With the most heartfelt thanks to JazzieG who is a wonderful beta. I can't tell you how much I appreciate her amazing patience and encouragement. She was also kind enough to insist this wasn't rubbish. She offered corrections where necessary and then I would continue to write more. So any errors are therefore my own.
The usual disclaimers apply.
Hawaii Five-0
Marina Misfortune
Chapter 1 - Prologue
Akino Salvator looked up to check the clouds. The warm tropical weather was holding. The squall forecast for earlier that morning still looked to be an hour or two away. If he hurried there'd be time for a quick test run. He spent the morning making repairs to the steering connections on his tour boat. It seemed his luck was finally turning. Sure, he'd suffered a few setbacks, but with the tour booked for tomorrow, he'd be able to make the final payment on his boat, the Queen Celeste.
He had bought the boat from the bank. It had been seized during some kind of a raid or another. Akino hadn't concerned himself with its past. When he signed the loan papers two years ago, he'd only thought about the future. Looking back, he supposed he should have at least requested a mechanical review. But with these latest repairs, the long list of required interventions finally seemed to come to an end.
Akino couldn't help the grin that took over. He'd already called his wife Celeste, the beautiful lady who he couldn't help but name his dreams after. They were going to have a pre-celebratory dinner at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Not the fanciest restaurant on the island, but it was Celeste's favourite and that was good enough for Akino.
The middle aged Philipino reached for his toolbox, the last item left on the dock after the repairs. A shadow fell across the battered box and another hand grasped the metal handle before Akino's fingers could curl around it. Akino looked into the dark eyes of his business rival.
"Terashima," he bit back a frustrated sigh.
Akino Salvator assumed he and Thomas Terashima were of similar age, but the Japanese man seemed to invest a great deal of time on his appearance so Akino couldn't be sure. Thomas Terashima lifted the full toolbox with ease and handed it across the two foot gap between the men. Akino wanted to curse his limbs when he almost dropped the box once Terashima let go.
"I just wanted to stop by, see if you had a chance to look over my latest offer?" Terashima smiled cordially, but Akino couldn't help but focus on the teeth and thoughts of sharks ran rampant through his head. Akino trusted this man even less than he would circling finned predators.
"I already told you - No," Akino met the other man's gaze, hoping to lose some of his fears from the teeth, but even the dark eyes instilled dread. He took a deep breath and refused to allow the intimidation to settle. "It doesn't matter how many windows you break, my answer will always be no."
Having stood his ground Akino felt some reassurance. "You already run eighty percent of the tours from this dock. What I earn is just enough for my family to be happy. Surely it can't mean anything to you?"
Even the casual shrug from Terashima carried threatening implications. "Using your words, that would be happiness I could be providing to my own family."
It was too much for Akino. "Go! Your threats are nothing to me. I have already logged complaints with the police. The next time a window is broken in my office you will be getting a visit from HPD." Akino pushed past the Japanese man and stormed up the dock towards his tour office.
Thomas Terashima watched his business rival walk away, his grin changing to a snarl. "Next time, my friend, it won't be just a window." Akino was already far enough away, that he never heard the threat.
Terashima headed towards his own tour office. Before he reached the main door he caught sight of Wayne Roesler unloading a delivery van. The parking lot was at the rear of the building, just off the busy street which ran along the water front, but there was a reserved spot at the side of the building for loading and unloading. It seemed the effort to carry the cumbersome boxes that distance was too much to ask of the young man. Terashima stopped to watch his young employee. Wayne grabbed one box at a time from the back of the van, and with visible contempt for his menial job, slowly shuffled the thirty steps back to the office.
"Rich kids," Terashima muttered, making himself wonder for the hundredth time why he had thought it was such a good idea to hire the next heir to the Roesler real estate empire. He was reminded when the dark haired youth exited the business office, and with shoulders slumped and shuffling feet, approached.
"My dad needs me to help clean out an office in Waikiki for a showing, so I gotta jet." Wayne lifted his eyes to quickly check for the nod of approval before turning back towards the parking lot.
Thomas Terashima would of course give his approval. Mr. Carl Roesler's real estate ventures often served as safe grounds for meetings with clients. Not the sight-seeing tour clients that made the perfect cover for the true means of Terashima's wealth, but the drug suppliers that came from both the west coast of the mainland and from Asia. Hawaii really was the perfect middle ground.
As much as Wayne Roesler was the worst employee Terashima had ever had the misfortune to hire, his father was a connection well worth the pain.
Wayne had only taken a few steps when a slow chugging sound from the marina drew both men's attention. The Queen Celeste was carefully manoeuvring through the crowded waters, heading out towards the harbour and open water.
"Where do you think he's taking the Queen now?" Wayne asked.
Terashima shrugged unconcerned, "Oh, probably just a test run."
They both watched the ship, with its empty decks, move past. The driver's head never wavered to look their way. None the less, Terashima gave a quick salute and a feral grin to his rival. Once the boat was clear of their dock space, Terashima reminded his young employee of his duty.
"You should hurry. Your father is expecting you."
The young man may suffer from his generation's apathy, but he at least recognized power. Wayne jumped at his employer's words and picked up his pace to reach his customized Honda Civic in the staff parking area.
Terashima turned back to watch the Queen make its way past the last of the docked boats and slowly pick up speed.
On the Queen Celeste, Akino listened to the steady thrum of the motor, the sound bringing contentment to his heart. He had seen Terashima standing near the dock but maintained his sights on the view ahead. The same way he was going to beat the man's pushy tactics.
Akino had reached the buoys marking the harbour entrance. Once well clear of the markers, Akino set the helm for open water. The clouds were coming in, but he wasn't worried. This was a quick trip to test the repairs. He'd be back and tied up to the dock long before the first drops fell. He pushed the lever forward with a smile and felt the boat's power as it surged ahead. Akino loved the sea and the freedom he felt while he traveled on the water. It was with these feelings of joy that Akino Salvator left this world.
The Queen Celeste exploded in a dazzling display of sound and fury. Bits and pieces of the tour boat rained down into the clear water, many still being licked by flames. A billowing black cloud rose to join the growing cloud cover blowing in.