This is the sixth chapter (of nine) in my answer to the challenge for a Moonlight Crossover story, challenge 140. Originally, this was supposed to be a relatively short story, but the muse cackled wickedly and off we went. For me the challenge (initially) was getting inside the head of a character I wasn't overly sympathetic (Mary Ann McGarrett) with and change that perception.
A/N 1 - It should be noted that several of the characters in this story periodically fell victim to the muse's warped sense of humor, Danny Williams in particular.
A/N 2- Part of this story involves the tattoos that we see on Steve McGarrett's shoulders, but were hidden from view when Alex played Mick St. John. I don't have a flaming clue what those ornate designs mean (if anything), but that's never stopped the muse before.
A/N3 - If you want to see what one of the tats really means, see http://www.moonlightaholics.com/viewtopic.php?f=346&t=10015&start=45 and thank Kath40 for finding it. The muse couldn't have been any further from the truth.
I hope you enjoy.
The usual disclaimers apply. I mean no copyright infringement on any of the characters described herein. This is all for fun, nothing more.
The Long Journey Home
Chapter 6
On the way to Josef’s, Steve found himself riding in a classic Mercedes Benz, both car and driver likely older than he was, but both in excellent shape. Beth was in the back seat, while Steve had been ‘offered’ the front, probably so that the PI could keep an eye on him and away from his wife. If he were in St. John’s shoes, he’d likely do the same.
Mick seemed to be the strong, silent and slightly possessive type, but perhaps Steve could gather some useful information before he walked into the lion’s den. After some careful consideration, the direct approach seemed best.
“So, what can you tell me about this guy we’re going to see?”
“This ‘guy’ is Josef Kostan, the leader of the LA community. If I were you, I’d show him some respect.”
“Leader, huh? So just how old are we talking?”
“400 and counting.”
“And you?”
“About 90.”
Steve wished he could see Mick’s eyes behind his shades; he got the feeling the PI was quietly amused at his not-so-subtle intelligence gathering. While Mick was answering the questions, he offered little else. “So what did he tell you about me?”
“Enough to know that you’ve just walked into a trap. You’re friend, Williams? He’s the bait.”
A short time later, the trio arrived at Josef’s. Following his training, Steve took note of his surroundings, looking for possible escape routes, should one be needed. As expected, there weren’t any; Kostan had surrounded his home with a cadre of bodyguards all as likely strong, fast and as undead as he was. If he was going to get Danny back to Oahu in one piece, Steve might have to break a sacred trust, something he swore he’d never do.
Steve also noticed that everyone they encountered treated both Mick and Beth with extreme respect, each man careful not to gaze inappropriately at the latter. A few actually did a double-take noting Steve’s resemblance to Mick, but no one commented. This was another key piece of intel that Steve mentally tucked away; Mick might be comparatively young for his kind, but he must be something special to be regarded so highly.
Another reason not to mess with him or his wife.
Entering Josef’s study, they found the ancient vampire in the company of a slender, Japanese male, perhaps 40 by appearance, who rose and bowed to the newcomers.
“Kon'nichiwa. I am Akiro Takaro, here on behalf of Susumu Takeo.” Turning to Steve, Takaro bowed once more. “Kon'nichiwa, McGarrett san. It is good to see you again.”
Steve bowed in return, relieved at Takaro’s presence; Takeo’s most trusted lieutenant would provide Steve guidance for what he could share with the others. “Kon'nichiwa, Akiro san. It is good to see you as well. Please, convey my greetings and good wishes to Susumu san.”
“Hai. I will.”
The remaining introductions were made and when all were settled in, Steve addressed Josef. “If I may, sir, how do you know Akiro san?”
“Actually, I am more acquainted with his sire, Mr. Takeo. It’s been decades since I’ve seen him, but we keep in touch.” Josef glanced at Mick, exchanging a silent communication, then continued. “Commander, I appreciate why you’ve come to LA, but by doing so, you’ve put us all in danger.”
“I don’t see how, sir. Mick tells me I’ve walked into a trap, but I don’t understand what kind.”
“Apparently, you are held in some esteem by our Japanese brethren, at least most of them.”
Takaro took up the explanation. “There is a faction of our community who chafes under the peaceful co-existence we have with humans and others of our kind. They have devised a plan by which you, McGarrett san, would start a war, one in which you would die.”
“How?”
Josef replied. “It appears the attack on your sister wasn’t random. She was to be killed and when you arrived in LA to claim the body, you’d know how she was killed and by whom. It was hoped that you would go after the assailant and destroy him.”
Steve bristled. “That’ my right.”
“True, but if you happened to expose the existence of our kind in the process….”
“I’d have broken my word.”
“Making you fair game to be killed in return and possibly starting a bloodbath between us and our human brethren. When Mick foiled the attack on your sister, another trap had to be laid.”
“With Danny as the bait. Shit! How the hell did they latch on to Danny? Why do they want me dead?”
Takaro replied. “Since you returned to your home in the islands, you and your task force have ‘disturbed’ certain dealings between the faction I mentioned and their human business partners. With your death, it was hoped those disturbances would end. For months, they have been observing you, looking for a way to cause you to break your word. Your friend, Detective Williams, seemed close to you. When the attack on your sister failed and your friend came to the mainland, your enemies saw a golden opportunity and took it.”
“So Danny takes Mary’s place as the bait, and I walk right into their trap.” Steve turned to Josef. “Mick said you know where Danny is. Is he still alive?”
“Being the ‘bait’, I presume so. As for his location, I had some of my people tail him after he dropped in for an impromptu chat with Mick and myself. The cab driver took him to a house in Little Tokyo which my people are still watching.”
“Why did you have Danny tailed, sir?”
“The detective seemed to have an unhealthy interest in Mary’s attacker and later in Mick and I wanted to ensure that interest didn’t become a threat.” Josef’s eyes grew hard, his voice cold. “I look after the people entrusted to me, Commander, Mick and Beth in particular. That’s something I think you can understand and appreciate.”
“Yes, sir, I do.” Steve answered honestly, although he was curious as to why Mick and Beth were so special, especially Beth. He found a human married to a vampire surprising enough, but for a human to be treated with such high regard was what really had him intrigued. Could it be simply because of her marriage or was there some other reason? Given the choice between staying alive and in Kostan’s good graces or satisfying his curiosity, the former won out.
Watching McGarrett closely, Mick had been silent throughout this exchange. The man was clearly no fool, treating both Josef and his Japanese visitor with respect. But there was something else about him that intrigued Mick; not too many humans walk into a room full of vampires as coolly as he just did. And just how did McGarrett get to know about his kind? He could tell even Josef was curious.
Mick regarded Takaro. “OK. So there’s a faction that wants Steve dead. Why not just take him out?”
Takaro turned to McGarrett and asked him something in Japanese. Steve nodded, then stood and took off his shirt. Takaro stood behind Steve and pointed to the tattoo on his left shoulder. “This design is ancient Japanese incorporating the image of chi no akuma, indicating that the wearer is hogosareta, that is, protected. None of our kind may hurt him or his family. To do so means destruction.”
Steve continued. “In return, I would never reveal the existence of the chi no akuma, or blood demons, nor would I ever destroy one except as an act of revenge.”
Mick saw an opportunity to satisfy his curiosity. “I take it ‘blood demons’ is the Japanese name for vampires. How did you find out about them?”
Steve exchanged a look with Takaro, who simply nodded. “OK, I’m breaking all sorts of rules here, but I don’t have a choice if I want to save Danny. But whatever I say stays in this room, agreed?”
When all consented, Steve continued. “A few years back, I was part of a covert operation in the Philippine jungle. Our assignment was to wipe out an insurgent cell, one that was supported by the Chinese government. China was supplying the insurgents with raw opium, which they then either sold or traded for guns and munitions. We’d engaged the target, took some casualties and withdrew before we could fully achieve our objective. During our retreat, I got separated from my unit and sustained a pretty bad gunshot wound in the leg. In the jungle, it doesn’t take long for infection and fever to set in, and not being able to move fast, I figured my chances for survival weren’t all that good.”
While Steve was describing his ordeal, Mick sensed Beth’s distress. Knowing that she was recalling Josh’s death, Mick reached out and took her hand in his.
“It wasn’t long before one of the insurgents tracked me down. When he got close, I shot him. The guy just stood there, stone-faced, as I emptied my clip into him. He grabbed my hair and dragged me up. When I saw his eyes flash and then his fangs, I thought I was delirious.” Steve raised his hand to his throat. “Until he bit me.”
Josef’s head snapped up. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Commander, but why are you still alive?”
“You can thank Susumu Takeo for that. While my unit was hunting the insurgents, he was hunting a rogue faction of his community that had allied themselves with the insurgents. The rogues didn’t care about politics; the insurgents were merely a means to an end, one that would have brought unwanted attention to Takeo’s community. Led by Akiro san, Takeo’s blood demons were hunting the rogue faction that day and came upon me while I was being attacked. Akiro san destroyed the rogue, and found that I was still alive, but unconscious. He took me to their compound where Takeo ordered my injuries be treated. When I was well enough, they dropped me off near a US Naval base.”
Mick’s curiosity wasn’t completely satisfied. “OK, I get why they saved your ass, but why are you ‘protected’”?
“The guy that was trying to make me dinner? He was Hikaru, the leader of the rogue faction. Takeo felt that by drawing Hikaru away from the others, I allowed him to be destroyed, thereby weakening the rogues. In return, I was to be granted the protection of all blood demons. Any of them who harmed me or my family would suffer destruction.”
Beth was intrigued. “And that tattoo tells them this? What does the other one mean?”
Takaro replied. “The second design identifies the bearer as Fukushusha – an avenger.”
Mick noticed Steve tense. “What exactly are you avenging, Steve?”
“Until a few months ago, I thought I knew– my father’s murder. With Mary’s attack, maybe both.”
Beth nodded. “Mary said that your father had been murdered, but no one would tell her why.”
Steve took a deep breath. “At the time, I couldn’t tell her. Dad was being held hostage by a terrorist whose brother I had taken into custody. When my prisoner was killed during a firefight, his brother executed my father.”
Mick finished the thought. “And you thought Mary would somehow blame you for your father’s death.”
Steve looked into Mick’s eyes, finding only understanding. “Yeah, something like that. As it turns out, there’s a lot more about my father’s death that I didn’t understand and still don’t. What I have learned is that another man, Wo Fat, was ultimately responsible for orchestrating his death.”
“Who’s Wo Fat?”
“Wo Fat was a high ranking officer in the communist Chinese army who decided to go capitalist in a big way. After he severed ties with the army, he went into business for himself.”
That got Josef’s attention. “What kind of business?”
“Gun running, drug and human trafficking, even terrorism, anything that will bring him a profit and expand his power base. He’s powerful, cunning and ruthless. Even the Yakuza, the Japanese mob, fear him.” Steve eyes were murderous. “For ordering my father’s execution, Wo Fat will die. If I have my way, I’ll be the one to kill him.”
The room was silent, save for the beating of two human hearts. Once again, Josef looked at Mick, then at McGarrett, recognizing more similarities between the two than physical resemblance. “Well, Commander, and I mean this as a sincere compliment, I believe you’d make one helluva vampire.”
“Thank you, sir, but I’ll pass. Right now, I need to find Danny and get him home safely. Based on what I’ve been told, rogue blood demons have him. If that’s the case, I’ll need your help.”
“You’ll have it, Commander.”
It makes perfect sense to me... and hey, who cares that Steve's tats don't mean exactly the same thing as Alex's tats? They're not the same guy, after all. 
But aside from all the other reasons he has for staying human, I think he'd miss the sun too much... 
I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Steve and our vamps are going to work together to rescue Danny. 
I just love your explanation of the tats and what they mean it's so exciting. Thanks DSR. 
vamps we're used to seeing. I utilized the WWII culture of the Japanese army and civilians to create code by which the blood demons live.
