Hawaii Five-0 Imagines

Chapter 8

Steve was true to his word. As Alyssa recovered, he was never far from her bedside stepping away only to meet with the Five-O team regarding the progress of the investigation and occasionally to shower or grab a quick meal.

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Steve, Kono, and Chin were gathered in the hospital cafeteria. Danny was still tracking Alyssa's shooter. "Okay," Steve said. "What have we got? Chin?"

Chin took a deep breath, "Actually, not a whole lot. I tried to speak to them, but they lawyered up very quickly and said nothing. Since these guys are not US nationals, I did some research to see who was paying for them. Turns out it's an organization out of Brazil. The name is Portuguese, but it basically translates as, 'Brothers of the Night'. Can't quite figure out yet what they do."

Kono now started in, "This is actually important, although I don't really know yet, how it all relates..."

Steve's phone started to vibrate. It was Danny. Steve put the phone on the table and turned on the speaker. "What do you have for us, Danny?"

"Well, I found the shooter, or what's left of him." Everybody leaned closer into the phone. "Shallow Grave, a bullet to the back of the head. A bunch of surfers found him. According to Dr. Bergman, he was killed shortly after..." Danny did not finish the thought. He did not have to. ..." Only somebody observing Steve very closely would have noticed him flinching slightly at the memory of seeing his sister, his little sister, wounded.

"Organized crime?" Steve asked.

"Looks likely," Danny said, but we currently have no idea who or why.

Steve turned to Kono who had a strange look on her face, "What do you have?"

Kono glanced at her iPad and started. "The Encinas family have been running their cartel, known as, the 'Priests of Saint Death' for about 60 years. Salvador Encinas, now seventy-five years old took over the operations from his father in the '80s. Money, guns, drugs, human trafficking, " Kono looked up, "they do it all. Anything illegal and profitable in Latin America and you'll find them in the middle of it. Currently this cartel is involved in a turf war with another cartel, basically translated as 'Blood Brothers' and Mr. Encinas has not been seen in six months. The rumor is that he is either sick or dead, but if either one is true, there will be a coupe and the Blood Brothers will move on the "Priests", so everybody is being very quiet and not talking about this. These are some rough people. This year alone, the cartel is responsible for at least 500 deaths which include one hundred civilians."

"Priests of Saint Death?" Chin asked.

"It's a cultural phenomenon. it apparently started in the jails. The followers worship Saint Death. It's all over Latin and South America." Kono explained. "Here is where it starts to get interesting," she said looking at Chin. "If there are priests in this religion, there are also acolytes or assistants. They are apparently called, "The Brothers of the Night."

"Same guys, that paid for the lawyers?" Chin asked. "That can't be a coincidence."

Steve checked his watch. "I need to go, Aly will be waking up soon," Steve said, tossing down the remainder of the now-cold coffee. "Thank you," Steve said looking at Kono and Chin. "I think we're getting closer, but there is just something that we are all missing. Keep pressing. I just have this feeling that time is important here."

Alyssa was just beginning to stir when Steve nodded to the uniformed officer at the door of the room and walked in. He walked over to the bed and took her hand just as her eyes began to flutter open. It had been about forty-eight hours since she came out of surgery and she seemed to be getting stronger. She would be starting to ask questions soon and he had better be ready with some answers. Steve cringed inwardly; he was not looking forward to the conversation.

Aly opened her eyes. Steve was there just like he'd been every other time she had woken up. While she was oddly comforted by his presence and more grateful then she wanted to admit, she still did not know why he was bothering. Nobody had ever been this interested in her well being and she was certain that Steve wanted something from her, but could not imagine what it could be.

"Hey," Steve said as soon as he noticed that Aly was awake.

"Hey," she replied. She tried to sit up and Steve adjusted the pillows and gently helped her.

Alyssa took a deep breath. "Commander...I mean Steve. Please don't misunderstand. I really appreciate that you have been here with me, but why? You are under no obligation and, frankly, I am not used to the attention - I am just fine on my own."

Steve too took a deep breath. He was hoping to have more time before he had to discuss this, but apparently, that is not how this was going to work. He rubbed the back of his neck and started. "CSU found some blood in the first house the traffickers were using. They found that the DNA matched two people." Alyssa looked up, her eyes wide and confused as Steve continued. "There were two matches to the DNA." Alyssa had a hand to her mouth and tears were starting to flow from her eyes. Steve wished there was an easier way to do this. He continued in the most gentle voice he could "I was identified as a familial match. I am your half brother."

Alyssa was crying openly now. Steve sat on the bed and gently enveloped her in his arms. He felt her body shake with sobs as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that, for the first time in her life, she was not alone.

After a few minutes, the sobbing and the shaking subsided and Alyssa was able to look up. She used the palms of her hands to wipe away the tears. She looked at Steve with the unspoken question in her eyes. Steve sighed, there was no avoiding the truth now. "You and I have the same mother, Aly."

"Did she not want me? Why did she leave me" her voice was a plea that broke Steve's heart.

"Our mom is complicated. She did not feel that...,"

"She could not bring me home to a husband and kids. I was inconvenient." Steve flinched at the harshness in her voice, but also at the truth of what she was saying. Someday he would explain their mother to her.

"Can I see her," Aly asked.

Steve looked around, "She is in hiding. Nobody knows where." That was the truth and maybe he would not need to tell her that their mother wanted nothing to do with her.

"And my father?"

"Aly, please don't," Steve hated the pain in her eyes and in her voice and he knew that what he was going to tell her next, would make it even worse.

"My father? You know, don't you? You need to tell me." Alyssa's voice was pleading and angry at the same time.

"Our mother was...is an operative for the Central Intelligence Agency. She was assigned to obtain information from the leader of a drug cartel in Brazil. They became close...,"

"And I was the outcome," Alyssa's tone was bitter. "No wonder my mother wants nothing to do with me."

"Aly, that's not true."

"Really, Steve? You told me that I am not stupid. I can figure this out. If she had wanted to meet me; to get to know me, she has had plenty of time in the last twenty-five years. She does not want to and never will." She looked at Steve daring him to contradict her.

Steve tried to wrap his arms around Aly. To provide comfort, but she shrunk away from him. "No. I can't. Not now. I need time to think about all this. Please," Alyssa's voice broke, "please I need to be by myself."

"Aly, I am so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you." Steve wanted desperately to explain and to make it better, but one look in Alyssa's eyes, and he knew that there was nothing he could do ."Aly. Whatever our mother and your father are or did. That does not change that we are family. I promise you, I will always have your back. I will always be there for you. You just need to give me a chance." Alyssa looked at Steve without really seeing him, and turned her head so he would not see the tears that were threatening to come. Steve sighed, "I'll stop by later, to see how you are doing. Please think about what I said. You never have to be alone again." And with that, he walked out and closed the door.

Alyssa barked a cold cynical laugh, but even to her, it sounded more like a sob. Yet again, the idea of family, of Ohana was a bitter disappointment. A mother that never wanted her. A father who was a murderous drug dealer and did not even know she was alive. Her own little, broken Ohana. Alyssa began to cry.