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Danny powered down his computer as he finished straightening out his desk. He pulled the last report off his printer, ran a quick glance over it before signing and slipping it into the file. That put a bow on it as far as he was concerned and thank god because this hadn’t been one of his more outstanding weeks since joining the Five-0 task force.
Picking up the stack of files, he left his office, walking over to Steve’s. He rapped his knuckles on the glass of Steve's door before pushing it open. "Hey, I'm outta here." He came in and put the files on Steve’s desk. “You just need to sign off on these.”
"Off to get Gracie?" Steve glanced up from his computer with a distracted look.
"I'm gonna pick her up at school." Danny couldn't help but smile, not when it came to his sweet daughter. Especially since he was getting her for the entire weekend. Time with her would wash away the bad taste this last case had given him. "You want to meet us for shave ice at Kamekona’s later?"
Steve's face lit up with that loopy smile of his. “You sure? I don’t want to intrude.”
"Yeah, you goof," Danny shook his head. “I wouldn’t ask, would I?” It occurred him that Steve had just as bad a week as he did, probably more. And that he likely had nothing really planned for the evening. Just that empty house to go home to with way too many memories and ghosts.
"We're still doing fireworks tomorrow night at the Hilton?" Steve got up and followed Danny out into the main office.
"Of course." Danny fished his keys out of his pants' pocket. "So do me a favor, will ya? Try not to burn the island down before then, okay?"
***
Danny listened to Grace tell him about her day in school as he wove his way through the late afternoon traffic. He had the windows open, the fresh breeze blowing through the car, playing with Grace's hair. She'd had a good week, her voice soothing away the thoughts of a crummy week for himself.
He switched lanes in order to pass a convertible that was loaded down with college kids and surfboards. The kids were laughing, their radio blaring and one of the girls in the back seat flashed Grace the shakra sign and a bright smile. Grace grinned and waved back.
The convertible slowed down as Danny passed and he caught them in his rearview mirror as they exited the highway for the beaches of Waikiki. It was a beautiful afternoon to be out on the water.
"Can I learn to surf?" Grace asked, the subject instantly changed from school.
"What, right now, Monkey?" Danny took the off ramp for his neighborhood.
"No, not now!" She laughed and he gave her a quick smile when they pulled up to a stoplight. "But can I, sometime?"
Several teenagers walked in front of him for the other side of the street, all boys and none of them wearing shirts. They laughed and shoved at each other as they passed by.
"You know there are jellyfish…" The light turned green.
"Danno—"
"Sting rays..." he felt obligated to point out.
"Danno—"
"And of course, sharks. Let's not forget sharks."
He glanced over at her when she didn't say anything this time. She looked back at him with her mother's eyes.
"No, huh?"
"I didn't say no." He reached over and tugged one of her pigtails. "We'll talk about it, how's that?" Truth was, he'd been meaning to talk to Kono about lessons. For himself. But every time he pictured himself asking, he could easily imagine her bursting into laughter.
They were almost to the apartment when Danny remembered he didn't have any milk and a few other things. There was a small market nearby he usually stopped at that was next to a sub shop he also frequented.
"We need to make a quick stop, Monkey." He pulled in and parked under the shade of some palms. "Pancakes or French toast for breakfast?" He got out and came around to open Grace's door.
"French toast."
Two young boys skateboarded past him as he came around the car and opened Grace's door. "Hey, Detective Williams!" they both called out, adding a "Hey Gracie" to it as they rolled up to the store entrance. They were one of his neighbors' boys—Molly, a single mother who had two jobs to make ends meet. The boys, Kapono and Konani, ages nine and ten, were always skateboarding in the parking lot of the apartments. Danny referred to them as hell on wheels but basically they were good kids who got into no more or less trouble than he had at that age.
When he’d moved into the little apartment, they’d seen the Camaro. And boys being boys, they were enthralled. Their mother, a painfully shy and soft spoken local girl, was thankful that Danny was actually nice to her kids. Even more so with his being a cop.
"You two staying out of trouble?" Danny asked.
"Yes, sir!" they chimed in unison before picking up their boards and disappearing inside. Danny just shook his head as he took Grace’s hand and they walked across the parking lot to the small market.
He held open the door so Grace could go in ahead of him. A string of bells, hung just inside, tinkled as the door closed behind them. A young man in shorts and a gray T-shirt with the store’s logo on it glanced up from where he sat behind the only register.
“Hey, Tommy.” Danny picked up one of the shopping baskets.
“Howzit, Detective Williams!” He gave Grace a wink. “Looks like a Gracie weekend.”
She glanced up at Danny before smiling shyly back at Tommy and nodding.
“Yes it is.” Danny squeezed her hand. “Give your parents the day off?”
“They went up to the North Shore. But I’ll tell them you stopped by with Grace.”
“You’re a rock star, you know that, kiddo?” Danny chuckled as he led her toward the back of the store where the dairy coolers were. This store was much like the ones he was used to back in Newark—a simple little mom and pop that was a step up from a basic convenience store but still not a chain supermarket.
"Did I tell you, we're meeting Uncle Steve for shave ice after dinner?"
"Really?"
Danny smiled. "Yeah, really. And tomorrow night, we're doing something special. We're meeting him along with Kono and Chin to watch the fireworks show in Waikiki.”
“That’s gonna be fun!”
“Of course! We’ll be right on the beach. Blankets and coolers and snacks and all.”
Kapono and Konani were debating soda choices in front of the coolers when Danny and Grace stopped and got milk. Konani made a face at Grace when he thought Danny wasn't looking and she giggled.
“I saw that.” Danny grabbed a quart of milk.
The boys, both with backpacks and carrying their skateboards, disappeared down one of the aisles in search of snacks but not before they both made faces at Danny.
“Hooligans,” Danny called after them then led Grace down a second aisle in search of some bread.
A young woman carried a sleeping infant tucked in one arm, a shopping basket in her other hand. She glanced up at Danny, her long dark hair spilling over her bare shoulders. He’d seen her around over the last few weeks and knew that she’d recently moved into his apartment complex. She wore a wedding band, but Danny had yet to see her husband.
He gave her a warm smile and she smiled back.
"You used to be that small once, not all that long ago." Danny nodded to the baby. "I've got a picture your Uncle Matty took of me holding you after you were born."
"You do?"
"Sure. I'll show you when we get back to the apartment." Danny put a loaf of bread in their basket. "We need eggs too."
Grace nodded, still holding Danny's hand. He glanced up when he heard the door open with the tinkling of bells to see two teenage boys come in with spiky hair and T-shirts with cut-off sleeves. Caucasians, one a redhead with a face full of freckles and the other a dark haired local boy. They both sported some pretty nasty looking tats, nothing like what Steve wore or the more traditional tribal island designs Danny had seen so much of since moving here.
And there was something off about them, Danny getting an instant vibe that made him tug Grace a few steps back up the aisle out of the direct line of sight from the register. Before Grace could ask what was wrong, the redhead pulled a sawed off shotgun from out of nowhere, his buddy a pistol that they both aimed at Tommy.
The redhead shot the display stand to the right of Tommy with the shotgun, one handed. Tommy ducked as Danny swept Grace behind him and he pulled out his service weapon.
"Empty it, NOW!"
"Sweet Jesus…" Danny hissed under his breath. He grabbed Grace and pushed her to the far end of the aisle at the back of the store, ducking both of them at the end where they wouldn't be seen right off. "Grace, you have your cell phone?" He knelt, Grace tucked behind him. He could feel her shaking as he wrapped his arm around her.
"It's okay, it's okay, baby," he whispered. "Your phone?"
The two punks up front shouted to move it, threatening to kill Tommy if he didn't get his ass in gear.
Grace fumbled in the pockets of her school uniform before finding her phone. She nearly dropped it before Danny enveloped her trembling hands in his. She looked at him with huge dark eyes and he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead as he touched her cheek in reassurance. Taking her cell phone, he dialed 9-1-1 and left the line open. He then stood up and tucked it up high on the self above him. He knelt back down beside Grace as he got his own phone. He scrolled to Steve's number in his address book, dialed it and left the line open, not saying anything before shoving it in his pants' pocket.
Taking her hand, Danny checked to see if it was clear before he darted them across the aisle to hide at the end of the next one. If it weren't for Grace being with him, Danny would have handled the situation a great deal differently. But with her, he wouldn't chance trying to take two heavily armed young men who Danny guessed were between fixes and desperate for money for a quick hit.
That left them unpredictable and dangerous.
The shotgun didn't help either. There was a reason it was Chin's preferred choice. It could cause a great deal of damage with minimum precision.
Danny peered down the aisle and spotted Konani and Kapono, huddled on the floor, pressed against each other. They stared at Danny with enormous dark eyes as he held a finger up to warn them to keep silent and then motioned them to come to him. The boys left their packs and skate boards and crawled over to Danny and Grace.
"Cell phones?" Danny whispered and they nodded, pulling them out. Danny took them both, dialing 9-1-1 on one then hiding the phone on the shelves behind them. He did the same with the other before crab walking partway down the aisle and hiding it like the others. He came back, pulling a trembling Grace against him before he squeezed the shoulder of both boys in reassurance.
"Stay quiet. Hopefully they'll take the money and leave in another minute, okay?" They nodded, fear in their eyes but there was trust too—trust that Danny would get them out of this.
"That's all of it?" one of the teenagers snapped.
"Yes, yes, all of it! Please, I swear!"
Danny could hear the distress in Tommy’s voice.
"Mark, come on, man! We got what we need!"
Danny pulled Grace closer as the boys pressed against him, shivering with fear. He had to keep them quiet and calm for just another couple of minutes. Another minute and this would be over and he could get Grace and the boys out of here.
The tinkle of the bells signaled the door opening.
"Police! Put your weapons down now!"
In the next heart beat, it went all sideways.
***
Steve grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket, glancing at the caller ID. He grinned when he saw it was Danny. "Hey, you guys heading over for—"
"That's all of it?"
"Yes, yes, all of it! Please, I swear!"
"Mark, come on, man! We got what we need!"
Steve froze, caught completely off guard for a long moment as his mind processed what was happening. "Oh my god…" Steve shoved out of his office. "Chin! Kono!"
"Police! Put your weapons down now!"
There was a shout and then the sound of what Steve instantly recognized as a shotgun blast. He nearly dropped the phone as Chin and Kono came out of their offices, concern on their faces.
"A trace, now, on Danny's phone!" Steve snapped as Chin went to the surface table and started typing.
"Boss, what's going on?" Kono asked as Steve put his phone down on the table.
Now all three could hear the shouting, hysteria and weeping, all punctuated by two angry male voices, one threatening to kill anyone else who came near them while the other demanded the door be locked.
"Oh my god…" The color drained from Kono's face as Chin pulled up a map of the city.
"Christ, Mark! You shot a fucking cop!"
“He’s bleeding! Let me help him!”
"If you don’t lock that damned door and shut the fuck up, you're next!"
"Got it!" Chin enlarged the map. "They're in a small market off of Punoi'i Street!"
"I know that place!" Kono spoke as Sergeant Lukela rushed in the main doors.
“Commander McGarrett!”
"So do I, it's where Danny usually stops on his way home if he needs groceries."
"We've got an officer down and a developing hostage situation on Punoi'i Street, Commander!" Duke informed them.
"Gear now! Kono, we'll need you on a roof, take one of the sniper rifles!"
"On it, Boss!"
Steve turned to Duke even as he grabbed his own equipment and vest. "We know, Sergeant. Danny and his daughter are two of the hostages."
***
Danny heard sirens as he held Grace against him and kept the boys beside him. One of the gunmen ranted and shouted, tipping and smashing things over.
Swallowing, Danny sized up the possibilities of getting Grace and the boys out. There was a small bathroom that was locked. Customers had to ask for the key. He could easily pick the lock, but it would be a death trap, with no way out if those punks decided to check and kicked in the flimsy door.
A stock room was at the back with a pair of swinging metal doors, but the entrance was in direct view of the register which meant the two agitated gunmen would see anyone making a break for it. Even if they made it, Danny couldn't be sure they would be able to get out through the loading dock if it was locked up.
The front of the store was all glass, but a lot of that was covered with ads and banners of sales and information. That left next to no visibility. There was just the single front door—now locked—right there by the register with what was now likely a dying cop.
Danny had Tommy, three terrified children and… oh man, the young mother and infant. They were here somewhere. Danny eased Grace back, tucking her between Konani and Kapono. She reached back for him but he silently told her to stay put and waited until she nodded that she understood. Gaining his feet, Danny peered down the aisle, making sure it was clear before he ducked to the end of the next one. He waited there a minute, gun in hand as he glanced back at Grace and the boys who watched him.
Carefully he peered down the next aisle, one that was closer to the register, Bingo, there she was, on the floor about halfway down, body curled over the infant she held to her chest. Even from where Danny stood, he could see her trembling, flinching when one of the men shouted or smashed something over.
Someone spoke over a bullhorn, advising the gunmen to put down their weapons and come out. No one else had to be hurt. The reply to that was a shotgun blast and the sound of something crashing and breaking.
This was not going to end well, but then Danny already knew that.
Looking back at Grace, Danny signaled for her to stay put. She swallowed but nodded, Konani putting an arm around her shoulders. Listening to the gunmen, Danny eased down the aisle to the young mother and knelt, touching her lightly on the shoulder. She started and Danny gently hushed her. She looked up, pale and shivering, cheeks stained with tears, the baby tight against her.
He touched the back of his hand to her cheek to reassure her in a gesture he often used with Grace. "I'm Danny, and I'm with Five-0." he whispered.
"Nalani."
"Go to the end of the aisle and wait for me. You'll see my daughter and two boys there at the end of the next one over."
She nodded once.
"Give me your cell phone."
She didn't argue as she reached into her purse and gave it to Danny. Slipping her sandals off, Danny helped her to stand and stayed where he was, watching as she eased silently down the aisle and disappeared around the end.
Like the others cells, Danny dialed 9-1-1 then tucked the phone on the shelf.
Deciding to see just how bad the situation up front was, Danny eased the rest of the way down the aisle and crouched down to peer toward the register and door. He wanted Tommy to know he was there and to keep a calm head.
He found Tommy kneeling on the floor in a pool of blood as he tended to a young officer in a uniform. The officer sat, pale, eyes wide and glazed with shock, back against the counter while Tommy pressed one of the many touristy T-shirts they kept stocked at the register to a shoulder wound. Danny guessed he had to be a rookie or close to it as he didn’t look much older than twenty-two.
He may have even been off shift and on his way home when he stumbled into this mess.
Danny couldn’t see the two gunmen who now argued about the mess they were in. He leaned out enough to catch Tommy’s attention. Glancing behind him at the punks, he then nudged the cop and whispered something to him. He looked up and met Danny’s gaze, pain brilliant in his eyes and Danny flashed him his badge to make sure he understood they weren’t alone.
“Greg, check the rest of the place.”
“Just what we need, Mark, more hostages. This is way out of control, man!”
“Shut the whining and do what you’re told!”
Danny hightailed it back and ducked around the end out of sight just in time as Greg, muttering about a bad situation gone worse, started to look down the aisles. Danny grabbed Grace and the boys, tucking them close, softly shushing them. Nalani, hiding at the end of the next aisle over, huddled with her infant, head down, hair hiding her face as they waited.
“Christ, Mark, ain’t no one else here!”
Danny heard Greg walk back toward the register. He let out a long breath he didn’t know he was holding as he still kept the kids close.
“You there, there anyone else in the store?” Mark snapped at Tommy.
“No. There was just me.”
Something crashed to the floor, sounding like glass, Grace cringing in Danny’s arms. Danny prayed they’d stay up front.
There wasn't much Danny could do. He had to believe that Steve, Chin and Kono were on the way if not already outside.
Fishing his cell phone out of his pocket, Danny peered down the aisle before ducking back. Whispering, he spoke, hoping Steve could catch what he said as he couldn't risk speaking any louder.
"I've got two gunmen, both Caucasians, early twenties, a shotgun, two pistols at least. A women, male cashier, three children and an infant. No way to get to the stockroom. Officer alive and aware but severely wounded. Gunmen volatile and at least one of them jonesing for a fix. I've got no joy here, Steve. I'm leaving this line open. Could really use some help, buddy."
***
They came screaming into the parking lot of the small market along with several blue and whites. Steve barely had his truck in park before Kono was out and in the back, grabbing a black duffle bag.
Lukela shouted orders to have the crowd moved back across the street and down the block to be out of harm’s way. Several uniforms took up positions behind cruisers, using them as cover.
Someone Steve didn’t recognize shouted on a bullhorn to surrender and come out.
Steve strapped on his vest as he glanced around them, sizing up the area and buildings. Directly across the street was a three story parking garage that he pointed out to Kono. "You should get your best sight lines there. Try and get a fix on Danny."
Still kneeling in the bed of Steve's truck, Kono finished with the last strap on her vest. She pulled her hair back in a tight pony tail. "Got it." She took a headset from Chin then vaulted over the side, landing lightly on her feet. Steve grabbed her gear and handed it to her.
"We don't know what we have in there yet."
"Understood." Pulling the strap of the bag over her head, she jogged off across the street to disappear in the shadows of the parking garage.
Steve picked up the rifle he'd chosen earlier and a box of cartridges. Chin had already loaded his and now checked the clip in his handgun before tucking it in the small of his back. He grabbed a pair of laptops and followed Steve over to one of the cruisers where Duke and a couple of uniforms had taken position including the one with the bullhorn.
"9-1-1 operators are reporting four separate cell phones that have dialed into them, but no one is answering. They can hear everything that is going on inside the store," Duke informed Steve as Chin set the laptops on the trunk of the car and opened them up.
"Good work, Danny…" Steve glanced over at Chin. "He's given us ears in there, can you have the 9-1-1 center relay those lines to us?"
"I'm on it!"
"Boss, I'm in place and set up."
"Copy that, Kono."
"I've got two gunmen, both Caucasians, early twenties, a shotgun, two pistols at least. A woman, male cashier, three children and an infant." Danny's hushed voice came over Steve's Bluetooth.
"I got Danny! Hang on!"
"Officer alive and aware but severely wounded. Gunmen volatile and at least one of them jonesing for a fix. I've got no joy here, Steve. I'm leaving this line open. I really need some help here, buddy."
"We have two gunmen, a badly wounded but alive uniform and seven hostages that include three children and an infant!" Steve shouted before he turned to Chin and Lukela. "The gunmen are extremely volatile. Danny's got no way to get the hostages out through an alternate route. He's thinks at least one of them is between hits and in need of a fast fix."
“I can’t get a fix on Danny or Grace.” Kono reported. “I don’t have a clear shot at either gunman right now either. I can see the wounded officer and a young male who appears to be helping him.”
"This is a messy hostage situation." Chin shook his head.
"Danny's quick on his feet, we know that. And I have a feeling this isn't the first robbery gone bad he's been involved in, having been a cop in Newark." Steve looked at the storefront and swallowed. "You can bet he's working out some way to get Grace and the other kids out and we need to be ready when he makes that happen.”
***
Danny had a good idea that Steve, Chin and Kono were out there by now, along with a good portion of HPD. Whoever had been shouting over the bullhorn had stopped. But at least one of the two gunmen, the one Danny suspected of being in desperate need of a fix, was still agitated. He shouted at his partner, at the wounded cop and Tommy and smashed up what Danny assumed was another display.
The longer this played out, the more out of control he would get. Danny knew he didn't have a lot of time and getting Grace and the civilians out of harm's way was priority.
Deciding it was just too dangerous to try and get anyone out through the stockroom and loading dock, only because it could be locked, Danny decided that it had to be the front door. He knew Kono would be nearby and set up with a sniper rifle, and that Steve and Chin were likely right outside in the parking lot along with HPD.
He needed a diversion, something that would buy him enough time to get Grace and the boys out that door where Chin and Steve would scoop them up and bring them to safety. Tommy too since he was right there. Nalani and her baby—that presented another problem. For now he decided his best bet was to get the kids out.
He studied the shelving. They were multiple wire racks lined up to form the aisles. They were heavily stocked and they weren't bolted down, Danny realized. Okay, he could work with that. He just needed to lure the gunmen down toward the stockroom and away from the front door.
"I need you to listen very carefully to me, okay?" Danny tucked all three closer to him. "I'm gonna move you all down near the door, but still out of sight, okay? Then when I tell you to, all three of you run as fast as you can outside—you can't look back, you can't stop, you have to run fast."
"You're coming too?" Grace's eyes were huge in her pale face.
"No, baby, I need to stay and help Nalani and her baby. And I need to take care of those gunmen but I can't do that until I know you, all of you, are outside and safe." Danny holstered his weapon so that he could capture Grace's face in his hands. She trembled, her eyes bright with fear and worry. "Uncle Steve is out there and I want you to run straight for him—can you do that for me?"
"I want to stay with you."
"Oh, Grace, sweetheart, you can’t do that—you know I need you safe. And besides, who is going to tell Uncle Steve and Chin who Konani and Kapono are?" Danny ran his hand over her hair. Behind them, Mark, the one Danny pegged as out of control, shouted at Tommy and the uniform. The boys flinched and pressed closer to Danny with the sound of more stuff being smashed.
Grace threw her arms around his neck and buried her face against his shoulder, shaking like a leaf. He stroked her back as he whispered to the boys. "My partners are out there—Steve and Chin. They will be waiting for you when you get through that door. I mean it, you can't look back. You just run as hard and as fast as you can and they will get you. Can you promise me you can do that?"
Konani and Kapono both nodded.
“But the door’s locked, sir,” Konani whispered.
“Trust me, I’ll have that taken care of.” They looked terrified and Danny hoped they wouldn't freeze when the time came. "Grace, baby, can you do this for me? Can you run to Uncle Steve?"
She nodded against his chest and Danny hugged her tight as he pulled out his cell phone and whispered into it.
"Okay, Steve, I hope you heard all of this. I'm gonna create a diversion and give Grace and the two boys a chance at getting out. Have Kono take care of the door when I give the signal.” He hesitated a long moment, sucking in a deep breath. “I'm counting on you to be there for her."
***
Danny moved the kids down the aisle, tucking them behind one of the floor freezers used for ice cream treats. Grace was terrified, but she did as Danny needed and huddled down out of sight between Konani and Kapono. He then went back to the other end, pausing long enough to retrieve one of the boys’ skate boards which he took with him.
Grace and the boys watched him from their hiding place, waiting for him his signal. Danny set the skateboard on the floor, then grabbed a couple of cans off the shelves behind him.
That’s when Nalani’s baby decided now was the time to cry. He saw Nalani, the color drained from her face, try to shush her daughter as she looked at Danny with pure panic.
“What the hell is that?”
“Hell, I don’t know, man—“
“I thought I told you to check the fucking place!”
Out of time, Danny knew he couldn’t get Grace and the boys to better cover. He kicked the skate board, sending it on a fast roll for the stock room doors before he threw one of the cans at them.
The can connected with a loud “thunk” flinging one of the doors back in time for the skateboard to roll right through before it swung back. Danny followed up in rapid order with another can, sending the doors swinging again.
“What the fuck? Who the hell is back there?”
“No one, I swear I’m the only one working today!”
Danny rolled two more cans across the floor toward the stock room doors.
“Greg, check it out!”
Danny pressed his back against the last shelving unit. Glancing over his shoulder, he peered through the spaces between the stacked cans and boxes. He caught a glimpse of the dark haired gunmen, pistol in hand, coming down to check on the stock room. Danny waited until he was most of the way down the aisle before he gave Kono the go ahead.
“Now, Kono!”
The glass in the door exploded with a bang, showering Tommy and the young uniform. Startled, Greg whipped around as his partner, Mark, cried out and jumped back, only to trip and fall and hit the ground hard. In the next breath, Danny levered his weight low and back and sent one of the heavily laden shelving units toppling over with a thunderous crash on top of Greg.
“RUN NOW!” Danny shouted.
Grace and the boys scrambled out from behind the freezer and bolted for the now ruined door. Grace got through first, all them slipping on shattered glass as the boys followed her out and started to run toward the police.
Danny turned to see if the kids got out. Grace, only a few steps outside stumbled then turned, looking back at Danny. Time slowed to a crawl as Danny saw her freeze. Behind her, he could see Steve and Chin running, Steve charging hard for Grace, Chin and a uniform after the boys.
The blood roared in Danny’s ears, his heart in his throat when Mark, still on the floor, shouted and raised his shotgun. Danny reached for his own weapon, knowing in that same moment he’d be too late—that Steve wouldn’t be in time and Danny just got his daughter, his only reason for living, killed.
“GRACE! NO!” Danny shouted.
In that same moment, the wounded uniform stumbled to his feet, getting between Grace and Mark just as Mark pulled the trigger.
Time snapped back into place as the uniform toppled backwards. Grace jumped then Steve had her, scooping her up, dodging to the side and out of the direct line of fire. Danny shot at Mark, clipping his shoulder before Mark, swearing, rolled across the floor and scrambled behind the counter. He popped up, leveling that damned shotgun at Danny.
***
The door shattered when Kono took it out, glass exploding everywhere. Steve raced out from between two squad cars, Chin right behind him when he heard Danny’s shout.
Steve saw Grace and the boys scramble through but then Grace stumbled and turned around, looking back at her father. She stood frozen in place, the two boys slowing down when they realized she wasn’t with them.
“Grace, no!”
Like a deer caught in headlights, the little girl stood as if glued to that spot, trembling. Beyond her, Steve saw Danny, eyes wide, color draining from his face as he reached for his weapon. Between them was one of the gunmen and Grace. Steve saw the flash of light reflect off the barrel of the shotgun aimed at her.
Steve lunged at Grace.
He heard the blast, saw Grace flinch and then Steve had her in his arms. Tucking her against him, Steve spun and bolted for the safety of the nearest squad cars. Several shots answered by another shotgun blast had Steve jump then slide across the hood of one of the squad cars, Grace still tucked against his chest. He landed on his knees before fetching himself up against the passenger door of the vehicle.
Still kneeling and chest heaving, Steve set Grace down, grasping her shoulders to steady her. “Gracie, sweetheart, are you hurt?” Steve cupped her face with one hand.
She stared at him with glassy eyes then shook her head. “Danno?” She swayed under Steve’s hands then jumped at the sound of gunfire.
“We’re gonna help him, sweetie, I promise.” He glanced over to see Chin and Duke with the two boys, the younger one wiping at tears. But they both looked okay. Chin glanced over at him and Steve nodded as he hugged Grace to him.
***
Danny bailed over one of the floor freezers, taking cover as Mark shot at him. The fluorescent light above him exploded, glass showering down on Danny who covered his head and swore. He popped up long enough to fire off a couple of shots.
“Tommy—get the hell outta here!”
He saw the young man hesitate, there on his knees and arms protecting his head as Danny shot over him. He gave Danny a last glance, then scrambled for the ruined door, ignoring the broken glass. Danny kept the gunman pinned behind the counter until he saw Tommy grabbed by a pair of uniforms who dragged him to safety behind a couple of squad cars.
Danny ejected and checked the clip for his gun. He only had a few shots left. He had extra clips of course, all loaded. In the glove box of the car since he wasn’t planning on being in a firefight in the middle of his local mom and pop shop. Of course if he were Steve, he’d probably have half a dozen along with a couple of grenades stashed in the various pockets of those ridiculous cargo pants.
“I’m gonna kill you, you bastard!” Mark shouted from behind the safety of the counter.
“Not today you’re not,” Danny muttered under his breath then swore, covering his head when Mark unloaded a pair of shots at the shelves behind Danny. Glass shattered, contents exploding and spilling over the refrigerator case and Danny.
Still swearing under his breath, Danny shook sticky glass shards out of his hair. He glanced down at himself to see his shirt and tie stained and ruined. “Son of a bitch! This joker just ruined a perfectly good shirt and one of my favorite ties! When I get out of this, Steven, I’m gonna give this moron such a beat down! Oh, then he’s replacing these!”
He spared a glance to the windows at the front of the store. Lights from the police cruisers bounced and reflected, cutting through the gathering gloom of the oncoming evening. Danny could picture Steve’s indulgent grin at his bitching.
“By the way, I’m almost out of ammo, buddy.”
Dusk had started to creep in, reminding Danny it would be dark very soon.
And that could change everything.
***
Steve did smile as he listened to Danny’s rant.
“Aw man, there is going to be all kinds of hell to pay when he comes out of there.” Chin gave Steve a quick grin.
“Danny’s really pissed now. That guy has no idea just how much trouble he’s in.” Steve glanced behind him to see Grace, Konani and Kapono safe and being looked at by a pair of EMTs that were on scene. The young cashier, Tommy, was with them, another EMT tending to several small nicks and cuts from when the door had been shot out by Kono.
But as amused as Steve could be that even under these circumstances, Danny’s sarcasm remained intact, his friend was still in a very bad situation and now almost out of ammunition. If Danny ran out and the gunman were to realize it, it would likely mean game over.
They needed to do something and soon. Steve had several ideas but he worried his usual method of shock and awe, as Danny like to put it, could get Danny or the remaining hostages hurt or even killed.
They were fast running out of choices.
***
Danny found Nalani still tucked where he’d left her. She remained huddled, her long dark hair covering her face as she rocked her infant daughter. She started, jerking her head up when Danny knelt beside her and touched her shoulder. She stared at him, the color washed from her face, cheeks wet with tears.
“It’s okay,” Danny coaxed, “We’ll get out of this, I promise.”
She didn’t say anything, only shaking her head as she rocked and swayed, the baby tucked tight against her chest.
“I won’t let him hurt you.” He glanced back over his shoulder, running some options through his head. He found himself staring at the doors leading to the stockrooms and loading dock. At the front of the store, still using the counter as cover, Danny could hear Mark shouting more threats and names punctuated by the occasional shotgun blast.
“Christ, I swear this guy's got an unlimited supply of shells for that damned thing,” Danny muttered. He pulled his cell phone out of his pants’ pocket. “I’m sending you a message,” he whispered then hung up the open line. He spared a glance at Nalani, giving her a gentle smile.
“I hate texting. I’m horrible at it.” He shrugged as she stared at him. “My partner, who is out there right now, loves to remind me how just how inept I am at this.” Danny typed carefully what he needed, all the while talking, hoping it helped to calm down the frightened young mother. “My daughter, Gracie, she’s eight and she doesn’t even have to look. Kids these days…”
Danny finished and read what he’d typed. Praying that Steve could understand, he sent it.
“You’ll like Steve. That’s my partner.” Danny used his hands, phone clutched in one. “Tall, dark and the ladies pretty much fall all over themselves to get his attention. Even some guys.” Danny rolled his eyes. “He draws a lot of attention, that’s Steve.” The phone vibrated in Danny’s hand. “Ooops, hold that thought a minute.”
Ldock unlocked. CHK will be there to get them out. We’ll keep him busy. Call n leave the line open. U suck at this btw.
“I suck at this, McGarrett?” Danny snarked under his breath as he typed “Asshole” and then sent it. “He thinks he’s being cute.” Danny shoved the phone back in his pocket as Nalani stared at him.
“Okay, here’s the plan. It’s your turn to get out of here.” Danny gave her shoulder a light squeeze.
Mark shouted that he’d kill anyone who came near him, punctuating it with a shotgun blast that made Nalani jerk wildly under his hand.
“I can’t do this!”
“Yes you can. I’m going to get you out the back through the loading dock. My friend, Chin Ho Kelly, will be there to help you, I promise.” Danny glanced back over his shoulder as Mark continued shouting. “We’re running out of time. Trust me, okay?”
For a long moment, he thought she wouldn’t do it. She could only look at him with huge dark eyes, her face ashen as she trembled under his hand. Then she nodded.
“Good girl. I know you can do this.” He helped her to her feet, Nalani whispering and softly shushing her baby.
Thanks to Mark’s shouting and rage, it was easy to confirm he was still at the front of the store behind the register. That helped Danny in that he could move Nalani closer to the stock room doors without worrying that Mark would see them. He tucked her at the end the aisle, keeping her behind him as he peered cautiously around the corner.
He spotted Mark, pacing and yelling, waving the shotgun then using the butt of it to smash merchandise. Danny had a clear view outside through the ruined door to see the blue and whites, lights flashing, parked to provide barriers and cover for the dozens of cops out there. Danny knew Steve was out there too.
Nalani made a startled sound and Danny ducked back in time to see one of the stock room doors nudge open a few inches. Chin, wearing a tac vest and holding his own shotgun, looked back at him.
Danny turned to Nalani. “That’s my friend. I’ll distract that punk and when I do, you go to Chin, okay?”
She only nodded, still so pale. Danny gave her arm a quick squeeze as he glanced over at Chin. Signaling to Chin to be ready, Danny eased down the aisle, picking up a few smaller jars as he went.
“Hey, buddy, you do realize I’m a cop, right?” Danny spoke out loud. “I just gotta tell you, as convenience store holdups go, you really screwed this up.”
“Fuck you!” Mark shouted back.
“You probably don’t know this,” Danny stopped at the end of the aisle, being careful to stay hidden. “But I’m from Newark. That’s in New Jersey.”
“Like I fuckin’ care!”
“Yeah well, I figured you weren’t all that bright considering the mess you made of this, buddy, I gotta say.”
Mark’s answer this time was a shotgun blast that took out a chunk of the ceiling near Danny.
“In case you were interested, buddy, you weren’t even close with that one.” Danny hefted one of the jars then lobbed it over into the next aisle. It hit the floor with a crash that had Mark shooting in that direction.
“Geesh, you’d think with a 12-guage shotgun you could hit something.” Danny tsk’d. He lobbed another jar over into the next aisle with the same crashing result.
“Fucking cop!” Mark snapped, coming out from behind the counter in order to hunt for Danny. “You gotta be out of ammo!”
Danny grabbed a couple more jars and tossed them up over the shelves behind him. He was already moving and ducking behind one of the novelty cases when they hit the floor, confusing Mark more. “Hey, you want to bank on that and come here and find out, I’m right here, buddy.”
“I’m gonna find who else you got hid in here, you bastard and after I take care of them, I’m gonna kill you!”
“You’re gonna have to settle for me, buddy. And just so we’re clear here, I’m not that easy.” Danny took a couple of cans and threw both at the stock on the top of shelves, sending boxes toppling and spilling.
It was easy to track Mark as he kept spinning and shooting in the directions that Danny made him. After throwing another can, Danny pulled his cellphone out and breathed a sigh of relief.
We have them.
That’s all Danny needed to know. Now it was just him and Mark and that changed everything.
***
In the gathering darkness, the cruiser lights flashed and cut through the shadows. Steve watched as Chin guided a young woman holding an infant in her arms from around the side of the building, both keeping low. They ducked in behind the cruisers.
Steve slipped over to them. “Nalani?”
She looked up at him, pale, her face etched with exhaustion and relief, her cheeks stained with tears. Chin kept his arm around her waist. Steve wasn’t sure she could stand without the other man’s help. The baby fussed in her arms. “Yes, thank you so much! But your friend—“
“Don’t worry about Danny,” Steve gave her a reassuring smile. “Is there anyone else in there with him?”
Nalani only shook her head. “No, I was the last one.”
Steve waved over one of the EMTs. “Let’s get you taken care of.” Grace, seated in the back of the nearest ambulance, started to stand up. But Steve shook his head, signaling to her to stay there. Despite the shadows and bouncing lights, he could see her fear and worry for her father.
“Good work, Chin.” Steve nodded to him as he sent the quick text to Danny to let him know they had the girl and her baby safe.
“Don’t thank me, I had the easy part. Danny did one hell of a job keeping that guy occupied. I had no problems getting her out of there.” Chin raked his hand through his hair, still holding his shotgun in the other.
“With everyone out, it’s time to end this.” Steve looked at the store over the top of the blue and whites. “Danny’s almost out of ammo and this guy is starting to really piss him off.”
“Oh, you think?”
Steve checked his pistol, before holstering it. “I think it’s time we gave him a hand.”
***
Danny was tired and cranky. And more than just a little pissed off. With keeping the kids and Nalani calm, he hadn’t allowed himself to be anything but careful and cool.
All bets were off now.
He checked his clip again, making sure he knew exactly what he had left. He stayed kneeling behind the floor freezer, back pressed against it. He was either going to have to make a move soon before Mark figured out where he was hiding, or end this.
He glanced over his shoulder when he heard Mark prowling two aisles over. He was reloading too, Danny catching the familiar sounds of the shotgun being breached and shells being shoved in. Then Mark was snapping it shut and running the action.
“I’m gonna find you, you bastard cop!”
“Promises, promises,” Danny muttered under his breath. His phone vibrated and Danny pulled it out, checking the new text message from Steve. “About damn time.” Danny shook his head.
Several jars hit the floor with a splintering crash. Mark ran back up the aisle, swearing and cursing. Danny looked up in time to see Steve slip past in the opposite direction, disappearing behind a stand of magazines and newspapers.
A few moments later and a set of shelves toppled over with a deafening sound, cans bouncing and rolling across the floor. Danny remained where he was, waiting, pistol gripped in both hands as he listened to Steve draw the gunman to him.
“How’s that shoulder doing, buddy?” Danny shook his head. “I know I clipped you.”
“Fuck off!”
Steve shot one of the fluorescents over Mark, showering him in glass and debris and sending Mark into a swearing rage and pushing him further down the aisle toward the back of the store.
Danny heard one of the coolers being opened and then slammed shut behind him.
“Damn you!” Mark came into Danny’s aisle, eyes wild, bloody hands gripping the shot gun. He came toward Danny who stayed hidden behind the floor freezer.
He was partway down the aisle when Steve emerged behind him.
“Looking for someone?”
Mark whirled to find Steve who stood with his pistol raised and trained on him.
“Bastard cop!”
Danny stood up from his hiding place, leveling his weapon. “No, that would be me.” When Mark swung around Danny pulled the trigger.
***
EMTs and cops rushed in with Steve’s all clear. Mark wasn’t dead, but he was unconscious and secured, the entire situation now defused and over. Steve knelt, glancing up at Danny over the gunman’s body after shoving the shotgun well out of reach.
“Good to see you.”
Danny lowered his weapon then shook his head. “Thanks.” He watched as Steve handcuffed Mark. “Gracie and the boys?”
“All good.” Steve stepped aside as police and EMTs came down the aisle. He came up to Danny who rolled his shoulders as he holstered his pistol. He ran both hands over his hair. “You okay?”
“Yes and no.” Danny shrugged. “That uniform that came in?”
Steve shook his head, watching the regret chase across Danny’s eyes.
Chin and Kono came up, Kono lightly touching his arm then pulling him into a hug. “Don’t do this again.”
“Well I’ll probably have to get my groceries somewhere else now.” Danny gave her a tight smile.
“Couldn’t just have a quiet evening, could ya, brah?” Chin grinned at him.
Danny spread his hands wide. “What can I tell ya? It was just milk and bread.”
***
Steve watched Danny with hooded eyes. His friend lay back on the blanket, propped up on one elbow, Grace tucked up next to him. It was one of those very rare times his friend wore jeans, although still in one of his dress shirts, sans the tie. He played with one of Grace’s pigtails, letting the silky hair slip between his fingers as she chatted with Kono who sat cross legged next to them.
Danny and Grace looked good, neither showing the effects of yesterday’s mess. Steve couldn’t be more relieved. And confused with his own reactions in the wake of all the excitement.
He remembered when they came out of the store. Grace spotted her father and raced over, arms out and Danny had caught her up with a practiced ease, hugging her to him as she wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face against his neck. Stroking her hair, he kissed and spoke to her but for the life of him, Steve couldn’t remember what his friend said.
Maybe because of the roaring in his ears from the adrenaline rush. That would explain why he had to keep swallowing against the tightness in his throat and chest as he watched father and daughter reunited, both safe and unharmed.
He’d glanced away, rubbing the back of his hand over his mouth to see Chin watching him, head tilted to the side, one eyebrow raised. The simple look spoke loud and clear without a single word uttered.
And had Steve analyzing his thoughts and feelings well into the night as he sat on his lanai with a beer, staring out into the dark as the waves crashed on his beach.
What was it about a life and death situation that brought things into light that might otherwise remain undealt with?
“I can hear you thinking over here, you know.” Danny looked at him with those clear blue eyes. “Which is frightening somehow since I’m convinced you rarely think.”
“Cute, Danno.”
“So why the deep thoughts?” Danny still played absently with Grace’s hair.
Steve shrugged then reached behind him to open the cooler they’d brought. He pulled out a pair of beers, offering one to Danny who took it. “Nothing earth shattering.”
“Uh huh.” Danny tugged Grace’s hair and she giggled at him. He gave her a big smile and Steve thought he might be off the hook.
The clear sky lit up with the first of the fireworks, people cheering and Grace clapping in delight. Steve took a long swallow of his beer before glancing back at Danny.
His friend wasn’t watching the fireworks.
“Just so you know, we’re not done here, Steven.” Danny turned to look up at the sky as more fireworks lit it up. “The ball’s now in your court.”