sneered
back. Steve McGarrett was set on explode but he wanted this man to tell him
what he wanted to know so he held his composure for a bit longer.
“Mister McGarrett you have every
right to hate me. I’m a coward. If I had been any kind of man I would still
have my son and daughter…alive at least… Was Carole poisoned with sodium fluoroacetate?” He stood and waited for the answer he knew
without asking but he still had to hear it out loud.
“Yes that’s right 1080. Suppose you
tell me how you know that? It was never released to the public.”
Lawson almost crumbled. He brought
his hand to his mouth and tried to stifle a sob. Taking a deep breath he looked
at both Danny and Steve before saying. “There are sick people in this world and
this island has one in its midst as we speak. You’re right McGarrett, I’m a
Nazi. Hitler surrounded himself with people that made him powerful and smart.
And what most don’t know is that a small portion of those people had no choice
in the matter. He wanted people with brilliant minds and skills that could help
him fight his sick war even if it meant using men who hated him.” He paused
briefly and looked up from the floor to see he had a captive audience. “I
gentlemen was one of those men and whether you care to believe me or not is not
the issue now. I was a young chemist and scientist before the war. I wanted to
invent things to help mankind, not kill them. To better our lives. The medical
field mainly held my fascination. Trying to help them advance pass the days of
plagues and childhood sicknesses. But I made one dreadful discovery back before
the war ever started. I wanted to rid the country of rodents. To prevent
bubonic plague from rising its ugly head again. So I invented something called
sodium fluoroacetate.” He watched as Danny and
Steve’s expression both changed to shock. “That’s right. I invented it, and it
has been my curse and cross to bear ever since. In essence it ruined my
life…Hitler wanted me on his team but I refused… so he killed my brother. He
threatened to kill my parents as well and I had a little sister. What was I to
do?” Lawson was getting shaky and appeared to being ready to collapse. Danny
and Steve both noticed at the same time.
“Steve!” Danny raised his voice in
alarm as he tried to reach out to the man and steady him. Steve took him by the
arm and led him to the chair next to Danny’s bed that backed up to the window.
But he still held on tightly to the items in his arms.
“I’m okay. It’s just I’ve never told
this story to anyone. Not even Laura, at least not the whole story.”
“Lawson… or whoever you are. I want
to know who killed your daughter and who did this to Danno. Then you can tell
us the rest of the story later.” Steve said with anger in his voice.
Lawson looked up at him with
pleading eyes. “Please let me finish. I may never get another chance and I have
to…” He hesitated. “I have to tell Danny the truth. But please let me do it my
way. It’s all I ask, and then you can do with me whatever it is you wish.”
“What are you talking about Lawson?
What do you mean the truth?”
“Helle Augen, it means bright eyes. I used to call you that. Do
you remember Danny?”
“I don’t know you Lawson. We’ve
never met.” Danny replied totally dumbfounded.
“Yes, Danny, we have but I’m not who
you think I am. You once knew a man called Gabriel Von Kaiser and it was a long
time ago. I didn’t know you at first; when you came to tell us about our Carole.
But then Laura recognized you. That’s when I knew. I looked into your eyes and
I knew it was really you…” The man teared up once
again. “I thought you were dead. It was then I couldn’t let him find out I knew
you or that you were important to me in anyway. That’s why I’ve been so awful
to you. It’s broken my heart because all I wanted to do was hug you…” The man
said and he put his head down and sobbed once again.
“Who is him, Lawson? I want to know
who this lunatic is.” McGarrett fumed.
Lawson looked over at Steve. “The
lunatic you are talking about has been taken care of. He will not live past
Saturday I can assure you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Please I’ll tell you in due time.”
“No, Lawson, NOW!” he was furious
now and the veins in his forehead and neck were protruding.
“Steve let him finish. What can it
hurt?” Danny finally spoke up after trying to absorb what had been said so far.
Steve wanted Lawson to quit beating
around the bush but this seemed to be important to Danny to hear and he didn’t
want to upset his friend anymore then he had been lately. So he relented. “Okay
Lawson go ahead.”
The old man paused and gathered his
thoughts and then began. “You see back in 1940 Hitler had me working on a
component or cousin to what you call 1080. It worked as a sedative of sorts. It
did not cause death. Just submission. We conducted experiments on prisoners. It
put them in a mild stupor and they were very willing and tranquil. They were
cooperative to a fault. So he wanted to try it on a larger consortium of
people. It was his intention of using it to make Americans submit to him.
Winning the war and taking over the world. It sounded farfetched but it had its
merits. He chose
“They had all been executed,
including
“No Mister Lawson. You didn’t kill
them -- Hitler did. You were doing the right thing. He was mad man.” Danny
finally spoke and tried to reach out to touch the sobbing man with his hand but
it was the one with the gunshot wound and he wasn’t able to move it very far.
“Thank you, my dear boy. You’re so
kind to say that. I tried to convince myself of this as well. I walked the
beaches…lost… unable to come to grips with my losses and I finally came to the
conclusion one day to end the illusion for real. I would die so I could be with
them. I had my gun and I sat on a rock ledge over looking the ocean. I would do
it and no one would even know who I was. And just as I was ready to put the gun
into my mouth a little boy appeared from nowhere. I was so startled that the
two of us just stood and looked at each other. That little boy and his
mesmerizing blue eyes breathed life back into my soul. I sat there speechless
on that rock outcropping staring at this little creature with thick blonde
curls and a smile that melted my heart. He was carrying this little brown bear.
He had it clutched in his arms so tight had it been a real one he surely would
have smothered it.” Lawson said with a small chuckle and tears streaming down
his cheeks. He never removed his eyes from Danny willing him to remember so he
wouldn’t have to continue.
Danny sat shaking his head in
disbelief. “Yes, it is true, Danny, it was you. You started asking me a million
questions. Why did I have a gun? What was I doing out there on the rocks alone?
What was my name? I had never met such a precocious little fellow. Suddenly the
reasons for me being there were being pushed to the back of my mind; as I sat
and enjoyed the company of this small child. He told me his uncle had a gun
sort of like mine and that his Momma and Poppy were away on a business trip. And
that he wanted me to meet Eddy.” Lawson stopped waiting to see if Danny knew
who Eddy was. The mention of Eddy did stir emotions in Danny and Steve but not
the ones that he was expecting.
Steve and Danny exchanged looks.
Both were surprised at the mention of the name. “Who was Eddy? That’s what your
wife kept calling me.”
“Yes, it took me awhile to
understand why she was calling you Eddy but when I looked into your eyes I knew
then. She wasn’t calling you Eddy, Danny. She was remembering Eddy through you.
Your eyes I think spurred an old memory. I don’t know why she didn’t call you
Danny instead of Eddy though, except that she always felt responsible for you
losing him.” He paused and realized that Danny didn’t have a clue.
“Danny, your little bear. You called
him Eddy.”
“NO! I don’t remember a bear named
Eddy. Is this some kind of joke?” Danny said getting agitated. “Steve, this man
can’t be for real. Something is up.”
“Easy, Danno.” Steve said as he
walked over and placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder before saying to Lawson. “I
don’t know if you are trying to pull something Lawson but if you are you’ll be
sorry. Do you understand me?”
Lawson was shocked he didn’t
understand. He just wanted Danny to know, to remember. “No Danny! This is no
joke this is the Gods honest truth. You had a little bear with a little red
vest and his name was Eddy. It played a little tune but I don’t recall what it
was. Your mother gave him to you when you were three years old to keep to
company when she and your father were away. I swear to it.”
“Danno, it’s your call. Do you want
to finish hearing him out or do you want him out of here?”
Danny looked at Lawson and saw a man
he didn’t know but there was something about him that caused him to pause, his
voice was familiar so he decided he would listen; but he also didn’t have to
believe anything he said. “He can go ahead.”
“We sat there for about fifteen
minutes, Danny when this beautiful woman appeared. You were so excited and
wanted me to meet your Aunt Laura. She’d been looking for you and was in quite
a state of panic when she finally found you. Meeting me was on the bottom of
her list. And when we introduced each other I made the dreaded mistake of using
my real name. It’s haunted me to this day. She was gracious even though she was
still shaky over you running away. I remember you correcting her and saying you
weren’t running away, you were exploring.” The statement brought a small sad
grin to Danny’s face. He had to admit that sounded like something he would say.
“She said that she was watching you while your parents were out of town. I
spent the rest of that day playing with you Danny and talking with your Aunt
Laura.”
Danny interrupted. “I never had an
Aunt Laura.”
“Well no, not really. You only
called her that. You see she was engaged to your Uncle Jim.”
“No that’s a lie Lawson.”
“Danny, oh, Danny, I have no reason
to lie to you. Please believe me.” He paused briefly staring at Danny before he
continued. “Later I met your Uncle Jim, and then your parents returned and I
met them as well. You were all such a wonderfully happy family and I envied you
all and I so enjoyed that summer. Danny whether you care to believe it or not I
grew to love you. My life was carefree for a short time and I was happy. We
went to dinner and luaus. The two of us and your Poppy and Uncle Jim fished and
surfed together that summer. Your parents would leave and be gone for a week or
two at a time and Laura and Jim would take care of you and I would help. Then
one day on the beach we were swimming. Laura accidentally left Eddy to close to
the surf and he was washed out into the ocean. When we returned and found him
gone you were devastated. For some reason you had it in your head that if you
lost him you lost your Momma. I promised to help you find him. You went a
little crazy running up and down the beach yelling for him. We chased after you
but you were inconsolable. You kept running into the ocean. When you couldn’t
find him there you ran over to that same outcropping of rocks were we met I chased
after you but you fell and hit your head. By the time I caught up with you, you
were bleeding. We took you to the hospital and you had to have stitches right
here.”
Lawson said as he reached up and
touched a small scar on Danny’s forehead. One that he had looked at for years
in the mirror but had never known where it had come from. Danny became
transfixed and quiet. Steve stood watching his friend. He could see tears
forming in his eyes. He didn’t want him upset but what Lawson was saying was
making sense. He knew too much he had to be telling the truth and the truth was
woven with tales that he was certain Danny didn’t know or remember.
“Danny, Laura blamed herself for
losing your little bear. But after your Momma returned home you gave Laura a
big hug and told her that it was okay now. You said that you were a big boy and
didn’t need Eddy anymore. We really didn’t think it was true but it was so
grown up for this little three and half year old to say so anyway. One day
later in the year your Momma and Poppy went away and when they returned you
were so excited. You would be having a birthday soon and your Momma had
promised to plan a party when she got back. They invited me over for dinner and
when I showed up they had a gentleman with them. I was shocked. It was a fellow
that I had known from
“Was the German man’s name Gruber?”
Danny asked.
Lawson was thrilled. “Danny are you
remembering now?”
“No, but Gruber came back last year.
He didn’t die that day. He killed my parents. My Uncle Jim didn’t die either.
He died when I was a teenager.”
“Gruber didn’t die? He’s still
alive?”
“We don’t know for certain. We think
he drowned but a body was never recovered.” Steve finished.
“Danny, I’m sorry I let you down all
those years ago but at least you had your Uncle Jim for awhile… I’m getting
pretty good at letting down people I love.”
“Lawson this has been a very
touching story and I’m glad you were able to fill in some missing memories for
Danno… I truly am.” He said squeezing his friends shoulder as he remained in a
daze. “But this doesn’t explain why your daughter’s dead or why Danno was shot.
How about fast forward for us a bit.”
“Danny, I have Laura’s picture album
for you and her trinket box. This was all that she was sent from Hawaii after
it was discovered that her identity was confused with another nurse’s. There’re
letters and a locket along with the pictures, I hope they bring you a little
comfort and maybe a little joy at the memories. They have me, through the
years. Laura never fully remembered everything. Just bits and pieces.”
“Lawson you’re stalling.”
“Very well…” Lawson was despondent
now but continued. “I developed a chemical ‘dance’ that make molecules swap
atoms. It’s used in medicines, plastics etc. I received the Nobel Prize for
Chemistry. I knew that I couldn’t have my picture all over the place. There
might still be people in
“I came home one day to find this
man at my house and my wife and daughter in hysterics. This lunatic as you call
him, Mister McGarrett knew who I was. He’d seen the pictures. He’d been on a
detail after the war to track down us so called Nazi’s. He told my Laura and
Carole that they were living with a monster. Then he showed them pictures of
our son Christopher…” Lawson broke into sobs. “He told them because of me that
Christopher was dead…” He reached into his coat pocket and brought out an
envelope. He handed it to McGarrett. “These pictures. I keep them close so I
don’t forget. My son died in
Danny sat watching speechless as
Steve looked over the pictures and cringed at them.
“Can you imagine what that did to my
already fragile minded Laura?
“Why would he kill your son Lawson?
What did he want from you?”
“This man thinks of himself as a
sort of Hitler. He’s an angry man. Angry at the world but specifically the
“What did he want you to do?”
“I was to make him sodium fluoroacetate and process his heroine shipments for as long
as he deemed it necessary. I made him some 1080 while we were on the mainland
and then when I realized what I’d done I talked Carole into moving to
“What did you do to make him think
you didn’t love Carole?” Danny asked in a dwindling and tired voice.
“Carole went to work over at a Polo
Ranch in Waimanalo early on and became good friends with the man you know as Yonts. He was a playboy but he became smitten with her and
they became great friends. So we devised a plan for it to appear that she was a
prostitute. He set up everything, even her arrest. I hate it that he was killed
for trying to doing something kind for a young woman with a cowardly father. I
pretended I despised her for her indiscretions… One good thing did come from it
though, while at the ranch she met a wonderful young man. She had a chance to
love someone even if it was for a short time.”
“Joseph Piilani?”
“Yes, the poor boy. He loved her. He
would meet me in the park and bring me messages. How this monster figured this
out I’ll never know. He’s crazy and scary, McGarrett. He’s playing games with
you right now. He’s been running you around in circles to keep you from ruining
his plans. I’m not sure if he knows that I have a connection with Danny but he
does know how you feel about him and he’ll use that against the two of you,
take my word for it. Please just don’t pursue this any longer. I’ve taken care
of him and once he’s gone so will be his group of misfits.”
A hundred thoughts spun around
inside McGarrett’s head. He was mad, he was angry. Lawson…Von Kaiser or whoever
he was had the nerve to think that he was going to just walk away from this.
His patience had lasted longer then it normally would for Danny’s benefit but
now the game was up and he demanded some answers. “LAWSON I WANT TO KNOW WHO
THIS MAN IS AND WHAT HE’S UP TOO AND I WANT TO KNOW IT NOW!”
Lawson stood up, he should have
known someone like McGarrett wouldn’t sit still and do nothing but he had to
make him understand. “Please Mister McGarrett I’m asking you to leave this
alone for yours and Danny’s own welfare. I care nothing about myself. This man
has seen to it that I have nothing to live for. But you and Danny.” He said
handing Danny the photo album and trinket box. You have your whole lives in
front of you.”
“Stop stalling Lawson!”
“Mister McGarrett, the Vietnam War
is a nasty business. For these people the war is a grotesque game and each one
of them is a player. Each one carries out their part with perfect precision.
They were each one hand picked for their talents and skills. But they all have
one thing in common; they have a grudge against the government. The General has
them believing this is their way of getting even but he’s only using them….”
“Wait a minute! You called him the
General. That’s the first time you have called him anything. Is he a General?”
McGarrett asked with emphasis on the title General.
Mister McGarrett…he only thinks he
is. He’s so twisted in his thinking. He’s…I don’t know how much you really know
about the war in
“You processed their heroine for
them; you made them a deadly poison! Don’t act so noble with me, Lawson! You
give me a name and I want to know when the exchange is going to be and I want
to know NOW!”
“You’re so wrong Mister McGarrett.
I’m not pretending to be noble. I’m only trying to do what is right, don’t you
see.” His strident denial echoed through the room.
“NO I DO NOT!” But the words faded
with the sound of breaking glass and Lawson pitching face forward onto Danny’s
bed pinning him underneath.
It took McGarrett only a brief
second to realize what had happened. He ducked down and found himself crawling
over to the window. Danny panicked as Lawson lie bleeding on top on him and
found himself yelling for Steve’s help. Steve was at his side, telling him to
lie still that he was out of the line of fire. That the shooter couldn’t see
him he had pulled the curtains. By this time the guard had ran to the room and
McGarrett was barking orders. Shouting for a Doctor after checking Lawson’s
pulse and finding him alive he then ordered the guard to call for help. The
shot had come from the building across the street the place and shouting a
screaming could be heard down below. It was complete pandemonium.
Lawson hadn’t died and Danny tried
to hold onto him. The old man opened his eyes and looked into Danny’s. His
entire body shaking he raised a hand and tenderly touched Danny’s face and said
in a painful whisper. “Danny I liebte Du. Please look after my Laura for me.” Then his body went
completely limp. Danny sat there staring at this old man and became emotional
because he couldn’t remember him, but for some reason felt a connection. He
would never remember the old man being removed from his bed or anything that
occurred after that, until the next day.
***
Caruso, sick to his stomach, exited
the area of Queens Medical Center quickly, but unassumingly, before the police
arrived on the scene. His mission finished. Not one that he had been happy
about either. The old man didn’t deserve the bullet. He had done everything the
General had asked of him even though the General had taunted him and even
killed his kids. Even if Lawson hadn’t gone to talk to McGarrett he had already
ordered his execution. He didn’t understand the General’s tactics. Lawson had
been valuable to them. Caruso had wondered if there had been more to this then
he was aware of. The General’s behavior had been very questionable as of late
but he had remained quiet not wanting to antagonize him. He’d questioned the
General too many times in the past couple of weeks as it was.
It hadn’t been an easy kill. The
curtains were only about half open. The only angle he could get on the room was
not good. The target had to be just right and Lawson wouldn’t make himself
visible. When he did he only had a split second to make the shot. It’d taken
him a very long time to make the kill. He knew without a doubt that Lawson had
plenty of time to give McGarrett all the nasty details of their operation. He
wasn’t sure whether he would tell the General how long Lawson was in the room
before the kill unless he asked him directly. He would have to think on that
one. He knew if he did that McGarrett and Williams would be next on the list
and he didn’t want that task. He owed McGarrett one from a run in he had as a
teenager. McGarrett had given him the benefit of the doubt when no one else
would. The General had been right about his feelings toward McGarrett; he had
looked up to him when he was younger. He had done Williams out of pure jealousy
but had in truth had been glad he had missed. He was a lot of things, and had
done some pretty unmentionable ones, but he always tried to pay back kindnesses
to him because they’d been few.
***
December 16th
Steve McGarrett sat at his desk
engrossed in necessary but boring paper work. Paper work that his second in
command normally dealt with. Today his face wore the skin a little tighter and
the muscles in his jaw worked over time. Steve McGarrett was in a very
irritable mood. Little sleep and the events of the pass week had taken its
toll; he was completely exhausted and bone weary. He had stayed with Danno
through most of the evening insuring that he would be okay after the trauma of
the afternoon. Doc Bergman had read Steve the riot act. Like he would have wanted this to happen like
it did. Doc had sedated Danny again hoping that the incident had not set him
back.
Remarkably Lawson was still alive.
Steve had remembered what he had said about this so-called General playing
games with him so he figured he would play along. He had ordered anyone who
knew Lawson was alive to keep it quiet. He was admitted to the hospital’s ICU
under an assumed name. Doc didn’t think he would make it through surgery but he
had; now it was just touch and go. Doc had said that it was up to Lawson and
God but that Lawson wasn’t giving it much effort on his end. This didn’t
surprise Steve. The man had pretty much
resigned himself to the fact that he was going to die. He had known when he
walked in the hospital. Steve had asked to be notified should he regain
conscious, he wanted to speak with him. He had released it to the press that
Lawson had been killed; he thought to himself two can play this game. McGarrett
had Laura Lawson put in protective custody in an undisclosed location. He
didn’t want anything to happen to her as well. He wasn’t sure how Danny felt
about anything that he had heard yesterday but Laura Lawson just might be an
important person in his life now. He had told Doc that he would try to get back
before Danny awoke, but if he didn’t that he should make sure he knew Lawson
was alive and his wife safe.
Lawson probably hadn’t realized it,
but he had given Steve a clue or two that could give him the identity of this
mad man loose on his island. Steve had called in a few favors in DC and was
waiting on a phone call. It had been very early on the mainland but he didn’t
care. Lawson had said the man that came to his house that day had recognized
him from a detail he had been on after the WW II to track down Nazi war
criminals. If he could get that list; if it existed, he might just hit pay
dirt. The sniper was long gone by the time Kono climbed to the location where
he had been perched. A spent shell casing was found. It was a .223 from a M16.
So far everything that had happened fit with what Lawson had told them. Ex-CIA
and Special Forces really concerned McGarrett. Lawson was right, they are
trained to be killers and they did it well.
The phone rang and McGarrett
answered it. “This is McGarrett speaking. Yes I know it’s early, Sir, but this
is extremely important or I wouldn’t have called, you know that…I hope you have
some names…Yes, Sir, wait a minute can you give me them again?” Steve asked as
he pulled a pen and tablet of paper closer to him. He wrote as fast as he could
so to get the names down. “Yes, Sir, I have them…and these are the ones still
alive? Any idea of their where abouts...Yes, Sir, I
will…when you get that information please call me back immediately. Thank You.
And Happy Holidays to you too, Sir.”
***
Steve had rushed back to Queens as
soon as he received the call he had been waiting on, but not before giving Duke
the four names. Even though the General Dodson had promised to call him back
with current addresses on the men; he wanted Duke to see if any of them were on
the
On his ride in the elevator it
suddenly dawned on him just how tired he really was. But not just tired, he
felt a little sick and his shoulder was throbbing. There had been so much going
on and so many things to take care of he hadn’t even realized it until now.
When he stepped off the elevator he was shocked to see the guard missing.
Making a quick dash to Danny’s room he was even more shocked to see NO Danny
and a nurse making up his bed. The nurse didn’t know anything of course only
that she just came on duty and had been told to change the bed in this room.
Steve went wild. He rushed back out to the nurses’ station and was in the
middle of having all out war with the head nurse when Doc Bergman stepped off
the elevator and intervened.
“STEVE! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE
DOING?” Doc shouted so he could be heard over all the other shouting going on.
“DANNO WHERE IS HE? HE’S NOT IN HIS
ROOM AND THESE…AND THEY.” Steve said pointing at the nurses. “DON’T SEEM TO
KNOW WHERE HE IS!”
“Calm down and I’ll tell you where
he is.” Doc said taking Steve by the arm and leading him away from the nurses’
station.
“WELL!”
“Danny is in ICU...” Steve panicked
before Doc had a chance to finish.
“ICU…WHAT HAPPENED? He was fine when
I left.”
“He’s still fine Steve. He woke up
and wanted to know about Lawson and when I told him he was in ICU he wanted to
go see him. I was only going to let him stay for a little while but when we got
down there and Lawson heard Danny asking me questions he started improving. So
I let him stay for a little longer. I was just getting ready to go check on him
when I ran into you ranting and raving.”
***
When Steve walked up to the entrance
of Lawson’s room in ICU, Danny had his back to him. Steve stood and watched his
aikane. His heart ached for him. He sat in a wheelchair with Laura Lawson’s
album and trinket box on his lap. He wondered if Danny had looked at any of it
yet. Steve had browsed through the album after everything had calmed down last
night. The photos told the story. They were of Danny as a little boy;
undeniable. The story that Lawson had told came to life in the pictures. He
hadn’t lied about knowing Danny after all.
He just hoped everything else he told was true as well. He never touched
the box and its contents thinking that it may possess something that was for
Danny’s eyes only. He took a deep breath and walked into the room relieved to
see his friend after the scare earlier. A nurse was checking the lines that
attached to the old man in the bed. Danny had reached up and was holding the
man’s hand.
As Steve approached he was shocked
at how bad Danny looked. Doc had said he was fine. He looked anything but fine
to him. His face was gaunt and the bruises had starting turning yellow making
Danny look quite sick under the lightening in the hospital. He walked up and
gently placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder.
“How is it Danno?” Steve asked
softly.
Danny jerked a little startled by
Steve’s sudden arrival. “He’s still alive. Doc thinks that’s a good sign.”
“Well, maybe he realizes he has something
worth living for after all.”
“Maybe…” Danny replied but his voice
drifted as if he were in deep thought.
“I see you brought the photos with
you. Have you looked at them yet?”
“I can’t, not yet…Steve do you
believe what he told us?”
Steve hesitated for a second and
walked around so he was facing Danny. “Yes, Danno, I do. He had nothing to gain
by telling us lies. I think that he came here yesterday to make peace with his
soul and…save yours.”
The statement caught Danny off guard
and he looked up at Steve. His friend looked beat and sick. This whole case had
been tough on the both of them, but now Danny felt guilty as he looked at
Steve. He looked like he could collapse any second. “Steve, are you okay. You
look sick. Maybe I should let you have my chair.” Danny tried to grin to
lighten the dark mood that had enveloped them both.
“Thanks a lot. I’ve felt better, but
I’m hardly ready to collapse. You’re the one that needs to get better so Doc
will let you out. How about I buy you lunch. I bet the food here is fantastic.”
“No thanks I’ll pass. I’m not very
hungry. Steve, who do you think this guy is that’s doing this?”
“I’m not sure, but he better be
looking over his shoulder because I’m getting ready to take him down.”
“I’ve been thinking…What you
think…”He looked up at Steve. “Calling him Lawson seems disrespectable now.”
“Well, when he comes around you can
ask him what you used to call him ‘Helle Augen,’” Steve said with a weary grin.
Danny chuckled before he finished
what he had wanted to ask. “What do you think he meant when he said he had
taken care of him?”
“I’m not sure.” Steve answered as he
made a face and he reached up and wanted to touch his shoulder as a sharp pain
shot through it.
“Stev,e
you’d better let Doc look at that. Hurt bad?”
“Yeah but only when I breathe.”
***
December 18th
Steve McGarrett and the other
members of Five-0 mingled among the guest. McGarrett tried to be as pleasant as
possible considering the events that led up to this night. The annual Christmas
Ball had so far gone off without a hitch. Everything seemed quiet enough but
they were all walking on egg shells hoping that the ‘General’ whoever he was,
stayed away. They hadn’t found him, so Steve had made sure that Danny was still
under guard, as well as Lawson, just in case he found out Lawson was still
alive. Lawson had improved to a stable condition but still hadn’t regained
consciousness. None of the four names he’d gotten from D.C. had helped either.
Two of the four were in nursing homes; one was a goodwill ambassador for war
veterans and toured the country with several top Washington officials, and the
fourth he had talked with personally, was living in Florida with his daughter
and was an amputee.
Doc was going to release Danny
tomorrow. Steve had been by to check on his friend on his way to the Ball. He
had found him sitting in Lawson’s room once again. Every time he had been there
that’s where he had been found. The photo album and box on his lap. As far as
he could tell, Danny hadn’t been able to bring himself to look at any of it
yet. Steve wished that he would. He’d been moved by the photos himself. No
wonder Laura Lawson thought Danny to be his Uncle Jim, he looked just like him
and his father.
Steve was concerned that if Lawson
did die how his aikane would take it. He had developed an attachment of sorts
to him, maybe it had been there all along but it was now stronger. Doc was not
sure what was keeping Lawson from regaining consciousness. If he did wake up
Steve was not sure what awaited him. He was after all considered a war criminal
even though Steve did believe what he had told them about certain men not
wanting to be one of Hitler’s men. He had heard this before. He would deal with
that when and if Lawson ever awoke.
Danny had teased Steve about his
penguin suit and had said he really wasn’t going to miss wearing his this year,
but Steve knew that really wasn’t true. He wished he could have skipped it as
well, it was killing his shoulder. Danny had wanted to be up to speed on
everything and had sent his best to Kono and Chin and said to tell Kono he
could have his share of the food. Kono and Chin as well as Duke had been too
busy to come by even though Jenny had been by last night and did her impression
of mother hen. Danny tried to appear
cheerful, but it was just a front he had worked hard at. Organizing the security for the Ball had been
his duty and he was disappointed at missing it.
Steve was scanning the room when
Governor Jamison approached, making small talk. He tried to appear pleasant and
interested when in truth his mind was on every face in the room. Every older
face. He scrutinized everyone but most were easily recognized. He kept the
guest list in his jacket pocket getting it out every once in a while to double
check a name with the face. Danny had decided, and had it approved by the
Governor, that everyone this year wear a name tag. They were tastefully done
and no one had a clue of its connotations.
Steve was making another sweep of
the room when he ran into none other then his best friend and second in command
standing their decked out in his tux and tails. He shook is head and grinned to
himself silently when their eyes met. Danny walked toward him a bit apprehensively.
Whispering, not wanting to draw
attention to them, Steve said. “Danno what do you think you are doing here? I
thought I left you with a guard.”
“He drove me here.”
“We had everything under control. I
appreciate your dedication, but you are supposed to be resting. Who do you
think Doc’s going to give the butt chewing to when he sees you?”
“I’ll just stay out of his sight.
Have you seen him?” Danny asked looking around.
“Yes, several times.” Steve replied
looking his friend up and down with a grin. “Do you know what you look like in
that tux with all those bruises and cuts?”
“Like you do in yours?”
“Okay, you win, but no over doing
it, you got it?” He said pointing his finger at Danny’s chest in a lighthearted
gesture.
“Got it, Boss.” Danny said with a
grin as they turned and parted ways.
When Steve turned his back to walk
away, he stopped and sighed. He really was glad to see Danny. He’d been worried
over his friend demeanor in the past few days. With everything that Danny had
learned about himself, he appeared more distant then he had been before the
shooting.
Danny was assessing all his security
features as he walked among the guest. While trying to avoid running into Doc
Bergman. He spotted an older gentleman and his wife having a very loud conversation
with the Governor and his wife. The older man was laughing and patting the
Governor on the shoulder. That’s when the Governor caught a glimpse of Danny.
Danny had hoped to avoid that, but had walked right into this one.
“Danny!” The Governor said as he
walked over to him. Danny nodded and acknowledged him. “Steve said you wouldn’t
be here.”
“Well, you know how I love these
things Governor. Just couldn’t stand the thought of missing it.” Danny said
lying through his teeth. It stopped the Governor short for a second and he
looked puzzled. Was Danny joking with him?
“Well, good for you.” He said taking
him by the arm and leading him back to his guest. “Danny I want you to meet
Colonel Lucius Hicks and his wife Margaret.” Danny
had dreaded this because he knew he would have to shake hands and his right arm
was not up to standard use. It had been really difficult to get dressed as it
was. With trepidation, Danny held out his hand and was sorry that he did,
because the Colonel was one of those hand shakers that had to show how strong
their grips are. Plus they have a
tendency shake the dickens out of your whole body. He could feel the sweat
popping out on his forehead and upper lip and a wave of nausea sweep over him
as he stood trying to be gracious.
“It’s nice to meet you, Sir…Mrs.
Hicks.” He said as the Colonel finally released Danny’s hand and his arm just
fell useless at his side.
What happened next was totally
unexpected. The Colonel in all his enthusiasm reached up and grabbed onto
Danny’s upper arm and squeezed it. It took everything Danny could muster not to
scream out and he turned a grimace of pain into a smile as the best he could.
He felt a sudden rush of heat encompass his body and the room started to spin.
He couldn’t pass out. He willed himself to stay on his feet. He would never
hear the end of it if he fell flat on his face.
The Colonel was speaking but Danny
was only hearing every other word. “Son, I hope the other fellow looks worse
then you… Son, are you all right?”
Danny was trying to find words and
make sure they didn’t come out a scream but then out of nowhere he heard the
voice of a savior, well in this case, Steve. He had witnessed what was
transpiring from across the room and had come to the rescue.
“Excuse me, Sir.” Steve said trying
to be polite and not too obvious. “I need to see Danny outside for a minute.
This is important,” Steve said as he eyed the name tag of the man torturing his
friend and nodded to the lady.
He gently guided Danny in the
direction of the foyer while everyone watched. The Colonel/General grinned as
he watched McGarrett maneuver Williams through the big double doors. It had
been quite fun watching Williams squirm and he had to give him credit he
handled it like a soldier. McGarrett had been predictable, he thought. Came to
his rescue just like a big brother. How interesting.
***
When they reached the foyer Danny’s
knees buckled and Steve caught him before he went all the way down. It took
Steve’s breath away when he did. He hadn’t realized how badly his shoulder was
hurting until he was supporting Danny. Didn’t they make a fine pair? He guided
Danny to the closest chair he could find and gently lowered him into it. He was
weak himself, but didn’t want Danny to know it, so he sit down on the chair
next to him.
“Thanks Steve. You saved me back
there.”
“Danno you shouldn’t even be here.
Why don’t you let me have someone drive you back to the hospital before Doc
finds out you’re missing?”
“No, I’m fine now. I just need to
stay clear of retired Army Colonels,” he said with a grin.
A wild and utterly insane idea
popped into his head. Steve instantly
rejected it, but he was afraid if he didn’t pursue it he might regret it later
especially if he was right. “Do you know him, Danno?”
“Colonel Hicks? Just from the
background check. Never met him until now.” Danny replied then looked over at
Steve. He knew he was working on something.
“Why? Do you know him?”
“Not really. I think I’ve met him,
but it was a long time ago. But he’s the man. The one I saw on the street in
front of Hanks that day.”
The statement surprised Danny. “Are
you sure?”
“I’m sure.” Steve answered and sat
in thought. “Danno, refresh my memory on
him.”
“Well let’s see.” Danny said as he
leaned his head back and closed his eyes and began spouting the info he
remembered. “Served in WWII,
“I don’t know, Danno, but he sure
looked like he did that to you on purpose.” He said looking over at his friend.
They both sat there looking at each other perplexed and then Danny spoke.
“Steve, why… why would he want to
sell heroine and 1080? His wife’s loaded.”
“Danno, remember back to what Lawson
said. He said they all had one thing in common.”
“Yeah!” Danny said coming to life.
“A grudge against the government.”
“Right…and maybe our Colonel Hicks
does? Maybe this has nothing to do with money at all. Because Lawson also said
he was playing games. Maybe…just maybe our Colonel Hicks has seen too much
action. If you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, makes sense.” Danny said with
excitement in his voice. But then acted deflated when something crossed his
mind. “Except one thing, Steve. Remember this guy worked on that detail after
WWII and you checked all of those out, he wasn’t one of them.”
Steve thought for a moment. “Maybe
we need to stop and rethink what it was Lawson said. I may have misinterpreted
that one. In any case I think we need to keep an eye on our Colonel Hicks
especially tonight. I better get back in there. You coming?”
“I think I’ll sit here for a few
more minutes and then I’ll be back in,” Danny said as he looked over at Steve.
“Steve, are you okay? You don’t look so good either. You look like you need to
be in the hospital instead of me.”
Steve looked over at his friend and
smiled. “I’m fine Danno.” And then he stood and patted his friend on his good
shoulder. Looked over to where the HPD officer was standing that had brought
him and motioned for him to come over.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Stay close to Detective Williams.
Don’t let him out of your sight. Understood.”
“Steve!” Danny looked perplexed.
“Until we catch this guy, Danno, you
have a shadow. Like it or not.”
Danny knew that he was fighting a
losing battle so he just sighed and looked at his friend with a look of ‘if you
say so’” and then watched as Steve disappeared through the double door.
***
The evening wrapped up uneventful to
the relief of the Five-0 men. The Governor had sung his praises and everyone
had left. Doctor Bergman had caught Steve and Danny coming around a corner and
had stood looking at them disgusted, but not at all surprised. He had given
them his regular lecture like it was going to do anything but make him feel
better. He’d been concerned that Steve had looked as bad as Danny. They were
the most hardheaded men he had ever met in his lifetime.
Steve had dismissed the HPD guard;
he would now take over Danno’s security. They were arguing about whether Danny
was going back to the hospital or going to Steve’s place as they walked through
the parking garage. Danny’s apartment wasn’t even an option. Danny had overdone
it; he was weak beyond belief. He tried to hide it, not wanting to burden Steve
any more then he already had. He was worried about Steve in return. Steve had
tried to hide it, but Danny could tell he was in a great deal of discomfort.
Both men were weary, but were enjoying each others company joking and cutting up. Steve was happy the evening had been quiet except for the one incident with