"I just gotta go grab civilian clothes and I will meet you there." Catherine promised.
"Alright," Steve said, "Sounds like a plan, I'll see you around 6:30."
"Bye." Catherine hung up.
"Bye." Steve said.
Catherine walked into her house, setting down her bag. She trekked up the stairs to her room and began sifting through her closet, trying to find an outfit that would hide most of the bruises and scrapes from her day at work. She had just found the perfect shirt when she felt a small prick on her back. With a gasp, she turned around just in time to see a hooded figure before she blacked out.
Steve McGarrett waited and waited as the minutes ticked by, 6:35, 6:40, 6:45, 7, 7:15, 7:30. This was not Cath. She was born into a military family, she was in the Navy, punctual was practically her middle name. As long as Steve had known her Catherine had never been less than 5 minutes early to anything. Something is wrong. He thought. Paying for the appetizers he had ordered Steve left the restaurant he and Cath had agreed to meet at. He got in his car and started the 20 minute drive to her house. Along the way he called her cell, home and work phones, only to get the answering machine for each one. Arriving at her house Steve noticed nothing unusual.
Steve pushed the door gently and it swung open Not Good Steve thought Not good at all. He grabbed his gun and carefully walked into the house. Everything in the first floor seemed normal. Steve stalked up the stairs, he entered the bedroom to find it as spotless as ever. However, one thing was different. On the bed there was a note, putting on gloves Steve picked it up and read it. It had one word written on it ZUGZWANG. On the back there was a web address. Steve called Danno.
"Steve, What do you want, I am off work, it's a Friday. Can I please, please have about 30 seconds off work?"
"Danno, it's about Catherine, we have a problem." There was a pause.
"I'll be right there. But you owe me."
By the time McGarrett arrived at H-Pd everyone was there.
"What's going on?" Kono asked.
"Its Catherine." Steve said, "She was suppose to meet me at dinner, but she never showed. I went over to her place to see if something was wrong and I found a note." He held up an evidence bag with the note inside. "It says Zugzwang, but I don't know what that means, also there is a web address on the back."
"Lets see what the website is." Danno said, Kono typed in the address. It brought the team to a website with a black background and a poem written in red cursive.
Tick Tock goes the clock
Times almost up for Catherine
Now the Game begins
Tick Tock
Wait for the clock
24 hours
Will it be enough?
Your move
Steve looked at this and visibly paled, he quickly put up a countdown, 24:00, 23:59.59, 23:59.58
"So, we've got until tomorrow to find Catherine before she is killed."
"It doesn't sound that simple Steve." Chin said, "The Game will begin? This guy wants to test you."
"Test me? Test me?" Steve yelled, "I will find him, and I will kill him. This isn't a game."
"Alright, alright, I get your pissed. I would be too." Danno said trying to calm his partner down, "But yelling wont get us anywhere, we need to do detective work and find her."
"Alright, alright." Steve said, containing his anger.
"Ok, now this not, Zugzwang, what does it mean?" Kono asked, "That is where we will start?"
"Zugzwang is a chess term." Max said, appearing in the doorway. "It is the part of a game where the opponent realizes he will loose but needs to choose if he will continue to his defeat or give up."
"Max, why are you here?" Danno asked, "and how do you know that."
"Mr. Kelley called me." Max said shortly, "he felt that it would be necessary to have some forensic expertise, and I do hold a degree in forensic science. And for your information, I was the state chess champion in 8th grade." Max smiled.
"Its good to have you here Max," Kono said.
"So, where do we start?" Steve asked, "We know what this card means now. But what do we do with that?"
"Look at the last line of the poem thing." Kono said, "Your move, the Game begins. Zugzwang, he is making this into a chess game."
"So we start by looking at chess stores?" Danno asked with an eye roll, "yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
"No, but what about parks where people play chess." Chin Ho asked, "Max do you know of any parks were chess matches are increadibly popular?"
"Well, there is one park. It has a large chess board and they frequantly hold chess competitions there."
"Then that's where we will start." Steve said.
OoO
Catherine opened her eyes. She was tied to a chair in a dimly lit room that smelled of salt and sweat.
"Hello?" She said, trying not to panic. "Why am I here." A dark, hooded figure came out of the shadows.
"Because I love a good game."