Escaping the Leopard

(Epilogue to “Leopard on the Rock”)

 

By Sylvia

 

Steve McGarrett hung up the phone and sighed. During the last 24 hours, the phone had felt more like a part of his body than an individual mechanism. Most of his time on that phone had been spent answering questions from the governor, from Attorney General Walter Stewart, from the State Department, from Jonathan Kaye, from the consulate of Uotomo Jhakal’s country. There had also been all the time spent saying “No comment” to reporters, both on the phone and on the Iolani Palace steps.

 

Jhakal, his bodyguards and the Honolulu police officer on guard had all woken up from their gassing by the mercenary Malcolm Hood-Clovis and the AWOL soldier Earl Walters. They were none the worse for wear.

 

Danny Williams had given the report to Steve of Walters being AWOL, but neither of them had ever gotten a report of missing gasses. Hood-Clovis had told Steve that the gas they used on the group was experimental. Whose experiment? Steve wondered, at the realization that Walters had stolen it from his unit. And why hadn’t the gas been reported stolen, along with his disappearance?

 

The police officers who’d been guarding the floor of the Ihilani, where Jhakal was, and the door to the suite, had reported hearing nothing unusual. Of course not, Steve thought. There was nothing to hear.

 

Steve was thankful the gas had apparently not done permanent damage. One of the officers had joked, with some dark humor, that at least it had shut Jhakal up for an hour.

 

Of course, when the dictator woke up at the hospital, he had plenty to say – all of it loud, much of it profane and most of it aimed at Steve.

 

Jhakal’s tantrum and the stress of the saga had left the Five-O chief with a headache. He passed a hand over his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Actually, other things were also contributing to his pain.

 

Jonathan had confirmed – sort of – what Steve had begun to suspect about Hood-Clovis and Walters’ involvement; that it hadn’t been an accident, and that the country’s Consul General Luang Koryo and exiled opposition leader Akbar Savang hadn’t been the only ones dealing with the pair. Wheels had been spinning in Washington, as well as in Honolulu. For the umpteenth time, a game of cloak-and-dagger reminded Steve of why he’d gotten out of naval intelligence.

 

Stolen money had been reclaimed, Savang and his granddaughter Banu, Koryo, Hood-Clovis, Walters and more had been arrested, and Jhakal and his bodyguards, after being treated, were in the air again – one crewmember short, after Five-O had arrested the pilot, as well.

 

Steve remembered the opening scene in the movie “Casablanca,” in which the French officer had said, “Round up all suspicious characters,” followed by other officers herding away local pickpockets, forgers and others. This whole saga had that air about it, though the stakes were significantly higher here.

 

All that’s missing, Steve thought wryly, is Ingrid Bergman.

 

Danny came into the office and interrupted his thoughts. “Steve, turn on the television,” he said.

 

“What’s going on?” Steve asked.

 

“The people are protesting in Jhakal’s country,” Danny said. “They’ve heard about the arrests, the money, all of it.”

 

Steve turned on his TV set.

 

“Crowds gathered outside the presidential palace in the capitol city once the news spread about the money and arrests. Those crowds are demanding Jhakal’s resignation,” a reporter was heard to say. “The army, from what can be seen, is siding with the people.”

 

Steve shook his head. “Unbelievable,” he said.

 

“If Jhakal gets off that plane in the capitol, he’ll be shot on sight,” Danny said. Steve nodded in agreement.

 

Kono Kalakaua came into the office. “Good to see you, Your Excellency,” Danny said, giving a mock salute. Steve chuckled, glad to see that Kono, who’d nearly been shot by Banu Savang when he was staying in Jhakal’s suite at the Ilikai, was fine.

 

“How are you doing?” Steve asked.

 

“I discovered it’s not so good to be the head man,” Kono said, “especially when someone waves a gun at you.”

 

“Tell me about it,” Steve said, generating grins from Danny and Kono.

 

Chin Ho Kelly walked in. “Looks like that country is looking for a new head man,” he said, waving at the television.

 

Danny grinned. “Maybe Kono will take it if the food’s as good as what he got at the Ilikai,” he said.

 

“No way, bruddah,” Kono said. “Good food, but bad indigestion with that job.”

 

The men laughed. The phone buzzed. Steve picked it up. “Yeah, Jenny?” he asked. “OK, Love, I’ll wait.” He shook his head again.

 

Danny looked at his boss, once again on the phone. “You’re becoming attached to that thing,” he said.

 

“Danno, if I ever get an offer for some diplomatic job somewhere, and I’m crazy enough to lean toward saying yes, do me a favor and talk me out of it,” Steve said. “The telephone time isn’t worth it – especially after these last 24 hours.”

 

Danny laughed. The phone buzzed again. “OK, Jenny,” Steve said. “Put him through. Yeah, Jonathan.”

 

Danny, Kono and Chin’s attention were all drawn to their boss, on the phone once again with Jonathan Kaye. Usually, Steve would motion for them to leave. When Danny made a turn, Steve motioned him back.

 

“Yeah, we’re all watching it on television,” Steve said. “What? Well, where’s he going? Uh-huh. OK, Jonathan, thanks.”

 

He hung up.

 

His men waited, while Steve leaned back in his chair. Finally, Danny broke in.

 

“C’mon, Steve. Give,” he said.

 

“Wait a couple of minutes,” Steve said, motioning to the TV.

 

They waited. Then, the anchor said, “This new development….We have just heard that the plane carrying the dictator Jhakal is seeking to land in Cuba. Jhakal considers Cuban dictator Fidel Castro a friend, and it may be that having been informed of the protests in his country, he has decided not to return.”

 

“Or it’s been decided for him,” Chin said.

 

Danny looked at Steve. “The call from Jonathan?” he asked. Steve nodded.

 

“Soviets?” Danny pressed. Steve said nothing, but glanced at Danny.

 

“Soviets,” Danny said, answering his own question. “The country isn’t in their interests as a strategic site, so they’re letting it go.”

 

“What do you think will happen now?” Chin asked.

 

Steve put his feet up on his desk and rocked back and forth in his chair. “They may have to start from scratch,” he said. “Right now, their most popular politician is behind bars. And since he’s not protected by diplomatic immunity, he’s going to be in jail for a while-unless he gets a sympathetic jury.”

 

“Koryo’s another story,” Danny said. “He’ll be able to claim diplomatic immunity as a consul general, even if he did help plan that caper.”

 

“He may go back and serve as a caretaker president,” Kono said.

 

Chin shook his head. “Until he decides to make himself the permanent leader,” he said.

 

Danny agreed, but added, “Still, they do have a chance to finally get democracy in that country.”

 

“Maybe another head man made that possible,” Kono said, looking at Steve.

 

Steve shook his head. “Hopefully, that head man – and especially his top-notch officers and this city’s police department– helped make it possible to keep the peace here. I only wish we’d been able to prevent those two from gassing everyone. What if…..”

 

“They didn’t, Steve,” Danny said.

 

“Yeah, Danno, but it tells us we have to be on our toes even more,” Steve said. “You never know what the enemy’s going to do. And it’s always what we haven’t prepared for. We prepared for arms – not for gas.”

 

There was silence in the room for a few moments, except for the television, which they all turned back to watch. The people were carrying signs and, while vocal, were staging a peaceful demonstration.

 

“At least those people have a chance now,” Danny said.

 

Steve nodded. And for the first time, he felt better. Even if it was just for a moment, those people were tasting freedom.