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Steve pulled his truck into the car park and scanned it with a frown. The Camaro wasn’t here. Danny had been in the office when he left. Glancing at his watch he realized just how late it was and shrugged, maybe he’d gone off to pick Graceface up from school. Collecting the files he had been handed on his foray to the Governor’s office, Steve stepped out of the truck, both hands full; Steve frowned as his phone rang relentlessly in his pocket as he Juggled the files. Shifting the files into his other hand as he closed the door, Steve slipped it out of his pocket; he frowned at the pretty young face that smiled at him.
“Gracie, Danno isn’t with me.” Steve answered with a smile.
“Uncle Steve. I’ve done something bad.”
Steve could hear the tremor in Grace’s voice, her fear stopping him momentarily in his tracks. “Do you need me to find Danno sweetheart?” Steve hurried his pace, hoping to reach her father and ease her distress quickly.
“No. I need you Uncle Steve.” Grace sobbed.
“Tell me Grace, what’s wrong.” Steve listened harder trying to hear background noises, anything he could use to understand what was wrong.
“Tommy dared Alohi and me to go to the heiau near Kualoa on our own, so we were bad and ditched school and caught a bus and walked and there was this man following us and my phone wouldn’t work and we’re in a little shop that Danno buys his coffee at because the nice lady said I could call my folks but I can’t call Danno because he’s gonna be so mad at me and the lady wants to close the store soon and I’m sorry but we’re so scared andcanyoupleasecomeandgetusnowUncleSteve?”
“Slow down baby girl. You need to take a breath. It’s okay,” Steve started to jog back towards his truck. I’m on my way. Please don’t leave the store. I know where you are. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Please hurry Uncle Steve.” She sobbed. “I’m really scared. The man is outside.”
“What man Gracie?” Steve asked trying to keep Grace engaged as he flipped his flashing lights on and roared out of the car park, “Have you ever seen him before?”
“No, he got off the bus when we did. He asked us questions. But I knew not to talk to him. He’s a stranger, Uncle Steve.”
“Danno would be so proud of you Baby. Can you tell me what he looks like Gracie?”
“Like Uncle Chin. But bigger and taller. And not as nice.”
“Gracie baby, can you still see the nice lady?” Steve asked as he wove in and out of Honolulu traffic.
“She’s serving someone.” Grace nods forgetting that Steve can’t see her.
“That’s okay Gracie. Where is your friend?” Steve prods her to keep talking.
“Alohi. She’s right here next to me. She’s my best friend Uncle Steve. Just like Danno is your best friend.” Grace sighed dramatically. “I’m gonna be in so much trouble Uncle Steve.”
“Danno’s blood pressure just might blow the top right off his head Grace Face.”
“It’s Tommy’s fault. He dared us.” Grace sounded a lot calmer now, and almost like she was pouting.
“You’ll have to fight that technicality with your Danno, sweetheart.” Steve smiled thinking about the argument that would happen at that little piece of news.
“Uncle Steve?” Grace’s whispered voice broke into his thoughts.
“What’s wrong, baby?” the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end at the frightened tone of her voice.
“The man, he came inside and he’s talking to the lady.” Grace whispered.
“Gracie, listen to me.” Steve gripped the steering wheel tighter and pressed his foot flatter to the floor.
“I need you to take Alohi and run outside and hide. Somewhere that only you can find, you know like I taught you. I need you to hide there until I come for you. Can you do that for me baby?”
“Mmhmm” Grace hummed as she nodded her agreement.
“I’ll be there soon, Grace face. You just need to hide until I get there. Put the phone down now baby and run.” Steve urged her, wincing at the sudden beep of a disconnected call in his ear.
As soon as he realized the call was finished, Steve dialed Chin.
“What’s up Steve?” Chin asked as he answered the call, “I thought you were done for the day?”
“Chin, where’s Danny?” Steve responded curtly, his mind focused solely on getting to Grace.
“He’s having a coffee with Gabby.” Chin explained.
“It’s probably nothing, but can you get a black and white sent to Kualoa Nursery?”
“Sure, but what does that have to do with Danny?” Chin frowned.
“I’m on my way there now, Grace called, she skipped school and she’s afraid. A cruiser might be closer than me.”
There was silence for a few moments, Steve handling the driving with an ease he wasn’t feeling.
“Steve.” Chin’s voice broke into his thoughts. “There could be a problem. Grace’s phone is on the move.”
“She said there was a man following them. Looked like you but taller and bigger, it’s not much to go on but it’s something.”
“I’ll do what I can. I’ll send you a link for Grace’s phone.” Chin paused. “Do you need me to tell Danny?”
“He’s going to flip his shit, Chin.” Steve sighed sadly, knowing that he had to keep Grace safe or die trying because if she was ever hurt on his watch, Danny would kill him and then resurrect him just so he could extract the correct punishment. Melodramatic? Perhaps, but completely accurate.
“It’ll be worse if we don’t tell him now.” Chin advised sagely.
“I should do it, Chin.” Steve sighed.
“But you’re making his little girl safe, that’s more important. I’ll do it. You just get Grace.”
“Thanks’ brah.” Steve disconnected the call.
Checking his watch, Steve cursed under his breath, he was taking too long to get there so he depressed the accelerator harder; and he barely even noticed the needle climbing higher on the speedometer, his one focus to get Grace back before something happened to her.
He sped around a corner, his rear tires losing traction on the loose gravel at the edge of the lane, spinning the tray of the truck out onto the shoulder. Correcting his trajectory slightly Steve barely had time to drag the steering wheel towards the shoulder as a truck barreled towards him on the wrong side of the road. Steve’s cat like reflexes had saved him from a head on collision, but as it was both trucks bounced off of each other with the sound of twisting metal and continued on to their own fates.
The truck that had hit Steve crossed the lane markers and glanced off the rocky cliff face that lined the other side of the road. Bouncing off the wall it flipped, once then twice and settled on his hood in the center of the road. The contents of the tray scattered all over the blacktop like toys scattered by the Gods.
Steve’s truck careened off the edge of the cliff side, free falling through the air for a short time before the tray dropped and caught on an outcropping of volcanic rock, flipping end over end, until it landed on its side, the waves crashing onto the rocks and washing into the windows of the truck, salt spray splashing against Steve’s unconscious face.